Arizona Dad and Son Fix Cars for Whatever You Can Pay

When Michael Kuba's three young children sat crying in the back of his van on a scorching Arizona day, the broken air conditioner felt like more than an inconvenience. The $4,000 repair estimate felt impossible.

So Kuba bought tools, watched YouTube videos, and fixed it himself through trial and error. That desperate moment of problem-solving planted the seed for something bigger.

Nearly 11 years later, Kuba runs The Junkie Garage, a nonprofit in Glendale, Arizona, that helps families keep their cars running without crushing repair bills. The concept is beautifully simple: bring your parts, and donate whatever you can afford for the labor.

"I don't ask you for your income. I don't ask you who you are, where you came from, or anything like that," Kuba said. "I just wanna help people get their cars working right."

There are no income checks, no paperwork, no questions. The garage handles smaller jobs like air conditioning, brakes, suspension, batteries, and alternators. A typical AC repair that costs $2,000 to $4,000 at a traditional shop? Kuba's customers spend less than $300 on average, including their donation.

But this isn't just a solo mission. Kuba's son Matthew started helping in the garage when he was just 8 years old. Now 16, Matthew has grown up learning the trade while serving his community.

"We help the community out, we work on their cars, and it means a lot to me," Matthew said. "It's an amazing bonding experience, and it gives me an opportunity most kids don't get."

The Ripple Effect

One foster parent brought in a Dodge Caravan with broken AC. She was caring for three children with special needs and couldn't even afford the parts. Kuba bought them himself and had the van running by the time she returned.

"When she walked up to the car and stuck her arm in, she literally just had an emotional breakdown, because she was finally going to have cold air for these children in the backseat," Kuba recalled.

Kuba dreams of expanding to a three or four-bay shop with volunteer technicians. He's hoping to build enough support through small monthly donations to leave his construction job and help families full time.

"There's too many people that need help, and you can't just give up because it doesn't always work," Kuba said. His simple philosophy explains why he keeps going: "If you have the ability to help people, just do it."

And that's exactly what this father and son are doing, one car at a time.