Driver of the Week: Joe Ortiz

Age: 58.

Hometown: Kansas City, Kan.

Why I drive: The pleasure of helping people, meeting very interesting people. And I like the freedom to move about.

What I do when I’m not driving: Watch football. Good or bad years, I’m always a Chiefs fan.

Personal cars: Mercury Grand Marquis and a Lincoln Towncar.

First car: A 1960 F85 Oldsmobile. It was the predecessor of the Cutlass, but it looked nothing like the Cutlass. I bought it when I was 18 from one of my high school teachers. I wore it out; I didn’t know much about cars then — even how to change the oil.

Favorite limo moment: Meeting Sparky Anderson, the baseball manager. He was here to visit Ewing Kauffman a month before Mr. Kauffman died. I didn’t recognize him but I kept looking at him because he looked familiar, and he said, “I’m Sparky Anderson.” I hadn’t recognized him because whenever I’d seen him, he was wearing his uniform and cap.

Do you want Joe Ortiz to take you out to the ballgame — or anywhere else around town? Call 816-756-3100 and request him as your driver.

Driver of the week: Denise Gonzalez

Age: 54.

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri, native!

Why I Drive: I just love to drive. I love meeting all the new people — you don’t feel like you’re working. It’s not just the same old, same old.

What I do when I’m not driving: I enjoy life after having raised four children as a single parent.

Personal car: 2002 PT Cruiser. The gas economy is better than the Jeep I had!

First car: A 1967 Camaro convertible Supersport. It was yellow with a black top. Wish I had it now!

Favorite limo moment: The neatest one was a wedding, a trip I did to Des Moines, Iowa, for some Czech people. I got to drive the whole thing — wedding, reception, all of it. I liked all their customs. We drove in a long procession all over town — ten cars with flags on them, all honking horns!

You don’t have to live in Des Moines to book Denise as your driver. Call Pech Limousine at 816-756-3100 and request her for your next outing!

Virtual Tour: 1963 Bentley Saloon

Driver John E. took these photos of Pech Limo’s 1963 Bentley Saloon on Labor Day weekend 2009 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Lawrence, Kansas.

This charcoal/silver ride offers a beautiful ride and an elegant touch to any occasion — especially a wedding. And yes, it does have air conditioning!

The ‘63 has a V-8 engine, making it more powerful than the 1950s Bentleys in Pech’s fleet, which are equipped with in-line 6-cylinder motors. The 1963 Saloon also has a slightly sleeker body style, making it a good compromise between old-fashioned charm and a slightly more modern look.

Driver of the Week: John Eberhart

Age: 48.

Hometown: St. Joseph, Missouri.

Why I Drive: I love being mobile. I was tied to a desk (not literally, but sometimes it felt that way) for 26 years. Now I’m out and about, indulging my restless nature.

What I do when I’m not driving: I have many obsessions. I love walking, kayaking, bicycling, and traveling. Wow … that all involves motion, too, doesn’t it? Maybe I’ve read William Least Heat-Moon’s “Blue Highways” one too many times!

Personal car: 2006 Mercury Montego. I thought it was kind of an “old man” car when I got it, but now I love the smooth ride. Plus, I’m getting to be kind of a geezer, so it fits.

First car: 1966 Chevrolet Impala. It had a 327 V8 engine with a racing cam. I went through two clutches while I had it, much to my dad’s displeasure. The car was very, very fast. I scared a few passengers with it.

Favorite limo moment: I was driving a prom in April, and the kids kept putting the divider up and down. On one of the “up” cycles, one of the girls said to her friend, “But I like SEEING him!” I took it as a compliment.

Nickname: I like bow ties. A couple of my passengers have referred to me as “The Penguin.”

Driver of the Week: Erin Davis

Age: 28.

Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.

Specialty: Erin drives some of Pech’s classic cars, including the 1954 Bentley Saloon.

Why I Drive: It’s a change of pace from the office (Erin helps staff the phones and does many other things at Pech Limo) and it pays better than the office. Plus it’s nice to get to meet some of the people I’ve talked to on the phone.

What I do when I’m not driving: I make jewelry and work on my etsy store (meadowbellemarket.etsy.com). And I play and teach piano.

Personal car: (Editor’s note — There seems to be some debate over the answer to this question, so let’s just stick to the following exchange between Erin and her fiancee, Slawik Pech) – Slawik: “Volvo station wagon.” Erin: “Personal car? I don’t have one!” Slawik: “Your junk is all over that car.”

First car: 2000 Chevy Cavalier (which my twin sister, Aundrea, still has).

Favorite limo moment: When we took my grandma and grandpa out for a present over the holidays. I wasn’t driving, though; I was a passenger. They were in their 80s and neither had been in a limo before. It was great to see how much fun they had.

Nickname: None. My name’s pretty short.

Thoughts on the challenges of being a female driver: People are hesitant to let me open doors — especially grooms at weddings — or handing me luggage. You kind of have to coach people that it’s all right. And the Bentleys have no power steering; they are hard to turn from a standstill.

And the benefits? Tips!

Want Erin as your driver for a trip in a Bentley or Rolls? Call 816-756-3100 and request her as your driver.

Driver of the Week: Bob Kauffman

Age: 59.

Hometown: Abilene, Kansas.

Why I Drive: Meeting new people. I’ve always liked customer service and I cannot sit behind a desk. I’m too antsy. I love giving out-of-town people tours — historical tours — of Kansas City.

What I do when I’m not driving: Nothing, really. I have no life … I do like to go to sporting events, but who can afford them now? I like the Royals the most, and I like college basketball and football.

Personal car: 2001 Lincoln Town Car.

First car: 1956 VW Bug — the one with the small windows. We had to pull the engine and put another one in it.

Favorite limo moment: Either driving Jaclyn Smith (she is beautiful) or driving at the Super Bowl in 1993.

Nickname: LB (Limo Bob).

Want Bob to drive you to the Super Bowl — or maybe just around town? Call 816-756-3100, book your trip and request Bob K. as your driver.

Virtual tour: 26-passenger SUV

Web developer and driver Will Angles takes you inside one of our two biggest rides. Note: You can see more of this limo on monstersuv.com and pechlimo.com. Here’s Will’s report:

You’ve all seen them.   Cruising the Plaza and parked at the J.C. Nichols Fountain, they swarm like leviathans every spring to celebrate proms and graduations.  But have you ever been in one?  Until today I hadn’t, and I can only describe it in one word: Ridiculous. (And yes, that’s a compliment!)

The 26-Passenger Ford Excursion Super Stretch SUV is about as long as a school bus, with black glossy paint that’s as reflective as the tinted privacy windows.  When I first stepped in, I was surprised at how elegant the inside of the vehicle was.  For an automobile that carries over two dozen people, the seats are immaculate, and the various mood-lit mini-bars that dot the interior are much classier and less gaudy then I had imagined.

All of the electronics throughout the car are professional grade.  From the DVD television sets to the high-impact CD/Stereo, no detail is left out.  The passenger-controlled neon and mood lighting adds even more comfort and fun to the vehicle.

But probably the most impressive factor to the SUV was how clean it was.  For a vehicle that can take any size party crew from location to location, there were no spill marks, no dust, no dirty or broken glasses, in fact, there wasn’t a single finger print in the vehicle, it seemed, until I crawled in.

All in all, I had to put my preconceptions in the closet about these monster SUVs.  These vehicles are a blast; they’re a fun, safe way to take a crowd of people bar-hopping around Kansas City.

Oh, and did I mention the price?  For a four-hour car ride with only 20 passengers, you can expect to pay around only $40 per person!

Virtual tour: 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III

Driver John Eberhart reports on Pech Limo’s ‘64 Rolls, one of the company’s classic cars:

I’ll just confess it right up front: I love this automobile.

I love driving it. I love seeing people’s reactions when they first set eyes on the car as I pull up. And I love how clients enjoy riding in this classic car.

I’m old enough to remember what driving was like before power steering and disc brakes were standard equipment on just about every make and model. The drum brakes and manual steering on this vehicle could be challenging for some. My first car, though, was a 1966 Chevy Impala. Believe me, the equipment on this Rolls is far superior!

This Silver Cloud III does have air conditioning, although it was added later. Even on a warm day, though, it can be more fun to ride without it. Remember “wings”? You opened these to let some air in, and if you really wanted the breeze, cranked them around till they were pointed straight at you! That way, you could cool down without mussing your hair or losing your hat or scarf.

This model has a V8 engine, which makes it more powerful and responsive than, say, Pech’s ‘54 Bentley Saloon, which is equipped with a straight 6-cylinder. There is no parking gear, so the driver must set the hand brake upon arrival.

I also love the car’s color scheme — that red over silver is an attention getter. I’m thinking of getting myself a silvery bow tie and red pocket square to match the paint job!

So far, my assignments in this car have been limited to weddings — but I can’t think of a better use for this luxurious ride. Whether the car is used primarily for pictures, which sometimes is the case, or whether the bride and groom ride from wedding reception to their hotel, the ‘64 Rolls is a perfectly elegant choice.

Welcome to pechlimo.com’s blog!

This is the new blog for Kansas City-based Pech Limousine. For rates and information regarding our fleet, we also encourage you to visit our main Web site, which you’ll find at www.pechlimo.com. The blog is under construction right now, but in the coming weeks you’ll find features like these:

Driver of the week: We’ll introduce you to the men and women behind the wheels.

Bentley and Rolls-Royce trivia pages: Intriguing information related to the classic cars in our fleet.

“Slawik’s Forum”: Updates and posts from Pech Limousine owner Swjatoslaw “Slawik” Pech.

“Limo Kansas City”: Our suggestions for destinations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, including clubs, restaurants, and landmarks.