News
Butch and Donna Downs 1934 Huppmobile Good Guys Street Rod of the Year Finalist
Butch and Donna Downs are finalists for Street Rod of the Year. Even though The Tin Man’s Garage, Inc. was not mentioned in the small article we did help out with this great build. We built the aluminum lift off cover for the convertible top that was upholstered by Schober’s in Sandwich, IL. The difficult part of this was that nothing could be welded on the car because it was already painted and upholstered. All of the seams had to fit perfectly to be riveted on the car or welded off the car. The fit and finish came out great and it fits like a glove, take a look and see how it was done.
Finished Fabricating Ron Wiggens A-400 Aluminum Hood and Sides
I met Ron way back in Indy when I unveiled my roadster. Ron has a great eye for proportions and “the look”. Ron has always built his own cars himself but for this project he asked for a little help on the hood and sides. I had to machine three sets of dies to do all the bead details on the Pullmax. I left the PVC coating on the aluminum and only removed the sections I was working on and after I was done there was 90% of the raw aluminum finish untouched, which shows no ripples or lines. We are both ecstatic with the way it turned out. Take a look and see how it was built.
Street Rodder Work Shop Press Release
The new Metal Shaping Workshops have been such a great success and a permanent addition to the shop; Street Rodder Magazine took note and ran a press release spreading the news. This press release has allowed people from across the country to now take the workshops. We are excited to have a gentleman coming in from Germany in December for a workshop and a two day personal metal shaping consultation. For more information about our workshops please contact The Tin Man’s Garage, Inc.
Wholesale Dealer For Wilwood Brakes
The Tin Man’s Garage, Inc. has quite a few dealerships from companies like; Billet Spicecialties, Heidt’s, and American Autowire. Doug Burke(Vice President of Wilwood)stopped out at the shop and was impressed by all the quality projects being built and decided to move The Tin Man’s Garage, Inc. into wholesale distributing pricing which is the lowest available pricing. Please contact us for all your braking needs for the best possible pricing from the industry leader!
New Tech Article In Street Rodder Magazine
I teamed up with Tim Bernsua from Street Rodder magazine and had the honor to write a couple of tech articles. This was an exciting opportunity for me since Street Rodder magazine has been one of my favorite magazines since I was a child.
Good Guys Gazette Shop Tour Article
Check out the Good Guys shop tour article.
View Gallery
Open House (September 2009)
The Tin Man’s Garage, Inc. would like to thank everyone for showing their support by coming to our open house in September. We had an excellent turn out. It was nice meeting new people and seeing old friends who did not have a chance to stop by and check out our shop. We also greatly appreciate those who brought their cars despite the overcast in the morning. After lunch, the sun was shining and everyone had a great time.
A Long Waited Encounter
My Dad finished his ‘27 T Roadster Pick Up and brought it from Nebraska a couple of times this past summer (2009). We went to a great local car show and had a great time cruising. He scratch built the entire car including a wild chassis with custom front control arms and a rocker arm style sprung suspension out back. It is powered by a 400 small block and a five speed. If you were wondering, it is faster than my car! Some people ask how I got into this industry and how I have accomplished so much at a young age… I think these pictures answer both of those questions. Thanks DAD!
The Tin Man’s First Piece To His New Puzzle.
We picked up my 1966 GT40 MKI body from Ohio. The fiberglass body will only be used as a pattern. I am going to make the entire car from aluminum. I have been engineering an aluminum Monocoque from photos of the originals for the last couple of years. I plan on using a Ford Mod motor with a Quaife Transaxle. I do not have much time to work on my own car, owning your own shop is like being a plumber with leaky pipes!
Visit From Metal Shaping Craftsmen- Fay Butler
After taking Fay’s Metal Shaping Seminar in December of 2008, we have stayed in touch. To my surprise, he was coming through Chicago on his way home. He stopped by my shop and I had a chance to show him around. I am so grateful to know Fay, he not only teaches the science of Metal Shaping he helps Craftsmen find there true souls and reminds you of what is really important. Make sure you check his website out at www.faybutler.com.
Car Crazy Video Interview
Car Crazy Video Interview with Ken Gross from the Good Guys Indianapolis Hot Rod Nationals asked the Tin Man to describe some of the features of his Scratch Built A Roadster in front of the camera, the Tin Man was honored (even with his sweaty palms), check out the clip!
