A Little About RodsShop
Here is a little about RodsShop, myself and how I got started. My name is Rodney Parks, I have been a mechanic since I was 7. That was when I put my first set of shocks on a car. At that same age, I took an interest in motorcycles and lawnmowers. I think I was just destined to be a DIY Mechanic early on.
I found a real inspiration when I found a 3.5 hp Briggs lawnmower in the woods near our house. I drug it home, learned how to build a lawnmower engine. The body needed some welding, learned that with the help of my dad. I am still mowing with that same lawnmower today.
About RodsShop Starting Out
As a kid, riding bicycles and mini-bikes kept my mechanic skills honed. It allowed me to build my knowledge and experience from maintenance and repairs. I think I was born to be an entrepreneur.
I was always fixing all my friends and neighbor’s bicycles, lawnmowers and anything else on wheels. The neighbors caught on that my dad and I liked to paint and fix things. Before long we were painting friends and neighbor’s appliances, motorcycles and more.
In a very short time, I was making money, both in auto repairs and painting just about everything. We had an old 1950’s Craftsman air compressor. It would pump up to a whole 55lbs. Using a spare tire, my dad and I made a connection from the compressor to it. This gave us volume for spray painting and other pneumatic needs.
With our unique compressor setup, and a pressure feed paint gun. We were painting lawn equipment, stage lights, appliances, bicycles, motorcycles and even a few cars. It was a time you did and worked with what you had and they are memories I will forever cherish. We were true DIY Mechanics.
Becoming An Entrepreneur
A sad start about RodsShop. My dad left home when I was about 16. I kept on being the body man and mechanic with all the skills I learned. I am altruistic by nature, so I have always been customer service oriented. At an early age, I learned that you take care of your customer, and they will take care of you.
Always do the little things, because they do count. In the end, it makes a pleasant relationship with your customers. I still live my life that way and like to make a difference by helping others. Since one of my strongest skills is automotive, I like to apply that by sharing by knowledge with others.
In The 80's
In the 80's, I got into building Street-Rods, Show-Cars and Vintage-Cars. It was fun, but very time consuming. I had one car that took around a year to build. In order to survive, I decided to do collision repair in the interim. The insurance work kept me swamped.
Being a perfectionist is my nature, especially when it comes to doing body work. To me, it's like art work. I take pride in my tools, and like to take a professional approach to fixing things. You will never see me doing the "Greasy Eddie Shade Tree" method. I never have, and never will take that attitude to cut corners.
About RodsShop Ideas
Saving money and stretching the dollar is just my nature. So I know how to get a professional outcome on a limited budget. No matter the job or how much I am getting paid, I try to make the job a great one. Keeping a good reputation is important to me, so I aim to please. I am easy going and easy to talk too. Those qualities and helping others is what I like most about myself.
I like doing things to improve a car’s look, and the same for making a car run better than factory. Through my careful selection of vendors, I get both the best prices and the highest quality. That way my customers benefit. This combines both passions, improving the quality of a machine and help people in the process.
Expertise
Collision Repair
One thing about RodsShop is the passion for Collision repair.
I find the challenge fun, to take something that has been damaged or smashed, and restore it. Restorations of any kind are exciting and the reward is always the end product.
This attitude is also beneficial for my customers. I take pride and actually car about each car I repair. Many shops look at collision repairs as just another job. For me, this is a time to help someone get their ride back the way it was or even better.
I have repaired just about all type of collision damages. Quite often, the most common front-end damages, are more than just bumper or hood replacements. In many cases, it's often inner structure damage. Usually radiator supports, bumper supports and frame rails.
I love to make wrecks look like they never happened. That includes not only the outside, but what isn't seen. So, my do it yourself auto repair attitude, has helped many. I have always helped my customers with their deductibles and with high quality work.
Auto Body and Paint
Most “Paint and Body Shops,” want a pretty penny to repaint or repair a car. There are the “Budget Paint Shops” that will slap on low-grade paint, complete with over-spray, runs, dirt and fish-eyes.
One important thing to know about RodsShop, it is a big advocate for the "Do-It-Yourself Auto Repair." I want to offer as much help, support and products I can to my customers.
The Type of Paints I Use
For the majority of my 45 plus years, I have used Dupont Automotive Paints. Dupont is now known as Cromax/Axalta, one of the top automotive finishes in the industry. Many cars today are painted with pearl flakes. I have found ChromaBase has the best stabilizing agents in their paint. This means that pearl and metal flakes automatically spread themselves apart evenly.
Stabilizing agents promote no modelling, having no blotchy spots in the finish. Without a stabilizing agent, metal and pearl flakes can clutter together. This causes a shading effect and creates a bad finish.
Cromax ChromaBase base coats have the best matching system out of all the other paint industries. This makes blending very easy and the job superb. I use other brands that are cheaper but not usually for blending and matching. Kirker is one that has been around almost since cars started being made. The quality is very good and the cost is very affordable.
Limco is another affordable automotive paint that you can get great results with. Automotive Touchup is excellent and offers aerosols and paint for guns ready to spray. I will say next in line to Axalta is PPG, they have been around since the beginning of time and their paints are durable and long lasting. I have always got a bit more show car look from Cromax but PPG is right there with them.
Metal and Body Repair:
When it comes to damaged or rusted sheet metal, I believe in repairing the metal, not masking it with body fillers. Today's body fillers are awesome compared to Bondo from 20 or more years ago.
However, there is still a time and a way to use them. I prefer to cut rusted areas out and weld in body panel grade metal in it's place. There are tools and tricks for getting dents out, even dent removal that doesn't require repainting.
I believe in working smart, knowing when to put time into a repair or just replace a part. My methods have always been beneficial to both my customer and myself. It wouldn't make sense to repair a hail-damaged hood by putting in 20 hours in it. The job would be far cheaper and better quality to replace the panel. Figure 20 hours and $45 an hour, that's $900 just in labor, Most aftermarket hoods average $300.
Paint Finishing:
I always have given my paint jobs some type of rubbing and buffing after being sprayed. This gives it the high luster and deep look and a better than factory look. This is accomplished by my proven process where I color sand the paint and use a three part buffing system. My system leaves no buffing swirls and an under glass look. The thing about RodsShop, it"s all about high quality and complete customer satisfaction.
Custom Work
As I mentioned, I have a vast knowledge of building Street-Rods, Vintage Cars and Classic Cars. If you have a DIY project like this and want advice, drop me a line or use my Ask a Mechanic feature. I have a successful history building custom cars so my knowledge could be valuable to someone starting off on a custom adventure. RodsShop is about helping the DIY car repair enthusiast, get off on a good start.
My custom car work includes installing aftermarket ground effect packages, decal kits, modifying bumpers/spoilers and installing custom lighting. It also includes frame redesigns to accommodate newer suspension and braking designs. This includes setting up Air Conditioning for vehicles that weren't originally equipped. Also custom dashes, complete drive train upgrades and modifications.
Interiors
My work also includes repairs on minor interior damages, such as trim. I have also repainted and or changes interior colors both in trim and material. Axalta has an incredible plastic and trim system. Their system covers prepping, paint matching and painting plastic trim.
Doing custom electric/non-electric window and door lock installs and repairs are also offered. RodsShop is about perfection, so you get quality repairs and customization's. This means I only use top reliable paints and parts.
General Mechanics
I have over 45 years experience with all types of cars, the old ones and the new ones. My experience covers everything on a car from building engines and transmissions, to general maintenance. With excellent diagnostic skills, I look at repairing the issue first. I am not just a parts replacement tech. Often the issue can be a dirty connection, loose wire or loose bolt that needs to be dealt with.
I take a professional approach to repairs, maintenance and tuneups. There are few shops that I am not sure how they stay in business. These unprofessional shops, will replace one spark plug or one spark plug wire for a tuneup. This is known as a SCAM and that is not what RodsShop is about.
When doing a tuneup, you replace all plugs and all wires if equipped at the same time. The initial cost may be higher but far cheaper than going back every month paying again to get another wire or plug replaced.
I believe in true "customer service," which means you are upfront and honest with your customers. The world needs to be more serving this way instead of the greedy manner it has taken. My firm belief is, "under promise and over deliver."
See RodsShop on YouTube
I want to help, the "Do-It-Yourselfers." RodsShop has a whole YouTube channel designated to provide "How To" information on various repairs. You can also view my How To Make Automotive Repairs page. There are YouTube videos on some topics plus step-by-step instructions and more.
Videos are continually being created as I run across problems from my customers vehicles. Some of my videos even come from people who write in and share their issues and the solutions. So be sure to stay tune, like and subscribe. If you have any experiences you want to share, CONTACT me. To go straight to my YouTube Channel, click HERE
Tune in and watch my channel and learn more about RodsShop and the variety of work I do.
