Highlands Ranch, Colo. -- Hank Padilla said that when he and his wife, Jennifer, set out to decide what type of automotive business they wanted to own, one of their goals was to do something that would complement other hot-rod and racecar shops in town, not simply compete with them.
Padilla said he opened the shop after quitting his job as a management consultant for an accounting firm and attending Wyoming Tech's collision refinishing and street rod programs. "Basically I went to Wyoming Tech because I wanted to improve my fabrication techniques and hone the skills that I already had as a hobbyist," he said.
After considering the purchase of several businesses, Padilla said he decided to open his own shop.
"We call ourselves a hot-rod shop but that is not necessarily the most accurate description," Padilla said. "Most of what we do is custom tube-bending and fabrication."
At the core of the business, which opened in March 2006, is a Rusch Machine & Design (RMD) mandrel tube bender that Padilla said he believes is the only one in the area. He said the equipment is different from the "crush type" tube benders found in a typical muffler shop in that it can create much smoother bends without the crush and distortion. He said that adds strength to roll bars and cages, and performance to exhaust systems, as well as creating a more attractive product.
The shop's primary business is in fabricating custom headers, exhaust systems, roll cages, chassis components, and sheetmetal, Padilla said. The equipment can bend mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and chrome moly.
In addition to the bending equipment, Padilla said the shop is equipped with a plasma cutter, MIG and TIG welders, a Huth Heavy-Duty Swager Expander, an RMD End Mill Notcher, and other fabrication tools such as a drill press, band saw, shear, finger brake, and bead roller.
The diversity of the shop's business could be seen on the day Parts & People visited. Among the projects in the shop were a Cummins diesel engine awaiting custom piping for its twin turbo system, an older Formula Ford car that was having its roll cage upgraded to bring it up to current specifications, a late-model Mustang that was having its chassis stiffened, a late-model Subaru having a roll cage built and installed, and a vintage Mustang Mach 1 receiving a custom aluminum interior. Examples of many of the shop's projects can also be seen on its Web site, www.hanksvillehotrods.com. Padilla said that about a third of Hanksville's business is for other shops, and he would like to eventually see it grow to about half.
For example, Padilla said he has worked with a Cheyenne, Wyo., 4X4 shop to design a custom exhaust system for late-model Jeeps with lift kits. Hanksville created a prototype, which was then downloaded into the computer that runs the shop's mandrel pipe bender, allowing identical systems to be produced as needed, he said, adding, "We saved it into the computer so that we are able to supply them kits that they can install. "It's a neat example of how we're trying to work with other shops rather than just compete against them," he said.
Padilla said it is also a good example of his equipment's ability to shift from making one-of-a-kind custom work to production runs of specialty products. He said that part of the reason he invested in that capability was so that he could design and market his own products for specialty applications.
"We are doing the R&D to be able to create our own product line as well as doing the specialty work," he said.
For instance, Padilla said he has always been a Ford enthusiast, so he has designed several products for the Ford 4.6-liter SOHC and 5.4-liter DOHC engines found in Mustangs. The shop has begun offering a retrofit kit allowing the 4.6-liter engine to be mounted in a '49 to '51 Ford body while retaining the stock steering and suspension. There is also an adjustable transmission crossmember allowing the use of T-45 or T-56 transmissions in the same applications.
Padilla said he has also developed a Lake-style header for the 5.4-liter motor. In addition, he said his family is involved in Jr. Drag Racing, and he has developed several accessories, including an elevator lift that is attached to the garage wall or the side of a trailer to allow two Jr. Dragsters to be stacked for storage.
"We are looking for niches that we can own," he said.
Padilla said that in addition to him running the office and his wife handling procurement and the company's finances part time, the 3,000-sqare-foot shop has two full-time employees and one part-time employee.
While all parts of the business continue to grow as the shop enters its second year, Padilla said his business done for other shops is growing the fastest and that he hopes it will eventually reach 50 percent of the company's sales. He said the shop's size limits the number of large projects it can take on -- normally, one large custom exhaust and one rollcage at a time, while filling in with smaller jobs. "We do a lot of fabrication, so the guys will be working on projects while the mandrel bender is sitting idle," he said. "I would like to keep it busy most of the time."
Padilla said Hanksville is set up to offer other shops services that range from single bends up to full exhaust or roll cages done to customer specifications. For instance, he said the shop makes stainless steel exhausts for vintage motorcycles that are marketed by a customer.
"We can't be experts in all areas, so if we can have other shops as customers who are leaders in their areas, I am very happy with that," he said.
Padilla said he is finishing up a wholesale pricing program. While the shop asks for about two weeks' notice for large jobs such as roll cages, he said it is able to complete most small jobs for wholesale customers in a day or two. "Part of what we want is to be responsive and available to them," he said.
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