The Hot Rod Shop began as Ruth Engineering over 20 years ago, the company where Levi Brownell and Chris Walker first entered the automotive industry. It later became Deluxe Rod and Custom, where Chris was a part-owner for approximately six years. For the past three years, Chris has been the sole owner of what is now known as The Hot Rod Shop. Throughout this journey, Chris has been fortunate to acquire a talented team of employees, all of whom have extensive backgrounds in the automotive field.

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Chris Walker: age 50. With 25 years in the industry, Chris grew up working on cars with his dad, starting in grade school and continuing through high school. He furthered his education afterward, ultimately leading him to his current position.

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Levi Brownell: age 40. Levi has been in the industry for 20 years. His passion for cars began in high school, and he pursued additional education afterward. He has been by Chris’s side for all 20 of those years.

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Austin Schoenbeck: age 35. Austin had early exposure to cars through his dad and continued his education in the field after high school. He has been working alongside Chris for the past eight years.

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Terry Bender: age 48. Terry also grew up working on cars with his dad. After spending several years in the military, he chose to pursue a career in car building and furthered his education in the field. He has been with Chris for six years.

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Dave Marco: age 61. Dave is one of my senior team members who joined The Hot Rod Shop full-time about two and a half years ago. With over 40 years of experience, he spent many of those years in collision repair while building hot rods for himself and others at home during evenings and weekends. He has built cars with Ruth Engineering, Deluxe Rod, and is now fully dedicated to The Hot Rod Shop.

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Troy Green: age 61. Another senior team member, Chris says he feels fortunate to have Troy working full-time with the team. He also has over 40 years of experience in the industry. For many of those years, he worked with his dad in their shop, taking care of customer cars, before moving on to “Chris Holstrum Customs” in Washington State. Since relocating to Spearfish, he has been with Chris for nearly two years.

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In summary, Chris says he owes his success to the incredible team he works with. This group of talented individuals collaborates exceptionally well. The experience that Dave and Troy bring is invaluable and greatly benefits the entire team. We take immense pride in our work, building exceptional cars with attention to detail right down to the last screw. The knowledge we have gained from one another reflects in our builds and is truly irreplaceable. This 1 of 1 Eleanor is a true representation of their commitment to quality, detail and perfection and it has earned them the bragging rights of the nicest Eleanor ever built. A true Queen of all.