ABOVE: Dennis Broviak works on installing a new fuel tank for a 1968 Chevrolet pickup at Ray’s Rods and Repair in Fairmont. The pickup was torn down to the chasis so it could be shortened.

FAIRMONT– For most vehicles requiring maintenance finding parts can be relatively straightforward; auto parts dealers have an adequate supply of replacement parts for almost every vehicle that’s still on the road. For classic car enthusiasts, this can be a different story; parts made by the original manufacturer could be discontinued for decades and most auto parts dealers will rarely supply components for more uncommon vehicles. As a result a niche industry of suppliers and mechanics has been developed to help maintain and customize these rarer vehicles.

Ray Miller is the owner and operator of Ray’s Rods and Repair in Fairmont. The business specializes in maintaining and modifying custom and vintage vehicles. For Miller the work is part business, part pleasure; he first purchased his own classic truck in 1983. His collection includes a 1928 Ford Model A, a 1954 Chevrolet pickup and a 1984 Chevrolet pickup.

Miller said his interest in old vehicles is fueled by both the nostalgia and the history they carry with them, but also the distinctive customization owners apply to their cars.

“I can see a hot rod coming down the interstate or the highway from a long ways away,” said Miller.

For Miller the greatest challenge in working on antique cars is parts availability, but in recent years the internet has proved to be a boon for vintage car enthusiasts with sites specializing in rare parts connecting buyers and sellers with the materials that they need.

“It’s been pretty good, it means that street rodding has gotten more popular. There’s people out there that have the aftermarket parts. If you just start searching online you’ll probably find what you need,” said Miller.

Before the internet made it easier to find parts, enthusiasts needed to search individual salvage yards hoping to find something that would be compatible with their vehicle.

“It was a lot harder back then to get parts … you were going to the salvage yards and finding the parts,” said Miller.

Once at a salvage yard Miller would need to find a part that resembled what he was looking for and oftentimes send it to a machine shop to be modified so it was compatible with his vehicle.

Even today when parts are easier to find they’ll need to be modified one way or another to be compatible with a particular vehicle.

“Nothing’s a direct bolt-in because you’ve probably already modified that vehicle in some way, shape, or form,” said Miller.

Despite the challenges of working on older vehicles Miller enjoys the uniqueness of the work and how no two vehicles he works with are the same.

“(The appeal is the) satisfaction of building something nice, different and meeting the customer’s expectations,” said Miller.

Once the work has been completed Miller said the resulting product is something unlike any other vehicle on the road.

“It’s a cool thing, it really is, because of the attention that you get when you’re driving them. People give you the thumbs up when you’re passing on the interstate, they’re sitting there watching you, videoing you, it’s just cool. It makes you feel good; I must have done okay (and) built it good because they’re looking at it,” said Miller.

*Editor’s note: This article ran in the Feb. 14, 2023 edition of the Sentinel in the Car Care special section.