26 PALESTINECHAMBER . ORG
ONE OF A KIND FINDS
Those that reside in Palestine enjoy the feeling of a laid back rural lifestyle with all the amenities of big city living , including unique retail finds and one of a kind custom creations .
RAILYARD CUSTOMS & COLLISION :
Building automotive dreams one hot rod at a time
Parked at a perfect angle in front of the elaborate mural on the side of Railyard Customs & Collision , a fully customized 1971 Chevrolet half-ton pickup looked as if it were already on the cover of Hot Rod magazine . The crimson metallic paint glistened in the sun , covering the sort of extensive interior and exterior styling that has become synonymous with the custom car culture of the 21st century . A quick glimpse at the amazing work of automotive art would easily throw off even the most educated gearhead , as the upright hood and front clip of the ’ 71 had been swapped for the more stylish front end of a ’ 67 or ’ 68 , but with the addition of a billet custom grill to further add to the mystery .
“ I think the ’ 71 is possibly my favorite custom we ’ ve ever built ,” said Railyard owner Ryan Ripley . “ It ’ s been a challenging build , but it ’ s really starting to come together . We ’ ve built a lot of custom cars and trucks over the years , but so many of them have been for people who live outside of East Texas . This truck is local , though , and I ’ ll be able to see it regularly . Not much makes you feel better than seeing your work being enjoyed and appreciated .”
Ripley brought Railyard Customs & Collision to Palestine in 2016 , and for almost eight years he has focused on creating new possibilities in design and body work . His journey , however , saw him hone his craft at several of the best facilities available anywhere . Ripley learned paint and body work at Wyo Tech , based out of Laramie , Wyoming , then studied welding at Tyler Junior College . He worked in Austin for sev-