PALESTINECHAMBER . ORG 27 eral shops producing high-end builds before setting his sights on East Texas .
“ I was into cars and trucks my whole life , so it was a natural progression ,” Ripley said . “ But I have to say that my greatest influence was Lee Rummel at Lee ’ s Paint and Body in Bremond . He taught me what it takes to produce great work . There are no shortcuts .”
Rummel passed away in 2004 , but his influence , combined with Ripley ’ s further education in Austin , led Ripley to realize his end goal .
“ We wanted to bring a high-end hotrod shop to East Texas ,” Ripley said .
Ripley opened Railyard Customs & Collision with his partner , Jim Bars , in August 2016 , bringing to Palestine a custom shop that combines automotive art with top-shelf mechanical and body work . The custom car shop covers a wide range of specialties .
“ We build frames , suspensions , and bodies from scratch , Ripley said . “ We don ’ t bolt on accessories .”
A trip through the shop is a gearhead ’ s dream . On the rack sat a 1970 Pontiac GTO . On the floor were two first-generation Ford Mustangs . Several older pickups of varying pedigree were scattered about , all in different stages of restoration or customization . Yet another piece of art sat on the floor . A freshly painted GM LS motor awaiting its introduction into the GTO ’ s engine bay . Every inch of the power plant was polished and customized , capped off by custom coil pack covers that gave the modern engine the look of a more traditional V8 .
As beautiful and iconic as the 1970 GTO may be , the act of raising the