Ten Questions With Tim Strange of Strange Motion Rod and Custom

 

RideTech: How did you get into the hobby, Tim?

Tim Strange: My dad built choppers when I was real young. When my sister and I got older, he sold his bike and got a 57 Chevy. I remember riding around the country mile, all four of us on the Harley, I was sandwiched between my mom and dad and my sister was on the back. I remember sanding and doing bodywork as a real young kid. Dad and I also painted local farmers trucks for side money and bonding time in the garage.

These radical machines belonged to Tim’s dad. His 57 Chevy had a tunnel ram, tilt nose and Street Freak stance. Check out the chopper, too.

RideTech: Were you raised a car guy?

Tim Strange: Yes. After Dad got the 57, there was always a couple Tri-Fives around the farm. We would go to local events, cruise-ins and rod runs. My Uncle Jim also took me to rod runs and custom shows to see stuff a little further away.  I grew up on a farm. Like most farmers, we did everything ourselves including welding, mechanical, painting. That’s all I ever knew.

This 55 Bel Air has radiused rear wheel arches and a tilt nose. Those wheels appear to be from the early 1980’s.

RideTech: Is there one car from your childhood that inspired you to start building cars?

Tim Strange: There is a long list. We had a great group of cool cars around the Illinois-Iowa area. There was a Gasser Willys that sticks in my head. I still have pics of another yellow street rod that I loved. It was a Model T-sedan with the right “big and little” tires. Mr. Roadster lived around the Quad Cities along the river for a few years, and we would go buy parts there. I remember the first time I saw his “Pinocchio Deuce.” It was something of a life changing moment. A local guy, Al Adams, built a highly-detailed, molded and smoothed 40 sedan with handmade stainless trim. This was the first “big-time” car that I recall. It landed on the cover of Street Rodder. In high school, the “Street Freaks” style of builds always got me excited, as did the smooth Boyd Coddington era. I still remember holding the issue of Hot Rod with Cadzilla on the cover. When I was old enough to drive, I was inspired by Pro Street cars from Rocky Robertson, Scott Sullivan, Mark Grimes Matt and Debbie Hay, and Rick Dobbertin.

Tim believes in staying true to his craft and preserving the integrity and history of our great hobby and industry. You can check out his YouTube Channel by searching for “The Strange Motion Way.”

RideTech: We have seen you on TV as host of “Search & Restore.”  Any plans to return to TV?

Tim Strange: Television is a weird animal. I don’t regret being on TV, but if I do another show, it will have to be right concept and execution. Also, TV notoriety has its pros and cons. Fans want to visit your shop and see your work, but most don’t really want to have a car built. Time becomes an issue. That’s why my shop is not easily found. We are by appointment only. When the Search & Restore show came about, it was a “feel good and give back” type of show. The industry and builders came together to build cars for some cool, deserving people. I was responsible for a ton of behind the scenes tasks — especially arranging parts and people. Sometimes we had 10-12 people sleeping at our house, just to get the builds done. I would consider doing another TV show, if it is good for all involved and puts our industry in a positive light. I stand strong for the things I believe in. I have worked hard to be a part of this industry and help our industry. We have a YouTube channel called “The Strange Motion Way.” We film some tech stuff and some fun stuff. I would like to find more time do work with it.

When he’s not practicing his skills as a custom car builder, Tim like’s to race BMX. He is also an ordained minister.

RideTech: What else are you up to other than building cars?

Tim Strange It’s probably a big surprise to many, but I am also an Ordained Minister…I am legal to perform weddings. I have done weddings at BMX tracks and I officiated the wedding for Olympian Corben Sharrah and his wife, Nicole. I do some race announcing for autocross, drag races and demo derby events. I also speak at schools and help MC events. Announcing gives me a chance to get out of the shop, but still keep busy.

Tim is a true artist — with the ability to take concepts and execute them in clay and, of course, metal.

RideTech: If you could build any car for yourself, what would you choose?

Tim Strange: Another long list. I have a dozen or so build ideas rolling around in my head. From Tri-Fives to a traditional 40 Merc, 36 Ford, and an early Chevelle. I have actually started gathering parts for one way out build. I am a huge Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell fan of GM design. I have a bubble top donor, and going to stretch, section and widen sheet metal to make a “what if” concept car. What if Earl and Mitchell teamed up on this body? Tweak some clay model designs from their design studio that never made production. In my mind it will be finished to look like a concept car that could have been — right down to the tires, hub caps, and interior, nothing too modern. I have been thinking about building this car for about 8 years, but I have not found a client who “sees” my idea. I guess I will probably have to build it for myself. It’s always a struggle finding the right client for this type of project.

Like many of us, Tim Strange got hooked at an early age. He bought his first car, this 55 Chevy 150, when he was only 8 years old.

RideTech: What was your first car? When and how did you get it?

Tim Strange: I was an 8 year old farm kid when I bought my first car from my great-great-grandpa. It was a baby blue and white 55 Chevy 150, that I bought for $100 using money I earned by selling my 4H show pigs. I would drive that 55 around the barn yard. We would use it to pull the loading chute. (lol… I am sure city people have no idea what a loading chute is!) I would raise, show and sell pigs and steers for 4H. This allowed me to buy car parts and BMX stuff as a young kid. I even bought and flipped a few cars before I was 16. I bought and rebuilt a 64 SS Chevelle when I was just 14. It was my high school summer car. I rebuilt that car again when I was 19. It won a couple awards at the Street Machine Nats and at Super Chevy shows.

This timeless 54 Chevy custom seems to blend all of Tim’s influences together. We see Pro Street cues as well as the highly styled detail of cars from the “smooth” era, like CadzIlla It’s powered by a big block.

RideTech: What does it feel like to be in the national rod and custom hall of fame?

Tim Strange: It was a really weird feeling.  It’s nice to be recognized for doing what I love. I was the third youngest to ever be inducted. The crazy thing is that I feel my best work is yet to come. I have been running my shop full-time for more than 24 years now. I have been very lucky with awards and press from around the world. Through most of those years, it has not — and is still not — an easy road. It was a little mind blowing when we got the word. At the National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame Museum induction ceremony, I hung out with industry people that I admire. Looking through the museum and seeing my section on the wall was even more mind blowing. The high point was when Darryl Starbird, himself, actually performed my induction. I still can’t even put a solid thought to it, I guess. Our 54 Chevy, is planned to go to the Hall of Fame Museum in Oklahoma for a year-long stay this summer.

Bret and Tim go way back. Back in the ’90s, Tim Strange displayed this custom wagon in front of the Air Ride display at the Street Machine Nats.

RideTech: You and RideTech President Bret Voelkel go way back. How long have you known each other?

Tim Strange: I met Bret at a Street Machine Nationals even before he started Air Ride Technologies. I can say Air Ride Technologies, now RideTech, was my first ever dealer program I got for Strange Motion. I have been using RideTech parts since the ’90s. We have an old picture from the ’90s with a 1960 Chevy wagon that I built. The car was sitting on display at in old RideTech show booth. RideTech is the only brand I use for air suspension and coilovers. I was raised kind of old school. I only deal with companies if I believe in their products and the people who make them. Too many companies just push out products with no real testing.

Carrie Strange is one of the busiest women in the aftermarket. She always seems to turn up at cool automotive events. She also races BMX.

RideTech: Most of us know your wonderful wife, Carrie. Tell us how you met?

Tim Strange: Carrie and I actually met, we think, at the BMX track. Carrie’s brother, cousin and I all raced BMX, though she never raced as a kid. Carrie has been racing BMX for about 12 years. BMX is our stress relief from the hot rod world. We run a factory-level BMX race team with around 30 riders. We actually have six riders qualified for the world Championship events this summer, and Carrie as well.  One of our team riders made the USA Olympic team last summer. The crazy world of hot rods keeps both of us going.  Until recently, Carrie used to do all the interior work in our shop. For a while, she has been working for FM3, a performance marketing group that serves a few aftermarket companies. Carrie helps runs events like Hot Rod Power Tour, Car Craft Summer Nats, some Roadkill events, Ultimate Street Car Series and Holley LS-Fests as well as some events marketing for Optima Batteries. Needless to say, Carrie stays very busy in the industry.

Thanks, in part, to his role as co-host of the popular TV show “Search & Restore” Tim has met and spent time with some cool dudes including Billy F. Gibbons and Lou “The Hulk” Ferigno.

RideTech: Tell us about some of the great celebrities you have met over the years.

Tim Strange: That’s another big list. Most I have met, filmed or hung out with are just normal people when you get to know them. I went for a drive on a TV show project with Billy Gibbons. It was cool talking with him. We were trying to film the show but kept getting off topic. We talked about hot rods, customs and history. It blew my mind that THE Billy Gibbons actually knew about a few of my past builds.  I’ve done some stuff with Mario Andretti and Sam Hornish. When I was doing TV, a ton of celebrities would come through to film. I have met too many to count, Tommy Lee, Carey Hart, Dax Shepard, Mike Ness, some of the Jackass guys, Wee Man, TJ Lavin, Sung Kang from Fast n Furious, Jerry Horton, Papa Roach guitarist, James Otto and Shannon Brown.   At one event, I got to hang out all weekend with Lou Ferigno. I have gotten to be friends with Larry Dixon. I was never a big sports fan, other than BMX so meeting Bob Haro, Stu Thomsen, Harry Leary, Eddie King, Bob Osborn, Greg Hill, Tommy Brackens, Billy Griggs, Scot Breithaupt, Jim Melton, and Rick Moliterno from the BMX world. From the hot rod world, I met Lil John, Boyd, Darryl Starbird, Ed Roth, Gary Howard, Bill Hines, Dick Dean, Larry Watson, Blackie and Pete Chapouris. It was way cooler meeting car guys than football and baseball celebrities.

To visit Strange Motion Rod and Custom online, Click HERE

To view our past installments of Ten Questions With, Click HERE

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