<< Back to Driving Force, November 2012
Club Spotlight
Mobile Miracle
MHRA’s Lifesaver on Wheels Nears 40
Rod Repair Shop operators were kept busy at the 1973 NSRA National event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Since 1951, the Michigan Hot Rod Association (MHRA) has been preserving and promoting the world of modified vehicles. This association was originally formed to fill young enthusiasts’ need for a safe and organized place to drag race their hot rods in the state. The world-renowned Detroit Autorama event, founded in 1953 by MHRA, continues to draw crowds from around the world. An MHRA-owned and -operated dragstrip was created in New Baltimore, Michigan, a few years later using the profits from those early hot-rod shows.
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Although it has had many accomplishments over the last 60-plus years, one of the most unique has to be the group’s Rod Repair Shop operation. At the dawn of the street-rodding movement in the late ’60s and early ’70s, MHRA hosted “rod tours” that made for fun weekend trips. A repair vehicle commonly followed the touring group to act as a support. Eventually, similar touring events sprung up around the country and the association decided to construct a Rod Repair Shop trailer to be towed and operated by MHRA volunteers. In 1973, the first Rod Repair trailer went from Detroit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the National Street Rod Association’s (NSRA) annual event. As was the case in the past, all emergency repair services are still provided at no cost to participants from funds raised from the Autorama.
As the requests for the Rod Repair Shop Trailer have increased, the tools and equipment have been improved. The original 3,000-lb. trailer was replaced with a custom 9,000-lb. trailer in 1985. Today, the Rod Shop trailer clocks about 5,000 miles each year and provides onsite support for many vehicles. Look for this inspired automotive aide at an event near you!