Bernie native makes name in world of Hot Rods

Ron Owens grew up in Bernie, playing in the salvage yard his father owned. One of his best memories is the 1955 Ford pickup his father rebuilt installing a Pontiac engine.

"He took me for a ride and opened it up a little," says Owens, "I was hooked right then."

For two and a half years, Owens dedicated himself to building a custom Barracuda because that is what he enjoys. The painstaking detail put into the vehicle has drawn him and the car widespead acclaim in "hot rod" circles including the covers of Super Rod and Mopar Action and articles and pictures in the Mopar Collector's Guide and Drive Magazine. The car has won Best of Show at the Shades of the Past Show in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Best of Show at the Monster Mopar in St. Louis, Grand Champion of Street Machine Nationals in Springfield, the Boyd Coddington Pros Pick at Columbus, Alloway's Hot Rod Shop Pros Pick at Nashville and many others. The car was also featured at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the "largest trade show after market in the world," says Owens.

It all started when a high school friend approached him about building a car. That friend was Glen Baugus.

"Glen told me I needed to build something cool to get my name out there," says Owens. Baugus bought a 1972 Plymouth Barracuda in the state of Washington and turned it over to Owens to modify.

"It started out not being that high end," Owens relates, "But it just kept growing."

Very little remains of that original '72 Barracuda. Almost every inch of the car has been "altered or tweeked" into a one-of-a-kind street rod. The car has a new 650 horsepower 6.1 liter hemi engine with twin super chargers. The steel in the body was all made from flat plate. It has an air-ride suspension, a Currie Enterprises real axle and the car is equipped with an electronic engine management system, including a DVD monitor in the dash. The interior was the only thing not custom-built by Owens. It was done by a firm in Tennesssee and features an all leather interior. The detailing from the front to the rear of the car is indescribable.

The car was finished in June 2008 and one of the first shows Baugus entered it in was in Indianapolis. Baugus made a couple laps at Indy. After the Machine of the Year Show in Columbus, Ohio, in which the car was not picked in the top five, Bobby Alloway took an interest and invited Baugus to show his car at the Shades of the Past Show in Pigeon Ford, Tenn. Owens says the show is billed as "The greatest show on grass." They entered the car there and won Best of Show.

"That show and the judges catapulted me into the national spotlight," Owens says with a smile.

It was after this showing that the national magazines came calling. Baugus and Owens kept attending shows and the recognition continued.

"Most people don't think a car like that can be built in a little town like Bernie," Owens says.

It was while making the circuit on the Good Guys Rod and Custom Shows held across the country that he met such big names in the industry as Chip Foose and Don Riddler. Foose, a native Californian, is what Owens tabs the "leading man in the hot rod world."

The show in Las Vegas was impressive, Owens relates. The show is held in four buildings at the Convention Center and the Baugus Barracuda was situated at the entrance to the show. It "draws a crowd," Owens says.

"The whole thing has gone over even my wildest expectations," Owens adds enthusiastically.

The beginning

Owens grew up in Bernie. His dad, Bill Owens, owned O&S Auto Salvage there. He remembers that his dad was always rebuilding cars and trucks and it was that 1955 Ford pickup that first got into the blood of the younger Owens. Later his dad built a custom pickup and gave it to Ron when he was 16 years old.

"I wish I still had it," Owens sighs. He then adds, "I've been around cars all my life."

He graduated from Bernie High School in 1979 and opened a body and mechanic shop. He did a lot of work "rebuilding wrecks." He continued doing that into the late 1990s, but decided that maybe he needed something with more benefits.

He went to work for Federal Mogul in Malden, a piston manufacturing plant. He worked his way into becoming a tool and die machinist, a very valuable experience for his current work. That plant closed and he then moved to Ames True Temper in Bernie where he worked in maintenance.

"Looking back I started wishing I had stayed in remodeling and building cars and trucks," Owens remembers.

He then had a conversation with his high school friend who encouraged him to return to his passion and do something to make a name for himself. He opened Ron's Motorworks with the purpose of building the finest hot rod he could for his friend using the old 1972 Barracuda as a starting point. Two and a half years later, Owens is obviously proud of his work.

"We cut that car up good," says Owens, "It was a good candidate for what we wanted."

The world of Hot Rod showing is competitive.

"Everyone is trying to come up with something different," Owens explains. The Camaros, GTOs and other traditional muscle cars are giving way to a new generation of lesser known old cars. The Riddler Award this year went to a fusion between an old Rambler and a Ford, which was called a Forambo.

Owens credits his wife for the patience she has shown over the past two years. He says many of the modifications took some time in the planning stage.

"It takes me 12 hours to do eight hours of work," Owens says about the mental effort that has to be put into the modifications in rebuilding a car.

He also expresses his gratitude to Baugus who had the confidence and backing to allow Owens to get his name nationally known in the "hot rod" circles.

"Getting recognition from top peers was the greatest accomplishment," Owens confides.

He's now starting work on his next project: a 1955 Chevy pickup. He was hired by a person in Fruitland to completely rebuild and customize the pickup. Already he has taken an inch out of the width of the cab and begun the complete transformation of an old pickup into a hot rod.

"I'm very fortunate in that I get to do something I like," confesses Owens.