Daily Rubber Shop Tour, Auto Artistry Russell, Kansas

There’s a lot of guys out there that want to know where to get some work on their hot rod done, or a new project started, so Daily Rubber is doing a couple of rod shop tours. This one showcases Auto Artistry in Russell, Kansas.

In 1985, I wrecked a 1977 Monte Carlo. My Dad told me we “are not turning this into the insurance company and to figure it out and fix it yourself!” So I did. He knew from then forward fixing and painting cars was his ‘thing.’ He went to Salina Vo-tech school in 1985-86 and did restoration work out of his house garage for a while.

Mike Schoech worked for a couple of other shops until 1989. In 1989 he started his own business under the name Auto Body Specialists as a collision specialist. After a couple of years of replacing panels and fenders, he decided to go back to his roots and his original business plan doing auto restoration and customizing. Then the name was changed to suit that and became Auto Artistry. We’re located at 435 South Fossil in Russell, Kansas 67665.

Auto Artistry Russell, Kansas — 1969 Super Bee full resto. 440 6pack 4 speed-not numbers correct.

Mike’s interest in cars started way back when he was about 5 years old- he got a pedal car for Christmas and then it was Hot Wheels. He’d go to the Ben Franklin in Ellis Kansas every chance he got to buy Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, then paint the ones he thought needed improvement.

As he got older, bicycle repair, modding and painting came into the picture he became the neighborhood bike mechanic. When he got his driver’s license he could not wait to find a cool car. His first car was not cool, it was a 1974 Ford LTD wagon. That one didn’t last long as he crashed it shortly after buying it.

He replaced the station wagon with a 1970 short bed Chevy pickup with a 383” stroker! His parents moved to Russell, Kansas, his junior year of high school. The school in Russell had Auto Body Repair as a class. This happened to come in real handy after I crashed my Monte.

In the years since, Mike’s business has been growing and earning a reputation as a great place to have your hot rod or classic built or painted. Mike’s been into trucks for a while, having built and sold a couple of them, among them a couple of hot rod trucks, a ’41 Chevy and a ‘46 Chevy.

Should you desire Mike’s expertise, stop by and chat with him. He’s located at 435 South Fossil in Russell, Kansas 67665 and the phone number is 785-483-3771 www.autoartistry.com.