By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Just at the edge of Hays down a little dusty road off Old U.S. 40 sits a modest automotive shop, but out of that non-descript space, comes some highly tuned, fully restored classic cars that would make anyone turn and to notice.
“Primarily, we are in the business of restoring vehicles, so all things automotive,” said Trisha Haskell, who owns Show Me Restoration, 1930 Louie Road, with her husband, Jason.
“Jason can do bottom-up work, pretty much anything you can dream up of doing to a car we’re in the business of doing,” she said.
Later this year, the effort of the shop will be highlighted by the Specialty Equipment Market Association in their 35 under 35 awards that will come out later this year.
“To us, it is a big deal,” she said. “We are over the moon to get an honor like that.”
While the business is located in Hays, their clients come from all over the country.
“It’s anybody and everybody,” Haskell said.
She said they work with a community of people that identify with vehicles.
“We have a nice selection of vehicles that we get in that people identify with and want to be restored,” Haskell said.
Those vehicles range from the common old vehicle, such as a Studebaker Goldenhawk, to the much more rare, such as a classic Shelby GT 500 – both currently being restored in their shop.
“The automotive industry is unique in that a lot of people if they find out you do good work, they will travel from all ends of the earth to come find you,” she said. “It’s kind of neat the array of people we get to meet.”
While both Trisha and Jason are transplants to Hays, they grew up in western Kansas. Jason is from Kinsley and Trisha from Garden City.
After Jason was recruited from Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland to work in Skeeter’s Body shop in Garden City, the pair met in Garden City and decided they liked Hays. They set up shop in 2013 shortly after moving into town.
“It’s been great. We really enjoy it,” Haskell said.
While Hays might not be the center of the automotive restoration world, being recognized by SEMA shines a light on the shop that will be seen across the world.
“SEMA is known worldwide,” she said. “There is a lot of buzz going on there,” Haskell said.
SEMA is best known for its annual trade show, which will begin on Nov. 5 in Las Vegas.
“We love old cars and restoring them and doing anything with them,” she said. “I think that is what is exciting about SEMA is that it gives a news twist on allowing you to see some of the creative things that people are doing with these resto-mods and that sort of thing.”
Haskell said the organization is a lynchpin in the wide field of car restoration.
“They encompass the entire industry and what everyone is trying to do. It’s nice to have that when you are so specific in a very broad industry such as automotive,” Haskell said.
The SEMA 35 under 35 will come out next month and will feature Jason and his restoration work including what he has done in the automotive industry and where he sees it going she said.
More about SEMA can be found at their website semashow.com.
More about Show Me Restoration can be found on their facebook page, @SMRHAYSKS.
