Lucky Matt’s Rod Shop

06/07/2026

I don’t want this to be a somber post. Instead, I want it to be about recognizing the incredible talent that both Dakota Whitlow and Brison Willits brought to this industry. Can’t leave out the fact that it was a blast working with them both, I had so many conversations with Dakota about EVERYTHING while we worked. Ever have an in-depth discussion about the big-bang theory, cromagnons, how the pyramids were built, ways to improve in general AND do bodywork all at the same time? We did. Lol!

If you haven’t already, get on Facebook and check out the work they were doing at DW Designs, which is a partnership with Willits Metalworks. It’s tempting to call it “natural talent,” but that takes away from the thousands of hours of hard work, dedication, and practice that got them there and it did not go unnoticed in the work they turned out. Dakota and Brison never seemed satisfied with “good enough.” They were always looking for ways to improve, learn, and create something better than what they had done before. Their talent, vision, and craftsmanship were truly exceptional. They were an unbelievable, unmatched duo.

I knew both of them for over a decade, and we worked together for a couple years. I give Dakota a lot of credit for inspiring me to create Lucky Blocks in 2016. When we worked together, we would always talk about what we could do better and how we could improve quality in the builds that drove away. When I started making Lucky Blocks, those conversations helped drive a noticeable improvement in my own work.

I will continue to look back at their work with admiration and draw inspiration from it. The last time Dakota and I talked, he was discussing upgrades to his bead roller as if he wasn’t already producing some of the most incredible work imaginable with the tools he had. But that’s who he was—he always wanted to do better.

Their work speaks for itself, and their impact will continue to be seen in the projects they created and the people they inspired along the way. As his fiancé, Audrey reminds everyone, find a way to laugh, Dakota always would

Reach out to a friend today, don’t let time convince you there will be another opportunity.

04/14/2026

You’d be surprised how much one guy with one eye and the right attitude can get done in one day.

04/04/2026

What a great week! I had the pleasure of delivering this beautiful 1968 Camaro SS to on Monday. It is technically “just a driver,” but man—it looks incredible. I’m especially proud of the straightness and the consistency of the panel gaps and light lines. That level of detail is what you can expect from my shop. I don’t know how to build anything less than exceptional—straight, clean, and mirror-like is the standard every time a vehicle leaves here.

This Camaro underwent a complete restoration: full floors, inner and outer rockers, inner and outer wheelhouses, quarters, hand-fabricated lower 6 inches of both doors, rebuilt inner and outer sections of both fenders using new donor pieces, a new deck lid, and the original SS hood repaired with custom hand-formed patches—plus much more. Obviously, Lucky Blocks were in charge of the flawless bodywork.

Next up, the owner plans to finish it off with a RideTech four-link and a big block. I can’t wait to see this black beauty laying down a nasty, smoky burnout… I’ll take care of cleaning the rubber 😆

03/19/2026

I always strive for the best quality I can produce, but this is a really good explanation of the term “high end”.

The more body work and paint I see talked about on social media, the more this topic matters. There’s a general idea now that just about everything is considered ‘high end’.

The question is, what actually is high end body work?

♦️♦️ High end body work is usually on cars that are competing for major awards like the Ridler, Al Sloaneker, AMBR, Street Rod/Machine of the Year, Barrett Jackson Cup, etc.

This means when you sight down the vehicle the panel edges don’t dive in, all panels are perfectly flush, gaps are perfectly consistent, body lines are dialed in, the paint is perfectly flat, etc.

The work and process it takes to legitimately contend at this level is so much different than the vast majority of work.

Let’s call it 95% perfect. To get to 90% perfect is the easy part. To go that extra 5% is where the difference is, and where everything changes.

I fully expect what’s talked about here to be different than what most people do. What most people do is by definition average, this isn’t for average work, so the process has to be different.

I hope this post doesn’t come across with the wrong attitude. I just think in a social media world where posts can be monetized and most people are addicted to drama, it should be mentioned what’s actually meant by ‘high end’. ‘High end’ is not just ‘good’.

Everything on this page is for the small niche of craftsman trying to achieve legitimate high end results.

➡️ Curious about the entire process? It’s laid out, step by step in ‘Elevated’.

www.TrueBlox.com

03/09/2026

In the restoration world, silence is a red flag.
If a shop refuses to show the process, it usually means one of three things: incompetence, dishonesty, or disorder.

And if you’ve been around this industry long enough… you’ve probably seen all three.

1. They’re hiding the ugly
Real restoration isn’t glamorous. It’s metal work, welding, grinding, priming, and hours of block sanding. If a shop only shows shiny paint and finished cars, they may be hiding shortcuts like fixing rust holes with filler instead of replacing the metal.

2. The “lifestyle” scam
If there are no progress photos, the car probably isn’t progressing. Sometimes client money gets used to keep the lights on or fund the owner’s lifestyle instead of buying parts or paying technicians to actually move the build forward.
No photos = no progress.

3. No systems
A shop that “forgets” to take photos usually doesn’t have real processes. If they can’t manage documenting a build, they probably aren’t managing the thousands of parts, bolts, and steps that go into a proper restoration.

4. Fear of accountability
Transparency creates a paper trail. Shops that avoid showing the process often avoid being held accountable for timelines and quality.

At MCM, the process is the proof.

We don’t just show the finished car.
We show the metal work.
The body work.
The ugly middle stages.

Because that’s where the real craftsmanship lives. 🤘

12/29/2025

Get ready for a new week after the Christmas “break”! I’m ready, are you?

Set your goals-crush them

12/26/2025

Shop addition interior/organization has been a work in progress for months, but that’s ok! Plenty of work to do in the meantime.
Hope everyone had a great, relaxing and peaceful Christmas Day!

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas to all! Hope all has a wonderful and safe holiday!

Quick plug: all Lucky Blocks orders receive FREE shipping, in the U.S., until midnight tonight. No code needed.

12/08/2025

Mondays don’t suck—your mindset does. Shift it.
Positive thinking and a positive self-fulfilling prophecy can literally change your day, your week, even your year.

If you start with, “I hate this car, it’s going to turn out like crap,” then that’s exactly what you’ll create.
But if you say, “I’ve put a lot of time into this, and it’s going to come out beautiful,” you’ll move and work in a way that makes it true.

The challenge is staying confident and positive through the whole process.
It takes effort. But it pays off.

Make today more productive than you thought possible.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving friends!! Have a wonderful feast and don’t forget to be grateful and spread the positivity every day!

Don’t forget! Free shipping anywhere in the U.S. on all orders placed today and tomorrow as well as a free nib-block!