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Hitt’s Body Shop

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Weston, WV
Hitt’s Body Shop

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Family-owned for 80 years, we take pride in providing trusted auto body repair services. Call us today at 304-269-2123 for top-notch service you can rely on!
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With eight decades of experience, expert craftsmanship, and a dedication to excellence, we’re committed to keeping your vehicle looking its best! For over 75 years, we've been the trusted professionals for all your auto needs. Specializing in collision repair, towing, auto detailing, and mechanic services, we proudly serve a wide range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, SUVs, and RVs. Our experienced team is here to get you back on the road safely and efficiently.

10/31/2026

Taking a quick break from Hitt’s history to appreciate paint laying down this smooth.

DONT YOU JUST LOVE THAT?!

10/28/2026

Tim was always looking for ways to grow Hitt’s and better serve its customers.

During his years as owner, he opened the larger body shop building and installed a Blowtherm paint booth. He added a state-of-the-art alignment machine that remains in use today, expanded the towing operation with another truck and opened a full-service detail building across the street.

One of the photographs in this post shows a very young Jake pretending to operate Papaw’s new alignment machine. At the time, it was simply a little boy wanting to do what his papaw did. Today, it is a pretty special reminder of how closely our family’s memories are connected to this business.

As Hitt’s grew, recognition followed.

In 2000, Hitt’s received the Governor’s Millennium Small Business Award. The following year, the business received a Certificate of Achievement recognizing 55 years of continued growth and customer satisfaction.

In 2020, Tim was named Businessman of the Year by the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. That same year, Hitt’s was voted the Lewis County Choice Awards’ No. 1 Auto Body Shop, beginning what became six consecutive years of receiving that honor.

But awards only tell part of the story.

In a Weston Democrat article, Tim’s longtime friend John Breen described him as “the turn-to guy.” It was a description that fit the way Tim lived. Whether someone needed help, advice or simply a friend they could count on, Tim showed up.

In 2018, when Tim’s uncle and Purple Heart recipient Bob Nicholson told him that donations were being collected for a Purple Heart monument at the Mountaineer Military Museum, Tim wrote a check for the entire cost.

When asked why, his answer was simple: “It was to honor them. They deserve it.”

Tim was proud of Hitt’s and grateful for every award the business received, but he never measured success by plaques or recognition. He measured it by the people who trusted him, the employees he considered family and the community he was able to help.

If Tim was ever your turn-to guy, we would love to hear your story.

4 generations. One promise.

10/24/2026

Same property. Generations of growth.

When Tim took over the business in 1992, Hitt’s occupied a property that had grown piece by piece over the years.

Each building had its purpose, but Tim recognized that the future of collision repair would call for more space and a shop designed to meet the work ahead. During his years as owner, he expanded the business and built the larger body shop that still anchors our operations today.

The transformation happened gradually. As Hitt’s continued to grow, some of the older buildings eventually came down, and the property evolved alongside the automotive industry.

The first photograph shows the property as it looks today. The next two show some of the older buildings being torn down as the property evolved. The final photograph is an earlier aerial view, taken well after Hitt’s began in 1946.

The property may look different, but generations of the Hitt family have continued working here, building on what came before them and preparing Hitt’s for what would come next.

4 generations. One promise.

10/21/2026

For many people, the number 68 will always mean Tim Hitt.

For this part of our story, we’re stepping away from the shop and heading to the racetrack. While Tim was carrying Hitt’s into its third generation, the No. 68 was putting the Hitt name on the map far beyond Lewis County.

Tim began competing in stock car racing in 1984, earning Rookie of the Year at Elkins Motor Speedway before moving into Late Models.

From 1991 through 1999, Tim drove the original Rocket Chassis House Car and played an important role in Rocket’s early development. According to Rocket co-founder Mark Richards, the partnership began with Tim providing an engine and Rocket providing the car. Tim tested different setups that helped Rocket develop its cars and support other drivers. The winnings were reinvested into better equipment and engines, helping the race team grow during those formative years.

The No. 68 went on to win some of the sport’s biggest races. At the 1996 Pittsburgher 100, Tim made a final-lap pass on Scott Bloomquist to win the race and $21,000. He won the Pittsburgher again in 1998, along with the $45,000 Hav-A-Tampa Shootout at Dixie Speedway, where he led all 100 laps.

By the time he retired after the 2004 season, Tim had earned nine STARS victories, four MACS victories and a best finish of sixth at Eldora Speedway. In 2019, he was inducted into the Elkins Motor Speedway Wall of Legends.

The No. 68 represents the races, the miles, the pit crew, the hard work behind the scenes, and a driver from Weston who competed with some of the best in the country.

That number remains part of our family’s identity and the Hitt legacy today.

If you watched Tim race, tell us where you remember seeing the No. 68.

4 generations. One promise.

10/19/2026

In 1992, Hitt’s entered its third generation when Tim Hitt took over the family business from his father, Jim.

But Tim’s work at Hitt’s began long before he became the owner.

By the time he was in high school, Tim was already helping Jim keep the business running. Some nights, he would answer towing calls through the night and then get up and go to school the next morning. He grew up working alongside his father, learning the business through long hours and firsthand experience.

When it became his turn to lead, Tim respected the foundation Red and Jim had created while looking for ways to move the business forward. Over the years, he expanded the shop, improved its services and carried Hitt’s into a new era.

In a 2018 interview with The Weston Democrat, Tim put his philosophy into his own words: “I’m grateful for our reputation. The way we try to treat people, like family, that’s the way I grew up.”

That reputation was never just about repairing cars. It was built by showing up when people needed help, doing the job right, and making sure customers felt cared for. Red began that tradition, Jim carried it forward, and Tim strengthened it for the next generation.

Tim was the owner and face of Hitt’s for nearly three decades, but the business was only one part of who he was. He was a son, father, papaw, brother, uncle and friend who loved beyond compare.

If you knew Tim through the shop or the community, we would love to hear what you remember most about him. Your stories are part of the legacy he helped create and part of what keeps that legacy moving forward.

4 generations. One promise.

10/16/2026

Every vehicle that comes through Hitt’s passes through many hands. There is a lot happening behind the scenes before a finished car is returned to its owner, and every person on our crew plays a part.

An 80-year business does not keep going on history alone. It keeps going because good people continue to show up, take pride in their work and care about the name attached to what leaves the shop.

4 generations. One promise.

10/15/2026

WE’RE HIRING — BODY SHOP APPRENTICE / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT 🔧

Hitt’s is looking for a motivated person to join our collision repair team in an entry-level, hands-on position.

This person will work alongside our technicians and paint department and learn different parts of the repair process while helping keep production moving.

Responsibilities will include things like:

* Assisting with vehicle teardown and reassembly
* Removing and reinstalling bumpers, trim, liners and other basic components under supervision
* Sanding, masking and assisting with paint-prep work
* Prepping bumpers and smaller parts for repair/refinish
* Staging parts and vehicles for technicians
* Helping technicians get the parts and materials they need to keep working
* Learning proper shop procedures, tools and repair processes
* Pre-washing vehicles before repairs and cleaning completed vehicles for delivery
* Helping keep production areas organized and ready for the next job

No body shop experience is required. We are willing to train someone who is dependable, works hard, takes initiative and genuinely wants to learn a trade.

Full-time | $17–$19/hour depending on experience | Paid time off

This can be a great opportunity for someone who wants to get into collision repair and build skills that can lead to more responsibility and earning potential over time.

Apply through Indeed or stop by J.E. Hitt Garage & Body Shop in Weston.

10/14/2026

Today would have been my dad’s 62nd birthday.

Before we officially tell the story of the third generation of Hitt’s, I wanted to pause and celebrate the man behind it.

To many people, he was Tim Hitt. The owner of Hitt’s, one heck of a dirt track driver, a great boss, and the man they knew they could call when they needed help.

To me, he was Dad.

He took over the business from Papaw in 1992 and carried Hitt’s into a new era. But the buildings, race wins and business accomplishments were only one part of who he was. He was a dad and papaw first, a brother and uncle, and the kind of friend people were so lucky to have. His family meant everything to him. For all he accomplished, he remained incredibly humble and rarely talked about any of it.

Today, I have the privilege and responsibility of walking in his footsteps, leading the same business he once led and trying to carry forward everything he worked so hard to build.

I hope he can see that we are still working, still growing and still doing our best to take care of the name he entrusted to us.

Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad. We miss you every day, and I hope we are making you proud.

Love always,
Cortney

10/12/2026

The J***y years were years of growth, hard work and family.

The original three-bay garage shown in these photographs was only one part of the Hitt’s property. At one time, the property included five buildings, along with Jim and JoAnn’s home. The three-bay garage is still standing today, a reminder of where so much of the story began.

While Jim Hitt was at the helm, mechanical work became a larger focus. 24-hour towing was added, and a small body repair area began taking shape. Jim also leased oxygen, acetylene and helium, and the business held a dealer’s license.

There was always something happening around the property. Cars came and went. Equipment and parts filled the buildings. Employees, family, friends, and customers moved through the shop as the business continued to grow.

These photographs capture pieces of that time: one of the original shop buildings, Jim gathered around a car having fun with friends and employees, work taking place inside the garage and a Hitt’s tow truck carrying Tim’s No. 68.

Racing was also part of Jim’s story. He raced the pink No. 99 shown in these photographs. Another photo shows Jim at the track with his son, Tim, and a trophy.

The buildings, equipment and vehicles have changed over the years, but the work done across that property helped build the foundation for the Hitt’s our community knows today.

If you worked at Hitt’s, spent time around the property or remember seeing one of these race cars, we would love to hear what you remember.

4 generations. One promise.

10/10/2026

You may have known him as Jim, but chances are you knew him as “J***y.”

In 1971, James Edward Hitt became the second generation to lead our family business when he took over Hitt’s from his father, Red.

Under J***y’s leadership, mechanical work became a larger part of the business. He added 24-hour towing and opened a small body-shop area where cars could be repaired. Little by little, those changes shaped the garage and body shop our community knows today.

For the people who depended on Hitt’s, he was J***y—the man behind the tow truck, the repairs and the growing business. But at home, he was simply Papaw Hitt.

These family photographs offer a glimpse of the man behind the legacy. You’ll see him with his wife, Evelyn Joann—our Mamaw—and with his son, Tim, who would eventually carry the business into its third generation. One photo includes his granddaughter Cortney, bringing three generations of Hitts together outside the shop.

Jim continued operating the business until he retired in 1992, when Tim took over. His work had helped lay the foundation for the next chapter of Hitt’s, but his greatest legacy was the family he brought together around it.

In our next post, we’ll take a closer look at the shop and the people who worked alongside J***y.

If you knew J***y, what do you remember most about him? Whether you worked with him, bought parts or called for a tow, we would love to hear your stories.

4 generations. One promise.

Address

441 U.S. Highway 19N
Weston, WV
26452

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13042692123

Website

https://jehitt.com/

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