Ron Covell is A Metal Shaping Magician
By noderel:
Fabricator Ron Covell says he's done classes and workshops all over the world, but hasn't put in many appearances at car shows. Covell was invited to do panel beating seminars at the NEW Motorama Show in Green Bay, Wis., and he enjoyed looking at the show cars. "There's some pretty cool rides here," he said. "This turned out to be a good trip."
Covell has done seminars in the Eastwood booth at the SEMA Show, helping the Pennsylvania company promote its line of specialty tools and restoration products. He has also done classes in Dubai and workshops in Poland and Germany. "I have met hot rodders from all over the world," he noted.
Apprenticing with a man who built aluminum dragster bodies back in the '60s was Covell's entrance into the world of hot rodding. "I worked with him for two years, then I started my own company to build aluminum dragster bodies," he explained. "I did nothing but aluminum dragster bodies for about 10 years straight. Then, I moved away from the racing world because he demands were a little too much for me. The racers were always in a hurry and I didn't like the stress that caused."
Covell switched to creating street rods, where he felt that design was more important than getting things done on a particular schedule. "That's where the majority of my work has been done ever since," Covell revealed. At the Green Bay seminars he fabricated hot rod parts including a hood scoop, a wheel well and a hubcap that he decorated with a large "S" that he told his audience was for "Studebaker". Covell admitted, "I was just goofing off on that one; I don't really know if Studebaker made a hubcap with an 'S' gong from top to bottom."
Covell has two street rods of his own. "I bought a car that I built for a customer about 30 years ago," he said. "The man passed away and when his wifecalled with the news, she said she was going to put the car up for sale, so I bought the car from her. It's a track racer based on a '23 Ford Model T." Covell is currently building himself a second car based on a '27 Ford body, except he's making his completely out of aluminum.
In Green bay, Covell found that most hot rodders at his seminars were interested in rust repair. "They wanted to know how to get the rust out of a car or what you do if the floor is half eaten away by rust," he noted. "Rust seems to be the big culprit here." Despite being in the rust belt, Green Bay was a hit with the metal wizard. "I hope the show invites me back," he said. "I'd love to come here again."