McHenry, IL
One day while visiting the Chicago area, I was taking a short cut between here and there when this cool rod and the awesome shop name, Snake Alley, caused me to do a double take. I was in the area for a few days so I made time to pull into the shop just to see what they built. Snake Alley is a small-town shop located near McHenry, Illinois that turns out some truly great custom bikes and cars.
The day I stopped by the shop the rod that had originally caught my eye was nowhere to be seen. I went into the shop’s showroom and the owner of Snake Alley, Marty Behan, was nice enough to tell me the car was parked out back in one of the work bays. I asked if it was okay to get a few photos of it and to just give it a really good looking over to see how it was built. “No problem” was his answer.
After looking at this rod I realized that there were several full-on custom bikes in various stages of construction in some other areas of the shop. This place was definitely not a shop that ordered parts and only assembled them but rather a full-blown custom fabrication shop where, if they or the car owner could dream it, they could build it. Take your time to really look at the way this rod was designed and built and it should just blow you away.
The vehicle that had caught my attention was once upon a time an old Model T Ford body with a cool aged patina look that comes with fading over the years. The rod sports a hand crafted frame, suspension, steering, exhaust and interior. The motor is a Cadillac V8 with a hand built exhaust system and a manual transmission that completes the drivetrain. The retro louvered rear hatch along with the addition of some really unique parts and pieces make up the trim and controls. The rod is so cool viewed at any angle, at a distance or close up while looking at any of its minute details. I have to tip my cap to Marty on this awesome rod that showcases his talents on the 4-wheel level.
If you are on the back roads north of Chicago, locate McHenry on your GPS or road map and swing by Snake Alley to see first-hand what truly great metal fabricators the guys in this shop are. Thanks Marty for letting me look over the works of rolling metal art you and your crew produce. If you can’t get there anytime soon you can always visit their website www.snakealleyllc.com
