Troy T. Trepanier
President, Rad Rides by Troy
November 15, 2007

Personal

Troy grew up in Manteno, a small town in Illinois. He and his wife Angie have three beautiful children… Carly (11), Jack (7 ) and Luke (5). Together Troy and Angie run one of the most successful companies in the custom automobile industry.

Troy has grown up around cars and craftsmanship. Even though he found time to play every sport possible in high school, Troy always worked in his dad’s automotive shop. His grandfather taught him that “there’s only one way to do things: the right way.” A competitive spirit, a passion for excellence and a “nothing’s impossible” attitude have shaped Troy’s life and every car he has built.

History

It all started in 1986 when his grandfather gave him a 1966 Chevelle to “fix up” for himself. After a good effort he took that car to the 1990 Du Quoins Street Machine Nationals. He was amazed at the building techniques he saw, so he redid his Chevelle shortly thereafter with a unique blend of ideas like brushed trim (taken from a John Buttera car) and Boyd wheels. The car was called Pro Box. It was a huge hit and it launched a new company.

Rad Rides by Troy was established in 1995 as a father and son business that has grown to become one of America’s top automotive shops in 12 short years.

Along the way Troy has become a team builder. From the close-knit pack of fabricators, mechanics, painters and machinists that make up the company… to the essential partnerships he has forged with some of the industry’s leading suppliers.

Today Rad Rides by Troy is one of the most well known and respected names in the business. In addition to building cars for many of the top car collectors in the country, Troy has worked closely with Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota… both sports and Hollywood celebrities… and is now developing an environmentally friendly ethanol kit that is the only EPA certified e85 kit available in America.

The Rad Rides Difference

Troy inherited his grandfather’s passion for perfection. He added his own highly diverse appetite to build everything from a Ridler winner to a Bonneville racecar. This commitment to both craftsmanship and performance is now recognized by fans all over the world.

This unique combination has produced some amazing cars, such as Chicayne, the first twin turbocharged small block street machine. Chicayne went on to win Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award in 2002 and set of a whirlwind of twin turbo cars that have tried to follow in it’s footsteps. That year, in a feature article on the car, Popular Hot Rodding Magazine stated that Chicayne just might be the “finest hot rod of all time.”

To Troy, its critical that the car performs as well as it looks. So, the fact that Chicayne drove the entire power tour that year was even more satisfying than all the awards and flattering comments.

Achievements

Today, Rad Rides By Troy operates at 24 East Third Street, Manteno, IL 60950. Phone: 815-468-2590
www.radrides.com.