About Superior Car Parts, Inc.
Superior Car Parts, Inc. was formed by designer and
developer Ron Grace and several Midwestern car guys when Girtz
Industries recently spun off its car parts division, Antique Car Parts
by Girtz. For more than four decades, the small Indiana manufacturer
had built Top Irons that were used by most of the American hot rod body
manufacturers, restoration shops, and the biggest-name hot rod builders.
Trained by original owner Elmer Girtz, Grace has been hand-making
beautiful polished stainless Top Irons for more than 20 years. Grace
and his new team acquired the machinery and original patterns from
Girtz, including patterns for all open-body styles of early Fords from
1928-39. Grace has engineered two-inch chop versions for each top as
well. Superior Car Parts also builds duplicates of original fender
braces for early model Fords. All products are American-made.
Meet Ron Grace Ron
Grace heads the design and development department at Superior Car
Parts. A mechanic since 17, Grace brings 21 years of handcrafting
antique car parts to Superior.
"The best thing about my job is taking a piece of raw steel and
turning it into a beautiful Top Iron. I know it's going to go on
someone's car, and it's going to look beautiful. That's what gets me
going," Grace said recently.
Grace uses the specific skills of an engineer, mechanic, machinist,
welder, and quality control to handcraft beautiful car parts for
open-body styles of early Fords from 1928-39. He has engineered
two-inch chop versions for each top as well. Superior Car Parts also
builds duplicates of original fender braces for early model Fords.
Grace enjoys the challenges that go with constructing a Top Iron and
designing a new top for a customer. "I like to try new ideas, making
sure they will work." Grace says he's very open-minded to a customer's
wishes. All car parts handcrafted at Superior are made specifically for
each customer. And if there is a design flaw, he wants to know about
it-he likes to make it right.
"I'm dependable for our customers. I want them to feel they can call
me if they have a question, and I will help them to the best of my
ability," Grace said.
Meet Tim McGinnis Superior
Car Parts welcomed production head Tim McGinnis in 2008. McGinnis, a
Chicago native, has been fabricating sheet metal body parts since 1982
when he moved to North Carolina to construct cars for NASCAR racing
legend Bobby Allison. The first car he built for Allison won the 1982
Daytona 500. McGinnis continued to build cars for Allison for five more
years, including the 1983 Winston Cup winner as well.
McGinnis has been in the automotive industry his whole life. He
became interested in early Ford models as a boy since his dad owned a
1931 gun-metal blue Model A. Attending the Indy 500 race and museum
when he was young, he caught the racing bug at 15, running on dirt
tracks 100 mph at the Santa Fe, IL, raceway.
A photo of Henry Ford hangs in McGinnis's office at Superior Car
Parts. Henry Ford motivates McGinnis, from building race cars or early
model car parts to company vertical integration, bringing all
production in house. "Henry Ford was the best at vertical integration."
At Superior Car parts, McGinnis produced the first
vertically-integrated car part made-a lower stanchion post. "It's an
honor to build these parts for people, and since the parts are
stainless steel, they will last for generations. Grandchildren will be
able to enjoy this stuff," he said recently.
Meet Terry McGinnis Terry
McGinnis, Director of Sales, joins his brother Tim McGinnis and Ron
Grace at Superior Car Parts, providing quality hot rod and restoration
parts. Terry’s love affair with the automobile started at a very young
age. By age 17, he owned and operated his own service station in
Downers Grove, IL, soon adding another full-service gas station. During
his 22 years in the service station business, he wore many hats: ASE
certified mechanic, general manager, handy man, tow truck driver,
service writer, and teacher.
As the industry began to change, Terry moved forward as the Manager
of Sales and Marketing for a starter and alternator company. He
continued as a teacher, technical seminar instructor, and successful
salesman. So successful, in fact, he was recruited by a trucking broker
company to expand its existing customer base. He added more than 100
new customers, and annual sales totals of more than a million dollars.
Because of his combination of business and technical background, he
was offered the opportunity to assist in the start-up of a new hot rod
business. Ten years later he is still involved in building show-winning
cars. Terry is involved in every process of the “ground-up” build from
metal fabrication and electrical wiring, to the final delivery of the
car.
An exciting new chapter in his career, Terry is combining his technical and sales experience again at Superior Car Parts.
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