During 1971-72 as a GM line mechanic at a local GM dealer, I was schooled in the repair of tilt steering columns. I was the only mechanic that would repair these columns deeper than a turn signal switch. This was NOT because of my expertise, but rather that the other guys didn't want the work; too many details and small parts, and the repairs didn't pay much.

CJ's Rods & Machines, Inc was founded in the spring of 1990 as a one man hot rod shop specializing in suspension and drivetrain upgrades. Within a few months, my reputation as a steering column rebuilder resulted in the vehicle fabrication business taking a back seat to local needs for custom "built to spec" steering columns. In order to accomodate this expansion, another employee was needed. A local high school student with an interest in old cars contacted Gery Burger of Rodders Digest magazine and asked if there was a shop in the area that specialized in old car work. Gery sent him to me and the rest is history.
In 2003 we moved from our small shop behind my house to a new building (much larger) in King, NC. Business continues to grow, and we have resumed vehicle fabrication and added some new products to go along with our steering column manufacturing. We now offer tilt steering columns for almost any post '48 GM, Ford, and Chrysler passenger car and Pickup. Column rebuilding is still a large part of our business with customers in nearly every state and dealers that ship to many foreign countries.

I would like to thank my wife for putting up with my ambitions and the thousands of loyal customers and dealers who have purchased our products during these past sixteen years. Oh, and many thanks to that local high school student who is still with us. His name is Travis Albert and he is my shop foreman.

Check out our products and give us a chance to show you what real customer service and quality products are all about! Thanks for visiting our site. 

                                                                                           CJ Lane