Story/Photos: T-Bone
Louver Mover
Last year I took a cruise over to Upland to see Bill and the crew at RRC Fabrication and Speed. They have been busy with a ton of different jobs from ground up restorations and kustoms to simple repair. You may have seen Bill at various events, swap meets and such. He is a master at louvers. A Louver Lover so to say. The shop tour last year was hectic working our way around different projects and then he said he was moving soon, down the street to a larger location.
That’s when we decided to pick up the article after the move.
So here we are in his recently relocated shop. Instead of being spread out in different buildings and yards, this new shop keeps everything in sight. A new showroom displays parts and engines for sale, the shop features a work area for the louvers, sheet metal fabrication and such. A lift towards the back gets things done down under and plenty of floor space for multiple projects.
But we are hear to talk about his louvers. As seen in various print magazines Bill Richman can punch some straight holes. His presses feature 6, yes SIX different styles of louvers. Street rod style for looks or even commercial cooling purposes, the louvers Bill lays down are all straight and even. He was finishing a hood on a 40 Ford while we were there with multiple rows of varying, yet symetrical pattern.
If you are thinking about louvering that hot rod, maybe even a fender on your bike, check out the work of Bill Richman and the crew at RRC Fab and Speed in Upland.