Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Catalytic converters are the coolest car parts that get no respect

The air in Detroit during the 1960s was so polluted that mothers were scared for their children to play outside. In certain places, you couldn’t see the sun at noon, and buildings had to be cleaned or repainted every six months. Some people wrote letters to...

Is perseverance in the service bay a feature or a bug?

I am a proficient mechanic. I have long said my proficiency comes partially from skill, but mostly I’ve achieved good results due to my perseverance. I am generally unwilling to toss in the towel on something until it works correctly. “Too stupid to know when to quit”...

May Automotive Horoscopes

Aries: Your service writer will be keeping you busy this month, and you’ll need to keep your focus to avoid burnout. Pay special attention to the effects of distractions around you. Some coworkers have a way of keeping you from your work for a little longer than you...

Right to Repair gains momentum in Maine

The state motto of Maine, “Dirigo,” Latin for “I lead,” is being embraced by the members of the Maine Right to Repair Coalition who find themselves at the vanguard of a movement to ratify legislation that protects independent repair shops. Last February, a referendum...

Tool review: ICON 3/8” ratchet

About a year ago, I was reefing on some fastener, and my trusty old Armstrong ratchet let go and spun free. It did it again a few bolts later, and at that point I set the tool down before I got hurt. I had purchased a few 3/8” ratchets years earlier after some junkers...

GARAGE GALLERY

Photo Gallery: Tate Automotive in Cross Plains, Tennessee

Our photographer Mike Apice was recently visiting the Dorman facility in Portland, Tennessee, when he stopped in to a small repair shop in nearby Cross Plains. Here’s a look around from his perspective.
Tate Automotive first opened as a Chevrolet dealership in the 1929 in Cross Plains, Tennessee. Customers would view a sample vehicle and then order exactly what car they would like, directly from the manufacturer.

Through the generations, it’s changed into the family repair shop that is still a local meeting place in this one-stop-sign town an hour north of Nashville.

I walked in cold with no calls or emails, and I met the owner Rich Rodriguez, now the sole proprietor after his father-in-law stepped away from the business. Rich not only gave me a history lesson in the shop but also introduced me to relatives, neighbors and friends who were all gracious with these incredible stories and showing pictures from the past.

I was allowed access to anywhere I wanted, and initially it looked like a regular auto shop. But within minutes a stream of people just started to show up and share things about this little town and Tate Auto.

It’s not uncommon for relatives or neighbors to just walk in and share a story or catch up on the local happenings. The drug store just across the street has that same welcoming appearance. You’d swear it was from the 1950s with its wooden booths and working soda fountains.

The shop and town are as charming as the owner, and things seem to move a bit slower down here, just like they say about the South. It’s refreshing to see a repair shop that’s not just located in a community, but is an active, vibrant part of it where customers stop in to share and get news, and take a moment to catch up with Rich. The tiny town is just adorable, and the prospect of a milkshake at the drugstore next to the barber is irresistible. In fact, that’s often where you’ll find Rich. I called him there to shore up a few details for this story!
General store dining area, Cross Plains, TN
General store interior, Cross Plains, TN
If you wanted to make a movie about the heart of America, you’d do it in a town just like Cross Plains. It’s no wonder the shop has been here for nearly a hundred years—that’s about as long as I would have liked to have stayed.

Please note that functionality immediately above is provided by Disqus, a third-party plugin, and opt-ins or opt-outs only apply to Disqus and not Dorman Products. Please see Dorman’s Privacy Statement for information regarding Dorman’s privacy policies.

0
Click to leave a comment!x
()
x

Get Articles In Your Inbox

Subscribe to receive a monthly email summary of our latest Shop Press stories.

Shop Press

Thanks! You're now subscribed.