family owned for over three decades
Dan Hogan owned his first car before the age of 10. It was a 1966 Mercury Comet, and he took it apart
and worked on it in the back yard of his Wesminster, MA home. He and father Mike Hogan opened
Thunder Road Specialty Auto in early 1989, starting out working nights and weekends. Word got out,
and within six months, the business progressed to being a full-time endeavor.
Starting out with restorations and repairs, the shop’s first paying customer was a friend of the family.
The car was a 1979 Cadillac which had rust spots and parking lot damage and was in need of outer body
restoration. The owner drove the car for years afterwards, and passed it on to his daughter.
Thunder Road quickly found their niche with high-end, specialty cars. Early on, Dan did a full-custom
1966 Caprice Classic restoration, which included metal fabrication to create a custom grill, removal of
exterior trim to enable fine-tuning of body panels, and paint and body work to complete the job. Dan
also assisted the car’s owner with the installation of a new motor. Not meant to be stored in a garage,
this custom daily driver received a lot of attention, whether it was at a car show, or making the rounds
on days with good weather.
Over the years, Dan built up the business mainly through word of mouth and through face time at car
clubs, car shows, and cruise nights. You could always find him anywhere vintage or specialty cars hung
out.
His true “big break” came with a chance meeting at a car club. Dan met the owner of a 1967 Pontiac
GTO which had been stored uncovered outdoors for many years. The owner had purchased the car new
as a young man, and wanted Thunder Road restore the it from the frame up; a full restoration. After the
restoration was complete, the GTO went to the Lars Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA for 18
months to be featured in a muscle car exhibit. This excellent exposure helped Thunder Road gain
traction with local car enthusiasts.
Since 1989, Thunder Road has worked with over three hundred customers on jobs both large and small,
including basic work such as replacing an engine or standard painting services up to full ground-up
custom work. The company has completed over 60 major projects, including building vehicles to a
customer’s specific tastes and desires. Dan and his associates at Thunder Road specialize in racing cars,
show cars, and building quality street vehicles.
and worked on it in the back yard of his Wesminster, MA home. He and father Mike Hogan opened
Thunder Road Specialty Auto in early 1989, starting out working nights and weekends. Word got out,
and within six months, the business progressed to being a full-time endeavor.
Starting out with restorations and repairs, the shop’s first paying customer was a friend of the family.
The car was a 1979 Cadillac which had rust spots and parking lot damage and was in need of outer body
restoration. The owner drove the car for years afterwards, and passed it on to his daughter.
Thunder Road quickly found their niche with high-end, specialty cars. Early on, Dan did a full-custom
1966 Caprice Classic restoration, which included metal fabrication to create a custom grill, removal of
exterior trim to enable fine-tuning of body panels, and paint and body work to complete the job. Dan
also assisted the car’s owner with the installation of a new motor. Not meant to be stored in a garage,
this custom daily driver received a lot of attention, whether it was at a car show, or making the rounds
on days with good weather.
Over the years, Dan built up the business mainly through word of mouth and through face time at car
clubs, car shows, and cruise nights. You could always find him anywhere vintage or specialty cars hung
out.
His true “big break” came with a chance meeting at a car club. Dan met the owner of a 1967 Pontiac
GTO which had been stored uncovered outdoors for many years. The owner had purchased the car new
as a young man, and wanted Thunder Road restore the it from the frame up; a full restoration. After the
restoration was complete, the GTO went to the Lars Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA for 18
months to be featured in a muscle car exhibit. This excellent exposure helped Thunder Road gain
traction with local car enthusiasts.
Since 1989, Thunder Road has worked with over three hundred customers on jobs both large and small,
including basic work such as replacing an engine or standard painting services up to full ground-up
custom work. The company has completed over 60 major projects, including building vehicles to a
customer’s specific tastes and desires. Dan and his associates at Thunder Road specialize in racing cars,
show cars, and building quality street vehicles.