The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 10, 2008 Page: 9 of 10
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Page 10A *
IDic Bastrop Udocrtiscf Saturday, May 10,2008
Arts, Culture & Lifestyle
Q^TEXAS
60 GALAXIE
f HE LONE STAR STAIE
Bastrop A&E Welding refurbished the rear end of a 1960 Ford Galaxie for use as a serving cart in an Austin Chuy's restaurant.
Rescued from the trash heap
By Terry Hagerty
Assistant Editor
What might be the link among a team of Bastrop welders,
vintage automobiles and Chuy's, the restaurant chain?
How about nachos on wheels.
Gary Chancellor and Jim Teague, who are business part-
ners in Bastrop's A&E welding, have been turning the scrap
ends of vintage cars - their trunks and front engine compart-
ments- into pristine serving carts that Chuy's uses as themes
in their restaurants.
After Chancellor's crew recently refinished an early
1960s Cadillac, it ended up at a Chuy's in Dallas, Chancellor
said. Another car, a 1960 bright blue Ford Galaxy that A&E
refurbished, sits in an Austin Chuy's.
Chuy's owners officially refer to the refinished sections
of the classic cars as "nacho carz."
After serving as receptacles for large amounts of nachos
and chips/salsa for customers, the carts can be wheeled out
of the way at closing time for restaurant cleanup.
Chancellor said he and Teague "weld all sorts of items."
"Our A&E' moniker stands for 'anything and every-
thing,'" Chancellor said proudly. "We've welded everything
from broken beds to tea kettles and ranch gates. We saw
doing these old cars as a neat challenge."
Scot Aubuchon, an Austin Chuy's decor manager who
works with Chancellor and Teague, said, "They are great at
their job and it shows."
Aubuchon said Chuy's is looking to put 35 cars in its
restaurants and A&E Welding will likely land a good part of
the work.
Chancellor said his team recently completed a shiny blue
1960 Ford Galaxy in about four weeks, in between all their
other work. Jim Teague's father, Butch Teague, occasionally
ventures down from Indiana to help with the work.
Outside their shop off Loop 150 three other back ends of
cars sat waiting for their chance to shine again - a late 1950s
Plymouth, a 1958 Buick Special and a 1958 Chevrolet.
Car scouts from Chuy's typically find the car portions in
West Texas, Chancellor said.
"Finding the extra chrome for some car models can be
challenge, unless you can find some similar chrome from
another car that you can weld into similar shape," he said.
When Chancellor had difficulty finding chrome to match
the 1960 Galaxy that ended up in Austin, he said he found
chrome on a 1990 Chevrolet Camaro that was a close
enough match to rework into shape for the Galaxy.
"We find most of what we need (for extra parts) on the
Internet," he said. "And Jim (Teague) has gone looking in
car junkyards before."
Looking over the banged-up cars in the grass next to his
welding shop, cars that are about to get a second chance,
Chancellor offered, "There's some heavier metal in those
suckers! The rear end of any one of them would probably
make two Toyotas. These old cars were sturdy and it's easi-
er to work on them. With new cars, you can weld onto them,
but it's hard."
thagerty@bastropadvertiser.com
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Jim Teague readies a 1960s Cadillac for painting.
A Chevrolet, front, and Plymouth Savoy await refurbishing.
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6
A Ford Thunderbird is ready for a new life.
Gary Chancellor welds.
A Cadillac with a new coat of paint.
Photos by Terry Hagerty
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 10, 2008, newspaper, May 10, 2008; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252476/m1/9/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.