ABOUT OUR SHOP
Located in Sterling, Nebraska, about 40 miles southeast of Lincoln, Nebraska, Laffman Garage is an auto repair shop that works on all vehicles but specializes in hot rod repair and service. The goal of the business is to enable and support the dreams of car lovers everywhere while offering vehicle repair and service that is reasonable and done with care.
This business is for the car guy who wants to enjoy, drive and ride—not the car guy who wants to polish, park, and cover. Our mission is to make the experience of owning a hot rod enjoyable, the gratification of building a hot rod affordable, and the maintenance of maintaining a hot rod, or any other vehicle, achievable and manageable.
Born from a lifelong passion for American muscle cars, Laffman Hot Rod Garage opened its doors in July of 2014 by Chris and Mary Lafferty.
The Laffman Family
Chris Lafferty
Mary Lafferty
THE LAFFMAN STORY
Chris Lafferty, owner of Laffman Hot Rod Garage was born with gas pumping through his veins. Now, of course, that isn’t exactly true, but the passion for big engines, horsepower and head-turning hot rods has always been his first love.
Growing up in Sioux City, IA, Chris worked in various body and mechanic shops as a kid and after high school earned a degree in bodywork. During this time he restored a 1967 Galaxy that belonged to his parents (see Portfolio Work for pictures). He had two dreams 1) to own his own hot rod one day, and 2) to be lucky enough to spend his days restoring and maintaining hot rods for others who are just as passionate as him.
As life brought marriage and kids into the picture his dreams survived, although they seemed to be a bit farther away. Chris worked in heavy machinery, metal fabrication, bending, laser and punches for years to support his family—living his hot rod life as a hobby. That all changed two years ago when he was able to perform a full restoration on a 1967 Chevy while working a full-time job. This brought more attention to his talent and in 2014, Chris and his family moved to an acreage in Sterling, NE to open Laffman Hot Rod Garage.
Laffman Garage wasn’t built for number-matching trailer-only rods, although we have all the appreciation in the world for them, it was built for rods and classics that hit the streets. It was built for owners who have a passion for driving, racing and cruising their cars. It was built for the customer who can afford to do it all at once but also the ones who can’t. Budgets are always welcome at Laffman Garage, always. 3-month or 3-year project, we welcome it.
In fact, having a love and talent for mechanics, body work and fabrication can extend to more than just hot rods. That’s why we offer service for all kinds of vehicles, heck, we even have farm machinery roll in from time to time. If you’re in need of tire repair, oil changes, lift kit installation or other services, call us up, we would love to help. Even if it’s not a hot rod!