THIS GUY’S GARAGE
RICH CONKLIN /
Montville, NJ
It’s just a typical day here on the
Hot Rod Farm, Rich Conklin’s
home for wayward hot rodders,
street-freakers, and gasser-men.
Situated in the rolling foothills of
northern New Jersey (and within
striking distance of the Big
Apple), the HRF is a quiet, spa-
cious hideaway that serves as
both Conklin’s home and base for
his business operation. Like
usual, Rich is out and about,
fronting a three-headed corpo-
rate plan that keeps his faceted
lifestyle on cue and working like
it should. He’s a designer and fab-
ricator of customs, but also owns
Radir Wheels, a company he
started back in 1995 with good
friend Rob Iulo. Their mission is
to bring quality, American-made
wheels to the masses using
proven vintage patterns from the
1960s. His wheels are well-
known and can be found on
some of the best custom rides
the hobby has to offer.
Rich also brings in project cars
from a select clientele—guys
and gals who are looking for
expertise in designing a wild
street freak, custom hot rod, or
even a high-rise gasser. It’s a
labor of love for Rich, as the cus-
tom designs of the 1960s and
1970s have always occupied a
huge space in his hot rod–driven
heart. As you can see, Rich has
amassed a collection of vintage
memorabilia from years of
searching local car shows and
swap meets, and has created an
eclectic vibe that screams “hot
rodding spoken here!” Today,
Rich is still at the helm of Radir
Wheels as sole proprietor and
continues with his wild custom
shop. He also runs a 25-acre
seasonal farm on the property
to fill up his weekends. You can
contact Rich at RadirWheels.
com or go to his Facebook
pages for Radir Wheels and
Rich Conklin’s World Famous
Hot Rod Farm.By Scotty Lachenauer /
Photos: Scotty Lachenauer32 CAR CRAFT OCTOBER 2019
1955 CHEVY 210
This jacked-up Chevy has been Rich’s
main steed for the last 40-plus years
and is his get-in-and-go ride at a
moment’s notice. He’s traversed
more than 100K miles over the years
with the built-up 210, and Rich
doesn’t see that heavy use changing
in the near future. The beefy Bow Tie
morphed into the street freak you
see here starting back in the mid-
1970s when Rich rescued it from a
neighbor’s yard and proceeded to
gas it up—pointing its nose to the
sky. It runs on healthy Chevy small-
block power and is shifted through
the gears by a Muncie four-speed.1967 427 CORVETTE
Rich has had this convertible Vette for more
than four decades, and it’s a dependable
driver for those summer New Jersey days.
It’s an original 400hp car and is built up with a
four-speed and a 4:11-geared rearend.