About Us
Palestine is known for being a railroad town which is what led owner Ryan Ripley to name his local auto body shop Railyard Customs and Collision.
Our Story
Palestine is known for being a railroad town which is what led owner Ryan Ripley to name his local auto body shop Railyard Customs and Collision.
Ryan Ripley and Jim Bars opened Railyard Customs and Collision in 2016 at the old Palestine Body Shop, formerly owned by the Coleman brothers. With a passion for classic, vintage, and hot rod cars– the Railyard crew was eager to start offering auto services and introducing the Palestine community to new customization concepts starting on day one.
The Founders
Ryan Ripley attended the auto body school at WyoTech and worked at various body shops in the Austin area for several years before opening up his own shop in Palestine, Texas, with co-founder Jim Bars. Ripley moved to the area back in 2016 to begin renovations on the shop with big dreams of bringing a high-end hot rod shop to East Texas.
Master Body Repair and Customs Crew
Railyard Customs and Collision is a local auto shop combining art with world-class mechanical and body shop work. Staffed with technicians who have 35+ years of experience, our Palestine auto body shop can build frames, suspensions, and bodies from scratch. We can also complete insane classic car modifications and offer custom hot rod paint jobs or exquisite paint matching services.
Community Involvement
The Railyard has always been community-oriented, and we’re proud to provide sponsorships and scholarships all throughout Palestine and Anderson County, Texas.
We also host First Friday, a fun event that’s free to the public. During this event, we welcome anyone and everyone to come out to enjoy live music, classic cars, good food and beverages, and even better company.
Full-Service Auto Body and Collision Repair Shop
Railyard provides auto body and collision repair, custom restorations, frame straightening, car painting, paint matching, bedliners, welding, fabrication, and towing services.
Custom Hot Rod Paint Jobs
Our local auto body shop specializes in traditional hot rods and street rods, with a full downdraft paint booth and waterborne paint system. Stop by with your classic car or daily driver for a one-of-a-kind paint job.
The Best Auto Body Shop for Classics
The Railyard believes a clean shop makes for clean repairs. And with gated, locked, covered, and indoor storage with security cameras, even the most valuable classics are safe and secure with us.
