Meet Joe Reardon | Custom exhaust technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Reardon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was 15, my mom bought my first car for $100. It was a 1976 Chevy Nova. I asked my dad how to work on it and he told me to go to school. I started going to school for Automotive Technology. We took my car to the exhaust shop down the street and talked to the owner about a job for me. I had no idea that custom exhaust was an art when I first started at Lakewood Muffler and Brake.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been making custom exhaust for 15 years. I am very particular when it comes to the exhaust that I build. If I do not like the way it looks, I won’t let the vehicle leave. I have done exhaust on everything from custom hot rods to race cars to brand new cars and trucks. Every vehicle and customer is different. From the location of the tailpipe exit and style of tip, to the sound or tone the customer wants. You really have to know what you’re doing and what the customer wants. I take a lot of pride in the exhaust that I make. It makes me happy when someone picks their vehicle up and loves the way it looks and sounds. Some lessons I’ve learned are
1. How to be creative when something isn’t going your way
2. Sometimes you have to walk away and come back with fresh eyes.
3. Perseverance and continuing to try until I get it right. In 2019 Lakewood Muffler got absorbed into a new business called Automotive Evolution and is now located in Golden Colorado. I have continued to hone my exhaust skills and am doing more automotive work at Automotive Evolution.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spot to go in the summer is Bandimere Speedway. I turned my Nova in to a race car and bracket race in the ET Series. Since Bandimere closed this year we will go to Colorado National Speedway to watch circle track racing. One of my favorite spots to eat is Ralibertos. They make one of the best California burritos I’ve ever had. We would have to go to one of the many lakes for fishing or swimming. Camping near hot sulpher springs is fun. Another place we go is Blackhawk to gamble.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Adam Weller was the owner of Lakewood Muffler and Brake. He taught me everything I know about making exhaust and building relationships with customers. His teachings still play a huge part in my career everyday.

Website: https://www.evolutionautomotive.com/custom-exhaust

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseph.reardon.104?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Eric Weber studios
Joe Reardon