Jacob isn’t your average young enthusiast snapping photos at Cars & Coffee. He’s the one under the hood, the one welding a cracked frame back into shape, the one who learned to rebuild fiberglass panels not because it was fun but because no one else would touch them. He is, in every sense of the word, a craftsman — one forged in grease, patience, and trial by fire.

Mike Brooks never imagined he’d see his truck again. He had accepted it, moved on. But sometimes, fate works in mysterious ways. It all started on what should have been an ordinary weekend at the Good Guys show in Columbus. Mike had parked his beloved 1986 Chevy C10 outside his hotel, never thinking twice about it. The truck had been with him for years, a labor of love, meticulously maintained and customized to perfection. It wasn’t just a vehicle—it was part of his identity…then, it vanished.

Elliot always had a knack for cars. Growing up around the hum of engines and the scent of motor oil, his future was written in chrome and steel. But IBF Hot Rods wasn’t born in a garage—it began with a dream shared by two people. Elliot and his wife had spent years on the road, moving from city to city for her General Motors job while Elliot honed his skills in hot rod and restoration shops across the country. When they finally settled in Indiana, the stars aligned to create a business that would blend their automotive passions into something extraordinary.