Ever since I first interviewed him five years ago as one of my first major moves working for BangShift, Stacey David has been a welcoming, friendly face in my world. Yes, the man is busy with his projects and his schedule can sometimes be ridiculous, but every time I see him, whether it’s a quick second in passing at SEMA or whenever I find myself at his Tennessee-based Rattletrap Productions studio/shop, it’s a smile and a check to see how I’m doing. The dude is just freaking cool, a complete gearhead to the core, and one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. If you have never had the chance to meet him, you owe it to yourself to check out one of his Open House events that he puts on a few times a year.

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve been down at the studios. In fact, the last time I was there was to shoot the feature on Sgt. Rock, his absolutely massive Dodge Power Wagon in 2017. It’s been too long…I knew it. And besides, I needed to get out of the house for a bit, so I made a day out of Saturday and decided that the first show I’d stop by would be his open house, Stacey David’s GearZfest.

Outside, it’s a car show with vendors, food and more. Inside, it’s a guided tour of Rattletrap Productions by the man himself. There’s plenty of time to look over the projects in the studio and in the shop area adjacent. You can get up close with vehicles like Sgt. Rock and check out the details that even the cameras can miss, you can see new and interesting projects that have yet to be featured on Gearz or other shows, and you can even give his friendly pup a scratch on the head. C’mon…what more do you really need?

Ok, maybe a quick note about that lead photo. What you are looking at is a Thiokol Sno-Cat that is wearing a cut-down Ford truck bed. That’s a new project. And there’s probably more information on the way. Stay tuned…but for now, check out some of the neat rides that rolled into Rattletrap’s parking lot!