Local gearhead modifies hot rod with salvation message

HIGHLAND — When Dennis Hatmaker fires up his 750 horsepower, 160 mph, 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Pro Streeter, your entire body shakes, from your feet to your spine.

But as the hot rod rolls on by, the images that adorn the black paint scheme are designed to shake something else: your soul.

That’s because Hatmaker’s hot rod isn’t just like any other a bystander will see at the Woodward Dream Cruise this weekend; his culmination of Michigan horsepower is donned with scenes from salvation history, in what might be the most “Detroit” version of evangelization ever conceived.



“Since I was 14, I’ve always been around cars,” said Hatmaker, who owns H&H Auto Collision in Waterford. “I don’t know how many cars I’ve worked on — I’ve lost count — but this is best one.”

It all started six years ago when Hatmaker said the Holy Spirit inspired him to customize a hot rod with depictions of the Gospel message in an effort to bring Jesus to people in a unique and memorable way.

“I never really thought about ‘advertising for Jesus,’” Hatmaker said. “I just had a strong feeling, just knew. It had to be done.”

While Hatmaker wouldn’t exactly call it similar to building an ark on God’s command, he feels his work is divinely inspired, and his wife knew from the story it was something he had to do.

“Seeing his expression, I knew from the moment he told me that he had to do it,” said Christine Hatmaker.

Dennis’ first attempt didn’t go over well; after working on the car for a month, he realized the car would take too much work, and with a business to run and a family to care for, he just didn’t have the time nor resources to complete the project.

But three years later, the Lord’s inspiration came back, culminating in the creation of Dennis’ evangelizer of the streets.



“He told me how much this was weighing heavy on his heart, he felt like he had to this,” Christine Hatmaker said. “All this time I was asking, ‘Why would He pick us, we’re not these great evangelizers.’”

But evangelizers are what they’ve become. After Dennis bought the ’72 Oldsmobile, with a 470ci engine, he completed body, paint and interior work before taking the car to Lenny’s Air Brushing in Hazel Park, where “Layback” Lenny Williams painted decals on the car, depicting the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

The couple spends most of their summer weekends at car shows, showcasing their creation, where they say people often come up to ask about the unique muscle car and take pictures.

“It’s different, one of a kind,” Dennis Hatmaker said. “Without the murals, it’s a basic hotrod; the murals make it what it is. When people see the car, I hope the reaction is positive, joyful, especially for the young people.”

Dennis and Christine, who live in Highland and split their church-going between Holy Spirit Parish there and St. John the Evangelist in Fenton, pass out rosaries and prayer cards at car shows, playing Christian music over speakers while people come to gaze at the Oldsmobile.

“We’ve been sitting there for hours in the heat at car shows for the Lord,” Christine Hatmaker said. “Through a rosary maker in Ann Arbor, they’ve supplied us with rosaries; we’ve had to have handed out thousands of them by now. We listen to people’s stories, giving out pamphlets; it’s amazing how many people come up to us and just want to share their stories, and we just listen to them.”



Those who approach have included people grieving over deceased family members, people who haven’t been to church in years but feel a calling to reconnect to their faith life, or Catholics and Christians simply excited about such a public expression of faith.

“We see ourselves as evangelists, even though we probably didn’t think of it when we started all of this,” Dennis Hatmaker said. “When people see it, I hope it’s positive. People come up to me and whisper, ‘I’m a Christian, too.’ And I say, ‘Don’t whisper it, it’s nothing to be embarrassed by.’”

Creating an engine for evangelization has had a positive impact on the Hatmakers’ faith life, too, according to Christine Hatmaker, as they never realized how much they’d enjoying sharing stories about God, their faith and their unique car.

“I don’t know we knew how much we’d love evangelizing,” Christine Hatmaker said. “When we evangelize, we’re growing from others’ spiritual life, and you can just tell from the Holy Spirit when you’re doing something for him. We’re learning through experience a lot of how much fun it is spreading the word of the Lord.”

The Hatmakers’ creation will be seen on the corner of 12 Mile and Woodward at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak during the Woodward Dream Cruise on Aug. 20, where Dennis hopes more people will see the car and leave inspired.



“I remember showing the car at the Detroit Autorama in Cobo Hall,” Dennis Hatmaker said. “Then a man came up, and he was just standing still, staring at the car. Then he said, ‘Man, I feel like a schmuck now. I skipped going to Mass with my wife today to come to this.’ Then he just turned around and left.

“I hope we’re starting a trend; it shouldn’t be unique to say you’re Christian, that you’re proud to follow Jesus. We’d like to see other cars with a similar message.”

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Check out the car

Check out Dennis Hatmaker’s evangelizing 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Pro Streeter at the “Catholic Corner” of the Woodward Dream Cruise in front of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica on Aug. 20 at the corner of Woodward and 12 Mile in Royal Oak.