FUSING PASSIONS

To succeed in the trades is to be consistently developing a set of specific skills. From collision repair to craftworks, each trade requires its own techniques, training, knowledge, and body of tools in order to fuel an inherent drive for creation. However, while the demands of each trade may be distinct, the sense of passion that they require is familiar to all who work in them.

For Dayna Kohut of Roadrunners Auto in Ashern, Manitoba, a passion for the automotive industry was instead first developed while working in the culinary industry. Here, an initial love of the precision and hands-on projects found in professional kitchens transitioned into a love for all things car related.

When speaking with Bodyworx magazine, Dayna described how she had originally never considered working in the automotive industry. Despite her parents, Jeff and Andrea Dyck, having owned Roadrunners Auto locations in both Ashern—the autobody shop—and Fairford—a mechanical and auto recycler—in rural Manitoba for more than 30 years, in 2013, Dayna instead graduated high school and attended Red River College for their twoyear culinary arts program.

Following her graduation from the program, Dayna continued working as a chef in the Winnipeg area until 2017 when she decided to make a radical career change. “I enjoyed being a chef. I loved the hands-on work that the role demanded, but I ultimately decided that I didn’t like the hours. It’s a position that can demand a lot of your time. In 2017, I decided to move back to Ashern and my parents’ shop and began helping out as an office assistant working alongside my mother. I had always liked cars, and working on them also requires a lot of hands-on work, so it seemed like a good fit.”

From here, Dayna moved up to doing estimation work, something she feels has been instrumental in her ongoing autobody technician training.

“Doing estimation work and the experiences I gained from this helped give me a very good understanding of vehicles and all their parts and components. Even for my autobody schooling, it helped give me a head start on knowing where parts go and how they can break.” Dayna performed estimation work at the front of the shop for three years and received her I-CAR platinum in estimating before her passion for cars carried her even deeper into the heart of repairs. After training her sister Justine Dyck to take over the job, she started working in the back of the shop alongside her father.

Jeff Dyck is a red seal autobody technician and today, Dayna is also working on getting her repairer certifications. In 2023, she took her Level 1 autobody course at Red River College and she is currently enrolled to begin her Level 2 classes in the fall of this year. The Red River college autobody and paint program is a four-level course that offers students with both a red seal as an automotive painter and autobody repairer.

“There’s lots to learn of course,” Dayna told Bodyworx, “but every day you’re working on something different, and I love that about this job. Some jobs may be challenging but I find it really satisfying when I can look back on the finished project.”

Currently, Dayna’s latest project is restoring a 1970 Roadrunner, an unintentional namesake to her parents’ shop that she originally received from a Rust Valley Restorers auction and then drove the almost 20 hours to collect from Tappen, British Columbia where she received the vehicle alongside a tour of Mike Hall’s car collection. On top of loving cars, Dayna especially loves fixing old cars.

“It can be an expensive hobby to have, but I love working on the project cars. Once the Roadrunner is complete, I would love to have another car to work on in the future. I check auction sites all the time.”

The Roadrunner, which Dayna hopes to finish restoring sometime after the summer, has already been welded, sandblasted and seam sealed with the underside having been painted with an epoxy primer and then a tinted coat of gravel guard to help keep it protected underneath. The engine bay and trunk have also been painted with an epoxy primer as well as base coat and clear coat.

Alongside the body of the vehicle, the original engine, a 383-magnum big block, has been rebuilt and will be reinstalled in the car once the body work is completed and the transmission has been upgraded to a five-speed manual Tremec TKX.