The lads at the Castlemaine Rod Shop have been specialising in go-fast bits since 1976, and over the years the brand has become known around the world.

With Street Machine Summernats 36 only weeks away, JBens decided to pay Heath Waddington and the Rod Shop boys a visit for a tour of the shop and to find out what they have planned for the upcoming ’Nats.

Based in the sleepy central Victorian town of Castlemaine, the Rod Shop boasts a massive showroom, warehouse and manufacturing floor.

The showroom not only features the company’s killer range of merch, but also a constantly changing display of cars bearing the Rod Shop’s finest conversion gear and parts.

In the warehouse, literally thousands upon thousands of parts are stacked up, ready to be sold and dispatched all over Australia and around the world. As well as making its own parts, the Rod Shop is Australia’s biggest distributor of both Wilwood brakes and Viking coil-overs, so gear is always flying off the shelves. We took a full tour of the joint ourselves back in 2020, which you can read here.

J-Bens also got a look at the manufacturing side of things, including the process the Rod Shop team follows to assemble their made-to-order nine-inch differentials. We did a deep dive on the steps these go through from start to finish, which you can check out here.

As for Summernats 36, Heath and the team are busy getting the WAR BIRD burnout Falcon ready for its date in the Last Chance Wildcard Shootout on the Thursday afternoon of ’Nats 36, where Heath is taking on the driving duties.

The Ferrari V12-powered LC Torana will also be making an appearance at the event with a fresh look, and AFL legend Barry Hall will be cruising one of the Rod Shop’s burlers as well.

Check out the full video below, and make sure you get your butt to Summernats 36, 4-7 January, to see WAR BIRD in action.