...covered for us. After a while, my dad got enough money to buy a brand-new home for $40,000.”
Wherever he worked, Cano was well-liked and highly respected, according to his son, Felix Cano Jr., who had a long career as a tech himself and is a collision tech teacher today.
“When he was working for Chuck Fairbanks Chevrolet in DeSoto, TX, Mr. Fairbanks asked him to rebuild his personal car and was often recruited as a ringer for the company golf tournaments,” Cano Jr. said. “Dad was a decent golfer, so Mr. Fairbanks always wanted him as a partner. My father would also cook breakfast every Wednesday for the whole crew, regardless of where he worked. It was chorizo, bacon, eggs, tortillas---a big spread---and he usually paid for the whole thing himself.”
Cano Sr. was working at three auto body shops at the time, repairing high-end luxury cars like Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. His average workday started at 7 a.m. and often ended at 2 a.m., he said.
“I learned how to do the lead work and realized that I had a skill that was much-needed," he said. "I pretty much was able to set my prices and soon I was taking home $800 to $1,000 every week.” Not bad for a guy in his 20s.
Lead work is a lost art and used primarily by car restorers today, but Cano was able to turn it into a moneymaker over the years.
“It requires more training and practice to perfect and it’s a much slower process,” he said. “Lead seals much better than body filler. You can apply it straight over welds, section locations, pillars or anywhere else where you need a solid seal. Lead will flex well without the metal cracking. Body fillers have improved through the years and they flex as well, but lead is better for flexing without cracking.”
Cano planted a seed and it sprouted when two of his six sons, Felix Jr. and Greg, decided to enter the industry. Felix Cano Jr. has made a name for himself as an...
Ed Attanasio