The Belgrade Auto Parts building on Jackrabbit Lane sold last week for $1.8 million to a Bozeman-based investment group planning a “heritage garage experience” called Iron & Oak. The 12,000-square-foot space served ranchers, contractors, and high school students keeping first cars alive for 47 years. New ownership says the retrofit will preserve the original wooden shelving and hand-crank parts catalog as design features.
Memberships start at $3,200 annually for access to the climate-controlled showroom, curated tool library, and quarterly “carburetor and coffee” gatherings. A founding member tier at $15,000 includes a dedicated lift bay and personalized brass nameplate. The building’s three existing tenants — a diesel mechanic, a tire shop, and a windshield replacement business — have been offered month-to-month extensions at triple the current rate.
“We’re not erasing history, we’re activating it,” said Chadwick Holloway, managing partner at Holloway Ventures, reached at 406-555-0142. “The patina on those shelves represents authentic Montana grit. Our members want proximity to that energy. They’ll park their restored 1967 Broncos next to a guy fixing a stock trailer and something real happens.”
Frank Delaney, 71, has run Delaney Diesel Repair in the back bay since 1983. He watched the tour group last Tuesday — seven people in Patagonia vests taking photos of his torque wrench organizer. “One fella asked if my impact gun was ‘vintage Snap-on or just decorative,’” Delaney said. “I told him it’s the one I bought new in ‘98 to pay for my daughter’s braces. He nodded like I’d quoted Thoreau.”
The property includes the gravel lot where the annual Belgrade July 4th fireworks have been staged since 1976. Holloway Ventures confirmed the tradition will continue with a “ticketed viewing experience” including charcuterie and a signature cocktail called The Muffler. Longtime residents can request a complimentary general admission pass by emailing community@ironandoak.com with a photo of their 1990s Belgrade High School parking permit.
Delaney hasn’t decided whether to stay. His lease runs through October. “My guys need flat rate labor times,” he said. “Not sure how that works when someone’s Instagram story is blocking the alignment rack.” The first memberships sold out in 48 hours.