ROGER Whelan, at the age of 16 in 1984, started his panel beating apprenticeship with a panel beater in Manaia, South Taranaki. After serving a five-year apprenticeship in 1989, he decided to go dairy farming as a share milker and continued for 22 years. For the past 14 years, Roger and his wife, Sharon, have owned a dry stock farm in Hurleyville, South Taranaki. Roger has always kept his interest in panel work, and his workshop is decked out with all the necessary tools to work on his hot rod projects and for a few close friends. All his workmanship is high quality, and that “bog stuff” is poison to this tradesman. Looking ahead, Roger plans to use his background in old-school panel fabrication to help other like-minded people with…