Dennis Loock, who has owned Muffler Man in Moorhead since 1981, is soon planning to retire. He is also looking for someone to take over the business. (Photo/ Dan Haglund. )

Dan Haglund

When Dennis Loock and his father Vernon established The Muffler Man business on April 1, 1981, the price of gas was $1.31, Ronald Reagan was our new president, and Blondie led the Billboard charts with “Rapture.”
Then in his early 20s, Dennis has been coming to work in the same location at 1335 Center Ave. now for 42 years.
And Dennis’s mother Alice even joined the business in 1986 after Vernon suffered a heart attack, staying on board for many years, eventually becoming known as “The Muffler Lady.” Vernon passed away the following year.
After more than four decades of welding and replacing mufflers, Dennis has decided to retire.
His wife Roxanne, who works as a para in the Moorhead School system, will do the same in the spring after 26 years on the job.
Loock says he initially got interested in auto repair in high school, which he took the auto shop classes at Moorhead High, graduating in 1975.
Loock didn’t really get into the business until after a stint in the U.S. Navy for four years, then he went to school for auto body. After that, his father’s cousin recruited him to start working with mufflers instead of body work.
“My dad’s cousin had a muffler shop in Utah at that time, so he brought up equipment and taught me how to bend pipe,” Loock said. “And I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Loock says the industry has changed over the years in several ways.
“It used to be a lot of mufflers, and now days it’s flex pipes, converters and stainless steel, but there are still stainless steel muffler that rust out,” Loock said. He says the range of work he does covers everything from the manifolds on back.
“We used to do a lot of dual jobs, especially all the old cars,” Loock said. “Still do a lot of them, like the old ’68 model cars with duals on. We’re still staying busy. But it would be great if someone would buy the shop and continue, because Moorhead does need a muffler shop. I’ve checked with the other muffler shops to see if they want to expand, and one of them was a little interested.”
He says the business sometimes gets asked to do welding jobs on other projects also.
“Some cars come in quiet and they leave louder because they want duals,. All the kids want them like that, To me they make them too loud,” Loock said. “And some come in loud and they go out quiet.”
Loock said one of his two sons was planning to take over the shop, but that plan didn’t pan out. So it will be up for sale.
Loock says he plans to do more fishing, hunting and bird watching in retirement, as well as home projects. “I’ve got a big honey-do list,” he laughed. Loock and his wife live at Turtle Lake, which is northeast of Rollag in Clay County. He also has some land by Hawley, which is conducive to outdoor sports also.
The Muffler Man is currently open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, Mondays, Tuesday and Fridays.
Loock says he’d like to say thanks to all the customers for the last 42 years and keeping him in business.