Car Happenings in Winnipeg–April 30, 2008

Got wheels? Roll’em over to these happenings…

Daily:

First off, there’s been a photo radar trap set up on the side of Bishop Grandin heading west before the bridge both times that I’ve been through there lately. The first time was a dark blue Jeep Liberty with a camera in the back. Yesterday, it was a silver Dodge minivan with something camera-like on the front bumper. For added camoflage, someone was being paid to sit in the van with the window down. Your tax dollars hard at work…

Second, the latest issue of Canadian Hot Rods & Classics is now in stores! The March/April issue features a period-correct pull-out poster of Blair Dowsley’s and Dave Hargrave’s oldschool hot rods. There’s also lots of how-to’s, like Frank Calgoni’s “How to Paint Flames.” Check out Chapters at St. Vital Mall (just past the speedtrap) to get your hands on one.

This Weekend:

Red River Co-Op Speedway is finally ready for action, and they’re opening the season with the Super Truck Special. As an added bonus, there’s also 4-Cylinder Stock Car races on the schedule. Gates open at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with the green flag dropping at 3. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for most young’ins (7-15), and the really short young’ins (under 6) get in free. If you can find a better use for three fivers on a Saturday afternoon, you’re doing better than me. Well, that is unless you can get to a “sophisticated” race like this in the deep south (check out the stretch limo stock car).

(video by MrJoeCox)

Next Weekend:

Legends Car Club is holding the “Drive for Cancer” Poker Run on May 10. Come back next Wednesday to find out more details. In the meantime, click here to check out the pictures from last year’s show (Note: these pics are someone else’s photography work).

Blue oval fans rejoice–Saturday, May 10th is the “All Ford Spring Breakout” from noon-4pm. The show is, obviously, for Ford vehicles only (although the odd Mercury or Lincoln product might sneak in), and is being held at the Red River Exhibition grounds.

And on Sunday, May 11th, the Manitoba Classic & Antique Auto Club is holding a Swap Meet from 8 a.m. to, well, whenever everybody leaves. Come back again Wednesday for more info.

Finally, I’m now booking for group “Rod Run” photoshoots . To put it simply, I’ll be taking 5 to 10 cars out for a whole day of shooting, in various settings in and around Winnipeg (or wherever you are). Cost for each car is $100, and if you organize 8 or more of your buddies, you don’t pay a thing. Best of all, it’s a guaranteed way to see your car on this blog!

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug!  Click Here to order or find out more!

 

2008 Rondex Autorama

This past weekend, the MSRA held the 2nd annual Rondex Autorama, and it turned out to be a massive event.  Three days of beautiful cars and trucks, piled into not one, but two hockey rinks (without the ice).  Best of all, it was a completely local event, hosted by the Manitoba Street Rod Association, with all proceeds going to children’s charities.

This 1960 Impala is named “California Dreamin’” but was built right here in Manitoba.  Pete Kroeker of DMK Customs in Lockport worked with legendary car builder Gene Winfield to create this white & gold masterpiece.  The car was rebuilt over a 1986 Chevy Caprice frame with air suspension, with a 350 LT1 small block engine for good measure.  The car was originally debuted at the Detroit Autorama this year, but it came home so it could put some sparkle in its home province’s eyes.

These three resto-rods came courtesy of the “Lucky Devils” car club.  Since the MSRA doesn’t have a “So Historically Accurate It Hurts” award, I’m making one up and handing it to the Ford F-100 in the background, for not only matching the paint, but painting on the name of the Esso station who first owned the truck.  First place for “Best Use Of Attitude In A Hood Ornament” goes to Peter Meier’s ‘33 Ford Coupe (below).  If you own these cars, leave a comment to collect your prize.

Somewhere out there is a crazy obsessive airbrush artist.  The good news is that he was apparently painting Albert Seguin’s 1934 Ford when he went off the deep end:

The amount of detail in this paint job is amazing.  Every time you look closer, you see another flame trail or other acute detail.  Of course, the effort put into this car is more than skin-deep.  Everything from the body panels to the interior is done so well, it looks like Henry Ford himself had a hand in final assembly.

Len Holmes drove his ‘38 Chevy pickup from Kleefield for the show.  The truck looks even better than the last time I saw it, especially now that he’s got the tonneau cover wrapped in black leather.

Speaking of 30’s workhorses, Josh Neufeld came with this ‘37 Ford panel van.  The truck was last owned by a floor refinishing company, who unceremoniously dumped it in a scrapyard.  Josh, seeing a steel damsel in distress, came to the Ford’s rescue and created this rare street rod.

There’s rare cars, like a ‘69 Camaro SS, and then there’s truly, desperately rare cars.  These two Chrysler Town & Country woodies definitely fall into the second category, with only 347 convertibles and 154 hardtops in known existence today.  Amazingly, both cars are owned by the same guy–Jack Mavins.  Let’s hope the Mavins household is termite free.

Finally, Godfrey Gottfredson’s 1967 Honda S600 is proof that it doesn’t matter what you drive–it’s what you do with it that counts.

Don’t forget to come back Wednesday for upcoming events, and to see more from this year’s Rondex Autorama!

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug!  Click Here to order or find out more!

Saying Goodbye–1993 Asuna Sunrunner Convertible

Pardon the self-indulgence, but today’s pics are all about my car–well, the car that used to be mine. Today, I traded off my old Asuna Sunrunner convertible for a shiny ‘08 Mazda3 Sport. Although it’s definitely a step up in every regard, letting go of an “old friend” is still tough.

Ok, so it’s a just car, but anyone who’s gone through a lot with their ride knows what I’m talking about. It was originally bought it in 1998 after a deer decided to pick a fight with my VW Fox (unfortunately for the deer, I was going 110 km/h at the time). And although I really wanted something small and sporty, I was working in the farm supply business and thought owning a 4×4 would help boost my career. That’s when I found this:

The Asuna brand was only sold through Pontiac dealers for one year, and had three models: the Asuna Sunfire (a re-badged Isuzu Impulse with a bored-out 1.8 litre engine), the Asuna SE and GT (an Opel hatchback imported from Europe) and this rebadged Chevy Tracker. Somehow I lucked out and got one of the few fully-loaded models with a removeable hardtop as well as 4 wheel drive.

Although I’ve driven it from Montreal to Tofino (BC) and back, the best times I had with it was in Banff, Alberta. It seemed like the little thing was built just for the winding roads and congested streets associated with mountain towns.

As much fun as she could be, practicality won out. I’m getting married in four months to a beautiful woman who’s just learning to drive a regular car, let alone handle a rear-wheel-drive standard-transmission Jeep YJ wannabe. Besides, who knows how long the clutch or the transmission had left on it, not to mention that some of the expensive parts were starting to act up.

Even though the Mazda3 is faster, more comfortable, and the CD player doesn’t involve a Sony discman stuck to the dashboard with Velcro, I’m going to miss the old girl. I just hope her next owner has as much fun as I did.

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug!  Click Here to order or find out more!

Winnipeg’s Car Calendar–April 23, 2008

Winnipegers tend to have really nice cars. Here’s what they do with them:

This weekend: Rondex Autorama

As I mentioned last week, the Manitoba Street Rod Association is holding the Rondex Autorama this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the East End Arena (517 Pandora Ave. E) in Transcona. The show will feature lots of actual, drive-able cars, as well as plenty of vendors to get you those last second pieces before cruising season gets into gear. There’s also a ton of giveaways, including a raffle on a rebuilt Chevy 350, and a draw for a TH350 automatic transmission. And like any good car show, there’s face painting and balloons for the kids (because honestly, your 6-year old daughter really doesn’t care about the shifting linkage in that ‘32 coupe over there…) Check out the MSRA website for times and ticket info.

Next Weekend: Super Truck Special @ Red River Speedway

Now that they’ve finally cleared the snow off the track, Red River Speedway is opening the season with the Super Truck Special. Just to make the first race day more exciting, they’ve also added 4-cylinder stock cars to the mix. Both races are on Saturday evening, with gates opening at 6:30. According to Google Maps, the track is located near St. Adolphe, under a big green arrow.

Any Weekend (or even right now!)

Head over to your local Chapters bookstore or Dominion News to pick up the latest copy of Canadian Hot Rods & Classics. There’s some great car show coverage and awesome rides, including a rare Pontiac coupe in the “Bone Stock Parking Lot” feature. Get yours before it sells out!

The Manitoba AMC club put out a killer display at last month’s World of Wheels show–check out the cotton stuffing burnout!

Fins & Taillights–the Gauthier Auto Museum is so jam-packed with 4-wheel goodness, there’s hardly room to move!

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug! Click Here to order or find out more!

Gimli Swap Meet & more Gauthier Auto Museum

Before we get on with the bitchin’ ride pictures, I’d like to point out that the March/April issue of Canadian Hot Rod & Classic Magazine is on the newstands. If you’re reading this in Winnipeg, I’ve confirmed that Chapters at St. Vital had a whole pile of copies last week. But don’t let that lull you into thinking there’s time to pick it up–the last issue sold out in less than a week last time. Pretend it’s a bonspiel and hurry hard to pick it up before it’s gone!

* * *

Although most celebrity guests turned them down, “Cesna Stuntplane Barbie” flew in for the Gimli Car Club’s first annual swap meet.

Despite the sudden dip in temperature (the first non-top-down weather in a week) the show appeared to be a success. There were lots of goodies to be had, including this rare gem: a 3-carb setup for an early 60’s 6-cylinder, complete with linkages and Edelbrock intake manifold.

The parking lot turned into an impromptu car show, with many of the buyers (and exhibitors) driving their best set of wheels to the show. One standout included this beastly bug:

If you were lucky enough to be there, too, leave a comment and tell us about your experience!

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Gauthier Auto Museum, Part 2:

As I mentioned last week, red convertibles seem to be a common theme at the Gauthier Auto Museum. If you look really close, you can see three of them in this artsy-fartsy photo–a ‘53 Cadillac, a ‘58 Impala, and an early 50’s Packard.

Of course, the other group are the vintage Dodge musclecars. This sparkling-clean ‘70 Charger R/T convertible bridges the gap between the Buddy Holly-era red droptops and the classic Mopar muscle waiting in this basement. Why? Because like Chuck Norris, vintage power like this does not sleep-it waits.

Although it’s Jim “The Big Guy” Gauthier that finds these cars, it’s Ron (pictured) that does the dirty work. His full-time job is to take these rare jewels and restore them to their original glory. He’s pictured here with their next wunder-ride: a 1955 Dodge Lancer convertible powered by a very early Hemi. The car is undergoing a full frame-off restoration, including a nifty off-pink paint job. A fitting retirement for one of only six Lancers allowed into Canada.

That’s it for this week–come back Wednesday to see what’s up this weekend, and maybe even a few more sweet sets of wheels!

Gauthier Auto Museum, part 1

This is Marylin Monroe’s car:

No, really…

The original bombshell’s ‘53 Cadillac convertible is just one of the amazing cars on hand at the Gauthier Auto Museum here in Winnipeg. Although it’s not what most people would consider a typical museum, most car lovers wouldn’t care. From the moment you walk down the stairs and notice all the shiny red paint, all you can do is stand in awe of this amazing collection of vintage iron.

The bulk of the collection on display comes from the late 50’s–including ‘55, ‘56, ‘57, and ‘58 Chevy convertibles, as well as a recently added ‘60 Impala convertible, which was the target of my extended photoshoot.

Although red convertibles seemed to be a constant theme, there were also a number of Dodge musclecars in the mix. This included a yellow Superbird, a ‘72 Charger R/T, and a ‘71 Hemi Cuda “tribute.” And by tribute, I mean it’s mechanically identical to the real thing, save for a couple digits on the VIN number.

And don’t forget all the Cadillacs–there’s at least three, most of which are more valuable than the apartment building I live in. Come back Monday to see those cars and more in next week’s blog!

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug! Click Here to order or find out more!

What’s happening in the ‘Peg

For those of you who don’t know, there’s a lot of car stuff that happens in the ‘peg. I mean, A LOT of car stuff. Want to know where & when to find it? Keep reading:

This Weekend:

Gimli Car Club 1st Annual Swap Meet: Sunday, April 20th at the Gimli Park Pavilion, Gimli MB. Open from 9 to 4, it’ll be a great place to pick up stuff ranging from cars and trucks to parts. There’s even home & yard stuff and handicrafts to distract the less-obsessed people in your household. Admission is $2, and the young’ins (under 12) are free with an adult.

Next Weekend:

Rondex Rodarama: It’s the second indoor car show of the year, and it won’t feature any Hannah Montana co-stars. Result? Less time standing in line with your kids, means more time to bore them with stories of the cars you drooled over at their age.

The show runs from Friday the 25th to Sunday the 27th, at the East End Arena here in Winnipeg (517 Pondora Ave. East). My good friend, “Hot Rod” Liz assured me that it’ll be a great show, with some of Winnipeg’s finest rolling stock coming out of hibernation for your viewing pleasure. Check out the MSRA website for times and admission.

Proceeds from the event go to support children’s charities, which means the show is good for hot rodders, and good for the community, too!

Like what you see?  Any image on this site is available as prints, shirts, or even a coffee mug! Click Here to order or find out more!

The old tow truck…

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a die-hard Chevy lover. Although I’ve warmed up to the imports, and even some classic Mopars and AMC’s, I’ve never really fallen in love with a blue-oval badged machine.

However, there is one exception: early Ford pickups.

Maybe it’s because of their looks, maybe the flathead engines. Maybe even because my father’s first graintruck was a ‘48 Mercury 1-ton–which still sits in a pasture on the farm. Either way, they’re the only blue oval that tugs at my heartstrings.

That being said, here’s pictures of a miniature towtruck I used to own. It was a present from my fiancee while we were still living in Toronto, which unfortunately didn’t make the move back to the prairies. Nonetheless, here it is, in all it’s bright red awesomeness. Enjoy!

World of Wheels!

Just when you thought I’d run out of World Of Wheels pictures, here’s a few more from the (virtual) stack I brought home with me:

Don’t be scared; the little fella in your gas tank just wants to be friends. Well more likely, he wants to eat your brain to gain your knowledge. This was a vintage horror movie theme bike by airbrush artist Dale Lawrence, aka “Uncle D.” Although I’m not a personal fan of the “naked lady with a sword riding a unicorn” style, the artwork displayed in Uncle D’s booth was amazing enough to make me look twice.

In fact, it made me look a few times. And by “a few times,” I mean “I was there for half an hour photographing two of the several bikes at his booth.” Needless to say, seeing the talent and effort that goes into these paint jobs could make you change your mind about unicorns and the naked ladies with swords who ride them…..

And finally, since everyone else is getting into the celebrity gossip business, I’m jumping on the bandwagon:

Ok, so he doesn’t sing like Britney, but I bet he’d do better at tractor tipping. Mater had his own booth for the kids to come by and have their picture taken with him. Several people at the show commented on the supposed fact that this replica’s running gear is either from a Ford mini-bus or a Chevy 1-ton dually. However, I still think it was really him…

More World of Wheels!

Hey all!

As many of you know, I’m working on a book idea–namely, a book on the “car enthusiast” scene in Manitoba. It’s not exactly a small project; there’s 192 pages of content to come up with, which means thousands of pictures and lots of writing. There’s also finding a few thousand people to pre-order a copy to pay for the printing costs. Of course, the biggest hurdle is getting those thousands of books into the hands of the people who ordered it.

Then again, it’s about time the people of Manitoba were recognized for their hard work in building such a unique car culture in this province. And it’ll be fun (I hope).

So here’s the question I have for all of you: would you buy a book that records this summer’s “cruise season”? What if it showed how the events really happen, explored what really drives the community, and showed some of the amazing cars and trucks, from tuners to rat rods to fully-restored classics? Would 3,000 of you buy this book?

Anyways, leave a message below if you feel vocal about it. And don’t tell me that Winnipegers wouldn’t buy it because they’re cheap–I live here too, and I know a lot of us don’t have much money to begin with (hence the flawed perception we’re all cheap). We deserve to have a book like this, to show who we are, and what we’re really all about. If you think so too, leave a reply below or on the contact section of my website.

Whatever business this ‘48 Chevy business coupe was in before, it’s been reassigned to the business of looking damn good at car shows!

This ‘38 Plymouth Limo was built for The Evergreen Village, in Niverville, Manitoba. The guys at Sandale Fabrication along with dozens of other skilled craftsmen (craftspeople?), poured hours into making this Chevy LT-1 powered limo such a beautiful machine.

This rusty little Ford Coupe is powered by an all-original 1947 Lincoln V12, mated to the 3-speed w/automatic “4th gear” overdrive from the same car. That big ol’ hunk of cast iron has never been restored, yet it purrs like the day Detroit assembled it 70 years ago. Same thing goes for the 3-speed transmission–including the 4th/overdrive gear that shifts automatically via an electronic doohickey. Now, if only Ford could still build’em like that!

Here’s a closer look at the engine, with even a few traces of original blue paint. The car wrapped around it is a ‘43 Ford sedan, with the grill/cowl from what the owner believes to be a ‘39 Chevy 1-ton truck.

That’s it for now, but come back Thursday for more automotive goodness!