Maritime Rod & Custom - Vol 1; Issue 2; April 2020

Vehicle Coverage from: - Miramichi, NB - bedell, NB - dartmouth, NS - Lockhartville, NS - Lockeport, NS - Miscouche, PEI Maritime Canada’s Quarterly Rod & Custom Magazine - Vol #1: Issue #2 - APRIL2020

$5.95

2

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

2

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Sometimes the right decision is not the easiest decision...

Thank you Joe Savoie and Speed Sport Promotions Inc. for stepping up and putting the public’s safety ahead of all else Great People doing Great Things!!!

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

3

Publisher: HiDefRods Photography Editor: Rodger Evans Art & Design Guru: T-Mac Travel Assistant: Abe MacEvans & Mr. P Staff Photographer(s): Me, Myself & I Advertising: Rodger Evans ©2020 by HiDefRods Photography All Rights Reserved - Printed in Canada (902) 678-4772 ; rodger.c.evans@gmail.com

Well, it happened... The end of December came and went, four boxes (50/box) of magazines arrived at the door, and all were gone by January 11th, 2020. I had another 100 printed and have printed more in preparation for Radical Speed Sport in April, Brudenell (PEI Street Rod Association show), the Atlantic Nationals, and Wheels for Wishes in Newfoundland, all in July. I’m somewhat torn between being overwhelmed by the uptake by the Maritime car show community and the many friends and acquaintances I’ve made over the last several years, and the nightmare that if this continues to grow (I really want it too!!!!) I’ll be over my head with trying to stay organized and keep everyone happy.

Hands down the best “review” came from my dad calling me the night he received his copy, and telling me he couldn’t wait to take it to Tim Horton’s to show his friends, as well as the guys that hang out at his buddy’s shop. In essence, it’s my dad’s passion that brought me here.

So where do I go from here? All the feature materials for January and April were shot in the late summer/autumn of 2019. I had a fairly lengthy wish-list, 80% of which was fulfilled, as well as a bunch of “wildcards” that happened to fall in my lap as I made more and more contacts. I’ve put out calls regarding what people would like to see, and I hope that over time I can include some of my ideas, as well as those of others, in these pages. I’ve had requests for freelancers, editing help, etc. I’d love to accept these requests, and once I figure out what I’m doing will no doubt accept these kind offers, but for the short term I need to become comfortable with this process before I drag others in with me...

What about content? What is a hot rod or custom? I think most of us have an idea based on our upbringing, personal preferences, what we think is cool, and what we dream of owning. My goal is to be inclusive as possible and to highlight as many aspects of “hot rod and custom culture” as I can. To this end I hope to include motorcycles and motorcycle builders; several of the folks I’ve talked to so far have or have had bikes. I also want to include drag racing and drag racer coverage; high adrenaline, high horsepower, hot rods. Right now the ideas seem limitless, but the ultimate goal is still to highlight the builds and builders of Atlantic Canada (I think my trip to Newfoundland may result in a new logo...) through photographs and the stories they share. I hope you’re as excited as I am to see where this can go from here... Cheers!

4

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

In this Issue...

Stephen Daury’s 1940 Ford Pickup............ 6 Jack Leslie’s ‘55 Chev Custom Pickup .......14 Joe Casey’s ‘55 Chev ‘210’ ................... 22 Jason Bayer’s Pro Touring Pair.............. 28 Paul Buckley’s 36 Chev Coupe................. 38 Arnold Family Resto-Mod Mopars...........44

14

22

6 28

44

Subscribe Now!!! www.maritime-rod-custom.com Quarterly Magazine (Jan, April, July, & October) Digital Version - $12.95/year Print Version - $29.95 /year (incl. shipping)

38

Single Copies ($5.95 + $3 shipping) Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

5

Phoen

Built, burnt, and built again.

This custom street rod took builder Stephen Daury many years and a few tears to get it where it is today.

6 Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

nix

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

7

8

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

One of the first vehicles I thought of when considering publishing a Maritime-based Rod & Custom magazine was Steven Daury’s 1940 Ford Street Rod Pickup. As luck would have it, he sold it in the spring of 2019, but to an avid car collector on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. This is definitely a crown jewel in Bruce’ Cotters collection of muscle cars and ongoing restorations (I think we visited three garages and saw at least 7 different rare collector-worthy cars). However, this story is about a 23 year build that saw every possible up and down one could imagine for a small business owner and family man looking to build a budget street rod.

Steven Daury started his body and collision shop in 1979. In 1988, wanting to build himself a hot rod, he purchased a 1946 1-ton farm truck from the original owner. The truck had been parked in a barn since 1963, and still had the original wooden bed. Initially his plan was to build the hot rod as a 1946, but after refinishing and painting the front clip, realized what he really wanted was a 1940. Steven knew that the cab was the same from 1940-1947, so went about sourcing out pieces to build a 1940 hot rod using the 1946 cab.

The first piece was a fibreglass tilt front end from Vol(1) Issue (2)

the United States. Under the hood he decided to put a 450 HP 350 with a tunnel ram and two four barrels that came through a hole cut in the in the fibreglass hood.

At this point the cab was primed, the front clip primed, and the motor and transmission installed. The truck was pretty much complete except for brakes and a box.

That’s when Steve’s luck took a turn for the worse; in 1998, his garage caught fire, with the truck inside. When the fire was finally out, and he pushed the truck out of the garage, all that was left was the cab and frame. The fibreglass tilt front end melted, and the temperature of the fire was so hot that the aluminum tunnel ram melted, as did the transmission housing. As you can imagine he and his family were devastated. By this time Steven was married, with two kids, and a self-employed owner of a body repair shop, and all the money and time he had scrounged together over the last 10 years was gone in a matter of minutes. Steven parked the truck outside, refibreglassed the partially melted hood, and turned it into a sled that he used to pull his kids through snow in the winter...

Fast forward four years. Steven decided one day to remove one of the charred doors, sandblast it, sand it, and paint it black. He was so happy with the results he put the

Maritime Rod & Custom

9

door in his basement and continued with the rest of the cab. After the other door and cab were restored, he decided he’d try again to build a 1940 Ford pickup hot rod. This time he started with a set of fibreglass fenders from Ontario, but he also needed a hood. Soon after, while attending Moncton’s Atlantic Nationals, he met a guy with a bunch of spare 1940 parts left over from his own 1940 pickup build. After some negotiation, Steven was able to purchase the two piece hood for $450.

Wanting a solid hood that looked original, Steven joined the two halves together and peaked the hood so that it would match the subtle peak in the cab’s cowl.

Needing money to continue the build, he sold his 1980 Z28 for $8000. With some of these funds he was able to purchase the grill, headlight buckets, and all the rubbers to put the front together from Horton Hot Rods in Milton, Ontario. He then purchased a set of fibreglass running boards and rear fenders from the same place in Ontario he purchased the front fenders. After making a custom bed out of sheet metal, that was built to match the length of the narrowed and boxed S10 frame, the running boards were cut 6” to fit.

Next came some subtle, custom touches for the cab. First he chopped the roof 3” and removed the rain gutters. The chop actually went under the back window as the original window proportions fit the chop perfectly. One of the many subtle changes that make people wonder why the truck looks modified, but can’t quite figure out what was changed. Steven removed the exterior hinges and replaced them with hidden inner hinges, removed the door handles and replaced them with solenoids under the running boards that can be opened with your foot, and finally filled and rounded the belt line that runs around the cab. The dash is original , but customized to accept all new gauges and a stereo system. The only original part in the cab is the cardboard

10

headliner. You see, at the time of the garage fire it was sitting at a friend’s house being used as a template for his son’s 1946 pickup that didn’t have one.

The motor is a rebuilt 350 out of a half ton pickup that initially used the original Vortec heads. The heads were later changed out for a set of high horsepower heads, but a few years later Steven bought a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads, high rise intake and 750 CFM Holley carb. The motor worked much better, and the sound was so perfect that he decided to use the original manifolds instead of replacing them with a set of headers. This is just one of the many cost cutting measures that Steven employed to keep his build within a tight budget, another is the use of an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme rear end. Why an Olds rear end? Steven knew the wheel and tire combination he wanted to use on the truck, and the S10 rear end was 2.5” too wide.

However, the Olds rear end, without modification, fit perfectly and works just fine.

As you can probably guess the truck has won its fair share of car show hardware. A perennial winner at Chad Hiltz’s Rockabilly show, his most meaningful trophies are for best paint and people’s choice (Cat’s Ass in the case of Hiltz’s show…). One trophy that really sticks out is a memorial award at the Yarmouth show where the son of a gentleman that had recently passed away walked through the 280+ vehicles and chose Steven’s truck as the winner. But all of these trophies pale in comparison to the memory Steven has of taking his daughter to the church on her wedding day in the truck. You can still see the emotion is Steven’s face when he talks about selling the truck. The truck may no longer be his, but the trials, tribulations, and memories he has of the truck he had to build twice, will always belong to him and his family.

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Owner: Bruce Cotter

Tech Sheet Deets

Transmission: 700 R4 4 Speed Auto w/ 2500

Location: EAST GREEN HARBOUR, Lockeport, NS

stall converter

Builder: Steven Daury (Daury’s Paint &

Chassis: narrowed and boxed s10 frame;

Collision)

custom motor and transmission mounts;

Build Duration: 1988-2011

custom cross member

Vehicle: Custom 1940 Ford Pickup Street rod

rear Suspension: 1988 Olds rear end w/ 3.73

Body Mods: ‘46 Ford Truck cab; 3” chop;

gears; custom saddles and lowering blocks

shaved rain gutters; shaved door handles;

with stock, modified leaf springs

hidden door hinges; electric door ‘poppers’;

Front suspension: 3” drop spindles and 3” drop

filled cowl vent; running boards shortened 4”;

coil springs

custom built box sides, head board & tailgate

Wheels & Tires: Cragar classics - 15” on back,

roll pan; peaked hood

14” on front

Paint and Painter: R&M Acrylic Urethane Viper

Interior MODS: original dash modified to hold

Red and Black; Steven Daury

new gauges and stereo system; tinted glass

Engine: 350CID Chev Small Block; 330 HP; 750

(D&B Glass)

Holley Double Pumper Carb; Heads, Intake, &

Upholstery: Original headliner; door panels

Valve Covers all high polished aluminum; 2.5”

and seat upholstery by Alan oickle

exhaust and flow master mufflers.

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

11

12

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

13

14

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

15

16

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Jack Leslie is the type of old school hot rodder that I’d call a “finisher.” Currently, he has three vehicles, and a Harley in his barn. The oldest build is a traditional ’38 Chev coupe hot rod that is black with flames and Cragar rims. The next build is the 1950 Chev Delivery rat rod that was feature in the Jan 2020 Issue of Maritime Rod & Custom. This most recent build is something completely different, and Jack wanted it to be different. It’s a ’55 Chev pickup with a late 50’s fleet side box. For starters, Chevrolet made very few 1955 trucks that didn’t have step side beds. Coined the “Cameo Carrier” the “new” design came with fibreglass inner fenders and tailgate, were 30% more expensive than the step side trucks, and relatively few were produced (~3000). Despite the low numbers this style continued and believed to be the predecessor of the El Camino.

Jack’s Custom fleet side was started in Ontario about 20 years ago. The owner at the time had taken a stock ’55 pickup and made some changes up front. They replaced the stock frame with a mid 70’s truck frame and bolted on a 1980 Camaro front clip that included disk brakes and a Z28 sway bar. Next, they replaced the Vol(1) Issue (2)

original motor with a 1980 Camaro 305 (275HP) and automatic transmission. The original rear end was also replaced with a 1980 Camaro 10-bolt with drum brakes.

The next owner came up with the idea of emulating a Chev Cameo by replacing the step side bed with a late 50’s fleet side. Unfortunately, the truck never made it much further, and this is when Jack stepped in.

Jack liked the way the truck was headed, with a raked stance from the Camaro suspension pieces, as well as the overall style of the “Cameo” build. However, he wanted it to stand out, and stand out it does. He started by removing the slotted Corvette rims and replacing them with steelies that sport modified ’55 Chev car hubcaps and ’52 Chev chrome beauty rings. After some fairly extensive body work to the cab, including shaving the front fenders and hood, he painted the entire truck with GM silver. Then came the “difference” that Jack was looking for - he had Rob Vanblaricon (Kustom Rides) in Brighton Ontario paint the steelies, bed moldings and bed indents, inner rim of the grill, back half of the cab, and anything else that needed detail House of Kolor Candy Raspberry. He didn’t stop there, because he also had the

Maritime Rod & Custom

17

maple boards painted the same colour before they were installed in the bed. Jack also had his good friend and pinstriper extraordinaire, Kim Taylor (Taylor Signs) run pink pinstripes along the boards, around anything that was painted Candy Raspberry, as well as throughout the interior.

Although the dash is original, it is far from factory. It is painted the same GM silver with the top painted Candy Raspberry, except for the custom chrome glove box and ashtray doors. Kim’s pinstriping is found throughout the interior, highlighted by bulletshaped metal flake knobs that Jack ordered from Mooneyes Customs in California. The seats include a custom console and are covered in burgundy leather with burgundy diamond tufted velvet inserts with grey piping; the same design is used on the headliner. The pop of colour is completed with a custom, octagon red metal flake steering wheel. Interior chrome trim on doors and roof are modified from a 90’s Impala.

Although the motor is from an era of Camaros not renowned for their power output, it’s more than enough to pull the truck along when you add an Edelbrock

18

Performance intake and GM TBI carb. Jack always maintains that the motor should be as attractive as the outside. To this end he added chrome water and steering pumps, a set of March Performance aluminum pulleys, and a full set of finned covers for the air cleaner and heads. The finned covers also received the same Candy Raspberry paint highlights. The headers are ceramic coated and flow waste gases through Magnaflow mufflers before they exit through a custom set of polished aluminum exhaust tips.

I started this article stating that Jack is a “finisher.” I think the two features I’ve included from his collection in the past two issues should more than solidify this claim. One of the characteristics of Jack’s “finishing” is that he always keeps the previous owners in the loop of what he is doing, and makes sure that they get a chance to see the finished product. This is by no means Jack boasting about completing the project, but sharing how he adopted the vision of someone else and used it as a basis for his own vision of what a particular hot rod, rat rod, street rod, or custom can become.

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Tech Sheet Deets

Owner: Jack Leslie

Transmission: 700R4 w/ overdrive

Location: lockhartville, Nova scotia

Chassis: modified mid 70’s Chevy frame

Builders: Jack Leslie & George Watson

rear Suspension: 1980 10 bolt camaro; drum

(customs by Watson)

brakes

Build duration: 2017-2019

Front suspension: 1980 camaro front clip; z28

Vehicle: 1955 Chev pick-up

Body Mods: shaved front fenders; shaved ‘57

chev hood; ‘58 chev fleetside box; maple truck bed painted candy raspberry (bill’s Truck shop; Courtice, ON)

Paint and Painter: gm silver & House of Kolor

candy raspberry; kustom Rides (brighton, On); pinstriping by Kim Taylor (Taylor Signs)

Engine: HO Chevy camaro 305; 275HP; tbi Fuel Injection; edelbrock performance intake;

chrome water pump and steering pump; march aluminum pulleys; finned polished aluminum

sway bar; disk brakes

Wheels & Tires: 15”x5” front and 15”x10” back;

modified ‘55 chev car hubcaps w/52 chev beauty rings; bf Goodrich T/A tires

Interior: custom dash with chrome cigarette

and glove box covers; Mooneyes Bullet metal

flake knobs; custom octagon red metal flake steering wheel; 90’s impala chrome moldings on door and roof

Upholstery: custom headliner and console; burgundy diamond tuft with grey piping

air cleaner and valve covers; ceramic coated headers; flow master mufflers

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

19

20

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

21

Joe’s Recipe

22

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

for Success

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

23

24

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Joe Casey has been building cars and trucks for almost 50 years. In those 50 years he has built/owned twenty-two ’55/’56 Chevs, built drag cars, and a variety of Street Rods for himself and friends. Recently, he and his wife Eleanor have started building sophisticated Street Rods that look like they should only belong in a show, but are meant to be driven.

Their first build, with top of the line parts and extreme attention to detail, was a ’31 Model ‘A’ that many have likely seen at local PEI shows, as well as Moncton’s Radical Speed Sport and Atlantic Nationals shows. After that, he built Eleanor a ’51 Chev step side truck that had a patina-like paint job, but had a custom drive-train, custom suspension, and an LS motor. It may have looked “rough on the outside”, but under the hood and in the interior displayed Joe and Eleanor’s attention to detail and functionality.

Finding the ’31 a little cramped and not that fun to drive, they decided to sell it to finance the build of a ’55 Chev. Throughout the years, and particularly in his youth, Joe would build 210’s to look like Belairs.

Vol(1) Issue (2)

However, this time around he decided he would take a Belair, and build it like a 210; a 210 that looks and drives like a brand new car.

When the car was purchased it was partially completed, but not to the standards that Joe and Eleanor knew they would be able to achieve. They started by taking the body off the frame, media blasting the frame, painting it the same black as the body, and hanging all new suspension parts. These included a 4-link system in the rear married to adjustable coil over shocks, while up front they kept the original suspension, but added adjustable coil over shocks and 2” drop spindles. To help steer the car they also added a modern rack and pinion system, and to stop they added disk brakes on all four corners. To power the “210” down the road they decided that a warmed over L83 that produces 355HP @5600 RPM should do the trick, but for fuel economy (28mpg!!!) they added a 6L80 six speed automatic transmission and a digital shifter from Lokar. Joe also built a custom stainless steel exhaust system with an x-pipe that runs the entire length of the car.

Maritime Rod & Custom

25

Although much of the body work was complete, Joe spent an additional 400 hours fine tuning the body, including filling all the unnecessary holes in the firewall and underside of the body. Once the body was perfect, Joe added 3 coats of Torch Red, and topped that with 3 coats of high gloss black. These were then covered with six coats of clear. All the chrome and stainless trim is brand new.

Probably the most custom part of the build is the interior and upholstery. The front seats are from a 2005 Monte Carlo that had the head rests shaved to look less modern, but retain their comfort. The console and door panels are all completely custom built, but the dash remained stock but for the addition of a Vintage Air system, a complete digital gauge package, chrome tilt steering column, and AM/FM cassette with CD changer. Initially the interior was all red leather, but Joe and Eleanor thought that was too much. Their decision to throw in small accents of black leather made all the difference, and extended into the trunk where they

26

reversed the pattern with mostly black, accented with red.

Once complete, Joe and Eleanor had put 2200 hours into the build. Surprisingly, all the hours came in bunches of 8-12, seven days a week, and the build only took eight months to complete! The day the car rolled out of the garage to go to its first show, Joe realized that the picture he had in his mind all along was what he now witnessed in his driveway. Since then, Joe and Eleanor have completed the build of a 1950 Chev panel street rod for Norm Gallant (Maritime Rod & Custom Jan 2020 issue), a 1939 Plymouth street rod for Dave Garrett (original owner of the 1950 Chev Panel), and are in the process of building a 1955 Chev patina pickup, built to the same level of detail underneath and inside, as this ’55 Chev “210” for Eleanor. Safe to say that Joe has learned a lot in 50 years, but with his wife Eleanor, has even more to offer anyone that is looking for a refined, custom build that is meant to be driven.

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Tech Sheet Deets Owner: Joe Casey Location: Miscouche, PEI

rear Suspension: 9” Ford Rear end (POSI) w/ 3:08 Gears; 4 Link system w/ adjustable coil overs;

Builders: Joe and Eleanor Casey; ~2200 hours

Front suspension: power steering rack; 2” drop spindles

Vehicle: 1955 Chevy 210

Brakes: 4 wheel disk

Body: Original body and Frame; Full Frame off custom restoration

Wheels & Tires: American Racing Wheels (18 rear; 17 front); Goodyear tires

Paint and Painter: torch red and black Paint (3 coats); 6 coats of clear; Joe casey Engine: L83; 355HP @ 5600RPM

Interior: vintage air; lokar digital shifter; power tinted windows; power seats; tilt steering; am/fm cassette w/ cd changer

Transmission: 6L80 - 6 Speed Auto

Upholstery: Leather; Joe casey

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

27

28

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

29

Jason Bayers is the owner and builder of two of my favourite Chevrolets, a first generation Camaro and a second generation C-10 pickup. I guess rather than having to pick a favourite, Jason picked both. Their aggressive stances, wide aluminum wheels and tires tucked nicely into the wheel wells, provide insight into their Pro Touring design. And although they have a similar end point, it’s the level of detail in each build, the manner in which they were completed, and the fact that these two vehicles are driven HARD every summer, that make the stories of Jason’s vehicles most compelling.

Jason’s ’69 Camaro started as an original factory SS car that sported a 350 SBC/4 speed combination and was painted Daytona Yellow with black stripes.

Jason purchased the car from Arizona in 2012. During the winter of 2012-2013, Jason’s first step in this build was to replace the original 350 with a 500 horsepower

30

406 CID monster, and mate it to a custom Keisler 5-speed manual transmission. He drove the car in the summer of 2013, but in the Fall decided that the body needed some TLC.

Jason drove the car to his friend’s shop in Shediac (Henry’s Auto Body, now Shediac Carstar) to investigate getting touch ups done on the original paint job. Realizing that there was a myriad of touch ups already, and that the paint was starting to show its age, the decision was made to keep it yellow, but update to Chevy’s 2012 Camaro Yellow; the black stripes were repainted in matte black. Extending the black scheme, exterior chrome was purchased new, stripped, and powder coated matte black as well. Jason also rebadged the car as a Z/28.

After driving for another summer Jason decided it was time to upgrade the suspension. At the end of the summer, Jason replaced everything except the

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

original rear axle. The rear suspension was upgraded with a complete Hotchkis Sport suspension, as well as a complete Wilwood disk brake upgrade kit.

The front suspension received the same Hotchkis Sport suspension upgrade with tubular A-arms and lowering springs, as well as Wilwood disk brakes.

This upgrade not only lowered the stance of the car, but the adjustability of the Hotchkis system allowed Jason to dial in the car for increased drivability and cornering; remember, the car is DRIVEN!!!! Wheel combinations have changed from a 18” front/20” rear combination, to the current 19” aluminum Braelins on all four corners.

The final major modification, again done in the winter, was the interior of the car. Nothing was left untouched and included new Corbeau front racing seats, custom rear seat, custom console, and custom door panels. The dash itself remained stock, but the gauges were replaced with a custom Autometer gauge package, the factory radio with a complete Kenwood stereo system, and the stock steering wheel with a custom, three spoke, Momo racing wheel.

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

31

Since first taking ownership in 2012, Jason has put about 20,000 more miles on the car. Some with the pedal mashed to the floor, but some long distance.

Always ready to show his Camaro, Jason has taken it to Moncton’s Radical Speed Sport and Atlantic Nationals, winning awards each time. In the summer of 2019 Jason decided to drive the Camaro to London, Ontario’s Steve Plunkett Fleetwood Country CruizeIn. One of the largest in North America, and sadly no longer running after 2019. While there, Jason took

32

home the “Best Chevrolet in Show Award”; a show that had an excess of 3000 vehicles. When getting ready to leave on Sunday, Jason was approached by a young, self-confessed, hard core, blue oval fan.

While he commended Jason on the beauty of his build, he also threw in “that it was not hard to tell that’s a garage queen.” Jason was quick to reply that he had driven the car 2000 km from Nova Scotia, and in a few hours was going to do the same to get back home, thus leaving the youngster speechless…

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Tech Sheet Deets

Owner: jason Bayers

Transmission: keisler 5 speed

Location: dartmouth, Nova Scotia

rear Suspension: hotchkis sport suspension;

Builder: jason bayers

wilwood disk brakes

Build time: 2010-2017

Front suspension: hotchkis sport suspension;

Vehicle: 1969 Chevy Camaro

wilwood disk brakes

Body Mods: body reworked and refinished; LED

Wheels: 19� Braelin wheels

marker & driving lights

Interior mods: Custom autometer gauges

Paint and Painter: custom colour; Henry’s

cluster; kenwood stereo; momo steering

autobody (now Shediac Carstar)

wheel;corbeau front seats; custom rear seat;

Engine: 406 sBC; 500HP; Fi-tech fuel injection;

console; door panels

custom dual exhaust

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

33

Jason’s next project came in the form of a 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne C/10. He’d been looking for one for several years, and was tipped off to a Florida truck in 2014 that had only 40,000 original miles, and was actually originally purchased in Cole Harbour, NS. Jason drove it during the summer of 2015, but that Fall parked the truck to do a “little” work. His initial plans were to lower the truck’s suspension and put some new wheels on it. However, what started as a small project one Friday night, resulted in a truck stripped to its frame the Sunday of that weekend.

Unlike the Camaro, that was built over several years, Jason wanted to be able to drive the truck the following summer. He took the cab and body panels to his friend’s shop in Shediac (Henry’s Autobody, now Shediac Carstar) and went to work on the frame in his garage at home. After stripping and blasting the frame, he realized that the frame was in great condition.

He painted the frame black and began a significant transformation. Jason kept the original 12-bolt rear end, but added an Eaton limited slip differential with 3:73 gears. He lowered the rear end 6” with coil springs, and upgraded the drum brake system. Up front Jason added a Hotchkis Sport suspension with tubular A-arms that lowered the stance 4.5”. The front end also

34

received upgraded GM front disk brakes.

Mike Mackenzie (Dartmouth, NS) built a 450HP SBC that was mated to a 700R4 automatic transmission. Fuel comes from a custom, frame mounted polished aluminum fuel cell, and enters the motor through a Fi-Tech Fuel Injection system.

Exhaust leaves through a set of Hedman headers attached to a custom dual exhaust system.

Once the chassis was complete, it was placed on a trailer and driven to Shediac to pick up the body.

By this time every major panel on the body had been replaced, including the roof, doors, rad support, and fenders. A custom two tone paint scheme covered the new body panels, and 120+ hours of wet sanding and buffing, top to bottom, made sure the body shone from all angles. All the body side moldings had been eliminated, and all gaps and body lines reworked to match the new lowered stance. Once bolted onto the chassis, the truck was taken back to Jason’s garage to complete.

The first, and really only, hiccup putting the truck back together came when a short in the dash almost set fire to the newly painted truck. Luckily they were able to put the fire out quickly and not damage the new paint. The dash and its gauges were kept stock as all

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Cheyenne trucks came with a factory tach in the gauge cluster. Custom touches include a 90’s Chev half ton seat that was reupholstered by Barry Putiny in Windsor, NS, and included custom stitching designed

by Jason. If you look closely, you’ll see aspects of the stitching reflected in pin striping on the cab that was done by Von Hot Rod at the 2019 Atlantic Nationals.

The original wheel design was meant to be steelies with wide white wall tires, but Jason was unable to find white walls that would balance properly.

Realizing that what he really wanted was a Pro Touring look for the truck, similar to his Camaro, he decided Vol(1) Issue (2)

that black aluminum rims were his best choice for the build.

Like the Camaro, the truck is driven (5000 miles since completing the build in 2016). Like the Camaro, the truck has won multiple awards at Radical Speed Sport and the Atlantic Nationals. And finally, like the Camaro, the truck is “driven like it’s stolen.”

As Jason’s friend Jay can attest, sometimes the most arduous part of cleaning the two vehicles is removing the melted rubber from the rear inner wheel wells. But really, why would you build two such vehicles to be “Garage Queens” when really you built them to drive.

Maritime Rod & Custom

35

Owner: jason bayers

36

Tech Sheet Deets

exhaust: custom dual exhaust w/ hedman

Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

shorty headers

Vehicle: 1971 chevy c10 pickup

Transmission: 700r4 automatic

Builder: jason bayers

rear Suspension: coil spring w/drum brakes;

Build time: 2015-16 (13 months)

lowered 6”

Body Mods: complete rotisserie restoration/

Front suspension: tubular front suspension;

rebuild; all body side moldings eliminated; all

factory style disk brakes; lowered 4.5”

body lines and gaps reworked; led lighting

Wheels & Tires: 20” US MAg wheels/ mickey

Paint and Painter: custom paint scheme and

thompson

colours; henry’s autobody (now Shediac

Interior: original gauge cluster; chrome tilt

Carstar); pinstriping by von hot rod

steering column

Engine: 350 SBC; 450HP; fi-tech fuel injection;

Upholstery: custom leather interior with

custom frame mounted aluminum fuel tank;

reworked bench seat from 1990 chev pickup

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

37

Resurrection

Dragged from its snowy resting place, the Aube' brothers (Ghislain and Christian) not only re 38

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

n

esurrected Paul Buckley's '36 Chevy Coupe, but perfected it with their metal manipulating skills!

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

39

Paul Buckley’s 1936 Chevy 5-window coupe looks like any number of well built street rods from the outside.

However, it’s when you see what the builders started with, what they did to the interior, and where all this took place, you realize that the builders aren’t just ordinary run-of-the-mill builders.

In a small (and I mean small!!!) garage in northern New Brunswick work two brothers, Christian

40

and Ghislain Aubé, that produce some of the finest hot rods, street rods, customs and restorations in Maritime Canada. I’ve had a chance to see a couple of their builds at Radical Speed Sport and the Atlantic Nationals, but there is one build, completed 10 years ago, that has never been shown except for maybe a few local shows in the Miramichi area.

Paul’s ’36 was a street rod back in the ’80’s and

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

’90’s (even had the requisite sunroof…) before being dismantled by the owner in Jacquet River, New Brunswick. At some point in the rebuild the hood and motor were in a barn that burnt to the ground, the rest of the car was outside and dismantled. The owner lost interest in the build and sold the remaining parts to the Aubé’s father. This was one of the first cars to be dragged home and resulted in the teenage Aubé brothers combing the Maritimes for any body, part, or frame they could find. The hobby of these young men has resulted in a rich collection that now surrounds the Aubé’s body shop (I wanted to take some pictures, but felt it more important to keep it a secret than display what resides in their collection). Realizing his sons’ interest in cars and body work, Mr. Aubé sent his sons to college in St. John to learn mechanical engineering technology and welding; their love for working sheet metal came naturally, and their abilities are self taught.

Paul first met the Aubés after a friend of his had them build him a Ford coupe street rod. He came to Vol(1) Issue (2)

the garage and asked if they would build him a car.

He walked through the collection of cars outside and decided upon the ’36 Chev 5-window coupe. By this time, the body was on cinder blocks, lacked doors, and could be walked through like an arch as the floor had rotted over the years. Most of the car body was there, minus the hood, but by no means was it a perfect starting point for a street rod.

The first step for the Aubé brothers was to build a custom frame from scratch. To this they attached a triangulated 4-link system and GM 10-bolt reared on the back, while up front they added a Mustang II front clip. Once the stance was set (Paul wanted the car to sit flat and not have an aggressive rake), they channeled the body onto the frame and built a completely custom floor pan. Although the original fenders were still with the body, they were too far gone to be of use. Since new, steel fenders would cost a small fortune, Paul and the Aubés agreed upon a set of fibreglass fenders that

Maritime Rod & Custom

41

were modified to match the stance of the car and allow for the wheels and tires to be tucked underneath. They also built a custom rear roll pan that was modified for the exhaust tips, and the rear fenders were modified to accept a set of ’39 Ford taillights. Up front the door handles were shaved (doors and trunk now open remotely with a key fob) and the fenders were kept stock. The grill shell was smoothed and a custom Billet grill was installed. Aftermarket headlights with integrated signal lights were used to keep the front of the car clean; signal lights were also integrated into the side mirrors. The missing 2-piece hood was replaced with a custom three-piece hood made from sheet metal that opens sideways from either the passenger or driver side using a custom aluminum hinge system. The hood panel sides are still removable but held in place with several Allen bolts.

Next came the discussion of paint colour(s). Paul was set on a two tone paint scheme that saw the fenders a darker colour than the body. While the Aubés agreed a two tone colour suited the car, they thought the coupe’s body line should be the separation point. However, this meant extending the body line from just below the rear window to the back of the car. The Aubés followed the curve of the trunk and took the body line all the way around the back and into the custom roll pan.

42

The last step in the build is where the metal work mastery and ingenuity of the Aubé brothers really shows. After replacing all of the rotten wood in the body with a custom steel frame for structure and rigidity, they started to build an interior that resembled the cockpit of a race car. Custom metal work starts at the dash which is integrated into the door panels, which themselves flow into a custom package tray built to resemble the Corvettes of the 1950’s and wrap around two RX8 seats. The centre console is attached to the dash and is customized to hold a set of gauges that are placed so that they face the driver. However the most awe inspiring detail is that the console appears suspended above the floor. This is because the Aubés tucked all the wiring and cabling into the console and ran it through the firewall. All of the custom interior work received a layer of buttery soft leather with inserts of ostrich leather. This upholstery pattern was also extended into the trunk.

If you ever get a chance to see Paul’s ’36 make sure you take the time to look at the level of detail put into a build that took four years and 4000 hours. The age of the build (completed in 2009), and the fact that Paul drives it on a regular basis, and I mean DRIVES it, are truly a testament not only to the ingenuity displayed by the Aubés, but also the lasting quality.

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Tech Sheet Deets Owner: paul buckley

rear Suspension: triangulated 4 link; GM

Vehicle: 1936 Chevy 5 window coupe

Front suspension: mustang II w/ tubular

10-bolt posi rear end w/ 3:73 gears

Location: miramichi, New Brunswick Builders:

‘ Ghislain & Christian Aube

arms; disk brakes

build time: 2007-2010 (4000 hours)

Body Mods: shaved handles; 3 piece hood;

‘39 ford taillights; body line extended for 2-tone paint; one piece windshield

Paint and Painters: custom 2-tone

dodge “go mango” w/ 3 stage gm “canyon

‘ yellow”; Ghislain & Christian Aube

Engine: 350 SBC; 350HP; MSD atomic EFI;

2.5” full stainless exhaust system with magnaflow mufflers

Transmission: 700R4 Automatic Chassis: custom built frame

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Wheels: 20” rear, 18” front Billet Specialty Stilettos

Interior: full custom, hand-built from

sheet metal dash which transitions into doors; custom sheet metal on doors

transitions into corvette style rear

package tray; power windows; AC; power

seats; pioneer stereo system w/ satellite radio

Upholstery: mazda rx8 seats; two tone brown w/ ostrich leather inserts

Maritime Rod & Custom

43

Metal Mike’s Res

44

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

sto-Mod

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Mopars

Maritime Rod & Custom

45

Mike Arnold comes by his love of high horsepower, loud, fast, muscle cars naturally. As a youth Mike spent all of his spare time fixing, wrenching and drag racing cars with his friends. Drawing upon his self-taught automotive knowledge, Mike decided to open a Semi and large truck repair shop in 1999 in Jacksonville, near Woodstock, NB. He still continued to build and modify cars, but one of the greatest challenges for a guy that takes pride in doing everything himself, was finding someone to paint his creations. In 2000, a good friend of Mike’s, Scott Sharp, was helping paint one of Mike’s cars. One thing lead to another and the next thing they knew the two of them started an automotive body shop called “Carleton County Restorations.” For the next several years they worked on cars for a number of people in northern New Brunswick, but sometime in the mid 2000’s Mike realized that his truck repair shop was really taking off, and that he wasn’t getting as much joy out of building vehicles for other people as he did for himself.

46

Cue Mike’s 10 year old son Lucas...

One day while picking up Lucas from middle school, he found several photos of a 1973 Charger that had been sitting out behind Mike’s shop that had caught the interest of Lucas. Mike knew that the car was solid, coming from Arizona, and that this was his chance to share his passion for building cars with his son. They came to an agreement that the build would be funded by funds Lucas was earning for washing garbage trucks for Mike’s business, as well as require lots of elbow grease. Lucas was in!!!

To build the car, Mike cordoned off a section of the shop built for the restoration company and tasked Lucas with stripping and sanding the car to see what they had to work with. The first major modification decision was to shorten the front end and hood 6”.

They also added fender flares on all four corners as they planned to put some pretty wide tires on the finished car. These modifications allowed Mike to teach Lucas how to weld, body fill, block and sand.

Mike remembers that Lucas seemed to have a knack for every task presented to him by his father. Over the next several years Lucas worked on the car every spare minute he had. Lucas was so driven that there were

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

days in the dead of winter that Lucas would be outside in -30C weather sandblasting parts and panels for refinishing, much to the chagrin of his mother. His dedication to the build is also highlighted by Lucas coming home between championship basketball games to complete the body work.

To keep the build within their budget, Mike helped Lucas rebuild the original 400 CID motor, and the decision was made to keep the original drive train and suspension, except for a Hotchkis front torsion bars. By the time Lucas turned 15, it was complete, in primer and ready to drive. Although he was a year from getting his learner’s permit, Mike would let Lucas drive the car around the shop parking lot. When Lucas turned 16 and received his permit, the first “road trip” was to his grandparent’s house for the weekly Friday night supper.

The next goal was to have the car painted in time for Lucas’ high school graduation. By this time Lucas was very fond, as well as very knowledgeable, of many of the super cars that were being produced world-wide.

In a Foose-like manner, Lucas used different coloured markers to “paint” renderings of the car he had drawn himself. When all the samples were complete, Lucas decided that Nissan GTR’s 2015 colour “Titanium” Vol(1) Issue (2)

was perfect for his build; this the name of the car. Once painted, he also added red pinstripes to emulate the stripes on the 2015 GTR. The interior also received some super car touches and is meant to mimic that of a Lamborghini. The car was actually completed a few months before graduation, so Mike and Lucas decided to enter it in the 2105 Radical Speed Sport show in Moncton. Lucas’ car was not only a hit at the show because of the father-son build story, but Lucas also took home the much coveted “Rising Star Award” for best new builder.

Today, Lucas’ enthusiasm for the ’73 Charger has started to wane, but for good reason. At the age of 18 Lucas, without the help of his parents, financed the purchase of a local courier company, John’s Courier Service. In just three years Lucas has built the company to 24 vehicles of various sizes, and 16 employees. It’s not a stretch to imagine that Lucas’ natural work ethic, fostered by two very proud and supportive parents, as well as the knowledge he now has for repairing and maintaining vehicles, have laid a solid groundwork for his business. If I was to bet money, I’d put it on Lucas Arnold being the first big dollar “super car” owner in Carleton County in the not so distant future.

Maritime Rod & Custom

47

Tech Sheet Deets Owner: Lucas Arnold Location: Bedell, New Brunswick Vehicle: 1973 Dodge Charger “Titanium” Build time: 2009 (lucas was 10)-2015 Builders: Lucas & Mike Arnold Body Mods: shortened front end and hood 6”; eliminated drip rails; bumpers narrowed & pulled into body; wheel flares added

Paint and Painters: 2015 Titanium (GTR Colour); Lucas & Mike Arnold Engine: original 400 rebuilt w/ trw pistons; edelbrock E-tec heads; mother thumper cam; performance rpm intake; 750 cfm carb; hooker headers w/ 3” magnaflow exhaust Transmission: tko 600 5 speed rear Suspension: stock; 3:91 gears Front suspension: stock w/ hotchkis torsion bars; stock disk brakes Wheels & Tires: 18”x8” (F) & 18”x10.5” (R) xxr rims; 255/40/18 (F) & 285/40/18 (r) Interior: Customized Dash and door panels designed by lucas arnold; mini cooper front seats Upholstery: Lucas & Mike Arnold

48

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Once Lucas’ ’73 Charger was nearing completion, Mike realized that he needed to build a Mopar for himself. A long time “GM only” builder, Mike had worked on numerous Chevy II’s, Camaros and Corvettes. But, like most of us that grew up in the 70’s, the bright orange Chargers flying through the air on TV’s Dukes of Hazzard bring back some very fond memories, and Mike knew his dream Mopar was a late 60’s Charger.

Mike watched the internet for several years, and finally came across a ’68 Charger for sale in New Hampshire. Mike drove down to look at the car, but upon arrival was faced by a thickly forested mountain side. He called the owner on the phone, and several minutes later a one ton trucks came through the trees with the ’68 body partially hanging off the back. Body, no motor, no front end, and a price tag of $3500. Mike bought the car, brought it back to New Brunswick and Vol(1) Issue (2)

started to build his idea of a Pro-Touring ’68 Charger.

Luckily what was there was fairly solid, but Mike had a lot of work ahead of him. Wanting a Hemi for the build, Mikel was able to find a wrecked 2006 Charger on-line with a 6.1L Hemi motor. The power plant was married to a Doug Nash 5 speed and mounted it in a QA1 front cross member with Hotchkis torsion bars.

The rear end was upgraded to a 4-link system with 2.73 gears added for performance. All four corners get stopping power from a disk brake system that originally resided on a Chrysler 300 SRT.

Once all the body work was complete, including the first production ’68 Charger front Grill from Classic Industries, Mike and Lucas went to SEMA to celebrate Lucas’ graduation. While at SEMA Mike started to look for paint colour and general design ideas for the ’68. The idea for the bright Hemi orange came from a Detroit Speed Engineering ’69 Charger, and

Maritime Rod & Custom

49

50

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

just so happens to be his second son Alex’s favourite colour. The roof, hood and rear quarter stripe colour, Dakota Grau, comes from the Audi R8 paint colour catalogue. The offset stripe on the hood is also something gleaned from SEMA that Mike thought would make his ’68 Charger just that much different.

Mike’s modifications, and SEMA design concepts, weren’t limited to the exterior. The interior

Vol(1) Issue (2)

design integrated the cross hatch design Mike took note of in a Ferrari. Mike also received the first set of Dakota Digital Electronic Gauges to put in the Charger’s reworked dash that now includes a touch screen TV. The console is also custom made by Mike, and everything other than the seats was covered, stitched and installed by Mike.

Maritime Rod & Custom

51

Not soon after completing the ’68, Mike tried to interest his second son Alex in working with him to build a high performance, modified 1972 Dodge Charger. Alex showed some interest early on, but it became apparent fairly quickly that he didn’t have the same passion as his older brother Lucas. Unfazed, Mike

52

has continued the build and is awaiting a Hellcat Hemi crate motor to be placed in the expansive, but shortened front end. It goes without saying that this will likely be the most extreme build of the three, but maybe not the one with the most memories. That accolade is definitely left for the years he worked with Lucas on the ‘73.

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Owner: Mike Arnold

Tech Sheet Deets

Transmission: doug nash 5 speed

Location: bedell, New Brunswick

rear Suspension: 4 link; Chrysler 300 srt 17” disk brakes; 8.75” w/ 2.73 gears

Builder: mike arnold

Front suspension: rack & pinion steering; qa1 front cross member & A-arms; hotchkis torsion bars; Chrysler 300 17” srt disk brakes

Vehicle: 1968 Dodge charger build time: 2015-2017 Body Mods: tucked front and rear bumpers; custom LED taillights & headlights

Paint and Painter: Hemi orange with Dakota-Grau (Audi R8 Grey); mike arnold Engine: 2008 6.1L hemi; 441hp at rear wheels; comp cam; custom built magna charger exhaust Vol(1) Issue (2)

Wheels & Tires: 18”x9” (F) & 18”x10.5” (R) TSW wheels; 255/40/18 & 295/45/18 Interior: complete custom interior by Mike Arnold; ‘64 corvette front seats; touch screen tv; dakota digital gauges Upholstery: mike arnold

Maritime Rod & Custom

53

The Art Of Hotrod Photography

Custom Collages Site Specific Shoots Show Boards

54

https://hidefrods-photography.weebly.com/ rodger.c.evans@gmail.com Kentville, NSMaritime Rod902-678-4772 & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Vol(1) Issue (2)

Maritime Rod & Custom

55

56

Maritime Rod & Custom

Vol(1) Issue (2)