Have you ever seen an Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe before? If you answered “no”, don’t feel too badly, as most folks cannot attest to knowing much about it either, especially anywhere outside of Canada. The Acadian was essentially the Northern version of the Chevy Nova, and back in 1965 when this particular Acadian model was manufactured, it was only one of just under 400 other Canso Sport Deluxe badged cars to be made that year.
Rare Find
That’s a pretty limited number to start with, which is why you may not have heard too much about these cars now that they’re 57 years old and scarcer than ever. Well, it definitely takes a fanatic to track an Acadian down, but it definitely helps if you just happen to be Canadian citizens like Richard and Penny Hammer who hail from Viking, Alberta.
Richard and Penny are now the car’s fourth owners, and even though this Acadian has been restored once before, it was nothing like what the Hammers had in mind for it. To help them blast their new project into the upper echelon, they looked to a Dean Livermore and his talented team at Hot Rods By Dean in Phoenix, Arizona.
Modernizing It
The first order of business for the HRBD crew was to scrap the chassis in exchange for a complete Roadster Shop version that came loaded with features such as an IFS setup with C6 Corvette spindles, Penske RS coil-overs, power rack and pinion, and a rear four-link with Ford 9-inch axle. The job was as in-depth as it sounds, but all the hard work, planning, and cash invested was definitely worth the results.
Getting a Grip
To finish off the updated chassis system, a staggered set of 17×8 and 18×10 Raceline Scoundrel wheels paired with 225/45ZR17 and 285/40ZR18 Nitto rubber. Since the tires were designed to be stylish and perform when needed with use of large tread blocks, the NT555 G2 tires are the perfect choice for cars like this to handle wet or dry conditions. Bringing alt to a halt is a set of Wilwood brakes with 13-inch rotors and 4-piston calipers that deliver modern stopping power.
Hammer Time
To help propel the Acadian as fast as the Hammers want it to go, Chuck’s Speed, a performance shop in Phoenix, was called up to deliver a 1970 Pontiac 400c.i. mill. While at the HRBD compound, the engine was set into position and the guys whipped up a custom set of headers, exhaust system with a Borla mufflers, as well as a one-off serpentine belt system before putting a 700R4 transmission into place.
Eye Candy
While still at HRBD the entire body was massaged as smooth as can be, and all the gaps were measured and adjusted for a nice, tight and proper alignment from bumper to bumper. A few custom touches in the way of a new fuel filler door, mini tubs and inner front fenders, as well as a custom grafted GTO hood scoop were incorporated into the mix before the custom PPG paint was shot. The color nearly epitomizes a Dr. Peppery palette with a mixture of burgundy and brown hues that complement the car’s clean lines superbly.
Comfort and Style
Moving inside the car, the same color paint was applied to the dash and door panels for a clean uniformity. Hot Rod Interiors by Glenn Kramer was then hired immediately to wrap the factory seats in supple black leather upholstery.
A Vintage Air A/C system was added for all-season comfort, a RetroSound head unit and Pioneer speakers were wired up to provide the cruising soundtrack, and a Classic Instruments gauge cluster with metric readouts was incorporated into the dash since the car would be being shipped directly back to Canada as soon as the overhaul came to a conclusion.
Polished Gem
The entire build process lasted a good two years before the Hammers were reintroduced to their dream car. The Acadian name has a ring of rarity to it, and when it comes to the already limited number of these cars, this tricked out Canso Sport Deluxe now sits atop the lot of them.
Keyword: Hammer Time: Canada’s Finest ‘65 Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe