Back in March of 2020, the huge Motorama Custom Car Show & Motorsports Expo near Toronto was just getting underway when the news broke: Local governments were shutting everything down due to COVID, and all the car owners had to pack up and go home.
And now it’s finally back, running this weekend of April 29 to May 1, 2022 at the International Centre in Mississauga. Some of those cars from the last show are back, but there are a lot of new ones – some of them built to keep their owners busy during the lockdown.
It includes custom cars and trucks, antiques and classics, a hall of tuner cars, celebrity car builders, and the Motorama Mayhem hall with hot rods and live bands.
1959 Pontiac Parisienne owned by Myles Limbrick has its LANEWAY plate because he built it in his driveway Photo by Jil McIntosh
Myles Limbrick’s 1959 Pontiac Parisienne is in Mayhem, a Canadian-only model that he’s equipped with an American Pontiac engine. His licence plate says LANEWAY because he doesn’t have a garage, and built it over four years in a 12-by-20 vinyl shelter in his driveway. “I bought it as a rolling car, but had to redo everything,” he said, including trim that he made himself with his skill as a moulder. “My dad has three cars and I’ve always been involved, and once my kids were grown, I had time to do my own car.”
Jay Simpson’s 1958 Plymouth is a tribute to the movie “Christine” Photo by Jil McIntosh
Jay Simpson also built his car, a replica of the 1958 Plymouth in the movie Christine, but it was tougher than you’d think. He couldn’t find a 1958 Plymouth and so bought a 1957 that was both available and less expensive – although “one month later, a ’58 showed up for sale, but I was already working on this,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of the movie and the car is so cool, and I bought all the trim to turn it from a ’57 to a ’58.” Perhaps the coolest touch is that, just as the movie car’s did, Simpson’s odometer runs backwards when he drives.
Adrian Wood bought his 1969 Ford van from a custom car shop in Texas and drove it home in 2016; it was painted by famed car builder Gene Winfield Photo by Jil McIntosh
Adrian Wood already owned a 1955 Mercury but wanted something different, and when he saw this 1969 Ford van for sale on eBay, he had to have it. “It belonged to Atlas Speed and Custom in Texas. They found it and used it for a shop vehicle.” It had been painted by legendary custom car builder Gene Winfield in 2015, and Wood flew to Texas in 2016 to bring it home. “It still had its original six-cylinder engine, and they were taking bets on whether I’d make it all the way, but I did,” he said.
Hamilton Heuvel takes up a lot of real estate with his 1960Cadillac Coupe de Ville Photo by Jil McIntosh
It takes a lot of Motorama’s floor space to hold Hamilton Heuvel’s 1960 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. It’s all original, including its 390-cubic-inch engine, except for the air suspension that raises or lowers it. “It’s been in Canada for nine years,” he said. “I love Cadillacs and I bought it out of California. It was three-quarters done and I finished it. I drive it all the time, most recently to Columbus, Ohio.”
Danny Blakley cut down an actual Ford Model T to build his go-kart based car Photo by Jil McIntosh
From the largest of Cadillacs to the smallest of Fords: As his project during COVID, Danny Blakley wanted to learn how to weld, and a friend suggested learning by building a go-kart. “Okay, but if I was going to do that, I was going to build the most bad-ass kart I could,” he said. So he took an actual 1927 Ford Model T, cut every panel down, and welded it back together until he had a miniature version of the original car. It’s powered by a 19-horsepower Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine out of a generator, and has working lights, turn signal and horn. It isn’t street-legal, but Blakley takes it to every car show he can find, and of course drives it in just like any other car owner there.
Anthony Agresti’s 1967 Camaro was built for a SEMA Show in Las Vegas, with a 6.2L engine from Chevrolet Performance Photo by Jil McIntosh
1950 Mercury owned by Cesare Manco of Toronto Photo by Jil McIntosh
Bart Smith of Brooklin, Ont. finished assembling his 1929 Model A Phaeton the day before the show Photo by Jil McIntosh
Jay Handsor of London, Ont. arrived driving his customized 1949 Chevrolet Photo by Jil McIntosh
Don Rossignol built his 1957 White 3000 by putting it on a Winnebago frame; the trike on the back has a Harley frame with Corvair engine Photo by Jil McIntosh
Don Rossignol’s 1946 Studebaker pickup truck Photo by Jil McIntosh
Glen McCullagh’s supercharged 1975 Gremlin was a barn find, and he built it but kept the paint it received 26 years ago before going into storage Photo by Jil McIntosh
1962 Corvette, built by AJM Classics, features an LS9 engine, custom chassis, and 18- and 20-inch wheels Photo by Jil McIntosh
1957 Chevrolet 3600 long-box pickup was built by Nick Metauro and owned by Albino Metauro Photo by Jil McIntosh
Morris Pieper’s 1934 Oldsmobile has a 300-horsepower, 327-cubic-inch engine and its modifications include Porsche seats Photo by Jil McIntosh
1972 Chevrolet Chevelle belongs to Albert Melchior of Kleinberg, Ont. Photo by Jil McIntosh
The body is original on Tony Staffiere’s 1955 Chevrolet, but everything else is customized Photo by Jil McIntosh
Stephen and Julie Gurnett’s 1947 Ford pickup has a chopped roof and lowered suspension Photo by Jil McIntosh
Chevrolet-powered 1932 Ford roadster owned by Harry Hill of Oro Medonte, Ont. Photo by Jil McIntosh
Jagraj Grewal’s 2020 Jeep Gladiator is supercharged and has an air suspension among its many custom changes Photo by Jil McIntosh
Marcus Guenther’s customized 1949 Ford coupe Photo by Jil McIntosh
1949 Ford coupe is powered by a vintage Buick engine and owned by Marcus Guenther Photo by Jil McIntosh
Candy’s Hot Rod Supply in Kingston, Ont. built this 1932 Ford truck for Cliff Waller of Texas Photo by Jil McIntosh
1957 Buick with Corvette engine is owned by Jason Rinaldi of Guelph, Ont. Photo by Jil McIntosh
Louis Balogh owned this 1960 Chevrolet El Camino for 37 years; when he died, fellow car club member Vince McCloskley finished it just in time for the show Photo by Jil McIntosh
A 6.5-hp Honda engine and Radio Flyer wagon body are the basis of the “Death Kart” built by Fred Bottcher (the author’s husband) Photo by Jil McIntosh
The Motorama show also includes appearances by Chad Hiltz and Jolene MacIntyre of the television show Bad Chad Customs; Filthy Rich from DeBoss Garage with his “Shermanator,” a driveable truck mounted on a Second World War tank; the Rams of Ontario Truck-O-Rama display; and vendors selling everything from parts, model cars, and even vintage clothes.
Keyword: Motorama Custom Car Show runs this weekend near Toronto