You may be aware that we coined a phrase “Rodding Has No Borders”  – both provincial and international.  Well, we’re definitely going abroad with this project car.

The car is a 1961, originally fitted with an inline four cylinder model B16 engine and 4-speed gearbox. It also featured a Dana 27 conventional solid rear axle, trailing arms, coil springs and, up front, independent suspension with coils.

As we move along, we’ll keep you posted on our direction for the car. For now, we’re posting some background information on Volvo cars and the the PV (Personvagnar) 444/544 models.

Check it out HERE

The 2011 Canadian Hot Rod Tour – Big Nickel Tour – Ontario
July 29, 30, 31 & August 1, 2011

I’m happy to report that registration is now open and the hotels for Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights are ready to accept reservations.

Itinerary overview:

- gather in the Greater Toronto Area (likely Whitby, Ontario) on Friday morning, July 29, 2011 (hotel information to follow about accommodations for the evening before – Thursday July 28)
- cruise to Huntsville, Ontario on Friday, July 29
- cruise to Sudbury, Ontario on Saturday, July 30 (2 night stay)
- Sudbury Activities on Saturday July 30 (cruise) & Sunday, July 31 (car show & banquet)
- return trips on Monday, August 1

Details for all of these days are under development including the Sunday evening banquet.

Relative to hotels, we have secured group blocks in the locations noted above (that will be expanded to the extent possible as determined by registration). This includes 1 night in Huntsville and 2 nights in Sudbury. All details are available on the Tour web site Accommodation page.

Important Note: Because the Tour is being held in “high season” for hotels (and on a holiday weekend), I urge you to register for the Tour and reserve your accommodation as soon as possible so that we can expand the hotel group blocks as much as possible.

Here is the link to the Big Nickel Tour page where you will find further links to both Registration and Accommodation:
http://www.canadianrodder.com/hotrodtour/2011/index.htm

If you have any other questions at this point, please don’t hesitate to contact me. More information will follow as details become available. I hope you can join us for this event.


While summer was in full swing in Ontario by mid-May, in Calgary it had
been hit & miss – mostly miss. However, on May 15, the weather was PERFECT
in Calgary with temps in the low 20s with lots of sun. We were in town to
promote The Canadian Hot Rod Tour and take part in The Rod Shop’s second
annual open house.

When we arrived at 7:30 a.m., the early birds were already there and, as
such, the event had started. And, why not, it was a fabulous morning. Over
the course of the day, we were delighted to connect with a pile of people
from previous tour events and from the Canadian Rodder forum. We were also
expecting the arrival of our coupe which was being shipped out to take
part in the Points West tour. It did arrive that morning but, as fate
would have it, we ended up selling it a few weeks later at the Calgary
auction.

Check out its glamour shot..

Like the first open house, there was a great turn out with some very nice cars representing a cross section of the hobby. Classic Reflections
Coachworks drove up from Lakewood WA in the No. 1 CRC based on the ’62 Corvette. The Rod Shop is Canada’s only dealer/installer of the CRC
conversion package.

Entertainment was provided by Eve Hell & the Razors and The Rod Shop arranged for a fabulous pulled pork lunch. It was a fun day.

Check out the coverage in our Album section HERE. And, as a special treat, you can watch a song by Eve Hell &The Razors on our Canadian Rodder You
Tune channel that we filmed HERE.

Amidst the glitter that can be Hall 1 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s Performance World Custom Car Show last March sat somewhat of an anomaly. That is, a stark display featuring a very traditionally-styled, understated hot rod. Specifically, Fabrice Monceaux’s Speedster Special. While not well known in English-speaking Canada, Fabrice is the editor/publisher of Quebec’s V8 Passion magazine. Together with Delson PQ’s CCR Technologie, Fabrice definitely made a statement and, in the process, created a beautiful tribute to the roots of hot rodding.

The car is based on a new 1931 Ford Roadster body with a Deuce radiator shell, a Model A frame, a 348 c.i. Chevy mated to a T5 transmission and a quick change rear end out back. The complete package features many tasty details.

Oh, by the way, the Speedster Special copped the Grand Champion honours.

For all the details of this car, click HERE (PDF document – Adobe Reader required)

Click to enlarge the thumbnails below and click HERE to access a full photo gallery of the Speedster Special (album photos courtesy of Brightwork Auto Art).

More photos from Performance World 2009 can be  This Canadian Rodder Photo Album.

This year’s Performance World Show will be held March 12-14 at Toronto’s International Centre. Visit them HERE.

There was no more appropriate truism for the 2009 Canadian Hot Rod Tour than “the one thing you can never plan for is the weather”. Leading up to our departure, the weather had been shaky at best and the forecast for our route was not much better. Despite that, on departure day, an enthusiastic group representing the first seventy cars assembled in Whitby Ontario with big smiles on their faces (and fingers crossed). As it turned out that day, the crossed fingers did absolutely nothing but the smiles remained that day and throughout the tour – with one major exception. More about that in Article 2.

Day 1: Whitby to Ottawa, Ontario

It had rained overnight and was overcast as we left Whitby but what a fabulous convoy of cars! The planned stops in Havelock and Kaladar went as planned and we picked up five more cars. Unfortunately, shortly after leaving Kaladar, en route to Perth, it started to rain and, by the time we arrived in Perth, it was raining hard. As fate would have it, it continued raining all afternoon and well into the evening – wiping out a planned event at the A&W in Ottawa. Bummer. Wouldn’t you know it though, by about 8:30 p.m. the sun came out.

Thanks to: The women and men of the Perth Curling Club for hosting a welcome soup and sandwich lunch.

Day 2: Ottawa to Riviere-du-Loup Quebec

Our itinerary for Day 2 was a pit stop in Cornwall then stops at the Chateauguay A&W, a visit to the CCR Technologie shop in Delson Quebec (both just south of the river from Montreal), a stop at the A&W in Levis, Quebec and our overnight stop in Riviere-du-Loup. Just before crossing into Quebec, the sun came out and we got to enjoy that beautiful golden orb (for a few hours at least).

At the Chateauguay A&W, we arrived to a nice reception of local cars and spectators and, after a too-short visit (tight schedule to keep) we made our way to the CCR Technologie shop in Delson for our lunch stop / shop tour. Once again, we arrived to a parking lot full of local cars and more great hospitality with lots of great shop projects to see. CCR very generously provided tech help to a number of our participants.

The sun was still shining as we left Delson but not for long. En route to Levis the rain started – hard rain. After Levis, the rain was accompanied by fog which made for very nasty driving. The good news? Everyone made it to Riviere-du-Loup safe and sound.

Thanks to: A&W Chateauguay and CCR Technologie.

Day 3: Riviere-du-Loup to Miramichi, New Brunswick

I could write a complete story about this day but you’re going to have to settle for a very condensed version. Theme of the day: East Coast hospitality. After a stop at the Campbellton New Brunswick A&W, we cruised down into Bathurst for lunch at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre. We were honoured not only by the friendly reception of cars and people but by the warm welcome delivered in person by Stephen Brunet – Mayor of The City of Bathurst.

After a police escort out of Bathurst and a short run down to the outskirts of Miramichi, we were met by Brenda and Richard Goguen of the Miramichi Rock and Roll Festival in their pink Caddy. Brenda and Rick passed us off to a Miramichi Chevy SSR police car which led us downtown where we were greeted by a public address system announcement, clapping festival goers and reserved parking in the town square. That evening, the Festival hosted a fabulous reception for us at Miramichi’s Goodie Restaurant with live music and Elvis! (That’s where he went…) A fabulous day overall.

Thanks to: Yvette Lavigne, The City of Bathurst, The Miramich Rock & Roll Festival and Goodie Restaurant.

The Canadian Hot Rod Tour is presented by Canadian Rodder Inc. in conjunction with A&W / Cruisin’the Dub.

Points East was sponsored by: Classic Car Insurance, Performance World, Brightwork Auto Art, Horton Hot Rod Parts and Canadian Hot Rods Magazine.

Photos Row 1: Kickoff in Whitby, the fog en route to Riviere-du-Loup, A&W Chateauguay

Photos Row 1: Arriving at CCR Technologie, Mayor Stephen Brunet of Bathurst NB, Following the Pink Cadillac into Miramichi NB

Check out the Tour DVD, with over 400 slides, HERE

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