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Start your cruising season off with a visit to Mega Speed this weekend

March 10, 2012 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Normally at this time of year, Southern Ontario is trying to break free from the clutches of old man winter, which makes a visit to a hot rod show a welcome treat. Re-branded for 2012, the annual Spring show in Toronto is now called the Mega Speed Custom Car & Truck Show and is on this weekend at the International Centre. With warm weather in the forecast over the coming week, a visit to Mega Speed should through your cravings to cruise go into overdrive.

In keeping with the times, the Mega Speed Show has more than just all out, old school custom cars. This year’s show includes modern tuner cars, muscle cars, traditional rods, rat rods and the full on show cars. Of course there are lots of lovely ladies on hand too. There are vendors selling all sorts of memorabilia and other car stuff and even an exotic animal display to keep the kiddies interested. Brush Rush North gives show-goers a chance to see pinstripe artists ply their trade and maybe even pick up some art for their own collection. The Motor City and Piston Pushers Car Clubs have taken their display areas to a whole new level, showing off their cars in amazing style.

One of the highlights of the show for many folks is the opportunity to meet Henry Winkler. For those of you who live under a rock, or who are too young to know the name, Winkler is the actor who played Fonzie on Happy Days. If I have to explain, then you won’t likely be going to the show anyway. As a photographer, I was fortunate to spend some time with The Fonz while he set up his display. This dude is beyond cool and genuinely loves meeting fans.

Start your March break and your cruising speed off right with a visit to the Mega Speed Show tonight or tomorrow. To give you a bit of a taste, we’ve got a massive gallery after the break.
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Cruisin’ close to home

August 1, 2011 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Regular readers know that I am fortunate to cover automotive events across North America on a pretty regular basis. The crazy thing about that is the fact that sometimes I miss some great events close to home. Case in point is the twice weekly cruise at a local burger joint called Shake, Rabble, Roll. Due to the boys’ baseball, I am always out and about on Mondays and Saturdays I’m usually at a race somewhere.

With this being a long weekend here in Ontario, I actually had a chance to visit this cruise earlier this evening. What a great surprise! This local event has gotten so big that last Saturday there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 cars. I would guess that we saw about 40 cars today and it was only 5:30. The cool thing was that there were a bunch of cars that I have never seen before at other local events, which made my day. I just love seeing new, old stuff! You can be sure we’ll visit this Whitby cruise again soon.

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Hooters Whitby car show

June 28, 2010 by Gary Grant 3 Comments

Before our marathon afternoon of kids baseball yesterday, The Dude, Corby Chapin and I headed to the local Hooters to check out their annual car show. Following a couple of pints and some wings, we set out to get shooting. We quickly discovered that despite the weather, the turnout was incredible. The level of quality was incredible and the range of styles was very surprising. From vintage drag cars to modern muscle, rat rods to low rider pick-ups, there was truly something for everyone. One of the highlights for me was finally getting to meet some of the guys from the Bottom Feeders car club and check out their wicked rods.
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Power Hot Rod Reunion 2009

August 26, 2009 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

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Ever wonder where all the cool old cars have disappeared to? If the videos we’ve seen over the past couple of days are any indication, they’ve all been shipped to Scandinavia. Yesterday we had some crazy Finnish drifting and today we’ve got the 2009 Hot Rod Reunion at Malmby Fairground. This cruise and drag day looks like a condensed version of Woodward Avenue. Except that is for one crazy VW that just may be the lowest low rider ever.

Via Chromjuwelen

Video after the break
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Canadian Hot Rod Tour kicks off in Whitby

July 3, 2009 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

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The Dude and I were out for a dog walk last night and came across a parking lot full of hot rods. It only took a few moments to realize that it was the kick off for the Canadian Hot Rod Tour. Even though I was aware of the tour, I wasn’t aware that it was beginning a block from my house! As I had to leave for the day job early this morning, The Dude put on his photographer hat and set out on his bike to document the event.

The Canadian Hot Rod Tour is a collection of rods and other interesting rides that are driving from Whitby to Moncton, New Brunswick over the next 10 days. Hosted by Canadian Rodder Magazine, the event actually goes further than Moncton. The really intrepid rodders will head south to Maine and then through Vermont and onto the ferry from Burlington to Plattsburgh New York and then back into Ontario. If you live along the route, be sure to keep an eye out for the convoy and say hi from us in The Garage!

Gallery of The Dude’s photos after the break
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Gallery: Wednesday night cruise in Oshawa

June 3, 2009 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

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Now that the weather is finally warming up and the sun sticks around a little longer in the evenings, cruise season has finally begun. Here in Durham region, there are several cruises a week to choose from thanks to the Road Legends Cruisers. Wednesdays are at a pool hall called Le Skratch in Oshawa, just a few kilometers from GM’s Canadian headquarters.

As one might expect, The General’s cars were in abundance this evening and lots of folks were wearing shirts and hats that showed support of the town’s livelihood. There were a few Mopars and Fords and even an older Benz and a MG TD replica to round out the evening.

Gallery after the break
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It was only a matter of time

July 18, 2008 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

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The Garage is a magical place that has connected many people in both the virtual and real worlds. Two farmboys, one from Nebraska and the other from Oregon grew up decades apart, yet both moved to California in search of the automotive utopia. One built a life surrounded by road racing and road cars, while the other became immersed in the kool of rodding from an era long before his time. That kool shaped a career in design with two companies that have changed the course of modern culture.

Ahh…California Dreamin’ indeed!

How weird is it then that Gary Faules and Aaron Von Minden should meet in a garage, through a virtual garage based way up north in Canada?
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Retired Teacher Trying to Squash Woodward Dream Cruise

April 18, 2007 by Gary Grant 3 Comments

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That’s right, some wigged out greenie retired teacher with nothing better to do with her life has decided to crusade against one of America’s most loved events. The Woodward Dream Cruise. It’s not that she minds the fun, but she’s supporting the noble Step It Up campaign to reduce greenhouse emissions. I’ve got a better idea. Why not protest the Superbowl. It’s just as American as Woodward Avenue and I’m pretty sure all those rednecks in one place, eating tailgate food and swilling Milwaukee’s Best are creating some excessive Greenhouse Gas. Better yet, one of the leading contributors of methane to our ozone is cows. That’s right, cows! Why not force cattle farmers to put vapour recovery devices on each and every bovine in the herd!

Long live Cruising!

News via Autoblog

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Blogosphere talks street racing

June 6, 2006 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Like it or not, street racing is part of our culture. Long romanticized by song writers and authors, there is no denying that songs like “Dead Man’s Curve” are anything but a glorification of the danger surrounding street racing.

I was cruisin’ in my Stingray late one night
When an XKE pulled up on the right
And rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag
And challenged me then and there to a drag
I said, “you’re on, buddy, my mill’s runnin’ fine
Let’s come off the line, now, at Sunset and Vine
But I’ll go you one better if you’ve got the nerve
Let’s race all the way
To Dead Man’s Curve”

But isn’t that part of what it’s all about? The danger of getting caught. The risks. The humbling experience of losing. Somewhere along the way though, the reality of those same dangers sets in. Killing an innocent bystander is not an acceptable byproduct of some fun today, nor do I suspect it was a very welcome outcome in the Fifties.

Over at Left Lane, there was a bit of talk about Toronto’s own Jim Kenzie’s recent article about some possible upcoming legistlation to ban performance mods in the wake of the tragic death of a married couple. Joe at MyFordDreams2 and Jalopnik have posted about similar laws coming in the Bay area in sunny Cali. What nobody noticed though was the news from the day after Kenzie’s article was published.
A 31 year old Torontonian died when he wrapped his late model Porsche 911 around some immovable object while racing his cousin. It’s not just teens who do stupid things. You would think that this guy would have discovered the Driver Advancement days held by the local PCA region.

As true enthusiasts, it is all of our jobs to show the green, testosterone filled racer wannabes that there are safe places to drive their rods. Most car guys really have no training & the first time they have any advanced training they are blown away by how little they really do know about car control. A couple of weekends of autocrossing will change a driver’s skill level and awareness forever. All for about the cost of a decent lunch.

By all means folks, let’s keep enjoying the fun, impromptu stoplight battles. Just a little common sense and a little less cajones and maybe we can stop killing people in the name of fun.

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