Garage Sessions

1934 Ford Coupe

Driven by: Bernie Loewen & Debbie Loewen

The Journey — Bernie & Debbie Loewen

One of the craziest things I’ve ever done in my life was decide to build a car.

Looking back now, I’m not sure whether it was crazy, ambitious, or just plain stubborn—but it has turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

It all started with 10 years of trying to figure out what to build and how to build it. Once I finally had a plan, I spent the next 10 years actually building it—and, as anyone who has built a car knows, the plan didn't always stay the plan! There were plenty of changes, improvements, and updated versions along the way.

Then came the best part.

For the last 10 years, we've been driving it.

We've put approximately 70,000 kilometres on the car, taking it on adventures that have carried us far beyond what we ever imagined when the project began. We've driven all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, to London, Ontario, to Williamstown, Kentucky, where we visited The Ark, and to countless places in between.

But as special as the destinations have been, the greatest part of the journey has been the people.

Along the way, building and driving this car has introduced us to some truly amazing, gifted, and wonderful people. Friendships and memories have come from this car that simply would never have happened otherwise.

That's what makes this car so much more than a machine. It has become a passport to adventure, a reason to get out on the road, and a way to connect with people we otherwise may never have met.

There are still plenty of miles ahead. One of the dreams still on the list is to cruise Route 66 someday.

So, it turns out that building and driving this car wasn't such a crazy idea after all.

Looking back over the past 30 years—from dreaming about what to build, to building it, to putting 70,000 kilometres on it—we're incredibly grateful for the journey and for every person God has placed in our path along the way.

The car may have been the reason we started the journey, but the people we've met along the way are what made it worthwhile.

1965 Ford Mustang GT350

Driven by: Jake Giesbrecht

Coming Soon.

1967 Mercury

Driven by: Jake Giesbrecht

Coming Soon.

1969 Chevrolet El Camino

Driven by: Rick James

Frame Off Restoration

327 Engine

Automatic 350 Turbo

Constellation Blue BC / CC

1969 El Camino In Honour of Alitta, The Love of my Life

To the one who found joy in her journey, no matter where it took her. Who lead a life of love and whose faith never wavered. To the one who told me two weeks before she passed, “You’re going to need a project….” And then we found this car. Thank you for a lifetime of love and memories.

1970 Chevrolet Nova

Driven by: Rick James

Engine:
350 Cl- build by Miller
400 Horse Power
Camel Bump Heads
194 Valves
Holley Street Avenger 670 Carburetor
4 Bolt Main 10:1 Flat Top Pistons
Edelbrock Aluminum-Air Gap Air Intake
Modified Street and Strip Cam Shaft

Exhaust:
Custom Dual Exhaust
Headman Headers
H-Pipe
Dynamax Mufflers

Transmission:
Borge-Warner Super T-10 4 Speed Close Ratio
Hurst Competition 4 Speed Shifter

Rear End:
Posi-Rear End
Multi-Leaf Spring Suspension
3.42 Gears

Interior:
All Original interior Special Order S. S. Package
S.S Gauge Package / Tach & Dash

Exterior:
Original Color Forest Green- Code 48 (Painted by Rick)
Rally Wheels BF Goodrich TA Tires

Rick first bought the nova in 1976. He dated his highschool sweetheart in this car, and sold it shortly after they married in 1979. He found it again in 1997 at a local auto wrecker. It was fully restored in 2000. Rick & Alitta then continued to date in the car, along with their kids using it for their own dates, graduations and weddings. Now the third generation enjoys cruising in the Nova with Grandpa.

1972 Ford Bronco Sport

Driven by: Ron Derksen

Coming Soon.

1973 Toyota Celica - "Judith Ann"

Driven by: Devin James

Highlights include:

Engine & Drivetrain
- Fully built, high-compression engine finished in body colour with matte clear.
- Bored .030" over with a fully ported and worked cylinder head by Paul at Gear Heads.
- American Custom Cams .500-lift camshaft with Comp Cams beehive valve springs.
- Cannon intake matched and ported to the head.
- Dual Weber 45 DCOE carburetors.
- Kirk Racing long-tube headers.
- Aluminum Koyo radiator.
- 2.5" polished stainless steel exhaust with Borla muffler.
- 1985 Toyota Supra P-Type 5-speed transmission.

Suspension & Handling
- Custom-built adjustable front coil-overs and camber plates.
- MR2 manual steering rack conversion.
- Polyurethane bushings throughout.
- Rear lowering springs with short-stroke performance shocks.

Exterior
- Mazda Celestial Blue basecoat/clearcoat paint.
- Body smoothed with wire-tucked engine bay and flattened firewall.
- Front fenders modified to accommodate wider tires.
- Restored 13-inch Keystone Rogue wheels wrapped in sticky performance tires (including over 12 hoursspent polishing the wheels).
- Trim, tail lights, tail light panels, hood flutes, emblems, and bumpers backdated to the cleaner 1972 styling.
- Custom-installed 1969 Camaro side marker lights.

Interior
- Custom seat upholstery by Grant Donaldson (New Zealand).
- Original console, dash, and door panels refurbished.
- Handmade headliner and custom floor mats.
- Custom upholstered trunk matching the cabin.
- Nardi Deep Corn steering wheel with mahogany rim.
- Matching Nostalgic Grains rosewood shift knob.

Audio
- Complete RetroSound sponsored audio system.
- Custom-moulded kick panels.
- Restored TS-X9 speaker boxes.
- Quilted rear package shelf.

Some cars are bought. Others are found. Judith Ann is one of those rare cars that seemed to choose her owner.

After searching for nearly 10 years to find the right first-generation Toyota Celica, I finally came across this one as a barn find at an estate sale. While going through the car, I discovered old credit card receipts from the previous owner bearing the name Judith Ann. The name stuck, and ever since, that's what she's been called.

What followed was a nine-year rotisserie restoration, completed entirely in my home garage and documented from start to finish on my YouTube channel, Dad's Toy Garage. I've now owned the car for about 11 years, and after nearly a decade of evenings, weekends, and countless hours of fabrication, Judith Ann finally returned to the road last summer.

This Celica had clearly lived an exciting life before I found it. Judging by the evidence, it had performed a few "Dukes of Hazzard" style jumps somewhere along the way. The floor had to be hammered back into shape, the rocker panels had been flattened, and the driveshaft tunnel still bore the scars of U-joint impacts.

With replacement panels virtually unavailable when the project began, approximately 70% of the body sheet metal had to be either hand-fabricated or sourced from rust-free southern U.S. donor cars. Every challenge became an opportunity to improve the car while remaining faithful to its classic character.

Rather than restoring it to factory stock, I built the Celica I always imagined Toyota could have produced—a subtle restomod that respects its heritage while incorporating tasteful performance and custom touches.

Today, Judith Ann represents more than a restored classic. She reflects thousands of hours of craftsmanship, problem-solving, and perseverance. Every modification has a purpose, every panel has a story, and every mile driven is a reminder that some of the most rewarding journeys don't begin on the road—they begin in the garage.

2001 Dodge Viper RT10

Driven by: Ryan Vipond

Coming Soon.

2013 Ford Mustang GT

Driven by: Henry Schmitt

2013 Ford Mustang GT

450 HP tuned 5.0L DOHC Coyote engine

Modified intake with custom dual exhaust and Kooks long-tube headers

6-speed manual transmission with a high-performance clutch

Performance Brembo brakes with line lock

Suspension mods

And, most importantly, 100% fun.

In the summer of 2000, when I was 15, I had an unforgettable ride in a 1989 Ford Mustang GT. From the car’s look to the unmistakable 5.0-litre rumble and the acceleration, it was an incredible rush of adrenaline. I instantly fell in love with the Mustang, and owning one became a dream.

Fast forward to 2021. I was not actively looking, but I came across a local ad for “the car.” It was a newer version of the 1989 GT that had sparked my Mustang fever years earlier, and it had everything I was looking for. When I took it for a test drive, I felt like I was 15 all over again. The thrill was back. As anyone who owns their dream vehicle knows, no matter how often you drive it, the excitement never gets old.

2017 Acura NSX

Driven by: Curtis Sanjenko

Specs:

The 2017 Acura NSX features a Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system, pairing a mid engine 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine with three electric motors. It delivers 573 total horsepower and 476 lbs-ft of torque, has a 9 speed dual clutch automatic transmission with manual shift mode. It hits 0-60 mph in under 3.0 seconds and tops out at 191 mph. (307 km/hr)

Unique Aspects:

One of the first High performance Sports Cars to use a Hybrid power system, with 3 electric motors working together with the to the traditional V6. (One directly coupled to rear differential, and one each to the front wheels) Essentially creating a torque vectoring, All-Wheel Drive set up.

There is a rechargeable battery system which charges through regeneration during deceleration and braking. The NSX is able to drive short distances as lower speeds in "quiet mode" completely on battery power.

2017 was the first year of the resurrected NSX name For Acura, and was produced until 2022. It was awarded by Road and Track magazine as the 2017 Performance Car of the Year. (The first gen NSX was produced between 1991 and 2005)

The 2017 NSX featured many “firsts” in the auto industry, much like the original NSX when it first debuted in 1991.

This NSX features Carbon Ceramic Brakes supplied by Brembo For Acura….along with numerous other body parts (such as entire roof and floor) made of carbon fibre.

Me and the NSX:

My affiliation with the NSX stems back to the early 90’s, where I as a “Honda guy” first saw the original Acura NSX on display in an Acura dealership. The car was so unique, had so many engineering elements unheard of in 1991 that I was immediately lovestruck. I vowed that one day, I would find a way to own an NSX. About 20 years later, I managed to find my first NSX, after about a 2 year search for the “right one”. I sourced what would be my future NSX from Oakland , California…a 2000 Silver NSX-T (targa style removable roof ) and met all my pre-requisite conditions (color, mileage, condition, etc). I absolutely loved this car and have numerous memories of great road trips all over Western Canada and Central US in it. It was a total joy to own and drive.

The raw driving experience of the 3.2 litre naturally mid engine naturally aspirated V6, the 6 Speed manual often regarded as one of the best shifting manuals ever made and the handling prowess of a Formula 1 race car, gave the NSX many unique and desirable aspects. These, together with it’s rarity and overall mint condition of mine, had given it some substantial appreciation in value, and when Acura came out with the new version of this namesake, with the latest in modern automotive styling and engineering, I made the tough decision to sell my beloved 2000 NSX, in favour of the 2017 NSX.

The 2017 carries the same name, and is also mid engine, but that is where the similarities end. The 2017 NSX was a modern engineering masterpiece, in how the 3 electric motors are coupled to the 3.5 litre twin turbo engine. Its quick and fast, very quick….the driving experience is seamless , regardless of which driving mode you select (from Quiet, Sport, Sport Plus, to Track) These modes control the use of electric assist, suspension and steering traits, as well as aggressiveness of transmission and engine performance, and even exhaust sound. It is exceptionally comfortable to drive, with great vision and seating position for such a low slung car. It has all the comfort creatures of a modern day car such as Car Play, a 9 speaker ELS audio system, fully automatic transmission, even heated seats. The suspension/handling is derived right from race car technology, yet is incredibly comfortable. In fact driving the car day to day is as easy and comfortable as driving a Honda Accord.

Only 581 left hand drive NSX’s were made in 2017, with only 2,902 total NSX’s produced from 2017-2022 (final year) It is estimated that there are less than 50, 2017 NSX’s in Canada currently.

The car is a true pleasure to drive, stunning to look at, and always garners a lot of head turning attention on the road. And although it is nearing 10 years old, and several other comparable sports cars have now adopted its mechanical engineering and qualities, it, like the original NSX, set the benchmark for new technology and forward thinking for future car design.

2024 C8 Corvette Z06

Driven by: Scott Robertson

Highlights include:

2024 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06
Factory-ordered and custom configured.
Exclusive Amplify Orange exterior (available only for the 2023–2024 model years).
Custom interior selected during the factory build process.
Mid-engine layout for exceptional balance and handling.
5.5-litre naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8.
670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.
8,600 RPM redline.
The world's most powerful naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8 in a production vehicle.

Some cars are bought because they're practical. Others are bought because they fulfill a lifelong dream. For me, this 2024 Corvette C8 Z06 is both a dream realized and a celebration of automotive engineering.

I had always wanted to own a Corvette, but when Chevrolet unveiled the mid-engine C8 Z06, I knew this was the one worth waiting for. Its combination of exotic-car performance, race-inspired engineering, and unmistakable styling made it unlike any Corvette before it.

Rather than purchasing one from dealer inventory, I decided to factory order the car exactly as I envisioned it. That decision meant patience—three and a half years from the day I placed my deposit until the day the keys were finally in my hands—but it was well worth the wait.

Finished in the striking Amplify Orange, a colour offered exclusively for the 2023 and 2024 model years, the car is paired with a custom interior that makes it as distinctive inside as it is out. Every detail was chosen to create a Corvette that is uniquely my own.

At the heart of the Z06 is what many consider one of the greatest naturally aspirated V8 engines ever built. Inspired by Corvette Racing, its 5.5-litre flat-plane crank V8 delivers an experience that's as thrilling to hear as it is to drive. Producing 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, while screaming to an astonishing 8,600 RPM, it remains the most powerful naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8 ever installed in a production car.

The move to a mid-engine layout transformed the Corvette into a true world-class supercar, providing exceptional balance, razor-sharp handling, and performance that rivals many of Europe's most prestigious marques—all while remaining unmistakably American.

Owning this Corvette is the realization of a lifelong ambition. After waiting more than three years for it to be built, every drive is a reminder that some dreams are worth the wait. It combines cutting-edge engineering with breathtaking performance, making it not only a remarkable Corvette, but one of the most extraordinary performance cars ever produced.

2026 Porsche GT3

Driven by: Bruce Froebe

Coming Soon.