It's known as "The Hawirko A," and if you've been a Toronto area hot-rodder at any point in the past four decades or so you'll likely be familiar with this legendary Model A Roadster.
But if you've never seen the car that's billed as Canada's oldest officially recognized hot rod, you'll be able to eyeball it and about 200 modified machines at this weekend's Speedorama, Canada's oldest custom car show.
The Model A rod was built by Terry Hawirko in 1958 and went through 17 oil- and grease-stained hands before being purchased last year by Gary Wallace, the man behind Speedorama, who was "pampering it back to health" last summer.
"It had too many beer runs on it," says Wallace of the classic rod, which was declared the first Canadian national hot rod champion way back in 1960.
The Hawirko A is what most of us picture when we think hot rod.
Ford's Model A provided the basis for many of these radically altered vehicles that began to emerge in the postwar era in California. But they soon found their way east and eventually north of the border.
Wallace's car employs the Model A steel body "channelled" to drop over the frame side rails, a "suicide" or dropped solid front axle, to give about 75 mm of ground clearance and fat rear tires.
The windscreen frame is "chopped" to reduce its height and the rear fenders are "moulded" into smooth contours. By the time it arrives at the show, it will have been painted Passionate Purple highlighted by ghost flames.
Nestled behind the radiator and fully exposed is a 327 cubic inch (5.3-litre) Chevy small-block V-8 topped with a four-barrel Holly carb that makes 300 hp and lets you know about it through chromed header pipes. Behind that is a GM Turbohydromatic 350 automatic transmission that sends power to a Maverick rear end.
"It was one of the original, old 'rat-rod' cars where guys would go out and source parts from all kinds of cars," Wallace says.
And he knows all about that.
He grew up in Toronto, "having a burger and a shake at Harvey's at Jane and the 401, hanging out, cruising the Yonge Street strip" first in a 1964 Chevy II and then a 1970 'Cuda stuffed full with a 360 Interceptor V-8 from a rolled OPP cruiser.
"Harvey's was the place to be in the seventies. Home of the hot ones -- hot burgers and hot cars," he says.
That was for the muscle car crowd. For the hot rod guys, it was the American Graffiti atmosphere of the A&W. They were distinct groups with little love lost between them.
And the same is true today, Wallace says of the older demographic, which "hates" the tuner guys, those with the hot rod Civics and the like. "It all evolves. One day you're going to have the tuner guys hating the hybrid-car guys," he laughs.
Wallace made a living managing service and parts departments for various General Motors dealers until the mid-eighties when he saw a market for parts emerge from the interest in restoring muscle cars. He eventually developed the Source at Don Howson Chev Olds as the place to go for tough-to-find bits.
Wallace's involvement with the car scene grew and led to involvement in the Motion custom car show through a friend, Canadian custom car show pioneer and entrepreneurial legend Dizzy Dean Murray.
"Dizzy had just sold the show and the guy who bought it needed somebody to talk to the car guys and get them to put their cars in the show," he says. He went on to manage it for five years.
He was approached in 1995 by the owner of rival show Speedorama who offered him a part of the action. The show came under Wallace's complete control last year.
Wallace says Speedorama is Canada's oldest custom car show. It's been operating for the past 23 years and is the spiritual successor to the AutoRama shows held in 1959 and 1960 in the Fort York Armories and the Speedsport shows held in the Queen Elizabeth Building and then the Automotive building at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto.
Speedorama has been held in Toronto's National Trade Centre, but this year returns the tradition of custom car shows to the Automotive Building.
"It's kind of like moving back to where it all began," says Wallace. "And the move coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Road Mates Car Club, whose members are official hosts of the show."
The show runs tomorrow and Saturday from 10 a.m to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
About 200 cars will be on display. "The building will be packed, and it's mostly all old-school customs and rods. With just a handful of quality tuners," Wallace says.
There will also be a number of feature attractions, such as Chip Foose, star of the Overhauling TV show.
Each day is themed with Friday's Guys Night Out featuring the longest running bikini pageant in Toronto. Friday night at Speedorama will also see Dizzy Dean Murray honoured with the unveiling of the Dean Award.
This will be presented Sunday night (along with $10,000 in cash) to the car voted best in show, and will reside in the Motorsport Hall of Fame in Toronto. Murray, possibly decked out in his signature Moon-eyes T-shirt, cowboy hat and gold boots, will make a rare public appearance Friday night.
Saturday is Bring the Kids to the Show day and Sunday is for Guys and Gals. General admission is $18 at the door, but there are special ticket prices related to these themes.
Check Speedorama out at http://www.speedoramacarshows.com.
