Willy’s Garage with Paul Williamson
You can drive to the YUKON in a Smart car
Willy wise to participate in Mercedes-Benz' Winter Expedition
THANKS to a combination of passion, planning and patience, man has not only proven that he can walk on fire, but that he can also walk on the surface of the moon.
With that spirit in mind, I like to think that my gas tank is always half full rather than half empty. Anything's possible. What's the worse thing that can happen? I've got life insurance. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
That said, even a perennial optimist like me was filled with doubt when Mercedes-Benz Canada sent me an invitation to partake in a winter driving expedition from Kelowna, B.C., to Whitehorse, Yukon. The itinerary outlined a four-day, 2,500-kilometre road trip to the Arctic that promised to be the adventure of a lifetime.
The only catch was we had to take this expedition in a Smart car.
My initial thought was that maybe the Smart marketing team wasn't as smart as those cute little cars they sell.
A division of Mercedes-Benz, the Smart is the smallest road-legal car sold in Canada. Although I'd driven one in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it, I have to admit that the mere prospect of driving a Smart car through some of the harshest and most severe weather conditions on the planet had me thinking that this was a very tall order for a very small car.
Dubbed the Smart Winter Expedition, the checklist did little to ease my doubts. Seven Smart cars, three Mercedes-Benz support vehicles and a flock of automobile journalists from across the country. The fact…
Prime Time
Winnipeg charity event may go international
Last Saturday night, throughout Canada and the United States, millions of car buffs watched the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction on SPEED TV. Here in Winnipeg a group of dedicated auto enthusiasts met up at the downtown Pony Corral Restaurant to watch the auction and raise money and awareness for the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation of Manitoba.
The concept is simple enough -- just a bunch of local car nuts getting together for a good time and a good cause. By now you probably know all about it; the event was dreamed up by my buddy Pat Kaniuga and me, and we call it Pat and Willy's Barrett-Jackson Bash.
This year, however, there was a twist in the plot. Kaniuga and his wife Sherry were actually in Scottsdale, Arizona, witnessing the auction live. At precisely 9 p.m., while everyone was crowded around the TVs at the Pony Corral, something magical happened.
Just prior to a commercial break, Kaniuga's face miraculously appeared on the screen. He was holding a SPEED microphone and excitedly spoke the following words.
"Hey, all you car fanatics in Winnipeg, Canada, at the fourth annual Barrett-Jackson Bash, I made it here this year, I'm a SPEED fanatic and I'm loving it. It's better than you ever thought."
The camera then panned to a Canadian flag blowing in the Arizona breeze, and SPEED announcer Bob Varsha spoke the following words:
"Now why is Pat talking to his fellow Canadians back in Winnipeg? Well, it's an interesting story. Five years ago Pat and his buddy Willy decided…
Start the bidding
Gazing into a crystal ball joint before the annual Barrett/Jackson collectible car auction
Lot 1255: The 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird
It’s a buyer’s market at this year’s Barrett/Jackson Collector Car Auction
Sir Nathan Rothschild, who I'd never heard of until last year when my meagre stock portfolio started to unravel, was apparently the quintessential banking opportunist. Even back in the 1800s his financial advice was simple; the best time to buy is when there is "blood in the streets."
Hopefully, there will be no actual blood on the streets of Scottsdale, Ariz. this week for the annual Barrett/Jackson auction but, rest assured, there will be more than a few sellers of classic and special-interest vehicles who will feel as though they've been stabbed in the heart.
The financial crisis in the United States may be improving, but they certainly aren't out of the woods yet. Like the housing market in most major American cities, the current state of the automobile hobby clearly indicates that it's a buyer's market.
The reality about collector cars is that, although they do pull at our heartstrings, they are still basically investments. That said, this year at Barrett/Jackson expect to see deals on wheels like never before. My thinking is that the prospect of losing your home or not being able to pay for your children's college education is likely far more important than that classic Corvette in your garage.
This will undoubtedly result in collector cars selling for far less money than they commanded just a couple of years ago. On the flip side, we can also expect to see fewer of the really big-money cars rolling across the…
ICE ACTION
These dedicated riders don't let winter slow them down
Riders of all ages, shapes and sizes jockey for position.
St. Malo — There were no shortage of excuses when local motocross legend Kim Houde suggested that I hop on his vintage Yamaha dirt bike and rip around the icy track that is carved into the frozen surface of the lake at St. Malo Provincial Park.
My words of protest, however, fell on deaf ears.
"I'm just here to report the facts," I pleaded with obvious fear in my voice. "Nobody wants to see me break my leg, or worse."
As it turned out, if the good natured ribbing I received from Houde and his pack of fellow daredevils was any indication, that's exactly what they wanted to see, and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
Peer pressure, getting caught up in the moment, bravado, stupidity, call it what you like, but before I knew it I was wearing a helmet, goggles and elbow pads, and was sitting on a rumbling 400cc beast that sounded more like a machine gun than a motorcycle.
As I clicked the bike into first gear, released the clutch and rolled out onto the icy track my middle-aged knees reminded me that it had been a long time since I had fallen off a motorcycle. My only goal was to keep it that way. Going straight was no problem, but that only lasted for about a hundred feet. As I headed into the first turn and hung my foot out the way I'd seen the other guys do it, something amazing and totally unexpected happened, the countless metal screws…
Rock around charity auction block
Wow, it's hard to imagine that a casual conversation with my buddy Pat Kaniuga nearly four years ago has resulted in the most popular winter car event Winnipeg has ever seen, yet here we are, set to host Pat and Willy's fourth annual Barrett/Jackson Bash.
It all started back in January 2006 when Kaniuga, a CBC news editor and local muscle-car aficionado, invited about 20 of his friends over on a Saturday night to watch the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction on Speed.
Throughout the evening we crowded around the TV and collectively drooled over the amazing array of vehicles that rolled across the auction block in Scottsdale, Ariz. It was a great night that offered us an opportunity to get together in the dead of winter with our friends and share our passion for classic cars. As the evening wound down, I innocently proclaimed, "Hey Patty, this is awesome, it's like the Super Bowl for car guys. We gotta go BIG next year!"
Go big or go home has since become our mantra. That first year we hosted a party for about 100 of our friends. The next year there were 300, last year there were nearly 400 revellers in attendance.
We chose the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation as our charity of choice and we are absolutely thrilled to report that to date we have raised more that $25,000 in support of the foundation. Our goal this year is to raise another $10,000 and if the buzz surrounding this year's event is any indication it…
Half-century of fabulous vehicles
Manitoba Classic and Antique Auto Club marks its 50th anniversary
Manitoba Classic & Antique Auto Club members at the Legislature for New Year's Day.
In 2010 the Manitoba Classic and Antique Auto Club (MCAAC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and to kick off this golden milestone, on New Year's Day club members dusted the snow off their rolling relics for a Frostbite Tour. The event certainly lived up to its name, as the temperature hovered around the -30 C mark for most of the day.
Members met up at the Manitoba Legislative Building just before noon and made a frosty tour to The Forks, where they were joined by more than 60 fellow club members who enjoyed lunch at the equally nostalgic Old Spaghetti Factory.
Like the member's cars, MCAAC records have been well preserved and the history books reveal that the first general meeting actually took place way back in 1960 when 30 antique and classic auto enthusiasts gathered in the boardroom of the old Winnipeg Free Press building on Carlton Street. The club was formed so that folks who shared a common interest in pre-war and early post-war North American automobiles could preserve, restore and admire these beauties.
Initially the club catered to vehicle owners and fans of autos that were at least 15 years old, but nowadays the definition of a "Club Car" is a vehicle that is at least 25 years old and appears essentially as manufactured. This means that if you like to chop the roof off your old car and install a modern fire-breathing engine and a stereo system that can wake the dead; this probably isn't the car club for…
Livin' the dream
A decade's worth of reasons
Donna Anderson's 1949 Mercury
Wow, it's hard to imagine that a decade has passed since we partied like it was 1999, and let me tell you, my life has taken more twists and turns in those ten years than I could have ever imagined.
To offer a bit of background, I spent the eve of the new millennium locked up in the Winnipeg Remand Centre. Before you start with the "I knew there was something greasy about that guy" comments, it should be noted that I was working there. In fact, back in those days I was the Institution's street gang coordinator. The doomsday theorists who were running the joint at the time made sure every guard on the payroll was there in case anything weird like total loss of all utilities or the end of the world commenced.
As it turned out, there were likely nursing homes that were more volatile than the Remand Centre on that storied night. Although there was a big part of me that loved that job, I was tired of spending holidays away from my family and friends babysitting a pack of whining criminals who rarely appreciated my benevolent efforts.
I wanted out in the worst way.
Thankfully, just a couple of years later, in 2002, Willy's Garage was born. I've always been a car buff, but when long-time family friend and now retired Sun Media editor Bill Davidson suggested that I dust off my camera, put pen to paper, and write a few freelance articles about local hot rod cars and…
Get off your duff and build it
Want a dream rod? Then do it!
George McConnell built his 1949 Ford to help relive the glory days of his youth in Winnipeg's North End.
Are you ready to rumble in 2010?
"One of these days I'm going to buy the old car of my dreams, fix it up, and go for a cruise." It's a sentiment I often hear in my travels, and I try to be as polite and supportive as possible when I hear it.
But deep down, when I hear this from you folks out there, a small part of me not only feels sorry for you, but actually wants to give you a shake and ask (loudly) what the hell you're waiting for? Forgive my tough love, but the reality is that none of us are getting any younger, and if you don't get started soon, you probably never will.
So my message here is to follow the lead of my friend George McConnell, one of Manitoba's most dedicated cruisers and the proud owner of the beautiful 1949 Ford hot rod pictured here. In the summer months, George and his wife Irene rarely miss the opportunity to see and be seen in their prized machine. They take in as many of the local show-and-shines and cruise nights as possible and relish the chance to meet up with old friends and make new ones.
It hasn't always been this way, though. Just five short years ago George was just like you, on the outside looking in, wishing he had a cool car of his own to cruise in. He was a cruiser back in the day but, like many of us, life got in the…
All we want for Christmas is a shiny ride....
Dear Santa,
I hope you don't mind that I used the newspaper to contact you. In fairness, I did spend some time trying to find you on the Internet but apparently you don't have a Facebook profile. And when I logged onto your MySpace page, it seems that some rock band from Illinois had hijacked it.
Here's my dilemma: Last week I thought it would be fun to ask my Facebook friends what kind of car, truck or motorcycle they'd like for Christmas. What I wasn't expecting was more than 100 responses. Some of my friends even responded from as far away as Australia, where my high-school buddy and fellow car nut Nick Vardalis lives nowadays.
Now they all think I have some sort of direct line to you, and I'm really concerned about my credibility.
Please help me. The list is pretty long, but I figured your team of elves wouldn't mind delivering all these cool cars, trucks and motorcycles to my friends. You might want to install snow tires and block heaters on the cars before they head out, though -- it's been pretty cold here lately.
My friends are really counting on you to step it up big-time this year, and I can't wait to see all their smiling faces on Christmas morning.
As for me, I'll be happy if my truck starts. But if you have room in your sleigh, a new Harley-Davidson Crossbones motorcycle would be great!
Thanks for your time, and Merry Christmas from Willy's Garage...
Who's been naughty or nice?
Paul Marcoux,…
Salute the General
"Her Hot Rod"
Willy's wife Melanie has a spanking new ride, a 2009 Chevy HHR.
Hey Willy, what kind of car should I buy? It's a question that folks often ask me, and over the years I've become pretty good at pairing people with vehicles.
Following a few scientific questions regarding needs, wants and core values, my musings often result in a deeply satisfying union between man and machine. I've even helped out a few ladies, too. In fact, one recently divorced friend is thoroughly enjoying the Mazda Miata convertible I counselled her to buy.
Let's call it my automotive version of eHarmony.
It's not always easy though. Often, my mechanical matchmaking services are way off the mark. The reality is that the act of advising someone what kind of car they should buy is typically akin to suggesting what political party they should vote for or what hockey team to cheer on. That said, when it came time for my lovely wife Melanie to buy a new car, my skills were put to the ultimate test.
Following months of Internet research, merciless tire-kicking, and the death of at least one salesman (okay, I made that last part up), I was finally able to match Melanie with the vehicle of her dreams.
Behold her brand spanking new 2009 Chevrolet HHR.
Officially HHR stands for Heritage High Roof, but in our household, HHR now means Her Hot Rod.
Melanie drove it off the showroom floor of Jim Gauthier Chevrolet Cadillac on November 27, the shopping day our American friends refer to as Black Friday.
Because it's a 2009 model, we made a pretty…
