By David MacDonald N ew customers and window shopping motorheads who walked into Paul Sr.’s 12,000 square feet shop in July left with one eyebrow still raised. Yes, that was a Kitty Kat – a vintage 60cc children’s snowmobile manufactured by Arctic Cat between 1972 and 2000 – in the midst of a restoration. And yes, that was an authen- tic 1950s juke box in for a tune-up. No, that 1970s pinball machine is not just for anyone to play – its owner trusted its revival and safe keeping to the C.A.R.S. team. Yes, the Lead Mechanic was working on a rare Ford 1969 Cyclone while his team cared for, in no particular order, a: ‘57 Bel Air Custom, a ‘66 Plymouth Fury III, a ‘78 Fiat 124 Sport Spider, and a 1960 T-Bird. These are just a few examples of what makes a peek into Paul Sr.’s shop so buzzworthy. And if those rarities were not enough to spark the plugs of C.A.R.S. first-timers, what lies just beyond the restored antique penny scale is sure to start their engines. What Paul Sr. features in his 5,000 square feet showroom on any given month is enough to take away Jay Leno’s breath. In July: an actual Indy pace car; a 1959 Cadillac Series 62; a 1935 Dodge Double Plank Boat; a Garelli Moped; and a functioning coin-operated Tom & Jerry motorcycle children’s ride. “Currently we have on-the-go anywhere from four to six full restorations,” explains Paul Sr., “not to mention many more service contracts, modification orders, and, of course, constant in-and-out maintenance jobs. When you come into the shop, don’t be surprised to find the odd boat or motorcycle kicking around too – not to mention the special projects we love to take on.” For Paul Sr., it is sometimes hard to imagine the pace at which he and his team are now cruising started from zero. He remembers with great clarity arriving at the Fleetwood Country Cruize-in – one of North America’s premier annual outdoor car shows held in London, Ontario – in early June 2014 with his family and future in tow. He received a personal invitation to attend that year from Steve Plunkett, philanthropist and brain behind the Cruize-in, and was driving into a familiar event feeling a little green. “The ink was still wet on our business plan; we had just recently reg- istered the company and picked up our first business cards just days before,” Paul Sr. recalls. “But Steve’s a family guy too and knew what it was we were trying to build. He really encouraged us from day one.”
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AUGUST 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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