Vancouver Chapter’s West Side Garage Tour took place on Sunday, October 27th. At 10:00AM we met at the Cheshire Cheese Inn at 4548 Dunbar Street for a bit of a brunch. Seen here is Peter Trant shouting instructions for our first checkpoint. And what a checkpoint it was! Peter Trant’s own garage, bursting at the seams with not only vintage cars in various stages of restoration, but also an immaculate Chris-Craft power boat! After about half an hour of slack jawed gazing at Peter’s collection, it was time to move on to Tom Mellor’s garage. No one quite knew what to expect upon arrival, but holy mackel was it exciting.
From motorcycles that made Tom the fastest man on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to pristine Rolls-Royces, British convertibles, and a host of other vintage motorcycles, the garage completely blew us out of our socks. Perhaps the most exciting part was not the content of the collection, but the way in which it was packaged in such a seemingly ordinary garage in a quiet back lane.
Next up was Neil MacKenzie’s Car storages, which required two stops that each featured some truly amazing cars. The collections ranged from Thunderbirds to Road Runners and Rivas to brand new sports cars. Another sight to behold. Lastly, we dropped by Paul Carter’s personal workshop where we were all treated to a hot beverage and various snacks.
As Paul happily walked us through the shop areas in his facility, we couldn’t help but stare, once more, at another clutch your heart beautiful collection ranging from unrestored Packard truck frames to an impossibly difficult to operate White steam car and everything in between. Talk about an exciting day. A sincere thank you is extended to the Vancouver Chapter and all the members involved in the organization. Special mention to Bill Trant and Gary Hawthorn who kindly shuttled yours truly from garage to garage.
Seen here is Paul Carter explaining the intricacies of operating a White, a car that runs completely on steam!