Toronto’s Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo is an event that spans several halls. Between the cars, celebrities, and exhibitor booths it’s easy to miss something, especially if you’re the type of person to be distracted.
While I am most certainly distractible, at this year’s show I did manage to quickly identify four builds that I thought the Speedhunters audience at large would be interested in seeing. As a bonus they are all quite different from one another; we tend to get pretty creative during the long winters here in Canada…
A 2JZ-Swapped KE70 Corolla
Khurram Awan is a local drag racer with an affinity for the Toyota badge.
His current garage consists of two 1993 Supras – a naturally aspirated street-going car and another turbo car that has run a quarter-mile best of 8.91 seconds at 164mph (264km/h).
Motorama 2024 served as the reveal for Khurram’s latest build – a 2JZ-powered KE70 Corolla. He has been building this drag machine with a local fabrication shop known as Chassis Stop.
Chassis Stop doesn’t fool around and their handiwork is behind all of the cars above. They’re quite good at blending race car with street car and vice versa.
This project is a purpose-built (stick shift) drag car with an attention to detail that rivals a show build. The car has been caged throughout and features carbon fiber floors and wheel tubs. The Precision Turbo-equipped 2JZ is backed by a Tremec T56 transmission.
Simply calling the car a ‘crowd favorite’ would be selling it short; I found it surrounded by show-goers every time I wanted to go in for a closer look. Intriguing builds always have a way of drawing people in.
Holy Gasser, Batman
In the world of car show bingo, I am willing to bet there isn’t a single card with an aluminium-bodied Batmobile gasser on it.
The original Adam West-era Batmobile – which George Barris custom-built for the 1966 Batman TV series – was based on the Lincoln Futura concept car built by Ford in 1955. Naturally, Batman’s car was painted black and filled with gadgets. The version at Motorama wasn’t black, but it was stacked with gismos all the same.
The lack of black paint can be forgiven because it would have hidden the meticulously hand-crafted aluminum bodywork.
Recreating the Batmobile body has been an ongoing project for Fugitive Customs Cars. At one point in time, the car sat on a more traditional chassis, but it now has proper period-correct drag car underpinnings.
Go go Bat Parachute! And yes, they are Batman-themed.
Real Carbon, Real Cool
In 2023, Harse Autocraft impressed at Motorama with their stunning Alfa Romeo finished in a beautiful green hue. This year, they brought along that car’s carbon copy.
Harse has called this the Ampia GTA-00, and it features a complete carbon fiber body with House of Kolor Kandy paint graphics. The car builds on what Harse achieved last year, and under the skin is a similar twin-cam 2.0L Nord engine with side-draught Weber carbs, and a 5-speed manual transmission.
These bodies are going into production in 2024 and beyond, making the applications limitless.
The second production body Harse had on display showed just how far things could go given enough time, creativity and capital.
The LS2-based project was sitting on a Schwartz Welding-built chassis. Grant Schwartz was previously employed by Vegas Rat Rods, so he is no stranger to unique requests.
All of the carbon reproduction bodies are based on Alfa Romeo GTA-M cars. These had bolt-on flares, but Harse has emulated them in a single piece for a more refined look.
As a well-documented non-purist, I feel the Harse Alfa Romeos look stunning in either metal or carbon fiber.
Merkur RS4Ti
The final car I chose to spotlight is JH Restorations’ take on a Merkur X4Ti – the RS4Ti.
No, this is not a Ford Sierra, but I can’t fault you for thinking it is.
The X4ti is the North American version of the Ford Sierra. There are visual differences between the two models, but JH has gone to great lengths to remove most of them. This includes installing larger, single-piece rear side glass.
Unfortunately, the Merkur X4Ti didn’t sell well here in North America. Worse still, the salt we put on the roads sent some of the cars to early graves, while others fell victim to the same problems many mid-’80s turbo cars suffered from – neglect.
Seeing a Merkur today is quite rare. Catching one at a show is similar to spotting a leprechaun.
Jesse Henke and the crew at JH built this car over three years for the SEMA Show, and Motorama 2024 served as its Canadian debut.
Under the hood is a Ford 2.3L Ecobeast crate motor from Ford Performance. The ‘Ecobeast’ differs from the standard Ecoboost with upgraded camshafts, rods, pistons, a larger throttle body and a bigger turbo. A Blower TKX 5-speed transmission and Ford 8.8 rear end back it up.
The Ecoboost motors are pretty tall and getting the hood to close with the motor in place necessitated a cowl.
With the body modification bandage removed the JH team crafted their vision for the X4Ti’s exterior. The car was 3D-scanned and wider fenders and quarters were designed virtually before being constructed. The JH Restorations body package includes a taller wing and a more aggressive chin spoiler.
The ’80s are embraced with the Merkur’s interior. To me, it is much more welcoming than the original design but retains all the charm.
Dakota Digital provided the custom gauges, with a Blaupunkt head unit and digital equalizer mounted underneath. This is all installed within a blue leather-wrapped dash and center console combo.
This might be the best-ever example of a resto-moded Merkur, so the RS4Ti deserves much more than just a parting glance. I hope to travel west of the city to spend time with the guys at JH sometime this year, so stay tuned for a closer look.
Dave Thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom
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I would take all these beuties to a drag strip.
Nice picks, wonderful craftmanship on all. Alfa is smth special tho.
Man that gasser Batmobile is something else that looks so sick
I really like that carbon Alfa build and that Merkur/Sierra build like the perfect restomod
I like the Alfa. Watching an interview with the builder who describes the green example as a car for the track / vintage racing (I know guys...the dreaded R-word). Looks like it would be a fun car for some vintage class racing, but doubtful it would ever see that kind of environment given how nice it is and the type of people that are typically drawn to these kinds of builds.
Would imagine they are asking $200,000 + for their 4cyl models. Did a quick google search to see what a vintage race car would go for out of curiosity. The car in the picture attached is probably more in line with what someone who actually wants to go racing would buy. $40,000 with spares and eligible for a lot of classes in VARA. Nice display of the shops abilities though. Looks like they put a lot of time into their work.
$40,000? My modded e-scooter will smoke that thing for only $1000
Hey I have no issues with racing
I agree as a showcase vehicle this is a great example, all the better that it could likely turn a good lap or two. I'm curious what a "low buck" completed version would be worth.
I wonder too, but here's the problem: the car I listed above is $40,000 with spares. It was sold with a setup log, alignment specs, etc etc.
If you want to turn some laps and you think hey I'm rich! I'll go buy one of these cars Speedhunters featured. You plunk down $100,000 - $150,000 for your badarse Harse Autocraft Alfa and you show up to race you're going to lose every time. Guaranteed. And, after you get kicked around the track you're going to arrive at an expensive conclusion:
You should have just bought a race car. And therein lies the problem with most of the stuff featured on websites like this and the industry at large: it's all pretend. Journalists and pretenders call this "race inspired." Anyone who actually wants to race buys a race car. Now if you guys featured actual race cars you'll lose 90% of your demographic. Most people I've seen in these comments are probably like Lotus boy who put around in "the canyon" and that's about it. I'd bet the amount of people in these comments that regularly track a vehicle is less than 1%.
I respect the craftsmanship of the build featured, but when I hear the builder say it's a track car first and foremost I laugh my ass off. What a lot of the media has now become is a giant online spec measuring contest. No one cares about actual performance, just hypothetical bench racing BS.
No one actually races anymore so no one actually knows what actual performance is...or even means anymore.
But hey nice paint, big price tag. So WOAAAAAAAHHHHH
Amazing picks!
as well as photos and story. Go Dave, Go
I think I need to check the dates in advance and make the trip next year. Downside I'll need to fly in and rent something to drive since the weather at the time of year for the drive there will be terrible coming from SK lol. One day I will roadtrip that way with something tho!