'There was some style back then': Regina man creates vintage-inspired custom rides
Jason MacPherson runs his hands over the custom-made inner fender on the '35 Pontiac in his workshop. He's been working on it for two years and jokes that he could be at it for ten.
The end result will be a MacPherson original. He grins and gestures to a "photoshopped" version (done with razors, tape, magnets and printouts) of what it will look like once he's done.
MacPherson runs The Complete Wheelshop in Regina. He does wheel restoration for his daily work, but thrives on shaping metal to restore old cars or transform them into how they should look.
"Everything nowadays looks the same, from a Ford to Jaguar, really," he said.
"You know, there was some style back then."
Most of his creative work happens through trial and error. He experiments with bending, shrinking, folding and chopping hunks of metal to form the puzzle pieces of his design.
"I'm not really afraid to try different things and you definitely fail at it numerous times before you get it," he said. "There's probably lots of metal in the garbage can."
He's not discouraged by the challenges that arise. MacPherson said he enjoys problem-solving and finds it fun to bring the vehicles back to life.
On display in the front room of the shop is his altered 1936 Chevy. He's driven at least 40,000 kilometres in the drastically modified piece, often heading south to rockabilly events and car shows in New Mexico, Texas and Las Vegas. MacPherson found inspiration in a squashed fibreglass drag car. He took 15 centimetres out of the body and another ten out of the roof.
"I've really cut a lot of metal out of it, made it a lot sleeker."
Across the room, beyond two old roadsters, is a framed 2010 Canadian Hotrod magazine feature showcasing another car, one he created from aluminum sheets during nine months with almost no sleep.
It's a crossover with a '26 Ford and the ideas floating around in his mind. He said metal shapers are good for sharing tips and tricks online, so he heads there for inspiration.
People often underestimate the time it takes to bring the visions to life. He said the windshield frame alone took 20 hours.
For him, it's worth it.
"Grabbing a piece of metal and then forming it — it's just exciting."
