TORONTO, ON // MARCH 6, 2020 • In 2019, JF Launier arrived at the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo with Anvil, a 1964 Pontiac Acadian. And when it was time to pack up and head back home to Osoyoos, BC, he did so with the Motorama Grand Champion Award and the winner’s cheque for $5,000.00.
For the sixth edition of the Motorama show, running March 13, 14 & 15, 2020 at Toronto’s International Centre, Launier will not only be an invited Motorama celebrity guest, but he will also be making another attempt to claim the show’s top prize. This year, he’s looking to ‘a true driver,’ a black 1967 GTO built as a feature project on History Channel’s Rust Valley Restorers to get him back on the Pinty’s Stage on Sunday afternoon, holding another big cheque.
“This car has a few body changes, nothing drastic, and is painted dead black,” said Launier. “Under the hood is a big block Chevy and the interior is bright red. With the windows blacked out, this is one sinister looking car!”
When not assisting his Rust Valley Restorers TV co-stars Mike and Avery, Launier – a self-proclaimed ‘Imagineer’ – owns and manages his own business, JF Kustoms. Operating under the motto ‘We build the cars, so you can drive the wheels off of them,’ Launier has earned his reputation as one of the top custom builders in the industry.
He shot to stardom in large part thanks to the 1964 Buick Riviera, dubbed ‘Rivision,’ which won the prestigious Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama in 2014. That car took more than six years to create and forced Launier to re-mortgage his house to get it done.
The car was later sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $290,000. In addition to his big wins at Detroit and Toronto, Launier’s previous builds have won ‘Best in Show’ awards in Europe, in Quebec and across North America.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Launier currently had a shop full of on-going projects.
“We’ve got a bunch of stuff going on; maybe too much. There’s a late ‘60s Bronco and a Cougar from about the same era, on the floor. We’re also working on 1965 Acadian. There are also a couple of top-secret projects tucked away.”
When not taking part in various discussion panels and VIP Meet & Greet sessions at this year’s Motorama show, Launier will be holding court in the Rousseau Metals / FestiDrag and SilverWax displays, in Hall 1. The booth will also feature a van built by Chip Foose and a Toolkit, courtesy of Rousseau Metals, that will be awarded to one lucky showgoer at Motorama.
“I connected with Rousseau at SEMA and saw that they had a great line of products. I wanted to work with them because I believe in supporting Canadian companies. That’s the same reason I work with SilverWax. They’re based in Quebec and I have faith in their product line, as well. I won’t trust my work to just any detailing products.”
Launier admitted to being excited about coming ‘back to the east’ to be part of the 2020 Motorama show. “Last year, we came away from Quebec (Sports Auto Show) with the ‘Best in Class’ and ‘Most Outstanding Street Machine’ awards. We won a Great 8 award in Detroit. And then we came to Motorama and won the Grand Champion Award. I don’t know if we can repeat that this year, but it’s always a lot fun to meet with the Ontario fans and to share their stories and memories of their custom cars. This might just become a tradition!”
ABOUT ROUSSEAU METALS: Based in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, QC, Rousseau Metals is the leading North American designer and manufacturer of flexible and high-quality storage solutions. Continually developing products and improving manufacturing processes by integrating the latest technology, Rousseau understands that there is no one-size-fits-all solutions, that is why their product lines, be it a customized cabinet, shelving system or work station, allow for custom configurations. To see the full line of Rousseau Metal products, visit their website at www.rousseaumetals.com.
ABOUT SILVERWAX: The mission of Quebec-based SilverWax is to allow people to discover and master the art of taking care of their cars. Through a friendly and educational approach, SilverWax makes car care accessible, simple and appealing to everyone. From beginner to expert, SilverWax is the name to remember when it comes to high quality products and professional advice. To view their full line of automotive, motorcycle, marine or RV products visit the website www.silverwax.ca.
ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The sixth annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo takes place March 13, 14 & 15, 2020 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The show features more than 330,000 square feet of custom cars, hot rods, racing vehicles of all kinds, tuners, displays and exhibitors. Motorama is Canada’s biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. For information about the show, including tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more, call (416) 962-7223, email info@MotoramaShow.com or visit www.MotoramaShow.com.
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