Restored Trans Am Wins Muscle Car Match Up at CIAS

3 March 2017

Autosphere » Collision » Restored Trans Am Wins Muscle Car Match Up at CIAS

A 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am lovingly restored by John Antoniadis of Scarborough, Ont. was named winner of the 2017 Canadian International AutoShow’s Muscle Car Matchup.

I can’t believe this is happening to me,” Antoniadis said shortly after his pride and joy won the Grand Prize of $5,000. “I don’t own a shop. I’m not a mechanic. I’m just a regular guy.”

Muscle Car Matchup was open to car lovers of all stripes who wanted to flex their muscle, ranging from professional car collectors to weekend garage devotees who’ve spent years turning old rust buckets rescued from wrecking yards into showroom pieces.

The contest attracted more than 100 muscle car owners from across the nation, with around 80 qualifying for the public voting round. Entrants gained votes by sharing their cars on social media platforms. After weeks of campaigning, eight muscle cars sped past their competition to advance to the final round. Four cars were selected through a public vote and an additional four were hand-selected by AutoShow officials to advance directly to the finals.

The cars of all eight finalists were showcased during the show on the 700 Level of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s South Building. Finalists had their cars appraised by the best of the best—Legendary Motorcar Company of Halton Hills, Ont.

In the end, the Trans Am Antoniadis bought 10 years ago for just $1,000 took home the top prize.

“I’m really grateful to the AutoShow, to Legendary Motorcar Company, to everyone else involved, for organizing this contest,” said Antoniadis.

Finalists in the contest included Randy Westlake of Lloydminster, Alta; Tony Basile of Richmond Hill, Ont; Ryan-William Buchanan of Udora, Ont; Phil Trigiani of Mississauga, Ont; George Vigh of Wallaceburg, Ont; Mike Gill of Milton, Ont; and David Cantagallo of LaSalle, Ont. Each finalist received a gift package from Gladiator GarageWorks for participating in the contest.

Categories : Collision

The Changing Face of Estimates

OpenRoad Honda Burnaby Gets a New Home

september

10mayAll Day27sepAAPEX: A 12-Part Webinar training seriesFocuses on European Vehicle Diagnostics, Communicating With Customers

Event Details

45 minutes each

Starting at 2PM ET (11 AM PT)

This webinar series brings you helpful technical training as well as important management content for owners and shop leaders. Sign up for as many of these free sessions as you’d like!

Part 1: On-Demand – Register to View Now!
Rebuilding Your Oil Change Business
Independent shop owners have seen their market share of oil changes, battery replacements and other maintenance services being lost to quick lubes and retailers. This webinar will cover how a shop can rebuild its maintenance business and increase customer loyalty simultaneously. The experts will also discuss customer expectations when it comes to vehicle service.

Part 2: On-Demand – Register to View Now!
Employee Training Options
As vehicle technology continues to advance, the need for training on systems and procedures continues to be more and more critical. Those methods continue to change as well. Is in-person training still required? Are online sessions effective? Can owners, technicians and service advisors learn with self-paced resources?

Part 3: Wednesday, May 10
Diagnosing and Verifying False Activation of ADAS Automatic Emergency Braking Systems
It is becoming more common for ADAS-equipped vehicles that are out of warranty to have issues with false activation and deactivation of ADAS features, including automatic emergency braking and lane keeping. This 45-minute training session will cover collecting a driver complaint, duplicating the problem and resolving the issue.

Part 4: Wednesday, May 24
ADAS Equipment Options
As more and more ADAS-equipped vehicles travel the streets in your community, there’s an increasing likelihood they’ll also be coming into your shop. What will it take to ensure your techs are equipped with the tools and training they need to handle the profitable jobs you may be turning away?

Part 5: Wednesday, June 14
Installing an EV Charger at Your Shop
To service electric vehicles, one of the essential tools is a charger station. In this 45-minute emerging technology training session, EV experts will cover the logistics and equipment required to add an EV charger inside or outside a repair facility. In addition, the webinar will cover both AC and DC quick charging and how to diagnose an EV with charging issues.

Part 6: Wednesday, June 28
Tomorrow’s Technology Today
Technology is present in every aspect of the automotive repair facility. What types of equipment and resources are required to help today’s shop owner keep service advisors and technicians be productive now and in the future?

Part 7: Wednesday, July 12
Information and Software as a Tool
To service sophisticated vehicles, service information is just as crucial as a two-post lift or wrench. In this 45-minute training session, experts will cover how software can be used as a tool. In addition, information experts will cover sources of information as well as navigation tips to make lookups faster.

Part 8: Wednesday, July 26
Cybersecurity – Is Your Shop Safe?
Google My Business, Facebook, online purchasing and scheduling – business is increasingly handled online. Yet, by putting more and more of your shop’s business details into the cloud are you putting your security at risk? What kind of firewalls are needed to keep your shop secure in an increasingly electronic society?

Part 9: Wednesday, August 16
Servicing Overfilled or Contaminated R-134a and R-1234yf A/C Systems
Modern A/C systems require an exact amount of refrigerant to operate efficiently. If too little or too much R-134a or R-1234yf is present in a system, it can cause a no-cooling complaint. Finding the leak or source of the extra refrigerant can be a challenge. In this 45-minute training session, we will cover how to recover, measure and refill systems that may have been compromised due to a leak or the customer adding refrigerant on their own.

Part 10: Wednesday, August 30
Road Testing – How to do it Profitably; How to do it Safely
Taking a customer’s car for a test drive may be the only way to know what’s really wrong – but how can you learn what you need in a safe and productive manner? Learn how to maximize your road test procedures and what you should remember to protect your team.

Part 11: Wednesday, September 13
Telsa Service Opportunities
With more than 3.6 million Tesla vehicles sold during the past decade, these EVs have service and maintenance opportunities you can’t ignore. This training session will cover brake, chassis and other maintenance opportunities for all Tesla models. Also, the experts will discuss the tools and equipment required to work on EVs and Hybrids.

Part 12: Wednesday, September 27
Taboo Topics – What Are Your Shop’s Drug and Alcohol Policies?
Given the myriad risks of on-the-job drug and alcohol use – and the steep price that shops can pay for negligent repairs – it’s more important than ever to ensure that your employees are focused, clean and sober. As certain practices are legalized in different areas of the country, shop owners and employees may be uncertain of what laws apply to them. What do you need to know when developing employment guidelines?

Can’t attend live?
You should still register! We will send you a link to the recording after the webinar is over, so you can watch it on-demand at a time that’s convenient for you.

Presenters

Andrew Markel
Director of Technical Content
ShopOwner

Doug Kaufman
Editorial Director
ShopOwner