Muscle Car builder and YouTube sensation Nick Panaritis is putting together an incredible nine-car feature that will be making its Ontario debut at the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo presented by eBay Motors. The show takes place April 29, 30 & May 1 at Toronto’s International Centre.
Panaritis’ career path was inspired by watching a neighbour working on his Vauxhall, in a back alley, in Montreal, Quebec. In the decades since, he has grown his passion for the automobile into a successful garage called Indy Auto (in Laval, QC). He now also hosts a popular YouTube channel called Nick’s Garage.
With almost 200,000 subscribers, Nick’s Garage is the go-to site for his faithful viewers, mechanics, auto restorers and Muscle Car fanatics. As stated on his YouTube channel, “Nick builds dream cars, powers them with perfectly rebuilt muscle engines, and then watches other people drive them away.”
Describing how he got to where he is now, Nick recalls, “The first vehicle I did on my own was a 1970 Dodge Challenger. I overhauled the engine in that one. I was about 17, and the Muscle Car era was in full swing. Those cars are my passion; they are what I grew up with. I guess a lot of other people love them too, because they’re what keeps Nick’s Garage thriving.”
With an eye to making his Motorama appearance memorable, nine vehicles owned by Nick’s friends and customers will be featured in a massive exhibit in Hall 1B. A tenth vehicle – a 1967 Yenko tribute car that was worked on at Indy Auto and featured on the Nick’s Garage YouTube channel – will be showcased in the Meguiar’s booth, in Hall 2.
“We plan a huge display that will include a lounge area, a place where people can come in and just sit and talk cars,” noted Logistics Manager Johnny Zonta. “We will line up four cars on the right side and four on the left, and in the middle, we will put Nick’s first-time-shown, body-off restored 1970 Dodge Challenger. We call this car ‘Kowalski’ as it’s a tribute to the vehicle that appeared in the 1971 movie, Vanishing Point.”
And while ‘Kowalski’ may be the highlight of the Nick’s Garage display, the other vehicles are no less impressive.
Included in the Motorama vehicle roster are a 1967 Camaro SS, a 1970 AAR ‘Cuda Tribute, another frame-off restoration, all-original Barracuda, a 1969 Hemi Road Runner named the ‘Keeper,’ a sister 1970 Road Runner, a 1970 Challenger boasting a 440 with a six-pack shaker, dubbed ‘Dodge Fever,’ yet another ’70 Challenger and ‘Natalie,’ a 2010 Camaro restomod.
Admitted Panaritis, an obvious MOPAR aficionado, “The Dodges are the cars I grew up with; I just like their styling and the power in them. They look like a muscle car should look. And you know that every car from that era has a story behind it.”
MOTUL Oil, a long-time supporter of the Classic Car hobby, is presenting this impressive vehicle display at this year’s Motorama show.
“MOTUL is excited to support the passionate aftermarket community in Canada through our support of Nick Panaritis’ display at Motorama,” said Nolan Browning, Marketing Manager MOTUL USA. “With our focus on expanding MOTUL’s product offerings for the classic and domestic market in North America, this opportunity was a perfect fit.”
ABOUT NICK’S GARAGE: Living by the motto, “Good enough, is not good enough”, Nick Panaritis has grown his Indy Auto garage in Laval, QC (it was originally founded in Montreal) into an entertaining and informative YouTube channel, with attention focused on makes and models from the Muscle Car era. From engine builder to auto restorer, Panaritis has built a legion of loyal followers on YouTube by offering insights and suggestions to fellow mechanics and hobbyists. To check out some of his projects and to watch his ‘Friday Night Live at Nick’s Garage’ show, go to the Nick’s Garage YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/NicksGarage.
ABOUT MOTUL: Established in New York in 1853, MOTUL had its roots in the whale-oil business, used for lanterns. Focused on improving the reliability and performance of lubricants, MOTUL dramatically altered the lubrication industry by producing several world’s first and hence, set forth to shape the history of motor lubricants. MOTUL continues in its tradition of producing superior quality lubricants by turning its technological innovations into real products for the automotive world. From Turbo Engine Oils to Catalytic Mufflers to Brake Fluids and Transmission, MOTUL has been and continues to be the favoured name. Today, the MOTUL line of premium performance products is sold in 65 countries. For more information regarding the MOTUL line of products, visit their website, www.motul.speclube.com.
ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The seventh annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by eBay Motors takes place April 29, 30 & May 1, 2022 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The show features more than 300,000 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.
