Len Bertran-Jones from Maple Ridge replaced and modified just about everything on his 1933 Ford Woodie when he found it badly neglected in a barn about 12 years ago.
He worked on it each year, starting with the suspension.
"Next we modified it to a Monte Carlo frame for an extended 180-inch wheelbase. The Eastern Maple wood we chipped down and redid it," he said.
"It was originally made in Quebec."
When Jones was in his adolescent years, he worked on race cars at the Mission Raceway.
"A friend of mine and I were wondering what we were going to do, so we built a Ford Anglia and raced that for a number of years," Jones shared.
"I did also rebuild a 1950 Chevy pickup that I had for over 20 years before I sold it when I was younger."
When the cost became too expensive for the race cars and safety equipment, Jones switched gears to yacht racing.
"I sailed since I was young and really enjoyed sailing, it fed the competitive juices," he laughed.
Jones eventually moved to Asia for 10 years for marketing work he did for a computer company. When he returned to B.C., he moved to Maple Ridge from East Vancouver due to the more affordable housing – plus he now has a garage.
He credits his dad, a late Air Force veteran in the Second World War, for sharing the car hobby with him.
"He liked to look after his own cars, so being a little kid I followed him around," Jones chuckled, noting a family tradition may have started.
Of his two own sons, one is into rebuilding cars while the other has gotten into motorcycles. Jones is hopeful one of his grandkids will also take a liking to car restoration.
Jones comes out to various car shows throughout the year across the Fraser Valley, as he's able to, and often takes his 'Canadian Wood'eh' 1933 Ford to display.
Most recently, he brought it out to the second annual Pharoahs Car Club charity fundraiser in Fort Langley on Sunday, Sept. 15.
This year had 350 cars registered, up from the first year's 300, which were parked along Glover Road between Mavis Avenue and 96 Avenue.
It's the first event of its kind allowed to close down a large portion of Fort Langley – now annually – something the Langley Township has never allowed before.
In 2023, the event was initially a one-shot to celebrate the car club's 75th anniversary, but Fraser Valley chapter president Steve Williams said a lot of people requested for its return.
John Noakes from Cloverdale returned for this year's second event, bringing his unique purple 1955 Chevy 150 model.
He bought the car in 1984, originally a light blue, and had been working on it nearly everyday until 2020.
"I always had this vision that I wanted mine to be different than everybody else's."
Before retiring, he did bodywork and painting on vehicles and often helped family and friends restore their own.
"I've had a few cars, but this is probably my last car – I've incorporated everything in this car that I ever wanted to in a custom," he said.
It has a louvred hood chopped up, sunken antennas, custom tail lights, moulded fenders and bumpers, and more totalling about 33 modifications on the car.
"I started building this car with spare parts. I did a lot of it on my own but also with friends' help, the finished body and paint I did, friend and I chopped the top in the '80s – one of the first things we did with the car," Noakes recalled.
This was his first year at the Pharoahs car show, and was glad he came out for it so his Chevy could shine in the sun.
"The paint really comes to life under the sunlight," he said.
Williams intends for the car show to return again next year, and thanked the Langley Township for having them again.
All proceeds go towards supporting Langley Foundry and Encompass.
