Up to 500 vehicles will file into Downtown Chilliwack this Sunday (June 22), for the 20th Annual Village Classic Car Show.
And when they do, the showstopper will likely be one that has never rolled off an assembly line.
Chilliwack resident Kevin Mindel will be bringing his one-of-a-kind, 1968 Mercury Cougar Fastback GT-P 鈥� nicknamed "Predator." Local car enthusiasts may have caught sight of it at the 黑马磁力 Cruise-In last September, but this is the first time it will be featured at the Village Classic.
It will be strategically placed downtown near Five Corners, the centre of the action for the family-friendly event. It will be on display, presented by Certified Autosound, for Mindel's company BC DeLorean.
Ford never made a Fastback Cougar, so creating one has led to a vehicle with more than a million dollars worth of work. Mindel credits JF Launier of JF Kustoms in Osoyoos for the vision and creation of the car.
They met several years ago, and Launier pitched the idea.
"As a collector, I could see the uniqueness of this custom car and jumped on the opportunity to invest in this project," Mindel told Black Press in 2024, adding that Launier already had a reputation of award-winning, custom-built vehicles.
At first, Mindel admits the project was just to add another cool car to his collection. But as they finished up the car, he felt it should be entered into car shows 鈥� particularly one in Detroit.
"I wanted to have this car appear as if it had been built in 1968 as a concept car kept in hiding until now," he said.
Predator is powered by an aluminum Kaase Boss 9, 529 cubic inch, 770 horsepower, and pushed through a Tremec transmission on a one-off custom engineered suspension system, Mindel explained. The interior, trim, badging, head and tail light bezels, and intake manifold are all one-off CNC designs through 3D printing, hand painting, and real wood in the console and dashboard.
"All the efforts from everyone involved, with their amazing craftmanship proved to be a winner. Our car Predator was awarded with one of the prestigious Great 8's in the (2024) Detroit Autorama car show," Mindel said.
He also credits his business partner, Lee Bouthillier and their crew at Stones Speed Shop in Chilliwack, for the polish and final details, getting Predator ready for showing. Fabricator Gary Yorston spent four years on this project, David Launier was the painter, and Lee Baxter Hot Rod Interiro handled the upholstery.
The interior's design, build and sound system was done by Tyler Neault at Certified Autosound, and Razor Customs also looked after some details.
But with about 500 cars expected to fill the streets this Sunday, there are plenty of other incredible projects to admire.
As always, the downtown will be divided somewhat, with different streets and sections set aside for specific makes, models and clubs. Visitors to the downtown should expect to find road closures throughout the day, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and be prepared to walk.
Trevor McDonald, Downtown Chilliwack BIA executive director, said they are expecting this show to be the biggest yet. The event will run rain or shine, and will include food vendors, live music and more. This year's live entertainment includes the Lounge Hounds, the Stan Giles Band and Full Tilt.
The Village Classic will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with more than 20 trophies to be given away at the ceremonies beginning at 2:45 p.m.
One of the annual highlights in recent years has been the inclusion of famous vehicles from the movies, courtesy of BC DeLorean. This year, fans will get up close and personal with vehicles from The Transformers and Jurassic Park.
"Having these cars has really opened the door for opportunities, memories, and above all meeting great new people," Mindel said in 2024. "Seeing the excitement in everyone's eyes when they first see one of our cars makes it all worth it."
For those bringing in a car for the show, registration begins at 7 a.m. The first 500 will receive 20th anniversary dash plaques. Registration is in front of the Chilliwack Courthouse.
