Raj Deschante from Moncton, Canada, shares his journey with a unique 1965 Mustang GT427 at the Houston Autorama. He discusses the car's extensive restoration history, the challenges of sourcing custom parts, and the intricacies of showing cars at prestigious events. The conversation touches on cross-border car transport, the importance of paperwork, and the vibrant car culture in Canada. Additionally, the hosts cover automotive news, including recalls and industry updates, making for an engaging episode filled with personal stories and insights.
Topics:mustang restorationcar showscross-border transportautomotive newscustom parts sourcingcar culture in canadaISCA eventsGT427 history
Rev your engines and join us for a cruise down memory lane with our guest, Rejean 'Raj' Desjardins. Hailing from New Brunswick, Canada, Raj’s infectious passion for cars and his captivating journey with his 1965 Mustang GT427 will leave you spellbound. He unravels the tale of how he acquired this particular piece of machinery, the painstaking restoration process, and the exhilaration of unveiling it at Detroit's revered Autorama.
You'll be inspired by his dedication and strategy as he shares insights on navigating the challenging ISCA show circuit and border crossings, all while keeping his eyes on the prize.
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"Oh, you have to be in this place for four days and travel 2,500 miles. Well, like a brand new F-350. Yeah Well, Larry was telling us the story about how you've kind of moved the car and stored it."
"...th other car enthusiasts, from BMWs to mentallys, corvettes to McLarens. The Car Social is a different kind o..."
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Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast, a 30 minute mini version of the In Wheel Time car show that airs live every Saturday morning 8 to 11am central.
That's anywhere.
We are hot to trot from the 63rd annual Autorama at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, texas.
It is the In Wheel Time car talk show Coming up.
We have Raj Deschante joining us in the booth, from Moncton, new Brunswick, canada.
It's a Canadian.
Eh, yes, he's here and we're going to talk to him.
Also, we are going to have later our automotive news headlines.
We've got more guests from today's Autorama.
We're just having a ball.
Just because you pronounce his name right doesn't mean you're bilingual.
No, hardly.
I think it really good.
He's bipolar.
Yeah, there's that, raj, glad you're here.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Did Larry Weigh talk you into this?
He sort of picked me up on the side as I was walking in there.
He was literally walking him over to me, did he?
Did he really?
I said good morning and come this way, I like it Are you a native New Brunswickan?
Yes, sir.
Are you?
Yeah.
And so you know, what I'd really like to do is just let him talk so we can listen to his accent.
There you go.
No, I don't have an accent, you guys do.
Yo, there's that too.
It works both ways, doesn't it?
There you go, are you a car guy?
Oh, you have to be in this place for four days and travel 2,500 miles.
Yeah Well, Larry was telling us the story about how you've kind of moved the car and stored it.
Well, wait a minute.
We don't even know that he had a car until now.
Yeah, don't be telling his story.
He's got a.
GT427.
What in the world is a GT427?
Is it something that we would know here in the United States, or is this a Canadian car?
The GT427,.
It's a number pretty well, it's a 1965 Mustang.
A 65 Mustang with a big block motor in it.
Just a little bit of history.
Shelby, when they named the GT350, everybody thinks it's a 350 cubic inch.
Right, it was a 302.
Yes, at that time it was named.
I guess the amount of steps that there was between the production and the test track.
Just a number.
How funny, I didn't know that, yeah.
So it is not 427.
It's not necessarily a displacement.
What is the displacement in this car?
It is a 302.
It's a 302.
Yep Ha, who was to know In what year?
Is it 1965.
A 65.
And fast back.
How long have you had this car?
I bought it in 2020.
Really yes sir, did you buy it in this condition or did you do anything to it?
Well, this besides, put more money into it, of course.
This is a project that was started back in 2001.
This guy here wanted to build a 65 Mustang and he got along with Buddy and once a week they'd gather in the garage and cut and weld and have a few drinks, and next week they'd do the same and kept going.
And how did you get married to the car?
Well, the project kept on and kept on, and we're a small town.
Because, drinking became more important than the car there was some of that.
They had to finish it to go to the.
AA meeting.
So you were here about that.
We're a small town, especially the car guys.
So anyway, it went on and on and finally they brought this guy back in 2008, I believe, to do some interior work in it, and that guy's very talented and he did all the interior and then he moved on to the exterior and carbon fiber and on and on.
He worked on it five years straight and I got to be Buddy with this guy, in particular, leon, and once he was done his part in his contribution to the project, one of the original guy got an accident with his eye and everything stalled.
The project stalled first about four years.
So I got to know the owner and long and short in 2020, I purchased the car, which was probably like 75, 80% complete at that time, and brought in my garage and finished it up over the.
Finished it up in the unveiled in February in Detroit, ottawa.
Okay, okay.
So it's a long process, but I got involved in it pretty well full time since 2020.
What a story, love it.
What did you do professionally, I assumed?
Are you still working?
Oh, I'm retired.
You're tired for eight, nine years now, what was your profession when you were working?
I was a commercial glass guy, automatic doors and got you commercial construction.
So and so where did you get your passion for cars and get into something like this?
Because this is a, this is an awesome looking car.
It comes in from the young age.
Yeah, Was your dad a car guy?
Must have had friends that were car guys Well.
I'm the youngest of a big family.
Yeah, 11.
Did you get?
hand me down cars.
Well, I remember all the in-laws, brother-in-laws and whatever that were coming over and this one about this car, and I went and went out for test drive and it was just then.
Everybody was talking about it and nobody was a real car guy.
I think I'm the one that you got to the extreme of everybody there.
Yeah, you grabbed the torch and ran with it.
Yeah, yeah, so you know, and then you get a couple of kids and start to build a business and whatsoever, so that part stays on the back burner.
Oh yes, but when you got a chance and it seems like you've, nowadays in my city, there where we live, it seems a lot of time the car finds you.
You don't find the car because that's how it goes there.
So but there.
Actually I was at last year, a year before last, the couple that were from, I think, nova Scotia.
Where they were.
They had the way that they found parts and pieces out there in the middle of nowhere the gray Vicky, no, no no it was not.
It was an internet guy yeah, and they had a wonderful show, but because of where they were, parts were limited to get them.
I mean, you know what I'm talking about.
Did you have to deal with any of that?
Well, this is so custom.
So for like the original part, there's not a whole lot Like it's a lot of custom stuff.
So if you can find it great, if you can't, you got to make it self.
Yeah, but for when you're talking about some really original stuff, the internet has helped that a lot in the last you know, 20 years or whatever.
So when you order off the internet, maybe a used part or something like that, and it gets there and you go, no, this is not going to cut it, yeah, and then the pain I mean you have to go through to send it back, to get your money back and that sort of thing, no, no you put that on the side and you just move on.
You don't worry about taking the loss.
Oh yeah especially when we're cross-border, like within, within Canada, it's one thing, but cross-border with customs, and duties, whatever.
Just put it aside and move on.
Move on.
Yeah, but you don't do that for big ticket items.
Big ticket items, I mean, I would imagine that you know the seller pretty well and you trust them that what they say is going to arrive in that condition and it's a lot easier to with the photos and whatsoever, like you know, to move the outlet information nowadays there.
So you know, but it's always buyers beware to.
Yeah, exactly.
Is this car a driver, or do you trailer it everywhere?
I think I got about 30, 40 miles on it and it's been.
Trailer all over the world.
Well, north America, north America, and it's over here, right, yes, just down there by the entrance there.
So that, that I hear the story that Larry tells that you show it here and then you trailer it somewhere and store it there for a while and then trailer it back over to here and trailer it there and it's a complicated mess.
Well, the I've gone to Detroit, then we went to Chicago, then Toronto and back home, like I trailer it everywhere.
And then we went also to Columbus.
We went to Tennessee, and here you are in Houston, texas.
There you go.
Oh my God, how many.
I assume that you have a pickup truck that you pull the trailer with.
Yes, what kind of a?
What kind of a truck do you have to all these miles?
Well, like a brand new F-350.
I just picked it up two weeks before I left home.
What other projects do you have?
Oh, at this point there, that's been like it's.
This was all done in the garage there, so I turned just about all the picked up, all the bolts on it and whatever.
Nothing smoldering in the background.
You know I want to do that.
Well, really, I had a 47 Dodge Pyro wagon.
Those are those army truck there and that's what I was going to do, and then this one came on board, so the other one got set aside, but you still have it.
Yes, yeah.
It's just waiting for your skills.
That should be the next one.
Yeah, exactly I wanted to ask you this kind of off the subject question.
But how is it going across the border between Canada and the United States with a trailer and a car in it?
It hasn't been much of an issue.
No, no, really yeah, and I've done before I went to North Carolina.
I've been here and there with different vehicles and whatsoever, and hasn't been much of an issue.
Yes, as long as you have the paperwork, you're good.
Yes, yeah, like they want to see you're.
You own the car and you know they'll open it up and check, make sure the serial number is right and whatsoever.
It's not a stolen item and those kinds of things.
But I have somebody that prepared like right now I've got a bond for it so that if I don't return it back which that's what the customs like to see there but there's a bond on it.
That's good there for years.
So when you have your paperwork you say like uh, hasn't been uh, hasn't been an issue.
That's good.
So do your homework, make sure that you got all the paperwork If you're going to go cross border with something like that.
I've never asked that question and I was wondering how that happens, especially with you know, all these things that you hear there, the judges, uh, that you hear about, uh, you know these going on at the border these days, um, and especially uh now, since, uh, covid and you know they closed the border for so long, and just one thing after another and um, I just had to ask that question.
But that, that part's been, it's been okay.
Yeah, been okay.
Interesting.
Yeah, and like with this year too, I've got a few tools, like I got a floor jack, I've got this and that.
There too, I've got a list that, uh, you know the for the Canadian government, if I buy something here, well when we go back in, like you've got to pay your taxes on it and whatsoever.
So it's those things too that you got to be careful that, uh, you know, when you cross border, that, uh, you're not taxing something that you already had before or right, it's been, it's been fine, so it's real.
Yeah, so really, the secret is having the paperwork.
Yep, yeah, and uh, you know, being open and honest with customs and the border patrol and that sort of thing.
Yeah, yeah.
And I you know, I don't think that most people really think about that, Um, but you would think about it if you're trailering across the border If you had to do it often enough.
Yeah.
Do you have a lot of car shows in Canada like this?
Oh, yes, yeah, but uh, like this is the ISCA.
Yes, so back home we're one of the locations throughout the year for the ISCA Gotcha One of the reason to what I'm here um, for ISCA for the final in Cincinnati that's coming up in January.
Yes.
Well, you got to have four points, so we got to make certain shows to get the points.
Right.
And the other thing too is we went for a Riddler in Detroit in February and one of the criteria over there to qualify for Riddler contender, it can't be shown anywhere, it's not on the internet.
The unveiling is going to be there, so you start pretty well in the middle of the year.
So we did uh, Detroit got a point there.
We did Chicago, another one.
There back home we got another one.
But by that time in the season there's not too many ISCA shows left.
Left, so you got to schedule them all.
Right.
So you're not planning your route, because you're going to hit them all with the car and the trailer.
And then the route two.
Three weeks ago we were in Las Vegas at the Seaman show, so who'd you show it?
What'd you what's displayed at Seaman?
We were in the mother's boot inside, so really prime real estate yeah.
And uh, well, congratulations, because that alone is something to show in a big, major booth like that.
Yeah, yeah.
So that's it.
Like went to Seaman and then I brought the car over here, left, I hit it there for a couple of weeks, flew home back here and here we are today.
Yeah, it's.
It's a real commitment to show on the ISCA tour.
You don't have to show it all of the shows, but you have to be selective at the shows that you show to be sure that you get a point for showing there and you've got to follow the rules because you just can't show.
For instance, like you said, couldn't have shown there before the Detroit show, right, and you know, that's really something if you stop to think about it, because, like this show, the Magnificent Seven, same thing they couldn't have shown at this particular venue before, right, yep.
So it's a slipper.
It wasn't allowed to be out at all period.
No, no pictures on the internet or anything it's.
it's a secret, it's the first time out right, yeah.
Yeah, I remember the guy that we were talking about from Canada before they.
When we were talking to him, there was a lot of people worried about somebody seeing it with her phone.
Yes.
Yeah, yeah, which that part was fairly easy because it was done in the garage.
But when you do that in the shop whatsoever, you never know who walks through the door.
It's right, just casually snap a picture, just because it's easy to do and ruin your opportunity for riddler by doing something yeah maybe not even knowing that they did that, but that's it.
But if they, understand what the show circuits about?
yeah, they would and nowadays people are so happy to snap and put it out there to be the first one at it, or you know so either that or just casually.
Hey, I went to the car show and I saw this, or I went to this guy's shop and he's got a really cool car.
I snapped a picture of it.
Here it is and boom, it winds up.
You didn't even know it was taken and it could ruin your chances of being able to compete for that award.
So you got a plan sort of your yes.
Strategy along the way there to see what so what class?
Is this car in Street, the machine there?
street yes.
Yeah street, touring yeah street touring.
Yeah, there's so many classes in.
I went on the ISCA site yesterday, as a matter of fact, looking to see what was available as far as the book is concerned, where the judges go in there and they classify these cars.
Well, there's a lot of classifications.
This car that we're showing here, the mr Norm car, it was eligible for three different classes, and what class do you put it in?
Do you know what your competitors are in that class and you want to be able to win your class?
Do you think your car is good enough to go up to the other car that is in this particular class, or do you put it in a class by itself Under?
the street, because there's nobody else in.
So there's all these things that are going on Behind the scenes, that most people don't know yeah.
For the final in Cincinnati.
It's five different classes, like they're all combined within five different Wow.
So it gets really tough.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Why did they choose Cincinnati?
Don't know, I think it's been there.
From what I've been told, it was probably one of the first show ago for a while, yeah, but it's central to like a lot, so really that part I yeah, I don't have any.
So new Brunswick, in the overall scheme of things, is it in South East Canada?
no, we're.
I Don't know if you call it south there, but we're border with the state of Maine, so he's east.
You're closer to Nova Scotia.
It's the next province after we're Right down the road miles 30 miles.
So do you guys make fun of new fees?
No, does everybody make fun of new fees?
Not as much now, but it used to be a thing, a thing.
I got a Great friend there and he's from Newfoundland and you know they're they're, they're the one to to have around there.
They're great people.
So oh yes, that's for sure.
That was a nice way to put it.
Yes, Reg, it's great to talk to you All right.
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your story.
Thank you With the.
GT 427.
It's the Mustang that's here.
It's white and you can see it.
As you walk in the door down there.
Awesome stuff down on that car yeah no doubt All right, thank you.
It was a pleasure, deschante.
Thank you, yes, did I do okay.
Very good, very good.
Thank you, and you can go to French 102 after that.
Thank, you.
Thank you very much.
Well, we appreciate that.
All right, we're going to get to some headlines here.
We haven't done that today and I need to take a little time because we do have headlines to get to.
On the Inwheel Time car talk show, stalantis is recalling more than 45,000 Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid SUVs globally after an internal investigation uncovered eight vehicle fires.
What All?
Eight vehicles were parked and turned off when the fires occurred, while six of the vehicles were connected to EV charges.
The automaker said Wednesday the company was not aware of any related injuries or accidents.
Recall covers certain 21 to 24 Jeep Wrangler 4 by E plug-in hybrid SUVs.
About 32,000 are affected here in the United States.
The affected vehicles can still be driven, but Stalantis is advising customers to refrain from recharging them and to park away from structures and other vehicles until they are repaired.
To fix the issue, dealers will check the software.
If a certain error code appears, the battery pack will be replaced.
It's complicated.
So there's smore to the story.
Yeah, affecting customers will be notified when they can schedule service.
So far this year, stalantis is issued 41 recalls affecting 2.5
million vehicles in the US, according to NHTSA data.
Speaking of NHTSA, the US Auto Safety Regulators have withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required all new cars and light trucks to be equipped with vehicle to vehicle communication.
Yeah, we've had this discussion on the show before Yep.
In a federal documents later to be published Monday, nhtsa said it was scrapping its 2017 proposal because of the emergence of new technologies such as cellular vehicle to everything, or CV2X, and a federal communications commission decision in 2020 to split a key spectrum band that was long reserved for automakers.
David.
Big brothers watching.
V2X allows vehicles on the road to communicate wirelessly with other vehicles in infrastructure, such as traffic signals, but the technology has not yet been widely adopted by the automakers and other stakeholders in the United States.
That way they could just email Morris's speeding tickets.
That's right.
Toyota, a US-based auto financing unit, will pay $60 million in fines and restitution to settle a US regulator's charges.
It illegally prevented borrowers from canceling product bundles that increase their monthly car loan payments.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday said Toyota will pay a $12 million civil fine and $48 million to harmed consumers.
Company did not admit or deny liability in agreeing to settle.
Toyota Motor Credit, based in Plano, provides financing for people who buy vehicles at Toyota dealerships with nearly $5 million customer accounts as of October 2022.
And CFPB thousands of consumers complained to Toyota that dealers lied about whether these products were mandatory or rushed the paperwork.
No, dealers lied, so they wouldn't realize how much they were paying.
So let's say there's five Not all dealers, but there are some, as we have discussed on this program, that are a little wormy.
Wormy, yeah under the table so there's five million customers and $48 million.
Everybody gets 10 bucks Pretty much.
And the attorneys make $40 million.
Yeah, if you're lucky.
Yeah, we know that Tesla threatened to sue Cybertruck buyers for $50,000 if they resold that Cybertruck within a year after they bought it, but it removed the clause last week after getting blowback over the unusual restriction.
The reversal sparked even more speculation about Tesla's motivations, suggesting to some analysts that the electric vehicle maker headed by Elon Musk doesn't expect to produce large volumes of the Cybertruck, which had originally promised to release in 2021.
Tesla plans to deliver the first Cybertruck on November 30th.
Ahead of that event, it added a Cybertruck specific section to the order agreement on its website, barring resale within a year of delivery.
They don't want people buying them and then marking them up and selling them again.
Well, you got to be careful how you use your terminology.
Don an electric car and sparked something, exactly.
I didn't write it.
That would be from automotive news.
I was trying to figure out what difference would it make to them if I paid them what they wanted for the truck and I turned around and sold it six months later because I didn't like it.
They want you to buy a new one.
No, it has nothing to do with that.
They're trying to protect their interest in continuing to manufacture the truck.
When you see that in some things over time the Ford GT had the same thing when they first came out.
Yeah, but those are special cars.
We're talking about a truck here, I guess to your point, the Jeff's point is the.
Cybertruck is going to be a special truck because they're only going to make it for a certain period of time and Tesla wants to be sure that they can sell everyone that they've got, because that is a very specific buyer.
If you got deep pockets, you will pay whatever it takes to have one.
And now Tesla is going to lose money because they're not going to sell you a new one.
Okay, there's the waiting list is too long.
Allegedly there's a redesign coming up.
Yes, that's what I've heard, okay.
But I don't know.
Oh, that makes for sense, because I'm not a fan of the way it looks.
Now I like it.
You buy that truck not because of what it does or is capable of doing.
It's not going to tow or haul anything.
It's going to be like Donkey it won't haul Donkey.
I don't believe it.
It's going to be a novelty, is what it's going to be there you go, that's all, so you can't buy it and run it through Barrett Jackson next.
That's what they're trying to prevent.
I need to cancel my order, then Would you hand me that business card right there, I got to get the spelling right Dégenté.
Like.
I said Not Desjardins from Dingerville.
C-A-N-A-D-A, Canada.
That's right.
Dry.
Canada.
Dry Ginger ale.
Oh, speaking of dry, let's go now, buddy.
There you go.
Thank you so much, oh man, I'm afraid to even open that.
Good to see you.
Hey, I wanted to tell everybody that we thank you for joining us today.
We'll have more of the In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show coming your way here in about three minutes.
Right after this quick break from the George Arbron Convention Center and the 63rd annual Autorama, houston's finest cars are invited to another Gulf Coast Auto Shield Car Social Saturday, december 2nd, and you're invited too.
Show off your personal pride and joy, or just stop in to see the likes of Lucid Lamborghini, porsche, ferrari and more.
Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your one-stop shop for paint, detailing, coatings, window tint, clear bras and wheel repair.
The Car Social is your opportunity to get a tour of this state-of-the-art facility, located at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway.
It all takes place Saturday, december 2nd, 9 to noon.
This is the perfect opportunity to connect with other car enthusiasts, from BMWs to mentallys, corvettes to McLarens.
The Car Social is a different kind of show.
Talk to the owners.
See Gulf Coast Auto Shield's facility.
You'll be amazed.
Put it on your calendar now.
The Gulf Coast Auto Shield Car Social Saturday, december 2nd, 9 to noon at 11275 South Sam Houston Parkway, just south of the Southwest Freeway.
The In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show will be there too, we'll see you then.
Hey Houston, america's greatest hot rod tradition is back Thanksgiving weekend the O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto-Rama At the George R Brown Convention Center.
Four action-packed days of hot rods, customs classics trucks and performance cars.
The Ultimate Lowrider Showcase Sponsored by Shorties Hydraulics, see Lone Star Throwdowns, texas-sized truck spread, and don't miss the traditional rod and custom section Friday, saturday and Sunday see wild, high-flying freestyle motocross stunt shows.
Stop the Swap, meet and Women's World all weekend On the celebrity stage Presented by Nick's Auto Repair and Classic Car Restoration.
Friday meet AEW Tag Team Superstars to Lucho Bros.
Saturday it's Noel G Hector from the Fast and Furious.
Sunday it's Lou Ferrigno, the original, incredible Hult.
The O'Reilly Auto Parts Auto-Rama this weekend at the George R Brown Convention Center.
Discount tickets at O'Reilly Auto Parts, part of the Summer Racing Equipment Show Car Series.
Visit auto-ramacom for more info.
The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipes mean when it comes to the best fajitas in Southeast Texas.
Founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the original loopy tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6.
Here's the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make loopy tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex.
Speaking of original, nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade that everyone will agree makes loopy tortilla award-winning beef fajitas, the best anywhere.
Loopy Tortilla Katie is another location that gives you the same quality and service Houstonians have come to expect at loopies.
It's located just off I-10, in the Grand Parkway.
At Kingsland Boulevard in Katie, find yourself an Aggie Land.
Head to the loopy tortilla in College Station, located just around the corner from Kyle Field, it's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game.
Head to East, to Louisiana.
Stop in at the loopy tortilla in Beaumont.
It twos on I-10.
You can't miss it.
The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants invites you in for the best Tex-Mex anywhere.
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