Hanging at Frostbite (1)

To begin…this here article was shot waaaay back in late 2017 and was supposed to be published that following spring. So a year ago. As it happens the poop sometimes flies and a battle with a publisher, never full resolved but behind us now, and some life getting in the way, delayed it being posted till now. Sometimes I swear, we can’t win. We did put up some unanswered teasers long ago but otherwise everything seen and written has till present, not seen the light of day. And apologies to those who’ve been waiting on the piece.

So here it is, horribly late but in all its glory, a two-parter where were go into a hot rod shop, a dream gig, and just observe the goings-on. We’re a fly on the wall! And you’re invited along. Frostbite is an auto customizing shop and not just any but one housed in a most incredible historic building. How’s that not awesome? So come join us and see…

Long, long ago we arrive at the shop. Ahead of us are two glorious days, a week or so apart, where we just come in and witness what happens. We’ll watch the guys as they work their magic, the customizers, the mechanics, the body men and others. It takes many skills to put something so complex together. And we’ll wander the halls and bays and the bone yard, just taking in all the wonders found here. It’s old cars, loads of horsepower and a former electric sub-station over a century old repurposed. Frostbite for the win!

Out front, an old gas pump – sixty nine cents a litre – and scattered about the building and part of the landscaping in some cases, a number of cars going back to the 1930s and earlier. Perhaps one day they’ll become fodder for a restoration project or maybe they’re forever lawn art. Imagine them new and someone’s pride and joy, these grizzled old timers saved from scrap yard. Picture it!

Maybe one day to be shiny and new again…

That freakin’ building!. It’s incredible. It once housed electrical gear that supplied power to the general area and it’s said a section of Calgary’s streetcar system (Ogden line). We’re in Highfield Industrial and when built in 1911 the structure, under ownership of Calgary Power, was the only thing around. Back then, this was out in the boonies, a broad swath of nothingness very near the edge of the city just east of Canadian Northern’s railway line into the city. Today, all around are factories and warehouses with the downtown skyline clearly seen off in the distance. The plant, it seems, was once exclusively fed by a hydro-dam out in Kananaskis Country (see: Horseshoe Dam). In behind an open air sub-station still in use.

Frostbite Hotrods – cool rides and an historic shop.

The building stood empty and unused for a time with all the old gear removed till rescued by the current owner. Thanks Preston, the man behind Frostbite, for appreciating old buildings and not just old metal. Being made of concrete (to make it fire/blast proof we suppose) it likely survived, even if unneeded, simply on account of it being too costly to demolish. It ain’t going anywhere anytime soon, come earthquake or atomic blast.

In one cavernous bay, the “Eh Bomb” is worked on, a late 1950s Fargo (and part Dodge & Cadillac), heavily customized, souped up, done up in a military theme for a Veteran. There’s a V10 under the hood, wide tires and a frame and suspension able to hand all that power. On the wall behind, what it’ll look like when done. Here’s to our Vets.

We shadow those doing the work and they soon forget we’re even here. It always plays out this way. Still, we always feel a nuisance doing what we do and a camera in the face can be distracting. We worry they’ll curse or throw a wrench, but here they were nothing but nice. And we learned a lot chatting with them.

Across the bay – how much horsepower? Is that even possible? Mounted on a ’65 GTO getting a makeover, it’s an obscenely powerful engine. Suspect this ride will go through a lot of tires!

From the upper floor balcony a good view of some body work being done out in the yard. It’s a wonderful fall day, so why not? That’s a Mercury Cougar down there. What’s that? A personal hovercraft? Picture yourself flying across some lake. What a hoot!

The upper floor of the Frostbite Hotrod’s building holds some treasures including a Chrysler FirePower V8, big in power and big in size. Even in the largest of engine bays it would need to be shoe-horned in. And over there, a custom ride. Flame jobs are a staple of the hotrod car scene – but are used because they work. And over there, another work in progress – custom frame – that yellow thing. They do cycles too. Check out that snake skin treatment! And bike fenders done up with custom artwork, the effect almost three dimensional.

Buried in the wall, a section of old rail dated (late) 1909. It heads out into the main bays and would have with a second rail, supported a rolling trolley of some kind. There would have been lots of heavy equipment here when in use – transformers and the like – and this would have been needed to move stuff about. The rail was made at Algoma Steel in Ontario, a firm that still exists under another name, but they no longer makes train tracks.

Sanding and more sanding, it takes patience and experience to do body work right. Sand and paint, sand and paint, and do all over all again. And in the end, if done proper, a car that blinds you out in the sun.

Over in the front office all kinds of car culture memorabilia for sale. Knives as art, skulls a popular theme, wearables, Rat Fink essentials (from the mind of legend Ed Roth), Frostbite Ts (she’s got bony hands!) and wall art, so all the necessary accessories for those into this lifestyle. Over there an old Corvette front clip turned desk. And in the owners collection of interesting things, an old beaten up revolver rescued after being found in some parking lot with live rounds still inside. We wonder the story behind it. It looks to have been driven over a number of times (yikes, that could have been disastrous), or maybe even buried for a spell, explaining why it looks as it does. It must surely be very old.

Original to the building, cast metal spiral stairs. They made things ornate back them.

A ’66 Mustang gets prepped for another layer of paint. The effect of many coats is hard to describe but think deep and dramatic. The paint goes on forever! Like you could reach in. A door gets some attention…banging out some imperfections. These cars don’t look like much now, but just wait.

It’s open heart surgery for cars.

Wandering about, there’s quiet places where no one is about. Little things, it’s a photographer’s playground. Shiny stuff and those that sparkle. The building is equipped with huge windows which casts an almost ethereal light. It’s as bright as outside, which is good given what they do here. You don’t want to work in the dark when appearances matter.

A most special place in the basement, a place to play when the day’s work is done. Pool table and a juke box, old school vids, slots (there goes a mortgage payment – 12 step support team on speed dial), cold ones in the fridge, a place to jam, wings in the fryer, all hidden behind a secret wall. Cruisin’ USA, a favourite from the 1990s. And I thought I was a good driver…

On display, an old cycle (a “Cleveland”, circa 1920-ish according to my notes), a barn find and mechanically intact. See it back there? You’re thinking was we’re thinking – it would make some kind of restoration project! For now it’s decorations. Now why didn’t we photograph it up close? Well that’s a question for the ages. A hushed under our breath “doh”.

Out in the yard. On deck, there’s a 1955 Buick Special, since worked on and all black now. It’s been given a new, more modern drive train too. Those pointy things on the bumper are called “Dagmars” and we’re named after a rather endowed TV personality who was often seen sporting one of those conical bullet bras of the era. We know all about those things (Google Cameo Intimates Bullet Bra). Dagmars were offered on many makes of the car in that era. It was a great time for car designs.

This Buick belongs to a local Veteran – they love helping those fellows here at Frostbite Hotrods. Selfie photobomb! It’s hard to shoot chrome without including one’s self in the pic.

Over here outside it’s a 1937 Plymouth – cars from the 1930s are particularly pleasing in form – perhaps one day to be restored. Or maybe not. There’s a 70s/80s Jeep CJ, a rugged little ride and one well regarded as capable, a 1949-1951 era Mercury (highly collectible) and all manner of this and that. Some are parts cars, some perhaps future projects.

A couple shop dogs live on the property. They’re nice and friendly enough but I can’t think come closing that they’d turn full on Mr Hyde in a heartbeat. Heaven help you if you were to drop by after dark – but then you’d be up to no good anyway. They have a cool confident demeanour, but at the same time, it’s clear they’d take you down if you so much as threatened the security of the shop.

More wandering about, more things seen. There’s an old Pontiac with that iconic hood ornament. Pontiac was a well known Chief of the Ottawa (Odawa) People of North Central US and South Central Canada (around the Great Lakes) in the 1700s. There’s another Mercury. Inside, specialized tools and random stuff, car culture treats. The place is alive with activity, buzzing with noise and the sparks fly. The phone rings and on being put down rings again. The talk is that strange language of cars only know to those in the business. It’s about capacities and ponies, paint formulas, stiffer this, power that, street or track, show piece or daily driver. And we’re lost.

Peer inside this car, peer inside that. We’re free range photographers. “Sin for sale”, advertised on an old hearse. Thanks, but I have enough.

Near the main entry, an elevator that takes cars up to the second floor. That’s where do the painting, in a high tech spray booth (seen in the next instalment). It’s a super cool “clean room”.

This 1935 Ford. There’s something nice about these depression era cars. Is was a bloody difficult time, but cars were so stylish then. They spoke of optimism and a bright future even in the face of troubled times. Depression? What depression?

And as the day ends, the amazing Frostbite Hotrods shop building. This is one of most visually pleasing “old school” buildings in Calgary (IMHO) and seemingly is little known. It simply flies under the radar. I guess the out of the way location contributes to that – few people ever see or pass it and it obscured by other buildings until one gets close. It’s not terribly elaborate in design, but in no way is it plain or uninteresting. Notice the sub station in behind, of which it was once part of. Here it hum.

The “Eh Bomb”, a military themed Fargo.

Is that a Pontiac Fiero? And a Shelby Daytona? Yes and yes – ’80s heaven. Cars of this era seemingly get little love by the fraternity. Then we ponder…come many years hence will our poor-man’s Cruze ever become hotrod material? Maybe we can jam in that Chrysler FirePower mill! Somehow I don’t see them ever rodding out a car like this.

And with that the day’s done. It’s been a good eight or ten hours here at Frostbite – lost count – a most educational and fun time spent just watching, learning and documenting. But we’re not done. We’ll return later to see the progress made and take in more of this wonderful subject. It’s that amazing. We were in awe watching all those craftspeople doing what they do and that amazing building of which the business is housed. Wow, simply wow. Till then…

Frostbite Hotrods: “BUILDING DREAMS, RESTORING MEMORIES”. Yup, that sums it up. You can visit them here: Fostbite on the Web.

Part two…
Hanging at Frostbite (2) – another day in paradise!

Did someone say vintage metal?
Old Jack’s Collection (1).
Kelts’ Collection.
Old Iron (SK edition).

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: October and November 2018!
Location: Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: Preston and the crew at Frostbite Hotrods for accommodating (and tolerating) us.

Just observing and documenting.

And no one threw a wrench at us.

Obscene power.

Attending to some bodywork.

Fun to the “ten to the sixth” power.

Huge and heavy and powerful.

Flame jobs work.

They customize bikes too.

A project waiting in the wings.

The effect is 3D.

Embedded in a wall.

It takes patience and skill.

From the mind of Ed Roth.

Memorabilia and collectibles for sale.

Knife as art.

Strange find, this revolver with rounds still in the cylinder.

Sacred artifacts here in the temple.

An amazing spiral stair original to the building.

V-Twin power and a Corvette turned desk.

Working on a blemish.

Sand & paint, sand & paint, rinse & repeat.

She’s a nice girl but has bony hands.

Things shiny and chrome.

These interesting details – look for the photographer.

Gamesrooooooom!

One cylinder on an old cycle.

Apparently I can’t drive worth a damn.

For when the work’s done.

This ’55 Buick is on deck to be worked on.

Perhaps one day to be restored?

Nothing beats a CJ.

This model Mercury is highly collectible.

Rat Fink approves.

In charge of security.

Big cars, little details.

Named for an “endowed’ celebrity – selfie photobomb!

It doesn’t look like much now…but just you wait.

At every turns, the things seen.

To get cars to the upper level.

No thanks, I have my share.

To hit the road again?

In the boneyard.

An homage to Chief Pontiac.

In the soft light, a peaceful corner of the shop.

A big piece of lawn art.

And the firm’s historic shop building.

One last shot…but yeah, we’ll be back another day.