Andrew Snucins has posted an extended gallery of over 250 amazing images from the 2013 Hagerty Spring Thaw.You can see the gallery on his website HERE.

If you are interested in buying images to help commemorate your adventure through the wilds of BC, please get in touch with Andrew directly (through his website) and reference the image number. He is selling the high-resolution digital files for $25 each. Andrew donates his time and covers all his own gas expenses at the event, so please support him if you can!

Thanks to Andrew Snucins Photography for documenting the entire weekend. He will have an extended gallery online soon, and if you wish to get additional images of your car, please contact Andrew directly at: AndrewSnucins.ca or (250)-320-0657

Please send us links to your galleries from the weekend – we’d love to see your perspective! photos@classiccaradventures.com

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Starting Location and Times

This year we’ll be starting from the Squamish Adventure Centre, located right on Highway 99 as you come into the town of Squamish. The Adventure Centre address, for your GPS, is 38551 Loggers Lane, Squamish, British Columbia V8B 0H2. If you’re more of a Google Maps type, just click here: http://goo.gl/maps/wnhpj. The registration desk will open at 9:00am, and be available until 10:00am. We’ll hold a mandatory participants meeting at 10:15am, before departing at 10:30. The Adventure Centre has washrooms, some tourist information and a great coffee and pastry shop. For those people who wish to come see the cars at the start, your best time is between 9:30 and 10:15am.

The Unofficial Thursday Night

Usually there is a small crowd of participants staying in town on the Thursday night, and we’ve been known to get together for a beverage or two before bed time. It’s a good time for stories, getting acquainted with old friends and meeting some new ones. We thought this year we’d suggest a spot to meet up. So, your Organizers will endeavor to be at Howe Sound Brew Pub for dinner and drinks. The Brew Pub is found at 37801 Cleveland Ave Squamish, BC V8B 0J9. When you walk in the main door, the restaurant is on your right, and the pub is on your left. Just follow the sounds of crazy automotive stories. Tradition would suggest we might still be installing rod bearings or adjusting brakes the night before, so feel free to shoot us a text if you’re trying to find us.

Squamish Hotels

If you’re traveling from a great distance, perhaps you’d like to book a hotel room in Squamish on Thursday night? Squamish has four options that we’d suggest to you: The Howe Sound Inn & Brewing is a boutique hotel with a great pub onsite. The Sandman Inn is our newest hotel location, and the Best Western has been used by plenty of Spring Thaw participants before. Also available is theExecutive Suites hotel which has a great restaurant on site and underground parking. As per previous years, your accommodations for Friday and Saturday night are fully taken care of by your organizers.

We can’t wait to see you!

-Dave & Warwick
(Also Sue, Andrew & The Intern)

We know you’ve all been waiting patiently by the roaring fire, roasting chestnuts, and clicking refresh on your computer all holiday. It’s finally here – 2013 Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure Registration Day!

As usual, it’s a ‘rally to the post’, with the entry list being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Similar to previous years, we have 50 spots available at first. Pending hotel room and dinner space availability once our pre-runs are complete, we may release more spots later on.

This year’s event starts in Squamish, BC on Friday, April 26th and ends in Hope, BC on April 28th, 2013. Who will be the first to our doorstep this year with their entry?!

PDF Forms & Information:

HAGERTY SPRING THAW ENTRY FORM 2013
HAGERTY SPRING THAW SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS 2013 <—- PLEASE READ IN FULL

Link: 2013 Entry List

I consider myself lucky enough to have experienced the days of car buying before the internet. Circling newspaper ads, leaving notes on windshields and endless dead-end phone calls. Today, many of us start the day surfing Craigslist, Auto Trader, Bring a Trailer and more…looking for that next car, next project or hidden gem. When I decided on a 1971 Super Beetle for my last project it took me almost two months to find an acceptable starter. There are millions of beetles out there, but I wanted an example from just a single year. Imagine the challenge of finding not a single year, but a single VIN! A good friend of ours, Dave Koszegi, is doing just that.

Once Dave begins to tell the story, it’s not hard to figure out where his love of cars came from. Throughout his youth, Dave’s dad would always talk about his favourite car; a 1968 Mercedes Benz 300se. “My entire life I heard stories about that car,” Dave tells me. “Dad would talk about how fast it was.” The car was special ordered with the 3 litre, fuel injected six cylinder which I understand was similar to that used in the famous Gullwing. The car was also specified with an Automatic transmission, MBtex interior and a maroon paint. “The paint,” Dave begins, “Dad would always talk about the paint job. He really loved the colour.” Anytime the two of them passed a vehicle with a maroon paint job, Dave’s dad would start telling him stories about his beloved Mercedes. Purchased new from the dealer in 1968, Dave’s father owned the car for just four years. The arrival of Dave, brother to four other siblings, meant the 300se was traded in at the local Ford Dealership for an LTD woody wagon with more seating capacity. But the Mercedes was never forgotten.

Dave’s father passed away about five years ago, and Dave has been on the hunt for this specific Mercedes. He’s been able to trace the car from 1968, right to the year 2000…but then the trail goes cold. After it was traded into the Ford dealership the car was sold to private owner located in Edmonton Alberta. In the ’80′s she contacted the family to say the car was running great, and then later placed it up for sale in the 90′s. The car was sold to another Alberta owner, who kept it insured until 1999 or 2000…but that is where the trail goes cold. Dave has checked with Alberta registration, sea and rail shipping companies, and believes the car is still located somewhere in Canada…probably Alberta. Dave has tried getting help from Mercedes Classic in California, suggesting they pass his contact information onto anyone who’s purchased parts in the last 10 years. Unfortunately, to date he’s been unable to generate any assistance.

Classic Car Adventures would love to help Dave be reunited with his Dad’s old car, and has the VIN number for final identification. With the unique and special-order build, finding the specific car is certainly a more realistic proposition. Is it sitting in a barn waiting to be found? Perhaps it was parted out for it’s unique engine? Either way, we’d love to help Dave find his needle in a haystack.

Vehicle Details:
1968 Mercedes Benz 300SE (Four Door Sedan)
Engine: High Compression, 3 Litre Fuel Injected Six
Transmission: Automatic
Interior: Beige MBtex
Color: Maroon
VIN: Final digit is 7, full VIN to be used for identification purposes.

If you’ve got any information or leads, please contact us using mercedes@classiccaradventures.com, or use the comments section below.

Hmmm…it’s pitch dark outside in mid-afternoon, our classics are all tucked away in their garages, the streets are lit with colourful displays of mini-bulbs and we still can’t seem to find the scotch-tape. Yes, that’s right, it must be Holiday Season! Around the Classic Car Adventures’ office, that means just one thing: When will we announce the 2013 event dates? Don’t worry, they’re right here!

But first, a short CCA note about the holidays. Is there someone on your list who has a stalled project collecting dust in their (your) garage? Drag them out, take the cover off, and perhaps teach them The Harrison Rule? It might just be the best gift you give all year. On a related note, we also want to encourage you to support your local food bank this season…lets help out those who need it in our communities.

Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure
April 26th-28th, 2013

The Fifth Annual (already?!) Hagerty Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure will commence on April 26th, and finish on April 28th, 2013. Registration and Event information will be posted on the Classic Car Adventures website for opening of business January 3rd (a Thursday). We’re already working hard on the route and specific details,participants can expect the event will follow our usual flair for adventure. In keeping with tradition, Dave is once again rebuilding the beetle motor…and questioning his sanity.

Rush to Gold Bridge
August 9th-11th, 2013

We’ve found a whole new set of smooth roads suitable for classic cars, and were blown away with the scenery and views. For 2013 we’re taking the best parts of last summer and combining them with some new roads and new ideas to create an awesome event. If you love mountain views, exploring the back country and genuine cowboys (and cowgirls) we’ve got your event! Details about the Rush to Gold Bridge will be released in a Spring newsletter.

Fall Freeze Adventure
September 20th-22nd, 2013

The 2012 event was a blast, and we’re totally stoked to have another Fall Adventure. We all wore t-shirts and shorts, and spent three days enjoying warm summer temperatures.The 2013 Fall Freeze route will include roads and towns that have never been touched by a Spring Thaw route book. Looking for new B.C. roads, incredible twisties and a few surprises? This is the event for you! Event and registration information will be released in early May.

So, stay tuned for more Hagerty Spring Thaw information this month, get those spanners spinning, and we’ll see you in April!

As is the annual tradition, Monday morning on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is a time to ‘give thanks’ for a great summer of classic motoring. All classic car owners are invited out for an early morning run from North Vancouver to Galileo Coffee in Britannia Beach.

With winter approaching and a chill in the air, some people take that to mean the days of driving their classic car are numbered. But don’t pull the cover over your baby too soon, because the Annual Thanksgiving Day Sea to Sky Run takes place each year on Canadian Thanksgiving Monday!  This is a quick, local, (free) and fun meetup to “give thanks” for another fine season of motoring.

What: A casual cruise and meetup with fellow classic car owners of all pre-’79 marques and types. Drive the best part of the Sea-to-Sky Highway on a quiet holiday morning, and enjoy the company of classic car nuts before you have to head off to the in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner! We plan it so that you can be back home by midday. Some of you might have done a Sea to Sky run recently with your various car clubs, but its always fun to mix all the marques together and meet new people. And really, who can say no to the beautiful views and winding turns past ocean and mountains – especially on a holiday! The drive starts in North Vancouver, with a destination of Galileo Coffee in Britannia Beach on the Sea to Sky highway. Enjoy a coffee or breakfast and the company of fellow car nuts and then return home at your leisure (or continue on to Squamish or Whistler if you wish!). In previous years we have seen between 30 to 70 cars join us on the run, with everything from “Magnum PI” Ferraris to Pebble Beach Talbots enjoying the drive. We look forward to seeing you!

This event traditionally benefits local Food Banks. Please bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Squamish Food Bank. We don’t have a lot of space to carry food back (we have a Mini, an Alfa, and a Beetle’s worth of space), so a few items each is ideal.

When: Thanksgiving Monday, October 8th, 2012 8:30-11:30am. Meet at Superstore at 8:30, depart for Britannia Beach at 9:00am.

Where: Meeting at 8:30am in the North Vancouver Superstore parking lot, near the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. Gather in the northeast corner, near the gas station, or wherever there is parking available [MAP]. We will be departing this location at 9:00am in convoy to our destination at Galileo Coffee in Britannia Beach on the Sea to Sky highway.

View Larger Map

If you miss the start, or just want to meet us in Britannia Beach, here is our destination [MAP].

View Larger Map

Forty degrees Celcius (104F) is hot no matter which way you slice it. When you’re trying to take classic cars up a British Columbia mountain side on a twisty, exposed dirt road on the hottest day of the year it will put even the best radiator and cooling systems to the test. However, through all the cooling challenges, amazing backroads, tiny ferry crossings, and epic scenery, every car and participant accomplished something extraordinary last weekend on the first annual Rush to Gold Bridge event.

Twelve Adventurers departed Hope, BC this past Saturday, travelling north through Lytton – traditionally Canada’s hottest town – and onwards to the remote mountain mining town of Gold Bridge.

If you’re familiar with Classic Car Adventures, you might be surprised to hear that our flagship event, the all-tarmac Spring Thaw was not our first event concept. In fact, the idea of CCA was created around the Rush to Gold Bridge format. It just took us a few more years to bring this alternate format to fruition.

Originally coined as “Dave’s Birthday Touring Adventure”, the idea was to bring together great friends, an ambitious mixed-surface route, and a sense of exploration and accomplishment. Some of the major driving routes in the province were gravel until not too long ago, so it would be a throwback to the early days of motoring in British Columbia.

The two-day event took participants over some of the most unique terrain the province could throw at them. Starting with a slightly unnerving Reaction Ferry ride two-at-a-time over the fast-moving Fraser River, the cars then traversed a high ridge line dirt route to Lillooet. This is where a certain Mini popped it’s cork and bubbled over in the extreme heat, and where some cars with their tight confines and lack of AC had the participants about to boil over! With everyone re-filled and regrouped in Lillooet, the convoy finished the day driving up the near legendary Carpenter Lake Road to Gold Bridge.

Greeted by smiling ranch hands and cowgirls on horseback at the overnight stop, the cars parked up on the lawn at Chilcotin Holidays for some rest and relaxation. Our very own Pebble Beach! The ranch staff put on quite the spread, and the laughter and story telling continuing late into the evening.

With a mountain of bacon and eggs devoured the next morning, it was off to Pemberton and the finish in Squamish. The cars with more ground clearance went over the Hurley Pass, discovering the abandoned Bralorne Mine along the way, while the more clearance-challenged went back down to the Lillooet for a fun blast over the Duffey Lake Road.

At the final BBQ lunch stop in Squamish, it was unanimous in our enjoyment of the event, and the need to rope even more of our Classic Car friends into joining us next year!

We have just wrapped up the designwork on a photo book with some of the best photography from this year’s Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure. We’ve ordered a bunch to keep in our gloveboxes and to send off to friends. If you are interested, you can also buy copies through our Blurb bookstore! The 24-page hardcover book has photos and quotes from some of our past participants, and there is also an eBook version if you want to add it to your iPad or other device. You can preview the whole book below…who knows, maybe you’re in it! We tried to fit as many people as we could, while keeping the price and page count reasonable.

Let us know what you think! [CLICK HERE TO BUY]

Spring Thaw Classic Car Adventure 2012 by Classic Car Adventures | Make Your Own Book