It is a well-known fact that our friends North of our border have a true appreciation for the musclecars that we here in the states hold dear. Just attend any of the larger shows in the U.S., and you’re certain to see more than a few Canadians partaking in this great hobby.

Mathieu Belanger lives in Quebec, Canada, and like all of us, has enjoyed old cars since he was a youngster. Mathieu tells us, “I bought my first car when I was 17-years-old. It was a 1970 Caprice, and I paid $1,500 for it.”  The car had been rebuilt in the ‘80s, wrecked, and then rebuilt again. Unfortunately, the second rebuild was not done with any regard to quality, but Mathieu learned all of this after he owned the car for a short time.

Even though the car was not everything he wanted it to be, he kept driving it. He would attend car shows and look at other projects, hoping he could find something else. Mathieu knew that if he wanted a ride that would satisfy him, he would need to build it himself. In 2002, he began looking at potential project cars on the web, and focused his attention on two-door hardtops ranging from 1948 to 1970. One of his criteria was the body needed to be in decent shape, because Mathieu admits his deficiency at doing major body repair.

After few months of searching, he found this Bel Air in Louiseville, a small town near Trois-Rivières (right in the middle of Montreal and Quebec City). Mathieu tells us, “I called the seller to arrange a rendezvous on a Saturday, and he stated that the car had no rust holes or major repairs.” It sounded good, so Mathieu and his dad went to look at the car. The seller was honest and the car was decent, so Mathieu gave the owner $2,600.

In the fall of the same year (2002), he began to take the car apart to rebuild it. He and his father had never tried to completely rebuild a car, but they had to give it a try. Although Mathieu proclaims he is not a bodyman, he ended up replacing the front floorpan, and repairing rust in the trunk floor. Mathieu attributes the car’s good condition to the fact that the owner continually “oiled” the car, by placing used oil and sand in all of the body crevices, and anywhere else he could. “We removed about 100 to 150 pounds of oil-soaked sand from the car. There was a 1-inch thick layer of oily sand on the gas tank.”

He sent the 350 cubic-inch engine to be rebuilt to original specification.

Working on the car only when time allowed, it took Mathieu and his father 12 years to complete the project. On September 8, 2013, he finally drove the car to its first car show.  In 2014, he attended a Concours d’Elegance show in eastern Canada, and was rewarded with Second place.

Mathieu says, “I’m really proud of my car, I am aware that it’s not the most beautiful car on Earth, but it’s the one that I’ve done by myself.  So being featured on your website is something special for me.”

Since we have started the Homebuilt Heros segment, we have received a few candidates, but we need more. Send us a few pictures of your car with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to chevyhardcore@powerautomedia.com.

1970 Bel Air Highlights

F40 Heavy Duty Suspension (not the F41 package with the rear sway bar, only the bigger front sway bar and heavy duty coil springs)

ZH1 Light group (U25 trunk light, U26 hood light, and U29 instrument panel courtesy light)

UF1 Map mirror light

U63 AM radio

D33 Remote control mirror (driver’s side)