Is there anyone on the market who actually hates kustom cars? I’ve been posting photos online for nearly twenty years now, and in that point I’ve seen nearly every type of feedback possible.
Some good, some bad—but when there’s one thing that’s at all times stood out, it’s this: kustoms is likely to be essentially the most universally loved kind of automotive customization.
Why? Because nearly all the things we have fun today might be traced back to the pioneers of the kustom movement.
Chopped tops? A staple.
Shaved handles? In fact.
Body drops? That’s just a contemporary tackle a channel job.
Shaved emblems? Nosed and decked.
Metal flake, pinstriping, scallops? They set the usual.
They didn’t just influence the scene, they defined it.
From day one, California has been the mecca of kustoms. Texas, Georgia—really anyplace with countless sun and other people willing to work with their hands—has earned its respect. In recent times, thanks in no small part to the Mooneyes show, Japan has grow to be just as idolized.
Ontario, Canada, alternatively, probably isn’t a spot most would anticipate finding a thriving kustom scene. Given the length of our season—and what our climate does to classic cars—it’s truthfully a little bit of a miracle we have now a community in any respect, let alone one value showcasing.
But we do—and I’m extremely thankful for it. Truth be told, lately I’ve mostly been reaping the advantages of the labor put in by London Jay and Kenny Kroeker.
If you happen to read my coverage of Sleds North 2024, then you definitely already know they’re the 2 masterminds behind the event.
“Sleds” is, technically, invite-only. But don’t get the fallacious idea—Jay and Kenny are in it for the love, not the popularity. There’s no elitist mindset behind the selections.
The cars don’t have to be perfect, and drivers are only as essential as show-ready builds. The goal is straightforward: be certain the foremost attraction, yr after yr, is kustoms. Ontario has no shortage of shows dedicated to hot rods, rat rods, muscle cars, and imports.
For 2025, the event moved two hours west of its previous location to the gorgeous Plunkett Estate in London, Ontario—the previous home of the Fleetwood Country Cruise In.
It’s also the venue they’ll be returning to for 2026, and from a photographer’s perspective, I actually have zero complaints about that call.
The estate itself is a showpiece, featuring a cobblestone laneway, expansive gardens, and a shocking fountain out front.
Just like the 2024 venue, it’s spacious enough to maintain the cars close together—so there’s no mistaking that everyone seems to be there for a similar reason.
But not so close that it makes proper profile shots inconceivable. These are big cars, in spite of everything, and their impact is best appreciated when you may absorb the entire silhouette. Which means giving them enough room to breathe—positioned in a way that lets every one be properly seen.
The well-kept front lawn also serves as an ideal showcase for the vehicles that couldn’t be positioned across the fountain.
As a automotive guy himself, Steve Plunkett is the last one that’d complain a couple of little bit of singed grass from a hot muffler, so owners are greater than encouraged to put their cars out.
Over time, I’ve come to know a few of these cars—and their owners—fairly well.
Take Ricky D’s Bel Air, for instance. I’ve seen that automotive throughout Ontario, and I can attest that he absolutely drives the wheels off it.
Still, it’s rare that I get the possibility to interact with everyone in a single place, so I actually have to thank Jay and Kenny for making that occur.
I did have evening plans the night of Sleds North, which threw a wrench into my original idea of staying in the world all weekend. It was a little bit of a hit-and-run visit—but I’d still take that over missing it entirely.
Truthfully, any event that offers me one other opportunity to examine out Matt Hayes’ 1956 Ford F100 is well worth the drive. This was my second time seeing the truck in person, and I feel I did it much better justice with these photos than I did in 2024.
Under a cloud-peppered sky, the Ford’s Orchid Gray Poly paint looked incredible. Surrounded by equally impeccable company, it ended up being one in all my hottest photo sets on Instagram in the times following the event.
I’ve written about John St. Germain’s “Mint Merc” 1956 Mercury Monterey before for Autostrada Magazine, but Sleds North 2026 marked my first time seeing the automotive outside the halls of Motorama.
It’s the main points that really set this automotive apart. the inside, it’s hard to not feel like we’ve lost something—modern dashboards are a far cry from the category and character of a correct ’50s layout. On this case John has swapped a 50s Oldsmobile dash instead of the Mercury one.
You may’t persuade me the “screen in the center” approach is healthier from an aesthetic standpoint.
With my deadline to go away quickly approaching, I kept my camera firing as I made my way back to the automotive. I desired to stick around just a few extra minutes, but when I did, not even the 407 would’ve gotten me to my next stop on time.
If the celebrities align this yr, I’m hoping to spend your complete weekend in London, Ontario—so I might be a part of the cruise to the venue as well. Because as great as these cars look sitting still, they’re even higher in motion.
More photos from Sleds North 2025 are below, and with a bit of luck, I’ll see you at this yr’s event.
This Article First Appeared At www.stanceiseverything.com
