Brian Champagne
1955 DeSoto that saved Coalville farm in 1983 still mourned today
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted March 10 - 2:35 p.m.
During the floods of 1983, a Coalville family farm was in danger of being washed away until a 1955 DeSoto came to the unwilling rescue.
Accidental art project: American Fork man's Chalk Bus bringing people together
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Feb. 10 - 10:43 a.m.
When his 12-year-old daughter drew on his black-primered VW, Jonathan Sherman made it into an interactive mobile art project.
The thrill of the parts hunt results in beautiful rare show car
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Jan. 6 - 8:32 p.m.
A Murray architect stumbled on the parts challenge of a lifetime. Taking on that challenge changed his life.
Strangers' love of VWs prompts pro bono rebuild of Utahn's 1960 Beetle named Bettie
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Dec. 9 - 5:49 p.m.
Baby-blue Bettie is the dream car Ann Argyle could not pass up. And when it didn't run well, and ultimately caught fire, she couldn't give it up. Thanks to some new-found friends with a similar love of VWs, Anne's Bettie is once again beautiful and running strong.
West Jordan father and son restore one of the most hated cars of the 1970s
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Nov. 4 - 2:31 p.m.
Car buyers abandoned the Chevrolet Vega with good reason in the 1970s, which made it a rare build for a West Jordan father and son.
Father and son's Celica Supra project spans generations
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Oct. 9 - 6:19 p.m.
A West Jordan father gave his son the same experience he had of bonding with a father over the rebuild of a car. Now, their car travels to shows and similarly unites generations.
Lehi man's classic British convertible speeds past competition over and over again
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Sept. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Most people showed their rare British sports cars off at a recent weekend car show in Salt Lake City; a few, like Skyler Sisson of Lehi, pushed them on the event's autocross course.
Fun or freaky? Richmond man combines tail-finned Plymouth and off-road truck to make 'Maxine'
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Aug. 5 - 11:27 a.m.
If you think Tyler Merrill was wrong to build a car that looks like it's from the movie "Mad Max" instead of "Christine" out of his 1958 Plymouth, check out the car's roots before pronouncing your verdict.
Flying low-cost Avelo out of Ogden starts cheap, gets convenient
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted July 17 - 10:08 a.m.
Avelo Airlines introduced $19 fares. Those are gone, but it's still worthy of a look.
Beloved wagon leads Salt Lake family to collect 9 more cars and counting
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted July 2 - 10:30 a.m.
This weekend you can see the restored family wagon and a half-dozen of the Jeeps and cars it led a family to collect.
Rat Fink Reunion is coming back bigger than ever in Manti
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted June 3 - 8:10 p.m.
If you like your art a little on the rock 'n' roll, crazy, and hot-rod side, Manti is the place to be Thursday through Saturday night.
Lehi man's serape-patterned paint on Beetle pays homage to Mexican-blanket seat covers
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted May 20 - 3:13 p.m.
If you've owned a car with seats that needed to be recovered but your budget only allowed for Mexican blankets, you'll relate to the paint on this Beetle.
Lindon man builds custom Jeep 'SUV' to fit family of 7
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted May 6 - 2:47 p.m.
Jeep's four-door Wrangler Unlimited wasn't big enough to fit one Lindon designer's family of seven, so he built his own three-row version — and he was just the guy for the job.
No one saves and drives a family heirloom like this Tooele family
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted April 8 - 2:36 p.m.
It sat in a garage for decades and now a Tooele family is driving the payoff of a barn find they didn't have to go find.
Midvale man's vintage Civic is cool, getting cooler
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Feb. 26 - 3:03 p.m.
It's little, it's hard to get parts, but it's getting more valuable every day
Blazer restorer restores one for himself
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Jan. 7 - 3:26 p.m.
Andy Kawahara works on other people's Chevy's by day, and on his own by night.
Collection of Caddies keeps connection strong between father and son, 2 generations over
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Nov. 5 - 11:32 a.m.
Kevin Watkins has kept all the cars his father gave him, going back to when he was 14 years old. He says the collection helps keep memories of his father vivid, and is helping him create new memories with his son.
Mother-daughter connection puts the 'ma' in Camaro
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Oct. 1 - 1:44 p.m.
When an Alaska bush pilot passed away, she left her daughter memories she could drive — loud and fast.
After more than a decade, Saratoga Springs family finds their Mustang that 'got away'
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted Aug. 6 - 2:02 p.m.
Most of us have that "one that got away." This family got theirs back, but not without a lot of luck and hard work.
Major car show pulled off in Salt Lake City with COVID-19 precautions
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted July 23 - 8:40 a.m.
National car show promoter Goodguys Rod and Custom Association came to Utah at a "challenging" time, but organizers say they pulled off a great car show this past weekend.
How thinking like a boat racer led to the creation of a very unique pickup truck
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted July 9 - 3:35 p.m.
If you’ve ever had to work using two mirrors, like when shaving the back of your neck, you’ll appreciate what a Salt Lake man did to get an engine into the bed of his pickup truck.
Logan man combines vehicle 'souls' to build rat rod from the ground up
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted June 4 - 11:30 a.m.
"Rat rods" are built from pieces of different cars; Ron Kidman calls his a convergence of souls.
You can hate on this electric-converted 1958 pickup truck, just don't race it
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted May 14 - 12:57 p.m.
Salt Lake City car enthusiast Casey Loter converted a 1958 Chevy pickup truck to Tesla power, and the results are beyond ludicrous.
Coronavirus restrictions put Manti's annual Rat Fink Reunion in jeopardy
Brian Champagne for KSL.com | Posted April 18 - 1:08 p.m.
While many cities in Utah canceled events and programs upon first hearing of COVID-19 social distancing, Manti is holding out and hoping for its summer programs and, most importantly, its international event in early June.
