Photography by Lucas Scarfone
From the Archives: When this story appeared in Autostrada’s June 2015 issue, Glenn Botting had just completed his award-winning 1962 Mercury Comet gasser, Instigator, and was preparing to tackle a rare 1964 Falcon Sedan Delivery. In the years since, Botting has remained an active and respected figure in Canada’s hot rod community, appearing on podcasts, judging custom car shows and continuing to build and share his knowledge with fellow enthusiasts. His Instigator Comet remains one of his best-known creations, earning lasting recognition among Canadian hot rodders and helping cement his reputation for building inventive, highly detailed machines that he calls “shock rods.”
In his early days, Glenn Botting was introduced to the gearhead world by riding shotgun in his cousin Mike’s ’67 Chevy Nova.
“That was the hottest car I’d ever seen,” Botting says. “He was like my hero because he had this car. I was hooked right away.”
As soon as his license hit his hands, Botting started the search for a car of his own, finally settling on a ’69 Ford Mustang. The modification bug bit early. At the age of 16, he wanted something different from his friends. Soon, the trunk was lined with fur and anything he could find from the local Canadian Tire was grafted onto the car.
Botting’s life changed at the age of 21 when he drove by a local man wrenching on a ’39 Ford Sedan Delivery down the street from his house.
“I parked the car, went up to the driveway and had my feet right to the edge when the owner said, ‘You can’t see it from all the way over there, come up and take a look.’”
That was Botting’s first interaction with Bob Smirle, the man who would soon become his mentor and teacher when it came to anything automotive. He started with basic skills like sandblasting and welding before graduating to painting and assembly, translating these skills to his first hot rod project, a 1937 Plymouth Sedan Deluxe.
“When I blew the motor, Bob lent me a chain fall and I pulled the motor out on a chestnut tree, took it all apart and rebuilt it on a tarp on my front lawn, all under his supervision.”
His passion is put to work in the large garage directly attached to his home. He admittedly doesn’t watch very much TV, so all of his free time is spent working on his creations just a few steps from his living room. Countless hours are spent on the equipment in his man cave, from welders to the English wheel, and some of the time Botting dedicates to teaching anyone with a hunger to learn his craft.
“It’s a lot of pay it forward,” he says. “As a young guy with a passion for cars, I had the honour of Bob teaching me, but no way to know how to do it. If you don’t pass on your knowledge, it dies with you.”
His latest creation is a ’62 Comet nicknamed “The Instigator,” found unexpectedly just around the corner from his home in Brantford. Six hundred work hours later, it was transformed into a classic throwback Gasser, winning Best Gasser at the Detroit Autorama show.
This was the pinnacle of Botting’s building career, especially as he returned from the trophy presentation to find an eager buyer for his project.
The icing on the cake was bringing the car back to Toronto to win Best Nostalgia Competition Car, Best Nostalgia Engine and Best Use of Colour.
When asked about his building philosophy, Botting describes his projects as “Shock Rods” rather than Rat Rods.
“I like to build high tech, from frame to suspension, and safety and innovation are very important to me,” he says. “I’ve always tried to lead a different road. I don’t want to do cookie cutter cars; they’re one offs. When I build it, it’s art. I want to create something that nobody else has.”
These values have led Botting to several awards and accolades from shows across North America, all well deserved.
The next project coming down the pipeline is the 1964 Falcon Sedan Delivery sitting in his garage as we speak, one of only 800 built, which will get a full Gasser transformation. Based on his track record so far, Botting should start clearing some space on his shelf for the recognition that will undoubtedly come along once the project is complete.