Shop Tour - Jellybean Hotrods

A Balanced Blend of Talent and Experience

As the name implies, when you first walk into Jellybean Hotrods in Surrey, B.C., it’s like walking into a candy store for the car enthusiast. Of course, the shop is well-equipped with all the tools of the trade, but it’s the wide array of vehicles on display that gets one’s heart beating that much quicker. In one corner sits a Jaguar and over in the paint area a beautiful 1963 two-door Fairlane is ready for spraying. Jump over to the fabrication shop and an ultra-rare ’38 BMW is being re-created from a pile of parts and some photos provided by the car owner. If none of these get you going, perhaps the blown 21 T bucket fits the bill.

This is not exactly what the company founders, Ewald and Kurt Penner, had in mind when they set up their shop in 2005. They set out to build the coolest hot rods and customs, but in the past year, high-end restoration has become a large part of the business. It’s not something they were looking to do, but something that just found them. And over the past year, there have been many more unexpected changes for the tandem.

First off was the addition of a new business partner. After working together on different projects over the past three years, the brothers welcomed 15-year custom car-building veteran, George Grover, into the fold as an equal partner. George had spent several years building vehicles on his own and they all agreed he complemented the pair perfectly, as he brought a wealth of experience plus offered a fresh perspective into the business.

Second was the introduction to the art of sound. Award-winning installer Stefan Skjaevestad (bet you can’t pronounce that one) joined the team and brought an element to the company that was lacking in the past, as they now offer complete in-house audio/video installations as well as full-service electronic wiring. In addition, Jellybean is now is a Hertz Audison dealer carrying its full line of products, providing customers with one of the top brands in car audio.

The third entry came into the fold via England. Master fabricator Bob Maynard visited the shop last year and liked it so much he packed up his wife and children and moved to Canada. Bob brings the experience of working on some of the finest vehicles in the world, ranging from Aston Martins to Bentleys. He is meticulous right down to the millimetre and it shows in everything he does.

These changes do nothing but enhance Jellybean’s reputation as one of B.C.’s premier custom and restoration shops, and maintain its reputation for producing quality vehicles. The long-standing creativity and craftsmanship of brothers Kurt & Ewald, along with the compilation of new talent compliment the body and paintwork provided by Clint Paul who has perfected his craft to a league of its own.

Creating this top-notch team didn’t happen by accident, it was through years of recruiting the right people with talent and passion for what they love to do. You can meet the staff and witness current projects first hand as Jellybean invites all to attend its fourth annual open house and cruise on July 1st. Everyone can tour the shop and participate in the cruise that concludes at the old Langley Speedway. Last year there were over 220 vehicles in the cruise, so it’s a great day for all enthusiasts. Go to www.jellybeanhotrods.com for times and details. Also, tune into Dennis Gage’s “My Classic Car” on Speed Channel on May 24th and 26th as he features the “Hot Rod Mercedes” created by Jellybean.

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