Join the MARS crew as we take our classics out for a chilly fall drive up to Holland, MI, for the GRM meet-up at Eclectic Motorworks. With clear skies, cold temps, and salt-free roads, it was the perfect excuse to stretch the legs on our cars.
We kicked things off with a stop at a small coffee shop in Dorr, MI, before cruising north to meet a bunch of new faces, check out an awesome mix of builds, and wander through the eclectic workshop itself. From quick chats in the lot to walking the shop floor, it felt like the kind of grassroots car day we love the most.
Another reminder: even if it’s cold… if there’s no salt on the road, drive the car.
The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.
A transcript, summarized by AI and edited by a human staffer, is below.
[Image: YouTube/Michigan Automotive Relic Society]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
Transcript:
There’s always a red E-Type on a lift at a British car shop. Always.
Mike Pixley once said that if you squint hard enough, MGBs look like Ferraris.
We were invited to a season-ending meetup in Holland, Michigan, at Eclectic Motors—or Motorworks, I’m not exactly sure what the official name is. I’m driving to John’s right now to meet up with a few guys before cruising up together. We’re planning to stop for coffee at a new place in Door, Michigan. Proper Midwest vibes. It’s 35 degrees out, but there’s no salt on the road, so we decided to take the cars.
It doesn’t come out of the head—it goes off the thermostat housing right here. There’s just a little inline piece. Technically, we could probably use those.
Heat.
Coffee cats. Proof that John can be a cat person—as long as they’re not my neighbor’s cats.
Quick update: District Coffee was slammed. We grabbed coffee and got out as fast as possible. Now we’re headed to Flex Motorworks. We’re running late, so it’s a straight shot from Door to Holland. Long, flat, boring roads.
We’ve arrived at Eclectic Motors in Holland. Grassroots Motorsports is hosting their Midwest meetup here. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but Carl invited us, so we showed up. It’s mid-to-late November, and we’re still driving our stuff.
Going on record again: Mike Pixley said that if you squint hard enough, MGBs look like Ferraris.
You don’t even need to squint—just close your eyes.
Someone claims Pininfarina designed the MGB for Morris Garages. Look at the headlights, look at the front end. Maybe. Kind of. Especially the fixed-head coupe.
We’re both right.
With dual Webers, it fits in there really well, but the firewall would be tricky. It’s creative, but it’s a bit of a bastardization. Colin Chapman is probably rolling over in his grave.
The chassis has the suspension hung from it, opening into a V to hold the motor. Independent rear end, inboard disc brakes. From the factory, it would’ve had a 1600 straight-four twin cam.
Someone from Grassroots asked if they could invite the Mars guy. That’s so cool. I’ve spent two Saturday mornings watching all the videos—more than once—because the whole idea is just neat. And it’s really well done.
He’s riding a bit of a celebrity high right now. If you sign my hand, I can get it tattooed.
Shops are open on Saturdays. We’ll work on it.
Give me a tour. I want to know if this thing does wheelies.
I think it would. Put enough people hanging off the back and it’ll do a wheel stand. If I can do it with a golf cart, this might work. That’s basically what it is—a golf cart with an electric motor. Whoever built this definitely had fun.
Worth the trip? Absolutely. My toes are cold, but I’m not mad about it. There’s always a red E-Type on a lift at a British car shop. Always.
I’m impressed with how well everything is packaged. This is really good. Things usually get loose around the T, but not here.
I left the dirt on the floor.
Heat.
Long day. Good day. Solid road trip. Good weather. Good coffee—District Coffee in Door, Michigan is actually really good. Seems like they just opened.
We met a lot of people. No rain, just light sprinkles—more of a tease than anything. We probably didn’t do the best job with the “along for the ride” camera stuff, but we’re new at that part.
It was really cool meeting the Grassroots Motorsports community—both readers and writers. They seem a lot like us. A bit more motorsports-focused, but the same overall vibe.
That $2,000 Challenge has me interested. Grassroots Motorsports might be a thing. This feels like a good place to end the video.
Do I need to do a burnout?
One of these days. Before midnight, ideally.