On ‘Shorty’s Dream Shop,’ Ponce, crew restore cars from ground up
DALLAS — Tucked away less than a half-mile off U.S. Highway 67 in Midlothian, Texas, sits a shop of dreams. Sights of Chevy Impalas and the bones of what was and will again become a Volkswagen Bus let visitors know they’ve arrived.
Inside Shorty’s Custom Paint, Javier “Shorty” Ponce houses his collection of past and future. A glistening sage-andblack lowrider he restored and customized himself is parked proudly in the middle of the garage below American and Mexican flags hanging from the banisters.
He points to the classic car as a prime example of his painting style: “Subtle, but it’s going to be catchy.”
That also describes Ponce, an unassuming soon-to-be reality TV star whose work speaks for him. His new show “Shorty’s Dream Shop” premieres Nov. 16 on MotorTrend TV.
On a recent afternoon, a TV crew was filming the remaining scenes of the 10-episode series. At a producer’s instructions, Ponce slid into the driver’s seat of a newly restored car, stepped on the brakes, turned on the lights, and revved the engine. Then he repeated the sequence, as videographers crouched near the exhaust and beyond the garage doors.
Ponce isn’t a novice at reality TV. Shorty, a high school nickname in reference to his height, was a regular on “Iron Resurrection,” another Texasbased MotorTrend show in its sixth season. That series follows a small crew who transform rusted-out motorcycles and cars before selling them to the highest bidders.
When Ponce left the show before its 2020 season debut, fans made YouTube videos theorizing and later explaining why Ponce was no longer a cast member. (He left to spend time with his granddaughter and attend to the work mounting at his own shop).
Throughout the new series, Ponce works on more than a dozen different cars. He speaks of each one like a child because that’s how he views them. He’s bringing in new life to a family, so he’s meticulous and careful. The building process can serve as a way to memorialize a loved one and grow closer to one another.
Andrew Ebel, chief operating officer of the GoodGuys Rod & Custom Association, a classic car show now based at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, said the association’s events see generations of car enthusiasts, especially with Latinos who involve their inner circle throughout the restoration process.
“One the neatest things about the Latino car culture is the fact of how family-oriented it really is,” Ebel said.
Latinos have long contributed to and led car customization culture in the United States. With roots dating back to the 1940s in Los Angeles, Latinos have restored and customized classic cars with candy colors and bounce.
“Our culture is beautiful,” Ponce said. “If we decide to express it by driving a lowrider, with hydraulics, to me, that’s art.”
Ponce describes taking a drive in one of his six classic cars as an expression of his accomplishments. Given the time and investment required to restore and customize a classic car, the vehicle becomes a signal of the driver’s prosperity.
He’ll play classic rock or ranchero music, like that of Mexican singer-songwriter Vicente Fernandez.
“If I could put some ’Chente on, and I’m cruising, aw man, there’s no feeling like it,” he said, putting one arm out as if grabbing a steering wheel. “You’re proud of what you did, because I did it.”
Ponce hopes he can be a role model to others like him who find themselves fascinated by the classic vehicles.
“It’s one of my duties, to show that no matter what, you can make it and be someone,” he said. “It’s important for me, for the Latino kids to see that someone who had a passion for restoring classic cars could get somewhere.”