Two young builders from British Columbia, Chelsie Lesnoski and Cole Marten, astonished the world on the SEMA stage.
by Pat Rediger
It might begin with an engine or a chassis or some other part, but it usually ends up with a work of art for Chelsie Lesnoski and Cole Marten. The duo own Throttle Thrashers Garage in Kelowna, B.C., and their small city interests have led to big name recognition.
They placed third in the Young Guns category of the Battle of the Builders competition at the 2021 SEMA Show, organized by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). Lesnoski also holds the distinction of being the first female in history to make top three at SEMA. They recently relocated into a new 5,500 square shop, and there is even discussion around a new television show about the couple.
“Usually we just find a part and build a car around that,” explains Marten. “We’ll try to find a way to make it unique and build something that hasn’t been done before.”
The couple met several years ago when Lesnoski was just starting to do some bodywork, and Marten had self-taught mechanical skills. She needed to have one of her cars outfitted with a turbo kit, and he needed a car painted, so it seemed like a good match.
Over the years they continued their collaboration. They typically purchased a vehicle, envisioned how it could be developed into a unique build, and then they sold it. As word of their skill spread, they were soon doing unique builds for other people.
Their path to success at SEMA wasn’t exactly a direct route. There was a local car show for charity in 2019, and they decided to enter it with only a month to build it.
"We’ll try to find a way to make it unique and build something that hasn’t been done before.”
“We just had a one-bay shop and that was my first paint job actually,” said Lesnoski. “I painted it in a garage with a compressor that was about five times too small, and the engine swap was done with nothing but jackstands, a cut-off wheel, and a Canadian Tire welder.”
They custom rebuilt a 2013 Scion FR-S, and they were pleased with the results. They were so impressed, in fact, that they decided to take it to an auto show in Seattle with the hope that it could be entered into SEMA. The car qualified for an online contest that let voters choose the tenth contestant in the SEMA Battle of the Builders Young Guns 27 & Under category. The car won the People’s Choice Award, which provide them the “10th Gold Ticket” to enter SEMA.
“We’re just small-town Canadians so we thought there was no way that we were ever going to actually do something down there. Then we ended up being in the top 10 placement at SEMA, which was incredible. It was very motivating, and we knew that the car was not nearly what we were capable of building,” said Lesnoski.
"[When] you really want to do something, then nothing is going to get in your way to make it possible.”
The placing convinced Lesnoski to build a car for SEMA and the same held true for Marten. They began planning and building when COVID hit and 2020 SEMA was cancelled. Then Lesnoski suffered a medical incident, and she almost had to give up building.
“I had to come to terms that I probably wouldn’t build another car again,” said Lesnoski. “I lived like that for about eight months, and then I remember walking up one morning and said I have to build that car.”
Her efforts led to the world’s first RX-7 with a rear-mounted Audi 2.7L twin-turbo engine. The build included a six-inch custom-medal wide-body treatment, custom-front fenders, hood vents, and rear louvres, as well as a diffuser. The vehicle was painted in a two-toned black and cherry hue with touches of satin and gloss.
In the other bay, Marten was hard at work building a world’s first all wheel drive 2JZ conversion in a dark green 1991 Skyline R32 GTR. A wide body kit was moulded in order to make the body increase appear seamless, and it was also converted into a left-hand drive.
“The 2021 SEMA show was an incredible experience, and the other builders never cease to amaze me with their creativity and physical talent,” said Lesnoski. “It didn’t come without difficulties. We still didn’t have the facility that we needed, and I painted both of those cars in a garage. I still did a lot of swap work on my car on a jackstand. But the reality is that when you come right down to it and you really want to do something, then nothing is going to get in your way to make it possible.”
The duo attended SEMA last year but did not have any entries. Instead, they met with industry partners and promoted women in the industry. Their plans for 2023 SEMA are still undecided, but Lesnoski is still eligible to compete in the Young Guns category, while Marten can compete in the pro class.
Back in the shop, things have changed significantly this year. They have moved out of their 800 square-foot-facility in Penticton into a much more expanded shop with three hoists and an actual paint booth. They have a full roster of cars that they are looking to rebuild, so their time is limited.
Despite the changes, Lesnoski said the business is actually changing back to the way it began—the two relying less on client vehicles and spending more time on their own builds.
We decided that we wanted to have creative freedom to build what we wanted to build.”
“It’s actually the sort of route where Throttle Thrashers started,” added Marten. “We began by building our own cars to sell, and it wasn’t until a couple of years later when we started doing some of our customers’ work. We’re just going back to our roots, and that’s where we’ve flourished the most.” ■
"We decided that we wanted to have creative freedom to build what we wanted to build. So we are actually building our own vehicles and selling them.”
Co-owner and custom car builder at Throttle Thrashers Garage, Chelsie has grabbed traction across the industry with accolades including a Top 10 SEMA Battle of the Builders placement in 2019, the Glasurit Award of Excellence, and the honour of being the first female to make top three in SEMA history at the 2021 SEMA Show with her world’s first mid-engine RX-7 FD.
High school drop out and brain injury survivor, Chelsie used her remaining savings to buy a collision repair textbook and taught herself how to build custom cars while battling countless chronic health conditions. Just six years later, Chelsie has captivated the industry as a voice for women in the field and for those battling invisible illness
Co-owner and builder at Throttle Thrashers Garage, Cole is a self-taught entrepreneur and custom car builder. Cole made big waves in the automotive industry with a top three placement at the world-famous SEMA Show in 2021, and he has been featured in various magazines and interviews about his world’s first all-wheel drive, left hand drive, 2JZ R32 GTR.
Born a pro-am skateboarder and freestyle motor cross rider, Cole suffered a career ending injury just eight years ago, thus leading him to collect cans as means to put fuel in his vehicle. Cole commuted daily to an off-grid acreage, where he learned to build cars in three feet of snow. Today, Cole continues to inspire all generations with his journey from hardship to success.