Riding Shotgun with Javier Leclerc
“I can’t describe it. It’s Just a passion like no other.”
As you drive up to Javier Leclerc’s sprawling property in Edmond, it’s easy to see he has a fascination with fast cars. In one of his garages sit a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, a Mercedes Benz AMG G-T-R and a Porsche 911 Carrera. With their matte gray painting, tinted windows and eye-catching wheels, they are the embodiment of sleek, style and speed.
Yet when Leclerc wants to show off one of his eight automobiles that run, he has to walk to the other side of his driveway and open his second garage. Sitting right next to a flaming red Corvette is his prized 1976 Chevy C10 truck with blue and white stripes. To say it looks out of place would be an understatement. “When I finished it, to me it was perfect as far as a truck goes. It was untouched before I bought it and I’m the only one who has ever modified the truck,” said Leclerc. “The color was one of my favorites; the model was one of my favorites.”
Despite it being perfect, at one point Leclerc had sold the truck to a friend because that’s what he does. Restore and sell automobiles. However, the 47-year old instantly regretted selling his prized truck. “I started looking for another project like it, but finding a one-owner, unmolested vehicle is impossible,” said Leclerc. “So I just wanted it back because I would never find anything like it again.”
Leclerc ended up doing something that may sound quite astounding to novice car buyers or even to experience car junkies. He traded his 2017 Shelby GT 350 to get his Chevy truck back in his garage. “The good thing about this truck is that it’ll always appreciate,” said Leclerc. “That Mustang at some point is going to be worth less. That’s what people don’t understand. This [1976 Chevy truck] has AC and a nice stereo. I can drive it wherever I want to and if it breaks down, I know I have a bag of tools next to me and can work on it. If a new car breaks down, I have to call a tow truck or dealership.”
Leclerc’s passion for anything to do with automobiles began when he was just a kid growing up in Puerto Rico. His mom drove his family around in a 1978 Blazer, a similar body type to his Chevy truck. Around the same time, Leclerc first got bit by the car bug, which has never left him.
“I used to joke with my dad because I used to know every model of car that every member of the family had. I used to pay attention to that, and I didn't know why,” said Leclerc. “When I was 13 or so, my neighbor's grandpa had a '69 Chevelle and it was slightly customized. That was the first time I saw that car and heard it. That sparked my interest in cars in general. It became my passion.”
Leclerc took that passion with him when he moved to Oklahoma in 1995. Even after he joined the Coast Guard, he continued to work as a motorcycle mechanic for almost 10 years. In 2005 he opened up his own businesses. He started Superior Concepts in Edmond, which focused on window tinting and accessories for high-end and exotic cars.
“On the side, I still built cars in the garage because that's what I love to do,” said Leclerc. “And making them go fast, obviously, and making them sound louder. I was fortunate enough that I was able to sell my business about seven years ago.”
At the tender age of 40, Leclerc thought he was ready to retire. He and his wife, Gwen, manage a 44-lot land development in Edmond and began creating what they hope becomes the best residential area in Oklahoma.
Still, Leclerc couldn’t stay away from his garage and building cars for his enjoyment.
“Then it became a business again. And now I am building cars for customers and buying and selling cars,” said Leclerc. “I have two guys full-time at a shop, building.” For the second time, Leclerc started up a business with D.I. Motorwerz. Despite the hours he works on his customers’ cars, he considers himself still partly retired. Yet Leclerc always finds time to head over to his garage and tinker on a multitude of unfinished projects.
“I can't describe it,” said Leclerc. “It's just a passion like no other.”
photos by Kennon Bryce