Love, Peace, Happiness. That’s the message.
This is the sentence that Tim Schmidt chose to introduce his mindset with, and the sentence with which he left us.
When we first entered the Horsepower Haven venue, we were blown away by the parking lot alone. A vast expanse of grass covered in a wide range of beautiful cars, from a 1976 Alfa Romeo Iniezione to an assortment of Mustangs with varying bright colours, racing stripes, and loud V8 engines, was outstretched before us. A perfect place to park our little blue Elantra, I know.
The parking lot was only the beginning, though. The property was absolutely breathtaking, a veritable small town with 8 buildings, tarmac paving the majority of the property and every single house, garage and shed covered top to bottom with signs, decorations, and neon accessories. The road to the core event was littered in everything from 50’s cola ads to a massive glowing “Hippy Hut” sign. However, the best was yet to come.
Upon arriving in the main plaza, we immediately noticed that on display were HAPYHIPI and MISSHIPI, the beautiful Prismadors that introduced us to Tim in the first place. Between the two, of course, there was FUNDSRLO, the infamous $3 million Chiron that brought him to headlines all over the country.
The first building we entered was filled to the brim with model cars, from beautifully sculpted realistic models and a custom-painted “Tim’s Place” racecar to an incredible Hot Wheels collection spanning nearly every series of originals and licensed replicas as well as special ones, all hung neatly along the walls of the room. On a small shelf with more model cars, there was a small Beatles shrine, complete with records, biographies, and forearm-sized replicas of the band and their instruments. The place was truly a sight to behold.
It was just after exiting that particular room that we encountered the Hapy Hipi himself, a smiling bearded man clad fully in striking tie-dye rainbows and in an adorable red cart. We approached to ask about posting in the blog, and he was incredibly sweet and welcoming to the idea. After we parted ways, there was the lingering vibe of having reunited with an old friend.
After this, we entered a massive garage filled with an assortment of accessories, old and new. Most notable here were an incredible collection of car radios, more model cars, an entire room dedicated to the Dodge Viper series, and at least a hundred more retro advertisements. This was the last building before the main attraction.
After stopping by the iconic cars most people know Tim best for, we entered the giant main building and were greeted by an onslaught of bright neon signs and orange gas pumps. Among the flashy paints and signs there was a barnful of cars, from classic Vipers to shiny Audis, all lined neatly up along the walls. Once we cleared the car cornrows, however, we arrived at Hapy Hipi Studios, an entirely different world from the magnificent vehicles we came to the Haven for.
Outside the studio was a couch with what looked to be a custom Stratocaster replica or imitation on it, made in honour of a charity event Tim ran in 2016. The knobs were switched out for miniature car dials, the entire thing was painted a vibrant set of reds and oranges, and the name of the event where the company name would normally be. The lovely guitar was only a speck of dust compared to what awaited inside, however.
Hapy Hipi's studio was breathtaking. Along the walls there were assorted guitars, from a Brunswick electro-acoustic to a sparkling blue Stratocaster and everything in between. Various tall microphones loomed above, underneath which an array of guitar pedals were showcased. A three-stacked stand of keyboards stood to the side of the room, with a full keyboard, synthesizer, and small midi synthesizer on display. The centrepiece of the room, though, had to be the incredible drumset. A beautiful set of kicks, tom-toms, and snares stood in the very middle of the studio, accompanied by shining, polished cymbals.
After the studio, we ventured to the second floor, a children’s car as well as arcade lover’s paradise. There were remote-control Veyrons, driveable miniature Lambourghinis and Ferraris, and everything in between. After the small cars, a bunch of tiny arcade machines, and a giant giraffe with a bowler hat, we came across some cigarette and candy vending machines and went back down.
After buying a Horsepower Haven sweater and grabbing the studio’s business card, we went through a former stable adapted to motorcycles and… that was that. We’d been to everything that was open. There was nothing more.
We waved goodbye to Tim’s Place, the village with a population of 2 or so, and were on our way. It was an incredible experience and we had seen it all. There was only one thing to be learned of the adventure, and it was as follows;
Love, Peace, Happiness. That’s the message.
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