By Matt Weingarden

A passion for polishing that began in a small Ontario driveway has carried Zach Chauvin to one of the world’s most celebrated aviation museums. The 22-year-old entrepreneur, owner of Tilbury AutoShine, recently returned from Seattle after an extraordinary week-long project—restoring the shine to some of history’s most iconic aircraft at the renowned Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.
Chauvin, who launched his detailing business at just 17, was selected as one of only 35 detailers worldwide to participate in the annual restoration blitz in July. The highlight: working on the original Air Force One—a Boeing 707 that once ferried U.S. presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon—as well as Blue Angel fighter jets, B-17 bombers, and the first Boeing 747 ever built.
“The main plane kind of everyone talks about there is… the original Air Force One,” said Chauvin. “But there were a couple dozen planes housed at the facility.”
The opportunity placed him among an elite group of Canadian professionals qualified to help preserve these irreplaceable artifacts.
Chauvin’s journey from youthful hobbyist to international detailer is rooted in hard work and community spirit. He started washing cars at age 14 for a local dealership, then moved to detailing family and friends’ vehicles in his mother’s driveway.
By his late teens, he had opened a storefront and expanded his expertise to paint correction and ceramic coatings. A pivotal moment came when Chauvin travelled to Big Bear Lake, California, for advanced training with Renny Doyle, a leader in the detailing industry. This led to his invitation to join the Detail Mafia, an international collective that undertakes specialized restoration projects—including the Seattle assignment.
The Museum of Flight project was no ordinary detailing job. With its open-air exhibits, the planes are exposed to the elements year-round, making preservation a constant challenge. “If it gets heavy rain, they can get wet as well, and it can just kind of fade the finishes on the planes,” Chauvin explained. “So, we just kind of want to clean them up.” For Chauvin, helping to maintain these historic aircraft was both a professional milestone and a personal honour.
“Being selected to participate is quite the honour,” said Chauvin. “Most of the time was spent polishing the aluminum on the planes…which is a huge job, considering the elements we are battling. You have to use great care considering these planes are irreplaceable.”
He shares that you really ‘don’t get the scale of the project until you arrive at the museum.’
“I must admit, I was a little star-struck,” he laughed. “I met people from across the world…the camaraderie… the friends I made…an incredible experience.”
Back home, Chauvin’s impact extends far beyond high-profile projects. His business, now a fixture in Tilbury, is known for both technical excellence and community involvement. Last December, Tilbury AutoShine raised $1,680 for the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent, inspired by Chauvin’s autistic brother, Zayde. Previous campaigns have supported local food banks and other charities, underscoring Chauvin’s commitment to giving back.
“This trip is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity,” he concluded.