Capricorn Members raise $35k for RFDS

Knight’s Bodyworks thrives in first year, despite Covid

When Queensland couple Nathan Knight and Mary-Louise Eagle-Frith made plans to open their own panel and paint business in early 2020, they had no idea coronavirus was on the way.

to be married. Both are spray painters, but Nathan is also a panel beater and is very handy at fabrication, too.

“We’ve worked in panel shops for years and we thought as we have a bit of knowledge and we still have a passion for the trade, it was time to open our own shop,” Mary-Louise said. “It’s a bit of an advantage having both of us on the floor. It means we haven’t had to hire someone straightaway.”

Mary-Louise said Knight’s Bodyworks will paint anything that can be painted and, in their first year, they’ve sprayed everything from coffee machines and glass splashbacks to motorbikes, cars and boats. “As long as it fits in our spray booth, which is pretty big, we’ll paint it,” she said. “We’ve had a horse float in there.”

Mary-Louise said she used Facebook to promote the couple’s work, which has helped generate business, as has their large social network in the Cairns community.

“We’re a younger generation and the majority of people who want to do up cars are the younger generation, so we know a lot of people,” she said. “I think they like to come to us because we can relate to them.” After a solid start to their new business, the couple said they’re hoping to grow — potentially taking on a second panel beater in the coming months, so they can take on bigger jobs.

Mary-Louise said the other task on their agenda was getting married, hopefully next year. “But it depends if we’ve got time!” she said.

Having worked in other people’s workshops for nine years and saved hard to make their dream become a reality, the pair opened the doors on Knight’s Bodyworks in Cairns despite the pandemic. “We’d already started before Covid hit and we’d invested so much, we didn’t really have a choice other than to keep going,” MaryLouise said.

“It proved to be busier than we’d expected. Within our first week of being open, we were booked a month in advance.” It was a great start for the couple, who are both 27 and are engaged

RALLY AROUND REGIONAL WA RAISES $35K FOR RFDS

A group of West Australian-based Capricorn Members have raised $35,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service through this year’s On The Road Again rally.

Nine vehicles and four support crew joined this year’s event, driving around WA’s Wheatbelt, Goldfields and Great Southern regions to raise money for a great cause.

Among those taking part in the November rally were Nigel Oborne of First Class Automotives, Dave Durrant from Mindarie Workshop and Auto Electrical, and Keith McCracken of Keith McCracken Automotive in Bayswater.

“All the vehicles are 1995 or prior, but 4x4s are open — so we had a near-new LandCruiser, an old Ford Transit van, my Mercedes-Benz 1984 280SE,” Nigel told Ignition magazine after returning to Perth. “We went along a lot of off the beaten track roads, including an old railway line. They had to be gazetted roads for insurance purposes but some of them were still pretty rough. “I just put my car on the hoist; it’s holding together, the Merc, but it’s a bit of a mess!” Kalgoorlie, Norseman, Esperance, Hopetoun and Newdegate. “All the vehicles held up but unfortunately the tail-gunners, who follow at the rear, hit a ’roo just west of Esperance and disabled their transmission,” Nigel said. “But we were able to fix it up and get it working again.”

The week included themed dress-up days, visits to local tourist spots and plenty of fundraising with local communities. “We had a lot of fun stops,” Nigel said. “We had a pink day, for the Pink Lake in Esperance. And in Newdegate we had a farmer day, so we went and raided the chequered shirt shop and dressed like farmers.”

The On The Road Again tour was supported by the Australian Automotive Service Dealers Network in WA (co-founded by Nigel in 2013) and every cent raised goes directly to the RFDS.

Capricorn Preferred Suppliers are an integral part of our cooperative model. We recognise the achievements of our high performing Capricorn Preferred Suppliers through our Million Dollar Preferred Supplier Awards. These awards are presented to Preferred Suppliers who reach million dollar milestones in total Capricorn Member sales. It is great to see Capricorn Preferred Suppliers reaching these outstanding milestones. Congratulations to the following Preferred Suppliers.

$1m

Preferred Supplier Award

Oriental 4WD & Commercial

Oriental has been a Capricorn Preferred Supplier for nearly 20 years and is a great supplier in South Australia. They are an automotive recycler specialising in 4WD and light commercial based in Lonsdale South Australia but service anywhere in Australia. Ange is a new partner to this business but both Ange and Grant have been involved in Automotive Recycling all their lives with both being big Toyota Landcruiser fans.

Pictured from the left is Grant Crosby and Ange Anibaldi with their $1 Million Preferred Supplier Award they recieved for 2019/2020.

$1m

Preferred Supplier Award

$1m

Preferred Supplier Award

Outlaw Speed Shop

Outlaw Speed Shop has been a Capricorn Preferred Supplier since 1996 and is a great supporter to Capricorn Members. They have been in business for over 40 years and are a trusted supplier of performance parts to customers throughout Australia. Outlaw Speed Shop stock new, high quality, brand name performance parts for Chev, Chrysler, Ford, Holden, GM and Imported cars. They are there to meet your needs no matter what motor sport you are into.

Pictured from the left is Geoff Twomey and Ben Twomey celebrating the milestone of achieving $1 Million Preferred Supplier sales in 2019/2020.

Transtate Tyres

Transtate Tyres joined Capricorn 24 years ago and since then they have evolved into the largest independently owned Tyre service in the ACT. They have major brands in their portfolio at very competitive prices. They have concentrated on Toyo tyres and have enjoyed huge successes with that brand.

"Being awarded this Million Dollar Award has reinforced the decision I made 24 years ago to join up" said Adrian Heffernan.

Robert Vaga, Business Development Manager of Capricorn presented their $1 Million Preferred Supplier award to Bruce and Adrian Heffernan at their premises.

There wasn’t actually all that much bodywork left on this 1948 Austin K8 when Greg and Diane Baird retrieved it from a paddock in Maryborough, Queensland, two years ago.

“It wasn’t in very good condition,” Greg said. “The roof was very rusty.”

But there was enough potential for the couple to make the three-hour trip from their workshop, G&D Baird Mechanical, in Coopers Plains to collect it.

“I just really like cabovers; I’ve got four of them now,” Greg said. “I’ve got a ’46 Chevrolet, a Leyland and an Albion cabover. And, actually, I just went and bought another Austin cabover. It’s silly, I know!”

The Austin K8 was produced between 1948 and 1954 and the van model was well-known in the UK as the Welfarer Ambulance. The original K8 had a 2,199cc and a 65 brake horsepower engine; but patients might get to hospital quicker in Greg’s updated hot rod, with its 400 horsepower, fuel-injected small block Chevy 350 engine.

“The 350 has a four-speed auto behind it with a Commodore independent rear,” Greg said. “I built my own chassis from scratch, then I mounted the body on it and went from there, including building the tray.”

The K8 was an after-hours project for Greg and took six months to build — although he’s still tinkering with it. Since these photos were taken he’s included a front bar and a few other improvements.

The hot rod rebuild is compliant with the Australian Street Rod Foundation’s TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) rules and is fully registered as a daily driver.

It was enough to turn heads at the Yamba Rod Run, where the K8 took out the Dare to be Different trophy.

“Since I’ve done this one people keep asking me where I got it from, because it’s rather different,” Greg said. “No one has ever seen anything like it before.”

So, with four cabovers already in the garage and one K8 already wowing rod fans, why has Greg gone out and purchased yet another Austin cabover?

“I want to improve on what I did on the first one,” he said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do

differently. I haven’t picked it up yet. It’ll come here and I’ll put the thinking cap on and decide what I’m going to do about it.

“It’s a bit annoying, actually, because the first one was very rusty and I did a lot of work putting the roof back together again. The one I’ve just bought is in very good condition, needs less work done to it, and I paid less for it!”

Whatever Greg decides to do with, we’re sure it’ll be another fantastic people pleaser.

If you have a story or a ride that could be published in Ignition, email it to ignition@capricorn.coop. Ensure you include in the subject line, ‘Member Ride’. VEHICLE DETAILS

Make/Model: 1948 Austin K8 Engine: SBC 350 Horsepower: 400hp Transmission: Turbo 700 Diff: V2 Commodore, independent rear Wheels/tyres: 8” rally wheels, 275/60/15

Images supplied G & D Baird.