Garage Magazine by Garage magazine

er ue nd ss -u d i ek o Pe -ho e th

September 2011 issue 01

classic custom culture

Voyaging

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vette

Getting Dirty Down South Making Notes â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Sincerely

When bad things Turn R30.00 incl vat

Making the mark

Good

iss

od CO.ZA o e-h .

contents INE

h Z r-t AGA

de AGEM n -u R

k GA Pee WW. W

GARAGE ∙ Issue 1 ∙ september 2011

Classic Look out! Sting Ray! Alex’ Split-window

Hudson Hauler * The same, but different

Custom

Living Low *

He builds, he rides

Sticker ‘em Up * Groundscraping Ghia

Regulars Editor’s Letter

The Schoonraad Diaries

Hillbilly Gene * Real bikes built tough

Playing in traffic

Mesmeric Merc *

Mala Lex *

Yes, it’s a ’49!

Dawie on Speed

Culture

Design Lab * Concepts & Styling

Grease and Goodwill

Black & White Gray * Matt tells it like it is

Grand Slam Open Day

Sideways Scramble Get down & dirty Getting your kicks *

Review DVD with muscle

Stuff

Seth sees sights

It’s what you need

Tagging 2 Tattoos

Projects

Think Ink

Out there in Garage-land

Jet Black Camaro * Tyre smoking tunes

Directory

Grassroots Sincerity *

Back Page

Underground sound

The lovely Katerina!

Products & Services

*[READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT EDITION ON SALE NOW]

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got bite

See all this Matthew Gray

into older cars and telling why

Hillbilly Gene

He is not from Alabama, and there is not a banjo in sight. What is in sight is a lot of bikes. Real bikes. Handbuilt, Man-Bikes. None of that poncy order-from-a-catalogue stuff. And he put on a nice new white T-shirt for your viewing pleasure. This is the real deal, and he tells the story better than we can.

Aristo-Rods

“Ennobling” Early Fords - Dawie Coetzee applies his mind and pencil in a series of studies that transform Henry’s humble offerings to a more eminent level of sophisication.

The Schoonraad Diaries

Mitchell’s Plain -born and -fled manic comedian, real South African boytjie, and serious hotrod afficianado, Kurt Schoonraad shares his unique observations of local petrolheadness...

& more

in the print edition of Garage magazine Grassroots SINCERITY

Unlike mainstream music, pre-packaged, often sterile, and served up as much for record company profits as for the artist’s integrity, a thriving local underground scene exists that tells it’s story with vigour. Camilla Coutts’ photos and words relate a chapter of one artist’s life in this world.

Jet Black Camaro

Sinuous, brawny and refined, this sweltering Jo’burg 5-piece has been smoking the tyres around town for about a year now. Dedicated fan Tiaan Lötter waxes lyrical.

Getting your kicks

Sane people might think that owning and restoring a couple of fifties and sixties American classics would be enough to satisfy even the thirstiest petrol head. They would of course be wrong.

Editor’s

Letter W

ell here we are: The first issue of Garage. It’s been quite a ride getting this far, and were only getting warmed up. We’ve been tinkering and fabricating, designing and composing, tuning and adjusting. And now we are ready to hit the road. So who are we? Just a bunch of regular guys and girls. People just like you. People who love cars. Mostly older cars. We love bikes too. And music. Art. In fact almost anything that carries within it passion, skill and commitment of the person who created it. Garage is here to share these stories. Stories about the talent that is to be found hard at work in garages, workshops and studios across South Africa. About people who have an irregular way of looking at things. People who believe that the most valuable things in the life are those that come from the heart. Call it old school; call it vintage, retro, traditional, it is about doing things in a way that remembers an age when small details mattered. A time when putting something mechanically beautiful into the world was important. Things don’t come a lot more mechanically beautiful than a 1963 Splitwindow Corvette. Turn to page 16 for our jaw dropping feature on Alex Kramer’s beautiful Tuxedo Black Stingray - our first cover car could not have been more fitting. On page 50 Faheem Benjamin gives a totally fresh take on old school dub-style – this is most assuredly not your grandma’s Karmann Ghia. And if you weren’t having enough fun yet, we show you that boys are never too old to play in the mud – the first Garage Magazine Sideways Scramble is on page 28. We still haven’t got the mud out of our hair, or the smiles off of our faces! This is a magazine not only about the things we love so much, but also about the reasons that we love them. It is about getting your hands greasy and your imagination oiled. The grittily real experience of making something from nothing, the sheer ecstasy of driving a car you built yourself. In an era where everything happens faster, where gratification is instant, we are going to find a place to slow it down a little. And a place to rev it up. This is your Garage, hop in and let’s go for a spin, you’re going to enjoy this! Barry Ashmole Editor

MAGAZINE Publishing Editor: Barry Ashmole barry@garagemagazine.co.za Creative Co-ordinator: Roxanne Sacks roxanne@garagemagazine.co.za Design: Ronel van Heerden me@nineninetynine.co.za Advertising: Tarryn Williams tarryn@garagemagazine.co.za Events & PR: Roxanne Sacks roxanne@garagemagazine.co.za Contributors: Principle Photographer: Martin van Niekerk martin@garagemagazine.co.za Kurt Schoonraad; Dawie Coetzee; Matthew Gray; Camilla Coutts; Tiaan Lotter; Casey Bertie; Hennie Lategan; Dennis Bronner; Ruan van Jaarsveld; Pieter Vosloo Printer : CTP Printers Tel: +27 +21 929 6200 Distribution & Subscriptions: sales@garagemagazine.co.za Garage Magazine PO Box 1604 Somerset West 7129 Tel: 021 880 0325 Fax: 086 616 2622 info@garagemagazine.co.za www.garagemagazine.co.za All rights reserved. Material published in Garage is copyright and no part may be reproduced without consent. Views and opinions of contributors are their own and are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; however the publisher, editor and their staff, printers, distributors and/or any other related parties accept no responsibility or warranty for any omissions or inaccuracies, or for any eventuality arising therefrom.

COLUMN

THE

SCHOONRAAD DIARIES

MITCHELL’S PLAIN -BORN AND -FLED MANIC COMEDIAN, REAL SOUTH AFRICAN BOYTJIE, AND SERIOUS HOTROD AFFICIANADO, KURT SCHOONRAAD SHARES HIS UNIQUE OBSERVATIONS OF LOCAL PETROLHEADNESS...

am lucky. As a professional performer I do not

in the world is about three centimetres from your

have to be anywhere at eight in the morning,

back bumper at 100km/h. Sometimes he is so

so I do not have to spend a lot of time in

close that I can smell his aftershave!

traffi c. To most of us, traffi c is irritating, but

Then there is another type of driver that made

rather benign. It’s like doing the dishes – you don’t

this list completely by default! The senior citizen.

really smaak like doing it. But I read a stat the

He or she is always driving an older car in perfect

other day that got me thinking. Apparently most

nick. Stereotypically, a beige ‘86 Toyota Corolla.

of us spend between 12- 15 percent of our waking

They are usually seated about two centimetres

hours in traffic. Some days, that’s more time than

from the windscreen. This gives them the illusion

you spend with your kids.

that they are closer to what’s happening on the

SO! I’d want to make it as comfy as possible. You

road. The problem is that they are doing this at

know: p/s; e/w; a/c; c/c; ABS and throw in some

about 50 km/h in the fast lane. This is the driver

other letters of the alphabet for effect!! And a crap

who is constantly wondering why everybody is in

load of mp3’s on your iPod. Let’s do a check list,

such a big rush!

shall we? OK, we have a good car... Check! All the

course

favourite

the

goefball

creature comforts known to man ...Check! Tunes...

Noordhoek driver. I guess you could say he is

Check. Now this can’t be sooo bad, can it?

indigenous to the Western Cape, but occasionally

What you may have forgotten is that we share

found elsewhere. Usually driving a ‘73 VW beetle

the roads with all manner of men and women.

painted in psychedelic colours, and clearly

Some of these people scare me more than the

on one of his “trips” to the edges of his mind.

guys you’d meet in a Hillbrow alley at 4am.

The kind of china who smokes whatever grows

The one I fear the most is the soccer mom: the

in the backyard - any variety of fynbos will do!

BMW X 5 driving variety. The one with four kids

Occasionally he heads to the mountain to “fi nd

on a sugar rush in the back all screaming their

himself”, and if you are unfortunate enough to

heads off, while she is trying to negotiate her way

fi nd yourself behind this guy, yours could be a

through traffi c while chatting to her mom on the

very long frustrating journey.

phone. She crosses six lanes at a time without any

His ‘73 VW is unable to get past 2nd gear going

indication that she is planning to do so. She’s the

up the mountain. 20km/h is the best you will see

kind of goose that gets more upset than you are,

all day, making the senior citizen look like Michael

when you question her multi tasking abilities.

Schumacher. And like the Monaco F1 circuit, Ou

Then there is the “Vin Diesel” from the suburbs.

Kaapse Weg offers few overtaking opportunities.

This is the ou who intentionally painted his Nissan

Picture the scene: up front is the” Goefball-

Sentra neon green because he saw it in an

mobile-man”, chakras aligned and feeling his chi

instalment of the “Fast and the Furious”. He also

in balance, followed by about four kilometres of

has every carbon fi bre accessory in the known

very frustrated Capetonians. He also has a secret

universe attached to his ride. He has more fi ns,

weapon straight out of a James Bond movie: A

scoops, fl aps and spoilers than a 747. His car only

smoke screen produced by the lack of oil rings,

has two speeds. Stop and LankFAST - nothing

leaving you feeling very light headed on the other

in between. He reminds me of Tim the Toolman

side of the pass.

Taylor’s neighbour: You never see the guy’s face, only eyeballs and spiky hair. His favourite place

And some still wonder why we have some of the highest incidence of road rage in the world!

WILDFIRE

TATTOOS SINCE 1994

In a world of mass-production and machines, there are still some things that are best created by hand. cre

Shop 480 Canal Walk Century City 021 5515722 www.tattoos.co.za

Classic

Look outâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Sting Ray

lex Kramer did not grow up around cars. His

work or lucky break (one often begets the other) aside

childhood in Houtbay exposed him to some

the success allowed Alex to develop and indulge a

of his other great loves, but cars weren’t

passion for machinery from a former era.

one of them. He did learn to appreciate

“This car was not a logical choice for me, I never

the nuances of good design though, an eye for a

anticipated myself being drawn to American muscle”

line that curves just so. The subtle interplay of small

he relates. Owning a superb E-type Jaguar prior to

details that combine to form a shapes and patterns

the Sting Ray had whetted his appetite for the svelte

that, although we may not be able to explain their

and sexy shapes drafted by designers in the fifties

allure in words, we know tacitly to be things of beauty.

and sixties.

Studying advertising, art direction and design, lead

“It really was a prime time for fun and exciting

quite logically to working in comic book illustration. A

cars” he continues, “Back then cars were made with

fun project became a good business, and somewhere

love, they got people excited, there was a passion

between 160 and 200 million comics published

to it, making something well and making it appealing

worldwide can certainly be described as good. Hard

was important.”

Alex had been lucky enough to participate in the Gumball 3000, and the exposure to some fine examples of rare and exotic automotive heritage unleashed in anger, had kindled his love for history. Soon he came across an account of Bill Mitchell’s Mako Shark. The XP-755 concept was designed by Larry Shinoda in 1961, under the direction of Mitchell, then GM’s head of Styling and Design. Tracing its history back through previous XP incarnations, to the Corvette SS Racer which Fangio had so enjoyed after testing it at Sebring in 1957. Bill Mitchell’s fondness for fishing was well documented, and undoubtedly the midyear ‘Vettes have certain piscatorial cues in their design. Not lost on Alex was the fact that Mitchell himself drove an E-type Jaguar. It didn’t take long for Alex to decide that he wanted to own a Sting Ray, and the single year split-window variant was the one he found most appealing. Coming across a photograph taken from a high three quarter rear angle (which incidentally was the inspiration for our cover image) the pact was sealed, and the search began in earnest. A call was put out to Ash Waldorf at American Connection imports in Florida. Alex has being finding cars for discerning collectors for twenty five years, and

Alex Kramer in a jovial mood

certainly knows his stuff. A couple of cars turned up, but as is so often the case, many had endured the attentions of backyard “restorers” and were somewhat worse off for it. One lead seemed interesting, and although the pictures showed a car in the later model Torch Red paint, everything else seemed to check out. It is from here that the story became, shall we say, interesting: In 1999 In & Out Burger, a large West Coast fast food chain were looking for a gimmick for a giveaway competition. Not content with a brand new Corvette, a 1963 Coupe was found and repainted in the same colour as the modern car. The pair of ‘Vettes garnered the desired attention,

Original competition entry form and keyring.

the promotion was judged a success, and the grand Letter confirming the winner of the car

prize went to a beaming guy in his early twenties. Unable to come up with the taxes on his windfall, he had to sell one of the cars. Keeping the C5 is not the choice we’d have made, but we are kind of glad that he did. Coastal Corvette in Anaheim picked up the ’63 and it wasn’t on their floor for long before catching the attention of a judge who happened to be in town visiting family. He was impressed enough with the car to nullify any concerns he may have had about getting it back home. The Corvette was duly serviced, rechecked, and

1963 Vette owner’s manual

loaded into a container to set sail west.

Saipan is the largest of the islands in the Northern Marianas archipelago. Known as the place where America’s day starts – it is on that side of the International Date Line – the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands joined the United States in 1986, although it was exempt from certain federal labour and immigration laws. This allowed many US manufacturers to set up shop taking advantage of cheap labour while still maintaining their “Made in the USA” status. After a number of sweatshop scandals most have now left

At the previous owner’s house above Tumon Bay, Guam.

Ash Waldorf with the car in Hagåtña.

Parked at War in the Pacific Park in Agat, Guam.

the island. Socio-political issues aside, the physical size of Saipan (it is only 19 miles long) meant that the sage lawman was unable to clock up vast distances in the 8 or so years that he owned the car. A property developer in nearby Guam bought the car about two years ago. This island has long been the site

Besides the tatty steering wheel and grubby mats the interior was in good shape.

of major US military installations, and servicemen stationed there have contributed to quite a number of interesting

After unloading at Long Beach

vehicles on the island. The new owner’s relationship with this car was however short lived. Needing to raise funds for a new hotel project, the car was once again on the market. Having checked out all he could by studying photographs, Ash duly made the trip via Japan to check the car out in person. As anyone who has ever bought a car sight unseen (and been burnt doing so) will attest to it adds a tremendous amount of value and peace of mind to the service he offers. Having spent

Ash in Santa Monica

the previous decade parked and only being driven short distances, some of the niggles that develop when a car stands were apparent. Aside from a few minor (and totally expected) issues the car checked out and arrangements were made to ship it back to mainland America. A few weeks later Ash was in Long Beach, California to personally oversee the unloading, and deal with the customs and import bureaucracy involved in releasing the car. From there arrangements were made to truck the ‘Vette back to American Connection’s home base in Orlando. With more

Prepping for paint

The process continues

Topcoat on and ready for reassembly

Back in Black

time to go through things, another interesting discovery was made. GM had originally mooted making the car a four seater, and these early 1963 models were delivered with a compartment behind the rear seats that would have formed the rear footwell. The storage space is covered by carpet, and was deleted in cars from about the middle of the model year onwards. The original RC 250HP motor checked out in all respects and all the original build numbers tallied. The car was revealed to have been delivered in Tuxedo Black, and although Alex swayed strongly towards Sebring Silver, the decision was made to go ahead and return the car to its original hue. Besides requiring some exhaust repair and some general clean-up the car was in fine fettle and pretty soon was ready to ship home to South Africa.

...the decision was made to go ahead and return the car to its original hue. Photographs courtesy of Ash Waldorf, American Connection

Loading the container

GARAGE | AUGUST 2011 | 20

GARAGE | AUGUST 2011 | 21

Some eight months after the search began, Alex was chomping at the bit to get to see the car in person

appeal for me. What I didn’t expect was for it to be such a brute!”

when it was unloaded. When the customs seal was

“Given how perfectly original the car is, as well as

broken and the container doors open, he was not

the amazing travels it has been on, it seems a shame

disappointed. As the car rolled out onto the ramp to

to make any changes to it”, he tells us. “I drive the

be warmed by the African sun for the first time, he fell

car a couple of times per week, and cannot wait for

in love. With a few formalities out of the way he got to

weekends to get out into the countryside. This car is

experience what he had been dreaming of for months.

just so enjoyable on an open blast through the Karoo,

“With all the time spent studying details about the

or winding its way through the winelands”

car, the adventure and excitement in finding such a

Alex intends to fit a disc brake kit to replace the 11”

good example, and the anticipation of waiting, quite

drums. “It is more about peace of mind. In modern

a level of expectation had built up” Alex recalls , “at

traffic one can forget about the limitations of drum

the end it is quite a simple car, which is part of the

brakes! It is all bolt on though, so if I ever wanted to

I could return it to original spec without any issues” he relates. He is equally circumspect about fitting the vintage air-conditioner he managed to track down. “It isn’t so much about originality as they were offered as a factory fitted extra” he beams, “it is more about working up the nerve to actually cut into the perfect body!” In the short time that he has had this car (it arrived one week before the Streetrod Nationals in Cape Town) as well as with the Jaguar before it, Alex has come into contact with quite a number of interesting people. “I love roadtrips, the memories of some of these encounters is quite unique. I don’t profess to know very much about cars, though I am learning all the time. What has struck me in this time though has been the people”, he says. “I have had a few breakdowns, and have been awed by people’s generosity and willingness to assist.” Enthusing about his experiences he continues, “Just the way that people from varied backgrounds but with the same passion can interact in ways that one wouldn’t otherwise expect is great” “I doubt that I will ever have a big collection of cars,” Alex tells us. “I think that more than two may start to become a bit of a handful. I would just like to have them in good condition and be able to enjoy driving them as often as possible”. A fine sentiment! In the accompanying photographs we have tried to do justice to the beauty of this amazing car. We would like to believe that we have done pretty well. But no photograph will ever do justice to the way the hairs on one’s arm stand up as the engine turns over and barks into life, as the sleek black silhouette slips through quiet city streets. Pictures could never capture the pure emotion of being alone on the road, man and machine. Enjoy it Alex!

the split story... Although quite rare to these shores, GM managed to sell just shy of 22 000 of these babies in 1963, with the ratio barely favouring the convertible over the coupe. This was due in no small way to the insistence of Zora Arkus-Duntov that an independent rear suspension be used on the all new car. The Belgian born “Father of the Corvette” convinced the top brass that they would sell 30 000 units of the car if they had it, and they got more than two thirds of that in the first year. Combining the five cross-membered ladder frame chassis, instead of the previous X-frame, with the passenger compartment pushed back, 3.5 inches lower centre of gravity, and the hard-won IRS, a desirable combination of handling prowess and superb ride was achieved. With the entire drivetrain behind the front wheels and as low as possible, near perfect weight distribution added to the car’s road manners. This model of Corvette was one of the first cars to benefit from extensive attention in the wind tunnel. Numerous full scale mock-ups were made, fettled and tweaked to gain the most aerodynamic advantage. The quad headlights from the previous five years were retained, but were now hidden under covers which yielded a seamless front profile when not in use. Perhaps the most controversial part of the car was the spine that split the rear window. Nobody seemed to like it at the time, and with concerns about visibility it was

dropped in ’64. It has of course come to define the model and make it perhaps the most desirable of all the Corvettes. Other bodywork details included the tops of the doors being cut into the roof allowing easier and dare we say more decorous, entry and exit from the low slung car in an era when short skirts were becoming all the rage. Mechanically most of the cars left the factory with the 250HP 327ci mill and four speed Borg Warner box. 300, 340 and fuel-injected 360HP versions were available. Capable of 0-60mph times of 5.6 seconds and 14 seconds dead in the quarter mile, the car could certainly claim its place as a true sports car. Those are figures that are still respectable nearly 50 years later. Duntov’s pet Grand Sport project was even more impressive. Conceived to take on the Cobra it weighed in at about 1800 pounds, and was equipped with a 377ci all aluminium V8 that was reputedly good for 550HP. All three that ran at Daytona in 1963 were lapping ten seconds faster than the Cobras, and Roger Penske won the Nassau race in one. If GM had decided to build the 100 units required for production car homologation, the car would certainly have been a world beater. As it was, only five were ever made before the powers that be shut down the program, although these did make it into private hands and were campaigned with Zora’s unofficial backing.

Some of the factory options and pricing available in 1963: Base model Coupe

$4,038.00

Base model Convertible

$4,037.00

Leather Seats

$80.70

Power Windows

$59.20

Air Conditioning

$421.80

Positraction Rear Axle

$43.05

327ci, 300hp Engine

$53.80

327ci 340hp Engine

$107.60

327ci, 360hp Engine - Fuel Injection $430.40 4-speed Manual Transmission

$188.30

Powerglide Automatic Transmission

$199.10

Power Steering

$75.35

Cast Aluminum Knock-Off Wheels

$322.80

AM Radio

$137.75

AM/FM Radio

$174.35

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help noticing that optioning 90HP more than the stock smallblock would have cost about the same as having an AM radio fitted. Hopefully some modern manufacturers are paying attention!

resources Importing of vehicles from USA: Ash Waldorf at American Connection e-mail: amerconn@brevard.net Tel: +321 733 0508

classic custom culture Model: Katerina Phillips - ICE Model Management Stylist: Emilia Marais; Hair: Adrianne Hartmann Make-up Charyke Coetzee

EVENTS

Spreading

Grease And

goodwill Grand Slam Air Cooled Servicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; open house events have developed something of a cult-following in the flat-four VW community.

o when the word went out that Jürgen Kirsch and his trusty crew were to be opening their doors for another of their legendary technical days, the Cape air-cooled faithful made a big

old red cross on their calendars. Stanley, Esme and the rest of the staff had a busy week getting the workshop emptied and tidied up to make space for the crowds. People started sliding in early, and in true Slaapstad-style, more continued to trickle in for most of the day. The technical side of these open days is a pretty informal and relaxed affair, but you’d do well to shut up and listen up when The German gets down to imparting those little gems of knowledge. Far from the often prevailing idea of keeping information to oneself, Jürgen believes that it is in sharing our knowledge that we can allow this hobby to not only survive, but prosper. The focus on this occasion was on the finer points of suspension service and lubrication. Simple enough stuff perhaps, but judging by the oohs and aahs from the assembled bunch as Jürgen shared some vital tips, there’d be some happier grease nipples in town by evening. Of course if grease wasn’t your thing, then some of the best bratwurst this side of Wolfsburg was guaranteed to hold your interest. As would catching up on the latest changes to friend’s ride. Or just the usual quips and banter, and bench racing with old mates. Any way, the day extended till late, and you can be sure that when word goes out for the next one, the red crosses will be appearing like magic again on walls all over Cape Town. Grand Slam VW Air Cooled Services: 021 845 6702

“Of course if grease wasn’t your thing, then some of the best bratwurst this side of Wolfsburg was guaranteed to hold your interest.”

Jürgen Kirsch

is a VW guy. An aircooled VW guy. Rumour has it that his best friend once turned up at his house in an Alfa, and the guy hasn’t been seen to this day….He is that serious. Being born in East Germany and defecting with your mother at the age of six to live in Wolfsburg, will do that to you. So will finishing school and apprenticing at the Volkswagen factory down the road. Throw in the stint in Edinburgh, learning English, and qualifying as a master mechanic by the age of 19, and you have the makings of a life long devotion to horizontally opposed fours. Transferred to Lindsay Saker in Johannesburg 1968, Jürgen worked his way up to become workshop manager, before getting involved in his own independent VW specialist workshop. During this time he kicked some ass in off-road racing, as well as running his Formula Vee race team. He spent a few years back in Germany, but in 2002 he returned to South Africa, and set up Grand Slam in The Strand. There are two aspects to the business: the brake and clutch operation which provides the bread and butter and the Volkswagen service and restoration arm, which provides the outlet to his passion. Anyone requiring the services of an air-cooled Volkswagen specialist would have to go a long way to find one this good. A very long way. Perhaps all the way to Wolfsburg. And possibly not even then… Serious.

Events

be, show some guys may appear to sion to a up n ow gr w ho er tt ma e regres It seems that no ing with an engine, and th th me so d an rt di of h tc them a pa instant. far more innocent age is

his was a time of our lives when every

time some damp weather had made things a little

waking moment was about playing, enjoying

slick and everyone was getting into the action. Grown

ourselves and living in the now. It is a time we

men were giggling like school girls, revelling in the joy

should all be trying to go back to a little more

of getting down and dirty. Soon though, a short rain

often. When it comes to down-home-fun-drive-the-

shower separated the men from the boys – all the

hell-outta-your-hotrod-and-smile-till-the-top-of-your-

men went home, while the boys just kept on playing

head-falls-off style events, it seems that people in

in the mud! As the track got wetter, so the greasiness

other parts of the world are spoiled for choice. The UK

increased. To a point where it just became silly, with

has the Hotrod Hayride, the US can pick and choose

steering inputs having little or no effect. That didn’t

between any number including Vintage Torquefest

stop these guys from trying though, and the size of

and Jalopy Showdown. Sweden’s A-Bombers’ Old

the grins seemed to increase at the same rate as the

Style Weekend attracts punters from across the globe.

layers of mud built up on the cars.

Even New Zealand has the Jalopy Dust-up to get the mud-a- flyin’ and the boys-a-tryin’.

The whole point of something like this is just to have fun – nobody is racing, or trying to go fast. Getting it

Down here in South Africa we seem to have been

sideways and keeping it there is what it is all about!

content with static car events on school rugby fields

There may not be as many traditional style hotrods

for way too long, so when Simon Hartmann and

running as we have seen at overseas events, but that

JP van Zyl got to talking with the guys from Garage

is more than made up for in the sheer enjoyment of

Magazine about getting some dirt track action going,

the action.

it didn’t take long to hatch a plan. JP lost no time in

What started out as a couple of friends having fun in

finding a willing landowner to clear some space and

the dirt, has already become something more. Clearly

lay out a dirt oval. Within days they were trying out the

the appetite exists for events that allow enthusiasts to

venue and the plumes of dust kicked up by a couple

have some fun behind the wheel. Garage will be doing

of old school cars were visible from almost as far off as

all we can to grow this phenomenon: While it may take

the grins on the driver’s faces. These guys were clearly

days to scrape all the mud off, there is no doubting the

onto something!

appeal of good clean fun!

A few lessons learned and some changes to the track, and pretty soon they were back out there. This

Watch our website for details of upcoming events. www.garagemagazine.co.za

...all the men went home, while the boys just kept on playing in the mud!

classic

Hudson Hauler

Fine lines, old friends, and an unconventional approach, this seventy year old beauty strikes a chord and pays tribute in fitting style. [READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT EDITION]

“Here was this old toppie driving this beautiful old pick-up, with his ’41 Harley on the back”

custom

Exactly what makes a thirteen year-old ramp his BMX into a river? Repeatedly? And then do it again? Perhaps the same thing that would have him jump his skateboard into a full swimming pool. Perhaps simply the fact that he is thirteen years old. [READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT EDITION]

CULTURE

Tagging 2Tattoos Photographer Casey Bertie followed Cape Town’s Rico Swanepoel’s work on two very different pieces: A sprayed entrance at our own studios, and a tattoo of one of his own drawings.

GARAGE | september 2011 | 56

ico is an artist. His chosen media reflects his interests. And his story. Like everyone’s his is ever changing. Having grown up in

Port Elizabeth, he began studying graphic design after school. A logical fit with his already developing skills with a spray can. Moving to Cape Town in 2000 he continued his studies in various aspects of visual arts. Working as an illustrator, he began hanging out at a top local tattoo shop. Fascinated by the process, Rico had found another outlet for his visual creativity. Impressed by his raw skill and zeal, the owners offered him an apprenticeship. Two and a half years later he qualified, and is currently working out of Wildfire’s Long Street location. Rico still enjoys getting the chance to spray a piece and will take commissions – he sees all aspects of his art as different facets of his expression. He is also a man of few words, preferring to allow his eye and hands to do the talking for him. Have a listen to what he and his characters are telling you in the next few pages.

GARAGE | september 2011 | 58

Small graffiti photos: Rico

GARAGE | september 2011 | 59

he sees all aspects of his art as different facets of his expression.

GARAGE | september 2011 | 60

Contact Rico 021 424 0877

custom

So what exactly does it take to get a car featured in a magazine? A fair question and it seems some people will go to greater lengths than others to find out. Quite how far one should go may be a matter of personal choice, but we may draw the line at crash damage.

[READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT EDITION]

CUSTOM

Mesmeric

Merc

A mild flat black version of a customising icon. Metoikos Cadmus clicked the shutter on this caduceus monikered beauty. strange sounding words aside, the car is a winner all the way. [READ THE FULL STORY IN THE PRINT EDITION]

Review

DVD Review

American Muscle Cars

celebration of some of the icons of musclecardom, this DVD brings the sound and looks of these brutes right into your living room. Following on from the success of Vol. 1, which is now

five years old and released just as the whole muscle car scene burst back into favour, the new disc is pretty damn awesome! A lot has happened in five years, with Detroit finally waking up and starting to build cars that people actually want again. This DVD captures new generation muscle like the Corvette ZR1, Cadillac XLR, and of course stalwarts like the Mustang and Charger. It does so with the quality and attention to detail that we have come to expect from this leader in motoring and powersports titles. There is a happy blend of close up details and more than enough to keep the anoraks happy, as well as some glorious footage of what happens when the brain in your right foot takes over! If we are allowed one criticism, it is that the 52 minutes running time is a little too short. Happily this is a DVD that can be watched over and over without losing its appeal. Just keep the volume cranked up! Order directly from Moto Movies 083 408 1611 at R229.95, or pick it up at one of their outlets.

products

stuff:

kit, gear, tackle, groceries, swag – call it what you want, as long as you call it yours:

Eye candy If you only ever buy one Hotrod and Custom magazine, The Rodder’s Journal is it. Unsurpassed photography, writing and history, this is the standard that every other publication looks to. Subscribe at www.roddersjournal.com

Show off

All the cool kids are wearing them. Serious. Well OK, Zach Galifianakis hasn’t worn his yet but he will soon. R550-00. Get your Garage Magazine Jacket straight from us.

another

round! Low

Be the envy of all your mates, just don’t short fill them. Gas pump drink dispenser from Motown Auto (021) 949 3793

Blow

Cape Select makes these perfectly weighted bossing mallets – just what you need to start shaping that sweet Duesenberg replica. R320-00 each in Oak. Call 083 321 2861

Say NO to Crack No, not the plumber, we mean that hideous sun-wizened dashboard in your Type-3 VW. Made in grain-finish 3mm UV-stable ABS, these are just what you need if you are getting tired of smearing Nugget on your dash every weekend. Call Herman on 082 431 5722 or mail to: pi-dss@mweb.co.za And yes he will look at making them for other vehicles too. Call him already.

Shoot from the hip Custom pewter designs – send your own photo and Pewter-It will make you a one-of-a-kind hip flask so you can bin that half jack. From R250-00. Call Kyle 083 762 8915

Have some this-and-that groovy enough to show here? mail us.

projects

What’s in your

The lowdown on what is being built, worked on and driven, all over South Africa.

BMW CafÉ Racer Alan Paterson and Max Lange are having fun with this 1981 BMW R100CS. Plans are to build a mild cafe racer. Keeping it simple and not letting it become a money pit. On receiving the donor bike it was first checked out, some minor rust and corrosion sorted, and prepared for roadworthy. A good idea on any project to get it licensed in your name at the start. From there the fun with angle grinders started, with modifications to the rear of the frame and various factory bracketry. As far as possible everything is being done themselves, only farming out essential professional parts. Can’t wait to drop a coin in the juke and see how this one does.

4. Further stripping

1. Before

2. Stripping gets underway

5. Welding new section

6. Foam ready to shape

3. Changing rear frame

7. Bum-box complete

1972 Capri

ToyFord

Out on the East Rand, Gavin During’s 72 V6 Capri is undergoing a complete restoration, and will get updated front and rear suspension, 15” wheels and Sierra brakes. Outside it will remain stock.

Albertus Saunders from Midrand has been playing with this sweet little MkI since his dad gave it to him in high school. Currently running a turbo’d Toyota 4AGZE with a Cressida box. With 1 bar boost things can get lively!

1948 Chev Pick-up

Have a project or ride you would like to see here? Send 2 high-res images and a brief description to: info@garagemagazine.co.za Please keep it under 4Mb – we are old school and the dial-up gets a little cranky....

Warren Fryer recently found this 1948 Chev Pick-up, which will get underway as soon as he finishes his ’33 Roadster. This one is going to be for his wife, and we are hoping they keep it old school!