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SEPTEMBER 2021 £4.99

D R AG S TA LG I A ' S B AC K !

FULL CUSTOM COMMERCIAL Air ride, leather and 20-inch Smoothies, but wait, did someone say BMW?!

Think Big

Build ing a full sc ale B ig-T

See the very latest shipments on www.facebook.com/hillshipping

1987 SEAGRAVE FIRE TRUCK

Some vehicles over 30 years can now be imported

FREE OF DUTY (Normally 10%)

& Just 5% VAT (Normally 20%

Contact Hill Shipping for further information Dependent on certain conditions

Purchased from Fire Station in Glen Cove New York.

Fireman delivered the Fire Engine to New York for shipment & waved goodbye.

Shipment to Liverpool then onto importer Liam Moore in Ireland.

The vehicle is over 59’ in length.

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O iss cto 3 ue be Se o r pt n ’2 em sa 1 be le r

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Regulars

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4

News & reviews

8

Mail Funny business explained

14 So Cal Diaries Quarter mile Bowling

22 Events In a different place

Out and About 18 Beer garden Great to be out

19 Plus Fours Nothing to do with golf

Features 10 Model project Body building

20 Quick fix No such thing

24

18

24 Out at last But still indoors

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30 Nomadic touch Other surprises, too

42 Three-door hot rod Flush fitting, too

50 Breaking out Hardly a VW in sight

54 Ten years after Dragstalgia still rocks

50

Others 28 Custom Car subs offer Get it delivered

40 Custom Car back issues Missing something?

www.customcarmag.co.uk

News & reviews

In memory of Kevin Cerasale Words by Jon Hill The late ’70s, tripping into the early ’80s was arguably the golden age of the custom car show in the UK. We’re all familiar with the names, and one was Kevin Cerasale, notably for his black ’39 Daimler a.k.a. Al Ca’blown.

Debuted at the 1980 CC Show, the car was an instant show stopper – a chopped, Mulliner coachbuilt limo that Kevin pulled from a breakers near his home in Kings Langley and turned it into a low, wide, evil-looking car any gangster would have been proud of. Hence its play-on-words name of course, and supercharged Rover power.

Pic: Simon Groves for Eurdragster.com

NEX XT MONTH NEXT October ’21 issue on sale 3 September A staunch member of Gade Valley Custom Club, Kevin drove the nuts off the thing. It was probably the one car of the many he built that he drove the most. Because deep down, he got most pleasure from building custom cars.

The Daimler made way for another incredible creation – a blown big blockpowered Austin Dorset, with a twin-rail tube chassis, flip body and Audi Tornado Red paint. Despite it cleaning up on the show circuit, Kevin hardly drove the Devon anywhere, it was simply tucked out of sight whilst he got on quietly with building the next one.

As well as an accomplished custom car builder, Kevin was also one of the backbones of British drag racing, working under the banner of RCCS (Race Car Chassis Services). He didn’t shout about it and, even if you didn’t know his work, you almost certainly knew some of the cars Kevin had a hand in, including Paul Bambrick’s Pro

Something for the weekend?

Festival time The dates are 21-22 August, the place to be is Peterborough Lions Rugby Club (PE3 8ED), and the name of the game is Peterborough Festival of Wheels.

The show’s motto is ‘Where there’s a wheel, there’s a way’ and this year it all kicks off with a quiz and curry night on the Friday, followed by a rock ’n’ roll Saturday night and a charity MusicFest on the Sunday. Plus a load of wheels of course. www.pbfow.co.uk

Mod-style Corvette, Tony Rose’s ’37 Ford, Martin Jones’ blown Hemi dragster… Just countless projects.

To be honest, he wasn’t the easiest person to get on with but, if he liked you, he would do anything to help. He once helped me build a chassis for my Minor pick-up, just because he wanted to. And I learnt a lot.

But of all of them, the project he’d probably most like to be remembered for was his Brogie-style roadster, driven for him by Paul Letchford. Like all of Kevin’s work, it was a study in perfection, which just improved with everything he did to it.

I’m proud to say I knew Kev well in the early days, and many race teams, owners and drivers will echo my words here.

RIP Kev, thanks for the laughs, piss taking and, above all, lessons!

though show car drivers benefit from free admission on Sunday only.

Weekend attractions include live music, jive dancers and hot rod movies. www.stonhambarns.co.uk

Hop to it

Knuckle down The last Bank Holiday of the season sees a return to Stonham Barns in Suffolk for the Knuckle Busters at the Barns on 29-29 August. Weekend tickets, including camping, are £40 per person, and Sunday-only tickets £10,

4 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

➜ Unlocking the Power ➜ Double nickel marvel

The Cannibals Car Club Hot Rod Hop will take place at Scald End Farm, Thurleigh, Beds on 27-30 August.

With numbers capped, this is essentially a pre-entry eventt this thi year, although if any spaces are left tickets will be available on the gate.

With live music throughout the weekend and fancy dress, this promises to be another great Cannibals’ weekend.

Facebook: Cannibals Car Club

Ed and shoulders No sooner have Covid restrictions been relaxed, allowing us to get out and enjoy our cars to the full, than another hurdle seems to be trying to smack us in the face.

This isn’t the first time we’ve mentioned that E10 fuel, with a higher ethylene content than the current E5, will be hitting the forecourts later this year. Well, it would appear that later is a lot sooner than we thought.

We encountered one racer at Dragstalgia draining E10 from the fuel system in his car as it was refusing to start. Comments posted on forums in recent days include, “Glad I looked up to see the small E10 sign above the unleaded nozzle before filling up, so I chose the super unleaded E5.” “Old rubber hoses get eaten up by it and block up carbs.” And “I read that even cork gaskets can be affected.” Sure, there’s no scientific evidence behind any of these remarks but it’s not sounding too promising for our sort of cars.

So, I decided to look into this further, and came across this statement issued by the FBHVC: “The Department for Transport has announced that they will legislate to introduce E10 petrol as the standard 95-octane petrol grade by 1 September 2021. They will also require

Love this… the higher-octane 97+ 'Super' grades to remain E5 to provide protection for owners of older vehicles.”

Again, no scientific data, but at least that sounds like there is an alternative, albeit a more expensive one. At the time of writing, super unleaded is, on average, 5-10p a litre dearer than standard E5 unleaded fuel, but there’s no way of knowing how long it will remain at that price.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the situation and looking out for some genuine empirical data that backs up the claims made for and against the new E10 fuel and, in particular, its effects on older cars. If you find any yourself, or have any first-hand experiences – good or bad – please do let us know.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the pumps at your local petrol stations as it looks like E10 will be in widespread use across the UK by the beginning of September. We only hope higher octane E5 remains readily available too, even if you do have to travel a little further to seek it out. The extra effort could save you a lot of money in the long term.

Dave Biggadyke

Spotted at Dragstalgia, just abo ut the neatest support vehicle / mot orhome an early British Ford fan could wish for.

When this beautifully restored Thames 400E with period perfect Ray mond Mays signwriting rolled down the supp ort lane, there was a collective nod of approval from the entire grandstand. If this is anything to do with you Jason Blott, and we suspect it is, we salute you.

NEAT STUFF in this issue

broad Brits ab

Beer to the left Time to Blastoff Kustom Kulture Blastoff returns to the Lincolnshire Showground (LN2 2NA) on 3-5 September.

With the usual mix of kustom and rolling art and lifestyle, KKBO embraces the whole culture of the hot rod scene.

Artists ply their trades on mediums as diverse as metal and human skin, the outdoor car show attracts vehicles of all genres and the entertainment is always diverse and plentiful. www.kkbo-ltd.co.uk

The Kestrel Brewing Company is the new official sponsor of the left-hand lane at Santa Pod Raceway. An offshoot of the deal is that draught and canned Kestrel beer will be introduced to the facility’s bars as soon as possible, making it a win, win situation.

The Kestrel Brewing Company recently tly unveiled The Flying Kestrel, a 1935 Riley y Kestrel 9 transformed by Webster Race e Engineering into a land speed racer. With ith a turbocharged, 2.5-litre Audi engine making 900bhp, the car has already topped 175mph and secured seven official land speed class records.

No mad for it

Six pack pipes

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 5

News & reviews Build to your budget How To Build Affordable Hot Rods by ex-CC Editor, Tony Thacker, pretty much does what it says on the cover, though obviously ‘affordable’ is a subjective term directly related to an individual’s disposable income.

In all fairness, references to the likes of The Deuce Factory, Hollywood Hot Rods, SO-CAL Speed Shop and Roy Brizio Street Rods aside, this publication does offer some sound advice, tech tips and lots of guidance on doing things yourself.

Available from Car Tech for $36.95, a copy of How To Build Affordable Hot Rods is well worth your investment. We found it listed on Amazon for just under £20, and one shrewd purchase, or making just one part yourself instead of buying it, soon recoups that outlay. ay.

It’s a wrench

Sand rocks Details are still being confirmed but, with all permits and licences now in place, the 1st Rockin’ Beach Cruise presented by The Lundy Flyers is set to go ahead on 4-5 September.

It takes place at Saunton Sands in Devon and is open to pre-’55 hot rods, motorcycles, aero-engined cars and specials.

The event promises beach circuits on the Saturday, along with a sunset cruise, bars and music.

Facebook: The Lundy Flyers Golden Mile Page

The Clarke 18V, halflfinch impact wrench ch features a brushless ss motor, three forward / reverse gears and three LED work lights.

With a choice of three speeds – 100, 1,500 and 2,000rpm – and a maximum torque delivery of 450Nm, the wrench produces 2,900 impacts per minute.

Priced at £203.98, it comes with two 4Ah lithium-ion power packs, an 80-minute charger, belt clip and moulded carry case. www.machinemart.co.uk

The brush off Milw waukee Tool’s 1/4 and 3/4inch h drive, brushless motor ratc chets offer a 450rpm mottor speed, the company’s Red d Lithium battery packs and Redlink Plus hardware and software for outstanding performance, durability and run time.

See the website for more information and UK dealers. www.milwaukeetool.eu

Drip drop Stop unwanted spills landing on your floor with these fluid spill / drip trays from B-G Racing. The low profile polypropylene trays can be slid underneath even low vehicles to help keep your garage floor clean.

Sizes range from 1,000 x 400 x 50mm through to 1,000 x 550 x 150mm, and prices from £13.99 to £27.99. www.bg-racing.co.uk

AD PRODUCTION Tandem Media Ltd. Ad Production Manager Andy Welch – 01233 220245 custom@tandemmedia.co.uk

www.customcarmag.co.uk Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL EDITORIAL Editor: Dave Biggadyke cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk Features Editor: Mike Pye Art Editor: Kirsty Craner Technical consultant: Mike Waller cc.tech@kelsey.co.uk With thanks to Jon Hill, Julian Hunt, Bo Bertilsson, Tony Thacker, Alice Fairhead, James Webber, Colin Jackson, Matt Richardson, Steve Sharp ADVERTISEMENT SALES Tandem Media Ltd. Account Manager Laura Crawte – 01233 228754 laura@tandemmedia.co.uk

MANAGEMENT Chief Operating Officer: Phil Weeden Chief Executive: Steve Wright Retail Director: Steve Brown Retail Distribution Manager: Eleanor Brown Audience Development Manager: Andy Cotton Events Manager: Kat Chappell Print Production Manager: Georgina Harris Print Production Controller: Kelly Orriss Subscription Marketing Director: Gill Lambert Subscription Marketing Manager: Rochelle Gyer-Smith SUBSCRIPTIONS 13 issues of CC are published per annum UK annual subscription price: £64.87 Europe annual subscription price: £78 USA annual subscription price: £78 Rest of World annual subscription price: £85

6 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

UK subscription and back issue orderline: 01959 543747 Overse as subscription orderline: 0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Toll free USA subscription orderline: 1-888-777-0275 UK customer service team: 01959 543 747 Customer service website link: https://help.kelsey.co.uk/support/solutions Customer service and subscription postal address: Custom Car Customer Service Team The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL Find current subscription offers on our website: shop.kelsey.co.uk/CCA Already a subscriber?

Manage your subscription online: shop. kelsey.co.uk/site/loginForm www.kelseyshop.co.uk CLASSIFIEDS Tel: 0906 802 0279 (premium rate line, operated by Kelsey Media. Calls cost 65p per minute from a BT landline; other networks and mobiles may vary. Lines open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm). cars@kelseyclassifieds.co.uk

Solar energy This new solar-powered charger from Gunson is an effective way to charge and maintain 12V batteries.

It will work in all daylight conditions, is weather resistant and offers a charging rate of up to 4.5W. Featuring four suction cup mounts, the charger connects either through the vehicle’s 12V accessory socket or direct to the battery, and is typically priced at £53.35. www.gunson.co.uk

Custom Car Classifieds, Kelsey Media, PO Box 13, Cudham, Westerham, Kent, TN16 3WT DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555 Distribution in Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland: Newspread Tel: +353 23 886 3850 PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd Email: data.controller@kelsey.co.uk Kelsey Media 2021 © all rights reserved.

Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published.

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Knobs to order Isle of Wight-based hot rodder, Johnny Best, is now manufacturing bespoke laminated acrylic gear and switch knobs.

“I’m making them to order,” says Johnny. “You pick your colours, which way you want the stripes, it doesn’t even have to be round if you don’t want.”

Prices vary but, as a rough guide, gear knobs are between £60 and £100.

Contact Johnny by private message through Facebook, or @south_island_ spls on Instagram.

Turning light to dark Sealey’s new auto darkening welding helmet with powered air purifying respirator is suitable for MIG, TIG and arc welding.

The lithium battery-powered respirator provides a constant stream of filtered air for up to eight hours with an audible alarm when the battery runs low.

The automatic shade control is adjustable from 9-13 and 5-8 and there is also a solar panel power supply. £395.51. www.sealey.co.uk

Rotary detailing Ideal for DIY and hobby use, the Clarke multipurpose rotary tool kit will shape, engrave, grind, clean, sand, polish and cut at a maximum operating speed of up to 31,600rpm.

The tool is especially useful for intricate work and the kit includes a carry case, 1m flexible drive, height adjustable stand with clamp and a selection of accessories and consumables. Price is £35.98. www.machinemart.co.uk

Low pro Webers Webcon has revised the design of its quad Weber IDF manifold for the Rover V8, placing the four carburettors in a line between the heads to lower the overall profile.

If necessary, the height (206mm) can be reduced a further 40mm using 16mm air horns and low profile emulsion tube holders.

The complete kit, including four Weber 44IDF carbs, costs £3,773.70. www.webcon.co.uk

Stand to it The B-G folding mobile work stand is a handy workmate for your workshop or garage, helping you keep tools and parts organised. Made from mild steel, with a clever folding design, it has a working capacity of 30kg and can be neatly folded away for transport or when not in use. £239.99. www.bg-racing.co.uk

Pod ccas cast asst a ast st The latest happenings at the home of UK drag racing - Santa Pod In the fast-moving world of drag racing, things do sometimes move at a clip. The pandemic has played havoc with strategic planning, and trying to figure out any kind of long-term programme has proved next to impossible, so scheduling on the hoof has become the model of the moment.

You, dear reader, will read this Pod cast about a month after it is written, and the events it concerns are due to take place in another month or so’s time. Trouble is, the calendar two months from now is still up in the air, and you, from your August vantage point, may find yourself better informed of goings on than your writer here in July. But, adopting a positive outlook, here is the lowdown on what might – or perhaps might not – happen around the first two weeks in September.

To anyone even lightly steeped in UK drag racing lore, September’s second weekend means one thing: the FIA European Finals. The biggest, loudest, internationalest dragging jamboree of the year. Except that this year, again, there is no FIA Championship. Instead, look for a European Finals-style event, presenting a one-off ‘Shootout Cup’ rather than the traditional, full-blown final round.

For that 9-12 September weekend, that much at least seems reasonably certain. 2020’s ‘Not the European Finals’ had a home grown cast of performers, except for Denmark’s Hans-Henrik Thomsen, who managed to slip under the ropes and set a new world record electric bike ET of 6.869sec.

What chance some more of our continental cousins coming over? Who can tell? If travel restrictions are ever relaxed, there’s a host of Scandinavian track stars itching to give their machinery some much-needed exercise after two sidelined seasons, and the word is they’d love nothing more than an opportunity to do that at Santa Pod before their winter draws in. The same goes for runners and riders right across Europe.

The preceding weekend adds to the excitement with another Doorslammers event, the £30k shootout for door cars last seen in 2019, possibly with an additional midweek event to create a September speed week feel. Will it happen? Well, we’ve got everything crossed!

So, here’s our best advice: visit www.santapod.com, or check our regular Facebook posts to find out what’s really going on, and if something appealing turns up, book your tickets online or by phone and come along.

You’ll be very welcome.

More pressing issues Dear CC, I realised I had not answered Dave’s question about National Drag Racer magazine, although you have no doubt been informed on that score.

It started with bi-monthly issues, the first being the July / Aug ’71 issue. It later became a monthly publication, before becoming Drag Racer in June 1975. The final edition was number 44, cover dated February ’76.

Two issues did not appear in 1974, but that didn’t affect the issue numbers.

I did write for them, but ended up doing too many race reports, so stopped doing that one. A great magazine of that era.

Keith Lee, via email Dear CC, National Drag Racer magazine started out as a bi-monthly with the July / August ’71 issue. It went monthly from the February ’73 issue and I do, of course, have every issue, the last being February ’76.

Mark Blows, CDSRC Historian

> Cheers guys, everyone seems to be in agreement over this subject with the possible exception of the pictorial special mentioned by Graham Thompson last month. If anyone happens to have a copy of that, please let us know. Ed.

Time to cruise Dear CC, this is Sophia enjoying her new ride.

Her grampy, Aubrey, who loves your magazine, made this all-steel roadster during lockdown.

Amy Deacon, via Facebook

> Wow, lucky Sophia to have a grampy as talented as Aubrey. She really looks to be enjoying her ride, and I see she’s already mastered the arm out cruiser’s pose. Make sure you get back in touch once Aubrey has built her a motorised version. Ed.

8 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

Pic: Julian Hunt

Passing time Dear CC, just to put you in the picture with the most recent passes with the Funny Car(s).

Since the last six-second run some time back, the fuel system and clutch in Chi-Town Hustler have undergone some much-needed tuning and reconditioning. The first run against Tim (Garlick) in Apache resulted in a very healthy 1.04 60ft and a 2.72 330ft.

That would’ve been somewhere in the low sixes if I wasn’t under instructions to lift at the eighth, due to confirming data and not taking silly chances with 70 grand’s worth of engine! (After that run, Rob Loaring said if I hadn’t lifted Tim would have been buying dinner that night as the Hustler was out in front ’til the eighth).

I debuted the new Monza Dennis Priddle tribute Funny Car last weekend and was pleased with the second checkout pass, with almost identical short numbers. I recorded a 5.42 1000ft and an inaccurate 6.11 finish line ET as Tim’s headers upset the timing block.

The numbers up to that point put my car in the 6.3 - 6.4 area, so we’re getting there, and this should make for some good, close racing with the more experienced Tony (Betts) and Tim, along with the others who are trying to do their bit to get this fantastic class fully up and running.

Pic: Julian Hunt

I spoke to the godfather, Rob Loaring, at the track and he seems pretty excited by the goings on with us lot. Hell, we could have an eight-car field before you know it!

Paul Harris, owner / driver Chi-Town Hustler and PHR Monza

> Thanks for getting in touch Paul.

As I’ve already told you, our comment in the last issue that you could only manage a couple of lifted passes was by no means derogatory. All here at CC, read: Mike and I, love and support what you guys are doing.

Maybe I need to spend some time at the track with you to get a better insight into the difficulties of running one of these cars. How good is ‘the godfather’ at making a cuppa? Ed.

Write to: Custom Car Mail, Kelsey Publishing, PO Box 978, Peterborough PE1 9FL E-mail: cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk Fax: 01733 557235

The time has come Dear CC, here’s one for your Jago search. I have what I believe to be a Jago chassis and body resting, but not festering, in the garage. I bought it 30 years ago and it’s never been on the road, but will soon be built into a lakes Modified now I’m retired. I’m gradually acquiring bits for it.

Neil Stark, via email

> How many others are there I wonder, with cars sat in their garages for decades? Me for one… It’s great to hear with your new found spare time you’ll be getting stuck into the build Neil. Don’t forget to keep us updated with your progress. Ed.

Zs not dead, baby Dear CC, another old feature car has been unearthed – the Ford Zephyr purchased last September by my brother Rob and myself. The car was featured in the April ’82 issue, alongside another Zephyr belonging to Nick Arlett. I think that car may also still survive, albeit re-done and now painted yellow.

We purchased our Zephyr from the owner of 27 years and have been in contact with Nick White, who owned the car at the time of the feature. The car is still powered by an Essex V6, retains the narrowed Mk3 Zodiac axle and white leather cloth interior, although the Appliance wheels are long gone.

Nick filled us in on some of the people involved in the build, and we have got hold of some footage of the car at Knebworth in 1981. We would,

A Stock question Dear CC, I have just bought the latest issue and am thinking about embarking on a project. Hopefully it won’t be too expensive, and perhaps you could help me with that.

For many years I have been a big fan of F1 Stock Car racing, and would like to build my own car running an American engine.

Do you know of anyone who could give me instructions, measurements and some idea of the cost? When the car is

however, be interested to hear from anyone who owned the car between 1982 and ’92.

We’re not sure what the plans for it are yet, as neither of us were looking for another project, but when the previous owner showed us the feature in CC we couldn’t resist.

Dave Hunt, via email

> That is an interesting find Dave. We never cease to be amazed by how many of these old feature cars are still around. Not all, of course, still in the splendour they once were.

Now you’ve spilled the beans about your find, you really do need to keep in touch about what you do with it. It’s your turn to make your mark on the old girl now. Ed.

built, I plan to take it to shows, along with advertising boards clearly stating which companies the car is sponsored by.

Nigel Deeley, Beeston, Notts

> Firstly Nigel, let me thank you for the old school, hand-written letter. Such a rarity these days.

A quick Google about F1 Stock Car regulations turned up the Trackstar Racing website at www.stockcar-racing.co.uk Once logged on, clicking on the Info section gives the lowdown on all the classes, including BriSCA F1 and F2.

I allso found d a useffull beginners’’ guiide at www.briscaf1.com Good luck, and please let us know how your project develops. Ed.

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 9

Think Big part 2

With the chassis for the full scale Big-T well underway, we turn our attention to the body and pick-up bed ■ Words and pics: Bo Bertilsson he idea of using a steel body and pick-up bed for our version of the Big-T began in California. A pretty good door was found, and we only needed one as the 1922-’25 roadster the Monogram kit is based on only ever had one door on the right (passenger) side. Next, a cowl top was found, and those parts became important for the next stage of the build.

The Ford Model T roadster was manufactured with either a high or low firewall, and each one has different cowl and side panels. Instead of chasing bad original sheet metal for the rest, we started to call the various companies that sell replica Model T panels. Frustratingly, we kept getting the same answers: “None in stock,” or “We order when we have five customer orders.”

T

° A new wood kit for the original door was bought from the US. Some sanding was required before it fitted the nearly 100-yearold door skin we’d bought, but the fit has to be good as the sheet metal is folded over and nailed to the wood. Yes, nailed.

10 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

© Every project has to start some where.

In our case, it was with this origi nal ’22-’25 Model T radiator shell, found at a Model T sswapmeet in Los Angeles for 100 bucks.

Pe Perfect condition.

° Fo Forr the the pick-up pick-u pic k-up k-u p bed, bed, we ch chose ose to us use ea replica Model A version, readily available from Brookville Roadster.

odell T Mode Mode 1914 Model ed 10 1914 anted want want Ford wanted en Ford When ° Wh ebration in for its 100-year celebrati roa ro roadsters 2014, 201 it was Sture Lundin in Sweden who got the call. There’s nothing he doesn’t know kno about making early (up to 1925) Model T bodies, and many of them are done on this big press in his workshop.

stration b

ho

aylor

° Model T side panel rear corners have a special rounded profile, which Sture makes in his big press and checks against this fixture. This section would become part of the right-hand side roadster panel.

° This is how a ’22-’25 roadster side panel looks before it goes in the press. Having the sheet metal accurately pre-cut like this saves a lot of additional work after the forming process.

But when we found out all the panels they couldn’t sell me are made in Sweden, we went on the hunt and soon found the man who makes them, Sture Lundin. Sture lives up north and has been a Model T guy forever.

the panels they couldn’t sell me are made in Sweden We ordered left and right side panels, plus a back panel, though even they took some time to arrive as Sture was honest when he told us, “I’m getting old, and I’m not well, so it takes time.” In the meantime, we started shortening the repro Model A pick-up bed we had shipped from Brookville Roadster in the US.

Then, about a year after we placed the order, we received a call from Sture (now 85 years old) to say the other panels were done, so we headed up there to collect them. It was impressive to see his workshop, with a big press and all the tools needed to make all the Model T parts up to the 1925 model.

° While Sture made the body parts, we got on with cutting down the bed sides to 25 inches in length, with the two cuts carefully placed so the pressings would match up afterwards.

° For assembly, we turned to sheet metal pro, Ken Kennet Kenneth neth hK Kristiansson. risti ris i tia tianss nsson nss on. In on In or ord order der th der that att he he have something to reference it all to, we made a wooded frame out of 2 x 2 and 2 x 4-inch timber, to the same dimensions as the real frame.

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 11

° Kenneth used his shrink and stretch tool to make the bottom support pieces that will be used to hang the body on the frame. ¿ With these welded to the body side panels, and a top hat section crossmember cleco’d in place, the body could be mounted on the wood frame in the exact way it will be on the actual chassis, channelled over it by four inches, the width of the frame.

In conversation, he told us he had made “about 30 roadsters and over 100 Phaetons are rolling in the US.” Impressive stuff from a one-man operation in Sweden.

Body builder Once all the parts were in our garage, we could play mock-ups, using Clecos to hold all the parts together. It quickly became clear there was a lot of work still to do, but we had our body guy, a talented hot rodder called Kenneth Kristiansson, on standby…

We had asked Sture to leave the top edge around the body unfinished as Kenneth was going to sort that out for us, making sure it all fitted the door nicely. He was also going to make all the additional floor and support pieces needed to attach it to the chassis in metal, rather than wood as they were originally.

° Floors went in next, and a channel was needed for the torque tube and to allow for suspension movement of the back axle. Kenneth started by making a paper template…

and el and eel ste et st sheet thatt to she d tha ed rre err sfe n nsf tran ° …and then tra eeling machine wh a , ers roll g usin ce he pie made the easy if m the flanges. Sounds and hand tools to for ? huh , ckly qui you say it

© It’s amazing really that a nigh-on 100-year-old door from a production line in America fits a body side made in Sweden as nicely as this, using a pair of stock Model T hinges. It needs a little finessing but we were very happy to see this.

the n the ween wee between betwee in bet join n the jo en gthen gth rength ren strengthe stren ° To st ort , Kenneth body and the bottom supports added these additional braces, which really helped with the rigidity of the side panel around the door opening.

12 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

° It’s curious building an asymmetric body but, without an opening openi ening door doo on the driver’s side, the approach taken was quite e different. different. diff nt.

Note the additional gussets either side of the door opening on the passenger side. By the time Kenneth had finished, the flimsy body panels we took him were a super strong structure with no flex in it, yet still surprisingly light. Great job by Kenneth.

° Remember we said earlier we bought an original cowl top? Well, it turned out to not be the right one for the panels Sture made us, but Kenneth took care of that and shortened it by an inch to fit up against the temporary plywood firewall.

down be bed d side ssides idess toge ide ttogether. ogethe oge ther. the r. He mad made e such such a good good job job ° Kenneth also TIG and hammer welded our cutt down fille when hen it later came to painting painti the car. of it, there was almost no need for any filler

Next step for us then was to make a wooden replica of the frame for him to mount it on so we could keep working on the chassis while he assembled the body.

We did this using our original drawings, which were scaled up eight times from an original Big-T model.

°u Ready to pick-up, it was like a brand new body, which in effect it is, other than the outer skin of the door and the cowl and dash. This felt like a major milestone reached in the project, and we couldn’t be happier with the work.

make a wooden replica of the frame Every detail on the chassis, particularly the steering position was double checked again at this point for clearance before the body metalwork was done. It was tight, but I’m not 6ft4 so it's okay.

Now we’re really excited about seeing the body and chassis come together, but you’ll have to wait until next month. CC

° The day Kenneth called and said, “Come and get it,” we jumped in the car pretty quick. That was a good day to see his great work bringing our ideas to life, and to be able to take a complete body home with us.

Note the plywood firewall we made last month to check steering box placement.

In part three next month, we make the chassis a roller and fit the Big-T body…

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 13

So Cal

Diaries Ex-pat and former CC editor, Tony Thacker, lives s in California these days, and this month gets reunited with an old time drag strip

18th Holley National Hot Rod Reunion

W

e haven’t had a Holley National Hot Rod Reunion since 2019, and we’ve missed it. Not the heat and humidity, but the action on a track that was built in 1951 and has suffered little modernisation in the years since. Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky is still one of the coolest strips in action.

It’s hard to be certain as it’s such a vast venue, but the field seemed a little down this year, no doubt due to the pandemic.

Nevertheless, the action was fast and furious, from the swap meet and the show

field through to the strip and the Cacklefest.

Once we can travel to the US again, Bowling Green is a good alternative holiday destination. You can fly direct from London to Nashville on a nine-hour flight for about $900 (around £650). Obviously, there’s plenty to do in Nashville itself, and Bowling Green is just 65 miles north, offering lots to see and do, including the Corvette Museum and plant.

The next Reunion is scheduled for 22-24 October at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. You can get more info at www.nhramuseum.org CC

the action was fast and furious

° One of my favourite Scott Rod cars of the Reunion was Bob Cook’s ’57 Corvette, with 496 blown cubes onboard. In the eighth it ran 5.46 at 125.48mph, and put on an impressive show.

° Mike Kalinowski’s Angry Austin, Unfinished Business, Dorset was an equally tough Scott Rods competitor. Powered by a blown 480ci Chevy, it clocked 5.618 at 125.66mph.

° Model A pick-ups are tight on space, but there’s something about them that is just cool. This ’29 is owned by Cheryl Kaiser and with a 327 Chevy ran 12.547 at 105.23mph.

° You don’t see too many of these in the UK, and even less in the US. It’s a ’58 Hillman Husky panel van, owned by Charlie Jackson from Tennessee. Its 400ci Chev sent it down track in 12.292 seconds at 104.65mph.

° You don’t see man y four-door Mog eith eithe er, r, but Ricky Hansen’s ’57 look gy Minors ed th the business. It laid down a 10.7 at just 90mph with its 434 Chevy but sure put a smile on my face.

° Barry Camp had his stunning ’62 Bel Air Sport Coupe, powered by a 572 big block Chevy, in the 9.35s. I just love its understated brutishness.

° Bowling Green is always littered with English-bodied, straight-axle cars and this ’59 Thames of Dick Luzader is a fresh one out. Powered by a 363 Ford, it was in the 14s on its maiden trip.

° In their day, Hudsons were regularly in the ’49, powered by a i l . This ’49 ’ circle NASCAR winner’s Jody Blalock 500-inch Mopar lump, was driven by to a best of 10.685 at 106.06mph.

° I’ve said it many times, but it still amazes me just how right Americans get our little old British Fords. Roger Thompson’s ’51, with its drilled ’n’ chromed stock axle and 301 Chevy motor, is on the dime.

Best time was 12.11 at 106.84mph.

° Joe Bush, one of the Geeze r Gassers, is another showman in his to tough ’40 Willys pick up. With 327 Chev Chevy power he clicks off a 10.378 after aft a smokescreen of a burnout.

I couldn’t find an entry for the wild AA/GS Orange Peel ’63 Vette, driven by Ed Beaumont, but with a Weiandblown, 427 big block Chevy it sure laid some rubber. Car is an old time racer, originally campaigned by Terry Herbeck in the ’60s.

° Another eyecatching ’Vette is Kyle Renfroe’s Renfroe’s Rattler II. With 402 power, the ’62 ran 9.168.

° One of our favourite Top Fuel dragsters is the Hilton family’s Great Expectations III. Unfortunately, driver, Tyler Hilton, suffered an extremely wild engine fire at the top end, but thankfully walked away.

° Stock ’34 Tud ors are now as rare as rocking horse droppin giv n the chance, we’ give gs but, d all be driving Miss Dais y. y

s, unless never my favourite Ford coupes were n is Ford on mo Big Lem ’s jnr ee ° The post-World War II esb Ogl Orange, but Don it was Fat Jack’s Big s down mid-12s at 105.80mph. put 239 powered and

© The show field was a little sparse this year, but we still found some cool cars, rs, such as Dave and Amy’s radicallychopped ’54 Plymouth Savoy.

Or, more appropriately in this case, saveloy.

° Shades of Two-Lane Blacktop here with Scott Abbott’s ’55 Bel Air. No 454 this time, but a 427, which was enough for an 11.048 on this pass.

Although not a huge early Willys fan, ya gotta love Ray Kasiki’s Big Orange ’33 that ran the eighth in 5.622 at 123.10mph, and looked jus’ fine on its way down track.

THERE’S MORE!

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1965 FORD F100 LONGBED HALFTON, V8/4SPD, DELUXE TRIM PACKAGE, NEW WINDSHIELD, ON THE BUTTON DRIVER $11,250

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1970 CHEVY C-20 LONGBED STEPSIDE, V8/AUTO P/S, ON THE BUTTON DRIVER $7,875

1957 CHEVY 3100 STEPSIDE PROJECT, 6CYL/3SPD, NEW WINDSHIELD FITTED, REFURBISHED BENCH SEAT, ENGINE/ TRANS ARE OUT, TRUCK IS COMPLETE REQUIRES RESTORATION $9,875

1964 THAMES 400E VAN US SPEC LHD, NO ENGINE TRANS, ALL THE PATINA YOU WILL EVER NEED AND NO RUST $4,950

1931FORD MODEL A ROADSTER SUPERCHARGED 327CI/AUTO, 9” REAR , DISC BRAKES, 100% HENRY STEEL, BUILT AND OWNED BY THE SAME OWNER SINCE 1959, FANTASTIC PIECE OF HOTROD HISTORY, EXCELLENT CONDITION THROUGHOUT $36,750

1964 1/2 FORD MUSTANG 260CI V8/ AUTO, P/S, F CODE JUNE 1964 BUILD DATE, ORIGINAL BLACK PLATE CALIFORNIA CAR , STRIPPED TO BARE METAL READY FOR RESTORATION $13,250

1963 MERCURY COMET 2DR HARDTOP 6 CYL/AUTO, REBUILT CARB ON THE BUTTON, CHOICE OF THREE ALL DRIVERS PRICED FROM $5,800

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1966 CORVETTE COUPE, FACTORY 427/4SPD, SIDE PIPES KNOCKOFF WHEELS EXCELLENT CONDITION THROUGHOUT $128,500

1960 VAUXHALL VICTOR LHD CANADIAN CAR, EXCELLENT CONDITION THROUGHOUT, ‘ON THE BUTTON’ DRIVER, VIRTUALLY A COMPLETE CAR MINUS THE BARE SHELL IN EXTRA PARTS INCLUDED $9,450

1970 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE CONVERTIBLE, V8/AUTO, P/S, P/B, P/TOP, P/W A/C, ON THE BUTTON DROPTOP 6 PASSENGER CRUISER $11,250

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Railway times Words and pics: Alice Fairhead With brilliant weather over the May Bank Holiday weekend, a short notice decision was taken by the Norfolk Street Cruisers to return to The Railway public house in Wymondham on a Wednesday evening. Starting around 7.30pm, the first such gathering on 2 June attracted people from all directions, and it wasn’t long before the car park was filled.

it was great to stand around and natter with people Drinks were only served outside, but it was great to stand around and natter with people we knew, and meet a few new ones as well.

The event marked only my fifth trip out in my Volvo Amazon, but all went well and I’m looking forward to the next one already.

Thanks to the Norfolk Street Cruisers for organising the meet. If you’d like to attend the next one, they’re traditionally held on the first Wednesday of every month, but keep an eye on the Norfolk Street Cruisers Facebook group for updates. CC

° Graeme Eldred made the run out in his mild custom ’55 Plymouth. u Keith Hutson was another who dragged the rod out the garage for the night, his Deuce coupe being a common sight at meetings in the area.

° Graham Fair hea he d was fflying the flag for the VW fraternity in his 2.0-litre Type 4-powered Fastback.

° On this occ asion, Graham Cris p opted to make the journey tto Wy W mondham in his 1960 Ford Thames Dormobile .

°A As always, l Th The R Railway il y meett attracted tt a mix of pick-ups.

18 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

° With lights flashing, Colin Rabicano makes a conspicuous exit in his NYPDliveried Mercury Grand Marquis.

Plus Fours Words and pics: James Webber Another event scheduled for last year that had to be postponed due to Covid was the one-day gathering organised

by Plus Four Four Automotive, a car enthusiast group that also sells a range of clothing.

The event, known simply as The Show, was originally to be staged at the AtwellWilson Motor Museum in Calne, but last minute fears that the ground would be waterlogged saw the museum pull out and the Plus Four Four team on the brink of g in the towel. throwing

° These guys had the right idea, a Chevy C10 provides an idea id l view i ing platform to check out what’s goin g on.

° 2008 Ford Crown Victoria is a former Meguiar’s UK fleet car from a few years back.

Loving the ‘to protect & shine’ slogan. © The Show wasn’t just limited to cars and trucks, motorbikes of interest were made welcome too.

©u¿ Bearing the script Bad Co Dodge, this cool looking ’64 Dodge Polara featured some neat touches and had a crowd round it all day.

°E en the door lock pull buttons pay Even homage to Meguiar’s heritage.

Come the eleventh hour, though, a new venue was found at Melksham Football Ground in Wiltshire and the day went ahead on the May Bank Holiday Monday.

The team did a tremendous job of organising, marshalling and utilising the space available, and it being entirely outdoors meant a lot of cars and people were able to attend, provided everyone pre-booked to facilitate test and trace protocols.

the event known simply as The Show The turnout of customs and rods wasn’t great, which is a shame as the team are keen to encourage a variety of cars to enter and create some interesting displays.

However, I recommend looking up the group on social media (@plusfourfourautomotive) and keeping eyes peeled for next year’s event, as The Show could well become something big in the future. CC

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 19

S D O ' R S R E D A E R tails of your car to: Email photos and de Box 978, Peterborough PE1 1FL Readers’ Rods, Custom Car, PO cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk or post to t 300dpi All digital photos must be at leas Include you name and address.

Scratch in time nitially having trodden the VW Beetle and Mk1 Escort route, long term CC reader, Colin Jackson’s, first foray into the world of American vehicles came in the shape of a ’76 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Ownership of that helped Colin learn about maintaining V8s, and also exposed him to the arts of rust repair and bodywork.

With an ever-growing interest in hot rods, Colin progressed to a Jago five-window, which over the course of time he completely rebuilt. Next came a ’69 Mercury Marauder, but his itch was well and truly scratched when he came across an ad for a ’34 coupe for sale in 2005.

After buying it and using it as it was for a

I

20 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

■ Words: DB Pics: Colin Jackson

couple of years, Colin decided it was time for a few small improvements. Yup, you guessed this was coming… By the end of that first weekend in the garage, the car was stripped down to a bare chassis.

Not an unusual situation for any of us car guys, but Colin admits it was a big scary move all the same.

components, together with their associated plumbing, all receiving attention.

In fact, everything needed to put a safe, useable car back on the road was attended to, with the rebuilt coupe passing its MoT in Easter 2014.

Having loved the coupe for over 15 years now, Colin is thinking that with grandkids

every part of it rebuilt, refurbished or replaced Two years later, the car emerged into daylight once again, with every part of it rebuilt, refurbished or replaced.

The coupe was re-wired using a Rebel kit, with suspension, fuel and brake

starting to arrive, something with a back seat may be in his future. More specific than that, a ’69 Ford Torino SportsRoof would really get his cam spinning. Get in touch if you have one and fancy a swap. CC

© The chassis was originally supplied by 34 Corner, and Colin overhauled all aspects of the running gear during the rebuild.

u Wheel Vintiques steels with hubcaps and trim rings are bolted to an Ian Mockett IFS and an early Jaguar rear axle hung on a 4-bar with coilovers and a Watts linkage.

° Commercial headlights flank the ’glass grille shell, and the nerf bar was fabricated by Colin during the rebuild. The bonnet sides are more of Colin’s handiwork, which he painted to match the original flamed paintwork he thinks dates to the mid-’90s.

small block Ford has ° The 1966 vintage 289ci features an Edelbrock and n, Coli by d eshe refr been and stainless steel carb and ifold Performer man ade stainless er-m own an headers flowing into mufflers and cut outs. exhaust with dual Smitty’s with a shift kit.

Colin also rebuilt the C4 'box

¿ The headliner is finished off with an array of periodstyle tin signs.

° The interior features an unknown origin bench seat, a Mini heater, CD player, a full complement of gauges and a Moon tach mounted on the homemade steering column. © The full fendered 34 Corner ’glass body features a rumble seat-style opening boot lid, albeit with no seat.

Instead, the space provides a useable boot, as well as storage for tools and a space saver spare wheel.

The ’34 Ford rear lights sit on modified stands, whilst the number plate bears the script The Cumbria Kid, a nod to the part of the country Colin lives in.

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 21

BRENTACRE CUSTOM CAR & HOT ROD INSURANCE

www.customcarmag.co.uk NB: We advise you to double check with organisers that the event or show as listed is still going ahead, to avoid any wasted journeys. To submit an event, email cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk, fax 01733 557235, or write to Custom Car Events, Kelsey Media, PO Box 978, Peterborough PE1 9FL.

Coronavirus (Covid-19): With events still being cancelled or rearranged due to the ongoing pandemic, these listings should only be regarded as provisional.

Please adhere to current government guidelines, and always check the status of events before travelling.

AUGUST 6-8

6-8 7-8

20

28 Lincoln Autojumble. Hemswell, Lincs DN21 5TJ. www.lincolnautojumble.com

21-22

29

8 12-15 Drag Racing Championship. Tierp 21-22 STP Greenlight Nationals s.

Arena, Sweden. http://tierparena.com/ Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapo od.co.uk 13-15 Retro CarFest. Bicester Heritage, 21-22 Peterborough Festival off Bicester OX26 5HA. www.carfest.org Wheels. Lions Rugby Club, Bretton 13-15 PE3 8ED. www.pbfow.co.uk

13-15

14 RWYB. Santa Pod Raceway. www.rwyb.com 15

15

15

SEPTEMBER 1 End of Summer Riot. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

21-22 The Classic Car Spectac cular Show. Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire. www.tattonclassiccarshow.com

3-5

27-29

3-5

27-29

3-5 Doorslammers (to be confirmed).

Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

27-30

4 Redbourn Classics Motor Show and Village Fete. Redbourn Common, Herts AL3 7BU. www.redbournclassics.co.uk

28

4 Japfest. Silverstone Circuit, Northants NN12 8TN. www.fastcar.co.uk

28

4-5 Motorfest. Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3PJ.www.motorshowevents.com

15 28

22 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

29

5 Vehicle Meet and Auto Jumble.

Newbury Showground, Hermitage, Thatcham RG18 9QZ. Facebook: Spring vehicle Meet and Autojumble

5 Lazy Sunday Wax & Wheels.

The Acacia Centre, Annesley, Notts NG17 9BH. www.acaciaradio.com 5 Stratford Autojumble. Stratfordupon-Avon Racecourse. www.stratfordautojumble.co.uk 8 Euro Finals Test Day. Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 9-12

9-12 .

10-12 25 11-12 u ,

y dd d ddersfield derrsfie der sfie sf ield lld d HD3 HD3 3 3XF XF FD Fa Fa E ELL ffield iC ield eld dAHot HN otC ot Rod od & Custom Cus u to om Rod

30

25-26 30 30 Lincoln Autojumble. Hemswell, Lincs 30 DN21 5TJ. www.lincolnautojumble.ccom

12 VHRA Swap Meet. The Camp, Ramsey, Cambs PE26 2XB. www.vhra.co.uk

OCTOBER

12

2 Saturday Night Special.

Santa Pod Raceway. www.rwyb.co om

.

31

NOVEMBER

12

17-19

17-19

3 TRAX Silverstone.

Silverstone Circuit, Northants NN1 12 8TN. 3 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.fastcar.co.uk www.acecafe.com 3 Victory Wheelers Hayling Sunsset.

7 NSRA Southern Swap Meet.

Funland, Hayling Island, Hants.

North Weald Airfield, Epping CM16 6HQ. Facebook: Victory Wheelers www.nsra.org.uk 6 Hot Rod Night.

12-14 Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.co om 9 RWYB. Santa Pod Raceway. www.rwyb.com

18-19

21

9-10 27

19

19

10 NSRA Northern Swap Meet. Magna, Rotherham, Yorks. www.nsra.org.u uk 27 16 RWYB. Santa Pod Raceway. www.rwyb b.com 17

DECEMBER

24

1 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London.

23-24 Saturday Night Special / RWYB. www.acecafe.com Santa Pod Raceway. www.rwyb.com m

24-26

24

19

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 23

Smashed it ■ Words and pics: DB

T

he big question in the run up to this year’s National Hot Rod, Custom and American Car Show was, as with most things at the moment, would it or wouldn’t it? Go ahead that is.

With Covid causing things to change on an almost weekly basis, the future of this show that didn’t happen last year, and had already been re-scheduled in 2021, was hanging in the balance.

An outdoor stage and a couple of bars provided all that was needed Come the first weekend in July, though, the gates were unlocked, the lights switched on in the halls and the hot rods rolled into town. Along with the hundreds of cars participating in the Modified Nationals taking place simultaneously on the same site of course.

All that aspect of the event does is provide another facet to the weekend, one

Eight ball

you can choose to get involved with or not, and checking out the modified exhibits is eye opening, to say the least.

Understandably, things weren’t quite the same at Peterborough Showground Arena this time round. Numbers were limited, social distance guidelines were in place and masks had to be worn indoors, but that was a small price to pay for being back at a weekend show after the long, Covid-enforced hiatus.

There was no indoor entertainment in the evening, but again that was no great

hardship. An outdoor stage and a couple of bars provided all that was needed, especially as the weather played ball, despite the unfavourable forecast.

I caught up with organiser, Mark Needham, on the Sunday morning and asked him how things were going? “We’ve done it, we’ve bloody done it!” came his euphoric response.

He’s not wrong there, and what’s more they did it in style. Hats off to all behind the scenes, you well and truly smashed it. CC

BiB winner

T

he first round of judging netted a shortlist of eight vehicles vying for the prestigious title of Best in Britain. Next came the arduous challenge of selecting a Top 3 from that list of potential candidates (pictured here), along with the others on the shortlist shown in no particular order.

BiB runner up

, this show saw the ° Thanks to Covid rd Woodie rle’s 1950 Matfo debut of Mick Ha issue. ’20 r be to Oc in the that we featured oden wo d ine ag es re-im , The Woodie featur by a fuel injected red we po is d bodywork an rd.

Fo 302ci small block

24 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

BiB second runner up ° Since importing this Model A coupe, Phil We bb has totally rebuilt it, right down to a new leathe r and Harris Tweed interior by Chr is at Retro Retrims in Taunton.

Power comes from a sma ll block Ford and the cou rolls on 18 and 20-inch pe Billet Specialties rims.

© Top honours went to the immaculate and rare ’37 Plymouth PT-50 pick-up of Luke Briggs.

The drivetrain is a 350 / 350 combo, turning a Ford 9-inch rear axle, whilst up front there’s a Fatman Fabrications Mustang II-based IFS.

° If you build it right, it will stand the test of time. We featured Roland Bunn’s distinctively painted and small block Chevy-motivated ’54 Ford Pop in the December ’17 issue and it’s still holding its own with the best of them.

5 alive Once again, in no particular order, the judges selected this mixed group from exhibits in the outdoor show arena for Top 5 awards.

© It came as no great surprise that the award for Best Engine in the outdoor show went to the e LS3-powered ’55 Chevy pick-up of Lee Moses. ° Donna Quarrington and a n her Gober Sosebee S o tribute, Stock Car Ca racing-inspired ’49 Oldsmobile.

Ol Check out the th cool door cards.

¿ The indoor show Judges’ Award went to the Volvo of Tom Clarke from Meguiar’s.

We’ll be bringing you the lowdown on the turbo Amazon in the not-too-distant future.

o two ing tw havin lly ha ussly iou iou vio v rev pre ep ne nyon ll an ll ’t recall n’t n’ ° I can’t il Webb’s Ph t bu , BiB for n on tio nti ten vehicles iin conte F-100, another V8-powered ’56 5.0-litre Coyote the running. o e car, was als in previous CC featur g bonnet are ltin -ti rd wa for a d Suicide doors an of body mods. amongst the list

° Representing the muscle car era was Mick Turner’s tough as-you-like ’68 Dodge Charger.

° Adrian Day’s steel-bodied ’32 is another timeless variation on the perennially popular Deuce coupe. Under the louvred bonnet lies a Hilborn-injected 383 stroker, whilst under the rear there’s a Winters Champ rear axle.

rtrayed in itish tin being po ° With classic Br Vauxhall Victor.

70 19 r’s lle Fu the form of Terry

° The only pick-up in the Top 5 line up was this ’54 Chevy belonging to Lucy Abbott.

° Another car making its public debut after a 13-year build period was Tim Bate’s ’32 3-window. The coupe has an I-beam front and Volvo 240 rear axles, with power coming from a ubiquitous small block Chevy.

° With the shoot alread y in the ba fully aware g, we were of Bryan W hitfield’s ’5 to the wee 5 Chevy prio kend. We w r ere not, ho for just how wever, go Unsurprising od the understated ca prepared r really is. ly, Bryan m ade the jour with the tr ney home ophy for Be st Paint on board as w ell.

© The largest of the Top 5 winners was undoubtedly Gary Bellamy’s 1970 Cadillac Coupe deVille.

° Russ Cook’s blown 354 Hemi-powered ’30 Model A coupe picked up the silverware for Best Engine indoors.

ented to

al Hot Rod award was pres

ition ° Back outside, the Best Trad el A. Terry Bunn for his ’30 Mod

° Part of the Willys Wars display, Steve Young took home the Own ers’ Choice trophy for his Old Dog Gara ge Willys pickp up. p

° Best American in the outdoor display went to Sue Sharples for her ’73 Camaro Z28…

© Rob Brown and Hayley Fyfe brought along their Rebel slingshot to be part of the display promoting the Hot Rod Drags, and drag racing in general.

° Mark Elsigood’s ‘Rocket’ is destined to race on sand at some time in the future. The ex-RAF Tornado drop tank has been shortened by two metres! Power comes from a 4.2-litre Daimler straight six.

° …Best British / European to the

VW Beetle of Sam Winterburn…

° This year’s Spirit of the Show award was presented to stalwart supporters, Granville and Carla, of Rob Co Tools.

© With paint

by Jon Hogarth at S.I.D. in Great Yarmouth, the Art Attack ’38 International Harvester van is a rolling advert for the tattoo studio.

As is the norm, lowriders put on a display in the barn.

Stand to it Custom Car is grateful to the owners of the six vehicles that graced the red carpet as part of the magazine’s stand. Thanks guys, we really appreciate it.

Scott Halliwell’s fresh out ’34 coupe runs a built 351 Ford Windsor, a narrowed Ford 9-inch with Detroit locker and Heidts Superide IFS. Interior is by Neil Tadman.

First built in the States in 1965, pow er for Carl Powles’ ’27 Ford Model T Modified is provided by a fourcylinder, 2.5-litre Pontiac Iron Duke . ° Despite having been let down by the trimmer, Mike Zschorn still debuted his 105E Anglia. The bonnet slowly raises on an electrically-operated ram to reveal the 400ci Chevy V8 that lies beneath.

With more body mods than we have space to mention, Ian Rattan’s ’34 coupe was painted by Dave Rothwell over 20 years ago and still looks immaculate. A 3.9-litre Rover V8 provides the horses.

° We brought you news of the Loaded Gunn Blown Fuel Lakester I speed record project in the Spring issue this year. Mechanically, it’s still pretty much the same, but the bodywork has now been enhanced with purple flames.

Steve Marley’s freshly rebuilt ’40 Ford Deluxe Coupe is finished in French Grey, the same colour as the Model A roadster pick-up he had built a few years back.

Daring to be different, Ken Amos Jnr’s ’55 Chevy runs a 500ci Cadillac V8 mated to a TH400 transmission. The flamed four door rolls on vintage ARE five spokes.

° Over in the dark side our attention wass drawn to a bright yellow ’68 Mustang. We didn’t, however, expect to see a Merc’ AMG G lump under the bonnet. Word is the front suspension is from the same donor car.

° What car were you driving when you were 23? Chances it wasn’t a ’62 Chevy Bel Air with air ride and 19-inch chrome rims. Lewis Stem p you are one lucky guy.

Colin Parkinson’s ’47 Ford coupe is the third incarnation of Porky Seven, first built years ago by Nick Arlett. The Steve Hudson-stitched trim bagged Colin the Best Interior trophy.

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34

ows state and all Bob kn FastCo in New York and by p ilt bh bu s 510 g wa win evy sho ° 383 stroker Ch with a dyno graph clappers and is id lifters and came the sol s e ha lik it es is go it it t , ou ab y up top With a 750cfm Holle 585ft.lbs of torque. y gear. an in es tyr r rea can spin the

One stop shop Bob ■ Words: Mike Pye Pics: Matt Richardson

30 CUSTOM CAR SEP PTEMBER R 2021

I

this truck started out as what you might call a reluctant project .

. penny, in for a pound, havin ng painted his

.

, u t l a reluctant projecct. “I’d finished the Willys

loved that car. I spent years trying to find it

SEPTEMBER R 2021 CUSTOM CAR 31

Unlike the front of the truck, which is largely stock, there’s nothing factory about the rear end at all. Every part of the pick-up bed has been modified, the rear wings have ’50 Pontiac lights tunnelled into them and the rolled rear pan and tailgate are all handmade. It may not function as a pick-up any more but we could definitely live with that.

©

Sell one, buy one Bob restored his dream car, but then sold it to fund the Willys, vaguely regretting that decision to this day. So, when he finished the Willys, he didn’t sell it, instead went looking for something else to fill his spare time at weekends.

it still looked like a farm truck, and that’s what I didn’t want “I’ve always liked trucks, but I didn’t want another full resto. I was looking for a patina truck, but one with modern suspension.

I suppose I was after a part-built project, something I could finish off the way I wanted it, and have it on the road quickly.”

What eventually turned up checked one or two of those boxes, not all of them, but given what had been done already, and the sheer amount of parts it came with, Bob talked himself into buying it.

“I bought the truck off Ashley Hodgkins. ¿ Dash has been kept pretty much stock, save for the removal of the radio hole above the trim.

Even the modern gauges are in the standard positions. It’s a lovely piece of design as it is, and the new trim was in one of the boxes, so Bob didn’t see any need to mess with it.

32 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

as a sat nav.

He’d done a load of work on it and had bought pretty much everything needed to finish it, but I think had just lost his way somewhere along the line.”

Boxes of tricks “When I went to pick it up, I wish I’d taken a picture of all the boxes of parts that came with it as there were so many, and the dust on them was unreal. It had obviously been sitting for a while.”

About five years or so by our reckoning, as those of you with really good memories

might recall we ran a progress report on this truck in our April 2010 issue. Back then Ashley was operating as Black Market Hotrods in Kent, and this was going to be a rolling advert for the business.

Without going into financial details, we’ll just say Bob had a bit of a touch, returning home with a loosely assembled, blasted and primed ’50 Chevy pick-up on a custom-built chassis with Jag’ IFS, a FastCo 383 stroker Chevy, 700R4 transmission and 20-inch Center Lines. The accompanying mountain of boxes contained, amongst other things, a fully digital AccuAir air ride system, Dakota Digital gauges, an Ididit steering column, lights, bumper, front grille, trim… The list goes on.

Given all that, you can see why Bob admits, “I didn’t really want this project, but it just made sense.”

Bavarian connection The one thing he wasn’t quite sure about, but has turned out to be one of the best parts of the truck, was the E60 BMW M5 Touring rear suspension.

“I thought it was going to be really complicated, but it’s such a great unit. It’s exactly the right width for the truck, it comes with a limited slip diff, a proper set of brakes, even mounts for air bags, and it’s all held in with just four bolts. It’s brilliant, I don’t know why more people don’t use them.”

With that in mind, did you ever consider using the rest of the BMW? I tentatively ask.

“It’s already got pretty much the whole BMW braking system, inclluding the electric vacuum pump, and I have th hought about the matching engine, yes.

“Maybe one day, but there’s nothing wrong with the engine that’s in it. There was a dyno chart with it and it’s making 510bhp and 585ft.lbs of torque. It’ll get out of shape pretty easily with that. I think the M5 engine is about 500bhp as well, but it would be a very different, much smoother engine. Yeah, maybe one day.”

Working in concert with the neat BMW IRS is a mildly narrowed Jaguar XJS IFS, but with the added benefit of a pair of front discs the size of Alan Partridge’s dinner plate, and Hi-Spec eight-pot calipers.

The Chevy Cavalier power steering rack fitted made life a bit tricky as it has the input on the driver’s side, but the output in the centre. It doesn’t take too much engineering know how to realise that’s going to quickly run into clearance issues on a truck that sits as low as this one does.

° Electrically-operated highback seats were bought straight out of a write-off Audi TT RS, right through to the diamond-stitch in the leather, though Bob has added the V8 badges to better tie them into the truck. ¿ The red interior works in perfect contrast to the black exterior, and pretty much everything you see here is Bob’s own work, from the carpets up through the console to the door cards and headliner, though his wife, Celia, is responsible with the detail stitch work in the panels.

Gauges are by Dakota Digital, the polished tilt column is from Ididit and the banjo-style leather-wrapped steering wheel is one Bob fitted to replace the full billet one that was on there before.

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 33

° From this angle, the bed looks like it’s just been given the new stainless trim and wood – oak in this case – treatment, though obviously it doesn’t sit as low in relation to the bed sides as normal.

“Yeah, that was a bit of a problem,” remembers Bob. “In fact, pretty much everything about the truck was a problem, but I just worked through it and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. Really pleased.”

We would be too.

Tucks and curves While Ashley had already set the trick rear end mods on the truck in motion, Bob finished them off, strengthening the side panels and lengthening the rolled top of the heavily modified bed so it tucks up closer to the cab. He also re-did the curved tailgate, converting it from top opening to bottom

° But move round th he truck a bit and the full exten t off the mod difications to the bed become clear.

The tailgate is the truck’s signature piece. The concept was that of the previous owner, Ashley Hodgkins, but Bob has refined and finished it.

Adding the stainless trims was inspi red, as it gives a Nomad-esque feel that we absolutely love.

opening in the process, as well as adding linear actuators to the oak-topped bed cover, which lifts on command to reveal the detailed mechanicals beneath.

Otherwise, I don’t think there’s anything I’d change on the whole truck.”

The one big change to the body Bob made was to remove the factory side steps

a pair of front discs the size of Alan Partridge’s dinner plate “That’s the one thing I might change on it,” he notes, “the bed is pretty heavy and it opens really slowly, so I’d like to put a hydraulic ram on it, or something like that, just to speed up the opening and closing.

and make his own rolled and strengthened sills that echo the reveals in the lower sections of the wings.

“I think that really makes it. Even with the new tailgate, it still looked like a farm truck,

The build

° Custom made sills change the look of the truck dramatically. With rollcage tubing inside, they're super strong, too.

° Whoa, check the brakes. 400mm front discs and Hi-Spec eight-pot calipers are pretty much the same set up as you’ll find on Jaguar F-Types and modern Aston Martins.

° As the shocks on a Jag ’ XJS IFS sit inside the coils, Bob had to make these additional bracke ts to fit shocks on the truck separate to the air bags.

Note how tight the clea rance on full lock is to the header s, but it was all designed that way, and works.

© The BMW M5 Touring rear axle is a superb piece of German engineering.

Compact, strong and functional, with LSD, air bag mounts and none of those troublesome UJs that hot rodders like to break in Jaguar units. he th d off the head ah m ahead p arm drop dr l drop tle lit little hat li Th ° That air bag is one of the four ride height sensors that constantly monitor and adjust corner heights on the fly.

¿ Wheels on, engine and transmission in. From this angle you can really appreciate the work that has gone into the one-off stainless exhaust system.

° Rear brakes aren’t exactly puny, being the drilled and vented disc set up from the BMW M5 that donated its complete rear end.

Custom chassis and air ride means the truck sucks the 20-inch wheels into the ’arches with ease. The custom tailgate is what you notice first, but it’s the lack of side steps and handmade sills that gel all the modifications together.

Once bitten

° Nexen 245/35-20 tyres with added redlines hug the custom order 9 x 20-inch Center Line Smoothies. As luck would have it, the 5 x 120 BMW PCD is the same as Jaguar / Chevy pattern, so it’s the same front and back.

° Bob has built himself a decent 6 x 9m garage at the end of his garden.

It’s big enough for two American cars, but when one of those is blown apart, the other has to live outside.

l the first b was actually cab he ca ° Th the chassiis, er aft ed part Bob paint st and then fir or eri doing the red int preparation for in up t tha ng maski coats. the black outside

Having paid a professional to come and help him with the interior paint on the Willys, only to rub it all down and do it again himself after the guy left because he wasn’t happy with it, Bob wasn’t making that mistake again.

“I like to try everything. If I can’t do it, I can’t do it, but at least I’ll have given it a try,” he says. “It’s all self-taught, I’m a bricklayer by trade,” he says with a grin.

Given what he can achieved with his hobby work, we’d happily have Bob build us a wall, wouldn’t you?

° Another shot from early in the process showing just how low it all sits to the ground over those 20-inch Center Line wheels. And this isn’t even on full drop.

he cab was blasted and primed when he Th boug ght the truck, and in pretty goo od shape.

Any repairs it needed had already been done e, and a new firewall and floors fitted, so it was a great starting point.

“There were a few dents I had to get out, but it was really solid. I just worked on it one panel at a time, and did it all in the workshop at the bottom of my garden. I’ve got a fan in there, a 200-litre compressor and three phase. And there’s a field behind me, so it’s not too bad for painting. I just put the Willys outside each time I did a bit and worked my way round it.

“I considered a few other colours – brown, blue, black with a tan interior – but played it safe and went with gloss black, using a single stage two pack. I think it came out alright.”

° There’s a huge amount of work in the completely re-designed load bed. As Bob put it, the only bit that’s stock is the top rail, and only the middle bit of that.

° With the cab mounted on the chassis, it’s really starting to look like a truck again now, but there’s still a long way to go. ¿ Part way through the interior build up – dash together, carpets and console in, with the air ride controller mounted centrally in the latter.

° Here you can see all the additiona l box section strengthening in the bed sides. Bob admits it’s probably overkill, but it certainly doesn’t have any flex in it.

° Almost there. Just the front wings, sills, door windows and the last of the electrical parts still to go on. It all took a bit longer than planned, but then Bob only worked on the truck at weekends and admits he went a bit further than he originally planned, but the end result speaks for itself.

on what’s going ll extent of ild exhaust fu w e e th th d d an a r h ey bed cove parentt. Ashl ojject. It’ss a ap pr es e ° Raise the m th co ught this truck be fore Bob bo be on on full k si uc en tr underneath e sp clear the su made for th to om st ed cu gn si em de d. syst s art, under the be hed stainles a showpiece work of polis ell as being w as , ck lo drop and

Black with a red interior is a classic combination that always works, and Bob took that one stage further by doing all the interior metalwork red as well, then following that up with some red detailing on the engine and obviously the leather trim, too. It’s a good look.

Seeing red Talking of the trim, having received a hefty quote for re-trimming the pair of BMW front seats he had, he went looking for some factory red ones instead, and found just what he was looking for in a rolled Audi TT RS in a local breakers. “It had only done 300 miles, so they were literally like brand new, and cost the same as the quote I’d had for re-trimming the others.”

With those in stock, he found some leather that matched and then had his very supportive wife, Celia, stitch matching diamond d patterns into sectiion ns off it and d wrapped that around his hom memade door and bed side panels.

¿ Rear window is now electrically operated, using a Ford Bronco tailgate mechanism.

The cab doors also open automatically via the remote.

° Look at things from this ang gle and you u can see how the tailgate well as the twiin Viair com opens, as pressors and dual 2.5-litre air tanks. Look beyond those and you can see the neat BMW independent rear suspension.

Yes, that is all matching leat her on the trimmed panels under the bed, too.

The console is all Bob’s work too, as is the vinyl-covered headliner and carpets. He’s a proper one-stop shop Bob. So, after all that, are you happy with the way it drives?

“Oh yes,” comes the immediate reply.

“It does drive very well. I was really quite surprised the first time I went out in it.

“The thing is, I’m not really into driving fast. I was out every weekend last summer in the Willys, but I just never went to the bigger shows with it.

“I’ve won a few trophies at local shows with it, but that’s not really what it’s about for me. I like working on them, that’s half the reason I do so much of the work

it’s quiet… smooth and, if you want it to, it’ll light up the tyres really easily “I’m not joking, it drives like a modern car. It’s all soundproofed, so it’s quiet. The independent suspension and air ride mean its smooth and, if you want it to, it’ll light up the tyres really easily.”

How does it compare to the Willys?

“It doesn’t! That’s only got a 300bhp Cleveland in it, though I did put a superch harger on it duriing lock kdown. Th his is a completely differrent beast, though, there’s no comparison bettween them.

myself. That, and to save a bit of money. I can’t afford 10 or 15 grand for a paint job, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice car.”

To put that last comment into perspective, if we were to tell you Bob reckons he spent just six grand on top of the purchase price, which in itself was very reasonable consiideriing wh hat it incllud ded d, it miigh ht mak ke you think k a bit differently about buying a part-builtt project. It certainly has us. CC

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From A to A Sometimes things just pan out in an unexpected way. Paul Tookey wasn’t even looking for a Model A Tudor, let alone one with an extra door ■ Words:

I

the perfect answer to any potential soggy drives home in the future

Pics:

¿

After a couple of years' use, though, Ian began to question the roadster’s practicality: “Grandchildren appeared on the scene, and I felt we needed a more

broken, and he rues the sale of the car to this day. Still, it was a means to an end, and Ian moved on to a family friendly hot rod,

an estate, or maybe a threedoor hatchback, or even a Threedor sedan family-orientated hot rod. One with at least four seats.”

It was inevitable then that a for sale sign would soon appear on the car’s windscreen and, at the Nortthern Swap Meet in November 2009, Re edcar-based hot rodder, Mike Davison, spotted the sign and the temptation proved too great. A deal was struck, but Ian’s heart was instantly

while Mike got the roadster he had lusted after since seeing it at the previous year’ss Hot Rod Drags. Or so it se eemed.

°

a

e re ers o as go as er

Wet and dry Now, Mike is a biiker, so he’s no stranger to getting wet, but the 125-mile drive home in torrential rain following a sunny weekend

Survival techniques

° The well lived in 1930 Tudor sedan body, as bought by Mike Davison, awaiting its turn at Survivor Customs.

44 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

° Along with sorting out the necessary body repairs, a new sun visor was formed.

° And, as the original fuel tank is no longer in use, a new dashboard was made, too.

° The rear of the body was then marked out for a Delivery-style rear door.

¿ A Speedway stainless steering column with q quick release boss is home to an unknown o origin leather-rimmed wheel.

The new dash is formed from a piece of e engine-turned ali and houses TPI-Tech gauges a and the MSD adjustable retard module, hooked up to the Mallory distributor, while a Sunpro tach t hangs off the column and a CNSPEED boost gauge g sits up on the dash rail.

The swan-neck shifter is topped off with a modified hand grenade. Modified as in ssqueezing and releasing the lever actuates the t TH350 ’box, rather than blowing the car to kingdom come! How cool is that?

away in the roadster left him with second thoughts about its practicality. Fate then took a hand as, soon after, Mike travelled over to see Ian Brown in Stanley to look at a hood and side panels he’d advertised for sale.

When he got there, though, his attention was drawn to a steel 1930 Model A Tudor body sat on pallets in Ian’s workshop. Discovering it was for sale, Mike thought he’d found the perfect answer to any potential soggy drives home in the future.

The ’glass roadster body was sold on to a young lady in France who needed something

with doors as the Model T she had did little to protect her modesty when climbing in and out. Mike then turned to Mike Hill, who at the time was the man behind Survivor Customs, to get him started with the conversion to a sedan.

The Henry Ford body had not enjoyed

the easiest life, its lower few inches all needing replacement. The firewall was recessed and a bulge added to aid engine clearance, a new floor fitted, and a tailgate cut in the rear panel at the same time. Er, what? Yes, you read that right, the sedan body was transformed into an estate, or maybe a three-door hatchback, or even a Threedor sedan.

Mike then took the car home and set about finishing it off himself.

Twist and shunt “No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the driver’s door to fit,” he explains.

“Maybe the car had got twisted in a shunt some time in the past, I don’t know. But I reluctantly had to admit that sorting it out was beyond my skill level. I’m not exaggerating when I say it broke me.” © A Glide bench side has been narrowed two inches and trimmed locally by Mel Joyce in metallic silver faux alligator skin vinyl. Paul made up and trimmed the door cards, quarter panel trims, kick panels, and the boot / estate area to match.

Don’t be fooled into thinking the sedan is still a family car, what looks like a rear seat is in fact nothing more than a cover to hide the fuel tank beneath.

° No going back now then. Note the inner structural braces are still in place at this point.

° A box section inner door frame was formed to add strength and rigidity…

° …as well as providing mounting points for the hinges.

Unlike a factory Delivery, the door in this one hinges at the top.

° Survivor Customs also fabricated th the he steell fuel tank, which is now mounted under the dummy rear seat and boot floor.

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 45

Whitby customs © The sedan pretty much as it was when Paul bought it.

The colour on the grille shell, along with the number plate of course, are the only identifiers of the car it once was.

Pic: DB

° Believe it or not, this is what the car in the photos started out as. Ian Russell had the roadster built in the States when he lived out there and shipped it back when he returned home. This picture was taken at the 2008 Northern Swap Meet.

It was then Mike noticed that Paul Tookey had put his well known Bel Air Lugosi ’57 Chevy up for sale.

“I thought if Paul can bear to part with his car, maybe I should consider letting mine go to someone more able to finish it.”

° Paul had plans though, the first of which was to remove over five inches from the roof height. © Naturally, that meant a similar amount of steel needed removing from the doors.

Similar, not the same, as you’ll notice they are now flush mounted. ¿ The rear hatch originally opened on externallymounted Morris 1000 door hinges, but these have since been changed.

° Paul’s first purchase for the project, however, was a GMC 6-71 supercharger.

46 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

No great worries, as Paul had further plans for the body, so scribbled down a quick to do list: roof chop; filled roof; de-seamed body; flush-fitting doors with hidden hinges; repositioned fuel filler. Yup, that should do it. Oh, and buy a blower...

Coastal path More on that in a moment.

Paul did let the Chevy go, but then found Firstly, though, he felt the well-used himself at a crossroads. Uncertain which way to turn, he was leaning towards a ratty, chassis needed a good going over. The brake master cylinder was leaking, so fenderless hot rod of some sort. And that’s that was replaced, and the steering was when he got into a conversation with Mike, re-worked with new brackets and modified who mentioned the Model A might be up for sale. A bit of haggling later, the Model A shafts as it was binding due to some of the angles being a bit tight. relocated a few miles along the east coast.

While he was sorting all that, all the The package Paul bought included the bushes were replaced and everything Danny’s Rod Shop ’32 rolling chassis, albeit with no wiring or plumbing, and the repaired was painted or polished to, as Paul put it, “knock off all the ugly and make it look a body loosely bolted to the chassis, still with whole lot better.” the aforementioned door issues.

Paul narrowed the b pillars by around a quarter of an inch to make the doors fit flush, rather than overlapping as they do on a Model A. To complete the smooth look, the hinges are also hidden, and bear claw latches keep them safely shut.

Thanks to the body swap, there was no longer any wiring, but Paul resolved that using a cheap Chinese fuse box kit as a starting point that he hid under the bench seat.

He also replaced all the fuel lines and made new brackets to mount a custom-made fuel tank under the rear floor.

Huff and puff As the 350 Chevy engine was an unknown entity, Paul dropped the sump and was pleasantly surprised to find it at least has

four-bolt mains. All looked good in the bottom end, so that was left as it was, his attention turning to the top end, and the aforementioned blower.

The GMC 6-71 huffer he’d bought came with an inlet manifold, carbs and air scoop, but was a similarly unknown quantity, so Paul did the sensible thing and turned to UK Blowers for help.

“Nigel was brilliant. He supplied some of the parts, pointed me in the direction for finding the rest of the parts at the right price and was always ready to offer advice. rebuilt the blower myself on our kitchen I re worktop – true story, just ask my wife! – wo and detailed the rest of the engine parts an before re-fitting them. bef

© A year later, the roadster was sporting a for sale sign, which whetted the ap ppetite of Mike Davison.

© Thanks to Nigel at UK Blowers, Paul sourced the parts he was missing and rebuilt the huffer himself.

° He then fabricated the Lakes-styl Lakes-style headers le h ead ders using a kit obtained through Russ Pepper at R&R Hot Rod Imports. © Despite it looking somewhat over the top on the trial fit…

¿ …a bit of careful measuring and cutting and the roof panel Paul chose proved ideal to fill the sedan’s void. © With the bodywork sorted, Paul stripped down the chassis and had it sand blasted and painted. ¿ The rolling chassis was then built back up, with black and g silver detailing the order of the day.

° We can appreciate the logic behind Mike’s thinking with the tailgate, and it certainly made life easier for Paul when it came to adding his bespoke custom touches.

© Nick Jackson then painted t the t body in two pack black, with p a contrasting cream firewall. c

¿ Whilst Paul is no longer the man behind the wheel of the sedan, chances are the headlining he made up is still in situ.

° It was Paul’s idea to add the quad frenched ’59 Cadillac tail lights, but it was previous owner, Mike Davison, who had the opening tailgate added for ease of access to the rear.

With that sorted, Paul formed the two-inch diameter exhaust system, which features Flowmaster mufflers and 2½-inch diameter chrome tail pipes and fired it up.

As things have transpiired d, Paull onlly clocked up around 600 miles in the A since finishing it in late spring last year, but was very happy with the end result.

“It drives nice and handles well. You can throw it around, it’s fun to drive and it goes like f**k.”

Circumstances change, though, and when Paul and his wife, Mel, needed to raise

You can throw it around, it’s fun to drive and it goes like f**k At which point Paul proffered a tip for anyone putting together a blown engine: “Never make do with a standard harmonic balancer. I did and, when it sheared, it chased me all the way round the workshop.”

The TH350 transmission the car came with proved less of a hassle, only needing a new filter and fluid change.

as a projjectt.” ” So was this the lastt car??

“Probably not…” he replies with a smile. CC

Thanks Nick Jackson for painting the body, Mehmet Tuysuz for painting parts in work time and not getting caught, Pete Cahill for machine work and drilling the I beam, Nigel Jenkins of UK Blowers for the free advice and parts sourcing, Mel Joyce for trimming the seats and, of course, Mel wifey for putting up with me for all these years.

u Paul has had lots of cars over the years, but the one he’s best known for is Bel Air Lugosi, the ’57 Chevy he owned for 22 years. That car was sold to buy the sedan.

funds to help towards a house deposit, the sedan was put up for sale. It’s now moved back to Leeds under the ownership of Simon Chesterman, who we understand has already changed the wheels and tyres to put his mark on the car.

As for Paul, does he have another car left in him? “I’ve only got a shed to work in now, so I’m currently doing a bike I bought

Pic: DB

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Break point ■ Words: DB

Pics: Julian Hunt

n innocuous looking weekend at the end of May almost caught us off guard when it came to Santa Pod’s re-jigged calendar for 2021. VW Breakout would undoubtedly feature in a number of aircooled publications, but we suspect the event’s name didn’t immediately catch the eye of CC readers.

A

Suddenly it all made sense Hold on though, the Nostalgia Super Stock guys are running.

And the Gasser Circus. And Supercharged Outlaws. What’s going on? It was then we noticed the almost small print in the pre-event PR: “VW Breakout replaces Big Bang.” Suddenly, it all made sense, and, with the possible exception of some of the close-to-stock cars running in VW Heads Up, it was more a V8

race meet than a VW one, right down to the majority of the RWYB runners.

With that, we despatched Julian Hunt, cameras in hand, to capture the action. Here’s just some of what he came across. CC

Super harged Outlaws

Gasser Circus

Qualifyying g runs was the name of the game with the Supercharged Outlaws, with se even of the em clocked up throughout the weekend. PBs came from Mick Checkett with a 7.262 / 189.70, Simon Boot who ran a 9.637 / 138.56, and Des Taylor who wrung a 7.941 / 177.14 out of Thundergod.

Meanwhile, Andy Hadfield was sidelined when Twister suffered blower issues.

Come the end of racing on the Sunday, the top three rungss of the ladder were occupied by Rob Grabham on 7.055 / 193.69, Mick Checkett on 7.262 / 18 89.7 70 and d Roy Wilding on 7.467 / 171.11.

The top three rungs of the qualifying ladder went the way of Nick Barnett (11.44 index) on 11.447 / 117.59, Graham Barton (10.69 index) on 10.698 / 123.51 and Steve Matthews (9.69 index) on 9.712 / 136.86.

Barnett then ran a bye in the first round of eliminations, whilst Barton knocked out ‘Nervous’ Nick Brooke-Langham and Matthews lost out to Billy Jones. Barnett, Barton and Jones then progressed through to the semis, along with Jason Hollamby.

The penultimate pairings both featured break outs, with Nick Barnett (11.40 index) and Graham Barton (10.70 index) taking wins with respective times of 11.410 / 117.63 and 10.748 / 123.72. Barton then ran 10.739 / 124.84 in the final, but Barnett took the win with an 11.428 / 108.04.

Of note in the Circus was Tom Margesson running his photogenic new Ford Pop, The Tinseltown Hustler.

PB 9.637 / 138.56

Class winner Simon Boot

PB 7.941 / 177.14

Nick Barnett

Graham Barton

Andy Hadfield

Rob Grabham Jason Hollamby

Billy Jones

Des Taylor

PB 7.262 / 189.70

n Tom Margesso

Roy Wilding Ro

Mick Checkett

50 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

Steve Matthews

NEM Plant Nostalgia S per Stock The four rounds of qualifying saw the Williams siblings with mixed fortunes, Dan (10.29 index) in top spot thanks to a 10.290 / 126.98 and Nic in the bump spot of a 32-car field.

Chris Layram (12.75 index) qualified second on 12.755 / 106.89 and third was Lee Chiles (9.86 index) on 9.867 / 137.32.

Of note also was Colin Theobald, who broke out in round three but recorded a PB 10.888 / 124.09 in the process.

Dan Williams then lost out in the initial elimination round, and Nic left an assortment of propshaft and rear axle parts on the line when he launched.

In the quarter finals, Dave Billadeau (9.90 index) ran 9.952 / 128.72 to see off Simon Rickwood, Vic Parsons (10.12 index) defeated Chris Goodale with a 10.197 / 129.77, Adam Nowak (10.70 index) ran 10.728 / 123.50 as Stuart Thompson fouled and Rob Tyrrell (10.05 index) dispensed with Jim Chandler, thanks to a 10.266 / 131.39.

Up against Parsons, Billadeau than carded a 9.975 / 121.75 to book his passage to the final, whilst Nowak and Tyyrrell both saw red,, the latter going through as Nowak’s light came on first. Tyrrell saw red again in the final, Billadeau taking the win with a 9.887 / 136.84 in the Challenger.

Renegade Outlaw Anglia It was Jedd Guy who set the pace from the off with a 7.625 / 176.44, thanks to his Pop now housing the 735ci motor that previously powered Roger Moore’s Pro Mod. At the end of qualifying, though, despite having improved with a 7.519 / 175.76, Guy had dropped to third spot.

Above him was Colin Millar on 7.319 / 189.71, while Jon Webster had pole on 7.273 / 189.01.

All three drivers then progressed through the initial elimination round, and next time out Webster improved to a 7.158 / 189.66 PB to defeat Garry Hill, while Millar overcame Luke Hoskins with an 8.173 / 170.46. In the same round, Mick Taylor went through on an 8.002 / 186.68 as Mark Bracking was pushed back with a fluid leak, and, with Guy being a no show, Ted Booth’s 9.810 / 141.66 bye was enough to see him through.

Booth then ran a PB 9.309 / 143.49 next time out, but it was no match for the 7.308 / 190.60 from Millar. Taylor laid down a 7.818 / 174.40 as Webster suffered tyre shake, Taylor then going on to take the final with a 7.834 / 174.38 after Millar shut off when he got too close to the wall for comfort.

During the weekend, new boy, Ben Kennedy, ran a string of PBs, enough to bag him an Outlaw Anglia decal.

Class winner

Class winner

Mick Taylor

Dave Billadeau

Colin Millar

PB 9.309 / 143.49

Ted Booth

Rob Tyrell

Adam Nowak A

PB 7.158 / 189.66

Vic Parsons

on Webster

Chris Goodale

Jedd Guy

Stuart Thompson

Ben Kennedy B

SEPTEMBER 2021 CUSTOM CAR 51

Wild Bunch

Crowd pleasers

Many of the Wild Bunch racers enjoyed the RWYB action on the Friday and Saturday before competing in the class Q&E Combos on the Sunday.

Combo four saw the final passes of the day, the results of which were: Graham Rawlings (9.70 index) 9.720 / 135.66 defeated Steve Heaven; Matt Hollins (10.22 index) 10.255 / 131.41 won over Andy Stones; James Tanner (9.45 index) 9.186 / 151.12 beat Phil James; Danny Jones (10.20 index) 9.811 / 136.13 triumphed over Rob White and the Pete / Rob Brown team (11.05 index) ran an 11.185 / 125.84 bye.

Of note was Steve Heaven’s earlier PB and Danny Jones’ first ever nine, 9.932 / 134.17.

Exhibition runs throughout the weekend included the first passes from Martin Hill in the Fireforce 5 jet dragster since last October, the best being a 5.318 / 220.87. Hill also piloted the Fireforce 3 jet Funny Car to a best of 5.863 / 247.65.

Andy Raw was getting more track time in his Nitro Bug, carding a best of 8.638 / 99 at half track before an early parachute deployment saw the car get loose and cross lanes, curtailing his fun on Sunday.

Saturday also saw a couple of demo runs from Simon Barlow in the Orange Pop Fordson, the best being a 7.516 / 188.11.

Martin Hill

Graham Rawlings

Andy Raw JJames ame Tanner

Andy Stones

Simon Barlow S

PB 9.932 / 134.17

Martin Hill Danny Jones

R YB Steve Mitchell made the most of the available RWYB track time, putting in an astonishing 18 runs in the Snow White Chevy, his best a 9.573.

Dean Maudsley was also taking the opportunity to learn the ropes with his ’37 Chevy, clocking a best of 14.710 / 95.27, creeping up on the 13-second pass he needs to run away with the Gasser Circus.

Pete / Rob Brow

n Steve Mitchell

PB 8.345 / 158.01

Steve Heaven

52 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

Dean Maudsley Dea

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Comrades in arms ■ Words: DB Pics: Julian Hunt Captions: Mike Pye

u Dragstalgia in a nutshell – two old favourites doing what they still do best. Dave Gibbons put n a sttrong 8.443 at 155m h in Rough Diamond and Alan Lloyd a nitrous-assisted best f 7.92 / 165 in Gonzo The Great

I

t was kin to gladiators entering the Colosseum, bulls squaring up to matadors, the zoo keeper leaving the he lion enclosure open – the door list of metaphors is endless. However you describe it, the 10th staging of Dragstalgia was long awaited, action packed and, quite simply, awesome.

The weekend offered a mix of thrills and spills, but that was only to be expected en the limited track time for racers since the event was cancelled 12 months ago.

A distinct undercurrent of camaraderie was evident throughout the weekend Indeed, for many racers it was their first time on track at all this year.

The strip opened early Friday morning for a full day of RWYB action. At least, until around 5pm when heavy rain stopped play, ahead of the 8pm curfew.

It a l started again on Saturday morning with the Custom Car Invi ational and, clean ups aside, the track emained open

Andy Jackson and the ° Congratulations to d, the blown V6-powere ut m, tea Hammerman fi s i e 10s the into ail ex-CC project Econor at 130.63mph. on the Friday. 10.834

° Pearson’s 10.721 / 121 in the final wasn’t cl se enough to his 10.68 dial in to hold off the to end charge from Lee Pi e in Honky Tonkin’ II, who clinched thiis round of asser Circus competition with a 9.354 at 11 16mp ph on a 9.3 35 dial in.

54 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

under clear, sunny skies until the evening Cacklefest and fire bu urnout brought proceedings to a clos .

A minute’s silence at 11.10am concluded a trib butte to o Den nniss Priiddle e by John Price, Keith Bartlett and Keith Lee, perfectly rounded off by Paul Harris firing up and performing a rolling burnout in the new Monza-bodied Priddle ribute car.

Off track, there was th he Show & Shine, b, drive-in movies, beer festival, Vintage Hub BDRHoF auctions and botth the Blast from the Pastt and d Histtoriicall disp plays, all of which meant there was rarely a quiet moment.

A distinct undercurrent of camaraderie was evident throughout the weekend, which consumed racers and spectators greed it was great to be alike. I think all ag back participating or watching what we all love so much, and we cannot thank everyone involved behind the scenes at Santa Pod enough for that.

If we were asked to sum up Dragstalgia 10 in just one word it would be memorable. e will concur, But as all of you that were there a single word doesn’t do this outstanding event justice. We're looking forward to Dragstalgia 11 already. CC

° Running out of Johnny Gumble’ss Gasserville Hot Rod Shop, the re-named and revamped d Tinselt wn Hustler of Tom Marge esson was awarded Best Appearing Car, and clocked a best tim of 11.419 at 121mph. If you were wondering, this was previously the e farting monke ey car from CC in January y '18

° First time into the finals of G sser Circus, by way of a holeshot win over Jason Hollamby and a sem i-final bye, for Ton y Pearson in the inject ed 427-powered Gu zzler ’56. Best ticket: 10.

887 at 1 1mph.

° Though Twister didn’t appear to be on to op form this weekend, Andy ‘Fadster’ Hadffield d id his best to entertain with dr ry hops, big burno uts and some low eights at 175mp h, deservedly earnin g hiimself the Spirit of Drags algia award in the proce ess.

° With an incredible 46 entries in Nostalgia Super Sto k and a bracket racing structure, it was anyone’s game. Dave Billadeau fought his way through to the semis in his beautiful Challenger, but was put on a trailer there by Guy King’s holeshot 10.105 / 132 (10.06 index) to Dave's 9.999 / 128 (9.98 index).

s ute Duster exemplifie son’s Akron Arlen trib .838 / 135 ng ° Stu rt ‘Kiwi’ Thomp rmi sto a in ting s hard too, put ial in) . the N S look, and run . 4 l, which he won wi in). l on a bye into the fina / 132 (10.10 dia over Guy King’s 10.229

° As if to prove just how competitive this classs is, the second semi saw no.1 ua , g, line his 427 SS Chevelle up p against no.36 qualifier, Chris Layrum, in his 302ci Falcon. King won when Layrum lit a cherry.

° The Wiillys were back out for their seventh annual W ar, wiith some 30 entries battling it h out in thiss ‘heads-up, brag giing rights only’ class. Here the now blow n Richard Warburton (far lane ) in Prozac takes on Simon Dan iels in, err, Viagra. Richard was well pleased with a PB 11.39 on n the new motor.

° Justin W olner left the old truck at home and brought his 632ci, stree et legal ’67 C maro out fo or the CC Invitationall, walloping its previous best of 9.0 with an 8.28 at 167mph on this run. © Ever the owman, Brian sho Gibson was rewarded for hredding yet sh another pair of adir slicks with the Ra Best Burnout(s) of the weekend award.

° Another one guaranteed to play to the crowd, ‘Crazy’ Chris Hartnell in the Backdraft slingshot, back in the 8.70s on Sunday. This was the first of four wheelies on this run, capturin ng the Best Wheelie award for his efforts, against some very strong competition.

° Perhaps the most disappointing news for everyone after Dragstalg gi was that Chris Manning’s The Villain slin shot is no more. After touching the wall in the Cannonball finals on Sunday, the chassis was damaged beyond re epair and d the team have reluctantly decided to call it a day.

If there is an upside, Chris ran a best of 7.075 at 202.53mph and Dragster Inc. went home from the weekend with the Best Appearing Team award.

¿ Jedd Guy cam me e so close to that at elusive six with a storming 7.014 passss at 190.58mph in n the third qualifying session of Renegade Outlaw Anglia. Backed up with a 7.069 / 190.01, that’s a new ET record for the class..

Congratulations.

© A new entrant in a this Outlaw Anglia year making his debut at Dragstalgia was Rob Brindle. 101-inch wheelbase, RHD car, built by Jedd Guy, looks tough, even when it . fell over on the Sunday 440ci motor was enough for a 10.311 / 130mph, with undoubtedly a lot more to come.

° few – us included – that didn’t rush home for the football were rewarded with a belter of an Outlaw Anglia final between Mick Taylor in the Banshee Fordson and Jedd d Guy. A 0.5 to a 0.6 reaction time, 8.225 / 149 vs 7.494 / 159 (with a big pe edal) and it was Guy who lifted the crown.

Rise & Shine Once again, Autoglym backed the Sunday Show & Shine, in association with the NSRA, and a fine selection of rods, customs, trucks and classic Americans showed up to take part. Picking a Best of Show must have been tough due to the sheer diversity of vehicles on display, but in the end it was Phil and Gail Oldfield’s revamped (again) Devil’s Brew ’54 Fordson that took home top honours.

The Top 5 were as follows: Craig House – ’36 Ford coupe; Kevin Bridges – ’33 Chevy; Tim Bate – ’32 coupe; Matthew Dodd – ’49 Ford F-1 Panel Van; Jim Roberts – Ford Pop.

° Devil’s Brew was first builtt

by Mick White in 1978 and featured in the August ’80 issue of HOT ROD & Custom (UK). The Oldfields bought it in 1986 and started a rebuild,, which was completed by Carl Powles in 2011. It appeared like this on the cover of w CC in November 2012, but now it’s been completely re-built again, this time by h candy d red d paint i t as a nod d tto its it Williams Brothers Racing, with roots, and tricks ’n’ licks by Neil Melliard over the top.

6 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEMBER 2021

© The NSRA Bl st from the Past line up n the Vintage Hub was headed up by Andy Sawy r’s ‘Cop pin ng with the Coupe’’ much modified Jago 5-window, now wi h a WBR 283 Chevy a d what looked like ai bags all round.

Behind it Ian Armstrong’s welltravelled ’55 Pop, an at the back, Henry y Hi-Riise, now owned by Santa Pod’s Trakbak Racing.

© s a tribute to ntly deceased ecen re K vin Cerasale, his Ke l Ca’Blown ’39 old o Dai ler was also on display. First shown at the CC Show at Ally Pally in 1980, Kim Kennett recently pulle the chopped opped limo out ’n’ dro of a barn in Kent where it is thought to have been for the past 15 or so years.

° Paul Houston trucked his raucous, twin turb bo, Street Eli inator ire down from Scotland for the ird CC Invitational. A 10.065 at 116mph starter after several yea s away from the track rapidly improved to an 8.708 / 166.

° ant st c to see Adam Kruczynski putting the old CC-featured ’55 throug its paces on track at last. The genuine old Omaha race car now w ars Not So Mellow Yellow on its doors and ran a 14.977 at 94mph in RWYB n the Friday. © Ben Rushforth’s CC diff’, c ver star has a new co er ia an the wheelie bars to keep rch f ont end down in sea fr car of improved ETs. The h pulls like a train throug of the top end to a best 8.757 at 156mph, which was enough to see him e O/A semis,, ut not in the Guy. enough to beat Jedd

° Congratulations to Mike Couch for what we think was his first eight in the pretty Lil’ Hemi Hunter slingshot, 8.855 at 141 in Supercharged Outlaw.

° Mick Hannah h’s beautiful Haggis Hunter FED blows a fuel line at the hit.

°u Neil Tow wnson had a nasty surprise e when the body of the Northern Spirit Altered exploded at 1000ft on an 8.38 run. Des Taylor likely also needed a change of trousers in Thund dergod running through w th an 7.875 at 153mph alongside. Bo oth drivers were unhurt.

s. The in Supercharged Outlaw e is a brand new entry ° Alkypone en by Luke Wattts, and driv is e chin ma ied an-bod chopped Mod l A sed ting on the Saturday.

11.423 at 118mph in tes clocked a be t run of

¿ There was action a-plenty with the Wild Bunch, as usual, and Tim Roy was over th he mo oon when th he V12 Jag-powered Boston Straggler 2 dipped from the low 12s to a 9.746 and then a 9.449 at 142mph on Sunday.

° Tony Betts brought the aero-bodied Venom Camaro o t to play in the Can onball, recording a bestt of 6.4 dead at 220.05mph in round one of th Cannonball, and securing third place overall ith a 6.583 / 157 when The Villain lost fire on the line.

es to be the Apache Firebird continu ° Tim Garlick and the ia Funny Car, talg Nos in ner sistent run he quickest and most con as winning th ll we as , of the Meet award nst in aga e rac collecting the Low ET fine a st in with a 6.388 / 221 bla l.

Nostalgia Cannonball fina the in ) 190 / 12 Dave Grabham (7.2

° Other entries in the Nostalgia Cannonball included Steve Johnson, still looking for that first six in the Motor Mouse FED, though it eluded him again this weekend..

° Likewise, Robin Read in the screaming Daimler-powered rail is still desperately seeking 200mph, having come within a gnat’s of it att 199.9 98mph h lastt yearr.

he Nuthin II Fancy of th d, was in the hot seat ° Doug Bond, Joe’s dad i ition systems and l fue new the esting extra long slingshot, or ed a best run of le of low sixes, but rec on the car. Car is capa nd. eke we 7.681 t 155mph this

° A new entry into the Cannonball was Adam Clayton in irecracker III, which we were surprised to learn is the ex-Matt Wright A or Nothing ’Cuda flopper in a Topolino dress and with a 426 Hemi on alcohol. Car was just doing che eck out passes, but the te eam has its eye firmly set on the sixes. © Pops run in the Tidswell fa ily blood, and Spencer new toy is another recent entrant in Ou law Anglia. 383ci mall block-powere car runs consisten ly in the mid-10s at over 120mph, and ade it all the way t the agsstallgia. semis att Dra

58 CUSTOM CAR SEPTEEMBER 2021

© Dave Grabham, in the Freddy’s Reveng Topolino, is another one looking for his first six after re-setting his PB to 7.05 / 193 earlier this e . e t r n this weekend ru was 7.159 at 189mph, e rning him a place in ea t e final and Driving th J b of the Weekend Jo a ard for steering aw F eddy through one Fr r llercoaster of a ride. ro

° Bob Hawkins was an ther one having teething problems, the new 500ci nitro motor on boa d Time Traveller II not allowing him to equal his PB of 6.51 / 211, but we’ve high hopes for this mighty package when the team get it dialled in.

° In qualifying round three, Ph hil Evans was the first into the nines in Willys Wars this weekend in his good lookin g, and hard harging, 545ci ’41 pick-up. Comfortably too, with a 9.533 at 14 mph.

° We’re no ot sure what the ‘C Conttrov ve siial’ lettering on the front of Ro Elsom s now Camaro-bodied Dirty Deeds Nostalgia Funny Car refers to, but we’ll admit we preferred the more period looking Firebird body it wore before. A test launch of the new combination on Sund day saw an early shut-off 10.435 at 78.85mph.

° …Paul Harris perrforming a rolling burnout in the new PHR Fun ny Car, which is the Hustler re-b odie d as a Mon a and painted ° A minute’s silence in memory of Dennis Priddle was aptly broken by… in tribute to the 1977 car Mr. Six built and raced for Swede, Olav i Knuutinen.

Car ran a fantastic side-byside low six alongside Apache on the Sunday ( ee Mail p8), and Paul too k home the Moment of the Weekend awa rd from his immense efforts.

g ster Race Engineering yr is fresh out of Web phy 1 Zep c befitti the pun ° Jason Blott’ new Mk a ks pac car tle sub al. Super this into the C Invitation at 125mph first run, but k. A promising 1 .651 ts. sigh its parachutes n the bac in tor limina ne has eights and Street

° Keeping up the traditional hot rod en nd of the Invitational spectrum, Harley Peters squeezed a PB 11.2 at 118m mph out of his A-bone coupe, but won’t rest until he sees a 10 on the ticket.

° Nick Davies p r t of ’76 award from Pete Crane on behalf f the ate Law ie Gatehouse, who was justly recognised for his immense contributions t the sport of drag racing, from his early work as a photo journalist for C , amongst others, through to his support of the Nostalgia Fuel Altered Asso ociation and Chaos Topolino, which Nick drove suprremely.

°u A broad mix of machinery participated in the traditional Saturday night Cacklefest.

and the ational was Phil Toppin ita e running in the CC Inv ° Another one ind the wheel on beh ith Sm a rgin Geo it was . topless ’Vet e, though attempt to 10.87 / 125 m a 12.610 / 108 first occasion, imp oving fro h. mp 153 Phil’s best was 8.759 at

¿ Martin Payne’s Great Barrbarian Anglia is looking g great, now in its full battle dress, and recorded a best of 8.965 at 152mph in round one eliminations on Sunday.

Happy with that.

° Steve Heaven in the Tig ght Fit slingshot sat tigh ht for a second or two more than wa as comfortable for man of those watching the fire burnout. What a hero.

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