Custom Car August 2024 by Assignment Media Ltd

AUG 2024

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Go your own way

Inside Steve Smith’s genre-defying Pop pick-up

PLUS Legends

from the early days set to star at Dragstalgia • Mild custom ‘62 Consul Classic

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We know that every custom car is built from a vision, and seeing that vision come to life creates a bond like no other. That’s why we provide insurance that can be customised almost as much as your pride and joy.

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Contents

is S su ep 1 e t’ Au on 24 gu sa st le

Find us on Facebook at mCarMagazine www.facebook.com/Custo

8 Regulars 2

News & reviews

The hammer’s about to fall

32 Centre Spread This is not a rat rod

46 Readers’ Rods

Roger Blount’s mild custom Consul

56 Autofocus

Waiting for Hemi Hunter

60 Events

The 2025 calendar is already here…

64 Next Month

Street Weekend: not a damp squib

Features 8

Two of a Kind

Mooneyes and Dos Palmas dragsters

14 Blown A-Way

Part 4: Paint your wagon

20 Run to the Sun

Second year of the revived legend

22 Rubber Lover

A Pop that found its perfect tyres

34 The Main Event

Great racing amid the downpours

42 Doorslammers

Starring a new 7.60 heads-up class

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52 BHP Performance Show Rods and customs in the bear pit

52 Offset Show

Another bear pit, more rods and customs

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News & reviews Pic: Jerry Cookson

Hammer time

t may be short notice, but you have time to support the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame’s fourth annual Dragstalgia Grand Auction on the weekend of 5-7 July. It takes place inside the event’s Historic Marquee, situated pitside near the grandstand, and features a wealth of artefacts and artworks generously donated to help in the raising of funds for the BDRHoF Benevolent Fund. An array of items from the USA has been collected by Tony Thacker, and major donations from the home front include a Paul Whitehouse Art painting of Commuter and, from Jon Benn, a 125cm x 47cm poster of Commuter which has never been displayed. From the USA, there’s a copy of Carl Olson’s book Racing Through Life,

autographed by the man himself. Donations from Mooneyes include a special MOON Far-Out table lamp and T-shirt. There are multiple donations from the estate of the late BDRHoF member, Roger Gorringe. Pictured here are items from last year’s auction for reference, and similarly the lots this time round will include a host of books, posters, T-shirts, limited-edition and signed prints – far too many to list individually. There will also be plenty more items on general sale. The auction takes place on Friday afternoon and all day on Saturday, closing promptly at 5 pm. Visit the Historic Marquee to view what’s on offer, and if you see an item of interest ask for the relevant auction

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sheet and make your bid. Keep coming back throughout the auction period to check if anyone has outbid you as you can re-bid as many times as you like before the auction closes. Winning bidders will be notiﬁed by text and items can be paid for and collected by 6 pm Saturday or until 4 pm on Sunday. Card payments are accepted. The Dragstalgia Grand Auction takes place with the kind permission of Santa Pod Raceway, and the BDRHoF is indebted to all those who have so kindly donated items.

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50th celebrations

Surrey Street Rodders has experienced many changes over the years since its formation in 1974. From the humble times of the fi rst Wheels Day in Bracknell in the ‘70s, through the Slyfi eld era of the ‘80s, then to Brooklands and the new millennium to Rushmoor Arena, and fi nally this year at Newbury Showground. There has always been more to the club than Wheels Day though, and throughout the last 50 years one thing has remained constant – the membership’s enjoyment of socialising with fellow enthusiasts and their drive to support charitable causes. It’s been a varied history for all involved and as part of the SSR 50TH anniversary celebrations, a summer get-together of past and current members is in the pipeline. If you fi t into either category and want to be part the the celebrations, or you have any club-related memorabilia or photos, please email giving your name, when you were involved with SSR, and any other relevant information. 50th@surreystreetrodders.com

Celebr ating 74 years

RAISED WHITE LETTER TYRES 13”-15” MOST SIZES IN STOCK NARROW BAND, WHITEWALLS 13’-15”

French connection

Frank and Sandra Ogden’s hot rod tour was cut short after 2,700 miles on the Monday morning after they had attended the French Nats. Travelling along a pleasantly quiet autoroute at 60mph under blue skies they were both knocked unconscious by the force of the impact of a truck crashing into the back of their ’33 Ford. The ﬁrst they recall of the accident was of people pulling them out of the car as the truck was blazing away before it exploded. With the truck driver confessing to having fallen asleep, Frank and Sandra were taken to hospital by ambulance. Thankfully their injuries weren’t too serious and, following Frank’s clear MRI scan, they have both been discharged to recuperate at home. We wish them a speedy and complete recovery.

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News & reviews

Something for the weekend?

the show is open to anything of interest, not just American vehicles. The gates are open from noon on the Friday until noon on the Monday, and the weekend cost for exhibitors is £10 per adult, and there will an additional charge for nonexhibitors. The Sunday-only exhibitors’ cost is £3 per adult. yancs1@yahoo.co.uk / 01709 542555

Northern ﬂames Show in the park Sunday 14 July is the date for the Debdale Custom Car Show. The venue is Debdale Park, Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester M18 7LJ, with the gates opening at 9:00 am. All rods, customs, and race cars are welcome, and there is no requirement to prebook, just turn up on the day. Facebook: Rainy City Cruisers

Revival day Steyne Gardens in Worthing plays host to the Sunny Sunday Revival American and Custom Car Show on 28 July. All Americans, customs, hot rods, bikes and scooters are welcome. Pre-entry via email is recommended. sunnysundayrevival@outlook. com

(with image Flame n Dice) The Flames ‘n’ Dice Car Show takes place on Sunday 8 September at Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland SR5 2SD. The public gates open at 10:00 am and the show welcomes all customs, hot rods, classics, American cars, retros, and bikes. Admission is priced at £2 for adults, and £1 for senior citizens, with accompanied under 16s being admitted free. Camping is available from Friday through to Sunday at a cost of £10 per person for those wanting to make a weekend of it. 07970 669909 / donna. wilkinson14@virginmedia.com

Fortitude Hosted by Yorkshire American Car Club (YANCS), the Fort Paull American, Rod & Custom Show End of Season Bash takes place on 27-30 September. The venue is located just outside Hull and

Fuse ejection

Are you all ﬁngers and thumbs when it comes to extracting blade fuses from their tight-ﬁt holders? If so, the Laser Tools 3-piece double-ended fuse removal kit may be just what you need. The kit includes tools to suit standard, mini and micro 2-blade fuses, with each incorporating a diamond-coated terminal cleaner. www.lasertools.co.uk

Pic: Mike Key

Dave Mellor Sheffield Kulture (with image Kustom Kulture) Presented by 81 Sheffield, Kustom Kulture takes place on Saturday 28 September at Hillsborough Arena in Sheffield. The show offers displays of custom bikes and cars, along with scooters and VWs, and runs from 10:00 am through to 6:00 pm. Other attractions include children’s entertainment, trade stalls, and food and drink outlets (for trade stall space text or WhatsApp Chris on +44 7908 809001). Admission costs £5 per person, with under 15s admitted free.

(by Rob Cawthorne) We are sad to announce the passing of well-known Huddersﬁeld-based hot rodder Dave Mellor. Known to many as ‘Drifter Dave’ due to his time as custodian of the Rover-powered Bedford CF of the same name, Dave also owned and built many other cars including his stunning turquoise F100 featured in the June 2010 issue of Custom Car. Latterly Dave had been in poor health following a stroke and sadly passed away on Sunday 16 June. RIP from all who were lucky enough to call you a friend. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. RIP Dave

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News & reviews It’s a gas

This multipurpose butane gas-powered tool combines a soldering iron, hot air blower, and gas torch. It is supplied in a plastic case, which acts as a mini workstation, not only holding the attachments and accessories but also allowing it to be used as a safety stand that encloses the tip allowing for it to safely heat up and cool

down. One 25ml charge of butane light gas offers an approximate run time of 40-60 minutes, and the tool temperature ranges are up to 1300°C (flame), 450°C (soldering) and 600°C for the hotair blower. www.lasertools.co.uk

Rules is rules

We mentioned Bob Tasca III in the April issue after he set a new Funny Car speed record at Bradenton Motorsports Park having run 339.97mph backed up with a terminal speed of 341.68mph. Well, he’s back in the news again, but this time for a very different reason as he was disqualified by the NHRA when running in the Funny Car qualifications at the 4-Wide Nationals in Concord, NC. Inspection revealed that Tasca’s intake manifold had been media blasted and that was deemed to contravene the rule stating

• • • • • • Custom Stainless Headers & Exhaust systems • •

The hills are alive that intake manifolds must not be altered in any form from their original state. Picky or what? In fairness though, Tasca’s #16 place from the previous round was allowed to stand.

More dates to note for next year are 5-8 June as that’s when Hot Rods and Hills rolls into Cumbria. As always, the place to book your pitch is Park Foot Holiday Park, Pooley Bridge, Penrith. Facebook: Hot Rods and Hills

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News & reviews Diamond anniversary

Parts from the States

Mick Richardson has taken over the former Atherstone-based business supplying parts for American cars from modern to classic, Stateside Autoparts. The business will continue to trade under the same name but has relocated to Drayton Bassett and has retained the company’s telephone number, supplier and shipping contacts, and accounts. Mick has also purchased all the stock from the American Auto Centre in Sutton Coldfield. 01827 717600 / statesideautoparts@yahoo.com

Let there be light

Having already mentioned the BDRHoF auction that’s taking place during Dragstalgia on 5-7 July, here are a few more attractions the people at Santa Pod have arranged for the weekend. The Mooneyes and Dos Palmas dragsters will be part of the anniversary focus celebrating 60 years since the 1st International Drag Festival kick-started drag racing in the UK. A battle of latter-day Fuel Altereds will see Randy Bradfords’ Topolino up against Nick Davies in the Bantam bodied Havoc, and there will be a lairy concoction of Nostalgia Funny Cars, Altereds and FrontEngined Dragsters mixing it up in a ‘cannonball’ format. Dragstalgia 2024 will be a weekend not to miss. www.santapod.co.uk

Classic Car LEDs developed its P45T R2 LED headlight upgrade to give H4 LED performance for customers who have the more traditional P45T R2 reflectors. These new LEDs are a direct replacement and do not require any fiddly adapters. Available with a choice of classic warm white output or a cool modern white to suit the look you prefer, and MOT compliant for cars and vans first registered before the start of April 1986, the LEDs are available for 12-volt vehicles from www.classiccarleds.co.uk priced at £64.00 plus VAT per pair. The part number is P45TMIN. In addition to this, 6-volt options are also available – in this case under part number P45TWW. Classic Car LEDs have a free UK postage option and also post globally. www.classiccarleds.co.uk

Nicely lubed

Metal-Tec 10 is an anti-friction lubricant additive which effectively flattens metal surfaces to increase lubrication and reduce friction. Unusually, it contains no chlorinated solvents or phosphate compounds and is PH neutral – meaning it can be used without causing acid erosion in the components you’re trying to protect. Sold in the UK by Ametech, Metal-Tec 10 is used in a variety of products designed for use in your car’s engine, transmission and diff. There’s a version to go in your power steering, too. Used in your engine, Metal-Tec 10 promises increased power, lower operating temperatures, reduced oil consumption and longer service lives for bearings, pistons, cams, crankshafts and all other lubricated parts. In your gearbox, meanwhile, it ensures smooth and accurate shifting, eliminates lock-up chatter in the torque converter, reduces wear, removes varnish build-up, frees up valve bodies and reduces heat. All of which goes towards less likelihood of premature failures and, again, extended service life. www.americantechnology.co.uk

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A trio of legends at the ﬁrst British International Drag Festival in 1964 – from the front, the cars of Bob Keith, Tommy Ivo and Don Garlits. Here in the UK, where drag racing was still almost unheard of, the sight of these extraordinary machines must have been awe-inspiring – these were the events that created the sport in the UK

This was where it all started for drag racing in the UK. At the 1963 Brighton Speed Trials, it may have been Mickey Thompson who set the straw bales on ﬁre but it was the Mooneyes Dragster, with its bright yellow body, abundant chrome and lairy burnouts, that grabbed people’s attention

n 1963, the Brighton Speed Trials were on fire. Literally, as Mickey Thompson’s weed spreaders ignited the hay bales. The Yanks were over here, overpaid and over-powered. It was a fantastic introduction of drag racing to the UK. Maybe it was the bright yellow paint and abundant chrome, but the car that

caught my eye was the Mooneyes dragster driven by Dante Duce. That is until I saw the Goodnight, Keith and Williamson Dos Palmas Machine Special, driven the following year by Bob Keith. Thanks to Keith Bartlett of Santa Pod Raceway, both Dos Palmas and Mooneyes will be back on British soil for this year’s

Dragstalgia as we celebrate 60 years of British drag racing. If you weren’t already planning to go this year, the annual celebration of quarter-mile heritage has just turned into a must-attend – but don’t hang about, because the event is on the weekend straight after this issue of Custom Car hits the shelves.

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It was at Silverstone, as part of its grand tour in 1963, that the Mooneyes car laid down a run of 9.48/166 – at the time, the quickest ever outside of the US. If the aim was to whip up interest in drag racing, it didn’t half work

Bill Weichelt bought the Dos Palmas Special in 1969 and took it home with him to the US two years later. In between, he raced it with some success at Santa Pod, running in the low 8s and setting a new European record of 17.7 seconds for a standing kilometre

Two very special competition cars will be appearing a Dragstalgia this year. In 1963 and 1964, the Mooneyes Dragster and Dos Palmas Machine Special were instrumental in bringing drag racing to the UK – and both have been shipped back over the Atlantic to celebrate 60 years since the ﬁrst British International Drag Festival Words and pictures: Tony Thacker

Mooneyes Dragster

Looking to promote his brand of Moon speed equipment and the Chuck Potvin line of front-mounted blowers, Dean Moon bought a 96-inch Dragmaster chassis that was quickly painted Moon yellow while Roy Gammell built the Potvin-blown 300ci Chevy. Roy’s son Doyle was there at the

time: “Dante, who was a Moon dealer in Las Vegas, called Sydney Allard and challenged him to a race. That challenge resulted in the Mooneyes dragster being shipped to England in 1963 for a series of exhibition runs.” Shige Suganuma, owner of Mooneyes, has a large collection of newspaper clippings

that detail the seminal events of 1963 which heralded the birth of British drag racing. Demonstration runs of the Allard dragster and Mooneyes were planned for Silverstone, where Duce laid down the quickest run outside of the US at 9.48/166. The media response was amazing and as a newspaper boy I lapped up the reports.

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The Mooneyes Dragster was powered by a Roy Gammell built 300ci Chevy with a Potvin blower. Goodnight, Keith and Williamson built the Dos Palmas Machine Special with a 400ci Chevy, giving it more power – but just as importantly, its more modern design meant that despite being much longer, it was significantly lighter. Note the double-rail, double-hoop design of the Mooneyes car; that steel might have been necessary at the time, but at all added weight

A cuckoo was about to invade the nest, however. Mickey Thompson, hearing of the challenge and not to be left out, had flown the blown Ford-powered, nitro-burning Harvey Aluminum Special to the UK in time for the second demo at the Brighton Speed Trials – which is where he lit the place up. Two more demos took place at RAF Church Lawford and RAF Debden, where the final run saw Dean Moon flag off Duce and Thompson – who went on to take the SEMA-sponsored trophy. The original AllardMoon challenge got kind of lost in the tyre smoke but drag racing had arrived in the UK thanks to Sydney Allard, Dean Moon and Dante Duce, who played a pivotal role. As for the Harvey Aluminum Special, as most drag fans know it stayed in the UK and became known as Commuter. It, too, will be on display at Dragstalgia.

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Dos Palmas Machine Special

While researching this story, I spotted an entry for Arnold Chaves in the ’63 Winternationals at Pomona. I called 85-yearold Arnold and he immediately remembered racing the unpainted car at Pomona. “Gary Goodnight and fellow Lockheed computer analyst Ron Love purchased the frame from Tommy Ivo in 1962,” he told me. In fact, the chassis was an early version of maybe a dozen built by ‘TV’ Tommy Ivo who, with high-school friend Rod Peppmuller, operated Tommy Ivo Speed Specialties. No slouches, they built Tommy’s ‘Barnstormer’ top fuel car in less than a week and the 117inch wheelbase Dos Palmas frame, maybe their second, had a three-point cage, torsionbar front suspension and long Barnstormer radius rods.

In a recent conversation, Tommy said: “The basic chassis, we sold for about $395. That included the chassis with motor mounts and radius rods and front end less rims and tyres. You could then start adding things like the steering box and rear end housing. Pretty much everything, except the body, centre section, gauges and the like, was usually less than $800.” Ivo’s Dos Palmas frame is obviously light years from the double-rail, doublehoop Mooneyes Dragmaster. The Mooneyes weighs 1550lb, whereas the Dos Palmas weighs significantly less at 1163lb with oil but no fuel. Almost 400lb is a significant weight saving and Hot Rod magazine reported that out of the box, Mooneyes ran 10.29/147 – whereas the similarly specced Dos Palmas, albeit with just under 400 cubes rather than the

Mooneyes’ 300, ran almost two seconds quicker with mid-8s at 170+ mph. “It took some time for the car to come together,” recalled Chris Goodnight, Gary’s younger brother. “I remember sitting in the frame that was on milk crates. Eventually, Gary sent the frame to Jack Hagemann to have the tin work done. Meanwhile Arnold Chaves, who owned Dos Palmas Machine, became Gary’s partner and was the first driver, had a blown 354ci Chevrolet BB/GD and that engine was put in the Ivo chassis.” “Initially, I drove the car in bare metal before it was painted candy tangerine,” recalled Arnold. “However we soon painted it blue. “Around that time, we put in a bigger 400ci Chevy and I turned over the driving to Bob Keith, who had joined the team with Maurice ‘Moe’ Williamson.”

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Bob Keith had assumed the role of Dante Duce and communicated with Sydney Allard regarding the first British International Drag Festival. Early in September 1964, Goodnight, Keith and Williamson shipped the car to Southampton with Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Tony Nancy, Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin, Dave Strickler and Bill Jenkins, Doug Church, Dante Duce, KS Pittman, George Montgomery, Bill Woods and Don Hyland. Just as the Mooneyes dragster wowed the Brits in ’63, Dos Palmas did much the same the following year – me included. Out of the box, Keith ran an impressive 8.70/171mph. After the ’63 events, Norman Barclay, Gerry Belton, Peter Godlee, Bruce and John Ropner and Keith Schellenberg formed Croft Drag Racing and tried to buy the car.

But no deal was done and it returned to the US where Goodnight, Keith and Williamson continued to race it. In 1965, Croft got their coin together, purchased the car and got it back to the UK where it raced at the 2nd International Drag Festival with Norman Barclay at the helm and Bob Keith in a second Dos Palmas car, this time with Hemi power. In 1969, the car fell into the hands of US Air Force man Bill Weichelt. ‘Wild Bill,’ as he was known, soon had the hang of it and got the car back into the low-8s with a little nitro. He also set a British and European standing-start kilometre record of 17.7 seconds, reportedly hitting a top speed of 275kph. Bill returned to the US in 1971, taking Dos Palmas with him; we found his entry #978

for the ’71 US Nationals in Competition Eliminator BB/D class. Unfortunately, the car was no longer competitive and along with Bill, it disappeared – until NASCAR / TV personality Ray Evernham found and restored it with Chaves, Goodnight and Keith in time for the 2015 California Hot Rod Reunion. In 2022, another British group consisting of Nick Davies of ICE Automotive, Mick Jenkins of Mick’s Paint, Geoff Stilwell, Stewart Bassett of USAutomotive and myself acquired the car with the intention of preserving it. We’re delighted that it’s going to be at Dragstalgia – as Santa Pod celebrates the anniversary of a sport both it and the Mooneyes Dragster were instrumental in bringing to the UK. CC

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Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Adam Sayers, Roberts Motor Bodies, Buckland Automotive Engineering

PART 4: ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE

eciding on the paint colour for a new build is one of the most important decisions to be made with any custom car project. Your decision can ultimately make or break the finished product. When it came to his Model A, Adam Sayers had already pretty much decided it at the outset. He also knew who to call upon to paint the car; the renowned man with the gun, Bryan Whitﬁeld. Bryan has now retired but, having dedicated his life to developing his craft, he hasn’t fully turned his back on painting our sort of cars. Adam and Bryan bounced ideas off each other until the plan was more or less ﬁnalised. Bryan then checked that it worked in reality by spraying the design on to a fridge door. We kid you not. Painting the sedan was then left in the more than capable hands of Chris Lister at Roberts Motor Bodies. First up, though, came the body prep and panel gapping, followed

Bryan Whitﬁeld and Chris Lister checking out the task that lies ahead

With the chassis coated in body-colour basecoat, the rolling stock components came next…

It wasn’t just the bodywork that needed their attention, as the chassis and rolling stock were also to be painted

…and there were quite a lot of them that needed spraying…

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…including the Ford 8-inch rear axle casing that Adam had previously polished meticulously

Then came the satisfying job of re-assembling the polished and painted rolling chassis

Considering the amount of fabrication that had gone into chopping and restoring the 94-yearold metalwork…

…it was no surprise that a degree of body prep was needed

Every part of the bodyshell received equal attention…

…as did the doors and wings

With the guide coats throwing up no anomalies… …the time was ripe for the body and panels to be coated in primer

With everyone happy with the painted fridge door, Chris began replicating it on the car, starting with the basecoat

“Bryan checked it worked by spraying the design on to a fridge door”

As he often does, Bryan had tried out the proposed paint design and colour combinations on an old Smeg fridge door

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by several coats of primer. The paint scheme features base coat and ‘flake panel paint with contrasting metallic borders, which in turn are finished off with pinstripe outlines. That meant Chris spent plenty of time with a roll of masking tape in his hand. Those of you expecting to see the finished paint in all its glory (that is, everyone) will have to wait until the car’s public debut in a few weeks. In the meantime, the monochrome images shown here give some indication of the design. It is a period concept, after all, and in the days before colour reproduction became commonplace this was the only option. To blatantly quote the immortal words of snooker commentator Ted Lowe, “for those watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.” Next time: The inside story

Chris makes a start on the time-consuming task of masking out the intricate panel paint design…

Left: …which is also duplicated on the front and rear wings Above: With the painted body, panels and chassis back at Buckland Automotive Engineering, ﬁnal assembly got underway Below: The sedan fully assembled and ready for the ﬁnal stage of its journey to completion

Sheﬃeld-based Roberts Motor Bodies are specialists in the repair of minor scratches and dents through to complete resprays and major restorations. Tel: 0114 234 5825 Email: info@robertsmtrbodies.co.uk Website: www.robertsmtrbodies.co.uk

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289

5 DRAWER WORKBENCH

EXTRA LONG 1700mm WORK TOP

INCLUDES SINGLE LOCKABLE DRAWER exc.VAT £289.98 £299.00 £319.00

Britain’s Tools & Machinery Specialist

inc.VAT £347.98 £358.80 £382.80

CWB1700P

MODULAR GARAGE STORAGE SYSTEMS SAVE UP TO

PRICE CUT NOW FROM ONLY £ .00

£394

1149exc.VAT

£1378.80 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £1437.60 inc.VAT

COMBGSM01

10 PACKAGES IN THE RANGE

A choice of stainless steel or wooden worktops

Customer Pictures

compared to individual prices

✔ CREATE THE PERFECT FITTED GARAGE/WORKSHOP ✔ HEAVY DUTY, PROFESSIONAL PACKAGES ✔ ALL UNITS ALSO AVAILABLE SINGLY FOR CUSTOM BUILD

Corner units in stock

HEAVY DUTY & PROFESSIONAL

154

£ FROM ONLY .99 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £185.99 FOOTER inc.VAT

CHESTS/ CABINETS

THE ULTIMATE IN TOOL STORAGE!

FULL DETAILS SEE IN STORE OR VISIT WEBSITE

279

NB Overall length includes handles

TOOL SETS

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.95

PRO396 222 PIECE TOOL SET WITH 7 DRAWER TOOL CABINET

WAS £131.98 inc.VAT

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.00

629exc.VAT

£754.80 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £778.80 inc.VAT

CHT859 300 PIECE AF/METRIC HOME GARAGE REPAIR KIT

£12 inc.VAT

LxWxH (mm) 716x316x256 710x315x420 710x315x420 710x315x475 758x468x815 758x468x975

104exc.VAT

£125.94 inc.VAT DOUBLE

exc.VAT inc.VAT £86.99 £104.39 £149.98 £179.98 £154.99 £185.99 £169.98 £203.98 £249.00 £298.80 £279.00 £334.80

£FROM ONLY .99 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £68.39 inc.VAT

PRO378 PROFESSIONAL 1/2" DRIVE SOCKET SET

WAS NOW Model Desc. LxWxH (mm) exc.VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT 1 CLB900C* 9 Dr Chest 685x305x474 £159.95 £203.98 £191.94 2 CLB1007C 7 Dr Cabinet 740x465x955 £259.00 £310.80

259

£ FROM ONLY .00 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £310.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

PRICE CUT £DOUBLE.99

84exc.VAT

£101.99 inc.VAT DOUBLE

NEW DIY & PROFESSIONAL FROM ONLY

MECHANICS/

WAS £107.98 inc.VAT

FULL EXTENSION ROLLER RUNNERS FOR SMOOTH OPENING ACTION

.98 139 3 £DOUBLE DOUBLEexc.VAT PROFESSIONAL £167.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

• Superb quality & value for DIY & professional

TOOL CHESTS/ workshops * WAS £107.98 inc.VAT CABINETS # WAS £310.80 inc.VAT

PRO394 PROFESSIONAL 91 PIECE TOOL KIT WITH CANTILEVER TOOLBOX

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.00

249exc.VAT

£298.80 inc.VAT DOUBLE

CHT634 MECHANICS TOOL CHEST AND TOOLS PACKAGE

WAS £310.80 inc.VAT

Model Desc. LxWxH (mm) exc.VAT MECHANICS RANGE 1 CTC600C* 6 Dr Chest 620x257x335 £84.99 CTC900C 9 Dr Chest 620x257x380 £89.98 CTC500C 5 Dr Cabinet 680x330x765 £149.98 CTC800C 8 Dr Chest/Cab Set 616x295x1027 £149.98 2 CTC700C 7 Dr Cabinet 680x330x875 £179.98 PROFESSIONAL RANGE CTC103C 3 Dr Step Up Chest 691x310x256 £74.99 3 CTC109 9 Dr Chest 685x305x419 £139.98 4 CTC107C# 7 Dr Cabinet 739x461x953 £249.00 NB Overall length includes handles

BOLTLESS SHELVING/ BENCHES Simple fast assembly in minutes using only a hammer

RED, BLUE, SILVER, GREY & GALVANISED STEEL

189

BOTTOM DRAWERS

* WAS £203.98 inc.VAT

CHOICE OF 5 COLOURS

£ FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £227.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

EXTRA LARGE

SAVE

HUGE CHOICE OF HAND TOOLS

* WAS £310.80 inc.VAT

30KG

MAX DRAWER LOAD

SEE WEBSITE FOR PACKAGE DEALS WITH TOOLS

32 PIECE SET

2 £ FROM ONLY .00 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £334.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

Model Desc. CBB203C 3 Dr Step Up CBB205C 5 Dr Chest 1 CBB209C 9 Dr Chest CBB210C 10 Dr Chest CBB215C* 5 Dr Cabinet 2 CBB217C 7 Dr Cabinet

159exc.VAT

£191.94 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £203.98 inc.VAT

Combines premium quality with ﬁercely competitive pricing & super smooth ball bearing roller drawers

• Extra heavy gauge double wall steel construction

Rubber grip side handles

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.95

279

£ FROM ONLY .00 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £334.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

MM1 Custom Car 275x200 pg1.indd Mart_3PS.indd 1 Custom Car_2024_08_Aug_Machine 1

PRICE CUT NOW FROM ONLY £ .98

39exc.VAT

£47.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £51.59 inc.VAT

NOW inc. VAT £101.99 £107.98 £179.98 £179.98 £215.98 £89.99 £167.98 £298.80

179

£ FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £215.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

WORKBENCHES WITH PEGBOARD

Easy to assemble, providing valuable working space and plenty of additional storage capacity.

• Dimensions (LxWxH) - 1150x560x1440mm • Pegboard back wall with 30 hooks supplied

LOADING OPTIONS

150 350 KG KG

PRICE CUT FROM ONLY £ .99

74exc.VAT

PER SHELF PER SHELF EVENLY DISTRIBUTED

Dims WAS NOW Model WxDxH(mm) exc.VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT CSM5150BP 150kg 800x300x1500 £39.98 £51.59 £47.98 CSM5350BP 350kg 900x400x1800 £57.99 £71.98 £69.59

£89.99 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £95.98 inc.VAT

CWB-R1B

Available in Red or Galvanised Finish

24/04/2024 19/06/2024 11:00 15:02

35223

TURBO AIR COMPRESSORS PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.98

109exc.VAT

£131.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £143.98 inc.VAT

Superb range ideal for DIY, hobby & semi-professional use

CDP102B

DRILL PRESSES Range of precision bench & ﬂoor presses for enthusiast, FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .95 engineering exc.VAT 99inc.VAT & industrial DOUBLE £119.94 FOOTER applications

SUPERSTORES NATIONWIDE

B = Bench mounted F = Floor standing Motor (W) * WAS £406.80 inc.VAT model Speeds exc.VAT inc.VAT CDP5EB 350 / 5 £99.95 £119.94 CDP5RB 350 / 5 £99.95 £119.94 CDP102B 350 / 5 £115.95 £139.14 CDP152B 450 / 12 £209.00 £250.80 CDP452B 550 / 16 £299.00 £358.80 CDP352F* 550 / 16 £329.00 £394.80 CDP502F 1100 / 12 £699.00 £838.80

Britain’s Tools & Machinery Specialist 8/260 Motor Tank WAS NOW Model HP CFM ltr exc.VAT inc. VAT inc.VAT 8/260 2 7.5 24 £109.98 £143.98 £131.98 11/260 2.5 9.5 24 £119.98 £155.98 £143.98 8/550 2 7.5 50 £149.98 £191.98 £179.98 11/550 2.5 9.5 50 £169.98 £215.98 £203.98 16/550 3 14.5 50 £239.00 £298.80 £286.80 16/1050 3 14.5 100 £299.00 £370.80 £358.80

HIGH VELOCITY FANS

39exc.VAT

DEHUMIDIFIERS & AIR CON

CFF18B100 * WAS £56.38 inc.VAT # WAS £52.79 inc.VAT Model Size CBF20# 20" CFF18B100* 18" CPF18B100 18"

exc.VAT 239 £286.80 inc.VAT

3-in-1 ✔ Air Con ✔ Dehumidifier ✔ 2 Speed Fan Inc. Remote control, ﬂexible outlet hose & window slider vent

Model AC7050 AC10050 AC13050

£ DOUBLE .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT FOOTER £107.98 inc.VAT

Model AC5000B AC7050 AC10050 AC13050

exc.VAT £199.00 £239.00 £279.00 £319.00

inc.VAT £238.80 £286.80 £334.80 £382.80

£FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £56.38 inc.VAT

CAM14HV

CFF18C100

JUMP STARTS

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT FOOTER £47.98 inc.VAT

FROM ONLY

EXTRA LONG 1m LEADS

Max Amps Charge/ Boost 20/120 38/180 25/200 35/180 45/240 60/350 50/510

exc.VAT £89.98 £104.99 £149.98 £159.98 £184.99 £219.00 £259.00

inc.VAT £107.98 £125.99 £179.98 £191.98 £221.99 £262.80 £310.80

INTELLIGENT BATTERY CHARGER/ MAINTAINERS Max. exc. WAS NOW Model Volts Charge VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT IBC7 12/24V 7A £39.98 £47.98 IBC15 12V 15A £49.98 £59.98 IBC20 12/24V 20A £62.99 £80.39 £75.59 IBC25 12/24V 25A £79.98 £101.99 £95.98 IBC40 12/24V 40A £99.98 £125.99 £119.98

Extraction Rate CAT131 Motor (ltr/day) exc.VAT inc.VAT PRICE CUT 785W 16.8 £239.00 £286.80 £DOUBLE exc.VAT 59.98 1100W 21.6 £279.00 £334.80 £71.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE 1370W 28.8 £319.00 £382.80 WAS £83.98 inc.VAT

£FROM ONLY .99 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £32.39 inc.VAT

Provides essential home, garage

and roadside assistance Integral exc.VAT 96inc.VAT work light 910 includes air DOUBLE £116.39 FOOTER £ DOUBLE .99

IBC20

WORKSHOP AIR TOOLS

£FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £95.98 inc.VAT

18"

Cooling Capacity 5000 BTU/h 7000 BTU/h 9000 BTU/h 12000 BTU/h

AC7050

14"

AC7050 CPF18B100 exc.VAT inc.VAT £39.98 £47.98 £45.99 £55.19 £59.98 £71.98

Ammeter Multiposition charge regulator Overload protection on charging cycle

Model BC125 BC190 BC210C WBC180 WBC240 WBC400 BC520P

CHV18WF

3-in-1

✔ Air Con ✔ Dehumidifier ✔ 3 Speed Fan

199exc.VAT

BC210C

.00

Lightweight, portable, durable and suitable for home indoor use. Strong and sturdy 360° tilting stand Max air ﬂow up to 2338cfm

£FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £95.98 inc.VAT

DOUBLE £238.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

BATTERY CHARGERS /ENGINE STARTERS FROM ONLY

FROM ONLY HEADER

HIGH VELOCITY DRUM FAN

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE.00

£47.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £52.79 inc.VAT

.00

†V-Twin *230V # WAS £1438.80 inc.VAT ‡ WAS £1678.80 inc.VAT ▼ WAS £1774.80 inc.VAT AIR. DISP MOTOR AIR MODEL CFM (HP) RCVR EXC.VAT INC.VAT XEV16/100 (OL)†* 14 3 100ltr £589.00 £706.80 XEV16/150 (OL)†* 14 3 150ltr £659.00 £790.80 XEV16/200(OL)†* 14 3 200ltr £719.00 £862.80 XEV16/150(400V)† 14 3 150ltr £699.00 £838.80 XE18/200 (OL)†* 18 4 200ltr £759.00 £910.80 30 7.5HP 200Ltr £1179.00 £1414.80 XE36C200†# 28 2X3HP 270Ltr £1349.00 £1618.80 XE29/270†*‡ XE37/270 (OL)†* ▼ 36 2x 4 270ltr £1459.00 £1750.80 SE46C270† 40 10HP 270Ltr £2129.00 £2554.80

18"

PRICE CUT NOW FROM ONLY £ .98

FROM ONLY HEADER

exc.VAT 589 £706.80 inc.VAT

Mobile Units provide quick & effective cooling & drying

18"

INDUSTRIAL AIR XEV16/100 COMPRESSORS

CHROME HIGH VELOCITY 18" FANS

DEHUMIDIFIERS & 3-IN-1 AIR CONDITIONERS

Ideal for creating a powerful air ﬂow, suitable for both domestic & commercial locations 3 Speeds Tilts to adjust direction of air ﬂow

STARTS VEHICLES UP TO 6L

MICRO JUMP STARTS

Model 910 JS1100C BEST 4000 SELLER JS12/24

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .99 EXC.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £44.39 inc.VAT

compressor Long life battery Starting Peak Boost Amps exc.VAT inc.VAT 400 900 £96.99 £116.39 500 1100 £96.99 £116.39 700 1500 £164.99 £197.99 1000 2000 £179.98 £215.98

PARTS WASHERS FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .98 exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £71.98 inc.VAT

WHEEL DOLLY (PAIR)

CW1D

AWD1

BEST SELLER LOAD RATING: 500KG PER DOLLY

£FROM ONLY .99 exc.VAT DOUBLE £76.79 inc.VAT PER PAIR

PGF14

GARAGES/WORKSHOPS

603x370x150mm

SWIVEL, NON MARKING CASTORS

ANGLE GRINDERS

249

£ FROM ONLY .00 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £298.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

FROM ONLY

Start Peak exc. Model Boost Boost VAT inc.VAT JSM180 180A 360A £36.99 £44.39 JSM100 1000A 400A £49.98 £59.98 JSM1200 600A 1200A £69.98 £83.98 * WAS JSM350* 350A 500A £79.98 £95.98 £105.59 JSM600 300A 600A £49.98 £59.98 inc.VAT

* WAS £179.98 inc.VAT # WAS £226.80 inc.VAT ‡ WAS £275.98 inc.VAT Tank Model Cap. Type exc.VAT inc.VAT CW2D 10Ltrs Bench £59.98 £71.98 CW1D* 45Ltrs Floor £144.99 £173.99 CWM20# 22.5Ltrs Floor £179.00 £214.80 CW40‡ 75Ltrs Floor £219.00 £262.80

CW2D

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.00

HOT WASHERS

589exc.VAT

SANDBLASTERS

£706.80 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £718.80 inc.VAT

Heavy duty steel construction

145 Bar 2100 psi

sandblasters for the quick exc.VAT 29 DOUBLE FOOTER £35.98 inc.VAT removal of surface rust, £ DOUBLE .98

CIG81220 Ideal for use as a garage/workshop Extra tough triple layer cover Heavy duty powder coated steel tubing Ratchet tight tensioning Model CIG81212 CIG81015 CIG81216 CIG81020 CIG81220 CIG81224 CIG1432 CIG1640

size (LxWxH) 3.6x3.6x2.5m 4.5x3x2.4m 4.9x3.7x2.5m 6.1x3x2.4m 6.1x3.7x2.5m 7.3x3.7x2.5m 9.7x4.3x3.65m 12x4.9x4.3m

exc.VAT inc.VAT £249.00 £298.80 £279.00 £334.80 £329.00 £394.80 £349.00 £418.80 £399.00 £478.80 £499.00 £598.80 £1099.00 £1318.80 £2599.00 £3118.80

ALUMINIUM RACING JACKS

CIG1432

LENGTH UP TO 40’

Model Disc (mm) Motor exc.VAT CAG800B 115 800W £29.98 CON1150 115 1150W £36.99 CAG2350C 230 2350W £69.98

KEEPS THE WEATHER OUT! BRIGHT WHITE INTERIOR

CIS8612

FROM ONLY HEADER

.00 exc.VAT 269 £322.80 inc.VAT

Model CTJ2GLS CTJ3GLS CTJ5GLS CTJ10GLS

Tonnes 2 3 5 10

150mm PAD DIA.

64exc.VAT

£77.99 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £83.98 inc.VAT

CP150

FROM ONLY

.98 DOUBLE exc.VAT .VAT 109 DOUBLE £131.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

exc.VAT £109.98 £139.98 £169.98 £199.98

inc.VAT £131.98 £167.98 £203.98 £239.98

MM2 Custom Car 275x200 pg2.indd Mart_3PS.indd 1 Custom Car_2024_08_Aug_Machine 2

169exc.VAT

DOUBLE £202.80 FOOTER inc.VAT

1 TONNE FOLDING WORKSHOP CRANE Folding and ﬁxed frames available Robust, rugged construction Overload safety valve

69exc.VAT

£83.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE

Fully tested to proof load

AMAZING LOW PRICE!

INCLUDES SANDBLASTING GUN, DELIVERY HOSE, 4 CERAMIC NOZZLES AND SAFETY HOOD

INC. CONTAINER FOR DETERGENT

2 & 3 TONNE TROLLEY JACKS

219

WAS £89.99 inc.VAT

Inc. hook & loop backing pad and wool polishing bonnet CP185 180mm PAD DIA.

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE.00

£ FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £263.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

PRICE CUT £DOUBLE.98 £

paint, dirt/grease etc.

* WAS £718.80 inc.VAT inc.VAT # WAS £1437.60 inc.VAT Tank Flow Rate £322.80 Model Volume Req. exc.VAT inc.VAT Model BAR Press. VOLT exc.VAT inc.VAT £430.80 £574.80 CPSB100B* 32 litre 6-25 cfm £169.00 £202.80 Harry 2 145 2100psi 230 £589.00 £706.80 £766.80 CPSB200B# 63 litre 6-25 cfm £209.00 £250.80 KING 200 150 2175psi 230 £1169.00 £1402.80

CFC100

Dual action combines rotary & orbital motions to produce an excellent polished ﬁnish

CTJ1250AB

Lifting Cap. 1.5T 1.25T 2.5T 1.8T

exc.VAT £269.00 £359.00 £479.00 £639.00

PRO SANDER/ PRICE CUT POLISHERS £DOUBLE .99

Quick lift Non-marking nylon wheels Rubber contact pad - helps protect vehicle undersides

Model CTJ1500QL CTJ1250AC CTJ2500QLGB CTJ1800AB

HEAVY DUTY LONG REACH JACKS

CTJ2GLS £

inc.VAT £35.98 £44.39 £83.98

PRICE CUT £DOUBLE .99

18V ½"

£51.59 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WRENCH

42exc.VAT IMPACT

WAS £53.99 inc.VAT

3 forward and reverse gears

£FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £119.98 inc.VAT

450NM

CTJ2250LP

BRUSHLESS JACKS ALSO IN # WAS £53.99 inc.VAT STOCK UP TO 5 TONNE ‡ WAS £63.59 inc.VAT X2AH Model Type Tonne exc.VAT inc.VAT CTJ2L# Long 2 £42.99 £51.59 CTJ2250LP*‡ Low Profile 2.25 £49.95 £59.94 CTJ3000GB Pro Garage 3 £109.98 £131.98 Model Desc Batteries exc.VAT CTJ3000QLB Quick Lift 3 £122.99 £147.59 CCIW160 Cordless 2X 2AH £99.98 Low Quick Lift 2 £159.98 £191.98 CTJ2QLP LI-ION CIR184LIP Cordless 2X 4AH £144.99 * CTJ2250LP has a 2.25 tonne capacity, has a LI-ION low entry of only 80mm and includes 2 sockets

inc.VAT £119.98 £173.99

24/04/2024 19/06/2024 11:01 15:02

35223

PAY Monthly

EASY TO USE WEBSITE

HYDRAULIC FROM ONLY PRESSES £ DOUBLE.98

21,000

NOW OVER

Spread the cost over 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 months Any mix of products over £300 5 MIN 19.9% APR APPLICATION!

For 15,000 hard to ﬁnd items vist the

PROFESSIONAL QUALITY Built for tough daily use in automotive/ industrial workshops

* Available with/without BEST 7 pce pin, bracket & pressing plate kit SELLER safety screen # Economy model Model Tonne exc.VAT inc.VAT CSA4B# 4 £169.98 £203.98 10 £289.00 £346.80 ‡ WAS CSA10BB* CSA12F# 12 £379.00 £454.80 £598.80 CSA20FBT‡ 20 £489.00 £586.80 inc.VAT

section on:

BRITAIN’S NO. 1 FOR WELDING

1 TONNE

MIG GAS/NO GAS WELDERS

COMPRESSOR

Hydraulically powered, foot control operated device Adjustable spring retainers Springs up to 400mm diameter & 520mm in length Tough steel safety guard

“Excellent machine and exactly as described. Easy to set up and comes with everything you need to start welding straight out of the box”

up & use

See www.machinemart.co.uk

BEST

SELLER

SSC1000G

HEAVY DUTY PETROL POWER WASHERS PLS195B

69exc.VAT

Rotates through 360˚

0.00 FOOTER £161.99 inc.VAT * Gas/No Gas MIG103NG

PRICE CUT £ DOUBLE.00

135TE

£322.80 inc.VAT DOUBLE

130AMPS

269exc.VAT

WAS £334.80 inc.VAT

exc. WAS Model Capacity VAT inc.VAT CES340 340kg £69.98 £87.59 CES450 450kg £79.98 £99.59 CES560 560kg £104.99 CES680F 680kg £135.99 £167.98

NOW inc.VAT £83.98 £95.98 £125.99 £163.19

* WAS £334.80 inc.VAT CAN DRAW # WAS £598.80 inc.VAT OWN WATER ‡ WAS £922.80 inc.VAT Pressure Engine Model Bar/PSI HP exc.VAT inc.VAT Tiger1800B* 110/1595 3 £269.00 £322.80 Tiger2600B 180/2610 4 £379.00 £454.80 Tiger3000B 200/2900 6.5 £399.00 £478.80 PLS195B# 182/2640 5.5 £479.00 £574.80 PLS220 230/3335 9 £679.00 £814.80 PLS265B‡ 225/3263 13 £749.00 £898.80 PLS360 248/3600 13 £998.00 £1197.60

Honda engine models available

WAS NOW Model KVA HP exc.VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT PG2500A 2.2 5.6 £209.00 £262.80 £250.80 PG3800A 3 5.6 £239.00 £322.80 £286.80 PG3800ADV 3 5.6 £279.00 £358.80 £334.80 PG6500ADVES 5.5 9.7 £519.00 £646.80 £622.80

BEST

SELLER

£FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT DOUBLE FOOTER £95.98 inc.VAT

139

£ FROM ONLY .98

DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £167.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

MMA200A INC. ELECTRODE HOLDER, EARTH CLAMP, & BRUSH/HAMMER

Min/Max Electrode Output Dia. Model Current (mm) exc.VAT inc.VAT MMA140A 20A-140A 1.6-3.2 £104.99 £125.99 MMA200A 20A-200A 1.6-3.2 £139.98 £167.98 AT165 10A-160A 2.5/3.2/4.0 £219.98 £263.98

£47.99

£57.59

ELECTRIC PRESSURE WASHERS Makes easy work for washing vehicles, patios, stonework, etc. JET7500, JET8500 & JET9500B include hose reel 180 Bar 2610 PSI

Professional Engine Diagnostic & EOBD/ OBD ll Fault Code Reader

exc.VAT inc.VAT £134.99 £161.99 £249.00 £298.80 £259.00 £310.80 £289.98 £347.98 £345.00 £414.00

• Compact & lightweight • Efﬁcient inverter technology • Variable output

• Lift cars safely and quickly • Tough angled steel construction Model CR2 CRW25 2500kg

DIAGNOSTICS

Min-Max Amps 35-90 24-90 30-150 30-130 30-150

MMA & ARC/TIG INVERTER WELDERS

AT165

219 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £263.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

£ FROM ONLY .98

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .98 exc.VAT Capacity exc.VAT inc.VAT £47.98 DOUBLE PER inc.VAT 2000kg £39.98 £47.98 PER PAIR

CHECK FRAME TYPE WHEN ORDERING

Model MIG103NG* PRO90 151EN 135TE Turbo 151TE Turbo

CAR RAMPS

PETROL GENERATORS

PG3800A

MIG103NG

DOUBLE.99 exc.VAT 134

Honda & Diesel engine models in stock

£83.98 inc.VAT DOUBLE

WAS £87.59 inc.VAT

Fully tested to proof load

Professional

189

PRICE CUT £DOUBLE .98

*Folds for storage

135TE

type torches DOUBLE.98 exc.VAT 289 Easy to set 0.00 FOOTER £347.98 inc.VAT

£ FROM ONLY .98 DOUBLEexc.VAT DOUBLE £227.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

ENGINE STANDS

CES680F

PAGE

• IN-STORE • ONLINE • PHONE 0844 880 1265

machinemart.co.uk

STRUT

484

CATALOGUE OUT NOW!

PRODUCTS ONLINE!

169exc.VAT SPRING DOUBLE £203.98 FOOTER inc.VAT

CSA4B

NEW

CEOBDPRO

FROM ONLY £ DOUBLE .98 DOUBLE exc.VAT FOOTER £71.98 inc.VAT

ACCESSORIES GWH7 AUTO DARKENING WELDING HEADSHIELDS

7 MODELS IN THE RANGE

JET8500 Motor Max. exc. WAS Model W Press. VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT JS1850 1400 1523psi £59.98 £71.98 JS1950 1600 2030psi £94.99 £116.39 £113.99 Jet7500 1600 2030psi £149.98 £185.99 £179.98 Jet8500 2100 2610psi £189.98 £231.59 £227.98 JET9500B 2400 2900psi £229.98 £275.98

HUGE RANGE

LEATHER GAUNTLETS

GAS

01226 732297 0121 358 7977 0121 7713433 01204 365799 01274 390962 01273 915999 0117 935 1060 01283 564 708 01223 322675 029 2046 5424 01228 591666 01242 514 402 01244 311258 01206 762831 024 7622 4227 020 8763 0640 01325 380 841 01304 373 434 01332 290 931 01302 245 999 01382 225 140 0131 659 5919

EXETER 16 Trusham Rd. EX2 8QG GATESHEAD 50 Lobley Hill Rd. NE8 4YJ GLASGOW 280 Gt Western Rd. G4 9EJ GLOUCESTER 221A Barton St. GL1 4HY GRIMSBY ELLIS WAY, DN32 9BD HULL 8-10 Holderness Rd. HU9 1EG ILFORD 746-748 Eastern Ave. IG2 7HU IPSWICH Unit 1 Ipswich Trade Centre, Commercial Road LEEDS 227-229 Kirkstall Rd. LS4 2AS LEICESTER 69 Melton Rd. LE4 6PN LINCOLN Unit 5. The Pelham Centre. LN5 8HG LIVERPOOL 80-88 London Rd. L3 5NF LONDON CATFORD 289/291 Southend Lane SE6 3RS LONDON 6 Kendal Parade, Edmonton N18 LONDON 503-507 Lea Bridge Rd. Leyton, E10 LUTON Unit 1, 326 Dunstable Rd, Luton LU4 8JS MAIDSTONE 57 Upper Stone St. ME15 6HE MANCHESTER ALTRINCHAM 71 Manchester Rd. Altrincham MANCHESTER CENTRAL 209 Bury New Road M8 8DU MANCHESTER OPENSHAW Unit 5, Tower Mill, Ashton Old Rd MANSFIELD 169 Chesterﬁeld Rd. South MIDDLESBROUGH Mandale Triangle, Thornaby

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24/04/2024 19/06/2024 11:02 15:02

Out & About

3 is the Magic Number

Words and Pics: James Webber Event: Run to the Sun Date: 24-27 May Venue: Newquay, Cornwall Last year, Run To The Sun returned after a 10-year absence. It was a huge success – and for 2024, the legendary show was bigger, packed with more entertainment and back to three days. On the Friday, Spencer from The Old Dub Shop led the traditional big cruise. This started at Reading and headed to Gordano Services, then on to RE:FUEL at Cullompton for a big stop for refreshments. Around 300 cars made it there, and after that it was straight down the M5, on to the A30 and into the site. Camping was split into four separate categories: General, Modern, Preferred Vehicles and Car Clubs. This year there were three different event stages – the Main Stage, the Lunar Stage and the Rising Sun – each hosting a rich and varied range of music, comedy, open mic and a pub quiz. The entertainment on Friday night kicked off around 5pm, with the star headline act Goldie taking to the main stage at 9.30pm for his new show, the Goldie Live Ensemble.

Saturday saw clothing brand Rothfink host a display of vehicles on the main show field for campers and day visitors to marvel at. Over the weekend, there were various food and drink vendors along with local traders which included Cornish Salvage Art, Brew Cornwall, Crumbles Puds, Vantastic Clothing, Fat Jack’s Shack, Buddha Bowl and Split Bean Coffee to name but a few. Saturday’s entertainment across the thee stages included Sweet Juno, The Swamp Stomp String Band, Zellfyre, Checkmate, Jazz Mango and Dan On Drums, Mr Thing, Krafty Kuts and the Nextmen. Sunday was Show’n’Shine day; cars entered on the display field were lined up by 9.00am, ready for the public gates to open at 10. There was a nice blend of VWs, Hot Rods and Americans, with a couple of oddities thrown in for good measure. Come 3.30pm, it was time to hand out the trophies made by show sponsor Volksmagic. Editing legend Keith Seume was on hand to announce the winners, which this year were:

Ford Roadster was built in Cornwall, featured on the cover of Custom Car in June 2003 and now resides back in Cornwall

Rick Wells and his wife travelled down from Harlow for the show in their 1947 Ford Pick up with Pinto power

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Best Interior – Julian Dennis, Blue Bay Best Hood Ride – Neil Burton, Red Patina Karmann Ghia Best Daily – Harry Rundle, Beetle Best Custom – Webster Richardson, patina Single Cab Coolest VW – Vicky Bartlett, ’ 59 Beetle Coolest American – Maxine Xavier, Sundancer Buick Lowrider Coolest Other – Tom Perry, Commer Van How the Hell – Justin, ’58 Split Panel Van People’s Choice – Mark, Yellow Bay Spirit of the Show – ’53 American Jailbus Best Paint and Best in Show – Mark Smith, 1970 Buick GS History repeated itself, as Keith reminded the assembled crowds that the first ever RTTS was blessed by beautiful weather, just like last year – but that at the second it rained, just like this year! Thankfully, this was only on the Saturday, and Sunday was blessed with glorious sunshine from start to finish. For those staying the Sunday night, entertainment was provided by Laura Kate, Lonely Bones, DJ Harpo, the Scribes, Electric Swing Circus, Rue, Jaguar Skills and renowned DJ Slipmatt. Then come Monday, the last of the campers packed up and made their way home. ‘Thank you to everyone who came and supported the event,’ said RTTS director Andreas Christopheros. ‘It’s great to be able to have a three-day Run to the Sun back in Newquay. ‘We are already planning RTTS ’25. We have listened to feedback from our lovely customers and have extended the rules to include all cars up to 1990 – and we’re planning on having a Saturday show’n’shine as well. ‘Our model is evolving. There’s always going to be room for improvement, and we are excited for RTTS 2025.’ Run to the Sun is firmly back on the calendar and is growing and evolving – and a gentle reminder that this is not just a VW event. Far from it, the team want more hot rods and Americans to turn up – it would be great if there were some cars from the early events still about and up for joining in next year.

Mark Smith won Best Paint and Best in Show with his 1970 Buick GS

1953 Jailbus was a real head turner throughout the weekend and deservedly won Spirit of the Show. Look out for a feature coming soon…

Legendary custom car builder Andy Saunders and his partner Maxine Xavier drove Sundancer down to Newquay and won Best American It’s a Volkswagen event – but so much more besides. And even if you’re more of a hot rod man, it would take a pretty dedicated hater of everything else not to be impressed by some of the Dubs on show

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Rubber lover

ckal,

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When you sell tyres for a living, a talking point is a great way to promote your business. Steve Smith’s one-off Pop pick-up certainly gets people talking Words: Mike Pye Pics: Alan Kidd

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The build

1. Well, I guess you have to start somewhere. Take one Ford Pop, and a door off another Ford Pop…

4. The heavily kicked up perimeter rails use the front section of the original chassis and the rear crossmember

7. Neat, bead-rolled floorpan sections impart some additional strength

guess if you’re a director of a tyre company, you don’t have quite the same concerns the rest of us have when it comes to choosing rubber for your ride. The hot rodders’ favourite latexbased products have become too expensive these days to just take a punt on a set of tyres to see if they fit. Or if you like the look of them. And, contrary to most forms of motoring, that’s largely what it’s all about for us, right? Why else would owners of million dollar, 100-point muscle cars choose to put woefully backward bias ply rubber on their cars because it’s ‘right’. Certainly not because they’re the best tyres for the job, but because that’s what they came with in 1970. Likewise, many hot rodders still

2. Discard the bits you no longer want. These won’t have gone to waste, we’re sure

5. A quick check with the cut down body in place. That rear roof section is from a Morris 1000 van

3. Then start on the chassis…

6. Filling in the gaps

The completed chassis in primer and ready for paint. Note all the original Pop running gear was re-used initially

Pick-up bed was made from scratch…

choose notoriously out of round crossplies made in moulds that originated before the Second World War over infinitely better performing radials. Then wildly mismatch sizes front and rear, because that’s what looks good. Street rodders, on the other hand, might prefer large diameter, low profile rubber bands to accentuate the impact of big-inch rims. Lowriders, go the opposite way, rolling on undersize ‘520s’. Period. Bottom line is, it’s all about ‘the look’. And that look can take many different forms, all of them depending on the genre of modified car you’re into. Steve Smith’s Pop pick-up doesn’t really fit into any of the established sub-genres. The uninformed public would likely reach for the ‘rat rod’

catch all, based primarily on its lack of paint, but we all know that’s the most divisive term since Trump.

Go your own way

“I’m not really what you might call a traditional hot rodder,” says Steve. “I don’t do things because that’s what I’m supposed to do, I do what I’m not supposed to do.” You may well have seen Steve in one of a number of different cars at shows promoting the Nankang tyre brand, the Taiwanese rubber company his business is the UK importer of. “I don’t just go to hot rod shows, I go to all sorts of different car shows and mix with people that are into every type of classic and modified car,” he continues.

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10. …with the Ford logo pressed into the tailgate panel using laser cut formers

11. Here’s how Steve bought the truck from his mat Kina, with twin rear wheels

Chopped, channelled, rendered fenderless and devoid of the rear half of its body Right top: The box section chassis and bead rolled floorpans aren’t hidden by carpets and there are no door panels, just the stamped steel door structures with more bead rolled panels filling the lower holes Right middle: Adding to the interesting driving experience is the bare ali bucket seats, with just a patriotic cushion for comfort Right bottom: Though he’s changed a lot of things on the truck, Steve has tried hard to keep the bare bones feel Kina built it with, revelling in its exposed mechanical-ness. If you’re wondering, that big knob on the tunnel in front of the gearstick is the high / low beam switch

He freely admits he didn’t build the oneof-a-kind Pop pick-up you’ll occasionally see him in. That was down to his mate Kina, who’s namechecked on it. But he certainly has has done a lot to it since buying it.

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This is where the truck sits when it’s on show. Air bags and Airlift digital management give Steve the best of both worlds

The uninformed public would likely reach for the ‘rat rod’ catch all… but we all know that’s the most divisive term since Trump Naturally, it’s the tyres that get the most attention, and just as naturally, they’re all chosen from the Nankang range. The 110/70 R17 WF-99 Roadiacs on the front are from the company’s small capacity superbike range, while the 275/35 ZR15 Sportnex AR-1s on the back are “a faster, more refined track tyre aimed at those hunting lap times.” So says the accompanying blurb. Despite the minimal tread patterns, they’re both road legal in the UK. Hell, you wouldn’t expect a tyre company director to be running about on illegal rubber, would you? The combination of the two might be a bit dubious in the eyes of motoring law makers, but it’s not technically illegal. What it definitely is, is a talking point. Tell me the tyres weren’t the first thing you thought about when you saw this car. “That was the idea…” laughs Steve. “I’ve had the car a few years now, and had several different sets of tyres on it in that time. I just like the look of the motorcycle tyres on the front, but the combination of them and the

suspension being so far forward, it really doesn’t handle well. Well, it doesn’t handle at all, so I don’t tend to go very far in it.”

Outta revs

Steve’s made a number of changes since buying the truck, one of the ﬁrst being swapping the original Pop rear axle for one from a Mk2 Escort. “It just ran out of revs with the old Pop axle it had before,” he recalls. “Kina built it with dual wheels on the back and, while I quite liked the look, I wanted to go back to a single wheel so I changed those when I changed the back axle. “It needed tall tyres to get down the road, but then with the Escort axle the gearing was too tall, so I had to go down in size, and that’s why I’ve ended up where I am now.” The rest of the truck almost takes a back seat to those four attention seekers, but it’s worthy of a closer look in its own right. It clearly started life as a Ford Popular (though the grille spoon would have you

call it an Anglia), but that’s about where the similarity ends. Chopped, channelled, rendered fenderless and devoid of the rear half of its body, that alone is enough to upset the majority of the Ford Sidevalve Owners Club. Oh, and the Morris Minor Owners Club too, as one of their faithful vans donated its rear roof section to the cause. Talking of sidevalves, that’s gone west too, replaced by a Ford 1600cc crossﬂow, to which Steve has added the quartet of Kawasaki motorcycle carbs and an exhaust he describes as, “as ridiculous as you want.” Or at least, that’s what he told the skilled stainless welder that made it for him.

On air

When Steve put the Escort back axle in, he took the opportunity to ditch the Pop transverse leaf spring and go to a 4-link with Panhard bar and air suspension. “I’m a huge fan of air suspension,” he says. “I’ve got it on most of my cars. It takes a bit of setting up to get right – too much

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Above: The old two-barrel carb’ was given the heave ho, replaced by a four pack of 37mm Kawasaki motorcycle carbs, a straight conversion offered by Dan ST Engineering in Yorkshire. Alloy trumpets add visual appeal Right: It’s the purposeful bunch of stainless snakes from Overkill Performance that grabs your attention most under the bonnet. Look beyond those and you’ll find a 1600cc Ford crossflow

pressure and it’s harsh on the road, too little and it starts bouncing. It’s all about using the right bag for the application, and getting that bag in the right place, and at the right angle. I’ll spend ages messing about with angles and geometry to get that right. When you do, though, it’s absolutely perfect.” In contrast, the front suspension is stock Ford Popular, from the skinny I-beam, through the standard forward mounted transverse leaf spring and puny front drum brakes, although converted to hydraulic operation with a readily available kit. What’s not so stock are the front dampers, which are air shocks sourced through Limebug and more commonly found on airequipped Volkswagen Beetles. The whole lot is controlled by Airlift digital management. “I’ve got about two inches lift on the front and three on the back, and all four corners can be controlled independently. I’ve got a pre-set mode that I like driving it at and can droop it on the floor if I want. What you learn with air ride is that the best ride height isn’t

Back axle is now out of a Mk2 Escort, on a 4-link, Panhard rod and air bags. Compressor, air tank and fuel tank all live under the hinged bed cover. Most of the truck from the cab back has been made from scratch, including pressing the Ford logo into the tailgate. Air ride The digital air ride controller usually sits on the dash, or it can be controlled via an app’ on Steve’s ’phone

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necessarily where you like the look of the car best, but it all depends how much you want to enjoy driving it.”

Industrial age

The interior is probably best described these days as ‘industrial’. That’s to say there’s a distinct lack of soft furnishings, leaving the car’s raw mechanical-ness to speak for itself. The seats are simple ali buckets, the steering wheel is homemade and the Ford manual gearbox is on full show, with just a pressed tin cover over the propshaft revolving between the seats. “That’s my heater,” laughs Steve. There’s a reminder of the car it all started as in the Bakelite dashboard, complete with a Goldings Motor Co. Ltd. badge rivetted to

it, signalling the original supplying dealer in Basingstoke. Telephone 241. About the only thing that brings the car into the 21st Century is the Nodiz Pro 2 standalone ECU with OBD port, which runs the ignition and timing under the bonnet with the help of an Escort XR3 coil pack. “I was going to fit throttle bodies,” recalls Steve, “and I really should have done as the whole reason for using the bike carbs was to make it easier to start, but you still have to pump the throttle and then let it warm up. I like the look of them though, and the lack of a distributor is another talking point. That’s clearly the thing for Steve. Like we said earlier, he likes to drive his cars and to get out and about and meet people. He likes a chat, too.

“I spend a lot of time getting my cars to drive right, tweaking this and that, but this one is a bit of a lost cause,” he laughs. “Everything is fighting against the driveability of it, but the reactions it gets are priceless. People can’t believe what they’re seeing, especially the younger kids who are into more modern modified cars. They really appreciate looking at all of our kind of stuff, much more so than a lot of hot rodders appreciate what they‘re doing with their cars. “To me, this car is just a piece of art. That’s how Kina built it, and how I’ve tried to keep it. It’s a great promotional vehicle for Nankang tyres, even if people do keep telling me the front tyres are on the wrong way round!” As you’d expect from a professional, they’re anything but. CC

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The choice of a motorcycle front tyre was largely down to the use of original 17-inch Ford Pop wheels on the front. Measuring in at just 4.5 x 17 inches, there’s simply not a lot of room for rubber. Front axle has been pushed forward 12 inches

Rear wheels are Peugeot steels, chosen for their better offset but with the same stud pattern as Ford. Pop centres welded in to disguise their origin and allow the use of matching Pop hubcaps all round. Tyres are 275/35 ZR15 Sportnex AR-1s, used in a number of circuit race series

“I’m not really what you might call a traditional hot rodder. I don’t do things because that’s what I’m supposed to do, I do what I’m not supposed to do”

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The Rain Event

■ Words: Olly Sack ■ Pics: Julian Hunt

Pod-goers haven’t had much luck with the weather so far this year. The Main Event was the latest race meet to be hit by wet weather – though that didn’t stop Europe’s finest from putting on a show before the heavens opened

Matt Dowdy, Simon Innes and Brett Featherstone were among those still in the hunt for Pro ET honours when rain stopped play. Dowdy had an interesting event after blowing out his rear window on his ﬁrst qualifying run

Modurstang Pro ET

Matt Dowdy got off to a smashing start on his first qualifying run, when a 11.1502 / 119.78 pass was enough to blow the rear window out of his Chevy Nova. Cue a rather intensive clean-up operation. The real star of the show early on, however, was Tom Watkins, who ran a perfect ET of 9.0806 on a 9.08 dial to go top after Q1. Watkins was to hold that spot throughout qualifications; other notable performaces included a charge from 25th to 2nd by Brett Featherstone in Q4, thanks to a 9.622 on a 9.62 index, and Kirsie Tramm jumping from 30th to 6th a couple

of rounds later. A word for Bill Wilson, too, who ran 10.8650 / 121.19 in his F100 – his best time ever. The most impressive qualifiers dropping it in eliminations seems to have been a bit of a theme over the course of the weekend, and Wilson’s race was run when he came up against the Simon Innes’ Barracuda in E1. This same round saw Watkins putting a cherry on the tree to hand it to Sean Law. Innes, Law, Tramm and Featherstone were all still in it after E2, as was Dowdy – who had kept on racing with no rear

window, which must have smelt nice. Ultimately, though, there was no ‘after E2’ as the weather did its thing.

Bill Wilson’s F100 ran 10.8650 / 121.19 in his F100 – his best time ever

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After the Festival of Power fell victim to rubbish weather, the Easter Nationals were interrupted by more rubbish weather and the rescheduled Festival of Power was hammered by, you guessed it, yet more rubbish weather, Britain’s drag racing fans might reasonably have felt that it was about time they got a weekend off from all the rain. So the great and the good of the sport headed for Santa Pod with high hopes that the Spring Bank Holiday weekend would deliver perfect conditions for the FIA Main Event. This is Britain, though. Where hoping for dry weather is like hoping for your kids not to roll your eyes when you talk about ZZ Top. After two decent days had allowed a full programme of racing, as a huge field worked its way through a packed schedule of qualifications, Sunday dawned wet – albeit with a more promising forecast. The first cars were finally called to the pairing lanes just before midday, only for the rain to come back about four hours later – forcing a suspension which eventually became permanent after the weather had played a lengthy game of cat and mouse with the organisers by making it as if a resumption was going to be possible. Monday was the opposite, dawning bright but with the forecast saying rain

was to be expected as the day wore on. It wasn’t wrong – and with the shutdown area at the top of the track proving impossible to dry off, it was a case of either racing to the 1/8 mile or giving up and going home. Unsurprisingly, all the racers wanted to keep at it, even if it did mean pulling the cord at half track. Some teams had already pulled the cord in another sense, meaning there were some notable no-shows as the eliminations progressed. Not that they progressed very far, with most classes only managing one or two rounds before the curtain came down for good. Moving to 1/8-mile meant the event would no longer qualify as a round of the 2024 European Drag Racing Championship, and as a result Top Fuel, Top Methanol, ProMod and Pro-Stock were pulled. This too allowed more time for the remaining classes to work through their schedules – but again, it was nowhere near enough, leaving the majority of business unfinished. Still, as always at Santa Pod the action, when it happened, was fast and furious. The crowd was treated to plenty of thrills and a few spills, along with a sprinkling of notable runs. Sorry, probably shouldn’t have used the word ‘sprinkling’ there. Apologies if it sent you running for your plastic mac…

Peter Nee Super Pro ET

Mark Bailey set the early pace with defending champion Alan Didwell hovering just below the podium positions. Rob Brown had a bit of a fight in Q2 as his slingshot Rebel did its best to defy gravity the whole way down the track, and Fabien Dubois also had to abort his run when a wheelie started going wrong. Then Barry Giles ran 7.4321 on a 7.43 index with Friday’s last run to vault into an overnight lead. That’s how long it lasted, though, with a 0.0068 RT and 8.9204 on an 8.92 index putting Callum Swinchatt on top in his Topolino. Scott Hauser made a move in the same session, 7.3017 on 7.30 putting him in second, and that was the way the top three still looked at the end of qualifications. Giles saw red in E1 to end his race, however Swinchatt and Hauser were both cooking by the end of the following round – as were Collin Morrice and Colin Millar, the former by the lesser of two red lights against Ashley Bell. That’s where we were when rain stopped play.

Callum Swinchatt’s Topolino headed the leaderboard through most of qualifying in Super Pro ET and kept it up all the way to what would have been the semis

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How cool would it have been to see Don Scott’s Superbird and Ronald Huis’ Handyman line up against each other in the Super Gas ﬁnal? It could have happened, too, as both were through to the semis – though they’d have had the small matter of Stuart Doignie and Dave Fulton’s 27Ts to overcome ﬁrst

Tony Morris Carburetors Super Gas

Another example of a top qualifier losing out in eliminations. Tim Moore leapt to the top of the board in Q1 with a perfect ET in his ’55 Bel-Air and couldn’t be touched for six rounds, but come E1 he was beaten by the 515ci 27T of Stuart Doignie. Peter Cresswell and Bob Molden both went through on double breakouts, while reigning champ Stuart Morrice lost out to Andy Dibley in the Magic Rat Camaro. E2 saw Doignie progress to the semis alongside Don Scott’s Superbird, Ronald Huis’ Handyman and the 27T Brogie of Dave Fulton – a mouth-watering matchup, but the only water after that was the kind that comes out of the sky.

A perfect ET put Tim Moore’s Bel-Air in an unassailable position that saw him on top in Super Gas qualiﬁcations

Street Eliminator saw PBs for Graham Smith, twice, in his ’57 Chevy, Elliot Day in his Willys and Tony Higgs in his Capri – which, at 196.39, is getting ever closer to a very red letter day indeed

Top Speed Automotive Street Eliminator Andy Bond is going for his fifith straight title this year, and his Ugly Sister Chevy was looking as strong as ever straight from the start. He topped the table throughout qualifications – though elsewhere in the standings, there were new PBs of 8.8076 / 153.16 for Graham

Smith’s ’57 Chevy and 8.2081 / 167.91 for Elliot Day in the Willys. Tony Higgs, meanwhile, has posted a number of PBs already this year and his final qualifying run was his best yet, the big-block Capri putting 7.4298 / 196.39 on the board. The big 200 can’t be far away.

Higgs, Rob Carter and Alan McSweeney all won through in the first round of eliminations, while Bond took the bye and Smith produced yet another PB, 8.4959 / 157.38 seeing off Michael de Souza. This, though, was when the weather saw off everyone.

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WA Watts Automotive Super Comp

Andy Clifford was top throughout qualifying in his slingshot. But come eliminations, four-time champion Leah Kellett stepped up to show him the door. Class sponsor Warren Watts was still in the running too at this point, as were Ronald Huis, Clement Dubois and Steven Hudson, but then the only things left running were the rain, into pools at the top end of the strip, and everybody, for the exits. Top right: As well as being a leading competitor in Super Comp aboard his Camaro SS, this season Warren Watts is sponsoring it too. He was one of a group who remained unbeaten by anything that didn’t fall out of the sky

Right: Super Comp is a very varied class in the kind of cars you’ll see lining up to take part. But one thing that’s not been very varied at all for the last half a decade is the fact that if you want to win, first you’ve got to find a way past Dolly Daydream. The 598ci dragster, driven by Leah Kellett, is on target for a fifth straight title this year

If you had to choose between Carl Cox’s Barracuda and Chris Orthodoxou’s Viper, which would you ﬁnd less terrifying to see coming up behind you in your rear-view mirror? Both put in strong qualifying runs, though Orthodoxou was a no-show in the ﬁrst round of eliminations

Track Worx Comp Eliminator The most eventful class of the weekend saw the top spot in qualifications change hands no less than five times as Gary Carr’s Nova and Rouven Dawson’s Copo Camaro jockeyed for position. Just behind them, Carl Cox, Spencer Tramm and Nic and Dan Williams were all right in the running too, as were Ahmed Jamshaid’s Honda Civic and the menacing looking purple Viper of Chris Orthodoxou.

Above: Nic Williams is the reigning Comp Eliminator champion, but he’s going to do well to retain the crown this year after stacking it almost head-ﬁrst into the wall when a wheelie got out of control. Crumple zones weren’t a thing when the ’69 Camaro was built – but it absorbed a lot of energy on impact, saving its driver from injury in the process

Come eliminations, Jamshaid got it on a plate when Orthodoxou failed to show, Tramm and Dawson did likewise when their opponents lit cherries and both Williams brothers made it through E1 safely – Nic despite being up against Matt Davison’s fastest pass of the event. The second round of eliminations was to be the same shuddering halt as it was for the rest of the event. However there

was an all too literal shuddering halt for Nic Williams, who was taken along for the ride in the aftermath of a wheelie that had a mind of its own and ended up crashing pretty much head-on into the side wall. Writing on social media the following day, Nic confirmed that he was sore but unharmed and that while his ’69 Camaro has defintiely taken one for the team, the damage does all appear to be repairable.

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Nitro Funny Car

Kevin Kent was due to meet Steve Ashdown in a final that never happened, after the two triumphed over Jason Phelps and Patrik Pers respectively. Pers had earlier posted a new PB of 4.4032 / 284.63 in qualifying – though that was overshadowed in the same session when Kent ran 4.2450 / 296.80 to post a new European speed record. In the absence of a ﬁnal, Nitro Funny Car was all about Kevin Kent – whose 4.2450 / 296.80 run gave him a new European speed record

Nostalgia Funny Car

Another final that never happened, as Tim Garlick posted an unnoposed ET PB and Tony Betts beat Wendy Baker to set up a showdown between Apache and Venom. The latter was freshly repaired after

Lucas Oil Junior Dragster

Here’s a class that actually produced a winner. It also produced a Perfect Light Award, when Dan Weir leaped to the top of the ladder with a 0.0006 RT in Q3. Weir qualified ahead of Grace Smith, who red lit against Ada Cassisi in the first

ploughing the field following its record pass at the Festival of Power, but this time it was Apache’s turn, Garlick firing it to a 5.9309 / 236.21 pass even though Andy Raw had failed to show for their semi.

The stage was set for a Venom-Apache showdown, but then the rain came back to spoil the fun. Their route to the ﬁnal saw Tim Garlick score an unopposed run in the semi when Andy Raw’s Nitro Bug failed to show – but he didn’t take it easy, posting a new best ET of 5.9309 / 236.21

round of eliminations. Weir jumped the gun too here but got away with it as he was running a bye. Meanwile reigning champion Liam McDonald was losing out to Harry Peters – who himself was beaten by Luke Mugridge in E2.

This was where Weir’s race ended, too, when he lost out to Eva Davies. She went on to beat Mugridge in the semi, before a 7.9015 / 79.51 run on a 7.90 index was enough to see off Jacqueline Bartlett in the 1/8-mile final.

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All for nothing

With the strip effectively halved in length to 1/8-mile for the last day of the meeting, FIA classes were annulled. That meant no results for Top Fuel, Top Methanol, Pro-Mod and Pro-Stock. In Top Methanol, Sandro Bellio was set to meet Tony Bryntesson in the final had weather permitted, the latter put through by a blue line violation after one of Johnny Lagg’s crew touched his

car after its wheels had broken the prestage beam. Pro-Mod saw PBs for Andy Robinson (speed, 249.07) and Jere Rantaniemi (speed and time, 5.9192 / 251.85), but both lost out in E2 to Andreas Sjodin and Stian Rusenes respectively. Andres Arnover was still in the running at this point, too. In Pro-Stock, Jimmy Alund took a bye through E1 after topping the qualifications ladder. Robin Noren, Stefan Ernryd and

Richard Sundblom would have been joining him in the semis. With just three entries in Top Fuel, the final was decided when Susanne Callin suffered engine trouble. That left Jndia Erbacher and Duncan Micallef to make solo passes in what would have been their semi finals – shame they couldn’t have just made a final out of it when they had the chance, even if it would have counted for nothing.

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■ Words: Gary Noskill ■ Pics: Julian Hunt

Doorslammers Held the weekend before The Big Event, Doorslammers traditionally brings in a massive field of modern vehicles attracted by eye-catching sums of prize money. This year, however, it also featured a new 7.60 Heads Up class to help provide an antidote for those who can’t get on with front-wheel drive… Held a week before The Main Event, Doorslammers and VW Breakout is perhaps only partly of interest to Custom Car readers. But among all the modern front-wheel drive and four and six-cylinder stuff, the ProStreet class included some familiar cars (many of which hung around to race again and are mentioned in

our main article). There was also plenty of interest in the Jeff Bull Race Engines 7.60 Heads Up and Williams Bros Big Bracket Classes, which we’ll concentrate on here.

Williams Bros Big Bracket 1

Starting with the latter, this was in effect two separate competitions held on the

Saturday and Sunday, following a series of dial-in sessions on the Friday and Saturday morning. With no need for qualifying, it was then straight in to eliminations – where standout pairings if you like it a bit different included Marc Huxley’s 347ci Toyota Corolla and Chris Skinner’s Chevypowered Fiat 126, and Bob Molden’s Pro ET Peugeot 205 taking on Steve Matthews’

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Chris Skinner’s Chevy-powered Fiat 126 could hardly help but be a crowd favourite. It lost out to another V8-powered car of the people, though, in the shape of Marc Huxley’s ﬁnalbound Corolla

Bailey kept it up in E4, aided by a red light for Aschenbrenner, progressing to the semis along with Huxley on a bye and John Bean, whose 2005 Mustang put away Tim Stanbury’s Camaro. Now it was Bailey’s turn to get the bye, putting him into a final against Huxley following his narrow triumph over Bean; here, a re-run saw Bailey react faster on the line before going on to take the win with an 8.7120 / 153.47 pass on a 8.73 dial.

Williams Bros Big Bracket 2

Black Dog Consul. In each case, it was the former that went through. An uncharacteristic red light saw the sponsors’ Nic Williams out in E1, Jason Darling the beneficiary. This was of course before Nic’s meeting with the wall which you can read about elsewhere in these pages. Nic’s brother Dan kept it together in his Camaro, though, despatching Peter Lane’s Barracuda. Elsewhere, as is the aim of bracket racing there were plenty of close finishes. Dan Williams was out in E2, narrowly beaten by Mark Bailey’s Barracuda, while Stuart Morrice took a solo pass on a bye – and recorded a perfect ET of 0.0003 in

the process. Huxley defeated Simon Innes’ by the lesser of two breakouts, while another of the Williams Bros team, Spencer Tramm, went through when Jordan Payne’s eye-catching Corvette caught the eye of the timing beam and put a cherry on the tree. Huxley’s run continued in E3 thanks to problems for Tramm, who left the track on the blunt end of a recovery truck. Franz Aschenbrenner’s 598ci Mustang saw off Gary Carr’s Nova, aided by a handy 0.0062 RT, while a perfect ET (9.7060 on 9.70) for Dave Cherrett in the Dark Revenger Model A wasn’t enough against Mark Bailey’s quicker RT.

Bailey was only entered on the Saturday, meaning the Sunday sessions would crown a different winner. Huxley was still around, though, and he started well by sending home Peter Lane’s Camaro. Both Williams brothers made it through E1 this time, with Nic defeating Gary Carr and Dan profiting from Darren Huxley’s red light, while Colin Morrice in the Camaro RS beat Brett Featherstone’s Nova on a double breakout. Jordan Payne progressed at the expense of Paul Marston in E2, thus getting further than he did the previous day, but Nic Williams fell to Chris Newsam’s MG ZS and Dan to Thomas Bublitz’s Nova. Interestingly, Nic and Chris put up two of the best four RTs of the round in their pairing – and John Bean and Kirstie Tramm put up the others in theirs, Bean being the one to progress. At the top end, Tom Atkinson’s victory over Steve Matthews showed how close bracket

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After some initial confusion, a re-run ﬁnal saw Mark Bailey’s Barracuda defeat Marc Huxley’s Toyota Corolla to win Saturday’s Big Bracket

Franz Aschenbrenner was on a roll throughout Sunday, and his luck held in the ﬁnal – by the time this start-line photo was taken, Simon Innes had already sealed his own fate by putting a red light on the tree

Rob Smallworth had a little luck on the way to the ﬁnal, beating Colin Millar thanks to a marginal breakout and Mark Turner on a red light. But you don’t get there without being worth it, and it proved a tight affair as he pushed Belinda Bull all the way. It was the latter’s 12.5-litre C10 that took home the trophy, however – a win for the sponsor’s team in this inaugural running of the new 7.60 Heads Up class

racing can be, the Cortina Estate pipping Matthews’ Honky Tonkin’ ’57 Chevy to the line by seven thousandths of a second. There wasn’t even that much between Franz Aschenbrenner and a red light in E3, but he kept on the right side of legal to see off Payne – and keep alive the prospect of an all-German final, thanks to a big win for Bublitz over Newsam. Ronnie Mercer’s Pop and Simon Innes’ Barracuda also joined them at the sharp end of the competition, following red lights for Pete Cresswell and Bean, while Jon Turner cruised through on a bye and Atkinson beat Morrice on a double breakout.

It wasn’t to be Turner’s day, though, a red light in E4 sending him packing. Bublitz’s event hit the buffers in similar style at this point, Aschenbrenner and Innes the respective beneficiaries, while the only green light race of the round saw Mercer put Atkinson on the road home. Into the semis, Aschenbrenner lit a cherry but no harm done as he had the bye. Waiting for him in the final was Innes, handed it on a plate when Mercer broke out; this time Aschenbrenner kept it green, putting 8.0958/169.12 (8.10) on the board to take a win that was already his when the dreaded red light appeared in Innes’ lane.

Jeff Bull Race Engines 7.60 Heads Up

A new addition to this year’s Doorslammers, this event saw a dozen very varied vehicles fighting it out for the honours – including a number of very well known Pod regulars. A series of qualifying sessions on the

Saturday whittled it down to eight to head into the eliminations, with Kevin Jenkins’ Escort and Mateusz Bankowiak’s Pro-Stock Jag XKR among those falling by the wayside. They were joined at the start of E1 by Mariusz Lejman’s Corvette C6, the Polish driver failing to show as Mark Turner took the walkover in his 496ci Supra. Rob Smallworth progressed in Dirty Dawg when Colin Millar broke out by the narrowest of margins, while Belinda Bull piloting the sponsors’ mammoth 760ci Chevy S10 lifted to avoid the same fate against Kevin Perkins in the Cutlass. Billy Gane saw off Steve Pateman to complete the line-up or the semi final aboard his Vauxhall Victor. In the semis, it was Turner’s turn to give away a walkover as he red lit to give Smallworth a place in the final. Bull was lying in wait, having won through after a fierce battle with Gane – and she did it again after another hard-fought race, a 7.6460 / 165.49 pass being enough to keep Smallworth at bay on the line.

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Body beautiful

n every neighbourhood, there’s a house whose garden is forever full of old cars. The people who live nearby are divided into the ones who mutter about what it’s doing to the value of their properties, and those who take their dogs out for a walk five times a day just so they can stop and chat motors with the bloke who lives there. When Roger Blount was growing up, his dad was the bloke who lived there. Herbert Blount used to buy cars if they were running or not, and he had so many of them that they surrounded the family home. He used to strip them for parts and then scrap the remainder. Growing up in that environment, it was inevitable that Roger and his brothers would have an interest in spinning the spanners, seeing if they could get engines running and, of course, trying to drive the

Words and Pics: Steve Edwards

cars around the garden. It was all a very valuable education and a career in the motor trade beckoned, but it was as a panel beater that Roger got his first job – ironic, as he’d been around so many vehicles at the end of their lives, that he’d spent his time bringing them back instead. Herbert got his son an interview at the local Alfa Romeo dealer and left Roger to get the job on his own – which he did, and enjoyed working there for quite some time. His first car was a Mini, which he full restored and painted in a shade of maroon… except for the roof, which was covered in Harvest Gold. It really stood out, as you can imagine, and sold very easily. His next Mini received more of a custom treatment as he deseamed it, painted it with metalflake and finished it with a lace effect. It had a sunset mural on the boot lid and was

called Mini-mum. This car introduced him to a club called the Nottingham Crusaders – sadly no longer in existence these days, but back then it was a great group of guys who would always help each other out.

Getting known Various cars came and went, among them Violator – a Granada Scorpio which Roger turned from a four-door into a Pro Street two-door powered by a supercharged Rover V8. It got his name into the magazines, not least one of Ford’s own in-house publications. Next up was a Saab he built with a Rover V8, hydraulic suspension and a smooth body with a cool two-tone paint job. Roger modified the suspension so that the rams would push out in addition to pulling in, allowing it to raise the car as

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well as lowering it, and he used to show this attribute off by driving it on three wheels. Further builds have included a couple of Saab projects and an ultra-clean ’57 Chevy pick-up. Which brings us to this 1962 Consul Classic, which Roger has treated to a very mild and sympathetic custom restoration. The car had been languishing outside a house in Sheffield, where it was sitting under a sheet. The local kids had been using it as a handy bench, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that repairs were required on every panel. The front wings were too far gone and had to be replaced with ‘glass items, but every other part has been lovingly restored. Roger loved the original colour of Ford Caribbean Turquoise, and so once the body had been massaged and put in primer he laid down some fresh coats. The roof, he painted with an Ermine White, also from the Ford palette, to provide a little contrast. A friend sent Roger a photo of the car with a previous owner, who had fitted it with a

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Below: The heater box was no longer in place when Roger bought the car, so he wanted to reinstall it. As you can see here, it’s a little bit of a tight ﬁt behind the Pinto engine – however with a lot of modiﬁcation work, he managed to pull it off

Above: The original 1340 lump was replaced by a 2.0-litre Pinto at some point. This is mated to a 5-speed Capri gearbox and cooled by a custom ali rad which Roger ﬁtted while restoring the car. There’s a good bit of extra performance in there, so a strut brace helps keep it taut and true

set of slot mag wheels, and he liked the look sufficiently to go searching for a set of Cobras – which finally turned up for sale on eBay. They had been bolted to an Escort but the owner was changing the look to that of a rally car, so the wheels were surplus to his requirements and of course that was Roger’s gain. He shod the wheels in different series tyres, although from the same manufacturer to keep the tread pattern the same, as he liked the retro style rake it gave the vehicle.

Doing it right The interior had been retrimmed by a previous owner but, as he’d done the job himself and it looked like it too, the standard seats were dispensed with and replaced with a pair from a late model Capri – another eBay find. These were dispatched, along with the back seat and the door cards, to local trimmer MCJ Upholstery, who re-foamed and then covered them with some cool white and turquoise vinyl.

A previous owner had run the Consul on slot mags and Roger liked the idea of taking it back there. He eventually found a set of Cobras on eBay that someone was removing from an Escort, wrapping them in 185/55x13s and 185/65x14s front and rear for a subtle wheel rake that helps with the retro look

Having beaten the dings out of all the panels and got them smooth in primer, Roger loaded up with a supply of Ford Caribbean Turquoise and laid down the glory coat. He used Ermine White, another Ford colour, to put a nice contrast on the roof

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Under the bonnet lives a 2.0-litre Pinto motor, topped by a twin-choke Weber carb. Also an addition by a previous owner, it replaced the usual 1340 lump that would have been connected to a four-speed box that didn’t feature synchromesh on first. The uprated engine is now linked to a far more modern Capri five-speed gearbox which lets it propel this stunning car to motorway speeds with ease. The Capri that donated its five-speed box also gave up a set of vented discs, meaning the Consul stops as well as it goes. Roger also added a custom aluminium radiator to aid with under-hood cooling.

“The interior had been retrimmed by a previous owner, but he’d done the job himself and it looked like it too” While he was under there, Roger wanted to reinstall the heater box. Apparently that’s not possible with this engine in place, however as can be seen from the photos it now resides in its intended spot – albeit highly modified. Roger is always up for a challenge… He’s always up for a cruise, too, and the car gets taken out and about on a regular

basis – not least because his wife Karen will generally attend shows with him if he takes it. Reason enough to have taken on a classic bit of British tin which at last found the right owner to give it the love it so badly needed.

Roger might have painted it himself, but then he’s a body man. A previous owner had trimmed it himself, and he definitely wasn’t an interiors man. So out came the rear bench and door cards, to be dispatched together with a pair of late Capri front seats to MJC Uphostery in Nottingham. Cue a cabin fit for a custom

Original front and rear bench seats were retrimmed in two-tone grey leather by Chris at Custom Coach Trimming, who also did a carpet worthy of the name

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Out & About

The Fast Show

Bradley Hill was still varnishing the wood on his home-built Ford pick up on the Saturday. He was awarded Best Bagged. All the work was done on his drive

Kevin King owns the ex Keith Atkinson Tivoli Kitchens Fordson van, now sporting fresh paint and wheels. He was awarded Best in Show for his efforts

Words & Pics: James Webber Event: BHP Performance Show Date: 5 May Venue: Kent Event Centre, Maidstone After a successful move last year, the BHP Performance Show was back on at the Kent Event Centre in Maidstone on the first weekend of May. The date was brought forward from the bank holiday Monday to Sunday to try and eliminate any traffic issues – and along with a new entry and exiting system, this all proved a worthwhile investment. Saturday was set-up day, with cars entered into one of the three main halls allowed entry to set up and get the vehicles cleaned and positioned ready for the public. The media team were also allowed entry to get shots of the vehicles and have a decent chat with the owners before the public descended into the arena.

Come Sunday, the sun shone and the public entered through the gates to marvel at the limited 1600 cars around the site, with multiple car clubs taking up residence outside. A vast range of traders this year included Bristol Detailing Supplies, Kids Car Mods, Deadly Brand, Prestige Graphics and

Harley Darby races this ’58 Chevy in Pro ET at all of 16 years old. Along with his dad, he took home the Best Exterior award

Mini Rovers, to name but a few. To keep the public entertained there was BMX, FMX and Trials bike demonstrations, as well as motorcycle stunt riders. Drift Outlaws ran a couple of sessions throughout the day and Titan the robot was often seen wandering around the site.

You don’t see many Fad Ts any more

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A BMW 3 Series isn’t your usual CC material. But a tubbed, fully caged ’83 model running a 351 V8 is not your average 3 Series

Ford pick-up had lots of neat custom touches

For families, there was a selection of inflatables for the little ones – and for the daring ones, axe throwing sessions. A big selection of caterers were positioned around the arena, too, and thankfully you didn’t have to be daring for that. Come around 3.30pm, it was time for the awards to be handed out. This year they were sponsored by Auto Perfection – some of those that went to our kind of

On the cover of December 2001’s CC was Sweet and Sour, the UK’s first lowrider. Barry Watson is now the custodian and is looking to restore her

vehicles are mentioned in the captions on these pages. A word from Jay, the show organiser, on this year’s event: ‘It was another great show and we are really pleased with the venue. For us as a team, this year it was all about getting the show and traffic situation right. From the feedback we’ve had so far there was no queuing to get in and no issues leaving, which was money

well spent. Everyone we’ve spoken to and the posts on social media are all positive, which is great, and now we can push forward.’ The show is now established at the Kent Event Centre and is drawing a diverse range of cars, both modified and classics along with the unusual and creative. Get yourselves there next year – it is now something not to be missed.

Sunbeam Alpines didn’t come with Ford Racing V8’s. Here’s one whose owner decided to rectify this

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Out & About

Luke Greenaway had his Rover V8 powered Ford 100e on display in the outside paddock

Alistair Maclean brought his ’72 Dodge Dart with a 318 V8 motor

Words & Pics: James Webber Event: Offset Show Date: 29 April Venue: Royal Cornwall Showground Sunday 29 April saw the Royal Cornwall Showground host the annual Offset Show from the team at Wagon UK. Now in its fourth year, after organiser Brad made the bold move to go from hosting car park meets to Cornwall’s biggest modified show, the event has grown year upon year. This year, Sonax Detailing sponsored the show and had a selection of cars, including Axel Hildebrand’s rotary-powered C6 Corvette. Saturday was set-up day and vehicles entered inside and in the VIP paddock area were invited to come in and get set up and detailed ready for the public on Sunday. For people camping on Saturday night, a couple of food vendors opened and a licensed bar was on offer, along with a couple of

John Lobb and his Rover powered 105e Anglia Estate won the Best Car on a Club Stand award

fairground rides and an open-air cinema showing a couple of films for everyone to enjoy. Sunday was show day and the sun shone throughout. There were over 1100 cars on display, with various car clubs pitched around the arena. To keep everyone entertained, there were displays from FMX, BMX and Trials bike riders. There was also a special section dedicated to a range of emergency services providers, with members of each on hand to explain to the public about their roles. Traders for this year included Euro Stance magazine, BHP Events, Deadly Brand Clothing, Secure Plates, Kaos Detailing and Celtic Tuning, to name but a few. New for 2024 was a special guest, British Drifting Champion Baggsy, who did meet and greets with the public and a Q&A session. A catch up with Brad a few days after the dust had settled: “This was our best yet and our busiest, with around 1100 cars and 4000 people through the gates. I couldn’t do it without the help of my team who I can’t thank enough for all their effort. And a special thanks to the guys at Sonax

Detailing for sponsoring me year after year.” Sounds very much like Offset be back in 2025. Keep an eye out on the social media channels for updates and details.

It wouldn’t be a show without Wayne Wills and his MK3 Zephyr

Run To The Sun boss Andreas Christopheros had his VW Trekker promoting this year’s show on display inside

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Driven by Gerry Andrews, the original Hemi Hunter, in supercharged form, was very successful in Pro Comp eliminato r

Hemi Hunter: Well Worth the Wait

■ Words and Pics: Keith Lee

n a recent Auto Focus feature, I took look at race car names. One of those mentioned was Hemi Hunter, which was famously raced by the Stones team - in both front and rear engine forms. Both versions proved to be very successful, but it is the original slingshot version that I want to explore further. The Stones were known for always using Chevy power in their various team cars, and the name Hemi Hunter summed up their intentions nicely. This dragster was originally constructed by Allan Herridge as a blown Chevy powered fuel dragster for Peter Bennett – but it never actually did see action. Instead, a deal was done to sell it

on to the Stones team, and the motor was changed for the injected lump powering the team’s Tee Rat altered. Hemi Hunter was named by Peter Bennett. It was first shaken down by Dave Stone at the beginning of 1974 – resulting in a big wheelie as he launched the now injected 427 Chevy dragster! Work was quickly carried out to balance weight transfer… Driving chores were then put in the capable hands of Gerry Andrews, who campaigned this team entry to great effect. It would soon be seen sporting a blower and two-speed, to join the new Pro Comp class in 1975. Although it would primarily be an alky car, a drop of nitro was sometimes

Hemi Hunter with some of the crew in the ﬁreup road in 2021. Steve Ellis is behind driver Jim Usher. Matt Ellis is at left of Steve

Mid 70s’ picture of the dragster, which shows the difference in wheelie bars over the years!

Jim Usher (left) is team manager and looks after the car transporter. He’s pictured at Santa Pod with Roy Wilding, who likes to keep an eye on his old car

added as car and driver stepped up to run in the Top Fuel ranks when needed – but it always ran best on methanol. Eventually, the dragster would be superseded by a rear motor car and left to one side. Hemi Hunter would not end up on the scrap heap, though, as in 1978 the rolling chassis was bought by Doug Bond – who was looking for his own drive after crewing for a few years. Powering the car would be a blown 392 hemi, bought from Tony Froome – at which point you could say that the name was no longer really appropriate. Doug only kept the car for a very short time before he and his team built a rearengined car. Mark Purslow later raced the

The modern version of Hemi Hunter has a more elevated driver position in the cockpit

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The front end suffered when the dragster pulled this unexpected wheelie, breaking the wheelie bars!

car, using an injected 392 Hemi, before it was bought by Mike Kason. This resulted in the chassis being back-halved by Andy Robinson, to make it wider in the driver compartment. Still the dragster was hemipowered, but it was now blown again. Roy Wilding’s name often crops up in nostalgia racing stories, which is not surprising given his connections – and he would become the next owner of this car, which he ran for some years. Steve Ellis is the current custodian, having taking over the dragster from Roy. It took a few years for the car to make it back on track. Legendary tuner Phil Cornish agreed to make the changes needed by Steve, whose son Matt had worked on the Mob fuel altered team with Phil, who sadly passed in 2017. “Phil would have liked us to run nitro, as that was his forte, but that is a step too far for us,” commented Steve. Another connection to the Mob car came when former driver Jim Usher was offered the drive – which he jumped at. In 2016, the car came back to the track – with the Hemi Hunter name proudly displayed on a dark green and gold painted body, in place of Roy’s trademark bright green. And yes, it was still hemi powered!

Jim launching the car at Santa Pod. He has now run the quickest times for the car in its history – but Gerry Andrews recorded higher terminal speeds. Ultimately though, ET performance wins races!

Talking recently with Steve, he did say that he always planned to get a Chevy, and this came about due to an unfortunate case of engine damage which led to a fortuitous change. They were based at Steve Wright’s workshop at the time in 2017, and he suggested Kenny Gomez might be able to help. Kenny took all of the 392 motor parts that Steve had, and in exchange he built a Chevy motor for him. At last Hemi Hunter could once again race with an engine worthy of its name! Geof Hauser is another familiar name who has helped the team out along the way. He did comment to Steve one day: “So when are you going to run a six with this six second motor? You know it has got 426 Chrysler hemi rods in it!” The team are proud of the history of the machine they race, even though a great deal about it has naturally changed over the years. In fact, the front half of the chassis had been original – until Jim experienced a big wheelstand in 2019 when the wheelie bar failed! The resultant hard landing not surprisingly damaged the front end. Following that wheelie, a trip to see Roy Wilding would result in the chassis being

Burning out prior to another run with the Supercharged Outlaws

returned to pristine condition, with just part of the tubing being replaced. Most notably, at the front of the body is the distinctive shark fin detail, which has lasted since the car was first constructed – well over 50 years ago. Worth the Wait Racing is the team name, which is apt as they tend only to run at the three major nostalgia events in the season. This year, they missed the Nostalgia Nationals due to Steve needing a knee replacement op – however they’ll be there at Dragstalgia, where despite normally racing with the Supercharged Outlaws they have this time decided to take part in the Cannonball event. A milestone for the team was beating the times put down by Gerry Andrews in Pro Comp racing, where he notched up a best of 7.29s. Jim Usher shoed the current car to a new PB of 7.276 / 185 at last year’s Hot Rod Drags. Gerry has had the chance to sit in the dragster as it now is and is very impressed: “It is a lot safer than when we were racing it. The cockpit is definitely more comfortable.” It just shows that if you wait long enough, things can indeed go full circle. The Hemi Hunter name lives on – and now it’s Chevy powered all over again.

Owner and crew chief Steve Ellis watches on at left, as Hemi Hunter picks up the front and gets maximum traction

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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 alan.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk

JULY 2024 5-7 Dragstalgia Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 6 Drag & Drift Dakota Raceway, Honiton, Devon. www.straightliners. events 11-14 European Street Rod Nationals Ellivouri Sastamala Finland. www.fsra.fi 11-14 Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com 13-14 NSRA Fun on the Beach Great Yarmouth. www.nsra.org.uk 13-14 Run What Ya Brung Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 13-14 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events 14 Debdale Custom Car Show Gorton, Manchester. Facebook: Rainy City Cruisers 14 Tucker’s Americana Meldreth, Royston, Herts. Facebook: Tucker’s Americana

15 Grand Motorbilia Day Nr Boston, Lincs. www.mablethorpedmc.co.uk 15 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events 16 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 19-21 Hot Rod Rumble The Camp, Ramsey, Huntingdon. www.hotrodrumble.co.uk 19-21 Rock’n’Ribs Festival Wincanton Racecourse, Somerset. www.rocknribsfestival.co.uk 21 American Car, Bike and Hot Rod Show Stonham Barns, Suffolk. www.carrottowngarage.co.uk 21 Deuce Day British Motor Museum, Warwickshire. www.deucesofbritain.co.uk 21 Ford Show Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 26-28 Bug Jam Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 26-28 Kings Lynn Kruisers Extravaganza. Walpole St Andrews, Cambs. www.kingslynnkruisers.co.uk

26-28 Weekend of Wheels Moorgreen, Nottingham. www.coffeencarsuk.club 27 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 28 Rally of the Giants. Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire www.allamericanautoclub.com 28 Sunny Sunday Revival American and Custom Car Show. Steyne Gardens, Worthing sunnysundayrevival@outlook.com

AUGUST 2024 1-4 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals Old Warden, Cambridgeshire. www. nsra.org.uk 2-4 Hot Rod Hayride Bisley Shooting Centre, Brookwood, Surrey. hotrodhayride.co.uk 2-4 Ultimate Street Car Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 3-4 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events 5 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events

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29-4 Sep Race of the Last Rebels Dunavarsány, Hungary. www.lastrebels.hu

6 Hayling Hot Rods at the Beach. Hayling Island Seafront, Hampshire. Facebook: Hayling Hotrods at the Beach

16-18 Hot Rods in the Borders Liliardsedge Holiday Park, Jedburgh. 01835 830271

7 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

16-18 NSVA Truck-In Drum and Monkey, Upton-on-Severn. nsva.uk

9-11 Mopar Euro Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

16-18 STP Greenlight Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

9-11 Retrofestival Newbury Showground. www.retrofestival.co.uk 10 Drag & Drift Dakota Raceway, JULY Honiton, Devon. www.straightliners. events 11 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

18 Classic Car Show. Stonham Barns, Suffolk. www.stonhambarns.co.uk 20 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 23-26 Hot Rod Hop Thurleigh, Beds. Facebook: Cannibals Car Club – UK

11 Ford Fair Silverstone Circuit www.fordfair.co.uk

24-25 Eastbourne Feastival Hampden Park, Eastbourne. www.visiteastbourne.com

15-19 Hillbilly Hoedown Crystal Lakes Leisure, Huntingdon. Facebook: Hillbilly Hoedown Weekend

25 Knuckle Busters at the Barns. Stonham Barns, Suffolk. www. stonhambarns.co.uk 25 Throttle Auto Races Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire. www.vhra.co.uk 26 Bacon Bash. Maldon, Essex Facebook: Banded Custom Wheels 26 Drive and Jive Auto Show. Whitstable Bends, Whitstable, Kent www.driveandjive.uk 26 V8 Hot Rods at the Keys. Redgrave, Diss. Facebook: V8 Hot Rods

30-1 Sep Blue Ridge Runners Motor Show / South West Van Nationals West Huntspill, Somerset. www.blueridgerunners.co.uk 30-1 Sep VW Action Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 31 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 31-1 Sep Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

SEPTEMBER 2024 3 Hayling Hot Rods at the Beach. Hayling Island Seafront, Hampshire. Facebook: Hayling Hotrods at the Beach 4 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 4-8 FIA Euro Finals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 6-8 Trip Out Euston Gardens, Thetford. www.thetripout.co.uk 6-8 Goodwood Revival Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com 6-8 Kustom Kulture Blast Off Slates Farm, Lincolnshire. fienta.com/kustom-kulture-blastoff 7-8 Run What Ya Brung Machrihanish Airport, Campbeltown, Argyll. www.straightliners.events 8 A602’s Autorama Stevenage, Herts. www.autoramashow.com

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7 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events 12 Run What Ya Brung Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 13 Straightliners Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 15 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 20 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 25-27 California Hot Rod Reunion Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA www.famosodragstrip.com 8 Flames’n’Dice Car Show Wearmouth Colliery. donna.wilkinson14@virginmedia.com 13-15 Hot Rod Drags Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 15 American Car Show. Stonham Barns, Suffolk. www.stonhambarns. co.uk 15 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

28 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

26 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

28 Drag & Drift Dakota Raceway, Honiton, Devon. www.straightliners. events

NOVEMBER 2024

28 Kustom Kulture Hillsborough Arena, Sheffield. Trade space, text Chris on 07908 809001 28 Run What Ya Brung Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 29 VHRA Swap Meet Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. www.vhra.co.uk

17 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

OCTOBER 2024

19-22 Isle of Man Festival of Motoring www.iomfm.com

1 Hayling Hot Rods at the Beach. Hayling Island Seafront, Hampshire. Facebook: Hayling Hotrods at the Beach

20-21 Flat Caps and Ferrets Elland Cricket Club, Halifax, West Yorkshire Facebook: Huddersfield Hot Rod & Custom Car Show 20-22 STP National Finals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 21-22 Full Throttle Weekend Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events 21-22 Pistons and Props Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire www.sywellclassic.co.uk 22 Ford Fest. Mallory Park, Leics. www.fordfestshow.co.uk 27-30 Fort Paull American, Rod & Custom Show End of Season Bash. Hull. yancs1@yahoo.co.uk

2 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

6 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 19 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 24 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 30 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

DECEMBER 2024 4 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 8 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

3-7 Rhythm Riot Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth www.rhythmriot.com

17 VW Air-Cooled Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

5 Run What Ya Brung Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

28 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

5-6 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

JUNE 2025

6 Victory Wheelers Hayling Sunset Funlands Amusement Park, Hayling Island. Facebook: Victory Wheelers

5-8 Hot Rods and Hills. Park Foot, Pooley Bridge, Penrith. Facebook: Hot Rods and Hills 14-15 Race the Waves. Bridlington, East Yorks. backfireinfo.weebly.com

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