Custom Car February 2025 by Assignment Media Ltd

Dave Rothwell’s Maserati-engined Lil’ Monster; revived by Chris Hay and on the street at last

PLUS The latest masterpiece from the Colin Parkinson school of hot rods is a conceptual roadster brought from the US and rebuilt to a true show-car level

News & reviews

NSRANews

The NSRA AGM, held towards the end of November, saw no changes to the management team for the coming year, with all existing 11 committee members standing for a further term.

The event dates for what promises to be an exciting 2025 for the NSRA were confirmed to those in attendance. The Southern Swap Meet takes place at North Weald on Sunday 2 March, a must-do day out even if it’s only to catch up with friends you haven’t seen over the winter months. Santa Pod is the venue for the Nostalgia Nationals on 2-4 May, the first of the club’s period drag racing meets. Then, 26 May through to 1 June sees the inaugural week-long Fun Run, this year based at St Ives Bay, Cornwall.

It’s back to the Pod on 27-29 June for the NSRA supported Dragstalgia, a true

step back in time. The big one, the Hot Rod Supernationals, rolls into Old Warden in Bedfordshire on 7-10 August, for the premiere hot rodding experience in Europe. September is back on track on the weekend of 12-14 for The Original Hot Rod Drags at Santa Pod, the ideal opportunity to give your car a last thrash before the winter lay-up. The NSRA season ends with the Northern Swap Meet, which once again returns to the excellent Magna Science Centre in Rotherham on Sunday 26 October.

Also announced during the meeting were the names of the latest NSRA Hall of Fame inductees: Organisation / Supplier – Dave Haskell; Individual – Derek Chapman; Street Rod – Jeff Cousins’ ’34 coupe; NSRA Member – Rob Whitwell. Congratulations to each of them. www.nsra.org.uk

www.customcarmag.co.uk

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EDITORIAL

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CAR

Contributors

Dave Biggadyke, Mike Pye, Olly Sack, Dan Fenn, Tony Thacker, James Webber, Stephan Szantai

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Matt Woods, Matt Richardson, Julian Hunt, Vic Peel, Harry Hamm, Richard Hair

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Keeping fluid

Burton Power now stocks Motul lubricants and fluids, including competition and road use engine oils, coolant / antifreeze, gear oil, brake fluid, LSD oil, radiator leak sealant, oil leak sealant and octane booster. Of particular interest to classic car owners planning to lay up their vehicle over winter is a fuel stabiliser. Visit the company’s website to find out more. www.burtonpower.com

Rumble on

Tickets are now available online for the Hot Rod Rumble, with special deals available for a limited time only. The dates are 18-20 July and the venue is the period setting of The Camp, near Huntingdon, Cambs. A handful of rockin’ DJS will be spinning the sounds in-between live music from the likes of Lady Luck Lexy & The Riverside Boys, and Invictors 59. www.hotrodrumble.co.uk

Stocks and shares

In a similar vein, Melbourne Raceway will host the American Super Stock Revival in 2025, with the race meet dates carefully selected not to clash with NS meets at the Pod. The Revival will be run over 6 rounds, the dates being 12-13 April, 10-11 May, 14-15 June (Street Weekend on Saturday), 12-13 July, 2-3 August, and 30-31 August. American Super Stock is a dial-your-own bracket championship and each round will have qualifying on Saturday and one-shot or emergency qualifying early Sunday, followed by eliminations. Melbourne Raceway will have a brand-new stateof-the-art timing system from the first meeting but should there be any unsolvable teething problems at the event it will be run as a wildcard heads-up round.

Facebook: American Super Stock

News & reviews Something for the weekend?

On parade

The ICENI C.A.R. Club Easter Bonnet Parade takes place on Monday 21 April from 11am onwards. It all happens at the Banham Barrel in Banham, Norwich NR16 2HE, an independent music venue in the heart of Norfolk. Plenty of parking is available, live music will be provided courtesy of J.S. & The Lockerbillies and hot and cold food is available from the Barrel, the fish and chip shop and the local butchers.

Facebook: ICENI C.A.R. Club

Rutland classics

Rutland Showground will host its fourth Classic Wheels event on Sunday 18 May. The day is open to all classics, motorbikes, hot rods and sports cars, and last year more than 1000 vehicles attended. Supporting the exhibits will be autojumble stands, food and craft stalls, children’s entertainment and live music. The show runs from 10am to 4pm and tickets are priced at £10, with under-12s being admitted free. www.classicwheelsrutland.co.uk

A grand affair

The Surrey Street Rodders 2024 Grand Quiz proved to be a good laugh with lots of banter, humour and diabolical / cunning questions. John Price claims to have taken control of the evening with his superb mimicking and cockney pronunciation, but he was given the benefit of doubt on more than one occasion.

The evening saw the ACME Rodders reclaim their crown

and a £1000 cheque for the Leatherhead Wildlife Trust. SSR also gave £100 cheques to the runners up team charities; Frimley House Children’s Ward, Thames Hospice, Fairwood Helpers and Royal Surrey County Hospital being among those that benefitted from the quiz.

Some £2500 worth of pantomime tickets were bought and some of the theatre

Brighton rocks

Sunday 22 June is the date of this year’s Summer Brighton Run. The run starts out from Starbucks in Redhill, Surrey (RH1 3AL) around 11.30am and will stop off at Pease Pottage Services half an hour later to meet up with others. The run will hit the road again at 12.30pm, heading for Madeira Drive in Brighton and coming to a halt at the Roedean Café just along the coast road. The organisers stress this is a cruise not a race, and ask that vehicles do not drive across or park on the putting green at the destination.

Facebook: The Brighton Run

Classical manoeuvres

Sywell Classic: Pistons & Props once again comes flying into Sywell Aerodrome on 20-21 September. The event promises to offer the very best of classic motoring both on the ground and in the air, intertwined with a background of live music, vintage stalls and tasty food and drink. Advance day tickets are priced at £18 (£25 on the gate), with advance weekend camping tickets costing from £75 for single occupancy up to £150 for a family ticket covering up to 3 adults. Under 15s are admitted free.

www.sywellclassic.co.uk

companies donated additional tickets, enabling the club to distribute them all to Food Banks in Surrey and Hampshire for families unlikely to be able afford to go and see the magic of panto.

The season of goodwill will be long gone when you read this but the lead time to the 50th Wheels Day 2025 will be getting much shorter! (Oh yes it will!) Get

along to Newbury Show Ground, Berkshire on Good Friday, 18 April, to have a good time and help raise some more money for the SSR to donate to worthwhile causes, as that’s what makes all the effort worthwhile.

Stock dates

The 2025 UK Nostalgia Superstock race dates at Santa Pod have been confirmed as: 29-30 March – Springspeed Nationals; 2-4 May – Nostalgia Nationals; 7-9 June – Sportsman Nationals; 27-29 June – Dragstalgia; 18-20 July – Mopar Euro Nats; 19-21 September – National Finals. Race numbers are capped for the everpopular Dragstalgia, and the class ET cut-off has been lowered to 14.50 seconds for the coming season.

Facebook: UK Nostalgia Superstock

Buy now, pay later

If you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to head over to the Santa Pod website and book your tickets for next year’s events. There are some great deals to be had, including the Pod’s new ticket instalment plans, whereby you can book now and pay later. What are you waiting for?

www.santapodtickets.com

Dates with Outlaws]

The 2025 Outlaw Street race dates at Santa Pod have been confirmed as: 5-6 April – RWYB / Fast Show; 2-4 May – NSRA Nostalgia Nationals (pre-’73 only); 18-20 July – Mopar Euro Nats; 9-10 August – Saturday Night Special / RWYB; 29-31 August – VW Action; 12-14 September – NSRA Hot Rod Drags (pre-’73 only); 18 October – RWYB. The dates for round 3 have yet to be confirmed.

News & reviews

Hal-Far and away

The previously mentioned proposed development of Hal-Far Raceway in Malta is now underway. The government-backed initiative, in collaboration with Trakbak Racing, Malta-based partners and UK-based track design specialists Driven International, will bring signifi cant upgrades to the drag strip. A new concrete track will see the start line moved back 60 metres to facilitate an extended shutdown area in line with FIA specifi cations, and new concrete retaining walls will also be FIA compliant. A modern race control tower and hospitality facilities will provide vastly improved amenities for racers and spectators alike, and increased pit space will accommodate a larger fi eld of race teams including Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Mod and Pro Stock.

The ultimate goal is for the track to host FIA and FIM European Drag Racing Championship rounds in the near future. With Malta’s low altitude and ideal climate early in the European drag racing season, the upgraded Hal-Far strip is poised to become a recordbreaking venue.

The Seen is set

Drag Seen #5 is a glovebox sized magazine featuring 76 pages of glorious technicolor drag racing photos. The images have been taken through the lenses of photographers

Julian Hunt (Santa Pod), Callum Pudge (Hal-Far Raceway, Clastres Dragway, Rivanazzano Dragway), Kenzie Taylor (Street Weekend 2024) and Paul Martin (MPH Drags 2). Also included is a 60th Anniversary Mooneyes feature by Niamh Smith, plus a chat with the guys behind MPH Drags 2 and Jo Clifford’s diary from Sick Week 2024, where she and Richie Webb battled the odds to come out top in Class K.

Drag Seen #5 has a limited print run and is available through eBay only, with all proﬁ ts from sales being donated to the BRDHoF Benevolent Fund.

eBay UK: Drag Seen

Power torque

Not just ‘Stangs

The organisers behind Mustangs Supercharged to be held at Brooklands Museum on Saturday 26 April are keen to add a bit more to the mix. A handful of American hot rods are to be displayed in a special area so if your ride ﬁ ts the bill and you fancy a slice of the action, get in touch via the web address below. You’ll need to be quick though as spaces are limited. www.surreymustangownersclub.co.uk/supercharged

CC dates

Mellow yellow

One-make car shows are nothing new, but what about a one-colour car show? The Big Yellow Car Show takes place on 5-6 July at Cheshire Showground, Knutsford WA16 0JJ. Access for all yellow painted vehicles is from 3pm on Saturday for those wishing to camp over, with the show being open to the public from 10am through to 4pm on Sunday.

If you’ve still not got a 2025 calendar to hang on your wall, then get your hands on a limited edition Custom Car calendar. Printed in A3 format, with one month to view each depicting a feature car from last year, the pages offer plenty of space to note down those all-important event dates. The calendars are priced at £14.99 each, with subscribers beneﬁ tting from complimentary post and packing. shop.assigmnetmedia.co.uk/product/cccalendar2025

Designed for enhanced control and grip, this 2-piece screwdriver set from Laser Tools combines high-torque, ergonomic palm-grip handles with anti-slip tips, allowing users to apply signifi cantly more force with one hand than traditional screwdrivers. Particularly useful for stubborn fi xings, the anti-slip tip feature minimizes cam-out and prevents screw damage. The two profi les included are a 6mm fl at and a Pozidriv PZ2. www.lasertools.co.uk

The only show vehicle entry criteria is their colour, with all super cars, classics, 4x4s and custom cars being welcome. As long as they’re painted yellow, of course. www.bigyellowcarshow.co.uk

News & reviews

2024 BDRHoF inductee: Ray Baskerville and Peter Miller. Ray and Peter started drag racing homebuilt bikes at Santa Pod in the 1960’s and have ever since made contributions, both singly and jointly, to the evolution of the sport

The evening saw the unveiling of Swamp Rat 21, the latest addition to the Santa Pod Collection, on loan from the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Inc. Thanks to Keith Bartlett, attending the gala were Donna Garlits, her daughter Sarah and Chuck Keppel, General Manager of the Museum

2024 BDRHoF inductee: Straightliners. Under the guidance and driving force of Trevor Duckworth, Straightliners has offered a guiding light for new riders and drivers into the sport of drag racing

Galactious

2024 BDRHoF inductee: The Huxley family. Emphatically qualifying that drag racing is a family sport, dad Brian Huxley has passed his thirst for speed on to his three sons Lee, Darren and Marc, who currently compete across three motorsport disciplines

The British Drag Racing Hall of Fame would like to thank all who supported the grand raffl e at the Gala Dinner in November. Thanks to the generosity of all, a total of £2712 was raised for the BDRHoF Benevolent Fund. The money raised will go to help those involved with drag racing, including racers, marshals and others, where situations have placed them in fi nancial diffi culty. Thanks to those who donated prizes and / or purchased tickets. The main focus of the evening, however, was the induction of the latest members into

2024 BDRHoF inductee: Martin Hill: The name Martin Hill is synonymous with Jet Cars, most notably with the Fireforce brand, ever since the original Fireforce 1 Jet Funny Car debuted in 1989 BDRHoF inductee: Ray Baskerville and Peter Miller. Ray and Peter started drag racing home-built bikes at Santa Pod in the 1960’s and have ever since made contributions, both singly and jointly, to the evolution of the sport

the BDRHoF. Funny Car racer John Spuffard was also due to receive his Bootsie award but following recent medical treatment he asked for the presentation to be postponed until next year. He is, however, formally the 85th member of the BDRHoF.

Prior to the inductee presentations, the winners and runners up in the Junior Dragster and Junior Drag Bike Championships were presented with Stuart Bradbury Juniors awards. A Special Appreciation Award was also presented to Simon Groves for his help to both the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame and the Benevolent Fund.

www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk

Kick back and…

The 30th edition of the Kickback Show promises to be packed full of hot rods, street rods and custom cars, as well as custom motorcycles, classic gems and specials. Staged inside three exhibition halls, the show takes place at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire from 12-13 April 2025.

Visitors to the all-ticket show will be treated to over 300 custom and classic bikes including choppers, bobbers, café racers, butchered classics, streetﬁghters and rare classics. Plus, for the ﬁrst time at Kickback there will be a showcase featuring over 100 hot rods and custom cars. The event will also host the annual Custom Bike National Championships.

If you have a hot rod, custom bike or classic motorcycle and would like to be part of the show please email good pics to Lorne@rwrw.co.uk www.kickbackshow.com

(No) PREParations

Last month we mentioned plans to introduce drag racing at Manston Raceway Park in Kent, and since then things have been developing at quite a pace. Provisional dates, subject to event licences being granted, have been announced as: 12-13 April; 3-5 May; 7-8 June; 26-27 July; 23-25 August; 13-14 September; 4-5 October.

There is a possibility that Friday test days will be run prior to each event, subject to council licence, economic viability and staff availability. It is still early days, but things are deﬁ nitely moving forward. Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

Pics: Julian Hunt

LM7 GM 5.3ltr 1999 on,CUTOUT UNITS: These units have either a cable or electronic throttle, & come with a 4L60E 2wd auto transmission. The LM7 is from the LS family. In pickup trucks they are around 270-295bhp. The block is cast iron & so is much stronger that the OE Aluminium block. It can be rebored & has 6 bolt mains. We keep many parts for them, including Edelbrock or Holley kits to run the std injection & ignition, or a carb manifold, & ignition control.

Pontiac above, was built by Metalworks Restoration & Speed Shop, in Eugene Oregon, USA.

After 20 years, Dave Rothwell’s Maseratipowered Standard 9 ﬁnally sees the light of day. It’s a good story…

Words: Mike Pye Pics: Alan Kidd

It was some 20 years ago that, out of the blue, Dave Rothwell sent me a picture of a car he was working on. This car. Typical of Dave, he didn’t follow it up with anything more, just left that one image hanging. I knew straight away it was going to be something special, and replied with words to that effect.

I never forgot that one image, and every year I’d hope to bump into the little Standard somewhere. It never happened, though, until at the Hot Rod Drags in 2023. We were just heading back to the tents when a couple of mates ahead of me stopped to look at a car on a trailer. Even from afar, I knew instantly what the car was and I looked around for Dave, eager to make plans for the long-awaited shoot for CC.

Only it wasn’t Dave that emerged from a nearby tent with a grin like the Cheshire Cat, but his old mucker Chris Hay. Most of you reading this will be familiar with both those names, and will know this isn’t the first Dave creation that Chris has ended up owning. In fact, it’s the third, the previous two being the blue and white Husky and one of the two Hanomags Dave has built.

“We make a good team,” says Chris with his omnipresent smile. “I’ve always liked what Dave does, and he likes what I do to make them more useable for the road.”

Name checks

Before we get any further into the story, we should point out that Chris doesn’t own this car any more either, having passed it on to Nick Williams in the time since. Nick’s a good guy and when we spoke to him about the car, pretty much the first thing he said was: “You need to speak to Chris, and to Dave – they did all the work.”

Chris was there right from the beginning. As was another familiar face of British rodding, Ian Armstrong. It was them who spotted the 1937 Standard body outside a workshop in Stockport, destined for the scrapyard. “The lad who had it was keeping the chassis to build a special, and didn’t want the body. I knew someone who would, though, and a week later it was in Dave’s workshop,” recalls Chris.

So, why did Dave say yes to the offer of a small British car body in need of restoration, with no chassis or running gear?

“I just love the old ’30s’ cars,” came his reply. “And I like them original looking. That’s why this one isn’t hammered down in the roof, and why it’s got wire wheels. But I wanted a crazy engine at the same time –

The build (and rebuild)

1.

Dave Rothwell may have built it originally but without this man, Chris Hay, it might never have been

Rear suspension is similarly Dave made, but a more traditional 4-link with Panhard rod

that was the idea with it really, sort of stock looking but with a mental engine.”

Two years of hard graft saw Dave build the chassis and suspension from scratch, restore and paint the body and put the car together, complete with its Maserati DOHC V8, Toyota Supra five-speed gearbox, Volvo 240 back axle and 17 and 20-inch McLean wire wheels.

Open minded

Why the unusual choice of engine? If you’re familiar with Dave’s previous builds, you’ll know he’s not afraid to look outside the small block box when it comes to power units, and this one just came along at the right time.

“My friend Tommy, who I was working for at the time, saw it and put me on to it. It had hydrolocked, so I bought a damaged engine, but then one day this guy walks into the workshop, sees the engine and says I work on those. What were the chances of that?”

Rebuilt, and fired by a custom-made Emerald standalone ECU, the car was up

2.

The car was neglected for many years after Dave sold it, so Chris stripped it down to every last nut and bolt, and also Z’d the front of the Rothwell-built chassis to raise the car slightly

There’s lots going on in this picture, but let us draw your attention to the bellhousing that mates the Maserati engine to the Toyota Supra gearbox. Yep, Dave made that from scratch to incorporate the factory Maserati dual-plate clutch

and running, to the point that Dave drove it round the block a couple of times to shake it down, but that’s as far as it went.

“I shouldn’t really have sold it, but I was doing my first Hanomag at the time and needed the funds for that. It’s just one of those things.”

“I remember saying to him that it was a bad move, that he’d regret it,” interjects Chris. “He’d done the bodywork, it was painted, he’d even had the Hanomag bench seat trimmed in leather for it, but some guy came along and bought it, and that was that.”

Which goes some way to explaining why the car never surfaced at any shows. What takes a bit more explaining – and we’re not in a position to do so – is why the car then sat in a damp barn for over a decade and literally didn’t move a wheel.

Memory man

“I never forgot about the car either,” continues Chris, “and so one day I just put a call out on the NSRA website asking

“Is this Maserati-powered Standard 9 Dave Rothwell’s high-water mark?”

3.

Here’s the component parts of Dave’s home-made independent front suspension which replaces the stock H-beam axle and longitudinal leaf springs. Pretty trick, huh?

With the modifications complete, the chassis was sent out for blasting and power coating before the rebuild could commence

if anyone knew where it was. I didn’t expect to hear anything, but then I woke up one morning to an email from this guy Jonathan saying he had it and did I want to buy it?”

You should always take a voice of reason with you in circumstances like this. And Chris did, taking his best pal Steve Roberts with him to have a look at it. Yes, the same Steve Roberts’ whose Flat-Pack 40 Willys coupe, built in collaboration with Chris, graced these pages last month.

Naturally, being a good friend, Steve goaded Chris into buying it, which meant selling the ex-Rothwell Hanomag that was in Chris’ garage at the time.

“I blame Steve for everything! He made me buy it!” laughs Chris.

Pushing the car out on the same wheel tracks as it went in on revealed time had not been kind to it. The paint had survived well, but anything that wasn’t painted or coated had a layer of orange surface rust on it, including the entire chassis.

“I just did a big detail number on it really,” says Chris modestly. Now look at the build box on these pages and you’ll see why I use the word modest.

What Chris really did was a total nut and bolt rebuild of the car. He made a

finished for the road

7. 8.

Dave painted the body before he sold the car and it’s held up well, just requiring a few small dinks be knocked out and a good cut’n’buff

10. 11.

Without the interior in, you can really see how much had to be packaged into this little British family saloon 9.

Dave found a way to make it work though, snaking the linkage from the column through to the Hillman Imp steering rack Brakes are Porsche Boxster discs all round, modiﬁed to ﬁt the Volvo 240 rear axle and mounted on early Ford Scorpio hubs at the front 12. 13.

This is what we mean about everywhere you look there’s more to ﬁnd. Dave had these trick knock-off hubs made to his design by a local engineer

“It’s pokey, it’s unpredictable but wow, what a car!”

Look closely under the engine and you can just see the Maserati three-stage oil pump that caused a headache with the steering linkage

Chris added a few neat tricks of his own, such as the old suitcase in the back that houses the battery and ECU 16. 15. 14.

Chris also made the natty glass ﬁbre spare wheel cover that ﬁnishes off the car’s rump. He’s very proud of that. Incredibly, he completed all the work he did on the car in around 9-10 months

A Banjo wheel tops off the tilt steering column, while the dash houses a complement of Speedway gauges and the SO-CAL Speed Shop switchgear.

As you can imagine, 400bhp in a car this size, wheelbase and track makes for an, ahem, engaging experience behind the wheel. A solid understanding of steering geometry and engineering principles underpin it all though

few changes along the way, did the entire interior and had Phil Applewood at Monster Forge add the nods to CC that bring the Lil’ Monster to life.

Higher, lower

When I say a few changes, I don’t just mean little details like the back lights and the handmade glass ﬁbre spare wheel cover. Chris studied the car for a while before taking it apart and determined that, while it did very much look as cool as a penguin’s pecker, it was just too low to the ground to be useable on a regular basis. And if there’s one thing Chris does, it’s drive his hot rods.

So, he upped the sidewall proﬁle of the tyres a notch and reverse Z’d the front of the chassis by two inches to give it a touch more ground clearance, before sending everything out for blasting and powder coating. Other modiﬁcations included replacing the cut and welded halfshafts in the back axle with some custom length Moser ones, and replacing

the Hanomag bench with a pair of Daihatsu Copen seats.

The wiring needed ﬁnishing and, sensibly, Chris got hold of the guy who had wired it enough to get it running for Dave, Karl Monks, and had him ﬁnish the job. It’s that Maserati engine, though, that caused (and continues to cause) headaches.

Dave: “I remember the biggest problem being working out the steering. The Maserati engine has a three-stage oil pump and it was slap bang in the way on the righthand side, so I had to route the steering around that.

“If I’d known my electronics wizard friend, Mike, back then, I’d have got hold of a factory ECU and had him wire that in. They’re ﬂy-by-wire and everything, and we had to change all that. That would be the way to go I think.”

Small family

If you haven’t seen this car in the metal, you might not realise just how small it is. The Standard Motor Company sold its

eponymous Standard 9 as a family car in the 1930s but, compared to the average family car of today, it’s like something you ﬁnd in a Christmas stocking.

Knowing that family was likely to only venture as far as the nearest coastal town, and only then on special occasions, they reasoned that an 1131cc sidevalve engine pushing out 30bhp would suﬃce. Dave didn’t, he wanted mental. The 4.2-litre, Ferrari-derived V8 he decided to shoehorn in – and here that word is absolutely correct – puts out more like 400bhp.

That’s a big, powerful engine for such a small car, and Nick’s the ﬁrst to admit that, in his words, “you deﬁnitely have to be respectful of it.” Indeed, when Chris Hay agreed to sell the car to Nick, he did it with a warning: “It’s an easy car to lose.” He didn’t mean in the car park.

We had quite a giggle when I asked both of them what it’s like to drive. “[silence]… [laugh]… I’ll let you ﬁll in those gaps,” was Chris’ response, followed up with, “It was a lively little bugger.”

“Compared to the average family car of today, it’s like something you find in a Christmas stocking”

Alongside the 10 x 20-inch McLean wires on the back, the 7 x 17s up front look positively small, but the ﬁtment is just perfect. Tyres are now 205/45ZR17s and 275/40ZR20s

Engine uses the factory ampliﬁed coil packs which caused a problem at the start as the ECU provider didn’t account for that and so it kept blowing them up. Not good at £1000 a set 20 years ago!

It’s badged Maserati, but the 32-valve, DOHC, VVT V8 is also known as an F136 and was jointly developed by Ferrari and Maserati. It appeared in various production cars by both manufacturers from 2000-2022, ranging in capacity from 4.2 to 4.7 litres and output from 400 to 597bhp. This one is a ‘baby’ 4.2 from a 2010-’12 Quattroporte, making 400bhp – which some might say is enough in this application

Chris was also responsible for the idea of all the Super CC and Grumlins artwork that adorns the car. It might not be PC any more, but it’s part of all of our history

Well, what would you call it? Phil Applewood at Monster Forge is responsible for all the hand painted graphics that were done as a tribute to John Richardson, creator of Super CC

While Nick says he has no intention of changing anything fundamental about the car, he did admit he’s not a huge fan of the dash. So that’s somewhere he may make his mark in due course

The steering wheel is a cut down version of the original Standard three-spoke wheel, which Dave then had cast in alloy

Below: Curiously, given its family car status, the Flying 9 was only offered as a two door, available in basic and deluxe forms. This one is a ’37, built just before they changed to a more aerodynamic front grille shell

Nick, who has put a few more miles on it that either Dave or Chris ever did, concurs: “I’ll be honest. I get in it, I fire it up and I shit myself. But if you take a deep breath and hang on, it’s a beautiful car to drive. It’s pokey, it’s unpredictable, but wow, what a car!”

Sound advice

They’re both in agreement that Dave’s chassis work and engineering is spot on. It drives well – albeit a bit bumpy, as you’d expect, with the ultra-low profile tyres and radical stance – the steering (Hillman Imp) is positive, the brakes (Porsche Boxster) are excellent, the gearbox (Toyota Supra five-speed manual) is well suited and it hauls ass, if you’ve got the balls to keep your foot in it. Oh, and it sounds the

absolute business. Like no hot rod you’ve ever heard before.

Interestingly, though Nick didn’t know any of the back story, or even that it was a Dave Rothwell build when he first saw it at the Supernats in 2023, both he and Chris are in agreement that it’s possibly the finest of all Dave’s creations. I’m tempted to agree, but there are a lot of contenders for that crown.

“I got out of hot rodding for about 10 years, I was just a bit bored of it,” says Nick, “and I bought myself a ’66 Mustang Fastback. I had that car for about seven years, but then somebody offered me silly money for it and I sold it, even though I didn’t really want to.”

Hence why Nick found himself wandering around the field at the Supernats with a wad of cash burning a hole in his pocket.

Above: Dave built the car with a bench seat but Chris felt you sat too upright on it, so he looked around for some sports seats that would fit, settling on those out of a diminutive Daihatsu Copen

Below: Chris added the repro ’34 Ford door handles, the eBay-sourced motorcycle rear lights and the Model A-style LED centre light that acts as a third brake light. Dig the hand painted number plates around the Chris-made spare wheel cover.

“I just saw this car and was like, oh my god, I’ve gotta have it. I’d never seen anything like it before.”

That all coincided with Chris getting married and, as he put it, “needing a bigger car to do what we wanted to do in hot rodding – camping, going to shows and taking the dog with us.”

The two came to an agreement that weekend and the car changed hands a few weeks later, after Chris had a local guy have another go at mapping the ECU. That continues to be an unsolved issue for Nick, but his enthusiasm for the car is tangible.

Picture perfect

“I want to get it running right, and I need to do something about the clutch as there’s just not enough space in the footwell and

“Thanks to Karl Monks for the wiring, Steve Roberts (Chris: “he bloody talked me into it”); Tommy Redman for all the trips around the country on a trailer, Phil Applewood at Monster Forge for the artwork; Young and old Colin Wood for (old) helping get the engine running and (young) sorting and buﬃng the paint. And, of course, Dave Rothwell for having the vision, and the ability to turn that vision into the car you see here”

I’m constantly scared my foot is going to slip off the pedal,” he says, “but equally, I just love looking at it. The engineering, the detail, the wheel-to-tyre ratio – that’s what I’m all about – it’s just an amazing car. Like the Mona Lisa, or a Rembrandt, I could sit and look at it all day long.

“I haven’t driven it as much as I’d like, but the looks you get when you’re out in it are incredible. People come up behind thinking it’s an antique car, until they pull alongside, and then their eyes just pop out of their heads.

“I’ve never had a car I can’t just jump in and drive, and sometimes that makes me think of selling it. But then the beauty, the craftsmanship takes over. Just to own a Dave Rothwell car seems to be quite a privilege, and it really is a super car.

Even though the engine’s causing a few problems, you could never change it, the engine is the car, I’ve just got to persevere and make it work.”

So, what do you think? Is this Maseratipowered Standard 9 Dave Rothwell’s high-water mark? It’s hard to say, and Dave isn’t ﬁnished yet. He says he’ll carry on building cars as long as he can, and is currently rebuilding his old ’37 Vauxhall – a car he built when he was just 24 and which attracted the attention of none other than Ken ‘Posie’s’ Fenical, who chose to give his Posie’s Pick award to a young guy in England just from pictures he’d seen of the car. That was in 1993. Yep, Dave’s been doing his thing for a long time now, and Nick is the perfect custodian for his little black masterpiece. CC

Dave always goes to town on the details, often making his own door handles, lights etc. On this one, he limited himself to designing and having the one-off bumpers cast in alloy

There’s so much going on with this car, you can walk round and round it and still ﬁnd more to look at. It’s in equal parts ridiculous and an absolute triumph, and a credit to all those that have had a hand in its creation and re-creation

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Conception

When you discover a conceptual hot rod isn’t quite as it should be the right thing to do is to give it fresh life

Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Alan Kidd

Colin Parkinson is one of those hot rodders who forever strives to keep ahead of the game. “I’m always thinking of the next project, or two,” he confided. “I’d not finished the rebuild of Porky, my ’47 Ford (see September ’19 issue), when my next build popped into my head. It would be my dream hot rod, a Boydster 1, 2, or 3 roadster.”

To that end, Colin tracked down the Australian company that had started producing replica Boydster 1 and 2 bodies before Boyd Coddington’s untimely passing. The company confirmed bodies were

still available and gave Colin a price. Tim Hammond gave him a ballpark figure for fabricating a rolling chassis and he had an estimate of the budget needed to build a Boydster – but that was as far as things went. Sometime later, Colin was looking at what was for sale in the States as there’s nothing wrong with a bit of window (Windows?) shopping. This time though, Colin stopped peering through the window and opened the door. “There was a car for sale that wasn’t a Boydster but it was close to what I wanted, well sort of. The price was within my grasp if I sold one of my other cars so I advertised

The Boydster files

By Colin Parkinson

Designed by Chip Foose and built by Boyd Coddington, Boydster 1 is a fenderless ’32 Ford highboy. The ali bodied Boydster 1 first appeared at the 1996 Grand National Roadster Show and took the ultimate accolade of the title America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. Boyd subsequently introduced replica fibreglass bodies. Once again, designed by Chip Foose and built by Boyd and his team, the Boydster 2 pictured here is a full-fendered version of its predecessor. Originally painted yellow, the car then turned red and ultimately black

after being reworked by Foose. In that final guise and owned by Chuck Svatos it too won the title of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in the year 2000.

Four years later, Boyd built Boydster 3, a full-fendered ’33 Ford roadster that featured on his American Hot Rod TV series. Boyd was well known for stretching the hot rodding envelope and trying new ideas, but this is the only car when I felt he didn’t get the colour right. The two-tone bright yellow and blue colour combination just didn’t do it for me.

Wanting the trimming to be a simple, minimalistic and timeless design, Colin had the Mazda MX5 seats recovered in dark red leather in the original pattern save for the use of French-stitched seams. A Billet Specialties half-wrap wheels tops off the chrome Ididit tilt column, and the smoothed-out dash now just plays home to the Dakota Digital speedo. While the windscreen was removed for the respray, Colin cut a couple of demister vents into the top of the dashboard, ﬁnishing them off with MGB vent trim. As he didn’t want bare ﬁbreglass to be visible inside the slots, he trimmed them with red leather. It’s all in the detail, eh?

my Studebaker pick-up and it went within a week. It was then a no-brainer – the asking price of the roadster was considerably less than it would cost me to build one. All I had to do was change most of what I didn’t like about it.”

No show queen

The body and chassis were made by Canadian-based Coast to Coast Street Rods, a company no longer in existence, and Colin imported the roadster from Oregon-based hot rod dealer West Coast Collectors Cars in

2017. It then sat in his garage more-or-less untouched for the best part of two years while he ﬁnished rebuilding Porky.

Having known Colin for a long time, and therefore appreciating the exactingly high standards he sets himself, I asked for his thoughts on the unseen purchase. “It was sort of ﬁnished and advertised as a show car. It wasn’t, however, to that standard in my eyes and the price reﬂected that.

“It needed going through before it would be a driver and to get it to the standard of build I was looking for. Before I committed

Above: The sculpted seat surround and door cards have been professionally trimmed in leather, while Colin leather trimmed the B post suicide door hinge cut outs. More of that allimportant detail

Below: The scratch-built centre console houses the Dakota Digital supplementary gauges and the Lokar shifter. The carpet is Wilton, chosen because the colour and quality complements the leather and paint. Colin ﬁtted the carpet himself, including binding the edges

to buying it, I was sent a fair number of photos to look through. The problem was they didn’t highlight nitty-gritty details like brake lines and steering rack rods rubbing on the airbags, or the permanently running engine cooling fan. Then there was the poor paintwork around the swage lines, the shot polyurethane bushes and the exhaust system that had been whacked with a hammer to get it to clear the crossmembers.

“On the whole though, I wasn’t too disappointed. You have to expect there will be some work to do when buying a car like

“Art, sculpture, car and engineering all rolled into one”

Whether you view the car as a feat of engineering or a piece of rolling artwork, there’s no denying Colin has fulﬁlled his ultimate dream and now gets to drive a conceptual roadster like no other

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Inside job

Before any of the interior trimming could be completed, Colin had to tackle what lies behind that. Despite it only filling the confines of the roadster, the intricacy and complexity of the wood fabrication took him 9 months from start to finish. Sculpting the foam and the leather work and carpeting then took a further 6 months. While some may consider the extensive use of Silent coat sound deadening and Jute Felt soundproofing is a waste in a roadster with no roof, Colin is of a different mindset.

“It helps reduce drumming and exhaust noises and prevents heat penetration through the ﬂoor. When applied inside the doors it helps them close with a nice solid clunk.”

Colin couldn’t live with the way the smaller auxiliary gauges were strewn across the dash from one side to the other. His solution was to form a centre console that would house them in a more reﬁned, stepped manner. When it came to the actual trimming, ﬁnding the right colour shade of

leather proved diﬃcult. Dozens of samples didn’t hit the mark, and it literally took the last leather and carpet swatches to arrive for Colin to say they were the ones. He didn’t plan on the carpet being one of the most expensive on the market, but at least he saved a few quid by cutting and binding it himself. “Carpet binding may sound easy,” he explained, “but it takes a lot of concentration. Achieving the right result can be slow going, especially around tricky areas such as the pedals and main beam switch.”

“The quality was fine, but the seats were awful”

this. Plenty of excellent work had been done with the build, but corners had been cut in certain areas.”

The roadster was rolling on 14 and 15-inch diameter American Racing 5-spokes and although they didn’t look out of place, Colin decided larger and more modern rims would suit the car better. Not too large, though, as he feels 1930’s cars need a bit of rubber proﬁle, especially at the back.

Much deliberation followed until he decided on what he felt to be the right wheel and tyre combination. The wheels he settled on were made to order after Colin stumbled across an example on the company’s website and asked if he could have a set made. If you don’t ask you don’t get, as the saying goes.

Sitting pretty

The interior was another aspect of the car Colin wasn’t enamoured with. “I simply didn’t like it,” came his honest comment. “While there was nothing really wrong with what was there, it just didn’t do it for me. The quality was ﬁne, but the seats were awful. It just wasn’t to my taste or in keeping with the build style of the car.”

Having sourced replacement seats, Colin had them and the armrests trimmed by

Dave the Trimmer, a former Aston Martin upholsterer based in Bourne End, Bedford, but tackled the carpeting himself. “I’d bought my friend Steve Hudson’s old industrial sewing machine, which had sat idle in my garage for many years. Thinking I should try and master it, I got Steve to set it up and show me how to leather bind carpet, a skill I mastered with practice.

Another early undertaking was in getting the roadster repainted. Not being impressed with the paint ﬁnish, Colin had consulted Gavin Pink at The Paint Shop in Hereford. Gavin is a good man to talk to it you’re looking for perfection and he advised that a complete respray was the simplest option. He had a pretty full diary but a slot became available and Colin took advantage of it.

With fresh paintwork and a new interior, Colin couldn’t wait to take the roadster on its maiden voyage to show Steve Hudson what he had achieved. But it was then that the severity of what lay ahead dawned on him.

Geometry lesson

The new front wheels didn’t actually create a clearance issue, but they did amplify an existing problem. Had the front suspension been set up correctly, even with the 14-inch

“Rear coilovers were fitted with different rate springs”

wheels originally ﬁtted the tyres would have rubbed on the front wings. The way things were, the front air bags needed considerable inﬂating to prevent fouling.

There was only one thing Colin could do: take a sharp intake of breath and get busy with the air grinder. “That was a mammoth task,” he told us with a deﬁnite air of relief in his voice. “It is certainly an experience I don’t want to repeat.

“Laying up and shaping ﬁbreglass is another new skill I have learned. Thanks to Steve Hudson for the tip-off that the key is in carving the mat to shape with a loose hacksaw blade just before it goes hard, but not too early in the curing process. I’m sure steel fabrication would have been a whole heap easier.”

The pie-cutting and reforming of the wings now allows the car to sit with the correct suspension geometry, with the lower A-arms running parallel to the ground and offering a much improved drive. As the front air bags were no longer needed, Colin ditched them, something which also solved the problem with the steering arms rubbing. They were replaced with adjustable coilovers from Protech, a company Colin praises highly for their customer service.

Along with these two main areas of rework on the roadster, Colin had plenty of smaller issues to attend to. The brake dual master cylinder, mounted under the dash on a Kugel 90-degree reverse mount arrangement, was leaking so it was replaced. A new servo was also fitted, just to ensure everything would be working as it should. The roadster was devoid of a parking brake and as there was no provision to fit one, Colin installed a Wilwood rear disc and caliper kit which features internal parking brake shoes, together with an E-Stopp electric actuator kit.

To improve aesthetics, a new flex plate cover and finned engine sump pan were fitted. When draining the oil to fit the latter, however, it appeared muddy so Colin opted to replace the head gaskets to be on the safe side.

The exhaust was next on the list, with Colin fabricating a complete new 2½ inch stainless system utilising Borla straight-through silencers fitted with Jetex decibel inserts due to space restrictions. Colin discovered the rear coilovers were fitted with different rate springs, an issue soon rectified with a new pair of 250lb springs. A gear position sender unit was fitted, as there wasn’t one originally and therefore no tell-tale gear

Opening the side-hinged bonnet reveals a 1969 vintage 402ci Chevy V8. The rebuilt big block has +0.030 bores with a 0.010 under crank. The rotating assembly has been balanced and the ported and polished heads are fitted with larger valves. The engine build spec includes a COMP Cams camshaft, Roller Rockers, a Mallory Unilite distributor and electronic ignition, stainless steel headers, an Edelbrock Air Gap ali intake manifold and 750cfm 4-barrel carb. A polished ali water pump feeds coolant to a custom ali rad with the airflow through it handled by a chrome plated electric fan. Dress up goodies include polished billet valve covers. Transmission is a rebuilt TH350 auto’ fitted with a shift kit

Born in the USA

The roadster build is based on a Canadiansupplied ’33 Ford body and chassis. At some stage, presumably at the outset, it was fitted wit a Kugel IRS assembly – Colin can only guess that this was removed at some point and sold on separately due to its high value

The narrowed Ford 9-inch rear axle is located by a stainless steel triangulated 4-bar, with a pair of QA1 coilovers completing the installation. The axle is fitted with a locker diff and disc brakes with Wilwood polished ali calipers. The oval LED rear lights are by Lokar, while Colin fabricated the billet ali number plate surround

Glassworks

Colin cut the front wings along the main crease line from the front apron back to the door line, and again along the side from the front to the door line. Effectively pie-cutting the wings in 3 directions enabled Colin to move sections up 45mm, outwards 45mm

and forwards 40mm. Temporary steel straps held the sections in position, with Colin then laying up the fibreglass matting to permanently unite the sections as one piece. To ensure the wheelarches remained central around the wheels, the side apron

lower curve of each wing was also cut and repositioned. All that cutting and shutting resulted in the lower front sections of the wings being out of sync and the bottom 3 inches of each, including the swage line, have been completely reformed from scratch.

Above: The swoopy ali grille insert is by Alumicaft Street Rod Grilles in Pennsylvania, a company well known for supplying high-end grilles for fitment on a good number of Ridler Great 8 contenders and winners

Left: Boot capacity is limited thanks to the Tanks Inc galvanised steel fuel tank mounted in there, together with the battery housed under the cover on the right-hand side. The flush mounted Hagan filler cap set in the back panel has been painted to match the leather upholstery, while the boot lid is operated by an AutoLӧc electric linear actuator. In keeping with the build quality, the boot is trimmed in leather and finished off with ali trim strips

The bespoke 5-spoke ali wheels were ordered from Chris Coddington at Hot Rods by Boyd. The spokes have a brushed ﬁnish while the windows and rims are polished and clear coated with Cerakote, an extremely hard-wearing coating developed for the ﬁrearms market. The front rims measure 7x17 inches and the rears 8x18. The tyres are Michelin Primacy 4s, measuring 205/50R17 and 255/50R18. Applied by Gavin Pink at the Paint Shop in Hereford, the Chrysler Inferno Red was sprayed as a 3-stage paint process featuring both metallic and mica

selection indicator was displayed on the speedo. Naturally, after the bodywork Colin had completed, the front wings needed fresh paint so another visit to Gavin Pink was also in order.

Reception class

The roadster made its debut at the 2024 National Hot Rod, Custom and American Car Show in Lincoln, where it scored the Second Runner Up slot in the Best in Britain line-up. A few weeks later, it was placed in the Top Ten at the NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals.

Naturally, Colin was overwhelmed by the reception the car received from his peers, and with the comments it got from members of the public. The best of those was when he stopped for petrol on the way home from our photoshoot. “Great car,” said a guy who had

come up to him. “Such a sexy car. I wish my missus was as sexy as that!”

“I think the car pretty much nails it for me,” Colin enthused. “It’s art, sculpture, car and engineering all rolled into one. I’m fully aware that art and hot rods are subjective, being a matter of taste and personality, which is ﬁne. It’s just nice not to follow the pack.

“The car didn’t come about overnight though. I’ve progressed from customising a Mk1 Escort when I was 18, building a Jago ’32 Tudor aged 21, to a ’47 Studebaker pickup and rebuilding the Fat Attack Porky 7, with a smattering of muscle cars and pick-ups in-between.”

The question now is Colin, do you have another project in you, or have you now reached the pinnacle? This one will sure be hard to beat… CC

Machine shop

Colin machined numerous items for use on both the exterior and interior of the roadster. These include the rear number plate surround, the ignition key and E-Stopp mounting bezel, seat support bushes and suicide latch bezels

“A massive thank you to Steve Hudson for all his interior trimming insider tips, tutorials and encouragement, Gavin Pink at The Paint Shop for the paint, and Krista my wife for letting me indulge in the crazy and magniﬁcent world of hot rodding.”

The polished stainless steel Kugel IFS features disc brakes with polished Wilwood calipers, a polished ali steering rack and Protech coilovers with 575lb springs. The one-piece curved laminated windscreen utilises DOT-marked glass, and the LED headlights are mounted in the Headwinds chrome buckets that were already ﬁtted

1966 AND ALL THIS

American car parts specialist CM Frost was founded in the same year as everything from Hoverspeed and Caesar’s Palace to the phrase “they think it’s all over.” Like some of those things, it has grown to take on icon status

The first hovercraft crossed the Channel. Cindy Crawford was born. John Lennon said “we’re more popular than Jesus.” The first cards were dealt at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Apparently England won the World Cup. And in the world of interesting cars, CM Frost American Autoparts opened for business.

The year was 1966. Next year, CM Frost will celebrate its sixtieth birthday – and it’s going stronger than ever.

Three years later, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. The legendary Woodstock Festival took place. Richard Nixon became president. The first Boeing 747 took to the skies, followed a month later by the first Concorde. Latest John Lennon news was that he married Yoko. The first version of what

would become the internet began operation. And back in the world of interesting cars, Topspeed Automotive opened its doors.

This time, it was 1969. Swindon Town won the League Cup, too, if you were in any doubt as to how long ago it was. What it all means if that between them, CM Frost and Topspeed Automotive have more than 110 years’ experience.

Today, the two companies share a 10,000 square foot facility in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. There’s a lot of space in there for stock – but it’s still absolutely packed with parts waiting to be shipped out to American car owners in Britain and beyond.

‘We cater for everything from the 1950s right through to current day models,’ says Bill MacDermid, who co-owns both businesses

along with his brother Scott. Bill’s name will be familiar if you’ve had anything to do with Street Eliminator racing over the last quarter of a century or so. You’ll also recognise him from last month’s issue of Custom Car, which featured his magnificent GMC shop truck.

Bill was the first man to run in the 8s in Street Eliminator. And his yellow Camaro was for many years a familiar sight to all who visited the Pod. But we’re here to talk about parts. “We have the largest stock in the UK,” he tells us. “And we’re the only UK distributor that has their own parts distribution warehouse in the US, with our own staff.

“We receive a minimum of two air freights a week from the US, plus regular sea freight containers. These are loaded by our own staff in our warehouse, so everything is

Words: Olly Sack Pics: Vic Peel

CM Frost is best known for importing parts, but the guys there know the score on bringing in whole vehicles too. Bill’s own GMC shop truck, which we featured in last month’s issue, was one of four they shipped over here after buying them from a collection in Texas

double checked for mistakes and damage by vendors.”

They say that happy staff are good staff, and if that’s the case it backs up what Bill’s saying. When you work for a company with an enthusiast client base, you either start off as one or pretty soon that’s what you’ll become yourself, and the guys are come across as dedicated petrol heads. We learned some fascinating inside info on the latest goings on in the nitro ﬂopper scene while setting up a shot of Bill’s shop truck, then towards the end of the day we witnessed a little company tradition when, with their work done for the week, the team knocked off and out came the pool table. Compare that with the sort of operation (and they exist) where you’ve got to put a particular code on your timesheet for visits to the toilet so the bosses can keep tabs on who’s spending too much time for their liking sat on the pan. Nice to know you’re valued, and that’s the way to get your staff on board and caring about doing their job well.

Topspeed Automotive is going to be well worth keeping tabs on this year – its 3000bhp street-legal Bentley GT Continental will be hitting the streets and strip very soon

Bill’s been a Street Eliminator stalwart for the last 25 years or so, and Pod regulars will instantly recognise his Procharger Camaro. We visited his Wellingborough warehouse, where CM Frost and Topspeed Automotive are based, on a Friday afternoon – when the week’s work is done, what better way for the team to bond than to talk cars while shooting pool?

There’s a lot to care about, too. Under the roof of Bill’s warehouse you’ll find a full range of Holley products plus brands including MSD, B&M, suits and helmets from Simpson Race Products, Mr Gasket, Brothers Trucks, Flowmaster, Hooker, Edelbrock, Comp Cams, AFR, Wilwood, Procharger, Wagner Brake, Sealed Power, Moog suspension, Standard Motor Products, TCI Automotive, Hoosier, Fel-Pro Gaskets, Dorman Products, Monroe, WIX Filters, Fram, Heidts, AMD panels and many more. “We keep windscreens and have a large stock of early Chevy truck parts,’ adds Bill. ‘Also on the shelf are crate engines and transmissions.” If it’s in stock in Britain, they can have it with you the following day. For parts coming from America, it can be as little as one week and shouldn’t be more than two.

The company is also the UK dealer for Seafoam products, Permatex and Blaster – as well as its own No Smoke Oil. “We have a large stock of oils and chemicals,” continues Bill. “Again to name a few, Kendal Oil, Pennzoil, Maxima, LAT, Redline, Phillips 66, Quicksilver, Motorcraft, Valvoline and Mothers.”

On top of that, if you need parts for newer models the company has direct links to GM, Ford, Dodge and Chrysler. “We are always loading containers,” explains Bill. “So give us a call for any of your requirements big or small, from a con rod to a car and everything in between!”

Cars? Oh yes. That GMC was one of four Bill imported from a collection in the Dallas area, close to the company’s US warehouse. He meant to sell them all, but being a bit different to the trio of Chevys parked alongside it he ended up deciding his collection of cool metal could stand to grow a little. “We can source, store and ship cars and trucks, with all the paperwork and duties etc taken care of in house. This is a door-to-door, personal service – ‘loaded by us, unloaded by us.’ And this goes for the parts as well.”

We mentioned up top that the two companies have more than 110 years’ experience between them. Well that’s how long they’re been around but actually we were wrong – because when you take into account the people working there, it’s more than that. “We have unrivalled knowledge in the UK, with

over 150 years’ experience in our sales team,” adds Bill.

Of course, you could do that just by having a huge team sitting there filling in toilet codes on their timesheets. Rest assured that’s not the CM Frost way – when you head there for parts, you’re dealing with a small set of very experienced guys who know exactly what they’re on about.

Small enough to care, big enough to cope, the saying goes. Between them, CM Frost and Topspeed Automotive are bigger than they look when you pay a visit – and they already look big. But they’re certainly not too big to care. You’re in the hands of professionals here – professionals and, more than that, people who dig American cars, and making them go faster, every bit as much as you. CC

Many thanks to Bill MacDermid of CM Frost and Topspeed Automotive for his assistance in compiling this article. You can contact either company by calling 01933 225564 – and you’ll get a discount on several of their popular lines, including BluePrint crate engines, by mentioning Custom Car!

SPECIALIST CHROME PLATING

PROGRESS REPORT: MATTHEW WALLER 100E

It’s often the case that exposure to hot rodding spawns yet more hot rodding, and that is certainly the case with this Ford 100E. In the June ’21 issue, we visited County Durham and stumbled across a triad of hot-rodded British tin put together in the same workshop. The people behind the cars were brothers Andrew and Christopher Waller and their good friend Darren Ferry. Such hot rodding activity can only be of inﬂuence to anyone who comes into contact with it, such as Andrew’s son Matthew. Andrew has owned his ’52 Anglia since 1995 so it was a natural progression for Matthew to get his hands on this ’61 Ford 100E Popular at an early age. That happened in June ’19 when he was just 15 years old and the car is now ﬁnished; it hit the road at the very end of October just gone. There’s no harm in us taking a retrospective look at the project the teenager took on, though.

The body was extensively repaired using a mix of aftermarket replacement steel panels and scratch-formed patch panels. The rolling

The 100E as bought some ﬁve years ago. The intention was for a quick turnaround…

stock has been upgraded and, now ﬁnished, the car runs Classic Capri steel rims at the front and 5½ inch wide Lotus steels at the rear, which will be swapped for modiﬁed 6¾ inch wide rims sometime in the future.

The wiring was completed using a harness supplied by Down to Earth Auto Electrics, with Adam Blackbourne being really helpful throughout the installation, and Keith Flint sorted the bodywork and paint.

It’s taken a touch over ﬁve years for Matthew to get the car on the road, but bear

…after further inspection, however, the ﬂoor pans and bodywork were found to be in a worse state than anticipated

in mind he’s now just 20 years old. It just goes to show that great things can come from hot rod exposure.

Along with those mentioned, Matthew would like to express his thanks to Julian and Karen of Pop Parts Plus, Fred’s Autoservice, Christopher Waller and, of course, his dad Andrew.

Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Matthew Waller

The 100E rear axle was swapped out for a replacement from a 105E Ford Anglia

For added strength, Matthew opted to utilise a Mazda MX5 transmission tunnel…

…with the panels being fabricated in house then welded in like a patchwork quilt

Dad and son working in harmony. Note the new outer sills and lower rear corner panels

…which needed modifying to get it to ﬁt the 100E ﬂoorplan

The ﬂoor itself was in need of extensive repair…

With the ﬂoor repairs completed, the underside was thoroughly cleaned…

…and then seam sealed to prevent water ingress

…while inside the

the

…and a complete overhaul of the

Matthew chose brown carpet for the ﬂoor, which is shown here being tried for size. He did ﬁt it properly later

The underside was extensively coated with Gladiator textured truck bed paint

The 105E rear axle rebuild included new bearings being pressed into service…

car,

ﬂoor was covered with sound deadening mat

brakes

The axle ready for ﬁtting, the installation using the original leaf springs which have been treated to new bushes

“A touch over five years for Matthew to get the car on the road”

After considering a 1.7 turbo-diesel engine, the decision was taken to go down the more traditional 1500 Pre Crossﬂow route

The tubular stainless steel exhaust manifold was fabricated by Advanced Automotive Systems in Newcastle upon Tyne, who also fabricated the stainless exhaust system

Ex-Pressed Steel Panels in West Yorkshire supplied the inner and outer sills and the rear corner panels

The 100E front suspension has been replaced with a pair of Classic Capri struts, and the 107E bulkhead was kindly donated to the cause by Lee Yeowell

The paint is a special mix, as near as possible to period-correct Lichen Green – a standard Ford colour in the early 60s

With the car painted, it was time for some careful reassembly

The Mazda 6-speed gearbox is mated to the engine using an adaptor plate sourced through Facebook

Above: Keith Flint helped out with the bodywork and painted the car at short notice. Inset: The door cards and seat covers were supplied by Al Grimshaw, ready for Matthew to ﬁt as he dried his socks

Matthew with the car rebuilt and ready for paint

Louis Stands has built and driven a long list of pre-war Fords. The latest are a ’32 roadster and ’34 coupe – each of them a tribute to the rich rodding history of his home in Orange County, California.

Words & Pics: Stephan Szantai

It all started with a bunch of kids testing their cars on Southern California’s dry lakes before WWII. Automotive historians have since agreed that the region was the birthplace of hot rodding, thanks in part to its mild weather. It certainly helped this rowdy crowd when driving their roadsters – the hot rodder’s favourite to this day.

As GIs returned home from the war, the hot rod scene exploded in and around Los Angeles. Large cities remained spaced, with rural communities sprinkling the region. Orange County – OC for short –comes to mind.

Its name stems from its numerous orange groves, though very few can be found nowadays. The area welcomed

several hot rod clubs, with some of them combining forces to promote one of history’s first organised drag competitions – the year was 1950. A military airbase in the city of Santa Ana (now Tustin) served as playground to a bunch of roadsters, which raced on a stretch of asphalt located alongside one of the two giant hangars found onsite. Measuring 327 meters long and 59 meters high, these buildings erected in 1942 were designed to house blimps and remain among the largest wooden structures ever created.

Fast forward to 2024. Team Custom Car made the trek to Orange County to photograph a green Deuce with one of these surviving hangars in the background. Actually, the only remaining hangar (off

limit to visitors today), as the other burned to the ground in 2023! Choosing it as a backdrop seemed to be the appropriate thing to do, as the car’s owner Louis Stands lives in the city of Tustin. Besides, his roadster, built in the spirit of the hot rods of yesteryear, could almost have raced in 1950 at the Santa Ana Drags.

Louis liked the site of the photo shoot, as he has a deep appreciation for hot rodding history. Visiting his home garage confirmed the fact. Vintage posters, drawings and photos dress the space, while shelves welcome tons of period hot rod parts. One of the walls is covered with vintage magazines, specifically every Hot Rod magazine from ’49 to ’57. “I have collected them for years and looked through every

page,” says our host. “I thought the best way to honour them w as to frame them and show the cover. It’s really cool to see the cars’ progression and the tech tips offered by the magazine at any one time.”

Louis blames his dad for his interest in these old vehicles, the elder Sands being a hot rodder – and a pastor. His position as a clergymen led the family to travel all over the country, as well as abroad. Louis clearly remembers the time he spent in Australia as a child, in particular. Back in the US, the father/son duo visited countless hot rod shows and drag strips, while Louis also learned to ride motocross and flat track motorcycles. A love for California’s car culture inspired him to settle in So-Cal in 2006, a move he certainly does not regret.

Below: So-Cal Speed Shop supplied the 4-inch dropped front I-beam when the car was first rodded. Buick drums pull up on 16-inch Ford front rims, while ’34 Ford commercial headlights show the way ahead

Above: Rechromed NOS hi-dome “Beanie” hubcaps date from the 1950s

Above right: ’39 Ford tail lights add a distinctive style to the rear of the vehicle

He soon built a series of project cars based on 1920s and ’30s Fords, starting with a ’35 Ford Victoria assembled with his father and finished at age 17. “Then came a ’27 T roadster pickup powered by a Model A 4-cylinder that my dad now owns, followed by a ’27 T roadster and a ’30 Model A coupe. It’s called the ‘Tuxedo Coupe’ as it was all black with white details.” And let’s not forget his excellent two-tone ’34 Ford five-window coupe, which he still owns today. We have devoted a sidebar to this fleet, current and past, in these pages.

Period-correct

A look at these vehicles’ styling cues shows Louis’ passion for period-correct authenticity. “I am obsessed with the way the early hot rodders built their cars, with style and speed in mind,” he told us. I read the old magazines for inspiration of how these guys did it and try to keep that alive in how I build and style cars now.”

Looking at his green ’32 roadster will no doubt confirm these facts. With its steel wheels, subtle colour and small block Chevy V8, the vehicle seems to have

Louis bought the ’32 with a small-block Chevy already in place. He added the Dyers blower, Holley 750 carb and vintage Corvette valve covers, kicking the V8’s output up to a nice 420bhp

escaped from the pages of a faded 1955 Rod & Custom magazine.

Louis became enamoured with Deuces at an early age, with a poster of Lime Fire (the notorious green roadster imagined by Pete Chapouris) adorning his bedroom wall when he was 8. As time passed, he mentally created his ultimate’32, firmly intending to build it. Eventually.

Then a “For Sale” advert somewhere on the internet caught his eye one day. Here was his ideal Deuce, offered by Bruce Canepa and his team at Canepa

A wall in Lou’s garage displays the covers of every Hot Rod magazine from ’49 to ’57. Having read them all from cover to cover, he reckoned this was a good way to honour their place in his hot rod journey

Rodding in the blood

Hot Head Speed Shop… That’s what Louis calls his garage at home, where he has built a number of hot rods. Today, the green Deuce shares space with a ’34 Ford coupe which he purchased as a restored antique during the ’80s. It was all stock, with the exception of a 239ci 59A/B V8 flathead mated to a ’38 Ford gearbox.

He remembers: “This coupe spoke to me, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do to it – it told me it wanted to be a hot rod. I could see a vision like a diamond in the rough of what my plan would be. Over the next few months, I tore into it to bring up the shine I knew was there.”

He went to work with his friend Nathan Sutton, choosing a mild hot rod treatment typical of the 1940s-50s. It includes a 4-inch dropped axle with ’40 Lincoln drums along with a slightly lowered suspension in the back. Black lacquerpainted ’34 Ford fenders give it the two-tone look he had in mind. Check out the car’s rake, due in part to the Firestone 5.00x16 and 7.50x16 rubber fitted over ’35 Ford wire wheels. Other clean details include discreet Guide headlights, which replace the larger standard units.

The flathead V8 gained a few ponies courtesy of Edelbrock heads, a Mallory distributor and plus two Stromberg 97 carbs bolted over an Edelbrock manifold. The cockpit retains its decades-old vinyl upholstery, but Louis fitted a 1950 Ford

Crestliner steering wheel and two underdash Stewart Warner gauges. Notice the vintage NOS clear plastic sleeve around the steering column – it is used to store the vehicle’s registration.

Other notable rides have passed through Hot Head Speed Shop in the past, such as his black 1930 Ford “Tuxedo Coupe”. Chopped 4.5 inches and sitting on ’32 rails, it features a Chevy small block V8 topped with six Stromberg 97 carbs. More recently, Louis drove a 1927 Ford Model T equipped with a 1963 Corvette 327ci V8 and painted by himself in “Ford Tractor Red”. It featured unusual touches including A polished 3-piece hood and a tonneau cover over part of the passenger compartment, thus giving the car a certain Bonneville/El Mirage look.

In fact, five years ago our man drove the ’27 T on B-ville’s salt as a visitor. He truly loves the place and has recently helped his good friend Rich Joneli on site as a crew member and push car driver – Rich runs a F/ FL Fuel Lakester. Exciting times!

Pics: Stephan Szantai and courtesy Louis Stands

Motorsport, a Californian restoration shop with a stellar reputation. “It was built with a different 383ci engine by a guy named Jim Butler in Arizona, who sold it to Canepa. I got to meet Jim at the LA Roadsters Show in June a few years ago and he shared tons with me, including a Goodguys car show poster featuring the car.”

Louis subsequently became the new caretaker of a beautifully constructed hot rod. It revolves around a steel Brookville body, along with a handful of components supplied by So-Cal Speed Shop such as a frame and an axle beam dropped 4 inches – note Buick drums in front. Shocks supplied by Ridetech (front) and QA-1 (rear) contribute to excellent comfort and handling. Mister Stands kept the 1940 Ford 16-inch front rims mounted by Butler; however, he selected another pair for the back, specifically desirable 18-inch Divco milk truck models.

This gave Louis the opportunity to fit rubber to his liking – 4.70/4.75x16 and 7.00x18 Firestones. The combo allowed him to test the car on a deserted freeway, where he reached 190 km/h safely and smoothly. Note other neat exterior details, including the 1934 Ford commercial headlights, ’39 Ford tail lights and rechromed NOS hi-dome “Beanie” hubcaps from the 1950s.

The green Deuce came with a Chevy small block and Turbo 350 transmission, which Louis elected to retain. But as

an admirer of ’60s hot rods and the Tom McMullen flamed black roadster in particular, he topped the V8 with a Dyers supercharger, accompanied by a Holley 750CFM carburettor. A Comp Cam camshaft with split duration and vintage Corvette valve covers complete the package. No less than 420 horses result from this trickery, which travel through a Currie 9-inch Ford rear end featuring a 3.25 gear ratio.

We should also comment on the gorgeous interior, especially the caramelcoloured vinyl upholstery and squareweave carpet imported from Germany. The pilot faces a Sprint Car-styled 4-spoke Shaw steering wheel, plus a machined aluminium insert that accommodates six Stewart Warner gauges. See the plaque on the right of the dashboard? It came from the American Hot Rod Foundation, a US organisation dedicated to preserving the history of hot rodding.

“I love driving the car and do so as often as I can,” says Louis. “It now has over 18,000 miles on the odometer. I raced it at the Antique Nationals and, twice, at the RPM Nationals. It ran 8.3 over the 1/8th mile vs. 9.5 with the unblown motor.” Furthermore, he won his class (Overhead Modified Street) at the RPM Nationals in 2023, consistently crossing the finish line in the 8.50s at 86mph/137kph. Those pre-war kids racing their cars on California’s dry lakes would, we’re sure, approve. CC

Magnificent looking brown vinyl and square-weave carpet, the latter shipped all the way from Germany, are at the heart of a gorgeous interior. The sprint-style 4-spoke Shaw steering wheel adds to the affect, as does the machined ali gauge cluster. The plaque on the right of the dashboard came from the American Hot Rod Foundation, a US organisation dedicated to preserving the history of hot rodding

SoCal

Diaries To the Mooneyes and back

Former Custom Car editor

Tony Thacker lives in California these days, and this month he’s been witnessing the end of an era

YOKOHAMA

Started in 1950 by Dean Moon, Mooneyes is now 75 years old. And while the market continues to evolve, the Mooneyes brand remains as relevant as ever – maybe even more so. To prove it, we just visited two of their biggest shows ever.

The rst was the 32nd Annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, held at Yokohama’s Paci co about an hour outside Tokyo. This one-day show attracts about 300 show cars, 500 motorcycles, perhaps 200 vendors and more than 23,000 people. Yes, really – this show is one day only and it’s wall-to-wall Kustom Kulture, Japanese style.

The following weekend was the Mooneyes Christmas Party Show and Drag at Irwindale Dragstrip, California. Sadly, this was to be the last event at the famed Irwindale facility, which is due to be attened for yet more empty warehouses. Nevertheless, the party is one of the best, attracting more than 1100 show cars and hundreds of drag cars. This one will be sadly missed, but hopefully Mooneyes can nd a new venue.

Below: I’m not a huge Nova fan but this bright yellow Pro Street grabbed my attention – if only because it was powered by a Chevy Performance 454ci LSX that puts out 627hp at 6300rpm and 586 lbf.ft of torque at 5100rpm

My pick for the show was the Oily Boys’ Blitzen Spl. This ’29 Roadster on Deuce rails was built in California in the forties; originally banger powered, it has lately been tted with a Sharp-equipped athead

Lady Amber is a beautifully painted custom ’49 Chevy coupe. It won several awards, including Best of Show and Darryl Hollenbeck / Vintage Color Studio’s Pick, in 2023

All the way from Cal-i-for-ni-a was Coby Gewertz with his radical, controversial, polarising Saint Christopher. Built for him by Pat’s son Bill Ganahl of South City Rod and Custom, it has a stack injected Hemi for power

Below: ’26-’27 T Roadsters are back in favour with a vengeance and I’m partial to John’s track-style T with its set-back attie tted with Evans heads and triple Strombergs

Tinker Bell is one of those odd Japanese interpretations of American-English and not something we would probably attribute to a beautiful custom two-door hardtop Buick

Above: Behind the side-valve Harley is Gold Snake from Old Mountain, a Japanese clothing and homewares company that appears to have little to do with hot rods but a neat display nonetheless

with a 2-inch chop by Autoshop

Maybe a little over the top, but this chopped ’49 called Merc 9 was built and rebuilt after a bad crash by owner Kondo-san who is a metal fabricator by day and car builder by night. It took Best of Show in 2012

This ’53 Chevy, called The Hideaway, was built by L4T Customs. I liked its combination of at grey paint and silver leaf. Interestingly, it still had clecos in its un nished tail ns

Left: I’m not sure how they enhance the display but the Japanese do love cartoon characters, even Ronald McDonald. Nevertheless, this Chevy-powered ’29 Tudor

Nakaze was sweet

Riviera

IRWINDALE

Right: Troy Ladd of Hollywood Hot Rods brought out his blown Hemi-powered Model A on Deuce rails, which gets ever faster. With two 750 Holley carbs, he managed a 6.887/107.7 in the eighth

Below: There are chops and then there’s Adrian Nassif’s banger-powered A bone, which is chopped about as much as it can be chopped and still see the Christmas tree

Right: No, it’s not drag racer George ‘The Stone Age Man’ Hutcheson with his famous plumed helmet, but just this side of the porta-potties it’s Heather, one of the many Moon pin-up girls

You don’t see many ’61 Chevys, for some reason. But The Sleeper, owned and driven by Tom Sceberras, is a tyre smokin’ fan favourite

Call me old fashioned, but I’ve always been partial to black ’n’ amed paint jobs… and Karmann Ghias – including this one owned by Ralph and Karen Chase and driven by ‘Crazy’ Joe Kossky

Back in the day, 390ci AMC AMX Javelins were popular drag cars. But you rarely see them today – particularly not as clean as Ken Kinnucan’s ’68, which has regularly run 6.5s at Irwindale

Right: As a street car, Gen II Corvettes are terrible to drive but as a straightaxle Gasser such as L’Executioner they are magic –even when they have a diamond pleated top…

On display in front of my own Lil’ Shitter was ‘Lucky’ Burton’s athead V-8 powered, hammered Bonneville coupe, which is an homage of sorts to the famed Chrisman Bros coupe of the fties

Wheel standing, straight axle, street driven, 396 blown Anglia Gassers are all the rage again, and the A/GS 396ci big-block powered Panic Attack ’48 put on a great show. Now available as a tin sign

Out having some fun and not taking it too seriously, the owner of this ’55 wagon Apeshit appeared to be sponsored by the Los Angeles County Zoo and Big Dick’s Hardware…

The only car with a long enough decklid to carry these words was this 1940 Ford sedan. Sadly, the message was all too clear – Irwindale is history and we are done with drag racing within Los Angeles County

Wheel standing, straight axle, street driven,

Pyro maniacs Out & About

Words: Olly Sack

Pics: Julian Hunt

Event: Flame and Thunder Show

Date: 26-27 October

Venue: Santa Pod

Regular Pod-goers will look back on 2024 as a bit of a wet one. The racing was as hot as ever but the weather gods didn’t seem to get the message and most of the big events were disrupted by rain to some extent.

So when it came to the Flame and Thunder Show, which traditionally brings down the curtain on the season’s drag racing… well, it rained. Only on and off, though, and not enough to put a dampener on the action – which went far beyond the strip itself. Drifting, stunt shows, monster trucks, traction engines, fireworks, live music, more fireworks, night runs, night runs with fireworks – it’s one for the fans, one for the family and one for turning the family into fans.

A huge turnout saw a massive variety of cars hitting the strip, from RWYB-ers to a mixed bag of nostalgia motors and current race cars – with a few PBs cropping up on the timing slips to prove that they were there for more than just a party weekend. And of course there were the jet cars –always popular with kids of all ages, and out in force to put on a show.

Flame and Thunder is the time to see an array of wacky inventions line up in the lanes, too: shopping trolley, shed,

Dave Billadeau’s ’71 Duster made its debut at the Mopar Nationals. It’s set to become a very familiar sight down Podington way

“Big shout out to everyone behind the scenes at the Pod – every one of them a hero”

Right: A definite highlight of the weekend, nay the season, came on Saturday lunchtime when Dylan Howes went down on one knee to propose to Shannon Mills right by the Christmas tree. No need for him to go for the ‘chutes, we’re pleased to report – Shannon said yes and they left the track newly engaged

Santa Pod didn’t have much luck with the weather last season, and with the mood lights picking out drops of falling rain the crowd was set to be treated to the best show of all – the track team swinging into action to dry it back off and get the racing going again. These guys are the best, period

Not our usual Custom Car fare, but there’s a 2.0-litre Mk1 Escort hiding among all that modern stuff and it celebrated its 50th birthday a few days before the

Yorick had been waiting very patiently to be called to the pairing lanes

show

Rob Carter’s Passat was this last year’s Street Weekend winner

Another Escort with half a century under its belt, Paul Mags’ Mk1 runs a 2.1-litre Cosworth YB

ride-on mower, wheelie bin, Hummer H1… Lord Atom Anable’s ride-in (in, not on) Monowheel, too, is unlikely to inspire a new FIA class but as with all these things you’ve got to tip your hat to the engineering that makes it work.

Highlight of the weekend, though? For Dylan Howes, that would be when he took to the strip along with his girlfriend Shannon Mills and went down on one knee

right – appropriately, right next to the start line. With the Santa Pod crowd roaring her on, she gave him the answer he was hoping for and they went home engaged.

With the evening’s fireworks (did we mention that there were fireworks?) bringing the season to a close, the day’s rainy interludes provided a timely reminder that the real heroes of every Santa Pod race meet are the crew who work so hard,

Flame and Thunder is all about the showmanship, and it’s an opportunity to bring out the crowd pleasers. Hence the shed, shopping trolley, mobility scooter, lawnmower and wheelie bin (pulling actual wheelies) that all took their place on the quarter mile. Oh yes, and a Hummer… not to mention Lord Atom Anable’s Monowheel

Gotta love Chris Skinner’s Fiat 126. It’s a lot more than a novelty, too – with 6.7 litres of Chevy power to its rear wheels, it’s a competitive Big Bracket racer

A former CC feature car, Chris Goodale’s legendary Russo’s Rat Chevelle never fails to give the punters what they came for

YELLOW CARS

n Access from 3pm on Saturday 5th July

n Driver & All Passengers Get in Free

n £1 General Yellow Cars

n £10 Grouped Yellow Display Vehicles

n Grouped Display Vehicles must be booked in advance

n Access on Sunday 6th July 10am-4pm

n Save 20% when you book in advance

n £8 per adult | £4 per child (5-15)

n (On the Gate £10 per adult | £5 per child)

n Free parking

n Under 5’s go free

n Dogs on short leads welcome

Real ale and cider tent | Street food vendors and food court | Picnic area

Shop from our many stalls selling everything from car accessories, camping equipment, gifts and novelties | Children’s inflatables and activities

JOIN US FOR A CAR EVENT UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN THE UK

Thousands of yellow cars are coming together for the biggest gathering of yellow cars on record. Bear witness to the spectacleit’s bound to put a smile on faces young and old alike! Take a look around our groups of display vehicles, including Super Cars, Classics, 4x4s and Custom Cars. And look out for some famous cars and faces you just might recognise.

and with such skill, to prep the track ahead of the events and maintain it throughout.

Fluid leaks, accident damage, torrential rain – nothing stops these guys. So a big shout out to everyone behind the scenes at the Pod, from the teams who make the events run smoothly to the security guys who do their best to ensure everyone can enjoy the event without stress and get a good night’s sleep in the camping fields. Like battling the weather, there are times when it can be an uphill struggle – but the tens of thousands of punters who enjoy drag racing at its best will surely join us in recognising that every one of the team who take on the task is a hero in their own right!

Car v pyro. The fireworks flew in the sky as FireForce flew down the strip – jet cars are a big part of the Flame and Thunder experience, and all the usual favourites were there to strut their stuff

Kev Preston’s twin-turbo Austin A60 runs deep 8s in Street Eliminator

El Loco, Keith Freeman’s 489ci Deuce, is one of the most distinctive pre-war hot rods among the regulars at Santa Pod

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

JANUARY 2025

19 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

19 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

26 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

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

FEBRUARY 2025

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

16 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

16 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

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

21-23 Race Retro. Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. www.raceretro.com

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

23 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

MARCH 2025

2 NSRA Southern Swap Meet North Weald Airfield, Essex www.nsra.org.uk

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

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

8 Dial In Day Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

16 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

21-23 Classic Car and Restoration Show NEC, Birmingham. www.necrestorationshow.com

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

23 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

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

29-30 Springspeed Nationals Santa Pod Raceway www.santapod.co.uk

30 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

APRIL 2025

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

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

5 Run What Ya Brung – Saturday Night Special Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

6 The Fast Show Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

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

12-13 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

12-13 Kickback Show Three Counties Showground, Malvern kickbackshow.com

12-13 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

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

18 Wheels Day Newbury Showground, Berkshire www.surreystreetrodders.com

18-20 Festival of Power Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

20 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

20 Krispy Kreme 20th Anniversary Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

21 Easter Bonnet Parade. Banham, Norfolk. Facebook: Iceni C.A.R. Club

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

MAY 2025

2-4 Nostalgia Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

3-5 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

4 BHP Show Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone. bhpshows.com

4 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

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

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

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

10-11 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

11 Classic Ford Show South of England Showground. Facebook: Classic Ford Show

16-18 Doorslammers Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

18 Classic Wheels Rutland Showground, Oakham www.classicwheelsrutland.co.uk

18 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

23-26 Run to the Sun Newquay. www.rtts.co.uk

23-26 The Main Event Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

26 – 1 June NSRA Fun Run. St Ives, Cornwall. www.nsra.org.uk

30-2 June VanJam Fir Tree Farm, Warmington. www.vanditos.co.uk

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

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

JUNE 2025

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

5-8 Hot Rods and Hills. Park Foot, Pooley Bridge, Penrith Facebook: Hot Rods and Hills

7-8 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

7-8 Players Classic Goodwood, West Sussex. www.players-show.com

7-8 Sportsman Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

8 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

13-15 Street Weekend. Santa Pod / Melbourne. www.santapod.co.uk

14-15 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

14-15 Race the Waves. Bridlington, East Yorks. backfireinfo.weebly.com

15 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

21 Run What Ya Brung – Saturday Night Special Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

21-22 Duchy Ford Show. Watergate Bay Touring Park, Newquay www.duchyfordclub.co.uk

22 BHP Fuel Fest Westpoint Arena, Exeter, Devon. bhpshows.com

22 Custom and Classic Show. Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey, Essex www.customandclassicshow.co.uk

22 Summer Brighton Run. Redhill to Brighton Facebook: The Brighton Run

29 VHRA Swap Meet Ramsey, Cambridgeshire. www.vhra.co.uk

27-29 Dragstalgia Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

27-29 National Hot Rod, Custom and American Car Show. Lincoln Showground, Lincolnshire www.hotrodandcustomshow.co.uk

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

BRENTACRE

JULY 2025

1 Hayling Hot Rods at the Beach. Hayling Island Seafront, Hampshire. Facebook: Hayling Hotrods at the Beach 2 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com

4-5 Hangar Rockin St Stephan Airfield, St Stephan, Switzerland. www.hangarrockin.com

4-6 MPH Vintage Sprint. Deenthorpe Airfeld, Corby, Northants www.mphvintagesprint.co.uk

4-6 V8 Brothers Village. Hooglede, Belgium. www.v8brothers.be

5-6 Big Yellow Car Show Cheshire Showground, Knutsford www.bigyellowcarshow.co.uk

5-6 Summer Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

10-13 Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com

11-12 Mustang Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

12-13 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

13 The Ford Show. Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

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

18-20 Hot Rod Rumble. The Camp, Ramsey, Huntingdon www.hotrodrumble.co.uk

18-20 Mopar Euro Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

18-20 Rock’n’Ribs Festival Wincanton Racecourse, Somerset. www.rocknribsfestival.co.uk

19-20 American Auto Club UK Summer Nationals. Upton Upon Severn Worcestershire www.american-auto-club.co.uk

20 DeuceDay Details TBA. Facebook: Deuces of Britain

20 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

25-27 Bug Jam Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

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

26-27 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

27 Auto Extravaganza Walpole Community Centre, Walpole St Andrew, Cambs. www.kingslynnkruisers.co.uk

AUGUST 2025

1-3 Hot Rod Hayride. Bisley Shooting Ground, Surrey www.hotrodhayride.co.uk

1-3 Ultimate Street Car Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

2-3 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

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

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

7-10 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals Old Warden, Bedfordshire. www.nsra.org.uk

8-10 Retrofestival Newbury Showground. www.retrofestival.co.uk

9-10 Run What Ya Brung Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

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

10 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

14-18 Hillbilly Hoedown Crystal Lakes Leisure, Huntingdon. www.hillbillyhoedownweekend.co.uk

15-17 Hot Rods in the Borders Lilliardsedge Holiday Park, Jedburgh. Facebook: Hot Rods in The Borders

16-17 Greenlight Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

17 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

23-25 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

29-31 VW Action. Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

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

29-30 VW Action Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

30-31 American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock

SEPTEMBER 2025

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

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

4-7 Euro Finals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

5-7 Kustom Kulture Blastoff Slates Farm, Market Rasen, Lincs. www.kustomkultureblastoff.co.uk

5-7 The Trip Out Euston Park, Suffolk. www.thetripout.co.uk

12-14 Goodwood Revival Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com

12-14 Hot Rod Drags Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

12-14 Hot Rod Hoedown. Barrasgate Farm, Annan.Facebook: Hot Rod Hoedown at the Steading

12-15 Isle of Man Ford Fest www.iomfm.com

13-14 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

14 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

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

18-21 Isle of Man Festival of Motoring www.iomfm.com

19-21 National Finals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

20-21 Pistons and Props Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire www.sywellclassic.co.uk

20-21 VHRA Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races. Pendine, Carmarthenshire www.vhra.co.uk

21 Ford Fest. Mallory Park, Leics. www.fordfestshow.co.uk

21 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

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

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

19 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

19 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk

19 Straightliners Santa Pod Raceway. straightliners.events

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

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

25 Flame and Thunder Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk

26-28 Yorkshire American Car Club American, Rod and Custom Show. Fort Paull, Hull. yancs1@yahoo.co.uk

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

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

OCTOBER 2025

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

4-5 No-Prep Drag Racing Manston Raceway Park, Kent Facebook: Manston Raceway Park

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

26 NSRA Northern Swapmeet Magna Science Centre, Rotherham. www.nsra.org.uk

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

NOVEMBER 2025

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

16 Krispy Kreme Cruise. Krispy Kreme, Shannon Corner, New Malden, Surrey. Facebook: Krispy Kreme Cruise Surrey

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

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

Official Broker of the NSRA

Chevy Shortbed Fleetside, V8/Manual, fresh paint, arrow straight body, new oak bed/polished stainless strips, new suspension, new Halibrand wheels/tyres, California rustfree, one year only small window cab, all work recently completed with only a handful of miles

Original V8/Automatic car, new top and top rams, new carpet, very straight rustfree body, California car since new, on the button driver

Black plate California rustfree van, factory V8/Auto, vintage slot mags, new screen & rubber, built from new as a camper, recently used by a local handyman, camper equipment removed, on the button driver

Rustfree sunbleached body and underside, new brake & clutch hydraulics, rebuilt fuel pump, runs and drives, excellent original chrome, sold new in the USA, not to be confused with the usual UK welded patched nightmare, not the cheapest but certainly the soundest original one you'll ﬁnd outside of Australia

6 Cylinder/Manual, put into storage 1999, recently removed, none of the usual corner, fender, hinge pocket rot, excellent cab ﬂoor, requires no patch panels or welding vintage camper shell, chrome steel Wheels, refurbished original seat, currently a non runner