4 minute read
Hotrod Hayride
Words and pics: Keith Harman
It was quite a surprise to many when it was announced last year that the Hot Rod Hayride would not only be on for 2022, but that it would be returning to its spiritual home of Bisley Shooting Ground in Surrey. As you’ll know if you’ve ever been there, Bisley is by far the coolest venue that ever hosted a rod run in the UK, and the previous Hayrides held there from 2007 to 2016 provided many with awesome memories that will last a lifetime.
However, it’s fair to say that many folk wondered whether it would be the same without the use of the old pavilion building, the atmospheric focal point that hosted much of the evening entertainment, which
had reputedly been sacrilegiously turned into a conference centre and offices by the new owners.
Fortunately, although the pavilion was indeed off-limits, the show field remained as before. And the organisers had done an excellent job of utilising the grass area opposite, creating a wide festival-type stage and a large open-sided bar.
Apart from the new layout, not much else seemed different, apart from a little less room for the vintage traders. The various lodges and clubs around the site were open and welcoming, telling customers they were glad to see the (thirsty!) Hayriders back at Bisley.
The Hayride was the event that re-wrote the book on UK rod runs, of course, with a discerning entry policy aimed strictly at traditional style rods and customs, coupled with quality live music from some first class rockin’ bands and artists. The whole traditional scene has grown immensely over the last 15 years or so since then, and didn’t it show at this year’s Hayride!
From Friday onwards, the site was packed with probably the finest collection of traditional cars ever seen in one place in the UK, with a particularly impressive showing of cool taildraggin’ kustoms along with the rods, trucks and bikes present.
The weather was hot, the beer was cold and the music was cool, and as a result the Hayride Reunion (as it was billed this year) was a resounding success, with some even saying it was the best yet. Will there be another next year? Organiser Jerry Chatabox and the Detonators CC replied to the question with only a tight lipped ‘watch this space’…. CC
Mark Fox’s ’49 Mercury is spot on with all the right moves, nosed, decked, chopped top, rounded hood corners, frenched headlamps and Caddy caps Neil Payne’s ’51 GMC Suburban retains the period accessorised Lowrider flavour it was built with, but swapped the hydraulics out in favour of air bags for that slammed stance
This cool ’37 Ford Cabriolet was over from Belgium complete with chopped convertible top, skirts, and a custom grille we recognise but can’t place! Answers on a postcard please Fresh out this year, David Brock wowed the troops with his super subtle, but so right, ’36 3-Window Coupe
Also new out this year, Pete Dempsey’s heavily chopped ’34 was keeping it traditional, Bonneville style
Claire Irwin’s Chevy-powered ’34 sports the Sedan body Johnny Best removed to build his ’34 roadster, which will be appearing in next month’s issue Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Paul Barrow revisited his already cool A Sedan and kicked it into the Sixties with some inspired changes Also running a set of ARE’s and small block power, and also in the Vultures Car Club, is Scratch’s sweet Model A Roadster. So we detect a theme running here?
Not 100% traditional maybe, but, this slick mid-Fifties F100 is shinier than a shiny thing and features some neat custom body mods such as the Buick hood vents and the custom grille treatment
Chris Smith’s blown Deuce 3-Window has come a long way since he acquired it as an imported, but running stocker, some years ago Pendine, drags, hillclimbs, Kelvin Helsdown has done it all in his bare bones, McCulloch-blower fed Flathead T-Bucket
