Superb Supernats

Intro and captions: The NSRA celebrated its golden anniversary at the 31st Hot Rod Supernationals Dave Biggadyke – an event that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time – an event that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time

In this final reflection of the NSRA Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Dave Biggadyke, except as credited Main pic: Steve Baines Spring Rumbles, held the length and breadth of the country throughout May, we focus on Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire and Suffolk. The three routes highlighted here attracted in excess of 80 vehicles which clocked up not far short of 5,000 miles between them. That was just on the Rumbles themselves, with some participants travelling quite some distance to get to the start point then back home again.

A total of 23 Rumbles were staged throughout the month, all proving to be extremely popular. Thanks must go to all the organisers and, of course, to the man who came up with the idea in the first place, Glyn Thomas, along with his wife Hannah for promoting it so well. Most of all though, thanks to all those who Rumbled and made it the success it was. Roll on next spring and more of the same. CC

The 31st NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals was always going to be a tough call. The event didn’t take place at all in 2020, apart from in virtual format, and last year numbers were limited as Covid restrictions were only just starting to ease. This time round, then, it was to be the rst full-on staging for three years. Oh, and it just happened to be the 50th anniversary year of the NSRA – so everything had to be that bit more special.

Did it hit that mark? You bet it did, and more besides!

The gates opened at 9am on Wednesday, giving pre-entered NSRA members and their guests ve full days of hot rod nirvana. Add to that ve days of a heatwave, a celebration of 90 years of the ’32 Ford and more cruises than you could shake that proverbial stick at, and that nirvana embraced utopia head-on and kissed it rmly on the lips. Did I enjoy it? You bet I did.

Scanning the programme highlighted so much in the way of entertainment; a couple of marquees full of it, in fact. A brace of DJs and ten live music acts, all laid on to give participants a long weekend of enjoyment.

It was far more than that, though. As if just being able to say you were part of it isn’t kudos enough, it was the banter, the laughs you had and the stories you will recall for many years to come that made it all the more special. We all went home with plenty of such stories but as they are personal to our environs there is no point in expanding on them here as nobody will

Nirvana embraced utopia head-on and kissed it firmly on the lips

understand them. Well, maybe Rupert would, but that’s another story entirely…

It all came to a head on Sunday, and boy was that field busy. Try as I might, I’m sure I didn’t manage to see everything, the sheer magnitude of the show coupled with the heat making it a nigh-on impossible task.

Traditionally, the emphasis of the Supernats is on the new, with a touch of the old thrown in for good measure. This year was different though; it was all about the golden anniversary of the NSRA and that put an entirely different spin on the event.

The committee, the crew and, for the first time this year, the 50th Anniversary Working Group all pulled together and did an amazing job. Each one of them deserves a well-earned pat on the back, or a drink at the bar if you’re so inclined. As this is chairman John Proctor’s first year at the helm, it’s only fair that we allow him the final word:

‘Wow! The Supernationals in our 50th Anniversary year was a real scorcher of an event embracing all things from the custom car and hot rod scene, including lots of iconic cars from our history. A tremendous effort from all the teams involved, and helpers too many to name, ensured the largest ever event of its kind in Europe got over the line.

‘Non-stop cruising off-site seemingly involved lots of cake eating and the show cars kept arriving, including one of the best-looking tot rods I’ve ever seen. Bands, movies and DJs covering the sights and sounds throughout the decades of our existence set the scene, while great weather, great company and great driving added to making the Supernats a great success.’

Above: Proceedings kicked off on Wednesday evening with a drinks reception in the marquee, with several among the assembled throng paying heed to every word of the welcome speech given by the 50th Anniversary Working Group Pics: Scott Halliwell Below left: Understandably though, the main focus of attention was the bar and cashing in the free drink token given to each participant arriving on Wednesday Below right: With the speeches done and dusted, Kyle Charter took to the stage to perform acoustic sets supported by DJ Grant Pinney

Thanks to the amazing weather, the order for each night was simple – chill with friends outside the marquee (above). And at least one of those chilling out (right) was a pretty cool cat…

Although not drivable due to transmission issues, Speed Freak made its public debut following an extensive rebuild by Bryan Whitfield. The Fordson is now owned by Rick Hughes – and seeing it parked next to Plum Crazy in the Cars of Significance display was just one of those special moments

This year’s Supernats was the first time that these four of Nick Butler’s iconic creations have ever been together. Thanks to Nick, they were parked up in the chronological order of the years in which each of them was built

Left: Nykilodeon appeared in 1974 and features a shortened pick-up deck. This was Nick’s first scratch-built car, with power coming from an Oldsmobile Rocket 88 engine. The current owner is Barry Tickle, with Bob Sheppard being behind the wheel this weekend and enjoying every moment of it

Below: Having burst on to the scene in 1976, Revenge is probably the best known of Nick’s hot rod creations and was voted UK Hot Rod of the Century by NSRA members in the year 2000. The current owner is Gerry Gaughan who, together with his wife Felicity, clocked up 1000 miles in aid of mental health charity Mind on their week long reliability run journey to Old Warden

Above, below: Andromeda came next in 1978, complete with a Fad T bodyshell and fully detailed rolling chassis. The 426ci Chrysler Hemi is topped off with a GMC 6-71 blower and twin four-barrel Holley carbs. The current owner is also Barry Tickle – and shortly after the car overheated while driving in convoy with Revenge, he headed off on the Saturday cruise. Top man. Above: The all-steel Vitamin T debuted late in 1978. The ’27 Doctor’s coupe body is mounted on a custom-built chassis featuring Nick Butler fabricated suspension and small block Chevy power. Vitamin T is the only one of Nick’s cars to have been selected as Participants’ Choice at an NSRA event, winning at the Fun Run in 1979. The current owner is Bob Wilding, who drives the tall T everywhere. Inset pic: Steve Baines

Above left: Among the Previous Participants’ Choice Winners display was Michel Aubier’s ’37 Ford cabriolet, which won 30 years ago when owned by Georges Herry

Above right: A more recent Participants’ Choice winner is the gorgeous ’32 roadster of Dan Boone, which bagged the honours in 2004. Amazing to think the car first hit the scene eighteen years ago Left: Another ’32 roadster took the top award a couple of years later, with Hanspeter Wurmli pulling round to collect the coveted trophy Below left: In 2007, it was the Kandy coupe of Dave Sturgess that scooped the Participants’ Choice accolade. Now owned by John Gadsden, the car is looking as good as ever Below centre: It was the year of the custom in 2012, with Teri Smith’s timeless chopped Mercury coming out on top. Not only does Teri still own the car, but he has also recently given it a freshen-up Below right: Anni Meriläinen flew the flag for Finland in 2013 and caught the ferry home with the Participants’ Choice trophy safely stashed away in her ’34 Ford sedan delivery

Below: Throughout the event, the big screen displayed a mix of live-action footage, the ’91 Supernats recording, movies for grown-ups and children and the NSRA 50th Anniversary Movie Below right: The bumper stickers on Steve Roberts’ Willys are actually air-brushed renditions with the artist having been given the freedom of poetic licence. I wonder how many people noticed? Clever stuff, Steve Below right, bottom: The only time I saw this gorgeous A coupe was when it arrived at the gate on a trailer. The picture doesn’t lie; it really is as immaculate as it appears

Special awards were presented to Barry and Val Tickle for bringing along Andromeda and Nykilodeon and ensuring they were driven all weekend; Hannah Thomas for her promotion and coordination of the NSRA Spring Rumbles in May; and Dave Biggadyke for his dedication and devotion to Custom Car magazine for many years.

The long weekend boasted a staggering total of 12 different organised cruises. There was certainly no excuse for not getting in your car and driving it. All but one were planned by Dave and Lesley Brown, and here’s a look at just some of them. Space dictates a couple of the Friday drive-outs aren’t highlighted here; the Model T cruise to Buckland Automotive and the Pop / Prefect / Fordson cruise to a village pub.

Thursday Anniversary Cake Cruise This was a six-stage cruise with the first group leaving Old Warden at 10:15 am and the last at 2:30 pm. It was a quintessentially British affair involving an eight-mile drive through picturesque countryside to a village hall, to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of anniversary cake before checking out the museum. After this, participants headed back to the site, calling off at the Shuttleworth Collection with complimentary admission to wristband wearers.

Friday All Comers Cruise Organised by Grant Pinney, this involved an 11-mile drive out to the Cross Keys public house in Pulloxhill, I kid you not. As the cruisers headed out at 11.30am, there was plenty of time for them to grab some lunch and get back to the site in time for the first of the afternoon cruises at 2.30pm. Military-style precision planning, eh?

Friday ‘32 Ford Cruise A total of 32 Deuces travelled 14.5 miles to a small airfield not far from St Neots. Once parked up, by coincidence as the temperature hit 32 degrees, the cruisers were treated to a tour of the hangers and workshops, with the visit being topped off with their own private stunt display. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Pics: Chris Smith

Friday Rumble Organisers / 50th Anniversary Working Group Cruise Dave and Lesley Brown felt a thank-you cruise for the Spring Rumble organisers and anniversary working group members was in order. This was a seven-mile drive out to a country pub with the beer garden proving very inviting in the sunshine. It was greatly appreciated by all, as was the complimentary drink. Thanks, guys.

Saturday Cruise Out Saturday’s cruise was open to all and embraced a 30-mile drive out to the village of Oakley. There was a stop-off on the way, though, at the iconic Cardington Hangars. Steeped in aviation history, having become the home of Airship development in 1916, in more recent times the Hangars have been used to house film sets for epics such as Batman Begins. As the cars had already cruised down the driveway it would have been rude for drivers and passengers not to pause for a while and take advantage of countless photo opportunities. We can only thank the friendliest of security guards for allowing us that privilege. It was then back on the road to the final destination for lunch and liquid refreshment, followed by a few silly games and a charity auction. The weather, the cars and the people all did their bit to make the whole experience a memorable one.

All prices include VAT. Prices subject to change without notice. Correct at 15-3-22. E&OE. Freight extra.     

Front wings 64-68 ......... fr£170.78 Bolt & clip kit, top ............ £18.90 Splash shields 64-68 ........ fr£23.15 Rad panel 64-68 ............ fr£177.79 Front valance 64-68 ....... fr£61.70 Fr frame rails65-70 ......... fr249.67 Rr fraim rail 65-68 ....... fr£292.78                                                  HD 3cor US rad64-6........ £450.30 Rad hose kits 64-8 ............. £30.88 Heater seals 64-66 ............. £17.63 Htr plenum 64-68 .............. £25.58 Heater cable set 64-6 ......... £20.06 Heater rads 64-73 ........... fr£45.18 Htr core end caps 65-8 ...... £11.09 Therm housin 64-73 ...... fr£19.01 Shroud-fan-steel 64-6 ........ £30.59                Rack & pinion kit, manual, 65-66 ......................................... *£981.00 Power rack&pinion conv kit, 6570 inc pump .............. *fr£1423.42

V/reg inst panl 64-8 ........ fr£38.95 Park light kt 64-66pr ........ £76.90 Reverse lt kit 64-6 ............. £72.32 Numb plat lit 64-70 ........... £33.71 Indicator switch 65-6 ........ £31.30 Dipswitch 64-73 .................... £7.74                                                   Latch or lock 65-68 ....... fr£59.23 Door lk knob 64-7pr ......... fr£5.48 Chrm gromet 65-68 .......... pr£4.42 Door card clips 30........... fr£14.84  

KEY: An asterisk [*] indicates the Gold Card club price is being quoted.

Participants’ Choice: Steve Roberts, Flat Pack 40 Willys A well-deserved winner – even more as the now Chrysler-powered coupe was a sedan when Steve first bought it

Top 10 Above, from left: Nick Mellett, Kandy Apple Model A pick-up; Mark Barrett, smoothed out ’37 Chevy ½-ton pick-up; Sam Stockman, 350 Chevy-powered ‘40’s GMC COE; Scott MacKenzie, ’49 Ford Custom 2-door sedan; Keith Abrehart, small block Chevy-powered Sports coupe driven by Nigel Lockley Below, from left: Elliott Morris, ex-CC featured Ford Zephyr convertible; Mark Simkiss, ex-CC featured phantom ’37 Ford pick-up; Charlie Berry, Ford Ka engined ’56 Ford 100E Prefect; Sean Berry, ’72 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442; Clinton Wildish, ’53 GMC pick-up which also won Liberty & Lows’ Pick

Left: T Party participants voted for the Top 4 vehicles in their lineup. The winners were, from left to right, Fraser Walker’s sedan, Reg Noyce’s Modified, Trevor ‘Digger’ Gardiner’s Delivery and Michael Shepard’s C Cab which didn’t pull round for the presentation due to a lack of brakes Above: The Traders’ Pick award went to Gary McCormack for his 409ci-powered, 425hp 5 window coupe

Above left: Presented by Hannah Lack, The Shuttleworth Pick trophy went to the ’48 Chevy panel van of Chris Howell Above right: It came as no surprise when Ella Spicer collected the Best Tot Rod award for her ’32 sedan. There’s no denying tot rods have now attained a whole new level

Added Induction As is traditional at the Supernationals, the four NSRA Hall of Fame inductees announced at the previous year’s AGM were presented with their plaques and certificates:

NSRA Member: John Baldacchino, pictured with the chopped HA Viva van he built Street Rod: Tivoli Fordson, originally built by Keith Atkinson

Individual: Tony Thacker, plaque collected by John Reid Supplier / Organisation: Barry Treacy, founder of Wolfrace Wheels Pic: Andy Willsheer

Above left: Not for the first time, the Under-29 award went to Wade Nortcliffe for his ’59 Chevy Apache Acting NSRA Public Relations Offcer Keith ‘Roasty’ Elliott presents the Popstalgia award to Nigel Moore for his Pop

Another rst was the sight of the two most widely recognised Paul Bacon creations being parked up side-by-side. Based around BMW Z3 underpinnings, the bubble top Cosmotron (left) is now owned by Martin and Kathy Smith. Sitting on a modi ed 1920’s Singer chassis, meanwhile, Automatron (right) features a hand-crafted body formed in keeping with the car’s steampunk-in uenced build style. The previous Best in Britain winner is now owned by Alan Hull

A super moment at the Supernats!

Words: Olly Sack Pics: Supplied by Danny Finn

What was the highlight of the Supernats for you? The cruises, perhaps? The bands, maybe, the cars in general, or the 32nd Street Deuce display?

Whatever it was, Danny Finn and Angi Findlater can beat it. They fi rst got together about nine years ago – though for many, many years before that, they spent countless Supernats stood in the same marquees, watching the same bands at exactly the same time but completely unaware that fate would one day bring them together.

So, what better place could there have been for them to share one of life’s most memorable moments?

Danny is a veteran of countless hot rod events and no small amount of cars, too. ‘I started with American 4x4s,’ he says, ‘but have since had a Pop, ’49 Chevy pick-up, ’53 Plymouth and now a Pinto-powered ’62 Consul Classic.’

As for Angi, she was weaned on gas and went on to crew at both Shakey and Santa Pod. ‘Angi was brought up in the world of hot rodding and American cars, having been in Smoke City Wheelers since the late 70’s, and was there for the infamous chopped bus days,’ says Danny. ‘She’s owned various vehicles over the years; a multitude of Minis, Ford Pops, a ’34, a ’69 VW bus and now she has an ’82 T25 to camp in at the shows.’

With both of them turning 50 this year, and the Supernats doubling up as their summer holiday, the stage was set. ‘The Supernats was the fi rst show we went together as a couple,’ explains Danny. ‘It was by far our favourite show when we were just attendees and now we have a stall (AngelTrash jewellery), we love it even more.

‘One of our closest friends is on the committee, so we are fully aware of just how much work goes into it.’

Prior to going down on one knee, Danny arranged for Angi’s two children, Miki and Lewis, and all her family, as well as club members, various mates and fellow traders to meet up at the far side of the Demon Drone, from where they were escorted surreptitiously around the back of the couple’s stall. Then, once there were no customers in, they all appeared in a semi-circle – and out popped the ring. ‘Lots of people helped in the subterfuge, bless ‘em!’ says a very happy Danny – who, we’re pleased to relate, got the answer he was hoping for!

With all those cars between them, we can safely say it’s not often you come across such a perfectly matched couple. We’re sure the entire hot rodding community will join us in wishing Danny and Angi all the very best for the future!

Above: Not to be outdone by all the others, there was an impressive display of Ford Pops on the show field. And yes, the arse did look big on some of them… Below left: Paul Barrow’s restyled ’31 Model A sedan oozes ‘60’s cool. Another that should have featured on the list of prize winners in my book Below right: Ian Marshall went home with the UK Kustoms Pick trophy for his one-of-a-kind ’62 Rover P4

Above: Arriving too late to gain access to his spot in the Cars of Significance display, Tony Jarvis had to settle for leaving his Pop on a trailer at the bottom end of the show field. Having recently bought back the widened and flip-bodied car, Tony is about to embark on restoring it to its former glory Above centre: Donated to the cause by Chris Hay, this repro sign from the early days of Santa Pod was auctioned off in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Pictured left is the winning bidder; the Pod’s Chief Starter, Ian Marshall (right), kindly signed it for him Above right: The raffle for the original artwork for the NSRA members’ 50th anniversary T-shirt raised £537. Artist Mick Smith is pictured on the right along with a representative of the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The winning ticket was bought by Andy Crockett Right: Just some of the team who brought us all such an awesome weekend. Top job guys Pic: Laura Ayres

COOLING & CNC Fabrication

Serck Motorsoport have been manufacturing cooling systems for the custom car and drag racing market for over 40 years. Built to the highest standards in both Aluminium or Copper Brass Construction we have supplied to all levels of performance from Drag Racing to Custom Cars, Classic and Muscle Cars. We can also help you design your Cooling System from scratch with our CAD Software programs. We have recently added a new 5 Axis CNC Machine to our manufacturing department supported by the latest design software to enable us to meet your requirements for any parts machining or cooling solutions. We are also the o cial UK Distributor Setrab Oil Coolers with a huge range in stock from Di Coolers to Transmission and Engine Coolers all instock and featured on our growing website. From Colin Millars 6 Second Ford Pop to Mark Todd’s 2000hp Street Legal Aston Martin to Paul Morton’s MK1 Zephyr Zodiac and many many more we have the perfect Cooling Solution for all Custom and Race applications.

PERFORMANCE PARTS

We have over 35,000 listed parts featured on our growing web site with a huge stock for quick and e cient delivery times for over 30 high quality brands in the market today, from Race and Road Tyres, Race Wheels to Water Pumps to Nitrous Kits to Turbos to Performance Oil to Fuel Injection Systems. We have also added a full range of Clear View Oil Filtration as featured on Street Outlaws.

NITROUS

Did you know there are now 7 Nitrous Filling Stations throughout the UK plus at our site in Hayes ? You can nd them directly on our Website!!

You can also get your re lls direct at Santa Pod Raceway in the Pod Shop as well as a range of racing products from Serck Motorsport to support racers at the track. We are also appointed Nitrous Express UK Distributors and can supply all your performance requirements from Bottles to Kits to Parts direct from Stock.

RACING SERVICES

Rebuilding or Refreshing your engine ?? Consider Contamination from your Coolers!! We have a full Cooling System Micron Analysis Cleaning and Testing facility in house and can fully service your Coolers, Lines, Oil Tanks.... DOWN TO THE MICRON!

We also Flow Test, Helium Pressure Test and carry Endoscopic Inspections as well as Fin Repair keeping your cooling performance to 100% e ciency.

General Enquiries: +44 (0)20 8813 7470 Email: motorsport@serckglobal.com

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE SERCK DEALER NETWORK?

We are looking for more dealers to help distribute and supply the racers all over the UK by providing such brands as:  Setrab oil coolers

 Autometer gauges  Clear view oil lters

 Nitrous express parts and kits  Race star wheels

 Race gas  Fitech

 Brian crower

 Turbo smart

And many more. We are also looking for more Nitrous lling stations to join the Serck network to help provide Nitrous re lls across the UK Please send any dealer enquires to steven.morton@unipart.com