Anything automotive....well, almost anything.
I appreciate just about all things to do with cars. When I was a teenager, I was involved with hotting up cheap cars. Later I became involved with Street Rodding. I have also been a little involved with motor racing. These days I am involved with restored cars, but I still have a love and appreciation for all of the above. This page will show you just how diverse my interests were/are.
I appreciate just about all things to do with cars. When I was a teenager, I was involved with hotting up cheap cars. Later I became involved with Street Rodding. I have also been a little involved with motor racing. These days I am involved with restored cars, but I still have a love and appreciation for all of the above. This page will show you just how diverse my interests were/are.
The machine that started my affair with cars
Although I had grown up with cars constantly in my life, this was the car that changed it all for me. I was about 14 or 15 when I first saw the "Draggin Coupe" and it changed my ideas about cars forever. I realised then, that automotive style was an "art form" and that all things were possible. Although it became Nationally famous, the "Draggin Coupe" was built in Wagga, by Ian Bradley, at the Sturt Auto Wreckers, just around the corner from where I lived. Later it was owned by Lance Simmers who had a lease on, of all things, Dad's old "Airport Service Station" and it was there where I first saw the car. I remember clearly, that very moment, when I got the Hot Rodding bug.....and that bug still bites, after all these years. Lance made the car famous, but gave very little credit to Ian who copped a bit of a raw deal. Its been restored and re-restored several times.
The picture below shows how it looks now after its last going over. I think I like it better as it was back then.....and blue.
The picture below shows how it looks now after its last going over. I think I like it better as it was back then.....and blue.
Automotive sightseeing
Sandy and I travelled to Detroit & Dearborn again in 2017. We pretty much retraced our footsteps of 10 years ago, but added the Rouge Factory tour onto the trip. The photo above shows me standing inside Henry Fords, re-located, Bagley Ave Workshop, now in Greenfield Village next to the Quadricycle, his first car. Also in the photo is his first ever engine, the "Kitchen Sink Engine", that he fired up on Christmas day 1893, in the kitchen, while Clara was trying to prepare the family's Christmas luncheon. To the left is Sandy, pretending to lean on the fender of an early T. In case you haven't picked it yet, its a painting on a garage door at The Piquette Ave Plant. Below, we are both being "tourists" in Piquette's 1915 Model T. |
Beautiful machines....
Some of the cars I've owned...... (not in order)
* Wish I still owned, ** Really wish I still owned, *** (almost) give my right arm to own again.
'54 Mk1 Zephyr, '52 Wolseley 6/80, '28 Chrysler 65, '67 Toyota Corolla (blue),'67 Toyota Corolla (Red), '68 Fiat 125, '54 Morris Minor/Corolla, ? Morris Minor DTR, '53 Ford Prefect, '64 XM Falcon Wagon, '56 Ford Customline/Chev, MK9 Jaguar(2nd time), '79 XD Ford Fairmont Ghia, '56 FJ Holden/186, '5? Morris J Van/MGA, '61 Ford Anglia/1500GT, '68 Mini Cooper MkII, '64 Mini 850, '49 Hillman Minx, '55 Triumph Herald Convertible, '49 Armstrong Siddley Whitley, '68 Buckle Toyota Corolla (Green), '39 Chevrolet Sports Coupe/427, '39 Chev Sports Coupe, '68 Toyota Corolla, '81 253V8 Holden Torana, '81 Volvo 244GL, '54 Chev 210 sedan/302, '79 Holden Commodore SLE, '71 P6B Rover 3.5, '? Chrysler Sigma wagon/2.6, '78 Mini LS, '? Toyota Corona wagon, '82 KA Laser Ghia, '68 Series I XJ6 Jaguar/308/lpg, '?EA Falcon GL, '? Seat Toledo, '98 Holden Vectra wagon, '84 Toyota Lite Ace diesel Van, Triumph Trident 750.
* '? MGA roadster , '? Mk9 Jaguar ,(1st time)
** '? Ford Escort Twin Cam (early), '68 Chev Impala Pillarless Hardtop, '65 Mk1 Cortina GT , '? Renault 750,
*** '68 HK 327 GTS Monaro. Body #00044
I still own the following.....
2021 Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S, 2007 VW Caddy, '55 Ford Zephyr Mk1, '21 Ford model T tourer, '75 Triumph Dolomite Sprint, 1915 Ford T Laurel Underslung SPEEDSTER.
* Wish I still owned, ** Really wish I still owned, *** (almost) give my right arm to own again.
'54 Mk1 Zephyr, '52 Wolseley 6/80, '28 Chrysler 65, '67 Toyota Corolla (blue),'67 Toyota Corolla (Red), '68 Fiat 125, '54 Morris Minor/Corolla, ? Morris Minor DTR, '53 Ford Prefect, '64 XM Falcon Wagon, '56 Ford Customline/Chev, MK9 Jaguar(2nd time), '79 XD Ford Fairmont Ghia, '56 FJ Holden/186, '5? Morris J Van/MGA, '61 Ford Anglia/1500GT, '68 Mini Cooper MkII, '64 Mini 850, '49 Hillman Minx, '55 Triumph Herald Convertible, '49 Armstrong Siddley Whitley, '68 Buckle Toyota Corolla (Green), '39 Chevrolet Sports Coupe/427, '39 Chev Sports Coupe, '68 Toyota Corolla, '81 253V8 Holden Torana, '81 Volvo 244GL, '54 Chev 210 sedan/302, '79 Holden Commodore SLE, '71 P6B Rover 3.5, '? Chrysler Sigma wagon/2.6, '78 Mini LS, '? Toyota Corona wagon, '82 KA Laser Ghia, '68 Series I XJ6 Jaguar/308/lpg, '?EA Falcon GL, '? Seat Toledo, '98 Holden Vectra wagon, '84 Toyota Lite Ace diesel Van, Triumph Trident 750.
* '? MGA roadster , '? Mk9 Jaguar ,(1st time)
** '? Ford Escort Twin Cam (early), '68 Chev Impala Pillarless Hardtop, '65 Mk1 Cortina GT , '? Renault 750,
*** '68 HK 327 GTS Monaro. Body #00044
I still own the following.....
2021 Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S, 2007 VW Caddy, '55 Ford Zephyr Mk1, '21 Ford model T tourer, '75 Triumph Dolomite Sprint, 1915 Ford T Laurel Underslung SPEEDSTER.
This was the first car I had ever done an engine swap to. 1954 Morris Minor. I removed the tired old A series engine and fitted a 1077cc Toyota Corolla engine and gearbox. It took me about 2 weeks, but it made the car into a reliable, economical and even keeping its original rear axle, a fairly fast car. I used Austin Healy Sprite wheels and front Disc brakes. It was originally my sister, Beth's. She was nursing in Canberra and needed a more reliable car to get back and forth so I swapped my Fiat 125 sedan for it. A mate and I ended up making 3 separate swaps of Corolla slant 4 engines into Morries. We did the last one in 2 days.
LADY AMY......1956 FJ Holden.
I bought it from Doug Wayne in Wagga about 1974. It was originally owned by Lady Amy Sutton of Suttons Motors, hence the Rego plates. Doug was a brilliant mechanic who had subtly modified the car to make it into a real "sleeper" It could lay rubber for 66 feet, from both wheels on dry bitumen. The reason....it had a 186S motor with an XU1 head, triple SU's, headers etc etc. Vauxhall Cresta bits in the Gearbox and a Limited Slip Diff centre in the original FJ housing. It was lowered with widened rims on the original centers. I sold it to a RAAF apprentice who wrote it off in an accident that removed the front of the car. Sad.
These are the only shots I can find of one of the best cars I have ever owned.
Its a '68 Chev Impala Pillar-less Hardtop.
Bog Stock 327/powerglide, but repainted in its original colour, lowered in the front and with 8" Ansen mags all round....A really nice car, another good one I let get away, unfortunately.
#44.....
Just after I arrived at HMAS Albatross, (1976) I found a very original 1968 327 HK Holden GTS Monaro for sale in the local Holden dealers, Chas Tierney Holden. It was a pretty steep $2,700 that I had to pay for it, but I bought it anyway. It turns out that it was body number 44, one of the first few made in order for GMH to qualify them to race at Bathurst.
A few years later, when expecting a family, I sold it to a young guy who was desperately wanting to get into high performance stuff. He paid the princely sum of $4,500 for it and went about modifying it and thereby ruining its unique originality. Sadly, he ended up coming to grief in it by hitting a tree at high speed on Albatross Rd. Destroyed both himself and the car.
It was Warwick Yellow with light tan trim and I would gladly sell all of my cars to own this one again in the state that you see it in these pics. Current value would be about $175 - 250,000.
The photo at left is just after I'd bought it and still lived aboard HMAS Albatross. It still has its Dunlop Aquajets and mudflaps attached. Evidence of some minor bodywork just under the right of the rear bumper.
Above is after I had owned it for a few months. Sandy and I lived in Bomaderry by now and the muflaps had gone along with the Aquasquirts, which had been replaced with the T/A's.
Below is a pic of #44 with Sandys brand new Mini LS outside our first place of residence, in Bomaderry.
At bottom is a photo of the two HK Monaro's Sandy and I used as our wedding cars.
Ron Timms' Red Taxi and Terry Webbers incredibly fast blue beast. These two cars were driven all the way out to Wagga for the event and then home to Nowra without fault. On todays prices, I'd hate to have paid their fuel bills.
A few years later, when expecting a family, I sold it to a young guy who was desperately wanting to get into high performance stuff. He paid the princely sum of $4,500 for it and went about modifying it and thereby ruining its unique originality. Sadly, he ended up coming to grief in it by hitting a tree at high speed on Albatross Rd. Destroyed both himself and the car.
It was Warwick Yellow with light tan trim and I would gladly sell all of my cars to own this one again in the state that you see it in these pics. Current value would be about $175 - 250,000.
The photo at left is just after I'd bought it and still lived aboard HMAS Albatross. It still has its Dunlop Aquajets and mudflaps attached. Evidence of some minor bodywork just under the right of the rear bumper.
Above is after I had owned it for a few months. Sandy and I lived in Bomaderry by now and the muflaps had gone along with the Aquasquirts, which had been replaced with the T/A's.
Below is a pic of #44 with Sandys brand new Mini LS outside our first place of residence, in Bomaderry.
At bottom is a photo of the two HK Monaro's Sandy and I used as our wedding cars.
Ron Timms' Red Taxi and Terry Webbers incredibly fast blue beast. These two cars were driven all the way out to Wagga for the event and then home to Nowra without fault. On todays prices, I'd hate to have paid their fuel bills.
Others I've owned.....
Although they're not of my cars, the following images are of exact make & models of cars that I have owned in the past.
There's a fast & classy Fiat 125 Special and a cute Renault 750. The Ford Anglia I owned had the motor, gearbox diff centre, front struts and disc brakes from a 1500 GT Cortina. It could GO. The early Escort twin cam was a goodun too, but the Mk9 Jaguar was so good, I actually owned the car twice. A concourse car the 1st time, I bought it years later after it had been left almost abandoned under a big old peppercorn tree at Coolamon...in a sorry state. I gave up trying to restore it due to the high cost of Jaguar parts back then and sold it on. Regarding the cost of Jag parts, it seems like nothing's changed, even after 40 years.
Although they're not of my cars, the following images are of exact make & models of cars that I have owned in the past.
There's a fast & classy Fiat 125 Special and a cute Renault 750. The Ford Anglia I owned had the motor, gearbox diff centre, front struts and disc brakes from a 1500 GT Cortina. It could GO. The early Escort twin cam was a goodun too, but the Mk9 Jaguar was so good, I actually owned the car twice. A concourse car the 1st time, I bought it years later after it had been left almost abandoned under a big old peppercorn tree at Coolamon...in a sorry state. I gave up trying to restore it due to the high cost of Jaguar parts back then and sold it on. Regarding the cost of Jag parts, it seems like nothing's changed, even after 40 years.
I mentioned above that I once owned a 1961 Ford Anglia running a Cortina 1500GT engine and gearbox.
It didn't have an engine when I bought it, so I had my mate Ross Vidler build one up from a wreck he had. It ended up being a real hotty.....too hot in fact, but I was too young to know and thought it was really cool. It had a huge amount removed from the head, was over-bored further than it needed to be and ran a massive, high lift, long duration camshaft, the tag for which is on the right. "Big Daddy" Eddie Thomas ground it. He was the first man to open a "Speed Shop" in Australia and pioneered drag racing here too. |