Custom Car December 2025 by Assignment Media Ltd

Southern Belle

Clint Wildish’s Deep South Kustoms-built ‘49 Chevy – the big winner at this year’s Supernats

PLUS Further award-winning metal in the shape of Paul Tresidder’s superbly detailed F-100 – and from over the Pond, Coby Gewertz’s love-it-or-hate-it Ganahl-built ‘34

News & reviews

What a score

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Julian Hunt, Vic Peel, Harry Hamm, Richard Hair

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Step back to 2005, when, working as a mechanical engineer, Adrian Smith was offered the opportunity to restore a Flathead V8-powered race car. So, after 17 years on the clock in a variety of factories, and having already built a good number of magazine-featured vehicles, he decided it was worth the gamble to follow his passion.

Based just outside Bedford, Adrian opened the doors to Buckland Automotive Engineering for the first time in 2005. He enthusiastically told us: “Here we are 20 years later, feeling lucky to have worked with a great mix of customers that enabled me to build or work on some amazing cars. I have never looked back. I’m still learning every day, striving to make each job better than the last with a great team alongside me. Thank you to all our customers, past and present, as we keep doing what we love.”

Buckland Automotive Engineering is a one-stop shop for all hot rod and classic race car work. The company offers custom-built chassis, suspension work, engine swaps and full restoration services. “We will turn your dream into a reality or complete that project you have started,” Adrian continued. “Contact us with your requirements and we will get your wheels in motion.” www.bucklandautomotive.com

Small but punchy

This 3-in-1 Mini Ratchet from Laser Tools is half the size yet offers triple the function. Tough enough for workshop use, compact enough for the glovebox, the ratchet is a seriously versatile and high-quality tool. At just 155mm in length, it packs a punch with a 90-tooth, reversible ratchet mechanism and three interchangeable, quick-release drive adaptors stored neatly in the handle. Whether you’re working with 1/4 or 3/8 inch drive sockets or using ¼ inch hex screwdriver bits, it has you covered. www.lasertools.co.uk

News & reviews Something for the weekend?

Scientriﬃc

A last-minute shout-out for the NSRA Northern Swap Meet. The date is Sunday 26 October and the venue is Magna Science Centre, Sheﬃ eld Road, Rotherham S60 1DK. Get your hands on those parts you need to get you through the winter hibernation or just go along to catch up with friends. Either way, it’s a great way to spend a Sunday.

www.nsra.org.uk

National classic

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show runs from 7-9 November at the NEC Birmingham. Thousands of cars and bikes will be on display, along with 310 car clubs in attendance. In addition to the display vehicles, there’s the legendary autojumble, specialist traders, vehicle auctions and talks and Q&A sessions with industry experts. Advance admission tickets are available online until midnight on Thursday 6 November, and tickets will also be available at the door during the show’s opening hours. www.necclassicmotorshow.com

Grand donation

Acme Rods ruled supreme at last year’s Surrey Street Rodders Grand Quiz, donating their winnings to The Wildlife Aid Foundation. The question is, who will be walking away with the £1000 prize to give to the charity of their choice this year?

The Grand Quiz is just that, a thousand-pound prize pot to give to the registered charity of your choice. Put a team of up to 4 people together and get along to Elstead Cricket Pavilion (Thursley Road, Elstead, Godalming GU8 6DU) on Saturday 22 November 2025 and answer the most questions correctly in a pub-style quiz to topple last year’s winners. The entrance fee is £20 per team to cover costs, nibbles and hot drinks

will be included, and the pavilion bar will be open for more exotic drinks.

The dulcet tones of Quiz Master John Price will start the ball rolling at 7.30pm for a fun evening to help the Surrey Street Rodders give away some of the money raised from Wheels Day. No mobile phones allowed (you’ll be lucky if you can get a signal anyway), and you must bring the details of your registered charity with you to declare if you win.

Please email whiffsmith@ hotmail.co.uk with your team’s name and chosen charity as soon as possible, as there is a limit on the number permitted in the clubhouse.

The winners will be presented with a cheque for £1000, made

Drip dry

It’s no secret that many old vehicles tend to have a leak at times. This stainless steel drip tray may be just what you need to avoid any embarrassing situations, such as your car marking its territory when on display at an indoor show. It’s also great for keeping your garage ﬂoor clean, and it is deep enough to be used for degreasing parts. The tray measures 60x40cm and is priced at £17.82 including VAT. www.minispares.com

payable to their nominated charity, at the end of the quiz evening, on the condition that the registered charity details are authentic (headed note paper) and can be verified via the online GOV.UK charity register. The Surrey Street Rodders’ decision on the winners will be final. Surrey Street Rodders hope to see you there – and also at Wheels Day 2026, which has been confirmed for Good Friday, 3 April, once again at Newbury Showground. Visit the Surrey Street Rodders Facebook page for more information.

Rapturous

Congratulations to Lee Bates and the Raptor Fuel Altered team for running a record-setting 5.890 / 218.03 at the Hot Rod Drags in September. The run saw Raptor become the ﬁrst Fuel Altered into the 5.8s in Europe. A top job by all involved.

Arty calendar

Drag racing artist Paul Whitehouse has his 2026 calendar available to order now. The limited-edition calendar is A3 in size, and each one will be numbered and signed. The vehicles depicted include Nick Davies’ No Quarter, Ian Merryweather’s Banzai and Laurent Levi’s Mercury Comet. The calendars are priced at £26 plus £8.95 P&P and can be ordered through the Paul Whitehouse Art social media sites.

Neatly braided

The Connect Braided Fabric Heat-Shrink Sleeving Master Kit provides a simple solution for protecting and tidying wiring looms, hoses and battery cabling. It looks the part, too. Supplied in a plastic storage case, the kit includes 5 x 2 metre lengths of braided heatshrink sleeve: 12 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm, 60 mm, and 80 mm – and a butane hot-air gun. Top-up sleeve packs are available in all sizes. The sleeving is easy to apply and shrinks to a snug fit for a tidy, factory-style appearance. www.connect-consumables.co.uk

30B, The Raylor Centre, James Street, York YO10 3DW, England

News & reviews

Feeling moody

Details are sketchy at present, but it has been conﬁrmed that In the Mood, presenting Wings & Wheels, will be staged on Saturday 18 July at the Doncaster Aircraft Museum.

Facebook: Mick Tebbs (exhibitor enquiries) / Les Andrews (trader enquiries)

Sand stormers

Dates have been announced for a couple of sand racing meets in 2026.

Organised by Straightliners, the Pendine Speed Weekend is on 2-3 May at Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire.

straightliners.events/events/ pendine-2026/ In addition, the Race the Waves Beach Race Weekend will be back in Bridlington, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, on 10-13 September.

www.backﬁreinfo.weebly. com

On tracks

The ﬁ rst of the 2026 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws race dates is 12 April, at the Silverstone GP. It’s then on to the British Truck Racing Championship at Thruxton on 16-17 May, followed by Speedfest at Brands Hatch on 6-7 June. Also in June is the Donington Park GP on 27-28, and then comes the Snetterton 300 US Show on 25-26 July.

Oulton Park is the venue on 22 August for the US Autoshow, with the series returning to

Tubular cuts

This Ratcheting Tube Cutter is a heavy-duty, one-handed pipe cutter designed for steel, copper, and plastic pipes. Its ratchet mechanism makes cutting effortless, even in restricted access areas, on pipes from 31 to 65mm in diameter with a wall thickness of up to 1.5mm.

Deuces and more

The British Motor Museum in Gaydon will once again play host to Deuce Day in 2026. The date is Sunday 19 July and the day will again be part of the Old Ford Rally. Tickets are not yet on sale, but we will let you know when they are available.

For those planning to travel to the event the day before,

Brands Hatch for the GP on 19-20 September. www.berniesv8s.com

Minimal effort is needed for fast, precise cuts, even when the pipe is in situ. www.lasertools.co.uk

Ashes to ashes

It wasn’t just his house and possessions that Luke Karosi lost when his family home burned down. As editor and publisher of KUSTOMS Illustrated, most of the magazine’s back issues, database, photos, and ﬁ les also perished. It’s therefore no surprise that after 22 years, Luke has called it a day with the magazine. “I knew eventually it would come to an end,” he commented, “but I had no idea it would be in this manner.”

Saturday’s Deuce Day HQ will be at The King’s Head in Wellesbourne, which is also the overnight stay of choice. Space is limited, though, so book early. The now-famous pre-Deuce Day dinner on Saturday night will again be happening and, for those arriving early afternoon, the

organisers are looking into some added activities. More info will be announced later but visit the Deuces of Britain website for accommodation suggestions (including on-site camping), directions and places of interest nearby.

www.deucesofbritain.co.uk/ deuce-day

Family Business

When Clint

Wildish embarked on this ‘49

Chevy project, he knew exactly the style he wanted and who was going to build it for him

Clint Wildish left the 2022 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals with more than he arrived with: a Top Ten trophy and the Liberty & Lows’ Pick award. They were awarded to his ’53 GMC pick-up, which had been built by Burnham Autos with most of the work being completed by Jay Andrews. For a number of reasons, the pick-up

slipped off our radar at the time, but that oversight will be corrected in the not-toodistant future.

We will bring things up to date in this issue, however, and take a close look at the ’49 Chevy Clint drove to this year’s Supernats. He went one better on this occasion and went home having collected the coveted Participants’ Choice trophy.

“With my business having become full on, I got into cars to provide me with some downtime,” Clint revealed. “I admit I didn’t know much about the hot rod and custom scene back then, and when looking for someone to build the pick-up for me, the name Burnham Autos was suggested. I’d never heard of them but they were local, so I gave them a try. Maybe because I was

Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Alan Kidd

learning the ropes, the truck was built in stages, with it organically growing along the way. I’m really happy with how it turned out, but there was another itch I really needed to scratch.

“I’d gotten into watching American TV programs like Bitchin’ Rides with Kindig Customs. The more I watched, the more I knew I needed a sled in my life.” That

aspiration became a reality a couple of years ago when Clint came across an ad on the Custom & Unusual Cars For Sale UK Facebook site. It was for a ’49 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe lowrider with juiced suspension. Undoubtedly a nice car in its day, it was in a sorry state when Clint got his hands on it. That wasn’t a problem, though, as he had plans for it. Big plans as

it turned out. Clint had struck up a strong friendship with Jay Andrews during and after the build of his pick-up. Since those times, Jay, who had clocked up around 25 years’ service at Burnhams, had ventured out on his own and set up Deep South Kustoms in Margate, and Clint’s plans for the Chevy centred around that being who would build it.

Family matters

“In my eye, the car is one of the ugliest ever as stock, but one of the nicest when chopped,” Clint elaborated. “I’d decided that if I went all out on the build, it would give Jay the recognition he deserves. I simply couldn’t stand the sight of the car, though, so the day it arrived in 2023, along with my son Cruz, I got stuck in and helped Jay make a start on the chop.”

While that may sound like a gung-ho approach, it wasn’t something that was done on a whim. The Chevy was to be Clint’s vision, transformed into reality by Jay, so the pair discussed ideas and

formulated a plan. Essentially, while the car had to look the part, it also had to be a totally usable form of transport for the Wildish family. That interprets as carrying Clint and his wife, Rhia, up front, with kids Cruz and Dolcie in the rear and the family caravan hooked on the back. With the initial build being completed in Clint’s garage, the project was relocated to Deep South Kustoms workshop in its later stages.

passenger compartment ﬂoor pans had been ﬁtted so badly I had to cut them out and reweld them.

Then, of course, there was the roof chop. I chopped a lot of cars during my time at Burnhams, many of which were featured in Custom Car, and there’s no doubt this was one of the hardest I’ve ever done.”

Whilst the Chevy had seen better days, Jay told us the body wasn’t too bad. “The lower three-quarter panels were crusty, the doors needed attention, the boot ﬂoor was non-existent and the replacement

What a dipstick

Clint had a mega result when it came to sourcing his engine of choice for the project, a Chevy LS1. However it wasn’t just the engine he bought, as the Triumph Stag it had been ﬁtted in was part of the

Right: The fully restored dash is home to a direct replacement RTX gauge from Dakota Digital, which monitors speed, revs, battery condition, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. A CarPlay screen pops up from the padded dashboard top, providing Clint with modern technology such as satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. The Gennie Shifter with a ‘50s mic knob is more old school, and the aftermarket tilt steering column is topped off with a polished Double Barrel wheel from Forever Sharp in California. Creature comforts include cup holders built into the front seat and the rear armrests, and air conditioning courtesy of Vintage Air

Far right: The fully trimmed boot is home to the air ride tank, along with a space saver spare wheel from The Wheel Shop, which came complete with a tool kit and jack

Vinnie the Alpaca gives the Chevy the once-over. New glass all round was supplied by Smudge at Site Glass Southern in Rochester, and the door handles have been shaved and replaced with remote-controlled poppers

“One of the ugliest ever as stock, but one of the nicest when chopped”

Pure opulence is the only way to describe the Chevy’s interior. Starting with just the frame for the front bench seat, Keith Andrew worked his magic and created a sumptuous haven for all the family. To complete the trimming, 7 hides of Bright Red leather from the Yarwood Leathers Style range passed through Keith’s sewing machine

The 18-inch diameter wheels are JBW Flat Boy Smoothies, with Jay having altered the offset on the rears by around 1½ inches. The rims are ﬁtted with Spider caps, and are wrapped in specialorder, low-proﬁle whitewalls sourced through North Hants Tyres

Sled hammer

The Chevy

as it arrived at

…somewhat of an ugly duckling in his eyes 4. 5.

…before Jay started cutting the pillars and roof

The angle grinder removed 4 inches from the height of the A-pillars…

With the rear ‘screen surround laid down, it sat proud of the stock boot lid. That whiteboard on the wall behind lists a very long list of jobs to be done

That meant the inner boot lid framework needed modifying too

The new floor was completely covered with Easigear sound-deadening material

…with the rear of the roof losing a couple more inches for good measure

That meant it was hammer time, with Cruz helping remove the paint…

The roof was cut off along the body line, then re-attached, and the sides folded in…

After pie cutting and shutting, the upper boot lid return was welded in place

Thanks to the non-existent boot floor, the rear axle installation is clearly visible…

Left: The bottom half of the driver’s door skin was beyond repair, so Jay cut it off

…with fresh steel added as necessary to achieve to correct flow of the roof line

Major work was needed to reform the boot lid, with the outer skin being cut into 15 pieces to get the shape right

…until a new floor was fabricated and welded into place, 1½ inches higher than the original to clear the fuel tank mounted beneath it

Right: Before reskinning, sheet steel was formed to replace the rotten sections of the inner door frames of both doors 16.

lowrider

Clint’s house…

COMING FROM A CALIFORNIA PRIVATE COLLECTION SOME OF THE LOWEST PRODUCTION MUSCLE CARS FROM THE GOLDEN DAYS OF HORSEPOWER WARS

1969 PONTIAC TRANS AM

$175,000

Here’s one you will not ﬁnd everyday the original trans am, 400ci ramair, 4 speed manual, matching numbers nut and bolt rotisserie restoration, one year only model with a mere 570 built with a 4 speed manual gearbox ﬂawless condition throughout zero miles since restoration.

california collection and another documented rotisserie nut and bolt restoration of a genuine rustfree car fully documented with Marti report, previous history/ownership, zero miles since restoration.

1956 CHEVY CORVETTE - $150,000

Flawless body o restoration of this two top dual quad manual gearbox 56 vette, arrow straight black coachwork with silver coves, step inside the cabin to ﬁnd the stunning red interior , show quality car ready for route 66 .

Usa spec lhd car, if you like patina look no further the New Mexico sun has created a natural patina that cannot be fabricated, all new braking system from master cylinder to drum , new clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, rebuilt fuel pump and carb, gas tank out cleaned and reinstalled, its on the button running driving, excellent original chrome very solid car as you would expect from a dry american state, radial tyres on stock wheels have plenty of tread but are old and should be replaced.

Here a restored harley servicar that in a former life cruised the streets of San Francisco rescuing sfpd cruisers and issuing citations, on the button electric start , original metal shin guards included original Motorola two radio and mic .recently restored in poly gas station colours to resemble the american version of the once seen everywhere in the uk RAC and AA motorbike/ sidecars.

Fully loaded ragtop 265ci/auto, p/s,p/b, p/w p/seat p/top ﬂawless condition inside & out, original convertible owners handbook, restored to perfection and ready to cruise ﬁrst year if the iconic small block chevy that went on to power many a street racer and still doing it today.

ﬁller cap from Hagan Street Rod Necessities was ﬁtted in the nearside rear wing

“This was one of the hardest I’ve ever done”

package. The disillusioned owner was selling it as the recently installed crate engine was making an unidentiﬁed ticking noise.

Although somewhat sceptical, Clint had faith in Jay, who instantly told him he knew what was causing the noise and could easily rectify it. Jay’s diagnosis was spot on: with the Stag having been bought at the right price, he ﬁtted a new dipstick and switched the modiﬁed housing for a standard one, and the ticking instantly went away. Seems the housing had been cut down and bent due to clearance issues, pushing the dipstick over towards the crank and generating the noise. The Stag was sold on minus engine and trans’ and Clint was a happy man.

Along with the engine installation, Jay installed a Heidts Mustang 2-based front suspension and a 10-bolt Chevy rear axle with triangulated 4-bar location. To achieve the laying frame stance Clint insisted on, air bags were fitted on each corner, controlled by an Air Lift Performance 3H Management System. The Chevy was wired using a Down to Earth Auto Electrics harness and, as an aid to long-range cruising, a 120-litre custom ali fuel tank was fitted under the boot floor.

We asked Jay for his take on his ﬁrst full build since going it alone. “It was incredible. Clint was so on the ball with supplying parts, and it was hard work

The front end metalwork has been reworked to enable ﬁtment of the repro ’54 Chevy grille, with extra teeth, and bumper. Check out the pic of how the car looked originally and you’ll appreciate the amount of work that went into ﬁtting them

Fresh steel was welded in place to renew the driver’s door outer skin

Left: In true Sled fashion, all welded joints were lead loaded

The Ford Shoebox rear lights were frenched into the bodywork

Meanwhile, Keith was tackling the interior. Sculpted foam was added to the original seat frame…

Sculpted foam was then added to the wooden base

Above: A ﬂush-ﬁtting pop-up fuel

The bottom rear corners of the three-quarter panels were repaired, and Jay modiﬁed the latches on the aftermarket fender skirts for tyre clearance

With the body mods completed, work began on prepping the metalwork for paint

…while a wooden base was formed for the non-existent rear seat

hide;

keeping up with him at times. The whole family was great to work with. Cruz helped out with the chop and Rhia did some of the lead loading on the rear panel.” Rhia also played a major role when it came to the ﬁnishing touches, as she had the ﬁnal say when it came to colour choices, both inside and out. “She nailed it,” Clint enthused, and we tend to agree with him.

In keeping with the family ethos of the build, there was only one person on Jay’s radar when it came to the Chevy’s interior: his dad, Keith Andrews, despite him having technically retired. Keith’s name will ring a bell with many readers, as he’s garnered quite a pedigree in our scene over the years,

having worked on both Hot Car and Street Machine magazines up to the mid-’80s. He subsequently worked at Burnham Autos for almost two decades, and throughout it all ran his upholstery business, The Trim Factory. Quite a pedigree, then.

On the rack

The Supernats in August was the Chevy’s ﬁrst real outing, but it wasn’t all plain sailing, as Clint explained. “The day before, I noticed a leak from the steering rack, and it was suggested that one of those stopleak products would ﬁx it. For some reason, it had quite the opposite effect, with the rack pretty much exploding. Being the

“The whole family was great to work with”

man he is, Jay made up an alternative rack from parts he had in his workshop. With that ﬁtted, the Chevy towed the caravan to Biggleswade and back with no issues.

“I was so glad we made it that weekend,” Clint enthused. “The reaction to the car was amazing, and the comments were great, with the Chevy affectionately becoming known as the Show Gangster. As if that wasn’t enough, it went on and won the top prize. I never expected that. Since then, it’s only been used locally to iron out any bugs. It does drive great, though, and I’m really impressed with the work Jay has done. He’s now ﬁtted a brand-new steering rack, and it’s so responsive with a great

turning circle. The car has all mod cons, making it a pleasure to drive, and it stops on a sixpence. Then, of course, there’s the interior. It’s a masterpiece that oozes luxury.

“I’ve no plans to change anything, but I have another itch that needs scratching. Cars have become a big part of my kids’ lives. I gave the truck to Cruz for his 17th birthday, so it’s only right that Dolcie gets treated the same when she’s old enough. That may be the Chevy or something else. My next build will be another pick-up, but it won’t be anything like the previous one. It needs to be family-friendly, remember.”

We already have another visit planned. Chances are it won’t be the last… CC

“Massive thanks to Jay and his dad, Keith. Also to Cruz and Dolcie, and, of course, Rhia. She did an amazing job choosing the colours.”

Rhia thinks the Chevy is the only satin-ﬁnished car to win Participants’ Choice at the Supernats. We’ve checked back and agree with her. Just for the record, the colour is Land Rover Carpathian Satin Grey, painted by Lenham Classics and Sports Cars in Bredgar, Sittingbourne

There’s another repro ’54 Chevy bumper on the rear, together with a pair of frenched ’50 Ford Shoebox lights mounted vertically. The number plate has been frenched, and hidden away out of sight is the mount for a detachable towbar with a 13-pin hookup

Internally, the 2006 turn-key LS1 engine has been left as bought. Jay did fabricate the custom covers from sheet steel, though, together with the stainless steel exhaust system with cross-over pipe and QTP cut-outs. Transmission is a 4160E 4-speed automatic

Clint, on the right, with Jay, and the two builds already under their belts. The question now is what will be joining those rides in the Wildish stable?

49ers

Following adverse weather in recent years, it was high time that the Kings Lynn Kruisers struck lucky with the weather for their annual Extravaganza. And that’s just what happened at the end of July.

The weekend followed its traditional chilled-out format, with a Saturday cruise and socialising in the village hall. Word is that the chilling out may have involved alcohol, but that could just be hearsay.

■ Words and pics: Dave Biggadyke

The Extravaganza really came to life on Sunday, no doubt helped by the sunshine. I don’t know if there was an actual record number of vehicles on show but if there wasn’t, it must have been very close. The field was rammed.

For me, the attraction is the diversity of the exhibits. The show isn’t genrespecific and hot rods rub shoulders with classics, commercials with American cars, modern-day muscle cars with VWs and

more besides. Added attractions include an autojumble, trade stalls, food outlets, live music and even an open-top bus with a licensed bar downstairs.

The show closes with the traditional raffle draw, closely followed by prizegiving. It is during the presentations that the diversity of exhibits is so apparent. The first car to pull round in front of the lorry trailer stage was an American classic dating from the ‘30s,

Keeping the ‘70s alive, Ian Budd brought along the Temple Island Rolls Royce with murals by the legendary Ray Mumford

Fenderless Pops not only stand out in a crowd, they also provide impromptu seats when the need arises

Lorraine Bond pulls round to collect the Top Ten award for the ’56 Chevy owned by her and husband Steve. It wasn’t the only ’56 winning such an award, as Ian Holman received one as well

Under the bonnet of Nang Piper’s ’63 GMC Suburban Carryall is a 305ci V6. The 8-seater family wagon took the silverware for best KLK car

Look beyond the race car livery on Donna Quarrington’s ’49 Oldsmobile 88 and you’ll find some subtle custom touches

Above: Clean and uncluttered, the gorgeous lines of Ian Rattan’s ’34 coupe flow effortlessly in the sunshine

followed by a humble British commercial built in 1968, and then came a brace of Tri-Chevys. The day certainly offers something for all tastes.

The KLK members did a stellar job, both with the pre-event organisation and the on-the-day running of the show. All involved deserve a pat on the back. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the weekend, and that promises to be a very special event indeed.

Having bought it in the UK, Robin and Linda Cook endeavoured to find out the US history of their ’73 Roadrunner. Linda’s doggedness eventually tracked down the family who owned the highspec 400-4 barrel / TorqueFlite auto’ from new

has a 325bhp 6.4-litre V8 under the bonnet and has been owned by the same family in the UK since 1978

You wait for ages for an Austin hot rod then two come along at once. This diminutive British tin pairing dates back to 1932 on the left, with a 1938 update next to it

Ryan Dearing’s understated ’69 Bedford CA sleeper was on the list of Top Ten winners come prizegiving

Dave Driver’s been attending shows in his ’61 Vauxhall Victor for more years than I care to remember. The car still turns heads, though, and Dave was awarded a Top Ten trophy

It’s taken some time to sort it, but the shoot on Steve Elliot’s Old Iron Fordson is in the bag, so we’ll be bringing you the story on this KLK Top Ten winner in the near future

Check out the unusual front grille and bumper on this ’54 Ford F100 pick-up. Did you notice the twin headlamps as well?

’59 Cadillac Sedan DeVille

Power for Bill Wittkopp’s Jago-bodied Model B sedan is provided by a Ford V6

The Extravaganza was the first time we’d come across Barry Ashton’s ’32 pick-up, and we were impressed. So were the people from Wisbech Engineering as they selected it as their pick of the show

Andy Harvey’s nosed and decked ’50 GMC pick-up. Note the custom frenched headlights

ex-CC featured

This clean-looking ‘34 sedan had a for sale sign in the windshield. Reportedly, the asking price is £28k, which makes it a good buy in our book

Hansell’s

Another Jago-bodied hot rod. Bomber and Mary Stevenson cruised over in their Model A coupe

Best of Show honours went the way of

More British tin, this time a chopped more-door ’33 Hillman sedan

The

Plum Crazy Fordson was Mel Garrard’s ride of choice

Alan

Auburn Cord 810 was

Now living in the locale, Tracy Chantrey came along in the ’38 Willys pick-up he acquired from Alan Mearns

Glen Jones’ impeccable ’58 Chevy Apache pick-up

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 carburetor manifold, & ignition control.

That may be the name of his hot rod club but it also neatly sums up Paul Tresidder’s F-100, rebuilt by a tight-knit group of the West Country’s ﬁnest

Proper Cornish cruiser

Words: Mike Pye Pics: Alan Kidd Thanks to: Macsalvors Ltd in Redruth for the photo location

It’s always interesting to hear what people who own our kind of cars do to put food on the table, and when someone tells you they run their own business and work 24/7 you immediately form an impression of the sort of person they are. Hard working for a start. A bit of honesty goes a long way, too.

“The only thing I can take credit for on this truck is that everything you see is my choice, or my input.” Those commendably frank words came fairly early on in a very enjoyable conversation with Paul Tresidder, the owner of this ’54 F-100, and they neatly sum up the process that has brought it from an up and together modiﬁed Ford pick-up truck to one that scoops up trophies wherever it goes.

“I wasn’t even going to show it. That didn’t concern me,” continues Paul. “I bought it because I’ve always wanted an old pick up. And I didn’t think the one I bought was a project. How wrong was I!”

With the glorious beneﬁt of hindsight, Paul admits he should have perhaps paid more heed to the wise words of his old Cornish pal, Treve Flamank: “If you’re going to buy one, make sure you buy one with a front clip in it.”

“I didn’t,” he laughs.

Cracking up

That minor oversight, coupled with a terrifying experience less than a month after buying it when the caravan he was towing on the M4 overtook him, led him to do a

No air ride, no adjustable coilovers, just a good old static drop via a Mustang II-style front clip and de-arched leaf springs in the rear. It looks as cool as you like at this ride height but must keep Paul on his toes navigating the Cornish back roads

more thorough investigation of the truck he’d bought through Facebook Marketplace. More correctly, it led him to local hot rodder Paul Finch, who swiftly diagnosed the issue as a badly cracked chassis.

“They said just put a front clip in it and that’ll sort it,” remembers Paul of the encouraging comments made by his Proper Cornish Cruiser club mates. “I thought we could just weld the cracks up and I’d be back on the road, but one thing led to another and it turned into a three and a half to four year restoration.”

Now, if you’ve seen pictures of this truck when it was up for sale a few years ago, you might be thinking it hasn’t changed much.

It’s the same colour, it’s got the same 351 Cleveland motor and, from a distance at least, it does look kinda similar. But go in for a closer look and you’ll see just about everything has been changed. If it hasn’t been changed, or subtly modified, it’s been rebuilt. It’s just then been repainted the same colour it was before.

A Herculean effort by Paul, the consequence of a problem with the truck’s differential, saw him achieve his goal of taking the truck to this year’s NSRA Fun Run at St. Ives Bay in Cornwall. A pleasantly local event for Paul, when he’s more used to spending the best part of a day driving to shows.

Bonnet has been converted to front opening with a readily available tilt flip kit. These are supposed to make engine access easier, but we suspect they’re primarily fitted for the wow factor at shows

Showing out

“I couldn’t believe it. It won Best of Show and Best Commercial there, and Keith from the NSRA told me I should take it to the Supernationals. I really wasn’t sure, that’s the best of the best there, but I was about to leave for home on the Sunday when someone put a sticker on the car saying I’d won a trophy and could I stay for prizegiving.

“I ended up getting home at 2.30 in the morning. That was a long drive, but I was very chuffed to have been given a Top 10 trophy.”

We’ll gloss over the aborted trip to the Retro Festival in Newbury that same

The 351 Cleveland mill was in the truck when Paul bought it, the old 233ci straight six having been kicked out in Arizona where the truck was first modified. Paul’s had it refreshed, with a slightly higher lift cam, tubular headers and an Edelbrock 750 in place of the old 600cfm carb. He then topped it off with those milled no-name valve covers and a Holley finned air filter

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“We spent a whole day on the computer looking at all the different wheel options… And then you’ve got to have a steering wheel that matches”

weekend, which saw Paul get within 20 miles of his destination, with caravan in tow, only to have the battery fail due to a loose connection. After a further AA-induced error and a painfully lengthy relay back to Cornwall, he unhitched the caravan, threw a tent in the back and drove all the way back to the Supernats, with Paul Finch following as his wingman. Heroes both.

A really great part of this story, though, is that all the work on the truck was done within a three-mile radius of Paul’s house. That’s all the chassis and mechanical work, the paint job and the interior. An impressive

feat if you lived in a major town, let alone a bike ride from Land’s End. “It shows there is talent in Cornwall,” laughs Paul, referring to the excellent work done by the Reed Brothers in Redruth (paint), Derek Smith (interior, now retired) and Paul Finch (just about everything else).

So, what has been done? Well, Paul – the other Paul that is – wasn’t about to just MIG blast cracks in the chassis, so the cab and bed came off for a proper inspection. That led to a full strip down so the frame could be repaired properly and boxed for strength. Not wanting to take any chances, the 351

Proving just how big the ’arches are on these trucks, they easily swallow the 8 x 20 and 10 x 20 Rocket Racing Booster Hyper

are distinctly non-commercial spec 245/45-20 and 275/40-20 Toyo

Shots. Tyres

Proxes Sport

“I didn’t think the one I bought was a project. How wrong was I”

The bumpers have been ditched and the front and rear roll pans integrated into the body, the front one incorporating running lights and the recessed number plate. LED projector headlights are something of a Marmite touch, but there’s no denying they improve visibility after dark

Everywhere you look there are neat little touches, like the moulded ’37 Ford passenger car tail lights with no wiring visible. That was a bit of a theme throughout the truck – smooth and simple, though achieving that is anything but simple. Note also how the bottom of the stake pockets have been curved and blended into the bed sides

Cleveland and C4 auto’ ’box came out for a check over and refresh, along with everything in between and up to the LSD-equipped 9-inch Ford axle in the back.

Cool air

It was at the front end that the most signiﬁcant change occurred. Heeding the wise words of Mr. Flamank, the old I-beam and leaf springs combination was given the heave ho and replaced by the ubiquitous Mustang II front clip, along with its attendant power-assisted rack and pinion steering and a set of disc brakes. There’s no air ride to complicate matters but there is a Vintage Air air conditioning system to make those long journeys up from the West Country more pleasant in the summer.

Good old fashioned leaf packs remain the springing medium at the rear, though they’re new, de-arched ones that take about a foot out of the ride height so the truck sits nice and level with the pavement. More disc brakes come into play when the big pedal is pushed, with assistance from an underﬂoor servo, and the whole combination makes for an inﬁnitely improved driving experience over the set-up that was under there when Paul bought the truck.

Such was the scale of the project that at one point Paul asked Paul just to bang it all back together, he’d had enough. He even went as far as buying another truck at one point as he felt he was missing out on all the action his fellow Proper Cornish Cruisers were participating in. “I picked up a Chevy 3100 so I had something to drive around in while this one was being done. In the back of my mind I was thinking I’d do another full build with that one, but then I sat back and looked at what I’d spent so far on the Ford and got rid of that one again pretty quick!

“I’ll be honest, if I’d known what I was getting into, I’d just have had the chassis repaired and left it as it was, but once they had the cab and bed off, it just seemed like the right thing to do. But when you’re paying for work by the hour it doesn’t half add up quick.”

Piece offering

Speak to anyone who builds or restores cars for a living and they’ll tell you the same thing. It’s not the big jobs that take the time, it’s the little jobs the customers don’t immediately notice. The one-piece windows in the doors of Paul’s truck are a perfect example. There’s probably a kit available but

chances are it’ll be ‘universal’, which means it fits all but none very well.

Having gone down the smoothing route on the body, Paul wanted the smooth look with the glass too, and that seemingly small job took weeks of work, every part of the motorised mechanisms having to be designed, checked, made and checked again to ensure the windows purr up and down smoothly at the touch of a button without interfering with the solenoids that are in there to pop the doors at the touch of another button. Let’s just say I doubt Paul would want to do it again. Either Paul.

Talking of buttons, you might notice there is no ignition key. Instead, there’s a push button starter. There’s also an electric handbrake. Another button. “I just wanted to make the truck unique to me,” says Paul. “There’s probably about four other F-100s that turn up to our club meets but none of them are quite like mine is now.”

Another change on Paul’s watch is the rolling stock. “We spent a whole day on the computer looking at all the different wheel options before I decided on these,” Paul recalls. “And then you’ve got to have a steering wheel that matches them, or at least as close as we could get.”

The bed area is super smooth and perfectly painted, with only the mini tubs to accommodate the 10 x 20-inch rear wheels breaking the glass-like surface. New varnished bed wood and stainless division strips set the paintwork off a treat. Check the neat reflectors nestled in the ends of the rolled bed sides

When it came to the biggest decision of all – what colour to paint it – Paul told us that it was an easy one. “My mates kept asking me what colour I was going to paint it, whether it was going to have flames on it, but we kept it under wraps until it was done. Flames aren’t for me, I think they’re

dated and I liked the colour it was, so I stuck with that.” It’s a Rolls-Royce metallic blue, if you’re wondering.

Hide and seek

The interior, on the other hand, bears no resemblance to what was in the truck

when Paul bought it. Wanting something a little more comfortable than an old bench, Derek Smith rustled up a pair of Saab seats, stripped them down, removed the headrests, re-padded them and trimmed them in Pauls’ choice of grey leathers, incorporating Ford logos and a whole bunch of diamonds as he went along.

The headliner is unlike anything you’ll ﬁnd in a stock Ford commercial vehicle, yet it’s perfectly in keeping here, the sumptuous leather backed up by niceties such as a Flaming River tilt column, Dakota Digital gauges and a Kenwood Bluetooth head unit.

“I’ve basically just modernised it. It was an old tank before and it’s a pleasure to drive now. It’s not a modern vehicle; it doesn’t drive like one, it’s still a bit bumpy, but that’s my fault because we’ve lowered it so much and it’s still on leaf springs at the rear, but it’s genuinely an absolute pleasure to drive. And the comments it gets from people of all ages as you drive by; that gives you the satisfaction you were looking to achieve.

“I don’t build cars. I’m a builder. But I’ve learnt a lot over the last three or four years by going in daily and seeing what’s been done. I probably got on their nerves a bit, truth be told, but we’ve become really good friends over the course of the build and it gave me the opportunity to see what was going into it.

“The amount of work something like this takes is unbelievable. I remember when the body was primed and ready for paint, they couldn’t get the wings to line up perfectly. It turned out the cab was slightly on the piss to one side. It was only an eighth of an inch out, but that was enough. When it was shifted over, everything lined up as it should, but strewth.”

Presumably, then, I tentatively suggest to Paul as our conversation draws towards a close, you’re not looking to build another car? “I’d really like a ’69 Camaro,” comes the immediate response. “In fact, I’m going to Vegas next year. I might ﬁnd something I like while I’m over there…” CC

“I thought we could just weld the cracks up and I’d be back on the road…”

of those

you

to keep coming back to as there

This

one

vehicles

have

are

many subtle modiﬁcations, though the character of the original 1954 design still stands proud. Panel ﬁt and paint was never like this off the production line, and the full shave really emphasises the superb bodywork done by Paul Finch and Reed Brothers in Redruth

The centre console was made in MDF ﬁrst and incorporates the push button starter, dual cup holders, control unit for the Vintage Air Sureﬁt Series a/c and a Kenwood DMX digital media receiver with Bluetooth connectivity

Below: For the full wraparound effect, Paul had local man Derek Smith continue the full leather jacket up the B-posts and into the headlining. Even the sun visors are hide clad. Poor cow

Left: The billet half-wrap, three-spoke steering wheel was chosen to blend seamlessly with the leather and polished Flaming River tilt steering column with column shift function. Behind that sits a Dakota Digital VHX series gauge cluster with LCD message centre. Spec one of these right and you can get built in performance meters, such as 0-60 time, quarter mile and trap speed, high rpm recall and more. They’re quite the piece of kit

Interior centres around a pair of cut down Saab recliners that have been re-padded and trimmed in two-tone grey leather, with double stitched diamond inserts

Trophy trap

Paul may not have set out to build a trophy truck but he’s loving the attention it gets now. First time out at this year’s NSRA Fun Run, it was awarded a double whammy of Best in Show and Best Commercial. After that unexpected but well-deserved success, he moved heaven and earth to drive the truck to the Supernats and was rewarded with a Top 10 crystal.

“I never thought I’d stand a chance there as the quality of so many of the other cars was out of this world, so I was really chuffed – and a little bit surprised – to win that one. It deﬁnitely made all the grief I went through to get there worthwhile.”

Coby Gewertz, owner of the famous Van Go Econoline, wanted his next project to be inspired by the drag cars he grew up with. And when he got ace builder Bill Ganahl on the case, his vision took on cartoon proportions

Words & Pics: Stephan Szantai

Most people agree that hot rods and custom cars are part engineering, part art.

The connection is obvious in vehicles like lowriders, with their elaborate paintwork and chrome details morphing them into rolling masterpieces, though the same could be said of the wild kustoms of the 60s – an era when some cars weren’t even built to be driven, merely looked at.

Southern California’s Coby Gewertz certainly shares this perspective. With a background in art, he carved out a successful career as a graphic designer which saw him producing movie posters for a Hollywood studio, among other projects. He’s also the creator of the pocket book Church, a collection of his automotive photography that highlights bold colours and designs.

Coby is no stranger to Custom Car, largely due to Van Go, his 1963 Ford Econoline – the guest of honour at Mooneyes’ 2017 Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. The van’s terrific build was brought to life with the help of designer, artist and skilled craftsman Tim Conder, who contributed to its Larry Watsoninspired paint scheme.

The ’34 was already a show star when it was part built and not yet in paint. Ironically, there are probably people who preferred it then to how it is now

The green van still resides in Coby’s garage today, though now it keeps company with his latest project car. This is already familiar enough to most of us, having appeared in a number of show reports since making its debut a couple of years ago at the ’23 Grand National Roadster Show, and

And here’s how it was presented on its full debut at the ’23 Grand National Roadster Show. Coby and Bill handed out barf bags to anybody who acted like they might need one…

it’s one of those cars you tend to form an opinion about at first sight. But let’s take a second glance too. It’s worth it…

Bold comfort

Obviously, however much time you spend looking at Coby’s ’34 Ford coupe, its bold

“Throughout his childhood, Coby spent countless weekends on and around dragstrips”

paint scheme will remain the centre of attention. But why did he want to go to such extremes with the colours?

The story takes you all the way back to Coby’s childhood. His dad, Bob Gewertz, was highly involved in drag racing through the 1970s and ’80s as a flag starter, a Top Fuel racer and an NHRA employee. What this means is that throughout his childhood, Coby spent countless weekends on and around dragstrips – leading him to

appreciate the exciting graphics he saw on so many of the rails, floppers and other racecars he saw there.

So he set out to create a hot rod inspired by the quarter-milers of his youth, with daring colours, a monster Hemi motor and an aggressive stance. And so was born his coupe, which he christened Saint Christopher after the patron saint of travellers.

The same Tim Conder who helped create Van Go was called upon once again to

in black vinyl by

with a nod to the work

the

features padded classroom chairs (really) and a bank of Stewart

Above an Empi pedal assembly is a Mooneyes wheel on the end of a long column supported by a triangulated frame

participate in the project. Work moved at a slow pace, however, as building such a hot rod is obviously costly. So much so, in fact, that Coby eventually ran out of funds and had to reconsider his options.

With the ’34 back home, Coby gave himself some time to think about how he could finish it. Eventually, he met respected builder and fabricator Bill Ganahl of South City Rod and Custom, who understood the approach he wanted to take. Bill was

The Empi box looks after the brake and clutch pedals, while a Moon pedal gives it gas

A T5 manual box from Modern Driveline is operated by a Hurst stick. Topping it off, a St Christopher medallion refers to the car’s name – and to the patron saint of travellers

Trimmed

Chris Plante Interiors,

of Tony Nancy,

cabin

Warner gauges.

Mickey Thompson valve covers are a bit of a rarity. The Chrysler engine also features a Joe Hunt magneto and Enderle injector stacks, having been converted to EFI by Autotrend.

Coby’s original plan, which was to use a fully dressed SBC, went out the window when he was offered a 331ci Rob McKray Hemi. The engine is set back in true drag-car style, though not so much that it’ll take up valuable space in the cabin. Even so, the final row of stacks is tucked right up to the scuttle panel

onboard to, as he describes it, “build a cartoon on wheels.”

First thing he suggested was that Coby should have the coupe’s shell sandblasted. This turned out to be a good idea, as the metal proved tired, very tired.

What to do…? Well, Coby decided to find another original steel body in better shape, ultimately striking a deal with Mike Wolfe from the American Pickers TV show.

A pocket full

While he was doing that, Bill and his crew were busy building a custom frame to accommodate a dropped tube axle and Posies leaf spring, complemented with Pete and Jakes tube shocks. Getting the necessary road clearance was of the utmost importance, leading to the use of modified

’46 Ford wishbones and a Vega steering box. In the back, the set-up employs ladder bars and a chromed Ford 9-inch rear end suspended with Aldan coil-over shocks.

Now, a hot rod inspired by drag racing calls for appropriate wheels – and what better wheels than magnesium 15x4 and 16x10 Halibrands? Dressed in House of Kolor Ice Green and gold, plus pearl and mini-flakes, these are shod with 145-15 Michelin radials and Towel City cheater slicks respectively.

Under the hood, Coby originally envisioned the car with a small block Chevy V8 dressed in a variety of magnesium parts. But when he was offered a vintage 331ci Hemi assembled by Rob McKray, that was simply too good an opportunty to pass up. The Chrysler unit features rare M/T

(Mickey Thompson) valve covers, a Joe Hunt magneto and Enderle injector stacks. Converted to EFI by Autotrend, it proved easy to tune for street use.

Set back engines have been a staple of drag racing, which explains the V8’s position in the ’34. Actually, Tim had wanted to get it even further back, however Coby realised that this would result in the cockpit becoming too cramped.

Bill therefore moved the Hemi slightly forward, with two stacks still residing just in front of the windshield. The eight zoomie pipes poking through the front fenders are another nod to Funny Car dragsters.

Stay cool

What about the Hemi’s cooling system? To keep the engine bay uncluttered, the Ron

What were we saying about Coby having grown up around dragstrips? It doesn’t get much more Funny Car than this on a street machine

The ’34 grille is correct for the car. Behind it, you can see the detail in the paintwork here. Gold, brown, bronze and orange hues from House of Kolor are keylined in gold leaf, expertly applied by Eric Reyes

Also behind the grille, in a manner of speaking, is a Moon Equipped fuel tank. Above it is the space where Coby fits a pair of headlamps, if he’s going to need them

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“A hot rod inspired by drag racing calls for appropriate wheels –and what better than 15x4 and 16x10 magnesium Halibrands?”

Davis-built aluminium unit cooled by fans hides in the back behind the apron.

Coby foresaw the chassis with an auto transmission but changed his mind as it was nearing completion. It now features a fivespeed T5 gearbox from Modern Driveline, topped with a Hurst shifter and a Saint Christopher knob made by Lucky Burton.

Looks-wise, even without paint the coupe would be a tuff rod. Its aggressive appearance comes courtesy of a heavily chopped top, with four inches sliced in the front and 3.5 in the back. We love its stance now, with its extended front fenders along with the trimmed rear fenders and apron.

Bill and his team additionally created the one-off hood, firewall and cowl. Notice the Corvette taillights on both sides of the trunk, punched full of louvres and featuring

Corvette tail lights are mounted to either side of the boot lid – which was louvred with the same enthusiasm as the roof

Magnesium Halibrands measuring 15x4 and 16x10, finished in House of Kolor Ice Green and gold, are wrapped in 145-15 Michelin radials up front and Towel City cheater slicks out back

Bobby Walden louvred the roof, which must have taken him a while. Beneath it (below), a sheet of red Plexiglass makes things interesting in the cabin

rounded corners. Very subtle. The car lacks headlights, as you can see, though Coby can quickly mount a pair behind the ‘34 grille.

Still in bare metal, the vehicle made its first appearance at the 2019 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. Visitors loved it, bombarding Coby with questions – a favourite being “will you be able to drive it on the street?”

While looking fantastic without a drop of paint, however, the project still required a ton of work.

The agony of choice

If truth be told, even though he knew it needed to celebrate the 1960s and ’70s dragsters, Coby agonised about the way he should paint the car. With the help of Bill and Joe Compani of Compani Color, he went back and forth with multiple ideas, ultimately settling on angle vertical stripes –

quite a challenge considering the curvature of the various panels. The paint uses rich House of Kolor hues (gold, brown, bronze and orange), enhanced by gold leaf stripes applied by Eric Reyes.

While the exterior is very colourful, the cockpit features all-black vinyl by Chris Plante Interiors, inspired by the work of upholstery king Tony Nancy. Coby sits in a nicely padded classroom chair (!) and faces a series of Stewart Warner gauges. Mooneyes supplied the throttle pedal and steering wheel, with the long steering column supported by a simple triangulated frame. Check out the Empi pedal assembly, along with the red Plexiglass insert under the steel roof insert punched full of louvers by Bobby Walden.

It took five years for the crew at South City Rod and Custom to complete the car, which was finally unveiled at the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show. Coby and

Coby still owns Van Go, his world-famous ’63 Econoline which is no stranger to these pages. Between it and his ’34, he’s got what must be one of the best two-car garages anywhere

Bill knew the paint job would be a subject of contention, so they handed out barf bags, with a friendly smile of course, to whoever felt he or she needed one.

The coupe is far from being a trailer queen. In fact, Coby doesn’t have a trailer. But to prove the vehicle’s roadworthiness, he and Bill entered it in Goodguys’ Hot Rod of the Year competition in Nashville, Tennessee. This required participating in a 150-mile reliability run and making a pass on a local dragstrip – and Saint Christopher performed very well. So much so that it was named Hot Rod of the Year.

The fun wasn’t over yet, as Hot Rod magazine also elected the car as their Top Pick for the “Hot Rod Top 10 Cars of 2023”.

Despite the controversy surrounding Coby’s coupe, we should be thankful to him for crafting a rod that challenges the norms of our hobby. Who knows, it may even inspire others to take the road less travelled. CC

Pic: Coby Gewertz

“Despite the controversy surrounding Coby’s coupe, we should be thankful to him for crafting a rod that challenges the norms”

Coby took the ’34 to Hot Rod of the Year ﬁrst time out and, after proving its mettle with a 150-mile reliability run and a pass on a Nashville dragstrip, went home with the overall title. Not bad for a “cartoon on wheels…”

Taken with the beneﬁt of some proper sunshine, this picture shows how the House of Kolor paints and gold leaf really pop. It’s controversial – but it’s bold as hell

Eight ballers

■ Words: Dave Biggadyke ■ Pics:

MPH Drags #3 descended upon Deenethorpe Airfield, near Corby, Northants, on the first weekend in July. The gates opened at midday on Friday, with scrutineering taking place throughout the afternoon in readiness for the track opening the following morning. The day was rounded off with music from DJ Strops Hop and a

live performance by Howlin’ Ric and The Rocketeers.

A drivers’ briefing for the 100 entered to race was held first thing Saturday, followed by eighth-mile flag-start grudge racing from 10am through to 4pm, save for a lunch break around noon. The evening then provided plenty of time for bench racing and bragging rights, along with DJ Ray Newe and live

sounds from The Hicksville Bombers and Lobo Jones and the Rhythm Hounds.

More of the same was planned for Sunday, with grudge racing scheduled from 10.30am through to 4pm. Sadly, however, the weather gods took a hand and rain stopped play, save for a brief session just after 11am. Although the surface was still wet, everyone was running on street tyres and

Tog for Eurodragster.com

In this particular family affair battle of the Detonators Race Division Team belly tanks, Ollie Geis gets the drop on Tom

Pete Ayres put this early-style rail together in a few short weeks. Power comes from a ’34 Model AA 4 banger with a Roof 101 head and a Firth Speedparts blower

Pete’s 30 Model A was also at Deenethorpe, either being driven in anger by Ben Barnett or doubling up as a tow car

Hotrod Tich travelled down from Scotland to run his 5-window Deuce

a few took to the track with no persuasion needed. The one exception, and running on slicks, was the Charles Bang Special, which made for a unique photo opportunity.

Once again, the organisers nailed it, with everyone who took part having nothing but praise for the event. Also, once again, Tog was on hand to capture the action, so here’s a look at just some of what happened.

Nic Rossano gets the ’32 grille shell on his ’31 roadster ahead of the one on Tom Hill’s ’30 coupe

Nigel Payne was smoking his roadster’s tyres off the line on every run

Andy Hooper takes to the track in his ’32 roadster

Chris Peters was one of the drivers offering passenger rides over the eighth mile. Proof that two does go into one heavily channelled A coupe

The latest incarnation of Brian Watson’s ’33 coupe features some heavy-duty pinstriping

Passenger posing when hitching a ride in Steve Newey’s Flatheadpowered pick-up

Spencer Parkin’s coupe ahead of Jean Duncan

Another ’32 roadster, but this time one with fenders. A few weeks earlier, John Grant was running in Street Weekend. How different an event that was!

Wait’s big block-powered ’39 Ford running against Rob Firth’s Flatheadpowered Model A pick-up

With its perfect stance and so much more, James Bull’s chopped ’32 sedan fits in perfectly at an event such as the MPH Drags

New life was breathed into the 95-yearold 4-pot banger in Anthony Jones’ roadster a few months ago, thanks to the Rob Firth-supplied blower

Right: Originally built in the ‘60s and still running strong today, Gavin Meanley was one of the limited number of drivers to run on Sunday, and despite the damp conditions he put on a great show in the Flatheadpowered Charles Bang Special

The side exit exhaust on Darren Straker’s fenderless Pop doesn’t provide much in the way of ground clearance

the

of their ’32

Nick

Bev Tyrell shares

driving

roadster with husband Rob

Power for Ben Barnett’s ex-CC featured ’28 Model A sedan comes from a 1989cc Ford Focus ST170 engine

At least the passenger in Nigel Gibbs’ ’28 Model A Speedster is looking in the right direction

Steve Newport Hall’s Deuce runs a Mercury Flathead

Mark Fox on a run in the historic Chinese Bandit Topolino, which was featured in Popular Hot Rodding magazine in 1965. The car is jointly owned by Aaron Haywood, with the pair sharing driving duties

As a change from wheel-standing launches in his Model Y at Santa Pod, Andy Park was running his 5-window Model A over the

Dan Tuttle braves the moist track on Sunday in his roadster pick-up

Nick Eyles running his ’35 Ford sedan in the damp on Sunday

Another Model A sedan; this ’31 is owned by Gary Denham

Tara Harvey in her ’41 Ford pick-up. The Flathead engine is fitted with Edelbrock heads and twin Strombergs

Another former CC feature car. Melissa Gee was running the family small block-powered ’32 pick-up

Wayne Allman’s ’29 Model A sedan has just enough menacing rubber protruding from the rear wings

Richard Parker’s ex-CC featured Flathead-powered ’32 roadster

John Kellett was running his roadster on a different set of wheels from those fitted a year ago

MPH weekend

SoCal

Diaries

Former Custom Car editor

Tony Thacker lives in California these days, and this month he’s been racing on the beach in Denmark

All ro(a)ds lead to Rømø

Racing on the sand at Rømø has been on my bucket list since Peter Stevens rst took me in 2022. And this year, thanks to Peter, Nick Davies at I.C.E. Automotive Racing Engines and Clive Prew at Stromberg Speed Parts, I’m delighted to have managed it.

Thanks to John Reid and Kingstown Shipping, I was able to get my Lil’ Shitter barn nd across the Atlantic, where Classicline handled the insurance.

From there, we ferried across to Holland and convoyed with Phil Wells, Jamie Taylor and Stefan Marjoram up to Denmark for a great day of 1/8-mile drag racing on the sand. It was an epic adventure and well worth the e ort.

For further info check out RømøMotorFestival.dk.

McLaren F1 designer Peter Stevens was part of our Brit team and managed 85.35kpm in his Alexander-headed banger. Look out for a full feature on this historic racer in a forthcoming issue

Left: There were plenty of bangerpowered roadsters, including this one from the team of Daniel and Rikke Marslev-Jensen. It ran 70.89kph

Far left: Are two bangers better than one? Ask Ralf Muller, who owns the 7.2-litre Ballard Special. It ran 77.6kph – not as fast as one might hope

Clive Prew at Stromberg loaned us his ‘55 Pontiac wagon to haul Lil’ Shitter the 700 miles from Holland to Rømø. Big Poncho pulled like a train

Without doubt one of the nicest cars was Kent Vicmo’s A-V8. It was overall fastest, too, with a speed of 101.92kph. A well deserved win

Despite driving what looked a tad like a giant aluminium shoe, Jens Pedersen managed a speed of 90.65kpm and placed 11th overall

Sporting the iconic aces and eights logo, this nice Edelbrock-equipped ‘30-31 went 88.97kph in the hands of Michael Gra y

Last year’s winner at Rømø was Dan Walther in this Chevy roadster. He managed only 75.34kph on this occasion, however, putting him well down the eld

Left: Looking happy, Mike Johansson wheeled the koolest early NASCARstyle coupe to a speed of 71.14kph

Dõrthe and Ivar Pieper raced this nice banger-powered ‘30-31 coupe and reached a speed of 60.69kph. Thankfully, they did not need the AA

‘At Rømø, you race whoever you want and here I’m in line with Mari Lindblom from Sweden. She kicked my butt with a speed of 97.77kph

I love these European modi ed Fords. This ‘37 drop-side roadster was

This is the view most people get of Peter Stevens’ Alexander-powered Model T Speedster

Mattel Hot Wheels designer and Brit Craig Callum ew in from Los Angeles but sadly Old Red’s ywheel separated from the crank before he even made a run

raced by Hans Christian Möller, who attained a speed of 86.6kph

Participants are encouraged to dress in period-style motoring gear. On the left is Johanna Müller with her 1936 Riley 12/4, who pushed it to 60.83kph

Henry Van Uden stands in line with his nicely detailed banger-powered belly tank, which he eventually took to 77.48kph

Brits Phil Wells and Jamie Taylor drove Phil’s Burtz-engined banger T all the way from Norfolk and managed a 77.3kph terminal

Rømø is as much a lifestyle event as it is a race, with 30,000-plus people coming from all over Europe in the wildest array of rides

One of my faves is the wild and crazy twinstovebolt roadster of Peter Larsson and Johan Karlsson, which achieved a top speed of 90.57kpm and looked great doing it

Van

Riding in the rain Out & About

Words: Olly Sack

Pics: Alan Kidd

Event: Lay’N’Play Lowrider Night

Date: 20 September 2025

Venue: Great Northern Classic, Derby

Lowriders don’t appear as frequently in Custom Car as maybe they should. There are differences between lowriding and hot rodding (you just have to listen to their respective musical soundtracks to see that), but in the art of taking a tired old car and making it cool, they’re cut from the same cloth. The combination of mechanical mods and great paint is one we all appreciate, after all.

This was the background to Lay’N’Play’s new Lowrider Night, held at Great Northern Classics in Derby on a wet September Saturday. The venue is close to CC Towers, so we bought our tickets and went along as paying punters… only to find that we couldn’t resist the opportunity to give the event some coverage.

The lowrider community has been well represented at a good many car shows down the years – but this was the first time it had had an event all of its own. In the words of Lay’N’Play’s Pete Blackhurst, ‘a 25 year long dream come true.’

Pete started Lay’N’Play eleven years ago with the aim of working within and

on behalf of the UK lowrider community, giving people a central hub for all things lowriding and acting as an outlet to promote the scene to a worldwide audience via social media. You’ll find them at UK Lowriding on Facebook and laynplay_ uk on Instagram.

‘With Los Angeles as its birthplace,’ he says, ‘lowriding has spread its wings far and wide. Japan, Australia and even New Zealand are all recognised as outposts of worldwide lowrider culture – and with the impact of social media, it’s not surprising that lowriding has cropped up in even more surprising corners of the world. Even Eastern Bloc vehicles such as the Gaz

These are is the classic images of lowriding – Simon Davison hops his ’87 Buick Regal…

Three very different approaches to paintwork on display with Sol Archer’s Honda Civic EF sedan and in the background, Chris Atter’s ’72 Lincoln MkIV and Lee Rudkin’s ’63 Impala

Volga have been seen getting the lowrider treatment in Russia!

‘Lowriders could be found in the UK as long as 40-plus years ago. But thanks to some significant growth over the past 25 years, it now has a community with an estimated 100-150 cars ranging from traditional ‘Bombs’ (cars from the 1930s to the 1950s) all the way up to Euro and minitruck style cars from the 1990s and 2000s. It’s a tight-knit group with small pockets of clubs and solo riders dotted around every region from Scotland down to Cornwall.’

As with the rest of the customising scene, Pete stresses that the lowrider

community has a ‘build what you’ve got’ mentality. And there’s absolutely no snobbery about how much money you can put into building a vehicle: ‘while most aspire to be driving 60’s Impalas,’ he says, ‘it’s important to understand that many don’t have 60’s Impala budgets.’ It’s this level of inclusivity that has been the foundation of the scene’s growth – an individual’s commitment matters more than their choice of vehicle.

‘Put simply,’ says Pete, ‘if you’re cool and want to lowride, it doesn’t matter what your ride is. Go back 25 years and it was entirely normal to find lowrider Datsuns, Mercedes and classic Fords at events and

between the covers of your favourite custom car magazine. And that mentality remains – only those with bigger budgets also now reside within the community, meaning 80k Impalas can be found parked with Hondas, Nissans and even Jaguars.’ Again, just like the hot rod scene.

And this diversity of vehicles was very much in evidence at Great Northern Classics, a venue chosen for the central location that made it ideal for a national event. The weather didn’t play ball, with a series of downpours during the afternoon to remind everyone that we definitely weren’t in LA, but a the day wore on the cloud started to break up and there was

Adam and Josh Giblins 1979 Datsun Laurel parked on three alongside Mark Cornish’s ’63 Chevy Bel Air wagon

The modern Beemer in the background is pretty low, but all eyes here will be on Chris Atter’s ’72 Lincoln. Built in the early 90s’, it’s possibly the earliest surviving lowrider still on the road today

Richard Harrison’s ’66 Buick Riviera shows its award-winning paintwork beneath an outer skin of raindrops

…and Umer Jamil twists his ’79 Oldsmobile Cutlass on to three wheels

even a bleary sunset to enjoy as the cars did their thing to a thumping soundtrack of West Coast hip-hop from the DJ booth. And anyway, the rain didn’t keep the cars away, with the UK lowrider community turning up in all its variety for the public to witness. As Pete puts it, ‘where else can you find a 1963 Chevrolet Impala on display with a Fiat Panda that can drive with one back wheel off the ground, all while sporting small diameter chrome wire wheels and hydraulic suspension!’

Just as lowriding is a small but well represented corner of the overall custom car world, it has multiple sub-cultures of its own. You can always expect a small but eclectic group of cars to be strutting their stuff at events like the Retro Rides Weekender at Goodwood and Rollhard at Bicester Heritage – and with its own show, of course, the scene turned out in strong numbers with a stunning variety of vehicles. Cars from the US, Britain and Japan were parked at wild angles outside (when they weren’t hopping and bouncing for the crowds), while under cover there was a fine display of superbly presented lowrider bikes to augment Great Northern Classic’s own collection of noteworthy motors from down the ages.

‘Having been part of the community for most of the 25 years since what many consider as the golden age of UK lowriding,’ says Pete, ‘I try to help continue the legacy built by the likes of Iain Sheriff at Max Hydraulics and the original members of Unity and Lo-Rdz Lowrider car clubs. The Lay’N’Play brand has developed from a hobby to my day job, importing kits and parts from Hoppo’s Hydraulics in LA so that cars can be built, serviced and maintained here in the UK.

‘We also speak to events organisers, promotors, music video and TV producers when lowriders are required for hire.’

And now Lay’N’Play has a show of its own, too – and one which it intends to make annual. ‘I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Custom Car for attending (unannounced!), all those who came along with or without lowriders, our hosts at Great Northern Classic and the sponsors Mile Deep, Danger Sign, Superfly and Mr Cartoon for their help with awards and promotion.

‘Lowriding in the UK is here to stay. We continue to grow – and if you’d like to get involved, we’d love you to get in touch! Next year, the 2026 show will be bigger and better – and hopefully drier!’

According to the pre-event chat on social media, Roy Samuel’s 1983 Nissan 720Y is the only bed-dancing pick-up in the UK. Sounds like an opportunity for someone to build a unique postwar truck…

We didn’t get the name of the lad who was pulling tricks with this RC lowrider, but all the kids who came to the show went home wanting one for Christmas

Kieran Carnwell’s ’65 Bel Air takes pride of place atop the steps at Great Northern Classic, with Jahmel Williams’ ’95 Jaguar XJ flying the flag for British motors in the foreground

You won’t see many 1983 Fiat Pandas in Custom Car, but then there aren’t many like Keith Askew’s

Jack Smith’s ’89 Chevy Caprice was getting loads of attention

There must be something in Yorkshire water, other than what’s good for brewing a cuppa. It’s an element that makes hot rodders look outside the box and create something unique

PROGRESS REPORT: PART 2

Part one of this series of progress reports covered the story behind the build and also briefly delved into the progress made in the early stages. Changes of direction were highlighted, which inevitably proved to be factors in slowing down the process. Let’s face it, the need to fabricate an entirely new body would put the brakes on any build, let alone changing it from a coupe to a Woodie at the eleventh hour.

That is all in the past, however, and with Steve Cook and his partner in grime, Graham Slater, having settled on a deﬁnite path, steady progress was being made. It’s fair to say the car being built is not strictly the Cruella de Vil-style Atlantis A1 that Steve bought as the base vehicle. It does, however, still have the same rolling chassis, sort of, and the original Atlantis bonnet top and sides, along with the grille shell, have

been retained. Albeit modiﬁed to better suit the faux Woodie body.

The body was formed from polystyrene sheet covered in polyurethane foam which, once properly cured, was cut and shaped using basic tools such as a wood hand saw, a hacksaw blade, a razor blade in a scraper handle, a wire brush and 40-grit sandpaper. Steve told us the shaping process created thousands of mini polystyrene particles, especially the very effective wire brush method. Static attracted those particles to clothing like iron ﬁlings to a magnet, causing plenty of anguish should Steve not manage to brush them all off before venturing inside the house. Potential domestic issues aside, though, creating the body proved very rewarding.

This time round, we take a look at what lies behind the skin of that one-of-a-kind body. But ﬁrst, we need to backtrack to what lies beneath that.

We previously made a cursory reference to the 18mm ply ﬂoor, but there is far more to it than a sheet of wood cut to size. With the driver’s seat mocked up, a bulkhead was formed around the box section hoop…

Words: Dave Biggadyke

Pics: Steve Cook

…with the plywood being fashioned to form contoured edges. There are no straight-edged joints to be seen here

Sheets of plastic cut into strips were used to form the transmission tunnel. The strips were heated with a hot air gun and bent into shape, then covered in masking tape and ﬁbreglass mat

A return edge for the top of the windscreen aperture was formed from a strip of plastic bonded into place and securely clamped until cured. The process was then repeated on the bottom edge and sides

The rear ﬂoor was angled to compensate for the downwards slope of the chassis rails, ensuring the MGB petrol tank set into it sits level. Steve has reservations that the tank may prove too small for lengthy journeys

The steel rims were intended for use on a Land Rover, but Steve had other ideas. He wanted less back spacing, though, so the grinder was ﬁred up…

The ﬁnished tunnel was then removed and the plastic former discarded, with the masking tape acting as a release agent, before being secured back in place

Last month, we pictured the body shape being formed from polystyrene sheet covered in polyurethane foam. With the windows then cut out, the extent of the internal wooden bracing is clearly visible

With the outline of the doors marked out and Steve’s 31-inch-tall tyres of choice mocked up in place, plywood templates of the front and rear wings were cut to shape. These were then to be transferred to polystyrene sheet, but ﬁrst the wheels and tyres needed to be ﬁtted

…and the welds securing the wheel centres were ground off. The centres were then professionally repositioned 50mm further inwards and welded in place. Smooth steel discs were laser cut and welded on to give the wheels the look of Detroit Steels – although that would change at a later date

Sculpted strips of polystyrene sheet were bonded to the tailgate and sides to form what will become the faux wood on the carw

With tyres ﬁtted, the modiﬁed wheels were bolted on and polystyrene sheet was cut to shape from the plywood templates. The time-consuming task of forming the rear wings then began, with polystyrene strips being cut to form the undersides…

With polyurethane foam added to ﬁll the gaps, the wings began to take shape. Note that the edging for the door contours has been added at this time

Forming the wings around the wheels and tyres ensures a perfect bodywork and rubber relationship

Before work began on the front wings, the detachable splash apron covering the frame horns was formed with plastic strips making the basic shape…

…further strips were then added to form the tops of the wings…

…and as they ﬂow through to the back of the Woodie body, quite a lot of polystyrene strips were needed

“The body was formed from polystyrene sheet covered in polyurethane foam”

…which was then covered in polystyrene and foam to form the mould, which would be coated with ﬁbreglass mat, then ultimately discarded

NEXT TIME: Winging it

Custom CORNER Custom

BRENTACRE

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

OCTOBER

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

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

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

26 Old Skool Cruisers Meet Anglia Motel, A17, Spalding, Lincs Facebook: Old Skool Kruisers

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

NOVEMBER

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

7-9 Classic Motor Show. National Exhibiton Centre, Birmingham www.necclassicmotorshow.com

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

FEBRUARY 2026

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

20-22 Race Retro. Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. www.raceretro.com

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

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

MARCH 2026

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

DECEMBER 2025

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

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

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

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

27 Cold Turkey Run. Cromer, Norfolk, Facebook: Bod Here

JANUARY 2026

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

10 Blacktop Kings Traditional Indoor Kustom Show. South of England Showground, West Sussex blacktopkingscarshow@gmail.com

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

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

20-22 Classic Car and Restoration Show NEC, Birmingham. www.necrestorationshow.com

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

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

APRIL 2026

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

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

12 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Silverstone Grand Prix www.berniesv8s.com

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

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

MAY 2026

2-3 Pendine Speed Weekend Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire. straightliners.events/events/ pendine-2026

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

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

16-17 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Thruxton (British Truck Racing Championship) www.berniesv8s.com

16-17 Duchy Ford Show Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall www.duchyfordclub.co.uk

25-31 NSRA Fun Run. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Isle of Wight. www.nsra.org.uk

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

JUNE 2026

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

4-7 Hot Rods and Hills. Park Foot Holiday Park, Penrith www.parkfootullswater.co.uk

6-7 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Brands Hatch (Speedfest) www.berniesv8s.com

19-21 Hot Rod Rumble. The Camp, Ramsey, Huntingdon www.hotrodrumble.co.uk

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

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

27-28 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Donington Park GP www.berniesv8s.com

JULY 2026

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

3-5 MPH Vintage Sprint. Denethorpe Airfield, Corby. www.mphdrags.co.uk

3-5 National Hot Rod, Custom, & American Car Show. Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln. www.hotrodandcustomshow.co.uk

9-12 Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www. goodwood.com

17-19 Rock ‘n’ Ribs Festival Bath and West Showground, Somerset. www.rocknribsfestival.co.uk

19 Deuce Day

British Motor Museum, Gaydon www.deucesofbritain.co.uk/deuce-day

18 In the Mood, Presenting Wings & Wheels South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum Doncaster Facebook: Mick Tebbs / Les Andrews

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

25-26 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Snetterton USA 300 www.berniesv8s.com

AUGUST 2026

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

6-9 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals Old Warden, Bedfordshire www.nsra.org.uk

22 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Oulton Park US Autoshow www.berniesv8s.com

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

SEPTEMBER 2026

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

10-13 Race the Waves Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire. www.backfireinfo.weebly.com

11-13 Goodwood Revival Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com

19-20 Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws Brands Hatch GP www.berniesv8s.com

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

Official Broker of the NSRA