Custom Car July 2025 by Assignment Media Ltd

Coming Full Circle

John Proctor was well known for the Model A he built… and now he’s built another

PLUS That feeling when you’ve got the full detailed spec of your dream truck in your head –then right out of the blue, you ﬁnd it

News & reviews

Welsh speed

Bye, Bye American Pie

With a heavy heart, Dan Boone has announced that following the passing of the team’s wonderful crew chief Mark England, the decision has been taken to call time on their drag racing adventure with American Pie. The team expressed huge thanks to the Wild Bunch for being brilliant friends and wished God speed to Mark.

Forceful

During qualifying at the American Rebel Light Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway on the Charlotte Motor Speedway property in April, Brittany Force ran 341.59mph and set a new national speed record. Brittany ran 301mph at the eighth mile during that run. Awesome.

www.customcarmag.co.uk

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EDITORIAL

Group Editor: Alan Kidd alan.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk

Art Editor: Ian Denby-Jones

Design: WW Magazines 01283 742970

Contributors

Dave Biggadyke, Mike Pye, Gary Martin, Keith Lee, James Webber, Olly Sack, Dan Fenn

Photographers

Julian Hunt, Vic Peel, Harry Hamm, Glenn Blake, Max Wolf, Lois Spencer

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Pic: John Force Racing

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Every e ort is made to ensure the contents of Custom Car are accurate, but Assignment Media accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions nor the consequences of actions made as a result of these. When responding to any advert in Custom Car, you should make appropriate enquiries before sending money or entering into a contract. The publishers take reasonable care to ensure advertisers’ probity, but will not be liable for loss or damage incurred from responding to adverts Where a photo credit includes the note ‘CC BY 2.0’ or similar, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence: details at www.creativecommons.org

Pic: Julian Hunt

Ifan Miller has let us know that Millers Speed Shop has oﬃcially moved into new premises at 27D Vale Business Park, Llandow –right in the heart of South Wales’ thriving automotive scene. The move creates an exciting new chapter for the company and all its customers across Wales and beyond.

Whether you’re building a hot rod, restoring an American classic, or just looking to keep your pride and joy running strong, the new location brings everything you need under one roof.

So, what makes Millers Speed Shop different? To start with, it is the only walk-in Speed Shop in Wales. That means you can drop in, browse the fully stocked parts and accessories store and chat faceto-face with passionate enthusiasts who know their stuff. From hardto-ﬁnd hot rod parts to service items and performance upgrades, Millers has got it all ready to go. But that’s not all — the fully equipped workshop is open and ready to handle everything from chassis work and suspension upgrades to engine swaps, servicing and custom builds. The team at Millers lives and breathes hot rods, American cars and classics.

Millers Speed Shop is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm, and Ifan and the team welcome all to pay the new shop a visit. Whether you’re after a speciﬁc part, need some expert advice or just want to see what is being worked on, you’re invited to swing by and say hello. You can also reach them on 07792 282773 / 01446 626021 with any questions or to book your car in for work to be done. www.millersspeedshop.co.uk

Celebrating 74 years

Stig Neergaard

Top Fuel legend Stig Neergaard passed away suddenly in April in a tragic accident. Known for his hands-on mentality, Stig was a great enthusiast who lived his passion for many years, and his passing is another huge loss to the drag racing world. A front runner in the FIA European Top Fuel Championship for many years, Stig was a great showman and a crowd favourite. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

RIP Stig

Stop by showroomthe today to check it out.

Pic: Matt Woods

News & reviews Something for the weekend?

Rattling around

The Holman Clavel Inn, Taunton, plays host to the Rattlers Round Up on the weekend of 4-6 July. The venue offers camping, while the Round Up features a reliability run, live music from Big Joe Bone, DJ Red, a soapbox derby, Tootall pinstriping and Grease Lightning barbers. All that for just £20 per person.

Facebook: Rattlers Rod and Kustom

Jubilee kulture

Kustom Kulture returns to Steel City on Saturday 19 July. The venue is Jubilee Sports

Bar and Social Club, Claywalls Lane, Sheffield, and the show runs from 10.00am through to 6.00pm. The entry fee is £2.50 per person and along with the custom bikes and vehicles on display, there will be stalls, kids’ entertainment and food and drink vendors.

Facebook: Jubilee Sports Bar and Social Club

Grand affair

The Grand Motorbilia Day takes place on Sunday 20 July at Stickney, near Boston, Lincs.

Organised by Mablethorpe and District Motor Club, the day offers vast displays of vintage cars, pre-’66 classic cars and bikes, modified cars, cars of interest, retro cars, hot rods and custom cars, American cars and more besides. Two Of A Kind will be performing live and there will be trade stands and an auto jumble area. The show runs from 10.00am to 4.00pm, entry is free for prebooked show vehicles and public admission is priced at £5 per person.

Facebook: Mablethorpe and District Motor Club

Carrot tops

Staged at Stonham Barns in Suffolk, the Carrot Town Garage Car, Bike and Hot Rod Show is on Sunday 20 July. Trophies will be awarded for selected vehicles from the show and shine display, and there will be a specialist area for a Motion Pictures Movie Car display. The show will also feature trade stands and an autojumble, along with street food and a licensed bar. Camping is available. Show vehicle admission, including the driver, is priced at £5, with passenger and visitor admission costing £10 per person.

www.carrottowngarage.co.uk

VVD II

The second Velocity Vintage Drags meeting at Manston Raceway Park in Kent is on 26-27 July. It is open to all pre-’59 hot rods and American cars, with drivers participating in grudge runs and elimination races over the eighth mile. Each day, £250 prize money is up for grabs for each of the defined race classes; 4 Bangers, V8 Flatheads and Overhead Valve

Models. The cost of racing is £45 per day, which includes the race licence fee, with spectator admission priced at £20 per person per day. A Gas Money Raffle will be drawn during the weekend, and free camping is available. www.velocityvintagedrags. racing

Left hookers

Staged on Weymouth

Esplanade by the Clock Tower, the Dorset Car Club American and Hot Rod Day is on Saturday 26 July. The show area is only open to left-hand drive American vehicles, along with hot rods as defined by the NSRA. Spaces are limited, and gazebos will not be permitted. All vehicles need to be in place by 9.45am and must remain until at least 4.30pm (unless told otherwise by the council). Applications for the show can be made via the club’s website, and a minimum payment of £5 is required from the owner of each vehicle accepted. Spaces will not be reserved until payment has been received.

www.dorsetcarclub.com

Facebook: Dorset Car Club

Extra grip

The new Laser Tools combination pliers are designed to assist with the removal of screws with rounded-off heads. The unique dual-groove jaw design bites into the screw head from multiple angles, enabling the user to apply maximum torque without slipping.

The pliers are 230mm long and have a jaw opening of 23mm, making them a versatile and useful addition to any toolbox.

www.lasertools.co.uk

Correction

Sliding o o r s

Last month’s issue of Custom Car included a feature on the ’37 slantback currently owned by Shane Taylor. The article spoke about how Shane restored the car after ﬁ nding it in a somewhat neglected state, but a misunderstanding or two in the writing led to us not including the name of its original builder. We also mistakenly said that a photo of the chassis Shane had sent to us was taken by him during the rebuild, not realising that in fact it dated back to the original project. This gave many people the impression that Shane was pretending to be man behind the car – which, it’s very important to stress, is something he was never trying to do.

Shane has been in touch asking us to point out that it was Richard Crookes who built the ’37 ﬁ rst time round, something like 10 years ago. It’s been through several pairs of hands since then and, in Shane’s words: ‘I bought it already built and deﬁ nitely did not build it. I only did the rebuild, trying to get it back to its former glory.’

He succeeded, and it’s a credit to him – as of course it is to Richard, too. Our apologies all round for the confusion caused.

SANTA POD RACEWAY

News & reviews

Signing off

Jon Gurney has been in touch to give us an update on his 300E van that graced the cover of our December ’24 issue. “After ﬁnally getting the Thames on the road last summer, I felt it was just too orange. And with it being a commercial, it needed something on the side panels. I’d had an idea in mind for many years but needed the right person to handpaint it on the van.

Tragic loss

Along with the rest of the nation, we were devastated to hear of the loss of life during the tragic fi re at Bicester Motion on 15 May. The victims were David Chester and fi refi ghters Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler. Our thoughts go out to their families, friends, and colleagues.

“With great recommendation, Dave Spreadbury pointed me in the direction of Perry at Hertford-based Perry Signs London. After meeting up with him and running through some ideas, we settled on a plan and a couple of weeks later, the van was delivered to his workshop. By the end of that week, gold leaf had been skilfully applied and the letters outlined

freehand in French blue with shadowing in a shade of orange. I was extremely impressed by the professional work carried out by Perry and his team and cannot recommend them highly enough.

“The name I chose refers to Cortney Publications, a company set up by my father, Norman Gurney, and his business partner Phil Cort. Phil

Classical dial

The already vast range of components on offer from Car Builder Solutions has now been extended by the inclusion of Smiths Instruments. Adding classic styling to any dashboard, the range offered by CBS includes speedometers, tachometers, oil pressure and water temperature gauges, voltmeters, ammeters and clocks. All are available with chrome or black bezels, and magnolia or black dials. www.carbuilder.com

passed away suddenly in the mid-‘80s, but my father carried on the book publishing business until he passed in 2004.

“I embarked upon the Thames 300E project using some of the inheritance from my father’s company after its closure. His legacy will now live on as a ﬁ tting tribute, thanks to Perry and his team.”

www.perrysignslondon.co.uk

Lighter grip

The latest pick-up tool offered by Laser Tools features an integrated LED light aiding the retrieval of small parts or debris from dark, hard-to-reach places. The ﬂ exible shaft easily bends around obstacles, and the strong magnetic head can hold up to 0.9kg.

www.lasertools.co.uk

1958 BUICK CENTURY

An absolute beauty imported by

NEIL HILL Shipped from Florida

This neat Model A brings former NSRA Chairman John Proctor full circle on his hot rodding journey

Words: Mike Pye Pics: Alan Kidd

Here’s the car as John bought it in 2017, fresh off the boat from America where it had been on display in a speakeasy-style bar for many years

A little giveaway that things aren’t all they seem is the twin side exit exhausts, rather than a single pea shooter poking out the back. Having electric cut outs helps too, should John want to wake his neighbours up in the morning

At only 30 inches long, the Daimler V8 should be a natural in a Model A, but John reports it was still a tight squeeze. Mind you, he made life more diﬃcult for himself by keeping the original, unsplit front wishbone

Unbelievably, it was 15 years ago now that we last visited John Proctor’s garage. Then, it was to shoot his blown Daimlerpowered Model Y for the cover of the 40th anniversary issue of Custom Car. The one when we interviewed a bunch of the magazine’s ex-editors and resurrected Super CC, and even more Super Cecilia, for a oneoff gig. It was a great issue, that, and we said at the time that we felt John and his car perfectly sum up British hot rodding. Since then, John has done a stint at the helm of the NSRA, which further bolsters his credentials as an all-round good guy with the best intentions for British rodding at heart. So, what makes a man go from having one of the most recognisable and eye-

catching cars on the British scene to this Model A, one of the most unassuming and understated hot rods around? Maybe, subconsciously, it was wanting to step back out of the limelight after holding such a prominent position?

“I don’t know,” says John. “I’ve just always liked Model As. You may remember from last time we spoke that I bought the ﬁrst Model A coupe out of the Rod Shop moulds, back when Dave Palmer had the business, down Bournemouth way. That was longer ago than I care to remember now.”

Soft spot

Ah yes, it all came ﬂooding back. 1985 it was, an astonishing 40 years ago now. “I’ve always had a soft spot for them, but that

“I’ve always had big ’n’ little tyres on all my cars”

one wasn’t real – it was just a made-up version of one.”

So when an original 1931 coupe popped up for sale here in 2017, John found himself in a position to bring things round full circle and return to the Model A coupe he started in – only this time one made entirely of steel. Well, steel, iron, wood, chicken wire, horse hair and all the other assorted materials Henry Ford and co assembled these things from.

“The guy selling it said it had been sitting as an ornament in an American speakeasy –whatever that might be – for many years. He imported it, but I’m the ﬁrst registered owner here in the UK.”

“I didn’t know a lot about original 1930s’ Fords, so it was a bit of a handful. It took a

Car sits low all round, but still with a pronounced rake, just the way we like it. That’s due to a Speedway dropped I beam up front, reversed eye spring and pack reduction in the rear and that delicious combination of 4.00 / 4.25 and 7.50 rubbers

John has form with Daimler 2.5s, having had a blown one in his wellknown yellow Model Y. Made for 10 years, between 1959 and ’69, the very British V8, with its semi-hemispherical heads, reportedly made 140bhp when new, sucking through twin HD6 SU carbs

Injection- Engines- see our Website for more items! Injection- Engines- see our Website for more items! Injection- Engines- see our Website for more items! Injection- Engines- see our Website for more items! Injection- see our for items!

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The ECU, fuel pressure The ECU, fuel fuel regulator & 2 bar map regulator & 2 bar map regulator bar sensor are all in the throt- sensor are all in sensor are all in the throt- sensor are all in tle body. Only 4 wires to tle body. Only 4 tle connect. Use the colour connect. Use colour connect. Use the colour connect. Use colour connect. touch screen to set up the touch to up base map, then it will start base then it start it self tuning. self tuning.

V8 ENGINES

Items include VAT & are subject to change. Prices shown above, are Goldcard prices-

Preparation- Remove all plugs from block & heads, acid dip. Replace all plugs, Core plugs to be brass. Pressure test to check for cracks. Line-bore cylinder block, machine decks parallel to crank centre line, rebore/hone block to pistons, commonly, +.030”. Replace cam bearings. Fit camshaft. Clean & balance all reciprocating p arts. Check clearances- main bearings, conrod bearings, crank end float, conrod side clearance, piston rings & pistons. [some engines have new conrods, others are recircled and fitted with ARP bolts]. Fit pistons to conrods & assemble bottom end. Fit timing gears & chain, time in camshaft. If it is a std engine, then the C.I. heads are fitted with guide liners if required, 3 angle seat job, new valves, springs, seals, rockers, collets. The heads are then installed with new lifters & pushrods.

1966 DODGE DART CONVERTIBLE - $11,750

Original v8/automatic power top car , new top and top rams, new carpet, bucket seats,4bbl holly carb, california car since day one, very straight rustfree body and ﬂoors good on the button driver.

1959 EDSEL VILLAGER WAGON - $13,2250

V8/auto, p/s, p/b a/c california car since new , one family owned since new stored indoors since 1972 ,new dual master cylinder/ booster new wheel cylinders hoses, rebuilt 4bbl carb, new points distributor cap, plugs ,plug wires , new powder coated steel wheels runs and drives good .

,p/s p/b ,4wd locking hubs, roof rack , front winch mount , lift kit, original patina , Levi denim interior is tired just like those old work jeans runs and drives great ready for some serious mud plugging .

1968 CHEVY G-10 VAN $9,875

Rare factory V8/auto , new windscreen/rubber , converted to a camper when new by Perris valley campers (american Martin Walters ) previous owner gutted the inside to use as a van in his local handyman business , california van since new last year for california black plates that are still on the vehicle runs drives great .

new in the usa, original rustfree sunbleached body and underside, all new brake/clutch hydraulic, rebuilt fuel pump/carb excellent original chrome , if the patina look is youre thing this is the one for you ,on the button driver.

“John didn’t just chuck all the original running gear away, he worked sympathetically with it”

while to even get the thing running, still with its original four banger, and when I did, I found out straight away how awful it was to drive. It was a real ditch ﬁnder.

“But I persevered and worked with it for a while because I wanted to keep it largely original,” John explains.

The old hot rodding instincts didn’t take long to kick in, and pretty soon a Speedway Motors dropped I-beam had found its way under the front end. Unlike a lot of people that hot rod Model As (VHRA members excepted), John didn’t just chuck all the original running gear away when he ﬁtted it, he worked sympathetically with it.

“The axle is mounted with all the original hardware, right down to the unsplit wishbone

and the rod brakes,” he continues. “I wanted to keep those, though it’s taken ages to perfect them.”

The main reason for this approach was the state of the body. Having been dry stored all those years, it’s in wonderful condition and all John has really done is tidy it up in places – around the wings, the headlight mounts, that kind of thing.

Big ’n’ littles

“As you do whenever you start a new project these days, you get on the internet and start looking around, don’t you?” says John. Hard to disagree with that. “I saw a couple of Model As in the States that had been done with a sort of sleeper look and I really liked

that approach. I’ve always had big ’n’ little tyres on all my cars, so I had the original 19-inch rear wheels banded an inch and a half by Steve [Fethers] at Banded Wheels Essex and then looked for the most extreme set of tyres I could get for them. That gave it a bit of a look.”

A call to Mark Fretwell at S&S Hot Rod Supplies elicited one of his stainless performance exhausts and a downdraft carb conversion, which improved things on the engine side, but the original three-speed crash gearbox was vexing John. “I hated it,” he says rather more matter-of-factly. “I just couldn’t get on with it, all that double declutching, it was awful. It was either sell the car or ﬁnd another option.”

Following the Eddie Wimble school of hot rod guidance, the outside edges of the front tyres should be in line with the inside edges of the rears when viewed from front on. Okay, so that really applies to Fad T, but it’s still not a bad rule to live by and, with its super tucked front end, John’s A isn’t far off

The interior has been left largely as the car came to John, though he’s tidied up the red vinyl trim in places and added the four-spoke steering wheel, TCI Fast Gate shifter and additional speedo and oil temperature gauge

Look in from the other side and you’ll see there’s also a small audio system in the car, comprising a mini Bluetooth amp with USB / SD card inputs and a pair of kick panel speakers. On the red-painted dash rail is Gene Winﬁeld’s signature, added when he came over to the Supernats as a special guest of the NSRA in 2018

“I bought the first Model A coupe out of the Rod Shop moulds, back when Dave Palmer had the business”

We love the way John’s car sits down over its tyres. Yeah, so it might rub a bit when loaded but that’s a small price to pay for how it makes you feel when you do the old walk-away-and-thenlook-back-over-your-shoulder trick

Having gained some useful experience with Daimler’s ‘baby hemi’ in his Model Y, John decided that was the answer to his problems. So he kept an ear to the ground and, when one of the more common 2.5-litre units turned up for sale just south of London, complete with its original Borg Warner Type 35 three-speed auto, John was round there like a shot.

Tight fit

Again wanting to make the swap but disturb as little of the original Ford running gear as possible, John constructed a frame to sit the engine on and then dropped the four banger and its troublesome ’box out and slotted the Daimler combination into its place.

I suggested to John while chatting that it looks a neat fit in there, not even requiring the firewall to be cut, to which he laughed. “Yeah, it fits, but it’s very tight because there’s so much going on there. I have to

drop the ball out of the front wishbone if I want to change the oil.”

Not wanting to throw unnecessary money at the new (to him) engine until he was sure it was the right choice for the car, John left both it and the ’box well alone until he could put some miles on the car.

“It was in there for about two years,” he recalls. “The engine was a bit tired and the gearbox was oozing oil, but it all worked quite well, even with the original back axle.”

To get it all to play nicely, John opted to unbolt the torque tube and use a Speedway Motors open drive conversion kit. A bolt-in solution, this does away with the original driveshaft that runs in the torque tube and the tube itself, replacing the axle end with a bolt-on ﬂange into which a regular propshaft yoke sits within a seal. Obviously, you keep the original gear set and the notoriously weak Model A halfshafts, but John reckons the Daimler engine isn’t going to blow it all

apart, provided he doesn’t start trying to do burnouts and the like.

Type 2 ticket

Next on the list of subtle improvements was the steering, and for that Brian Daly in Scotland came up with the perfect remedy.

“I was talking to him about the car, saying the steering was really heavy, and he said he had just the answer.” A while later, a righthand drive VW Bus steering box turned up at John’s in the mail. “I still need to sort out the lock, but the car’s so much nicer to drive now, and it meant I could drop the steering column down a bit, too. He didn’t even want anything for it; that’s the kind of mates you need, isn’t it?”

One thing that’s abundantly clear when talking with John is that he’s a very handson rodder, more inclined to try and ﬁx something than throw money at a problem. “I’m the dead opposite of a chequebook

There’s not much to choose between a ‘30 and ‘31, but a painted upper and lower grille shell denotes the later version. The reason for this? The later grille is two-piece, because it was cheaper to make them that way than the earlier single-piece stamping

The Speedway Motors open drive conversion kit is comprehensive, and allows John to keep the stock back axle but with the benefit of a vastly improved gearbox – in this case a Borg Warner Type 35 automatic. Once fitted, you need to have a propshaft made, and to add an additional longitudinal torque bar to do the job previously done by the torque tube

Here’s one I made earlier

Here’s John in his first Model A coupe, built up from the first body out of Dave Palmer’s Rod Shop mould in 1985. You’ll note it’s ’28 / ’29 in style, while John’s current one is a real Henry ’31

A pensive (and a little bit younger) John relaxes on the running board of that first coupe, now painted yellow and with a Wade blower on its Rover V8

How fast is it mister? Probably quicker than the current one, though both were built with street use in mind more than racing. Great shot of the Pod start line in the late ’80s though

Another giveaway to the exact year of a ‘late’ A is the splash aprons. In 1930, they were two parts bolted together: in ’31 they became a single unit

Not much room for luggage when you’ve got a rumble seat, but it turns a two-seater coupe into a four seater, though it would take a brave person to sit in it on the open road today

“I’m the dead opposite of a chequebook builder, but I like the achievement of working things out yourself”

builder, but I like the achievement of working things out yourself. I’ve never had loads of money to throw around, so I just have to be a bit more cautious and do my research ﬁrst.”

Consequently, once he was absolutely sure the Daimler running gear was right for this application, he took it all out for a refresh. The gearbox was done by a guy locally in Cambridgeshire (within a week, no less!), while John sent the block to a local engineer to check and re-bore, then rebuilt it with a pile of parts bought from David Manners.

What’s a rebuild cost on one of these Daimler motors? And are the parts readily available? “Engine parts are quite reasonable actually. A full set of pistons cost about £500; I think I spent around £1000 on everything I needed for the rebuild.”

Pleasingly, most of it was in stock here in the UK too, so no additional shipping costs, import tax etc.

“It’s a nice looking and sounding engine that starts on the button, And ﬁts. Almost.”

Gimme a brake

Buffer zone

On April 14 1931, the 20 millionth Ford rolled off the production line. However, over 15 million of those were Model Ts, making the Model A a comparitive underperformer in sales terms with just 4,849,340 units between October 1927 and March 1932. That’s right, you can get both a ’27 and a ’32 Model A Ford. As Michael Caine once famously said, not many people know that

The other main thing he’s been working on since buying the car is ﬁne tuning the mechanical brakes. A lot of people are scared of the idea of rod brakes but John is adamant that, when properly set up, they’re not much different to juice brakes in terms of stopping power. It’s getting them set up that’s the tricky bit.

“I didn’t realise at first that the front hubs are rivetted to the drums. They’re also steel, which means they heat up much quicker and then you get brake fade, so I replaced those with new cast iron drums, and I’ve just done the same on the rear.” John has also used a floater kit from Flathead Ted in New Zealand, which replaces the notched one-piece top shoe adjuster with an infinitely adjustable

The car has all its original furniture, including cowl lamps, spare wheel and the original cowl-mounted fuel tank, which has a direct connection to the fuel gauge in the dash

floating one, allowing for finer tuning of shoe position than Henry ever did. New Germanmade brake shoes finish the upgrades.

”I tend to do a project each winter – that way the car’s not off the road when I want to drive it. The most recent was the brakes, and I’m still bedding the rears in now, doing it the old-fashioned way, by hand, with sandpaper. We’re getting there, and they do actually work quite well once you’re on top of it.

“I’m conﬁdent enough in them that I tow a small caravan with the car when I’m going away for the weekend.”

Downsizing

A more recent upgrade is to 17-inch ’34 Ford wires, mainly because John prefers the look of the bigger hubcaps. Again, he’s had the rears banded and, obviously, that meant a new set of tyres, too. Taking the big ’n’ little look to the extreme, he’s gone with 4.00-4.25-17 T.T Classics on the front and 7.50-17 BFGoodrich Silvertowns on the rear.

“They looked ridiculous off the car, but now they’re on I think it works.”

Getting the wings snugged down over the big baloneys at the back took reversing the eye on the main leaf and putting two of the leaves on top of the spring pack where they now act as spacers. “It’s close, but that’s what we do, isn’t it?” he says with a grin.

And that’s about it for John’s masterclass in turning a stock Model A Ford coupe into a mildly hot rodded one that oozes attitude. “I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for them. I like the fact that to a normal punter it just looks like an old, original car. To me, though, it looks like a hot rod, just one that’s a bit of a sleeper, so it’s still within the hobby. If I want to let people know that it’s not stock under the hood, I’ve put some electric cut-outs in the exhaust…”

Auto focus

Gasser Circus

Of all the nostalgia car classes at Dragstalgia, the Gasser Circus must be the most focused in how it is run. If one looks at the rules – which are managed by the aptly named Ring Masters – the simple aim is to mirror the Gasser Wars which were fought out on US tracks in the 1960s.

■ Words and Pics: Keith Lee

I count myself lucky that I got to witness two of the biggest names in what was then prime time for those gasser battles, when I watched Ohio George Montgomery racing against KS Pittman at Blackbushe in 1964. George’s light blue Willys was match racing the similar bodied red Willys of Pittman in front of a huge crowd. Both recorded times in the mid tens all those years ago.

In the US mags I used to devour after getting switched on by the drags, the gassers received very good coverage with the likes of Big John Mazmanian and his red Willys, and the well known Stone, Woods and Cook team being two that I still remember well.

2003 Nostalgia Nationals, it has grown in popularity over the following years. Having just returned home from attending this year’s edition, I can say that the class is on good form. In the recent Winter issue of CC, Mike Pye took a look at Ray Turner’s 40 year history with Green Onions – and Ray has indeed shown that in year 41 he is just as strong, as his green ’55 Chevy motored to the class win.

There are strict rules covering the gasser construction, but these are all aimed at preserving the period feel of these classic machines. Virtually no changes to the bodywork appearance is allowed; so a roof chop is permitted, but nothing to add aero improvements is allowed.

From the introduction of the Gasser Circus class in the UK, by the NSRA at the

The major feature of so many of the genre is the dropped front axle, which is coupled to a hiked front end. It results in such a distinctive look, with positively no aero advantage – but doesn’t it just look so cool on period machinery? Santa Pod boss Keith Bartlett gets to enjoy himself on track by participating in the gasser class in the striking Roarin’ Rat ’57 Chevy

and did comment about how, with the nose-up stance, the steering does indeed feel lighter at the top end in the big red machine. Originally done to aid weight transfer, it is not required on a modern sticky track – but these cars really do stand out from the crowd as they strut their stuff.

The class is open to pre-1968 Yank tin, and to pre-1960 British bodies. This has led to a wonderful cross section of cars currently competing in the Circus. One of the requirements is for cars to be signwritten in the style of the old cars. So no flash modern graphics in this area, and the paint schemes must also be of period type. Coupled to the rule restrictions on the use of any sort of electronic gizmos, other than line locks, trans brakes and rev limiters, it shows that the class really does try to honour the spirit of the old gassers in this much more advanced age. The times being recorded are also pretty much in line with the original class runners.

Running a dial-in system for qualifying and eliminations, the racing is close. The Nostalgia Nationals (see next month’s

This shot, from a couple of years back, captures Martyn Allam using the blown motor to good effect as he launches the team’s ’33 Willys

Steve Matthews is always a strong performer in Honky Tonkin’. He is one of the very quickest in the class, with mid nine second times in the ‘57 Chevy

Ray Turner in the staging lanes with his long time ride, the Green Onions ‘55 Chevy

Simon Prest in the classic Mercury Comet, up against the Gas Junkie Willys pick-up of Ray Irish

issue) marked the first round of what is an expanded six round series for the circus, and it will culminate with a final round at the Hot Rod Drags. These two popular NSRA events fittingly bookend the season, as it was at the 2003 running of the Nostalgias that the Gasser Circus came to life.

I would have to say that one of the cars which has attracted me most over the years is the wild Hallam, Hallam and Couch Willys. No doubt part of this is influenced by my Blackbushe experience – along with the fact that Martyn Hallam has pulled

some enormous wheelies, all of which works for me!

Honky Tonk is another entry that I love to capture reaching for the skies. These two machines represent just a couple of the American cars in action.

Equally fun to watch are two of our much smaller vans, which put on a big show for us onlookers. Sean Milsom in the green and black 1940s Morris Z twists up higher than such a little car should find possible, as he charges to times around 10 seconds flat. He is joined by the ‘Short Fuse’ Fordson of Nick Hewison. The

signwriting has the look of being done in coloured chalks, and works so effectively on the black painted bodywork.

Another wild looking entry based on an older body style is the Bad 2 the Bone model A Ford, with Andy Cobb in the hot seat. This has quickly become another crowd pleaser.

One thing you could try, the next time the gassers appear, is to count the number of body styles out on track. Using period calculating machinery, I reckon you might need all of your fingers and toes to achieve that feat!

Andy Cobb captured the attention in his Bad 2 the Bone Model A Ford, which is pictured at last year’s event against Keith Bartlett in Roarin’ Rat

Billy Jones in the Grumpy Grizz Willys Coupe, which looks striking in its red and gold livery

Yet another one of these spectacular gassers to watch is the Short Fuse Fordson van, which runs high nines in the hands of Nick Hewison

One of the top UK-bodied entries, the Morris Z van of Sean Milsom, really winds up on launching

You can’t miss the bright orange Glenn and Glenn pick-up, driven by Sam Glenn, who is squaring up here against the Austin Devon of Graham Barton

The ’64 Dodge Dart of Brian Gibson in the water box

‘Nervous’ Nick Brooke-Langham getting lost in the smoke of the burnout in his neat green Anglia

Occasionally, being in the right place at the right time can result in dreams becoming an instant reality

Biggadyke Pics:

Dave

An engine builder by trade, over the years Nigel Hepburn’s automotive tastes have been something of a mixed bag. The former stock car racer turned his back on the oval track and became a devout Cobra man, and in recent times his affinity has been firmly with American pick-ups from the fifties. He never owned one, though, until a couple of years ago.

That happened by a quirk of fate, and before that day Nigel planned to build a

pick-up himself – having gone as far as formulating a build spec. It wasn’t going to be gnarly, nor left in its original patina. Instead, there would be plenty of chrome and polished ali and stainless, there would be a detailed V8 under the bonnet and it would be painted Candy Apple Red. Oh, and it would be a right hooker as there would be no sitting on the left as far as Nigel was concerned.

Although he was determined it would happen one day, that plan had got no further than Nigel’s head until July 2023.

“I accompanied my nephew on a trip to collect a Pop he’d bought from Andrew Hebron at St Andrews Autos in Chelmsford,” Nigel elaborated. “I was having a nose around, as you do, when I spotted a Chevy pick-up. I was instantly drawn to it, not least of all by the colour it was painted.

“It was a high-end build, very high-end indeed, and had never been seen in public in the UK. It was then that I realised that it was right-hand drive. That was the clincher – I had to buy it.”

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Prep School

Countless hours were spent by the team at All Speed Customs to prep and precision panel gap the metal work, all to a very high standard. It was then all lavishly coated with a BASF Glasurit 55 custom mix Candy Apple over a black base. Nigel believes there are 16 coats of paint in total

The problem was that it wasn’t actually for sale. In fact, it wasn’t even UK-registered. A mere detail, we’re sure you’ll agree. Issues like that can be always be resolved with negotiation, and a deal was ﬁnally struck with Andrew sorting out the paperwork in readiness for Nigel taking on ownership.

Switching sides

So, how did it come about that there was a ready-built, RHD, unregistered, V8-powered ‘52 Chevy 3100 5-window pick-up nestling

in the corner at St Andrews Autos? The story goes that the CEO of a large American company, an Englishman with his roots in deepest Devon, commissioned the build. With the intention of shipping it over to the UK once it was built, he was insistent that it be converted to right-hand drive.

The build was completed in January 2022, and soon after the pick-up was on the high seas heading for these shores. But once ensconced in its new home, the practicalities of driving a ‘50s American pick-up along

narrow and winding country lanes hit home, and it hit hard. After a solitary drive out, the owner realised it wasn’t for him – which is when Andrew came on to the scene, purchasing the Chevy and relocating it to Essex. It brieﬂy made an appearance on the St Andrews Autos Facebook page that July but then went into storage, away from public view, until Nigel stumbled across it a year later.

The transformation from stock to fullon show truck was based on a chassis

“That was the clincher, I had to buy it”

The 350ci small block Chevy was rebuilt before being installed in the States. It was also well dressed at that time, but Nigel decided it needed more spit and polish and added additional bling. The carb is a 600cfm Edelbrock, tubular headers feed the stainless steel exhaust system and the transmission is a 700R4 auto’

Fully involved

The purpose-built TCI chassis incorporates a 9-inch Ford rear axle with a Posi diff and 5-link location with coilovers. The IFS features tubular A arms, coilovers and a power steering rack, while the brakes are discs all round with Wilwood 4-pot calipers and bias braking

“The way it drives is outrageous”

from Total Cost Involved (TCI) in Ontario, California. The project was then completed in Michigan, at the premises of All Speed Customs. It was there that the cab and body panels were stripped back to bare metal, with any uncovered imperfections being repaired, before being painted.

All the pick-up was then in need of was a new interior, one that would be on par with the build quality of the rolling chassis and bodywork. That issue was resolved by

All Speed Customs calling upon Relicate in Johnstown, New York State, to supply a custom leather interior package.

Inches matter

While pretty much the same as when it left the States, Nigel has tweaked the pick-up a little to put his own mark on it. For its ﬁrst major outing, he travelled to Old Warden last August for the Hot Rod Supernationals – where the pick-up was well received and

twice featured on the list of trophy winners.

“The way it drives is outrageous,” Nigel quipped with obvious glee. “It’s everything I could have ever have hoped for, and more besides. I was invited to take part in the London New Year’s Day Parade, which was an amazing experience despite it pouring with rain all day. It takes place in the centre of the capital, with thousands of people taking part.

“Best of all, though, was that we were

The custom under-bed mounted fuel tank is visible underneath the louvred rear pan between the dual twin tailpipes.

The pick-up’s original rear lights have been replaced with a pair of ﬂush-mounted sequential LED units

allowed to do burnouts to put on a show for the crowds, and I even got on the TV. That was awesome. Mind you, it took me three days to clean and polish the truck afterwards.

“More recently, I took it to Wheels Day. That’s a 2½ hour drive for me, and it didn’t miss a beat.

“I want to put more of my own stamp on the truck, so I’ve commissioned a custom

Nigel being presented with the Best Commercial award by Roasty Elliott at last year’s Supernats. More elation followed, as the pick-up was also placed in the Top Ten

set of 20-inch wheels from America. They will reﬂect both the paint and interior colours which hopefully will work. They’ll be on in time for this year’s Supernats, unless I don’t like them when they arrive, of course.

Pic: DB

The custom TCI chassis gives the pick-up a great stance, while the paint ﬁnish is exemplary – and check out those panel gaps. Nigel had tinting ﬁlm applied to the door window glass and cab windows

The front end is dominated by the repro grille and bumper. Headlights are aftermarket LED units

The 17-inch Foose wheels are wrapped in Continental rubber, Extreme 245/45 ZR up front and Sport Plus 255/45 ZR at the rear

The wooden bed floor is finished off with polished stainless steel bed strips and is home to a pop-up fuel filler cap

“That’s all I have planned to change, unless anything major goes wrong with the engine. Should that happen, I would have to replace it with an LS. I love the small block that’s in there now, and it’s got plenty

of power. There’s just something about an LS engine, though, and that’s what always featured on that build spec in my head.”

Whether or not a set of fresh wheels will work remains to be seen – as will whether

In keeping with the pick-up’s high-end build quality, the interior oozes opulence. The bench seat incorporates a central armrest with cup holders and is trimmed in two-tone leather

The fully restored dash is home to a retro radio and dual Dakota Digital VHX System analogue gauges. As a nod to the pick-up being destined for the UK, the interior features a heater but no air conditioning

Nigel will undertake an LS engine swap. Either way, it’s all immaterial. Nigel now has the pick-up he’d planned out in his head –and even if he didn’t do the build himself, what could be better for him than that?. CC

“The owner realised it wasn’t for him”

The 8-position IDIDIT tilt column is topped off with a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and the gears are selected by a transmission mount Lokar shifter

A power of good

This year’s Festival of Power brought a huge entry to Santa Pod – as well as a crowd of spectators who witnesses plenty of tight racing and records being set. But most of all, it was the event at which the drag racing community said goodbye to one of its best loved characters

Easter weekend saw Santa Pod Raceway swinging into action as Europe’s best descended on Northamptonshire for the Festival of Power. After last year, when the event had to be postponed altogether thanks to waterlogging in the campsites and car parks around the venue, here we are in the driest spring for more than a century – yet the track team were still out a number of times over the weekend to dry the strip after pulses of rain.

Their reward was a pair of European records, set by Andres Arnover in Pro Mod and Terry Haddock in Fuel Funny Car. Andres posted new bests for both ET and speed with a run of 5.695/254.67, while

Terry fired Showtime to an exceptional 4.1 seconds and 307mph.

Another record to fall was in Comp Eliminator, where a 8.7252 / 168.48 run in his Escort van gave Terry Newton the right to boast of having the world’s fastest front-wheel drive four-pot Ford. And with an array of PBs throughout the weekend, plus plenty of hard-fought racing, it was a Festival of Power in every sense.

It was also time to welcome Kev Slyfield back to the strip after two years away. Spurred back into action by the presence of his iconic Thunderbird gathering dust in a corner, the 2015 and 2021 Pro Mod champion was straight back into it with a new PB for speed before engine issues saw him pushed back in the semis.

Most of all, however, this was the weekend when the Santa Pod family paused to remember one of its best known characters. Richie Henry, commonly known both as Frontman and Mr Ignition, was for many the face of Martin Hill’s FireForce team, having been a part of the jet cars show for more than two decades. His sudden passing on 3 April, at the age of just 55, left the drag racing community shocked and heartbroken.

At midday on the Friday, crews and spectators alike paid tribute to Richie as the Pod fell silent – a silence which, entirely appropriately, was brought to a deafening conclusion as Fireforce blasted down the strip. Rest in peace Richie – the Pod won’t see another one quite like you.

■ Words: Olly Sack

■ Pics: Julian Hunt

Left: As ever, shout out to the track team whose efforts make it all possible. They were kept busy, especially on the Saturday, as a series of showers swept through

A closely contested Pro ET

With his family in attendance, the Santa Pod community fell silent at midday on Good Friday to remember Richie Henry, the inimitable Frontman who for many years was the face of the FireForce team, following his sudden and untimely passing at the age of just 55

ﬁnal saw Stuart Thompson’s (9.69) 9.7782 / 133.60 overcome the (10.00) 10.1206 / 126.27 of Nick Mugridge. Nick (below) had by now shared the Finish Award with Matt Dowdy when they crossed the stripe within 0.0026 seconds of each other in E2

Lee Huxley took the win in Super Pro ET, his ﬁnal run of (7.62) 8.6595/154.68 coming as Alan Didwell lit a cherry. Earlier in the event, by contrast, Lee had shown them all how it’s done when he won the Perfect Light Award

It was the Short Good Friday when late afternoon saw the rain starting to fall, and racing was eventually called for the day just after 6pm. But by this time, Andres Arnover had grabbed the headlines by posting a new European Pro Mod record with a run of 5.695 / 254.67. He came close to matching that speed in the ﬁnal, too, a 5.7362 / 254.62 pass giving him victory over Andy Robinson

Jack Brewster’s unmistakeable Super Pro ET Firebird is a tribute to the power of yellow paint. And of supercharging, though his event was cut short when his blower seized. Engine rebuild incoming

Scott Collin was going well in Super Pro ET until the landing from a wheelie off the line on Sunday morning threw his 100E left and into the wall. A bit of work coming up to be ready for next time, but his crew don’t look too worried

It was on a breakout run, but 5.7749 / 241.58 was a new speed PB for Dougie Hill’s Another Small Fortune in Super Pro ET

The Hayley Hadﬁeld Perfect ET Award went to Charlie Seward in Pro ET, his 8.8506 coming on an 8.85 dial

Above and below: Terry Haddock was getting steadily faster throughout the event after putting in a number of steady runs in the early stages of Funny Car qualifying. But by the time of the ﬁnal, he was well into his stride, ﬁring Showtime to victory over Steve Ashdown with a sensational run of 4.124 seconds at 307.88mph – and setting a new Santa Pod track record, not to mention the best time recorded throughout Europe, in the process

A few moments before Andres’ record setting run, also in Pro Mod Q2, David Smith had put 6.3801/224.64 on the board – resetting his own speed and ET bests in the process. The latter wasn’t to last long – he dropped it to 6.3103 next time out

8.7252 / 168.48 run in Comp

now

Eliminator Q2 means Terry Newton’s Escort van, delightfully named the Fat Pig, is

the fastest front-wheel drive four-cylinder Ford in the world

Rouven Dawson is never far from the action in Comp Eliminator, and he was on dominant form to win his ﬁnal against Dan Williams with a run of 7.8798 / 169.77

After reaching the semis on a bye, Victoria Smith was set to face Anthony Higgs – whose Capri, now sporting an array of new carbon fibre parts, had previously run 7.14 / 205mph in qualifying. After a smoky finish to his previous race signalled the onset of engine trouble, however, he was a no-show, giving Victoria a clear run to the Street Eliminator final – where a 7.8623/185.85 run put clear daylight between her and Rob Carter’s much-decorated Passat

We’re on our ﬁfth Prime Minister since anyone other than Leah Kellett wore the Super Comp crown, and Dolly Daydream was as dominant as ever on the way through to the ﬁnal. Nathan Hulkes gave it a good go, but 8.9541/167.96 was enough to give Leah the latest in a long line of successes

There are few sights or sounds as stirring as Venom and Apache lining up together, as they so often do in Nostalgia Funny Car. On this occasion, however, a three-strong ﬁeld was reduced to just one when both Tony Betts and Simon Hayward were forced out before eliminations – leaving Tim Garlick in Apache to solo his way to victory

It was a close one in the Junior Dragster ﬁnal, where Harry Peters lined up against Chevrolet Checkett after seeing off reigning champ Luke Mugridge in Eliminations. A time of (8.25) 8.2833 / 79.09 played (7.90) 7.9897 / 80.50, with the former being enough to have Harry going home victorious

Reigning Super Gas champion Stuart Doignie returned to the top step last year aboard his 27T and looks like he’s ﬁxing to stay there, though his path to victory was aided when Bob Molden broke out in the ﬁnal

Gary Lake and Clive Dandridge emerged from a 34-strong ﬁeld to line up in the Sportsman ET ﬁnal, but it ended up as a one-sided affair when Clive lit a cherry to hand the win to three-time reigning champion Gary in his Trans-Am

Having won the Pro Mod title in 2015 and 2021, Kev Slyfield announced his retirement at the end of 2022. But he’s back for 2025 – and with a 5.9450 / 239.03 run in Q3, he’s back with a new speed PB. He lined up against old adversary Andy Robinson in the semi final but was pushed back when his engine wouldn’t play. Great to have him back in the show for this season – though with a ‘4 sale’ sign in the window of his magnificent looking Thunderbird, it’s not set to be forever

A tting tribute Out & About

Words: Olly Sack

Pics: Glenn Blake and Max Wolf

Main pic: Lois Spencer

Event: Gene Winfield Memorial Cruise

Date: 27 April

Venue: Hayling Island to Slindon Common

Held on Sunday 27 April, the Gene Winfield Memorial Cruise celebrated the life and work of one of the most influential custom car builders the world has ever seen. Organised by Glenn Blake, the man behind Hayling Hotrods at the Beach and owner of the ’51 Merc that graced out Winter ’25 issue, along with Josh from the Spur Gears CC and Tony from Our Motor Month, it brought together almost 70 cars and bikes in tribute to the man who, in Glenn’s words, was ‘a true custom builder who liked nothing more than to share his knowledge and passion with people, often teaching the skills to carry out a roof chop or paint cars – and a true gentleman who always had time for a chat and a photo.’

Many, many kind words have been spoken about Gene since his passing on 4 March this year at the age of 97. He bought

and modified his first car, a ’28 coupe, when he was just 15 and went on to spend the rest of his life building and innovating. He will forever be associated by the public at large with the array of futuristic vehicles he created for movies such as Blade Runner, Bewitched, Batman and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., but hot rodders will remember him for the wealth of skill and experience he was always eager to pass on to others – something he was still doing right up until just a few months before the end.

The cruise set out from Hayling Island, heading for the Spur Inn on Slindon Common near Arundel – a country pub which hosts its own monthly classic car events and whose ample parking made it an ideal destination. Ideal and, as it turned out, very necessary!

‘We paid our tribute with the cruise on a glorious sunny day,’ says Glenn. ‘We had 24 cars set out from Hayling and by the time we were halfway to the Spur Inn we had 43 causing chaos as members of the public slowed down to take photos and videos.

‘On arrival we were greeted by another 25 cars and bikes. It was a great feeling being part of it all and everyone that came had nothing but compliments for the day.’

With so many people taking pictures, we’re grateful to Glenn himself, along

with Max Wolf, for the shots on these two pages. The event was also attended by Lois Spencer, an undergraduate photography student at Portsmouth University whose work suggests she’s destined for great things. A gallery of her shots from the day appears overleaf.

‘I have spoken to Gene’s son Jerry since the cruise,’ continues Glenn. ‘He said he was gobsmacked at the turnout and thanked us all for what we did for his dad.

‘I also spoke with Charles from the Honyocks Car Club, who was a good friend of Gene’s. He sent me pictures of them both in Hayling Hotrods at the Beach T-shirts holding the poster from the cruise – what a great way to say thank you to each and every one of the cars and people who took part. Respect to all.’

Left: Another one of the Rolling Blokes’ Deuces, and you won’t go to many custom car meets along the south coast without getting an earful of Ash Dyer’s Vauxhall Velox gasser

Above: Donna and Jon Giles Deuce again, along with Barry Padwick’s Morris Van from Worthing and event co-organiser Glenn Blake’s previously CC-featured ’51 Merc from Hayling

One of Hayling Island’s local custom cars is Dave Dilley’s 488ci ’66 Plymouth Fury

John’s Cafe was the perfect meeting point for the 24 cars that set out from Hayling Island. Tony Duncombe drove his 1930 Model A down from Pulborough to do the full route

Cruise organisers Glenn Blake from Hayling Hotrods at the Beach, Josh from the Spur Gears Car Club and Tony from Our Motor Month

Max Wolf’s ’68 Plymouth Road Runner came down from London

All hailing from Brighton and Worthing, Lee Day’s Pilot is flanked by Chevy trucks of different eras brought by Dave Day and Enzo Spiteri

Chichester-based Donna and Jon Giles’ made the trip in their ’32 coupe

Coming over from Fareham, these four were from the Rolling Blokes Car Club

Charles McIntyre of the Honyocks Car Club in Modesto (left) and Gene Winfield’s son Jerry

Another shot of Glenn’s Merc, rocking its metalflake paintwork in the glorious spring sun

Portsmouth University photography undergraduate Lois Spencer attended the cruise, camera in hand, and the work she came back with

says to us that she’s got a big future ahead of her. Here’s a selection that help tell the story of an event that was wall-to-wall great cars on

one of the most gloriously sunny days of the year so far. A fitting tribute to a man who was a true legend of the custom game.

Pics: Lois Spencer

PROGRESS REPORT: PART 2

In the first instalment of Crusty’s ’28 Model A roadster project last month, we covered the fabrication of the rolling chassis. As a follow up to that, we now take a look at an assortment of bits and pieces which, despite being less involved, are equally as important in any build. Sticking to his guns, Crusty has persevered with the old school methodology, making full use of whatever lay to hand, and all credit to him for that. One aspect covered in this instalment which was time-consuming, along with being visually dramatic, is the fabrication and ﬁtment of a new ﬂoor. Many hours

were spent cutting metal, not to mention repeatedly feeding each section through the bead roller in different directions to add rigidity, together with a degree of aesthetic enhancement. Improvisation once again comes to the fore, with components and raw materials originating from sources as diverse as a Ford Cortina, a farmyard tractor, a Model A and even an escalator. There’s even a handy tip on ﬁnely detailing wood with neither a chisel nor a sander in sight.

At the time of writing, Crusty is still on schedule to debut the roadster later this year. Hopefully we will have caught up with his progress on the build before that happens.

The stainless steel windscreen frame to post mounting swivels are modiﬁed versions of what was used on Crusty’s old Model T roadster…

Words: Dave Biggadyke

Pics: Tracy Perks

…while the ‘screen surround was fabricated from 10mm steel channel. The top of the surround is removable, which is handy when the time comes to ﬁt the glass

Headlights are original Model A mounted close together on a fabricated bar. Behind them, there’s a ‘glass ‘32 Ford grille insert

Fed up with tripping over a length of stainless steel tube he had kicking about, Crusty decided to repurpose it as a rear bumper / nerf bar

Jason Springate supplied an escalator step, so Crusty cut a piece off it and fashioned a bracket to mount the clutch master cylinder. Hot rod ingenuity at its best

For a different to the norm look, Crusty formed the custom grille insert using an ali sheet cut to size and dimple died

The almost ﬂoating appearance is created by mounting it through the rear using lengths of CDS tube which pass through the rear valance and bolt to the tapped chassis crossmember

Nothing so fancy for the fuel pump and ﬁlter mounts. They’re hidden away in the boot, though, so few people will ever get to see them

The bonnet top and sides are steel. The ’28 top had to be lengthened to mate to the grille shell, while the ’30 / ’31 side panels had to be cut to ﬁt the channelled body and clear the chassis rails

Stainless steel bung inserts nicely ﬁnish off the ends of the tube

Some of the panels were then welded together in situ

Considering the relatively diminutive size of the roadster, it took a fair number of individual panels to form the complete ﬂoor pan

To complete the ﬂoor, a cardboard template was formed to unite the trans’

…with the required shape then cut from sheet steel and bent to shape

A new transmission tunnel was cut out and bent to shape, then bolted in place to the ﬂoor panels

tunnel with the ﬁrewall…

With Rivnuts inserted into the chassis rails…

The ﬁrewall had previously been fabricated in sheet steel. The clutch and brake pedals came from a Mk4 Cortina

Crusty cut the individual ﬂoor panels to shape from sheet steel, passing each of them through the bead roller several times to form the swages

…the ﬂoor panels could be securely bolted in place

YELLOW CARS

n Access from 3pm on Saturday 5th July

n Driver & All Passengers Get in Free

n £1 General Yellow Cars

n £10 Grouped Yellow Display Vehicles

n Grouped Display Vehicles must be booked in advance

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

n Save 20% when you book in advance

n £8 per adult | £4 per child (5-15)

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

n Free parking

n Under 5’s go free

n Dogs on short leads welcome

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

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

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

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

The bucket seats were donated to the cause by fellow Cannibal Jason Hollamby. Previously ﬁtted in a ’32, the seat backs were too high so Crusty removed 100mm from their height

The wooden capping for the rear scuttle was cut to shape with a saw, with Crusty forming the final contours with an angle grinder. The flip-up filler cap feeds the tractor fuel tank mounted in the boot

A degree of aesthetic enhancement

In a bid to keep the roadster as legal as possible, Crusty dug out the steel aftermarket Harley Davidson cycle fenders he’s had in stock for twenty-plus years

NEXT TIME: Added colour

The battery also takes up some of the available boot space

Once tweaked to suit, the fenders were mounted using bracketry formed from ﬂat stock

Golden wonder

Staged at Newbury Showground for the second year running, this year’s Wheels Day was majorly significant. Think about this for a moment. Putting on a show of this magnitude is no mean achievement, especially when the team behind it is entirely made up of volunteers. That’s just what Surrey Street Rodders have done for half a century now, and they’ve done it with aplomb.

The weather gods even played ball for Wheels Day 50. While it wasn’t wall-to-wall sunshine, it didn’t rain – and the gales of last year thankfully didn’t return.

SSR switched things up a bit to mark the event’s golden anniversary, most noticeably with the introduction of the Special 50th Wheels Day Golden Ticket treasure hunt. This was open to all, and those who came across a concealed golden ticket cashed it in for one of 50 wonderful prizes, not all of

which were for car people. Thanks to the businesses and individuals who generously donated the prizes.

Reportedly, over 2000 vehicles of all descriptions were on display, which could well be the highest number since records began. Record or not, it was a truly great day, and one which will go down in the annals of history. Rightfully, we asked SSR for a comment and the club’s Whiff Smith duly obliged:

Words and Pics: Dave Biggadyke

’55 Buick Century custom has been nosed, decked and shaved. Paint is a House of Kolour one-off mix, and behind the stainless steel grille lies a 425ci Buick Nailhead V8 backed up with Turbo 400 transmission

Chalk and cheese. Mark Harley’s Black Pop Racing 12-second fully road legal street / strip sit up and beg, alongside a dramatically different stripped back and fenderless build style

Thanks to the brushes of Tootall Paul, this Consul Capri underwent a naming ceremony on the day. In a play on Golden Sahara, the script of The Golden Mascara now adorns the boot lid

Another Chevy pick-up, this time a ’61 Apache fitted with a small block V8. Paint is ‘flake with a distinctive flame job, while the alloy wheels are by Boyd

Above and below: Refer back to our April ’21 issue for the full feature on this small block Chevy-powered ’55 Morris Oxford. It was owned by Howard Riddell back then, and probably still is, but the Holley has since been replaced with fuel injection

Produced between the more popular ’37 and ’39 / ’40 model years, ’38 Fords are somewhat of a Marmite car. The upside is that prices are more reasonable, and this sedan with Jag suspension all round and a 262ci Chevy engine has an asking price of £18,750

Steve Wooldridge’s ’82 Cortina estate is a true retro tribute with V6 power, ﬂared arches, black ‘n’ ﬂamed paintwork, a jacked-up stance and slot mags

Rodded by Malc Beales around a quarter of a century ago, ‘49 Jowett Javelin runs a Rover V8 with auto’ transmission, a Viva front clip and a narrowed Capri rear axle

Michael Nash’s ’51 Suburban was placed in the Top Ten by the judging team, who certainly had their work cut out selecting the winners from so many on show

’67 Pontiac Bonneville hardtop coupe, with its accentuated Coke bottle styling, features stacked headlights, grille-in-bumper front end styling and factory fender skirts

Amazingly, we featured the Loaded Gunn Racing built Pop coupe in the August ’13 issue. With race car-inspired independent suspension front and rear and power coming from a 4.6-litre Ford Modular V8, this truly is a one-of-a-kind build

Fully restored ’67 Camaro ragtop runs a 383 Blueprint stroker with a 5-speed Tremec TKX bolted to the back of it. The rear axle is a 12-bolt with Posi and the front suspension is heavy-duty SS350

Whilst not the cosmetically prettiest car on show, this ’69 Dodge Charger has that certain something; a raw appeal that says it’s as tough as nails

The on-site barn played home to an array of motor sport vehicles. Bob Glassup brought along a couple of Ford Capris, the blown big block-powered Supercharged Outlaw car and his more sedate LSA-powered road car. It’s no surprise that Bob’s name featured on the list of Top Ten winners

Had there been one, Simon Smith would undoubtedly have won the dare-to-be-different award. In a play on the car’s model name, Simon has given his 6-wheel ’52 Pontiac the moniker of Warchief

Valley Gas Speed Shop displayed two former feature cars on their stand. Scarelane, Jimmy Hibberd’s homage to the Ford Thunderbolt, appeared in the October ’24 issue, while you have to go back to the April ’20 issue to ﬁnd Meyrick Cox’s Roush big block Ford-powered ’40 Ford pick-up – although it didn’t look quite the same back then

Also in the barn was Nuthin But Trouble, Dave Mace’s 496ci Vauxhall Cresta that runs in Outlaw Street…

…and ‘Crazy’ Chris Hartnell’s 379ci Backdraft 8-second slingshot that runs in the ranks of the Wild Bunch

Wheels Day has always been a magnet for the weird and wonderful, like this post-apocalyptic ’71 Ford Ranchero. Whatever your take on it, there’s no doubt it was one of the most photographed vehicles of the day

As featured in our May issue this year, power for the Old Bones Fabrication ’58 Hillman Husky comes from a 2.0-litre 4-pot extracted from a Ford Focus ST170

Yup, there were plenty of former CC feature cars at Newbury Showground. Christine Thurley’s small block Chevy-powered ’53 Anglia graced the cover of the Winter ’25 issue and garnered a Top Ten placing at Wheels Day

Another ex-CC feature car(March ’21 issue), Jason Forrester’s Mk1 Consul is a true street and strip car with a tubbed rear and an Andy Robinson-built small block Chevy under the bonnet

Derek Drinkwater took along his 1950 Cadillac Le Monstre replica. Constructed by DW Racing, the car features an ali panelled body over a tubular steel frame and a 331ci V8 engine with 5 carbs

Custom CORNER Custom

’41 Chevy pick-up has a nonfunctional Harvey Frost crane welded to the back. Under the bonnet, there’s a 2½-lite Transit diesel. The front clip came from a Ford P100 and under the bed there’s a Volvo rear axle

Third-generation Surrey Street Rodders member Finton Smith now has his own car, a ’61 Ford Popular, and has been busy tidying up and detailing the engine bay

All we can tell you about Dave Nuthall’s Chevy C10 is that it’s awesome. The paint colours work really well together, and the wheels complement the look. The pick-up was parked near…

Paul Henwood’s tri-power equipped, small block Chevy-powered ’32 roadster graced the cover of our May ’19 issue and still looks as great as ever

Bill

…Bill MacDermid’s recently featured LSpowered 1970 vintage C10, so maybe they travelled there together. Wouldn’t that have been a sight for sore eyes?

“There are few out there who have attended all 50 Wheels Days, even the virtual one! That’s a lot of time spent wandering the lines of machinery that enthusiasts have evolved or chosen to replicate certain period styles over the years. Anything with wheels is certainly alive and kicking in the UK and long may it continue. It’s also a lot of time dedicated to the show by the members, families, and friends of Surrey Street Rodders – an eclectic group who come together and raise money for charity every Good Friday.

“Wheels Day weather was certainly a bit better this year, and the numbers attending and exhibiting helped the club recover from the adversities of last year. So much so, we will soon be making announcements as to which charities will beneﬁt. On-the-day donations were made to Phyliss Tuckwell Hospice (in memory of Eddie Bown), Dementia UK, Royal Surrey County Hospital and Children’s Respite Trust.

“As always, the club thanks all the exhibitors, helpers and traders for continuing to support them. See you at Wheels Day 51!”. CC

GOLDEN WONDERS

Best of Show

Vincent and Own Lewis –

‘37 Chevy pick-up

Best Club

Victory Wheelers

NSRA Pick

Nick Openshaw – Model A Phaeton

has undergone a major paintwork

TOP TEN

Christine Thurley – Ford Anglia

James Holdway – Ford XR3

Mr and Mrs Maggee – Ford GT40

Ian Osbourne – Innocenti Mini

Ross Parkin – VW Golf

Johnno Harris – ’49 Oldsmoble Rocket 88

Mark Cornish – ’42 Chevy bus

Michael Nash – ’51 Chevy Suburban

Paul and Sue Allison – ’39 Citroen

Light 15 roadster

Bob Glassup – Loud & Fast Capri

Valhalla,

Hughes’ 6-wheel custom Dodge van,

overhaul since I last saw it

The NSRA Pick award went the way of Nick Openshaw for his unique ali-bodied Model A Phaeton pick-up

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

JUNE

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

7 Only Fools and Motors Meet

The Five Bells, Tydd St Mary, Lincs Facebook: Only Fools and Motors

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

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

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

7-8 Straightliners Race Meet Elvington. www.straightliners.events

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

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

14 American Car Meet Bird in Hand, Hayle, Cornwall www.propercornishcruisers.co.uk

14 Dereham Classic Car Show and Rock n Roll Music

The Greenstone, Dereham, Norfolk Facebook: The Greenstone

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

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

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

14-15 Street Car Weekend Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

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

16 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events

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

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

7-8 Straightliners Race Meet Cambeltown, Scotland www.straightliners.events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

30 GAS Bash Santa Pod Raceway. chris@fgoodale.co.uk

JULY

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

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

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

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

4-6 Rattlers Round Up. The Holman Clavel public house, Taunton, Somerset. Facebook: Rattlers Rod and Kustom

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

5 Straightliners Smeatharpe, Devon. www.straightliners.events

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

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

6 Cars’n’Bars HM Prison Gloucester. www.kickbackshow.com

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

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

12 Only Fools and Motors Meet

The Five Bells, Tydd St Mary, Lincs Facebook: Only Fools and Motors

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

12-13 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

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

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

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

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

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

19 American Car Meet Bird in Hand, Hayle, Cornwall www.propercornishcruisers.co.uk

19 Kustom Kulture

Jubilee Sports Bar and Social Club, Claywalls Lane, Sheffield. Facebook: Jubilee Sports Bar and Social Club

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

20 Carrot Town Garage Car, Bike and Hot Rod Show Stonham Barns, Suffolk. www.carrottowngarage.co.uk

20 Deuce Day British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire www.deucesofbritain.co.uk

20 Grand Motorbilia Day Stickney, near Boston, Lincs. Facebook: Mablethorpe and District Motor Club

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

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

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

26 American and Hot Rod Day. Weymouth Esplanade www.dorsetcarclub.com

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

26-27 Velocity Vintage Drags. Manston Raceway Park, Kent www.velocityvintagedrags.racing

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

AUGUST

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

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

2 Only Fools and Motors Meet

The Five Bells, Tydd St Mary, Lincs Facebook: Only Fools and Motors

BRENTACRE

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

10 American Day RAF Sculthorpe, Fakenham, Norfolk. Facebook: RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre

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

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

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

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

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

25 Bay Cruisers CC Drive and Jive Auto Show Whitstable Bends, Kent. www.driveandjive.uk

25 V8 Hot Rods Show Cross Keys, Redgrave, Norfolk Facebook: V8 Hot Rods

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

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

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

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

2-3 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

4 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events

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

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

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

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

16 American Car Meet Bird in Hand, Hayle, Cornwall www.propercornishcruisers.co.uk

16 Elvington Modified Nationals Elvington. www.straightliners.events

16 Ford Pop Day Industry and Supply, Weedon Bec, Northants www.industryandsupply.com

16 Straightliners Smeatharpe, Devon.www.straightliners.events

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

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

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

23-24 Knuckle Busters at the Barns Stonham Barns, Suffolk www.stonhambarns.co.uk

29-31 Blue Ridge Runners Weekender West Huntspill, Somerset. www.blueridgerunners.co.uk

30-31 Straightliners Race Meet and American Super Stock Revival Rd 1 Melbourne Raceway Facebook: American Super Stock www.straightliners.events

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

SEPTEMBER

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

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

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

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

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

6 Only Fools and Motors Meet The Five Bells, Tydd St Mary, Lincs Facebook: Only Fools and Motors

6-7 Petrolheadonism Live Herts County Showground, Redbourn www.petrolheadonism.live

6-7 Straightliners Race Meet Cambeltown, Scotland www.straightliners.events

7 American Car Show Museum of Power in Maldon, Essex www.museumofpower.org.uk

7 Flames’n’Dice Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland. Facebook: Flames’n’Dice

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

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

12-14 Hot Rod Hoedown. Barrasgate Farm, Annan.Facebook: Hot Rod Hoedown at the Steading 12-15 Isle of Man Ford Fest www.iomfm.com

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

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

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

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

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

19-21 Normandy Beach Race Sword Beach, Ouistreham www.normandybeachrace.com

20 American Car Meet Bird in Hand, Hayle, Cornwall www.propercornishcruisers.co.uk

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

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

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

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

26-28 Flat Caps and Ferrets. Elland Cricket Club, Halifax. Facebook: Flat Caps and Ferrets Huddersfield

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

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

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

27 Straightliners Smeatharpe, Devon.www.straightliners.events

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

OCTOBER

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

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

4-5 Malbourne Finals and Fireworks Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events

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

6 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events

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

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

12 Straightliners Race Meet Elvington. www.straightliners.events

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

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

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

19 Straightliners Santa Pod Raceway. straightliners.events

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

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

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

26 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

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

Official Broker of the NSRA

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