Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från Custom Car

The final journey in the build of Adam Sayers’ Model A sedan took it to Evesham, the home of Custom Coach Trimming. Having discussed his ideas with the man with the needles, Chris Vining, Adam then left it with him to turn that vision into a reality. There are many facets involved in achieving the end result, and there’s far more to it than sitting down at a sewing machine. Take the glue Chris uses, for instance. It’s the same product used Stateside by Gabes Custom Interiors, Sid Chavers and Bill Dunn, to name but a few. The problem is it’s impossible to get it in the UK – but Chris has found a solution, and as far as he knows he’s the only trimmer in the UK to use…

Thanks to its terrific styling, the 1932 Ford remains hot rodders’ darling to this day. So many have been built, and continue to built… which is great, but how do you each new one from looking like a copy of others that have gone before? ‘It’s certainly a challenge to build a Deuce differently,’ acknowledges Troy Ladd. Yet the man who founded Hollywood Hot Rod (HHR) in 2002 recently managed to unveil one that has truly wowed even the most blasé motorheads. Known as the Gauntt Coupe, after its owner Pat Gauntt, it managed to win the incredibly competitive Al Slonaker Memorial Award, presented at the 2022 running of the annual Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. Troy can add this honour to his long list of accomplishments, which…

Event: Spring Break Date: 2 May Venue: Stonham Barns Held in association with Knuckle Busters Car Club, Spring Break is one of the first meets of the year in East Anglia. It’s always a great way to blow away the winter cobwebs – and this year it certainly didn’t disappoint. Sunday morning arrived and the sun was with us. We arrived at the advertised time of 10am to find the show arena already full and the surrounding area filling up. Sitting at the front of the car, I watched vehicle after vehicle arrive, from trucks to muscle cars and classic Americans to modified Europeans, as well as bikes. Traders were plentiful, with something for everyone, and food choices weren’t short either. Once again, we had the familiar voice of John…

The second coming of Street Weekend took place on 14-16 June. The format was the same as last year’s inaugural event, as it wasn’t broke so there was no need to change it. The plan was to set a time at Santa Pod on Friday, then drive to Melbourne Raceway taking in a couple of checkpoints along the way. The next day the cars clock a time over the eighth mile before returning to the Pod, visiting two further checkpoints en route. That was the plan, but the weather played a cruel hand, and out of the almost 200 cars that had entered only about 60 put in a run on the Friday morning before the track action was called by the Pod’s officials. The only option was to discard…

In the Blood Nathan Butler’s Dad, Graham, was always keen on cars and remains that way to this day. And he was always a fan of British tin, having owned a couple of Triumph TR4’s as well as a few Land Rovers in his time. He wasn’t a mechanic but was self-taught out of necessity. He did own a paint shop, but then he switched to a job in the construction industry that still involves colour but this time it’s bricks he’s colouring. At a very early age, Nathan, like many other kids, started messing about modifying his toy cars and remote control vehicles. This then progressed to petrol powered go-karts. You can already see where this is going… One day, Graham found some old cine film footage of his…

Event: Victory Wheelers’ Hayling Reunion Date: 12 May Venue: Funland Amusement Park, Hayling Island The sun made a welcome appearance at the Victory Wheelers’ 18th Hayling Reunion, held at the Funland Amusement Park on the beach at Hayling Island. A great mix of hot rods, customs, muscle cars, bikes and a few classics soon filled the venue – then flowed over into the adjoining car park and beach areas as the day progressed, making it possibly the best attended show for many years. Set up by the late, great ‘Big Al’ Partridge, the Haying Reunion commemorates the revered Victory Wheelers’ weekend shows, held at the Oven Campsite on the Island back in 1981. In those days, thousands flocked to support the Wheelers, who organised and attended Rod Runs on and…

Scrappage scheme The car in question was a 1935 Chevy Master Sports coupe, and the man who’d decreed it was a lost cause was renowned rodder and racer Bryan Whitfield. Amazingly, just 18 months later the coupe was placed in the top eight in the Best in Britain line-up at the National Hot Rod, Custom and American Car Show. Take a look at the images of the project when Phil took it on, and you’ll appreciate just what an outstanding achievement that is. Even more amazing is that the Chevy is Phil’s first ever hot rod build. He’s been involved with bits and pieces in the past; a few engineering jobs for Bryan, wired a few cars and tackled occasional chassis jobs for others. Nothing that came anywhere near to…

STREET WEEKEND WINNER Rob Carter 427ci VW Passat - 6.26/7.8219 – Total 14.0819 2ND PLACE Michael Castle Twin turbo Ford Cortina - 5.85/8.721 – Total 14.581 3RD PLACE Ian Walley 351ci Ford Cortina - 6.63/9.132 – Total 15.762 4TH Matthew Southcott 656ci Plymouth Scamp - 7.75/8.0727 – Total 15.8227 5TH Mike Whittaker 3,000cc VW Caddy - 6.62/9.335 – Total 15.955 6TH Simon Paul GTR R35 - 6.41/9.5618 – Total 15.9718 7TH Wayne Gill VW Golf R - 6.37/9.7354 – Total 16.1054 8TH Graham Smith 632ci ’57 Chevy - 6.82/9.3434 – Total 16.1634 9TH Darren Scannell 1,993ci Ford Escort - 7/9.5774 – Total 16.5774 10TH Andrew Fry Tesla Model S Plaid - 6.83/9.9916 – Total 16.8216…

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 AUGUST 2024 1-4 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals Old Warden, Cambridgeshire. www.nsra.org.uk 2-4 Hot Rod Hayride Bisley Shooting Centre, Brookwood, Surrey. hotrodhayride.co.uk 2-4 Ultimate Street Car Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 3-4 Straightliners Race Meet Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events 5 Top Speed Monday Elvington Airfield, Elvington, West Yorkshire. www.straightliners.events 6 Hayling Hot Rods at the Beach. Hayling Island Seafront, Hampshire. Facebook: Hayling Hotrods at the Beach 7 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 9-11 Mopar Euro Nationals Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 9-11 Retrofestival Newbury Showground. www.retrofestival.co.uk 10 Drag & Drift Dakota Raceway, Honiton, Devon. www.straightliners.events 11 ‘Normous Newark Autojumble Newark Showground, Newark, Notts.…