Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Custom Car

One of the mainstays of the Mopar Euro Nats, Tony Oksien was also Honorary President and founder of the Mopar Muscle Association (MMA) and, with his wealth of knowledge of Chrysler products, ran an invaluable appraisal and valuation service for the UK Mopar community. Friend and fellow Mopar guru, Derek Carter, describes him as, “A kind and soft gentleman, with a passion for Mopar that matched my own. We came up with the idea of starting a Mopar show and, after a lot of time and hard work, it happened. “I have so many memories and tales of times with Tony, but they are in my head and heart, I couldn't begin to put them into words. Keep it Mopar my friend and save me a parking space.” Our condolences…

The NSVA Truck-In will take place on 25-27 June at Birch Coppice Social Club, Dordon, Tamworth B78 1SY. All vans are welcome, be they custom, modified, classic or simply your cherished daily. Rods and customs are welcome, too. With many old custom vans having been given a new lease of life recently, along with lots of new builds, it promises to be a bumper vanning weekend. There will be entertainment, food, drink and silly games, so come along and party. www.national-street-vanassociation.co.uk Facebook: NSVA…

After five years of dedicated service in her Public Relations role, Hannah Thomas, has stood down from the NSRA committee. Sadly, with no AGM held this year, Hannah couldn’t be given the ovation she justly deserved so, on behalf of CC readers, we would like to publicly thank Hannah for all she has done and wish her and husband, Glyn, all the best for the future. Stepping up to the plate and taking on the Public Relations role is Alex Strike. All credit to you for putting yourself forward Alex, and we wish you every success in your new role.…

13 ISSUES FOR JUST £64.87 £39.00 save 39% GET THE BEST COVERAGE OF THE UK DRAG RACING, HOT-RODDING AND CAR CUSTOMISING SCENE EVERY MONTH! 2 EASYWAYS TO ORDER Online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CCA20 Call 01959 543 747 and quoteCCA20 Hotline open Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm GO DIGITAL! Just £37.99 for 13 online issues Online at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CCA20 Direct Debit offer only. Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Offer ends 21st January 2021 and applies to UK subscribers only. For overseas subscription rates please visit shop.kelsey.co.uk. Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Discounts are calculated on full cover price.…

Although the previous weekend a high percentage of the Apple County guys were at Santa Pod for the Hot Rod Drags, almost 200 miles from where these pictures were taken, it didn’t stop them grabbing the chance of a following Sunday drive out for breakfast to take advantage of the late September sunshine. After a quick ring around to set a time, meeting place and appropriate destination, eight pre-war Fords, plus Beavis Allen’s 10-second ’59 Impala convened in a car park on the edge of Yeovil, before setting off for a leisurely drive through the Dorset countryside to Dorchester, and the aptly-named Top o’ the Town Cafe. one last trip out before the onset of winter The invite was also extended to the Rolling Blokes, and that resulted in three…

The story goes a young lad named Dennis Johnson from Cleveland, Ohio entered a 1:43 scale model car with a 1:24 scale engine fitted into it into the model car contest at the 1969 Detroit Autorama. His creation caught the eye of product planners from Model Products Corporation (MPC) who decided to produce a line of similarly out of proportion models into the company’s 1971 line up. Collectively, Little Red Zinger, Super-Semi, Zinger VW, Dune Buggy Zinger, Zinger Vette, Super Drag, ’57 Chevy Zinger and Zinger Van were called Zingers! and they sold like the proverbial hot cakes. Inspired by these, show promoter, Bob Larivee, commissioned large-scale versions of six of the eight original models as crowd pullers for his custom car shows. Former Ridler Award winner, Chuck Miller at…

Mackenzie Love qualified top with a +0.0071 RT on her 9.134 / 72.06 run. Second was Purdie Hadfield with a +0.0084 RT 8.054 / 80.21, with Chevrolet Checkett third with a +0.0135 RT 8.935 / 73.82. In the first elimination round, though, Love fouled and Checkett lost out to Lottie Bradford, whilst Hadfield went through, along with Matthew Dowdy, Caitlin Wilson, Kai Cooper, Thomas Cook-Abbot, Frankie Taylor, Daniel Weir, George Oliver, Damion Redshaw and Frankie Fordham. A couple of rounds later, Wilson saw off Hadfield, Bradford fouled against Fordham and Fulton defeated Cook-Abbot by a margin of 0.0001 second. Fulton then had a bye in the semis, whilst Fordham lost out to Wilson. The final saw Fulton (7.96 index) run 7.996 / 82.11 to overcome the 8.139 / 72.87 from…

Scott Hauser (7.43 index) set the pace in qualifying from the off with a 7.432 / 176.43, which he later improved on with a perfect ET 7.410 / 177.81, having dropped his index to 7.41. Tom Atkinson (8.82 index) qualified second on 8.821 / 152.62 with Ron Bartlett (8.26 index) third on 8.262 / 164.98. In eliminations, Hauser ran a 7.357 / 179.14 bye, as first round wins went to Atkinson, Robert Brown, Mark Coulsell who defeated Bartlett, Mike Lacey, Nick Good (as Phil Toppin pulled a-0.0003 red), Daniel Giles and Ashley Bell. Second round wins were taken by Coulsell, Hauser, Good (with a +0.0004 RT) and Daniel Giles. Hauser (7.37 index) then clocked a 7.464 / 160.77 against Coulsell’s (8.35 index) 8.369 / 158.46, while Good fouled as Giles…

Qualifying for the four-car field ended with Kev Slyfield (7.056 index) on top, despite lifting to a 6.461 / 163.62. Behind him were Elaine Hancock (7.45 index) on 8.551 / 156.83, George Chiarella (7.03 index) on 8.911 / 135.32 and Lloyd Perkins (7.97 index) on 12.838 / 117.29. Slyfield (7.06 index) then ran a 6.831 / 217.89 to put Chiarella’s coupe back on the trailer for the weekend, while Perkins (7.97 index) dispensed with Hancock with an 8.645 / 169.79. Slyfield lost out in the final to an 8.219 / 169.78 from Perkins (7.97 index). Covid Cup winner…

Top three qualifiers were Dave Billadeau (10.65 index) on 10.657 / 126.29, Clair Johnson (9.80 index) on 9.812 / 140.25 and Guy King (10.12 index) on 10.132 / 131.67. Prior to the elimination rounds, the held-over final from the Greenlight Nationals saw Jack Bishop (9.78 index) clock a 9.802 / 132.17 to take the win over Stuart ‘Kiwi’ Thompson’s (9.81 index) 9.721 / 134.40. Initial elimination wins went the way of Johnson, Billadeau and Thompson, along with Chris Layram, Dan Williams with a +0.0070 RT, Jim Chandler who defeated Guy King, Vic Parsons, John Davidson, David Simcock, James Oliver, Bob Main and Don Scott, who turned up with his ’71 Dodge Charger as the engine in his Superbird expired at the last event. Thompson, Williams, Billadeau, Oliver, Parsons and Chandler…

Back issues: £4.99 per issue, including postage & packing (UK delivery only) October 2019 48 Ford F-7 Big Job Model A coupe Rocket ’32 roadster Mopar Euronationals Hot Rod Supernationals March 2020 2,400bhp daily driver Father and son race cars K-Series-powered 100E Finally finished coupe Pop-Up vanning August/September 2020 Period perfect roadster A Minor influence The sport truck phenomenon Popular front Custom DeSoto November 2019 All Shook Up ’32 roadster 1960 Thames 300e van ’48 and ’51 Ford pick-ups Green Light Nationals Euro Finals April 2020 Flathead roadster Buick rag top 700bhp pick-up Wild Weekend Grand National Roadster Show October 2020 A Woodie like no other On Track at Santa Pod Custom Buick coupe Ford Maverick history RIP Stu Bradbury December 2019 Mailman Special Chevy roadster Icon Derelict Rolls Royce…

With help from Golly Godber, Bob Hughes really nailed the late ’70’s custom look with this Escort van. Hiked over an S-Type rear end, uncaged and chromed for all to see. 2.0 Pinto power and a C3 ’box, Appliance chrome rims, mismatched rubbers (almost de rigueur at the time), portholes, Dralon – acres of Dralon – and a remarkably restrained multi-coloured paint job by that man Godber no less. a low-buck, awardwinning custom Oh, and that number plate? Correct if you noted it previously adorned a couple of Godber’s rides, so we can only assume it was used here just for the photoshoot… We really like this car, probably because it is so restrained, and were moved at the time to comment such: “painstaking hard graft and attention to detail…

Drag racer, Neil Hunter, passed away in early December, aged just 57. Neil was bitten by the racing bug following a visit to York Raceway in 1983, and his 440ci, tube-chassis Capri made its track debut in 1995. After success running in Pro ET at York, Neil’s first national championship race was in the 2002 Super Series at Shakespeare County Raceway. The Capri was then rebuilt for the 2018 season, Neil subsequently winning the Pro ET class at the 2019 Summer Nationals at Santa Pod. Our condolences go to Neil’s wife, Sue, daughter, Chloe, son, Alex, and all his family and friends. RIP Neil.…

In the first issue to go on sale in 2020, my focus was on the upcoming 50th anniversary of CC. That milestone manifested itself in the Summer issue, but by then we were all living in a different world to the one we were used to. Unfamiliar words became commonplace almost overnight: coronavirus, Covid, lockdown and, of course, furlough. Without exception, people across the world had to adapt to the changes to everyday life the pandemic forced upon us. On reflection, in the great scheme of things it was only a minor sacrifice, but it was with a heavy heart I announced in that anniversary issue that the publishers of CC had taken a commercially-based decision to combine some 2020 issues and leave them on sale for a longer period.…

Hot foot it over to the Valley Gas Speed Shop in Andover, Hants to check out the revamped, two-storey retail shop and reception area. In reception downstairs you’ll find the company’s extensive line of hot rod hardware, including a wide range of suspension, brake and engine parts, along with dedicated displays for Rocket Racing Wheels and Kugel Komponents. The new upstairs area houses Valley Gas merchandise, including t-shirts and hoodies, as well as the Holman and Moody merchandise range. There’s also a new retro-styled kitchen area, courtesy of Interiors 12 in Reading, and an additional seating area where customers can discuss workshop projects with Jimmy away from interruption. www.valleygasspeedshop.com…

Ranching out In the year of non-events, the 2020 RPM Nationals stood out like a birthday on an otherwise pretty empty calendar, especially in California where automotive events of any kind have been very few and far between. Organised by Justin Bass and Russ Hare, the RPM Nats is held on private property at the Santa Margarita Ranch, located some 100 miles north of Santa Barbara and 200 miles north of Los Angeles. As you leave Santa Barbara on Highway 101 you pass Goleta, the site of the first recorded organised drag races circa 1948 / ’49, and it’s like driving back in time to the ’60s. Entering the slightly derelict ranch takes off another 10 years and rolling down the hill to the strip takes you into the earliest…

Qualifying saw James Gould (11.75 index) on top with an 11.799 / 128.69, followed by James Hodson (10.30 index) on 10.461 / 138.52 and Luke Stevenson (10.88 index) on 11.120 / 131.70. James Gould ran an 11.995 / 126.86 bye in qualifying when Robert Carter was a no show, with first round wins taken by Hodson, Stevenson, Adrian Solly and Bruce Kopasz. Hodson then carded a 10.437 / 135.14 bye, Kopasz (11.99 index) ran 12.480 / 104.28 as Stevenson fouled and Solly (10.80 index) saw 10.991 / 123.85 flash up on the gantry as he defeated Gould. Next time out, a 10.502 / 123.15 from Hodson (10.30 index) proved too much for Solly (10.80 index) who ran just a shade under 11 dead on 10.999 / 138.95, whilst old campaigner…

As we’ve come to expect this year, top qualifier was Mark Todd on 7.304 / 199.89. Behind him came Alan Williamson on 8.675 / 131.68 and Anthony Higgs with an 8.901 / 164.86 pass, though neither subsequently turned up for the first elimination round. That allowed Nick Hale and Ashley Cooper through on byes, the latter with a 9.725 / 144.87 PB. Todd then waved goodbye to Dave Day with a 7.536 / 164.86, whilst Joe Stevens ran 9.021 / 147.65 in the twin turbo Stiletto to bid farewell to James Murray. An 8.031 / 178.42mph pass from Stevens saw off the 9.828 / 142.92 from Cooper, and in the other pairing Hale’s game 10.828 / 124.42 lost out to Todd’s 7.810 / 173.70. In the winner-takes-all final, Todd took…

Steve Hudson was the only one of the three entrants not to break the class index of 8.90 seconds, his 11.196 / 101.97 playing it very safe. Meanwhile, Paul Hudson was on 8.798 / 166.07 and Leah Kellett on 8.779 / 165.45, both breaking out but the latter by not so much. In eliminations, Steven Hudson saw a 12.997 / 82.58 bye, whilst Kellet’s 8.953 / 147.66 got the better of Paul Hudson’s break-out 8.857 / 164.24. The final also went Kellet’s way, her 8.959 / 145.34mph charge being too strong for the 9.110 / 138.55 from Steve Hudson. Covid Cup winner…

Ozzie Brown (14.38 index) held on to his first qualifying run lead and finished ahead of the pack on 14.389 / 93.24. Next came Ben Newsome (12.70 index) on 12.719 / 108.03, followed by Holley Walters (15.65 index) with a 15.670 / 90.87. Walters then fouled in eliminations as Newsome took a win and Brown ran a 14.457 / 92.72 bye. Wins also went to Gary Lake. Debbie Taylor, Ashley Symons, Dan Holloway, Kirstie Tramm and Rob Creswell. Lake, Brown, Taylor and Holloway all then secured semi-final placings, the first of which saw Lake (14.79 index) produce a winning 14.827 / 77.21 against the 14.567 / 92.53 from Brown (14.47 index). In the other pairing, Holloway (15.93 index) clocked a 15.962 / 83.48 as Taylor fouled. Lake (14.79 index) ran…

42 years ago Having pictures of a comic strip star painted on your car would get you a cover slot on CC, and we could afford models called Barbi? Well, if you do, you were buying the mag in the final year of the magazine’s first decade on earth. 1979 also brought us a few other surprises, but none more so Naylor when he hit the loud Pedal at the pod in the September prior and recorded arguably the most spectacular wheelie ever seen in the UK. In the process, the ex-Mister Six Top Fueller bit the asphalt, but no one could deny it went out in style. Talking of going out in style, Editor at the time, Colin Gamm, donned his most avant garde threads an bus to Wimbledon…

Along with his sense of humour, Bill O’Connor will be best remembered for his blown Pinto-powered 100E and the supercharged, 1172cc sidevalve-powered bobtail T that featured in our Summer ’15 issue, built together with good friend, John Proctor. John sums him up perfectly: “Bill was always there to help me with my latest projects, or lend a hand building extensions to the house (or, more importantly, garages). Even emotional support when it was needed. He will be sorely missed by me, and any who knew him.” Our condolences go to Bill’s wife, Liz, son and daughter-in-law, Allan and Tina, grandson, Callum, and all his family and friends. RIP Bill.…

The nice people at Zeon TV haven’t let a decimated season stop them from releasing six new DVDs to give drag racing, hot rod and muscle car addicts the fix they need. DVDs are priced at £14.95 each, or five for £50 and all six for £60, plus post and packing. Order online at www.quartermilehigh.com or telephone 02476 545845. Hardcore Street Archive – The Street Eliminator Story Highlights of the Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator series from 2003-2018. Heads-up racing in street-legal cars at Santa Pod and Shakespeare County, including footage of competitors taking a leisurely cruise around the countryside. Pro Modified Archive Big hairy doorslammers that can cover the quarter mile in just five seconds, with speeds reaching 250mph. Filmed exclusively at Santa Pod, this DVD brings year-by-year highlights of…

Let’s face it, after the all the havoc and chaos coronavirus has caused, we all need something to look forward to in2021. When I was contacted by James Bull and Dexter Eaton about a new car club being formed, and holding a breakfast meet to generate some interest, I was up for going along. So, on Sunday 1 November I headed over to the Haldon Grill, just off the A38 outside Exeter, to find out more about the new club. A laid-back club for owners of pre-’62 hot rods and customs The club name, The Abbots, is a reference to most of the guys living in or around Newton Abbot. The driving force behind it is father and son duo, Nick and Dexter Eaton, whose aim is to create a…

Of note in the first round of qualifying was the Williams Bros Racing ’55 Chevy dipping into the 10s with a 10.985 / 118.98, whilst Darren Law saw an eight for the first time with an 8.979 / 147.64. Come Sunday, the top three rungs of the ladder were occupied by Mason Griffiths (9.23 index) on 9.242 / 140.36, Geoff Cowley (9.40 index) on 9.422 / 140.35 and Wayne Hiscock (9.38 index) on 9.402 / 139.47. Cowley and Hiscock were put out of the running in the first round of qualifying, however, whilst Griffiths put in a 9.242 / 141.12 bye. That was as far as it went for him, though, as secondround wins went the way of Vic Parsons, Will Clark, Andy Smith, Tom Watkins, James Forster and Lee…

Andy Harrison grabbed the top rung of the qualifying ladder with a 9.959 / 143.49, behind him was David Fulton on 10.022 / 145.23 with Simon Fulton third, having broken out of the class index of 9.90 seconds with a 9.884 / 147.18. In the battle of the Fultons, it was David who took the win with a 9.991 / 143.89, as Harrison ran a 10.006 / 141.18 bye. David Fulton also came good in the final, his 9.876 / 145.68 taking the win over Harrison’s 10.680 / 99.71 red light. Covid Cup winner…

Covid Cup winner The four-car field qualifying ladder read, from top to bottom, James Wotton 10.239 / 145.24, Adam Lowe 11.633 / 113.92, Phil West 12.838 / 113.49 and Darren Shephard 13.533 / 69.60. All Wotton and West then had to do to win passage to the final was stage, as Shephard and Lowe were both no shows when it came to eliminations. Wotton then took the final in style thanks to a 10.692 / 143.46 vs West’s 11.521 / 124.76.…

www.customcarmag.co.uk Coronavirus (Covid-19): With events still being cancelled or rearranged due to the ongoing pandemic, these listings should only be regarded as provisional. Please adhere to current government guidelines, and always check the status of events before travelling. JANUARY 6 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 30 All American Cruise. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com FEBRUARY 3 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 27 All American Cruise. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com MARCH 3 Hot Rod Night. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 7 NSRA Southern Swap Meet (provisional date). North Weald Airfield, Epping CM16 6HQ www.nsra.org.uk 20-21 The VolksWorld Show. Sandown Park, Esher KT10 9AJ www.volksworld.com 26-28 Classic Car & Restoration Show. NEC, Birmingham. www.necrestorationshow.com 27 All American Cruise Mopar Muscle Meet. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com APRIL 5 Mustang Stampede. Ace…