Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Custom Car

Halls of Fame Each year the NSRA announces four new inductees into its Hall of Fame. The inductee categories embrace individuals and businesses, sometimes even vehicles. The first recipients were announced in 2012 and a list of all inductees can be found in the history section at www.nsra.org.uk NSRA members who have a standout memory of a person or vehicle they think worthy of being inducted can log nominations online at www.nsra.org.uk/hof-nomination/ The NSRA itself has been recognised in a similar vein with the announcement at Dragstalgia that the association is being inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Nice one guys. Pop art Last month we told you Popstalgia is relocating to Billing Aquadrome this year, and here’s a glimpse of the event artwork. You know the…

Carroll Shelby’s arrival on the motorsport scene, first as a race driver and then as a designer and manufacturer, quickly established his reputation for quality, innovation and winning. Some 60 years later, the Shelby name is still held in the same high regard. [Shelby] represents the American qualities that are highly valued worldwide – ingenuity, tenacity and rugged individualism Throughout its history, Shelby American built and raced some of the world’s most iconic vehicles, and the brand has become an integral part of car culture heritage. It represents the American qualities that are highly valued worldwide – ingenuity, tenacity and rugged individualism. The first car, the legendary Shelby Cobra, epitomises all the best attributes of the brand – power, performance and stellar looks. The high-profile racing successes of the Cobra,…

Imagine the scenario, if you will. A small group of long-haired, flared jean-wearing pioneer UK hot rodders are having a pint in a pub. Suddenly, one blurts out, ‘We need fun! A Fun Run!’ Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite like that, but, however it came about, it was the start of something special. Very, very special indeed, and in 1973 it took place at a venue that would ultimately become the spiritual home of British hot rodding; Billing Aquadrome. putting the fun back into the Fun Run I doubt any of those present at the time would have imagined in their wildest dreams that half a century, and a dip into a new millennium, later the NSRA Fun Run would still be taking place. Yet the Fun Run is still…

Located in an industrial estate in Crediton, Builds & Brews is fast becoming a popular local car meet in the south Devon area. Held on a Sunday, and running from 10am ’til 3pm, it’s open to all things automotive. At the most recent one, I caught up with one of the organisers, Dominic, to get the scope behind the meet. “Craig from The Ally Cat [a wheel refurbishment shop on the same industrial estate] had the idea of getting customers to come by for a meet up and a coffee, supplied by Camper Coffee, who recently moved into one of the units on the estate. fast becoming a popular local car meet in the south Devon area “A plan was formulated, but then the dreaded C word hit and both…

Another weekend, another Rumble. This one found us in deepest Hertfordshire, where 23 cars assembled at Woolmer Green Village Hall, near Knebworth, on a glorious sunny day. From there, we enjoyed a sedate drive through the undulating Hertfordshire countryside, taking us into Bedfordshire. We were lucky to get a sneaky group photoshoot in front of the Cardington Hangars, famous for the R101 disaster, and filming of the Batman movies. a sedate drive through the undulating Hertfordshire countryside Our lunch stop at Charles Wells Brewpoint was a welcome break, before we drove the short distance to the 306th Bombardment Group Museum at Thurleigh Park. The curators kindly opened the museum especially for us, and even gave us tea and doughnuts while we sat outside basking in the sunshine. The museum was…

Ray is one of life’s true characters, full of life and enthusiasm, and enough stories to fill a book Leaf casually through an old copy of Custom Car from the ’70s and you’ll notice many of the same names cropping up in features and indoor show reports over and over again. Nick Butler, John Baldacchino, Mickey Bray, to name but a few, and, of course, Ray Christopher. All these names became well known in the UK customising world for setting high standards in build quality and fit and finish, inspiring many to follow in their footsteps, and guaranteeing them plenty of awards come prizegiving time. Of these guys, Ray Christopher stands out as having built probably the most diverse range of vehicles. And, what’s more, he’s still at it. Ray…

Doorslammers made a welcome return to Santa Pod this year and, with a staggering prize pot of £90,000 up for grabs, it was definitely a case of letting the racing do the talking. Friday was test day, well part-day really as rain put a dampener on most of it. That was quickly forgotten, though, as the following two days provided pretty much non-stop track action from the five very different race classes (six actually, but space constraints dictate European FWD hasn’t made it onto these pages). a staggering prize pot of £90,000 up for grabs Saturday’s programme featured open qualifying sessions, along with heads-up qualifying for the specific classes, and a few demo’ runs for good measure. Perry Watkins ran Oklahoma Willy to a 10.855 / 151.11, and the day…

A group of five British drag racing enthusiasts have just acquired the Dos Palmas dragster. With Bob Keith at the wheel, the rail ran low nines at around 160mph in 1964 when it came over here as part of the US Drag Team for the First British International Drag Festival. Campaigned by Bob Keith, Chris Goodnight and Maurice Williamson, the dragster was so called because its blown, 400ci Chevy motor was assembled by Arnold Chaves’ Dos Palmas Machine in San Jose, CA. The chassis was the second built by ‘TV’ Tommy Ivo, Jack Hageman formed the car’s aluminium body and the rail competed in the UK alongside Don Garlits, Tony Nancy and Tommy Ivo. The car returned to the US after the event, but was shipped back to the UK…

Saving the best for last, a part of the Shelby Californian facility is the workshop where the Original Venice Crew (OVC) craftsmen and mechanics are building the limited run of GT350 continuation cars. Tim Marietta and Ted Sutton, two of the original Shelby workforce, lead the team that builds these authentic, second generation GT350s, which are sure to be as collectible in years to come as the first generation cars are now. If you want to know more, check out www.shelby.com/Vehicles/OVC-65-GT350 Oh, you want to know how much? Are you sitting comfortably? From $199,000 (approx. £165,000), though oddly the website says the MSRP is $250,000. Either way, we can’t afford one! Modern upgrades include a Tremec five-speed transmission.…

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The Norfolk Rumble was organised by Danny West and Michael Goodman, with the starting point being Zaks authentic American diner in Poringland. Rumblers gathered there from 9.30 and nattered until 11am, when we departed for north Norfolk, via the Cromer road past Norwich airport. Unfortunately, we had to cut Cromer out at the last minute due to a marathon taking place there, so instead headed for the Slate Bungalow Rest Stop in Walcott for a break, and the opportunity to dip our feet in the sea. the opportunity to dip our feet in the sea Refreshed, we headed on through the Broads and along the coast, before arriving at the Smokehouse in Ormesby for a barbecue and live music. In total, 40 vehicles participated, some doing the whole route, some…

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The Nostalgia Nationals has always been the smaller event to the similar Hot Rod Drags held later in the year and, despite an enforced two-year absence, felt quieter still this year, undoubtedly not helped by a poor weather forecast for the weekend. But those that chose to stay at home because of that definitely missed out. Friday saw clear blue skies and a full day of pre-’73 track action, with Wild Bunch, Gasser Circus, Nostalgia Superstock, Renegade Outlaw Anglia, Supercharged Outlaws and Modified 100E Challenge all in attendance, with new entries in just about all of the classes. Saturday started okay, but on / off showers turned to more persistent rain, and sadly many took that as the signal to leave. Shame, because it cleared up early afternoon and the…

This September sees the last round of the European Drag Racing Championships, the European Finals, held at Santa Pod Raceway. Arguably one of the biggest drag racing events in Europe, the weekend will play host to an abundance of high-octane action. Evening qualifying sessions kick off on Friday with Top Fuel Dragsters, Funny Cars and jet cars all looking to open their taps on track, creating a spectacular, nitro-powered flame show that’s not to be missed. Saturday and Sunday’s schedules are equally jam packed, with no fewer than 18 drag racing classes on show. Headlining the on-track action will be the heart stopping Top Fuel Dragsters, powering down the strip to speeds around 300mph. And you definitely won’t want to miss the colourful and unruly Pro Mods fighting it out…

A new show can be hard to organise, and to make the first one a success is even harder. But Paul and Mikey made a fantastic job of the American Truck Nationals, and the inaugural event turned out brilliantly. It was held at The Rose Inn at Shotley, Ipswich, on a lovely sunny day in late May, and trucks came from as far away as Manchester and Sheffield to participate. With everything from stock classics to modified modern ones, some even with teardrop caravans or hot rods in tow, there was something for everyone. the inaugural event turned out brilliantly A cruise to the event, led by Kev Bridges, saw 35 vehicles arrive together, which was a fantastic sight to see. As well as the trucks, classic American cars were…

The East Midlands Rumble was somewhat unusual in that there were three different start points, with all vehicles then converging on the same destination. That was the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby, where Bob and April Sheppard had arranged for privileged parking outside the main hangar, along with a discounted entrance fee. Over 30 vehicles were on display at the Heritage Centre, with one group having travelled from Newark on a route organised by Ray Woodhead, another arriving from a motel on the A17 near Holbeach, planned out by Paul Gibbs, and the third group journeying from just outside Peterborough, before travelling a 65-mile course through the Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire countryside organised by Scott Halliwell and Dave Biggadyke. A great place, great cars and great company The destination…

I’m more the restore something type, he’s the one that likes to customise things Speaking with Nigel Crossley, the owner of this ’55 Chevy 3100 pick-up, for this feature, you get the impression he’s one of those upbeat, glass half full kind of people. He was off work at the time with a heavy cold, but he couldn’t have been more helpful, and the enthusiasm for his truck was evident in his voice from the very start. Even when he recounted how, in around 2013, he’d sent $3,000 to a guy in California he had some dealings with through work to buy a pick-up for him, only for the bloke to “promptly bugger off with it,” never to be seen or heard of again, his demeanour didn’t change. “You live…

Not just one of the most radical custom cars to come out of the UK, ever, but one of the more radical covers to come out of CC, too. Not just the image either. If you're one of those who reads the small print, you'd have read the bit at the front that explained that this month’s cover and centrespread were impregnated with LSD so, although we photographed Andy Saunders' rendering of Ford’s X2000 concept car in a car park on Poole quay, you all got to see it in a psychedelic location instead. Beats a studio shoot with an old boiler in her nan’s pants, eh? This masterstroke of marketing was, of course, from the infamous Baggaley era of CC. So, what did he have to say in his…