Classic Cars




	I bought my first car at age 14 from the local scout master for ten pounds, that’s me on the left with hand on hip. My brothers are all present, Alan on the left back, Lindsay standing right, and Ken driving. This was a 1930 Chrysler series 66 which started my passion for the marque. c1965




	It became known as “the bomb” and got various paint effects, twin carbies, and eventually the tray and mud guards were removed to make it go faster, but the dust around the orchard took its toll on the engine. We rode in fine style on the SPC fruit boxes, here with my city cousins Judy and Carol (driving).


	In 1966 this 1928 Plymouth become a major project with a total restoration from the ground up over 3 years. Here I am at aged 17 during the final assembly. My trusty bike, my only legal ride is in the backgound. This car took out 4th in the Victorian Vintage Concours in 1969.


	This 1937 Oldsmobile “Sloper” or Coupe was started in 1974 and driven to the 1977 Street Rod Nationals in Narrandera. Later we towed a 22 foot caravan to Adelaide and then to Cairns and back on a 9 month working holiday. It had a big block Chev, Auto, Air and Power steer. A big fun cruiser. Does anyone know where this car is today ? I sold it in 1979 to a bloke in Seaford Victoria.





	This is my rare 1934 CB Chrysler Convertible Sedan. The privett tree shown above the car when we found it (left) caused me to have a major Asthma attack, a week later my brother Alan died of an Asthma attack in 1980. Below is my 34 CB sedan that is under construction with a 40 inch stretch. Top is chopped 2.1/2 inches and it runs a supercharged V6 and 9 inch rear.



	The Little Red Wagon Project

While we were living in the USA in 1986, having just sold the Aussie Store on Pier 39, I was offered a project building a pair of replica 1928 Ford AA trucks. We started with raw steel, built the entire body and kitchen. It featured a fridge and freezer working off sailboat coldplates, a 3 foot grill, a deep fryer, 2 sinks, coke machine, coffee machine, and ran for 10 hours without external power using LPG and batteries. The running gear was 350 Chev and Turbo 400 with a Ford F350 rear end. I fabricated a new front beam axle with 4 bar using an 11 leaf spring, and Ford F250 hubs and stubs. The front sheet metal was replica. The first version was built to specs but almost impossible for a tall person to drive so the 2nd one had a 4 inch longer cab. Both vehicles were finished within 9 months. They were built to use as food kitchens on Pier 39 San Francisco for Scooter Simmons whose father built Pier 39, but later were sold to DisneyLand. The photo at bottom left is of the one in Anaheim CA. The other is in Disney France. Disney changed the front sheetmetal to early Ford T model which is more of the brass era of the other vehicles at Disneyland.




	This 1965 Buick Riviera was restored in 12 weeks from a rusting hulk in 1983. It ran a 401 “Nailhead” and “switch the pitch” dual stall speed converter and Turbo 400. The body was first painted british racing green, then flat maroon, then metalic, then pearl, and finally 4 coats of clear. 20 coats in all. The use of green stops fading in Maroon colours and gives an amazingly deep appearance to the paint. The interior was white leather.




	Purchased from a Nuclear Physicist in California together with a 61 Caddy convertible, this 1970 Caddy Convertible was restored and converted to RHD in 1987. The original colour was metalic blue, but looks better with the white top. This was the last car I painted. It sold for $24,000 in 1988.