Custom Car November 2025

Rock’n’Roadster

Jonny Gracie’s no-compromise ‘26 T: “Fast, scary and noisy, just like it should be”

PLUS From a body on a pallet to a show-stopper, Mark Ackroyd’s 460ci big-block Ford F-1 ain’t afraid to go its own way

News & reviews

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Updated policies aimed at modernising the process for notifying the DVLA when a vehicle has been repaired, restored or modified came into effect on 26 August. The changes relating to modified vehicles are most pertinent to CC readers, so that is what we will concentrate on here.

On face value, the opening gambit from the DVLA is very favourable towards our sort of cars. “Vehicles that have had significant structural modifications will be able to keep their original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and registration number, but the registered keeper must notify DVLA of the changes.” The policy then identifies such significant modifications as cutting into the chassis monocoque or frame, changing the vehicle’s appearance or dimensions from the original manufacturer’s specification and conversion from an internal combustion engine to electric propulsion.

Initial interpretation is that the previous 8-point system has been superseded. Things may not be as simple as that, however, as the document mentions the possible need for an engineer’s report or even an IVA certificate should any holes be drilled in the chassis within 30cm of steering or suspension components. There’s also reference to all chassis and body modifications needing to have been completed by a professional.

There’s too much to comment on in the limited space available here but the relevance the updated policies have to rodders is most certainly subject to interpretation. Whether or not this will have any real effect as far as we are concerned remains to be seen. It may be worthwhile having a more in-depth read of the new policies, though, not least to help you decide if you should notify the DVLA of any modifications your vehicle may have. Full details can be found online at www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration

The Wight crossing

The latest update from the NSRA relating to next year’s Fun Run on the Isle of Wight is that Red Funnel has now released sailing dates and times for 2026. That means Fun Run participants can now book ferry crossings priced from just £37.50 each way using the special Away Resorts booking link shown on accommodation booking confirmations. Details of Wightlink’s 2026 sailings won’t be confirmed until October, so for now, bookings are only available with Red Funnel. www.nsra.org.uk

Celebrating 74 years

Stop by showroomthe today to check it out.

News & reviews Something for the weekend?

Centre piece

If you’re reading this as soon as the magazine is out, you may still be in time to join in with the Waterlooville Car Show.

Organised by Havant Borough Council in collaboration with the Port Solent Car Meet, it takes place in Waterlooville town centre on Saturday 27 September from 10.30am until 3.30pm. Hot rods, classics and supercars are all welcome, but vehicles must be registered by email in advance.

Portsolentcarmeet@outlook. com

Over and Outlaw

After many years at the helm, Andy ‘Fadster’ Hadfield has decided the time is right for him to stand down as chairman of the Supercharged Outlaws UK. “It’s been an honour to help progress the group and assist in making it what it is today,” Andy emotionally commented. “The

More doughnuts

If you’re looking for something to do between 10.00am and 1.00pm on Saturday 4 October, and you find yourself in the Southall UB2 5NB area, then why not pop along to Classics and Doughnuts at Hot Rod Technologies. The workshop doors will be open and the doughnuts will be on the house. On-site car spaces are limited to 30, and only classics up to 1995 will be allocated a spot via online registration. There is, however, plenty of parking space in the next door supermarket’s car park, less than a minute’s walk away. www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/hot-rodtechnologies-96501523963

people are what make the group, and to be around such fantastic individuals has been amazing.

“I would like to thank my fellow committee members, Mark Windridge and Paul Dale.

My gratitude and thanks also go to Meghan Evans and Aaron Windridge; these last couple of

Lazy Sunday

For a lazy day of all things custom, rod, rat, muscle, chopped and bobbed, Funland at Hayling Island is the place to be on Sunday 5 October. Organised by Victory Wheelers, The Hayling Sunset is free to enter – though donations to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance would certainly be appreciated.

Facebook: Victory Wheelers

Swapsies

The NSRA Northern Swap Meet returns to the Magna Science Centre, Rotherham S60 1DX, on Sunday 26 October. The venue offers both indoor and outdoor pitches and has easy access from junction 34 of the M1. The swap meet is the prime opportunity to sell parts, tools, automobilia and even cars before we all enter winter hibernation. Trader set up is from 7.30am and public entry is from 9.30am with admission prices being £5 per person for NSRA members and £10 for non-members. Pitch bookings are by email to Andy Sawyer at nsra.trade@nsra.org.uk www.nsra.org.uk

years would have been untenable without their hard work. My final thanks are to all the lovely folks in the teams, and the crew and staff at Santa Pod Raceway.”

CC would like to thank Andy for all he’s done and for the entertainment he has provided over the years. All the best Andy.

Cracking ribs

Registration is now open for the Rock ’n’ Ribs Festival 2026. The festival is relocating to the Bath and West Showground in Somerset, the dates being 1719 July. The line-up has still to be finalised, but rest assured the organisers are planning to make the three-day Americanthemed festival the biggest and best yet.

www.rocknribsfestival.co.uk

Live display

Pictured here is Mark Phillips of Velocity Vintage Drags proudly holding the trophy presented to him by Dave Kindig of Bitchin’ Rides and Kindig It Design fame. The trophy was the award for the Biggest Car Club Display at Petrolheadism Live in early September. Nice one guys.

Congratulations to the four teams that secured 2025 FIA European Drag Racing Championship titles during the European Finals at Santa Pod. In no particular order, the title claiming drivers are: Susanne Callin (Top Fuel); Sandro Bellio (Top Methanol); Jere Rantaniemi (Pro Modifi ed); and Robin Norén (Pro Stock).

News & reviews

Super dates

No sooner is it over than it’s coming around again. The dates for the 2026 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals have been confi rmed as 6-9 August. That’s a mere 45 weeks from when this issue goes on sale! www.nsra.org.uk

Stop gap

Rumbling on

The dates for the Hot Rod Rumble 2026 have been confi rmed as 19-21 June. As usual, it will be staged at The Camp, Ramsey, Huntingdon. Further details to follow. www.hotrodrumble.co.uk

Primarily aimed for use on daily drivers, the Laser Tools Emergency Tyre Repair Kit could prove just as useful with a rod or custom. Intended only to make the tyre safe enough to drive directly to a tyre-fi tting service or garage, the kit can provide a temporary ‘side of the road’ solution to seal the puncture. The kit contains all the essentials required to temporarily plug a puncture, tighten a valve and check tyre pressure. www.lasertools.co.uk

Slick deal

Under a multi-year agreement, Millers Oils has become the Offi cial Oil Sponsor of Santa Pod Raceway. This collaboration will go far beyond logo placement, with Millers Oils becoming part of the fabric of Santa Pod events. Fans can expect to see Millers Oils engaging trackside, celebrating horsepower, supporting competitors and showcasing the very best in oil technology.

Period carbs

For decades, Weber’s 40DCOE151 has been the performance carb of choice for most tuners. However, for a more ‘period’ look the only choice, until now, was to rebuild an often-worn-out second-hand unit. That’s no longer the case, as Webcon has reintroduced the Weber 40DCOE18, a carburettor well known as being original equipment on the 1960s Lotus Elan but which is now being made in uprated K spec. The 40DCOE18K is priced at £688.10 including VAT. www.webcon.co.uk

Chris Church

Devout hot rodder and NSRA pioneer, Chris Church, recently passed away. Chris formed the NDRC Roadster Register and then became the fi rst chairman of the NSRA when it was formed in 1972, a position he held until 1974. In the early ‘70s, he ran a Chevypowered Model T with its distinctive ROD 5 registration number, pictured here laying rubber at the Brighton Speed Trials, and Chris with his wife Frankie and the car sporting its new Eddie Wimble paint job. Chris also raced a 289ci Fordpowered Comp Altered Ford Pop called Gold Rush together with his brother Pat. The siblings were also the people behind one of the UK’s fi rst hot rod shops, Brighton Speed & Custom, which opened its doors in 1971. Chris was inducted into the NSRA Hall of Fame in 2012, the fi rst year of its inception, and the Church brothers’ story is chronicled in the eurodragster.com archive.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

RIP Chris

Phil Toppin

Just before going to press, we heard of the sudden passing of Pro ET racer, Super Pro racer, and stalwart of the Sportsman classes, Phil Toppin. Phil was a regular campaigner at Santa Pod in his 540ci Model T Altered, Grandads Toy II, right up to earlier this year.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

RIP Phil

Vintage Sprints

The dates for MPH #4 have been confirmed as 3-5 July 2026. The venue is once again Denethorpe Airfield, Corby, Northants, and the strip is open to pre-49 bikes and pre-’69 cars. The show area is open to pre-’71 vehicles. The weekend offers camping, live music, food and drink and stalls. Tickets go on sale in January. www.mphdrags.co.uk

Starting young

In the run up to this year’s Supernats, NSRA member

Gary Hollamby put the word out that his son was hoping to be photographed with as many hot rods as possible. At the tender age of 10, Jack Daniels (his real name!) is already a confirmed car nut – and a future hot-rodder in the making.

Gary is well known for his ’32 coupe, and he says Jack already has his eye on it. ‘He’s

always been into cars. He’s had lots of tot rods – at the moment he has a full Pop one based on a mobility scooter. He actually drove my ’32 at the Supernationals!

‘He likes to get involved in the garage. He’s very hands-on and helps me clean the ’32 – he’s my wheels man. He’s really, really into cars.’

Ahead of the Supernats, Gary had a bet with Jack to

see how many cars he could get his picture taken in. Of course, asking his fellow NSRA members on his son’s behalf yielded no end of offers – who doesn’t like people taking photos of their car, after all?!

We’ve published a selection of Gary’s shots here – and as you can see, the cars’ owners were more than happy to drop the usual ‘look but don’t touch’ rule and let him climb aboard.

We’re always saying that one of the biggest challenges in keeping the hot rodding scene alive is getting more young people involved. It helps when your Dad has one of the coolest cars around, of course – but Jack is doing much more than just going through the family motions here. You won’t struggle to remember his name – and we’ve got a feeling this won’t be the last time you hear it!

block is cast iron & so is much stronger that the OE Aluminium block. It can be rebored & has 6 bolt mains. We keep many parts for them, including Edelbrock or Holley kits to run the std injection & ignition, or a carburetor manifold, & ignition control.

It may well take longer, but making compromises during a build is not an option for some

NO COMPROMISE

COMPROMISE

In the January ’22 issue of Custom Car, we brought you a feature on a phantom Austin A40 Somerset pick-up. Jonny Gracie was the man behind the build, with the pick-up having started life as a Ford Fiesta Courier van. That didn’t cut it with Jonny’s rock and roll lifestyle, though, and having come across the Somerset stashed in a barn, he cut it in half and mated the front section to the Fiesta van body. Okay, it wasn’t as simple as that sounds, but you get the gist.

The hybrid Somerset / Fiesta was a step in the right direction but it still didn’t cut the mustard in the looks department as far as Jonny was concerned. Having run around in it for a while, he once again bit the bullet, fired up his grinder and dissected the van body.

More grinding, fabricating and welding later, Johnny had created his individualistic ‘50s British-based pick-up with more modernday running gear. Again, that makes it sound simplistic, but Jonny finally had the pick-up he yearned for.

We closed our feature on the Austin with a mention that at that time, Jonny was already heavily into the build of a T roadster. The project began in Spring 2021 and was initially based on an

“I realised it wasn’t what I really wanted”

wasn’t overly enamoured with the red oxide primer he originally painted the body with, so he reached for the black and red rattle cans. With the finish rubbed through in places, it’s just the look he wanted, and any road rash or car park scratches are easily rectified

unfinished project comprising of a Pop’ Browns ’27 T body and a Ford Pop chassis. Little of that remained on the finished roadster – just the Pop rear crossmember, to be exact, and even that has moved to the front of the new chassis. As the new project became more and more involved, Johnny made the decision to sell the Somerset pickup and concentrate on the new build.

Rail roading

We had to probe Jonny about the drastic changes involving the base ingredients of the roadster. “I realised it wasn’t what I really wanted, I guess. The more I looked at the Pop chassis, the more I started to think it

The handmade Auburn-inspired dash panel houses fuel and temp gauges, together with a GPS speedo, flanked by a pair of 105E rear pillar badges. The steering column came from a ‘60s milk float, while the eBay wheel has a centre formed from a cooking pot. The shifter housing is formed from a Smart car’s brake servo mount and the lever from an old spanner

would be easier in the long run to fabricate a new pair of rails from scratch rather than modify what lay in front of me.

“Then there was the body. I’ve never gotten on with ‘glass, and as I planned to fit a cowl-mounted steering box it would prove a challenge. I’d already bought it, though, and thought it foolish not to give it a go at least. I studied images of Model T roadster pick-ups and thought that was the way to go, as the Pop’ Browns body was nothing more than a tub.”

The main chassis rails were fabricated from box-section steel, with various crossmembers added, including the aforementioned one from the Pop and a

Jonny formed the base of the seat from wood and foam, then bought a sewing machine and trimmed it, along with the side, door and kick panels, in 2-inch pleat tuck and roll red vinyl. The floor is repurposed pallet wood, waxed and oiled. It’s left uncovered as should he get caught in the rain, the last thing Jonny wants is a soggy carpet

Pic: Si Medicott

removable gearbox mount. A Sherpa van donated its front and rear axles, which were mounted using homemade bracketry front and rear, together with a Panhard rod on each to prevent lateral movement. The locating ladder bars incorporate ¾ inch rose joints and the axles have been rebuilt with new bearings and brakes.

The boot is home to a fire extinguisher, the battery and the 6-gallon fuel tank, which previously held diesel and was literally dug up in a farmyard

From the ground up

The Pop’ Browns 27 T tub proved a perfect fit in the bed of the Somerset pick-up that Jonny built

The front and rear axles sit in readiness to be fitted to the fresh chassis

Left: The rails were reprofiled at the front to form frame horns à la Model A chassis

The unfinished (unstarted?) project that Jonny began with, a ‘glass body and the Pop chassis propped up against the wall behind it

Left: Jonny carefully measured and cut some 4x2-inch box section to form a rear kick-up in the rails

With the Model T tub mocked up on the Pop chassis, Jonny decided the easiest option was to fabricate new rails

Right: The rails tacked together in readiness for final welding… 7. 8.

With the main rails fabricated, some crossmembers were needed to tie them together

Left: The rear crossmember was cut from more of the 4x2-inch box section. Note the rails have been slightly pinched at the front

Right: With the chassis sections tack welded together, the rails were trial-fitted for fit around the rear of the tub body 6.

The first of those was the rear crossmember removed from the Pop chassis and trimmed to fit at the front

The ‘glass tub was trial fitted on the new chassis…

Left: …and with the welds ground smooth, the reprofiling was complete and looking good

Jonny in action, welding the crossmember in place

…with slots having been cut in the rear panel to enable the body to fit around the rear kickup

With more chassis crossmembers added, the Sherpa van rear axle was mocked up in position

With the bracketry welded on, the axle was cleaned up and coated in primer

…and he made a good job of it by all accounts

The body tub was removed for improved access when installing the engine and ‘box

…but that was soon corrected with the switch to left hand drive configuration

Attention then turned to the front, with ladder bar brackets being welded to the Sherpa beam axle

With brackets welded to the rear axle, it too was cleaned up. As with the front, it will be located by home-made ladder bars, with coilover shocks completing the installation

The bed top is hinged but as the fuel tank was to be mounted inside, there wouldn’t be much storage space

With the limited space on offer, the V8 is a snug fit between the firewall and grille shell

A hand-fabricated ali blister finished the installation off nicely 18. 21. 24. 27. 30.

The axle hangs from a 7-leaf, reversed eye Ford Pop spring, and is located by homemade ladder bars

Once the rear axle was installed, Jonny began fabricating the wooden pick-up bed…

With the body and bed mounted on the new chassis, engine installation was next on the list

The first steering installation diversified from Jonny’s original plan of a cowl-mounted box…

With the ‘glass tub floor removed, the additional chassis members that Jonny had fitted are clearly visible

Jonny’s drastic change of plan regarding the body involved a lot of sheet metal cutting and fabrication

The firewall was first on the list, recessed for added engine clearance

With the cowl and front ‘screen formed, it was starting to look like a Model T once again

Rather than form one from scratch, Jonny opted to modify a Jowett Bradford bonnet top to suit

A steel framework was made for the turtle deck-style rear, which was then skinned in sheet steel

Doesn’t that finish things off nicely…

It’s a start, but there’s a long way to go with the fabrication of the complete body

With the font section cut off and the bonnet trimmed to fit it’s pretty much made to measure

With the welds ground down and a skim of filler added, the final profile is taking shape

Right: The doors were next, formed from a rigid frame skinned in sheet steel

Left: …and although it’s a functioning boot, the chassis kickup doesn’t allow for much carrying capacity

With the hinging and latching hardware fitted, the doors were almost complete

The rear of the tub came next, formed to be 3 inches wider than the Pop’ Browns ‘glass body

Talk about going the whole hog – Jonny even fabricated a steel grille shell

Still a long way to go, but it’s taking shape now

Just the boot lid to be formed and fitted now

Once the swage lines have been added and the gaps sorted they will do nicely

The front axle installation features Jonny-crafted spring shackles, aftermarket coilovers disguised as gas shocks, and disc brakes. The rear axle is fitted with drum brakes, runs a 4.2:1 diff and is connected to the gearbox by a home-made shortened propshaft fitted with Buick and Sherpa ends. The brakes are actuated by a firewall-mounted Smart Car dual circuit master cylinder and servo, linked to a handmade pedal assembly and fed by a pair of aftermarket motorcycle reservoirs. The left-hand drive steering option Jonny finally settled on utilises a chassis-mounted ‘60s milk float steering box, which proved to be just the right size.

Jonny then turned his hand to woodwork, forming a pick-up bed which he mounted on the rear chassis rails. While it was okay, though, there was still that nagging doubt in Jonny’s mind. He was never keen on the ‘glass body and, now it had a wooden bed, maybe that was a step too far.

Opening doors

Just like every other hot rodder these days, Jonny spent yet more time surfing the ‘net. As if by magic, many images appeared –and one in particular struck a chord, a ’26 Model T roadster with a turtle deck rear.

Weighing up the pros and cons, Jonny made the bold decision to make his own

The engine is a 1968 vintage Buick Riviera 355 Wildcat 300ci V8. The Nicson exhaust headers are not quite what they may seem at first glance, as they were designed for Rover V8-powered speedboat applications. As such, using them on a road car without a water jacket cooling them would result in the ali melting, so Jonny cut them apart and used the casting top pieces as heat shields. The tubular headers beneath them feed the twin exhaust system incorporating Smithy mufflers. Transmission is a Super Turbine 300 2-speed automatic

Buick V8

body in sheet steel. Paper templates were made from sections of the ‘glass tub and MDF bucks formed for individual panels.

As it was being formed from scratch, Jonny wisely changed some of the dimensions to increase the interior space and make the driving experience more pleasurable. The rear tub panel was widened and the doors, which would now open, gained a couple of inches in length. It took perseverance, not to mention plenty of panel beating, and it certainly increased the build time, but Jonny stuck with it, producing a unique Model T roadster body of his very own making. What’s more, he completed it in time for a self-imposed and

a

a

air

Right: The contoured boot lid features more hand-punched louvres. Now fitted with chromed centre bullets, the rear lights are aftermarket Land Rover twin stop and tail units in custom housings. Protecting them is the ‘60s-style nerf bar Jonny formed from the chrome legs of a coffee table

The build took 4 years to complete, with the roadster first being on the road in August last year. That met Jonny’s deadline of being able to use it as a wedding car when he and Kelly tied the knot. Don’t they look a happy couple?

rather critical deadline he had set – no less an occasion than his own wedding.

The roadster actually made its debut before completion, though. With just one door fitted and the car not running, Jonny pushed it up the road to a local car show, such was his enthusiasm for showing off what he’d achieved. And that enthusiasm is justified, as Jonny has demonstrated what can be done in a small garage with limited tools. Hopefully, it will serve as inspiration for others.

The build of the roadster led to numerous changes in direction, but none of them were made for the sake of compromise. All the different paths taken were carefully chosen

to achieve Jonny’s ultimate goal. It’s no show-stopper, and it doesn’t really conform to any particular genre or category. It is, however, individualistic and harks back to the hot rodding ethos of old. You make what you can, modify a load of other stuff and buy new only if there’s no other option. You then get it all to work together and enjoy the drive.

Jonny summed it up perfectly: “It drives okay. It’s fast, scary and noisy.” An experience, in other words – just like it should be.

“I need to tweak things a bit, but that’s understandable with a car like this,” he continues. “The steering box could do with a rebuild, as could the alternator, and with

the 4.2 diff in the rear axle, the engine is screaming at 60mph. A switch to 3.9 gears should sort that. I may also change the carb.

“I do need to raise the ‘screen and lower the seat to get my head down behind the glass. Then there’s the Switch-Pitch on the gearbox, which is currently an unknown entity. It’s designed to change the torque converter from low to high stall. The switch isn’t wired in at the moment, and it will be interesting to see what difference it makes.”

The roadster build style isn’t for everyone, but that’s what hot rodding is all about. It puts a smile on Jonny’s face every time he gets behind the wheel, and that’s all that matters. CC

“Thanks to Jamie Stevens, Nigel Edmunds, Lee Edwards, Noel Craske, Ian Craske, Dave ‘Shep’ Sheppard, Wayne Ashford, Lee Wilson, Colin Bennett, Paul Menear and, last but by no means least, the wife Kelly”

■ Words: Dave Biggadyke

■

Superlative

Pics: Dave Biggdyke, and as credited

The 34th staging of Europe’s premier hot rod and custom event, the NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals, rolled into Old Warden Park in early August. To say it was busy all weekend would do it a disservice. The place was rammed, from members’ day on Thursday through to show day on Sunday.

Members of the Australian Chapter of the Reapers Hot Rod and Custom Car Club were at the Supernats for the weekend. They were a great and helpful bunch of people to chat to, and they hosted a Q&A session on Saturday afternoon. Be sure to look them up if you ever visit Adelaide

The entertainment on the main stage and in the party tent kicked off at 4pm on Thursday and finished after midnight on Saturday. There was no need for more of the same on Sunday, as checking out the expansive show field kept everyone fully occupied. In saying that, Dave Shuten did slip in one last workshop tour on the stage either side of midday, giving day visitors a chance to hear some of his enlightening stories.

In addition to the entertainment, there were a couple of Q&A sessions and an IVA chat with NSRA Legislation Officer Trevor Gardiner – and for the younger participants, a kids’ party with DJ Jazzbell. Saturday also saw the mass cruise out, leaving the park around noon.

Despite the enormity of it all, or maybe because of it, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Some issues need addressing, and I’m sure that’s exactly what the NSRA committee will do at their AGM later this year. I won’t dwell on them here, but it would be remiss not to refer to them at all as they were the topic of many conversations during and post-event. That aside, it was an awesome weekend, boosted by the almost non-stop sunshine. Let’s leave the last word to NSRA chair, Keith ‘Roasty’ Elliot: “Wow, what can I say? That was one hell of a show. With record gate numbers and pre-entries leading up to the event, we knew it was going to be a monster.

Blown The Budget indeed. The extensive roll cage protruding from the bed of Bill Mitchell’s Austin Devon pick-up more than hints that it means business. Unsurprisingly, there’s a blower beneath the bonnet. At the time of writing, we’ve just done a photoshoot with the car and will be featuring it in a future issue of CC

“There were a lot of highs for me personally. Looking out at the show field, standing next to a couple of my heroes, seeing how busy it was, and the buzz around, it was special. Who said hot rodding in the UK was dead?”

The plaque on the front hints that this Fordson doesn’t hail from these shores. Anders and Ann Byrhult Pålsson drove over from their hometown of Åhus in Sweden, a round trip of 1927 miles

He’s really gone and done it this time. Paul Bacon’s latest creation is this taxi-based, bike-hauling pick-up. Its styling harks back to the US show circuit of the ‘60s and early ‘70s yet is futuristic at the same time. The creation was a well-deserving recipient of an NSRA Special Award

Shuten the breeze

“That was one hell of a show”

This year’s American guest was Dave Shuten of Galpin Speed Shop. Dave and the team focus on preserving history with period-perfect restorations and new-build customs inspired by the likes of Ed Roth, Dan Woods and George Barris. Dave spent the weekend meeting and greeting and giving live workshop tours on the stage with the NSRA’s Keith ‘Roasty’ Elliot and John Price.

To complement Dave’s visit, a display of iconic cars from back in the day was arranged by the NSRA. These are all currently owned by Gary Hillman (www.mydadstoys.co.uk) and are now housed in the UK.

Duck and drive

Saturday’s cruise, which was once again organised by Cannibals Car Club-UK, enticed almost 200 vehicles to head off after lining up on the show field. The route of the cruise took in around 40 miles of the Bedfordshire countryside, with an inconvenient road closure proving a minor hiccup for some while others ignored the signs and pressed on regardless.

It didn’t prevent anyone from reaching the destination, however, which was the Cross Keys in Pulloxhill. Once

there, cruisers were treated to an almost manicured parking area with toilets, an outside bar in the marquee, a barbecue and live music from The Brookettes, all set in glorious sunshine.

On top of all that were the RAF ducks, which were great fun. You had to be there to appreciate that, though. Congratulations to Neo Wilkinson and Phil Bishop for submitting the winning and runner-up images (not the ones published here, though they’re good too…)

Going live

On Friday and Saturday, the main stage entertainment kicked off at 1.30pm. Whether it be a pie-eating competition, rock ‘n’ roll bingo, a Mr and Mrs Competition or taking in one of the 14 live acts, there was plenty for everyone. For those wanting more, there were three nights of themed discos in the Party Tent. I get tired just thinking about it all.

Prize time

In an attempt to make Sunday’s prize giving run more slickly, the prize draw for pre-entered participants took place on the stage on Saturday afternoon. Presented by NSRA Treasurer Anne Owen, prizes on offer included Lego for children, workshop tools for adults and even a week-long holiday in the Isle of Wight courtesy of Away Resorts. Congratulations to the nine lucky winners.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the ’55 Chevy, Michael and Karen Dandridge organised a dedicated display of Tri Chevys which was sited at the top end of the show field. Thanks to their pre-event publicity, an incredible 66

vehicles turned up on the day. It was an amazing display.

Dave Shuten picked his 3 favourite cars representing each model year: ’55 – Mick Stevens, ’56 – Tony Nash, ’57 – Rick Skett; whilst the ClassicLine Insurance choices were: ’55 – Barry Davis, ’56 – Wade Nortcliffe, ’57 – Steve Dann. The People’s Choice award went to Rob Slater, while the award for Karen and Mike’s favourite went to Sam Baxter and Peter Nash.

Entering the Hall

The latest inductees to the NSRA Hall of Fame received their certificates on Sunday afternoon – but not the coveted plaques. Those will be presented at a gala evening later in the year, the details of which have not been released at the time of writing this.

COMING FROM A CALIFORNIA PRIVATE COLLECTION SOME OF THE LOWEST PRODUCTION MUSCLE CARS FROM THE GOLDEN DAYS OF HORSEPOWER WARS

1969 PONTIAC TRANS AM

$175,000

Here’s one you will not find everyday the original trans am, 400ci ramair, 4 speed manual, matching numbers nut and bolt rotisserie restoration, one year only model with a mere 570 built with a 4 speed manual gearbox flawless condition throughout zero miles since restoration.

of a genuine rustfree car fully documented with Marti report, previous history/ownership, zero miles since restoration.

1956 CHEVY CORVETTE - $150,000

Flawless body o restoration of this two top dual quad manual gearbox 56 vette, arrow straight black coachwork with silver coves, step inside the cabin to find the stunning red interior , show quality car ready for route 66 .

Fully loaded ragtop 265ci/auto, p/s,p/b, p/w p/seat p/top flawless condition inside & out, original convertible owners handbook, restored to perfection and ready to cruise first year if the iconic small block chevy that went on to power many a street racer and still doing it today.

Here a restored harley servicar that in a former life cruised the streets of San Francisco rescuing sfpd cruisers and issuing citations, on the button electric start , original metal shin guards included original Motorola two radio and mic .recently restored in poly gas station colours to resemble the american version of the once seen everywhere in the uk RAC and AA motorbike/ sidecars.

Jail break

A Cops and Rodders Party was staged in the Party Tent on Saturday night. Many took this to heart and dressed accordingly. None more so than the Pub Shutters and friends, who staged a jail break. They all escaped unapprehended – if only Nipper the cop had longer legs.

Dave did it

As a mark of respect and to honour his induction into the NSRA Hall of Fame, a display of cars from the late Dave Haskell’s workshop took pride of place in front of the hospitality marquee.

Judgement day

In a break from the norm, this year’s Top 10 was selected by a panel of judges. At the anointed hour, well actually an hour or so later, the judges’ decisions were announced to the anxiously (patiently?) waiting crowd…

Righting the wrong of its omission a year ago, Jon Gurney’s 300E Thames van was included in the list of Top 10 winners

Barry Ashton’s ’32 Ford pick-up features a lift-up bed floor giving access to the rear axle and fuel tank. The CC photoshoot’s now in the bag

Graham Slater sold on the ’54 Chevy Bel Air he built during lockdown to concentrate on his Jag project. His loss was Terry Kent’s gain, even more so when he collected a Top 10 trophy

Fresh from winning Participants’ Choice at the Fun Run, Paul Tressider’s ’54 F100 pickup was once again among the winners

Simon Phillips debuted his ’32 roadster, a car he described as “an assembly job”, at the Supernats in 2021. It was given a Top 10 placement on that debut – and another one this year

severely

a drag strip

Richard Black, who is stepping down at the AGM, was presented with a Special Award to mark his serving an incredible 29 years on the NSRA committee. A Shorts and Sandals Party was also thrown in his honour on Friday evening

Recently completed by Buckland Automotive Engineering, Jason Hollamby’s chopped 3-window sits just right. There’s quite a story behind the build, one we’ll relay in a future issue

Ian Burton’s bagged and supercharged GM 6.2-litre LSA equipped C10 pick-up rolls on 22x10 and 20x8½ inch Billet Specialities Vintage Series rims, polished of course

Rolling on Budnik wheels, Rocky Singh’s chopped and bagged Pop runs a 383 stroker motor. Painted by Roberts Motor Bodies and with an interior by Custom Coach Trimming, the car also took the Tony Robinson Award presented by Mid Surrey Roadsters

The Spirit of Hot Rodding trophy was awarded to Charnwood Cruisers and collected by Frank Pelosi and

The Best Traditional trophy deservedly went to Garry Neil for his Flathead-powered Model A pick-up

The on-site vendors got their heads together and, after deliberation, decided the Traders’ Pick award was to go to the candy and flamed Model T of

Having enjoyed a cruise around the site on Saturday, tot rod drivers were invited to display their machines in front of the NSRA Hospitality Marquee on Sunday. At prize giving, Lewis Jackson drove round to collect the Best Tot Rod trophy

ClassicLine

It would have been rude not to let Dave Shuten choose his favourite on the show field, and he went for Neil Tadman’s ’34 Tudor

Peek in the back of Luke Hopson’s ’74 Commer PB Deluxe pick-up and you find a 400+ bhp Mercedes OM605 diesel engine. It was no surprise when Luke pulled round to collect the Best Commercial award

and selected by EC

PARTICIPANTS’ CHOICE 2025

the

With body mods including a 4-inch roof chop, ’54 Chevy front grille and bumpers and frenched lights front and back, the Participants’ Choice winning ’49 Chevy was built at Deep South Kustoms. Owned by Clint and Rhia Wildish, the custom rolls on 18-inch smoothies and is powered by an LS1 motor. We’ll be taking a closer look in the near future

Auto focus

In the early part of last year, I enjoyed a trip to see Nick Davies and Rob Loaring, to take a look at Nick’s new machine being constructed with Rob and Scott Barnes in the workshop. It served to give me a good feeling that we might enjoy seeing some more wild fuel altereds in the near future.

Rise of the fuel altereds

really could be a fine combination. Different is good – and it will be novel seeing it sat alongside Robin’s own road-going Dart.

Since that uplifting day, the No Quarter Topolino has made its impressive debut at Dragstalgia – and whetted the appetite for more. You get a real sense of nostalgia with this breed of machine.

Dragstalgia this year provided an indication of what is approaching, with at least two cars well into construction – and two already running – ahead of the introduction of the OSCAR class.

Prior to Nick Davies shaking down at Dragstalgia, it has been down to Bryan Whitfield as the only OSCAR driver to hit the strip in the stunning High Spirits Austin, a former CC feature car, which is styled on American 60s’ racer Gabby Bleeker’s machine. At the time of writing, Bryan is looking forward to running alongside Nick at the Hot Rod Drags – having only had the Whitfield and Tubb car on show at Dragstalgia.

A real surprise was seeing Bob Glassup’s Topolino, which features much handiwork by Andy Robinson. Bob did say that he may possibly run the car with the body currently sporting a shabby chic look.

Sat alongside this was what will surely be the smallest capacity car, as Robin Read Racing are pushing on at top speed to produce a blown Daimler runner. This will, interestingly, sport a matching make Daimler Dart fibreglass body, which has just been manufactured in August. Given the lighter engine, which Robin knows so much about running very quick, it may be the joker in the pack. With Alan Lloyd scheduled to drive, this

We can be sure that any build by Jon Webster will be top quality – and not short on power! The topless Morris Minor bodywork of his current build will be another new body style to become a fuel altered. That is one for the future; and on that note, Rob Loaring is now geared up to progress his long awaited Tee Rat re-creation. He has been busy collecting parts, and has set a target to be out for the 2027 Nostalgia Nationals.

“It is a simpler car than Nick’s Fiat,” commented Rob, who knows just how much work is involved in the process. He is keeping his own expectations low for the class, as he is only too aware that it is only the number of cars completed that actually counts. The class guidelines were formulated to make this a relatively more affordable way to run a nitro car. As Rob put it: “It’s just really a group

of old blokes having some fun.” From early indications, it also works well for us onlookers as well!

Up to this point, I have been talking about the shorter wheelbase, non-aero OSCAR builds, but these are not the only nitroburning altereds of interest currently. If you enjoy the Nostalgia events at Santa Pod, you will have seen we have three more cars out on track at the moment, which have greater design freedom in all areas. Adam Gleadow and the team have been getting to grips with the current nitro incarnation of the Motor Psycho line, which looks great and gives the feel of an updated version of the final Tee Rat, with its swept-up Model T body. Adam Clayton has stepped up a notch, too, as the Firecracker Topolino has been converted over to the hard stuff for this season.

in the impressive new T-bodied Raptor which will be driven by son Lee. This car pays homage to the memorable Nobby Hills Demag machine, as Alan was was well known for his part in Nobby’s team – who he drove for during his previous nitro days. There is a nice tribute to lost friends on the rear deck of the body on this powerhouse of a machine.

Alan Bates made a welcome return to the track in May, although he has only been in the hot seat to start the shakedown process

Talking to Mickey Moore recently; he tells me that his Topolino is coming on well and he has all the parts to complete it. Like Alan, he has been round race cars for a very long time. These days, he has been kept busy as the clutch man on Tony Betts’ Venom nostalgia funny, but of course he has plenty of previous nitro experience which included driving The Mob fuel altered with the late Ollie Burn.

Bantam wowed us onlookers; and Dave Stone in Tee Rat taking on all comers was always spectacular. However, the number of these nitro tearaways has always been in extremely short supply. The Altereds received a real boost when Laurie Gatehouse and Ollie Burn started the Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association some 20 years ago. In reality, the majority of the runners were on methanol, but it made for some memorable events during the decade of the group’s existence, during which time there were the most fuel altereds running at the same time.

It can be all too easy to look back to the past, through the old rose tinted glasses, and believe various things were much better. For sure, watching Fred Whittle in our first AA/FA entry was quite something, as the red flake

Now we have two styles of blown nitro fuel altered, which can both lay claim to be designated AA/FA class machines. These spectacular cars are seen as a past treasure but it strikes me that the future for them looks bright – and that we appear to be heading into what will become the real golden age of fuel altereds! Makes me smile at the thought!

That’showMarkAckroyd describeshis’48FordF-1,which unashamedlygoesitsownway inaworldofsimilarpick-ups

Whensomeonetellsyoutheir previous build was a GMC Stepsidepick-up dropped overan’18-plateFordRanger chassis,andbeforethattheybuiltaFord Thamespick-uponaPumafloorpanwitha 1720cctwincam,youknowyou’redealing with a different kind of hot rodder. “Ijustliketodosomethingabitdifferent,” explainsMarkAckroydinhisbroadYorkshire accent.“I’vehadloadsofPops,Squires, Thames,I’vehadallsorts.ButthenIgotbit bytheYankbug,andthatwereit.”

Pearl paint is called Tommo Blue and shifts in the sunlight and over the voluptuous curves of the pick-up through a range of deep blues to an almost Cadbury’s purple. “I didn’t want to take it too far,” says Mark of the modifications, “so you can see it’s been worked on, but it’s still got a lot of its original character”

Pipe treatment is a novel take on the popular side-exit exhaust, with a heat mat to protect the paint. Before you write in, Mark knows the F-100 badge is incorrect for a ’48 truck, but he wanted something to fill the gap and liked the look of the ’53-on badge

Theword‘different’cameuptime andtimeagainduringouranimatedand eminentlyenjoyableconversation.The enthusiasm60-year-oldMarkhasfor modifyingcarsandtruckscomingoverloud andclear.AlongwithhiswifeKaran,heruns CCCarandCommercialinPontefract– but, asyoucanseefromthestickersonhis radicallymodified’48F-1pick-up,heproudly calls Bradford home.

GivenallthesmallBritishFordstuffyou’ve workedonbefore,thisisabitofadeparture foryou,isn’tit?Isuggest.“Ohaye,itwere a bit different. There were a lot of head scratching,abitmindblowing,stufffrom abroad,y’know.”

The look of love

Sodidyougolookingforanyparticular makeormodeltruck,orwasthisjustwhat camealong?“Itjustcameup.Ilookedatit andthought,that’ssummatdifferent[see whatwemean?]Yeah,Ilikethis.” Itdidn’tlookanythinglikethisbackthen, ofcourse.Infactitwasabodyonapallet, apick-upbedandaknackeredsetofwings.

Part of what attracted Mark to the ’48 in the first place was the front end, so he saw no reason to radically re-style it. He has, however, replaced the original industrial looking bumper with chrome overriders and the headlights with LED angel eye versions. Front wings have been widened three inches each side, too

No chassis, no inline six engine, no running gear at all. That didn’t faze Mark one bit though. Given his history of body swaps, I was about to ask whether he considered finding a suitable modern chassis to drop all the old Henry metal over, but Mark was on a roll… “I just love building them, I love it. It were a stock truck when I got it, with wings battered to hell, and look at it now.”

Our conversation jumped excitedly all over the place, and I had to keep bringing Mark back round to the truck, but I can tell you the box section chassis was made entirely from scratch, the unusual cantilever air bag rear suspension is Mark’s own design and construction and it used to have a supercharger on the late model 460ci Ford big block that came out of a 1990 Winnebago motorhome. “That were too much, way too much, and it got too hot in there,” he laughs.

Big bad mill

The big Ford mill was rebuilt by the good old boys at Engine Data Analysis (EDA) in

Castleford, and then tuned once installed in the truck on Jon Sleath’s rollers in Doncaster. With a Comp Cam in it, forged pistons, a balanced bottom end and some mild head work, Mark says it made 490bhp, and that’s with cast iron heads and a single 750 Holley carb.

That’s plenty of ponies for a street-driven custom truck; we can see why a blower might have been overkill. “Everyone says they run hot, these engines, so that’s why I ended up cutting a hole in the bonnet and having the scoop poking through. That were John’s suggestion and it’s really worked.”

Behind the heavy metal is a C6 transmission built for Mark by a local drag racer in Elland, while the prop connecting that to the back axle came from Dunning & Fairbank in Leeds. The next link in the chain is a bit more unusual though. The fabricated sheet steel diff’ casing is another example of Mark’s out-of-the-box thinking.

“Me and me mate made that; he’s good with numbers,” says Mark somewhat enigmatically. “We drew it all out and made it in wood first to check everything fitted, then made it in steel.” A similar process resulted in the 4-link location and the

chunky Watt’s linkage that tempers the axle’s lateral location.

Bedroom builder

“The ideas come to me at night. I get into bed with a piece of paper and write things down, or draw them out, and then go into the workshop the next day and make ’em.”

Inside the one-off housing is a Strange open diff’ and axles, with Ferrari four-pot calipers hanging on the ends, on to which are bolted the 15 x 15-inch Center Line Convo Pro wheels. These are fitted with a pair of 29 x 18.50-15 Mickey Thompson

“The ideas come to me at night. I get into bed with a piece of paper and write things down, or draw them out, and then go into the workshop the next day and make ’em”

460ci (7.5-litre) big block Ford came out of a 1990s’ Winnebago. It was fuel injection in its original application, but is now running a 750cfm Holley four barrel on an AFR Bullitt single plane intake manifold. EDA rebuilt the engine with ported and polished iron heads, uprated valve train components and a Comp Cams bump stick. It had a blower on it at one point, but a combination of excessive heat and power led Mark back to natural aspiration. It still made 460bhp on the rollers at John Sleath Race Cars

Everywhere you look, there are personal touches, from the polished bullet caps on the brake fluid reservoir (along with a load of other places too) to the little guy sitting on the carb front and the wrap on the coolant tank

The air scoop poking thoughtfully through the bonnet wasn’t part of the original plan, but the heat the BBF generates made it a necessity to draw cooler air into the motor

“It made 490bhp, and that’s with cast iron heads and a single 750 Holley carb”

Sportsman Pro rubbers. Look ahead of that and you’ll see a row of polished bullet shape fixings flanking two forward projecting arms. Those are the cantilevers for the five tonne Firestone air bags that control the rear ride height and provide suspension, with rebound damped by a pair of regular tube shocks bolted behind the axle to the rear crossmember.

Up front, things are a bit more conventional, with a Mustang II-style IFS with disc brakes and power steering, again with Firestone air bags in place of coilovers. Matching the rears are a set of 6 x 15 Convo Pros with 195/65-15 tyres.

Unlike the rest of the truck’s bodywork, the pick-up bed retains its stock dimensions, though those hand-made wheel tubs sit way further in than standard due to the huge rear wheels and tyres. Fresh bed wood lapping up the sides and home window handles for the tailgate retainers mix things up a bit

Center Line released its Convo Pro wheel in the late 1980s and they became so popular with the Pro Street crowd in the 1990s that Hot Rod magazine called them its Wheel of the ’90s. Since Center Line was re-launched under new ownership, they’ve become available again, slightly different and called Convo Pro 2.0. Mark’s wheels are 6 x 15s and 15 x 15s, with a combination of discreet 195/65-15s up front and 29 x 18.50-15s Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro steamrollers bringing up the rear

Over all that sits a chopped and widened version of the old ’48 F-1 body. The cab has been reduced in height by five inches, while the front wings have been slit down the middle and widened by three. Mark couldn’t remember exactly how much was added to the rears, but reckons it’s about the same amount.

Alongside all that, the pick-up bed remains remarkably stock looking, right down to the NOS tailgate and the use of chromed household window catches to latch it. “I were just at home, opening a window, and thought, y’know what, those latches might just work. So I unscrewed one and took it

Raise the panel in the pick-up bed, though, and it’s immediately apparent there is a lot more going on under the skin. The chassis is home made, as are the axle casing, the 4-bar with Watt’s linkage and the cantilever arms for the air bag rear suspension. Twin pumps, air tank and valves all live under there, too

Mark really went to town on the interior, calling in a friend, Daz, to help. The seats are BB6 diamond stitch leather and Alcantara high backs bought from Bad Boy Classics online. The material combination and double stitch detail has been followed through on to the home made console, door inserts and dash cover. Inset: “Aye, it’s the speed duck that is”

The headliner didn’t escape attention, either, making the cab like a diamond-stitched cocoon

The billet gauge panel is designed to be a direct fit into an F-1 dash of this era, but that’s where the similarities to a stock Ford dash end. Into that panel, Mark has fitted Shark white-face gauges, all connected by a ‘Pop’ Browns wiring loom

“If I had a tenner for every time someone –mainly women – have told me they love the colour, I’d be a rich man”

down the workshop to try it. The missus weren’t best pleased, but y’know.”

Smooth hauler

Those familiar with this era truck will notice the bed is a whole lot smoother inside now, and the wheel tubs protrude well into the load space. It’s also wood lined, and the central five panels lift on a hydraulic ram to expose the detailed chassis beneath.

“I wanted summat a bit different, but I didn’t want to take it too far. So you can see it’s been worked on, but it’s still got a lot of its original character,” is Mark’s explanation of how far he went with the body modifications.

The colour is Tommo Blue Pearl, sourced from a paint supply company in Hull, and it’s another part of the truck Mark absolutely loves. And he’s not alone. “If I had a tenner for every time someone – mainly women – have told me they love the colour, I’d be a rich man,” he says with a grin.

We imagine those that are drawn in by the exterior treatment get even more excited when they see the very un-commercial like interior in the pick-up. Where once there was a bench seat and basic metal dash, now there are swathes of black leather and Alcantara with a blue double diamond stitch detail. “Oh aye, it’s a lovely place to be,” says Mark. “It’s really a beautiful thing to drive. It’s smooth, no rattles, no bumps. You could go coast to coast in it no problem.

“I were going to put a stereo in it, but…” He laughs. “You don’t need it with the engine that’s in it. It’s just got a lovely rumble.”

All seeing, aye

As a friend put it to Mark once, “You see what nobody else sees.” To which he laughs, and replies, “Yep, and then you see what I see at the end.” And in this case, you could not just see it, you could be the owner for, at the time of writing, it was up for sale on various American car sites and Facebook.

Whether it still will be when this magazine comes out we can’t say, but Mark’s number if you’re interested is 07758 404107.

“I’ve shown it a bit,” he says, “and every time I have, I’ve come back with something, but there’s still summat in it for someone else to enjoy. I’ve put it up for 50 grand. It’s a lot of money, I know, but I sat down and worked out that I’ve got 46 grand in it in parts, so anyone that buys it will be getting two and half years’ labour for three and a half grand!”

Even that startling realisation did nothing to dampen Mark’s enthusiasm, and he was straight off telling me about the next project. That one is a 1936 Ford Ten Tudor Sedan, and I can tell you it will be getting a 5.7-litre LS, I-beam front axle, Jag IRS and a haircut. Y’know, summat different. Mark assured me it’ll be done in 15 months and, given the level of energy he exudes down the ’phone, I have no reason to doubt he’ll be good to his word. CC

A five-inch chop and three-inch widened wings dramatically change the proportions of the truck. Add in a sump-scraping stance thanks to air ride and the end result is the polar opposite of the high riding farm truck this ’48 F-1 started life as

■ Words: Olly Sack

■ Pics: Julian Hunt

Feelin’ the heat

This year’s Dragstalgia took place over a warm and sultry weekend at Santa Pod. The weather was hot – but the racing was even hotter

For many, Dragstalgia is up there with the Nostalgia Nationals and Hot Rod Drags as the true highlights of the racing season. And the second of the NSRA’s annual events at Santa Pod was blessed by balmy weather –warm, sometimes humid as the breeze dropped, the air heated up and the temperature on track continued to climb. The show was scorching and the action was non-stop.

The first rounds of qualifying kicked off late on Friday afternoon, by which time the early arrivals had already been treated to a

full day of pre-1980 RWYB. And from there on in, it was non-stop nostalgia racing all the way, with the usual set of classes providing a pretty relentless diet of action with mercifully few clean-ups required and no nasty incidents.

There was a particularly strong entry in Nostalgia Super Stock, with 56 cars and drivers in the pairing lanes at the start of qualifying. But none of the seven categories was short on numbers, even if the Saturday night’s cracklefest could have been better attended. The entertainment also included a series of demo runs by

Julian Webb’s Split Second jet dragster, flypasts by the Spitfire and Lancaster from the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and some fantastic period costumes worn by various teams’ crews and back-up girls – with special honours going to the lads in Philippa Turton’s Bitchcraft team, whose gingham dresses and pink wigs were seen bouncing around in celebration of several PBs over the course of the event…

It’s a show, of course, not just a race meet, and there were awards for Richard Colby (best appearing vehicle), Ian Merryweather (best appearing team), the Proper Charlies (best wheelie) and Dougie Hill (best burnout). A superb display of matching dresses, co-ordinated sparkly boots and an inspired hair bow secured Back-up Girl of the Weekend for Ben Kennedy’s Outlaw Anglia team. Spike Lauria and Ron Smith from New Zealand got Spirit of Dragstalgia, Liz Charman was awarded for best driving job and Nick Davies provided the Moment of Dragstalgia with a mighty burnout in his new No Quarter fuel altered. Get set for a lot more from the latest addition to the OSCAR ranks in the near future, as nostalgia racing goes from strength to strength!

Rob Brown’s Rebel slingshot is the one to beat in Wild Bunch, and so it proved again here as an average variance of just 0.0301 from his dial-in time was enough to keep Ruaridh Hart at bay

Wild Bunch

It’s all about consistency here, with the winner being the driver with the lowest average difference to their dial-in. Pretty much half of those taking part posted PBs over the course of the weekend (more than once in some cases), with Loz Butcher in the

Gasser Circus

Sean Milsom and his daughter Steph lined up together on Friday evening in the first round of Gasser Circus qualifying, with dad taking the early bragging rights. Then the following afternoon saw Steph taking vaulting into the top spot in Q4 with a cracking 12.0077 / 107.40 (12.00) run – only for Sean to hit straight back, 10.1748 / 129.11 (10.17) ensuring it was S. Milsom leading from S. Milsom on the way into eliminations.

Sean kept it up in E1, thanks to an uncharacteristic breakout by Ray Turner in Green Onions. But it was the end of the race for Steph when she said off before the tree was activated, handing it to Stacey Nash. A bye for Sean then took him into E3, where a red light saw him gift a place in

had two things to celebrate at Dragstalgia, one of which was a new PB that took him into the 9s. The other was the small matter of having just got married – the event was actually the first instalment in his

recently CC-featured Mean Streak among those getting into the 9s for the first time. Not the only thing Loz was celebrating at Dragstalgia, as the event constituted the first leg of his honeymoon! But it was Rob Brown who went home with the Wild Bunch honours, not for the first time, after posting an average divergence of just 0.0301 in Rebel. Ruaridh Hart was his closest challenger in BraveHart with a time of 0.0414, while the Proper Charlies took third on 0.0834 in the Charles Bang Special.

Sean Milsom’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ Morris van is a well known sight in the Gasser Circus. His daughter Steph has joined the battle now too in her 383ci Model A Blunderbuss – you can only see the back end of it there in the left lane, after father and daughter were paired together in the first round of qualifying, so we’ve also included a shot of her first burnout the following morning

the semis to Nick Hewison. Nick lost out to Steve Matthews on a double breakout here, with John Gibson waiting after taking a bye

in his semi – and it was John who took the win in the final when Steve put a cherry on the tree.

John Sleath and Stuart ‘Kiwi’ Thomson emerged from a monster field of NSS entries to contest a closely fought final, with John’s 440ci Camaro (nearside lane) triumphing over Stuart’s 540ci Duster

Adam Nowak’s Roadrunner, which we featured in our Feb ’23 issue, was bottom of the pile after its first couple of runs but ended up qualifying 7th out of a field of 56. His race was run when he red lit in E3

Nostalgia Super Stock

An early start on Saturday morning saw a 55-strong field line up for Q1 in Nostalgia Super Stock, with sponsor Chris Goodale of Goodale American Speedshop among them. Richard Granger was first to show, but the following round saw Dave Billadeau jump into third with a 9.8621 / 136.85 (9.85) run – not to mention the 0.0005 RT that won him the Bad Habit Racing Perfect Light Award for the weekend.

Adam Nowak, whose Road Runner was featured in our Feb ’23 issue, was lying 56th and last at this point after a breakout in Q2. But he leapt 40 places in

Q3 with 10.7820 / 123.38 (10.75) to put himself back in contention. Up top, Spencer Tramm jumped to the top of the pile in the penultimate pairing of the session – only for Guy King to go one better a few moments later, rounding off Q3 with a perfect ET 10.4904 / 122.85 (10.49).

No further changes up top in Q4, though Adam continued his charge up the table to stand 7th going into the show. A holeshot win saw him past James Ellis in E1, while Guy waltzed through on a bye and Spencer was too fast for Ty Strevett. Dave just lost out to John Sleath, however, in the battle of

the engine builders.

Unfortunately Guy was a no-show in E2, giving Rob Tyrell a walkover. He was to break out in E3, however, putting Paul Fleckney through. We also lost Adam here, when he lit a cherry against Steve Lloyd, with Spencer suffering a similar fate against Marc Huxley.

Marc kept it up in E4 to march into the semis, where he lost out to John Sleath by the narrowest of margins. John faced Stuart Thomson in the final – and won it, a 9.8477 / 133.71 (9.83) run being enough to see off Stuart’s 9.7812 / 137.69 (9.71).

Dragstalgia Cannonball

The big story in Cannonball qualifying was Bob Hawkins’ first run. A time of 8.9224 / 127.59 put him third behind Tim Garlick and Tony Betts – but he melted a piston in the process, bringing out the clean-up crew and

seemingly putting himself out of contention.

The Cannonball crew are made of stern stuff, however, and late the following morning the rebuild was complete and his 500ci slingshot was back in action – and

looking better than ever as he posted a time of 6.9757 / 147.21 in Q3. It was Tony Betts in Venom who triumphed in the final, however, a 5.9438 / 246.37 run proving just too fast for Dougie Hill.

Outlaw Anglia

There’s no such thing as a foregone conclusion in drag racing, and third-placed qualifier Ben Kennedy proved that by putting a cherry on the tree in E1 to lose to Andy Cunningham – who had finished last in the list and was only in the show as

red light for

the final alternate. The fastest qualifier was out at this stage too, with Jedd Guy lifting as his 735ci Pop lit up its tyres to let Ben Montgomery, another name from well down the list, take his place in E2. Both giant-killers were out at the next

attempt as Rob Stone took on Lee Taylor and Martyn Payne lined up against Phil ‘Ginner’ Middleton in the semis. Those match-ups resulted in Rob v Martyn in the final, with Rob’s 8.4146 / 157.38 enough to do the job even if Martyn hadn’t gone red.

The latter-day rise of the fuel altered is discussed in Keith Lee’s Auto Focus column elsewhere in this issue, and Nick Davies’ new No Quarter OSCAR racer announced its arrival with a burnout to remember. Unfortunately it dropped some fluid in the process and was pushed back, but that’s what test runs are all about and it was out again the following day for more. A sharp pull to the right meant Nick’s next attempt was over as soon as it had begun, but later that afternoon he was to fire it to a 7.4315 / 156.29 time that shows enormous promise for the future of the car and the class alike.

Ben Kennedy’s duo of back-up girls were awarded for their outstanding outfits – that hair bow is inspired, and we’re big fans of the matching boots and hair look. Philippa Turton’s crew were co-ordinating, too, with their cute gingham dresses, and beneath the oh-so-realistic pink wigs it was good to see the boys getting in on the act too!

MODULAR STORAGE SYSTEMS

There must be something in Yorkshire water, other than what’s good for brewing a cuppa. It’s an element that makes hot rodders look outside the box and create something unique

PROGRESS REPORT: PART 1

In the August issue of CC , there was a feature on Graham Slater’s exquisite Mk VII Jaguar, a car that never previously existed. Graham’s vision and expertise had transformed a 4-door sedan into a sublime 2-door coupe – no mean feat at all.

In that feature, we referred to another project that he was working on, a Jaguar Atlantis belonging to his good friend Steve Cook. Naturally, we had to find out more. In years gone by, Barnsley-based Steve built a ’39 Chevy, a car we featured in the July ‘14 issue. However, even back then, Steve had an itch, one he was determined to scratch one day. That itch was in the form of a Cruella de Vil-style car. You know the sort of thing, elegant 1930s styling with a bonnet of opulent proportions. Steve even went as far as crafting a model as a 3-dimensional representation of his vision.

That was as far as things went until Graham bought an Auburn Speedster from a guy in Glasgow. How is that relevant? Well, Steve kept Graham company on the trip north to view it, much to his good fortune, as the seller had something else

of interest that had been parked outside under a tarpaulin for 5 years. The story went that the ‘glass-bodied car was the prototype of those manufactured by the Atlantis Motor Co in Norfolk.

Described as a French-inspired retro-style car of the early 1930s, this forerunner of the Atlantis A1 was built and developed throughout 1982 / ’83. Allegedly, the company subsequently made 15 production models, even going so far as to advertise in Custom Car. Steve has since been informed that this was an over-enthusiastic claim, though, and only 8 production models were built.

Despite it being in a sorry state, Steve was instantly smitten by the car’s Delage styling cues. The stumbling block was that he had to sell his Chevy to free up both funds and space. On the proviso that the duo bought both the Auburn and the Atlantis, the seller agreed to wait until the time was right for Steve and that came at the end of 2019, just before Covid reared its nasty head.

Almost five years on, the project is nearing completion, although it won’t be seen in public just yet. It’s not been a

…with greatly extended front-end bodywork

straightforward build and from the outset there have been more twists than even Chubby Checker could imagine. Steve and Graham have stuck with it, though, and well done to them for that. Hopefully, this series of features will give them the credit they deserve.

Close inspection revealed the Atlantis body to be in far worse condition than initially thought…

A new body was needed, so Steve set to and built another model

…with the plywood and fibreglass composite having delaminated when stored under the tarpaulin

Crafted from MDF and featuring the Atlantis grille shell, he redesigned a more coupe-like body style…

Attention then focused on refurbishing and upgrading the Jaguar XJ6 running gear fitted to the Atlantis. Jag X308 rear air shocks and aftermarket front air bags were fitted to the all-round independent suspension

Steve described it as being like soggy Weetabix, and the only option was to ditch it

…which still retained the overly long bonnet he craved

A fresh engine was sourced, as the original 4.2-litre straight 6 was noisy. The replacement had already been rebuilt to half-race spec and came with a Jag V12 manual ‘box and a stainless steel exhaust

The running gear is mounted on a custom heavy-duty 3 x 3-inch box section Atlantis chassis, which becomes 6 x 3-inch double-decker in certain sections. Steve and Graham added a lighter gauge box section bulkhead hoop and rear frame

With the rolling chassis refreshed, a new floor was formed from 18mm ply. This was skinned with fibreglass on the underside and a timber batten bodywork frame was added

The framework was then covered with 1-inch polystyrene sheet, on to which the contours of the body were sketched out

Graham slipped into conversation that he found the couped Auburn to be very claustrophobic, and that sowed a seed in Steve’s mind

The more he thought about it, the more he drifted towards the idea of a Woodie body. A new MDF model was needed

Initially planning on painting it Old English White, Steve also experimented with other colours. We will reveal what he finally settled on in a future issue

Elegant 1930s styling with a bonnet of opulent proportions

It was then time to fire up Graham’s favourite part, spraying on some polyurethane foam – and lots of it

NEXT TIME: Let the sculpting begin

GO YOUR OWN WAY

How do you modify an iconic car that has already been customised hundreds of times throughout the years and still come out with an original concept? Chris Smith has given it a damn good go

Words and Pics: James Webber

Since hot rodding and customising took off in the UK during the 1970s, the humble Ford Anglia has been probably the most popular route for newcomers to get into the hobby. Over time, hundreds have been modified either for the street or the strip, from mild and subtle customs to out and out in-your-face.

From the humble home-built first-time custom to the high-end, high-budget creations of professional speed shops, the Anglia has been at the helm of British hot-rodding. If a thing is possible to do with them, it’s been done.

So how does someone go to work on an Anglia and achieve an original design? It has required a lot of thought and years of hard work – but Chris Smith, owner of this ’53 Anglia, has managed it. Which is ironic – because when he started out, he intended to stick to one of the well-known, tried and tested approaches.

“When I first got the Anglia, I was considering various infamous cliché routes – Viva front, Jag rear axle, Rover v8. It would have been an easy approach to take, with plenty of bits available.”

A mechanical engineer, in the past Chris was also an international triathlete. This wasn’t his first car building experience – he had previously done two Sylva Strikers, one with a Yamaha R1 engine, a Fisher Fury, a Banham TT and a couple of motorbikes.

After completing the second of those bikes and not having much luck selling it, Chris found an opportunity much closer to home. “There was a dealer in Bude who had this Anglia on his forecourt,” he explains. “I had a look at it and came away, had a think, then rang the dealer and said would he be interested in a swap? No sooner had I sent him some pics he was straight down to my place with the Anglia on the trailer and the deal was done.”

On closer inspection, the Anglia was not in the best of shapes. It wasn’t a complete write off, though – in fact, it a was a golden opportunity for Chris’ imagination to start running wild.

“She was black, with cream wheels and hubcaps, but the back axle was held on with blocks of wood. So I stripped it right down to a bare body and chassis, removed the body from the chassis, made some strengthening braces and wheeled the chassis into the workshop. I sold the old running gear to a guy who did stock car racing and ordered a strengthening kit from Pop Browns.

Chris made the roof lining from is 1mm ali sheet, dimple died to cut down on drumming. The lower sections are shaped around the windows, while endless exposed rivet heads add to the boy racer ambience in the

More of the original Bakelite trim is retained on the doors. The expanse of carbon wrap beneath it as

“From the rear wheels back, the chassis was completely rebuilt! At this point, I had decided against taking the traditional route and chosen to go looking for a more modern approach instead.”

Now, a very wise old proverb says “some things that have been done many times before are easy,” or something like that, and Chris thought that would be the case here. But upon starting to do some proper research, it transpired that all is not as is written on the internet.

The rear seats aren’t dummies as such, but since there’s literally no legroom in them they might as well be. Chris admits that they’re only really there for show

Chris based the dash on a tubular frame he made up. There’s a bit of the boy racer to it, for sure, and we’re definitely not used to seeing carbon fibre wrap in an Anglia, but that there’s the original Bakelite trim panel. It might not be your typical hot rod fare, but he’s put it together properly

The seats came out of an MGB race car, but they’re not from anything in particular – just universal aftermarket buckets. The 8-ball controls the box from a Mazda RX8

“I decided against the traditional route and went looking for a more modern approach.”

“I was looking for a Ford Focus RS turbo engine but they were rare and all fetching ridiculous money. However a MOT failure Focus with a good ST170 motor came up, so I grabbed it and put it to one side.

Don’t be silly

“I wanted to mate it to a Type 9 gearbox but again, they were fetching silly money. I read on the internet that it was possible to use a Mazda RX8 gearbox and just fit an adapter plate. So that was the plan.

“I happened across an XJ6 rear axle which had already been narrowed and came with an LSD that was fitted to a Vauxhall Cresta, so I refurbished it and mocked it in the chassis. The gearbox adapter was not as straightforward as had been claimed,

though. I purchased a different starter motor and clutch assembly to fit.

“Next came a modified propshaft, made with XJ6 UJs at one end and Mazda the other, and utilising Mazda splines. I put more strength into the chassis, with more bracing pieces and adding anti tramp bars fore and aft of the rear axle.”

With the chassis and new running gear in place, Chris acquired a hoist and began the job of lowering the body on to the chassis, all the while praying that it would drop smoothly into place. It didn’t.

“Lady luck wasn’t on my side and the bulkhead hit the cam covers. So I cut the whole thing out and replaced it with 6mm chequer plate, moved the whole thing back by 300mm.

“The inner wheel arches and boot floor were cut out and replaced. I purchased an MGB GT front axle, welded cross members to locate it and fitted adjustable gas shocks. I made up a dummy tunnel housing and made a new floor from the bulkhead, right back to the rear seat, also with 6mm chequer plate. Everything is screwed in so that access is very easy if ever necessary.

“Once everything was tack welded and mocked up, I employed the services of a local certified welder to ensure the car was strong and sturdy. I fabricated a firewall in the boot out of 2mm aluminium sheet and fire retardant material as the fuel tank was now in the boot.

“The car came with a plastic vinyl roof which, once ripped out, revealed that the framework was very rusty. So I welded a band around the aperture, cut a piece of aluminium and pop riveted and filled it.

“The wings unbolt for access, and I extended them by two and a half inches at the front and one and a half at the rear. I didn’t like the look of headlights mounted on top of the wings, so I bought a pair of VW bay window T2 lights and mounted them in the wings, which looks much better.

“The car sits on VW T5 wheels, which up front have four to five stud fixings. At the rear, the wheels rubbed on the inner chassis, but a TSW in Tiverton modified the wheels and offset the rim by 60mm.”

Insider dealing

Chris then turned his attention to the inside.

“I made up a tubular frame and built the dash, incorporated the original Bakelite trim around it. I put in a GPS speedo and a set of gauges in pods on top. Door cards are made up of plywood and carbon fibre wrap, again incorporating the Bakelite trim.

“The seats are universal buckets that came out of a MGB race car with the harnesses. The rear seats are from a kit car but there really is no leg room – they are more for show. The roof lining is 1mm aluminium sheet and around the rear window was cut into sections, so they follow the lines of the roof.

“Lady luck wasn’t on my side and the bulkhead hit the cam covers”

“One thing I really didn’t trust myself to do was the wiring. So I paid for a professional sparky to rewire it, using a kit car loom.

“Back to the engine, I had looked at different fuel set ups that people were using but a lot were out of my budget. I then came upon a company called Danst who sold a kit comprising of Kawasaki carbs, Piper air filter, ME 100 ECU and throttle cable for a set price. With that fitted, I took it to SRS in Launceston, who put it on their rolling road to fine tune and give me a read out. She is producing 150bhp at the rear wheels, which is plenty for what I will use the car for.

“I completed the whole project in autumn 2024 and have been ironing out the little

bugs since. I haven’t taken the car far but this year I was accepted into the VIP hall at the Offset show at Royal Cornwall showground and was blown away when the car won best in show.”

I asked Chris how he felt the car turned out and if he has any plans for the future?

“I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out and have enjoyed the challenges,’ he said.

“Things like the cooling system design that came from a guy online building a Westfield.

Regarding the paintwork, I’ve been a fan of the Gulf racing livery for years and promised myself that I would have it on a car one day.

“Once I have gained a bit of confidence and I’m happy all the bugs have been

The engine is a Ford Duratec unit from a Focus ST170 that met its end in an MOT bay. You can see where Chris had to replace the bulkhead with 6mm ali plate to leave room for the bigger and more modern lump

Chris installed a fuel tank in the boot – along with a bulkhead made from a combination of 2mm aluminium sheet and fire retardant material to separate it from the cabin. He mocked up the car’s structure, tacking it together along the way, but when it came to putting it together properly he handed the job to a certified welder

ironed out, I will be out using the car more frequently. It’s booked into a couple of shows, which I’m looking forward to.” So he should be – and so indeed should all of us who get a vibe from seeing someone succeed in building a car that defies convention and goes its own way. CC

“Thanks to my family for their support, and to all the people who have contributed to the build: Danst, SRS in Launceston, the sparky, Charlie the amazing welder and any other contributors that I have forgotten.”

We’re pretty sure the Gulf Racing team never campaigned an Anglia at Le Mans, but Chris has always liked the livery and he says he promised himself that one day he’d have a car done in it. It certainly looks well – so much, in fact, that he came back from no less an event than the Offset Show with the top award

Wheels are Volkswagen T5 steelies. They’re wrapped in 195/45 Toyo

The rear rubbed on the inner chassis when they first went on. Chris took them to TSW in Tiverton, who modified them to offset the rim by 60mm

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

SEPTEMBER

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 Waterlooville Car Show. Waterlooville town centre. portsolentcarmeet@outlook.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

5 Victory Wheelers Hayling Sunset Funlands Amusement Park, Hayling Island Facebook: Victory Wheelers

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

11-12 Velocity Vintage Drags Manston Raceway Park, Kent www.velocityvintagedrags.racing

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

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

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

27 Cold Turkey Run. Cromer, Norfolk, Facebook: Bod Here

JANUARY 2026

10 Blacktop Kings Traditional Indoor Kustom Show. South of England Showground, West Sussex blacktopkingscarshow@gmail.com

18 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

FEBRUARY 2026

20-22 Race Retro. Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. www.raceretro.com

22 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

MARCH

2026

20-22 Classic Car and Restoration Show NEC, Birmingham. www.necrestorationshow.com

22 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

JUNE

2026

4-7 Hot Rods and Hills. Park Foot Holiday Park, Penrith www.parkfootullswater.co.uk

19-21 Hot Rod Rumble The Camp, Ramsey, Huntingdon www.hotrodrumble.co.uk

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

JULY 2026

3-5 MPH Vintage Sprint. Denethorpe Airfield, Corby. www.mphdrags.co.uk

APRIL 2026

3 Wheels Day Newbury Showground, Berkshire www.surreystreetrodders.com

19 Huddersfield Auto / Retro Jumble. Brook Street, Huddersfield. www.phoenixfairs.jimdo.com

MAY 2026

3 BHP Show Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone. bhpshows.com

16-17 Duchy Ford Show Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall www.duchyfordclub.co.uk

25-31 NSRA Fun Run. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Isle of Wight. www.nsra.org.uk

3-5 National Hot Rod, Custom, & American Car Show. Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln. www.hotrodandcustomshow.co.uk

9-12 Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www. goodwood.com

17-19 Rock ‘n’ Ribs Festival Bath and West Showground, Somerset. www.rocknribsfestival.co.uk

AUGUST 2026

6-9 NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals Old Warden, Bedfordshire www.nsra.org.uk

SEPTEMBER 2026

11-13 Goodwood Revival Goodwood Estate, West Sussex. www.goodwood.com