Australia's hot rodding pioneers

Larry o'Toole is a (to use a worn out expression) a cultural icon but to me Eddie Ford is a guy who should have AO after his name ,because of the history he has gathered up about Australia's motoring past. I don't there are too many historians in this country who could claim to have done as much as he has over the last 40 or so years for any subject.
I have a copy of the very first magazine he wrote for .I think it ( without digging it out,) was printed in 1962.[/quote]

I have to agree, Eddie has done son much,

 

The blokes down at Melrose St Auto Port (Shell garage) in Campsie had some quick FJ's, Warwick and Dennis Purcell. That's where the Phantoms club started in 1966. Dennis had a very quick red FJ, and Warwick had a radical custom one, welded and filled back doors, rolled pan, canted quad headlights etc, also deep red. Both were in the 1967 Roselands rod show so there'll be pics around somewhere.

Another regular at the servo had an FJ body fitted to a shorthened 39 Ford chassis, so a sidey powered Holden! One of the blokes with more money than sense bought a brand new 327 Chev crate motor in 1968 and we fitted it into his EH. Man that was one quick Holden in its day!

There were some radical cars around in those days, a big Plymouth (1959?) with a front beam axle and the engine moved back halfway into the cabin, an Austin A40 ute with a red hot Y block, an FJ with a Vauxhaul 12 port head sliced up and fitted, running 6 Su's and 6 straight pipes at the drags. Didn't see many 'true' hotrods on the streets, mostly souped up early Ford moredoor sedans and the ever-present FJ, FC, FB Holdens and a few Zephyrs, Cussos and Falcons.

I felt pretty special driving my 41 Willys!

Speed equipment, who remembers Lynx Engineering? They were out on the highway around Ashfield and had a huge showroom full of chromed extractors and multi carb manifolds.

I remember the burger joint in closer to Sydney, Matraville sounds about right, grotty place, bloody driveway was halfway up the hill, and then it sloped up into the carpark. A lowered car had a cow of a time making the driveway without carving up the front bumper or rolled pan. It ended up as a caryard. Oh yeah, Big Chief? I thought this was familiar...

Cheers, Glen.

 

Glenn the FJ on the '39 chassis still exsits. A friend of mine who drives a truck spotted it in Alexandria about 2 years ago and I think he got some picks of it, I will see if I can get them of him. Did the FJ custom of Warick Purcell have a Vauxhall grill ? Do you remember an old Ford Thames van with a flathead in it that used to pop little wheelies at Big Chiefs, are the good ole days.
Cheers Dago.

 

An old guy from work told me about a 4wd mini cooper around the south of sydney with an extra engine in the boot-any one else heard of that?
He also mentioned that there was a house around parramatta(i think?) and in the back shed this guy had his own dyno and he would bring his home made flathead powered super modified (later jag powered) to be tuned.

 

Don't forget the roundy round guys had some amazing stuff too. I saw recently a picture of a Buggatti type 35 racer powered by a flattie...with Ardun heads at Bathurst.
And there was the buggatti chassis with the new Corvette 283 running at the first drags in Sydney.
I have seen pictures of a Black EK (?) running a jag 3.8 in South Australia . pictures were taken in the mid 60's.
I used to drive past Lynx everyday and can remember seeing some pretty impressive machinery used for manufacturing in the windows on Paramatta road. It's strange to see firms in the UK selling Lynx gear today made in asia etc and none of it available here.

 

hey dago the thames van i think belonged to the guy who owed a workshop just up the road from big cheifs phillips ithink his name was he uosed to drive panic a torana funny car at castlereigh kev

 

Yes, Warwick's FJ had a Vauxhaul grille in it, my idea! He was seaching for a suitable grille, so I took him to the Vauxhal wreckers in Burwood and he tried one for size. He didn't want to know about it when I first suggested it, but the thing fitted perfectly into the custom opening in the front of the car and finished it off beautifully.

I've been for a ride in that Thames! Sidey was sort of 'behind' the seats, and you could 'choke' the motor to start it by leaning back and putting a hand over the centre carb. Crazy stuff!

The A40 ute had a story too. The bloke who owned it was building a 33-4 coupe. It came with a 4 banger in it, and he wanted to use the V8 out of his Cusso, so he pulled it, then replaced it with the banger! He drove the Cusso with the 4 in it for ages while he built the Y block, then when he pulled the tarps off the coupe body in his back yard it fell to pieces with rust, so he ditched it and put the Y block in his A40 ute. There's a pic of it in an early hotrod magazine, laying it down to an Anglia gasser at Castlereagh. The A40 looks stock, even has an odd coloured guard on it, a true sleeper.

Here's another pic from my album, I started fooling with old cars early...

Cheers, Glen.

 

Sorry folks if these these post so that you start reading from the back. Hopefully not too jumbled.
There's a fair bit of pioneer spirit in this 'Humpy Mecca'.
Torrens Island used to be the place to race here in Adelaide.
Check my albums here. One of these features my brother's old Port Adelaide survivor. I've also posted my HAMB Friday Art Show entry from this week- an altered that has some aussie touches & influence. Do check out the Art shows.

 

Hey Kev ,the guy you speak off was Bruce Phillips from P&R performance .
He owned a Commer Van with a small block Chev & press button Torque flight in it, the guy was a local hero. Unfortunatley he passed away a couple of years ago.
Cheers Dago.

 

Hi guys the guy with the V8 A40 ute was Terry O' Neill he lived in Boyle St. Croydon Park and was mates with one Ronnie Wickham who lived in Brighton St. Campsie near John Walker who owned and built Hot Rod Lincoln the A Sports Coupe with the Lincoln motor. Terry O'Neill worked at the BP Gas station in Georges River Rd Croydon Park opposite Boyle St and he was responsible for building the V8 Thames van with the side Valve V8 in it. All the parts for the Thames van came from a number of Drag Ens Hot Rod Club Members Graham Moore, Ronnie Williams and Terry O'Neill. Graham Moore was the owner builder of the 58 Plymouth with the set back engine mentioned. Ronnie Williams lived in Waratah St Croydon Park near Graham Moore and the guy with the FJ holden with the six Amal carbs and the Vauxhall head was Darrell McCarthy and he lived in Boyle St. as well. Terry O Neill is now the owner builder of a beautiful Green '32 Ford coupe, Ron Wickham was a great Custom Car builder of the '60s and '70s, John Walker has been building rods for over 40 yrs along with Ronnie Williams who is a Hot Rodding Legend. I think there was something in the water around Croydon Park in the '60s that infected all these guys.

 

Here is another sectioned FJ sedan from the 60's

Warren Goodall of Goodalls Gassa fame, lived on the other side of the rail way line to us. That was one great A 40 ute.

Was a guy with a Green Morris minor Van from Mortdale with a Holden six in it, and a Standard ten sedan with a Holden six from Parramatta that use to turn up at Big Chiefs on a weekend

I have so many photos that I took in the 60's and 70's. As a kid I carried a camera when I went out, was amazing what you could see from a train or looking over fences in back lanes as you rode around the suburbs.

Am going to post a selection of them on my web site, along with material on cars and other things I have designed and built over the years.
In the next month or so

 

UNCLEChop there was a mini built by two brothers from Wollongong that had two engines in it, it also had two transmission and two differentials and was four wheel drive but only two wheel steer, it was called the Twini Mini it ran at Oran Park Raceway. The same brothers ran a dragster at Castlereagh in 1959 it had a sidevalve V8 in it and later a blown Chrysler 318 wedge, they also built a Fiat Altered and had the blown Chrysler in it. There names were Don And Bob Algie they also had a channeled '32 Ford Roadster with a hotted Weiand equipped Sidevalve V8 they used to run at Hillclimbes and Sprints at Castlereagh. They owned a Studebaker Dealership in Wollongong as well as a Speed Shop, they also won the first big Sedan race at Bathurst around '63 in a Studebaker Lark and were agents for Weiand Equiptment. One of them now owns the Hogs Breath Cafe Chain. They were Hot rodding in the 1950's in and around Sydney and Wollongong. A guy named Ron Thorpe purchase the brothers Hot Rod and it finished up racing at the Speedway with a Coupe roof welded on, I remember all the rodders thought it was genuine '32 Ford Coupe and as none were available in Australia they were all shocked. Thorpe purchased a new AC Cobra and went Road Racing, Hill climbing and ran at the sprints at Castlereagh.

 

Hey Bob,

I lived in Burwood Road Croydon Park, and my 41 Willys went to Ronnie Williams in trade for a shoebox Ford in 1967. Do you have any idea who ended up with my 28 Essex coupe body channeled over 34 Ford rails? It was someone from the Dragens and was an almost mint body on a good set of rails with the boot lid welded shut and filled.

Cheers, Glen.

 

I dont know how I missed the first time but here is some pics from riverside victoria.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236343
I spoke to my dad this morning and he said one of his favourite drag strips was
the road to the Bunnerong(spl?) power station at la perouse(spl?) he was quite chuffed that he had his fe holden wound up to 105mph there-not bad for a grey motor w 3spd.

 

Glenc I am not able to help you re the Essex coupe on the 34 rails,sorry about that.

 

wow this is a cool thread,no mention yet of dale fishcer who had a shop around here.
i am too young for big cheifs but ive heard a million stories from a uncle about the place so when we eat at big cheifs at wintersun i always keep a bit of packaging.
seeing all those newsledder pages reminds me of why i used to be hanging so bad for the postman to drop of the next issue, i saw Adam Chivers last tuesday for the first time since newsleddr went out of print, i reckon they should make a best of newsledder book, lots of cool local stuff and articles on early australian customs.
we see alot of trad style hotrods here today in american style but our own unique style of hotrods is forgotten, i reckon we should be proud of our history.
And although we had hotrods here in the early sixties but the main car to hot up or customise here was the holden fj (52-56), fc (58-59)and eh(63-64) , most speed equiptment advertised in late 50's to early 60's magazines are for holden grey motors, i often look at our fj as our hotrod, even the hotrod guys here back in the early 60's were trying to be american from what i understand, but the typical car for a aussie to hot up for speed in the day was a holden going off reading aussie magazines from the period.
A guy i get parts from was telling me he had a chev for his first car that was handed down that he drove while he saved up for his first holden back in the late 50's.

One dumb question a bit off topic and a bit not, all these old guys go on about copper tailpipes and lukey sports mufflers, is that exclusive to australia or did they use copper tailpipes everywere?

 

How much material do you want to see of his work?[/quote]
Ive only seen one of his cars in the flesh at winter sun but wow.
He had an eye for style and taste.
Those faux continetal kits are a work of art.
Would love to see some pics especially the FJ roadsters/verts.
Maybe you could bring out a book paul?
When you get these pics up on your website can I add your web page link to my new site that will be up shortly?

 

we see alot of trad style hotrods here today in american style but our own unique style of hotrods is forgotten, i reckon we should be proud of our history. QUOTE
Amen brother,I had the vision about 9 years ago but it is still in the mock up stage-1928 A with 138 grey motor with YT head and 3 su's plus all the finned gear(Thanks Adam!), cusso rear end cusso reversed wheels and either a 39 merc dash or 62 compact dash
All Aussie style with non dropped 46 axle and T tank over the diff.
But I havent got off my arse yet to finish it(2 years to my deadline-The big Three O)

One dumb question a bit off topic and a bit not, all these old guys go on about copper tailpipes and lukey sports mufflers, is that exclusive to australia or did they use copper tailpipes everywere?[/quote]

I think it was a combination of access to the pipe from their work and easiness to bend, and my dad told me that it was illegal something about the fumes it lets off so there might of been a rebel factor?
Was Len Lukey and his mufflers the only sports mufflers around?

 

thanks again dago it shows what 30 scotch & cokes can do to the greymatter in on night but iwont forget my fj it was one of the lowest in liverpool in 67 coudnt get a trolly jack under it anywere eh front apron beaver pannel at the rear 13inch wheels i remember going out to penrith & filling the boot up with large river rocks and driving around for a week till the shocky mounts made the backseat look like it had two rabbits rooting under it the things you do at 17

 

Some photos from the mid 60's and one from the early 70's

 

cool, i was just looking for some pics myself on the net, do you have any more, i remember there was a few good ones on ozerodders a couple of years ago.

 

I have taken and collected photos of Australian Rods and Customs since the mid 60's.
And have been given some great photos, a small selection of those I have posted here

 

smooth customs, any info on that roadster with the spinner dash in it? my dad owned a channelled A model with a spinner dash in the mid 70's ran an Allard flathead and had a hand formed grilleshell with quad headlights.

 

I have some information on a few of the rods in these photos.
Is an interesting photo.
Photo was taken in November 61, and the car belonged to someone in The Southern Hot Rod Club. "53 Ford mill" Offy heads and 4 carb manafold.

Show your Dad, it may be his.

 

I love the look of aussie 34's channeled but not chopped,Is that the bushell coupe?
Smooth customs-great photo's-you must have an archive up there!

 

smooth customs, i will tommorow hes snoring in his arm chair right now...haha
uncle chop that 34 is the darryl finger coupe, has a filled deck lid and 58 impala tailights. my dad had it in his shop a few years back was going to do the resto on it but the owner wanted the project up and running quicker than my dad could get to it so it went to another shop.

 

uncle chop, i'll also add to the copper pipe exhaust, a lot of it to do with the way it resonated, changing the sound of the car.

 

I met Dale Fisher at the Picnic in '07 (the rained out one),he was there as the inductee to the Rod & Kustom Hall of Fame.
Great bloke! Had a rave with him for around an hour.
He had a couple of photo albums of his work on display. He did a lot of convertables,quad headlights,continental kits and 2 door conversions.
Here are a couple of pics of a '50 Pontiac he did in the late 50's.
This car started as a beaten up 4 door sedan.




He is the "Quiet Acheiver" in Australian customizing.

Cheers,PJ