Event Coverage MAD FABRICATORS Invades Australia - Chopped 2012!!!!

Wow!! what a trip that was... been home for a few days now and I finally had a second to go through some of the footage I shot... I didn't take many stills so I pulled some stills from video..

When I got the invite from the Ford brothers early in the year to come to Australia I was floored that they would want me to come all the way out there for their event... I had no idea what to expect.. I knew of the magazine and seen photos and video of the show and I knew that a good time was most likely to be had.

I did some talking back and forth with Kyle and Ryan and decided that a good thing to do would be to film everything (Of course) and possibly put out a special "MAD FAB INVADES AUSTRALIA" DVD hopefully by Xmas.. Some might say but what about Vol. 7? don't worry that is still on the books and will be done asap.. but that is a more time consuming and detailed dvd and I still have some pick up shots to finish it off... this will be something I hope to get out for stocking stuffers since all the filming is done.

we boarded the plane around midnight passed out in the air and woke up with a few hours of the flight left.. We were greeted by Willo who is one of the guys that put on the show and a member of the Eldorado CC. He put us up in his awesome house that was a few miles from the show.. The Australian hospitality was already being implemented...

We made our way to the fairgrounds and I got my first taste of the venue... very nice grounds that were soon to be a mess. Met up the Kyle, Ryan and Ian and decompressed and hung out.... after some dinner I passed out.

neat to see All around Newsted the posters were front and center.. theres no doubt this show is welcomed to this great part of the Australian country..








Day 1 - Show
I got to the grounds early and started filming and setting up my booth. cars were already lining up..




I found my Little buddy Kyle polishing his shit kickers.. cause if you gotta kick some ass you boots need to shine!!!



It was a beautiful Australian morning...






Ian - Willows brother was one of many great people I met..


Ryan did one of many test runs on the strip!

Then the gates open!!!!



The First day of racing it was dry.. Not even the water truck they hired could do anything about it.. pretty dusty..

 

More Racing..








Day 2

When I went to bed and I prayed for rain and low and behold when I awoke RAIN everywhere!!!! hahaha I new it was gonna be a muddy day and I made sure to wear my brand new vans to celebrate the moment!!!

 

Took a few ride alongs and sure had a blast riding with everyone... thanks for letting ride..














Shot as many cars as I could it was pretty wild for 1 guy to handle.. But I got a lot of them.. heres a few

 

Sunday was much of the same.. less mud and dust.. a perfect combination!!

Saw my part californian pal Matt Egan


Mr. + Mrs. Weesner had some fun down under too!!




And my wife seemed to have some fun too.. Probally cause my shit car won't do that hahahaha


Pin Up Shoot? No problem oh and sorry for the dust thats about to engulf you.. She was a trooper tho and did it twice!




An a very special moment that happens every year at chopped........... Ryan Ford breaks his roadster..

This time with my wife as a passenger ( He was trying to show off for her and the camera) so he revs his motor to drag the gasser and pops the clutch!! wham!! good bye toploader!!

The funny thing is that I had to explain to my wife that is the same transmission that going in my car hahahahahaa... I got see what happens when you do that,,,Now she feels like shes in my car atleast hahaha

Chain of events as it happened:





Just pull on it... it will go back into gear hahahahaha


Ryan painted up these cool skulls and I got pick a car for "The Mad Fabricators Pick"

 

Killer!!!! Diggin the dirt drags!!!!

 

Thanks heaps for the lift home on Sunday night ....... uh, I mean Monday morning .... much appreciated.

 

Looks amazing! Keep up the good work sir.

 

So who got the "Mad Fabricators Pick"????????

This was the end of my weekend and a beginning of the second part of this Journey...
THE SURVIVORS!!!!!

The car I chose was smoking Joe's 34 Ford survivor.... That car RULES! I was hanging out on the thursday and that car rolled in on a trailer.. it was one of the first few cars that arrived and it had me at shiny old chrome!!! It was my pick at that moment but I really tried to hard to pick something else and there was some really nice cars that I considered... but if you know me and MFS.. you know how much i'm obsessed with 60's survivors and that car screamed MFS pick... I shot the car on its own and it was the first survivor I shot on the trip... Great guy and family!!

 

Yee haw!!!!

 

Great Pics! Look forward to the Oz invasion edition of MFS.

 

The Evening closed with an awesome After party cause what else would you do to close out 3 days of partying.. you have an after party!!! they had some wonderful dinner and an awesome slide show put on by Eddie Ford and Pete Swifty who traveled to the states in 1966 and spent 6 months driving around to car related stuff...

This is the first time I met these two.. and it was awesome..

So my next part of my Journey is to meet up with Eddie and Swifty and I was gonna get the grand tour...Eddie is Ryan and Kyle's father and is a well known Hot rodder and publisher of the first Hot Rod related magazine..so it was an honor to have him show us around...

We met up and went over to where he still publishes a restoration magazine and got a tour of his building that was once a bank and had a nice collection of cars... pretty cool...





From there we head off to meet up with Swifty. He is one of Eddies oldest friends and the both built Swifty's T back in the 60's..

the car is stored in a small barn located and his 90 year old mothers house and it was like a hollywood prop.. it couldn't be any cooler of a spot of show off a survivor!!!








We took it out for a ride and found a cool spot to park and talk about his awesome little survivor!! I was so happy to see that car..

 

Fuck yeah I want to dirt drag my Victoria?

 

KILLER, looks like a good time.

 

hahaha i felt pretty bad drowning her in dust in the coupe but fuck we were giggling like chicks looking back at our mushroom cloud hahaha had a ball at chopped, we even managed to get the blue 34 3W sideways! flathead power haha

 

Killer cars and what looks to be like one hell of a good time.

 

Was thinking the same thing... stellar. Swifty is the best.

 

Yeah I love Swifty and Eddie too..they are the best.. they are coming out for GNRS and hopefully staying with me.. I'll give them a hell of a tour of LA

I love that car.. and to ride around in it was a blast...




From there we headed over to John Lynch's house.. He had a great little shop and is the holder of the 300mph record for the Australian salts in a belly tanker... And he has a pet Kangaroo.







Last stop of the day the Farm / car resting ground that the Ford family own... Really neat piece of land with barn, garages and spreads of land with old tin...



The next morning Eddie picked us and Swifty up and we headed up to Melbourne where we were leaving from the next day so we planned the next few shoots around that...
Kyle and I talked about getting the 3 guys that made the trip to the states in 66 and talk a bit about it.. so we headed out to Barry Fletcher house to talk about their journey...


So Barry decided to show me "Henryetta" his A survivor.. I didn't realize he had that hiding under a tarp but ...there it was a great little survivor... Now that I know the car i'm seeing more in the older magazines.. cool how these guys where and still are the shit!!





Time was ticking and we were off again.. this time we headed out to Bendigo area to visit Vic O'neil who had a few survivors and is part of the Spades car club who brought all the cool roundy cars at the show...

Great guy and awesome survivors!!!





The T was crazy.. Love it!

 

The "Swift T" is bad ass!!!

 

Nice coverage so far Piero. Looking forward to more and MFS Oz. Good to meet you too.


Pete

 

Excellent coverage! thanx

 

Vic escorted us to Joe Pirotta who own's the Crimson Pirate probally one of Australia's most famous show cars.. was featured on the cover of the first issue Custom Rodder that Eddie put out.. so cool in person!!!











I got to sit in it and rev the nailhead and honk the funny horn!!
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The cool thing is that Joe was so excided to give me about 45 minutes of footage of the car being built, at the shoot for Custom Rodder, after it was re painted and the best it was on a tv show in the 70's and is has the greatest footage of it driving.. so you will see all that too..

I was bummed cause we were spose to go to Rancho Deluxe and we simply ran out of time... Sorry Ben next year tho

So Eddie and Swifty made our way to the hotel we said our good byes and hope to reunite in the states and that was a wrap!!!!!


I can't thank Ryan ,Kyle and Willo enough for taking such good care of us on the trip and Thanks Kyle for setting up all the shoots for me... I fell like we are family now... Miss you guys already..


Eddie Ford and Swifty for showing the silly american some great history...

The Eldorados CC for the contribution and now official sponsors....

Eddie Ford and Swifty for showing the silly american some great history...

Vic, Barry and Joe for letting me come over a look at your neat stuff!!

Everyone that I met and got to shake hands with too many to mention all of you.. but you know who you are... thanks you for the warm welcome...

Thanks to everyone who gave me a ride in there Kustom or Hot Rod,,, good times..

I have left a piece of my heart in AU and i'll be back hopefully next year to come get it!!!

THE END - Oh yeah we did seek some Kangaroo while doing a little back woods driving..

 

Looking forward to mad fab oz.


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Glad you enjoyed yourself!

 

It was amazing.

 

Glad you had fun and made it home safe.

 

well that looks boring..... haha



Thank you for sharing this. Made my week!

 

Glad you had a great time, I have been waiting to see what you had to say about your trip. And lucky you didn't get taken out by that speedway wheel flyin' past you on Saturday!!

 

Man it looks like you had an amazing time. Well done...i hope you make it back!

 

It was fantastic to meet you guys! Glad you had such a wonderful time!
My son (Brodie) still can't believe he got to meet the maker of his bed time movies, thanks for giving him the magazine, of course Volume 5.5 is his favourite!!

Rhett.