Table of contents for July 2022 in Custom Car

2022 is the year of some pretty significant anniversaries, one of which being 50 years of the NSRA in the UK. So, exactly what will the NSRA be up to in its golden anniversary year? Quite a lot actually. Spring Rumbles on every weekend in May have already spanned the length and breadth of the country, with the next event on the calendar being the Fun Run on 17-19 June. It takes place at Rutland Showground in Oakham and promises to be a real hot rod family weekend. Live music, trade stalls and a Saturday cruise are all part of the weekend, along with the traditional Sunday show ’n’ shine. To mark the NSRA’s anniversary, there will also be dedicated vehicle displays representing 50 years of UK hot rodding. These…

In the past, we’ve featured a few progress reports on this ’46 Chevy COE tilt bed transporter, the vision of the late Colin Casey. Colin sadly passed before seeing the project through to fruition, and it is now part of his probate estate, which will hopefully be released by the end of May. Colin’s good friend, Bob Wilding, has listed the COE on eBay with an honest description. All the hard work is done and it’s fitted with a Cummins six-pot diesel, C10 front suspension and all-round air ride. It does not currently start, drive or stop and has no interior, but would be a great project to finish off as a hot rod hauler or company promo vehicle. eBay: Chevy COE…

Dear CC, I was pleased to see a picture of my ’69 Hillman Minx in your Swap Meet report in the May issue. I particularly enjoyed it being labelled “a definite survivor.” I hate to shatter the illusion, not least because I would like to believe it myself, but my commitment to accuracy compels me. The fact is that it was not customised until circa 2019. I bought it at the start of the year, with the seller also having bought it on the understanding it was a genuine survivor. It came with a large paperwork file with one document stating it was sold new through a Croydon Rootes garage to a local man, whose son then inherited it in 1979. He retained it until his death in 2012, after…

The name of Chris Vining at Custom Coach Trimming often crops up in these pages, as the Evesham, Worcestershire-based company stitches the interiors in a lot of the cars we feature. Just turn to p42 of this issue to find an example of Chris’ work. Cars, pick-ups, motorcycles, scooters and vans all feature in Chris’ extensive and impressive portfolio. A fair mix then, but it is hot rod interiors that Chris specialises in, as he readily admits to having hot rods in his head. Unsure of which career path to take when he left school, Chris worked as a gofer in an upholstery factory, before advancing onto the production line making sofas. With new-found skills, he recovered the seat of his push bike, which proved to be the foundation of…

Back issues for reference, information and entertainment. Order now while stocks last. Visit our website at shop.kelsey.co.uk/ccaback or telephone 01959 543747 for UK orders and 0044 (0) 1959 543747 for international orders. Back issues: £4.99 per issue, including postage & packing (UK delivery only) April 2021 Reborn Pop race car V8 Morris Oxford Blown Ford Pilot Progress reports Remembering Mike Key May 2021 Chopped and channelled '32 sedan Swedish custom Econoline '40 Ford taildragger Dead Man’s Curve Drive-In Australian reliability run June 2021 Mercedes-powered Chevy pick-up Ford-powered Anglia Ford-powered Prefect Ford-powered 100E Pro Street Vega July 2021 Family-built Somerset Remembering Mister Six Westergard-style roadster Swedish custom Desoto Back on track at the Pod August 2021 Radical Hemi-powered coupe '40 Ford sedan and '32 coupe Blown '60 Chevy wagon Spring Speed…

Stumping up The weekend of 10-12 June will see the Victory Wheelers’ 45th Anniversary Get Together at Stumpy’s Manor in the heart of the New Forest (SO41 0FP). Weekend camping and entertainment, Saturday cruise, Sunday show ’n’ shine and a guaranteed great weekend away are all on offer. www.victorywheelers.co.uk Deva down The countdown is on for the final Deva Dubs & Rods VW and hot rod weekend, as the organisers have announced 2022 as the last staging of this popular event. The dates are 10-12 June and it takes place at Shrewsbury Showground (SY1 2PF) with live entertainment, karaoke, fancy dress and a Sunday show. www.devadubshow.co.uk Beside the sea The Great Yarmouth Wheels Festival takes place on 2-3 July. Staged on the seafront at the popular holiday destination in Norfolk,…

There are two numbers worth remembering more than any other this Jubilee weekend. 70, for the number of years her majesty has reigned over this noble land, and 27, for how many editions of the NSRA Nostalgia Nationals have been held. After two Covid-induced cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the NSRA Nostalgia Nationals returns in full noise as the first true nostalgia drag racing event of the season. Having been a staple of the Shakespeare County Raceway schedule for many years before its untimely demise, Nostalgia Nationals has fast become a firm favourite on the Santa Pod calendar, and this year’s edition is shaping up to be a classic. On-track action will be headlined by four nostalgia drag racing classes, all of which promise large fields and spectacular racing over…

Dear CC, I read the digital version of your magazine from my library here in Auckland, New Zealand, and just wanted to compliment you on the very interesting build articles. I read a lot of hot rod mags from the US also, but they always read like a parts catalogue with ‘name’ brand parts fitted one after another without a people story. Here in NZ we tend to have a number eight wire mentality for adapting parts as the costs of importing stuff from the States can be prohibitive. It’s good to see the same attitude in the UK. As I am writing, I thought I would show you my 5.3 LS-powered ’57 Pontiac Star Chief, one of only three in the country. Russell Wilson, via email > Thanks for…

Sunday 20 March saw a new show held in the south west. Organised by a new events company called Meilleur Mode, Cars on the Green promised to be a big season opener. With around 250 show car slots available, a wide range of classics, rods, retro and modern cars piled into the grounds of the historic Downside Abbey, situated between Shepton Mallet and Midsomer Norton in Somerset. The entrance was a tad narrow, but plenty of marshals were on hand to guide cars into the show field, or public car park. Show cars were parked up on staggered grass levels outside the Abbey and on a huge open field, allowing plenty of space to have a good look around them, while on-site caterers, a double decker bus converted into a bar…

Capitol show We have been remiss. In the 71-year history of the Sacramento Autorama, neither myself nor any previous author of So Cal Diaries has ever been. But this year, we put that to rights and had a fantastic time. The Autorama was started in 1950 by Sacramento businessman, Harold ‘Baggy’ Bagdasarian, president of the Capitol Auto Club a.k.a. The Thunderbolts. Baggy talked the club into hosting a show at the Capitol Chevrolet Company dealership in downtown ‘Sacto’. That first show attracted 22 entries and 500 spectators. “We took $262 in two days at 74 cents a head,” Baggy recalled. “We didn’t charge 75 cents because we would have gotten involved in the Federal Amusement Tax.” always attracts an impressive array of ‘kustoms with a k’ From those humble beginnings,…

There’s no getting away from rising energy costs of late, the price of fuel in particular having risen sharply. Understandably, some people are now thinking twice about jumping in their hot rod or custom and just going for a drive. That, however, is exactly what we built, or bought, them for. If being able to continue putting fuel in the tank and enjoying them means a couple less pints down the pub on a Friday night, or cooking instead of a takeaway, then so be it. The enjoyment of a drink or a curry is short lived, the smile induced by a 100-mile blast in your rod or custom lasts far longer. In no way am I suggesting anyone gets themselves into financial hardship over this, but merely consider the…

Write to: Custom Car Mail, Kelsey Publishing, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL E-mail: cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk Fax: 01733 557235 Aquest Dear CC, attached are some pics of the Model A I am busy rebuilding. Don’t be fooled by the patina finish, it has a ’glass body, although the bonnet and boot lid are steel. My plan is to leave the body as it is, with some panels repainted, for a kind of when old meets new look. I’m keen to find out who originally built the have to go on is the Flatlanders script on the number plate. Maybe one of your readers knows the coupe’s history? Nick Williams, via email > Hi Nick, we will certainly let you know if anyone in reader land can shed any…

It was the second weekend of August 2020, and Vanditos UK should have been displaying vans at Retro Festival Newbury. However, along with Vanjam#2 at the start of June, both events were cancelled due to Covid. Fir Tree Campsite in Warmington was open, though, albeit with Covid precautions in place, so if Vanjam couldn’t go ahead, why not a wild camping weekend at the same venue? Even the sun was booked. Boom! The field started to fill up from Friday lunchtime, and vans continued to arrive even as late as Sunday morning. Unlike VanJam#1 there was no disco, club tent or trophies, just a chilled, relaxing weekend of like-minded people enjoying the outdoors and the view of vans across the field. just like it used to be in the ’70s Everyone…

Driving into Rushmoor Arena on Good Friday was like taking a step back in time, in more ways than one. To start with, this was the first Wheels Day for a couple of years and the anticipation of that alone was approaching fever pitch. Then, there was a distinct 1950’s sci-fi vibe about the place. hushed up by the American government at the time. Quite why SSR picked up on this is beyond me. After all, flying saucers don’t have wheels. Or do they? reminiscent of some great Wheels Days of old Aliens aside, it was an amazing day at Rushmoor Arena, reminiscent of some great Wheels Days of old. The aliens in charge told me 1,050 vehicles had been booked in prior to the event, a prerequisite of being…

www.customcarmag.co.uk 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 cc.ed@kelsey.co.uk, or write to Custom Car Events, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent ME18 6AL. MAY 25 Main Event Test Day. Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 26-29 Main Event. Santa Pod Raceway. www.santapod.co.uk 27-29 Thee Vultures Giant Killers. Cerne Abbas Brewery, Dorset DT2 7JS. Facebook: Thee Vultures Giant Killers Weekend / Instagram @giantkillers2022 27-30 Vanditos VanJam. Fir Tree Farm, Warmington, Banbury OX17 1JL. www.vanditos.co.uk 28 All American Cruise In. Ace Café, London. www.acecafe.com 28-29 National Hot Rod, Custom & American Car Show. Peterborough Arena, Cambs. www.hotrodandcustomshow.co.uk 28-29 Duck-All Prep. Melbourne Raceway, York. www.straightliners.events Helen 07921 712266 29 PlusFourFour Automotive The Show.…