21st Nationals at Parklands, 40th anniversary since our first Nats!!!

Our club gave away some awards for "just cars that we thought were cool"

Loved Scott Thomas' stock-ish Tudor...."DON'T TOUCH IT"...haha..perfect the way it is......

Neil Popes pickup has always impressed!

Duvall screened roadster of Darren Wood had a big #3 on the door, and LS power.

Can't beat a black Vicky with Halibrand style wheels! Bayden Gardham did a terrific job with this.

5th choice, this new-ish roadster belonging to Brett Homann had the "look"!

Hmmmm...ideas for my tudor...don't sell it, build it!

Always loved Cusso utes...wish I had one of these to drive 'round town.

Someone has too much time and money....but it was superb...think it came from Thunderbirds club.

This tub just sat so perfect....and the paint and trim choice...dam nice!

Here's the one from Vic. that I saw at Geelong two years ago, and it got me to thinking about doing my own in the matt black style....so mine will be similar.

All the way from W.A....built for Butch by Armadale Speed shop, it was good...the hemi was so quiet....mexican blanket interior, bare metal exterior...just leave it as is.

March...too many events..not enough work time!..now it's April.

I've had second thoughts about my rear end...I intend changing the indicators to the Harley style ones, and will mount them on the frame rails somewhere near where they are positioned now....the LED 39 lights have come...and gone...they looked butt ugly....I was also going to fit a cut down roll pan to cover the sides of the body/gas tank area, but think that won't happen either.

My interior had to have at least some form of door cards to pass TAC, so these have now all been made in plywood, and a coat of exterior matt black will suit the look I want...all the floor steel is now cut and fitted as well.

This was taken last Tuesday, (26th March), just before I headed down to help at the Street Rod Nationals....I was itching to get Rodney back on the deck.....just need to tweak the windshield back about an inch....couple more minor jobs, and it can come apart to finish weld and paint!!

"Lluukitit".............will be great to see it apart and painted, lots of bits to start organising now.........surely it will be done for Yamba this year...actually, I might even try for Sept 22 Elimininators show ....seeing as that will be my 63rd. birthday anyway..

Next blog, (probably tomorrow)...will be a bit of coverage from Parklands...it was a great weekend, except for the late Sun storm.

My Two Tudors ...I took a similar snap at Geelong , here they are together again at Parklands.....sort wish you could keep all your old cars, hey... 

Tried to get all the Deuces Limited members together for a photo shoot by the lake.

Rodney roadster gets a few hours work.....

This last two weeks has been hectic, Toowomba for a few days, then Maroochydore for another couple, never ending rain and wind has kept me busy...still taking trees to the dump!...anyway, started thinking about access to the battery, so decided to hinge the whole seat...started by making a trial pivot point at the front....

Then, using the back mount point, I am trying this plate, secured to the floor, and a thru hole to lock the seat down...also notice the plate for the earths to go to, and most of the wiring runs in the cavity between the fibreglass body and the steel floor

A piece of tube welded to the seat frame, then cut the centre out to go on the pivot....

Scoured Capalaba Spare Parts wreckers, but couldn't find the type of latch I needed, so decided to make my own, a simple plate/bolt/ slide deal that works just fine.

Even though I mounted these indicators, I'm not happy...to me they stand out like a wart on the end of your meat mallet....so I'm just not sure....maybe if it was mounted further under...or maybe some of the harley style might look better....but..

I saw these on US e buy and have them on the way, leds with indicator and stop built in might do...they look a bit washed out....so, watch this space...

 

I have the doors finished as I want them, with a bit of extra bracing and some Sikaflex and bondo to hold them together, so now to finalise the door trims

My first choice was to cut out some 3mm MDF....then I thought about not using upholstery and using painted alloy or ply...so now I have ply.....think I might just paint them flat black and start covering them in decals.....or abstract paint....wallpaper...

 

I collected a bunch of bits to hold the trim on....so it will either be the ruff n ready metal thread screws....or maybe the nice stainless button-heads...but probably the proper upholstery pieces....

10 sleeps 'till the Street Rod Nats....w.t.f!

Can't figure out how to turn this picture straight.....but you get the message...only 10 days to the Nats.....doesn't look like Rodney the roadster will get there...have to just take Trixie, the Tudor........hope we see some fine weather for Easter!!

And talking of good weather, our latest coffee run was hot!....hot sun, hot rods, and plenty of interested lookers...we hit the IGA carpark at Cleveland with a great roll-up of about 25 cars

Some people came down from the old folks home to check out the cars...caught this ol timer trying to decide if he prefers 32s to 29s....

Couple of slant grille models keeping all the flat grilles in line....love the mix of cars and new faces we are getting.....maybe it's time I looked for a more permanent venue , where there is some shade and seats...this was a scorcher after 3 hours of sun!  I had created my own weather system in my armpit region!!

Like flies around a sheeps date when someone lifts a hood side!! 'Twas hard to get a photo, but worth it...lots of good detail here to take in.

After the Toowoomba run, the local paper did a follow-up story....with Robyn and Penny the stars...woop woop!

 

One more event before the Nats...Ormiston swap this coming weekend....see ya there!! I'll have your 30 tudor on the trailer ready....just bring me $10000....it's gotta go to a new home, otherwise i'll have to rat-rod it....hmmm....Ralph, the ratrod!   sound "catchy"

Toowoomba , great place for hot rods and good times.

Time to head up the hill for the annual Toowoomba Rod Run....I changed out the wheels again, with bigger 265s on the rear, and put the knock-offs on for a dress up....between the roadster and the Tudor, I now have 5 sets of wheels to mix and match...don't be surprised if you see steelies on one side and 5 spokes the other!!

Wheels...paint choice...ride height....almost nothing else matters if you want a car to look "right"...Chuck Poulsen nails it with everything he builds!

Flatheads...can never get enough of them, and this new model A from the sunny coast was detailed well, once again, Craig used his "NOT 032' plates just to rub it in.......

I luv pickups and trucks, and Neil Popes 32 also had the look....the Real Wheels and paint colour ....spot on.

Warren and Kerry Wilkie at T R&C throw the doors open on Saturday arvo to show the latest projects in the shop......hiding in the corner is another pickup complete with the seldom seen Buick engine...cool!

Another new-ish car on the road is Graeme Robinsons all steel 32 Victoria....came in from the USA a while back and he has been busy, along with Warren and crew at Toowoomba Rod and Custom Shop, with the freshen up including  new frame , drivetrain , trim, and Tork Thrust Originals

Looks like 200mph standing still!!...John Davies tudor made it into Top 10.

Hot rodding will carry on forever, while we continue to allow the kids to get involved so early in life....love to fast forward 20 years to see what these future rodders wil be driving!

Pinch & a punch...1st of a hectic month!!

Had to buy some bulb holders from Rare Spares to fit to the headlight buckets, and these will work for the park lights and indicators , they use the smaller blade push-in bulbs, and I found these neat, "bright", LED indicators at Jaycar....along with the tiny led's that I will use in the dash....they have a great range!!

Unfortunately, we have to run wipers.....2 of the bastards!!...I found these at BIAS boating, they had regular black for $49, or the waterproof chrome jobies for $79, complete with blade and arm....I just had to shorten both though, and then changed and went to OZ RODS and bought their arms and blades...much nicer....the mirror was just made from left over bits, it was a hinge mount style that I cut off, drilled the inside for a threaded rod, and Hello, job done to pass rego...(TAC, don't read this.....these will all come off once it's registered!...maybe...like my fenders...will think about it!...only joking, gotta stick to the rules or we'll loose our rego deal!)

I said, don't laugh at my funnel...it works!, the water has to have somewhere to drain out...anyway, what I'm showing is that I decided to cut thru the flooor just in case I need to access the fuel tank fittings...I had to carve a hole in my tudor last year, and don't want that problem again! So, make the hole while it's being built...I just need to strenghten this area now when I take the body back off....no big deal.

Big battery will help to start the 11:1 350, and we are paying attention to the "Earths" required in a glass/steel car....you cannot have enough, so I have plenty inside, and there will be three body to frame, frame to engine, and body/frame to starter area. The extinguisher is mounted close by, behind the seat, almost out of sight.

the little panel for swithes is getting busy, but is now all wired for dipper, headlights, indicators,  ignition, and facing the driver will be the push horn and start.

I really like these type of mechanical brake light switches, they work perfectly, and just get activated as the pedal goes down, very simple, and much more reliable than the hydraulic ones I used to have.....main loom to engine comes out low on the firewall and drops to the inside of the frame, a small cover plate will eventually hide this transition.

Spent most of last week away in the outback anyway, as you know, I love my travel and caravaning as much as my hot rods, so rather than stay in Brissy when the storm was hitting, we went 8 hours west to Mitchell....... Artesian Hot Springs, great!

Fishing..swimming..relaxing..happy hour..pie shops..it's good to get away with friends!

We did come back to the rain...this was on the side of the road at Dalby...wet..wet..wet....Only in AUSTRALIA, hey!...."I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweepimg plains, of never ending ranges, of drought, and flooding rain..etc.etc."..think that's how the old poem goes.

Coffee at the Bayers.....

Another great coffee morning-catch up at Randys paint n Panel shop.....thanks so much to the family for putting this on, and condolences to the family...I'm sure Dad would have been impressed with the line up of cars.....and seeing some old familiar faces.....that's what this is all about...catching up wth each other...the cars are just the excuse to bring us all together.

In keeping with not letting my focus on the all time greatest hot rod, the 1932 Ford get too much exposure....here is a peek of some later and earlier versions!!..........................(it's a joke, Joyce!)

Drum roll........dddddddddd........barn find 36 coupe!!.....hey...when's it going back on the road.....soon I hope.

It was running fine, but now the motor seems to be missing!....Just needs a dust off and ready for the next run 

 

I've been told to put photos other than 32s on here....so here's some more of henrys best models, and below is something different. .........somewhere in Texas....