G’day, checked out Longbeach swapmeet and car show on our first day in LA. Although the overcast conditions didn’t look like the LA image we were expecting, the cool rides on show made up for it. Read More →
Browsing Tags caprice photography automotive art
Cruisin’ the coast!
The Geelong Street Rodders had their annual cruise today known as the Koastal Kruise hence it heads down around the picturesque Surf Coast stopping at the famous Bells Beach for a coffee before continuing onto the quiet coastal town of Aireys Inlet for some lunch. Read More →
Beyond the big blue Galaxie!
When we talk of Yank tanks of the 60s, the Ford Galaxies must come up amongst the top for sheer size and statue, what with their stack headlights as well as stacked parkers, big square tail lights not to mention just the size of the panels themselves! It was the era of opulence and nobody did it better than the Americans. With the big bodies came big motors, big interiors and big brightwork. The suspensions were soft and the steering was light. Read More →
Bowtie class, Bowtie grunt!!
There’s something about a blown ’55 Chev that always grabs your attention! It’s as though the curved design of the bonnet and guards were made to have an injector hat or hilborn scoop protruding out the center of them. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the grill, single headlights and indicators that lend themselves perfectly to it as well. Read More →
Remember the days? (10th Chev Convention)
The historic city of Ballarat was the host town for the 10th Chevrolet Convention put on the 55,56,57 Chev car club of Vic. Previously held in Bendigo, the biennial convention caters for all Chevrolet models from hot rods through to your later model bowtie branded wheels. Read More →
John’s XTGT Oz Tuff, Italian pride
The impact our teenage lives can have on us creates a lasting impression for the rest of our time on this mortal coil shaping our destination and decisions during that period. For those of us reading this mag, most likely it’s to do with the wheels we prefer, be it two or four, Holden, Ford or other and the style we prefer them to exemplify. Read More →
Danny’s reborn 1966 Mustang
So what’s your flavour when it comes to Mustangs; coupe or fastback, classic or wild, red, white, black…….or how about yellow? The list of options is endless and when you buy one that has no identifying colours at all and is the equivalent of a blank canvas, your list of options is completely up to you! Wow! Too much to think about! This is exactly what 19 year old Danny Sammut faced when he gazed over the newly acquired project parked before him in his garage!
Let’s step back a moment and see how this all came about. We all remember when we were 19, newly licensed and a head full of ambition and drive with our desire for that elusive piece of automotive art seemingly just out of reach! Well Danny was in the same predicament, not 100 percent sure what he wanted yet was ready to get his teeth into something! All he knew was that it had to be a Mustang. An annual trip to the Queenscliff Rod Run cemented in his mind the desire to own a 1966 Mustang fastback and within a week of the seed being planted, he had located one, checked it out and laid down the folding stuff! The overall condition of the Pony ride was questionable to say the least but Danny, with the help from his Dad, Nick knew what they were getting into. So dedicated was Danny that he even turned up late to his own 19th birthday party to buy it! “All the family were at my house waiting for me to attend my party and I was out with Dad picking up the car.” Upon seeing the classic fastback arrive home on a trailer, his Mum just cried thinking what have they done!
Purchased in Templestow, the classic muscle originally came from California where its final days in America were spent as a chicken coop (no pun intended) housing the flightless birds for a local Mexican farmer. The years of neglect and chicken manure weren’t kind on the metal leaving the floor corroded out beyond repair. The rest of the car seemed to be a mismatch of different panels and parts, perfect for a complete ground up rebuild. The bonus about taking on a dilapidated vehicle like this with your own ideas for its finish is you don’t feel guilty about destroying a piece of preserved history. Danny would actually be breathing new life into the old girl while customising it to his own personal taste.
As in all builds, Danny started with the strip-down to see what needed to be done and Danny’s Dad, handy with the welder, built a rotisserie to mount the body onto for ease of work. The majority of the body work was done in house by Danny and thanks to Nick’s skills in metal work while Danny was learning fast along the way. The whole floor was relaced while the rest of the body and panels weren’t too bad and cleaned up nicely. With the body work completed, it was now time to choose a colour. “Colour was the hardest choice” say Danny and I’ve got to say, it’s a bold choice too especially when combining the silver stripes. I asked him where he got the colour idea from and he informs me he saw another Stang on the Net in the USA with a similar colour while Photoshop helped decide the colour choice for the stripes. He wasn’t going in blind on this decision!
Paul from Chase Customs and Restorations was given the job of spraying on the bright yellow with silver stripes. To really go that extra step, a custom pearl mix was added complimenting the classic lines to perfection.
Once back home again, a new black Deluxe Pony interior was installed paying tribute to the Ford designers of the era who designed the popular muscle car while a custom billet dash and B&M shifter tells the viewer it’s no stocker.
The mechanicals of this 60’s beast have been treated to the full show quality detail, again allowing Danny to decide what he wanted to do. A highly detailed stroked 302 Windsor with alloy heads boasting 480 HP on the dyno resides under the hood followed by a C10 auto with stage 2 shift kit. Down the back is a True Track nine inch while a twin three inch stainless exhaust system lets other road users know he’s coming. With so much power under foot, common sense says this ride needs decent brakes and Danny fitted 300mm twin piston callipers and slotted rotors all round. Ride is courtesy of King coils and KYB shockers. As Danny is an electrician by trade, it was only natural that he would also handle the electrical duties. The whole car was rewired using a Classic Auto Wire update kit giving him piece of mind while on the road.
With a standout colour scheme, no ordinary wheels are going to cut it so Danny opted for 18 inch Intros all round fitted with Falken tyres. If you don’t hear it coming, you’ll definitely see it coming!
Taking approximately two and a half to three years to complete, this immaculately presented ride is no trailer queen and spends many a weekend at car shows receiving the deserved accolades along the way. While a car like this may have a dollar value on it, you can’t put a price on the father and son bonding time spent together working long hours consumed by their love of all things automotive. Danny also gives a big thank you to other family members including his partner Jess who, like most dedicated partners, tolerated the life of a garage widow while Danny burned the midnight oil to complete his dream.
PSRA (Performance Street and Race Autoshow) 2013
This long weekend in June saw the inaugural opening of the Performance Street and Race Autoshow, known as PSRA, come to fruition showcasing new cars, new performance products and a fantastic array of hi-performance showcars and bikes. This will become Australia’s version of SEMA, a similar event held in the United States, and will be an annual show utilizing the facilities at the Royal Melbourne Show grounds for hopefully many years to come.
The layout showcased a mix of old school rides and equipment mixed with the latest high tech gear available for today’s modern machines which had a strong showing as well. An automotive enthusiast could purchase him or herself some serious equipment for their ride covering everything from the ground up, from the latest sticky boots, big rims, wild wrap around vinyl, performance gear from engine to differentials, interior mods including bass driven stereo systems.
Spending motivation came from the many custom and wild rides, old and new, found spread throughout the large pavilion including a good selection of the wild two wheeled varieties known to most as Harleys or “hogs”. Cars and bikes alike showcased the skills of the professionals as well as the DIYs with their polished and pristine finishes leaving many a punter heading home with reinvigorated enthusiasm and fresh ideas.
The ambience was befitting such an event with the deep base of stereos and a DJ pumping out the latest driving tunes broken up periodically by the high revving exhaust note of a performance vehicle being put through its paces on the dyno.
The three day event closed with the customary trophy presentation and thank you speeches by the organisers and promising to continue the professionally run event next year so, if you missed out on this one, check out the pics, mark it in your calendar for next year and start saving your pennies!
Keep on cruisin’
Cheers,
Greg
Kenworth Open Day
I was catching up with a friend on Saturday when he alerted me to this show. As I was already close to its location but too far from home, I headed over with the only camera I had on me which was my phone camera. Being a truck show with limited space, Kenworth didn’t see much point in making noise about it if they were going to be inundated with vehicles. I was glad I had the opportunity to capture this one and bring this short selection of pics to you.
Enjoy.
Keep on cruisin,
Greg
Keilor car and vintage bike show 2013
This time of year sees the weather turn decidedly chilly for those of us still out perusing the car show circuit and the turnout today at the Keilor car and vintage bike show proved that nothing will deter an enthusiast from what they enjoy most. The Rotary club of Keilor once again put on a spectacular event behind the Keilor hotel filling all areas quickly and by mid-morning new arrivals were lucky to find themselves a spot. The variety on show to the public was vast from all manner of Australian and American makes and models to European and Japanese rides including a great array of bikes to boot.
The popularity of this event grows every year thanks to the professionalism and expertise of the Rotary club and detailed judging done by those who are in the know. The layout lends itself well to a family friendly atmosphere with multiple areas filled with polished and pristine rides discovered around every corner. It’s great to see the regulars turn up each year while new faces and rides come to see what all the fuss is about guaranteeing their return next time too. Congratulations to those who were lucky enough to take home their respective category trophies and a big pat on the back for the organisers.
This event could well be celebrated as the grand finale of the car and bike show circuit for the season with winter around the corner and most of us set to head for hibernation, be it in the shed or catching up with family till September. Don’t fret though as we can always find something automotive related on in this state so keep an eye out for my “what’s on this weekend” listing and you’ll still get your fix somewhere!
Keep on cruising,
Cheers,
Greg
Great displays deserve great photography
Caprice Photography Automotive Art 