Dooster back at the swap meet now under new management and based in Leicestershire now.
Dooster back at the swap meet now under new management and based in
Leicestershire now.
We being Me, Pudzz and young Jase, arrived early at Oakwood School Rotherham for the Annual Northern swap meet, at 7.45am and the car park was empty, which surprised us. Every other year it has been rammed, I guess we were either, earlier than other years or no bugger was coming this time. We saw only an AMC Javelin on the road to the Swap meet, so the later was uppermost in my mind... Why? I starting thinking just how small our hobby is and just how fragile it all could be if we didn't all help each other with meets like this.. My mind was rambling.... "Hey what's new" I hear ya say Ha Ha..
Then they started arriving and arriving and arriving.. I felt relived not just for us, but for the NSRA guys who had given up their free time to the hobby and this day, their effort would be rewarded today by all the happy Rodders eager to buy some much needed part, that none believers would consider junk...
As we walked
to join the quickly growing throng waiting to enter the hallowed halls, I saw Mick
Tebbs arrive in his lads newly acquired 32 highboy one that has much history and
is featured in the young blood section of this web site..
I had swapped a few e-mails with Mick in the past but only ever met him once, even though he is a hi profile Rodder.
Mick has been trying to find a copy of Custom Car from Jan 1982 which featured this High Boy. I just happened to have a decent copy in my near complete collection of the Uk Rodders bible, Custom car.. I thought ahh what the heck who needs a full set. I'll let him have it for nowt, other Rodders were giving me things today for nowt (more later) and my previous thoughts about how we all need to help each other, just made me even more convinced it was the right thing to do.. what would I ever do with it anyway? So i introduced myself and gave him the afore mentioned copy of Custom car... its nice to be nice!
Mick had arrived with a neat looking Pop and old XFB 9T was looking great and only slightly tired, it sat just as good as I remember it from when I first saw it years and years ago. It didn't look at all dated, which just shows that certain styles always look just right.
Flamed pop arrived with Mick Tebbs in the Roadster.
The hall where we all meet, have a coffee and wait, before they let us into the main hall and at all the goodies on sale was pretty choker with eager Rodders... Bang on 8.30am the doors were opened and the hordes raced in. Some to the traders inside who had mostly new stuff, while some darted outside where the second hand goodies would be.
I was really pleased to see the likes of Jon Golding there, up from the south, we need their support and they need ours. Opposite was John (blobby) Martinez another respected Rodder from the deep south, with the contents of his parts bin for sale, mostly springs from what I remember... To show how we all help each other, Steve Walker knew I was putting a jag clip on my F100 and I was in need of some vented disc's and 4 pot callipers, let me have a set of his spare ones . Hey and guess how much for?.... for free!!!!!.. and John had brought them up for me, again for free.. now how cool is that. It's that Helping each other Thang again see :>)
I wanted to do a quick shufty round, sort of a reccy mission, see what I may need, then make my decision and go do a big shop later. I was there with the intention of buying a shed load of parts to make my F100 project that much cooler and easier to get finished... But I ended up talking, "like ya do!" .... Mind you I wouldn't like it any other way, I feel real lucky and privileged to know so many great people, who are into the Hot Rodding scene here in the Uk. I am real glad that I decided to do this web site as things for me would of been so much different, I find it real hard talking to people especially for the first time, this web site has given me an introduction and It's great to know Rodders enjoy it and go out of their way to speak to me about it.
Back to the meet!
Geordie Paul was there with a massive stand, so was Kerry Tate both looked extra busy, I bought my 55 F100 a few years back from Kerry and I find him really great and fair to deal with, Geordie the same. Dan Stephens was there with there with the Tris R Us stand specialising in well the er Tri Chevy's, Melissa Gee was also showing off her pin-stripping talent. Biff from Cumbria was there with his sheds contents aswell... American auto mags... Oh and I forgot Pop Brown was by the entrance as we came in... *phew* and a few more I am struggling to remember everyone, so sorry if I missed you out.
This is a our last end of season chance to get some much needed bits for the winter build, other than phoning up your favourite trader that is, this is our last chance to see what other Rodders are clearing out of the garage, something that we have been searching for, that last bit of the puzzle, or maybe just something we have always fancied, what ever you go hoping it will be here today just waiting for you. Some I am sure are selling what they bought last year though and never used ;>) . It also serves as a back drop while we all catch up the latest gossip with our rodding mates..
The weather gods were looking down on us today, as the sun was shining and it was pretty warm especially for late October in Sheffield.
Super straight well put together 57 was for sale.
Puddz and Jase had long left me, they were here for the parts and I was trying to get to see them, I just got talking ya know how it is.
Once I got chance to look round, I did see a couple of things I was interested in.. but I really don't know what it is that stops me taking the plunge and buying stuff there and then. I am ok once I buy something, I am away.. but that first purchase I find hard to make.. I fancied a Chevy column.. but my vehicle is a Ford, so I reasoned it was no place for Chevy gear.... but I could of been persuaded it would be Ok and cool as it did tilt which would help with my build. I want the steering wheel position to feel more like a car than a truck, that extra drop would do it... But nope I just couldn't bring my self to buy it..
Same, I need to sort a clutch pedal, there were two to choose from *uhm?* *err?* and so it went.. Adam Sayers had a petrol pump for sale I need one but yep ya guessed I was still uming and arring.. I want a nicer steering wheel aswell of which there were several to choose from.. nope I couldn't decide.. I wonder if I am on my own in this indecisive mannerism?
Gary Mac with his latest ride a neat station wagon.
A couple of Northern celeb Rodders where there having a clear out by the look. Its weird our hobby, if you are wanting say a rear buggy spring for a 1928 A, here is where you could well find it and think wow I actually found one.. If you are selling... then it could be nobody wants one? So it seems to go at Hot Rodding swap meets, some do a roaring trade others go home often with more than they brought.
Recently for sale on e-bay never got a bid, gotta a be one of the sweetest
nostalgia styled rods around, for sale at the swap meet.
I did buy a petrol pump off Adam in the end and broke my duck, so I went back for the clutch pedal just as a guy was buying it whaaa whaaa... The column I half fancied had gone and I couldn't decide which wheel to buy now... so that was that.. Colin Parkinson did me a great favour and picked up a flywheel for me from Wayne Clarke, who is building the mad 302 Powered Trabant on the garage scene pages of this web site. I bought a T5 and all the gubbins to back my 302 in the truck. When I came to put it all together, my flywheel was the larger 164 tooth one, I needed the 157 tooth one. I mentioned it on my e-mail group and low and behold Wayne came to the rescue. He had recently bought a crate GT40 Motor, attached to it was a 157 tooth 50oz imbalance flywheel just what I needed and as Wayne was going to use a auto.. He had no use for it and I did... So Wayne offered it me for free... now that is cool, how good are some people eh!.. To top it off, good old Colin had gone and picked it up from Wayne's and brought it up to the swap meet for me Nice one Colin!..
I had to buy a clutch as I had an 11" one and I needed a 10.5" one. I did the far to easy deal on e-bay, ya know 2 clicks and you own it... I blew my brains out with that deal, but thanks to Wayne the whole deal wasn't so sour as his freebie out weighed the worlds most expensive clutch deal, I had recently done on e-bay......
So Cheers Steve Walker, Cheer's Wayne Clarke... and Cheers John Martinez and Colin Parkinson for being unpaid postmen.. you are great guys.... Rodders helping Rodders that is what we need to do more of, to grow strong as a hobby..
This was my favourite a 36 Ford Truck. Owned by long time Hot Rodder John
Kellett, used as a cool parts chaser while he builds his steel 32 5 winda!
One last bit which was a tad embarrassing at the time but funny as f*k when you talk about it afterwards: I was stood by this truck and I saw me old mate Keith Freeman, I shouted "HEY what you up to" in a loud thick Northern accent... There was a lad in his 20's stood with his head in the engine bay of this truck.... he turned round real shocked and both him and his girlfriend looked startled and he said in a quaky embarrassed voice.... "err nothing..... I have one just like it...... and I was just looking" he looked embarrassed and a tad frightened, I felt embarrassed though I felt like laughing aswell... I could hardly spurt out.. "No sorry I wasn't talking to you. I was saying it.. at ... at" ... I had one of them blank moments, that are getting far to frequent now. I couldn't get the word Keith to come out of my mouth so I just kept saying "I was talking to too" and I just pointed and smiled... until it finally came out "Keith"... The lad I am sure thought I was a nutter or just a nasty git. So sorry who ever you were I was genuinely talking to Keith...... Honest :>)
I picked up my bits from John Martinez, loaded the van up, went back had a good crack with Steve Lang and Frank Carroll hey now who is a proper name dropper eh Ha Ha.. I did hear rumour that the buy of the day was by a certain well known Rodder who shall remain nameless, lets just call him Dave Harries for now, apparently he had bought a bargain lot of dirty mags and something led me to believe they were described as dirty not because they had spent there live in a mucky garage either.. tut tut eh! some guys aren't car mad are they ;>)
I met up with quite a few of the Rodders who are in ukhotrods e-mail group and some who just use the Uk Hotrods chat room, which is ace. We share knowledge, offer help and just chatter about Rodding and it helps us all get to know more people into the Rodding scene. Pudzz was feeling a bit crook and wanted to get home, so we decided to have a last cup of coffee, before we headed of back to sunny Cumbria. Dave Biggadyke was stood in the hall were we were having our final coffee. Gaz O'Conner said I should buy a calendar off Dave as his car was on some of the photos... It looked real cool in Black and white so I bought one for my garage wall.
Dave enquired why I don't put anything much on the web site any more? That was when I realised I should stop going on E-Bay so much. I have quite a few snippets to put on here, but nothing major, so I must get on with the updates. Thing is I know very little and rely on people who know a great deal to bother their R'ses to write stuff down and send it to me for the web site, also my main insider for news stopped or was stopped I am not sure which, that was quite a while back now. So without the news coming in I have no news.. If you can help keep this site keep up to date then feel free to send send send...
Saw these real nice 32's outside.
Getting back to the Transit for our journey home, I met with Ross Morrison who had made the journey down from Scotland along with some other hardy Scottish Rodders. Seems the further North you go the more you are willing to travel. Had a nice chat with Ross seems a real genuine guy, with amazing talent at Rod building engineering (see Rod shop section) . Also with them was the mega cool Chevy truck from the Ross's Rod shop page, It looked stunning, that's one guy who aint afraid to use his Rodded Truck, sorry no photo as my camera had gone on strike earlier..
There were so many great missed photo opportunities today aswell. I can only apologise again my digital camera cocked up..
Be Seeing you Holmsey