Pick n mix - Yank or rod??
The usual run to the All-Ford rally at Abingdon was made more interesting this year by Keith Harman's (aka Lord Purple of Binfield) open invitation to a slap up breakfast at the Frankie & Benny's diner at Bracknell (in his lordship's manor). Meet up time was 8am, so it was a bleary eyed 6am alarm call and the realisation that it was P-ing down in Southampton. Can't wimp out so its insulation tape around the leaky cowl vent and off through the soaking roads to meet up with fellow Victory Wheeler Brian, choosing his '55 Fairlane (bought at Wheels Day) over his more usual A coupe.
Pick n mix - Yank or
rod??
The rain held off for a quick hop up the M3 and when we arrived just before 8am, there was already a dozen rods there and Keith jumping up & down snapping the arrivals. In the end there must have been 30 rods/customs there - a credit to Keith for a great idea.
Breakfast was a relaxed affair with chance to catch up with fellow Rodders, and very tasty with all the (American) works, hash browns etc.
They don’t usually open for breakfast but had a special 'Rod Run' menu printed up for us, and seemed happy with the turn out and the takings. Lord P, had lined up the manager to choose a winner from the assembled cars, and showed him round the carpark. At Keith Atkinson's fenderless, open topped roadster the manager asked what happens when it rains? "you get wet" says Lord P.
Must have impressed him as Keith Atkinson won the first prize (free breakfast & 2 bottles of wine) for his orange beauty, runner up was Neil Tadman's lovely gold '34 sedan.
Keith congratulates Keith
Some of the cool rods parked up
The sun came out, and by 9.30am it was time to troop off to Abingdon. Unfortunately Keith Harman was unable to join the run, but he had kindly prepared some directions for the 45 mile trip, and a convoy set off with just a little exhaust noise! I tucked in behind a trio of fat fendered rods which looked like they knew where they were headed, and we took off through Reading and out towards Oxford.
Sadly I got stuck at lights and never saw the convoy again, grappling to find where we were on the directions I took a slight detour, and arrived a little late, having been in convoy with a bicycle road race for a few miles!
Pulling up to the Dalton's Barracks venue the place was packed, but having pre-entered (its free if you do) I was waved in. The organisers are very keen to segregate cars by class (rods are Class 9 "weird") but the rod area was too small, so it was onto the grass for me and some of the Essex crew (made us feel like it was a rod run).
Down in the weeds….
Some of the cool rods that came out to play, including gorgeous steel '34:
Even a GT40 replica in
with the rods / Wheelers chairman Mick Mears was dodging showers in his lovely
little T
Way cool channelled A, was worrying the restoration crowd! / Still a favourite, Marco's steel bodyshell was up for sale
As ever a wide range of Fords were represented, together with loads of autojumble stuff. Saw a few model A body shells/parts for sale but very few complete cars up for grabs. Plenty of stockers would make lovely rods, feast your eyes.
Model T Turtledeck you
don't see every day / How can people call rods dangerous? -check this out
Lots of classic UK and US cars too - lovely T-Bird and shoe box.
Scene from Z cars?
Couple of smooth operators
You want big-n-littles on
your ride? / So that'll be one of those Ford Chevy pickups then??
Some heavy showers came across at lunchtime, but didn't spoil things for long and it was a good day out for petrolheads. Praise the Lord!!
Simon Phillips