Rare un roped photos :>)
Rare un roped photos :>)
Well I was now suitably
refreshed enough to take on the rest of the show field that I hadnt already
checked out. Though I had taken a few shots of this Astounding A40 Van I just
had to have another look. This Van was the subject of many a conversation from
when it arrived and has been discussed much ever since its arrival on the Hot
Rodding scene, have we arrived at the British equivalent of a Boyd Built Rod? I
think so!
It is all Ally & hand beaten to perfection with more Trick bits than a Spielberg Blockbuster. Love it or hate it you cant ignore it, I had a look round as it was first parked. The owner who I don't know who it is, when I asked is it steel brushed or is it Aluminium he replied "its all Ally" but he was rapidly trying to rope it off before the hoards arrived so he said "let me rope it off and I will talk to you about it" (reason for roping off so no one could drop things down his carbs he said)..... So I shot off a few shots but by now the crowds were gathering and I knew I would ask some real stoopid questions as I don't work well with an audience so I scarped before I took my turn to ask about it. I had now come back a few hours later to maybe ask my stoopid questions but now roped off it was mobbed all the time....Though I have since had a bit of info sent from people who are less self conscious than I and so I will print a bit of there gleamed info about it... Click here for some more photos as it warrants a separate page.
Looking for a fight? This Willy's has certainly got the gumshield in and will
take on all comers no matter what weight!
It was scorching hot and the Rods just kept rumbling in. Jon Golding's oh so
right steel 32 along with Tony..? and his street fighting 40's Willys sporting
wild flame job made a celebrity style late arrival to steal the show really and
Powered parked Oh Yes with utter class and style. excuse me while I go get a
tissue....
Another Star of the show for me was Hot Rod celebrity Pete Tyas's recently
imported Kustom... sleek, sexy and stylish. Even great British explorers took
time off from their escapades to check it out such was its charm.
This Lincoln stopped me in my tracks some nice touches like the light treatment and
hood work was quite something. The small teeth grill works aswell makes a nice
change to see a light coloured Kustom is this breaking the mould if
there is a Kustom mould that is, talking of mould check out the moulded front
Bumper Ha Ha sorry!
Martin Nortcliffe's 39 Chevy you've probably seen enough photos of it by now so
have you checked out the work and workmanship gone into this car?? WoW just
magnificent Dude and it is used, this is no mamby pamby show car. It must be a nightmare
to keep clean and I can only say Respect mate.. The interior is just the
best I have ever seen, the Spaceframe chassis must tie it all together better
than the Humber road bridge. I was really getting down and getting dirty now, me
and my mates Pudzz and Bakey lay under this Gem for a good length of time just
taking it all in Cool.
I was enjoying the view Pudzz was amazed at the work Bakes well we think he was
just stuck and couldn't get back up ;>)
I know ya've seen it before and I do try and make sure each report has different
Cars on it but I just thought if Top Rodder Mike key can have fenders so can you
:>) Not skimpy look like they are chucked on ones no these are proper painted
and all that Fenders with a capital F&*$£............... Yep they do look
better without them eh! R'se Law..
Time was marching on now and I had strict instruction get back early as my
daughter was off to France with the school this night and she wanted me to wave
her goodbye, so I quickened up the pace. I had still not seen all the cars and
not had a look at any of the trade stands so that was next......... it then
grabbed me just how many trade stands there were there. The show field was
totally encircled by them and there was a very varied selection of stuff so
either Billing is thee place or things are Hot at the moment in our scene. There
was a lot of people around each trade stand some doing more than others but all
doing something. There was all the usual Rod Part supplier's and the more unusual
including a metal polishing display, there were old parts, new parts, shiny
parts in fact just about anything you could possibly need to build or finish
your rod.. Loads of Food stands Book stands A massive American Automotive mobile
display which was particular impressive.. you could spend all day just looking
round these but hey I didn't have all day so it was back to the Cars.. Of which
some where starting to leave or just go for a drive I am not sure.
This Flamed 56 F100 was first to move and was soon followed by
others.
Phil Malliss was on the move in his beautiful 34
I hate it when it is coming to the end of my Rod Run, it wont be so bad for people who live near lots of other Rodders who they can meet up with cruise back with and generally keep the thing going after the meet. While me and Bakey are pretty much on our own up where we live and so get a real anticlimax when the Run is coming to an end. We rarely see any other Rods on our way home, and see none unless we go to Preston cruise a good hours drive away and that's only once a month. But hey it still wasn't over yet, so lets look some more. What did I spy but Gary Macs just truly wild 502ci Thames van on a trailer I never even knew he was there this weekend.
Gary was feeling a bit Crook so was really just wanting to get home he had
suspected Food poisoning Yep Billing Barby belly had gotten to him. What better
a cure though than wazzing home in a very cool new Lightening Truck eh with all
the mod cons and your peach Road legal Race car in tow.. Nurse pass me my Lightening
cure please!!
Parked close was ( I gotta ask em their names I am such a gimp) the A that I mentioned in the Drayton report that had an iffy new paint Job. All seems to be sorted amicably now and the dude who painted it promises to make it good once the season is over in September *nice one* Well time to dismantle our camp load up the Rods and head on down that Highway to sunny Cumbria awwwwhhh Boo Hoo.
We had our last crack with Langy he was leaving early as his misses had over revved the night before. We waved our goodbyes and joined the queue to leave Billing *hum?* We must of sat for over half an hour just edging slowly forward, Me owd Mate Gaz O'Connor came over and said why queue wait till 5pm and the queue will be gone...... But we were on a Mission a get home for some brownie points mission, I would not be to popular if I didn't get home to wave my daughter goodbye would I..
Even Hard Cars have to be trailer queen's sometimes Paul said he couldn't drive
it home as his shirt would clash awfully and was not really period anyway .. Yep
it's true :>) Doesn't it look like it is about to pounce on the Tranny Van
and devour it!!
Once out of the Billing complex it was clear roads and a leisurely cruise home.... We just plopped into overdrive and sat at a steady 60mph just lapping up the sun and the drive home.. Heaven eh! We negotiated an off ramp and series of round about's to get onto the M1 North and the Radio started to play up as we cruised up to the second round about in some quite heavy traffic the speedo took on a life of its own. Bouncing from 0-130 all on its own eerie whooooooo !! Then silence as we coasted up to the red light the motor died and so did mission control everything went dead Oh dear... I was in the middle lane on a big busy roundabout with traffic lights everywhere you looked.... Pudzz jumps out of the 34 the lights change and he goes for it pushing me and the Rod as best we could out of Danger but where was out of Danger??? There was just simply nowhere that would make us not become a hazard Beep Beep, Honk Honk Hey aren't some people considerate and patient eh.
I had more pressing issued though than giving em any verbal..... What the Bl**dy Hell could it be?? Right think logical total loss of power *hum?* gotta be major live wire break/failure, as I got out of the car to get the tool box from out of the trunk......my brain was doing about 200mph through its data base........ Bing!! It could only be the cut out switch (secret Location Ha Ha) and the stuff loaded in the car had only knocked the key out Terrrrrrrrrrrrrr a 2 second fix but now we were in the wrong place and definatly at the wrong time it looked like rush hour....
So it was either a long drive in the wrong direction down a
dual carriageway or reverse hoping everyone would be courteous and let us then
cut across 3 lanes of busy traffic back on course. we chose the latter and
everyone bar one Arse in a BM allowed us to do our maneuver without hindrance
*phew* Thanks and F*k you who ever you where in the black BM..
We got set back into our leisurely pace and where soon joined by Keef in his
Yella Pop and some guy in a cool 50's Chevy Truck we cruised up together
swapping places every now and then.. This felt so cool, it must be fantastic to
do a Run with a load of you Man I gotta do that one day...
What did I spy in my Door mirror then eh!
Cool 50's Chevy Truck and that Long Haired Bu*ger from the Midlands Keef in his
equally Cool Yella Pop.
There must of been some kind of Modern Modified meet on somewhere as it
soon became apart there where a lot of Supra's Subaru's, Honda's and such coming
past us and other modified shopping cars aswell... some looked quite Cool
actually but don't tell anyone I said so eh Ha Ha Though I do hasten to add you
have my permission to shoot me if you ever see me in one ;>)
Bakey and Keef showing the Maxxers how to look cool and speed isn't everything
eh :>)
As Keef and the Truck left the Motorway at the Midlands we waves our goodbyes
and continued on our journey to the Hills of Cumbria.
We picked up the pace a smidgen and then got into some heavy traffic I must apologise to who ever it was, who was broken down on the hard shoulder of an off ramp about Stoke way. We just didn't see you until we where past the junction and to get back to you would of been suicide. There where 3 other Rods I think stopped with you, so I guess you were ok for assistance. I would never intentionally pass another Rodder in need, hope you didn't think we were being ignorant... Well that is about it really great time at Billing, thanks to all the NSRA who give up their spare time to put on such a great event for us all. I for one appreciate it and salute you!
I couldn't stay until the end.. So Thanks to TV Star Keith Harman for the list of Winners:
Best of
show Bob Wellsteads 36 Ford 3 window.
Top Ten
Jon
Golding 3w Coupe
Barry
Friends 32 Roadster (the red one I featured in CC)
Black
Flamed Willys (cool)
Mark
Bracking Black Pop
Phil
Middletons Chevy '47 Pickup
36 Ford
Coupe wot used to be a pilot
Dave
Collins Dark Red 37 Ford Sedan
Nick
Williams Black T Roadster
Brian
Lucas Flathead Black Highboy
Graham
Shaw (ex Geordie Paul) Pale Blue 32 Coupe.
Best
under 25. Green Mk 1
Cortina and Beach Buggy were