Saturdays Hot Shop!

*Groan*.... Bloody dirty sodding Truck from the wet (read Torrential) rain the day and night before...*Groan*... take the sodding dogs out..... make the sodding breakfast... wash and polish the sodding Truck.. bloody Rod Runs... *groan*.... My favorite pastime NOT....... polishing cars (read big sodding truck)...

Well around 2 1/2hrs later my chores were done and I was glad I had done them, as the truck looked pretty good even if I say so myself and I was ready to pose down the prom at the Street Rod Nats Cruise to the seafront.

I had a chat with my old mate Paul Johnson who lives in the Midlands and he was telling me, that a guy he knows was traveling down the motorway in his Pro Street Moggy and it was stop, start, stop, start and at one stop part, a big white van did the go part and rode right over the Moggy and careered down the carriageway causing mayhem. And another tale of some other twat in a modern car darting from the fast lane to an off ramp and taking out the front of a Pop. Then I read of a 100E that aquaplaned on the motorway and managed to keep control and not hit anything only to get twatted by a knob in a modern car also aquaplaning with ABS etc who didn't know he could steer perfectly well with the abs working, so just t-boned the 100E who had driven and controlled his car without any modern aides...Terrrrrr I ask ya!

Paul said his goodbyes and me and the Mr's took the dogs out and had a little look round the trade stalls, bought some stuff and watched in amazement as the show field was quickly filling to bursting with cars who were going to do the cruise... Jeez so many cars it was mad... quite a lot of std stuff though which pee'd me off as I knew they would make the Modified, Custom and Rods etc looked diluted on the cruise and also take up valuable space and I was right. So many std cars on the prom it was a joke and very annoying to think they were taking the space of a very worthy Rod or Custom or even nice std Yank... what the hell was a Navara pickup doing there? or a std Bentley.. not to mention Fiesta's, Metro's and a modern white jap sports car??? to name but a few... does my nut in! Each to there own and all that, but come on not at the STREET ROD NATS there is a clue in the title here. I heard so many people voice the same complaint also. I know the organizers have enough on their plate and are only a few, but you would think the bloody car owners would know what is the right sort of car to put on the prom as an advert of our scene and self police.

Anyhow where was I before I went off on one?.. Oh yeah the show field was choker and I was no where near ready to go cruising yet. I saw Dan Donnati and Fletch and also to my amazement Tim Hammond himself in his recently out of moth balls Oldsmobile sedan looking good as ever,,, that's the sedan by the way not Tim ;o) making their way to the show filled. It was great to see such respected names giving the cruise a go. Again no camera so couldn't capture the moment so you will just have to take my word for it *Bugger* and thrice *Bugger*

I managed to get to my Truck a few minutes before the 12 noon scheduled start time for the cruise and sneaked out the front gate before the off literally a minute to spare. I parked up in a lay by on the route so I could get some photos and get a jump on the massive cruise sssshhhh dont tell anyone eh!

A few others had the same idea and parked in a lay by come side road to some houses. The owners of the Houses seemed OK about us parking outside their houses as some had got their deck chairs out and were sat enjoying the spectacle. Not to sure if the Postman see far red van in photo as he had to negotiate pat us all to do his deliveries.

And the Cars they started coming!!

Ford sure did make a cool looking Grill in 38 didn't they, Ace looking Truck.

So many nice Trucks, so little time 1939/40 was a nice style to.

Oh and so did Chevy!!

And it didn't stop in the 50's either 1960's Trucks are really the Hot Ticket at the moment and look so tough this being a perfect example of how to build one! Groovy!

Bugger, nearly missed this cool 27T, or maybe it was moving to fast for me ;o)

Fad T's ya cant whack em, just look so mind blowing, er and a Sirocco eh.. on the Cruise.. call me old fashioned but ;o)

Mark Higham, one of the nicest young lads I have ever met and just so into his Rodding. Driven all the way over from Somerset as he always, does 350+ miles there and back and always smiling, how about that a young one with no attitude, maybe because his car has enough attitude for them both!....

We joined the cruise in good company.

Saw a few good cars drive by and then decided maybe it was time to jump in the cruise so we got a spot on the prom.

And we did get a spot on the prom, driving past the already playing Humdingers, who sounded fantastic and right up my street, they had the prom rockin Click here for a video . Not sure if the Bass player is as miserable as he looks, but I got the impression he takes his rocking serious and kept looking at the guy next to him who clowns about with a look of sod off you stop us from being taken seriouslly, or maybe thats just his image/gimmick.. They are one great entertaining band for sure and I could of listend to them all day!

We listened to the Humdingers for a while but my Mr's was complaining of a very dry throat and needed a Rose Wine real urgent and some food. So as the obeying husband I am me and my princess went for a well earned drink and a bite to eat. Taking a few photos on the way of course, like ya do!

32 Roadster finds a little shade perrrrrfection!

48 Chevy? was stunning and a great family Rod yeah baby!

Model A goes undetected by special branch ;o)

34 Chevy? must have big tits as it is wearing a bra!!

40's Plymouth sat nice.

Humber Super Snipe what a cool looking Car, I remember me old Mate Dexy Cheatham having one of these, he simply jacked up the rear stuck some mags on the rear and that was it instant Cruiser in the 70's... But this is shear class, I always enjoy seeing this Car.. nice one who ever you may be.

Tangerine Dream 39 Ford perfection, been done a couple of years now but still awesome looking, do ya wanna swap ? ;o)

Even the wipers were removed so they couldn't get a ticket ;o)... Nice one!

While we were working out what to have, a young lass went to swat a wasp and threw the sausage out of her hot dog bun.. right out and onto the floor, never bothering to pick it up... *hum*. anyhow it got kicked a couple of times as I watched while I waited to get our Burgers and then a big guy with a Jack Russell walks past and the tiny dog grabbed at the sausage which was almost as big as the dog.The owner was oblivious to what his dog was trying to get and just walked on as the dog choking was desperately trying to hang on the massive sausage ;o) it just looked so funny.

The sausage because of the whiplash involved and its shear size snapped in half and the still choking dog wolfed down what it had and looked back in true sadness and despair as the rest of the sausage bounced down the foot path... you could hear it in true Peter Kay fashion in slow motion going Noooooooooooow meeeee saauuusageeeee... by then a couple of other dogs had seen the bouncing sausage and were bearing down on it draggin their owners fast as they could....... So I got my Staffy Frankie and let him out on his flick lead and in one fell swoop it disappeared before their very eyes... it never even hit the sides the gannett, I am sure if the other dogs could of they would of smacked our Frankie one right in the gob where the sausage had just been.

Then for more entertainment we watched as a very smartly dressed young lady stood in the food queue with her little Chiwawa dog, it sniffed her nice beige slacks and then promptly pissed on her shit that was so funny. I really wanted to tell her, " Er excuse me, do you really love your dog?"... " as its just cocked it's leg up on you".... We had to leave, you can only stand so much fun ya know..

Drove down a dead end and got a bit lost, but eventually good old Sat Nav got us on the right track as it was now off to the Orwell Truck stop for the Burn out Comp. I am not a great lover of Burn outs don't see the point, even a Transit van can do a burn out. But I suppose it will pass an hour or two on and ya cant do it if ya don't do it.

Dusty the burn out champ pass's Nige with ease...

There were plenty of cool Cars at the Truck stop some very cool indeed like this Drag strip warrior Willy's

A on a modern frame looked well, just needs a little lowering.

Flathead Roadster enjoying the sun shine!

34 Sedan is wearing well and just as stunning as when it was first built and rocked the scene!

Great looking Metalflake Fordson finds the carpark and I don't blame him why should you want to cover ya car in Rubber ;o)

You want hard, you got Hard.... scares you standing still Grrrrrrrrrrr

Dusty smiling (as ever) or is it wind?......just before he did his final burnout blow out! yeah he did it until the tyre popped!

Dude gave a good show in his yank tank, apparently he enjoys the odd burn out or two and he looked the part to... I gotta stop being so shy and reserved and go make the people shots happen... I see all these amazing photographic people walking about at the shows but can never muster the confidence to ask for a posed shot.. I must do them next run!

Dusty tries again but the brakes are struggling to hold him straight!! Rubber Rubber Rubber!! cough smoke smoke smoke!!!

A pickup gives it a go his first time as well, the boy did good!

This guy nearly took the crown of burn out king on the day, but Dusty popped one and snook the title.

Yep he popped it...

There were one or two cars and people there when we got there but by the time we were leaving it was rammed to capacity. Dusty Laugher was the Hero of the day, but a couple more certainly did their bit, though most were there to spectate not participate, me included.

Yeah rubber snot aint no fun......

Well after a fill up of LPG it was back to camp and see what was planned for the evening and the rest of the very nice afternoon. I did hear afterwards that Ian Armstrong had followed us out of the truck stop and left at the roundabout, which is ok if you wanted the gas station but not the Camp ground which was right. When he realized his mistake instead of waiting for us he tried to find his own way back and went the scenic route (read longway round)..... back to the Camp site.

And back to normality at the show field!

When I worked out my LPG mileage is was shocked, the pervious week I had converted my truck to pure LPG as I was told it was more efficient, when I checked I had gone from 12mpg towing to now 10mpg fuk!!! Not impressed but nowt I could do, just seemed like a waste of time and effort, something else to sort once back home, mind at 1/2 the price of 4star it does still cost the same as running a 20mpg motor and that aint bad if ya towing.

Well back at camp we cruised a bit , chatted a bit and photo'd some then before ya know it, it was time to go up to the entertainment shed. Tonight would be Madness, well a Madness tribute band and jolly good they were to. I am pretty sure I saw a beautiful well endowed lady do a strip on stage in a Burlesque styley... fair made my day that did. Cant remember much else, everyone seemed knackered we were with so they hit the sack, we went in search of a party but found not a one, so early to bed for us to, a quick wrestle and that was us done!! ;o)

Sunday Click Here