Had an interest in American cars for some 40 odd years now.For me it was a combination of things, my dad ran a coach company that used to have a contract with the American bases and I used to go along with him on some of the trips to the bases and always loved looking at the big finned monsters that were everyday cars to them then.I used to ask American friends of my dads if they would take me for a ride in their car just to go cruisin'. My sister also married a US serviceman in the 60s and eventually moved to the states with him. I remember trips with them over here again in big finned monsters (I was too young to know a Caddie from a chevy then) and also when we used to visit them in the States, just riding around in these cars and watching them all drive by was heaven for me. I knew even then that some day I would own an American car of my own. My first was a 1968 Formula 400 convertible way back when I was about 20, loved that car what with that electric top,big block rumble and jet black paint. Been a fair few since then but it's in my blood and it's here to stay.All that certainly made me real bias towards anything made in USA but still appreciate other vehicles, depends how the mood takes me.There was a time when it had to be a Chevy and had to have some muscle. Back then I had to sell what I had to move on and as time passed so tastes changed.Now able to hold on to a few that hopefully won't fall out of personal favor and hope to drive 'till I drop and then bury me in one of them. Wots your story?
Combination of a lot of things for me. My dad used to take me to Ally Pally in the late 70's for the custom shows and i used to cycle down to souhend seafront when i was a kid to watch the cars cruising. Then in the 80's i was very into scooters and i considered Custom cars an obvious progression. You see i liked the fact that people thought that scooters were slow but once we'd played about with them they went like stink and surprised some bikers, well to me its no different to having a ford pop with a V8, designed to go slow but made to go quick. Also when your into Surf and Rockabilly you need a kool car to blast your tunes out of, you cant play Charlie Feathers (king of the rockabillies) whilst driving a ford focus. Now days i just like driving them, fast or slow i dont care as long as its kool. My first proper car was a Hillman Super Minx convertible. I saw it at Battlesbridge car show for £500 and did the deal on the spot, I fitted moon discs and painted whitewalls and that was it, the roof didn't go up but i still drove it everyday through the winter. I loved that car and would buy it back in a second if i could, Me and Si have many good memories of cruising about in that car.
How did it start for me? When I was a kid I used to have Matchbox cars. My girlfriends when I was guess James' age would always play with the cars in the playground because the boys had nicked our Sindy & Barbie dolls! From the infant playground, we would watch the cars travelling along Sheldrake Drive, the buses going down to the turning circle on Ellenbrook Road and the lorries going into the shops and we all loved to watch them.
I've always had the attitude of if you can't beat 'em: join 'em. Dad was interested in most forms of transport, when mum was at work on Saturdays he would take my nephew and I up to the airport in Ipswich to watch the planes, we would go via the bus depot on Portman Road so we could have a peak in the garage at what was in the workshops. He was transport manager for Harris Bacon in Ipswich for a while and would bring home the trade mag's with pictures of the latest trucks. He would talk about the cars him and dad had, the Austin Ruby he had at 17, the Morris Oxford his father had and how his father had learnt to drive by watching the bus drive from Ipswich to Royston.
Dad joined the Ipswich Transport Museum in 1992 and went along with him as something to do. That's how I met Mike. We took part in the Fexlistowe run, travelling on the museum's buses and fire engines, would go to local rallys and look at all the different vehicles there.
I would read Mike's copies of Practical Classics, Street Machine, Volks World, Old Glory and Max Power, Custom Car etc etc. As I said if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! At first I could understand why someone would take a perfectly good Morris Minor and modify it, now however I see why. I guess it's a bit like my patchwork: why ever would someone want to chop up nice fabric and join it back together again!
To me now, it's as much about the social side as it is the cars. (That's what we say about patchwork too) There is nothing better than, like at the Iceni picnic parking up with a bunch of friends having cruised down in a long convoy, looking at the cars, chatting about anything & everything, kids playing together, wondering off to look at the cars, talking about what we've seen etc.
So you can blame my dad and Mike forgetting me into cars and transport!
My dads the one to blame for my part in the scene.When i was growing up my dad always had old cars,Jags were his thing and still are.So i have a lot of good memories cruising down to pinmill four of us abreast in the back of an enormous mk10 jag.My dad was a builder by day and a mechanic at night.He would be under some motor in the evening with me laying beside him naming all the parts.Must be why i turned out a mechanic i guess.As for the yanks dad once had a duesenberg and i can remember drooling over the sleek lines and the sheer size of it.It was the size of a train to me then about seven.I promised myself one day i would have one but i'm not quite there yet so the caddi will do.My first yank was a 68 mercury cougar,bright yellow with black stripes and ive had a few since then.My dream was to buy one direct off the owner in the states,drive it there then ship it home and use it here.Well ive done that so thats one off the wish list.Now years later i love everything about the scene,the music,the people everything its so laid back and a welcome break from this fast paced world we live in.Give me half an hour standing in detriot in 1957 thats my idea of paradise!!
It all started out for me with my Dad....He always had a Humber or two knocking about in a huge double garage he built....By the time I was 13 I eas the proud owner of a microcar,it was a Goggomobil n it was all mine WOOOoooooo HOooooooo.
Dad first took me up "The Pod" in the early days when DLT was racing n pissing about n that was it..I was hooked.
When cruising first took off on a New Years Day in `73 or was it `74 I was in Chelsea takin` part n watching it all kick off.
Many years later I introduced my lad to "The Pod" when he was only 8
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*Respect the Past * Influence the Future * Inspire the Present*
It was me uncle`s fault I can remember his jacked up escort estate when I was about 8, and buying custard card with my pocket money, My Dad always had Mk2 Grandads when I was young, so thats were my old ford obbsession came from. My Nasc days are down to Guy Roberson who roped me in 6 years ago then left !!
It first started for me in the early 80's when my mate bought an Mr2. I took it for a drive and fell in love. Ive been in to rice burners ever since. My first rice burning muscle car was a Nissan Sunny with a 1.3 straight 4. It was fantastic. I then upgraded to a white 5 door Cherry with a peco silencer. That car used to the qtr mile, eventually. I ended up with a red supra import that I got from mitch. The way those turbos sounded was lovelly. I upgraded the dump valves and every thing.
I have now got a yank camaro. Its sounds ok but needs a turbo. Its handeling is terrible. I hope to p/x it for Skyline as soon as I can........Oh sh1t, wrong forum!!
Dont take the p1ss out of the moderator smart ass. xxxx
first saw and advert in 78 for drag racing american style at santa pod raceway and pestered my dad into taking me. We went to the august meet and saw al o'connor crash the gasser. I was hooked and in the same year brought my first copy of custom car. Loved every pic of pops then as every month there was at least 3 pops pictured. Got well into the car scene for yanks and dragsters and got hold of and old 1953 lanchester leda 14 in the mid eighties but didnt have the finances to get it done. I wanted to pro street it. Sold it and just carried on going to pod and various shows and was lucky enough to buy my camaro on ebay from the states 4 years ago. hopefully this year we can all get to the pod as si wants a grudge race me. mopar versus chevy, gasser versus muscle. should be fun!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't have a definite moment, and my parents are very puzzled as to how I became such a petrol head.My brother is a mechanic, and when he was 17 he brought an LC Torana as his first car, 202 with triple carbies, guess who got roped into helping most nights after dinner?? So became my love of Toranas!
I have always loved cars, the V8 sound, shiny paint, nice wheels, the speed and lots of good times cruising with friends and just hanging out.
My first ever car was a 1974 998cc CLubman mini, i restored it myself, paint job, new interior, new engine, big fat exhaust, I was as loud as a harley at one stage! Only problem was that people get running me off the road, I was too little to be seen?
Geez I loved my little dude, it was cool cos I restored it by myself and I had my freedom to go wherever I wanted and it went through corners like it was on rails!
My brother brought it for $100 and gave it to me on my 18th Birthday, it took me 2 years to restore, I did'nt have a high paying job at the time, so it made me appreciate it even more cos of the time it took me to restore!
Max Power, Custom Car etc etc. As I said if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! At first I could understand why someone would take a perfectly good Morris Minor and modify it, now however I see why. I guess it's a bit like my patchwork: why ever would someone want to chop up nice fabric and join it back together again!
) There is nothing better than, like at the Iceni picnic parking up with a bunch of friends having cruised down in a long convoy, looking at the cars, chatting about anything & everything, kids playing together, wondering off to look at the cars, talking about what we've seen etc. 
SOMEDAY SON ALL THIS WILL BE MINE!!
