Custom Car – September 2019

TheRustin 6

Well,whatwouldyoucallit?

■Words:MikePyePics:JohnKennedy

"I

wasbroughtupinthehotrod
world.Mychildhoodwascar
shows,dragracingandrock ’n’
roll,andthatupbringingsparked
themadobsessionIhave forthetwoand
four-wheeledwondersIspendmostofmy
timethinkingabout,andoutinthegarage
building.”There speaksthe groundworker
whobuildscaféracersandbobbersasa
hobbyandwhocreatedthisratherunusual
AustinTwelve-basedhotrod.

Havingowneda selectionofBritish
classics,Yanks anda couple ofhotrods
over theyears,StevenMorrisis thefirst
to admitheneverreallyfeltsatisfied
withany of them,andalways harboured
a desire tobuildhisown uniquehotrod,
basedonapre-warBritishcar.
So,in 2010 he startedsearching for
the perfectbase car tobringwhat
was inhis vivid imaginationtolife. “I

wantedtobuild another traditional-

style car, but thistime ithadtobe

Britishin origin.

“Eventually,I foundjust whatI was

looking forina 1933 AustinTwelve-

basedpick-up –a perfectpiece ofpre-

war British.”

Austinparticular

Inthestyleofallgoodhotrodders,

Stevenfaithfullypromisedthesellerhe

wouldrestoretherarepieceofBritish

tinandnothotrodit,“butIdon’t

thinkhebelievedme.Maybeitwasthe

turn-upsandSo-Caljacket,”helaughs.

“They’reveryparticulartheseAustin

people,Iactuallygothatemailthrough

eBaywhenIsoldtheoriginalengine.

“They’dleftitsittingoutinafield

forgodknowshowlong,soitwasn’t

liketheywereevergoingtodo

anythingwithit.Honestly,itwasso

rotten,whenmywifesawitshejust

said,‘Youain’tdoingthaaat!’”

Steven’slong-sufferingggwife,Claire,

didagreetothehireofatransporter

andtoaccompanyStevenonthe

journeyfromtheirhomeeeinDesborough

tothesouthcoasttocollecttheAustin,

orwhatremainedofit

anyway.“Littledidwe

knowtheweather

wouldchangelater

thatmorningintoone

oftheworstwinter’s

daysimaginable,

withthe

temperature

droppingto

• 10 degCand
  heavysnow
  andiceon
  theroad.”

aperfectpieceof

pre-warBritish