Custom Car – September 2019

T

hebuilduptothisyear’sNSRA

FunRun,the47thstagingofthe

UK’slongestrunningweekendrod

run,wasripewithanticipation.

Manyfelttherunhadbeenleftoutinthe

wilderness(quiteliterally),havingbeen

movedtoGreatYarmouthforacoupleof

yearsfollowingitsenforceddeparturefrom

itsspiritualhomeofBillingAquadrome.

Thisyear,though,theFunRuncould

benefitfromalegacyleftbythelate

NASC,andmovetoanothernewhomeat

RutlandShowground.

BothMikeandIfeltthesitehadgreat

potentialwhentheNatswasheldthere

acoupleofyearsago,anditis,ofcourse,

morecentrallylocatedthananyeastcoast

seasidetown.Okay,thetimingwasn’tgreat,

clashingasitdidwithPendine,AACIat

Billing,theRetroShowandtheBeaulieu

Drive-In-Day.Nonetheless,thiswasone

weekendIwasreallylookingforwardto,

untiltheMondaybeforethatis.

Icannotbegintoimaginethestrainfour

daysofincessantrainputontheNSRA

team.Settinguptheshowgroundmust

havebeenanabsolutenightmare,andit

wassurelytemptingtotakethefareasier

optionandcanceltheevent.Notthese

guysthough,theystuckitoutandopened

thegatesasplannedonFridaymorning.

Theirreward?Yetmorerainofbiblical

proportionsthatafternoon.

Saturday’scruiseenticedaround 90

rodsandcustomsoutintothebeautiful

surroundingcountrysideand,onthe

whole,wasprettyrainfree.Thesame

cannotbesaidforlaterthatafternoon

though.Theraincamebackandthe

decisionwastaken,wiselyinmyopinion,

toprohibitvehiclesfromenteringthe

thesitehadgreat

potentialwhentheNats

washeldthere

verytouchandgowhethertheeventwouldgoahead

■Wordsandpics:DB

Nomatterhowwell

youplan,andhowhard

youwork,sometimes

circumstancescontrive

toblowyourefforts

apart.It’sthenwhat

youdonextthatcounts

Fun and rains

GaryTripphasspentthelast 15 months

restoringthelightweight,highriding,Rover

V (^8) - poweredFordCorsairoriginallybuiltby
TomNewman.Thecarwasfeaturedinthe
December’ (^83) issueofStreetRod&Machine
Monthlyandwasreputedlylastusedin 1985.
showfield.Thatmeanttherewasnofocal
point,though,andmostpeoplechoseto
stayattheircampfortheduration.
Ididhearthesuggestionofamarqueein
thecentreoftheshowfield,evenanopen-
sidedonejusttokeeptherainoff.Atleast
thenpeoplewouldhavehadsomewhere
drytohangout.Thenagain,hadthesun
beenshining,maybenobodywouldhave
madeuseofit.
Entertainment-wise,therewasplenty
laidonbuttheweatherplayeditspart
inaudienceparticipation.Thanksgoto
thoseresponsiblefortheperiodicfireups
oftheV12MerlinengineandtheOrange
PopFordson.
Theeventwassupportedbythelocal
Mayor,CouncillorDavidRomney,who
happenstobeahotrodderofold,and
throughouttheweekendvariousactivities
tookplacetoraisefundsfortheEast
AnglianAirAmbulance,themostamusing
ofwhichwerethetossersinthebarlateon
Saturdaynight.Havingmissedthelivemusic
onFriday,Icannotcommentonit,butIdid
catchtheactonSaturdaynight.Whatwas
thatallabout?
SueAyres,NSRAchairtoldus,“Inallof
the 12 yearsIhavebeenonthecommittee,
thiseventwasthemostchallenging.The
rainwasjustunbelievable.Itwasverytouch
andgowhethertheeventwouldgoahead
butwestuckwithit.
“Thecommitteeandcrewwerebrilliant,
andtheparticipantswereamazing,making
thebestofverytryingconditions.Pleaselet
thesunshineattheSupernats.”
So,didthenewvenueworkfortheFun
Run?Fromthepeoplewespoketo,some
saidyes,somesaidno,andnumberswere
inevitablydown.Asforouropinion?In
nowaywasitafairtest,sothereisno
definitiveanswer.Hadtheweatherbeen
different,theweekendwouldhavetaken
onatotallydifferentvibe,Well,apartfrom
thebloodykaraokeonabadtripthattook
tothestageonSaturdaynightthatis.
Youlaughedinthefaceofadversityguys,
andonthewholecameuptrumps.Let’s
giveitanotherbashnextyear,eh?CC
26 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019