Custom Car – September 2019

Thanks

GaryLaytonforchassiswork,TimHammond

forbodywork,ChrisViningatCustomCoach

Trimmingfortheinterior,MartinDowney,

alltheguysatThePaintShop,Andy‘Fred

theguru’Hone,RussPepperatRandR

HotRodImports,JohnnyGumble,thelate

SteveLang,andofcourseTeresaforallher

supportandencouragement.

Luke’sallaboutthetubs’n’tyres.That

wasthewholethingwiththistruckfrom

thebeginning,thoughintheprocessit

wentfromaquickbackhalftoatotal

rebuildintoundoubtedlyoneofthebest

pick-uptrucksinthecountry.

°Withadjustablecoiloversallround,,Fatmmaa

ffrontt,worddiisthis nnIIFFSS,,rraacckkaannddppiinniioonnsstteeeerriinngganddddiiscsonthhe

truckdriveslikeadream,evenwiththemassivem

reckonsagoodrearanti-rollbarisvitalon ismatchintyres.Gary

closetogeth thissortofsetupastherearcoiloversareso

erandthetyressobigthere’satendencytowallo

wwithoutone.

workeither.Hewasbrilliant,”enthusesLuke.
“I’dDynamat’dthecabmyselfbeforewe
tookthetruckupthereonwhatturnedout
tobethehottestdayyoftheyyear.Ifeltlikean
over-readychickenwhenIgotthere.”
Evensurroundedbythatsumptuous
Autoluxtanleather,headmitsitdoesget
hotintheblackcab,particularlyintraffic,
butthecowlventisagodsendonthemove
and,ifheneedsmoreventilation,there’sthe
wind-outwindscreenaswell.

Okay,sosixyearspassedinbetween
whenLukewaspotteringaboutinthetruck
heoriginallyboughttowhenhe–very
reluctantly,wemightadd–pulledroundto
collectaTop 10 awardatlastyear’sNSRA
Supernationals,buttheobviousexcitementin
hisvoicewhenyouspeaktohimsaysitwas
allworthwhile.
“It’sturnedoutbetterthanIever
expected.Ontheroaditdrivesbeautifully,
theseatisinalovelypositionandtheonly
rattlecomesfromatabontheoriginalwind-
out’screenmechanism.Otherwise,there’snot
asinglesqueak,orvibration,oranything.
“Ithasn’tgotpowersteeringsoit’salittle
heavyatslowspeeds,butotherthanthat
there’snotalotI’dchange.
“Theonlyannoyingthingaboutitis
we’vegotthisgreatbigpick-upandIdon’t

putanythinginit.”Daren’tmightbea

betterword.

WhatsumsupLuke’ssatisfactionwith

thefinishedproductbestperhapsisthePro

Street’34Cornercoupehe’sownedforthe

last 15 yearsthathasn’tbeenoutofthe

garagesincethisonewasfinished.

“Thatcardriveslikeahotrod.It’sgotIFS

aswell,butifIdriveitnowIthinkI’lljust

wishIwasdrivingthetruck.” CC

Icanhonestlysayit

wouldn’tbethetruck

itiswithoutTim

50 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019