Custom Car – September 2019

1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999

Remember when...

N

otbeingafootballfanIcouldeasily

haaaveoverlookedtheMachofttthe

daypunontttthismonth’shighlightedissue

fffrrrooommm 11977 ,orrrrnotnoticeditatalldddue

tothepresencccceofonedeliciouslypppert

norkalongsideeeethe 1970 Mach 1 Muuustanggg

belongingtoayyyyoungLondonerbythe

nnnameofRRRRoooobbbbiiinJames.

SSSStoryyygoes,saidMr.Jamesswwwaaappppppppeeeeedddddan

oldJagggfortheeecccaaarrrr,wwwhhhhiccchhhhaaadddbeeeeeennnbbbeeeatennn

upbytttheprevvviiiousowwwnnner’sgggiiirlfrieeend.

HefitteeedAppliiiaaannnceeesloootsaaannndddGGGennneraaals,

sidepipppesandshhhackkkleeeexteeenddddeeeerrrrssssbbbeeeffffooore

turningitovertoCompppetitionCarsin

Leytonstonetobringttthhhebodddyyywooorrrkkkkbbbbaaacccckkkk

uptoscratch.Withaddddesigggnnned---bbby-hoooseeepipe

frontspoiler,redPlexiiiiiggglllasiiinnnplaaaceooofttthe

moonroof,aMetalflaaaaakkkkkeeeandCCCannndyAAAppllle

TangerinefadepaintjobbyAlLlewellyn,

muralsandNightFeverletteringbyGeoff

RidgwayandalargelyDraloninteriorby

GerryDavies,RobinwasoffdowntheKings

Roadtoshowitalloff.Evenwhenhewasn’t,

hewas,ashehadapictureofhimselfdoing

justthatpaintedonthebootlid.Quitethe

pieceofkitfora 20 - yearold,eh?

Alongsidethat,anyotherfeaturecars

weregoingtohavetoworkprettyhard,and

inabeautifullycosmopolitannorth/south

interface,wealsobroughtyouIanandNigel

Etheridge’sradicallyre-styledMk 1 Caprithat

wentbythenameofVenom.

Verysimilarinconcept,theRainyCity-

basedcustomalsohadpolishedslots,Thrush

Outsiders,GeneralGrabbers,aone-off

spoiler,Draloninteriorandwildpaint,

dddddeeeeesssssiiiiggggnnnedbya“conceptualvisualiser[who]

rrreeelateeessswelltohismedium”,asfeature

wrrriter,SteveMyatt,describedKeithPilling.

Butttiiitalsohadwheelarchextensions,

ddddduuuuummmmmyairscoops,twinlights,panelled

andportholedquarterwindowsandan

Seeeettthhhathoneycombtailpanel?RobinJamesstuckon
ooovvvver 600 hexagonscutoutoforangediffractiontttape,
eaaachonerotatedasixthofaturnfromitsneighbbbours
forrramentalreflectoreffect.

IInCCChhhriiisandddTTTeriii’’’scustomscrapbbbookkkthhhiiismonthhh,

frenchingliggghtsandaerials,bywayofabakedbean

caaanandbrazzzzingrods.

Evenin 1977 wwwwewereeegggettingggasweeeaaatttonaaaboutwhat

wemighhhtaaannndmmmiiiggghtnotttbbbeablettttoooodotoooourcars.

ThescaaaarrrremmmongeeeringgghereeewaaasssTTTTTyyypeApprovvval.

18 - inchfrontalextensionwithfourrocket

llllaaaauuuncherssetintoit.Wow.

FuuurttthhherfryyyyingourmindswasDavvve

SSSharpppeee’sssBedfordCF,Crusader.MoreeeDralon,

mmmoreeeslooots,mmmmoreThrush,moreportholes,

mmmmooorrreeeemmmmmuuurrralssssandyetmorecustompppaint.It’s

almostliketherewasathemeinthiiisissue.

Orthiscountryin 1977 atanyrate.

Justincasethemotorcycleenthusiasts

feltleftttout,GlennClarke’svaguelyTriumph

5 TA-baaased,silverGlowble-paintedTTTime

Warptttrikefilledthatvoidnicely.

Afterallthat,Ithinkweallneedeeedabit

ofasitttdown,andthismonthitcammmein

theforrrmofanarticleonfffffeeeeeetttttrrrrracinggg.YYYooou

what?Precisely.Justthesortofenddddddeeeeaaaarrringgg

nonsennnse,inaCarryOnUpTheCustomCar

kindofffway,welovedCCforinthosssedays.

Alonnngsidealltheabove,RichardMMMiles’

wide-arch’ 65 Mercedes 220 lookedalmost

normal,thoughitwasanythingbuttt.Given

adry-sumped 392 Hemi/Torquefliteeefroma

’ 58 ChrrryslerSaratoga,andsatoverbbbanded

HillmannnHuskyrimsandultra-wideCCCanAm

intermediates,itwasenoughtoturnCarlos

Fandannngohimselfgreenwithenvy.

Soasssnottodespoilthisratherfififine

issue,I’llignoretheroadtestontwwwodull

newToooyotas,theturgidhowtomaaakeyour

EEnough EEEEEEEnnnnnnnnnoooooooouuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhttttto ttttooooooooootttttturn tttuuuuuuurrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnCCCCCCarlos CCCaaaaaaarrrrrrrrlllllllloooooooosssssssFFFandango FFFFFFFaaaaaaaannnnnnnn oooohhhhimself hhhhhiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmsssssssseeeeeeeeellllllllllllfffffffffffff

ggreen gggggggggrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnwwwwwwwwwwith wiiiiiiiittttttttthhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeenvyennnnnn

CCCCCCChhhhhhhhiiiii dddddddTTTTT iiii’’’’’ bbbbbbbbb kkkkkkkhhhhhiiiii hhhhhhhhhh

8000 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019

42 years ago