Cam at North Coast Custom Trim had the car for a week to
make up those last few panels so we could get it off to paint.
Pat from Pats Pro Restos came out to Craig’s to check the car out
and work out a plan. Pat had a big waiting list understandably,
but to keep everything rolling everyone came together with a
plan; East Coast Race Cars agreed to do the prep and Pats Pro
Restos would apply the paint. It was a huge effort by both shops
constantly transporting back and forth as the guys had more
parts ready for paint. It was great for me to see two different
shops working so well together, you’d swear they did this all the
time.
ECRC had the chassis all finished and ready to head down
to marry up the body at PPR. That afternoon is one I’ll never
forget, once the body was on and loaded on the trailer ready
to head back to Craig’s. We all stood around and had a beer
together. That moment was great. Everyone just chilling and
talking shit but for me, it was the point I realised that I will
actually finish this! While ECRC were putting it all back together for
the final time we spoke about when it would be done and decided
that the Queensland Hot Rod Show is where we would unveil it. The
boys pushed extremely hard to meet the deadline and never once did
I doubt them. They pulled it off!
We got to the show, set up the display and put the cover on for the
big reveal the next morning. I was feeling really good until I started
seeing friends and family show up for the unveiling. As soon as I saw
my best mates old man I just fell to bits and couldn’t even talk. It all
hit me at once. What dad had started I had finished and to see the
friends and family that had followed along the way meant a lot. I was
so relieved to finally pull the cover off Bear’s ’32 with Bundy. We had
done it! That day is another one I will never forget!
Since then I’ve travelled up and down the east coast from
Melbourne to Mackey. I can’t believe the amount of awesome people
I’ve met along the way and now call good mates. Somehow I still
managed to put 3000 miles on it in less than 12 months while showing
it. You won’t see it at those big shows anymore. This car was built as
a driver and that’s what I’ll do with it. The first run down the drag
strip could only manage a 14.4 at 98mph with a tuning issue. The car
has since been in for a tune and a new ignition system and recently
produced a 12.373 quarter mile pass at 106mph.”
The body features a hole cut in hood to suit the blower scoop, the
front guards have been sectioned two inches for a lower look and
the rear guards have been sectioned one inch to get them lower on
the sides and rear. The fuel tank was smoothed, ’39 Lincoln Zephyr
taillights were fitted to flow with the interior and slim line rear
indicators were hidden between the fuel tank and body. The front
indicators have been cut into the painted So-Cal headlights. The paint
colour is a standard Glasurit hue but it had no name, so Josh calls it
“Bear’s Bronze”.
The running gear consists of a blown small block Chevy backed by
a Turbo 350 transmission and a Ford nine inch diff with full floating
hub assembly and Trutrac LSD centre located by So-Cal four bars and
supported by QA1 coil-overs The 350 Chev four bolt block was bored,
honed, decked and acid bathed before new cam bearings and welsh
plugs were fitted.
It features a Scat 9000 series nodular iron crankshaft with 3.48
inch stroke, Scat 5.7 inch I-beam conrods, Speed Pro forged blower
pistons running 8.5:1 Compression, Sealed Power moly rings, Clevite
conrod, main and cam bearings, a Powerbond harmonic balancer
and a Pioneer flexplate. The rotating assembly was fully balanced.
Comp Cams hydraulic blower cam and lifters also went in along with
Comp Cams roller rockers, Renegade Racing hardened push rods
and a Cloyes True Roller double row timing chain and gear set. An
oil pump, pick-up and drive from Mellings was installed while the
cylinder heads fitted are Edelbrock E-Street Alloy heads with 185cc
intake and 64cc chambers. A Weiand 6-71 polished blower kit provides
a little extra boost and Holley 650 cfm blower carburettors drawn the
fuel in from a 65 litre tank through a TBS stainless fuel line kit. A Mr
Gasket Blower scoop and air cleaner kit top it all off while an OEX
Gear Reduction Starter motor, Professional Products Powerfire ready
to run electronic distributor and Flame Thrower coil get it all started.
The interior sports a custom made fibreglass seat with Italian leather
and Alcantara suede in a Lincoln inspired style. The floor is lined
with German square weave woven carpet and the roof lining was
done in pleated suede with a Billet Specialties light. Billet Specialties
also supplied the handles and knobs while an aluminium insert that
was bead rolled and wrapped in leather adorns the dash. There’s also
an Alpine Bluetooth head unit inside with four inch front speakers
under the dash and 6x9 inch speakers in the rear wall.
The wheel and tyre package consists of Billet Specialties rims
measuring 17 inches on the front and 18 inches on the rear. They all
wear Federal rubber, 215/45/17 at the front and 255/55/18 at the rear.
In total this build took three years and was finished in May 2016. If
it wasn’t for the help Josh received this car would probably still ne
under construction so his sincere thanks and appreciation goes to
Craig and Bundy at East Coast Race Cars, the team at Pat’s Pro Restos
and Cam at North Coast Custom Trim.
The coupe has won a massive list of awards in the last year
including a Top Ten and Second Place Coupe at the 2016 Queensland
Hot Rod Show, People’s Choice and Cool Custom at the Halfway Havoc
show, a Top Ten at the Eliminators show and a Top Three, Top Ten and
Top 60 along with Second Standard Paint and First Closed Hot Rod at
Summernats 30. The car also won Show champion, Top interior and
Top paint at the Gold Coast 600, a Top Ten at the All American car
show, Best Hot Rod and the Downtown Customs’ Pick at Severed Slam,
Council’s Pick, Top Paint and Top Interior at the Tuff Metal Car Show,
a Top Ten and Top Interior at the Yamba Rod Run, a Top Ten and
Show Sponsor’s Pick at the Mackey Motor Show, another Top Ten and
another Second Place Coupe at this year’s Queensland Hot Rod Show
and most recently, won a Super Six award and the Bronze Medal for
elite paint at MotorEx in Sydney.
nhttp://www.graffitipub.com.au ASR 328 55