What are you doing today 2016?

[kb426]

It got into the low 60's here today. Before it warmed up, I did a few little things to the 51. I brought the 32 in and made a 5/16" extension for the pushrod on the new clutch master cylinder. It was longer than the previous unit but not long enough to use all the peddle travel. That is important to make this deal work right. After I finished that up I took the only cycle that has a good battery for a ride. In a couple of months, I'm going to buy 3 batteries for the rest of the bikes. I cleaned up the shop and have set down from having a real good winter day.

[WZ JUNK]

Split wood all day.  Yuck.

John :cry:

[58 Yeoman]

I cut up some more of the tree that fell on the neighbors' property a few months ago. Only got an 18" bar on the Stihl, and the trunk is about 24". Took a while. Splittiing comes later...at least we have a splitter.

[purplepickup]

It must have been the day to cut firewood. That's what I did today too. Temps were in the 40's and it felt good to get outdoors and get some exercise.

[enjenjo]

I went to a salvage yard near me, and bought out his entire stock of T5 transmissions and parts.  Most of the parts for about 10 transmissions.

[phat46]

Painted the dining room ceiling today. No big deal, but it's only been three weeks since my bilateral hernia surgery. I can't believe how well this went, I know it's there, but it's not painful even doing this. My brother had a single hernia repaired in '07 and he drove for the first time at three weeks and was still shuffling around and bent over, in a lot of pain. I am grateful to the surgeon and the daVinci robot, a couple more weeks and I can do whatever I want. Technology is wonderful!

[Mikej]

You should have had the robot paint the ceiling. Half load of paint on the roller?  

[phat46]

You should have had the robot paint the ceiling. Half load of paint on the roller?  

Needed one of the robots from the Jetsons! 😀 painting didn't bother me, just got some "tugging" doing the tarping and cleanup. Get tired too fast still.

[UGLY OLDS]

You should have had the robot paint the ceiling. Half load of paint on the roller?  

Needed one of the robots from the Jetsons! 😀 painting didn't bother me, just got some "tugging" doing the tarping and cleanup.

Get tired too fast still.

Uhhh...This may not be due to the surgery. It happens to a lot of people as they "age" ..      

Bob.

[enjenjo]

I drove up to Detroit Metro twice today, at 5 am and 11 am

[Carps]

OK it wasn't today, but I'm always a couple days behind anyhow, so........

Every year since 1965, the World Heritage Listed Royal Exhibition Building............



.....located on the edge of the world's most liveable city, Melbourne, Australia,



......has played host (OK the first two shows were at Springvale Town Hall out in the eastern suburbs, but this is the internet, where we never let the truth get in the way of a good story) to the Victorian Hot Rod Association Rod and Custom Show.





There is no other setting quite like this one for any kind of exhibition, let alone a hot rod show.......









...... and very quickly as the stuff parked around the gardens morphs into something much cooler, it becomes obvious to all that it's that time of year again.



Melbournians have never needed an excuse to get out and about to have some fun and at this time of year the city is more alive than ever.



As a result, the VHRA Hot Rod and Custom Show is one of the places to be, even if you are not a car person.



The outdoor event in surrounding gardens and other spaces is a constantly changing kaleidoscope of colour and sound, with cars and people coming and going throughout the day and night.



Here you'll see all manner of modified and classic vehicles, many that seem only to appear for this weekend and then perhaps go back into hibernation, like this radically modified pick-up that I've never seen (or maybe that should be, noticed) before.



Or Chopper's roadster, which his boys seem to save for special occasions, preferring at other times to drive the shop truck.



The outdoor show, extends from the forecourt fountain all the way around the building, with different vehicle types like the Willys gang, taking up selected spaces as a group.



Some of those machines are also more than just big engines in stockfish bodies, they too take some serious body mod's.



I tend to prefer my pre-war cars looking more like what they did when new, like this deluxe '37 Ford.  Yum!



Or even this Deuce coupe.



However, there's always something among the assembled fleet to appeal to all tastes.



And plenty of great photo opportunities too.



It's not often you'll see a '60 Holden parked side by side with a '61 model, but it's a good opportunity to compare the subtle differences.



I'm pretty sure there's more '32 Fords on the road today than Henry's factory rolled out back when they were a production model, but at least now they all look different.















As you'd expect, when the roadster or sedan is on show inside the building, there's shop trucks in abundance outside in the parking lot.







Ken Duncanson's '56 Furd Pickemup is one sweet ride and as is typical of all Ken's vehicles, clean, simple and perfect in every way.





However, I'm not so sure this one qualifies for shop truck duty anymore.



On the other hand Tony's hauler certainly does.......



....and it also shows off what can be done with the products marketed and distributed by Kustom Lane.



Billy Scot is having a blast with his newly acquired roadster pickup.  



Of course even among commercial vehicles, Chevy has plenty of fans.



Forty Ford Coupes look just right when painted black and fitted with red steelies and wide whites, but it can be tough to know which car belongs to who when so many are done this way.



There was plenty of other action outside, especially while the sun was shining.  The ladies could even have their make-up professionally adjusted.



Mark's Falcon is the perfect example of what can be achieved with a readily available Aussie built car, it's one fine example of a classy yet useable mild custom.



This old Caddy and I have spent more than a bit of time together and it's looking better than ever it did after a recent refresh, which included a new suit and conversion to right hand drive.



Mar's Ranchero always looks great and it's about to go under the knife once again, with some changes planned that will make it even more classy than it appears already.



Funny thing happened as I was shooting Pete's totally photogenic and irresistible '36 Roadster.  A flock of pelican's flew overhead and they kinda bombed it as they passed by.  Fortunately most of the resultant slop landed on the fabric top, but it was all over it like icing on a birthday cake.  Glad it missed me.  



Nope I didn't photograph the bird stuff, it was not even close to photogenic, but I did manage a couple of good shots of the car anyhow.



The constantly changing outdoor part of the show really can be a problem for those of us stuck indoors looking after our displays.  We never get to see the excitement of unbelievable things like Tony's A coupe being driven in the rain and then parked outside without being covered and whilst the clouds are still about!      



I almost missed seeing this way cool Geelong built '34 sedan, a model that was once a mainstay of Aussie rodding but has fallen from favour due to the proliferation of reproduction US body styles now available.



And here's one that just screams 'I'm an Aussie and damned proud of it!" the grandaddy of all Ford Rancheros, The Ford of Australia, 1934 Coupe Utility.





And yet another uniquely Aussie boody style, the Coupe Sedan or Sloper as it is more commonly known, this one being a 1938 Chevrolet.



It's very tastefully modified and would make a great daily driver if it isnt already.



Here's a couple more Chevies I spotted out in the sunshine.  





Makes you wonder how come the Fords are so popular when the GM stuff looks this good.



Maybe we don't need to wonder that much?



Another one I have had an intimate relationship with.  Originally rodded back in the early 1970s by my hot rodding mentor and pioneering Aussie rodder Chris Cook, it has been refinished with big block power and a serious dose of attitude.





A different kind of 'Humpy'.



This '64 Holden wagon has been around for a while now, but it's also a timeless and tastefully constructed Aussie custom, there should be more of this type of car, just as it was back in the day downunder.



And there should also be more of this type of car.



And this type too.



MOPAR means Mo-Car or so I'm told by those in the know.



This looks like it may be just enough car for me.



Funderbolt!  A clever play on words, model designations, or both?



Seems like I'm never going to take you inside the show hall, so I'll call this the last outside image and head indoors.

[Carps]

.
.
Finally!  

Inside we go.....



First thing to grab my attention was 'The Fastest Car In The Valley', Harrop's Howler, powered by a normally aspirated 186 cubic inch Holden six it soundly whupped all comers in it's day, including most of the V8s.



It's in wonderful condition after being in hibernation for many years, but considering the car's condition, I'm not so sure I'd change it if I had been the one to find it.  But it's a race car and that's what happens to race cars.  They are either discarded or upgraded to keep them competitive.  This B/MP classification on this one means the body is stock and all the original suspension is in place.  The engine is a later version of the original mounted in the stock position with a production car gearbox and rear axle assembly again from the same manufacturer and requiring no major alterations to make them fit.



And speaking of old things, buried in the heart of the Southern Hot Rod Club's stand was the Joe Pirotta and Charlie Caruana Crimson Pirate!



Originaly built in the late fifties, first shown in the early sixties, this car is an icon of the Aussie Hot Rodding world and was a stalwart of the show scene here until the early '70s when it was retired. The gold flake, home-made wheels (we couldn't buy this stuff in Oz at the time) and racing tyres plus some more chrome and alloy parts were added when the car was refreshed in the mid sixties and it remains unchanged from that time.



It was great to see The Pirate out in public once again and fitting that it was to help celebrate Australia's oldest Hot Rod club celebrate their 60th anniversary.



Y'know, back in the day we thought our cars were pretty well detailed, but cars like this '70 Holden  taxi cab remind me just how much more can be achieved with a little extra effort.



This thing is completely moulded into one single bit of metal with not a seam visible aside from the lines where the hanging panels like doors, hood and boot lid fit.  Awesome!



On the other side of the coin, Rob Carrol's Deuce is a bonafide old hot rod that's little changed from when it was first built using original Ford parts back a million years ago.  But it too has been refined and tidied up in the ensuing years.



Had you told me back in the seventies that cars like this would be built and in Australia, I'd have suggested you're dreaming.  Now they seem to be everywhere, although some still stand head and shoulders above the rest and just as the Crimson Pirate carted off all the gold in it's day, this one did the same last weekend.



Very well deserved if you ask me, despite my bias towards model 40 Fords.



The Katsanis boys must have had a few later nights polishing the old Deuce Coupe, coz it was shinier than a brand new dollar coin.





Don't see too many T buckets anymore but they do tend to come out at show time, which is a good ting, because that are a very important part of our hobby.



FC Holden had some subtle and not so subtle modifications and was superbly finished, which I guess is how it also became a top five winner.



Australia's Most Beautiful Kustom 2016, was looking the goods.



Had you told me last week a Hilux was to be in the show I'd have suggested the organisers have lost the plot, but this is one mighty show worthy pick-up truck and that is one heluva big V8 engine to be shoehorned into the space designed for a small four banger.



There was also a Mitsubishi Magna, converted to two doors with a badass bent eight, but the real talking point on this one was the see through wheels!



Of course plenty of newly built cars debuted, like this * fine Hemi powered deuce highboy.



More than three or four Kustom Mercurys made the judges job difficult.



Didn't hear which car won custom paint, but this work of Art by our Jab Air had to be at the top of the contenders list.



And for those who think hot rodding is for men only, you may wish to talk with the Kendals, coz they are a father and daughter team.



As has become something of a tradition of late, Johnny Z debuted yet another new car at the show and it walked away with a big chunk of gold.



And the good news is that the show is not just for shiny cars.  It's a showcase for our hobby, so all styles and types are encouraged to participate, in order to show the entire spectrum of what is hot rodding.











There's even small scale cars on show, nice pin striping on this one almost looks familliar..



But they get even smaller.



These guys are only young, but I've been building model hot rods and customs since they first appeared in shops back in the late 1950s.



The cool thing with models is you can build anything you might imagine from a chopped and chanelled model A to a replica of Leo Spessot's well known '40 Convertible.



Some modeller even replicate in 3D the art of others who work in one dimension.



The only complaint I heard all weekend was one whiter bemoaning the fact that they let any clown inside the building during show weekend.





Among the trade stands there are also some truly great artists working away with paints and airbrushes.



As quick as it started, the bell rang and it was all done.  Time to break out the day-glow safety vests, tear everything down, pack it away, crank up the cars and head for home.



This is the best time of the show,because we get to hear them run and drive through that fantastic exhibition hall.







Is this what they call stereotyping, wonder if they'd like to come and look after my housework for me?



The reality at this point of the show, is everybody has to pitch in, because it needs to all be gone before we turn into pumpkins.





So whilst I * around taking photos, others get to work.          



And before we know it, the building is almost empty.



And outside, the crowd gathers, to hear 'em roar!



Or watch them pack the trucks.



And that was the VHRA show that was, until 2017.

[chimp koose]

Carps , thanks for the post .

[Digger]

Great pics, thanks for sharing );b(

[WZ JUNK]

Carps, WOW,  Thanks for posting the photos.  

John