Interesting classic car articles

Information contained in these classic car articles is sometimes like a story of part of the author’s life. It really is a part of your life, because generally a story about a classic car restoration can cover a period of many years.

Tell a friend about this classic car articles page

Classic car articles information -- by Bob Welcome

-----------------------------------------------------------

Our newsletter provides details of interior retrimming tips and tricks and current classic car restorations.

Read the back issues here

While it is part of the author/restorers life, it also is a part of his family and friends lives as well.

Usually many people are interested to see how the restoration is coming along and what point it is up to, and also to hear the story.

Some of these people are interested to see how the work is done, probably because they have a classic car of their own. They cannot wait for the restoration to be completed so that they can accompany the owner and experience the thrill of driving the car in a motoring event.

Tell a friend about this classic car articles page

----------------------------------------------

Classic car articles - Classic car articles - Classic car articles

As described by - Authors

------------------------------------------------------

RESURRECTION OF THE HJ HOLDEN UTE

Article - Provided by Gregory J Lacy - Glendale, via Rockhampton

Sunday 18th June, 2006.

The “ute” as it was then and with new sills being fitted.

--------------------------------------------------------

I was told about this HJ ute by a mate and thought it worth while to go and have a look. We found the ute was very straight but incomplete, with a lot of spares, no motor or gearbox, but could see the potential this old chariot had.

$500 seemed a fair price so we took the beast home for a rebuild.

I already had quite a lot of spares that I had gathered over the time and knew that I had everything that I needed to make the old ute something that would be worth while.

I had done my apprenticeship working on HQ'S and HJ'S, so I knew what to expect with rust and where and how things worked.

I selected the best of all bolt on panels which were all sand blasted, rust cut out and replaced with metal, repaired and primed ready for paint.

That job alone took about 3 months but was worth it in the end.

By sand blasting the old panels it made it a lot easier to locate the rust and saved me a lot of time sanding down. Next job was to start on the body.

The body was lifted off the chassis and placed in the shed. It turned out to be a huge project to cut all the rust out. Inner and outer sills were replaced by all new panels, new floor panels welded in, new scuttle pieces put in below the front windscreen and new quarter panel pieces welded in.

The rear of the cab was extended also to allow for speaker and amplifier placement. It looks like a few words on paper but this worked out to be about 6 months work.

But once the body was in primer it was very satisfying.

While the body was in the shed getting a make over, the chassis was stripped and rebuilt with all components painted and replaced.

The 202 and M21 4 speed were fitted to the chassis along with all suspension and entire exhaust system.

It made the job quite easy fitting it out in the stand alone chassis.

The painting process was the most enjoyable and fulfilling work to date.

To finally see the colour flowing over the flat smooth panels and the gloss reflecting my image was very satisfying.

To say I was proud would be an understatement. The next step was to start the time consuming task of assembly.

Patience and persistence was needed to put this old beast back together and it seemed to drag on, but it paid off in the end. Once the chassis was wheeled under the completed body, the whole show came together very quickly and the final fit-out was very tedious but rewarding.

A big thank-you to Bob Welcome for the exceptional fit-out of the interior.

The final result was something that we are very proud of and the sight of the ute driving up the road is very fulfilling.

The icing on the cake was to win the Best Restored Ute pre 1985 at Beef Week 2006 - Rockhampton. My son, who owns the ute, was over the moon with the recognition and acknowledgement of the hard work we put into the project and it was a very proud moment for myself to see him collect the major prize.

We have more plans for the ute as in new seats, fit the V8 auto and disc brake rear end, but all in good time.

As it is now ---Front and rear shot

----------------------------------------------

GREG J LACY.

Tell a friend about this classic car articles page

----------------------------------------------------

Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles

---------------------------------------------------------------

Southern Comfort Cruiser Article - Provided by Cath Richardson - Rockhampton

November 8, 2006.

HOW WE WON THE SOUTHERN COMFORT CRUISER By Cath Richardson

My Husband Warren is an absolute Ford fanatic and has been since he was a boy. He purchased his first Street Machine magazine when he was fifteen and to this day has not missed an issue.

This might sound a bit funny but warren has a habit of taking a Street Machine mag with him every time he goes to the toilet, which in a sense was the smartest move he ever made. Let me explain, as a result of him reading in the toilet and leaving the magazine lying on the floor when finished, I in turn would pick up the mag while I was in the loo and read it too.

After a while I was hooked on the magazine as well and continued to read it every time I felt the urge to go (if you know what I mean). Anyway one day I was flicking through the mag and came across and ad for a competition to win the Southern Comfort Cruiser. I fell in love with the car immediately and decided then and there I was going to win it for my hubby.

To enter the competition you had to text in 25 words or less why you would like to win the car and you had to include the word street in the text and your name. That afternoon I went to work and put pen to paper and came up with a little rhyme which I thought was pretty cool. This is what I came up with:

SOUTHERN STYLE

SOUTHERN GRACE

SOUTHERN COMFORT TO MY TASTE

STREET MACHINES AND SEXY BABES

IF I HAD THEM ALL I'D HAVE IT MADE

WARREN RICHARDSON

That was it, those few little words made a dream come true for us.The competition was open for about three months so we had quite a wait to see if we were successful or not, just when we thought it was all over and some other lucky bastard had won the car, my mobile phone rang and a voice asked to speak to Warren, it turned out to be someone from Street Machine and they told Warren he was one of five finalists in the running to win the SOUTHERN COMFORT CRUISER.

As you can imagine we were absolutely gob smacked, we could not believe this was happening to us, this only happened to other people not us, there was no way you could wipe the smiles from our faces. The deal was they would fly Warren to Sydney for Street Machines 25th Anniverary party and the winner of the car would be announced on the night.

We were told each contestant had to write a 60 word speech on why they should be chosen to win the car, this is when Warren started to get very nervous as the thought of speaking in front of so many people frightened the crap out of him. I wrote the speech for him (of course) and sent him off to the party telling him he better not come back without the Galaxie.

When it came time for the contestants to make their speech, of course Warren was the first one to be called on stage, by now he was so nervous his shirt was soaked in perspiration and he wasn't sure he'd be able to speak. Lucky for Warren they stopped him before he could open his mouth and informed him that there were no other contestants and that the car was his, they just wanted to surprise him in person and what a surprise it was, we had just won the most awesome car we had ever seen.

We were told they had 8000 entries in the competition and three judges to choose the winner, our entry was chosen by all three judges which was very satisfying to hear. Southern Comfort forked out a massive $75 000.00 to complete this project and that wasn't including labour costs.

The car is a 1967 Ford Galaxie convertable that has been tricked out with an awesome House of Kolor paint job, 20inch rear rims 18inch front, custom made grille and removeable hard top, custom billet trims and an awesome Clarion touch screen audio system with massive sub woofers and not to mention the coolest bright white interior.

The photos of the car just don't do it justice, you have to see it to believe it. We are so proud to be the new owners of this amazing car and promise to love and cherish it till death do us part. So for all you sceptics out there these competitions are for real and you too could win big like we did.

-----------------------

CATH RICHARDSON

---------------------------------------------------------------

From time to time incredible classic car articles come along and the one from Cath Richardson about winning the Southern Comfort Cruiser is definitely one of them.

Also to receive an original classic car articles story such as this for a website articles page does not happen very often either. All interested readers of classic car articles have received a real treat with this one.

-------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

Classic Car Articles - Classic Car Articles - Classic Car Articles

----------------------------------------------------------

The Bendigo Swap Meet

Article - Provided by Peter Finnigan, North Rockhampton

Thursday 1st March, 2007.

I guess the main reason for attending a Swap Meet is to acquire parts for your vehicle, but then there are secondary advantages such as increasing your knowledge of the availability of reproduction parts.

Also you find new publications from Trade Houses in attendance, exposure to products/parts which you suddenly realise you need, and the equally important aspect of socialisation.

You always bump into someone whom you met last year, make new friends and catch up with old friends as well. I have lost track of the number of times I have been assisted with a restoration project by such people.

The "Bendigo Swap Meet" certainly provides the opportunity for all of the above and I guess that is why I have attended it a number of times. The first occasion involved a ten hour coach trip to Brisbane and then a twenty-four hour coach trip courtesy of the Model A Club of Queensland.

The Model A Ford group were excellent hosts and we had a ton of fun, but I was a bit "bussed-out" by the time I got back to Rocky (Rockhampton)!.

On the second occasion I travelled with friends in a Land Cruiser. The big drive on Day 1 from Moura to Forbes and then on to Bendigo the next day. A great experience but "Highway eyes" again!

Next time around, three of us from various parts of Queensland flew to Melbourne and then hired a car to drive to Bendigo. Very swift but hard to bring back large parts. (Luckily our friends drove down!).

The last two times my wife has joined me on a flight down and we have mixed in a couple of weeks of sight seeing with our Bendigo Swap visit. A very relaxing and highly recommended method, particularly if you have some great friends to stay with in Bendigo.

I know that the organisers of the Bendigo Swap try to ensure that the great majority of the thousands of stall holders have a majority of automobile/bike/stationary engine parts, and paraphernalia on their sites and, over the years, they seem to have maintained a high standard in this respect.

Of course, there are those who say, "Not as good as it used to be" but perhaps they have left their rose-coloured glasses at home!. I believe that there is still a very good quantity of quality parts at reasonable prices (sometimes you may have to sift through junk) and that there is always something for everyone.

I must admit that there is never an over-supply of 1932 Morris Minor tourer parts but, over the years, I have acquired a speedo, several good hubcaps, a voltage regulator, an oil pressure guage, a generator, an ignition switch and several sets of "NOS" points.

You have to definitely know what you are looking for, but if I had not been to Bendigo then I probably would not have them. Simple as that!.

When I had the 1934 Ford there were usually enough parts around to hold my interest but, as it is at all swaps, if the stall holder knew it was '34 Ford then the price went up!. Since I have acquired a Model A, I have seen a satisfactory quantity of parts on offer but, as with most smaller Ford parts, it is usually easier to acquire them within a week or so, brand new, from the USA.

If anyone is ever thinking of attending the Bendigo Swap then I say, "Mortgage the house if you have to but go for it! It's a great experience!". You'll be blown away by the seemingly endless number of stalls tucked away all over the Bendigo Showground Complex.

A map and description of the stalls is always provided in the Swap booklet but I reckon it is best to lower the gaze, sweep each stall as quickly as you can and adopt the policy of "See Buy!" as often it is difficult to remember where you saw that elusive part!.

Happy Bendigo Swapping.

Peter Finnigan

You never know who you'll see at the Swap (He looks fairly 'armless).

----------------------------------------------------

Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles

---------------------------------------------------------------

Classic car steel rim wheel balance

Article - Provided by Bob Welcome, North Rockhampton 4701

Tuesday 18th July, 2006.

If you happen to own a static wheel balancer or have access to one, have a go at balancing your steel rims yourself.

A static wheel balancer is one which has a chrome head (top) which balances on oil. There is a cross hair in the middle on the top which you can see through the centre hole of your rims once they are placed on the balancer.

When trying to get a good balance on your rims there are a number of things which you must do.

1. Wire brush the back of the rim until it is smooth and clean. A little hard work which most people do not want to do.

2. Hose it off and dry off with a clean rag. Make sure that there aren't any large lumps of hard mud or tar as these will throw your wheels out of balance.

3. Wire brush your wheel studs also until smooth and clean. Then put a couple of drops of oil on all threads and wipe around with a rag.

4. Make sure that the outside face of the hub (where the wheel rim buts to) is also clean and free from road dirt.

Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles

Balancing the Rims

Put the clean rim onto the balancer and push the lever down so that the rim is ready for balancing.

Find the spot where the greatest imbalance is by touching the outside of the tyre with your finger. You will soon see when the bubble moves back to the cross hair (perfect balance).

Drop a steel rim wheel weight on the spot so that the bubble is almost perfectly centered. Then mark around to the back with a piece of chalk, take the wheel off the balancer and add that weight to the back of the rim.

Replace the wheel to the balancer and then use two very small weights (if the wheel is almost balanced). Put the weights on the rim so that they are almost opposite each other. Do this while the weight on the back of the rim is in front of your legs (at 6 o'clock).

The two small weights would then be at 9am and 3pm in front of you. Then move the weights around equally towards 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock depending on which way you need to move them to get the bubble centered on the cross hair.

You will notice that by gradually moving them in the correct direction to achieve a balance that you will be able to position the bubble exactly across the cross hair.

Mark the tyre softly with a piece of chalk and then carefully remove the wheel from the balancer.

Fit the new weights to the top of the rim and then place the rim back on the balancer to make sure you have it right. If the bubble is still dead centre on the cross hair you have a perfect balance.

If you have already cleaned the hub, oiled the studs and wheel nuts then you are ready to refit the wheel to the car.

You will notice that you can obtain a smoother and tighter fit with the oiled studs and wheel nuts.

Also if your hub is clean as previously discussed you will then have your wheel rim affixed to the car in as good a position as you can. This all adds to the best balance that you can get.

Classic Car Articles - Classic Car Articles - Classic Car Articles

Tyre Pressures

If you are running 30 psi in the front, make sure that both tyres have equal pressures. Same with the back tyres.

I have used this method many times while travelling in my Volvo on western (dirt) roads and the balance was never better. Also the car always travelled very smoothly.

Hope this advice helps any car enthusiasts (buffs) who may wish to try this out.

P.S. I can absolutely vouch that a tyre fitting shop balance (computer wheel spin) did not ever produce a better balance than what I could achieve using the above steps.

P.P.S. At the time when you are placing the two small weights on the top of the rim, you will need to use a pair of tin snips to clip off pieces from the original weights to bring them to the required size.

Happy motoring,

Cheers

Bob Welcome

-------------------------------------------------------------

Effective classic car articles

Greg Lacy’s classic car article above concerning the HJ ute, provides a very good insight into the time, pain, perseverance, and recognition that comes as a rebuild is completed. Greg deserves top marks for the rebuild and also for his very effective article.

Because of the quality of this rebuild many people are already contacting Greg for information about similar classic car restorations.

Business Week

Read about many interesting classic car articles at Business week.

You will find information on a 1954 Buick Skylark, a 1958 Porsche 356A, 1600S Speedster, Jaguars, Bentleys and classy wheel car clubs.

Write a classic car article yourself

If you would like to write a story about your classic car rebuild, please send it in to us, preferably with before and after photos. Even if you have a story to tell about a family car and events surrounding it, that‘s OK.

Or you can simply type your story in the “Submit a classic car article” box below.

We reserve the right to edit information where necessary.

Contact us

Do you want to contact Greg about parts of the “ute” restoration in the article above. Then please use the “contact us” box.

Want to build a site like this one. Simply click on the "Powered by Sitebuildit" link at the bottom of the page for details.

You can contact me via the "contact us" box for further details also.

Please link to us

If you have a quality car related website we will be pleased to provide a reciprocal link for you. The "link to us" title above will take you through to the "links" page.

You will find the reciprocal linking information there.

General

We hope you enjoy reading the classic car articles provided here.

Yours in classy classic cars,

Cheers,

Bob.

------------------------------------------------------------

Classic car Articles - Classic car Articles - Classic car Articles

-------------------------------------------------------

The Classic car restorers Newsletter

You may like to receive our newsletter, which contains retrimming tips and tricks, and details about present classic car interior rebuilds. Thanks

Read the back issues here

-------------------------------------------------------------

Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles-Classic Car Articles

----------------------------------------------------------

Site Highway

Skip across from this classic car articles page to the bendigo-swap-meet page.

Return from this classic car articles page to the Classic car restorers home page