Custom Car May 2022

Fletch, as he was affectionately known by so many, passed away suddenly on 11 February this year. The consummate hot rodder, Fletch built countless cars over the years, many of which appeared in these pages. Sedans, coupes and pick-ups featured in his extensive repertoire, and those differing body styles all had one thing in common – meticulous detailing. Fletch definitely wasn’t one to shy away from the polishing cloth. Of all the vehicles Fletch built, probably the most memorable is his ’46 Ford woody. With the build finished, Steve shipped the car to the States where the interior was stitched at Gabe’s Custom Interiors before the car made its debut at the Grand National Roadster Show. It picked up the silverware for Best Street Rod Woody there, followed by a couple…

Dave passed away peacefully but suddenly on 14 February. A true gentleman, Dave was a staunch supporter of the National Association of Street Clubs, having been a member for many years. He went on to become treasurer of the NASC, serving on the committee alongside his good friend and chairman, John Pryor. In that role, he was at the fore during the club’s Spring Nationals and Street Rod Nationals. That is, until a camera appeared, as he certainly wasn’t keen on having his picture taken. Dave had a special sense of humour, and I don’t recall ever seeing him without a smile on his face. He is another who will be greatly missed by many hot rodders, but his legacy will live on as his daughter now owns his Mk1 Z…

Occasionally, when I have the time, I like to think about things of maybe no real consequence. And having returned from North Weald last weekend, I got to pondering about why us hot rodders refer to such events as swap meets. In classic car circles, the day would be called an autojumble. So, what’s the difference? Assuming there actually is one. Presuming swap meet to be a term coined in the States, I typed those words into Google and pressed the search button. The first response was predictable: “A swap meet is essentially an informal gathering for the barter or sale of used goods, similar to a flea market.” That, however, gives no indication of the term’s origin, so I persevered in my quest and came across this statement: “The term…

The day we were going to press, we received news from CarTech of a new book by Lou Hart on early Funny Cars. We won’t spoil the surprise too much, other than to say within the 192 pages, through 389 black and white and 63 colour photos, Hart traces the class’ development from the altered wheelbase A/FX cars of ’64, through the 40-car fields of the early ’70s, before pulling the ’chute at 1975, just before aero cars started to appear and the beginning of the massive corporate sponsorship that changed the class forever. Yeah, we’re pretty excited about this book. Can you tell?…

The DVLA has instigated a legal correction preventing vehicles constructed after 1 January 1980 from displaying black and silver number plates, despite being recorded in the historic tax class. Regulations previously required vehicles first registered after 1 January 1973 to display yellow and white number plates with black characters. However, a loophole was created following the change in definition of a historic vehicle for vehicle tax exemption purposes in 2015, but that has now been closed. You have been warned.…

The Retro Rides Weekender on 21-22 May promises to gather over 800 pre-2000 vehicles and race cars together at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The event offers live track action, stunt displays, trade stands, food stalls, bars, on-site camping and entertainment throughout the weekend. Special displays include the Classic Touring Car Racing Club, a Truck Van Wagon display, the Red Room for cars painted red and a Deadline area for debuting new builds and recently finished projects. Spicing things up even more will be areas dedicated to specialist workshop builds, standout resto-mods, vintage hot rods, supercars and best of show. Weekend tickets are £49 (Friday to Sunday), whilst advance single day tickets cost £15. Kids’ weekend and day tickets are £5 for 5-17 years, with under fives admitted free. www.retroridesweekender.com…