The Tate's - A Classic Car Family: Classic Restos - Series 55

Fletch travels to visit a family in Goulburn, NSW. Father John, son Beau, and daughter-in-law Jess are passionate about their classic cars. Fletch explores their stories and the reasons behind their choice of classic car.

Jess only recently acquired her '67 VW Beetle, but her love for them goes back to when her parents had one in the 70s. She upgraded the original 1300cc engine to a 1600cc engine to make driving on country roads easier. She also added a reverse camber on the rear wheels to give it a unique look. There are plans for some more modifications, but all in good time. It's her first classic car, and she says, "Everyone loves a V Dub; everywhere you go, people smile when they see one. It's in my blood now and always will be."

Jess’s husband Beau has owned his '67 HR Holden Special since 2007—seventeen years now. His father, John, said that the vehicle was in pretty good original condition and advised him to keep it as it was, which Beau agrees was the right decision. He is a mechanic, so maintenance isn’t an issue. The motor is a 161-stock standard GM engine with a three-on-the-tree manual gearbox and is not hard to work on.

John, Beau's father, is the one who introduced his family to the world of classic cars. He has a collection of classics, including a ‘68 HK  327 Monaro, that he has owned for 35 years. He had always wanted a Monaro, and when this became available, it was a simple check to confirm the numbers matched with official records, and the deal was done. The car takes pride of place in his collection, having only travelled 20,000 Km in the last 35 years.

Another classic in John’s collection is his FJ Ute, which is in pristine condition and featured in an earlier episode of Classic Restos. Fletch flashes back to the story behind the restoration of this car. Today, with the restoration complete, John enjoys driving the FJ around town, where he says it still gets the looks and acknowledgements. He says, "It's a pleasure to drive".

John, who is also a mechanic, has just acquired a '62 XL Ford Falcon sedan, also in original condition, which he plans to work on during his retirement. In addition to his '48 Chevrolet Fleetmaster sedan, which was an incomplete project of his fathers, now safely secured in his shed with all his other classics.