Fletch catches up with the Trojans Rod & Custom Club members whilst in Lismore, visiting the sheds of several members to see some of their handy work.
First up is Rick, the residing President since the club's inception 16 years ago. Fletch goes into his inner sanctum, where he builds these iconic Hot Rods not just for himself but also for others. He admits that no two Hot Rods are the same, and his inspiration comes from Hot Rod magazines from the 50s and 60s.
Rick's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster is a beautiful example of his work, a fibre-glass body with a 302 Windsor 5 litre engine. As Fletch puts it, this lightweight Hot Rod is a very powerful go-kart.
Out of the same shed is Toni, the daughter of Rick, with her Hot Rod, a 1944 Ford Pickup. The 44 Ford Pick-Up boasts a 351 Cleveland engine, so it's a Ford in a Ford that Toni admits is unusual. You can see that the whole of Rick's family is part of the Hot Rod community. Toni started collecting pieces for her Hot Rod, and when she couldn't find something, she just had to put the word out to the Hot Rod community and, one way or another, found what she was looking for.
The third member of the family is Janelle, the odd one out. While she likes Hot Rods, her real love is for classics, like her 1953 Standard Buick Sedan. Beautifully restored and maintained, the Buick still has its Straight Eight engine, and while it's a bit slow off the start, it's very smooth to drive when it gets up to speed.
But wait, there is more. In shed two, the domain of Bruce & Steve is the official Clubhouse which incorporates a showroom, museum and workshop. It's also a meeting place to hang out with other members to chat about all things motoring. Three vehicles on display include a red 1948 Chevy Coupe - with an American imported body, a 253 V8 engine and tri-matic transmission. A striking orange 1933 Chevy Tourer with a 383 heavy Chevy and 700R Gearbox. And one slightly more quirky Rod is an Army 'Area 51' staff car, complete with bullet holes, described as a cartoon on wheels, but with a 350 Chevy engine and R700 gearbox and disc brakes - it's a little bit of a head-turner at events and a lot of fun.
Onto shed three, a home away from home for Jeffro, which proudly features his first Hot Rod build, a 1932 Ford Model T 2-door built from scratch with Rick, his lifetime friend. He couldn't have done it without him.
There is always a project car on the go. This one will be interesting if what we've seen is any indication. Based on a 1948 Desoto 4-door sedan, with a 6.2 litre LS3 HSV engine and eight-speed gearbox planned for the new powerplant.
Great cars and genuine passion.
