Bob Pankhurst first encountered the custom scene at a home for delinquent boys in the late ‘60s. Not that he was a resident, the home was the venue for a hot rod show and Bob’s brother-in-law had taken him along. “He was driving an early model Cortina at the time, which he’d hotted up, and that impressed me,” remembers Bob. “He even made his own mag wheels for it, which fell apart! He had to put them on the car to see if they actually worked or not, and they just fell to pieces!”
Words Karlee Sangster Photography Luke Ray.
Darren Bevan (Bev, to his mates,) already had a few cars. A nice FC, and EJ to drive the kids around in, a Chev roadster... that sort of thing. Nice cars. Tidy rides. His mates had hot rods, and Darren went to swaps and events and often came away with something large enough to fit in the bed of a truck. But he didn’t have one. This was a problem. A furniture removalist by trade, Darren travelled more than your average guy. On one work trip, he spotted a possibility on the side of the road. That possibility turned into a sale, and not long after, Darren was the owner of a rather unfinished 1945 K model Bedford pickup. A truck of his own.
Mario Bonnici (Marz to his friends) was on the lookout for an early ski boat when he stumbled across a wooden hulled ‘60s example. The asking price was above and beyond his means, but Marz knew she was something special. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. “American day was on at Flemington in Victoria, and the Classic Wooden Power Boat Association were there displaying some of their boats,” he recalls. “It was then when I met a guy named Leigh. I started talking to him about the boats there and I mentioned Hustler
Words Karlee Sangster Photography Luke Ray.
It’s a great story. Born in 1947, Ken Godfrey headed off to school each day, clutching his lunch money. He never bought lunch however, preferring to save the week’s worth until Friday afternoons, when he would stop by the local newsagency on his way home. That lunch money bought more than just sandwiches. It bought the 14 year old his dream world: hot rod and custom magazines. Not content with simply flipping through the pages, Ken began drawing his own versions of the machines before him. His son Michael recalls: “Not many people knew he could draw but his sketches are incredible. He also used to draw a lot of Ed Roth (Ratfink) styled pictures.”
Interview: Karlee Sangster.
Our Art of Drive series interviews artists, designers and photographers to find out what inspires them.
Tell us a bit about what you do and your background.
I’m an illustrator, most of the work I do is for magazines and newspapers. I don't always get to work on motorcycle projects so it’s nice when I get the chance. My background is in graphic design, but I eventually decided I wanted to have a career in illustration because I found more room to be creative.
Words Karlee Sangster Photography Luke Ray
The story starts like many you’ve heard before; A car obsessed young man grows up around an influential relative, dreaming of building his own dream machine. Michael Morris was that young man.
Michael’s uncle, Frank McGinty, started a panel shop in the ‘50s where Michael would spend his school holidays, working away on various projects and pouring over custom magazines. Back at school, he’d draw cars all day, and when Uncle Frank painted his custom Holden FX ute metal flake orange, it blew his young nephew’s mind. Michael had seen what was possible and wanted in.
It all began with a magazine. The glossy pages full of American hot rods entranced the 14 year old Terry Davis and it was the start of something beautiful. Growing up around speedways like Rowley Park, Mount Gambier, Portland and the Sydney showground, it didn’t take long for Terry to choose his career and at 15 he started work as an apprentice motor mechanic. Every apprentice needs a project car and Terry was no different. By 18 he had completed a ground up rebuild of an FX Holden and had well and truly caught the bug. Joining the Ramrodders Hot Rod Club in the 70’s with the FX earned him his fair share of ribbing. Something had to be done. The rod of choice was a 1934 Plymouth Sedan.
Meet Clarissa. She’s 21, she lives in Tamworth and manages a jewelry store. Oh.. and she drives one of the sweetest roadsters you’ve ever seen.
Growing up around hot rods and car shows, it was inevitable that Clarissa would catch the bug. Her partner Ben Love is also part of a hot rod family and has an enviable collection of cars. What’s a girl to do?
What were you doing at 23? Traveling the world surfing? Cruising around in a custom Valiant wagon? Matt Chojnacki is living the dream, and he may be young, but he knows his stuff.
Growing up on Sydney’s northern beaches, an area rich in surf history, Matt has not only become one of the country’s best surfers, but one of surf culture’s greatest historians. His attraction to the past has influenced every aspect of his life, from his surfing style, to his musical tastes, to the car he drives.
Sat in a hotel room, Jim and his mate were surrounded by classifieds covering the whole south of California, when a particular ad caught Jim’s interest.
“LA is like the Gold Coast, Jim,” his mate said, “Things are spread out everywhere. It’s too far.”
“We’re going,” Jim retorted, simply and surely. At that moment it was decided — they were off to see the neglected classic.