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Torque classic car day |
Broadcast
date : 30th July 2006 |
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The idea was a celebration of
the most-talked about movie of 2006, the animated feature film
called Cars. And what more natural happening could you have
than the Car Torque team hosting a car show in a drive-in
environment?
Yes, it was definitely shades of American Graffiti at the
Velskoen drive-in, tucked away in Randburg, as the Reef
Street-Rod Club arrived en-masse for an afternoon of show and
tell.
A chance to show off your latest set of wheels or flame job,
and see who’s who in the world of high-rise manifolds, snake
park exhaust systems and rag-top convertibles, like this
beautiful early sixties Chev Impala.
Chevys were flavour of the month amongst the street-rodding
crew, with fifty-six Bel Airs vying for attention with
post-war pick-ups. We loved the subtle flame job on this ute,
and the way the flip-flop mauve paint off-set the subtle
chrome.
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A rod we haven’t seen in decades is this mobile convenience,
based on a Model T Ford.
It’s handy to have around during
the intervals at the drive in when those queues seem to be
endless.
It has a rather apt name, and an interesting
"plunger" rear suspension. Or is that a dump valve?
For some reason Chevys from '55 and '56 have made
a dramatic resurgence on the street-rod scene, and a
particularly tasty example is owned by TK Naidoo, who spent a
decade getting this two-tone Bel Air into prime resto-classic
condition, with appropriate period accessories.
What we liked about TK’s car is that it hasn’t been
modified in the bodywork department.
This car is all about
detail, and an enormous amount of time and money spent on
reproduction or new-old-stock parts.
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For those who know their street rods, items that really stand
out are the white-walls, the spoked chrome wheels, and the
continental kit on the rear, which consists of an extended
rear bumper and a spare wheel housed beneath a special cover,
freeing up vital boot space.
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From the other side of the pond, as the Yanks say about Olde
England, the Ford Zephyr was a comparatively modest car in the
post-war years. This is a very rare Mark one model, using an
overhead valve straight-six engine for the first time.
The Zephyr dates from the early 1950's, and its
modest dimensions reflect the austerity of post-war Britain,
as opposed to the optimism of the American Dream exhibited by
the flamboyant Yank Tanks.
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A much-lamented American vehicle is the Studebaker. This one
is an early Raymond Loewy design, and the joke about the car
was that you couldn’t tell whether it was coming or going,
because of its long tail which resembles the bonnet.
Studebaker was one of the pioneers of the American car
industry. In the late 1940’s, the Indiana firm called in
Raymond Lowey, the Frenchman famous for designs like the
original coke bottle, to weave his magic.
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Another French icon, this one from the 1960’s, was the
Renault R10.
And this is a very special South African model
called the Alconi, a kind of home-grown Gordini version,
marketed by Renault Africa as a street-racer of the period.
Alconi painted its cars in French racing blue with wide
side-flashes.
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A car in a different league is this BMW 2002 Turbo, one of the
most collectible BMWs in the world today.
Jack’s gorgeous BMW, complete with some very trick
modifications, highlighted the vast array of European cars at
Car Torque’s party. A lone Aston Martin, a fantastic Porsche
Club turn-out, some lip-smacking classic Beetles and more than
one rendition of Luigi, the Fiat 500.
If you’ve seen Cars - the movie, you’ll know what we’re
talking about.
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