When people realize I work on classic and vintage cars all day. There response is always the same. You are so lucky. I admit I am and the way I look at our business is that we are creating history. We restore history. We give your classic a new lease on life and let the real personality of yesteryear shine through.
We want to bring the owner back to cruising the streets with dad or having a picnic with mum on a hot summers day. Imagine driving the original car that your dad had bought new almost 50 or 60 years earlier. Now that is all the satisfaction I need.
I want to share their passion and experience with you. I have asked the owners if they have the time to write a short story about why they bought the car, the history and what lays ahead for the classics of yesteryear. This is Shana story of her EH Holden.
My passion for the EH Holden began at the early age of 15 year’s old. After asking mum what was her first car. EH Holden premier wagon. as i had no idea what they looked like she showed me and the love and passion began. I just had to own one but it had to be midnight blue with grey interior.
My hunt had began to find one. It was not an easy task. They were way overpriced for the condition they were in or not worth the wheels they were sitting on.
My first car ended up being a brown VK Wagon handed down by my parents. A pretty good first car it was not my EH. Within six months I had saved enough money to take a real look around. Within a couple of months I had found her a EH Premier wagon auto with all the prem gear in all it’s white enamel and red interior glory. I drive her home to show off my new find and what i was not prepared for was the negative responses from neighbors. “You’ll never get that on the road.” It will be in the trading post in three months time, ha another project that will just sit there. The comments from them just made me more determined more than ever to make this car a show car.
So the car went to my now husband’s dad’s house. We started stripping it down, ready to rebuild it and have it painted in three months time as promised to Mick’s dad. Three months later we were still stripping it as we had no idea what was involved in this. We picked a blue color and put her back together with the grey trim i dreamed of and got her roadworthy and registered. My Eh Holden was registered again. Back on the road and in time for my 19th birthday.
One week later the old hydromantic packs were still in and never been happy with. The gear box took longer to change gears than my grandmother does so out with that and in with a Celica box. Best move ever.
My boyfriend at the times dad was an upholsterer so he made a custom mattress and some curtains so my EH Wagon was a mobile camping unit. We took her everywhere till a Gemini decided to take front end off.
When my car was to be picked up. I burst into tears as did not expect to see a show job. The repairs were back to original manufacture standards and the paintwork was flawless and the shine. The immediate reaction was people breaking their necks to have a look at my baby and it makes you feel great. if you want the job done right the first time. Give them a go. The next place i went too was back to the nasty next door people that made bad comments about my EH. The look on his face will be embedded into my memory bank forever.
The more great comments and positive feedback I was getting. Mick decided to take the EH to work one day and boys will be boys talked me into entering her into the Springnats. So we arrived complete with drum brakes, very tired standard 186 being fed by a single Stromberg carburetor. One motorkhana and a spear a spud event later the carburetor springs a leak out of every orifice it has. So we parked her up at the show and shine area for the rest of the day. She was towed back to the campsite only to be greeted by a roaring cheer and about 20 people coming up to me to congratulate me for having a go. It was the best feeling ever. Three weeks later I received a trophy for a place in the spear a spud. I received a trophy for something that I worked so hard and for so long on and now I was hooked.
NOT ENOUGH POWER
Out comes the old motor. Out comes the drum brake front end. In goes a bit of a 186 complete with commodore carburettor,extractors and a HR Disk brake front end. Some new wheels and ready not only for the Sprig nationals but also have the power and confidence to go to the Summer nationals. So if you have the passion as I do my advise is go ahead and do it. Don’t be put off by negative people do it better and then go back to visit them. Oh yeah and have FUN doing it. The memories will last a lifetime.