What are your favourite three builds of all time?

**Taily** · 03-12-2012, 05:23 AM

Was having a think about Vombil's thread about the way some of us used to go about modifying the sheet metal of our cars, a skill and past time that sadly seems to have gone by the wayside in many ways (which may not neccessarily be a bad thing, some of the mods I've seen attempted were in no way ever going to be pretty)... and remember SM mag recently asked people to vote on their fave streeter of all time... Street Machine Poll

Out of those bad boys, or even add your own, what was your favourite say, three - based upon the mods to the sheet metal and the way the builder went about creating their design (ie, they way they brought the whole thing off)?

Mine, in no order would be:

* Efigy - just bloody sensational in the flesh with those long sloping curves and the way the modern touches were intergrated into what looks (from the outside) to be a 60 year old design, and

* Alan Flemings van. That commodore nose and tail lights grafted on, the window (and screen) lines and the way the paint worked with the rest of the van brought that one to the top for me. I can remember staring at it for an hour or so once, just looking at the way it all worked together and some of the more subtle body mods (pillars etc),

* Colin Townsend's FJ. Now how many people actually widen a car these days?

Special mention also for Greg Mercer's van with the stepped roof and gull-wing doors and (transam?) front too...

I still see the paint mis-match in Howard Astill's Falcon bonnet almost 25 years after seeing it for the first time in 1989 at the Summernats when I had my V8 Capri down there for the first time, hehe. Then along came Rob Beauchamp and Pro-Street and look at the influence that still has on the cars being built and shown today. John Taverna, Gonzo etc have had a big influence upon the scene in their own ways as well.

Anyway, what do you reckon. What are your fave three (doesn't have to be from that link, it could be any known car/ute/van etc - just supply a pic to show those who aren't familiar with it and your reasons why it is a show stopper for you) and are builders not pushing the boundaries as often as they once did?

Regards,

Dave.

**HK1837** · 03-12-2012, 07:55 AM

I'm always going to go for less modified stuff, never been a fan of really radical mods even though some look good. You gotta love Rod Hadfield's P51 Mustang inspired '55 Chev - simply awesome.

Probably my choice would be Ron Barclay's HQ ute - I always loved it. And another ute that isn't there: Scott McLachlan's WB Kingswood ute that was SM car of the year on the late 80's - early 90's. I know where this car is today and still remains as it was then.
Howard Bell's SL/R 8000 was also one of my favourites even when it was a turbo 202.

**wbute** · 03-12-2012, 08:17 AM

Ron Barclays HQ ute, Blo Bac.. Two utes what do you know. The other mention must go to Chris Christou and his XY Falcon. That car was on the eager adds doing that burnout for years. Probably encouraged more people to try a burnout than anyone, for better or for worse.
That black FJ was cool as well. Widened, roof chopped and looked tough.

**hqgts** · 03-12-2012, 08:21 AM

My fav car is King Kong Cuda..... The plymouth barracuda built by graeme cowin.... Was smoty 2010... Beautiful lines and a tough stance... Love it

**Alien DNA** · 03-12-2012, 09:27 AM

LeBrese EH delivery van....amazing execution all done in his single car garage....love that thing

**Vombil** · 03-12-2012, 09:47 AM

i dont know the names of many show cars but I do like the EH van that ALien mentioned. A bloke I met was given the gig to widen the front of an FJ ute. bumper, guards, bonnet etc by a couple inches. It was truly truly amazing to see this thing take shape. The bloke is a genius. Hand making the guards... i mean c'mon!

Once it was painted, the owner came to pick it up and he cried like a baby.