CAR/BIKE OF THE MONTH

1942 WLA Harley Davidson-Wayne

I purchased my WLA Harley in June 2018 off a bloke between Queanbeyan and Captains Flat.
A bit of history around the Flathead Engine: It was in production from 1929 to 1973 in 2-wheel form until 1952 and 3 wheel servi-car form which was popular for deliveries until 1973.
The WLA frame and Flathead engine was produced in small numbers in 1940 but after the Pearl Harbour attack entering the US into WWII 90,000 were made along with spare parts equivalent to many more over 30,000 of these were received in a lend-lease type scheme by the Soviet union. They were affectionately known as ‘The Liberator’ as they were often the first thing seen in areas won back by the Allies in Europe towards the end of the war.
They also serviced in the Korean War. After the war many were available at low cost and would lend to the rise of the ‘Chopper’ style. Many are still in Europe but remain more original in style. Many of these are a major source of parts worldwide.

A while after I bought the bike it began to run rough and backfire a bit and a good mate Ian ‘Brocky’ Brockwell helped me take off the heads and we discovered a burnt-out exhaust valve. There was a lot of piston play and was already 20 thou oversize.
Brocky kindly said he would help me rebuild the bike but the only true way for me to learn was to do it myself and he would guide me. It was an awesome time of me learning and sharing of his knowledge.
Many parts were sourced (blessed be the interweb) new blocks arrived and the pistons were even in the original box from the 40’s with a wax like substance to protect from corrosion!

The motor is a 740cc or 45 cubic inch producing a giddy 25 HP. A side valve motor is almost bulletproof and can run on poor quality fuel, so it was very handy in the war. They do have problems with air flow both intake and exhaust. With Brocky’s guidance we port, polished and ‘eyebrowed’ the heads and manifold.
While we were at it, we decided to check out the bottom end it was mostly fine just required a shim or two.
We then fired the big girl up. With a new heart and better breathing lungs we found we needed to rebuild the clutch (one thing leads to another).
The bike has a three-speed transmission with suicide type foot operated clutch, a gear stick on the fuel tank, 6 volt electrics, a manual spark advance and retard via a cable operated by the left handle bar grip. So theres a bit going on! As you ride it’s like a dance between you and the bike, when you get that right, well it’s a sweet thing, it will cruise at 55mph comfortably. I call it my time machine.

I have had a few bikes over the years and its my favourite. I thought it was a disaster when the process started, at one stage the bike was just a frame and there were parts everywhere. During the whole process I have learned so much about the bike. My heartfelt thanks to Brocky who, from the start said ‘its just like a lawnmower’ – he is as patient as he is talented – VERY! -

1955 Chev- Chris Broers

Chris Broers was a foreman in a panel shop in the Canberra suburb of Fyshwick. Being a panel beater for many years , Chris put all of his skills to the test when he tackled this '55 Chev. He had previously owned a couple of other unrestored '55s, and had restored a '64 Bel Air, and many other '50s and '60s American cars for other people. The car in question was purchased in Wagga in mid 1987. Chris can easily remember the date, as it was a birthday gift from his wife Julianne. They looked at in a very dark shed behind the main the main street in Wagga. The car was in a pretty bad way, and the darkness hid a multitude of problems. Chris had been looking for a '55 for several years and decided that he couldn't leave it there.

After getting it home to Yass and giving it a thorough inspection, Chris came to the conclusion that there was only one way to fix the car, and that was properly. The roof had a replacement section welded onto it rather crudely at some earlier stage of its life, and Chris reckoned it looked like a Greyhound bus.
The rear quarter panels had been radiused with a piece of 1/2 inch rod welded around each opening and the holes for the original side mouldings had been filled with bronze with both quarter panels buckled as a result. Being a panel beater, Chris decided the best way to correct all these problems was to completely replace the roof skin and the quarter panels.
Five years later, after building a house and repairing a few other cars, Chris had rounded up the necessary panels to fix his '55. First job tackled was the roof, then the left quarter panel after bead blasting to remove the old paint and leaving the metal perfectly clean without damaging it. The replacement right quarter panel he intended to use also had lots of damage, so in the end only the wheel arch and dogleg section was used. The rear beaver panel, parts of the sills and sections of the floor were replaced due to rust.

The front guards were also suffering and patch panels were welded into the usual places, above the headlights and in the lower back areas. The next step was the firewall, all unnecessary holes were filled and smoothed. The doors also required rejuvenation to remove dents and rust. Once this was all completed, Chris painted the body in Wattyl two-pack 3+1 high build primer/filler. In the meantime, the chassis had required work. Rather than go to the expense of rebuilding the cumbersome and worn out original front end, Chris decided he would be better off to dice the whole thing and replace it with a complete front section of a HZ Holden sub-frame. This swap gives the advantage of later model suspension, ventilated disc brakes and power steering. The later model parts are easier to obtain and cheaper to replace as necessary.

New engine mounts were made to accept the rebuilt 307 Chev V8 engine. A cut down HZ Holden crossmember is used to support a Turbo 400 automatic transmission. The only other chassis modification is a new rear crossmember to mount the rear shockers. With the chassis work completed, Chris painted it in his home workshop using black two-pack. He also painted all the edges of the body before fitting it to the chassis so he could carry out the modifications to the front sheet metal to suit the new front sub-frame assembly. This job turned out much easier than he thought. The whole lot was then towed to Chris's workplace, where their Wayne Smith applied the oven baked custom mixed purple lilac pearl and Alpine white paint.

Mechanically, the Chev features a fully rebuilt 307 Chev engine equipped with a Crower Baja Beast cam, Pete Jackson gear drive, fuelie head and a Quadrajet four barrel carb. A set of Pacemaker extractors lead into a two inch diameter exhaust system. The Turbo 400 trans has a 2000 rpm stall speed torque convertor. The HZ front suspension was rebuilt using all new components and urethane bushes. KYB gas filled shockers are employed all round. The 10 bolt Salisbury rear end is attached to the stock semi elliptic leaf springs and has a 3.08:1 centre. Wheels are 15x7 inch chromies fitted with 225-60 x 15inch Federal whitewall tyres.
While the '55 was at the trimmers, Chris repaired and polished the original stainless steel mouldings and trims ready for refitting to the car. Any missing parts were obtained at the same time and prepared for fitting when the Chev returned with its new upholstery.

The interior was treated to similar tonings to the exterior. The original bench seats were covered in purple and lilac cloth with white piping. The door trims have pleated pockets and are covered in the same material as the seats. Carpets are charcoal with matching mats while overhead white vinyl was used for the headlining. The dash remains stock down to the original facto Delco radio that still works. In keeping with the modernised front suspension, Chris fitted the same model steering column, complete with light control, steering lock and Monaro wheel.
Chris spent seven years working on his '55 and considering the quality of the end result the busget cam in at an amazingly low $9,000. He had a big advantage by doing so much of the paint and bodywork himself, but many others also contributed over these years. Chris would also like to thank his wife Julianne, brother Mick, friends and workmates for all the help and time they gave him.

EH Holden ute- Lindsay Kelly

1964 EH Holden Ute
I'd had my eyes on this ute for about 10 years. I'd spied it tucked away in a shed, when I'd driven past out Bookham way . I eventually gave the cocky a ring to see if he would be interested in selling it.
His initial response was "not at this stage, but I'll keep you in mind". At this stage I was not sure if it was an EH or EJ.

Easter Saturday 2013, I was walking into Home Hardware, when I ran bang into the cocky, whilst having a yarn , I pushed my luck and asked if he had thought anymore about the ute, he responded "I've been meaning to give you a call", and I thought "this sounds promising". After we negotiated the price, I forgot what I went into the shop for, I went straight home, organised a car trailer and a mate to pick her up, you have to swoop on these things.

Driving up the farm driveway, my mate spotted it as an EH. By the time we got it loaded, got it home, unloaded and returned the trailer it was dark, so I was not too sure what I had on my hands. Next morning I was out of bed like I'd been shot. I was like a kid in a lolly shop. I got straight into it, I cleaned the plugs and the fuel bowl, drained the fuel tank, put some clean petrol in, and with a new battery , I kicked her in the guts, and she fired up first time, a bit to my surprise.

So, with many dents, and rusty panels we were off. It has taken many hard hours, and dedicated effort from Stephen (my son), and myself.
Fast forward 5 years to easter 2018, and here I am finally on the road.
Thanks for putting up with me Steve, the end result was well worth it.
Now onto my next project a HQ ute.

FJ Holden ute-Stu & Suzi

I picked up the ute in October 2015 from a cool couple in Yass, Bull and Mrs Bull, who had the vehicle for many years. With the help of John and Cath, two of our club members, the FJ has been moved around from house to house over the last two decades as John has reminded me on many occasion.
One day Dave our club President rang me up seeing if I was interested in a project. Within the hour we were at Bull's place having a look at the "J". Dave convinced me that it would do up a treat, so on his advice I convinced the wife that she needed an FJ Ute in her life. The following weekend the boys helped me get the FJ home. It was love at first sight when Suz finally set her eyes on it.

My first thoughts were rust and lots of it and that was only the rust we could see. As with any other car the more panels you take off and the more paint you remove the picture becomes clearer as to how much work is in front of you. I estimated with a few mates over a beer or two and maybe a rum, that I could have it on the road with a year, well it took me that long just to do the rust repairs. I installed over 10 rust panels in various positions and a lot of other cuts provided by Dave Mather's donor car. (I still owe him a Rum or two).

The motor was "apparently" rebuilt back in the late 90's but hadn't done any work, we pulled the motor down anyway just to be sure what we had. Whilst it was apart we replaced the timing gears to steel (thanks Big Al). To our surprise the motor was in great condition and only required a new paint job.
The car was painted in the garage at home using acrylic paints. Dave said it suits the older cars better, but I used is because as a first time painter it is more forgiving.

The interior was completely ruined and required all new seat covers, roof lining, door cards and moulded flooring. This was all installed in the garage along wiht the front and rear windscreens with the help of the boys and a bottle or two of Spicy Rum. (Big thank you to Rock and Dave for doing a great job with the hood lining - they both recommend never to try and install a hood lining sober).

The car has been put back together close to original other than the white walls and a slightly larger rim size. Dave being in charge of QC (Quality Control) for the build signed off on these changes, however painting the rims RED was my idea of which Dave still loses sleep over.

As anyone who has ever done up an old car before can tell you, estimate your time and cost before you start the project and double it, then you ay be close to what you are in for. Remember to account for multiple cartons of beer as these are a necessity whenever you call upon your mates for a hand.

From the start I told my wife that I was doing the ute up for her, this was mainly so I could get the funding to complete the various stages of the rebuild. Now after two & half years the car is finished and I find myself sitting in the passenger seat and the drum breaks that she says don't work. But as promised the ute is now hers and I now find myself going through this all again with a Holden HQ Sedan that now sits on my garage floor in pieces as I scrounge once again for funding from the wife.

A Big Thank you to my wife Suz, son Jackman and the boys Dave, Rocko, Big Al, Doggy, Uncle Ray, Leroy and Thorn for helping me get the old girl back on the road.
Special Thank You to Yass Valley Automotive, Bundaberg Rum and XXXXGold for without you none of this would have been attempted or completed.

FX Holden - Ray Grech

“Ol’ Blue” and I met in August 1987.

Ol’ Blue is my 1953 FX Holden sedan.
I was living in Adelaide, and a mate mentioned that he’d seen an “old Holden” for sale at a wrecking yard, so I thought I’d take a look. She was sitting in the wreckers’ parking lot on flat tyres with faded black paint and someone had scrawled across the windscreen in yellow crayon “Make An Offer”.

After much haggling, and $350 later, she was mine.
She was in very run down poor condition. The original Grey motor was well past its use-by date, and the front floors were long gone. I replaced the motor with another Grey that was sitting in my workshop and then cut out what was left of the floors and replaced them with new repro’s. A set of wide steel wheels and new rubber and a visit to the Rego office (no inspections in SA back then) and she was good to go.
In those days we called them “beaters” today they call them “rat-rods”. It was just what I was looking for and she became my daily driver. She wasn’t pretty (truth be told she was a bit of a bush pig to look at) and it certainly raised a few eyebrows in the company car park! I drove her daily for the next year, but then a serious accident took her off the road. I decided it was time for a full re-build. I pulled her down to a rolling shell and started the search for the parts I’d need.

In early 1990 I accepted a job offer in northern NSW, but it wasn’t until ‘91 that the shell was transported. The unit I was living in only had a single car garage so any work on the car meant it had to be rolled outside.

Over the next 9 months I fitted an HR Holden front end and began fabricating new engine and gearbox mounts, steering column etc. In February of ’92 I was offered a very good job in Canberra, the problem was that they wanted me to start immediately and my car was only partially built. They couldn’t understand why I’d want to “build” a car when they would be providing me with a shiny new company car. We negotiated a two month start date. I had 8 weeks to finish the car!

First job was to strip the body of 40 years of paint back to bare metal. Next, a list was made of all the trades people I’d need (spray painter, auto electrician, upholsterer etc) we spoke, and I told them of the time frame I had to work within. A timetable was drawn up of workshops and time allocated for each job. The car was loaded onto a flat-bed truck – first stop, the paint shop, then off to the sparky etc etc.

While the car was away I looked after other components. Bumpers, wheels and other parts were sent to the chrome platers, The 179ci Red motor was sent to the reconditioners and I paid Rare Spares in Brisbane a visit to collect a full rubber kit.

It was a close call, but we managed to get the car completed the night before I was due to leave on my trip south to Canberra. But, the car was untried. I hadn’t even had the chance to test the car at all! The trip from Ballina to Sydney took just over 10 hours (lots of roadworks on the Pacific Highway) and it was the worst drive I’ve ever undertaken. I spent the whole trip expecting something to fail or fall off – BUT it didn’t. The car performed flawlessly. Ol’ Blue spent the next 5 years as my daily drive including over a year commuting through the CBD of Melbourne while I worked there. From Melbourne, I returned to Canberra, and it was while living in Ngunnawal, with its TINY impossibly narrow streets that I decided to let the rego lapse. The car was put into hibernation……for the next 20 years (where the hell did that go?!). With the help (and nagging) of club members (a big thank you to David, Al and Lee) the car is now on club rego, and for me it’s a little like climbing into a time machine.

Ol’ Blue and I have been together for more
than 30 years.

Yeah, her paint is past its best and she’s
looking a little tired these days, but that’s ok,
because I am too.