Great Aussie customs

[spoggie]

Aha!- look at how mild the slice is. Maybe that's the key.

[Dave]

Aha!- look at how mild the slice is. Maybe that's the key.

I tend to agree, a factory 2 door car is usually only 2" or so lower than a 4 door so keeping things subtle and factory looking works for me, taking out too much can often destroy the proportions.

[CruzinSA]

[spoggie]

^ Like a chop top- sideways & inside out!
Great car- I mean great. Show AND Go. The thing sits like a hungry 930 Porsche. And it took early Holdens into a whole new sphere. Look at Mercs in the states, they all went the same way. Our lil' Holden is more versatile- every bit as classic to us as a '55 Chevy.
The EK on the previous page is a fine looker, front & back are exemplary. Looks perfect, better than stock.

[FCCOOL]

isnt that the bmw m3 fj

[FCCOOL]

And in Black Earlier version

when i was in high school i had pics of this in red on the front of my school folder cut from a magazine and placed under clear contact but i much prefer the black version with the red interior, low cut seats and nicer wheels. FJ's make the best customs down under.

[spanners]

I thought it was originally an FJ shell grafted onto an LH Torana floor-pan and suspension. From memory was first legal V8 FJ in S.A.

[lintonxy]

They've been, universally, pretty ugly when done as customs. Including Effigy.

I reckon you might be in the minority there Spoggie I've got to admit that I didn't like many of the humpy customs but they are growing on me. Maybe I'm getting old

[37willys]

They've been, universally, pretty ugly when done as customs. Including Effigy.

I reckon you might be in the minority there Spoggie I've got to admit that I didn't like many of the humpy customs but they are growing on me. Maybe I'm getting old

Im agreeing with you.
Effigy ugly?????...damn, the whole hot rod world must be wrong

[spoggie]

Thanks LintonXY- I've never seen a good looking chopped FJ custom. Apart from Butch Floate's.
Effigy's form is, for me, a wee bit too far from the original Holden- it looks more like a chopped Cadillac, with a FJ grille grafted on. That is where it falls down for me- Effijy is too 'American'. Pedantic sour grapes from me!
And perhaps, contrary to my opinion, there is genius in Effijy's design. It is an amazing execution! The power of a vette style chassis/ wheelbase, with chopped Caddy coupe- type style, plus the Holden identity graft.

FC Cool- it's a 308 Holden I believe.. I saw pics of a straight 6 BMW FJ special sedan, done in Qld. A 2-tone legal sleeper, awesome build.

Spanners- I'm pretty sure there were 1 or 2 V8 Fj's were on the road here in S.A before the Townsend one. I recall at least one in Custom Rodder with I think a 253, it had HQ hubcaps & dark red paint, possibly vinyl roof. And I saw a dark green (also ,I think, a parchment vinyl roof) driven in the early eighties with a Mopar 273, but I can't vouch for it's legality. And I doubt it survived. Bush car, Terowie.
As for floor pan on the black one,I dunno. I don't know Colin. All I know ( after a quick nose around & under it at shows) is that it's a great job, and I've seen the thing haul arse.
A race with Effijy may be interesting!

[spoggie]

Michael Dickson '56 FJ; 'Mexican Red Mover',1965..
Photo credit; Australian Hot Rod magazine, Feb./Mar. '65

I like this car.
Can anyone make a call on rim/tyre diameter/ brand of tyre here? Michelen? Kleber? I'd like to chrome my original 15" FJ wheels. I guess that means seperating/ re-riveting, & possibly rego hassles these days. I dunno. Any advice/tips appreciated. Thanks..

[customjay]

Hello Spoggie - the rims look like they are standard FJ rims that have been reversed and chromed. The rivets are taken out, then the wheels are chromed and welded back together with the rims the opposite way around. Most reputable wheel shops can do this and I do not think it will cause any rego hassles- but I may be wrong. As for the tyres I would not have a clue, whatever fits I suppose. I do have that magazine and that Humpy is one cool ride, one of the better looking ones.
Please keep up the awsome artwork.

[spoggie]

Thanks Customjay- The wheels look great and would work well with zx Michelins.
As for art- 'Rhapsody' was a hard act to follow , but I'm gradually recovering!

[customjay]

Dusted the cobwebs off the FJ and went up to Munchies at Acacia Ridge which is the Friday night hangout on Brisbane's southside. More pics on http://www.boostcruising.com.au/ as my camera takes crap pics at night.



I usually take the Essex, but occasionally it's good to take the FJ because it always creates a lot of interest even though it is a bit of a shitbox. It will get painted one day, but only when I am ready. The young blokes usually do not know what it is, but the older blokes know exactly what it is and generally what to know all about it. Tonight a bloke came up askimg the usual things and started telling me about his metalflake blue FJ that he won awards with at the Roselands Show in Sydney in the 60's. It turned out he was Ray Sperroto who was the builder of the FJ with E Type Jag which I posted earlier on this thread. He told the story on how he built it and said he sold to someone in Adelaide. It turns out he is now a grey nomad and has been on the road for 7 years in his motorhome. It would of been good to talk some more, but he was leaving in a couple of days.

[customjay]

Was sniffing arond on Facebook and came across this pic of a custom FJ. I t was taken in 1968 and was on it's way to Surfers Drags, hence all the over the top signwriting. This car was pretty well known around Brisbane in the late 60's. It was featured in Australin Hot Rodding Review, just can't remember when. It was originally painted maroon, but was later changed to gold as it is here



The front had an FC grille with a Mustang emblem and Mark 3 Zephyr parking lights I will have a look to see if I can find the story.