Ivan Hughes the Buick King

[Andyd]

I have been talking to a mate recently and the old Sydney based GM wrecker and parts house, Ivan Hughes The Buick King came up in conversation......whilst they were basically a purveyor of original parts a lot of Sydney hotrodders would have been thru their doors chasing various parts over the yrs and I was wondering if anyone knew whether Peter Hughes is still around?...........he was the son/grandson of the owner and founder of the business, a hotrodder with a 394 Olds powered bucket in the mid 70's and a mate.........I last heard of him in the late 80's, living in the Riverwood/Narwee/Roselands area of Sydney............thanks.....Andy Douglas

[woody28A]

G'day Andy, I remember crawling through (literally) the old site at Tempe looking for bits. He had some great stuff if you could find it. I haven't heard anything about Peter in ages. I was told some time ago that the bucket still existed.

[Andyd]

The "racks" and shelving that was behind and almost 3 stories high behind the front counter at Hughes' were made mostly using car chassis's bolted and welded together.......there were a lot of Model T chassis used, I suppose because they were straight and flat, perfect for making shelving........I remember finding three bare engine blocks still wrapped in creosote and waxed paper on the top level at the rear of the shop.....Peter told me they were supposedly 1918 NOS Buick blocks........lol......why not?.........apart from tons of NOS GM parts they also had a huge amount of mopar stuff.....there was a box of about 30-40 NOS 1941 Plymouth Tailight assemblies with lens and handles, the centre one that 1941 Plymouths use........it didn't suit my 1940 Dodge but I think they were $5.00each so why not.....lol......still have it actually.........when you entered the shop from the footpath you stepped onto the entry which was enhanced by various running board step plates concreted into the step........various complete engines were sometimes on display there.........why, where else in the mid 70's would you have a chance to see a complete Olds Toronado engine and gearbox assembly available for purchase........lol.......it was truly a mecca for old car buffs and I remember spending quite a few Saturday mornings listening to the tall tales and true stories.........lol......thems was the days.......Andy douglas

[angliadon]

Peter painted my FX Holden in a shed at Kingsgrove in 1969,his mate had a Wild Violet Rod and I met him when he was home on leave from Vietnam and bought a new Triumph Bonneville and took us all for a spin.

[steve the ford guy]

I visited his Tempe shop on a few occasions in the eighties and finally bit the bullet and bought all his 97 Stromberg cores, 13 in total plus a stack of new old stock 97 carb rebuild kits for $20 each...so very cramped in there with all the pigeon hole shelves which were all filled to the brim everywhere you looked

[Andyd]

Stev & Don........thanks for the anecdotes, but I am still wondering where Peter is, hopefully still around..........does anybody know?...........btw that Wild Violet Rod?...........wouldn't have been John Walkers? or ???? McDonalds from Marrickville?........andyd

[angliadon]

The guy with the Wild Violet Rod lived in his mothers house between Kingsgrove and Beverly Hills,his younger brother that I knew drove a 1955 Oldsmobile till he hit a pole while airborne on the Princes Hwy outside Tatnells Garage.

[Andyd]

Nobody?..........oh well........andyd