What a great first time event!!

[Carps]

The First Ever KOA Kustom Nationals is done and dusted and the committee has already commenced work on Next Years event.

To say it was a success would be a major understatement. Even if we rang God himself and paid cash for it, we could not have had better weather. The facility of course is simply stunning, no matter where you are standing and everybody was totally blown away that we were allowed to use the Grand Prix circuit as our cruising track. This has to be the finest stretch of bitumen in the entire world, completely seamless and smooth as glass winding around some of the worlds finest coastal scenery!

Likewise our sponsors and vendors said they'd never had better facilities to work from and despite our nervousness at not knowing how many people would turn up there were plenty of customers to keep them busy.

The weekend confirmed we need not have been worried about who would come, because not only did participants turn out in much greater numbers than we expected, they came from all over Australia. Yup, the KOA Kustom Nationals number one was truly a national event with people and cars from Queensland, NSW and South Australia, all joining the Victorians for a load of fun.

The crowd enjoyed some of Australia's finest Kustom cars, fifies crusers, traditional hot rods and even a few street rods, street machines, muscle cars and those crazy but tallented kids with thier insane low rider pick-ups. The Ford Brothers kindly donated the use of thier recently purchased and absolutely mint condition '53 Chev (yeah we think it's wierd too - next year we're gunna see if the Chevrolet brothers will bring the Ford) for the top chop demontsration and that car had a huge crowd around it all weekend long. Chopper and the boys beavered away all weekend long, first removing the top, then taking a few inches out of the pillars, trial fitting and aligning it all until they were happy with the look and then welding it back in place. While all this was happening a number of folks took the opportunity to have some of the best Tatoo artists around lay down some ink on their bodies. Over the other side of the facility many enjoyed a picnic by the fresh water lake and other more adventurous souls, parked out in the middle of the GP track area to get some sensational photographs of thier cars. Others simply wandered down to the beach and played in the sand whilst others danced to the non stop live music. The bands played all day and well into the evenings, before participants cruised the main drag of Cowes or headed for the pubs to follow thier favourite group, whilst others just sat round the campfire and benchraced.

The organising committee and the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit management team are all over the moon at the success of this first time event and have already started planning a bigger and even better weekend for 2004.

So, if you missed this first time event, you missed something special. If you are a fan of traditional Kustoms and Hot Rods then maybe you should be planning now to attend next year. If you are into some other form of modified road vehicle, then there's no need to feel left out, as we will probably like what you are driving and provided it's not a shitbox, you'll be made more than welcome to join in the fun. Phillip Island is only an hours drive from Dandenong and two hours from the Melbourne CBD, the highway is in excellent shape so it won't hurt even the lowest of lowriders.

Roll on KOA KUstom Nationals 2004!!!

PS - We'll be posting some pics on the KOA website as soon as we get them back from being processed.

[choco]

Congrats, Carps, great to see yet another successful event come to the rodding calendar. My car should be finished for the next event, so I shall be attending with Danny joining me in his Caddy. I don't think the missus will have her Vicki by then, but you never know.
You'll have to give us a heads up on the accommodation, as we are not campers.
Once again, well done!

[Carps]

Gee Choco, I've heard lotsa blokes say you are a bit camp.

We're going to be speaking with the local accommodation people to lock in a few venues for those who don't like to rough it.

I'll keep ya posted.

PS - Just got advice from family in QLD that they plan to be here on the Australia day weekend. Mrs Carps gave me THAT look when I said "No problem for me since I'm goin to Canberra for C.R.A.K.K. Apparently since this is my brther I'm supposed to be around to look after him when he and his family visit. I never saw anything about that in the rules so I'll keep ya posted. Might just hafta fly up for the main day which is bound to keep me in the good books with the missus.

[devilrod]

As an entrant of the 1st Kustom Nationals I had a ball. Stood up on top of pit lane and watched the bands, the cars cruising the track and the top chop with out so much as moving my feet. Now only if there had been some stools I would have had it made.
I will be back next year and I might not even park under the stairs or in
the shade so Carps doesn't give me grief about rules of getting cars photographed for magazines . Me personally I prefer cool vinyl to sit on rather than burning my ring off every time I sit down , so look for the jalopy hiding in dark dungy areas! Great venue for a car show I say.

[Carps]

As an entrant of the 1st Kustom Nationals I had a ball. Stood up on top of pit lane and watched the bands, the cars cruising the track and the top chop with out so much as moving my feet. Now only if there had been some stools I would have had it made.

If you moved your feet, you could have walked down to the Engine Centre's trade stand where they had plenty of sensational bar stools on sale. And they are in the Art Deco style that fits with all that other old shit ypou love so dealy. In fact Webby even had some great 'First Anual Kustom Nationals' stools specially made for sale at the event, one of which was part of Mark's award for Top Kustom.

I will be back next year and I might not even park under the stairs or in the shade so Carps doesn't give me grief about rules of getting cars photographed for magazines . Me personally I prefer cool vinyl to sit on rather than burning my ring off every time I sit down , so look for the jalopy hiding in dark dungy areas! Great venue for a car show I say.

Yeah sure, we all know that's got nothing to do with it. More like old habits die hard and you are so used to having to hide in dark dingy corners in order to avoid the folks who would lock you up or the others who are after you for what you did to their daughters or sisters.

And what sort of bloke let's his brother paint a Christmas tree on the hood of his car?

[devilrod]

One problem with those stools that were for sale they wouldn't fit in the boot of the roadster!!!

And as for the Christmas tree "tis the season to be jolly". Unfortunate striping accident that one .

At least he had his car at the event not some farm machinery . Hang on, now I get it you were doing some top secret work for that car company that pay you to travel the countryside in strange automobiles powered by electric motors and such . It makes sense the hat, the beard, you were incognito.

Maybe next year we will see that dusty blue more door you have sitting at home

[Carps]

One problem with those stools that were for sale they wouldn't fit in the boot of the roadster!!!

Maybe you should consider a car with a couple more doors, I managed to get four in the trunk and two on the back seat along with a whole bunch of other stuff.

At least he had his car at the event not some farm machinery . .....Maybe next year we will see that dusty blue more door you have sitting at home

Hey!! I had three Hot Rods, a kustom and a restored car at the event in addition to the little gizmo! And if yu had stuck around for the awards presentation you'd have seen me collect a first place trophy for one of the Hot Rods. Sure they all had to remain parked all weekend, that's why I had junior to move me quickly around the vast complex as you witnessed. Oh yeah! I also got a special trophy for runner up in the junior gizmo category, SO THERE!!!!