We still have some shirts left from our first run. Lot's of Large. A few M, XL and XXL. The remaining shirts are available for online purchase. If you want to save the shipping charges, you can still pick up from us here in Nanaimo.
Having been a Hot Rod fan since I was very young, I can appreciate the hard work and attention that enthusiasts have given to their creations. The thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of their time to just get it the way they want it, perfect! This type of dedication and perseverance is unique among the average population and yet common with Hot Rod enthusiasts. We all know that it is very rare to ever get your money back from your investment, if you tried to sell your car, once it is finished. But we do it anyways!
This is why your investment needs to be protected against the possibility of theft, damage due to an accident or by a natural disaster. The only way to be properly protected is by having your investment appraised and then making sure you have sufficient insurance coverage in the event of the unfortunate mishap. This is what prompted me to take action and become a proud sponsor of Vancouver Island Hot Rods. I know what it is like to have something I treasure become stolen. It's like a hole in my stomach, a pain in my chest and the feeling of being betrayed. Knowing that I have sufficient insurance coverage and that I will be fairly compensated for my loss, is what helps me get past the loss and move on.
I am offering anyone with Hot Rods or Classic Cars a chance to get their investment protected by offering a 25% discount on my services.
DB Appraisals Ltd is and will continue to be a Proud Sponsor of Vancouver Island Hot Rods and a part of the Hot Rod community!
Darryl Bilobrowka, CPPA
DB Appraisals Ltd
www.dbappraisalsltd.ca
These 5 photos of Al Clough and his Corvette were taken in 1967 at San Cobble Raceway, later known as Van Isle Dragways. Thank you Al for contributing these great photos. (Photo's taken by John Dutton)
D
Daryl Foster was a founding member of the Victoria Quarter Milers, was active and on the executive of VITRA (Vancouver Island Track Racing Association) and has held a life long interest in our hobby. In recent years he has become an avid historian of events and people from our old neighbourhood here in the suburbs of Victoria. He has recorded and edited oral history from several dozen senior citizens who have shared their memories of the past 60 to 80 years.
Prompted by the continued interest in old hot rods on this site, by the recent success of NW Deuce Days and the recent article about Vancouver Island Hot Rods of the past in Issue 71 of Rodder's Journal, Daryl decided to turn his talents to recording the history of the Cal Morrow coupe.
Interesting to note that one of the former owners of the car is Dennis Besler, whose photo collection was the foundation of the Rodder's Journal article and who is also recording our hot rod history by creating scale models of old Victoria/Vancouver Island Hot Rods.
I acquired a few new slides from Dennis which I had converted to digital copies. They cover Van Isle Dragway, San Cobble Dragway and the Victoria area.
Enjoy.......
Shaw TV Nanaimo recently did a feature on our site. We were contacted by Rae-Anne LaPlante of Shaw TV and we set up an initial interview at Dan's place. She shot some video in the parking lot and then some in the house. Of course she got Dan's memorabilia room. A couple evenings later she came down to the Ladysmith Cruisin the Dub night and took some more pictures and video. We love the video and are super appreciative of the effort and time put into it. Thanks a bunch Rae-Anne.
1972 Nova SS Owned by Ron of Nanaimo. 350 bored out to 355. 2.5 exhast with flowmasters. 525hp. It was restored in 1991 paint and panels. Ran 12.38 at 114 mph in the Q mile. It was a race car but then put back to street.
A nice Factory Five 33 Hot Rod built by Peter in Chemainus. It was his retirement project, taking him 22 months and 1300 hours to complete.
Come on, Robin, to the Bat Cave! There's not a moment to lose!
In 1966 The first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character Batman was Released by 20th Century Fox. It was based on the TV series and also stared Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Of course the film also stared the Batmobile.
The original Batmobile was built by George Barris and originated as a one off Lincoln Futura concept car. The Futura was a futuristic concept car hand built in Turin, Italy at a cost of $250,000. Most show cars of the time were usually forgotten or destroyed. However the Futura was sold to Barris for the tidy sum of $1.00 and "other valuable consideration"t; by Ford Motor Company.
Because Barris only had 3 weeks to build the car, he decided it would be easier to transform the Lincoln into the Batmobile instead of building a car from scratch. The build was reported to cost $30,000 and the car made its television debut on January 12, 1966. In November of 2012 George Barris announce the sale of the Batmobile at the Barret-Jackson auction and it sold on January 19, 2013 for $4.2 million.
Recently I was browsing on cannadianrodder.com when i came across an introduction post by Morgan Lachmanec. It caught my attention because he displayed a picture that was not just a hot rod lincoln, but a 1976 Lincoln transformed into a 1966 Batmobile. When I saw Morgan was from Duncan I thought the car would make an excellent article here on VIHR.
Morgan was bit by the customizing bug when he was young. Weekends were spent at the dump looking for bicycles that could be brought home and repaired or customized. When he was 12 he purchased his first Hot Rod magazine. Within a couple of years he had his first project car, a beat up 1957 210 four door. He never got the 210 on the road, but only because it was replaced by a 1957 Bel Air when he was 16. It took him 4 years to complete the restoration and the car has been driven and enjoyed for many miles. Many cars have come and gone since then, but he still has the Bel Air after more than 20 years.
His hobby of restoring cars was an excellent education which helped him land his first job as an automotive technician at the local GM Dealer. Shortly after he went out on his own and started Artisan Automotive. And the rest is history.
Morgan set out to build a 1966 Batmobile in 2004. It is a replica of the one built by George Barris and is not a kit, but a build from scratch project. His most ambitious project to date. The car has earned him respect from some of the top replica builders in his field. For four years he balanced family and earning a living while he worked on the car.
The Batmobile is powered by a 1999 Mustang GT 4.6l with a 5 speed transmission. The firewall, floor pan and fuel tank also came from the same Mustang. So this bat has a bit of an equestrian side as well.
A mold was constructed to form the fiberglass for the sides of the car. Once one side was done the mold was taken apart and all the features were reversed to make a mirror image for the other side.
Next came a lot of filing and blocking to get the panels straight and smooth. As we all know if there are any imperfections, a black car will expose it once it is painted. Notice that initially the wheel arches were not fabricated. This was to be sure the body lines were perfect first.
By far the most challenging part of the build was the glass canopies. Even with all the research and planning that was done before any actual hands on work began, Morgan was still faced with a bit of what is commonly referred to as "cut and try engineering" . The front canopy mold has been modified once and the rear is up for it's second mod. Even with the best molds there are many other things that have to be just right in order to get a good part.
Of course there were many other details and fabrication challenges that had to be overcome. By focusing on one at a time and a lot of perseverance, over time the car began to take shape.
Morgan's car has been described as incredible, surpassing other replicas that have sold for more money. His attention to detail is fanatical. There are many details on this car that are exact to the original Batmobile, which most other replica cars do not have.
By Lyndon......
I was passing by the Country Club DQ when I spotted this 34 Ford sitting there so took a burn in there and lucky for me the owner was there with the car! I just love these cars.Made me want to go home and watch 'The California Kid'
