CCT Goes Truckin' Down Under

Model A roadster pickups were in abundance as well. The owner of this red one is a member of the Easy Street Rod & Custom Club, Central Coast, New South Wales. Note the fuzzy dice mounted on one side and the critter tail on the other-all the hot rod clichs are found down under.

Something of a recent trend is the growing number of highboy pickups from the late-'30s. The mandatory black cycle fenders on this black and white Ford with commercial grille and gray-center, magnesium-style wheels almost disappear.

Another prime evil is this channeled '38 Ford pickup sporting apple-green wheels with baby caps and an International grille. This truck had a restricted-use sticker from the Queensland Road & Traffic Authority (DMV) in the windshield, and the mandatory cycle fenders. Power comes from a late-model Ford V-8 engine.

The neat display and custom chassis from this Toowoomba, Queensland, hot rod shop captured my attention. They had neat T-shirts and hats as promo items-I brought some back with me.

We thought this mid-'30s-looking, purple-with-ghost flames, four-passenger roadster pickup was pretty cool. What is it? Hmm, I don't believe the sticker that says it's a Datsun. Looks more like a '34 Chevy Tourer.

If you drive them, sometimes you break them! Just like the NSRA, the Aussie blokes lend a hand when someone needs help and tools to make a repair away from home. The repair-shop sponsor is Suncorp Metway and Brisbane North Institute of Tafe.

John and Rosemary Lakeman and their fuchsia-pink magic '34 Chevrolet Tourer are proud members of the Bent Eight's Hot Rod Club, Sydney. The chassis under this reproduction-bodied Ute is also a '76 Datsun 620-must be something the lads in Australia do for modern mechanicals and reliability.

The habit of extending the small pickup cabs is alive and well down under. Entry #0917, a red '46/47 Ford from New South Wales, appears to have an extended chassis as well. The truck rides on traditional American Racing mags and BFGoodrich tires.

Of course we were greatly interested in all the Utes we saw, especially the early-'50s Fords. This purple Coupe-Ute with purple-painted bumpers was lowered and driven to the Australian Nationals by a more youthful pair of rodders wearing straw sombreros.