Custom Minor Club

[Cragarsarecool]

Err, roll call I guess...


http://i42.tinypic.com/2h6hvma.jpg

That'll be Lowlight and Truxdelux for starters then...

[Truxdelux]

It was actually Mrs. Truxdelux. I was only a hanger on.. Still got a load of pics from "South of Watford" !!
Charlie!!

[Cragarsarecool]

We'll gloss over South of Watford shall we? :(

[Truxdelux]

Consider it Glossed!!

[lowlight]

Yeah Jon " Really cool" I think was the phrase used at the time (still got the video)
Strange I've just today been reading my old Custom Minor Club magazines and was thinking the same thing. Who from those days is still into Hot Rods and how many still have a Minor as well? So far that's three of us, come on the rest of you stand up and be counted.

[Truxdelux]

Looks like we are it!! Eh! Boys!!

[morris]

Hi guys I tried to set up a northwest branch but didnt take off
but met Nick Diss and Russ Smith at epping forest while on hols
one in a pub of all places ,still have the mags in the loft and still
have a morris ( 53 morris oxford MO traviler ) and a couple of zephyrs

Charlie see you at easter


Mike

[Cragarsarecool]

We all know about Nick Diss but what happened to Russ?

Not seen him since his Classic Car Mart days...

[AL]

Cragars

I will always remember the huge generosity of Russ Smith at the hotel bar at one of the Paul Haigh Sheffield shows, even though he was tucked up in bed, he bought us drinks all evening, came to a few bob too...

[Cragarsarecool]

Think it went:

Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Sandwiches
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Bar
Sandwiches
Bar

As you say, nice bloke ;)

[AL]

That's strange, we didn't have any sandwiches, someone must've been signing his ridiculously simple signature to gain them in an underhand fashion.

[Cragarsarecool]

I reckon he's far more secure now though, what with PIN numbers and that. I wouldn't like to guess it was anything as predictable as 1234 though...

Clown, clown, clown, juggling thing, juggling thing, clown, elvis...

[1930 vicky]

Yep,I was in the club.
Had the bonnet from the purple people eater on my van.
Does anyone remember going to the castle when we were all filmed for tv?
Got some pics of a few of us parked up at Knebworth iI will try and scan some in.

[Truxdelux]

Nick,
That was "South of Watford" We're Glossing over that. Ask Jon??
Charlie!!

[English Impala]

I belonged to the "Custom Register" of the M.Minor owners club, found some of the "news letters" (Show N Go) from the late 80's. "Basic" would be a good description for them! Had an article in one of them of the chassis plans from my dropped & chopped Minor.

[1930 vicky]

Cant find my pics darn it, but heres some old mag covers.
Still got the video of North of Watford!

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0006.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0007.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0008.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0009.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0010.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0011.jpg

[Cragarsarecool]

They look as dog-eared as mine!

[Cragarsarecool]

BTW,

Sam Anker's still about - still has the same Minor. Just built a new A-series for it too...

[plastic orange]

I've still got my first mm from 1972 (in CC 1977 I think) - LS1 powered now, plus a Rover 3.9 engined 55, a standard 57 and a 67 twin cam.
Wouldn't have anything else really. I think I signed up with the custom minor club, but can't really remember. I'm on Minor Mania now.

Pete

[lowlight]

OK enough of the talk lets see some action, it's ok Jon, I can't find my pics from the South of Watford shoot, (now who was the interviewer? oh yeah, some nobody called Hugh Laurie, don't suppose anything ever came of him)
Back to the plot.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11035.JPG
Here' the original El Ritchie built purple people eater in the hands of Dave "Biggles" Ward alongside my old Minor, in it's first incarnation at Salisbury about '82.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11036.JPG
Tim Lane's chopped two door powered by a blown 1275, out of Southend, I know that this was up for sale in the early 80's but have recently heard a story that he still has it (truth please?)

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11037.JPG
Next up it's Bob Turner' chopped van, Formerly known as Hovis, due to the shade of brown it was painted, this one had a tuned B series.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11045.JPG
Here we have a family outting to the Enfield Pagent '82. The red Fiat powered T top is Alan Wieght's next to that is Nick Diss' V4 powered "lil Squirt"

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11042.JPG
Every body should know this car, it's Nick Taylors "My Boy Flat Top" at Knebworth in '81. Nick, Ritchie and Rick Pearman were frequent visitors to the Castle in Woodford on club nights.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11043.JPG
The primered van I guess is 1930vicky' correct me if I'm wrong Tim, taken at the Nats in '82.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11044.JPG
Here we have Rob Mundy's very tidy Fiat powered pick-up, at Village Cruisers Henlow camp run in '83.

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11034.JPG
In this picture three ex Custom Minor Club members are about to set out on the Minor owners club London to Brighton run. In the fore ground is Nik cook's oh so clean pick-up, next to that is Russ smiths Fiat powered four door and then we have Phylis Stien's Chopped two door, or at least that is who some buffer said it belonged to!

http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11039.JPG
http://usera.ImageCave.com/LOWLIGHT/Feb11041.JPG
Last up we have two images taken at Gade Valley Custom Clubs '83 September Showdown, Alan Wieght's now totally topless two door at the end of the line up and in the single image, also in the line up are Rob Mundy's pick-up and Simon Rowe's yellow van, looking at the picture the tall guy looks like it could be Simon (the shadowy figure on the grass is me!)

[Cragarsarecool]

Cool pics Chris - did you get the photographic technique on your time on Auto Trader? :) Love the shadows - you could have turned them into rabbits or a flying seagull....

Alan Wieghts's Minor is officially credited as the first ever with a Fiat twin cam.

There's some good memories there and some err, not so good - think that's my Ex in Russ' car!! :(

Where's the PPE clone and what happened to Nick Cook's PU? And for that matter, Nick Cook....

[1930 vicky]

Found some pics and scaned them in.
A couple of Russ Smith at the pod.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0012.jpg


And this is I think at the Nats ,Nick Diss's squirt?
Rob Munday's engine and my van in its final colour after being white,primer shiny grey and then orange.It ended up with a Fiat twincam,5 speed box,fiat 124 sport rear axle,discs all round.I wonder where it is now.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr18/1930VICKY/custom%20minor%20club/scan0013.jpg

[MOPAR]

Heres some minors from the 3rd nasc nats at bisley in 1977, check out the defraction tape stickers under the bonnet on the black one & the jack up kit on the red one, just plain awesome 70s stuff !!......

pics are from the Ian Walker collection.

[Truxdelux]

Couple from "S.O.W" looks like a group hug going on in the first one. Then Pete Levick's "Chicken Coupe" , and one of Irene's in Spain. (bit fuzzy)
Charlie!!

[MOPAR]

Heres some more, unsure where or when these were taken, i think it was Knebworth, year unknown, if anyone can help i would appreciate it please.

Not quite sure what was going on with the van in the third picture, perhaps he built it as a Granny annexe for his Granny he didnt get on with!!!

Pics are courtesy of the ian walker collection.