Still waggling its butt at 77

Published Aug 4, 2015

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Johannesburg - The long metallic-gold bonnet stretches out ahead of me. I am perched, it feels, slightly below it and looking through a small, upright windscreen. It’s like being in a time warp…

But when I press down on the loud pedal, the purring from the bonnet turns into a grumble, and then a growl, before the power arrives in a surge, shooting me towards the end of the road with a distinctly modern turn of speed.

As I brake and slow down for the corner, and then come on to the power again in what I think is a moderate way, I hear a slight squeal from the back tyres and the car waggles its big butt.

Surprisingly, for a vehicle which is 77 years old, the 1938 Plymouth feels very modern indeed. As, I suppose, it should be, with a Chev 350 cubic inch V8 engine, four-speed autobox and Jaguar XJ6 suspension and brakes.

The purists are already climbing the walls over the sacrilege of messing with an antique car. But owner André van Rooyen laughs off the critics.

IT’S ALL ABOUT FUN

“Even fully restored, this car would not be that interesting historically, nor would it be worth much money.

“The way it is, it is a head-turner and a piece of fun… something with character you just don’t seem to get in the cars of today.”

André and his dad have been into hot rods and big American muscle ever since he can remember – and it’s their way of life. It is also an increasingly important part of André’s business Rally Sport Motors in Industria, Joburg.

“We are seeing a growth in interest in old cars, in hot rods and in muscle cars,” says André, who has a number of restoration projects under way, including a few Mustangs, a Dodge Charger (with a massive Mopar 524 cubic inch big-block V8, for which the word “awesome” was invented), a Chrysler 383, as well as the odd Chev Camaro.

As the rand plummets, it is becoming more and more expensive to restore old American muscle. However, says André, the good thing is that many parts for classic muscle cars are still available and components, such as new body panels and floor pans, can be imported from the US.

EXPENSIVE, BUT WORTH IT

“But it’s not cheap. We had a client who bought a Mustang overseas and brought it to us for a restoration.

“It was running and it looked really good. But when we stripped off the paint…”

As he talks, André points to the perforated back wings and floor pan – “the new ones are being shipped as we speak” – but it is a big job to get the Ford back into shape. It’s going to end up with a price tag of close to R1.5 million for the owner.

“But,” adds André, “he was happy with that.

“He’s getting a car which will be virtually new and it will certainly stand out on any street.”

For those who are into muscle, sometimes price is irrelevant. André tells about one man who imported a classic car from the US.

“It already had a powerful enough engine but he wanted to have the most powerful one around. So, he imported a special 900 horsepower V8, which cost R750 000. Just for the engine!”

André has always had a passion for Detroit Iron.

“There is nothing like that power or that sound. But it is not complicated; the engines are strong and reliable.”

But what is so addictive to a petrolhead (André works on plenty of other makes and types and is knowledgeable about many different cars) is the chance to drive something different, something which makes people stop and look, makes strangers start conversations at the shops.

“When you drive a car like this, you are not going to pull up at the robot and look over at the guy next to you and see the same car.”

Saturday Star

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