I,ve been away for 30 years. I remember building display homes along the main road outside Sandown Park Raceway and seeing the Pirotta / Carauna creations cruise by on the weekends. Only one i never saw on the road was their beautiful show car , the ,28 A pickup "Crimson Pirate "
Their father helped THOUSANDS of Maltese immigrants come out in the 50s....family X's boys built the house for next family Y to live in, then they'd emmigrate and they built the next house for family Z etc I heard they built half of Springvale that way...all those tips were once swamps....til the Pirottas sold all the sand/cement outta them then charged people to put rubbish back in the holes....they did the concrete for Australia's first dragstrip aty Pakenham.....Leno still lives in a "cool old shit" museum right next to one of the tips...he's got a BIG Angry dog...and LENO BITES!!!! he likes to make out like he's a cranky old bastard Someone once told me that people used to dip their hats to his father when he drove down the street.....but I reckon it might have been coz he drove A BRAND FRIKKIN NEW 55 CADDY !!!!!...in Springvale...(amongst a heap of other cool cars) and Leno says..."for a special night out with a gal...dad'd let me borrow the Caddy...and we'd take some gals with us to the other side of town...and go find us a punch-up" BTW......I grew up at the corner of Clayton Rd and Bourke Rd....home of the XYs but I'll get you Joes shop address and pm it to ya
Dandy Rd in the muscle car years????? OUCH! All i can tell ya from the 90s, is that when you top 250 (km/h) the three lanes look like just one lane in a very little bowling alley!
ive been getting stories about the old days off the old man the age building drags and dandy back in the 70's and stuff, some cool shit anyone ever heard of the hk monaro "the general"? ran an imported ed pink chevy? heard a cool story bout that one the other night.
Me and the mates used to race up the Maroondah Highway,Ringwood to Lillydale and the old curvy road to Templestowe. Sometimes the mountain road through The Black Spur. Loved the sound of the Monaro through The Spur. I guess we were bloody longhair idiots.
I heard they built half of Springvale that way...all those tips were once swamps....til the Pirottas sold all the sand/cement outta them then charged people to put rubbish back in the holes....they did the concrete for Australia's first dragstrip aty Pakenham.....Leno still lives in a "cool old shit" museum right next to one of the tips...he's got a BIG Angry dog...and LENO BITES!!!! he likes to make out like he's a cranky old bastard [/QUOTE] I remember being at Leno,s house(the one off Springvale rd in front of the tip and furnished with stuff from the tip ) one day and Charlie shows up driving the Customline with all the chrome trim.he was telling me that when he drove it that the police would make him take it home as it caused a traffic jam. Leno also said that his dad bought the 59 Eldo Bairritz convert new(it cost more than a house at the time). He also said that his dad was stuck downtown one day without a way to get home so he went and bought a car(Jeanette,s blue 4-door 49 Merc)
gaz the spur is still a hotspot for well, idiots. just like me! they repaved it a couple of years back in the slickest blacktop youve ever seen, like breaking the rear end loose in my XY (250, single rail) in 3rd with nothing more than a stab at the throttle and a tug at the wheel in a light rain. hairy stuff when you dont expect it
So what? Some folks build em, others buy em, some build em and sell em. If there were no buyers then the builders would have a mountain of cars in their ssheds or just have to live with the first one they ever built. I don't have the time or inclination to build another car. Doesn't mean I won't add one to my fleet as I do have the money to buy. If that makes me any less the petrol head that I' am today, maybe it's time to buy some knitting needles. Fact is this hobby is all about being seen and heard. Why else would allegedly mature adults do what we do with what most folks consider junk? We all have big egos and that's why we get the shytes with others who we figure steal our limelight or whatever else to make them stand out from us. I learned to live with it long ago, getting your knickers in a twist (panties in a bunch) aint gunna help or change anything.
yeah, yeah, yada, yada, boohoo, your missing the point here big fella, its not going to win you any praises on here posting self fucking glory about having australias top kustom, a car recently imported from the very land from which this forum originates and not get negitive feed back.I personally dont see the glorry in taking credit for someone elses build, buy it and enjoy it , ive bought and built as have most of us, but dont take credit for the ones you dont.
Cool story thanks Mark, I never knew that stuff and I've lived in Heatherton my whole life. My grandparents remember when kingston rd was dirt and had horses going along it. Thanks for the reply-
I get the feeling I'm not the only one missing the point. The attitude is one of the reasons I don't participate as much as I used to. But i don't believe the guy was seeking any Glory, simply letting people know the car was for sale. I don't necessarilly agree this was the right place to do it, but it's done now. I didn't see anywhere he was taking any credit for having built it, Hell everybody here knows he bought it pretty much as it sits, although I'd imagine he did have to do a bit of work to get plates on it. So lets get back to the original topic, The Aussie Kustom nats, or was it the History of the Pirotta family cars?
Charlies Cusso is now in the hands of a collector in Canada. Last I heard he was going to finally finish what Charlie was never able too. Pull it to bits, repaint (using the 'test' colours Charlie painted on the rear quarters) and rebuild as a finish car, complete with new headlining instead of the 'holey' one. Last year I converted hours of old movie footage of most of the cars to electronic media. The complete History of 'Satisfaction' from FX to how the Cortina looks today. FWIW Joe has recently repurchased the car and is restoring it to it's former glory with the blown Holman & Moody SOHC 427 for some Nostalgia racing. The 'Crimson Pirate' footage starts with the 'barn fresh' stock model A in the back yard shows the Buick engine transplant and some of the build process. Cuts to the trailer ride to it's first show then the Custom Rodder photo shoot and later rebuild with lots of driving footage including some doing donuts in the gravel pit. That story finishes with the car as it looks today, still 100% pristine. Joe's only regret is that they never took the Springy cops up on the offer that if they bought it down to the 'station' they would give him some plates for it. The Red 59 Caddy Eldorado Bairitz is there too along with the Chrysler Imperial and both Customlines. The evolution of Charlies 'Chrome Cusso' being quite incredible. It's a shame that some of the other 16mm movie footage the boys shot has not survived, but what's there is way cool.
As for the 50's Spinner Sinner, who give a toss if his keeping it, sell it or jerking off in it! Brandy from the US is all upset about a Spinner! Relax babe its not a Mercury! She keeps going on about Americas top kustom, that needed a new engine, wiring, air bags repaired and god knows what else! i heard the new owner has spent a few $$$ sorting it out. If he make a buck, well done, maybe his selling it because of personal reasons, or maybe he has seen the light (49-50 Mercury.)
I wouldn't own a 49-50 Mercury if you gave me one. I also say selling a cool Shoe *which btw everyone knows I'm NOT a Shoe fan* to buy an even more generic 54 Chevy doesn't seem real smart to me. SO, here's the deal, do not patronize me. Do not try and smooth things over, do not try and be a hero. You will not win.
people buy and sell every day..I bought my self a shop truck yesterday that not even hell would take from me... http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-12/1292476/DSC02313.jpg the buick I had I loved but some one wanted it more than me.. Yes I did all the work my self...I have my own restoration shop http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-12/1292476/DSC00406.jpg this 40 Mercury I own and will build my self ..It will have a Hemi 6X97's and done the right way...full Kustom... http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-12/1292476/2008_0107Image0107.jpg so you all who may think "wanker this wanker that"..just remember we all fucking wank in more ways then one... have a nice day...
Brandy seeing that you are in CA and we are best friends now..can you look out for a 1953-1954 hard top chopped kustom chevy for me.. I will be in the States in April... lets do lunch...
Ahh....I love that Pickup, was trying to get it into the Calendar but we couldn't sort a time quick enough! Cheers MAIKI
Ooooooh bestill my heart. I was supposed to fly into Australia then, but for you? For you I think I'll stay here and hold my breath. Don't stand me up now, you WON"T like me upset.
I already heard about this last night. Not even Hell huh? If Hell asked, I'd give them that front bumper......I'd even offer it up as a sacrifice.
How much? Mr Diablo,a name which you obviously plagiarised from Jimmy, you are nothing but a car dealer who sees this forum as a means to lever your gold chain toting ass into a market. I work with people who are real car enthusiasts who could buy and sell you day and night,so I find your derogatory remarks to others, regarding money ,on here as offensive. You want to sell cars? fine, just don't come across as a genuine car enthusiast because you aren't ,your nothing but usurious oppurtunist who sees the HAMB as means to make more money. Carps,for all his years in this hobby doesn't see it this way,who cares? If someone wants to buy a car you've imported rather than build their own ,fine! but don't expect any sort of respect just because you own it. Public opinion is always against you . Finally what really sticks in my throat is the fact not once on any Forum anywhere ,where you have posted up pics of that car do you aknowledge the fact you imported it and no where do you aknowledge the Former owner/builder etc who actually are responsible for the looks .Frankly I hope you choke on it.
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