Welcome to the first edition of the "Maternity Leave Guest Editorial" series. Surf Monkey has been around this community for a long time and is someone I've always really liked. On top of being an incredible artist, he's also just a smart guy. I ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Well done Mr Monkey, but as you are now internet royalty will you still speak to us lowley mortals..... For the trad side of british rodding you should have included a few pictures of a water logged Billing.... Well done Tim, P.
I have always been impressed by the international Hot Rodding scene. From the photos I see, these guys seem to "get it" a bit more than the builds I see in the US.
High praise indeed !! Thankyou ! I think our early efforts have been far surp***ed by the hobbies more recent recruits ....but thanks again Gary Janes ( Low Flyer )
Interesting read Surf Monkey, also enjoyed the pics. The Low Flyers in the '8o's hay? The UK's always had a great scene. A lot of you guys in the USA don't realise the level of commitment and effort required to pursue this lifestyle overseas. If you think that good cars/parts are getting difficult to find in"the States", try finding them in Oz, the UK or Japan.
Good blog mate...the UK has a fantastic rodding scene and it gets better all the time. As autobilly says most rodders in the US have no idea of the h***le we have to do what we do or have any thought about the cost (it costs us in£ what it costs you in$ and it's currently close to 2$ to 1£ and gas is £5.50 per gal...or nearly $10..........Nice choice of pics too..Henry Hirise, Andromeda, Wee Marks modified, Gary Belchers T.......where's my A though??
Is that Wee Mark from Dundee that now has a black '35 coupe? Great video too, by the way. ****e-O-Vision... LOL Quite funny that I'm sitting here reading this in Western Australia while I'm wearing my 'Ace Cafe London' t-shirt. My impression is that the Poms started the whole 'rat rodding' (for want of a better term) thing, but I'm wondering now whether the Scandinavians were doing the same stuff at the same time or whether there was a bit of cross-pollination going on? I reckon the lack of easy-to-find/buy parts meant people had to make do with what they had and some very cool hot rods were built in the process.
hi paul/brootal - nope its not my modified, ive only got a 35 coupe and a 35 roadster - it could be someone else called mark? the pic of the modified looks to be taken at the hayride?
cheers for the complement on the Video brootal.......so who ever the miniscule modified belongs too it's still as cool as ****!!
Wee Marks Modified is actually Wee Davies Modified !! Davie built it whilst working for me after hours in the shop ....it's a great little car that gets plenty of exposure.... Currently undergoing a rebuild in Davies new w/shop ( he's gone solo ) in the Northampton area...
Wee Davey roaring around the dirt track at the Hayride balls out with parts a' flying off the car, now that is a site I will long remember! I thought he was living over here in the SF bay area? I strongly urge anyone into trad style cars to go to the UK, great cars and even better people.......... I have even met Surf Monkey in person, he is a pretty cool guy, for royalty that is
Nice piece I was at all the same events in the early pix, annual trip yo the Smoke for the Ally Pally show , memories are made of this. I was there at Bruntingthorpe too , Low Fliers , once seen never forgotten. Nice piece Monkey. I'll see you all at The Hay Ride.
That's what I thought. Did you have the '35 when I last saw you, or is that the same one that Gordon Brennan was working on? Can't be that many in Scotland. I still always chuckle when I think back to that day we were cruising around Dundee, which is quite a big town, and you said you were the only hot rodder in the place... "I'm the only hot rodder in the village..."