You might be amused by the attached snap of my father's first "project" car - a JWF ITALA. Sorry about the dodgy shot - the photo is framed behind glass and hanging on the shed wall. Dad built this car in Darwin over three years,1962 to 1965. He used a singer 4AD chassis, Holden grey engine with brass bodied triple SU's which he liberated from an Alvis Silver Eagle derelict in the town dump. Originally it was metallic gold with black seats with red strip in the centre of the seats. Dad did a tricky graft job cutting and shutting the Holden and Singer bellhousings so that he could run the Singer box behind the grey. The old girl reputedly clocked 103mph. It may not have been the fastest car in town, but it looked the "fastest"! The brakes were dodgy as father had not got the master cylinder to slave cylinder ratios right - remember, he was 26 and it was his first project! Dad was posted to Point Cook in '66 and he traded the Holden special on a second hand Holden station wagon. The triple SU's weren't part of the trade as they ended up on the old station wagon!
Dad and I have often wondered if the old special has survived.
Regards,
Brett Boughton
Perth
1 comment:
This car is actually for sale in issue 332 of unique cars - Dec 2011 Jan 2012 and the location is indicated as Victoria
Regards Geoff L
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