Rick Wallace
| Director - Rodders Limited |
In my late teens and early twenties I was mad about motorbikes. I own big Japanese sports bikes and was lucky to survive those years, thinking back. Just the share recklessness and risks you take in your youth is astonishing, I knew a number of guys who didn’t survive that stage.
But the bikes were replaced by a mortgage and kids, and then 25yrs of owning sensible 4 & 6 cylinder Japanese cars. I found myself in my 50’s with L/100Km being a higher priority than KW.
It’s amazing how a weekend behind the wheel of a Ford FPV GT-P, with a 5.0L supercharged V8 and 335KW on tap, can cure you of wanting to drive a something ‘economical’, and how quickly your youthful desires can come flooding back.
So I had this vague idea that I wanted to modify the first car I drove 35yrs ago when I started work for the NZPO, a 1973 Ford Falcon XA stationwagon. And replacing the straight six with a late model V8.
The first thing that hits you when you decide to get into Hot Rodding, is the number of clubs to choose from. The great thing about all the clubs, is that you can learn from their websites what sort of cars and interests they cater for. After some reading you can narrow it down to one or two clubs in your area that you would slot right into.
Having chosen a club, and purchased your ‘project car’, the next thing you’ll find is a lot of well meaning, and often expert advice. This is fantastic. It was one of the reasons I was keen to join a club in the first place - to learn from more experienced hot rodders.
Ultimately of course, even with all the good advice, you need to decide what it is you want to do, for yourself.
The best advice I was given went like this ...
Scott: “But what do YOU want to do?”
Me: (explained my vague, novice plan)
Scott: “Well do that then. It’s your car and you’re doing it for yourself, not anyone else”