Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:47 pm

Thanks for finding that one Alex.
Still looking for my copy!

customfc · Post by **customfc** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:27 pm

Here's the story of the car as told by Pontiac Jack on the ozrodders forum, back in April 08.

I've told this tale before,but for the benefit of any recent arrivals,heres a quick recap.
The car was built in the mid 70's by John Comber,Keith McKie and Steve Dann. It's front doors were extended 6" and the back doors were welded up,turning it into a coupe.
Sometime in the late 70's (78 or 79?? ) I got a call from my sisters boyfriends brother in law,a bloke named Gary Brown. He knew I had a heap of FX's and FJ's and an FB and said he had something I might be interested in.
I went to his factory in Glen Iris,and sitting there was the remains of Steve Danns EK.
It had been stolen and stripped and Gary had brought the rolling shell off Steve.
He said he didn't want to put it back together,so if I wanted it,it was $200.
Due to being 16 or 17 and having cars taking up every square inch of land around the house already (and having a mum who was getting pissed off with it ),I passed it up.

I was told later that the car went to Simms and was turned into half a dozen Toyotas
UNTIL!....
Last week I had a call from Matty Brown (Gary's son),he said he'd been digging around looking for pix of Gary's 34 coupe and had found a few things I might want to see.

He found 7 or 8 pics of the coupe from around the time it was sold in 79,but he also found some pix of his old "cubby house" - Steve Danns EK!

So the updated story goes like this:
Matt's not sure when,but sometime after I passed on it,Gary brought it around to his ex wifes place in Black Rock and left it there in the back yard. The kids played in it for a year or so,and then it was sold to a kid who worked in a servo in Aspendale.
It sat around the back of the servo for a couple of years,then the servo closed down and the kid and the car disappeared.
I wish I could say the story had a happy ending,but no one knows where it is now.
And Matt has no idea who the kid from the servo was.
At least we know it survived a few more years.
It might still be out there,somewhere........

Regards
Alex

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:43 pm

50 bucks for anybody that finds it for me

i want it couple of things i don't like but in general i love it

was sad when paul first said it had been crushed but now there is still a glimmer of hope

although very minor

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:53 pm

It would be great if it has survived.

That "Minor" did as well, and surfaced again last year?
You could have bought it back.

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:18 pm

it had alot of rust when we had it, pretty sure it was on ebay not long ago and there's an add in this months just cars somebody wanting to contact the new owner

no interest in owning it again unless it was dirt cheap of all the cars i've had there's only a couple that i'de like to get back the rest if it happened it happened no big deal

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:27 pm

It would be good to find it. My dad used to work with Steve Dann many many years ago, but I can only remember his yellow 57 Chev

Mick Jagger · Post by **Mick Jagger** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:54 pm

love these old aussie customs

Mick Jagger · Post by **Mick Jagger** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:08 pm

this was built in the 90s

FB wannabe · Post by **FB wannabe** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:45 am

That FJ looks cool as!

Would love to see some more pics of it. It loks like it's in a wreckers, what's the story with it?

bootlegger · Post by **bootlegger** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:32 pm

There was one similar to this doing the show circuit a few years ago. It was mettalic blue.

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:32 pm

Adan Chivers, who was half of the team that produced the Newsledder and ownes Rebel restoration near Gosford bought the in the build FJ Coupe from is builder when he lost interest.
A short time later Adam let somone else take over ownership.
The Blue FJ coupe is called Bobcat and is a true Australian custom from the 60's, check out the link

http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... 09&start=0

Mick Jagger · Post by **Mick Jagger** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:28 pm

Where is it Tim?

bring back Kellys Kamera

bootlegger · Post by **bootlegger** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:04 pm

Im not real sure what happened in the so called hey day of Aussie customs. I appreciate the work but boy some of these cars look terrible. It seems to me they just thought what can I jam into a car to change it rather than what can I do to enhance the lines of the vehicle.
Dont get me wrong Ive seen some that just work beautifully. I guess its the creator that succeeds
Blueys Airborne Eight is a perfect example of planning a custom and then executing it to perfection.

Mick Jagger · Post by **Mick Jagger** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:21 pm

camira headlights,hypercolour t shirts ,denim top to toe,it would have been cool in its time...
i have to agree ,although i like the rear treatment.

but man there were some good ones
bring back vans and ladies with no tops on

so hows the Draggin coupe coming along,does anyone know?

Smooth customs · Post by **Smooth customs** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:59 pm

Australian customs from the early 50's till say the early 70's were possibly 99% home built, mostly by people with limited bodyworking skills and equitment. Some with a little help from someone they knew that was a panel beater.
Even cars built by tradesmen were home built.

One of my passions is the documenting of the history of Australian Customizing, something I have been doing since the late 60's

Today everyone is an expert on whatever they want to be with the use of the net, but there is still so much that has not been recorded. And is still unknown.
Those of us who who have been around long enough found information by reading magazines and talking to the people who owned and built the cars. And either photographed wrote it down or still have the use of our brains and menory to access this information

Some of you may look at and cringe at Jigsaw. And thats your personal choice how you view something. This car was built by Dave Johnson, an extremly clever and talented guy who's abilities in many areas are beyond belief. I have known Dave since the early 80's and was aware of the cars construction and the list of pieces he had chosen to incorperate into its finished look. Without seeing it I had my doubts on what the finished custom would look like, but when finished he had done a fantastic job to combine many modern parts into a 50's car that is an icon in Australian Customizing history. It is not everyone personal preference but is a mildstone car.

The Airborne eight fits into the same like or dislike grouping, and then there are people that just dont know what to make of it. As it can not be compared to anything that came before it.

"Kellys Kamera" LMAO! Am searching for photos for a magazine now that I took in the early 70's.

The Draggin Coupe is painted and looks stunning! just wait till it see's the light of day

fbekholden.com

Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

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Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

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Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's

Re: Out of the Past pt13 - FB EK Customs of the 60's