Model turns real

By Nicole Williams
IT’S A case of a model car becoming the real thing for Pakenham’s Greg Williams.
Although he always had an interest in cars, it was the Walt Disney movie ‘Motor Mania’ which helped Greg choose his future car – a 1929 Model ‘A’ Ford, Sports Roadster, driven by Mr Wheeler in the film.
“The car in the movie was a Sports Roadster,” he said.
“I have a model of it and based my search off that.”
After four years of trawling American websites and four or five he rejected, Greg found the car in San Diego.
“The car was originally found in an incomplete state in the USA,” he said.
He transported it to Australia and has spent the last four years making it what it is today.
And he used only local businesses to help restore it.
The convertible roadster has a steel body, original 1940 side valve Ford V8, Mustang automatic gear box and Mustang rear end.
But restoring the roof proved difficult.
“Because it was a rear body shape I couldn’t buy a roof, so it had to be custom made,” he said.
“Now, if you look at an original picture of a car in 1929, the roof matches that car perfectly.”
He also has the original 1929 Californian number plates.
The roadster never sits idle for long.
“I just drive it whenever I want to go for a drive,” he said.
Greg often takes the car to work and it’s regularly on the road for hot rod and cruise nights.
In fact, he runs one at his automotive business, LSX Garage, in Pakenham every second Thursday of the month.
“Sometimes we get 50 cars turn up and if the weather is nice, it could be up to 150,” he said.
But one car in his garage is not enough for Greg.
He is currently working on rebuilding a 1946 Chev pick-up truck.