As the ex director of the Australian Street Rod Federation Kim was no stranger to modified vehicles. In fact he’d owned a 1923 Ford T-bucket for 37 years and all up spent 15 years at the helm of the ASRF.

But while he enjoyed the T-bucket it offered little in the way of luxury and as soon as Kim cruised in the Chevy he knew the T-bucket’s days were numbered.

“I only needed one car,” he admits.

Kim purchased the street rod from a friend in Queensland after falling for the burgundy and white colour scheme

He then sold the T-bucket and set about making the Chev even more usable. He installed Honda Integra seats and had the interior reupholstered in leather. Kim also found a use for the vintage style dials he’d purchased at the LA Roadster Show some years previously and found the perfect one piece windscreen in New York.

Chevrolet built the Master Deluxe from 1933-1942 and it was the more expensive model in the Chevrolet range at the time. There are a number of restored classic models around but the two door coupe is a popular choice for hot rodding.

Kim’s love of street rods began in 1968 when he went to his first car show in Burwood. He has been a member of the Sydney Ltd Street Rodders for 42 years and last month joined the Manning Valley Cruisers.

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To be considered a street rod a car has to have a separate body and chassis that were built before 1949 and be modified for safe road use. A replica of a vehicle can also meet the guidelines as long as it was a recently built replica of the chassis and body of a pre-1949 vehicle. A street rod may be built from the ground up using reproduction parts of a pre-1949 vehicle.

Kim’s car has had a number of modifications over the years including running a 327 cubic inch engine with multi port fuel injection and has a HT Holden front end.

It also, and we’re assured this is a good thing, has an FM radio.

Kim is enjoying the retirement lifestyle and gets out and about in his Chev as often as possible. The car is on full rego, as opposed to club rego which can restrict the use of a vehicle to club sanctioned outings.

And now, after more than 40 years of dedicating himself to street rods, Kim has recently found a new passion.

“I’ve become a woodworker!” He happily reported.

Some months ago Kim joined the Manning Great Lakes Woodworkers based on River Street, Taree and has been turning out wooden bowls ever since. 

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