Modified classics up for auction

The annual Shannons Melbourne Summer Classic Auction will kick off this
year with a number of personalised interpretations of classic cars.

Heading the list is the 1953 Holden FJ, originally built by street machine guru Daryl McBeth in the early 1990s, and judged joint Street Machine of the Year by the magazine of the same name in 1996. The car also featured in the June 1995 issue of Street Machine.

What made it somewhat unusual in the world of street machining was its ability to back up its show with go: The blown 327 Chev V8 powered FJ recorded a standing 400-metre time of 11.9 seconds during its heydays at Calder.

The car has moved on to its third owner since it was created, with a number of changes aimed at making it more street worthy, including the replacement of the 327 Chev V8 with a naturally aspirated 350 Chev V8, a more road-suitable fuel tank, power boost for the four-wheel disc brakes and a set of 17-inch Boyd Coddington wheels.

The expected price range at auction is $48,000 to $54,000, well below the calculated cost of building it today of more than $200,000. Shannons says the FJ could be brought up to show-stopping condition with “very little work”.

Another retro star at the Summer Classic Auction is a modified left hand drive 1951 Ford F1 pickup sporting new bronze paintwork and a worked over 327 Chev V8 that drives to a Ford nine-inch differential via a manual four-speed Muncie gearbox.

The Ford ute is expected to bring between $30,000 to $34,000 at auction and, until recently, when it swapped to Victorian club plates, it was fully registered in NSW where it completed 10,000 trouble-free miles.

An interpretation of local classic is a metallic blue convertible 1964 Ford XP Futura convertible based on the Ford Falcon hardtop sold during the era. The car has an original factory radio, heater and bucket seats, and comes with the “hero” 170 cubic inch Super Pursuit six-cylinder engine driving through a manual three-speed transmission. It is expected to bring between $26,000 and $32,000.

A lovely Clarendon Blue Mark II Jaguar is also going under the hammer. The car has been extensively rebuilt from its origins as a 2.4-litre Mark II with a bare-metal body restoration, chrome wire wheels and an interior with cream Connolly leather and Wilton carpet. Upgraded with a 4.2-litre Jag engine, a manual five-speed Getrag gearbox, power steering and air-conditioning, the Jag is listed with a guiding range of $32,000 to $38,000.

There’s also a red, engineer-built Ford 302 V8 powered Cobra replica which has covered 20,000km since it was completed and is expected to bring between $30,000 and $35,000.

Shannons Melbourne Summer Classic Auction is on Monday December 2 at their Cheltenham showrooms you can view the auction catalogue at www.shannons.com.au

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