Manky Monkey Motors

21st NSRA Nostalgia Nationals: 20/06/2014 - 22/06/2014

From their website http://www.shakespearecountyraceway.com/eventdetails.asp?event=97  (as of 16/11/2013)

Twenty years ago in 1993 the first Nostalgia Nationals, supported by the NSRA took place in early April. Twenty one years later its still going strong, and bigger and better than the first.
 
www.nsra.org.uk.

The fifties was the cornerstone for drag racing and it’s events like the Nostalgia Nationals and the Original Hot Rod Drags which help to recreate the golden days of hot rodding on disused airfield’s and the dry lake beds. Where else can you expect to see period Flathead roadsters and coupes, 200 mph blown methanol injected hot rods, ground thumping dragsters, big blocked Fiats and classic blown Willys Coupes? At the Nostalgia Nationals of course!

More than 200 show quality Street Rods and American Muscle Machines are expected to this special NSRA co-ordinated event for three action packed days of 'street legal drag racing’ for pre ’73 high dollar hot rods and big block custom cars that were special before the land went decimal.

Adding spice to the mix will be the high rolling Gasser Circus commonly known as the 'nose high marauders' featuring 'door cars’ from the 40s, 50s and 60s. Along for the ride will be the Flathead Meltdown where side valve engines still reign supreme. And last, but certainly no means least, the full on power from the awesome Outlaw Anglia class and the Supercharged Outlaws will be here to excite and entertain.

Within the ranks of the nostalgia world expect to see a big contingent from the Wild Bunch nostalgia class; a class where front engined 'slingshot' dragster and altereds rule and straight six Jaguars rub shoulders with Buick 'nailheads’ Fords, Chryslers and of course Chevrolet V8’s.

There will be a full trade village selling everything from T-shirts, books, DVDs, models and stickers. Evening entertainment includes bands and a disco both nights in Kenny's Bar.

If you haven't been to this event before and like the idea of seeing what your hot rod will do on the strip then take our advise - you won't get a better opportunity.

Chris, ("Forgotten"), & I drove up to Stratford for this on Sunday. Didn't have my truck finished in time, so we went in my daily driver. A busy meet, with plenty of vehicles running, marred only by the constant down time, caused mainly by cars struggling in the ridiculously hot weather -how often can we say that in this country?! I'm now suffering from major sunburn on the back of my neck. Nice to see my big brother Steve, (Brock), & Lesley, (Black Pig). Unfortunately their new car was still producing teething problems, this time with the high pressure oil pump over filling the rocker covers & blowing oil past the valves & straight out through the exhausts. Not the end of the world, but it meant they couldn't run on the track. The car was getting a lot of attention in the pits though & as Steve & Lesley are now building drag cars for a living, the advertising came in handy.

Steve & Chris with Steve's small block Chevy engined slingshot dragster -all his own work, from the chassis to the paint. Go & order one now.

http://www.fieldcraftfabrication.co.uk/

Two little boys.
Mr Brock & Mr Manky. *sigh* whatever happened to those lads?

I enjoy going to drag meets, but don't really follow the racing -I'm there to look at the cars & enjoy the atmosphere really. So I do the 2 big hotrod drag meets, the Nostalgia Nationals in June & the Hotrod Drags in September. Chris is a wannabe racer though, so I left him chatting to Steve & went for a mooch about with the camera.

It was so hot!

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Intricate header pipes on this T are silver powder coated.

4 wheel drive Cosworth engined Morris Minor.

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Standard estate was fully road legal. Ideal for doing the weekly shop in.

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So, so loud!

Start 'em young. A junior dragster.

Triumph ...Herald? Vitesse?

Straight 6 Jaguar power.

Hillman Avenger bodied "funny Car". I'm told Steve's quoted to build a new chassis for this.

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The super bright sunlight was confusing the auto focus on the camera.

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'68 Dodge Charger. Discussed selling mine to him last year.

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Fancy a go?

El Camino with 1950s air con unit hung on the side window.

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Brit classic. Model Y Ford.

Not so classic Model Y.

Hillman? Built by Ian of Wyliez Autos & on our pitch at the Basingstoke Transport Festival a couple of years ago.

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Trade stalls were mainly selling clothing & magazines. The bigger Hotrod Drags event in September has more car parts for sale.

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Fibreglass bodied, Chevy truck wheeled, Rolls Royce engined tourer is one of my favourites. Now up for sale.

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Absolutely love this Dodge van.

Me too, I have always liked American vans 

I was heavily into custom vans when I was a schoolboy. Got led astray by Ford Pops though when "Pinball Wizard" hit the scene in '74 -now I own one! Making good use of your camera Merv!

Ken Brooks' "Roarin Rat" '57 Chevy. One of the truly legendary 70s survivors. Featured in just about every magazine going in the 70s & still out there, stomping down the track as hard as ever.

The "Gasser Circus" boys.

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This Pop did a massive wheel stand here a couple of years ago, standing nearly vertical as it left the start line. Bust his front axle as it landed. I went to look at the disc brake hubs from it for my own Pop a while later. Didn't buy them, but did have a sit in it.
Now sold on & re-named "Problem Child".

Bike engined slingshot.

Scotty the hotrod haulier's diesel taxi cab engined Chevy sedan.

With the track constantly closing to remove debris or broken down cars, some drivers had to sit, strapped into their cars in full fire suits & helmets & unable to move, for up to half an hour in the sweltering heat.

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Love the airbrushed interior door panels.

Classic drag bikes too. Some of these guys hadn't run at this track since the 70s.

Very tidy resto rod Pop was fresh out & ran turbo diesel power.

Hitching a ride on his son's totrod.

High level exhausts running along the top of the pick-up bed on this Willys truck.

A hotrod & an XS650 Yam, that's what I need.

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Struggling to keep an internet connection tonight, so I'll post the rest tomorrow.  ;)

how do you test drive one of these?
(http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=13468.0;attach=41074;image)
 ;)

very quickly!!!!!  lol

great pics andy.

Beat me to it Chris!  :D
More pics.

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Scruffy Austin A40 gasser was crazy quick.

The green Pop with the rare 3 slot radiator grille's one of my favouritest. Sits just right I think.

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I was chatting to the owner of the black Pop on the right.

Just admiring your seats.
Bet you can't guess what they're from.
Austin 7 Chummy.
Bloody 'ell. How did you know that?!
I've got exactly the same ones in my Pop pick-up. And I'm painting it exactly the same shade of green as your mate's.

Crazy Odgie's, (ex AWOL bike magazine writer), Pop based "Shedster" special.

Austin 12 based pick-up.

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One of 2 "coupe'd" Pops at the meet.

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I do like "long roofs".

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72 year old Arthur Bonner in his'49 "Detroit Spinner" Ford Prefect.
6.8 litres of Pontiac V8 power and runs a Fairbanks gearbox, (thought to be the only one in the world in use apparently).
Chatting to this gent was the highlight of the day for me. I watched him race this very car at the Blackbushe airport drag meets of the late 1970s. He hadn't run at "Shakey" for 30 years. Beats sitting in a care home somewhere. More power to you Sir. One of a whole bunch of survivor race cars being dusted down, refurbished & put back on the track where they belong.

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love that fenderless model a sedan.

that prefect sure is a back seat driver!!!! what a legend still racing at 70!!!

Yup, front doors of the 4 door Prefect have been welded up. I used to have photos of that car, taken on a cheap little 110 Kodak camera when I was about 16. Hasn't changed a bit. Very cool.

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For the 2 wheel fans.

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The sensible people wore hats. I didn't have one.

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The blonde track girl, in the retro 60s gear -that's Kirsten, all the way from Sweden.
She drives this.

Scottie, shading his delicate features from the blazing sun.

"Master of Disaster", minus it's front panels after a disagreement with the crash barrier the day before.

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"Wide Anglia" is a ...widened Ford Anglia/Pop.

Don't think he's gonna win.

Detroit Spinner.

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"No smoking"!

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Can't tell her arse from my elbow.
Just found this pic of me on the Rods n Sods forum -though I'm not sure my elbow was the focus of the photographer's attention.

 ;) Gives us all an idea why you were sat there ( you old perv )  :o ???

 :) The rest of the photos are great  :)

nothing wrong with being an old perv!!!! didn't notice your arm in that pic andy!!!! lol

them shorts look rather short and tight!!!! :o ;D

There's no arm in that. :D

 :) A real shame the photographer didn't get the MMMotors logo on my sleeve in the shot.
A good day's racing.