And it seems the no-namers stuffed around plenty of others as well, because they’ve since gone out of business. The real credit for the bodywork, including the tremendous two-pack paint, goes to the late Doug Evans, who unfortunately passed away early last year not long after the build was finished.

John says Doug did an exceptional job. To engineer’s requirements the roof chop involved major subframe reinforcement work, door side intrusion beams, a B-pillar shift backwards to accommodate the lengthened doors, and building a neat cubby hole behind the seats for the soft-top storage. Professional-looking touches include chromed strips across the top of the windscreen and behind the quarter vents.

The engine itself is a classic Grey motor with suspected race heritage, although John can’t trace its real history. "It’s an original L motor that was in a mate’s EK, and he used to do wicked burnouts with the thing," John says. " I used to think ’Hey, this is a Grey motor? What’s the story?’ because it idled as smooth as could be yet it hammered like a 149 Red motor."

Melbourne’s Camberwell Motors gave it a new set of rings and a freshen up and John’s delighted with the result. He’s quick to point out the cam’s "warm" and there’s a collectible set of Jack Meyer headers and twin two-inch pipes exiting from a single muffler. Faithful to the period, tyres are skinny

 

13x4.5 Korean built Roadstone whitewalls (let’s see you bag ’em up John!). Just about everything else is stock, right down to the three-on-the tree with non-synchro first gear and an original Astor Air Chief valve radio.

The body moulding kit is an original1950s Tillis Detroit Kit, which you bought and added yourself to your favourite Holden or Vauxhall. John modified it and is happy with the look. "If you cut the roof off an FE, You cut off one of your colours," he says. "It would look like a Ford Anglia. It needed the kit to give it something".

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