Wandering around EPIC while this event is on is a total sensory overload. The menacing sound of lumpy cams as the cars whomp whomp up the road and cruise past you at the Summernats imposed 10 km limit... whomp whomping into the distance, blown engines whirring at frequencies dogs run away from, burnouts reaching an orgasmic crescendo as first one then the other tyres explode, showering the exultant crowd with rubber strips, the smell of burning rubber, different burnt fuels, unburnt fuel etc, the visual assault of metallic and flaked paints, flamed cars, 80's pastels, matt, satin and gloss black. Big, small, twisted and stretched metal. Fiberglass and plastic formed into shapes no manufacturers design studio and their pince-nez wearing beancounter controllers would ever sign off on. Ideas from 1960 exaggerated and caricatured by blokes in a garage in suburban Oz. Cars that blokes thought of during maths class 30 years ago and doodled on their textbooks finally realised in metal, paint and rubber. Amazing.
Summernats breeds its own peculiar type of cruising vehicle. Take a 4 door sedan or wagon, chop the roof off, weld up the doors, paint it gaudily and add something to make it stand out, like say shade umbrellas.... check, check, check, check, and check. Welcome to summernats cruising sir.
Now thats a blower setup.
No shit Sherlock!
Thats an XB Coupe in there somewhere. This is an alternative fuel drag car. I think.
Security Sombrero
Victr Brays historic drag racing 57 Chevy.
If someone built a model of this in 1:18, I'd buy it.
Out onto the oval, plenty of choice cars all polished and detailed to death.
Except perhaps this one.
Beautiful paint and finish on this FJ Ute
Its all in the details
Photos dont really do some of these cars justice, you really needed to see this Corvette in the flesh.
70'/80's custom touch in the dual Statesman grille and Chev badge
This Landau would have to take my prize for top Ford at Summernats. I asked why he left the trim and C pillar badge off - he didn't want to ruin the lines of the shell. Notice the perfect paint and lack of vinyl roof. Hope he won something.
The owner had gone to a lot of trouble to get symmetry in the engine bay just right. Twin breathers off the rocker covers looked really good. Neat visual trick.
Stance was just right.
Crowd and entrant numbers seemed to be down by my rough visual estimate.
Saw this Cortina cruising later on - it looked and sounded mean.
I like how the owner has kept the original 60's wheeltrack.
Isnt this a cool angle?
Really nice 57 Bel Air Sedan Delivery.
Chargers were thin on the ground this year
Lots of one tonners though
This HD was very clever. 350 Chev V8 conversion.
See the brake booster to the left of the radiator. Clever use of space in the engine bay.
And the cleverest anti-theft device I have ever seen!
A handful of Capris cruising around. None with the stock 4 or v6.
Once again, photos dont do the paint justice.
Very few Au XR8's.
or XR8 Sprints - only one i saw.
Interesting colour combo. lack of spoilers, wings etc makes the less is more point.
Except under the bonnet.
Very clean XA Falcon Coupe
Isn't it interesting that removing all the trim and badges makes the design of the car take over the visual assessment. When will manufacturers learn this?
Batmobiles also underrepresented. RIP Tom Walkinshaw.
Black V8 Humpy!
This HQ Monaro reinforces my lack of badge/trim view.
This AU XR8 takes my paint award.
How did he get this effect ? First the car was painted in orange, several coats. Then over a period of six months he used screwed up plastic bags and glad wrap to lay the metallic paint effect over the orange. Then he sprayed ten coats of clear, with metal flake in it, over the orange and metallic - and its never been buffed. This car glowed and attracted the crowds - based on its paint.
I really liked this XE - in Greenstuf green, I reckon the drag chute just makes this car.
Make sure you visit again for the rest of my Summernats 2011 photo essay.
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