Top Secret:
Watts goes undercover.
 Aussie ex-pat Simon Watts was visiting the states recently and sent me his snaps. Cant say where the pics were taken but they show some cool tin.
Pictures and words by Simon himself.


 

It was one hell of a day. After being sworn to secrecy, blindfolded and stuffed into the trunk of Aaron Kahan’s 5 Window, I was finally released outside this non-descript fence. You’d never know by looking at it that there’s literally tons of vintage metal lurking in the dust.


Step inside and you start drooling immediately. Future project ideas start popping into your head faster than you can say “Shit I wish I had money.’ Still, you can take consolation in the fact that just about all of this stuff is spoken for. It’s all destined for customers cars or the personal projects of the two guys who’s shop this is.


Head toward the main workshop and you spot Mark Morton’s 5 window and a barn fresh 34 Three window. Mark’s the guy who produces Hop Up magazine and is resurrecting this ex drag car. Hopefully he’ll leave the battle scars in place. There’s an interesting abrasion across the roof above the passenger window from when the car slid along the dragstrip on it’s side. The 34 is just mint. With well worn paint it’s as straight as an arrow and sports an 8BA in the engine bay.


This is Mark’s 5 window again with the Chevy motor sitting in the Jim “Jake” Jacobs chassis.


Ex Australian 32 roadster was in being built up for some lucky bastard.
This aint the one I showed the photo's of recently is it?...Mart.


Drop dead gorgeous Chopped Merc hiding out with mildly hopped up and beautifully restored 46 Ford. The workmanship and finish on these was incredible.

Storage table and work bench made out of an impeccably chopped Ford coupe with Mercury front sheet metal. The first of many projects of one of the shops owners. You’ll find out why it’s unfinished when you see the next photos. These guys find more amazing stuff than they have time to build. And can never seem to finish something of their own before they find another project. On the day I counted 7 different cars in various states of completion. Mental.


The boys 5 window project. Not to be confused with the 3 window project. Made out of bits of 3 wrecks it’s coming along. Nearby was a sedan body and under covers are 2 more 34 bodies. They’ll get to them one day.


Walk around here for a while and all your well thought out project plans keep getting diverted. This one had me thinking I really wanted to build a chopped closed cab.


Bits anyone? Rear end bottom right is one of two Columbias.


This is an overview of Scott Cuilder’s shop. Scott’s a LA builder renowned for his outstanding work. I can’t decide which I’d rather have. The chopped 40 Merc or the 5 window. Not that it matters, they’re all customers cars. And the number of customers should give you an idea how good his work is. Artist Robert Williams currently has his roadster in there for a complete redo. But it’s top secret, so unfortunately no photos.


I could be wrong but I think this might be Scott’s personal project. And that’s one gorgeous chop.


Resurrected from a decidedly dodgy 70’s rendition of a Kustom, this Mere is now well on it’s way to doing the car justice.


A fresh barn find, (LA’s obviously renowned for it’s barns.) this Model A had some decidedly backyard engineering evident but with a little TLC it’ll be back on the road in no time. It had the craziest lower radiator hose and pipe that came out of the engine, up and over the frame rail to the outside and then back under to the radiator. Mental.
That T-Bird reminds me of how mine used to look...Mart.


It looks so easy doesn’t it. Just lop off the top, whack together some kind of tube frame for a carson top and off you go. If only.

Thanks for the pics, Simon...Mart.

 

All contents property of Martin Holden, Solihull, England.