ULLADULLA residents were in for a treat the day the old 1933 Ford rumbled into town.
On his way back from winning the Rat Trophy at the Tarren Point Rat Rod Day, Andrew Mackay and partner Barb Hogg thought they’d pay Ulladulla CBD a little visit last Thursday.
A museum on wheels – looking like something straight from the Beverley Hillbillies, the old Ford Ute and trailer appeared to be held together by not much more than rust, chicken wire, rope and a prayer.
When owner Andrew manoeuvred his way out from behind the wheel in his green ‘Dog on the Tuckerbox’ singlet, blue jeans, rubber thongs and well-worn Akubra, it was no surprise.
From an old fridge he purchased on e-bay, rusted kerosene lanterns, goats horns and mascot rat to an antiquated metal esky, plucked rubber chicken, hessian bag of aluminium cans, ram’s head and “anything old and rusty I can pick up at swap-meets” the old Ford had it all.
A number of foxtails swung from precarious positions throughout the ute – with Andrew explaining “whenever I see a dead fox on the side of the road, I have to get his tail.”
This “part of Australian history” with its wooden floor boards and corrugated iron roof and a top speed of 45 miles-per-hour, certainly drew some attention as crowds of shoppers and business owners hit the streets to inspect this incredulous contraption.
And it wasn’t only curious onlookers whose attention was drawn to the ‘rusty Ford parts on wheels’.
“NSW Police pulled me over five times on the way up,” Andrew said.
“I was at the Bomaderry Information Centre when this cop came to check it out after receiving a tip-off for an unregistered vehicle.
“He checked out the registration and just shook his head.
“‘I don’t know how you do it,’ he said to me, ‘but I’m outa here’ and he took off.
“Time and again the cops pulled me over and checked out my licence or rego and just shook their heads and left me to it.
“I think it’s just too hard for police,” Andrew laughed.
Andrew, a mechanic by trade and someone who has “been into hot rods for years”, originally bought the Ford from an advertisement for 1933 Ford parts.
“I was gunna do it up as a hot rod, but couldn’t resist leaving it the way it is.
“I got the Ute going and a mate found the trailer for me.”
This young Aussie was mighty proud to be displaying the giant metal rat tied into the rear of the Ute – rightfully won at the Tarren Point Rat Rod Day.
“Whoever wins the rat trophy has to add something to it and bring it back next year to pass on,” Andrew laughed.
And of his journey, from home town Shepparton in Victoria along the coast to Tarren Point NSW, Andrew said there were only three ‘incidences’ – a stop light switch fell off, he lost a tail light and, a minor detail, the wooden floorboards caught fire heading up Kangaroo Valley.
Andrew and Barb described their trip as “just having fun”.
“We’ve got our swags to sleep in, our eskies and a Hurricane lamp and we’re set,” Andrew explained.
“I’ve had it for eight years and have done a lot of weekend trips in it – I will have to return to Tarren Point next year to return the trophy of course.
“The year after, in 2010, its my plan to head to Alice Springs for the fifth year of the truck museum.”