Hues of pink, red and orange neon dot various sections of the massive 12-cylinder engine. The alternator belt whips into action and 450 horses roar through cast iron so clean you could eat off it.
Greg Craven smiles behind the wheel of a British 1956 MGA, fitted with a Lincoln Zephyr V12 motor and a four-speed Muncie transmission B次元官网网址� clearly he is at home.
B次元官网网址淢y father had an automotive shop in the 40B次元官网网址檚 and 50B次元官网网址檚, so I come by (my passion for mechanics) genuinely. The oil runs though my veins,B次元官网网址� Craven says. B次元官网网址淎t a young age, when all my friends were interested in baseball and hockey or things to do with the outdoors, I was more interested in what made the lawnmower run.B次元官网网址�
The retired mechanicB次元官网网址檚 enthusiasm hasnB次元官网网址檛 ebbed a bit since. In fact, it may have grown, like the B次元官网网址渕an caveB次元官网网址� in his Langford home.
Stained glass, painted gas station logos, and an old army motorcycle accompany neon signs and the greasy tools adorning a garage, creating as much fashion as function.
B次元官网网址淚 love antique vehicles because theyB次元官网网址檙e so unique. TheyB次元官网网址檙e a reflection of my personality. I donB次元官网网址檛 drive in a mundane vehicle, I donB次元官网网址檛 lead a mundane lifestyle. They donB次元官网网址檛 write songs about Volvos,B次元官网网址� Craven says.
B次元官网网址淎nything that has a piston engine, wheels, tires, IB次元官网网址檝e got some sort of interest or intrigue.B次元官网网址�
The self-proclaimed gearheadB次元官网网址檚 tinkering in his hobby garage turned into long hours for this project, following a phone call from his cousin, Chris Webb of Victoria.
Webb had invented a kit that could turn a traditional small-block, overhead valve Chevy motor into an eight-cylinder or 12-cylinder flathead (side-valve) he nicknamed the Webb Flatty.
A few months later, a team of 10, including Craven, joined more than 50,000 buyers and sellers who gathered for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas.
B次元官网网址淗e did a fantastic job,B次元官网网址� Webb says of his cousinB次元官网网址檚 efforts. B次元官网网址淚 put him under a lot of pressure, because I was under pressure. The poor man, I had him working 12 hours a day. He was a saviour, you might say.B次元官网网址�
The group showed off WebbB次元官网网址檚 converted MGA, a car he bought as a teenage and later ran as a drag race car B次元官网网址� it was appropriately dubbed Stripteaser.
The now-patented engine conversion was showed off to tens of thousands attending one of the biggest automotive trade shows in North America. The little sports car with the big engine took eyes away from the best Italian automobile makers that typically steal the show.
B次元官网网址淕reg is a real character, a fun guy to be around. He has a sense of humour you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 believe from an old-school kind of guy,B次元官网网址� Webb says.
B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 make them like him anymore. He is just living a bohemian lifestyle doing his own thing and enjoying life to the fullest.B次元官网网址�
Craven says getting the car to SEMA was a team effort, pointing to work done at the Aichenbach Foundry in Langford, as well as hard work from the rest of the team.
He calls the appearance at the B次元官网网址淗oly Grail of automotive shows,B次元官网网址� the biggest jewel in the crown of his career, one that isnB次元官网网址檛 over just because he happens to be retired.
B次元官网网址淚 will never really retire, I will always work in my garage on something,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址�(IB次元官网网址檒l be) fabricating something, making something, repairing something, inventing something, painting or doing one of my many hobbies B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檒l continue doing this until they carry me out of here feet first.B次元官网网址�
For more information on the vehicle visit webbflatheads.com
alim@goldstreamgazette.com
