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There's just something about a convoy of beautifully preserved
Customlines coming into town that grabs everyone's attention. On Sunday, March 8th, twelve of the beauties came to Kaniva on the last leg of a seven day odyssey.
The boys and girls of the 49-59 Ford Customline
Club of Victoria were enjoying their "Great Escape 2009" trip, where they get to open up the throttle of these magnificent machines, and Kaniva was most definitely on the agenda.
Seven fantastic days of motoring
saw the team travel from Melbourne, through Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Robe before arriving in Adelaide for the All Ford Day.
Organized by club member Mick Breheny, the return trip just had to include an
overnight stop in Kaniva where big sister Judy Lawson resides with husband Bernie.
Attracting attention all the way, the Club held a display of their vehicles at the Kaniva Monaro Museum on the afternoon of
Sunday, March 8th, and from there it was on to a group gathering for dinner at the Club Hotel, with hosts John and Jacquie.
At breakfast at Judy and Bernie's the next morning, the guys and gals were able to
really relax and tell tall tales and true about their adventure, and I don't know why everyone isn't driving a Customline!
With a hand firmly grasped around a bacon and egg sanga, John Newman, driving a '57
Customline, told of his woes that sorely tested his positive attitude.
Driving from Moruya, on the south coast of New South Wales, John's heartbeat was seriously "escalated" when the bonnet of his car
decided to take flight on the open highway. He managed to secure it before undertaking running repairs at Mick Breheny's Wallan home and rejoining the team. However, overheating problems plagued most of his trip.
"I kissed the grass when we finally got to Adelaide," John said, listing just getting to Adelaide as his biggest achievement for the road trip.
Ray Shalders, travelling with wife Brenda, was enjoying the
socializing with his friends and fellow club mates. They travelled in style in a '58 Star Model Automatic.
The '65 T-Bird belonging to Ken and Shirley Lee was on its first really big outing and handled the miles
effortlessly.
Jim and Helen Pierce's 1956 Fairlane Victoria is their pride and joy, and they reveled in the opportunity to be able to utilize their hobby with fellow enthusiasts.
Phil and Cherie Butt had a bit
of a hard luck story when they were just one traffic light short of their Adelaide destination. The VW travelling behind their '56 Customline failed to stop as well as Phil, but the driver didn't think it would be
too much of a problem as he had "only hit an old car!"
"It's been a fantastic trip," Phil declared. "I've been with the club since 1996 and I reckon it's one of the best organized events we've done, thanks to
Mick and Rob's work in planning things."
Club President Wayne Patterson said that getting his 1957 Mainline Ute out and actually taking it for a spin was one of the biggest thrills for him.
In his '59
Mainline, Ray Kilby was just glad to get some time off work, after working two jobs in his sixties.
"The All Ford Day in Adelaide was fantastic," Ray said. "It was very well organized and at a fantastic venue."
When all the bacon and eggs were gone, and people were starting to feel the pull of the road again, the group came together to say a big thank you to Judy and Bernie Lawson. The Lions Club of Kaniva had helped
out with the breakfast and received nearly one hundred and fifty dollars raised from a raffle and breakfast donations.
With a symphony of car horns signaling their departure, the fleet of Customlines made a fine
vista along the Western Highway, travelling east.
On the road trip: Wayne and June Patterson, Mick and Debbie Breheny, Ray and Brenda Shalders, Ken and Shirley Lee, John Newman, Jim and Helen Pierce, Phil and
Cherie Butt, Ray and Sandra Kilby, Les and Sue Cross, Les and Maureen Horne, Graham and Pam Dahlstrom.
Joe and Linda Faralla couldn't make it as they were unfortunate Kinglake West residents who lost their home
in the fires (but their son Micky managed to save the Customline). Also not able to come were Graedon and Sandra Munro from the bushfire affected area, and club secretary and co-organiser Rob Brereton and his wife
Joan.
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CRUISING: Customline enthusiasts Wayne Paterson, Ray Shalders, Helen Tuo, Mick Breheny, Ray Kilby, Les Cross (back);
Phil Butt, Brenda Shalders, Debbie Breheny, Jim Pierce, Sandra Kilby, John Newman, Graham Dahlstrom (middle);
Cherie Butt, June Paterson, Sue Cross and Pam Dahlstrom, enjoy a break at Bordertown.
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