View towards School	View towards Railway Station	The Dodge Emblem	Kym Wilson
Leather Interior	Radiator / Temp Gauge	Hand Made wood Steering Wheel	Wooden Spoked Wheel
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	En Route	1917 4Cyl Dodge

Restoration of Vintage Vehicles

 By the 1950’s the useful life of a vintage vehicle was nearing its end. The development of modern technology, which occurred after
WW2, saw a vast change in design and usability of the motor vehicle and became within the financial range of many working people.
Therefore the vintage vehicle became obsolete and had little monetary value, so they were either scrapped or abandoned.  

In the 60’s and 70’s a generation of enthusiasts realized the importance the vintage vehicle was to our motoring history and thus began
restoration and preservation of this history. During these 2 decades “driven into the shed” vehicles were complete, plentiful and cheap,
so the restoration of vehicles began. This era also saw a proliferation of Car Clubs being formed to aid the restoration and also provide
opportunities for their use. Many clubs have been formed over the years that cater to the enthusiasts who have become the custodians
of our motoring history. The Clubs offer the opportunity of like-minded people to get together and enjoy their vehicles.

Today to find a “driven into the shed” vehicle is near impossible and if lucky you can find a “bits” vehicle which is missing many parts
and needs full restoration. So to obtain a vintage vehicle today you have to either purchase an existing vehicle or find a “bits” vehicle and
search or manufacture the rest. The are many businesses that focus on specific areas of the restoration that can be approached to help.

The cost of restoration largely depends on the cost of the initial purchase and the amount of work you can do yourself. To fully restore
a vintage vehicle it is a labour of love and is many, many hours work. In most cases the finished vehicle could not be sold for the costs
incurred, but the satisfaction and pleasure derived after completion far outweighs the cost. 

A rough guide to the cost of restoring a vintage vehicle if you carry out the laboring portion and outsource the technical repairs is as follows: -

Mechanical Repairs                              $2000-$3500
Panel repairs/painting                            $3500
Upholstery                                            $4500
Tyres                                                    $1500-$2500
Electrical wiring                                    $1000
Electro plating                                       $1200 

These figures can vary greatly depending on the type of vehicle and rarity of the vehicle being restored. Many good older restorations are
now coming on the market and for many people this is a cheaper and easier way to enter into vintage motoring. But which way you decide
to go vintage motoring, it is strongly advised you join a club. The club, which caters for these vehicles in the Wide Bay, is the
Maryborough District Antique Motor Club, which was formed to cater for pre 1948 vehicles. The members offer a wealth of knowledge,
friendly support, advice and help to anyone restoring a vehicle. Their events also cater for the use and enjoyment of pre 1948 vehicles.
Their monthly meeting is held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Guide hall, 82 North Street Maryborough at 7:30 p.m.
Enquires to the Secretary Ian Fenton         07- 41236440. 

Dodge 4 National Register

The Dodge 4 National register was formed in the 1980’s to compile a list of 4 cylinder Dodge vehicles in Australia and to organise
events where owners of these vehicles can get together and share a common interest. Every second year a 5-day National Event is
conducted in a different state. In recent years in between events have been held in each state. In 2005 the Queensland “Tweenie”
event was conducted on August the 13^th & 14^th in Hervey Bay. Twelve vehicles from Queensland attended and the National convener,
Mr. Cled Davis, drove his Dodge 4 Ute from Bendigo, Victoria. The Hervey Bay Museum was the assembly point for registration and lunch on Saturday.
This was an excellent venue as participants were able to renew acquaintances from past events and also enjoy the many and interesting exhibits
the museum has to offer. It was a thoroughly enjoyable few hours and set the scene for the 2-day event. The vehicles on display encouraged a large
number of the public to view the cars and to enjoy the museum.

As stated this event was a thoroughly enjoyable and very successful with many participants requesting that the 2007 event also be held in Hervey Bay.
Many stayed on to enjoy the other attractions we have to offer here in paradise - Hervey Bay.

 

Contributed by Ken Wells