NZV8: The brief started as a patina truck with modern running gear underneath, and ended up a two-and-a-half-year, no-expense-spared build. Where was the point it turned into something much bigger?
Just after we started! Knowing Patch, and knowing his attention to detail, we all knew it was a matter of time — even though the original scope was just engineering and drivability. By the way, [while it was a big project], it wasn’t actually a no-expense-spared build. We saved and worked together on budget every inch of the way.
Patch gave you and the team room to bring your own ideas to the build. How much of the finished truck is his vision, and how much is Real Rides’?
I think it’s a culmination of Real Rides’ ideas — Patch finds it hard to say no to cool extras, ha ha. But seriously, there was discussion between our team and Patch from well before the build started, and at least weekly from there on in, so there were ideas coming from both sides of the fence.
The tray’s centre section lifts to show the engineering underneath. Whose idea was that, and how much extra work does a feature like that add to a build?
That was my fabricator, Al, after a trip to MotorEx in Oz. We saw a few trucks with lifting lids and thought we should do that. We wanted to do it differently to the rest, and with the timber deck, there was some extra effort required in trying to make it sit in the bed without being noticeable. It was probably the most challenging part of the whole build.
You’ve engineered a 1959 chassis to handle like a modern vehicle. What was the biggest challenge in getting a truck this age to drive the way Patch wanted?
Ride height, adjustable suspension, an independent front end with rack-and-pinion steering, and boxed chassis rails for rigidity — all of those things together help give it the feel.
NZV8: The brief started as a patina truck with modern running gear underneath, and ended up a two-and-a-half-year, no-expense-spared build. Where was the point it turned into something much bigger?
Just after we started! Knowing Patch, and knowing his attention to detail, we all knew it was a matter of time — even though the original scope was just engineering and drivability. By the way, [while it was a big project], it wasn’t actually a no-expense-spared build. We saved and worked together on budget every inch of the way.
Patch gave you and the team room to bring your own ideas to the build. How much of the finished truck is his vision, and how much is Real Rides’?
I think it’s a culmination of Real Rides’ ideas — Patch finds it hard to say no to cool extras, ha ha. But seriously, there was discussion between our team and Patch from well before the build started, and at least weekly from there on in, so there were ideas coming from both sides of the fence.
The LSA went through Prescott Engines before it went into the truck. How closely do you work with an engine builder on a project like this — is it collaborative, or do you hand it over and get it back?
We work with Prescott on a lot of our builds. Discussions are had well before any parts are bought — we decide what we want from an engine, then deliver said engine, and Jason builds it!
Which single piece of bodywork on this truck took the most time, or gave the team the most grief?
Everything took a long time — there are so many pieces to that truck. I’d say the hood, though. It’s finished on both the top side and underside, with a whole second skin.
Two vehicles from Real Rides placed well in the Repco Beach Hop Top 5 Shoot Out the same year, including Patch’s truck. What does that say about how the shop operates?
I don’t know what it says, but it takes full cooperation from the owners, staff, and wives to make it happen. It’s certainly something we’re pretty happy about, and we’re working on the next duo of entrants as we speak.
For someone thinking about a full custom build, what’s the one thing you wish more clients understood before they start?
The time involved has got to be the biggest thing. People are happy to pay for parts, but the labour is more than half the build cost. And no two customers or builds are the same, so quoting is difficult.
What’s next for Real Rides?
Well, we have our 20-year anniversary coming up in September. We’ve got plenty in the pipeline, from cars that are nearly finished all the way through to cars that are booked in with a plan of attack, so we just want to keep the momentum going. We’ve also got a CAD guy on board now, so we’re starting to get into more 3D printing and design work, and keeping an eye on trends from Oz and the USA.
