Introduction

After playing around with cars for years I've finally taken the plunge and started my own street rod project. I plan to do most of the work myself and I'm looking forward to learning along the way. My vehicle of choice is a 1938 Wolseley 14/60 saloon. I've always been a British car nut, had my first Morris Minor when I was 14 years old. I wanted to build something different to the run of the mill hot-rods out there. My main design criteria is for the project to be a "resto rod", basically looking as close to original as practical, with modern running gear. I love 1930's design and want to retain the original overall appearance. My preference for an engine is to use a V8. I can't help myself, I just love V8 engines - always have.

I found my perfect car on eBay, it was a "barn find" of sorts, the previous owner purchased it from a barn with intentions of one day doing it up - but it sat relatively untouched and unfortunately became part of a deceased estate. The vehicle was without an engine or gearbox or interior. A perfect candidate for my project, I'd feel guilty modifying such a rare vehicle if a full restoration was possible, but given the lack of engine and gearbox, a restoration was not on the cards for me.

So after winning the online auction I had to travel the 2,400 km round trip to pick her up from South Australia! I live in the Blue Mountains/Central West NSW, around 120 km west of Sydney. I did the trip in three days - it was a bit tiring but a very enjoyable and interesting drive.

Just as an explanation, here is what a complete Wolseley 14/60 looks like: