TALKING CARS AND SIPPING RUM: DES RUSSELL
Driving through Castlemaine you’re quickly taken back to another era. Old bank buildings, churches converted into nurseries and signs reminding you this is ‘Street Rod Centre of Australia’. The perfect residing place for the couple who kickstart pre ’65 hot rod and pre ’84 chopper show, tours and campout, The Boogaloo.
This was the first time I was able to have a proper conversation with Des Russell, without a band blaring beside us or him being called to stage to announce a winner of the ‘People’s Choice Chopper’ award at the show he runs each year.
I arrive at his house with a fire burning out the front of a newly built shed to find he was chopping the grill of his 1928 Model A Ford Roadster. “This is its stage two build,” he says as he points to old photos on the wall of it flying down a dirt road. “I really just want to get it done. Just need to paint it and put some miles on”.
We pour a glass of Kraken and Des starts showing me one of his latest hobbies – upcycling old coins and turning them into rings. “I’m currently working on a couple of wedding rings for a guy overseas”, he explains as he shows me silver vintage coins which have come up pretty great as a result.
Behind him sits an immaculate Shovelhead with a newly installed sissybar and pipes, and we move over to Frankie’s (his four year old daughter’s) car. “Obviously she can’t drive it yet but that doesn’t stop her from telling all her teacher’s at daycare and kinder that she owns a hot rod,” Des laughs. “We started building it two years ago and wanted to emulate 1955 East Coast America, with a big channel over the frame and the roof not chopped”.
You can tell this shed is Des’ zen garden. A place where projects aren’t rushed but rather every little detail tackled individually and done with absolute care.
It was cold outside, but sipping Spiced Rum with Des and chatting about his projects is a bloody good way to spend a winter’s day.
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