Australian National Show and Shine Euroa - Sunday October 2024
The Show and Shine event is on the Banks of the Seven Creeks - Clifton Street, Euroa
Interests in cars - Spotlight on John Mason, was previous Event Director
I have always been interested in cars and things mechanical. My first memory of cars is waiting for my father to bring home his new (2nd hand) car, I remember my mother describing it to me and to look out for a big car. Well it was big all right, spare wheels on the running boards and an extra row of seats folded into the back of the front seat and the name emblazoned on it, “Packard”.
Our parents had just sold their grocery store business and we were packing up in Adelaide and moving to a small town in the Flinders Ranges called Quorn where they had purchased the Austral Hotel where we lived for 5 years.
In Quorn I remember visiting a farm where the farmer started his tractor using a shotgun cartridge, and he owned a big Ford Mainline utility and all his kids used to ride in the back while mum and pop rode in the front. From the farm back to town was all dirt tracks and dirt roads, to pass the time us boys used to hang onto the tailgate and put our feet down onto the dirt road and ski for some fun, all went well until one time a car came up behind us and the driver saw what was going on and pulled over the farmer and told him what we were doing. Boy did we get into trouble!
My next encounter with a special car was when I was at primary School in Brisbane and the State Premier visited. While everybody was making a fuss over the Premier I snuck off and met his chauffeur who showed me over the black Rolls Royce. Well I grew up and at sixteen I purchased my first car, a Renault 4cv. This was a great little car to learn to drive in. We had a paddock at the edge of the suburb (Edithvale in Melbourne) where we could hoon around and no one bothered us. I had painted the car and had it running perfectly when a friend asked for a drive. Well, we only managed to negotiate halfway around the paddock before it was sitting on its roof in a cloud of dust and that was the end of my first car.
Breakdowns in unlikely places
Just after I obtained my licence in 1968 I headed off in my FJ Holden on holidays to have a look at Australia. Leaving Mildura I was heading towards Broken Hill in NSW, and was nearly half way there when my engine developed a strange noise, after a few seconds my engine failed and I pulled off the side of the road. The Silver City Highway can be a lonely place, especially in 1968. After checking the engine I found that the timing gear on the cam shaft had failed. The next car to come along stopped and ended up towing me to a fuel stop halfway between the two towns. When I say fuel stop I mean a tin shed where a lady would fill cars from 44 gallon drums.
I left my car in her care and hitch-hiked to Broken Hill where I stayed overnight before purchasing the specialist tools I needed as well as the parts for the repairs. I remember sitting on the highway and using its surface as a workbench chiselling the broken fibre gear off the camshaft before reassembling and continuing on my way.
Another time we were stuck was in 1986 and I owned an FJ40 SWB Landcruiser. We were on our way to Ivanhoe NSW and were halfway between Balranald and Ivanhoe. This is a very lonely place to break down because back then it was a dirt track and the two towns are 220 kilometres apart and it is especially lonely at 2am. The fan belt had broken and I did not have a spare. We found an old truck tube on the side of the road and cut large rubber bands from it and fitted one as a fan belt. We found that we could only idle along at 20kph before it would break. It was a full moon and there was definitely no other traffic, in fact it could be a couple of days before another car came along.
So with the full moon we could see so we did not need headlights so my two passengers sat on the bull bar with the bonnet up, I had my head out the drivers window so I could see where I was going and they took turns spinning the fan so the water pump was turning and we could achieve 40kmh before the engine started to get to hot. And that is how we arrived at Belleview Station the next morning to visit our friends for the weekend.
First job, starting in 1964
I started my first job at 14 in the centre of Melbourne and while I was out one day I noticed this beautiful car parked in Market Lane. I had not seen anything like this before even the manufacturer was strange. The year would have been about 1966 and I believe it was an Isuzu Bellet GT. I went from being a messenger boy and trainee typewriter mechanic to working at Highett in 1967 where I initially started working in a service station pumping petrol and doing lubes to then moving into the workshop at the rear panel beating and spray painting. While I was at Highett I obtained my drivers licence and purchased my first road car an FJ Holden, which on my poor wage I struggled to keep fuel up to. From the FJ I moved onto FC, EK and EJ Holdens.
I have always been interested in cars and things mechanical. My first memory of cars is waiting for my father to bring home his new (2nd hand) car, I remember my mother describing it to me and to look out for a big car. Well it was big all right, spare wheels on the running boards and an extra row of seats folded into the back of the front seat and the name emblazoned on it, “Packard”.
Our parents had just sold their grocery store business and we were packing up in Adelaide and moving to a small town in the Flinders Ranges called Quorn where they had purchased the Austral Hotel where we lived for 5 years.
In Quorn I remember visiting a farm where the farmer started his tractor using a shotgun cartridge, and he owned a big Ford Mainline utility and all his kids used to ride in the back while mum and pop rode in the front. From the farm back to town was all dirt tracks and dirt roads, to pass the time us boys used to hang onto the tailgate and put our feet down onto the dirt road and ski for some fun, all went well until one time a car came up behind us and the driver saw what was going on and pulled over the farmer and told him what we were doing. Boy did we get into trouble!
My next encounter with a special car was when I was at primary School in Brisbane and the State Premier visited. While everybody was making a fuss over the Premier I snuck off and met his chauffeur who showed me over the black Rolls Royce. Well I grew up and at sixteen I purchased my first car, a Renault 4cv. This was a great little car to learn to drive in. We had a paddock at the edge of the suburb (Edithvale in Melbourne) where we could hoon around and no one bothered us. I had painted the car and had it running perfectly when a friend asked for a drive. Well, we only managed to negotiate halfway around the paddock before it was sitting on its roof in a cloud of dust and that was the end of my first car.
Breakdowns in unlikely places
Just after I obtained my licence in 1968 I headed off in my FJ Holden on holidays to have a look at Australia. Leaving Mildura I was heading towards Broken Hill in NSW, and was nearly half way there when my engine developed a strange noise, after a few seconds my engine failed and I pulled off the side of the road. The Silver City Highway can be a lonely place, especially in 1968. After checking the engine I found that the timing gear on the cam shaft had failed. The next car to come along stopped and ended up towing me to a fuel stop halfway between the two towns. When I say fuel stop I mean a tin shed where a lady would fill cars from 44 gallon drums.
I left my car in her care and hitch-hiked to Broken Hill where I stayed overnight before purchasing the specialist tools I needed as well as the parts for the repairs. I remember sitting on the highway and using its surface as a workbench chiselling the broken fibre gear off the camshaft before reassembling and continuing on my way.
Another time we were stuck was in 1986 and I owned an FJ40 SWB Landcruiser. We were on our way to Ivanhoe NSW and were halfway between Balranald and Ivanhoe. This is a very lonely place to break down because back then it was a dirt track and the two towns are 220 kilometres apart and it is especially lonely at 2am. The fan belt had broken and I did not have a spare. We found an old truck tube on the side of the road and cut large rubber bands from it and fitted one as a fan belt. We found that we could only idle along at 20kph before it would break. It was a full moon and there was definitely no other traffic, in fact it could be a couple of days before another car came along.
So with the full moon we could see so we did not need headlights so my two passengers sat on the bull bar with the bonnet up, I had my head out the drivers window so I could see where I was going and they took turns spinning the fan so the water pump was turning and we could achieve 40kmh before the engine started to get to hot. And that is how we arrived at Belleview Station the next morning to visit our friends for the weekend.
First job, starting in 1964
I started my first job at 14 in the centre of Melbourne and while I was out one day I noticed this beautiful car parked in Market Lane. I had not seen anything like this before even the manufacturer was strange. The year would have been about 1966 and I believe it was an Isuzu Bellet GT. I went from being a messenger boy and trainee typewriter mechanic to working at Highett in 1967 where I initially started working in a service station pumping petrol and doing lubes to then moving into the workshop at the rear panel beating and spray painting. While I was at Highett I obtained my drivers licence and purchased my first road car an FJ Holden, which on my poor wage I struggled to keep fuel up to. From the FJ I moved onto FC, EK and EJ Holdens.
In 1971 I spotted a damaged VC Valiant Regal with low mileage at a car yard in Frankston and after some hard negotiation I not only purchased the car but with my panel beating background was offered the job as yard manager of a new car yard they were opening up. I spent 12 months at the car yard organising the detailing and repairs on the large turnover of vehicles that went through the dealership as they sold Daihatsu and Saab as well as used cars. This job exposed me to a myriad of cars as I took home a different car every night including 327 Holden Monaros, GT Falcons and Mazda rotarys. The Sales Manager and I hit it off and became friends. This was my first exposure to marketing and I remember at different times having camels, donkeys and an elephant at the dealership. This increased sales dramatically and I was hooked on marketing and promotions.
Working at the Steelworks in Hastings (BHP) in 1974
After 12 months at the car yard (I was the longest serving employee by far with some salesman only staying a few weeks) I was very fortunate to land a job at the new steelworks at Hastings which later became owned by BHP. I started in the warehouse and I was trained to drive massive vehicles including 30 tonne forklifts, a prime mover and trailer combination rated at 110 tonnes and overhead cranes but I was only there for a short while when I left to work with my friend the sales manager. He was gambling heavily at the time and all of a sudden he caught a plane out of Australia because his creditors were after him and I believe a contract had been placed on him.
As luck would have it BHP took me back, but as there were no vacancies in the warehouse they placed me in the Technical Department that was the laboratories and testing of the products. After two years I was asked if I would be willing to undergo training and be promoted to staff, this also meant a hefty pay rise. I spent two years full time training through the American Institute of Metals and at the end of the two years I was promoted to Laboratory Supervisor. This period was an awakening for me as I now spent all my time with staff who had degrees or doctorates and it gave me a totally different outlook on life.
I also became an expert on car body steel. During this time we had quite a few different cars. When I first went back to BHP I borrowed an old Valiant AP5 auto sedan from a friend at a car yard. My friend foolishly thought that I only needed it for a day or two and after several weeks he enquired as to the whereabouts of his car, so rather than be without a car and to keep him happy I gave him the trade value in a cash buy and that became a long association with this car. I resprayed it the original boring grey and fitted wider wheels and tyres and eventually the motor seized and enquiring locally at an engine rebuilders the only slant six motor they had was an engine he had rebuilt to exacting specifications for his own car.
After some fast talking and persuasion I managed to acquire this engine and swapped it over. During this period I also acquired a HJ four door Monaro 308 V8, which was finished in badly oxidised silver with the herringbone seats with the red stripe. Across the road from our house lived a final year apprentice in spray-painting who took the car and refinished it to a very high standard. We only had this Monaro for a short time before we resold it. A friend had a Valiant VH 265 Pacer for sale very cheap so we purchased it and sold the AP5 to another friend, the VH Pacer was a very unbalanced car to drive and a disaster waiting to happen on wet roads. This car suffered from massive oversteer, the rear would break away without warning even in straight line driving and it was very dangerous for novice drivers, so much so my wife refused to drive it after several scares so we sold it and purchased our beloved AP5 back.
We ended up having this AP5 for many years. Another car I purchased during my time at BHP was a Toyota Crown with a stuffed motor so I purchased a conversion kit from the Castlemaine Rod Shop and fitted a Holden 186 into it. On night shift in the laboratories I would often put my car in the back of the laboratory and work on it all night as I was a supervisor and was not allowed to work. I had a great crew who knew their work and basically I would write a report at the end of the shift. My off-sider on shift was an industrial chemist and his dream was to become a professional golfer so he would bed down in his sleeping bag shortly after arriving for work and I would wake him at 6am so he could write up his report then he could head off and play golf all day.
Working at the Steelworks in Hastings (BHP) in 1974
After 12 months at the car yard (I was the longest serving employee by far with some salesman only staying a few weeks) I was very fortunate to land a job at the new steelworks at Hastings which later became owned by BHP. I started in the warehouse and I was trained to drive massive vehicles including 30 tonne forklifts, a prime mover and trailer combination rated at 110 tonnes and overhead cranes but I was only there for a short while when I left to work with my friend the sales manager. He was gambling heavily at the time and all of a sudden he caught a plane out of Australia because his creditors were after him and I believe a contract had been placed on him.
As luck would have it BHP took me back, but as there were no vacancies in the warehouse they placed me in the Technical Department that was the laboratories and testing of the products. After two years I was asked if I would be willing to undergo training and be promoted to staff, this also meant a hefty pay rise. I spent two years full time training through the American Institute of Metals and at the end of the two years I was promoted to Laboratory Supervisor. This period was an awakening for me as I now spent all my time with staff who had degrees or doctorates and it gave me a totally different outlook on life.
I also became an expert on car body steel. During this time we had quite a few different cars. When I first went back to BHP I borrowed an old Valiant AP5 auto sedan from a friend at a car yard. My friend foolishly thought that I only needed it for a day or two and after several weeks he enquired as to the whereabouts of his car, so rather than be without a car and to keep him happy I gave him the trade value in a cash buy and that became a long association with this car. I resprayed it the original boring grey and fitted wider wheels and tyres and eventually the motor seized and enquiring locally at an engine rebuilders the only slant six motor they had was an engine he had rebuilt to exacting specifications for his own car.
After some fast talking and persuasion I managed to acquire this engine and swapped it over. During this period I also acquired a HJ four door Monaro 308 V8, which was finished in badly oxidised silver with the herringbone seats with the red stripe. Across the road from our house lived a final year apprentice in spray-painting who took the car and refinished it to a very high standard. We only had this Monaro for a short time before we resold it. A friend had a Valiant VH 265 Pacer for sale very cheap so we purchased it and sold the AP5 to another friend, the VH Pacer was a very unbalanced car to drive and a disaster waiting to happen on wet roads. This car suffered from massive oversteer, the rear would break away without warning even in straight line driving and it was very dangerous for novice drivers, so much so my wife refused to drive it after several scares so we sold it and purchased our beloved AP5 back.
We ended up having this AP5 for many years. Another car I purchased during my time at BHP was a Toyota Crown with a stuffed motor so I purchased a conversion kit from the Castlemaine Rod Shop and fitted a Holden 186 into it. On night shift in the laboratories I would often put my car in the back of the laboratory and work on it all night as I was a supervisor and was not allowed to work. I had a great crew who knew their work and basically I would write a report at the end of the shift. My off-sider on shift was an industrial chemist and his dream was to become a professional golfer so he would bed down in his sleeping bag shortly after arriving for work and I would wake him at 6am so he could write up his report then he could head off and play golf all day.
12 months leave of absence
After eight years with BHP and laboratory work I managed to wrangle 12 months leave of absence and I took the family to far western NSW and a sheep station called Peneena Station Ivanhoe, which we managed for twelve months. This was a huge adventure for us all. We had a radio and airstrip for the flying doctor, generated our own power and had 165 square kilometres to get lost in and about eight thousand sheep to look after. Our driveway was 30 kilometres long and it was so quiet you could hear the Indian Pacific train go past 40 kilometres away.
My wife home schooled the children and I was out every day keeping an eye on the stock and doing repairs around the station. We were given a little Suzuki 4wd to use and thoroughly enjoyed our twelve months in the outback. I remember one instance of going shopping in Mildura, I had a HJ Holden Premier at the time and our cruising speed on the dirt roads used to be around 120 – 140 kilometres an hour. Well the road was rough and we pulled over and I removed the front shock absorbers as they had been ripped apart by the pounding.
Started new business venture after leaving BHP in 1983
At the end of this twelve month period we came back to Melbourne but I could not face going back to being indoors in a laboratory so we decided to start up our own business. We started a made to measure steel security door business and this was successful from day one and shortly after I took in a partner because business was so brisk. At the time our company car and delivery vehicle was a Valiant AP5 station wagon with a push button auto, boy was it thirsty! After twelve months persevering with the Valiant we sold it and bought a new diesel Toyota Hilux 4wd, which we used for two years and never had anything go wrong with it.
After two years we were driving past a Ford dealership in Berwick and they had a Ford Falcon XF S pack ute in the showroom, red in colour and very eye catching. We sold the Toyota Hilux privately and purchased the red XF Falcon ute. One week later we had a foolscap page of problems with the car and the problems included the accelerator pedal falling off, clutch pedal snapping off, fatigue cracks in the firewall from the clutch pedal and a myriad number of other problems.
After five years in the security door business I bought out my then partner and took in another partner and expanded into alarm systems. We now had a much expanded workforce, new larger premises and we purchased our first Mitsubishi Magna Elite sedan. We had a very good run with these cars, at one stage having three or four as company vehicles. I remember one time when the falcon ute was not going and we had a two tonne load to tow and being stuck I hooked up the magna sedan to the trailer. I had heard so much hype about front wheel drive cars were no good for towing but to my surprise the magna towed better than the falcon ute.
After eight years of security doors we ended up as the second largest installer of security doors in Victoria and the largest installer of domestic alarms. A lot of this success was due to promotions we carried out at shopping centres using beautiful models and aggressive sales techniques, loved the marketing and promotions! We sold our business in 1989 as my wife and I needed a break and a change.
Panel Beating
During this break which lasted for about four years I took up panel beating again working from home as we had 3.5 acres in Frankston South. I was rebuilding write offs especially head-ons in the Nissan Pulsars and I was obtaining short front sections from Japan. I had a waiting list for these cars as they were repaired to a very high standard. During this time I had been driving past a derelict car parked on a nature strip, it was a Ford Escort Ghia auto with the overhead cam 2 litre engine and unmarked black velour interior. I ended up purchasing this car for $200 and about 5 weeks later it was sold for $5000. I had cut out the rust and welded new sections in it and sprayed it in a mid metallic silver and put second hand Pirotta mags on it. It came up an absolute treat and the young guy that bought it was rapt.
After eight years with BHP and laboratory work I managed to wrangle 12 months leave of absence and I took the family to far western NSW and a sheep station called Peneena Station Ivanhoe, which we managed for twelve months. This was a huge adventure for us all. We had a radio and airstrip for the flying doctor, generated our own power and had 165 square kilometres to get lost in and about eight thousand sheep to look after. Our driveway was 30 kilometres long and it was so quiet you could hear the Indian Pacific train go past 40 kilometres away.
My wife home schooled the children and I was out every day keeping an eye on the stock and doing repairs around the station. We were given a little Suzuki 4wd to use and thoroughly enjoyed our twelve months in the outback. I remember one instance of going shopping in Mildura, I had a HJ Holden Premier at the time and our cruising speed on the dirt roads used to be around 120 – 140 kilometres an hour. Well the road was rough and we pulled over and I removed the front shock absorbers as they had been ripped apart by the pounding.
Started new business venture after leaving BHP in 1983
At the end of this twelve month period we came back to Melbourne but I could not face going back to being indoors in a laboratory so we decided to start up our own business. We started a made to measure steel security door business and this was successful from day one and shortly after I took in a partner because business was so brisk. At the time our company car and delivery vehicle was a Valiant AP5 station wagon with a push button auto, boy was it thirsty! After twelve months persevering with the Valiant we sold it and bought a new diesel Toyota Hilux 4wd, which we used for two years and never had anything go wrong with it.
After two years we were driving past a Ford dealership in Berwick and they had a Ford Falcon XF S pack ute in the showroom, red in colour and very eye catching. We sold the Toyota Hilux privately and purchased the red XF Falcon ute. One week later we had a foolscap page of problems with the car and the problems included the accelerator pedal falling off, clutch pedal snapping off, fatigue cracks in the firewall from the clutch pedal and a myriad number of other problems.
After five years in the security door business I bought out my then partner and took in another partner and expanded into alarm systems. We now had a much expanded workforce, new larger premises and we purchased our first Mitsubishi Magna Elite sedan. We had a very good run with these cars, at one stage having three or four as company vehicles. I remember one time when the falcon ute was not going and we had a two tonne load to tow and being stuck I hooked up the magna sedan to the trailer. I had heard so much hype about front wheel drive cars were no good for towing but to my surprise the magna towed better than the falcon ute.
After eight years of security doors we ended up as the second largest installer of security doors in Victoria and the largest installer of domestic alarms. A lot of this success was due to promotions we carried out at shopping centres using beautiful models and aggressive sales techniques, loved the marketing and promotions! We sold our business in 1989 as my wife and I needed a break and a change.
Panel Beating
During this break which lasted for about four years I took up panel beating again working from home as we had 3.5 acres in Frankston South. I was rebuilding write offs especially head-ons in the Nissan Pulsars and I was obtaining short front sections from Japan. I had a waiting list for these cars as they were repaired to a very high standard. During this time I had been driving past a derelict car parked on a nature strip, it was a Ford Escort Ghia auto with the overhead cam 2 litre engine and unmarked black velour interior. I ended up purchasing this car for $200 and about 5 weeks later it was sold for $5000. I had cut out the rust and welded new sections in it and sprayed it in a mid metallic silver and put second hand Pirotta mags on it. It came up an absolute treat and the young guy that bought it was rapt.
Starting a Limo Business in 1994
After having a break for several years and trying different things one day our daughter announced that she was hiring a limo for her school deb. I did not see the limo but asked her about it and she said she had a lot of trouble hiring one as there were not many around. My ears pricked up at this and over the next two weeks I researched stretch limos and found there was only seven stretch limos in Melbourne. Two weeks later we bought a stretch limo business and one limo and we were back in business. For the first two years we made steady wages but the limos sat around most of the week not working.
It was by chance that I found out about the World Limo Expo in Las Vegas. I ended up going with our mechanic friend and I spent days at the venue going to seminars on marketing and promoting your business and I came home a changed person. We purchased new limos and ended up doing funerals all week then debs, weddings and parties at the weekends. Our limo business really took off and the next year I was back in Las Vegas this time with my wife and we were hooked on achieving the best for our business.
Stripping new Ford Fairlanes and the Logies
We purchased new Ford Fairlanes and took them to Adelaide where they were totally stripped to a bare body shell and cut in half. Believe me it is very daunting to see your new car stripped and cut in half. They were extended so that 10 people could sit in the back and fitted with all the usual limo fare such as a large bar, dual a/c, tv, mirror ceiling etc. They were also upgraded at this stage from Fairlanes to LTDs. I loved the occasions when we were at a celebrity function and you are with your new limo in a new suit and chauffers cap playing the part.
The Logies were a favourite and we worked exclusively with channel 9. We also had approximately 80% of the funeral industry work for stretch limousines in Melbourne and some days we had up to nine limos working on funerals. Several occasions come to mind while I am writing this, about two years after we started with the stretch limos I had a wedding party hopping into our six seat NA Fairlane stretch limo when one of the ladies spoke to me as she hopped into the car. She said “It is so nice hopping into a beautiful new car”, I walked around to the drivers door and as I hopped into the drivers seat I glanced at the odometer, 618,000 klms. It just proves that keeping your vehicles to a very high standard pays off.
Another time while driving the AU 10 seater I put it in reverse and it failed to engage. This was disappointing as the car only had 115,000 kms on it. So I was immediately on the phone to numerous auto transmission repairers who all said “bring it in and we’ll have a look at it”. This I was loathe to do as with the car off the road it was probably worth more in lost earnings than fitting a new gearbox. I then rang the limo builder in Adelaide who was also a wrecker and a major service centre for Adelaide taxis and he told me the problem was with the T5 solenoid in the gearbox.
As the next day was Anzac Day and I had no bookings I asked if he was working and he said yes so I arranged for a bed at his house for the night and headed for Adelaide. When the sump was taken off the auto it had brass flakes in the oil, this meant the cooling tube in the bottom of the radiator had failed. As luck would have it he had a brand new Fairlane with transit damage that was to be wrecked and I ended up with a new gearbox, radiator, power steering pump and new brakes for $1450 all up, and I was back home in bed by midnight in Melbourne with no downtime lost.
Experiences in a stretched Limo
Something that pops up if you are at a gathering and you mention you have stretch limos is that people ask you has anyone ever had sex in the back while I was driving. Now I ask back if they could be more specific as to hetrosexual, gay etc because it happened so often and believe me people are not bashful especially if they have had a few drinks. The way I looked at it was it was a very expensive motel room at $300 an hour whilst they could get a good motel room back then for $100 a night. If you go into the stretch limo business you need a very strong marriage and need to have that absolute trust.
It was not uncommon to see topless, bottomless or naked women in the back of the limo or topless women standing out of the sunroof. I also carried an extensive cleaning kit that could handle vomit, dog shit carried in on shoes, spillages and the aftermath of passion.
After having a break for several years and trying different things one day our daughter announced that she was hiring a limo for her school deb. I did not see the limo but asked her about it and she said she had a lot of trouble hiring one as there were not many around. My ears pricked up at this and over the next two weeks I researched stretch limos and found there was only seven stretch limos in Melbourne. Two weeks later we bought a stretch limo business and one limo and we were back in business. For the first two years we made steady wages but the limos sat around most of the week not working.
It was by chance that I found out about the World Limo Expo in Las Vegas. I ended up going with our mechanic friend and I spent days at the venue going to seminars on marketing and promoting your business and I came home a changed person. We purchased new limos and ended up doing funerals all week then debs, weddings and parties at the weekends. Our limo business really took off and the next year I was back in Las Vegas this time with my wife and we were hooked on achieving the best for our business.
Stripping new Ford Fairlanes and the Logies
We purchased new Ford Fairlanes and took them to Adelaide where they were totally stripped to a bare body shell and cut in half. Believe me it is very daunting to see your new car stripped and cut in half. They were extended so that 10 people could sit in the back and fitted with all the usual limo fare such as a large bar, dual a/c, tv, mirror ceiling etc. They were also upgraded at this stage from Fairlanes to LTDs. I loved the occasions when we were at a celebrity function and you are with your new limo in a new suit and chauffers cap playing the part.
The Logies were a favourite and we worked exclusively with channel 9. We also had approximately 80% of the funeral industry work for stretch limousines in Melbourne and some days we had up to nine limos working on funerals. Several occasions come to mind while I am writing this, about two years after we started with the stretch limos I had a wedding party hopping into our six seat NA Fairlane stretch limo when one of the ladies spoke to me as she hopped into the car. She said “It is so nice hopping into a beautiful new car”, I walked around to the drivers door and as I hopped into the drivers seat I glanced at the odometer, 618,000 klms. It just proves that keeping your vehicles to a very high standard pays off.
Another time while driving the AU 10 seater I put it in reverse and it failed to engage. This was disappointing as the car only had 115,000 kms on it. So I was immediately on the phone to numerous auto transmission repairers who all said “bring it in and we’ll have a look at it”. This I was loathe to do as with the car off the road it was probably worth more in lost earnings than fitting a new gearbox. I then rang the limo builder in Adelaide who was also a wrecker and a major service centre for Adelaide taxis and he told me the problem was with the T5 solenoid in the gearbox.
As the next day was Anzac Day and I had no bookings I asked if he was working and he said yes so I arranged for a bed at his house for the night and headed for Adelaide. When the sump was taken off the auto it had brass flakes in the oil, this meant the cooling tube in the bottom of the radiator had failed. As luck would have it he had a brand new Fairlane with transit damage that was to be wrecked and I ended up with a new gearbox, radiator, power steering pump and new brakes for $1450 all up, and I was back home in bed by midnight in Melbourne with no downtime lost.
Experiences in a stretched Limo
Something that pops up if you are at a gathering and you mention you have stretch limos is that people ask you has anyone ever had sex in the back while I was driving. Now I ask back if they could be more specific as to hetrosexual, gay etc because it happened so often and believe me people are not bashful especially if they have had a few drinks. The way I looked at it was it was a very expensive motel room at $300 an hour whilst they could get a good motel room back then for $100 a night. If you go into the stretch limo business you need a very strong marriage and need to have that absolute trust.
It was not uncommon to see topless, bottomless or naked women in the back of the limo or topless women standing out of the sunroof. I also carried an extensive cleaning kit that could handle vomit, dog shit carried in on shoes, spillages and the aftermath of passion.
Selling the Lmo business
After being in the limousine industry for nine years, one day I was sitting in gridlocked traffic on the Monash Freeway when my mobile phone rang. It was a competitor asking if I would be interested in selling our business and then it was suddenly three months later and we were retired.
During our time in the limo business I purchased a 1930 Chevrolet 5AD sedan of museum quality that was shipped to Adelaide and at great expense turned into a very desirable stretch limousine. This was a magnificent car but two weeks prior to us taking delivery we had changed our business plans and I sold it to the limo manufacturer. He was going to ship it to Hong Kong for use as a hotel car but friends of ours heard about what we had done and went to Adelaide and purchased the Chevrolet. It is still working in Melbourne. My wife cried for weeks when I sold the Chevrolet it was that beautiful.
Touring Australia
After the limos we had a series of Nissan Navara 4wds while we toured Australia then a new Range Rover Sport V8 diesel and the current car we have? A Ford Falcon FG-X G6E, which as it turns out, is a pre-production car and will probably end up in somebody’s collection. I normally drive a Falcon BF2 RTV ute that is pretty old and battered.
During our tour of Australia we spent our winters in Mareeba in far north Queensland. I ended up volunteering to help with the Mareeba Rodeo, which is the second largest event of its type in Australia. I helped set up and run the rodeo and was amazed how it all came together so smoothly and quickly. When we came back to Victoria we settled in Euroa because our son was living here running the Euroa Police Station. One day I was asked if I could help park cars at the Show and Shine; the next year I was asked to judge the hot rods and also invited to join the committee, the next year I was judging manager and the year after that Assistant Director.
Seven rollovers in my life
Growing up with cars, between the ages of 16 when I was in my first rollover and the age of 25 I was in a total of seven rollovers in various cars, the last one was teaching my brother in law to drive in a paddock. How I am still alive beats me, most were slow and in paddocks and several were travelling fast, all with no seatbelts and the worst was when I was 17 years old travelling from a party in Melbourne. We were on the Nepean Highway all very drunk and trying out our friends new Valiant VE for speed. The speedo was showing just a fraction over 100mph when it mounted the centre median strip at the bend in Mentone, outside the Mentone Fire Brigade, when the car mounted the kerb.
I was sitting behind the front seat passenger and the impact threw me to the floor, the car was launched into the air and struck a power pole well off the ground snapping it in two. The car then rolled onto it’s side sliding down the wrong side of the Nepean Highway and just missing a Police divisional van coming the other way. As the accident happened out the front of the Fire Brigade station help was soon on hand. I spent the rest of the night in hospital but all I had was a few scratches on my back, I still made it to work at 7:30am. The driver was totally uninjured but the other two passengers were injured, one seriously, as he had been thrown from the car.
After being in the limousine industry for nine years, one day I was sitting in gridlocked traffic on the Monash Freeway when my mobile phone rang. It was a competitor asking if I would be interested in selling our business and then it was suddenly three months later and we were retired.
During our time in the limo business I purchased a 1930 Chevrolet 5AD sedan of museum quality that was shipped to Adelaide and at great expense turned into a very desirable stretch limousine. This was a magnificent car but two weeks prior to us taking delivery we had changed our business plans and I sold it to the limo manufacturer. He was going to ship it to Hong Kong for use as a hotel car but friends of ours heard about what we had done and went to Adelaide and purchased the Chevrolet. It is still working in Melbourne. My wife cried for weeks when I sold the Chevrolet it was that beautiful.
Touring Australia
After the limos we had a series of Nissan Navara 4wds while we toured Australia then a new Range Rover Sport V8 diesel and the current car we have? A Ford Falcon FG-X G6E, which as it turns out, is a pre-production car and will probably end up in somebody’s collection. I normally drive a Falcon BF2 RTV ute that is pretty old and battered.
During our tour of Australia we spent our winters in Mareeba in far north Queensland. I ended up volunteering to help with the Mareeba Rodeo, which is the second largest event of its type in Australia. I helped set up and run the rodeo and was amazed how it all came together so smoothly and quickly. When we came back to Victoria we settled in Euroa because our son was living here running the Euroa Police Station. One day I was asked if I could help park cars at the Show and Shine; the next year I was asked to judge the hot rods and also invited to join the committee, the next year I was judging manager and the year after that Assistant Director.
Seven rollovers in my life
Growing up with cars, between the ages of 16 when I was in my first rollover and the age of 25 I was in a total of seven rollovers in various cars, the last one was teaching my brother in law to drive in a paddock. How I am still alive beats me, most were slow and in paddocks and several were travelling fast, all with no seatbelts and the worst was when I was 17 years old travelling from a party in Melbourne. We were on the Nepean Highway all very drunk and trying out our friends new Valiant VE for speed. The speedo was showing just a fraction over 100mph when it mounted the centre median strip at the bend in Mentone, outside the Mentone Fire Brigade, when the car mounted the kerb.
I was sitting behind the front seat passenger and the impact threw me to the floor, the car was launched into the air and struck a power pole well off the ground snapping it in two. The car then rolled onto it’s side sliding down the wrong side of the Nepean Highway and just missing a Police divisional van coming the other way. As the accident happened out the front of the Fire Brigade station help was soon on hand. I spent the rest of the night in hospital but all I had was a few scratches on my back, I still made it to work at 7:30am. The driver was totally uninjured but the other two passengers were injured, one seriously, as he had been thrown from the car.
Click on the Google logo above to enlarge map for the Euroa region in Victoria
Starting at the Euroa Show & Shine event
It wasn’t long before I was looking at the event and working out how to promote and grow it. It was the threat of Echuca holding a massive three day event over the same weekend that triggered me into action. Our event had to grow so that it did not have to compete with the multitude of small car shows springing up every weekend. We were attracting good quality show cars and other attractions but it was a giant leap to become a national show.
With the backing of the committee we decided to give it a try and I registered the business name Australian National Show and Shine in my name and it has been a fantastic result. We are lucky in several respects. We have a world-class location for the event along with a small village appeal, the local residents and community organisations are very enthusiastic in helping and we have enlisted incredibly talented people from all over Victoria onto our committee. This year, 2016, we expect over 200 volunteers to be working at the event on the day and it was in April 2016 that the event became an Incorporated Association and I sold the business name to the new entity for the princely sum of $1.
I do not collect cars. I have never had the inclination to start a collection. I enjoy quality cars and in my position I get to see and drive a lot of vehicles. One day I might change as there are a few I would be interested in purchasing, but at the moment I have plenty to do with the Australian National Show and Shine.
My outlook for the Australian National Show and Shine is that to have a successful show you have to emphasise that the atmosphere of the show is just as important as having the right balance of exhibits. It must be attractive to not only car buffs but also to their partners and children so that when the decision to attend is made it is not the car buff that makes the decision but the wives and children. The show must change each year if only for the sake of change, but you also have to be very flexible so that if the change is not working you can change back or try something else.
Now that the show is very successful nationally its about time to start promoting it to the international community !
Thanks for taking the time to read about my car journey, John Mason.
Source: Content and photos provided by John Mason in July 2016. Mobile 0429 898 473
Note: John is now retired from the annual car event. Ross Holt is the manager of the event.
Euroa is approximately a 1.5 hour drive (150kms) from Melbourne.
Places to see and stay in the Northern Region of Victoria.
www.australiannationalshowandshine.com.au 2012 YouTube Video
www.airbnbeuroa www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au www.violettown.org.au www.euroa.org.au
Starting at the Euroa Show & Shine event
It wasn’t long before I was looking at the event and working out how to promote and grow it. It was the threat of Echuca holding a massive three day event over the same weekend that triggered me into action. Our event had to grow so that it did not have to compete with the multitude of small car shows springing up every weekend. We were attracting good quality show cars and other attractions but it was a giant leap to become a national show.
With the backing of the committee we decided to give it a try and I registered the business name Australian National Show and Shine in my name and it has been a fantastic result. We are lucky in several respects. We have a world-class location for the event along with a small village appeal, the local residents and community organisations are very enthusiastic in helping and we have enlisted incredibly talented people from all over Victoria onto our committee. This year, 2016, we expect over 200 volunteers to be working at the event on the day and it was in April 2016 that the event became an Incorporated Association and I sold the business name to the new entity for the princely sum of $1.
I do not collect cars. I have never had the inclination to start a collection. I enjoy quality cars and in my position I get to see and drive a lot of vehicles. One day I might change as there are a few I would be interested in purchasing, but at the moment I have plenty to do with the Australian National Show and Shine.
My outlook for the Australian National Show and Shine is that to have a successful show you have to emphasise that the atmosphere of the show is just as important as having the right balance of exhibits. It must be attractive to not only car buffs but also to their partners and children so that when the decision to attend is made it is not the car buff that makes the decision but the wives and children. The show must change each year if only for the sake of change, but you also have to be very flexible so that if the change is not working you can change back or try something else.
Now that the show is very successful nationally its about time to start promoting it to the international community !
Thanks for taking the time to read about my car journey, John Mason.
Source: Content and photos provided by John Mason in July 2016. Mobile 0429 898 473
Note: John is now retired from the annual car event. Ross Holt is the manager of the event.
Euroa is approximately a 1.5 hour drive (150kms) from Melbourne.
Places to see and stay in the Northern Region of Victoria.
www.australiannationalshowandshine.com.au 2012 YouTube Video
www.airbnbeuroa www.strathbogie.vic.gov.au www.violettown.org.au www.euroa.org.au
