We spotted Jason Kennedy’s 1950 Ford single-spinner slammed to the ground in the Kustomville precinct at Cooly Rocks On back in June. That candy-flamed paint caught our eye, so we tracked Jason down to get the story behind his chopped, ’bagged and seriously slick sled.

First published in the September 2025 issue of Street Machine

Your spinner’s a showstopper! Talk us through it.

It’s a 1950 Ford Custom that’s been chopped, airbagged, and LS-swapped, with a full custom build throughout. The trim is all custom, and that insane candy flame paint was done by Kyle Smith at Smith Concepts. After it got Shige’s Pick at the Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo, we decided to take it to Japan for the Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom show last year. It was the second Aussie car ever entered (after Ben Forster in 2016), and it picked up Best Custom, which was just crazy!

What an achievement! Was it built for the show circuit?

Not at all. With the help of my mates, it just evolved over time. I wanted it to be over-the-top, like the Japanese do. The goal was to make it instantly recognisable, so we leaned into that, making it the kind of car that gets people talking. It’s definitely worked; when we took it to Japan, they were blown away.

Did you have to do much prep to get it to Mooneyes?

When Kyle originally redid the flames, he started over a fresh base. He took the car completely apart and delivered it put back together. The work was so meticulous that to take it to Japan, we decided to re-chrome the front and do some paint correction to refine a few details.

Tell us about the bodywork.

The roof chop played a big part in achieving the look I was chasing, and Chris Wells at The Ranch Metal Works nailed it. On the chassis side, we had to do quite a bit of work to ’bag it and drop it onto the frame. The paint is a highlight, but there are lots of subtle details on this car. The front and rear bumpers have been customised to tuck right into the bodylines, and the rear fender skirts sit flush. Aaron Gregory fitted the LS, which has had head work and a cam package. He also took care of the chassis work and airbags.

We know you like to work on your own cars – what’s your day job?

I’ve got an earthmoving business, and I also run a car wash in Parkes, which we opened about three years ago. It’s a cool business to run when you’re into cars, and it’s all GT40-themed – I’ve got a GT40 at home.

What else is in your garage?

I’ve got 15 cars at the moment, from Brock Commodores to hot rods and customs. There are maybe four full-on show cars, and the rest are just cool old street machines. Over time, my taste has shifted. These days, I’m more about the style and clean lines, which is probably why I’m leaning more towards hot rods and customs. They still feel like street machines, but unlike all the Fords and Holdens that I’ve owned, they’re unique; you won’t see three of them lined up together at a car show.

Any new projects on the go?

Yeah, I’m actually picking up another car tomorrow. I can’t give too much away just yet, but it’s going to be next-level. This one we’ll be keeping under wraps until it’s ready to be unveiled!