First published in Street Machine’s Hot Rod magazine #7, 2010

With the violet paintwork and all the frills, satin and snakeskin on the inside, there are people who say this is a very feminine, almost girly car,” explains Newcastle’s Paul Davies of his newly finished EK. “And you know what? I absolutely agree. Maybe it’s just me, but I always thought there was something suspect about cars full of men driving around, thinking they were killing it.” Paul had other ideas and built himself a traditional custom that is easy on the eye, but comes with a sense of humour too. Paul’s exotic EK made its public debut at the NSW All Holden Day and in all the photos we took, the EK was surrounded by smiling, happy people of both genders – it’s just that kind of car.

Paul caught the custom bug from fellow Novocastrian, Leon Julian, a bloke who did much to keep the flame of trad customs burning during the 90s. Leon’s FC wagon was a familiar sight around town and Paul quickly got in on the act, buying a stock, pink EK – dubbed Meryl – at the tender age of 13. “Meryl was too good to cut up, so dad and I cleaned it up, lowered it and put some spats on it. We put some flamethrowers on it too, which eventually earned me a stern talking-to from the law. It has been my daily driver up until now.”

Which brings us to his new EK – this time named Betty. Unlike the first car, Betty had seen better days by the time it reached the Davies household. “You know the car Jed drives in the ‘Beverly Hillbillies’? This one wasn’t that good.” We’ll skip the heartache of rust repairs and get straight to the good stuff.

The body mods are subtle but effective, with the emphasis on smoothing-off the factory lumps and bumps. To that end, the doorhandles and badgework were removed and the protruding factory fuel filler was replaced by a marine item. The only additions to the car are there for good reason, with ’59 Cadillac tail-lights, tail-fin extensions and cruising skirts – the latter two from Paul Kelly at Smooth Customs designed to make the car look either longer or lower than it really is. A custom grille, made of 10 EK overriders (one gold-plated), gives the car its own personality; but overall, Paul is relying on stance and class to draw ’em in rather than wild paint or crazy body mods.

It’s all very tasteful and restrained, but once he’s got an interested party inside the cabin, Paul lays the decadence on thick. The basic EK architecture is still there – factory dash, big tiller and a fold-flat camper bench seat – but decked out like no other. The steering wheel copped the Pearlcraft treatment and scored a Mooneyes bullet centre to really make it a thing of beauty. Make the most of what you have, right? Paul wasn’t prepared to stop there though, and the trim was redone with a mix of white vinyl, satin and brown snakeskin. Not subtle, but guaranteed to get the ladies talking. The crowning glory is the Bride of Dracula-style satin roof lining, divided by a full-length mirror.

So while the outside is all about restraint, the interior is about glorious excess: witness the three-foot-high shifter (since topped with an antique doll’s head) and the row of Peterbilt cabin switches mounted on a custom panel beneath the dash, each one tipped with a different-coloured jewel. More switches and a start button live in a snakeskin-trimmed overhead console and the factory dials are lit with blue LEDs and supplemented with a brace of Moon and Viair items.

Being a young bloke, Paul wanted the EK to be stupid low. In the heyday of Aussie customs, that meant cutting the coils and filling the boot with bags of cement, but in 2010 it means fitting air bags and doing a whole bunch of chassis work. To get the job done right, Paul enlisted the aid of hot rodder Norm Stewart. “We pulled the suspension out to get it sitting as low as it could and built it up from there,” says Paul. “For the front, the bells had to be cut out and new mounting plates welded in for the bags to fit. For support, 5mm plate now runs across the entire width of the front crossmember – it is rock solid. The rear involved recessing the whole diff and suspension a few inches into the car and C-notching the chassis rails.

“We raised the transmission tunnel right through and remounted all the shock absorbers. It was a mountain of work and I definitely started to sweat when the RTA was proposing to change the suspension laws last year. I was about two months away from getting the car engineered. Luckily the changes got deferred, otherwise I would have had a big-dollar paperweight in my driveway.”

And while the EK looks classy on the outside and opulent on the inside, under the bonnet she is actually pretty nasty for a custom. “It’s a bit of a mystery engine. The guy I bought it from didn’t build it, but reckoned it went pretty well. I took a punt and yep, she goes great. Once we put the triples on it and got it running, it made 133rwhp, which surprised the dyno guy as much as me. It has a pretty big cam in it, but it isn’t too nasty around town.”

The engine is very nicely detailed too, with just enough braided line, chrome and anodised fittings to really look sweet. It even sounds great, thanks to a split twin system and a pair of Smithy’s glasspacks.

Paul is chuffed with his new ride and is very grateful to his dad for his assistance with making his dream car real. “Dad was responsible for wiring in every stupid contraption I could throw at him and he did it with military precision,” says Paul. “We put in all the LEDs, wired up the air suspension and re-did the entire loom to include the gauges, remote solenoids for the doors and boot, the stereo and courtesy lights. He jammed a multimeter in so many places, even my dog began to look uneasy when he brought it out.

“Basically, he was able to bring all of my design ideas to fruition. If dad hadn’t retired a couple of years ago, the car would still be sitting there in the shed looking very similar to the hillbilly-wagon we brought home six years ago. He knows how much I appreciate it, but I will say it again: thank you and I love you.”

Update!

As of 2025, the EK has a new owner! Namely, Mardi Smoother!

1962 EK HOLDEN SPECIAL
PAUL DAVIES

THANKS
Dad; Norm Stewart, a true craftsman; Brad’s Custom Trim; Tony and Choc at Combined Auto Services at Broadmeadow who looked after the paint and various other bits and pieces – and eBay: no matter what time of the day or night, you managed to take that hot pile of bones from my pocket and send them around the world in exchange for various stupid things I could stick on my car.