Club person profile - Brendan Smith

Story by Brendan Smith & Geoff Hope, WRCC members

Wangaratta Rod & Custom Club (WRCC) will again host the biennial rod run from the 6 - 9 March at the Wangaratta Showgrounds.

The ever popular Show-N-Shine will be held at the Wangaratta Kennel & Obedience Dog Club facility, at the rear of the showgrounds from 11am to 2pm this Sunday, 8 March, with gold coin entry for the public.

Hot rods, customs and chrome bumper vehicles will be on display; day entrant vehicles are most welcome for a $5 entrant fee with trophies to be awarded.

Presentations for day entrants will take place at 1.30pm.

Food and drinks will be available throughout the event, so come along and enjoy the day in shady surroundings and view some top class vehicles.

This will be the perfect opportunity for like minded enthusiasts to talk with WRCC members such as Brendan Smith and Ian Cooke about the motorsport of street rodding, and how they can become involved.

Brendan Smith

It all started for Brendan around 12 or so years ago when his brother Col was in partnership with Craig Millar at Fibrechev making fibreglass 34’ Chev bodies here in Wangaratta.

"I said to them when they start making a pickup body I will buy one...about three months later I got a phone call saying they had my pickup body ready," Brendan said.

"I had to eat my words and then entered into the rodding scene.

"I had a Mitsubishi Triton that we pulled down to a bare chassis and re-bodied it with the Fibrechev body swap, installed a 350 Chev fuel injected engine and a four speed automatic transmission, upgraded the brakes to four-wheel discs, and installed rack and pinion steering.

"Paintwork was done by Brendan D’Amico from Custom Creation.

"It’s a full custom candy red and the interior trim was done by Neil and Aaron at Benalla motor trimming and upholstery.

"Creature comforts include power windows and air conditioning.

"As a qualified mechanic (in a previous life) I was able to do most of the work myself over a long period of time."

There were times when Brendan was going to burn the pickup, sell it or finish it so he took the last option and finished it.

"Since it’s been finished the pickup has won many trophies, including top car of the event at the Bright run which makes me very proud," he said.

"As the building was taking so long to finish, I decided to go out and buy another rod to fill in the interim which I still have today, a 1954 Chev sedan which is going through some work at the moment.

"Once you have the passion you are hooked.

"A lot of people think the hot rodding scene is just nothing but petrol heads, but it's more about having a passion for excellence and quality.

"What we do as car enthusiasts to our vehicles, is no different to what Picasso did with his paintings."

Ian Cooke

WRCC member Ian Cooke is no stranger to the street rodding scene.

A chance meeting in 1987 with WRCC member Geoff Hope saw Ian join the club in 1988.

Over the ensuing 12 years, Ian went on to produce one of the best 1934 Ford coupes built at that time.

He has gone one step further, building an exceptional 1934 Ford roadster from parts acquired during the coupe build.

He took a different approach this time, going 'Hi - Boy' style and vintage running gear.

The motor is a Ford side valve rescued from behind a chook shed, with a Ford top loader gearbox with a Jeep shifter, a 36 Ford diff' hooked up to 48 Ford drum brakes with F1 drum brakes up front.

F1 truck steering and column keeps the roadster tracking on the black and shiny stuff.

Suspension is transverse springs front and rear with a dropped axle at the front.

Front wheels are 1940 Ford 4” x 16” while the rears are 5” x 16” Coker tyres all round - front 550/16” rears 700/16”.

The roadster was completed in December 2023 after a ground-up build, the first major outing followed in January of 2024 when Ian and his wife Brenda attended the River City Coupe and Roadster Club reliability run at Yackandandah.

This run is for rods built on pre and post war traditional lines.

Ian’s meticulous nature as a builder certainly gave him the basis for producing two top hot rods at both ends of the rodding spectrum.

The completion of the roadster provided Ian with the perfect stablemate to his 34 coupe.

Maybe that chance meeting in 1987 has created a lifelong friendship with WRCC members and two exceptional rods to be proud of.