NEW PRICE! Beautiful professional
build of a rare Austin panel delivery. 350 Chevy, TH350
transmission, A/C, power leather seats, tilt, stereo, back-up
camera. Magazine feature car, too! Drives great, ready to
enjoy!
The paint is a late-model VW color called Techno Blue, and it looks
fantastic on the Austin’s dramatic bodywork. The truck was built by
Hugh Brooks of Rods by Brooks in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and the
bodywork was probably not this good when it was new, with great
gaps, even panel fit, and even those gigantic side panels are
laser-straight and distortion-free. The paint is two-stage
urethane, so it has a deep gloss and fantastic durability, perfect
for a truck you’re going to want to drive regularly. All the
Austin’s original brightwork was retain, save for the bumpers,
which have been replaced by a neat custom-made valence in front and
a roll pan in back with a pair of LED taillights. Even the original
semaphores (that’s British for “turn signal”) pop out of their
housings behind the front doors and light up while they do it. Too
cool! Of course, the chrome remains in excellent shape, from the
grille—which resembles an International grille from the same
period—to the neat little peep mirrors perched atop the doors.
Don’t let the Austin’s diminutive size fool you, the interior is
comfortable for two and will carry plenty of gear without any
problems. Tastefully upholstered in tan leather and tweed, it has a
contemporary look that retains a lot of the Austin’s original
charm. Those are late-model power bucket seats that make it easy to
get comfortable and dig the “Flying A” armrests on the doors,
sculpted to match the hood ornament out front. A modern tilt column
is topped by a color-matched steering wheel and new aluminum gauge
panels were fabricated to replace the originals. There’s also a
Vintage Air A/C system that’s very effective and fully functional,
a Lokar aluminum shifter for the TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission, and a Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo system that sounds
great in the well-insulated cab. Living in its own housing above
the windshield is a trick rear-view camera screen, which is a
useful tool in the panel delivery, which obviously has some blind
spots. In back, you have a cavernous cargo bay upholstered in
matching tan carpets, tweed side panels (again with the Flying A
insignia), and a custom headliner overhead. There are several
neatly concealed storage bins in the walls, including one that
provides access to the fuse panel. Oh, and there’s a CD changer
back there, making this Austin ideal for long road trips.
A rebuilt Chevy 350 cubic inch powerplant makes for entertaining
performance in the flyweight Austin. There’s a Carter AFB
carburetor up top, a modest cam inside, and an Edelbrock intake
manifold. A big radiator up front is cooled by an electric fan and
all the accessories are chrome. Ceramic-coated headers hug the
block and dump into a great-sounding stainless steel exhaust system
that dumps just ahead of the rear wheels—the sound is definitely V8
but never obnoxious. It’s also well sorted, so it starts quickly
and easily, idles well, and never gets fussy. We’ve had it idling
for 20 minutes in the midday heat and it never gets hot or cranky,
and for a hand-built machine, it works shockingly well. Get in,
turn the key, and drive it anywhere. That’s the promise of most hot
rods, but not many live up to the promise as well as this fantastic
little van.
Underneath, you get a fully reinforced chassis with boxed side
rails, custom cross-members, and all the features you want in a car
you’re actually going to drive. The front suspension is a Heidt’s
independent setup with polished A-arms and coil-over shocks, plus
rack-and-pinion steering that’s both more precise and easier to
maneuver than the original setup. The transmission is the
aforementioned TH350 3-speed automatic, which feeds a custom fitted
Ford 9-inch with 3.50 gears inside, all hanging on a 4-link with
adjustable coil-over shocks. Everything under the car has also been
painted to match, including the rear axle, driveshaft, frame, and
even the brake backing plates in back, and it still has a sparkling
look that suggests not too many miles since it was finished.
Finally, it sits on totally appropriate Weld Racing “Rod Lite”
wheels and 135SR15 Michelin skinnies in front and 295/50/15 meats
in back.
This Austin is way cooler than you expect, so if you like the look,
you’re going to be thrilled when it lands in your driveway. This is
a fantastic way to become the star of the show anywhere you go.
Call now!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
