By Luke Voogt
Inverleigh’s Shane McInerney is racing the clock to get his 1974 GT ready for the 28th All Ford Day after crashing it at Geelong Revival.
His pride and joy hit a barrier after the brakes locked in the wet during the event’s drag races last November.
“It was just a pain in the arse and I was disappointed that it happened,” the Ford worker of 28 years said.
At times the summer heat kept Shane from repairing the XB sedan.
But after replacing a few parts and some panel beating, he just needed a wheel alignment to get his beast back on show this weekend, he said.
Shane bought the GT in 1997 and had completed a quarter-mile in it in 12.9 seconds, he said.
“It’s just a car I’ve always liked. I’d probably struggle to buy one today but back then it was readily cheap.”
Shane started at Ford as an apprentice fitter and turner in 1991 and now is one the few locals left working for the company, as a risk assessor.
He will judge some of more than 1000 Fords on display when the All Ford Day comes to its new home of Sutcliffe Reserve Corio on Sunday.
“There’s always quite a good collection,” he said.
“It’s just a good day to see a lot of good cars and raise some money for charity.”
Organiser Nicholas Heath said the new venue had twice the space of the event’s previous home in Waurn Ponds.
“(Last year) we ran out of carparks,” he said.
He described the event as the largest of its type in Australia and “probably in the “Southern Hemisphere”.
Hundreds of Ford fans will exhibit their pride and joy across 40 acres of grassland on Sunday, with more than 50 different competition categories throughout the day.
Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame inductee John Bowe and legendary Australian drag racer Larry “The Big O” Ormsby will be at this year’s event.
The festival celebrates the rich Ford history and workmanship that Geelong was part of for more 90 years, according to event director Scott Pidgon.
Organises had introduced three new judging categories this year to accommodate the vast number of vehicles, he said.
“The All Ford Day has secured its position as the largest gathering of Ford vehicles and enthusiasts in Australia, and continues to grow each year.
“We’re excited about the expansion of our event that has led us to a new location – we had an abundance of cars on display last year and we’ve already had a variety of spectacular vehicles sign up for 2019.”
Entries are still open with more than 800 vehicles already registered.
