Old timer: Roy Cook with his 1923 Buick.
TOM BENNETT
SINCE the first horseless carriage rattled its way across the cobblestones, mankind has had a love affair with the automobile.
St Leonards enthusiast Roy Cook is among the smitten.
The object of his affection is a beautifully restored 1923 Buick Roadster.
The “old girl” would make a rare public appearance at the St Leonards Festival on Melbourne Cup day weekend, Mr Cook said.
He expected her to attract many eager fans fascinated by the grand old conveyances of yesteryear.
The vintage two-seater would join a large number of other old-time vehicles to strut their “classic stuff” during the event, he said.
Mr Cook spent 15,000 hours over two decades restoring the Buick to former glory “the old fashioned way”, by hand.
“Parts I couldn’t buy, beg or otherwise acquire I made myself on a lathe in my home workshop,” he said.
The car, 12 years older than Mr Cook, had a special place in his heart.
“She reflects the simplicity and technology of a bygone era. The frame is solid timber, as is the dashboard and wheel spokes.
“The engine components are made from the highest grade steel, there are no modern alloys or space age materials used in the construction.”
By today’s standards the old Buick is a bit of a gas guzzler, achieving an economy rate about the same as a modern-day four-wheel-drive.
Mr Cook said the vehicle returned a thirsty 14 litres per 100km, or exactly the fuel flow cited in the original owners manual.
The four-cylinder engine was rated at 14 horsepower, he said, which delivered enough grunt to send the old girl cruising down the highway at a respectable 60km/h.
And maybe that’s just fast enough for anyone hankering for a peek at the past and a trip down memory lane.
