WHEN you nail an event the first time around, the pressure is on for the sequel. Des Russell and Tesh Mahoney delivered the goods and then some with their second Boogaloo Invitational, held in Castlemaine a couple of weeks ago. Rods, pre-65 customs and bikes remained the central focus with 350 RSVPs, so trying to narrow our favourite 12 pre-48 cars was hard yakka!

1. What’s not to love about Charlie Falzon’s freshly-built ’34 Ford three-window coupe? It’s beautifully raw, built from a bunch of early parts. The shell is an early 70s ‘glass that Charlie chopped an extra 2inches. Up front is a Olds Rocket 303ci with single barrel Carter, backed with ’48 Ford ute ‘box and diff.

2. Charlie’s mate Al Burgers also debuted a typically insane creation – a gasser-style ’32 Ford pickup, complete with nitro-burning Hemi.

3. Ben Love’s angry full-fendered A-coupe was a Boog fav. Sporting 6x2s on a 401ci Nailhead with a quick change rear, it also boasted a mean chop and spindle-mount 12-spokes up front. Des and Tesh handed him the ‘F Yeah’ Inspirational award and it was also the Eldorados and Keith Weesner’s top picks.

4. Survivor rods are a good thing when you can find ‘em. For Neil ‘Slugger’ Cannan he’s had this one squirreled away for the past 42 years! The ’28 roadster pick up on ’34 chassis was built in the 50s before racing at Ballarat and Riverside in the early 60s and featuring in the Victorian Hot Rod Show in ’65. Neil then purchased the flathead powered RPU and parked it up. Now he’s keen to get it back up and running.

5. Recently completed by Toowomba Rod and Custom, Nik Marinos’s ’32 Ford roadster is a super clean ride. The motor is a small block Chev, dressed as an Olds and topped with 6x2s. It is a sweet thing that ticks all the boxes and was The Lead Foot Ladies top pick.

6. Chris Wells, of BMV Engineering, had a mammoth cruise from the Sunshine Coast in his 331ci Hemi powered A coupe. The tough ’54 Hemi runs a 4×2 Weiand manifold, while the chopped and channelled coupe stands apart from the rest with its bead rolled roof and rear.

7. T-buckets are flamboyant builds by reputation and Chris Kalamaras’ mid-60s survivor sure doesn’t disappoint. Featuring what looks like XR taillights, inside is a chromed Ford Spinner dash and up front are in-your-face headers and finished off with massive fats and a heap of driveline chrome.

8. Screaming 60s show rod, Adam Pohl doused his chassis in white and his ’30 Ford body in candy red metal flake before finishing with stripe work. He’s added cool details like copper fuel lines to the 6x2s, custom rear nerf bar, and the striped A cross-member poking through the timber clad tray.

9. Michael Ahrens’s Pontiac-powered improved A-Tudor starred on the official event t-shirt, with the design penned by special guest Keith Weesner. We featured the tudor in SM Hot Rod Annual 2007.

10. The Cranksters C.C. pick was Mark Kramston’s Aussie-made Ford RPU. The banger powered ’28 started life with fellow Monarchs’s club member Darren Cranwell, before Mark took ownership and got it regoed. Inside is an Aristocrat dash while the brakes are upgraded with a mix of ‘40 and ‘48 Ford drums.

11. Sean and Kira from the Outkasts cruised down from Sydney in his 265ci Chev powered ’41 Chevy custom. Inspired by a recent Mooneyes Japan trip, Shags added the massive Mexican style boot striping, to push the boundaries of traditional custom meets low-rider.

12. Peter Forster (that is Ben ‘Coupster’ Forster’s old man) trucked his ’33 Ford roadster, along with three Harleys, from WA to Vic. Inspired by the ’33 he had as a teenager, Peter built this example six years ago, with a 4in dropped and drilled So Cal I-beam, 59A side-valve backed by a 5-speed Toyota gearbox and ’51 ford diff.