ANT MIDSON’S AUSTIN A40 GASSER & MICHELLE LYNCH’S MORRIS AT DOTD – VIDEO

Ant Midson’s ‘Wat Da?’ Austin A40 gasser & Michelle Lynch’s ‘Dorris The Morris’ return to the track at Day of the Drags 2017, in memory of the late Scott Ribbons

Share
Photographers: Grant Stephens


DAY Of The Drags 2017 was a bittersweet occasion for family and friends of the late Scott Ribbons. It was the first time back at the track for their cars – the Wat Da? Austin and Dorris The Morris – which have been shed-bound since Scott’s tragic passing from a heart attack last November.

Austin A40 Gasser & Dorris The MorrisWith Scott’s partner Michelle Lynch behind the wheel of her Morris Minor, and his mate Ant Midson peddling the Austin A40 they used to campaign together, a minute’s silence was held for Scott before the cars hit the strip at Day Of The Drags.

Dorris The MorrisAs you may recall, Scott Ribbons was the legend that restored Ron Keegan’s classic FJ ute to its former glory and had it on the Street Machine stand at MotorEx 2015.

Dorris The MorrisHe was also a great contributor to Australia’s nostalgia drag scene, as evidenced by the Austin and the Morris, which both run 186ci Holdens and are set up for fun.

Dorris The Morris & Austin A40Ant used the occasion of Day of The Drags to reflect on the times him and “Scoot” had with the A40, from the crazy three-week build to get it running for a Nostalgia Drags meeting in Sydney, to its dragon-slayer moment at the Six-Banger Nats at Warwick.

Austin A40 gasser“We call it Steve Austin, the Six-Million Dollar car, because it cost nothing to build,” Ant said. “We’ve gotten around a bit with it. We took it up to Warwick and ran it in the Six Banger Nationals and actually came home with a trophy, so that was quite funny. Y’know, thousands of dollars’ worth of cars and here’s old Steve Austin showing them up, so it was a good story.”

Austin A40 GasserEven if you never knew Scott, the car will tell you he had a wicked sense of humour. From the port barrel converted into a radiator catch can to the burnt Jim Beam and Coke can used as a coil cover to the 50-year-old au naturale patina – the Austin has got character leaking from every gasket.

Austin A40 Gasser and Dorris The Morris“We came out today to campaign the cars again in Scott’s memory and hopefully we’ve done him proud,” said Ant.

Comments