The Coolest Car I've Ever Known.

0:00 Coolest completely subjective.

0:02 A lot of car enthusiasts get the idea wrong

0:04 that a cool car is what makes them cool.

0:07 It's actually the other way around.

0:08 Cool people make cars cool.

0:10 James Bond was already cool when you looked at him.

0:13 You know, you didn't need to see him step into an Aston Martin to go,

0:16 "That's a cool cat right there." And standing before me right now is to me,

0:21 personally, the coolest car I know.

0:24 This car has so much heck in history.

0:26 You don't know if the cat is standing just alongside of me right here.

0:30 I've I was a teenager.

0:32 And I'm standing alongside an old mate who

0:35 I don't even know his actual first name.

0:37 I think he's told it to me twice.

0:39 Um he just goes by the name of Fox.

0:41 What is this?

0:42 This This is Well, this was is What's the tense we're using here?

0:47 was?

0:47 It's in front of us.

0:48 Are we hallucinating?

0:49 It's my life in a automobile, isn't it, really?

0:53 Right, she's a Gemini.

0:54 It is a Gemini.

0:55 Here they're called a Holden Gemini.

0:57 This is a world car.

0:58 They were called Chevys in America.

1:00 They were called Isuzus amongst Asia.

1:03 You know, and so GM sold this to everybody, every cat under the sun.

1:08 Geez, I remember growing up that these were everywhere.

1:10 This is one of the first cheap little four-cylinder cars.

1:13 But this is a hecking rare one.

1:15 This isn't just a wagon.

1:17 This is a panel van.

1:19 Notice there's no doors in the back.

1:20 There's front doors and NOTHING ELSE.

1:23 THOSE WINDOWS don't roll down.

1:25 They pop out.

1:26 This is such a rare car.

1:28 And that, mate, you're someone who I've looked up to.

1:32 You're a drummer to drummer.

1:33 You're someone You're a few years ahead of me.

1:36 You're my hero, man.

1:38 I mean this.

1:38 I We've been chatting for like 2 hours,

1:40 but I've saved the really sappy stuff to just be like,

1:43 "You're my drum hero in town, dude." I followed you everywhere you went.

1:46 I've still got your band shirts and everything.

1:48 And this car you've always had.

1:52 This is your first car.

1:53 My first car, absolutely.

1:54 ever car.

1:55 And you never say a lady's age, but you know, you're you're over 40 now.

1:59 I certainly am.

2:00 You know, and you're aging amazingly.

2:02 And freaking you've had this thing the whole time.

2:05 And I remember that you know, I was helping you do it like an oil fix

2:08 on this thing of some sort when I was like

2:10 How many things did we do on this to keep it running all that time?

2:14 even remember.

2:14 I just remember you're in a sharehouse that had naked women walking around.

2:18 That may have been a thing.

2:19 May?

2:20 It definitely happened.

2:21 You just went hey rudy nudy and she kept walking on like bye boys.

2:24 That was a thing.

2:25 core memory of mine.

2:27 But man, [clears throat] this thing looks so good.

2:31 And it's funny how you're saying that for the longest time

2:33 that this was This was just a shitbox that no one could care about.

2:36 No one cared about Jimmys.

2:38 No.

2:38 I've always loved Jimmys.

2:39 There's always something special about them.

2:41 We cared about Jimmys.

2:42 That's why this thing is still on the road.

2:45 We [laughter] We always cared.

2:47 It's my dream car.

2:48 Yeah.

2:49 To this day it is actually my dream car.

2:51 If I have to think about it for a too long 5 or 10 seconds, I come back to this.

2:55 This This was my vision then and it is still my dream car today.

2:59 You've never lost the sparkle.

3:01 No, I still And you live overseas.

3:03 You live on the other side of the planet.

3:06 You're literally just down for like a couple of weeks.

3:08 I haven't seen you in the flesh for I think 13 years.

3:13 [laughter] It's like such a big deal.

3:13 And man, when you pulled up around the corner

3:15 with this, it's like there it is again.

3:17 The same bus.

3:18 So good.

3:19 Do you know what year it is?

3:20 79.

3:23 79.

3:23 And you know why I bought it?

3:24 What?

3:25 Drums.

3:25 Of course.

3:26 I BOUGHT IT FOR DRUMS.

3:28 MAN.

3:28 I HAD THAT realization that if you're going to be a lifetime drummer,

3:32 you can't have the car that you want.

3:33 You have to have the car that fits your drums.

3:35 Change your dreams.

3:37 Have dreams of having a little station wagon panel van thing.

3:41 But man, you've done such a good job with this.

3:43 The body is just mint.

3:45 I love these wheels and tires and like

3:47 the center caps with the little nipples on them.

3:49 Absolutely.

3:50 No, the nip the nip rims.

3:52 and like you change the

3:53 Nip caps.

3:54 Nip caps.

3:55 You change the rectangle lights for circle ones.

3:58 7-in modern headlights.

3:59 Oh yeah, they're modern.

4:01 Oh yeah, and it was only slightly dodgy you're getting it here.

4:04 I mean like although you do have some hang-ups,

4:05 you you're not happy with the interior.

4:07 That's something that you wish you could finish.

4:09 This is where the car got to.

4:11 I love these seats.

4:12 This is a time capsule.

4:14 The car got to this point before I split,

4:16 and it's just been in a shed for 15 years.

4:18 You all right, you painted the wheel red.

4:20 What's What's this mark here?

4:21 What's that from?

4:22 That's where my right hand goes.

4:25 [laughter] That's so iconic.

4:25 Man, you've owned this for 20-something years,

4:28 and you've got groove marks in it.

4:30 these guitarists that get all hung up on on the uh the aging

4:33 on the body of their guitar because it's where their elbow went.

4:37 Sure.

4:36 Big scratches.

4:37 Yep.

4:38 Just this old-school dash.

4:39 Does the Does the speedo wobble when it goes up and down?

4:42 Yeah, I'm doing both I'm doing both 50 and 400 at the same time.

4:50 And that's from the speedo cable losing its teeth.

4:52 That's a thing.

4:53 keeps catching and going whoop whoop whoop whoop.

4:55 It's got the dingle stick that comes right out the dashboard.

4:58 Comes out at you, which is such a fun way to do it.

5:01 Oh man, we got to pop the bonnet open.

5:02 These old bonnets are just so classic.

5:04 It's just so flat with that crease in it.

5:07 And I'm going to I'm going to blow the surprise.

5:09 This is electrical tape done by eye.

5:12 It looks perfect.

5:14 Like I've just blown the illusion.

5:16 That's electrical tape, and it looks so good.

5:19 I'll get Yeah, I'll I'll get you to pop her up.

5:25 [laughter] No more oil leak.

5:25 We fixed that Oh, 15 years ago.

5:28 is still the same same gasket glue.

5:34 [laughter] What was that stuff?

5:34 It was this orange business.

5:36 Silicone.

5:37 We just siliconed it up, which is, you know, pretty dirty, but it works.

5:40 I love rear-wheel drive four-cylinders.

5:42 It just looks correct.

5:43 It's just a really fun layout.

5:46 I'm glad that says oil on it so we actually know.

5:48 And like what is this still got the same spark plugs from back then?

5:51 Uh they may have been changed.

5:53 Okay, well that's good.

5:54 I'm going to say may have.

5:55 May.

5:56 Yeah, man cuz yeah you've been away a long time.

5:59 How did it feel to hop into this thing again?

6:01 Well, compared to anything even remotely modern it felt like a hamster wheel.

6:06 I mean the steering off center is so loose.

6:09 I don't even know if there's anything left in there.

6:12 all the tie rods will be all chatted out and all that sort of stuff.

6:16 old movies from the 40s where you see a clip of somebody driving the car

6:21 [laughter]

6:20 and they're doing this and smiling.

6:22 It's really what it's like.

6:23 Yeah, it's really like that.

6:24 Yeah, it's not meant to be but it's how it is.

6:27 100 feels like 4,000.

6:30 [laughter] So terrifying.

6:30 Yeah, you said you're you're loaning like an MG like

6:33 just a like a modern cheap Chinese car and you're

6:36 like you're like ah this is this is okay and then

6:39 you hopped in this and went that was a spaceship.

6:41 100%.

6:43 Yeah, but this is so charming.

6:45 This is so beautiful.

6:46 Hands to bed.

6:47 It's it's got a humping set.

6:51 [laughter]

6:51 And you slept in this recently.

6:53 That's so good.

6:54 Last night in fact.

6:54 It looks so nice in here honest.

6:56 Like that's sweet.

6:57 And you get cold easily so this is this is meant for you whereas I Super cozy.

7:02 I'd boil over.

7:03 I I couldn't do it.

7:04 I lived in this while I worked shearing sheds.

7:07 Like a very rural South Australian take right there.

7:10 This was my bed in between shearing sheep.

7:13 It was.

7:14 You got to fire it up for us.

7:15 Fire up that nugget.

7:16 FIRE IT UP.

7:20 THAT STARTS BEAUTIFULLY.

7:21 THAT'S ONE turn of the key.

7:23 Give it A REV REV.

7:27 [laughter] WOW, WHAT A FUN RACKET.

7:30 I THINK YOU'VE GOT A BIT OF AN EXHAUST leak but it just adds TO THE FUN.

7:37 YEAH.

7:38 NUMBER ONE, I LOVE THIS radio tune suspension.

7:40 Do you know what that means?

7:41 I have no idea.

7:42 I don't think I ever knew.

7:43 Radio as in the tires.

7:46 Radial tires instead of like old cross plies.

7:49 So, that's them being like, "Oh, new tires and we've tuned the suspension

7:53 for it." Like that's how freaking old it is.

7:56 And what was this?

7:57 89 of 500?

7:58 Yeah, not sure.

7:59 I promise it's not a birth year.

8:01 That's saying almost something special then.

8:03 That's 89 out of 500 for something.

8:06 So, I mean, you you Jimmy folks out there like tell us.

8:10 That That sounds This car is already

8:12 the coolest thing ever and it's hecking special

8:14 and it's got blood in it that you know we've been part of friendship forever,

8:18 but I didn't know I had that on it.

8:20 So, that's kind of special.

8:22 And also a Sony Xplod head deck, you know, early thousands represent.

8:26 Oh, good, it does.

8:26 Panel windows.

8:28 It's just Yeah, no rear doors.

8:31 No, it's a It's a panel van.

8:33 It does have rear seats, but it you know, he's got too busy making it a bed.

8:37 Man, these These windows are wild.

8:39 They're perfectly clear.

8:41 No tint, no UV protection.

8:44 I'm actually glad they don't do it this way anymore.

8:46 It's so weird seeing glass so clear on a car.

8:50 Oh, I'm so glad we're doing this at night.

8:52 Look at these gauges.

8:53 You can't see nothing.

8:57 [laughter] What a little nug.

9:03 We're up to 50 k's an hour.

9:05 Sounds like we're doing 120.

9:09 It's all right.

9:10 It's got the pops and bangs going.

9:12 It's dumping fuel into the exhaust.

9:14 That's cute.

9:18 Yeah, turn right here.

9:20 Oh, the high beam light light works amazing.

9:24 I'm going to shut up for a bit so we can hear this lovely car.

9:37 It sounds so amazing and then we're not going anyway.

9:43 [laughter] We we got to do a 0 to 60 here I reckon.

9:46 Yeah, those pops and bangs.

9:47 Holy moly.

9:49 I've got to say the seats are actually really comfy.

9:51 This is back when cars were gushy.

9:53 They're It's not trying to be a race car.

9:56 Like it handles these crappy warehouse streets amazingly.

10:00 It sounds fantastic.

10:02 Ah, carburetors.

10:03 Well, we got to do it.

10:04 We got to do a 0 to 60.

10:06 I don't know how hard Fox wants to dump it.

10:08 Oh, hey hang on settle settle you you're getting keen.

10:11 Um there are two boys in the car which is going to weigh it down,

10:14 but damn it we're just going to do it anyway.

10:16 You launch it as hard as you dare.

10:18 OFF YOU GO.

10:24 GOOD SHIFT.

10:25 Good shift.

10:25 COME ON.

10:28 OH, 7.74.

10:31 DID YOU want to have one more go?

10:33 Yes.

10:34 Yeah, I reckon you could give it more off the go.

10:36 Is the sun hot?

10:37 Do you want to have another go?

10:39 U-turn engaged.

10:40 U-turn engaged.

10:41 Work that non-power steering.

10:43 I am doing U-turning circles.

10:44 Good.

10:45 It's so heavy.

10:46 I reckon a good launch has a little bit of wheel spin in it.

10:49 That's what they all say.

10:51 All right.

10:54 OH, THAT'S IT.

10:56 GO PIGGY GO.

10:58 YEAH, GOOD SHIFT.

10:59 THAT'S IT.

11:00 Come on.

11:00 Oh, the end's coming up.

11:01 That's it.

11:02 Yes.

11:05 [laughter] Well, that was a good one.

11:07 And you know, we don't want to we don't want to bust this little piggy,

11:09 especially since you know, I may not see you again for 15 years.

11:12 Just notice your puff pack interior.

11:14 There's no gauge there.

11:16 Yeah, this wasn't even the SL.

11:17 I don't even know which one this was.

11:19 It's just a blank nothing they give you.

11:21 But they illuminate it for you.

11:22 We're actually filling out the magnet here.

11:24 You never see this bit.

11:26 So it's a 1.6 L oh, it's an I4.

11:29 Quickly add that.

11:30 I4.

11:31 What's its name?

11:32 Dory.

11:33 D- Why?

11:34 Uh named after my grandma.

11:36 Aw, you got to write that.

11:38 You got to you got to put Dory on it.

11:39 Just Just right in the middle.

11:40 N- Oh, double R.

11:42 I E.

11:44 My hell, who would have thought?

11:45 Well, it certainly is a nuggo because it pulled a 7.33.

11:51 It just just beat the Donkey Van, but only on its second go.

11:56 The first go, uh the Donkey was faster.

12:00 And then, G-forces wise, 0.5.

12:04 Half a G.

12:06 Technically slightly more brutal than the blue Goober.

12:09 And that's so funny.

12:11 I mean, see?

12:12 He did go for it.

12:13 He did give it a fair old shake.

12:14 Almost as brutal as a 1-liter three-cylinder Daihatsu.

12:19 And not as brutal as a Morris.

12:21 Or a Tony, which is strange.

12:23 Nugs are weird.

12:24 But, um yeah, this is the coolest car I know.

12:26 The history is insane.

12:28 The The friendship around this thing.

12:30 The fact that my silicone from 15 to 17 something years ago is still in there.

12:35 And this thing looks absolutely wonderful.

12:37 No wonder why people want you to go to car shows.

12:40 No wonder why people gawk at you in traffic now.

12:42 And it must be so rewarding for that, you know, you always knew it was the best.

12:47 And you played the long game for people to come around on it to be like,

12:51 "That thing is the best." And it looks stinking amazing.

12:56 Congratulations.

12:57 You've done it.

12:58 And absolutely wonderful to see you again, man.

13:01 You're a good brother.

13:01 Congratulations.

13:02 This thing is the nug of nugs.

13:04 And I don't know what's going to top this.

13:06 I Honestly, I'd have to do insane amounts

13:08 of work to even get close to this thing.

13:11 And I wouldn't have any of the history of the or the lore or the backstory.

13:15 You have to earn that.

13:16 And you've stinking done it.