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I started doing this after going to Bruntingthorpe in my mark 2 Ford Consul in 1986 or ‘87 - I can’t remember exactly - and seeing all the Low Flyers, which got me really hooked. So three of us went out; Kerry Birch, Spencer Lingwood and I, and purchased T-bodies from Unique Autocraft (Now Pop Brown’s) and started building, mine with a chassis built by David Gardner who also assisted in putting other bits together. I also had a lot of help from Phil Cherry with this car. Originally I was just going to put a Consul engine in it, but then I heard my first Flathead V8 and I couldn’t see any other possible option. It turned out expensive but worth every single penny.  
I heard about the Flathead Meltdown just after the first one had occurred, but I went to the second one and was hooked. What a blast! I didn’t win any, but I did come 3rd and 4th often. I got my best time in that T of 16.03 seconds, and that was with a stock 21 stud and two carbs. We used to take the windscreen, lights, fenders, seats and hub caps off, anything to make the car lighter.
 
I sold that car in 2000 after having it on the road for 10 years, and bought Danny Townsend’s Coupe body and chassis the same year. And started again! I went to America in October 2000 with the rest of the Sidewinders and bought lots of shiny stuff, and then started putting it together over the winter of 2000. I had it on the road for July 2001 with fancy paint job courtesy of a good friend Adrian Rayner, and this is where I picked up the name Bernie! I went racing again, with a best time of 17.03 seconds, not so good.
I had that car for about 3 years, but I didn’t enjoy driving it and I found I don’t like sitting in chopped coupes. I wanted a roadster again so I approached Clive Greisel who had Billy’s old roadster body, I asked to swap with him and a deal was agreed. Coupes look good, but they are not as fun to drive. Me in a roadster any day! So in 2004 I swapped bodies with Clive and by the following summer I was back on the road in a roadster (aha!), with a lot of help from Marco Warren of Juarez Traditional Fabrication. I still have this car but have only raced it 3 times, with the fastest time of 18 seconds.
 
My only success in racing was an outing we had to North Weald. All three T’s were there and that was the day I BEAT TONY CARDY! Not once but THREE TIMES! By the 4th race I was feeling sorry for him so I let him win. It was wet and he said he couldn’t get any grip (supposedly). Unlike Avon Park, North Weald does not wait for the wet to dry up, just the rain to stop. 
Out of all the years of racing in the Flathead Meltdown, although I never won, I really enjoyed it and I fully recommend anyone to join in. I hope it carries on. FLATHEADS FOREVER!! I am now building another 32 roadster so check back soon for pictures. 
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