Masonite ute

[Mike K]

After closer scrutiny, its a Pontiac, I think ? I bought one of these in 1981 from a elderly Mr. De Grandi down at Geelong, for $150. He had purchased it in 1946 ex RAAF from Townsville he said. He had a caravan hire business and the Ponti was used for many years to haul caravans around. The motor was tired but I managed to drive it home down the Geelong freeway ... He had fitted metal panels over the masonite sides , doing this had preserved the original tub very well. But sadly, he had just handed in its original 1946 number plates a week earlier

He took it for a test drive and as he manouvered it around his back yard the front guards were scraping along the fence causing more damage

Tyres needed some air and he wheeled out a Wirraway undercarriage main wheel and transferred some air into the Ponti tyres. The hydraulic brakes had a junction at the rear where he could connect the hydraulic brakes of his caravans

I passed the ute onto Colin Anderson, Colin had another one ( sold at his 2003 auction to a Sth Aust buyer) plus panels and parts he had scrounged from two 41 Pontiac sedans, ex hire cars. Colin fitted a rebuilt post war Ponti engine, side valve 6 and he took the ute on many club trips . Colin eventually sold it but the car was destroyed in a fire in the Port Adelaide museum when the seat stuffing caught alight .