Albert McKenzie is a familiar face in Blayney and over the past five years locals would have seen him taking his Tin Lizzie for a spin around town.
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Tin Lizzie is a 1929 Chevrolet Coupe that he purchased from Paul Favreau in Bathurst in 2017 after he closed his green grocer business.
At the 2022 Blayney Show Mr McKenzie won three trophies including first for classic car, first for American car and second for pre world war two vehicle.
Like all vintage cars the vehicle needed some work to get it working the way he wanted it to.
"I had to order new wheels, a radiator and water pumps from America to get it registered but the paint and leather work is in very good condition," he said.
With a tank full of premium fuel Mr McKenzie will often spark her up and head to Millthorpe or Carcoar to show it off in a village whose history is on par with that of the vehicle.
It is a surprisingly comfortable ride on the spring bench seat although the leg room in the front and the dickie seat in the back would remove any fanciful ideas of a long weekend away.
"I've taken it as far as Orange and that's about it," he said. "besides if you have your wife in the front and kids in the back seat there's no room for luggage or groceries."
For the inexperienced the throttle pedal sits in between the brake and the clutch, which can cause more than confusion.
"If you have a big boot you can press the clutch and throttle in at the same time," he said.
The coupe nature of the vehicle meant that it was never a popular as the sedans of the time, and is a rarity.
His great joy is taking the Chevrolet to shows to keep the history alive, and he also enjoys meeting up with his son-in-law Colin Sherlock from Bathurst whose 1954 FJ Holden ute won Grand Champion Ute at the show as well.
Mr Sherlock has owned and driven his FJ ute for nearly 25 years is a regular at the ute shows and unlike Albert's Chevy, he has taken the FJ on more than the occasional run.
"For years when I was working as a panel beater I used it as my daily commute," he said. "I've even moved house a few times in it."
Unlike Albert's though, Mr Sherlock's motor and running gear isn't the original ones designed for the FJ.
"It has a later model motor, gearbox and running gear in it," he said. "It's all from a HR which is about 10 years later. It drives and handles a lot better because the old FJ's didn't hold the road real good."
Other changes include a disk brake front end, a four speed gear box and a later model differential.
"So really, it's like a HR in FJ clothing," he said.
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Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
