They stopped off at Smugglers Cove Holiday Park on Friday (August 28).

The Great Lakes Advocate caught up with a few drivers to find out what made them motoring enthusiasts.   

AT the moment Brock Kinnear is stuck in the passenger’s seat of his dad’s 1932 Ford Tudor.

“He’s still on his ps so he can’t get behind the wheel,” Ian Kinnear said, who has done the Mountain to Sea run for 13 years.

But Brock is quickly gaining independence from his dad in his love for hot rods.

“I’ve been building my own car, a 1937 Chevrolet Pickup, for 12 months now,” Brock said.

“I still have a lot of work to do on it, but I hope to be finished by 2017 so I can enter into the Hot Rod Nationals in Bendigo.”

Brock said he shared his father’s love for cars simply because it was a passion.

CENTRAL Coast Hot Rodders president Bill Chappel didn’t buy his 1948 Chevrolet Pickup to show off.

While other cars have perfect paint jobs that sparkle in the sun, his truck has a rougher finish and you can easily spot flecked paint.

“The kids love it,” Bill said.

“Only because they can climb all over it. This car is to drive and enjoy, it’s not a show pony.” 

Bill has driven his Chevy all over the country to car shows and show and shines.

Like everyone on the Mountain to Sea run, he has a passion for cars and loves to share it with his family.

“I’ve been driving this Chevy for 14 years,” he said.

“The show and shines are a lot of fun. The car community is like a big family.”

THE best thing about hot rodding for Mark Norton is the fundraising that comes naturally with show and shines and auto events.

Mark has been the president of Rickshaws Hot Rod Club in Newcastle for decades and has seen his club had raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for different families and organisations.

“Every year we identify a family or a piece of hospital equipment that is needed and focus on that,” he said.

They always aim to keep the money they raised in their community and not let it just go to Sydney.

“Hot rodding is a great way to contribute to our community,” Mark said.

“And to help it doesn’t cost us anything extra, just our time.”

Mark said he got his passion for cars from his father, who wanted to own seven cars 

“My father used to buy and sell cars, but he passed away when he was 45,” Mark said.

“So I fulfilled my dad’s passion for him.” 

That enthusiasm for cars rubbed off on his wife Amanda.

After watching him build cars for so long, Amanda had to have her own.

“I got her a 1928 Closed Cab Pickup. She drove it to work everyday for 11 years.”

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