Carl's VL Walkinshaw - Build #001

Carl of QLD, is the lucky bugger, who is the proud owner of build #001. This car was a giveaway, for Wheels magazine in 1988.

The competition was a subscribe for 12 months comp, or cut the 6 coupons out of the Wheels magazines from April to September, then the October edition had the entry form, where you stuck the 6 coupons onto it and sent it in to win.

The extreemly lucky person who won it was Allan Riches of Cairns, who had it for a while, then sold it to Ian Hamilton. Next to own it, was Keith Bocaut, who had it for 10 years, and then sold it on to Carl.

Here is Carl's story of how he managed to buy the car!

I have wanted Build #001 Walkinshaw since 1994, when i first saw one. A mate owned #351 (which i liked as I was a Ford man at the time) and had an old Wheels magazine with the competition in it to win #001.
I always said if I had the chance I would take it if it ever came up for sale. I didnt think it would as some collector would have owned it, and want large $ for it.

In 1999 a mate of mine needed funds fast as he wrecked his VN Group A and offered me his Walkinshaw #149 to take off him. It didnt have the km I wanted but was clean.
I decided to buy it from him and only drove it occasionally throughout 1999. My daily drive at the time was a very clean VN V8 Calais (full leather, climate, sunroof etc). Just before christmas in 1999 a mate of mine offered me some money for my Calais and it was sold.

My Walkinshaw #149 then became daily transport. At the start of the year the Walkinshaw engine was pulled out and a full rebuild was done. In parts it came to $6500. It was pretty wild at the time, and also had an Alpine stereo fitted at the cost of $7000. Great sound inside and out. The car was a great cruiser. It wasnt too bad in Townsville, but I decided towards the end of the year (2000) to move back to Charters Towers which is 130km from Townsville where I had to fly to work. This meant from about September 2000 to March 2001 I travelled the highway every fortnight to and from work. In March 2001 I bought a brand new VU V8 ute (6 speed). That allowed me to retire the Walkinshaw and slowly restore it.

I stripped the lower skirts off, cleaned underneath, interior etc then over the next few months then lost all interest in it.
A couple I knew wanted the Walkinshaw and said if I ever sold it could I give them first option. I didn't worry about it because although I lost interest, i didnt really want to part with it.

In about February 2002 I was at work and a truck driver had brought some supplies to work. He had also left that days Saturday Courier Mail behind. As usual, I checked the HSV part of the classifieds. Nothing of interest. So I looked at the W part.
There it was.
Walkinshaw #001 with a phone number, small ad, but stood out bigtime. I couldnt let it go. I had to find out if it was the real thing or a typo.

The number was contacted, and it was indeed number 001 according to this man on the other end of the line.
I told him I was in north Qld, and on my days off would drive to Brisbane to check out the car. He told me he would hold it for me to inspect.
I drove down to Brisbane that week. There it was. That little number (#001) WOW!!!!
Keith (the former owner) started it up for me, I checked everything I could but only stayed for about 15 minutes. I told him i had a buyer for mine, and would sell it ASAP if he'd sell me his.
Keith told me no worries and wouldnt advertise it again.

The couple were contacted and I told them any decent offer wouldnt be refused. They offered me 20 grand. I said yes straight away and they applied for there loan.
After I returned home I had a series of job interviews which took weeks off selling my car and buying #001. I kept in touch with Keith to let him know I would be back. He told me that anyone willing to drive over 1500km to look at his car for 15 minutes and drive home was keen, so he would let me have it.

I also contacted HSV to find out if it was genuine because I wanted to verify it first. At first they refused to tell me because it wasnt my car. Then when I tried again they verified it and asked if it was mine. I said no its for sale and im buying it soon. HSV then said to me "where is it"?.....Nice try boys, I will tell you when I own it. You arent buying it from under me.

My interviews for other jobs were finally over and I accepted a new job at another Mine.
I sold my car to this couple, and they took it back down to Southern Qld.
In April I finished up in my job so I could start the new one in May & flew straight down to Brisbane where Nola (Keith's wife) picked us up from the airport and the deal was done that day.

When I asked Keith why he sold it, he told me he and his wife went out for tea one night and when they were leaving, they drove out of the carpark and a few teenage kids were sitting there. One said to the others "check out that car" and a young girl said "Yeah but look at the old fart driving it". That was time to move on he thought.
I wouldnt let something like that deter me, but it was a great opportunity for me.

I'd like to thank Keith for holding the car for me all that time, and he didnt even want a deposit the whole time. Plus he rang me a few days later to ask how the car drove, and if i was happy with my #001.
Carl Snelling