A restoration project on a 1958 Wolseley 15/50 has been a labour of love for Ross Holland and his 18-year-old son, Josh.
The Wolseley, bought in the 1980s, has a top speed of 50km/hour and had been sitting dormant for 10 years.
Josh thought it would be a great vehicle to drive to his high school ball last year, so work began in ernest.
About 20 hours had been spent getting the car ready, including fixing the gears and work on the brakes.
He got to drive it to the ball but said there was still more to do.
‘‘I am enjoying working with dad on the car and learning how the parts connect and work together,’’ he said.
When Josh started working the project, he didn’t know how to fix a car.
And he had only had his licence for a year.
‘‘It’s quite a fun car to drive and there are many different things to remember from driving other cars,’’ he said.
‘‘I do have to really concentrate when driving it as there are lots of buttons on the dashboard.’’
Originally painted blue with a white bonnet, Ross selected its new green and white colours.
And while it steered well, it was slow to accelerate and known to ‘‘conk out at traffic lights’’.
‘‘I find it stalls quite a bit but if I’m quick enough there is a knob I can twist to stop it happening,’’ Josh said.
The trio in the Holland family have all been impressed by the Wolseley and it’s Josh’s dream to own it in the future.
Ross, who works for Bruce McIlroy Ltd, was introduced to it in the 1980s by his father, Neil.
They viewed it together. Liked it so much, they bought it. Ross then used it for work.
Neil, a former business owner, started Holland’s Highway Auto’s on West St before moving it to the corner of Cass and Moore streets.
One of his fondest memories from selling cars was travelling by helicopter to remote locations to purchase vehicles.
