Vintage kit anyone?

[FreddieVonRost]

So you own a period car and you are looking to buy vintage race clothing like 40 or 50s style racing trousers, a boating jacket or even a period suit to get that, just right look. Two alternatives present themselves:

1. You hunt around for new “old style” items from companies like Chapal, wince loudly and pay out serious amounts of money knowing fully well that you have just been taken for a ride financially.

Or:

2. You spot/search for also an image on the net or find a nice second-hand item, which requires alteration and realise that there is a life beyond the land of high spend.

I chose the latter and think it is one of my better decisions just lately. Some years ago, I had quite a bad bike accident, which has left me with limited movement in my left arm, which is now ¾ inch shorter than the right. Therefore some of my clothes need to be altered. One day I jokingly presented to Keith - the alterations wizard - Harris, a picture of a pair of racing trousers and asked whether he could copy them, particularly as these were really just a pair of pleat front chinos with ankle buckles. Two weeks later and hey presto, I am now the proud owner of a pair of seriously spot on trousers.

Not only does he perform miracles with ordinary day-to-day items, but he is also about the only person I trust with my barbours or my very ancient sheepskin.

One or two people already have already had various bits of kit altered for the Revival and you may find his services useful too. Based in East London.

Harris Valet,
Ground Floor, Rear of: 443 Bethnal Green Road,
London,
E2 9QH.

Tel: 07951 487068

Highly recommended.

Map: http://www.multimap.com/maps/#t=l&map=51.52766...

And before you ask: no connection whatsoever, I just think the quality of his work is excellent.

 

[KL15]

Hey, be very careful if you buy vintage racing clothing. I dabble in race cars and have done some history and in the old days "fire suits" were made with asbestos in them. Today they are made of nomex which is a material made by dupont. It resists heat better and wont cause cancer. It's rumored this ispart of the reason why Steve McQueen got mesothelioma. Just for what it's worth.

 

[52Styleline]

I have a couple of 50's vintage casual outfits that I sometimes wear when I take my old 52 Chevrolet to a car show (anybody remember "rock n roll" jackets?) A friend of mine has a 1938 Olds and his wife really gets into costume when they go to a show. Most vintage car owners around here don't bother, however.

 

[Twitch]

I wear a fedora or vintage straw at every show I take my car to. I'm not into the rest of the vintage wardrobe but have to be. A guy wearing chinos and a T shirt in a fedora is 1950 as much as as if he were in a zoot suit.

 

[Micawber]

Harris Valet,
Ground Floor, Rear of: 443 Bethnal Green Road,
London,
E2 9QH.

Tel: 07951 487068

Highly recommended.

Map: http://www.multimap.com/maps/#t=l&map=51.52766...

And before you ask: no connection whatsoever, I just think the quality of his work is excellent.

Thanks for the tip

 

[FreddieVonRost]

Thanks for the tip

Hello Micawber,

You are most welcome.

FvR

 

[FreddieVonRost]

Hey, be very careful if you buy vintage racing clothing. I dabble in race cars and have done some history and in the old days "fire suits" were made with asbestos in them. Today they are made of nomex which is a material made by dupont. It resists heat better and wont cause cancer. It's rumored this ispart of the reason why Steve McQueen got mesothelioma. Just for what it's worth.

Hello KL15,

Nothing surprises me anymore, so I suspect this is probably true. Unloading asbestos, whilst employed as a docker at the SF or LA port, when relatively young, probably contributed to his death too.

Generally, my preference is to wear the right style of clothes with my car, rather than following the rather ghastly t shirt and baseball cap brigade. As the pedal box in my car is very small, the last thing I would want to happen is for my trouser legs to get caught in the pedals whilst "dancing" through the gears. Hence the altered chinos etc.

As far as racing vintage cars whilst wearing period racing gear is concerned I only have one thought: if anyone is unwilling to spend £5 - 700 on a set of triple layer nomex
kit, then they should book a permanent reservation for themselves at the nearest burns unit.

On the whole I have found that quite a few other owners like to drive their cars whilst "looking the part". Vintage clothing just adds that little bit of jeune se quoi which new kit simply does not possess. Hence the need to find and alter as necessary. Style and the ability to dress well are always paramount, particularly so at The Goodwood Revival and the Classic Lemans.

Freddie.