Hot rod community lends support to palliative care

Lloyd Wilson sought to add a fundraising dimension to his hot rod passion with $9000 collected for Cranford Hospice. Cranford interim chief executive Andrea Jopling is also pictured. Photo / Paul Taylor

Lloyd Wilson will be working hard to shepherd his flock towards their next milestone events.

The Napier man attracts car enthusiasts from far and wide to his Automania hot rod storage and display facility in Onekawa, but it was the celebration of one particular vehicle that was his good deed for 2022.

Wilson organised the Deuce Days, which attracted 117, 1932 Ford enthusiasts from Whangarei to Timaru, to share their love for one of the all-time classic cars.

It was the fifth iteration of the event and, while it won’t return in 2023, it will be back.

“This was the 90th [anniversary of the Deuce’s release] and we had one guy there who came to me and said to me ‘Magoo’ — which is my nickname, because in hot rodding everyone has nicknames — ‘I’ve got to come to the 90th because I won’t make it to the 100th’,’’ Wilson said.

“We’ll certainly do the 95th and the 100th and there’ll be something in between I’m sure.’’

Wilson estimated the average age of those in the hot rod community to be mid-50s. Mortality starts to become a reality at that time of life, which is partly why Wilson sought to add a fundraising dimension to the Deuce Days with more than $9000 collected for the Cranford Hospice.

“Cranford is delighted to receive this gift … which will be used to support both our operating costs and building the new home for Cranford at Chesterhope,’’ Cranford Hospice interim chief executive Andrea Jopling said.

“The support that we get from community fundraisers like this is so important to us. It was great to see the hot rod community coming together to have a fun day out and to raise money that helps us to provide the very best palliative care at no cost to our patients.”