BRAX’S LITTLE CAR

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Old cars bring people together, through clubs, friendships, and, of course, families. Many of us have been accused of spending too much money on cars, but we knew better, and now we’d rather see the younger generation investing in something tangible rather than new gadgets or a faster internet speed.

Kudos to Dean’s Smash Repairs, who, impressed by the young bloke’s dedication to the project, cut Brax a deal on the paint job. Dave said, “I pretty much steered him where he needed to go, and he went and did the deals himself. Braxton went down, spoke to them, and organised it all; they were wrapped that a kid his age was actually doing something like this.” **Sister Hallie wasn’t left out either, happy to select the Ford Midnight Blue colour before watching from the sidelines.**

David Beam agrees. Recalling good times with cool cars in his younger days, he still manages to get out amongst the Gippsland scene with his family, albeit in civilian transportation. In doing so, he noted that his son Braxton was as captivated with cars as he was.

“He took an interest, so I thought I’d harness that,” says Dave. “I organised to purchase the body and chassis, and deliver it in his name. When it arrived, I asked him what he’d bought off the internet, and he said nothing. Then, when he opened it, he just lost it!”

Little more than a raw body and a deuce-styled basic frame, there was a long road ahead, but enthusiasm was high, and Brax kept busy cashing in cans and mowing lawns to help fund the project.

“We just built everything up from there – me, Brax, and a mate of mine, Malcolm. We had to do motor mounts, axles, steering components, pedals, etc. We bought the motor; it’s got three forward gears and reverse. The rear axle is from a go-kart, and the front is off a ride-on mower.”

Getting Braxton involved was the main goal, and he worked beside Malcolm to learn some of the hands-on skills that will serve him well in the shed.

“Malcolm taught me how to weld and fabricate, and me and Dad did the interior ourselves,” says Brax.

“We scavenged parts from whatever we could find to make it cheaper for him and how he wanted it to turn out,” Dave adds.

The generic 125cc powerplant includes a gearbox with three forward gears and reverse. It’s coupled to a go-kart rear axle scored from a racer. Note the upholstery, proudly stitched by Brax, after pricing up a pro job. “Me and Dad did the trimming; we were getting quoted a lot of money to do it, so we thought, let’s try it ourselves, and we eventually got it done.” Kudos to Autobarn at Traralgon for chipping in with gauges and future trailer parts.

With working headlights and functional exhaust, the diminished deuce is as close to full-size fun as 13-year-old Braxton is likely to get for several years, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be spending his teens in the slow lane. A nearby racetrack will be used for speed testing once they’re satisfied with the brakes and keen to give it some herbs!

It would seem that the fun has only just begun for the Beam family, with the construction of a custom trailer well underway, and Brax scouring the classifieds for an affordable HQ Kingswood project to cut his teeth on.