Cobar local Tanya Gilbert took out the People’s Choice award at the 2018 Dust Bowl Fuel Burners Show n’ Shine event on Saturday with her 1956 Holden FJ Ute, affectionately known as ‘Poison Ivy’.
The Show n’ Shine was the feature event of the inaugural Running On Empty Festival program and attracted 185 entries with prizes awarded in nine categories.
Tanya is the third owner of the 1956 FJ having bought it 10 years ago and had it restored in 2013.
“As it looks today is how it would have looked if you bought it off the floor in 1956, with the exception of a 12 volt battery instead of a six volt, which also means the headlights are different,” Tanya explained.
She also added a rear view mirror.
Tanya said she’s always loved old cars and has wanted one from a very young age.
“I wanted a purple FJ ute and once I got it I couldn’t move away from the original colour, so I settled for purple plates,” she said.
Tanya said she got a lot of compliments on ‘Poison Ivy’ from the “car guys” and from “old blokes” who had intended voting for their own cars for the People’s Choice award.
She said however once they saw her FJ, they couldn’t pass up giving her their vote.
Other Show n’ Shine winners included Newcastle visitors Michael and Michelle Ansen’s silver 57 Chev Belair (with NEAT57 number plates) won the Best Early Model Sedan section, with Paul Boyson’s red 2017 HSV GTS from Melbourne taking out the Best Late Model Sedan category.
In the ute categories, the Best Early Model was a Red 1981 WB 1 Tonner owned by Scott Patton from Central West Car Club while former Cobar resident Bruce ‘Agro’ Barnes (who now resides in Parkes) won Best Late Model with his red 2008 SS Ute.
The Best Original Factory title went to John and Cheryl Southwell’s 1954 ‘Sweet Cream’ Vauxhall Vagabond; Local Peter Cartner won Best Custom Bike with his Harley Davidson 2010 blue Fat Boy; and Judges’ Choice was a ‘55 Orange and Cream SS Chev owned by Bill Sharkey from Dubbo.
The Hard Luck prize went to the star of the show, a Black Chrysler Dodge Challenger, the original Fox 1 car from the Running On Empty movie, which came all the way from Perth.
Unfortunately due to problems incurred earlier that day on the run to Canbelego, Fox 1 failed to make it to the Show n’ Shine event.
