For old soldiers like Ray “Chick” Dimmack, the letters R&R take on a whole new meaning. “In the army, it was rest and relaxation,” the Vietnam veteran explained, pointing to the painted letters on the side of a beautifully restored 1928 Model A Ford. “But here, it means Ray and Ray. Big Ray and it used to be Little Ray, but now it’s Old Ray and Young Ray.”
A panel beater before he joined the army, the 83-year-old has passed his passion for cars to his only son and namesake. Chick, who has carried the nickname since the 1950s, lives in Mandurah, while his 46-year-old son Ray Junior is based in Kalgoorlie, 660 kilometers away.
Over the past three years, the pair have painstakingly restored the vintage car, after finding a rusted chassis advertised online. “This was rusted to buggery,” Chick said with a smile. “It’s been a labor of love, I suppose.”
Most of the work was done by Ray Junior, with Chick sourcing parts and making trips back and forth from Perth. “Every now and then I’d spend a week here. My back would be hurting by the time I got in the car to go home, but I was happy. A few beers with my son, you couldn’t ask for anything more.”
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