JOHN Agosta does not want to talk about the amount of money he has spent buying and restoring old vehicles.
“Let’s not even go there,” he said. “I don’t want to think about it.”
Whatever the figure, it must be big.
At last count, the president of the Werribee and District Collectible Vehicle Club owned 1927 and 1937 Dodges, a 1954 Plymouth, a 1963 EH Holden, a 1963 Triumph Spitfire, a 1977 Triumph and a Torana LX hatchback.
Throw in some motorbikes, three racing cars, two HQ Holdens and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, forget the bird and the tree – there’s only room for engines here.
On 18 May, Mr Agosta will be among scores of car enthusiasts who will participate in National Motoring Heritage Day.
As its part of the tribute to older vehicles, the Werribee club will travel down the Princes Highway to Little River before driving to Geelong.
A range of makes and models will be on display, many of them painstakingly restored to their former glory.
“People go out and buy what we call a basket car and for the next 10 years restore it back to its original condition,” Mr Agosta said.
“There’s other people who may not be mechanically minded who go out to purchase a car. Depending on what vehicle you like you can buy a car from anywhere between $2500 and $3000 upwards.
“Some real enthusiasts can buy an American or Australian muscle car that’s worth up to $300,000-$400,000.
“A Rolls Royce can set you back anywhere between $20,000 and $400,000. It depends on what you like and what you can afford.”
But let’s not talk about the money. It’s about friendships and passions, Mr Agosta said. And they don’t have a price tag.
But the money question is difficult to avoid. Most of the vehicles belong to an era when petrol was cheap.
“When petrol hit $1 a litre we said maybe we’ll have to plan shorter runs because of the cost of fuel. But I think these days our runs have actually become longer,” he said.
“These cars are not exactly fuel efficient, but at the end of the day it’s not about petrol, it’s about spending time on the vehicle and restoring it and all the friendships you make along the way.”
A car enthusiast since he was a child, the 46-year-old still races cars for a living while running his own business, JW Auto Gas.
“The best part is that I combine my work with what I love doing.”
Just don’t mention the cost.
Prospective members of the club can contact Mr Agosta on 9742 3234.
