The chrome is gleaming and the final coat of polish is on as Camperdown car builder Alan Fleming prepares his hand-built J-Rod for the town's annual car and bike show.
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Mr Fleming has been working on cars since restoring a panel van and finishing it with a custom paint job in Melbourne in the early 1990s.
"I love the art side of it, the 1930s and 40s in automotive design was incredible," Mr Fleming said.
"That was when cars were unbelievable, they were just art on wheels.
"Basically I am trying to capture some of that in the designs I create."
Mr Fleming works on ground-up car builds, designing and building all of the car panels in fibreglass.
He said the J-Rod he will take to the Camperdown Car and Bike Show involved thousands of hours of work, over a number of years.
"I built the J-Rod as a tribute to my son a few years after he died, it helped me to get back in control of things," he said.
"It's my take on a 1934-style Chev. It has a 5.7 litre V8 Commodore motor inside the fibreglass body so it absolutely flies."
Camperdown Car and Bike Show president Andrew Searle said a range of vehicles would be on display for the public on Saturday.
"We have all types of vehicles including some vintage trucks," Mr Searle said.
"There will be some great motorbikes including Harleys and Triumphs, and some older bikes.
"With the cars we have everything from street cars, muscle cars, hot rods, drag cars and classic cars. We try and cater for a broad range."
Mr Searle said there would be live music from Todd and Madeline Angus, plus some of the show cars cruising along Little Manifold Street.
"People will get to see the wheels in motion and have an immersive experience with the different vehicles," he said.
"You can listen to the car, some have V8s in them, and they have airbags in them so people can see them raise and lower. People love to see the whole picture of the car."
The Princes Highway and Little Manifold Street will be closed between Brooke Street and Cressy Street on Saturday from 7am to 6pm, and a detour and reduced speed limits will be in place throughout the town.
Corangamite Shire Mayor Neil Trotter encouraged people to attend the family-friendly event, but asked motorists to drive safely in the changed conditions and follow all signage.
"Many of the vehicles on display are true works of art as well as engineering," he said. "This event adds to the vibrant lifestyle of our shire."
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