About Us
Nick has been interested in all things mechanical since he was a kid growing up in New Zealand. He was tinkering with lawnmowers to keep them running for his customers long before he could drive. When he was driving age, the goal was to have a British sports car. That was until he discovered American power which led to the ultimate object of desire, a combination of both the small English car and large American power plant. Several cars into his driving career he had a 4 cylinder English Ford Cortina Mk III and put a 302W V8 into it. That was a good way to get to and from school while he earned degrees in Mechanical and Production Engineering as well as Education. He has been souping-up, re-powering, modifying, racing and building cars since. Another English Ford, the Mk I Capri, really got him trying club racing on about any surface and inclination he could run on. You can see how the Anglo/American thing led him to the fastest car on wheels -- the Shelby Cobra. A stint with Camp Counselors USA led him to Holderness, New Hampshire, which is his favorite car culture place to live. Holderness is where he met his wife Bonni in 1993. Currently the proud owner of Shelby Cobra CSX 4772 which has been rebuilt piece by piece after being crashed by the first owner. Painstaking attention to period details were employed with every part. He also has a two door Falcon from the '“Ford vs Ferrari” movie that was used in the opening scenes of the Ford production line.
The video below explains the license plate we have on our Falcon - “Hit It”
Bonni saved her money and bought her first car, a 1965 Mustang coupe, in High School. She was apparently a car girl from the git go. Bonni has driven motorcycles, school buses, and hauls a trailer. She can even back one up! Bonni drives Ford products to this day with her 8 seater GT, otherwise known as a “twin turbo eco-boost Expedition.”
Graduating from Granite State College with a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science she worked for the Department of Corrections for many years. Bonni has been a school board member since 2009 and has been vice president of PTO when their kids were younger. She has transferred her organizational skills full time to their family business. Bonni handles the office administrative work as well as runs some of the machines in the shop. Their two children, Vance and Carly, occasionally help out in the shop also. Carly is the trunk monkey with agility and dexterity in the tight spots. Vance is the up and coming muscle and MIG welder trainee. Bonni also creates custom metal signs. You can keep an eye on current projects by going to Acton Metal Art.
We are a small dedicated specialty shop that prides itself on old world craftsmanship and exacting attention to detail. What started as a hobby and a life-long passion has progressed to a full time business dedicated to the Cobra and Custom industry. Nick's lifetime of experience, his engineering background combined with a hands on and common sense approach is applied to every part made. We have supplied parts to some of the world renowned Cobra restoration experts. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to do what we love every day and to have a loyal and enthusiastic customer base that shares our passion.
