In 1945, while in high school, Andy purchased a Model T Ford and proceeded to make it into a convertible. This was not an exciting car, and a couple of years later he met Ronnie Vaughan, a hot rodder, and saw an early issue of Hot Rod Magazine, both of which influenced him to look for a ‘32 Ford.

After graduating from high school in 1946, he moved to California. There he purchased a 1932 Ford 3 window coupe and proceeded to modify it. Over the next year he channelled it and in-stalled cycle fenders and a hopped-up 1946 Ford V8.

He returned to Vancouver with his ‘32 hot rod, and in early 1952 joined the British Columbia Custom Car Assoc.(BCCCA).

Andy recalls a first visit to Abbotsford Airport in 1952 with the club executive who were looking for a drag race facility. He has a memory of that day and the World War Two control tower. The BCCCA raced at that airstrip for six years.

Andy served on the BCCCA executive as entertainment chairman

ANDY GRANGE - Inducted 2003

Pioneer - Hot Rod, Custom Car and Drag Racing

By Larry Braine, 2003

Andy Grange 1952        From left: Andy Grange, Jerry Abramson and Pat Grange, 1955  (Abramson and Grange Collections)

Andy Grange, 1964

and staged several events such as reliability runs, dances and a memorable stag at the Golden Horseshoe. All of these events helped to raise money for his car club.

Andy raced his ‘32 Ford coupe at Abbotsford in 1955. That same year, he and friend Jerry Abramson built a race car out of 1947 Crosley pickup, powered by a flathead Mercury V8. They raced The Big Threat until 1957 at Abbotsford, and during that time changed the engine to a Chrysler Hemi. The car was shown at the 1958 Motorama at the PNE.

Andy and his friend Jerry got to be known as the comedy team at club events. Andy remained a BCCCA member into the early 1960s.

From the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s, his company sponsored cars in the Early/Late stock car class which raced at Langley, Victoria and Washington State. The cars were owned by Larry Lodge and Peter Harding. They were all Fords and bore the number 39.

Andy remains a car enthusiast and club supporter, while enjoying his retirement years at his home in Whistler, where he enjoys skiing and golf with wife, Pat.