SECRETS OF THE CROWN

STRAP YOUR BOWLS HAT AND TISSUE BOX TO THE PARCEL SHELF - JOEL BLAKE'S TOYOTA CROWN IS HERE TO SHAKE YOUR FALSIES LOOSE!

- STORY SIMON MAJOR

WHEN it comes to building tough streeters, Brisbane's Joel Blake is no shrinking violet. Over the past few decades, he's built myriad hotties based around traditional Aussie fodder, including the 'CRAYZER' HR (SM, Feb '19), while also being deeply entrenched in the lowrider scene (Snap Shots, SM, Mar '14). "I'm really not biased towards any particular brand or model or engine configuration, either," Joel says. "Sure, I love my HG Monaro and '57 Chev, but it's rare for me not to have a hot four-cylinder or tough six sharing space in the garage too."

Joel's vehicular resume reads with the volume and variety of a Unique Cars magazine, but the one thing he's not afraid to do is pick up and run with something already road-ready. "I've built enough cars from scratch to know that buying someone else's hard work - and normally greater financial outlay - can be beneficial too," he says. "We're not getting any younger, and I'd rather enjoy my cars now than waste time chained to the shed for years with some new money pit, or stressing over a build drama."