When the gates to Summernats 38, Australia’s biggest annual car festival, open at 11am tomorrow (Thursday, 8 January), among attendees will be AFL legend and dad of four, Brendan Fevola, and his 19-year-old daughter Leni.
The four day event, held at Canberra’s Exhibition Park, is a massive horsepower party that celebrates modified cars and automotive culture, through cruises, burnout competitions, show-n-shine, live music, and a bevy of other activities.
It’s expected to attract more than 100,000 fans. For the Fevolas, the trip came about after Leni started asking questions of her dad regarding car maintenance. It was at this point, Brendan realised there was a massive knowledge gap.
Unlike today, where cars have extended warranties and bucket loads of tech, Brendan’s dad and pop were always tinkering with cars, and taught him everything he knows about basic maintenance.
“Back in the day, there was no YouTube,” he said. “I would watch my dad and pop slave away, working on cars, and was keen to learn, even just helping them wash cars.”
Brendan’s first car was a Nissan Bluebird, that he used to keep looking sparkling and new, thanks to inspiration from his father and grandfather. From there it was a VN Commodore with mag wheels that caught his heart.
“Times have changed for these young kids, they just take it to the shop and have someone fix it for them.”
For Leni, who admits she had no idea about car maintenance when the conversations first began alongside her purchase of an MG3, the things her dad and YouTube have been able to teach her have been invaluable. Now she’s keen to expand her knowledge.
“I know a lot of young people wouldn’t know what to do if they got a flat tyre or needed to replace windscreen wipers,” she said. “But there are so many great tutorials and how-to guides online for virtually anything.”
Despite her dad admitting he was a little worried about how intimidating car festivals can be for female attendees, she’s also not bothered by Summernats’ past reputation, instead focused on what she can learn.
“I’m definitely looking forward to learning more,” the self-confessed Formula 1 fan said, admitting that, inspired by fellow AFL legend Barry Hall, there’s the potential for a future project car for her and her dad, should a classic catch their eye.
Headed to the nation’s capital with eBay as part of a shared mission to shine a light on fading car maintenance knowledge, especially among younger generations, the duo are hoping to pick up some tips and advice from Australia’s car community.
