East Coast 
Sidewinders

The East Coast Sidewinders have been around in one form or another since the 1980s, when a bunch of guys from Colchester, Essex, followed fast in the footsteps of the Low Flyers, building traditional styled hot rods, which were mostly based around old Ford running gear and flathead engines. It wasn’t until 1997 that the East Coast Sidewinders name was finally settled upon, after years of being known as the “Colchester Mob”. By this time, the net of friends had cast further afield, but the core membership remained on the East Coast.

Still going strong after all these years, the Sidewinders are now the leading traditional hot rod club in the UK, and play host at Vintage Hot Rod Association events. Among their many achievements, members can proudly boast that they were the first into the 100mph club at both the Flathead Meltdown and Pendine Sands. As for the cars, they are traditional as the day is long, drawing inspiration from the birth of hot rodding, through to the early 1960s. Flatheads are still a favourite, but the occasional overhead valve sneaks in. Each and every member has a longstanding interest in old jalopies and have immense pride in being a member of the Sidewinders. We don’t have dues, official meetings are few and far between, and becoming a member is a rite of passage, not something that you ask for, or that is given.

If you want to get in touch, email them at 

info@sidewinderscc.co.uk. Just don’t ask if you can join!