It was with great sadness that I heard the news Dave Haskell had passed away. Dave was one of the most colourful characters in the hot rodding scene, and I’m not just talking of his profanities.
Born in Leytonstone, Dave was a true East Ender and a man with many strings to his bow. Having built his first hot rod when he was a teenager, he turned his passion for rodding into his occupation, opening his rod shop in 1981. The portfolio he accrued since then is as extensive as it is impressive.
Multi-talented Dave was prepared to tackle everything from chassis fabrication through to bodywork and paint. There was no one signature trademark to the cars he built; they were all uniquely individualistic. Every one of them was built with a dedicated eye for detail, though. Each stage of the build was assessed thoroughly before the project progressed, often with a cuppa in one hand and a fag in the other.
Along with the many turn-key cars Dave built over the years, he also had a hand in the building of many others. Despite his larger-than-life character, he was often reserved when
