In Cars with Skateboarders - Jarryd Rees

By Kane Horspool

What make and model is it?

It’s a Holden Barina, 1.6 litre engine. Year 2000. First car I ever owned that was made in this century.

How did you acquire it? And how much did it cost?

I acquired it for free from my sister about 3-4 years ago. I love that whip. I never spent a cent on it other than a new battery one time and tyres for rego.

Haha that’s awesome. Family heirloom.

Did you kit it out for the skate business? Any tools of the trade in the boot?

No real tools in the back other than when I had to get rid of it, I found 6 skate tools riddled throughout the car. Permanent camp chair in there for filming and a useful tyre jack. There was a crowbar in there too from dads’ garage that I borrowed to steal a slappy block one time. There was definitely two shifters in there too.

Borrowed tools from dad just end up being new tools for son.

What about stickers? Does it look like a skate rats’ fridge?

I had a Ford racing sticker which I paid $8 for and that was in response to it being a Holden. I also ran a Bad Boy sticker on the back to showcase that I was originally from Warilla and an upside-down Vinyl milk crate sticker to achieve a trivial view of the brand Ben and I have tried to do.

How long did you have it?

I had that bad boy whip for four years in total, real dandy time.

What’s the furthest its driven?

The furthest she ever drove was probably Canberra multiple times. I’d always make up little dumb excuses with anyone else that drove saying it might not make the trip for the day to Sydney or wherever, but I know full well that thing was trustworthy. I was push/clutch starting that car regularly after night shifts at 6am from a job I was working in Dapto and it never missed a beat.

Did you give the car a nick name?

It never really had a name, sometimes it was dubbed as the Bubble and other times I called it Bettina.

Where is the car now?

Rhys Kelly drove it to work in Sydney for the day and it just wouldn’t start again. He left it on the side of the road for two days and it got stolen.

That Barina is my favourite car I’ve owned to date. I couldn’t care less about what I drive now and I can’t imagine myself ever being a car guy, cars just feel like dead money to me.

Yes, they are dead money pits. We should just be driving bumper cars. Thanks mate. Long live Bettina the bubble.