Indholdsfortegnelse for No 369 September 2021 i NZ Classic Car

Ever since I was a teenager my passion for cars has centred on those from across the ditch and from further afield — the US of A. My taste for American cars was further influenced when I started my apprenticeship in 1973. I was surrounded by workmates who thought that Tri-5 Chevs were the holy grail. It wasn’t long before my trusty old Morrie was turned in for a 1969 Holden Monaro GTS that my colleagues begrudgingly approved of — at least it was a General Motors (GM)–manufactured car. However, my preference was for one of the two XY Falcon GTHO Phase IIIs sitting in a car dealership in Papatoetoe, neither of which I could afford at the time — priced at $4500 from memory. Imagine! A few years later…

Comparisons with the E30 M3, the world’s best touring car, were inevitable but not all that meaningful An E30 M3 might look similar, but the hand-built homologation special was designed to satisfy Group A touring car rules. So it seats you on the left and makes you grapple with a dog-leg gearbox. Not only are there an awful lot of bespoke components in the M3, but its overall lightness results in unrivalled steering response and agility. It truly excelled when track work beckoned and when the hard-revving four-cylinder was cranked up to the max. Taking one step down, the M performance hierarchy meant a better value, more usable, real-world-appropriate compact sports saloon with the endless character and appeal of a straight-six. The M-Tech I versions of the M325i were produced…

Graham McRae, who died last month, was a well-known New Zealand racing car driver, but what perhaps is less well known is that he also built kit and turnkey road-legal cars in his shed. The most famous of them was his Porsche 550 Spyder replica, one of which was the cover car on our August 2018 issue. His first sortie into this field started with a McLaren M6GT replica that he imported from the US. He and David Harold, a director of Fibreglass Developments in Feilding, were going to produce them together in the late 1970s. It was a short-lived venture, as McRae was offered and accepted the role of chief mechanic of the US Skoal Bandit Racing team, owned by the actor and race car driver Paul Newman. McRae…

The slogan went something like ‘There’s a Ford in your future’. ‘Bugger off!’ were always the words that sprung to my mind. Ford and I have never really got on in the manner of many of my friends so I’d say my relationship with the brand was distant. The accelerating blur of passing time has helpfully blanketed memories of a few Ford encounters which I probably wanted to forget. But I have to admit, now that I look at them, they are reappearing through the mists of time. What comes to mind more readily, to quote some uncharitable wit, is the letters Ford could stand for: ‘fix or repair daily’. Still, I have to ’fess up; there were several Fords in my past. The 1960s ‘Ford Total Performance’ mantra hit…

It wasn’t all that long ago that a politician commented to the effect that regulations were simply legislation by stealth. Or more succinctly, regulations are a way for a government department to introduce (often) draconian rules that would not survive scrutiny in parliament. The first occasion that I fell foul of some regulations was when the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) converted some of its transport requirements into rules back in 1992. Its first rule was to the effect that window stickers could not intrude more than 50mm from each side of the windscreen, including top and bottom. “What?!” I thought at the time. Overnight, that made all my period window stickers, some of which had been on the car since the early 1970s, unlawful — ‘illegal’ is a sick…

TRIUMPH TR6 (1968–76): YOUR EXPERT GUIDE Paul Hogan, ISBN 978-1-787114-19-7 TRIUMPH HERALD & VITESSE: THE ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE Iain Ayre, ISBN 978-1-787115-19-4 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE & GT6: THE ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE Iain Ayre, ISBN 978-1-787114-52-4 I can’t do better than quote from the author’s introduction to the TR6 book: “An aid for enthusiasts who’d like to know more about the inner workings of the car, how it’s put together, and some ideas on how to take it apart!” Handy and accurate, in this medium-sized 112-page softcover any TR6 owner will find plenty of practical advice from an author who seems to know his stuff. It also has loads of colour photos, a few of which illustrate modifications or improvements that can be made. The 21 chapters cover different topics, from clutch…

Mazda’s RX-7 succeeded its RX-3 predecessor in 1978 and unmasked the true nature of the rotary-powered car. Equipped with either the 12A or 13B rotary engine it was an instant hit, providing just as much grunt as its rivals from Europe at a fraction of the price while offering something utterly different to a pale imitation which Japanese cars were thought to be. It was a true giant slayer. Many fans have favourite rotary-powered Mazdas, but the third and final generation RX-7, the FD, now seems the most coveted of all. “To me it’s a combination of the body lines and that 13B-REW rotary engine. With its light weight and rear-wheel drive, it is a Japanese mid-’90s hero car and to me it’s the most beautiful of them all,” says…

Known as the ‘RML Short Wheelbase’ this new car is nearing completion. With its front-mounted Ferrari V12 engine and familiar lines formed in carbon fibre, the Short Wheelbase is intended to be a fast and useable grand routier. RML’s experience in developing race cars, supercars, and continuation models qualified it for creating the new car from the Short Wheelbase’s clean-sheet brief. The Short Wheelbase is powered by a 5474cc Ferrari V12 engine, producing 478bhp (356kW) and 419lb·ft (568Nm) of torque. Drive is delivered to the rear wheels through a Ferrari six-speed manual gearbox and controlled by an open-gated manual shift. According to RML it should deliver 0–60mph (0–97kph) in 4.1 seconds and a top speed in excess of 185mph (298kph). “The Short Wheelbase was never conceived to compete with a…

This new monthly social get-together held on the last Sunday of each month started in January 2021. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the first two owing to a spell in hospital. At the third gathering in March we decided to make a Car of the Month award, decided by the venue’s owner, Hamish Moir. This went to Stuart and Elaine Riach with their just-finished (105E) Ford Anglia van. The winner each month receives a meal voucher for two at the venue, the Better Half Kitchen & Bar in Leithfield. The following month the owners of a fabulous 1958 Ford Custom were declared the lucky recipients. This immaculate car has attended every North Canterbury Classic Tour event for many years and now the monthly gatherings. In June the baby blue…

Why do I still drive it? It’s four-wheel drive, it’s automatic, and it’s a two-door so it’s got a big door and it’s easy for me to get in and out of. I’m 86 and it just does everything I want it to do — although I don’t take it on long trips any more. I bought it in ’75; it’s a ’73 model from a contractor in Kaikoura. We’ve had a lot of International Harvester machinery and one of my employees had a brochure for this and I thought it looked good. They were made right-hand drive in America for the Postal Service so they were ideal for us in New Zealand. Other right-hand drive Internationals all had to come from Australia. It did 100,000 miles on the original…

You can’t get much more of an art-deco car than a Cord — so much so that new owners Paul McCarthy and his wife, Sarah Selwood, went ahead and took their Beverley 812 to Napier’s Art Deco Festival this year, even though the festival itself had been cancelled. “We took delivery of the vehicle 12 days before heading off to Napier. We still drove it all around at the festival,” says Paul. To be clear, they weren’t alone. The organisers had pulled the plug on the official event just days before kick-off due to the threat of Covid. Auckland was on high alert at the time but around a quarter of the usual 40,000-plus deco faithful turned up anyway, held parades, and generally made the most of it. The utterly…

If the M4 is the modern inheritor of the E30 M3’s legacy, then the M440i is the modern equivalent of the M325i. Admittedly, the cars are now so different in size, specification, and performance that any kind of old-versus-new comparison is a fruitless exercise. But in the context of the expansive, ‘all niches filled’, modern BMW line-up, the M440i does pretty much sit where the M325i once did and offers the traditional compelling blend of straight-six sizzle, bold styling, and impressive balance and control. Both cars reward keen drivers while stopping short of the full-noise M-car experience. Unlike the relatively conservative body of the saloon-derived M325i, the 4-Series design is that of a distinctive coupé — and a mid-sized-plus coupé at that. It stands out for its distinctive looks and…

The insides of each of the containers displayed not only his three Porsches, outboard motors, and bikes but also an expanding collection of memorabilia In the rarefied air of the top tiers of the collector car world, it’s rare when a significant car emerges from decades of hibernation. And in this era, when the major auction houses — RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Company, Bonhams, and Mecum Auctions — vie to present these jewels to well-heeled buyers from around the world it is even rarer for a truly significant car to change hands privately. It can happen within a marque community of knowledgeable enthusiasts, or a network of well-connected people who keep transactions and transfers flying under the radar until a car’s new caretaker decides to let it be known. Such…

When the nine-year-old me offered my autograph book to the driver of the car that had instantly become my favourite saloon car, I was doubly delighted to see that he had added the words ‘Ford Fairlane’ under his name. It became a permanent reminder that it was in 1968, after a support race for the Grand Prix in fact, that I first met the one and only Robbie. His fortunes that day contrasted with the results one year earlier, when he was dominant in the extraordinary ‘Custaxie’. This year’s car, the seven-litre Fairlane, might have looked fabulous in its Air New Zealand livery, but it provided nothing but frustration for its star driver. And have no doubt: Robbie Francevic always had star quality, regardless of what he was driving. I…

PROJECTA BOOSTS BATTERY CHARGER The four models in Projecta’s Charge N’ Maintain smart charger range share one characteristic: their fail-safe simplicity. Just connect the charger to the battery, walk away, and let it do the rest. All models in the Charge N’ Maintain range ascertain the battery’s level of charge and regulate the load to optimise charging, stopping when the battery reaches capacity. Switch Mode Technology converts 240V power to 12V DC without the need for heavy transformers and they are protected against accidental reverse connection. The range of four chargers is weatherproof to IP65, suitable for charging a boat on a trailer in the driveway. The 0.8A and 1.5A 12V models are four-stage. The 4A 6V/12V model, and the 8A 12V-only AC080 both have eight-stage charging. The range is…

The Jim Green you refer to is no longer with us, I am told by a reasonably reliable source. Jim did some work on my brother Donn Anderson’s car and it led me to getting Mission Bay Motors to do some work. They modified an Austin-Healey Sprite, which was highly successful in Production Sports Car racing and could hold off most Daimler Darts. David Oxton was racing one at the time and seemed to have half a dozen mates out there following him around, also in Darts. Jim was a very unusual guy and sometimes hard to pin down but a clever BMC mechanic. Ray Gedye was his partner and could probably be called the ‘silent partner and the brains’ of the partnership. He has also passed. I recall Ray…

Although these photographs of old Bentleys racing could have been taken quite recently, the drivers’ helmets provide the clue: they are in fact from the very early days of classic car racing. The helmets are all open-faced and several of them look like they may even be ancient cork jobs. The photos emerged from a long-forgotten box and were taken in about 1970, probably at Silverstone in the UK. This was the very beginning of racing obsolete competition cars, some dating back to the 1930s. The Historic Sports Car Club had been formed as recently as 1966 to promote events for cars in more or less their original specification. So drum brakes, transverse and longitudinal leaf springs, friction shock absorbers, and wire wheels were the order of the day. Ettore…

The rules for the five-day and two-day Targa Time Trial in October have been clarified to relax a rule affecting cars with some form of rollover protection. Event steward Rod Corbett says the event was created to give increasingly valuable and not necessarily fast classic and vintage cars a good run with the addition of a sporting — but not unseemly — competition element. Hitting a target time for each stage is much more about the crew than each car’s horsepower. Eligibility for the central North Island event in October has been kept simple deliberately. The event has been designed to give any road-legal car 30-plus years old a decent run on closed roads without needing a roll cage or all the paraphernalia of racing classes. Of course cars with…

As Covid confined Aussie visitors to their former penal colony again, the West Coast village of Reefton wondered how to tempt Kiwis to head west. One idea had the desired effect of filling all the beds in town as hot rod and classic cars packed the township in early July. Originally planned to be an American Independence Day event on 4 July, Reefton locals Guy and Vanessa Stewart talked others and the Buller District Council into opening the show up to all facets of the car scene. The decision was a winner as 171 cars at last year’s event turned into 280-plus cars through the gate this year. “It all came about after Covid last year and when we first got out of lockdown,” says Guy. “You were allowed to…

The endearing E30 range has spawned a few modern classics, and the poster car is undeniably the homologation-special M3. But what if you want M3 looks, genuine sporting character, and a sensible price tag? The obvious answer is the M325i, the best E30 model to be sold new in New Zealand between 1987 and 1991. With an M-Tech body kit, upgraded factory specification, and right-hand drive layout, it’s no wonder these finely honed cars are so highly prized. They have, in fact, been on collectors’ radars for many years now. It’s hard to find better examples than near-identical Brilliant Red post-facelift M-Technic II models, both registered locally in May 1990 It’s hard to find significantly better examples than the near-identical Brilliant Red cars assembled here. These are post-facelift M-Technic II…

In the 1950s four-wheel-drive was not available from the factories, even though returned servicemen who had experienced it wanted it In 1955 General Motors (GM) released its Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks, the second generation since the end of the war. As with previous generations the 3100 model was the half-ton and a short bed; the 3600 was the three-quarter ton with a long bed. GMC and Chevrolet also released a model called the 3200, being a long-bed version with the thicker frame of the 3600 but only the suspension of the half-ton. Our subject vehicle here wears the 3200 badges but is in fact a 3100 model. While the GMC and Chevrolets look much the same, the GMCs were more squarely aimed at commercial customers and over the years…

Ewan McPherson decided a few years ago that many of the cars competing were quite rough and it was time someone set a new standard for preparation Long-time Southland motor racing enthusiast Ewan McPherson decided a few years ago while attending a motor racing meeting that many of the cars competing were quite rough and it was time someone set a standard for preparation of cars aiming for glory. “I thought there is no reason why you can’t take it to the track and have it looking smart. At the time I was following classic racing and there was nothing much that was really sharp. One or two Mini Sevens that were really tidy and I thought, Why can’t you do something like this and try and set a standard?”…

Eighty-six years ago the Nazi party was storming into a leadership position in German politics but parts of Europe were more enchanted by the growing sport of motor racing. A crowd of 150,000 came to watch the 1935 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix (GP), many of them standing at hugely dangerous vantage points to watch monster racing cars driven by the gladiators of that era. What has this to do with New Zealand? While I was editing New Zealand Car magazine in 1989 an envelope and letter containing some old photographs arrived on my desk. The missive came from Ernst A Kalnins, an honorary representative for the Austrian state tourist department based in Christchurch. The elderly gentleman, then retired and clearly worried about his poor health, mentioned that he was still piloting…

Graham McRae was in fine form; former New Zealand Classic Car magazine staffer Tim Nevinson and I were lunching with him on his 65th birthday at Auckland’s Mexican Cafe as he reflected on his life to that point. “You know some guys my age have heart conditions, some have got cancer — I just happen to be nuts …” Nervous laughter followed; neither Tim nor I had previously heard him actually admit to mental illness. On his meds, Graham was wonderful company with endless stories invariably tinged with great humour and the constant reminder of ‘McRae’s way’. That was March 2005 and Graham was in a good place. Demons had haunted him to the point that he’d done a stretch in the Mason Clinic with forensic psychiatrists. He was diagnosed…

Paul Dunkley is quietly spoken, but it soon becomes apparent that he knows his stuff. He is at a point in his career where he has done almost everything he wants to do. He has been around the world with various car projects including running his son Alan Dunkley in a Lola T-140 in classic Formula 5000 races in New Zealand, Australia, and the US. These days he does not advertise for work. His workshop has been moved from the central city into a huge shed behind his house, situated on a lifestyle block in the Henderson Valley just outside of Auckland. There are no signs on the gates or the buildings to say that you have arrived at the headquarters of Dunkley Racing Developments. If Paul were to describe…

The Labour Government’s purchase of 60 American Chrysler Windsor C-38W saloons in 1947 caused far-reaching ripples in the community and the parliamentary debating chamber. Why did buying these American ‘luxury’ cars for ministerial use happen in the post–World War II era of low dollar reserves when New Zealand’s import policy favoured buying British? Two years later in 1949 some newspapers continued to run articles on the perceived extravagance of these cars. Correspondents to The Gisborne Herald had the price as between £800 each (now $68,900) and £1650 each (now $141,700), with the number purchased as possibly 150. When the National opposition originally raised the question in Parliament in July 1947, six of the Chryslers had formed part of the vehicle entourage accompanying Viscount Bernard Montgomery of Alamein on his New…

The new Tipo184, one of the world’s most cost-effective ways into race car ownership, debuted at The London Classic Car Show in June. The Tipo184 pays homage to the Alfa Romeo 158 raced by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio. Brought to life by Dowsetts Classic Cars, the car uses running gear from the second-generation Mazda MX-5 providing classic motor sport enthusiasts with an affordable route into single-seater racing. The entire vehicle has been designed to be built at home by an enthusiast with no specialist skills and comes in a series of kits. Fully built cars can also be ordered from Dowsetts. Jeremy McNamara, CEO of Dowsetts Classic Cars, says, “We are delighted to unveil chassis 0001 to the world, showing the intensive development work that has been put in…

The members of Ford Club Nelson — formerly known as Nelson Classic Ford Car Club — invited others to join them at the popular Tahuna Beach Holiday Park to celebrate the birth of Henry Ford. This is not as over the top as it sounds — they only do it every second year. The event, which raises funds for the Nelson Tasman Hospice, is run on the last Sunday in July as that is adjacent to the birth date itself. The weather did not oblige this year with showers progressively worsening to rain as the day wore on. The sponsors’ spot-prize draws were brought forward, as was the traditional cutting of the birthday cake — baked this year by Lynette Cook. A surprising number of dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts were not dissuaded…

Attractions Exhibitions, museums and other vehicle-related curios Marlborough OMAKA CLASSIC CARS A unique collection of vehicles giving insight into New Zealand Motoring from the 50s to the 80s. 90 cars on display at any one time. omakaclassiccars.co.nz / 03 577 9419 / Aerodome Rd, Blenheim Coatings Heatproof, cosmetic, chrome, and specialist coatings & water transfer printing Auckland HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS Exhaust coatings, piston coatings, turbo coatings, and much more hpcoatings.co.nz / 09 267 1007 / Unit 0 / 62 Mahia Road, Manurewa, Auckland HP COATINGS New Zealand’s leading performance coating specialists, serving you over 20 years hpcoatings.co.nz / 09 267 1007 / Unit 0/62 Mahia Rd, Manurewa, Auckland Consumables Oils, additives fluids, fuels and workshop consumables Auckland RECHARGE BATTERIES Battery revitalizer and conditioner recharge.net.nz / 0800 36 66 36 /…