Indholdsfortegnelse for No 379 July 2022 i NZ Classic Car

Call it global warming, call it what you like, but the world’s unstable climate is definitely cause for concern. Record summer temperatures and plummeting winter temperatures around the planet over the past decade have prompted many governments around the world, including our own, to seriously review carbon emissions — a subject we could debate till the cows come home. Winter struck here with a vengeance recently, dumping record amounts of snow in some places, which brings me to the subject of winter storage for our classic cars. Recently, I found myself immersed in a vigorous online discussion about this very subject. I was astounded by the lengths some classic car owners in the US and Europe go to to store their cars during the winter months. Admittedly, their winters are…

NEED MORE REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE? • NEVER MISS AN ISSUE • FREE DELIVERY TO YOUR HOME • REGULAR EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER-ONLY OFFERS AND PRIZE DRAWS SIX MONTHS $59 SAVE $12 ONE YEAR $109 SAVE $34 1-YEAR DIGITAL SUB ONLY $54.95 TO SUBSCRIBE WWW.MAGSTORE.NZ OR 0800 727 574 Terms and conditions: 1. Prizes/gifts are as stated, not redeemable for cash and the publisher’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. 2. Prizes/gifts are administered by the respective magazine publisher. If the subscription purchaser is a giftor, prizes/gifts will be sent to the subscription recipient unless requested otherwise by the giftor. 3. Prizes/gifts are available to New Zealand residents only. 4. Prizes/gifts are available/applicable for direct subscriptions purchased through MagStore only and are not applicable for third-party subscriptions. 5. Staff, friends,…

I meet Andrew Farrow in the little South Island town of Rangiora, where he introduces me to the current version of his constantly changing car collection. He owns the Eyrewell Forest Motor Company. Not having a forecourt his sales generally occur online where he buys and sells cars to add to his fluid collection. An example of what I mean by ‘fluid’ is the F-Type Jaguar that he purchased recently and enjoys driving. It is advertised on his website and will eventually sell, at which point it will be replaced by another exotic he would like to own such as a Ferrari 599. Consequently, his collection is always in a state of flux and he never has time to get bored with a particular car, as another car will always…

Since the late 1940s, the nerve centre of open-wheeler racing construction across the planet has been in southern and central England. Cooper was less than 25km south-west of London and its spin-offs – Brabham, then Ralt, and McLaren – were also based in leafy Surrey. Lotus eventually moved to Norfolk, while Lola went nearly as far when it outgrew previous establishments and landed near Cambridge. BRM, as ERA had been before the war, was just up the road in Lincolnshire while just about every other manufacturer of note was within an hour of Silverstone. The cars, engineers, and ideas that evolved out of this confined area were transplanted across the globe, and indeed most of the current F1 teams remain in this very general spot – McLaren’s fantastic Technology Centre…

PERFORMANCE HALOGEN FOR HEADLIGHTS Narva’s new Plus 200 halogen performance bulbs are more than twice as bright as standard bulbs and the beam penetrates 80 metres further ahead. The light is also whiter. The new-design bulbs achieve this improvement with no increase in power consumption or heat, making them suitable for use in vehicles with polycarbonate headlamp covers. These bulbs — the most powerful lamps in the Narva range — are available in both two-filament H4 and single-filament H7 versions. They are ADR approved, a fully legal and compliant upgrade in New Zealand, and available at auto-parts stores nationwide. HOW TO SAVE CRUMBLING WOOD Earl’s Wood Hardener penetrates into soft and rotted wood fibres, restoring them to near original strength. It makes repairs possible to even the most fragile wood,…

SMOOTH OPERATOR Gerard Richards’ March edition article, which covered Chris Amon’s involvement with Toyota in chassis development, brought back memories. It was not just the suspension components that contributed to that success story, however, as local tyre manufacturers played a big part, too. Qualifying tyres to Chris’s exacting requirements for handling and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) involved hundreds of hours of development and many days with Chris in test cars at Manfeild and on selected roads around Feilding. We would tweak such things as steel belt angles, bead stiffeners, and rubber compounds to tune tyres for handling improvements, on-centre feel, and small bump control [as] requested by Chris. Noise and harshness caused by New Zealand’s use of coarse chip seal as a roading material on main highways was a…

In case you think we haven’t got enough on the Targa in this issue, please note here what we hope is the final announcement about the dates for the ‘Top of the South’ two-day Targa in October. It will now — almost definitely—be held on 15–16 October, with scrutineering on Friday, 14 October. As event director Peter Martin explains: “Sorry, guys, but we are faced with yet another date change for the South Island Targa event due to a number of date changes by other events rescheduled due to the disruptions of Covid. The local Nelson Car Club have decided to run their round of the annual rally sprint series starting on Saturday, 28 October and the New Zealand Endurance [Championship] final has been brought forward from mid November to…

The fine weather made for some dusty action on the 254kms of gravel roads of the second round of the New Zealand Rally Championship, held in Whangarei from 13–15 May. The event kicked off on Friday night with the ceremonial opening and the two special stages around Pohe Island. Following the two runs on Friday, eight of the 18 special stages were run on Saturday to the north of Whangarei, with each stage contested twice. Sunday saw another eight stages run to the south of the city centre, once again twice over before the cars toured back to Rally HQ on Pohe Island for the prize giving ceremonies. Hayden Paddon and John Kennard led the field of 67 cars on both days and in the process won every stage. Behind…

Almost immediately after its launch in 1996, the Ford Ka became a runaway sales success. The first generation had a production run that lasted 12 years. Production figures exceeded 1.4 million cars with only minor changes throughout that time. Due to overseas demand soaking up Ford’s output, we would not see the Ka in New Zealand until late in 1998. Possibly due to its late entry into New Zealand, the Ka did not take off over here. This is now reflected in the second-hand market with Kas selling for as little as the cost of two dozen beers. Which is how much Sue paid for her husband Rick’s 2000 Ka. Rick was instantly taken with its quirky looks but, after owning the Ka for only two weeks, Sue received a…

When I first saw John Corbett’s 1964 Series 1 E-Type, it was prowling towards me in the dark under street lights on a wet night, its muscular form hunched, the Series 1 headlamps recessed under curved glass covers looking distinctly animalistic in the gloom. I stood, similarly hunched, in the drizzle. The car stopped alongside and John threw open the door, revealing the welcoming warmth of a snug tan leather interior. I clambered over the high sill under the tiny door and, with the aid of the handle attached to the dash, slotted — at the second attempt — into the beautifully curved passenger seat. I needed to refine my technique but at least I’d get that opportunity. I would be navigating for John in the Targa VCC time trial…

The US turned the coupé into a true trendsetter, with sporty and chic styles to impress and even seduce. The car symbolised fun times and the American dream — if you were driving a coupé you had arrived. In 1963 the Beach Boys had a hit with Little Deuce Coupe, which celebrated the favourite of West Coast hot rod culture — the ’32 Ford Coupe. Then in 1973, the classic car was again celebrated in American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas, in which it was the star of the show. An obvious passion for coupés can be seen at any local car show. They are often American, powered by large audible V8s, lovingly restored, and colourful and chromed — all part of the booming restomod culture. THE ORIGINALS Thanks to…

Mazda’s second generation 626 from the late ’70s is fading into obscurity now, yet it did much to strengthen the image and appeal of a growing Japanese brand. Promoting it as a ‘driver’s car’ may have been drawing a long bow, but the easy manners and well-balanced styling soon won people over and expanding sales helped the brand bounce back following the financial pain of the rotary adventure. A rear-driven, live-axled Ford Cortina competitor, the CB series Mazda was labelled Montrose in Britain when the distributor advertised the car as ‘the Cortina replacement is already here’. The 626 launched in New Zealand in July 1979 to wide applause and a strong endorsement from the media, and local assembly struggled to meet demand. It was also offered in two-door coupe form…

Mazda came up with the MX5, Toyota had the MR2, Honda’s giant-killing sports car was the CRX. With its compact coupe dimensions inspired by the Alfa Romeo GT Junior Zagato, the CRX — or Civic Renaissance Experimental, if you want the full name — has gained a cult following, from keen drivers to eco-minded motorists. With its peppy choice of economical yet sprightly power units and weighing in at less than 900kg, the CRX became not only a great daily driver for those who want to champion lusty performance with frugal open road economy, but also a great tool for racing. “You can do so much with them,” says long-time CRX fan Sharky Archbold. “Honda pulled the design of the Civic and put it on the CRX; they shortened it;…

The internet has simplified the job of tracking down rare parts but when a diligent search still comes up empty, there’s no need to despair. Both rubber items and small plastic items can be cast easily. You can buy the casting resin and colouring online, and rubber parts are even easier to cast than plastic pieces thanks to ‘room temperature vulcanising’ or RTV products. CASTING RUBBER Casting rubber items is simple if you have a good original to work with. The item doesn't have to be perfect. You can use plasticine to smooth out cracks, and you can even make whole prototypes out of low-fire modelling clay available from craft stores if you need to. Prototypes can also be made of wood or metal. You will need mould dams to…

The year 1966 was remarkable for motorsport down under as the Brabham/Tauranac driver and engineer combination launched a legacy that dominated the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship for years to come. Jack Brabham and engineering partner Ron Tauranac formed the Brabham car constructor in 1962. It took just four years to conquer the world. In 1965 Tauranac was hitting his straps as a designer with the BT19. Originally designed for Cooper Climax’s new FWMW flat-16 engine, some fast thinking saw it rejigged when the 16-cylinder engine was abandoned before it even raced, giving way to the new FWMV V8. For 1966, the engine capacity limit was doubled in Formula 1 to three litres. Cooper Climax elected not to develop a new engine for the season leaving many teams, including Brabham,…

When the 26th running of the Targa New Zealand tarmac motor rally concluded in Hawke’s Bay on Sunday, 29 May 2022, event-long leaders Cameron Ross and Matthew Buer had won the popular local motorsport marathon while Nigel and Meighan Patterson (BMW E30 355i) were the first of the Classic 2WD class entries home, in 12th place. Until 2020, the five-day ‘main Targa’ event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, was held annually in late October. For the past two years, however, it has fallen foul of the Covid-19 pandemic, being cancelled outright in 2020 then postponed — until May this year — in 2021. For this reason the event, which started in New Plymouth on the North Island’s west coast on Wednesday, 25 May 2022, and concluded in Havelock…

‘Horsepower’ roared on to the Trentham racecourse concourse on Sunday, 22 May. The event was the first car show for 2022 in the Hutt Valley, after Covid 19 visited cancellation on most of the annual summer displays. Before-show predictions of a large gathering proved correct, many owners apparently itching to show off their prized wheels again. A sunny late autumn morning brought out an eclectic mix of vehicles, including numerous American, Australian, and British classics. A few 1960s Ford convertibles drew looks of surprise and appreciation, appearing with soft tops down on the eve of winter. I’d only been walking around the cars for a couple of minutes when I felt as if I’d not left home. My neighbour Steve’s 1962 Land Rover, in military finish, really stood out among…

Porsche 930 Turbo Whatever your view of Porsches — apparently not everyone’s a fan — surely everyone agrees the 930 Turbo is a classic among classics. The 911 shape is indisputably timeless, but the addition of the turbo and that outrageous tail put the 930 in a special category and set Porsche on a new path challenging even the greatest supercars. The reputation for wild antics in hands of less experienced drivers did nothing to spoil its special status. Here we have a near perfect example with low kilometres, in red. Selling the dream Years ago, Gerard Richards started collecting the best art examples of motoring adverts from the range of publications that featured them. National Geographic, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Esquire, Life magazine, and others were the leading candidates.…

At New Zealand Classic Car we’ve long been fans of the Targa, even sponsoring it in earlier years. It gives enthusiastic drivers in New Zealand a rare opportunity to really drive some of the country’s famously entertaining tarmac roads by applying the traditional off-road rally ‘special stage’ approach — cars competing on closed roads, setting off one at a time at specific intervals. Knowing someone isn’t coming the other way around the next bend utterly transforms the driving experience. This is what makes the Targa so special. The organisers work with hundreds of council employees and local landowners each year to close sections of sealed, tarmac roads for the event. Compared with off-road rallying, this opens an opportunity to far more drivers, with fewer specialised skills and equipment. That being…

Growing up in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s I was surrounded by a plethora of British, Australian and Japanese vehicles. Many of these are now worth small fortunes – if you can find them, especially in good condition. Of course, back in the day anything with two doors was raced, rallied or rolled – and often all three – with extractors, mag wheels and a host of other cheap add-ons to either enhance appearances or acceleration. For most of these cars power was very modest by today’s standards, which was just as well since brakes, suspension, steering and, in my case, an adherence to road rules were below par. To have even survived my teen years was a miracle unto itself, as I am sure it was for…

Monday, 11 January 1954 was a day 600 employees of the Ford Motor Company at Seaview, Lower Hutt, never forgot. That was the day Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (aged 27) and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (aged 32), visited the plant. Having the Queen tour New Zealand during December 1953 and January 1954 was an exciting experience for most New Zealanders. It was the first time their reigning king or queen had ever visited their country. They were generally besotted with their young queen, who had sailed 12,000 miles aboard the royal yacht Gothic to see them. New Zealanders then held the royal family in greater esteem than they do now. A public holiday had been declared for Wellington to commemorate the visit to the…

Seeking limelight is part of Bill Leckie’s DNA but when I asked him if anyone had written about his career, and the cars he created, he didn’t think so. Even so, I was delighted when he agreed to sit down with me over a pie and coffee to reminisce. I start by asking how it is that someone who is so fanatical about F1 only ever raced saloon cars? Well, we’ll get to that but where did things start? “I went to Cornwall Park Primary School and then to Remuera Intermediate where I became good mates with Geoff Perry, son of the legendary motorcycle racing legend Len.” Geoff Perry was 23 and on the edge of stardom when he was killed in a mystery air disaster over the Pacific in…

The truth, for starters. Of late we’ve (big assumption here?) been bombarded with messages, commercials and the like, that an electric vehicle (EV) is the way of the future and if we currently don’t own one then in some way we are missing out. Apart from a nearby neighbour I don’t know anyone else who actually owns one or even is considering the purchase of one. The closest I’ve been to one was availing myself of a drive in one provided by an electricity supplier and even then we had an argument about how far we had actually travelled. I claimed that the kilometre recording was some 10km short of what we had travelled thereby making any sort of distance travel in it a risky gamble, especially as it was…

Some scientists believe that in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, one of the first mechanical sounds to be heard will be the distinct ‘dakka dakka” of a Volkswagen Beetle making its way across the wasteland. The first Beetle was ‘discovered’ by Ferdinand Porsche some time in 1938 in Germany, although there is some controversy over this. Some automobile historians believe that Porsche got the idea from Tatra, who were already working on a very similar specimen in the Czech Republic. Regardless of its genesis, it did not take long for the Beetle to make its mark. Shortly after its discovery, it was enmeshed in World War II. The plucky little car quickly evolved into a number of subspecies, such as the tough go-anywhere Kubelwagen, and the slightly more fragile…

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun,” penned John Keats, in his famous ode To Autumn (1819). With spectacular colours ranging from fiery russet and crimson, to rich copper and gold, autumn seems like the season to enjoy a classic car tour through the picturesque rolling countryside of North Canterbury, and time to reflect on Keats’ rich visual image of the season that marks the transition between summer and winter. My uncle, Trevor Stanley-Joblin, first held the North Canterbury Classic Tour in 2003, with the inaugural rally starting at the Kaikanui Hotel in Kaiapoi and attracting 86 entries. Post-earthquake, the starting point was the Hurunui District Council car park in Amberley, and the Amberley St John Hall was used for registrations. On many tours,…

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 / PO Box…