Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i NZ Hot Rod

BAY Rodders celebrated their 55th birthday in August with a rod run that started at their spacious clubrooms. They cruised to a Kiwi fruit packhouse in Te Puke for some traditional games and ended up at the Tauranga Citizen’s Club for lunch and some formalities. The formalities were actually quite informal. MC for the day was Tony Christiansen, who introduced three guest speakers, Terry Furness, Rob Gibson and Lynne Paton and then handed the microphone around for those present to reflect on their time and association with the club. Two of the club’s founding members attended, and several current members who have been in the club for at least 50 years. The club has only presented Life Membership to nine club members, which is an indication that a life membership…

THEY say great oaks from small acorns grow, and that idiom certainly applies to Andrew Sinclair. That small acorn began life in ’65 and was born to a racing family. His dad Keith raced offshore powerboats back in the early ‘70s then circuit boats and was the first Kiwi to successfully exceed lOOmph over the flying kilometre with an outboard motor. Those early days were laced with late nights working and long road trips to races. Being an impressionable young man, it was that mix that infused Andrew’s blood with the love of racing and cars. Paradoxically Andrew’s first car was a ’63 VW Beetle, but it occasionally benefitted from an engine swap from the family beach buggy, which had a hotted-up motor. Engine swaps were easy, so the need…

HOT August Nights is a four-day event based in Reno, Nevada and is a celebration of Hot Rods and Rock and Roll with shows, concerts, swap meets and vendors at venues throughout the Reno-Tahoe area! Unfortunately, this year a bout of heavy rain put a damper on proceedings, but it didn’t deter car lovers. Indoor events such as an auction were available in the case of bad weather. Another highlight event was the Summit Racing Big Boys Toy Store It’s a fantastic event in “The Biggest Little City in the World” with lots to offer, and will continue making memories for years to come.…

The Rodders Journal Is Back AFTER troubled times and a long absence, the very popular Rodders Journal is back and available now in New Zealand through Magoo’s Street Rods. Magoo’s offers an issue-by-issue priority subscription service and has also managed to import more of Volume 84 that many enthusiasts missed out on when RJ went into recess. Volume 85 is the same high standard of photos and articles on which the collectible publication’s reputation was based. Other back issues are in stock at Magoos Street Rods www.magoos.co.nz. Ph 06-3775706 or email sales@magoos.co.nz Made 4 You Products by Lokar LOKAR Performance Products is proud to announce the acquisition of the assets of Made 4 You Products (M4YP), a manufacturer of injection moulded line clamps, plug wire separators, and related wire and…

Two From One IF YOU were to make a list of your most influential hot rods, it would likely be an endless one. One car, out of many, which I absolutely drooled over when I was a teen, was Lenny Jones’ ‘32 Ford Roadster, in any of its three incarnations from 1970 to 1975, from Harbour City Rod Club. The first build, as a channelled roadster with a ‘39 Mercury Flathead and a lo-boy stance, with a ‘47 Ford rear end on a rear crossmember moved 4-inches rearward to save shortening the torque tube; the car was painted in bright red lacquer and had a Davey Thomas interior, the first of possibly three upholstery jobs performed on this car (all by Davey), Other items on the car included an Allard…

The Good Old Days READING the mag today, the article on Malcolm Wilson. The receipt he got for the boat anchor was signed by Peter Leversedge. Pete is still racing his V8 special in classics now, but he raced on the speedway dirt tracks for an eternity. I currently own his RV sprint car from ‘85-‘86, and at the last vintage race meeting, I told him: today is the day! So we bolted him in for a few refresher laps! He loved it. From Greg Lewis, Christchurch, Flashback thanks GOOD MORNING, This is just a followup email to say thanks for taking my order for a couple of copies of your September issue featuring my Dad, Malcolm Wilson. It was a really great read, and we are so appreciative of…

IT WAS Neil Young who sang numbers add up to nothing”, which came to mind when I was looking for a title for a story on Graham Freeman’s outrageous collection of New Zealand number plates last year. It was eventually titled Your Number’s Up and featured in our June ‘21 mag. And while we’re on numbers, Graham Freeman had wanted a ‘34 Ford Cabriolet since 1974, when he was a member of Rod Benders Club and drove a ‘34 Sedan. Fie finally got a Cabriolet during a trip to California in 1984, with help from friend Elmer Swift. A total of 563,921 Fords were produced in 1934, of which only 15,100 were Cabriolets. Graham’s one was drivable when purchased, but once home, he went through the basic mechanicals and brakes…

William (Bill) Casey, St Paul, Minnesota, USA. WHAT a wonderful friendship we have shared with Bill and his family for 45 years. In 1977 Graham and I were welcome to Bill’s home (sight unseen) as guests for the Street Rod Nationals. In those days, it was quite an expedition from New Zealand to Minnesota. While there, we encouraged Bill to come to visit us in NZ. Most people we met there didn’t know where New Zealand was, and so it was. So, Bill flew down under for Christmas, BBQ, picnic and summer holiday time. On Boxing Day, with our sons and I stacked in the back seat and Graham and Bill up front, we began a tour of the South Island in our ‘64 Chevy Impala. It was the beginning…

SHOP TOUR THE workshop at Gravel Motor Garage was initially established by Tauranga’s Dave Best primarily to house his own projects. The 900m2 workshop, showroom and office building was purchased a few years ago for another of Dave’s businesses and his cars. The fact that the premises also had two state-of-the-art paint booths was a real bonus. Gravel Motor Garage was to occupy a portion of the space, but the hobby very quickly grew into a busy, successful business. This is no real surprise, as Dave has played with cars all his life. He built a Ford Pop while still at high school and purchased Curly West’s ‘32 coupe when he was just 20 years old. The cars kept being built, and I guess he built up a reputation and…

RON Gubb has built one or two good cars in his days, and for a home builder, there would probably be very few people in New Zealand who have built six top cars in their basic home workshop. Ron is a foundation member of Oceanside Street Rods in Mount Maunganui, but his fascination with hot rods dates back to the 1960s. Ron joined Bay Rodders in its formative years and bought a 1932 Ford 5-window coupe body from a wreckers yard in Auckland. The fenders and running boards were inside the car, and there was no trunk lid. However, it did have a panel covering the trunk opening with “Tweetie Pie” written on it. Who can remember this car? Ron also remembers the wire mesh under the roof had a…

OCTOBER > 1 Aroha Cruise in. > 1 Manawatu Swapmeet in Fielding > 2 Smokefest Burnout Comp at Masterton Motorplex. > 2 Wellington Rodder's Breakfast at The Larfin' Tiger Cafe at Hutt Indoor Sports, 93 Hutt Park Rd. Doors open at 8.30 with a $15 Big Breakfast. > 2 Rodders Breakfast Kustoms' Club Rooms McLean Island > 2 Gas Guzzlers Breakfast at Caroline's Boatshed Bar & Eatery 181 Somme Parade, Aramoho, Wanganui from 9 am. > 2 Motornead Breakfast at the Maheno Tavern SH1 North Otago from 8.30-10.30 am. Open to all car enthusiasts and cooked or continental breakfast is $20/head. > 2 Biannual Chrome and Custom Show hosted by Tararua Rodders at the Levin Showgrounds/Event Centre, Victoria Street, Levin. From 10am-4pm. It's one of the best regional shows in…

Old Kiwi Coupe THIS old-time hot rod ’34 coupe body surfaced on Trade Me recently. John Me Kim owned Susy Q back in the ‘60s and recalls. “She had rod brakes and was powered by C59A flathead V8 motor bored to 301 cu inch. It had twin carbs on a Shuter manifold with the generator offset on a Lake bracket. No fan with a truck radiator. The two holes in the boot were for Vanguard taillights. The top speed in the Flying Mile was 120mph. She was sold as body and chassis only, and all the running gear went into my ‘27 AR Roadster pickup”. Greg Hiddleston has purchased the coupe. Send in your stories and news! Email to: editor@nzhotrodmag.co.nz Flashback ALLAN Porter’s 1969 photo of the driver’s briefing published…

SUNDAY 14th August was a great day for the Zone 2 Memorial Run - a hot rod ANZAC Day. With great weather, the event was well supported, with a diverse range of cars meeting in South Auckland for an hour-long run concluding at Ardmore. The Warbirds Association, to be precise, where a plane ride was auctioned off during the ceremonies and roll call of passed on Zone 2 NZHRA members. Hosted by Manukau Rod & Custom Club, Southside Streeters and South City Cruisers, the annual Memorial Run was welcomed this year after a couple of year hiatus thanks to Covid.…

BRITAIN is not that big and has never had a Deuce Day. But with this being the 90th Anniversary of the Deuce, it seemed this would be a good time to hold one. It was put on and arranged by the admins of the Face Book group ‘Deuces of Britain’, a group dedicated to British owners of ’32s. As this was to be the first-ever Deuce Day, they wanted to really give everyone a reason to come along and be part of it. So, Deuce Day became the special feature of American Day’, an event held each year at Brooklands Motor Museum, Surrey, approximately 25 miles south of Central London. The museum is on the site of the world’s first purpose-built ‘banked’ motor racing circuit, which opened in 1907. Entry…

Ross Walker 1st April 1955 -22nd August2022 ROSS was born in Auckland and commenced his high school years at Mt Albert Grammar and completed them at Lynnfield College. In 1969 he left school and followed in his father’s footsteps by starting his apprenticeship as a car painter at Dick Clark Car Painting. This was the beginning of his lifelong career. On completing his apprenticeship, he worked for his dad - Len, in the family business. When Len passed away in May 1979, Ross took on the responsibility of managing the business with the help of his brother Brett. Ross was well known for his 1969 Mach 1 Mustang he purchased in May 1975, aged just twenty. He owned that same car until his recent passing. He owned many other Mustangs…

RAY has been a panelbeater all his life, and one of his specialties has been a lifetime of intricate reconstruction of smashed cars, giving them a second chance at life. He only ever had one old car, a Model A coupe, which got sold when he sh ifted house many decades ago. He has always loved motorcycles, so there has been plenty of them as well. This story started way back in 2004 after spotting an old piece of garden art consisting of a 1941-1948 “Jailbar” cab. He looked at it with a blurry vision that he could maybe build something out of it, maybe even a hot rod. Amongst his ‘hoardings’ was a Mitsubishi L200 chassis laying out in the paddock. Now to get things straight, this truck was…

Part 3 WE stepped out and over the traditional boundaries with our Part 2 and subsequently received new and additional information, enabling us to present this extra look at Kiwi Deuce Fordor sedans in Part 3. Footnote: We do not claim this to be a complete list, but the door is always open, so please let us know if you have information to share. Steve Keys owned this Fordor back in the mid-’80s, He bought it from Dave Kirk and recalled it had flathead running gear. Unfortunately, he lost track of where it went after his ownership. Do any readers recall or have info? THIS mini-story was supplied by Lloyd Wilson: The sedan was owned by the legendary Dick Woods; I’m not sure of any history before that, but I…