Indholdsfortegnelse for No 131 April 2016 i NZV8

The Motorhood is the online home of NZV8 and its sister publications NZ Performance Car and New Zealand Classic Car. It’s the hub for all things automotive, from news and reviews to event coverage and more. You can enjoy articles from the magazines on The Motorhood’s home page, themotorhood.com, or, if you want a purely V8-scene experience, just head to our old website address — v8.co.nz — to be redirected straight to NZV8’s part of the new site. WAIKATO AUTOFEST ‘Tis the season for events, and the Waikato Autofest is a new one on the summer calendar. While you’d be forgiven for thinking it an import-only affair, that’s far from correct — the event, comprising indoor show and outdoor shenanigans, included a variety of V8-powered skid hacks, cruisers, and low-riders.…

IF YOU HAVE A COOL DAILY-DRIVER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT APPEAR IN DAILY GRIND, EMAIL EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ Hi Damo, neat truck — could you tell us a bit about it? Yeah, I’ve had it for around eight or nine months. It’s a New Zealand–new truck, so it was converted to right-hand drive before it was registered here. I wanted a V8 work ute. I’m a Ford man through and through, but the Falcons just didn’t do what I wanted. I got it for work, family, and for towing my Nissan Cefiro drift car around. You seem pretty happy with it, so you must have made the right choice? Yeah, it’s got the suicide rear doors, so I can fit my tools or the whole family inside. I’ll load it…

There is some conjecture as to the roots of the ‘Mustang’ handle, but, either way, wild horses and World War II bombers are pretty cool cornerstones. From Steve McQueen terrorizing San Francisco’s streets in Bullitt and Eleanor’s ‘Go Baby Go’ NOS button, to making a feature as a Bond car with Sean Connery behind the wheel, the Mustang has kept its claws firmly embedded in popular culture and at the forefront of what the American people want in a car. The new Ford Mustang was green-lighted in one of the most tumultuous times in the carmaker’s history. It was 2008, world economies were on the brink of collapse, and the three big players in the US car market were going, cap in hand, to the government for bailout money to…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ MILLER’S MAJOR OVERHAUL After Scott Miller’s Abruzzi Transmissions– sponsored dragster destroyed its 381ci Ford Windsor engine last year, Scott and his team knew they were at a turning point in the quest for even quicker times. The decision needed to be made about whether it would be cheaper to rebuild the Ford or find a different combo elsewhere. A trip to America to kick off an import business — Scott Miller Imports — saw Scott stumble upon the perfect solution in Florida: a 540ci Rodeckbased big block Chev. The engine runs Brodix heads and Brookes alloy rods on a Crower crank, and has been rebuilt by Scott and team with a new cam but retains the 14-71 high-helix supercharger with which it was purchased. Besides…

“I knew this car was going to turn heads, and people were going to either love it or hate it,” says Kenny Harrison of his low-riding secondgen Camaro, affectionately known as ‘Chicho’. When it comes to low-riding, you either get it or you don’t — if you don’t, then you’re probably looking at Kenny’s car as though it has come from another dimension; if you do — well, this Camaro is the perfect representative of the art that is lowriding: cruising in style, low and slow. “I was brought up in and around American cars,” Kenny recalls, “and I couldn’t wait to get my own.” Kenny’s first American car was a ’46 Chev Fleetmaster, acquired more than 12 years ago — the perfect vehicle in which to cruise with a…

They say that if you enjoy what you do, you will never work a day in your life. Running an automotive customizing workshop from his home near Rangiora, Canterbury, Ian ‘Skinny’ Gearachawski would have to be doing something right — and he must love what he’s doing — as he has been at it for 30 years. Trading as Skinny’s Speed & Gas, Ian has been working out of his current property for 20 years. Having always been a car guy, Ian was your typical petrolhead, building cars for himself purely as a hobby. He started off with FJ Holdens and reckons that he has owned every Holden since, most of them utes and all of them receiving a V8 transplant. Over the years, Ian has also worked on American…

The year had a huge start in the ENZED Central Muscle Cars (CMC) series, with a seriously southern sojourn for rounds five and six. The first of these was held at Teretonga Park, as part of Southern Thunder, closely followed by a round at Highlands Motorsport Park as a loud and proud part of the Highlands Festival of Speed. So, under sunny Central Otago skies, the grid of muscle cars embarked on the second back-to-back weekend in the south, with three practice rounds plus qualifying, before tucking right into it. RACE ONE As usual, the scratch race was the first race proper of the weekend, and Tony Galbraith had the luxury of sitting his Valiant Charger at P1 for the first time this season. Graeme Allan’s Camaro rode shotgun, with…

01 YUNEEC TYPHOON H Yuneec and Intel have teamed up to make the world’s first truly intelligent consumer drone, Typhoon H. The camera is capable of panning 360 degrees, capturing 4K video and 12-megapixel stills, and Typhoon H uses Intel’s RealSense camera to automatically avoid collisions in its path — its ultrasonic proximity detection allows it to sense what is happening around it to avoid particularly large obstacles. It features six rotors instead of the usual four, for increased stability, and has retractable landing gear as well as the ability to fly and land safely with just five rotor blades. Additional safety features include geofencing, variable speed control, dynamic return home, and low-battery return home. The Yuneec Typhoon H claimed multiple awards at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES0 2016 in…

DEPUTY EDITOR’S 15 MINUTES OF FAME If you’re a regular reader of NZV8, you’ll be well aware that Concept Corner is a recurring feature, in which the cover-car owner gets to imagine the car they’d most like to build, if they had the means to do so. So, every month, without fail, either Todd or I will phone the upcoming issue’s cover-car owner, pick their brains, and the talented Mark Curran will render a concept illustration. As part of that process this month, I phoned Ricky Ireland, and he correctly deduced that his Holden HZ was the upcoming cover car. The teaser on the last page of the previous issue might have been a giveaway, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Even with the fact confirmed, it…

TORQUEBACK, NZV8 MAGAZINE, PO BOX 46020, HERNE BAY, AUCKLAND 1147; EMAIL TORQUEBACK@V8.CO.NZ SOCKS SUCK Gidday Ed, My kids asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I thought, undies? Nah, don’t wear them. Socks? Nah, I’ve got two pairs. NZV8 subscription? Yes, that’s the ticket! Every month — well, for the second time anyway — into my mailbox arrives your mag; great reading, world-class cars and photos, with well-written articles and features. I attended Thunderpark drags when it was first opened way back when; it was outrageous, with ‘LA Hooker’ and ‘The Phoenix’ funny cars from the States there — my first taste of industrial deafness — ahh, those were the days. I thought that I would share a couple of pics and stories with your readers. I just spent…

It’s hard to explain burnouts to someone who doesn’t get it. Try as you might to explain the art of burnouts to someone who doesn’t get them, it’ll always come down to ‘F’-words — f@#king fun! Burnouts are fun! There’s something special about really using an engine, flogging it to within an inch of its life — planting the tacho deep into the red — with the end goal melting the tyres. The resulting clouds of thick, acrid tyre smoke are the icing on the cake. If you don’t get burnouts, you never will, and that means you should probably stop reading right about now. Just look across the ditch, where the way of the burnout is very nearly a national religion. Every year, Australia hosts countless events with burnouts…

Nowadays, the name ‘Martinborough’ is synonymous with two things: wine and Cruise Martinborough. The latter, now an annual event, plays host to the full variety of New Zealand’s muscle car, hot rod and classic car–loving public, who descend on the small town for four high-octane and fun-filled days. This year, a reported 245 people registered for the chance to display their petrol-powered metal offspring, while a few more latecomers filled the streets surrounding the main square. The charity-minded organizers ensured good times were had by all, while simultaneously making sure that those less fortunate would benefit by giving 100 per cent of the takings from programme sales to Ronald McDonald House in Wellington. Led by a group of vehicles towing custom-made matching caravans, the mind-blowingly immense selection of cars rumbled…

Tauranga’s ASB Baypark Stadium usually roars to the sound of motorsport set on terra firma, but it recently swapped wheels for hulls, playing host to the second and final round of the ENZED Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) Jetsprint World Championship. Each year, the stadium accommodates the only jetsprint event held under lights, and, when you cram a jetsprint track into a stadium and add some international flavour, you have a recipe for success. For the 2016 edition, teams from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US were all present in both the PSP Suntuf Group A and Suzuki Superboats classes. Each country was just as eager as the next to gain a firm grip on the trophy and the title of ‘World Champion’ after the first round at Meremere a…

Every year, tens of thousands of people venture out onto a dried-up lakebed in the middle of the California desert, with minimal mobile-phone reception, enduring below-freezing temperatures and a shitload of dust. Why on earth do thousands of people do this, you ask? It is to experience the annual Ultra4 King of the Hammers (KOH) off-road racing event that takes place there. Set in the beautiful-yet-desolate Johnson Valley, near the small town of Lucerne Valley, KOH offers a unique and epic adventure for anyone who dares to try it. It has the perfect combination of fast desert racing; gruelling, car-breaking, rockcrawling sections; and everything in between. Until coming to the California High Desert, I never really appreciated true rock crawling. In New Zealand, we mainly deal with beaches, sand dunes,…

The worst nightmare of every ’50s mother was not the onset of war, or the prospect of Camel Lights going out of production, or even Mrs Smith across the street getting the latest refrigerator — it was the thought of her daughter associating with a man who drove a car that looks like this. Times change, and so do style, trends, and attitudes. Badass is still badass, though, and the essence of ’50s aggression exuded by this menacing hot rod is just as potent now as it was then. It’s that distinct character that makes Glenn Longley’s ’30 Model A coupe so much more than the sum of its parts. Strip it down, and the pile of physical parts would be tiny in comparison to many other cars, but you…

PROGRESS ON CAMARO The team at Mitchell Race Xtreme (MRX) in Hamilton has been making solid progress on Brendan Neiman’s Group 1 Camaro, working on it almost non-stop. After some controversy over photos showing the body panels removed to allow the cage work to be finished and powdercoated, the sheet metal is now permanently reattached, and the car is starting to look complete. While the number-one goal with the car is for it to be competitive — and it looks as if it will be — the team is also making presentation a high priority, with items such as custom-faced Auto Meter gauges finding their way into the build. Spec-wise, the car runs a 358ci SB2 Nascar motor backed by a G-force gearbox and fabricated nine-inch diff. Plenty of time…

1970 CHEV CAMARO RS/SS — GARRY SMITH Back when we featured Garry Smith’s 1970 Camaro in 2006, the car was good for running 11.2-second quarters at 125mph, making it one of the fastest true street cars in the land at the time. A decade on, the car, which not only ran the numbers but looked flawless while doing it, is almost identical — still immaculate and still just as quick, despite having passed through various hands over the years. Since being sold by Garry to fellow muscle car fan Steve Marshall, then on to drag racer Justin Weir, before swapping hands again twice more to arrive at where it is today, the car hasn’t actually seen all that many miles. When Wall Motors, which was involved in the car’s original…

CHECK THEMOTORHOOD.COM FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES Superformance is to release a limited run of the GT40 MkII in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the original GT40’s historic one-twothree finish in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 20 GT40 MkIIs are being built in collaboration with Shelby American Inc. and will be near-exact replicas of the Le Mans–winning GT40s — right down to the right-hand drive with right-hand shifters. These cars will be as close to the originals as possible, with more than 90 per cent of the parts being interchangeable with the original car and chassis. The all-steel monocoque chassis is to be an exact replica of the original, comprising more than 244 lasercut, pressed, and bent steel panels. However, the Superformance GT40 MkIIs will also include…

EMAIL YOUR NEWS TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ BIENNIAL BLOWOUT The Scroungers’ Hot Rod Blowout is one of the coolest hot rod events in the country, with last year’s event welcoming the legendary Burbank Choppers from California and honouring the art of New Zealand–renowned Murray Cammick. Scroungers has recently advised that Hot Rod Blowout has become a biennial event. A lot of people have shown interest in the event, and the club did briefly consider going back to an annual format. However, after hardly thinking about it — getting distracted by less important things and generally indulging in a high level of group procrastination — the decision was made; they just weren’t feeling like doing it all again this year. To keep their valued event small — and perfectly formed — and to…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ MARCH 20 SPEEDWAY NOSTALGIA DAY The Auckland Vintage Speedway Club are hosting their fifth Annual Nostalgia Day at Auckland Vintage Speedway Track, Meremere, on Sunday 20 March. Racing kicks off at 10.30am and will see some very historically significant local cars out on track racing as they used to. For more info call Mal Parsons on 09 267 5097. MARCH 30–APRIL 3 REPCO BEACH HOP 16 Beach Hop needs no introduction — renowned worldwide, it’s a must-do for any petrolhead. While official entry has long since closed — tickets were snapped up almost as soon as they were made available to the public — there’s nothing stopping you from cruising to Whangamata with the family or some mates and taking in the absolute madness that…

“I’ve always liked the pro-touring look of these Chevelles,” Phil explains — and, for a serial car builder such as himself, that’s reason enough for him to build a masterpiece such as the one you’re looking at right now. His last car was a beautifully presented ’72 Dodge Challenger, featured in NZV8 Issue No. 67, and, in his time, he’s built and owned far too many cars to count. “I’ve done the whole show-car thing, and I’m over it. I just wanted a car that I can enjoy with the whole family,” he says, and he’s deadly serious — as unbelievable as that may sound given the Chevelle’s show-quality finish both inside and out. However, having sold his Challenger, it wasn’t long before Phil was itching to get his hands…

Depending on how far back your knowledge of New Zealand drag racing goes, you may know Ray Peterson as many different things. You’d know him from the ’70s and ’80s as a drag bike racer who toured over to Australia after winning everything possible locally. You’d know him from the ’90s as a Wild Bunch racer. In the early 1990s, he was the manager of Meremere Dragway and a Top Alcohol competitor. From more recent years, you’d know him for his involvement with the ‘Harcourts Hauler’ Top Alcohol dragster. However, these days, he’s a businessman who drives a Mustang street car. OK, while calling the 1970 fastback a ‘street car’ is technically correct, the car is a whole lot more than that. Part of Ray’s decision to step back from…

Americarna is an event that, if you’re a car person, you’ll be well aware of. Without resorting to prosaic prose or overplayed clichés, it is one of the best automotive events in New Zealand. Essentially, it is one of the larger and more significant events on the local automotive calendar — a multi-day event in which an enormous number of classic vehicles of American origin descend upon the Taranaki region. What really separates it from the rest, though, is the way in which the local community gets behind it all, in a really big way. As soon as you arrive in the ’Naki, the locals give you the impression that Americarna is a big deal, and this is reflected in all kinds of ways — the cruise routes being lined…

Those with a good memory may recall that we featured Richard and Jayne Bloemendal’s HQ Monaro way back in Issue No. 49. It’s a beautiful car, and the pair love it to bits. That said, it never gave them quite the confidence to take it out in heavy traffic, knowing that it had the propensity to run a little warm. While some may wonder why they didn’t bother to do anything about it earlier, they lived rurally, so traffic was never really a problem for them, and they continued to clock up plenty of miles on the car, essentially drama-free. We’d go as far as saying that this is actually typical with a lot of builds — essentially, the car is on the road and running, and the owner is…

OF COURSE, THIS MONTH’S CAR IS ONLY A QUICK CONCEPT, BUT WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT. SO, HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT WHETHER IT’S HOT, NOT, IMPOSSIBLE, OR RIDICULOUS BY COMMENTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, FACEBOOK.COM/NZV8MAGAZINE “If I could build any car, it’d be a tubbed and blown burnout machine,” This month’s cover car owner Ricky Ireland tells us — and his choice comes as no surprise. “My all-time favourite car is Steven Loader’s ‘UCSMOKE’, which is a ’69 Holden HT Premier, but I’d go for a ’73 Holden Monaro coupe. “I’d love it to have a 540ci Powerhouse-built big block, with a 10-71 blower and Enderle Big & Ugly injector hat, and electronic fuel injection. I’d probably stick with E85 for fuel, and run it around 12psi…

EVANS CLAIMS WIN Simon Evans claimed the win in round six of the BNT NZ Touring Cars series, held in hot and dry conditions at Manfeild. Driving his class-one Smeg Holden, Evans managed to prevail over a hard-charging Andre Heimgartner, who won the feature race on Sunday afternoon. Evans had already claimed victory in the first two races of the weekend, with a second placing in Sunday’s final race clinching him the round win. Said Evans, “It was really nice to come back and get the round win here at Manfeild. Andre won both rounds at Ruapuna and Teretonga; he’s been driving really well.” With one round to go, Evans may have now won the championship. Jason Bargwanna, who was holding second place in the championship, slowed and stopped just…

After running every January for seven years, raising funds for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, the Hibiscus Rodders Beach Festival has cemented itself as a must-do event. After this year’s stellar festival in Orewa, a whopping $35K was given to that worthwhile cause. The weekend kicked off with a drive-in movie at Western Reserve, while the main event was on the Saturday at Orewa Reserve, with an equally impressive day on the Sunday at Orewa Boulevard. There was also night cruising on both Friday and Saturday nights, supported by Orewa’s diverse range of cafes, bars, and restaurants. The weekend included rock ’n’ roll music, cruising, pin-up girl contests, a tug of war between clubs, a draw to win a trip to the US, and plenty of other prizes and giveaways. Some…