Indholdsfortegnelse for No 147 August 2017 i NZV8

I read an interesting article the other day. It was aimed at educating car dealers who felt they were losing customers, but it applied to other industries as well — building cars and making car magazines included. It quite rightly stated that everyone who walks into your car yard [insert your own business here] starts off 100-per-cent likely to become a paying customer. It’s only through your own actions or choices that, step by step, that percentage rapidly drops. The article used examples such as some yards having clean cars and interested salespeople and others not; some having cars with flat batteries and fuel lights on. I’ve been on the receiving end of all of those things at yards, and I was nodding my head all the way through. Once…

Earlier this year, Australian drag racing fans celebrated a golden milestone with the classic Winternationals celebrating its 50th anniversary. Held at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway — incidentally, for the 30th time — the Australian Winternationals is the largest championship drag racing event held outside the US. We’ve got Winternats covered in this issue, and, for even more photos of this amazing event, search ‘Winternationals’ on themotorhood.com. MAHKETING 101 We’re kinda lucky to live in New Zealand, because it means we aren’t exposed to the absolutely awful series of commercials Chevrolet recently released for its new range of vehicles. Well, one guy decided to make them better, using a green screen to digitally render himself into the ads, providing a refreshingly blunt opinion amid the clearly scripted dialogue. The results are great.…

IF YOU HAVE A COOL DAILY-DRIVER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT APPEAR IN DAILY GRIND, EMAIL EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ Hi, Grant, that’s a really tidy Camaro you’ve got. What’s the story? Thanks — my parents actually owned it before me. They bought it in 2000. Dad had a really nice ’83 Camaro that got burnt up in a house fire. After four years of planning, he and Mum sourced this one out of Canada while on holiday. I bought it a year ago, as Dad was looking to upgrade to a 2011 model. Is this the first American vehicle you’ve owned? Yeah, it is. I had always admired the car, so, when it became available, I thought, hell, yeah, I’ll buy it — it keeps the car in the family, too.…

1967 FORD MUSTANG (GT500E) It’s all Malcolm’s fault!” laughs Kelvin Taylor, when asked how this stunning example of an all-steel Eleanor came about. The Malcolm he is referring to is none other than Malcolm Sankey, proprietor of Matamata Panelworks, a business with a reputation for world-class metalwork the likes of which you will see over the next few pages. With Matamata Panelworks, Malcolm has done what few custom shops have been able to: turn high-level custom car production into a feasible business. The custom cars in question are predominantly Mustangs like this, with varying degrees of exterior modification, although all are subject to an extensive mechanical makeover in pursuit of supreme driving characteristics. As you may have guessed by the opening line to this story, none of that was of…

LA ROADSTER SHOW 2017 It is a fact of life that we are living in changing times, and this affects the cars and shows we enjoy. The Los Angeles Roadsters Car Club has run the LA Roadster Show for 52 years — so the show is almost as old as this article’s esteemed author! This small club, with just 28 active members, has done a terrific job over the years, creating what is widely regarded as the greatest roadster show on earth. Don’t believe it? With more than 800 pre-1936 roadsters usually in attendance, along with another 800 specialty cars and a huge swap meet, the annual LA Roadster Show is huge! However, as the average age of the club’s members isn’t getting any lower, the LA Roadsters decided to…

RENEGADE ROD AND CUSTOM CLUB’S PARKED UP OUT WEST For those based in the Auckland region, the prospect of a long weekend getaway can be daunting. Stewing in stationary traffic, surrounded by drivers with similarly frayed nerves, only to end up at a holiday destination filled with Jafas — it’s little wonder many elect to remain home. The Renegade Rod and Custom Club must be mindful of this fact, and with good reason, as last year’s inaugural Parked Up Out West event was far bigger than anyone could have foreseen. A typically formatted car show, this year’s took place on the roof-level carpark of the new NorthWest shopping complex in Westgate, Auckland. If last year’s event was anything to go by, this year’s would be big. Even with a slightly…

FUNDAMENTALS OF DYNO TUNING In your travels through the automotive world, you’re sure to have picked up tuning-related words or terms. However, understanding what they all mean in relation to how an world, you’re sure to have picked up tuning-related words or terms. However, understanding what they all mean in relation to how an engine behaves is a little more complex, especially when dealing with electronic fuel injection (EFI). We spent an afternoon with Darren Van Nes at Revolution Dyno Centre as he dyno tuned a reasonably stock LS1-powered Corvette C5, thus having the opportunity to view the tuning process from start to finish. When observed in this way, it becomes apparent why dyno tuning something best left to the professionals unless you have a thorough understanding of what’s involved.…

1936 FORD FIVE-WINDOW COUPE Camaros, Impalas, Bel Airs, Falcons — you name it, Wayne Nicol’s owned it. Better than that, he’s not just owned them, he’s built them — and not in a half-arsed way, either. Wayne’s CV reads like a car-builder’s dream; not only are his dual trades of being a painter and an upholsterer useful for his hobbies, but they also make him the type of guy with who we all wish we were mates. A few years back, NZV8 featured Wayne’s seriously cool and seriously slammed ’61 bubble-top Impala. At the time, Wayne let slip that a ’36 coupe would be next. With Wayne having built so many street machines, a hot rod was a big deviation from his past builds, but there was never any doubt…

WAYNE’S WORLD Wayne Nicol’s awesome hot rod isn’t the first of his cars to hit the pages of NZV8. A few years ago, we featured his super-cool ’61 Impala, which got along with a seriously tough tunnel-rammed big block. We’ve got a full feature on his Impala online, and you can check it out by searching ‘Wayne Nicol’ on themotorhood.com. PARKED UP Car shows are cool, and the bigger they are, the better they tend to be. That’s a bit of a generalization, but it certainly applies to Parked Up Out West, the car display run by the Renegade Rod and Custom Club on the Monday of Queen’s Birthday weekend. The full report on the event is in this magazine, and we’ve got a larger photo gallery online if you…

Auckland’s population is growing rapidly. So, too, is the number of vehicles on the roads, bringing an increasingly awful daily commute. I am aware of the irony of the following statement, but I have been using public transport to get to and from work. Since moving office to a pretty slick new workspace in the CBD, it hasn’t even been that bad. Auckland transport is widely regarded as terrible, and it is. The roads are always chocka, and I’m sure hypertension is going to become hereditary in this part of the country. When I was studying at university, if you got to the bus stop early, the bus would be late; if you got there on time, the bus would have already come and gone. The trains weren’t much better.…

EMAIL YOUR BUILDS TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ The team at Ken Hopper Car Construction are working full steam ahead on Laine Christensen’s Ford XR Falcon wagon. The XR holds sentimental family significance for Laine, who has owned it since he was a teenager and is determined to get it finished after slow and sometimes unsatisfactory work by other workshops. An RRS coilover front end has been installed with a power-steering rack, with geometry currently being modified for near-zero bump steer. The nine-inch diff was rebuilt just before we took these photos, with the rear section already having been C-notched in pursuit of a low ride height. The rear suspension has also been modified to a race car standard, with the original leaf springs working with traction bars and a Watt’s linkage to…

1979 HOLDEN TORANA LH We won’t bore you to death with a history lesson about how cars have continued to evolve over the years and how what was once considered a fast car is now slower than your average shopping trolley. It’s fair to say that most readers of this magazine understand that type of mechanical evolution. However, it is that evolution that helps to explain Shane Ryland’s Torana — or, maybe more correctly, the Torana explains that evolution. Either way, the car’s got much more of a tale to tell than just what you see today. Way back in 1991, the car was owned by wellknown Christchurch horsepower-lover Ian Paki. Handy on the tools, Ian chopped the rear chassis rails out of the car and crafted his own versions,…

1967 BUICK SKYLARK Cody McGregor is one of those guys who can’t leave things the way they were — there’s always a way to make something better, stronger, or faster. When Cody landed an original-condition numbers-matching ’67 Buick Skylark, it’s unlikely anyone believed him when he said he’d be leaving it alone — and what you’re looking at now simply proves the point. “It all started four years ago, when I started getting drawn back to cars after eight years of not having anything fun to drive,” Cody explains. After being given the go-ahead by his partner, Hannah, Cody didn’t take long to head over to the bank and transfer money to the US in preparation for an impending purchase. However, it took even less time for him to become…

CONCEPT: DAN CARTER, MATAMATA PANELWORKS ILLUSTRATION: ASHLEY WESTMORELAND — HEROPRINTS.CO.NZ YOUR THOUGHTS ON LAST MONTH’S DELUXE SLEEPER CONCEPT Kris Moffatt: This appeals to me big time. Classic ’50s artwork, modern day driving dynamics, and enough power to make a mess of anyone’s trousers. What’s not to love about this? The patina has to be saved as well! Bradley John Tucker: Mean ALTHOUGH THIS MONTH’S CAR IS ONLY A QUICK CONCEPT, 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 It’s the age-old issue of being in the business of building custom cars — you need to do things to the customer’s requirements. Sure, you can influence them or give advice, but,…

ENZED CENTRAL MUSCLE CARS NEWS The Group 1 field will look a little different going into the 2017–’18 season, with additions set to make competition even closer. Mike Ellis’ XA Falcon is returning to the ranks, as is the ex–Colin Sargison Holden HQ, which has recently been purchased by Dean Hansen. The bright yellow Holden was a competitive car in its day, easily running with the top 10, and, as Dean hopes to sneak the car back inside the top 10, he’s not planning to take things easy. “It’s stripped down, and we’re getting a new motor built up for it,” Dean said — a move attributable to the progression of performance within the series. The new engine is a 410ci small block Chev built around a cast-iron Dart block…

ISSUE NO. 27, AUGUST 2007 BUY THIS ISSUE ONLINE AT MAGSTORE.NZ You can bet that any car painter worth their spray gun isn’t going to slack off when it comes to building their own car, and Dave Casey went all out when he built his ‘2KIL4’ Holden HQ more than 10 years ago. The car had just been completed when we featured it in August 2007, and, if any car deserved to be on the cover, this was the one. Beautifully detailed from top to bottom, inside and out, if it wasn’t chrome, it was painted either custom blue or magenta. Over the past 10 years, the car has remained in Dave’s ownership and still looks every bit as good as it did in the magazine all those years ago.…

CHECK THEMOTORHOOD.COM FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES Even the staunchest GM supporters have to grudgingly admit that the current-gen Ford Mustang is a damn good car, at a great market price point considering the quality and engineering of the cars. We’ve already seen what can happen when the loose units at Shelby American get their hands on one, with the crazy Shelby GT350 a case in point, and they’re back at it. The widebody version of the 2017 Shelby Super Snake most notably gains a widebody kit, allowing fitment of 11-inch and 12.5-inch front and rear wheels, respectively. This added girth of body and rubber is put to best use with fully adjustable coilover suspension, upgraded suspension components, and large Brembo brakes. “Instead of being optimized for straight-line performance, the Super…

EMAIL YOUR NEWS TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ The spiritual home of one of the greats of Kiwi motorsport is to get a new lease of life. Bruce McLaren’s original garage in Remuera looks set to undergo a transformation, while paying homage to the master. The plans include apartments and possibly a suitably themed cafe or restaurant. After many years as a garage and home to the McLaren Trust, the 1926 building is now in real need of modernization to ensure its preservation for future generations of Kiwis and motorsport enthusiasts. McLaren fans needn’t worry; original features of McLaren’s own apartment will be retained, including the famous signature wall, which was inscribed by some of the all-time greats of Formula 1. Six apartments will be created within the building, all of which will…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ JULY 9 CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND SWAP MEET AND CAR SHOW There ain’t nothing better to fill your Sunday with than sifting through piles of old parts at a swap meet. Rotorua Vintage and Veteran Car Club Inc. (Rotorua VCC) will hold its 37th Central North Island Swap Meet and Car Show on July 9 at Paradise Valley Raceway, Rotorua. The event promises a display of vintage and veteran cars, classics, and hot rods, in addition to the memorabilia, old car books, retro toys, model cars, and all the other regular bits and pieces to be found at a swap meet. The gates will open at 7am for the early birds and close at 3pm for the later wakers. Entry for sellers will be a crisp…

50th WINTERNATIONALS The biggest drag racing event in Australia is the Winternationals, held on Australia’s Queen’s Birthday weekend at Willowbank Raceway. Winternats has a four-day qualifying and race format. This year, a massive 550 cars and bikes faced the starter, with some astonishing runs that looked to make the 50th running of the Winternationals the best — except that rain decided to stop play early. While the first three days of the event saw a combination of sunny and cloudy weather, racing on both Friday and Saturday nights had to come to a sudden end when rain appeared. In fact, Saturday night’s very last pass between the top-fuel cars of Terry Sainty and American Larry Dixon saw the dragsters about to stage when word came that it had started to…

GRAND PRIX HYDROPLANES In most forms of motorsport, the machines tend to stick firmly to the surface on which they are racing — the more downforce the better; that is, until you enter the world of Grand Prix (GP) Hydroplane racing. As the name suggests, these machines are a clever mix of simultaneous downforce and lift, allowing them to skim across the water at speeds of nearly 300kph (186mph). This is not a sport for the faint of heart, and it blows the theory that males can’t multitask, er, right out of the water. Grand Prix hydroplanes are the product of almost 100 years of evolution in race-boat design, and incorporate blown 512ci power plants pumping out 2500hp. The combination of power and hull shape is such that, at speed,…

Oamaru’s Geoff Omnet has been in the hot rod scene for more years than he probably cares to remember, having been one of the founding members of Whitestone Rodders. As you can imagine, Geoff has more than one shed full of “garagenalia”, as he puts it, but life is about to take a new turn for him. On July 1, 2017, Geoff’s entire collection will be auctioned by Proctor Auctions in the former Stringer and Co. Ltd building in Thames Street, Oamaru — a sale that is likely to draw bidders from all over New Zealand and Australia. When we ask when and why he made this decision, Geoff replies, “The new caravan won’t fit in the shed, so I decided at Easter that I didn’t want to sell just…

ROYAL ADVANTAGE If it’s good enough for Ringbrothers, it’s good enough for all of us. Widely regarded as among the best custom car builders in the world, Ringbrothers endorses Royal Purple, which makes sense. Royal Purple’s XPR Extreme Performance Racing Oil range is widely considered by many end users to be the best synthetic motor oil, while the addition of the HPS series of engine oil, also now covers classic and muscle car bases, with an oil range high in zinc and phosphorus anti-wear additives. STA Parts is the official stockist of Royal Purple lubricants in New Zealand, carrying an enormous selection on the shelf. This includes a range of racing oil, break-in oil, gear oil, automatic-transmission fluid, assembly lubricant, grease, valve cleaner, and fuelsystem additives. For more information, contact…

HANGIN’ WITH FANGA WORDS: CONNAL GRACE PHOTOS: ADAM CROY FOR MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEO, SEARCH ‘FANGA DAN’ ON THEMOTORHOOD.COM Drifting isn’t something you’ll find too much of within the pages of NZV8, but when ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse, one of New Zealand’s top drifters, extends an invitation to go for a spin, you don’t say no. The event was a thank-you day for his crew and sponsors, who tirelessly bust arse throughout the drifting season to allow Fanga to pursue his passion of competing in the top level of the sport in New Zealand. Fanga’s weapon of choice is a VF Commodore powered by a Vortech-supercharged six-litre L98, backed by a G-Force GSR four-speed dogbox, and it isn’t just a serious piece of kit — it’s a purpose-built weapon designed to…