Innehållsförteckning för No 242 Febuary 2017 från NZ Performance Car

D amn, another year has blasted by as if it was on full boost with an arse-kick of nitrous. Summer is here, and so is the onslaught of events. I hope you have something in the shed that’s ‘finished’ enough so you can get out there and enjoy it in whatever way you dreamed of during those long winter nights spent wrenching. For me, summer means long hot days at the race track, wandering around car shows, cruising in cars older than me, and BBQs at my workshop while looking at cars that still aren’t finished. I would have to say, 2016 has seen our community in a pretty good space. There are plenty of cars getting built; plenty of guys pushing the boundaries, both with style and performance; and…

whiddett, who has spent much of 2016 travelling the globe is looking forward to bringing it all back home in 2017, starting with this brand-new drift event on Saturday, February 18 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. A 16-strong field of New Zealand’s best drifters has already been confirmed for the headline Summer Bash event, where all comers will go up against Mad Mike in a new, exciting format. The field includes former New Zealand champions Gaz Whiter, ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse and Darren Kelly, as well as the current champ Curt Whittaker. Rounding out the field are Daynom Templeman, Nico Reid, Bruce Tannock, Cole Armstrong, Drew Donovan, Jodie Verhulst, Sky Zhao, Andrew Redward, Adam Hedges, Troy Jenkins and Brad Smith. “It will be New Zealand’s biggest one-day drifting festival and it…

H asegawa-san founded the company in October of 1973 alongside Goichi Kitagawa, and with funding from Sigma Automotive (aka SARD), with the ‘H’ from Hasegawa, the ‘K’ from Kitagawa, and the ‘S’ from Sigma Automotive forming the name ‘HKS’. Hasegawa had been a Yamaha engineer, and his automotive empire had humble beginnings inside a small shed at the base of Mount Fuji in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. His goal was simple — to develop an original racing engine for the Japanese market — and he set out to create high-performance engines and components that original-equipment manufacturers could not produce. Hasegawa developed his premier HKS-74E engine in 1973, but it was never introduced to the world due to a lack of funds. So he switched focus and, by July 1974, had…

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You’ve got to appreciate the finer things in life, and, back in the early ’80s, there would have been nothing better than a wealthy company exec railing a line of Columbia’s finest off the dashboard of a brand-new Porsche 911 SC while on the way to a company-bankrolled ‘party’. That’s the quintessential American dream that many a European sports car has become associated with over the last few decades, anyway, though the description is a scene more likely to be found in a Hollywood film than in the real world — such ideas don’t come out of thin air, though … Well, Vince Pieterse is not a company exec, nor does he attend company-bankrolled parties after railing lines from the dashboard of his ’78 911 SC. He’s spent the better…

NZPC: Hi Rob, please could you begin by giving us a brief introduction into Link ECU? Rob: Kiwi firm Link Engine Management started 25 years ago as a few friends hanging out making their cars go faster and is now one of only five global brands in the engine-management sector. The Christchurch-based company specializes in the development, manufacture, and distribution of engine-management systems that can unleash the power of any engine. Link’s ECUs are renowned worldwide for being easy to use, reliable, high quality, and value for money. So, it was a little self-taught backyard start-up. When did the guys decide to form a company and sell to the public? Link became a business in 1991, when Philip Royds started to sell the engine-control units he and his mates had…

ROCKING 15X8-INCH MINILITES ON THE ESCORT MEAN THESE WHEELS WILL NEVER GO OUT OF FASHION It’s funny how a decision you make as a teenager can be carried with you into adulthood. For Christchurch local Scott Couzins, it was the dream to build a tarmac-spec Escort. At the time, he was pushing a rusty, very unreliable MkII Escort Sport, a car he describes as a piece of shit, but one that never failed to bring a smile. Fast forward 20 years, and Scott’s garage has been home to no shortage of modified machines, but the dream for an Escort that he’d conjured up while 17 had still not come to fruition. So, the hunt began for the project shell. Scott didn’t care if it was a MkI or MkII; it…

Treat your car these holidays Get out to the beach this summer, and make sure your car looks super shiny while doing it with Luxxio’s Merry Frosty Christmas car-care pack. It includes a 500ml bottle of Frost Liquid Spray-On Wax, two wash sponges, three glass cloths, two all-purpose cloths, 10 Luxury Wash sachets, one drying towel, and one clay-paint decontamination towel, which removes the gritty feeling off the car for a smoother, shinier finish. The Luxxio Merry Frosty Christmas carcare pack is available for just $60, down from $170 — a steal, if you ask us. Visit luxxio.co.nz for more information. Offer available until January 10. FRESH TECH Straight from the shores of Europe, the Focal ES 165 K two-way component kit offers two 6.5-inch woofers and two 20mm TKM…

Lando Norris, the diminutive English teenager who won last summer’s Castrol Toyota Racing Series, is returning to defend his title. And he’s just one of a host of new and returning drivers set to make the 2017 series one of the most competitive yet. Norris was the class act of the field last January and February, winning six races and finishing on the podium another five times, to complete the hectic 15-race series 132 points ahead of Jehan Daruvala of India. “I’m really excited to be heading back to New Zealand to contest the Toyota Racing Series,” said Norris from his Bristol home. “I thoroughly enjoyed racing in the TRS at the beginning of this year, which put me on the road to an incredibly successful 2016 season.” “The five…

There is a long-running bit of banter that suggests the R33 chassis, with its slight weight increase over the previous generation, is more of a seafaring vessel than a land-goer — ironic, as the next generation is heavier again, but never copped the same rap. However there is always an exception to help break the mould, and the car we are talking about burst into the limelight after a recent event proved it’s one of the fastest, most vicious street-driven track cars to hit our shores in a fair while. We are, of cour se, referring to the ST Hitec–owned R33 GT-R. Although the team has made a name for itself developing the latest generation of GT-R, the RB is still a much-loved engine in New Zealand, and the ST…

undoubtedly, many readers look back fondly on the Group A era of touring cars. This was a time of generous advancement in turbo technology and motorsport electronics, and, of course, it gave birth to a segment of performance production cars so treasured by those looking to quench their thirst for speed. But, after the 1992 season, Group A was dead — and the formula that replaced it on a global scale was aptly named Super Touring, but the base cars were anything but super in production form. In brief, the rules dictated that the base vehicle must be a four-door sedan, with a minimum length of 4.2m. Engines were restricted to 2.0-litre naturally aspirated, with a maximum of six cylinders, and manufacturers were required to produce 25,000 of whichever model…

Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium has played host to many different events and sports in its lifetime, including rugby, with the mighty All Blacks. But one thing that was never on the radar for the stadium was motor sport, until the Demon Energy D1NZ National Drifting Championship Series came a-knocking with what was the most ambitious track project in the series’ history — a complete custom-built track inside the indoor stadium. To make it happen, crews worked around the clock the weekend before to lay plywood, plastic, and boxing before 37,000 square metres of fibre-reinforced concrete was laid 90mm thick. It was then semi-polished to reduce the chance of smoke killing the visibility, and the resulting track surface was a challenge for teams, with grip levels changing throughout the weekend as…

Over the next few months, we’re diving head first into the mystical art of building a street car to bring you a comprehensive step-by-step guide to the process. Last issue, we started with sourcing and importing a car from Japan and we’ll move on to modifying the internal and external engine components; wiring in an aftermarket ECU and getting it tuned; upgrading the driveline to suit your new-found power; getting the car to sit at the perfect height and making sure that it has the required stopping power; flaring those guards and tucking your favourite set of wheels beneath them, then seeing them shod in the correct rubber; painting some metal or wrapping it in vinyl; tinting the windows; installing a big e-points bodykit; and tricking out the interior…

Name: Luke Wellacott Location: Auckland Occupation: Network engineer ENGINE: Mitsubishi 4B11, 2000cc, four-cylinder; Garrett GTX3082R turbo; HKS intercooler and piping; Injector Dynamics ID1000 fuel injectors; Tomei Type-L fuel-pressure regulator; AEM air intake; Tomei wide-mouth downpipe; HKS twin exhaust system; Mishimoto twin 19-row dual oil cooler; DeatschWerks 65C in-tank fuel pump; factory ECU safe tuned to 250kW on 18psi DRIVETRAIN: Five-speed, OS Giken twin-plate clutch INTERIOR: NZKW wrap-around race seats, NZKW six-point harnesses, custom 10.2-inch Android display screen EXTERIOR: Varis carbon-fibre widebody kit, front bumper, wing mirrors, spoiler, and vortex; custom livery WHEELS/TYRES: 18x9.5-inch Enkei RPF1, 265/35R18 Nankang NS2R SUSPENSION: HKS Hipermax coilovers, Cusco front and rear sway bars NZPC Hi, Luke. That look is super loud — do you race? Luke: Yeah, I’ve competed in three rounds of the Auckland…

ENGINE: Nissan SR20DET, 2000cc, four-cylinder; Master Power MP-R545 turbo; Sinco Customs top-mount manifold; Turbosmart 40mm wastegate; Blitz blow-off valve; Turbosmart boost tap; front-mount intercooler; 750cc fuel injectors; DeatschWerks DW300 fuel pump; MicroTech LT10S ECU; three-inch exhaust; Nismo muffler DRIVETRAIN: Nissan five-speed, R200 LSD INTERIOR: Factory, boost gauge EXTERIOR: Midnight purple harlequin paint work, pumped rear guards, Vertex front and rear bumper, Vertex side skirts, shaved bootlid, Spec R tail lights, WHEELS/TYRES: 18x9.5-inch Rota Grid, 235/40R18 GT Radial SUSPENSION: D2 coilovers, Hardrace front tie-rod ends, Hardrace rear camber arms Name: Matt Dunstan Location: Levin Occupation: Apprentice spray painter NZPC: Hi, Matt. Is this your first S15? What made you buy it? Matt: Hey, guys. This is my first S15, but not my first S-chassis. My father and I are currently building…

Name: Luke Collis Location: Waikato Occupation: Christian communicator NZPC: Hi, Luke. Do you have much of a history with cars and modifying them? Luke: Yes. It’s crazy to think how many cars I’ve owned over the years — easily over 60 by now. When I was younger, people tried to tell me that it was impossible to make money on cars; I’ve proved them wrong. Going through so many has also meant that I’ve had the opportunity to own and drive a bunch of really fun cars, including a couple of Turbo DA and DC2 Integras, a ’95-spec Integra Type R, B18Cpowered Civics, WRXs, a Subaru Forester converted into a ute, and a few Toyota Seras — they’re pretty cool, with factory gull-wing doors. I’m also currently building an H23A…

The United Truck Parts International Midget Series regular race schedule has been amended for its four-night series that runs at Western Springs and Bay Park, kicking off Boxing Day, to honour one of its regular American drivers, Bryan Clauson, who tragically passed away after crashing his midget at Belleville High-Banks Speedway in Belleville, Kansas, in the US, earlier this year. On January 1, the 40-lap race will be shortened to 39 laps, the figure paying homage to Clauson’s race number, 39, and pole position will be left empty — a nod to his prowess in the series that often saw him claim the top spot on the grid — with the rest of the night dedicated to him. This will follow on from the December 28 start night, when US,…

NZ Performance Car is putting the power in your hands — decide which feature car stands above all others and most deserves to be crowned Castrol Edge Performance Car of the Year 2016. Each issue, we select three feature cars to go head-tohead for that month’s spot. Who’ll take it is up to you, so jump on themotorhood.com each month to vote for your favourite. Once we have our 12 finalists, these will be put to the vote once more, and you will get to decide who will be crowned Castrol Edge Performance Car of the Year 2016. So, what are you waiting for? Get voting, and let us know who you think should be crowned champion! 20 LUCKY VOTERS WILL EACH RECEIVE THE 12 NOMINEES WILL EACH RECEIVE…

we need not introduce an event like the V 4&Rotary South Island Champs — it simply has a reputation that exceeds the confines of these pages, and then some. This is the event every southern car owner fiends for, and it’s one that is firmly etched into the ‘must attend’ section of our calendars. This year saw a 600km-odd shift from the Nelson location of the previous few years to the incredibly accommodating Timaru. When your town hosts an event of this magnitude, you will experience some ruckus, and to accommodate any major activity is a feat — especially when that activity involves heavily-modified cars invading the streets and taking over the town. Perhaps it was Timaru’s proximity to Christchurch that stirred it on, as the unofficial Friday night cruising…

The 2016 drag season began at Meremere last month with the Spring Nationals. Among the import cars in attendance was a little yellow Lancer, kicking off its 12th season on the fly. Jason Horn and his 1988 GSR Lancer have not missed a season since the early 2000s, back when the car was 4WD and dominating the Night Speed Drag Wars. As for most, those were the events that began it all for Jason and his little yellow Mitsi, which proved extremely competitive. The factory 4WD configuration was pushed to its absolute limits with a 9.54 at 232kph, which is a New Zealand record for the quickest factorygearbox 4WD. Soon, an unquenchable thirst for quicker times took hold, street driving became a thing of the past, and he set a…

The humble wagon is something of an enigma when you plonk it smack-bang in the middle of the modified-car sphere. I mean, hell, these vehicles were meant for utilitarian purposes. Straight-line performance, razorsharp handling, and even svelte good looks were surely never really at the top of the brief when the designers considered a model variant packing a tailgate and a D-pillar. Wagons were designed and marketed as child-haulers for the nuclear family, mobile inventories for the travelling salesman, or workshops-on-wheels for the tradesman-about-town. But then you modify one. The result is almost undeniable instant cool, whether we’re talking the early 2000s and a dropped BF Mazda Familia wagon on 17-inch G-Zeros roaming Queen Street with a boot-load of bass, or a ’58 Chevy Brookwood with a nice patina, draped…

In this day and age your smartphone is able to do just about any damn thing you wish. They have evolved into something more akin to an electronic Swiss army knife masquerading as a phone, than a device we use to make calls. In fact, for most, the percentage of time spent actually talking to someone versus using apps would be very small. In the workplace, and even at home in the shed, the phone is becoming more and more practical as new apps are developed. One of them is Milwaukee’s revolutionary One-Key app, which allows you to not only control tools through the cloud-based software, but also track and manage your inventory — a first for the industry. Through Bluetooth connectivity your One-Key–equipped tools connect to the app in…

The world of Instagram is a great one for those of us looking for a little build inspiration or simply a never-ending dose of car culture from all corners of the world. Through the use of hashtag searches, you can locate and pinpoint any damn thing you want — from something as wide reaching as ‘#drift’ to as targeted as ‘#K20swappedcivic’. If you’re not on Instagram, get on there and get yourself started! Here are six accounts we follow that we think you should, too. NUMERORESERVE As we head into summer, Japan is rolling into winter, and that means time-attack season is upon us. If you want to keep up with their local cars, aero designer Numeroreserve is a great source. He’s not very politically correct and has very strong…

While many fuels may include engine-cleaning additives, the fact is that these comprise a very small percentage of the total chemical make-up of that gasoline. So, the cleaning job is a little like putting half a drop of dishwashing liquid in your sink and expecting it to cut through the grease. This becomes even more of an issue when the fuel doesn’t touch the back side of the valves at all, as in direct-injection engines, so there’s no chance that the deposits that build up on the back side and the stems of your valves will be cleaned off by the fuel, without complete disassembly of your engine. Or so one might think. CRC Industries has developed its aerosol GDI IVD Intake Valve Cleaner with 150 times more concentrate of…

FEBRUARY 18 MAD MIKE’S SUMMER BASH HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA If you have an event you’d like to see in the Gig Guide, email editor@performancecar.co.nz with all the details JANUARY 6–7 DEMON ENERGY D1NZ 2016: ROUND TWO MANFEILD RACEWAY, FEILDING JANUARY 7–8 PROWEAR NZ SUPERLAP: ROUND TWO BRUCE MCLAREN MOTORSPORT PARK, TAUPO JANUARY 13–15 SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ROUND TWO MIKE PERO MOTORSPORT PARK, CHRISTCHURCH Classes: Toyota 86, NZ Touring Car, V8 Utes, Toyota Racing Series, Porsche, Formula 1600, Super Trucks, Osca, and Mainland Muscle JANUARY 21–22 SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ROUND THREE TERETONGA PARK, INVERCARGILL Classes: Toyota 86, NZ Touring Car, V8 Utes, Toyota Racing Series, Porsches, Formula 1600, Super Trucks, Osca, Mainland Muscle, and NZ Six JANUARY 28 DRIFT SOUTH ROUND 3 MIKE PERO MOTORSPORT PARK,…