Innehållsförteckning för No 244 April 2017 från NZ Performance Car

We all have different tastes in cars, thoughts on replica or counterfeit parts, and ways we like to build things. It’s these traits — particularly the first and last — that make the car world an interesting one. If we all built the same damn vehicle, things would get very boring, very fast. In fact, I hazard a guess that this magazine would not exist, and neither would the scene, if that was the norm. But it’s this very difference that seems to give birth to plenty of negativity on social media, and I suspect that a touch of tall-poppy syndrome is also involved. In this modern age we live in, social media is in our faces 24/7, so we see plenty of sweet, sweet cars posted, shared, and loved…

HEART ENGINE: Nissan RB26DETT, 2600cc, six-cylinder BLOCK: Nissan N1 block, Nissan crank, Nitto rods and pistons HEAD: Modified head, custom camshafts INTAKE: Group A R32–replica air intake, cam wheels EXHAUST: Stainless side-exit TURBO: Twin custom Garrett WASTEGATE: Internal with HKS actuators FUEL: 120-litre tank, dry-break filler, centralized pot, twin Facet lift pumps, twin AEM main pumps, 800cc injectors IGNITION: Spitfire coil packs, separate cam and crank sensors, NGK spark plugs ECU: Haltech, Haltech wideband COOLING: Custom radiator, custom oil cooler, N1 water pump EXTRA: Fully rewired to period-correct (Group A) looms, three catch-cans built to Group A spec, ATI engine damper Five GT-Rs were built all up, and the chassis first debuted in Australia halfway through the 1990 season. There were some teething issues, but, by ’91, these had been…

There is no denying that the New Zealand rotary community is one of the biggest in the world, and we have a love and passion for the little Wankel engine that never seems to wane. With this in mind, it seems a nobrainer to have an event that is pure pulse and no piston like REunion. And it’s fair to say that the Powercruisestyle event, now in its third year, has been cemented on the calendar for all New Zealand rota heads — well, if the fact that the sheds sold out in 30 minutes and a total of 258 rotaries rolled through the gates over the two days is anything to go by. There was also a welcome expansion in 2017, with the event going from being held on…

The rallying world welcomed an exciting new breed of World Rally car this January in Monte Carlo, and it is clear that the sport has both taken a step back and made a huge leap forward in one fowl swoop. The World Rally Championship (WRC) will forever be defined and remembered by the monster Group B days, which can only be summed up as a ballet of brutality. So, why is it that rallying has seemingly reverted back to the ‘good ol’ days’ of Group B? It all started in 2014, when WRC organizers surveyed fans about what direction they wanted the sport to go in. Two aspects of the feedback received reverberated loud and clear with the WRC promoters: the look and the feel of watching the sport live.…

Breaking the mould to build something that screams ‘you’ can be a hard slog, as the scene is increasingly inundated with bigger and better examples. Thankfully, you don’t have to throw mass amounts of cash at the newest, trendy bits and spend half your life doing it — mix up some hard work, a simple idea, and a whole lot of nostalgia, and you could be on to a winning combination. Like many of us, Bryce was all about street-sifting antics when he originally lived in Wellington. He purchased the S14 as a daily-driver, and no doubt it landed him in regular amounts of mischief. Nonetheless, what he hadn’t expected was the rather rude 5am wake-up call one morning when a joyrider decided he wanted in on such activities, and…

ENGINE: Ford Cortina, 2100cc, four-cylinder, 2mm oversize Subaru pistons (10.5:1 compression), Nissan 1600 I-beam forged rods, 2mm stroker crank, ported big-valve head, Kennelly Cams 300-degree high-lift camshaft, adjustable cam gear, Weber 45mm side-draughts, Pacemaker extractors, 2.25-inch exhaust DRIVETRAIN: Five-speed manual, shortened driveshaft, Quaife LSD INTERIOR: Original, resprung and reupholstered black EXTERIOR: Full restoration, resprayed white WHEELS/TYRES: 13x8-inch Revolution, 175/50R13 Yokohama A359 SUSPENSION: (F) Ford Capri conversion, Munroe shocks, Jamex adjustable sleeves, 20-pound springs, adjustable alloy top hats; (R) 2.5-inch reset leaf springs, 1.5-inch blocks, Bilstein shocks, Watt’s link system, two-link axle-tramp kit Name: Aaron de Vries Location: Christchurch Occupation: Sparky ford NZ Performance Car: Hi, Aaron. Your Escort estate is a bloody tidy example. How did you come to own it? Aaron: Hey, NZ Performance Car. My brother-in-law Pete had…

NSX CIVIC Few cars have a cult following for one reason or another, and, for every fan base, there is the hardcore that would dare not tarnish their ‘perfect’ vision. But the Honda Civic is not one of those cars, and Cody Gibbs isn’t part of those fan bases, so slotting the V6 heart of the super-hyped NSX into an EG sedan body that’s been converted to rear-wheel drive with a complete disregard for the aforementioned fanboys was almost destined to be. The project began as Cody tinkered with different chassis over the years, finding a favourite with the EG sedans, but, although he liked how they drove, he had the desire to do something different — rear-wheel-drive different. A bit of measuring and ‘creative’ research later, and a plan…

Ah, nationals. The one weekend a year when all car people subject themselves to a crazy 72-hour period of energy drinks and rubbish food–fuelled madness to revel in all things fast, low, loud, and mind-meltingly creative. That feeling of rocking through the doors early on Friday morning, getting a hearty whiff of the fuel and exhaust filling the halls, taking in enough raucous noise to send you deaf a few times over, and experiencing a visual overload from all the next-level shit that has gone on throughout the previous year — it’s truly next to none. We congratulate both the organizers and competitors on another rad year — which took place over January 28 and 29 — and would like to acknowledge the step up in quality overall from last…

Nestled away in the sweeping plains of the East Coast region of Hawke’s Bay, which is better known for its award-winning wine than its cars, lives a creation smoother, bolder, and much more elegant than any drop you’ll pick up off the shelf down at the local bottle shop. To create such an artwork meant the blending of two of Toyota’s finest creations - the heart of the ultimate in Japanese luxury, and the rarest sub-model in Toyota’s X-chassis family. What we’re talking about, of course, is the creation of Nathan Messenger’s Mark II. A carpet layer by trade, Nathan has always had a love of all things low slung, fast, and loud, and, after selling his previous 1UZ-powered RX30 to free up some cash, he knew exactly what chassis…

Much like the cereal you pour into your bowl each morning, the suspension components found inside the cars of New Zealand’s national drifting series — Demon Energy D1NZ National Drifting Championship — comes down to personal tastes. What chassis a driver runs, their driving style, and, of course, what the budget allows dictates how big or little they can go. With the 2016–’17 season seeing some crazy builds come out of the woodwork, we thought you lot would like to take a closer look at how 10 drivers from both Pro and Pro-Sport classes, and at different levels of their careers, get the job done. After speaking with the guys, we soon discovered that the size of your wallet doesn’t necessarily determine how successful or ‘interesting’ your setup will be.…

ENGINE: Mitsubishi 4G63T; seven-bolt aftermarket billet crank; factory oil pump; factory intake; HKS 272 camshafts and cam gears; HKS valvetrain, springs, retainers, solid lifters, and 1mm oversized valves; HKS head gasket, CP 9:1 forged pistons with modified second oil ring; Eagle H-beam rods; six 1600cc injectors; HKS turbo; custom equal-length exhaust manifold; Autronic ECU with capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) unit DRIVETRAIN: PPG dogbox, HKS twin-plate clutch and flywheel, solid diff, billet CVs WHEELS/TYRES: 24.5/8.0-15 Mickey Thompson ET Drag Slick SUSPENSION: Coilovers 0–400M: 9.64s at 152mph (245kph) Name: Suheib Kareem Age: 30 Location: Auckland Biggie Smalls NZ Performance Car: Hi, Suheib. That’s a pretty serious machine. Have you always been into drag racing, and how did you get involved? Suheib: Hi, NZ Performance Car. I’ve always been into drag racing, watching…

COMPACT TWO-WAY Ideal for multi-channel systems, or even to supply a big-power subwoofer, the Focal FPX 2.750 amplifier packs the punch your vehicle audio system needs. Thanks to the compact two-channel design — with a power of 2x220 watts RMS at four ohms — the FPX 2.750 is extremely versatile, and a great option to get the best out of the high-end speakers in the Focal performance range. To purchase, contact the team on sales@kjd.co.nz, or head to focalnz.co.nz for more information. PROTECT THE CLASSICS The New Zealand car scene will forever love the classics — protect their hearts, and keep them soldiering on, by using eni i-Base Formula Super 20W-50, which has been developed for use in older engines. The oil contains an extremely high level of ZDDP anti-wear…

If you have an event you’d like to see in the Gig Guide, email editor@performancecar.co.nz with all the details April 1 TOYOTA FESTIVAL 2017 HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA March 11–12 SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES — ROUND 7 HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA March 11–12 IHRA NEW ZEALAND DRAG NATIONALS MEREMERE DRAGWAY, MEREMERE March 17 NZHONDAS.COM NORTH ISLAND MEGA MEET — TRACK DAY ’17 HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA With a maximum of 48 cars allowed to enter, the NZHondas.com annual North Island Mega Meet is by far the biggest event on the calendar for Honda fans. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned racer, the track day will cater for all levels of talent. It’ll be held on Hampton Downs’ International Circuit — for more details,…

THE COMEBACK KIDS Toyota headquarters would have been the place to be after Rally Sweden on February 12, as the manufacturer celebrated victory only two rallies into the team’s comeback following a 17-year absence from the World Rally Championship (WRC), with Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala at the helm. The victory marks Latvala’s fourth at Rally Sweden, and his 17th career victory, and no doubt it will also have been one of his most emotional so far — he had faced a season on the sidelines after his Volkswagen team withdrew from the sport at the end of last season, but Japanese manufacturer Toyota announced a return to the WRC and quickly signed Latvala in a late deal. He went into the final leg with a close 3.8-second lead over Ott…

I’ve been obsessed with race cars since I was a kid,” Marcus Gibson remembered. “I used to pour over old magazines and sketch race car floorpans — basically a layout schematic for dream builds— when I was, like, eight years old.” This in itself is unlikely to come as a surprise, since we’re talking about the very man who calls the NZ Performance Car throne room his office, but what may catch you off guard is the technical detail he’s hidden in plain sight behind the facade of a track-spec BMW E36. What you see before you is the final form of the race car he’d always wanted to build. It represents the apex of the course this build has taken — one that’s covered an arduous and often frustrating…

As you’re probably well aware, ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett likes to do things a bit different. So, when he announced a new summer gig, we knew it wouldn’t be your usual drift comp, and, sure enough, this was the case. The event made use of the new and old tracks at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, giving drifters their first look at the International Circuit’s super long and very technical 1.2-kilometre drift section. This aside, it was the driver line-up that had us excited, with 16 of New Zealand’s top drifters called on and many others putting their hand up to attend, including a swag of drivers not seen behind the wheel in competition for some time. Ex-D1NZ champions like Justin Rood, JT Wharerau, Carl Ruiterman, Adam Richards, Curt Whittaker, and Gaz…

PERFORMANCE POWER: 275kW (370hp) SHOES WHEELS: (Gravel) 15x7-inch Speedline Corse, (tarmac) 18x8-inch Revolution TYRES: (Gravel) 185/65R15 Kumho ECSTA R800, (tarmac) 235/40R18 Federal Marcus van Klink has pedalled a ton of rally machines in the last 10 years — from Evo IIIs to Datsun 1200s. Any passionate rally fan will know that a few of them met their demise in high-speed unplanned off-road excursions, while others, like the Datsun, still reside in the van Klink workshop. But it’s his replica Group B RX-7 that you’re likely to know best, thanks to that high-pitched 10,000rpm 13B exhaust note echoing through the forest and its long list of rally wins that includes four national championships. It’s a regular on the gravel and a welcome sight at rallies all across New Zealand. But Marcus…

THE DEMON ENERGY ULTIMATE DEMON BABE IS ... YOU’VE PATIENTLY WAITED MONTH AFTER MONTH AND OGLED EVERY NEW DEMON BABE NOMINEE, AND WITHOUT A DOUBT IT WAS A HARD ONE TO PICK. THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, AND WE KNOW THIS AS WE’VE RECEIVED MORE THAN A FEW LOVE LETTERS DETAILING YOUR PICKS. YES, THE COMP WAS CHUCKED BACK TO YOU, THE FAITHFUL READER, TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE, AND FINALLY THE WAIT IS OVER. THE VOTES HAVE BEEN TALLIED, AND IT’S TIME TO CROWN THE DEMON ENERGY ULTIMATE DEMON BABE FOR 2016 — THE WINNER IS … facebook.com/performancecar #demonbabehunt2016 @nzpcmagazine #demonbabehunt2016 demonenergy.co.nz LOCATION: Auckland FAVOURITE DEMON ENERGY DRINK: Hell Fire FAVOURITE D1NZ DRIVER: Darren Kelly FAVOURITE CAR: Range Rover Sport MY BEST FEATURE: Legs/booty FRONT OR BACK SEAT: Front…

Dreamed up at Toyota’s motorsport hub in Mount Wellington, brought together with the help of Neil Allport, and carrying an awesome spec of race gear, the TR 86 version of Toyota’s 86 sports coupe is all homegrown race car. The New Zealand cars have been built to a much higher spec than their Aussie Pro-Am counterparts, and are the only versions able to contest the Toyota 86 Championship. The TR 86 has been built from the stripped-out RC dial-yourown version. Out has come a lot of interior trim — unnecessary weight. In has gone an FIA sixpoint roll cage, a pair of Sparco touring-car race seats, and six-point harnesses, along with a race steering wheel. The dash has been replaced by a multi-‘page’ MoTeC data display to give the driver…

Name: Ben Phillips Location: Auckland Occupation: Spray painter NZ Performance Car: Hi, Ben. How long have you owned the 86, and what made you pick it up? Ben: Hi, NZ Performance Car. I’ve had it for a year and a half now, and originally bought it after getting to the point with my AE86 [NZPC Issue no. 207] where it was either restyle the whole car, or start fresh with a new chassis. This was the only suitable next step, since I like how the old Levin was and wanted to leave it as is. Logical choice then. How does it compare to your old AE86 as a daily driver? The AE was a neat vehicle. It was hard to let go of it, and it’s not possible to compare…