Innehållsförteckning för No 138 November 2016 från NZV8

In this day and age of technology, with networking and information at one's fingertips 24/7, the relevance of car clubs has certainly come into question. Gone are the days when car clubs were the only way to meet like-minded folk, swap ideas, see each other's projects, and organize events, as the power of the internet has well and truly taken over. While this has, sadly, seen the demise of some longstanding car clubs, others have adapted to not only survive but also embrace the technology to become even stronger. Of course, technology or not, a club is only as good as its members, or as proactive as its members and committee are, and it still takes plenty of behindthe-scenes e ort to keep the wheels turning. One such club, which…

 BLUE OVAL HEAVEN If you're a lover of all things Ford, there's no better event for you to be at than the annual Henry Ford Memorial Day. From Model Ts through to late-model Mustangs and Falcons and everything in between, this event has it all. In fact, this year, around 800 cars made the trip to Claudelands event centre in Hamilton. You can take a look at our huge gallery by searching `Henry Ford' on themotorhood.com. STOCK IS GOOD If you prefer your cars to be a bit more stock than those we normally feature in NZV8, you're going to love this flawless 1965 K-Code Ford Mustang. After being stolen a few times in its life, the car has been restored back to concours condition and, as such, has taken…

DARREN BAKER 2016 FORD MUSTANG GT Hey, Darren, that's a very cool-looking Mustang you've got there. How did you get it so low? Hey. Cheers, guys, it's sitting on full Air Ride suspension — it sits low parked up but is still usable as a daily-driver. Is that why you chose Air Ride over a more conventional coilover set-up? Air Ride was a logical progression for me. Being a suspension nut, I wanted to try a di erent spin on the traditional shock and spring. A lot of Mustangs in America are bagged, but we [Mag and Turbo] wanted to be the first to do it right here. Was that the first modification you chose to do? Yeah, it was the first modification to the car, because it was the…

Istarted this project 16 years ago," Rob Pitcaithly says — but, as we've heard a million times before, it was never meant to get this out of hand! The year 2000 was looming, and the clocks would soon tick over a new millennium. While world leaders were tearing their hair out over the threat of a Y2K-sponsored global technological meltdown, things were notably more relaxed in Rob's Christchurch workshop. He'd just finished building a Ford Falcon XM sedan for a customer and bought two spare Falcon XP parts cars off the guy. Little did he know it at the time, but this would be the beginning of a long journey to build the car he always wanted. Of those two XPs, one was restored for his partner while the other…

Due to Kaikoura Hop outgrowing its old venue, the decision was made to shift this year's event to the Kaikoura Racecourse. With over 13 acres of space, the venue was well suited for the growing festival, providing plenty of space for not only the car show and entertainment, but also an area for on-site camping and spectator parking. The event started a day earlier this year with a cruise to Picton organized for those choosing to head along early. Around a dozen vehicles hit the road for an awesome trip up, spending some time looking around, and meeting up with a large number of North Islanders coming off the various ferries. The trip back included a tour of Big Shed Customs in Blenheim, while the rest of Thursday was spent…

T he recent Petrolhead Father's Day Drags may have been missing some of the big hitters, but a few sizeable moves on the NZ's Quickest Streeters list did result. Most notable was Daniel Southall's jump from 9.77 to 8.91 at 154.19mph, bringing him closer to his goal of becoming the quickest street car in/ from the South Island, a title currently held by Brendon Shearing in his HQ Monaro. Reece Fish, despite being well and truly ahead of everyone else, also took the chance to run some numbers, and dropped his own PB from 7.69 to 7.58 at 177mph in the process. This was run on pump gas, with the car being driven from home to the track, making it a very impressive feat. We're well aware of builds and…

Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse is undeniably one of the stalwarts of New Zealand drifting, and you don’t get to where he is by just sitting on your arse and daydreaming. For the past 10 years, the serial car modifier has taken his passion for tyre smoke and mechanical abuse, and turned it into one of the most recognizable names in Southern Hemisphere drift circles. Ask any other drifter what it’s like to lead a run against Fanga, and you’ll get the same answer — don’t lift, or he’ll be straight through your door. Although Fanga started out, as most drifters do, in turbocharged Japanese cars, it was his step up into a ‘big boy’ wagon — a VZ Commodore — that netted him the D1NZ national title in 2013, and elevated…

FUTURE FORD Screw Mad Max — Rob Pitcaithly combines the best of new and old technology for what would have to be the craziest XB Falcon ever dreamed up! W henever we ask the current issue's cover car owner for their Concept Corner idea, we never know what we're going to receive. Sometimes it's predictable, other times it's the total opposite. This was one of those `opposite' times, and to understand why, if given the chance, Rob Pitcaithly would choose to build this insane Falcon XB coupe, you need to understand his fascination with all things mechanical. "A concept is something I haven't thought much about lately, as time and money are in short supply," he tells us. "I've toyed with many ideas since I was a kid, wanting suspension…

LOCKED AND LOADED As you may have seen in the last few issues of NZV8, 26 of New Zealand's toughest muscle cars have been confirmed to compete in the 2016 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, being held over October 6­9. The cars, all of which compete in the local Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) series, were loaded into containers over the weekend of September 10­11 for the long, slow trip across the Tasman. Included in the cars heading abroad are vehicles synonymous with Bathurst from days gone by — cars such as Dr John Elliott's six-cylinder LJ Torana and Greg Cuttance's XE Falcon, both wearing period-correct graphics. However, a handful of cars more associated with racing in America than in Australia are also making the trip — for example, Duane Ingley's…

PAINTCORRECTION PERFECTION We all think we know what's involved in detailing a car's paintwork to perfection, but the guys at Final Touch showed us how the pros do it When the guys at Final Touch let us know that they had a beautiful '56 Chev coming in for what they called `paint correction', we figured that it'd be worth checking out — and it is. To us, the car looks pretty damn good, until Grant at Final Touch points out minor surface-level scuffs throughout the paintwork. "We usually do what we call `the last 10 per cent'," Grant explains. "Generally, you'd take a car to a body shop and get it painted, but they won't usually do that last 10 per cent of the work needed for a perfect finish…

LOCAL TALENT Jay Maka's '65 Impala was the final car we photographed for this issue of NZV8, and when we were at the shoot, I got thinking about just how good local cars are becoming. Not long ago, we'd have the cover car and the number two car — both of which would get the coveted spots on that issue's poster — with the other cars featured further back in the magazine. That said, there were also some feature placement conventions we'd follow, such as drag cars being placed near the middle of the magazine with the drag racing section, circuit cars going near the back with the circuit coverage, and the same for hot rods. But sometimes you get a bunch of cars that are all so good on…

WHERE ARE THEY? Dear NZV8, I recently made the annual pilgrimage to Meremere for the Father's Day Drags and watched a good day of racing until the inevitable wet thing happened and everyone ran for their cars and home. It's a great event, and I don't miss it for the world: fast street cars on a track that hasn't seen sticky tyres run down it since the end of summer. It brings its fair share of sketchy passes and evens out the performance — big engines meeting little traction vs lesser-powered cars having enough grip to get them down the track. Once I got home, I was flicking through some old mags — as you do when it's raining — and came across several cars that probably should have been…

PICKING IT UP Serial car builder Andy Brooking, from American Customs and Classics (ACAC), has yet another stunner on the go. Being a long-time Chevpickup fan, he scored himself an unfinished 1957 big-window pickup from abroad on which he's now working his magic. Underneath the 1958 fleetside tray is a modified chassis featuring computer-controlled airbag suspension, while big brakes have been fitted all round, along with tubular A-arms up front. For motivation, the Chev runs a dual quad fuel-injected 454-cube big block. Going by Andy's track record, we're sure it won't be long before the truck is turning heads and tyres out on the streets of Rotorua. ENGINEERING MASTERPIECE Tony Baya from Limitless Engineering in West Auckland is nearing the final stages of his hot rod build, and we can…

Wherever there's a tough secondgen Dodge Charger, you know the movie references aren't far away, but Dion D'Anvers' Charger is a little di erent from most. Sure, if you wanted to, you could identify elements of Dom Toretto's blown street racer from The Fast and the Furious, or the loose antics of the Duke boys from The Dukes of Hazzard, but `WIKD68' has carved out a reputation and identity that are entirely its own. That said, without the Duke boys, it's unlikely that Dion would have built himself what's got to be one of New Zealand's most well-known Chargers. Like most who grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard, Dion inexplicably found himself drawn to second-generation Chargers — the only thing a bogan boy wanted more than a piece of…

On September 29, 1966, GM created a legend — well, that's not exactly correct, but that was the date on which the Chevrolet Camaro was first released for sale to the general public. To understand the significance of that moment in time, we'll need to warp back into the black-andwhite pages of the '60s and get a feel for the era. Chevrolet released the mid-engined Corvair in 1960. Although the Corvair was firmly placed at the `economy' end of the Chevrolet spectrum, the sportier and higher-spec Corvair Monza stole the show, pushing the US's domestic manufacturers towards sportier and more appealing models in a bid to crack a lucrative segment of the market. The gradual emergence of middle America's younger vehicle buyers, with disposable income, saw cars with a more…

The latest-generation Camaro was again an allnew undertaking, this time based on GM's new Alpha platform. The base model Camaro comes with a turbocharged two-litre four-cylinder Ecotec engine, the first time a four-cylinder has been offered in a Camaro since the third generation's 2.5-litre four-cylinder in 1982. In stark contrast to that antiquated slug of a motor, however, the Ecotec is good for 275hp and is rumoured to have been detuned to avoid direct competition with the higher-spec Camaro V6. The 6.2-litre LT1 engine — not to be confused with the small block­based LT1 of the '90s — is the standard engine option for V8-powered sixth-gen Camaros. Good for 455hp, the all-alloy engines produce ample power and torque, good fuel economy, and excellent reliability. For Camaro buyers who need a…

F or a little something to spice up the drag racing calendar, look no further than the Grudge Kings event that has been confirmed to take place at Meremere Dragway on Sunday, November 27. In addition to the full-on grudge racing — which will include four of Australia's toughest cars, including Tristan Ocker's `MINCER' Ford Capri — the fixture will boast a show and shine, a trade alley, live DJs, food trucks, and a variety of family entertainment. Grudge Kings has launched its series in Australia to great success, and will be running it in New Zealand alongside 4&Rotary Promotions. As with the Sydney event, the drag race will be run in a heads-up format, to identify `The List' — the 10-quickest street-based cars in New Zealand, with a maximum…

When Steve Anson’s mates first laid eyes on his Torana, they thought he was crazy, but Steve had a plan, and that plan was to build the best car he could on a tight budget. After years away from cars, raising a family and doing the house thing, Steve wanted to get back into something fun. As he’d owned a string of quick cars in his time – including a seven-second dragster – it was going to have to be something special to meet his standard Knowing he didn't have the money for an expensive engine combo, Steve knew the best way to off set that, and have the same amount of fun, was by building something lightweight. With that thought in mind, the search started for the smallest and…

W e all have plenty of fond memories of our childhood; growing up in simpler times, when you could play outside until dark, terrorizing the neighbourhood on your bike or swimming down at the local river. Most of us had our toys, or bikes, that we played with until they fell apart and got thrown out, only to become landfill material. I sometimes think of my old stu , wondering whether I should have taken more care of it — like Mum and Dad told me to — so that I could've passed things down to my kids. But that wasn't to be — after all, I was a kid, and kids wreck stu . Well, stepping into the shed of Paul French has those memories flooding back. It's like…

427 CUBES IS A HELL OF A LOT OF DISPLACEMENT, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT POWER — YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF IT When you've owned as many cars as Jay Maka, it's inevitable that you're going to want something a little di erent. Well, di erent is exactly what he's ended up with — although, when he bought his '65 Impala Sport Coupe back in 2008, he probably never imagined that it'd become the insane all-rounder that it is today. Jay bought the Impala from a guy who'd purchased it from the original owner in Long Beach, California, and imported it to New Zealand with the intention of onselling. As a 327ci small block­ powered example with Powerglide two-speed transmission, 12-bolt di , and factory airconditioning, the Impala made…

DROP IN STOCK Drop spindles are the best way to lower your car's front end without adversely a ecting suspension geometry — great for improving both stance and handling. Rods by Reid now has stock of its high-quality LVVTA-approved two-inch drop spindles to suit Holden front ends and its own LVVTA type-approved front suspension systems. A pair goes for $975 (excl. GST), but get in quick — these drop spindles are very popular! Give the team a call on 07 552 5977, or visit online at rodsbyreid.co.nz or facebook.com/rodsbyreid. COOL COOLERS Start pinching the pennies, offer to vacuum for the rest of the year, or just beg the other half, because you've got to get yourself a Beerbowser. These fridges are handcrafted in New Zealand to replicate old-school petrol bowsers…

FOUR WHEEL DRIVES ALIVE When Dodge showcased a four-wheeldrive Challenger concept at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show last year, it understandably gained plenty of attention. Despite this, we doubt many people thought much more of it, but now it seems the concept is set to head into production. Part of the reason behind the company looking at new platforms for the line-up is the ageing platform on which the current Challengers and Chargers are based, which dates back to 2006. A report from Chrysler states that the fourwheel-drive Challenger — referred to as the `GT AWD' — will go on sale late this year and will lead the way for a widebody Hellcatpowered version to be released in 2017. That model will be called the `Challenger ADR'. Heading…

MICK BRASHER AT MORRINSVILLE You may be aware that LVVTA recently underwent a review, and in light of some of the feedback received, have now offered updates to a few standards. The most notable of these relates to suspension, with revised requirements for negative camber. While it doesn't a ect those with significant negative camber, it does help those who have vehicles with minimal or zero factory camber tolerance by permitting any car to have up to 1.5 degrees of negative camber. At the same time, the standard also relaxes the requirement for the vehicle to have a recent wheel alignment sheet. That said, for anything over 1.5 degrees, the status quo still applies — i.e. the factory tolerance plus 0.5 degrees (negative), and a wheel alignment. Another new document…

OCTOBER 22 24 41ST NSRA WAIKATO NATIONALS The 41st National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Waikato Nationals, proudly hosted by Waikato NSRA in association with Proparts, will be held over Labour Day weekend, October 22­24. A show and shine will be held between 10am and 1.30pm on Saturday, October 22, at the Leamington Rugby Sports Club, Carlyle Street, Cambridge. Gates will open at 9.30am for display cars and at 10am for the public. This show is open to all American and Australian hot rods or muscle cars and American and British bikes — you don't have to be a member of the NSRA to join in. Display car and bike entry is free; public entry is by gold-coin donation. Eligibility to register for the entire nationals weekend is for current NSRA…

W hat's the most anticipated event on New Zealand's drag racing calendar? Well, the answer to that question depends entirely on who you ask, but, to most of the regular Joes who make up our local V8 scene, it's probably going to be the Petrolhead Father's Day Drags. A staple fixture at Meremere Dragway on Father's Day — the first Sunday of September — the annual Father's Day Drags, hosted by the American Muscle Car Club, e ectively pits a bunch of V8-powered American and Australian street-driven muscle cars against one another. While one of the event's enduring selling points is the battle for street car supremacy in the form of the Merlin Top Eight Shootout, it also provides a solid day's drag racing — at a more relaxed pace…

H e may only have ever done licensing passes in the car, but Darren Saunders is now ditching his small block engine for what he knows best — a big block and plenty of cubic inches. When we featured Darren's 415ci small block Chev-powered Plymouth Duster back in Issue No. 127, it was a radical departure from what he knew, both in terms of body manufacturer and engine style, but that's now set to change. After a few problems with the high-powered small block, Darren managed to get his hands on his old 540ci big block engine. The engine's seen duty in Darren's own Camaro, Michael Franklin's GTO, and Steve Wall's Chevelle, so should be just the thing to power the farlighter-weight duster into the eight-second zone naturally aspirated. The…

Most of the petrolheads from Daniel Barnett’s generation grew up reading the likes of Fast Fours and Rotaries and Street Machine, but Daniel is not most petrolheads. After all, who else in their right mind would spend countless hours, for the better part of a decade, on a poxy old Ford Anglia? Looking at that Anglia now, in all its polished vintage-style glory, it’s clear that it could only have been built by someone with the vision of an old-school hot rodder. "My inspiration came from Dad’s extensive collection of ’60s American Hot Rod magazines," Daniel tells us. "I was always fond of drag cars from that era, particularly the altereds and gassers, with their combination of candy paint and chrome, bursting at the seams with massive power plants, giving…

180 DEGREES OUT E ver tried to get an engine running but found that, no matter what you try, it just won't go? If it's got fuel and spark but just coughs and splutters or backfires, there could be a very simple reason — the timing may be 180-degrees out from where it should be. With every rotation of the crankshaft, the distributor will make two full rotations, so, if you've freshly built an engine or replaced a distributor, it's very easy to get it wrong, even though it looks correct. To fix the problem, you'll need to make sure that cylinder number one — in this case, on our Holden 308, the front cylinder on the left-hand bank (viewed from the front) — is at top dead centre (TDC).…

Say the name `Tony Quinn' to any New Zealand car lover or motor sport fan, and they'll immediately think `big business'. Yes, the man knows how to spend, but, more importantly, he has the knowhow and can-do to get things done. Among his many achievements is hosting the hugely popular Highlands 101 event at his Cromwell, Otago, based Highlands Motorsport Park. The event sees the world-class facility play host to a wide range of classes, but the one that gets the attention, and rightly so, is the Australian GT Championship series. If you're unfamiliar with it, the series is made up of late-model exotic vehicles such as Aston Martins, McLarens, Audis, and Porsches — essentially, cars that most people would be far too precious of to ever consider racing, but…

WHERE IS IT NOW? 1980 HOLDEN COMMODORE VC GREG BLYTH Unbelievably, Peter Brock's been gone for just over 10 years, and it sure was a shock when it happened. NZV8 Issue No. 18 was a tribute to one of the world's greatest ever racing drivers, and what better car to grace the cover than a totally original Holden Commodore VC HDT Brock Special? We got an up-close look at Greg Blyth's example — number 322 of 500 made — as well as a comprehensive and very informative history lesson on one of the most significant, and overlooked, Brock Commodores. Unfortunately, Greg's Commodore was stolen in 2009, never to be seen again. As he says, "[It was] a pretty bold job, but also very professional, how they did it, having to…

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR TORANAS? OPTIONS: 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1978 (Answers at bottom of page) COOL THINGS WE DISCOVERED ON THE INTERNET THIS MONTH From the Net TORANA TRIVIA In 2004, Holden unveiled what it was calling a Torana concept. Little did the public know at the time that the car would go on to become the VE Commodore. With its origins based on the Vauxhall Viva platform from Britain, the Torana went on to become a global vehicle by being offered for sale in South Korea under the name `Chevrolet 1700'. The name `Torana' comes from an Aboriginal word meaning `to fly'. Ironically, when launched, the cars only had a low-power, four-cylinder engine, so they did anything but fly. NITRO PENCIL SHARPENER What's the quickest way…