Innehållsförteckning för No 153 February 2018 från NZV8

When it rains, it pours—that old chestnut is one that’s usually referred to when things go wrong many times over. While things going wrong may have been the experience for many of our feature car owners, it’s not always the case in the world of NZV8. We’re not sure why it is, but, for some reason, when we get one specific type of feature car lined up, we’re often hit with an influx of them—it pours! That influx is, as Murphy’s Law would have it, more often than not met with an equal vacuum of the opposite type of vehicle. The last few months have seen the influx needle swing heavily to Ford Falcons, and left a void in a marque we’re usually drowning in—Chevrolet. Obviously, this leaves us in…

RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE CAMAROS Australia’s only remaining performance car manufacturer, HSV, confirmed the news that we’ve all been waiting for: right-hand-drive Camaros are coming! At this stage, HSV has only confirmed the 2SS model, but we’re confident that there’s a lot more to come yet. The 2018 HSV range will also see the introduction of the Colorado SportsCat (ute) and the Silverado in different sub-models, the majority of which are packed with a 6.6-litre Duramax diesel motor. HSV states that the Camaros are due to land on New Zealand and Australian soil in mid 2018, and, with the local success of the Ford Mustang, we’re sure that the Camaros will be greeted with equal enthusiasm. Despite not being the top-of-the-line Camaro offering, the 2SS is still packed with Chevrolet’s 6.2-litre Generation V…

LETTER OF THE MONTH KEEP ’EM KEEN Hi Todd In response to your editorial in Issue No. 151, December 2017, I, too, would have to say that all the cars you feature are near-perfect, top-dollar vehicles, built with the best components and skill available. Which does give us all something to aspire to! But on the odd occasion, you do slip something more budget minded into the magazine, my car being one of those—the red VK you featured in Issue No. 123, August 2015. I do really like the top-end stuff, especially reading the list of really good components they use and learning from that! Armed with that information, I can plan my next upgrade on the VK! The latest not-so-budget upgrades have been Harrop Truetrac LSD, AP Racing front…

The iconic characters of Wile E Coyote and Road Runner terrorized each other on screen from 1949, and, as most of us know, they tormented each other to unbelievable proportions. For all his efforts, the ever-crafty, selfprofessed genius Coyote never did get to eat the equally cunning Road Runner. If Wellington’s Steve Pugh had been writing the story, crafty Coyote wouldn’t have had a shot, as, after creating what he deemed to be the ultimate Road Runner, Steve went a step further and built one even better. The duo are equal parts brawn and brain matched with good looks for the ultimate street combo. Having owned the 1970 since 2006 and built it up over those years, Steve never actually intended to add the evil twin. “The ’69 is running…

“Keep it real—real is real, bullshit is bullshit,” states Neil Surtees. As a man who has made it a personal mission to churn out a new hot rod roughly every two years, each finished to a greater standard than the last, it should go without saying that Neil understands the concept of ‘real’ better than most. A great deal of that is the result of his preference to do almost all of the work himself. As impressive as that is on its own, his cars also possess an inimitable character resulting directly from Neil’s refusal to comply with any sort of rule book. Neil doesn’t copy, and he doesn’t follow trends. He simply builds what he thinks looks good and has been lucky enough to be blessed with an artist’s…

Having owned and raced his XY GT replica Falcon for near-on 20 years, Alan Marshall knew that the car was becoming too valuable to keep beating up on. It was this knowledge, combined with his desire to build a car from scratch, that snowballed into the nitrous-huffing single-digit monster you see today. While Alan wasn’t too fussed about exactly what he’d build, he’s a Ford man through and through, so, regardless of year or model, the new vehicle would be wearing a blue oval. The dream started to turn into reality when longtime friend Gary Cawthra, who’s helped out on Alan’s XY GT over the years, informed Alan that he was making the move away from a Cleveland engine combo to an entirely new set-up. Beers were drunk; shit was…

If your mother has not yet forgiven you for the electrolysis-bath de-rusting that we showed you in the last issue, then her patience will truly be tested with molasses-bath derusting! This is slower but even simpler than the cheap ’n’ easy electrolysis. The cost is comparable, even on a large scale, as we will demonstrate here. What is ‘molasses’? While molasses can come from several plant sources, it is normally unrefined sugar syrup derived from sugar cane. Unlike the nasty refined white sugar that has been stripped of nutritional value, this sticky black stuff is loaded with natural vitamins and minerals — which explains why it can be found in health-food stores and animal-feed and produce stores. Somewhere along the line, it was found to remove rust as well! How…

“Stickers, take plenty of stickers!” That was the advice given to me by New Zealand off-road-racing driver Glen Turvey when he heard that I was off to Mexico for the 50th running of the SCORE Baja 1000 — the grandaddy of desertracing events. Having been there himself, he said that the stickers would be worth more than cash — not just for the young kids but also for the police and army personnel who man the various checkpoints down the peninsula. It would prove to be good advice. Rolling the clock back to the late ’70s, I was in a picture theatre in Lower Hutt to see some movie that I don’t recall; the trailer was a short movie that would start my bucket list before I knew I had…

TURNING 25 Just five months after the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association (LVVTA) processed its 150,000th modified-vehicle certification, the organization celebrated its 25th anniversary. The occasion was marked with an event at LVVTA headquarters in Porirua, Wellington, on the night of November 24, attended by many current and past LVV certifiers, government representatives, current and past Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members, and other invited guests. As well as recognizing the achievements of the highly regarded LVV certification system for modified and custom-built vehicles, the night saw a special celebration honouring longstanding members of LVVTA’s TAC. This voluntary organization is the backbone of the LVV system and is responsible for providing the technical content of the New Zealand Car Construction Manual, as well as assessing all vehicle-design proposals. As a token…

It was a beautifully sunny morning on Wednesday, December 6—one that was far too nice to spend stuck inside the comfortably air-conditioned office. So I snuck out to photograph Herb’s Ford Ranchero for this issue’s Daily Grind feature. The photos were easy—just parked the thing up in a nice Central Auckland car park, fired the camera a few times, got a few shots that would work fine, and that was that. A half-arsed shoot if ever there was one! I’m a slow writer, so, to get the information about the car, I figured I’d record a chat rather than try to keep up with a conversation, and Herb suggested grabbing a coffee—sweet as. Naturally, we took the Ranchero. There’s nothing quite like being in something like that in the middle…

THE HOLY GRAIL Earlier in the year, our sister magazine New Zealand Classic Car featured a very special car. The name Rodney Holland may ring a bell for readers of this magazine, as the man is widely regarded as one of the top car painters in the country—although you’d never hear that from him! New Zealand Classic Car was lucky enough to feature Rodney’s stunningly restored ’66 Dodge Charger. With a 426 Hemi, A-833 four-speed, Dana 60 diff, and incredible presentation, there isn’t another car like it in the country. Search ‘Rodney Holland Charger’ to soak it up. SPRING BREAK As the 2017–’18 drag racing season ramps up, the on-track action is gonna get hotter! The last competition meeting at Meremere Dragway for 2017 was the IHRA New Zealand Spring…

DROP-TOP JAW-DROPPER Ian at Key West Bolt and Supply and Brandon at Shores NZ have been building a very serious ’65 Impala for a customer, and it is about ready to go for panel beating. The owner has had the New Zealand–new, right-handdrive convertible for quite some time and recently made the call to go for more power. Of course, with the car being a convertible, it wasn’t long before the stock chassis found its days numbered, to be replaced with a very trick Art Morrison item. Made with thicker-wall steel and a few more cross members for extra strength, the chassis features an Art Morrison independent rear with Corvette C6 A-arm front suspension. The new chassis also required a new floorpan and boot floor, and these have been worked…

The Stragglers Rod and Kustom Club sure knows how to put on a show, and, although the annual Cambridge Charity Car Show has easily earned its place among New Zealand’s must-attend car events, the team behind it haven’t got complacent. While many look back on the show’s days at Te Koutu Domain with rose-tinted glasses, there is no denying that, over the course of more than a decade, the show has grown into its present venue at the Mighty River Domain on the picturesque banks of Lake Karapiro—a move made several years ago to cater for the massive numbers the show was pulling. As if it needed any selling points beyond its pleasant setting and the huge number of cars, the show—as you’ll pick from the name—is put on for…

The Perth Motorplex is probably the best racetrack I have been to in the southern hemisphere. Now, I’m not talking just about the track itself but overall. The traction is awesome, the groove is wide, it’s super sticky, with plenty of run-off. Driving through the tunnel, you feel as if you’re driving into a coliseum, and that creates an awesome atmosphere. This was our third trip to Perth since we joined the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Car series. On the past two trips, we’ve run PBs and won two out of the three rounds, but both times we have just fallen short of making the podium. It’s been one of those bitter-sweet venues. As I said in my last column, we did some testing to try to get the new…

I bet no one could have predicted that a small club sprint event on an industrial backstreet would morph into an event with such an enviable record. Not only has the Port Road Drags achieved a staggering 51 years without being cancelled or postponed due to rain, but it also has the reputation of being the best street drags in the land. Ironically, despite the drags being run for many (many) more years than I’ve been alive, I’d never personally made it to the event until this year, as I’ve always needed to be in other places on the last Sunday of November, when the event is held. This year, however, would be different, and, right from the week leading up to the event, when every second advert on the…

The real world is a great place, but it has its limitations — in terms of rules, money, or even what is physically possible. Fortunately, in the realms of the imagination, such limitations can be overcome. We’ve compiled the Concept Corner features from throughout 2017, from the totally realistic to the downright crazy, to get an insight into the diverse minds of NZV8 readers and feature car owners. THE WILDEST Angle-grind the floor and firewalls out of a ’69 Chev Corvair, drop the lot over an F5000 tube frame, and pull the five-litre small block for a 600ci CFE Racing Products small block for mad grunt. Once that’s done, add a custom widebody kit based on Frank Gardner’s iconic Corvair touring car of the ’70s, with appropriate period livery, and…

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, as much as it pains me to say this, it has to be said — Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) is, at this time, arguably the best motorsport category in the country. Big, bold, aggressive — and that’s just the statement. It goes without saying that the cars are that as well. The club is not interested in that title, nor is it interested in pushing itself as being of that standard — the conversations held between various media reps and the general public are where the assertion comes from — but it simply cannot get around the fact. I did put the word ‘arguably’ in there, though, because many will want to have an argument about it — especially with the handful of…

WHERE IS IT NOW? 1965 FORD MUSTANG — MATT HIRD When we featured Matt Hird’s stunning ’65 Mustang fastback on the cover of NZV8 Issue No. 33, it was like nothing that had preceded it. A restomod executed to the highest standard, the Mustang emphasized quality over everything, and that’s what gave it so much impact. There was no focus on brute power, or overstated body modifications, or a crazy pro-street stance; instead, Matt took what the factory offered, and turned the quality up to 11. The silky exterior was shaved and de-badged without going overboard, while the front and rear bumpers were tucked closer into the body, the engine bay was smoothed to perfection, and the factory interior trimmed in leather, with any aftermarket additions chosen to retain the…

SURTIFIED SHED You’ve seen Neil Surtees’ radical hot rods in this issue; now take a look at their home. A few years back, we were lucky enough to be able to feature Neil’s wild collection, and the full shed raid has been posted online. Admittedly, this feature happened before his two most recent builds had been completed, but it’s nonetheless a truly spectacular shed well worth a look. Just search ‘Surtees’ on themotorhood.com. BAJA MANIA It’s an event that has a certain mystique about it, and one that only the toughest of the tough survive, so there’s no way we could fit it and all its glory into just a few pages in this issue. If you’re keen to see more photos from the epic event, jump on to themotorhood.com…

THE WORLD’S FASTEST? The Hennessey name will probably ring a bell, thanks to the tuning house’s wild creations—always taking factory performance offerings and making them even loonier, most often with generous servings of forced induction. It would appear things are set to be turned up another notch on the crazy scale, with Hennessey revealing the all-new Hennessey Venom F5—a hypercar designed with the sole goal of being the fastest road car on the planet. With a twin-turbo V8 engine, seven-speed paddleshift transmission, and aerodynamically designed carbon fibre on an aluminium chassis, the vehicle is expected to have a top speed of 300mph. The company has stated a base price of US$1.6M, with planned production of just 24 units. Ambitious? Most definitely, but it’s a project we’ll be keeping an eye…

DARRYL ‘HERB’ INGHAM 1970 FORD RANCHERO GT Hi Herb, that’s a really neat ute! What is it, and how long have you had it? Hey guys, thanks! It’s a 1970 Ranchero GT, and I got it about three-and-a-half years ago. The GTO was off the road, and I was having withdrawals—I needed something to fill that gap for the time being. I was looking at El Caminos and whatnot, [and] a mate of mine, Paul Randall, said to check this out. I always liked the shape, that year especially, and I thought it would be cool to have a ute for carting axles and diffs and all that stuff. For readers who might not know, what exactly is your GTO? Well, it’s a 1966 Pontiac GTO—post car, tubbed and caged.…

JANUARY 6 BLACK SWAMP ROD RUN One of the best events of summer is coming right up. The Black Swamp Rod Run, supported by Protecta Insurance, boasted around 180 cars last year. The 2018 run will kick off at Mangawhai Domain on January 6, with a briefing at 10am and cruise departure at 10.45am. The cars will head north along the stunning coastal highway through Langs Beach and Waipu Cove, looping around Waipu township, before following the same route back to Mangawhai, where they will park up at the picturesque Olive Grove—a private property opened up for the cruise. There, participants will be able to enjoy live music and a laidback picnic—bring your own food or buy some from the on-site vendors—in the relaxed atmosphere. The Black Swamp Rod Run…

You’ve heard that story about the guy who turned one red paper clip into a house through simple bartering, right? Some people have a talent for wheeling and dealing and being in the right place at the right time. If the art of hustling was academically recognized, Willy Chapman would have a PhD in the skill. He’s one of those guys who always knows who’s got what, who wants what, and how to arrange a deal that leaves everyone satisfied. The advantages of this modern-day superpower should be obvious—Willy can play transactional Tetris to build pretty much whatever car he wants to. However, despite his abilities, this mean XB Fairmont has been a long time coming. “It’s always been in my mind to own a tubbed and blown Falcon coupe,”…

When Rolleston resident John Winchester first floated the idea of a local car show to a bunch of local petrolheads, he had no idea just how big the event would become nor any concept of the amount of interest that would be shown by the community. After like-minded local car enthusiasts formed a committee, they formulated a plan to hold what would eventually become known as the ‘Jones Road Auto Motor Fest’, with all proceeds going to the Selwyn St John service. After many months of planning and hard work, the volunteers pulled off what should hopefully become an annual event. Thanks to the massive support of local businesses, families, and individuals, more than $30K of goods and services were donated. The event was open to just about anything with…

STRAIGHT LINING Barry Smith’s tough HT Holden ute was yet to turn a tyre in anger when we pointed our camera at it for the feature in the previous issue, but since then it has gone on to reward the team behind the build for all their hard work. The ute’s first outing was at the BurgerFuel Port Road Drags, where, despite the less than perfect surface, the car ran arrow straight. While getting seat time was the aim of the day, the team came home with a car that sounded crisp and ran hard. This obvious performance potential was given a numerical value at the recent NZDRA Central Nationals, where the team ran the ute on a prepped drag strip for the first time, achieving an impressive 9.37 at…

It’s not easy to take an idea for a car show, run with it, and pull it off so convincingly that its follow-up is as good as confirmed before the inaugural event has even finished. That, however, is pretty much the short of the long as far as the Culture — Backstreet Car Meet event is concerned. Dreamed up by Nick Priday-Smith and Kenny Harrison, Culture — Backstreet Car Meet was always intended to expand on the tried and tested hot rod show formula, by catering for a far broader spectrum of vehicle owners and their cars. The pair seem to be onto a winner — even the chosen event date of the first Saturday of December showed a forecast of nothing but sun over Hamilton. The event wasn’t all…

Jason McKillop’s hunt for the perfect vehicle didn’t go quite as planned. In fact, you could say he went well and truly off track from what he’d set out to purchase way back in 1995. On the hunt for a new four-wheel-drive work ute for his fencing business, Jason inadvertently stumbled upon an LJ Torana sedan. He loved the look of it and had cash in hand, so a deal was done that saw him heading home in the least likely of work vehicles. The car remained as purchased, with the factory-fitted 186ci engine stroked out to 225ci, and, despite what you may think, it did get used as a fence post and wire hauler for a couple of years. Then, with the annual Wanganui Street Drags looming, it struck…

Most people who are granted access to Michael Blackwood’s garage will be taken aback by what they are presented with — not because of the size of the garage or the number of vehicles or the rarity of the vehicles, but simply by the fact that the collection could exist while drawing absolutely no attention to itself. There is no large barn, no letterbox perched on an old crankshaft, nothing to outwardly indicate that the residents of the brand-new house might have the slightest inclination towards cars as more than devices for transport — and that’s just the way Michael likes it. From the outside, all you see is the same type of internal-access double garage that can be seen on thousands of homes across the country. The only odd…

BOOTE DEBUT When we ran an update on the build of Craig Boote’s ’69 Ford Mustang, we had no idea just how impressive it’d look completed. The car hit the track for shakedown laps in late November, and, despite a few power-steering issues, it was brutally quick from the get-go. Within moments, videos and photos of the car had gone viral, and, once you’ve heard the glorious sound of the Marsh Motorsport–built motor, you’ll understand why. Further testing took place at Hampton Downs not long afterwards, and, while the team were still plagued with a low speed power-steering issue, they got enough laps in to enter round three of the 2017–’18 Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) series — which you can read about elsewhere in this issue. While successful, the…