Innehållsförteckning för No 157 June 2018 från NZV8

IF YOU HAVE A COOL DAILY-DRIVER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT APPEAR IN DAILY GRIND, EMAIL EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ Hi, Nick. We understand that this Falcon is a little more serious than it looks. Yep, it’s had a newly tuned–and–done-up engine running 802hp. We have all the dyno sheets and receipts for the work done on it. Wow! What’s the story behind that? Well, it’s actually Dad’s car. He’s always had Falcons, and he always wanted a V8 FG. This one originally came to a dealership in Masterton, Fagan Ford, as a demonstrator car, where the manager took it and did about 8000km before putting it on the lot. Then Dad bought it — the way he saw it, it was the last of the V8 Falcons, and the one to…

As far as drag racing in New Zealand is concerned, few events can hold a candle to the annual Nostalgia Drags hosted by Bay Rodders at Meremere Dragway. With the scope of drag racing in general advancing in leaps and bounds — which certainly isn’t a bad thing — the idea behind Nostalgia Drags is, effectively, drag racing deconstructed. It’s a step back in time, to appreciate the sport in its raw, pure essence; to the way things were done closer to the middle of the 20th century. The first step towards this involves limiting competition to pre-’72 American vehicles, with emphasis on ‘traditional’ racing classes. For 2018, the event was sponsored by Worlds End Bar and Restaurant, and, with the assistance of the Bay Rodders club and Meremere Dragway…

There are few drag cars more iconic than Trevor Tynan’s ‘Pigzilla’ Impala. Having evolved from a street car into a Wild Bunch legend, through to campaigning it in Top Doorslammer, the car has as many fans as it has stories to go with it. Having been notably absent from the track for many seasons now, the car made a shock return to the track for the NZDRA Nationals at Masterton Motorplex, but it wasn’t the ever-jovial Trev under the helmet but his nephew David — the son of Trevor’s brother Chris. The deal for David to drive came about by him looking at all the spare big block parts he had after finishing his HK Monaro. “While at Trevor’s house one afternoon, he suggested that if I could put something…

We recently spent a fun-filled two weeks in the US, staying much of that time in San Diego. I always thought of SeaWorld as being the main attraction in the area, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sure, SeaWorld has mammals and fish jumping through hoops, but San Diego has more, especially for the car lover. We picked up our rental, a near-new Dodge Charger, and couldn’t stop smiling every time we got on the motorway and hammered the go pedal on the way to our accommodation on Pacific Beach, in an apartment overlooking the Pacific Ocean. On early morning jogs down Ocean Boulevard (beachside trail), we observed an eclectic mix of New Zealand–style baches and larger mansions built right up to the beach edge. Travelling north, we saw…

YOUR THOUGHTS ON LAST MONTH’S ‘PETTY PICKUP’ CONCEPT Rob Haunui: I’m Mopar all the way, but I’d rather stick a 440 in the truck, and that Hellcat motor in a Chrysler CH hardtop — but that’s my preference Kevin Giguere: Hot, you can put it in my ’41 Dodge pickup Ted Saumer: Waste of a good motor You may have gathered by now that Justin Walker is a reasonably capable man when it comes to screwing a car together. While he may have found it challenging at times, he’s the man who turned a rotten and poorly engineered lump of ’60s American steel into an award-winning and head-turning piece of engineering excellence, almost entirely by himself. So, given the opportunity to build the car he’d most want to park in…

ANOTHER ANDERSON Pinepac Racing currently has a new Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) build under construction, an XE Ford Falcon. After returning to the New Zealand race circuit in 2009, Bruce Anderson’s showing no signs of retiring any time soon and, at 69 years old, is still competitively piloting his ’69 Mustang. Having not been in active competition locally for a few seasons, Bruce’s son Andrew Anderson is earmarked to be the driver of the new car and will be joining the CMC category for the first time. “I’ve been around the class for a few years now helping Dad with the Mustang, so it’s going to be fun joining them on track,” Andrew told us. “I’ve done some racing in America recently but not at home, so am looking…

With this year’s Anzac Day falling on a Wednesday, the great weather made it a welcome midweek day off for those able to skip work. Following the morning’s dawn services, there was no need to cruise home and wonder what to do for the rest of the day, as the Renegade Rod and Custom Club came through with its Anzac Day Car Show, attracting participants from all over. Held at Bar Africa in Albany, on Auckland’s North Shore, the event is also supported by Swann Insurance and Jim Beam, and this year saw over 220 vehicles turn up for a cooler-than-expected show — we were anticipating it to be cool, but this was something else! From ex-military vehicles through to tubbed-and-blown pro-streeters, original vintage cars, and top-tier show cars, the…

Last issue was a mad thrash to get to print, due to Repco Beach Hop 18 happening pretty much exactly when we’d normally be getting the mag designed and prepared, and I last wrote one of these on the day we sent the mag off to the printer. This time, I’m far more organized, typing on the evening before we put this to print. As a result of this newfound sense of having time to spare, I have decided, for a change, to write about something. How many of you saw that electric-powered ’57 Fairlane at Beach Hop? Even if you never saw it in person, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about — it’s been all over the internet, and I understand that it has even made appearances…

SILVERADO PRICES ANNOUNCED We’ve reported before that HSV has got with the times, implementing a number of line-up changes following the end of Holden’s Australian production. Alongside news of a right-hand-drive Camaro release, there was also word of an export version of the Chevrolet Silverado. HSV has since released full specifications and pricing for the heavy-duty Chev Silverado, with all Silverados across the range benefiting from the same beefy equipment, including a 6.6-litre V8 Duramax turbo diesel engine boasting 445hp and 910lb·ft, Allison 1000 six-speed auto, a heavy-duty locking rear diff, and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. With both the Australian and Kiwi markets having a penchant for heavy-duty workhorses, HSV’s Tim Jackson said, “The availability of the Chevrolet Silverado range opens up some wonderful new opportunities for our business in…

EMAIL YOUR BUILDS TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ NXT LVL IMPALA Multiple-cover-car owner Mike Bari has yet another tough project on the go at his Nxt Lvl Automotive shop. The customer-owned 1965 Impala convertible has been on the road locally for around 10 years now but is undergoing major surgery that will totally transform it. With plans to drop an LS into the engine bay, Mike was given the task of making sure that the engine bay looks the part. With this goal, the body was removed from the chassis, the chassis powder coated, and the engine bay itself smoothed and painted. Likewise, the LS3 has had plenty of attention to detail thrown at it and now packs an aftermarket manifold along with upgraded cam and valve springs. The new exhausts that have…

The exact number you can think of is probably somewhere around zero, zip, nada, or none … and there’s a damn good reason for that. You see, to pull off such a concoction of mechanical mayhem takes a special breed, a person not afraid to risk everything in the quest to create something truly unique. In the case of this 1964 Ford Galaxie, that person is Justin Walker. Just like almost every other feature-car owner, Justin never intended to go quite this far with the project. As we all know, though, once you start pulling the thread, things just keep on unravelling, especially when that thread is attached to a freshly imported car. Spec 1964 FORD GALAXIE 500XL ENGINE: 580ci big block Ford, Eliminator Premier block, billet four-bolt mains, 4340…

Last year, Timaru gained a new event in the Caroline Bay Rock and Hop, and it’s a bloody good one. A three-day celebration of 1950s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll and all-things retro, it’s a good excuse for a great time. Held down in the seaside domain, there was plenty of space and a beautiful ocean view — the perfect location for a weekend event. But it’s not just an event for the sake of it, as the Caroline Bay Rock and Hop is a major fundraiser for South Canterbury Hospice. Event organizers were happy when car numbers topped 600 last year, and expectations were high again this year. Even with those high hopes, though, you can imagine how stoked the organizers must have been when car entry numbers hit…

You want to be the big fish in the little pond, but, when the little pond gets stuffed full of big fish, there’s going to be carnage — and, in the world of burnouts, that’s what the punters want to see. Burnouts may as well be a national sport in Australia, and, with the introduction of the Burnout Masters Championship in 2004, it has become one that is heavily contested across the continent Burnout Masters was started as a way of recognizing the best performers in the scene — the ones who have earned themselves the necessary ‘Golden Ticket’ — and pitting them against each other in a no-holds-barred shoot-out at the Street Machine Summernats for a champion to be crowned. The search for the biggest fish in the small…

Like a fine wine or whisky, the cars we play around with only get better with age — it’s unlikely anyone in the ’80s thought that XF Falcons or VL Commodores would actually become sought-after pieces of Aussie motoring. The same, of course, applies to what were the everyday cars of preceding generations. Unfortunately, as with everything else, age also takes its toll and can leave you with something no better than a good-looking junker. While most of us have the mechanical understanding to pull things off and put them back on, things get a little more complicated when the going gets tough, and mention of the word ‘rust’ can have even the most seasoned petrolheads losing sleep. However, for those with a decent understanding of how to use tools…

There’s an overused saying about cake — the inference being one of compromise, and the fact that you can’t have it all. Well, we’ll let you in on a little secret. Ross Graham, who owns the wicked Torana hatch that this article is about, has taken compromise and thrown it out the window. Who says you can’t have a competitive race car that can be driven to the shops? Not Ross, whose street-legal ’77 Holden LX Torana is raced in Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC), Northern Muscle Cars, Mainland Muscle Cars, and Targa New Zealand. Winding the clock back, Ross explains how it all began for him: “My racing career began [in 1974] at Stratford Speedway, where I raced a Mini saloon car for five years.” These beginnings were interrupted…

FORD ANNOUNCES QUICKEST MUSTANG EVER! This year marks half a century since the first Mustang Cobra Jet rolled off the production line, and, naturally, Ford isn’t letting the 50th anniversary pass it by without celebrating. Instead, Ford is marking the occasion with a 68-strong production run of a car that it’s claiming to be the quickest (production) Mustang ever. With claimed quarter-mile times in the eight-second zone, the cars are clearly track-only material — that is, assuming they don’t all get absorbed as static collection pieces. The ones that do turn their tyres will do so thanks to a 5.2-litre supercharged Coyote V8 feeding into a nine-inch solid-axle diff. A four-link will help keep the rear end planted, while an NHRA-certified roll cage will keep the driver protected. Pricing for…

TRUSTY RUSTY Hey, it might not be what you want to see in this magazine, but, since we share a website with our sister title NZ Performance Car, it’d be rude not to alert you to any cool shit they post up. That includes this wicked old-school Corolla packing a Lexus V8 topped with individual throttle bodies (ITBs) and nitrous, and built for skids and stupid shenanigans. Check it out by searching ‘Trusty Rusty’ on The Motorhood. MENACE TO SOCIETY It’s been several years since Luke Ennion unveiled his wicked bubble car, aptly named ‘The Little Menace’ — a car we were privileged enough to be able to feature on the cover of our NZV8 Hot Rod Special in 2014. If you never got to check the article out or…

MAY 26 EDGECUMBE CHARITY RIDE The Bay of Plenty town of Edgecumbe took a beating last year, as heavy rain from Cyclone Debbie caused the Rangitaiki River to burst its banks and flood the entire town. A year on, things haven’t yet returned to normal, but the good folks at Tauranga Weekend Riders and Limitless Car Scene are doing their part with the SOS Edgecumbe Charity Ride, intended to raise money for those still affected. The ride will be held on Saturday, May 26, at Club Mount Maunganui — 45 Kawaka Street, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga — departing at 11am and finishing at 1.30pm at the Edgecumbe Rugby Football Club grounds. It isn’t just limited to motorcycles, either — all cars are welcome! Visit sosedgecumbe.com to register, or find out more…

When you run a business specializing in selling performance parts for Japanese vehicles, building a shop truck should be a pretty easy task, right? Well, things weren’t quite so easy for Ross McKeown. Not only does Ross run RPM Performance, but he’s also the owner of 4WD Warehouse. So, the logical solution would surely be some type of high-powered Japanese four-wheel drive, perhaps with a turbo thrown at it for good measure. That wasn’t going to cut it, though, as Ross has a penchant for things that are a bit out of left field — not to mention a love of all things American and V8 powered. It was Ross’s chat with fellow Taupo local and fabricator extraordinaire Matt Hayter — about how he wouldn’t mind getting a pickup —…

We all have our own idea of the perfect car or reasons behind why we build a car a certain way. Lana Padget is no different, and, right from the very start, she was determined to build her ’71 XY Falcon the way that she wanted — not how others thought it should be. Her husband Anthony had just rebuilt his ’71 HQ Monaro GTS, and Lana had asked if he could paint the diff or brake drums pink, to which he replied, “My car is original; you buy a Falcon and do whatever you want to that”, so Lana took his advice and did just that. The project began shortly afterwards with the purchase of an XY sedan, but it was soon discovered that way more work would be…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ STREET HEAT Craig Smith’s Cortina has been a familiar sight at southern drag events for coming up 20 years and always turns plenty of heads. Its latest incarnation is by far the most impressive, though. Originally running the car with a naturally aspirated 302 Windsor backed by a C4 and nine-inch, the car was good for a best of 11.7 seconds — street legal. In 2010, Craig decided that wasn’t quite enough and started investigating blow-through turbo set-ups. Before long, a Master Power turbo was force-feeding the combination. With the stock leaf springs still under the rear, Craig had mixed success, eventually breaking into the magic nine-second zone — but only once. The issue was that the car would unload the tyres on the second-to-third…

There are two types of people in this world — those who get kustoms, and those who don’t. Neil Francis and wife Debbie fall into the former group, both being long-time lovers of kustoms, and early Chevs in particular. So, when they first laid eyes on the car you see here, back in 2004 at the Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival, it was love at first sight. The Chev had been on the receiving end of plenty of bodywork at the hands of Tauranga’s Ian Hobbis, whose skill in smoothing off the hood and frenching the aerial and lights drew the pair in for a closer look. Ian’s hard work didn’t end there, though, with custom fibreglass spats being created along with a custom front grille. Sure, the…

When most people talk about fibreglass sports cars, the first example that comes to mind will often be the Chevrolet Corvette, while the second will probably be the TVR. After that, most will start to struggle. With a bit of a stretch, some will think of Lotus, Avanti, and maybe even the Kaiser Darrin or the Daimler SP250. Sadly, it is doubtful if any unique New Zealand cars would be a part of that conversation. However, excluding the various Cobras and other fibreglass replica sports cars produced here, I have discovered more than 40 sports cars that were designed and mass produced in New Zealand. Forty cars are far too many to write about in this article, so here are the ones that came fitted with the correct number of…

ISSUE NO. 37 — JUNE 2008 WHERE IS IT NOW? DEAN BAIRD 1968 FORD MUSTANG BUY THIS ISSUE ONLINE AT MAGSTORE.NZ Inspired by the film Gone in 60 Seconds — the 2000 version — Dean Baird’s Eleanor-style Mustang differs from most in that the build began the instant that he saw the film. Lucky he had a stripped Mustang fastback in the workshop at the time. However, he probably didn’t realize that it’d take a few more years to turn it into the Eleanor he was after. When it happened, though, the 351ci ‘Clevor’-powered machine wowed everybody. A couple of years after we featured the car, Dean fitted a new crate motor to it and sold it on to Dean Masters, who owns the car to this day. Since then,…

TIME-TRAVEL TRICKS Every year, Tauranga’s Bay Rodders hosts the Nostalgia Drags at Meremere Dragway, and, every year, it goes off with a bang. This is one of those rare events that just never gets old, or boring, as we’re sure you will have deduced by the coverage earlier in this issue. If you want to see more, all you need to do is jump onto themotorhood.com and search ‘Worlds End Nostalgia Drags’ for a photo gallery. GRAND FINAL The local burnout scene has evolved over the years, from backstreet sessions to professionally organized and run events and has enjoyed a bit of a revival in recent times. Perhaps the most significant event in its history was held just a month ago at Masterton Motorplex — the New Zealand Burnout Championship…