Innehållsförteckning för No 163 December 2018 från NZV8

I generally try to keep away from the topic of vehicle legality: it’s a big old can of worms that’s not really the place for a magazine to get involved in. But, over the last few months, we’ve been hearing a bit of noise about how road legal — or not, as the case may be — the vehicles are that we’ve been featuring. Fair question too, I guess. But, there are some easy answers to the questions or criticism. We tend to liken a car being photographed for the magazine as being similar to when a vehicle owner puts their vehicle in a show. Sometimes, they’ll display it in a way that it may not be identical to how it’s driven on the road — maybe they’ve taken the…

FAST CARS, SLOW FOOD Big Boys Toys turns 20 this year — old enough to be buying toys for its own kids. The Driven Hall aims to be the country’s premier automotive showcase, and the lineup this year ranges from cars and motorbikes you can drive home to those you can only dream of owning. Drawcards include the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast and 2018 Ford GT. Expect the electric vehicle revolution to have an increased presence at the show. Visitors to Electric Avenue will have the chance to test-drive electric cars and e-bikes, and check out e-scooters. The ‘Mirthmobile’ from cult 1990s movie Wayne’s World will also make an appearance at the show. Big Boys Toys is not all about cars, though. One of the fastest-growing leisure interests around the…

SHE’S A BIG JOB Steve Keys is no stranger to projects, but his current one is somewhat bigger than the rest: a genuine 1938 Diamond T Texaco tanker. With Steve’s passion for all old petroleum-related memorabilia, the tanker was the perfect project for him to take on, adding to his impressive collection of pumps and signage. The vehicle had previously been imported to New Zealand before Steve got his hands on it, having pushed the owner a few times to relinquish it. Now, he’s neck deep in the major rebuild, with the goal being to return it back to its former glory. It’s a massive task though, with time having taken its toll on much of the metalwork. The team from Creative Metal Works have been entrusted with the panel…

Llew Picton’s 2014 Camaro was cool. It was slammed within an inch of its life; had the right wheels with the right offsets; and, better still, had twin-turbos hiding underneath. There’s no doubt that it was a tough machine, but what really interested him was the challenge of building a complete custom car — something that included all the qualities of a real-deal pro-touring set-up. It had to be old school but built to out-handle almost anything else on the road, not to mention able to turn heads locally and on screens around the globe. It couldn’t be just any car, but a car built his way, and by that we mean it had to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T perfect — not 99.9-per-cent perfect, but 100 per cent — and it had…

Vintage car rallies? No thanks. I prefer life in the fast lane. I also prefer being around blokes and girls with a sense of fun. I’m as happy with a life devoid of Austin 7s and other leaky antiques with less horsepower than a ride-on lawnmower as I am without thermos flasks of Bell tea and cucumber sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper. Since shifting to the middle of the South Island six years ago, however, I’ve discovered a vintage car rally for people like me, and — in one of life’s wonderful little coincidences — it’s right on my doorstep. It’s called the ‘Irishman Rally’. “I’ve been going on rod runs all my life, and this is more fun than any of them,” Harry Orpwood said of the rally. Harry’s…

Lots of people ask me how I got to be in the fortunate position that I am in now, whereby I get to drive nitro funny cars and nitro hot rods. Well, this could be a long one spread out over a few columns, but we will give it a go. My earliest memories of drag racing were going to the Whangarei street drags with my dad. I must have been about four or five years old. Dad was a scrutineer, and would race his bright pink T-bucket. Now that I am a bit older, I have to question Dad’s choice of colour, but, man, I loved it when I was young. My job was to walk the timeslips from the printer to the caravan where the racers collected their…

As the primary driving force behind the world famous Repco Beach Hop festival, Noddy Watts is a man who needs no introduction in this magazine. However, during the 360-odd days of the year that Beach Hop isn’t taking place, Noddy can be found playing tour guide for groups of people lucky enough to secure a spot on his Kiwis on Tour trips. All of those US tours are based around a major car show, with the Kiwis on Tour West Coaster tour based on the annual Cruisin’ for a Cure show. Held at the impressive Orange County fairgrounds, this is the world’s largest one-day charity car show, with well over 3000 cars in attendance. Since Noddy’s the driving force behind these tours, we figure it’s best to hand the narration…

ALTHOUGH THIS MONTH’S CAR IS ONLY A QUICK CONCEPT, WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT. SO, HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT WHETHER IT’S HOT, NOT, IMPOSSIBLE, OR RIDICULOUS BY COMMENTING ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, FACEBOOK.COM/NZV8MAGAZINE Looking at Llew Picton’s badass ’69 Camaro on the cover of this issue, there’s no doubting that the man has a great sense of style and a penchant for the finer things in life. So, when pressed for what he would do if not bound by such realities as budget, we weren’t quite sure what the answer would be. The answer was a build that Llew describes as having a “street fighter / pro-tourer–cross look but with modern aesthetics and a classy finish”. The basis would be a ’55 Chev Nomad station wagon, but…

When 28 cars from Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) lined themselves up on the grid at the Hampton 500 in early October, the argument that was brought forward with regularity last season was confirmed to all those in attendance: this is New Zealand’s premier motorsport category. Sure, you could still put up an argument against this, because it isn’t a MotorSport New Zealand Gold Star category, but it would be a brief debate. The attention that these cars and drivers are now getting has started go past a mild burbling and has become more of an eruption. Maybe a hint of this was the fact that the Australian GT Championship invited them to be part of its grid walk — an honour that attracted a whole lot of attention. But…

NASTY9 COMES TO LIFE You’ve seen, and most likely admired, Llew Picton’s ‘NASTY9’ Camaro in this issue. If you want to see how the build came together, you can. Llew commissioned a high-class build video of the car; better still, you can hear it in action once it was completed. We’ve got the video, along with a bunch of build pics, online at themotorhood.com — just search ‘NASTY9’. ROADSTER SHOP RULES While Llew’s Camaro was built mainly here in New Zealand, the build actually began abroad, within the walls of Roadster Shop. If you’ve never visited Roadster Shop’s website — roadstershop.com — it’s well worth a look. You could spend hours trawling through its build threads, picking up cool ideas and seeing how some of its world-class vehicles are built.…

ON THE LIMIT Those of you with an internet connection should have some idea of who Vaughn Gittin Jr is. We were fortunate enough to feature his insane ’69 Mustang RTR-X back in Issue No. 75, and ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse’s Roush Yates–powered Mustang RTR Spec 5-D, featured in Issue No. 156, was previously campaigned by the man himself. But even if you don’t follow drifting, his tough Mustangs and crazy antics behind the wheel have made him somewhat of a poster boy for the sport, and he’s the star of a pretty radical video released recently by Ford Performance. In the three-minute film, Vaughn drifts the entire Nürburgring circuit — with the obvious exception of the massive end straight — in his 900hp 2018 Ford Mustang RTR drift car. Now,…

THEMOTORHOOD.COM FROM THE ARCHIVES MAX ATTACK Ten years ago, we featured Dion Marson’s tough 472ci Wedge-powered 1963 Plymouth Belvedere on the cover. You can find out what it’s up to these days by turning to page 132, but if you want to get the full rundown on this street and strip weapon, as it was when we featured it, we’ve got you covered. Hop onto themotorhood.com and search ‘Dion Marson’ to check it out! FROM THE ARCHIVES CUSTARD TWIST Dion’s old Belvedere isn’t the only classic article we’ve got online. Doug Montgomery’s ’55 Chev sleeper made an appearance in the same issue. We know that one of the people reading this is going to be a whinger who pipes up with “It’s not a sleeper!”, but we don’t care —…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ 4 NOVEMBER GENERAL MOTORS ENTHUSIASTS CLUB AUSSIE DAY OUT The General Motors Enthusiasts Club might only fly the flags of the various marques under GM, but that doesn’t apply to the club’s annual Aussie Day Out. Held at Clevedon School, south of Auckland, the event is open to all Australian-made Fords, Valiants, Holdens, Ramblers, and Leylands — so maybe leave the Mitsi V3000 or Toyota Aurion at home! The show will run from 10am to 2pm, although the club notes that registered cars need to be at the venue by 8.30am, and entry is just $10 a head. As well as a great selection of vehicles on display, there will also be refreshments on site and prize-giving afterwards — and there is a pub literally…

Despite being a small dot on the underside of the globe, New Zealand’s known for punching above its weight in the world of motorsport. You only need to put your copy of NZV8 down for long enough to catch the news on TV these days to see just how well we’re doing. Names like Scott Dixon, Brendon Hartley, and the all-conquering V8 Supercar drivers such as SVG, Fabian Coulthard, and Scott McLaughlin are the talk of the town. The beauty of motorsport at this level these days is that the drivers are backed by big teams with even bigger budgets and, with the level of professionalism within the sport, the drivers can make a damn good living out of it. Flick your calendar back a few years — OK, more…

If you replaced the word ‘criminal’ with ‘drag racer’ in the statement “This city deserves a better class of criminal, and I’m going to give it to them”, you’d pretty much sum up Ryan Sheldon’s goal. It wasn’t Ryan who said this imposing quote, however, but Batman’s arch nemesis, the Joker. Ryan’s not twisted like the Joker … well, not as twisted, perhaps, but is all for having a laugh and making drag racing fun again. Besides kicking some supercharged arse with a naturally aspirated engine combination, bringing back the glory days of showmanship and sportsmanship is what it’s all about for the Auckland-based furnace operator. He’s been winding up the competition in Top Street and generally having a laugh doing it for the last few seasons behind the wheel…

The big fella couldn’t keep Bergen Raikes down after his highly modified VX Commodore was written off. Yeah, when faced with an insurance company that wouldn’t pay out, he took ’em to small claims and got his money after a nine-month struggle. Money’s nice, but, when you’re a young man filled with testosterone, it’s not quite as nice as owning the meanest V8 in town. “I decided to buy another, only bigger, better, and faster,” Bergen says. “When I picked it up, they asked me if I wanted a warranty. I said no because, as soon as I drove out the gate, it’d be void because I’d start modifying the hell out of it.” A man of his word, Bergen got down to business, ripping out the Walkinshaw gear that…

After 39 years of getting up at 4am and extracting milk from cows, it was time to sell up and ‘retire’ for Pete and Delilah Schimanski. The family farm and farming life were waved goodbye and the Taranaki countryside was replaced by a smaller lifestyle block. A property just out of town was deemed sufficient for the couple’s lifestyle change, although it was lacking one crucial thing: a shed. Originally, the Schimanskis’ plan was to build something to house their ’34 coupe and VZ Monaro, and also have a bit of workshop space for Pete to tinker about in. Pete and Delilah didn’t want just any old shed, though; they wanted something a bit bigger than normal and a little bit different. The kitset pole shed was soon erected and…

Steve Doughty has been campaigning his tough ’67 Camaro in Historic Muscle Cars over the past year, but, wanting to push the car a little harder, the step up into Central Muscle Cars was the best one to take. “It was a conscious decision to go with Historic [Muscle Cars] at first. The car was relatively straightforward to build, and the endurance car I had before was a good donor with regard to the engine and running gear. Historic is a great bunch of guys, and it’s great fun,” Steve tells us. However, after racing for a year, he began to consider Central Muscle Cars, and the fact that it’s an actual competition with a points system. In preparation for the step up, the Camaro was taken to Ken ‘Hoppy’…

BUGGER ME! Hi Todd, Big fan of NZV8 — bought the latest copy [Issue No. 162] tonight, and bugger me, there’s an article on the Hennessey Mustang! I’m stoked to tell you that I bought one of the two that are being sold in New Zealand. I’ve chosen a manual six-speed, and the other is a 10-speed automatic. The delivery date is yet to be confirmed, mid Novemberish. I’ve got several other cars, including a 1966 K-Code GT Fastback, 289 and factory four-speed car — funny enough, it’s also factory red with add-on white stripes. I have other fast cars yet I’ll take the Mustang before anything else on a sunny day. I went for a blood test recently, turns out I’m running on 98 octane. Doctor reckons I’ve got…

Hey, Anton. We haven’t run too many FJ Cruisers in the mag, so yours is a bit special. What attracted you to this one? The FJ — it’s a Kiwi classic. They’re just like a Meccano set. Nuts and bolts, it all comes apart — no fancy shit; no computer. What’s the history behind this one? It’s clearly had a bit of a restoration. I’ve owned it for about 10 years, but two years ago we started a full restoration on it. What was the reason behind that? I was driving it before we pulled it apart, but it was a stuff-up because it was running on LPG, and swapping between LPG and petrol is a pain in the arse. Also, the LPG didn’t have a level indicator, so it…

FUN WHILE IT LASTED The Marsh Motorsport/Mount Shop Top Fuel Dragster will forever be etched in the history books of New Zealand drag racing, having run not just the first four-second pass in New Zealand, but also being the first to crack the 300mph barrier, currently holding the title of the quickest and fastest car ever in New Zealand with a PB of 4.78 seconds at 315.12mph. Nothing can last forever, though, and a deal has been done that’s seen all the mechanicals and spares from the car sold to an Australian team, and the rolling chassis is now on the market. While the sale may come as a surprise to some, the Marsh family, along with friends and sponsors, have achieved everything they set out to do and a…

To say that Gavin Tombs likes his Fords is a bit of an understatement. His ever-growing list of previously owned cars is as long as your arm, and he shows no sign of slowing. Reading through that list, it becomes glaringly obvious that the Mustang is Gavin’s drink of choice, so to speak, and we don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It hasn’t all been about the small two-door car that the Ford Motor Company thrust onto the public way back in April of 1964, though. Gavin’s first car was a Mk2 Escort. He’s also owned a T-bucket, but everything else of note has been Mustang; notchbacks, fastbacks, ragtops, cars from the ’60s, ’90s, and 2000s — you name it, he’s had it. Now that’s dedication. Eleven years ago,…

KIDS MAY PAY TO WASH YOUR CAR The Motomuck Snow Foam Gun turns your pressure washer into a foam cannon. Not only is this thick foam pre-wash faster and gentler, it also looks cool. The Snow Foam Gun has high-quality brass components and valves to adjust foam spray and density. Just match the adaptor to your pressure washer and you — or the kids—are good to go. Available only at motomuck.co.nz for $99 incl. delivery, or choose a combo deal. UNDER PRESSURE With Meguiar’s Car Care Month banging on the door (November), you’d best be stocking up on some quality cleaning products to shake those winter neglections. With perfect timing, Meguiar’s has dropped the Car Wash Snow Cannon Kit, which is a high-sudsing Gold Class car wash that makes use…

ISSUE NO. 43—DECEMBER 2008 WHERE IS IT NOW? DION MARSON 1963 PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE Dion Marson’s Plymouth Belvedere was the total package — show-spec looks, mega power, and the right underpinnings to make the most of that power. Despite that, Dion eventually decided he wanted something else. He found it in a 1970 Dodge Coronet that was built to the same formula. In fact, the Super Bee also graced the cover of NZV8 — Issue No. 109. Around two years ago, the Belvedere was onsold to Wanganui’s Bill Armstrong, who happens to be even more horsepower crazy than Dion. Under Bill’s ownership, the big Wedge engine was removed and a blown 572ci Hemi dropped in, although that engine is really destined for Bill’s Dodge Charger. Bill tackled the Masterton Motorplex drag…

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