Innehållsförteckning för No 168 May 2019 från NZV8

Say the words ‘Western Springs’ to anyone remotely interested in cars, or, more specifically speedway, and they’ll tell you it’s speedway’s hallowed ground within New Zealand. That’s not just some title made up overnight; it’s a sign of the venue’s 90-year history of running events. Back at its inception in 1929, Western Springs was on the outskirts of Auckland. Little did people think at the time that, over the coming decades, the city would grow to envelop the venue. As we know, from then, the residents who moved in next to the track began to complain about the noise created from it, while, at the same time, we can only assume, making the most of the live music concerts hosted there that they had a free view of. Over the…

It’s not every day that you see one of what could have been Shelby American’s most successful secret weapons go up at auction. This was a production car that was intended to soundly defeat Ferrari in sports car races on its European home turf. Wearing the CSX 3006 tag plate, this 1965 Shelby 427 competition Cobra is one of just 19 examples built for motorsport use before the remaining stocks were converted to ‘semi-competition’ models and sold off. After complications with FIA homologation delayed the car’s international racing debut, a buy cost nearly double that of all the competition, and the resulting class designation saw it go up against Ford’s own GT40 — forcing Shelby not to front its own but instead sell only to privateers — the 427 competition…

Chances are that by now you’re well aware of the Kiwis on Tour Route 66 tours hosted by Beach Hop frontman Noddy Watts — after all, we ran a series of tour diaries a couple of years ago. The concept is simple: book the fully escorted self-driving tour — which includes accommodation, vehicle hire and insurance, fully programmed GPS unit, and US mobile phone — and simply arrive and enjoy it. Many of those who’ve attended to date haven’t stopped at just one tour; they have headed back stateside to undertake one of the other tours on offer. Noddy and Andrea have taken 21 tours and are heading into their 10th year, making them the most experienced Kiwi-based US tour guides, with more than 700 people on board. We brought…

The Motorhood is the online home of NZV8 and its sister publications NZ Performance Car and New Zealand Classic Car. It’s the hub for all things automotive, from news and reviews to event coverage and more. You can enjoy articles from the magazines on The Motorhood’s home page, themotorhood.com, or, if you want a purely V8-scene experience, just head to our old website — v8.co.nz — to be redirected straight to NZV8’s part of the site. BLASPHEMY, THE GOOD KIND Following tradition, and doing things the way everyone else does, is for people who are complacent about blending into the crowd. As for Jason Sellars — well, we’ll let his 1420hp producing twin-turbo XY tell you what kind of person he is when it comes to modifying a classic. This…

Previous NZV8 cover car owner Scott Webb always has an interesting project on the go, and currently that’s a VK Commodore. Purchased dead stock with a 3.3-litre straight-six, the car has now had more than 50 hours of work put into smoothing off the engine bay. Obviously, the old six is long gone, and a VZ-sourced LS1 — which Scott’s had sitting waiting for the past few years — has been dropped in. Mate Rowan Glass has been responsible for the paintwork in the bay, and, with the contrasting black of the engine, it’s now looking amazing. The rest of the car has also been treated to a coat of Formula Blue paint, and a set of 20-inch Simmons FR rims has been fitted. As good as the VK is…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ 20 APRIL 15TH HOLDEN NATIONALS TSB STADIUM, NEW PLYMOUTH The Lion badge may no longer be manufactured in Australia, but what it’s left behind is a long-spanning legacy that will be celebrated until the end of the time, so chuck on your best cork hat and get your own example out of the shed for the 15th Holden Nationals. Hosted by Auto City in association with the Taranaki Holden Club, the Holden Nationals will go down on 20 April — Easter weekend — at TSB Stadium, New Plymouth. Entry is just $5 per adult, with kids under 12 free, and gates will be open from 9am until 4pm. For all the finer details, visit taranakiholdenclub.kiwi.nz/. 27 APRIL REPCO REV UP WHANGAREI CENTRAL CITY, WHANGAREI It’s…

Born and raised a farmer in Otahuhu, South Auckland, Irvine ‘Red’ Dawson lived a life far from that of your typical farm boy. With an affinity for anything on wheels, Red learned that he could pedal hard and fast, which inevitably led him into the world of stock car auto racing. Stock car racing has always been balls-out, rough-and-tumble stuff, and Red was a natural. When Red segued his focus towards circuit racing, he wasn’t going to soften his approach, and it was his hard-man style of violently oversteering a car around the corners, using 110 per cent of the power on tap, that cemented his reputation as one of the country’s greatest-ever drivers. That reputation is why you’re reading about him near-on 90 years after he was born, and…

Whangamata, one of the most picturesque beach towns in the country, truly world famous in New Zealand and not needing a big bottle or giant fruit to prove the fact. With a stunning beach and great surfing and fishing, it really is one of the loveliest places to get away to for a quiet holiday. As it is well known as one of the best beach towns in the country, it’s expected that at certain times the town will be busy, as are most beach towns during holiday periods. Whangamata is also becoming well known for its cars and car shows, and it really comes alive during Beach Hop week and on New Year’s Day, when the World’s First Car and Bike Show brings hundreds of hot rods, muscle cars,…

The advertising hype for a little-known — even forgotten — class of drag racing brought in the fans by the hundreds to Tokoroa Street Rodders Inc at Amisfield Dragstrip on Sunday, 17 March for the New Zealand Rodder Gasser Wars Reunion Drags. Perfect weather coupled with a contingent of 16 vintage gassers from all over the country and a range of supporting classes made for a massive show for the crowd, one which would have won a lot of new fans for the sport. The event was conceived as the place to race cars that don’t quite fit the normal classes and to allow gassers to race door to door. While the rules laid out by the organizers for the Gasser class were sparse, they were strictly adhered to. This…

When Andrew ‘Squig’ Miles was taking his son Devin to day care in his Falcon sedan, little did he know that the car would still be in his possession some 34 years after it was purchased. Neither did he know that the car would evolve from a 170ci straight-six streeter into one of the coolest — not to mention most popular — drag cars in the country. Between day-care drop-offs, the car ran 14-second quarter-mile passes, and that’s when the bug bit. A new daily was sourced, and the old streeter rolled into the workshop for some major surgery. In 1997, the car re-emerged from a four-year build, complete with full tube frame and 512ci big block engine. The result was a massive departure from the quarter-mile times of old…

Winning the Nationals is a big deal — it always has been — and, given how the 51st NZDRA New Zealand Nationals held at Masterton Motorplex (MMP) over the weekend of 23–24 March panned out, it looks as if it still is. There’s just something about it that makes it a bit special: to be able to say that you won the Nationals and having that winner’s sticker on your car. Having a number two or three on the sticker is bloody good too, but when it’s a one, it feels just a little bit more special. Just shy of 200 cars and bikes rolled through the gates at MMP, all with the same mindset: winning. First up for qualifying on Saturday morning were the Super Sedan boys and girls.…

We’re sure that many readers will be able to identify with David Brace when he tells us that he’s “always been a fan of the Red Lion over the Blue Oval” — even if you’re Ford over Holden, the principle is the same. Just as relatable is how David traces his brand allegiance, explaining, “My father had both a VC and VH Commodore, and I sat my license in the VC as soon as I turned 15. The early model — and late model, for that matter — Commodores always appealed to me, especially the Peter Brock factor.” After getting on the road, David ended up going through the usual plethora of quick cars that most young men seem so adept at going through, including an HQ Monaro. “I should…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Hi NZV8, how’s it going? First off, what an awesome magazine you guys do. Been getting them from day one when I saw them in the local store. It has been a long-term dream to get my car into your magazine. I would like to know what it takes to get there, as I’m currently in the middle of getting my Clubsport built. I got it when I was in my early 20s, I think. It started with just some rims; now it doesn’t look anywhere like a stock Clubbie. Chris from Pro-Street Performance has been building a monster 408-cube LS with a Harrop blower which has Gilmer rear drive. It has a custom one-off monster intake, and I’ve had the blower painted to be different…

Cool old truck, Mike. How long have you had it and what made you want to get one? Thanks, guys. I’ve have had it for about four years now. Funny thing, at the time I had a fairly seriously worked Harley Night Train, and I was looking at getting back into V8s again after having owned, most recently, a Ford AUII XR8 ute, which went bloody well. I sold that quite some time ago. I had the bike for sale online and some dude asked if I was interested in a deal on his 1975 Ford F100. At the time, I was not that keen, as [I] had been looking at sedans. Anyway, I got him to send some photos through, and, after looking at them and doing some research,…

The team at Bodymods aren’t afraid to tackle the big jobs — in fact, we’d say Bodymods prides itself on taking on the metalwork that many others say simply can’t be done. Of the jobs currently on the go, one of the standouts is this HT Monaro belonging to Dan Robinson. Dan’s owned the car for many years and has decided that it’s long overdue for an overhaul. However, rather than take the path more travelled, he’s had a complete Art Morrison chassis custom-built for the project. Integrating it into the vehicle required the whole floor to be removed and plenty of new custom sheet metal created in its place. Of course, this means that the body can be sat low over the chassis, giving the car an awesome ride…

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FASTER IN A FUNNY CAR Childhood mechanical escapades; teenage V8 exuberance; an adulthood immersed in speed and vehicular creativity. By the time that Grant ‘Grub’ Rivers had reached his mid 30s, there was little that he hadn’t done in cars — including hot rodding, drag racing, circuit racing, crashing, and losing his virginity. By 1997, the days of pushing street cars beyond reasonable boundaries had come to an end for the river-city racer. After a face full of windscreen glass at 152mph in the street-legal ‘River Rat’ Vauxhall Viva, which resulted in a near miss of epic proportions, Grant and his drag racing partner, Dave Rowan, started the search for something better into which to fit the ridiculously overpowered Viva’s blown-and-injected alcohol engine. That look for something better led to…

The big Top Alcohol battle over the last few years has been between great mates, the Marsh family and the Johnston family. Father-and-son combo Tony and Anthony need no introduction and neither does their naturally aspirated (NA) A-fueller dragster. Chris ‘CJ’ Johnston and family run a more traditional — for New Zealand — 491ci blown, big block Chev dragster, perhaps the quickest Chevpowered version on the planet. At the IHRA Kiwi Thunder meeting held at Meremere Dragway on 10 March, the pair recorded the quickest side-by-side Top Alcohol pass in New Zealand history. CJ managed a 5.433 at 262.95mph against Anthony Marsh’s 5.414 at 271.30mph. Making for good banter, CJ took the win, not just of the race but the whole event due to his better reaction time of 0.42…

Tom who? Tom with the wheel-standing teal blue ’57 Chev, that’s who. Yes, you read that right, the car-and-driver combo that competed in Wild Bunch from 1992 is making a much-anticipated return. Quietly spoken Tom has succumbed to pressure to get the car back out again for the upcoming Bethlehem Coachlines Nostalgia Drags 2019, set to rock Meremere Dragway on 6 April. The 14-71 Moonham blower–equipped big block Chev in the car is backed with a fourspeed Lenco transmission and has powered the car to not only the wheel-stand, which we’ve all seen before, but very respectable times too. The ’57 isn’t the only car from the Wild Bunch era that’ll be in attendance, as Trevor Tynan’s ‘Pigzilla’, Chris Tynan’s ‘Rat Attack’, and Bobby Owen’s Falcon are all set to…

The 31st Great USA Day, held in early March, was a resounding success at its new venue, Hancock Park, a stone’s throw from St Clair Beach in Dunedin. The annual event is hosted by the Stateside Streeters club and supported by a host of generous sponsors, as well as other car clubs, as it has been since its inception. This year’s event was a touch different from the rest though, with the change of venue not exactly one made by choice. As Stateside Streeters club president Mike Lea explained to NZV8, the Dunedin City Council (DCC) advised the club last year that the former venue at Tahuna Park would no longer be available for the event. With this, feelings ran high and a public online petition was created. Joining forces…

When Dave Hart was a kid, he dreamed of owning a Falcon coupe, and that dream became a reality nearly nine years ago. But it’s only now, a few weeks before this magazine hits the shelves, that the car has completed its transformation into what he was truly hoping it would be. It’s got plenty of custom body mods, a killer engine bay, trick interior, and the ability to be a hit wherever it travels. There’s no denying there’s been a huge amount of both time and money spent on the coupe, but, in essence, it’s exactly how Dave hoped it would be. So much so that, if money were no object, Dave would follow the same formula, essentially building the same car again but taking it to the next…

When the drivers lined up for the penultimate round of the Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) season at Hampton Downs over 9–10 March, there was plenty of unease from some drivers about how the points were starting to flow and equally as many enjoying the switch around. This was due to an accumulative effect of no-shows at a couple of rounds and did-notfinishes (DNFs) for some of the major points grabbers. The feelings were also stronger due to the return of some newer drivers, such as Hugh Gardiner and Craig Boote. Both of those particular drivers had been incredibly fast at each of the sporadic events that they attended across the season, and, because of that, they had been stealing points away from the more regular competitors. Now, don’t be…

Where has the season gone? It seems like only a couple of weeks ago that we were at Hampton Downs for our opening meeting. I guess, as they say, time flies when you are having fun. As a committee, we are in the throes of discussing next season’s calendar. Our intention is to head to the South Island in January 2020 — as we have traditionally done every two years — to compete in a couple of events there and, obviously, give our fan base in the South Island an opportunity to get along to the meetings we are at. The decision to move the New Zealand round of the Supercars Championship to September poses some questions for us: do we bring our season opener forward to September and race…

BUY THIS ISSUE ONLINE AT MAGSTORE.NZ When we met up with Bob Unkopvich to feature his 1962 Corvette, he said to us that not many people had hot rodded an early Corvette, and he was right — certainly no one had gone as far as he had. Having owned a classic, beautifully restored version, Bob soon discovered that the car drove like shit. The only way around it was to use the spare parts that he’d amassed from that one to build another — but his way. This included adding a TCI front end, a four-linked rear, and an engine set-up that we’ve not seen another of to date. Sure, the car runs a small block Chev, as it would have from the factory, but this one was built by…

There have been some wild marketing concepts over the history of the automotive industry. A few have been hugely successful, but many have flopped. One that most people who were around to see in the flesh would have forgotten about has been brought back into the limelight thanks to the efforts of one dedicated collector: Steven Juliano. Having earned a reputation for tracking down and buying only the best specimens, namely Shelby Cobras, Juliano — who passed away in 2018 after battling cancer for some 15 years — was known for his relentless search for and purchase of the Rapid Transit Caravan cars. A product of the Chrysler marketing team, spearheaded by former GM and Hot Wheels designer Harry Bradley, the vehicles were intended as a youth-luring ploy and involved…

Heads up to anyone who has modified their car or intends to — which should be all of you: the LVVTA, the organization that sets certification standards, has opened the Low Volume Vehicle Standard 205-00(02): Wheels and Tyres for consultation. What that means is that you have your chance to pass comment on the existing standard, and any suggestions or issues may be taken into account when it is revised. The Wheels and Tyres standard includes all requirements for wheels and tyres on LVV-certified vehicles, wheel spacers and adaptors, and wheel manufacturing requirements. Ever thought that not being able to run a meaty 315/60 tyre on your 18x8-inch Boyd Coddingtons is a crime against humanity? This is the time to speak up. The current standard can be found in the…

Luke Ennion’s Franklin Speed Shop is always worth a look — there’s invariably something interesting under construction: sometimes a customer’s car, sometimes one of his own, sometimes both! One of Luke’s current jobs is this tough-looking ’32 pickup belonging to a bloke called Paul. The US import was running a 350/350 combo with a 10-bolt rear, but Paul had bigger plans for it. The main ingredient is a pretty special 351 Windsor complete with EFI alloy heads and all the goodies. The end result is around 450hp — more than enough to get the ’32 moving. As well as the driveline changes — which include a new Currie nine-inch from The Krysler Shop — Luke has been flat out removing some of the American engineering and bringing it up to…

WINNER! $100 RARE SPARES VOUCHER They say a movie remake is never as good as the original, but we think Warren Wilson’s Shaker Run tribute car will buck that trend. The Pontiac — which is based on a Tom Morland fibreglass body — is being built not to be an exact replica, but visually close. Shaker Run producer Larry Parr has been a great help along the way, being able to answer many of Warren’s questions. Warren picked up the rolling shell last February — he said it looked as if it had been left in a paddock for the past 20 years. Plenty of work has been required to deal to the rust in the boot floor area, and the only salvageable parts of the running gear were the…

It’s ironic that the car that Dave Hart’s built over the past eight-and-a-half years is a better car in every imaginable way than the cars that inspired him to build it. As an impressionable youth, Dave, like the rest of us, would be glued to the TV screen for the first weekend in October, when Mount Panorama, just outside of Bathurst, Australia, was overtaken with the sound of screaming engines, screaming tyres, and screaming crowds. The Falcon coupes were the cars that Dave supported, regardless of driver or team — there was just something about their big hips and style that appealed. Being a kid, of course, part of the inspiration for Dave was due to the neighbours having one too. It wouldn’t be until September 2010 that Dave would…

He’s had the rest, now it’s time to have the best — OK, so that’s not quite how Peter North puts it; in fact, his story is almost somewhat the opposite. Having built a bunch of cars over the years — some to keep and some to sell — Pete asked good mates Clive and Vicki Bracey to let him know if they found any decent cars on their next buying trip to the States. As the managers of Advanced Four Wheel Equipment — a company that has for many years imported cars and parts, Clive and Vicki know how to find good buys — and that’s how this 1967 Chevelle Malibu came up. The car was stolen and recovered, and the guy who owned it stored it for around…

The name ‘Wayne Fowler’ may not be one that’s known to you, but the names ‘Jonah Lomu’ and ‘Mark Bardsley’ probably are. Wayne is the current owner of the well-known pro-street ’67 Camaro previously owned by the more well-known pair. The car, which runs a 454ci big block Chev topped with an 8-1 supercharger, was campaigned by Bardsley in the mid 1990s to a best of 10.3, before he sold it to Lomu and stepped into a dedicated drag car. Since purchasing it during 2018, Wayne’s simply tidied up the existing combination, had Terry Bowden refine the suspension, and replaced the 29/18.5/15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tyres. A set of new valve springs, care of Dave Moyle; exhaust by Dean Woburn; and raising the RPM limit, along with borrowing a…

Bikes are Grant Woolford’s business, and business is good — mainly because the bikes Grant deals with are not the kind best pedalled in your tightest Lycra onepiece. He’s in the business of real bikes — selling; servicing; and, of course, riding the things. When a man like that decides to up the ante on his shop truck, you can expect the shortlist to be pretty short indeed. Being used to the dynamics of the latest and greatest motorcycles, Grant wanted excellent handling, a kick-arse power-to-weight ratio, enough cargo space to load a bike, and plenty of cool. The perfect candidate revealed itself soon enough. “I was at Beach Hop and a good mate of mine, Shayne, showed me a photo of a SEMA truck. Two weeks later, I was…

In recent times, Kaikoura has become well known for the earthquakes that shook the region and isolated the town in 2016. Ruptures occurred across multiple faults — the earthquakes have been described as the most complex ever studied. Prior to this, Kaikoura, a small town on the east coast of the South Island, was best known for the abundant wildlife that fills the waters off the coast of this beautiful peninsula. Seals, whales, dolphins, and birdlife are just some of the treasures to be found here, as well as great fishing. But not all the treasures of Kaikoura can be found in the sea. Not far from the town, resting at the foothills of the nearby mountain range, lies a shed full of treasures of the automotive kind. Owning a…

MUSTANGS CAN BREATHE EASY The K&N 63-2605 AirCharger air-intake system replaces the restrictive factory air filter and intake housing on 2019 Ford Mustang GTs. Air is directed through an aerodynamically engineered tube into the throttle body for a guaranteed power gain. More air means more power throughout the rev range — K&N claims 22.1hp. The intake tube accommodates the factory air sensor, idle bypass hose, evaporativeemission (EVAP) vent hose, and crankcase vent hose. It comes with a chrome-topped K&N high-flow air filter and a heat shield that installs in the original air-box space. Installation takes 90 minutes or less using factory mounting points. See knfilters.com. THE SPOKEN WORD There is no substitute for eye-catching style and luxury features, as demonstrated by the ABL-24 from Asanti. With a strong, restrained design…

THE MAN’S A MACHINE By now, you will have read all about Grant River’s youthful antics and his rise from a youngster with ambition through to a successful business and family man. If you missed part one or two of the series on him, we’ve uploaded them to our website so you can catch up. Head over to themotorhood.com and search ‘Grant Rivers’ to find them. GASSER MAGIC Lance Farrow outdid himself as usual with his photos from the New Zealand Rodder Gasser Wars Reunion Drags. We’ve managed to get as many as we could into this issue, but there’s a whole lot more that are worth a look. So, make sure to head over to themotorhood.com and search ‘Gasser Wars’ to check them out.…