Innehållsförteckning för No 176 January 2020 från NZV8

It’s a great time to be a car enthusiast in New Zealand. Why’s that, you ask? Well, in terms of car magazines, the New Zealand market is well catered for. No matter what your interest is, there’s a magazine aimed at it. The best thing, though, is that each title is different from the others. I guess in NZV8’s target market, there are three or four main contenders, if you like — NZV8 and two/three others. Each takes a different approach to things, and each one’s core market is slightly different. Sure, there’s a little crossover now and then, but, on the whole, the magazines all complement one another. With the market being so small, there’s a well-known unspoken rule about cars generally being featured in just one magazine rather…

If you read about the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s 0–60mph time of 3.3 seconds last week and thought That’s slow, don’t stress, because Shelby American is here to fix that for you. The iconic tuning house revealed an even quicker GT500 at the SEMA Show, having decided to make the model into a single-minded machine that prioritizes straight-line speed over everything else. It’s called the ‘Shelby Dragon Snake’ — forget the Super Snake; this is a damn snake dragon monster of a creation. As of now it’s only a concept — Shelby hasn’t given final power or acceleration figures yet. Based on a stock GT500, which produces 760hp, and with Shelby stating that it’s working with something well over 800hp, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of…

EMAIL YOUR NEWS TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ There are few events on the calendar that have a gravitational pull strong enough to draw in enthusiasts from as far north as Cape Reinga and as far south as Bluff. Even fewer of those have made it past infancy. Which is why the annual Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Show is so special, having clocked up an astonishing 25 years in the business and built a cult following that is unlike any other. Stationed at the Kumeu A&P Showgrounds, where it has been held since day dot, the next incarnation will take place over the weekend of 18–19 January 2020. And, while anyone reading these pages should know the drill by now, here’s what to expect: Kumeu promises paddocks and paddocks full of…

The “anywhere, anytime” hydraulic hose repair and fitting service provider Ryco 24/7 has this month been confirmed as the title sponsor for the new-look NZ V8 Utes Championship. Now entering its 13th season, the championship will be known as the ‘Ryco 24/7 V8 Utes Championship’ and will run over four rounds — a format piloted successfully last season. Pukekohe will kick the season off, before visiting Hampton Downs, followed by the New Zealand Grand Prix (NZGP), which will take place at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, and back to Hampton Downs for the final. Up to 18 utes are expected at the first round and will include several favourite drivers such as former champion Paul Manuell, current champion Matthew Spratt, and front runners Brett Rudd, Glenn Collinson, Peter Ward, and Andrew…

If you know Tony Garratt, there’s a good chance that you’ve given him grief in recent times about not having his car on the road. Well, make the most of it, as it won’t be long before he’s rolling in style once more. Tony’s ’65 Impala Sport Coupe is now in the very capable hands of Paul and Jay Maka — no strangers to these pages and no strangers to flawless Chevs. The duo have been making short work of the rebuild, removing the body from the chassis and going over everything below. Included in this have been new springs and shocks, two-inch drop spindles, and new rubbers and joints. The body itself has been sprayed underneath and had two new rear quarters fitted, along with having rust removed from…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ You know it’s a pretty big deal when the powers that be at NZDRA and IHRA have set aside their differences to host a joint National Drag Racing Series for the 2019–’20 and 2020–’21 seasons. Their long-running disagreement regarding rules and regulations, which has divided the two drag racing governing bodies, finally appears to be settling, with both the racers and spectators set to benefit from the resolution. The existing NZDRA National Series and IHRA NZ National Series have been replaced by the new joint venture, which will comprise eight events, culminating in the New Zealand Nationals to be held at Meremere Dragway and the finals at Masterton Motorplex, both in March 2020. The news is a major step forward for the sport of drag…

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Nathan Cockburn and partner Paula Prentice have been drag racing fans for the past 30 years, but only in recent times have they decided to act on that interest. To get them down the quarter, the pair purchased a back-halved VN Commodore, a car that they believe to have been built many years ago but, despite it changing hands a few times, has yet to turn a tyre in anger. Shane Mendoza from Mendoza Mechanical has been of huge assistance, not only in helping to get the car ready to race but also selling them a complete engine package. That engine is the single-turbo LS1 from the Mendoza Mechanical RX-7. The engine has already been built with uprated valve springs, a custom cam, Aeroflow fuel rails, and 1000cc injectors. The…

The term ‘station wagon’ was almost a swear word in the street-machine world in years gone by. But these people movers and grocery getters (from the time before people movers) are starting to come of age. With the scarcity of some of the previously more desirable body styles, which are now long gone or priced out of most people’s market, these old wagons are becoming very popular. It’s history repeating itself for each generation. In the ’40s and ’50s, the pre-war coupes were the hot rodder’s choice, and every young man yearned to own their own little deuce coupe. When the coupes started to disappear on dirt tracks, and, as hot rods other body styles began to grow in popularity, the once-humble sedans and utilities of that era had their…

There’s no denying that Pete Dyer’s Ford jailbar is one of the best-looking cars to have been built in New Zealand in recent times. Its ground-hugging stance, killer wheel combo, and commitment to the hardest colour to work with give it a look like no other. So, when we asked him for his concept, it should be no surprise that he followed the same formula, with the exception being that this time he wouldn’t get dicked around in the early stages of the build, since he’d go straight to the team at Kruzin Kustoms to get it done right the first time. In an ideal world, the build would be based on a real steel Willys coupe body, but the reality is that they’re not exactly thick on the ground,…

Campaigning a big V8 saloon in motor racing demands commitment and focus. Brendan Mason has both of those things, although dedication to business has seen the Invercargill businessman get behind the wheel of his 1970 Chevrolet Camaro less often than he’d like. He’s owned the car, known as ‘Big Red’, for 12 years, during which time he’s managed a total of 37 race meetings. Besides the obvious work commitments, there are also the logistics and costs involved, especially when the class you want to race in is predominantly based in the North Island. But, he says, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every minute I’ve worked and raced the car, and the friendships I have made during the journey will be everlasting.” Those entertaining 12 years included a couple of forays over the…

The maths for the current season of the Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) Championship has become immense fun early on due to the ever-present close competition and dramatic position changes across each race. Given that a handful of the competitors chose to run at Bathurst this year, those particular drivers missed two rounds and therefore have no chance at taking the title away from five-in-a-row Dean Perkins — well, all but one of them anyway. Angus Fogg is the exception to that group, as he was willing to take the big gamble, giving himself every opportunity for glory. Knowing the potential dangers involved, he ran at Pukekohe and was lucky enough to be able to pack his rig into a container the day after. With the understanding that he would…

In his own words, Mark Stielow “was not attempting to create a new genre of cars” but “attempting to harden an old Camaro enough to survive One Lap of America”. Unless you’re familiar with Mark’s creations, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro would look like just another example on modern wheels. However, it’s far more than that, as the car known as ‘Tri-Tip’ has been credited with starting the pro-touring movement. The first of any kind is hard to define from an evolutionary perspective, especially when it comes to custom cars. ‘New’ ideas are generally inspired by and adapted from the past, taking the best of something and improving on it. Certain cars serve as reference points, becoming popular and significant enough to inspire others to follow the same mould. While Tri-Tip…

It’s perhaps one of the most iconic monikers in the automotive industry, having reached cult status around the world through its racing exploits and tuning capabilities, and now Shelby American is set to expand its footprint outside the US to our corner of the world Started back in 1962 by designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur Carroll Shelby, Shelby American is best known for the creation of the famous Ford V8-powered AC Cobra, as well as the development of the mighty Ford GT40, cars that dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans race between 1966 and 1969 — with a New Zealand connection through Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme. Following Ford’s global initiative to offer the Mustang worldwide in 2015, Shelby American has been partnering with high-calibre businesses outside of the…

Mike Bari at Nxt Lvl Automotive is creating yet another show-stopping VK Commodore. This one, built for a customer, has a rear end set-up to make others jealous, with a sheet-metal diff sitting between narrowed chassis rails. The diff has been held in place with a custom four-link and coilover set-up, and houses 20x11-inch wheels each side. To turn those tyres, the car will run a cammed six-litre LS-based engine back with a six-speed manual gearbox, while to slow it down is a giant set of AP brakes front and rear. The Commodore is not going to look the part only on the underside either. The owner, who is in the panel and paint industry, is intent on working his magic on the exterior and engine bay. The rear valance…

Back in the day on New Zealand’s small screens, there was a locally produced TV series called Street Legal. Peter and Donna Dyer were among the many avid watchers, tuning in every week and not wanting to miss an episode. It was described as a “fast-paced drama series focusing on the lives of the partners of the law firm Wyeth & Associates in Auckland”. For the Dyers, though, it wasn’t the plot or the characters that attracted their attention; for them, it was the black truck that played the starring role, with Donna saying to Pete, “That’s the truck I would have.” The series ran from 2000 to 2005, and, once the curtain had fallen on it, the star truck made another appearance on New Zealand’s small screen when it…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ At the age of 16, Ohau’s Ellie Wellborne has just become New Zealand’s youngest competition drag racing licence holder, outside of the junior ranks. She’s made the move after three seasons competing in a junior dragster. She initially drove a rear-engine car, then a front-engine car built by her dad, Gavin — this car is currently for sale if anyone is interested. Ellie finished the 2019–2020 season with the ‘2NZ’ sticker on the side of her car, so has proven she knows how to drive. This season she’s stepping into a 50-year-old front-engine dragster (FED) that was originally campaigned by her father a couple of seasons ago. Gav and wife Leanne imported the 1969 Mark Williams FED from Florida. It is believed to have been…

“I wanted to have all three brands — Chev, Ford, and Mopar. I’ve got them now!” John Poulton laughs. John’s builds tend to blow out, so to speak — not that that’s a bad thing. He almost single-handedly keeps this magazine going with the feature-worthy cars that he ends up producing. They’re always full top-to-bottom, inside-out works of art, and we all know that that takes time and, more important, cash flow. So, knowing all of that, you’d think that he might have had the good sense not to mix the dangerous combination of Trade Me and the liquor cabinet. If you were to ask John, he’d probably tell you the same thing. “I woke up the next morning still at the desk and had to tell my wife, Lyn,…

While on a recent holiday visiting my wife’s parents in Los Angeles, I was driving down their street in the hot summer sun. Just five houses down from their place was a bright green 2015 Hellcat and an F250 with a car trailer. I parked up and walked back to see what had brought forth this beauty in a neighbourhood dominated by Lexus and Mercedes. It turns out the house is owned by ex-pat Kiwi Chris Chapman and his American wife, Kelly. Chris has lived stateside since 1992, when following a fellow Kiwi on a short adventure that turned into a permanent stay. Chris hails from Dargaville, and his expert mechanical skills set him up for a California lifestyle of fixing cars. He now owns his own shop repairing modern…

In the 12 years that Brendan campaigned the Camaro, his two races in Australia were the most memorable. He does, however, have an interesting anecdote relating to a brush with officialdom after one of the visits. “I will never forget the time all 24 cars arrived back from Bathurst into the Port of Tauranga and everyone was on alert for when the cars were ready to unload and pick up. I’d flown into Auckland and driven down the day before we were scheduled to unload,” he recalls. On their arrival, they were told that there was a big hold-up and they weren’t to go near the port due to customs and the paperwork being nowhere near ready. Brendan and a friend were stuck in Tauranga, so there was nothing to…

As you’ll have seen elsewhere in this issue, Brendan Mason has recently sold his well-known ‘Big Red’ Camaro. The departure from racing didn’t last long, though — in fact, some may say it was a planned transition into a new vehicle. The car he’s replaced it with is the second-gen Camaro previously campaigned by Grant Dalton. The car, which was originally built by Ken Hopper, and, in more recent times, maintained and upgraded by AV8 Motorsport, is a massive leap in technology for Brendan. With Dalton behind the wheel, the car has regularly been at the pointy end of the Group 1 field, and, with Brendan also having no shortage of driving experience, we’re sure that that’s set to continue. As well as running the car in various Central Muscle…

REPEAT OFFENDER Seen the name John Poulton in these pages before, but can’t think why? Here’s a hint: we’ve featured many of his other builds over the years, along with a few from his son Shane. The first of the family feature cars was a wicked big block–powered Camaro slammed to the weeds and polished to perfection. The car is John’s baby to this day, despite the various cars that he’s owned and built since. If you missed the article on it way back in Issue No. 84, we’ve uploaded it now. Search ‘Poulton’ at themotorhood.com to find it. THE TOY SHED We first laid eyes on Chris Travis’s wicked HQ wagon at The Toy Shed’s annual open day. We were stopped in our tracks when we saw the body…

CHECK THEMOTORHOOD.COM FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES For the first time since 2016, the iconic Dodge and Mopar duo will produce a factory-built, drag race–specific iteration of the Challenger. Officially titled the ‘2020 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak’, the Challenger, which will be delivered straight from the factory as a race-ready, turnkey package, is powered by a supercharged 354ci Hemi backed by a three-speed Turbo 400 transmission. A Strange Engineering axle assembly, Racetech seats, Racepak Smartwire system, and Bilstein double-adjustable struts have also been added. The fourth-generation Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak was debuted to a packed house at the 2019 SEMA Show, with Dodge and Mopar confirming that just 50 of the cars will be built. Both brands hope that the new-generation iteration will build on the Drag Pak’s previous success…

Andy Frost has been knocking on the five-second door for some time, attempting to retake the quickest and fastest street-legal car records, which have been held by Jeff Lutz (USA) at 5.85 and 251mph for the past couple of years. However, finally, on 12 November, after five years of struggles, Andy and the ‘Red Victor’ are well on the way to achieving their goals, running a 5.95 at a stellar 260mph at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). Unlike some Pro Mods with indicators and a horn, Andy’s RV3 is a legitimate street car that has been through the scratch-built system in the UK, including passing the emissions and noise level tests. Andy races with the radiator in and full of water, only changing fuel and tyres, and adding a wheelie…

When is one bigger and better than two? When two of the biggest wheel designers and manufacturers merge to become one. Wheel Pros and MHT Wheels have combined to become the largest automotive aftermarket wheel platform in the world, meaning double the experience, double the design power, double the impact — forging the way forward (pun intended). Under the Wheel Pros banner, the newly formed conglomerate, along with our own DTM Wheel & Tyre Ltd, will continue to boast all your favourite brands: Dub, Foose, Fuel, Niche, Rotiform, US Mags, KMC, XD, Asanti, American Racing, Moto Metal, Helo, Motegi Racing, and a whole lot more. Celebrating 30 years in the business this year, DTM Wheel & Tyre Ltd continues to be the New Zealand distributor for Wheel Pros and supplies…

IF YOU HAVE A COOL DAILY-DRIVER AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT APPEAR IN DAILY GRIND, EMAIL EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ Nice looking car, Linda. Is that a real Formula Firebird? I believe it was just a base model that someone stuck the twin-scoop Formula hood on. Since buying it, we’ve also gone through and stuck [on] a bit of Trans Am stuff — like the front and rear spoilers and side skirts. It just makes it look a bit smarter. Why a Firebird? I had a ’57 Ranchero that my partner Geoff was building for me, but it was a real project needing new floors and sills, etc., and the body needed to come off, as it also had chassis issues. I kept thinking it was never going to be good for…

Kev Redshaw is a name associated with countless builds covered in these pages, but, to date, they’ve all been for customers through his Timeless Auto Restorations business. This one’s a touch different: the 1964 Chev Nova is his very own. The car’s been in Kev’s ownership for some 28 years, and, frustratingly, it’s been sitting painted for the last 13 of those. He’s now finally cleared enough space in his schedule to get into the build and see it through to completion. Interestingly, it’s a factory right-hand-drive car, of which just 1000 were made, built for the South African market. The car was sold new in New Zealand to a Nelson-based doctor. The stock running gear is long gone, replaced with a 305ci TPI motor mated to a four-speed Rock…

Cars are my life; I love them,” says Ross Bell, with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. “I’ve started building another one now.” While the first statement is predictable from someone who has poured his heart and soul into building his dream car, the second statement is a major surprise considering how tortured Ross has been by the process. Little did he know when he started the build back in 2007 that it would cost far more than he imagined (predictable), with life changes and more sleepless nights than one would wish on one’s worst enemies. Now, some 12-and-a-half years later, though, he’s still as excited by the car as he was when he was first introduced to Chris Mazany at Black Jack’s Speed Shop THE COLOUR MANIFESTS…

You never know what you’re going to get with a new event on the calendar. An event that’s someone’s baby, into which countless hours of planning have been invested and untold sleepless nights spent sweating the small stuff, can all be poured straight down the drain if nobody bothers to turn up. We doubt that would ever have been the case for the brand-new-in-2019 Repco Takapuna Rocks festival, but it didn’t make the lead-up any less nerve-racking for organizer Matt Turnwald. “It was a bit stressful this morning; there’s always the unknown of ‘are they gonna turn up?’” he said, but there was no need to worry. The entrant cars and spectators flowed in and just kept on coming — no doubt enticed by the perfect weather and world-class waterfront…

As we close in on one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the calendar, we not only take a look at another group of racers you will more than likely see but also at what exactly is planned on Sunday (race day) at the Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival Wars at Masterton Motorplex over 4–5 January 2020. With fields set after the Saturday teams’ race and qualifying, Sunday will shape up as what could be the first 16-car show of this nature in years. And just like reality TV’s Survivor, it will not necessarily be the fastest car that wins but the one who can outwit and outlast a field filled with wily veterans, young upstarts, and a few silent assassins thrown into the mix. To walk…

With duelling banjos in the background, I’ve always liked that bit in the film Deliverance when one of the somewhat-besieged canoeists asks another what he thinks death would be like. After some thought, he comes back with the reply that he is, “Not sure, but it is probably unlike anything that any of them has ever met before.” So, too, is Mount Panorama, Bathurst. No matter how many times you have seen it on television, and no matter the impression you may have of the place, nothing can quite prepare you for the real thing. The atmosphere and enthusiasm of the huge 200,000-strong crowd over the four days; the providence and tradition of the place; the steepness and narrowness of the top of the mountain; those uncompromising, largely blind concrete…

The name Mike Oldham will be a familiar one to many racing enthusiasts, and not just because he competed in the first rounds of the current CMC season. Mike’s been racing cars since the early ’90s, mainly in Production Muscle Cars with a few outings in Pre 65 and a few in the Tranzam series in the mid 2000s. His car of choice is a genuine 1978 Falcon Cobra, in which he’s taken home no fewer than four championship wins in Production Muscle Cars, not to mention a run of about 10 years when he didn’t finish lower than third. For Oldham’s foray into CMC, the precious Falcon has been pushed aside in favour of a ’64 Mustang. The car was originally transformed into a race car in the 1990s…