Innehållsförteckning för No 187 December 2020 från NZV8

Long before he donned the black jersey, was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014, and was instrumental in winning the Rugby World Cup in 2015, a much younger — although probably not much shorter — Brodie Retallick called the streets of Amberley, Canterbury home. If you know anything of car culture in this particular region you’ll know that four-door sedans of Australian descent slammed on the likes of Tridents or Hotwires by way of cut springs are a very common sight. Of these, it was the HQ Holdens that caught the big man’s attention. “They were always loaded up with older teenagers rolling around, so that was always the car I wanted to have. No one that age had Monaros, so they were never on my radar,”…

Could the rumours be true that one of the most iconic Wild Bunch cars ever built in NZ is set to make a return to the track this coming season? The Terry Sims–built and Tim Watkins–campaigned Ferrari should need no introduction and, although disappearing from the track for seven years, is still in the hands of Mike ‘Wittz’ Witteveen. The seven-second-capable package the car last campaigned with would put it right back into the zone for Wild Bunch and no doubt drag many punters into the stands — so here’s hoping it happens!…

In today’s age of expendable consumer products, it’s pretty impressive that Doug Campbell has owned his 1974 Dodge Challenger for 31 years. The irony of that length of ownership is that it was the fact the car was — in Doug’s eyes — nothing special that first drew him to it. Being a ’74, it’s the last of the E-body platform, and holds a lot less appeal than its slightly older siblings, due in part to the 5mph bumpers that the ’74s were forced to wear. Adding to the car’s lack of redeeming features was the fact it was fitted with a 318ci small block from the factory. This meant it was among the most common of all 1974 Challengers built and, at the time of purchase at least, held…

NAPA Auto Parts CMC will be using the Speedworks meeting at Hampton Downs on 31 October–1 November as a shakedown meeting for the season. While this won’t be a points round, it’s an opportunity for drivers to make sure that their cars are ready to go … of course, that’s not to say there won’t be some stiff racing going on. The official opening round is at the spiritual home of CMC, Manfeild, where 32 NAPA Auto Parts CMC cars will line up on the grid at the MG Classic meeting on 13 and 15 November. As one of the more established muscle cars clubs around, CMC has attracted a number of drivers from all over New Zealand to compete in its series, and this year, along with the already…

With the shed now completed (see pages 94–102), Allan and Maxine figured a grand opening event was needed, and they came up with an unusual party idea in this hi-tech world: good old vinyl records. With Covid-19 regulations in mind, a small group of friends and fellow car enthusiasts from the area were invited along for a Saturday afternoon get-together. The only stipulation was that they dust off their record collection and bring a few along to dance to. Allan had a borrowed mixer and PA on site with enough grunt to sound a tsunami warning up the entire east coast of the Coromandel — perfect for this get-together in the industrial area of Whangamata! By midday, the people were arriving, the drinks were flowing, and Allan had an eclectic…

As a car-mad kid, there are few things more exciting than one of your parents’ friends pulling into the driveway in a car that you know is cool. One of the only things that tops that experience is being lucky enough to get taken for a ride in it, and better still if the neighbour’s kids see you. It was this simple scenario that Brett Casey experienced 40-something years ago involving a Falcon coupe, and it was the experience that made him swear to himself that, once he was old enough, he would own one. While most youngsters forget these promises once they’re old enough to notice the fairer sex, this wasn’t to be the case, as Brett held true to that promise. With the astronomical increase in the value…

Paul Manuell has claimed his second Ryco 24•7 V8 Utes championship in dramatic fashion at the delayed final round of the 2019–’20 season at Hampton Downs. Manuell suffered mechanical issues that saw him miss the first race completely. He then had to start from the pit lane in the second due to continuing issues, and then, from last on the grid in the third, he put in two stunning recovery drives to claim the title by only six points over Glen Collinson. “It was close today, really close, but the team pulled out all the stops to get me out there and, thankfully, we got home to the title,” he explained. “We’ve all waited a long time for this final round and I’d hoped it would be a bit easier,…

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Auckland-based street car racer Harley Douglas has been knocking on the door of running a nine-second pass in his 1968 Camaro for much longer than he’d like to remember. Thankfully, that magic moment happened at the recent Father’s Day Drags. While Harley doesn’t compete at many events, Father’s Day Drags are the one he doesn’t miss, and with good reason, too, being the best place to race quick streeter cars. Following last year’s event, where he ran a best of 10.009 at 137mph, he mentioned to us that next year would be the year, and he was correct. The car’s performance comes care of a nitrous-oxide-assisted Shafiroff Race Engines—built 582ci big-block engine running a 1150cfm Dominator carb on pump gas. Interestingly, he’s still yet to use the transbrake, so perhaps…

Like many things from the land of opportunity, American motorsport is something that has long had a big-brother influence on what happens here in New Zealand. Right from the earliest events held here in the ’20s, it wasn’t long before an American Stutz was imported and promptly began to dominate. Soon after we’d been introduced to open-wheel speedway, drag racing emerged, and from that point the floodgates truly opened. Just look at the motorsport landscape here today — you can’t go far without seeing how what has happened on the eastern side of the Pacific has shaped our motorsport landscape. We’re not alone, either, as there are plenty of other countries who have adopted this motorsport way of life. But not all American motorsports have become global. In fact, any…

With the rest of the world in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic, and each country putting their own rules into place in regard to mass gatherings, we don’t need to tell you guys that New Zealand has not been immune to its effects. Events have been cancelled left, right, and centre — be it attending sporting fixtures; weddings; funerals; or, for a time, going off to work each day. Those of us involved in the automotive scene haven’t gone unpunished, with car events cancelled or postponed throughout the county. With the Classic Cover Kaikoura Hop fast approaching, and that being the show that kicks off the season in the South Island, all eyes were on this event and its organizers to see what effect Covid would have and whether…

One build we’re eagerly looking forward to seeing the end results of at this year’s delayed Repco Beach Hop is the reworked ’71 SS Chevelle of Glen Eggleton from Early Times, Auto Electrical Specialist. A ‘no-bolt-left-untouched’ build has been undertaken by Glen, with a focus on building it in a pro-touring style. The detailed chassis now features Classic Performance Products (CPP) tube control arms and drop spindles up front, while the rear has a narrowed 12-bolt diff with custom adjustable arms and, like the front, QA1 coilovers and Wilwood brakes. The engine is a fresh 502ci big block with steel crank, Eagle rods, JE Blower pistons, roller cam, and Promax heads. Strapped on top is a billet The Blower Shop (TBS) 8-71 and a pair of Holley 850s that will…

In 1951, the first ever Holden ute rolled off the production line, starting a lineage that ingrained itself into our culture. From the FJ Holden ute to the final VFII, the ute evolved over 70 years yet remained true to its origins. To celebrate and to highlight Holden’s ongoing commitment to its 1.6 million vehicle owners, Holden is creating the TribUTE. TribUTE is a reimagined and redefined VE Series 2 SSV Redline Ute, powered by a Chevrolet Performance 525hp 6.2-litre LS3, and backed by a T-56 Super Magnum six-speed manual. On the underside, it has GM Level 3 track-capable-spec FE3 suspension and upgraded front and rear crossdrilled Brembo brakes behind staggered 20-inch wheels. A Holden-certified service outlet and GM-certified collision repairer are building the ute, featuring Holden Genuine and ACDelco…

In case you missed it, our very own Muscle Garage has returned to the air on Three’s CRC Motorsport every Sunday afternoon. This, the seventh season, welcomes a new title sponsor, with Repco New Zealand having partnered for the next three seasons. With shed raids, car features, and event coverage, the show brings New Zealand’s best in V8-related goodness to the small screen, right when you’re kicking back on the couch on a Sunday afternoon. Repco Muscle Garage simply could not happen without the support of Repco New Zealand, Meguiar’s, Rislone, and Mount Shop Ltd.…

Stop the clock and rewind to 2014. Feels like just a couple of years ago, doesn’t it? But it’s not, just ask Mark Sade, who’s been working on his 1956 Chev 3100 since then, and he’ll soon tell you it’s been far too long. Back then, the truck was imported out of North Carolina in the US and, at the time, had been rebuilt into a nice cruiser. It ran a 350/350 combo and was painted white, and, besides the few rust spots showing on the bottom of the doors, it was in reasonably good condition. Mark wasn’t looking for a nice cruiser though, nor a car that was merely in alright condition. His goal was for something far more sinister in the form of a pro-touring-influenced truck that was…

EMAIL YOUR INFO TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ The beautiful 1963 Plymouth Belvedere, originally imported and owned by Wairarapa’s Dion Marson, has been in the hands of Wellingtonians Scott Coffin and Claudia Rose for 18 months now. Having first raced the car, purchased from Bill Armstrong, the couple ran a best of 10.6 seconds at Meremere Dragway. While delighted with the car’s on-track performance, the 426 wedge engine’s block was grout filled, making it hardly a streetable combination. Knowing they wanted a streetable package, they really wanted a wet-block–based engine but soon discovered that finding one was no easy task without breaking the bank. What did come up for sale, however, was the ex–Mark Anderson Valiant Charger complete with 530ci Marsh Motorsport–built motor. The plan evolved to buy the car, strip it of…

Motorsport is a strange thing. It’s such a team sport, with hours and hours of preparation from the whole team to get the car right. Then, after the crew chief spends hours of study to get a tune-up planned, he then has to make a decision on the spot on the day. And then finally all of that team work comes down to the driver getting it right in that six seconds. Without the car being prepared correctly, the tuner cannot do their job, and without either of these two the driver can’t do his or her job. During all my racing in New Zealand, we had a pretty awesome crew. We were a bunch of mates going racing well beyond our means, realistically. After the year racing the Roadies…

Central Muscle Cars (CMC) is pleased to be able to announce that NAPA Auto Parts will be the naming-rights sponsor for the class this season. It is a deal that has been in process for a few months now, and the club is absolutely thrilled to have NAPA on board. With the style and age of the cars racing within CMC, the class lends itself to having such an iconic brand as the naming-rights sponsor. Jonathon Maddren, the executive general manager for GPC NZ (NAPA Auto Parts NZ), says, “NAPA has a huge history of supporting racing around the world including Nascar, NHRA, and IndyCar, as well as popular local events. When we asked if we could bring the NAPA brand to New Zealand, we wanted to find an iconic…

Unlike the majority of the concepts we feature on these pages, this one exists in the real world right now. Brodie actually owns it, and, more importantly, it is currently under construction at Kruzin Kustoms. Before we get stuck into the modifications, some of you are likely scratching your heads trying to figure out what it is. First off, it’s not a ute conversion of a ’51 Chev coupe as it appears to be; it’s actually a factory-built ute that Chev dubbed the Coupe Utility, building about 8000 of them in the late ’40s/early ’50s, offering them in only Canada and Australia. Not to be confused with the Holden FJ ute, which is very similar looking, this is kind of the extra-cab version of that, given that it still retains…

It’s funny how a single event can change the direction of your life. For Allan and Maxine Rees, Beach Hop has done just that. They were happily living in the Waikato running their motorhome business and beginning to plan for their retirement and working out where they wanted to live out their years, settling on — you guessed it — Whangamata. It had always been a popular spot, becoming famous not just for the amazing beaches, surf, and fishing but also as the home of Beach Hop, an event synonymous with rock and roll and classic cars. After attending their first event in 2004, and then again in 2005, Allan and Maxine were hooked, and they knew they had to be there in their own car for 2006. They were…

WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME FANTASTIC CARS BEING BUILT OUT THERE, SO DON’T BE SHY — FLICK US AN EMAIL WITH A BIT OF A BLURB AND A FEW HIGH-RESOLUTION PICS OF WHAT YOU’RE UP TO EMAIL YOUR BUILDS TO EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ In this day and age, taking on a single project can be a daunting prospect, but Christchurch’s Corey Jorgensen decided to double down and take on two full builds at once. The first is a ’48 Thriftmaster that was so rotten the chassis broke in half on the trailer ride home, and the second is a ’47 jailbar double-cab, which is actually being built for his dad. To save — or should we say ‘salvage’ — the Thriftmaster, Corey has purchased multiple examples to collect all the parts needed…