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 contents NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024

12

012 BETTER THAN THE REST — SHOW STOPPING ’55 CHEV

030 BLIZZARD OF AUS — KILLER VK
046 OXYGEN THIEF — 1000HP XY
084 FAMILY AFFAIR — MASSIVE COLLECTION
100 BUCKETS ’N’ SPADES — CLASSY T-BUCKET

30

46 84
4
 08

74 80 The Other Stuff

006: FROM THE ED.
008: NEWS

92 010: EVENTS
022: RUST ’N’ DUST
040: READERS RIDES
054: DRAGGED UP
056: NZ’S QUICKEST
037: SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
058: FATHER’S DAY DRAGS
064: AEROFLOW RACE DIARY
068: STRAIGHT TALK
074: CHURCH OF SPEED
080: BURNOUT FILES
092: FABRICATION SERIES
098: IN THE BUILD
106: DECADE AGO
108: CARGO
110: DIRECTORY LISTINGS
112: SOCIAL SCENE

58
 from Rixsta
the ed. Sammons

ISSN 1176 - 9920

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EDITOR Rixsta Sammons, [email protected]

SUBEDITOR Sarah Beresford
PROOFREADER Odelia Schaare
SENIOR DESIGNER Mark Gibson
MEDIA SALES Mark Everleigh,

I
t’s interesting how much can change in a As for the line-up in the mag, it’s the best we’ve [email protected]
month, or maybe I’m just extremely sporadic! stumbled across from all over the country, just
CONTENT PRODUCER Deven Solanki
So, what’s happened in the last two months? like always. Sitting pretty in red is Russ McIntyre’s
Well, two major things: I’ve decided to sell my stunning street, strip, and show ’55 Chev. Take a DREAM TEAM Aaron Carson, Adam P,
car, ‘W4RDOG’, and my wife bought an XY Falcon! deep dive, because this is one cool ride packed Glen McNamara, Hayden Wilby, Lance Farrow,
The reason for selling my Commodore? The with a lot of attention to detail. Following that is Leo Batger, Matt Elliott, Morice McMillin, Rod Dunn,
deeper you go into the V8 scene (and this job Adam Wilson’s VK, another stunner with an interior Rixsta Sammons, Shane Wishnowsky, Simon Dudding,
certainly doesn’t help), the more you learn, the to die for. Then we’ve got Alan Messgener’s Taylor Peterson, Tony Johnson, Todd Wylie,
more contacts you make, and the bigger, badder, 1100hp procharged XW Falcon, and rounding Vaughan Wilson
and faster your ideas get. What I’ll build next, I things off is an old-school, trophy-winning
have no idea, but I do know it’ll be pro street. T-bucket that’s been owned by the original builder
As for my wife buying an XY Falcon, that’s pretty for 60 years. NZV8 MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY
rad! It’s going to be a cool build, though I have no As you may know, the NZ’s 100 Quickest V8
idea in what direction she’ll take it. I’ll be there to Drag Racers and NZ’s Quickest Street Cars lists are
help her along the way. It’s a little rusty … well, a lot now online and updated weekly — or whenever
rusty, ha ha, but the great thing about the X-series there are enough entries to make it viable. This is EMAIL [email protected]
Falcons is the abundance of parts available from a huge improvement, considering that you used MAIL PO Box 202152, Southgate, Takanini 2246
Rare Spares. You can practically build the whole car to have to wait a month, or, more recently, two BUSINESS DIRECTOR Michael White,
from scratch! So, the rust doesn’t bother me much; months, to get the updates. It’s fair to say that the [email protected]
I’ll just get new panels for it. major overhaul of the lists has been completed,
GENERAL MANAGER Simon Holloway,
In other news, I’m starting to sell my house and they’re now accurate and up to date. See
[email protected]
— because more garage space is now the https://nzv8.co.nz/drag-times/.
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6
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 news
CHECK NZV8.CO.NZ FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES

TOYOTA SUPRA IN SUPERCARS?

I n an exciting shift for motorsport enthusiasts,
the Toyota Supra is set to make waves in the
Australian racing scene by adopting a powerful V8
departure from the car’s traditional in-line-six
set-up. This change not only aims to boost
horsepower but also to attract a wider audience by
promising to bring both excitement and a fresh
narrative to the racing landscape.
Fans and competitors alike are eager to see how
engine. This new development is part of a push providing a thrilling driving experience. this iconic model will perform with its new heart,
to enhance performance and competitiveness in The move is part of a broader trend in and the anticipation is building for what promises
various racing categories. motorsports, where manufacturers are increasingly to be a thrilling chapter in the Supra’s legacy. As
The Australian Racing Group (ARG) has opting for larger engines to meet the demands of Toyota continues to innovate, this V8 iteration
confirmed that the Supra will be equipped with racing regulations and fan expectations. The V8 could redefine the Supra’s role in the competitive
a naturally aspirated V8, marking a significant Supra is expected to debut in the 2024 season, racing world.

HOONIGAN FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

I n a surprising move, Hoonigan, a key player
in automotive culture, has filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy. The company, known for its engaging
Similar issues have affected other brands like
Donut Media and Car Throttle, highlighting a
broader trend in the industry.
stating that this strategy will help Hoonigan
strengthen its position in the automotive
aftermarket. He reassured customers and partners
content and aftermarket parts, faces a staggering To stabilise its operations, Hoonigan plans that services and products will continue during
US$1.2 billion in debt, raising concerns despite to restructure its debt under court supervision, the process.
its large following of over five million YouTube securing US$110M in loans and a US$175M As Hoonigan navigates this difficult period, fans
subscribers. asset-based lending facility. This restructuring and industry insiders will closely watch whether this
Hoonigan’s challenges stem from a downturn in only affects its North American operations, with bankruptcy signals an end or a new beginning for
automotive media and the departure of prominent international branches remaining unaffected. the brand. For more information, visit Hoonigan’s
content creators, affecting its competitive edge. CEO Vance Johnston expressed optimism, official site or its court filings through Stretto.

8
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 Events GUIDE
EMAIL YOUR INFO TO: [email protected]

various categories.

north Visit kumeuhotrodfestival.co.nz for tickets and

more details.
20–24 March 2025
ISLAND Repco Beach Hop 25
22–25 January — 25th Anniversary
9 November Cruise Martinborough Whangamatā
Takapuna Rocks Martinborough It’s the big one! Beach Hop is celebrating
The Strand, Takapuna Join us for the annual Cruise Martinborough, a 25 years of rock ’n’ roll, hot rods, and classic
Hitting the beachside hub of Takapuna this hot rod, classic, and muscle car event showcasing cars, and this year promises to be the biggest
summer is Takapuna Rocks, which will line the vehicles from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and before. Enjoy yet. From the nostalgic sounds of the ’50s and
streets with rock ’n’ roll, classic cars, hot rods, four days of cruising, car shows, live music, and ’60s to the incredible show of over 1000 cars
pin-ups, and a vintage market, with plenty of great food — open to all American, Australian, V8, from all around New Zealand, this five-day event
food stalls, trade stalls, and refreshments on and generally cool cars. is an unmissable celebration of retro culture.
offer. For more information, head over to the Registration is open now; entry is $139 per vehicle. Beach Hop kicks off with the usual jaw-dropping
Takapuna Rocks Facebook page. For more information, visit cruisemartinborough. classic car convoy, plus themed events like
co.nz or email [email protected]. the Retro Caravan Show and Miss Beach Hop
competition. There’s live music, vintage markets,

19–21 January 2025 and even a drive-in movie night to top it all off.

Kumeu Hot Rod Festival 8–9 February 2025 Make sure you’ve got your tickets and join the
celebrations for this milestone 25th anniversary!

Kumeū Showgrounds Morrinsville Motorama Head to beachhop.co.nz for details and tickets.

Get ready for one of New Zealand’s biggest

Morrinsville
classic car and hot rod events! The Kumeu Get ready for the annual Morrinsville Motorama,
Classic Car & Hot Rod Festival is back, bringing hosted by the Yankee Haulers Hot Rod Club.
a weekend packed with everything from over The weekend kicks off with a Mystery Cruise and
1500 classic cars and hot rods, drag racing drive-in movie on Saturday, followed by the big
displays, and live Kiwi rock ’n’ roll bands to automotive show and swap meet on Sunday at
hundreds of trade sites and swap meet stalls. Morrinsville Recreation Ground. Open to all hot
There’s even a vintage caravan park for those rods, classics, muscle cars, vans, caravans, bikes,
who want to truly soak in the atmosphere. and trucks. Prizes up for grabs include Best Bike,
The weekend’s highlights include the crowd- Best Truck, Top 5 Choice, and Best Caravan.
favourite drag car fire-ups, where you can Don’t miss the Miss Retro Motorama and live
experience the raw power of nitro first entertainment. For more info, check out the
hand, and plenty of prizes up for grabs in Yankee Haulers Facebook page.

16 February 2025 roll dance party, Retro Beauty Pageant,

south Top of the South Motor Show and the big Caroline Bay Rock and

ISLAND 2025
Hop car parade, there’s something for
everyone.
With live music and prizes throughout
Waimea College, Richmond the weekend, it’s the perfect excuse to
24 November Gear up for the annual Top of the South dress up, cruise in style, and soak up the

Otago Community Hospice Motor Show! Taking place at Waimea

College, this event showcases the region’s
retro vibes. Plus, all proceeds go to South
Canterbury Hospice!

Charity Cruise & Car Show finest hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars, and
motorbikes. With a variety of vehicles on
For more information and tickets, visit
www.carolinebayrockandhop.co.nz
Hancock Park, Saint Kilda, Dunedin display, live entertainment, food stalls, and
Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Otago prize giveaways, it’s the perfect day out for
Community Hospice Charity Cruise & Car Show!
If your car is road legal and unique, it’s eligible to
car enthusiasts and families alike.
Proceeds from the event go toward 21–23 March 2025
join the cruise. Come and enjoy some great cars
and sounds by Foxy Tunes.
supporting local charities, so bring the whole
crew and enjoy a day of motoring fun!
Twizel Show ’n’ Shine
Entry is $10 per person. Gates open at 9am. For more information, check out top-of-the- The Twizel Show n Shine is set for March
Call or text Ken at 0210 2739 906 or visit the south-motor-show on Facebook 21–23, 2025! Join in for a weekend
event’s Facebook page. celebrating vintage and classic vehicles
against the stunning backdrop of Twizel.

Editor’s Pick KOTAGO COMMUNITY 14–17 March 2025 The fun kicks off with a Friday night
cruise, followed by the main event on
HOSPICE CHARITY CRUISE & CAR SHOW
Caroline Bay Rock and Hop 2025 Saturday at the Combined Services Club
on Ohau Road. Entry is free for visitors to
Timaru admire a fantastic lineup of cars.
The ultimate ’50s and ’60s nostalgia This family-friendly event offers activities
festival is back at Caroline Bay! This for everyone, making it a must-attend
four-day event celebrates the golden era for car enthusiasts. For more details and
of classic cars, rock ‘n’ roll, and vintage updates, check local event listings!
culture, with over 800 classic cars and For more information, check out Twizel
caravans expected. Featuring a rock ’n’ Show n Shine on Facebook

10
BALL JOINTS KONI SHOCKS SWAY BAR BUSHES
BODY / SUBFRAME KYB SHOCKS SWAY BAR LINKS
MOUNTS PITMAN ARMS TIE ROD ENDS
BUMP STOPS RACK ENDS WHEEL HUBS &
COUPLINGS SILICONE HOSES WHEEL BEARINGS
ENGINE MOUNTS SPRINGS
HARMONIC BALANCERS STRUT MOUNTS
s t s
H&R SPRINGS SUPERPRO BUSH KITS

i a li
IDLER ARMS
KING SPRINGS
SUSPENSION ARMS
SUSPENSION BUSHES
pe c
S
1955 CHEV SPORT COUPE

SEVEN YEARS AGO, RUSS MCINTYRE

SET OUT TO BUILD THE BEST TRI-
FIVE CHEV THAT HE COULD — HERE’S
THE FINISHED PRODUCT, WHICH
WELL AND TRULY LIVES UP TO
EXPECTATIONS!
WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: GLEN MCNAMARA

12
 t’s hard to find a more iconic American car than
a Tri-Five Chev. Not just here in New Zealand but
around the globe, the 1955–’57 Chevs have stood
the test of time and excelled across almost all
automotive disciplines: drag racing, circuit racing,
shows — you name it, there’s nothing that the
Tri-Five Chevs haven’t done. Of course, this means that
building one to stand out from the rest is no small task.
South Auckland’s Russ McIntyre knew that, though,
when he embarked on building the ultimate 1955
Sport Coupe back in 2016. Russ had owned and built a
number of Tri-Fives over the years, and, from the outset,
he was determined for this one to be the culmination of
his years of knowledge, experience, and ideas.
With his previous award-winning 1955 Sport Coupe
sold, he began the hunt for a decent shell to start the
project with. He didn’t need to look too far, as the
now-late Steve Foster had just the thing. The body was
somewhat tired but rust-free, and all the important bits
were there. And whatever wasn’t there, Russ knew he
wouldn’t need anyway, as almost every component
would be either repaired, replaced, or modified during
the six-and-a-half-year build process.
Having owned and operated American Car
Maintenance and Enhancement (Acme) for many years,
Russ had set up the ultimate home workshop, which
came in handy when he closed the doors not just to

14
 SPEC
1955 CHEV
SPORT COUPE
ENGINE: 540ci big block Chev,
Dart tall-deck block, Eagle crank, ACL
bearings, ATI balancer, Eagle H-beam
rods, Carrillo Bullet series pistons, Melling
oil pump, hydraulic roller cam, Crower
lifters, AFR 345cc alloy heads, beehive
valve springs, T&D shaft mount rockers,
Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap manifold, Holley
Sniper injection, Aeromotive Stealth fuel
pump, Aeromotive regulator, Ice ignition,
Taylor leads, three-inch stainless exhaust,
Vibrant Performance clamp system, Borla
mufflers, custom crossflow radiator
DRIVELINE: GM TH400 transmission,
heavy-duty clutches and sprag, Transgo
400 Pro shift kit, Dominator 2500rpm
stall converter, Gearvendors overdrive,
Ford nine-inch diff, 31-spline axles, alloy
head, 3.9:1 final drive, Truetrac centre,
custom driveshaft with heavy-duty yokes
SUSPENSION: Art Morrison double
A-arm front end, triangulated four-link
rear, QA1 coilovers, 650-pound front
springs, 450-pound rear springs,
adjustable sway bars
BRAKES: Under-dash pedal box,
Wilwood six-pot front callipers, Wilwood
four-pot rear callipers, Wilwood rotors
WHEELS/TYRES: 15x6-inch and
15x10-inch Billet Specialties wheels,
Hankook 215/65R15 front tyres,
28x12x15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman
rear tyres
EXTERIOR: Reshaped doors,
reshaped rear guards, hidden fuel filler,
recessed licence plate, Spies Hecker
Boyd Red paint
CHASSIS: Art Morrison GT Sport,
C-notched rear end, remounted
rear shocks
INTERIOR: Modified ’65 Impala
bucket seats, Billet Specialties
steering wheel, B&M Quickshifter,
Classic Instruments dash, Autometer rev
counter, custom four-point roll cage,
removable inner firewall, electric heater,
deleted heater controls, Retrosound
head unit, Audioson speakers, Audioson
subwoofer, Audioson amplifier
PERFORMANCE: Untested
A SMARTER
MOVE TO
SIMPLY
SWAP IT
OUT FOR A
BRAND-
retire but to focus specifically on this build. Even with the four-link rear end and a double A-arm–style front
majority of the work being taken care of by Russ at home, suspension assembly. It’s well known that the Morrison
he’s still hugely grateful to all those who have helped front ends take their geometry from late-model Corvettes,
along the way. This included calling in a lot of favours that which is appropriate given the performance that the car

NEW ART he was owed for helping out others on their builds over
the decades that he’s been involved in the game.
From the outset, he knew that, rather than modifying
now offers. Russ matched the performance geometry
with QA1 coilovers and opted for 650-pound front springs
and 450-pound rear springs. An added advantage of the

MORRISON the original 1955 chassis, it was a smarter move to simply

swap it out for a brand-new replacement Art Morrison
item. When placing the order with the legendary chassis
modern chassis was the adjustable sway bars that it came
fitted with, and that’s before looking at the fit and finish
of the chassis itself, which was supplied almost ready

ITEM
manufacturer, he specified that the rear rails needed to for paint — the ‘almost’ being due to Russ making some
be notched to allow for the pro-street-style rubber that tweaks to the rear end to suit his own taste and adding
would later be fitted. He also requested a fully adjustable various mounts and brackets for fuel and brake lines.

16
 REFLECTION
SEEKER

It’s not just about the look; it’s about the legacy. Let your shine tell the story, one reflection at a time.
Whether it’s a methanol-sucking burnout machine, a belly-scraping boulevard cruiser, or a
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bumper to bumper, roof to tyre tread, inside and out.
With a specific product for every surface and application, trust Autoglym to clean, condition and
protect your ride before the next cruise or show, and make sure it looks as good as it goes.

Get yours from Supercheap Auto, Repco, and all good auto stores.

Search Autoglym New Zealand to see more of the range and where to buy.
 While Russ was working away on the chassis, he had with straps polished to a mirror-like finish, along with many
Steve Benge work his magic on the engine combo. There other undercarriage components, including the three-inch
was no way that the car was ever going to run anything but stainless exhaust and Borla mufflers.
a big block Chev. For this, Steve started with a new Dart Wanting nothing less than perfection, Russ made sure
tall-deck block and undertook the required machine work that every nut and bolt used on the undercarriage was
to allow it to be fitted with an Eagle crank, Eagle H-beam either plated, polished, or painted before final installation.
rods, and Carrillo Bullet series pistons. ACL Race Series Long before completion, however, Russ had to work his
bearings were used to keep it spinning smoothly, while an magic on the body. This involved resetting the firewall
ATI Performance Products balancer was added up front. for engine and gear-box clearance, along with tidying up
For a mix of performance and reliability, Russ opted for a the rest of the engine bay. During this process, the brake
hydraulic roller cam along with Air Flow Research (AFR) master cylinder was relocated under the dash, along with
345cc alloy heads filled with Crower lifters, beehive valve a custom pedal assembly made by Terry Bowden.
springs, and T&D Machine Products shaft-mounted While the work in the engine bay is evident, the subtle
rockers. reshaping of the car’s rear quarters is less obvious but
Well aware that with a foundation like this includes the rear wheel openings being raised an inch.
the rest of the recipe needed to be right While the car is covered in what is undoubtedly a high-
to get the desired output, an Edelbrock end paint job, it’s not exactly what you’d think. Russ’s good
Air-Gap manifold was next on the mates Dean Coley and Red (Darryl Crosby) are both well
shopping list along with a Holley known painters, who are both off the tools these days, but
Sniper fuel injection system. Yes, both performed their fair share of work on the ’55. With
while at a glance it may look Dean working every spare moment, the process was huge.
like a carburettor, the Sniper This was further extended by the Spies Hecker Boyd Red
system retains the ease of paint covering every surface of the body, chassis, most of
fitment of a carburettor the engine bay, and even drivetrain components.
but with the reliability and Even the roll cage has been painted the same hue,
performance of an EFI although that’s far from the most impressive work on the
set-up. Of course, it did interior. Richard Howe at Richard Howe Upholstery was
mean that a high-pressure called on to work his magic. Russ went to Richard with a
fuel system was required, very clear vision, even providing photos and diagrams, and
but to keep this simple Richard delivered exactly what he was after. While these
and tidy, an Aeromotive cars typically come with bench seats, in this instance,
Stealth in-tank fuel pump Russ opted for buckets from a ’65 Impala. The remaining
was fitted. The tank itself is a interior components read like a shopping list of all the right
custom-fabricated drop tank parts, including a Billet Specialties steering wheel, B&M
that has been held in place Quickshifter, and Classic Instruments dash. A closer look

18
 SPIES
HECKER
BOYD RED
PAINT
COVERING
EVERY
SURFACE
 reveals deleted heater controls for a cleaner finish and gone into perfecting the driveline. That included building
that what appears to be a stock head unit is actually a a GM TH400 transmission with heavy-duty clutches
Retrosound item with Bluetooth connectivity and all the and sprag, a Transgo 400 Pro shift kit, and a Dominator
latest features. This head unit works with a high-end audio 2500rpm stall converter. Behind this is a Gearvendors
system featuring Audioson components and high-quality overdrive along with a custom driveshaft built by Russell
wiring. Like all the fabrication work on the car, Russ even at Driveshaft Specialists that feeds into a nine-inch diff.
built the frame that holds the subwoofer in place. For peace of mind, Russ filled the diff with 31-spline axles,
The real impressive metalwork is in the structure of a Truetrac centre, and a 3.9:1 final drive.
the boot itself. Not only did Russ, Red, and Dean spend Russ’s goal from the outset of the build was to create
countless hours smoothing and filing the underside of the ultimate ’55, a car that he could be proud of as the
the trunk lid, but they then set about doing the same with pinnacle of ’55 ownership. With a high-end finish, the
the side panels. The amount of effort put into this work right stance, countless custom touches, and immense
is immense, yet it’s all been done with the aim of making power, we’d say that’s a job well done.
it appear factory-made, something that it’s far from. As
the wheel tubs are hidden behind the trim panel, you
wouldn’t notice that the tubs themselves have been

DRIVER enlarged to accommodate the car’s 28x12x15

Mickey Thompson Sportsman rear tyres.

RUSS MCINTYRE These tyres are fitted on 15x10 Billet

Specialties rims, which are matched
AGE: 61
with 15x6s of the same model
OCCUPATION: Engineer up front. Both sets are paired
PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: with Willwood callipers and
’55 Chev four-door, ’63 Bel Air, ’68 RS/
SS Camaro, ’57 Chev Sport Coupe, ’32
the largest vented rotors
Ford Coupe, ’32 Ford pickup, ’55 Chev that Russ could fit within
Sport Coupe, Ford 100E Anglia the rims.
DREAM CAR: ’55 Sport Coupe While the car hasn’t
WHY THE ’55? I like the look been dyno tested yet,
BUILD TIME: Six-and-a-half years Russ’s experience
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: with high-powered
Eight years cars allows him
RUSS THANKS: My wife Karen, to gauge its
Scotty, Kris, Darryl, Deano, Red, Chad,
performance. He
Steve, Ross, Hunter, Neil, Luke, Bo,
Darryl Bone, Brian Bennett, Clive and claims that what’s
Vicky, Al Shadwick, Vaughan Walters, more impressive
Terry Bowden, Darren Van Ness, Nikki,
than the sheer
Terry Sims, Lee, Derek P, Greg, and
many others; Richard Howe Upholstery; power (which is, by
Driveshaft Specialists, Scotts Metal works; the way, impressive)
R3 Fabrications; Wired Electrical;
is just how drivable
High Performance Coatings;
Franklin Bearings; Wallace Heron; the car is. It starts
Repco Pukekohe; Counties Exhausts; readily, idles smoothly
Super Signs; Terry’s Chassis Shoppe;
in traffic, but can fry
Chuck’s Restoration Supplies;
Advanced Four Wheel Equipment; the tyres in the blink
Al’sBlowerDrives;RevolutionDynoCentre; of an eye. This is partly
Lasertech; PG Hydraulics
thanks to the work that’s

20
2024 RUST ’N’ DUST

IF IT’S CHROME, SHINY PAINT, AND IMMACULATE BODYWORK

YOU ARE AFTER, YOU ARE AT THE WRONG EVENT
WORDS AND PHOTOS: ROD DUNN

ith close to 55 entries this year, Rust ’n’ Dust The first of the entries started arriving around 9am,
proved to be a fun-filled day of thrills, spills, getting their choice of parking spots. Entry has usually been
and laughter. Hosted by Ben and Jaime Winter free, with all the costs of the day covered by running a
on their Sefton property in North Canterbury, raffle, but all the work and effort involved saw some minor
the event has always focused on being a changes made to this year’s event, the raffle making way
laid-back day of fun, set around minimal rules, for a $30 entry charge — a small price to pay for such an
ensuring a great time is had by all. awesome day of entertainment.

22
 The day usually starts with a pre-race chat where
the rules for the day are explained. ‘Rules’ is probably
too strong a word, though — they are viewed more as
pieces of advice, as the Redneck Ranch still believes in
common sense. Once the Ts had been crossed and the
Is dotted, racing began with Eamon Barrett, in his Ford
Single Spinner, being first onto the track. He laid down
a respectable 33.81s. Due to the drought in Canterbury
this year, the track was hard and dry compared with last
year, when the circuit was cut up into mud as the day
progressed due to all the rain the previous week.
With each driver having as many runs as they liked,
and with the track living up to the event name, the air
was soon filled with dust as the day progressed – not
that anyone cared; it simply added to the spectacle. Last
year’s winner, Dave Whitfield, was back to defend his title
in his bright yellow T-bucket. The best he could do was
a 26.60s, which wasn’t enough for him to remain at the
top. Also back was 2022 winner Kevin Patrick in his little
roadster, but he could only manage a best of 24.16s for
his efforts. Kevin, who travels up from Dunedin each

Here is something not seen much these days — a

Kiwi-built Trekka. Built on a Czech Skoda Octavia
chassis, the Trekka was built in New Zealand between
’66 and ’72. Dave Addison, along with friends Max,
Adam, and Michelle, put this one together over the
two weeks leading up to the event just to have some
fun. Inherited in exchange for some labour at his
restoration shop, Dave and the crew extended the
chassis by 250mm and threw in a 4.1-litre (250ci)
engine that they pulled from an XE Falcon ute
 BEN’S
WINNING
TIME BACK
IN ’21 STILL
HASN’T year to take part, certainly makes the most of his time on
the track, and that little roadster gets one hell of a workout
Looking back at previous winners of the event, what is
interesting is that Ben’s winning time back in ’21 still hasn’t

BEEN as he decorates the air with rooster tails of dust and dirt.
He certainly knows how to entertain the spectators and
scare the shit out of his passengers.
been beaten, even by this year’s eventual winner, Ambrose
Niv Cotterell on his 1994 Harley-Davidson, who put down
a 23.66, and Ben was driving the heaviest car that has

BEATEN
We also saw the return of local rodder Ben Johnson, attended Rust ’n’ Dust. Some might say that it could be
who once again put his ’51 Cadillac through its paces but seen as an advantage being on a bike competing against
was unable to repeat his winning time of 22.20s that saw cars, but it wasn’t, as Muzz Watkins was right on his tail in
him win the title in 2021. The best he could manage for his much-modified Model A coupe, with a best of 23.88s
the day was a 25.30. for the day.

Ambrose Niv Cotterell took out the top

honours this year by setting the fastest
time of 23.66 on his 1994 Harley-Davidson
Sportster 883. Scored just over two years
ago with the over-length front forks,
Ambrose has modified the rest of the
bike using parts he had lying around. The
knobbly tyres were fitted for last year’s
event to have fun with. “It was soooo much
fun to ride like that, I just left it like that,”
says Ambrose

24
 One of the happiest little
guys around was young
Harry, son of the hosts. He
had a ball getting to steer
the ’59 Chev wagon of
Melissa Hannan, another
regular at the event
 One of the most entertaining parts of the event was
the Pig ’n’ Ford race. The race was inspired by a real-life
occurrence on a Tillamook County road in Oregon in
1925, when two locals in their Model T Ford chased and
returned a runaway pig to the farm from which it had
escaped. The sequence of events was enough to inspire
two guys to come up with the idea of holding a race at
the local fair in 1925, and it’s been held every year since.
This, for some, was the highlight of Rust ’n’ Dust, but we
aren’t so sure what the pigs thought, ha ha.
As well as those who turn up to race, there are always
a number of spectators with their cool rides who turn up
to watch. This makes for a mini car show itself, but if it’s
clean and shiny you are looking for, you’ve come to the
wrong place, as by day’s end, most of the cars are covered
in a layer of dust courtesy of the racers.
As in previous years, camping was provided and
encouraged for those who wanted to enjoy a drink or

Muzz and Cathy Watkins own and drive this much-modified 1929 Model A coupe. Running a very stout 383ci
Chev and four-speed, Muzz put down the fastest time of the day for a car, 23.88s. This thing is crazy, and Muzz
drove it like he had stolen it, spitting out rooster tails of dirt on every corner

26
MOVING YOUR WORLD
WIDE RANGE OF 20L ENGINE OILS
FOR EVERY KIWI RIDE

YOUV ISIT
R LOCA
BNT STO L
TO FIND RE
MOREOUT

TITAN GT1 FLEX C23 5W-30: COVERS ACEA C2/C3

AND API SP REQUIREMENTS IN ONE PRODUCT. IDEAL
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AND HILUX
Not all the cars that turn up at Rust ’n’ Dust make their way onto the track. Deane Croker travelled
up with a group from Dunedin in his cool-looking 1954 Chev. Bought from his brother as an three and didn’t want to drive. For those who weren’t
unfinished project, the Chev now sports a 350/350 combo, new independent front end, and airbags too tipsy and can remember, Mother Nature came a
all round calling at 10pm by putting on one of the best aurora
displays seen in quite some years. This one was so
spectacular that it was plainly visible with the naked
eye, sending the sky into amazing colours of red
and green.
Such a fantastic day of racing and this display are
fairly hard to top, but add in being surrounded by
friends, great music, and your favourite choice of drink,
and life really can’t get much better.

28
1986 VK HOLDEN COMMODORE

BUY IT, CAM IT,

DRIVE IT, SELL IT …
APPARENTLY
WORDS: SHANE WISHNOWSKY
PHOTOS: LEO BATGER

30
 ime and time again, we receive spec sheets and
stories back from feature car owners, and the
same phrase pops up: “The plan was to just give
it a bit of a tidy up for the summer and enjoy
it.” Usually that means the build went in the
exact opposite direction to what the owner had
originally planned. We could fill an entire magazine
with cars that have taken this all too familiar route (oh,
that’s right, we already do). This blinding white VK is no
exception, so can be added to the very, very long list of
build plans that have gone spectacularly wrong.
Around seven years ago, Adam Wilson found himself
looking for something to chuck in the shed. He says,
“I bought it to build a cheap, V8 summer cruiser. The
original plan was to put in a cammed 308, lower it a bit,
and put some wheels on it, enjoy it for a while, before
flicking it off.” While this plan was good in theory, it
ended up being poor in execution, as, at the end of the
day, he just couldn’t help himself, and seven years later,
he ended up with, arguably, one of the cleanest and
toughest VK Commodores in the country.
The VK was found on Trade Me in Wairarapa; it ticked
all the right boxes for his ‘budget summer cruiser build’,
so he bought it sight unseen. Remember, at this stage
the list of planned upgrades was still relatively short
and sensible.

32
 SPEC
1986 VK HOLDEN COMMODORE
ENGINE: L98 6.0-litre LS ex–2013 SSV Commodore, stock rotating
assembly, stock LS3 rectangle port heads, stock block, upgraded
high-flow oil pump, high-lift cam, new valve springs, BTR intake
manifold, custom intake pipe, filter in guard, custom in-boot fuel
cell, Holley high-volume drop-in pump, custom fuel hard lines,
Aeroflow Automotive plumbing, stock L98 coils mounted under
dash, Castlemaine Rod Shop headers, custom three-inch pipes, two
Adrenalin R mufflers, PWR radiator core, custom end tanks, Haltech-
controlled electric water pump, 16AN radiator pipes, Haltech Nexus
R5 ECU, Haltech PDM, eight-button keypad
DRIVELINE: Tremec T56 six-speed manual, heavy-duty clutch,
Ford nine-inch diff, Currie Engineering third member, 31-spline axles,
modified VE SSV driveshaft
SUSPENSION: (F) Custom coilover; (R) Viking three-way
adjustable coilover, custom four-link; rose joints throughout
BRAKES: (F) Custom AP six-piston with custom machined rotor
hats, brackets, and hubs; (R) custom AP four-piston with custom
machined rotor hats, brackets, and hubs
WHEELS/TYRES: (F) Simmons FR-1 three-piece 19x8-inch
wheels (custom offset) and 245/35/R19 Michelin tyres; (R) Simmons
FR-1 three-piece 20x11-inch wheels (custom offset) and 305/30/R20
Michelin tyres
EXTERIOR: Factory body lines, tubs, and tunnel to suit the wheels
and rear axle assembly
CHASSIS: Full custom rear chassis rails, chassis notched
INTERIOR: Fishnet Recaro front seats retrimmed in suede, custom
diamond stitching, custom rear seats, Momo steering wheel, Momo
shifter, shifter relocation kit, Haltech iC-7 dash, custom 3D-printed
surround, retrimmed factory VK dashboard, custom centre console,
custom door panels, custom parcel shelf, custom boot trims, suede
pillar trims, suede hood lining
PERFORMANCE: 550hp at the crank
 REQUIRED “I never planned for it to be this crazy, but when
I bought the three-piece Simmons wheels, I had to
modify everything to make them fit, and if I was going
to modify everything, I figured it was worth doing once,
grew larger by the day as they were carefully removed
from the car, never to be put back on.
As you can imagine, the modifications to the body
and chassis are quite substantial. The factory bodylines

THE LIBERAL and doing right,” he says. You’ll hear no arguments from
this corner with that change of plan, Adam.
The wheels in question are a set of Simmons FR-1s
have been retained, so, from the outside, it’s all Holden
Australia VK Commodore; however, under its skirt, it’s a
whole different story.

USE OF AN
— arguably the quintessential wheel for an Aussie street Getting those massive wheels and tyres under the
machine. Measuring 19x8 inches at the front and a rear guards involved the liberal use of an industrial-
gigantic 20x11 inches at the back, it’s no wonder that sized can opener. Once the original little ones had been
everything went rapidly sideways, as trying to fit these removed, the much larger set of rear ones was glued in

INDUSTRIAL-
monsters onto each end of a standard VK Commodore with sparks, electricity, and fire. The old banjo diff was
just ain’t happening without some serious surgery. never going to survive, so was quickly chucked in favour
With the tame summer cruiser idea binned, a much of a Mike Bari–built nine-inch diff, stuffed with a Currie
more comprehensive (and no doubt more expensive) third member and 31-spline axles. Completing the rear

SIZED CAN list of ideas was compiled to change the Commodore end set-up is a custom four-link arrangement.
from mild to wild. The pile of unwanted bits and pieces To help keep the Commodore as low to the road

OPENER

34
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 WAYNE
as possible while still retaining the correct suspension We all know the popularity of the LS platform has
geometry meant that the rear chassis rails had to be exploded in recent years, and the list of go-fast bits for
chopped off and replaced with custom ones, along them is huge. A 2013 Commodore SSV kindly donated its
with some notching here and there to make sure motor and box to the build, with all engine work handled
everything fitted and worked as it should. Matt and co. at
Pariah Custom Werks have certainly earned their keep with
all the custom parts they have designed, made, modified,
by Wayne at Protune. The stock L98 6.0-litre (364ci) block
retains its factory rotating assembly, aside from a custom-
grind high-lift camshaft. The LS3 rectangle port heads MANAGED
and fitted to the VK.
Up front, a set of custom coilovers has been fitted
to keep the front end firmly in check. Stopping duties
have received a new set of valve springs, retainers, and
pushrods to cope with the increased lift.
Screwed between the heads is a Brian Tooley Racing TO SQUEEZE
550 HORSES
are handled by AP Racing discs and callipers on all four (BTR) intake manifold that draws air via a custom intake
corners, and six pistons on the front and four on the rear. tube with a filter hidden in the inner fender. The stock coil
Custom machined rotor hats, brackets, and hubs have packs have been relocated under the dash, making for
also found their way into the mix, as there was no way a clean and uncluttered engine bay. Wayne managed to
anything that came out of the GM factory was going to be
even close to fitting. Steven and Darryl Walker from Scope
Engineering Solutions wore out more than a few blades,
squeeze 550 horses out of the combo, which is controlled
via a Haltech Nexus R5 and power distribution module
(PDM). A set of Castlemaine Rod Shop LS-into-VK headers,
OUT OF THE
drill bits, and hole saws machining all the necessary brake
and suspension bits and pieces.
three-inch piping, and a set of Adrenalin R mufflers
transfer the burnt gases to the atmosphere, along with
COMBO

36
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38
 announcing to everyone in the immediate vicinity that dash, keeping an eye on all things vital. Nestled between

DRIVER Adam has arrived at his destination!

When it came to the body, Adam opted for the clean
the seats is a custom centre console, a perfect place
to house the Haltech eight-button keypad. All of the
ADAM WILSON look — it’s hard to make a statement with a white car, but
Adam and the entire Greenpark Panel & Paint team have
factory wiring is now no longer — Matthew Jones from
Elite Motors Mechanical and Auto Electrical ripped it all
AGE: 40
nailed it. The exterior of the car is flawless; the panel gaps out and snaked new cables from back to front, connecting
OCCUPATION: Owner,
Greenpark Panel & Paint are better than factory as is the mirror-finish paintwork. the Haltech to everywhere it needed to be. Leather and
PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: What a talented bunch of guys he has in his team, and he suede have also found their way onto the door cards,
Too many, but nothing worth noting can’t thank them enough for the hours of work they put A-pillar mouldings, headlining, parcel tray, and boot linings,
DREAM CAR: 1969 Chevrolet in with the panel and paint — it really takes the build to a finishing off the interior nicely.
Camaro whole new level. Now, Adam is the first to admit that this car “is not
WHY THE COMMODORE? Inside is just as impressive as the outside. A pair of exactly my dream car, but it comes close”, and if it wasn’t
Bought it to build a cheap, V8 for the support and encouragement of his wife Naomi
fishnet Recaro front seats have been retrimmed in black
summer cruiser. Original plan was to
put in a cammed 308, lower it, put suede and finished in a tasteful diamond pattern by Elroy at and the kids, it would never have happened. He also
some wheels on it, and enjoy it for a Luxstitcht. The rear bench has been trimmed to match and says, when it comes to people to thank, “There are way
while before flicking it off. But as with extensively reshaped to accommodate the rear tubs. The too many to list, but they know who they are, and I’d
every project, it eventually snowballed
into what you see today. I’ve always factory VK dash has been retained and given the leather like to thank all of them for helping me build such an
wanted to build a car that I could and suede treatment; however, the factory gauge cluster epic machine!” We’d like to thank them too — you’ve all
drive on the street, take it to events, has not. A custom 3D-printed surround has been slipped helped build a hell of a car, and one that anybody would
and in general enjoy with my family.
Even though it’s not exactly my dream into where it used to reside and filled with a Haltech iC-7 be proud to park in their shed.
car, it comes very close!
BUILD TIME: Seven years
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP:
Seven years
THIS CAR’S HISTORY: Bought
sight unseen off Trade Me from a
bloke down in Masterton
THANKS: I’d like to thank my
partner, Naomi, and my kids, for
all the support and hard work — it
wouldn’t have been the car that it
is if it wasn’t for their support and
motivation; the entire Greenpark
Panel & Paint team, for all panel
and paint; Matt at Pariah Custom
Werks, for all the custom parts;
Wayne at Protune Automotive,
for engine assembly; Mike Bari at
Nxt Lvl Automotive for the rear end
fabrication; Elroy at Lux Luxstitcht,
for all the interior work; Steven and
Darryl Walker from Scope Engineering
Solutions, for all machined brake-assy
parts, brackets, etc.; Matthew Jones
at Elite Motors Mechanical and Auto
Electrical, for the full rewire of the
vehicle and installation of the Haltech.
There are way too many people to list,
but they know who they are, and I’d
like to thank all of them for helping
me build such an epic machine!
SPECIAL FEATURE READERS’ RIDES

WANT TO GET YOUR CAR IN READERS’ RIDES? FLICK US AN EMAIL

ALONG WITH FOUR TO SIX IMAGES OF YOUR CAR TO [email protected]

R
ick Ankers and his good mate Darrin, better known as Macca’s owned more cars than Rick over the years, as Rick
Macca, have been close friends for years, brought together tends to hang onto his for longer. Macca’s earned the nickname
by their shared love of cars. Over countless garage sessions ‘LMVD’ for his constant turnover. His collection has included
and a fair few beers, they’ve worked on projects side by everything from LH Toranas and SS Commodores to R8 VF
side, turning their passion into something of a tradition. Clubsports and HT Sedans. There was even a jet ski in the mix for
Originally, both Rick and Macca lived in Beach Haven. When a brief stint, but that didn’t last long!
they each sold up and moved, they found themselves as One of Macca’s current rides is a clean, low-mileage VK
neighbours once again in Huapai. Now, they’re still wrenching on Commodore. Originally a six-cylinder, it’s now running a
cars together and hitting up the local car runs and gatherings. cammed 383 with an auto, and it’s an absolute blast to drive —
It’s not just Rick and Macca who are involved — their wives though it gets a bit toasty in the summer.
get in on the action too, often driving one of the cars to events. Macca also recently picked up a tidy VZ ute with a factory LS1
It’s always a head-turner when all four of their cars show and auto. A quick stop at a mate’s workshop saw it lowered and
up together. fitted with a set of 19s, giving it just the right stance.

40
 Rick, on the other hand, has a 1998 HSV VT Senator, sitting low
on 19s and sporting a big-bore exhaust that really brings out its
growl. He bought the car because it’s one of the last true Aussie
classics, powered by a 195kW, injected 304. There’s something
about that engine note that stands apart from the rest.
After Macca turned up with his ute, Rick’s wife decided
that she wanted one for herself, so they added a 2006 VZ SS
ute to the garage. It’s lowered on 20s with a full 2.5-inch
exhaust, headers, Xair Induction, and a mild tune. For its
age, it’s still a tidy ride.
One of their favourite summer weekend cruises
takes them from Huapai to the Liberty Brewery Pub
in Helensville. The drive has a few nice long straights,
perfect for opening the cars up and having a bit of fun.
Rick and Macca’s shared passion for cars — and their
dedication to making sure each build is just right — has
turned into more than just a hobby. It’s a lifestyle, one that
keeps them on the road, in the garage, and always looking
forward to the next great drive.
Good mates and Commodores — you can’t go wrong!
 JIMMY GRINDROD
1996 FORD EF LTD LOCATION: WELLINGTON

B
ack in March 2023, Jimmy Grindrod decided that it The first mods were straightforward: super-low
was time to add some V8 grunt to his life. Browsing King Springs, tints, a new double-DIN head unit, and a
through Trade Me, he stumbled on a well-kept 1996 full audio set-up. But it wasn’t long before the 20-inch
EF LTD, ex-parliamentary, with a stock 302 Windsor Riddler R650 wheels and a custom exhaust system by
under the hood. Drawn by its history and pristine condition Reaper Performance and Exhausts took things to the next
— sheepskin seat covers and all — it was an easy decision to level. Then, a chat over dinner with his mate Cory sparked
make the purchase and start the transformation. the idea to go even wilder.

“THIS ISN’T
EVERYONE’S CUP OF
TEA — BUT IT’S MINE,
AND I LOVE IT”
42
 Two weeks later, a Holley EFI high-rise manifold,
Aeroflow throttle bodies, twin velocity stacks, and more
were delivered, and the team at Llama Engineering
wasted no time installing it all. They fabricated custom
coil holders, set up the cam trigger, installed a
Haltech Elite ECU, and got everything dialled in on
the dyno, adding 40hp. While power wasn’t the
primary goal, it sure made a difference!
The Ford’s maroon paint was starting to
show its age, so a visit to Rick and Ben at
Customs Body Shop was in order. Two months
later, Jimmy got the call: “Car’s ready, bro.”
The transformation was stunningly painted
in Cromax Pro three-layer Cyber Orange
from Ford — the perfect finish landed him the
Best Paint award at the Choice Events Carnival
in Taupō.
Next up? Jimmy’s eyeing a serious engine
build — but don’t expect any LS conversions
here. He’s keeping it Blue Oval all the way.
“This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea — but it’s mine,
and I love it,” he says.

Special thanks going out to Marc and the team at

Llama Engineering; Dylan at Reaper Performance
and Exhausts; Rick, Ben, and the crew at
Customs Body Shop; Cory and Paul at Bridgestone
Wainuiomata; Abtec Audio Petone; Vern and Josh from
Tint a Car Wellington; Chris at Restore FX Wellington;
Julian Cheer, for the certification work.
 MATT WILLIAMS
1979 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK V LOCATION: WELLINGTON

W
hen you think of American luxury land yachts, the
1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V is hard to beat — and
Matt Williams’ Bill Blass Edition is a prime example.
With only 6700 made, this big-bodied cruiser was one
of the most expensive cars you could buy in the States back in
the day, and it came loaded with everything under the sun.
Matt’s Lincoln was in pristine, original condition when he
got his hands on it, showing just 35,000 miles on the clock.
Now, after a few years of cruising Wellington’s streets, that
number’s ticked up to around 38,000. But Matt didn’t stop at
just keeping it stock — he gave it his own flair.
First off, the Lincoln’s stance has been brought down to
earth, thanks to a lowered suspension sitting on 20-inch That’s right, the 400M (Cleveland-based) under the hood
genuine Detroit Steel wheels, colour-matched to the car’s has been fully built and stroked to 408ci, with a whole host of
body. It’s not just about looks, though, as Matt added new goodies to boot. Roller everything, high-compression pistons
front and rear sway bars to keep the body roll in check sourced from TMeyer in the States, a Comp Cams set-up, and
around corners. a Pertronix ignition system make sure that she’s firing on all
cylinders. The Edelbrock AVS2 carb feeds the engine, while the
only thing left original is the block itself. A custom aluminium
radiator with twin fans helps keep it cool, while the power gets
sent through a C6 transmission and a full Flowmaster dual
2.5-inch exhaust system delivers that unmistakable V8 rumble.
Matt’s Lincoln doesn’t just turn heads — it’s unique. “You
don’t see any others like it at car shows,” he says, and with all
the work he’s done, it’s easy to see why.
Inside, things remain largely stock, with plush blue leather
seats and classic woodgrain trim giving off that ’70s luxury
vibe. The stereo’s been upgraded for modern tunes, but
otherwise, the Lincoln is a time capsule of American
excess. This thing came loaded from the factory, with
everything from electric seats, cruise control, and
heated mirrors to a ‘distance to empty’ computer.
Back in ’79, it was more expensive than just about
anything else on the market.
Matt’s done a killer job putting his own stamp
on this classic, while keeping the spirit of the
Lincoln alive. With its custom touches and
that 408ci under the hood, this isn’t just a
luxury car — it’s a show-stopping cruiser with
serious attitude.
This Lincoln’s got presence and power
in spades.

44
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Harbour
1971 FORD XY FALCON

WITH 572CI OF BIG BLOCK AND

A PROCHARGER UNDER THE
HOOD, THERE’S MUCH MORE TO
ALAN MESSENGER’S XY THAN
JUST A TOUGH LOOK
WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: LEO BATGER

46
 SPEC
1971 FORD
XY FALCON
ENGINE: 572ci big block Ford,
Ford Racing A460 big block, Scat
4340 steel crank, Scat rods, Wiseco
forged pistons, 9.0:1 compression,
AFR Bullitt CNC ported 3816 heads,
custom Crow Cams hydraulic
roller cam, Crower roller lifters,
T&D shaft-mounted rockers, Trend
pushrods, custom billet intake
manifold, FAST 102mm throttle
body, Tick Performance water-to-air
intercooler, F2 ProCharger, twin intake
pumps, external regulator, Bosch 1650
injectors, Link Storm ECU, LS-style coil
packs, MSD leads, Pacemaker headers,
twin three-inch exhaust, Flowmaster
mufflers, custom radiator, twin Spal
fans, custom water-to-air cooler core,
Mr Gasket electric water pump (EWP)
DRIVELINE: Ford C6 Ridgeback,
2500rpm stall converter, nine-inch
diff, Strange alloy head, chromoly
3.5-inch driveshaft
SUSPENSION: RRS coilover struts,
reset leaf springs, CalTracs bars, Koni
rear shocks, RRS rack-and-pinion
steering, Holden Astra electric
iven that Alan Messenger’s car ownership list 15x6- and 15x10-inch Globes that he opted to fit are power steering
is basically a list of Australia’s all-time greatest about as iconic as the XY shape itself, and the pair go BRAKES: Wilwood manual brake
automotive creations, it should be no surprise together to give exactly the look he was after, thanks in booster, Wilwood four-pot callipers
that he’s ended up with arguably the toughest part to the 275/50R15 rear rubber. Of course, that look is WHEELS/TYRES: 15x6-inch and
XY sedan in the land. He was in the right place at substantially aided by a reduction in the car’s ride height, 15x10-inch Globe wheels, 195/50R15
and 275/50R15 tyres
the right time when the previous owner moved courtesy of some reset leaf springs.
offshore, and since the car already looked the part and Of course, that was just the start though, as Alan EXTERIOR: Toyota Magnetic Gray
paint
was packing a big block under the hood, he knew that it always had plans to make the 460ci big block even
CHASSIS: Strengthened chassis
was the perfect starting point to make it his own. tougher. So, in preparation, he went about replacing the
That process started slowly with a few tweaks to get brakes with a Wilwood package far more suitable for INTERIOR: Race seats, Momo
steering wheel, Haltech iC-7 dash, half
the car looking how he wanted it to, which, given that what was to come. With the mechanicals sorted for the cage, custom dash
he loved the paintwork and overall finish, was focused interim, the car remained in this state, albeit with some PERFORMANCE: 1100hp,
mainly on upgrading the wheels and suspension. The bodywork touch-ups being undertaken. 1035lb·ft

48
HE’S ENDED
UP WITH
ARGUABLY THE
TOUGHEST XY
SEDAN IN THE
LAND
 It wasn’t until life threw Alan a curveball in the form
of a heart attack that the car progressed further. He
tells us, “While heading into theatre for my second lot
of stents, and being told this would be quite tricky,
I jokingly said to the wife, ‘If I survive, can I have a
supercharger?’, and she said yes!” We’re not sure if that
means she really loves him or expected it was a promise
she wasn’t going to need to deliver on, but, needless to
say, he survived, which meant that forced induction was
now on the menu.
It was while he was in Whangamatā at Repco decided to move it on and start fresh. But rather than
Beach Hop 22 that Alan got talking to Steve Walker, just selling the motor itself, he dropped it into an XD
owner of Mike’s Engines, about the best approach to Falcon in an effort to make some extra cash. With
that forced-induction dream. “We went down the Roots the engine gone, Alan then took the opportunity to
blower track but soon realised [that] to get it certified give the XY’s bay a tidy up. Sadly, but not completely
with a mountain blower sticking out of it would be too unexpectedly, this turned to be a can of worms, or
much of a mission,” he tells us, explaining the logic more accurately, a section of rust, when the wiper
behind opting for a procharged combination. cowl was opened up. On the plus side, he had Jordan
Rather than tear down the existing motor, he wisely at Whangarei Autobody on hand to take care of all the

“I JOKINGLY SAID TO THE WIFE, ‘IF I

SURVIVE, CAN I HAVE A SUPERCHARGER?’,
AND SHE SAID YES!”

50
required repairs. While the grinder was out, knowing Research (AFR) Bullitt CNC ported 3816 heads fitted
that the bay needed repainting anyway, the pair also with Crower roller lifters and T&D Machine Products
took the chance to install RRS shock towers to give shaft-mounted rockers. Below these is a set of sturdy
the big block a bit more room. This both enabled Trend pushrods that move to the tune of a custom
and necessitated the installation of RRS coilover camshaft. It’s a serious bit of kit, but it needed to be
front suspension, to which an RRS rack-and-pinion for what was planned to be strapped to the outside
steering assembly was connected. of it. The key piece is obviously the F2 ProCharger,
Meanwhile, not far away, the mother of all big but there’s far more to the package than just that.
block Ford motors was being built. While most Initially, it was put together with a carburettor, but
people associate the ‘572’ moniker with GM a later rethink of the combination saw it adapted to
products, we can assure you that the over-bored feature a Tick Performance water-to-air intercooler
460 block is 100-per-cent Ford Racing. Steve that sits below a custom billet intake manifold.
worked his magic to assemble it with a Scat 4340 The conversion to EFI wasn’t without its share of
steel crank, Scat rods, and Wiseco pistons that challenges, as Alan recalls, “Being an XY, there’s not
offer a boost-friendly 9.0:1 compression ratio. The a lot of room in the engine bay. So we came up with
top end is equally impressive, based on Air Flow the idea of running a water-to-air intercooler – as
 THERE’S
NOTHING LEFT
TO DO BUT
ENJOY WHAT IS
POSSIBLY THE
ULTIMATE XY
STREETER

52
there is no room left with a big block Ford. So we got in combination. Rather than try to butcher the dash, he
touch with Dan at Kiwi CNC in Cromwell. Dan ended up hit up JMB Draft & Design in Australia for one of its DRIVER
ALAN MESSENGER
3D-scanning the AFR manifold that matched the heads custom 3D-printed cluster surrounds. The remainder of
and a Holley LS Hi-Ram top section for it to fit and match the interior is as it was when purchased, which sees a
the Tick Performance intercooler.” The amount of work in half cage out back and race seats up front. Similarly, the AGE: 57
that process shouldn’t be underestimated, and it included driveline was built tough enough from the start to be OCCUPATION: Painter/Decorator
setting up the fuel rails that house 1650cc injectors. able to handle the massive power now thrown at it. That
PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS:
Once completed, the car was taken back to being said, Ian at Advanced Automatics was called on to BA XR8 ute, EF Tickford Fairmont,
Glenn Suckling at GDS Automotive for tuning, while the freshen up the C6 transmission and supply a 2500rpm XY Falcons, XD Falcons, BF Typhoon,
Chev Silverado, VG Valiant, LH Torana,
carburettored set-up had made 989hp and 890lb·ft with stall converter.
LJ Torana
12psi of boost, the EFI combo offered so much more. That Alan has now owned the car for five years, and, over that
DREAM CAR: ’70 Hemi Cuda and
turned out to be an accurate assessment, as the car didn’t time, it’s essentially been through three different phases. too many others to list
just break the 1000hp barrier; it blew past the 1100hp mark! But now, with the look that he loved to begin with and WHY THE FALCON? Loved the
While a Link ECU is now running the show, Alan 1100hp on tap, it’s easy to see why there’s nothing left to staunch look of the car and the fact
decided on a Haltech digital dash to help monitor the do but enjoy what is possibly the ultimate XY streeter. that it had a big block in it
BUILD TIME: Ongoing
LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP:
Five years
ALAN THANKS: Firstly,
my wife; Steve and Casey at
Mike’s Engines; Whangarei Autobody;
Prestige Auto Customs;
GDS Automotive; Advanced
Automatics; MTS Electrical;
Super Natural Auto Electrical;
Quinton at Mag and Turbo Whangarei;
Checkered Flag Automotive
 dragged up DRAG RACING NEWS
PHOTOS: LANCE FARROW, GLYNN HENDERSON

On the IHRA side of things, the team at

NEW SEASON,
Napa Autoparts Dragway have released
what looks to be an action-packed
calendar:
1 November, Nightspeed Drag Wars 1

NEW
A
SERIES
s those on social media will be well aware,
the combined IHRA/NZDRA national series
Super Mod, and Boosted Outlaws, along with
traditional favourites such as Top Alcohol,
9 November, Test & Tune 1
15 November, Nightspeed Drag Wars 2
10 November, Comp. 1
23 November, Test & Tune 2
24 November, Comp. 2 featuring Outlaw 71
won’t take place for the 2024/2025 season. Super Sedan, Super Street, Comp Bike, 6 December, Nightspeed Drag Wars 3
While sadly this announcement has seen Mod Bike, and Screaming Eagle. Junior Dragster 11 January, Wellington Invasion NDRC
passionate racers and supporters become overly is also reported to be getting a shake-up, 18 January, Nightspeed Drag Wars 4
vocal in support of their side, regardless of which with further details on what that means still to 1 February, Comp. 3 including Nitro Funny
side you support, there is a legitimate reason be announced. Car Shoot Out
behind the split. It all comes down to technical 7 February, Nightspeed Drag Wars 5
requirements for chassis construction. We are Series dates have been set as follows, but note 23 February, Comp. 4 including Outlaw 71
happy to stay out of the politics and focus on the that not every round will feature every class. and Vintage Gassers
positive, which is that both sides will continue to 30 November, Super Street Nationals, Tokoroa 1 March, Nightspeed Drag Wars 6
run their own full seasons of racing. 7–8 December, Central Nationals, Masterton 15–16 March, NDRC Grand Final
The NZDRA side sees the introduction of a 30 December, Summer Nationals, Tokoroa 21 March, Nightspeed Drag Wars 7
bunch of new and rejigged categories aimed
4–5 January, Group 1 Nationals, Masterton 13 April, Comp. 5
at getting more bums on seats, both in cars
1 February, Southern Nationals, Motueka 25 April, Nightspeed Drag Wars 8
and on the grandstands. Classes will include
15–16 February, 57th NZ Nationals, Masterton
Pro Mod, Top Sportsman, Comp Eliminator,

D an Kristiansen says that he was always a

big fan of the ‘Pandemonium’ ’65 Dodge
Coronet 500 A/FX gasser. The car was owned
by Darren Selwyn and came to New Zealand
when Darren made the move here from the
UK. Darren campaigned the altered-wheelbase
car here for a while with a 493ci wedge motor,
before disappearing for a time and returning
with a 528-cube Ray Barton Hemi combo. It
was this combo that attracted Dan to the car,
which he’s now proud to call his own.
Having been an avid spectator for years and
a follower of the gasser and nostalgia racing
scene for a long time, all it took was one ride
down the track in the passenger seat of a

ALTERED mate’s car and he was hooked. Being based in

Tauranga means that Napa Autoparts Dragway,

INTENTIONS
Meremere is his home track, and all going to
plan, you’ll see the car out this season as a very
welcomed addition to the Gasser field.

54
 A ndrew Berry’s wicked-looking Chev Nova
may have landed from Australia as a
nitrous radial car, but Bronson Dunne has been
keeping busy putting it back on big tyres. Having
previously raced an F-150 Lightning, it would
be fair to say that Andrew caught the bug, and
now Bronson is deep into getting the car ready
for the upcoming season. As well as some cage
and bar work changes to suit Andrew’s height,
Bronson has helped to fit the 565-cube Shafiroff
big block. Following a recent freshen up by Marsh
Motorsport, the big motor made a reliable 990hp
on the dyno running on C12 fuel. The set-up will
be backed by a Mike’s Transmission Powerglide
and a Neal Chance bolt-together converter.
Running in SS/A, the prediction is that the car
should run somewhere in the eight-second
range, but for now Andrew will be happy with
any single-digit pass, as even that will be a huge
change coming from a two-tonne street car!

NZ’S QUICKEST STREETERS

NAME VEHICLE TIME (S) MPH ENGINE TRIM AS RACED
REECE FISH 1956 CHEV BEL AIR 7.12 205.40 540CI BBC TWIN-TURBO E85, ET STREETS
BEN MORRIS 1969 CHEV CAMARO 7.17 197.79 550CI BBC PROCHARGER SC AVGAS, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
AARON JENKINS 1977 HOLDEN TORANA 7.70 185.21 540CI BBC TWIN-TURBO E85, DOT HOOSIERS
BRENDON SHEARING 1971 HOLDEN HQ MONARO 7.84 185.84 509CI BBC TWIN-TURBO C16, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
DANIEL SOUTHALL 1969 CHEV CAMARO 7.95 182.59 406CI SBC TWIN-TURBO E85, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
STUART GOLDSWORTHY 1969 CHEV CAMARO 7.97 183.54 540CI BBC TWIN-TURBO E85, DOT HOSSIERS
KERRY STEWART 1923 T-BUCKET 8.27 165.17 454CI BBC SC C16, DOT HOOSIERS
MIKE CARLTON 1973 CHEV CORVETTE 8.32 167.49 540CI BBC SC AVGAS, NITROUS, DOT HOOSIERS
WAYNE FOWLER 1967 CHEV CAMARO 8.49 160.81 454CI BBC SC AVGAS, DOT HOOSIERS
GARY BOGAART 1975 FALCON XB COUPE 8.61 158.56 395CI SBF NITROUS C16, EXHAUST REMOVED, ET STREETS
MIKE BARI 1971 CHEV CHEVELLE 8.70 158.97 598CI BBC NITROUS C16, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
TONY RICHARDSON 1946 FORD JAILBAR 8.79 155.82 555CI BBC TWIN-TURBO PUMP GAS, DOT HOOSIERS
ROGER BINNEMA 1968 PONTIAC FIREBIRD 9.09 149.98 540CI BBC NA C16, EXHAUST REMOVED, ET STREETS
TANIA BINNEMA 1968 PONTIAC FIREBIRD 9.17 146.95 540CI BBC NA C16, EXHAUST REMOVED, ET STREETS
ALECK LOVELL 1986 FC RX-7 9.32 150.68 1UZ TURBO E85, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
JUSTIN WEIR 2019 DODGE CHALLENGER 9.34 145.77 6.2L SC E85, MT RADIAL
DARREN RICHES 1954 FORD POP 9.43 141.71 540CI BBC NA PUMP GAS, EXHAUST REMOVED, ET STREETS
SCOTT STINSON 1986 FORD ECONOVAN 9.46 145.86 20B TURBO E85, FULL EXHAUST, MT RADIAL
JAY SINGH 2016 HSV GTS 9.49 144.72 427CI SC E85, ET STREETS
WAYNE GRIMMER 1973 PLYMOUTH CUDA 9.50 142.90 588CI HEMI NA AVGAS, EXHAUST REMOVED, ET STREETS,
Yellow text denotes a new entry or bettered ET.

ROBERT CONLON 1972 CHEV CAMARO 9.51 142.58 540CI BBC NITROUS E85, ET STREETS
DAVID VEA 1965 CHEV IMPALA 9.58 145.00 532CI BBC E85, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIER
SAMUEL GARTH 1971 CHEV EL CAMINO 9.58 137.68 572CI BBC PROCHARGER SC E85, ET STREETS
ASH AZAD 1991 NISSAN SILVIA (S13) 9.69 146.38 RB25 TURBO PUMP GAS, DOT HOOSIER
MARK HUDSON 1973 FORD CAPRI 9.72 139.83 379CI SBF AVGAS, EXHAUST REMOVED, MT SLICKS
CRAIG WALL 1972 CHEV CAMARO 9.74 144.80 400CI SBC SC AVGAS EXHAUST REMOVED, NITROUS
ASHNIL KUMAR 1995 NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R (R33) 9.75 149.70 RB26 TURBO E85, DOT HOOSIERS
JAY MAKA 1979 HOLDEN SUNBIRD 9.87 133.98 572CI BBC NA PUMP GAS, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIERS
SHAHAD KHAN 1998 FD RX-7 9.94 141.95 13B TWIN-TURBO E85, DOT HOOSIERS
GRANT FINN 1996 EL FALCON 9.96 141.13 323CI TURBO LS E85, EXHAUST REMOVED, DOT HOOSIER,
HARLEY DOUGLAS 1968 CHEV CAMARO 9.97 137.01 582CI BBC PUMPGAS,NOS,EXHAUSTREMOVED,DOTHOOSIERS
SCOTT WOOD 2018 AUDI RS3 9.97 135.74 2.5L TURBO PUMP GAS, DOT HOOSIERS
 Drages NZ’S 100 QUICKEST V8 DRAG RACERS
Tim To update your details, email [email protected] Yellow text denotes a new entry or bettered ET / *Currently competing vehicles only listed

GROUP ONE TOP-10 VEHICLES

TOP FUEL SPONSOR VEHICLE ET MPH
Michael Franklin Nitro FC 5.71 260.70
Murray Smith NAPA Nitro FC 5.96 248.80
Karl Boniface Castrol Nitro FC 6.89 206.90
TOP ALCOHOL SPONSOR VEHICLE ET MPH
Tamara Silk Lucas Oil Dragster 5.78 250.00
Jordan Robertson Hutt City Autoworld Dragster 5.85 232.53
Todd Vincent CSRPM Automation Dragster 5.94 230.13
Shane Lodge RPM Automation Dragster 5.98 233.00
Wayne Curry ’27 T-altered 6.15 229.07
Bryan Norman FE Dragster 6.16 223.87
Simon Fowke Funny Car 6.20 226.10
Squig Miles Segedin Truck and Auto Parts Funny Car 6.29 233.96
Bill/Clint Minchington Trident Homes/Auto Trans CHCH Funny Car 6.56 207.00
Andrew Curry T-Altered 6.81 199.52
TOP DOORSLAMMER SPONSOR VEHICLE ET MPH
Barry Plumpton Chev Camaro 5.92 237.42
Gavin Green ’68 Pontiac 6.07 236.90
Nigel Dixon C&R Developments Ford Falcon 6.08 243.00
Trevor Smith Trevor Smith Racing Holden Statesman 6.23 226.00
Kane Douché KND Electrical ’55 Chev 6.33 225.00
Prestney/Dobson Pirtek Taranaki Pontiac Grand Am 6.34 223.00
Steve Carlson Wairarapa Automotive & Engineering Ford Falcon Sprint 6.48 221.74
Benjes/Dillon LA Wellington Shipping ’67 Mustang 6.71 232.59
Bert King ’57 Chev 6.76 203.61
Rex Duckett Total Oil Pontiac GXP 6.83 200.35

GROUP TWO/THREE QUICKEST VEHICLES

Tony Marsh Marsh Motorsport Ford Maverick 6.38 211.49
Bronson Dunne Chickenhawk Motorsport Holden Monaro 6.40 214.89
Grant/Adrian/Nicole Rivers Blu’s Brothers Racing Dragster 6.48 216.80
Craig Griffith Buck Engineering Dragster 6.52 208.36
Stuart Goldsworthy Premier Workshop 63 Corvette 6.59 216.33
Dave Tunnel TPE Racing Dragster 6.63 209.70
Roger Binnema Camaro 6.66 191.48
Raymond/Trent Smyth FE Dragster 6.77 204.14
Alan Hartley New Zealand Home Loans Altered 6.84 187.45
Johnny Burkhart Fasthouse ’70 Plymouth Duster 6.87 194.00
Grant Briffault Tax Time Accounting FE Dragster 6.90 195.09
Dion Crook DB Racecars FE Dragster 6.91 201.10
JD Shepherd FE Dragster 6.94 201.22
Ian Deboo Mayhem Racing Altered 6.96 192.17
Graham Carter 05 Jaguar XKR 6.96 205.22
Ross Brown G.A.S Parua Bay FE Dragster 6.97 197.70
Dean Scott Chev S10 6.98 206.50
Sam Leviene Altered 7.02 192.00
Darren Hayes Funny Car 7.04 198.17
Jason Robertson Altered 7.04 165.00
Adam/Graeme Bates Haltech / SGR Engineering ’66 Vauxhall PC Cresta 7.07 197.89
John Hooper Peko Contracting Chev Nova 7.13 194.99
Graham Carter 05 Jaguar XKR 7.13 182.77
Brent Whittingham ’69 Chev Camaro 7.16 191.92
Gary Bogaart Bran Roberts Towing Ford Falcon 7.16 195.20
Steve Milliken GSS ’36 Chev 7.17 192.60
Vanessa Lilly Rib Rattler Racing 23 T Bucket 7.17 188.25
Shane Ryland Holden Torana 7.18 200.00
Aidan Crook HT Holden Ute 7.21 193.68
Richard McCarthy Altered 7.23 176.86
Gary/Nic Bogaart ’23 T-Altered 7.25 181.52
Gary Sinkinson ’63 Chev Nova 7.25 198.12
Tania Binnema Cylinder Head Services Honda Accord 7.26 194.86
George McCutcheon ’55 Chev 7.27 200.53
Gary/Casey Cawthra Macauley Metals XA Falcon 7.28 168.95
Graham Christison FE Dragster 7.28 179.11
Bobby Owens ’64 Ford Falcon 7.30 190.24
Wayne Tangney Dragster 7.35 181.13
Mark Gapp Pro Parts Willys Coupe 7.42 182.00
Peter Schimanski Altered 7.44 178.00
David/Trevor Tynan ’66 Impala 7.44 187.55
Darryn Hayes ’84 Corvette 7.46 189.04
Kurt Goodin Kurt Goodin Artworks Chev Nova 7.49 182.07
JD Sheppard VW Beetle 7.50 180.29
Baylee Goddard Dragster 7.52 178.00
Andrew Neiman Dragster 7.54 168.00
Benji Sneddon All Fleet Services Willys Coupe 7.60 176.11
Neil Morgan MJH Engineering T-Altered 7.62 174.38
Stuart Henley-Minchington Anthill Mob/Garden City Movers Altered 7.64 172.00
Michael Franklin Pontiac GTO 7.67 179.10
Reuban/Jack Beaumont Team Sonic Altered 7.69 171.49
Robert Shearing Chev Camaro 7.72 176.70
Dylan Deboo Mayhem Racing ’55 Chev 7.73 180.55
Pete Lormans Remarkables tools & Safety FE Dragster 7.76 170.49

s
Dave Mason A1 Exhaust FE Dragster 7.78 161.88

s t
Neville Gadd Dragster 7.78 175.44

li
Rueban Beaumont FE Dragster 7.80 169.00
Mike Wilson Balclutha Automotive Services Ford Capri 7.82 177.24

a
Ces Miller ’59 Impala 7.90 166.87

c i
Murray Hartley Ford Mustang 7.94 168.00

pe
Kevin Ericson FE Dragster 7.95 176.12
Bobby Owens T-Bucket 7.99 167.50
Craig Wilson Evolution Painting & Decorating Holden HT 8.03 174.22

S
Cory Silk Otaihanga Speed Shop Dragster 8.07 164.34
Bruce Riddick Altered 8.11 161.99
Janelle Lawson Dragster 8.13 165.94
Doug/Daniel Jefferies T-Altered 8.18 160.10
Mike Cload Chev Camaro 8.19 166.85
Pete Lormans FE Dragster 8.22 157.40
Scott Tolhurst Toyota Soarer 8.29 163.92
FREEPHONE Graham Carter
Neville Smith
’68 El Camino
Altered
8.29
8.32
155.83
150.82

0508 86 66 86
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 Shock Absorbers

Shock Absorbers

Lowering Springs

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2024 NEW ZEALAND PETROLHEAD FATHER’S DAY DRAGS

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58
 ostponing Father’s Day Drags is nothing unusual
for the American Muscle Car Club or the loyal fans
who gather each spring. But, after a dry winter, it
was somewhat disappointing that our Australian
cousins across the Tasman sent bad weather
around the scheduled day of the event. In 2024,
Father’s Day landed between two major cold fronts, and
though the track was dry on the scheduled day, the pits
had turned into a swamp, and the car park resembled a
multi-level lake.
Two weeks later, the rain date enjoyed mostly fine
weather leading up to it, allowing things to dry out
somewhat. As that date approached, however, there was
still uncertainty due to the rain forecast. But by 6am Sunday
morning, it was decided that the weather was cooperating,
and the 2024 New Zealand Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags
would proceed.
Due to the unpredictable weather, a few contenders
couldn’t make the trip because of travel time, leading to
slightly smaller field numbers. On the upside, having the
event postponed offered a bonus for dads; judging by the
decent-sized crowd, they got to enjoy a second round of
celebration that month.
Those who gambled on the weather and made the trek
were rewarded with a fine if not cool day at the track. The
rain may have stayed away, but a nearby lightning strike
the previous night gave the Napa Autoparts Dragway crew
a new unforeseen challenge. At first, it was thought that

THOSE WHO GAMBLED ON THE WEATHER

AND MADE THE TREK WERE REWARDED
 an electrical surge had tripped every circuit breaker on specifically nostalgia racing, flag-drop starts won’t be
the track, so the crew busily went about resetting and that unfamiliar. Those who are a bit shorter in the tooth

THE TYRE- checking the systems. Usually, they get this sorted pretty
quick, but it soon became apparent that there was more
damage to the wiring than initially thought.
probably recognise the improvised start system a little
differently. Flashlight starts have become popular among
YouTubers and on the Discovery Channel, where the

SHREDDING
While efforts to revive the timing system continued, starter has a work light stuck to their forehead. It was
the BurgerFuel burnout competition took place on the time to get the Father’s Day Drags Street Outlaws edition
skidpad. With four cars participating, Matthew Busing’s underway! The starter perched himself on the cinder-
screaming blown Holden One Tonner ute captured block mount where the Christmas tree usually presides,

BURNOUTS the win. The tyre-shredding burnouts kept the growing

crowd entertained, drawing many from the pits to watch.
However, despite frantic efforts, it became evident that
and the racing commenced.
The field was divided into Australian- and American-
origin classes, and an open practice was run, with many

KEPT THE the timing system couldn’t be repaired that day.

Once the smoke had cleared from the skidpad on the
return road, it was decided that flag-drop starts would
drivers getting three runs. There was a distinct difference
in confidence levels among drivers at the start of
practice. Jay Maka was the first to test the start line with

GROWING
be the only way to get the drag racing underway. The a trans-brake launch in his 1979 Holden Torana. The
staging lanes were brimming full of eager drivers with rear tyres stuck, and the orange four-door Torana made
seemingly every make and model of V8 produced in the first of many quick passes. Reece Fish, a regular

CROWD
Australia and the US. Over 100 cars entered, which was contender at the Father’s Day Drags, and at the top of
impressive considering the weather leading up to the the quickest street cars list, was another to treat the
event. While some drivers were unhappy about the lack start line with caution. His well-known 1956 Chevrolet
of timing gear, most were just pleased to be back on the Bel Air, which holds the honour of being New Zealand’s

ENTERTAINED track after a long winter. The classes didn’t follow their
usual structure either; the dial-your-own (DYO) class
couldn’t run without timing, and the prize for the fastest
car driven to the track was also scrapped.
only 200mph street car, for now at least, proved there
was still a decent amount of traction. Ramping the
boost in at half-track and running it out at the top end,
it’s impressive to see what the car can do, even with a
If you’ve been interested in drag racing, and lazy 60-foot hit. This was also in just the sixth pairing,

60
showing that, despite the average weather leading up to the
event, the track was in fairly good condition, even for the
early spring meeting.
Darryn Carlton in the blue 1973 Corvette had an early
pairing with Jim McIndoe in the red 1956 Chevrolet 210,
which proved to be the first of many head-to-head meetings.
Darryn was consistent throughout practice in making quick
passes, pushing the 540ci blown and injected big block
Chevrolet down the track at pace. Without timing boards, it
was a bit of hearsay on ETs. It’s safe to say that, with dropping
the parachutes and winding out in top gear, there were a few
low-nine-second passes, if not high eights; still distant from
the Corvette’s personal best of an 8.32-second ET.
Hamilton-based racer Tevita Vea had his wild pro-
street-inspired 1965 Chevrolet Impala struggling for any
sort of traction both in the burnout box and at the hit of
the throttle on the start line. The hunt at idle of the blown
engine had it sounding more like a Wild Bunch entry than a
street car, and it will be one to watch in the upcoming drag
racing season. Once he finds the traction, it should prove to
be as fast as it looks — and sounds.

It was looking pretty good for racer Andrew Schooling until the
throttle hung open during the burnout. With front wheels, locked he
did well to get the car shut down but not before hitting the starter’s
perch. Andrew got awarded the Doric New Zealand Hard Luck
award, and Rob the starter got a round of applause climbing back
atop the cinder-block mount after the clean-up

Eventual winner of Top USA class sponsored by Pearce Brothers, Darryn Carlton started off
the 2024/2025 season with a win over Justin Weir. Deep in the quickest street car list, the
car proved itself by making repeated hot laps in the 540 cubic inch–powered 1973 Corvette
Mopars were in great attendance this year, with Christian Hillary racing the stunning lime
E-body. Christian won the European Floor Toppings Best Mopar award for his efforts

just keeping in front of competitors, until a pairing with

Richard Mehrtens. The pristine blue 1966 Pontiac GTO
got a jump on the twin-turbo Bel Air, picking a front
wheel up on the start line as Reece spun the tyres. As
the GTO scampered down the track, it was all on Reece
to try to chase Richard down in the top end. With Reece
pedalling the ’56 and boost coming in late, the Pontiac
took the win and a deserved round of applause from the
crowd down the return road.
The rounds of racing came to the pointy end of
competition quickly with the field being whittled down
one by one. The only hold-up after racing commenced
was a short break when Andrew Schooling had the
throttle hang open during the burnout. Trying his best
to get the blown shovel-nose under control, he had
an unfortunate ending to his day, coming together
with the starter’s perch and damaging the front right of
Australian finals time. Phil Hunter showed the repeatability of new technology in the 2010
Ford GT FPV but couldn’t get around Jay Maka’s 572ci Chevrolet–powered Torana in the final the Camaro. Luckily, he did get it stopped as it headed
back across the track towards the opposite barrier.
With the conclusion of practice, the Napa nitro funny Surprisingly, Rob, the starter for the day, didn’t flinch at
car was rolled out to make some noise for the short all. We guess only he will know if he’s got balls of steel
break and give the competitors’ cars time to cool off a or was so petrified that he couldn’t move.
little. Then racing was divided back into the two groups The quick eight from each category wasn’t quite
of Australian and American vehicles. The rules were what most people expected at the start of the day, but
simple: winners return to the staging lanes, losers park the drag racing was good, even without timing gear,
it up (at least until grudge racing at the end of the day, right up to the finals. Darryn Carlton proved the street-
anyway). Because pairing was sorted by whoever you worthiness of the Corvette by hot lapping the car down
happened to be next to in the staging lanes instead of the track in an unusual semi final by-run and pulled
a qualifying ladder, an early round of top contenders straight into the burnout box for the finals. The 2019
This 1967 XR Ford Falcon was inevitable. Wayne Fowler had been putting in Dodge Challenger of Justin Weir is a quick street car,
wagon gets worked over on good laps all morning in the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. but he didn’t have enough, as the Corvette scampered
a regular basis. Ian Marshall down the track for the win in the American class.
A chance pairing with Darryn Carlton saw a battle of
is no stranger to the rev
limiter, and the Coyote the blown big blocks that on paper are just one-tenth Jay Maka had it all his own way in the Australian finals
power plant laps it up of a second different in ET performance. A close pass against Phil Hunter, leading from the flag drop.
for the pair had parachutes out, with Darryn’s Corvette With the finals done, there was only prize-giving and
just a car length in front. Reece Fish was playing it safe bench racing to be completed before heading home.

62
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 aeroflow morice
Race Diary mcmillin

QUICK BURN CHASING SPEED IN THE SHORT OFF-SEASON

P eople always talk about Australia’s great

weather — what really makes it stand out is
the short drag racing off-season. After a bit of
rebuilding, we were back on track and testing
in early September. Yeah, you read that right —
a two-month off-season, and it’s already warm
enough to put down some rubber.
Like everything we do in the Aeroflow Outlaw
Nitro Funny Cars world, we’re constantly
pushing to be more reliable, quicker, and faster.
After our record runs at the Winternationals, we
were keen to keep the momentum going. But,
as anyone in drag racing will tell you, there’s
only so much you can tweak before you hit a
wall. Sometimes, you have to take two steps
back to take four steps forward.

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 With that in mind, we headed out to test a few
new ideas on the car — well, more like a handful.
The first pass smoked the tyres around the
quarter-mile mark, but we saw some promising
signs before that. After a few changes back in
the pits, we were into the threes — a 3.99 at
over 300mph, followed by a pair of 3.98s. That
would’ve been an amazing test session a year
ago, but the consistency still wasn’t there.
We ran another test session alongside the
Harts and Rocket nitro funny cars a few weeks
later. Both were sporting new combinations,
which meant more trial and error. But the
coolest part? We tested on a Friday and left the
rig at the track for the local track championship
on Saturday. That meant we could also run
Gareth and Brooke Rogers’ altered. For those
who don’t know, Gareth’s another Kiwi,
managing the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars
workshop and acting as car chief on just about
anything I drive — always rocking his iconic
bucket hat as he lines me up.
We’d put a larger blower on Gareth’s altered
after running a little 6-71 last season. The goal?
Get them into the sixes at 200mph — a dream
for any Kiwi drag racer. Being so busy with the
funny cars, we didn’t have time to test Gareth’s
car, so we figured we’d use the event itself.
With a previous best of 7.4 at 191mph, we ran
the first pass to half-track just to get a read on
the plugs. Gareth shut off at half-track, and
the little black altered rolled through the finish
line at just 130mph but with a 7.2-second ET.
Suddenly, it looked like we might be ticking off
some milestones.

The next pass was the first round of

eliminations. In a Dial Your Own (DYO) class,
we had to pick a dial-in. I told Gareth that we
were going with a 7.00. That way, if we ran
slower, we might win — and if we went faster,
it’d be his first six-second pass. Worth the risk,
right? But as Gareth started his burnout, he
stopped. A fuel line had come loose at the
back of the injector hat, and, of course, it was
the one tucked under everything else. With
nothing but a wheelie bar spanner and a ton
of luck, we managed to get it tightened up and
ready to stage just in time.
The car looked strong off the line. At
half-track, I thought, This could be it. But at
three-quarter-track, the car shut off, and I had
that sinking feeling. Then 6.85 came up on the
scoreboard at only 171mph — proof it had shut
off early. But we’d done it: Brooke and Gareth
were now part of the six-second club, and in a
short-wheelbase altered — there aren’t many
Kiwis who’ve pulled that off. To top it all off,
their newborn son, Bodhi, was at the track at
just four weeks old, witnessing history.
Helping these guys hit their goal was
incredible. However, there’s still some
unfinished business to get them into the
200mph club. Hopefully, I’ll have more to
report on that front soon.
As I write this, we’re gearing up for the first
round of our 2024/’25 championship in the
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 straight tony
talk johnson

NO, REALLY,
HE’S A GREAT GUY “THANKS FOR THE INVITE TO DINNER. I’LL BE THERE.
CAN I BRING THIS GUY I KNOW? HE’S FROM OVERSEAS. OK, THANKS, SEE YOU THEN!”

I magine, when I get there, that you meet my

acquaintance for the first time, and he comes
across as the biggest dickhead you’ve ever
fearmongering by telling you that we’re all
at risk if people don’t do what he says. You
quickly conclude that he’s nothing less than
crawl.” My overseas acquaintance carries
on dominating the conversation, repeating
himself, mumbling, slurring his words to the
met. He’s self-absorbed — obsessed even — an utterly despicable human being whose point of being incoherent, and now everyone
he’s loud, he’s arrogant, he’s ignorant, and only interest is himself, who will lie to achieve around the table is recognising his obvious
he’s clearly making shit up as he goes. “It’s his objectives regardless of the harm that cognitive failure, to the point of apparent
OK,” I whisper to you as you shoot me a look his lies will do to others, and that a theme senility. Oh, and he stinks of body odour …
that says, ‘What’s this idiot on?’ I say to you, consistently threaded throughout every one of After an hour of boring us and horrifying
“People say he’s really a great guy.” his subjects other than himself is hate. Hate for us in equal measure, my creepy acquaintance
My overseas acquaintance then starts anyone who has a different agenda than his or asks where the bathroom is and swaggers off,
denigrating black people, belittling women, even a different opinion than his. his lack of balance perfectly complementing
and telling you how amazing he is, how rich So now you’re saying to yourself, “TJ’s his lack of morals and decency.
he is, and how he can get away with anything lost the plot. Why’s he hanging around with His bathroom visit finally gives you the
because he’s rich. He talks about how smart this arsehole?” And your wife is sitting there opportunity to glare at me and say, “Why did
he is, how he’s the best at everything, how wide-eyed and horrified, saying to herself, you bring this scumbag here? Who is this
stupid everyone else is, and then starts “This guy’s a vile creep — he makes my skin idiot? What’s his background?”

68
 “Well,” I explain, “he’s stood trial, or is of the personalities involved. The whole political to this edition of NZV8 landing in your hands,
standing trial, for assault and battery, sexual landscape over there right now is no longer but I hope — desperately hope — that the US
assault, rape, paying hush money, fraud, predicated on policy, but rather, it’s all down will have its first-ever woman president by then,
defamation, racketeering, falsifying business to character. The reasonable and intelligent or soon after. We’ll all then be able to properly
records, obstruction of justice, withholding constituents will go with Harris, because Trump wake up from this nightmare. Donald Trump
of documents, trying to hide documents, is a morally reprehensible convicted felon and is a compulsive liar, a convicted felon, and
subversion, making false statements, bribery, fraudster; others will vote for Trump either completely devoid of empathy for people.
corrupting the US Department of Justice, wilful because their stupidity prevents them from He’s now so unhinged that he can’t maintain
retention of national-security information, lying seeing through his lies, their chauvinism prevents control of his emotions or his anger and is so
to the government, lying to the court, driven by hatred that he’s unfit to be
refusing to comply with a subpoena, in any position of power. He’s widely
undermining an electoral process, recognised by the medical profession
refusing to return government as genuinely being a ‘megalomaniac’
property, inciting a riot, and aiding — meaning a person who has an
insurrection. He’s recently been obsessive desire for power. The potential
found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying outcomes of an utter madman getting
business records in the first degree. into power are horrific (“I don’t need the
He’s faced over 60 lawsuits over Senate,” he said recently, “I do what I
unpaid wages and 24 violations of the want”), not just for the American people,
Fair Labor Standards Act, and he and but for the world. And we all focus so
his businesses have been involved in much on Trump that we forget that if
at least 3500 legal actions in federal something should happen to him, the
and state courts. His companies have guy who takes control of the button
been involved in more than 100 tax on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal
disputes, and he’s been bankrupt is the equally hideous JD Vance — the
six times.” scumbag who eventually admitted
After you throw me out of your that he made up the story about the
house, along with my nut-job Haitians eating their neighbours’ cats
acquaintance who’s just stumbled out and dogs just to “bring focus to our
of your bathroom, and you abuse me point about illegal immigration” but
for bringing such an objectionable and in the process caused the completely
revolting person into your home, you legal Haitian people who had been
and your wife reflect on the notion brought into Springfield, Ohio to provide
that wouldn’t it be hideous to have a the labour required to keep the city’s
person like this as a neighbour or even much-needed factories going, and who
living in the same street or the same have assimilated well, to be abused,
town? And wouldn’t it be a disaster, assaulted, threatened, and have their
you think, if this guy ever came to property damaged. And Trump and
have a position of responsibility? Vance couldn’t care less; they’re both

IT’S LIKE
In New Zealand, where we’re as morally bankrupt as each other.
pretty good at being critical of our That event perfectly represents their
government (and I’ve certainly done total disregard for people and their
my share of bitching about the willingness to damage people’s lives in
government in recent years), a person
like that just described would be —
rightly — precluded from being able
even to issue a warrant of fitness to a
PRIMARY SCHOOL pursuit of their own agenda, which is
creating fear and paranoia by mistruth to
advance their political ambitions. It’s like
primary school bullying, except that it’s
motor vehicle.
And yet, in the United States of
America, exactly this man has recently BULLYING, much more calculated and manipulative.
It’s deranged behaviour. Like Trump’s
ridiculous, childish name-calling of any

EXCEPT THAT IT’S

been the president — and God forbid political opponent.
— could be again. Back when Trump was running
It feels like the whole Trump for president for the first time, I was
phenomenon over recent times is one constantly being told by friends (friends

MUCH MORE
of the biggest events of my lifetime. I regard as being of normal intelligence)
One of those things that, if I have the who live in the US that Trump is actually
good fortune to live another 20 years, good for America. “You don’t see the
I’ll never forget. Like the moon good his policies achieve over here,”
landing, the day Bruce McLaren was
killed testing, the Wahine disaster, the
day Elvis died, my first ride in a truly
fast car, and 9/11. Pivotal moments, for
CALCULATED AND said one life-long friend who’s been
living there for going on 40 years. “You
guys back in New Zealand only see

MANIPULATIVE
the dumb shit the media shows you,
good and for bad. America’s political but he really does a lot of good.” I was
events over the past decade seem always sceptical but accepted that
surreal — as if I’m aware of something perhaps there’s another side to the
that’s unfolding that is so impossible Trump story that the media doesn’t tell
that I know I must be in a dream, yet us over here on the other side of the
— incredibly and disturbingly — I’m world. But not now. No way. There is
aware that, in fact, I’m wide awake, and these them from voting for a woman, or their racism no other side to the Trump story. The guy is an
unbelievable events really are happening. prevents them from voting for someone of evil, angry, deranged criminal and con man. His
I wouldn’t generally align myself with the African American and Asian descent. only success is having been able to brainwash
(Labour) left here in New Zealand, but if I lived in I don’t know when the result of the US enough stupid Americans to make this election
the US, I’m sure I’d be a Democrat just because presidential elections will be known in relation a contest. We should be witnessing the most
 IF DONALD
crushing landslide defeat in America’s history, the latest news and opinions on the American
but somehow, despite the ludicrousness of the election campaign each evening. My interest in
situation, it’s still a closely fought campaign this is starting to lean towards obsession, and
on both sides. Unbelievably, Trump keeps what’s driving this almost compulsive behaviour

TRUMP STOOD conning the hordes of aptly named ‘maga-

morons’ (‘MAGA’ is a popular acronym for
Trump’s campaign slogan ‘Make America Great
Again’) into believing that he’s their saviour. “If
is the desperate hope of seeing the big
turnaround that the US, and the world, need.
And, thank God, the turnaround has
started. When Joe Biden stood back from the

IN A BUSY Donald Trump stood in a busy city street and

shot someone, I’d still support him,” one of
his maga-morons said in an interview. If you
2024 campaign a few months ago leaving
Kamala Harris to represent the Democratic
party, hope returned as we recognised the

CITY STREET
think that’s a step too far, it’s no worse than beacon of sanity that Harris provided. Trump’s
Trump himself, who skited at one of his rallies, stupidity used to be disguised to some extent
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue when he was running against Joe Biden,
and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any because of Biden’s advancing age making him

AND SHOT
voters.” What kind of deranged lunatic would say also vulnerable to criticism. Harris, however,
shit like that? Surely not someone wanting to is a vastly different story. She has provided an
become president of the biggest superpower in immediate and inescapable contrast, shining
the world … a glaringly bright spotlight on Trump’s lunacy,

SOMEONE, The hold he has over his supporters is beyond

belief. He mesmerises them. For the past several
months, as the craziness of Trump’s bizarre
behaviour has ramped up, I’ve been asking, at
showing him to be, at every twist and turn, the
raving idiot that he is. At the first presidential
debate between Trump and Kamala Harris,
while Trump ranted and raved and became

I’D STILL what point do his supporters finally concede

and say, “OK, this guy’s lost the plot now, and we
don’t support him anymore”? But it just doesn’t
so focused on personal attacks that he forgot
to even mention his policies, Kamala Harris,
conversely, exuded intelligence (before politics,

SUPPORT HIM
happen. she was an attorney and state prosecutor),
I’ve become so mesmerised by the ongoing professionalism, elegance, warmth and wit,
Trump horror show that I can’t stop myself and kept her focus directed on her party’s
from trawling through YouTube and watching policies. If you haven’t seen the debate, there’s

70
a great 9-minute 50-second highlights video
on YouTube called Trump Harris Presidential
Debate Highlights, which will tell you everything
you need to know about Kamala Harris and
Donald Trump. Some of the best parts are Harris’
looks of wide-eyed incredulity at the rubbish
coming out of Trump’s vile mouth and the news
station’s moderators having to interject and call
out Trump’s completely bare-faced lies. Harris’
facial expressions — incredulous, amused, and
horrified — perfectly summarised the presidential
debate story. Interestingly, she spent a lot of
time looking across directly at Trump during the
debate, while the misogynist-in-chief couldn’t
bring himself to even glance at her.
There’s been a huge turning point in the
voting direction since Harris stepped in, and it
looks like the momentum will keep going the
right way.
There are two remaining mysteries in this
whole thing for me. One is the mental state of
the vast number of fervent Trump supporters.
Why would anyone support the guy? You’ve
only got to observe the people who go to the
Trump rallies (and there are endless insights into
this on YouTube) to figure out the kind of people
who have succumbed to the Trump spell. It’s
pretty obvious that the majority of Trump fans
— certainly the ones who won’t see the facts no
matter how clearly they’re presented to them —
fall into the lower socio-economic group. They
probably can’t be a part of the things they’d like
to be a part of, whether it be a motorcycle club,
a car club, or whatever their thing in life is. But
what they all can do is dress up in red, put on a
Trump cap and T-shirt, and get a free ticket to
their local Trump rallies. There’s something about
Donald Trump that’s struck a loud and enduring
chord with a certain slice of humanity in the US.
The answer must be that he’s made them feel
part of something big and given them an identity.
It could be the first time in their lives that they’ve
felt valued and part of a collective, and the Trump
rallies give them a platform to be part of that
thing and to express themselves. Once there,
they become caught up in a blind-faith fervour
and develop kinships with the other Trump
supporters, exponentially fertilising their already
crazed adoration of Trump. Their behaviour is
truly cult-like, and they genuinely see Trump as
their saviour and messiah. It’s bloody disturbing
to watch. Interview after interview shows that
these people are utterly deluded, and both
unwilling and incapable of accepting facts and
evidence to the contrary of what they think.
And if you want to get a sense of the calibre of
these people, of Trump, and of the Republican
party, look no further than the shirts and other
merchandise that are licenced and available for
sale at the Trump rallies — and being purchased
and worn by the maga-morons in vast quantities.
Really clever stuff like T-shirts with huge,
capitalised letters saying “F**K BIDEN”, and “F**K
OFF BIDEN”, and the latest offering since the
thoroughly decent and gracious Kamala Harris
has stepped into the ring, “JO, & THE HO, GOTTA
GO”. Real classy people …
The other remaining mystery for me is why an
age-old political party would put their desire to
be in power ahead of the good of the country
that they say they want to support and defend by
giving a lunatic free rein of the asylum. Thankfully,
every day, more and more Republicans
(supporters, office holders, and even senators) are
standing up, taking off their Republican hats, and
moving across to support Kamala Harris, openly
 DESPITE stating they no longer want to be a part of a
political party that’s lost its way and lost its interest
in putting the US first. There’s a lot of political
about everything else in the world that’s cool.
Some of my most treasured memories are from
travelling through the US, and there’s a hell of

EVERYTHING, I commentary going on already about how, in the

wash-up of this election, after Donald Trump
has lost the election and finally disappeared up
a lot more road trips over there that I want to
do before my time is up. But I want it to be a
sane place and a safe place to travel in. And I

LOVE AMERICA.
his own arse behind bars, there will need to be want America to regain its deserved position as
a complete reform of the Republican Party — or a great country rather than its current position
even a new party rising from its filthy ashes. as the laughing stock of the world because of

I LOVE ITS
its ongoing political fiasco. For all of America’s
Why do I care about all of this? Why have I shortcomings and for all the massive problems
used up all of this precious magazine space they somehow have to resolve, I still love the
to rant and rave like … well … Donald Trump? place — for what it was, for what it still largely

LANDSCAPES, Because, despite everything, I love America. I

love its landscapes, its cityscapes, its history,
the cars it’s given us, the gas pumps, the neon
is, for what it’s given me throughout my life, and
for how it has shaped my life. The US has given
me interests; it’s formed my lifestyle, it’s fuelled

ITS CITYSCAPES, lights, and the fact it’s saved the free world
twice through its involvement in the two world
wars. I love America’s Cowboys and Indians,
my passions, and it’s steered my career. And
those interests and passions are why I’ve written
a column in every issue of NZV8 magazine over

ITS HISTORY, its Budweiser beer, Nascar, James Dean, drag

racing, Marilyn Monroe, the Indy 500, diners,
drive-in movies, country-rock music, and just
the past 20 years. It’s why I’m writing this.
God bless you, America. And good luck for the
coming weeks.

AND THE CARS

72
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 CHURCH AARON
OF SPEED CARSON

MORE THAN
A SIDE SHOW,
A WAY OF LIFEIN THE MID ’80S, A YOUNG GUY NAMED KEVIN PERRY
DID WHAT MANY PEOPLE THINK A LOT ABOUT BUT
NEVER DO: HE FOLLOWED HIS HEART

arly October saw the welcome return of the that would best sum up the whole day is ‘real’ —
E ever-evolving The Side Show — a car show
produced by local club Trouble Bound made up of
it’s a no-bullshit, no-sponsorship, love-of-cars
kind of deal, not a money-making venture. You’ll
16 characters with a bunch of very different cars. find everything there, from tough muscle cars to
It’s a low-key annual (in vibe, not chaos) affair Model A four-bangers and killer hot rods — no
that started in 2018 with a focus on hangin’ out, rules and lots of smiles.
shooting the shit, and maybe an ice-cold libation I caught up with founding member
or 30. Does life get any better? Shane Adlington for a chinwag about
Held in a bigger venue with more parking this Trouble Bound and The Side Show — here’s what
year (having outgrown last year’s site), the word he had to say.

74
NZV8: Who founded Trouble Bound?
Shane: Half a dozen of the core of us, but almost
everyone at the same time, really.

What was the point of it all?

Just have fun, break away from older clubs, and
do our own shit. At the same time, hopefully, that
would have inspired other younger people to do
the same.

What did you not want Trouble Bound to

represent, and, similarly, what did you want it
to stand for?
We didn’t wanna have cups of tea and lawn chairs
(still don’t); we really wanted to remember the hot
rodding from our youth.

Has anyone ever left or been kicked out?

Three members have left, not kicked out — just
kinda faded away, and Kylo moved to Aussie.

In Trouble Bound, who is most likely to end

up with their pants down when they’re drunk
as f**k?
Me, but I’m supposed to be retired (promised
the wife). [Side note: another member pissed his
pants after The Side Show.]

There have been Trouble Bound ‘lock ins’;

what’s the most ridiculous thing that’s ever
happened?
Grant, dressed as Duffman, jumped through a
table from the second-storey rafters; we set fire
to my garage and burnt a hole through a table
doing a minibike skid on it.
“WE DIDN’T WANNA HAVE CUPS
OF TEA AND LAWN CHAIRS”
It’s been cool to see the club always giving
back to deserving causes; was this a goal from
the start?
It wasn’t the plan at the start but just kind of
evolved. It also makes us look like not total idiots
and helps cover up sins, ha ha!
“YOU’VE JUST GOTTA SHOW
YOUNGER KIDS THAT THIS
STUFF IS STILL DANGEROUS”
What’s the future of ‘traditional’ hot rodding
and the next gen of young pups who might
possibly get into it? I get that it’s way easier
for a young guy or girl to get their hands on
a car that’s a lot of relatively modern vehicle
and that goes like the clappers, and that’s far
more accessible than a ’32 coupe — plus, all
their friends are driving similar shit — but do
you think there’s just always going to be only
a certain percentage of the population who
get stoked on the idea of cool old cars, or is
the scene dying?
Hard one; ageing in general is a blessing and a
curse. There’s plenty of other people our age who
— like us — wont let it die, but you’ve just gotta
show younger kids that this stuff is still dangerous
and exciting — and still somewhat obtainable.

76
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“WE WOULDN’T HAVE
THIS STUFF WITHOUT NZHRA”
I’ve never understood going to the hot rod
club and not taking your hot rod and having a
meeting that no one enjoys, then going home.
All the NZHRA clubs are asking, ‘How do we
attract more young people?’ Do you think it
matters, and what advice would you give them?
We wouldn’t have this stuff without NZHRA, so
there’s that, but how do go about promoting it?
We as a club just wanna go to the pub, have some
beers, and do some skids with our mates. We also
don’t believe you should have these things without
using them; they’re just cars. If Trouble Bound are
doing stuff together, it’ll be in an old car.

What is the plan for the club and The Side Show
from here? Anything big on the horizon, or is
it just ‘let’s look after each other, do cool shit
with cars and try and get it done’?
Very much the latter. Side Show–wise, we have
to debrief with this year’s venue; if they’re happy,
we’ll go from there.

Kirsten [Trouble Bound member] is a badass

who grew up with a hot rodder family and
Toddy [Kirsten’s engineer partner, who is
also a club member] is a f**king genius.
When Trouble Bound is partying, does she
have to avert her eyes from cocks, balls,
and bare arses — or is she just immune to it
now? Man, Kirsten has seen it all (long before
Trouble Bound, too).
One of our club goals is to pay for her boob job,
but not to get them bigger — just get her a third
one in the middle.

78
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 BURNOUT HAYDEN
FILES WILBY

MAKING SMOKE THE DEBUT OF SKDMRK

ith the burnout pad running at both entrance song pumping over the sound system, With the mechanical disappointment of last
W Hampton Downs for the casual skidder and
Meremere Dragway for the more competitive
and the heat from the flame cannons as you
head down the entrance chute is an adrenaline-
year’s Summernats still fresh, I’m sure ‘HAUNTU’
was on a mission to get back there. As usual, he
skidder, the Chrome Horsepower Festival did not pumping experience that every skidder in put on a hell of a show, coming runner-up and
disappoint! It was an action-packed weekend of New Zealand needs to be part of. securing one of those qualifier tickets.
tyre-shredding madness. There was a lot on the line for those serious Leon Kenny took out top spot in the ‘TAINTED’
The Saturday night competition under lights, about burnouts here in New Zealand, with burnout ute, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
with flames, fireworks, and a DJ, is truly unique two money-can’t-buy qualifier tickets to the Leon is one of the genuinely nice guys in the
here in New Zealand. The massive crowd, your Summernats Pro Burnout Series up for grabs. scene and is truly passionate about the sport,

80
 THERE WAS A LOT
ON THE LINE FOR
THOSE SERIOUS
ABOUTBURNOUT
which really shows if you look at the
evolution of this ute over the years.
Also, congrats to ‘GRIMRP’, ‘DEVILSCHILD’,
and Reece Smith on the Encouragement Awards,
as well as the tip-in champ ‘MRC*NT’. Another Palmy Swap Meet, so
cool surprise is that DEVILSCHILD and ‘2TUF’ one day later, and I could have
have both been given Wildcard entries should missed out on them.
they wish to go to Summernats and have another On arrival at Meremere Dragway, we unloaded
crack at getting into the qualifier series. It’s and found the trailer covered in transmission oil.
awesome to see the team from Summernats I got the car up on the jack stands to figure out
watching what we do and wanting to see more why – it turned out it would be an ongoing issue.
tough Kiwi cars competing at Summernats. I made it work for the day and would sort it once
For me, Chrome was a chance to see if my back in the workshop. After that, I got the car to
YouTube-built LS-swapped Escort ‘SKDMRK’ the tech shed for scrutineering, and it passed for
would (a) hold together, and (b) skid! the first time. I was super happy and absolutely
Heading up to Chrome, we stopped to check pumped to skid the car for the first time.
out Tony Johnson’s crazy blown small block One thing I’d overlooked was the fact that
Chev–powered burnout Austin and scored a the MSD unit running the coils and timing
set of 15x10-inch chrome Modgies, which were wasn’t really suitable for my set-up! I also hadn’t
the finishing touch for the Escort. The timing brought a laptop, so I couldn’t even check the
was perfect, as he was loading up to head to the tuning graph. Luckily, Jake (2TUF) had his tuner
 there and could plug in his laptop to access the going to be a work in progress! The diff is only

THIS ISN’T THE tune and check the limiter set-up. This weekend
was about testing, not trying to win anything, so,
with some added timing and a limiter set at 6300,
1m in length, the front suspension does its own
thing, and the brakes like to lock up and sledge
with the slightest touch on the pedal. It just keeps

KIND OF THING
I set off to the burnout pad for practice. One wanting to go round in circles. But that’s what the
awesome aspect of the competition is that the day was about — this isn’t the kind of thing you
burnout pad is open for practice for a few hours can test on the street, so being able to practise
during the day, before opening to the public on the burnout pad before the event starts

YOU CAN TEST ON

later on. was awesome!
Rolling onto the Meremere burnout pad for the I made a few changes and headed back out for
first time in a new car with a totally different set- another practice. I lined up, stomped the pedal
up from ‘NUTOUT’ had me extremely nervous. to the floor, destroyed another set of tyres, and

THE STREET That long, high-speed entry chute, plus the mix
of concrete and plastic barriers, was intimidating.
I’ve been skidding NUTOUT for six years now,
and the car is so well set up that it handles like
a dream! The Escort, however — ha ha, well, it’s
headed back to the pits. I’m actually stoked with
how this engine performs. I’ve had this motor
sitting in my shed for about five years, and all I’ve
done is strip off all the complicated stuff, put a
carby on it, change the oil, and now I’m out here
beating on it! This is why I absolutely love the
LS platform.
With practice done and dusted, we had some
downtime to do a nut-and-bolt check and give
everything a once-over, with a couple of skids
under our belt. The gates opened, people flooded
in, and the drag racing started. As the sun set,
the staging lanes were taken over by the sights
and sounds of the truly unique New Zealand
burnout scene! With crazy conversions, a massive
rotary contingent, and cars from all over the
country, tonight’s crowd was in for some wild
burnout action.
By the time my turn came around, I was
pumped from watching everyone else’s show.
I got out there and pushed the Escort hard — a
little too hard, as it turns out. After getting the
tyres off, I kept pushing to put on a spark show
and ended up popping the top radiator hose,
sending boiling coolant metres into the sky. The
glow from the headers all the way to the exhaust
tips also told me she needed a lot more fuel
and timing.

82
 I decided not to take the car off the trailer on competition, Mason (my son) ran the racing
Sunday and just went to enjoy watching the casual simulators and photobooth, and my wife Ruth
skids at the Hampton Downs pad. It was awesome handled the merch stand. It was a full-on family
watching everyone line up and have a go at their affair! For me, I couldn’t have asked for a better
own pace, with no pressure from anyone. One Father’s Day!
highlight of the day was seeing Mark Breckon’s With the smiles from the kids who got to sit
big old square-bodied Ford truck jammed out in and start race cars, and seeing SKDMRK do
on the burnout pad, with his son having the time a little burnout, I felt the day went really well. I
of his life! This is what burnouts are all about — was also able to sell heaps of merchandise, and
working with what you’ve got, being creative, and it’s something we’ll definitely do again. So, a big
having fun! shout out to everyone who came along and
After Chrome, I returned home with a big list supported us.
of improvements to be made, as well as a rebuild With another one of the big burnout events on
on my transmission in NUTOUT. I decided to the calendar — Autofest — just around the corner,
host a small pop-up muscle car show at my shop NUTOUT now has a rebuilt transmission, a bigger
in Wainuiomata on Father’s Day. It gave me the trans cooler, and will be heading in to see Marc
chance to sell some merchandise and a heap of at Llama Engineering for a re-tune to make sure
parts that I had lying around to raise funds for she’s up to the task.
those improvements. Autofest has two Summernats Pro Burnout
The show went really well. We had a mix of Series qualifier tickets up for grabs for the winner
about 20 cars on display, from full-blown drag and runner-up. With a field of over 50 tough-as-
racing and burnout cars to some seriously tough nails burnout cars hoping to grab one of those
street cars. I was able to set up a mini swap meet / tickets, it’s going to be an epic showdown.
trade stand area in the workshop next door, where Another very cool prize at Autofest is that
people could buy Fitzroy Motorsport and Tainted one lucky car will be chosen to feature in the
merchandise. HJH Creations was also there, Burnout Masters game, giving people around
selling custom-made car creations, and Cory from the world the chance to download and skid your
CDK Performance had a full set-up of parts going car. You’ll also earn some good money, as you’ll
cheap. We ran raffles and prize draws throughout receive royalties every time someone purchases
the day, and to top it off, we had a doughnut and your car in the game.
coffee cart to keep everyone fed and hydrated. I hope to see you all at Autofest.
Charlotte was in charge of the kids’ colouring Skids on!
FEATURE FAMILY COLLECTION

FROM A ’69 MACH 1 MUSTANG TO A TURBOCHARGED TRANS AM, THIS KIWI

FAMILY LIVES THE ULTIMATE MUSCLE CAR DREAM, REVVING THROUGH
HISTORY AND HORSEPOWER WITH A GARAGE FULL OF AMERICAN LEGENDS
WORDS: ASTRA PATMORE PHOTOS: ADAM P PHOTOGRAPHER

84
 s teenagers, we all have those cars we dream of one 1988 Holden VL Wagon. Each vehicle reflects their love for cars
day having in the shed. For one couple, those dreams and their deep connection to American automotive history and
became a reality, with not one but six iconic American culture, preserving slices of special times in their lives.
muscle cars. Walking into their oversized shed feels The first time M walked into his then-girlfriend’s bedroom at
like stepping into a stable, with beastly machines lined 16 years old, he was met with posters of Mustangs and rotaries
along the walls, surrounded by Americana memorabilia. lining the walls. Pointing at a Mustang, he said, “One day, let’s
This husband-and-wife team has curated an impressive buy one of those!” Fast forward 20 years, and while watching
collection that includes a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner, a 1969 John Wick, M was scrolling through photos of a Mach 1 Mustang.
Ford Mustang Mach 1, a 1981 Turbo Trans Am, a 1971 Dodge Showing his wife, she couldn’t resist. The very next day, they
Challenger, a 1968 Chevrolet Impala Fastback coupe, and a bought it. Driving this former drag racer, still in its red glory, still
’69 MACH 1 MUSTANG
This stunning 1969 Mach 1 Mustang is powered by its original matching- Sitting on 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels, wrapped in 235/60/15
numbers 351ci V8 Windsor engine. Brought to New Zealand from tyres up front and 255/60/15 at the rear, gives the Mustang its classic
Perth, and following life as a red drag racer in the US, the car runs on an muscle stance. The exterior features Champagne gold paint with a
Edelbrock pressurised fuel system and MSD electronic ignition with 8mm flat black hood — a return to its factory colour following its previous
leads that is paired with a throaty 2.5-inch twin Flowmaster exhaust. red incarnation.
Keeping the engine cool is a three-core alloy radiator with twin electric Inside, the Mach 1 keeps it vintage with red knit bucket seats and a
fans, ensuring that it’s ready for the Kiwi summer. Hurst shifter, while modern tech is hidden in the form of a Bluetooth head
The original four-speed manual gear-box — fitted with a Hurst shifter — unit, two Alpine subs, and upgraded speakers installed by Mad Soundz
has been rebuilt to factory specs. It’s backed by a Truetrac diff and a Shelby in Hamilton.
driveshaft, making for a solid driveline set-up. Suspension is mostly stock, Originally a dream car for the owner’s wife, this Mustang is more than
except for some must-have lowering springs front and rear. The braking just a build — it’s the result of 20 years of passion and dreaming finally
has been upgraded with Brembo pads on the original front discs and realised. With a few tweaks still to be made, she’s excited to be hitting the
boosted XA Falcon rear discs for added stopping power. track with it soon for some real fun!

IT’S A REMINDER
OF THEIR SHARED
DREAMS
makes her giddy! More than just a car, it’s a reminder of
their shared dreams and journey, making it an integral
part of their love affair with American muscle.
While she had her eyes on the Mustang, young M
had fallen in love with the bold curves of the ’68 Impala
coupe. After years of hunting through the States for one
that hadn’t been hit with the dreaded Mexican cut, they
finally found the Impala among a 100-car collection
that had come up for sale after the owner passed away.
M knew exactly what he wanted for his dream Impala
when it rolled into Bad Penny Classic & Custom Services’
workshop. With flame throwers, custom exhaust work, air
kits, and extensive modifications, the team got to work,
bringing it to life just in time for Beach Hop.
Their obsession with movie cars eventually led
them to a turbocharged Trans Am. They searched for
the perfect Knight Rider Trans Am but nothing stuck,
until they came across the genuine turbo V8 version.
Barely running, with the interior gutted and the paint
in all shades of terrible, this ’80s icon was begging for
an overhaul. After an engine rebuild and some factory
tuning, the car was reborn with a custom colour and
finished with a gold Firebird on the hood — breathing
fire into the boost gauge, a nod to the only time that

86
’68 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
This 1968 Plymouth Road Runner
is a classic American muscle car
with a story that traces back to
one of the most iconic periods in
automotive history. The heart of
this beast is a numbers-matching
383ci V8, still running its original
set-up. The engine is paired with
a stock three-speed TorqueFlite
auto gear-box — keeping the
car true to its roots. A Truetrac
diff has been installed to ensure
that both wheels are spinning
during launches.
Brakes consist of heavy-duty
non-boosted 12-inch drums
on all four corners, which can
make stopping a challenge —
particularly when hitting 90mph in
the Meremere run-off zone. The
car runs on 15-inch rear wheels
wrapped in 255/60/15 tyres for a
classic muscle look.
The body has seen minor
touch-ups by Flamin Body Shop
in Hamilton, with rear fenders
replaced and the white vinyl
top removed. The car retains its
original Mopar QQ1 Electric Blue
paint — now with a fresh roof
to match. The chassis has been
sandblasted and undercoated for
New Zealand’s wet conditions.
The interior is largely stock,
with bench seats swapped out
for bucket seats and a floor
console installed in 1969. A factory
AM radio is still functional, though
the real soundtrack comes from
the custom exhaust built by Adam
at Bad Penny, featuring electronic
cutouts for that big block roar.
Found in North Dakota, US,
this one-owner Road Runner sat
parked since 1974 due to a starter
issue — but it’s now back on the
road and tearing up the drag strip.
 T-TOPS OFF, THIS
TRANS AM IS A
BLAST TO DRIVE
Pontiac ever did that. Inside, the car was revived by
the owner’s wife and Raymac Motor Trimmers, with a
Smokey and the Bandit II–inspired leather and gold trim,
gold gauges, and gold birds throughout. The plan is to
restore the factory eight-track tape player for original
audio, and next on the list are a CB radio and a big aerial
out the trunk. With the windows down and T-tops off,
this Trans Am is a blast to drive.
At the top of many enthusiasts’ lists is the Dodge
Challenger. With its iconic status and muscle car
pedigree, the Challenger badge has stood the test of
time. Finding this one, still with its original owner, was
a rarity. Built with options like the 340ci engine, centre
console, slapstick transmission, and vinyl top, this
Challenger carries the stories of its journey from day
one. After 50 years, the original owner was finally ready
to let go, happy to reclaim his garage space.
No American muscle car collection would be
complete without a Plymouth Road Runner — a high-
performance icon in automotive history. Born from a
collaboration between Plymouth and Warner Bros, it

’88 HOLDEN VL WAGON

The 1988 Holden VL wagon holds a special place in its owner’s heart. As The rebuild on this GMH VL includes a custom Walkinshaw body kit,
an iconic first car, purchased from an elderly couple during his teenage modified by Mike Shaw at MS Fiberglass, and a fresh GM Titanium Grey
years, it was transformed with a Wilky body kit, Momo steering wheel, paint job by Flamin Body Shop in Hamilton. The car retains the RB30
Fusion subs, and those unmistakable red under-glow neon lights that factory engine, paired with a five-speed manual transmission, just like the
reflected the early 2000s car culture. It was also the car that he drove original. The same Momo steering wheel and sportsline shifter have been
while dating his high school sweetheart (now his wife), cruising the installed, with fluffy white dice hanging from the mirror once more. Rolling
streets of Hamilton. on 19-inch Walkinshaw replica wheels and boasting an upgraded sound
After upgrading to a 1979 V8 Monaro, he always regretted parting with system from Mad Soundz, the VL is the only non-V8 permitted in the shed.
the VL — especially after hearing that the new owner had written it off. This de-badged VL wagon is a nostalgic nod to carefree teenage years,
In 2022, with four children and a desire to relive past memories, he and bringing back those old-school feels. It still hits the redline in every gear
his wife tracked down another VL wagon in the South Island. They had it — just like in high school — and with over 300,000km on the clock, it may,
shipped up and began building it as a tribute to the original car. one day, be the car the kids learn to drive in … carefully!

88
 ’68 CHEVROLET
IMPALA COUPE
This 1968 Chevrolet Impala
Fastback coupe represents
a lifelong passion for classic
American cars. The owner’s
love for Impalas began at 16,
when a friend’s pink ’65 model
caught his eye. After years of
searching, he finally found this
1968 Impala in Illinois, part
of a 100-car collection that
had been sitting untouched,
gathering dust for over 40
years. With its distinctive
Coke-bottle styling, recessed
horseshoe tail-lights, and
aggressive front end, it was the
perfect fit.
The car runs on its original
307ci small block engine
with a three-speed turbo
Hydramatic gear-box, which,
although not the most
powerful set-up, is more than
became one of the most successful car marketing the connection just wasn’t the same, and he always enough for a smooth cruiser.
campaigns. In 1967, Chrysler secured the rights regretted selling it. Years later, they tracked down A custom Mr Gasket bug
to the Road Runner for US$50K, which would be another ’88 VL wagon to rebuild as a tribute, and catcher pokes through the
about NZ$700K today. It even spent another US$10K while the new version lacks the Milo-tin exhaust hood, covering up the damage
(around NZ$150K) on the famous ‘meep meep’ horn. tip, his wife made up for it by gifting him a specially caused by a small carburettor
The owner loves putting it through its paces, and it’s engraved steering wheel and gear knob. fire. The exhaust system,
even had a run at the Meremere drag strip. “She runs Each car tells a story — a piece of history, full crafted by Bad Penny, features
a 15.2 on old tyres with a standard engine and a so- of memories, past lives, and second chances. The flame throwers, electronic
called talentless driver,” the owner jokes. couple’s passion for cars began as teenagers, buying cutouts, and handmade side-
The heart of the shed, though, is the 1988 Holden number plates and car parts before they even owned exit tips, turning the Impala
VL wagon — a tribute to the owner’s prized first car. the vehicles. Now, 20 years later, with four kids in into a rolling sound and
Every pay cheque was spent customising the original tow, they’ve built a family of cars that will carry their light show. The owner’s wife
VL, with a body kit, Momo steering wheel, lowered passion forward for the next generation. There are still purchased the flame-thrower
suspension, and Holden racing mags. Capturing many cars on the family’s wish list, like a DeLorean, kit 20 years ago, making it
the Fast and Furious culture of the early 2000s, ’68 Shelby, AC Cobra, and even Wayne’s World’s a sentimental addition to
red under-glow neon lighting and fusion subs held Mirthmobile, but as the owner says, “It all takes the build.
their own in sound-off competitions. When it was money and a much bigger shed!” The air ride suspension, with
eventually sold to upgrade to a grunty V8 Monaro, When asked why they chose these particular twin pumps and loud dump
valves, was sourced from
EZ Air Ride and installed by
Ray at Bad Penny, allowing the
car to float low and smooth on
20-inch chrome Ridler wheels.
Inside, it features floral cloth
bench seats from a Caprice
and can comfortably seat six
— perfect for cruising with the
whole family.
A custom stealth audio
system by Mad Soundz
provides modern sound while
keeping the classic look intact.
The car’s exterior retains its
original Tripoli Turquoise
paint, with a few touch-ups by
Flamin Body Shop in Hamilton.
The 20-year dream look is
completed with mirror tints
and gleaming chrome.
For the owner and his
family, this Impala isn’t just a
car — it’s a vessel for creating
memories. With its bold
styling, modern upgrades,
and nostalgic charm, it’s a fun
family cruiser that turns heads
wherever it goes.
’71 DODGE CHALLENGER
The 1971 Dodge Challenger is the
pinnacle of American muscle car
culture, combining iconic design
with unmatched performance. After
spending years searching for the
perfect black, original-condition
model, the hunt ended in Colorado
Springs, where this rare muscle car
was discovered buried under rubbish
in a barn. Still with its original owner
and just 60,000 miles on the clock,
this Challenger, remarkably, retained
all its factory sheet metal, housing its
matching-numbers 340ci four-barrel
V8 engine and slapstick transmission.
Sold new by Horning Dodge in
Pennsylvania, the car had spent its
life in a dry climate, avoiding the
typical rust issues often seen with
Mopar classics. With its original build
sheet, owner’s manual, and mostly
untouched paintwork, the Challenger
arrived in New Zealand with minimal
restoration needed. The front seats
were reupholstered in the factory
B5 Blue material, while the rest of
the interior and exterior remained
in its original form, including the
vinyl top — an option that the owner
admits he’s not a fan of but chose to
keep for authenticity. It was one of
only 23 ever built in its unique colour
combination.
To give the car a more aggressive
stance, the owner swapped out the
wheels for powder-coated steel
with dog-dish caps and tinted the
windows for a sinister look. While
the Challenger is equipped with its
original drum brakes and suspension,
the ride is enhanced by subtle
lowering springs in the front and a
classic rake in the rear.
A modern sound system was
discreetly installed by Mad Soundz
in Hamilton, but the car retains its
nostalgic charm, even playing Bruce
Springsteen’s Born in the USA on
repeat.
This Challenger, preserved in
its original glory, now cruises the
roads of New Zealand as a tribute to
American muscle and the thrill of the
chase in finding the perfect classic.

90
’81 PONTIAC TRANS AM
The 1981 Turbo Trans Am
is a restored example of
a muscle car era icon,
famous for its appearance
in Smokey and the Bandit II.
Imported from Tulsa, Oklahoma,
this rare find had been neglected
for years before undergoing a
meticulous restoration.
Under the hood, the car retains
its original matching-numbers
301ci V8 turbocharged engine.
Built by Pontiac to tackle the
fuel-economy-driven emissions
crisis of the early ’80s, this engine
delivered 200hp with a Garrett
turbo, designed to mimic the
power of larger big block engines.
Though plagued by reliability
issues — with overheating and a
poorly tuned factory computer —
it remains a key piece of Pontiac’s
muscle car legacy.
To overcome this, the
restoration included a complete cars, the owner sums it up: “All our cars have special
rebuild of the engine in the meaning, but it’s about preserving the history of a
better time in automotive culture, when style ruled over
THANKS:
owner’s shed using parts from Chris, Ray, Adam, and the crew at Bad
American Turbo Trans Am functionality. These cars are pieces of art that will stand
Penny, who have worked on all my cars;
specialist TTA Performance. After the test of time and, hopefully, be a good investment.”
Adam P Photographer, who has taken a few
countless hours of tweaking by With a long list of projects and a desire to keep these
shots of my cars over the years and always
Mark from Revolution Engines, vehicles alive and well, it’s clear that the work will
gets the best out of them; Mats Detailing,
the car now runs smoothly on never truly be finished. And with four kids growing up
great for advice and utilising what he can
its original computer and factory surrounded by leather and engine fumes, this family’s
when detailing the original paint jobs; James
specs. Visually, the car underwent love affair with American muscle shows no signs of
at Mad Soundz in Hamilton; Warren and
a stunning transformation at slowing down.
Andrea at Flamin Body Shop in Hamilton;
Flamin Body Shop in Hamilton. A With such a unique collection of dream vehicles,
our friend TK, who has helped with the
custom Onyx Gold paint — gold the owner is all about providing opportunities
mechanical side of the cars, especially
dust over black — was applied, for others to have their own special-occasion
that damn Trans Am; Jase Brown, for all
giving it a unique glow in the memories in them. These cars are all available to
his fibreglassing and help with the VL, and
sun and a moody, classic ’80s hire for weddings, functions, or other events — email
for getting us into drag racing, which has
vibe at night. New gold decals [email protected] to inquire.
been fun; Ian at Te Pahu Auto Restorations;
from Phoenix Graphics complete Leighton, who helped with sourcing the
the exterior, while the interior cars in the US; Adien and the crew at
was overhauled to mimic the Vehicle Tyre Services in Cambridge; my wife,
Smokey and the Bandit II car with who’s the enabler of the addiction; and my
full leather and gold accents. kids Aston, Fletch, Bailey, and Meeia, who
With its rare turbo set-up and get the cars prepared for whatever car event
striking looks, the Trans Am is a is on (and then dirty again).
unique piece of American muscle
car history. It’s an embodiment
of the struggle to maintain
performance in the face of tough
emission regulations, and with
the T-tops off, it’s a blast from the
past, delivering that unmistakable
1980s vibe.
 FABRICATION TAYLOR
SERIES PETERSON

WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A ’54 CHEV BEL AIR FOR A CUSTOMER. THE BRIEF IS TO KEEP
THE PATINA BUT MAKE IT LOW AND GO GOOD. EASY ENOUGH; WE CAN DO THAT!
WORDS AND PHOTOS: TAYLOR PETERSON / TYLER BENINGTON

The front end is a Heidts

independent front suspension

01 (IFS) set up for airbags. The

catch is that, while the IFS will
let the car lay down low, the
ride height that it’s designed for

02 is a bit too high for our liking. In

my opinion, bagged cars should
be driven as low as possible. To
that end, we sectioned the front
end by another two inches to
allow the ride-height geometry
to be in a good place. We also
remade the front body mounts
to sit at the bottom of the
chassis rather than below and
did the same with the custom
crossmember/K frame that we
fabricated. After mounting up
the small block Chev and TH350
on custom mounts, we turned
our attention to the rear end.
Now, typically I’d go for a set
of Chev C10 two-link trailing
arms, but I couldn’t find any
at the time, and, after some
discussion in the workshop, we
decided that we could improve
on them anyway.
Follow along as we make up the
new rear arms.

92
 The main arm is made out of 32NB Schedule 80 seamless

03 line pipe, incredibly heavy and strong, which is necessary

given the length of these arms. The pinion adjuster bar is
1.25x0.120-inch chromoly tube. After finding some suitable
A big improvement suspension bushes for the rear joint and sourcing some
that I wanted to make Johnny joints from The Krysler Shop for the front, we had
was pinion angle our local machine shop, Eclipse Engineering, spin up the
adjustment. I’ve appropriate bush sleeves and weld spuds.
found that two-link
cars can be fussy with
pinion angle, and
the last one required
some cutting and
04
welding to get right,
which I wanted to
to avoid this time.
So, we opted to do
a ladder bar–style
arm with adjustable
top links.

05
Floor clearance is obviously important, so
we decided that, at ride height, the main bar
should be level with the ground. This meant
that it needed a bend to get up to the diff, and
we measured that an eight-degree bend was
required. Using our trusty exhaust bender, we
bent the two bars to eight degrees.
 06 07 08
We had already set up
the brackets on the
diff, so we shot the
laser level through
from the K-frame
attachment point to
the rear bush point
to get the angle
for notching. The
handheld pneumatic
linisher is perfect
for tube and pipe
notching. Once the
rear was notched,
we could hold the
pipe in place for final
length checking.

09
Once the pipe was cut down, we
drilled four 10mm plug weld holes
for the threaded spud using the
drill press. I always offset these in
length, with two opposing holes
at one point, and two opposing
further down the spud. We also
prepped the end of the pipe with a
bevel to ensure a good weld around
the circumference.

94
 With the spud tapped into its final home, we tacked it in place and

10 then ran a root weld around it with the TIG, using 120A, which
worked well. After it cooled, we ran a cap pass over it using around
130A, and welded all the plug welds with the TIG as well.

11
12
13

14
15
16
Now we assemble the Johnny
joint into the arms and fit it to the
chassis for tacking. A small tie-
down worked well for holding it.
 17
18
Here are the mounts for the pinion adjuster and the two
Teflon-lined rod ends sitting in place. With these in place,
we can get a measurement for the tube. Note that we have
actually set the pinion angle to where it should be on the
chassis table; this adjuster is for very small tweaks.

19
Same with this tube. We drilled four plug weld
holes in each end, then tacked them before
welding fully. These V-blocks are very handy
to sit the tube in while prepping and welding.
This is where this job will pause for now, until
the airbags, rear shocks, etc., arrive.

96
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RICHARDHOWEUPHOLSTERY.CO.NZ
52 JOHN STREET, PUKEKOHE
Richard Howe Upholstery is proud to have
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 In The Build
WHAT’S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AROUND THE COUNTRY

GRAFTED ’81 CAMARO

A few issues ago, we mentioned the ’81 Camaro
build in progress at Real Rides. Well, it’s
making headway, and the final version is coming
Up at the business end, it still retains parts of
the factory fibreglass nose cone, but this has
been shortened by 70mm, the turn signals have
enough power and supporting modifications to
make this car not only look cool but perform
as well.
to life. As Kayton says, “Every panel is modified.” been deleted, a carbon-fibre air intake has been Beneath the full steel, grafted-to-the-body
All the flares and the spoiler are hand-fabricated added, and ’74 Pontiac headlight surrounds flares is a set of 14-inch Baer rotors and six-piston
from steel or aluminium. The drip rails have been have been fitted. It’s also worth noting that front brakes, along with 13-inch rotors and four-
deleted, as have the door handles, and there are the hood has been raised by 50mm along the piston rear brakes. Filling the wheelhouses are
custom front-guard air intakes, just to name a factory swage lines. 18x10-inch front and 18x12-inch rear Forgeline
few changes. The rear trim, diffuser, and filler Under the hood sits a boxed-in 572ci big wheels. There’s also a full custom interior and a
panels have been grafted in a carbon/aluminium block Chev, complemented by some impressive custom dash, just when you thought it couldn’t
mix, which keeps things interesting. Adding a bead-rolled panels and meticulous attention to get any wilder.
modern touch, 2016 Camaro tail-lights have been detail in the engine bay. With the engine paired Blending new-school parts with old-school
seamlessly integrated into the rear, along with to a Tremec TKO 600, delivering power to a classic style is exciting, and we’re eager to see
flush-fit front and rear screens for a sleeker finish. Ford nine-inch rear end, there will be more than how it all comes together.

98
900HP XW
FALCON
T he X-series Falcons seem to be in full
force this season, with none other than
Custom Street Rides building a resto-mod XW for
owners John and Karen. Where most are pretty
happy with a 351 Clevo and C4 combo, John
and Karen are going all out with a 2022, 900hp
GT500 Shelby engine, matched with a built
6R80 transmission. The RRS centre steering rack
conversion, notched towers, RSS coilovers, and
reinforced lower control arms are all part of the
new build as well. Centre stage features an Ididit
column and an RRS offset under-dash 90-degree
pedal box. The rear has some trickery too, with
mini tubs to fit some widened wheels. One of
the toughest four-door sedans to come out of
Aussie, it’s one that we can’t wait to see finished.

TWIN-
TURBO
CHEVELLE
H eard of JD Fabrication? Yeah, same here — until
we spotted on the socials this ripper built by
the company. We can tell you, JD Fabrication is
now firmly on our radar. Rolling out of its stables
is a ’70 Chevelle built for war. Up front, it packs a
twin-turbo 427ci Nelson Racing engine, while the
rear boasts a Strange diff and axles nestled in a
Currie housing. And in between? Nothing short of
impressive — a Reid BTE 2000hp TH400 gear-box.
The Chevelle rides on full Ridetech suspension in
every wheelhouse, paired with Wilwood brakes all
around, and custom BC Forged wheels.
Jayden Douglas, the man behind JD Fabrication, is
working on a bit more fabrication but is aiming to get
a solid 1500–1700hp out of it. With Nelson Racing
Engines in charge, that’s highly likely.
It’s one cool ’70 Chevelle that we’ll be keeping
a close eye on, along with plenty of other exciting
builds that JD Fabrication has in the works.
1920S T-BUCKET

A YOUNG TEENAGER FROM THE DEEP SOUTH BUILT A

HOT ROD — JUST LIKE THE ONE HE’D SEEN ON TV — FROM
SPARE PARTS. HE STILL HAS IT 60 YEARS LATER
WORDS AND PHOTOS: VAUGHAN WILSON

100
 ntil the very early 1900s, motor vehicles were made with strict time constraints leading to ubiquitous and tedious
mainly in situ, with a team of people assembling the work conditions. Ford then introduced the $5-per-day wage,
vehicle as it sat, much like you would assemble a Lego potentially doubling the income of workers, and suddenly Ford
model car today – this process works well when you are had a steady stream of motivated workers helping the company
making a Ferrari or a Ford GT or a Land Rover Defender to incredible success on the back of the Model T. This assembly
out of a couple of thousand tiny plastic pieces, when mechanism came to be known as ‘Fordism’.
time efficiency and cost of production are null and void, and the Fordism spread to other vehicle manufacturers and all sorts
joy of assembly and project completion is the order of the day. of other production facilities making everything from radios
Then along came Henry Ford with his latest model of car in to washing machines to others in the food industry. Another
1908. The car sold well, but it wasn’t until Ford introduced the outcome was efficiencies in production, which resulted in
moving assembly line in 1913 that the car came to the workers, significant reductions in labour cost per unit produced. This led
who then assembled the vehicle as it moved down the line. This to a drop in the price of the Model T. In 1908, the Model T cost
process was already active in other industries, but Ford was the $825, but 17 years later, in 1925, the car that had changed the
first to use it in vehicle manufacturing. world cost a mere $260, 31 per cent of its original price. In May
However, soon thereafter, workers were leaving Ford for 1927, Ford called time on the Model T after making 15,000,000
other car companies, sick of doing boring, tedious work of the ground-breaking vehicle.
 Initially available in blue, red, grey, and green, from

A CHILD 1914, Model Ts were only available in black – not to

simplify the paint process but because black dried
faster, which allowed the vehicles to be assembled
SPEC
1920S T-BUCKET
OF THE
quicker. Near the end of the model’s life, the venerable
T again became available in various colours due to paint ENGINE: Ford 272 Y-block V8,
bored 140 thou, Valiant six-cylinder
technology improving the drying time. 265 pistons, modified camshaft,

ORIGINAL
Henry Ford is also credited with creating the pickup standard heads, cleaned ports,
truck in response to owners converting Model Ts into standard valves, six Holley 94
carburettors, custom manifold by
vehicles for the farm. Henry converted a Model T Barry, homemade headers with
Roadster into a cab and bed, successfully selling this inbuilt mufflers, 1926 Model T

TIN LIZZIE new vehicle line and coining the term ‘pickup’.
The famous Model T has attracted a large number of
nicknames, including ‘Tin Lizzie’. No one is sure of the
chrome surround, custom-made
radiator, small block Ford distributor,
six-cylinder Falcon starter motor,
smoothed stainless-steel firewall

AND A origins of this name. It could have been down to the

general popularity of the time of the name Elizabeth or
perhaps from the name of a famous race car of the day,
DRIVETRAIN: Chev two-speed
auto, 186 Holden torque converter, big
block Chev flexplate, 1939 Ford diff
housing, 1946 Ford truck banjo centre

PRODUCT OF
‘Old Liz’. section, homemade front axle
However, one other nickname is synonymous with SUSPENSION: (F) Custom-made
the car, a child of the original Tin Lizzie and a product leaf spring with hydraulic shocks;
(R) 1928 Model A rear spring with
of the era a generation later with changing times and

THE ERA A
hydraulic shocks, homemade sway
attitudes. We are, of course, talking about the venerable bar, radius rods
T-bucket and its myriad of imitations. Customisation of BRAKES: (F and R) 1939 Ford
Model Ts began in the 1920s, but the origins of the first hydraulic drum

GENERATION T-bucket can be traced to a single man and a single car

— the ‘Lightning Bug’.
WHEELS/TYRES: (F) 14x6-inch
Crager SS wheels and Firestone tyres;
(R) 15x10-inch Crager SS wheels and
Firestone replica drag slicks

LATER CHASSIS: Homemade from 3x1.5-

inch rectangular hollow-section
(RHS) steel
EXTERIOR: Apricot orange
metalflake paint
INTERIOR: Upholstered
homemade seats, Model T
steering column, modified
advance-retard lever as gear
lever, Classic Instruments gauges

102
 front. The car then appeared in a colour photo on the
cover of Car Craft in April 1957 and, in the same month,
in Life magazine.
These magazines provided a huge spotlight for
Grabowski’s creation, one which got even bigger
when it was used on the TV show 77 Sunset Strip. It
was driven by the character Gerald ‘Kookie’ Kookson.
The exposure the car gained led to numerous copies
being built.
As a consequence of the coverage provided by
the magazines and TV programme, Grabowski was
approached about renting the car out to appear in
movies and more television shows. The contacts
he made led to an acting career for Grabowski. He
appeared in TV shows, including The Monkees and
Batman, and numerous movies in the 1960s and
1970s including The Towering Inferno, Hooper, and
The Cannonball Run.
Grabowski was also an accomplished wood carver
who carved many unique skull gearshifts for customers’
hot rods. Check out some of his creations on the
internet. Retiring from acting in the early 1980s, he
passed away in October 2012.
A genuine T-bucket is primarily defined as a two-
seater body of a Model T roadster with or without the
turtle deck and with a small pickup box or similar at the
back. It is the bucket-shaped body shell that gives the
vehicle its moniker. Usually, a Model T–type radiator
is fitted up front servicing a V8 engine on display
without a hood. Engine choices vary from one builder
to another depending on their hunger for power and
prestige. Mudguards are usually done away with, and
tyre and wheel choices range from small and narrow to
large, often at the rear and oversized.
Barry Morgan is a retired engineer based in Wānaka
who has owned numerous engineering firms in his
time, each growing to a substantial level. He and his
Norm Grabowski was born in 1933 in New Jersey companies have designed jet boat impellers, bridges,
to Polish immigrants. In 1952, he built a hot rod based and everything in between. Barry epitomises the
on a shortened 1922 Model T touring car sitting on a New Zealand No. 8–wire mentality of ‘if you can dream
Model A pickup bed. Mated to a Caddy overhead-valve it, you can build it’. Barry is a maestro, a wizard who
engine borrowed from his parent’s sedan, the resulting can seemingly conjure up anything in steel, aluminium,
vehicle had a unique appearance for the time. or similar.
The Lightning Bug first appeared in the October 1955 Barry is a Ford fan, with a modern Mustang, a 1965
issue of Hot Rod magazine before undergoing further Mustang race car with a Bill Mitchell stroker 368ci with
modifications. These included a change to blue paint 700hp on tap (a notchback that Barry converted to a
with flames, a tilted windscreen and a greater rake fastback and which we featured in NZV8 some years
increasing the ride height at the rear, and lowering the ago), a 1969 Mustang Sportsroof, and numerous others.

104
 AN HEIRLOOM WITH A GREAT BACK STORY AND A
NOD TO HIS SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND FORTITUDE
Barry was born in 1950 and was car mad from an purchase the car back. It was looking a little sad, mostly in
early age. While at school, he and his buddies used parts and missing its engine. Barry renovated the ’bucket
to devour overseas hot rod magazines, reading up and installed another Y-block, this time bored 140 thou
on the latest developments in the US, and watching with Valiant six-cylinder 265 pistons and six Holley 94
action programmes such as 77 Sunset Strip. Barry loved carburettors. Barry made the manifold himself and added
Grabowski’s T-bucket creation and told his mates that a distributor from a small block Ford. The front axle was
he was going to build one. This was 1964, and soon also homemade from tubing with brakes from a ’39 Ford.
thereafter a derelict 1928 Model A tourer was sourced The rear was a ’39 Ford diff housing with a 1946 Ford
from a local orchard in Balclutha. truck banjo centre section. The gear-box was now a
Pieces were found at local suppliers, with Barry honing Chev two-speed auto with a homemade bellhousing. The
his skills as he knitted them together, manufacturing ’bucket went back to its original colour and white canvas
other parts and Frankensteining his dream. The front roof and looked better than ever.
scuttle is from a 1917 Dodge, the area behind the seat Barry was then approached in the late 1980s by none
is from a 1928 Model A, the bed is a shortened 1926 other than Peter ‘Buck’ Rogers, his first passenger some
Model T pickup, and the panels between the front scuttle 21 years prior, wanting to buy the car. Peter now resided
were formed by Barry himself. in Whakatāne and flew down with his wife to drive their
Originally, the engine was a 21-stud Ford V8, but Barry purchase back to the Bay of Plenty, a fair distance. If DRIVER
BARRY MORGAN
soon procured a 1956 Ford Y-block 272 from a wrecked he ever decided to sell the car, Barry asked Peter to
Customline. He bored it 145 thou and installed Chev approach him first.
265 pistons mated to a two-speed Ford automatic. On Fast forward again, and Barry got a call in the mid CAR CLUB: Founding member
Christmas Eve 1968, Barry got his first WOF and went 1990s from Peter who needed to sell the ’bucket to raise of Hurricane Rodders, now with
Pre 49 Street Rodders of Dunedin
for a drive with his first passenger, teenager Peter Buck some funds to finish another project. A deal was done,
AGE: 74
from Balclutha. and soon Barry’s pride and joy was on its way south in a
Three years later, and Barry had driven the car all over truck, never to be parted with again. Barry’s son Jason OCCUPATION: Retired engineer
New Zealand as his daily driver. It was well known in the took the helm, giving the car a bit of a birthday and PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS:
Wide range, especially Fords
Dunedin area and regularly entered into car shows. It sourcing wheels that looked the same as the original
DREAM CAR: 1934 all-aluminium
had appeared on the cover of various hot rod magazines ones from 1969.
roadster built from scratch
in New Zealand and Australia and also ended up in In 2024, the car is celebrating its 60th year since work
BUILD TIME: Three-and-a-half
magazines in the US and the UK. Barry’s T-bucket even began on its various parts. There probably isn’t another years (initially in the 1960s)
featured as one of the Weet-Bix cards, popular in their T-bucket in existence in the Southern Hemisphere that LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP:
day for the kids to collect. has been owned by the same person for that length of 60 years
Soon, however, Barry needed to buy a more practical time, albeit with the odd interval of alternate ownership. BARRY THANKS: Son Simon,
car and a house, and he had just met his future wife Barry gets the old girl out every now and again and winds who helped rebuild it 20 years
ago, and my long-suffering wife,
Glenys. The Model T was sold, and over the next her up. It is now firmly ensconced in the Morgan family,
who has put up with me for
10 years, it passed through a few owners and had a to be passed down as an heirloom with a great back 51 years; Dunedin Auto Trimmers;
change of colour from metallic orange to blue. story and a nod to his skills, abilities, and fortitude honed Southern Lake Panelbeating

Fast forward to 1981, and Barry got the opportunity to over a lifetime.
DECADE ISSUES # 110 AND 111
JULY AND AUGUST
AGO 2014

WHERE IS IT NOW?
HAMISH HIESTAND — FORD BONUS
H amish Hiestand tells us that he could
fill a whole magazine with the cars that
he’s owned and built in the decade since we
featured his quad cam–powered Ford Bonus.
The changes all came around not too long after
our article, when he was offered decent money
for it but turned it down. A few years later, an
offer came in that was too good to refuse, and
the truck found a new owner. From there, he
dubbed himself ‘Dalziell Road Customs’ and
has bought and sold various Mustangs and
Camaros, as well as taking care of plenty of
sideline builds and a bunch of complete builds.
The one he’s currently held on to is a

self-built Phase 5 Dick Johnson Falcon replica.

The car started out as a factory V8 Fairmont
Ghia and is now running a 351 producing around
500hp thanks to a chunky cam and closed
chamber heads. This is backed by an FMX trans
and 28-spline four-spider XG ute diff. Of course,
the stand-out part is the Phase 5 Autos flare kit
and Monza red paintwork. All that’s left to add is
a drop tank and hood scoop, although if history
is anything to go by, as soon as it’s done, it’ll be
out the door.

106
WHERE IS IT NOW?
JUSTIN AND RACHEL — PLYMOUTH FURY
W hen we featured Justin and Rach’s
Plymouth Fury sedan, the couple had
owned the car for a decade … now another
the skids, the transmission didn’t, so it has
been rebuilt.
Along with six Cruise Martinborough
decade on, they still love the car every bit events, one Kaikoura Hop, and countless
as much as they did back then. When asked other local Wellington events, the car has
what they’ve done with the car in that time, made the trip up to Beach Hop and back
their first answer is “nothing”, but that’s not around five times, all without incident. One
quite the case. of the highlights for them included the pair
They’ve actually clocked up so many miles going head to head in the Fury and their
in it that they’ve needed to replace every freshly completed Super Bee tribute at
single suspension bush. The other main Masterton Motorplex along with side-by-
consumable, besides petrol, has, of course side burnouts as each driver tried to outdo
been tyres, and thanks to many lockdown the other.
skids and 40th birthday celebration skids, Even with that recent addition of the
the car has gone through countless pairs of Super Bee, the Fury still gets plenty of use,
rears. While the partygoers at Rach’s enjoyed and that’s not set to change any time soon.

AND THE REST

R ussel Long’s ’55 Chev set the standard for
gassers with the right look, stance, and
power plant. Russel likes the build process
on the world stage, thanks to plenty of
work from Burkes Metalworks, along
with an Art Morrison chassis and a
though, so eventually, the car was sold down to killer LS engine under the hood.
Hawke’s Bay. Since then, he’s built a ’31 Tudor That same issue also included
with his own custom touches but is now back Brian Everson’s custom ’57 Chev
playing with Tri-Five Chevs again. The cover of that’s still a common sight at
NZV8 Issue No. 110 saw the Pontiac Firebird Beach Hop today and still has
convertible of Aaron and Cilla Hegarty. The car is one of the wildest interiors ever
a true work of art that wouldn’t be out of place seen on these pages.
 CARGO THIS ISSUE’S
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glass while leaving behind a layer of protection that delivers a hydrophobic finish that
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while hydrophobic technology rolls water off exterior glass improving visibility in wet and
rainy conditions.
• Streak-free clarity: Specialised anti-hazing formula provides streak-free clarity while
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For more product or stockist info quote product G240416, Freephone 0800 227 422 or
visit www.smitsgroup.co.nz

COMMODORE VT-VY LS
CONVERSION FOR V6
K FRAMES!
Introducing Tuff Mounts’ newest product: Commodore VT-VY LS
Conversion for V6 K frames! Experience a hassle-free upgrade with our
bolt-up fitment, requiring no modifications. Whether you need engine
mounts or a complete conversion kit, they are now available.
Find our latest release at Rare Spares NZ, Mount Shop, or
conveniently order online at www.tuffmounts.com.au. Upgrade your
Commodore VT-VY with ease and precision!

NEW PRODUCT ALERT!

Rare Spares are now stocking power steering pumps for Holden HQ HJ HX HZ WB VB
VC 6-cylinder and HQ HJ HX HZ WB VB VC VH VK VL V8.
Search part number H1453 and shop online at rarespares.net.au/rsnz, stop by our
showroom at 43 Shands Road, Hornby, or give the team a call on 03 366 5982

108
SUPERPRO
SuperPro is an innovative Australian manufacturer of
automotive polyurethane suspension bushings, control arms,
sway bars and other suspension components for both 4x4 and
performance vehicles. Engineered to outperform, SuperPro’s
specially formulated, high-quality components are designed to
create suspension solutions for better stability, handling and
control in both on- and off-road applications.
Superpro is available through Mount Shop.

DIGITAL IGNITION
CONTROLLER
The Aeroflow Performance digital ignition controller is a
microprocessor-controlled capacitive spark discharge device. It
increases the voltage across the spark plug gap to produce a high-
powered spark that ensures complete combustion of the fuel mixture.
This provides a clean, smooth idle and improved performance on any
street car. This ignition control box can be installed on any four-, six- or
eight-cylinder engine equipped with a 12-volt electrical system and
distributor. The wiring harness is routed out of the control box through
a sealed and locking connector, which is also available separately. The
rev-limiter is located right on top of the housing for easy access to the
two rotary dials to set the limit in 100rpm increments.
For more information and your nearest distributor, visit
aeroflowperformance.com

AEROFLOW PRO STREET

ALUMINIUM RACING SEATS
Aeroflow Pro Street aluminium racing seats are a lightweight seat option
that provides added strength and safety for your race car. Constructed
from 2.5mm-thick 5052-grade aluminium with offset rolled extrusion
around the entire seat and reinforced headrest. The strategically
positioned contours on the exterior are TIG-welded, while the inside is
MIG-welded, which results in improved structural rigidity and a more
comfortable ride. Each seat features moulded rubber guards around
double shoulder belt openings and lower belt openings to accommodate
most racing harnesses; plus there are snap fasteners around the seat for
a cover to clip onto. These race seats are offered in a range of hip sizes
from 15” up to 20”, with the 18.5” and 20” having longer bottoms, the belt
openings moved forward, side bolsters, and raised rear belt openings to
accommodate larger drivers. Options for both a raw alloy finish and black
finish are available, with a cover and seat mounts sold separately.
Available at aeroflowperformance.com or Rocket Industries, rocketind.
com, or your nearest Aeroflow distributor.
 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE
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E: [email protected]
FULL BUILDS & RESTORATIONS 04 297 0600
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02 1 14 0 6855 | M A R K . E V ER L EI G H@V I A M ED I A .CO. NZ

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of the restoration process. 03 208 9480
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 Social SCENE
WORDS: MAT T ELLIOT T — LOW FAST FAMOUS

Here are some quick hits of content from social media channels around the globe,
curated by Low Fast Famous. They relate to some of the projects and completed
builds that have been generating the most interaction and impressions in the
past 30 days. Check out more of the work from the vehicles highlighted via their
Instagram handles listed or at Low Fast Famous: @lowfastfamous

1968 DODGE CHARGER

@CLASSIC_CAR_STUDIO
You know you’ve built a cool car when you scoop
up the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year
award! This Charger has undergone multiple body
modifications, including moving the front wheel
openings forward by 75mm, setting the attention to
detail right from the start. The original 440ci motor
has been freshened up and modernised with stack
injection, paired with a 4L80-E transmission. Custom
Billet Specialties wheels, sized 22 inches at the rear
and 19 inches at the front, help set the stance, along
with the Roadster Shop chassis. A super clean build!

1993 CHEVROLET C1500

@LETHALCX
Old body style (OBS) trucks are really starting to pop off,
especially the limited-run versions from back in the day.
This original Indy Pace Truck has been rebuilt to modern-
day standards with an OEM-plus type mentality. The
new-to-market Roadster Shop Low Pro chassis used
incorporates independent front and rear suspension,
giving it a killer stance and handling in one go. Billet
Specialties wheels, 24 inches at the rear and 22 inches
at the front, sort out the rolling stock, while Little Shop
Mfg 16-inch brakes fill them up. Power comes from a
custom-built Whipple-supercharged LS2. Super cool!

MOTOMUZI —
DHR1000
@MOTOMUZI
These custom renders and AI-style
images are super cool. Drawing plenty
of inspiration from Dodge and Ford’s
original ’60s and ’70s muscle cars, the
DHR1000 concept stands out. You
could easily see this fitted with a big
block twin-turbo power plant and a
beefy sequential transmission, turning
it into one aggressive street machine.
How would you build it?

1969 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE

@KIELYMACKEY
She might not look like much from the outside,
but this Plymouth has been transformed into one
agile drift machine, and it’s pretty cool. It starts
with a full E36 BMW front subframe to achieve
the stance and steering angle needed for fun at
the track. A ‘junkyard’ LS engine has been fitted,
along with a T56 transmission set up to handle
the multiple clutch kicks required each weekend.
And those might look like original steel wheels, but
they’re actually custom billet pieces built to reduce
weight. Love it!

112
 Keep Your Classics
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