Table of contents for No 199 December 2021 in NZV8

Tipped to be a championship threat in the seasons to come, Scott McLaughlin is beginning to find his feet behind the wheel of his number 3 Dallara-Chevrolet Indycar for Team Penske, in his rookie season. An 11th place finish at the final on the streets of Long Beach was enough to edge out fellow rookie, former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean. Scott’s season saw him taste the champagne at Texas finishing second behind fellow Kiwi Scott Dixon. “I’m really excited for next year. This year was a foundation year; all about building. I feel like I’ve done that,” Scott said in his post-race interview. “Hopefully I can be a little bit further up next year … every area I need to get better.” Having close to zero open wheel racing…

NZ Vintage Gassers / Hot Rod & Muscle Car Challenge 13 November The Rock Dragway, Motueka ndra.co.nz Adults $20, 12–16 $10, under 12s free, family pass $40 One of the best shows in NZ drag racing right now, the NZ Vintage Gassers are heading south and promise to put on one hell of a show. Dry hops, smoky pre-stage burnouts, and bumper-destroying wheel stands — this class does not disappoint. Running as part of the NZ Vintage Gassers / Hot Rod & Muscle Car Challenge, the event will also feature plenty of other on-strip action from support classes. Value Motors Port Road Drags 28 November Port Rd, Seaview, Lower Hutt Portroad.co.nz Adults $20, kids $5, under 5s free This year marks the 55th running of the Port Road Drags —…

While for the most part we Kiwis like to keep things subdued when it comes to exterior styling, the same rules don’t apply when it comes to engine bays. We do engine bays exceptionally well — better than most, in fact. They seem to be a place where our crazy ‘craftfulness’ comes out in leaps and bounds. It’s an area where rules don’t apply, and the more creative you can be, the more you’ll have people scratching their heads about how you pulled it off. While we’re all not going to throw a house deposit away on custom work, we’ve put together this collection of some of the best bays to come out of New Zealand in the hope of inspiring your next project, and pushing you to do a…

Swapping rotary motors into piston-powered cars has been an everyday event since Mazda made Dr Felix Wankel’s spinning triangles commonplace. On the other hand, going the other way and dropping piston power into rotary-powered vehicles is far less common. However, that’s exactly what Dunedin’s Michael Scholten has done, by slinging an LS9 into a Mazda RX-4. The car was previously campaigned in rotary guise by Matt Buttimore, before being purchased as a roller. That hasn’t stopped Michael from reworking the rear end, including all new tubs. The engine he purchased was from a Marathon boat and runs a roller cam in conjunction with a custom turbo set-up. This is backed by a Rossler trans with bolt-together Neal Chance torque converter. With Michael being an EFI guy, it’s no surprise that…

Yawn … just another Mustang … yeah yeah, we’ve heard it all before, but as much as we’ve also been guilty of getting a jab or two in, we can assure you this is anything but another belly-button Mustang. In the pony car world, there are a number of Mustangs that hold a higher value, both metaphorically and financially, than others. For example, K-code GTs, Shelby GT350s, or the iconic Boss 302. But, at the absolute pinnacle of classic Mustangs, sits the Boss 429, a car that’s so exclusive and so rare that it’s not even on the radar of most classic car aficionados. Henry Ford himself had a motto of: build what you race and race what you build; Waikato’s Colin Macbeth follows that same philosophy. It’s a philosophy…

Can you imagine the laughter and cheers when Brendon Shearing leaves a party or event in his ’68 Impala with a none-too-shabby skid! Sure, with a polished tower of power sticking out the hood, the car is far from being a sleeper, but most people don’t expect a big old tank loaded with people to boil the hides in the way it does. It is somewhat ironic, though, that the car was originally just meant to be a cruiser, something that Brendon could hit the streets in without fear of mechanical issues and that required zero maintenance. The inspiration for the original purchase was the car whose back seat Brendon and his brothers grew up in. Brendon’s not alone with his fond memories of the ’68 Impala their dad bought…

You can almost guarantee that in every single photo album in the back of a wardrobe of any suburban New Zealand home there will be at least one photo of — depending on your age — your parents or grandparents proudly posing beside or behind the wheel of their car, such is the love affair we Kiwis have with our automobiles. This was the same for Talia Pearson — the stunning 1968 Falcon XR you see on these pages was her grandparents’ car. Her parents even used it as their wedding car. To say the Falcon holds sentimental value for the family is a bit of an understatement. But in 1983, the year Talia was born, the car met an untimely death courtesy of a head-on with a fully laden…

It’s not too late to join the fun this season, as Dean Hansen’s HQ sedan is still up for grabs. In Dean’s capable hands, the car was a top-two finisher in the last two Napa CMC seasons, and has multiple race wins to its name. The well-proven package runs a chromoly cage in a seam-welded body, and understandably a lot of development has gone into getting the set-up right. However, Dean did mention there’s still room for further development. Engine wise the car runs a dry sumped Landon Motorsport–built 410ci combo built around a Dart block and Brodix heads. This is backed by a G-Force GF4A box and alloy four-inch driveshaft. Out back is a nine-inch diff with Strange H/D through bolt carrier, Detroit Locker, and full floating hubs. Like…

Upon meeting 29-year-old Cantabrian, Michael Ledgerwood, it became apparent early in our conversation that surrounding himself with great mates rates fairly highly with him. “My father is my best friend,” says Michael. “If it wasn’t for his guidance over the years, I wouldn’t have the career I now have as a fitter and turner, or the money to spend on the things I enjoy.” Michael’s view on life is pretty simple; surrounding yourself with great mates who are there, not only through the good times and the bad, but sometimes to lead you astray is the spice of life. “If you’re not laughing in life, you’re not happy,” states Michael. Talking of being led astray — it was one of those occasions that resulted in the building of this 1966…

NZV8: Hey, Basher, we hear this was a birthday present for your wife, Zoya; what a hell of a gift! Basheer: Yeah, I got it brand new in September as a surprise for her 27th birthday. It was my wife’s dream SUV. She didn’t want a Range Rover. She said she still wanted that sport-looking V8, so I thought, “Why just give her an SUV when I can give her the best of both worlds?” It wasn’t simply a case of throwing her the keys in the driveway, was it? Zoya was pregnant with our second child [Omar Maqbol]. I thought I’d spoil her along with a baby shower. I got a private car to pick her up from home to go get her hair, make-up, etc. done. Then I…

Young Kiwi motorsport export Matthew Payne has received a glowing review from Supercars veteran Todd Kelly following his test with Kelly Grove Racing. Payne spent two days testing at Winton with the team, first driving an old Altima and then stepping into a brand new Mustang. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anything like it,” stated team co-owner Kelly. “He hopped in the car and instantly kind of felt what the car needed and how the car had to be driven. He didn’t overstep the mark once for the entire day in the Nissan, like didn’t drop a wheel off the track, didn’t do a thing, and his lap times and his driving style, it was as if he had been in the car for five years. I have honestly…

Everyone’s favourite TV show returns for its ninth season on air this November. Repco Muscle Garage will again be beamed into homes all over the country (and world) as part of Three’s CRC Motorsport, airing every Sunday afternoon beginning 14 November. The show’s format will stay the course covering the best cars, events, and workshops New Zealand has to offer. Episode one kicks off with Hayden Wilby’s NUTOUT Commodore, a workshop tour of Mike’s Engines in Whangarei, and a look at the 50th running of the iconic Palmerston North Swap Meet. Alongside Repco, both Meguair’s and Mount Shop continue their support of the show, and make it all possible. The season will run consecutively for 10 weeks, and all shows will also be available for streaming on YouTube for those…

Yet another season of Supercars has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but somehow they seem to always pull through, and this season they are doing something never before seen in the category’s history, after a bunch of rounds had to be cancelled, including New Zealand. The revised calendar to meet their commercial obligations of 12 rounds sees a four-round sweep at Sydney Motorsport Park, then a week later the final round at Bathurst. The month-long stint at the SMP venue will see a combination of both day and night races, and with three track layouts approved for Supercars, some changes are likely in that respect as well. Two three-day, and two two-day events will make up the month-long party, one that will for the first time in a…

NEW TECH JUMP-STARTERS Projecta’s lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) jump-starters will replenish charge from the alternator just by leaving the clamps connected to the vehicle’s battery for 40 seconds after starting. Designed specifically for jump-starting, the Emergency IS920 (240A clamp output) and IS1220 (400A) will handle 2000 battery cycles — around four times more than lithium cobalt jump-starters. They feature 2.1A USB ports for recharging devices and built-in LED lights. Available from automotive stores. Contact stockists for pricing. POWER UP Designed for older cars and two-door cars with flat glass sliding windows that are between 6 inches and 24 inches (152mm to 609mm), Aeroflow’s Electric Power Window Kit is a perfect solution to retro fit into your classic. Each kit comes with high-torque, worm-gear-driven motors, custom mounting brackets, reinforced guide tracks,…

I began a bit of a sentimental journey about the beginning of my old Wanganui paint-shop years in the last issue of NZV8; a chapter of my life that carried me from my late teens to my late 20s. It didn’t occur to me last month but it has just now, as I’m penning Part 2 of my recollections of that period, that those irresponsible days began exactly 40 years ago. Shit, I must be old … Just to quickly reset the scene from last month: there was a 19-year-old shop owner — that’s me; a 15-year-old employee — my ex-brother-in-law and still good mate, Rodney Holland; and a 14-year-old hanger-on — my nephew and good mate, Pete Duxfield. I was the world’s worst role model for these impressionable and…

If the name Steve Hardcastle is familiar to you, then there’s a fair chance you’ll know the ’37 Ford coupe he campaigned aggressively from 1991 to 1996. Although the plan was only to compete seriously for five years, his final season was cut short with engine issues, so he made the decision to sell the car minus the damaged motor. Before doing so, he took a mould of its swoopy body, just in case he ever wanted to return. While Steve did go on to build a body from that mould and a chassis to match, he sold those and kept himself occupied away from the drag strip with other hobbies. Fast forward to Christmas 2019 and Steve’s daughter announced she wanted to go drag racing — that was just…

The late ’60s were an absolutely wild time in Nascar racing. It was during this era, against the backdrop of the anti-establishment hippy movement, the political assassinations, and some guy called Neil taking one small step high above, that Nascar saw a revolution of its own. This brief period during the 1969–1970 seasons came to be known as the ‘aero wars’ and is most famously represented by two machines, both from the Chrysler Corporation: the iconic Dodge Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird. While these special Mopars are absolutely iconic and very cool cars that not one of us would kick out of bed, let’s be honest, they’re not exactly… pretty, are they? Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one man’s seemingly hastily slapped-together bin of…

Scott McLaughlin was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, in 1993. From an early age he showed a keen interest, and an even keener ability, in kart racing, setting the scene for his future career. In 2003 his family left for Queensland, where Scott continued his karting success. As happened with many of his forerunners, wealthy and influential people in the race car environment took him under their wing, giving him a series of well-positioned opportunities that led to an initial drive in the 2012 Bathurst for Tekno Autosports. Scott finished a credible sixth, co-driving for Jonathon Webb in a Commodore. He went on to drive in every Bathurst race up to and including 2020, but will only miss this year due to travel restrictions under Covid-19. Scott’s best result in…

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 1966 Chevy II @CWCORTES These cars are gaining in popularity, and it is not hard to see why since they look awesome in drag or Pro-Touring spec. Chris kept his build relatively mild with a touch of new and old school. The original 327ci engine was freshened up along with the accompanying four-speed transmission and 12-bolt rear end. Finally, Ridetech air suspension was bolted in to get…

Hugh Gardiner is a name that has appeared sporadically in CMC results over the past few seasons. Behind the wheel of a 1970 Camaro, he has shown he has the ability to foot it with the front runners in the class. Hugh has raced in a number of classes, but he’s never had a brand-new car and he decided that now was the perfect time to build a car exactly as he wants it without compromise. “I spent three years turning my beloved ’70 Camaro into a race-winning car. I bought it second hand off Ken Hopper, who had made a great car, but in my 20 years of racing I have never built a brand-new car. Time’s ticking and I love Central Muscle Cars, so I decided to start…

Three months isn’t a long time in the scheme of car builds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a serious amount of work completed — if your name is Lockie Bower, that is. Purchasing his Pop as a rolling shell, young gun Lockie has wasted no time in getting to work, all in the aim of having the pintsized Ford running this season. First up was a roof chop — 3 inches in the front and 2.5 inches in the rear to achieve the right rake. The old roll cage was chopped out and a new eight-point cage fabricated. The front end was also removed, in the quest to get the stance right, with a new front end narrowed 3 inches and also lowered. In the coming months, Lockie…

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After eight years of giving Auckland gearheads something to do on the last Sunday of every month, Protecta have called it a day on the massively popular Caffeine & Classics. The event was an almost instant success and even outgrew the Smales Farm location, spawning the formation of a sister event at Hampton Downs, and strict rules on the cars allowed to attend the Smales event. Despite the popularity, with ongoing Covid restrictions and lockdowns it was deemed too difficult, with the team stating: “We have made the difficult decision to bring the Caffeine & Classics event to a close completely with immediate effect. The decision hasn’t been an easy one. Ongoing lockdown situations have been a key factor in our decision, therefore we feel now is the right time…

Having recently migrated his business Big Shed Customs from New Zealand to Texas, Mark Stead also took with him his COE shop truck, which many of you will be familiar with. The bright green COE took some 3000 hours to complete nearly a decade ago, and has earned its fair share of accolades here. This is something that looks set to continue in the US, as on its first show outing at the Hot Wheels Legend in Houston, Texas, it proved it can still wow the crowds. The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is a world-wide competition to find one car that will become a diecast Hot Wheels model. The 10-stop event, which included an online event in New Zealand earlier this year, finds one finalist at each round to head…

He who dies with the most toys wins.” It’s a phrase many of us are familiar with, thanks mostly to the ’90s streetwear brand No Fear which subverted it to, “He who dies with the most toys, still dies.” And even if we don’t admit that that’s the game we’re all playing, if you’re a car person like the man who’s attributed to saying it — the wealthy publisher Malcolm Forbes (an avid car and bike collector) — then chances are you’re trying to amass as many toys as possible. But, like Forbes, some of us are doing it a little better than others. One such person is Whangamata local Stu Goldsworthy, a man who has a serious addiction to speed, and is steadily amassing one hell of a collection…

Like his siblings, Paul Holman has been playing with old cars all his life, going as far back as attending the very first event at Thunder Park. For the past 26 years an Impala has been his main love, but in recent times he’s had an increasing desire to hit the drag strip himself, and, as powerful as it was, the Impala was never going to be the best car for that. So, for his strip thrills, Paul has been piecing together a ’55 Chev. The NZ-new vehicle has been converted from a four-door to a two-door, and, although Paul admits it’s almost too nice to build into a race car, that’s exactly what’s been happening. The original plan included a twin turbo LS-based power plant, but a last-minute realisation…

As I continue explaining what makes an Aeroflow outlaw nitro funny car, you may be getting sick of me talking about getting the best combination for the show, the racer, and the crowd. Well, these next two components of an Aeroflow outlaw nitro funny car are no different. Let’s start with the supercharger. Now, for the average Roots blown Pro Mod or alcohol engine, the common blower of choice is a 14-71. The internal rotors are 19 inches long and some teams spin them up to more than 40 per cent overdrive, meaning they are spinning 40 per cent faster than the engine’s crank. An NHRA top fuel car also uses a 14-71, as mandated by the rules. These blowers force a large volume of air into the motor at…

During the photo shoot of this ’64 Chev Malibu, the owner, Andy Smith, commented that sometimes cars just have a mind of their own. That comment was in reference to how a build often evolves into something different from what the owner had first imagined. Having worked as an LVV certifier since the inception of the certification system, and having certified thousands of vehicles in that time, Andy’s statement comes from a decent amount of experience. That’s even before we delve into his own automotive history, which has seen a number of cars bought, evolved, built, and sold over the years. In recent times, his collection has included a supercharged ’69 Chevelle as well as a workshop hack ’67 El Camino, which, as most people know, is really just a…

As this is written, I am in Auckland and awaiting the news as to whether we stay longer at Level 4 Covid lockdown or drop a level closer to the rest of the country. I sure feel for the guys in the South Island who have been on home detention without a trace of Covid! Anyway, it’s been sad but totally understandable to see various events either postponed or cancelled. I would dread being an event promoter right now, playing the guessing game of what level we might be at at a certain time in terms of whether or not an event can go ahead. It was, however, great to get word from Noddy Watts that the Classic Cover Insurance Jalopy Dust Up will be held on 3 January 2022…

Part of our reader-submitted concept series, we’re betting you’ve never seen anything quite like this six-wheeled 1950s Thames Trader. We received a concept sketch of the custom from David Thompson, but were unable to make contact with him again. So this is our interpretation of his original — if you see it, mate, we hope you like it. The concept begins with a 1950s Thames Trader cab, with underpinnings that look like they could have come straight from a mid-’70s Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 car. These wild six-wheeled F1 creations were driven by the likes of Jackie Stewart. Their design actually found some merit in having increased contact patch for steering and braking performance, and improved aerodynamics, and they nabbed 10 podiums that season. Being only 10-inch diameter meant the…

After competing in the BMW E30 series for no fewer than five years, Wellington’s James Broadbridge decided it was time to take his racing to the next level. This ambition coincided perfectly with Dean Owens putting his big block–powered Group1 Camaro on the market. While the 800 or so horsepower the Camaro is packing is a significant jump from the BMW’s 120hp, it’s a challenge that James is looking forward to. “The only similarity between the Camaro and the BMW is that they both have four wheels — the Camaro is bigger, heavier, left-hand drive, has a dog box, and runs on slick,” he laughs. Since taking ownership, James has managed to attend one winter meet at Manfeild, but his day was cut short with wet weather and less than…

Shop trucks are a must-have when you’re in the custom car game. It’s also a great opportunity to think outside the box — something Hayden from Jokers Wild Kustoms clearly has no issues doing, because his latest shop truck is a ’71 P10 that once served it by the scoop on the streets of California. Hayden purchased the ice cream truck in late 2020. It came equipped with all the fridges, etc. but, as an ice cream business at the Mount during the summer months was not part of the plan, it was gutted stateside and instead filled with stock for Hayden’s business before being shipped down under. Over the past few months, the unexpected free time has seen progress happen at a steady pace, with the box Chevy now…