Table of contents for No 220 March - April 2024 in NZV8

Kuratau Taupō, jet skis, fishing, campfires, beers, Christmas Day and New Year parties, family and friends — summer certainly treated me well. Take me back! New year, new me? Nah, life’s good. While I haven’t sorted many plans for this year, a small hobby that’s piqued my interest lately is custom paint in the form of lowrider style. With many years in the panel-and-paint game, some of it came naturally, yet many parts are a completely different ball game. It’s been fun to learn new things and try something different. I’ll keep at it — who knows, maybe it will become something; I definitely have a lot of interest in it. As we kick off the first issue for the year, we have a very cool lineup of feature cars,…

Late last year, the burnout community in New Zealand mourned the loss of a legendary woman, Jenn Ireland. Jenn played a pivotal role in uniting the local burnout community and shaping it into what it is today. Her significant contribution was her role in establishing NZBC (New Zealand Burnout Championship), marking the inception of correctly judged burnout events and a genuine championship in the country. Drawing on her experience as an official Summernats’ judge, Jenn infused the New Zealand scene with rules and skills that elevated the standard of burnout events. Her passing was a sad day for many, as she was regarded almost as the godmother of the scene — boosting its prominence, setting high standards, and guiding numerous event organisers on how to execute a true and proper…

Without a doubt, the trend of building pickup trucks here in New Zealand is gaining popularity. If you decide to build one, the options are almost endless. On one hand, you can have a classic cool cruiser, or on the other hand you can have a tough street truck — or almost anything in between. Whatever path you go down, most will appreciate your choice. However, for Ihi Heke, the style decision wasn’t clear — well not two years ago when he started this build. Never having owned a V8 or anything classic or American, he aimed for something that would serve as a remembrance of his father and brother, who were both passionate about cars. Coming from a background with off-road motorbikes, cars, or trucks for that matter, weren’t…

When we first heard that Auckland Racer Jim Carroll was selling his beloved street car, we wondered what was up, but soon the rumours began to fall into place. Having partnered with David Morris to campaign a Super Sedan Camaro with great success, it was only natural that at some stage, Jim would wish to progress up the ranks. Meanwhile, Wairarapa’s Dwane Garrett had spent a few seasons behind the wheel of the ex-Mark Bardsley ex-Cowboy Carlsen Top DoorSlammer Camaro and was looking for the next challenge. The stars aligned thanks to another doorslammer racer who spends much more time on the phone than in the workshop, and soon the pair had brokered a deal to see the doorslammer once again move north. Not long after, Dwane set social media…

Drag racing is a sport in which cars go from zero to really fast, as quick as possible. But what this means is that it’s a sport that can take you from hero to zero as quick as it can take you from zero to hero. Those who read my last column would know the opening event for our brand new Aeroflow Mustang Nitro funny car didn’t go so well. After a great run last year and outstanding testing in the new car, the sport showed why it’s so fickle with a problem plagued event at Sydney. But like I said in my last column, when you have these Aeroflow boys in your corner I had confidence we would bounce back. We headed to Perth for the 2nd round of…

It seems strange now that it was only a decade ago that we first got to drive a ‘late model’ Camaro. And rather than just drive the car by itself, we actually paired it up with a Backdraft Roadster for an interesting head to head. Very much chalk and cheese, the comparison highlighted the best of each approach to performance for a similar financial outlay. They weren’t the only new cars we checked out though, as we also had a taste of the Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core. Little did we know a decade later the world would have gone EV mad and production of such glorious machines would rapidly be becoming a thing of the past. By the time we featured Colin Meadows DeTomaso Pantera it was already a thing…

Arcus Performance kept this project under wraps while it was in the build phase, but the secret is out now. Fully certified and legally road-ready, it’s poised for some summer boosting. The untouched paintwork adds to its sleeper aesthetic, creating a subtle yet powerful presence. Under the hood, the transformation is remarkable — from a factory six to a twin-turbo LS engine. Coupled with a Hughes Pro-glide transmission, a Strange differential, and a set of custom RideTech control arms, it also features adjustable front and rear suspension and a set of Wilwood six-pistons calipers and discs. More to come on this ’55 sleeper!…

Kruzin Kustoms build some pretty sweet street trucks, there is no denying that, yet their latest one is a bit of a twist. They went out of scope, and it worked! A ’64s C10 GMC, a bit rough around the edges of the body, structurally sound, but a hundred-per-cent works in its favour. It features a Porterbuilt Fabrication rear end, Heidts IFS, Classic truck super ride front end, Ridetech E5 system and Ridetech shock waves, but the cool factor has to be the big single-turbo diesel Cummins engine in it; how bloody rad is that! We’ll take a closer look at this one in the next issue.…

POPPING THE HOOD, HE DISCOVERED A MASSIVE HOLE IN THE BLOCK You would be hard-pressed to find a good Holden VL Commodore for under $5000 these days, let alone a VL Commodore BT-1. However, the year is 2008, where Commodore tax wasn’t a thing, and Commodores like VLs could be sourced for a reasonable price. Jason Paterson’s brother, who had a keen eye, was lucky enough to stumble upon one in a paddock in Feilding. Twisting Jason’s arm to buy it, Jason’s brother and friend went to check it out, and were told that it had a mechanical issue. It didn’t phase them too much, as they knew what they were looking at. With a small sum — in today’s age — of $4000, Jason had himself a Holden VL…

We can hear those of you who know Andy Brooking thinking, here we go again. Yep, the Rotorua-based serial car builder has whipped up yet another build, and yes, like all of them, it was always destined to be sold before it was even completed. As the owner of American Customs and Classics, a business that is focused on importing and building American cars for customers, it makes sense that Andy also practices what he preaches, always having a car of his own in the build at any given time, and always having his feelers out for the next one. This 1966 Mercury Colony Park is different from the usual car he would go hunting for and not from the usual place. While he imports cars almost monthly, this one…

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Stu Goldsworthy is a busy lad between racing his Pro Mod style Camaro, his street legal ’69 Camaro, and having a handful of other amazing cars in the shed. At Masterton Motorplex recently, things may not have gone according to plan for the Corvette, but the Camaro has started to show what it’s capable of. With plenty of thanks to Toni Witinitara of Premier Workshop, the 540ci Steve Morris-built engine pushed the car to a new PB of 8.05 at 184.26mph. That big mph would show there’s seven-second potential for the small-tyre street-legal machine. Of course, getting a car like this down the track is no small feat, and plenty of work has gone into making the most of the 2000hp the car has on offer. With Steve Morris giving…

Been a minute since we got the lowdown on John’s ’69 Chevelle, but Real Rides just hit us with a batch of fresh images showcasing all the fab work complete as it confidently rolls out of the shop. The upcoming phase? A splash of custom Lamborghini mix for that head-turning paint job. The body has undergone a substantial transformation — not just rust repairs, but the bumpers have been shortened and frenched. Plus, there’s some engine-bay wizardry to accommodate the GM L99 LS2 and the 6L80 auto transmission. Kayton from Real Rides is set on wrapping it up this year. We are anticipating nothing short of automotive brilliance.…

Seventeen cars took to the Ruapuna circuit for the second round over the last weekend of October. The meeting saw the return of Rhys Gould in his Signature Homes Mustang after the crash that put him out for the remainder of last season at the Supercars round back in September last year. A huge effort by Angus Fogg and the team at Moselle Panel & Paint went into the rebuild for Rhys. The round also saw the return of Paul Clarke in his Mustang, and James Parker and Steve Scoles, both in their Camaros. Both Gould and Scoles had been competing in the South Island Endurance Series before stepping back into their American Muscle race cars. James missed the Friday practice sessions to help his wife welcome their sixth child…

KYB SHOCK ABSORBERS Are your shocks old or wearing out? Worn out shocks can bring premature vehicle repairs by reducing the lifetime of your vehicle’s steering and suspension products. So, when replacing shock absorbers, it’s wise to fit the best affordable quality brand you can, especially with the state of NZ roads and our lovely judder bars. KYB shock absorbers are designed to the highest standards and are original equipment for some vehicle manufacturers. They are manufactured in various plants around the world and KYB owns the largest shock absorber manufacturing plant on the planet, located in Gifu, Japan. KYB has the strongest and thickest strut bodies and brackets in the industry, this minimises flex to keep the alignment correct and you in control. In-house damping valves are assembled by…

CHECK NZV8.CO.NZ FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES Thirty years, eh? Not many events can pull that off, let alone a family operation wrangling hundreds of cars, vendors, and a million tiny details into what we affectionately call ‘Kumeu’. But the Galvin family — Ken, Desma, and their daughter Nicole — somehow make it happen year after year. This year, Mothers High Performance Car Care helped celebrate the party in style by sponsoring the Indoor Show Shed, packing it with 27 handpicked vehicles that oozed build quality, historical significance, or just plain badassery. Celebrating 30 years meant including legends like Haydn Mitchell’s iconic ’32 three-window, the event’s first iconic ‘poster car’. This Deuce has aged like fine wine, setting the tone for other heavy hitters. Darryl Ingham’s restored ’66 Pontiac GTO, unveiled…

Unless you have been living in North Korea for the past decade, wearing green fatigues and doing a lot of marching, you will know the name Dave Kindig and his company Kindig-It Design via his reality hit TV series Bitchin’ Rides. It airs regularly on NZ television and Sky Discovery Turbo, and is popular worldwide for its incredible concepts, visions, high-quality craftsmanship, and innovative approach to transforming old cars into true automotive masterpieces. Dave Kindig, a self-taught car guru, possesses the remarkable ability to craft intricate concept drawings solely from the recesses of his mind. His expertise in mechanics and enhancing original designs is legendary. It’s customary for him to present each client with a personally signed concept drawing of their upcoming vehicle. Dave’s wife, Charity, and daughter, Baylee, actively…

THE MUSEUM HAS A FANTASTIC RANGE OF VEHICLES Wellington’s newest automotive attraction opened to the public for the first time in late December. Cars Inc, the brainchild of Paul Boden and his wife Jen Gower, has been in the works for a few years but in the planning for the past decade. Although the opening was intended to be low-key to let the staff get up to speed, the place has been flat out from day one. It’s been a long journey for Paul, Jen, and daughter Sofia, who have all played a crucial part in the museum’s planning and success to date. The concept of starting their own museum came about after they had amassed an impressive collection of cars and memorabilia and often had car clubs tour through…

This year saw Rangiora play host to the 34th running of Muscle Car Madness. From humble beginnings in a local supermarket car park, attended by around 70 vehicles, the original attendees had no idea where the event would go or if it would still be around all these years later. Roll around 2024, and the event is stronger than ever, well supported by the local car guys and car enthusiasts throughout New Zealand. Whether organiser Craig Stare has hit the right recipe or the perfect location, there is no denying that Muscle Car Madness has become woven into the fabric of the car community here in the South Island, and with many making the pilgrimage each year, it’s hard to see the interest waning any time soon. Each year, while…

It’s been a few years now since Kerry Stewart’s eight-second, street-legal T-bucket came to grief at Meremere after a component failure caused a substantial crash. While he’s been slowly chipping away at repairing the car, he made a big push recently to get it back on the road for Conrodders car club’s 50th Anniversary. It made the event, but the finishing touches have since been completed, and licensing passes have been made. “The car felt good; just needed a few adjustments to the rear shocks and 4-bars”, states Kerry. The reason it was near perfect off the bat is due to the efforts of Terry Bowden who took care of the major fabrication side of the rebuild, and who Kerry can’t speak highly enough of. The car’s also been repainted…

There’s no denying Dave Gurr’s XW Falcon had street cred in spades. Slammed on its arse, big wheels, and a big blower hanging out the front, it had a lot going for it. So much so that not too long after we featured it, a new owner came calling and the car was sold to the Hawke’s Bay, where it remains today. Dave’s had plenty of interesting cars in the decade since, but the one he’s held onto the longest is his XY Falcon. Although it’s missing a few cylinders and the supercharger, the XY has even more power than the XW. It does, however, have a turbo the size of a dinner plate hanging off the side of a forged Barra engine to make it all work. With those…

If it wasn’t for modern-day doomscrolling, we wonder how many cars would never have been built. Kieran Tucker’s ’55 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is one of those. When he was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace a couple of years ago with no specific purpose, he saw the car pop up and knew he had to own it there and then. Having already performed a bunch of cosmetic and airbag suspension work on his ’68 Cadillac, he’d toyed with the idea of doing the running gear too, but the car simply drove too well to mess with it. So while enjoying the ’68 he had begun thinking of building a ’55 in a few years’ time when he was ready for the next project. With this ’55 coming up for grabs though, things…

New-gen engine swaps in classic Aussie rides always get our attention, and The Krysler Shop is delivering the excitement with their latest build: a ’68 Ford Falcon packing a blown Coyote V8. Squeezing that massive, wide block into the Falcon’s narrow engine bay is no walk in the park, but the crew is tackling it head-on with plenty of preparation first. Currently rolling on a set of 18x10-inch deep-dish Simmons at the rear, this Falcon boasts a wicked stance. The looming question of whether it might require some mini tubs is in the air, but we’re confident that the skilled team at The Krysler Shop will make light work of it. Keep a keen eye on this project.…

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 1965 FORD MUSTANG @TIMELESS_KUSTOMS This Mustang recently dropped back into the scene after having a big makeover due to a small crash. Now sporting plenty of carbon fibre panels, plus an insane Coyote motor packing twin 68mm turbos and a 1.8 litre supercharger, you know it loves the boost. Handling is via fully independent front and rear Art Morrison clips that have Brembo carbon ceramic brakes…