Tabla de contenidos para No 221 May - June 2024 en NZV8

You ever come across those memes online about guys juggling too many project cars? Guilty as charged. With a garage full of projects, side hustles on the burner, and the regular grind of the day job, sometimes it feels like I’m running on empty. But hey, I keep pushing through, ticking off those to-do lists one by one. However, this month has been a real test of endurance. Between the day job, side gigs, tinkering with project cars, and keeping up with NZV8, I’m feeling the strain. Maybe it’s time for a quick getaway, a chance to recharge, reground, and reset the mental gears. It’s crucial to carve out a little me-time every now and then. Life’s relentless pace can easily throw you off balance, and without that breather, it’s…

In a significant milestone marking the end of an era, demolition has commenced at Pukekohe Raceway in New Zealand. The raceway, known for its rich history and iconic events, is undergoing transformations that signify a new chapter in its story. As bulldozers move in to clear the site, memories of thrilling races and passionate crowds are intertwined with the anticipation of what lies ahead for this historic venue. The redevelopment plans promise modern facilities and enhanced amenities, aiming to elevate the raceway to new heights while honouring its legacy. While some may feel nostalgic about the demolition, others see it as an exciting opportunity for progress and innovation in motorsport. The beginning of this demolition process sparks discussions and reflections on the past, present, and future of Pukekohe Raceway, a…

You could fill an entire book with the colourful language used during the build of this gorgeous ‘66 GTO. While there are builds that seem to constantly fight their owner — and this was certainly one — there are also builds that make their owner in the process. Despite how it may seem to those of us who have followed the build of the car for the past nine years, its owner Darryl Ingham assures us he’s not actually a fan of recreational Russian roulette and that he does in fact like money, despite the amount he has poured into the GTO. But he’s certainly run the gauntlet to get the car through to where it is now. As he says, “I probably let this car go into such an…

I worry, sometimes, about becoming that overly I viewed my father and my grandfather. Every generation, it would seem, has issues with the choices and behaviour of younger generations. When I was a kid, Mum would make me tuck my shirt into my trousers before arriving at Grandad’s house to prevent upsetting him by dressing in what he’d consider to be a slovenly manner. Dad, who, at age 70 when I was 11 (this was in the early 1970s) was listening to Nana Mouskouri and the Vienna Boys Choir, was appalled at my choice of music; mostly comprising Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and The Kinks. Despite being of the view that I’m not a narrow-minded old goat, I just can’t help feeling frustrated and critical over the attitudes and behaviour…

Fifteen cars competed at the 4.1km circuit, and for many of the drivers it was their first time ever racing at the highly technical track. However, talking to them over the weekend, they all raved how wonderful the track was and how good it was to drive such a challenging track. Unfortunately for Mike Wallace, a routine engine swap between the Ruapuna and Highlands round didn’t go as planned for the team. Hoses and fittings between the two engines didn’t line up or fit and with such a tight turnaround time, and the team trying to get from Dunedin to Cromwell in time, Mike made the difficult decision to withdraw from the meeting. Friday’s track action had two practice sessions ahead of their qualifying session in the afternoon. Current championship…

Jeremy Firth’s 1995 Series 1 SS Commodore is not just a car, it’s a testament to a decade-long journey of passion, dedication, and craftsmanship. Acquired at the age of 20, this car has been his canvas for over 11 years, a story filled with challenges, setbacks, and ultimately triumphs. Jeremy’s journey began with a bold decision: he took the Commodore off the road for an extensive six-year overhaul. Stripped down, the car found a new home in a friend’s shed, where meticulous rust repairs were carried out. Jeremy spared no effort, painstakingly priming, blocking, and body filling before applying the final top coat. The result was a flawless finish that radiates excellence. However, challenges were an integral part of this journey. A fuel fire in the engine bay forced Jeremy…

You know, what sparks someone’s interest in building or buying a car can often be quite amusing. For Grant Hannah, it all began with the sight and sound of an ex-AA breakdown Toyota Hilux, fitted with a Toyota 1-UZ, owned by Michael Pikens at the time. Michael, an apprentice Auto Electrician working in the neighbouring shop at Bay Collision Repairs, would leave work every day, drop a gear and treat the street to a smokey burnout. That distinctive sound and appearance lived rent free in Grant’s mind. During one of their chats, Michael casually mentioned he was planning to sell it. That was music to Grant’s ears, as he had his own visions for it and just had to make it his own. In the first year of owning the…

Hot on the heels of its appearance at therecent Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, the 40-year-old Cop Shop Coupe has arrived in New Zealand via CFR Line for Greg Stokes of GMS Hot Rods. Straight after picking up two major awards at the show, it was loaded into a container and has arrived in time for Squeak Bell’s March Meet, Beach Hop, and the Hot Rod Blow Out, as well as Marineland’s 90th anniversary of the 33-34 Ford in May. “I really cannot say enough about Paul Stitchbury and the CFR team, both USA and Auckland-based. Their attention to detail with shipping this car was second to none,” says Greg, adding, “the whole team has been brilliant to deal with. They understood how special this car was and…

Coming very soon, and bigger and better than ever, we’ve got all the highlights packaged up into our collectible almanack of all things Beach Hop, the NZV8 Repco Beach Hop 2024 Annual. The NZV8 team was back again this year capturing a daily record of event highlights and many, many pics that we’ve packaged together into a definitive record of the event. If you were there, make sure you get yourself a copy to cement the memories, and if you weren’t able to attend then this is the next best thing! Mark your calendars — the Beach Hop annual hits shelves on 29 April. You can get your copy at all good bookstores and supermarkets very soon, or wherever you get your copy of NZV8. And as an added bonus,…

ALL HAIL THE NEW KING It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen a new name in the number one spot of the NZ’s Quickest Streetcars list, but Ben Morris has taken the title. Having re-LVV certified his ‘69 Camaro for the latest round of modifications he hit the strip at Masterton Motorplex for the Wild Bunch Vs Outlaw 71 meet in mid March and was quick right off the trailer. The first pass showed that the track was good and Ben meant business as the car crossed the line with a 7.61 at 178.09mph. That was just a warmup though as later that day saw the times tumble and the MPH jump with a 7.24 at 192.23mph! That was enough to surpass Reece Fish’s long standing record holding 7.38…

Wow, there’s been so much going on since the last issue, but I’ll start with the biggest news first. If you follow any of my socials, you will now know that NUTOUT is no longer manual! That’s right, the six-speed has been replaced with a two-speed Powerglide. This is something I never thought I would do, but after a year of ups and downs and the New Zealand burnout scene reaching new levels, I was sadly getting left behind. The days of trying to be competitive while still holding on to the dream that I could do it all with the T56 are gone! Now that I’ve made the switch, I’m not looking back, and we are continuing to work on the new setup to get us to the top…

Easter is typically a time for families to unwind over the long weekend, enjoying moments with loved ones, relaxing by the beach or the lake — just those warm, fuzzy feelings, you know. But for a particular breed, and let’s not generalise, but for red-blooded bogans, Easter means one thing—Rapanats. What is Rapanats, you may ask. Well, for starters, it has nothing to do with Easter eggs. Instead, it’s the Lower North Island’s largest burnout competition to date. The term “Rapa” refers to Wairarapa, specifically Masterton, a town within the Wairarapa region. Interestingly, Masterton is home to Masterton Motorplex, boasting not only an international-grade drag strip but also a spacious 20x40-metre burnout pad with a tip-in entry point. The pad opened 12 August 2017, where it held the first Burnout…

01 This little 1940s Ford pickup has had a whole lot of work done by us in the past with a full fabricated floor, but this time it’s back for a haircut! The hardest part is deciding how much to cut out. After some discussion with the customer and between ourselves, on this one we collectively decided that around three inches would be the magic number. 02 We DA sanded the whole roof down with 80g 3M Cubitron discs and applied this blue marking dye to the whole rear section and A pillars — basically anywhere that’s getting cut. 03 We picked out the best spot to have the join — essentially where there was the least width change in the cab while still having the swages lined up, then marked right across…

1973 CHEVROLET C10 @SLAMMED_SQUARE73 It is crazy how good a truck can look when slammed on the ground and this square body style C10 proves it right here. With suspension components from Porterbuilt and Ridetech it gets the frame right on the ground once the AccuAir controller releases all the air. The 22-inch Detroit Steel wheels bring some old school artillery flavour while power is from a traditional 350 small block. Overall one cool package. 1968 GMC C1500 @SWITCHSUSPENSION The team at Switch Suspension put this truck together to show off the latest American Racing Wheels and they did a great job. QA1 suspension components all round got the stance sorted and the handling as well. Power is via a warmed over LS engine but the show stopper with this…

Luxury tourism operator BLACK is set to launch a world-first James Bond Aston Martin experience in Queenstown. Guests can ride in a rare Aston Martin 007 Vantage car, one of only 100 worldwide and the sole model in Australasia. Inspired by James Bond films, the tour offers an immersive experience driving through Southern Lakes landscapes. Guests learn about Bond movie history from knowledgeable guides while sipping on Vesper Martinis. The car, owned by a Queenstown enthusiast, was acquired from a UK private collection. Additional packages include helicopter rides to snowmobile tours or golf courses. The James Bond experience debuts on 31 August with an exclusive launch at Queenstown Airport’s Over The Top Helicopters hangar.…

The term kit car isn’t a phrase commonly used these days, but Factory Five Racing are doing their best to bring it back. The Massachusetts-based company has actually been in business since 1995 producing a bunch of AC Cobra replicas before evolving to offer its own unique designs based on the same production techniques. That’s not to say the cars the company builds are based on old design and construction methods, far from it, as they are now known for their modern approach to kit car building. Each of their vehicles is CAD designed with parts CNC cut, and as for the body designs, well, they’re unlike any other. The company shot to fame around a decade ago for their modern approach to an old classic — the ‘35 Ford…

Drag racing is a sport in which cars go from Dzero 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, with these Aeroflow boys in your corner, I had confidence we would bounce back. We headed to Perth for the second round of the championship,…

Recently, the Scroungers Car Club celebrated their 25th anniversary with their semi-annual Hot Rod Blow Out Car show. The Scroungers formed on Auckland’s North Shore as a group of friends with similar interests in authentic traditional hot rods and the history of it all. The Hot Rod Blow Out came about as a way to celebrate the traditional hot rod and custom car movement as well as the pioneers of it all. Right from day one of the show, the Scroungers have created their own hall of fame recognizing the efforts of the likes of the late Rob Campbell, Allan Porter, Garth Hogan, Mike Gearing, Ralph Wright, Graeme Berry, and John Reid, to name a few. Still to this day, no individual or association is preserving or recognizing New Zealand…

“It’s all about trust,” states Steve Allan of the aptly named Steve Allan Customs. What he’s referring to is the great relationship he and his team have had with the owner of this slammed ‘59 Apache. Over the past decade, Steve’s made a name for himself building many of Canterbury’s finest street machines and customs. With that the business has grown from just a few staff and a small workshop to the kind of setup that we all dream of, and staff that specialise in all aspects of custom car building. So, for the customer who had a clear vision of what he wanted, Steve Allan Customs was the perfect option, especially when they intended to be hands off on the build, and essentially give the team direction then leave…

WHERE IS IT NOW? BRUCEANDERSON — 1969 FORD MUSTANG Bruce Anderson was a legend of the New Zealand motorsport scene, and being able to feature his Central Muscle Cars spec ‘69 Mustang was an absolute privilege. Following the feature, the car continued to be a true contender in CMC and even made the trip across the Tasman to race at Bathurst with a bunch of fellow CMC drivers. Included in that was Bruce’s son Andrew who entered the CMCfray with an XE Falcon painted in the family’s iconic ‘Toby Yellow’ colour. Sadly Bruce fell ill in 2023, and passed away shortly thereafter. Before his passing, he did get to see grandson Nathan behind the wheel of his Mustang. Nathan has continued to compete in the car after Bruce’s passing, and…

‘87 VL ADDICTION The team from Holden Addiction is once again fueling their addiction with their latest project. What began as a modest cruiser for Ryan Jarmey’s wife has now received (and is still receiving) a major upgrade with a new powerplant and top-spec aftermarket parts. The ‘87 VL Commodore was acquired six years ago as an Australian-assembled NZ-new V8 Calais. Initially badged as an LE, its authenticity was questioned, with HDT Australia unable to confirm or deny, leading the HANZ team to decide it was OK to rebuild. The car has been gutted, and all body panels stripped to bare metal before receiving a coat of epoxy primer and eventually being re-fitted with the HDT LE spoiler kit. When it comes to the running gear in any Holden Addiction…