Table of contents for No 280 April 2020 in NZ Performance Car

Mechanical constant-flow injection, ECU configuration, Honda K20s, dry sumps, and direct drive. In 2019 when I decided to build a K20-powered F2 midget, I knew the challenge I was setting myself was large, having never even dipped my toes into any of the above. But blind ambition is something I foolishly never lack. I pushed forward and built my first piston motor, built the injection, designed the dry sump setup, wired up the ECU, and pieced together the car from a bare frame with the mindset of learning how they work. In early December we tried to kick it in the guts, a process that is not as simple as flicking a switch — you have to push start the damn thing every time. At that point, the speedway season…

For a good 40-odd years, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) has been Toyota’s performance division, supplying uprated parts and top-spec trims on new-release models. However, in 2017 TRD’s sole reign ended with the conception of Gazoo Racing (GR), which has cemented its place in the standings with its current association with the A90 Supra released last year, as well as having both the new Toyota 86 (GR86) and GR Yaris launched under the sub-brand. It seemed like TRD was on the brink of disappearing, but you can rest easy knowing that Toyota’s group vice president of marketing, Ed Laukes, doesn’t think that will happen any time soon. “In the end, TRD and GR can coexist. TRD has a long lineage … and the American consumer likes the TRD brand,” Laukes said.…

2020 VALVOLINE D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND FOUR: 27–28 MARCH HAMPTON DOWNS, TE KAUWHATA ROUND FIVE: 8–9 MAY PUKEKOHE PARK RACEWAY, AUCKLAND LIAM BURKE RETURNS After missing round one at Teretonga due to a rebuild over-run, Whangarei local Liam Burke attacked round two at Pukekohe with a desire to stand on that podium and bank serious championship points. The off-season had seen a change in set-up on the 2JZ-powered S13 with the addition of a Radium fuel system, and a relocation of the radiator from the front of the car rearwards in a quest to stack more weight over the rear axle. That also meant the change from a WC34 Stagea subframe to an S15 unit paired with GKTech extended lower-control arms for more camber adjustment, V3 offset strut tops…

As a young whipper there was nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning, downing the biggest mug of Milo you could make, and smashing back a bowl of Weetbix while the iconic sound of a PlayStation firing up rang throughout the lounge. With a well-used but carefully cared for copy of Gran Turismo spun up in the disc tray and the familiar grip of a controller in your hands, hundreds of hours were poured into cutting laps around the world’s most famous raceways. This is where many learned the ropes, dialling in the fundamentals of handling and braking, as well as getting a crucial first taste of modifying the sorts of cars we would eventually get our hands on in the real world. Whole generations were raised in…

NEW FROM BN SPORTS, DUBBED ‘BLS LUXURY SPORTS’, THE KIT FEATURES SOME WILD LINES AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOT-LEVEL WINGS WE’VE SEEN. GAZ IS THE FIRST PERSON WORLDWIDE TO RUN THE KIT For many Kiwis, the OE is a rite of passage. It’s a trip that many school-leavers take right after high school, before getting down to life as an adult. But Gaz Whiter never bothered with that year or so of travelling around Europe getting drunk and performing the haka at the drop of the hat. He was too preoccupied with winning four national drift championships and cementing his name as one of the best ever to strap on a helmet and bang the lock stops. However, in a turn of events, Gaz’s skills behind the wheel are…

THE SHELL WAS INVOLVED IN A NOSE-TOTAIL CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER’S QUARTER AND THE FRONT. THE ENTIRE FRONT WAS CHOPPED OFF AND A REMOVABLE TUBE FRAME WAS FABRICATED TO HOLD THE RADIATOR AND OTHER PARTS First impressions have the power to evoke strong emotion and perceptions, right or wrong, which are hard to break once formed. A rotary-powered Ferrari is the type of car that will cause all types of misconceptions about its origin and its reason for existing. In the case of this particular example, owner Reuben Bemrose could easily lose the better part of a week trying to explain the reasons why he dropped a 13B bridgeport into a Ferrari 456. So while we’re here to tell you the tale why, how, and when, we will kick…

PRECISION TORQUE WRENCHES GearWrench’s high-precision 120XP Micrometer Torque Wrench delivers an accuracy of +/-3 per cent in clockwise tightening, in the upper 80 per cent of wrench capacity. The enclosed ratchet head is designed to prevent dirt from entering. The wrench’s low-profile tube, teardrop head, and flush-mounted on/off switch allow for better access in tight spaces. Prices are $316.25 for the ¼-inch drive wrench (3.39–22.6Nm), $368 for the -inch drive unit (13.5–135Nm), and $401.35 for the ½-inch drive unit (339Nm 85181). For more information, see gearwrench.co.nz. ALL YOU’LL EVER NEED The guys over at My Automotive are stoked to now bring you a full range of TengTools. Manufactured with the belief that beauty and functionality live in the details, the range is used by major industry leaders, respected vehicle manufacturers,…

NAME: DAVID EELHO LEE // AGE: 29 LOCATION: AUCKLAND //OCCUPATION: INSURANCE BROKER NZ Performance Car: Hi, David. Tell us how you got into cars. David: Hey, NZPC. I got my first car when I was 19. It was a Nissan Cube, and when my mate boosted me with his R34 GT-T, I bought an S15 to get into the car game. That’s how it all started. I then got into drifting and had an R33 GTS-25T that I used at Meremere and Hampton Downs amateur days before going through a few other cars. What made you want to own an FK8? Well, my wife actually bought it for me as a birthday present. It’s my first brand-new car [laughs]. I won’t be getting any birthday presents for the next 10…

I’m either well outside of the loop on where everyone is slanging their parts these days, or there’s a drought plaguing this country and we’re all feeling the effects. Parts are getting harder and harder to find, especially for the really in-demand stuff. If it’s not general wear and tear, breakages, or rust drying up the pool, then it’s collectors and hoarders stockpiling the good stuff for their own use. It only takes a quick scan of the local marketplaces to see that there’s less available and finding once-plentiful componentry is now more akin to prospecting for gold. You’ve got to dig through a whole lot of dirt to find what you need. But it’s these aforementioned hoarders that I’ve grown to appreciate, most of who have been quietly putting…

It may not get a letter from the queen, but automaker Mazda celebrated its 100th anniversary in typical Japanese style with an understated gathering at its headquarters in Hiroshima. Adorning the lobby were two cars from Mazda’s past and two from the present, alongside hundreds of white moth orchids. The flower is a traditional Japanese gift in business celebrations, usually to commemorate the establishment of a company or when a milestone is reached. It’s a carry-over from the ’80s bubble era that became popular as the flowers grow in the same shape and size year round. The practice is so ingrained in the country’s business culture that people joke that the health of the economy can be measured by white moth orchid sales. The orchids were donated by companies and…

While most of us dream of winning anything with the word ‘championship’ in it, former WRC driver Hayden Paddon has made it abundantly clear he intends to do everything he can to claim not one, but three championship titles in 2020. Kicking things off, Paddon is to take on four rounds of the 2020 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship in his Hyundai i20 AP4 before shooting across the ditch for a chance to bring home the FIA Pacific Cup for a second consecutive year at the Rally Coffs Harbour in Australia. The event also marks his opportunity to claim the outright FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship title. “It’s been 20 years since a New Zealander last won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship,” says Paddon. “That was the legendary Possum…

Kiwi Formula E championship contender, Mitch Evans, has won the Mexico City ePrix after a dominant display that saw him take the lead on the run to the first corner and avoid a spate of chaotic driving from his competitors to clinch the victory. Evans blazed past pole sitter Andre Lotterer, with Sam Bird also capitalizing on an error to move past into second. Nico Mueller ploughed into the wall after misjudging the entry into turn one, bringing out a safety car, while Lotterer slipped further back due to damage and retired from the race. Nyck de Vries failed to stop for turn one, taking Robin Frijns with him. Evans crossed the line without incident to clinch his Jaguar’s second victory in the series. He now leads the championship.…

BEN NEVIS STATION GOLDEN 1200 HILLCLIMB NEVIS ROAD, CROMWELL Hosted by Hayden Paddon’s Paddon Rallysport outfit, the Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 Hillclimb uses 6km of Nevis Road, a remote high-country route between Bannockburn and Kingston, with Ben Nevis Station featuring as the service park and hill-climb start. Each driver will get three runs each day, and the fastest time from each day will count towards the competitor’s final results. The road is described as being twisty yet fast, with natural spectator zones that permit sight of up to half the stage at once — a rare treat for spectators. Visit paddonrallysport.co.nz for further details. SUMMER DRIFT MATSURI 2020 BRUCE MCLAREN MOTORSPORT PARK, TAUPO With the cranking heat and clear skies of summer gracing us right through to the end…

For as long as most of us will be able to remember, the 4&Rotary Nationals show and shine has taken place at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland, closely followed by a day of drag racing at Meremere. It had been that way for the past couple of decades, with the addition of a track day thrown into the mix two years ago. So, while we’d all consider that to be the status quo, sometimes you have to shake things up in order to create a little energy, and when the show’s shift to Hamilton’s Claudelands Event Centre was announced in 2019, it certainly did that. The question on everyone’s lips, including our own, was would the show still have that special ‘Nats’ vibe about it? The short answer is: yes!…

How about those 1990s, huh? It’s a decade that properly delivered. The world was blessed with grunge, Tamagotchi, OJ Simpson’s bid for freedom at the wheel of a white Ford Bronco, and who could forget Tom Cruise’s finest moment playing Cole Trickle in the Nascar epic Days of Thunder? The era was also responsible for much of our ‘import’ modifying culture. Japanese performance came of age, while turbochargers and technology amped up the pace in more ways than one. The decade of the homologation special only pressurized the performance car arms race, and all the while touring car racing was loudly reaching its absolute zenith. As the ’90s drew to a close and the threat of the Y2K bug got the world quaking, an era of truly global, quality touring…

Having a car that can perform well in more than one discipline with any sort of success is a tall order. It’s inevitable that there are always going to be some compromises that need to be made that get in the way of performance perfection or even personal safety. It’s something that Carl Robertson found out firsthand in 2016, following a dominating run with his TX3 — known as JRCOZY — a car that has won 30 trophies at 4&R events alone, taken out the C2 drag class at the Nationals two years running, and claimed the front-wheel-drive street tyre record at 10.79@135mph, while also contending Super Lap. It was when it came to circuit racing that Carl decided it was time to build (or buy) something more suited to…

‘Rusted’, ‘seized’, and ‘galled’ — three little words that can cause you a seriously big headache when it comes to building your project car. If any of these occur, what was a simple 10-minute job can quickly turn into a day of swear words, busted knuckles, busted tools, and flying spanners. We’ve been there and done it all, so the time seemed right to put together a little hit list of our favourite techniques to both remove and then ultimately prevent this from happening in the future. FIRST STOP — SOME EXTRA TORQUE When you first come across a difficult-to-crack nut or bolt, your first port of call should be to add some extra torque to the situation. It’s simple physics really, the further away you are when applying force…

2020 BMW G 310 GS Perfect for tackling the urban jungle, the BMW G 310 GS is the ideal daily commuter that remains enjoyable to ride through snaking country roads. Offering a relaxed and slightly raised seating position, the rider is capable of surveying every challenge with perspective and the small, light frame allows even the trickiest of situations to be handled with precision. Handlebars, footrests, and operating elements are arranged to make it easily reachable for big and small riders, while 180mm of spring travel on the rear and the upside-down fork up front ensure real riding enjoyment and comfort on any surface. The single-cylinder engine features an angled-to-the-rear position and the cylinder head has been rotated 180-degrees, which brings the centre of gravity lower to the ground and…

Import drag racing stalwart Azhar Bhamji has taken aim at running mid eights with his street legal Mazda R100 and has commissioned a fresh engine build in-house at Dynamic Automotive to get there. Based around a Billet by Pac plates, the 13B semi-pp is a brand-new package that makes use of a Garrett GTX45 strapped to the side. A Haltech ECU now handles engine management with the Pac boys flying over to tune and help setup the car. With his current PB right on the edge of the bracket, having run a 9.01 @ 244kph (152mph), Azhar may have already dipped into the eights by the time you read this. Keep an eye on the NZ Performance Car Facebook page for updates.…

Round two of the national drifting series — the Valvoline D1NZ National Drifting Championship — at Pukekohe Park Raceway boiled down to a Whangarei-local battle for supremacy between series favourite Daniel ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse and fast charger Liam Burke. A former crew member for Fanga, Liam was forced to skip the Teretonga round due to being amidst a complete rebuild, and came to Puke chasing valuable championship points. Knocking Troy Jenkins out in the Top 16 and bettering P1 qualifier Michael Thorley in the Top 8, Liam would progress against Bruce Tannock in the Top 4 to set up the iconic Whangarei v Whangarei battle. On the other side of the tree, Fanga was put through his paces by Ben Jenkins in the Top 8 after being given a by…

When we last caught up with Nick Reiri, he’d just run the fastest pass of the event at the 2019 4&Rotary Nationals drag day with a 7.65 @ 170mph. At the time, he told us that even with his then new personal best, the team had been chasing boost issues in fourth and fifth gear and that once those were sorted we should expect the car to drop into the low sevens. Well, as of the Auckland Invasion at Masterton Motorplex on 15–16 February, Nick’s fulfilled his prophecy. He ran the car to a 7.37 @ 183mph, resetting not only his own PB but also the car’s overall PB and Stu Lawton’s PB. Nick puts the achievement down to always learning with the car, making small changes in the rear…

It’s been a few years since we got behind the wheel of Honda’s latest R-badge offering, but for 2020 the model will receive a mid-cycle refresh that tackles braking, suspension, steering, and exterior hue. Honda debuted the changes at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, announcing that its engineers had developed a new two-piece rotor with upgraded pads for better high-speed stopping. Attention has also been focused on handling, with the engineers opting for stiffer rear bushes to reduce flex and improve grip, and revising the front suspension and steering components. Honda hasn’t stated what exactly it has done in that department, but promises a more direct steering feel. The dampers have been optimized for further comfort, and close look at the grille shows it has been increased in size to…

Got Instagram? Want print fame on top of all those likes that fly your way each time you post a photo? Want to show us your whip without actually talking to us? Want to see what other readers are up to in their sheds? The answer to all these questions and why these two pages exist lies in the use of the hashtag #nzpc. Search it, use it, and thrash it! We keep a very close eye on it and will be choosing a bunch of hashtagged posts each month to print right here. And that’s not all — the best shot will earn its photographer a little prize for their trouble. So remember, next time you’re gram’n’, use #nzpc.…

Gator GHDVR82W records FULL HD 1080P footage through its 152-degree wide-angle lens that mounts to your car’s windscreen behind the rearview mirror with an adhesive bracket. Hand-gesture control allows the driver to wave their hand under the dashcam to take an image and save footage when enabled. Access video recordings using the Gator dashcam app by connecting your smartphone via WiFi. SIX MONTHS $54 SAVE $11 ONE YEAR $98 SAVE $33 TWO YEARS $169 SAVE $94 TO SUBSCRIBE WWW.MAGSTORE.NZ OR 0800 727 574 Offer ends Sunday, 29 March 2020. Terms and conditions: 1. New Zealand delivery addresses only. 2. Offer available on subscriptions purchased through Parkside Media only. 3. Prize sent to subscription recipient unless specified otherwise. 4. Offer available on print subscriptions only. 5. Offer not available in conjunction…

There is nothing more Kiwi than showing up late to a party; for years now, Guy Maxwell has been telling me that I needed to experience REunion and everything that goes along with it first-hand. For a self-professed rotary nut, it is certainly odd that I have taken so long to tick this one off, but I finally have and all I can say is that ol’ Maxwell and the crew do all right! Actually, ‘all right’ is the understatement of the century; this meeting is top-shelf and a perfect example of what happens when Kiwis pour their hearts and souls into something, whether it be an event or a specific genre of car. It is no secret that we Kiwis have an unhealthy obsession with the Wankel, and, as…

The months are sure whizzing by as our May / June deadline looms closer. With each passing day, progress on the EV rally car is ramping up as the chassis build nears its completion. The construction of the chassis involved 10 months of design work. After the initial concept was devised, we had to analyze every aspect with excruciating detail. Countless hours were spent simulating suspension concepts, taking into account a considerably different weight distribution, to refine each critical pickup point — once these are installed on the car, there is no going back. Packaging every component inside the chassis proved to be an equally time-consuming and technical challenge. The biggest nightmare was the rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) — the battery along with its auxiliary systems. The dimensions of…

NAME: JESSE ARENDS // AGE: 23 LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: SERVICE ENGINEER NZ Performance Car: Hi, Jesse. What made you want to own a Z32? Jesse: Hey, NZPC. I fell in love with the shape seven years ago and have always wanted to own one. I was afraid of having to fix it all the time, as they have a rep for being difficult to work on, which is what made it just a dream car for so long. The power, how it feels when you sit behind the wheel, the handling — everything comes together so nicely. And why specifically this one? I 100-per-cent bought it for the bodykit; I’ve never seen anything like it in New Zealand. I flew down to Invercargill after selling my R34 GT-T coupe…

BLAIR GRIBBLE-BOWRING’S 2014 CHEV CORVETTE C7 While he may be better recognized for the bright orange paint on his V8-powered S14 battler used to contest the Pro-Sport class of the D1NZ National Drifting Championship, part-time pedaller and full-time mad man Blair Gribble-Bowring is finally letting us lift the curtains on a project that he’s spent the last two years working on. Blair explains that its inception was the result of snowballing, beginning with a new Nissan 180SX build that was intended to take on the Pro class. Ultimately, Blair decided that if that much time, money, and effort was going to be put into a new car, it should be based on something outside the norm. That base, a 2014 Chev Corvette C7, was an insurance write-off from the US…