Table of contents for No 288 February - March 2021 in NZ Performance Car

Ah, the sweet aroma of combusted gasoline and the alleviating hum of automotive conversation; events are back Covid-19, and it’s a bloody good feeling. It seems as though this entire year we’ve been reluctantly Zoom-calling one another, catching up via Facebook with live car meets, and other clever ways us car folk can think of to get our fix and to connect with each other. It’s been alright, sure. But how good has it been heading to a local car meet? It hit me incredibly hard at ClubFest, parked among hundreds of enthusiasts on Hampton Downs front straight, ready for the parade. Once in formation, we exited our vehicles, and I then realized, I was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of car enthusiasts who have also been waiting for…

There are a handful of big heavy hitters here in New Zealand, and two names you will often hear are ST Hitec and Jtune. NZPC spotlighted Jacky Tse’s lengthy import-racing career in the last issue, and Iain Clegg of ST Hitec features in some way or other in each issue, whether it’s on the drag strip in his seven-second R35 GT-R or around the circuit. So, when we caught wind of Jacky and Iain combining forces and moving into new premises, we couldn’t help but get rather excited. With premises much larger than their last two buildings, the dynamic duo will now be based at 2/20 Kerwyn Ave, East Tamaki, Auckland. Once the new premises are all set up, we will be heading down to check out the new team…

As a holistic ‘car scene’, we’ve become so wrapped up in slapping labels on everything: it’s a sleeper; it’s a restomod; it’s stanced; and so on it goes. There’s a box to fit every taste, every style. There is one train of thought, however, that transcends any tag clipped onto a build in an attempt to explain it. Coolness. It’s inexplicable, totally subjective, and invites further scrutiny, with an endgame aimed at enriching one’s own automotive experience. ‘Coolness’ encourages, it inspires, and it’s the fuel that keeps what we do, as a car community, ticking. Cars like Marcus Lord’s 1978 TE37 Corolla Levin replica epitomize coolness in its absolute form. This is a build that bellows subtlety from the outside, but oozes careful consideration and dedication to a task. Inwardly,…

While the other lads fluffed about with shammying and swapping wheels before this photoshoot, Daniel simply unloaded his S13 from the trailer and called me over. “Which side do you reckon has the least damage? I’ll angle the car to make it look cleaner. You’re lucky I washed it, too.” When it comes to his car, practicality is the aim of Dan’s game, being somewhat persistent that holy-grail aftermarket parts don’t necessarily make anyone a much better driver. “I like to keep my car simple. It doesn’t carry expensive parts that make it great by any means. Out of the three here, my Silvia isn’t the most special, but it’s definitely the most rough and ready.” Daniel originally purchased his S13 as a performance-ready and dedicated race car. It didn’t…

I now had a steady income stream, an apartment, and a Nissan Silvia S14 in Japan, but before we move on let’s rewind a few weeks. At this time my only mode of transport in my rice field–covered city was a rusty mamachari, the bike with a basket on the front which is usually ridden by older ladies. I spent my afternoons exploring my new city; after work I would hop on my mamachari and see what I could find. I came across many interesting things on my afternoon rides. The one which would become the most memorable was a little automotive workshop engulfed in rice fields. There was a Chevrolet Corvette C5 in the parking lot and a bunch of Subarus, but the gate was shut. I was intrigued…

Ah, the South Island. There’s nothing more serene, scenic, and truly clean. Oh, whoops — this isn’t a travel advert … Let’s start that again. Ah, the South Island, the hills are alive with music — the sound of screaming wastegates, high-powered imports, and polluted with the constant stream of tyre smoke. Now we’re talking! This is the South Island we’ve gotten used to, and the 4&Rotary South Island Champs — held November 13–15 — is an event we look forward to every single year, and the scenery is obviously world class. With a three-day format, day one kicked off with what Premier Events are calling Japfest, an all-Japanese, oldschool, and rotary-powered track day down at Levels Raceway, Timaru. Japfest was to set the scene for what would be an…

AN EXPECTED 3500 CARS AND 100 BIKES BRINGING AROUND 25,000 PEOPLE TO THE SHOW In the past 26 years, the event has grown from its humble beginnings as a small National Street Rod Association show of only 40 cars and about 300 visitor cars, occupying a small area of the Kumeu Showgrounds, to becoming so big it almost swallows the neighbouring Kumeu township. The 26th running of the festival, to be held on 16–17 January 2021, will be no different, with an expected 3500 cars and 100 bikes bringing around 25,000 people to the show, which now occupies the entire 16-hectare showgrounds site to capacity. More than 350 swap sites, 120 trade stands, and more than 25 food and drink vendors will fill the paddocks surrounding the main drawcard —…

A new exhibit at Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport World showcases iconic vehicles built at the height of the Japanese automotive industry’s entry onto the world stage in a starring role. The Evolution of Japanese Cars showcases the best of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s from Japanese manufacturers, including Datsun, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, and more. Home to some of the most spectacular vintage vehicles to be found across the globe, including an almost-complete set of Henry Ford letter cars, an immaculately restored 1940 Dodge Airflow Texaco tanker, a collection of 1930s Ford V8s, retro-cool Kombis, and more, Bill Richardson Transport World offers petrolheads a glimpse of a treasure trove of classic vehicles. The Evolution of Japanese Cars extends that opportunity, enabling visitors to encounter some of the rarest and most iconic…

Back at it again, Round Two of the 2020/21 Drift South series took on the B Track layout at Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, on 7 November. What was already a massively competitive event got even harder with all of the strong performers from Round 1 back and the addition of the pair of You Break We Fix S15 Silvias of Dan Currie and Brogan Mooney, both recent series champs. No one would be wanting to put money on who will come out on top here. After struggling with engine issues at Round One, D1NZ competitor Michael Thorley brought back the old trusty Laurel and showed he can still drive it, taking out the top spot in qualifying with the two top scores. Shannon Davison-Redmond managed to restrain himself and…

Hot-hatch enthusiasts, eat your hearts out! Toyota is back in the game, with the all-new GR Yaris (GR-Four), an all-wheel drive, threecylinder, turbocharged, two-door weapon that is backward engineering from a World Rally Championship rally car. Packing 200kW and 370Nm of torque, selectable differential splits, and Toyota reliability, this is one car we can’t wait to test in the next issue — more on this later! The GR Supra platform has had a revision, too, with an updated hot-side, with a proper manifold-like design and a 35kW boost in power. We get our hands on both of these new Toyotas before the next issue drop, so we will keep you updated on our thoughts.…

With Hayden Paddon flying the Hyundai flag here in New Zealand, there’s no denying Hyundai is claiming a decent chunk of the hot-hatch market with the previously released models. Now, it’s at it again with yet another rally-inspired machine: the all-new Hyundai i20N. With a stout 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection engine producing 150kW at the wheels, the Hyundai, with its factoryfitted six-speed manual transmission, is said to charge forward to 100kph in under seven seconds. Being that it’s a turbocharged four-banger, tuning will no doubt definitely be an option going forward, with the ‘stage tuners’ already licking their reflashing lips. With an aggressive front end, a small rev-happy four-cylinder, and a punchy turbocharger, this car will be competing toe to toe with the soon to be released Toyota GR Yaris —…

Oh man, remember last summer? That constant, lowhumming hype of an upcoming drift event, late nights in the garage, and more often than not, empty pockets after a glorious day on track. Feels like yesterday, but a lifetime ago — yet another byproduct of Covid-19. For motorsport content creators, it’s much the same really. We spend the hours leading up to every event preparing our gear, we stand alongside the teams, supporting and capturing every move from a trackside event. On one particular outing last January, during a morning dawdle with friends down the pits during D*Club’s Animal Style GP, I stumbled across what looked like a sea of orange and red Nissan Silvias, unloading off a transporter and onto the warm bitumen. Tyres tossed off soon after, followed by…

I can’t keep up with Sean’s vehicles as of late. Having recently sold his Itasha wrapped S13 that followers had come to know, this particular 180SX is one of two Silvias that Sean now owns. The other, a twin yellow SR20DET S15. Given his previous chassis and the engine choices of his team mates, I was expecting to see a matching SR20 motor nestled in the engine bay of his 180SX. Instead, I lifted the bonnet to find the resurrected Titanic itself: a boisterous RB25DET engine (with RB26 cam covers) with a Garrett GTX3076R turbocharger strapped to its side. “Don’t worry, it’s no God’s motor,” Sean declared, referring to that of his team mates, “but it was in the car when I purchased it. I bought this car because I…

We know what you’re thinking — the GTO platform isn’t the most common to modify here in New Zealand, for a few reasons. Generally speaking, the tech-crammed Mitsubishi supercar from the ’90s was lightyears ahead of its competitors on release, however, it was incredibly heavy. Yeah, yeah — GT-R fans we hear you, the Nissan is great too, but just sit down and take note. The GTO in 1991 came equipped with active aero, active electronic suspension, active exhaust, four-wheel steering, and it was the development car for active-yaw-control (AYC). That’s right Evo owners, your fancy AYC was developed in the Mitsubishi GTO. On top of all of this, the Mitsubishi GTO came powered by the 6G72 engine, a 3000cc V6 unit with a pair of two TD04 turbochargers —…

When given this assignment, I have to admit that I approached it with a pinch of trepidation and wariness. I was told to meet up with a local car club — a club that only accepted not just one make of car, but one special version of one particular model, and localized to only one part of the country, nonetheless. What was I walking into? How many quality cars could this Tauranga Evolution club really muster with such specific requirements for membership? Could there really be that many quality Evos floating around this part of the country? JASPREET SINGH (31) 2007 MITSUBISHI EVO X ENGINE: 4B11 block, Darton sleeves, forged internals, Kelford 270/262-degree camshafts, BorgWarner EFR 8474 turbo, Emtron ECU, Radium Engineering fuel system DRIVELINE: Exedy Hyper twin-plate clutch SUSPENSION:…

You might be surprised to learn how many cars were offered with factory air suspension. Think luxo-barge four-door sedans that once cost more than the average yearly salary and were designed for chauffeuring company executives between meetings. These were designed to drive perfectly smooth, ensuring passenger comfort at all times. But, like any good piece of technology, it can be hacked and bent to your will. To show you how to achieve maximum low on factory air suspension, Jaden Martin is going to take us through the process of ‘hacking’ his 1995 Toyota Celsior (UCF21). STAGE ONE The best bang-for-buck mod for reducing that factory altitude is using an air controller. This is an aftermarket device connected to the factory suspension control unit, allowing you to override its programming and…

So, 18 months and 10,000 man-hours of design and engineering later, on 4 November 2020, we, Paddon Rallysport, finally showed the world our Hyundai Kona EV rally car — one of the first EV rally cars in the world. The end result is something of which we are hugely proud. While everything is designed and analyzed on sophisticated computer software, what it looks like on the computer screen and what it looks like in real life can differ, but we were relieved to see the final packaging and aesthetics looked as good as we hoped. Despite the technological advancements of this car and the fact that, at the core, it has a completely different heart/engine to what we are used to, we were also focused on making sure the car…

It’s not often I get to partake in our featured event shenanigans. Quite often sidelined by a media obligation, I’m often wishing I was behind the wheel getting involved in the wheel work, rather than throwing fingers around the camera like Edward Scissorhands. This time though, one of our followers reached out to me on Instagram, as I own a 1995 Subaru WRX 555 Special Edition. A fellow by the name of Mark Holroyd runs a small group named WRC Blatters, a collective of DOHC turbo all-wheel drive, rally-inspired Japanese performance car enthusiasts and their chosen weapons. And, it just so happened that my Subaru fits the bill. With a location released just days before the event, a route was chosen south of Auckland to blat — of course, a…

With classes available for all makes, models, and abilities, there’s no excuse not to hit the track this summer. If you’re new to motorsport, this is a great series to get started in, without the pressure of door-to-door racing. You don’t need a fast purpose-built track car to race, either — bring your daily. However, get ready to get addicted. With the race being against the clock, this is the perfect series for those into building crazy time-attack machines. The Superlap team has more prizes and trophies up for grabs than ever before, so make sure you get involved! Discounted season entries are open now; limited to 24 spots so secure your place asap. http://nzsuperlap.co.nz/ ROUND 1 TAUPO, 9–10 JANUARY 2021 ROUND 2 PUKEKOHE, 27–28 FEBRUARY 2021 ROUND 3 TAUPO,…

DUE TO COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS, ALL EVENT INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE 4&ROTARY NATIONALS 30 JANUARY—1 FEBRUARY The 4 & Rotary Nationals or simply ‘The Nats’ is the annual pilgrimage for car enthusiasts from all over the country and has been the ‘must attend’ event in New Zealand for over quarter of a century (It’s basically part of our DNA). The Nats is where the best of the best congregate over a petrol-fuelled three-day weekend. The three day mega party kicks off on Saturday, 30 January with Claudelands in Hamilton playing host to the Show & Shine for the second year. The Meguiar’s ‘Final Four’ returns to reward the top four show cars New Zealand has to offer, with cash…

Is there anything more wholesome than a street-styled Silvia that has undergone a tasty, track-worthy transformation? “It all started when Joel and Adam at C’s Garage convinced me to upgrade to their signature 555-knuckle set-up, with Part Shop Max suspension and arms, not too long after I had purchased the car.” After an arm twist and subsequent parts delivery, Johnny moved his street car to the track, eventually blowing his factory SR20DET and rebuilding the motor, advancing with Tomei 256-degree PonCams and a Turbonetics T60 turbo, fixed to a Speedtek exhaust manifold. A few extra staples, including a cooling upgrade courtesy of Fenix Radiators and a Link G4 Storm, resulted in a reliable power output, finishing at 343kW (460hp) at 20psi. Slapped together with love by the team at Cany…

I’m Amy, a day-to-day marketing executive; weekend automotive photographer; and above all, enthusiast of Japanese cars and racing, with a particular fondness for Mazda rotaries. My pride and joy is my 1977 Mazda 808 converted to RX-3, running a 12A bridgeport. I’ve owned it for 11 years, and after spending five years restoring it with my dad, I try to spend as much time driving it as I can. It’s a classic-styled approach to a rotary, just with the addition of SSR MkIIs and a ducktail rear spoiler. My amplified hobbies came by blood. As a Millen on Mum’s side, my uncles Rod’s and Steve’s racing histories have had a lot of influence on my interests and passion to pursue an automotive profession. Their famed careers saw them compete in…

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. So remember, next time you’re gram’n’, use #nzpc.…

Mention the words ‘Japan’ and ‘golden era’ in the same breath, and a single glance around the room should be adequate to properly grasp the gravity of that utterance among a crowd of tuner-car faithful. The images conjured are evocative. A JZA70 Supra with the hammer down, the whistle of a T51R turbo escalating as it streaks along the Bayshore Route. The guttural growl of an R33 GT-R spooling up a pair of GT3540s before busting into the nine-second zone at Sendai Hi-Land. Top-tier D1GP grids packed with barking SR20s, throwing down multi-car trains in liveries as wild and colourful as the drivers personalities. They’re all tied together with names like Top Secret, Veilside, HKS, GReddy — tuning badges of honour that came to epitomise a generation. It’s an era…

When the signs went up on the event page saying “SOLD OUT”, everyone knew that this year’s fourth edition of ClubFest was going to be big. But just how big I don’t think anyone fully realized, until they reached Hampton Downs race track and were confronted by over 700 vehicles and enthusiastic owners keen to enjoy their scene once again after far too long without major events. Even now, as we reflect on the event as an organizing team, it is hard to accurately sum up and capture just what the vibe of the event felt like. Numbers are perhaps the best way to give a quick overview, and when you have 90 different clubs registered and over 400 cars fill the track for a parade lap which occupies one…

AGE: 18 (WITH 20 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE) // LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: PLUMBER How did you get into modifying cars? It’s a natural progression growing up in West Auckland: modify everything. I think everyone born out West thinks they’re a street shark of some sort. Some hide from it because they’re scared, some embrace it and don’t really grow out of it. Why the Hilux? We have around 50 Toyota vans, utes, and trucks in our business, Plumbuilt Plumbing. I actually bought this one on a builder’s Facebook site for a massively discounted price early one Sunday morning. It was bright orange and seemed a little dodge, as it was very cheap, and the guy put it up and pulled it down straight after I called him to come look. His…

Super flash Forget workarounds. Tuning masterminds working with pro racers want the most advanced and programmable engine control system, and this is it. The MaxxECU PRO can access just about any information, allowing engine controls to be tuned to perfection. Comes with MTune software for intuitive tuning with a wide range of shortcuts, plus real-time monitoring and control through the MDash Android app. Features include launch, traction, knock, and boost control (triple stage), nitrous (stages), shift-cut, Vanos/VVT, CAN bus (dual), auto transmission support, drag racing functions, and flex fuel. Inputs: 2 knock sensor, 12 EGT (separate harness), plus 22 extra analogue and 10 extra digital inputs. Outputs: 16 injector (high/low impedance), 12 ignition, 30 extra outputs (gpo), wideband Lambda (dual), e-throttle (dual), waterproof aluminium case, Bluetooth, and accelerometer. For pricing…