Table of contents for No 206 July 2022 in NZV8

Roadside repairs are something that anyone who has spent time clocking up the kilometres in old cars will undoubtedly have had to endure and overcome at some point. It’s something of a rite of passage, and, for some of us, any time we get into a particular car, it’s a roll-of-the-dice affair as to when and where the next breakdown may occur. I’ve been lucky of late (touch wood) that on all my long roadies (usually with kids in tow) that we’ve made it without drama. But there was a time in my life when I was rolling the dice on a daily basis and had my fair share of ‘character-building experiences’ — not to say I think they are over, but my apprenticeship in roadside repairs has most well…

If you’ve been wondering what your Sunday arvos have been missing recently, the answer is your fix of Repco Muscle Garage. But never fear, our 10th season is now airing, Sunday’s on Three’s CRC Motorsport. As always, the show will also stream via YouTube, and will showcase the best cars, sheds, and events our great country has to offer, alongside some of the characters who are driving forces behind the scenes. Season 10 will air for 10 episodes, and is made possible with the support of Repco New Zealand, Meguiar’s, and Mount Shop Ltd.…

LIGHT IT UP The Type S lighting kits are an easy to install LED light strip range that will allow you to change the look and feel of your interior. They’re 12V, easy to install and cut to length. But the best thing is they’re app-controlled, meaning that you have full control over the LEDs from your mobile phone — they can even sync in with your music. How good is that? There’re two kits on offer in the Type S range, depending on what you need: 24 inches and 48 inches. You’ve got the rest of your colour scheme sorted on your build, now it’s time for your interior to get some love! Available from automotive stores throughout New Zealand. For more information, see typesauto.co.nz. RARE LENSES Rare Spares…

Some may say that Mark ‘Blobby’ Thomas is only half the man he used to be, but we are sure that won’t slow him down at all. The skinny Blobby and his top doorslammer Ford Customline have been absent from the quarter for the past four years while other commitments have taken priority. Slowly but surely, he’s been making improvements to the car in an effort to return. A lot of the changes have been safety related, including the installation of a safety system and upgrades to the driver protection offered by the roll cage. With Rod Benjes at DB Race Cars wanting parts that Blobby had, a contra deal was struck that saw DB perform plenty of work on the car in what became something of a never-ending laundry…

If you’re the type of guy or girl who is sick of seeing small block Chevs in Fords, well, you’re in for a treat. The owner of this ’33 Ford threewindow — a bloke who’s happy to let the car do the talking — feels very much the same way. Mind you, the engine package that he’s chosen is arguably the best (old) engine Ford ever created, so it’s fair to say that he isn’t someone who’s happy to settle for anything average. Having a long history of owning Fords, ranging from various V8-powered Cortinas to a Capri through to a Windsor-powered XM Falcon, it’s fair to say that his blood runs blue. Knowing his Ford engines well, he was understandably quick to hand over the required cash when he…

It’s funny how much the cars of our youth influence the cars we love today. Chances are that whatever your dad, mum, uncle, or neighbour had in the shed is the car you have a great love for today. Case in point is this ’74 L82 Corvette Stingray with four-speed T10, 3.09 posi, and built 355. It’s owned by Thornton Church, and although he would have been too young to truly remember it, it was his first love. “The car was owned by my father when I was born back in February ’96, and he sold it about a year later when my younger brother was announced. I have pictures of me in the car as a baby on the sheepskins!” explains Thornton, who spent the better part of two…

2010 FORD FALCON FG FORD PERFORMANCE RACING FPR 809 This is the latest of the four Falcon V8 Supercar chassis currently being campaigned in the South Island. It is owned by a bloke who’s somewhat responsible, directly or indirectly, for all four of these cars that are hooking gears and spitting flames on the Mainland’s tarmac. Exposure to the Blue Oval came early for Richard Atkinson, custodian and pedaller of the 2010 Ford Performance Racing FG. “For me, the racing journey started as a kid,” he explains. “My father was a Ford dealer mechanic, and looked after semi-factory-backed Lotus Cortinas, and later factory-backed Escorts.” From there, it was rallying for Richard, who accumulated around 30 years of gravel bashing under his belt. “I won a couple of New Zealand Clubman…

With the borders opening back up, your next trip to the USA could be a little bit spicier thanks to the revitalisation of the Shelby/Hertz partnership which famously became known as Rent-a-Racers. Sixty years on from the original deal that saw 1001 Shelby GT350s added to the Hertz fleet, once again you will be able to rent a Shelby — and we’re not just talking about some lipstick slapped on a GT Mustang here. No, Shelby is actually building special Hertz models to mark the milestone. Offered in two models, the lower specced GT-H offers a 480hp Ford Performance package and various Shelby additions. But let’s face it, that’s lame compared with the other offering, a 900hp model dubbed the GT500-5. A true rent-aracer, the GT500-H takes a 825hp Super…

Progress is a polarising thing that you either embrace and exploit to your advantage or despise and try your damnedest to curb, ignore, and discredit. But there is one thing for sure — it’s almost impossible to stop it, especially when we’re talking about motorsport. Some might moan that it has ruined some disciplines, and we’d agree there is merit to that line of thought, but when was the last time you heard anyone complain about what it’s done to burnout cars and competitions? The progression curve in the sport has been a steep one, both in terms of the on-pad acrobatics and, more important, the machines that allow the drivers to do these. What was competitive 20 years ago would struggle to raise an eyebrow these days, and all…

While New Zealand drag racing legend Robin Silk was fighting cancer, it was always assumed that he’d beat it, like he beat everything on the strip. Sadly, Robin lost his battle on 17 May, and will forever be remembered as one of the sport’s humble achievers who was always good for a yarn. While famous for his Camaro that debuted in 1992, Robin’s racing career went back long before then. Making laps in everything from a Ford Pop–bodied altered by the name of ‘Demon Rattler’ to a series of ill-fated Chev Chevettes, before joining forces with Euan Mark and amazing everyone with the Camaro. Just a few meets after debuting, the car was running into the 7.6 range. Following a fire in which Robin received significant burns, the car was…

Hey Sam, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can we kick things off by asking if I can finance any vehicle, or are there specific criteria? HSam: Most vehicles are acceptable to finance as long as they are road legal with WOF and Registration. The only areas that become challenging is when a car has been modified, but this comes down to the profile of the customer, and we do finance many modified cars. So financing something that is either a project or race car that isn’t road legal is going to be a challenge? We require a client to have a WOF and Rego to use the vehicle as security, but when this is an issue sometimes the client has other assets, and we just use…

As car enthusiasts, it’s interesting to appreciate Athe history and heritage of it all. That said, some people prefer ultra hi-tech over anything old. Interestingly, in a time of emissions and climate change, increasing fuel prices, and everything else going on and winding everyone up, it can be refreshing to drive an old car on a more regular basis. It is no secret that I totally enjoy the history of hot rodding and all its sub categories, from speedway to drag racing, and even circuit racing. I have never owned a brand-new car, and at school when friends had Mazdas and Toyotas, I had a Model A roadster and a couple of Mk2 Ford Cortinas. Last year, in between lockdowns, I looked into getting a 1990s or 2000s American muscle…

Taranaki’s Jason Wells laughs that he has two hobbies: old cars and being tight with money. Of course, those two things don’t exactly go together in harmony — far from it, in fact. But, having wanted a ’59 Cadillac since he first saw one in the late 1990s, he finally convinced himself that turning 40 was the best excuse that he’d ever get to spend up large and buy one. Sure, he’d owned other old cars over the years, including a ’51 Chev Deluxe, ’56 Chev Bel Air, and a ’65 Pontiac Laurentian, but nothing in the league of a big-finned ’59. The ’59 Cadis are renowned for their rocket-like features; excess of chrome; and, of course, those unmistakable fins. Packed with all the modern features of the time, the…

Canterbury can be very proud of its car culture, with a great number of events held throughout the year. These events are always well supported, and are usually organised by local car groups and clubs as some form of fundraiser. With the lack of events over the past two years, the return of Darfield’s Wheels and Wings was a welcome return for many. Held on 1 May at a property just outside the rural community, and with a beautiful autumn day on offer, the crowds came in force. A major fundraiser for the Sheffield Volunteer Fire Brigade, Wheels and Wings was the brainchild of chief fire officer Nev Croy, a self-proclaimed petrolhead with a number of Mopars at his Sheffield residence. In 2012, the locally run Mud Plug, an off-road…

The Special Interest Vehicle Association ofNew Zealand (SIVANZ) has announced a new alcommers car show to take place 17-19 March 2023 at the Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton. Although the show is open to all SIV types of vehicles,t what was most exciting to us in the announcement was the return of the Grand National Hot Rod Show, which will be integrated into the event. “We’ve been talking to long time hot rodders, professional car builders and SIV industry suppliers about the current car show scene and what makes a good show. We’ve taken their feedback onboard.” a spokesperson for SIVANZ stated. But they are also welcoming any other ideas interested parties might have. The industry injects $5.5Bn of value to the NZ economy annually and they are hoping to…

It was no secret that our old mate Robin Silk-life-long drag racer, fabricator extraordinaire, and passionate car-guy – had been going through a shitty time during the past year or so. ‘Silky’ had Leukemia. And it had been knocking the hell out of him. The medical profession was struggling to get on top of it, the drugs required to help him were costing more than most people earn, and the physical hardships Robin had to endure were horrible. For those of us who knew Silky, it’s easy to think about the funny stories. Bloody hilarious stories. And so many of them. I’ve told a few of them in this column over the years. One of those 1980s ‘Silk Circus’ stories printed in NZV8 Magazine sat on the smoko room table…

I always compare the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro I Funny Cars series to the Big Bash cricket–style of show — a short and sharp entertainment package designed for one evening. However, I compare the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals to the Boxing Day Test. It’s that traditional four-day event that everyone wants to attend and/or be a part of. Nobody knows why it’s such a big event, but everyone just knows it is. Despite racing in Australia for a while now, racing at the Winternationals is something that we haven’t done with the funny cars, as the two products just didn’t really mix. With the introduction of the Top Fuel Funny Cars category for this year’s event, I’m happy to say we have entered and will have the Aeroflow funny car at…

Gaylord Gladiator — yes, yes, it’s a hilarious Gname, get it all out now. Done? Great, let’s get on to the very serious business of discussing what could have been one of the finest automobiles of the 1950s. The Gaylord Gladiator’s story begins with bobby pins — yes, those little wavy hair pins that seem to end up strewn throughout the house any time a teenage girl is within a 200m radius. Jim and Ed Gaylord, the two brothers behind the Gladiator, had bobby-pin money thanks to their father, who made an absolute fortune selling the product in the US. Due to this extreme wealth, the brothers grew up riding in the most luxurious and expensive vehicles available. By the early ’50s, though, they had tired of what was on…

There’s no denying that many of us feel robbed of a summer hot rod and drag racing season, but the recent Hot Rods & Horsepower Show gave us all the fix we needed. Due to Covid restrictions, mid May was the third attempt for the event at the Indian Hall, Pukekohe, and to say it was a success would be an understatement. Hosted by the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club and Napa Auto Parts Dragway, the show boasted an incredible array of diverse vehicles, and the public loved it. Saturday also featured a swap meet outside and the numbers through the gate were staggering. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED PETE LODGE’S FAMOUS ‘BALOO’ FIAT FROM THE ’60S People want to make the most of their freedom and the show was a perfect example…

1965 Buick Riviera @CAL_RIV Simple yet effective is one-hard-to-beat philosophy when it comes to classic American muscle. Andy made sure that he kept to that line of thought with minimal body modifications undertaken while he focused on the overall look and creature comforts. Stance is handled by a full air-suspension installation using a mix of Ridetech and custom components, plus AccuAir to manage the movement. Ridler wheels are bolted over Wilwood brakes, and power comes from the warmed-over 401 nailhead engine mated to a 700R4 transmission. Overall, one clean cruiser. 1935 Ford Pickup @REVOLUTIONRODANDCUSTOM Carbon fibre in 1935? Not at all, but man it works well on this build with the fenders and running boards being made from the once-exclusive material. The lightweight beast is powered by a 5.2 Ford…

GRM’s victory in the wet at Bathurst back in 2000 completed a season where its driver Garth Tander emerged as a title contender, and stamped its status as a front-running Holden team in V8 Supercars. To get to this point, the small, close-knit squad based at the rear of team patriarch Garry Rogers’ Glen Waverley car dealership had already contested five seasons in Australia’s highest level touring car category, providing an opportunity to many young drivers along the way. Rogers had raced a variety of racing series including sports sedans, touring cars and even AUSCAR on the Calder Park Thunderdome, and was considered a stalwart of the local racing scene. But when he stepped away from driving himself, he provided young gun Steven Richards, son of Bathurst legend Jim, an…

Purchased in the states for only $600 over 30 years ago, Craig Stares ’40s Willys is the real deal. Craig’s a man with many projects, so the Willy’s shell sat around while slowly but surely all the necessary — and ‘right’ — parts were collected. The ‘right parts’ being as many era-correct pieces as possible for the mid to late ’60s gasser project. Craig has entrusted the fabrication with Justin Orpwood at Deluxe Speed & Custom who has been working through a long list of fabrication tasks, handcrafting many pieces. The chassis was purchased separately much later on and had a gasser conversionalready, although the work wasn’t up to scratch, so Justin has since re-built everything including new ladder bars. The engine is a special piece, with some history having…