Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i NZ Hot Rod

Prophets A FAMOUS Simon and Garfunkel 1964 song, “The Sounds of Silence”, proffered the lyrics – “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls. And whispered in the sound of silence.” While NZ didn't have subways in the true sense of the word, we did have tunnels and underpasses where, back in the early seventies, I recall seeing anti-Vietnam war and other prophetic slogans hand-painted there. With no internet, it was one of the only ways of speaking out and communicating the messages and truths of the day. Nowadays, the internet is our subway wall, and everyone is in boots and all, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind, but amongst it, you can find, after distillation and filtering, the truths of…

SEEMING to fly under the radar, Tim Jackson's hot rodding involvement began in the early eighties as a member of the newly formed Streetscene Rod & Custom Club, who actively supported and participated in Pegasus Bay Drag Club's race meetings, particularly in the street classes. Tim was right amongst it, usually in his blown smallblock, full-fendered T bucket. Over the years, he also had a '55 Chevy, '38 Chevy, Camaros, Mustangs, Falcons, V8 Holdens, and several T-buckets. When he wasn't rodding and racing, Tim worked in the Fire Protection industry, earning the respect of his colleagues for his many innovative ideas and a strong work ethic. Tim also enjoyed fishing, diving, and squash, although his greatest joy came from his family: wife Carole, kids Martin and Vicki and their respective…

THIRTY-FIVE years on, and Trillo Metals Muscle Car Madness is going stronger than ever. Camping was down about 400 or so, but for some reason, the atmosphere was much better than normal. All day Wednesday, entrants lined up and quietly waited until the show was fully set up. They were let in mid-afternoon. There was no aggro, and somehow, they all seemed to get a camping spot they were happy with. Security was also stepped up. The definite highlight had to be the burnouts. New sponsor Towman Towing had a couple of his own cars, driven by others in spectacular fashion. His latest was a Toyota Corolla running upwards of 1,500hp and driven to perfection by Mad Mick Brasher, one of Australia's top burnout competitors. He certainly did not let…

Should've Guessed HI PAUL, A follow-up to the letter from Dave Alexander in the latest (March) mag about Squeak and him rescuing the Aussie and the homeless man. The “Aussie” was Harry Wright from Dunedin, visiting from Aussie. He had borrowed a Sunbeam Tiger from Mike Lawerence, another ex-pat Kiwi hot rodder from Invercargill. I have that story in the list of stories for my next book. Regards Golly. Triggered HI PAUL, It's funny how a single description can trigger a whole lot of memories, in this case, the 'early OHV 4 cylinder Chev engine' in The Jalopy Dust Up article. In my teens in the mid-'60s, I lived in Trentham Camp, which was adjacent to an empty paddock opposite the Heretaunga railway station. In the middle was an area…

THE 75th anniversary of the Grand National Roadster Show marked the milestone of the world's longest-running indoor car show, and it certainly lived up to its billing of the most exciting and stunning show in its long and revered history. Eleven Roadsters competed for the title of America's Most Beautiful Roadster, and its nine-foot-tall trophy was won by Ross Myers' 1936 Ford. Additionally, 12 vehicles competed for the coveted Al Slonaker Award, which was won by Bill Barbeto's 1933 Pontiac Coupe. ARP Fasteners put up the US$12,500 (NZ$22,300) prizemoney for each winner. Over 500 show vehicles competed for awards inside the six Fairplex buildings, while another 400-800 cars participated in the 19th Annual Grand Daddy Drive-In and parked between the buildings each day as part of the show. Kiwi hot…

MARY, with her signature smile and infectious warmth, was a familiar, radiant presence at hot rod events, whether she was mingling with the crowd or riding shotgun with her husband, Shane Adlington of Trouble Bound. Indoctrinated into the hot rod community when she met Shane and the Adlington's, Mary dove right in, helping Shane build their Model A Open Cab Pickup and infused her own personality into her 1959 Ford Country wagon with its leopard skin upholstery. Her drive over the last few years was a 1957 2-door Town Sedan refurbished by Shane and Steve Miller. She is the inspiration for the “Mary Rose” 1936 Ford Coupe, a project in progress dedicated to her memory. Mary was more than just Trouble Bound family; her influence shaped our club, laying the…

Attention: This Upcoming Events is a free listing, if you have an event which is not listed, please let us know, or if the details of your listing have changed then email paul@nzhotrodmag.co.nz. April > 5 Vintage Gasser Nationals at NAPA Auto Parts Dragway, Meremere > 5 Nostalgia Drags at NAPA Auto Parts Dragway, Meremere. > 6 Franklin Hop at Clarks Beach from 10am 'til 2pm. > 6 Oilers Breakfast @ The Crossing at the Lakes, Lower Carpark @ 9.00am. > 6 Wanaka Cars and Coffee at the Wanaka Mitre 10 carpark from 9am. Coffee + food from the Columbus Café inside the store. > 9 Ormiston Coffee & Cars at Market Place at the rear of Town Centre, behind New World from 9am 'til 11am. A Wednesday event open…

The Automotive Trade Show on 3-5 October, 2025. AUTORAMA is about industry; it's New Zealand's only comprehensive automotive trade expo. It's the must-attend event for those in the auto trade business. From new and special interest vehicles through to the manufacturers and suppliers of components, tools and services. The sector had a tough 2024, so Autorama was deferred. Economists are reporting that green shoots of growth have started to emerge and predict a more positive economic outlook later in the year. By October, an expected 8000 people will be primed to pour through the gates at the Mystery Creek (Hamilton) venue across 3 days to experience the spectacular showcase that celebrates the automotive sector. The Grand National Rod & Custom Show will be held again in conjunction with the trade…

Reenvisioned ON a recent tour of the Ross brothers' incredible museum in Cambridge, I discovered that Michael Ross had this wild Mk 1 Zephyr under construction. The car is based on the entire floor pan and running gear of a Nissan 300ZX, which includes a 3-litre, twin turbo'd V6 engine. It has been test-driven and, as expected handles amazingly. The body was widened to suit and made into a two-door coupe. Closer details will be revealed when a finished article is done. Great stuff! From Craig Stare. The Spirit of New Zealand Bonneville Lakester DAVE Alexander's big build in a little shed in the Waikato has been getting a lot of attention over the past months. The project was last captured by NZHRM in July 2019 as the rolling chassis…

ON the 16th of February, Sun Valley Roadsters lost one of our club's life members with the passing of Paul Enright (PE). Paul was a founding member of Sun Valley Roadsters in 1976. Although Paul had taken a back seat in the club for a number of years, he remained close friends with the older members and would attend The Roadhouse Breakfast and other local events as health allowed. Paul had a passion for Ford V8s and still owned a '57 Customline, a '52 Ford twin spinner and a '77 Fairlane. If you were lucky, when you called around, he would start up his side valve engine that sits on a stand in his garage. Paul had been ill for some time due to the illness that finally took his…

Tall Tales But True ALTHOUGH Tony Jeffs is a Ford man thru and thru, there was a time many years ago when he circuit raced in the HQ Holden class, including at the Wellington Street Races, where pitside was on the waterfront. As Tony had a crew of four helping him, one of the other HQ competitors, a racer with the unlikely (but true) name of Grubby Durham, asked Tony how much he would charge to change his gearbox, which Grubby claimed was stuffed. Tony said he and his crew would have the job done in fifteen minutes for the price of shouting drinks after racing was over. Grubby agreed, and the team set to work on the wharf alongside the harbour. Within a few minutes, the HQ trans was…