Innholdsfortegnelse for No 152 January 2018 i NZV8

Each and every month, we are lucky enough to get up close and personal with some of the best-built cars put together by our fellow Kiwis. We get behindthe- scenes access to myriad workshops and have in-depth conversations with those building cars for themselves and for others. We deal with those involved in unashamedly higher budget builds and those who produce amazing results on a limited budget — each and every one of the owners and builders positive about what they’ve created. While we often touch on the challenges involved in the builds of our feature cars — because building a car is very rarely a straightforward process — what we don’t normally get into is just how soul-destroyingly difficult and frustrating that process can be and, sadly, often is.…

EMAIL YOUR NEWS TO: EDITOR@V8.CO.NZ KIWI BURNOUT MASTERS New Zealand’s got a reputation for being a little country that isn’t afraid to take on the world, and that has been reinforced once again, on the rubber-coated burnout pads of Australia. The Kiwi Carnage Burnout Assault team, comprising Liz and Ryan Gracie, Arnie Donaldson, Ian ‘Sambo’ Smith, and Braden Smith, shipped their rides over — with the exception of Braden’s ‘HAUNT U’ VF Commodore wagon — to compete in the Tread Cemetery comp at Sydney Dragway, planning to then head off to Street Machine Summernats 31 in January. However, after a star performance at Tread, the team were surprised to discover that not one but two members had made the cut for the exclusive Burnout Masters championship — effectively, a shootout…

If the name Barry Smith is a familiar one, there’s a fair chance you’ve been at a drag strip sometime over the past 30-odd years. Having owned and raced many different cars over the years, Barry’s final, and fastest, was the Robin Silk–built ’86 Chev Camaro, more recently campaigned by the Pirtek Taranaki team. The car was at the head of its field in the day, and, although time’s moved on a bit from when it first hit the strip, it’s still a tough car, even by today’s standards. Having held the B/Altered record for a while, and moved through the ranks to consistent ETs in the 8.1-second zone, Barry decided that he was finally done with the sport that had consumed so much of his adult life. The plan…

So you want more power? Of course you do. If you’re keen on the idea, it’s likely you’ll already have covered the first and easiest steps — intake and exhaust. The efficiency of an internal combustion engine can be improved through better-flowing intake, and with exhaust set-ups optimized for the engine’s characteristics and intended usage. If such avenues have been pursued and you still want more power, what can you do? In addition to revising the camshaft events, one of the best methods of bolt-on power relates to the cylinder heads. Whether this means swapping the existing items for better-flowing factory castings, having the existing intake and exhaust ports modified, or going for aftermarket bolt-on items, optimization of cylinder head airflow has the potential for significant gains. We are lucky…

Bruce Hubber’s name still carries a certain mystique to certain people — most often those of the hot rodding kind. Widely known as a prolific collector of cars and parts, as well as a very capable vehicle builder and handyman, he has built himself a life around cars that has endured through to the present day. Then again, it would have been hard for him not to have, as you will understand shortly. Going up Bruce’s driveway, there’s little indication of what he’s got going on, which turns out to be a sprawling collection of automotive stuff from the early ’70s through to today — a collection that, although massive, we understand was once even bigger. However, before the treasure trove is revealed to us, a quick history lesson is…

Enjoyment was not exactly the experience at Pukekohe — not at first, anyway. Things did come right by home time on Sunday, but the event travelled the full circle: frustration, disaster, and excellence. All those who attended the meeting at Pukekohe — spectators, officials, and competitors — had their eyes constantly looking skywards, wondering what they had done wrong to deserve such terrible weather for such a big weekend of motorsport. In fact, it was so bad that the race was red-flagged after only four turns of the first lap. It started with a nudge from Steve Ross that ended in a spin for both him and his unintended victim, Tony Galbraith. What made it worse was that they were stranded, and more would suffer. Steve Noyer managed to slow…

BUY THIS ISSUE ONLINE AT MAGSTORE.NZ WHERE IS IT NOW? 1967 CHEV CAMARO — JAMES FLYNN If James Flynn’s ‘SIK ROD’ Camaro debuted today, it’d be a jaw-dropper, but this thing hit the scene way back 10 years ago! Only the second local car ever to rock full tubs but without the traditional Convo Pro type wheels, the Camaro was destined for success from the get-go. The no-expense-spared build saw one of the nicest interiors of the time, along with an LS engine and manual box up front. There was also plenty of custom bodywork, complex suspension, and much more. In fact, the builders were so proud of it that they shipped it over to Summernats in Australia, where, just like here, it turned plenty of heads. The story of…

What the hell are those boys at NZV8 doing now, putting that thing on the cover!? you might be asking. Just wait a second before you pen that letter of indignation, half wondering whether we’ve all suffered the unpleasant side effects of daily methylated-spirits consumption. As that overused old adage goes: one should never judge a book by its cover. We’re talking here about the monstrous Galaxie bolted together by Brian Mathews and his mates. However you look at the path the Galaxie has trodden to get to this point in its life, the concept of a gradually evolving build that has spiralled out of control is impossible to ignore. Then again, a degree of premeditation must have been involved, because one does not simply end up with a full…

If you read this magazine or stumble around the internet browsing car culture, you expose yourself to various examples of design and execution and most likely end up asking yourself some questions: what is cool; what will remain cool? So, how do you manage the expectations based on what you see and what you want to achieve with your build down here in New Zealand? Most important, how do you ensure that the build remains timeless and in a state that can be modified in the future as your taste develops? Research, conceptualize, render, plan, execute — these are the five key areas to maximizing the result of your build. As all trends have been implemented before, let’s start off by looking at some of the latest ones from around…

EL CAMEANER! Gary Sinkinson may have run only one season in his ’69 El Camino, but already there’s been some massive upgrades. The team at Danny’s Auto Services in Palmerston North have gone through the vehicle, making various changes to it in the name of both reliability and performance. The big change is the one to a methanol injection set-up atop the 427ci small block engine — a move that is sure to see a rise in performance. Along with this, new headers created by team member Matt mean that exhaust gases are now dumped behind the front wheels. What you don’t see is the hidden nitrous system, which will be activated at some stage in the future, or the transbraked TH400 transmission and 35-spline axles that have also been…

As with last year’s event, the 2017 Rockabilly Show and Shine, held on November 10–11, took place at the Rawhiti Domain in New Brighton, Christchurch. The choice of the new venue last year was a sure-fire winner, bringing everything together in one place, meaning not as much walking and no roads to negotiate, making for a safe and enjoyable event. To kick off the weekend, organizers put together a pre-registration cruise and street party on the Friday night. Leaving Bishopdale Village Mall at 6.30pm, more than 110 vehicles made their way across the city, ending up at the New Brighton slow road and pedestrian mall. As the queue of cars filed into the mall and were directed where to park, the place started to take on a party atmosphere, with…

YOUR THOUGHTS ON LAST MONTH’S GTSR GROUP C CONCEPT Darryl Curran: Would love to do a modern Walky style kit on my Senator in the same vein as the modern Brockies. Ronald Wawatai: Yeah, I remember the Group C cars ’n’ this ain’t a bad effort; missing the side-exit exhausts, a few holes in the bonnet, and maybe a few more in the flares to help cool those massive brakes; not my colour, but still a good effort — maybe something more sinister like black ’n’ silver. Brian Mathews thinks outside the box. That’s the easiest way to explain the patina-covered Galaxie on the cover of this month’s issue — a car that we reckon is one of the coolest we’ve ever featured. It’s a giant middle finger to convention,…

If the colour of Wayne Philpott’s Ford Pop isn’t enough to grab your attention, then the number plate should be, probably leaving a question or two floating around in your head as to what it means. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, though, as Wayne’s story begins way back when he was just 15 years old. Back in the good old days, Wayne had a mate with a little Ford Pop, complete with a 350ci small block Chev shoehorned into the engine bay. This really sparked Wayne’s interest, so much so that he went out and purchased one for himself and dragged it home. Parked out in his parents’ backyard, the car sat unloved for 18 months before Wayne’s father got brassed off and told him to get rid…

IN THE RUNNING South Aucklander Greig Running may never have driven a race car before, but that hasn’t stopped him from recently jumping into the deep end to join the Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) field. Having owned a few high-performance street cars over the years, and being a distant relative of Scott Dixon, Greig laughed that he hopes he has some of the family talent. Going by his debut results, that certainly looks to be the case. As a long-time Holden fan, Greig is now campaigning the ex–Colin Sargison, ex– Andrew Sinclair VK Commodore. Apart from a respray into Greig’s business colours by Tracy John, the car is essentially as purchased. With approximately 600hp on tap from the stroked 308ci motor, the Commodore has what it takes to foot…

YOU CAN SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT BY SEARCHING ‘BAD PENNY’ ON THEMOTORHOOD.COM. Chris Harrison has got to be a happy man. As his former employer, Cambridge-based Valley Custom — one of New Zealand’s top low-rider, hot rod, and custom workshops — scaled back its business earlier this year, Chris went out on a limb and set up Bad Penny Classic and Custom Services in Hamilton. Such a niche market has got to be a tough nut to crack, but Bad Penny has gone from strength to strength over the intervening months — no doubt helped by the fact that Chris and the team live and breathe their craft, putting the same level of care and enthusiasm into customer projects as they do their own. What better way for…

CHECK THEMOTORHOOD.COM FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES CORVETTE ZR1 After months of internet speculation, Chevrolet has confirmed what we all knew — the 2019 Corvette ZR1 is very much a thing. However, in doing so, it’s put to rest all the speculation that the vehicle would essentially be a warmed-up Z06. This thing is set to be Chevrolet’s highest performing Corvette ever. How so? Perhaps we should start at the start. The gaping front fascia exists for even greater air intake for the four extra radiators, which bring the ZR1’s total heatexchanger count to 13. These aren’t just for the epic braking package, but for its exclusive supercharged 6.2-litre LT5 V8. The supercharger is larger than that of the Z06’s LT4, and the LT5 utilizes both direct and port injection to…

Hi Steven, that’s a tough Crewman you’ve got. Why’d you go for it? Thanks. I wanted something different. I was brought up in a V8 Holden home — Mum and Dad always had V8 Holdens, like the good old factory 308 HQ. In 1979, Dad bought his first brand-new Commodore — an SL/E with a factory 308. When the VZ Crewman was released in 2004, there was something about it that I loved, as a four-door V8- powered ute, and I just wanted one. Having been a builder — although I don’t work as one now — I’ve always liked the idea of a practical ute like this, and, with it being a V8, who wouldn’t? Did you buy this one back then, or was it a more recent acquisition?…

▸ DECEMBER 2 CULTURE — BACKSTREET CAR MEET Culture — Backstreet Car Meet hit the calendar last year, achieving everything it set out to. The laid-back day out has now arranged to take over all of Harwood Street, Hamilton, on December 2, for a celebration of Kiwi car culture — with a focus on low-riders, kustoms, hot rods, bikes, and pre-’87 Japanese and European cars — dedicated to bringing different car scenes and like-minded people together. There will be a range of prizes on offer, and the day will end with a casual cruise. Entry will be via gold-coin donation, with all proceeds going towards the Dream Chaser Foundation. The show will begin at 12pm, and any queries can be directed to the Culture — Backstreet Car Meet page on…

Bête noire (noun): A person or thing that one particularly dislikes. Origin: French, literally ‘black beast’. In the case of Dean Blakesley’s tough 1965 Chev El Camino, you’ll need to take that literally. Having had countless hours lavished upon it to create the black beast before you, this is a car that Dean now loves to bits but never actually planned to own. You see, the El Camino was always supposed to be a boat, and the story begins a couple years back, when Dean sold his latest American car, a ’58 Buick Special coupe. “I thought I’d give cars a miss for a while, maybe try a boat and a bit of fishing,” he recalls. Of course, even the best-laid plans go astray, as this was about to. Spec…

Ever wanted to jump on a plane and head to America, taking in all the sights and sounds, and — more important — all of the car events on offer? The hard part with trips like that is all the planning involved, but, with people like Andi Whitley, Craig ‘Fingrz’ Mullan, and Karl Boniface around, those worries are all taken care of. The trio, with support from Castrol, organized one hell of a US tour, jumping on a plane in early October with two van loads of fellow Kiwis who were keen to piggyback off their expertise. With this being the trip of a lifetime, they managed to keep a diary of their travels — not just to make the rest of us jealous but also to show us all…

In 1986, a group of guys got together and had a meeting. The objective of that meeting was to form a car club dedicated to their passion: American muscle cars. The American Muscle Car Club (AMCC) was formed shortly afterwards. At the start, there was a degree of uncertainty as to exactly what constituted a ‘muscle car’ — a question that is still hotly debated today. However, the members agreed on these criteria: American performance cars manufactured between 1961 and 1971 that are either two-door cars or convertibles and which have a fourbarrel carburetted performance engine. However, not wanting to limit membership too severely, the club also opened up associate membership for cars outside those criteria manufactured between 1959 and 1981. Set up as a family orientated club, in which…

With tier-one motorsport in New Zealand still in recovery mode after all the political and legal fights over the past few years, there has remained on the side a stable provider. Enzed Central Muscle Cars (CMC) has continued to show strength throughout the turmoil of declining numbers elsewhere. Regardless of sometimes differing opinions on how, where, and when it should operate, CMC is a crowd-pleaser. This never changes, and determining why this is so is very simple: the cars look good, they sound good, they’re incredibly fast, and they race hard. The mathematical probability of this combination failing would be rather low on anyone’s scale. Being a self-governed entity, CMC can pick and choose its race meetings and control its own operations. There are some small fitment requirements, and it’s…

NEW BRIGHTON Every year, the changing of the seasons sees Christchurch’s coastal suburb of New Brighton put on the magnificent New Brighton Rockabilly Show and Shine — a good, old-fashioned day out, featuring neat cars and good vibes. We’ve got the event covered in this issue, but, if you feel like more, you can always scoot over to themotorhood.com and search ‘New Brighton’ to get your fix. BEING THE BOSS We reckon the patina that coats this issue’s cover car is a big part of what makes it so cool — after all, who in their right mind would build a car that awesome and not make it look half decent? Brian Mathews, that’s who, and we’re damn glad he didn’t. If you want a closer look at what went…