Innholdsfortegnelse for No 174 November 2019 i NZV8

Back in July we talked about how, while most of us will have to spend our days imagining the scenario of being given a golden ticket to the legendary race that is the current-day Bathurst 1000, a select group of Kiwi racers had been invited to jump the ditch and take part in the 2019 incarnation, which will go down Thursday, 10 October to Sunday, 13 October. It’s the second time in recent years that such an invitation has been extended; however, unlike the previous visit, which was a stand-alone race, this time the Kiwis will be racing in the famed Touring Car Masters (TCM) category. While they will not be competing for TCM championship points, that doesn’t mean the TCM drivers won’t be feeling the pressure of Kiwi driving…

The most epic event on the Australian car scene calendar, Street Machine Summernats, is fast approaching, and we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win the trip of a lifetime to attend. The $5000 prize package includes flights for you and a mate to Canberra departing from Auckland, four nights accommodation, and, of course, Platinum Passes to Street Machine Summernats. You’ll need to check the next issue of NZV8 for details on how to enter but we’ll be keeping it simple so make sure you do enter! If you’ve not been to Summernats before, it’s an experience like no other. Based at EPIC (Exhibition Park in Canberra) it runs for four days. The event attracts entrants from all around Australia, and includes not just the best show, toughest burnout…

Shane Hennessey’s build is a bit different to most. While it runs a 1929 Chev body, calling it a 1929 Chev would hardly be accurate. The car runs parts from three or more different vehicles, along with plenty of custom parts. The rear end was sourced from a Falcon and rides on airbags, while the 350ci small-block engine is from a later model Chev. The gearbox is different again: a three-speed manual from an HQ Holden. The body has been chopped 4.5-inches, prior to being channelled over the custom chassis a further three inches, to get the height just as he wanted. Dave from #RatsofNZ has been helping throughout the build, and the goal is to get it on the road by December for Steve’s daughter’s graduation dance. He intends…

▶ 19 OCTOBER VERY VINTAGE DAY OUT 2019 ASB SHOWGROUNDS, AUCKLAND It can sometimes be difficult to reconcile your hobbies with those of your partner, but the Very Vintage Day Out neatly straddles the divide with an awesome vehicle display featuring classic cars, muscle cars, and hot rods from the ’30s to the ’60s, as well as the Miss Pinup New Zealand beauty pageant, a bake-off, dressmaking competition, and the ‘Photo Safari’ — united by the appreciation of all things vintage, pinup, and rockabilly. The event will display vehicles from a multitude of car clubs, and they’re also opening the floor for other enthusiasts to display their period vehicles. If you’re keen to display yours, head to their registration page at veryvintage.co.nz to register your vehicle for either day. Each…

There’s nothing quite like being behind the wheel an angry, heavily modified car with an even angrier V8 bolted between the uprights: the tingling that runs up your feet and into your spine as eight cylinders’ worth of mechanical angst reverberates through the cabin around you; the inescapable grin when you grip the wheel as the car shakes from side to side, its lopey idle lurching you down the street like a bull pawing the ground before a charge. Pure nirvana. Whether it’s an inch-perfect megadollar hot rod, a tube-frame weapon built to dominate the quarter-mile, or a street car with more than a few secrets inside, heavily modified machines are what make life worth living. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? We’re all creatures of habit, and no…

The Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags marks the first event of the drag racing season, and while limited strictly to street cars, that doesn’t mean that entrants haven’t been busting their arses during the off-season. Amongst the many car-and-driver combinations that clocked new PBs at this year’s event were Geoff Dan in his twin-turbo ’69 Camaro. The car had previously run as quick as 9.53 but Geoff was battling traction issues on the small-tyred car. An off-season switch to Radial tyres, which have increased sidewall strength, and some spring hanger tweaks, the car’s now hooking up better than ever. This, along with replacing worn rocker tips, and the addition of a fresh transmission, worked wonders. The car was on form all day at the event, running a PB of 8.99 at…

Even in a household where Dad gets given socks for his birthday and underwear for Christmas, there’s a day that’s a true cause for celebration: Father’s Day. It’s not special because the kids have made breakfast and a card for you, but because it’s the day that you get to witness many of New Zealand’s fastest street cars battle for ultimate bragging rights. The Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags is the brainchild of the American Muscle Car Club, and, while open strictly to factory V8-powered vehicles, as opposed to assorted hybrids with V8s thrown at them, there’s no shortage of punters. In fact, with this year’s event actually taking place on Father’s Day, and the weather actually playing ball for a change, the entrant count was higher than ever. More than…

If you want a car to be average, then you’re hardly likely to take it to a guy who prides himself on taking things to the next level; nor, for that matter, to a business that’s called NXT LVL Automotive. Mr X, the owner of this 1965 Impala SS convertible, knew that, and that’s the exact reason why Mike Bari, aka Mr NXT LVL, has been responsible for building a bunch of cars for him. Don’t think for a moment that Mr X doesn’t know how to get his hands dirty, or know his way around an engine bay — far from it; his whole career has been in the automotive industry, where he’s worked his way up to a position where his time is too much in demand for…

In life, there are talkers and there are doers. Three guesses which camp Ken Hopper falls into. An accomplished race car builder and vehicle restorer, Hoppy’s present day ability and reputation is no fluke. While he may be best known for the top-tier Nascar-infused classic muscle cars he builds to compete in the Enzed Central Muscle Cars series, the back catalogue of vehicles built under the Hopper Car Construction roof spans several decades, right back to the glory days of Australian touring car racing. “There were originally two Pinepac Group A cars built in 1985, which were raced at Bathurst in 1985 and 1986. I was involved with these cars for several years,” Hoppy recounts. “There were only around six Mustangs racing at the time, and Group A had a…

Kayton Coughey is a well-known name on these pages, mainly because he’s the head honcho at Real Rides — a workshop responsible for many of our feature cars. He just also happens to be a dab hand behind the wheel on the race track, too — albeit usually in Northern Muscle Cars. With the first round of the Enzed Central Muscle Cars season taking place as a support event to the Supercars at Pukekohe Park, Kayton took the opportunity to join the field. His 400ci small-block–powered ’71 HQ GTS is no slouch, making 640hp at the crank. So while it was a step up, he was comfortable with it. The weekend brought about a mixed bag of results, Kayton qualifying 16th from a field of 25 before finishing 12th in…

Clocking up his 17th win of the season, Scott McLaughlin has not only crowned himself the most winning Penske driver in the team’s 52-year history — a record previously held by Mark Donohue, with 16 race wins for Team Penske across the 1968 season — but also eclipsed Craig Lowndes’ 1996 race win record, all on home soil at Pukekohe Park Raceway at the recent ITM SuperSprint. After starting fifth, McLaughlin took the win under controversial circumstances, after a mid-race safety car issue that shook up the field and caused several front runners to drop way down the field. Fellow Shell V-Power Racing driver Fabian Coulthard was one of those drivers affected when the safety car picked up Lee Holdsworth instead of then race leader McLaughlin, holding half the field…

Made up of roads open to the public most of the year, Bathurst’s legendary Mount Panorama circuit is only available for a handful of races, but that’s set to change with the addition of a second, dedicated circuit adjacent to Mount Panorama. The Mount’s existing tarmac configuration has existed for over a century and the first motorsport event on the 6.2km circuit was held in 1938. It is still regularly used by tourists, along with the local residents who rely on it for their daily commutes — especially those lucky few whose driveways connect directly to the circuit. That’s one reason race organizers are restricted in available dates throughout the year. It’s also for that reason that the Bathurst City Council is planning a second circuit on roughly 500 acres…

Liking the stance of your truck, Geoff. What year is it? It’s a 1956 Chev Truck 3100. I believe that over in the States they are called a 1300. Not sure why that is. Did you buy it locally? No, I actually bought it off a mate of mine in New Plymouth. It was in a million pieces, but he had reached the stage where he didn’t want to do any more to it. Everything was there that I needed, it just required assembling really. I picked it up two years ago, and it’s been road legal for nine months now. So tell us about that stance? Well it was already C-notched in the rear when I got it, but we had to finish it off. Up front, we have…

Working as lead mechanic for rally legend and internet sensation Ken Block is a pretty cool gig for Kiwi-born Gregg Hamilton. Even if you don’t know Block by name, chances are you will have seen his ‘Hoonicorn’ Mustang doing insane things on the internet, frying all four tyres as it slides around in Block’s series of Gymkhana videos. Despite Gregg’s experience working for many of the world’s top rally teams in the UK before shifting to Las Vegas 15 years ago, he’s a V8 guy at heart. Having fallen in love with the early 1970s Pontiac Firebird shape when he landed stateside, Gregg knew that, as soon as he had the time, he’d build one for himself — and he did: a 1970 version packing a twin-turbo LS power plant.…

“The youth of today… They’ve got no discipline. No respect. Not to mention “entitlement” — expecting their smashed avocado, four-bedroom house with two bathrooms, and yearly overseas holiday handed to them on a plate!” It’s an inter-generational conflict that’s been raging for decades. The oldies consistently tar the youth — with an increasingly saturated brush — as lazy. When really, for the most part, each coming generation just wants to get on with it. Amidst the haze of gaming, social media influencing, and other seemingly trivial pastimes of the Playstation generation, sympathizing with this sort of sentiment isn’t difficult. But for every spring chicken out there liberally spewing hashtags, there’s another knuckling down in the shed with a rattle gun and grinder at the ready. Matt Keeys is one of…

It’s fair to say that racing at Pukekohe ensures you are entertained. It’s garnered quite the reputation for it, and nobody leaves the facility disappointed. It’s also unique in another way: for the 2019–2020 season, the Australian Supercars meeting will be a double-banger for the ENZED Central Muscle Cars. Not only is it the opening round of the season for our beloved machines, it’s also going to be the finale — yeah, we know! Being Pukekohe, there are elements of danger, and it was no surprise that ‘Mr All-or-Nothing’, Angus Fogg, was at the top of the list of risk takers. He was lucky to get away with his adventurous mannerisms — going sideways across the top of the hill at Pukekohe is not the smartest idea, but he survived…

Andy Knight gave the CMC field a good shake up in the 2015/2016 season and again at the final round of the 2018/2019 season. In the years between, his car, previously badged as a Chev Monza, was brought in line with the CMC rules and rebadged as an Oldsmobile Starfire. Knight’s return puts another very capable car-and-driver combo into the mix, and with drivers such as Angus Fogg, Bruce Anderson, Wayne Anderson, and Tony Galbraith all electing to miss Round Two of the season to race in Australia, it gives him an even greater shot at the title. Five-time Champion Dean Perkins is still in the mix, though, and on the hunt for a sixth consecutive title. Will Perkins’ age and experience win out, or will the young talent of…

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Yep, the namesake behind one of the most famous drag racing tyre brands in the world built a land-speed racing streamliner in which his son, Danny, set a land-speed record for a piston-powered vehicle at nearly 450mph — and in January next year it will go under the hammer. Mickey Thompson’s original Challenger I stirred up the land-speed racing world with four Pontiac V8s crammed into the tightest body possible. It debuted in 1959 and hit 406.6mph the following year. The successor to the Challenger I, the Autolite Special, appeared in 1968 bearing a pair of Ford SOHC 427 engines installed in tandem to reduce the streamliner’s width and frontal area. But by then jet-engined cars had taken over. What’s more, Bonneville flooded that year and despite the vehicle’s first…

He might have rock god as a day job but Metallica’s lead vocalist, James Hetfield, is also known to be a serious petrolhead, and he has just donated 10 gorgeous hot rods from his collection to the Petersen Automotive Museum. “It’s always an escape,” Hetfield said in a promotional video for the band’s 2012 Orion music festival, which featured a custom car show. “It’s a way for me to get really microscopic. When you’re down there welding, you’re in a zone … and it’s the same with music. This is a form of expression; this is a form of freedom. You can get away with driving something like his customized 1934 Packard Aquarius and still have your personality show through.” A long-standing member of the Beatniks Car Club, Hetfield has…

Sam and his team at Delray Auto in Christchurch are helping Tony Brunt to complete his ’71 HQ project, and they’re hoping to have it finished by the end of the year. Having been in his family since his dad bought it in 1998, Tony was only aged four when it was first parked in the family driveway. Now 25, and having owned the Q for seven years, Tony is giving it a birthday overhaul. This includes a tunnel-rammed 454ci big-block Chev sitting between the frame rails, backed by a Hughes Racing TH400, and a Castlemaine Rod Shop Ford nine-inch rear complete with Strange head. To help fit more rubber under the rear, mini tubs have been added and all traces of rust have been removed at the same time.…

Craig from Taupo Brake and Clutch Ltd knows the truth of that old ‘happy wife, happy life’ saying having just performed a killer conversion on wife Lynsie’s Ford Courier. She’s pretty happy. The couple have owned the ute for four years and Lynsie had a few requests for it. It had to be a Ford in a Ford, hence the conversion to an EB Falcon–sourced 5.0 and four-stage auto. The other requests were that it must have power steering. Both wishes have been granted. Craig made the engine mounts and headers himself as well as adding a Bronco sump to make it all fit into the ute’s chassis. Lynsie was the one who pulled the donor engine down for inspection and found it was a bit tired. A full rebuild…

Like many people, I’ve mourned the loss of Australian vehicle manufacturing. Not the Toyota Camrys or bland Mum-and-Dad-spec appliances, but the real cars. However, having driven the 2019 Chev Camaro ZL1, it’s fair to say that crying about the end of Holden manufacturing vehicles now seems somewhat similar to crying about the demise of black-and-white TV or dial-up internet. Thanks to Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) doing a deal with GM to get the rights to convert the left-hand-drive Camaro to right hook, the future for V8-crazed petrolheads in this part of the world is brighter than ever before. For around 12 months now, the 2SS-spec Camaro has been being converted by HSV’s Melbourne-based team, but, for all the 2SS-spec’s good points, it’s not everything that we’ve come to expect from…

The words ‘Wild Bunch’ bring to mind images and memories of a bygone era, a time when gas was cheap, racing was fun, and grandstands and race fields were full. Somewhere over time we all got lost; Wild Bunch got swallowed up and spat out, morphed into other classes, and basically disappeared. That is, until now! The newly formed Wild Bunch NZ, in association with the Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival, is proud to announce the official return of the breed, with a minimum 16-car show Wild Bunch Wars set to entertain and light up Masterton Motorplex on 4–5 January 2020 as part of the annual Dragstalgia event. After the wildly successful taster of the Wild Bunch return earlier this year, the class has seen unprecedented growth and…

In 1974, a group of Dunedin car enthusiasts formed the New Zealand Post-Vintage Car Club. It wasn’t until ’78 that the club held its first Swaparama event, which took place in an old army drill hall. The show consisted of close to 40 cars and 30 odd-swap stalls. The Swaparama continued under that name for seven more years before the Vintage Car Club was invited to join in and the name was changed to Autospectacular. Over the following years, the show used various venues such as Forrester Park and Forbury Park, before ending up at its current home, the Edgar Centre. The Otago Classic Motoring Club now runs the show, in conjunction with the Otago Falcon and Fairlane Club. Each year, the profits raised from the show are shared with…

The Menefy name is well known in the trucking and transport circles. The white trucks and trailers adorned with lyrics and song titles from the band Pink Floyd are a regular sight on the country’s roads, but there’s more to Bryan Menefy than just music and big rigs. Motor vehicles in many forms have played a big part in his life. Growing up it was motorbikes and, as for any red-blooded lad, bigger was always better. Bryan yearned for a Honda XR500 but, as with most things in life for a young fulla, that was always a bit out of reach. So he made do with a much smaller but still fun Honda XR185. He didn’t give up on his dream of owning one, though — a philosophy that continued…

The team at MRX know a thing or two about building circuit cars, after all, they’ve been doing it for decades. Having already built a Group One Camaro for Brendon Neiman, the MRX team are taking the lessons learnt from that and using them for a build currently under construction for Steve Ross. Although the build was started some time ago, it’s been on hold while both Steve and MRX focused on other things. It’s now back in the workshop, with the intention being to have it completed part way through the current season. Being a driver’s championship, Steve can, if he desires, step out of his previous CMC Group One Championship-winning VK Commodore and into the Camaro and retain all his season points, which is one option being discussed.…

HOONICORN Gregg Hamilton, whose four-wheel-drive Pontiac you’ve seen earlier in this issue, may have the best job in the world: head mechanic for Ken Block. Most of you should by now know of Block and his impressive driving antics (google ‘Ken Block Gymkhana’ right now if not). He’s not the only Kiwi who’s been on Block’s side though, as a handful of Kiwis were involved in the ‘Hoonicorn’ four-wheel-drive project a few years back. We managed to run an article on that build, and have thrown it up online for you to check out. Search ‘Hoonicorn’ at themotorhood.com to find it. THEY’RE A WILD BUNCH Ryan Sheldon’s look into the drivers of the new Wild Bunch series is a great yarn, and there’s more to come next issue too. If…