Sometimes you’ll hear the massive Pioneer/Fusion/Soundstream audio system from a block away, but chances are what you’re more likely to hear is Catho and her girls laughing their heads off, having the time of their lives. It’s this infectious laughter and personality that have rubbed off on the car and everyone involved with the build, and helped to make it the attention-grabber that it is. Sure, there’s been ups and downs along the way, but now that she’s got her dream car, she’s making the most of it and sharing the happiness the car gives with as many people as she can.

Cars are a family thing for the Vincent family, with Catho’s recently departed dad being a big supporter who loved nothing more than getting out in the Fury with Catho and her kids. It was husband Mike’s obsession with Mopars though that saw the Fury join the family for a long, slow trip up the country after it was purchased sight-unseen from Dunedin. At the time, the body wore faded blue paint and the interior was shot, but as the huge amount of rubber under the back guards showed, it was a good runner and it was as rust-free as they come. A set of 18×9-inch Foose Legend rims from Top Town along with reset rear leaves and lowered torsion bars soon sorted the look of the exterior.

The short-term fix for the interior (which ended up being a three-year solution) was to cover every surface in long pink fleece. We’re sure many people asked “Why pink?” at the time, but that was the only colour the exterior of the car was ever going to be. Catho admits that poor hubby Mike must have had balls of steel to drive the car around, fluffy pink dashboard and all.

When the time came to give the car a major overhaul, she enlisted the help of ‘Pistol’ Pete Blanchette to fill in the huge holes in the bodywork, which had once been mounting points for assorted chrome trim.

Catho is forever grateful for the time spent in bringing the long panels back to perfection, a task that was performed with the body in bare metal.

Jason ‘Magoo’ McGuire was the man on the end of the spray gun, and responsible for not only applying, but also mixing the custom Glasurit ‘Catho’s Pink’ colour, a big job by any means. The colour was always going to be the ‘make or break’ of the car, and as you can tell by the retina-searing finish he’s achieved, it’s fair to say it makes it.

Upon reassembling the engine bay after the paintwork was completed, hubby Mike gave things a bit of a tidy-up by removing wiring and replacing items as necessary along the way. While the engine itself is the same 383ci big block that the car came with, it’s now fitted with a few performance parts such as a Street Dominator manifold and 600cfm Holley Carb. Catho’s dead set on getting a new exhaust to make the car sound a bit more powerful, if nothing else. For now though the reality is that it’s got more than enough power for the type of cruising that she, her girls, and her family are known to do.

Speaking of which, the fleece interior they used to cruise in is now a thing of the past, and in its place is a shiny new coat of black vinyl on every surface besides the dashboard, which is painted to perfection to match the exterior. A Grant steering wheel replaced the old worn, bus-sized item and of course the factory stereo has long gone too.

Beach Hop attendees will have seen and heard the car, and quite likely have noticed the pink-haired ladies it carriages most of the time, or perhaps the kids wearing hats made of balloons, on other occasions. Events like this are what it’s all about for Catho and family, being out and about having plenty of laughs and making everyone around her and the car smile. Sure, it may not have a huge amount of power, or be extensively modified when compared to others, but I’d bet you anyone who rides in the car couldn’t care less, as they’re guaranteed to be having a blast anyway.

1966 Plymouth Fury III – Specifications

Engine: 383ci big block Chrysler, Holley 4-barrel 600cfm carb, Street Dominator manifold, K&N filter, MSD 6AL ignition
Driveline: Chrysler 727 automatic transmission, stock rear
Suspension: 2-inch lowered torsion bars, Nolathane bushes, Koni shocks, reset leaf springs
Brakes: 11-inch drum all round
Wheels/Tyres: 18×9-inch Foose Legend rims, 245/35R18 Falken tyres
Exterior: shaved trim, custom Glasurit paint, window tints
Interior: Full retrim, Grant steering wheel, Dynamat, painted dash
ICE: Pioneer head unit, Fusion 4-inch speakers, Fusion 6×9-inch speakers, 2x Soundstream 12-inch subs, 2x Fusion amplifiers
Performance: Eye catching and kidney shaking

Catho Vincent – Driver Profile

Age: 39ish
Occupation: Artist, Healer, Baloonologist, DJ, etc.
Previously Owned Cars: Nothing like this
Dream Car: I’ve got it, but would love some more power and torque!
Why the Fury?: My husband has an old Chrysler Avenger race car, so it had to be a ’60s Mopar to keep it in the family
Length Of Ownership: 5 years
Catho Thanks: First and foremost my hubby Mike — without his fixit-ness, engineering, welding, electrical skill, organisation and stubbornness it wouldn’t be the car it is today. He’s worried his arse off watching me drive off on many a girls’ weekend or car show over the last few years, and I appreciate everything he’s done; to my kids Miller and Charlie who have to put up with mum’s crap old music and “don’t slam the door” comments a million times — I thank you both for cruising with us as a family; to all my girls, how else can our epic cruises happen! Rock on! Thanks to all my cuzzies, without our family love of classic cars and Beach Hop, where would we be! Also thanks to all the car clubs, enthusiasts, and spectators who make classic cars worthwhile! And finally thanks to ‘Pistol’ Pete Blanchette for the wicked panelbeating, Jason ‘Magoo’ McGuire for the awesome paint job, Greg Weller for the interior, Redline Agencies for the fantastic paint, Top Town for the sweet feet, Ken and Van for the use of their workshop, and Reg Williamson and Dylan Coff at Anglesea Court Motors

Words: Todd Wylie   Photos: Adam Croy

Entry is just $5.00 per adult, kids under 14 free.

Make sure you head along to check it out.

Feature cars include a tough Torana hatch, wild 1000hp 2nd Gen Camaro, pretty in pink Plymouth Fury and radically chopped Ford Spinner.

On the events front, there’s the Nostalgia Drags, and ITM 400, and we’ve managed to slip in a specila tech feature on paint preperation too.

If you haven’t got your copy yet, we suggest you do before it’s too late.

If you’d rather have it delivered to your door each month, and save money too, then follow this link www.giveamag.co.nz

The story of how the car came to be is an impressive one, and one which speaks volumes of the abilities of a couple of guys in a shed in the southern end of the country.

Back when the time-consuming bodywork was taking place, the car belonged to Colin Cameron; however, it was good friend and bodyman extraordinaire Alan Brookland who was responsible for cutting the metal out and sticking it back together differently. And by differently, we don’t just mean differently to how it left the factory, but also seriously differently to how you see it now.

You see, back when it was first worked on, turning sedans into utes was all the rage. And that’s exactly what was in store for the Spinner. While it’s hard to imagine the car now as a four-door sedan — let alone a four-door ute — we can assure you it’s been both those things in its 60-plus years on the road.

We’re not quite sure if the novelty of a Spinner ute wore off, or if it was just time for a change, but when Colin got the idea in his mind to turn the car into a Phantom three-window Spinner coupe, he once again enlisted the help of Alan to make it happen.

Thankfully, this was no backyard hack job, but one done with plenty of care and attention to getting the proportions correct. This included not only converting from four doors to two, but also extending the doors and moving the B-pillar rearward. A substantial roof chop then took place, resulting in the rear screen being tilted forward to give the car a much more flowing shape.

Those beautiful flowing lines continued to appear on the car as the team slowly worked their magic on every single panel. The front guards were modified anteriorly, where the headlights were frenched, and at the rear, where dummy side pipes were added.

The time-consuming process of adding louvres into the bonnet was also undertaken, resulting in a total of 344 louvres calling the curved metal home. While the exact tally of hours that have gone into the bodywork are unknown, we can only assume it’s up in the thousands. The more you look, the more you’ll see, such as the custom front grille, which was created from two Spinner grilles, one upside down under the other.

To continue the car’s smooth lines, the bumpers were removed and custom wheel spats created, however I personally think it’s the custom sun visor that gives the car the perfect proportions.

To finish the whole package off a Toyota Echo light aqua was applied over the newly formed panels and some subtle ghost flames were sprayed on. It was the look of the car, combined with the fact that the hard work had already been done, which drew long-time hot rodders Tony and Sandy Lambert to the car. While certainly no strangers to building cars themselves, nor getting their hands dirty working on projects, it was time for them to kick back and relax a bit rather than spending hours in the shed.

After driving the car from the deep south back home to Tauranga, they set about changing the wheels to perfectly suited 14-inch Smoothies with whitewall Cooper tyres, and tweaking other minor details to personalise it to their tastes.

What they weren’t planning on though was rebuilding the 302 Windsor that came with the car. However, after a late night cruise up Auckland’s Queen Street resulted in coolant firing out of the louvres in the bonnet, they were left with little option. As it turns out, when the engine had been put in originally, a rag (an old sock) that must have been used to stop things falling into the radiator had done exactly that! The rebuilt engine is fairly stock; the only real exceptions being ported and polished heads and a 450cfm Holley carb.

What’s not stock, in a Spinner at least, is the HQ Holden front clip, onto which the engine is mounted. The HQ clip was fitted back when the bodywork was being done, and with the use of custom springs, helps to get the car sitting low like a kustom should. Down the rear is a stock Spinner leaf spring arrangement with reversed eyes and a narrowed Fairlane diff, which Tony admits is overkill for a cruiser like this.

Since the engine rebuild, the car hasn’t done many miles, as Tony and Sandy decided it was time to follow the family abroad, and for the last few years they’ve been living on the Gold Coast. Each year though they’ve made the effort to come back for Americarna, and they like to get the car out and about as much as they can. At this stage, it’s looking more and more likely that the car too will cross the Tasman to soak up the good life. If the move takes place, it’ll become yet another interesting chapter in this car’s already unique history.

1974 Ford Single Spinner – Specifications

Engine: 302 Windsor, 20-thou over, ported and polished heads, 450cfm Holley carb, twin 2.5-inch exhausts, 4-core radiator
Driveline: Ford C4 automatic, shift-kitted, narrowed Fairlane diff, shortened axles
Suspension: HQ Holden front suspension, stock rear with reversed eyes, Koni shocks
Brakes: HQ front discs and callipers, Ford Fairlane rear drums
Wheels/tyres: 14×7 and 14×8-inch chrome Smoothies, 205/70R14 and 245/60R14 Hankook tyres
Exterior: 2-door conversion, roof chop, frenched lights, custom spats, custom visor, custom grille, louvred bonnet, Aqua Green paint, ghost flames
Chassis: HQ front clip
Interior: Custom retrim

 Tony and Sandy Lambert – Drivers Profile

Car Club: Oceanside Street Rods
Age: 60/56
Occupation: Workshop Foreman (Tony)
Previously owned cars: V6 T-Bucket, V8 T-Bucket, ’32 roadster, ’32 coupe, ’30 Model A pickup, 327 Pop, ’38 Chev sedan, ’39 Plymouth sedan
Dream Car: This one
Why the Spinner?: It appealed to us both, as it’s different — just a cruisey cool car
Build time: Unsure
Length of ownership: Six years
Tony thanks: Colin Cameron and Alan Brookland for the build, my wife Sandy for helping me enjoy the ride

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

“V8ST is a commercial entity and, as such, it is always going to be difficult to be independent and impartial in dealings with competitors and teams alike and that’s why we have appointed NZIGP to that role,” explained Chris Abbott, Chairman of V8 SuperTourers Ltd.

NZIGP is New Zealand’s most respected, experienced and capable motorsport administrator. Tracing its origins back to The Auckland International Grand Prix Association, which organised the country’s earliest motor races in the 1920s, NZIGP was responsible for the famous New Zealand Grand Prix at the Ardmore and Pukekohe circuits which were, at the time, the largest sporting events of any kind held in New Zealand.

In more recent times, NZIGP has been involved in the sporting organisation of New Zealand’s most important motorsport events including the world championship touring car races held on the Wellington waterfront circuit, the New Zealand rounds of the World Rally Championship and the annual Australian V8 Supercar events.

“I am delighted to hand control of this vital part of our series to such a professional and experienced organisation as NZIGP,” added Abbott.

“V8 SuperTourers have been phenomenally successful in its first events with crowds, television audiences and a public awareness exceeding even our own expectations.”

“We have had several proposals from unexpected quarters which look likely to lead to exciting new events and opportunities for the series and our teams in and beyond 2013.

Protecta Classic Insurance has sponsored the People’s Choice award which is voted by the public visiting the show. Protecta are a relatively new classic and specialist car insurer with staff who are enthusiasts themselves. “The synergy we have with our clients and ourselves as enthusiasts is a key aspect of the business. Being part of the 50th Anniversary National Show, strengthens our alliance within the industry and we are very proud to be a part of this special event”, says Colin Marshall, marketing manager of Protecta Classic Insurance.

Frosted Glass by Design has sponsored the coveted Sweepstakes award for the highest ranked show car in the judging procedure. “The 50th Anniversary National Show was a perfect opportunity for Frosted Glass by Design to support a sport that is an integral part of family life for many. We are proud to be associated with an event that showcases family involvement”, says Sean Williams, managing director of Frosted Glass.

Rocket Speed Equipment has appropriately sponsored the Best Nostalgia Award. The Hamilton based company have built a reputation on a wide variety of vehicles that have created a stir on the New Zealand rodding scene. Their roots have come from traditional or nostalgia themed vehicles and its very fitting to have their name on this award. “It’s great to be part of the 50th Anniversary show and being aligned with the Nostalgia Award is great for our business however we build all kinds of hot rods, race cars and street machines”, says Dan Tyler of Rocket Speed Equipment.

The generous support of these three businesses shows the attraction of the 2012 NZHRA 50th Anniversary National Hot Rod Show incorporated with the larger audience of the CRC Speedshow.

For further information please email 2012nationalhotrodshow@gmail.com or visit the Facebookpage at https://www.facebook.com/pages/2012-Nzhra-National-Hot-Rod-Show/266991636667167

Weather played a major role over the three races in what turned out to be a tough weekend for the driver of the PlaceMakers Ford Falcon.

Mixed track conditions during qualifying saw Lockwood qualify on the front row for Race one.

“We had plenty of pace in the opening laps of race one, however we got caught out with a ‘river’ running across turn 1 which made it tricky under brakes, I went in a little deep, making minor contact with another competitor and spinning him, earning me a drive through penalty. The penalty hurt our race result, finishing eighth, although we did get the fastest lap of the race which earns points,” said Lockwood.

Race 2 saw Lockwood starting from the rear of the grid and came through the field to the lead and to win the race by 7 seconds.

The third and final reverse grid race saw Lockwood start from second place, however was pushed off the track at turn one by another competitor, pushing him to the back of the field.

Regaining back second place, the race was red flagged due to heavy rain making the track almost un-driveable.

Lockwood says the weekend was tough, but he was pleased to finish without any damage to his car and to extend his championship lead.

“We won the round and extended our lead which was a nice surprise given the way things unfolded. It was a tough weekend and had to really fight for it having to come from the back in every race. But to come away with a couple of minor scratches on the car and some good points it turned out well.

Lockwood now has a 374-point lead in the series over his nearest rival.

The next round of V8 Challenge Cup is at Hampton Downs, June 1-3.

Everywhere we went, we were met by people saying just how big the event was, and it wasn’t until head event organiser Noddy Watts announced on Saturday afternoon that entrant numbers were limited to 100 cars less than last year that we had any idea that was the case, as it certainly didn’t seem that way.

With so much going on over all five days of the event, it’s almost impossible to keep up to date with what’s happening, so the easiest way is to pick and choose what you want to do, or what you want to see, and then do as much as you can. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’ll stumble on cars that you haven’t seen, or another stage with yet a different band pumping out some quality tunes.

Main event sponsors, Sony Xplod, along with Ford, have really helped to move the event to the next level with their high profile and professionalism, along with their flawlessly run and presented display which seemed to pop up from nowhere at every venue the event visited. Sony’s quartet of retro-inspired promo girls seemed to be the only thing that was getting as much attention as the impressive cars on their display.

If you’ve not been to the Hop before, it’s almost impossible to imagine exactly what takes place there, and when you do go, you’ll wonder how on earth the whole thing is orchestrated to perfection. The very short explanation of the event goes something like this: over the first three days, the travelling roadshow of 1100 cars heads to different towns, kicking off with Waihi on day one, Tairua on day two, then Onemana on day three. While each day is notably different, the atmosphere is buzzing at each, and the ground is shaking to the sound of countless V8s. Besides the cars entered, come day three, there are easily as many, if not more, similar vehicles floating around that are not officially entered in the event.

At each venue you’ll find various bands playing, local organisations running fundraising food stalls, and hoards of people taking in the amazing atmosphere of cars, music and people.

Day four and five of the event (Saturday and Sunday) are different again, with Saturday seeing a variety of different groups of vehicles parading in different directions around the usually quiet town of Whangamata and culminating in what’s essentially a town-wide car show.

Come Sunday, car owners can relax a little, leave the cars at home and check out all the handmade products on sale at the Nostalgia Fair and Car Show. The only owners who can’t take this as a chance to relax are those in possession of the top five cars and top five motorbikes, as judged by the public the day before, which make up the Century Batteries Top 10 Shootout. Included in the top five cars this year were two from the South Island: Nick Appleman’s ’54 Chev from Nelson and David Jeffery’s Rat Rod from Christchurch.

As for how Beach Hop is run so seamlessly? It’s thanks to Noddy Watts and his team of 200 (mainly local) volunteers who work almost around the clock throughout the event to make it happen. Of course, without the support of the local community and councils, and the tireless efforts of all involved, the event just couldn’t take place.

An unofficial part of the Hop is the cruising that takes place down the main street of Whangamata on pretty much every night of the event. What’s usually a sleepy road with minimal traffic turns into a bumper-to-bumper parade of cars both mild and wild, but thankfully relatively well behaved, despite plenty of goading from the younger members of the massive crowd. Full credit must go to the police who were out in force ensuring order was maintained, in what can only be described as a testing environment.

Of the entered vehicles, over 80 were from the South Island, which is a massive achievement. However, the prize for coming from furthest away must go to the handful of hardy souls who transported their vehicles over from Australia for the event. Now that’s dedication!

One thing we noticed this year was the number of women who had entered (over 100) and the large proportion of cars with kids of various ages in them, many of whom were dressed in retro style too. We can’t recall ever seeing as many people making as much effort at any previous Hop. Nowhere was this more obvious than Saturday’s parades, where multiple Elvises were spotted along with more Pink Ladies and JFK look-a-likes than ever before.

The various car shows that took place after the main parade were each themed. The Repco-sponsored Pre-49 Hot Rod Show saw many of the country’s top hot rods parked together, while at the far end of town the Century Batteries Classic Car, Caravan & Boat Show was a completely different spectacle. Ford lovers could be found at Williamson Park, while those keen to catch a bargain would have been checking out the many cars for sale at The Lending Room Classic Car Fair.

The main street not only saw the Meguiar’s Main Street Car Show, but also a small display of drag cars. Morice McMillin’s Shapes Roadies Funny Car was a crowd favourite, particularly after over 3000 packs of the sponsor’s products were handed out during the day.

The Castrol Edge Nostalgia Funny Car of Karl Bonniface was a major hit too. For those that didn’t see — and feel it — fire up at Onemana the previous day, they were treated to it coming to life as part of the Castrol Edge Crackle Fest.

The event is not just about the cars though, as the inaugural Coastal News Vintage Market showed. Held over three days, the indoor market had countless patrons through the door, and from what we were told plenty of sales were made. Come night-time half of the Market’s floor space was transformed into the venue for a Beach Hop first, a Burlesque Show and tattoo competition, both sponsored by Kickass Collectables.

The bands are as big a part of the event as the cars and as such there were 20 bands selected from both New Zealand and Australia playing at various times and at various venues throughout the Hop. Crowd favourites include the always-popular Ricki Wood and Rotorua’s Al Dawson & The Wildkatz who kept the Pre-49 car show pumping.

Come Saturday evening, all attention turned to Williamson Park, which was the location for the main prize draw, where there was the chance to win one of two cars. The lucky winner was a first-time Beach Hop attendee Michelle Phelps who came up from Cheviot in the South Island and chose to take home the awesome yellow 1930 Ford Coupe. The car she decided not to take home was a 1957 Ford Fairlane, which was auctioned off to Rex Pollock from Tauranga. Rex has been to Beach Hop for the last four years, but has never owned a car like this. As you can imagine, he’s looking forward to attending next year as an entrant!

He’ll have to get in quick though, as there’ll only be 1000 entries offered, and with the success of this year’s event, they’ll sell out as soon as they’re available. If you too are looking to have the time of your life, best you get in quick… as it’s going to be huge!

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

There has been some discussion about the method of aggregation of votes for the Aftermarket Industry Awards, so we just wanted to clarify the process. Each winner was decided by combining scores from public online voting with those of a judging panel comprised of four industry professionals, with each component contributing up to 50% of the score. Each judge scored nominees across the same categories that the public was asked to appraise the nominees on and did so independently, i.e. scores were not decided by a judging panel working in concert. The four judges scores were calculated as a percentage of points awarded and applied as 50% of a nominee’s score, in the same way that the public voting is calculated to a percentage and applied as 50% of a nominee’s score.

Two worked examples clearly show how the result can be influenced by strong consensus from either the judges or the public, and why it’s important that the public does get involved and vote. Firstly, let’s look at an instance where there is no consensus between the judges. This would be the case in a category where the standard is very close from the industry’s point of view:

In this example a clear favourite from the public sways the award to Nominee B.

Now let’s look at an example where the industry viewpoint is consistent and favours one nominee over the rest, with the public vote at odds with the industry representatives’ view:

Here Nominee C is the winner despite Nominee A being the public favourite. This is because Nominee C is a stronger favourite amongst the industry than Nominee A is amongst the public. Of course the inverse could apply, which would mean Nominee A would be the winner.

The public voting becomes more democratic with the more votes that are cast and anomalies are reduced. Every effort is made from the industry judges to be impartial and adhere to the scoring system in a consistent manner across categories and nominees. Often,  if anything, it is the public vote that is skewed due to it becoming somewhat of a popularity contest, whereas the judges are only looking at the specific criteria for each category and judging accordingly. This is why the judges vote sometimes differs from the public view and why it is equally important.

Lastly, we decided to hold these awards as a way for people in the industry to be recognised for their efforts, their cars and all that they do. It is not aimed at making a profit, nor excluding any person, business or sector in our industry – we simply want to bring the entire community together for one night and to give all that hard work the recognition it deserves. Obviously, not everyone can win and no matter how hard we try, not everyone is going to be happy with the result. There is no “rigging” or any other form of underhandedness. We think that the mix of judges and public votes is the fairest way to find a winner and as we’ve said previously, it resulted in some very close calls this year.

We hope this clears up a lot of questions out there and we look forward to doing it all again next year. We are very open to taking on board any suggestions and criticisms as we go.

The big night for the automotive aftermarket industry has been and gone, and once again, it was a big one.

The annual Aftermarket Industry Awards black tie dinner and awards ceremony was held at the Logan Campbell Center on Saturday night, with a record attendance level.

While there were a few glitches along the way, and some learnings for next years event, all in all it was a big success.

Many of the results came down to the wire, with some as close as one public vote.

The categories, and winners on the night were:

Best Local Product – RimPro-Tec

Best Support Of The Import Industry – NAC Insurance

Import circuit car of the year – Harry Dodson’s Nissan GTR

Import Drag Car Of The Year – CBR RX-2

Drift Car Of The Year – Shane Poulton’s Nissan S15

International Ambassador – Mad Mike Whiddett

Import Panel/Paint Shop Of The Year – GT Refinishers

Import Street/Show Car Of The Year – Mohammed Khan’s Honda Civic

V8 Car Club Of The Year – American Muscle Car Club

V8 Drag Car Of The Year – Reece Fish’s ’56 Chev

V8 Circuit Race Team Of The Year – Andy Booth Woodstock Racing

V8 Street/Show Car of the year – Ivan Jujnovich’s ’55 Chev Pickup

Best Support Of The V8 Industry By A Company – Smits Group

Import Car Club Of The Year – Untamed motorsport

Import Performance Workshop Of The Year – STM

Import Retailer Of The year – TRD (North Shore Toyota)

Personality Of The Year – Mad Mike Whiddett

V8 Drag Team Of The Year – Morice McMillin Shapes Roadies Funny Car

V8 Interior Shop Of The Year – Stitches Upholstery

V8 Panel/Paint Shop Of The Year – Matamata Panelworks

V8 Performance Shop Of The Year – C&M Performance

V8 Retail Shop Of The Year – Rapid Radio

Wholesaler/Distributor Of The Year – Sony

Congratulations to all the winners, we look forward to seeing them keep up their hard work for the next 12-months.

For more images, head to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nzv8magazine

With categories for car clubs, individuals, cars and businesses, there’s a huge range of awards up for grabs, and as the online voting has shown, it’s too close to pick a winner in most categories.

Check back here on Monday for a full list of winners.

“Ed had plenty of his own ideas, and knew what he wanted, but sometimes he was keen for my suggestions and ideas also, so the end result is a perfect mix of both,” and when Phil says perfect, he’s not overstating the finish of the vehicle.

Although Ed owns a seriously tough Mustang, he’s more into late model European, or more specifically, Italian and German cars. But when a friend turned up at Ed’s a few years back with an XB coupe, he soon took interest, even if it was — with ‘just’ eight cylinders — a few slices short of what Ed was driving at the time. “I told him I’d buy it off him,” says Ed, “but he was determined not to sell it; so I told him that if he didn’t sell, I’d build one even better.” And that’s exactly what he then set out to do. But how would he actually achieve it? How would he know it was better than the car he’d seen and fallen in love with? The answer was simple: use his mate’s own panel beater — Phil — to not only do the work, but to co-manage the project from the get-go right through to VINing and delivery.

It was a devious plan, and one that no doubt didn’t go down too well with his Falcon-owning friend, but after seeing Phil’s work, Ed knew he was the only man for the job.

With a plan now in place and Phil on board, the almost impossible hunt began for a decent shell to base the build on. Little did Ed know that after an extensive search, this would result in sending Phil to Australia to check out an un-loved rolling body hiding in the back of a panel shop.

Hidden below the dust and parts of various other vehicles was a rusting shell, but at least all the parts for it were there, and better still, some work had already been performed, with the entire interior having been retrimmed, and that would be coming with the car. “It was pretty sad looking. It needed that Kiwi touch,” says Phil.

A month or two later, that epic Kiwi build would commence. Slowly piece-by-piece new metal sections were formed to replace the cancerous areas, and the shell began to take shape.

While Phil was working his magic on the body, he commissioned Carr Engine Services to transform the matching numbers 351 engine to the same condition. After giving the block a bore and hone, it was rebuilt with forged pistons, prepped rods and ARP fasteners. Atop of this now sits a pair of Edelbrock alloy heads and a matching Edelbrock intake.

With reliability and presentation a higher priority than outright performance, each and every part of the engine and engine bay was thoroughly cleaned and detailed before being prepped for reinstallation. Not wanting to take away from the car’s genuine GT status, only a mild tidy-up of the engine bay took place so as to not lose any of the car’s character or genuine features. Included in this, though, was the filling of any unused holes and a thorough de-looming. The same care, attention to detail and renewal of every single nut and bolt has also followed through to the undercarriage and driveline of the vehicle.

The custom brandy colour that now adorns every inch of the body was sprayed by Auto Body Works’ painter of choice, Advanced Auto Refinishers, and has been applied with the level of perfection we’ve come to expect from them. Wanting to add his own custom touches, Ed had Phil remove the bumper bolts, and rather than having the bumpers re-chromed, opted to colour-code them instead. The usually chrome door handles also received the same treatment.

The most obvious visual change that Ed made from the stock appearance of the car was the fitting of custom-made Foose rims, and those who know their Falcons will have also picked the extended bonnet bulge. Knowing full well how rare the GT bonnets are, Phil made sure they left the original item alone before attacking a second one and raising the hump 50mm from standard. The result is subtle yet effective.

The wheels on the other hand, which measure in at 19×8 inches up front and an impressively large 20-inches tall and 10-inches wide on the rear are anything but subtle.

Even though Phil was predominantly working alone on the build, it was transformed from a pile of parts to flawless cruiser in just over eight months. The finishing touch before it hit the road was a custom exhaust by GR Engineering and the re-setting of the leaf springs to bring the rear end down a bit. As you’d hope from a car of this calibre, it flew through the VINing process and was dropped off to an exuberant Ed. While his Falcon-owning mate hasn’t had a chance to check it out in person as yet, we’re assured he was the first to get sent the photos of the completed project. While we’re not sure what his reaction was, we are informed he’s already got something else in the build, which in theory will trump Ed’s Falcon… then again, Ed’s already on the lookout for another project too. So no matter what happens next, we like where this game of one-upmanship is heading!

1974 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe – Specifications

Engine: 351 Cleveland, bored 30-thou over, forged pistons, ARP fasteners, Edelbrock alloy heads, Edelbrock intake, Holley high-volume mechanical fuel pump, MSD coil, Mallory distributor, 9.5mm leads, custom exhausts, Desert Cooler radiator, twin electric fans, alloy pulleys, braided hoses
Driveline: FMX auto transmission, 9-inch diff
Suspension: 60mm lowering springs, re-set rear leaves, Monroe shocks
Brakes: stock discs
Wheels/tyres: 19×8½ and 20×10-inch Foose rims, 245/35R18 and 315/35R20 tyres
Exterior: Custom bonnet, colour-coded bumpers and handles, custom PPG paint
Interior: Stock/restored
Performance: Untested

Ed Fernley – Driver Profile

Occupation: Contracts Manager
Previously Owned Cars: Many, but none like this
Dream Car: Bugatti Veyron (Sang Noir model)
Build time: 8 months
Length of Ownership: 12 months
Ed thanks: Auto Body Works, GR Engineers, Carr Engineering Services, Advanced Auto Refinishers, Dan Granger (who tirelessly searched the net and found endless bits and pieces to complete the build)
Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

As the dust of a busy weekend of V8 racing settles in Hamilton, the question on every Kiwi motorsport enthusiast’s lips is whether a fit-again Greg Murphy can pick up where he left off at Round 1 at Hampton Downs and bag this weekend’s Manfeild V8 SuperTourer round win to propel himself back to the sharp end of the championship.

For Murphy, Manfeild is home. His history is intertwined with the Feilding track. It was here that he used the proceeds of the sale of a TV set to enter the Shell Scholarship and beat 170 other entries to secure a drive in Formula Ford with Richard Lester Motorsport. It was here that he worked as a circuit driving instructor around the same time. It was here he won his New Zealand Grand Prix title and it was here he bagged an enduro win in a Nissan Sentra alongside one John McIntyre.

It’s not hard to see him not figuring in the event, especially as the Number 51 Mike Pero backed M3 Racing Holden is unquestionably the car to beat after two rounds of the championship. All things considered, fitness permitting, Murphy must surely start this weekend as favourite.

Predictably, it is old sparring partner McIntyre shaping up to be one of Murph’s principal rivals as the drivers and teams find their feet with the brand new V8 SuperTourer racing formula.

Early lack of pace at Hampton Downs was replaced at the Powerbuilt Tools Raceway with a much more feisty performance – with the three time NZ V8 champion defending a second place in Race 1 very robustly and taking fourth in Race 2 before winning the Feature Race in another race-long display of defensive driving.

So robust was Johnny Mac’s defence in fact, that it raised a few eyebrows off the track. There wasn’t a driver out there in the 16 car field, however, who in the same position would not have driven in exactly the same way. It was a testament to McIntyre’s prodigious talent that he was able to extract the absolute maximum from himself on a day when the car was a few tenths off the ultimate pace of the very fastest cars and bag big points and the series’ lead.

Due a win soon is former A1GP superstar Jonny Reid. Right on the pace in just about every session he has run so far, the cards just need to fall his way. Exceptional at finding places early on, he also could be a major factor for the Round 1 on a circuit he too knows exceptionally well.

Scott McLaughlin could also be in with a shout this weekend if the Supercheap Holden performs. He has been hobbled with engine woes as the team and the series find their feet with the new breed of cars, though the Gold Coast based superstar seemed to attract more than his fair share of mechanical gremlins.

“ It was a very tough round for the whole team! Everything that could go wrong went wrong but again we showed really good pace,” he said. “Onwards and upwards though and we are all looking forward to Manfeild. It’s one of my favourite circuits I really hope it treats me better than the last few tracks.”

Also due a good result is McIntyre’s team mate Steve Richards. It was in the last race of the second round that he finally looked like he was accessing the speed in the CRC Falcon and his third fastest lap in the race was a definite step forward. He will be hoping to maintain at least the rate of improvement he say in Christchurch, and could be factor if he can find the speed to vault the mid-field traffic.

And last but not least, the evergreen superstar and winner of countless championships Craig Baird was right there at Ruapuna and is another who excels at Manfeild. It’s only a matter of time before he, and Kayne Scott, win races in this category and they’ll be aiming to begin writing that chapter of their illustrious careers this weekend.

John Poulton's Camaro

Patrick O'Keffee's Chevelle

Ed Trybula's Gasser

Mike Callagher's Monaro

Mike Pearce's Mustang

Ivan Jujnovich's Pickup

Lee Wilson's VL Commodore

Voting closes on Tueday, so make sure to head to http://www.performancecar.co.nz/industry-awards and have your say.

It’s all about us versus them this weekend at Fram Autolite Dragway in Meremere. Mothers Dragmasters is back for another full day of Import vs V8 racing on Saturday, and with all the top cars confirmed there’s no doubt this is going to be a great way to end the season!

The driver list is looking good! (see below)

And while not showing a tendency to hoard any particular brand, he’d never really thought about buying a Mopar for himself before either. Sure, he’s bought them for customers, but that’s a different story.

It wasn’t until a customer had Andy bring in a bunch of bits for his Dodge Coronet that he realised just how much he liked the car’s angular lines, and how he could easily see himself in the driver’s seat.

After thinking about the Dodge for the next few days, he remembered a car he’d seen on his last buying trip to America, a ’67 Belvedere. Sure, it was a low spec one, but what it lacked in creature comforts was easily made up for by its lack of weight. With this in mind, he contacted the owner, who assured him the car was good, and a deal was done.

He gave himself a year to get it on the road, which included what he thought was going to be enough time to source, build and fit a 440 big block — after all, there’s no point in buying a lightweight car and then only powering it with a baby motor.

Finding a motor to base the build off wasn’t hard; it just required a trip to a hick town trailer park in Kingman, Arizona. But it was once the car and the engine arrived that Andy knew he was going to have a bit of a job on his hands, especially since he’d promised the car would be ready for a mate’s upcoming wedding.

The ‘rust-free’ description of the car must have referred to the car coming with free rust, rather than coming with no rust. This led to the mechanical side of the build being taken care of first, so that it would be drivable, or if not, pretty close, come his mate’s big day.

The 440 block was dropped off to Justin Rice at Rotorua Precision Motors (RPM), along with a bunch of parts, all imported directly by Andy himself of course, with strict instructions that time was of the essence.

Sticking to his word, Justin managed to bore the block slightly over, fit the new pistons, crack test the rods and dial in the COMP Cams flat tappet cam. In addition to all that, he fitted ‘Super Stealth’ series heads from 440source.com. With 80cc closed chambers and large stainless steel valves, the heads are a massive step up from the factory 440 items. With their high flow rates in mind, Andy chose to source a 750cfm Holley carb and to have it fuelled by a high volume mechanical pump. While sourcing parts, he also found JEGS headers with 3-inch collectors, which he fitted to a twin 3-inch system along with a couple of Flowmaster mufflers.

While the new set-up hasn’t been on the dyno, Andy is confident that it’s good for an easy 400hp. While not massive power, it’s more than enough to get the lightweight Belvedere up and moving without any trouble. To ensure the 727 TorqueFlite trans that came with the engine was up to scratch, he took it to world-famous-in-New Zealand trans builder Chuck ‘the Man’ Mann. New clutches, new bands, a stage 2 shift kit and plenty of knowledge went into the build, and Andy couldn’t be happier with how it came out.

With the engine side of things sorted, Andy made it to his mate’s big day, even if the body still looked tatty; although thanks to some last minute touch-ups, it was better than it could have been.

With the wedding out of the way, he could finally strip the car back and get the bodywork sorted. Craig Thompson from Mooney Brothers Panelbeating was responsible for the panel side of things, which included rust repairs to the roof rails and rear quarters. From there, the car went to Rob Adriaansz at Robs Auto Spray Ltd who proceeded to coat the car in a fresh layer of DuPont orange with silver pearl.

The finishing touch to the exterior was a set of factory-looking 15-inch Mopar steel wheels and Cooper tyres.

The overall package isn’t really what you’d call hugely modified, but more like a tweaked version of what the factory had to offer, and a style which harks back to the days when Belvederes were the kings of drag strips around America. It’s got plenty of power, looks good and most importantly, has that shape that Andy first fell in love with. Although, by the sounds of it, as with everything he owns… for the right price, he’d soon let it go… Some people just can’t help themselves.

1967 Plymouth Belvedere Specifications

Engine: 440 big block wedge, bored 0.40 over, crankshaft ground 010/010, block decked, crack tested rods and bolts, 9.6:1 compression, 440 Source ‘Super Stealth’ cylinder heads, 80cc closed chambers, stainless steel valves, COMP Cams hydraulic flat tappet cam, valve lift .477 intake/.480 exhaust, Magnum pushrods, aluminium roller rockers, 750cfm Holley carb, Edelbrock Performer manifold, port matched, high-volume mechanical fuel pump, MSD Blaster 2 coil, electronic distributor, JEGS headers, 3-inch collector, Flowmaster mufflers, 4-core radiator
Driveline: 727 TorqueFlite transmission, stage 2 shift kit, stock diff
Suspension: Stock
Brakes: Stock
Wheels/Tyres: 15-inch steelies, Mopar trim ring, 225/70R15 Cooper tyres
Exterior: DuPont custom orange with silver pearl
Interior: Stock re-trim, JEGS fuel pressure gauge
Performance: Untested

Andrew Brooking – Driver Profile

Car Club: Sulphur City Rod and Custom Club Inc
Age: 36
Occupation: Parts and vehicle importer
Previously owned cars: ’65 Impala coupe, ’66 Chevy truck x3, ’72 Ford F250, ’64 Cadillac Hearse, ’72 Cadillac Hearse, ’66 Fury, ’68 Chevy truck, ’78 Chevy truck
Dream car: This is the dream!
Why the Belvedere?: A customer had one and it was a cool car
Build time: 18 months
Length of ownership: 18 months
Andy thanks: Craig Thompson at Mooney Brothers Panelbeating, Justin Rice at Rotorua Precision Motors, Chuck Mann at Chuck Mann Race Trans, Des Wenmoth at Repco, Rob Adriaansz at Robs Auto Spray, Mark Vyver at Mark Vyver Furniture and Auto Upholstery, Catherine Bagnall at Signselect Ltd, American Customs and Classics – www.acac.co.nz

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

You can check out the categories, and place your votes here http://www.performancecar.co.nz/industry-awards.

If you’re interested in attending the event itself, tables are also selling quickly, so give Azhar a call on 021 485 887 before it’s too late.

Auckland panel shop director Patrick O’Keeffe is one of those people who’s been caught up in that cycle of constant evolution. After owning a variety of cars in his time, five years ago he completed the build of one seriously cool 1967 Camaro. With arrow-straight panelwork, super deep gloss black paint and 20-inch wheels, it was ahead of its time and a standout wherever it went. As we all know though, it’s hard to stay at the top of the game for long, and Patrick was well aware that he either needed to rebuild the Camaro or build something else if he wanted to continue wowing crowds and scoring trophies.

After convincing his wife Marcia that they were better off holding on to the Camaro and building something new as well, the search began for a 1967 Chevelle. While he’s a Chev fan, it wasn’t the brand of the car that mattered the most; it was his simple love of the shape, especially that of the rear window area. Unlike the ’65 Chevelles, the ’66 and ’67 feature a sunken rear window and stretched C-pillars for a unique look.

After hunting on the internet, he found a suitable car just 180 miles north of LA, and promptly organised for it to be shipped back home. It had no engine and was sunburnt, but a predominantly straight body. What little panelwork there was could easily be taken care of by his team at Boss Panelbeaters. While general collision repairs are what they specialise in, there’s always a classic or two of some variety in the shop, so things like smoothing off the firewall and massaging the 45-year-old metal back into shape was a breeze.

After having a black car (the Camaro) Patrick knew he wanted something different – something that stood out, but remained classy at the same time. Being not only a DuPont specialist paint shop, but the winner of DuPont’s annual Refinishing Shop of the Year competition, the choice of paint brand was an easy one. The colour on the other hand took a few months of searching through the thousands of available options and spraying near-on hundreds of test panels. The final colour he decided on is a Lamborghini hue, with a serious amount of pearl in it.

While Patrick had his team busy on the body, he was busy himself putting in an order with Rod and Performance NZ for all the suspension and brake components required. With handling and braking being a high priority for the build, a full Heidts suspension kit was ordered, along with a Wilwood brake kit. The Heidts A-arms not only come with modern geometry and late-model ball-joints to replace the worn-out items, but also drop the car down and provide mounting points for the QA1 coilovers. The rear end includes an adjustable 4-link and matching coilovers and, to top it off, large sway bars have been fitted at both ends too. Covering those massive brakes are 20-inch Showwheels rims measuring in at an impressive 10-inches wide on the rear and 8.5-inches wide on the front.

During the build, the body was lifted off the chassis, and the chassis sandblasted before being painted to the same flawless finish as the panels. Then, before the body was re-fitted, the underside of the floor was sprayed to match. The finishing touch to the paintwork was the badges, which have been airbrushed onto the rear ends.

A late-model fuel-injected motor was always part of the build plan, and when you consider how little it costs to get a reliable yet high-power injected engine, it’s easy to see why. The engine chosen was an LS1 from a 2004 HSV and, after talking with the guys from Protune, Patrick decided that the factory 297kW could easily be increased with no detrimental effects. To do so, a Power+Plus Typhoon manifold was fitted along with a 90mm Holley throttle body and LS2 injectors. To provide the fuel, Patrick had Fabtech build a 110-litre drop tank utilising the factory HSV in-tank fuel pump. A pair of ported Pro Comp heads were also sourced and fitted with Manley valves and a stage 3 cam, to make the most of the engine’s new breathing capabilities.

With the engine fitted to the chassis and the chassis back with the body, Protune was enlisted to wire it up and get it running. While the final performance tune hasn’t taken place as yet, it’s estimated the car should make around 550hp, which is not a bad improvement from stock at all. To get that power to the ground, Patrick chose a 700R4 automatic transmission,
but rather than using a second-hand transmission of unknown origin, he had Rod and Performance NZ supply a brand-new Turn Key built item with a stage-two shift kit and 2500rpm stall converter. The Chevelle 12-bolt diff is the only remaining part of the driveline that the car left the factory with, although it too now has new internals in the form of an LSD head.

When it came time to sort the interior, the decision was made to keep it fairly original, although somewhat modernised below the surface. A full assortment of Dynamat heat and sound insulation was installed, which adds to that new car feel. The other major advancement is the installation of a serious Sony Xplod sound system by the team at Rapid Radio. Besides the two 10-inch Sony subs, two amps, custom centre console, custom kick panels, and custom-painted enclosure in the boot, the Rapid Radio team also installed a fully functioning toolbox. On the other side of the boot is an equally useful and important beer holder! Unfortunately the boot wasn’t completed in time for our photoshoot, so make sure you check it out on the Sony Stand at Beach Hop.

After an 18-month build period, the car was recently unveiled to an excited crowd at the Jenner’s Hall Of Fame show. From the reactions and comments on its debut, it looks like the car has had the desired effect of stopping people in their tracks. We’re guessing it will continue to do exactly that for the next five or so years, when Patrick will no doubt decide to raise the bar yet again in the name of continual evolution. Exactly how he’ll top this build, we’re not quite sure, but we certainly look forward to finding out!

Chev Chevelle Speficications

Engine: 2004 LS1, ported Pro Comp heads, Manley valves, GMPP springs, stage 3 cam, Power+Plus Typhoon manifold, 90mm Holley throttle body, HSV in-tank fuel pump, LS2 injectors, 110L stainless drop tank, Doug headers, 2.5-inch exhausts, stainless mufflers, HSV radiator, X-air intake
Driveline: Stage 2 700R4, 2500rpm stall, 12-bolt diff, LSD head
Suspension: Heidts A-arms, QA1 coilovers, Heidts 4-link, oversized sway bars
Brakes: Wilwood 6-pot front callipers, 14-inch Wilwood rotors, Wilwood 4-pot rear callipers, 13-inch Wilwood rotors, Hydraboost booster
Wheels/Tyres: 20×8.5 and 20×10-inch Showwheels
Exterior: DuPont Lamborghini orange
Chassis: Boxed rails
Interior: Stock retrim, Dynamat, Sony XAV622 double din head unit, Sony XSGTR1720s components, 2x Sony XSGTR100L 10-inch subs, 2x Sony XMGTR4A amps, Sony XSGTF1327 speakers
Performance: Approx 550hp

Patrick O’Keeffe – Driver Profile

Age: 50
Occupation: Panel shop director
Previously Owned Cars: 1928 roadster, 1970 Firebird, 1969 Firebird, 1948 Ford Club Coupe, 1967 Camaro
Dream Car: Always the next one
Why the Chevelle: Loved the shape, especially around the rear window
Build Time: 18-months
Length Of Ownership: 18-months
Patrick thanks: Lawrie, Stu and the team at Boss Panelbeaters, DC Trading, Protune, Rod and Performance NZ, DuPont Refinish Resene Automotive, Greenlane Speed Shop, Fabtech, Rapid Radio, Sony, Manukau Metal Polishers, Industrial Electroplaters

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

Detaildepot pride themselves in supplying top quality products from around the world, including Autoglym, Chemical Guys, Flex Tools, Kestrel machine polishers, Lake Country, Meguiars Detailer Range, 303 Products, and much much more! Sick of the same old limited range of consumer grade products, detaildepot have researched overseas markets and are bringing top-shelf and well respected brands to NZ – and there are still more arriving regularly.

Detaildepot reckon NZ is about 5 years behind the rest of the world in terms of detailing and car care, and it’s time to play catch-up! Machine polishing for example is no longer limited to panel shops and detailers alone – and they supply a wide range of machine polishers and accessories which will provide results unequalled by hand-polishing. Try the Flex XC3401 dual action polisher, and you’ll never go back to hand polishing, plus you’ll be able to remove scratches, micro-marring, oxidation, all sorts of paint defects.

All the products necessary to make your ride look the part are available, plus seeing as they’re local, service and support are easy. Head on over to their website and check out the huge range of supplies (probably the biggest in NZ) – plus if you’re wanting something particular that isn’t in stock, they’ll bring it in for you!

The cover car is a gorgeous big block Camaro, which goes just as good as it looks. Other cars include a flawless XB Falcon coupe, wild chopped Chev and a stunning Mustang.

Besides Beach Hop, there’s Central Muscle Car coverage, and all the action from the Drag Racing Nationals.

We’ve also managed to fit in a look at a handful of up and coming kiwi success stories and all the usual features you know and love.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that here http://magazine-subscriptions.co.nz/automotive/gift-magazine-subscriptions/subscription-to-nzv8-magazine.html

As you can imagine, having a relationship with New Zealand’s top supercharger expert can come in handy when you’re trying to build a big power street motor. Al and Lee devised a plan that would see the 308 block retained, but a 304 crank installed, along with Scat H-beam rods and Wiseco pistons. While the capacity may be small in comparison, the emphasis was put on making the engine breathe efficiently to make the most of what it had to offer. To do this, Yella Terra Dash-9 CNC ported heads were chosen and fitted with roller rockers from the same catalogue. Add some Ferrea stainless valves, a blower cam and a port-matched intake and you’ve got a combo that is almost unbeatable with a Holden block. Of course, it’s what sits above all this that makes the power and makes the car into a head turner. That setup consists of a billet Blower Shop 6/71 supercharger and a pair of 650cfm Demon carbs.
Currently the blower is three percent overdriven, which should make the combo good for around 600hp. The exact figure is unknown as, since an oil pump drive failed resulting in the end being chewed off the camshaft, a new more aggressive cam has been fitted. With the old cam, it made 530hp, so it’s fair to say that Lee’s not stretching the truth at all with those numbers.

Since the plan was only ever for the car to be a streeter, plenty of care was taken to ensure the cooling system was up to the task at hand. And to this day there’s not been a problem at all, regardless of how bad the traffic Lee finds himself sitting in.
Over the course of the build, he learnt more than he ever expected to, which has led him to say he’d do much of the build differently if he could do it all again. Included in the list of things he’d change is the gearbox. A Tremec 6-speed manual is currently fitted, which is by no means a bad box, however, he’d prefer a Hollinger. For now at least, the Tremec is fitted with an Excedy twin-plate clutch and steel flywheel, which have no problems doing the job.
Further back you’ll find a 9-inch diff fitted with an LSD head and 3.5:1 ratio. The long black lines left outside the studio proving that the diff setup has no problem in getting those big 255-wide 20-inch tyres to spin into a pulp. The 20×8.5-inch rims the liquorice strips are wrapped around sit as close to the guards as practical thanks to a setup consisting of custom coilovers upfront and Bilstein shocks with Dobisport springs out rear. A Whiteline front swaybar has also been fitted. The brakes were an area where no expense was spared; instead Lee opted for Wilwood 6-piston front callipers and 14-inch rotors, along with 4-piston rear callipers and 12-inch rotors.
The effort and attention to detail isn’t just limited to the engine bay and mechanical aspects of the build, and Lee openly admits that along the way when people suggested different things, he often ran with them, which kept shifting the benchmark higher and higher.
One of those areas is the interior, where a custom instrument panel has been created and fitted with a full assortment of Auto Meter gauges. Rather than keep the stock Calais seats, which more resemble a lounge chair than a car seat, a pair of Autosport bucket seats have been installed and the rear seat re-trimmed to suit.

The build hasn’t been without drama though, the latest being the front snapping off the crank! Luckily it was just when the car was being fired up, and no major damage was done, except of course, to the crank. After plenty of design time and a bit of CNC machine work, Lee has created his own crank support and custom front cover assembly, which should ensure the same thing never happens again.
You’d think that after being in the build for so long, he’d have learned to stop playing with the car and just enjoy driving it. But it appears not. While he’s been clocking up plenty of miles on it, there’s a devious plan being formed that involves different paint, different wheels and maybe even a new blower… some people just can’t help themselves!

1987 VL Commodore Specifications

Engine: 308ci Holden V8, 304 crank, Scat H-beam rods, ARP rod bolts, Wiseco pistons, 4-bolt mains, ARP studs, Rollmaster timing chain, Yella Terra Dash–9 CNC ported heads, Yella Terra roller rockers, Crane roller lifters, Ferrea stainless steel valves, Crane blower cam, twin 650cfm Demon carbs, port-matched Newby intake, Blower Shop 6/71 supercharger, three percent overdrive, Jazz fuel cell, Russell fuel filter, Edelbrock fuel pump, Barry Grant 4-port regulator, MSD 6BTM ignition, MSD distributer, MSD leads, Mallory coil, MSD alternator, 2-inch headers, twin 3-inch exhaust, Aussie Desert Cooler radiator, twin 12-inch fans, CVR electric water pump, custom front cover and crank support
Driveline: Tremec T56 6-speed gearbox, Excedy twin-plate clutch, steel flywheel, 9-inch diff, LSD diff head, 3:5:1 gears, adjustable panhard rod
Suspension: Adjustable coilovers, Bilstein shocks, Dobisport springs, Whiteline front swaybar
Brakes: (f) Wilwood 14-inch rotors, Wilwood 6-piston callipers, (r) Wilwood 12-inch rotors, Wilwood 4-piston callipers
Wheels/Tyres: 20×8.5-inch wheels, 225/35R20 and 255/30R20 tyres
Exterior: PPG paint
Interior: Autosport race seats, re-trimmed rear seat, Momo steering wheel, Pro 5.0 shifter, Auto Meter Sport Comp gauges
Performance: 530rwhp @ 6200 rpm with a 540 Lift Camshaft,

Lee Wilson – Driver Profile

Age: 33
Occupation: Steel fabricator
Previously owned cars: S3 RX-7, S4 RX-7
Dream car: Anything that’s cool
Why the VL? It started as a simple engine swap that got out of control
Build time: On and off for 8 years
Length of ownership: 12 years
Lee thanks: Jason and Linda Way at 2 Way Industries, Dene at STA, Al’s Blower Drives, Glendene Engine Reconditioners, Rocket Industries Ltd, Manfred at Boulevard Metalworks, Tony at Langslow Engineering, Paul Dunkley, Liz and Ryan, Steve at Steve’s Grooming, Simon at Firestone New Lynn, Vicky, Dale aka Joe Dirt, Shane at West City Holden

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

Plans to build an international standard drag strip halfway between Tauranga and Rotorua accelerated today with the presentation of a detailed proposal to a joint council committee that manages the TECT All Terrain Park.
The drag strip is proposed for a 380 ha designated motorsport area within the 1650 ha park. The feasibility study was jointly commissioned by the New Zealand Drag Racing Association and Te Matai Motorsport Inc, the body that represents seven motorsport groups aiming to build facilities in the motorsport zone.
Te Matai Motorsport chairman David Loughlin says the report, produced by Opus, confirmed a strong business case for the venue and was presented to the joint council committee to keep it informed of the development. He says the focus is now on securing funding, with the aim of beginning the two-year site preparation and development next year in the hope of hosting the first full year of events in 2015.
David says the project will be funded from a mix of commercial lending, trust grants and the drag racing association – with hopes that all funding will be confirmed by the end of the year.
The strip would offer an international standard track to attract top overseas drivers. It is expected to host 13 race meetings per year, including one international, two national and four regional events, plus other local club events and commercial activities.
He says the track will support and complement the only other dedicated drag strip at Meremere, and occasional drag racing venues at Taupo and Masterton.
The feasibility report, which was produced by Opus, costs the drag strip and accompanying development at $7.5 million to construct, but demonstrates that with its high benefit cost ratio (7.5) that the full capital cost of the development will be returned to the community within the first year of operations.
Dave says the study shows a high benefit cost ratio, returning $7.5 to the community in the first 10 years for every $1 invested – research that backs up the anecdotal belief that many visitors will bring money into the Western Bay of Plenty from outside the region.
“The money stacks up very well. But we want to stress that we are not asking for councils funds – we do not want one cent from the council, and we will actually be returning to them a portion of revenue on top of land rent.”
The park, which is currently covered by forestry and native bush, is managed jointly by the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty councils. The park is located on State Highway 36, with access to the drag strip 29km from Tauranga and 27km from Rotorua. Resource consent for a drag strip has been granted.
New Zealand Drag Racing Association General Manager Chris Tynan says the Bay of Plenty’s sunny weather is ideal for drag racing because events can only be held when it is dry for safety reasons.
Chris says local racing events at the track could offer boy racers a chance to put their driving skills to the test in a controlled environment and cut down on illegal road racing. He says police in Auckland had noticed a drop off in boy racer problems the nights these events were held at Meremere.
“This is an exciting beginning to what will probably be the park’s largest single development.”

V8 SuperTourer series leader Greg Murphy will know on Thursday this week if he is able to race at the second round of the new series at the Powerbuilt Tools Raceway this Easter weekend following an operation to repair a ruptured disc in his back.
The Mike Pero Holden driver had been troubled by the injury which he suffered in a 2010 crash and re-injured in his recent massive shunt during qualifying at the 2012 season-opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

The two-time Bathurst winner will get the nod from medical advisers either way on Thursday, and has told V8 SuperTourers officials that he plans to be at the Christchurch venue whether he is racing or not.

A number of names have been mentioned in connection with the M3 Racing seat for the South Island race should Murphy not run, but CEO Paul Radisich commented: “Greg is the championship leader and a crowd favourite so everyone is holding out as long as they possibly can for him. It’s his call. Having said that, if it is not possible for him to race we do know there are a couple of big name drivers out there very keen indeed to step in for a one-off appearance.”

One of Richard’s first jobs on the car was to get it running reliably. While originally this meant fixing the stock 454ci big block the car was purchased with, it wasn’t long before a supercharger was mentioned and a whole lot wilder engine build commenced. With Robbie working in the freight industry, the decision was made to import all parts for the build from America, including a new World Products standard deck block, 4.5-inch JE pistons and a 4.25-inch Eagle crank. With the combo screwed together with L19 rod bolts and a bunch of ARP fasteners, it now displaces 540ci. As if that wasn’t enough on its own, a polished Weiand 8/71 supercharger and twin 850cfm Barry Grant carbs were fitted to the top.
With an MSD ignition system taking care of the spark, the combo is now producing around 900hp and 900ft/lb on pump gas! The engine bay is pretty tight; Hooker Headers with 2-1/8-inch primaries filling up the space on either side of the block, and a larger alloy radiator and header tank taking up every square-inch of the front end. The cooling system obviously does its job though, as the car sees plenty of street miles, runs down the drag strip and has spent time on the burnout pad, all without issues.
Knowing full well that the old manual box wouldn’t be impressed with the new power figures, a TCI-built Turbo 400 transmission was imported. Built in America with a full reverse-pattern manual valve-body, 3000rpm stall converter and transbrake, the box should now outlast the rest of the car, and with Robbie’s driving style, that’s saying something.
Over the years, the Corvette has continued to evolve. One major step was fitting later-model steering and suspension components. The alloy A-arms used were chosen for their increased adjustability, and the fibreglass transverse leaf springs for their increased strength. At the same time, Richard fitted Bilstein shocks and oversized swaybars on each end too. Add to the setup 4-pot callipers front and rear with 11.25-inch rotors, and the car now handles and stops just as good as it looks.

Speaking of looks, that’s where Robbie’s addictive personality comes in to play. A Motorhead fan for many years, he’s based the entire visual package on the band’s distinctive fanged skull mascot. Brent aka ‘Hippy’ from Kustom Design Studio in Hamilton was the man behind the airbrush for the intricate skull and flame work that now adorns every panel of the car. Not that you’d know it, but the deep black with purple pearl paint the graphics sit on was sprayed over ten years ago now. The ZL4 flares the car wears were fitted before he purchased the car and were one of the things he originally liked about the vehicle. The only bodywork change since has been the fitment of a 1982 rear bumper, and his custom spine-like wing mirrors.
For many years Robbie had the idea of transforming the interior of the car to incorporate the Motorhead theme. Most people he turned to said it couldn’t be done, which only encouraged him even more to see it through to completion. Then the one place keen to take on the job went into receivership while the car was there, and his car was almost taken as part of the property seizure. Finally, after all of this, he turned to Steve Levine who, although known for his paintwork, obviously knows how to make an idea come to life in 3D also.
Motorhead skulls were moulded up and grafted to a complete new dash assembly, the horns off their helmets flowing seamlessly into the doors and centre consol. An adjustable steering column was added which exits one skull’s mouth, and a digital dash unit fitted in the centre. All up, 1000 hours went into the job, and that’s not including the custom floor that’s now in the car too. Once the interior was finished, the car was handed back to Hippy to have the airbrushing done to match the style of the exterior work. Again, hundreds of hours went into this one aspect alone, which as far as we can tell probably makes it the most detailed and potentially most expensive interior in the country.

While currently there’s a decent stereo system in the car, Robbie has plans to make it bigger in the next facelift the build will receive. As part of that build, a full aftermarket chassis is to be imported from America, which will allow a tubbed rear end to be fitted. Along with this will come a roll cage, which is the only thing that is stopping the car from running 10-second passes currently. While the car is off the road for the rebuild, Robbie’s not left without a toy, as he’s got his daily driven Hummer and an airbagged Viper-powered Dodge Ram to play with. The three vehicles are often hired out for weddings and school balls under a business Robbie has setup called Bridal Beasts. The popularity of the service has blown him away, but then again, it’s not hard to see why people would want a ride in the cars either.
We can only imagine, anyone who gets a ride in the Corvette will get an experience to remember, and not just because of the Motorhead face staring back at them when they’re in the passenger’s seat, but due to Robbie’s habit of turning the rear tyres into smoke, and his complete inability to do anything in moderation… burnouts included.

1976 Chevrolet C3 Corvette Stingray – Specifications

Engine: 540ci big block Chev, World Products standard deck block, JE 4.5-inch forged pistons, Eagle 4340 forged H-beam rods, L19 rod bolts, Eagle 4.25-inch 4340 forged crank, World Products Merlin III alloy heads, Crane shaft mount rocker gear, titanium retainers, Crane hydraulic roller cam, hydraulic roller lifters, matched springs, 0.720-inch lift cam, Manley push rods, Cometic head gaskets, 2x BG 850cfm annular Mighty Demon carbs, polished Weiand 8/71 supercharger, Mallory 250gph fuel pump, Mallory regulator and high-flow cartridge filter, MSD billet distributor, MSD Digital 6 ignition, MSD boost retard control, MSD Blaster HVC coil, modified Hooker Headers 2-1/8th primaries, 4-inch collectors, Hooker 4-inch side pipes, aluminium radiator, custom header tank
Driveline: TCI GM Turbo 400 transmission, full-manual valve-body, reverse pattern shift, 3000rpm stall convertor, transbrake, B&M trans cooler with electric fan, stock Corvette 8.2-inch diff, Eaton carrier with carbon-fibre clutch discs
Suspension: Transverse fibreglass springs with adjustable spring rate, power rack and pinion steering, alloy upper A-arms, oversize sway bars, rod-end camber adjustable link arms, Bilstein shocks
Brakes: 4-pot callipers, 11.25-inch rotors all round
Wheels/Tyres: 15×8 and 15×10-inch Cragar Star Wire rims, 265/50R15 and 295/50R15 tyres
Exterior: 1982 rear bumper, ZL4 flared guards, custom cherry purple paint, airbrushing by Brent Larsen at Kustom Design Studio, Hamilton
Interior: Standard Corvette seats, aluminium steering wheel, aftermarket steering column, Hurst ratchet shifter with transbrake control, Racepak digital dash, Auto Meter gauges, full custom dash, doors and interior, Sony audio
Performance: Approx 900hp and 900ft/lb, 11.2-second quarter mile

Robbie Allen – Owner Profile

Age: 57
Occupation: Transport operator
Previously owned cars: ’58 Goldflash, ’57 Customline, ’56 Mainline ute, ’57 & ’58 retractable, ’60 & ’61 Fairlane, ’60 Sunliner, ’64, ’65, ’67, ’69, ’82, Mustangs, ’69 Pontiac, T-Bucket, ’47 Club coupe, ’51 Chevy, ’56, ’57, ’58, Ranchwagons
Dream car: This is it!
Why the Corvette?: I liked the shape and knew straightaway what I could do with it
Build time: Endless!
Length of ownership: 14 years
Robbie thanks: Richard Brister; Brent Larsen at Kustom Design Studio, Hamilton; Barry, Larry, Grant and Richard at Mitchell Motorsports; Ian and Steve at Prestige Collision Repairs; Noel McMillin at Nostalgia Motors

Words: Todd Wyllie Photos: Adam Croy

While the entries are limited, the quality of cars and drivers present is most certainly not. With cars ranging from Millen’s own Pikes peak winning Celica through to Denny Hulme’s old F1 car through to vehicles from 1906.

The pedigree of drivers can only be considered as elite also, and the impressive list included Millen’s son Rhys, Frank Radisich, Andrew Hawkeswood, Clarke Proctor and more. Around 15 cars and drivers came from abroad to attend the event, most of whom Rod has befriended during his time living in America.

The racing was action packed, with various small incidents and off-track excursions by a number of drivers, and the competition was fierce. Millen managing to take the win with a time of 52 seconds in his Celica.

Both spectators and drivers were hugely impressed with how professional the event was run, and already there’s talk about who will take the title next year. One thing’s for sure, we’ll be there to see it unfold.

Fore more info, visit www.leadfootfestival.com

Being a serial car build follower, I’ve known the truth about it for some time now, constantly finding excuses to pop into West Auckland’s Moselle Panel and Paint, where the car has been in the build, to check on progress. Seeing cars like this come along is one of the perks of the job, especially when they’re being built behind closed doors we’re allowed behind.

Those with a good memory may recall seeing the car in the Moselle marquee at the Kumeu Car Show a few years back. Hidden at the back of their stand, you either saw it and realised what it was, or walked straight on past.

When the car was unveiled in its current form at the recent triennial American Muscle Car Club show, walking past wasn’t an option. Even those who’d seen the car many times before couldn’t help stopping and staring. Sure, it may not be 100% finished, that’s pretty obvious, but in its current state you can see exactly how much work has gone into its creation.

In a time where bolt-on parts are just a mouse click away, it’s good to see people not being tempted into the trap of churning out another clone of mail-order parts. No, the Charger has been the recipient of nearly 500 hours of custom work, the majority by Moselle’s custom body man Bryce Hilton.
Bryce was one of those people standing by the car at the show, and sure he looked like a zombie, as did many others who seemed to be staring aimlessly at it, but he had good reason. He had just seen the realisation of his last few years’ work outside the panel shop for the very first time.

Besides the obvious fact that the car has no paint on it, and a distinct lack of interior floor, it’s one of the highest-quality finished (for lack of a better word) cars ever constructed in New Zealand. From bumper to bumper, floor to roof, there’s not an ounce of body filler, with Bryce insisting on metal-finishing every panel. If it were just a case of knocking out a few dents, then while impressive, it wouldn’t be anything too unusual, This isn’t the case though, as there’s a bunch of custom touches, each one making bystanders ooh and ahh as they notice them.
The bumpers now sit just millimeters away from the body work, having been cut and narrowed and sucked closer to the body. The major work is how the whole rear panel of the car is now 60mm taller than when it left the factory. Of course this required the rear quarters to be reshaped majorly. Doing this amount of work without any filler, or without ruining the classic looks of the car, was a massive task, yet it’s one the Moselle team is modest about. Behind those modified rear quarters sit new inner guards that were created to allow for the large custom-built rear wheels. Look even closer and you’ll see the new custom endcaps, which adorn the rear of each guard to blend into the stock, but raised boot lid. The skill involved in bending metal like this is immense, yet Bryce and the Moselle team are so humble about their achievements.

Bryce’s metal-forming skills will soon be turned to the floor and firewall of the car, but before that can be completed a few things need to be finalised, such as the engine height. The reason that the floor is currently missing isn’t that the car was a rust bucket, but the fact the body now sits on an Art Morrison chassis. In case you didn’t know, B-body Mopars such as the Charger never came with a full chassis: instead they utilised a front clip and relied on the body’s strength at the rear for suspension mounting points. While the aftermarket chassis wasn’t the reason the Moselle team extended the sills on the vehicle, the fact they’ve done so has helped to hide what now lies beneath.

The advantage of the Morrison chassis is that the car is able to be set up to handle as good as any new high performance vehicle on the market, and with a driver like Greg Murphy behind the wheel, that’s the sort of performance he demands. The front suspension and brake assembly fitted to the chassis is late-model Corvette, while the rear relies on an adjustable Morrison 4-link and coilover suspension.
Sure it’s never going to be a race car, but chances are it will find itself on a track at some stage, and Greg is looking forward to fine-tuning the suspension setup exactly as he likes it. While the handling ability the Morrison chassis provides is wasted on most drivers, we’re expecting him to give it a thorough workout.
It was with the knowledge that the car will be driven hard that Greg selected the engine for the car. While Mopar purists may be upset there’s not a Hemi under the hood, the performance offered by the Nascar motor Greg chose is unbeatable for the money spent. It may displace just 358ci, but due to the millions of dollars of R&D that’s been spent on these engines it creates a massive 750hp. Designed to rev close to 9500rpm and stay there for extended periods of time, an engine like this fitted to a street car will last forever.
We’ll take a closer look at the car once it’s painted, trimmed and on the road. Until then, you can rest assured that Greg Murphy’s Dodge does exist, and not only that, but it’s one of the best-built vehicles in the country. Not bad for a car that’s not finished yet huh?

1969 Dodge Charger

Engine: 358ci Mopar Nascar V8
Driveline: Tremec 6-speed manual, Strange 9-inch diff
Brakes: Soon to be V8 Supercar all round
Suspension: Strange coilovers all round, Art Morrison 4-link
Wheels: 20×9-and 20×12-inch ZE rims, 245/35R20 and 285/40R20 Goodyear tyres
Chassis: Art Morrison
Exterior: Metal finished, shaved side repeaters, narrowed and sucked in bumpers, custom inner guards, custom endcaps, wedged rear guards, custom tail panel, extended sills, extended rear quarters
Interior: On the list to do
Performance: 750hp @9500rpm

Greg Murphy Profile

Age: 38
Occupation: V8 Supercar Driver
Previously Owned Cars: A bit of everything
Dream Car: This one
Length Of Ownership: 3 years
Build Time: 3 years
Greg Thanks: The team at Moselle Panel and Paint, my friends and family.

Words: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

Willowbank Raceway and FUCHS Lubricants are excited to announce the leading lubricants company as the naming rights sponsor of the greatest spectacle in drag racing – the Winternationals.

The event which will be known as the 2012 Fuchs Winternationals will be held over four days from 8 – 11 June 2012.

Founded as a German family company in 1931, FUCHS Lubricants today has global reach and among the independent producers is the world’s largest independent manufacturer and supplier of lubricants. It’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary has been supplying specialised lubricants since the late 1890s and is the leading market player in many lubricant sectors.

FUCHS Lubricants (Australasia) Managing Director Wayne Hoiles said he was looking forward to the next step in the company’s drag racing history.

“FUCHS Lubricants is a long-time supporter of motorsport and Australian drag racing, and I am delighted we can now announce our sponsorship of the Winternationals,” said Hoiles.

“The event has such a vibrant history as a leading light in the Australian drag racing scene, so we can’t wait to start working with Willowbank Raceway in making this year’s event a huge success.”

Willowbank Raceway was established in 1985 and is Queensland’s premier drag racing facility, hosting drag racing for nearly 27 years. Willowbank Raceway Managing Director Steve Bettes said he was pleased to be able to welcome FUCHS Lubricants to the year’s biggest drag racing event.

“This year will mark the 45th running of Australia’s greatest drag racing event and I am so excited to be able to welcome this leading and internationally significant company to our great event,” said Bettes.

“The 2012 FUCHS Winternationals will host more than 500 competitors and 38,000 spectators from all over Australia, New Zealand and the USA when it is held over four massive days Friday 8 June to Monday 11 June 2012
on what will be the last Queensland June long weekend.

“Hosting the finals of the ANDRA Pro Series and the
Rocket Allstars Racing Series as well as great family
entertainment, trade stands and plenty of pit lane action,
this event is regarded as a ‘must-do’ for competitors and
spectators alike.”

Tickets for the 2012 FUCHS Winternationals start at $20
with children 13 and under gaining free admission. For ticket
and event information please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au

The 140 acre, ocean-front estate features a mile long driveway that winds through the property designed to be the perfect hill climb. Guests will be given one of a kind experiences featuring unparalleled access to the drivers, pits and racecars. The event is a true celebration of motorsports and all things automotive.
The selection of world-class machinery on Leadfoot Ranch will include a spectacular array of the world’s finest competition cars and motorcycles. From classic formula and road racecars to off road machines and motorcycles, the Leadfoot Festival attracts drivers, riders and race vehicles reminiscent of many eras in an enthusiastic display of speed, style, sound, smell and color.
The Leadfoot Festival pays respect to the most significant and outstanding two and four wheel race vehicles and distinguished drivers. Rod Millen personally hand selects championship racers from around the world along with their illustrious racing machines to receive the coveted invitation to participate in the Leadfoot Festival. A collection of static celebrated vintage cars and bikes will line areas of the paddocks throughout the weekend.

If you’re planning on heading along, beware there are no gate sales, all tickets must be purchased through www.ticketek.co.nz.

Check back here next week for an event report.