We just got back from an epic time at Sony Xlod Beach Hop, and already our article on the event has gone to print. If you can’t wait till later this week to check out the action, here’s the first of a handful of photo galleries that we’ll be uploading. Make sure to share with your friends, and also to grab a copy of the magazine for the full event report.

I’ve got an addictive personality. If I like something, I like it a lot,” says Robbie Allen. And when you lay eyes on his 1976 Corvette, it’s pretty easy to see what he’s talking about.
While some people would say the car is overkill, to Robbie it’s pretty much perfect. The build has been an ongoing labour of love for 14 years now, and in that time it’s continued to grow and develop to represent Robbie’s personality. As he rightly says, he’s worked hard all his life for his toys, so he may as well make them how he wants them and get the maximum enjoyment from them. The road to automotive perfection hasn’t been an easy one though, and we’re pretty sure it hasn’t been a Read the full story »

After running the event as a celebration of his 60th birthday last year, Rod Millen’s Leadfoot Festival was opened to the public for the first time on the weekend. The event is based around a hill climb up Millen’s 1.6km long sealed driveway near Hahei on the Coromandel peninsular and attracted drivers from around the globe.

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

For years this car has been almost like an urban legend, with rumours calling it a Dodge Challenger, a Plymouth Cuda, a Hemi this, or a Nascar that. Greg Murphy’s 1969 Dodge Charger truly does exist, and it’s even better than what the rumours make it out to be.

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 Read the full story »

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 highly anticipated Leadfoot Festival is taking place this weekend, and it’s set to be one of the best automotive events NZ has ever seen. The festival, which is being held on Rod Millen’s property in Hahei from 23-25 March is a unique weekend bringing together a mix of classic cars, vintage motorcycles and motorsport legends.

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.

 
John and Robyn Dellamura are familiar names on these pages, and in the V8 scene in general. They spend their days doing what most of us can only dream about – sourcing cool old cars from the States, importing them into New Zealand, tidying them up and getting them legal before selling them on.

Of course, while they’ve got those cool cars in their possession, they may as well use them too, right? And they do.

After years of visiting all sorts of American hot rod events and owning numerous cool cars, it takes something pretty special to get the Dellamuras really excited these days, but that was what happened back in 2008 when they saw a photo of a roof-chopped ’49 Cadillac on a workshop wall.

A month after seeing the small photo of what looked to be a well-executed chop on a very rare car, John managed to track the vehicle down. It was in bits in a car sales yard, and no-one seemed to care, the cash-strapped owner included. John did though, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity to grab such a cool car pass him by, even if it was in bits.

Thanks to some ex-pat Kiwis, John and Robyn were granted use of a workshop to try and mock the car up and work out exactly what was missing, before shipping it home. After all, ’49 Cadi parts are hard to find at the best of times, but the hunt was going to be easiest while they were Stateside. A business card in the boot was the only lead required to track down the interior, which was missing. As it turned out, it had been re-trimmed, paid for and not collected…

Fast-forward to 2010, and a similar situation played out when the pair stumbled upon yet another chopped Cadi, this time a ’47. By this time it was decided that the ’49 was definitely a keeper, despite most of the cars the pair own having some form of price tag on them. The ’47, however, would be the perfect thing for those who were lining up to buy the ’49… or so the pair thought.

In typical American-built fashion, the cars required a fair bit of work to get them up to scratch at this end, both in terms of legality, and to be up to John and Robyn’s standards. Thankfully both cars’ bodywork had been done well, and could be left completely alone, matte black paint and pinstriping included.

The 4-inch chop on the ’49 had involved the rear screen being tilted forward as well as the boot lid reshaped, and the hood being decked. It’s this lower bonnet and boot-line that makes a huge difference to the overall look of the car. Of course, it’s not till you compare the two that you notice just how much the bonnet of the ’47 protrudes.

“That’s why we’ve never had the cars out together, BADKAD (’49) just makes the ’47 look ugly, hence it’s become known as Ugly Cad,” John says. “Yet if you hadn’t seen them together, Ugly Cad is seriously cool on its own.” And we completely agree.

Both cars run Chev Chevelle front clips, the ’49’s was re-engineered in New Zealand by Tony Henwood in Whangarei. As with all cars the couple import, John stripped it back to a bare shell, so the engineering could be taken care of correctly.

“People underestimate how much time and money it takes to get cars like these on the road here. It’s not a quick and easy job,” John says.

Included in the tidy up was sorting out the engine bay. The injected 454 that came with the ’49 is still fitted, but it now runs as it should, and looks a whole lot tidier. With a 700R4 trans it’s a pleasure to drive, even if having a narrow field of vision takes a bit of getting used to. The interior, which was recovered before the car’s purchase, was deemed up to scratch. However, the material used was horrible, and has been re-done locally in bright red, and a tilt/telescopic steering column has been fitted.

After years of importing wheels, generally large, shiny ones, it was a step away from John’s usual style when he decided to add the 15-inch steelies and wide whites. Some custom hubcaps were all that was required to complete the look.

The amount of attention BADKAD gets out on the road is amazing. Not just due to its wild low slung looks and perfectly executed chop, but also because it’s a rare car on its own. The same goes for the ’47, and just like the ’49, getting it completed to a satisfactory standard wasn’t a small job.

Again, the bodywork had been done well (which makes a change), and left untouched, and the engine that came with the car – this time an Oldsmobile 350 – is still fitted. As with the ’49 though, John removed it and re-engineered many aspects of the vehicle for legality, safety and quality reasons. As it is less powerful the stock drum brakes were retained and rebuilt, and like BADKAD, lowering blocks and custom front springs were added to get the ride height down to where it should be.

Inside the flat black cabin you’ll now find an electric bench seat from an Oldsmobile, which John had retrimmed by Abacus Upholstery in Whangarei. Along with this a Lokar shifter and tilt column have been fitted to ensure a comfortable driving position should you ever find yourself at the wheel. And with this car currently being up for sale, that’s a distinct possibility.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to be too much of the shy type, as although the car may have been nick-named the ugly one of the two, it still takes centre stage every time it’s taken out. Assuming its younger sibling isn’t following too closely.

Then again, you could deck the hood, fit some airbags and chances are you’d soon own the baddest Cad in town.

1949 Cadillac Coupe (BADKAD) Specifications

Engine: 454ci big block Chev, carb injected, Hugger headers, alloy radiator, electric fans
Driveline: 700R4 trans, Chev diff, heavy-duty driveshaft
Suspension: Chevelle front clip, lowering block, custom coils
Brakes: Chevelle front, stock rear
Wheels/tyres: 15×7-inch steelies, 225/70R15 Coker wide whites, custom hubcaps
Exterior: 4-inch roof chop, pancaked hood, panned trunk, matte black paint, custom pinstriping
Interior: Stock retrimmed, tilt column, billet steering wheel
Performance: Head turning

1947 Cadillac Coupe Specifications

Engine: 350ci Oldsmobile
Driveline: GM 400 trans
uspension: Chevelle front clip, custom coils, lowering blocks
Brakes: Drum front and rear
Wheels/tyres: 15×7-inch steelies, narrow whites
Exterior: 4-inch roof chop, matte black paint
Interior: Oldsmobile electric seat, full retrim
Performance: Enough, but not too much

John and Robyn Dellamura Profile

Occupation: Importers
Previously owned cars: Too many to list… seriously
Length of Ownership: 2.5 years (BADKAD), 1.5 years Ugly Cad

Words: Todd Wylie  Photos: Adam Croy

Birkenhead’s Angus Fogg has taken the 2011/2012 BNT V8s championship title with a race to spare after scoring enough points in today’s second of three races at the series final round being held near Taupo.

Nine years since debuting to the Ford versus Holden V8s championship, the 44-year-old race car engineer and driver of the #2 Radio Sport Ford Falcon, clinched the title after finishing the 12-lap race placed fifth. Climbing to second in the opening laps an incident with title rival and V8Supercar driver Jason Bargwanna dropped the series leader down the order, but he was still able to collect enough points for the title outright.

Contested over six rounds starting at Pukekohe near Auckland in early November 2011, Fogg’s consistent performance meant he outperformed his rivals on the chase for championship points. With an insurmountable lead to the current second placed driver, Fogg says it was an enormous relief to have finally achieved the win with a race up his sleeve.

“It’s been a long time coming and finally we’ve got the #1 for the side of the car. There are a lot of people to thank – too many and they have been unbelievably good to me – on and off the track. It’s just a great way to finish a season and we got to have some Chopper Reed moments in that last race with Jason Bargwanna,” said Fogg.

“We’ve had a fantastic battle all year and it’s been really tight – now I can move on to the next stage in my life.”

Fogg and his team have one race left to complete before a technical inspection will confirm the championship position. The team will then prepare the car for the Hamilton V8Supercar weekend where they will contest the Jason Richards memorial trophy race – a close friend and former team mate of Fogg’s.

Fogg acknowledges his family of sponsors in his quest to win the Gold Star Saloon car title: Radio Sport, Mountshop, Hydraulink Hose & Fittings, Supercharge Batteries, Segedins Auto Spares of Dominion Road, Strapping Systems (NZ) Ltd, Moselle Panel & Paint, Tom Ryan Cartage, PPG, Affordable PartsWorld, HIAB Services, Delo, Brenics Transport Ltd, iSign it, Fromm Packaging Systems, Mason Tool & Engineering, Stainless Welding and Invercargill Oil Shop.

Photo: Geoff Ridder.