I guess the concept is simple marketing. Encourage people to buy your product by offering them the chance to win a prize. Here at NZV8 we do it all the time, although our prizes haven’t yet been as impressive as the ones Beach Hop has just put up for grabs.

Each year for the last few years, anyone who purchases a Beach Hop programme has gone in the draw to win a huge prize. Last year it was a beautifully finished Pontiac Catalina, the year before it was a bunch of travel, the years before that, a few different vehicles.

So why the hell are there three cars on this page? Because event organisers and last year’s car sponsor, Makita, had such a good time and huge success that it decided the only way it could make the prize car better was to change it from one to three, with the third car being auctioned off live at Beach Hop to help offset the costs of buying, restoring and modifying all three.

Trying to get one car on the road and tarted up in a short timeframe is a full-time job, so with three on the go, it’s easy to see why Beach Hop head honcho, Noddy, has only a small amount of grey hair left on his head.

The Mission Begins

In August 2008 a group of local hot rodders headed to the States for the trip of a lifetime. It included attending many events and workshops, and meeting some cool cats along the way. As part of the trip Noddy was searching for suitable cars to purchase for Beach Hop. Much to the delight of the team at Makita, which was funding the cars, Nodster managed to track down three good-condition Mustangs without breaking the bank. Due to the Mustang’s popularity, the range of parts available and their relative affordability, they were the obvious choice.

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