Here in NZ we are stuck with puny small/med size pickup trucks while over in the states they enjoy heavy-duty machinery like the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado and the Ram 1500. The latest model to be unveiled by Ram is the 1500 Tradesman Heavy Duty.

This new pickup combines the budget focus of the standard Tradesman with a new towing and cargo capacity. Ram is claiming that its new truck is now the segment leader in both of those categories. With a maximum trailer weight of 5216kg, the Tradesman HD trumps the Ford F-150 by 90kg and the Chevrolet Silverado by a massive 360kg. But its not that simple for this big hauler, the Tradesman HD is only available as a two-wheel drive truck with a regular cab and an eight-foot bed. (more…)

NZV8 Magazine celebrates an important milestone this month with our 75th issue and to mark the occasion a Collectors Edition magazine has just gone on sale. It’s a bumper mag with plenty of special features so make sure you grab your copy before they all get snapped up.

In this month’s special edition we have an immaculate Chevrolet Pickup truck as the cover car, it’s finished in a gold hue and is built with absolutely staggering attention to detail. Other feature cars include a tough ’68 Dodge Charger packing a 518ci big block motor and four-on-the-floor transmission. There’s also a rugged Ford Model A Rat Rod which is surprisingly high-tech and the awesome Dynacorn 1969 Mustang Fastback that features in the Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed video game. We get our first look at the 2011 V8 SuperTourers race car and see exactly what it takes to put one of these beasts together for next years new race series. Our dream shed feature takes us to Glen Taylor’s mini-township which has been built over the past 50 years. Our tech section shows how to perform a cam shaft upgrade on a Commodore and also explains oil terminology. We have a feature on the golden boy of NZ V8 racing Shane van Gisbergen and we have a special article looking back at the past issues of NZV8 Magazine and showing just how far we’ve come. (more…)

“Vroooooooooom!”

I’ve always had a dream of owning my own business, and it always seemed like one of those cool ideas I had until I realised how much work was involved, and being the lazy teenager I was, that idea went up in a very big cloud of smoke…

One man that has pulled off owning his own business and has done so rather successfully is Noel McMillin. (Didn’t I promise something special last blog?) What makes this so special is I’m putting Noel and his famous Chevy Pickup in the spotlight.

Now as most of you reading this may already know (and for those who seriously have no clue) Noel started his business (Nostalgia Motors) about sixteen years ago when he and his family moved to Hamilton. The truck was purchased roughly about eleven years ago, a 1937 Chevy Pickup, which was a flat shade of black. To this day she still remains that same shade of black. She was purchased for the job of the work truck, as Mr. McMillin used to cycle to work every day, and is still used for that purpose as well as taking her out for a workout on the drag strip every now and then. She’s a tidy old girl, and is practically used for every purpose possible, so she definitely wins the award of the multipurpose vehicle.

So, why did I pick Mr. Mcmillin and his awesome Chevy you may ask? Honestly, My dad gave me the idea (Thanks dad…again!) after I’d been looking through some hot rod books I had gotten out of the library, and had taken a small fascination at drawing a truck (As I have not attempted this..until now!). And I mean let’s face it. Noel and his truck PLUS his business is world famous right down there in good old Hamilton. Or as dad would say “World Famous in your own lunch time”…

It’s hard nowadays to find decent and friendly service from your local mechanic, I recently had a heated dispute over the young fellow who failed me on my warrant on a leaky exhaust. It resulted in a week of stress and frustration (mainly on my side of the situation!!) and has now resulted in me refusing to return mainly for the insanely poor customer service I received. But I’d be happy to take my old Honda down to Nostalgia Motors for a service or warrant any day (Aside the fact I live in Auckland and the old girl would probably use up more gas than I can afford!) knowing I’d get great service and friendly and helpful advice.

Thanks to Morice McMillin for sneaking me some answers to the questions I asked and thanks Dad for the awesome ideas, and thank you Noel for doing what you do. It’s inspiring to see someone so passionate about what they do, and next time I’m in Hamilton I’ll bring my Honda around for a checkup, and possibly a good cup of coffee! Vrrroooooooom !

Coming up Next:
Project LG Funny Car Part One.

This award winning Chevrolet truck is an amalgamation of two different periods. The basic vehicle is a 1954 Chevrolet 5-window pickup with 1949 front sheet metal, but that barely begins to describe it.