American Cars

2012-10-05T07:02:00.001-07:00

Muscle Car - Ford
Muscle-car from Ford.Mark Ford Muscle Car for fans means no less than the Muscle Car Pontiac. True, all maslkarov Ford, the most popular model is a class pony-car, it is, of course, is a Mustang. On the very Mustang, which was the progenitor of the whole class.

Start of production refers to the Ford Mustang in 1964, however, Chrysler Plymouth Barracuda released a little earlier, but due to a successful advertising campaign Mustang won outright competitor. For the first year it sold more than a quarter-million vehicles, and in the next few years, the number of sold Mustang exceeded one million. In the fashion of the time for the next year was restyled Mustang and got involved in the race for power. The base engine was pretty weak, only 101 hp, and the most powerful version gave out 210HP Therefore, for the case took a famous racer Carol Shelby, who made a strong modification of the Ford Shelby GT350, and in 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 (the model involved in the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds"). In 1968 the Mustang set the most powerful engine Cobra Jet, which gave out 410 hpFord Mustang 1964 Ford Shelby GT350 1965

Still life photo Muscle - Ford Mustang 1964

Still life photo Muscle - Ford Shelby GT350 1965

Still life photo Muscle - Ford Shelby GT500 1967
The constant race for power forced to increase engine size, which in turn will increase the weight of the car. Muscle Car became larger and heavier, and it's not like customers. Sales began to fall to the same competitors significantly tightened, Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird drew off part of Mustang fans themselves. The first bell rung out in the early '70s, the fuel crisis has had an effect in the United States. Gradually scale modifications Mustang gone sports version GT, Cobra, Boss. In 1973, the base version developed 95 hp, and the most powerful version with an 8-cylinder engine 156 hp and the 1974 release of the first series of Ford Mustang was stopped. Follow it began production of Ford Mustang II, which is popular even walked maslkarov legend, but it was a simple car with a great name of his predecessor.

Muscle Still life photo - Ford Galaxie
Ford has produced and full Muscle Car. These include the Ford Galaxie and Ford Fairlane / Torino GT / Cobra. Maslkarom Ford Fairlane was in 1966, at the height of the era of brawny cars. Over time Fairlane got appropriate design and powerful version - Torino GT and Torino Cobra.Ford Galaxie is known as the most powerful series maslkar

2012-08-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

The legendary Dodge Charger muscle car, 1968-70

The restyling of the 1968 Dodge Charger is unquestionably the main reason for its sales success, since the 440 Magnum and Hemi were already available in 1967, and sales were dismal. The new "Coke bottle" look made the Charger one of the best-looking muscle cars, period, with many considering it the best-looking performance car of the 1960s. The base drivetrain remained identical with the 318 on the bottom end. Dodge wrote, “This is no dream car. It’s a real ‘take-me-home-and-let’s stir-things-up-a-bit’ automobile.”

The model line up expanded to include the Charger R/T, equipped like the Coronet R/T - it came with a 440 Magnum, heavy duty suspension and brakes, and the bulletproof Torqueflite 727 3 speed auto with a 4 speed manual optional. The rear bumblebee stripes were a deletable option. Hemi sales went up to 467, still quite small.
The 1968 sales were far higher than expected; product planners assumed they would sell 20,000, but 96,000 were built, and the market might well have taken more. The Charger was a runaway success.
For the next year, Dodge was understandably torn between the usual annual styling changes and not wanting to mess with a good thing; they made minor changes to the grille as a compromise. The 1968 has a chrome bumper under the grille, the 1969 has a chrome center divider in the grille, and the 1970 has a rectangular chrome bumper around the grille

1969 Dodge Charger

Mopaully wrote that MoPar Muscle Feb/Mar 1991 listed the following 1969 production figures: 392 Charger 500s, 67 Hemi 500s, 433 Daytonas with 440, 70 Daytonas with Hemi. Sales were already down, though, with only 69,000 built - still double the 1966 sales.
The Charger was left virtually untouched, and for good reason. They added a center grille divider, and recessed taillights. The backup lights moved to below the rear bumper.
The Charger 500, with a Coronet grille and a flush rear window, was built by Creative Industries; 500 were sold in accordance with NASCAR rules. The main reason for the Charger 500 was to eliminate aerodynamic problems that hurt it in comparison to Ford's lower-power but more slippery racing models. Chrysler had an ace up their sleave, though: the product of extensive wind tunnel testing, the Charger Daytona included a massive rear spoiler and an aero nose. No other car could match it for top speed (200 mph), with its standard 440 and optional Hemi. Its looks, notable today, were not appreciated in 1969.

The slant six was actually added to the range — or this year, though only about 500 were sold. Slant-powered Chargers, if left unmodified, would have been fairly slow (even modified, they had quite a bit of weight to push around).

For 1969, Dodge refined Charger, using a new grille and tail light treatment to bolster the sporty image. New vinyl roof treatments and exterior colors were optional, to appeal to the youthful driver. Engineering innovations ranged from manual tilt seat adjusters and easier rear door lock buttons to improved brake adjusters and headlights on warning buzzer.
A new optional Special Edition decor group for Charger and Charger R/T models was added. It featured leather bucket seats, wood-grain steering wheel, and wood grain inserts on the instrument panel. These cars are identified by SE name plates on the roof pillars. The Special Edition package also included bright trimmed pedals, deep dish wheel covers, and a light group including time delay ignition light and hooa mounted turn signal indicators.

Dodge also had a Charger for the Scat Pack. The Charger 500 was designed for the performance-minded driver; the rear window was slanted more, to be flush with the trailing edge of the rear window pillars; the grille was flush mounted instead of recessed, to improve airflow; and headlights were fixed, not concealed. The 500 was powered by the 426 cubic inch Hemi engine. It was built to meet a NASCAR requirement to allow Chargers to race on the stock car circuit; flush mounting provided a tremendous aerodynamic advantage which was to culminate in the Charger Daytona.

An even wider array of vinyl top choices were optional, adding tan, green, black, and white. The standard engine was the 318 cubic inch V8, but buyers could drop down to the slant six; only 500 did. Two optional 383s were sold, with two and four barrel carburetors. In the Charger R/T, which accounted for 21 percent of 1968 Charger sales, the 440 C.I.D. Magnum, 375 H.P. power plant was standard and the 426 C.I.D., 425 H.P. Hemi was optional.

Dodge also built in 1969 the Dodge Charger Daytona. This model was built specifically for the Daytona 500, and other stock car races. The Daytona marked a concerted effort by Dodge and Chrysler Corporation to take back the NASCAR limelight from Ford. The Daytona featured a wind cheating billet shaped front cap instead of the standard grille, hidden headlamps, front spoiler, flush backlight, and a huge rear deck spoiler. Compared with the Charger 500, the Daytona was about 20 percent more aerodynamically efficient. Dodge built 505 Charger Daytonas, just enought to beat the NASCAR stipulated 500 unit limit to qualify as a production model. Standard engine in the Daytona was the 440 cubic inch V-B, the 426 Hemi was optional.
At the Daytona's first outing at Talladega, Alabama, piloted by Richard Brickhouse, the Daytona won handily. Charger also won at the Daytona 500, driven by Bobby Isaac. Dodge won 22 Grand National races that season, but failed to nab the NASCAR manufacturers’ trophy.

Chrysler started experimenting with aerodynamics in the 1920s, but not until 1969 did they release the most aerodynamic car of its time — one whose drag coefficient was not matched for many years, yet was built on an existing model with relatively few changes. This was the Dodge Charger Daytona, to be joined in 1970 by the Plymouth Superbird.

The 1969 Dodge Daytona had a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.28, better than most cars made in the 1990s. It would have produced even less drag, if it weren't for the tall spoiler (added to keep the rear wheels on the ground at high speeds). But, despite its 200 mph speed record , the car didn't sell well, even for its limited production, largely — according to sages of the time — because people thought the aero look was ugly. The price was around $4,000, the engine was a 440 or Hemi, and the top speed was practically unbeatable in a production car.

The first-generation Viper, with its aerodynamic shape, had a cd of over .5; the 1994 Plymouth Duster had a cd of .42. ; the mid-1990s Eagle Talon had a cd of .36. Even the sleek Eagle Vision had a drag of .31, considerably higher than the 0.28 of the 1969 Charger Daytona. That car set a speed record that held for 13 years, to be broken by about 1 mph in 1983.

1970 Dodge Chargers

The success of the American Dodge Charger caught the attention of international product planners. While the Charger was far too large and thirsty for South America, the Valiant and Dart were not, and the Charger look was adapted to the A-body platform — hideaway headlights and all — as much as they could swing it. Production was fairly low but many Chargers still remain in South America.

For 1970, the Charger received only minor changes, except for the 500 model, no longer needed for racing with the Daytona making speed; as happened all too often, the performance name was converted to a trim level, with a standard 318, sitting between Charger and Charger R/T. The Charger's length increased by one inch. The least expensive Charger came with a bench front, while all the others came with bucket seats. The SE package was still available, with the optional bucket seats. Unlike other Chrysler intermediates, the Charger did not have standard 15" wheels.
In 1970, a Dodge Charger Daytona made history at Talladega Speedway when Buddy Baker became the first driver to be clocked at more than 200 mph for a lap on a closed course. That speed record was held for a good number of years.

1970 Dodge Charger
Max track, width	59.7, 76.6	Hip room, f/r	60.6 / 60.4
Height	53	Shoulder room, f/r	58.1 / 58.1
Wheelbase, length	117, 209.7	Front brakes	11 x 3 drums
Headroom, f/r	37.4 / 38.4	Rear brakes	11 x 2.5 drums
Legroom, f/r	41.4 / 34.1	Wheels/tires	14.0 x 6 F70

New features for the 1970 Charger included a front bumper which completely encircled the grille and new full width tail lights, and the Federally mandated ignition switch buzzer to remind drivers not to leave their keys in the car. The R/T got simulated scoops on the door, and a longitudal stripe instead of the rear bumblebee stripes.

Engine options remained the same, except for the addition of the hot 440 6 pack (three double-barrel Holley carbs monted on an Edelbrock intake manifold). The Charger R/T’s base 440 required premium gas but pumped out a whopping 375 (gross) horsepower at 4,600 rpm, and 480 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. A single Carter four-barrel carb was used on these models; the cam timing was identical to the Hemi, with 268° intake duration and 284° exhaust duration.

Total Charger production for 1970 was 49,768 vehicles, of which 10,337 were Charger R/Ts. While still a big seller compared with the 1966-67 Chargers, sales fell to a bit over half of what they had been in 1968, and were less than half of 1969’s gangbuster performance.

The standard Charger came with the 225 slant-six or 318 V8, with a three-on-the-tree manual. The interior had a vinyl bench seat, deep-pile carpet, three-spoke steering wheel with a separate horn ring, heater/defroster, cigarette lighter, self-adjusting brakes, fiberglass belted tires, heavy duty suspension (using torsion bars and a front sway bar), rear bumper guards, concealed headlights, and quick-fill gas cap. The parking brake was foot activated.

The Charger 500 added vinyl bucket seats, a clock, and wheel-lip mouldings. The R/T made the clock optional while adding the 440 V8 with four-barrel carb and dual exhaust; automatic; heavy duty drum brakes; F70 14 inch wheels with white sidewall tires; the R/T handling package; simulated walnut instrument panel; three-speed wipers; and a bumblebee or longitudinal stripe.

The Charger SE was more of a luxury package and had leather and vinyl front bucket seats, a simulated walnut steering wheel, pedal dress-up, lighting group, deep-dish wheel covers, simulated walnut instrument panel, and vinyl map pockets.

Options included air conditioning, cruise, front center cushion with fold-down armrest (for bucket seats), headlight time delay, locking gas cap, luggage rack on the rear deck lid, sunroof, left remote control mirror, right side mirror, power brakes, steering, and winddows, rear seat speaker, a variety of AM and FM radios (with an optional stereo with 8-track player and three speakers, all in the instrument panel), rear shoulder belts, rear window defogger, six-way manually adjustable driver's bucket seat, three-speed wipers, tinted glass, and hood insulation. There were also numerous appearance options.

2012-08-16T02:38:00.002-07:00

1967 A- PONTIAC GTO- XXX MOVIE CAR!

This is an extremely unique opportunity for movie car buffs, Pontiac enthusiasts, or classic car fans. 1967 Pontiac GTO as seen in the movie "XXX". This is the first time this car has been available for sale to the public. This is a very rare vehicle for several reasons. Only seven cars were modified for filming in the Czech Republic and worldwide display at World of Wheels, Autorama, etc.. This is a miniscule number compared to action films such as "Dukes of Hazzard". The stunt cars were subjected to extreme abuse, so at least one car was left in Prague. Due to time constraints, LeMans models were also used. Some of the vehicles were stripped of their Pontiac engines and refitted with Chevrolet ZZ4 crate engines. Also, after the movie, some aftermarket companies built replicas for display purposes. There are several "XXX" GTO's that exist with no documentation, appearing out of the blue with no ownership history.

Now, to the rarity of this car: It is a real 242 code GTO, not a Lemans. There is a Pontiac factory engine under the hood. The vehicle was not one of the stunt cars, easily identifiable by the extra welded supports under the hood. Complete authenticity documents, movie board, displays, museum pamphlets, etc. are with the car. Complete ownership history. The GTO was first leased, then sold, to the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, TN., where it has been on display for nearly a decade. And finally, this may be the only "XXX" movie car that both Eddie Paul and George Barris performed modifications to. Please read the complete story and view all the photos of this piece of movie history. The complete story is in the ad: Description, photos, provenance, documentation, and video links from the public domain of YouTube containing movie trailers and George Barris himself discussing the car at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum.

Everyone remembers the 2002 blockbuster action film "XXX", directed by Rob Cohen and starring Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson. Diesel stars as Xander Cage, a thrill seeking sports enthusiast, stuntman, and rebellious anarchist who is in deep trouble with the law. He is recruited by Jackson to fight against an Eastern European terrorist organization that is planning the destruction of the world. He chooses the spy role over a lengthy prison term in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, and the rest is history. Filming of the movie took place in three locations, with the majority set in Prague, Czech Republic. Released in August of 2002, the blockbuster grossed 46 million dollars the first week, over 141 million dollars in the U.S., and over 277 million dollars worldwide. A sequel, "XXX:State of the Union", was released in 2005. However, Vin Diesel was replaced by Ice Cube, and Rob Cohen's directing duties were taken over by Lee Tamahori. The sequel never reached the success of the original. Click on this link to a movie trailer from the public domain of YouTube. This is one of the great action sequences of the movie.

Classic car enthusiasts flocked to this movie for one reason. Amongst all the foreign cars in the plot, most notably Ferraris, was Vin Diesel's ride- a 1967 Pontiac GTO. Despite the millions of dollars worth of foreign performance vehicles in the story, the GTO steals the limelight.

World renowned movie car builder Eddie Paul, partner of George Barris, was contracted to construct the vehicles. Paul built seven cars for filming and display. Each vehicle was stripped down, thoroughly inspected, modified, and rebuilt. The stunt cars were upgraded for abuse with heavy duty suspension, welded support gussets in the engine bay, etc. They were also to be outfitted with Chevrolet ZZ4, 350 Cu. In. crate engines. These crate engines were installed in two cars. However, cost requirements dictated the Pontiac engines remain in the other cars. They were unable to fill the order with real GTO's, so they resorted to also modifying 1967 LeMans models.

The movie's director, Rob Cohen, chose the exterior color, a DuPont shade that hadn't even been manufactured yet. House of Kolors was given the task of blending the custom hue- Dazzleberry. The paint was the most expensive upgrade on the cars.

Any viewer of this movie will soon realize that the stunt cars were subjected to severe abuse. At least one of the more severely damaged units was left in Prague. A precious few of the original movie cars made it back to the United States. After the movie, another company constructed some of these cars for display across the country, but this example is one of the original Paul/Barris editions. In addition, George Barris added some more upgrades in weaponry and trim to set it apart from the others for display. This includes a four foot long missile that is with the car! This is one of the only examples that both Eddie Paul and George Barris performed modifications to.

All steel body is finished in custom blended House of Kolors Dazzleberry base coat/clear coat. Exterior finish quality is very good, recently buffed to a mirror gloss. There are a few chips and scratches, and a tiny ding in the passenger side fender. Otherwise, everything is in very good shape. Original chrome and stainless is in good condition. Glass is in good condition all around. Shaved door handles, remote operating doors. Passenger door was disabled for display at the museum, opens from the inside. Plunger needs to be reinstalled in solenoid. Non functional side pipes have been installed. Full dual exhaust runs all the way to the rear of the car. Weld Dragstar wheels with BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. Custom made hood scoop. Flames on the hood. XXX graphic on both doors.

400 Cu. In. engine, not original engine. Turbo 400 automatic transmission. Power steering. Manual brakes. Factory air conditioning. This Pontiac runs and drives out very well.

Interior is in very good condition. It is a factory black vinyl bucket interior with upgrades and add ons for the movie. Seats in great condition. New dash pad. Front door panels in very good condition. Console is in very good condition. Rear seat is the weaponry storage area. Various weapons and small missiles. (See photos.) Also, the four foot long missile is with the car.

Rear seat area in very good shape. There are some wear marks on the rear inner panels from raising and lowering the rear seat to access the weapons. There are assorted gauges, switches, etc. added on. Most are non functional and just for display purposes. You cannot really launch a rocket or flame thrower from the inside of the car. Small nitrous bottles installed, just for looks, not hooked up. Grant steering wheel- center cap is missing. There is a solid turnbuckle mounted to the floor behind the driver's seat, to secure a machine gun. Front seats have racing harnesses.

2012-08-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

1968 Holden GTS HK Monaro - Skid King - 69

The crowd is fixated, standing on tip-toes vying for space. Through the thick acrid smoke you can hear the whine of a supercharged small block being dealt to. Through the murk the front of a blue HK Monaro emerges. The crowd is loving it, cheering, arms in the air. Bang goes a tyre. The crowd goes even wilder. A few seconds later another bang, as tyre number two explodes.
As the smoke clears the driver emerges through the sunroof to stand on the front edge of the car’s roof, arms aloft in celebration. He’s not alone, as the crowd cheers and applauds his efforts.
It’s this type of behaviour that brought Tristan Teki and his HK Monaro to our attention. Brutal is the best way to describe the manner in which Tristan treats the HK, but as hard as he is on the car, he’s equally skilled at screwing it together — and he’s pretty flash behind the wheel too. In fact, he’s built a combination that’s been tough enough to handle this sort of abuse for several years now without any major meltdowns. Instead he’s got a few trophies on the mantelpiece at home for his efforts.
Tristan has been destroying tyres for as long as he can remember, but the HK only came into his possession around five years ago. When Tristan purchased the HK, it was fitted with an injected 5.0-litre Holden motor. But it didn’t take long before his driving style didn’t really suit the mechanical componentry of the car. It was a combination of the third broken gearbox and the dislike of showing people a plastic cover in the engine bay that saw him devise a plan to refit a Chev motor.

A quick search on Trade Me uncovered a steel Chev small block for a decent price, so it was bought and dropped in the hole with a turbo 400 trans. The salespeople at Pro Parts in Palmerston North must be bloody good, because Tristan went there looking for a few shiny bits to tidy up the engine bay but instead came out with a complete 8/71 supercharger kit. I guess you could say that it’s shiny and makes the engine bay look the part, at least that’s what Tristan told his wife.
A day later he’d fitted a Holley pump and half-inch lines to feed fuel to the thirsty setup, and with cable ties holding the accelerator cable on, Tristan was off down the road testing. After nearly shitting himself at the car’s new power and dislike for traction, he knew he was onto a good thing.
Little did he suspect that the stock bottom end would last three and a half years of abuse before needing to be cracked open. Included in that time were many burnout comps, street drags and even a few trips down the quarter mile, with a best ET of 11.9 seconds.
Around two years ago and with a bit more cash under his belt, Tristan decided it was time to build the engine properly. For this he called upon the services of Rivers Speed and Spares, who stroked the motor out to 383ci with Manley pistons and an Eagle crank. Edelbrock Victor Junior heads were fitted, as was a Comp Cams cam and roller rockers. The days of it being a budget beater were over.
As a qualified mechanic, Tristan did most of the work at home, including fitting a whole bunch of MSD ignition gear and a well thought out cooling system. The latter includes an electric water pump, larger alloy radiator, the biggest electric fan he could find and a turbo timer. The turbo timer lets the car continue cooling even after the engine has been switched off and Tristan has walked away.
With the engine build going on, Tristan decided to crack open the transmission at the same time. Cameron Head at Automan Specialists was given this job, and as well as freshening it up, he fitted a manual valve body and a Hughes 3500rpm stall converter. So far the combo has been able to handle all the abuse Tristan has dealt to it, as has the nine-inch rear diff.
With the diff came Ford callipers and discs, which have remained in place and are now paired with HZ front callipers. In fact a whole HZ sub-frame and suspension assembly has been grafted into the car. New shocks were added at the same time, while the springs remain standard. Tristan wasn’t too worried about handling, though, because he’s got a Camaro race car for when he fancies turning corners.

It was always important that the car looked good, and thanks to some expert panelwork by Prestige Panelbeaters and paint by Jellymans Panel and Paint it now does. The colour is a bit of a ‘she’ll be right’ custom blue. With the chrome bumpers and bug catcher sticking through the bonnet, it doesn’t look bad. The mix of 14-inch front and 15-inch rear Cragar rims adds to the purposeful look.
Tristan has made sure the car’s interior is as comfortable for cruising the streets as it is sitting on the burnout pad. A set of bucket seats replaces the factory items and a Pioneer stereo system pumps out the tunes should he ever tire of the blower whine. It hasn’t happened yet, so it doesn’t seem likely that it ever will.
With recent success at the Powercruise Burnout competition, among others, he’s got a few titles to defend, so we don’t think the car’s future will change a lot from what it’s become accustomed to. It’s been such a reliable combination despite the trashing that it gets so regularly, and of course Tristan knows how to drive it, and knows how to get the crowd on its feet, so why would he want to change a thing? Except tyres, of course.

2012-08-13T02:00:00.001-07:00

1973 XB Falcon Hardtop - Think Big - 55

Most car lovers believe their pride and joy is a female. Craig Murray’s Big Block 1973 XB Falcon is a girl with a lot of spunk — and one huge arse¦
Craig Murray has had a passion for Falcons his whole life. He was brought up with his grandparents, his grandad being a staunch Ford man. Craig’s grandad had XA sedans and wagons as well as a couple of XBs and an XC, but having a large family meant he was never allowed to get a coupe. Craig has vivid memories of jumping in grandad’s XA one Christmas at the tender age of 10, putting the car in drive and heading off up the river bank, promptly getting it stuck and ending up in all sorts of trouble.
Do You Believe In Fate?
Years later and all grown up, Craig was working as a rep for Resene, selling DuPont car paint. This job required Craig to frequent all the local panelbeaters. A shop that Craig visited twice a week was Perfect Autobodies, and on one such visit he spied an XB Falcon in its purest form, shoved in the corner all ugly and looking the worse for wear from a shunt up the bum.
For the next three years Craig kept an eye on the coupe, watching its progress. Evidently the guy who was doing up the Falcon was the foreman at Perfect Autobodies, and was building it as a deposit on his mortgage. As the build progressed Craig lost interest somewhat, as the foreman had decided to paint it dark blue and sit it on a set of Valiant Charger rims, making it look too ‘gangster’ for Craig.
He can’t have been the only one to have this view, because one day ” on one of his regular visits to the shop ” Craig noticed the XB had been sanded down and was being lavishly coated in the Red
Pepper lacquer that adorns it to this day. It must have been a top-notch paint job, because 10 years on Craig gets lots of positive comments about the paint.
Craig kept watching, now with a rekindled enthusiasm for the old girl. Then all of a sudden, one day it had a for sale sign on it.
Driving A Hard Bargain
The coupe was advertised for $12,000 but there was little to no interest in it (remember, this was 10 years ago ” people would be climbing over each other to buy it now). A couple of months passed by and one day the owner came running up to Craig. “Come on Craig, I see you looking at it all the time. You can have it for 10 grand.”
Craig, cool customer he is, said, “Nah mate, I’ll give you eight.” The guy can’t have been too impressed with that as no deal was done.
Another couple of months passed by with still no sale, when Craig got a phone call out of the blue. You guessed it: it was the owner of the coupe offering it to Craig for eight grand, who was very keen but had to convince the then wife that it was a good idea.
Even though eight grand was a fantastic deal, Craig wasn’t going to buy the car without getting his mate Hibby to look over the engine first. As it happened, the motor had a couple of taps and Hibby told him the cam was stuffed, so Craig rang the guy and said no, he couldn’t buy it.
How did Craig end up with the Falcon, then? The owner’s plan for the mortgage had gone bung and he was going to Aussie to live. He had two weeks before he was leaving and the coupe was the last thing he had left to sell. He rang Craig again at 7am one morning and asked: “How much will you give me for it?” Craig told him $6500. Remarkably, the owner accepted.
Even in 1999, $6500 for an XB Falcon hardtop, painted with new interior and a 429ci big block, was a pretty damn good deal, even if it had no bling and was still sitting on Valiant Charger rims.
Drive It Till You Break It

Craig drove his new purchase around for a few months exactly as he had bought it, until one night when he was giving the car a bit of stick. He parked and went about the evening’s business, but when he went to leave the coupe wouldn’t start. It eventually fired up with a horrendous metal-wrenching noise. Craig drove it around to Hibby’s, who took the heads off, and found it had bent two pushrods and that the cam had three round lobes.
They fixed the heads and Craig drove the car for five years with no problems before noticing that the oil pressure was getting a bit low. It turns out that when the heads and cam busted, all that metal went down to the bottom and sat there. When Craig pulled the engine apart the oil pump looked like 80-grit sandpaper.
By this time Craig’s mate Hibby had shut his own business and was working for someone else, so Craig was looking for a good mechanic to do up the bottom end. He was put on to Darryl Blacktopp, who is well-known in Christchurch street machine and hot rod circles. Darryl did the job and did it well, and since then Craig has struck up a very good friendship with the mechanic.
In The Winter
With the bottom end all done, Craig has had a pretty sweet run with the coupe, but he still tends to take her off the road every winter to do something to her.
When he purchased the Falcon the interior had been completed but Craig has since put in new carpet and a GT dash, and has made the centre console that houses the shiny B&M shifter. He has also installed a big stereo system ” he loves his music and he loves it loud, which might explain why he’s blown up one amp already.
Another winter project was covering the entire floor with squares of sound deadening, which had to be heated with a hair dryer and moulded into every crevice. It took 36 of the 300mm square sheets to cover the whole floor, but they made a huge difference to road noise inside the car.
Metal Mountain
The car’s most immediately identifiable feature is surely the Bill’s Shotgun scoop towering out of the bonnet, which seems to flow with the curves of the coupe’s roof and massive rear end perfectly. Craig always wanted a tunnel ram, and was working on a friend’s car when he spotted one sitting on the floor of the garage. He walked over, picked it up, put it under his arm and said, “Right, let’s make a deal.” Craig came home with his new tunnel ram; his understanding new lady just shook her head. Craig said she is very accepting, and it helps that she is a huge Ford fan too.
Craig is very happy with his tunnel ram and shotgun scoop, even if it took a while to get used to the mountain of metal protruding from the bonnet.
Wide Load
So what’s the story behind the name Big Bum? Craig explained that a couple of years after purchasing the coupe someone asked him what he would want on a personalised plate. Craig says he thought about this for a couple of months before coming up with his answer. “With 295 by 15 tyres under the factory rear guards with room to go to a 315 ” now that’s a big bum.” Moreover, the previous owner had put BB429 stickers on the side of the car instead of the normal GT ones ” they stood for big block 429, but were also perfect for Big Bum. Craig mentioned this to a friend of his who told him that wasn’t going to happen as he actually knew the guy who already had that plate, and it was destined for an XA coupe.
There seems to be a pattern forming here, because all of a sudden Craig got a phone call saying the plate was for sale. The guy had bought the plate but never got it made, so Craig snared it for the $380 the previous owner had paid. Some people seem to have all the luck.
Addicted To That Rush
Ten years on, has any of the passion gone? Hell no. “It’s my dream car. It’s what I wanted as a kid and I’ve got it,” Craig says. “I get a thrill and get adrenaline running through me every time I drive it.” It’s not the most powerful or scary car out there, but it gets Craig’s blood pumping and he really enjoys driving it ” that’s if he’s not sitting in the garage for hours on end just watching it, or looking at all the trophies it has accumulated over the years. Now that’s what it’s all about. Fat-bottomed girls you make the rockin’ world go round.

2012-08-13T01:57:00.001-07:00

1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Virtual Reality - 62

After watching Chip Foose on TV building Mustangs, Carol Lamb decided to find the Kiwi equivalent to build one for her.
Every now and then a car comes along that stands out for no apparent reason. Cars that do this are often more than the sum of their parts, perhaps through good planning, quality workmanship, or maybe the owner’s passion.
Carol Lamb’s 1966 Mustang convertible is one of those cars. However, she’s quick to place the credit elsewhere.
“He really is New Zealand’s own Chip Foose, one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets,” says Carol. She’s talking about Neil Hodgson, who works for Wings and Wheels Taupo. Neil was responsible for project managing the build and performing the bulk of the work on Carol’s Mustang. Judging by what we found when we got the chance to have a detailed look over the car, we’d have to agree with Carol’s description of its creator.
Dreams Become Reality
Despite being a Holden driver on a daily basis, Carol has always dreamed of owning a 1966 Mustang, and it had to be a convertible. So after she and her husband, Greg, sold their earth-moving business, they decided to make that dream a reality.
The starting point for the build was a locally sourced car that was yet to be complied and was in need of a little TLC.
While very modest about her own input, and quick to offer all credit for the build to Neil, we know Carol wasn’t without some great ideas of her own. Either way, her Mustang is now one of the coolest summer cruisers around.
Originally, the car was going to receive a mild tidy-up, nothing too serious. But after having it walnut husk-blasted, it became apparent that serious bodywork was needed to get it into shape, and that changed the direction of the entire build. “It looked good, but after blasting it was Swiss cheese. It had had an accident at some stage and a new chassis rail was fitted, albeit on an angle,” Neil says.
He enlisted Mark Jones Paint and Panel, based in Tokoroa, to do the panel work. “Mark’s not that old,” Neil explains, “but he learnt how to do things the old-fashioned way and do it right, rather than just bog it up.” Mark and his team are responsible for the new floors, doors, guards, front and rear valance, bumpers, bonnet, boot lid and cowl, plus a new inner guard and chassis rail.
While the body was being worked on, Neil set about ordering the rest of the parts he would need. Often Carol would come in with ideas, Neil would come up with a few options, or a photo of what he thought was best, and Carol would give her tick of approval. “She was great to work with, super-passionate, and we had lots of similar ideas,” he says of the experience.
Having such a great owner and builder relationship allowed Neil to order parts and make decisions without needing to check every last detail, which for a car builder is a great advantage. “I did slip in a few secrets that I didn’t let her know I was doing,” Neil says. More on those later.
Once back from the panel shop, and still in primer, Neil worked on the car for three months full-time, fitting all the parts that had been amassed during its time away.
One of the packages that arrived while the car was getting panels sorted was the Total Control tubular A-arms and coil-over shocks, along with a rack and pinion steering assembly. Combined with Koni adjustable rear shocks and King aftermarket leaf springs, the ride is now well and truly beyond anything dreamt of back in 1966.
Also included in the piles of parts was a Ford Racing 302ci engine. “We ordered the engine direct from Ford Racing through contacts I have from working on the [Wings and Wheels-owned] Ford GT,” Neil says. “It’s got 10.0:1 compression and alloy Ford GT40 heads along with Edelbrock fuel injection and MSD ignition.”
Preparing For Perfection
Rather than fit everything completely at this stage, Neil focused on making modifications such as the custom engine and trans mounts, modifying the trans tunnel and the like, so the car could be sent off for paint. After three solid months in Neil’s care, it was back to Mark and the team in Tokoroa for the straight white tinter to be applied. The whitest of all whites available really makes the car stand out, but as with the rest of the build, nothing is overdone.
“We could have gone for six-pot brakes, or massive wheels but we decided they would be overkill and detract from the car,”
Neil explains. “Instead two-pot Baer callipers were chosen for each end, along with 13-inch and 12-inch rotors. While by no means a small brake setup, they don’t scream for attention; rather you know they’re there and you know they’re good.” Same goes with the wheels. A retro-looking Shelby Cobra rim was chosen in an 18×8-inch diameter — not too big but not too small.
That vision of the Mustang as a total package extends to every aspect of the vehicle. The interior, for example, may look beautifully restored and original but is far from it. There’s a 2008 Mustang shifter, while Auto Meter gauges adorn the dashboard.
Carol’s favourite touch? “The water bottle holder!” she says, laughing. “It’s impossible to find a cup holder that fits a Pump water bottle, so Neil made me one. I love it.” So much for the custom console, billet cluster, Vintage Air air conditioning system, beautiful leather retrim or the rear view camera screen that blends seamlessly into the car… Although she laughs about it, Carol does have a valid point: how often have those plastic water bottles cluttered the floor of your own vehicle?
The holder was one of those little touches Neil neglected to mention to Carol. As was mounting a rear vision camera in the old key hole on the trunk lid, and fitting LED back-lit sills, both things Carol is now more than happy with. The attention to detail extends throughout the vehicle. An example is the engine bay, where there is a plethora of custom fabrication work to get things exactly right. Not only does all the engine bay work look good, it’s functional, too.
Looks Good, Goes Better
The joy of the brand-new injected crate motor is that it starts first time, every time. It also adds to the car driving every bit as well as one that’s just off the lot. Since the build was completed late last year, Carol’s Mustang has travelled around the North Island completely without trouble. There are not a lot of freshly finished vehicles that will do that without at least some teething issues.
The Marshall Transmissions-built EF XR8 four-speed auto and 8.8-inch diff fitted with a torsion limited slip head also played a big part in this.
It’s not often that we think of an owner suiting their car, but if ever there were a case, it would be Carol and her Mustang. It’s great to meet someone so passionate about their vehicle, yet so modest at the same time. Carol enjoys the Mustang so much that she’s not afraid to share it, insisting NZV8 drive it to our photoshoot location just to see how fabulous it really is.
It’s easy to see why Carol is so happy with the outcome of the build. It drives beautifully, everything works like new, and while it turns heads, it doesn’t scream for attention. If you know what you’re looking at, you’ll see it. If not, you will just have missed one of the highest-quality built cars we’ve ever had the chance to feature — along with the coolest owners we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

2012-08-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

1964 Studebaker Commander - The Head Turner - 63

What do you get when you mix one police-spec Studebaker Commander with a 500hp Chev and eight years’ hard work? One tough Stude, of course.
When I think of a commander I think of strength (at times in the face of adversity), power, order, guts and glory, certainly not Studebakers. I had a think about it and took a good look at what’s out there being modified and came to a conclusion: Studebakers are custom cars sitting still. Some cars look menacing sitting still, some cars look ugly sitting still. But Studebakers, well, they look like they’re waiting. Waiting for an owner to bring out their true spirit, that custom car spirit; I’ll stick my neck out here and say that rodding spirit. Their owners are like Mopar fans, an eclectic bunch who probably believe that if it’s not a Studebaker, it’s just a bread baker.
Kimball Thomson is a collector, he likes Studebakers, and parked in his garage amongst other models he has a totally cool 1964 Studebaker Commander. This particular Commander started life as a police cruiser, and after an extensive eight-year body-off rebuild by the previous owner in Melbourne, it was purchased by Kimball when he spotted it at a car show. But it wasn’t a straightforward sale. “The owner originally didn’t want to sell it. I wanted this one, it said something the others I looked at didn’t have.” The sale was eventually concluded and the latest addition was imported into New Zealand in 2009 to become part of Kimball’s collection.
Step inside, walk this way, you and me babe, hey hey!
The interior, with its full complement of new glass and screens fitted around a retrimmed bench seat interior, heralds a classic feel. The metal dash was resprayed to match the upholstery, the doors were tricked up with some Falcon armrests, and the seats rebuilt, then the whole lot got re-covered in a low-key mix of top-shelf embossed grey fabric and marble grey leather.
The Quicksilver shifter fits with the curves of the ’60s interior and could almost be overlooked, it really does blend in that well. But the masterstroke has to be the wood rim Mustang-style twirler with the billet centre. It completes the subtle interior, tying it all together perfectly right at the driver’s fingertips.
The only post-importation modification has been the interior sound install, which was taken care of by the crew at Street Soundz in the capital.
You step out of the Commander after checking yourself in the XY-GT mirrors and are greeted by an exterior covered in a deep ocean of Honda Forensic Red. Laid on by Melbourne sheetmetal ace Guido Grima, the top coats are the crowning glory to the bare metal respray that graces the Studebaker’s body.
The trim curves gently along the car’s exterior, the flared guards adding feature to the flanks against the subtle arc of the bonnet, roof and boot line. The sharp lines frame the flat sections of the doors and pillars, and from the smoothed and re-chromed steel bumpers over the smoothly fused XR8 bonnet bulge, around the flared guards and onto the ledge that is the rear light treatment, this car oozes cool in a way other cars ooze muscle or speed.
Stepping back you see a vehicle that the uninitiated could walk past and not notice. It has a tough stance, clean lines and straight panels that all scream quality, but it doesn’t have the huge, whining blower or the wide rubber behind the ground-scraping guards to shout for attention: no loud stripes or wild wings adorn this Commander. I did say cool, not raucous. Yet once you look for the first time you are drawn back to the car time and time again.
But if the mirrors and power bulge, along with XB bonnet pins, draw you in, it is the rolling stock that hooks you. The choice of wheel, so critical to the final package, was bold, and akin to the twirler in terms of capping off the exterior. Polished and smooth, the Centreline five-spokers at once add contrast to the Forensic Red and enhance the body trim, which was so painstakingly restored to factory glory. The 16×7 and 16×8-inch front and rear split shod in GT Radials looks tough, with just enough dish to make you second-guess a traffic light duel, but not so much as to be budget busting when it comes to getting new liquorice rings after a few antics at the charity burnout comps.
The eternally fashionable twin chrome tailpipes cap off the exterior picture.
The work on the Commander’s body and cabin set the scene, they get you dialled into the rest of this car, piquing your interest, begging the question of how good the rest of the Studebaker must be based on what is already apparent. However, it’s the hard work you can’t see that sets this car apart from its peers.
Here comes the truth, baby!
The underside of the Studebaker is as meticulous as the topside. A Navy man would be proud. Signs of usage aside, the car would win trophies at any show on undercarriage alone. The shortened nine-inch diff housing filled with 3.1:1 gearing dominates the underside. These Commanders aren’t actually that wide, so the big diff housing makes itself seen. Traction bars and a rear sway bar keep the back tyre contact to a maximum at all times, and good old drum brakes out back with Leyland callipers gripping XY Falcon discs up front keep the friction on tap as well.
A custom twin two-inch full-length exhaust is ceramic coated to the tailpipes and stands out underneath, with a beefy custom tail-shaft nestled between a pair of massive free-flow mufflers.
Gas shocks all round keep those Centrelines and GT Radials planted on the tarmac, while freshened factory leaves and coils keep the body up off the rubber.
To ensure the suspension and steering work properly, the spring towers were also strengthened with extra reinforcing. That custom tail-shaft slots into the back of a John Marshall Transmissions-beefed Turbo 400. These things are good for plenty of street power, as well as inspiring confidence with their reliability. Extra clutch packs were fitted for positive shifts to transmit the fat torque this engine makes.
Graham Extreme Engines in Melbourne screwed together a stout 400ci small block Chev for the car. C’mon, the factory 289 was never gonna cut it, so why bother? A standard bore, four-bolt mains block was found and given a clean-up, then stuffed full of CP custom pistons and H-beam rods. The 18-degree aluminium Bowtie cylinder heads were fitted with titanium valves and Jesel shaft mount rockers.
With an ICE ignition system firing all cylinders, reliability counted when this engine was built. A 750cfm carb fed by a BG220 fuel pump was fitted to a Weiand intake manifold, with a K&N filter dropped down over the top. The engine bay is impeccably presented, with the braided fuel lines, alloy rocker covers and ceramic-coated headers all combining to provide a silver lining behind a Forensic Red cloud. A flexi fan blows onto a heavy duty four-core radiator to keep it all at a safe operating temperature. The engine bay, while dominated by the silver centrepiece, is clean and understated with custom inner fenders and a smoothed firewall surrounding the engine, while ancillaries like the battery and wiring are all hidden elsewhere.
How does this Commander rule the roost? “It’s great to drive. Everywhere you go people are looking at it, it gets attention,” Kimball says. He has been enjoying the fruits of Guido Grima’s labour, and the Studebaker has been hitting the streets regularly. It’s smooth on the road and there’s no sign of its age, especially not up against all the clones that populate our roads these days. And while it’s a long way from its beginnings as a police cruiser, this is one Commander that gets my allegiance. Yes sir!
In Hot Pursuit
Another of Kimball’s Studebakers is an immaculate 1963 Lark Police Special.
In the days before flower power and muscle cars, hoons in Australia had it easy. They could outrun the local constabulary with little worry that they’d be apprehended if the cruise suddenly went all cannonball run. The police cars supplied by a particular four-letter manufacturer were no match for the boy racers of the day, and it wasn’t until the appearance of the Studebaker Lark in the early ’60s that the playing field was evened up in favour of the boys in blue.
The Lark was in service with the Victorian Police from 1961, initially as a four-door, but from 1963 a two-door variant was released for use primarily in pursuit roles. It was powered by a 289ci, 225hp V8 motor lifted out of the Studebaker Hawk, backed by a three-speed manual with heavy-duty brakes and uprated suspension.
Kimball’s car is a genuine Victorian Police pursuit special. After undergoing a meticulous restoration, the Studebaker Lark was refinished in the car’s original police standard colour option, Powder Blue. Aside from a four-speed manual slotting in where a three-speed once resided, the car is as it was when it entered service with the Victorian Police.
Studebaker had an illustrious motorsport career in Australia, which was at one time run alongside its career in the police force; the Victorian Police Motor Sports club raced the same cars they used to chase the crims, and the Lark went on to racing greatness at Phillip Island, Sandown and Bathurst.
The Studebaker Lark is fondly remembered for its days as a police chaser in real life as well as on TV, with a starring role in the early cop show Homicide. Eventually it went on to become a cultural icon in the West Island city of Melbourne, where the Studebaker Lark is said to be as well-known as the green trams that once populated the city centre.

1964 Studebaker Commander – Specifications

Engine: 400ci (6555cc) small block Chev, four-bolt mains, custom CT pistons, H-beam rods, 18-degree aluminium Nascar Chev bowtie heads, hydraulic roller cam, Jesel shaft mount rockers, titanium valves, 750cfm Holley, Barry Grant fuel pump, ICE ignition, two-inch pipes, 3.5-inch collector, handmade extractors, four-core radiator, de-loomed, fabricated inner guards, de-seamed firewall
Driveline: Turbo 400 transmission, extra clutch pack, shortened Ford nine-inch diff
Suspension: Original Studebaker with 24mm stabiliser bar, rear sway bar, traction bars, gas shocks
Brakes: Falcon disc, Leyland callipers, XB pendulum pedals, drum rear
Wheels/ tyres: 16×7-and 16×8-inch Centerline Convo Pro rims, 205/55R15 and 225/55R15 GT Radial tyres
Exterior: New glass, Honda Prelude Forensic Red paint, bumpers de-bolted, de-chromed boot and panels, bonnet pins, XR8 bonnet scoop
Chassis: Reinforced around the spring towers
Interior: Stock interior with new trim and dash painted to match, Mustang wheel with handmade billeted centre, shortened steering column, Falcon arm rests, Pioneer head unit, amp, and speakers
Performance: 290kW at wheels at 6000rpm (approx 373kW/500bhp at flywheel)

Kimball Thomson – Owner Profile

Car club: Studebaker Drivers Club
Age: Old(er)
Occupation: Self employed
Previously owned cars: Nash Metropolitan, Dodge Kingsway, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Chev Malibu, Mercedes 280SE, Plymouth Fury, Subarus, two Sierra Cosworths, MkIII Cortina GT, three Studebakers, Mazda RX-4, Ford Focus XR5, Suzuki Wagon R, Mini Cooper, two Ford Sierra XR 4x4s, Ford Cortina Ghia MkV, two Ford Telstars, two Ford Mondeo V6s
Dream car: My supercharged Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
Why the Commander: The history as a Victorian police car is unusual, and the superb custom job is a change from my other original restorations. Studebakers make great custom cars. Studebaker parts are readily available at a cost much more friendly than other marques, and with the ease of fitment of modern GM components, they open up a whole new world for people wanting something a little different.

2012-08-08T01:10:00.002-07:00

1959 Cadilac Coupe Series 62 - Opulence And Excellence - 25

In the vast, flat expanse that is Hamilton City, it appears more and more car builders are attempting to stand out from the crowd. One of those caught up in an addiction to excessive modification is car dealer Mark Hayward, with his ’59 Cadillac Series 62.
Eagle-eyed readers will recognise this fine ’59 as being the same one featured way back in issue number four of NZV8. Since then it has come a long way in the never-ending quest to stay one step ahead of the crowd.
From the time Mark first purchased the 5.7 metre-long black beast from an American car dealer, he knew he wanted to make it just that little bit more special than any other ’59 in NZ. As the car had spent many years in a museum in St Louis, Missouri, it was in fantastic condition, and the panel and paintwork had already been completed. But little did the previous owners know what would become of the vehicle once it was shipped to the bottom of the world.
Recognising that it looked like an old man’s car, Mark hunted around the internet for an airbag kit specifically designed for this model. After all, his car would come over in a container and it would be almost criminal not to fill the boot with parts. Despite the horror stories you hear about parts going missing in transit, the Air Ride Technologies gear turned up with no dramas.
Once the car was landed and complied, its first stop was none other than Magoos Street Rods and Custom in Masterton, which was given the duty of installing air struts in each corner. The task of filling the bags is entrusted to two Viar compressors and 9.5mm lines. While some may say the suspension should have remained stock, the vehicle’s size meant access problems aplenty, and the adjustable ride height is the only way the car can get around town without running aground. Lifting the old girl off the ground now simply requires the push of a button attached to Mark’s key ring, or by using a digital controller mounted in the glove box. As you can see, when it’s down it’s really down, and although the car can still roll at this height, the steering cannot be turned. When fully up, the car develops the stance of a lanky teenager, looming far too tall above its massive feet.
Speaking of which, the wheels are themselves very impressive bits of gear. Measuring in at 22 inches tall and 10 inches wide both front and rear, the Intro billet wheels are shod with 265/30R22 and 295/25R22 tyres respectively. Amazingly enough, no major modifications were required to get the big-dollar rims under the guards and rolling freely. The change from the stock 15-inch rims to the 22s brought with it the addition of monster front brakes. Brett at Future Performance was given the honour of installing Wilwood four-pot callipers and 380mm discs where the front drums once resided. Down the rear the stock drums remain, not that it’s possible to see them thanks to the low ride height. Besides filling the rims, the reason for the brake upgrade was to ensure the 2100kg car would still haul up safely with the extra power planned from the new motor.
After getting bored of the stock engine remarkably quickly, Mark had a worked 454 (7440cc) dropped in the hole. But he grew tired of that quickly too, so he recently had one seriously angry 468ci (7669cc) big block built by Craig Hammond to a specification Mark will not tire of for a long time to come.
The balanced rotating assembly consists of flat-top Speed Pro pistons and forged rods to provide a 10.1:1 compression ratio. A Holley 850cfm double pumper carb feeds air and fuel through an Edelbrock Torker 2 manifold into 110cc Performer RPM aluminium heads. Here they are at the mercy of Manley stainless steel valves that receive orders from a Comp Cams 294-degree solid cam, Comp Cams pushrods and matching roller rockers. To close the 2.19- and 1.88-inch valves there’s a set of heavy-duty Comp Cams 924 double valve springs. Firing the big block into life are an MSD6AL ignition and MSD Pro billet distributor. If you were thinking this sounds more like a race engine than one for a cruiser, you would be correct. The combination is angry. Very angry. With 373kW (500hp) at the wheels, the big cruiser will deal to many unsuspecting and eager competitors at the traffic light grand prix.
Of course, turning the power into forward momentum in a heavy vehicle such as this requires a pretty tough trans. Thankfully Mark had Craig piece together a TH400 auto with a shift kit and Hughes 2500rpm stall converter.
Each year, the main event for the car is the Beach Hop, and this year Mark’s company, Tristram European VW, was a sponsor. Luckily for Hop visitors, this didn’t mean the car stayed at home to be replaced by a VW, as the Cadi is the ultimate lads’ cruiser. Despite his car being angry as all hell and thirsty on gas to say the least, Mark cruised the streets of Whangamata all weekend long for the third year in a row.
Due to business commitments the car isn’t used much these days, so for the right price it could be pried from Mark’s hands. But that doesn’t mean his days of owning cool Yankee steel are over, as he has his heart set on a ’57 or ’58 Buick LWB Limited. It took a long time to find the ’59 you see here, so we know once Mark has a goal in sight, he won’t give up until it’s a reality. When his Buick dream becomes one, you can be sure it will be even more impressive than the Cadi. And that is far from a small task.

2012-08-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

1970 Holden Monaro - Beyond Immaculate - 30

In these days of candy paints and two-tone colour schemes, getting a white car to stand out is about as easy as convincing your partner there’s room for three in your bed. Only a few people can pull it off, and when they do, the results aren’t just good, they are great. Jarod Mahon’s 1970 Monaro is the poster child for standout white cars. With its perfect stance, stunning panel work and angry-as-a-frog-in-a-sock motor, the HT stands well clear of the competition.

Every now and then a show car comes along that makes others pale into insignificance. This nitrous-snorting street and strip-driven HT GTS is one of those machines.

The man behind the machine, Jarod Mahon, hails from Huntly, and although he’s always liked the HT shape he doesn’t limit himself to being a Holden man. In the past all sorts of things from worked four-cylinder Cortinas to ultra-powerful Commodores have filled his shed, but for the last three years, all of his attention has been on the beautiful HT GTS.

Bastardised Properly

The elderly Palmerston North resident from whom Jarod purchased the car “may have accidentally been informed the car would be restored to its former glory, and not chopped up,” says Jarod, laughing. “But now it’s bastardised properly I reckon.” While not totally sure about his choice of terminology, I have to agree. Every single aspect of the car has been re-worked and perfectly finished, but just like the subtle choice of white paint, none of the modifications are over the top.
Take, for example, the tough stance and low ride height. Getting the car to sit that low wasn’t particularly hard, simply a matter of resetting the rear leaves, adding 51mm blocks and fitting six-cylinder front springs. But getting the car to ride nicely at that height was a step further than most would take. Then again, the fact Jarod made sure each and every bolt head on the car was turned to the same direction is a sign the car is far beyond perfection, and is just one key to the subtle first impression it gives.
To provide the vehicle with that added driveability there are stepped rear chassis rails and mini tubbed wheel arches that are not only wider, but also higher than stock. The reason for the extra height is that the car will soon see some drag strip action, but rather than raising it to allow for slicks, the guards were lifted. Instead of the front suspension and steering geometry being thrown out of whack by the ride height, the front cross-member has been modified to correct the adverse effects of lowering the car. Along with the cross-member modifications a Castlemain Rod Shop steering rack has been fitted to provide the car with more up-to-date steering characteristics.

“‘Carl told me to harden up and GIVE it A 200hp SHOT, but I think I’ll try and get used to it how it is first.’ Fair enough too, since the engine was dynoed stateside at over 500hp without the giggle gas”

Apparently our Jarod has a reputation for being a wee bit hard on cars, and though it was built to the highest of show quality finishes, his treatment of this HT was to be no exception. When talking about the vehicle’s rear end Jarod tells us, “Lee [from Diffs R Us] knows how hard I am on stuff, so knew to build the diff as tough as money can buy. And despite me promising him I would break it, so far it’s held up.” That tough-as-nails rear end consists of a shortened Ford nine-inch diff fitted with a Strange head and Currie 31-spline axles. Judging from the difference in tread depth between the 225/45R17 front and 285/45R17 rear tyres, I’d say the diff has had a good workout too. The wide rear tyres are wrapped around a set of 17×10-inch Simmons FR rims, while the fronts receive seven-inch-wide metal. Simmons rims may be on every second car these days, but there really is no other rim that looks as good, let alone on such a range of vehicles.

2012-08-07T01:12:00.000-07:00

1961 Chevrolet Impala - Real Fine 409 - 62

Jack Rainbow’s slammed ’61 Impala Bubbletop must have been what the Beach Boys were talking about when they sang, “She’s real fine, my 409”.
Real muscle car power was brought to the people in the early ’60s, especially with the arrival of the 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409. Chevy built 491,000 Impalas that year. Only 453 had the SS (Super Sport) package, and of those just 142 got the 409ci engine.
Word spread quickly about a mainstream Chevy V8 with 409lb/ft (554Nm) of torque and the ability to do mid-15-second quarter miles with the standard 3.36:1 rear axle and four-speed manual. The Beach Boys even immortalised it in the song ‘409’ (She’s real fine/my 409).
Jack Rainbow’s 1961 Chevrolet Impala may not be an original SS 409, but with a 409 W series motor now resting between the front guards and an impeccable build quality, it’s “even better than the real thing” — thought I’d keep up with the song theme with that little U2 snippet.
But I’m getting way ahead of myself here, let’s go back to the beginning…
Second Solution
It all started in 2002 when a 16-year-old Auckland lad, Jack Rainbow, started building a ’55 Plymouth station wagon. He began by lowering the roof 2-inches and turning it into a two-door. That’s when the money ran out.
Fast forward two years, and a now 18-year-old Jack decided the Plymouth would never be worth the money he was going to sink into it, and so the hunt was on for a new project; one with style enough without chopping the roof, and with the correct number of doors to begin with.
Jack went to have a look at a red 1961 Chevy Impala Bubbletop that was being pulled out of a shipping container after 20 years of storage.
He bought it on the spot.
Blister In The Sun
The Impala wasn’t running, but that didn’t matter because Jack had no intention of cruising around in a mundane 283ci-powered Bubbletop.
After taking a few photos of his new purchase the Impala was stripped down, and the first thing to get the Rainbow attention was the chassis. This was sandblasted and painted, and new bushes were installed throughout. A couple of coils were cut off the springs and everything was pieced back together.
With the chassis looking like new, it was time for the body to get some attention.
Before going into the container in which it sat for 20 years, the Chevy had been partly restored and had already been sanded back and repainted, but two decades of sweating in a container had taken their toll. The new paint had blistered badly and had to come off.
Hi Ho Silver Lining
Jack and his dad, Ian, were keen to get the body soda blasted but didn’t know a lot about the process, so took one of the front guards to the soda blaster to see what it was all about. They couldn’t believe their ears when the guy told them to take it home and wash the excess soda off with water, then give it a good wipe dry. Hold on, you can’t get bare metal wet, it will rust right before your eyes; but he guaranteed it wouldn’t show any signs of rust for at least three weeks.
They did what they were told and left the newly blasted guard in the corner of the lounge, which is where it sat for six months without showing any signs of surface rust. Jack and Ian were converted.
Overall the body was in pretty good condition, and after soda blasting there were just the normal dents from years of use to take care of. As with most of the build, the panelbeating was done at home, but the task was handed to Graham McNab who came by to get it sorted. The Impala was also primed in the garage and only then did it leave home to be painted.
Pete from GA Car Painters in Pukekohe was handed the responsibility of covering the huge Chevy panels with Audi Silver, a colour picked by Jack after seeing a silver Impala the same as his in an American magazine. Until then the car was destined to be black, a favourite colour of Jack’s for muscle cars.
The first thing he did after the return of his newly painted car was to fit new 15-inch American Racing Torque Thrust mags. I am a strong believer that wheels can make or break a car, and I think Jack has got it spot on with his choice. When questioned about the size of the wheels and the reasoning behind not fitting 18 or 20-inch rims, he said, “I like a decent sidewall on a tyre. I’m not into the rubber-band tyres.”
Bad Motor Scooter
Now that the Impala was looking like a million bucks, it was time to give it the performance to match. The car was rolled in through the front of the garage, where the 283 engine was pulled out with a chain block attached to the rafters. The car was then rolled out the back door of the garage, with the new engine dropped in on the way out to the back shed — simple.
The engine now residing in the engine bay is a 409, as fitted ex-factory in 142 of the 1961 SS Impalas that rolled off the assembly line. And how did Jack come by a 409? Dad, of course. Jack’s dad, Ian (you might remember his 1950 Business Coupe from the cover of issue 53), was buying an engine from the States for one of his builds, and the deal was that to buy one you had to buy two. Bummer — but not for Jack. The engine was originally given to Jack, but he ended up buying it off dad anyway.
Once the Impala was returned to the shed, it was time to put it all back together, and get Graham around again to line up all the panels properly.
With everything in place, with the glass fitted and the sounds wired up by Jack himself, it was off for the car’s final trip away, this time to Sku at Design Auto Interiors in Rotorua to get the upholstery sorted.
How Low Can You Go?
Jack drove his newly finished Bubbletop Impala around like this for the next seven months until he got sick of people using it as a bar leaner at its ride height. Out came the suspension and in went an Air Ride Technologies airbag kit from the States. In keeping with the tradition of the build, Jack tackled this task himself.
The kit came with Shockwave front bags, new A-arms and bars for the diff. Everything went in pretty easily once Jack had worked it all out, with only minor adjustments needed to the exhaust to make it all fit. He is very happy with his new adjustable ride height, and likes the way it makes the Chevy more stable around corners. The only thing to remember with airbag suspension is to make sure you don’t have the car sitting too low when going up mates’ driveways, something Jack didn’t do one day and only realised upon hearing an almighty bang when ascending a friend’s drive. He got out at the top to find oil gushing all over the white driveway and a large crack in the sump.
Cruisin’’
Given it’s such a stunning street machine, you’d guess it only comes out on fine weekends or to the occasional show. Hell no. Jack drives this beautiful beast all the time, rain or shine. In fact in 2009, three years after the Impala hit the road, Jack and some mates piled into it and made the 1100km trip from Auckland to Muscle Car Madness in Christchurch, where the Chevy got in the top 10. With $1000 dollars spent on petrol and friendships tested, you’d think he would mark it up as a once in a lifetime experience. Not Jack, he did it all again this year, and after telling everyone who would listen how great it was, there were three other cars following him down this time.
The Impala has also scored Best Chevy in the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club for 2008, and Best Burnout at the club’s Christmas party.
We Are Family
It’s pretty obvious Jack got his passion for cars off his dad. “It has always been hot rods and muscle cars for me,” says Rainbow Jr. There are not many families that can boast both father and son cars in NZV8 magazine. You could say Jack was born into the scene, with a dad who owns a 1950 Business Coupe and a bad-ass 1937 Convertible that won nearly every award available a few years back. Not to mention a mum with a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria, and older sister with an El Camino. With the way the Rainbows build bitchin’ street machines it probably won’t be the last time you see a Rainbow car here, either.

2012-08-07T01:07:00.002-07:00

Proper Paint Preparation - Part 2 - 86

In the last issue we followed the team from Resene Automotive and Light Industrial (RALI) as they took a beaten-up cruiser with extremely worn paint and got it into primer in preparation for painting. It was a long and involved process, but one that was made easier by having access to the right products and expertise. The team at RALI are New Zealand’s suppliers of DuPont Refinish products, so it’s these products that have been used throughout the process so far.
Getting the body straight is the time-consuming part of the painting process, even though it’s the one with the least visual effect. The quality of the preparation is essential however, as that’s what the paint itself will be adhering to, and any imperfections will greatly reduce the quality and longevity of the finish. Of course before we can even think of applying any colour, we need to sort out what the colour is going to be.
Due to the unique way in which DuPont paints feature a Value Shade system — a range of primers that make the topcoat perform better — we actually had to decide the colour before the vehicle was primed.
Picking a colour is always an exciting, although somewhat nervous time. We knew roughly what we were after though, and after discussing with RALI’s specialist colour mixer Andrew Town, we were all on the same page. A couple of spray-outs later and it was a done deal. What made choosing the colour relatively simple was the way that DuPont paints are supplied. Each colour is required to be mixed with the correct activator based on its application purpose. For example, painting onto plastic you’d mix the colour with a plastic activator, whereas onto something exposed to extreme temperatures, such as an engine block, you’d use a high temperature binder. This allows any colour to be used for any purpose without fear of the final shade varying from surface to surface.
As with any paint colour, the final choice was created using a range of tinters and metallics. While it’s common to have five or six different ‘ingredients’, the chosen colour (dubbed ‘Boogie Blue’ by Andrew) is in fact remarkably simple with just a couple of different tinters. What gives the colour its different hues is the Xirallic pearl, similar to that found on many late-model vehicles. In the sunlight the Xirallic comes to life and really makes the colour pop, while in the shade it looks a lot darker. Under artificial light it looks completely different again. This is why it’s always important to choose your colour on a sunny day, so you can see it in all lights.
To keep impurities to a minimum, colours should always be mixed in a dedicated ‘tint room’, which in most paint shops you’ll find is attached to the side of the spray booth.
With the colour sorted, the task of getting it onto the vehicle can begin — although it’s not as easy as simply pushing the car into the booth and pulling the trigger. For an even finish with no build-up on the end of each spray stroke, it’s essential for the panels that have been removed from the vehicle — such as the boot lid, bonnet and doors — to be re-fitted. Of course, the problem with this is that you then can’t access the door, boot and bonnet jambs. It’s with this in mind that the jambs and closing faces of the doors, etc. must get painted prior to the panels being hung back on. (1)
For this, the car itself is masked up leaving just the areas requiring paint exposed. Again, while it may sound like a simple task, the masking lines must be in the correct place so as not to create a visible ‘sharp edge’. Great care is also taken not to end up with overspray in the interior of the vehicle, or on any other surface where it’s unwanted.
With masking complete, (2) the exposed surfaces are wiped down with a solvent to remove any greasy fingerprints, etc. which may have been left during the masking process.
And now, finally it’s time to prepare the paint itself. The correctly coloured DuPont Centari 6000 is mixed with DuPont BK220 Chip Protector and reduced with DuPont XB383/XB387 Reducer. (3) The addition of BK220 to the basecoat not only gives the paint greater stone chip resistance, but also helps the inter-coat adhesion.
The mixing ratio for the Centari basecoat is 2.7 parts colour to 0.3 parts BK220, which is then reduced with 1 part XB383/XB387 Reducer (thinners). The mixed product must be viscosity checked, which is done by using a special viscosity cup along with a stopwatch.
With the paint now activated, time is of the essence, as the paint will begin to harden. The activated basecoat is applied to achieve opacity, which depending on the colour chosen is usually 2–3 coats. In the case of the Boogie Blue it was three. Without the Value Shade primer, to achieve the same opacity you’d be looking at five coats or more. Each coat must be allowed to ‘flash off’ before subsequent coats are applied. The flash time lets the solvents escape from the paint, allowing it to dry and adhere to the surface correctly.
In the case of the Cadillac, it was decided that as well as the doorjambs, the firewall and roof (4) also needed to be painted at this stage — the firewall due to the fact that the engine could not be re-fitted with the front guards and radiator support panel reinstalled, and the roof due to its sheer size requiring the painter to stand on the door sills to reach the centre. Obviously this made the roof the starting point, as once the sills were painted, they couldn’t be stepped on without causing damage.
With three coats of colour on all of the exposed areas, it was left to dry for 15 minutes with a booth temperature of 22–25 degrees.
Once deemed appropriate, DuPont 3050S ChromaClear clearcoat is applied. The DuPont 3050S is a two-component clearcoat, which is part of DuPont’s Low Emission range of products. It’s mixed at a ratio of 4:1 with XK206 Activator and does not require reducer. The mixed clearcoat is applied in two full coats, leaving at least five minutes between coats to flash off, and then left to dry in the booth overnight. The clearcoat can be force dried, or baked to speed up the drying process, but this may have an impact on the gloss level.
With the panels re-fitted to the car (and in this case the engine too, but more on that next issue) it was finally time for the car to go into the booth for one last time!
It’s always fun to watch your car go into the spray booth, and always exciting to see it change colour right before your eyes. RALI uses a high-quality downdraft heated booth, but to ensure minimal airborne contamination a new plastic lining was applied to the walls before the car was wiped down with solvent.
As with when the jambs were painted, careful masking was required. While 3M tape, and plenty of brown paper (5) and specialist plastic sheets are used for the majority of the job, a special foam ‘soft edge’ (6) is used between the doors and the frames. This is to stop any harsh lines from occurring during the spray process.
Once the car is wiped down, the DuPont Centari is once again mixed with Activator and Reducer, and when poured into the spray gun it’s filtered through an extremely fine paper filter to extract any impurities. (7) Every painter has a different style when painting a car. RALI’s painter Andrew started at the bottoms of the rocker panels and worked his way up. A steady hand and consistent speed are essential for a streak-free finish. >
Each DuPont Centari topcoat requires around 15 minutes to flash off before the next coat is applied — which, on a car like this, is about how long it takes to get around it whilst spraying. With the booth temperature set at 23^OC, it’s a warm and tiring job, especially when wearing the appropriate safety gear.
After allowing the topcoat to dry for 15 minutes it’s once again time to apply the DuPont 3050S ChromaClear clearcoat. As with the doorjambs and roof, it’s mixed to a ratio of 4:1.
Unwrapping the car from its masking is like unwrapping a giant Christmas present. And while you can picture in your head what it will look like, seeing it in the flesh is really something else. But, the process isn’t complete yet.
Depending on the quality of the finish achieved so far, the next step is either to buff it, or to flow-coat it. Flow-coating involves sanding back the clear before applying another single clearcoat with a different mixing ratio.
In the case of the Cadillac, the quality of the paintwork straight off the gun was exceptional, so it was decided that a buff would suffice. Nothing’s ever as easy as it sounds though, and that includes buffing a freshly painted car.
It’s a three-step process; the first being to sand back the whole body with 2000-grit wet and dry sandpaper. (8) Putting scratch marks into fresh paint may seem like a bad idea; however, they’re soon removed, and the surface will end up better for it.
The next step is to use an electric orbital sander with 3000-grit 3M Trizact pad, which features an engineered surface of microscopic three-dimensional structures resembling pyramids. (9) This precise and consistent abrasive surface is perfect for creating a fine finish. The process is still far from complete though, as there are three further stages of buffing to go, with the finishing surfaces becoming finer at each stage. It’s a process that sounds simple, but in reality requires a few days of continual buffing, which is obviously no easy task. If you’re aiming for a top quality, peel-free finish, it’s essential though, no matter how good the paintwork is ‘off the gun’.
As well as plenty of attention to detail, having the right [quality] products and a decent working environment are essential to creating a flawless finish. In the case of the Cadillac, all three boxes were well and truly ticked by the team at RALI with their DuPont Refinish range of products, and the results speak for themselves.

2012-08-06T07:14:00.001-07:00

1970Buick Skylark GS - Enter the Unknown - 65

The 1970 Buick GS is one of the more desirable muscle cars ever made. It’s also one of the least known.
As life members of the American Muscle Car Club, John and Peni Murray have owned some cool cars over the years. With a penchant for all things rare and powerful, the pair have sat behind the wheel of some seriously desirable muscle cars. One such car was an Oldsmobile 442, which they’d owned for five years when, in 2007, they decided to move it on. But before doing so, a suitable replacement was required.
“I was just browsing the internet, looking at what was available, with no real intentions to purchase anything,” John says. That’s met with a disbelieving “yeah, right” and a chuckle from Peni, who knew full well that the hours John had recently been online weren’t spent updating his Facebook profile.
After stumbling upon a 1970 Buick GS that looked to be in fantastic condition, he was quick to point it out to Peni. “She had to like it or I knew it would never happen,” he says. Thankfully for John and the Buick, Peni approved and a deal was done.
Why replace a sought-after Olds with the Buick? When it was released the 1970 GS was noted by the leading publication of the time, Motor Trend magazine, as the fastest car it had ever driven. When sales of the high power GS (which stands for Gran Sport) fell in 1969, Buick decided to go against its own policy of limiting engine capacity to 400ci and step the 1970 model up to 455ci, making that the most desirable year to own.
The new motors were rated at 360hp in the base model GS and 390hp in the Stage 1 variant, which is the one in John and Peni’s car. With the Stage 1 cars running quarter-mile speeds of 105mph, power was very obviously underrated, and it’s believed the real figure is somewhere above 420hp.
Despite that figure being SAE gross rather than ‘as installed’ (with the addition of full exhaust and accessories fitted) that’s still a fair chunk of power, especially for 1970.
The cars set the motoring world alight, with journalists around America all commenting on the unbelievable torque the engines produced and how easy it was to spin the tyres. That’s something which kept them close to the mind of those who followed the 1970s muscle car scene.
Aiding in the Stage 1’s power output was an aggressive camshaft, higher compression, unique cylinder heads and a unique four-barrel carb. These features, combined with more aggressive ignition timing, a higher final drive and a firmer-shifting Turbo 400 transmission, made for an impressive package. At the time, that package would cost only an extra US$199 over the floor price of the US$3283 base vehicle.
While $3283 — now roughly NZ$4600 — may not sound like much today, at the time the Buicks were GM’s highest-priced performance cars, second in the GM hierarchy only to Cadillac.
This particular vehicle was highly specced with options such as power steering, power disc brakes, a Rallye steering wheel and an AM/FM radio (which at $105 makes the Stage 1 package seem cheap!) included. Factoring in all the vehicle’s options together with the power upgrade, the total price tag would have been US$5516.81.
Although there is lots of power, John is keen to point out how nice the car is to drive, unlike many others of that era — and he would know, since he’s owned a bunch of them.
Mopar’s Nemesis
Because they were produced in limited numbers, and Buick didn’t have the huge following of the big three brands, the cars caused controversy in 1980 when they were listed on the ‘50 Fastest Muscle Cars’ list above any Chrysler Hemi-powered vehicle. Upsetting Mopar fans further is the fact there was an even more limited run of Stage 2 Dealer Option GS cars with a greater power output. The Stage 2 package was never advertised; if you ordered one it arrived as a pile of parts in the vehicle’s boot, which were then fitted at a dealer level.
While little is documented or known of the Stage 2 cars, it’s believed only 15 or so were made, and most headed straight for the drag strip.
Sales and production dropped after 1970 due to reduced engine compression ratios and a change from gross to net power ratings. In later years, air quality regulations further limited the power, with the addition of catalytic converters and single exhaust pipes.
This leaves the 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 as one of the most powerful and most collectable, yet relatively unknown muscle cars ever to be produced, so it’s no surprise that John quickly had the car transported to New Zealand.
With Good Comes Bad
The Wisconsin-based seller of the car had spent many years and many more dollars restoring the vehicle’s mechanical aspects to as-new condition.
The exterior was also tidy, and armed with numerous photos taken before shipping, John and Peni were like expectant parents waiting for their new baby to arrive.
Upon first sighting the car, however, Peni was unimpressed. There were a number of small dings in the panel-work and the front bumper that were previously not there. Thankfully, insurance had been taken out on the shipping, although the ‘sort it out yourself’ attitude of the freight company left John and Peni with a sour taste.
Good friend and fellow muscle car owner Dave Loose and his son Dane helped out with the repairs and all the little bits and pieces required when a car like this first lands, before it was handed over to Moselle Panel and Paint for a respray
Little did John know just how hard it would be to source the factory colour code for the little-produced 40-year-old car. He’s keen to acknowledge that without the help of Raine Kirby from PPG, the exact colour makeup might never have been known, as the hue it had previously been painted was a few shades off.
While Steve and Charlie at Moselle were returning the car to its former glory, Otahuhu Chrome Platers repaired and rechromed the bumper and the car was once again as good as new.
John is quick to point out that it wasn’t he who groomed and buffed the car to perfection, but Alan Williams from Adam’s Polishes who spent hour after hour getting it well beyond anything John expected.
Hidden Horsepower
During the vehicle’s American restoration the motor was rebuilt by Westech Automotive in Wisconsin. Although it may look stock, the internals have been revised slightly and rare Stage 2 alloy heads fitted. With dyno sheets to prove it, the car now puts out a very respectable 535hp and 786Nm. To try and harness as much of that power as possible, 255/65R15 tyres have been fitted all round. That hasn’t entirely solved the problem. “It does a pretty good skid,” John says, “fries them up really well.” He doesn’t seem in the least upset about it…
Being involved with the organising of the annual Father’s Day Drags, John gave the car a run down the strip last year that saw it net a 13.1 at 106mph, which isn’t bad at all. When fitted with slicks and a 3.42:1 (currently 3.08:1) diff ratio in America, the quarter-mile time was an amazing 11.9. In a 1970 street car with stock disc and drum brakes, that’s seriously moving.
With those kinds of numbers from an essentially standard car, combined with its tough looks and immaculate restoration, the Buick GS Stage 1 is a vehicle that most muscle car owners could only dream about. Of course, first they have to know that such a beast even exists. And, of course, the knowledge that there are so few others out there makes owning one even more rewarding.

2012-08-06T07:11:00.002-07:00

1956 Buick Century Convertible - Going Topless - 30

The 1950s were good to General Motors. The pinnacle of this period was from 1955 to ’57, when its hugely successful Tri-Five Chevys set new standards in styling and performance, replacing the slightly stodgy offerings from previous years. Many consider the Tri-Five Chevys to be the most recognised cars in American automotive history. The 1955 Chevy, designed by Harvey Earl, broke the mould with its fresh, new, sleek styling. That was also the year General Motors released the most successful engine in automotive history, the small-block Chevy. This powerful, compact unit gave the ’55 Chevy performance to match its styling.
Earl repeated his successful formula in ’56, building on his achievements and creating an even more stylish design, with a full-width grille and acres of chrome, while the ’57 model embraced the new trend for extravagant tail fins, and introduced fuel injection to the blue-collar market. General Motors set new sales records in the ’55 to ’57 Tri-Five period, and Tri-Five Chevys, in particular the much sought-after sports coupes, hardtops, convertibles, and even the very rare Nomads, fetch impressive prices today. However, while the focus tends to centre on the Tri-Five Chevys, General Motors’ offerings from its other brands ” Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick ” are sometimes overlooked.
Though they were aimed at different market segments, General Motors built all its cars on the same platform, and family connections can be spotted throughout its entire range. Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick would all share the same glassware and rooflines across the different models. And the styling that made the Tri-Five Chevys such a runaway success can also be found in Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick models, but with their own all-important slant added to make them unique in their own way, and at least as stylish as the Tri-Five Chevys.

Buick The Beginning

The Buick Motor Company was founded in 1903 by David Dunbar Buick, but struggled until it was taken over a year later by James Whiting. Whiting had the brilliant William C Durant manage the company, and it soon became the largest car maker in America. In 1908, and flush with the profits from Buick sales, Durant began a series of takeovers of several smaller manufacturers, including Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Oakland (later known as Pontiac). But the huge debt Durant took on meant he lost control of General Motors in 1910. The next year he co-founded the Chevrolet company with race driver Louis Chevrolet, in an effort to rebuild his reputation. By 1916 Chevrolet was making enough money for Durant to buy a majority share of General Motors, and it quickly became the largest automotive manufacturer in the world.
Durant was careful to target different market segments with different marques. Chevrolet became the sporting brand, aimed at the youth market, while Buick was aimed at the high end, with only Cadillac being more prestigious. Buick’s customers had money, but were not as wealthy as Cadillac owners and did not flaunt their wealth to the same degree. By the 1950s the lines between the models had become a little blurred, but Buick has always retained its foot-hold near the top, and does so to this day.
As was the case with the other GM brands, Buick stylists created their own distinguishing Buick features, which were carried through several decades. One of these features, which was added in the late ’40s and inspired by a custom car, was a series of portholes along the sides of the bonnet. Though GM positioned its brands in different market segments, with Buick towards the top, each brand was further segmented by its model range, much as General Motors-Holden does today via a vast array of Commodore models.

Less expensive Buicks had three portholes, while the more expensive cars had four, although this was eventually done away with and all models were standardised with the same number. Another uniquely Buick styling cue, also introduced in the ’40s, was a bold curved line that ran the length of the car. It began above the front wheel arch and gently curved downwards to the point where the rear wheel arch meets the sill, before following the shape of the rear wheel arch until it reaches the centre point at the top, from where it flows in a straight line to the rear. As with the portholes, this line was eventually phased out, but it survived until the ’70s.
Of course, many will argue that the mid-to-late ’50s was a fairytale period for Buick. That fresh, exciting, sporty styling which was prevalent in Chevys of the period flowed right through the entire GM range, including Buick. And this winning formula can be seen in our magnificent feature car, an extremely rare 1956 Buick Century convertible owned by John Courtney.
In 1954 Buick hit on a winning formula by fitting the newly reintroduced Century, sporting relatively lightweight construction, with the impressive-performing and raunchy-looking 322ci (5277cc) Buick ‘nailhead’ V8. This combination made the Buick Century a genuine 160kph-capable cruiser.

Pick Of The Bunch

Just as the Tri-Fives made the decade for Chevrolet, the mid-’50s era is Buick’s most celebrated, and today Buicks from this period are the most sought-after. The ’56 model year saw four variants of the Century produced, the hard-top coupe, hard-top sedan, Deluxe hard-top sedan, and the convertible. In all, just over 93,000 Buick Centurys were built in ’56, but only 4721 were convertibles.
John found his Buick in the collectible car bible, Hemmings Motor News, just under four years ago. Originally painted apricot and blue, the Buick came from a deceased estate, was in pieces and, having come from the rust-friendly Philadelphia area, it needed a complete restoration. But as it is such an incredibly rare car, John took the plunge and shipped it back to New Zealand. The plan for the Buick to was restore it to near original condition but, according to John, his family outvoted him on the original apricot/blue colour combo, and instead it was finished in a more palatable blue/silver, which works perfectly with the extravagant styling. The bodywork needed plenty of cancer removed.
Because it had come from the ‘rust belt’ the damage would have been bad enough in any 50-year-old car. Being a convertible it was in another league again. Fortunately, John is a plumber by trade, and ‘fabbing’ up replacement sheet metal comes pretty easy to him. He did much of the body restoration himself, including replacement floor panels, only bringing in professional panel beaters to take care of the more tricky stuff, like rolling up curves. Once the body was restored it was prepped by Phil Stokes Panel and Paint in Onehunga, which then laid down the stunning blue/silver paint. Someone had decided to attempt a restoration before John purchased the car, but had only got as far as pulling everything (absolutely everything!) to bits. This included even the smallest of mechanical parts, which John then had to try and piece back together. This was a mammoth job in itself.

The Family Influence

Wisely, John wanted to retain the originality of the Buick, so the modifications he carried out are few and far between. In the case of this car, the manufacturers got it right first time. The 5277cc (322ci) Nailhead is the original motor. Having lived its life in a cold area, the Buick only came out in the summer months, and as such it is still a low mileage car. Therefore the Nailhead only needed a freshen, which was taken care of by Rob Penman, with the help of a Nailhead rebuild kit.
The interior has been stunningly reupholstered to original by Waikumete Upholstery. Of course, even cars being restored to original always look better when they’re lowered, and John’s Buick is no exception. The shocks and springs have been replaced all round, with the whole thing lowered 50mm. A set of 15×7-inch Cragar Speed-Pro wheels and skinny whitewalls complete the picture.
John’s ’56 Buick Century convertible is a stunning piece of machinery, with timeless ’50s styling and performance to back it up. It is a credit to John and the work he has put into it. It is a wonderful car, and extremely rare ” thought to be the only example in New Zealand.
General Motors phased out Oldsmobile in 2004 due to continued falling sales, despite the brand being one of the oldest automotive companies in the world and, at that point, the oldest surviving American automotive manufacturer. Since Oldsmobile’s demise rumours have persisted that Buick might go the same way. But even if Buick does survive, it’s guaranteed it will never, ever, produce cars of the quality, excitement and styling excellence that exist in John Courtney’s magnificent ’56 Buick Century convertible.

2012-07-27T06:24:00.002-07:00

1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang - Cut Snake - 57

We’ve all heard the saying that a car goes like a cut snake. Lorrin Mathews’s genuine Shelby Cobra really is a cut snake!
Why on earth would anyone chop up a genuine GT500? I bet that question is running through the minds of numerous NZV8 readers right now. We wondered too.
Lorrin Mathews’s answer is short, sweet and simple: “It’s my car and I can, so I did.” That’s a logic that you can’t argue with.
Before you get too upset, Lorrin is well aware what the car would be worth in mint original form, and has kept every single part that has been removed from the car, should he ever want or need to return it to standard.
With the car in the pile of things never to be sold, the chances of it being restored to its former state aren’t high. At the recent Fathers’ Day Drags, where we first spotted Lorrin’s mad machine, he was offered an unlimited blank cheque in return for the car and still said no, so clearly his will is strong.
Finders Keepers
Where exactly did the car come from? It’s not every day you find a GT500 for sale in New Zealand, or overseas for that matter. Much to the surprise of Mustang enthusiasts around the country, it has been in New Zealand for more than 25 years. But for the majority of that time it hasn’t seen the light of day. When the car was brought out to the photoshoot for this magazine, it was just its third outing in 20 years. Now that is what you call a well-kept secret, and the answer to why most people have never seen this vehicle before.
The restorers out there will be excited to learn that since the Mustang has barely been driven for that amount of time, its odo reading is remarkably low; the modifiers will be wondering why the hell he hasn’t been out using it.
Since buying the car from a cash-strapped mate when he was 21, Lorrin has been restoring it and fiddling with it. After watching too much Mad Max as a kid, he loves wild-looking cars.
With businesses, houses, race cars, race bikes, kids and marriages all coming and going over that time, the Shelby has waited patiently for its build to be completed, and now that it finally is, we’d suggest there probably isn’t another one like it anywhere in the world.
Looks Fast
Shelbys were radical designs when they first came out back in 1967, and Lorrin saw no need to dramatically alter the way the car looked. In fact, it was the opposite. When purchased, the car had been painted an aftermarket colour and was fitted with a sunroof. Lorrin knew the car’s limited production run and its massive appeal meant it should look more original, and the colour needed to be returned to the factory white and blue.
While spraying on the new paint wasn’t hard, removing the sunroof was a bit more involved, and required a new roof skin to be fitted. Once the panel side was sorted, Cascade Auto Refinishers had the task of making the car look as good as it should. Although you wouldn’t guess it to look at it now, the paintwork was actually completed around 10 years ago.
The original wheels the car came with were safely tucked away in the workshop, and the hunt began for newer, more modern items for the car to roll on. After a conversation with Gary Carter from Carters Tyres in East Tamaki, a deal was done that saw Lorrin do the drainage on Gary’s new house and Gary supply the wheels for the Shelby. Not just any late-model wheels would work; Lorrin was after 19-inch Work brand wheels from the 2007 Ford GT. So while they look like they could have come off a Nissan Skyline or similar, they are far more closely related to the Shelby than you might think.
They measure in at nine-inches wide up front and 12 inches on the rear, so there isn’t much room to spare under the guards. Luckily, Lorrin had no intention of going overboard with the suspension, and he has just updated the components with newer items such as adjustable Koni shocks rather than aiming for a ground-scraping stance.
Goes Faster
Having owned assorted race cars and ridden speedway motorcycles, Lorrin has a bit of a penchant for speed, and although the GT500 was the fastest Mustang of its day, it was never really going to satisfy his requirements. While ideas of stroked big blocks were thrown about, Lorrin stumbled upon something even better ” a 6-71 blower. Yes, the big air pump would upset the purists, but that only made it more appealing.
Knowing a supercharger would require the original bonnet to be cut up, Lorrin wisely set about creating a fibreglass mould of the original, which could be sliced and diced instead.
The motor that resides below the supercharger is the genuine numbers-matching 427 side oiler the car was fitted with as an option from the factory. Being a qualified mechanic, Lorrin assembled the motor himself complete with custom crankshaft, forged rods, 10.5:1 forged pistons and other tough as nails bits.
Why go from being a mechanic to a drain layer? “The sh*t washes off easier than the grease,” Lorrin says, laughing, “and that way I get to enjoy working on my own cars, as it’s not work any more.”
Speaking of which, recent additions to the powerplant are Shelby alloy heads, which Lorrin is rightly proud of. With the bigger valves and higher flow rates these offer over the originals, the car should now be pumping out even more than the 750hp it was previously creating, which makes it one very tough streeter indeed.
The transmission was a practical choice. “Toploader gearboxes are horrible bloody things, so we’ve replaced it with a five-speed Hollinger box, which is much better,” says Lorrin. Mating this to the engine is a twin plate 11-inch clutch, which will make for some interesting times when the car first sees traffic. Further down the driveline is a nodular nine-inch diff fitted with a Daytona traction-lock head and 31-spline axles, which should come in handy if and when the car hits the drag strip or circuit, which Lorrin’s quite keen to see it do.
Turns Heads Even Faster
While the package may not be suited for dropping the kids off to school, that’s one of the things Lorrin intends to do with the car now it’s up and running.
Surprisingly, he reckons that the Mustang purists who’ve seen the car have loved it. Then again, I don’t think he really cares whether they do or not. After all, it’s his car, he can do what he wants with it. And that’s exactly what he has done.

2012-07-27T06:04:00.000-07:00

Demon Energy Monster - Monster Mash

Get in,” said Benn Milne, driver of the Demon Energy monster truck, motioning towards the passenger side of the massive vehicle sitting quietly on the gravel. I stood there for a while, craning my neck upwards towards the door, well out of reach of my six foot frame. I could tell everyone was watching, I could feel the smirks.
“Climb the tyres!” someone yelled from behind. The pressure mounted as I rued my decision to wear skinny jeans that morning. Apparently, I had to do the splits and climb up the massive 66-inch high tyres with a foot on each. I did eventually get up and into the cab of the Nissan Navara, but to say it was an ugly ascent would be a serious understatement.
HB Monstertrucks’ Navara has a lot of history here in New Zealand, first built in 1987 and known as Kiwi Thunder. New Zealanders grew up watching this machine crush cars and fly through the air, so when the beast came up for sale on Trade Me, interest was strong.
“I saw it online,” says Benn. “I just thought ‘why not? You only live once’.” Picking up the Navara without a engine, transmission or wheels, Benn and his HB Monstertrucks team spent the next year putting it all back together, the cost of which, as you could imagine, is just as super-sized as the 3.5-metre tall truck itself.
“Everything is more expensive when you are working with something this size. A puncture repair, for example, costs us $350 each time.”
Back on the gravel, I’m now strapped into a basic seat in the dust-coated cabin, I’ve noticed just how high up the vehicle sits on its massive wheels. Benn fires up the 427 big block Chev and it thunders into life, roaring out through short exhaust pipes right next to my feet. The noise is absolutely immense, and as Benn throws the B&M shifter into gear and squeezes on the accelerator, we jerk forward. Slowly. To be honest, it sounds as though we are going 100kph, but we are going maybe 30.
“It’s pretty low geared,” Benn explains. “You’ve got to remember that the wheels weigh 440kg each, and it takes a lot of torque just to move them, let alone climb up stacks of cars. Speaking of which…”
I look forward to see a mound of car wrecks fast approaching, the 6.1 tonne machine crashes into the first of them, rearing up in the air before bucking hard as the rear Goodyears hit home. Despite the mass of suspension under the truck, this is no smooth ride as we bash over old Holdens, Hondas and everything in between. The whole experience gives off a very “yeeehaw” deep-south kind of a feel – and I love it.
So does Benn. “Nothing beats the feeling of knowing that there is very little out there that can stop you. We push the truck further and further each time we drive it. I’m sure we’ll find the limitations at some point.”
With plans to acquire two more monster machines this year, and some Guinness world records in their sights, the Demon Energy monster truck boys have a busy year ahead. Now, if only you could make something like this road legal – imagine driving this bad boy to work every day!

2012-07-27T05:01:00.001-07:00

1973 Holden GTS Monaro - Classical Gas - 59

What started as a father/son build has turned into a rolling memorial that would make any dad proud.
4 Wheels Are Better Than 2
In 1996 Nathan Smith and his father were looking for a project. Nathan’s dad was into restoring motorbikes and Nathan had helped him on a couple of his builds. When it came time for Nathan to start a project of his own, he was looking for something a lot larger than a motorbike and with more than two wheels. Having had a couple of HQ sedans in the past, Nathan decided an HQ coupe would be the ideal next step.
Dad found what they were looking for through the local Invercargill Holden Club. It was an ex-tow vehicle for a drag machine that had then itself been turned into a straightliner. In its drag form it ran a tunnel-rammed 454ci big block, but by the time it got into Nathan’s hands it was just a rolling shell with a trans and diff, a factory interior with a not-so-factory roll cage, and a big hole where the 454 used to be. It looked as if it had seen much better days.
Swedish Massage
After purchasing the Monaro, Nathan and his father got straight into stripping it down and getting their hands well and truly dirty. Once the car was relieved of paint it was obvious its years on the strip had been unkind, and a lot of massaging needed to be done to the 23-year-old panels. The rear guards had been flared to fit bigger wheels, but just like the rest of the panels, it was pretty rough. You wouldn’t know it now, though. Every panel was lovingly bashed back to better-than-factory condition and all the seams and lines now match to perfection.
Even at that very early stage, what was supposed to be a quick paint job and engine transplant was snowballing into a full rebuild.
Lumpy
The engine now residing in the mesmerisingly clean engine bay is a rebuilt 400 Chev out of a jet boat that has been bored 40 thousand over. Eagle pistons and conrods have been fitted, along with a Comp Cams roller camshaft. It has had late-model Chev heads installed, hardened valve seats and Manley valves and push rods with double valve springs. The Holley 750 cfm carb with vacuum secondaries and Edelbrock RPM performer intake manifold ensure enough petrol is dumped into the engine to get the 400 up and running.
Nathan modestly reckons “It’s pretty mild,” adding, “It’s just a pretty decent street engine, really”. He admits that if he was doing it again he would just buy a crate engine and be done with it. With the jet boat engine, Nathan and his father had to keep going back to the guy they got it from, because everything was shagged in it.
Nathan’s dad was a perfectionist when restoring motorbikes, a philosophy carried over to the Monaro build. Sadly, 18 months into the work and before the engine was first fired into life, Nathan’s father passed away. Many people would have parked the car up at this point and hid it in the corner somewhere, never to be worked on again, but Nathan wanted to carry on what he and his father had started, as much to build a fitting memorial to his dad as to see the project through.
Lucky Run
After 10 years of building the HQ whenever he was home from working offshore, Nathan was given the one and only task for his upcoming marriage of getting the car finished in time to use as his wedding car. Nathan assured his wife to be that it would be ready in plenty of time — which was some promise, since, when he wasn’t working offshore, by that time he was living in Queenstown and the car was some 200km away in Invercargill.
Timing is everything, and Nathan’s was impeccable: he was in the garage in Invercargill, still fitting the interior, the afternoon before the wedding. Which was being held in Queenstown…
After much help from a couple of mates the HQ was finally finished at 6pm. The car had never been road tested, let alone registered, warranted or certified, but there was no time for that. As soon as the final interior panel was fitted it was time to hit the road for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Queenstown.
Luckily, everything ran smoothly and Nathan made it to Queenstown with a good 10 hours to spare — enough time, in fact, to give the Monaro a good polish.
Sentimental Value
This Fat HQ build started 14 years ago and has been completed for more than three years, but it still looks like it was finished last week. It has not only been finished to the highest standard of workmanship, but also with a timeless style. It combines the clean lines of the body and engine bay with the old-school 15-inch Convo Pro wheels and classic-looking interior, which has been trimmed in light grey leather. There’s almost a factory, late-model car look, with just the right splash of chrome in the roll cage, Quicksilver shifter and billet handles, winders, controls and steering wheel.
The boot has also been given the custom treatment, with the same ultra-clean style as the rest of the car, trimmed in grey leather with the same perfect amount of chrome as the interior. All the stereo equipment, the battery and spare wheel are hidden behind the custom panelling.
What started life as an easy father and son project, and then quickly snowballed into a full-on rebuild in memory of Nathan’s father, has somehow turned itself into a show-winning vehicle that is driven regularly and which Nathan will never sell. He also tells us that one day he will put a big block in it, just for kicks. We have no doubt that if Nathan’s dad could see how their project has turned out, he would be well chuffed.

1973 Holden GTS Monaro – Specifications

Engine:

400ci (6555cc) small block Chev bored 40 thou over (408ci/6686cc), Eagle pistons, Eagle H-beam conrods, 10:1 compression, four-bolt mains, forged steel crank, Comp Cams roller camshaft 480 lift, ARP fasteners, Street Master high-volume oil pump, high-energy high-volume oil sump with windage tray, Road Runner starter motor, late-model Chev heads with port job, hardened valve seats, Manley valves and push rods, double valve springs, K&N air filter, Holley 750 Vac secondaries, Edelbrock RPM Performer intake manifold, Edelbrock Performer RPM street fuel pump, 13mm fuel line, billet fuel filter, Delco Remy HEI distributor and coil with Eagle silicone leads
Driveline: Turbo 400 trans, trans gear torque converter rebuilt, shift kitted 2500rpm stall, B&M flexi plate, Red Eagle clutch discs, HD intermediate sprag, Remote trans cooler, GM Performance flywheel, shortened Ford nine-inch 3:25:1 gears, limited slip, 31-spline axles
Brakes: DBA slotted discs, Bendix disc pads, stock callipers on the front and stock HQ rear
Suspension: Pedders Sports Ryder shocks front and back, Lovell Super Low springs front and back, heavy duty sway bars with Nolathane bushes
Wheels/tyres: Centerline Convo Pros, 15×6 front with 225/60-15R BFG Goodrich Radial T/As and 15×10 rear with 275/50-15R BFG Goodrich Radial T/As
Exterior: De-badged and smoothed locks, Bordeaux Pearl with blue fleck painted by Kingsford-Smith Motor Painting
Interior: Retrimmed factory seats in light grey leather, B&M Quicksilver shifter, Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges and tach, four-point roll cage, custom door panels, billet door handles, window cranks and controls, custom boot panels, stainless boot lid inserts and ‘Monaro’ logo, hidden Optima battery, hidden spare wheel and stereo equipment, Pioneer head unit, Pioneer 6×9 460W rear speakers and JBL GTO 601 amp

2012-07-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

1972Valiant Charger - Aussie Attack - 79

It all started with a few beers,” says Tony Galbraith of his immaculately presented Valiant. “I was talking with the guys about what I should do after retiring from speedway racing, and next thing you know we’re building a race car.”
With Tony’s driving pedigree, it’s not too surprising that CMC was the class the lads talked him into racing in, after all, besides the fact they’re cool cars, many of them spend more time going sideways than they do in a straight line, and that suited Tony’s driving style perfectly.
The more the guys talked, the more the build plan evolved, it’s just lucky that one of the guys doing the talking was Craig Hyland, owner and operator of Engine Dynamics. While the name would indicate the business to be an engine builder, the reality is that it’s really a one-stop car-building workshop, and that’s where the entire build would take place.
The thought of buying an existing car, or building something common, didn’t really appeal. Instead Tony, Craig and the rest of the crew wanted something different, yet competitive, but it also had to be easy to run at the same time. Having access to American-built Mopar race motors, the plan soon headed in the Mopar direction. Rather than expensive Dodges, hard to obtain and heavy Plymouths, the idea of building Valiant Chargers was floated. And by Chargers, we mean two of them, to race as a team and pool costs and resources along the way.
After meeting some interesting Valiant owners Tony finally managed to find a decent vehicle to base the build on. Friend Alan Kemp, aka Kempy, who would run the matching vehicle, struggled – finding rust bucket after rust bucket, so his build has been heavily delayed.
Once Tony’s car was back at Engine Dynamics, the build commenced, starting with stripping the car back to a bare shell, strengthening the chassis and removing any excess weight at the same time. A comprehensive cromoly roll cage was stitched in, which also added to the vehicle’s strength.
Having built many different race cars for a wide range of classes, Craig made sure to stick to the letter of the CMC rulebook, but also make the most of the available rules at the same time.
Although Tony wanted plenty of tail-out fun, a large focus was placed on setting the vehicle’s handling up to be as precise as possible. As part of this, custom A-arms were produced for the front and they are suspended with Afco coilovers. The leaf-sprung rear-end is assisted with a Watt’s linkage, and custom swaybars were also fabricated. With sticky Kumho rubber wrapped around the 17×10.5 and 17×11-inch rims and this suspension package, it should stick to the track as well as any other vehicle in the CMC field.

With the knowledge that a serious engine package would be installed, no compromises were made when it came to selecting brakes. Instead, 6-pot Alcon callipers now slow the front, while 4-pot items do the rear. There’s no brake booster to be seen, just pure leg strength and a floor-mounted pedal box.
Craig’s always got his finger on the pulse, and when the motors came up for grabs a few years back for a good price, he grabbed what he could. Not knowing the history of the R5 Dodge 358ci version selected to power Tony’s Valiant, it was pulled down and freshened up. Since the Diamond pistons, Callies crank, Callies rods and Bullet cam all looked brand-new, they were all retained. In fact, besides the custom oil pan that was fabricated to fit around the Valiant’s cross-member, the engine is essentially as it was imported. This includes the P7 heads fitted with titanium valves, and the custom carb, which is fitted to the Wilson intake manifold.
For reliability’s sake the team fitted a Johnson’s HTP dry sump kit, for which the oil tank is mounted in the boot. Speaking of which, the boot is an impressive sight, as alongside the dry sump is a massive fuel cell and equally as impressive fuel pump and surge tank arrangement.
Being a new car, rather than a rebuild of an old car, the team had the chance to do things right the first time, without cutting any corners, nor making any compromises. With this in mind, the decision was made to give the option to run in endurance events and potentially GT2 also. This saw the inclusion of twin-ignition systems amongst other items, for complete peace of mind.
An impressive custom dash panel has been created which, besides the usual Auto Meter gauges, has a few handy notes stuck on for Tony’s peace of mind. They’re a good reminder that besides being competitive, the aim is to have a bunch of fun, although in a car like this, we’re not sure how you could forget that, especially when you hear that engine fire into life.
The 700-odd horsepower package is backed up with a Jerico WC4 4-speed gearbox, along with a Quartermaster triple-plate clutch and steel flywheel. To get the power to the track, the team opted for a 9-inch diff with custom housing and fully floating hubs.
Knowing just how hard it is to source rust-free Valiant panels, the guys had A1 Fibreglass construct fibreglass replacements. These include the doors, hood and bootlid, along with a few spares, of course. With the whole lot coated in PPG Citric Orange by White Bros Panel Works in Hamilton, you’d be hard pressed to tell they weren’t steel, till you feel just how light they are.
By the time you read this, the car and Tony would have had their first competitive CMC outing. He’s quick to downplay his expectations, rightly stating that most of the competition has had far more seat time than him. Then again, we’ve seen how well he can drive a speedway car, so we’re pretty sure it won’t take him long to get the hang of things. Worst-case scenario, he ends up at the back of the pack. Either way, one thing is for sure, and that is he’ll be having a blast and a cold beer or two with some good mates afterwards.

2012-07-27T04:42:00.001-07:00

1965 Chevrolet Corvette - Merhanical Monster - 86

Every now and then, a car comes along that defies convention, and pulls a big middle finger to normality. Dave Best’s 1965 Corvette is one such car, and while it may be new to us, Dave’s owned it and tinkered with it for over two decades now. Mind you, it’s never been as angry as it is in its current guise.
Dave tells the car’s history — “I found it in the late ’80s in Bakersfield, California. It belonged to the owner of Manuel’s Body Shop at the time and had a tunnel-rammed small block in it. It had previously raced at the ’76 Winter Nationals in Pomona. I couldn’t secure a deal at the time, and had to head home, so I entrusted Willie Roach to try and persuade the owner to sell it to me, which eventually happened right around tax time.”
Over the next 15 years Dave was continually playing with the car, and has lost count of the number of different engines it’s had in it, laughing “customers kept buying the engines out of it”, referring back to his days as a Tauranga speedshop proprietor. A lifetime hot rodding enthusiast, he learnt from an early age how to build engines and entire cars, so was certainly not afraid to get his hands dirty on the never-ending project. He wisely knows his own limits though, and when he decided around five years ago that the old girl would make for a cool circuit car, he knew exactly who to turn to.
Dave had heard nothing but good things about legendary circuit car builder Mike ‘Bic’ Anderson, another Tauranga local, and he was entrusted with the job. From the outset, Dave said there was no rush, as with time comes perfection, and that’s what Bic has achieved. Dave can’t speak highly enough of his workmanship or knowledge.
Dave knew he was never going to mess with the way the car looked; after all, that’s what drew him to it all those years ago. The radiused rear guards give an indication of its drag racing history, while the change to a ’67-style front end shows that many years ago someone tried to make it look newer than it really was. Dave’s pretty sure the aesthetics were done when the car was just a few years old; the silver paint however was applied just over 30 years ago now — not that you’d know it.
Bic’s mission to turn the car into a competitive circuit machine was fraught with difficulties, from the small cabin space to the ‘unique’ Corvette rear end that has the axles as a vital suspension component, and which does not improve the vehicle’s handling ability. It’s all in a day’s (or a couple of years’) work for a guru like Bic though, and Dave left him to his devices to apply his ingenuity as he saw fit.
The suspension side of things was a major, and one of the more time-consuming aspects of the project. The solution to the car’s inherent problems was to create slip-joint style half-shafts, which would increase and decrease in length through the suspension travel. When combined with an extra suspension link, and set up to perfection on a computerised suspension analysis programme, the result is genius. Of course, the basics, such as fitting adjustable shocks and a Guldstrand transverse leaf spring, were also taken care of. The modified rear arches allowed for the track to be widened for optimum road-holding ability, too.
Up front Guldstrand springs were added, along with optimised double A-arms, a custom chromoly sway bar, and a rack and pinion steering assembly, the latter powered by an electric pump.
In preparation for Dave’s powerplant of choice, a dry sump tank was mounted as rearward in the engine bay as possible — and a custom fuel system fitted as far forward as practical.
While Bic was sorting out all the little time-consuming parts that go into a major build like this, Dave was busy assembling the motor. Like the car itself, he’s owned the motor for many years, and although tempted to sell it at times, he has managed to hold on to it. After building it with various combinations, he knew exactly what was needed this time around — and that was mechanical fuel injection. While the naysayers say it can’t be done on a road car, and that tuning is impossible, Dave disagrees, and thanks to the perfectly tuned Hilborn injection system on the Corvette’s 410ci sprint car motor, he’s got the proof for his theory.
Dave built the engine around a bow-tie block, with 13.2:1 compression to make it street-friendly, albeit on avgas. The rest of the engine specs read like a dream list for most engine builders: Brodix dash-12 15-degree heads, splayed caps, LAE Kryptonite crank and rods, Jesel shaft rockers — you name it, it’s got it. The headers, which could double as an objet d’art, are more of Bic’s handiwork and are stepped from 1 7/8-inch to 2-inch into a merge collector followed by a full 3-inch system, and, as you can expect, the sound is raucous.
The driveline that backs it all up is equally as well thought out, and while predominantly aimed at taking abuse on the track, it’s streetable, but not for the faint-hearted — then again, driving any mechanically injected car on the street takes a bit of getting used to. A Tilton 7-inch clutch acts as the on/off switch from the Jerico 4-speed manual straight-cut dog box. Further back you’ll find a Duntov heavy-duty Eaton Posi with 3.08:1 ratio, and the aforementioned custom half-shafts.
One of the finishing touches in the build was the wheel combination. Too small and they wouldn’t fit over the Wilwood 6-pot front calipers and 13-inch rotors, too large and they’d ruin the classic appeal of the C2’s bodylines. The perfect solution was found in the form of 17×9.5-inch American Racing Salt Flat Special wheels, which are wrapped in 275/40R17 rubber. The vehicle’s widened track brings the tyres ever so close to the guards, yet somehow they don’t hit at all.
While the car hasn’t made it onto the circuit for a shakedown yet, with the engineering finesse and thought that has gone into the build, we can only assume it will be an impressive sight. But what class will it race in? Dave’s not too sure, and to be honest, he’s not really that fussed. He built it how he wanted it rather than how someone else told him to, and if that leaves him relegated to track days and street driving, then so be it.
With a new business venture — Gravel Clothing — now underway, time is at a premium for Dave, so fully committing to a race series would be a long shot at present anyway, but we can’t think of any better way to market a clothing brand aimed at car enthusiasts than slapping the name on the side of one of the coolest cars in the land. If you love the car as much as we do, then we recommend you check out the Gravel Clothing website; you never know, but you may just find it on a T-shirt … and while it’s not as cool as owning the real thing, it’s about as close as you’re ever going to get.
This article is from NZV8 issue 86.

1965 Chev Corvette – Specifications

Engine: 410ci small block Chev, bow-tie block, 13.2:1 compression, splayed caps, LAE Kryptonite crank and rods, Summers gear drive, 4-stage dry sump, Brodix -12 heads, 15° valve angle, spread port exhausts, Jesel shaft rockers, Hilborn 2 7/16-inch injection, custom air cleaner tubes, K&N filters, mechanical Hilborn injection, custom fully baffled aluminium fuel tank, Hunt magneto, 1 7/8-inch to 2-inch stepped headers, merge collectors to full thin 3-inch exhaust, custom radiator with O-ringed Hargett coupled hard lines, remote Meziere mechanical water pump
Driveline: Jerico 4-speed straight-cut dog box, Tilton 7-inch triple plate clutch, Tilton magnesium bellhousing, hydraulic release bearing, Duntov heavy duty Eaton Posi, steel shim pack, 3.08:1 ratio, custom solid half-shafts
Suspension: Optimised double A-arm, custom chromoly front roll bar, electric power steering rack and pinion, adjustable Corvette transverse leaf, extra link and unloaded slip-joint half-shafts, Koni adjustable shocks, Guldstrand springs, modified rear track
Brakes: Wilwood 6-pot front calipers, 13-inch rotors, 4-pot Wilwood rear calipers, 12-inch rear rotors, Tilton pedal box
Wheels/Tyres: 17×9.5-inch American Racing Salt Flat Special wheels, 275/40R17 Nitto tyres
Exterior: 1967 spec exterior, radiused rear wheel arches, shaved front bumpers
Chassis: De-burred, unnecessary bracketing removed and filled
Interior: Racetech seats and full harness belts, window net, Hurst shifter, Stewart Warner gauges, chromoly roll cage, customised dashboard
Performance: Approx. 700hp

2012-07-26T23:53:00.004-07:00

1964 Ford XM Falcon Deluxe – Teacher’s Pet – 66

Ten years ago Kim Theyers didn’t know what an XM Falcon was. These days she’s got the best example in the country.
When we asked why Taranaki primary school principal Kim Theyers chose to build an XM Falcon, the answer wasn’t what we expected. While most people purchase the vehicles we see in these pages with the intent of modifying or restoring them, her story is a bit different.
It all started 10 years ago, when Kim’s husband, Glen, was rebuilding his ’32 coupe. With the coupe in bits the happy couple didn’t have a car to get them to events or even to take for a weekend cruise.
Kim decided the solution was for her to buy a car of her own that could be used for such occasions. She had no idea what she was really after, and it was only when she spotted a purple XM pulling into Rotorua Swapmeet that she knew it was the vehicle for her.
“I had no idea what kind of car it was or even if it was for sale,” she says, “but I told Glen that was the car I wanted.” Luckily, after a bit of hunting around, the car was found and was actually for sale.
Better still, the price was right and the car was solid. “We then had to scrounge around everyone we knew at the swapmeet to come up with the cash to purchase the car, as we weren’t expecting to buy one,” Kim recalls. “Luckily, lots of our friends were obliging, and we managed to get together enough money to drive the car home.”
It was clearly meant to be, and that story of good luck and good timing marks the start of a love affair between Kim and her XM.
Favourite Teacher
For the next eight years the car would be used as a genuine daily driver. Kim was a schoolteacher at the time and the pupils loved the car. If there was a trip anywhere the XM would be the first car the kids wanted to go in, even if it was far closer to stock than it is now.
The transformation from stocker to show-stopper started just two years ago when Glen decided a tin of bog would make for a great birthday present. Most people would be less than impressed but Kim was ecstatic — she knew it signalled that the car would be getting a long overdue tidy-up. And fully aware of her husband’s passion and ability to build cars, Kim was sure this wouldn’t be just a light once-over, even if that’s all Glen was planning at the time.
Within a few weeks the car was stripped to a bare shell — and Kim wasn’t sure it would ever be put together again. But over the next year it was indeed pieced back together, albeit better than she could have ever imagined.
Although most of the ideas for the build were her own, Glen and his friend Daniel had a few surprises up their sleeves and kept Kim away from Midhurst Service Station, where the build was taking place. “Other friends would sometimes let things slip or they would have seen the car while it was at the service station and would tell me about things,” she says.
The Snowball Effect
One of the first things to be done was the construction of a custom fuel tank. With the stock tank removed, the fuel filler could be relocated to inside the boot and the filler flap removed.
With the original tank gone, the rear wheel arches could be tubbed to allow wider rear wheels to be fitted. That meant the rear seat needed modification to fit around the tubs — and so the build snowballed…
With the exterior smoothed off, both in terms of the fuel filler and the removal of years of supermarket dings, attention was turned to achieving the same effect with the engine bay.
The trans tunnel was raised at the same time to allow easy fitment of the C4 auto that now backs up the motor, as well as the custom driveshaft.
The clean bay was then mated with a 302 Windsor of unknown origins. Of course, it was first detailed and fixed with a bunch of bolt-on goodies such as a Torker manifold, 600cfm Holley carb and a host of MSD ignition components.
Once fitted with modified Mustang extractors and an equally modified Cadillac air cleaner, the engine was ready to be dropped back in the hole.
But first came the big decision of paint colour. Kim wanted purple, and after seeing the latest Holden Morpheus variant, she knew that was the one.
Deciding on a silver to match was more difficult, and it sounds like quite a bit of time was spent searching for it. After much deliberating, PPG Iceberg was chosen and Maurice Pretty was handed the task of applying it.
A Solid Plan
From the beginning Kim knew what she wanted to do with the interior. The seats were to remain stock, but they would be given a two-tone leather retrim. Normanby Upholstery was chosen to do the work, but finding a purple leather became a challenge. Not wanting to let her down, the company ended up having the leather specially dyed for the car. Combined with the white leather and chrome fittings, the interior has come together even better than Kim could have ever expected.
A white hood lining was also added to the cabin and with that, combined with the white seats and purple carpets (which really set the interior off), we’re assuming the days of taking kids on school trips in the XM are over.
The finishing touch was the embroidering of NOVRYN on the back of the front seats.
Don’t worry if you didn’t get it at first, you’re not alone. ‘November Rain’ by Guns N’ Roses is a special song for Kim and Glen, so much so it now adorns the number plate.
Those widened rear wheel arches that started the build now house 18×10-inch Boyd Coddington Smoothie II rims, which are fitted to a narrowed eight-inch diff. Up front slightly smaller 17×7-inch versions have been fitted around later model Falcon front struts with XB Falcon discs and callipers.
While the rear makes do with the stock drums, it does have some very nice QA1 adjustable coil-overs mounted to a custom four-link setup. The result is a low yet not undriveable height, and a car that handles far better than when it left the factory back in 1964 — not to mention the fact it turns heads wherever it goes.
One Year On
It was almost exactly a year in the build before the car hit the road in its new guise, and since then Kim’s never looked back, taking it all around the country whenever she gets the chance.
A lot has changed from 10 years ago when she didn’t know what the Falcon was. One thing that hasn’t, though, is her love for the car, and with it now looking as good as it does, we can’t imagine that love fading any time soon.
Some things are just meant to be.

1964 Ford XM Falcon Deluxe – Specifications

Engine: 302ci (4949c) Windsor, Torquer intake manifold, Holley 600 cfm, custom stainless steel drop tank, Holley Blue electric fuel pump, Holley regulator, MSD billet distributor, MSD 6AL, MSD leads, MSD blaster coil, modified Mustang extractors, two three-inch mufflers, aluminium finned oil cooler, 24×18-inch alloy radiator, smoothed engine bay, battery relocated to boot, stainless radiator overflow bottle, polished alloy lead separators, chrome rocker covers, chrome alternator, customised Cadillac air cleaner
Driveline: Ford C4 transmission, shortened eight-inch diff
Suspension: Custom four-link rear, QA1 adjustable coil-overs, aftermarket front springs, QA1 18-inch, 300lb rear springs
Brakes: XB Falcon front discs and callipers, stock drum rear
Wheels/tyres: 17×7-and 18×10-inch Boyd Coddington Smoothie II rims, 215/40R17 and 275/35R18 Kumho tyres
Exterior: Mini-tubbed rear, raised trans tunnel, tinted glass, PPG Morpheus purple and PPG Iceberg silver, rechromed bumpers
Interior: Full retrim with custom dyed leather, Budnik Famosa steering wheel, B&M Star shifter, Pro Sport oil pressure/water temp/ rpm gauges, purple interior carpet, white hood lining, white Fusion speakers, Sony CD player

Performance: Untested

2012-07-26T23:47:00.001-07:00

1967 Ford Mustang Fastback S-Code – Specifications

He’s got an eye for it,” says Suzanne Leech of her husband Kelvin’s styling ideas for her ’67 Mustang Fastback. “I’d say what I wanted, and he’d tell me it wouldn’t look good and point out his thoughts,” she laughs, “but it wouldn’t look anywhere near this good if it was done how I first thought.” But don’t go thinking that she’s had no input into the car – far from it. Suzanne spent many hours in the shed getting just as dirty as Kelvin and good friend come car-building companion Brett Bowyer. Even Suzanne and Kelvin’s two young kids got involved, and to top off the family effort, Suzanne’s sister had her fair share of grease under her fingernails too.
The project kicked off a bit over four years ago, when after having previously owned a ’65 Mustang, which was deemed a bit too gutless, Suzanne decided she needed a car that could keep up with Kelvin’s ’63 Galaxie. With a 500-cube big block and manual combo, the Galaxie is a seriously fast car, so that’s what the Mustang had to be also.
After informing Chuck from Chuck’s Restoration Supplies of their plan, he put his feelers out and promptly found a ’67 Fastback that had been sitting for the last 10 years. It was a factory big block car with no running gear, and the 15×12-inch rear rims it sat on were a sign it had been raced many years ago. The car’s interesting history made it even more appealing, and as soon as they saw the photos, they knew it was the car for the project.
Just as momentum was building, the project was paused. It was decided that more garaging was required, and as such a new property was purchased. Add to this another baby to the family, and the Mustang was pushed aside for a few years.
Once back underway, Kelvin and Brett spent many hours in the shed performing all the bodywork, which thankfully didn’t involve any rust repairs at all. Instead, the dynamic duo spent their time fitting a GT front end and rear spoiler. After talks of blue, or red, or a divorce, a colour that both Suzanne and Kelvin could finally agree upon was sourced – McLaren orange. Suzanne sums it up perfectly when she says, “I’m glad we both stuck to our guns to find the Papaya as it really does make the car.” While a makeshift spray booth was assembled in the shed to spray the interior, engine bay and door jambs, the task of coating the exterior was handed over to fellow Huapai Hot Rod Club member Kyle Kitson at Greenpark Panel and Paint.
Suzanne admits she had second thoughts upon first seeing the painted shell. It wasn’t until Write On Signs applied the satin black Le Mans and GT 390 stripes, that she knew they’d made the right decision.
Selecting the wheels was left up to Kelvin, who chose 15×7 and 15×9-inch Weld Racing Vitesse items. After waiting a few months for them to arrive from overseas he wasn’t sure he’d made the right call, until the centres were repainted and suddenly they were perfect.
Although the car came minus running gear, a big block was always on the menu, and after sourcing a suitable 390ci donor, work began on making it something special. A Scat crank and rods were chosen, which, along with Probe forged pistons, bump capacity out to a solid 410ci. A Voodoo hydraulic camshaft was fitted, which along with stock heads and PRW roller rockers take care of the breathing side of things. Between the heads sits an Edelbrock Performer manifold and a 680cfm Quick Fuel carb fed by a mechanical fuel pump. Choosing headers that would fit between the block and the strut towers wasn’t the easiest task. Even though the Hooker Competition items chosen are designed for the job, they leave literally millimetres of space on each side. Suzanne was the one tasked with trying to fit her hands in the small space remaining to get the bolts tight, and she assures us it’s a task she’d rather not have to do again.
Backing up the big block is a 4-speed Toploader gearbox and custom clutch set-up. “The Galaxie is a real man’s car. The clutch is too stiff, and the gear shifts are heavy, whereas this is super easy to drive,” says Suzanne of the combination. A 9-inch diff puts the power to the ground, while drum brakes on the rear and 4-pot callipers up front slow it down again.
Interior-wise, Suzanne wasn’t sure about Kelvin’s instructions to Joel from Traditional Upholstery about how the stitching should look. Once the Porsche front seats and factory rear seat were returned in their new leather glory though, she once again knew he’d made the right call. Besides the addition of an aftermarket steering wheel and Hurst Competition Plus shifter, the interior remains as it did from the factory, albeit restored to new condition.
Suzanne can’t thank both Kelvin and Brett, along with all the other friends and family members who have been involved in the build, enough. While she knew she wanted the car to be built properly, never in her wildest dreams was it going to be as impressive as it’s turned out to be.
After two years in the build, the car made its debut at the Kumeu Car Show last month, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Not only was it the day of Suzanne’s 40th birthday, but it was also the couple’s 12th wedding anniversary. What better way to celebrate than showing off your newly completed pride and joy, and partying with a few thousand other car enthusiasts?

2012-07-03T03:57:00.001-07:00

1965 Dodge Monaco - Diplomatic Dodge - 45

It may have started life transporting American Samoa’s diplomats, but this four-owner Dodge Monaco was destined for bigger things
Ged Crombie grew up in a family that wasn’t into cars, but he was, is and always will be a car guy. His first obsession was Fords, starting with a 1949 Ford Popular. He moved on to the GM stable, but for the last 10 years he has been a Chrysler man through and through. So much so that he has created his own sideline business called Gedz Garage, importing and selling Mopar parts from the States.

Meant To Be

In 2004 Ged was looking for a new Mopar, a 1965 Dodge Coronet, to be precise. He didn’t find the Coronet, but what he did find while attending the Palmerston North Swap Meet was a very tidy 1965 Dodge Monaco. It had the body work already done and needed the mechanicals sorted, which was perfect for this Waikanae automotive technician, who admits that “bodywork isn’t my thing”.
The Monaco started its life as a Canadian-built factory 318 (the American-built Monacos came with a 383). Its first two years were spent as a diplomat’s car in American Samoa, ending in 1967 when it was shipped to little old New Zealand. By the time Ged got his Mopar-loving hands on it, it was sporting a stroked 440 big block (out to around 451ci), and recent panel and paint courtesy of previous owners Robin and Linda Barnes of Koop-de-Glass, who straightened out the long, clean lines of the coupe. Robin and Linda also de-badged and de-chromed, before coating the whole thing in a classic gold colour with subtle two-tone fade on the roof to accentuate the factory lines.

Making A Good Thing Better

Ged could have left his new purchase as he bought it and had a perfectly fine classic car ” but then it wouldn’t be on the pages of NZV8 magazine now, would it?
Not long after he got the Dodge Ged was backing out of the workshop and it lost reverse ” gone, nowhere to be found. Out came the transmission and off it went to a mate to get it sorted. The trans might only have taken two weeks to come back, but the car was off the road for 12 months. While the trans was out Ged decided it might be time for a “bit of a tidy up”. How many times have we heard that one..?

Get Up And Boogie

The Chrysler 440 big block had already had a fair amount of work done to it, including Keith Black pistons, Comp Cams roller rockers and ported heads, so Ged decided to tidy up the engine bay and dress it up a bit. This was done by hiding the wiring, popping on some race-style Indy rocker covers, installing a new electric water pump and alloy radiator, and changing the carb to a Barry Grant 750cfm Mighty Demon double pumper.
The trans is a 727 with a lot of good bits in it, which Ged found when it was stripped down to fix the no reverse problem. It has a Chrysler 8.75-inch diff that originally had 2.7:1 gears in it, but Ged changed that to a locker 3.5:1 ratio diff head, which helps it get up and go all that quicker. The old girl can really haul ass now, running a 9.2 eighth mile at Port Road in street drags, which isn’t mucking around when you consider the size of her.

Handles As Well As It Looks

While the Monaco was parked up it also got new suspension and brakes. Ged had new Tubular A-arms custom manufactured by Kiwi Race Cars. QA1 alloy 12-way adjustable shocks were slotted in all round, giving the car a more stable ride and much better stance. Ged imported an SSBC big front brake kit from the States, which included 11.25-inch slotted rotors and four-piston alloy callipers, stainless braided brake hoses and a very trick-looking billet master cylinder. The brake kit didn’t quite bolt straight on like they said it would, but it didn’t take a lot of modification to get it in. While that was going in Ged also added a brake bias valve to the system plus a line lock solenoid. Once he got the braking system dialled in, the car stopped far better than when it packed the big old 11-inch drum brakes that came factory on it. When it came to choosing wheels, after trying a few different options Ged settled on the classic look of the 15-inch Weld Prostars ” he liked the style of them and didn’t want to go with huge late-model alloys that seem to be the trend with big American cars these days. Instead he opted for more of a street machine look, which is mirrored throughout the car.

Inside The Ride

The spacious interior has been left relatively stock, with the seats, dash, headlining and even carpet being the same ones that graced the Monaco when it rolled off the factory floor. The B&M shifter looks fantastic, and it’s hard to believe it is a factory piece, except for the cool knob with the Mopar logo machined into it. The aftermarket gauges that Ged has added have been done so that they almost look factory spec; and, believe it or not, the factory centre console’s tacho, clock and radio still work perfectly ” not that Ged has the radio hooked up; he prefers to listen to the sweet exhaust note from that stroked big block engine. That’s right folks: no 20-inch alloys, no airbag suspension and no big-dollar stereo with a boot full of subs here ” Ged’s an old-school kinda guy.

Drive It Like You Stole It

For now, Ged is pretty much done with modifying the Monaco. He recently purchased a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda from Florida, so he’s diverting his attention to that and just driving the Monaco. But it was built to drive, right? Hell yeah; Ged drives it and drives it hard. It’s a solid weekend cruiser, but with summer upon us it is starting to see more action with the odd Rod Run. Ged has even booked in to drive her down to Christchurch for Muscle Car Madness this year, and why not? “It goes hard, goes around corners real well and it stops on a dime, yet it just looks like an old street machine,” he says.
Simple really.

Ged Crombie – Owner Profile

Age: 42
Occupation: Automotive technician
Previously owned cars: 1949 Ford Popular with 289 V8 and four-speed, 1969 Holden Monaro, 1964 four-door Impala, 968 Camaro with tunnel ram and nitrous, 1965 Dodge Coronet 440, 1969 Plymouth Satellite — Roadrunner Clone, 1963 Chrysler 330 Sedan
Dream Car: Mid-’60s A/FX Mopar drag car with a blown Hemi, Hemi-powered Dodge Daytona
Why the Monaco: Loved the body style and the panel and paint had already been done
Build time: Ongoing
Length of ownership: Four years
Ged thanks: “Firstly, thanks to my partner Anita who allows me to pursue my automotive addiction.
“Big thanks to a previous employer, Keith (Piggy) Dent at Cartorque Ltd in Paraparaumu (ph 04 902 9042) for use of his workshop during the build. Robin and Linda Barnes from Koop-de-Glass (ph 06 756 8460) for the original build-up of the car.”

1965 Dodge Monaco – Specifcations

Engine: Chrysler 440ci big block stroked to 451ci (7210cc to 7391cc). Keith Black pistons, Hemi half-inch oil pick-up, modified sump, nine-way adjustable cam timing set, 906 cylinder heads, stainless valves, crane double valve springs, Comp Cams roller rockers, heads ported and flowed to 550hp, 750cfm Mighty Demon
Driveline: 727 transmission, competition clutches and bands, five-plate clutch assembly, modified valve body, Hemi flexplate, 2800rpm stall torque converter, 3.5:1 ratio Suregrip diff head with big yoke, 30-spline axles, three-inch driveshaft with large universal joints
Brakes: Complete front brake kit from Stainless Steel Brake Corp in the USA. Original 279x51mm rear drum brakes with new shoes and overhauled wheel cylinders
Suspension: QA1 alloy 12-way adjustable front and rear shocks. Original front torsion bar and rear leaf springs. Original front swaybar, tubular top A-arms made by Kiwi Race Cars
Wheels/tyres: Weld Prostars, 15×7 and 15×10-inch Weld Prostar rims, 205/65R15 Goodyear and 275/60R15 BF Goodrich tyres
Exterior: Body de-chromed and panel and painted by Robin Barnes in Gold, with fade-away roof paint scheme.
Interior: Original interior with extra aftermarket Auto Meter water temp and oil pressure gauges and Summit Racing tacho. B&M shifter with custom Mopar knob
Performance: 9.2 at 95mph (152.8kph) 1/8-mile ¨(Port Road)

2012-07-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

Хрислер 300Ц - Хеми Хит - 12

Return of a legend
They say that if you want to get ahead, sometimes you have to look back. Certainly in terms of Chrysler’s new 300C it seems designers have revived more than just the old ‘letter car’ badges and retro chrome grille from the original series.
For back in the mid ’50s when it all began, Chrysler launched the C300 with the first of its innovative Dual Quad Hemi V8 engines. Output was a surprising 300hp (224kW), hence the 300 badge designation. Transmission was Chrysler’s Torqueflite two-speed, with later models even getting a three-speed option. Performance for its day wasn’t bad either, as it was claimed the C300 could reach 60mph (96.5kph) in under 10¯seconds, and 130mph (209kph) flat out. In fact it was one of the fastest production cars you could buy off the showroom floor. But what made the C300 unique apart from the performance was the fact that it wasn’t just a stripped-out racer. Leather seats were standard and it got optional extras like wire wheels, tinted glass, a radio set, a heater — even electric windows and seats were on offer. Standard equipment by today’s standards, but back then it was pure luxury.
Horror Times
Over the years the 300 evolved from the ‘C’ all the way to the ‘L’ by the mid ’60s, which is why they were known as the letter car series.

Chrysler brought back the 300 badge in 2000 with the controversial ‘M’ series cab forward design, but to the horror of Mopar fans it was front wheel drive and two cylinders short of a V8.
It may be history now, but looking back Chrysler has remembered the things that made its cars so popular in the first place, plenty of metal, big V8s and rear wheel drive. Sometimes it makes you wonder why it just didn’t ask?
Today’s 300C has the most intimidating presence of a type not seen on our roads for quite some time. Its high waist line and lowered roof suggest origins of classic American customising, while the long squared-off bonnet and trunk almost give it the stately shape of the ’60s. At 1881mm in width and 4999mm in length the 300C doesn’t sound like anything out of the ordinary, but visually looks like so much more.
If on the outside the 300C looks large then inside the interior cabin has more of the same.
There’s more than enough room to swing a cat. Even though from the outside the chopped roof gives the impression that head room may be tight.
Wood trims and aluminium inserts are of good quality, while the white-faced analogue retro clock and instruments are a nice touch. There’s no hand brake lever, instead you’ll find a foot-operated park brake which is nicely tucked away.
Unlike the original 300 series you pretty much get all the options as standard, including air conditioning, electric seats, an adjustable steering column and a Boston Acoustics speaker system, just to name a few.
The rear seats have plenty of legroom even for those around the six foot mark, however the centre rear is really only for the little ones. The front seat frames were donations from the previous Mercedes E-class, and roughly 20¯per cent of the 300C’s construction comes from the company’s German partner.
Hemi Is Back
At the business end of the car there’s a familiar powerplant under the hood. It’s Chrysler’s new generation 5.7-litre Hemi engine, delivering 250kW and a strong 525Nm of torque.
The name may be the same as the old Hemi last seen in the ’70s, but the Hemi’s comeback has unleashed a barrage of modern updates. The cast iron block is retained but is precision cast to save weight, while the cam is now hollow and sits much higher up in the block, so shorter pushrods could be used. Up on top the head is now alloy with two valves per cylinder and dual firing plugs, and the intake manifold is of composite construction.
Today’s Hemi also has the controversial MDS (multi displacement system) which, depending on throttle position and speed, shuts off four of the eight cylinders for added fuel economy.
Chrysler claims that once the pedal hits the floor full power can be retained within 0.04 seconds. All very interesting, but it begs the question, why would you buy a V8 if you were worried about fuel consumption?
Bringing up the rear of the Hemi engine is the Mercedes-sourced five-speed auto gearbox with sequential Auto Stick selection. Once Drive is selected gear changes can be made by pushing the lever left for down or right for up. The system certainly makes manual selection of the gears a breeze as there’s no alternate gate for this mode, it works straight off the Drive position.
4 and 8
When you fire up the Hemi there’s no mistaking that there’s a V8 powerplant up front ready for business. It’s nice to see the Chrysler engineers have read my mind and not opted for the long travel accelerator from the Mercedes parts bin, instead to my delight it’s short throw and equally responsive.
Selecting Drive and easing out into traffic the 300C pulls off the mark smoothly, but somehow you know there’s a lot more power available if needed. At lower speeds the chassis rides well, extinguishing fears that it may have been set up like American cars of old. Probably no surprise as both front and rear multi link set-ups are modified versions of the previous Mercedes E-class design.
By this time I’m sure the Hemi is only running on four cylinders, but honestly there’s nothing giving it away. Abandoning the suburban traffic we manage to enter open road territory to get a taste of what Chrysler’s latest offering can really deliver. Pushing the pedal to the floor, the 5.7-litre Hemi bursts into all cylinders with the beautiful sound of the eight-piece orchestra up front.
Chrysler’s MDS is working well, very smooth and hard to detect switching over.
At just under two tons the car’s no light-weight, but independent tests have showed it will hit 100kph in under six seconds, which is fairly respectable.
After negotiating a series of bends and sweeping corners it’s obvious that this is no sports or GT car, but more a cruiser. Faster corners let you know there’s plenty of weight being pushed around, and tighter ones produce signs of understeer.
The brakes, however, do the job well and never gave us any indication they weren’t up to the job.
At the end of the day it’s hard not to like the 300C as it looks menacing on the road, just like the legendary Chryslers of old, yet has all the refinements of the modern era.
But honestly what I most admire about the 300C is that Chrysler made it in right hand drive straight from the factory. Nice to see someone is thinking of us, God bless America (and Germany too).

Chrysler 300C – Specifications

Engine: Hemi cast iron block with aluminium heads, ohv two valves per cylinder, 5654cc (345 ci), bore-99.5mm, stroke-90.9mm, compression 9.6:1, twin plug ignition, sequential port electronic fuel injection, fly by wire throttle control
Driveline: Five-speed auto gearbox with Auto Stick, rear drive with ESP traction control
Suspension: Front: upper A arms, lower lateral and diagonal links, coil springs tube shocks, anti roll bar. Rear: Five link, coil springs, tube shocks, anti roll bar
Brakes: Front: 345mm (13.6”) disc Rear: 320mm (12.6”) disc
Wheels/tyres: 18×7.5 aluminium wheels with 225/60/18 tyres

2012-07-03T03:51:00.001-07:00

1971 VG Crysler Valiant - Primal Urges - 49

If you’re a Mopar fan and Adrian Betterton’s ’71 Valiant doesn’t get your hair standing on end, you’d better check you’ve got a pulse
Goosebumps rise across your skin and the hair on the back of your neck stands to attention. A shiver runs down your spine as you experience that throwback from caveman days known as the fight or flight reaction. It was a natural defence mechanism employed if we experienced something threatening or dangerous, like a dog and its hackles. The body automatically puffed up your lustrous coat of hair to make your caveman self appear larger than he actually was, thereby hopefully intimidating any potential threat.
Of course, we are no longer quite so hirsute, nor do the same things pose a threat, but that original, basic defence mechanism is still there, showing itself when it deems appropriate. For any true enthusiast, one of those moments is the firing of an all-American big block V8 like the 512ci Mopar in Adrian Betterton’s 1971 Chrysler Valiant. The starter motor whines as the crank inside the engine begins to turn. After a few chugs, coughs and splutters, 512 cubic inches of American iron roars into life, the ground vibrating underfoot as it finds idle. The motor begins to warm, and the deep, guttural Mopar roar begins to surge and ebb under the spell of an aggressive camshaft spinning in the bowels of the beast.
Although it can’t quite be pinpointed, there is definitely something primal, something quintessentially masculine about the roar of a big block V8. Adrian’s particular 440-based engine is a perfect example, wrapped up in a clean, aggressive Valiant shell.
Six Years Down
Adrian first bought the car six years ago while on the hunt for a Holden HK Monaro. “I was looking for an old-school cruiser, and always loved the HK. But after a bit of research I realised they were well out of my price range. My girlfriend at the time knew someone selling a VG Valiant, so I went along and checked it out. It was perfect,” Adrian says.
Like so many other NZV8 feature car owners, Adrian soon grew bored of cruising round in the stock standard old girl, and slowly began sneaking bits and pieces onto the car as they came up. For example, Adrian explains, “It was time for new tyres, but there was no way I was going to fork out for the same stuff again, so I called up Lance at Arrow Wheels. He sold me a set of 17×7-inch and 17×9-inch Sabres, and then custom fitted them to the Valiant. From there, it just got more and more out of control.”
By then, the 30-year-old paint was looking a little ragged, so Adrian rang paint-master mate Mary-Anne Roper, asking for a quick weekend respray. This, as you would expect, turned into six months of weekends as the pair perfected and prepped the body for its new Vixen Red paint.
Lastly, Adrian was going big block, so he needed a big block-esque scoop. “I took the bonnet and scoop to a panelbeater, who I won’t name. After a few days he called me up to let me know it was finished, I went down there and everything would have been just fine¦ if I was putting it on a SLR5000. It was backwards! My jaw hit the floor, admittedly so did his when I told him. The problem was rectified and I took the car down to Ross Walker at Unique Auto Worx, who laid on the red and black paint.”
Stroking It
Now that the car was looking a million dollars with its fresh paint, and sitting low on the Arrow wheels thanks to reset leafs, heavy duty torsion bars and Monroe gas shocks, it was time for a new motor. A big motor. Starting with a 440ci Chrysler big block, Adrian contacted Stateside company 440 Source, which supplied him with a full 512ci stroker kit. The kit came with nearly everything Adrian needed to build his new motor, including the Platinum Series crank, which cleverly uses the smaller 2.200 journals, thus making block clearance a far easier affair. Oil supply comes from an enlarged oil pan, and Hemi pick up and pump. GK Reconditioners peiced the whole lot together.
Above the hulking block, 440 Source also provided a pair of alloy heads with 212cc intake and 72cc exhaust ports. As for the camshaft, Melling supplied Adrian with a Class 3 shaft to use with a set of Crane hydraulic lifters. The 480 lift, 300 duration cam is a good mix of street and strip, with a rev range of 2000rpm to 6000rpm. ARP head bolts, PRW stainless steel roller rockers and custom Octane Fabrications alloy rocker covers finish the job.
To feed the hungry beast there’s a re-jetted Holley 800cfm carb, bolted above a tried and true Edelbrock Peformer intake manifold. This is supplied fuel by a Carter electric fuel pump via half-inch braided line, while the fuse is lit by an MSD 6AL Mopar performance model ignition module. All this gear now sits pretty under the Valiant’s hood with plenty of room, looking very clean thanks to an Octane Fabrication de-loomed and smoothed engine bay.
Back It Up
Back behind the engine sits a very tough 727 transmission, which is accompanied by a 440 Source 7/16 flex plate and a 10-inch Boss Hog 2200rpm high stall converter. This pushes power out to the rear of the car, where a shortened nine-inch diff, complete with LSD head and 3.25:1 gears, can be found.
Good power and a solid transmission generally require an upgrade in the braking department. For this, Adrian kept the rear drums as is, but replaced the front stoppers with Wilwood four-pot Superlite discs and rotors. Although it’s no race car, the Valiant will now pull up in a tight spot if needed.
Before the Chrysler could be called finished, it needed a refreshed interior, as this one had taken a beating over the previous three decades. Adrian took the beast down to Alvin at Stock Upholstery, who reupholstered the interior in simple black, with a tidy red pinstripe to match the car’s exterior. Besides the new look, the only other interior enhancements are a set of Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges, a Hurst pistol grip shifter and a steering wheel pulled from an R/T Charger.
Mopar or No Car
Powerful, reliable and tidy, this Chrysler has come a long way in the last six years. Maybe that deep Mopar rumble emitted by cars like Adrian’s Valiant gives a gearhead his or her shivers simply due to the instinctively frightening low bass notes and the shaking ground. Or perhaps it is more complex than that: the promise of crushing power and mountain-moving torque that only the sound of a hulking big block eight can provide.

1971 VG Chrysler Valiant – Specifcations

Engine: Chrysler big block 440, 440 Source 512ci (8390cc) stroker kit, Platinum series crank, Platinum series 17cc dished pistons, Total Seal rings, steel SFI damper, Hemi 6ct oil pan, Hemi oil pick up, high-volume pump, 440 Source alloy heads, Melling Class 3 camshaft, Crane hydraulic lifters, PWR stainless roller rockers, 1.5 ratios, ARP head bolts, Octane Fabrications alloy rocker covers, alloy water pump, Holley re-jetted 800cfm, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold, Carter electric fuel pump, Holley regulator, half-inch braided fuel line, MSD 6AL ignition module, twin three-inch exhaust system, Desert Cooler alloy radiator, 16-inch Davis Craig fan, de-loomed engine bay, smoothed firewall
Driveline: 727 transmission, 440 Source Hemi 7/16 flex plate, Boss Hog 10-inch hemi 7/16 bolt torque converter (2200rpm stall), shortened nine-inch diff, LSD head, 3.25 gears
Suspension: Re-tensioned leaf springs, Monroe gas shocks, heavy duty torsion bar, Nolathane bushes
Brakes: Front Wilwood four-pot Super Lite discs and rotors, factory rear drums
Wheels/tyres: 17×7-inch and 17×9-inch Arrow Wheels Sabre rims, 215/45R17 front tyres, 255/40R17 rear tyres
Exterior: Stock body, Vixen red re-spray
Interior: Re-upholstered interior, R/T Charger steering wheel, Hurst alloy pistol grip shifter, Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges, custom alloy centre console
Performance: Untested

Adrian Betterton – Owner Profile

Age: 36
Occupation: Courier
Previously owned cars: 308ci Holden HQ one-tonner, 406ci Holden HZ panel van
Build time: Four years
Owned: Six years
Adrian thanks: Craig at Octane Fabrications, Mary-Anne, Brad at Brake Co, Ross Walker at Unique Auto Worx, Lance at Arrow Wheels, Tim at Procoat, Alvin at Stock Upholstery, Gerard at GK Automotive and Reconditioners

2012-07-03T03:48:00.000-07:00

1972 Plymouth Road Runner - Mopar Perfection - 50

Ever since the then brand new 1971/1972 Plymouth Road Runners and GTXs were advertised, Brent Hyde wanted one. It was the large rear haunches of that generation which really drew him to the vehicles, along with the fact a Hemi could be hiding within. This combination was enough to ensure that eventually he would have one of his own.
It took 30 years before one was registered in his name ” but the wait was the easy part, because the build of this vehicle hasn’t been entirely plain sailing.
Right Time, Right Place
The ’72 Road Runner was imported into New Zealand around 1990, and after being on the road for a few years, the then owner’s wife somehow managed to fill the petrol tank with diesel and subsequently destroyed the engine. In 2002 Brent made the owner an offer for the partially disassembled car that he couldn’t refuse, and the deal was done.
Besides the motor being in pieces, the condition of the car was pretty original, and once the engine was sorted it was in this state that Brent drove it around as his daily driver.
Wrong Time, Wrong Place
Fast forward through a few years of happy motoring, and the tale of man and machine takes a serious turn for the worse. Early one morning, while heading out to the annual Kumeu Car Show, a drunk driver ran a red light right in front of Brent, leaving little option but for Brent to hit the car.
The guy wasn’t just drunk; Brent had found the worst driver in the world to share a road with. The driver was in a car that wasn’t registered or warranted, didn’t have a license and was out on weekend release from prison. Obviously all this added up to one seriously uninsured driver.
Three court appearances later, and Brent was left somewhat bemused at the justice system as the driver walked away with ‘careless use of a motor vehicle’. Apparently it wasn’t worth slapping him with all the other charges, as the fines would never get paid.
At least Brent’s insurance covered the Road Runner, and since he had planned to give it a full rebuild a few years down the track, he decided to take advantage of his misfortune and do it now.
The process took three years but the end result is without doubt one of the top cars to ever be built in New Zealand. From the very outset, only the best people were chosen to work on the car, and Brent has nothing but praise for those involved.
The Build Begins
Straightening out the body was first and foremost on the agenda, and with a rare car like this, choosing the right panel guy is essential. Brent had seen some of the work performed at Moselle Panel And Paint in Henderson, Auckland, and liked the attitudes of the staff and owners.
Moselle became home to the car for much of the project, and Brent can’t speak highly enough of the work the company did.
The repairs required due to the accident damage were completed before the shut lines and gaps were perfected. If you look closely at the bumpers, you will notice they have been smoothed and recontoured to more closely fit the body. Or, more likely, you won’t notice anything at all ” the job is flawless. However, you will probably be able to appreciate how much better looking this car is compared to a standard one. All body work was performed in bare metal, without a scrap of filler. When you look at how long and straight the rear haunches of the Road Runner are, you can’t help but be impressed.
While the panel work was taking place, an engine was being built on the other side of the world. It’d be a stretch to fit the big cube Hemi and associated hardware within the engine bay, so the shock towers were scalloped in preparation and all unused holes filled.
One of the goals for the build was to achieve a car that looked completely custom, yet almost as if it was a modern interpretation of what the factory produced.
The beautiful PPG Vibrant Yella paint is one area where that ‘modernised factory’ look has been achieved. At first glance it’s a retina-searing yellow, but look closer and you will find a coarse metallic and multiple pearls.
Likewise, the black used for the stripes over the roof isn’t just black, but black with a yellow pearl and the same metallics. It’s a finish that looks great in the flesh, but is nigh on impossible to capture in photos.
The Ultimate Hemi
After previously suffering dramas with locally assembled engines, Brent decided to get the car’s new powerplant from the other side of the globe. One of the influencing factors was that the car was to go on a carb-free diet and be electronically fuel injected instead. With New Zealanders having little EFI Hemi experience, it made sense and saved dollars to deal with the pros in the US.
Although the car originally had a worked 440 in it, Brent knew it was Hemi or nothing this time around. Indy Cylinder Heads in Indianapolis supplied an engine built to Brent’s specs, which read like any Hemi lover’s dream. There are too many fruity bits to mention (check out the specs on p26 for confirmation of that). But as a teaser, the MP Hemi Mega Block is filled with 7.10-inch Eagle H-beam rods, which, combined with the Callies 4340 4.750-inch stroke, crank give the engine a massive 605 cubic inches of capacity.
The Indy 426-1RA heads feature equally exotic parts, making the engine the best Hemi street motor in the country, hands down.
What set the car apart from many others was the decision to go fuel injected with a setup purchased from For Hemis Only in Canada.
Why go injected? Because Brent likes driving his cars, and no matter how good looking or nicely finished this car ended up, it would be driven as often as possible. With the FAST (Fuel Air Spark Technology) ECU the car would start first try every time and run perfectly all day every day.
Although they’re hard to see, under the customised air intake (lowered over the motor to ensure the bonnet didn’t require any cutting) are twin four-barrel 1375cfm FAST EFI throttle bodies. Again, it’s not what you see but what you don’t that lifts this car above and beyond anything else on the road.
To keep the fuel vapours out of the car, and keep the fuel system as quiet as possible, the 90-litre fuel tank has been fitted with an internal surge tank and pump. From these, fuel passes through another two pumps and filters before finding its way to the engine.
Forced induction? “Not needed,” Brent reckons. And with the setup making a massive 900hp at 6000rpm and 1152Nm at 4900rpm, he’s not wrong.
Although very purposeful, the engine bay isn’t strictly business but a mix of great looks and functional products. Besides the Billet Specialties Tru Trac serpentine belt kit, there’s a Sunnen air conditioning compressor, 140-amp alternator and a HydraBoost booster to assist with brakes and power steering. Tucked neatly (well, as neatly as 2.25-inch pipes can be) down the sides of the big motor are thermal-coated headers, which feed into a twin three-inch system built by Magnum Automotive that Brent describes as, “The best exhaust I’ve ever seen.”
The Dream Driveline
With such an awesome engine package, there’s no way any ordinary driveline was going to end up attached to the back of it. These days a Torqueflite 727 transmission does the shifting, albeit in reverse pattern by a leather retrimmed pistol grip shifter. Inside the box you will find basically the best of the best parts available when it was assembled by Cope Racing Transmissions in Indiana.
Behind the box is a 3.5-inch custom driveshaft with larger than stock, high-performance crosses built by Driveshaft Specialties of East Tamaki. Backing this up is a Dana 60 diff, and judging by the smile on Brent’s face each time he exits the vehicle, it doesn’t get an easy time back there.
The Finer Things
All those years ago when Brent first dreamed of owning a Road Runner, I bet he never thought it would be as good or as advanced as his one is today. Besides the modern suspension and handling setup that consists of an XV Motorport Level 1 suspension kit, custom-valved shocks, custom rear leaves and tubular front suspension arms, there is a bunch of top-shelf extras. Items like billet swaybar mounts, aftermarket one-inch torsion bars, adjustable strut rods, and altered geometry just scratch the surface of what lies within the vehicle.
As well as wanting the car to stick to the road, Brent wanted it to be nice to drive, without the noise and harshness often associated with a modified or old vehicle. Thanks to a selection of rubber and urethane bushes, along with the right hardware, the car now drives like a dream ” and a fast, good-looking dream at that.
Brent has done a lot of research hunting down the right parts, ones that work properly together and are engineered correctly, rather than searching for items with bling appeal. The result is a car that drives just as well as it looks, with no compromises.
The wheels could have been the make or break of the car, but they are perfect for it. The 18×8- and 18×10-inch Vintiques 95 series Billet Chrysler Rallye wheels are a modern interpretation of the vehicle’s original Rallyes, and were custom built with the desired backspace to fill out the guards. Not only do they fit, they fit perfectly, and suit the modern look Brent sought while paying homage to the car’s roots.
The attention to detail and aspiration to make the Road Runner the ultimate driving experience extends to the interior, where fresh leather covers almost every surface. Stu’s Trim Shop was handed the task of modernising the trim and hiding a comprehensive stereo system within.
With fresh BMW carpet laid down, the original-style seats (now complete with six-way power adjustment) could be dropped back in, and the gauges from Instrument Specialties reinstalled. Although the instruments themselves are the originals from the vehicle, they have been restored to better than new condition, recalibrated to suit the vehicle and custom screen printed.
Underneath the trim you will find five layers of soundproofing material. Brent reckons he probably has more Dynamat than the local distributor does, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Finishing Touches
Towards the end of the build, Merlin Motorsport ” a company that more often associated with circuit racers than street cars ” was commissioned to perform some finishing touches. Again, they’re all things that you won’t see at first but which really do put the car above and beyond any other.
We’re talking stuff like all the interior and exterior lighting ” including the instruments ” being converted to LEDs, and the installation of an electronic rear vision mirror with built-in LCD screen.
As if this wasn’t enough to make the car feel like a brand new exotic, it now has under-dash and under-seat rear floor wash lighting, complete with soft start and soft off.
The reality is that this car has so many special features we could dedicate an entire magazine to it. But Brent isn’t one to blow his own trumpet or seek publicity, and he wouldn’t go for it. If, however, you ever manage to get a close look at the car, we are absolutely certain you will be as amazed by it as we are. We’re almost inclined to say it’s the best car currently gracing New Zealand’s highways.
It may have been a rough road to perfection, but these days the only roads Brent has on the horizon are ones that will be travelled in style and at pace.

1972 Plymouth Road Runner -Specifications

Engine: 605ci (9914cc) Hemi, MP Hemi Mega Block. 4.5-inch bore 4.75-inch stroke, Callies 4340 Crank, 180mm Eagle H-beam rods, Wiseco 10.75:1 pistons with .990-inch tool steel pins, ARP fasteners, Indy Maxx side inlet oil pump, Gated custom oil pan, static pickup, full-length windage tray, Indy 426-1RA heads, full CNC machined 510cfm flow, 2.4-inch stainless intake valves, 1.94-inch exhaust valves, K Motion valve springs, titanium spring retainers, Indy 1.6 in/1.5 ex roller rockers, Comp roller cam and lifters (duration 300/296), valve lift .660/.636, Stage V dual quad single-plane inlet manifold, twin four-barrel 1375cfm FAST EFI throttle bodies, manifold port matched and flowed to heads, port injection bungs fitted, Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump filters and regulator, 65lb injectors, 90-litre fuel tank with internal surge tank and fuel pump, MSD 6AL ignition limited to 6800rpm, MSD Blaster coil, 8.5mm Super conductor Hemi leads, FAST cam sync pickup EFI distributor, 2.25-inch TTI headers, four-inch collectors, thermal coating inside and out, dual three-inch system with X-pipe exhaust built by Magnum Automotors, dual three-inch Flowmaster mufflers into dual three-inch glass pack resonators, custom four-core Hemi radiator, fixed seven-blade Hemi fan and full shroud, FAST ECU with custom mapping, Billet Specialties Tru Trac Serpentine belt system, Sunnen air conditioning short compressor, 140 amp alternator, Hydra boost combined power steering and brakes, shock towers cut and laid back 20mm to allow engine and header clearance. All unused holes and mounts filled and smoothed
Driveline: Torqueflite 727 transmission, all parts supplied by Cope Racing transmissions, billet steel drums, four pinion planetary with bearings, billet aluminium accumulator, front and rear servos, Ultimate sprag, Trans fully rollerised, Pro Race II reverse manual shift pattern valve body, Flex band/Red lining, Dana 60 diff, custom 3.5-inch driveshaft with high-performance crosses (no nipples and larger than stock) billet trans and pinion yokes
Suspension: XV Motorsport Level I leaf-spring suspension, custom valved aluminium monobody gas shocks front and rear, custom-made multileaf rear six and seven leaf, one-inch torsion bar front, custom front and rear sway bars with billet mounts, adjustable front strut rods, tubular front upper suspension arms with altered geometry to improve caster and camber settings, selected rubber/ urethane bushes for noise/harshness control
Brakes: ’73 up large spindle C-Body disc brakes HD rotors and callipers, stock rear HD large drums with standard linings
Wheels/tyres: 18×8 and 18×10-inch Vintiques 95 series Billet Chrysler Rallye wheels, 245/45R18 and 295/45R19 Hankook tyres
Exterior: Body stripped, repaired, shut lines, gaps and panels blueprinted, bumpers smoothed recontoured to match body lines, Air Grabber air cleaner base hand-built in steel to allow 3-inch filter and match original hood. PPG Vibrant Yella by Moselle Panel and Paint, Henderson
Chassis: Torque boxes front and rear, custom full-length subframe connectors fabricated and welded to floor, torque strap anchor welded to chassis at left rear of engine to reduce chassis twist
Interior: Complete custom reupholstered in black leather with suede inserts and hood lining, BMW-spec cut pile carpets including fully detailed and lined trunk, original-type seats with six-way power adjustment, re-trimmed in black leather and suede inserts reshaped with bolstering to seat base and back rest to provide a more modern fit, Grant 13-inch Classic Monza steering wheel, factory Slap Stick shifter with retrimmed pistol grip, factory instruments and bezel restored and re-chromed, instruments screen printed with personalised fascia including recalibrating the speedometer to 200mph (322kph) and tachometer for corrected rpm limits, custom interior LED lighting, LED lit instrument cluster, Kenwood DDX814 entertainment system, JVC amps, subwoofer, speakers and crossovers
Performance: 900hp (671kW) at 6000rpm, 1152Nm at 4900rpm

Brent Hyde – Owner Details

Age: 55
Occupation: Manager
Previously owned cars: ’56 F100, various Falcons and Commodores, ’69 Mercury Monterey, ’65 Chevelle Malibu SS, ’73 ’Cuda (daughter’s car)
Dream car: Tricked out Superbird or Daytona
Why the Road Runner: “Ever since I was a young man and saw the ’71-’72 Roadrunner/GTX advertised new, I’ve wanted one. Took me 30 years to get one”
Build time: Three years
Length of ownership: Seven years
Brent thanks: “Huge debt of gratitude to all the guys at Moselle Panel and Paint. Their talents and enthusiasm are unmatched in my experience. In particular and special mention to: Steve (owner) Bryce for outstanding metal craftsmanship, Charlie and Pete for incredible paint and finish. Stu’s Trim Shop, Stu and Ross for attention to detail and finish without compromise. Cope Racing Transmissions: their stuff really does what they say it will do. Faultless. Instrument Specialties: nothing was too difficult, was on time and was very cost effective. Indy Cylinder Head: they make power and will deliver. For Hemis Only: the people to talk to about supply of EFI Hemi equipment. DC Trading: Dave and Carl for tracking down anything I wanted. Top guys. Not least but last (it was the last job), Merlin Motorsport: Leigh and Sandy for slaving away on all the electrical and electronic systems including gremlins and getting the whole thing working so well. To everyone, thank you. I would use you all again.”

2012-07-03T00:24:00.001-07:00

1971 Dodge Charger - Iconic Roar - 51

Wild modification, mild rebuild or sympathetic restoration with a few tweaks here and there? Craig Wallen chose the latter path, and the results speak for themselves.
It was 1964, and Pontiac had just released the GTO, a car that would help shape the identity of the American vehicle forever. This new machine set the public into a buying frenzy, and became the first to be identified as a muscle car ” defined as an affordable, mid-sized, rear-wheel-drive and large-engined two-door vehicle. Although the GTO was the car that started the movement, it was perhaps not its brightest star, as other manufacturers scrambled to catch up throughout the late ’60s. Soon, now instantly recognisable machines like the Chevelle, the Road Runner and the Torino began to pop up in showrooms all over the country, but there was one particular machine that stood out from the rest: the Dodge Charger.
Smooth, hulking looks, a great choice of V8 motors and a very affordable price (around the US$3500 mark) saw the Charger rise to the top of the muscle car pack and into the hearts and minds of Americans.
This march towards icon status was accelerated by two pivotal moments in film and television: Steve McQueen’s classic 1968 film Bullitt, in which a jet black 1968 440ci Charger plays the part of the villain’s vehicle in what is widely regarded as one of the best chase scenes of all time; and, of course, the long-running TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, where a second-gen Charger played the part of the General Lee, one of the most recognisable cars in the world.
Although Auckland-cum-New Plymouth man Craig Wallen was previously a Chev man, he has also always had a huge appreciation for the Charger. “I had been wanting to move into Mopar for a while, and the Charger seems the perfect choice,” Craig says. “I wanted to collect all three B-platform Chargers, which I now have, but it’s my 1971 Series 3 that I’m enjoying the most.”
Unlike most cars featured in NZV8, Craig’s 1971 Dodge Charger is not heavily modified. In fact, it’s not really modified at all, but completely rotisserie restored.
Hard To Find
Four years ago, after realising he simply wasn’t going to find the Series 3 Charger he was looking for here in New Zealand, Craig began looking Stateside for his new ride, eventually stumbling upon a fairly average-condition 1971-vintage example. Although there was not much in the way of rust, the left side of the car had been in an accident and was looking a little worse for wear.
After landing the car in New Zealand, Craig and his brother (Challenger convertible, NZV8 #46) got straight to work stripping down the Charger and bolting it up to a rotisserie for a full bare metal restoration. The process took one long year, but eventually the Dodge rolled out of the workshop looking just as it had when it sat on the showroom floor in 1971.
Under the hood is a slightly different story. The standard issue 380ci motor has been replaced with a 440ci big block engine from a 1972 Charger. The 440 is a beast of a motor, and now benefits from a brand new six-pack carb, bought new from the factory.
Why exactly did Craig go down the restoration path? “With the 440 installed, it’s not like the car was down on power. I just figured it came out of the factory a very capable car, so decided to do a restoration instead of a rebuild. The fact that a standard restored car is worth a lot more to sell than a modified one helped the decision along too.” With a few little tweaks here and there to help the car on its way, Craig was soon hitting the streets in his brand new, four-decade-old Charger.
With plans to simply enjoy driving his ’71 now that it is finished, Craig’s attention has turned to his other two Chargers, specifically his ’68 Series 2, which judging by what we have seen so far, looks set to be a very nice piece of automotive gold. Will it be another inch-perfect restoration like this ’71? Apparently not, it’s slightly more modified. But you can bet if the quality of that car is as good as the one here, it’s a vehicle you will one day see in these pages.
Leading The Charge
During the lead-up to production of Bullitt, Warner Brothers had worked out a deal with Ford, which would supply vehicles for the now very famous chase scene. The hero, Detective Bullitt, was to drive a 1968 390ci Mustang GT Fastback, and the villains, a ’68 Galaxie. Unfortunately for the Galaxies, they were simply too heavy to deal with the abuse of the chase as the cars crashed through the steep San Francisco streets. The producers ditched the Galaxie and went straight down to the local Dodge dealership, where they purchased a pair of jet black 1968 Dodge Charger RTs (there are always two of every car), complete with 440ci big block motors. Both Mustangs sustained heavy damage during the three weeks of filming ” in fact one was completely written off ” and yet both Chargers came out unscathed.
In 1979 a brand-new show aired on a TV sets all across America. It was called The Dukes of Hazzard, and it proved to be an instant hit. We all know the basic storyline, and the characters like Bo, Luke, Uncle Jessie and Boss Hogg, but the true star of the show is the General Lee, a modified Series 2 Dodge Charger.
Over 145 episodes and six years, the producers of the CBS show went through a total of 256 Chargers, wrecking at least one per show with their crazy jumps and stunts. It seems a horrible waste now, but at the time the cars were not worth a hell of a lot, and supply was plentiful. The various ’68 and ’69 Chargers used a wide range of engines, but stunt drivers obviously preferred the big 440ci motor when it came to filming a huge jump, especially considering the car had to move the extra weight of sandbags in the boot that stopped it nosing in on landing. Seventeen of that original 256 still exist today and are, as one could imagine, commanding some serious dollars at auction.

1971 Dodge Charger – Specifications

Engine: 440ci (7.2-litre) Chrysler big block, six-pack carburettor, Mopar electronic ignition, TTI headers, TTI three-inch exhaust system, three-core radiator
Driveline: Chrysler 727 transmission
Brakes: 279mm rotors, standard callipers, standard rear drums
Suspension: Aftermarket front and rear sway bars
Wheels/tyres: Factory 15×7-inch Rallye rims, 225/60R15 BF Goodrich front tyres, 245/60R15 BF Goodridge rear tyres
Exterior: Fully restored in Hemi Orange, black decals
Interior: Restored factory
Performance: Untested

Craig Wallen – Owner Profile

Age: 36
Occupation: Manager
Previously owned cars: ’56 Chev pick-up, ’59 Apache pick-up, currently own ’67 Dodge Charger, ’70 RT/SE Dodge Charger and ’71 Cuda hardtop
Build time: One year
Owned: Three years
Andrew thanks: My panelbeater Steve, Craig Boggs and most of all my wife for allowing my toys.