Nzcc 327 20180226 preview

ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW — SPECIAL EDITION

MASTERS CLASS–WINNING MERCEDES-BENZ 190 SL

MUSCLE GARAGE SEASON TWO

SUNDAYS ON ISSUE 327 $10.99 INCL. GST MARCH 2018

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TORANA A9X

B AT H U R S T L E G E N D R E C R E AT E D

E30 BMWS FUTURE CLASSICS

LONDON TAXI A CAB WITH NO NAME

CONTENTS

327 MARCH 2018

4 4 ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW A FULL REPORT ON NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIER CLASSIC CAR EVENT

16 TORANA A9X

RECREATING A BATHURST LEGEND

26 LONDON TAXI A CAB WITH NO NAME

32 KIWI HOME-FRONT CAN-AM WHEN BIG- BANGER SPORTS CARS TERRORIZED LOCAL TURF — PART TWO

68 BMW E30 COUPE AND BAUR CABRIOLET FUTURE CLASSIC BMWS

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New Zealand Classic Car | themotorhood.com

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48 COLUMNS 48 54 60 78 94

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MOTOR SPORT FLASHBACK KITS AND PIECES MOTORMAN LOCAL MARKET REPORT PRICE ON

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK — SEARCH ‘NZ CLASSIC CAR ’

EVENTS 82 84 86 88

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LEGENDS OF BATHURST FESTIVAL BOP MUSTANG OWNERS CLUB ALL USA DAY CANTERBURY ALL BRITISH DAY FORD CLASSIC AND COLLECTABLE CAR SHOW SIXTH ANNUAL ROTORUA VINTAGE AND VETERAN CAR CLUB LAKEFRONT CAR SHOW

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REGULARS 44 45 46 80 92 96 98 99 100 104 105 110 112

READERS WRITES ONLINE THIS MONTH SUBSCRIBE AND WIN NEWS EVENTS DIARY BEHIND THE GARAGE DOOR CLUB CORNER QUICK QUIZ / CROSSWORD AUTOMOBILIA CLASSIC CARS FOR SALE EDITOR’S PICK LOCAL SPECIALISTS NEXT MONTH

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3

REPORT

Ellerslie Classic Car Show

WOMEN AND THE

M A RQU E ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW

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New Zealand Classic Car | themotorhood.com

I N F E B R U A R Y, S O M E O F THE FINEST VEHICLES AND M O S T PA S S I O N AT E O W N E R S OF NEW ZEALAND’S CLASSIC CAR AND MOTORI NG SCEN E M ADE T H E I R W AY T O E L L E R S L I E R ACECOURSE FOR THE ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW Words: Lachlan Jones, Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy.

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FEATURE

1978 Holden LX Torana

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G I V E N T H E Y G R E W U P I N T H E H E A DY D AY S O F B R O C K ’ S E X P LO I T S , I T ’ S N OT S U R P R I S I N G T H AT T H E D E D I C AT E D H O L D E N E N T H U S I A S T S W H O O W N T H I S G E N U I N E 1 9 7 8 H O L D E N L X TO R A N A C R E AT E D SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL Words and photos: Quinton Taylor

THE DREAM BECOME REALITY

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FEATURE 1966 Austin FX4 Taxi

CHRISTOPHER CHECKS OUT A CAB WITH NO NAME Words: Christopher Moor Photos: Ross de Rouffignac

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W

ellingtonian Cass Shavez has no name for his 1966 Austin FX4 taxi. “I don’t give it names. I just love the car, and that’s it,”

he says.

Cass has owned the former London taxi for 17 years, having brought the cab with him when he and his family migrated from the UK 15 years ago. It’s the second FX4 he’s owned, and he admits, “I’d have more [if] I had the space.” He says his is not in pristine showroom condition. It has a bit of rust, from being driven by previous owners on London roads sprinkled with salt to melt the fallen snow.

When we interview Cass, the mileage

on the odometer shows 69,000 miles (111,044km), but the true figure is unknown — “It would have gone to the moon and back,” he jests.

When the taxi arrived in New Zealand, it met European standards, but they were not good enough for registering and warranting here. He had to get the odometer working.

Apparently this was not a requirement in the UK at the time — he had bought the taxi without the odometer recording the mileage.

Cass says he has no idea about the fuel consumption: “If you have that problem, there’s no point in owning it.” He knows the maximum speed is about 65mph (105kph) from driving on the flat.

Cass has not driven it as a taxi, but says,

When we interview Cass, the mileage on the odometer shows 69,000 (111,044km), but the true figure is unknown. “It would have gone to the moon and back,” he jests

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FEATURE

Kiwi home-front Can-Am — part two

Grahame Harvey, Garry Pedersen and Digby Taylor at Bay Park Easter 1971 (photo: Allan Cameron)

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KIWI HOME-FRONT

CAN-AM I N TH E S ECO N D PA RT O F TH I S T WO - PA RT S T O R Y, G E R A R D R E T U R N S T O W H E N B I G BANGER SPORTS CARS TERRORIZED OUR LOCAL TURF FROM 1964 TO 1973 Words: Gerard Richards Research assistant: Stuart Buchanan Photos: Gerard Richards, Stuart Buchanan, Ron McPhail, Allan Cameron, Grant Sprague, Phil Myhre

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Pedersen and Harvey go head to head, 1970–’72

Harvey was smarting with indignation following his loss to Jim Boyd the previous season and was hell bent on reasserting Garry Pedersen and the crew at Glen Eden himself at the front. He would be a tough Motor Bodies had spent the rest of the man to beat in 1970–’71. This was the season previous season and the following winter that most closely conjured up the shades of a dialling in their Gemco Olds V8 into a very impressive machine. They were ready to mount New Zealand version of the Can-Am. Both Harvey’s and Pedersen’s cars were bedecked a serious challenge to Grahame Harvey’s in bright orange and were operating high experience and his larger-engine Elfin 400. rear wings by the latter season. As always The Gemco was powered by a 4.5-litre with the sporties, there was the unfortunate Traco-built (from legendary Californian no-show of several cars. The Lola T70 didn’t engine builders Jim Travers and Frank Coon) reappear, and the McBegg, which appeared Oldsmobile V8, which had previously been spasmodically the previous season, would acquired by John Riley from Australian Neil only play a minor role in proceedings in the Allen. The Olds engine’s big advantage was its alloy block, which was substantially lighter hands of its new owner, ex–international yachtsman Digby Taylor. Other notable than the cast-iron Chev, giving the Gemco competitors who appeared from time to time driver a beautifully balanced machine that included John Monehan with the Stanton, was exceptionally good under braking and acceleration — though lacking slightly in top- but an interesting addition was a car that was built out of the remains of Brent Hawes’ Begg end speed.

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Corvette, which also briefly reappeared in Formula 5000 (F5000) form in the hands of Leo Leonard as a Begg F5000 in late 1969.

This car, apparently built by Lyn Johnson from parts sourced from the Begg, was largely known as the ‘Begg’ or ‘Elmac Olds’, and was powered by a 3.5-litre Oldsmobile V8. Drivers included Lyn Johnson, Murray Elwood, Laurence O’Connor, and possibly others.

There was also a number of other runners who helped add spice to the fields. These included Danie Lupp in a rear-engine 2.7-litre Climax-powered Rorstan; Jamie Aislabie in the 3.8-litre Jaguar rear-engine Sid MkI (about which more later); Bob Hyslop in his very quick Lotus 7 / U2–derivative JRM Ford; Glen McIntyre with the Wilmac Fiat; Gary Deacon in the rear-engine twincam–powered Heron; and others, including fast South Island Mallock U2 punter Dave Waldron.