Nzv8 158 20180604 preview

2018 MUSTANG — IS IT REALLY THAT GOOD?

TWO TURBOS, 468 CUBES YO U DO TH E MA THS

BLOWN 408CI PRO STREET EL CAMINO

JULY 2018 ISSUE 158

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416803 510003

$10.99

NZ’S QUICKEST STREET CARS

THE SPECS, THE POWER, THE SECRETS

contents JULY 2018

26 THE cars

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20: CHECKMATE — WE DRIVE THE 2018 MUSTANG GT 26: SIGNIFICANT OTHER — BADASS TWIN-TURBO CAMARO 34: DELUXE DELIGHT — HAND-BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP 52: VICTORIOUS — VICKY’S NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD 76: FILLING THE GAP — BRUTAL BLOWN EL CAMINO 102: JACK OF ALL TRADES — OLD HOLDEN THAT DOES IT ALL

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58 108 THE events

46: MARINELAND SHOW SHINE SWAP HAWKE’S BAY’S BEST ON SHOW

108: REV UP WHANGAREI WHANGAREI CBD GOES OFF

08

SPECIAL features

66: THE STREET ELITE

THE SPECS BEHIND NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREET CARS

82: OUTSIDE THE BOX

BUILD A SCALE MODEL LIKE A PRO

THE other stuff

90: BEND AND MEND

02 SHORT SHIFT 06 BENCH SEAT 08 NEWS 10 TORQUEBACK 12 JUST QUICKLY 14 DAILY GRIND 16 IN THE BUILD 18 EVENTS 42 SUBSCRIBE AND WIN 44 STRAIGHT TALK 60 AEROFLOW RACE DIARY 62 DRAGGED UP 64 NZ’S QUICKEST 88 SOCIAL SCENE 94 CONCEPT CORNER 118 CMC NEWS 120 CARGO 122 A DECADE AGO 124 THIS MONTH 126 LOCAL SPECIALISTS 128 COMING NEXT MONTH

FIXING RIM DAMAGE

96: SOUTHERN SHED RAID WE DISCOVER DEEP SOUTHERN GOLD

114: BACK FROM THE BRINK FROM WRECK TO RACE IN JUST DAYS

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feature car

1968 Chev Camaro RS/SS

OVER THE LAST 23 YEARS, KAYTON COUGHEY’S ’68 CAMARO HAS LASTED THROUGH BREAK-UPS, OVERSEAS WORK, AND NEW BUSINESS VENTURES. SOUNDS LIKE IT’S MEANT TO BE! WORDS: CONNAL GRACE PHOTOS: ADAM CROY

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urning 21 is a big deal in New Zealand.

It’s a milestone that represents the last big step into adulthood and is traditionally celebrated in the most adult way Kiwi kids can — by getting totally shitfaced.

We’re not going to say that Kayton Coughey didn’t do this, because that would be a lie, but, once he’d slept off the obligatory hangover, he did get to enjoy a present a little more grownup than the traditional wooden key — a ’68 Camaro RS/SS. “It was my 21st birthday present to myself. I paid

US$5K for it and got it over here and everything — it was a big deal at the time. The [New Zealand] dollar was 40 cents, American,” Kayton recalls. “Ever since I was a schoolboy, I wanted a Camaro with the covered headlights. I didn’t know what model it was, I just knew that was what I wanted. So, that’s what I got, ’cause, by then, I was right into cars.”

He’d bought an Impala when he was 18, but the Camaro was the dream. Arriving in pretty much original condition, but with a small block in place of its factory big block, Kayton had no plans to leave it be.

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feature car

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1934 Plymouth Deluxe Sedan

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WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: ADAM CROY / BODYMODS SUPPLIED

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e

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THE PATH TO PERFECTION HASN’T BEEN AN EASY ONE FOR THIS FLAWLESS PLYMOUTH, BUT IT HAS BEEN ONE OF TRIUMPH!

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feature car

1956 Ford Victoria

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TIMES DURING THE BUILD WHEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAP, BUT MIKE JANSSEN’S VICTORIA IS NOW A TESTAMENT TO ITS CREATOR’S PERSEVERANCE WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: ADAM CROY

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f Mike Janssen knew what he knows now, he probably wouldn’t have done what he did by rescuing this 1956 Ford Victoria. But if he hadn’t done what he did, he wouldn’t know what he knows now.

To say that the car was rusty when he first got his hands on it would be a very polite understatement. Even though it wasn’t what he was looking for — having set out on the hunt for a ’57 Chev — the Victoria was here in New Zealand, and there was something about the car that had him determined to own it.

The deciding factor was the car’s rarity and the fact it was still a two-door pillarless.

That same determination proved to be essential over the following two-and-a-half years, as the build would push the budget at every stage. Yet, rather than throw in the towel, Mike pressed on.

Even after Jeff, at Versatile Panelbeating in Tauranga, had given him the bad news that removing the seats and carpets had exposed enough issues to recommend throwing it back on Trade Me, Mike pressed on. Instead of listing it for sale, he drew up a list of patch panels — and it wasn’t a short one in anyone’s language.

Thankfully, the chassis itself was found to be rock solid, so it was decided that the whole lot could be done without pulling the body from the frame, and, in fact, without any chassis work at all.

“We ordered new half guards for both rears, new back panels, four new floor panels, new inner and outer sills, and a number of smaller front-guard patch panels, body mounts, and bodymount kits,” explains Mike. But that was merely the beginning of what Jeff and his team would need to fit …

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Special Feature

NZ’s Quickest Street Cars

WORDS: NZV8 ARCHIVES PHOTOS: NZV8 ARCHIVES / SUPPLIED

YOU’VE SEEN THE CARS, YOU KNOW THE NAMES, BUT NOW YOU CAN FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT MAKES NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREETERS SO DAMN QUICK!

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ven if drag racing’s not your bag, if you’ve got an interest in anything mechanical, the facts and figures behind drag racing are impressive. The science of drag racing — and, at this level, it truly is more of a science than a hobby — is the type of stuff that physics teachers dream of getting their students interested in learning. But, at the track, it’s the rush that appeals; the thrill of the chase to rack up yet another PB. Or, for those on the sidelines, the appeal is in experiencing the sheer power, the noise, the smell, and the mechanical brutality.

While the racing of street-legal vehicles has been around far longer than NZV8 has, a few years ago, we created the NZ’s Quickest Streeters list in conjunction with our sister magazine NZ Performance Car.

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The idea was to record the achievements of the quickest street cars on New Zealand soil, and to encourage those close to reaching the list to step up and join it.

The rules were simple: the car must run a 9.99-second or quicker pass and have a current WOF and registration, and an LVV cert plate that reflects the vehicle and its modifications.

The only other requirements were that the cars must drive back down the return road, and that they don’t run methanol — after all, who wants to see a Top Doorslammer motor thrown in a street car and it being deemed legal?

While keyboard warriors may occasionally indicate their displeasure with these requirements, we consulted with all drivers

on the list at the time to confirm that all were happy with the rules — and the vast majority were. The grand plan, of course, is that these rules can easily be transferred over to a local version of the insanely popular Drag Week in America or Drag Challenge in Australia.

While event plans are still under discussion, the list has snowballed to become a major consideration for many racers contemplating upgrading or scratch-building a street car.

Over the next few pages, we showcase the cars currently filling the top-five spots of the list, as well as a few other standouts.

Who knows — they may just inspire you to build your own!

Number

One

(Quickest Overall, Quickest Turbo, Quickest Chev)

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Driver: Reece Fish Vehicle: 1956 Chev Bel Air

eece Fish’s ’56 Bel Air’s not exactly what you’d call an aerodynamic car, but, with masses of power from its twin-turbo 532ci big block, he’s found a way to overcome that. In fact, Reece’s car’s been the quickest street car in the country for a number of years now — not that it’s stopped him in his quest to get even quicker; his next goal is to break the magic 200mph mark!

ENGINE BOTTOM END: 532ci big block Chev, custom FFR Engines and Machine–designed billet aluminium MRE block, Bryant billet four-inch stroke crank, MGP billet alloy rods, Diamond custom pistons HEADS AND VALVETRAIN: RFD custom heads, 2.375-inch intake valves, 1.88-inch exhaust valves, 55mm solid-roller cam INTAKE: Hogan sheet metal FUEL SYSTEM: 325lb/hr injectors, -14AN fuel lines, Waterman fuel pump ECU: Holley Dominator IGNITION: Holley TURBO: Twin Precision ENGINE BUILDER: FFR Engines and Machine TUNER: Carl Jensen at C&M Performance DRIVELINE TRANSMISSION: Rossler TH400 Pro Mod TRANSMISSION BUILDER: Rossler REAR END: Pro9 nine-inch diff, Mark Williams head, Mark Williams centre, 3.5:1 ratio, Mark Williams gundrilled 40-spline axles, Mark Williams 4340 three-inch driveshaft SUSPENSION REAR SUSPENSION TYPE: Four-link SPRINGS AND SHOCKS: Chris Alston shocks, Eibach springs, C&M Performance anti-roll bar WHEELS AND TYRES 15x15-inch Weld Racing beadlock wheels, 33x16.5x15 Mickey Thompson ET Street tyres PERFORMANCE VEHICLE WEIGHT: 1780kg DYNO POWER: 1900hp at the wheels BEST QUARTER-MILE: 7.38s at 194.5mph BEST MPH: 194.5 BOOST LEVEL: 28psi FUEL TYPE RACED ON: E85 TRACK (PB): Masterton Motorplex GOALS To make it go faster THANKS SPONSORS: FFR Engines and Machine, C&M Performance, Segedins Auto Spares, Steelie Gears PEOPLE: Carl Jensen, Mike Gearing, Shane Johnson, Gavin Oram, Tony Rattrie, John Lindesay, AJ Chapman

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Number

two (also Quickest South Island)

Driver: Brendon Shearing Vehicle: 1971 Holden HQ Monaro coupe

B

rendon Shearing lives about as far away from a drag strip as it is possible to in New Zealand, but that hasn’t stopped his ascent to the pointy end of the Quickest Streeters list. In the quest for speed, the supercharger he loved was ditched, and, with the swap to a twin-turbo combo, his times have been continually tumbling. Like most of the other vehicles on this list, what makes the times even more impressive is that the car has been built in the shed at home by Brendon and a few dedicated mates.

ENGINE BOTTOM END: 509ci big block Chev, Donovan alloy talldeck block, piston oil-squirters, dry sump, Crower fourinch crank, Carrillo rods, CP pistons, 9.0:1 compression ratio HEADS AND VALVETRAIN: Pro-Filer heads, solid-roller cam INTAKE: Custom fabricated FUEL SYSTEM: Eight 2000cc injectors, two ½-inch fuel lines, twin Aeromotive Eliminator fuel pumps ECU: MoTeC M880 IGNITION: MoTeC ignition, MSD coil packs TURBO: Twin Garrett T51 SPL ENGINE BUILDER: Landon Motorsport TUNER: Glenn Suckling DRIVELINE TRANSMISSION: Rossler Pro Mod Max (TH400), 4500rpm ProTorque bolt-together stall, transbrake internal dump, billet valve body REAR END: Winters full-floater, alloy Pro Mod bolt-through head, 3.5:1 ratio, 40-spline axles, Noel Atley three-inch driveshaft SUSPENSION REAR SUSPENSION TYPE: Competition Engineering four-bar SPRINGS AND SHOCKS: Gazzard Brothers coilovers WHEELS AND TYRES 15x15-inch Center Line Convo Pro wheels, 31x18.5-15 Hoosier Quick Time Pro tyres PERFORMANCE VEHICLE WEIGHT: 1680kg DYNO POWER: Unknown BEST QUARTER-MILE: 7.95s at 173mph BEST MPH: 178.8 BOOST: 22psi FUEL TYPE RACED ON: C16 TRACK (PB): Masterton Motorplex GOALS I’d like to see a Drag Week–type event in New Zealand and compete in that! Also hope to keep chipping away at our PB, as we have a few things to do that should help!

THANKS Glen Suckling engine tuner; Carl at C&M Performance; Gazzard Brothers Racing Australia; my crew of Scott Edwards and Cory Evans, who helped me build this car up and take time off for our trips away; Jacqui (my Mrs), for putting up with all the hours in the shed and the travelling to tracks, which was well over 10,000km this season — without these guys, none of this would be possible; mates that help out when we are away on tour, including Daniel Southall, Aaron Jackson, and Tony Witinitara for use of his garage; the Balclutha Automotive Services racing team: Roger, Tania, Pete, and Mike

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