NZV8 #168 Preview

N Z D R A N AT S AC T I O N

MAY 2019 ISSUE 168

FORMER

GLORY

‹WILLYS RACER

BIG BLOCK CHEVELLE, CARS OF WHANGAMATA, HDT VC COMMODORE

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R E T U R N S

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MUSCLE GARAGE

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contents MAY 2019

The Cars

22: PERFECT XAMPLE — FLAWLESS FALCON COUPE 30: FORMER GLORY — WILLYS COUPE WITH HISTORY 58: RED FEVER — BIG BLOCK CHEVELLE 86: UP THE ANTE — TWIN SUPERCHARGED BIKE HAULER 104: FAIR DINKUM — HDT VC COMMY

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The Events

74: NZDRA NATIONALS 82: GREAT USA DAY 112: ENZED CMC ROUND SIX

112 82 98

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The Other Stuff

04: SHORT SHIFT 08: NEWS 10: TORQUEBACK 12: JUST QUICKLY 14: ONLINE THIS MONTH 16: DAILY GRIND 18: IN THE BUILD 20: EVENTS 38: SUBSCRIBE AND WIN 40: STRAIGHT TALK 66: DRAGGED UP 70: NZ’S QUICKEST 72: AEROFLOW RACE DIARY 94: SOCIAL SCENE 96: CONCEPT CORNER 118: CMC NEWS 120: CARGO 124: A DECADE AGO 126: LOCAL SPECIALISTS 128: COMING NEXT MONTH

Special Features

42: THE CARS OF WHANGAMATA — NEW ZEALAND'S CAR CAPITAL 50: MAN ON A MISSION — GRANT RIVERS, PART THREE 98: DREAM SHED — COASTAL TREASURES

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FEATURE 1972 FORD FAIRMONT XA COUPE CAR

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WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: ADAM CROY

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DAVE HART WANTED AN AUSSIE COUPE, JUST LIKE THE ONES HE REMEMBERED WATCHING RACE AROUND BATHURST BUT A WHOLE LOT BETTER

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t’s ironic that the car that Dave Hart’s built over the past eight-and-a-half years is a better car in every imaginable way than the cars that inspired him to build it. As an impressionable youth, Dave, like the rest of us, would be glued to the TV screen for the first weekend in October, when Mount Panorama, just outside of Bathurst, Australia, was overtaken with the sound of screaming engines, screaming tyres, and screaming crowds.

The Falcon coupes were the cars that Dave supported, regardless of driver or team — there was just something about their big hips and style that appealed. Being a kid, of course, part of the inspiration for Dave was due to the neighbours having one too.

It wouldn’t be until September 2010 that Dave would get hold of one for himself — a 1972 XA Fairmont coupe, which he took home on Father’s Day. Eventually, that car would go on to

have not just a heap more horsepower than the cars he loved watching race but also better brakes, better suspension, and a higher quality build.

Of course, that didn’t all come easily; in fact, it took two separate builds to transform the car into what you see today, and that’s not including the work required to get the thing running in the first place.

The car was deregistered when Dave bought it, but the seller assured Dave that it ran and that he regularly took the family out in it for Sunday

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FEATURE 1937 WILLYS COUPE CAR

WORDS: CONNAL GRACE PHOTOS: ROD DUNN / RICHARD OPIE

ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST ICONIC RACERS IS ALIVE AND KICKING MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY LATER. IT MIGHT BE LONG IN THE TOOTH, BUT RED DAWSON’S WILLYS COUPE WILL STILL STICK A BOOT UP YOUR ARSE

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SPECIAL FEATURE

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THE CARS OF WHANGAMATA

WORDS AND PHOTOS: KEVIN SHAW, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM NODDY WATTS AND ANDREA ROSS

WE ALL KNOW THAT FOR ONE WEEK OF THE YEAR, WHANGAMATA IS TRULY NEW ZEALAND’S CAR CAPITAL, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 51 WEEKS?

hangamata, one of the most picturesque beach towns in the country, truly world famous in New Zealand and not needing a big bottle or giant fruit to prove the fact. With a stunning beach and great surfing and fishing, it really is one of the loveliest places to get away to

for a quiet holiday. As it is well known as one of the best beach towns in the country, it’s expected that at certain times the town will be busy, as are most beach towns during holiday periods.

Whangamata is also becoming well known for its cars and car shows, and it really comes alive during Beach Hop week and on New Year’s Day, when the

World’s First Car and Bike Show brings hundreds of hot rods, muscle cars, and classic vehicles into the town.

However, what most of out-of-towners may not realize is that the Whangamata locals could quite easily host a car show all on their own, with performance cars, classics, and hot rods being

Ron and Lorraine with their awesome-looking Studebaker, a real cool old-school custom. No surprises that the cool Stude was built by Trev Halstead, but it runs a Studebaker 289 rather than the big block Chev that Trev usually favours

The sight of this Ferrari (above) had us looking for Tom Selleck, but no, this gorgeous 308 GTB and the Lamborghini and Porsche (below), plus a few more not here on the day, are owned by Craig and Kirsty, who obviously have a passion for Euro exotics

Wazza’s place, on Exeter Road (aka ‘Beach Hop Boulevard’), has a fine collection of memorabilia to go with a couple of cool cars in the drive!

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Stu had all the bases covered, bringing along (clockwise from above) his Jeep daily-driver; his hand-beaten aluminium Cobra, authenticated by Carol Shelby; his stainless DeLorean; and his fibreglass Z06 Corvette

regular sights on the road here all year round.

While shooting the breeze with Noddy Watts and a few locals around Christmas 2018, the question came up about how many cars there actually are in town, owned either by locals or by those with holiday homes. Local names were rattled off along with their associated cars, and the number grew rapidly with an astounding variety of marques in the list, including a few rares and exotics that you

wouldn’t expect in small town New Zealand. Once a few cars owned by holiday-home owners were added to the mix, before long, the numbers were into the hundreds. With many of them spotted in and around town over the holiday period, we thought, what better time to see just how many we could find? The plan was hatched to have a photo shoot the Saturday after New Year’s for locals or holiday-home owners, to once and for all confirm

Whangamata as New Zealand’s car capital. The request was simple: bring your car(s), register your details and the car(s) you own, so we can work out the total number in the area.

When it comes to getting the word out, social media is our best friend, and so Noddy and partner Andrea got busy on the web. To say the response was overwhelming would be a major understatement! Well before the 10am

IT’S NOT OFTEN YOU GET TO SEE A ’39 COUPE WITH A PAIR OF ’36S, A ’32, AND A T-BIRD HANGING OUT AT THE BEACH!

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EVENT 51ST NZDRA NEW ZEALAND NATIONALS

REPORT

WORDS: SHANE WISHNOWSKY PHOTOS: JOHN FAULKNER

RECORDS WERE BROKEN; PBS WERE BROKEN; AND, SADLY, CARS WERE BROKEN TOO. THE FINAL MEETING OF THE NZDRA SEASON CERTAINLY WENT OFF WITH A BANG

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inning the Nationals is a big deal — it always has been — and, given how the 51st NZDRA New Zealand Nationals held at Masterton Motorplex (MMP) over the weekend of 23–24 March panned out, it looks as if it still is.

There’s just something about it that makes it a

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bit special: to be able to say that you won the Nationals and having that winner’s sticker on your car. Having a number two or three on the sticker is bloody good too, but when it’s a one, it feels just a little bit more special.

Just shy of 200 cars and bikes rolled through the gates at MMP, all with the same mindset: winning.

First up for qualifying on Saturday morning were the Super Sedan boys and girls. The cloud cover had kept the notorious Masterton heat down to a much more pleasant low 20s mark, and the air felt good. As with all events, the track takes a while to come right, but the more runs made and the more rubber put down the better the track got,

and some strong numbers were laid down over the course of the day.

The Marsh Motorsport / Mount Shop A/fueller was on song, laying down a string of low five-second passes at over 250mph over the course of the day and wowing the big crowd in the process.

Not to be outdone was Chris Johnston in his own Top Alcohol dragster and also in the fives, with a 5.77-second pass at a whisker over 262mph; sadly, though, his Nationals would be cut short as he didn’t venture out again after round two of qualifying.

Also in Top Alcohol was relative newbie Tamara Silk in the ex–Bert King rail. Tamara ran a strong 6.08 pass at 233.43mph straight off the trailer, showing the boys that they had better keep an eye on her as she was out to get them! Unfortunately, driveline gremlins would put the car on the trailer early, ruining what could have been a promising weekend for the new team Silk.

It wasn’t all good news in the Alcohol ranks on Saturday; mechanical failures, both minor and major, decimated the field. The Robertson

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