The suits at Ford had obviously hit the nail on the head, with Mustang clocking up an amazing world-record sales of 418,812 in its first year on the market, more than four times the expected sales of 100,000. Popularity amongst Ford enthusiasts had indeed reached an all-time high and within three years an estimated 500 Mustang Clubs had formed across the USA alone.
Fast-forward to today and it’s no surprise that the Ford Mustang continues to capture the spirit and look of the original with today’s technology including numerous safety, convenience and comfort features. It’s also no real surprise that prices of US muscle cars have increased in recent years, as global demand by baby boomers purchasing their dream cars continues to grow – especially in countries such as China and Russia – despite recent world-wide economic woes.
What makes the Mustang so attractive is the vast array of performance and body style options that were available at the time, particularly through the muscle car period of the mid-1960s to early ’70s. Ironically though, the Ford Mustang never fell into the category of a true muscle car, which is defined as a high-performance vehicle – generally a mid-size car with a large, powerful engine (more often than not, a V8) and unique trim, intended for maximum acceleration on the street or drag strip, predominantly of American origin, and produced between 1964 and 1971. Muscle cars are distinguishable from sports cars, which are typically smaller two or two-plus-two seaters or GTs, intended for high-speed touring and possibly road racing. High-performance full size or compact cars are excluded from this category, as is the breed of compact sports coupés inspired by the Ford Mustang, typically known as Pony cars, although few would dispute a Boss 429’s credentials – or indeed, a high-performance K-Code such as our featured Mustang – as a muscle car.

Blue Blooded

Doug Sankey’s passion for cars started as soon as he could drive. He has always liked Fords, his first car being a MkIII Cortina, and has since owned a German-assembled Ford Capri, Aussie-assembled MkIV Cortina, XC Fairmont and XF Fairmont.
Doug also had a passion for the fastback model of Mustang, but when the opportunity arose to purchase one he was assured by Mustang guru Wayne Lack that he “couldn’t afford” the particular one he had spotted in Wayne’s shed, so when in 2003 Doug and his wife Debbie purchased their first Mustang, it was a more affordable 1966 notchback from Wayne.
During the next two years the Mustang was fully restored. That meant a complete back-to-bare-steel strip-down by Doug’s younger brothers Steve and Malcolm, who at the time were joint owners of Matamata Panelworks. All restoration work was completed by local Matamata businesses and it was finally finished off in a stunning Ferrari green paint scheme.
Only days after the restoration was completed, Doug and Debbie’s 1966 notchback was taken to its first show, the 2005 National Mustang Convention in Auckland, and was awarded second place in its class.
In 2006 it was again entered into the National Mustang Convention, this time in Palmerston North, where it was awarded first place in its class.
In 2007 Doug and Debbie were approached by the Auckland Mustang Owners’ Club, of which they were members at the time, and asked to enter the Mustang into the teams event at the NZCC/Ellerslie Intermarque Concours D’Élégance. This prestigious show is one of New Zealand’s premier classic car events, held in Auckland every year for all makes and models of classic cars.
They duly entered, along with close friends Frank and Lynda Parker with their exquisite 1966 fastback, a car Doug had always admired and dreamed of one day owning. The cars went on to win third place in the coveted Teams Event. At the time Doug’s stunning Mustang notchback was not for sale, but when he was approached by a passionate and somewhat tenacious Mustang admirer who offered him a price too good to refuse, the Mustang was duly sold.
Having finally moved on from the emotional pain caused by parting with his Mustang notchback, in 2007 Doug was offered the opportunity to purchase a rare and genuine 1965 K-Code Hi-Po 289 V8 Mustang. After much begging and cajoling, wife Debbie finally gave in and a new baby was added to the Sankey family. Ironically, this vehicle happened to be the same fastback that Doug had admired in Wayne Lack’s shed some four years earlier, having not realised back then that it was a rare K-Code.
Doug and his brother Steve, picked up this new addition from an old shed it had been stored in for a number of years and took it back to Pukekohe, where they completely stripped the vehicle back to bare steel in preparation for a full rotisserie rebuild. A two-year-long project had begun.
According to Doug, it’s believed the old Mustang had been stolen at least three times during its life in the USA, and was imported into New Zealand in a rather sad and sorry state as basically a bare shell, however, it was exactly what he was looking for.
Steve, Doug’s brother, was now operating from his own workshop, CARS (Classic & American Restoration Services Ltd) in Pukekohe, and started working on the vehicle’s shell, with Doug joining in on weekends and when his understanding boss and patient and loving wife and children allowed him time away. The body was totally stripped back to bare steel, put on a rotisserie and sand blasted, which uncovered some nasty history from what appeared to be damage caused from racing and drag racing earlier in its life.
The chassis and body repair work was typical of the era and required Steve’s magical touch to bring it back to life. The body was then placed on a chassis machine and pulled straight before the extensive task of repairing the rust commenced, which included the addition of new floor panels, boot floor panels, rear panel, boot lid, a rear guard, front chassis rail, fire wall, repairs to the cowl panel and rust removal from both doors.
The front suspension also received a complete makeover, receiving new ball joints and a larger diameter sway bar finished off in satin black and silver exactly to factory specs. The factory differential was fully reconditioned along with the factory original K-Code discs and drum brakes.

Andy Duffin, who worked at Dennis Syverston Painters Pukekohe at the time, artfully and skilfully applied the glorious pale blue exterior paint, called Silver Lakes. Andy now operates from his own workshop, RE Paints in Pukekohe. Bill Fryer at Meads Auto Trimmers in Matamata installed the matching light blue and white deluxe interior complete with Pony trim.
Well-known Mustang expert Wayne Lack treated the engine to a total rebuild to original K-Code specs with the exception of Tri-Y exhaust headers. Incidentally, the K-Code engine was jammed pack full of internal high performance goodies from the factory, including such items as 28mm main caps, instead of tapering to 16mm (15/16-inch to 5/8-inch); connecting rods with heavier bolts and nuts; a crankshaft with a unique hatchet and counter weight; a mechanical camshaft; solid lifters; aluminium flat top pistons; and a specially-designed narrow timing chain. From the outside any blue-blooded Ford fan can quickly recognised the external K-Code tell-tale signs such as screw-in rocker studs and cast spring seats in the cylinder heads, which also have the numbers 19, 20, 21 cast into them; the same intake manifold as the A code 4V engine; a Venturi 600cfm, manual choke carburettor; exhaust manifolds with a different design for better air flow; a four blade fan; a larger pulley on the alternator; and chrome rocker covers. The 289 block is identical to that used for the 65/66 A and C Code engines.

Blue Creation

Looking at this beautiful Mustang one can be forgiven for thinking a lot of sweat, tears, and no doubt some blood must have gone into the rebuild of this vehicle, and the skill and attention to detail certainly shows in the finished item. The judges of the Auckland Mustang Owners’ Club would seem to agree, as at their 2011 annual car show they awarded the vehicle the Best Panel and Paint trophy and second place in the GT division.
Doug has already moved on to his next project, a 1932 roadster, which he keeps at home in his shed. He is challenging himself to completely build it, on his own, from the ground up. His engineering background is proving valuable.
With the K-Code, Doug and Debbie certainly have a rare and unique racehorse in their stables. When asked if he would ever part with this particular baby, “if the price is right, anything is possible,” was the response.
Doug and Debbie Sankey acknowledge the huge amount of time that CARS put into the K-code. Their patience, passion and professionalism to this project made it the exceptional Mustang it is today.

1965 Ford Mustang Specifications 

1965 K-code Hi-Po
289 V8 Mustang 
Engine Ford V8
Capacity 4736cc (289ci)
Bore/stroke 102.5×73.5mm
Valves Two valves per cylinder/ohv
Fuel systemVenturi 600cfm, manual choke carburettor
C/R 10.0:1
Max power 202kW (271bhp) at 6000rpm
Max torque 423Nm (312lb/ft) at 3400rpm
TransmissionFour-speed manual
SuspensionF/R – coil springs/solid axle with leaf springs
Steering Recirculating ball, optional power assist
Brakes Disc/drum

Dimensions:
Overall length 4613mm
Width 1732mm
Height 1297mm
Wheelbase 2743mm
Kerb weight 1360kg

Performance:
0-100kph 6 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile14 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb, Photos: Adam Croy

Ashley takes a look at a locally built aero-engined Riley.

What makes us build specials? Common sense tells us we can never make anything as good as a factory-produced machine – and there is a host of vehicles out there which the manufacturers’ research suggests people want at a cost far less than that of a self-built one-off. But there is something else, something just as tangible. A special is a piece of mobile art, an expression of the constructor’s ingenious mind and a tribute to his or her knowledge, skill and appreciation of, for want of a better word, ‘rightness.’

In times past, the automotive industry included many outstanding individuals who produced some of the most exciting cars of all time – men such as Ettore Bugatti, Louis Delâge, Ferdinand Porsche and Colin Chapman. Modern production methods generally dumb down designs to cope with the lowest common denominator in order to make things easier for the driver – driving a GP Bugatti is not for beginners, but then, easy does not offer any rewards.

So, what was Robert McNair trying to achieve by building the special featured here?

Top Priority – Exciting Looks

If you study those early sports and race cars which, by their nature, were at the cutting edge of technology during their era, they were low, had long bonnets to house powerful engines, were beautifully detailed and went like stink. They also exuded a sense of presence that, although sometimes hard to define, remains a dominant feature.

From an early age Rob was inspired by the 1928 Brooklands Riley, Type 59 Bugatti and the 1927 Grand Prix Delage, all of which have become his dream cars, and share subtle similarities with his Riley.

Rob began his project almost 10 years ago after purchasing the remains of a 1929 Riley 9, and using those dream cars as the source of his inspiration, he decided to lay out a Brooklands-style car. In 1929, the renowned British automotive company Thomson & Taylor (which, incidentally, was based at the famous Brooklands race circuit) did just this to produce what eventually became the production car.

But Rob knew that for him, the original Riley 1100cc, even with twin camshafts, wouldn’t provide sufficient power. As a result, he acquired a 1500cc Riley engine and, with the motive power decided upon, he commenced work on chassis modifications. There is a photograph of a GP Delage on the wall of Rob’s workshop – and his ‘new’ chassis started to look very much like that of the legendary French racer.

Then trouble started. His father, Wallace, built a Sunbeam Special using a First World War 12-litre V12 aero-engine – a car featured in the 2001 NZ Classic Car Yearbook. Rob drove this car many times and also became exposed to Anne Thomson’s mighty 14-litre GP Darracq, also piloting that vehicle on a number of occasions.

The connection had been made. Rob, an aircraft engineer by trade, had spent many years restoring Warbird-type aircraft at Pioneer Aero Restorations. During the early stages of his Riley project, he also restored a Tiger Moth for himself. Once the Tiger Moth was back in the air, Rob found himself with a spare engine and it became fairly obvious that a 6.12-litre motor producing upwards of 97kW (130bhp) and weighing no more than a Riley 9 motor would offer pretty good performance when mounted into a lightweight chassis. Anyway, after experiencing the endless power and torque provided by a 12-litre V12 Sunbeam and a 14-litre Darracq, 1500cc was never going to be enough for Rob’s project.

Aero Engine

The engineering problems in fitting an aero engine to a road car are many. The torque produced requires chassis strengthening and torsional strength, and the operating rev range is about half, or less, than that provided by a more conventional car engine. That last factor means a rear axle ratio of about 2:1 or higher is required. Rob chose to use a 1.9:1 differential unit from a ’20s truck that he fitted into the Riley’s diff-housing. Trailing links and a triangular wishbone locate the axle as well as the flat, half-elliptic springs.

Instead of a 1.8-metre-diameter propeller, a flywheel had to be mounted and a clutch capable of transmitting the 407Nm was also required. The aero engine does not have a bell-housing, so a chassis cradle was made to mount the engine and an early Moss gearbox together so that they ran in line.

Standard engine cooling is usually simply via airflow, not a problem when cruising your Tiger Moth at 145kph. However, when mounted in a car, the engine has to remain cool even when stationary, so a ducted fan unit driven with a step-up ratio from the rear of the crankshaft and blowing around the cylinders in the normal way was fitted. One benefit of this arrangement is that it dispenses with a heavy radiator and its associated on-board water supply.

It was decided to convert the engine to a wet sump for reasons of practicality and space, while the normally inverted Gipsy engine was turned ‘right’ way up with the cylinders on top. These early Gipsy engines were mounted in this manner when fitted to Gipsy Moths, so inverting the engine did not present any problems.

Obviously, pull-starting via a propeller is no longer an option so a small (dare we admit, Japanese) starter was mounted on the engine frame. The exhaust system, now coming out of the top of the engine (underneath on the Tiger Moth) did have its challenges though. Rob cleverly fabricated the bonnet around the exhaust, which made an interesting, yet practical feature which is attached by an externally riveted De Havilland hinge, a feature used in early De Havilland and Gipsy Moth aircraft. Removing the cowl is a simple task of removing the hinge pin.

Styling and proportion was also a very important factor in this project, and Rob was definitely influenced by the beautiful lines of the Type 59 Bugatti, on which the body panels are riveted together along an upstanding spine running down the body’s centreline. It is not an easy way of creating a body skin because the slightest imperfection becomes obvious, but it is a styling feature which appealed to him.

Rob believes that with many small cars you appear to sit on them rather than in them, so he made sure that when seated in the Riley both driver and passenger could see directly through the aero screens, and the green interior colour scheme, mixed together with Riley, Tiger Moth and other period aero instrumentation adds to the feeling of actually being inside the cockpit of an early British aircraft.

Art Meets Function

As with many vintage/veteran-type vehicles, understanding its constituent parts helps prepare you for the experience offered by such cars. Each has its own peculiarities and idiosyncrasies and the Riley is no exception, according to Rob. A ‘pre-flight’ walk around is always important, and the calibrated wooden stick used as a fuel gauge gives an accurate indication of how much fuel is still in the tank.

The car has no doors so you climb in and down, passenger first from the driver’s side which has a lower cut out in the body side, followed by the pilot. You sit very low, protected from the wind by the small aero screen. Starting requires pressurising the fuel tank with a hand pump in the dash up to about two psi. Switch the right magneto on, which has the impulse coupling with a retard mechanism, retard the spark on the lever protruding from the dash and press the Rotax starter button. Instant action – switch on left magneto, check oil pressure and allow the engine to warm up.

Now fitted with a two-inch SU carburettor instead of its original fixed jet aviation type, the engine idles smoothly and freely throughout its range. Aviation carburettors are normally effective at maximum power settings, while a car requires more mid-range control.

Moving off in first gear and accelerating hard in second and third is almost shattering if you are used to slow, older cars. Getting into top gear at 1400rpm marks the legal limit, with the engine begging for more up to its normal operating range of 2100rpm – that’s equivalent to 160kph. Dyno testing shows that Rob’s car is producing 97kW at the wheels at this speed, with brief bursts up to 2400rpm being permissible.

Braking is excellent, the Riley cable-operated brakes with Bugatti-type equalisers proving to be even and effective.

The most obvious aspect of any aero-engined car is the torque, which is available at any speed – delivery being both effortless and seemingly endless. The low operating rpm of the engine lulls one into a false sense of speed and you can find corners approaching much quicker than they should. You do have to have your wits about you. It is not for the faint of heart.

Modern traffic is a depressing side of the enjoyment of motoring. Grim-faced drivers, frustrated and delayed, stop go, stop go, intent on their destination are the antithesis of what motoring used to be.

Taking the Gipsy-engined Riley for a drive on a nearly deserted country road provides for an instant trip down memory lane, and is guaranteed to put a grin back on your face – in your heart you are young and exhilarated all over again, and this is an adrenaline-spiked cure for all the ills of modern motoring. Why more people don’t take the ‘cure’ is a mystery to those few who do.

1931 Riley Aero Special – Specifications

Engine: Four-cylinder, 6.12-litre Gipsy Major ex-Tiger Moth. Solid-mounted, upside down and facing rearwards
Fuel system: 51mm SU carburettor. Custom high compression (6.5:1) pistons and dual magneto ignition
Power: 97kW (130bhp) at 2100rpm (at rear wheels)
Cooling: Air-cooled with period early 911 Porsche fan unit
Transmission: Modified MkI Jaguar Moss gearbox, RH gear change, MkI Jaguar flywheel  and clutch
Rear axle: Riley 9 fitted with 1.9:1 crown wheel and pinion ex-1921 International truck
Front axle and steering: Standard Riley 9 fettled and polished, fitted with anti-braking torque cables top and bottom of the king pins
Brakes: Standard Riley 9 cable-operated with external chains and sprocket compensation (similar to GP Bugatti and Delage)
Shock absorbers: Hartford, standard Riley 9
Lamps: Original Riley 9 Rotax, 229mm
Chassis: 1931 Riley 9 Monaco modified to run under the rear axle (similar to the GP Delage and Brooklands Riley) and fitted with six tubular cross members
Wheels: 19-inch Riley 9 with 500×19 tyres
Body: Constructed from 16G aluminium riveted to bulkheads built in two halves and riveted together down the central spine, inspired by the T59 Bugatti
Interior: Dark green leather as originally used in Tiger Moths, beautifully crafted by Bernie Beckett

Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 2590mm
Height: 940mm (to top of scuttle)
Overall length: 3750mm
Track F/R: 1168/ 1219mm

Performance:
100kph at 1400rpm
160kph at 2100rpm
Max rpm 2500

Words: Wallace McNair and Ashley Webb, Photos: Adam Croy

Has your classic car been in storage over the winter months? If so, it’s time to wake it up for another summer of motoring pleasure.

Every autumn, aware of the onset of another bitterly cold UK winter, my grandfather would carefully lay up his Sunbeam Alpine, placing it into storage until the following spring and restricting his driving to his second car – a MkI Cortina. He hated driving the Sunbeam on wet, icy roads and, unless you wore many layers of clothing, a top-down winter drive wasn’t always a pleasant experience.

Anyway, have you ever tried buttoning up a vinyl convertible top on a freezing day? It’s virtually impossible as the vinyl becomes stiff as a board.

For most North Islanders – unless they live around the Central Plateau – truly freezing winters shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but there are other places in New Zealand where the winter temperatures can be trying on a classic car.

So, if your classic car has been hibernating during the winter months – or has simply been in dry storage for an extended period – what are the steps required to get it up and running?

Fluid Response

One of the simplest checks to see how your car has coped with a lengthy stay in the garage is to have a peep underneath. Leakage from the cooling system could mean a split or rotted hose, a leaking gasket or water pump seal or a compromised radiator. If you’re unlucky, you might even discover oil leaks from the engine, transmission or differential. Check also for power steering fluid leaks if appropriate, and brake fluid leaks.

If your car has been in storage for a long time, it’s probably a good idea to drain and replace all its fluids, but if it has only been in storage during the winter months, you don’t need to be quite so thorough.

As the minimum, it would normally be a good idea to do a complete engine oil change, including the fitment of a new oil filter. Next up, drain and flush the coolant system. Even if the engine in your classic car doesn’t feature aluminium construction, it’s always a good idea to make sure the replacement coolant includes a good dose of anti-freeze in order to combat any possible internal corrosion.

Another good idea would be to drain the fuel tank of any stale petrol, clean out carburettor bowls and flush out the fuel lines just in case any debris has accumulated in them during the period of storage.

Check all other fluid levels and top up as required.

Hopefully, like my grandfather, you would have put the car on blocks to avoid any tyre flat-spots or, at the very least, periodically checked tyre pressures. Either way, it’s now time to check those tyre pressures.

Battery Checking

When my grandfather prepared his Alpine for hibernation he always removed the car’s battery and placed it in separate, dry storage. This method is still recommended for lengthy periods of storage although, nowadays, a modern auto-battery charger could also be used if the car is only being stored for the winter. Modern auto chargers allow the car’s battery to remain in place while it continually tops up charge levels during storage.

If you removed the battery prior to storage, give the battery posts and terminals a good clean with a solution of baking soda and water, check to make sure it’s properly charged and reinstall in the car.

If the car has been stored for a lengthy period with the battery installed, it will probably be wise to buy a new battery. If this is necessary, new battery cables should also be considered as they can deteriorate over time and lose their conductive properties.

If your classic car has been sitting idle for three to four months, the next step will be to remove the spark plugs so you can get some upper cylinder lubricant into the engine bores. This will get things moving freely and will help clear any sticky piston rings.

When you remove all the spark plugs don’t forget to label the leads so you can later reinstall them in the correct firing order. Once the plugs have been removed, check them thoroughly and replace if they look oily or fouled.

Once the spark plugs have been removed, turn the engine over a few times with the ignition key to allow the oil to lubricate the cylinder bores – this will also prime both oil and fuel pumps. Keep cranking until the oil pressure gauge reads normal. If your car doesn’t have an oil pressure gauge, crank until the oil pressure light goes out.

You can then replace the spark plugs and leads.

Starting Up

If you drained old petrol from the tank, it’s now time to add some fresh fuel. As there’ll be no petrol in the fuel system, you might need to spray engine starter fluid into the carbies in order to start the car – this will usually mean that you’ll need to remove the air filter.

Hopefully, the car will now spring into life. Once it’s started, avoid the urge to rev the engine and just allow it to tick over at idle until everything gets up to normal temperatures.

You can now return the air filter to its housing and check out the underside of the car to make sure that there are no leaking fluids. If everything looks okay, turn off the engine, check all engine hoses for signs of rot and make sure that engine drivebelts are not cracked or too loose.

Check the car’s lighting system is all functional – you may need an assistant to help you ensure that indicators and brake lights are all functioning correctly. Replace any blown bulbs and re-check.
Before you take your first drive in the car, it would also pay to re-check all fluid levels, and check out the suspension system for signs of leaking shock absorbers or damaged bushes. Some older cars will have grease nipples for lubricating main suspension points – so now would be a good time for a thorough lube job.

Finally, a thorough check of the brakes is essential. Check brake linings or pads, drums and rotors. Be aware that mineral oil-based brake fluid will attract water during storage and this can lead to corrosion and subsequent leakage from callipers and wheel cylinders. The best method of checking brakes is to jack up the car so that each wheel can be rotated by hand. Use an assistant to apply the brake pedal – each wheel should brake and release properly.

The First Drive

Once you’re satisfied that all checks have been completed, it’s time for a first drive. Keep this first trip short, perhaps just a 15-minute tootle around the block. Keep your ears open for any rattles or engine misses and monitor the gauges carefully to make sure everything is working correctly.

With all your checks finished, you can now drive the car with confidence – and, while the above may seem like a lot of hard work, you know it makes sense. My grandfather went through these very same procedures every spring during the time he owned his Sunbeam and, as proof of his diligence, it gave him many years of enjoyable, trouble-free motoring.

Words: James Black

Forty years ago the Land Speed Record goalposts got moved when a Gary Gabelich cracked the 1000 kilometres per hour mark for the first time – the former delivery van driver ‘rocketing’ into history.

Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats have pretty much been the place to go for land speed records since Malcolm Campbell broke the magic 300mph (482.8kph) mark in September 1935. Earlier that year he’d set the last record to be established on a beach at Florida’s Daytona at 276.71mph or 445.32kph. Within six months he’d got the Rolls-Royce-powered Bluebird up to 301.13mph or 484.62kph, and the case for the Salt Flats was established. Fellow Englishmen took on the challenge – George Eyston’s Thunderbolt cracked 500kph in 1937 – but things really hotted up in late 1938 as Eyston and John Cobb traded records. Eyston nudged it to 345.48mph (556.00kph) in August. On September 15 Cobb’s Railton went 350.19mph or 563.58kph but the following day Eyston averaged 357.49mph or 575.32kph.

In August ’39 Cobb was the title-holder again with 367.91mph (592.09kph). He was back at the Salt Flats in September 1947, and although cracking 400mph for the first time on one run, the average for the flying kilometre was 394.19mph (634.39kph).

And that was when things stopped being simple. Until 1947, all LSR cars had been four-wheeled vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. American brothers Bob and Bill Summers were the last of the breed as they eschewed the huge budget campaigns and ran a cigar-shaped vehicle powered by four 6.9-litre V8 Chrysler Hemis. In November 1965 Bob set a two-way average of 409.2mph (658.64kph) that broke the record of arguably the most beautiful LSR car ever – Donald Campbell’s Bluebird CN7 turbojet.

On July 17, 1964, Campbell had achieved a 400mph-plus average for the first time at Lake Eyre in South Australia, but this was a departure from the conventional internal combustion engine, as was Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America. Breedlove had gone faster than Campbell in September 1963, but as the ‘machine’ had three wheels, the question became ‘was it a car?’ and therefore ‘was it entitled to hold the record?’

The Jet Age

The governing body (the FIA) created a new class in time for a frantic three-way turbojet battle in October 1964 – enter Tom Green in the Wingfoot Express at 413.199mph (644.979kph), followed two days later by Art Arfons’ Green Monster with 434.022mph (664.694kph). Breedlove blew them away six days later with 468.719mph (754.330kph) but smoked even that when, two days later, he recorded 526.277mph (846.861kph) – so fast that the parachutes failed, sending ‘Spirit’ into a ditch. But, despite the fact the record had moved up by over 27 per cent in 10 days, it would be broken again by Arfons before the year ended. Breedlove was back in November 1965 and was the first person to crack 600mph – just – with 600.601mph or 966.574kph. With 600mph beaten, the next mark to break was 1000kph, and the man who did it came in the form of a Californian-born driver of Croatian descent.

Blue Flame

Gary Gabelich was still a teenager when he went to Bonneville in a jet car and ran 356mph (573kph), at which time he was working as a delivery van driver – his vehicle a split-window VW Kombi. He was already competing in drag racing and continued establishing himself on the quarter mile drag strips late into the decade – on both land and water, at which time a stunning machine was taking shape in Wisconsin.

The Blue Flame would use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and liquefied natural gas designed to produce some 22,000 pounds of thrust or the equivalent of about 58,000bhp (43,251kW). Initial tests indicated only around half of that thrust was being achieved to drive the 11.39-metre-long, 2.34-metre-wide ‘device’ running on special Goodyear-designed 880mm wide smooth tyres. Gabelich turned 30 on August 29, 1970 – less than two months later he would become the first man to crack 1000.

With its large rear wing and needle nose the rocket-powered Blue Flame looked for all the world like a jet fighter. Gabelich was not the initial choice as driver of the rocket car – Breedlove had been the first choice but wanted too much money. The second choice pilot was killed in a racing accident, and so the determined and ‘dedicated to speed’ Gabelich got the nod.

Blue Flame was intended to run in 1969 but the record was postponed. In September 1970 Gabelich could go no faster than 426mph (685kph) – nowhere near Breedlove’s record. Thrust was increased to around 15,000 pounds and on October 15 he went 609mph (980kph), but mechanical problems prevented the reverse run. It wasn’t the last time it happened – he went quicker still but the reverse runs were thwarted until the big day, October 23. His average for the two-way runs was 622.407mph for the flying kilometre – 1001.67kph – he’d done it, and it would take a couple of weeks short of 13 years before it was broken by Richard Noble’s Thrust 2 – and then ‘only’ by less than two per cent. By that time Gabelich only had less than four months to live.

He’d already been badly hurt when he crashed an experimental four-wheel drive Funny Car in early 1972. His right hand was severed (but subsequently successfully reattached), then in 1975 his drag boat disintegrated at around 290kph – Gary Gabelich lived life on the edge. He died in January 1984 at the age of 43 after a motorcycle crash on the road.

In a short space of time, he’d gone from a delivery boy in a VW Kombi, to being the first man to crack 1000 kilometres per hour in a rocket-powered land missile.

Words: Michael Clark

This article is fron NZ Classic Car issue 238. Click here to check it out.

Perched high up before the hills behind Richmond, Nelson, is a workshop with stunning views over Tasman Bay, the Waimea Plains and beyond to the Arthur Range. Difficult to get to but well worth the effort, it’s the home of Heyward Rods and Restorations.

Lloyd Heyward started an apprenticeship in 1962 as a ‘bodybuilder in wood’, mostly building caravans and truck decks. After a year he was told he was now a panel-beater, rather than a bodybuilder in wood, which was fine with him. This was back when the panel-beating trade could still involve working with wooden framing, and accident damage was repaired because replacement parts were difficult or impossible to come by.

An Australian hot rodder who joined the company gave Lloyd a stack of Hot Rod magazines in the original small format. Lloyd devoured their contents and was soon modifying the engines and bodies of his cars. He joined the Kustoms Club based in Christchurch, and several members suggested he should start a club in Nelson, so he formed the Nelson City Rod & Custom Club in about 1972.

Lloyd was also modifying cars for other people, and the business slowly evolved from a one-man panel shop into a multi-skilled restoration and modification enterprise. It now comprises Lloyd and his son, Graham, plus a full time painter of 30 years experience, Alastar Donaldson, and a part-time panel-beater, Ken Laws. Ken is also an artist, who produces top-quality stainless steel sculptures.

These days Lloyd handles most of the minor assembly and detailing. As the elder statesman of the business he has earned the right to leave the heavier work to others, although he still does welding and panel work when he feels like it. Graham runs the business, answers the telephone, talks to customers, orders parts and arranges outwork. He also gets involved in panel work and whatever else needs doing, and did most of the painting before they employed Alastar.

Wood ’n’ Carr

On leaving school, Graham trained as a cabinet-maker before heading off for several stints overseas. He drove combine harvesters and trucks in America among other jobs, and worked for Wood ’n’ Carrs for a while. This US company specialises in producing automotive woodwork, and Graham gained experience that was to prove valuable later. Permanently back home in Richmond in 2002, he went into business with Lloyd, who has passed his knowledge on to his son. Graham has been exceptionally quick at picking up the old ways, and it’s comforting to know that Lloyd’s exceptional skills have been passed to such safe and steady hands for the benefit of the old car hobby.

The Heywards turn out what must be some of the best engineered and finished vehicles around, from hot rods to modified street cars to rare and valuable classics. The proof is evident, not just in the vehicles they have completed for customers, but also in Lloyd’s personal car, a tastefully modified 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury. They were responsible for the stunning restoration and mechanical upgrade of the 1949 Ford Woody wagon that NZCC featured a couple of years back, and they have excelled themselves with the latest project for the same customer, John Graham.

John and his wife, Sandy, are Americans by birth and have been part-time Kiwis by preference for some years. John has business interests in the States, so they spend part of each year in Montana (during our winter, understandably). John bought an accident-damaged 1948 Chrysler Town and Country convertible from an insurance company in 2002 during one of their Stateside sojourns.

Although it was a mess, he knew it was rare – one of 380 survivors, or 195 depending on the source – and worthy of restoration. He shipped it to their New Zealand home and started the search for a donor car.

Sacrificial Saratoga

He contacted a vintage car yard in Montana, which rang two weeks later to say it had seen a 1948 Saratoga for sale at a Ford dealer in Missoula, for $1500. John immediately drove 250km to Missoula and bought the car, beating another buyer by minutes. He knew it was a shame to cut up a perfectly good Saratoga but, as he said, “It was going to a higher purpose and the proper words were said over the car prior to its demise.”

When John asked Lloyd whether they could repair the Chrysler, Lloyd blithely said that anything could be repaired, but his heart sank when the container arrived and they dragged the car out.

It had been hit by a Toyota driven by two teenagers speeding through a Florida stop sign at 100kph. The body was bent like a banana, the transmission was destroyed, the driveshaft had been shorn off the differential and the back axle assembly was bent. Lloyd thought the driver must have died, but not so, although he was supposedly left with an imprint of the horn button in his chest. He kept the button as a souvenir when the car was sold.

The chassis and floor pan were pretty much bent beyond repair. John supplied the Saratoga with apologies – it was in such good condition that the Heywards believe they could have had it in driveable condition within a day. However, the customer is always right so they pressed on. As well as its chassis and floor pan, the Saratoga gave up its bonnet and front mudguards, most of its running gear and innumerable small parts such as nuts and bolts, dash knobs and so on.

Despite Graham’s experience with automotive wood, they farmed out the woodwork to Neville Rhodes of Marton because they couldn’t justify the expense of a finger jointer to replicate the joins in the Chrysler’s woodwork. Having agreed to take on the job, Neville found it almost impossible to shape timber to fit a car several hundred kilometres away, so the Chrysler was shipped to him.

Neville supplied the wooden parts in a rough machine finish. It was then up to Graham to do the final trimming and fitting, which proved to be more involved than it sounds. Several telephone calls to the United States were needed to check some of the measurements. Then the timber had to be sanded before 10 coats of varnish were applied.

Vinyl Mahogany

The pale timber is American white ash. The dark ‘mahogany’ panels are not timber at all. They are made of steel and coated with a stick-on vinyl material. As Graham commented, they are covered with Duraseal, like school books. On Town and Country models to 1946 the dark panels were real timber, but the cost of making such complex shapes must have been prohibitive. It’s easy to understand why Chrysler ‘cheated’, and it must have been in the early days of such self-adhesive plastic materials. Even so, Town and Country Chryslers were very expensive. At US$3395 they were dearer than most Cadillacs, twice the price of a Plymouth convertible and three times as dear as a Ford sedan.

While Neville was busy with the timber, Lloyd and Graham carried on with the rest of the car. They struck a few problems, including the fact that the Saratoga’s chassis outriggers for the body mounts were different to the convertible. This meant the outriggers had to be swapped or re-made as required, but at least the holes in the floor pan lined up.

The original worn-out engine was fully reconditioned. It had to be retained so that the car’s numbers matched. The Saratoga’s bellhousing, gearbox, driveshaft and back axle were stripped and refurbished as required. A mixture of Saratoga and Town and Country brakes was also rebuilt and installed. The two cars being built in the same year simplified things – the Town and Country was part of the New Yorker series, which used many of the same parts as the Saratoga. Major parts such as the gearbox were not stamped with numbers, so the use of Saratoga items created no authenticity issues.

The die-cast parts, such as the grille and taillight housings, were sent to Gisborne Electroplaters to be re-chromed, while the bumpers and other parts were done by Geoff Andrews of Shiny Bits in Geraldine. Max Wildermoth of Christchurch repaired the stainless steel trim pieces and other small shiny parts, while Tony Mackle and Rob Jackson handled the upholstery. Rob reckoned the electric hood was no more difficult to re-cover than a Volkswagen Golf hood. A replica fabric-wrapped wiring loom was sourced from America.

There’s a lot of wood in the Chrysler. Stripped to its basics, the floor pan and firewall are steel, as are the mudguards and bonnet. The rest of the structure is wooden with steel infill panels. It was a labour-intensive car to build originally and of course it took a lot of labour to restore.

Town and Country Range

The first Town and Country was a station wagon, introduced in 1941. By 1946 it was a three-car range of six and eight cylinder sedans and a convertible, but no wagon. Seven hardtops were also built in 1946. The eight cylinder sedan was discontinued during 1946 after 100 were built, and the six cylinder version ended in 1948, leaving only the convertible. The last convertible was produced in 1949, the first year of Chrysler’s true post war cars.

Despite its high asking price, the Chrysler Town and Country convertible sold quite well. With a total run of 8368 from 1946 to 1948, it easily outsold the much cheaper Ford Sportsman woody convertible.

Chrysler marketed the Town and Country as a ‘land yacht’. One wonders what it was thinking but its marketers must have felt it gave the car a suitably up-market image. Obviously they ignored the connotations of ponderous handling and leisurely cruising speeds. Indeed, Chrysler made it clear to owners that their new car had nautical-type maintenance requirements. They were to keep the timber joins free of dirt, and re-varnish the timber every six months.

Needless to say, few owners followed these instructions and John’s car, when he bought it, was a good example of the results. Patches had been inserted to replace rotted timber and there was plenty of splitting and evidence of more rot. Graham Heyward says the car was a tidy driver before the accident, but they also found bodged steel repairs during its restoration.

Maiden Voyage

The trip down the mountain and across the Waimea Plains was the Chrysler’s maiden voyage. Although the engine was still tight, the big car accelerated briskly and everything worked as it should.

Graham initially had a little difficulty with the ‘Fluid Drive’ system, which apparently is normal. Nelson’s Sunday morning traffic almost came to a standstill as the Chrysler cruised by, and it’s a wonder there were no accidents as drivers craned their necks for a better view. What most of them couldn’t experience was the smooth, powerful exhaust note that’s unique to straight eights.

We were heading for Russ Sawmills, where the owner, Grant Russ, met us with his two beautiful black 1948 Chryslers, a New Yorker and a Windsor. Grant’s cousin, Murray, kindly allowed us to take over his adjoining firewood yard for a couple of hours as well. Grant has owned the New Yorker for 10 years. It was originally imported by a farmer in the Rotorua area who had the necessary overseas funds to buy it, thanks to booming wool sales during the Korean War. It was then used for weddings and other chauffeuring duties until Grant bought it.

Grant’s father bought the Windsor when Grant was seven years old. After many years of family use it was parked on blocks until Grant decided to restore it. The Windsor has a flathead six engine, while the New Yorker has a straight eight and is the same as the Town and Country under the skin. The eight cylinder cars have a longer wheelbase to accommodate the longer engine. All three have Chrysler’s ‘Fluid Drive’ semi-automatic transmission which uses a torque converter instead of a flywheel. The gearbox has four speeds in two ranges. A clutch is used to select first gear (low range) initially. A flick of the gear lever changes the transmission to second gear, and the clutch is used again to select third (or first gear in the high range), after which the lever selects fourth.

Sailing Away

Sadly, New Zealand’s only 1948 Town and Country convertible has left our shores. Just two days after we visited the workshop with the million-dollar view the car was carefully stowed in a container and dispatched to America. John sent some photos of the Chrysler in its beautiful new home in Montana, where it keeps company with a few other desirable classics. Still, at least we know it was here for seven years and restored by local expertise.

John says, “My hat truly goes off to the Heywards for their honesty and perseverance in completing this project for me. This car has a piece of my heart with it and I will enjoy the workmanship that the Heywards have put into it for many years to come, and who knows, maybe some day I may return it to New Zealand where it was surgically brought back from the dead.”

1948 Chrysler Town and Country Convertible – Specifications

Engine Eight-cylinder in line, water-cooled
Capacity 5300cc
Bore/ stroke 82x124mm
Comp ratio 6.7:1
Valves L-head
Max power 100kW at 3400rpm
Max torque 366Nm at 1600rpm
Transmission Four-speed ‘Fluid Drive’ semi-automatic with ‘Safety Clutch’
Suspension (F/R) Independent with coil springs/ solid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs
Brakes Drums front and rear
Wheels/ tyres Steel wheels, 7.10×15-inch tyres

Dimensions:
Wheelbase 3238mm
Overall length 5944mm
Width 2007mm
Height 1778mm
Weight 2089kg

Performance:
Top speed 140kph
Avg fuel cons 18.9l/100km
Production 2936 (1948), 8368 (1946-48)

Words and Photos: Gordon Campbell

This article is fron NZ Classic Car issue 238. Click here to check it out.

Between the golden years of 1968 and 1972, the TransAm race series became a major slug-fest as US auto-makers fielded cars that are now widely regarded as being the best of the classic muscle-car breed. We reunite three of the top TransAm contenders.

The Trans American Sedan Series – more usually referred to as TransAm – was first established in 1966 under the aegis of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Originally intended as a manufacturers’ championship, the series encompassed two classes – under and over 2.0-litre – with both classes racing together.

The first race in the new series was at Sebring on March 25, 1966, with 44 cars lining up for the start and the field featuring 35 under 2.0-litre cars.

This first TransAm race was totally dominated by Alfa Romeo GTAs; they finished in four of the first five positions. However, amongst the smaller cars there was also a smattering of larger, V8 racers – a trio of Plymouth Barracudas, three Mustangs, two Chevrolet Corvairs and a single Dodge Dart.

During the course of that first season the majority of the factory support came in the lower capacity class – with entries from Alfa Romeo, Mini Cooper and Lotus-Cortina. Some famous European drivers would front up in these cars, including future F1 world champion Jochen Rindt, Paddy Hopkirk (in a Mini, of course) and even Alan Moffat, who raced a Lotus-Cortina during the early years of the series. Later, even Porsche would get in on the act by persuading SCCA that its 911 was actually a sedan!

It didn’t take long for US automakers to realise they were missing out, with Mercury, Chevrolet and Ford all announcing works-backed teams for the 1967 TransAm series.

The 1968-’72 period is generally considered to have been a golden one for the series, especially as it coincided with the pony car era. During those classic years TransAm racing was largely dominated by Mark Donohue – who raced Penske Camaros before moving to an AMC Javelin. But all the big US manufacturers were now on board. Chevrolet was represented by the Z-28 Camaro, driven by Jim Hall, Vic Elford and Ed Leslie. Bud Moore’s Boss 302 Mustang team was headed by Parnelli Jones and George Follmer, while Sam Posey headed up the Autodynamics team in his Dodge Challenger T/A. Other notable contenders included Dan Gurney and Swede Savage (AAR ’Cuda); Jerry Titus (Pontiac TransAm); Charlie Rainville and Bruce Jennings (Mercury Cougar) and Roger Penske’s Sunoco-sponsored team of AMC Javelins.

The TransAm series slowly began to lose it lustre after 1972 – the absolute power of the cars involved was slowly being curtailed following the oil crisis of the early ’70s. However, apart from a gap following the 2005 season, the TransAm series continues to this day – and once again European cars dominate the series, with the Jaguar XKR having ruled the TransAm roost for several years.

But for US classic muscle car enthusiasts, the years from 1968-’72 are still regarded as being the best. And at its best, TransAm racing was a real action-packed, vehicle-bruising championship featuring powerful V8 muscle cars in the hands of some of best and most fearless drivers of the day.

1969 Z-28 Camaro

In Z-28 form the Camaro was designed to compete against the Mustang in the TransAm racing series, and it even stole two championships from Ford’s pony car in the late 1960s. What made the Z-28 legendary, however, were the road-going versions, which were basically mildly tamed race-cars.

The 1969 Z-28 Camaro wasn’t exactly the fastest muscle car on the block, but with its unique combination of brake, engine, exhaust, and induction options, it was arguably the most desirable Z-28 of all.

The 1969 Z-28 package included the F41 handling suspension, which incorporated uprated springs and shocks, while the rear live axle also had staggered positioning on the shocks to help control axle tramp during fast take-offs. Front disc brakes were standard on the 1969 Camaro Z-28, and four-wheel discs were also offered for the first time – taken straight from the Corvette. This option cost US$500, so it’s not surprising that only 206 sets were delivered, about half going to full race-cars. Also, courtesy of Corvette were Rallye Steel rims with six-inches (152mm) of width shod with E70X15 raised-letter tyres to improve handling.

The high-revving, solid-lifter 5.0-litre (302ci) V8 with an 850cfm four-barrel carburettor was again exclusive to the Z-28, and 298kW-plus dyno tests made a complete mockery of the quoted 216kW rating.

Dealers also got in on the act by offering dual four-barrel carburettor options, including twin 600cfm Holleys on a cross-ram manifold and chambered exhaust pipes – possibly the least-restrictive exhausts ever offered on any new Chevrolet. This super high-revving V8 needed air and lots of it, so another functional option unique to the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 was a cowl-induction hood which operated via a valve that snapped open at 80 per cent throttle to draw in cool air from the base of the windscreen.

The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28s again came only with a Hurst-shifted close-ratio four-speed gearbox with 3.73:1 final drive ratio as standard, with up to 4.10:1 available. The Positraction differential was offered as an option for those requiring added traction. As expected, the 1969 Z-28 Camaro had impeccable road manners, aided by power steering that was both quick and offered a sense of that all important road feel.

The ’69 Z-28 was without doubt one of the hottest-looking rides of the classic muscle car era, highlighting what Chevy stylists could do to express utter performance and excitement.

1969/70 Boss 302 Mustang

During the ’60s Ford had been heavily involved in motor racing, spawning the famous catch phrase – “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” – thanks to Carroll Shelby, who won the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) TransAmerican (TransAm) Sedan Racing series in 1966 and 1967.

Ford built the Boss 302 engine in direct retaliation to Chevrolet’s Camaro Z–28 win in the 1968 TransAm series.

The 1960 year had been dismal for the Mustang and Ford knew it had to create something special if it was to win back the TransAm championship.

The legendary Boss 302, otherwise referred to as the Ford Boss 302 Mustang, certainly isn’t what most people think it is. In fact, it’s a Ford Mustang built in 1969 and 1970, named and based entirely on an engine, a special purpose-built race engine. The final creation was a hybrid small block 5.0-litre V8 built by taking the heads from the Ford Cleveland (manufactured in 1970) and adding them to the four-bolt heavy-duty block of the Ford Windsor (manufactured in 1962). It proved to be very powerful, and capable of outperforming the Camaro Z-28.

Actually, the real magic behind the Boss engines comes from the canted-valve Cleveland cylinder heads. While the Boss 302 was normally considered a 302 with 351 Cleveland heads, these canted-valve heads were used first on the Boss before the rest of the Cleveland was developed. The heads also featured steel spring seats, screw-in rocker studs, pushrod guide plates, and adjustable rocker arms.

In order to abide by SCCA regulations, which stated that manufacturers had to sell what they raced, Boss 302 Mustangs were offered to the public. Today, Boss 302 collectors and admirers from around the world can thank Larry Shinoda, a former GM stylist who worked at Ford and created the car’s unique styling. He also came up with the name Boss 302 for the car and engine that would go into production so that Ford could race in 1969 and 1970.

The Boss 302 Mustang could only be ordered with a four-speed, wide or close-ratio manual gearbox, and the body, a base Sports Roof, came minus the simulated side scoops.

The 1969 Boss 302 was only available in four colours; Wimbledon White, Bright Yellow, Calypso Coral and Acapulco Blue. Although a variety of interior colour options was available, black was used in most cases.

The 1970 Boss 302 was available in Grabber Blue, Grabber Orange or Grabber Green, Calypso Coral or Pastel Blue, with either a black or white interior. The 1970 Boss 302 also received a redesigned exhaust system and suspension, with aluminium valve covers replacing the chrome items found on the 1969 model.

The Boss 302 was finally retired and replaced with its successor, the Boss 429, in 1970.

Ford came close but did not win the TransAm title in 1969 with the Boss 302 Mustang, but it was more successful in 1970, taking out the TransAm championship and thus entering the history books.

1970 Dodge Challenger T/A

In keeping with the brand’s performance heritage, the Dodge Challenger went racing in its first year. To comply with the homologation requirements for TransAm racing Dodge built a street version of its race-car, which it called the Challenger T/A (TransAm).

The racing version of the Challenger T/A ran a destroked version of the 5.5-litre (340ci) engine, whilst the street version received three, two-barrel carburettors atop an Edelbrock aluminium intake manifold – creating the 340 Six Pack rated at 216kW, about 11 kW more than the original 340 engine and, oddly enough, the same rating as the Camaro Z-28 and Ford Boss 302 Mustang.

A massive suitcase-sized air scoop, moulded into a matte black, fibreglass bonnet pinned at the front to hold it down, provided the copious amounts of air required for the triple carburettor set-up, and a dual low-restriction exhaust system running through the standard muffler location, then reversing direction to exit in chrome-tipped outlets in front of the rear wheels, was part of the T/A package.

Other Challenger T/A options included the TorqueFlite automatic or pistol-grip Hurst-shifted four-speed transmission, a 3.55:1 or 3.90:1 ratio differential and manual or power steering. Front disc brakes were standard. The specially designed, heavy duty Rallye suspension increased the rear spring ratings, and the T/A was the first US muscle car to use different size tyres front and rear to give the car an aggressive, racing stance, with E60x15 fronts, and G60x15 at the rear.

The raked camber angle elevated the tail enough to clear the wider rear rubber and its side exhaust outlets. The racing image was further enhanced with wide dual side stripes, bold ID graphics, a fibreglass ducktail rear spoiler, and a fibreglass front spoiler, whilst the interior was strictly stock Challenger.

The Challenger T/As scored a few top three finishes in the TransAm series in 1970, but lack of a development budget led to Dodge leaving the series at the end of the season. Sam Posey drove the lone TransAm racing Challenger, a car prepared and run by Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics Race Shop. While Posey didn’t win a race in the No 77 Challenger, he did finish fourth overall after the final points table had been tallied for the 1970 season.

Tony Antonievich: 1969 Z28 Camaro

Tony Antonievich purchased his 1969 Z-28 Camaro from Max Baker (the NZ Funny Car driver) in the US back in 1989 whilst working for John Woodner Racing. The Camaro was used as the family car in the US before returning to New Zealand a year later.

Tony and his family have enjoyed this genuine Z-28 Camaro for over 20 years, and Tony certainly doesn’t mind admitting that the trusty old Chevy has had its fair share of use.

Originally white, the Camaro now wears a Le Mans Blue paint scheme, a period Chevrolet colour for that year, and the blue interior is factory standard except for an after-market steering wheel. The Chevrolet 5.0-litre (302ci) V8 has been freshened up according to Tony, but after looking closely at it during our photo-shoot at the Hampton Downs race track, it would be fair to say it’s had more than a light work over. However, Tony’s not letting on. The four-speed Muncie gearbox, diff and suspension are still basically stock items apart from new bushes and other maintenance items that have been replaced.

The Z-28 complements Tony’s other car, the beautifully restored ex Dennis Marwood racing TransAm Camaro as featured in our February issue this year.

Gary McMurtrie: 1970 Boss 302 Mustang

Gary McMurtrie was looking to build a Mustang race car to enjoy a couple of years ago, either a Boss or Shelby-style replica, when his plans took an about face. Well-known Mustang restorer Malcolm Sankey mentioned a few collectable Mustangs were available from a deceased estate collection in the US, and would Gary be interested? Initially, his thoughts were that he’d put his hand up for an original Grabber Blue 1970 Shelby GT350 Mustang from the collection. He then discovered that the collection also included a black, low mileage 1967 Shelby GT350 Mustang and our featured Calypso Coral 1970 Boss 302 Mustang and that all of these cars were still available for purchase – he ended up buying all three. The 1970 GT350 has since been sold, and Gary has kept the other two cars.

This 1970 Boss 302 Mustang has travelled only 65,000 original miles (104,607km) and was completely restored in the US by its previous, late owner.

Upon its arrival in NZ, it was sent to Matamata Panel Works for a complete check over and some attention to detail. The exhaust system was replaced and Bilstein shocks and stiffer coils were fitted to stiffen up the ride. A few panels needed re-gapping, and the engine bay was tidied up.

The Boss 302 is finished in its original colour scheme, and the white interior complements it nicely. The drivetrain is completely numbers matching and is optioned with the 3.91 diff ratio and front-mounted oil cooler, known as the ‘Drag Pack’, and ‘Shaker’ air intake.

As for Gary’s original idea about a race-car, after our session at Hampton Downs he’s got the bug again – so keep an eye out in these pages for something special.

Allen Lindsay: 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A

After searching for a low mileage, original Dodge Challenger for over a year, Allen Lindsay finally stumbled across this outstanding example in San Francisco in 2007. The car was exactly what he had been looking for, and had been parked up in a barn for over 20 years alongside another Challenger T/A, which Allen believes could still be there, but certainly not for sale.

The Challenger T/A was also completely dry and rust free, typical of cars found on the West Coast, and was completely original, with a numbers-matching drivetrain and two build sheets proving its authenticity. The original 31,000 miles (49,890km) showing on the odometer was further proof that this car had been stored for many years.

Allen brought the car back to New Zealand in 2007 and has since restored minor items such as brake rotors, brake master cylinder and suspension bushes – all testament to the fact the car had been sitting for many years.

The 340 Six Pack V8 engine still sounds crisp and menacing, and is still completely original, as is the four-speed manual gearbox.

According to Allen the Challenger T/A isn’t a showstopper. I beg to differ, and it suits Allen down to the ground, especially as he prefers to enjoy driving this the rare beast whenever time permits.

Allen is no stranger when it comes to Mopars, in fact his previous award-winning Plymouth ’Cuda featured amongst these pages not too long ago.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

Can’t afford an M3? We look at the next best thing – an M-Technik-spec’d 325i coupé.

When BMW’s 3 Series first appeared in 1975, the range of cars offered had big shoes to fill, being the replacement for the much-loved ’02 models. Indeed, prior to the launch many commentators speculated that the impending new BMWs would take a much softer line than hard-line performance classics such as the legendary 2002Tii. There may have been some truth in these opinions – remembering that petrol-heads would have to wait until 1977 for a true 20002Tii replacement, the hot-shot 323i – but that didn’t really matter to punters, who confirmed BMW’s ascendancy with their money. BMW would eventually produce around 1.3 million E21 3 Series cars between 1975 and 1983 – a landmark for BMW and its first million-selling car.

With the success of the E21 3 Series behind it, BMW launched an evolutionary second series (E30) in 1983. Refreshing the original car’s Paul Bracq-penned lines, BMW produced a winning combination of good looks and modern sporting appeal. And, with a range that stretched from the entry-level, four-cylinder 316 right up to the silky and powerful six-cylinder 325i, BMW firmly established its position within the young upwardly mobile executive market. By the time E30 production had ceased in 1994, over two million examples had been manufactured.

Performance Variants

Ignoring those special cars tuned and modified by Alpina, the six-cylinder E21 323i and E30 325i had taken pride of place as BMW’s top 3 Series performers. However, in 1987 a new model headed the pack – the legendary M3. Eschewing its renowned 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine, BMW’s specialist M-Technik arm chose to power the M3 with its competition-bred 2.3-litre four-banger. As a result, and backed by consequent motor sport success, the M3 rapidly became the ultimate 3 Series car.

As time wore on the M3’s standing only increased, and today genuine E30 M3s are worth big money – well beyond the reach of most classic car enthusiasts. However, fear not, there is a much more affordable alternative to the hardcore M3, the E30 BMW M325i.

Look through books on BMW and you’ll find scant mention of this model and, indeed, there are some who will tell you there is no such thing as the M325i, insisting that it is simply a standard 325i to which an unscrupulous previous owner has simply added an M-Sport badge.

In truth, the M-Sport badges were added by the factory – so the M325i does exist, although in several different guises.

In New Zealand it was badged as the M325i or the 325i Motorsport; in the UK it was known as the 325i Sport.

BMW M325i

So what exactly is the M325i?

Quite simply, it consisted of a series of options that were applied to the standard 325i – although only on two-door, five-speed manual models. The additions – sourced from BMW’s M-Sport parts bin – included a limited slip differential (a choice of ratios being available – 3.64, 3.73 or 3.91, with most NZ-new cars receiving the 3.64 option); sports seats which were effectively Recaro copies; black headlining to replace the more standard beige item; shadow-lined door and window trims; and 15 by seven-inch ‘basket-weave’ BBS alloy wheels. As well, a thicker, 14.5mm rear anti-roll bar was fitted in place of the standard 12mm bar to counter potential understeer, along with the addition of harder springs and either Bilstein or Koni shock absorbers.

Other options also known to exist on some cars were audio system tweeter side-pods and map-lights fitted to the rear-view mirror. Interestingly, two models were produced – the pre-facelift M-Tech1 and the facelifted M-Tech2. You can spot the difference between these two variants by simply examining their rear spoilers – the M-Tech1 has an angular, rather small rear-deck lip spoiler, while the same spoiler on the M-Tech2 is both larger and more rounded.

Otherwise, both variants are powered by BMW’s sohc 2.5-litre, fuel-injected six, which produces 128kW (171hp) – allowing for a theoretical top speed of 220kph.

On The Road

Imbued with BMW’s traditional build quality, the M325i provides a very enjoyable driving experience. One of the key highlights is BMW’s superb six-cylinder engine; smooth, powerful and totally civilised, it’s no wonder this motor has garnered considerable praise from owners and the motoring press.

However, what makes the M325i such a delight to drive are the M additions, which effectively tie down the car’s suspension in order to deliver much sharper handling than the standard 325i.

Larger diameter roll-bars and an LSD help tame the car’s inherent understeer although, driven briskly, the M325i still likes to hang its tail out during hard cornering. It can get a little heart-stopping in the wet, but over dry roads the BMW can still muster up a ton of grip if fitted with a decent set of high-performance tyres.

Combine all this with a snappy gearbox and well-weighted steering, and you’ve got the recipe for a classic sporting coupé – and one that is still capable of transporting four people very comfortably over huge distances. The M325i may not have the competition-honed edge of the M3, but it’s a very close second and, in its favour, the M325i is not only more affordable to buy, but overall running costs will be a whole lot less than those required by an M3.

Bill and Rae Denize’s 1988 M325i

Bill and Rae have enjoyed a life-long interest in classic cars and are currently members of the MG Car Club (Wellington Centre) Inc, Minis of Wellington Owners Group (MOWOG), and have been members of the BMW Car Club for two years.

Previously owned classics include a 1972 MG Midget, a 1968 Mini Cooper and a 1999 Mazda MX-5. As well as our featured M325i, Bill and Rae own a 1967 Morris Mini Cooper which they originally purchased in Canberra around 14 years ago. Bill has been racing this Mini for the last 12 years or so. They also have another BMW in their stable – a 2002 330 Motorsport which Rae uses as her everyday driver.

Bill is a retired banker but still works full-time as Group general manager for the Wellington-based VideoPro Group of Companies. Rae is administration manager for Explorer Graphics Limited based in Whitby, Porirua.

In past years Bill has been part of the organising committee for the MG Classic (formerly Whittaker’s) held in November of each year, as well as the Charity Classic race held in April annually. Bill retired from the Classic Race Committee about eight years ago so he could race at these events!

For the past 20 years Bill has been a competitor in the very successful Intermarque Sprint Series (sponsored by The Surgery) held at Manfeild over the winter months, and has also assisted with race driver training and instruction at Manfeild. Bill has held a National Race Licence for some 17 years.

Bill and Rae’s M325i was originally collected from the BMW factory in Munich as a tourist delivery car in October 1988. It was then driven around Europe and shipped to the UK several months later.

The BMW was first registered in New Zealand during March 1989, with Bill and Rae being the car’s fourth owners – having located and purchased the car through the internet. By the time the M325i came into their hands, it had lost it’s original registration plate – OF9545. Bill was keen to reinstate the BMW’s original registration number and, after contacting Personalised Plates (who confirmed that the original plate had been destroyed), Bill ordered new plates showing the original number.

Interestingly, this BMW has never been resold through a car dealership and has always changed hands privately. The car’s current odo reading is just on 170,000km and it remains in original factory condition – no modifications or extras have been added.

Maintaining the Breed

Bill admits to not being a mechanic, but he obviously enjoys pottering around with his cars and likes to have them in top condition. As such, he’s spent considerable time tidying up the M325i since purchase.

Finished in its original Diamond Schwartz paintwork, this M325i features all the usual factory options – including a limited slip differential, ABS brakes, Recaro-style cloth-trimmed seats, factory sunroof, the correct 15-inch BBS alloy rims and a factory-fitted radio/ tape deck.

The car is also fitted with a full M-Technik body kit. This was an optional extra and not all cars came with it, as it was quite an expensive kit. Today, it is enlightening to know that the original price of these cars, depending on extras, was around $85-90,000.

Since its purchase Bill and Rae have tidied up the paintwork (front spoiler and passenger door), had the wheels machined and repainted, and repaired the worn areas of the front seats with original material (Le Mans Upholstery in Wellington having retrimmed the seats). In keeping with the car’s performance potential, they have also fitted a set of Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

Other than that, the BMW has just been generally cleaned from top to bottom with judicious replacement of any damaged or missing parts. Bill recently had its underside steam-cleaned and completely repainted with CRC Black Zinc.

Last year Bill and Rae entered their car in the MG Easter Concours held at New Plymouth between MG Clubs (Auckland and Wellington) and came fifth overall, with the third and fourth-placed cars only a half point each ahead of their BMW. At the BMW Wellington January 2010 Show and Shine, their M325i was the overall winner.

Buying a M325i

The E30 M325i was a popular choice in New Zealand, and a quick look around will soon reveal several examples up for sale – usually with asking prices below $10,000, although lower mileage cars (if you can find one) usually attract a higher premium.

Although they’re not as highly strung as the M3, it would pay to have a prospective purchase checked over by a qualified BMW specialist. Reliable in service, BMW’s 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine can achieve very high distances if properly maintained, and many of the M325is offered for sale in NZ will now have clocked up well over 100,000km – so it pays to choose carefully. BMW’s five-speeder is also a model of reliability and changes should be smooth, so beware of cars with clonky-sounding transmissions. Naturally, a full service history would be of considerable value.

Only severely neglected cars will display major outward signs of rust, but it pays to inspect wheel-arch trailing edges (which can trap road sludge), sills, door bottoms (to ensure that all drain-holes are unblocked) and along the lips of the bonnet. Interiors are generally hard-wearing, although the rarer, leather trimmed examples can get a bit tatty if not properly cared for. Also, inspect the BBS alloy wheels for kerbing marks – they won’t be cheap to replace if badly damaged.

Spare parts are not really an issue with these cars and, due the popularity of the 3 Series, dismantlers can be a good source of replacement body and interior trim panels. As well as authorised BMW dealers, there are a number of independent suppliers who can assist you with new and second-hand BMW replacement parts.

1988 BMW M325i – Specifications

Engine Six-cylinder, in-line
Capacity 2492cc
Bore/ stroke 84x75mm
Valves Two valves per cylinder/ sohc
C/R 9.7:1
Max power 127.5kW at 5800rpm
Max torque 226Nm at 4000rpm
Fuel system Bosch ME-Motronic fuel injection
Transmission Five-speed manual
Suspension F/R MacPherson struts/ semi-trailing arms, coil springs
Steering ZF rack-and-pinion, PAS
Brakes Disc/ disc, optional ABS

Dimensions:
O/all length 4325mm
Width 1645mm
Wheelbase 2570mm
Track F/R 1407/ 1415mm
Kerb weight 1190kg

Performance:
Max speed 220kph
0-100kph 8.0 seconds
Economy 12.5l/100km

Words: Allan Walton Photos: Sean Craig

Ashley uncovers the long motor sport career of Targa veteran Gerry Hodges, and takes a close look at his immaculately prepared BMW.

Over the past couple of years I’ve been fortunate enough to follow seven Targa events around the North Island, and if there’s one car in particular that stands out in my mind every time it’s Gerry Hodges’ superbly presented 1984 BMW 635CSi.

Targa is without doubt one of the most gruelling motor racing events in the country, taking a heavy toll on both man and machine, and it’s fairly common that, as the event unfolds, so do the cars and drivers – lapses in concentration often resulting in unforeseen off-road excursions. However, others seem to thread their way through stage by stage keeping the shiny side up and without so much as a stone chip. Which brings me back to Gerry’s BMW. I’ve often wandered around this car midway through Targa events and thought to myself that this car looks as if it’s just been fully groomed. The fact of the matter is, it has. Gerry has a team of dedicated elves – including Barbara, his wife; Jeni Harrington, his co-driver’s wife; and Deb Day, his sponsor’s wife. With Rob Bolland looking after the mechanicals, the team all pitch in to keep the BMW spick and span. At every service stop they can be seen attending to the car before Gerry lines up for the next stage.

With this in mind, I felt sure that Gerry was a seasoned motor-sport veteran and, after a long talk with him, that feeling was confirmed.

Back to the Beginning

When the time came for Gerry to get his first car he remembers his father saying, “Let’s have a look at a Morris Minor 1000.” Gerry was having none of that, he wanted a Mini Cooper S which, as one can imagine, was not what his father had in mind – it was front-wheel-drive, the engine faced the wrong direction and the engine and gearbox shared the same oil. It just wasn’t going to happen.

However, as Gerry was the youngest in the family he did have some persuasive power over his father. After some persistence he eventually got his own way and, at the tender age of 16, he acquired a 1969 Mini 1275S.

Gerry enjoyed driving his new toy, which would sit in the garage under cover all week as he was super-fussy about keeping it pristine – only driving it on weekends. At this stage he was working in the motor industry at a Todd dealership, and soon became involved in club racing with the Mini – at grass gymkhanas and some circuit racing.

His next car was a Ford Cortina MkIII GT followed by a Holden Torana XU-1. From there, his involvement in motor racing became a little more serious and he built up a racing Mini, which is where it all started for Gerry.

He was also passionate about rallying and would often go out and watch the Heatway Rallies but, as he couldn’t stand the thought of having his car pounded by rocks, stones, mud and other debris, any prospects of him becoming a rally driver never really eventuated.

The Holden XU-1 gave way to a 1970 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro that Gerry reckons was a fairly special and brutal beast. Looking back he sometimes wonders how he ever reached the age of 21.

Raising the Stakes

Gerry was still racing the Mini when he met a very talented driver and engineer by the name of Neal Lowe, who was also the Mini Seven Champion at that time. Neal asked Gerry if he wanted to come and help run his Mini Seven. Gerry accepted the offer, and soon after they decided to participate in the B&H Production Saloon car series in a Mitsubishi Lancer, competing in the 1300cc class.

The following year, 1980, they entered a Ford MkIV Cortina that was driven by Neal Lowe and John Morton. The Cortina they’d bought was an ex-rental which had been around the clock more times than Bill Haley, whilst the other five competitors (including Ron McMillan and Dave Slater, both with substantial sponsorship from Auckland Ford dealerships) were running later-model brand new MkV Cortinas.

Gerry admits the starting grid looked rather comical with these smart-looking Ford-sponsored MkV Cortinas alongside their old ex-taxi, complete with Boomerang Motor Camp plastered all over it. However, the team went on to win the class outright, much to the disbelief of its competitors.

By now Gerry had become seriously hooked on motor sport. Neal Lowe then purchased a new VH SS Holden Commodore and turned it into a race car specifically for the B&H Series. As Gerry recalls, they had massive gearbox issues first time out, as did most of their Commodore-driving competitors – although the more affluent teams, those which could afford the very best equipment, including Oxton/ Brock, Crichton and Peter Jansen who drove with Denny Hulme, had no such problems.

After a few years the Neal Lowe Commodore eventually became the Lendich car driven by Robbie Francevic, and was very successful.

First Taste of Bavaria

When Group A arrived on the scene, Neal was keen to get into a Group A car, and after some research discovered that the BMW 635s were doing particularly well in Europe, along with Rover and the Jaguar XJ-S. Neal decided that the BMW 635 was probably the best way to go, and after some discussions received a stack of press photographs and information from BMW Motorsport. Gerry remembers the first time he and Neal looked at the photographs, he was unbelievably impressed by what he was looking at – a real race car, compared to the road cars they had been running previously.

However, the $150k price tag for a one-season-old 635CSi complete with parts package from Schnitzer was out of their price range, and they reluctantly to shelved the idea.

The next plan was to build a Rover because they could buy a car locally, import a race kit and build it up more cost effectively than a BMW. Kent Baigent then approached Neal and Gerry and told them he was thinking about importing a BMW 635CSi race car, and had heard they were interested and would they consider combining forces. The teams joined together and Gerry has fond memories of spending many hours working on the car and having a lot of fun with it.

The BMW 635CSi was sponsored by Tellus Vacuum Cleaners, Kent’s business, and won the B&H in 1984. They then took the car to Macau where, after leading the two BMW works cars, it retired after a strut failed. The BMW was shipped to Australia to compete in the best race of all, the Bathurst 1000, where they finished a credible fifth outright and first privateer team home in 1985.

From the moment Gerry set eyes on the BMW 635CSi he was adamant that he was going to eventually own one at some point in the future. Not only was it his first experience with BMW, it was his first experience with a 635CSi. Alas, shortly after the success at Bathurst, Kent had a bad accident at Manfeild and the BMW was written off.

John Player Special

By this time Gerry had a good relationship with most of the other teams and was approached by Neville Crichton, who asked if he wanted to join his team. As the BMW 635CSi was well and truly dead and buried, Gerry decided to make the move. Even at this early stage in his career, he had a reputation for being incredibly fussy and would usually chase the mechanics round the car, wiping greasy, oily finger marks and handprints off the black JPS bodies.

In fact, the first JPS car Gerry worked on was Dick Johnson’s old Green Stuff Mustang, brought over to compete in a Wellington street race and co-driven by Crichton. Gerry remembers that it was repainted in black JPS livery, and that was the first time he’d met Dick Johnson.

As Gerry’s passion for motor sport progressed, he was fortunate enough to meet many great people including Frank Gardner, Tony Longhurst and Jim Richards.

Gerry was a professional fire fighter trained in the old school – everything had to be kept immaculate, spotless and prepared to go at all times. This attitude put him in good stead when Neville drove for Dick Johnson, and as it turned out, Neal Lowe returned to the fray as Dick Johnson’s team manager during the Sierra era. Gerry got to stay on from 1986 through to 1989 – the team scoring a huge success with the Shell Sierras, winning Bathurst in 1988.

Subsequently, the Johnson team decided to switch to Ford Falcons and Gerry was approached by Frank Gardner and asked if he would like to work on the B&H BMW M3s, which suited Gerry down to the ground due to his passion for the marque and the fact he owned BMWs himself at that time.

Gerry worked alongside Tony Longhurst and Paul Morris, and clearly recalls Tony’s horrific accident at the 1991 Nissan-Mobil 500 Wellington street race. Tony went on to win the same event the following year.

As Gerry was now working for the official BMW works team in this part of the world, he was fortunate enough to meet Charlie Lamm, Steve Soper, Joachim Winkelhock and Emanuele Pirro from Schnitzer, as well as ex-F1 champion, Allan Jones, who was also part of the B&H team. Gerry says he was warned to be  wary of Allan Jones as he had a reputation for being a fairly tough character, and to be careful what he said to him. As it transpired, Gerry and Allan hit it off as soon as they met and soon formed a great relationship.

Hooked on Targa

Still in the back of Gerry’s mind was that niggling ambition to own a BMW 635CSi. Having owned several more cars over the ensuing years – including BMWs – he got back into motor racing for himself after building a BMW 2002 for classic racing. The 2002 then made way for an ex-works JPS Group A BMW 325 that had been raced by Tony Longhurst, and won an AMSCAR Series at Amaroo Park in Sydney. The car had been brought to New Zealand by Bill Bryce and was driven by Denny Hulme and Paul Radisich. Gerry carefully restored it to its original JPS livery, but found it difficult to race anywhere during the late ’90s as it was too new to qualify for classic racing and didn’t quite fit into any specific category. Gerry eventually sold the car back to an Australian owner.

Then he got hooked on Targa. It all happened when Targa NZ founder, Mike John, approached Gerry and told him about this event he was organising. Mike explained that the event was going to be huge, and he wanted the help of keen motor sport men. Gerry agreed to help out, and on the very first Targa he and Barbara were given the job of collecting the arrows, which had to be gathered up at the completion of each stage. Gerry thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as he got to drive through each stage of the event. After a couple of years on arrow duties, Gerry and Barbara were promoted to driving the rear safety vehicle and, in fact, Barbara continued to perform this task long after Gerry decided to go racing himself in the event.

At the time Gerry determined to compete in Targa, he was an Advanced Driver Training tutor for Ford and there was an opportunity to purchase a Ford Ka that had been used in a celebrity racing series. Looking back, it wasn’t Gerry’s first choice – however, it was a way of entering Targa and he teamed up with long time friend, Peter Robinson, as co-driver.

When Gerry showed up at his first event in 2000 he took some ribbing from his friends, as the last thing they expected to see him driving was a Ford Ka dressed up like a Martini works rally car.

Needless to say, they had a great time in the car and decided to enter it a second time as it was going so well. By this stage, Gerry had installed a Link computer and the car was literally humming through the event until Gerry decided he’d be the first driver to try out the ditch at the infamous ‘Cop’s Corner.’ Even now, Gerry reckons he enters that corner too fast. He knows it well, but just can’t help himself, although he has learned to treat ‘T’ junctions with extreme care because if you get it wrong there’s nowhere to go. Luckily, the Ka survived the ordeal with only a few scratches and, after missing only one stage, went on to finish the 2001 event.

The 635CSi Arrives

After some pressure to change from Ford to BMW, Gerry decided it was time to build a BMW and bought a 1990 E30 318i. Gerry still had the desire to own a 635CSi burning away in the back of his mind, and then heard through the grapevine that there was an ex-works 635CSi in Hamilton – a Group N production car built around a genuine ex-works shell. Apparently the car had been static for many years, owned by Martin Fine, ex-MotorSport New Zealand president. Gerry thought it might be worth investigating and managed to track Fine down to ask if he still owned the car. Once ownership was confirmed, Gerry went to have a look at the BMW – a deal was concluded there and then and Gerry finally owned a 635CSi.

Although it was somewhat tired-looking, Gerry knew he had the basis for a good car. The 1984 635CSi was #46 of 49 lightweight body-shells built by BMW Motorsport specifically for racing. According to Gerry, BMW Motorsport built these cars on a weekend away from prying eyes in two production runs, one in late 1983 and another in early 1984. Parts of the car were built from high tensile steel, were seam welded and had no underseal at all. The cars were also fitted with factory roll-cages and, once completed, the bodies were stored on racks until one of the contracted works teams decided to build a car. The bodies were despatched from BMW Motorsport with a kit that included the engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes and everything else required to get the car onto the race-track.

Gerry’s car started life in Group A and was raced in the UK by Gartlan Grace Racing and driven by Frank Sytner. The car lasted only a few races before being crashed by Frank Sytner’s co-driver, Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams, who Gerry reckons is a larger than life character and is about as close as you could get to our very own ‘Racing’ Ray Williams in virtually every respect. The BMW was severely damaged in the accident – in fact, the tail of the car was virtually flattened almost to the rear windscreen. The BMW was taken back to Frank Sytner’s workshop, but Sytner said he never wanted to drive it again as it would never be the same.

However, over a period of time the car was slowly repaired and straightened by the Gartlan Grace Racing team, and it sat in the workshop as a spare shell for a year or so. By this time Barry Williams had sponsorship to run the British Group N Championship, so the shell was built up as a production car for the series. Subsequently, Barry Williams won the championship in his first year driving the BMW 635CSi.

Gerry thinks that not long after this event the car was brought to New Zealand as a spare shell, still in Group N trim, for the Wellington street races by Sytner and left here – common practice in those days. Such cars were snapped up by locals and some even ended up in Australia.

A local BMW dealer who had intentions of racing the car then purchased the BMW and it sat in the showroom for quite some time before being sold. The new owner installed carpets and trim and used it as a road car for a few years before selling it to Martin Fine. Gerry acquired it in 2001.

Targa Prep

The first thing on Gerry’s agenda was to strip the car back to a bare shell and completely rebuild the front and rear suspension with new bushes, shock absorbers, springs, and a larger adjustable front sway bar. The brakes remained untouched, which later turned out to be a big mistake. Gerry persevered with the brakes for the first couple of Targa events before biting the bullet and installing custom-built AP Racing rotors up front with six-pot callipers, and BMW 540i vented rotors with four-pot callipers on the rear – an adjustable pedal box came courtesy of Andy Culpin. From his Group A experience, Gerry knew the 635CSi would be nose-heavy and, in order to get them to turn into corners, the front suspension needs to be relatively stiff whilst the rear needs to be reasonably soft, which reduces the potential for massive oversteer.

The next step was to rebuild the 3.5-litre ohc, 12-valve, straight six- engine, install a windage tray in the sump to prevent oil surge and fit higher-compression pistons. The head is basically stock standard with a slightly upgraded Schrick high-lift cam and stainless-steel headers leading into a side-exit exhaust.

The engine has been completely balanced and the induction system is standard right down to the air cleaner and runs an Alpina computer, which increases power from 162kW (218bhp) to 186kW (250bhp) as dyno’d. The car still retains its Group A Getrag close-ratio gearbox and a 3:64 ratio LSD. Gerry has plans to upgrade the standard springs and Koni shocks with coilovers during the summer.

Since its initial rebuild, Gerry has competed and finished in nine Dunlop Targas driving the 635CSi, plus Targa Rotorua and Targa Bambina events. During the summer, he also enjoys dusting off the BMW to compete in a few hill climbs. Gerry has raced in a few rounds of the BMW Series but concedes that the BMW is a far better Targa car than track car and, in fact, its performance surprises many people on Targa.

As in most sports, particularly motor racing, sponsorship is a key element in helping teams pay the bills and Gerry thanks his sponsors Dale ITM, Draeger, NZ Refining Company, Jerry Clayton and Motul Oil for their continued support.

My closing advice for would-be Targa NZ spectators is to have a look through the Official Targa Programme in this issue and get along to a stage near you – watching Gerry hustle his beautifully prepared and presented BMW 635CSi will be well worth the effort.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 251. Click here to check it out.

The 2011 National Hot Rod Show took place last weekend at the TSB Arena in Hawera, Taranaki. It was a large event for the hot rodding community and many of the finest hot rods in the land made the trip to go on show. A show was a success thanks to the event organisers Egmont Rod and Custom Club who put on what has to be one of the highest quality hot rod events in many years.

To see all the results from the Hot Rod competition, click here.

View the gallery below for photos from the National Hot Rod Show.

Allan takes off in Nissan’s GT-R supercar – his destination; the world-famous Chateau at Tongariro.

Around 16 years ago, I found myself at the wheel of a 1966 Prince Skyline 2000GT-A, one of the first of the truly hot Skylines. By today’s high-performance standards, the 2000GT-A wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows and yet, in mildly modified race-spec, this type of Skyline dominated the Japanese racing scene of the mid ’60s. Indeed, the Skyline GT’s development programme would eventually lead to the semi-legendary R380. Powered by a twin-cam, 24-valve version of the Skyline GT’s straight-six, the R380 was capable of reaching a maximum speed of 280kph (174mph).

However, even as Prince worked to develop its new sports racer, fate stepped in and, in late 1966, Prince merged with Nissan. The next evolution of the R380 – the R380-II – would carry Nissan badges when it appeared at the 1967 Japanese Grand Prix, which at that time was not a genuine, FIA-sanctioned F1 event. Later, the R380-III would also be developed by Nissan. The R380-III was intended to run with a new, quad-cam V12, but initially Chevrolet V8s were used until Nissan finalized its V12.

When the 5.9-litre V12-powered version finally came together, the car was renamed R382 – and with around 447kW at its disposal, the R382 was supposedly capable of attaining a top speed of around 350kph.

Birth of the Skyline GT-R

Fortunately for petrol-heads everywhere, Nissan knew it was onto a good thing when it inherited Prince’s Skyline, and in 1966 it released the 2000GT-A – oddly enough still badged as a Prince – and it was that model I drove back in 1994 (see NZCC, December 1994).

From that point on Prince’s obvious contribution to future Skylines began to diminish, although Nissan kept the name-plate. In 1969 it released its first high-performance version, the first Skyline to be badged as a GT-R. Nissan would further develop the GT-R through several series up to 1974, before temporarily dropping the designation until 1989. By that time, although retaining the Skyline’s traditional six-cylinder motor, the Skyline GT-R eventually emerged as a twin-turbocharged, all-wheel drive supercar-eating sports saloon – and, of course, it picked up its colourful Godzilla moniker.

The R35 GT-R

The first public sign that Nissan was planning to re-invent its GT-R came at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, where it presented an all-new GT-R concept car. Again at Tokyo, this time in 2005, it unveiled the GT-R Proto – announcing this would form the basis for the production GT-R, which would eventually debut in 2007.

Since its launch in 2008, Nissan has sent a GT-R to the infamous Nürburgring, where the car clocked up a shattering 7.29-second lap – quicker than a Porsche Carrera GT and a Ferrari F430 F1. At the time it set that lap, the only production car with a quicker lap record was the Pagani Zonda F.

Predictably, the GT-R’s Nürburgring exploits sent ripples of controversy throughout the known motoring world, and it wouldn’t be too long before everyone was scrabbling to best the GT-R’s time.

Of course there are faster, better-handling cars than the Nissan GT-R – but just look at their entry price. In New Zealand the Zonda F, for example, would be around five times the price of the GT-R – no prizes for guessing which car delivers the best bang for your buck.

PlayStation For Real

Partly due to its supercar performance – the GT-R can triple New Zealand’s national speed limit – and partly due to that episode at the Nürburgring, there has probably been more column centimetres written about the Nissan GT-R (note – the Skyline name has now been dropped altogether) than any recent car, so I don’t intend to add too much.

I’ll just point out that the GT-R is built to extremely exacting standards – GT-R V6 engines, for instance, are hand-assembled in a dust-free environment, with only eight men qualified to handle the task. And don’t place too much reliance on Nissan’s quoted power output figures – nominally, the GT-R’s 3.8-litre V6 pumps out 353kW, but some punctilious testers have recorded as much as 387kW.

The GT-R’s rear-mounted, six-speed, dual-clutch transmission is also hand-built – with each gearbox carefully mated to the right engine. Reputedly, you can’t mix ’n’ match GT-R engines and transmissions.

If that all appears a bit too much like technological overkill, your face will probably take on a paler shade when you climb into the GT-R and crank it into life. Although there are rows of  buttons and switches for virtually everything, the first thing most will notice is the novel, interchangeable centre gauge cluster. Rather than fitting a bunch of boring old analogue gauges, Nissan has gone the whole hog with a fully digital display – and then allowed the driver to switch it through a variety of modes. Everything from standard engine operation to fuel efficiency, gear position, acceleration and braking forces plus a g-meter is included. It’s PlayStation come to life – so perhaps it’s not too surprising that Nissan developed the GT-R’s onboard display system in conjunction with Polyphony Digital, the people behind the popular GranTurismo game.

It’s all very impressive, but it can be a little distracting trying to check the amount of g-force you’re generating while cornering!

Light the Blue Touch Paper

With all the technology out of the way, it was a relief to settle back into the GT-R’s driving seat, start her up and make tracks for my destination – the Bayview Chateau Tongariro, which had kindly agreed to put me up for the night.

Following a quick briefing from Mike Gilmour at City Nissan, I decided to keep the GT-R’s gearbox in auto-mode during the trip across Auckland, leaving the manual, paddle-shift mode for the drive to Tongariro.

Although surprisingly easy to drive, the GT-R’s performance potential was always lurking beneath our steady progress out of the city. Only a gentle squeeze on the throttle was sufficient to prod that hand-built V6 into life. Give the GT-R its head and it simply launched itself towards the horizon at a dizzying rate – if anything, the Nissan’s acceleration was even more brutal than that of the Aston Martin DBS V12 I sampled last year.

Fortunately, the GT-R’s power is matched to an extremely competent chassis, which means that cornering grip is considerable – helped, of course, by the Nissan’s battery of on-board driving aids.

And while the GT-R’s steering did feel a little wooden at the straight ahead position, it livened up under cornering, proving to be both precise and nimble.

R-Mode

It was now time to check out the driver selectable suspension settings – Comfy, Normal/ Sport and R-Mode. I’d assume that ‘R’ stands for Race. After a little experimentation, I figured out some new names for the settings – hard, very hard and extremely hard. I suppose you have to offset that against the GT-R’s ability to remain as flat as the proverbial board even under very spirited cornering, but over broken inner-city streets the GT-R is best kept on Comfy mode, and even that could potentially whip your early morning flat-white into a frothy cappuccino.

During the drive down to Tongariro I resisted the urge to turn off the traction control, instead restricting myself to sampling R-Mode. This would be the one for very enthusiastic drivers, allowing the GT-R to slip its tail out under hard cornering just enough to provide some additional thrills.

Not that you really need extra thrills – out on the open road, with rather more speed on board, the previously lumpy ride becomes much smoother and as you pile on the speed the GT-R quite literally comes alive in your hands. Sure, you could use a GT-R as your everyday car, but if your daily trip to work is restricted to the inner city, why would you want to waste its potential so needlessly?

For my four-hour trip to the Chateau, the GT-R seemed the perfect choice – and, as well as the pleasure of driving Nissan’s supercar, I was also looking forward to getting an evocative shot of the GT-R backed by the Chateau and Mt Ruapehu.

Ice and Snow

Alas, I never got to see Mt Ruapehu during my brief stay; the mountain remained obdurately swathed in rain and fog – so much for taking that picture postcard photograph of the Chateau!

The weather turned even worse the following morning. Snow was falling while I tucked into breakfast, while outside in the car park the once bright red GT-R was shivering under a white coating of snow and ice. Needless to say, despite being encased in ice the GT-R started first time, although manoeuvring the car around the icy car-park for a quick photo-shoot wasn’t a simple affair, with the traction control quickly losing the plot. So, traction control off – gulp – I didn’t even have to turn the steering wheel to change direction, the accelerator pedal being more than enough to swing the car through 180 degrees.

Then, half-a-dozen photos in, the snow returned – digital cameras don’t appreciate getting wet, so the shoot was abandoned and I slid and slipped my way back to the warmth of the Chateau. I’d done my best.

Of course, if taking photos had proved tricky, I now had to consider the drive home. After my car-park shenanigans I figured I’d need to drive down from the Chateau with the traction control turned off – a perilous thought when you’ve got over 350kW hitting the snow-covered road through a set of Dunlop summer boots.

With careful management of the gas pedal, I managed a pretty good Torvill and Dean impression as the GT-R quite literally skated down the road leading away from the Chateau. It was quite a relief to get back onto the state highway where I only had rain to contend with, rather than ice and snow. Well, that’s what I thought at first – until the rain gods turned up the dial to ‘monsoon’ and I soon found myself driving through absolutely torrential rain. A network of streams, puddles and washes dotted the road ahead and the GT-R developed an unnerving taste for aquaplaning on its summer tyres. Visibility was down to a few metres ahead, with the rearwards view completely obscured by the GT-R’s rooster-tail of spray.

To say that the drive back to Auckland was nasty would be a severe understatement – it was the worst weather I’ve driven in for over a decade.

Fortunately I made it back to tell the tale – and for that I have the GT-R to thank. It may not have been too fond of traversing deep surface water, but on more freely drained roads it dug in and found enough grip to ensure steady and rapid progress homewards.

My conclusion after two days of driving was that the GT-R is a truly impressive piece of machinery and, although Nissan has dropped the Skyline name, the GT-R carries on a legacy that began way back in the Swinging Sixties. For someone like myself – steeped in classic cars and motoring history – what struck me most vividly about the GT-R is that it’s almost as powerful and as rapid as the V12-powered R380-III racing car. Yet the GT-R is a road-going car that, at legal speeds, is almost as easy to drive as your old granny’s Micra.

As a final observation – if you want to make a career out of embarrassing self-satisfied Italian supercar owners, the GT-R is tailor-made for the job!

[Many thanks to Mike Gilmour at City Nissan for providing our test Nissan GT-R Premium]

2009 Nissan R35 GT-R Premium – Specifications

Engine: VR38DETT V6
Capacity: 3799cc
Bore/ stroke: 95.5 x 88.4mm
Valves: Two per cylinder, overhead C/R Dohc, variable valve timing
Max power: 353kW (190hp) at 6400rpm
Max torque: 588Nm at 3200-5200rpm
Fuel system: Nissan EGI fuel-injection
Transmission: Rear-mounted, six-speed dual-clutch with three driver-selectable shift modes
Suspension F/R F: Double wishbone with aluminium upper arms R: Multi-link with aluminium upper links Bilstein DampTronic system with three driver-selectable modes
Steering: Electronically controlled rack and pinion with speed sensitive power steering
Brakes: Disc/disc (Brembo) ABS, traction control. VDC-R, EBD
Wheels: Light alloy – F: 20×9.5in/R: 20×10.5in)
Tyres: Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST Run-Flat *(as tested) F: 255/40RF20 97Y/R: 285/35RF20 100Y

Dimensions:
O/all length 4655mm
Width 1895mm
Height 1370mm
Wheelbase 2780mm
Track F/R 1590/ 1600mm
Kerb weight 1740kg

Performance:
Max speed 311kph
0-100kph 3.5 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 11.6 seconds

Bayview Chateau Tongariro

The first road was pushed towards Mt Ruapehu in the 1920s, much of the work being done by convicts from the Whakapapa prison camp. Sir James Gunson, once Mayor of Auckland, is recorded as the first to drive a car to Whakapapa – before then, the area was only accessible on horse-back.

With the once remote Mt Ruapehu district now opened to easier access, the Tongariro Park Tourist Company was formed, its plan being to build an imposing and elegant chateau-style hotel to cater for tourists and locals who wanted to try their hand at skiing.

It may all have seemed a little fanciful, but on January 10, 1929, construction began on The Chateau and, amazingly, the new building was opened for guests on August 1 1929.

Before long The Chateau became a Mecca for well-heeled overseas visitors, all of whom marvelled at the building’s neo-Georgian splendour and spectacular views of Mt Tongariro.

However, the advent of WWII put an end to this glamorous period. With overseas travel severely restricted, the Chateau was taken over by the government to be used as an asylum – although it would open again as a hotel, freshly renovated, in 1948.

In 1957 came more changes as the Chateau was taken over by the Tourist Hotel Corporation, which would further develop the outlying Whakapapa ski fields. In 1990, the Chateau passed into private ownership.

Today, under new ownership and renamed as the Bayview Chateau Tongariro, this remarkable hotel still retains its former air of luxury. When adding a new wing to the hotel, care was taken to maintain the Chateau’s old world ambience.

Today, this multi-award winning hotel has just turned 80 years old, and still offers fine dining under grand chandeliers and unsurpassed service.

NZ Classic Car only spent a single night at the Chateau, but it was a memorable experience – in a luxurious and well equipped room in the new wing, with a simply superb evening meal and a welcome and hearty breakfast the following morning. The service during our brief stay was nothing short of exemplary – for once I was made to feel like royalty, instead of a tatty old motoring journalist.

Many thanks to all the staff and management of Bayview Chateau Tongariro for allowing us to make their splendid hotel a NZCC Classic Destination.

Bayview Chateau Tongariro – Freefone 0800 CHATEAU – www.chateau.co.nz

Words: Allan Walton Photos: Allan Walton and Adam Croy

This article is fron NZ Classic Car issue 238. Click here to check it out.

If the correct identification of the various types of bolts fitted to classic cars drives you screwy – read on…

Following on from last month’s musings about tools and setting up a home workshop, a friend asked me to identify the difference between a BSF and a BSW bolt. Apparently, after reading my tooled-up meanderings, he believed I was some sort of mechanical expert. Not so! When I was a young lad my father was continually exasperated by my clumsy grasp of how to correctly use a hand-tool. I suppose he had good reason to be frustrated with my slow uptake of technical knowledge, as our family included a plumber, several skilled carpenters, a fully qualified electrician, a capstan lathe operator and a tool and die maker. Alas, even when it came down to the practicalities of the three ‘Rs’ at school, I failed miserably at ’rithmetic.

Even today the old man is still inclined to give me a clip across the ear if he catches me using a hand-saw improperly or screwing up a screw without the correct screwdriver.

However, going back to my friend’s question, I dredged up some of that old knowledge my father had, mostly unsuccessfully, tried to hammer into my brain back in the mid ’60s. Alas, all I could recall were my father’s jokey definitions – i.e: BSF = Bloody Stupid Fred (so named because these bolts were easy to cross-thread) and UNC = Unduly Coarse. I’m sure he had similarly inaccurate names for other types of bolts, but my memory has failed me on his nicknames for BSW or BA. Naturally metric bolts never came into the equation, being the virtually exclusive preserve of foreign cars, at least until the years following my ‘apprenticeship’ with my father.

So, in the interests of research – and just in case any of our readers are in the same boat as me – let’s have a look at the various types of bolts you’re likely to find holding together the important little (or big) bits in your classic car.

(For the purposes of this short article, I’ll ignore metric bolts; which didn’t really feature on British cars until the mid ’70s.)

BSW & BSF Bolts

Nuts and bolts on older, classic cars usually feature one of two standard threads. Ignoring my father’s terms, these two types of thread are British Standard Whitworth (BSW) and British Standard Fine (BSF). These are for bolts of quarter-inch diameter upwards.

When you know what to look for, it’s pretty easy to distinguish between these two types – BSW bolts have fewer but deeper threads than a BSF bolt and are normally used to bolt up cast-iron or soft metal parts. The finer thread of a BSF bolt offers better strength and improved locking due to its shallow pitched threads.

Time here for a little aside concerning the size of a bolt’s hexagon head, or nut. The size of these is related to the diameter of the bolt itself, with bolt sizes increasing in 1/16-inch increments. Although the same type of spanners can be used on both BSW and BSF bolts, BSF bolts have a different bolt-head size in relationship to the same diameter of thread. Normally, spanners are marked with both sizes. For instance, 7/16-inch BSF and 3/8-inch BSW.

When it comes down to the bolts holding together electrical equipment, the most commonly used type of bolt will be British Association (BA) units. These are smaller than BSF or BSW bolts and have a rather limited range of diameters, hence their popularity for electrical fitments such as distributor terminal nuts.

UNC & UNF Bolts

If your classic is of the more modern type, you’ll probably discover American, or Unified, threads on bolts up to ¼-inch diameter and beyond. Like BSW and BSF bolts, these also vary in size in 1/16-inch steps.

The two types are Unified Coarse (UNC) and Unified Fine (UNF) – both easy to recognise from each other due to their thread pitch. These hexagonal-headed bolts should not be confused with the very similar BSW and BSF bolts – you’ll need American Fine (AF) spanners to work on these types of bolts.

Spannerman

Of course, now that you’re an expert on identifying different bolt types, you’ll then need to think about the types of spanners required to use on them. If you don’t already have a good selection of spanners, you can keep your initial outlay relatively small by simply purchasing essential sizes. For most classic cars, this would mean a range of AF spanners from 7/16 to ½-inch. If you’re really pushed for cash, pick 9/16 and 5/8-inch spanners, these two sizes will make a good beginning.

When it comes to spanner types, the choice is between open-jaw and ring spanners. Open-jaw spanners can be used for most nuts and bolts although, due to their tendency to slip, they’re not always the best choice. Ring spanners are normally stronger and lighter and allow you to turn a nut in more restricted spaces. And, because their open holes are 12-sided, they’re much less likely to slip. However, ring spanners are not much good for pipe unions or in situations when you can’t get over the head of the bolt or nut – but for all other times, a ring spanner would be preferable to an open-jaw spanner.

Although the jaws of an open-jaw spanner are usually set at 15 degrees to the shank, some have one jaw in line with the shank while the other is angled – these types having been designed for tappet adjustment. Additionally, both types of spanner are available with cranked shanks – handy for awkwardly placed bolts, and you’re bound to find a few on older British cars.

For those who have to own everything, combination spanners – open-jaw on one end and ring on the other – can also be very useful.

Box and Socket Spanners

You don’t often see box spanners with their accompanying Tommy bar these days, but it’s a pound to a penny that the spark plug spanner in your classic car’s tool-kit is of the box type. If you’re lucky, it might even have an inset rubber collar designed to protect the ceramic parts of a spark plug. If it doesn’t, it might pay to pick up a proper spark plug box spanner.

Socket spanners are much more common as an essential tool for any home mechanic along with an appropriate ratchet handle and fixed or jointed extensions. Although generally purchased as a set, sockets can be bought singly – the same comments about sizes apply to our previous comments concerning AF spanners.

Socket spanners are limited by the actual depth of the socket, although special, deep sockets can be purchased if required.

That’s about it for spanners – although you’ll probably also need at least one BA spanner if you plan to work on your car’s distributor. The most useful size is a 4BA.

If all the above hasn’t sent you nutty then perhaps, unlike me, you were born to be a good home mechanic!

Words: James Black

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

Ashley talks to the experts to find out more about preparing a classic car for Targa, rallying and circuit racing.

Preparing a Targa car is a bit like determining the length of a piece of string. The variables are infinite, depending on budget, choice of car and so on. In this article we’ve focused on a classic car as the basis for a Targa car, providing some information that’ll help you make the right choices when building a car to compete in Targa events.

I’m no expert when it comes to building competition cars, so I contacted Paul Madeley, owner of Motorsport Fabrications, who is not only building a Porsche 944 Turbo for this year’s Dunlop Targa, but has years of experience and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to motor sport.

Selection

First item on the agenda is choosing the correct donor car. It may be an old favourite, such as an Escort, Fiat 124, BMW or Porsche, but take your time to ensure you buy the best you can afford. In other words, your chosen car needs to be structurally sound and straight, you don’t want to spend a large portion of your budget straightening chassis members, repairing rust or any other major issues just bringing the car up to scratch before you even begin. A good suggestion would be to stick with the type of drive-line you prefer, front or rear wheel drive, especially if this is your first attempt, as the car will be easier to drive without the expense associated with four-wheel drive vehicles.

Once you’ve purchased a suitable donor car it’s not a bad idea to sit down a break the project down into stages to determine exactly what you want to achieve. The two common denominators in building a car for Targa are safety and reliability. Remember, the Dunlop Targa NZ is a gruelling event comprising up to nine stages on each of the six days over some of the country’s most demanding and remote roads. So, safety and reliability are paramount when constructing a car for this event.

Caged

The roll-cage will be one of the most important items in the car. It not only provides you and your co-driver with a secure barrier in the event of any accident or roll-over, but it should also assist in stiffening the car, resulting in better handling. The roll-cage should be strong in itself, without relying on any of the car’s body for that strength.

When constructing the cage from either chrome-moly or roll-cage quality tube, it has to include a main hoop, lateral bars and back stays, but should also include such features as side and wheel intrusion bars for total safety. When designing the cage several factors such as suspension and engine location, seating position, fuel tank, and even spare wheel location should be taken into account as basically all these things are mounted from it in one place or another. Also entry into and exit from the car should be made as easy as possible, with the layout of any door bars and comfort with the seating position identified prior to the cage being designed, as well as visibility with the position of screen bars etc within the parameters of the rules. Only a certified person should weld the cage.

Travel

Suspension options are endless, but plan to spend as much as you can afford on suspension components because they are what keep your wheels on the ground. The car doesn’t want to sit too high – or too low for that matter, as ground clearance is an important consideration when setting up a car for any tarmac rallying event.
The same philosophy should also be applied when selecting a brake package for the project. Choose the very best you can afford.

In most cases the most expensive exercise will undoubtedly be the engine and gearbox. Again, it’s entirely an individual choice depending on budget and how much power you ultimately want. Make sure that all necessary ‘serviceable’ components are easily accessible. The service stops allocated during Targa don’t provide an abundance of time, and there is virtually no time between stages, so consider making your service crew’s life easy. Remember, reliability over performance is the key to competing in Targa.

Another thing to remember, if you decide to fabricate a new exhaust system, and chances are you probably will, make sure it’s tucked up close to the underside of the car, is easily removable, and not too noisy. The last thing you want is a constant deafening drone for days on end.

In terms of gearbox selection, again reliability is the key ingredient, but also you’ll make thousands of changes during the event so a top quality synchromesh ’box is a very useful item. Gearboxes take a real hammering during a Targa event, so ensure that whatever you use is in good operational condition.

If possible put your car on a diet, as a light and modestly-powered car is far less taxing to drive than a heavy, high-powered car.

Targa is not about fronting up with the most power; good torque and drivability is equally important. In other words, all your effort shouldn’t be concentrated on trying to control the car, it’s more important to be looking at what’s ahead of you, and listening to your co-driver’s instructions.

Comfort

There are several items inside the cabin to carefully consider when building a car for such an event as Targa. Firstly, make sure you select a seat that not only complies with all safety regulations, but is mounted to provided maximum comfort and safety for both you and your co-driver. The safety harnesses also need to be the best you can afford, and Paul reckons you should try and get the widest strap possible, as it will provide extra comfort during those long days in the cabin.

Choose instruments that are clear and easily read at a glance. Keep the cluster simple and uncomplicated and make sure dials are located in a position where you can see them easily. The same applies to the co-driver’s instrumentation.

Another good point to remember, Dunlop is the major sponsor and its tyres must be used, so when selecting wheels make sure there is a suitable Dunlop tyre available.

There are a few other things – such as good heating and ventilation – to consider also. While they may not sound important they can make life just that little bit easier whilst concentration, nerves and adrenaline are all working furiously together. One minute you can be starting a stage in a mild to heavy snowstorm, only to finish in brilliant sunshine, so you don’t want to be in a position where a fogged up windscreen is causing unnecessary problems. Also consider investing in a good set of windscreen wiper blades and make sure your head and taillights are working efficiently. Again, it’s all about preparation, and it’s often the little things that can let you down and cost valuable seconds when you least expect it.

Enjoy

Building a suitable car for the Dunlop Targa is very much up to the individual in regards to their taste in car, budget, and what they want to achieve from the event. In many cases teams enter for the camaraderie as much as the competition and are happy just to enjoy the event as opposed to those more serious competitors, who are focused on winning their particular class.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

There’s nothing like the simplicity of a practicable classic commercial – and there are few classics more practical than a Braddie.

Brian Hartman has had a fascination for the two cylinder-engined Bradford pickup truck since his late teens. Later on in life, once work, marriage and family commitments took over as his top priorities, any thoughts of owning a Bradford were put on the back-burner, so Brian, along with his wife Barbara, placed the idea of owning Bradford on to their wish-list.

However, over the years they would often talk about their dream of owning a Bradford and, after many years and with semi-retirement looming just around the corner, they decided to start thinking more seriously about fulfilling their dream.

Ironically, whilst helping a friend pick up a vehicle, they discovered a Bradford truck that appeared to be in fairly good condition. To be sure, the wooden framework had seen better days and had succumbed to the elements over time, but the rest of the truck was complete, and they decided there and then to buy it.

Brian and Barbara were certainly under no illusions about the task ahead in bringing the old Bradford back to its former glory, in fact they were extremely excited about the challenge that lay in front of them.

The Bradle Project

In November 2005 Brian and Barbara picked up their new project, a 1950 Jowett Bradford pickup truck, and decided to call it ‘Bradle.’ However, before restoration could commence, a new shed with plenty of room and a workshop had to be built, finally achieved with the help of their oldest son Greg. Also during this time, Brian and Barbara decided it would be a good idea to join the Northern Branch of the Jowett Car Club of New Zealand, and they quickly found its members to be an extremely helpful, active and friendly bunch. Brian and Barbara enjoy receiving their monthly newsletters and bi-monthly magazines, which they found both interesting and informative.

Another advantage of belonging to the club was the new and used parts service the club offers members – this proved especially useful to Brian during the restoration.

Almost two years after purchasing Bradle, in September 2007, restoration began with excitement running high despite the daunting task ahead and the fact that they had no previous restoration experience, Brian and Barbara totally committed themselves to the project.

Nut by nut, bolt by bolt, part by part, the Bradford was carefully and completely stripped. The next task was to have the chassis repaired, sandblasted and powder-coated, while every individual part was painstakingly checked and repaired if necessary. All mechanical parts were fitted with new seals and bearings at the same time.

Unfortunately there was a little more rust than expected, which was cut out from the lower portion of one door, the bottom of both panels in front of each door and one guard – all replaced with new steel. The centre section of the rear cab also needed to be replaced, which Brian and Barbara found extremely challenging, but totally satisfying once the job was complete. Another challenge was fitting the cedar frames to each door as there was no pattern or template to follow, and the cab was fitted with a new box section frame instead of timber with all the shaping and bending done by hand – proving to be a real test for Brian and Barbara. Of course, they are very proud of their efforts.

The next item on the agenda was to hang the doors, line up the rear of the cab and fit the roof. Meantime, all the parts had been carefully sorted, some of which needed to be re-chromed, tasks assigned to Advance Plating in Frankton and Forlong & Maisey in Te Rapa. According to Brian, the final results were excellent.

Days in the Shed

Brian and Barbara spent many hours in their shed, drinking coffee and sometimes eating lunch together while discussing and sharing their thoughts and ideas or simply just enjoying day-to-day progress.

After some discussions with other club members, who’d successfully installed four-speed gearboxes into their Bradfords, Brian decided to look for a suitable four-speed gearbox for Bradle. After some intense searching, he found a very good Ford 105E ’box and, after some minor modifications and machining to the original Bradford bell housing, everything went together reasonably well. Brian reckons that the four-speed ’box has improved the Bradford’s open road motoring immensely – especially on the hills – compared to the original three-speed gearbox, and is pleased with his decision to make the change.

Brian and Barbara at this stage decided to work towards a goal of having Bradle complete for the Galaxy of Cars show in February 2010, but as the date loomed ever closer, they soon came to the realisation that this date was somewhat optimistic and the truck wouldn’t be finished in time.

With the motor, gearbox and driveshaft installed with the help of their son Greg, the cab primed, front and rear chrome bumpers and radiator surround mounted into position, but minus doors, mudguards and bonnet, they decided to take Bradle to the show anyway. Once it was parked up in MOTAT’s grounds, they were overwhelmed by the level of interest shown by visitors to the show.

Once back at home and revitalised with enthusiasm, Brian and Barbara decided to set a new completion date coinciding with the Jowett Car Club National Rally being held in Feilding during April, 2010. With this date in mind, and not too far away, it was time to make that all-important decision – colour. Originally, Brian and Barbara had thought of green for the bodywork with black mudguards, but they realised there are plenty of Bradfords painted in that colour scheme already and they decided they wanted something quite different, a colour that would highlight the chrome.

Then, one day while driving through Hamilton, they spotted a vehicle, looked at each other simultaneously and said to each other “that’s the colour” – their final choice probably being best described as similar to Cadbury’s famous chocolate wrapping.

Now that the colour had been chosen, Brian and Barbara wasted no time in purchasing the paint and, once the cab, doors and bonnet were painted, both knew they’d made the right decision.

The mudguards, engine bay, dashboard and instrument panel were all finished off in metallic black to complement the final colour scheme and to provide a nice contrast to the Bradford’s now brightly coloured body. At this point pressure was beginning to build, with the projected completion date just on the horizon. So with the help of their youngest son, Nigel, and many long hours and several all-night sessions in the workshop, the body was completely assembled. Nigel, though not an auto-electrician, spent countless hours meticulously wiring up the Bradford.

Finally, an appointment was made to VIN and test the car for its WoF, and the Bradford was loaded onto a trailer without its bonnet or rear deck and taken down to the local VTNZ testing station. With much relief, the Bradford passed the VIN-ing process.

With only two days before Brian and Barbara were due to head off to Feilding for the Jowett Nationals, there was just enough time to rebuild the Bradford’s rear deck – in fact, time was so tight that while Brian and Nigel were building the rear deck out of NZ cedar, Barbara was busily applying a coat of protective oil to help finish it off in time.

The Inaugural Drive

On the morning of the day they were due to drive to Feilding, and following only a few minor adjustments, Brian took Bradle for its final WoF inspection and was so chuffed when it passed with flying colours. Back at home the adrenaline was running high as they packed Bradle and hit the road and headed for Feilding. Their dream had finally come true; they couldn’t believe that they had transformed what once was a sad little truck into what they have today.

Bradle performed superbly during the trip south. They stopped off at Taumarunui for the first night and set off the next day via National Park, where they caught up with a few Auckland-based club members who’d stopped off for an unscheduled gearbox change on one of their Bradfords. Repairs took less than two hours, and soon the Bradfords were heading off to Feilding in convoy. Brian and Barbara were so thrilled to be on their first rally.

Club judging commenced on the Saturday morning as groups of Bradfords, Javelins and Jupiters from all over the country were assembled in Feilding’s town square in readiness for the occasion. It was a brilliantly sunny day and an awesome sight according to Brian, as a large crowd enjoyed mingling amongst the cars while they were being judged.

Once judging was completed and the final scores tallied up, Brian and Barbara were delighted to be awarded Second Best Bradford and Third Overall, with Javelins and Jupiters included in the overall judging scores. This despite the fact that the Bradford’s interior was not upholstered and that its deck was without sides or rear tailgate, so Brian and Barbara were, naturally, over the moon with the result.

When they arrived back home in Cambridge, the Bradford was sent off to Shane Ward at CH Allen in Te Awamutu for upholstery and, according to Brian and Barbara, he did an exceptional job putting the finishing touch to ‘Bradle.’

The final step was to complete the rear deck, and Nigel constructed the framework complete with stainless steel capping – stainless steel nuts and bolts were used throughout.

Just on three years after commencement of their project, their Bradford was finally complete. Brian and Barbara now thoroughly enjoy participating in as many club activities as possible, attending car shows throughout Auckland and the greater Waikato on regular occasions. To date, Bradle has racked up an impressive collection of awards and trophies including Huntly Lions Shine for Cancer – first in British Section; Galaxy of Cars – Best Bradford, second Best Jowett Overall; Ellerslie Intermarque Concours 2011 – ninth place Team; Ohakune National Rally 2011 – second Best Bradford; and Katikati Car Club – Best Vintage Overall Trophy.

It’s fairly obvious that Brian and Barbara share car cleaning and polishing duties and really enjoy the pleasure of keeping Bradle clean and shiny. On two different occasions they have had families ring to ask if they would take their dad out for a surprise 80th birthday drive, both of which they enjoyed immensely. Their ‘guests’ also recounted stories of when they owned Bradfords back in the ’50s – Brian and Barbara undoubtedly get a kick from the thought that they can give and share the pleasure with others; our sentiments exactly.

1950 Jowett Bradford Pickup Truck – Specifications

Engine Horizontally opposed two-cylinder
Capacity 1005cc
Max power 18.5kW at 3500rpm
Compression 5.4:1
Bore x stroke 79.4 x 101.6mm
Fuel system Zenith carburettor 
Transmission Four-speed manual (as featured)
Suspension Semi-elliptic front and rear
Steering Bishop cam and lever
Brakes Girling mechanical drums

Dimensions:
Overall length 3657mm 
Width 1524mm 
Wheelbase 2286mm
Kerb weight 725kg

Performance:
Maximum speed 86kph
0-80kph 47.6 seconds
Standing ¼ mile 28.5 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 250. Click here to check it out.

When Dave and Tracy purchased this Torana GTR XU-1 they were unaware of it’s long rallying history.

Back in the mid-1960s and early ’70s, when muscle car fever gripped the world, American car giant General Motors searched for ways to bring a smaller-bodied performance car to Aussie buyers. Sure, there was a range of Holden Monaros on offer with optional V8 engines to suit just about every petrol-head’s dream, but the problem was that this Camaro-sized coupé was just too expensive and beyond the reach of many mainstream buyers. To capture Australasia’s burgeoning youth market, Holden needed a smaller, cheaper performance package.

Its efforts came to fruition in October 1969 with the release of the first Holden Torana GTR. Part of the six-cylinder Torana range, the GTR boasted the 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine from the base model Holden Belmont, albeit slightly modified. The good news was that the Torana GTR, with its four-speed manual gearbox, disc brakes, extra instruments, fluted front guards and alloy spoked steering wheel (pinched from the Monaro) was $100 cheaper than the base model Monaro. However, the problem was that many young drivers who would have parted with vital parts of their anatomy in order to park a GTR in their driveway faced hefty insurance premiums; a major deterrent for those seeking to own such a car.

Unknown to all except for a few industry insiders, an even greater temptation was already well underway. Holden’s secret weapon, codenamed XU-1, would be fitted with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, breathing through triple Stromberg carburettors, and would also include a front air dam and rear ‘ducktail’ spoiler to distinguish it from its single carburettor siblings.

The GTR XU-1’s Race Debut

Three months prior to the official launch of the GTR XU-1 in August 1970, the new Torana had already made its circuit racing debut. Only six weeks later a dozen GTR XU-1 Toranas lined up on the grid at Australia’s greatest motor racing event – the Bathurst 500. The intention was to win Class C outright, but in the hope that the bigger V8s – in particular the Ford GT-HOs – would require more pit stops during the race, there was much speculation concerning the possibility of a first-up victory for the new car.

However it wasn’t to be, and the fairytale ending that Holden had hoped for never eventuated. The XU-1 was fortunate enough to take out a Class victory, but only just.

The following year, although it denied any motor sport involvement Holden continued to develop the XU-1 with modifications that clearly indicated its intention to make it a more viable competition car.

In September 1971 the LC XU-1 was announced, a much improved version of the ‘raw’ original version. But across at Ford the bar had also been raised, and Bathurst that year was a wake-up call for Holden when the GT-HO Falcons stole the show once again, leaving the fourth-placed XU-1, driven by Colin Bond, in their wake.

The story was a little different on the dirt when Bond took out the first four Australian Rally Championship rounds in XU-1 Toranas, leaving the drivers of lighter, less powerful Escorts and Datsuns scratching their heads.

The restyled LJ Torana GTR XU-1 released in January 1972 brought with it minimal external changes. As expected, all the attention was focused under the bonnet. The engine’s capacity had now been stretched to 3.3 litres and it had been pumped out an extra 22kW. The engine power increase was combined with revised spring settings and a faster ratio steering, making the car much more competitive.

A run of 200 Bathurst Specials was released in August 1972, followed a year later by a final upgrade and 150 Bathurst XU-1s with revised cylinder heads and manifolds, a different fan, flywheel and rear axles.

It was, however, Holden’s year at Mount Panorama in 1972 when a young, fresh-faced Peter Brock crossed the line in first place in his Holden Dealer Team LJ Torana XU-1, winning by a margin of five laps. The car ran faultlessly all day, testament not only to Brock’s superb driving talent, but Holden’s tenacity in developing an alternative to the V8 Monaro.

Raced, Rallied, but not Rolled

In 1973 Hugh and Heather Armstrong purchased our featured Torana GTR XU-1 from Masterton Holden Dealer, T Wagg & Co. As it turned out, Guy Wagg’s association and support of the Torana was more than he ever envisaged when he sold the car.

Twelve months later it was fitted with a roll cage, a 1/8th plate with 20mm box section sump guard and full harness seat belts, while the fuel tank was raised into the boot in preparation for Hugh Armstrong’s first rally event, a round of the Marlborough Rally Series. With John Fellingham as co-driver, the Armstrongs set off from Masterton and drove the Torana all the way to and from Timaru for the event. With no service crew, they started in 115th position and finished in a respectable 12th spot.

As the Torana was still their only family car, the pressure was on to keep it running as Heather, a nurse, needed reliable transport to travel the 20-minute journey to work and back. At this stage, Hugh and Heather had mustered an enthusiastic and dedicated service crew – Brian Agnew, Bruce Agnew, Brian Grey, Bic Nolan, Squid O’Brien, Roy Jowett, Brett Findlay and Tony Skilton – all of whom invested their annual leave, money and spare time. The subsequent success of the XU-1’s rally career has been attributed to all of them.

In 1975 Hugh and Heather entered the car in the International Rally that travelled from Auckland to Wellington. Hugh was teamed again with co-driver John Fellingham, one service crew member and one set of tyres to last the entire event. Heather joined in as second member of the service crew and was so impressed by the overall performance of the team that, by the time they reached Taihape, she lashed out and spent her $200 housekeeping allowance on a new set of tyres to replace the almost slick set that had lasted so well.

On that event, Hugh started the XU-1 in 105th position and finished 10th, a massive effort in anyone’s language.

Heatway Rally

In 1976 Hugh and Heather spent some time working in Australia to earn enough money to compete in the 1976 Heatway Rally. Hugh and Heather dedicated their life to rallying, pouring every single cent into their XU-1 to keep it as competitive as possible. In fact, after two years of marriage they still slept in single beds pushed together, as there was no money for such luxuries as a double bed.

Whilst in Australia they visited George Sheppard, Colin Bond’s co-driver, who prepared cars for the Holden Dealer Rally Team. On George’s advice Hugh managed to bring back a full set of springs for the XU-1 in order to help improve the car’s understeering issues.

Hugh lined up for the start of the Heatway Rally in 1976, this time with Heather as co-driver, three sets of tyres, and no sponsorship for the event. According to Heather, it was unusual to see women participating in rally events in those days.

They drove the car from Masterton to Dunedin for the start of the rally and headed off in 26th position. Hugh and Heather turned out to be a formidable team, eventually finishing in sixth place.

The winner that year was top driver Andrew Cowan, driving an Avenger. Rally cars were getting smaller and smaller each year, and Cowan was heard commenting that he didn’t know how Hugh managed to keep “that tank” on the road.

As it turned out, that tank was the first car on the road for the last special stage of the rally.

At last, with the generosity of the people of Wairarapa, Hugh and Heather collected a few sponsorship dollars and the Torana XU-1, number 25, was labelled the ‘Spirit of Wairarapa’ in time for the 1977 Heatway Rally. Co-driver Dave Murie teamed up with Hugh in the cockpit, as Heather was pregnant with their first child.

Hugh drove a little too hastily during a stage known as the Coast Road, between Wainuiomata and Featherston Road – a stretch renowned for its treacherous and challenging conditions. He holed the sump when it came in contact with the cross member. Parked up, they realised that the contents of the sump had spewed over the grass, and the trusty service crew was quickly on hand to weld up the offending hole.

The team still held seventh position overall when, on the first special stage heading out of Gisborne and after driving all night, the engine ran a big-end bearing. The crew hustled from the end of the stage to where the car was parked up with tools in hand but sadly, the Torana wasn’t able to be repaired in time and was loaded onto a trailer for the very first time. This would be the last rally for the XU-1. The motor was repaired and the car sold.

Hugh and Heather reckon the support and enthusiasm from the local Masterton community and help from other supporters was fantastic, and many people still remember the car today. They also point out that between International events, the car was driven at local National Championship rounds (even winning one) and many local car club events by both Hugh and Heather.

The Torana still holds many fond memories for the Armstrongs, remembering that its other role was as the family car, when it always proved reliable and fun to drive. The only dent it ever received was when the car was brand new and Heather hit a plough whilst reversing out of the yard, unfortunately with Hugh and a couple of stock agents watching. The damage was very minor, just a small ding next to the fuel cap.

Heatway Survivor

Today the Torana XU-1 leads a much more pampered life thanks to current owners, Dave and Tracy, who are very proud of their XU-1 as it is today; it’s come a long way from the sad state it was in when purchased.

Dave and Tracy bought the Torana in 2002. In the late ’80s a couple of their friends had bought Toranas so they became interested, vowing that one day they would own a Torana together – Tracy having previously owned one back in the ’80s. The interest faded in and out of their minds until 2001 when yet another friend purchased a GTR, refuelling their passion to own one of these distinctive Aussie classics.

Eventually, Dave and Tracy discovered our featured 1972 Torana GTR XU-1 advertised in Trade & Exchange and residing in Huntly. Together with a couple of friends they went off on a journey to investigate. When they arrived at the owner’s address the only person at home was his 10-year old son, who proceeded to show Dave and his friends the car. The young boy explained that lots of people had seen the car and his dad just wanted it sold.

Dave’s first impressions were not favourable. The old Torana looked tired and neglected and was jacked up at the rear, with unflattering 14-inch alloy wheels and a very low budget tomato red paint job. None of the chrome had been put back on the car and bright red seat covers obscured the badly torn upholstery.

Dave remembers pulling aside the upholstery on the doors to reveal the original Baroda Silver paint. Recalling that a friend had purchased an old Torana many years before, only to find that a new front end had been grafted onto the car, Dave decided he needed to check whether this car hadn’t been similarly repaired. So when the boy was not looking, Dave took a screwdriver to the paint in about six places revealing the original silver paint lurking underneath, much to his delight.

However, even after ascertaining that the GTR hadn’t been messed around with and not wanting to make any rash decisions, Dave returned to Auckland to further ponder his find. A couple of days passed and, after numerous discussions with Tracy and friends, he decided to make an offer. The couple couldn’t believe it when their offer was accepted, and promptly travelled back to Huntly to seal the deal – driving the Torana home on Fathers’ Day, 2002.

The Rebuild

Four months passed and the registration had run out, so the decision to get rid of the tomato red paint and go back to the car’s original silver was made. One thing led to another and, as happens with most 30-year-old cars, the estimated time and money required for the rebuild far exceeded the original budget. Sourcing parts proved difficult, and Dave even purchased two XU-1s just to get hold of replacement panels, before reselling the parts cars.

During the early days of the rebuild Dave found himself constantly trawling through eBay seeking hard to get parts, and he also travelled twice to Ballarat in Australia – which hosts the largest swap meet in the Southern Hemisphere – in pursuit of new old-stock parts. On another trip to Australia Dave had an entire exhaust system fabricated in Melbourne and sent to Sydney – which he picked up at the Muscle Car Masters’ Show and carried back to Darling Harbour on the train. For some strange reason, Tracy and their son, Jesse, did not want to sit next to Dave during that journey. He says he will never forget the strange looks and questions he got from fellow travellers.

Uncovering the Car’s History

Dave and Tracy’s magnificent GTR XU-1 was built in November 1972, being the 1311th GTR and/ or XU-1 built at Holden’s Adelaide plant. The car is now restored to its original form – apart from the alloy wheels, which are 13 by eight-inch and 13 by nine-inch Group C rims. Interestingly, these rims are the same as those used by the Holden Dealer Team at Bathurst, and only 20 sets were ever made in 1973.

Three and a half years after the purchase Dave and Tracy attended their first car club event in the restored Torana, proud to finally have a vehicle worthy of displaying at the Ellerslie Intermarque Concours.

Dave and Tracy were completely unaware of the Torana’s long rallying history at the time they purchased the car, and it wasn’t until a panel-beater pointed out the roll-cage bolt holes that they decided to delve deeper into the GTR’s past.

But Dave didn’t discover the Torana’s motor sport history until one day, while returning from a job in Wellington, he stopped off at a car yard located in the old Tram building in Sanson that specialises in classic cars. Gary Price, the owner of the yard, remembered the Torana being raced in the ’70s and was able to point Dave in the right direction to uncover its full history, which by now we’re all well aware of too.

1972 Torana GTR XU-1 – Specifications

Engine Holden six cylinder, in line
Capacity 3300cc
Bore/ stroke 92.1mm/ 82.5mm
Valves Two per cylinder, overhead
C/R 10:3:1
Max power 142kW (190hp) at 5600rpm
Max torque 270Nm at 4000rpm
Fuel system Triple Stromberg sidedraught carburettors
Transmission M21 four-speed manual
Suspension F/R Independent via coil springs/ live axle, coil springs
Steering Rack and pinion
Brakes Disc/ drum

Dimensions:
O/all length 4386mm
Width 1600mm
Height 1346mm
Wheelbase 2540mm
Kerb weight 1032kg

Performance:
Max speed 210kph
0-100kph 8.2 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 13.5 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

Trevor talks to John Cottier, who first emerged on the local racing scene at the age of 72 and today, at 76, is probably New Zealand’s oldest circuit racer.

It is a well known fact among us motor-racing enthusiasts that most, if not all of the top drivers in both single-seaters and saloons started their racing career in karts, usually at the age of six. Michael Schumacher, seven times world champion in Formula One, still returns to racing karts to keep his reactions sharp. Indy 500 winner and national local hero, Scott Dixon, debuted in karts as a child, as did Australian Formula One Grand Prix winner Mark Webber, and the 2010 New Zealand Toyota Racing Series winner, 16-year-old Mitchell Evans. Judged on past performance, it’s best to start them as young as the opportunity brings.

John William Cottier

However, an early start was definitely not the case for John William Cottier. In fact, it was quite the opposite. You will note that the racing number on John’s Toyota Starlet is 34 – that’s the year he was born. Yes, ’34 as in 1934. January 25, to be precise.

That makes John 76, and it’s not as though he raced when he was in his 20s or 30s, as is often the case when you talk to most classic racers these days. No, definitely not. John started racing at the age of 72. He was looking for something to keep him occupied when he decided to retire from farming in 2003, so driving a race car became his new hobby. One more achievement to tick off the ‘bucket list’, so to speak. A decision to challenge himself in activities he thought he might enjoy. Since taking it up he’s certainly risen to the challenge.

Talking to John about his life’s experience and memories is spellbinding. He recalls the time in 1939 when his mother took him down their long driveway to collect the mail at the Northcote country farm he was brought up on. He sat on the gatepost as she collected the mail and daily newspaper, then waited as she read the front page, and consequently burst into tears, as the headlines were informing readers that the Second World War had been declared. A moment in time that is etched in John’s memory forever.

John grew up on this farm, where he developed a passion for horses and learned to ride at an early age. After his early education, initially at Papanui Primary, in Christchurch, he was then sent up to Nelson College boarding school.

Early Motorised Travels

John also recalled his experience riding a motorbike around post war Europe. This was a fascinating and sometimes challenging experience, and it paved the way for his next adventure – to travel through North America, something I have also had a desire to do for many years. In my case, I’d like to travel the full length of Route 66 in a convertible such as ’59 Cadillac.

However, John’s mode of travel was a 1939 Chevrolet two-door sedan. He recalls the time the Chevy ran out of brakes on the drive to Calgary in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, he came across a vehicle wrecker’s yard and managed to buy a replacement master cylinder. When John was relating the story, it immediately reminded me of the scene in the World’s Fastest Indian when Burt Munro stopped at the first house he came upon, to repair his motorcycle trailer.

John’s US adventure took place in 1950, and he recalls that motorists could only buy recycled oil from service stations, when buying petrol. Mind you, on the positive side, at least they were still genuine service stations. You actually got service – and always with a smile.

Remember those old black and white television advertisements for Mobil Oil? One attendant serving the petrol, another checking your oil level, while two others checked the tyre pressures and cleaned the windscreen. Did that really happen?

40 Years of Farming

John met Margaret Campbell at Lincoln College while studying for his diploma of agriculture. After completing her training as a qualified nurse, Margaret decided to do the big Overseas Experience with three other nurses. From thereon, her courtship with John was via mail. In those days there wasn’t the immediacy of email, and mail took some six weeks to reach its destination.

One day, John found a four-leaf clover and decided to send it to Margaret for good luck. While in the United Kingdom Margaret purchased high-heeled shoes, which of course were the fashion of the times. She sellotaped the clover to the instep of the right-hand shoe when preparing her wardrobe for the return trip back to New Zealand. John and Margaret were married on March 5, 1960, in the Presbyterian church at Rakaia, Central Canterbury.

Forty years of hard toil on 4500 acres of countryside certainly deserves a suitable period of rest and recreation in the form of retirement. However, this was not for John. Apart from his current motor racing involvement, he still has several unfulfilled items on his bucket list – including a desire to travel the Silk Road.

A small lifestyle block in Rotherham, some 15km from their Winford Hills farm, is now home for John and Margaret. She is no less active, playing golf two or three times a week.

Life on the Land in the ’60s

John started farming in the Waiau region, and when the opportunity arose he worked hard to secure his first farm, Winford Hills in Waiau, on the inland Kaikoura road, now part of the Scenic Alpine Pacific triangle route. This was a neighbouring farm to where John was working, a steep bracken hill country block with only a couple of flat land paddocks.

Back in 1962, when John began farming on this lot, it was over-run with 88 wild cattle. John worked with two horses and nine dogs mustering the cattle off the steep hill country, and then restocked with 100 Angus cows from the proceeds, plus English Leicester crossed with Merino half breed sheep. Later John stocked with Romneys, since these proved to be more suited to the broken hill country.

Over the next 40 years or so he went on to develop around 4500 acres in total. John’s first love was horses, paramount to successfully working both sheep and cattle, in tandem with well-trained dogs, as any farmer will testify – especially on hilly terrain, when often the stock and dogs can be out of sight.

With so many years in farming, John certainly has some stories from events along the way. Like the time he rolled a tractor whilst grading snow. John walked home and didn’t even mention the incident to his family.

The Cottiers’ early years on the farm were extremely hard, John says. With three young children and little money, farming life was a struggle, to say the least. In those early days the children used to walk a considerable distance to meet the school bus. When John could afford to buy three bicycles, the children cycled to the school bus pick-up, often over frozen shingle roads. Today, of course, children are collected at the farm letterbox.

Tractor Time

When John purchased Winford Hills he inherited a Ford Power Major tractor, and a T6 International crawler. When ploughing with a wheeled tractor, the cold-start button was located on the fuel pump side. When a steep pinch came up, John would reach forward and push the cold-start button. Excess fuel created more revs and heaps of black smoke. Hence the term John sometime used – ‘blowing black.’

When going down a hill empty, tractors of the late ’50s and early ’60s would let one rear wheel rotate forward while the opposite wheel would rotate in reverse. “I would look back and see a concerning continuous skid mark,” John states. “The T6 crawler was slow and noisy. The paddock selected to be ploughed was roughly 28 acres [11.3 hectares] worked, but actually 34 acres. So, early one morning, about 4am, I started up the T6 with a three-furrow plough in tow. Then behind the plough I had a sledge with a full drum of fuel. Forty-four gallons of kerosene, actually. Once I started ploughing, I only stopped to refuel. I had a sandwich or two and a hot drink. So, without stopping to rest I would finish the paddock. The next day I ran out of fuel so had to walk some considerable distance back to our home. However, I always looked forward to Margaret’s lovely roast dinners at the end of each day. When I look back over the 40 years I farmed at Winford Hills, on those challenging 4500 acres, I think it was Margaret’s welcoming homecoming and her fabulous meals which kept me going each day.”

A Late Start

Chryslers were an early car preference for John, an AP5 Valiant being the first. This was followed by a Ranger then a Pacer. The final car of this marque he owned was a Canadian-built Windsor powered by a 5.2-litre V8. Maybe this car gave John the desire to perhaps experience the thrill of rapid acceleration, but then again, those AP5s were no sluggards either. Remember, Timaru farmer Jim Little raced an AP6 in the pre ’65 class for many seasons.

John’s first venture into motor sport came in 2007, with his BMW 323 E36 Motorsport, a car he first used in club speed events until the Starlets came on stream. Originally he had two Starlets built up. A green four-door for sprints and hill climbs, and a white two-door for circuit racing. However, John was devastated when his circuit car was badly damaged after becoming involved with a Mazda RX-7 which had spun off the track, then returned onto it backwards at a fast rate at ‘Pothole’ corner – a fast left hander at Ruapuna – during a Canterbury Car Club race day. As a result, John’s four-door rally Starlet was then converted for circuit racing.

John’s very grateful for the endless help provided by Andrew Neill of Andrew Neill Automotive, Oamaru, who assisted with both of John’s Toyotas.

As Andrew says – “The block, crank and rods are all production 4K components. The block was re-bored and ACL pistons were fitted, with a special ring pack. The cylinder head is a twin squish model with extensive port and combustion chamber modifications. The cam shaft has been reground to a profile we have used on many occasions, which I would sooner keep to myself, thanks. It is an entry level engine built for John when he wanted a gravel car, with lower end torque and throttle response in mind, but he has since decided gravel wasn’t for him. The engine was subject to all normal race engine preparation. Two side-draught Weber carburettors are fitted with a tubular extractor exhaust system. The ignition system is a production distributor with much work done to regraph the advance curve, and small things done to make these engines sing.”

John manages to circulate around Ruapuna in the one minute, 46-second bracket. A new, higher developed 4K motor was under construction at time of writing. When this is fitted, John hopes to bring his lap times down at least a further three seconds. Which will be substantially better than the times of 1.51/1.52 I achieved in my Escort MkI Mexico around the same circuit.

That’s Racing!

When competing at Ruapuna on a club day, John rises at 6.15am. With 117km to travel from his home at Rotherham to the track, John must leave at 7am in order to be there first. Why first? He likes to get the track-side garage of his choice. John has no local pit crew, although other competitors have helped out when a crisis has developed. Like the time a gearbox had to be changed. The current 4K motor has done just that over 3000km of racing. Only requiring regular oil and filter changes!

On January 10, 2010, at the two day Christchurch Casino-sponsored Lady Wigram Revival meeting at Ruapuna, John found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. At this meeting, the organisers chose to run two classes within one race. One was an Allcomers class with saloons ranging from Subaru WRX to Lotus Anglia. Around 15 seconds after this class was flagged away, the Super 6 Falcons and Commodores were started on their championship points race.

The leading Super 6s eventually caught John’s Starlet at the Denny Hulme hairpin. He was simply sandwiched between two of these cars. The Canterbury Television coverage, a copy of which John obtained, clearly shows the Starlet being bulldozed on the inside, which resulted in the car being pushed into the Super 6 on the outside. The impact was so severe that, as seen on the film coverage, the Starlet lifted off the ground for a moment. The result of this incident was that John’s car received severe body damage on both sides. Worst of all, John suffered a broken wrist and had to live with a plaster-cast for six weeks.

The battered Toyota was taken down to Oamaru for Andrew Neill to repair. This is when the opportunity was taken to change the colour from green to white, and introduce the Toyota Racing colours.
In the 2008-09 Canterbury Car Club race championship, John and his faithful little Starlet came in first place in Class 1. On May 3 last year John entered the Canterbury Car Club’s Club 100 Enduro.

In spite of being given a back of the grid start position, he was delighted to come home in 13th place from a field of 22 starters. He still felt sharp, and says he could easily have driven hard for another half hour. For a man aged 75 at the time, that’s incredible. I’m seven years his junior, and find eight laps is more than enough for me.

We were so impressed with John’s achievements in his 1300cc Starlet that, when he mentioned the unwanted glare he was getting through the upper section of the windscreen, we decided to do something about it. Through the generosity of Dennis Thorpe we arranged to have a New Zealand Classic Car magazine sign placed at the top of the screen to help eliminate John’s glare hazard.

Dennis Thorpe Signs, established in 1977, has sign-written dozens of racing cars, from speedway vehicles to Kayne Scott’s TraNZam. We wish to thank Dennis for his sponsorship.

50th Wedding Anniversary

On a more personal note, the Cottiers 50th wedding anniversary was celebrated at their new home in Rotherham, North Canterbury, on February 28, 2010.

Margaret and John sat down with 22 invited guests at a long table, with the focal point being Margaret’s wedding dress and shoes. The aforementioned 52-year-old four-leaf clover was still taped to the instep of the right-hand shoe! As a footnote, John also found other four-leaf clovers during the intervening years and presented these to his daughter, Suzanne, and his two daughters-in-law, Elizabeth and Mary.

On top of all John’s hard-working farm years, he’s been very active in the local community of Waiau and the surrounding area. Naturally, Agriculture and Pasture shows have been a great interest for John, and he was elected President of the Amuri A&P committee in 1992. He managed to convince the committee into financing a rodeo ring, which has created huge interest. The buck jumping at the Amuri A&P show was a success, and has brought a lot of people and families to this annual show ever since. From a small local gathering, the show has progressed to the point where it now attracts large crowds.

Other committees John has served on include the Waiau School (nine years), and he was President of the Waiau Collie Club. John has also served on the Pony Club and dog trials committees. “I was invited to join Amuri Lions in 1972. Lions has been, and still is, a great interest. In 1994 I was awarded its highest honour, the Melvin Jones Fellowship, which I am extremely proud of.”

Two years later, John was elected as the Lieutenant Governor of the 202 E District.

OAP Racing

The certificates shown here illustrate only a few of the achievements John has earned during his three years of motor-racing. There are no fewer than 32, placed in a neat laminated folder among his collection of memorabilia. I asked John if he thought there were more to come? “Definitely. I love the sport and camaraderie among the competitors at this level. I will continue to compete as long as health permits and the family supports me, which I’m grateful for. However, I would now like something even faster. Perhaps something of a real classic that I could compete with at the annual Skope meeting here in Christchurch.

“Maybe a saloon with some history. It would be great fun to race with other men and women in the senior age bracket, folk like Jenny Steere, for instance. There are lots of us oldies out there on the track such as Morrie Bone (105E Anglia), Bob Denson (Lotus-Anglia), Brian Perry (Mini Cooper S), Alan Radburn (Mini Cooper S), Graeme Lyndsay (Mini Cooper), Peter Quinn (MGBGT), Wayne Murdock (Datsun 1200 SSS) and many others.

“Perhaps I am the oldest, but it would be great to see a special race for the 60s and over drivers, run on an annual basis both here at Ruapuna and Levels down in Timaru during the Southern Festival of Speed series in February. If this was introduced, I’m sure you would see a slow but sure increase in field numbers as the years go by. Perhaps even down at Teretonga, the weekend after Levels, too.

This would then take in all three meetings of the South Island Classic held each February, I’m sure the spectators would enjoy it, and they would be surprised just how fast and close we geriatrics race.

“However, I reckon the officials should be strict on the age rules and keep it at 60 and above. No drivers below that age. I would be there with bells on. It would for sure be much more fun that sitting in a rocking chair in an old man’s retirement home.”

We at New Zealand Classic Car magazine agree with John on that sentiment, and wish him all the best.

Inspiring Other Drivers

Maurice Bone has been racing a 105E Anglia in pre ’65 for 27 years now. In the 2009-2010 season, Morrie won the Class C (four-cylinder) championship for the seventh time. A couple of years ago he prepared another Anglia for classic racing. Shortly, Morrie will retire from pre-’65 racing and concentrate only on his dark green and white classic racer. At 64 years of age, Morrie says that John Cottier has given him the inspiration to keep racing. Morrie would like to at least match John’s age of 76, if circumstances and health allow.

The same applies to Bob Denson. Bob has raced hydroplane boats, speedway Midgets and now also races 105E Anglias in both pre-’65 and classics. The latter are a replica of the ex Ron Rutherford/ Kerry Rout Lotus-powered car (refer to page 79 in our April issue). Bob, aged 67 like his friend Morrie, is determined to keep racing for as long as he is able. The Skope Classic organising committee recently introduced a saloon car race for Golden Oldies (60s and over). Perhaps the time will come when we could run the same for the 70-plus group. Watch this space!

Words: Trevor Stanley-Joblin Photos: Trevor Stanley-Joblin Motorsport Photos: Euan Cameron and Andrew Legge

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

Fifty one years ago this month, a highly promising 21-year-old New Zealand racing driver lost his life in a Formula 2 race in Denmark. He was fast, furious – and fearless.

The selection team couldn’t decide between Denny Hulme and George Lawton for the distinction of being the second Driver to Europe – so they sent them both. Lawton’s mates, and there were plenty of them, called him ‘Joe’ and they all assembled in Whangarei to send him off in February 1960. The Kiwis took their Cooper T45s and after a scintillating 1959/60 season, much was expected of them.

Joe had just turned 21, and like the future world champion, had not been racing all that long. One of his great mates from the very first days of the Northland Car Club, Buster West-Hill, recalls him as an already “forceful sort of a driver [as a 17-year-old with a Zephyr], we went off to Levin a couple of times and he did pretty well, and even then I could tell he had phenomenal car control.”

The Zephyr gave way to a Healey and then came his first ‘proper’ racing car – a Bobtail Cooper, which Buster recalls being the car that “confirmed to everyone what we already knew.” The ‘we’ included other foundation members of the Northland Car Club – Johnny ‘driver of the world’s fastest A35’ Windelburn, Hank Earle, Mike ‘of future Khyber Pass fame’ Clark, Buster, and many others who were drawn to a daring, slightly chubby builder who could out-drive everyone. The Bobtail gave way to the F2 Cooper for 1959/60 and Buster recalls the first outing at Ardmore – “He was trailing Johnny Mansel and near the end of the race, Johnny drifted a bit wide and Joe shot underneath him to win – Mansel simply couldn’t believe it.”

European Debut

Their first European race was at Goodwood on April 18 – it was a classy field for the Lavant Cup that included Stirling Moss, Innes Ireland, Roy Salvadori and Harry Schell.

The Kiwis, entered as the ‘New Zealand International Grand Prix Team’, made a credible start to their campaign with Hulme seventh and Lawton tenth – but that was nothing compared to what happened a week later. The Norfolk Trophy would be decided over 38 laps of Snetterton, and only one car went the distance – Joe. Denny was second, making it a memorable Anzac weekend in East Anglia.

A week later and Aintree hosted round four of the Formula 2 Drivers and Constructors Championship, with the two Kiwi hopefuls up against all the names mentioned before – plus Jim Clark, John Surtees, Graham Hill, Jo Bonnier, Maurice Trintigant and reigning world champion Jack Brabham – F2 was taken very seriously. The boys struggled against the newer machinery but were making themselves known to the locals – including John Cooper who hosted a party for his drivers Brabham and Bruce McLaren, plus Joe, Denny, and their ‘support crew’ of Feo Stanton and Bill Gavin.

There was a Formula Junior drive in Cooper’s new T52 for Joe to look forward to, but first there were a couple more F2 races – Oulton Park on May 7 and Crystal Palace on June 6. The former saw Denny holding Joe off for third, but the Northlander more than turned the tables at the London circuit where he took a stunning second behind Trevor Taylor in a works Lotus. On a wet track it was arguably an even more significant result than the Snetterton win. It was back at the Norfolk circuit that Joe made his Junior debut, although the best that could be said for it was that Joe was first Cooper, albeit in tenth.

In a letter to Buster, Joe wrote, “Had a bad run at Snetterton, made fastest practice lap but was not given it so in getting a good start I beat the flag and incurred a minute penalty. I led for the first couple of laps and then lost it…” He added “Ken Tyrrell wants Denny and I to sign up with him next year,” plus “Yeoman Credit might be sending their cars to Australia after the two races in NZ with Denny and I as the drivers.” The boys were being noticed.

Live Fast, Die Young

The Junior was taken to France for Joe’s continental debut around the triangular, all mostly flat-out, Reims, where Juniors were part of the curtain-raiser for the F1 Grand Prix. It was another event to forget, but he would be back with his trusty F2 Cooper for his next outing – on Nürburgring’s Sudschielfe. It was another strong entry, and although he’d qualified well, the Lawton Cooper was out with engine problems after only four laps.

The Kentish 100 was run at Brands Hatch on August 27. When reviewing the entry 50 years on, the fact that Joe finished fifth, and first Cooper, in one of the older cars in the race is impressive enough. Then look at who finished in front – Clark, Gurney, Bonnier and Graham Hill. This sealed a drive in Yeoman Credit’s F1 car in an upcoming non-championship race. Then came Roskilde in Denmark and the Copenhagen Grand Prix. He had both Coopers at his disposal and had somersaulted the Junior in the morning but was unhurt – he quipped “You have to have a bit of luck in this sport.” He somersaulted again in the afternoon, this time in the F2 car, and sadly this time his luck had run out.

Back in Whangarei, Buster West-Hill remembers an early morning tap on his bedroom window by one of Joe’s brothers, telling of the tragedy – “It really floored me, but as the boys talked about it we kept hearing the words of one of Joe’s favourite sayings – “Live fast, die young – leave a handsome corpse.”

George Lawton was on the verge of a Formula One debut that would almost certainly have led to a world championship drive.

He’d shown he was made of the right stuff and although not mechanical – “most technical problems” –he was, without doubt, the forgotten Kiwi star, who was living life at the limit – and loving it – until that dark day in Denmark in September 1960.

Words: Michael Clark

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

The annual Petrolhead Father’s Day Drags took place on Sunday and was bigger than ever. Crowds lined the hills around the track to watch some of the fastest street cars and classic muscle cars in the country battle for bragging rights on the strip.

View 230 photos from the days racing in the gallery below.

June 24, 2010 marked the 100th birthday of Alfa Romeo. The FIAT group, into which Alfa Romeo was integrated in 1986, didn’t seem to care in the least about the event. That left the organisation of this special occasion to the MAC Group – an Italian event managing company – in collaboration with RIAR, the Italian Alfa Romeo Register. Because the intended activities for the event were shortened month by month it was up to the other European Alfa Romeo Clubs to organise something. And they did – with some 2500 Alfa Romeos spending the weekend in and around Milan.

The Journey to Milan

Along with my partner, Claudia, we travelled in our 1977 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super Nuova – which has been a family member for 21 years. The Alfa Romeo Club of Germany had arranged a whole week for us, starting in Hanover, and we picked up more and more cars into the convoy as we approached Varese, north-west of Milan.

In the weeks before, we had permanent rain and temperatures with little more than one digit (we call this early summer), but when we travelled to join the others near Karlsruhe, the sun came out and summer finally found its way to us. The drive over the Alps via Grimsel and Nufenen Pass was fantastic.

Varese is located between Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, certainly one of the most beautiful areas in northern Italy. Two hold-ups due to traffic jams could not spoil our fun and the hotel in Varese was very acceptable. The first day we just drove around a bit at the lakes and met nice Alfa people wherever we stopped. Later we gathered at the bar for a beer and to watch some games from the football World Cup.

On June 24 we all went to Arese for the centenary celebration. In Arese, west of Milan, Alfa Romeo cars were produced for a long time until FIAT started to close the factory from 1986 on. Today Arese is vacant; just before the centenary the FIAT Group shut down the last parts of the factory in which once 19,000 people used to work. Only the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo is still there. The clubs from Germany, GB, the Netherlands and Switzerland had done all the negotiations with the Museum, and somehow all the others just came along.

Museo Storico at Arese

At 8.15 in the morning the cars started to arrive – at the closed gate! The guardian pointed out that the museum opened at 9am and before that no one is allowed in, not even into the car park. Half an hour later the queue was kilometres long and blocking the roads. After various phone calls – and cursing Italian bureaucracy – the gates finally opened. The next queue formed at the entrance (though it was free of charge) because they wanted the visitors to sign the guest book – one book for hundreds of people!

Indeed, the museum is very good; though a few interesting cars were missing because they were at other events, like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Later, the official birthday speeches were planned but somehow didn’t take place – I don’t think anybody missed them. We would rather have talked to other Alfisti anyway – some  of them coming from as far as Australia, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, Japan and Russia. I saw somebody with a Kiwi cap, but there were no New Zealanders included on the list of entrant nationalities, so he may have been a fake!

When leaving the area we heard that the Italian Labour Union had put on a strike at the gates and closed them for almost one hour – very sensible when no FIAT executive is there (the strike was due to another planned closure of a FIAT factory). I am afraid this protest only annoyed all the Alfisti and won’t help the workers very much. Anyhow, Arese had many emotional moments, and if you happen to be in the Milan area it’s a must to go to there and visit the Museo Storico.

Later on some of the attendees (or Alfisti) went to Monza where RIAR had organised a drive on the race track. We didn’t go; with the temperature at 35°C it was much too hot for us. But we heard it was quite good, though not cheap if you wanted to have a go on the race-track. Instead we enjoyed a late lunch at Lago Lugano, and after that we took even greater pleasure in watching the Italian football team lose against Slovakia. There may be a European Community but it’s certainly less than friendly when football is involved.

Cento Alfa per cent’anni

On June 25 we went to Novegro near Milan airport, where the Alfa Blue Team – an exquisite club of Alfa owners – had assembled an exhibition called ‘100 Alfas for 100 Years.’ That exhibition was really the highlight of the trip for us – I never have seen such a good collection (of mainly private cars) with such an excellent presentation. I only can hope that all Alfisti have seen it, because we surely won’t see anything like that again.

One of our favourites was a dark blue Carabinieri Giulia. Unfortunately the owners, in their decorative police uniforms, were always in sight otherwise we would have been tempted to take it – the key was still in the ignition!

That day was really perfect until we reached the new hotel in Milan, where we had ordered and paid for our parking places months in advance and then found that all places were taken. The hotel had double-booked us and a symposium, which ended at 7pm. Obviously they didn’t expect people to arrive before 7pm though a great dinner was planned at the same hotel for 8pm. And we are not talking about a cheap hotel.

Despite that, the evening dinner was quite good and a little shouting and complaining by the club board finally cleared the parking situation as well. The club board also hinted that everything planned for the next two days was the sole responsibility of the MAC Group. The final programme for this weekend had been framed only three weeks before and was, once again, revised three days before the centenary. One lady said to me that she expected nothing, or the worst – and everything better than that is good. A very good motto to prepare for what was to come.

Percorso Fiera Rho – Milano

The MAC Group also organises the Mille Miglia – so it should know how to handle many cars. Should – but doesn’t.

A meeting of all Alfas from all clubs and nationalities was planned at the Milan show grounds for Saturday. We arrived early to join the traffic jam on the access road. Up to 3000 cars were expected – and only two people were handling the entrance. Almost a minute for each car meant some of us needed more than an hour to get in. The idea was to assemble all nationalities separately in designated parking areas. As each car arrived they had to check a long list to hand out the parking sticker – and we found ourselves in between the Swiss contingent, while others who had been travelling together in a group of five were assigned to four different parking areas. You don’t have to understand this. It’s Italy!

In order to get our centenary kits and car stickers we again stood in line for a long time – although it was nice to get to know all the others in the line. The buffet started half an hour late and was completely empty after an hour – but we had a lot of fun. The waiters carried each tray separately for long distances (don’t they have any trolleys in Italy?) and handed out drinks glass by glass. One person, one drink, one glass. We finally shouted at them and frightened them so deeply that in the end they gave us whole bottles of water and wine for our table. For those people late at the gates, only the floor remained for to them to sit upon, while only scraps were left from the buffet. Funnily enough, everybody we spoke to (British, Australian, Danish, Swiss, German and so on) said the same; what do you expect – this is Italy!

Nevertheless we had a very interesting day, and the car park was certainly a sight. It held some 2500 to 3000 Alfas of all kinds with some real beauties among them, even a handful of pre-war Alfas had come all the way from Britain. A couple of brand new 8C Competiziones were also on display. Unfortunately, we almost couldn’t stand the heat outside (more than 35°C) but I have to admit that the MAC Group cannot be held responsible for this.

Later, a group of 100 selected cars – followed by everyone else – was supposed to drive to Milan City. But somehow the police didn’t know anything about having to escort a convoy. In the end, only the top 100 cars were lined up at the entrance of the castle in Milan. All others had to drive around and find a parking place in the city – after they had found out that the designated car park was closed. Surprisingly, only a few local people came to view the display at the castle.

We got the impression that most people in Milan didn’t know anything about the event or were not very interested. The promised fireworks at night must have been a disappointment too – we missed it but, after talking to other Alfisti, obviously missed nothing special.

Percorso Tangenziale

On Sunday 27th and the last day in Milan a world record was planned: the embracement of Milan by Alfa Romeo cars. A good idea, but remember: it’s Italy. We met at the show grounds again – not as many as the day before because a few already had given up. More than 1000 cars and all the crews came directly from breakfast. Alas, all the public toilets were closed – not a great idea.

This time the police were leading the convoy – unfortunately, much too fast and so it disassembled after a short while. We didn’t know where to go – only that we should follow the ‘tangenziale’ which is the motorway around Milan. We stopped about half way round in a rest area – so far it was good – but then the whole convoy disintegrated. We drove back to the show grounds to find closed gates and other helpless Alfisti wondering what was happening. We then tried the city with the same result, so finally went back to our hotel.

Most of our group were already there, as perplexed as we were. This was in fact the ending of a once-in-a-century event. Later, we learned that the stop at the rest area had indeed been the very end of the show. We finally decided to complete the Italian experience with a silent afternoon, a good dinner, and a wonderful tour back over the Alps to Munich.

People who were only there for the weekend may have been disappointed but we had a wonderful week, despite the justifiable critique concerning the MAC Group. We met many nice people and made new friends. We joined with good company and enjoyed the huge international group from 54 countries having fun together with only one thing in common – Alfa Romeo ownership. And, no matter how chaotic the Italians might have been, we were, are and will be Alfisti and nothing can cure that. Even Ferdinand Piëch (head of VW/Porsche and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche) pointed out in an interview that for him Alfa Romeo is surely one of the strongest marques in the world.

Non-Alfa people may call us crazy but I doubt that any other car brand would be able to bring together so many people without the help of the car company itself. We will always remember that week – not only through the hundreds of photos we took – but because we love to be Alfisti under any circumstances. We may be crazy, but we enjoy it!

Words & Photos: Hans Burger

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 237. Click here to check it out.

After such a promising latter part of the 1969 F3 season, Hamiltonian Howden Ganley needed to move up a grade in 1970 – which meant Formula 2, or the new Formula 5000…

Bruce and Patty McLaren’s neighbour Barry Newman hadn’t been a motor racing enthusiast – but he soon became one, to the extent that the businessman became an entrant with and owner of a McLaren M10B. That model’s predecessor, the M10A, had won the inaugural British F5000 championship in 1969, but McLaren was not about to rest on its laurels and produced the improved ‘B’ with, among other changes, redesigned suspension, re-styled body fairing, an aluminium radiator, and changed wheel sizes. McLaren would produce 21 M10Bs (on top of the 17 M10As) and a deal was hatched between Bruce and his neighbour to run one for a man whose name is interwoven into the early years of McLaren.

Howden Ganley had worked as a mechanic in the early days of Bruce’s eponymous team, and was at Monaco when the first F1 McLaren debuted. He spent much of the last three years of the ’60s towing his F3 car around Europe, earning starting money, and learning race craft. He finished 1969 as one of the best F3 drivers, and his former boss saw an opportunity to give a promising fellow Kiwi a chance. Howden recalls, “The way I got the drive was that Bruce had noticed my progress in F3 so asked me to go to Goodwood for an F1 test. That led to his decision to put me in a works F5000 car. Bruce guaranteed to find a sponsor and he came up with Barry.”

Into the Driver’s Seat

The Barry Newman-owned F5000 McLaren was run as a semi-works entry as Howden recalls four decades on; “McLaren put up the car and the engines, Hewland the gearbox, and we ran the car with a set amount of money from Barry, but it had to be viable. The deal was that IF there was anything left in the pot at the end of the year he got it, but if all the money was gone then that was just too bad. He almost trebled his money!”

The driver chose the livery – the ‘official’ NZ racing colours of dark green with a silver stripe, as per his F3 cars. Bruce McLaren himself did some of the early season testing of his neighbour’s, car and Howden had every reason to feel confident, despite going from a F3 car to Chevy V8 power – “I was very pleasantly surprised at how relatively easy it was to jump from 115bhp to about 420 [86kW to 313]. We didn’t have one of the small flat plane crank engines. Right at the end of the season Barry persuaded a couple of his rich mates to spring for a new Bartz (tuned Chev) engine but we couldn’t get it in time. It might have made quite a difference.”

Peter Gethin, the 1969 champion, was in the other semi-works car while the main contenders included Frank Gardner and Mike Hailwood with Lolas, former Lotus F1 driver Trevor Taylor (Surtees) and promising Brit Mike Walker with a McLaren. Also joining the fray was Wellingtonian Graham McRae, who had just won NZ’s first Gold Star for F5000s, plus two rounds of the Tasman series. He joined one race in, and also had a new M10B in the black of Tom Clark’s Crown Lynn.

A Good Start

The championship ran from late March to late September, and although most of the 20 rounds were in Britain, races were held at Zolder (Belgium), Zandvoort (Holland), Mondello (Ireland), Monza, Anderstorp (Sweden), Saltzburgring (Austria) and Hockenheim (Germany). It started well for Howden – who finished third in a McLaren one-two-three at Oulton Park. Gethin won rounds two to seven inclusive with the Kiwis generally close behind; Howden was consistent – third, third, second, fourth, third and second before a ‘DNS’ when they ran out of engines.

Those results run up to the death of his mentor. “Bruce was starting to push us down the road of increasing the download. We needed to go much further. But I did change the rear geometry to stop the car squatting so much on acceleration, which definitely improved it.”

Having proved himself as a strong contender, Ganley was frustrated by the lack of power – “The big thing would have been to have one of those magic Cosworth type sumps like Gethin had.

Worth a lot of power – I should have had one made. I have kicked myself ever since! The fact that Peter (or Reine Wisell later) could just blow me away on power was very frustrating.”

More consistent results followed.

“No crashes, I started 18 races – finished 16 – and never lower than fourth place. We retired with a fuel leak at Silverstone and a broken timing chain at Hockenheim.” The only win for the year (“Unless you count the second heat at Castle Combe”) came at the non-championship race at Oulton Park 40 Augusts ago following which were two thirds and a second in the final four rounds, the last of which saw Graham McRae win, also after consistently strong performances. It was good enough to give Howden the runner-up position in the championship to Gethin’s McLaren, and led to the Kiwi being invited to join the BRM F1 team for 1971 – all the hard slog since arriving in England, penniless, in 1962 was at last worth it.

But how, four decades on, does it feel to look back at having a season in the McLaren?

“Driving a McLaren? Wonderful – like coming home to where I belonged.” And what are the races that stick most in his mind?

“Probably the most satisfying races were at Castle Combe and Anderstorp – equal lap records with Gethin. Pole position at Anderstorp was satisfying but for the broken rocker in the first heat.

Also, the Gold Cup at Oulton Park where I managed to hang onto the F1 cars for a while. Then I went back to winning the F5000 race.”

Words: Michael Clark

Kaikoura’s Dick Appleyard admits that his favourite car is the Studebaker, in particular this outstanding 1924 Studebaker Light Six.

Dick and his wife, Trish, participate in as many VCC events as possible and enjoy driving their old Studebaker, especially on long trips such as the recent VCC South Island Easter Rally in Gore followed by a nine-day Veteran/ Vintage tour via Invercargill, Bluff, Catlins, Southland, Otago, South Canterbury, Canterbury and back to Kaikoura. Interestingly, most of that tour was on farm roads, forest tracks, secondary roads, shingle and even the Old Dunstan Road (sign says not suitable for cars and it is closed during the winter – this road was used to transport gold from Central Otago to Dunedin in the gold mining era). The total trip, Kaikoura to Kaikoura, was just on 3000km with 459 litres of petrol guzzled – and was a real buzz according to Dick.

Since purchasing the Studebaker, Dick has clocked up a respectable 48,000km of thoroughly enjoyable and memorable driving and, as you would expect, he has complete confidence and faith in this old car and considers it virtually bullet-proof and extremely comfortable to drive.

Dick is also a keen supporter of the Studebaker Drivers’ Club NZ – which currently has up to 200 members, mostly owning more modern, V8-powered models. However, the club welcomes older models driven by older-model drivers.

Working Life

Dick Appleyard was born in 1942 and, after attending Christchurch Technical College, started his apprenticeship as a motor mechanic in 1958 at Scott’s Garage, situated in Gloucester Street opposite the end of New Regent Street, Christchurch. He graduated in 1962 with an Advanced Trade Certificate.

Dick recalls that there were only two towing firms in Christchurch at that time, pride of the fleet at Scotts was a 1936 Diamond T tow truck. He drove this truck a number of times and thought it was a real pleasure. Diamond Ts were built in Chicago and were renowned as very high quality vehicles. In the early ’60s this old truck had reputably been around the clock 10 times (over one million miles or 1.6 million kilometres) and was still fitted with its original side-valve six-petrol engine. However, age was catching up on the old girl and it was decided to fit another engine. A second-hand GMC engine was purchased and fitted, but the truck was never the same again. Not long after this, she was on sold and, following a few others owners, the truck can now be seen at Richardson’s Truck Museum in Invercargill. For Dick, it was great to see her again during a recent rally down south – he says she still looks the same as when he last saw her nearly 50 years ago, the only thing missing being the original signwriting.

From 1973 to 1992 Dick owned and operated a Christchurch garage and service station business and was involved with Peter and PG Knight in power boat racing into the late ’70s and ’80s. Dick then moved on to NZAA Sydenham where he was mainly involved in carrying out compliancing of overseas imports before eventual retirement in 2005, when he and Trish moved to Kaikoura, demolishing their old bach and building a new home.

Dick’s Studebaker

Dick purchased our featured 1924 Studebaker Light Six Three-Seater roadster from Alwyn Hoskins of Invercargill in 1991, Alwyn having purchased the car from David Lockhart in 1989, who had restored it in Outram, a small town west of Dunedin, around 1974, according to Dick’s research on the car.

There were, in fact, three six-cylinder options on offer from Studebaker during the period 1918 to 1928, the Light Six, Special Six and Big Six. During this period Studebaker also offered no less than 13 individual models ranging from the Three-Passenger Roadster to the Seven-Passenger Big Six Sedan.

The Studebaker Light Six was introduced in 1918 and was produced through until 1927. In 1924 the Light Six was renamed the Studebaker Standard Six, and whilst they represented value for money as the lowest-cost Studebakers on the market they were still offered in an extensive variety of body styles during their production period. In 1927 the model was renamed again as the Studebaker Standard Six Dictator in preparation for the 1928 model, which was to be named the Studebaker Dictator.

Studebaker’s mid-range model was known as the Studebaker Special Six and was built from 1918 to 1927. Like its less expensive cousin, the Special Six was also offered in many body styles including a roadster, touring, four-passenger coupé and sedan. It was renamed the Special Six Commander in 1927.

Rounding off the trio was the Big Six, which also commenced production in 1918 and lasted until 1926. It was eventually renamed in 1927, becoming the Studebaker President, and was the most luxurious and largest of the Studebaker models during that period. Up until 1920 though, the Big Six could only be purchased as a four-door touring vehicle, as this was the most popular body style for vehicles at this time. It wasn’t until the start of 1921 that the price of ‘enclosed’ vehicles became affordable, and buyers began to appreciate the advantage of both closed and semi-closed passenger compartments and a wide variety of body styles became available.

Reviving the Studebaker

Unfortunately, when Dick got his hands on this Studebaker roadster it wasn’t in terribly great shape and required more than a little tender loving care.

For starters, reliability was somewhat of an issue as the mechanicals were completely original and unrestored. Overheating was a major issue – fairly easily cured by replacing the radiator core. Dick also recalls that the engine was still running heavy, boasting cast-iron pistons with plenty of audible piston slap and, following a disastrous Easter Rally to Timaru – where a valve rocker decided to vacate the engine through the side of the sump – a major overhaul was carried out, including a rebore, shaft grind, re-metalled bearings and stainless-steel exhaust valves. Reliability was improving, however, the driveline consisted of three fabric universal joints, one between the clutch and gearbox and two on the driveshaft. The clutch coupling was sorted by making up a coupling with neoprene/ steel-backed bushes and the driveshaft was replaced with one from a Super Snipe, with Hardy Spicer joints. The only other outstanding issue remaining was the car’s poor brakes, only fitted on the rear, and which Dick reckons were dubious at best and downright scary in the wet. This was improved by having new brake drums made up by Don Bennetts, and bonded linings supplied by Safe R Brakes.

At this point Dick also decided to tackle the gearbox, which was stripped and rebuilt with better seals. The differential was also in poor shape, and a diff head from a Big Six Studebaker was purchased, rebuilt and fitted. This resulted in higher gearing which, says Dick, means the car is marginally slower uphill but gives the advantage of lower engine revs when cruising.

The Studebaker is equipped with 23-inch wheels which, as standard, make for an overall wheel/tyre diameter of 32 inches. The two new Dunlop 32-inch by 4.5-inch tyres that came with the car when Dick bought it, are now fitted on the front. He also thought a new pair on the rear would be a good idea due to the poor brakes, and decided to increase the width to five inches, which resulted in the diameter going up to 33 inches with more rubber on the road. The Studebaker was already angled downwards in the front, so in order to level the car up, Dick lowered the rear, which resulted in lighter steering. Dick reckons he’s not getting any younger and the steering was a bit heavy, so he needs all the help he can get.

Rallying the Studebaker

Dick was fully aware that there would be plenty of shingle, complete with corrugations, on the Veteran/ Vintage Tour mentioned previously – and wisely chose to install a new set of telescopic shock absorbers to the rear as, in its original set-up, the Studebaker was inclined to get a bit skittery, jumping sideways, resulting in bad doses of axle tramp. Dick had to fabricate new brackets top and bottom to support the new shocks, which give a firmer ride but cured the above problems. Things were going well on the tour until they reached the Old Dunstan Road – Dick was certain the river beds would have been in better condition, though bare rock, huge holes and large pools of water disguising all manner of unseen hazards finally took their toll. As it turned out, the springs held up with no problems. However, the time and effort Dick spent making the shock brackets was lost when both top brackets broke.

Since the tour, Dick has fabricated stronger brackets and is looking forward to testing them out on a trip with the Studebaker Driver’s Club to Punakaiki on the West Coast this September.

After all his work on the Studebaker, including some steering adjustments, the only problems remaining involved several oil leaks – the original oil seals being mostly made from felt. This was overcome by fitting neoprene seals and Dick can now can park on concrete driveways with confidence of not leaving behind tell-tale evidence of the car’s presence.

Actually, this reminded Dick of a bumper sticker he noticed on a Model T Ford at the Bay to Birdwood Rally he and Trish attended (in a modern car) late last year. That rally attracts nearly 2000 trucks, cars and motorbikes up to 1955 vintage and is held bi-annually with later model classic cars every second year between. The rally starts in Adelaide and travels 60km to Birdwood through the picturesque Adelaide Hills. The bumper sticker Dick saw read – “Old cars don’t leak oil, they just mark their territory.”

Birdwood is home of the Australian National Car Museum, and over the road from a shop called Bills Bikes and Bits, which is packed full of second-hand motorbike parts. Dick got talking to Bill and he invited them out the back to where he had a large collection of old speedway bikes. Bill had recently been to New Zealand and ridden at Invercargill, Wanganui and Christchurch, and claimed to have one of Ivan Mauger’s bikes in his collection.

The Studebaker’s Companions

As members of the Vintage Car Club (Canterbury Branch) and the Studebaker Drivers’ Club, Dick and Trish regularly take part in most rallies. The old Studebaker cruises at 50mph (80kph) on the open road, is very comfortable and easy to drive and, best of all, is now mechanically strong and reliable.

Dick also has two other old cars tucked away in his garage awaiting attention – a 1935 De Soto Airstream and a 1936 Austin 10 Sherbourne, the latter being owned by him for 40 years. Trish drove the Austin 10 for many years and would take their two children to school in it, which they disliked immensely, ducking their heads down so their schoolmates couldn’t see them. However, over the 40 years the little

Austin has proved to be extremely reliable and has never let them down. The De Soto has had virtually no use in 30 years and is surplus to requirements, so will probably be sold.

Also tucked away in the garage is a TEA Ferguson Tractor. The governor on the old Fergie was faulty and throttle control has been modified to do away with the governor completely. Dick’s currently on the look-out for a gullible driver to pilot the Fergie on a Kaikoura Land Speed Record attempt (Fergie Class) – just joking! Handling at speed is hazardous to say the least. Anyway, a requirement of living in Kaikoura is to have a Fergie tucked away in the shed!

1924 Studebaker Light Six – Specifications

Engine: Inline six-cylinder
Capacity: 3394c
Valves: Two valves per cylinder
Bore/Stroke: 79 x 113mm
C/R: 4.38:1
Max power: 29kW
Fuel system: Stromberg carburettor
Transmission: Three-speed ‘crash’ gearbox
Suspension: F/R – Semi-floating
Steering: Worm and gear
Brakes: 14-inch brakes – handbrake internal, service external, rear  wheels only

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article if from NZ Classic Car issue 249. Click here to check it out.

When this car made its competition debut at Bay Park’s traditional Easter event in early 1975, it created quite a stir. Not just because it was beautifully presented, handsome, and well engineered, but because its owner/ designer/ builder/ driver, Brent Bullivant of Hastings, was just 19 years old.

The Capri was built to tackle the Bank of New South Wales (BNSW) New Zealand Saloon Car Championship (soon to become the Shell-Sport championship from 1975.’76), the modern day equivalent of which would be the BNT New Zealand V8 Touring Car Championship. And there were some pretty big guns around at this time, including Jim Richards (Sidchrome Mustang), Leo Leonard (PDL Mustang), Red Dawson (Camaro) Jack Nazer (Victor Chevy), and Paul Fahey (Capri). This was heady stuff – and would provide some stiff opposition for a semi-pro racing team, let alone a teenager.

As well, Bullivant was only motor mechanic apprentice, so his budget was paltry, at best. But 2500 hours went into the building of this car, and a reported $13,000 (possibly including the cost of the car), which in 1975 terms, was a lot.

Bullivant started off with a road-going 1600cc Ford Capri GT XLR. It was stripped, seam welded and gusseted, before a roll-cage was fitted, built out of exhaust tubing. Power came from a 5.0-litre (302ci) Ford V8, with 12.8:1 compression, TRW pistons, steel flywheel, Holley carburettor, Edelbrock Torke inlet manifold, and Sigerson hydraulic cam. The heads were ported, polished, and reshaped, while 34-inch extractors led to 3-inch pipes which dumped out beneath the doors on either side. Of course, this was the mid-’70s, so there wasn’t a muffler in sight.

Backing up the 302 was a close-ratio Borg-Warner T10 gearbox, which led to a narrowed Ford eight-inch diff from a 1961 Ford Fairlane. The bodywork featured flowing box-style wheel-arch flares, crafted by David Goodlass. The front spoiler was a simple single-panel item. The side and rear windows were all Perspex, while the interior featured racing seats built and upholstered by Kustom Interiors.

The Capri was sprayed bright yellow by Tony Winter, and rode on a set of 15-inch Ansen wheels – 12 inches wide up front, and 14  at the rear. Keeping with the Hawkes Bay theme, Bullivant was sponsored by Hastings car dealer Brendan Addis Motors, which had supplied the road-going Capri donor car. It was a superb effort, and a welcome addition to the BNSW ranks.
Bullivant enjoyed plenty of support in preparing the car for and at race meetings from fellow Hawkes Bay enthusiasts, including Wayne Calnan and Donald McIntyre. Don, of course, is current NZV8 Touring Car racer John McIntyre’s father.

Potential

The Capri earned plenty of praise from the motor sport press on its debut, but suffered a myriad of new car gremlins, including a misfire, gearbox problems, and a severe lack of rear grip leading to a couple of spins. Plenty of work was carried out on the Capri before its next meeting at Pukekohe, but the misfire returned, and the gearbox failed completely. Manfeild hosted the final round of the 1974/’75 BNSW NZ Saloon Car Championship, which was also the final race of Paul Fahey’s career, this famed racer departing the sport on a high by winning the title once again.

For this event Bullivant had borrowed a top-loader gearbox, though still hadn’t solved the misfire. However, he finished the season with the car running better, despite another spin.

The Capri had demonstrated it had potential, but its biggest weakness was probably Bullivant’s tiny budget. Over the off season, several upgrades were undertaken. The Ford V8 motor was replaced with a 5.0-litre (302ci) small-block Chevrolet V8, the old engine being offered for sale at $1350. A tougher Muncie gearbox went in place of the unhappy Borg-Warner. Also, Bullivant was required to narrow the flares slightly, as they were deemed too wide for the NZ Saloon Car Championship rules. At the same time, a deeper wrap-around front air-dam replaced the front spoiler, and a small bonnet scoop was fitted to draw air into the carburettor.

Still, the car struggled with little rear grip. Because Bullivant had no money, he raced on old second-hand tyres, hand-me-downs from other teams, which were anything from two to four years old, and he battled away in mid-pack.

Again, changes were made over the winter of 1976, including a fully-floating rear end, plus a few trick new parts such as Lockheed magnesium four-pot brakes and beautiful BBS wheels. But despite working three jobs at the time, Bullivant still lacked the funds to fully develop the Capri and allow it to reach its full potential. He was always a crowd favourite, always looking to be on the brink of disaster with his spectacular driving style. Though this was a likely side-effect of the car’s lack of grip.

Jim Richards tested the Capri for Bullivant at the Bay Park Christmas meeting in 1976, and was highly impressed by what the Hawkes Bay youngster had produced, but suggested some new rubber would help, a fact not lost on the cash-strapped Bullivant.

Youthful Enthusiasm

Bullivant usually qualified towards the rear of the 6.0-litre cars at most events, and was limited to racing only in the North Island, as the budget didn’t stretch to crossing to the South Island.

But by the ’77 season, few other North Island teams were making the effort to race down South either. The PDL Racing team had debuted its new Mustang II, and raised the bar beyond the reach of most.

The budget may have been lacking, but Bullivant possessed youthful enthusiasm in spades, and campaigned the Capri anywhere that would accept him, from NZ Saloon Car Championship races, to drag races and hill climbs. He clocked an impressive 11.5 at 120mph (193kph) on the old Thunder Park drag strip in the Hawkes Bay, and finished second to two-time NZ Hillclimb Gold Star champion Kevin Ingram, and his Terrapin, at the Hawkes Bay hill climb in early 1976. The Capri was also raced on one occasion by Jack Nazer, at Manfeild in early 1977, when his Chev-powered Victor broke an axle and couldn’t be repaired for an NZ versus Australia teams race encounter. But even Nazer couldn’t overcome the limitations of four-year-old tyres.

Motorsport New Zealand placed a 2.0-litre engine cap on the Shell Sport-sponsored NZ Saloon Car Championship following the 1977 season, a direct result of dwindling numbers in the big car ranks, and Bullivant’s Capri was left with no place to race. However, even though he lacked the budget to compete at the pointy end, Bullivant’s engineering and car preparation skills had caught the eye of Jim Richards, who was now living in Australia. Richards employed the young Bullivant full-time as his chief mechanic, to work on his radical new Murray Bunn-built Falcon XC hardtop sports sedan. In its debut season, the Falcon finished first-equal on points in the 1978 Australian Sports Sedan championship with the previously untouchable Frank Gardner Chev Corvair driven by Alan Grice, only losing on a count-back of race wins.

Bullivant returned to New Zealand in early 1979 to race his Capri one final time when the Bay Park, Pukekohe, and Manfeild organisers ran a three-round Open Saloon series for sports sedans and OSCA cars. Organised by Jim Richards, who shipped his Falcon hardtop across along with John Briggs’ ex-Red Dawson Chevy Monza, the Open Saloon races would best be remembered for the electrifying encounters between Richards and Leo Leonard in the PDL Mustang II.

A New Era

While in Australia Bullivant picked up several ideas for improving the Capri, but although Richards would again get behind the wheel to test the car at Pukekohe, Bullivant’s focus, and much of his time, was spent on preparing Richards’ Falcon. During the Open Saloon series the Bullivant Capri sported a for sale sign, with a price tag of $11,000.

It took some time before a buyer was found for the Capri, with the new owner being none other than former PDL Mustang driver, Graham Baker. Baker, from Christchurch, ran the Capri in selected South Island events in the 1980/’81 season, although it wasn’t eligible to compete in OSCA. However, most South Island organisers ran an all-in flying farewell race to conclude each meeting, and Baker raced the Capri competitively in these against Inky Tulloch, with the old Paul Fahey Capri, now fitted with a small block Chevy V8, plus Trevor Crowe’s Oldsmobile V8 Starlet, John Osborne’s Chev Camaro, Ian Munt’s V8 Capri, and Gary Jenkins’ V8 Victor. In fact, Baker raced the old PDL Mustang I at the opening round of the 1980/’81 OSCA series, taking maximum points.

When Baker debuted the ex-Bullivant Capri, it was sporting McLaren Formula 5000 wheels which, it is assumed, were from the PDL Mustang.

The 1980/’81 season marked the official return of big-engined saloon racing to the North Island, after Motorsport NZ killed it off at the conclusion of the 1977 season. Although a little slow to take off, with many cars being mothballed, proactive Bay Park and Manfeild organisers boosted the fields by bringing cars up from the South Island, including Baker. His campaign was marred by an engine failure in practice at the opening meeting at Manfeild, but he then went on to win at the Bay Park Christmas meeting, for which Aussie Peter Fitzgerald had shipped in his Porsche 911.

However, the dominant force in North Island sports sedan racing was Wayne Huxford, in his fuel-injected F5000 Chev-powered Capri, and it was Baker and Huxford who turned on a monster battle at Manfeild in January 1981.

Huxford beat Baker to pole position by three tenths of a second, but Baker was leading the Wellington driver in race one before a spin at the exit of the sweeper spat him into the infield. From there, he dropped to eighth place, before gathering himself up and setting off on a storming drive back to third place, closing right up behind second-place man Tulloch by flag fall. He then won the handicap race from Huxford and Tulloch, and was heading the field in the final handicap race before a puncture slowed his progress just before the finish, allowing Huxford through for the win.

From there, Baker ran strongly at Wigram, leading the Flying Farewell (he wasn’t eligible for the earlier OSCA race) from Tulloch and Crowe before he dropped to second with engine problems, while he beat a strong Tulloch and Trevor Crowe in the Flying Farewell at Timaru. Then, at the March meeting at Manfeild, the anticipated rematch with Huxford failed to eventuate after Baker was slowed by a puncture in race one, then eliminated in a start line crash in race two.

However, the potential of the Capri was now finally being realised, six years after it first debuted.

Shaker Run

Following the 1981 season Baker put the Capri up for sale again, and it was purchased by North Island driver, Bob Cullinane. Cullinane gave the car a new lick of paint, in black and yellow/ red, and raced the Capri in the North Island Sports Sedan series. He enjoyed some good results, if not able to repeat the race winning inter-island battles of Baker. Against opposition such as Ian Algie’s magnificent new V8 Alfetta, and the ever improving machines of Huxford, Tulloch, and Crowe, Cullinane held his own throughout the 1982 season.

The Capri saw little action following the 1982 season, and was eventually sold to Brian Friend, to replace the ex-Roy Harrington V8 Torana he’d previously campaigned. By now the old war-horse was showing its age, especially against slick new opposition. However, the Capri did get to bask in the spotlight one more time, when it starred in the 1985 New Zealand movie Shaker Run, starring Cliff Robertson and Leif Garrett.

The Capri was used for one of several car chase scenes in the movie, in which it was stolen from a central Wellington car dealer’s showroom (Kirk Motors Mitsubishi), to chase the pink and black replica Pontiac Trans Am driven by Robertson and Garrett throughout the movie. Still in Brian Friend’s racing colours, with his name above the windscreen, the Capri was smashed through the showroom window, then set off after the Trans Am. The two cars sped momentarily through some inner-city Wellington streets, before suddenly they were charging up the Rimutaka Hill (about 30 minutes from Wellington CBD). Here the bad guy in the Capri catches the Trans Am, rams it a few times, then loses control after Garrett throws bottles of oil into his path.

Shaker Run doesn’t seem to be available on DVD, but the chase scene can easily be found by doing a quick YouTube search. The crisp small-block Chev in the Capri sounds great with its open pipes. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vUKZMYCbRY).

Following its movie cameo, the Capri was sold to Dave Borrey, who crewed for Friend. Friend had already sold the desirable McLaren wheels to an F5000 restorer. Borrey rebuilt the car, repainted it an iridescent green, and raced it briefly before it was parked up, after which it sat for more than a decade. Then, in the late 1990s, Kiwi Sports Sedan founder Graham Barnes tracked down Borrey, as he wanted a one-piece fibreglass front for his own Capri, and had heard Borrey had moulds. The moulds were apparently made by the movie company which created Shaker Run.

Part of the agreement for using the car, which it knew would get roughed up, was that it would be returned to Friend in the same condition it was received, which meant replacing or repairing the guards.

Rather than just buying some new front bodywork, Barnes ended up buying the old Bullivant Capri, including the moulds.

The Capri has since clocked up many racing kays, having been repainted red, and been treated to a massive rebuild, including new roll-cage. Importantly, Barnes has been careful to preserve the car as it is.

Barnes still enjoys racing the Capri, and swears he’ll never sell it. It’s kept in immaculate condition, and is a credit to him, and a testament to its young builder, Brent Bullivant.

Words: Steve Holmes Photos: Terry Marshall, Brett Young, Mike Feisst

On June 25, 2010, the Australian Ford Falcon notched up its half century, fifty years after the original Australian-made XK Falcon rolled off the production line in 1960 launching the longest continuous model line in Australian motoring history.

Ford Australia achieved two outstanding milestones this year, the other, 85 years of Ford production in Australia. The Falcon has proved itself to be a true icon of Australian motoring since its debut, and while other models such as the recently discontinued Ford Fairlane have travelled over Australian roads longer, they’ve included imported versions. The Falcon has undoubtedly earned its place in automotive history as the longest running nameplate on an Australian-made vehicle and, in order to commemorate this outstanding accomplishment, Ford has recently unveiled a range of six special edition Falcon’s boasting a host of additional features and special pricing. With four XR-based models and two G-Series based models, proudly wearing the Falcon ‘bird’ logo that originally inspired the name for the large car.

Based on both the sedan and utility variants of the XR6 and XR6 Turbo comes the XR50 sporting unique 18-inch alloys for the XR6 models and 19-inch alloys for the XR6 Turbo, ‘Mild Stealth’ upper and lower grille accents, fog lamp bezels and rear bumper insert, G6 tail lights, special badging, wing mirror indicators (for the sedans) and a unique stripe kit, the XR50 is sure to tug at the heart strings of many blue oval fans.

Looking Back: First Generation 1960-1966

In 1955 Ford Australia decided to launch a locally built Ford. Due the popularity of the Holden, sales were faltering for Ford’s lack of a viable competitor. Their decision involved building the English version of the Ford Zephyr locally from the ground up, rather than just assembling kits that arrived from the United Kingdom.

However, in 1958, after traveling to America to view the Zephyr that was being redesigned for the Australian market, Ford Australia’s managing director, Charles Smith, was not convinced that the car would suit the Australian market. Subsequently, he was lead to view the stylish new mock-up of the Ford Falcon that was being designed for the Canadian and American markets and immediately determined that this was the car for the Australian people.

The very first XK Falcon made its debut in September 1960 and was described as a ‘compact’ as it was somewhat smaller than the accepted family cars of the period. The new Ford Falcon was, in fact, debuted in the very first nationwide closed circuit TV news conference.

Like the XK, its successor, the XL, was also based specifically on a Canadian design, allowing for a few insignificant modifications for Australian conditions. Ford’s gimmicky slogan – Trim, Taut, Terrific – had little effect as the Falcon was still widely perceived as unsuitable for local conditions and sales languished.

Things were about to change for the Aussie Falcon with the launch of the XM in 1964, with a car that finally had serious claims to being one designed and engineered entirely by Australians for Australian conditions. This meant major changes to the front and rear suspension set up, the braking system, clutch, rear axle, engine mounts and exhaust – all as a result of extensive research on the open, and off road conditions. After all, in a country that consists mostly of treacherous out-back desert terrain, vehicles have to be build to withstand the harshest of environments. By now the Falcon was considered to be the ‘Model T of its day’ and was easily recognisable by the red pie tray-like tail-lights.

Next up was the launch of the XP in 1965. This time the Australian Ford management team went a step further in proving the Falcon’s robustness and durability to fleet buyers by conceiving a Durability Run. It was ‘make or break’ time for the Falcon’s future in Australia depending on the car succeeding. This courageous gamble, hatched by deputy MD, Bill Bourke, involved five stock standard Falcons and a group of racing drivers driving mercilessly around the arduous You Yangs proving ground. Their challenge was to rack up 70,000 miles (112, 651kms) at an average speed of 70 miles (112.65km) per hour, per car. The gruelling test took its toll and four of the five cars rolled, but finally, after nine days driven to the point that the wheels were literally ready to fall off, the five cars and drivers completed their mission with an average a speed of 71.3 miles per hour.

The gamble paid off and that same year, the Falcon was awarded Wheels Car of the Year.

Falcon GT’s Debut: Second Generation 1966-1972

The next new model Falcon, the much larger, more powerful XR version, was launched with an entirely new shape in September 1966. Promoted as the ‘Mustang bred Falcon’ the new look model incorporated more Australian design input than previous models and featured an optional Windsor 289ci (4.7-litre) V8 engine for the first time. The XR Falcon was also the first model to wear the legendary GT badge, highlighting Ford’s marketing focus on the Mustang’s sporty heritage and heralding the dawn of the Aussie Muscle Car. For the second year in a row, the Ford Falcon won the coveted Wheels Car of the Year Award in 1966, a major contributing factor in securing the Falcon as one Aussie’s own.

The XT Falcon featured a rather mild facelift, a more powerful V8 engine, full synchromesh manual gearbox, dual circuit brakes and two automatic transmissions to choose from. The tail-lights were still round but instead of the small round indicator of the XR, the XT model had a long indicator across the light. Otherwise all external body panels and bumpers were identical to the XR.

The XW and XY models followed with bolder styling features and a ‘buttressed’ C-pillar giving the appearance of a much larger car than its predecessor. A newly designed dashboard and trim variations also appeared. The GT version received the larger 351ci (5.75-litre) Windsor V8 engine and an offset bonnet scoop, bonnet locks, ‘Super Roo’ stripes, GT ten-slot wheels and twin driving lights carried over from the XT GT. (read more about the legendary XW, XYGT Falcon in this feature).

The XY Falcon, released in October 1970, received only slight variations to the grille and tail-lights, otherwise the bodywork remained fairly much unaltered.

Into the Seventies: Third Generation 1972-1979

1971 marked the end of Falcon production in the US and the XA Falcon became a uniquely Australian car designed exclusively for the local market and, although completely redesigned, it still resembled its cousin, the Ford Mustang. Three years previously, Aussie Ford designers spent most of the summer of 1968 working on the XA Falcon clay model in the US, impressing Henry’s ‘suits’ sufficiently to give the final nod for a design centre at Broadmeadows, Victoria.

The XA was also available as a hardtop coupe for the first time, this stylish model bursting onto the market boasting a distinctive range of colour options including purple and Wild Plum. The Falcon Hardtop closely resembled the 1970-71 Ford Torino, sharing its ‘frameless window’ doors with the utility and panel van models. The XA Falcon received the XY drive train, although the 250 2V six-cylinder engine was soon dropped, and the legendary ground shaking GT-HO engines were no longer required thanks to modifications in production racing regulations. The XA also became the first Australian car equipped with front and rear power-assisted disc brakes.

Ford had intended releasing its XY GT-HO successor, the Phase IV’ GT-HO (and built four), but decided to can the project as the unwarranted  ‘Supercar Superscare’ gained negative national publicity.

‘The Great Australian Road Car’ was the slogan used to promote the XB Falcon in 1973. Although still basically a face-lift of the previous XA model, the XB’s styling was slightly more aggressive and offered a range of new colour options that included colour-coded bumpers on the GTs. The first 211 GT Falcons built received the US built Cleveland 5.8-litre V8 engine before being replaced with an Australian-built version, which had smaller port heads and less power.

The XC Falcon, introduced in July 1976, was the first Falcon to fully comply with the Australian Design Rule pollution regulations. It also boasted the country’s first locally built family sedan with a suspension package designed specifically for radial ply tyres known as ‘Touring Suspension’ and was available only on the highly specified Fairmont GXL models. This option became standard on all sedans and hardtops in the 1978 ‘XCI/2’ facelift models.

Not only did the XC bring a famous 1-2 victory for Allan Moffat and Colin Bond at Bathurst in 1977, but also inspired Ford to introduce an all-time classic Falcon, the limited edition, individually numbered Falcon Cobra, which used the last of the 400 Hardtop body shells.

Bigger, Lighter, Faster: Fourth Generation 1979-1999

The XD Falcon (Project Blackwood) made its debut in 1979 and was the first Falcon designed in Australia from a clean piece of paper, although it bore many of the external styling features of the European Ford Granada. For the XD, Ford’s emphasis was on efficiency, interior space and weight reduction in the new design. The XD Falcon also featured a number of improvements, including a plastic fuel tank and plastic bumpers, which combined with better body reinforcing, reduced overall weight therefore improving performance and braking. The GXL was now gone and replaced with the higher specified, luxuriously appointed Fairmont Ghia.

The following Falcon model, the XE, was a welcome relief to the Aussie’s who were now starting to move away from the smaller Holden Commodore as the fuel crisis began to ease up in 1982. The XE also marked the introduction of electronic fuel injection and a Watts link coil-sprung rear-end and for the first time in a decade eclipsed the Commodore’s sales in Australia, taking Ford to number one spot in 1982.

In October 1984 came the XF model, which was noteworthy for the introduction of Ford’s engine management system, EEC-IV, which managed the spark timing and air-fuel mix of the engine more efficiently. The XF Falcon remains Ford’s best selling model to date with over 278,000 units built.

Up, Up and Away: Fifth Generation 1988-1998

A brand new shape for Falcon came in the form of the EA, an AU$700 million dollar development introduced in 1988. Still entirely Australian, the EA boasted an all-new, more durable front suspension and geometry set-up, similar to that used in the S-Class Mercedes. Other advances included a four-speed automatic transmission, the high-security Tibbe locking system and a more fuel-efficient 3.9-litre six-cylinder engine.

In 1991, the EB and subsequent EB II remained virtually identical to its predecessor, and offered handling improvements, the welcomed return of the 5.0-litre Windsor V8 and ABS brakes for the first time on a locally built sedan. Security also was beefed up with the introduction of Smartlock.

The ED was the final facelift for the EA shape, offering contemporary exterior colours, improved side-impact crash protection and a host of under-the-bonnet changes to continue the refinement of the car’s performance and handling characteristics in response to Holden’s new VR Commodore.

August 1994 saw a new curvaceous body shape (although it still carried over its doors and most of its body structure from the previous model) and an Australian Design Award for the EF Falcon, which boasted several engineering advances. The modified 4.0-litre engine was more refined with improved torque and power courtesy of a new EEC-V engine management system developed through Formula One racing. The EF Falcon also featured the world’s first airbag-compatible bull-bar.

The final facelift before the AU, the $40 million EL Falcon kept sales ticking along nicely until the AU Falcon was launched. It boasted further ride and handling development, up-to-the-minute ABS and an improved steering feel. The bonnet, front bumper, headlamps and grille design were revised along with a few minor interior upgrades to round off the EL package.

Contemporary Falcon: Sixth Generation 1998-2008

Ford’s AU Falcon released in 1998 boasted Computer Aided Design and Engineering, providing major advances in chassis stiffness, aerodynamics and directional stability. Ford actually considered replacing the Falcon with one of their other products such as the Taurus, Mazda 929 and European Scorpio, but after much debate and evaluation Ford Australia chose to stick with the Falcon due partly to the cost involved and the effect on local employment.

Code named EA169, the AU program adopted Ford’s ‘New Edge’ styling, a gamble which never really paid off as the AU, nicknamed the ‘ugly duckling’ didn’t particularly endear itself to its buying public. Indeed, the AU didn’t sell that well in Australia although it did receive a better reception in New Zealand.

However, the AU did debut a sophisticated double wishbone independent rear suspension package and variable cam timing on its prestige models. The AU was also the first car in its class to offer air-conditioning and automatic transmission as standard features.

The AUII, in an attempt to address the AU’s woes brought minor styling changes and scrapped the unpopular grille, however, continued the Falcon tradition of innovation and value for money. It’s important to note than when the AU was launched, it was the only car in its class to feature a passenger airbag, CD player, 16-inch wheels as standard equipment as well as ‘Scheduled Servicing’ to 60,000km built into car’s cost.

With virtually a clean slate and AU$500 million dollars invested, Ford hatched the all-new BA Falcon in 2002, the 21st model designation for the Falcon. In its first year, the BA Falcon not only fought to win back the hearts of the Australian buying public but also won the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year Award.

The BA’s major overhaul included a new DOHC 4.0-litre engine, two new V8 engines, Sequential Sports Shift automatic transmission and a radical new Control Blade independent rear suspension.

The new look BA received substantial redesign work on both front and rear quarters taking on an entirely more contemporary, European style appearance whilst the interior was thoroughly remodeled featuring a conservatively styled cluster and large LCD screen incorporating the ‘Interior Command Centre’.

Within a year of the BA’s release and a concerted sales push by Ford, the BA Falcon sales increased substantially, eclipsing the Holden Commodore again.

The MkII version of the BA Falcon was launched in 2004, adding various customer-focused features including a Tremec six-speed manual transmission for the high performance XR range and cruise control across the sedan range.

The BF Falcon introduced in 2005 received only power-train improvements towards noise and vibration, rather than design features. It also boasted an all new six-speed auto and electronic stability control.

The FG Falcon is the current model produced by Ford Australia since 2008 and is the seventh generation of the Ford Falcon. The FG Falcon is the first Australian manufactured vehicle to receive an ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) five star safety rating with an impressive score of 34.6 out of 37.

The Falcon’s Future

On thing for certain in the automotive industry is that nothing lasts forever. According to media speculation, Ford may cancel the all Aussie Falcon in favour of the company’s ‘One Ford’ program in 2015. Apparently, the Falcon may possibly be replaced by a large car platform that is to be built for all world markets, either a global rear wheel drive platform or the transverse front/all-wheel drive Taurus platform – although this rumour remains unconfirmed. According to Ford’s European design chief Martin Smith, the Taurus platform could not possibly be a genuine substitute for the rear drive Falcon, and Ford Australia’s Marin Burela has declared that no decision has been made on the Falcon’s future, and for now it’s safe. However, the Falcon could share its platform with other rear wheel drive Fords, like Mustang, according to Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

Our Favourite Falcons #1 – XY GT HO Phase III Falcon

Undoubtedly, the ultimate Falcon, in fact the Phase III was described by Sports Car World as “… simply one of the best cars in the world, a true GT that could take on Ferraris and Astons on their own terms.”

There’s no four letters that mean more in Australian motorsport history than GT-HO and, when added to the end of the name Falcon XW and Falcon XY, you have yourself an Australian motorsport legend.

Between the years of 1969 and 1973 these mighty machines had an enormous impact on the Australian touring car scene when a young up and coming driver, Allan Moffat got behind the wheel of the Phase 1, 2, and 3 GT-HO’s and fired the imagination of Ford fans throughout Australasia by winning at Bathurst in 1970 and 1971.

The XY GT rolled off the line late in 1970 and was followed in 1971 with the all-time classic GT-HO Phase III. The GT-HO’s stump-pulling 351ci (5.8-litre) Cleveland engine produced well in excess of 380hp (285kW) which in 1971 was considerately underrated at 300hp (223Kw). The initial GT-HO’s were equipped with an electrical rev limiter that came into effect at 6150rpm and, when disabled, the engine could supposedly rev to an astonishing 7000+rpm, even in fourth gear. The GT-HO also received a yet bigger carburetor (780 vs 750cfm), bigger radiator, larger harmonic balancer, better valve train, baffled sump, extractors and a choice of four rear axle ratios.

‘HO’ stood for ‘Handling Option’ indicating that these awesome machines were equipped with bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, a front spoiler, a choice of three differentials and an optional close-ratio gearbox – features that made the production GT-HO very similar to the race version.

Other features which added to the GT-HO’s aggressive looks were the infamous ‘shaker’ air intake protruding through the bonnet, a rear deck spoiler and bold side stripes.

Estimated performance figures speak for themselves with results of 0-60mph (0-97 km/h) in 6.4 seconds, 0-100mph (0-161km/h) 14.6 seconds, standing ¼ mile;14.4 seconds. Top Speed (with 6150 rpm rev limiter) 144mph (231 km/h), top speed (without rev limiter) 155mph (250km/h). And remember, this was the early ‘70s.

1,557 XY GTs were made from September 1970 to December 1971, while just 300 GT-HO Phase III’s were built from May to November 1971.

Today, the Phase III GT-HO is in incredibly high demand with collectors and investors worldwide. Good examples have been sold for prices in excess of AU$700,000. Due to this demand, and low production numbers the GT-HO remains the ultimate Falcon.

Our Favourite Falcons #2 – XC Falcon Cobra

The XC Falcon Hardtop was, sadly, the last offered by Ford in 1978. When final production of the XC Hardtop ended in March 1978, 400 body shells were left unsold and Ford Australia were confronted with the challenge of how to market them rather than scrapping them or flogging them off to customers who would otherwise wait for the new model XD Falcon to be released.

An original proposal to turn these Hardtop body shells cars into Playboy-themed cars (complete with ‘bunny’ decals) was abandoned because Ford felt it would create the wrong image for a car company with family values. In what may have seemed a desperate attempt at the time, Ford turned to Ford Motor Company’s then second-in-charge, Edsel Ford II, who, coincidentally, was touring Australia at the time. The timing was perfect, and Edsel, together with a local design team, made a decision to capitalise on Allan Moffat and Colin Bond’s momentous 1-2 finish at the 1977 Bathurst 1000 by creating a road car with a ‘totally American’ look that could be homologated for racing, while at the same time offering blue oval fans a rare opportunity to own a street-legal version of Allan Moffat’s race car.

The team worked swiftly to build the first prototype by late April 1978 and production very quickly commenced on the XC Cobra that same July.

All XC Cobras were finished in white, complimented with bright blue racing stripes and Cobra emblems, reminiscent of Carroll Shelby’s 1960s Mustangs, making it easily identifiable as a Ford muscle car.

Each XC Cobra also received an individual serial number, with a sequentially numbered plaque (from 1 to 400) placed on the dash. The first 200 cars, and possibly the most desirable from a collectors perspective, were given the 5.8-litre, 351ci Cleveland V8 engine, while the other 200 received the smaller 4.9-litre, 302ci Cleveland V8. There were a couple of exceptions however – build number #1 sported a 302ci V8, while build number #351 was fitted, very appropriately, with a 351ci V8.

Cobras also came equipped with either automatic or manual transmissions as well as four-wheel disc brakes, limited slip axles, 15-inch Bathurst Globe wheels and front and rear spoilers. The interiors were fitted with sport leather seats in black with blue inserts.

Serial numbers #2 to #31 were known as Option 97, and received optional parts to allow homologation for racing, including twin thermostatically controlled fans, engine oil cooler and racing seats.

These cars were easily identifiable from the other 370 Option 96 Cobras by a large rear-opening bulge in the hood, as raced by Allan Moffat at the 1978 Bathurst 1000.

As with the GT-HOs, although not quite as valuable, Falcon Cobras are still highly revered by collectors across Australia and most still exist and pristine examples can fetch as much as AU$100,000 plus.

Our Favourite Falcons #3 – Falcon TE50 and TS50

Tickford and Ford operated a joint venture company called Tickford Vehicle Engineering, formed in 1991, to design, develop and manufacture an exciting range of options and models based on the mainstream Ford vehicles in Australia.

There was little doubt that, in the early stages, HSV was giving Ford’s performance cars a severe pounding in the sales race, thanks to their Chevrolet-derived 5.7-litre V8.

Tickford Vehicle Engineering’s plan was to intercept partly assembled Fords and add its own special touch to them by modifying the engine, brakes, suspension, wheels, tires, interior and exterior.

Tickford began local development on an old version of the Windsor 5.0-litre V8 engine, adding a longer-throw crankshaft, billet conrods, lightweight pistons with fully floating pins, specific Tickford heads and cam, a newly cast intake plenum, and a 82mm throttle body that stretched capacity to a much more marketable 5.6-litres. This development devoured more than a few Ford dollars, but ultimately the new 5.6-litre Windsor V8 took some beating.

Moving to upper end of the market were the T-Series models, the Falcon XR8-based TE50 and the Fairmont Ghia-based TS50, both marketed under the FTE name. FTE standing for Ford Tickford Experience. The FTE T Series models (1999 to 2002) featured special 5.6-litre engine – with the name of the individual engine-builders being commemorated on an engraved plaque attached to the engines each had hand-built.

The Tickford suspension tune gave the car impressive road manners for such a big vehicle. The Heavy Duty Tremec five-speed manual gearbox was considered to be heavy and noisy but buyers could opt for the automatic gearbox featuring Adaptive Shift and Electronic Sports Shift including steering wheel mounted controls. Stopping power comes courtesy of 329mm vented and grooved front discs with twin-piston calipers and 287mm grooved rear discs, with ABS. For more vigorous drivers, a superb optional AU$5350 Brembo package was available featuring massive 355mm front discs and 330mm rears, all cross-drilled and ventilated with four-piston calipers.

In addition to the standard sports suspension, an optional package including Koni shock absorbers with variable rate rear springs, a retuned front stabilizer bar and a 7mm lower ride height was available.

On the road the car was capable of trotting around the suburbs using just third and fourth gears most of the time, but once the engine was stirred into action it really started to hammer along, with performance every bit equal to the oppositions HSV.

On today’s market, a TE50 with the big engine can easily fetch around $20,000 to $30,000 mark, possible more if it’s fully optioned. The higher specified TS50 can fetch as much as $40,000 in its final, Series 3 form, which was also considered to be the AU Falcon’s finest hour.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: NZCC Archive

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 236. Click here to check it out.

One word – Bathurst – instantly conjures up images of decades of nail-biting battles between the two Aussie archrivals, Ford and Holden. In fact, Bathurst was the inspiration behind Ford’s decision to produce such a car as the famous GT Falcon.

During the early years of the ‘great race’ the annual 500-mile event at the mountain road course of Mount Panorama attracted countless entrants driving virtually every known variety of foreign and domestic car, including the very first purpose-built local Ford ‘race’ car, the Cortina GT500. However, in 1967 Ford was keen to promote its current Falcon XR model which, for the first time for an Australian Falcon, was available with a V8 engine. Ford set about planning something rather different. The rest, as they say, is history, as the GT Falcon reigned supreme at ‘the mountain’ during the ensuing years, and was involved in some of the most heavily fought tussles in the event’s history.

Between the years of 1969 and 1973 these mighty machines had a huge impact on the Australian touring car scene, when a young up and coming driver, Allan Moffatt, got behind the wheel of the Phase 1, 2, and 3 GT-HOs, firing up the imagination of Ford fans throughout Australasia as he took the laurels at Bathurst in 1970 and 1971.

Today, some of these rare beasts – primarily the Falcon XYGT-HO Phase III – are highly sought after and regarded as Australia’s greatest ever muscle cars.

The XA GT

Introduced in March 1972, the Falcon XA GT was actually the first Australian-designed Ford, and the GT version was a much more refined car than its tarmac-shredding predecessors, which were designed primarily as road-going race cars rather than true grand tourers. The XA’s launch also marked the return of the Falcon hard-top, and the streamlined yet bulging shape of the Falcon made this coupé the sexiest Australian car ever. The XA was also the largest Falcon to roll out of Ford Australia’s Broadmeadows plant, sporting arguably the boldest styling yet with its uniquely vented, albeit non-functional, front guards and twin bonnet scoops. Unfortunately for Ford, the XA GT had shed some of the basic, unrefined appeal that had endeared the earlier XR-XY GT models to the public. It wasn’t as if the XA GT was any less potent in terms of straight out muscle, on the contrary the XA GTs were unquestionably good cars but, although fitted with the same intoxicating 5.8-litre (351ci) Cleveland V8, they appeared to be not as fast.

However, Ford had ‘Plan B’ on the back-burner in the shape of the four door XA Phase IV. Sadly for Ford and its passionate fans, a surge of negative media hysteria regarding 257kph (160mph) supercars – fanned by party-pooping politicians who merely saw such cars as a road-rage weapons – led to the cancellation of Ford’s new missile.

Interestingly enough, regardless of the public’s perception of the XA GT’s performance, in racing hardtop guise it remains the only Falcon to win twice at Bathurst. In 1973 Ford replaced the cancelled the Phase IV GT-HO Falcon, of which only four vehicles exist, with the XA GT RPO 083, only producing 131 sedans and 129 coupés. Surprisingly, these cars came on to the market without fuss or controversial advertising claims, and only those people in the know were aware of its existence. Not so now of course, a XA GT RPO 083 is the next best thing for any astute collector to have parked beside that Phase III XY GT-HO Falcon.

Boyhood Dream

As a youngster, Kevin McGovern remembers sitting on the side of the road for hours with his cousins and friends, watching cars drive past and reading hot rod magazines. He would often paint posters of his dream cars, and recalls attending a school reunion at Tokoroa High School to discover a picture of a MkI Escort rally car he’d painted was still hanging on the wall, much to his surprise.

When Kevin left school he seemed destined to work in the automotive industry, and started his career as an apprentice parts assistant at a Te Awamutu Ford dealership. Kevin really enjoyed his job, but knew deep down that it wasn’t the right career path for him. Two years later, he answered an advertisement for a sales cadet at Grange Motors, the Tokoroa Ford dealership, and began his sales career and passion for Fords in 1974.

His job description, as he remembers there being such a thing, was about as broad ranging as the Ford dealership could make it. Kevin lent his hand to just about anything; including sweeping floors and performing all sorts of odd jobs. He was just happy to work under what he considered to be ‘real salesmen’ in those days. Kevin reckons that these guys taught things you just couldn’t learn from books and, unfortunately, people like this just aren’t around any more.

As time went on Kevin started selling new Fords, and clearly recalls the first Kelly Green XA Falcon he ever sold, which went for just under $4500. He went on to sell LTDs, Landaus, Fairlanes, GT Falcons and every other Ford product on offer for the next four years. Then, one night while locking up the gates, the sales manager from the local Holden dealership stopped and made him an offer he just couldn’t refuse. Kevin responded by saying that he was getting married the following week and couldn’t possibly take on a new job, however, it wasn’t a problem, and the Mc Governs set off on their honeymoon in a yellow Chevette hatchback courtesy of Ebbett Motors.

As far as Kevin was concerned, the move to Ebbett was a good one, because it had dealerships all over the Waikato area and sales were plentiful to say the least, his motto being, “We worked hard, played hard and made lots of money.” Kevin adds that back then, Ebbett Tokoroa was selling as many cars as it was from its Hamilton Branch. In those days Tokoroa was a booming town with several thousand Kinleith Mill wage packets pouring into the area every week, not only boosting the local economy, but also nudging the population to almost ‘city’ status. In the southern Waikato area alone there were no fewer than 18 licensed motor dealers during the early ’80s and, as Kevin points out, “You could buy anything from a new Mini to a Mercedes-Benz right here in Tokoroa.”

The Blue Oval

As the flow-on effect from a tightening economy hit the Waikato region, Tokoroa’s booming motor industry was decimated as the town’s major employer, Grange Motors, closed and Ebbett retrenched its satellite branches in the late ’80s.

About six years after joining Ebbett, Kevin received a call from John Sharplin, who announced that he was starting a new Ford dealership in Tokoroa. John had done his homework, searching for the best salesman in town, and Kevin McGovern was the person John sought to take up the role as sales manager of the newly formed John Sharplin Ford dealership.

With this move Kevin returned to his Ford heritage and, from a start up staff of six, the dealership was soon employing over 20 people, selling up to 35 new and used vehicles a month in what Kevin describes as, “Very vibrant days in the motor industry.”

After working as sales manager for John Sharplin Ford for 10 years, the dealership finally closed its doors, making everyone redundant. Kevin and his wife, Dianne, placed everything on the line, including every last cent, to start their own business – Kevin McGovern Motors – in 1992. Naturally, there have been good, and not so good years during that time, but McGovern Motors has survived and Kevin reckons it’s because there are three things that matter to a used car customer as they approach a yard; “The price, the conditions and me.” This philosophy has served him well over the years, as he loves to sell cars and meet people, many of whom return year after year to replace their cars.

Of course, Kevin retains his genuine passion for cars, especially anything displaying the blue Ford oval – which brings us to our featured Falcon XA GT.

In 1993, Kevin answered an advertisement detailing the sale of this Falcon which, at that time, had travelled only 33,000 genuine, original miles (53,108km). The timing was wrong, the price far exceeded Kevin’s budget, but it was the car of his dreams and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He forgot about his budget and grabbed it with both hands. In 17 years of ownership, this magnificent example has travelled a mere 6437km (4000 miles) under Kevin’s stewardship and has been used for both Kevin’s children’s weddings. On rare occasions, he has also taken close friends children to school balls in the Falcon and he has attended four All Ford Days, taking out top honours three times.

Looking at this car, it’s like stepping back in time; it’s original in every respect – including the tyres, yes, they’re now almost 40 years old!

Kevin acknowledges there are some beautiful examples of the various Falcon GTs out there, but his car is basically as it rolled out of the Lyon Ford showroom in Glenfield, Auckland, on November 2, 1972. He regrets that the car has spent virtually its entire life tucked away out of sight, and would like one day for it to be on display for others to enjoy and appreciate.

That task may be left up to Kevin’s son, Scott, who according to Kevin is New Zealand’s biggest Ford fan and will probably, one day, end up as custodian of this wonderful slice of Ford history.

1972 Falcon XA GT – Specifications

Engine: Cleveland V8
Capacity: 5752cc (351ci)
Bore/stroke: 102x89mm
Valves: Two valves per cylinder/ ohv
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Max power: 224kW (300bhp) at 5400rpm
Max torque: 515Nm (380lb/ft) at 3400rpm
Fuel system: Four barrel 605cfm Autolite carburettor
Transmission: Four speed all synchro manual
Suspension F/R: Independent – coil springs/ Hotchkiss type with leaf springs
Steering: Recirculating ball, optional power assist
Brakes: Power assisted disc front/drum rear
Dimensions:
O/all length: 4808mm
Width: 1969mm
Wheelbase: 2819mm
Track F/R: 1524/ 1524mm
Kerb weight: 1587kg
Performance:
Max speed 193kp/h
0-100kph 8.1 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 15.8 seconds

Words: Ashely Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 236. Click here to check it out.

Charles Spencer ‘Spen’ King died on June 26, 2010, following injuries received after he was knocked off his bicycle. Donn remembers the life and career of this famed British automotive engineer, best remembered for creating the Range Rover.

When the brilliant engineer, Spen King, was in Nelson 31 years ago he was privately concerned about the problems within British Leyland. It was another six years before the Englishman retired from the company, and only then could he vent some of his frustration.

Charles Spencer King has a lot to answer for, according to some industry watchers. He is the man who created the original Range Rover in 1970, the ubiquitous four-wheel-drive vehicle that spawned the SUV or Sport Utility Vehicle. Even the most virulent of British motor industry critics agree the Range Rover was an inspired car.

In 2004 King lambasted SUV owners who mainly used their vehicles in urban areas. The Range Rover, he said, was never intended as a status symbol even though – “later incarnations of my design seem to be intended for that purpose.” Spen said the extraordinary thing about the Range Rover was that it lasted – it was tooled up for hardly anything, engineered from nothing and made a lot of money for its makers without being updated or improved.

This was essentially the last real Rover. King recalled that while the Range Rover was made by the Rover Company, the Rover 3500 SD1 hatchback was “made by a sort of gang of imports from Austin Morris.” Traditional rivalry often boiled over among the brands within the British Leyland empire, and King had always been a Rover man. He said while the SD1 started off being engineered by Rover, it wasn’t made as a Rover product.

Nelson Inspection

When I met King at the New Zealand media launch for the Rover 3500 SD1 in January 1979 he didn’t seem unduly surprised about my Rover’s lack of reliability. I had purchased a new SD1 in Britain the previous year, and ran it in Europe for eight months before bringing the car home. Luckily for me, my associations with the Leyland Press car garage in Coventry were invaluable. After numerous teething troubles, they gave me a loan car, took my Rover back and practically rebuilt it over a period of more than a month. They simply made right a job that had never been done properly in the first place.

After that, the car was near faultless, and I owned it for 12 years. Reliability was Rover’s Achilles heel, and the only reason the SD1 wasn’t a raging success. It had got off to a brilliant start, receiving rave press reviews and winning the 1977 European Car of the Year, an award that irked Ross Jensen, the New Zealand BMW importer at the time. Ross paced up and down his Newmarket office and was extremely vocal about what he thought was poor judgement by the European journalists in choosing a car as bad as the SD1.

King inspected the Nelson plant where the SD1 had gone into production 30 months after its 1976 launching in the UK. He reckoned the Kiwi-assembled cars were better built than the English equivalents. But I wondered if this was more PR spin than fact, because the New Zealand SD1s had iffy finish and were hardly trouble free.

With its conventional build design, rear drum brakes and live rear axle, the SD1 was a technological step backwards for innovative Rover, although Spen said the car drove well and he was right. He said its predecessor, the P6, had been introduced in an age when engineers used complex solutions to achieve design requirements while the SD1 needed a simpler design. In other words, it had to be cheaper.

Widespread Approval

King was only 20 when he began working on the T3 and JET1 Rover gas turbine programme. The T3 was the first car specifically designed around a gas turbine engine, and also had fibreglass body panels, de Dion rear suspension and four wheel disc brakes.

Spen King headed up the project on the Rover P6 saloon, which arrived in October 1963 and won the first European Car of the Year. He remembered how many Rover executives feared the advanced P6 would cheapen Rover’s image, but it turned out to be hugely popular with a production run of more than 327,000. Even though some thought the four-cylinder engine underpowered, the Rover P6 2000 won widespread approval, and the launching of the ‘Three Thousand Five’ V8 version in 1968 consolidated the car’s success.

My first exposure to the P6 Rover 3500 was in May 1968 when bound for Monte Carlo, in company with a fellow Kiwi. It was our first visit to the Continent, and in a crowded canteen on an English Channel ferry we were struggling to find a spare seat. A well-dressed gentleman and his friend invited us to share their table and asked where we were going. “To the Monaco Grand Prix, and we haven’t a clue which way to drive once we disembark the ferry,” I answered.

“Well, it just happens we are also bound for Monaco, so why don’t you follow us once in France,” said our helpful new friend. We were impressed our guide had a brand new Rover 3500 and headed off on an autoroute, with us trailing behind in a Triumph GT6 sports car. But the Triumph was no match for the V8 Rover, which soon disappeared at high speed into the gathering early morning mist. Our guide turned out to be Gerald Lascelles, grandson of King George V, first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, and president of the British Racing Drivers Club from 1964 until 1991.

I always hankered after a P6 Rover 3500 and tried without success to buy a new one in the early 1979s. The local distributors finally came up with second best – an English assembled Triumph 2.5 PI without power steering. However, the Triumph would never match the unique looks, superb suspension and mana of the P6. Had the Leyland empire been sorted and development continued, the Rover 2000/ Triumph 2000 of today would be something like a current BMW E90 3 Series saloon.

NZ Assembled Rovers

In the ’60s, Motor Assemblies – a division of the British Leyland Motor Corporation of NZ – shifted from Christchurch to Nelson into a factory originally built to house a cotton mill. The first Triumph 2000 was assembled in September 1965, and Rover 2000 assembly began in September 1968. By 1970 the Rover 2000SC automatic and 2000TC manual were being assembled in Nelson, and plans were in place to export New Zealand-assembled Rovers to Australia. Our trans-Tasman cousins were impressed with the all-wool Kiwi carpets and the locally produced leather upholstery, which was found under test to be equal to any in the world.

In June 1971 the first production of Rover 3500s for export to Australia commenced, but the Aussies largely rejected the build quality and they were hardly a raging success.

Local assembly of the 2000 model ceased, and the 3500 continued to be built alongside the Jaguar XJ6. Unlike the Jaguar, which was a full assembly job, the P6 arrived partially assembled with the base shell intact. It only required the roof to be welded in place while all outer panels, and even the screw-on roof section, were painted and trimmed before being bolted to the main lower chassis.

While the more conventional Triumphs and Jaguar shared the same build line after painting, the Rover had its own line. When the doors were hung on the Rovers, they were already trimmed and had windows fitted, which is common today but was unusual then.

When I visited the Nelson plant late in 1971, the daily output was eight Triumph 2000s, four Triumph Toledos, four Rover 3500s and one or two Jaguars. Nelson management believed its quality was higher than the UK plants because of the low rate of production, meaning work was less repetitive and also by dint of low staff turnover. Rover sent a technical man from Britain to assist in setting up local assembly, but Jaguar did not deem this necessary.

In September 1979, 10 months after commencement of Rover 3500 assembly, New Zealand Motor Corporation began building the Rover 2600 in manual and auto forms at Nelson, but the six-cylinder version was never as successful as the smoother, more refined and certainly quicker V8.

Leyland’s Mismanagement

After overseeing development of the P6, King headed up the Triumph Stag engineering and design for the perky Dolomite Sprint engine before tackling the SD1 and the aborted SD2 projects. After returning from the New Zealand trip King became chairman of BL Technology, but long before this he was perplexed by the mismanagement of Leyland. As a board member in 1967 he pointed out to fellow directors that British and European cars didn’t have the inbuilt quality and reliability of Japanese cars. Here was the company’s director of engineering attempting to repair a sinking ship, and he was stopped short at a board meeting. They simply didn’t want to hear about such problems, and King thought it was no way to run a company.

With the crossover in product, King was also involved in development of the Austin Metro and Maestro, and he always believed the Metro was unfairly maligned.

In recognition of his achievements, Spen’s initials were used on a special edition Range Rover CSK in 1990. Only 200 CSKs were made, and 12 came to New Zealand while Australia received just three. All CSK Range Rovers used the 3.9-litre V8, and were painted in Beluga Black with beige leather trim. Good examples in the UK today command as much as $80,000.

Such was the huge demand for the original Range Rover that its arrival in New Zealand was delayed. I road tested one of the first examples on the Coromandel in 1972, and aged prematurely when the vehicle became stuck in soft sand at Hot Water Beach. At that time the two-door 3.5-litre V8 Range Rover, with its four-speed manual gearbox, vinyl trim and plastic floor covering, retailed new for $7600. Power steering did not become an option until 1973, while it was 1982 before an automatic transmission was available.

Spen King was with Rover for 40 years, and will be remembered for being one of the great innovative automotive engineers of the last century. In a way, however, King was let down by his fellow directors and the poor habits of a lazy, restless workforce

Sadly, on June 26 Charles Spencer King succumbed to injuries received after a bicycle accident. At the time King, who was 85, was recovering from an operation to repair a detached retina, so was unable to drive. He will be best remembered for the Rover P6 and Range Rover – the high points of a long automotive career – and Rover enthusiasts throughout the world will be mourning the loss of this influential engineer.

Words: Donn Anderson

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 236. Click here to check it out.

NZ Classic Car’s editorial team take a break, size up some future feature ideas, sample the fare offered at the Formosa Golf Club and, just for good measure, road-test a Porsche Cayman S

During the course of the working year, NZ Classic Car’s lead editorial team (all two of us) don’t often get a chance to relax and take a breather – from the moment we start work on the first issue of the year the copy, production and print deadlines pile up on top of each other leaving little room for idle reflection. As I discovered when I took over the Deputy Editor’s reins from Tim Nevinson, the job is definitely of the 24/7 variety. Mind you, I’m not complaining (no one would listen anyway) – I mean, there are very fews occupations that allow you to combine a love for classic cars with a regular pay-packet!

However, during a recent round of planning meetings, NZ Classic Car’s loyal and hard-working sales team must’ve felt that the editorial team were looking at little frayed around the edges – not too surprising as we’d been working without a break since the latter half of January. As such, they came up with a scheme which would allow us to take a day off, enjoy a drive in a comfortable, modern sports car and, just to round everything off, they also arranged for us to enjoy lunch at a local luxury golf resort. Typically, of course, we also decided to use the ‘day off’ to visit a few ‘car’ people – a busman’s holiday.

Our day would start, of course, with the picking up of our ‘chosen’ car.

Porsche Cayman S

I have to admit, on it’s initial launch a few years ago, my first reaction to the Porsche Cayman was that it was basically a Boxster with a roof – in other words, a car for blokes who couldn’t afford a 911 and definitely not a ‘real’ Porsche. That was until I got behind the wheel of the latest Cayman S for a day thanks to the good folk at European Motor Distributors. As I approached the car from about fifty metres away my thoughts were – why have Porsche tried to make a Boxster look like its bigger 997 cousin. But, as I slowly absorbed the Cayman’s flared wheel arches, beautifully tapered rear end – designed around its mid-mounted engine – my thoughts began to change; this car looks great, although probably a little smaller in real life than I imagined it to be.

NZ Classic Car first tested a Cayman back in March 2006 (GT Newcomer) but the car has been further developed since that time. The Cayman S engine having grown in capacity from 3386cc to 3426cc, with a consequent increase in both power and torque. The ’06 model boasted 217kW, whereas the current model pumps out a very healthy 235kW (that’s 320bhp for those stuck in ‘imperial mode’). Torque is up from 340Nm to 370Nm, and Porsche now list the Cayman S’ 0-100kph time as 5.2 seconds. As such, there’s plenty of performance on offer and certainly enough to punt the Cayman’s less-than-svelte 1350kg (up 10kg on the older model) to an estimated top speed of 277kph (172mph). Despite these performance upgrades, the NZ list price for the six-speed manual Cayman S remains unchanged at $155,000.

First Leg

Climbing into the Porsche for the first time was a little awkward for me – not the car’s fault as I’m not really used to driving sports cars on a daily basis. Once inside, you notice how low to the ground the car actually is. The seating position is not exactly super comfortable to begin with – with it’s typically Teutonic rock-hard seats – and once you’ve jiggled around a bit and found the right position that’s pretty much it as there’s not a lot of room for movement.

My first mission for the day was to head out to Patumahoe to pick up Allan, which also gave me a chance to familiarise myself with the Cayman in different driving conditions. In heavy Auckland city traffic I found the car an absolute breeze to drive – I have to say that the six-speed manual gearbox is a gem, in fact I found the whole control set extremely simple, providing nice feel and feedback.

Once on the Southern Motorway I was able to settle into a nice rhythm, although my right leg and foot were just starting to present symptoms of numbness, due to the offset pedal position, something synonymous with Porsches.  Once off the motorway via the Drury turn-off, I was able to stretch the Caymans legs a little on the country roads leading out to Allan’s place and began to get an appreciation of what this sports car was all about.

The Cayman’s unerring sense of balance shone through in spades when you begin to push it hard and with precise handling it was incredibly fun to drive. The anti-lock brakes, consisting of monobloc four-piston calipers and cross-drilled ventilated rotors, performing their task more than adequately. I found the steering and feel for the road tight and stiff, a feeling that I was starting to enjoy as the Cayman really started to show its Porsche heritage. One thing to remember, the Cayman is based on the Boxster platform, therefore the engine is about 200mm behind your head, just forward of the rear driven wheels. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the sound, especially under load – when, to my ears, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner on steroids – but maybe that’s because I’m used to the rumble of a big old V8! Mind you, I was slowly getting used to the Cayman’s distinctive flat-six sound.

Once at Allan’s, it took me few seconds to stretch my legs and regain some degree of feeling back into my right side and then it was his turn to take the controls.

Our first destination was a quick stop at Auto & Aero Restorations, a newly formed company owned by Tony Antonievich. Tony, a fully qualified aircraft engineer, is currently re-jigging his company and plans to add car restoration to his already well established aircraft engineering business. You may remember that we featured Tony’s beautifully restored ex-Dennis Marwood Camaro on our front cover in February this year. As well as checking out Tony’s revamped workshop – which now includes a very specialized body and panel blasting facility and, when complete, a heated spray-painting booth – we also wanted to take a look at the ex-Rod Coppins Firebird, which is currently under restoration by Tony’s specialist team. We’ll be following the restoration of this historic race-car with interest, so watch out for more on the Coppins’ Firebird in a future edition.

18th Hole

After departing Tony’s workshop, I took over the Cayman’s control again and we headed off to the Formosa Auckland Country Club to take a few shots of the Cayman and grab a spot of lunch. Our journey took us through the Whitford Gorge, giving me more opportunities to get a feel for the Cayman’s blistering performance and well-balanced handling.

Upon our arrival at Formosa, located alongside Pine Harbour Marina, their Event Manager, Stacey Gannaway, greeted us gave us a quick rundown on the facilites on offer, then informed us that we had permission to take the car onto the golf course at the 18th hole. A spectacular ‘artificial’ waterfall had also been turned on especially for the occasion and it provided a great backdrop for our pictures and, with the guidance of Formasa’s Golf Director, Gerrie Viljoen, we were able to place the Cayman onto the fairway directly in front of the waterfall.

For those unaware, the Formosa Auckland Country Club is truly a hidden piece of paradise, just 40 minutes south of central Auckland, it boasts uninterrupted panoramic views of the Hauraki Gulf.

The complex not only features a world class golf course, but also 50 Villas that can accommodate up to 150 guests, a state-of-the-art sports complex – complete with indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, tennis and squash courts and fully equipped gymnasium facilities as well as a driving range. Formosa also offers six function rooms that can cater for up to 200 people and, just for good measure, there is also a fully licensed restaurant and bar.

Allan and I dined in true style – and, despite the Formosa’s air of luxury, an excellent two course lunch is available for as little as $18 a head. Having allowed a decent amount of time for a very tasty dish of butter chicken to go down, we climbed back into the Cayman for the next leg of our short journey.

Gridlock

After a brief stop at Maraetai Beach to snap a few more shots of the Cayman, we headed off around the coast towards Clevedon. The twisting road connecting Maraetai Beach to Kawakawa gave me ample opportunity to really put the Porsche through its paces and, as we flashed along the road, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the drive.

By the time we arrived at our destination, the Cayman’s water-cooled flat-six was well warmed up. We had driven to Clevedon to visit Robert McNair and check out his home workshop. Robert is the son of famed specials builder, Wallace McNair. Wallace will be well known to our readers as the builder and owner of an aero-engined Sunbeam which once featured in NZ Classic Car.

Robert, who seems to have picked up his father’s skills, was kind enough to lend us his Porsche 944 (Future Classic, July 2010) and is also building a Bugatti quite literally from scratch for an Auckland client. The level of skill being lavished on this Bugatti is quite extraordinary and it’s partly finished alloy body is an absolute joy to behold – proving that the specialist body-builder is still alive and kicking, at least in New Zealand. Robert has also just completed a 1931 Riley 9 boat-tail sports car and, as you’d expect, this beast is powered by a 6.1-litre aero-engine. We hope to feature this rather special Riley once it’s been finished to Robert’s exacting standards.

With our visit to Robert, our day off was quickly running out and it was time to head back to Patumahoe before returning the Cayman.

Once I had dropped Allan off, with some trepidation, I prepared myself for Auckland’s atrocious peak hour traffic. Back behind the wheel, on the 24 kilometre leg from Patumahoe to the Southern Motorway, I found that I had now become well used to the Cayman and, via its lovely and snappy gearbox, I found myself really utilizing the car’s full 235kW, 3.4-litre flat-six. There’s certainly enough grunt to get you into trouble over public roads. Alas, from the point when I drove onto the motorway, any thoughts about sampling more of the Porsche’s sparkling performance waned as the traffic began to back up.

On the slow drive back to Auckland I had plenty of time to reflect on the Cayman S, and began to realise that, with this model, Porsche had created viable step up from the Boxster, cleverly plugging the gap in the market between the Boxster and the larger, more expensive 997 (911) in terms of price, performance and overall specification. Some may see Porsche’s creation of the Cayman as a bit of a cynical marketing ploy rather than the design of a truly individual car; a car damned by its parts-bin design. However, after a pleasant day in the Cayman S, it slowly dawned on me that its design philosophy would appeal to those searching for compact, lively and elegant sports car, one built to the highest levels of quality.

Marketing exercise or not, the Cayman S is quite definitely a genuine Porsche – and, what about our short editorial holiday? Well, I think we’ll be organizing another one sooner rather than later.

2010 Porsche Cayman S- Specifications

Engine: 3436cc, water-cooled flat-six
Max power: 235kW at 7200rpm
Torque: 370Nm at 4750rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual (as tested)
Suspension: MacPherson design, spring, strut axle with transverse arms
Brakes: Cross-drilled ventilated discs, ABS
Wheels/Tyres: 235/40 R18 front, 265/40 R18 rear
Dimensions:
Length 4341mm
Width 1801mm
Height 1305mm
Wheelbase 2415mm
Kerb weight 1340kg
Performance:
0-100kph 5.2 seconds
0-160kph  11.4 seconds
Top Speed  277k/ph
NZ new price: $155,000 (manual) $161,000 (auto)

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Allan Walton

This month we take a further, more in-depth look at carburettor maintenance.

Variable Jet Carburettors

The two most popular types of variable jet carburettors, SU and Stromberg, both work on very similar principles, although there are a few differences when it comes to tuning and maintenance.

When carrying out any work on carburettors, the ignition contact breaker should be correctly set and the spark plugs cleaned. The engine should then be warmed up to normal operating temperature.

If your car is fitted with SUs, the first thing to do is to check the piston to ensure it is returning correctly to its seating. If the piston is not returning properly, loosen the dashpot screws and reseat the dashpot. Then tighten up the screws evenly. If the piston is still not operating correctly, it will be necessary to remove the carburettor and clean it. If this still does not eventuate in a properly functioning unit, the main jet will need to be adjusted and realigned. Although this is fairly simple to accomplish, this type of adjustment should only be considered by those with good mechanical skills.

If you don’t feel your skills are up to the task, now is the time to seek specialist assistance.

However, if the piston returns satisfactorily after removal and cleaning, you can move onto the next phase.

With the engine idling, raise the piston around 0.79mm via the piston-lifting pin then release it. If the mixture setting is right, engine revs will rise slightly and then settle back to idle. If the mixture is too rich, after the revs have risen they will not return to a tick-over idle. To adjust, screw the adjuster nut up slightly upwards – this will weaken the mixture. Once the adjustment has been made, repeat the piston-lifting test. If you have gone too far you will know if the mixture is now too weak, because engine revs will drop after completing the test. Readjust the adjuster nut until everything works correctly.

Finally, top up the piston damper chamber with oil – SAE20 engine oil should be used for this. Some tuners recommend automatic transmission fluid, but if you plan to use this rather than oil, check with a carburettor specialist for their advice.

Stromberg Carburettors

The method of tuning a Stromberg instrument is very similar to the techniques for tuning SUs – however, the Stromberg is fitted with a diaphragm in the suction chamber. These rubber diaphragms should be checked regularly for damage and replaced when necessary. If the main jet needs to be realigned, as with the SU, this is best done by a specialist if your mechanical skills are not up to the task. The actual tests are the same as those on the SU, and you should get the same response when the piston is lifted.

Fixed Jet Carburettors

Unlike a variable jet carburettor, adjustments to fixed jet types will only affect slow-running and idle. This is due to the fact that fixed jet units have their jet sizes determined by the manufacturer, and are not affected at higher speeds by any mixture adjustments made at idle. By comparison, variable jet carburettors have only one jet, and any adjustments will be felt throughout the operating range.

Before making any checks, ensure the engine is up to normal operating temperature, then adjust the throttle stop screw so that the engine’s idle speed runs slightly faster.

Next, adjust the volume control, or mixture, screw in and out. Engine revs should start to ‘hunt’ and the engine will tend to stall. As soon as this point is reached, turn the volume screw in the opposite direction until the same effect is produced. The halfway point between those two settings will be a reasonable setting. Note how many turns the screw requires from one stalling point to the other – at the midway point the engine should run smoothly.

The engine can then be brought back to normal idle speed by slightly adjusting the throttle-stop screw. If necessary, fine tuning can now be achieved by a slight, further readjustment of the volume-control screw.

Fixed Jet Hints and Tips

Never be tempted to use undue force when adjusting the volume-control screw, it should never be tightened home hard. The screw has a tapered end which fits into a small hole, and undue tightening can easily cause damage.

If a smooth running engine cannot be achieved, remove the entire volume-control screw and its associated spring. If the tapered end shows signs of wear or damage it will need to be replaced. Once a new screw has been obtained, lightly turn it into position as far as it will go, then slacken it by one and a half turns. Start the engine and carry out the adjustment procedure detailed above.

Compound twin-choke carburettors only have one adjusting screw, so they are tuned in the same manner as a single choke unit. However, twin-choke instruments will have a mixture control screw for each choke. These units require much more careful setting – definitely a job for a carburettor specialist.

Words: James Black

This article is from Classic Car issue 235. Click here to check it out.

For some enthusiasts, a totally original classic car is the ultimate – as we discovered when we met the owners of this virtually untouched Holden.

I have to say that in my opinion, one of the best aspects of our classic car hobby is the infinite array of opinions, passions and tastes relating to customisation, personalisation and restoration of anything from Austins to Zephyrs or Alfas to Ferraris. The beauty is, of course, that there’s no right or wrong answer – it’s whatever you choose to do with your car and that’s fine as far as I’m concerned.

As you can well imagine the team here at NZ Classic Car gets to see it all – from bespoke to everyday classics and, indeed, even some cars that may not suit our individual taste – but the most important thing is that the owner generally is proud of what he or she owns and, more often than not, their enthusiasm and commitment is undoubtedly infectious.

As for me, I’m passionate about anything that’s original. The more original, particularly when it’s oozing historic patina, the more excited I get and I cringe at the thought that someone may decide to repaint, restore or refurbish such a gem. And that brings me to our feature car, first spotted at the Kumeu Hot Rod festival earlier this year.

It wasn’t the sort of thing I was expecting to see at Kumeu, but for me this glorious, original HR Premier Wagon stood out like the proverbial. At first I looked around it a few times trying to pick fault with it, trying to figure out whether or not it had been repainted or re-upholstered, and quickly came to the realisation that, with less than 27,000 miles (43,452km) on the clock, this gem was more than likely as original as it gets. My next mission was to try and track down the owners, which was rather like looking for a needle in a haystack, so I left my business card under the windscreen wiper. I was pleasantly surprised when my cell-phone rang about an hour later. The owner, Matthew Sinton, was on the line and he told me he would wait by the car for me. To cut a long story short, he and his partner, Mireille Verdonkschot, confirmed their car was indeed every bit as original as it looked and yes, they would be interested in allowing us to feature the HR in the magazine.

Oz Passion

When we caught up with Matthew recently, we quickly discovered that he was about as passionate as it gets when it comes to all things original. Cars, especially the Aussie variety, have featured heavily throughout his life and he recalls the eight-car garage full of tools, an original Ford XE LTD and a Holden HZ V8 ute used for towing, all belonging to his granddad who passed away in 1986.

Matthew became more and more interested in cars during his impressionable Intermediate and High School years as his next-door neighbour was none other than well respected muscle car guru Dave Loose. Besides the fact that Matthew was matey with Dave’s son, Dane, it was inevitable that he found himself drooling over Dave’s American car collection – which included a 1963 Corvette roadster and a pastel yellow Ford pick-up which Matthew remembers catching fire and burning out on the street the morning he left for his third form camp. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed spending time in Dave’s garage, and whilst he was never allowed to touch anything, he was content just to look and listen to the sounds of V8 engines.

A few years later, and the first car Matthew remembers driving was a manual V8 Range Rover straight from his learner’s test. Later on, his trusty Triumph MkII broke down on the very day of his restricted driving test, so he had to use his mum’s 1984 Walkinshaw Rover Vitesse. He had never driven it before and, considering the fact it was the real deal with the manual ’box, with more than twice the power of the Triumph, Matthew soon discovered the V8 snarl was too much to leave alone and on future occasions he would borrow it whenever he was allowed to.

Growing up, Matthew remembers his father always enjoyed a V8 as well, and in 1988 bought an ex-Forestry Service Land Rover wagon and had it rebuilt as a double cab ute (the first in New Zealand). Matthew’s father fitted it with a manual V8; just gone through the whole restoration process again and the Land Rover really is his favourite means of getting around even today – Matthew reckons he might ask to be buried in it! It was built by Forward Specialties in Henderson and the original owner, Eli Friedlander, used to drive Matthew to school on his way to work in an original green HT Holden sedan.

Also worth mentioning is Matthew’s uncle Lloyd – more of a friend than an uncle – who owned a string of Alfa Romeos during the ’80s and ’90s. The first one Matthew remembers was a white 1750 GTV from the ’70s which was a beautiful car even when standing still. His last one was a 3.0 manual Cloverleaf that was very rapid too, and Matthew always enjoyed his days out in the Alfas before he could drive, although the car that probably influenced him the most was a Valiant VG 770 V8 that belonged to his best mate’s parents. It’s probably fair to say the English car theme inherited from his parents hasn’t stuck with him at all, but the joy of car ownership definitely has.

On Two Wheels

Another passion that consumed much of Matthew’s time during his early teens was cycling, and by the time he was 16 years old he’d been selected for the Junior World Cycling Championships, in which he finished fourth. He then spent the next 10 or so years in the NZ Track Cycling Team, travelling and representing NZ as a professional athlete in several world championships as well as the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. In fact, one of the reasons for choosing our photo-shoot location was that not only does Matthew’s grandmother live close by (she loves the HR) but it’s also where he spent quite a bit of time riding his BMX as a kid, thinking that one day he’d be at the Olympics.

After the Manchester Games Matthew finished riding competitively and pursued a career with the New Zealand Fire Service, and in 2003 he purchased an original VG Valiant Hardtop complete with original 4.0-litre (245ci) Hemi engine. After only a few months of ownership Matthew was made a cash offer he couldn’t refuse, when a prospective purchaser literally walked into his work with a bag of money and asked if he could buy the car. Matthew accepted the offer but reckons it was one of the good ones that got away, and he’s regretted it ever since.

He searched around for another VG Hardtop and eventually found a Regal 770 V8 auto which he bought. Unfortunately the car wasn’t as good as he’d originally thought, and he ended up selling it after about one year of ownership. The next car was a very original, numbers matching 1969 VE Valiant sedan with the original 3.7-litre (225ci) slant six engine and manual three-speed transmission.

According to Matthew it was a great car, and he decided to carry out a mild restoration to make it perfect. Tony Kemp of Waitakere Collision Repairs removed the minimal amount of rust from the rear guards and firewall and touched up the paintwork, whilst the cracked dash crash-pad was replaced and the sunburned tops of the back seats were reupholstered by Brett Southey at Waikumete Auto Upholsterers.

Matthew drove the Valiant for four years as a daily driver, and much to his and Mireille’s delight, the car was voted the ‘Best Australian’ at Kumeu car show in 2008. A stint in the South Island later that year meant the Valiant needed to be sold.

Premier Classic

Two years later, and back in Auckland, whilst trawling through the internet Matthew and Mireille discovered a gorgeous-looking Holden HR Premier wagon and wasted no time driving to Whangerei that same day to look at it. It was everything they were looking for and fitted their criteria perfectly – right hand drive, Kiwi new with original black plates, numbers matching and seemingly unrestored. The automatic transmission was a bonus too.

The Premier features the 3.0-litre (186ci) six-cylinder engine and the optional Powerglide two stage automatic. The HR came standard with a three-speed manual, and for the first time Holden offered a floor shift four-speed manual Opel gearbox as a special order.

Holden’s flagship, the luxury Premier, boasted the same features carried over from the HD range. The interior leather trim included lots of buttons, and another first, artificial wood trimming on the top of the door trims, covering the console and on the dash and steering wheel. The Premier also featured optional metallic paint, an optional vinyl roof in black or white on the sedans, and stainless steel trims around the wheel arches. Also fitted were stainless steel trim plates between the taillights on both sedan and wagon.

The tricky part of this story is that, unbeknownst to Matthew, Mireille went back the next day with panel-beater Tony Kemp, who thoroughly checked the car from top to bottom, giving it the tick of approval, and after clinching the deal, drove it back to Auckland. When Mireille arrived at the Henderson Fire Station one night in the Premier, when Matthew was doing a 24-hour shift, you can imagine that it was a total surprise for him to see the car that had been very much on his mind for the previous few days out the back in the staff car park.

Since owning the Premier, Matthew and Mireille have discovered it had been previously owned by an advertising/ movie set company. Another past owner was Tony Bishop, the former president of the Early Holden Club, and they have visited his widow, Gai, to show her the car. She was rapt to see it again. With less than 27,000 miles on the clock the Premier ticks over and runs like a new car, and is regularly serviced by Mike Marinovich from HM Motors in New Lynn. Mike was introduced to Matthew by mutual friend Doug Rankin, and has now become a friend himself. Mike picks the car up on his way to work from their home so he can drive it from cold, treats it as if it were his own and keeps it running like a Swiss clock according to Matthew. In fact, over the last year they have driven over 3200km and the HR is, in Matthew’s words, “getting better and better.”

Mireille also likes to get behind the wheel, and they can often be seen heading towards Puhoi on a fine Sunday afternoon. Matthew and Mireille are continually surprised at the number of strangers offering their business cards, wanting to be the first to know if the Premier is ever up for sale. Also, they often get approached by people from all walks of life who stop them at traffic lights, petrol stations and even the vege shop, either having owned one or their parents having owned one, and can’t believe it’s not rusted out; all of them have many happy memories or learned to drive in one.

As far as Matthew and Mireille are concerned, this fabulous example of Australasian automotive history deserves to be driven, not hidden, and as I said earlier, there are no rules in this great hobby of ours.

1966 HR Holden Premier Station Wagon - Specifications

Engine: Holden six-cylinder, inline
Capacity: 3048cc (186ci) 
Bore/stroke: 92.1 x 76.2mm 
Valves: Pushrod and rocker activated OHV, two valves per cylinder
C/R: 9.2:1
Max power: 94kW at 4200rpm 
Max torque: 245Nm at 1600rpm
Fuel system: Bendix-Stromberg-single barrel downdraught
Transmission: Two-speed Powerglide 
Suspension 
Front: Coil spring independent with short and long control arms
Rear: Semi-elliptic, leaf springs 
Steering: Recirculating ball/PAS
Brakes: Power assisted drums – single system hydraulic 
Dimensions:
Overall length - 4577mm 
Width - 1778mm 
Wheelbase - 2692mm
Height - 1486mm
Kerb weight - 1298kg 
Performance:
Max speed - 140kph 
0-100kph - 15.3 seconds 
Standing 1/4 mile – 19.5 seconds

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 248. Click here to check it out.

Stuck for somewhere interesting to visit? Check out just some of the interesting transport and car museums in the following guide.

Bill Richardson Truck Museum

This impressive collection of trucks began when the late Bill Richardson purchased the remains of his grandfathers 1933 International truck, and during the ‘80s he added more trucks to the collection. Now containing almost 200 vehicles ranging from tractors to petrol tankers the museum, opened in 2007, is a popular spot for car enthusiasts visiting Invercargill

The museum is open on an appointment basis only, and is overseen by curator, Ian Ridd.

To make an appointment to view
Ph 027 436 1654 www.hwrichardson.co.nz/truck_museum.html

World of WearableArt and Classic Cars Museum

A great place to wander around when visiting sunny Nelson, the WOW museum has something for everyone – you can drool over the superb collection of vintage and classic cars, or while away many pleasurable hours checking out the wearable art collections.

95 Quarantine Road, Annesbrook, 
Nelson
Ph 03 547 4573 www.wowcars.co.nz

MOTAT: Museum Of Transport and Technology

Initially opened in 1964, MOTAT features exhibits covering all aspects of technology and transport – from cars and trams to airplanes and tanks. A great day out for all the family.

Great North Road, Western Springs, Auckland
Ph 09 815 5800 www.motat.org.nz

British Car Museum

Ian Hope’s Back Yard Private Museum has over 300 cars on display, including 30 Morris Minors – plus collections of car badges, petrol pumps and number plates.

63 East Road Te Awanga (near Hastings)
Ph 06 875 0561 or 025 231 3916 www.britishcarmuseum.co.nz

Classics Unlimited

A unique and extensive assembly of Minis ranging from a 1965 Riley Elf through to the very last ‘classic Mini’ assembled in New Zealand.

A wide range of about 30 cars are on display all kept in running order and in regular use. Other marques on display include Jaguar, MG, Rover, Triumph and Wolseley.

Omahi Street, Waikanae
Ph 04 904 0082

Dave’s Den

Over 6500 diecast model vehicles on display, mainly Matchbox, Lledo and Trax.

Open Saturdays 10am to 4pm or by arrangement
363 High Street, Dannevirke
Dave Pawson, Ph 06 374 8432

Historic and Classic Transport Museum

Vintage and veteran vehicles from the early days of the Wairarapa.

Open 10 am to 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays – or by arrangement.

State Centre Building, 29 Queen Street, Masterton
Ph 06 370 0088

Maewa Austin Mews

Stewart and Colleen Dykes’ Classic and Vintage Car Collection consists of around 65 Austins from 1916 to 1980, mostly 1950s or earlier, and some Austin Sevens. It includes the 1919 Austin 20 Special the museum owner built and then drove through 17 countries, 10 years ago. The museum is situated just out of Feilding, and is open ‘on demand’.

Stewart Dykes, 60 North Street, Feilding Ph 06 323 4436

Monterey Park

As well as featuring an extensive collection of interesting cars and boats, Monterey Park includes Model World with its stunning 12-inch gauge railway – a top attraction for car enthusiasts visiting Auckland.

Monterey Park, Upper Harbour Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland
Ph 09 416 9282 www.montereypark.co.nz

Mount Biggs Vintage Machinery Collection

A variety of vintage machines of all types; restoration work can often be seen in progress. Visiting by appointment only.
James Road, Halcombe

Brian James Ph 06 328 8605

Queenstown Motor Museum

A large collection of vintage, historic and classic cars and motorcyles.

25 Brecon St, Queenstown, Otago 9197
Ph 03 442 8775

Ruapuna Park and Museum

A private collection of working stationary engines, early farming equipment and a colonial cottage. Viewing by appointment.
Rangiwahia Road, Kimbolton

Ph 06 328 2855

The Gables, Awahuri

Fifteen cars including several Rolls-Royces, a selection of Daimlers and Humbers, a 1919 Studebaker and 1919 Hudson. The Gables is a historic homestead near Feilding that offers refreshments, and the grounds are available for barbecues, picnics and club gatherings. Car viewing or use of grounds by appointment.

Pauline Goodliffe, Ph 06 323 7081

The Pointon Collection

Vintage and veteran cars, garage equipment, signs, tools, spares, accessories, books etc. Also incorporates a craft shop and an extensive collection of vintage costume wear, gowns and underwear.

Open weekends and public holidays 10am to 4pm – other times by appointment.

McKinstry Road, Te Ore Ore, Masterton
Ph 06 378 6710 www.pointoncollection.co.nz/

Thomson’s Motorcycle Collection

Close on 300 motorcycles dating from the 1890s to the present day – 100 on display at an one time. Also an archive of books, magazines, manuals, catalogues, tin-plate toys and other memorabilia. Open by appointment only.

Rongotea Road, Feilding
Ph 06 329 0862

Southward Car Museum

New Zealand’s national motor museum. Started by the late Sir Len Southward, the museum features a huge display of iconic and historic cars – both race and road – plus an equally large collection of historic motorcycles. The museum’s park-like grounds also play host to many special events throughout the year.

Otaihanga Road, Wellington
Ph 04 297 1221 www.southward.org.nz

Yaldhurst Museum

Housed in a traditional homestead – built in 1876 – the Yaldhurst Museum has amassed an eclectic mix of road transport, including one of the largest and finest collections of horse drawn vehicles in the country.

The collection includes possibly the oldest vehicle in New Zealand – an American buggy of 1810. Other interesting exhibits include a unique 1860 Phaeton and an 1866 glass-sided hearse said to have carried the body of former Prime Minister, Richard Seddon; and one of the oldest surviving hand fire pumps.

School Road, Yaldhurst RD6, Christchurch 7676
Ph 03 3427 914 www.yaldhurstmuseum.co.nz

This article is from Classic Car issue 235. Click here to check it out.

Numerous budding young Kiwi drivers and mechanics have headed off to Europe with the dream of following in the footsteps of Bruce McLaren or Wally Willmott. In 1970 a Christchurch 21-year-old headed away with the dream of becoming the next Eoin Young…

A young Murray Taylor, passionate motor racing fan and budding journalist, initially worked for the Royal Automobile Club after arriving in Britain, but really landed on his feet when the weekly newspaper Motoring News employed him as its European F2 correspondent. From 1973 to 1979 he charged across Europe hoping for the big break that would elevate him to Formula One – like Eoin Young had been doing since the ’60s. Not that there was anything wrong with that iconic proving ground – Formula Two. It was a great period for the category and Murray was not just writing, he was observing how the teams, and promising young drivers, operated. Already he was thinking towards his own team when March asked him to run its ‘Atlantic’ car in the 1978 series in New Zealand. The driver was future F1 driver and Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan, whose best result was second in what was arguably the strongest line-up we ever saw in that category. March was impressed enough to again entrust the Kiwi journo with its challenger for the 1979 NZ series, and this time it was the one to beat – Teo Fabi emerged as champion and Murray worked towards a career change.

Murray Taylor Racing

The Murray Taylor-run March effort for the 1980 series was disastrous by comparison, despite the talents of Andrea de Cesaris and Mike Thackwell. However the dream that had been bubbling for at least half a dozen years was now a reality – Murray Taylor Racing (MTR) would field a March-Toyota in the most competitive professional junior series around – British F3. Toyota-powered Chevron, Ralt and March cars had won the previous three titles, but the March connection meant that chassis choice was a no-brainer for Murray, and so the new equipe set up shop in a shed in Stone – the set-up comprising two mechanics plus a truck, mostly driven by the boss.

The first MTR driver was Ulsterman Kenny Acheson. Funding came via Acheson’s father’s business connections with RMC (Ready Mixed Concrete), and the March was painted in its orange corporate livery. Acheson was quick and had proven himself in the cut-throat world of Formula Ford. He made the leap to F3 in 1979, and after a lumpy start, finished strongly with a win in the final, non-championship race backed by four podium finishes in the last four rounds. At 22 he looked a good choice for the new Murray Taylor Racing, as the team owner recalls three decades on. “Kenny wanted to keep his options open in case the 1980 March was not as good as the ’79 one – and we were prepared to go along with that.”

In early March, Acheson gave the new team a solid start, finishing second to the identical car of Swede Stefan Johansson running for ‘Project 4’ – owned by Ron Dennis, who would launch into F1 the following year with McLaren, but run by Dunedin-born Dick Bennetts. Roberto Guerrero would, in years to come, claim the pole at Indy, but in 1980 the Colombian was another looking to establish himself in the rough and tough training ground of F3. Driving an Argo, he won round two. Brett Riley again proved his worth by winning round three with Acheson, Johansson and Nigel Mansell in his wheel-tracks before Acheson won back to back races in April – the MTR breakthrough coming at Thruxton after reverting to the ’79 car.

Guerrero won round six, Acheson round seven, then Johansson, Guerrero again before the Irishman nailed round 10 of the 20-round series, in early June – he led the title chase with 61 points from Guerrero and Johansson. Things were looking good for the new team, but not only were the Argos getting quicker, Ralt was emerging, with Kiwi Rob Wilson finishing second in round 12.

Enjoy it While You Can

As they went to Brands Hatch for the F3 support race for the British Grand Prix, Acheson and Guerrero shared the championship lead with 67 points. This would be a significant event, in front of F3’s biggest crowd of the year. Murray: “Kenny crashed in practice after qualifying third. We tore off to the workshop, rebuilt the car overnight and came back to win – just fantastic. I was on the pit wall celebrating, and Ron Dennis wandered up and asked, ‘How are you enjoying running a team?’ We’d just won so of course I was overjoyed – he grinned and said ‘Enjoy it while you can, I’m about to turn up the pressure’ – and then he walked off.” However Dennis’ man looked too far back – unless something extraordinary happened, the champion would either be British or South American.

Something extraordinary did happen – Project 4 put the Swede into a Ralt and the combo won rounds 17, 18 and 19. This was the pressure Dennis had referred to. Going to the final race at Thruxton, it was Acheson 95 points, Guerrero 89 and Johansson 87. With nine points for a win it was all looking good for a first up championship for MTR – “Kenny was really rattled. Johansson had to win but all we had to do was fifth. It was foggy and practice was delayed – this only hyped Kenny up even more and it really got to him. He knocked his nosecone off and just tumbled down the field, finishing ninth with his nose all askew. Johansson won the race (and the title) and we lost by two points.” Three decades on Murray cherishes the memories – “What a fantastic year! I was learning at every race – when I look back now I was so lucky to get that deal, but it set me up. Ron Dennis was my role model – if he did something, I did it. Really, I was living the dream.”

Words: Michael Clark Photos: Courtesy Murray Taylor

This article is from Classic Car issue 235. Click here to check it out.

Donn, his father and brother all owned different model Lotus-Cortinas, doubtless making them the only New Zealand family in which all the males once owned an example of this most prized Cortina variant

Appropriately enough, as the youngest member of our family, I was the last to own a Lotus-Cortina, a MkII. It didn’t have quite the mana of the original but was probably a better, more forgiving road car. My brother, Rodger, owned a facelifted ‘aeroflow’ version of the MkI with the wider grille, but it was my father’s early MkI that carries the most coveted classic heritage and is still around today.

Dad never raced his Lotus, but it came with an impressive competition history.

Both Rodger and myself competed with our cars, so all three of these special Fords had been driven in anger on the tracks – which was always what Lotus-Cortinas were all about.

Lotus creator Colin Chapman would have been appalled had he known my father fitted a tow bar to his Lotus-Cortina, but how else could he transport his power boat and trailer to the lake or beach?

Chapman may have slept easier in the knowledge that this same power boat had taken Bruce McLaren water skiing during breaks in the Tasman Cup series racing.

Track Record

Our family Lotus-Cortina, registration CS8606, was one of two (the other being CS8605) imported and initially owned by the Ford Motor Company of New Zealand for competing on the Wills Six Hour national saloon car race at Pukekohe in October 1964.

Paul Fahey already had an impressive track record in a Lotus-Cortina after finishing third in the saloon car championship the previous summer, so it was no surprise Ford teamed him up with ace open-wheeler champion, Jim Palmer, in CS8606. Paul would go on to win the NZ Saloon Car Championship in his own Lotus-Cortina in 1965. Meanwhile, CS8605 was entered in the Wills race for the talented Kerry Grant and Frank Hamlin.

In the 180-lap race the Grant/ Hamlin car was plagued with mechanical troubles, while the Fahey/ Palmer Lotus swept to victory after Jim set fastest time of one minute 55.5 seconds on the old ‘long’ circuit, that included the notoriously tight Elbow bend at the end of pit straight.

A week later, as editor of Motorman magazine, I had a drive in the winning Lotus on the Rukuhia airstrip near Hamilton while Jim Palmer demonstrated the car’s capabilities. At the time, of course, I could not know my father would purchase the vehicle within a few months.

The car idled roughly, was harsh riding and the twin-cam engine, with its pair of double-choke, side-draught Webers, lacked low down torque while the brakes needed high pedal pressures. But the car handled well and felt predictable. CS8606, like its sister car, was built after mid-1964 when modifications were made to all new Lotus Cortinas. A divided propeller shaft replaced the one-piece shaft to reduce axle loadings, while the engine had different camshafts. All Special Equipment versions came with uprated coil springs, and the Palmer car was fitted with Armstrong adjustable shock absorbers. In place of the standard fuel tank, a 91-litre (20 gallon) homologated long distance tank was fitted by the factory in England.

Hamiltonian Pete Kerr, once described as the professor of mechanics, worked on CS8606, stripping and balancing the engine and installing a Ford limited slip differential. He needed to rectify the driveshaft, which was out of balance, but apart from fitment of Irvin safety belts and Mintex brake linings, the car was in standard trim.

Soon after his work on the Lotus Cortina, Kerr went to Britain where he became chief mechanic for the all-conquering Roy Winkelmann Formula 2 Racing Team. He got to know team driver Jochen Rindt well, and also worked with Bernie Ecclestone. Pete became a highly respected spanner man in racing circles, moving to the March Formula One team, before joining Shadow and then Arrows.

Sadly, after a sudden illness, Kerr died in England in May 2007 at the age of 73.

Australian Trip

A few days after my drive in CS8606, the car was bound for Australia where Palmer was entered in the Sandown Park six hour touring car race in Melbourne, sharing the drive with an up and coming young Scot called Jackie Stewart, who had just signed as number two to Graham Hill in the BRM team for the 1965 Formula One season.

Ford Australia was running a Lotus Cortina for Bob Jane and George Reynolds, but it was a factory-modified Group 1 car producing about 112kW (150bhp). This rather miffed Stewart since the Palmer Lotus from New Zealand was merely a Special Equipment road version developing 86kW (115bhp). Jackie had agreed to come from the other side of the world on the understanding that the Palmer car was a works racing model, so when he found himself in an apparently uncompetitive car he looked around for something else, and actually tried the Jane Lotus and the Jaguar 3.8 of Frank Matich and Rod Blair.

In practice no one could touch the late Lex Davison, who set fastest time of one minute 23.7 seconds in the massive Ford Galaxie. However, when Stewart clocked the second best lap time (1m29.8s) he agreed to drive the New Zealand car in the race. The Sandown entry included New Zealanders Colin Giltrap and Ivan Segedin in a Volvo.

Palmer ran fourth during the early stages and, with the various fuel stops, actually got up to second for a while. The Davison Galaxie looked impressive but, predictably, the brakes failed and the big Ford ploughed through the safety fence and all but dropped into a lake. (Tragically, a few weeks later in February 1965, at the age of 42, Lex suffered a heart attack and was killed in his Brabham single-seater on the same track during practice for the International 100 Tasman Cup race.)

On lap 124, Palmer handed the Lotus-Cortina over to Stewart, but the Scotsman’s drive lasted only two and a half laps before a big-end bolt broke, wrecking the engine. Italian Roberto Bussinello and Aussie Ralph Sach won the race in an Alfa Romeo, while the best placed Lotus-Cortina was Allan Moffat’s modified example in fourth position.

Family Cortinas

George and Jim Palmer acquired CS8606 from Ford and rebuilt the motor before deciding to sell the car. When my brother and I heard the car was available for £1400 pounds ($2800), we decided to talk him into buying the machine. It seemed good value as, in 1964, a new Lotus-Cortina retailed at £1750 pounds in New Zealand. And, if you didn’t have an overseas funds deposit, it was almost impossible to buy a new Lotus-Cortina.

We headed to Hamilton in the family MkIII Ford Zodiac and looked it over and drove the Palmer Lotus Cortina before doing the deal. Dad had almost two happy years with the Cortina before trading it in on a new Triumph 2000, which must have seemed boring after the delights of the twin-cam Lotus.

CS8606 was re-registered in March 1973 with the plates FV5595, which it still carries today under the ownership of Don McIntyre, father of successful Falcon V8 touring car driver, John. McIntyre has owned this historic Lotus for several years.

My brother, Rodger, campaigned his Lotus-Cortina at North Island meetings, while a year or so later I was making my way in a 1968 Datsun 1600 in production saloon races. When Colin Giltrap said he had a near-new MkII Lotus Cortina for sale, I was immediately interested. Colin suggested I go to Palmerston North and drive the car back to Auckland.

I motored down with a couple of mates, arriving in Palmerston late one Saturday afternoon. The dealership was closed but the Lotus was left in one of the main streets with the keys under the mat – the sort of thing you did back in the ’70s.

The one owner, low mileage car was sold to me for $4200 and I retained it for about a year, during which I raced it several times before selling it to Lyon Motors, the Ford dealer in Takapuna, for $3800.

On my first competitive outing with the Lotus Cortina I spun the car during my second lap at Pukekohe. The Ford felt twitchy after the slow, understeering Datsun, but once I had mastered the characteristics and sharp manners of the Lotus it was a joy to drive, and much more satisfying than the Japanese car. Softer in the suspension and with a more responsive motor than the MkI Lotus-Cortina, the MkII was clearly a better road car, although it would never emulate the competition success of the original.

By today’s standards, the Lotus Cortina is far from quick – zero to 100kph in 10 seconds and a modest top speed of 174kph – but compared to other four-cylinder family cars of the mid-1960s, it was a rocket. Our family’s famous Lotus-Cortina was one of the first 1000 units of a model that was always bound for race and rallying and never intended to be a normal road car. But, with the boot full of electrical fittings and tools, ‘cow moo’ horn under the bonnet and the boat and trailer in tow, no one told mum and dad that.

Words: Donn Anderson

This article is from Classic Car issue 235. Click here to check it out.