Some cars from the ’80s and ’90s are now approaching classic status and, in this new series, we look at some of these cars – those that may appeal to our younger readers

This month we take a look at a cult vehicle from Ford’s European stables, a car that already has a legendary reputation, and is currently teetering right on the cusp of the bona fide ‘classic’ status – the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.

The ‘Cossie’, as it is better known, got its start in life thanks to a seemingly unremarkable visit to the Cosworth factory by Ford Motorsport Europe’s then director, Stuart Turner. Turner had been given the task of pulling Ford’s European motor sport image out of the doldrums, and was visiting the Cosworth factory see what could be done. He happened to walk past a two-litre Pinto block that had been fitted with a 16-valve dohc head. Turner asked if a turbocharger could be added, and 5000 units made (the number required for race homologation). Once a deal was agreed upon and the appropriate, if somewhat unpopular Ford Sierra platform was chosen to house the motor, the gears began to turn on production of one of the UK’s most iconic cars.

Over the next few years the Cossie saw many trials, tribulations and detractors, but all negative noise dropped away in late 1986 as the car was released to the general public, and people got their first taste of RS Cosworth performance. A 0-100kph of six seconds and a top speed of 233kph is still considered quick today, let alone 20 years ago.

A New Breed

From 1986 onwards the RS Cosworth dominated rally stages and circuits across the world, and there were few cars that could touch it. The car was so successful that in 1988, when a new Sierra was produced, Ford decided to keep producing the RS with the new body. This meant a move to four doors, and less aggressive styling, although no drop in performance. Two years later a four wheel drive version was produced, and although it offered the most grip and performance of the bunch, it will probably never be quite as desirable as those first, super aggressive three-door monsters.

The 500 Club

During production of the original 5000 three-door Sierras, an extra 10 per cent were produced on top. These 500 cars were given to performance specialist Tickford, which was asked to create an unbeatable weapon destined for race circuits the world over. It did exactly that, giving life to a true legend of the ’80s, and the ultimate Sierra, the RS500. This special edition vehicle was built tough, and featured a host of improvements to boost power and handling. This means it is easily the most desirable of all cars in the RS stable, but don’t expect to find one on the streets, let alone for a good price, as they are true collectors’ cars and very seldom get driven, if at all.

Buying Guide

These days it is far harder to find a road-worthy Cossie in poor condition, as nearly every current owner knows what he or she has in their hands. This also makes for some fairly high prices, so don’t expect to pay under $15,000 for a good quality example. When looking at a car, there are many trouble spots that need close inspection. Bear in mind, your potential new baby will be around two decades old.

Although the YBT engines are very strong, be wary of three-door cars, as the early motors are prone to head gasket failure, usually at the back of the block on the driver’s side. After checking for milky oil under the cap, before even turning the key, make sure to take a few trips around the car on the hunt for rust. Of most importance, check the suspension towers, as they are fairly susceptible to rot and can be expensive to fix.

When driving the car, pay special attention to the five-speed gearbox, as although it is a tough piece of kit, it has suffered 20-odd years of high-revving abuse. The Borg-Warner ’box is notchy by nature, but tricky shifts from third to fourth seem to be a common and good sign of worn bearings. Finally, in the RS world there is no such thing as a cheap fixer-upper, as parts are very hard to source. If you do find yourself staring down the barrel of a major restoration job, you’d best hope your pockets are deep – very deep.

Parts Supply

Here we find the single biggest downside to owning a RS Cosworth. Unless you get very lucky and find something you need locally via the internet, or through the RS Owners’ Club mentioned above, parts are nigh impossible to find without looking to the UK. This makes for a very expensive exercise once you factor in freight and import duty.

Clubs

New Zealand only has one club catering to the Sierra RS Cosworth – luckily it’s a good one. The RS Owners’ Club of New Zealand welcomes any Ford with a RS badge attached and can be found at
www.fordrsoc.org.nz.

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth – Specifications

Built: 1986-1992, 30,932 built
Engine: Cosworth YBT 2000cc turbocharged four cylinder
Power: 152-167kW (204bhp-224bhp)
Bodies: Three-door hatch, four-door notchback
Performance: Top speed 240kph (150mph) 0-100kph around 6.1 seconds
NZ Prices: Expect to pay around $20,000 for a tidy example

Words: Peter Kelly

This article is from Classic Car issue 223. Click here to check it out.

What is it with Kiwis and cars? Almost everyone we talk to gives us the same answer when we ask how long they’ve been interested in cars – ‘for as long as I can remember’ or ‘ever since I was very young’ seems to be the standard response

Grant Dean is definitely no exception, in fact he is such a dedicated and avid Ford fan I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he has blue blood.

For Grant, it all started when he was given a subscription to an American hot rod magazine when he was still at school and – given the fact he grew up on a massive West Auckland orchard where he was surrounded with heavy machinery, and tractors of every shape and size imaginable not to mention the array of trucks, pick ups and utes – it’s hardly surprising that his automotive passion has lingered on well into his adulthood.

Grant still remembers his first car, a 105E Ford Anglia, which he ‘played’ around with, doing the usual wide wheels and modified exhaust system tricks, which was about all that needed to done in those days. He also remembers when he first saw this superb 1940 Ford panel van. It was in Queen Street one Friday night, and he instantly fell in love with the van. Over the following six months or so Grant continued to see the panel van driving around, which only increased his desire to own it one day.

As chance would have it Grant got chatting to a bloke in a local pub who turned out to be the grandson of the Ford’s owner. Naturally, the subject moved fairly swiftly to the panel van, and Grant found out everything he could about its history, but unfortunately it wasn’t for sale. For the next 10 years he continued to enquire about the van but the answer was always the same – no, it’s not for sale. That was until one day in 1985, when while on his way to Piha beach the owner’s grandson called into the orchard where Grant lived, and asked if he was still interested. Well, does the Pope wear a funny hat?

Home Coming

After a spot of negotiation a price was agreed upon, and the 1940 Ford panel van was delivered to Grant on a trailer. Obviously it was an exciting time for Grant, as he finally had the vehicle which he had been dreaming of owning. It was the culmination of many years of patient waiting – like the old Chinese proverb; all good things come to those that wait.

By this time Grant was well aware of the van’s history, and knew the Ford was a one-owner vehicle that had spent its entire life at the Sunrise Vineyard in Henderson, where it had served as a faithful workhorse for decades, used and abused as everything from a delivery van to the general vineyard hack. Grant was also well aware that his new prized possession was in desperate need of restoration, so without delay work began on stripping it down – literally the very next day after delivery.

Eventually the panel van was stripped right back, which included the body being removed off the chassis for a full assessment of the restoration work that need to be carried out. The work required was extensive to say the least, and Grant spent the next 20 years searching through swap meets for hard-to-get parts, along the way talking to as many people as he could find with similar early Fords to learn and gather as much information as possible.

Family Affair

The Ford’s chassis was sanded-blasted back to bare steel and painted gloss black. By this time the project had turned into a family affair, with Grant’s two sons and his wife, Antoinette, chipping in to help out as much as possible – not to mention providing much needed moral support.

The suspension was next on the agenda. Its was completely stripped front and back, and also received a coating of gloss black paint, while the brakes were completely refurbished. The drivetrain was thoroughly checked over and Grant decided to leave the original engine alone, as it had been rebuilt by the previous owner and was running perfectly. The original three-speed transmission was also in great shape.

Unfortunately, over the years the van’s body had suffered and it was necessary to replace the timber framing. Originally these vehicles were brought into New Zealand as cab and cowl units in 1940, which basically meant that the body was complete to the front windscreen and Standard Motor Bodies Ltd – based in Wellington – constructed the entire rear portion.

Standard Motor Bodies Ltd was initially formed by the Colonial Motor Company to fabricate Model T truck bodies, and went on to build thousands of trailer pumps, plus fire tenders as well as special vehicle modifications for the New Zealand Armed Forces on contract with the government. The ’30s and ’40s were a time of survival, with no new vehicles available during the war years as well as petrol rationing up until 1950. Service became the key to remaining in business.

This was at a time when world headlines were telling of Germany’s invasion of France, Italy’s declaration of war on Britain and France, and Winston Churchill becoming Britain’s newest prime minister.

For 1940, the line up of Ford pick-ups had adopted the look of that year’s Standard-series cars, and for the first time since 1932 trucks shared car styling. This included a stylish V-shaped grille, pointed hood, and headlights mounted into the front guards, giving these light haulers a modern, classy look.

Ford had evolved its separate front guard design ever since the ’34 model appeared. By 1940 they’d become rounded, and this pretty much set the scene for car design into the next decade. Power continued to come from a choice of two engines, either a 2229cc (136ci) 48kW or 3622cc (221ci) 64kW version of Ford’s flathead V8 coupled to a three-speed manual gearbox.

While once proving affordable and simple transportation for many Americans when new, 1940 Fords soon became a hot rodder’s favourite, as the flathead V8 were not only tuner friendly and reliable, it was easy to extract additional power without too many modifications.

Restoration Continues

Armed with a new band-saw, Grant went to work rebuilding the timber frame work around the doors and rear body section after carefully piecing together the original pieces and using them as templates. He was lucky enough to salvage the entire steel rear panels, that turned out to be in reasonable shape except for the rear doors, which Grant completely remade due to the fact the elderly owner had previously cut monstrous holes in them so he could see behind him when reversing.

Grant decided bright red was the way to go, and had one of his friend’s sons apply the Vermillion Red colour scheme to the panel van in one of the family’s apple orchard packing sheds. I have to admit, it’s not a bad paint job either – Kiwi ingenuity at its best!

All the exterior trim was meticulously cleaned and repaired where necessary, and a new pair of bumpers was located and purchased from a Pukekohe swap meet thanks to Antoinette, while a set of original style whitewall crossply tyres completed the picture.

Inside the panel van was completely reupholstered using heavy-duty marine-grade dark brown vinyl, strictly in keeping with the original look and feel of the van, as was the rear cargo area which received timber panelling.

Grant and Antoinette comment that it’s definitely one of the most comfortable vehicles they’ve travelled in.

Finishing off the interior, the dash was carefully restored to as-new condition and every effort was made to ensure each original gauge was kept – this was essential, as 1940 was the only year Ford used white faced gauges.

Twenty-six years after that exciting day when the Ford was first delivered to Grant and Antoinette’s house on a trailer, the long hard restoration slog was over.

Over the past two years or so, Grant and Antoinette have enjoyed every moment they have to spare driving this splendid Ford to as many events as possible. And yes, Grant admits he even takes it shopping – after all, as he says – “They’re made to be driven.”

1940 Ford Panel van – Specifications

Engine Flathead V8
Capacity 3622cc (221ci)
Valves Two valves per cylinder
Max power 63kW (85hp)
Fuel system Two barrel Stromberg
Transmission Three-speed manual
Suspension F/R Transverse leaf front and rear
Steering Worm gear and sector
Brakes Hydraulic drum
Dimensions:
Overall length 4781mm
Width 1727mm
Wheelbase 2844mm
Track F/R 1416mm/1479mm
Kerb weight 1223kg

Words: Ashely Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin

This article is from Classic Car issue 220. Click here to check it out.

The NZCC team travels down to Wellington, visits The Surgery and checks out an unusual police cruiser

It’s probably fair to say that, with a family history than spans back over 120 years in the car restoration business, Mike Baucke has petrol running through his veins.

As a youngster, Mike learned to drive in 1934 Chevrolet Junior which he had actually restored himself, and he spent his holidays touring around the countryside in the family Model A, so you can pretty much say that he had the bug from an early age. Nowadays Mike – along with his partner, Irene van de Coolwijk – provide the motivational force behind The Surgery, driving a proud bunch of dedicated craftsmen who are simply world class in their restoration abilities.

Mike and Irene have always been passionate about ‘different’ cars, and have owned an impressive array of classics over the years, including a 1934 Chevrolet, 1936 Plymouth, 1929 Essex, 1969 Pontiac Firebird, 1958 Morgan, 1965 Mk2 Daimler, several Mk2 Jaguars and BMW 2002s, a 1973 911 Porsche and a BMW M5. They have currently downsized their collection to a 1972 Lancia Fulvia coupé and a 1985 Mustang Interceptor, but you never know, Mike and Irene are deadly keen enthusiasts and are constantly looking for exciting and unusual classics.

As well as being one of the country’s leading classic car restorers, The Surgery has been the chief sponsor of The Surgery Intermarque Sprint Series (the longest running series of its type in NZ) for over 10 years, with six rounds every year at Manfeild and an average of 80 to 90 competitors at every round. The concept is a low key, low cost, professionally organised, track-based introduction to tarmac motor sport, which is fundamentally a standalone series for those drivers who wish to try their skills on the race track.

It also offers a competitive series for those who wish to pit themselves against others in their class, in the format of a dual car sprint, typically with no more than eight cars on the track at any one time; and an opportunity to enter into more competitive, serious forms of motor sport, for example Clubmans or Classic Racing.

The Surgery Intermarque Sprint Series is often frequented by many drivers who use it to hone their skills for other classic meetings, such as the Whittaker’s MG Classic Motor Race, MG Charity Classic and Central Districts Classic Car Club closed meetings, all in a format designed to be fun with friendly competition.

Cop Car

Mike and Irene are well known for their tight tussles with each other in their BMW 2002s in The Surgery Intermarque Sprint Series, and Mike concedes that Irene more often than not leads the way on the race track.

However, after 12 years of accident-free motor racing, Mike and Irene finally came to grief, with both cars coming off a little worse for wear after Irene was taken out by another car and with nowhere to go. Caught up in the on-track tangle, Mike had no option but to plough straight into Irene’s car. After piloting the BMWs for 12 years, Mike decided to repair them and began looking for something a bit different, that was more challenging and with more power. When he eventually found what he was looking for, the BMWs were sold and Mike purchased a 1985 Ford Mustang Interceptor.

This Mustang was taken out of service with the California Highway Patrol in 1987, and came to NZ that same year.

Back in the early to mid ’80s the California Highway Patrol was faced with the nation’s highest percentage of super-fast cars, due mainly to the increased importation of high performance cars from Germany, Italy and Japan. All this in a large state with oodles of space to run and hide from the law. Embarrassingly, American iron was simply being outrun, and the California Highway Patrol was faced with both a severe performance deficiency and a burgeoning wimpy image problem. It seemed that the only place the cops out-ran and actually caught the bad guys was on TV!

Severe Service

The Mustang Severe Service Package (SSP) was originally released in 1982 for limited use by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to test in high-speed pursuit conditions, and despite popular belief, there were actually only minor differences between the SSP Mustangs and their civilian counterparts. Both were equipped with identical 5.0-litre V8 engines and four-speed manual transmissions.
Also at this time Ford was re-entering the ever-competitive power battle with its arch-rivals Chevrolet and Dodge, with the new 5.0-litre HO Mustang. The lighter weight Fox-bodied Mustang boasted the free revving 5.0-litre, 302 V8 engine, impressing the Highway Patrol so much that it quickly decided this car was the answer to its dreams, and considered it necessary for catching the bad guys. Wanting a piece of the action, the CHP placed an order for 400 vehicles with ‘beefed up everything’ in typical fashion.

It was decided that a light box on the roof gave too much drag, and was a dead giveaway from a distance that a police car was on your tail, so they chose to use discreetly placed flashing lights concealed in the front grille and rear parcel shelf.

The final result was a two-door, tyre-smoking, door-slamming pursuit car. One Highway Patrol chief (while test driving a demo car) was quoted at the time as saying; “She ain’t the purdiest thang around but, sheeit! She don’t half go!”

He then unceremoniously lost control and crashed the car, writing it off!

However, there wasn’t much about the Severe Service Package that made it stand out from a standard Mustang really, and between 1982 and 1985, these variances included subtle changes such as relocating the remote boot release to the driver’s side, 15 by seven-inch steel wheels fitted with speed-rated tyres and plain centre caps to replace the standard 14 by six-inch wheels, a full-size conventional spare wheel and tyre, a 225kph certified and calibrated speedometer and a few other items installed, be it standard or optionally.

The CHP relished the fact the car was small, fast, and unlike the Chevrolet Camaros they had previously tested, the Mustangs were significantly more reliable mechanically. Also, with a price tag of only US$6800 each, the SSP was a bargain all around.

Subsequent to the highly encouraging results of the CHP trials, Ford proceeded with a limited police option based on the 5.0-litre Mustang sedan platform and called it the Special Service Package. During its production run from 1982-1993, these cars saw service with more than 60 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.

The most notable SSP equipment for the Mustang offered from 1986 onwards included some fairly fancy stuff in the form of standard and optional features, and when added to the items listed above, they could be combined to make a complete Special Service package which included such items as silicone radiator and by-pass hoses with aircraft-style hose clamps; engine and transmission oil coolers; a heater hose inlet restrictor; VASCAR two-piece speedometer cables; a radio noise-suppression package; heavy-duty air conditioning; a 135-amp Lestek alternator with transistorised voltage regulator; a door body-side moulding delete option; a recalibrated cooling fan clutch; inoperative door courtesy light switches; a single-key locking system; special coding for weight adjustment; heavy-duty, low-back, front bucket seats; aluminium LX wheels; the deletion of the under bonnet sound insulation; and finally a reinforced bullet-proof floor pan.

The key way of identifying an SSP Mustang is the Domestic Special Order (DSO) code, which is found on a credit card-sized plate affixed to the driver’s side of the car’s radiator core support, situated directly behind the headlight, or on the vehicle identification decal on the driver’s door. This two-digit hyphen four-digit code is unique to that particular Mustang, or a series of Mustangs that were ordered under that DSO. Each car’s DSO can be tracked back to Ford to find out the original jurisdictional customer, along with all of the unique cop stuff that was factory installed.

Surgical Mustang

Mike and Irene purchased their cop Mustang from friends at Moorhouse Muscle Cars in Christchurch a couple of years ago. Mike knew it would be an ideal project to replaced the BMWs, which would give him significantly more power whilst at the same time they’d be a little bit different out on the race track. The Mustang was taken back to The Surgery for a full check up and the removal of a few body parts. The heavy duty bullet-proof panels in the floor and doors were removed along with the shotgun mounts, which Mike reckoned were not going to be necessary at Manfeild race track. Mind you, he thought, they could come in handy!

The driver’s seat was removed and replaced with a race seat and full harness. A brake bias valve and shift light were also added, basically finishing off the interior. As for the handling, the best that could be said is that it went fast in a straight line but handled like an American cop car, lots of noise, tyre smoke and pathetic at going around corners. 
Well what do you expect, there are no corners in California. As Mike needed this thing to go around a race track, the suspension was severely beefed up, including a three-link rear end.

Engine improvements include a steel crank, forged pistons and performance headers providing a healthy 224kW (300bhp) on tap, coupled to a heavy duty clutch, five-speed manual gearbox and Detroit Locker diff all geared up to give a top speed of 240kph. Massive Aero Space Industries brakes take care of the stopping department.

Mike reckons the car is street legal and great fun on the track as well, complete with siren and flashing lights, and just to make things interesting, every now and then the odd 357-magnum cartridge shell still rolls out from under the seats after a sharp stop!

It must be more than a little disconcerting for other track users, and you can almost imagine Mike doing a Clint Eastwood whenever a competitor attempts to pass the Mustang – do you feel lucky punk? … You know the rest.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

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It’s always refreshing to welcome newcomers 
to the classic car scene – especially when they’re as young as Ryan Daniels and Elliot Fran

Thanks to NZ Classic Car’s readers, we receive a constant flow of letters and emails from passionate and classic car enthusiasts, all providing the opportunity to either feature their cars or just to let us know what they have tucked away in their garage.

Recently, we received an email which, in my view, was something quite special.

Why? Because it was from two 16-year-old sixth form students with a passion for Ford Escorts.

“Hey just would like to know if you could please put my 1980 MkII Escort in your magazine along with my friend’s 1974 MkI Escort. We are both 16-year-old boys who still attend school and we have put our hearts into restoring these cars; with money coming in from part-time jobs – Pizza Hut and Foodtown. We would like to show off our cars in your magazine as we have a strong love for old cars. We have put so much time and effort into restoring our Escorts.”

I don’t know about anyone else, but this email brought back memories of when I first started to get involved in old cars and, like most of our readers, that happened at an early age as well. I can certainly remember scrimping and saving every cent as an apprentice printer only to spend it all on my passion for classic cars.

What’s also refreshing about the two young owners of these classic Fords – Ryan Daniel and Elliot Fran – is their obsession for older cars as opposed to the modern Japanese performance cars which seem to be the preferred mode of transport for most young people these days.

With all this in mind, we just had to meet these two school chums and check out their Escorts.

Escort MkI History Lesson

The Ford Escort was launched at the end of 1967 as a replacement for the Anglia. Actually, it wasn’t the first use of the ‘Escort’ name – it had been used previously in the’ 50s on an estate car version of the Ford Popular.

The first Escort featured conventional rear-wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was simple, consisting of a live axle mounted on leaf springs, together with rack-and-pinion steering.

The MkI also featured contemporary styling cues, boasting a subtle Detroit-inspired Coke-bottle waistline and the dog-bone-shaped front grille – arguably the car’s most iconic stylistic feature.

Initially, the Escort was sold as a two and four-door saloon with angular or circular front headlights.

Underneath the bonnet was the Kent cross-flow engine. Diesel engines in family cars still seemed light years away, so the Escort’s engines were all petrol – in 1100cc, 1300cc and 1600cc versions.

We all know the MkI Escort’s biggest success was as a rally car, and it quickly went on to become the most successful rally car of all time. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The Escort’s most famous win came in the 1970 London-Mexico Rally – the winning Escort driven to victory by Finnish rallying legend, Hannu Mikkola. The Escort’s performance on this gruelling event gave rise to the famous Mexico special edition road versions, produced in honour of the rally car. Even today, the MkI remains popular in the amateur rally scene.

Elliot’s 1974 Ford Escort MkI

Elliot Fran grew up in the UK. Following in his father’s footsteps, he gained a real passion for Escorts at an early age, especially MkIs.

The Fran family immigrated to New Zealand three years ago, and when the opportunity came to purchase a 1974 Escort, guess who received the car as a present for his 15th birthday?

After unwrapping his present, the first thing on Elliot’s agenda was to swap the car’s original automatic transmission with a standard Escort four-speed ’box; that also allowed him to get some first-hand experience as he assisted his father with the gearbox swap. Elliot’s father also has a friend who is building an Escort rally car, and every Tuesday they visit to help out in the build, something Elliot has really come to enjoy. He loves to get his hands dirty as often as possible, and is eager to learn as much as he can along the way.
Elliot now spends every cent he earns from his part-time job at Pizza Hut on his Escort, and has tried to keep the car looking as original as possible – the Ford still sports its original paint. Elliot has added a few individual touches to his car, including bucket seats courtesy of a Mitsubishi, and an upgraded sound system as Elliot reckons the standard radio wasn’t too flash. A keen driver, he has also fitted a tacho so he can keep an eye on what’s happening up front in the engine bay. The Escort’s 1300cc engine also benefits from a set of extractors for added power and a better exhaust note.

Exterior changes include quarter length front bumpers for a slightly more aggressive appearance.

Elliot plans to keep the car and hopes to turn it into a 1300GT replica – he has already started to collect the necessary parts, including the correct GT dash, which is currently waiting to be installed.

Eventually, he would also like to buy a two-door MkI Escort and modify it so he can compete in track events with his father.

Escort MkII History Lesson

The square-edged MkII version of the Escort appeared in early 1975. Unlike the first Escort, a solely British effort, the second generation model was developed in conjunction with Ford of Germany. Going by the codename ‘Brenda’ throughout its development, the MkII used the same mechanicals as the MkI, although the unpopular and underpowered 950cc engine was dropped.

During the second half of the ’70s, the Ford Escort continued to prove hugely popular with buyers across Britain and other parts of Europe. As with its predecessor, the MkII also had an extremely successful rallying career.

The distinctive 2.0-litre RS2000 version, with its slanting plastic nose housing four round headlamps, featured the Pinto engine courtesy of the Ford Cortina, and was capable of a 177kph (110mph) top speed. The 2.0-litre engine was also easily retrofitted into the MkI, and this became a popular modification, along with the Ford Sierra’s five-speed gearbox, for rallying and other sports.

Ford Australia also built MkII Escorts. The 2.0-litre models were more common, and were sold with the two and four-door body shells. Unique to Australia was a 2.0-litre, four-door sedan that featured the plastic nose of the RS2000, however, the 2.0-litre engine was not as highly tuned as the European version. The Ford Laser replaced it in that market in 1980.

Ryan’s 1980 Ford Escort MkII Ghia

Ryan Daniel purchased his silver Escort Ghia earlier this year, after saving up for an extra year just to get the car he had always wanted – an Escort – and he’s keen to point out his car is powered by a 1.6-litre cross-flow engine.

Ryan says he has been interested in cars for as long as he can remember, starting off collecting Hot Wheels models – which he received as very appropriate birthday and Christmas presents – before progressing to the virtual world of PlayStation car racing, where he gained an appreciation for classic cars and motor racing.

That may seem a little different to the manner in which our older readers got into classic cars – it is, after all, a more modern age – but the final results are the same. As Ryan got older he began associating with other young people who had cars, helping them as they tinkered here and there, soon gaining valuable knowledge of all things mechanical. Ryan’s father also played an important role by sharing his knowledge and passion for classic cars.

Ryan chose the Escort because of his enthusiasm for ‘old school’ British cars, and he loved the shape and look of the Ford Escort. In addition, he wanted to learn how to drive without all the technical support on offer in modern cars.

Interestingly, Ryan’s Escort Ghia was part of a museum collection in Te Awamutu for over three years before passing into his ownership.

Since then Ryan has spent a great deal of time improving the car, trying to keep it looking as original as possible, although he did indicate that a pair of RS2000-style bucket seats and a lowering kit could be next on his ‘to do’ list. Working every hour he can at Foodtown and spending his wages on his beloved car, Ryan can certainly be proud of his achievements to date.

What’s next? Ryan now has his heart set on a 1600 Sport or a RS2000 in need of restoration. With age on his side, and determination coupled with a passion for British classics, I’d say Ryan’s going to be part of the classic car hobby for some time.

Old School Ford Club

As school mates, Ryan and Elliot spend as much time together as they can working on their cars, swapping information, and cruising around Howick’s beaches – often getting the thumbs up from other motorists.

Such is their passion, the two lads started their own internet-based Old School Ford Club and, at only a month old, the club already has over 30 members. Their intention is to grow the club so they can share stories and information about their cars.

I had a great afternoon with these two young blokes, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn seemed all too refreshing, and I just know that we’ll be seeing them again, in the pages of future editions of NZ Classic Car.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford/1974-ford-escort-1980-ford-escort-ghia-schools-out-215/feed 1 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford/ford-cortina-savage-replica-215 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford/ford-cortina-savage-replica-215#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:52:20 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=4650 ...full story]]>

Jeff Uren will be a well-known name to all British Ford enthusiasts; principally for his term as team manager of the Ford Rally Team, and his successful racing career in saloon and touring cars from 1955 to 1964. Although Uren also raced a GSM Delta in GT races, his name is still closely linked with Ford through his later role in motor sport management and, as well as his work with the Ford Rally Team, he also worked with Ford Detroit and Willment.

Jeff Uren’s own company – Race Proved Performance and Racing Ltd – was well known during the ’60s for its ‘Savage’ conversions on re-engineered Cortinas. Uren’s special talent was put to use as he figured out how to drop Ford’s V6 Essex (Ford Zodiac) engine into the shell of the Cortina 1600E MkII. Prior to the Cortina Savage, Race Proved had developed other potent combinations – such as the Navajo 2.0-litre Escort Estate, Apache 3.0-litre V6 Escort, Comanche V6 Capri and the Stampede Boss Mustang V8-powered Capri.

Nevertheless, just sticking a bigger engine into a car it was never designed for usually has negative side effects – ones which could also be detrimental to the driver’s health – but Uren knew what he was doing.

Operating with Ford’s knowledge and assistance when working on his 3.0-litre Essex V6-powered Savage Cortinas, Uren followed the well tried formula of ‘big engine – light chassis’ and he was well aware that significant chassis modifications would be required if the V6-powered Cortina was to be anything more than a hairy, straight-line performance car.

Many structural modifications were built into the lightweight Cortina body shell to cope with the additional weight and stresses put upon it by the V6. 
The chassis members were seam welded down the sides of the engine bay and a new cross-member was fitted for extra rigidity. The suspension mounting holes were left blank by Ford, so Uren could drill them out himself to allow for tuning in some negative camber. 
New engine mountings were also required, as the weight of the V6 sat well forward of the standard four-cylinder engine.

Modified springs and shock absorbers were used, with carefully developed new ratings to avoid axle tramp. Much emphasis was put on selecting the rear springs, which were designed to allow the front linkage to act as a locating swivel for the axle, while the rear linkage supported the weight of the car.

Other modifications included a new wiring loom, relocating the battery to the boot, an alternator conversion, an uprated exhaust system, a special differential ratio, a larger capacity cooling system, and even a driver’s footrest. Even with all these changes, it wasn’t that easy to pick out a Savage in the crowd – but if you were close enough you’d notice the ‘Savage’ badges on the front quarter panel behind the wheel arches and on the boot lid. ‘V6’ badges appeared in place of the more usual GT.

Other options included an extra fuel tank, sunshine roof, Minilite alloy wheels, Lucas iodine-vapour headlights and a limited slip differential along with various seat options.

Steering by Throttle

Fitting a weighty V6 engine into a Cortina could have produced a nose-heavy car with excessive understeer, but Uren’s extensive suspension changes resulted in a vehicle with precise and predictable handling – certainly better than the donor car. The V6 engine meant that 56 per cent of the Savage’s weight sat across the front wheels, but that was pretty close to the stock 1600E’s 54:46 weight distribution.

With sufficient understeer to provide good directional stability, contemporary road-testers quickly discovered just how forgiving the car really was, although they also noted intrusive wind noise (a standard Cortina MkII misgiving) and considerable road noise over broken roads.

However, most of the Savage’s unruly nature could be forgiven as the car’s performance was considered quite outstanding for its era – with 101kW and 247Nm on tap in a vehicle that weighed only 1068kg, that is hardly surprising.

Apparently it was possible to have your own Cortina converted to Savage specifications – providing, of course, it was deemed to be in good enough condition for the conversion. Several hundred Savages were built between 1967 and 1970.

Rob Halliday’s Savage

To most motor racing fans, the Halliday family needs little introduction. Brothers Rob and Don started off drag racing at the Kopuku Dragway before taking on the challenges of motor racing in the late ’60s. With Rob’s mechanical support, Don went on to become multiple NZ Touring Car champion while Don’s son, Matt Halliday, is currently enjoying much success today racing GT3 Porches and, of course, has also represented New Zealand in A1GP.

Rob and his son, Robbie, are also well into the local motor sport scene, currently racing their classic Cortina MkIIs – one is an Alan Mann Cortina replica, the other a Lotus twin-cam-powered Cortina MkII. Rob admits that Robbie is fairly competitive on the track and has been known to give the old man a bit of a hurry up at times. But that’s all about to change, as Rob is now building a stronger engine for his car – one which should hold Robbie at bay, at least in the short term

Rob is based on the Mangawhai Heads, where he has now lived for over 11 years. Initially he was in the business of building bulldozers, these being constructed from start to finish in-house, with a range of different-sized vehicles available.

Unfortunately, New Zealand’s small population provided only a limited market for his bulldozers – and export proved too difficult without government support, which wasn’t as forthcoming as expected. As a result, Rob decided to change direction and founded Halliday Racing Developments, a business fabricating and building race cars – or any other car for that matter.

Wandering around Rob’s workshop, it was clearly obvious that he and Robbie are masters at their trade, with every piece of engineering machinery imaginable available in their well-equipped workshop. Building race cars seemed like second nature to these guys. And I have to admit, I have never seen so many Lotus twin-cam engines before in my life. Rob’s workshop would be heaven to any Cortina buff; with Cortina GTs, Cortina race-cars and the odd Capri scattered around the place it was clear that Fords ruled in the Halliday household. I happened to ask Rob about the number of Cortina GT MkIIs around and about their popularity in New Zealand. He laughed and said he wasn’t sure, but intimated that he probably owned most of them anyway, and there were even more tucked away at home.

Replicating Uren’s Savage

With his new workshop up and running, Rob decided he wanted to build a Targa car but wasn’t too sure what to build. Then about a year ago Rob’s good friend Neil Tolich (whose Capri Perana replica featured recently in these pages), suggested he build a Savage Cortina replica, considering that would provide all the necessary power and torque for Targa-style events. It didn’t take much persuasion from Neil before the build was underway.

Rob started off with a Cortina GT MkII, being fully aware that these cars had the advantage of additional reinforcing in the strut towers and heavy-duty anti-tramp rod brackets already built in.

The Cortina was completely stripped down and Rob fitted an automatic transmission tunnel courtesy of a Ford Capri. 
This provided enough space to house a Sierra Cosworth T5 gearbox. A World Cup cross-member was added before the V6 engine was nestled into its resting place. Naturally, this engine has been imbued with a healthy dose of additional power – courtesy of being bored out to 3.1 litres and being fitted with a Kent Cams cam kit and 11.0:1 forged pistons. The fully balanced engine was then topped off with aluminium downdraught heads, an aluminium high-rise intake manifold and triple down-draught Weber carburettors. The final result sees the revitalised V6 pumping out 194kW (260bhp), more than enough power to keep Rob – and his competitors – honest.

The Cortina’s rear end has also received some serious modifications, including a shortened Capri Atlas differential with fully floating hubs and high-tensile axles. A Capri Watts linkage mounts the ZF differential unit and four wheel ventilated discs, with specially fabricated alloy hubs up front, and four pot callipers take care of the stopping department.
As you can see from our photographs, the Savage Cortina replica is still a work in progress, although only minor items are now required before it’s ready for the start line.

We were fortunate enough to see Rob take the red beast out of the workshop and drive it for the first time, and it sounded suitably ‘savage’ and menacing. Everything seemed to work perfectly and I could see that Rob and Robbie were looking for any excuse to take the Cortina out onto the road for a test drive – but they’ll have to wait awhile before they get to that stage.

Rob has received a lot of help and encouragement along the way and would like to thank Neil Tolich, Kevin Hurst, Nelson Marshall and Geoff Campbell for all their support.
With the NZ Tourist Trophy having been postponed for several months, Rob now has plenty of time to get any bugs ironed out and will undoubtedly be a serious contender, although he reckons he’s just in it for the fun. However, we have to remember one thing – Hallidays are serious about their motor racing.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford/ford-cortina-savage-replica-215/feed 0 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford-model-t-100th-anniversary-214 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford-model-t-100th-anniversary-214#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:59:53 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=9970 ...full story]]>

Across the world, Ford is marking the 100th Anniversary of the Model T – the car that introduced motoring to the masses.

Last year in Richmond, Indiana, US, nearly 900 of these iconic vehicles were on display – probably the largest ever gathering of Model Ts. Edsel Ford II, great-grandson of company founder, Henry Ford, addressed the crowd at an opening banquet. The gathering transformed Wayne County Fairgrounds into what looked like a movie set for a motion picture depicting life in the early 1900s.

The Model T is one of the most historically significant cars of the 20th Century, and may be the single most important American car. Henry Ford realised there was a big market for cars – and not just for the wealthy.

The first production Model T Ford was assembled in Detroit in October, 1908. With the development of the sturdy low-priced car, Henry Ford made his company the biggest in
the industry.

15 million Model Ts

In a span of 10 years, Ford built 15 million cars with the Model T. Nicknamed ‘Tin Lizzie’, the Ford was probably the most important vehicle for social change in America. It helped transform the nation’s cities, enabling residents to move farther away, creating the first suburbs. The Model T was also embraced by farmers and rural Americans.

Henry Ford and the Model T changed US labour force, too. Ford raised wages to attract and keep workers at his factories. The popularity of the Model T even found its way into poetry, songs and movies, the latter most memorably in the comedy short films of Laurel and Hardy.

An early Ford publicity slogan introduced in 1906, and often strung across the roadway in the form of a wide banner which would attract a lot of attention, was ‘Watch the Fords go by.’
Henry’s T had several attention-grabbing innovations. The steering wheel and control pedals were on the left, a feature with far-reaching consequences because of the Model T’s ultimately huge production volume.

Up to the introduction of the Ford’s Model T in 1908, every other manufacturer had built right-hand drive. But within a few years, every auto-maker in the United States had followed Ford. Had Henry not decided to build his T Ford in left-hand drive form, US vehicles would have been right-hand-drive to this day. The Ford Motor Company certainly changed history in many ways.

Any colour – as long as it’s black

The main reason for this was a particular kind of black enamel which dried more quickly than other paints, and helped speed up production. However, pressure from Ford dealers eventually led to other colours being offered in 1926. By this time also, new lacquer paints had been developed which dried fast enough to match the line rate of production. The new colours offered were Gunmetal Blue, Highland Green, Phoenix Brown and Fawn Grey.

The Model T reached the end of its long road in 1927. Although many small changes were made along the way, the last ‘Lizzie’ to roll out of the factory really wasn’t that much different than the first one built in 1908. That was one of her problems, the reason that ultimately brought her end. However, it is also the reason why we remember the Model T with such affection 100 years later.

After 19 years of production, on the eve of May 25, 1927, Ford announced to an eager public that it would indeed build a new car, to replace the now well outdated Model T.

Was it a coincidence or was it planned, that the 15 millionth Model T rolled off the Highland Park assembly line the following afternoon, May 26? With Edsel Ford at the car’s controls and his father Henry beside him, the final car led a motorcade of company officials and 15 reporters and cameramen. Quite a big affair for the times!

Two of Ford’s most significant cars were also present at the ceremony. The 1896 Quadricycle that Henry had built at home, plus the very first Model T Ford. For the benefit of motion-picture cameramen, Henry drove both the older cars around the plaza courtyard. That rather simple ceremony celebrated the end of a significant part of US motor car industry.

Preserving Tin Lizzie

Soon after that May 25 announcement, many owners began to take better care of their Tin Lizzies, eager to prolong their lives – the car’s that is! One elderly lady, obviously very wealthy, purchased and stored away seven new Model Ts so she would not be without one for the rest of her life. A man in Toledo bought six, and only wore out the last of them in 1967. True stories or not? We don’t know, but those rumours have circulated among Model T enthusiasts for the past 41 years.

Local restored Flivvers

In the early years, the T Ford adopted the nickname Fabulous Flivver. Errol and Kathryn Smith  of Christchurch are great enthusiasts of the Flivver or Tin Lizzie. Among their collection of many veteran, vintage and classic vehicles, they own a total of seven restored Ts from 1911 to 1923, with a further two undergoing restoration, 1912 and 1914 models. They are housed in a new building of 750 square metres on their 2.8-hectare property.

The Smiths are certainly not afraid to use their Ford Ts. Thousands of kilometres have been clocked up over the years, including trips up to Auckland. No, not in a trailer, but driven! Even on local rallies, when the route planners offer a choice Errol will choose the longest route.

High country Ford

The 1913 open four-seater seen here belongs to Dorothy and Lyndsay Ayres of Avondale, Christchurch. In 1954, while tramping in the high country area of North Canterbury up by Lake Taylor and Lake Sumner at the Hurunui River head waters, Lyndsay noticed many abandoned old cars. While sheltering from the hot sun under a large native bush he saw some old car or truck buried in undergrowth, so well that it was actually protected from the elements. In 1958, not knowing what the vehicle actually was or even if it was still there, he returned to the site with a trailer in tow behind his 1947 Ford V8. After a many hours of cutting away years of bush growth, this 1913 Ford T was uncovered.

The following five years saw a massive restoration job undertaken by Lyndsay. In November of 1963 the Ayres entered their first Vintage Car Club rally together with 21 other veteran cars, ending at the then New Brighton Racecourse, now QEII stadium. Lyndsay jumps at any excuse to use or display this 1913 example. Perhaps the highlight for him over these past 45 years was the time he acted as Henry Ford at the 100 Years of Ford celebrations in 2003 at McLeans Island. Lyndsay certainly looked the part, dressed in clothes of the period.

Promotional Ford

The 1924 model featured here is owned by Foodstuffs. This vehicle is not a replica of a Four Square Grocery delivery van. It is in fact a genuine original. Based in Dunedin from new, it served as a Four Square delivery van back in the good old days before supermarkets. Do you remember when you could leave your order or phone it through to the local corner grocery store and it would, in turn, deliver to your door, usually the same day? I do, perhaps that shows my age!

The bodywork was restored by Bob Herron in Mosgiel, then painted by his son, Paul Herron of Gore. Foodstuffs uses this vehicle for promotional purposes throughout New Zealand. At the moment it is on display in the showroom of Avon city Ford in Sockburn, Christchurch. Note the perfect personalised registration plate.

Words and Photos: Trevor Stanley-Joblin

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/ford-model-t-100th-anniversary-214/feed 0 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1970-ford-capri-perana-replica-trophy-profile-213 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1970-ford-capri-perana-replica-trophy-profile-213#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:09:50 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=10043 ...full story]]>

In South Africa during the ’60s, Basil Green was earning himself an enviable reputation for extracting major performance gains from all kinds of cars. Although he is mainly known for his work on Ford cars, Basil – who once worked as a mechanic for the Cooper F1 team – initially began by tuning BMC cars, racing his own, much modified Mini in 1964. His Mini went so well that he soon had many others wanting their cars performance – tuned by Basil.

By 1965, Green had sold many conversion kits for Anglias, Cortinas and VWs. Along with a new partner, Ronnie Rosen, Green also turned his hand to tweaking Valiant and Barracuda cars. However, with the advent of the Cortina, Green’s business entered into the history books – he slotted an Essex V6 into the Cortina and named his new creation the Cortina Perana – the name being taken from the names of the engineers who helped Green design the cars (a popular misconception is that the name comes from the man-eating fish).

In 1969, Green got his hands on one of the first MkI Ford Capris to arrive into South Africa. He tossed out the V6 and fitted a 5.0-litre Mustang V8 engine, then up-rated the gearbox, differential, suspension and brakes.

In 1970, Motorman magazine road tested a Capri Perana – the car accelerated from zero to 100kph in 6.4 seconds before sprinting to a top speed of 240kph. On the race track in their home country, the Gunston Team Racing Perana Capris demolished everything – even Ford GT40s. They were banned from racing 18 months later, so Basil stopped making them after a significant production run.

Confusion reigns as to exactly how many Capri Peranas were built – some sources quote 500, while others list 803. Even figures as high as 1167 have been quoted – but these probably include production figures for the Cortina Perana, Granada Perana (another Ford V8-powered special) and the Escort Perana (which was fitted with a 2.0-litre ohc engine).

With the above in mind, it is generally believed that around 430 to 500 Capri Peranas were built.

A racing life

In the ’80s, I knew nothing about Basil Green and his Peranas and started racing my 3.8 Jaguar Mk2 in classic events before moving to Porsche 356s – I still own and race a 1956 356 Speedster which has been part of their family for 21 years. The Tolich kids don’t remember life pre-Speedster. This was the first car I used for a Targa event. After watching my classic rallying neighbour Rob Wylie have fun in his Datsun 1600, I decided to have ago and entered my Speedster – with navigator, Stephen Reynolds – in the Targa Bambina. The car did well. However, the old car felt a bit frail even with a roll-cage and you wouldn’t want to hit anything with the fuel tank sitting 150mm above your knees!

I’ve spent the past seven years travelling to Europe a few times a year to race with my London-based Kiwi mate, David Fitzsimons. David owns some seriously exotic machines, which we run in classic endurance rallies and races in Europe. The cars are an Alfa Romeo TZ1, a Ferrari 275GTB/C, an Alfa GTA, a Porsche 2.7RSL, an Alfa GTA and, for this year’s Tour d’Espana, a Porsche 2.8RSR.

But it was another of David’s cars that really impressed me when he first drove it at Donington. It was a Ford Capri V6 that’d been track-day prepared by UK racer, Willie Green, with subtle mods including lowered suspension on Spax shocks, Yokohama tyres, a roll-cage and with the V6 giving an easy 164kW (220bhp). Simple and effective, the car was wonderful to drive, and it out-ran many of the more modern cars on the track

An NZ ‘Perana’

Back in New Zealand, I asked Mal Clark at By’Gone Autos in Beachhaven to build a Capri that could be used for Targa and classic circuit racing. After a bit more research, we found out about the South African Peranas. Wow! A V8 in a Capri! What a lovely recipe. Light weight, good handling, tons of torque and power, and reliability.

I found a rusty 1970 Capri V6 for $900 and gave it to Mal. Ten months later, and after spending as much as a new car would have cost, I drove out of By’Gone in a recreated Perana Capri. It had a new four-bolt 4949cc (302ci) Windsor V8, race suspension with adjustable struts and shocks, a five speed, race-prepped Borg Warner gearbox, Wilwood disc brakes all round, and a fibreglass bonnet. Wheels and tyres were 15-inch Minilites fitted with 225/50×15 Dunlop Rs.

Everything mechanical was new except the reworked limited slip differential donated by a Jaguar 3.8. Remarkably, the weight over the front wheels was 25kg less than with the old V6 in place. All-up weight was 1360kg with two crew and fuel on board. Expensive, yes. Worth it? Yes, every cent!

Out of the box, the Perana was quicker than any standard WRX, XR8 or Evo. Despite its high riding Targa suspension, I found the Capri capable of lapping Pukekohe in one minute, 10 seconds – as quickly as my then new E46 BMW M3. One week after completion, the blood orange Capri (similar in colour to the Gunston Capris) started the 2003 Dunlop Targa. After one week on the road, the lazy 268kW (360bhp) engine had propelled the Capri to first in class, and 28th overall out of 200 cars.

Weak links

For the 2004 Targa event, along with new navigator, Alan Henderson, I was full of confidence. A year of ownership and racing had identified any weak links – or so I thought. The car was very quick, stable and with great rear-end traction despite the power and torque. It was geared to pull 220kph at the rev limiter’s 6400rpm. I drove hard from the start, presuming that the ‘near new’ car would survive the abuse. The second day on a stage near new Plymouth we were seeded 184th out of 205 cars (fastest cars at the back of the field). Right behind was Aussie Touring Car racer, Stephen Richards, in his new Group A Subaru WRX rally car. A few cars further back was his dad, Jim Richards, in his winning Porsche GT3. Just before the start Jim walked up to the Perana and said that he had bought a genuine one from South Africa for classic rallying. Son Stephen joined in and said he ran a BDA Escort in classic rallies in Australia.

What followed was a great day of rallying and, at the end of the first stage, the Aussie aces had only gained 10 seconds on us. Afterwards Stephen Richards’s co-driver came up and congratulated us. They had expected to catch up pretty early in the stage, and when they finally did see our orange rump in the distance they couldn’t make any gains. That was a huge buzz for Alan and me, and the Perana’s real potential was starting to show.

Alas, the next day the diff broke! It took a day to locate a replacement (from an E-Type at Beacham Jaguar in Hastings) and get it delivered and fitted overnight in Palmertson North. So we were out of contention for any placings, but still finished in Wellington a few days later without a scratch on the car.

In the 2005 and 2006 Targa, the Perana had ongoing successes with class placings and strong finishes –14th overall behind Steve Millen’s new Ford GT in 2006. Mike Sexton navigated for me on the 2006 event, and his analytical approach soon had me thinking about how I could make the old girl faster without increasing power and upsetting its fine balance. The answer became obvious midway through the 2006 Targa. Starting a long stage 30 seconds behind Paul Halford’s beautiful Maserati Trofeo, I was keen to catch and pass Halford. Sure enough, after about 15km we were within 10 seconds of the Maser when the tight twisting road opened up to a high speed undulating blast. The Perana sat with the Maser in a straight line until the first series of 180kph bends.

After those, the Maserati had gained 200 metres and after a few more corners it was gone. It looked like a slot car ducking and diving in front. The Capri, by comparison, was using the whole road to try to keep up. Its old aerodynamics weren’t designed for that sort of competition.

Sorting out the aerodynamics

On the race track, in both the Tracer and Arrows series, the Capri’s high, softish suspension was now also holding the car back with dramatic wheel lifting becoming a feature. We won some races, but it was struggling to fend off purely track-focused cars. So, back at By’Gone Autos the car was lowered (it still sits higher than track cars) and had period Capri RS spoilers fitted front and rear. The result was truly dramatic.

My best previous lap time at Pukekohe had been one minute, 8.2 seconds. With the lowering and aerodynamic mods, the car was almost 1.5 seconds a lap quicker. No weaving at high speed braking for the hairpin, no sliding over the top of Mobil Mountain. The engine and brakes were untouched. The car was tested and rested during 2007 with no Targa events.

For the 2008 Targa Rotorua, I needed another navigator and enlisted Groundsky Photography lens-man, Cully Paterson. His first stage was in thick fog out of Rotorua – no fun for anyone, let alone a new boy. Eight cars came to grief in that first stage. The rest of the weekend was fast and furious with roads often wet.

However, Cully never missed a call, and the service crew of Bruce James and Rod Leonard-Rogers kept the oil leaks and exhaust rattles at bay. Grip from the Dunlop Direzza 03s was fantastic but, most of all, it was the Capri’s newfound high speed stability that transformed the car. Those 180kph swoops and dives now saw the Capri firmly planted on terra firma just like a modern Porsche.

And so the event proved to be the Capri’s biggest success to date – scoring the Classic Competition outright win, winning in its category and, just for good measure, earning the Peter Hanna trophy for first V8 home.

Perhaps most significantly, the Capri was second overall behind the winning, state-of-the art rally Subaru WRX. The Perana beat all other modern cars including Mitsubishi Evos, Porsche GT3s and many other very fast, if not as reliable, competitors.

The neat thing about all this is helping make a 38-year-old car show off in front of all those modern upstarts. Sure, for the money I have spent, I could be running a GT3. But I reckon most people just love seeing the orange Perana sitting in line, at the start of a stage, amongst the Evos, WRXs, 911s, BMWs, HSVs and all the rest. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Words: Neil Tolich Photos: Adam Croy

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1970-ford-capri-perana-replica-trophy-profile-213/feed 0 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/the-collectors-a-good-keen-kiwi-bloke-213-2 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/the-collectors-a-good-keen-kiwi-bloke-213-2#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:09:58 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=10044 ...full story]]>

During our visit to Kaikoura, we met Bob Bell and checked out the veritable Aladdin’s cave that he calls his home shed

I’ve probably said it many times, but one of the great things about working on NZ Classic Car is not only the fine cars we get to see virtually on a daily basis, but the fantastic people we meet along the way who enjoy sharing their fabulous yarns with us about their hobby.

One such person is Kaikoura’s Bob Bell who, along with Kaikoura’s Pier Hotel owner, Steve Kirkpatrick, made our trip to the South Island not only possible but highly enjoyable.

Besides exploring Bob’s shed, he has a great, life-long passion for cars to share – one that stretches back almost five decades to the time when he travelled to Ardmore as a child with his father to watch the NZ Grand Prix. In fact, Bob has been a keen motorsport follower ever since, not missing too many racing events at our end of the world – he’s attended almost every Australian Grand Prix.

Losing count

Bob has, quite literally, lost count of all the cars that he has owned over the years – although he recalled that it started at the tender age of 14 with a Ford 8. He remembers towing it home with his father and, after several attempts to get it running, they decided to wreck it – which, as it turned out, was quite a profitable exercise as the pair picked up £30 on the deal.

This was also the catalyst for what would play an important part in Bob’s life – his shed. It was at around this time that Bob eventually commandeered the family garage, and ever since he has always owned his own shed – and we’re not talking your standard 6×6-metre job; every one of Bob’s houses has boasted a decent-sized garage.

By the time Bob had reached the age of 17 he decided to head over the ditch to live – he had already owned least a dozen cars, including a rare 1929 six-cylinder Chevrolet Roadster, three Model As, a couple of Austin specials, a Hudson Super 6, 1937 Tickford-bodied Rover drophead coupé – a car created specially for the 1937 London Motor Show – and a MkV Jaguar, the latter bought along with his father.

Unfortunately, Bob scuttled three telegraph poles in the Jaguar and, with the eventual insurance pay-out, his father bought a 1949 Ford Single Spinner. Bob eventually saved up enough money and bought his own MkV Jaguar.

Australian adventures

Bob lived in Australia for a while – he remembers that his first car over there was a Vauxhall Wyvern – but soon returned to New Zealand with his Australian wife. They didn’t stay here for long, and were soon packing their gear and heading off across the Tasman again.

Initially, Bob purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser and a six-metre caravan, in which the couple travelled around Australia for just over a year. With their wanderlust slaked, the pair finally settled in Sydney.

Once there, Bob built their first house – which obviously included a fairly substantial garage. This would eventually house an early 3.0-litre BMW, Jaguar XK150, Lancia Fulvia Rallye coupé, 1974 2.7 911 Porsche Carrera and a VB SL/E Commodore.

The Lancia came to a sticky end when it took on a bridge and came off second best! The XK150 was sold, only to be replaced by a brace of Mk2 Jaguars and a rare 1961 Lincoln four-door convertible. A BMW 633CSi was added along the way, as well  as a partially restored 1961 Thunderbird convertible – both of which he still owns today. Bob recalls visiting a Sydney Motor Show in the ’80s, where he came across the newly released Mercedes 190 Cosworth on display. Bob was mighty impressed with this car and wanted to get a closer look, thinking that this could be the car for him one day. Dressed in only shorts, jandals and a T-shirt (well, it was summer) he was refused entry onto the stand, not being allowed to get anywhere close to the Mercedes. Bob then noticed a bright, shiny new BMW 633csi on the stand opposite – the rest you know.

During the mid-’90s, Bob and his second wife, Karen, travelled to Kenya to teach for six months after touring Great Britain and Europe in an old VW campervan. During that time, they adopted a 10-year-old Kenyan girl, Maureen. When they decided to return to Australia, the strict Australian immigration regulations imposed on them at the time meant that the easiest option was to return to New Zealand, and fight the Australian authorities from there in order to get Maureen into Australia.

That took around five weeks and, in the end, Maureen was only granted a five-year visa – if she left Australia during that period she would not be allowed to return. Bob and Karen decided to bring Maureen to New Zealand for three years, which would make her eligible for New Zealand residency.

Kaikoura Bound

Bob has fond memories of Kaikoura, often travelling over from Australia to attend classic race meetings and staying there. He and Karen had also spent time in Kaikoura over the years and decided to take Maureen to the South Island to see the snow, something she had never experienced before. During that trip, Bob and Karen purchased a spectacular piece of land in Kaikoura which they had noticed on a previous trip. They then went back to Australia to sell up, which actually took about a year due to the length of time it took to sell their house.

Bob never told anyone in Australia about their new plans, just to say that they were selling their house and building a new one – never mentioning that the new house would be built in New Zealand!

Bob also had to part with at least nine cars to lighten the load – including a rare 16-litre 1927 Le France fire-pumper. He was left with the Lincoln convertible, Thunderbird, BMW 633CSi coupé, and Alta Special vintage race-car, Porsche Carrera and a rare Benelli six-cylinder motorcycle.

And so, towards the end of 1999, Bob, Karen and Maureen arrived in New Zealand and set to work building their new home in Kaikoura. The first challenge was to erect a temporary building so they had a roof over their heads – this initial building would later become Karen’s art studio and gallery.

The cars were kept in containers before Bob got around to building his large shed. Everyone still laughs, recalling that Bob built the shed before the house – but Bob’s a man who clearly has his priorities set right. With the shed built and cars unpacked from the containers it was time to focus on the house – which, incidentally, is fabulous. Its French provincial theme allows for magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and sea from everywhere you look. Now called Homewood Hill, Bob and Karen offer it as a luxury B&B for tourists who really want to spoil themselves.

The Shed

Over the past few years since work on the house was completed, Bob has “sold a few and gained a few” as he puts it. During that time he sold his 1974 911 Porsche Carrera and Lincoln convertible, replacing them with another Mk2 Jaguar which has been built as a John Coombs Special; boasting triple carbs, cut-out wheel spats, louvered bonnet, manual gearbox with overdrive, XJ6 rack and pinion power steering and a Vicarage coil-sprung rear end.

The fully restored 1970 Morris Minor Traveller – also featured elsewhere in this magazine – is Karen’s daily driver, a car she prefers to drive rather than either of their two Range Rovers.

The unfinished Alfa classic racer, called the ‘Vault’ due to its Vauxhall running gear – and the amount of money tied up in it – sits alongside a Thunderbird convertible, the 633CSi and the Benelli motorcycle.
Bob’s 1961 Thunderbird has since been modified to include a late model Falcon rack and pinion steering, as the Australian RHD conversion was unacceptable for NZ compliance.

Unfortunately, Bob can’t help himself when it comes to swap meets and visiting other people’s shed and, over the years, he has collected a substantial array of all kinds of motoring paraphernalia – including an impressive collection of old spark plugs. He’s even got a penny-farthing bicycle.

Wandering around the shed, time seemed to pass by quickly as virtually every item has its own unique little story which Bob is only too happy to share. Naturally, there have been other cars that have come and gone such as a Borgward Arabella coupé, a ’60s dirt-track racer, a couple of Morris Minors, a few Rover P6Bs and a Triumph 2500 which Bob couldn’t resist. Those cars have gone to make way for Bob and Karen’s
new plans.

Yes, the time has come for them to return to Australia. Maureen is now 21 and is building her own life in Auckland, so Bob and Karen have decided to head back over the ditch to be with family and friends. Although the decision was a hard one – which car to take and which to leave behind – the collection will follow them and will, no doubt, take pride of place in Bob’s next shed, wherever that may be.

Bob and Karen, we wish you well, you’ll be sorely missed among the Kaikoura classic car community.

Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Adam Croy

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/the-collectors-a-good-keen-kiwi-bloke-213-2/feed 0 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1965-ford-mustang-a-glowing-tribute-211 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1965-ford-mustang-a-glowing-tribute-211#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:07:22 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=11422 ...full story]]>

PC meets up with a stunning classic car – a re-creation of the Mustang once raced by motor racing legend, Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan

The Australian Touring Car Championship wasn’t always a procession of Falcons and Commodores; there was a time when the gates were open to anything that met the rule-maker’s standards. Some entrants, though, had vehicles with a slightly bigger bang than others, an edge if you like.

There are certain journalists who really know how to get in amongst it. We occasionally hear how they meet their demise in doing so too, but back in 1960 there was a journo by the name of David McKay who took to the first Australian Touring Car Championship race with a vengeance, cleaning up in his Jaguar. The wins for Jaguar went on for a few more years until, surprisingly, the diminutive Ford Cortina showed the big boys how it was done in 1964. The man at the wheel was none other than Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan, and he ran off with the number one spot another four times, but he would never achieve that position again in a Cortina.

Although managing a win, Geoghegan knew he was outclassed in the smaller car, so he set off for California in search of something similar to the machine Norm Beechey had been operating in early 1965, a Mustang. Knocking on a few doors turned up a gem with the GT350R, the race edition of the legendary Shelby GT350. The only hitch was the body shape, a fastback, was not permitted in the class back in Australia. Geoghegan, with his buddy Bob Jane, did mange to secure a couple of ‘normal’ Mustangs through a local dealership and then it was off to meet the master, Carroll Shelby, to obtain parts and advice. Calling that a wise move is somewhat of an understatement.

Downunder Mustang

Shelby offered up parts galore for the boys from Down Under, and like kids in a candy store their pockets, so to speak, were filled to capacity. The list included a race-prepped, roller-cammed engine for Pete’s car. Shipping took a while back then, but as soon as possible Pete and Bob’s cars were both on Aussie soil.

Almost as the cars were being slung ashore Pete was informed by his brother about some sponsorship dollars that would be coming from Total, the fuel company. Things like that can open doors, not just into after-match functions but also in making sure your car is properly prepared, something Pete and his mechanic John Shepherd were very particular about.

Geoghegan raced the Ford Mustang with determination and passion while at the same time demonstrating some extraordinary winning ways. In fact, from his 74 starts in the Mustang he won 68 races! The man and his car are reportedly listed in Guinness World Records as being the ‘winningest’ car/driver combination ever, which is no mean feat. All this started at Calder Raceway, where he entered the meeting with some serious doubts about his mount, but he needn’t have worried. The Mustang (and its driver) performed flawlessly, sending Pete on the tour of a lifetime.

Change of colour

Geoghegan favoured black race cars initially and garnered the nickname ‘Black Pete’, even though his name was actually Ian, but when it comes to the almighty dollar you have to let your personal colour choice take a back seat to that of the sponsor’s own livery; they are picking up the tab, after all. Total wanted, and got, a white base with red and blue stripes. However times, as well as sponsors, can and do change. Pete got the nod from Castrol in 1966 and up popped the white base again, but this time with green stripes, complete with thin, gold accent stripes either side.

It is this vehicle and its colour scheme that Tauranga’s Wayne Hills chose when he decided to build a tribute Mustang to emulate what it was that Pete raced and so often won with. Wayne makes no claim to this car being Pete’s own ride, nor is it an exact replica, but it’s pretty darned close. The engine isn’t quite as radical as Geoghegan ran for a start, but there are still enough ponies to get a stampede underway, should Wayne feel the urge.

The basis for the project was a rust-free 1965 Mustang Hardtop, commonly referred to as a ‘notchback’, and Wayne’s was a genuine A-code GT. Rust-free examples of these machines are something that’s getting increasingly difficult to find, but in conversation Wayne was adamant that this car was exactly that; rust-free. “There wasn’t an ounce of rust in that body,” he gleefully says, and added that Matamata Panelworks had only to remove a few shopping trolley dings to get the car straight enough to continue with. The good points continued, with a 4736cc (289ci) engine that had already been fully rebuilt (with all new parts) to very reasonable specifications, and the vehicle also had been treated to a fully refurbished interior, but Wayne wasn’t about to let it rest there. He stripped every last nut and bolt from the car and, utilising the good bits, started from scratch.

After the minor dings and dents were sorted the body was treated to a coat of Wimbledon White, and the Geoghegan stripes were replicated as closely as possible. Wayne happily pointed the finger at Karl of KNR Paint Work in Tauranga for the standout paint application. When you look at pictures of the original race car online, or study the die-cast models that are made of the beast, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that Karl has got it right. Yes, there is a die-cast model of the Geoghegan car available and it looks just great. Naturally Wayne has one of these models and indicated that is was the catalyst for the project. With that, I conjured up a vision in my head of a young lad pushing such a model along in a school playground, making engine noises and dreaming of the day he might own the real thing. Wayne Hills is one lad who has made it happen.

Long legs

So, with the tinwork sorted and the project’s basis looking to be in fine fettle, Wayne tidied up the engine aesthetically but added some real get-up-and-go with four 48mm downdraft IDA Weber carbs that he imported himself. The fuel/air mixture that the (by American standards) tiny V8 engine ingests is burned by means of a Pertronix electronic conversion in the original Ford distributor. The electrical system is headed by an Ultima battery that has been securely mounted in the boot.

What the engine loses down low in the torque curve it sure makes up for with power in the upper rpm range. Thankfully, however, the camshaft isn’t too radical, so the machine can be used on the street quite satisfactorily, with a little care and attention to off-the-mark clutch operation. This is due in part to the fact that first gear in the Borg Warner T10 four-speed transmission has fairly long legs.

When it came to the suspension Wayne chose a world-class company to provide the shock absorbers. I’ve never really been a fan of the term ‘shock absorber’ because the items are actually ‘dampers’; they dampen the action (and reaction) of the suspension’s springs, but the vast majority of enthusiasts/tinkerers and also the experts use the term ‘shock absorbers’ so I’ll have to knuckle under and go with the flow on that one. To get back on topic; Koni shock absorbers reside on all four corners, with Gravi-track springs, so you couldn’t ask for better really.

To emulate the Shelby theme of the suspension/handling package, the upper a-arms had their mounting points relocated (just like ‘Ol Shel’ used to do) and the centre of gravity was brought closer to Terra Firma by about 65mm, requiring a rolling of the four fender lips for tyre clearance. This is a common practice on many automobiles, but when executed unprofessionally it can get rather ugly. Needless to say, ugly didn’t enter the frame on Wayne’s car.

The wheel and tyre combination doesn’t do the overall package any harm either, with Wayne staying true to the early style of alloy round things. Wheel Vintique supplied a set of Torque Thrust reproduction items on which to mount the Toyo Proxes RA1 tyres, which measure 225/50/ZR15 on all four corners. These carry the wording ‘recommended for competition events only’, wording that could probably be compressed into ‘sticky’.

Lurking behind the round objects are a set of four-pot Kelsey-Hayes disc callipers that work in conjunction with a set of drums which came with the eight-inch rear end, itself being delivered complete with 3.5:1 gears and LSD centre section. The braking system does not have a vacuum operated booster included; hydraulic ratios have been calculated to produce fine braking results without one. Having a big cam and low intake manifold vacuum in race trim would probably render one useless anyway, and let’s not forget how wonderful hydraulics can be when applied correctly. Wayne fabricated his own replica aluminium scoops to feed air down the flexible ducting to cool the disc rotors.

What wasn’t a useless addition was a full power steering conversion, undertaken by Wayne. This has made the vehicle far more driver-friendly on the street, with the utilisation of genuine parts throughout making it ‘look right’ into the bargain. Purists may scoff at such comforts being added to a race car tribute, but that’s purists for you. They don’t (and likely wouldn’t be permitted to) drive this car anyway. So there.

How many years?

Good-looking projects can take years to produce and then good-looking, functional and even pristine projects can (and often do) take many more years to get right. Wayne Hills, though, doesn’t like to mess about. Apart from this retired (yeah, right!) refrigeration engineer having a good eye for getting such things right, he is not one to sit in front of the fire or telly going on about the good old days. This guy is still living the good old days, and undertaking most of the work on his cars himself.

Occasionally Wayne took some time off from his new-found job of love at Dale Mather’s Coastline Automotive (where Mustang is spoken fluently) to bring this gem together in just three short, but intense, months! His approach to this and his past projects has not only a ‘can-do’ thread through it, but also a ‘get it right’ foundation. Wayne won’t start something without a quality end result in sight. He has the tenacity to carry things through, and when he sold his first Mustang (a 1970 Boss) to fund a move with his family to Canada back in 1979 he promised himself it wouldn’t be the end of his Mustang associations. These associations have not only been re-affirmed since his return to New Zealand, they have been positively cemented and expanded upon.

Indeed, Wayne has imparted some of his long-felt pony passion to his son Darin, who immersed himself in Mustang mania after completing his university studies in chartered accountancy. Naturally, dad stepped up to the plate and assisted in the rebuild of his son’s mechanical love, a 1970 Sportsroof Mustang. Today, Darin drives a “stout” (by dad’s reckoning) ’65 A-code Fastback with a 5686cc (347ci) Windsor powerplant, and dad is no newbie when it comes to understanding what stout really means. Wayne’s daughter, Deanna, gets her highs as an air hostess in Australia, having inherited her father’s professional approach to life.

When talking to Wayne you soon come to the realisation that this guy is both knowledgeable and talented. This Mustang reflects those attributes but moreover would, I’m sure, impress Mr Geoghegan. Not only has Wayne flattered ‘Black Pete’ with an automobile that makes reminiscing an art form, but he has also made the car authentic enough to grab the attention of enthusiasts and highlight Pete’s racing achievements.

Wayne has no intention of giving up now though, and already he plans to get stuck into an early Fastback. His son might have to keep his own F/b in a secret location lest dad’s itchy fingers get too sticky. Could that be the making of a tribute GT350R? It was the car that Geoghegan had his eye on in the first place, and could very well be suggestive of what could have been, but I’d hate to speak out of turn.

Having said that, the tribute you see here, the tribute to what actually was, will do us all just fine.

Words and Photos: Peter ‘PC’ Callen

]]> http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1965-ford-mustang-a-glowing-tribute-211/feed 0 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1963-ford-galaxie-500-sports-hardtop-coupe-galactic-cruiser-223 http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/1963-ford-galaxie-500-sports-hardtop-coupe-galactic-cruiser-223#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:58:06 +0000 NZ Classic Car http://www.classiccar.co.nz/?p=11459 ...full story]]>

When you take delivery of a 1963 model car with just 32,000 miles on the clock and a boot-load of spare parts its first owner had bought from the dealer almost 46 years ago, you know you’ve got something extremely original.

When it comes to originality, the 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Sports hardtop coupé belonging to Roy Macdonald and Jan McInnes ticks pretty much every box.

It is a stunning example of a low mileage Galaxie, ferreted out by friends who were tripping around the United States when they heard about the car. Sensing something special, they investigated and were rewarded with a special find – a car that was being sold off as part of a deceased estate.

The car in question was a Sports hardtop coupe, recognisable by its slant-back roofline and convertible-style ribs pressed into its metal roof. The Galaxie had spent a fair bit of its life sitting around, but had clearly been cherished and well looked after during the 46 years since it had left the factory.

Roy’s friends soon had the Ford loaded onto a boat heading for Dunedin and a new life in Aotearoa. When the car was finally landed at Port Chalmers with the help of Steve Curle at Kiwi Shipping, Roy and his partner, Jan, went down for a look.

“Jan just fell in love with it straight away, so I didn’t have to do any talking at all,” Roy explained.

But there was one small matter. Roy and Jan’s friends had actually bought the car for themselves, so getting them to part with it took some persuasion and a bottle of rum. That’s what you call friendship.

Triple-A

With the deal concluded, Roy and Jan became the Galaxie’s new owners and, when he opened the car’s boot, Roy couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw that it was full of spare parts the original owner had bought – including a spare fuel pump, pretty much every rubber hose and belt needed to keep the car running, and even a set of headlight surrounds.

The car’s provenance also extended to all the original papers, along with its factory option sheet from the day it rolled out of Dearborn, plus a bunch of registration tags going right back to when it was purchased from Mahoney O’Dell – a dealer in Visalia, California.

There was even a triple-A Southern California Automobile Club transfer on the back proudly proclaiming: “Member for over 35 years.”

Not surprisingly, especially given the Galaxie’s low mileage, the 6391cc (390ci) big-block V8 was untouched. Indeed, the only thing Roy had to do to the car to get it roadworthy was put on a new set of tyres because the originals had perished in the sidewalls.

The car now sports a nice set of radial whitewalls, which looks fantastic and work very well with the Galaxie. “I did try a different set of wheels, but I went back to the original size as they rode much better,” Roy says.

The only thing Roy has had to do since starting to use the car is to replace the muffler, although he resisted the temptation to fit twin pipes along the way. He enjoys the car’s originality and sees no reason to fiddle with it.

Other nice touches that show the Galaxie’s extensive originality include two genuine Ford exterior mirrors, something Roy says is fairly unusual. “Usually you only get one or perhaps just an after-market mirror,” he says.

Original Classic

The big Galaxie coupé is one of those cars that doesn’t seem to have a bad angle. From whichever direction you approach the car, it looks great – and you can spend a lot of time debating which view is best, although for me the rear-quarter view wins. The low, tapering roofline leads gracefully into that long, slender rear overhang, all finished off beautifully by those iconic circular rear taillights that Ford used to such great effect on its early ’60s designs.

There are nice little touches too, such as the way the radiator grille pattern is repeated in the trim between the rear lights.

Inside the car still has its original white rubber mats with the word Ford stamped into them, an extra that would have been installed by the dealer. The car also has its original dealer number plate surrounds.

Stepping into the interior, the Galaxie features a three-tone blue colour scheme broken by chrome strips and handles. The spacious seats are set off nicely by the narrow pleating where the driver and passengers park themselves.

A massive dash is dominated by a long, imposing speedo, calibrated to 120mph (193kph) and flanked by fuel and temperature gauges with pull-knob switches below. The air conditioning controls, radio and clock are mounted in the centre. There’s no need to cram anything more into this baby.

It is very much a car for travelling and cruising, and Roy and Jan have enjoyed two or three thousand miles-worth of cruising in the big Ford.

American Car Specialist

Fed by a two-barrel carburettor (the XL version had a four-barrel) the 390 has truckloads of easy torque, which it demonstrated by easily dispatching one of Dunedin’s many steep hills during my drive in the car. The three-speed auto handles the load without even blinking, slipping through the ratios with a dismissive ease.

Under the bonnet the engine bay is untouched and original. Such is the space under there that even the big block V8 looks almost lost, with plenty of room either side to the guards and to the front to the radiator and the even more distant grille. There’s plenty of room should Roy ever need to go near the 390.

Repairs are no issue for Roy anyway as he runs his own very successful business, Roy Macdonald Automotive, and has developed an excellent reputation for his work specialising in American cars.

Roy is very much a Ford man, with a particular liking for ’50s and ’60s models – he also owns a stunning, concours condition, 1956 Sunliner convertible in two-tone peach over cream.

Roy has owned a number of Fairlanes over the years, including ’62, ’63 and ’64 models. The ’64 has been turned into a race car which he races very successfully in pre-’65 saloon car racing. He also owns a very nice original ’63 which spent many years as an undertaker’s car.

Roy has no future plans for the Galaxie – other than to keep it as it is. “Even though it came with all those spares, and they are dealer spares not after-market stuff, I will only replace stuff when it needs it. It is just such a neat car the way it is now.”

Racing in Mind

But it was the Galaxie sports coupé, with its fastback roof, that was to become Ford’s headline act, especially when it came to performance and racing.

Easily distinguishable from the two-door hardtop by its convertible-style ribs pressed into the steel, the new design was reported to be 28 per cent more aerodynamic, ideal for doing battle on NASCAR’s high speed ovals.

The range-topping 500XL coupé came with standard equipment that would pretty much qualify for deluxe on the rest of the range. Contoured deluxe seat upholstery, extensive carpeting, courtesy lights and full wheel covers added to the sense that this model was that bit more special.

Engine options started with a modest 122kW, 4261cc V8, but this model was sold much more often with the 390ci V8 which had 224, 254 and 280kW (300, 340 and 375bhp) options.

Initially, the largest offering was 6653cc (406ci), but later that year Ford also introduced the 6997cc (427ci) high-performance engine with a four barrel offering putting out 306kW/410bhp and a dual four-barrel version turning out a monstrous 317kW/425bhp available only with a four-on-the-floor manual gearbox.

With racing in mind Ford also produced the R-Code lightweight version, tipping the scales at 1509kg, compared to the standard XL’s 1711kg. With 650Nm of torque to go along with the 317kW it could turn a standing quarter in 14.95 at 96mph (154kph) and complete the 0-60mph dash in 6.9 seconds.

Like most American cars of the time, the range of options for the Galaxie was extensive. Buyers could choose from a list that included a swing away steering wheel, power front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes, padded dash and visors, backup lights, deluxe wheel covers, spotlight mirrors and select aire conditioner.

Although that range of options would have been attractive and even tempting to most buyers, Ford knew there was one way to sell a car on Monday – and that was to win on Sunday.

Not surprisingly, Ford wasted no time in trying to get the most out of its massive 427 wrapped inside the new, more aerodynamic sports coupé model.

Put in the hands of legendary race car builder Holman & Moody, and then run in NASCAR by the equally legendary Woods Brothers racing team, it had a winner. The car was able to lap Daytona at a 267kph/166mph average, hitting 290kph at times.

It wasn’t just about raw speed either, because engineers and drivers found they could make the big car handle. In fact the Galaxie had the distinction of taking out NASCAR’s first ever 500-mile road race at Riverside in California with the great Dan Gurney at the wheel.

Gurney went on to win three of the Riverside races in a row, and then added a fourth in 1968. So dominant was he, some jokingly renamed the event the Gurney 500.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Jack Sears thundered into the British saloon car scene, breaking Jaguar’s stranglehold and heralding a whole new and exciting chapter in that form of racing as well as NASCAR. Ford had a winner.

A Ford for the ’60s

By the time the ’60s arrived, Ford had decided on producing a new car for a new decade. Gone were the fins of the ’50s, replaced by a simpler, sleeker design, perfect for the huge canvas presented by the Galaxie.

Described as the ‘full-sized Ford’, the 3022mm wheelbase gave plenty of scope for whatever the customer wanted in between – be it fordor, wagon, convertible or coupe, the long, elegant, uncluttered lines of the ’63 Galaxy showed what could be achieved.

That year Dearborn was offering nearly 50 models and variants with 13 different station wagons alone. They started with the ‘compact’ Falcon in its various guises with the Fairlane, which most New Zealanders think of as a big car, actually providing a mid-sized range of models. The Galaxie, however, dwarfed them all.

Standing outside Roy’s business with his 500 parked alongside a Fairlane and an XP Falcon – looking extremely compact by comparison – really brought it home. It is simply bigger in every direction, except up, which accentuates its long, lean lines.

Ford’s Galaxie line-up began with the basic sedan which could be bought with a number of engine options, ranging from the Mileage Maker Six Cylinder (available on all models except the range-topping 500XL), a 4261cc (260ci) V8, 5768cc (352ci) Thunderbird V8 and the 390 as fitted to our feature car.

Transmission options for the main models included the Synchro Smooth manual column shift, the Fordomatic Drive auto, and the Cruise-O-Matic three-speed auto.

Then there was the Galaxie 500, which was a step up from the basic model. Offered in sedans, hardtops (including our feature coupé) and convertible guises, they featured a full length upper and lower body side mouldings and a higher specification interior trim package.

1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Sports Hardtop Coupé – Specifications

Engine        V8
Capacity        6391cc (390ci)
Bore/stroke        103mm x 96mm
Valves        ohv, pushrod
Max power        224kW (300bhp)
Fuel system        Two-barrel downdraught
Transmission    Three-speed auto
Body/chassis    Steel unitary construction
Brakes         Drum front and rear
Front suspension    Independent by coil springs, wishbones
Rear suspension    Live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs
Steering        Recirculating ball

Dimensions:

O/all length        5334mm
Width        2019mm
Height        127mm
Wheelbase        3035mm
Track F/R        1562/1530mm
Kerb weight        1678kg (approx)

Words: Mark Wright Photos: Sean Craig

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