What does it take to build your own Fraser? We talk to an enthusiast who built his own car
When Gary Cullen told me he was a retired RNZAF electronics and avionics engineer it didn’t at all surprise me that his Fraser Clubman was indeed a masterpiece, carefully constructed by him over a two-year period.
Gary has always had a liking for classic cars, but diverse priorities such as family, mortgages and other commitments stifled his passion for many years.
Then about three years ago, when Gary was attending a family function at a country restaurant in Warkworth, a group of Fraser Clubmans arrived and parked up under the trees. Gary couldn’t resist the urge to stroll over and take a look at the cars and eventually got chatting to one of the owners. They became so engrossed in conversation that they both almost completely missed out on lunch with their respective groups, something we can all probably relate to. By the time Gary had finished his conversation he was pretty much hooked on the idea of buying a Fraser Clubman.
A few months later, after some serious consideration and considerable number crunching, Gary phoned Fraser Cars for more information and asked to be sent further literature on the Clubman.
After reading through all the information, he decided he would build as much of his Clubman as possible himself, and based on Neil Fraser’s advice started to collect all the necessary components for the project, such as engine, gearbox, front uprights, differential and rear wheel assemblies. Once these items were decided then Gary could chose the options necessary for the Clubman kit.
Choosing the Options
Gary opted for the Toyota 4A-GE 20-valve silver-top 1600cc engine, T50 gearbox, Nissan Silvia S13 LSD and de Dion set up. The de Dion is a sophisticated form of non-independent suspension, and is a considerable improvement over the alternative swing axle and Hotchkiss drive types. The de Dion suspension utilises universal joints at both the wheel hubs and differential, and uses a solid tubular beam to hold the opposite wheels 
in parallel. Unlike an anti-roll bar, a de Dion tube is not directly connected to the chassis, nor is it intended to flex.
Gary selected a wide track front suspension set-up with internally mounted springs and shocks, which he says gives a cleaner, streamlined look to the front.
At this point Gary ordered his Fraser Clubman kit, and chose the polished aluminium panels complemented by painted fibreglass front and rear guards and nose cone.
Gary had the Toyota engine completely reconditioned, with many external parts cleaned and plated in preparation for the kit to arrive.
Kit Arrival
In August 2006 Gary took delivery of his Fraser Clubman kit, which arrived with all the body panels attached. The differential housing was also mounted in place, a procedure that avoids scratching or damaging the powder coated chassis. This enabled Gary to assemble all the suspension components, including brake rotors and callipers followed by hydraulic lines and electrical wiring looms. He meticulously fabricated all the fuel lines and mounted the fuel tank into position before finally positioning the engine, gearbox and driveshaft into place.
The striking colour Gary decided on to complement the aluminium panels was royal navy blue, with 20 per cent pearl applied by his eldest son, 
Richard, which really suits the cars sporty lines. Gary tells me that in his early RNZAF years he remembers polishing external aluminium aircraft panels by hand, which is probably why this Fraser Clubman literally glistens so much that it’s difficult to look at in direct sunlight. At this stage only the dash, instruments and interior items needed completion before the car headed back to Fraser Cars for final upholstery.
Gary finished his Fraser Clubman in October 2008 and had it certified and ready for the road later that month.
You will no doubt have noticed that Gary has kept strictly to the ‘silver top’ theme, starting from the engine and aluminium body panels to the classic ’30s Bugatti-style miniature rose-patterned dash, complete with Smiths’ instruments and woodgrain steering wheel — and right down to the personalised plate.
Walking around Gary’s Clubman it takes a while to completely absorb the finer detail and commitment to perfection everywhere you look.
Naturally, he is still getting used to his Clubman, and recently travelled to the Fraser Car Club’s track day at Taupo, which he described as just awesome. He believes this circuit outing gave him the opportunity to learn much about his car’s unique handling characteristics whilst being able to stretch not only himself but the car’s limitations in the relative safety of a race track environment — if only more people were this sensible.
Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin
This article is from NZ Classic Car issue 221. Click here to check it out.
