We’ve included a list of the country’s quickest street cars in every issue of NZV8 and NZ Performance Car, and it’s been great for keeping track of who’s where, and what the current ‘benchmarks’ are, so to speak. Unfortunately, space constraints in the magazine mean we can’t devote much space to the list — that’s why we’ve uploaded it here, with an image and a brief description about each car. Take a look and find out more about some of New Zealand’s toughest street cars.
If you’re on this list and would like your details updated, own an eligible car which isn’t on here, or would like more information regarding our ‘Quickest Streeters’ list, please email editor@v8.co.nz.
*An eligible car must: Hold a current WoF, rego, and LVVTA certification (as raced, if required); drive down the return road under its own power; have raced within the last two years; run on a gasoline–based fuel; run a 9.99-second ET, or quicker; time must be run while car is in the possession of its current owner.
Reece Fish: 7.40 at 194.50mph
1956 Chev Bel Air (540ci BBC, twin-turbo)
In New Zealand drag-racing circles, Reece Fish’s ’56 Bel Air is the stuff of legends — Reece frequently drives to Meremere Dragstrip, changes his tyre pressure and tune, runs sevens, then drives back home. The only car on this list that’s cracked the sevens, his all-alloy twin-turbo 540ci big block still has a lot left in it. He hasn’t stopped with the low ETs either, having run a new PB of 7.40 seconds at 194.50mph at the Masterton Motorplex Auckland Invasion in February 2018 — mental!
Trim as raced: E85, ET Streets
Brendon Shearing: 7.95 at 173mph
1971 Holden Monaro HQ (509ci BBC, twin-turbo)
Brendon Shearing’s Monaro is one of the toughest street cars in the land. Period. He ran easy eights with his old supercharged combination, but with the unquestionable success of an all-new twin-turbo set-up, he isn’t looking back. The twin-turbo 509ci big block has pushed him into the seven-second zone, with a 7.95s at 173mph, despite a boost leak, meaning there’s a lot more in it — New Zealand’s second seven-second street car sure delivers the goods!
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Aaron Jenkins: 8.28 at 166.15mph
1977 Holden Torana (540ci BBC, twin-turbo)
After selling his nine-second Holden HQ Monaro, Aaron Jenkins was left with a void in his life that could only be filled with big cubes and big power. Since the Monaro was too nice to chop up, he decided to build around a rotten Torana shell, with a home-built chassis, twin-turbo 540ci big block, and a goal of running an eight — something he’s achieved in spectacular fashion, dropping his 9.04-second PB to a stonkin’ 8.33s at 164.17mph. The most impressive part is the fact that streetability hasn’t been sacrificed to do so.
Trim as raced: E85, DOT Hoosiers
Ben Morris: 8.37 at 168.67mph
1969 Chev Camaro (580ci BBC, Procharger SC)
Sick of his expenditure on nitrous rapidly spiralling out of control, Ben Morris made the move to forced induction and has never looked back. Hitting 8.76 at 160mph, he pulled it back apart, and the huge F3 Procharger is now bolted to a Dart Big M–based 580ci big block Chev, topped with RFD Victor Pro heads. An in-car water-to-air intercooler should help intake temps, and the overhaul actually netted Ben a 500lb weight saving. If its debut 8.37 at 168.67mph is anything to go by, there’s gonna be a bit more outta this one!
Craig Hedley: 8.46 at 164.19mph
1994 Toyota Supra (2JZ turbo)
Toyota’s mighty 2JZ powerplant is the baby Jesus to tuners across the world — a motor so grossly over-engineered that it’s almost as though Toyota intended for it to be modified. Craig Hedley’s is far from stock, but retains its street manners despite the racecar-like appearance. Having run a best of 8.46s at 164.19mph at full weight and in full street trim, the car’s tuners at Dtech Motorsport reckon there’s more in it, and we believe them!
Trim as raced: E85, ET Streets
Kerry Stewart: 8.46 at 160.20mph
1923 Chrysler (540ci BBC, SC)
Kerry Stewart’s main goal for his tough bucket was to run an eight-second pass — something it’s proven capable of doing. Debuted at the recent IHRA South Island Champs, fresh from LVVTA certification and complete with a VTNZ WoF, Kerry smashed out an 8.95-second quarter-mile, which was quickly topped with an 8.78-second effort, then his 8.57.
The best part is that the monster 540 is what Kerry calls the ‘baby motor’, with an even tougher combo being built to go in place. This bucket is going places …
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, full slicks
Mike Black: 8.53 at 160.86mph
1973 Holden HQ ute (540ci BBC, twin SC)
The twin-supercharged HQ ute belonging to Mike Black is one of the New Zealand drag racing scene’s most iconic vehicles — for sheer cartoonish exaggeration, it just can’t be beaten. Likewise on the track, where Mike has run an astonishing PB of 8.53s at 160.86mph. And, in case you’re wondering, the truck is street legal with a current warrant, rego, and LVV cert.
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, full slicks
Gary Bogaart: 8.67 at 159.04mph
1975 Ford Falcon coupe (408ci SBF, nitrous)
Gary Bogaart’s bright orange Falcon coupe is known more for its outrageous wheelstands — which have seen the recent addition of wheelie bars — than his quarter mile times. That’s a bit of a shame, as his timeslips are every bit as impressive as his wheels-up antics. Eight-second passes on a small block with nitrous — not bad, right?
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Shane Ryland: 8.77 at 157.69mph
1980 Holden Torana (427ci LS, turbo)
Shane Ryland’s little green Torana rattled off consistent 10-second passes with a naturally aspirated LS2, before dipping into the nines with the addition of a large turbo. Now he’s got an all new E85-drinking 427ci LS based on a Dart LS Next block with a huge 82mm BorgWarner S400SX3 turbo, making over 900hp at the wheels on 15psi of boost. Having sorted the rear end to prevent its signature twisted-pretzel launches, Shane’s gone 8.77s at 157.69mph, and the new engine’s got a whole lot more potential left in it.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, exhaust removed, full slicks
Daniel Southall: 8.78 at 161.79mph
1969 Chev Camaro (406ci SBC, ProCharger SC)
Dan Southall has two goals: to have the quickest small block–powered car in New Zealand, and the quickest streeter in the South Island. His nitrous–equipped small block is gone, to be replaced with a Procharged 406ci unit for that extra ‘oomph’ — with major help from Ben Morris — and a fabricated nine-inch diff with a set of mini-tubs have been grafted into the rear, to help put the power down better. Fresh from its massive overhaul, we’re keeping a close eye on this one, expecting to see big things. The 8.78s is just the beginning!
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Dave Moyle: 8.81 at 158.26mph
1989 Ford Falcon XF (563ci BBF, nitrous)
Dave Moyle’s Falcon ute has made quite a legend for itself, being the quickest street legal commercial vehicle in the country. If you question the drivability of a big 563ci SVO-blocked Ford motor with nitrous on top, think again — Dave drives his ute to drag meets, towing a trailer loaded with the tyres and equipment he’ll need to race. Impressive? Most definitely. Foolish? Not if you know how well Dave builds his engines.
Trim as raced: C16, ET Streets
Barry Plumpton: 8.83 at 147mph
1974 Holden HQ (565ci BBC, nitrous, SC)
There’s no replacement for displacement. Throw a big supercharger into the mix, and top it off with a hefty shot of nitrous, and you must be onto a winner. That’s the logic taken by Barry Plumpton, and his evil HQ is the result. It might not currently be the quickest car on this list, but it’s probably the loudest.
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Aaron Thomas: 8.84 at 152mph
1954 Ford Popular (408ci SBC, twin-turbo)
Big motor, small car. That’s been a golden formula with some of the craziest drag racers for as long as the sport has been around. Aaron Thomas is right up there with the craziest of them — his tiny Ford Pop runs a twin-turbo small block, responsible for some pretty wild rides down the strip.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Tony Gera: 8.92 at 150.83mph
1970 Ford Mustang (480ci BBF, nitrous)
Tony Gera likes to go fast. But, he needs to be able to enjoy his fast cars on the street. If it can’t drive like a half-decent machine on the road, he’s not interested. That’s what makes his 1969 Mustang so impressive. The huge 480ci big block makes around 700hp, and with a big hit from the blue bottle, runs into the eights, and the car is still civilized enough to perform street duty with zero hassles.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Mike Carlton: 8.95 at 154.76mph
1973 Chev Corvette (540ci BBC, SC)
Mike Carlton’s wild, tubbed and blown ’73 Corvette has been one of the biggest movers on this list over the 2016–’17 season, having progressed rapidly from 10s, through to the nines, and finally into his target of the eights. An 8.95s at 154.76mph is seriously moving for a car like the ’Vette, which somehow manages to pack all the necessary gear into its small frame.
Trim as raced: Avgas, ET Streets
Azhar Bhamji: 9.15 at 154.67mph
1969 Mazda R100 (13B, turbo)
Well known as the man behind the huge 4&Rotary Promotions, it’s fitting that Azhar Bhamji has something serious to pedal down the drag strip. His love for old-school Mazdas made the cool, and rare, 1969 Mazda R100 a no-brainer. A fresh 13B rotary, built by the legendary PAC Performance and tuned by Dyson Brothers Racing, has seen Mr. Bhamji drop his PB to an astonishing 9.15s at 154.67mph.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Mike Bari: 9.26 at 148.92mph
1971 Chev Chevelle (598ci BBC, nitrous)
Mike Bari’s gorgeous Chevelle dropped jaws when we featured it on the cover of NZV8 Issue No. 123. With a 598 cubic inch big block under the hood along with the addition of both plate and port nitrous systems, the car had plenty of potential. Since then, Mike’s raced the car using just the plate setup and it’s lived up to all expectations. What will happen when the nitrous port system is used? We can’t wait to find out.
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Justin Weir: 9.36 at 146.56mph
1971 Chev Camaro (540ci BBC, nitrous)
Justin Weir has given his ’71 Camaro a complete overhaul in the time he has owned it, rebuilding, replacing, and repainting everything. A legit nine-second street car in its past life, that’s exactly where Justin’s got it as well, having run the nitrous-assisted 540ci big block–powered Camaro to a very quick 9.36 at 146.56, and we’re sure to see more from it yet.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Craig Smith: 9.38 at 147.06mph
1967 Ford Cortina (302ci Windsor, turbo)
Craig Smith’s Cortina has been a familiar sight at southern drag events for coming up 20 years, and always turns plenty of heads. In 2010, though, he decided that wasn’t quite enough, and started investigating blow through turbo setups, with a Master Power turbo soon force-feeding the combination. With the stock leaf springs still under the rear, Craig had mixed success, eventually breaking into the magic nine-second zone, but only once.
The installation of a new diff, four-link, CSU carb, and BorgWarner turbo with datalogging, has seen in plunge deep into the nines, with a 9.38s at 147.06mph. A re-cert means it’s all road legal, with the performance exactly where he wanted it to be.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Aaron Jackson: 9.42 at 145.46mph
1974 Holden Torana (496ci BBC, nitrous)
There are some tough cars in Wanganui, and Aaron Jackson’s ‘COP B8’ certainly fits the bill. The Torana is dwarfed by its 496ci engine, which is dwarfed by the bonnet scoop above it. It’s run a 9.99 naturally aspirated, but with the addition of an 180hp nitrous shot, Aaron’s made what must surely be the biggest jump this list has seen — from last to 12th quickest! With Aaron having made noises about seeing what a 250hp shot will do, we’re more than excited to see what this little car can do.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Ross Whelan: 9.59 at 139.55mph
1934 Ford Model Y (427ci SBC, NA)
Ross Whelan little ’34 Model Y perfectly sums up oldest, and most-loved trick in the hot-rodding book — the best way to go fast is to stuff a lot of motor into not a lot of car. With a huge 427ci small block in his tiny Model Y, Ross has certainly made the best of that formula, and having run a PB of 9.59 seconds at 139.55mph, we’d say it’s worked very well indeed!
Trim as raced: C14, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Glenn Brewer: 9.65 at 137.26mph
1972 Holden HQ ute (621ci BBC, NA)
Glenn Brewer’s name may not be at the top of this list, but he still wins at something — with a huge 621ci big block Chev under ‘ROTTI’s bonnet, he’s got the biggest engine here. The HQ ute is super-tough, but, as you can imagine, struggles to put all the power down with lots of big block up front, but not a lot of weight out back. Even so, a 9.65s at 137.26mph is seriously moving, and it doesn’t look like Glenn’s done yet. We’ve heard Chinese whispers about a big blue bottle …
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Darren Riches: 9.66 at 133mph
1954 Ford Popular (540ci BBC, NA)
Where Aaron Thomas used forced induction to his advantage, Darren Riches has gone down the cubes route. His Ford Pop is filled with an engine as big as the car — a 540ci big block Chev. The huge torque puts the nose in the air with ease, and has also propelled Darren across the traps in 9.66-seconds at 133mph.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Ray Peterson: 9.79 at 140.20mph
1969 Ford Mustang (417ci Windsor, NA)
Ray Peterson drives his nine-second Mustang on the road, and therefore needed something with good road manners and a wicked quarter mile demeanour. The 417ci Windsor fits the bill perfectly, and has been built as a high-revving screamer that’s docile enough to trundle to the shops in. Interestingly, Ray has stuck with a manual gearbox — a five-speed Tremec TKO600 — rather than go the auto route. Despite consistency being key in the DYO classes, you just can’t been the engagement of a good manual box.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, ET Streets
Chris Daley: 9.80 at 141.43mph
1972 Holden Monaro HQ (540ci BBC, SC)
Te Anau resident, Chris Daley, is a real-deal petrolhead. You’d have to be, to haul your car all over the South Island to smash tyres and run down the quarter-mile. Chris recently installed a 10-71-blown 540ci big block Chev, finally managing to get the big Monaro into the nine-second zone — seriously impressive, given the HQ’s stock body. She isn’t even mini-tubbed! There might be a bit left in it, too, and Chris is the right guy to try and squeeze every last bit of performance out.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Warren Black: 9.81 at 137.95mph
1972 Holden Monaro HQ (555ci BBC, SC)
If you saw Warren’s Monaro at a show, you’d probably be very surprised — or even disbelieving — to hear that Warren drag races it, and drives it on the street. But he does, and with a supercharged 555ci big block Chev and monstrous rear tubs, it’s got no problems there. A 9.81 is not bad, considering the all-steel car weighs in at 1850kg, and has also been built for show, street, and strip duty, with minimal compromises.
Trim as raced: Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Ben Moorcock: 9.85 at 145.91mph
1974 Mazda RX-3 (13B, turbo)
Love them or hate them, you can’t deny the sheer power rotary engines are capable of producing. Ben Moorcock’s little Mazda RX-3 runs a Cosmo 13B on E85, equipped with a huge Garrett GT42 turbo, and backed by a Tremec TKO600 five-speed manual. This has proven good for a 9.85 at 145.91mph. The RX-3 has also been finished beautifully — you’d hope so, given Ben’s history in the panel and paint industry — making it a real head turner whether it’s on the street or the strip.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, DOT Hoosiers
Tony Gera: 9.85 at 140mph
1971 Chevy Vega (400ci SBC, nitrous)
As you’ll understand from reading about his Ford Mustang a few spaces above, Tony Gera loves his fast cars, as long as he can enjoy them on the street. His Mustang has a stablemate, in the form of this little Chevy Vega, and with power provided by a nitrous-fed 400ci small block, it’s also running easy nines. Once some issues with the car bogging down at launch are remedied, this should see his ET fall, and the trap speed rise even more.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, DOT Hoosiers
Kathryn McDonald: 9.86 at 137.07mph
1969 Chrysler Valiant (572ci Hemi N/A)
The first female to join the ranks is Kathryn McDonald in her Chrysler Valiant sedan. With a 572ci Hemi up front, this car bears very little resemblance to it’s former 6-cylinder self.
Although being on the list was a dream come for Kathryn, she’s not sitting still, as her goal is to now become the quickest naturally aspirated street car. It’s a big ask, but one that we certainly wouldn’t rule out as she gains even more track time.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, full slicks
Zac Wilkinson: 9.90 at 138.84mph
1987 Holden Calais VL (408ci LS, turbo, nitrous)
Remember ‘BOSDOG‘, the incredible VL we featured on the cover of NZV8 Issue No. 122? With a turbocharged 408ci LS and goals of 1000hp, this car was built from the get-go to be a super tough streeter. When the car’s owner, Shyam, was overseas at the SEMA show, his mate Zac took BOSDOG for a blat down the strip — 9.90 at 138.84mph was the result, despite the tune being on low boost, and the fact that the tough TH400 shit itself in the process. We’re keeping a close eye on this one — not only is it one of our favourite NZV8 feature cars, it’s got a lot more potential too.
Trim as raced: Pump gas, full slicks
Garth White: 9.93 at 140.78mph
1963 Ford Galaxie (551ci BBF, nitrous)
Garth White has owned the famous ‘EZPEEL’ Galaxie for a while now, and drives it just as hard, if not harder, than its old owner Mike Kitson did. It looks every bit as intimidating as a it sounds, with 551 nitrous-assisted cubes beneath the bonnet. Known for reeling off low-10-second time slips like clockwork, Garth has finally broken that curse, blasting into the nines with a 9.93s at 140.78mph — very impressive stuff!
Trim as raced: C12, DOT Hoosiers
Dallas Graham: 9.94 at 134.80mph
1978 Toyota Corolla (1UZ turbo)
What’s the best way to go fast? A bucketload of power is always a good starting point, but when you combine that with a car that doesn’t weight anything to begin with, you’re sure to be onto a winner. That’s the philosophy taken by Dallas Graham, who has stuffed a Toyota 1UZ quad-cam V8 into his Corolla, then chucked a big turbo and E85 fuelling system into it, for a 9.94-second PB at 134mph.
Trim as raced: E85, DOT Hoosiers
Matt Kriletich: 9.95 at 135.56mph
1973 Ford Falcon XA (410ci BBF, NA)
Matt Kriletich has been racing his neat XA coupe for a while, and while it’s always been a bloody fast streeter, it’s only recently broken into single-digit territory. The 410ci big block Ford motor was making enough power to cut consistent low 10s, but the addition of a vacuum pump has helped him run a PB of 9.98 at 135.36mph. The XA’s extreme consistency is great for bracket racing, though his ETs have slowly but surely fallen over the years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what else he can pull out of his Falcon.
Trim as raced: C12, exhaust removed, ET Streets
Abdul Samad: 9.98 at 138mph
1992 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution I (4G63, turbo)
Having recently purchased the well-known wide-body Evo III drag car campaigned by Zoheb Razak back in the day, you’d be correct in thinking Abdul Samad is no stranger to the drag strip. But the all-out drag car in the garage hasn’t deterred Abdul from taking his street-driven Evo I down the strip — ‘MR GSR’ is a common sight at Meremere Dragway, and with his PB of 9.98 at 138mph, he’s always among the quickest cars there.
Trim as raced: E85, DOT Hoosiers
Ian Rainbow: 9.98 at 136.97
1950 Chev Business Coupe (572ci BBC, nitrous)
When was the last time you saw a tubbed 1950 Chev in New Zealand? There aren’t many, and that’s what makes Ian Rainbow’s so cool. Not only is it different, it’s been built and finished to an incredible standard. As well as cutting a rapid quarter-mile, this car can be driven on the road, and that’s exactly what Ian does — included in that are a few road trips with his wife around the South Island.
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
Tristan Teki: 9.99 at 129.932mph
1966 Chev Impala (540ci BBC, nitrous)
The ‘blue whale’ formerly owned by Ryan Sheldon has entered the Teki family garages, and with Tristan wanting to get a piece of the New Zealand’s Quickest Streeters action, he looked to make it happen. No stranger to big-cube firepower, a nitrous-assisted 540ci big block has found its way into the big Impala, allowing Tristan to dip into the nines, and this is only the beginning …
Trim as raced: C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers
With the sheer number of photos we have archived, it can be a bit of a task to keep on top of who shot what. Photo credit for the above must be given to: Adam Croy, John Faulkner, Aaron Mai, Rod Dunn, Lance Farrow, Lewis Gardner, Richard Lay, and Mikey Mayers