We like to think of the latest issue of NZV8 as a tribute to the Kiwi DIY car-builder — almost all of the feature cars were built with a specific purpose, or with an end goal in mind, and almost all were built in the shed, with the help of good mates.
That’s certainly true for the loud and in-your-face Holden splattered all over the cover of NZV8 Issue No. 131. Ricky and Jenn Ireland’s dedicated skid machine has evolved into one of New Zealand’s nastiest burnout machines, but it’s also got a neat backstory that many Kiwi car people will be able to relate to. Of course, not all of us can have a blown big block pushing over 730hp through the treads, but at least we can all watch it doing that right here.
Phil Wright’s beautiful ’67 Chevelle is another shed story; transformed from ugly duckling into a smooth, elegant cruiser, with a little help from Phil’s five-year-old son. Even though the car was built strictly to be a comfortable family cruiser, Phil couldn’t turn down a bit of firepower under the bonnet, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell — until he fires it up.
Ray Peterson’s ’70 Mustang, on the other hand, is far from a mild-mannered cruiser. The angry strip-storming machine was built after Ray, a lifelong drag racer, yearned to get back into a street-legal drag weapon. As such, the old-school drag racer has done things the old-school way, but with modern technology — hence the manually shifted box, and high-revving Windsor — and it’s really paid off, as he’s now got a verified nine-second, naturally aspirated street car.
On the opposite end of the speed spectrum is Kenny Harrison’s ground-scraping ’78 Camaro low-rider. Kenny, who has always been into American cars — preferably of the low variety — had always wanted such a car, and when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at it. It’s been a hard job, getting a hydraulic suspension system to work properly and legally in the Camaro’s low-slung frame, but thanks to the help of some very good friends, it’s now one of the most distinctive low-riders in the country.
And as well presented and finished as Kenny’s Camaro is, Glenn Longley’s chopped and bare-metal Model A coupe is a huge middle finger to the idea of ‘properly’ finishing a car. The traditional styling can’t be beat, although it disguises the EFI-converted Hilborn injection, and the fact that there’s a Tremec T56 six-speed between the vintage rails. It’s now Glenn’s ideal driving machine, and you can see more cross-ply destruction here.
We also get behind the wheel of the 2015 Ford Mustang; actually, a pair of them, as we road-test the 5.0 V8 GT and the turbocharged four-banger EcoBoost. What do we reckon? Grab the latest issue to find out.
We’ve also been busy up and down the country, working throughout some of the coolest events to bring you coverage. Want to see more of Cruise Martinborough? We’ve got you covered.
What about Americarna? We’ve got a full event report in NZV8 Issue No. 131, and a supplementary photo gallery you can view here …
And someone had to get totally filthy to bring you coverage of the UIM Jetsprint World Champs, recently held at ASB Baypark.
And, to give you a monthly dose of shed envy, we’re bringing you a close-up look inside the Christchurch shed of a bloke who goes by the name of ‘Skinny’. It ain’t clean, and it sure isn’t tidy, but damn it is a cool set-up! The cars aren’t half bad, either.
On top of that, we’ve got coverage of the Enzed Central Muscle Cars, from Highlands Motorsport Park, as well as tech, columns, and all the usual goodies.
Grab an issue off the shelf at your local for a crisp $10, visit magstore.nz, or if you’re really lazy, just click on the ‘Buy Now’ button below. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
