Inside the Sep/Oct issue of NZV8

25 August 2026

A look at the featured highlights from Issue 235

APACHE PERFECTION — 1959 CHEVROLET APACHE 3100

What began as a simple patina truck evolved into a meticulously crafted, no-compromise showpiece that blends modern performance with world-class craftsmanship

They say you can judge someone by the company they keep, and in the case of Patrick (‘Patch’) Jenden, that may well be true. He’s good mates with Kayton Coughey, owner of Real Rides, along with fellow builders and customers such as John Gamble. Those names should be familiar to NZV8 readers, with Kayton having built, rebuilt, and rebuilt again his own Camaro, while John’s ’69 Chevelle, built from the same workshop, graced our cover not so long ago.

WYLD THING — DB RACECARS 1967 FORD MUSTANG DOORSLAMMER

After losing their legendary Beretta, DB Racecars built a Top Doorslammer Mustang from the ground up and rewrote New Zealand Top Doorslammer history in the process

Running a Top Doorslammer may be one of the quickest ways known to convert money into noise and the smell of burnt rubber. There’s something addictive about drag racing though, and that’s likely what keeps those who are good at it coming back for more. There’s also the never-ending quest for self-improvement, learning as you tweak, change and finesse a combination to go increasingly faster.

LITTLE RIPPA — 1955 FORD ANGLIA 100E

Dylan Field’s 1955 Ford Anglia 100E looks as if it belongs at a Sunday morning classic car show surrounded by old codgers draped in tweed, but underneath, it’s a boosted 1UZ-powered 389kW beast built for the quarter-mile

The humble Anglia was never supposed to be anything particularly remarkable when the model was first launched in 1939, as it was only ever destined for popping to the shops, hauling the family from A to B, and the like. Even today, you have to agree that they go largely unnoticed by classic car lovers and even old Ford fanatics, the latter of whom seem more infatuated with the more powerful and popular successor, the Escort. So how has one landed in NZV8’s lap? Well, it involves a bloke called Dylan, who has built a 100E that looks relatively mundane on the outside but packs a whole load of punch under the skin — a true sleeper.

DRAGON'S BREATH — 1972 CHEVROLET CAMARO

Aaron Wright’s supercharged LS1-powered 1972 Chevrolet Camaro is a testament to him and his family’s lifelong infatuation with the ‘bowtie’

There comes a point in most of our lives when we have to make a pretty tough choice — one that has torn families apart and ended friendships — are you team Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro? For Aaron, he would’ve had to flee town if he chose the former, as he grew up with a father and uncle who both owned bowtie-branded pony cars. So, it was almost inevitable that he would own one himself someday.

FALCON AFFAIR – 1982 FORD FALCON XE

It’s no secret that the Etchells have a family affair with the Ford Falcon, and its youngest member, Matt, is carrying the torch with his all-motor 1982 XE

If you’ve read past issues of NZV8 or are big in the Ford Falcon scene, then you will likely have come across the name Etchells. The Bay of Plenty-based family is well known for building some of New Zealand’s wildest examples of the humble Aussie sedan, with father Andy having created not one but two body-swapped Falcons — ‘RADROO’ and ‘BADROO’. With an influence like that in the household, it was inevitable that his son Matt would catch on and build a Falcon of his own. At age 18, Matt pulled the trigger on a 1982 XE that popped up on Facebook Marketplace with a certified 5.0-litre Windsor and a five-speed manual under the bonnet — the perfect foundation for what would become a fully built, stroked street car pushing 300kW at the wheels. However, when the car arrived, it was far from what he expected.

CHROME HORSEPOWER FESTIVAL 2026

Back for another year of on-track cruising, drag racing, and gleaming paint jobs, Chrome Horsepower Festival never fails to disappoint, and this year was no different

There aren’t many things that’ll get a few thousand people out of bed early on a Saturday morning in the middle of winter, especially in the Waikato, but the Chrome Horsepower Festival is one of them. This year’s event was a knockout as far as we’re concerned, with hundreds of high-power cars descending upon Hampton Downs Motorsport Park for a weekend of right-footed action, from buzzing rotaries to blown burnout machines.

FORTY YEARS OF THUNDER — THE ALMAC CARS STORY

The rise of Almac Cars, the legacy of Alex McDonald, and the next chapter being written in Matamata

New Zealand has produced its fair share of automotive success stories, but few can claim the longevity, loyalty and sheer stubborn determination of Almac Cars. For more than four decades, a small factory in Upper Hutt quietly turned out some of the country’s most recognisable enthusiast cars. In an era when almost every New Zealand kit car manufacturer disappeared, Almac survived. Through changing regulations, shifting tastes, economic downturns and the collapse of the traditional kit-car market, founder Alex McDonald kept building cars.

THUNDERPARK DRAGSTRIP IMMORTALISED IN NEW BOOK — MICHAEL FOWLER INTERVIEW

From riverbed to world-renowned dragstrip, Michael Fowler’s new book on Hawke’s Bay’s world-renowned quarter-mile, Thunderpark, takes us on a nostalgia trip to the good ol’ days of drag racing in New Zealand

If you were to head inland from Hastings along State Highway 50, you’d drive right past what used to be one of the fastest quarter-miles in the Southern Hemisphere. These days, it’s merely a vineyard used to grow grapes for winemaking, but just under thirty years ago, it was known as Thunderpark — forgotten in time until now, thanks to Hawke’s Bay historian Michael Fowler.