NZ Hot Rod June 2022

Going Vertical THERE’S no denying that technology is advancing exponentially and going vertical. Every week, it seems that there’s a scientific breakthrough somewhere, especially in transportation. Our much-loved motor vehicles have been around for 136 years and have grown out of the seed planted by the world’s first gas-powered car: the Benz, patented in 1886. Since then, five thousand makes of cars had been planned in the USA. At least 1500 organisations had actually started work on one. But by 1920, there were only 120, and 20 years later, in 1940, there were only 11 left. (in the USA) The invention of the computer has seen the automobile make gigantic strides in performance, economy and safety. Our technological advances are astounding; even in my lifetime, we’ve come from inefficient, carburetted sidevalve engines…

Thirty Fours HI PAUL, many years ago, travelling to and from Meremere, we stopped at all sorts of places along the way, and on one trip, we stopped at Horopito Wreckers and discovered a very rusty ‘34 panel van. I don’t know what happened to it, but it sat there for years. We also found a ‘34 Vicky sitting in a paddock at Kai Iwi, just north of Wanganui. We were going to cut the back off John Parlane’s ‘33 Tudor and graft the Vicky back to it, but a bulldozer beat us to it, squashed it and pushed it over the bank and into the little river below! Once upon a time, eh! Cheers, Grahame Berry. Delivery Hunt HI PAUL, Lance Johnston here. I just read the article on ‘33/34 deliveries don’t know…

• Deliverance THIS super rare and desirable 1936 Ford sedan delivery belongs to Christchurch man Nyall Price. He purchased it back East and shipped it by Kiwi Shipping from California. Always his dream car, it seems to be very solid and under the hood is a running flathead V8. From Craig Stare. • Snappy Skyliner PATCH recently landed this 1959 Ford Skyliner. For its time, the folding hardtop was an astonishing feat and remains so today, some 58 years after it was first introduced. Ford produced 48,394 Skyliners, and its attractive design was so stylish it was considered “the world’s most beautifully proportioned car.” It’s for sale, so if it takes your fancy, give Patch a call on 022 499 1645. • Happy Anniversary AS part of their 25th anniversary, Magoo’s Street Rods have imported this…

CHRISSY Chapman spotted a ’56 Chev Bel Air Sport Coupe at a hot rod event many years ago and a “one-day, some-day” seed was planted in her mind. Fast forward to meeting Paul, although they were into boating at the time, Paul always got the NZ Hot Rod mag and Chrissy read them too, and it was from there that her long-held vision for a ’56 Bel Air was cemented. Back in April of this year Liz and I visited with Chrissy and Paul and were in awe of their passion for their cars and over a few drinks got to hear Chrissy’s story on how she came to own Hazel. At the time I thought it’d be an excellent tale to share, and Chrissy has kindly put pen to paper…

YEAR & MAKE: 1956 Chevrolet MODEL: Bel Air BODY: Sports Coupe ENGINE: 350 Chevy Performance crate motor MODIFICATIONS: Aluminium heads, Edelbrock inlet manifold, Comp Cam with roller rockers, Edelbrock 600 CFM carburettor, MSD ignition EXHAUST: Corvette 2-½” cast iron exhaust manifolds TRANSMISSION: 700R 4-speed auto REAR END: Factory Diff CHASSIS: Factory stock chassis MODIFICATIONS: CPP cross member STEERING: CPP Power Steering GM 500 series FRONT SUSPENSION: Factory suspension with Bilstein shocks, sway bar, CPP dropped spindles & heavy-duty springs REAR SUSPENSION: Bilstein shocks & heavy-duty springs BRAKES: Hydro Boost with dual circuit master cylinder, GM 12” disc brakes front, drum brakes rear. WHEELS/TYRES: Camaro Rally wheels 15x7 front & 15x8 rear Tyres 215x70x15 front & 235x70x15 rear WIRING: Upgraded factory wiring by owner PAINT: Spies Hecker Gold & Yellow INTERIOR: Original instrument panel, new original style & colour upholstery INSTRUMENTS: Original factory CLUBS: Southside Streeters, Waiheke Island Rod and…

WITH COVID rules relaxing in late March, removing the limit on the number of people allowed at outdoor events, it left organisers little time, but they decided to pull the trigger to go ahead and run the event a mere three weeks out from the scheduled date of Easter Sunday. Strings were pulled, sponsors came on board, and enthusiasm grew to epic proportions when 500-600 show cars and approximately 3000 spectators arrived under sunny skies. There was much on offer with a live band (Scarlett), food and coffee trucks, and a mini-market featuring automotive-related vendors creating a festive atmosphere. The results were very pleasing, with around $15K raised, half of which is allocated to the Mangawhai Surf Club and the other half to the Mangawhai Domain Society to cover their running…