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CONTENTS

KING KONG

AN R35 LIKE NO OTHER ON THE PLANET!

30 40

’DRE’S ANATOMY KEEPING IT REVISITED IN THE FAMILY

INTERVIEW WITH TUNING MASTER ANDRE SIMON

BOOSTED E21 BMW

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SOUTHERN COMFORT

2019 V 4&ROTARY SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPS

56 006 EDITORIAL 008 ED. TEAM CHATTER 010 NEWS 016 GIG GUIDE 018 SOCIAL SLAM 027 SUBSCRIBE AND RECEIVE 092 CRUISE MODE 094 PADDON RALLYSPORT EV BUILD 096 WEEKEND WARRIOR 098 P’CAR BABE 102 PRODUCTS 104 DAILY DRIVEN 106 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 110 LOCAL SPECIALISTS 112 DRAG TIMES

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056 FROM CO-DRIVE TO PRODRIVE TOUR OF THE PRODRIVE WORKSHOP 064 THREE SIMPLE LETTERS RWB NZ 003 BUILD PARTY 072 PARTY AT MIKE’S HOUSE MAD MIKE’S SUMMER BASH 080 NOTHING LIKE THAT FIRST TIME 440KW RB26DETT S15 086 BUDGET BOXER BUILD PART TWO

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EDITORIAL

OWN THAT CHALLENGE

F

or most of you, by the time you’re reading this, work/study will be over for the year and summer will be welcoming you with open arms. My summer holidays will involve plenty of methanol, dirt, prepping between races, and heading to the beach with my family. It was 12 months ago exactly that I mentioned I was building an F2 midget and at the time of writing this, I’m fighting through my final issues and about to strap myself in for the first time. So, all going to plan, if you’re heading to the Springs over summer, I’ll expect a hello if you’re passing my pit space.

It’s been a testing time trying to piece that damn thing together, and despite the size and seemingly simple design that a midget has, I’ll tell you it’s been the single most intense build I’ve ever undertaken, and in a very short window (six months). Then again, any build is a challenge, and has its way of testing your patience, resolve, and tenacity to see things through to the end. I’ll be honest and say that there have been some very long nights in the shed, some lonely nights, and some heartbreaking nights when I’ve questioned what the hell I’m doing. But I’m damn lucky to have my partner Michelle in my corner and backing me 100 per cent. Without her and a couple of very solid cats on my side, I would not be this close to realizing a lifelong dream.

It’s the side of any build — no matter the magnitude — that you never really see when they’re featured in the magazine, shining at a car show, or racing around the track. And, unless you’ve gone through this yourself, you’ll never understand just what is really involved in making all those parts work in harmony. Busted knuckles, broken parts, wrong parts, dirt under the nails, wiring gremlins, dodgy tunes, and being let down by people that you’ve paid to work on your car, and sometimes tears behind closed doors.

These are all things that I hear from owners on an almost daily basis and are often the reason cover cars pull out at the last minute, deadlines are missed, and debuts are pushed months and sometimes years

out. It’s the game we all play, and call us suckers for punishment, but it’s one we’ll all come back for time and time again.

So, hats off to all those out there pushing to make their own dream vehicle a reality; without you hard-working folk, this magazine just would not exist.

We need you to keep pushing so that we have cars to share. This month’s cover car is one machine in particular that has been a long time coming. It’s a build of such complexity that it boggles my mind, and I’ve spent hours pouring over the details in person and talking face to face with the builders. So, as you’re kicking back at the beach trying to get your head around the build, just know that it’s something truly world class and the wildest build that we’ve had on the cover this years. When it does hit the strip in 2020, it’s going to be exciting — very exciting.

This month’s cover car is just one of the many highlights of this year’s NZPC issues, but some of the others include the rebuilds of Jesse Remkes’ E46, Steve Ellicott’s 808, and the new builds of Jacky Tse’s Evo wagon, Chopper’s Datsun 1200, Adam’s NSXpowered Integra, and how can I forget ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett’s Lambo? Now that’s a car I could never have dreamed would be built here in New Zealand by some punk rotary owner. These are all builds that pushed their owners, and seeing them completed and being used brings me joy knowing what each owner went through to make that happen. So, if you’re at your wits’ end with a build that’s just not going your way, know that you’re not alone. Almost every car builder goes through it, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it is currently. Just don’t give up!

Take care this summer while you’re out enjoying our culture; respect the road, and respect your skills behind the wheel — tomorrow’s not promised for any of us. Bring on 2020, and I look forward to sharing some seriously cool machines with you.

Marcus Gibson

Email: marcus@performancecar.co.nz Instagram: marcus.momowerks

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EDITOR Marcus Gibson, marcus@performancecar.co.nz ASSISTANT EDITOR Jaden Martin, jaden@performancecar.co.nz SUBEDITORS Karen Alexander, Peter Kelly PROOFREADER Odelia Schaare, Peter Kelly SENIOR DESIGNER Mark Gibson DESIGNER Day Barnes ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Renae Fisher CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Mai, Hayden Paddon, Keegan Clarke-Latham, Peter Kelly, Richard Opie, Strong Style Photo SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: magstore.nz PHONE: 0800 PARKSIDE (727 574) MAIL: Freepost Parkside Media Subs PO Box 46,020, Herne Bay, Auckland 1147 EMAIL: subs@parkside.co.nz

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PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING

L

ook, there’s no easy way to tell you this; it’s not something that I ever thought would happen to me and I’m at a loss for words. One minute you’re living a healthy, normal life, and the next you wake up to the crushing realization that it’s all going to change.

I know this news will be just as crushing to you.

However, I hope we can all come to terms with it given some time.

I like electric vehicles (EVs).

Before I get knocked on the head with a tyre iron and shipped off to a secure ward to be recalibrated, let me explain what I’m talking about. I don’t specifically like the mundane, commuter kind, your plug-in Nissan Leaf or hybrid Prius and so forth; I like the whole concept around developing a new, innovative approach to what drives us.

We’ve been doing this combustion-engine thing for more than a century, and, while it’s come a hell of a way in the past few decades, the technology is pretty damn dated. The fundamentals are still the same as day dot. With crippling emissions laws and a dwindling consumer market, we’re on a stagnant pathway that leaves little room for big

leaps in performance. Improvement is measured in millimetres, not kilometres, and there’s only so much further we can go before it plateaus completely.

Now, insert the rapid evolution of EV technology. Today, the roads are swarming with EVs, and, while mundane commuters still make up the majority, there are more and more performanceoriented examples showing up. I’m talking about the kind that have performance figures within the supercar realm and do it for under half the price.

Having been given the opportunity to drive a Tesla Model 3 Performance for a weekend recently, I got first-hand schooling in what this technology is actually capable of. One pull full (no-)noise and I was hitting warp speed, my peripheral vision blurred into a tunnel, my stomach turned inside out, and I was at risk of kissing goodbye to my licence in a few seconds.

The acceleration was mind-blowing, the power was instantaneous, and this was just the Performance variant of the lowest-specced model.

Factory rated to do 0–100kph in 3.4 seconds, it’s bloody quick. The Model Y above it — the big SUV with gull-wing rear doors — does the same

in 2.9 seconds, as does the Cybertruck. The Model S above those does it in 2.6; and the soon to be delivered Roadster can do it in 2.1 seconds, with a factory-rated 8.8-second quarter mile. An 8.8-second quarter-mile, people!

That’s all in just six years of vehicle production.

The technology is all so new, imagine where things could be in another six years, a decade, or 20 years from now! And the same way we have with the current fleet, I can't wait to see what results can be achieved once people work out how to tune them.

So yeah, I like EVs, and once you get a chance to see in the flesh what I’m on about, I think most of you will too. They don’t need to replace combustionengine cars — I’m not saying that at all — but they have every right to run alongside them.

Just don’t get left behind.

HAYDEN PADDON

PETER KELLY

RICHARD OPIE

KEEGAN CLARKE-LATHAM

AARON MAI

STRONG STYLE PHOTO

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CONTRIBUTORS

Jaden Martin Email: jaden@performancecar.co.nz Instagram: jaden_nzpcmagazine

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NEWS

PADDON RALLYSPORT LAUNCHES BEN NEVIS STATION HILL CLIMB Central Otago is set to receive a new gravel hill-climb event thanks to Kiwi rally hero Hayden Paddon. Run by his Paddon Rallysport Group, the Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 Hillclimb in Cromwell will take place over 7–8 March 2020. It is intended to be a sister event to the iconic Race to the Sky, which Paddon Rallysport is currently working to bring back for 2021. If the famed hill climb does return, the two events will run on alternating years.

The hill climb will use 6km of Nevis Road, a remote high-country route between Bannockburn and Kingston, with Ben Nevis Station featuring as the service park and hill-climb start. Each driver will get three runs each day, and the fastest time from each day will count towards the competitor’s final results, with the intention to put greater emphasis on each run but also allow for any

issues or car malfunctions that may hamper a competitor’s attempts.

The road is described as being twisty yet fast, with natural spectator zones that will allow viewers to see up to half the stage at once — a rare treat for spectators.

Paddon said, “We hope to attract some of the top hill-climb cars from around the country but also cater the event for all cars, classes, and drivers, as we hope to have at least 60 entries.

Spectator access will be free for the launch year, and the spectator zones enjoy some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the world.”

Organizers are currently working on regulations and aim to have these available before the end of the year. Expressions of interest are open and can be sent by email to info@paddonrallysport.co.nz.

TOYOTA RETURNS TO HOT WHEELS AND VIDEO GAME LINE-UPS After reportedly pulling its licensing out of video games that “promote street racing,” Toyota has reversed course and is now beginning to allow game developers to use its cars again. Following a return to Hot Wheels’ lineup, Toyota vehicles are now available in Forza Horizon 4, thanks to an update that rolled out in early December.

NISSAN GT-R GETS LEGO’D It’s official, Nissan has partnered with Lego to bring you the Lego Speed Champions line. The GT-R NISMO will be the first car to be produced, which will feature more detail and pieces than before, shifting from the previous 6-wide format to 8-wide.

The Nissan GT-R set will be available globally in January 2020.

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HARTLEY AND BAMBER INDUCTED INTO FIA HALL OF FAME In a ceremony at Automobile Club de France, veteran Kiwi racers Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber were among 29 title winners from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame. The ceremony celebrated the efforts of world champion endurance racers from around the globe, and the pair joined 33 champions of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the 17 winners of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) inducted in the previous two editions.

“Endurance racing occupies a special place in the history of motorsport as well as in my heart, and the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans is a major event on the WEC calendar,” FIA president Jean Todt said.

“It is, therefore, my greatest pleasure to inaugurate 29 FIA WEC title winners into the FIA Hall of Fame.”

Hartley and Bamber were WEC winners and 24 Hours of Le Mans winners together in 2017, while Hartley also claimed the WEC title in 2015 with Webber and Bernhard for Porsche.

TESLA CYBERTRUCK ON SALE IN NEW ZEALAND RED BULL DRIFT SHIFTERS GOES TO DENMARK

Tesla’s Cybertruck has absolutely demoed the Internet for a fortnight, swallowing up nearly all the automotive media outlets with back-toback stories taking shots at the wild styling, the botched launch event, and the viability of an electric pickup. Regardless of what the loud minority may think about it, there have already been more than 250,000 pre-orders worldwide and the number continues to grow.

Kiwis are now among them, with the Tesla New Zealand website having added a Cybertruck portal where buyers can throw

down a $200 fully refundable deposit to get into the queue for the 2022-onwards delivery.

Three variations are on offer: single-motor rear-wheel drive, dual-motor all-wheel drive, or tri-motor all-wheel drive. The full New Zealand pricing has not yet been confirmed, but the truck’s priced between US$39,900 and US$69,900 (NZ$62,155 and NZ$108,890) overseas.

Could this be the electric vehicle that finally breaks the traditional, ute-loving Kiwi market? In a few short years we’ll know.

Ever since we got our first taste of Red Bull Drift Shifters on the streets of Auckland City back in 2012, we’d been waiting for it to go international. In 2018 it finally did, tearing up the streets of Liverpool in the UK. After our own Gaz Whiter took out the top spot at that event, we’ve been hanging out to get word of what country would next play host to this unique sideways competition.

The man behind it, Mad Mike Whiddett, announced last month that thanks to having already undertaken some wild projects there and meeting a heap of rad fans, he is excited to unleash his high-octane pinball event in Herning, Demark!

The date is set for 16 May 2020, and a full driver line up has yet to be announced — stay tuned for further updates.

TING IONAL DRIF D1NZ NATIO T HIP DA ES CHAMP NS 20 —

y 20 –25 Januar Round 1: 24 ro class only) (P ll rk, Invercargi Pa a ng to re Te he 20 — Pukeko Februar y 20 –9 8 : 2 d n nd ou R , Auckla Park Raceway 2020 — 9 Februar y –2 8 2 : 3 d n Rou m, Tauranga aypark Stadiu Trustpower B on 020 — Hampt 28 March 2 ta ha w au K Round 4: 27– Te sport Park, Downs Motor rk Pukekohe Pa May 2020 — –9 8 : 5 d n Rou land Raceway, Auck

RUSSELL VARE CLAIMS D1NZ PRO-SPORT SEASON OPENER In a refreshed season opener that saw the D1NZ National Drifting Championship Pro-Sport class run separately from the Pros and hosted at the Drift Matsuri Spring Break, Waiuku drifter Russell Vare claimed a seemingly unlikely win to kick off his 2019–’20 campaign.

Going down at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo, Vare nearly didn’t make the round after setbacks meant that he was left without a comp car and was forced to step into the driver’s seat of the Matthew Brown–owned Nissan Silvia S15. The pair qualified 9th and 10th respectively in the 20-car field.

The shocks hit straight away as series veteran Calvin Clark, who had qualified 16th, knocked out top qualifier Adam Whitehead in

the Top 16 battles. Clark went on to battle Vare in the Top 8 but was duly taken out. Ra Heyder sent Jared Andersen home in the Top 16 on the opposite side of the tree, and then Tully Puckey in the Top 8 after the S14 pilot went off the track.

Cefiro ace Eddie Hayman was bested

by Jamie Carr, who went on to defeat series favourite Scott Dinsdale. Adam Camplin beat D1NZ returnee Joe Kukutai followed by Andy Donoghue, who spun his new LS-powered S14 on the lead run.

Rounding out the Top 4, Vare was pitted against Camplin, while Heyder took on Carr. With a super-close battle being thrown down, Heyder got one up on Carr to make it through to the final, while Vare took the win over Camplin, setting up a

Heyder v. Vare final. The pair proved inseparable in the first battle, leading to the calling of a one-moretime. Vare was awarded the win after a mistake from Heyder forced Vare to take evasive action.

Vare paid tribute to Matthew Brown for the borrowed car, making for a comeback of sorts after crashing out of the final round last season.

“I’m pretty humbled, to be honest,” said Vare. “Matt lent me his car and gave me tyres and fuel. I didn’t think I’d be standing here in first place, especially after borrowing a car I’ve never driven. This car is absolutely amazing.”

The D1NZ National Drifting Championship heads to Teretonga Park next for the Pro Class opener over 24–25 January 2020. For all information and ticketing, visit d1nz.com.

D1NZ TO FEATURE IN NEW PRIME FREE-TO-AIR MOTORSPORT SHOW

GET IN AMONGST THE 2020 JACK DANIELS KUMEU CLASSIC CAR AND HOT ROD SHOW

It may not be NZ Performance Car ’s specific rodeo, but if you’re based in the North Island and anything like any of the thousands of people who flood the gate every year, then you’ve grown up with the iconic Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Show. The event has clocked up an impressive 25 years in the game and amassed a cult following unlike any other.

Stationed at the Kumeu A&P Showgrounds, where it has been held since day dot, the next incarnation is set to take place over the weekend of 18–19 January 2020. Kumeu promises paddocks and paddocks full of classics, vintages, hot rods, customs, muscles, and pro-tourers. If that wasn’t already enough to get you drooling, there’s a massive swap meet that could very well have that one piece you’ve been hunting for years. There’s also a top-shelf show hall, good eats, live music, pedal-car racing for the kids, a vintage caravan

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CAN NEW NISSAN CEO SAVE THE STRUGGLING CAR MAKER?

Amid pending legal action against its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, who was arrested last year on various financial misconduct charges, and the failing of Ghosn’s successor, Hiroto Saikawa, who stood down after a scandal of his own centred on dubious income, Nissan has appointed a new chief executive: Makoto Uchida.

Uchida, who is also Nissan’s president, has been thrown into the hot seat at a time of crisis for Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, with sales and profits tumbling.

He told reporters that he will emphasize transparency and work to restore the company’s credibility. He also stressed that the alliance with Renault and smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. must remain strong, with deepening cooperation while respecting each other’s independence “as equal partners”.

Analysts say that Nissan has fallen behind in product development, a problem dating back to the years under Ghosn. It’s up to the new leadership team to fix that.

park, Airbrush Alley, a beauty pageant, the Men’s Beard Comp, the Retro-o-Rama Market, and a strongman comp!

While some may be concerned about traffic into the event — it’s pretty damn popular, after all — you need not worry. Organizers have spared no expense when it comes to traffic management in order to ease congestion and get you through the gate faster.

Also worth noting is the change in camping this year: now, only show participants (swappers, indoor/outdoor car displayers, and trade-site holders) will have the opportunity to pitch a tent and stay overnight; no campsites for people who just want to party.

For the full rundown on the event, including how to enter and secure your place, visit kumeuhotrodfestival.co.nz.

Launching mid-December, Prime has announced a yet-to-be-named motorsport show that will centre around race highlights, interviews, and stories from race meetings around the country. Our national drifting championship series, D1NZ, will feature on the show with highlights from its five pro class championship rounds — complementing the already announced Sky Sport live broadcast deal.

“The live Sky broadcast is a great way to get [a] motorsport fix as the action happens … adding a high-quality free-to-air element to the overall package will help New Zealand motorsport reach a wider audience,” says Speed Works Events promoter, Geoff Short.

“There is a lot happening in New Zealand Motorsport right now and it’s all good news for the sport and the fans.”

GIGGUIDE

IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IN THE GIG GUIDE, EMAIL EDITOR@PERFORMANCECAR.CO.NZ WITH ALL THE DETAILS DECEMBER 2019 21 DECEMBER DRIFT SOUTH, ROUND THREE Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch 21 DECEMBER ROTATIONALS: SUMMER MEET 2019 Westpoint Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland

ANIMAL STYLE GP HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK

21–22 DECEMBER MSC CHALLENGE NEW ZEALAND Evergreen Drift Park, Meremere

Since the day it arrived on the drifting scene back in 2009, drift team Animal Style has been known for its aggressive, sharp driving and unparalleled car styling. Representing home-grown US talent, these days Animal Style is a global name in the drifting community, and the team lets its drifting do the talking in countries such as Japan and Australia. Now, thanks to the crew behind the massively successful Pinkstyle GP — D-Club and C’s Garage — the guys from Animal Style will be making their way to our neck of the woods in 2020! Dubbed the ‘Animal Style GP’, the two-day bash will see Animal Style founders Julian Jacobs and Jason Bostrom venture down under to carve their signature on the Hampton Downs Club Circuit on Saturday, 18 January and Monday, 20 January 2020. Saturday will host the public showcase and driver comp at which our American guests are set to throw down individual demonstration sessions for your viewing pleasure, sharing the track alongside New Zealand’s own driving talent. Monday will be a whole lot more intimate, with the duo letting their hair down and getting amongst a select handful of invited local drifters with no spectators.

Tickets and entry details are yet to be released, so follow the D-Club and C’s Garage social-media channels (@dclubgp, @csgarage) to stay up to date.

29 DECEMBER CAFFEINE & GASOLINE Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Te Kauwhata 29 DECEMBER NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND THREE Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo JANUARY 2020 4–5 JANUARY NZ SUPERLAP, ROUND TWO Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo 11 JANUARY NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND FOUR Meremere Dragway, Meremere 11 JANUARY PLAYDAY ON TRACK Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, Feilding 11–12 JANUARY BMW FESTIVAL Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Te Kauwhata 18–19 JANUARY JACK DANIELS KUMEU CLASSIC CAR AND HOT ROD FESTIVAL 2020 Kumeu Showgrounds, Kumeu 18–19 JANUARY SPEED WORKS EVENTS, ROUND TWO Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell

D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND ONE TERETONGA PARK, INVERCARGILL It’s been a year of massive changes ahead of the 2019/2020 season of the D1NZ National Drifting Championship.

With a refreshed five-round calendar that sees three of those run in conjunction with Speed Works Events — including the Castrol Toyota Racing Series, BNT V8s, and various support classes — long-running venues such as Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Trustpower Baypark Stadium, and Pukekohe Park stay on as regular fixtures. New for this year, Teretonga Park in Invercargill will now play host to the opening round of the Pro Class — a venue where drifting at this level has never been seen before.

The Pro-Sport series has dropped down to four rounds, skipping Teretonga. This class’s year has already begun, kicking off at Drift Matsuri Spring Break 2019, and will rejoin the Pros later in the season.

This means that punters can expect Teretonga to be the ultimate battle of the giants, and, as with the many openers that have run in the past, this will be a chance for all the big names to go head-to-head to gain a strong foothold in what is shaping up to be an absolute mammoth D1NZ season.

Don’t miss out — secure your tickets online now at d1nz.com!

25–26 JANUARY SPEED WORKS EVENTS, ROUND THREE Teretonga Park, Invercargill 26 JANUARY CAFFEINE & GASOLINE Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Te Kauwhata 26 JANUARY NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND FIVE Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch FEBRUARY 2020 1 FEBRUARY NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND SIX Motueka Aerodrome, Nelson 3 FEBRUARY NZ PERFORMANCE CAR ISSUE NO. 279 ON SALE!

2020 4&ROTARY NATIONALS CLAUDELANDS EVENT CENTRE, HAMILTON | MEREMERE DRAGWAY, MEREMERE | HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK Listen up, people — if you thought that the extension to a three-day format last year was the biggest thing to hit the 4&Rotary Nationals, you may need to sit down for this doozy. For the first time in the event’s 23-year history, it will be held outside of Auckland! Yep, you read that right: with new owners (Downtime Entertainment) taking the helm for the first time in 2020, the calendar mainstay will head southwards to the Waikato region.

The show portion will now be hosted at Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton, on Saturday, 25 January, and will be followed up by the customary day of drag racing at Meremere Dragway, Meremere, on the Sunday.

Monday (Queen’s Birthday) will see the party shift over to Hampton Downs Motorsport Park — another first for the event — for a full day on track. Entries are open now, and, as we all know, they sell out bloody quick, so make sure you get yours right now, or you’ll be forced to wander around looking at what could have been.

For all the finer details, competitor entry, and spectator information, head to 4androtary.co.nz.

7–8 FEBRUARY D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND TWO Pukekohe Park, Pukekohe 8 FEBRUARY AUCKLAND CAR CLUB SUMMER SERIES, ROUND FOUR Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo 9 FEBRUARY ELLERSLIE CLASSIC CAR SHOW 2020 Ellerslie Racecourse, Remuera, Auckland 14–16 FEBRUARY ROTARY REUNION 2020 Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo 16 FEBRUARY NZ SUPERLAP, ROUND THREE Pukekohe Park Raceway, Pukekohe 22 FEBRUARY DRIFT SOUTH, ROUND FOUR Timaru International Motor Raceway, Timaru

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23 FEBRUARY CAFFEINE & GASOLINE Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Te Kauwhata 28–29 FEBRUARY D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND THREE Trustpower Baypark Stadium, Tauranga

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DODSON MOTORSPORT GT1 SPEC R35 PROTOTYPE

D AN L A ZE E! W R NE N FI F O T O ERE U E O EREM M CO ET M O S R T TO A C T G OU A R AB D S RT IT’ O D MP AN I ST RS — E ILD YEA W E NT H T ECE T EE IN R M

WORDS: M ARCUS

GIBSON PHOTOS : STRO NG ST YLE P HOTO

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R

ight off the bat, you’re probably thinking that we should have named this article ‘Godzilla’, right? That nickname has stuck to the GT-R like glue since its older brother, the R32 GT-R, was dubbed with it on arrival on Australian soil in the Group A days of the early ’90s. It’s a term that stuck around for the generations of GT-R to come. However, what we have here is technically not a Skyline, not an R35, not a GT-R, or even a Nissan, so it’s most definitely not a Godzilla. So, what is it? Well, my friends, what we have here is a ‘King Kong’, hand built here in New Zealand to serve any Godzilla a death blow. Confused yet? Well, read on and all will be revealed.

At first glance, one might be forgiven for thinking this is a Nissan R35 in drag-spec trim, but look a little closer and its real form starts to unravel at about the same time as your mind starts to unravel as you come to grips with the intensity of this build. Draped in a complete carbon-fibre body, which is hung from a hand-built 4130 chromoly tube chassis, which was both designed and constructed here in New Zealand by

SHOES WHEELS: (F) 17-inch Belak beadlock, titanium hardware; (R) 15x10-inch Belak beadlock, titanium hardware TYRES: (F) Hoosier front runner, (R) 28.0 x 10-inch Mickey Thompson ET Drag

HEART ENGINE: Billet VR38DET, 3800cc, V6 BLOCK: Custom DMS billet block, Bill Miller Engineering (BME) forged alloy drag rods, Diamond pistons, heavy-duty diamond-coated wrist pins, Bryant billet crankshaft HEAD: DMS drag package, CNC ported heads, custom camshafts, oversized Super alloy valves, heavy-duty valve springs, titanium retainers INTAKE: DMS custom alloy intercooler piping, custom billet / carbon intake manifold, EXHAUST: Custom stainless side-exit TURBO: Garrett GTX5544R Gen II (106mm), DMS stainless exhaust manifold WASTEGATE: Twin 44mm TiAL BOV: Twin Turbosmart Race Port FUEL: Twin MagnaFuel 675 fuel pumps, Walbro 255 pump, custom billet fuel rail, 1700cc primary injectors, 5750cc secondary injectors IGNITION: M&W capacitordischarge, M&W coils, MSD leads ELECTRONICS: MoTeC M150, twin MoTeC PDM, custom race harness COOLING: Custom small radiator, Davies Craig EWP150 EXTRA: Peterson dry-sump pump, Peterson oil tank

Dodson Motorsport (DMS). It takes all the running gear from the famed Nissan R35, and drops an impressive 500kg of kerb weight straight away, while also improving rigidity and safety.

Dropping that much weight while retaining all the wizardry of the R35 in stock form would make a formidable race car by most people’s standards, but for Iain Clegg and the team from ST hi-tec a stock power train would never do.

Those names will be familiar to you — or, at the very least, you’ll recall the latest two of Iain’s GT-Rs that we had on the cover, in particular, his last R35, which boasted 969kW

from a 4.1 stroker VR38. With that car, Iain dominated the 2016–’17 Pro Street class in Superlap, ran a 10.056s at 147mph (236.5kph) on the quarter-mile, setting the New Zealand R35 record, and ran a top speed of 315kph during a Landspeed New Zealand Association event. All of that was in full street trim and with every one of the 1780kg that the R35 GT-R came with from the factory.

So, when Iain wanted to take a serious step up with his circuit racing, the logical choice was to give up the streetability and build a proper race car. Enter the idea to build up a DMS

EXTERIOR PAINT: Smithy Signs wrap ENHANCEMENTS: Full DMS carbon body, carbon doors, carbon drag wing, carbon bumpers, polycarbonate windows

INTERIOR SEATS: Head-restraint Racetech STEERING WHEEL: Sportsline INSTRUMENTATION: MoTeC C127, MoTeC C187

DRIVELINE GEARBOX: DMS Heavy Duty GR6, DMS Extreme Duty gear set, billet front diff housing, billet mid-plate, billet shift forks CLUTCH: DMS 13-plate Extreme Duty, DMS front-wheel-drive clutch DIFF: Wavetrac front, Wavetrac rear EXTRA: Carbon driveshafts, trans brace

SUPPORT STRUTS: Ohlins TTX dampers, Eibach springs BRAKES: GT1R drag package EXTRA: DMS chromoly chassis, DMS billet suspension arms, custom rear suspension rockers

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GT1 chassis kit, which, at the time, was the prototype and first of its kind in the world. Devoid of anything not necessary in order to go fast, it was deemed the perfect base from which to jump to the pointy end of New Zealand’s fastest tin-top race class, GTRNZ. Before that step to circuit racing was taken, the idea was floated to have a crack at the Sport Compact GT-R world record, which was in the mid-seven-second zone at that stage. With Dodson’s Glenn Cupit the long-time tuner of Kiwi racer Rod Harvey, it didn’t take long for Iain to twist his arm on the drag idea.

What the two workshops would build over the next four years is one of the most serious import drag cars ever to be constructed in New Zealand. It’s no half step into drag racing, but, during the four-year build process, that GT-R record continually dropped, with top teams in the US throwing serious quantities of resources at it, in the process lowering the record to 6.56s at 225mph (410kph). It’s not something that will be chased easily from here in New Zealand, with the limited budget and track time, but running

in the sevens remains the goal, and, in the process, they hope to smash the current Australasia R35 record and, of course, the New Zealand record.

Record aspirations aside, what this project will really do is showcase some amazing Kiwi engineering and componentry; it truly is a world-class piece of drag gear. The chassis itself remains unchanged from the DMS GT1 spec, which is dimensionally an R35, although suspension geometry and weight balance have been optimized. Dodson’s head fabricator, Duane Huxtable, who spends 10 weeks per frame hand building each chassis, explains the design as the best compromise between strength, rigidity, and weight. Up front, the geometry remains as Nissan designed it, while, out back, the Ohlins TTX twin-tube dampers are mounted horizontally and act off custom bell cranks. The Ohlins are serious dampers: the very same ones you’ll find in the Nismo GT3 R35s, although the spring rates are currently much lower to achieve the squat needed in drag racing. A lightweight brake

kit with solid rotors and five-stud hubs replace the big brakes and centrelock hubs that it will wear in circuit spec. It should go without saying that the wheel package is also drag specific, with Belak beadlocks, complete with titanium hardware measuring 17x10 inches up front and 15x10-inches on the rear.

Where things really ramp up for drag racing, though, is under the carbon bonnet. The exact power output remains simply an educated guess, as the final tuning will take place at the track. The parts list (which includes a billet crank; Diamond pistons; billet alloy rods; CNC ported heads with custom cams with an undisclosed duration north of 300 degrees; and custom billet block, designed

by Dodson and carved from a solid chunk of billet alloy) should give you an indication of the car’s potential if the gigantic Garrett Gen II 106mm huffer hanging off the front fails to.

The block is devoid of any water galleries; instead, an electric

PERFORMANCE POWER: Plenty

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water pump (EWP) sends water to the heads only and cools them via a small radiator tucked under the side of the bumper. The bulk share of responsibility for cooling the engine will fall to the tonnes of methanol passing through the custom billet fuel rails with 1700cc and 5750cc injectors, yes that is 5750cc injectors, mounted in the custom billet and carbon-fibre inlet manifold.

To give an indication of the drag package’s potential: during early development, the engine hit the dyno on E85, and, with low boost, it made significantly more power than the old R35 ever did.

Now running strictly on methanol, and with plenty more boost to be dialled in as the team comes to grips with the car and putting it down the drag strip here in New Zealand, the true potential should soon be realized. The key to this all comes via the all-controlling MoTeC M150 ECU. If the team were simply to feed high boost off the start line, the torque delivered would smash the driveline to pieces, so a complex boost-control system using wheel speed as the reference point is employed to limit the amount of boost the engine sees. To achieve this, four wheel-speed sensors can be found, one at each corner. These sensors also feed information to the custom DMS front diff controller, which controls the front diff’s electromagnet. The electromagnet engages the clutch packs, applying more torque to the front wheels as soon it senses that the rear wheels are starting to lose traction.

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S U B S C R I B E T O D AY

It’s this sort of thinking that has long seen DMS as a world leader on the R35 GT-R world stage. Its Heavy Duty GR6 gearboxes and 13-plate Extreme Duty clutches, both of which are employed here, are world-leading components that have long been used by record-holding teams around the world, with guys putting upwards of 3000whp (2237kW) to the ground through them.

Any project of this magnitude takes time to get ready to run. With the build now complete, the team is working hard to get it dialled and Iain in the driver’s seat ready to send it — understandably, Iain is chomping at the bit to mash the billet loud pedal. The first shakedown a few months back saw a few small teething issues that resulted in some wild rear-wheel-drive-only passes, but these issues have been ironed out by the software writers at MoTeC, and a second private test day will have taken place before you read this.

You may be wondering when you can come trackside to witness this beast run. Well, we’ve been told that, all going to plan, it will be hitting some of the biggest drag events this summer to make use of the track surface but that it will not be seen in public until the team is confident that it can put the car on kill and show the world what the package is truly capable of — that will be a sight well worth the admission.

For all that it’ll be exciting to see what the team can achieve over the coming year while in drag trim, let’s not forget that there is a whole other race programme planned, including a complete new engine package and carbon aero package, which will take place once the team is satisfied it has achieved all it can on the strip. But that’s a whole other story for a whole other day — one that will be well worth reading about if the current guise is anything to go off!

DRIVER PROFILE

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DRIVER/OWNER: ST Hitec THANKS::ST Hitec, Dodson Motorsport, Glen Cupit, Duane Huxtable, Michael Dalton, Ultimate big boy collaboration; NZ vs the world; the late Arnie Ngyen RIP always riding by my side

New Zealand’s leading

nissan gtr specialists

NZ ULTIMATE TUNING AND PERFORMANCE POWER-HOUSE Dodson Motorsport parts Dealer

09 573 5575

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THE WORLD HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY SINCE ANDRE SIMON TUNED HIS FIRST MODIFIED CAR, BUT SO HAS HE INTERVIEW: PETER KELLY PHOTOS: NZPC

A

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ndre Simon is no stranger to these pages, but when a recent yarn with the legendary Kiwi tuner/ex-NZPC tech expert swung towards the ‘good old days’ and the fact that plenty of our younger readers probably didn’t even exist when Andre strapped his first car onto the rollers, we knew it was time for a good ol’ campfire chat. This is a story about exceptionally bad haircuts, burning money on the cutting edge, and finding new callings beyond the soot-stained, sound-proofed walls of a dyno room.

NZ Performance Car: What was your first introduction to cars, and what was it that captured your interest at the time?

Andre Simon: It’s a little hard to pinpoint a single thing, to be honest. I think I was kind of brought up with an interest in anything mechanical, and when I was growing up I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to learn how to race karts. The car thing just grew from that once I was old enough to get a licence.

What did you want to be when you grew up, and at what point did you realize that cars and racing could be a real career for you?

I actually wanted to be a commercial pilot and did quite a lot of training towards that while I was still at school. The car thing was simmering away below the surface, though, and I was subconsciously trying to connect the dots and find a way of making it a career. That old saying, ‘Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’ really resonated with me.

What was the scene like back then in those early days? It must have been exciting when GTXs, Legacys, and VR-4s started flooding the scene?

It was pretty cool to have access to those early 4WD turbo cars. It was a game changer for the scene when tuners started figuring out how easy it was to extract massive power from these platforms, and with the 4WD drivetrains, you could actually get it to the ground — as long as you didn’t break the gearbox.

What do you miss most about that time?

I think the cars we had access to back then were a lot simpler and we had a lot more flexibility in what we could do when modifying them — way more relaxed certification rules and probably a lot more cops who just didn’t know what they were looking at. For me, personally, I was learning so much back then that I was a bit like a kid in a candy store. I also miss how vibrant our street scene was, particularly in Wellington.

Was modifying a car back then the same as it is now, or has everything changed?

It’s the same in many ways, as the basics of making power haven’t changed. Back then just about everything we did was custom, which was pretty rewarding. These days we’re seeing a lot more ‘off the shelf’ kits for popular cars like the R35, which makes modifying them more of a ‘tick the boxes and pay your money’ sort of thing.

Just how different is something that you were working with back in the day — a Link G2 for example — compared to modern ECU offerings?

Back in the G2 Link era, the engines were relatively simple and all you needed to do was control fuel and ignition. These days the cars are a lot more complex and there’s a lot more to control. It’s also become harder and more expensive to swap in a stand-alone ECU, so we’ve seen a lot more reliance on reflashing the factory ECU because of things like fly-by-wire throttle control and all the extra safety systems. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s a steep learning curve as you need to understand how these factory ECUs control fuel and ignition — sometimes manufacturers have really weird strategies.

You became involved in the industry at a time when these early stand-alone ECUs entered the mainstream; when and how did you transition from street racing and working on cars for yourself to deciding there might be an opportunity to start a business?

I kind of fell into it by accident. I was teaching myself about EFI tuning while studying for my master’s degree. I started getting asked to tune more and more cars, and people were happy with the results I was getting. At one point I was doing more tuning than

I kind of fell into it by accident.

I was teaching myself about EFI tuning while studying for my master’s degree

study and there weren’t many other local tuners at the time. I got so busy with tuning that I decided to pull the pin on my master’s degree. The natural next step was to start Speedtech Motorsport.

To be honest, initially, it really existed to fuel my own passion for racing. As we progressed and grew, we changed focus from it being a hobby to a proper business. Looking back, I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

If you had to single out one big change that has had the biggest effect in automotive technology over the course of your career, what would that be?

It’s hard to narrow that down to just one so I’m going with two.

First up is the advances in turbo technology — I’m a turbo guy at heart. These have made it a lot easier to extract massive power without sacrificing response. The turbos we have access to right now allow us to get results I couldn’t have dreamed of 15 years ago. At the same time, we’ve seen the electronic controls advance dramatically and the ECU tuning is critical to getting results and reliability.

You were one of the biggest fish in the New Zealand import drag racing scene when it was at its peak; what was the scene like at that point? Everyone seemed incredibly competitive as the ETs kept falling, making for a very exciting time to be involved.

I was lucky to be involved in the best days of import racing in New Zealand. The crowds we had at the major events were unreal and we had so much competition. The battles between myself, Brett Lee Sang and Zoheb were awesome and there were several weekends when the Evo record would be reset at the Friday Night

Wars at Meremere, only for me to drop it lower the next day at Masterton Motorplex. Without the competition, I don’t think any of us would have gone as fast as we did.

Your Mitsubishi Evo III, more commonly known as DOCILE, became a rolling billboard for your business, and one of the best-known cars in the country. Where is that car now, and do you think you’d ever bring it out again just for fun?

It’s currently sitting in the museum at Highlands Motorsport Park — just up the road from my home in Queenstown. It’s a rolling chassis at the moment; we sold off all the running gear. I’m honestly not too sure what I’ll do with it. Every now and then I consider building an engine for it but I’m really in the wrong part of the country for competitive drag racing. Maybe we’ll bring it out in another 10 years for a nostalgia meeting.

We seem to remember DOCILE being a car that — like most others at the time — either ran incredibly quick or broke on launch. That must have been a frustrating and expensive time? Was it just ‘par for the course’ when you’re racing on the bleeding edge?

Yea, it was a roller coaster for sure. As a tuner and engine builder, I was always pushing to make as much power as we possibly could and this actually hurt us. In the early days, we had a lot of trouble with drivetrain reliability, and the 60-foot performance sucked.

Once we developed our clutch slipper valve, the car’s reliability improved and the ETs dropped. When you’re pushing 1200-plus horsepower from a two-litre to the wheels, though, there are always going to be reliability problems.

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The battles between myself, Brett Lee Sang and Zoheb were awesome and there were several weekends when the Evo record would be reset at the Friday Night Wars at Meremere, only for me to drop it lower the next day at Masterton Motorplex

If you’re developing your own slipper clutch, how do you even test something like that on a 1200+-hp drag car without potentially wasting thousands going to a track meet just find it doesn’t work?

Well, we had a pretty big backyard at the shop.

In your opinion, what happened to import drag racing; why has it become so much smaller than it once was?

I think it got incredibly expensive to be at the pointy end. When I got into it, it was possible for a guy or girl to build a car in their shed and have a chance of taking out a class win or setting a record. As the times tumbled we needed more and more power and better drivetrains to be competitive, and that all adds up. I think we also

saw a lot of spectators move on as other sports, such as drifting, became popular here.

You were a quarter-mile world record holder for a long time; looking back on it now, do you think records matter?

Was it worth it?

It’s a tough one because records don’t last forever and the times have dropped considerably since I was racing. However, nobody can take away the fact that we set and held those records — I think at last count we held five import world records among the cars we built, tuned, or consulted on — and I’m really proud of those achievements. They also set us up really well for our current business; those records built a lot of credibility.

I think it got incredibly expensive to be at the pointy end.

When I got into it, it was possible for a guy or girl to build a car in their shed and have a chance of taking out a class win or setting a record

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When you’re running deep in the eights with a car that can overpower the track anywhere, I can assure you there’s an element of skill

You’re now much more heavily involved in circuit racing — is that just to satisfy your geek side and allow you to record more than just eight seconds worth of data?

I think it’s a different challenge from drag racing. Most people think drag racing involves no driver skill, and maybe that’s true if you’re running 14s in your street car. When you’re running deep in the eights with a car that can overpower the track anywhere, I can assure you there’s an element of skill. You do get to a point with drag racing, though, where you’re spending more and more money in order to spend less and less time in the driver’s seat. I like the amount of seat time I get on a circuit, particularly with the endurance events we’re competing in.

You built STM up to be one of the biggest businesses of its type in the country. Why did you walk away, and what happened to it?

While I still owned STM, Ben — my current business partner and former ops manager at STM — and I had started High Performance Academy as a side business. It quickly became obvious that I couldn’t do justice to both businesses and had to choose one. I sold STM. Sadly, the person who bought it really didn’t share my vision for the business and within about 18 months it had gone downhill. It ended up changing hands again before finally shutting the doors. It’s a real shame as it was a great business with an excellent reputation.

Is circuit racing just as much a rich man’s sport as drag racing?

I think it’s as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. You don’t need the best of everything, and a lot of fun can be had in a very basic car. If you want to race competitively, of course the budget is going to climb but it doesn’t need to cost mega dollars.

High Performance Academy — what is it and why did you start it?

Over the years I owned STM I was always frustrated by the lack of knowledge in the tuning industry and the generally poor quality of workmanship I kept seeing. We’d started doing in-person EFI training courses through STM and kept getting asked to travel

internationally to host training. That wasn’t something Ben or I wanted to do, so we stumbled on the idea of recording the course and selling it online. Fast forward six years and we now have around 20 courses covering topics on tuning, engine building, and wiring.

Haha, I’d have said the same! We’re in a super-niche industry, for sure. However, thanks to the power of the Internet, we have access to the entire world, so that small niche still ends up being a lot of people. At this point we’ve had around 35,000 people join up and learn with HPA from just about every country you could think of.

Is tuning really that easy to learn, though? Is it actually accessible for everyone, or do you think that you have to have a pretty good level of knowledge to get started?

I think it’s made out to be much harder than it really is. I believe that it’s something that any enthusiast with a little patience and an eye for detail can learn. It is, however, a specialist skill, and, like any skill, it’s going to take time to become proficient at it. The key is starting out slowly on something that’s relatively low powered until you’re comfortable and confident with the process.

Despite being one of the top tuners in the country, you don’t do it anymore, and really only tune very special projects these days. Why is that?

My time is very limited these days and, while I’d love to be able to do more customer tuning, I really need to stay focused on developing HPA and our course material. It’s rewarding to tune a car for a customer and get a great result, but in doing that I’m only able to help one person. With the content I develop for HPA, I’m able to use that same amount of time and help thousands of people all around the world, which is better for the industry.

If you’d told us 10 years ago that there’d be enough people interested in DIY ECU tuning to sustain an entire business with an office full of staff and a fleet of race cars, we might have scoffed. What’s the deal — are there really that many people out there keen to take this sort of stuff on themselves?

Tuning cars seems like a profession fraught with potential pitfalls. What do you think about the responsibility of the tuner vs the owner when it comes to engine failures, improperly prepared cars coming in for a day on the dyno, and all that sort of carry-on? Is

At this point we’ve had around 35,000 people join up and learn with HPA from just about every country you could think of.

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there a way for both parties to avoid potential head and heartaches?

That is a tough one and I don’t know that there’s an easy answer.

There’s a lot of tuners around the world doing terrible work and blowing up engines, and obviously they should be taking responsibility. Equally, though, there are plenty of enthusiasts bringing a grenade that’s held together with hopes and dreams to the dyno and then pointing the finger when the inevitable happens.

From the enthusiast’s perspective, I think doing your homework and researching the tuner you’re going to use is the first place to start. Also, you need to understand what you’re getting into. If you want a fast street car and you’ve got the right parts to support your power aims, then you should be able to expect a reliable result. If you’re chasing world records and pushing the envelope, then you have to expect some failures along the way. A clear conversation before the car hits the dyno about the expected outcome and potential dangers will avoid a lot of problems down the line.

You and your business partner Ben Silcock have recently branched out and created more companies in a similar vein. What are they and what purposes do they serve?

Because we’ve been doing more racing we’ve seen the same lack of knowledge and misinformation in that industry as we have in the tuning industry so we’ve just started RaceCraft, which will help enthusiasts learn how to modify their cars, optimize the performance on track, improve their race-driving techniques, and analyze data. We’ve also partnered with Nigel Petrie from Engineered to Slide in Australia to produce an online fabrication school, which we’re really excited about.

Your businesses seem to have you always jetting off to the big industry conventions like SEMA and PRI, so you must have a good perspective on where it’s all heading in the future. What do you expect to see in 10 or even

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The performance we’re seeing from stock production EVs from the likes of Tesla are making even the majority of supercars look pretty average

20 years? Where are we heading? What’s the next big thing?

You’d be living under a rock if you didn’t think that electric vehicles are going to become dominant in the next decade. The performance we’re seeing from stock production EVs from the likes of Tesla are making even the majority of supercars look pretty average. I think there’s going to be a lot more to come as people start learning how to modify EVs and we continue to see battery technology improve. I’m torn, though, as it’s hard to fall in love with the sound of an EV. Lastly, we’ve just got to ask. We have vivid memories of some pretty out-there aesthetic choices back in the day — bright blue spiky hair / Sonic the Hedgehog phase: brave style pioneer or grievous fashion misstep?

I’d obviously claim style pioneer, but I might be in the minority there. What can I say? You try things; some work and others don’t.

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STAYIN G IN T HE TR ANSFROM BORRO F RMIN ING 15 YEAO G IT INW TO A TAUUNTY’S CAR RS DOW FOR BA R N THE L CK TRE INE — TBO M20B25-P E HIS IS C OWERS ED AWTAHACKING TO O R RIE DE WORDS A WAGT’S RD-WINN ND PHOTO ER S: JADEN WILD ‘7 M ARTIN o car go 9 BMW SOME es harde E21 r and ta don’t o

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HEART

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ENGINE: BMW M20B25, 2494cc, straight-six BLOCK: Factory HEAD: Auckland Cams 272-degree camshaft INTAKE: Custom front facing plenum, 90mm throttle body EXHAUST: Custom 2.5-inch stainless steel system, Adrenalin R muffler, custom shotgun tips TURBO: Holset HX50, Top Street Kings stainless steel manifold WASTEGATE: Turbosmart 38mm FUEL: 650cc injectors, 500hp external pump IGNITION: Bosch coils ECU: Link G4+ COOLING: E36 alloy radiator EXTRA: Link boost solenoid, relocated fuse box, loom tucked

paychecks into, right? People should know by now that from the moment you’re handed keys to a car that you have no vested interest in and you’re out of eyesight, the party is already starting.

There are no promises that the poor machine will make it back in one piece, or even back at all.

When Corrie De Wagt’s aunty offered him the use of her ’79 BMW E21 to sit his license test in many years ago, under the premise that it was in order to get the all-important ‘manual’ endorsement, she unknowingly said goodbye to it forever. Corrie passed his test easy and opted to drive the E21 around as his own for an extended period of time. A teenager in control of a light-weight, manual two-litre quickly translated into more than a few stints of backroad antics and culminated in the diff being sent straight into outer space. Broken, abused and without anyone stumping up to repair it, the E21 was relegated to sitting behind Corrie’s parents’ house for a solid decade.

And it would likely still be there if it wasn’t for Corrie’s aunty officially gifting it to him six years ago. Of course, now with a vested interest, Corrie wasted no time in pulling the BMW out from where it had hibernated and set about rebuilding it.

Although its time spent dormant had taken its toll on the chassis, rust had set in heavily and with next to no parts cars around to pillage, it meant Corrie, a panel beater by trade, had to make his own repairs. This saw the rusted sills replaced, the bottoms of all doors replaced, and the boot floor remade. After all that, it’s

probably a little frustrating that Corrie would meet now-good friend and fellow E21 owner, Ryan, the following year and discover that he had five parts cars to choose from. Ah well.

Corrie tells us that after all the repair work was done, he had only intended to hear the factory two-litre breathing through a set of individual throttle bodies (ITBs) and slam it out over a

set of factory wheels with whitewalls wrapped around them. In reality, that turned into widened steelies, a heavily-slammed ride height, and thanks to a late-night internet trawl after more than PAINT: Resprayed in teal green by Kalon Andrews at his fair share of beverages, natural-aspiration was traded in for Andrews and Gilmore boost with the purchase of the Top Street Kings stainless steel ENHANCEMENTS: Panelled

by Corrie, Kamei front lip, turbo manifold from the UK.

EXTERIOR

carbon-fibre front diffuser, modified BMW 2002 flares

INTERIOR SEATS: Reupholstered factory STEERING WHEEL: Scarles INSTRUMENTATION: Factory

The interior was reupholstered head-to-toe in tan and black when the exterior was still coated in copper-toned brown, and thankfully the colourway lends itself perfectly to the new teal hue

Measuring in at 16x9-inch and 16x10-inch, the brand-new BBS RS are tucked under modified BMW 2002 fender flares courtesy of wounddown Racing Dynamics coilovers

Panelled, painted and semi-complete, the BMW made a brief appearance at the 2016 4 & Rotary South Island Champs.

By the time the same event rolled around the following year, it was packing even more capacity by way of the M20B25 you see here. Ripped out of an E30, the 2.5-litre makes use of the previous motor’s turbo pieces and now, where the factory extended brake booster would typically be found at the front of the engine bay, a meaty Holset HX50 huffer lives that takes full advantage of the chassis’s recessed strut tower — it’s almost as if it was made with this exact application in mind.

Engine-wise, the bottom end remains untouched. Corrie tells us that these blocks are more than happy to soak up a generous serving of boost without issue. Up top, the only part of the puzzle that isn’t factory-original is the aggressive 272-degree Auckland Cams camshaft. The rest of the party is provided by selected bolt-ons, including a custom front-facing plenum that makes use of a 90mm throttle body, 650cc injectors fed by an uprated external fuel pump, Bosch coils for ignition, a custom 2.5-inch stainless steel exhaust with an Adrenalin R muffler and a Link G4+ computer to keep everything under control.

The first time around, Corrie opted to lay down a lowkey copper-toned brown hue over the exterior panels, then slowly add details such as rear louvers, wide-boy wheels, and pinstriping. So it would come as a rather decent surprise to the punters at the 2019 incarnation of the 4 & Rotary South Island Champs when the cover was lifted to a striking teal green colourway laid over a very differently-styled car.

You see, Corrie had decided to bite the bullet and order a fresh set of his all-time favourite wheels; BBS RS. The E21 had, at one point, worn copies of said model and he took the chance to order the real deal to his exacting measurements. When they showed up, the 16x9-inch and 16x10-inch dimensions were spot-on for his grand vision for the car, but maybe not the reality. This meant that the factory arches needed their fair share of tickling. The most sensible way around this was to extend

SHOES WHEELS: (F) 16x9-inch BBS RS, (R) 16x10-inch BBS RS TYRES: (F) 215/40R16 Falken, (R) 225/40R16 Falken

DRIVELINE GEARBOX: E21 four-speed CLUTCH: Heavy-duty, one-ton pressure plate FLYWHEEL: Re-skimmed E30 DIFF: Factory

SUPPORT

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STRUTS: Racing Dynamics coilovers BRAKES: Factory calipers and rotors, E30 master cylinder, relocated brake booster

DRIVER PROFILE DRIVER/OWNER: Corrie De Wagt AGE: 31 LOCATION: Christchurch OCCUPATION: Panel beater BUILD TIME: Five years LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 15 years THANKS: My wife, Francine, and our kids for putting up with me always working on and talking about the car; Kalon Andrews at Andrews and Gilmore; Phil and Hayden at L&B Performance; my aunty, Janet, for gifting me the car; Matt Corboy for the first paint job; Jayde Alsop a Jaesigns for all the last minute signwriting; and everyone else who has helped out

Yet to be chucked on the rollers, from what the butt dyno is telling Corrie, the M20B25, Holset HX50 and Top Street Kings manifold combo is cranking out the grunt

them outward and Corrie took the opportunity to modify a set of BMW 2002 flares to suit. Out back was a simple trim-and-add affair, but the front section needed a good 30cm added in order to continue the flare down onto the front lip and carbon-fibre diffuser combo.

While Corrie had simply removed the bonnet to display the engine bay in previous years, he didn’t like how it changed the car’s profile.

As a result, you’ll now find the bonnet down at all times and a giant inspection hole cut out of the centre to reveal not only the big straightsix, but that generously-sized turbo in its full glory. As for the teal hue, it’s a nod to one similar found on the later E36, mixed up specially and laid down by Kalon Andrews at Andrews and Gilmore.

Now in its final form — or so Corrie is currently telling himself — the E21 is back to seeing the most regular use it has had in over a decade. With even more vested interest in the car than ever before, you know Corrie is treating it a touch nicer than when it was just his auntie’s spare runabout. That said, the BMW may still see the occasional skid or two, whenever Corrie feels like taking a walk down memory lane ...

PERFORMANCE

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BOOST: 12psi FUEL TYPE: 95 TUNER: L&B Performance

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: JADEN MARTIN

THE SOUTH ISLAND’S GREATEST PHENOMENON SINCE THE INVENTION OF SPEIGHTS: THE 2019 V 4&ROTARY SOUTH ISLAND CHAMPS

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e live in one hell of a beautiful country. There’s upwards of 18km2 of land per person on offer and most of that is swarming with wonders that the rest of the world can only dream of having on their doorstep. At the heart of that lushness are the offerings of our southern island, which gets swamped by tourists and is heralded for its mountain ranges; longspanning plains; rich historic townships; and, most important, one of the biggest weekends on the automotive calendar: the V 4&Rotary South Island Champs!

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one of the biggest weekends on the automotive calendar: the V 4&Rotary South Island Champs!

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Hosted by the sleepy city of Timaru, what is typically nothing more than a quiet coastal port town on the drive from Christchurch to Dunedin transforms into a wild hub of all-things modified cars for one weekend in November. ‘Champs’, or ‘Fours and Rotas’, as it’s affectionately known by the locals, claims the entire city for three days solid, calling on undoubtedly the entire South Island contingent of car enthusiasts. It’s a be-there-or-you’re-missing-out type of affair, and we wouldn’t dare miss it.

Despite launching initially as a reduced two-day format,

the absolute sender of a weekend kicked off on Friday with the introduction of an old North Island favourite, JapFest, which invited all pre-90s Japanese cars to get an early taste of Timaru International Motor Raceway with fewer numbers blocking your pulls down the back straight. Changing up the format from the previous year, the regular Saturday track-thrashing was switched with the show, meaning that set-up could go down on the Friday night and entrants were able to make the most of the track time come Sunday.

Champs’, or ‘Fours and Rotas’, as it’s affectionately known by the locals, claims the entire city for three days solid

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Full-noise start-ups, dyno power runs, and drifting demos from Southern Stance were the icing on this 100-octane cake

We slipped our way past security to catch a sneak peek of what the south had to offer at the Southern Trust Events Centre for the show, and there was one thing that was very evident straight off the bat. Organizers had curated an offering that was focused heavily on showcasing quality over quantity, giving entrants generous space and punters the opportunity to see the entirety of each car on display.

Mixing up in all that was a ton of extra-curricular activities. Full-noise start-ups, dyno power runs, and drifting demos from Southern Stance were the icing on this 100-octane cake.

Notable mentions were earned by the unofficial ‘King of Timaru’, Ben Sinclair, who either lost half his panels on the drive over, or pulled off perhaps the coolest way to display the inner workings of a drift car project ever, with his ‘two-faced’ Toyota JZX100 packing a 3UZ V8 under the half-bonnet. Club K easily claimed the largest club display with an artisan collection of classic Corolla steel that was nicely complemented by scatterings of Toyota-branded components. The 1UZ proved that it still rules the roost with a slathering of incarnations, appearing in Michael Ledgerwood’s individual throttle body (ITB)– and NOS-packing KE10; Jesse Kinzett’s mongrel KE30; Richard Macnaughtan’s ITB-laden Chrysler Avenger Estate; and even a 100E Anglia that sports a big diff, meaty rears, and ITBs! Needless to say, the Toyota representation was strong.

With an official cruise route laid out and given the thumbs up

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by the law, Saturday stole the title from the regular Friday antics as the biggest of the weekend — the customary night cruising saw the streets crammed with every make and model your heart could handle. We nabbed the passenger seat of James Horner’s worked 3K-powered KE35 (flick to page 104 for the feature) and tagged onto the end of the chain that, despite being well over an hour’s worth of driving, had already looped back on itself! Once the official side of things was all said and done, the streets became not one bit quieter and no matter where you found yourself, it was all going down. By the end of the late, late night, we had lost track of more than our fair share of hours, drained a tank of gas, and spun buckets of solid yarns.

Despite a complete lack of sleep for everyone the night before, Sunday morning at Timaru raceway was bloody packed. Mixing it up between the cruise-with-your-mates sessions, circuit cars, and drift cars, the track only ever stopped flowing for the burnout comp; otherwise, it was non-stop pedalling being served up hot and ready.

The pits were a festering valley of drool-worthy machinery, from hardcore track weaponry to show cars that were far too nice to be abused but still doing it anyway! Even those who couldn’t be arsed with actually driving could get amongst the trackside hardpark.

There’s something indescribably special about Champs, a feeling that needs to be experienced first-hand to be properly understood, and one that leaves us with a slight amount of sadness every time Monday morning rolls around. But hey, everyone departs the weekend with the knowledge that, while it might be a 365-day wait, we’ll all be back next year to do it all over again! Catch you there in 2020.

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AWARD WINNERS ROTARY CLASS Best RX3/808: Michael Bateman, Mazda RX-3 Best RX4/929: Jake Lanauze, Mazda RX-4 Best Late Model RX: Max Flower, Mazda RX-7 Best Rotary Conversion: Jarred Haig, Subaru WRX Best RX Other: Cory Wilson, Mazda Roadpacer RX Master: Max Flower, Mazda RX-7

PISTON CLASS Best 4 Cyl Piston: Pearl Moore, Toyota Starlet Best 6 Cyl Piston: Jason Johnston, Nissan S13 Best 8 Cyl Piston: Richard Macnaughtan, Chrysler Avenger estate Best 1970–1989: Hayden Murray, Ford Escort Mexico Best 1990–1999: Stefan Rapley, Toyota Corolla Best 2000–2009: Leora Preston, Mitsubishi Evo VII RS Best 2010+: Brooke Burmester, Volkswagen Golf R Best Piston Conversion: Braden Overweg, Mazda RX-7 Best Piston Vehicle Overall: Jason Johnston, Nissan S13 &KRSSHU .HHQ·V %7 SRZHUHG 'DWVXQ XWH PDGH WKH SLOJULPDJH GRZQ IURP WKH QRUWK DQG WRRN RXW WKH DZDUGV IRU %HVW (QJLQHHULQJ DQG %HVW 'UDJ &DU

CLUB AWARDS Best Club Theme/Display: Club K Best Club Attitude: Club K New Club on the Block: Evo Squad Overall Top Club: Club K

MANUFACTURER CLASS Best Subaru: Drew Godfrey, Subaru Impreza Best Toyota: Harry Smith, Toyota Sprinter Best Nissan: Jason Johnston, Nissan S13 Best Mazda (Piston): Thomas Reddell, Mazda MX-5 Best Ford: Matt Smith, Ford Cortina Sport Best Mitsubishi: Leora Preston, Mitsubishi Evo VII RS Best Euro: Corrie De Wagt, BMW E21

TOUGH STREET CLASS Suspension/Brakes: Shyam Patel, Holden Calais (VL) Undercarriage: Nathan Chapman, Mazda RX-7 Engineering: Shyam Patel, Holden Calais (VL) Wheels: Jason Pooke, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Engine Bay: Shyam Patel, Holden Calais (VL) Bodykit: Nathan Chapman, Mazda RX-7 Paint: Chris Brabazon, Nissan S15 Display: James Horner, Toyota Corolla KE35 Power Outputs: Jason Pooke, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R

RACE CAR AWARDS Best Drift Car: Jason Johnston, Nissan S13 Best Drag Car: Chopper Keen, Datsun 1200 Roadster

OPEN CLASS Best Paint: Pearl Moore, Toyota Starlet Best Extreme Paint: Thomas Reddell, Mazda MX-5 Best Undercarriage, Suspension & Brakes: Pearl Moore, Toyota Starlet Best Engine Bay: Max Flower, Mazda RX-7 Best Bodykit: Robbie Asbury, Nissan 180SX Best Engineering: Chopper Keen, Datsun 1200 Roadster Best Rims & Tyres Suited to Vehicle: Michael Brown, Toyota Corolla GT (AE86) Best Stance: Ben Langley, Mazda RX-7 Best Extreme Stance: Michael Kerr, Mazda RX-7 Best Original Interior: Matt Smith, Ford Cortina Sport %HVW 0RGLÀHG ,QWHULRU 6WHIDQ 5DSOH\ 7R\RWD &RUROOD Best VIP Style Vehicle: Kane Mcghee, Toyota Crown Majesta C-Type

Jason Johnston not only took home the trophies for Best 6 Cyl Piston, Best Nissan, Best Piston Vehicle Overall, and Best Drift Car with his RB26-powered Nissan S13 on Saturday, but he also got buck wild in the drifting sessions and laid out a crowd-roaring burnout to celebrate!

Standout/Encouragement Award: Jack Smith, Nissan Laurel Standout/Encouragement Award: Dylan Field, Ford Anglia Standout/Encouragement Award: Jesse Kinzett, Toyota Corolla KE30 Standout/Encouragement Award: Barrie Allison, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Standout/Encouragement Award: Cameron Fogarty, Chevrolet Caprice 3HRSOHV· &KRLFH +DUU\ 6PLWK 7R\RWD 6SULQWHU $(

Check out the new range at narva.co.nz available from Repco and Boating & Outdoor stores

AARON MAI GOES INSIDE ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING MOTORSPORT WORKSHOPS WORDS / PHOTOS: AARON MAI

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T

here are not many companies in the motorsport world that can make ‘win on Sunday and sell on Monday’ happen across a range of motorsport disciplines, but UK-based Prodrive has turned this talent into a way of life. Many of us know the brand for its dominant partnership with Subaru throughout the Group A and WRC eras, and I have always itched to get a look behind the scenes to see how they do business. Recently thanks to Ben Sayer, who heads up public relations for Prodrive, I was given an opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a workshop that has captivated me since I was a child.

It has been a good while since Prodrive’s workshops were crammed full of blue Subaru rally cars, but now rather than just being a rally powerhouse, the marque has diversified much more than any of us would have expected. As I walked into reception, greeting me at the door was the LeMans GTE Pro class-winning Aston Martin from 2017, Richard Burns 2000 Safari WRC machine, and Francois Chatriot’s BMW M3 E30.

It’s a great reminder of the pride held in Prodrive’s roots, as well as a clear message that it’s no one-trick pony. As the tour kicks off, a swipe card

flicks the green light on a wooden door and I walk out from the reception area into a large workshop where the chirping of rattle guns and other noises fill the air. The smell of race cars in the morning does more to wake the senses than a coffee ever could.

Entering the facility, the first thing that strikes me is that while being absolutely state of the art, many of Prodrive’s results are attained via traditional tried-and-true engineering processes. One would expect the workshop to be a maze of automated machines cutting, tooling, and welding the componentry, but in reality, this isn’t the case. As I stroll through the fabrication area, I find myself in a small workshop bay with a desk, chair and welding equipment just as you would expect to see in any local shop. Looking around, pipe benders and punch presses older than Prodrive itself are the tools of choice for these engineering artists. Even more astounding is that the entire process of creating a race-winning machine all happens under the one roof — many of the components are crafted by Prodrive itself, with all body and carbon work now done inhouse.

the entire process of creating a race-winning machine all happens under one roof — many of the components are crafted by Prodrive itself, with all body and carbon work now done in-house

These engineers aren’t just here for a paycheck, their passion is what gets them out of bed in the morning and this can be seen simply in their body language as I walk through the premises

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After departing the chassis and engineering workshops, the next stop was the wiring room. Here a team of experts handcraft the entire loom for the cars from scratch using aerospace-grade wiring to ensure it’s as light as possible, with thinner yet more durable insulation sleeves. Saving weight is at the forefront of every engineering mind at Prodrive throughout the entire process — each step is meticulously planned and scrutinised, with every gram saved resulting in more speed and competitiveness on the track. These engineers aren’t just here for a paycheck, their passion is what gets them out of bed in the morning and this

can be seen simply in their body language as I walk through the premises — these are the brightest minds in the UK motorsport community, all helping to push Prodrive forward.

It has been a few years since Prodrive shifted its focus from the forests to the circuits, taking on the challenge of endurance racing. It now operates Aston Martin Racing (AMR) and looks after a lineup of race cars that are all part of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Translating speed from gravel to tarmac isn’t something that was totally foreign to Prodrive but in reality, let’s be honest, rallying and endurance racing are as similar as

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Notable recent projects include developing the control systems for the Land Rover BAR America’s Cup yacht and deign of the active aero for the McLaren P1

chalk and cheese. Prodrive’s success in both disciplines shows clearly its ability to diversify and succeed in a range of situations that keep them at the cutting edge of the field. Let’s not forget that the team built an F1 car and program after they went rallying — the experience gained from both disciplines has seemingly set them up perfectly for the AMR venture. While I was wandering the workshop, the mechanic bays were largely empty, as all the cars had recently been shipped to Japan for an upcoming WEC event, although I was lucky enough to sneak a look at a brand new GT3 Aston taking shape. The attention to detail, the thoughtfulness in the process, and the engineering perfection was simply mindboggling. It is one thing to see these machines complete and pounding the tarmac in a race, but seeing the craftsmanship, determination, and people behind the race cars was something different all-together.

As we finished up the tour, Ben mentioned that many know

Prodrive for its motorsport prowess, however, its success on the track has translated into success within the civilian sector as well.

Today, companies come to Prodrive to undertake research and development on their behalf. With a sophisticated in-house ability to do such work, Prodrive can deliver research and development in half the time most manufacturers might take, thus allowing its customers to remain at the sharp end of their chosen fields.

Notable recent projects include developing the control systems for the Land Rover BAR America’s Cup yacht, design and manufacture of the active aero for the McLaren P1, as well as all the composite bodywork and interior. Prodrive also partnered up with Ford to create 20 hybrid Transit vans that are undergoing testing in London. Ballistic protection systems designed at Prodrive are used in Royal Navy ships, and its power electronics and control system expertise is now powering commercial jet engines.

Prodrive has truly transformed itself and is in a very strong

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position moving into the future, though I was curious about any relationships with Subaru that still remain. To my delight, the connection still exists, most recently in the form of Prodrive and Mark Higgins taking a WRC-spec 570bhp WRX STi around the Isle of Man, lapping the course in 17 minutes and 35 seconds.

Recently, that same car ended up third outright in the Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb shootout.

As I was on my way back out through reception, one final engineering achievement caught my eye. Prodrive founder David Richards recently took on the task of assisting a friend with his Hummingbird folding carbon bike project. It is already the lightest folding bike in the world, but the Prodrive engineers feel there is more they can eek out of it, so they are now out to break their own record to drop the overall weight further. As I reflected back on the Prodrive I knew of as a child, and the Prodrive I had just witnessed, it really hit me how the company has evolved, and more importantly how much the motorsport world has grown just in the last two decades. Before I left, I glanced over at Ari Vatanen’s 1992 legacy rally car that was sitting quietly near reception, and then over to the Honda BAR F1 machine sitting right in front of it, and couldn’t help but muse on just how talented the Prodrive family is.

I oddly felt at home for a moment: Just like Kiwis, Prodrive has that ‘can do, nothing is impossible’ attitude, which will see them at the forefront of whatever they do for many years to come.

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10-19mm

ǩ Off-corner loading design on box end provides better grip and reduces fastener rounding ǩ 72 Teeth Ratcheting Box End needs as little as 5° to move Fasteners versus 30° for Standard Box End Wrenches ǩ Pass-thru® technology works down any length of threaded rod and long bolts

INCLUDES 13 PC Flex Combination Ratcheting SAE Wrench Set

ǩ 15° Offset offers increased clearance ǩ 72 Teeth Ratcheting Box End needs as little as 5° versus 30° for Standard Box End Wrenches

METRIC 8 - 22, 24 & 25mm

9602RNG

1321

$

16 PIECE 12 POINT FLEX HEAD RATCHETING COMBINATION METRIC WRENCH SET

INCLUDES 13PC 12Pt Reversible Ratcheting Combination Wrench Set with Roll

Model 9509RN

570

$

.40 INCL. GST

(RRP $351.00 INCL. GST)

5/16”, 11/32”, 3/8”, 7/16”, 1/2”, 9/16”, 5/8”, 11/16”, 3/4”, 13/16”, 7/8”, 15/16”, 1”

12 PIECE 12 POINT OPEN END RATCHETING WRENCH SET ǩ 72 Teeth Ratcheting Box End needs as little as 5° to move Fasteners versus 30° for Standard Box End Wrenches

METRIC 8-19mm

INCLUDES 8 PC 12 Point Open End Ratcheting SAE Wrench

Model 85599

286

$

Model 9702D

(RRP $192.00 incl GST)

.35 INCL. GST

5/16”, 3/8”, 7/16”, 1/2”, 9/16”, 5/8”, 11/16”, 3/4”

(RRP $352.00 INCL. GST)

4 PIECE 120XP™ FULL POLISH FLEX HANDLE RATCHET SET METRIC

Set Includes 6 - 3/4” Ratchet

603

.75 INCL. GST

5/16”, 11/32”, 3/8”, 7/16”, 1/2”, 9/16”, 5/8”, 11/16”, 3/4”, 13/16”, 7/8”, 15/16”, 1”

81230P

9902DB

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24 & 25mm

$

INCL. GST

16 PIECE 12 POINT REVERSIBLE RATCHETING COMBINATION WRENCH SET WITH ROLL

85597BW

26” CHEST 7 DRAWERS 94 PC 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” EVA SOCKET TRAY UNIVERSAL JOINT 1/4” DRIVE UNIVERSAL JOINT 3/8” DRIVE UNIVERSAL JOINT 1/2” DRIVE 1/2” BREAKER BAR 15” 3/8” BREAKER BAR 12” 1/4” BREAKER BAR 5.5” 4 PC ADAPTER SET 20 PC DUAL MATERIAL SCREWDRIVER SET CRESCENT METRIC LONG BALL HEX KEY SET CRESCENT METRIC LONG BALL HEX KEY SET 3 PC ANGLED TIP PRY BAR SET 12”, 17”, 25” 4 PC MINI HOOK & PICK SET 4 PC PLIER SET CRESCENT 10” LOCKING PLIERS CRESCENT 8” ADJUSTABLE WRENCH 16oz FIBERGLASS BALL PEIN HAMMER 35 PC MICRODRIVER SET UNIVERSAL HACKSAW 8m/26” CRESCENT TAPE MEASURE

89913

Tool Kit Contains: ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ ǩ

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$

6-3/4” 120XPƶƑRatchet

.35

5” 120XP™ Ratchet 11-1/2” 120XP™ Ratchet

INCL. GST

17” 120XP™ Ratchet

Promotional pricing and bonus items are available between 1 October and 31 January 2020. Offer available while stocks last.

To find your local GearWrench dealer visit www.gearwrench.co.nz

FOR THE THIRD TIME ON NEW ZEALAND SHORES, THE RAUH-WELT NAME HAS BEEN BESTOWED ON AN AIR-COOLED PORSCHE 911, ALTHOUGH THIS TIME THE DOORS WERE FLUNG WIDE OPEN FOR ALL TO WITNESS AND BECOME PART OF THE RWB STORY THEMSELVES

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WORDS AND PHOTOS: RICHARD OPIE

a 911 with the trademark RWB wide fenders, hefty rollers, and skyscraping wings is tantamount to scribbling sunnies and a joint on the Mona Lisa. But for many others, RWB embodies the very ethos of modified car culture. Nakai-san’s creations transcend the aesthetic and mechanical. Each unique 911 represents a lifestyle, a tight-knit family unit and global network of passionate enthusiasts.

It’s something that everyone seems to want to be a part of — be it through owning and driving or merely witnessing an RWB-fettled Porsche cruise past.

A few short years ago, New Zealand got its first taste of RWB magic. In an isolated Manawatu shed, Nakai-san unleashed both the ‘Waikato’ and ‘Hekigyoku’ Porsche 964s, commissioned

by Anthony Wong and Nan Su, respectively. A private affair, the builds were open to close friends and family. Of course, both cars have since been shared widely with the community, appearing frequently at key events.

For Nan, airing out Hekigyoku in the shed simply whetted his appetite for 911s with big ol’ butts. Hence, the planning for ‘RWB NZ 003’ began. This time, the build process was to be shared with

1990 PORSCHE 964 BACKDATE

W

ithin the linguistic space of our little automotive community, there’s an unassuming three-letter acronym. It simultaneously ignites heated debate and awakens passion and inspiration. Those three letters: RWB. If you’ve pried open these pages, you probably know what RWB is all about. Standing for ‘RAUH-Welt Begriff’ (translated as ‘rough world concept’) it is the brainchild of one Japanese individual: Akira Nakai. In our world, Nakai-san is a superstar.

Although the genesis of his craft is in the twin-cam scream of AE86s, it’s his signature modification of air-cooled Porsche 911s that’s escalated man and machine to cult status.

It’s a reputation forged over the past couple of decades or so, beginning with his own iconic matte-coated Porsche 911 (930 generation), christened ‘Stella Artois’ (all RWB cars are named) rolling out of his Kashiwa-based workshop. Some 330-plus cars have since received the Nakai-san touch, from Japan to all corners of the globe.

For some, the act of augmenting the timeless silhouette of

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With the early front end and tail lights in place, the RWB Backdate kit pulls in elements of the old RSR Motorsport styling

all comers, enabling anyone to become acquainted with Nakaisan’s RWB magic.

Number three began life as a 964 Cabriolet. When Nan acquired the drop-top, it already sported a later model 993 facelift.

To the purist, this might be a deal-breaker; to a prospective RWB candidate — to this candidate — it was a no-brainer. See, for all the aggression and GT2-esque styling embodied by many RWBs, Nakai-san also offers a ‘backdate’ option.

In Porsche-speak, that’s simply rolling back the styling to around 1973, swapping to the ‘long hood’ style of the period. With the early front end and tail lights in place, the RWB Backdate kit pulls in elements of the old RSR Motorsport styling.

When we rolled into The Bling Company’s partially emptied warehouse late on a Friday afternoon, the starting point of an RWB build appeared chaotic. Freshly coated in a custom cream tone, the 964 crouched over its standard wheels, stripped of front and rear bumpers. In fact, it was devoid of interior too, with Greg from

Midnight Upholstery labouring over the newly trimmed, and very premium-looking, terracotta and plaid install. Luke from Porsche specialist LM Automotive was on hand to oversee the mechanical and electrical finishing touches before finally, at 5am on Saturday morning, the easel for Nakai-san’s paintbrush was taut and ready.

Lurking in the shadows, the custom three-piece wheels and RWB Backdate kit awaited unification with the unsuspecting Porker.

Nakai had arrived earlier that day, flying in from Tokyo and arriving in Auckland with his trademark tool case. A carbon-fibre roof panel, destined for Waikato, accompanied him. As we’ve come to expect, coffee and a cigarette were prioritized as Nakaisan and entourage emerged into the Kiwi sunlight.

On arrival to Hamilton, a pōwhiri welcomed the team — a challenge, ultimately culminating in mutual respect, setting the scene for the third Kiwi build.

The clocks moved forward to Saturday morning.

While purists might have screamed ‘butchery’ as factory arches were cast aside, the assembled crowd clapped and cheered as the first piece of Stuttgart steel was detached

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Disembarking to a throng of admirers, and a sense of awe in the air, Nakai-san’s demeanour was such that even a casual onlooker could barely deny his presence. There was no mucking about; everything was straight to the point with minimal fluff — aside from indulgence in that aforementioned coffee and a cigarette while seated in the now-traditional wing-back chair.

It was evident that he’s a man dedicated solely to task: the business of preserving and maintaining that RWB aura, which surrounds creator and machine.

Initially, Nakai-san spent time fitting up the Backdate turn signals and vents to the front arches. It’s a fussy procedure, requiring precision bracket adjustment, but soon enough they were installed. The growing throng of enthusiasts weren’t here to see these bits installed, however, and very soon the panel saw was plugged into the air line.

The fit of the over-fenders pays homage to RWB, mimicking the 911’s haunches perfectly. Nakai-san has evidently touched so many 911s by now that a simple mock-up — aided by temporary fasteners at each end — was enough to lay down a tape guideline, before he cut an even radius with the saw with nothing but visual guidance. While purists might have screamed ‘butchery’ as factory arches were cast aside, the assembled crowd clapped and cheered as the first piece of Stuttgart steel was detached.

It all unfolded impressively quickly, punctuated by brief cigarette breaks and a quick lunch. All the while, live music acts belted out a selection of favourites, enhancing the chilled vibe of the occasion.

With the cut lines dressed and all four fenders attached, RWB NZ 003 was moving closer to its final form — although not before the trademark application of Sikaflex sealant between fibreglass and sheet metal. It was theatre, really — a real-life performance of what we’ve seen in so many YouTube videos.

The deft swipe of Nakai-san’s finger defined the transition from Porsche to RWB, laid bare by a flourish as the masking tape was pulled free. Another of the defining moments of the build.

The custom three-piece wheels measuring 17x9.5-inch (-12) and 17x13 (-13) were bolted on, and the car lowered for a preliminary check, marking the conclusion of day one.

It was theatre, really — a real-life performance of what we’ve seen in so many YouTube videos

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What we witnessed was RWB. Three simple letters, powerful enough to unite, to make those present feel like they’d been part of something properly special

As Sunday morning dawned, the crowd thickened. Adding to the atmosphere, a convoy of Porsche owners arrived on the scene, among them an exquisite Singer 911, a recent commission, drawing its own share of acclaim.

Nakai, however, got straight into it — after the obligatory caffeine fix — fitting up the rear apron over the bespoke stainless exhaust system fabricated by TTT Auto Engineering. It wasn’t without a challenge, though; clearances proved tight!

The front fitted like a glove, however, bolting up to its mounting points and meeting the wheel arch with accuracy. Bodywork-wise, No. 003 was done save for the addition of some weatherstripping between each bumper and the panel work. It’s the little details that

count, a fact that’s not lost on Nakai-san, as he proceeded to eye up the stance of the 911, adjusting the suspension and alignment until it was just so.

A mere day-and-a-half after Nakai-san strolled through the door, the belt sander and panel saw were laid at rest. The crowd, the friends, and family present bore witness to the traditional handover.

As Nan peeled off the windscreen-banner backing, creator and owner shared a knowing glance, a smile, and a handshake of solidarity. Of course, the drop-top needed a name: ‘Asher’, after Nan’s son.

What we witnessed was RWB. Three simple letters, powerful enough to unite, to make those present feel like they’d been part of something properly special.

YOU KNOW THE CARS AND YOU KNOW THE STARS. THEY WERE ALL BACK AT HAMPTON DOWNS FOR A CRACK AT WHAT HAS NOW BECOME AN UNOFFICIAL ‘NEW ZEALAND CHAMPS’ OF DRIFTING. THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY MAD MIKE SUMMER BASH WORDS: GRUMPY NINJA / JORDAN SARE PHOTOS: NIXON THEODORE CROY

M

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ad Mike’s Summer Bash attracts New Zealand’s top drift talent as they compete for a spot in the ‘Superclass’ top 16, which follows the traditional battle tree format to crown an eventual champion.

The event is generally Mad Mike’s only competition outing on home soil these days, and those he came up through the sport with relish the chance to take on the 2018 Formula D Japan champion for a shot at the Summer Bash title — as well as the unofficial prize of a podium selfie with ‘the voice of drift’ Jarod DeAnda, who again journeyed to NZ to call the event.

For Whiddett though, it’s not all about the competition.

This, the fourth edition of the event, featured a number of hero

cars partaking in special sessions, with the recently-debuted ‘NIMBUL’ Lamborghini appearing on track for the first time in New Zealand, joined by a host of legendary vehicles and drivers. This most notably included the great Rod Millen in a tribute replica of his three-time NZ rally championship-winning RX-3, Andy Duffin’s 20B RX-7, Toyota Racing Series Driver Chelsea Herbert in the Allan Mofart Stuyvesant RX-7 replica, Aidan Barrett in the JGTC300 RX7, and the Mortimer Motorsports 13B turbo Mazdaspeed March 84G. All saw time on the track under heavy right foot aggression.

It came as no surprise to anyone present when after an initial sighting lap, Mad Mike proceeded to live up to his name with a couple of full attack laps in the Lambo, culminating in a display of

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super-sixes and a burnout in front of the crowd, not stopping until the ultra-wide rear treads popped! This blew the tyres and rear guards clean off the new supercar — yes, you read that right — there was shredded rubber and broken body panels everywhere, much to the crowd’s delight.

A welcome addition to Kiwi events in recent times has been the track cruise sessions, which thankfully break up what can be long days in the hot summer sun. It was clear that the large crowd enjoyed seeing the wide mix of entrants in the Rolling Hard sessions, which were led on a giant lunchtime parade lap by the entire MAD stable. These iconic machines were driven by members of the Whiddett and Cook families, including Mike’s

partner Toni, who enjoyed being behind the wheel of her MZCHIF Mazda MX-5 with her mum in shotgun, alongside son Lincoln, who had his trophy truck out. You’re probably wondering why we mention this specifically — this whole event is about family and giving something back to the community, both things that Mike is very passionate about.

We were lucky enough to be given the keys to the RWB #001 Porsche 911, also known as ‘Waikato’, and spent some time cruising around joined by RWB #002 and the recently-created RWB #003, known as ‘Asher’. Highlight of the day was being passed on the main straight by none other than Rod Millen in the RX-3, who was wearing a giant smile and clearly enjoying himself.

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This blew the tyres and rear guards clean off the new supercar — yes, you read that right — there was shredded rubber and broken body panels everywhere

The team at Fenix Radiators had their widebody JZX100 on show, which is a fresh import currently going through compliance before a monster 2JZ is dropped in. Originally built by Kazama Auto in Japan, it features its Promode-SS Aero

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arriving at turn number one with so much speed, angle, and aggression that contact was inevitable and was most definitely made

Hundreds of cars hit the track and were on display; Lowriders, rotaries, high-performance four-bangers, and V8s. All were sideby-side in harmony and sharing common respect, with the open pit setup creating a level of access and a very chilled vibe not often found at premium events.

With cruising sessions done, it was down to the business of drift, and it was clear right from the top 16 that the winner would well and truly have to earn the title. Carl Thompson and Darren Kelly would set the tone right from the outset by needing to go OMT, before Carl would eventually get the win and move on to the top eight, then four, and finally grabbing the third step on the podium with what we suspect will be the first on many trips to the winners’ steps.

Coming home in second place and showing just how good he

and his team are, was Mad Mike Whiddett. What most don’t realise is that the MX-5 is as much as 500hp down on other cars, and it is only by pure talent, good setup, and a giant set of ‘red bulls’ that the car gets put where it does, and performs as good as it does. It was no surprise to see Mike in the finals of the event again, and everyone knew that it would be a massive battle to see who got to stand on that top step for 2019.

When it came to the final, sitting on the starting line against Whiddett was none other than two-time Summer Bash winner and four-time National series champ Gaz Whiter. “Gary the Goat”, as other drivers sometimes call him, only makes select appearances now, and Summer Bash is said to have been the final hurrah for his legendary S14. As the amped-up crowd waited, Jarod DeAnda urged

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both drivers into a fitting finale with the well-known catchphrase, “send it!� Sure enough, they both did, arriving at turn number one with so much speed, angle, and aggression that contact was inevitable and was most definitely made. Fortunately, there was no damage to either car and it all came down to a single run to decide the 2019 champion. Whiter lead away what would be the final battle of superclass, taking the win and further cementing his place amongst the best New Zealand is ever likely to see pedal a drift car.

Driving duties done, because in his own words; “I don’t think I have any cars left that work�, Mad Mike joined visiting international judge Mickey Andrade on the platform to watch the Triple Threat Team Drift Challenge that saw teams of three cars running in a train format for a single lap and being rewarded for proximity, creativity, and overall impact. The winning team was ‘the Rocketmen’, made

up of dual NZ champions Cole Armstrong and Darren Kelly, as well as Waimate 50 champion Andrew Redward, who had the crowd cheering with a high-speed move that saw the last-placed car overtake the other two on the inside of the Double B corner, without any of the three slowing.

The final event for the day was something that truly is ‘Kiwi As Bro’ — a burnout competition. A solid field of fours and eights went up against a host of much-loved rotary-powered weapons. One of the country’s toughest builds, the 20B TTi-backed 808 wagon of Robbie Longley, took the honours as Skid King.

If the crowd and atmosphere are anything to go by, it would appear that SummerBash is here to stay and many will already be looking forward to number five in 2020. Perhaps none more so than the man with his name on the sign, who genuinely has love for his Kiwi fans, the car scene he grew up in, and the community itself.

arriving at turn number one with so much speed, angle, and aggression that contact was inevitable

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WHEN HIS PARENTS SAID NO TO BUYING ANYTHING TURBO AS HIS FIRST CAR, BEN MARETT SIMPLY SMILED, BOUGHT A S15 SPEC S, AND PROCEEDED TO TURN IT INTO A 440KW RB26DETT-POWERED LOOPHOLE! WORDS AND PHOTOS: JADEN MARTIN

T

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1999 NISSAN SILVIA SPEC S (S15)

here’s an age when a small amount of freedom and the issuing of a certain plastic card convinces us that we’re completely invincible. Those teenage years make you feel as though you could go anywhere, do anything, and survive to tell the tale. Thankfully for most of the population, there’s usually a pair of sensible parents laying waste to any such ideas that would probably have seen any number of us not making it into our succeeding decade. It’s usually why the first car that we all owned was either a hand-me-down family hauler or the most painfully slow

econo-commuter known to humankind, rather than the wildest turbo deathtrap that we could find in the classifieds. But hey, there’s always ways around that, right!?

The now-Auckland-based Ben Marett discovered such a loophole after planning to depart from his hometown of Queenstown to study in Christchurch. The venture meant that he was forced to hand back the keys to his parents’ runabout and needed to chuck cash at his very first car. But, as all parents do, his issued him with strict instructions that there was to be absolutely no forced induction on whatever he chose.

SHOES WHEELS: 18x9.5-inch (+12) Rays TE37 TYRES: Toyo T1 Sports

82 themotorhood.com

Style is no joke to Ben, which is why the S15 stays boned at all times, tucking 18x9.5-inch (+12) Rays TE37s and dripping in factory aero

HEART

It ain’t often you find twins still attached to big-power RB26s, but Ben’s manages to crank out a healthy 440kW at the rears with the two Tomei B7660 snails maxed out at 20psi

ENGINE: Nissan RB26DETT, 2568cc, six-cylinder BLOCK: Tomei forged pistons, Tomei forged rods, Tomei oil pump, Tomei sump baffle, Tomei gasket kit, ARP fasteners HEAD: Tomei Type B Poncams, Tomei Type A valve springs, Tomei cam gears, Ross Performance damper and trigger kit, Franklin Engineering head-drain kit INTAKE: Custom hard pipe, 3.5-inch K&N filter EXHAUST: Tomei dump pipes, custom threeinch system TURBO: Twin Tomei B7660, HKS manifolds BOV: GReddy Type RS FUEL: Siemens 880cc injectors, Bosch 044 primary pump, Bosch 040 lift pump, surge tank, Tomei Type L fuel-pressure regulator (FPR) IGNITION: NGK Iridium plugs ECU: Link G4+ COOLING: GT-R intercooler, East Tamaki Automotive radiator, HKS oil cooler, Nismo low-temp thermostat EXTRA: Quest Fabrication catch-can

With a burning desire to get his hands on an S15 Silvia, Ben ruled out a Spec R for fear of getting the belt and forked out all his pocket money on a Spec S instead. It was even an automatic, to keep the costs down and further fly under the parental radar.

What Ben’s parents didn’t know, however, was that while it may have looked like a seemingly harmless modern-ish twolitre commuter, Ben had zero intention of keeping it that way for long. He may not have been able to buy a turbo incarnation the first time around, but the ’rents never said anything about sticking one in there after the fact! It didn’t even take Ben a year before he had the car slapped onto axle stands on a mate’s back lawn in Christchurch — far enough from home that nothing could be done about it — and had the wee SR20DE dropped out permanently.

The thing is, despite knowing the conditions set for his first car, Ben had earmarked a far more potent package to fill the engine bay, plucking the cream of the Nissan crop for the job: an RB26DETT — taken from an R33 GT-R to avoid the earlier generation’s oil-pump-drive issues.

It took a good half year of wrenching before the wheels spun under their own power again. Being a novice at the time, Ben was lucky to have a mate who knew what he was doing and was simply charged with handing the right-sized spanner over when asked.

Despite all this taking place over a decade ago, most of the bones of what you see today were put in place on that

lawn. The idea was to do it once and do it right, have it certified, and enjoy it. That’s why it has always run the GTS-25T five-speed gearswapper that sends drive rearwards to the Kaaz two-way 4.1-ratio LSD. The suspension was added at the same time, although it is set a decent bit lower these days, and the brakes are all GTS-25T units too.

That’s where the story was meant to stop — in Ben’s mind at the time, anyway — although you know simply by looking at the car now that it didn’t. While Ben was attending a track day with University of Canterbury Motorsport, the motor cracked a ringland, putting a rebuild at the top of the to-do list. For Ben, being a lowly student who had already sunk all his course-related costs and student allowance into the car, that simply meant new OEM pieces and a set of forged pistons slapped in before a retune to 312kW at the rears. The package would stay that way for roughly eight years, until a drunk driver running a red light ploughed through the passenger door.

Thankfully, Ben came out unscathed, although the same couldn’t be said for the car, which now resembled a banana. With it being a complete write-off chassis-wise, Ben saw the opportunity to buy it back from the insurance company and transplant all the good bits into the straightest, lowest-mileage factory shell that he could find: the white one that you see here.

As the motor was already coming out, it only made sense to ditch the factory ceramic turbos that were maxed out at 1.1bar for steelwheeled examples. It just so happened that a pair of Tomei B7660 huffers were sitting on Ben’s shelf after a late-night Yahoo Auctions Japan browsing session gone rogue. It was also then that the full factory aero kit was added.

With a few more years passing by and a move to Auckland, the current incarnation would begin to take shape. Picked up in that initial rebuild back in Christchurch, the block had cracked in a water jacket and was repaired before being screwed back together. That same crack opened back up to the point at which it meant either chase

DRIVELINE

SUPPORT

GEARBOX: GTS-25T five-speed manual CLUTCH: OS Giken twin-plate FLYWHEEL: OS Giken DIFF: Kaaz two-way (4.1:1)

STRUTS: Tein Super Drift coilovers (10kg front, 8kg rear) BRAKES: (F) GTS-25T four-pot calipers, GTS-25T rotors, Hawk HPS pads; (R) GTS-25T two-pot calipers GTS-25T rotors, Hawk HPS pads EXTRA: Cusco front tension rods Cusco rear camber arms, Cusco pillow-ball tension rods, Cusco adjustable rear toe rods, Cusco adjustable rear pillow traction arms, Tein hardened tie rods, Cusco Type 40D front strut brace, Cusco 40mm rear strut brace, Whiteline front and rear sway bars

PERFORMANCE

Ben tells us that his favourite part of the car can be found tucked into the single-din slot below the stereo: an original set of Omori oil-temp, oilpressure, and water-temp mechanical gauges DRIVER PROFILE

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DRIVER/OWNER: Ben Marett AGE: 32 LOCATION: Auckland OCCUPATION: Engineer BUILD TIME: Is it ever finished?

LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: 14 years

POWER: 440kW TORQUE: 449Nm BOOST: 20psi FUEL TYPE: 98 octane TUNER: Glenn Suckling at GDS Automotive

the issue until something really goes wrong and takes the whole package with it, or source a fresh block. Again, Ben thought that it would be rude not to tickle things up while the motor was out.

The current set-up makes use of a stout forged bottom end by way of Tomei components, along with the full suite of Tomei gear added up top. Throughout the spec list, you’ll find quality supporting bolt-ons all aimed at extracting solid grunt reliably. Running it up on the GDS Automotive dyno, tuner Glenn Suckling was able to pull 440kW at the wheels, maxing out the turbos at 20psi — bloody impressive for still being twins!

Despite what the motor punches out these days, the cabin remains very much the production car that it started out as, including the automatic Spec S cluster, factory steering wheel, and even the gear knob. Only the Bride Brix front seats and Omori mechanical gauges mounted in a single din have been added as small touches. Likewise, the exterior is all about the less-is-more ethos.

Dumped over a set of white-on-white Rays TE37s that measure in at a square 18x9.5 inches, the factory aero is complemented by a Car Modify Wonder twin-blade boot wing, Ganadors, and a Vertex roof spoiler. Ben explains it simply: there’s no point in having a car that looks quick but doesn’t go quick, or, worse, having a quick car that looks like shit.

These days, the S15 has been allocated to weekend duties — understandable considering what it has become 14 years on from that initial first car purchase. While it still sees the occasional track day, Ben tells us that he’s restricted how hard and often it gets beaten on, all in the name of longevity, because, by his own admission, he’s 100-per-cent unwilling to pull the power back whatsoever! Once you get a taste for that 440kW available at the loud pedal, there’s no going back. As for the ’rents, well, they still think it’s packing the DE and automatic.

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

PAINT: Nissan Pearl White ENHANCEMENTS: Factory aero bodykit, Car Modify Wonder twin-blade wing, Ganador side mirrors, Vertex roof spoiler, 35-per-cent window tints

SEATS: Bride Brix STEERING WHEEL: Factory INSTRUMENTATION: Omori oil-temperature, oilpressure, water-temperature, and boost gauges AUDIO: Alpine head unit, Alpine Type S speakers

INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL

FANS

KEEP YOUR COOL

PROVEN QUALITY RELIABLE PERFORMANCE FULLY APPROVED

ÄžĆ?Ĺ?Ĺ?ŜĞĚ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ĺ?ŜĚƾĆ?ĆšĆŒĹ?Ä‚ĹŻ ĆľĆ?Ğ͕ Ć?ŽůĹ?Äš Ä?ŽŜĆ?ĆšĆŒĆľÄ?Ć&#x;ŽŜ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ ůŽŜĹ? ĹŻĹ?ĨĞ ÄšĹ?ĆŒÄžÄ?Ćš ÄšĆŒĹ?ǀĞ Ä?Ĺ˝ĹľĹľÄžĆŒĹ?Ä?Ä‚ĹŻ ĹľĹ˝ĆšĹ˝ĆŒÍ˜ dŚĞĆ?Äž Ĺ?ŜĚƾĆ?ĆšĆŒĹ?Ä‚ĹŻ ĨĂŜĆ? Ä‚ĆŒÄž ĞdžÄ?ĞůůĞŜƚ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹ Ć?Ĺ?ƚĞĆ?Í• Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹĆ?ŚŽƉĆ?Í• Ç Ä‚ĆŒÄžĹšĹ˝ĆľĆ?ÄžĆ?Í• Ĺ?Ä‚ĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?ÄžĆ? Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ć?ŚĞĚĆ?͘

(With Heavy Duty Cast Iron Base)

Part # PE1015

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Part # PE1045

450mm Wall Fan

450mm Floor Fan • 240V / 50Hz 135W Íť ĎŻ ^ƉĞĞĚ DĹ˝ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ Ͳ Ď­Ď°ĎŹĎŹĆŒĆ‰Ĺľ ͞žĂdžͿ Íť ϰϹϏžž ^ƚĞĞů ϯͲ ůĂĚĞ &Ä‚Ĺś Íť Ĺ?ĆŒ &ĹŻĹ˝Ç ÄžĹŻĹ?Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ ƾƉƚŽ Ď­ĎŽĎ°Ĺľ3/min Íť ÄšÄ?Íž Íż Ͳ ϲϾ Íť ĚŊƾĆ?ƚĂÄ?ĹŻÄž &ĹŻĹ˝Ç ĹśĹ?ĹŻÄž

750mm Pedestal & Wall Fans 450mm • 240V / 50Hz 280W Íť ĎŻ ^ƉĞĞĚ DĹ˝ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ Ͳ Ď­Ď°ĎŹĎŹĆŒĆ‰Ĺľ ͞žĂdžͿ Íť ϳϹϏžž ůůŽLJ ϯͲ ůĂĚĞ &Ä‚Ĺś Íť Ĺ?ĆŒ &ĹŻĹ˝Ç ÄžĹŻĹ?Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ ƾƉƚŽ ώϾϏž3/min Íť ÄšÄ?Íž Íż Ͳ ϴϲ • 00 ƚŽ ϾϏ0 KĆ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻÄ‚Ć&#x;ĹśĹ? ĹśĹ?ĹŻÄž Íť DĞƚĂů KĆ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻÄ‚Ć&#x;ĹśĹ? 'ÄžÄ‚ĆŒĆ?

• 240V / 50Hz 100W Íť ĎŻ ^ƉĞĞĚ DĹ˝ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ Ͳ Ď­Ď°ĎŹĎŹĆŒĆ‰Ĺľ ͞žĂdžͿ Íť ϰϹϏžž ůůŽLJ ϯͲ ůĂĚĞ &Ä‚Ĺś Íť Ĺ?ĆŒ &ĹŻĹ˝Ç ÄžĹŻĹ?Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ ƾƉƚŽ Ď­ĎŽĎ°Ĺľ3/min Íť ÄšÄ?Íž Íż Ͳ Ϲϳ Íť ,ĞĂǀLJ ƾƚLJ tÄ‚ĹŻĹŻ &Ĺ?džĹ?ĹśĹ? WůĂƚĞ • 00 ƚŽ ϾϏ0 KĆ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻÄ‚Ć&#x;ĹśĹ? ĹśĹ?ĹŻÄž Íť DĞƚĂů KĆ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻÄ‚Ć&#x;ĹśĹ? 'ÄžÄ‚ĆŒĆ?

&HUWLÇ“HG WR $6 1=6 Email sales@isl.nz for your nearest stockist

(With Heavy Duty Wall Bracket)

PROequip Industrial Fans carry a 12 month commercial use limited warranty against faulty workmanship and materials. A full range of replacement and spare parts are available.

Part # PE1026

Climate Class

T45 except PE1045

FORGET BIG-DOLLAR, BIG-POWER BUILDS. WE’VE SMASHED OPEN THE PIGGY BANK TO BUILD A WRX FOR CHUMP CHANGE AND WE’LL SHOW YOU EXACTLY HOW WE DO IT WORDS: MARCUS GIBSON / JACKY TSE PHOTOS: MARCUS GIBSON / KEVIN HERDMAN

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G

etting lost in a big-dollar car build that spans years and swallows the entire contents of your wallet, time and time again, is something that is all well and good if you have the budget and patience, but what if you had limited funds and wanted the entire project to be over in a matter of weeks, not months? That was the brief given to JTune Automotive for our project, code-named ‘Budget Boxer Build’, for which we’d keep the total build cost under $10K and extract as much party power as the factory engine would allow while still holding on to its rods.

The project is based around a 2003 Subaru WRX two-litre turbo with 240,000kms on the clock. The plan? To push the power levels to around the 170kW at the wheels mark — a point that is just about the ceiling for an unopened EJ20 of this vintage. To do this, we are going to upgrade the turbo, exhaust, injectors, and fuel pump, as well as adding a little more boost, and reflashing the factory ECU. Jacky from JTune says: “The idea came about after going overseas for work and tuning. There is a lot of cars out there with a lot of modifications,

but zero tuning. Not everyone is educated or has the real experience to understand how important tuning can be. We also wanted to prove a point. Parts are cheap nowadays — it’s often cheaper to buy something that can be bolted on than it is to make it. With experience, you can get amazing results without overspending, going fancy or overdoing it.”

We kicked off this build last issue, so we suggest you go back and read that first before carrying on here. In part two we will complete the project and detail all the little tricks involved with making power for peanuts. A word of caution: we are going to push this engine to its limits, so, if you choose to follow suit, you do so at your own peril. It is also worth noting that most shops, JTune included, would not take this job on. Why? Second-hand and cheaper bargain-basement parts just aren’t as dependable as new, high-quality items. This is intended as a DIY project, as the time and effort to make things work can result in a lot of extra labour, something that could make your eyes water when a shop is charging upwards of $100 per hour.

THE PARTS SO FAR TURBO: Slightly secondhand TD05-20G — paid $200, retails for $495 EXHAUST: Full stainless including front, up, and mid-pipe — $495 INJECTORS: Secondhand STi 560cc — $80 FUEL PUMP: DW 225 — $40 off Trade Me BOOST TAP: $15 OIL: Motul 300V 5W40 oil — $160 SPARK PLUGS: NGK No.7 heat range plugs: — $45 INTERCOOLER: Secondhand STi Ver. 8 — $250 DIY PARTS FOR INTERCOOLER SPRAY — $20 Secondhand reflash box — $50 K&N panel filter — $95 30A FUSED RELAY AND CABLE — $50 JAYCAR TIMER CIRCUIT KIT — $28

TURBO AND EXHAUST UPGRADE Having maxed out the factory turbo, we managed to score a TD05-20G off Trade Me that was basically brand new for only $200. To remove the old turbo, the intercooler has to come off. The front pipe also needs to be disconnected, but be warned — the bolts are notoriously tricky to remove without snapping, as they are often seized due to rust. Thankfully for us, this time around things went smoothly, but if you’re doing the swap as a weekend job and need to get to work on Monday, having replacements on hand is a good idea. Sitting the two turbo units side by side, it’s easy to see how much larger the 20G is, having gone from a 55mm inlet to a 60mm, but the bigger frame does cause fitment issues in the engine bay. This requires a few little clearancing modifications to the block, which is why we suspect the turbo was listed for sale by the previous owner. But it’s nothing a grinder can’t sort out — just don’t message us asking how — you’ll have to put it in place and work out what needs massaging in your bay.

Before installing the front pipe, there are a few key things to point out. The new aftermarket exhaust kit that we’ve sourced came with a bigger-diameter front pipe than the turbo’s outlet. While you can bolt it on and it will function, the step in diameter will cause turbulence and will actually be worse than running the stock pipe, which is size-matched to the turbo. You could bore or machine the turbo housing out, but we chose to retain the OEM front pipe instead, which keeps things simple.

We also upgraded the cheap multi-layer gasket with a steel one, as the cheap ones have a tendency to blow out causing leaks! Better to upgrade while you have it all apart, than have to tear everything back down to repair it in the future. Once this was on, we completed the new exhaust installation. We picked up the 3-inch stainless steel cat delete system brand new for $495. The kit comes complete and bolts in as a direct replacement, even matching up to our stock up pipe, so it’s an easy installation.

With the front pipe secure, it’s time to bolt on the upgraded intercooler. Given the excessive intake temps we saw last issue on the dyno, we hunted down a bigger STi unit at the wreckers for $250. While bigger in size, it still bolts directly on, and all the piping is a direct fit, so it couldn’t be a more simple upgrade.

CHEAP INSURANCE

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Even though we upgraded the intercooler core size, we also wanted to add a water sprayer unit. This is a cheap exercise that uses the stock window washer pump and reservoir, although to keep the car up to WOF standard, the intercooler sprayer is fed off an in-expensive fish tank air line tap that plumbs into the window washer feed line and can easily be turned off come WOF time. The trick part of the system is a DIY timer circuit kit we picked up from Jaycar for $28. Although it requires assembly, the timer allows us to programme the spray to last a desired length of time, meaning you can keep two hands on the wheel while hard up it. Set to a five second spray, we calculated we can get 18 hits from it before needing to refill.

The plumbing is a simple affair, with the small tap plumbed into the sprayer feed line, then run to the pair of wiper washer nozzles we mounted in the bottom of the bonnet scoop. These allow the water to atomise with the incoming air while at speed.

It’s worth noting that the STi Spec C features a 15-litre bootmounted tank, so you could be fancy and set up a separate system if you wanted to retain the window washer. For a complete investment of under $30, the water sprayer is cheap horsepower — take a look at last month’s instalment to see what happened when we used a handheld spray bottle to cool the intercooler core.

FUEL UPGRADE To ensure we won’t run out of fuel while on our high boost setting, we upgraded the factory 420cc injectors to 565cc units from an Ej20 STi, which cost us $80. These are another direct bolt-on upgrade.

We also upgraded the fuel pump to a DW 200. To do this you need to remove the mounting plate from the top of the tank, accessed under the rear seat. While bolting in the new pump, we also replaced the fuel filter, as it was filthy — cheap insurance to ensure no blockages or unstable fuel pressure.

Another little trick we carried out was to upgrade the power feed wire with a direct feed from the battery. When you upgrade to a bigger pump, it will have a larger draw on the electrical circuit, which the manufacturer didn’t factor into the loom. This means you may suffer issues with voltage stability. To do this we purchased a fourpin 30 amp fused relay and a coil of 5mm 25 amp wire. We ran a live wire directly from the battery to the terminal marked 30 on the relay.

Then a 5 amp wire from the terminal marked 87 to the pump. The 85 terminal needs to be earthed with 5mm wire, and the remaining 86 terminal is where the existing fuel pump power connects. This wire now acts as a switch. Stock voltage at the pump was around 12.5 - 12.6 volts, but with our new direct feed, we are getting a constant 13.5 volts. As an added bonus you can simply remove the fuse from the relay as a cheap and very effective kill switch.

PLUG LIFE As we plan to crank up the boost until we reach the point of diminishing returns, we didn’t want to risk a misfire that could easily hurt or kill the engine. The motor was running Iridium 7-degree heat range plugs during our first dyno session, and we actually downgraded to a set of budget plugs, selecting a colder 8-degree heat range plug to handle more heat. But before installing them, we have re-gapped the plugs, closing up the gap so we won’t get any misfire under high load.

DYNO TIME Once all the parts were fitted, we were just about ready to strap the WRX back onto the dyno and cross our fingers, hoping we wouldn’t meet Mr Conrod. But first, we had to hack into the stock ECU through the OBD port. The first job was to adjust the injector scale to match the bigger injectors. We also adjusted the ignition map to suit the laggier turbo spool from the TD0520G, and set the boost cut at 20psi. Normally peak boost is at peak torque, but because this is a stock motor, we have pulled the ignition timing back so when it gets to full boost we don’t let it ramp up or accelerate too quickly which is how you snap rods. At the end of the day we still need to play it safe — these are all cheap parts.

On low boost we netted 130kW at 12psi, and it was obvious that we now had lag, with our TD05-20G hitting full boost at 4600rpm, not the 3500rpm we saw with the old turbo.

We started cranking the boost up until the motor stopped making power. This happened at 18psi, so we tried dialing in more timing, but still it made no more power. The final results, an impressive 180kW at 6000rpm. For a very small cash investment of under $3000, we have gained over 60kW at the wheels, which is on-par with a GRB WRX STi. The only downside being a small loss in low end pick up, but if you were on the track you’d never notice. While on the street this can actually save some money on fuel as you’re not hitting boost all the time as you did with the factory huffer… Not that we are doing that very often — this thing was way too fun not to mash the pedal!

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BEFORE AFTER

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HIGH LOW BOOST

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CRUISE MODE

2011 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R PHOTOS: JADEN MARTIN

NAME: BROOKE BURMESTER // AGE: 20 LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH // OCCUPATION: SALES NZ Performance Car : Hi, Brooke. Tell us how you got into cars?

Brooke: Hey, NZPC. Since I was young, my dad has always had nice cars, motorbikes, and jet skis — basically anything with an engine. So it has always been a part of my life.

And what made you want to buy the Golf?

I used to own a BMW 120i, which was terrible! I wanted to buy another European car that had a bit more performance and also looked nice. The Golf definitely stuck out in that regard.

What was the initial plan after purchasing it?

Well, it was going to stay stock and just be my everyday get-around car. There was no intention of modifying it.

So it didn’t really stay to plan then, huh?

[Laughs] No, it didn’t. I decided to modify the Golf to my taste, not caring what others thought about it. I wanted it to be sleek and understated.

Do people expect it to be as built as it is?

A lot of people are generally stunned, thinking it’s just another small hatchback.

I didn’t want something that was overdone, or too over the top. I wanted it to fly under the radar and not draw a huge amount of attention, but have the performance when required.

With such a strong Japanese presence here, did you find it hard to modify a Euro?

In a way, yes. Thankfully it’s massive overseas, so a lot of the products are available from America and the United Kingdom. It’s just a matter of getting them to New Zealand.

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Not many people go as far as reupholstering the interior, especially in a newer car; why was that important to you?

It just adds that little extra to the car that a lot of people overlook. You spend a lot of time inside the car driving, so I wanted it to be a nice place to be when on the road!

Do you have any plans for the future with the R? There’s always things to do. My partner and I are constantly thinking of things to add. Next on the list is a water-meth injection system to push it a bit further!

Cool stuff, Brooke. Thanks.

ENGINE: Volkswagen EA888, 1984cc, four-cylinder turbo; R420 034 Motorsport turbo, Integrated Engineering intake, Integrated Engineering intake manifold, Integrated Engineering high-pressure fuel pump, Integrated Engineering billet engine cover, three-inch X-Force exhaust system, Integrated Engineering intercooler, ECS intercooler charge pipes, Integrated Engineering coil upgrade, Integrated Engineering catch-can, 155bar high-pressure fuel-pump relief valve, CTS engine mounts, carbon-fibre battery box, carbon-fibre fuse box DRIVELINE: Seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, Integrated Engineering DSG tune, 034 Motorsport upper dogbone mount, 034 Motorsport lower dogbone mount, 034 Motorsport diff mounts, six-pot 18Z Porsche Cayenne front calipers, 350mm Mercedes-Benz GL450 slotted-and-drilled front rotors, four-pot PB rear calipers, 330mm floating rear rotors, Mk4 R32 braided brake lines INTERIOR: Custom carbon-fibre steering wheel, piano black interior panels, reupholstered in leather and suede with blue stitching and embroidery EXTERIOR: Carbon-fibre side skirts, carbon-fibre rear diffuser, carbon-fibre front lip, aftermarket tail lights with sequential indicators, aftermarket sequential mirror indicators WHEELS/TYRES: 19x9-inch (+38) Niche Misano, 235/35R19 Bridgestone RE003 SUSPENSION: BC Racing coilovers, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) delete kit, Whiteline sway-bar end links POWER: 308kW FUEL TYPE: NPD100 TUNER: Integrated Engineering / A little Tuning Co

EV BUILD BREAKDOWN WITH HAYDEN PADDON

CONCEPT BECOMES BECOME REALITY A

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t Paddon Rallysport Group (PRG), the past month has been full on with various motorsport projects on the go at our Highlands Motorsport Park facility. Our core project — New Zealand Electric Vehicle Rally Car 1 (NZEVRC1 ) — has been making steady progress, particularly as we now focus on the construction of the chassis.

Confirming the design of the chassis has been a long process: taking the geometry data from a WRC and AP4 car, and factoring in the completely different weight distribution of an EV car — heavier and all the weight centralized. Using CAD and our new Ansys software we have been able to simulate all scenarios and finalize a design that we are very happy with and excited about.

Once the engineers, Matt Barham, Jack Williamson, and Rory Callaway had confirmed and frozen the design of the chassis and geometry, the next step was getting the car on the chassis jig to start inputting the suspension points and top mounts. The chassis construction is planned to take about 500 man-hours, starting with a brand-new Hyundai Kona bodyshell, which has been completely

stripped and then given a heavy diet to try and get the base weight down. The specially made laser cut jig is accurate to within 0.1mm, which is crucial to ensure not only fitment but also performance. Mike is now mostly through inserting the new top mounts. These allow for the larger competition dampers and the longer stroke for increased travel, which equals more traction. The summer break puts the brakes on a little but the chassis fabrication should be mostly complete by the end of January.

Meanwhile, our team of engineers, led by Matt Barham, have been going through other design concepts relating to the car, including battery and transmission mounting, and work has begun on the wiring loom. There is a lot of integration involved as the driveline/ motors use a completely separate power source to the auxiliary items such as lights, fans, and normal road-going items. With much of the major electronics componentry that was outsourced having now departed from Europe, the new year will see us beginning to dummy fit the major components in the car. That will allow us to design everything around it.

Design and prototype testing has been continuing on some

unique technology that we are looking to introduce to the market, based around both the EV car and general motorsport use. While our focus is on technology in motorsport and our new project, which is at the leading edge of this, it gives us a platform to try and push the boundaries in many forms of new concepts and ideas. We have been able to use our existing IC Hyundai AP4 for this testing — it has been acting as a test mule around the race circuit here as we try out new parts and collect data.

Other projects keeping us busy at PRG at present, are the preparation of our TCR car for the upcoming inaugural NZ TCR circuit race championship and our first taste of circuit racing as a team. Our AP4 rally car is also getting a makeover, with a new 700bhp engine being built to tackle Leadfoot Festival and the new Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 Hillclimb that we are hosting in March. Then it’s straight into the rally season in April.

So, busy times in more ways than one. The deadline is getting ever closer, and the next five months will disappear very quickly, but it’s great to have such a dedicated and motivated team working on this and I am confident we will see success come mid 2020.

it gives us a platform to try and push the boundaries in many forms of new concepts and ideas

WEEKEND WARRIOR

1999NISSAN SILVIASPECS(S15) PHOTOS: STRONG STYLE PHOTO

NAME: DOMINIC GRIFFIN // AGE: 24 LOCATION: TAURANGA // OCCUPATION: ELECTRICIAN NZ Performance Car: Hi, Dom. Can you recall when you first discovered drifting?

Dom: Hey, NZPC. Yeah, I used to go along with mates to a few of those old gymkhana days at Hampton Downs. That would have been the first time I saw drifting in person.

What was the drifting scene like at that time?

It was much of a muchness as it is now. Pretty casual and easy to get along with everyone, other drifters were and are always really good with helping each other out, which makes it a cool scene to be apart of. The only real thing that’s changed is the power of the drift cars that are around these days.

How did you get into driving yourself?

I basically got FOMO [fear of missing out], which made me start looking for a car to get into drifting myself. I bought an S14 pre-facelift and put together a pretty basic setup: factory SR20DET with Power FC, some cams, modded knuckles, Parts Shop Max suspension and a body kit. I ended up taking it out to a bunch of casual Hampton Downs skid pad events and Meremere Dragway drift days.

From there I progressed to the likes of Zeroclass Matsuris and Jamborees.

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And when did you get your hands on this S15?

I bought it back in 2016 as a written-off shell, stripped it back and built it up from there. It was meant to just be another car to take along to the grassroots days and maybe later have a crack at [D1NZ] Pro-Sport in, but like all project cars, it got a bit out of control and now here I am. The first set up was still pretty basic like the S14, with the same engine transplanted and the addition of a Link ECU and Garrett GT2871 instead of the old T28. I also did a GTS-25T big box upgrade and six-point roll cage at the same time. Since then I’ve gone to the full Part Shop Max steering set up, a bigger hot side, forged the engine, beefed up the fuel system and switched to E85, and replaced the gearbox with a Jerico dog box — all for more reliability and grunt.

Do you get to drive it often?

I try to get out onto the track as much as I can, apart from most of last year when I had to take a break [because of a] neck injury. It’s usually about once or twice a month when I haven’t got the car pulled apart. The Mad Mike Driftforce days and whatever Taupo events are on are usually the go-to days that I aim for at the moment.

Where do you want to see drifting in NZ go to from here?

Seeing some more grassroots-based competitions around would be awesome.

Something where you can still compete against mates but it doesn’t cost you megabucks to do so, and in a more relaxed environment.

What are your plans for the future with the car?

Hopefully just drive it! I’ve done pretty much everything that I’ve wanted to do on it now. Some rounds of D1NZ are also on the cards, so we will see what happens. But the main plan for the future is just as much seat time as possible.

You’ve done the mahi, now get the treats.

ENGINE: Nissan SR20DET, 2000cc, fourcylinder; JE forged pistons, Eagle forged rods, Tomei Poncams camshafts, Tomei adjustable cam gears, Apex 1.2mm head gasket, ARP fasteners, 1450cc injectors, Aeroflow twin-feed fuel rail, twin DeustchWerks DW300 fuel pumps, NDT Developments turbo manifold, Holset HRC35/2 turbo, Turbosmart 45mm wastegate, Turbosmart fuel-pressure regulator, Hi-Power Performance four-inch dump pipe, Hi-Power Performance four-inch exhaust DRIVELINE: Jerico four-speed dog box, Xtreme Rigid twin-plate clutch, one-piece driveshaft, locked R200 diff, Nissan four-pot calipers, Part Shop Max hydraulic handbrake INTERIOR: Six-point roll cage, OMP First R seats, Schroth harness, Nardi steering wheel EXTERIOR: Origin Labo. widebody front guards, Origin Labo. rear over fenders, M-Sport front bumper, M-Sport side skirts WHEELS/TYRES: (F) 17x9-inch (+15) Varrstoen ES2, 235/40R17 Falkens, (R) 18x9.5-inch (+12) Varrstoen ES2, 235/40R18 HiFlys SUSPENSION: Parts Shop Max coilovers, Parts Shop Max steering knuckles, Parts Shop Max adjustable arms POWER: 366kW FUEL TYPE: E85 TUNER: NDT Developments

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BABE

THE LEADING VEHICLE SERVICING, WOF & VEHICLE MODIFICATION SPECIALISTS SERVING EAST AUCKLAND

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BABE

Euro exhausts? ...we’ve got you covered

See the experts for:

SERVICE - WOF - REPAIRS

PRODUCT REVIEW

TIGHT AND FLEXIBLE Not all jobs are straightforward, so being flexible certainly has its benefits! The four-piece flex-handle ratcheting set from Gearwrench features a tight threeinch (8cm) swing, whereas most ratchets are limited to five inches (13cm) or more. It’s the unique twin-stacked 60-tooth pawls in Model 81230P that deliver swing. The low-profile teardrop head allows better access in tight spaces, while the enclosed design offers extra strength, durability, and dirt resistance. This new flex-head 120XP ratchet also has a longer-reach handle and has a bright, corrosion-resistant full-polish chrome finish.

See gearwrench.co.nz for further details. Priced at $263.35.

BOOSTED OCTANE Stop the dreaded knock and ping with Rislone Super Concentrated Octane Booster. It increases the octane rating of fuel with a street-legal formula that works equally well on classic muscle cars; newer, smaller, harder-working engines; and off-road and racing applications.

Rislone claims that the increased octane allows the engine to run optimum spark timing, which not only creates more power but reduces emissions and increases fuel mileage in many engines. One bottle is concentrated to treat up to 75 litres of petrol and includes a patent-pending nozzle and flow valve, which allows it to be easily poured into all petrol tanks, including cap-less (no petrol cap) systems. It’s also safe to use on vehicles with oxygen sensors and catalytic converters, and will not void a manufacturer’s new-vehicle warranty.

Call the Smits Group team on 0800 227 422 or head online to smitsgroup.co.nz for more product or stockist info.

BAND TOGETHER Your car is only as good as its weakest link. So, when it comes to your exhaust system, don’t cheap out in the wrong places. Adrenalin R is often regarded as producing the best mufflers in New Zealand, and its V-bands are no different. Adrenalin R V-bands are quality units that make use of locknuts and anti-seize on the threads, have stepped faces for better locating and seal, and are recessed so that tune sits into it to make an easier job of squaring it all up for welding. So, again, don’t cheap out where it matters. Adrenalin R V-bands are available in 1.5-inch to five-inch sizing, and start from $40.

BLACK AND WHITE Your tyre-buying decision just got a whole lot easier with the Monsta range of white-letter tyres. Featuring a retro look with a modern twist of aggression, they have you covered, from the Street Series and Terrain Gripper Series to the Extreme and Warrior Mud Tyre options — you can even get a 195/50R15 with the street tyres! Best of all, the widely popular white-lettering aesthetic is built into the tyre — no paint, no glue, just rubber — making it warrant-of-fitness compliant. The decision is black and white, really.

Check yours out today at dtm.co.nz.

BE YOUR OWN HERO When you want to capture those moments of action, there’s one brand you can rely on: GoPro. GoPro has been getting the job done right forever, and, with its latest release, the Hero8 Black, it’s got the next generation of versatile action cam designed to capture smooth, stable footage. The Hero8 Black features updated HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization, a sleeker physical design with a folding fingers–type base for fast mounting, a redesigned battery door for quicker battery changes, a lens with twice the impact resistance of the Hero7, an optional Battery Mod for nearly 2.5-times more battery life, and an optional Media Mod to expand your accessory possibilities. It supports up to UHD 4K video resolutions, and time-lapse, slow-motion, and super-slow-motion video!

Available at aucklandcamera.co.nz, the GoPro Hero8 Black retails for $669.

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FLUID LIGHT If there’s one thing that Kiwis love as much as their cars, it’s their boats. Narva has just released a new 20-page Marine Lighting section in its catalogue, and the LED Port and Starboard Lamps are your ideal solution for on-board lighting. With modern styling, these navigation lamps are ideal for yachts and powerboats, complying with the relevant EMC EN60945, USCG, and ABYC A-16 standards. Available in a range of finishes to allow for total customization of any vessel, the range comprises port, starboard, bi-colour, stern, and masthead lamps — all of which are mandatory for any vessel on the water after dark.

Contact your local stockist for pricing — see narva.co.nz.

F o l l o w a l l o u r c u s t o m e r ’s b u i l d s & c h a t o n o u r F a c e b o o k Page ‘Pulse Performance Race Engineering (official)’ QUALITY ENGINE BUILDS IN HOUSE CUSTOM WIRING ROLLCAGE FABRICATION DYNOTUNING (1000 + HP) RACE CAR PREPARATION & MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORT & ENGINE SALES WEBSITE CATERING FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS IN HOUSE FABRICATION & MACHINING

PULSEPERFORMANCE.CO.NZ FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

DAILY DRIVEN

1977TOYOTAPHOTOS: COROLLA DELUXE(KE35) JADEN MARTIN

NAME: JAMES HORNER // AGE: 25 LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH // OCCUPATION: ENGINEER NZ Performance Car : Hi, James. You’ve owned your fair share of Toyota steel. What made you buy this KE35 and how long have you had it?

James: Hey NZPC. I’ve always wanted a KE35. My mate spotted this Deluxe in a paddock and posted photos of it online, but said he wasn’t going to try to buy it.

He told me where it was and how much the previous owner wanted. Turns out I had driven past it for ages but never spotted it sitting there. I bought it back in November 2014.

What condition was it in when you got it?

It was very tidy apart from one side that had damage. It was a one-family car from new — the previous owner was showing his wife how to drive and she managed to hit the only other vehicle in the paddock and dented the whole driver’s side. I’m the second owner and it’s done just over 96,000km — I got it at 75,000km.

Being such an original car, why did you choose to start modifying it?

It ran a bearing not long after I got it. So I decided to work the 3K, swap out the auto transmission for a five-speed manual, and lower it. It’s now just under 1400cc and has the biggest camshaft you can get for a 3K. And how does it go now?

Goes well for a wee 3K. You mentioned it’s a Deluxe instead of an SR; what extras does that give it?

I guess it sort of missed out, but then also didn’t. It doesn’t have a rev-counter dash, it was single carb and automatic, but, at the same time, it does have the better trim, chrome, and interior.

What does it get used for mostly?

Sunday drives. I’ve driven it to Auckland and back from Christchurch twice, and I usually take it out for things like fours and rotors [4&Rotary South Island Champs].

Is there any more you want to do with it?

Yeah, side-draft carbs and rev-counter dash.

Sweet! Cheers for the yarn, James.

ENGINE: Toyota 3K, 1400cc, straight-four; ported-and-polished head, F29 camshaft, upgraded valve springs, re-jetted 3K B-Twin carburettors, aftermarket headers, two-inch exhaust DRIVELINE: Toyota K50 five-speed, lightened flywheel, BorgWarner diff INTERIOR: Hidden head unit EXTERIOR: Resprayed factory yellow, Deluxe grille, Deluxe chrome, Deluxe bonnet with chrome vents, louvres WHEELS/TYRES: 13-inch Cheviot Hotwire, 215/50R13 Nankang Prestige SUSPENSION: (F) lowering springs, shortened shocks; (R) reset leaf springs, OEM shocks POWER: No FUEL TYPE: Petrol

HORSEPOWER HEADS 5-Axis CNC cylinder head porting services

Successful racers in NZ and worldwide choose HorsePower Heads to provide innovative, personalised solutions. With more than 30 years experience, you can trust our knowledge and expertise.

03 377 0974 shop@horsepowerheads.com

www.horsepowerheads.com Check out our Facebook page for results, photos and news

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

YOUR BUILDS IN DETAIL

MIDWAY MOTORS’ ENDURANCE 86

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In a field of much newer, far bigger-budget cars, Chris Henderson and his Midway Motors LSpowered AE86 were the underdog that delivered a violent attack to its competition in the South Island Endurance Series (SIES). For their efforts, they tucked two championship wins within the one-hour race class under their belt. However, a three-peat wasn’t meant to be, after the car was wrecked in an incident at the start of the 2019 season that saw car and driver barrel rolling down the wall at Teretonga.

Unfortunately, the chassis was simply unsaveable, meaning that a complete re-shell was the only way forward. Instead of sticking with the ageing Toyota steel, Chris has chosen to jump forward nearly three decades and transfer all the running gear into a Toyota GT86.

Having purchased the GT86 as a rolling shell, the plan is to make it wider, lower, and hopefully faster.

A grinder has already been taken to the front end to relieve it of all unnecessary steel and make room for

the running gear to be slotted in place. The LS3 heart has been pushed back as far as possible while still adhering to SIES regulations, which state that the original chassis rails must be retained. Behind it, you’ll find a TTi five-speed sequential gear-swapper that is sending drive down to a Race Products nine-inch live-axle diff with floating hubs. It’s tied into the extensive in-house-manufactured roll cage alongside the rear suspension pick-up points, while the front end from the old car has been carried over into the 86, making use of Nissan Silvia componentry by way of Hardrace arms, GKTech knuckles and KSport coilovers. The brakes are AP Racing six-pot units up front, with KSport units down back. To fit the hefty set of 18x11-inch Lenso wheels shod in meaty Michelin slicks, the body has been pumped out via a widebody kit.

All going to plan, the car will be complete and on the grid for the start of the 2020 North Island Endurance Series (NIES), which will kick off in March.

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Camshafts, Cylinder Heads, Engines

NICO PATCHAY’S TRACK-TIME MK5 GOLF

Challenging the idea of what makes up your typical entry car into motorsports, Nico Patchay’s Mk5 Golf build is all about honing his driving ability in a modernera track car. It’s a recent purchase — so recent that he’s actually yet to drive it, having purchased it and had it shipped straight to Sutherland Performance to get it to a reliable base state for the build to begin.

Thus far, all the fundamentals have been taken care of — fresh oil and filter in the engine, the injectors cleaned, replaced split vacuum hoses, replaced wheel bearings, replaced missing wheel bolt, realigned front bumper, and a DSG service — and Nico has purchased a new set of wheels, as well as some of the chassis braces that will help make up the suspension package.

“I wanted something different from the usual track car and the Mk5s are pretty good buying at the moment,” explains Nico. “Paired with the fact that they’re fairly quick out of the box and easily modified, I felt I could get creative with it. Contrary to popular belief, they can be very reliable too.”

From here, he tells us, the focus will be on a suspension package that includes a rear sway bar, an anti-lift kit, and track-valved coilovers with heavy spring rates to suit. Tyres will also play an instrumental role, something that will be developed with further testing, while as much weight as possible will be removed from the interior. Down the road, a cage and limited-slip diff (LSD) may be added, depending on how things progress.

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ELI HUGHES’ ROTARYPOWERED S13

There’s certain people that you simply don’t dare to do something, because, when presented with a challenge, despite how insane it might seem to you at the time, they’ll match your call and go ahead to get it done.

That’s exactly why Eli Hughes’ Nissan Silvia S13 is now devoid of the SR20DE that it once ran and a pulsating Mazda rotary heart calls the engine bay home.

Yep, you read that last sentence correctly. Eli was called out, telling us that a friend hit him with the “You won’t put this in your car” in reference to a 12A bridgeport that was sitting on the garage floor. That was followed by a quiet thought to himself about the immense dislike he has for being called out and not following through on it, so which is why you’ll now find

that 12A bridgeport in the engine bay. It’s currently mounted in there with the factory cross member, which has had custom mounts made and attached, using Land Rover V8 rubbers, and fabricated by Eli’s friend Anton (@kiwibogan). It has a 48mm IDA attached to it and is backed by a Series 5 manual box, while a custom driveshaft has been made to attach it to the factory R180 diff down back.

With a total of just six days spent building it so far, Eli tells us that there’s only a few small pieces still to show up before it will be fired up for the first time. Running gear aside, the S13 will run a classic BN Sports kit and sit over a set of polished Work Ryver wheels.

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thepartsman.co.nz ŚĞÄ?ĹŹ Žƾƚ Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ä?ŽŜĆ&#x;ŜƾĂůůLJ Ĺ?ĹśÄ?ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ć?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? ĆŒÄ‚ĹśĹ?Äž ŽĨ ÄžĆŒĹ˝Ĺ‡Ĺ˝Ç WÄžĆŒÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒĹľÄ‚ĹśÄ?Äž Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝ÄšĆľÄ?ĆšĆ?͘ ĹŻÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ć‰ĆŒĹ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹśĹ?Í• ŜŽ ŚĂĆ?Ć?ĹŻÄž Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒĆ?ĞĂĆ? Ä¨ĆŒÄžĹ?Ĺ?Śƚ͕ '^d ĂŜĚ Ä?Ĺ˝ĹśÇ€ÄžĆŒĆ?Ĺ?ŽŜ ĆŒÄ‚ĆšÄžĆ?͘ KÇ€ÄžĆŒĹśĹ?Ĺ?Śƚ ĚĞůĹ?Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ žŽĆ?Ćš ŽĨ E Ĺ?Ĩ Ç Äž ŚĂǀĞ Ĺ?Ćš Ĺ?Ĺś Ć?ƚŽÄ?ĹŹÍ˜ /Ĩ Ĺ?ƚ͛Ć? ŜŽƚ Ĺ?Ĺś Ć?ƚŽÄ?ĹŹÍ• Ĺ?Ğƚ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšÄžĆŒ ƚŽ ĆľĆ? Ä?LJ ĆŒĹ?ĹśĹ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĞžĂĹ?ĹŻĹ?ĹśĹ? Ä?LJ Ď­ĎŹÄ‚Ĺľ dƾĞĆ?ĚĂLJ ĂŜĚ Ç Äž Ä?Ä‚Ĺś ŚĂǀĞ Ĺ?Ćš ĆŒÄžÄ‚ÄšÇ‡ ƚŽ Ä?Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒĹ?ÄžĆŒ ƚŽ LJŽƾ ŽŜ tĞĚŜĞĆ?ĚĂLJ͘ tŚĞŜ ƉůĂÄ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ÄŽĆŒĆ?Ćš Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšÄžĆŒ ĆšĹšĆŒĹ˝ĆľĹ?Ĺš Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ç ÄžÄ?Ć?Ĺ?ƚĞ͕ ÄžĹśĆšÄžĆŒ ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ä?ŽƾƉŽŜ ŜƾžÄ?ÄžĆŒ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ä‚ Ď­ĎŹĐš ÄšĹ?Ć?Ä?Ĺ˝ĆľĹśĆšÍ˜ Also available when ordering by phone or email

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WHEELS / TYRES

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PARAMOUNT ENGINEERING

WRC DEVELOPMENTS

Highly skilled engine reconditioning services; classic, vintage, performance cars, nationwide Aucklandenginereconditioner.co.nz / 09 426 8592 / 9 Forge Road, Silverdale, Auckland

Workshop, dyno/ECU tuning wrcdevelopments.com / 06 843 8430 /36 Leyland St, Napier

AUCKLAND

GLENDENE ENGINE RECONDITIONERS

MTS PERFORMANCE

60 years experience in engine reconditioning, servicing, and repairs ger.co.nz / 09 818 5352 / 31D Cartwright Road, Kelston, Auckland

Lowest price guaranteed on wheels, tyres, and suspension mtsp.co.nz / 021 4 TYRES (021 489 737) / 82 Wairau Road, Glenfield

ARROW WHEELS NZ’s leading builder, repairer, refurbisher of alloy wheels for 35 years arrowwheels.co.nz / 09 818 8388 / 6D Westech Place, Kelston, Auckland

BRUGAR ENGINEERING Mag wheel repair specialists since 1979 magwheelrepairs.co.nz / 09 486 6832 / 7 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland

AUCKLAND

A team of expert car mechanics and vehicle repair specialists 09 360 8218 / 400 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland

SOUTH PACIFIC ETHANOL

E&H MOTORS Dyno tuning, engine and gearbox rebuilding, street car racing preparation, general services ehmotors.co.nz / 09 238 8987 / 179 Manukau Road, Pukekohe, Auckland

HOUSE OF BOOST

WAIKATO WORLD OF TYRES

WAIKATO

TARANAKI TARANAKI TYRETORQUE LTD Taranaki’s leading tyre/mag specialist, providing automotive services and customization tyretorque.co.nz / 06 757 5988 / 53 Molesworth St, New Plymouth

WELLINGTON 41 DEGREE WHEELS Three-piece wheel specialists, custom offsets, repairs — 100% made in NZ 41degreewheels.com / 04 974 7830 / 29 Montgomery Crescent, Upper Hutt, Wellington

NATIONWIDE THE WHEEL MAGICIAN Specialist quality on-site repairs for kerb-damaged alloy wheels wheelmagician.co.nz / 0800 537 233

PFI PERFORMANCE FUEL INJECTION For all auto electrical services Facebook: performance fuel injection / 0276316456

TE RAPA AUTOMOTIVE Dyno tuning specialists, ECU installation, engine reconditioning, WoF, servicing and repairs terapaauto.co.nz / 07 8496722 / 14 Northway St, Te Rapa, Hamilton

PRECISION PERFORMANCE

COILOVERS, SHOCKS AND SPRINGS, STEERING JOINTS, AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS

Suppliers of quality race fuels southpacificethanol.co.nz / 021 885 902 / 20 Bledisloe Street, Cockle Bay,

RECHARGE BATTERIES Battery revitalizer and conditioner recharge.net.nz / 0800 36 66 36 / PO Box 350, Pukekohe, Auckland

NATIONWIDE FUELSTAR Fuelstar fuel combustion catalysts for less fuel, cleaner air fuelstar.com

MICROTECH NEW ZEALAND LTD Producing a range of affordable high-quality engine management systems microtechnz.co.nz / 03 374 5000 / 125 Wordsworth Street Christchurch

FABRICATION

NEED SOME CUSTOM WORK? MAYBE A NEW EXHAUST, ROLL CAGE, INTERCOOLER OR CATCH CAN

Tuning, fabrication, and rotary specialists 07 870 1302 / 2 Jack Russell Drive, Te Awamutu, Waikato

AUCKLAND

NOSTALGIA MOTORS

SANDBROOKS

Mechanical repairs and maintenance, WOFs, LVV certification, lapsed regos, noise testing, modifications nostalgiamotors.co.nz / 07 846 1623 / 4E Wickham Street, Hamilton

Race car heated windscreens, curved plastic window specialists, CFRP CNC tooling sandbrooks.co.nz / 09 278 9816 / 39 Noel Burnside Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland Choppers Auto Body Shop Ltd Specializing in auto restoration, fabrication, rust repairs, panel beating, and spray painting choppersautobodyshop.co.nz / 09 419 0773 / 35B Enterprise Street, Birkenhead, Auckland

BAY OF PLENTY DYNO POWER PERFORMANCE TUNING Performance dyno tune and fabrication Facebook: Dynopower / 07 578 3332 / 99 Birch Avenue, Judea, Tauranga

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Dyno tuning, Link/Nistune, performance upgrades and servicing houseofboost.co.nz / 09 444 4547 / 37G View Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland

Hamilton’s leading retailer of tyres, wheels, batteries, and wheel alignment servicing worldoftyres.co.nz / 07 847 0330 / 62 Greenwood Street, Frankton, Hamilton

CONSUMABLES

Dyno tune, fabrication, and general repairs/service conceptdynamic.co.nz / 07 572 5089 / 5 Hocking Street, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

WAIKATO SINCO CUSTOMS Fabrication specialists sincocustoms.co.nz / 07 847 3392 / 47A Bryant Road, Te Rapa, Hamilton

AUCKLAND

TARANAKI

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ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS

WAIWAKAIHO AUTO SERVICES LIMITED

General automotive in light engineering and fabrication thelab.nz / 027 278 9691 / Unit 2/48 Tawn Place, Pukete, Hamilton

The mechanics in Penrose that will keep you on the road alignmentspecialists.co.nz / 09 579 5246 / 137 Station Road, Penrose, Auckland

WAIKATO GET LOW CUSTOMS We specialize in air suspension parts, installs, and custom fabrication getlowcustoms.co.nz / 027 247 2247 / 138 Riverlea Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton

NATIONWIDE MOUNT SHOP Leading under car specialists mountshop.co.nz / 0508 86 66 86 / Whangarei, Henderson, Penrose, Hamilton, Napier, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Christchurch

Car repairs, air conditioning services, to fine tuning — all makes and models waiwakaihoautos.co.nz / 06 757 9177 / 651 Devon Street, Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth

WELLINGTON TOTAL MECHANICAL SERVICES Experienced dyno tuning with full racing workshop for all of your needs tmsracing.co.nz / 04 297 0600 / 23 Hinemoa St, Paraparaumu

CANTERBURY KENNELLY CAMS Custom camshafts, performance cylinder heads, race engines, flow bench, dyno kcams.co.nz / 03 366 3378 / 6 Battersea Street, Sydenham, Christchurch

RE SINCLAIR

MECHANICAL SERVICES

SERVICING, MODIFICATION, TUNING, RE-POWERS, ENGINE BUILDS, ENGINE MANAGEMENT

AUCKLAND AUCKLAND ENGINE REBUILDERS From the latest to the oldest, we can rebuild it enginerebuilders.co.nz / 09 589 1280 / 2 Botha Road, Penrose, Auckland

CANTERBURY BURKES METALWORKS From chassis to steering wheel, we offer top quality custom bodywork burkesmetal.com / 03 349 4413 / 7 Mountview Place, Hornby, ChCh

RUSTORATIONS Fabrication, superior quality restorations, workmanship you can trust rustorations.co.nz / 03 374 6330 / 7 Penn Place, Riccarton, ChCh

PARTS / ACCESSORIES

GENERALIST PARTS SUPPLY, PERFORMANCE PARTS, OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS AND BOLT-ONS

AUCKLAND J T AUTOGLASS

Experts in performance car modification, service, and tuning resinclair.co.nz / 03 389 2126 / 35 Stanmore Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch

Installation, windscreen replacement, glazing, glass replacement, repairs jtautoglass.co.nz / 0800 555 141 / 16 Surfers Place, North New Brighton, Christchurch

HORSEPOWER HEADS

SANDBROOKS - RENNEN GLAS

Specialist products, and cylinder head modification services for clients worldwide shop@horsepowerheads.com / 03 377 0974 or 021 869 663 / 85a Coleridge Street, Sydenham, Chirstchurch

Racecar heated windscreens, curved plastic window specialists, CFRP CNC tooling sandbrooks.co.nz / 09 278 9816 / 39 Noel Burnside Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland

NATIONWIDE

STAHLCAR AUTO DIAGNOSTICS

MICROTECH NZ Producing a range of affordable high quality engine management systems microtechnz.co.nz / 027 472 5000 / Nationwide

Car diagnostic specialists stahlcar.co.nz / PO Box 11-698, Ellerslie, Auckland

OUTWEST TINTING AND WRAPS Vehicle window tinting, vehicle wrapping, and mobile tinting service owt.co.nz / 0800 649 32 / 122 Railside Road, Henderson, Auckland

ALL SUBARU PARTS WORLD Subaru specialists; panel, mechanical, and everything in between.

Full workshop aspw.co.nz / 0800 278 2278 / 114 Kitchener Road, Waiuku, South Auckland

MANAWATU AUTOMOTIVE DIRECT Specializing in Japanese used imports. Family owned for over 19 years automotivedirect.co.nz / 06 323 1980 / Cnr Aorangi St & Kimbolton Rd, Feilding

CANTERBURY JAPANESE RACE SUPPLIES Biggest range of performance parts — best price guarantee! japrace.com / 0800 566 525 / 143 Antigua Street, Christchurch

OSAKA AUTO PARTS Used Japanese Nissan performance parts osaka.co.nz / 03 366 8477 / Christchurch

SOUTHLAND E HAYES The one-stop shop that’s got the lot ehayes.co.nz / 03 218 2059 / 168 Dee Street, Invercargill

NATIONWIDE MOUNT SHOP

BAY OF PLENTY ACTION CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY Fittings, upholstery, covers, carpet, accessories, trimming, installation, repairs 07 574 1888 / 23A Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

MANAWATU CLASSIC & CUSTOM MOTOR TRIMMERS Specializing in classic cars and hot rods ccmt.co.nz / 06 357 0835 / Unit 1, 209 John F Kennedy Drive, Manawatu

CANTERBURY Professional installers of performance car audio systems and accessories jcinstalls.co.nz / 0800 128 346 / 19 Stewart Street, Addington, Christchurch

New performance camshafts, regrinds, valve springs, stainless valves kelfordcams.com / 0800 338 000 / 15 Kennaway Road, Woolston, Christchurch

WS IMPORTS Specialist importers of Japanese cars and classic Japanese performance parts facebook.com/WSIMPORTSNZ / 027 741 3248 / trademe.co.nz/ wsimport

ALL THINGS AUTO-ELECTRICAL, AUDIO AND UPHOLSTERY

AUCKLAND HOTWIRE AUTO ELECTRICAL Car audio and security professionals hotwirenz.co.nz / 09 813 2460 / 4099 Great North Road, Kelston, Auckland

DASHBOARD RESTORATIONS Have your classic’s dashboard restored to a long-lasting factory-new finish dashboardrestorations.co.nz / 09 444 4211 / 3/54 Ellice Road, Glenfield

WIRI AUTO ELECTRICAL

AUTOTECH PANEL & PAINT Full restoration and minor repairs, paint suppliers, and tyre-fitting autotechpanelnpaint.co.nz / 03 688 6488 / 50 Redruth Street, Timaru

SERVICES

VALUATIONS, INSURANCE, SHIPPING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

XPERT WINDOW TINTING & SIGNAGE

PROTECT AUTO SOUND Car Audio, Car Security, GPS, Bluetooth Hands Free protectauto.co.nz / 0800 HOOK IT (0800 466 548) / Unit 2/75 Blenheim Road, Christchurch Sound and security specialists soundworks.net.nz / 08002INSTALL / 72 Lismore Street Waltham, Christchurch

AI CONTROLS LIMITED Design and manufacture of bespoke electrical harness and control systems aicontrols.co.nz / 022 367 0260 / aicontrols.co.nz / 022 367 0260

PANEL, PAINT, EXTERIOR

PANEL BEATING, PAINTING, CUSTOM BODY WORK, BODY PARTS AND EXTERIOR EQUIPMENT

AUCKLAND AUTOMOTIVE BLASTING Comprehensive media blasting service specializing in classic cars 09 2384298 / 0272902076 / 12A Subway Road, Pukekohe, Auckland

DOMINION PANEL & PAINT

INTERIOR / ELECTRICAL

Quality body-kit manufacturer aerotech.co.nz / 03 384 3629 / 16A Maces Road, Christchurch

AUCKLAND

NATIONWIDE

KELFORD CAMS

AEROTECH

Car audio installation soundworks.net.nz / 0800 2 INSTALL (0800 246 782 55) / 352 Ferry Road, Christchurch

AUTO CONNECT

Specialist high-performance muffler manufacturer — mufflers, resonators, accessories combo packs adrenalinr.com / 06 870 3526 / 136 Ormond Rd, Twyford, Hastings

CANTERBURY

SOUNDWORKS

SOUNDWORKS

ADRENALINR

Old skool bodywork, painting, airbrushing, and all other restoration needs countryclassiccars.co.nz / 06 324 8884 / 699 Rongotea Road, Palmerston North

JC INSTALLS LTD

Leading under car specialists mountshop.co.nz / 0508 86 66 86 / Whangarei, Henderson, Penrose, Hamilton, Napier, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Christchurch Holden and Ford body kits, hard-lids, clear lights, spoilers spoilers.co.nz / 0508 776 453 / 46 Waione Street, Petone,Wellington

COUNTRY CLASSIC CARS

Masters of quality, V8 specialist – Call Rob for a quote 09 815 5521 / 16 Morningside Drive, Sandringham, Auckland

WAIKATO MATAMATA PANELWORKS Award-winning classic car restoration and custom paint work panelworks.co.nz / 07 888 7831 / 23A Waihou Street, Matamata

MUSCLE CAR FABRICATIONS Quality restoration, custom fabrication, radiator repairs, fibreglass repairs Facebook: Muscle Car Fabrications / 07 888 4295 / 55 Firth Street, Matamata

NGATEA PANELBEATERS LTD Vehicle restoration specialists — ask about our dustless blasting! ngateapanelbeaters.co.nz / 07 867 7561 / 34 Kohunui St, Ngatea

For all auto electrical repairs for classic cars and daily runners wiriauto.com / 09 262 2660 / 121 Plunket Avenue, Wiri, Auckland

BAY OF PLENTY

JAY BEE AUTO ELECTRICAL

WAX ATTACK VALET & WHITEWALL TYRES BOP

GPS, alarms, air conditioning, re-wires, stereos, reverse cameras batteries, stereos jaybeeautoelectrical.com / 09 620 7813 / 156 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill

Full vehicle valet, whitewall tyre enhancement, cut and polishing professionals waxattackmobilevalet.co.nz / 07 577 9999 / 283B Fraser Street, Tauranga

GT AUTO SOURCE

TARANAKI

LED, HID, halogen — your local automotive lighting specialist gtautosource.co.nz / 09 375 0007 / 7B Morgan Street, Newmarket, Auckland

RE AUTOMOTIVE

WAIKATO

Paint and mechanical workshop Facebook: RE Automotive / 06 765 7656 / 32 Fenton Street, Stratford

TRENDS CAR AUDIO & ALARMS

MANAWATU

Leading home of car audio and security in the Waikato trendshamilton.co.nz / 07 846 6340 / Corner of Massey and Greenwood Streets, Frankton, Hamilton

RESTORATIONS UNLIMITED Complete auto body restoration services restorationclassiccar.co.nz / 06 345 5515 / 199 Ingestre Street, Whanganui

Automotive, marine, commercial — we provide mobile services throughout Auckland xperttinting.co.nz / 09 299 3728 / 179A Great South Rd, Takanini, Auckland

MR. MUFFLER Specialists in mufflers and exhausts 09 636 6622 / 149 Station Road, Penrose, Auckland

CANTERBURY JT AUTOGLASS Mobile windscreen replacements old and new cars, trucks, buses. jtautoglass.co.nz / 0800 555 141 / Unit 2/97 Rutherford Street.

Woolston, Christchurch

MANAWATU GEARTECH AUTOMOTIVE Gearbox, differential, clutch specialists since 1983, covering all major manufacturers geartech.co.nz / 06 354 7590 / 334 Tremaine Ave, Palmerston North

NATIONWIDE HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS Exhaust coatings, piston coatings, turbo coatings, and much more hpcoatings.co.nz / 09 267 1007 / Unit O/62 Mahia Rd, Manurewa, Auckland

CAR VALUATIONS NZ LTD Car valuations — nationwide — where we’re needed carvaluation.co.nz / 0800 5000 40 / Nationwide

DRIVELINE/ BRAKES

BRAKES, GEARBOXES, DIFFS, DRIVESHAFTS, AND AXLE PARTS AND REPLACEMENTS

AUCKLAND DIFFS R US Not only diffs, also chassis fabrications, suspension, tubbing, custom body modifications 09 270 0855 / 4A Kaka Street, Otahuhu, Auckland

MP AUTOPARTS Clutch and brake specialists - including testing, rebuilding and modifying mpautoparts.co.nz / info@mpautoparts.co.nz / 0800 CLUTCH 28 Montgomery Crescent, Maoribank, Upper Hutt

SOUTHLAND PADDON RALLYSPORT GROUP Winmax brake pad suppliers for street, drift, offroad, circuit and rally paddonrallysport.co.nz / 027 318 1748 / info@paddonrallysport.co.nz / 26 Silverstone Drive, Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell

NATIONWIDE BUYBRAKES Performance brakes, rotors, pads, StopTech Big Brake Kits, Hawk brake pads buybrakes.com / glen@buybrakes.com / 021 420 120 / 1800 014 685

COOLANT

58.45

47.00

$

$

2x Pack Dex-Cool Long Peak Conv Green Coolant Life Antifreeze/Coolant & Antifreeze 3.78L

OIL/LUBRICANT

26.37

19.55

Honda Accord, Civic, Odyssey + Front Brake Pad Set

$

Mazda, Nissan & Suzuki Front Brake Pad Set

FILTERS

31.10

A1358 Ryco Air Filter

TIME MPH

Reece Fish Brendon Shearing Aaron Jenkins Ben Morris Craig Hedley Kerry Stewart Daniel Southall Gary Bogaart Dave Moyle Aaron Thomas Tony Gera Mike Carlton Aaron Jackson Geoffrey Dann Azhar Bhamji Ben Moorcock Roger Binnema Mike Bari Tony Witinitara Craig Smith Ross Whelan Darren Riches Oshana Solaka Ray Peterson Kathryn McDonald Chris Daley Warren Black Jason McKillop Dallas Graham Geoff Sadler Aaron Williams Garth White Wayne Fowler Tim Lacey Matt Kriletich Aaron Costello Abdul Samad Ian Rainbow

1956 Chev Bel Air 7.38 1971 Holden HQ Monaro 7.95 1977 Holden Torana 8.14 1969 Chev Camaro 8.37 1994 Toyota Supra 8.46 1923 Chrysler Bucket 8.45 1969 Chev Camaro 8.59 1975 Falcon XB Coupe 8.67 1989 Ford XF Falcon ute 8.81 1954 Ford Pop 8.84 1970 Ford Mustang 8.92 1973 Chev Corvette 8.95 1974 Holden Torana 8.97 1969 Chev Camaro 8.99 1969 Mazda R100 9.01 1974 Mazda RX-3 9.08 1968 Pontiac Firebird 9.09 1971 Chev Chevelle 9.26 1979 Holden HZ Premier 9.33 1967 Ford Cortina 9.38 1934 Ford Model Y 9.45 1954 Ford Pop 9.66 1977 Mazda 323 9.67 1970 Ford Mustang 9.70 1969 Chrysler Valiant 9.72 1972 Holden HQ Monaro 9.80 1972 Holden HQ Monaro 9.81 1974 LJ Holden Torana 9.85 1978 Toyota Corolla Coupe 9.94 1932 Ford coupe 9.89 2015 LVV Ford Pop 9.90 1963 Ford Galaxie 9.93 1967 Chev Camaro 9.70 1981 Holden Commodore 9.94 1973 Ford XA Falcon Coupe 9.95 1969 Chev Camaro 9.97 1992 Mitsubishi Evo I 9.98 1950 Chev Coupe 9.98

194.50 173.00 169.40 168.67 164.19 162.00 164.94 159.72 158.26 152.00 150.83 154.76 151.42 160.00 152.00 155.74 149.98 148.92 146.20 147.06 143.60 133.00 147.09 139.30 137.27 141.43 137.95 137.59 134.00 136.29 136.87 140.78 138.68 132.51 135.56 141.11 138.00 136.97

ENGINE

TRIM AS RACED

540ci BBC twin-turbo 509ci BBC twin-turbo 540ci BBC twin-turbo 580ci BBC Procharger SC 2JZ Turbo 540ci BBC SC 406ci SBC Procharger SC 408ci SBF nitrous 563ci BBF nitrous 408ci SBC twin-turbo 480ci BBF nitrous 540ci BBC SC 555ci BBC nitrous 540ci BBC twin-turbo 13B turbo 13B turbo 540ci BBC NA 598ci BBC nitrous 540ci BBC Procharger SC 302ci Windsor turbo 427ci SBC NA 540ci BBC NA 13B turbo 417ci Windsor NA 604ci BB Mopar NA 540ci BBC SC 555ci BBC SC 421ci SBC NA 1UZ turbo 496ci BBC NA 400ci SBC NA 551ci BBF nitrous 454ci BBC SC Buick V6 Turbo 410ci BBF NA LSX Turbo 4G63 turbo 572ci BBC nitrous

E85, ET Streets C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers E85, DOT Hoosiers C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers E85, ET Streets Avgas, exhaust removed, full slicks C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers C16, exhaust removed, ET Streets C16, ET Streets Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers Pump gas, exhaust removed, ET Streets Avgas, ET Streets Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers Pump gas, full exhaust Pump gas, exhaust removed, ET Streets Pump gas, DOT Hoosiers C16, exhaust removed, ET Streets C16, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers C16, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers C14, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, ET Streets E85, MT Slicks Q16, ET Streets Pump gas, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, DOT Hoosiers E85, DOT Hoosiers Pump gas, ET Streets, uncapped Avgas, exhaust removed, MT Slicks C12, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, DOT Hoosiers Avgas, exhaust removed, ET Streets C12, exhaust removed, ET Streets Pump gas, DOT Hoosiers E85, DOT Hoosiers C16, exhaust removed, Dot Hoosiers

NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREETCAR RULES Cars must be registered and have a WOF, drive back up the return road, have raced within the last two years, and still belong to the driver who set the time. If you know anyone who should be on the list, make sure to let us know by emailing editor@performancecar.co.nz with their timeslip

53.54

$

A1597 Ryco Air Filter Honda

YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR; BRAKES, LUBRICANTS, ADDITIVES, FILTRATION, TOOLS, SUSPENSION, CAR CARE AND MORE!

FREE DELIVERY NATIONWIDE

myautomotive.co.nz

YELLOW TEXT DENOTES A NEW ENTRY OR BETTERED ET

45.95

45.95

$

NEW ZEALAND–IMPORT DRAG RACING RECORDS

Mobil 1 5W30 SN 1L

BRAKE PADS

$

CAR

$

$

Mobil 2 Stroke Oil 1L

NEW ZEALAND’S QUICKEST STREET CARS

New Zealand’s online auto store

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

DRIVER

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

QUARTER-MILE ET

Rod Harvey

Yuasa / Terry’s Chassis Shoppe

Toyota Celica

5.90 @ 384kph (239mph)

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

QUARTER-MILE ET

Charlie Bates Cory Abbott Brent Curran

Mazda-B8’s Terry’s Chassis Shoppe CBR / Castrol EDGE

20B Dragster Mazda RX-7 Series 6 Mazda RX-2

6.50 @ 337kph (210mph) 6.63 @ 304kph (189mph) 6.89 @ 326kph (203mph)

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

QUARTER-MILE ET

Reece McGregor Robbie Ward Reece McGregor Nick Reiri Chris Kingstone-Cox Matt Buttimore Ben Cox Adam Wigg Aaron Barnes Tony Markovina Sam Khamis

Heat Treatments Racing R.I.P.S Racing Heat Treatments Racing Lawton RE Privateer/Rotamax CBR RSL / NZ Car Parts Wigg Motorsport Privateer Maz-Sport M&M racing

Nissan 350Z (VQ35) Nissan R32 GT-R MGAWOT III Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R Mitsubishi Evolution VIII Mazda 1300 Mazda RX-3 (20B) Datsun 1200 coupe Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R (VH45) Mazda RX-3 (20B) Mazda RX-7 Series 5 Mazda RX-3

7.09 @ 329kph (205mph) 7.28 @ 312kph (194mph) 7.41 @ 310kph (193mph) 7.65 @ 273kph (170mph) 7.68 @ 288kph (179mph) 7.74 @ 269kph (184mph) 7.79 @ 286kph (178mph) 7.81 @ 289kph (180mph) 7.83 @ 267kph (165mph) 7.84 @ 286kph (178mph) 7.97 @ 240kph (149mph)

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

QUARTER-MILE ET

Kris Robb Mathew Buttimore Dean Hargreaves Craig Hedley Jeremy Hewson Ryan Baldwin Craig Davis Jason Horn Leon Ruby Tony Markovina Hilton Bush Dick Richardson Shane Herbert Arif Samad Chris Anderson

10 Tenths CBR Rotamax Speedy Signs Putaruru Panel & Paint Privateer CBR / Pro Tint GRP / Hytec Engines / Top RPM Super Freight Maz-Sport Privateer Hytech Engines / GRP Maz-Sport M&M racing Anderson Construction

Mazda RX-7 Series 4 Mazda RX-4 Mazda RX-3 Toyota Supra Toyota Starlet (13B) BMW E36 (13B) Mazda RX-2 Mitsubishi Lancer Mazda RX-7 Series 1 Mazda RX-3 (12A) Mazda RX-2 Mitsubishi Evolution I Mazda RX-3 (12A) Mazda 323 (13B) Ford Courier

8.03 @ 267kph (165mph) 8.13 @ 265kph (164mph) 8.30 @ 260kph (162mph) 8.46 @ 265kph (164mph) 8.54 @ 252kph (157mph) 8.56 @ 246kph (153mph) 8.38@ 267kph (166mph) 8.59 @ 255kph (159mph) 8.63 @ 254kph (157mph) 8.66 @ 246kph (153mph) 8.70 @ 248kph (154mph) 8.78 @ 260kph (162mph) 8.82 @ 240kph (149mph) 8.82 @ 251kph (156mph) 8.88 @ 251kph (156mph)

DRIVER

TEAM

CAR

Aaron Baldwin Azhar Bhamji Zach Sayer Paul Norris Joel Marsh Michael Zahorodny Scott Tolhurst Jon Peplow Suheib Kareem Chris Anderson Ben Moorcock Tim Hawke Oshana Solaka Dallas Graham Rob Kelly Jon Peplow Aidan Reidy Anton Silva Curtis Crichton-Sigley Dallas Graham Raja Bhatti

Privateer Prowear Privateer Privateer Rotamax West Auckland Rotary Privateer S.P.E.C Performance M&M Racing Anderson Construction Privateer Privateer APE Racing Privateer NZ Car Parts S.P.E.C Performance Untamed Motorsport Ruff Red Rota Racing Privateer Privateer Edgell Performance Racing

BMW E36 (13B) Mazda R100 (13B) Nissan Cefiro (RB30) Ford Escort Mk II Mazda RX-3 coupe Toyota Starlet (13B) Toyota Soarer (1UZ) Honda Civic EG Mitsubishi Mirage (4G63) Ford Courier Mazda RX-3 (13B) Toyota Corolla KE20 (1UZ) Mazda 323 (13B) Toyota Corolla KE35 (1UZ) Toyota Corolla KE25 Nissan GT-R R35 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo I Mazda RX-7 (12A) Nissan Skyline BNR32 Toyota Corolla KE35 (1UZ) Mitsubishi Evo III

QUARTER-MILE ET 9.02 @ 238kph (148mph) 9.15 @ 248kph (154mph) 9.15 @ 232kph (144mph) 9.16 @ 241kph (150mph) 9.27 @ 238kph (148mph) 9.28 @ 234kph (145mph) 9.28 @ 225kph (140mph) 9.30 @ 237kph (147mph) 9.44 @ 226kph (141mph) 9.46 @ 235kph (146mph) 9.48 @ 230kph (143mph) 9.59 @ 217kph (135mph) 9.67 @ 236kph (147mph) 9.71 @ 220kph (137mph) 9.78 @ 220kph (136mph) 9.80 @ 240kph (149mph) 9.80 @ 231kph (147mph) 9.87 @ 228kph (142mph) 9.92 @ 231kph (147mph) 9.94 @ 215kph (134mph) 9.96 @ 231kph (147mph)

Season’s

Greetings

from

CLASSIC to NEW

QUALITY • SERVICE • KNOWLEDGE • LATEST RANGES WHANGAREI . HENDERSON . PENROSE . HAMILTON . PALMERSTON NORTH . LOWER HUTT . CHRISTCHURCH