Bowie’s 2 HORNY

This is totally from the unexpected files this one!

You simply can’t predict what is going to happen when you rock up to a lady sitting in a totally cool 1940’s Hot Rod truck to say “I love your truck”. The next thing you know you’re off to photograph five very cool cars and you get to meet a real character of a gentleman named Mr Ray Bowater or “Bowie” as he’s really known. The truck itself, well, that’s a whole other story I’ll get to as there’s a bit of a collection of cars here to show you. Bowie has had octane running through his veins forever it seems. The rack of trophies on the wall from dirt track racing shows his love of horsepower, speed and the love of competing. This gem of a Mustang is just one of three tucked away in the shed between Joy and Ray with all being quite rare in their own right. Knowing that Bowie always wanted a Mustang like this, his mate Harley spotted this one in bits tucked into the corner of a shed in Tauranga. So the mission was on to go check it out and see just what this pile of bits actually was. After clearing the way to it, pumping the tyres up to push it out of the shed to have a proper look at it. The ID tags were dusted off showing it as a “J” code car. Stating it as a genuine Cobra Jet 429 Mach 1 Mustang and the love affair began! That was twenty-nine years ago that this love affair started. From there on, for the next two and half years, the car got the full rebuild from engine, paint to interior and still looks in awesome condition. The engine didn’t quite stay the 429 though. With Bowie’s love of speed and torque, a 460 crank and rods were slipped on in there. I’m picking the theory of “because you can” caused that to happen. Being the rare car it is didn’t stop him from testing it out either. Meremere Dragway has had its fair share of visits to slam the C6 auto down the track and see just how good the drag pac torsion bars are. When I say this is a rare car, I’m actually saying that Ford only built 1865 of these Big Block Muzzy’s! The wheel base was actually extended by 2.5cm to fit these big block engines in. Originally they only punched out around 370hp but Bowie’s one now punches out around 540hp through a three-inch exhaust system. So you can see why he’s called it “2HORNY” although with that much grunt slamming him down the quarter mile, he probably is after that too! When I was a kid, all I used to draw were these Mach 1 Mustangs and XB Falcon Coupes. The long sleek lines giving that aerodynamic look along with the thump of a Cleveland engine just captured me, so I know exactly why Bowie always wanted one of these and can see why he still has it too! Top man!