Octane Fix Online Issue 20

The

The show scene and events have certainly come back with a vengeance in the calendar this year haven’t they!

We seem to be spoilt for choice as to which way to drive lately. 2023 is looking full of fun as well with a heap of events already planned and ready to rock!

Everything from drag racing, burnouts and shows are already sorted, so have a nosey at the back of the book here and see which ones you want to get to.

This month has been full noise covering the awesome Deuce Days event in Napier, straight after the full-on week at Beach Hop in Whangamata.

We have got massive coverage of both those events to come out. We’re starting this issue off with the Beach Hop Cruises, so instead of just Show Day, we’re getting amongst the entire runs to Waihi, Thames, Onemana and rocking into the party at the Retro Caravans to check out the awesome wonderland created with the Light Party on the Friday night.

I must say, it is a privilege to be able to climb all over some of these stunning builds that are coming out now with the cameras. The build quality right from the design, fabrication, custom work to paint and interiors is truly awesome. To pick just one car as the best of show is something I don’t even do anymore. It’s more likely the best handful that I pick. Probably because I want them all though!

Unless the finish standard is truly at a higher level, the build of the vehicle is a personal preference to me.

To complete a factory rebuild to concourse level, honestly takes as much work and effort as a custom build, yet the effort involved might not show at a simple glance.

If you haven’t guessed already, I just love cars! Hahaha. What really impresses me is the effort that goes into some builds. Whether it’s a custom, resto or resto mod, the vehicle reflects what the owner wants to drive and that’s the passion I love about this scene.

To me it’s kind of like music, we all have our own likes and dislikes, some makes us go HELL YEAH and bounce with excitement while others just make us smile, unless it looks like a country song, then it’s just a NO!

The Deuce Days run was a perfect example of this. Out of 116 1932 Ford Deuces, not one looked like another. Every car was what the owner wanted, reflecting their own personality into the build. It was honestly awesome to see!

The Charity Shows are great for checking out every style you can imagine as all sorts of clubs get involved with these days with no affiliation to any breed . Anyway, enough of my

ramble, GET AMONGST this issue here and check out the awesome Beach Hop Cruises. Don’t forget to check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel as well with our video coverage of the events and feature cars!

So have an awesome break if you are getting one and we shall hopefully see you at the next event.

Cheers, Giggles (aka Bogan)

WOW, we have trashed another year already!

Photo credit goes to the awesome Rod Dunn from Creative Auto Photography

CRANKIN INTO WAIHI AND GETTING THE PARTY STARTED! We’re off to the Hop

cruising off to Whangamata to set up base and really get amongst!

entrants along with an array of prizes for cars voted the ‘Best Choice’ by locals and the entrants.

This awesome event first cranked up way back in the year 2000 as a little ole Rock ‘n Roll gathering with a few Hot Rods hanging on the side as part of the theme. Since then, this huge event has grown larger and larger every year and now encompasses all sorts of entertainment, cruises, show ‘n shines and some awesome party-up sessions in the evening.

It all cranks up on the Wednesday with a cruise leaving Whangamata to head into Waihi for the first of the series of shows around the Coromandel area.

The “Waihi Warm-up Party” is exactly that! Just a warm-up for what’s about to evolve over the four days.

The main street of Waihi gets closed off along with a series of side streets now to fit all the entered cars in from the cruise. For many, this is the join day. Meeting up in Waihi to get amongst the action before

The entertainment is all go in Waihi though. Live bands are spread along the main street along with a heap of nostalgia vendors selling goodies for the cave or even to wear.

The local school even closes for the show and heap of locals fill the streets to get in and admire the cars on display.

Rock ‘n Roll dancers get the ball rolling before the annual drag race is set to take over the main street.

This isn’t your usual drag race though, it’s all about getting a team together, all dressed in drag to run up the main street as a relay team to see who’s the fastest drags out there.

Retro competitions are going over the back by the local memorial hall for the best dressed for those who needed to rest their feet after checking out all the cars on display.

Mid afternoon is prizegiving time for the day with money prize drawers for the

The live bands keep the crowd entertained in between all the action and with the whole centre of town full with stunningly cool Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and Classics, there’s never a dull moment that’s for sure!

As the day wears on, the crowd and cars soon pack up and head back to Whangamata to get amongst the nights cruising on the main street.

This is an awesome chance to kick back and watch a yesterdays world go by. My first stop on the Wednesday is to always head to Soul Burger, grab a wickedly good burger, sit back and check out the cool rides cruising past. It’s honestly like stepping back in time it’s that cool!

As the night rolls on, you can tell more cars are rolling into town to set up camp for the week so you know Thursday’s run is going to be even bigger!

We’re back into it again at Beach Hop 2022.

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Thames here we Thamescome!here we come!

POWER CRUISE THURSDAY

Thursday’s the day for a cool cruise across the hill to the coast on the other side of the peninsular to one of NZ’s original gold mining towns.

This historic town sets a perfect back drop for lining up these old rides and the cruise over the hill is simply stunningly beautiful with the views over the bay, native bush and flowing rivers running through every gorge.

The day started off with entrants lining up at Ford Reserve under a sea of umbrellas with the predicted weather not exactly playing ball, but that didn’t stop the hardy enthusiasts from getting amongst the event and making it happen.

The cruise over the hill ran well this year with breaks in the traffic to keep it

flowing and the old rides happy in the temperature range.

The main road was once again lined with groups of people braving the weather, waiting for the parade of cars to roll past and the local school was out in full force again to cheer it along.

As the cars pulled into the main street of Thames for the massive display to begin, the crowd of locals followed the cars as they pulled in to park as if like a welcoming committee with man, woman and their dog wandering down the street.

From now on, Thames was transformed into yestercentury with the historic buildings lining the rows of old-school rides perfectly.

Live bands jammed out cool old tunes at different spots along the street and Rock ‘n Roll dancers took the centre stage with an awesome display going on.

Every now and then the Weather God jumped back in to make everyone run for cover under the shop front balconies with

what seemed torrential rain, but within minutes it was all over and the show was on again.

This just gave everyone a good chance to catch up with mates and watch the world go by for a little while.

It might have been wet, but it certainly didn’t damper the party atmosphere any!

The centre stage was once again a sea of entrants come mid afternoon for the entrant prize drawer of the day. The prize of free cash for simply being part of the daily shows is an awesome bonus that happens with this event, not to mention the daily prizes for the public vote of best car, best dressed or Mayors choice and so on.

An auction for a Beach Hop banner drew an awesome response with proceeds going to charity which is what this event has always been about.

MICHELLE & WAYNE REID’S

67 BUICK SKYLARK classy Jalopi

I know I’ve said this many times before, but Buick’s are certainly one of the classiest cars around, in my opinion.

When a manufacturer like Rolls Royce buys a brand new Buick for the sole purpose of pulling it apart, just to get some new ideas for their own designs, you can be pretty sure I’m right with my thinking there.

Wayne & Michelle’s stunning white Skylark here represents the Buick build well.

The Skylark was heralded as Buicks luxury model from early on in its production life, hence being named after a songbird.

These generation one models packed

a full list of options and a beautifully upholstered interior for the discerning buyer.

Commonly mistaken for an Oldsmobile or Chevelle of the time due to the long sleek shape on the same chassis, these rare models still stand out on their own in any show with that protruding nose cone adding an aggressive stance to that sleek yet cruiser looking body.

The extra detailing around the body with the side flutes behind the front wheels and the stainless wheel arch trims leading straight into the side protection strips, picks it up with its own piece of class.

The pillarless doors giving an unobstructed view of the interior with both front and back windows down, yet still retaining the quarter vent windows for driver and passenger comfort.

Back in the cool era of the sixties and

muscle cars, the luxury cars weren’t just based on being comfortable. They were given the sports appeal as well which is what made them so appealing as a grand tourer car.

Wayne found this bird here lazing around in Australia but still as a lefthand drive model.

Sitting on a car yard looking totally different to anything around and for a relatively cheap price, the noticeably different shape caught his eye and being a rev-head from way back, could see the potential that lay within this songbirds body.

Packing the original 340ci V8 engine and automatic trans, the stance was all Wayne wanted to sort straight away to have this as a cruiser to wander about in. The name Jalopi representing the life of this ride for a fair few years before the real tinkering began.

Since then, a stunning white interior by MacDonalds Motor Trimmers has been installed to bring the class back into the ole bird along with polarised window tints to not only look after that new interior but to make it a pleasure to cruise in on the hot summer days.

The interior detailing in these Buicks back in the sixties is just too cool to mess with, so a JVC head unit has been slotted into the glove box to provide the sounds for cruising too leaving the factory stereo to sit proud just like the old days.

This really is a classy looking car with its sharp, definite but sleek lines. The exterior detailing with the stainless trim tying in nicely to the extra stainless trims along the interior door cards through to the extra interior lights encased in stainless bezels.

They definitely would have been a standout car back in the sixties, just as they are now.

Q&A:

What else are you into Wayne? Anything that goes fast enough to do something stupid in or on!

So how long have you owned the car? 10 years’ish

Where did you find it, import or around NZ? On a car yard in Adelaide where l was living at the time

What made you pick this car? It was different and affordable

Did you buy the car as is or build it? It was on stock wheels with the ride height of a 4x4 so they were the first mods. Eventually l’ll repower it but for now it’s too much of a sweetie to change it

How long was the build time? It’s an ongoing project …

What condition was it in when you got it? Tidy but lacking attitude

What would be your favourite car to have? Where do l start?

What car would you like to test drive? Top fueler

Any other cool cars in the shed? Just the Harley and retro caravan

Q&A continued

What other cool cars have you owned? 3 x HQ Monaro’s, SLR5000 replica, 78 Camaro, HQ Statesman with a 350 Chevy and a bunch of other stuff that probably shouldn’t have been on the road!

Any you wish you still owned? My last big block Monaro

What cars are on the wish list? Sled of some kind - maybe Pontiac Cheiftain or similar, 4 door Lincoln Continental, maybe another Monaro

Favourite style of car, coupe or wagon etc? Coupe

What do you love about the car scene the most? The cars, the people, the adventures

Favourite car movie? Not a movie but love the Overhaulin’ series

Favourite band / singer to go cruising with on the stereo? Anything rock!

Anyone you want to thank for helping with the car? My little boy Jax for helping me to install the new transmission. Michelle for putting up with me and my fossil fuel addiction

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If you think your ride deserves to be in here, drop us a photo and let us know about it. Every issue we will be picking a random car to show off. Plus, we may just stop in and do a full photo shoot for you and for us to feature.

Email us: info@octanefixonline.com

FRIDAY’S THUNDER CRUISING to Onemana

Friday is always a HUGE day at Beach Hop. Most people have arrived in town for the weekend of partying and are ready to get amongst the cruising.

The entrant line up at the Whangamata Rugby grounds starts off with a sound check but not for the musicians. This is the Castrol Thunder Cruise so its decibels checks, not music checks being done here.

With the pipes off or the caps open its time to see who is the loudest in town for the coveted prize.

Live music does fill the air though with Al and the Wild Kats jamming out some good ole tracks to keep the crowd entertained before the cruise to Onemana begins.

The side of the road heading out of town to Onemana is already filling up with eager bystanders waiting to catch the convoy before heading into the Onemana Reserve to check out the show.

The top of the hill before Onemana would seem like a vision from Bathurst with all the marques set up with bbq’s, chilly bins and rows of cool old-school cars lining the side of the road.

The base of the hill is a sea of people just waiting for the action to start.

By late morning it’s all go in the reserve with over a thousand cars lined up to wander around and enjoy the atmosphere with live bands jamming away in different areas, food vendors cranking hot awesome treats off the bbq’s and just a chilled day at the beach to get amongst.

The Chevy tri-five enthusiasts had a massive line of cool ole Chevy’s to check out. From the Coupes, Hardtops and Four doors, the lineup was awesome.

If its old school and cool it was lined up here, even including the dogs!

Karl Boniface and the crew had the Castrol Edge Funny car set up to blast a few decibels for themselves. This Nitro snorting blown animal always draws a massive crowd to watch and listen to. The blown V8 shaking the ground with its thump of horsepower with every start up.

The normally quiet beach spot of Onemana turns into a full-on hive of people on this Friday. Being a huge area, there’s heaps of room to laze about and watch the surf come in, lay under a tree and listen to the bands or get amongst and go walk-about around the whole lot!

Mid afternoon on the main stage, the entrant prize drawer kicks off again with yet another lucky entrant winning a cash prize drawer for simply turning up, plus the day winners for the entrant’s choice as a lead up to the big show day on the Saturday.

Back in town the Vintage markets were all go and if you are keen to learn to Rock n roll dance, the Whangamata Club were running lessons for that as well.

The buzz around town on the Friday afternoon is fully in party mode now. The main street is full with new arrivals and various car clubs are getting together to have a catch up before the big day on Saturday.

The Camaro Club had a catch up along the waterfront with a great line up of cool old Camaro’s showing the generations.

The Retro Caravan area was alive with the sound of live music from The Flaming Mudcats and the light party was all go for anyone to wander about in this magical wonderland.

Cruising in the main street was all go through darkness and the Repco Garage HQ being party central in town was all go with live bands through till the early hours.

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RETRO LIGHT PARTYFriday’s

The Flaming Mudcats band were rocking out some awesome old-school rhythm and blues tunes to the crowd gathering around to just enjoy the evening catching up with mates or wandering about in awe at the amazing light displays.

The effort and creativity gone into some of the displays is truly awesome to say the least!

From illuminated flowers to full-on roadways marked with lights for an illuminated trolley car.

The imagination gets to run wild in here as if wandering into a wonderland.

As the sun goes down, this wonderland comes to life with themed displays taking you right back to a fairytale book from your younger years to make you smile and chuckle with the joy in the crowd wandering through.

The retro caravan area opens up on the Thursday afternoon in the Whangamata Area School grounds and is fully set up to cater for anyone with a retro caravan to just roll on in and get amongst the party. Powered sites are available for those wanting to light up the sky or just want the home comforts while staying and amenities are brought in to cater for the crowds.

Coffee and food vendors roll in plus the school cranks up the bbq and coffees for breakfasts as fund raising for the school. This is the awesome thing about this whole Beach Hop event.

The opportunities for fundraising for the local clubs, schools and charities is awesome and everyone there gets in to fully support them all.

Friday night the party heads into the Retro Caravan area to get amongst the awesome light shows and displays set up around and on the caravans themselves.

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LEAVING WORK ON A FRIDAY BE LIKE...

Alchemy Architectural Design Limited