MIKE GEARING:
N Z ’ S G O D F AT H E R O F H O R S E P O W E R
JUL. 2017 ISSUE 146
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416803 510003
$9.99
true STREET
eight seconds on leaf springs
ARDUN-HEADED
traditional-style ’32 ROADSTER
PLUS: SUPER-SMOOTH COMMODORE, MARINELAND, REBUILDING AN AUTO TRANS, AND MUCH MORE …
contents JULY 2017
THE cars
LUCKY NUMBER
BEL AIR WORTH THE WAIT
HAULIN’ ARSE
FREAKY FAST FORD HAULER
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INSANITY
NITRO CONSUMPTION AT ITS MADDEST
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
TOUGH VK ON A WEAK BUDGET
DIFFERENT STROKES RETRO ROD WITH BITE
THE events
54 GENERAL EXCELLENCE – GM CLASSIC CAR / HOT ROD DAY OUT 76 THE BIG 25 – MARINELAND HOT ROD AND CLASSIC CAR FESTIVAL 104 HORSEPOWER DISPLAY – CAPITAL RODDERS HORSEPOWER DISPLAY AND SWAP MEET
SPECIAL features
44 THE MASTER
WE MEET MIKE GEARING
88 THE BLACK ART
TRANSMISSION REBUILDS EXPLAINED
96 DREAM SHED
THERE’S TIN IN THEM THAR HILLS
102 HANDS OFF!
TOUCHLESS WHEEL ALIGNMENT
THE other stuff 04 SHORT SHIFT 08 BENCH SEAT 10 NEWS 12 ONLINE THIS MONTH 14 TORQUEBACK 16 JUST QUICKLY 18 DAILY GRIND 20 IN THE BUILD 22 EVENTS 40 STRAIGHT TALK 42 SUBSCRIBE AND WIN 60 AEROFLOW RACE DIARY 62 DRAGGED UP 64 NZ’S QUICKEST 94 CONCEPT CORNER 118 CMC NEWS 120 CARGO 122 A DECADE AGO 124 THIS MONTH AT V8 126 LOCAL SPECIALISTS 128 COMING NEXT MONTH
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feature car
1956 Chev Bel Air
, y, but k c u l d r sidere hev cruise n o c y C all norm s for his ’56 g to differ t o n r is e er 13 many yea may just b OY b m u The n aiting that on, David PHOTOS: ADAM CR E ti w after e comple RDS: CONNAL GRAC WO to se 24
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feature car
32
1989 Ford Falcon XF GLS
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er handi n e v n e e and yle’s Falco ! m o h o d er aroun rip, Dave M ose street ROW y d n R p st Ha drag ate all-pur M CROY / LANCE FA e h t A down the ultim WYLIE PHOTOS: AD ute is ORDS: TODD W
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event report
GM Classic Car / Hot Rod Day Out
r iwi ca a K f o p le a stap ed things u s i d l e p hool fi s Club step d Day Out c s a ow on Enthusiast r / Hot Ro h s r a The c ut the GM Classic Ca AL GRACE NN GM e, b S: CO cultur ch with its WORDS AND PHOTO not
Left: Karl Shields’ 1982 Holden VH Commodore SS is one of only 30 built by Holden New Zealand, in conjunction with Peter and Phil Brock, for the 1982–’83 Benson and Hedges Saloon Car Series. It is powered by an L31 Holden 308 V8, backed by an M21 closeratio ‘Aussie’ four-speed and 3.08:1 ratio 10bolt LSD
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feature car
1934 Ford Fuel altered
t or, bu s n o p rs a bee problem! f l e s ed him he drinking d n a l nd’s have that hasTOtN Zeala y a m p New scribed u H S d s d A l m e E ch su en de lter Gau Y / MIK ty mu has be auld has n pret what Dave razy fuPeHlOTaOS: ADAM CRO f io t o e v ip r r a e c D G st time es st driv c N SHARFT uke’s s That d i e fir h d faste heels. Te P n a s ers th t ’ l b s O a t e i R ic quick remem b on w CAME old. f a typ :
ad o orsch our he illie’ B W ge in y d a il im air, ‘W n razy h right? have a g pilot, le of c g d o, you n e g a r n t e a lin el-alt ind: a ette d r fu m a d o ig e t a c h s t r m me and a n ano bly co glare, ects o fl ly e e proba r e t y s ll e jaw, as he casua granit lose? c is gob h e f w ect of o — are ld exp e side u wou aland, we out th pisode o e y e e il r Ze r-m ictu er quarte that’s the p here in New ner. Wheth an es, ut, y m B , l . , ll a t e u o in s W w d pil ore ca lacks altere , or in a m ing an All B a fueltrophy hings r y t e la h o t p d o n o n w oo t a t o r d g d e ten ead s aft r bein eiran R at her shoe um fo n here m w o is d h it be K g in to bunch o star gizing mble Lydia K arker apolo e a hu r a P ly h Josep e, we certain et. plan ssiv aggre of the m o t t o b at the S WORD
S
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e s ily e bom this; h t year his fam as a tim nted to do s all of eigh e with t n n a a e t a v a w e w k s a n en he alway in Wh he day of a ith bit, wh on holiday t w g n s u o e b n the town was nd co David o be in shing arou e family a Young happened t r h t h t d e e n he rs wer red ly bur when rodde e near e overpowe t, all h hot fter, h s ic a ha h o t n h w t t o in . So g of the ar lazing reamin practising d r e ft tyres b n .A ega mer. down s, he b like an y sum home month lls his ever o look r t r fo a s c fi a slot jalopie ades later, ed it dified decid dec n I mo hing over, I e these h w the t tarted “It all s fter working A . d e r alte
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feature car
1986 Holden VK Commodore
t kept i e, e h f i t car ommodor c e j o r p C uild a ed this VK boring b o t n lu n hin Ba ars he’s ow ve to mea c a S d llowe in the 10 ye t doesn’t ha a s s o The b dget, and hat budge t u on a b has proveOdS: ADAM CROY OT n Sach: Ci ONNAL GRACE PH S WORD
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S
achin Balu bought his first V8 in 2004. Although he didn’t hold on to the VT Commodore SS for too long, the seed had been sown, so it wasn’t long before he began hunting for something else. With V8 nut Peter North as a brother-in-law and having seen many of the early Commodores Pete had built over the years, Sachin’s thought process naturally veered in that direction. With his wedding approaching, Sachin knew that getting the idea of a project car past his wife-to-be, Kim, was going to be a bit of a long shot. He managed to get her across the line by promising that the build wouldn’t exceed $10K, and he kept his word … kinda. The wedding came and went without a hitch, but the honeymoon had to be postponed when a family member became extremely sick. Making the best
of a bad situation, Sachin’s Trade Me explorations revealed a tidy-looking VK Commodore. The injected 202-powered beast looked like just what Sachin was after. As the car had already been lowered on 17-inch Advanti Stalker wheels and came complete with a mint interior, Sachin knew he could save a fair bit on build costs. “The cheque was written on the side of the road, and the car was mine,” Sachin recalls. The strip-down started the following week, revealing the solid base Sachin was hoping to find, allowing his plans to become a reality. “The plan was for the car to be a five-litre V8 with a five-speed manual,” Sachin says. “Everything else was still to be decided, bearing in mind the low budget.” With the 202 and auto box sold, the immediate focus
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