NZV8 144 — Preview by Via Media

T H E B E S T O F R E P C O B E AC H H O P 1 7

MAY 2017 ISSUE 144

416803 510003

$9.99

HAND-FORMED ALUMINIUM COBRA FLAWLESS HAULER WITH A TWIST WE DRIVE THE LAST HSV CLUBSPORT DRAG ACTION GALORE, AND MORE

feature car

1977 Holden Torana LX

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aron Jenkins does what he wants. If he wants to do something, that something is going to happen. That’s why this Torana exists, and why, beneath its severely exaggerated appearance, you’ll find a mechanical masterpiece built almost entirely by one man in the depths of a Waikato shed. If you’re thinking his name sounds familiar, there may be good reason for that. Over a decade ago, this magazine featured Aaron’s ‘SYCHO8’ Holden HQ Monaro on the cover of Issue No. 15. A street-legal family cruiser powered by a tunnelrammed 496ci big block with a NOS 250 shot on top, that thing could move — eventually, into the nines. What couldn’t move, though, was everything stopping it from going any quicker — it was far too nice to tub, let alone tear half the interior out for a roll cage. The best course of action seemed to be for Aaron to start from scratch, essentially building a drag car he could drive on the street. Selling the Monaro for money that he could put towards the mortgage, and keeping his wife happy in the process, he spent a boring three months with nothing in the shed to tinker with. He did have a plan, though, and it centred on a battered LX Torana hatchback. The next year was spent coming up with a 10-year build plan, as well as squirreling away whatever spare coin could be put towards the ambitious project. If you could have seen the state of the Torana before Aaron got started, you’ll understand why ‘ambitious’ best describes the build.

THE NEXT YEAR WAS SPENT COMING UP WITH A 10-YEAR BUILD PLAN

1977 HOLDEN TORANA LX

ENGINE: 540ci big block Chev, Dart Big M iron block, splayed four-bolt mains, Scat 4.25-inch stroke crankshaft, Engine Pro rods, Diamond pistons, 30-thou over (0.030-inch), 9.1:1 compression ratio, Steve Morris Engines roller camshaft, solid-roller lifters, Brodix BB-2 X aluminium heads, T&D shaft-mount roller rockers, Reher Morrison rocker covers, Reher Morrison single-plane intake manifold, C&S Specialties E85 blow-through carburettor, two Master Power GT45 turbos, Extreme Velocity O-ringed aluminium intake elbow, Sinco aluminium intake piping, two Turbosmart Race Port 50mm blow-off valves (BOVs), two Turbosmart Power Gate 60mm external wastegates, owner-built exhaust manifolds, two-inch primary pipes, four-inch exhaust, custom wastegate pipes, MSD distributor, crank trigger, ICE 10A two-step ignition, ICE Pro 100 9mm ignition leads, Aeromotive belt-driven fuel pump, boost regulator, -12 braided fuel lines, owner-built fuel cell, Monteith and Parker alloy radiator, Monteith and Parker oil cooler, custom radiator shroud, two thermo fans, Moroso electric water pump, -16 braided radiator hoses DRIVELINE: JW Powerglide two-speed auto, 4000rpm stall converter, transbrake, nine-inch diff, Detroit Locker centre, Strange 35-spline axles, three-inch chromoly driveshaft, Strange universals SUSPENSION: Heidts IFS front subframe, tubular A-arms, QA1 adjustable front coilovers, custom adjustable four-bar rear, diagonal track bar (lateral axle locator), Competition Engineering rear sway bar, rose-jointed linkages, QA1 adjustable rear coilovers, Competition Engineering wheelie bars BRAKES: Wilwood reverse swing-mount pedal box, two master cylinders, unboosted brakes, Wilwood four-piston calipers, Wilwood discs, internal drum handbrake, Wilwood brake pedal, custom braided brake hoses, DJ Safety parachute WHEELS/TYRES: 15x5-inch and 15x14-inch Weld Prostar, P175/70D-15 Hoosier Quick Time front tyres, 31x18.50R-15LT Hoosier Quick Time rear tyres EXTERIOR: Fibreglass front clip, fibreglass bumpers, fibreglass bonnet, carbon-fibre rear hatch, custom firewall, custom floorpan, custom transmission tunnel, custom rear firewall, extended sills, custom parachute mounting bracket, underdash wiper motor, custom windscreen wiper linkages, DeBeer Barbados Green paint, DeBeer gloss black paint CHASSIS: Custom owner-built 3x2-inch RHS chassis, chassis welded to body, adjustable four-bar brackets INTERIOR: Fibreglass dashboard, Auto Meter gauges, B&M Pro Bandit ratchet shifter, Lokar handbrake, leather trim, full carpet, new headlining, M&H fixed-back bucket seats, RJS five-point harnesses, custom owner-built roll cage, custom parachute release, Dynamat insulation, Bluewire electric windows, Bluewire central locking PERFORMANCE: 1150hp at the crank, 799hp at the wheels, 8psi boost; 9.42s at 148.85mph; SS/AA class

“It was basically a shell. Everything else, including the floor, was stuffed,” Aaron recalls. Though it did come with a back-halved chassis, what was there was in no way, shape, or form up to the standard Aaron wanted. That left him with only one realistic option — to build it himself. Daunting prospect though that was, he wasted no time in buying a copy of the LVVTA’s NZ Hobby Car Technical Manual [NZHCTM; now known as The New Zealand Car Construction Manual (NZCCM)] and reading each and every aspect relevant to his plans. In doing so, he was reassured regarding his ability to do what he wanted rather than deterred by requirements that were ‘too hard’. Aaron got himself a TIG welder; taught himself to weld; and, once happy with his ability, went to see his LVVTA certifier, Neil Miller, to show him what he could do. No dramas there. Aaron could finally begin the build, and you’ve gotta give credit where it’s due — he might be a house painter by day, but the man can weld.

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event report

Repco Beach Hop 17

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Bradley West and his partner Amanda were kept busy answering questions about their beautiful ’64 Impala ragtop, which drew a constant stream of onlookers thanks to its flawless finish, individualthrottle-body-equipped LS1 engine, and incredibly detailed engine bay. If you’re wanting to know more, you’ll have to wait for a future issue.

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Bruce McKenzie’s stunning ’41 Willys pickup was a punter magnet. How could you ignore the flawless paint, monstrous supercharged big block, perfect stance, and masterful attention to detail?

DAY one

he Go Waihi Warm Up Party marks the official start of Beach Hop every year, and things were no different for this year’s Repco Beach Hop 17. For entrants who’d arrived in Whangamata nice and early, the day started with a vehicular congregation at the Ford NZ Reserve (better known as Williamson Park during non–Beach Hop times of year) for a 9.30am cruise to Waihi. Others began their Beach Hop experience for the year by cruising straight to Waihi and going from there. While the weather forecast wasn’t too flash for the remainder of the week, Wednesday promised nothing but sunshine and happiness, and had no drama in delivering either. The main street of Waihi’s CBD, Seddon Street, and surrounding side streets were soon transformed from strips of sunbaked asphalt into a gleaming mass of painted and polished metal. It’s this beautiful fusion of classic American iron and the picturesque Thames-

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Coromandel east coast that makes Beach Hop what it is — a festival unlike any other and one that draws participants and spectators from all over the world. The atmosphere in Waihi was relaxed, with no urgency required, and there was more than enough time to look at the cars on display, take part in the day’s activities, and kick back for a long lunch — unless you worked for a magazine! Of course, the rock ’n’ roll theme prevalent throughout every Beach Hop meant entertainment wasn’t limited to cars and dodgy-looking fellas. The warm-up extended to the musical side of things, too. Music is a big part of Beach Hop, and this year included Al and the Wildkatz, Tim and the Rockets, and Ricochet, all playing live sets throughout the town. Most notable of these was Tim and the Rockets, who got the honour of performing at the remarkable Cornish Pumphouse — a massive relic from Waihi’s gold-mining history.

If you’re more into kustoms, how about the matching pair of ’58s brought along by the Tucker brothers? Now that Aaron’s had a baby, he decided that his ’58 Biscayne needed more doors, so he built a ’58 Chev Bel Air sedan, finished in a very similar style with painted scallops and the only acceptable ride height — low! This, of course, left the two-door hardtop spare for brother Bradley and family to fly in from Australia to enjoy. themotorhood.com

feature car

1966 AC Cobra

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event report

2017 IHRA Nationals

barrier? Would Trevor Smith’s now-carbon-fibrebodied Statesman make it out on track? Would the DB Race Cars team of Rod Benjes and John Dillon repair their damaged engine in time? While no door car at the event actually ran a five, it was positive news all round come March 18, day one of the two-day event — there had already been PBs from Dixon, with a crazy 6.19 at 237.59mph, and Smith, with a 6.33 at 219.47mph, so the race was on. However, the competition would come down to the old saying of ‘To finish first, first you must finish’. Dixon defeated Paul ‘PJ’ Johnson’s misbehaving Chev pickup with ease, but sustained minor engine damage in the process, putting him out of the semi-final against Barry Plumpton. The other semifinal matchup — Benjes versus Trevor Smith — was one the crowd was eager to see. They weren’t disappointed, with Smith running a 6.28 against Benjes’ 6.44. This was the quickest and fastest sideby-side doorslammer pass to have been achieved on New Zealand soil, and it set the tone for what lay ahead.

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he weather gods did their bit to disrupt this year’s running of the IHRA Nationals, but a week’s delay from the event’s scheduled date certainly didn’t seem to hurt. The entrant numbers were split a touch by other events taking place on the same day, but, for those racing, spectating, or organizing, the event was a success well worth celebrating. Going into the event, which was the final round of the 2016–2017 IHRA Nationals series, points were close in many classes, so the round would decide who took home bragging rights as national champion.

With Night Speed Drag Wars taking place the night before the event, the track crew had their work cut out for them. However, they worked their magic — scraping the dead rubber, laying new rubber, and adding their top-secret traction formula, all in time for racing to take place. The air in March is ideal for drag racing, and the track conditions on the day couldn’t have been better, meaning a great weekend was about to be had by all. In the days leading up to the event, talk around Top Doorslammer was rife. Would current hot shoe Nigel Dixon break the elusive five-second

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Special Feature

New Zealand’s Fastest Females

AGE: 42 DAY JOB: Business manager for Westpac DAILY-DRIVER: Mazda 3 DRAG CAR: 1927 T Brogie Roadster PB TO DATE: 6.34s at 221mph

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Whangarei’s Faye Grant was a legend in her day, and is still highly regarded today, having held the title of the fastest female in the country for over two decades. Her racing wasn’t limited to just the record-setting blown Hemi-powered dragster, though, as she also spent plenty of seat time in her injected small block-powered Altered. Both cars wore the ‘Diamond Girl’ name, easily distinguishing ‘Lady Faye’ from the pack. The dragster, which is still competing today, was the first New Zealand car to run a 200mph pass in the hands of Clarkson / Wymer before being sold to John Agnew, who set a record of 23 consecutive wins in it before selling it to Faye and husband Dennis.

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PEOPLE ... GET A MAJOR SHOCK WHEN THEY FIND OUT THAT DURING THE WEEKENDS SHE DRIVES A 2300HP CAR THAT GOES 220MPH!

ith her father, Lindsay, heavily involved in drag racing during Karen’s formative years, there was never any chance of her avoiding the drag racing bug. Even when Lindsay took a break for a while, becoming involved in competitive jetboat racing, winning almost every title there was to win at the time and holding records for many years after, Karen was by his side. When the switch back from water to land was made in the year 2000, a 1932 roadster was the vehicle of choice, and Karen was always on hand to help out. When Karen got her first run down the strip — a 15.96-second pass — no one would have predicted the times she’d be running a decade and a half later. As the family’s knowledge and experience grew, the times recorded in their car tumbled — although, with it being essentially a modified street car, they were pushing the limits with low seven-second passes. In 2010, the decision was made to swap to a new, more suitable chassis. The supercharged big block engine was fitted into this, and Karen made her first six-second pass, becoming one of very few females to do so on local soil. The pair continued to improve their times, and, in 2012, took the record for the fastest trap speed recorded by a female, with a 208mph pass. It would be an agonizing wait until April 6, 2014, however, before Karen would claim the record for being the quickest, with a 6.62-second pass at 205.52mph. The 2013–’14 season was a rollercoaster for the team, which had swapped out their supercharged combo for a twin-turbo set-up, with many teething issues presenting themselves along the way. They’re now well on top of the technology, though, and the results are starting to become consistent once more.

Karen’s not just fast; she’s also a very clever and competitive racer, winning the national title in Competition Class multiple times, as well as having individual event wins. As impressive as those may be, they haven’t been enough to satisfy New Zealand’s first lady of speed, though, as her goal of running a five-second pass is something she’d like to see through to completion. While there have been no shortage of wild rides over the years, including the time she ended up on two wheels in the paddock at Tokoroa, the highlights well outweigh them. One of the more recent highlights was when Lindsay stepped back into the hot seat and ran his first 200mph pass, making them the first father/daughter combo to reach the milestone speed.

Of course, holding the title of the quickest and fastest female in New Zealand Drag Racing history is a very impressive bragging right to have, and one that shocks many people. Most people who meet the mild-mannered bank worker get a major shock when they find out that during the weekends she drives a 2300hp car that goes 220mph! While running a five on New Zealand soil is the real goal, Karen also mentioned that she’d love to take the car to Willowbank Raceway in Queensland to find out its potential there. Karen’s title looks to be unchallenged for the foreseeable future, although, as you’ll see over the next few pages, plenty of the new drivers who are stepping up would love to take her place.

SPONSORS: Terry’s Chassis Shoppe, Brinsden Automatics, Chuck Mann, Infomotive, Shane at Segedins, R.I.P.S KAREN THANKS: My parents: without them, none of this would have been possible; my awesome crew: year after year we keep going back trying to make that little roadster go faster and faster; Jason Cutelli and Terry Bowden: the witch doctors of the team; Meremere Dragway: the volunteers and track staff are like family to our team — we couldn’t do any of this without their support

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