NZ Trip 2011....HR Blowout/shed visits/Nostalgia Drags...PICS GALORE!

DAY 9...Saturday...Carson's soccer game, Shed visits, Stock cars.

Saturday morning was exiting because it was Carson's first ever soccer game. He was pretty exited and even said he thought he might win a trophy! After some practice and warming up the game was on.





Well it turns out Carson was a natural! He even scored a breakaway goal and at the end of the game was awarded a trophy for player of the day. It was a very cool start to the morning. Chris and Kelly were very proud!

 

what an awesome trip,tooooo much fun

 

WOW, Kev.....what a post, what a country, what a bunch of cool cars and what a bunch of neat folks that you were around......

Thanks for posting all of this......a really cool post, indeed!!!

 

Thanks for posting, really enjoyed the pics.

 

Kev, you do all us kiwis very proud with your thread here buddy. Nice to get a chance to say hi again at the Drags. Hope you have whacked some of those decals up in the shed mate.

 

Hey Craig ...... shall I drop an apple turn over into the post for ya??

 

So after soccer Chris took us to check out a few sheds. First a hot pie stop at the bakery...........



Chris lives on the North Shore which is just over the harbor bridge from Auckland City. When I was a kid it was a real big deal to go over the harbor bridge. Not any more, I went over it about 15 times in 10 days on this trip. Here is a view of Auckland city from the bridge...



First we visited a guy with a lot of old tin in a big shed but it is all pretty private so no pics. Then we headed over to visit Dave McDougall and son Wookie. Aaron rode with Peanut in the 32 and I rode with Chris in his 28 RPU.





Dave has a home fab shop and does work for local hot rodders. He is a pioneer of New Zealand drag racing. His car was/is a Y block Ford powered Austin. He built it from a car that his dad bought new so it has been in the family a long time!





Here is Dave today. I spotted the old grill shell hanging on the wall so I had Dave pose with it for a picture.....





Here is how the car looks today. It was rebuilt with a new frame etc back in the 70's and has been raced sporadicly since.They had it out of the shed to load it on a trailer to take to the Nostalgia drags the next day. Cool looking machine!









Here are a few pics from inside the shop....







Flathead on an engine stand with very old Scott injection. Probably were used in the early circuit racing days in NZ.







Aaron checking out the manual press....



Dave's 41 pickup....

 

A 35 4dr in a storage shed waiting it's turn....



More treasures....









When we were leaving we were hijacked by a wedding party at a neighbors house who were very exited to see a bright red hot rod and just had to pose with it....









The happy couple....

 

Next we headed over to visit fellow Scrounger member Malcolm. Mal has recently moved into a property that has a house and a huge shed that once housed chickens. He has been very busy converting it into workshop/living quarters. Mal, like Chris is a diehard Ford man. However he does have a Hemi in his A coupe....



Mal is also a bike nut, his current restoration project is almost complete...



A few more of his Fords...







The awesome view from Mal's property....



This thread has everything! Even puppies....



Saturday night...On my last trip we went to watch the stock cars (NZ version of jalopy racing, full contact) so I wanted to go again this trip. It was midget racing championship this time so not much smashing/crashing action but it was a night of excellent racing. The super saloons are awesome. They have dirt modified type bodies but handle and race like sprint cars. They also ran mini sprints, stock cars and a couple of other classes....

 

DAY 10...Sunday...Nostalgia drags.

So finally it is Sunday and the weather looks great. Should be an awesome day at the Nostalgia drags. Chris and I go over to Johns house, we are in the 28 and John is taking the T bucket. Coolest looking T ever. Can you believe it was built by John and Chris back in 1986? So we gassed up and headed down the southern motorway to th BP gas station in Papakura to meet up with a few others.







When we pulled into the gas station parking lot it was half full of muscle cars....



We hooked up with Mal, Evan and Aaron from One Percent Magazine....



While waiting many cars buzzed by heading for the drags.





So now we had a mini convoy heading for the track. You know you are there when you see the big "Dragway Road" sign. I love that sign!

 

Here is a look at the track. It was built by the Pukekohe hot rod club and opened in 1973.I used to go there all the time back in the 70's. It looks different now with the bleachers, sinage, trees, different parking etc.







There is a large hill for spectators. On the other side of the hill is a jet boat track, dirt track and another dirt track for the vintage midget club. This facility is about half way between Auckland and Hamilton. About a mile down the road is a brand new world class race track (road coarse) called Hampton Downs.

 

great pics

 

good stuff man...

 

Here are some of the dragsters that raced.....

 

NZ is my favorite place on Earth. I was lucky enough to do some VFX work down there at Weta around the time that Lord of the Rings was finishing up, down in Windy Wellington. Best experience ever. Nicest folks ever. Me and my cohort (both of us single at the time) ended up meeting two fine ladies early on that took us in (their families, too!) and "watched over us" the whole time! It's a dream of mine to go back one day. The whole country really is a special place.

 

Here are some pic's from the staging lanes....

 

Cool cars seen around the pits....

 

Ace custom painter Steve Levin's awesome Austin! Check out the lace, it is one piece down the whole side of the car, fenders and everything!

 

Wow! Thanks for sharing all this with us. The cars, scenery, food, brass models, all very cool but, the picture of you having a beer with your dad on the deck is priceless.

 

Here are a few of my Scrounger buddies. L-R...Mal, John, Chris and me.



Some HAMBers....

Fenderskirt....Game face on! Looking good Dyan!







55olds88....and his sweet little helpers...



rustydeuce....working his booth. Nice to talk to you again Dale!



Simonsez.....That 32 runs as good as it looks (watch out for the speed cameras!).

 

Some on track action....

 

That's a damn fine coverage Kev. Truly paint's the big picture!
Many thank's.

 

Kev .. A perfect shot to "END" your post on ... thanks ..

 

That would be a very nice end but more pics coming when I get a chance.

 

one of the best threads on the h.a.m.b right now......good times Kev....wow

 

T buckets have always been popular in NZ. NZ Hot Rod magazine built one as a project car back in the 70's so with that guideline they have always been an entry level rod down under. There was a good turnout at the Nostalgia Drags, they had their own class. They had a parade during lunch break......





I took a couple of shots from the timing tower stairs. I remembered I had taken a T bucket shot from the same spot 38 years ago. The return road was still gravel so it was probably 1973.

 

Bay Rodders is the club who puts on the Nostalgia Drags and I have to say that they do a fantastic job! I wish I knew more details but there was a special ceremony for one of their members who had recently passed away. His ashes were packed into the chute of the Fiat altered and he was given the flying farewell going through the traps! It was very moving how his fellow club members lined up to see him off as the car pulled to the line and staged, very cool!!









If anyone knows the name please post it here. There is a great video of the run on youtube . If someone has a link please add it.

 

Great pics! Looks like you had a great time?
Welcome home a second time.

 

Sorry for walking through your picture. That will teach me for paying attention to the cars and not the people.

 

Man,ive gotta get out more.....Kev,thanks for the pics,youre doing an awsome job of promoting our little country.Weddings,funerals,pies,awsome scenery,sheds,hotrods,drags...what a blast!