The Big Boys Toys event takes over Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds from November 7–9, and we’ve organized some of the coolest rides we’ve featured to show off in a special showroom display called The Makita Motorhood.
Located in Hall 6, right next to the Tui Public House, The Makita Motorhood will have a huge range of attractions for you to get involved with, including the chance for you to be photographed and printed on a collectable magazine cover of your choice alongside your favourite cover car, selecting from either NZV8, NZ Performance Car, or New Zealand Classic Car cover designs. You can check out the range of vehicles that NZV8, NZ Performance Car and New Zealand Classic Car have hand-selected to be showcased, as well as check out a range of trade stalls.
Here’s a sneak peek at the cars that we’ve secured to showcase during the weekend’s events:
Quad-cam beauty
Matamata couple Gary and Tina Walker poured their hearts and souls into producing a 1969 Ford Mustang unlike any other. The black beauty features a late-model Falcon quad-cam ending, along with matching six-speed manual gearbox to combine the style of old with the performance of new. The car’s subtle body modifications leave the car looking like a Mustang, but just tweak the shape slightly to add a modernized twist.
Hand-built perfection
There’s literally only one panel on Frazer McKenzie’s Eleanor Mustang that hasn’t either been modified or hand-built from scratch. Taumarunui-based McKenzie enlisted the help of Matamata Panelworks to build the car, and over 3000 hours went into the bodywork alone. While at first glance the car appears to be an Eleanor, similar to the one made famous by the movie Gone in 60 Seconds, on closer inspection, you’ll see that the car is more Eleanor-inspired than an exact replica.
One Super Bee
Mopar lovers will love Morrinsville farmer Andrew Storey’s 1968 Dodge Super Bee. The car has been restored to the highest of standards with a few modern twists. While Super Bees were known as one of the most serious muscle cars ever produced, Andrew has specced his with a monster 496-cubic-inch motor, making it far more serious than the factory could have ever imagined. Backed with a five-speed manual gearbox, the Super Bee is a true muscle car lover’s dream machine!
Speed and style
While the humble Ford Capri may not have amazed anyone with its factory engine, Peter Morrison’s version is far from factory. The car, which was well known on local drag strips a decade ago, has since been rebuilt to the highest show quality, featuring countless custom touches. From the full carbon-fibre interior, to the custom flame-covered paintwork applied by Morrison himself — and everything in-between — the car is a stunner. Of course, he’s made sure that it offers plenty of performance too, installing a 377-cubic-inch small-block Chev motor, complete with nitrous oxide. The Makita Motorhood will be the first time that Whangarei-based Morrison has had the car on display, and it’s sure to turn heads and drop jaws!
Beautiful Bel Air
Ask many classic car lovers what their all-time favourite classic car is, and you’re bound to hear the words 1957 Chev Bel Air. This beauty, which graced the cover of NZV8 magazine earlier this year, was described as the country’s best, with its no-expense-spared build and extreme attention to detail. The car runs a complete aftermarket chassis, designed to offer the driver a modern driving experience. With a 764-horsepower big-block Chev engine under the hood, the Bel Air is not just a show pony, despite being tidy enough that you could eat off its undersides. Be prepared to be amazed when you check it out.
Rare racer
Auckland muscle car enthusiast Mark Barton hit the jackpot when he stumbled upon a very rare 1966 Chev Biscayne for sale a few years ago. The car is one of a handful ever made with the largest engine the factory could offer, and with as little added weight as practical, making it a true factory race car. The car’s fat rear wheels and nose-up stance show the car’s true intentions as a quarter-mile rocket, but despite this, Barton is often seen driving the car at various local hot rod events.
Mega-power Camaro
Thames builder Aaron Costello holds the keys to one of the most powerful street-legal cars in the country, and it’s set to be on display in The Makita Motorhood at Big Boys Toys. Under the hood of the sparkling silver machine sits a 572-cubic-inch big-block Chev, which on its own is good enough for over 600 horsepower. That was not deemed enough for Costello though, so he decided to add a supercharger, taking the total power output to over 900hp. While the car can be found on the street more often than the drag strip, it has clocked a best quarter mile time of 9.60 seconds, making it the 12th fastest street-legal car in the country.
Hybrid masterpiece
What do you get when you cross a muscle car with a low-rider? Something just like Scott Webb’s Impala! This silky-smooth hybrid was built predominantly at home by the young Franklin-based panel beater, and has wowed crowds with its unique look since its debut. There’s not one aspect of the vehicle that remains untouched, with plenty of care and attention going into ensuring the car is of the highest quality throughout. Despite this the car has only been seen at a handful of events, so its appearance in The Makita Motorhood will be its highest-profile showing yet.
Nose-high gasser
Some get it, some don’t, but West Auckland’s Russell Long wouldn’t have it any other way. His ‘gasser-styled’ ’55 Chev stands head and shoulders above most other cars that will be on display in The Makita Motorhood, thanks to its retro drag racing style. Despite its race car look, the car is street legal, and street driven, although Russell’s usually too busy driving to stop and talk about it, so this will be one of the first real chances car lovers will have to check it out in the flesh. We can assure you, they won’t be disappointed!
Street car perfection
It’s hard to find a silver lining when you burn your freshly finished, uninsured project to the ground on its maiden voyage, but Matamata local Hamish McDonald did exactly that. Only a few days later he had a new Cefiro shell sitting in his shed and over the next few years the project took shape into a car 10 times the quality of the first. Now considered one of the cleanest imports you will find on New Zealand roads, the build is still evolving with Hamish debuting a reworked engine bay at The Makita Motorhood. Uniquely for the Nissan, power comes from a Toyota 2JZ-GTE and Masterpower T61 turbo, making 380kW (509hp) at the rear wheels.
Superlap contender
Kat Benson is one of the larger-than-life personalities, and our only serious female Prowear Superlap contender, going head-to-head with the guys in the Pro Street class. Her BurgerFuel-sponsored Mitsubishi Evolution VII is a serious build, handled mostly by herself and fiance, top-level driver Andrew Redward. Kat will be on hand in The Makita Motorhood on Sunday to meet the fans, and no doubt hand out a few BurgerFuel vouchers, so come on by and say hello to the first lady of New Zealand time attack racing.
Rotary-powered perfection
Auckland painter Ben Phillips has poured hours of loving attention into his Mazda 323 station wagon with a bare-metal restoration two years ago, which saw the car resprayed by the owner in factory Canary Yellow. The build is an all-family affair with his talented father handling a full re-trim of the interior, which helped Ben take home Best Wagon at the 4&Rotary Nationals two years running. A true labour of love, the project is still progressing, as Ben is constantly tweaking and improving every aspect of the car.
Kenmeri Datsun
The Datsun 240K (also known as the Nissan C110 Skyline) is a rare sight on New Zealand roads and a desirable model for many JDM fans the world over. Leighton Hamlin has restored his Kenmeri with a custom touch, adding in plenty of handcrafted subtle touches to the bodywork, to give the car a much more aggressive appearance. Backing up the aggressive looks is a powerhouse taken from a later-model Skyline in the form of a fully built RB30DET six-cylinder producing 340kW (455hp) at the rear wheels.
Slammed classic
Thanks to the likes of Japanese tuning house RWB, the 964, 930, and 911 Porsches have become a popular modifying platform for the younger generations over the past few years. Matt Gibson is a prolific modifier, who seems to churn out projects one after another. His latest is this Porsche 911 absolutely slammed on a set of 18-inch BBS Mesh wheels, thanks to custom suspension, which he engineered himself. With the car coming almost straight from the paint booth to the show, watch out for any paint drips on the floor as it’s likely to be still dripping.
Carl Robertson is an unashamed perfectionist with cars, and nowhere is this more evident than in this Ford Laser you’re looking at. Having always been a fan of Lasers, this one was purchased nearly stock — a blank canvas. Every single aspect of the car was reworked to a standard that Carl was happy with, but its crowning feature is that engine — a fully forged 1800cc Mazda BPT with a huge Master Power pumping 29psi of boost through it, culminating in 315kW at the front wheels. Have a look at the specs for an idea of just how much Carl has done to make this, we’d say unquestionably, the best Laser in the country.
Take a good look at this immaculate Familia, then check out the Laser sitting beside it. The same stratospheric attention to detail graces both of these cars, and that is no coincidence. Chris Burrett built his very rare original Familia GTAe alongside Carl Robertson’s TX3, and you really will need to inspect the specs to get an idea of the work that’s gone into it. The forged 1800cc BPT engine pushes out an obscene amount of power to all four wheels, and the drivetrain is equally as beefy. But take some time and look for the stuff you might have missed first time around, because that is what tells us the art of perfection isn’t dead yet, and it’s all thanks to guys like Chris.
Having just taken out the 2014 national title for Best Modified Mini, the 1975 Austin Mini Cooper (B16TOY) has only just exchanged hands since it was featured in the pages of NZ Performance Car back in 2011. Back then it had been a 12-year labour of love for the owner to get it to the condition you see today.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future turned both Michael J Fox and the gull-winged DeLorean into superstars, while the film itself earned almost $500 million at the box office. John Z DeLorean’s dream of automotive stardom may have turned into a nightmare, but for one Kiwi enthusiast DeLorean’s dream has been kept very much alive by his recreating one of the most authentic mock-ups of the original movie car that you will ever see. Back to the Future movies had a huge influence on the owner as a teenager and, judging by his collection of memorabilia associated with the trilogy — including two guitars, as seen in the movie, and several hover boards — it’s clear the passion is still there.
Blue Panther
Fancy Italian styling, reliable Ford V8 power, all allied to supercar performance is what makes the De Tomaso a special car. It was designed to take Shelby’s Cobra head-on, hence the name, which is Italian for Mongoose — the Cobra’s only known enemy. This magnificent example is the result of a full ground-up restoration to concours standard after it was imported into New Zealand in reasonably poor condition.
Classic comb
Nothing says ‘Kiwi holiday’ like a caravan — and what better way to haul one around the country than with a stylish classic US cruiser. After restoring their 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Sports Coupe, the owners decided to build a retro-style caravan they could enjoy together. This ’70s Oxford caravan received a plethora of creature comforts such as a fridge, microwave, 110-volt inverter, as well as a 240-volt inverter, and gas, making it totally self-sufficient whilst keeping the fabulous retro theme.
Unrestored winner
At this year’s Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance a ‘Survivor Class’ was introduced in recognition of classic cars that have stood the test of time, along with admiration for original finishes and the patina of time, a trend that has increased among many classic car collectors. The reality that there are fewer and fewer original cars remaining is beginning to show the true value in a beautifully maintained and unmolested car, such as the overall winner of the inaugural Survivors Class competition — this outstanding 1962 EJ Holden.
The top-scoring car at the 2014 Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance — Teams Event, this outstanding MG truly is the best of British. In fact this particular example is rated as one of the best of its kind in the world.
The Ferrari 458 Speciale takes the impressive performance credentials that the 458 Italia already features and cranks the dial way up. A nice and healthy boost in output partners up with active aerodynamics and traction modifications to make this the most capable Ferrari road car to grace a track or street.
Doors are open 10am–6pm Friday through Sunday; gate sales are $25 for adults, $20 students, with up to two kids under 12 free per paying adult, and additional children then $5 each.
