New Zealand’s largest garage sale goes off

14 October, 2015

Having been described as the largest garage sale in New Zealand, the McLeans Island Swap Meet and Display is a must-do for anyone who has even the slightest interest in anything automotive.

This year, close to 30,000 people filed through the gates hoping to pick up a bargain, or find that hard-to-get or missing part to complete their project parked in the garage. With more than 650 stalls, plenty of time was needed to get around and look at what traders had on offer. Thankfully many regulars occupy the same site year after year, making it easier to find your favourite stall to see what parts they have for sale this time around.

Not all sites are automotive-focused though, with all manner of things available for purchase. Everything from crafts, toys, and books to clothes, old furniture, and plants. If there is something that you want, chances are you will find it at one of the stalls.

One of the other attractions at the swap meet has to be the automotive display area. Many clubs make a weekend of it by setting up great displays, with some camping on-site for the weekend. A large area is also set aside for individuals who wish to show off their pride and joy. Whether you are a Ford, Holden, Citroën, Morris, or Lotus lover, there was enough to whet the appetite. The vintage-machinery display is always a popular area to visit with many working examples on show from yesteryear. This year’s display also included two working traction engines, giving the younger generation the chance to see how things were done back in the early days.

If you have never managed to make it to the McLeans Island Swap Meet, put it on your to-do list for next year, as, you never know, you may just find that missing part you need to finish your project.

Coaching from the bench: Casting plastic knobs and rubber parts

16 July, 2026

Casting rubber items is simple if you have a good original to work with. The item doesn’t have to be perfect. You can use plasticine to smooth out cracks, and you can even make whole prototypes out of low-fire modelling clay available from craft stores if you need to. Prototypes can also be made of wood or metal.
You will need mould dams to contain the liquid urethane moulding solution until it cures. You can build boxes out of strips of wood, but I have found that small plastic boxes and bowls such as those you would use for leftovers in your fridge work well if you spray them with a mould release agent.
Temperature is important to the chemical processes involved, so work in an area that can be maintained at around 20 degrees. You will also need adequate ventilation because the fumes can be dangerous to breathe. And you will want to wear latex gloves to protect your hands.

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

10 July, 2026

With almost three and a half decades under its belt, Fraser Cars is one of New Zealand’s longest-surviving car manufacturers. The company first opened its doors for business in 1988, during the boom time for kit manufacturers. During the ’80s, around 40 different companies were building kits and turnkey cars for this niche market. Of those, only Fraser and Almac Cars (established 1981) are still in business today.
Most of the new kit car companies were killed off in the cradle by the threat of new legislation that never eventuated and definitively by the sudden availability of high-performance Japanese cars when the floodgates to second-hand imports were opened. The now long-retired founder of the company, Neil Fraser, first came across Lotus Seven replicas while racing Lotus Cortinas in the early ’80s. He regularly found himself racing against a little Caterham, a Lotus Seven–styled car built in England. He was very impressed by its simplicity and handling. In 1986 Fraser built his own Lotus Seven–type car, using the knowledge he had gained from several close looks at the Caterham.

New Zealand’s largest garage sale goes off

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