SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Get your classic car restoration sorted with our restoration guide

27 November, 2015

We all know that there’s always something that needs attending to, whether it’s simply tidying up interior carpets and upholstery, fixing that scratched windscreen, touching up the front guard after a shopping trolley hit it last summer, or something bigger, such as replacing a rusted-out exhaust system. You may even want to push the boat out and seriously contemplate a full restoration.

In any event, you can rest assured in the knowledge that there’s plenty of specialist help out there, with professionals who know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to classic cars — whether they be European, American, or Australian. To help you on your way, we’ve compiled a Restoration Guide that’s sure to send you in the right direction. 

This article was originally published in New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 298. You can pick up a print copy or a digital copy of the magazine below:




Buy a print copy of the magazine for NZ$10


Buy a digital copy of the magazine for NZ$6.99

Dave Alexander is going to Bonneville, can you help get him there?

26 February, 2025

“My name is Dave Alexander, and I am on a mission to set a land speed record of over 420 kph at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats.
With decades of experience in motorsport dating back to the 1970s, I have had the honour of competing at Bonneville before, where we achieved three records in just one week with my home-built car from New Zealand.
My latest creation is an impressive 7-metre ‘Lakester’, engineered specifically for land-speed racing and powered by a turbocharged Nissan RB30 engine. As a self-employed engineer, fabricator, and welder, I took on the challenge of building this vehicle in my shed with support from a small team of skilled friends.
In February 2025, we successfully completed the build and ran the car on a hub dynamometer, ensuring all systems were calibrated and functions tested. This marked a crucial milestone in our journey. Now, we face the next challenge: packing the car and transporting it across the globe to compete in ‘Bonneville Speedweek’ 2025.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2025 issue 398, on sale now

23 February, 2025

An HQ to die for
Mention the acronym HQ and most people in the northern hemisphere will assume this is an abbreviation for Head Quarters. However, for those born before the mid-’80s in Australia and New Zealand, the same two letters only mean one thing – HQ Holden!
Christchurch enthusiast Ed Beattie has a beautiful collection of Holden and Chevrolet cars. He loves the bowtie and its Aussie cousin and has a stable of beautiful, powerful cars. His collection includes everything from a modern GTSR W507 HSV through the decades to a 1960s Camaro muscle car and much in between.
In the last two Holden Nationals (run biennially in 2021 and 2023), Ed won trophies for the Best Monaro and Best Decade with his amazing 1972 Holden Monaro GTS 350 with manual transmission.
Ed is a perfectionist and loves his cars to reflect precisely how they were on ‘Day 1,’ meaning when the dealer released them to the first customer, including any extras the dealer may have added or changed.