Escape to the far north for Autospectacular

9 December, 2015

Classic car enthusiasts planning to head to the top of the North Island for their summer holidays should be planning to visit this year’s Autospectacular — once again organized by the Far North Vintage Car Club. With classic and vintage cars, motorcycles, and trucks on display — plus hot rods, a swap meet, food and craft stalls — there’s enough on offer to keep the entire family happy.

And if you’re touring in your classic or vintage car, entry to the show is free — and visitors can also enter the draw to win a two-night stay at the Reia Taipa Beach Resort. The show takes place on Saturday, January 9, 2016 and will be held at the Eastern Rugby Football Grounds, East Street, Taipa. Gates are open from 8am to 2pm, public entry costs $5 per adult, and $2 per child.

More to the point

6 March, 2026

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.

Polishing to perfection

26 February, 2026

The secret to a show-stopping finish is colour sanding, no matter which paint system you use. Even a good painter, no matter how experienced or talented — like my mate Bruce Haye, CEO at Ace Panel and Paint in Whitianga — can’t shoot to a perfect mirror finish. To get that level of perfection, you need to colour sand.
It used to be called ‘rubbing out’ or ‘cutting’, and it was done with pastes that came in cans. They worked — sort of — but the compounds really just rounded off imperfections instead of eliminating them, and they removed a lot of paint in the process. But now your new finish can be made flawless, thanks to microfine sandpapers that come in 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 grit ranges, and Farecla G3 polish — available from automotive paint suppliers.

Escape to the far north for Autospectacular

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