Five muscle cars you could be driving right now

20 June, 2015

Once again we have scoured the plethora of vehicles out there for sale and we found these beauties. If you’re on the hunt for a classic to take on regular Sunday cruises, we have found five that may be right up your alley.

1. 1970 Dodge Polara — $30,000

Here’s something a little out of the ordinary for those who prefer open-top motoring. This Polara convertible is one of only 800 built and it looks to be in excellent condition. Recent work includes a full re-paint, brakes and suspension refurbishment, new dash and convertible hood plus new inserts in upholstery. Powered by a 383ci V8, this car is tailor-made for cruising the street. Feast your eyes on it here.

2. 1971 Chrysler Valiant Charger — $32,000

This honest-looking and tidy Charger is fitted with a factory Hemi 265 and, following recent work, could be pressed into service as an everyday classic or, with a little more effort, could be much more. The car also comes with a bunch of spare parts. Check it out here.

3. 1967 Oldsmobile 442 W30 — $49,990

This sought-after classic muscle car is powered by the factory original 442 400V8, is fitted with Rally wheels and looks to be in immaculate original condition. This car is presently in Australia so why not boost New Zealand’s classic muscle population by bringing it here? And that price includes shipping to New Zealand! Find out more about it here.

4. 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS — $69,990

This muscular Chevrolet packs a 327ci V8 running through a four-speed manual ’box — and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! The engine has only done 6000 miles since being installed, and the car includes RS-appearance package items such as hidden headlights, RS badging, and exterior rocker trim. You’ll need to take a trip to Tauranga to view this blue beauty. Read more here.

5. 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350H — $149,990

A genuine piece of US motoring history, this genuine GT350H was one of the cars once infamously available for rental from Hertz USA — with most of the cars being used as weekend track warriors. This super-rare Mustang was first registered in Miami and has been in New Zealand since 1971. Find out how to get in touch with the owner here.

Almost mythical pony

25 July, 2024

The Shelby came to our shores in 2003. It went from the original New Zealand owner to an owner in Auckland. Malcolm just happened to be in the right place with the right amount of money in 2018 and a deal was done. Since then, plenty of people have tried to buy it off him. The odometer reads 92,300 miles. From the condition of the car that seems to be correct and only the first time around.
Malcolm’s car is an automatic. It has the 1966 dashboard, the back seat, the rear quarter windows and the scoops funnelling air to the rear brakes.
He even has the original bill of sale from October 1965 in California.

Becoming fond of Fords part two – happy times with Escorts

17 July, 2024

In part one of this Ford-flavoured trip down memory lane I recalled a sad and instructive episode when I learned my shortcomings as a car tuner, something that tainted my appreciation of Mk2 Ford Escort vans in particular. Prior to that I had a couple of other Ford entanglements of slightly more redeeming merit. There were two Mk1 Escorts I had got my hands on: a 1972 1300 XL belonging to my father and a later, end-of-line, English-assembled 1974 1100, which my partner and I bought from Panmure Motors Ford in Auckland in 1980. Both those cars were the high water mark of my relationship with the Ford Motor Co. I liked the Mk1 Escorts. They were nice, nippy, small cars, particularly the 1300, which handled really well, and had a very precise gearbox for the time.
Images of Jim Richards in the Carney Racing Williment-built Twin Cam Escort and Paul Fahey in the Alan Mann–built Escort FVA often loomed in my imagination when I was driving these Mk1 Escorts — not that I was under any illusion of comparable driving skills, but they had to be having just as much fun as I was steering the basic versions of these projectiles.