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Cruisin’ for Canteen

11 October, 2016

You’ve really gotta admire the folks that go out of their way for charities, and especially the large organizations that can make big things happen, changing the lives of an unquantifiable number of deserving people. Saturday, October 29 will be one of those days, with the Meguiar’s Car Crazy Charity Cruise supported by Big Boys Toys and Smits Group in support of Canteen. 

The cruise will host a wide range of vehicles, and will attendees will be provided gift packs and a unique told-on-the-day cruise route, finally ending up at Big Boys Toys. 

Upon arrival, those involved in the cruise will take part in a VIP lap through the live-action arena, right before parking up in a VIP area created just for the cruise. For those interested in taking part in the charity cruise, your car must be presented at a very high level, including customs, classics, hot rods, imports, and street machines — as this is a show after al!

What’s also a really cool aspect of the cruise is that Meguiar’s is donating 50 cents for every vote submitted in the People’s Choice Award competition, as well as donating the entry fees to Canteen. 

If you’re interested in entering your car into the charity cruise and supporting an amazing cause, click here. Entries cost $45 per car. 

“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.