It’s not often that we have a live-feed unveiling of one of our cover cars, but theFASTfiles have something special planned for you all. Being unveiled is a very special Targa-bound Cortina that we here at New Zealand Classic Car have a full feature on in our October issue (Issue No. 310). Running a 1600cc crossflow engine (before the Lotus engine is built), this four-door rally machine will be one to watch and listen to along New Zealand’s twisting rallies. Let us know in the comments below what you think of this beautifully presented machine.
24 April, 2025
When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.
