Bangers to Bluff 2018 — it’s on again!

21 November, 2017

 


 

The 2018 dates for the annual Bangers to Bluff car rally have been announced, and team entries are now being called for. Up to 20 old bangers — four-door cars with WOF and rego, costing less than $2K — will leave Auckland April 10, 2018, and spend the next 13 days driving roads less travelled all the way to Invercargill, where the organizers will take ownership of each car and auction them off to raise funds for charity.

Bangers to Bluff has been run by the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay for the last three years, with steady growth each year as its popularity has increased. So far, it has raised $85K for charity, and the masthead charities for 2018 are:

  • Hopeworks Foundation — providing information and support for those dealing with brain injuries
  • Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand — working to reduce the burden of multiple sclerosis on those diagnosed, their carers, and families.

The route will cover approximately 2500km of some of New Zealand’s best and most scenic roads, including the North Island’s Forgotten World Highway and the South Island’s Haast and Arthur’s passes. The main goals are to raise funds and awareness for the charities, while having loads of fun and travelling our great country. The rally is not a driving competition. It is a fun and friendly event with points won for challenges along the way, and a trophy is awarded at the end. 

The organizing committee is now looking for participants for the 2018 event. Participation can be in the form of entering a team and vehicle to go on the rally, or through sponsorship and/or donations. If you would like to know more, reach out to the team through one of the following channels:

  • bangerstobluff.co.nz
  • Facebook.com/bangerstobluff
  • Peter Bailey, 0274 736 994
  • [email protected].

The Bangers to Bluff committee would like to acknowledge the support of platinum sponsors Fruehauf and CarJam, as well as supporting partners Protecta Insurance and the Automobile Association.
 

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

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

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.