This month’s news comes to you fresh off the heels from proudly showing our cars at the Ayrburn Classic in Arrowtown. For those of you that don’t know, Aryburn is an amazing venue with multiple fine dining locations, world class gardens and winery nestled amongst a stunning backdrop of mountains. This inaugural event is what is looking to become the Southern hemisphere’s answer to Pebble Beach and Fraser Cars was fortunate enough to supply them with a car which they gave away as the door prize and also had a stand in what was the best location in the show. Ida and Dan spent the weekend meeting and chatting with lots of great people who we don’t usually get to see due to being at the other end of the country. The format and vibe was very different to your average car show as it was much more spaced out and walking around the property was almost as exciting as the cars themselves. People spent the day eating and drinking and then perusing the very cool cars on offer. The highlight was a 1922 Delage/Hispano Suiza with a 18.5 litre V8 doing donuts on the manicured lawns. With an engine from a surplus World War One fighter plane, the noise goes through your chest like being hit by Mike Tyson!
Back in the shop we have been churning through the work with further progress being made on Geoff’s BMW 2002 restomod. Bruce has now completed rebuilding both A pillars and has fitted the new front floor panels. Luke removed the engine and box and next stop we will be fitting the new firewall. It’s good to see it turning back into a complete car again with less holes and bits missing!
Geoff also has his 1984 Mercedes Wagon in our shop currently. This car has had a GM LS V8 drivetrain fitted and it is with us to sort out the suspension. We stripped the suspension arms out front and rear and replaced all bushes and ball joints with OEM spec rubber bushes to maintain the comfy ride. We then fitted good quality double adjustable shocks front and rear and converted the rear to coilover shock. This allows us to tune the suspension to just the way we want and to get the ride height back to where it should be. The transformation is remarkable and now when you unleash the V8, it is not like holding onto a mechanical bull while you get it pointed in the right direction! We should be able to get it handling better again once the seats have been repaired as they are hard as a rock and you feel every small bump, but with the level of adjustability we now have, such changes are easy to do later.
Doug’s Porsche 356 Outlaw is ready to leave us, having passed its LV certification, repair certification and had the small tidy up jobs all completed. From us the car will go to compliance and then Doug is free to drive it legally on our roads. Such a beautiful car and Doug has been great to deal with. We look forward to handing over the keys as soon as possible.
We have just started work on Rodney’s 1989 Ford F150. First order was to sort out the suspension to get it driving better. This meant replacing worn suspension joints and again fitting the car with double adjustable shocks. This made a big difference so next we are turning our attention to the engine. It has a 302 small block Ford which is covered in 80’s emissions crap and a rudimentary EFI system. The plan is to pull the motor down to check its condition and then look at fitting new heads, a new camshaft and a modern EFI system. Hopefully this will liven it up and make it a bit more exciting and reliable to drive.
Neil Fraser has Fraser chassis number 1 in Bruce’s room having new alloy fitted. Having been involved in an accident years ago, it was stripped down, repaired and powder-coated, then for years it sat around waiting for something to be done like an unloved child. Well, a few months ago Neil said that it was time so Bruce is doing the panel work and then Neil is going to restore it back to its former glory. It’s a real piece of Fraser history so we are excited to see it back up and running in time for our 40 year anniversary!
Scott and Ida had a fun time at the Fraser Car Club AGM this month, a scenic drive to Turangi was a stunning prelude to the event. The warm welcome received from fellow club members and spirited convoy to Taupo set the tone for the weekend. The AGM was a huge success, bringing together passionate automotive enthusiasts and solidifying the club’s bright future.
