NZV8 149, October 2017

$9.99 NZD

NZV8 Issue No. 149 celebrates the innovators — the sleep-deprived and grubby-handed garage dwellers who insist on doing things the hard way, and doing them right. It's our 'Homebuilt Heroes' special edition, featuring five awesome feature cars, all of which were built by the owner's two hands, in their own garage, and on their own time.

- First off is Shaun Hodson's unbelievable pro street '55 Chev 150. Not only is this machine finished to an incredible standard, it was built almost entirely — including the flawless black paint — by Shaun. It's not all show, either, with a supercharged 496ci big block pumping out 657hp.

- Peter Woodward takes this DIY ethos and pushes it to the extreme, with his amazing Ford GT40 replica. From building the 427ci Fontana sprint-car engine, through to completely re-engineering the Porsche six-speed transaxle, and custom-fabricating just about every bracket required, this is one car that photos simply don't do justice.

- Rather more understated is Deane Croker's '48 Chev pickup, although that is hardly a bad thing. Somehow looking perfect in every single way, Deane has transformed a pile of junk into an absolutely flawless cruiser of perfect proportions.

- Steve Clare, on the other hand, is a firm believer in the "why not" train of thought. Why not chop an Austin Mini into a ute, and why not build a custom rear clip for a mid-mounted V8? Why not, indeed, because that's exactly what he's done to build his wildest creation, appropriately named 'Wild Thing'.

- Chris Piaggi did something very similar, although far longer ago. The '38 Ford Deluxe Coupe he purchased back in the late '70s is the definition of Kiwi DIY — making it work, against the odds. This chopped, channelled, tubbed, and back-halved hot rod is as cool, and bare bones, as they come.

For all this, and a whole lot more, grab a copy of NZV8 Issue No. 149!