It's been a while

[Graeme / New Zealand]

It's been a while since I visited here and its good to see some "old faces" from from the "old barn" days where I nearly took up "residence". I've had a hiatus while playing with 64 1/2 260 Mustang I imported from So Cal 2 years ago.

Well I'm back to working on the coupe with vengance. I have to have it finished by April 2013 for my eldest daughters wedding. This is the car she has always wanted for the big day and she shall have it.

In the coupes past life it had taken a hit in the right rear and the chassis was bent there. The repair was done with a couple of cuts to pull it straight with a bit of angle iron welded over the repair. Despite this job the back cross member never lined up with the factory mounts. Well I had some pro's do the repair properly and you would now never know (and I don't have to feel annoyed everytime I look at it) . Next job is interior and glass then it's set to comply and re register (after 36 years).

Will now be visiting a bit more often, I feel "re-energized".

I love the mustang but will always have "flathead fever ", and as the song goes...."there aint no kind cure for my disease" (Merle Haggard, Ramblin Fever).


GB

[Lawson Cox]

Welcome back Graeme. We have missed you.

[Mike in AZ]

Good to see you back posting, Graeme....Mike

[ken ct]

Good to have you back GB.Great to see old faces again. ken ct usa

[B-O-B]

Good to see you finally woke up rip van winkle. Welcome back.
B-O-B

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Thanks fellas and it good to see you are all still here " alive and kicking"


cheers

GB

[Lawrie]

Graeme, where in L/hut do you live,I grew up in Wainui , went to Hutt intermediate and Petone tech,and lived in upper hutt until shifting to australia,still have family there,
Lots of good memories of growing up in Wainui,round the coast in beach buggies ,ex army 303,s and the bren gun carrier we used to go round the coast to wairarapa in.
Lawrie

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by Lawrie

Graeme, where in L/hut do you live,I grew up in Wainui , went to Hutt intermediate and Petone tech,and lived in upper hutt until shifting to australia,still have family there,
Lots of good memories of growing up in Wainui,round the coast in beach buggies ,ex army 303,s and the bren gun carrier we used to go round the coast to wairarapa in.
Lawrie

I live in Alicetown in Valentine Street as far as you can go so it is right by the river bank. Petone tech which became Hutt Valley Memorial tech is only about 800 meteres from me as as the crow flies. It is now unused, abandoned and vandalized. It is waiting to be given back to the Maoris as a Treaty settlement ( they might already have it back but of course have done nothing with it). Some as*h*le set part of it alight last year. Basically the place is now f'd.

GB

[Lawrie]

Graeme,WE were in NZ early last year with out dragster,did a meeting at Masterton,did you go over,
I also went down to the old HVMTC and was dismayed at the condition and got out of the grounds fast as it looked like a drugies setup.
Spent lots of good timesthere.
My mate flipped a 32 ford we were coming home from school in , as you come under the railway ave overpass onto the ewen bridge,we ended in the convent or school yard on the left.
Lawrie

[Bassman/NZ]

A man who can quote Merle Haggard is alright by me!

[meric42]

Welcome back from a fellow fat fender owing Kiwi, way down in the deep south of Dunedin.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by Lawrie

Graeme,WE were in NZ early last year with out dragster,did a meeting at Masterton,did you go over,
I also went down to the old HVMTC and was dismayed at the condition and got out of the grounds fast as it looked like a drugies setup.
Spent lots of good timesthere.
My mate flipped a 32 ford we were coming home from school in , as you come under the railway ave overpass onto the ewen bridge,we ended in the convent or school yard on the left.
Lawrie

No I didn't make it over to Masterton Lawrie. That strecht of road where your made flipped the 32 is now lined with car dealerships. That school would be Hutt Central. My kids went there in their primary years.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by Bassman/NZ

A man who can quote Merle Haggard is alright by me!

.

Have a wide taste in music from "Motorhead to Merle"

GB

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by meric42

Welcome back from a fellow fat fender owing Kiwi, way down in the deep south of Dunedin.

Thanks 42. I've seen a Merc ute like yours. I think it was actually an Aussie Ford body "Mercurized" (not 100% sure) . Silver gray colour .

GB

[meric42]

Cheers, but mine is not a Mercury it is a '42 Ford Sedan Delivery

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by meric42

Cheers, but mine is not a Mercury it is a '42 Ford Sedan Delivery

Sorry Meric 42 . I'm a dumba*s, it was obviously a waste of time me getting the reading glasses upgraded last week. I always knew it was a 42 but you "handle" hints Merc so I assumed without giving it a second thought. No excuses though...doh! That is one rare beast indeed. There used to be a 42 fordoor parked in Columbo street in Wellington 30 years back. It had been converted to right hook with the NZ 46/48 dash. Probably arrived here with the US Marine contingent during WW2

GB

[meric42]

In 1992 I bought an ex Army '42 Ford that came from Wellington. It had been Hot Rodded in the Marlborough region in the 1970's. I then restored it using a Ford 'G-series' 6 cylinder engine I bought out of an old wrecking yard in Oamaru. it might possibly be the same car that you remember, I'll look out some photos and post them to see if they jog your memory if you like. The NZ Army had a number of these RHD '42 Fords that were assembled at the Ford plant in Wellington during WWII. I have not been able to find out how many though. I know of about 6 survivors including mine, which I sold to a military vehicle collector in Chch about 5 years ago. I have a book ("Ford At War") that says that there were 164 Ford staff cars in NZ, how many of these were '42's is anybody's guess. I still have a '42 body and spare chassis to build another one someday if I can find the time & money hahaha.

[kiwitony]

Hi fellow kiwis,I was Posted to Trentham from 76 to 80, a year or so before I got there they took the camp commadants cars,39deluxe sedan and a 42 deluxe sedan and drove them to upper hutt to a big pit which they drove into the bottom and switched off and got a lift back to camp, this hole was filled with stuff then covered over there was a car yard there when I was there.What a waste.Also during that time GM had two d8s push in a huge hole where they dumped all the early holden parts in preparation for the new hQ holden to be released in 71.Apparantly so that parts became obsolite and people were forced to but new.No wonder we all struggle to find NOS parts today.Welcome back Graham we need more Kiwis on here to balance the odds a bit.Cheers Tony.

[Bick in New Zealand]

A mate of mine has a NOS clock mirror from the Porirua dump. A friend of his was there when GM dumped a heap of stuff that they wanted to get rid off. Unfortunately they guy only took one from the box!

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by meric42

In 1992 I bought an ex Army '42 Ford that came from Wellington. It had been Hot Rodded in the Marlborough region in the 1970's. I then restored it using a Ford 'G-series' 6 cylinder engine I bought out of an old wrecking yard in Oamaru. it might possibly be the same car that you remember, I'll look out some photos and post them to see if they jog your memory if you like. The NZ Army had a number of these RHD '42 Fords that were assembled at the Ford plant in Wellington during WWII. I have not been able to find out how many though. I know of about 6 survivors including mine, which I sold to a military vehicle collector in Chch about 5 years ago. I have a book ("Ford At War") that says that there were 164 Ford staff cars in NZ, how many of these were '42's is anybody's guess. I still have a '42 body and spare chassis to build another one someday if I can find the time & money hahaha.

This 42 was a shitty worn red color. I have seen a metallic brown one that was hot rodded with OHV. Often wonder if it was the same car as it was seen locally, it may have ended up in Marlborough or come from there.

GB

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Originally Posted by kiwitony

Hi fellow kiwis,I was Posted to Trentham from 76 to 80, a year or so before I got there they took the camp commadants cars,39deluxe sedan and a 42 deluxe sedan and drove them to upper hutt to a big pit which they drove into the bottom and switched off and got a lift back to camp, this hole was filled with stuff then covered over there was a car yard there when I was there.What a waste.Also during that time GM had two d8s push in a huge hole where they dumped all the early holden parts in preparation for the new hQ holden to be released in 71.Apparantly so that parts became obsolite and people were forced to but new.No wonder we all struggle to find NOS parts today.Welcome back Graham we need more Kiwis on here to balance the odds a bit.Cheers Tony.

Cheers mate why the hell would someone want those two cars dumped. Even in the 70's someone would have pounced on those two. It is rumuored there a lot of old flathead stuff buried in its greaseproof paper under the front lawn of the old FOMOCO factory in Seaview and under various extensions Ford did the building over the years.

GB