One of the pristine vehicles set to feature in a spectacular hot rod show in east Auckland was built entirely by hand over seven years.
The mint condition blue 1934 Ford is owned by Bucklands Beach builder Keith Hunter, the president of the Southside Streeters car club.
His club is staging the 2025 Dempsey Wood Hot Rods in Howick event at the Howick Leisure Centre from September 20-21 as a fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis Auckland.
The public show will feature an impressive selection of about 30 of New Zealand’s finest hot rods and muscle cars and will provide entertainment for the whole family.
Hunter says his Ford took seven years to build from scratch by himself and an old friend who’s since passed away.
It’s powered by a 351 cubic inch engine that’s been stroked out, or enlarged, to 427 cubic inches, and produces about 550 horsepower.
“We started it together and it was quite a journey,” Hunter says.
“It was completely hand-built from the ground up. We started with a pair of chassis rails and everything else is hand-made from there.
“All the chassis, the brakes, the wheels, everything you can think of. The bracketry is all hand-made. Everything is a one-off. It’s been in three or four hot rod shows.
“It’s been in the Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival. It won the Mother’s Shine Award and Best Ford, in its debut.
“The guys in the Southside Streeters club are very passionate about what they do and how they do it. There’s some exceptionally talented people within the hot-rodding industry.”
Hunter says his Ford is more of a show car than one to tackle a quarter-mile on a drag strip.
“As the guy who built it, you’re very careful about where and how you drive it. You do put your foot down a bit, although I’ve never floored it. But it certainly gets your attention.
“It’s got 550 horsepower in a car that weighs 1000kg. If you’re not sure about what you’re doing it could scare the crap out of you.”
He says the Southside Streeters club encourages people to get along to the hot rod show in Howick as it’ll have something for everyone.
“The big thing is trying to have a point of difference to every other hot rod show. We have some special things organised, but I don’t want to give too much away.
“There will be a lot of specific, themed lighting and we put a huge amount of effort into that.
“A couple of exceptionally well-known cars are coming. One is still on its way from America. There are no barriers [around the cars].
“There’s going to be food trucks and coffee and all that stuff. Outside there’ll be a mountain of other hot rod-type vehicles and muscle cars, and there’s plenty of parking.”
- Hot Rods in Howick is at the Howick Leisure Centre from September 20-21. Entry to the indoor display costs $10. The show is sponsored by local businesses including Times Media.
