Jon's Spotting Thread. USA Road Trip.

[Jon]

Righto, I had a bit of a 'mare today and was up in Auckland with work and assumed that my 3 days on the next job started as of tomorrow but it's actually the day after, so I've nipped home to surprise Mrs_Jon - except she's out for dinner with workmates. Therefore, what better way to spend some time by uploading images of cars seen a short while ago to uninterested men I don't know?

 

 

Let's start things off with a nice orange Holden One Tonner.

 

 

They did a green one which narrowly pips this colour to the heady heights of 'Jon's Favourite Shade of Factory Holden One Tonner'.

 

 

 

 

Lovely triple spot here, if you count the bonus background L300. But I know you're all hankering to see more of that awesome Princess, so gawk in awe below:

 

 

This is owned by the guy STUNO and I know but I'd not actually seen it up to this point. Suffice to say, it's bloody gorgeous and I'll look forward to seeing it in more detail when I next have the chance.

 

 

 

Oh my! Such lust!

 

 

 

This amazing (lack of) paint job and period winch led me to suspect that a SII Land Rover could well be a substitute to my SI desires.

 

 

 

I think this was my favourite of the bunch, in case anyone was wondering (they weren't).

 

 

 

I'm pretty positive all that rust is contrived, so mega minus points for that poor show. However, it's still on its original wheels and trims, there aren't any wank arch extensions or even any chromed hooded headlamp abominations, hence its inclusion here. I just really hope it wasn't a stunner before paint bummage.

 

 

 

Onto a rather rare sunny day at the time, so a fortunate day for a particular fire brigade to celebrate its xxx year (I can't remember the number) anniversary by showing off a few of its old models. Don't worry, I didn't take any other photos. There was an announcement over the PA system that there would be a 'cacophony of sirens'; what followed was frankly a terrible effort of about 5 seconds - I honestly thought it was a pre-cacophony test or something. 0/10.

 

 

 

If you're one of those types of people that has or has ever considered owning one of those juvenile car stickers depicting a child with a Ford T-shirt urinating on a GM product emblem, now's about the time to click away, as I'm about to document the highlights* of a Holden club show that I spent £10(!) walking around to look at. This bit was free though, since it took place in the car park outside.

 

 

 

I'm struggling to think of a single thing I'd change if this ute were mine, as it's a perfect antidote to all the badly modded ones out there. 14/10.

 

 

 

Meh, not bad. I took the photo and went to the trouble of uploading it, so you may as well see it.

 

 

 

Cor! Good enough to see again, I make no apologies.

 

 

 

Insert Metallica-based joke upon each time you see the driver getting in.

 

 

 

Here's the pay bit and here's a Torana which is in a very rare factory shade, apparently - i.e. less than 100 sold, from memory. Good effort but I'm not surprised TBH.

 

 

 

Holden Sunbird, sitting on innocuously sporting wheels. These literally (not literally) came with coach lights on the rear - Google if you're bothered. 

 

 

 

Hey look, another second fiddle coloured Holden One Tonner! I voted this as my car of the show on a little slip of paper which I think was an attempt to add value to our tickets.

 

 

 

Holden Somethingorother. In green. Nice.

 

 

 

First impressions were favourable, then I stepped closer and noticed the paint was sparkle flecked or whatever that things is called when there's shiny shard things added. Then I noticed quite a bit of filler cracking and rusting and was briefly quite happy that I'd noted these imperfections. Then I had a word with myself and tried not to be a nob anymore.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if colour coded rims were ever a Holden thing in this era but I've seen it done a couple of times and it's not too irksome, so well done.

 

 

 

Man in white socks and espadrilles admires a shockingly valuable old Holden.

 

 

 

Then he proceeded not to look at a Commodore which shows what mine could look like, with a lot of work.

 

 

 

I'm trying to ignore those awful modern rims, really I am. I'll admit that the paint is nice and shiny but I bet it never gets filled with garden waste or firewood like mine, so you can't have everything.

 

 

 

Who knows what this man is musing Pondering? Never mind, behind him is an immaculate mid-80's Commodore Vacationer. Like many of the cars there, it's got its bonnet up, no doubt revealing something straight six or V8 flavoured.

 

 

 

Or even a 1.9 starfire motor, even!

 

 

 

Here's a close-up of the turd. 

[Essex V6]

Well, times have been a little busy about Jon Villas, so I've been ignoring Autoshite of late, I must admit. That's not to say however that when I've had some downtime, I've not been busy procuring content for this very thread. Quite the opposite in fact, as I shall now demonstrate.

 

A few weeks ago, I was thinking of something to do to entertain my visiting parents when I chanced upon a show taking place a couple of hours away; Brits on the Beach. Basically, a load of old duffers descending on a rural coastal town with their old Pom cars. Perfect for British pensioners and also a bit of old car/people spotting. However, less than an hour in to the trip, this was the scene at one of the towns we passed through:

 

 

 

 

Outside of major cities, this is what's known as an inordinate amount of people; quite possibly the densest number I've been around this year. It seems there was another car show on, so we stopped to investigate.

 

 

 

The first car to greet us was this turd of a Capri S, classified as such purely because it rode on such abominable rims.  

 

I had a feeling the people present at this show would be just as interesting as the cars and this man squatting on a tyre proved me right.

 

 

 

There's something about these non-chopped Model A rods that I very much like. I'm even a fan of the rear camber, since it's a little bit different.

 

 

 

The local Road Camber Ramblers & Snazzy Jumper Society put on a good display of their abilites. I particularly liked the prowess of the Triumph prop's errant combover.

 

 

 

Though I'm sure they aren't mutually owned, I think this pretty much sums up the house/car condition ratio of many US muscle car enthusiasts over here.

 

 

 

For some reason, I'm warming to the idea of a modified HQ Holden wagon, even though I fully intend not to outwardly modify my Commodore. Answers on a post card as to what the flip that plate is trying to say, I still haven't a clue.

 

 

 

I think I technically invaded this Galaxie's personal space nabbing this shot but thankfully inanimate objects are often quite nonchalant to such formalities.

 

 

 

Quite like the colour of this one and also the fact that its style is utterly out of odds with its background environment.

 

 

 

It irks me somewhat how many times I've recently photographed Mustangs without being ironic. In retrospect, this really is quite a dull image.

 

 

 

This isn't, though. I like the jaunty pose of the man eating hot chips, background left. They have to be called hot chips, lest they be mistaken for crisps, which are unhelpfully also called chips.

 

 

 

Nice! That's all I can think of saying here.

 

 

 

Like one of those strange worshippers that like to thrash themselves with various objects as punishment, I decided to take a close look at this as a sort of mental flagellation, since I pine so hard for a Series I Land Rover. At least it was spotlessly presented, which puts me off a bit.

 

 

 

 

The ghost of Captain Birdseye reminisces over yesteryear British technology. That body colour would've matched his sailor's jacket, back in the good old days. Who knew so many shades of beige were still available these days?

 

 

 

Gloriously gargantuan Mercury was a little poorly parked, which actually accentuated its massive size.

 

 

See what I mean? Possibly my favourite car of the show - I was particularly taken by its styling and size, yet lack of vinyl roof which I thought was mandatory on this era of full size Yank.

 

 

 

It gets almost marginally boring seeing such nice examples of Holdens at shows, which is the epitome of a First World Problem, I guess.

 

 

 

'Face for radio' range topping Aussie Ford LTD is indeed utterly gopping. Still would, though.

 

 

 

By rights, I should despise this Commodore on the basis of silly bonnet-sticking-out bit and large modern rims but their comedic inability to remain beneath the arches and the high front/low rear suspension sets things off very nicely, in my eyes.

 

 

 

Imagine being so concerned that your specs may perhaps fall off your face at any given point that you feel duty bound to permanently wear one of those round the neck string things at all times? Oh yeah, Mini van. Cool.

 

 

 

In line with the contrived nature of these shit 'reproduction' signs, I've added a big fat dollop of vignette to this image. Shame, as the Impala beneath it all looked pretty good - barring the mandatory awful rims, of course. More at some point in the future.

Jon - that is the second time you have spotted one of my old Capri's. I swear it had the original rims on it when I owned it!

[Asimo]

Good cars, "good" clothes.

 

That Vacationer (good name) must be slow. I hope it's an auto! Did the Princess have a towbar too?

[Bucketeer]

I'm a bit conflicted. I love catching up with your excellent thread but it makes me realise how piss poor mine often is.

Anyway, many thanks for all your efforts. Well worth me having a little flounce back to AS for.

[Spottedlaurel]

More good stuff, as ever. That Sunbird is a new thing to me.

 

White sock and espadrilles man is amusing, it's like everything about him has been dragged down by a particularly strong bit of gravity.

[vulgalour]

Enjoyable content and variety, as always.  Quite like that pink Torana.

[Jon]

Jon - that is the second time you have spotted one of my old Capri's. I swear it had the original rims on it when I owned it!

 

Ha ha, small world over here, eh?! But it begs the question how many other Capris you've owned? Either way, we're desperately overdue a southern hemisphere meet up.

 

Good cars, "good" clothes.

 

That Vacationer (good name) must be slow. I hope it's an auto! Did the Princess have a towbar too?

 

Must admit I think that particular Vacationer was a manual but I'm sure the Starfire (aka Missfire) was available with an auto. Sadly, it's probably no less rapid than my Nissan LD28 powered Commodore, though plans to change this are afoot....

 

I'm a bit conflicted. I love catching up with your excellent thread but it makes me realise how piss poor mine often is.

Anyway, many thanks for all your efforts. Well worth me having a little flounce back to AS for.

 

Glad to see you check in and I'll be taking a gander at your terrible efforts (not terrible efforts) later on. I did think about send you an aid package of shite in the form of PM-ing you some particularly interesting threads of late, to aid your poor internet/shite trawling abilities. But I didn't, as I'm a very lazy individual. The thought was there, though.

 

 

More good stuff, as ever. That Sunbird is a new thing to me.

 

White sock and espadrilles man is amusing, it's like everything about him has been dragged down by a particularly strong bit of gravity.

 

I think seeing people about at shows is almost as interesting as the cars. I must admit that I have a rather long pair of shorts that likely reveals a similar meagre amount of white pasty British leg, so chances are my bottom half occasionally looks the same - albeit minus white socks and espadrilles. 

 

 

Enjoyable content and variety, as always.  Quite like that pink Torana.

 

Thanks! I'm still amazed that a country of 4 million so far away from much of the rest of the world has such a variety of stuff to see. Must admit that when I saw your comment, I was sure it would be about the Princess or the Torana!

 

 

 

Anyway, gushing thanks and comments over, let's get back to seeing some Australian GMs:

 

 

Late 60's Holden Brougham. I posted about one of these a guy I knew had sitting in a shed (see a few pages back somewhere). Sadly, he's recently sold it but happily, it sold for very good coin for something which was very much a project. 

 

 

 

This was a very close contender for my car of the show also, due to its colour, wheels and tail lights combo. I do love a good HQ. So do older men too, it seems. Not sure if it was his to touch or not but that blurry hand does have a wistful air to it.

 

 

Check out this mighty fine rear. Am loving the two tone paint scheme and its highly polished state and an arena* setting do show off the lines very well. Dreamy as this 'owning a show car' may seem, I like the hit back to reality that is an overflowing plastic bucket of cleaning products and a box marked VALUEMETRIC. Warning: old cars can be high maintenance and expensive.

 

 

 

The disinterest these girls are showing towards a 1984 (!!) HDT tuned Holden Statesman is tantamount to their knowledge of rare holdens. There were probably more pink Toranas sold than these, though I'm not quite sure who would have been in the market for a very dated, tuned luxury car in 1984/5, so again, no surprises. I think it's fantastic though and am very glad they made them.

 

 

 

Here's a 'GMC Caprice', which shares the same body as the Statesman but is one down the rung, posh-wise. It also has one less side window and there I run out of facts, as according to Wikipedia, there wasn't a Holden Caprice sold until 1990 and so my brain is now fuddled. So, this is probably a South African model or something which somehow made its way to NZ instead. Note also a prime example of what many kiwis see as acceptable footwear for attending indoor car shows.

 

 

 

Back outside now and a very nice example of an HQ Kingswood. I was going to comment that the serendipitous plate is probably the reason why no past owners have put personalised plates on it instead but i) I'm sure there would have been a bit of conscious decision making in giving an HQ those plates when new and ii) it seems to have had the same owner since 1978!

 

 

 

Just in case you were a bit bored with all the Holdens, here's a few others, all caught within a stone's throw of the show. Badly papped lurid MGBGT leaving the event. That's a beautifully crisp pram though, left of frame. No wonder people buy SUVs these days, if that's the state of play for kiddies carriges. What's wrong with a Mclaren buggy with those stripey deck chair seats?

 

 

 

Hey look, a Camira! These are seriously rare now and I wish this had been in the official show, as I'm sure it'd have ruffled a few terrible HSV supporters' jackets. Essentially, this is where the 'rot' set in for Holden, being its first FWD effort. The Commodore was also quite a shock though as a replacement for full sized Holdens but the Button Plan of 1980's Holden models was quite simply baffling. Look it up, to save me the time explaining.

 

 

 

This was about 100m from the car park entrance and although I've visited this area a few times, I've never seen it. Took bloody ages to spot too, as I was across the road from it feigning interest at a snowy mountain, since there were normally functioning members of society about who couldn't comprehend someone getting out their car to photograph a 38 year old Datsun. 

 

 

 

Here's a shot I took on the walk back to the car, post Datsun espionage. There's nothing of note here really, other than just a nice view of the sea and a 20 year old Mitsubishi, which is far too young to be considered worthy of a spot under my self-inflicted strict rules.

 

 

 

But look what was parked half way down the same street?! There's two schools of thought as to a witty remark, regarding either it being parked near the sea (Krusty Krab) or some form of comparison with a big skip but you the viewer can decide as I'm off to make a coffee.

[Jon]

The same weekend I witnessed a load of Holdens, there was another car show on nearby, so it'd have been rude not to pay a visit, particularly as gold coin proceeds went to some charity or other.

 

 

So what's the first thing I spot? An old Holden of course but this one was merely a spectator transport, being parked in an adjoining housing estate and not on a patch of grass. Different rules, see. Actually, this one was for sale (something like $17k for those interested) and it was a 253ci V8. Tickled my fancy but academic at that budget.

 

 

 

Random yankee background bus and people staring in to the interior of an incomplete car tell you that this is the car show - as does the aforementioned grass. Foreground project looked quite cool but price was about $20k, so once again, nah.

 

 

 

I'm sure this CF2 had some wares I could actually afford but I must admit that buying a coffee out the back of an ambulance isn't on the bucket list. Presumably the barista is Herman Munster, judging by the pop top on a conversion you could stand up in.

 

 

 

This was a nice story, having been in the family all its life and retaining the same number plate of that it had in Australia. Read more below:

 

 

Actually, there is a bit of anal VW licker info there - too boring even for Autoshite?

 

 

 

It irks me somewhat how many Mustangs have crept onto my memory card recently. Is this a surefire sign of getting old? I'll pretend it was to document another good example of incongruous tow bar/car model application but in actual fact, I do quite like this one.

 

 

 

No irony here - I love these razorback VWs, even if I struggle to remember their official name. Bet this was a proper rarity in NZ when new. Personally, I'd like the colour to be a bit more 'wow' but then I am a pedant.

 

 

 

No idea if this is a genuine factory Falcon or a good replica but either way it was very worthy of a click, especially looking at some of the tripe I take photos of.

 

 

 

Is this tripe? I don't reckon so but the Modular wheels aren't a favourite of mine, since they're usually found on a terrible looking lowered Mazda 323 with a loud rotary engine and camouflage door cards. 

 

 

For those of a curious nature, here's what the front looks like. Hella lamps looks slightly wank, IMO, as does the screen. Still, overall it's all just a bit of reversible fun and it still has its original plates, so mega JonBonus points awarded.

 

 

 

Love these XA/B/C coupes, mostly probably due to their ludicrous dimensions, which really are ludicrous.

 

 

 

My Dad thought this was amazing, since I don't think he'd ever considered that anyone would be interested in modifying a Humber Super Snipe. Therefore, this was his car of the show. I'm a bit meh to it but I think that's in reaction to the dull colour and white plates; everything else works well to me.

 

 

 

Another from my regular series: shots of car ruined by having their bonnets up.

 

 

 

With a vinyl roof and XC styling details, this sort of looks like a fattened late model Hillman Avenger to me, albeit one with round headlights.

 

 

 

What?! Another photo of the same Mustang? I'm now very concerned. Gladly though, I think every Mustang post-Fox body is awful, barring one or two current model ones, which are ubiquitous in line with it being a world car now.

 

 

 

The front of this Chevelle is much less interesting than the rear, so that's what you're seeing here. Note also the fab deep dish rims, patterned roof and another prime example of wellies as casual wear in public.

 

 

 

The lady on the right is marvelling how Austins of differing sizes seem to park next to bins of similar stature. I'd say an A40/wheelie bin combo correlates well with an 1800/skip bin as seen above to make a pleasing line on the BMC (Bin Measuring Chart). 

 

 

 

Old duffers unite in their interest in seeing uber old duffer car and then congregating near it. Presumably, yarns of a boring nature did occur in the locale. It's at this point that I should note that such thrilling conversations would've been preferable to be blurted out around the place than the terrible band playing instead.

 

 

 

What a gloriously elegant, simply designed rod. Bonus bit of background eye candy for those slightly older than myself. 

 

 

 

I'll leave you for now with an XB (I think) Falcon coupe and a man in the 21st Century wearing a bandanna and arms-cut-off stonewash denim jacket outside of the USA.

[mercrocker]

Nice* to see NZ show attendees dress the same as ours here and get in the bloody way.    I don't think the "razor" Karmann Ghia had a name, other than Karmann Ghia 1500.   Or Type 34 if you are a VW chemist.    

 

IIRC I believe the ZA Chevrolet Constantia was also marketed with a companion Caprice version, these of course were all Holden based.

[puddlethumper]

Just found this thread this morning and have come to the end. Bwaaaah ! ! Absolutely brilliant ! !  Not just the pics but the dialogue, if I may call it so, was very excellenty. 

[Essex V6]

To date, I have owned 15 Capris - of which 3 have been here in NZ - all of which you have now seen!

[Asimo]

I'll take the type 3 Karmann Ghia please. On tow behind the Humber Super Snipe.

They've both been in my bucket list for years.

[Jon]

Cheers for the heads up Mercrocker, though do excuse me if I don't remember that info, as I seem not to be able to retain key facts relating to Holden model codes and overseas titles, etc. Don't ask me why, especially since I own an old Holden.

 

Also nice to know there's a new member to this clique niche group of us who derive pleasure from crap old cars in NZ - welcome puddlethumper!

 

 

Let's start this relatively meagre contribution with an absolute corker, which I just had to stop to photograph:

 

 

There was a woman sat nearby who turned out to be the owner, after I started chatting to her, asking to take the photos. 

 

 

 

Turns out it was the anniversary (4th, I think) of her owning it, after over 20 years of wanting one. I think it's bloody stunning and told her so and she thanked me and wished me well living in NZ, since I'd mentioned we were a day short of living here 6 years at the time. Altogether, a very amicable and pleasant content acquisition. Would trade again.

 

 

 

Two things about this P6: 1.) It is dwarfed by a Corolla  2.) This angle spared you the airbrushed horror which flanked the C pillar, of a badly drawn viking and "Rover" spelt below. I kid you not. Ugh.

 

 

 

Just another relatively common scene from 2016 in NZ, with 20th Century cars in daily use. Except look at this little beauty, a now very rarely spotted Mazda E1600 doppelganger, aka a Ford Econovan. This is only the second one I snapped, the other being a ute. Actually, I think I've seen a couple at Horopito too. Anyway, this one was seemed to be adorned with quite interesting rims, to complement the excellent stripes. Definitely a beige vehicle I can get behind.

 

 

 

To the right you will see a small snippet of the Pacific Ocean. To the left, literally metres away peeks an HA Viva. LIVING ON THE EDGE.

 

 

 

Here's it is in it's 'old man restoration' glory, sporting such pointers as overly polished paint, wanky plate and generic car accessory shop 1980's door mirror.

 

 

 

This is what passes as a tourist attraction over here (though admittedly it was a means of getting to a gannet colony (tourism at its most adventurous)) and I must admit that at that particular time, I was a mite envious not to be riding along with them. It's also great that it hasn't fallen foul to increasingly strict health and safety laws being implemented here.

 

Yet.

 

 

 

Hey, look at this! After a meander along the beach, I return towards our car to see that the awkwardly sited Econovan had moved, so that I could snap it from the front. The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.

 

After a nice walk in the sun, it was off to town (Napier, shite central as I've found previously) to go for a curry. Here's a mundane street scene to document this.

 

 

Wait a minute.....

 

 

L@@K L@@K L@@K SIMCA 1501!!!!1

 

 

 

Unapologetic 3 SHOTS, as I think you'll agree it's worth it. Thanks again to Horopito, this isn't the first one I've snapped. I do actually know of the Dutch guy who owns this, as he's on a local forum, so although it was a great spot, it wasn't as exciting having known it existed already.

 

 

 

Then just around the corner was this fab Avanger - love the colour coded heavy engineering spec tow bar. And guess what? I posted this and a Simca spot up on the other forum and the Simca owner said he caught me taking this shot! Welcome to New Zealand.

 

 

 

I'll forego my usual diatribe about terrible modern wheels, since this Isuzu Gemini coupe is sporting a supercharged V8. I bet there aren't that many Isuzu badged Geminis rocking such a set-up.

 

 

 

Finally for now, I shall leave your appetites whetted more than an otter's pocket as to the kind of stuff that will feature in the next thrilling* instalment of Jon's Life in Shite.

[mercrocker]

Princesses, Avengers, V8 T cars and that Simca......Was thinking of retiring to the Isle of Wight, might have to reconsider!

[Jon]

Sleepless nights begone readers, a much awaited update has thus arrived! Rejoice!

 

 

So, decrepit Princess was signalling my arrival to the British Car Museum, which is a car museum featuring British Cars. As such:

 

 

VAUXHALL LOT OF BRITISH CARS!!!!

 

 

 

Shite swag! There's lots o' LUTON this museum.

 

 

 

Terrible, borderline unreadable puns beside, this Carlton has a semi-interesting history, having been exported to Aussie as a test bed for the 2 litre VN Commodore, which did eventuate but was a model offered in NZ and not Australia. Sounds like it came with some strange spec not seen in UK Carltons, too. If it's assumed that no more than two 2 litre Carltons were ever exported to NZ, then I'm glad to say I've spotted them both in this thread! Game Over, spotter wannabees!

 

 

 

Sandwiched between a teatowel and valuable lengths of wood exhibits were these bound CAR magazines, which caused me to literally crouch down and rifle through them, all the time mentally trying to work out how much wonga it may take for them to be mine. Later enquiries transpired that nothing was for sale, much to the delight of my bank balance and floorboards.

 

 

 

Check out the scene roof rack on that Metro! Oh yeah, and a load of old cool Vauxhalls, too.

 

 

 

This was one of the several old magazines adorning the panels of various cars so as to make them less satisfactorily photographable. That said, I thought this AA set-up was quite interesting, yet clearly the 626 and the trailer are from quite different generations.

 

 

 

Here's a lesser spotted bog standard 2 door Escort, arguably more difficult to unearth than an e-mail to Hillary Clinton. FINGER ON THE PULSE SATIRE!

 

 

 

Made and sold in Belgium but we'll forget that little detail and embrace its Britishness. Since these were never sold here, I've not seen a MkI Fiesta in bloomin' ages, so this was quite exciting/wistfully reminiscent of times gone by.

 

 

 

In case you were unsure, YES, it does have a back end too and here's the proof. Good to see a tow bar added, just to fit in here. Doesn't that number plate placement look odd, though. Oh no! My inner number plate rain man is revealing itself again and there may be girls reading. Aaargh!

 

 

 

Seemingly one of every colour and derivative, I assume. Must admit that 1100s are quite ace but you can have too much of a good thing, sometimes. EDIT: it appears that EVERY SODDING 1100 is adorned with those shit headlamp hoods. Sometimes I despair of the life choices of others.

 

 

 

Nice to see an orderly line of cardboard drip trays present and correct on the bottom row. Makes you proud, doesn't it?

 

 

 

Woah, check out that mind boggling carpet in front of these Chevettes! There were plenty such scraps about the place, which I found interesting in a social history kind of way but also quite amusing in the 'old man hoards stuff' vibes that such items give off in these one bloke private museums.

 

 

 

Gone are the days when a bit of black sill paint, black decals round a bit of a window and some slightly different hub caps denote a sporty model for all to easily identify - now everything looks like the top model, apart from those boggo Dacias which people can't actually buy. Or something, I don't know. Anyway, cars aren't what they used to be, eh Shiters?

 

 

 

What?! An Ital in NZ?!! For all the reports that this country is a bit backwards (undeniably so in a few ares, I must admit), it seemed that someone in Kiwiland deemed this lash-up unsuitable to market even here. This one is a 1980 model, arriving in 1983, for those of you as equally dull as me.

 

 

Does the exhibit qualz improve? Will there be more photos of obsolete products stacked two high, for maximum space utilisation and minimum satisfactory photo documentation? Does anyone care? Tune in next time for another thrilling instalment!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Intriguing viewing; thanks for sharing. Are classics really pricey in NZ? I assume the climate is kinder on them than here in the U.K. as well.

[mercrocker]

I just want to go in there and never come out.   

[danthecapriman]

Wow, that museum is just stuffed to the brim with awesome!

This is easily one of the best spotting threads on here.

[Jon]

The Late Mr. Wogan, NZ classics can indeed be quite pricey, especially American tin, though arguably some may well be lower than British equivalent prices - I'm thinking of the numerous barnfind spec Vauxhall Velox(es) that seem to come out of the woodwork and sell for reasonable amounts. On the whole, I'd say condition here is definitely better than that in the UK, on all cars. I've yet to see a rusty Mk1 Almera or JDM equivalent, for example.

 

That's pretty heady praise caprifandan but I reckon NZ is a pretty easy place to set up a relatively acceptable spotting thread. I'll take it though, as I'm not modest!

 

 

So, I left things on a knife edge re: the status level of documented dull old cars and suffice to say, I think there's a few other gems to reveal yet. Such as this fab Morris Kimberley:

 

 

For some reason, NZ Kimberleys were Morrises, whereas they were sold as Austins in Oz. No idea why. I just love how so much of the Aussie designed stuff of the time ends up looking like a prototype, since it's all so familiar yet unusual. I aspire one day to spot a Chrysler Centura for this very reason. Anyway, let's see what the interior's like:

 

 

Pretty lacklustre, as expected. I'm struggling to think of anything to comment which doesn't reference avocado bathroom suites but it is an eerily similar hue in there.

 

 

 

Anyone car to see how long this Imp has been here? The fancy DVLA checker and MOT history info can't be accessed outside of the UK now, it seems. I've no idea why this was brought in though, as they're hardly an extinct breed here and it's far from Pebble Beach condition, either.

 

 

 

I'm not sure about anyone else but I certainly feel that as car enthusiasts, we don't get enough opportunities to view cars from their grubby nether regions, rather than that boring old looking-at-body-panels-and-other-design-elements guff. Happily, this museum caters for this niche many times over. I'd actually seen this sexy Alpine before, being transported up from the south island, after it sold on Trademe for a piffling amount, fully road legal. A father and son team bought it and began to mildy ruin it (you can just see the matt black bonnet as testament to their handiwork) but then miraculously, it's ended up here, destined to hover over a Hillman Avenger forevermore. A lucky escape?

 

 

 

It's at about this juncture of the walk around on old bits of carpet that you enter a part of the shed which is MUCH brighter than the bit I've already shown, which really is hovel-like in many areas. Hence the daylight blasting past this Prefect van. I like its sunburnt wing tops.

 

 

 

Check out this jazz-meister! Love how the beige accents extend to the oversized UK spec number plate holder.

 

 

 

Here's another choice carpet slither and a couple of nifty CA Bedfords, which complement the pile shades quite well. I shudder to think what the bill for axle stands alone was in this place.

 

 

 

This CF2 was run by a small business since new, then donated for display when the owner retired. It did have quite large period 1980's signage on its flanks but it wasn't a groovy design, rather a disappointingly bland one, so I didn't even attempt to capture it. 

 

 

 

Sherpas were far from big sellers here but just like the Marina, they did stay on sale a year or two after they were replaced by a mildly facelifted variant elsewhere. I don't think any Freightrover versions were sold over here, thought there are a few Leyland Daf 300s about. 

 

 

 

How's this for #playa level shite observing; this isn't even the first beige Leyland 20 to feature in this spotting thread!!!! UP YOUR GAME RIVAL SPOTTERZ

 

 

 

KAPOW! After that mighty blow, here's a second SMASH of two Marina commercials with bonus 'quite similar' number plates. STAY DOWN FOR THE COUNT - DON'T TRY TO GET UP!

 

 

 

Can't remember what this was called but it does quite effectively blend in to the scenery, so I'll rename it Commer Commer Commer Commer Commer Chamelion.

 

 

 

OK, that's enough wittering for now, except to announce that despite this being a fantastic example of an unadulterated early Moke (i.e. 10" rims and no superfluous weather protection or padded roll bars as seen on later abominations), I can state that my previous fanaticism for these has been quashed and I'm now all about a SWB S1 Land Rover instead, to fill the want for a scene taxed car that offers proper open air motoring.

[cort1977]

Wow.   This thread is winning AS, just fantastic.

[danthecapriman]

That Leyland 20 is a rarity. They and the similar Standard Atlas vans must be about extinct over here by now!

 

I've tried looking up the Hillman's reg but DVLA computer says no for me. Don't know why but it says details not recognised. Maybe it was exported so long ago it's not on the system?

[Spottedlaurel]

Excellent stuff. That museum is a bit hardcore.

 

On the subject of the Rover-dwarfing Corolla, I think that’s the model that we get as Auris? Mrs SL has one of them, it makes everything else on my driveway seem small.

[quicksilver]

I like the look of that museum. It's like a double-deck Kiwi version of Stondon.

[Lacquer Peel]

Not much to add other than great thread, photos and script. Please keep it up!

[worldofceri]

Flippin' heck, that place is chock full of shite.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Holy shit, beyond fantastic spots here, that museum is something else. Very difficult to pick a favourite but I'll got for the Morris Kimberley. The dashboard looks even more shit that any UK Leyland effort from that era.

[Jon]

Thanks spotter pals, good to see people are reading this detritus. Or at least whizzing through the photos, at least.

 

Yes SL, that is an Auris in other markets but the Corolla has been such a strong seller here, Toyota hedged their bets and didn't change the name, so you can still buy a new one.

 

 

Anyway, you've all been so patient waiting for me to cobble prose together, so let's get to the final bunch of snaps from this place. No need to work up to the good stuff though, I'm going straight in with this filth:

 

 

Check that out! I think the canopy top and chalky paint only make it better - would love to see it back on the road as is. Even the Trebus pile on top is wonderful - look at that dazzling array of seat colours!

 

 

 

Whaaaaaaaaat??? It's only a flippin UK registered MG Meastro!!! What's this doing here? Especially since it's a pretty shonky example - check out the cruddy rear door. Sadly, I couldn't read the plate but it was a beautiful font. It's at this point I should mention that, weird scarecrow man left of frame aside, this museum was thankfully bereft of creepy mannequins and the such.

 

 

 

I wonder if an Austin Traveller would be a viable alternative so a S1 Land Rover? Oh god, I really want an early Land Rover. Love the fact that this one is orange, anyway. Also, please send all quips about gypsies not moving and being surrounded by rubbish, to:

 

Jon, 

New Zealand.

 

 

 

Most early post-war porridge doesn't do an awful lot for me and I often prefer stuff that's been altered later on, like that jazz cab green and cream Austin in the last post. Anyway, this looks a bit of alright, what with its custom body with four suicide doors. And look at the inset step leading up to the dinky rear door! Undoubtedly its utterly useless as a means of access but it does look interesting, at least.

 

 

 

I bet this duo represent a fair wodge of the percentage of remaining 3 Litres. Crab doors or not, I still reckon these are lookers. Good selection of carpet remnants, too.

 

 

 

Facing them was this Princess, who's bonnet had diversified from being a magazine rack to that of a telephone display, along with a couple of other bits of small home electronics thrown in for good measure. It's at this point in the museum game that you're now just a custodian of stuff. It's a bit of a DIALemma when you end up crossing that LINE, getting ENGAGED in other interests. 

 

 

 

The bonnet guff is back to boring old handbooks and brochures now, plus an unexplainable red box. Good carpets, would step on again.

 

 

 

No, this isn't ASDA car park but an actual exhibit of a ropey Ford Ka in a museum. With that in mind, I felt that this selectively dull composition effectively mirrored the banality of this exhibit, which is clearly on display to evoke a sense of celebration of omnipresent roadway architecture, distinguished by its literal raising on to a plinth as a mark of glorification.

 

Or at least it would be, were I a featured art photographer on the Guardian website. In actual fact, I'm just shitting with you and rubbing a particularly corrosive batch of salt in to UK Shiters' wounds by showing off a PERFECT Ka undercarriage! What a horrible man I am.

 

 

 

 

Another UK Import but again, not the first MkIII Escort cabriolet I've snapped. Love the teledial wheels on these but I can't think of a more abhorrent set of OEM wheels when they've been put on a car that isn't an XR3/i.

 

 

 

We've had the Morris Kimberley, now here's its arch rival wrongly titled brethren, the Austin Tasman. No interior shot sorry but I imagine it's as dull as the other one. I look forward to reading the reviews of these in the WHEELS magazines I have squirrelled away.

 

 

 

Speaking of mags, here's yet more temptingly temptable old Autocars, many of which looked unread, they were that perfect. Hnnnnggg. Top carpet fragments, back of shot.

 

 

 

Look at the faded glory of these incredible hand painted stripes on this Mini pickup? I've banged on about it before but why is no-one replicating stuff like this in restorations? I guess it's just easier to plonk a couple of vinyl Cobra stripes on and be done if you want to be outlandishly original.

 

 

 

The flyer to this place boasted of the collection of 34 Morris Minors but I've got to admit that 34 of anything, let alone Morris Minors, is not really that interesting. Nothing against Minors though, so no hate mail please, now that you have my address.

 

 

Anyway, that little lot took about an hour to see and I was taking my time but could've easily doubled it to really pore over the details, such as thread pile counts and wool/viscose mix ratios, but Mrs_Jon was sat in the car waiting outside. The old boy owner whizzes about on a mobility scooter and I'm sure would offer a running commentary, were you so inclined. All in all, a good way to spend £5.

 

 

 

Finally, I waxed lyrical about its wondrous font and here it is - the front plate from that inexplicably NZ resident MG Maestro, screwed to a shipping container outside! Surely this will be in the DVLA system? It's from Pondfield Garage, for those of you whose number plate bent eclipses mine.

[Asimo]

Imagine having a big, dry shed with two Austin 3 Litres inside!  Two!

[Spottedlaurel]

DVLA says the MG Maestro's a 1600 and has been untaxed since the end of 1997. No export marker against it.

[worldofceri]

I was just about to pack my suitcase, but there's no way I'm going to fly to the other side of the world for a gathering of any less than 35 Morris Minors.  Soz.