AND THE REST

Fat Falcon

Clint Bower’s XB Falcon coupe also graced the pages. As Clint was the man responsible for much of the fabrication work on Bruce’s Impala, it should come as no surprise that the Falcon was very cleverly built. The car looks just as good today as it did when it debuted, despite having clocked up thousands of miles with the family in it. The car is ingrained in the Bower family, with Clint’s two kids having grown up with it; now that they’re old enough to drive it themselves, there’s no chance of it leaving the shed for good. The Work Equip wheels on the car were controversial at the time, being more commonly seen on Japanese cars, but, in our eyes, it was Clint’s willingness to be different that has made the car what it is. It was a standout then, and it it’s a standout now.

No Laughing Matter

It had been a long time since New Zealand had seen a nitrous car at the level of the Chev Nova belonging to Hawke’s Bay racer Wayne Hussey. Imported from America, the Nova was every bit the show car, being designed to obliterate the quarter-mile. Relying heavily on nitrous oxide, the car would be a regular at Top Doorslammer events around the country, and would eventually take the long-standing nitrous sedan record off expat Kiwi Mike Nola, a record now held by Barry Plumpton. Wayne described his car as “634 cubic inches of shit your pants”, and, with it having run as quick as 6.84 at 198mph, we’d say he’s correct. The car is still in Wayne’s possession, although it has not been on the track for some years.