SHORT SHIFT

We often get asked how we find the cars that we feature in NZV8; thankfully, the main reason we are asked is that people are blown away by the quality and variety. The short answer to the question is that we have eyes and ears everywhere. While true, that makes it sound a whole lot easier than it is. So, while we’re always looking and talking to people in the hunt for feature cars, there are also cars out there, such as Karl Stanbra’s Monaro, that we’ve been following intently for a number of years. We featured Karl’s HQ ute way back in the early days of NZV8, when Karl was fresh-faced and child-free. When the ute had to be let go to fund houses and the like, Karl always swore that he’d build another, and we believed him. While it’d have been easy for Karl to throw together a half-arsed build, just to get on the road, he made it obvious from the outset that that was never going to happen. Instead, it would be a build that was worth the wait — no matter how long it took, or how many check-ins from me asking about progress. Clearly, Karl didn’t disappoint — as you’ll see in a few pages’ time. Instead, he stayed true to that initial vision and created a car that’s flawless in every way. Better still, it’s built to a timeless formula — so it looks just as good now as when Karl envisaged it all those years ago. Determination and perseverance like this are nice to see in a time when it seems that everyone wants everything for nothing and instant gratification. We’re sure that the hard yards that have been put into the build will be well worth it, and the extra cost and time involved to build it right the first time will result in a whole lot fewer headaches down the road. Going back to how we find the cars we feature: we’re always keen to hear from our readers about what they’re working on — or what their spouse, workmate, brother, etc. has on the go. New Zealanders are notoriously shy about selfpromotion — the good old tall-poppy syndrome rears its unwanted head — so don’t be afraid to let us know about any cars we should have a look at. The same goes for all the quiet Kiwi legends out there — such as Grant Rivers, who we take a second look at this month, following on from looking at his childhood exploits last issue. We know there are plenty more such people out there, and, while we’ve got eyes and ears (almost) everywhere, we’re always open to suggestions. Catch you next month.

PATIENCE IS BITTER BUT ITS FRUIT IS SWEET JOHN CHARDIN