DREAM SHED —
THINK YOU’VE OWNED YOUR FAIR SHARE OF AMERICAN CARS? CHANCES ARE IT’S NOT AS MANY AS GEOFF HALE’S HAD!
300 AND COUNTING
Most of us can probably remember the first car we ever saw that started our passion for everything automotive. It’s also fair to say that some of us from the more ‘mature’ generation, should we say, may take some time to recollect what it was that got the heart racing, but we won’t forget. Geoff Hale, a Canterbury mechanic, takes some time to think about what it was that started him on the long road to classic car ownership when we put the question to him. “I can’t exactly remember where it all started,” he tells us. “I’ve always been a Corvette nut,” Geoff confesses. Riding his pushbike past PDL
Motors on Ferry Road back when he was 15 years old, Geoff spotted an orange ’69 Corvette taking up residence in their yard. “I couldn’t believe it,” says Geoff. “It was the shit.” Twenty-five years later, Geoff almost took ownership of that same Corvette but just missed out on purchasing it, and, as it turns out, the car is still in Christchurch. The blame for Geoff’s affection to the Corvette could be down to that first encounter with the ’69, as over the years he has owned 33 Corvettes and currently has two in his collection. “Because of my age, I like the C3 stuff: ’68–’82,” Geoff tells us. “That, to me, is a Corvette. It’s the whole relative thing.”
Geoff has been involved in the motor trade in one way or another since he was 17. Looking for a mechanic’s apprenticeship, Geoff couldn’t find a placement, so he tried out various things, including working in several car parts businesses and helping out in garages. For the last 30 years, Geoff has been working as a mechanic, turning his hands to most things. “I’m pretty much self-taught,” Geoff explains, “or learning by watching other guys.” Wandering through his and wife Linda’s sheds, it’s not hard to see where the passion lies, with several very desirable American cars taking up space. Geoff isn’t a paint-and-panel man, and he is first to admit it, and his wiring skills are, as he put it, “errr … limited,” but he knows enough to get out of trouble. Stepping into the workshop area, we spot Geoff’s project ’57 Chev which is nearing completion. The car has received a body-off chassis birthday that has resulted in a powdercoated chassis and underpinnings, LS engine and box, and beautiful Mercedes AMG silver paint. That’s not to mention a reupholstered interior modelled on the original styling.
Behind the ’57 sits Linda’s Indian motorcycle which she just had to have — and who can blame her, it’s beautiful. Linda owns her own lawn-mowing business which used to be shared with her father.
To say that Linda is handy with the tools would be understating it slightly. Being able to fix her own tractors and things, and complete her own oil changes, Linda explains that she is in tune with what engines should sound like and whether there may be an issue that needs looking at. Both Linda and Geoff each have their own side of the workshop complete with their own tools and gear, and they gel well together with their mix of personalities. Asked which of their cars they have owned the longest, they both point out the ’67 Cadi convertible. Having not long known each other at the time, Linda had made it known that she had always wanted an old car, something you could just climb in, put the dogs in the back, and head to the beach. “Next thing, Geoff turns up in this, and I remember thinking, ‘he is definitely a keeper’,” Linda explains. It’s a car they both must really like, as on the day they got married, at home, it was pissing down so they chose to sit in the car while exchanging their vows, with family and friends standing around it. The 429 and auto have been reconditioned and a new top fitted, along with a disc brake kit. Geoff has a full airbag kit waiting in the wings, because, as he told us, “I’ve never bagged a car yet”.
Next to look at is the couple’s ’63½ Galaxie XL
500 fastback. Geoff told us that he used to own one years ago but due to lack of use he sold it, a decision he soon came to regret. Soon after, the hunt was on for a replacement, with this one being purchased from a guy who ran a hot rod shop in Sacramento. Apparently, it had sat under some trees for 43 years. He fit a fuel tank, fuel pump, and carb to get it running. When he brought it home, it barely had enough steam to drive into the garage. The Galaxie has now received a full rebuild on its 390 V8 engine, C6 gearbox, and a disc brake kit has been fitted. It’s now only about a week away from hitting the streets! The interior may also receive a spruce up to make it more user friendly as the current interior is so old and brittle that it cracks every time you get in.
Geoff isn’t afraid to admit his love for GM cars. It’s not to say he doesn’t like other brands — his stable has housed Mustangs and Mercury Cougars in the past — but the story of his first car kind of sealed the deal with GM. Years ago, while looking for his first car, Geoff shot around to a mate’s place to view a NZ-new ’56 Ford Customline that he was selling. Thinking it looked really cool, and about to seal the deal, his mate’s brother pulled up the driveway in a bright yellow ’55 Chev covered with orange flames, and after a look over, the Customline remained in the driveway while Geoff became the proud owner of a ’55 Chev, and he has been a Chev man ever since. “I’ve owned over 300 American cars over the years,” says Geoff, “most of them were GM stuff.”
Now the black ’74 Plymouth Barracuda caught our eye. Having sold a ’73 Challenger to a mate — with only 23,000 miles on the clock — that he had purchased from the original owner, Geoff went looking for a replacement. Geoff purchased this Barracuda from North Carolina four-and-a-half years ago, and it went straight through compliance on arrival home. The only changes the couple have made were to replace the wheels — returning them to original — and fitting a big-block rear valance panel with exhaust cutouts. The car is very tidy and reliable, having already been on a road trip to Beach Hop. The ’59 Impala Sports Coupe is a new addition to the stable and was only purchased three weeks earlier. It was imported and sat in Blenheim for 10 years. It was bought minus the motor and box. Apart from this, the car is super complete, with all its chrome trim and mouldings still fitted where the factory put them. There are no plans on what to do with it as yet, but Geoff is swaying towards an LS engine to make it more of a “driver”.
Sitting at the front of the shed is a black-on-black 2006 C6 Corvette Z51, which is just up from the base-model spec. Running a six-litre engine and six-speed manual, it is a lot of fun to drive. Looking around for something late model to drive, they had no interest in an XR6 or Clubsport, so while
on a trip to the US, they found and purchased this from its second owner, a homicide detective. The story goes that the guy was really anal about the car and didn’t want them touching it. About an hour after purchasing it, they were heading to a friend’s place down a gravel road while eating cheese and crackers. “If the guy knew, he probably would have shot us,” laughs Geoff. While stateside, they travelled around in the ’Vette for three weeks, taking in Big Bear Lake and Long Beach Indycar racing before bringing it home.
Geoff’s favourite ’Vette he has owned — if not his most favourite car — is the white ’69. Brought from the original owner’s widow after nine months of trying, the owner had ticked all the boxes when ordering it. He was a motor racer in Utah and the car came complete with holes in the guards where he had fitted mudflaps and dozens of small plaques representing the tracks where he had raced the car. The ’69 is a matching numbers 427 big-block car with a four-speed and factory side pipes. The car had sat for quite some time after the old boy had passed, so on its arrival home the motor and box were pulled and a broken valve spring was found. It’s all been reconditioned, complete with a new clutch. It’s a great car to drive and is definitely a keeper. The car has been to Beach Hop a number of times, and the couple laugh when telling stories of how things always seem to break when they do. “We had a wiper arm fly off one time when the wipers were put on,” laughs Linda, “and another time we buggered a u-joint, but we love driving it”.
The ’59 Cadi Coupe DeVille in the corner was another car they had always wanted. Working from home one day, a mate pulled up in it and Linda said, “that better not leave,” so an hour later our mate left with a Dodge Ram pickup that he wanted, and we were the new owners of a Cadi. The motor is a 390 backed by an auto. It’s tired but there are no plans for it as yet. The couple are just happy to have one in the shed, considering how hard they are to find now.
Asked about the collection as a whole, the couple are happy with what they have, but that’s not to say that they don’t both have a list of other cars they would like to add to it. Geoff would love a Superbird but can’t see that happening any time soon — not unless his six numbers line up in a row on Saturday night — and Linda would like a ’57 Lincoln or Buick. We guess that only time will tell.