86: INTERNET SENSATIONS — CAMARO LOVERS COME FACE TO FACE

Social media has its advantages. For example, like-minded people can join groups to share opinions and pictures, and stay up to date with what’s happening with their particular chosen vice. The Kiwi Camaro Catch Up 2020, held at Tim Kennedy’s picturesque property just on the outskirts of Te Awamutu, was born through exactly that. A year or so, a group of local Camaro lovers created a Facebook group called ‘Kiwi Camaro’, a name that clearly speaks for itself. The page was the brainchild of previous NZV8 feature-car owner Damien Crook, a self-confessed Camaro nut, and there’s already over 400 members. There’s always plenty of discussion on the page as well as various parts and ideas trading hands and photos being shared.

Through this shared passion for Camaros, the idea was floated about meeting up to put faces to onscreen names, and things snowballed from there.

THE KIWI CAMARO FACEBOOK GROUP DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO STEP OUT FROM BEHIND THE SCREENS AND MEET FACE TO FACE!

AROUND 35 CAMAROS SHOWED UP ON THE DAY, RANGING FROM TOTALLY ORIGINAL … CARS TO BLOWN STREET MACHINES

Finding a central location is always difficult, but one member, Tim Kennedy, had just the place, with more than enough room for anyone who wanted to attend.

All up, around 35 Camaros showed up on the day, ranging from totally original matching-numbers cars to blown street machines, and a couple of nine-second-capable dedicated drag cars thrown in too. While the majority may have been firstgeneration cars, the group certainly doesn’t limit itself to that.

A very nice example of an original matching-numbers car was Melissa Bourk’s ’78 Z28. She’s owned the car for seven months and has fallen in love with it. The car was Canadian built and has just 40390 miles on its factory 350ci motor. Amazingly, the paintwork has never been touched, making it a true survivor. Oh, and it’s a manual, too! How do you know when you are addicted to a Camaro? Ask Brian O’Hanlon. He is pictured here with his daughter, Britney, and his ’69. The car is all matching numbers, running a 327/350 combo and sits nicely on a set of 18x8- and 20x10-inch wheels. He’s owned the car for an impressive 27 years and wouldn’t change anything on it for the world It seems that if you have a Camaro for the drag strip, you also need one as a daily-driver, Simon’s wife Angela brought along her 1970 example

The two drag cars that turned up certainly got plenty of attention. Simon Curran’s ’68 (left) runs a 618-cube 1300hp big block. He’s owned the car for four years and has been racing it on the strip for 18 months. To date, the car’s PB is a 9.1, but he tells us that it has a lot more in it; fine-tuning is still ongoing. Kevin Knuth’s ’72 (right) has been a familiar sight on Meremere’s blacktop for a while now, and its 602ci motor has pushed it to a best of 9.8 seconds on pump gas