Beyond VANISHING POINT

THE DODGE CHALLENGER IN THE MOVIE VANISHING POINT IS SUCH A GLOBAL ICON THAT CARL BULLIVANT DECIDED TO BUILD HIS OWN VERSION, BUT A WHOLE LOT BETTER!

At the age of 12, and home from school watching TV, Carl Bullivant came across a movie that changed his life: Vanishing Point. He knew then and there that he had to have that car. Nine years later, when Carl had his licence and some funds to make it happen, he started searching for Challengers. Within six months, he managed to track down a car on an online classifieds page. Listed in its small for-sale section was an advert with no photos, which simply read: “For sale: ’70 Challenger R/T, white, numbers matching, 440 and auto, Paraparaumu”. Carl couldn’t dial the contact number fast enough. A white R/T and within 30 minutes’ drive from home? Almost a sign.

The seller explained that he had just listed it and had several potential buyers in Auckland, but, as Carl was closer, he’d let him have first dibs. When he arrived at the seller’s property, Carl was taken to a garage down the back where the seller rolled up an old garage door. Slowly but surely, the Challenger emerged. Carl basically wanted to get cash out then and there. The owner said his bottom dollar was $24K to which Carl extended his hand: “Done!”

The Challenger was very solid and 95 per cent rust-free but extremely tired, run down, and just a mess of different colours — white over blue, silver engine bay, Mad Max rear wing, B5 Blue interior with bench seat — but it was complete and maintained the numbers-matching 440ci Magnum and TorqueFlite 727 transmission. It had just 48,000 miles on the odometer and some great factory options — air conditioning, power brakes, power steering, and power windows.