ROCK & ROLLING

Chris ‘Keyzie’ Key is the drive DJ on Radio Hauraki’s Big Show, with Jason Hoyte and Mike Minogue . . . and DRIVEN contributor

What are you driving?

I drive a 1967 Chevrolet C10 truck . . . when it isn’t raining.

Why this model and what do you like about it?

I grew up being driven around in a Chevrolet Blazer by my mum, and a variety of different Chevrolet trucks by my dad. In fact, my first experience driving a manual was in a ’61 Chevrolet Impala with a

3-speed column shift. I’ve always wanted my own Chevrolet truck, and this exact model is my favourite, as it’s the first of the Gen

2 line.

Has anything been modified on it?

Yes, but only to make it more Auckland-friendly. When first imported from the US 15 years ago, it had a 305 Chevrolet V8 which specialised in being both thirsty and slow.

Since owning, we’ve replaced that with an “efficient” fuelinjected 4.8-litre LS Vortec engine, which starts without fail and can successfully drive further than 100km without running out of fuel. It also has disc brakes all around, and decent suspension to stop it handling like a whale — and, of course, a decent stereo system for when I’m listening to Radio Hauraki while sitting in traffic.

What’s your favourite part about your car?

Its utility nature. I used to own a 1982 VH Holden Commodore, with an HSV 5.0 Holden engine and a Camaro 5-speed. It was excellent fun to drive, and living out in West Auckland made me feel like a proper Westy.

However it was utterly useless for anything other than driving fast. It was too low for speed bumps (there are four on my street), annoying in traffic, and could barely fit anyone inside it. This truck on the other hand has towed plenty of trailers, carried plenty of stuff on its deck, and is genuinely handy to have . . . Which almost makes it seem like a smart investment.

Anything you don’t like about it?

It’s currently too loud . . . which isn’t something I’ve ever said before. However, when you park in an underground building for your day job, and continuously set off car alarms owned by people who could instantly sack you, it’s time to reassess . . . Also, it came from the US fitted with Flowmaster mufflers named “American Thunder”, which is hilarious — so I’ll be replacing them shortly.

What do you think of electric cars?

A spicy topic. I may be a V8 petrolhead, but unlike a lot of my fellow enthusiasts, I don’t care what other people choose to drive. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing a couple of EVs recently, and they were a genuine pleasure to use.

In fact, I’d love the combo of an EV to drive around town daily, and my Chevrolet C10 on weekends and sunny days.

I feel like the anti-EV conversations happening at the moment are complicated due to cost, politics and practicality. However, any forward advancements in the area of the motor vehicle need to be celebrated. People once laughed at the idea of going to work on anything other than a horse, except they didn’t have access to the DRIVEN Facebook comment section to vent their frustrations. How long will you be keeping it

and do you have any more plans for it?

This was a build that I completed with a ridiculous amount of help from my dad — he is a guru when it comes to metal fabrication and the restoration of old American cars.

In my line of work you don’t get many opportunities to get handson and learn practical skills, so this project has been a real bonding/ learning experience. I learned how to weld, fabricate replacement parts, and most importantly, how to fix rust issues. It’s been one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve ever been involved with.

With this in mind, I’ll be keeping this truck for as long as I possibly can. Or at least until Dad forgets the amount of rust we fixed when first purchased — he still has nightmares about it.

Big Show

Your co-hosts seem to have woeful car histories and a general disinterest, owning Nissan Tiidas and Toyota Aquas — how would you describe your car credentials compared to them?

Jase and Mike are so oblivious to the world of cars that we recently spent an entire week convincing Jase not to buy a used 2012 diesel Peugeot as his next car. “But it’s the most beautiful car I’ve ever driven, Keyzie,” he says.

“That’s because you’ve never driven anything decent, Jase.”

Unlimited budget, two-car garage, what are you buying?

Easy: a 1970 Nissan 240Z (RHD, Z432) and a 2002 R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (V-Spec II Nur, jade green). I’m a sucker for old Nissans/Datsuns, and what I didn’t mention was that my dream garage is actually built next to my current garage, so I would still have my Chevrolet C10.