HemiSix

Creature Feature

2008-07-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

NAME: Demetrius

VEHICLE: NZ New VJ Regal 318V8

Aucklanders may recognise this car - it has done many miles in the hands of its proud owner.

Purchased from us just before Xmas last year, the VJ was a primered cruiser with Tritons and Eagers - just like loads of others.

Demetrius likes to stand out, having owned some eyecatching vehicles in the past, including some race-prepped Jappas and the 'Knight-Rider' Trans Am.

Not long after getting the beast home, work began transforming the Val into a General Lee Clone. As per original (TV Series) wheels were fitted, a boot mounted aerial, front nudge bar, paint scheme and, of course, the appropriate air horns. Recent mods included a custom grille that hides the headlights.

The end result is a cruiser that turns heads wherever it goes. A+++

If you should see The General out and about, say 'Hi' to Demetrius. He's a top bloke and a good friend of mine. He is very approachable and always keen to meet like-minded enthusiasts.

Demetrius' VJ is the first Valiant that he has owned or driven. Ongoing discussions confirm that he is now a true Chrysler convert, showing that style beats top speed hands down and proving that you don't have to spend a ton developing a unique ride.

Congrats Big D, she looks fantastic. I hope you can make it to Geraldine in October. I look forward to cruising in your pride and joy.

Charger Update

2008-06-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

It may not look like it right now, but things are moving ahead here in Southland with our Charger rebuild.

We have a sheetmetal engineer on side now to fabricate the new panels we require and of course Ben Wornall (of Wornall's Panelbeating) is as fizzy as hell to get started on it.

We've purchased a big block 383 aand 727 trans for it as this will fit nicely. But we will untimately look to replace it with something with more firepower and less weight. Read into this what you will . . . but twin turbos and lexus/supra engines have crossed my mind more than once being light and very, very quick.

The 383 will remain basically stock in order to keep the day to day running costs down. However, 'stock' is definately not the term I would use to describe what we have in store for the rest of the car. With increased track, performance brakes/suspension, and a number of other performance mods to compliment the exaggerated front and rear quarters. Think industrial, gothic . . . think low, wide and loud . . . definately something different.

Sheetmetal work begins in two weeks. Stay tuned for updates.

Check out Hemisix on TradeMe for some choice, original Charger parts that we won't be needing for this rebuild . . .

Its been a while . . .

2008-06-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot going on down here, as you do! But I've put off procrastinating . . . time for an update . . .

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new family member. Born 1973 CJ Limosine, colour Limelight.

She's a beauty - air conditioning, electric seats, electric windows, power steeringetc. Done some 60 000 miles from new. 360 V8 of course, 17x8 cragars, reconditioned motor and diff . . . and I have the original white walls and dress caps.

Future plans (reversable) will be: a stereo, upgraded brakes, four barrell card/intake and headers/twin exhaust.

Keep an eye out for us because this car has a lot of work to do. We have a big trailer and this car makes light work of it. Plus, with the comfort and overall condition we look forward to getting some miles out of it!

Mopars in Geraldine

2008-06-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

MOPARS IN GERALDINE 2008

An Invitation is extended to owners of Mopar (Chryslers Corp) Vehicles to join Members of the NZ Mopar Registry for a 2 day Car Event in Geraldine, South Canterbury over Labour Weekend.

This event is open to anyone with an interest in or who drives a Mopar.

There is no club affiliation and you don’t have to have your car registered on the NZ Mopar Registry.

Details for this event can be viewed on: www.nzmoparforum.co.nz

Click on – “Events” section on the home page.

Topic is: “South Island Get Together Geraldine 2008”

Registrations of interest should be made to moparsingeraldine@live.com

Accommodation food and drinks is by your own arrangement.

If we get enough numbers a BBQ tea will be arranged as a fund raiser by the local Lions club for Saturday or Sunday evening. This is also at your own expense.

Hardtop Progress Report

2008-04-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well....

The last couple of days has been an education for me. I am not usually too bad for procrastinating but I must admit I have been walking past the hardtop every day for months now and have not done a thing to it.

The main reason for this was a couple of extremely ugly areas that I feared were riddled with cancer. Rather than know the true extent of the infection, I have been trying not to look at/think about these bits as I obviously imagined the worst.

With the Mopar registry Twizel run coming up this year ( see sidenote ) I figured that I had better get my arse into gear and get one of our beasts on the road. The hardtop is basically complete and so I figured a nice lazy cruise in her would be achievable ( although likely to still be a work in progress ) by the time the run rolls around.

So, a deep breath and out with the sander to see what I am dealing with.....

By crikey, it is all shiny!!!

The ugly filler was covering a good welding job ( jobs ) and all that is really needed is a professional finishing.

There are a couple of small rust holes to fix but these were ones I knew of, not surprises at all. I guess the moral here is that we are all vulnerable to fear of the unknown, and in not knowing what we are facing, we can sometime blow things out of proportion to the point where we do nothing at all.

I have included a few pre- and post- sanding photos so you will see why I was pessimistic.

The other great thing about taking the plunge was it has given me a new enthusiasm for the project as now I have begun, eventually there will an end. Based on what was uncovered, the end will be sooner and at a lower cost than I had anticipated.

Yeehaa!

Stay tuned for progress updates, you will see it all here.

2008-04-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

BIG Question . . .

2008-04-12T03:41:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the Charger in our drive. Notice anything unusual? Like the rear guards . . .?

Personally, I love them. I grew up in the era of 'post-apocalyptic V8s and leather' movies and this car certainly fits the bill. I think Chargers should have left the factory with an 'arse like that'!

The question is, from a rebuild perspective, do I finish the guards as shown (flared/tubbed) or go back to original?

What would you do? Let me know what you think. Vote in our poll and feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

What's in your drive?

2008-04-12T03:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the contents of our carport. The house is beginning to resemble a car yard. Besides these two, we have 1 1/2 VJ Sedans in the back yard as well as a friend's HK Holden Stationwagon.

Send me a photo of your car - even if its in project stage like these two are - and it will go on this page.

Send photos

You Can Now Pay by Credit Card

2008-04-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Yes! Its true. Hemisix is now accepting credit card payments. Just let us know when you order something and we will send you the details.

We also have new listings on TradeMe . . . so don't forget to drop by and have a look at Hemisix on Trademe

And we have some great cars available for restoration . . .

a VJ Sedan - Rego on hold just waiting for a touch up
72 VH 770 Charger
73 VH 770 Hardtop Factory V8

1971 Valiant VH 770-340 Charger

2008-04-04T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hemisix Update

2008-03-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks will see the Hemisix salvage trailer. Clock up a lot more kms this week. I will be heading to Picton to deliver a car to the ferry terminal then cruising to nelson to drop in on the guys at Hemi NZ Ltd. I have some parts taking up space in their workshop that I need here at home.

Next up is a trip up north to Morrinsville to pick up a Charger for resto, stopping in Wellington to collect more parts.

I have decided to rent a car to tow our trailer. Its a big bugger - 5m x 20.5m deck tandem tipper - heavy duty styles for heavy duty cars. With a Valiant and a stack of parts on it starts to get up in weight. Rather than work our car harder than she'd like, I will rent a new Commodore or Falcon and hitch the wagon to that. I will let you know how it performs!

Big ups to the guys at NZ Mopar Forum. What a friendly bunch of guys - apparently cruisin South soon - it will be good to meet up.

Thanks for the pics of your Pacer TC. Looks gorgeous.

Speaking of pictures . . . keep sending them in!! We'd love to feature your car here!!

Poll Results

2008-03-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

The results from our last poll are in.

100% of voters thought a 265 Hemi with a big exhaust sounded better than a 318. I can't argue with that!!

Don't leave here without voting in our latest poll!!

Trademe Auctions

2008-03-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to All!

Don't forget to check out my latest Trademe Auctions . . .

Click here to see what I have listed for sale

Finally some PACER pics

2008-03-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hemisix Update

2008-03-18T02:12:00.000-07:00

Its all happening here at hemisix.

The boys are heading up north next week - yeah I know, its all up north from here! They're going up with a BIG trailer load of parts to deliver on the way. There is still room - so if you need anything get in touch asap.

On the journey home they will be carrying our latest acquisition - a 72 VH 770 Charger. This will be our next restoration project. If you've always wanted to own a pristine Charger, then drop us a line as this is for sale and we can restore it to your specifications.

If you have any Valiant parts that you would like to sell let us know too. See the list of parts we are currently needing. We can pick them up as we go past!

69 Charger Burnout

2008-03-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

Video hosting by 99rides share your car videos click here

Poll Results

2008-03-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

The results from our recent 'What's your fav VH' poll are in - a whopping 50% of voters went for the Hardtop. My personal favourite is the Pacer - but I guess there's no accounting for taste!

Our other poll asking whether we should keep the Hardtop Classic or Make it Better was also pretty clear cut. 60% of you wanted to make it better - I guess there aren't many purists out there!

Creature Feature

2008-03-04T15:13:00.001-08:00

This weeks feature creature is something you might not have seen before (1 of only 400?). There cannot be a whole lot of these on New Zealand roads, let alone in this extremely tidy original condition.

Proud owner - lets call him J. grew up in the V8 era and was introduced to Valiants by a family member (didn't we all have a Dad, Grandad, Uncle. Cousin or Brother with a Valiant?).

This car is a numbers matching, ridgy didge Aussie import. Silver with blue roof/trim option, it runs factory 318 and trusty torque flight.

This '78 CL Valiant Le Baron is a great example of a good looking CL. Lets face it, they're not everyone's favourite model, but we can all appreciate a minter. Personally I found that it wasn't until I owned a CL of my own that the styling grew on me. This would have to be one of the sexiest big-arse Vals I have seen. The louvres and mags are just right and the blue vinyl sits beautifully. I have never been a big fan of vinyl roofs on the earlier wide body models, the CL has got the vinyl cut and chrome trims right.

A look at the motor shows all the fruit. The car was the bees knees in its day.

mmmmmm . . .

Thanks J

Comments welcome.

Hi all

2008-03-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

We have had a great week down here. Parts wise we have been flat out, we have brought another car and have some cool parts to pick up. We've received some great feedback, links and pictures etc. Thanks for your support.

I'm hanging out to get more pictures up. Send them in. The more you guys contribute to this site the better for everyone. I hope to have more pictures and videos up shortly. I've had a busy week and will be updating far more regularly as of next week.

This week sees our first feature vehicle, a cool Le Baron. Not something you see every day . . .

I'd like to give a quick shout out to some of the people I have met this week - Kane from Gore, Dan and his son from Invers (the young fella's not even 10 and he owns a Valiant), and Pacer Tracy's mate, Pete from Dunners (where are the photo's Tracy?)

Send me heaps of stuff - articles, pictures, comments, opinions. Heaps of links on the pages so just press the damn buttons.

HELP

2008-02-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

My mate Demetrius urgently needs a few bits to get his baby a warrant.

He has a New Zealand new VJ and desperately needs to hear from someone in the upper North Island. He needs rotors and drums, a power steering box, and some sections cut to repair rust around rear window and parcel tray.

Please contact me urgently to be put in touch if you can help.

Vid of the Week

2008-02-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Gore Sprints 24 February 2008

2008-02-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

I went to the Gore Annual 1/8th Sprints on Sunday for the first time. I left the girls at home - my prior experience with street drags involved lots of noise, dogs, glass and attitudes.

What a FANTASTIC event!

Next year the whole family will be there early to find a prime spot to set up.

The atmosphere was brilliant. Friendly, happy camaraderie and an honest enjoyment of what was on offer. The weather was outstanding and the line-up of local cars was impressive to say the least.

I had a great time walking around, looking at cars and talking with their proud owners. Its not often you can go to an event by yourself and be busy talking all day.

Some quick times were posted and full track burnouts were popular. An old DX Corolla with Lexus Go-Gear stood out as did an angry Cefiro.

Drinks etc were a bit pricey. Those who hadn't thought to bring enough paying through the nose ($2.50 a can of lemonade!).

The event was extremely well managed with no issues. Top marks to the Cobra Street Rodders and all who helped make it a success. I had a good chance to meet a lot of those guys the day before at the swap meet. Bloody nice blokes. I think I might join their club!

The highlight for me was probably the Charger as it sounds identical to my 440 (and yes, I did spend a lot of the day explaining why it wasn't out posting times). The rail didn't really get on song until the last run but showed massive potential. Spindle's Val didn't seem to be hooking up properly but definately sounded and looked every inch a top 318 set up.

If you weren't there you missed a great day! Be there next year!

Take a look at the slide show. Some of the cars at Sunday's event are in there. Also check out the Vid of the Week - its the Charger pre-staging.

Open Letter from hemisix

2008-02-25T13:29:00.001-08:00

This is an e-mail I sent out to a select group of my clients recently: ( abridged )

Hi All,

I was recently lamenting to my long-suffering Wife about the lack of websites offering eye-candy for Valiant enthusiasts. I love looking at other peoples rides, drawing inspiration, ideas and just plain enthusiasm from what others are doing. Unfortunately, apart from a few regularly visited sites, there is bugger all out there for us.

Last year I purchased a domain name and hosting etc ( moparts.co.nz ) and until now, I was'nt really sure what I would do with it. Basically, I thought the name was related to what I do ( valiant cars and parts ) so I grabbed it.

What I am asking is that you send some top pics of your pride and joy, whether it be an original classic or a custom, showroom condition or a work in progress. There is no cost involved and your contact details are kept strictly confidential.

We have a strong, loyal base of enthusiasts out there, and I truly believe that with your help, we could have a great site.

Depending on a favourable response, there is no reason why we cannot perhaps progress to adding chat facilities, forums and free classifieds. It might be a good way to get/keep in touch with other mopar fans and organise events in our respective regions.

If we get enough traffic we could consider allowing related advertising from our favourite companies in exchange for discounted products and services via the site. Who knows where it could go...

If nothing else, I get to look at some cool pics of your cars!!!

If you know anyone else who may be interested in contributing, let them know and give them my details. ( or forward them this link- www.moparts.co.nz )

I look forward to your feedback on this idea, suggestions and obviously pictures.

From the hemisix perspective, I am absolutely staggered with the prices some of the parts and cars are fetching now.

I guess, from an owners standpoint, this means our cars are worth more if we sell them but it does mean we pay more to increase our stable or source parts we need.

As I am in the business of sourcing vehicles and parts for Valiant lovers, I see this graphically illustrated every day, and it is just getting worse.

I have thought on this issue a lot ( how to maintain realistic pricing for my clients and friends ) and have come to the conclusion that the only way to achieve this is for me to minimise my reliance on others for the parts we need.

Obviously, if circumstances dictate, I will still be able to use my contacts to find the part you need, however, I am starting to shift my focus to alternative means.

There are a lot of cars sitting in peoples shed in NZ that could be restored to their former glory, or at the very least, donate some of their vitals so that others may live on.

I want these vehicles.

I want to put together a resource that can provide a good supply of reasonably priced, quality cars and parts for our motoring community. If you know of a vehicle, or better still, a collection of vehicles, please let me know.

This is for the benefit of us all. You all know me and know my prices are extremely favourable compared to what others are doing. ( I am not and have never been a greedy man. I have everything I need and want in life- beautiful wife and kids, cars I love and a job many would envy. I am not in business to make money, I do this for love. I only try to make enough to allow me to continue doing what I do. If my costs are covered then I am happy.)

In other words, what I am asking for is your help in keeping prices reasonable and parts readily available.

Lets help each other.

All I want is to have a part in keeping these old girls going as long as possible- any suggestions or ideas are priceless.
Kind Regards

Mike