Avenga

I was thinking of doing that originally, except the plastic isn't very thick, and it is sort of ribbed in the inside, sort of like the inverse of the cooling fins, so by the time you flattened it down you could break through the plastic. Bygones did a Zephyr with a 1UZ and all they did was put a ford logo on the top of the standard 1UZ manifold and it confuses the crap out of everyone. So I do like that. My theme for the motor is super clean and simple, so I want to avoid having any wires or leads visible. I do like the pentastar and mopar hemi badges on that engine. I do like that idea. I have model names for each of my Avengers. My 75 is sort of an Avenger Tiger+++ so I called that my Avenger Panther, and my wagon I have dubbed the Avenger Hydra, after the 8 headed monster of legend, so I could go for something like that.

Yeah. They have grown on me. At first they looked odd, but it was just that my eye was drawn to it because I could see something had changed so they stood out. I got the bumper off Ross, Oldschool on the Avenger forums. He had them left over from after he sold his Avengers. They didn't come with the brackets so I had to steal the ones off my 75 Avenger, I'm currently trying to hunt some down so I can put the old bumper back on my 75. Normally I like the Hillmans for sedans, but I quite like the look of the Chrysler wagons more than the Hillmans. If they are Chrysler lights then I wouldn't mind buying them off you, mine are a bit old. Nice! It was a good day out! So many cars there, I spent all day walking around and still didn't see everything.

I have been playing around with spark plug covers, trying to make the engine look less Toyota like. I wanted to do a quick poll to see what you guys think. Vote up at the top of the page A. The original covers B. Some models had this silver strip on the bottom and top of the spark plug cover. C. A hacked up blank spark plug cover, this is the cover from the other side without the "V8 FOUR CAM 32" This gives it a real clean look without the writing on it, but does it look too plain? D. Same as above but with the top and bottom strips painted silver (Ignore the bad photo shop) E. The blank rocker cover with the Chrysler badge that is normally on the bonnet of the Chrysler Avengers. This will really mess with people because it will look even less like a Toyota engine, I'm hoping it will fool enough people F. The same as above but with the silver strips. Discuss here

Cool. So you are just doing the superlaps on sunday then. I'll be doing the cruising stuff on Saturday so you are welcome to come out with me. On Sunday I have entered my car in the show and shine so I will be able to watch you super lapping.

The Super Lap is on Sunday. And it is a separate $180 fee On the Saturday there is the DYM (Cruising), Powerskid, Roll Racing, Drifting, HP/Circuit Racing, Burnouts. For the Saturday the rules are So I will be able to do the everything except the circuit racing (Personally I won't be doing the drifting or anything like that) I'm not sure if your car would classify as a "dedicated track car" so not sure if you could just the circuit racing. So how it looks like they are running it is, use slow pokes can go for a cruise around the track, then the track cars have a turn, then the drift boys, then roll racing. and so on. I will be doing the cruising, and probably the roll racing. Not sure about the burnouts, and I won't be doing the drifting.

Hey. I'm going also. You should see if you can passenger in my wagon, then we can play swapsies.

Been up to heaps more adventures in the wagon. Went down to Leadfoot Festival. There was a sweet Cortina wagon there. My wagon always gets mistaken for a Cortina so I couldn't help but take a photo of the two, what do you think? I can see why some people get confused, especially with how rare the Avenger wagons are. Went camping at Wagnats in the wagon so did a last minute run to the camping store with the roof racks on The funnest thing happened while I was at the mall. Somebody left a flyer for Seniors morning tea at the movies, along with her business card for a seniors taxi service. I found this freaking hilarious because I was going for that sleeper look. She probably thought I was an old grandpa going up to do my weekly shop in my old Avenger wagon with roof racks. I checked the whole car park and there wasn't any other flyers so I totally fooled her with the sleeper wagon Packed up the back of the wagon for camping. Tons of room for everything. Set up my camp site. The bed mode worked awesomely and just brought a little sun shade to go over the back of the tailgate. Brought a spare wall for a tent that I could use as curtains to keep the car cool. So many cool wagons The camp ground was by a big river. Had so much fun, camped out for 5 days. You can see the wagons in the top left of the photo. On the way back I got to test the "Service Due Soon" warning on my dash. It pops up after 4,500km. Once it goes over 5,000km then it will change to say "Service Immediately" Next up it was time to do a bit more engine bay cleanup. I know what you are going to say, the engine bay already looks tidy as but I still wasn't 100% happy so I pulled off the rocker covers so I could vapour blast them. The inside of the rocker covers have baffles on them which needed to be removed. With the baffles and seals removed they were ready to vapour blast The old baffles where riveted in so I had to grind them off and tap the rocker so we could screw the baffles back in. While the rocker covers were away I could do a bit more work on the car. Brought a New Old Stock Hillman bumper. One last look at the old Chrysler bumper vs the Hillman bumper. You can't really see how much smaller the hillman one is in photos but IRL the Hillman one looks tiny. Removed the old bumper. It was a bit of a pain with all the fuel system and exhaust in the way New bumper looks amazing!! Got the rocker covers back from the vapour blasters. They look amazing Screwed in the baffles using heaps of Loctite Put the rockers back on and the engine is looking super sweet Also at the same time I finally got that dent removed from the bonnet, and I painted the bonnet pins body colour, what do you guys think? at first I was unsure but it has grown on me. Also got the dent on the engine bay repaired, fulled in a few more holes and repainted the engine bay. Took the car out to the Brit and Euro show. It was a good day, hung out with the Hillman Humber club. On the way back, getting on to the motorway they have these traffic light, straight in to a 100kph zone, so you start side by side like a little drag strip, lined up beside a modern 911 turbo from the show and was neck and neck with it. Still amazed how quick the little wagon is. Lastly I got some new tinted windows. Looks pretty sweet now, they aren't as dark as they look in photos.

Thanks, I hadn’t thought of the GR series. Question, are the VQ35 in the Skyline the same as the VQ35 in the 350Z? Or are they different specs?

I’ve seen your 120y around town heaps! It was parked down by the shops when I was having dinner tonight, if I see you tomorrow I’ll pop in and say hi, you might have seen my Avenger wagon at the festival. Love your roof rack btw.

It’s pre-75. I’m going to try sneaking on in my 1980 Avenger wagon. Go to gate 2 and just say your a classic car. Who else is going tomorrow and or Sunday? I just got down to hahei.

What do you guys think of a Nissan VQ35DE or VQ30DET?

Yeah, I was thinking V6 twin turbo would be pretty awesome, especially next to the V8. I don’t know much about what V6’s are good for engine swaps so I’ll need to start researching it like I did with the 1UZ Thanks! I was really impressed with my drag times, it’s a really fun car to drive! Been doing a ton of driving over summer, just going on little road trips down to beaches or bush walks, such a nice car to drive. Been to tons of shows in it also Those wheels really set it off also! So glad I waited for them! Totally worth the wait!

Thanks!! Over the moon with the awards!! And super pleased with the wheels, so worth the wait. I am thinking of repowering the other green Avenger, and it's either between a rotary or a V6, maybe a V6 turbo.

Oh boy! I have been super busy, going everywhere in my wagon so sorry for the lack of updates but here we go. So this last weekend I entered my car in the 4 and Rotary Nationals. I wasn't sure how well it would do because it is just my little Avenger wagon, up against all these wicked show cars. Going in to the event I thought maybe I had a shot at best V8, but that was all I was hoping for. At the prize giving they called out the best V8, which went to a V8 Silvia. So I figured I wasn't going to get any awards. Then they called out Best 1970-1989 in the Piston Class and it was my little wagon!!! Being super stoked with that I went up and got my trophy. Then they called out Best Piston Conversion and it was me again!! At this point my mind was well and truly blown because there was some seriously nice competition at the show. It was the first time I have entered any of my cars as a show car, and to win two awards was absolutely amazing. Here's a shot of the wagon at the show. I also went to Caffeine and Classics, and the Orewa beach show. So quite a busy weekend. Now jumping back in time a bit. Back in December I went to the Oldschool.co.nz drag day and had a total blast. I was doing 13.2 runs at 103.66MPH here is a onboard video Here is one of my time slips We had a nice little Avenger get together. My two Avengers and Billy was also drag his stock Avenger, sadly his diff did not like drag racing much and his spider gears broke Later in the day Hamish turned up in his Avenger Then we went and did some group photos For the dial your own racing I dialed in 13.2 but I missed a shift on the first run and didn't get through. Lots of rubber on the old back guard A few photos from Facebook at the drags. https://www.facebook.com/DCGPhotographyNZ/ And https://www.facebook.com/rotationals/ In other news, finally got round to Dynamatting the boot. And I'm going to Wagnats in a week so I will be camping in the back of the wagon so I tried out the "Bed Mode" it works really well. Tons of room for a twin airbed Went to the Kumeu hotrod show a couple of weeks ago and brought a sweet roof rack for when I go camping. I found it at the swap meet there, I went specifically looking for a roof rack and only found one and it was the perfect size!! So busy couple of weeks, off to leadfoot festival this weekend, then Wagnats camping in the wagon!! Discussion

I’m driving back up on the 3rd if you want to hitch a ride in the V8 Avenger Wagon. I’ll be leaving straight after the prizegiving on Sunday, I’m going to Wagnats on the next Wednesday, so I figured I should get back for work on Monday, do at least 2 days work

Not a bad turnout at the show itself. Weather is holding off

Anyone coming to the Westgate meet and cruise? Just chilling out at Westgate by myself

I'd like to come, but the 11th is no good because of Wagnats. It's a crazy few weeks coming up, this weekend it's Kumeu, and the old school jap meet, then the next weekend is 4NR nats, then the weekend after that is Leadfoot, then Wagnats!!!

I might do Kumeu on Saturday then this on Sunday in my V8 Avenger wagon

It will buff out!

Just booked my accommodation and tickets

I'll be going in the V8 Avenger wagon. If anyone wants to borrow one of my other cars (75 Avenger, or 72 Valiant Charger) then they can cruise along with me.

I'll be there in the wagon with cheap tat, oops, I mean high quality presents

Thanks for all your help with the certing process! I have been having a blast driving it since then! @Ashkellybarr @sluggy Thanks guys. I spent freaking ages doing that engine bay and I am always stoked when everyone comments on how clean it looks. It was my first engine loom so it was a bit daunting but because I have had years of building gaming PC's and hiding all the wires on them then I treated this the same way. And I love the way the air intake turned out, that has to be the number 1 talking point every time someone sees the engine, I have never seen it done like that before, and it took me a lot of head scratching before I figured out how I could make it all work. I'm glad I did though because those trumpets look damn cool.

I have been speaking to my local rootes group parts supplier who I brought the part off, and he said that in previous batches they did have reinforcement, as did the OEM ones. This latest batch didn't and he assumed that it was a stronger grade of rubber, but no, it was shitty soft as rubber with zero reinforcement, so it was a totally inferior part that wasn't up to the task it was designed for. My local parts guy is taking it very serious and he has pulled the rag joints from sale and he is going back to his supplier in the UK with what happened and saying, the that new batch is shit and either do it properly or he will find a different supplier. We have already started planning the UJ conversion. We will have to get a new shaft made up and splined for the UJ's, won't be too hard to do, and if anything then it will give me piece of mind. The new rag joint that we made is reinforced so it should be okay, but I don't trust it anymore after the old one failed catastrophically and without warning.