Old Kopuku Drag Strip

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longnite, Jan 2, 8:40am
i have a few photos here of a few of the early days of drag racing on the dirt strip that was to be down the road beside the old Meremere power station it ran sorta down hill then up at the finish.
If anyone want copy's of pics let me know longnitemalsatgmaildotcom
ladatrouble, Jan 2, 9:57am
I remember going to the Kopuku drags - dust in your eyes on a windy summers day. The fastest cars were those that could make traction on a dirt strip - so a 4 cyl would often clean up a V8. Been down that way often, and can't figure out where the track was.
longnite, Jan 2, 11:36am
you had to follow the coal buckets down the road to the end and there was the strip
lookoutas, Jan 3, 3:13pm
Had a an unofficial Mk1 blast down there in the 60's. Mate counting down the second hand on his watch.
Queen street was much better fun.
rsr72, Jan 3, 10:06pm
#1- Got any pics of when the famous Custaxie ran there once in 1967!
the-lada-dude, Jan 4, 8:28am
i remember when a friend of mine came back from the states with a hot chevy nova and wasted the kopu king,( 409 imparla )someone with name like payne !
rob_man, Jan 4, 11:45am
Prast! Gail Prast owned the Impala and her husband Colin had a427 Fairlane Compact.
That 409 is still around somewhere but some misguided fool put an auto in it.
the-lada-dude, Jan 4, 11:59am
ah yes that name rings a bell
it was ken vincent that brought the,(mmmm might have been a chevelle, & maybe not a nova ! can't remember now. ) into nz
therafter1, Jan 4, 12:25pm
It wasn't dirt, it was a combination of flint stone (probably a by product of the coal extraction process) and coal dust/ash from the coal fired Meremere power station.
rob_man, Jan 4, 12:25pm
If you're talking about the 409 it is definitely an Impala coupe. I used to know Ken pretty well and worked on some of his cars but I haven't seen him since the 80s. There were a couple of LS6 manual SS Chevelles brought in by a guy called Bill Thurston and an associate whose name escapes me now, one of them is in the hands of a well known identity in West Auckland. I can't remember what year they came in but they were bought new and I think they are 1970 models. One of them was at the Ardmore drags once, the same meeting when Von Dorn turned up in a Mustang (429!) with the tyres painted flourescent pink.
shorty11, Jan 4, 2:18pm
x1
sadly gail prast passed away recently.dragon lady she was known as.top lady.
the-lada-dude, Jan 4, 3:24pm
sorry to piss you around rob - man.
but that car of vincents was a semi metal flake blue colourbig 5 spoke mags and now i'm thinking it was a malibu
longnite, Jan 4, 3:48pm
Dont you Gail Prast !in the big metalic lite blue two door Impla
longnite, Jan 4, 3:50pm
When Ken Vincent put the Malabu into the lexington Auto Sport and motor show the car was white with blue on the power bulge
longnite, Jan 4, 3:52pm
I do have one of the cusaxtie here some wher i will hunt out but it was taken on the back strait of puke when we held a drag meet there
rob_man, Jan 4, 4:22pm
We're thinking of different cars then. I don't recall a 409 Malibu.
rob_man, Jan 4, 6:41pm
Ken must have had that Malibu before I knew him, he was a bit more upmarket and a bit of an entrepreneur later on. Great pics though, as an aside those 409 Impalas, in a road test from new would manage 14.2 and with re-tuning and different tyres down into the 12s.
longnite, Jan 5, 11:47am
Ken Had the Malabu when he owned a speed shop on the Great North rd called Speed city there was also another partner involved but i cant rember his name.
The shop was opened up around the same time a s the Greenlane speed shop
longnite, Jan 5, 11:48am
I also have a few pics taken at Thunder park as well
rsr72, Jan 5, 1:46pm
Good pic.
lookoutas, Jan 5, 2:35pm
Do any of you guys recall Keith Wright!
As I mentioned in #18 re the Road Test on my Camaro - well Keith was the owner at the time. When I brought it in about 75 pranged, I'd surfed through some HR Mags to try and justify to my wife what I'd just sold a nice HT Monaro in order to buy. When it was dropped off, I sat there on a box thinking I'd just about chewed off more than I'd bargained for, when the number plate rung a bell. a quick look in the Mag and it was the same car.

Been searching for it, but to no avail. Last heard of in Waihi.
rsr72, Jan 5, 3:21pm
#23- He had some very nice cars at the time, and a big boat.
Was very well-off through machinery importing but have not heard of him in many years now.
I remember his Camaro well at the time.- blue wasn't it!
lookoutas, Jan 5, 4:23pm
That's weird - the guy that finished up with it after me, painted it maroon and he said it was the original colour. But it was blue when I got it.
When NZHR Road Tested it, it was only 3 years old, hence should have been the original colour. Maybe!
I can't remember seeing maroon when I painted it.

Tea's ready!
longnite, Jan 6, 5:17pm
i will put up some pics i have here tomorow
lookoutas, Jan 6, 5:51pm
Well there ya go - the front apron has only ever been blue. So unless it was replaced before I got it, blue (dark) seems to have the vote.
I painted it yellow (Kizmit - as on Hillman Hunters & Avengers) so perhaps the new owner was just making excuses for repainting it a colour he liked more.

I had saved the apron in case it was needed one day. Probably should find out what they're worth before I scrap it. Needs at least 6 hours spent to repair it, so should be able to buy one for less than the repaired value in time.
Also unearthed a 68/69 Camaro RH door glass & the top stainless door moulding to suit, as well as a genuine Camaro radiator that would do a spin with a re-core.
Probably not worth listing on here, but should put a note in Petrolhead. Or search for a Chevy Club web-page.
I'd sell the window, but the apron & rad would be good to go to the right project.
Still have the rear seat belts for the Camaro, that's why I'd like to find it and give them back. (With the little coach in the buckle)

A second hand door was part of the purchase deal, but the only one available in the country was a 68 (full window) whereas 67's like mine had a 1/4 window. So I had to cut some of the inside frame from my munted door and stitch it into the 68 door so the correct windows could be fitted.
Did consider getting the LH door to match, but the cupboard was getting bare.

Even found the front 12" section of a 71/72 Stang RF guard, and the old bent stub axel & calipers off my first Mach1. The calipers are still gripping the broken off section of the rotor.

Similar to before - brought a front guard & door off a 71/72, but the 73 front guard is different where the new crash bumper fits. So it was required to cut the front off the 73 and section it to the new guard. Fortunately, the front was still OK.