Photos: The Terry Marshall Collection

[Steve Holmes]

After many years competing at the very pointy end of NZ saloon car racing competition, from the time it arrived in NZ in 1970, right through to its big Pukekohe crash in 1976 while batlting Jack Nazer for a race win, the PDL Mustang was finally superseded by a magnificent new IMSA style machine, the PDL II. But rather than being scrapped, the PDL Mustang was repaired, and repainted to match the new PDL II. Its alloy block motor was removed and put into PDL II, and an iron block Ford V8 went in the engine bay, and the PDL Mustang began a new chapter with the Open Saloon Car Association (OSCA).

Initially the car was raced by Dave Baker in the 1977 season, then, later, Graham Baker ran it briefly in the 1981 season, before replacing it with the Brent Bullivant built V8 Capri.

The Mustang is shown here negotiating the hairpin at Bay Park in what would have been one of the last times it raced in the North Island. Also in the picture are the V8 Capri's of Bill Leckie and Brent Bullivant.