Originally Posted by
Reeceracer
Hi All, This talk about Dykes yards have stirred up a few childhood memories so I thought I'd put my 2 cents in to clear a few points. My father Max Killingback started up Alabama Autos back in '76 and we lived on the yard right next door to Dykes on the corner of 12th & Cameron rds,(both these yards are now a BNZ bank after being a Georgie Pie for a few years)Now, at this time Dykes next door was the "used car" yard with Peter in charge. The "new car" yard & workshop was the one down at 4th Ave which is where the Mustang photo would have been taken. This building is still there.
At this time there was a large paddock across the road from us with a semi-abandoned fruit factory at the back of it where my brother & I used to ride our motorbikes.(Next to the Church). Then in the early 80's Hannaford Caravans set up on the paddock for a couple of years before the whole lot was built into Dykes big new single dealership. Then as we now know in the 90's they packed up and went to the current site at Hewletts rd, Mt Maunganui.(Now Ultimate Motor Group.)
I look back now & think of all the motorsport names within a stones throw!
Peter(who we could sometimes hear next door telling someone to F*** Off!) had Tony Kilworth and Bob Friend under his wing, straight across the road next to the paddock was Peter Devicich's yard which then changed to Gary Sprague's, then Grant Sprague's, then finally Roly Levis'! Next to Roly was John Gillard's who I think will be in one of the previous photo's driving one of the VH Valiant Pacers.
Hope this corrects a few memories, I was only in my Primary school years but remember those days clearer than what I did last week!
Reece Killingback