Sitting in some one's workshop

[bob homewood]

Steve ,some thirty years ago when I had a business in New Lynn ,there was a guy that looked like the Fonz that used to come down to one of the workshops in our street for Friday night beers ,one night when he had drunk too much to drive I dropped him home and he showed me his collection of old school V8 speed equipment,it was mind boggling ,he had been telling us all these stories about what he had ,I don't think we really believed him,but in amongst his Aladdins cave was a pair of Ardun heads,where they are now I don't know.maybe we should start a thread about people who collect stuff like this ,they must be out there

[AMCO72]

Yeh Bob, is like barn finds. Every time I pick up an English Classic car magazine, there is the lastest 'barn find', usually some exotic piece of machinery that was shoved away for 'the duration' then promptly forgotten about.....often because the owner didn't return from the battle front....very sad. Some of these machines have been deliberately bricked up in some grotty little lock-up. I'm not sure of the mentality of people who do this. I know David McKinney is NOT a 'pom' but having lived there for so long ,could perhaps enlighten us as to why English folk do these things. Mind you there are some funny buggers here in NZ who have fields full of cars which 'they are going to restore ONE DAY'!!!! They seem to get all possessive, and bitter and twisted, and wont let anyone have a look, and I mean genuine buyers, not the thieves that are floating around. There must be garages full of all sorts of stuff, kept because 'you never know, I might need it oneday'!!!!! Yeh right....... Thinks.. must go and have sort out of the junk in my shed, there is an inorganic collection tomorrow'.........later on.......NO, I just might want that one day. Anyone got any storage out there???

[Steve Holmes]

Yeh Bob, is like barn finds. Every time I pick up an English Classic car magazine, there is the lastest 'barn find', usually some exotic piece of machinery that was shoved away for 'the duration' then promptly forgotten about.....often because the owner didn't return from the battle front....very sad. Some of these machines have been deliberately bricked up in some grotty little lock-up. I'm not sure of the mentality of people who do this. I know David McKinney is NOT a 'pom' but having lived there for so long ,could perhaps enlighten us as to why English folk do these things. Mind you there are some funny buggers here in NZ who have fields full of cars which 'they are going to restore ONE DAY'!!!! They seem to get all possessive, and bitter and twisted, and wont let anyone have a look, and I mean genuine buyers, not the thieves that are floating around. There must be garages full of all sorts of stuff, kept because 'you never know, I might need it oneday'!!!!! Yeh right....... Thinks.. must go and have sort out of the junk in my shed, there is an inorganic collection tomorrow'.........later on.......NO, I just might want that one day. Anyone got any storage out there???

Gerald, I think hoarders are the world over. I've heard some amazing stories of cars in the US parked in paddocks, that are extremely desirable in certain circles, but that the owner won't part with, because they "want to restore it someday". There is a website somewhere on the www dedicated to Chrysler Superbirds, ie, Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds that are slowly sinking into the ground.

[Steve Holmes]

Steve ,some thirty years ago when I had a business in New Lynn ,there was a guy that looked like the Fonz that used to come down to one of the workshops in our street for Friday night beers ,one night when he had drunk too much to drive I dropped him home and he showed me his collection of old school V8 speed equipment,it was mind boggling ,he had been telling us all these stories about what he had ,I don't think we really believed him,but in amongst his Aladdins cave was a pair of Ardun heads,where they are now I don't know.maybe we should start a thread about people who collect stuff like this ,they must be out there

Wow, thats amazing Bob! I think 3 or 4 sets might have found their way to NZ. There is a set on a T-Bucket hot rod that was built in the early 70s and is basically untouched from when it was first built, but I don't know of any others.

[pallmall]

Wow, thats amazing Bob! I think 3 or 4 sets might have found their way to NZ. There is a set on a T-Bucket hot rod that was built in the early 70s and is basically untouched from when it was first built, but I don't know of any others.

Rob Campbell did an article over a couple of issues of NZ Hot Rod Magazine a few years ago that almost worked out and traced all the Ardun heads that were used in NZ. I made some notes and dug a bit more to add to his story. I must find the copy and throw some info on here to see if anything new can be added, it may take a little while to find though.

[woody]

Barry Greer had a set in his green T bucket.

[pallmall]

Rob Campbell did an article over a couple of issues of NZ Hot Rod Magazine a few years ago that almost worked out and traced all the Ardun heads that were used in NZ. I made some notes and dug a bit more to add to his story. I must find the copy and throw some info on here to see if anything new can be added, it may take a little while to find though.

I have found the articles, but not all of my notes. Give me a little while to sort all the information and find some photos and I will try and unravel the whole NZ history of the use of Ardun heads, at least up until more modern times where repros and old heads have been recent imports.