BillFitzmaurice.info

My 2nd to youngest son has a Mitsi Evo which he enters into a race competition whereby the value of the purchase and the parts they buy cannot exceed a certain sum ( $NZ 3,000.00 I think ). However they have put hundreds of hours into the car and they go like hot snot apparently.

As a special treat, I'm just about to head off to the Pukekohe Race track where I'll be a passenger in one of his races.

I'll post pics if I survive. He's an ex truckie and was one of the top drivers in the company so he's real careful, in which case you lot may have to put up with me for a few years yet.

If not, it's been fun knowing ya...

Sounds fun is this drag or track racing?

Dan30 wrote:Sounds fun is this drag or track racing?

Track. It's nothing in the league you guys in the USA have, but's it's a fun hobby.

Oh, and yeah, it was FUN! I'm hooked

Just got back ( in one piece ) and I'll post pics shortly, for those who are interested.

Here are the pics of his car and us getting ready.

Unfortunately The War Office didn't photograph us going around the track - she was too scared to watch

Never mind;


Show you how much I know about cars - it's actually a Mitsi Mirage with and mod'd EVO engine ( 400 BHP at the flywheel ), gearbox etc


My son Gordon, and I. Gordon co-owns this car with a friend of his.


He wants his Dad to survive so he sets up my belts for me - they have to be so so tight


Really to race! How scared am I - just that much, that's all.

What a blast though. I went around with Gordon and then with his co-owner. The speedo just does not go far enough to measure the speed but I'd rate it as "f'ing" - to the power of 3 - "fast" Gordon really drives this well and I felt safe all the way through. The only car that left us for dead was a souped up Porsche. Gordon and his friends have made a very fast car from a wreck and scrounged parts for their $4,000.00 ( I thought it was 3K )

Looks like a blast! I think my father would have loved the same thing. It's a shame I don't like racing as much as he does. He and his friend fix up their old Nova and El Camino and take it to the drag strip.

It's impressive how your son can turn what normally is a family car into a competent "stock car" with only 3 grand.

Dan30 wrote:It's impressive how your son can turn what normally is a family car into a competent "stock car" with only 3 grand.

According to his co-owner, it's $4k and Gordon thinks it may have sneaked up to $6, but whatever, yes I agree it's marvelous what they've done.

Gordon left his truck driving career a couple of years back, put himself through an engineering machining apprenticeship acceleration course, got a job with a local engineering co as a tooling machinist apprentice and of course used those skills in building the car. So this car represents many achievements in one.

Fun, fun.

that looks way cool!

J_Dunavin wrote:that looks way cool!

It is considering it's Father's Day here tomorrow

LelandCrooks wrote:Fun, fun.

My reaction to his acceleration was like the day I accidentally planted the accelerator in your pick up truck

Harley wrote:Gordon left his truck driving career a couple of years back, put himself through an engineering machining apprenticeship acceleration course, got a job with a local engineering co as a tooling machinist apprentice and of course used those skills in building the car. So this car represents many achievements in one.

And, yet, he still put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car!

Harley wrote:My reaction to his acceleration was like the day I accidentally planted the accelerator in your pick up truck

I finally retired the old beastie. Sold it to a guy who's going to pull the engine and tranny and drop them in a hot rod. The rest of the truck was falling apart around me.

DJPhatman wrote:
And, yet, he still put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car!

Some of you guys are so deluded.....

That's really cool, looks like your boy picked up mechanical chops from his pops. The Mirage is tiny , with a rodded Evo engine that's got to be a ride! Rally/Multi track racing is the best.

Harley wrote: My reaction to his acceleration was like the day I accidentally planted the accelerator in your pick up truck

Smells fishy Harley

Dan30 wrote:Looks like a blast! I think my father would have loved the same thing. It's a shame I don't like racing as much as he does. He and his friend fix up their old Nova and El Camino and take it to the drag strip.

My ratty 77 camino hay hauler manages a modest high 12 at my local 1/4 mile. Great memories racing with my pop as a tyke in his turbo karmann ghia and such.. Lot's of fun.

Drey Chennells wrote:That's really cool, looks like your boy picked up mechanical chops from his pops. The Mirage is tiny , with a rodded Evo engine that's got to be a ride! Rally/Multi track racing is the best.

They also enter it into hill climbs.

In the last event Gordon was the only one that didn't "fall off the track!" The reason is, apart from skills, he just can't afford to prang that car.

Surely there's other father/son petrol heads here - let's see those pics

DJPhatman wrote:And, yet, he still put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car!

Hahaha....easily fixed