Gear Jammers Hot Rod and Muscle Car Club annual show looms

Over 300 classic cars will be on display at Kāpiti Primary School when Gear Jammers Hot Rod and Muscle Car Club host their annual show.

The show, on Sunday, March 21, kicks off with a cruise leaving Southward Car Museum at 9.30am.

The cruise will wander through Paraparaumu to Raumati South streets ending at the school's back field for a fun family day of hot rods, muscle cars, trade stalls, children's rides, rocker cover racing, a retro fashion show and more.

The club's Trev Sheehan said the club had run its annual show for about 10 years.

"The show is family orientated and designed to bring together like-minded people with a passion of classic cars, whether it be American, English or Australian.

"All participants assemble to bring a cheap and affordable classic car and hot rod show to the residents of Kāpiti.

"It's always very well attended by the public."

Trev Sheehan and his Dodge Coronet. Photo / David Haxton

It's also about bringing the club, which has about 70 members and about 120 cars, to the public's attention.

The show will feature various club cars as well as others from Whanganui south.

Trev has had an interest in classic cars all his life.

"My father Paul had a 37 Chev.

"In fact he bought it when I was born."

When Trev turned 15 he bought two FJ Holdens and a 39 Chev Coupe "all on the one day".

"The old man came home from work and they were all in his backyard and he hit the roof."

Trev, who used to be a mechanic before becoming a firefighter, has had many cars over the years but currently has three including a 1965 Dodge Coronet, a 64 Buick LeSabre and a 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400.

A 64 Buick LeSabre. Photo / David Haxton

He first spied the Dodge sitting on the front lawn of a Waikanae Beach property.

After "three years of stalking and harassing the owner I had the paperwork 'pinks' in my possession".

The car was stripped down to a bare body leaving the paint alone before becoming the beast it is today.

Trev uses the Dodge, which has a 451ci (600HP) Chrysler BB motor, at drag meetings where it runs 11.4sec over the quarter mile at 193km/h (120mph).

He's had his share of success at national super street race meetings including two rounds at Motueka and runner-up in Masterton and Meremere.

The LeSabre is Trev's cruiser which he takes to the annual Beach Hop in Whangamata.

He bought the car at a swap meet in the United States.

"It had 27,000 miles on the clock when I bought it. It had been in shed in Des Moines for 30 years."

It had belonged to a doctor who passed away but his wife couldn't part with it so it stayed in a garage for three decades.

But when she passed away the couple's son decided it was time to sell the car.

The starting price was $US15,000 but it was out of Trev's price range.

"Two other guys wanted it and offered him $US12,000 but I showed him pictures of my cars, what I do with them, and how I look after them, and he sold it to me for $US10,000."

A 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400. Photo / David Haxton

And the head-turning Pontiac Firebird had been sitting in a shed in Huntington Beach, California, until an Aucklander found out about it, brought it to New Zealand and sold it to a man in Otago.

"The guy left it in his garage because he couldn't afford to run it, because he had lost his job, and I bought it from him.

"It one of only 300 made with a configuration featuring a fold-down back seat. So it's a pretty rare car."

Entry to the car show is a gold coin donation.