Street machines rumble into Tūrangi

Keith Quinton, aka Sarbie, puts the finishing touches on his 1966 Chev. He is entering it in the Show and Shine section of the NSRA Nationals in Tūrangi. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Keith Quinton, or Sarbie as he's known in Tūrangi, got his first V8 when he was still in high school.

That's going back a few years now and some of the street machines he has owned since then are more or less the same vintage.

Standing in his industrial yard, Sarbie is surrounded by cars that seem to have finished their life journey some time ago, but on closer inspection there is still a glimmer of resurrection in some of the rusty carcasses.

He's unscrewing a heavy steel vintage oil sign from off the side of the corrugated iron workshop - sold to a man up the road for his newly built "man cave".

Normally, he wouldn't be getting rid of stuff like this, but he's planning for retirement, he explains.

Then, elbows deep in a 66 Chev, Sarbie gives the lowdown on the National Street Rod Association Nationals in Tūrangi on the weekend.

A mechanic and fitter-turner by trade, Sarbie works on cars for mainly friends and their wives.

He's popular but not used to the number of phone calls that come from organising an event that will have more than 90 street rods and street machines converge at the Tongariro Junction on Saturday.

The big public event is the Show and Shine on Saturday morning and, as luck would have it, people can also pop across the road to a separate boot sale.

People can vote on their favourite to receive the highly prized People's Choice Trophy.

"It is quite a coveted trophy because it is the best car as far as the pubic is concerned."

There are other awards, decided by the experts, but there is nothing quite like having the car that turns the most heads.

After the Show and Shine, the vehicles will head to Horopito and then stop off at the Chateau.

It's not a cheap sport - Sarbie can attest to that with the job he is now attending too. His Chev had an engine problem that turned into a complete rebuild.

But it is a passion that has spanned decades and dozens of cars - some of which he has bought, sold and rebought over the years.

He knows he's not alone and invites anybody with a passing interest to come over to Tūrangi and have a look.