NZ Hot Rod – September 2019

Photos by Alastair Ritchie

DUNCAN’S interest in cars stems from
his early childhood days back in the
early ‘70s. It was there in Sherwood
Avenue, Te Atatu South he spent time
playing with trolleys and it was from
there his mechanical aptitude grew
going forward. His oldest brother Cliff
brought home a ‘57 Ford Customline
and later a ’51 Ford twin spinner?
Those cars heavily influenced his tastes
but in his journey has owned a wide
range of family cars, Ford Prefects,
Cortinas, XR6 Falcons, EH, EK and HR
Holdens, A Fiat and a VW. Growing
up in Te Atatu in West Auckland’s
suburbs meant that if he wanted to go
somewhere, he needed a car, so they
deemed a necessity. He and his brothers
used to fix them on the front lawn or
if he was lucky, under the carport.
Many a dark night was spent doing
running repairs on the Cortinas, Fiats
or Holden’s or whatever came along.
Fast forward to 1991: Duncan was
looking at 1930 - 1950 Fords and his
younger brother Mal (some knew him
as mad Mal) talked him into going to
see the Falcon featured here. It was
located in a barn in Dairy Flat just north

of Auckland, and it was a case of love at

first sight, and so the romance began.

The barn-find Falcon was sold on behalf

of the owner who had fitted the V8 and

made modifications to the brakes and

diff etc. Duncan recalls, “Mal always said

it was him who made me buy it. I think

it was the throaty exhaust noise when I

got it going that day: It was my first V8.

To be quite honest, it was a nightmare

to drive with the same tyres on the front

and rear; it was like a roller-skate. I kept

it running during every summer and

put it back in the shed in the winters,

and it was then that I continued to

modify it and make it go better.”

Not long after getting the car, their

first child was born, and it was then the

Falcon started to go back in the priority

list. The family grew to three children,

and they’ve all been in the car since they

were born and in his daughter Daniella’s

case he took her mum to the hospital in

the Falcon in the middle of the night.”

16 > NZ HOT ROD SEPTEMBER 2019