“You’ve seen Ian Neary’s version of a Plymouth GTX, but what if he turned his talents to recreating a Kiwi icon? ”

SSS — street, show, and strip — would be the aim for the next one,” declares this month’s cover-car owner, Ian Neary. “I always loved ‘The Pie’ when I was growing up, so I’d base the build on a modern interpretation of that — with my own spin on it, of course.” 

That famous ‘pie’ that Ian’s talking about is the 1952 Ford Anglia panel van that was a regular at events around New Zealand back in the 1970s. The gasser-style build was a big hit with the crowds at the time, and we’re sure Ian’s reincarnation would be every bit as popular. 

The build would be based on a custom chassis — gasser style, of course — with a straight axle up front and a nine-inch on ladder bars out the back. Aiding that look would be skinny spoked 15-inch front wheels and 15x10-inch steelies on the rear, wrapped in Mickey Thompson pie-crust slicks. 

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To make sure the van lived up to the hype of the original, motorvation would come from a 428FE engine, topped with a trio of carbs for good measure, and backed with a C6 auto transmission — the engine choice being dictated by Ian’s desire for it to keep some road manners while also giving the car enough power to get the tyres turning. 

Body-wise, much like the original, a few inches would be cut from the roof height and period-style custom graphics added for the true retro look. Inside, as we’ve come to expect from Ian, there’d be nothing but the finest leather covering the surfaces, including the roll cage — which would no doubt be required, thanks to the car’s performance potential.

If it all sounds too good to be true, then you clearly haven’t ever met Ian Neary.

This article was originally featured in the December 2016 issue of NZV8 (Issue No. 139). You can pick up a print copy or a digital copy of the magazine below: