Hi Old Fart, Your comment about the mainland cars (SI) is very true. When I raced in the 0-1300 Shellsport Championship against Reg Cook and Robbie Francevic, our Datsuns looked very similar to the SI cars. Of course the were not the same. Trevor Crowes car was an OSCA car.
Robbie Lester brought Trevor up to Manfield one time to create a match up with my car. The spectators would never have realised that the cars were running under different rules.
Your comments about Targa are right on. My son and I are about to build an escort for autocross and rallying. We are going to build it as they were, with period parts. It will compete against the classic class cars, which seem to have all sorts of components installed. We will only have a 2.0 pinto engine, and trying to place highly will be difficult against BDG, zetec, duratech and the like engined cars.
The thing I did not mention in Aust was the group C Association. They only let genuine period cars run. They need the original log book as proof. I have driven 3 of these cars. 2 of them were group c Capris ( the old Masterman homes/Bryan Burt Ford cars), and the other was Dick Johnsons Bryan Burt Ford XC Hardtop.
It is a little bit elitist. The owners of these cars have kittens if you get to close to other competitors. I was told DO NOT bend them!
As I have been in Australia since 1986, I really do not know anything about what you guys face with officialdom in NZ. If it is still like the old days, ......good luck. Regards to all. Steve