ROGER MORONEY
Billy Gibbons, the big-bearded guitarist with Texas rock band ZZ Top, will be powering into Hawke's Bay in a few months but he will be equipped with slightly different fenders to the stringed ones he usually drives.
Gibbons will be the colourful guest of honour of the Marineland Street Rods
club which is staging another spectacular motor extravaganza - this time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the iconic 1933/34 Ford.
Gibbons is passionate about hot rods and is well known in rodding circles for creating one of the most recognised '33 Ford coup?s in history due to its appearance in several ZZ Top music videos and on the cover of the band's 1983 album, Eliminator.
Marineland Street Rods vice-president Greg Bullot said the planned visit came about in the wake of the club deciding to stage another big show like last year's Swapmeet and Car Show at the Meeanee Domain.
The club zeroed in on the 1933/34 Fords, and drew up a top-10 list of people known to have created, and own, the best of the best.
Club president Geoff Mitford-Taylor, who spent many years in the United States and built many contacts in the automotive world, set to work to contact the 10.
``Geoff was so successful that two of the top 10 said yes, they'd love to come,' Mr Bullot said, adding that it caused the club a brief dilemma.
As well as the ZZ Top axeman, last year's special guest, legendary hot rod creator Pete Chapouris, was also keen to return.
``So we thought, why not bring them both out? After all, it would be rude to turn one of them down,' Mr Bullot said.
The plan is for the American pair to arrive in Auckland and be driven to Napier in a fleet of hot rods heading for the big May 2-3 show which will again be staged at the Meeanee Domain.
While ZZ Top were in New Zealand as part of their 30th anniversary tour in 2000, this will be a strictly solo visit, with Gibbons more interested in revs than riffs.
At the show, he will sign autographs and help judge the scores of shimmering cars on display.
