Hot rod round-up at McKay Stadium in Whangārei to benefit local charities

Wade Nisbet and Paula Kitchen are part of a crew who will be bringing more than 40 vehicles to McKay Stadium from June 20-21. Photo / Brodie Stone

A nine-year passion project will be one of the many vehicles on display at this year’s hot rod round-up fundraiser.

The event will be held at McKay Stadium on June 20-21, with the profits split between Northern Street Rods Inc. and three charities.

Kind Hands Respite Care Cottage, Men-Tall Health Club Charitable Trust, and SafeMan SafeFamily will each receive 25% of the profits from the event.

Founding member Wade Nisbet said 48 cars would fit into the venue, which was nearing capacity.

The event was a good way for people to enjoy something a little different that wouldn’t be impacted by the weather, he said.

Wade Nisbet and Paula Kitchen will have their vehicles featured at the hot rod round-up at McKay Stadium on Matariki weekend. Photo / Brodie Stone

“I know that a lot of people really enjoy seeing our cars, and I know from experience that driving the cars wherever you go, it just brings smiles to people’s faces.

“And for people to get up close and be able to see the cars and also talk to the people who build the cars and own the cars, people really enjoy it.”

His experience was that toddlers right through to 80-year-old women enjoyed looking at the cars.

Nisbet said the hot rod group enjoyed sharing their projects with the community.

He and partner Paula Kitchen will be attending with four vehicles, including his hot rod, which was a nine-year-long passion project.

Wade Nisbet spent nine years building this hot rod - a 1927 Model T roadster. Photo / Brodie Stone

“It was something that had been in my head for a long, long time, and it was time to make it real.”

Nisbet said he didn’t see the build as a big job instead it was a “big collection of little jobs”.

“Problem solving is part of the challenge. It’s finding a way around the issue and making it work. Anybody can do it if you put your mind to it.”

Nisbet was one of the founding members of the group, which started in 1991.

While membership has chopped and changed over time, “we always seem to come back to our cars at the end, it’s what we love doing”, he said.

The event will also feature Nisbet and Kitchen’s 1953 Chevy.

Wade Nisbet and Paula Kitchen's 1953 Chevy decorated to acknowledge it's year - the same year Queen Elizabeth II was coronated. Photo / Brodie Stone

The vehicle had no interior when they first acquired it.

They wanted to create an “old car” look.

A bit of ingenuity and a TradeMe score meant they were able to find some perfect leather to be placed over the seats.

The Chevy was perfect for transporting their grandchildren and towing the Model T.

“If you go anywhere in that, you can’t take anything more than a credit card and a toothbrush,” Nisbet joked.

The vehicle has his and Kitchen’s birth year, 1969, on the top, and the Coronation decoration on the door because the vehicle’s year was that of the coronation for Queen Elizabeth II.

The hot rod round-up will be running from 9am-7pm on Matariki [June 20] and Saturday from 9am-4pm.

Charge for entry is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and those under 5 years old are free.

“We don’t want to make it too tough for families to come along,” Nisbet said.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.