Drag racer back where he began

SEVENTEEN years ago Jim Wildermoth, of Carterton, built himself a hot rod.
It was a beauty, the stripped-out body of a rare1976 Mitsubishi Lancer two-door perched atop a purpose-built chassis and a big V8 donkey sitting in the front, its supercharger soaring through a hole cut in the bonnet. Under that lot was a simple, robust Vauxhall Viva front end, while at the back was a Ford 9-inch differential.
After three years of enjoyment Jim sold the car to Carterton mechanic Julian Cheer, who developed it further before passing it on to the late Stephen Herrick. The car finished up with aluminium fabricator Brad Langford, who sold it back to Jim.
Jim has spent the past two years giving the car a complete rebuild.
From a quick club car the Lancer has become a real fire-breather, a comp car that Jim hopes will take him into the 8 seconds bracket and up around 140mph for the quarter-mile.
"If I can just get down to 8.9s I'll be happy," he said.
The Lancer was Jim's first drag racer and will probably be his last, he said. He'll be 50 next birthday. He's a life member of the local Ram Rodders Club, having been a member for 28 years.
Sentimentality drove the rebuild, and he wouldn't do another one.
"It's just too expensive," he said. "If I wanted another car I'd go to the States and buy one."
That's unlikely to happen.
"I'm a grandfather now," he points out. "And it shows in my times ? my reactions aren't as quick."
"I won't sell the car ? I'll just keep it in the shed," he said.
That said, he's already looking at a weight-reduction programme (the car, not him) which will trim times even further.
For the technically-minded, the Lancer now runs a 377 "stroker" engine ? a 400 block with a 350 top end ? with Eagle crank and rods, Pro Lightning heads and an 825 DeMon carburettor. The transmission is Powerglide with 4500 stall converter and Jim has fitted a transmission lock for an even faster launch.
The engine is fitted with a 300hp nitrous oxide kit.
The car is expensive to run, around $600 a meeting. That covers the C14 114 octane racing fuel it gulps in copious quantities, the NOS at $200 a bottle, tyres, entry fees and so on.
The fuel, incidentally, is carried in a converted kitchen sink in the boot.
Jim took the car ? sponsored by Penzoil and with artwork by Mark Signs of Carterton ? to the test and tune day that followed the Import Shootout and logged a 10.3s run at 131mph, without the NOS, so the low 9s are certainly within his reach.
And he'll be looking to keep the visitors honest at round two of the national championships at the Hood Aerodrome strip this weekend.
While one member of the Wildermoth family ponders the end of his competition days, another is about to make his debut. Jim and Sylvia's son Troy is building a 1987 Corvette, with blown 383 Chev engine and four-link 9-inch rear end, and hopes to do his first meeting this year.
W
HILE Jim Wildermoth has been out of competition since he first sold the Lancer, he certainly hasn't been out of muscle cars.
He and his wife Sylvia used to take visitors to the region on a wine trail in a huge Cadillac convertible, and there have been a host of other interesting machines over the years. Many of them feature in a mural in Jim's shed.
Today's star turn, as far as road cars go, is a 200mph 6-speed 1998 C5 Corvette.
"It's fun to drive ? it meets my need for speed," says Jim.
He and Sylvia have even woven big cars into their latest venture, the Terracotta Lodge homestay in Rutland Road, Carterton.
Guests will initially have the use of a 1965 Ford Thunderbird with a Mustang, a Cadillac and a Volkswagen scheduled to join the fleet.
Jim, a house repiler, is quitting that line of work to focus on the homestay business. Sylvia is a real estate agent.