When Maureen Chaytor starts her car, it’s like kicking a big sleeping dog. It wakens, grumbles and growls the deep, distinctive signature Mustang growl.

That’s it’s heart, it’s all-American heart, as some feeling car buff aptly put it.

This 1966 Ford Mustang Notchback is Maureen’s everyday ride, her “equaliser” as she calls it. Because people notice it – probably hear it first, then see it, and want to talk.

“I was stuck in Hewletts Rd traffic one night after work and a rough-looking, tattooed guy beside me wound down his window and we had a long, lovely traffic jam chat about cars.”

That’s nice – a blood red, 2.8 litre icebreaker.

“That just wouldn’t happen if I was driving a Japanese car,” says Maureen. “It puts a smile on your face, it’s different and interesting.”

Instead of cruising Hewletts Rd, Maureen and her Chaytor family could stop and open another car yard down this boulevard of cars. Because the family of four has seven cars, soon to be eight. And there’s an order in to husband Ross for a ninth.

“When he’s finished building his Roadster, he can build me one.”

Because, it seems, car people are a picky and choosy lot. “Ross wanted the fender-less look for his Roadster and I want one with guards,” said Maureen. Devil’s in the detail. Fenders or no fenders, that would make it 2.25 cars for each Chaytor.

A family of car nuts

A family’s fascination is New Zealand’s obsession. We’re car nuts, with the highest number of cars per capita in the world. Eight-hundred and sixty-nine cars per 1000 Kiwis, more than the US.

The Chaytor family, and its fleet, is single-handedly cranking up those stats. The current inventory is husband Ross’s day ride, a 1985 Ford F150 Classic, Maureen’s Mustang, daughter Abbie’s BMW, daughter Cassidy’s CRV, a 2014 Holden Commodore and Ross’ nearly finished 1932 Ford Roadster. That’s a lot of engine capacity. And there’s a blue tearaway, a Ford Pop.

Built as a nice family sedan 70 years ago to do a sedate top speed 110km/h, Ross now “thrashes the daylights’ out of it.”

“Does 120m/h, or 193km/h over quarter of a mile from a standing start. Made to be driven.”

Dad Ross, Mum Maureen and ‘study girl’ Abbie with the ‘equaliser’. Photo/ John Borren

In its day it was “the lowest-priced car in the world” according to the sticker in the rear window of every new Ford Popular of the 1950s. “Easy to drive, easy to run, easy to buy,” said the blurb. A car out of post-war gloom for working classes struggling to put food on the table let alone dream of wheels in the garage.

Much later a car for Ross Chaytor, for different reasons. His Popular was pretty sad when he rescued it at a swap meet – a rolling chassis without motor and gearbox.

A $50,000 toy

“Took three inches out of the roof with a reciprocating saw.” A top chop which he learned to do from a hot rod magazine. “Built a new chassis, roll bars, dropped in a 350 Chevy motor, set up the diff, did most of the panel-beating and helped with the paint job.” Over two years the cheapest car in the world became a $50,000 ride with attitude. A roaring hot blue hot rod, a family car stripped and rebuilt for acceleration and speed and style.

The car would have arrived here in a crate from England, semi-built-up with a list of flat pack type instructions on how to finish the job. Like a Meccano set.

But now it’s a work of art, a conversation piece, a family heirloom that’s already been “bagsed” beyond death.

“Cassidy was 11 when she asked what would happen to the Ford Pop when I died,” says Ross. Cassidy is Ross and Maureen Chaytor’s “adventurous, sporty sort of petrol head younger daughter” – the one who’s scorched the Meremere drag strip in just 13 seconds in Dad’s ride. “I just love the fumes and the noise of the engines,” says Cassidy from an island off Thailand where’s she’s a diving instructor. “It’s addictive.” Now she’s going cold turkey – her island ride is a little red and cream scooter. “Haven’t driven faster than 50km/h in a long time.”

High-octane relationship

Abbie is Dad’s “study girl” and doesn’t have her sister’s lust for power and speed. “But Ross has certainly given me some G-force experience in the passenger seat.” And while hot rods might not fit with the corporate image of a CBD property lawyer, Abbie did drive a date to her Year 13 school ball in the Ford Pop. “A party piece.” But she’s probably happier driving her Mum’s red Mustang. “People see it and think: ‘Wow, that’s cool’.” Noisier than your average car.

“You certainly hear it, it gets attention.” It’s nice to drive friends in, and friends like being driven in it.

Ross’s fascination began aged 14 when his sister’s boyfriend drove up in a throbbing red 1971 Mach 1 Mustang. A hatchback, a big motor, more of a muscle car. “It was just so cool.”

Maureen wasn’t won over by Ross’ passion for cars, she brought her own fascination to this high-octane relationship. “My brother had hot rods when I was growing up.”

So perhaps more a meeting of motorheads, a merger of car minds, than an out-and-out love story. “Ross already had a hot rod when we met and we just grew it from there.” And it’s still growing.

The Chaytor family are descended from a much bigger brood called the Bay Rodders. “The kids grew up in the hot rod club, there was always a new exciting ride for them.”

But not all club talk is car talk. “I mostly hung out with the girls,” says Abbie Chaytor. “But if you dropped by the blokes to see how the barbecue was coming along, you’d definitely get lots of hotrod talk.”

Contact Bay Rodders Tauranga’s Kim Poynton at: secretary@bayrodders.co.nz or Keith on 021 475 5133 or: president@bayrodders.co.nz