Classic MX-5 Racing, Classic Cars - Classic Roadtrips
Welcome to Gilligans Garage!
Where Cars, Racing & Roadtrips combine
Gilligans Garage
What’s a Kiwi to do when a pandemic prevents him from taking groups to enjoy America's most famous highway?
For the mastermind of ‘Gilligans Route 66’ tours, Sam Murray, the answer has been to look to New Zealand motorsport with a grassroots involvement he’s keen to share.
With the Covid-19 outbreak having curtailed any chance to enjoy America’s Mother Road for a while, Sam has taken the Gilligans nameplate on a different kind of journey.
This one delivers a new branding, Gilligans’ Garage, and involves it with the world’s highest-selling two-seater sports car, the Mazda MX5 miata.
It’s not a road trip but instead a different kind of fun, at a place where it can run without restriction: A race track.
If you’ve experienced this epochal roadster in any of its formats you’ll know MX-5s are a massive buzz.
In NZ, there’s a healthy club-level series purely for the first-born NA, the naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre pop-up headlamp model of 1989-1997.
It’s close, cheerful and cheap racing. Despite their age the cars remain a testimony to the exacting skillset of the original highly-talented engineering team. Plus, there are plenty of available parts. You can buy new engines for these cars for under a grand and land a whole car for maybe three to four times that.
Says Sam: “Motorsport is renowned for being costly. Now more than ever, the sport needs to try and find ways to make entry level competition accessible to the average person.
“Cars have become more technical, so running one these days is almost certainly only possible by a person that has 'better than average' mechanical understandings.”
“MX-5s are one of the few classes that anyone can do - cost effectively.”
So far, MX-5 racing has mainly been regional, with the Manawatu being ground zero.
In 2022, it goes national. The ‘MX-5 Heritage Cup’ is a new series, comprising two rounds in the North Island and two in the South Island, a new territory for the MX-5-specific racing class.
Yeah, I know … it sounds great, right?
“It is and it’d be great to have you at the wheel of a car.”
Hence why Gilligans’ Garage was formed.
Sam’s outfit is currently preparing MX-5s for this series. The cars will be ‘as-new’, fully and professionally outfitted with the best racing gear and are available for lease. Even more exciting, it’s a package designed for the keen racer (and yes, just to remind, you have to hold a motorsport licence).
The options for use span from a 'dry hire', where you collect and return, to fully supported 'arrive and drive' packages.
Gilligans’ Garage supplies a class-leading car, with all the preparation done, along with motorsport parts for MX5 miatas.
No late nights, no expensive rebuilds - just turn up on test, practice and/or race day and focus solely on the competition, the friendly rivalry and camaraderie.
Mx-5 parts and Products
You can't build or run an MX-5 without parts!
Gilligans Garage is an official supplier and NZ distributor of some great MX-5 parts, both for road and the track.
These products include GAZ suspension (Official shock for the UK MX-5 class), and Paco Motorsports - MX-5 / Miata specialists based in Kentucky, USA.
Classic Vehicles
When touring Route 66, we have stumbled across some pretty cool old cars. Generally low milage, authentic classics - but we do search out and ship to order too.
We've found everything from old police cars, boats, jetskis and even vintage juke boxes.
Got something in mind?
Driving Tours
Gilligans is better known for conducting industry leading tours across America's Greatest Highway - Route 66.
In 2022, we're also introducing some kiwi (and hopefully Aussie) trips for various groups - including MX-5 owners and motoring enthusiasts alike.
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