VCC WAIKATO VENTURE MARCH 2024

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Hi everyone, what an awesome long summer we are presently having this year it surely makes up for last summer. It provides an opportunity with no excuse to get your old car or bike out and come along on a club activity.

Recently at our February Club night we had an opportunity to collect people’s views on the proposed changes to the VCC Club structure. This is in line with the changes to the Incorporated Societies Act and the National structure changes proposal. At the Executive Meeting in March Bob Hayton will be our Delegate and Graham Pate will be the Observer. The questionnaire results will help them give feedback at this meeting on behalf of Waikato VCC. The meeting feedback is in this Venture for you to read.

Some of our members attended Art Deco in Napier, again this was blessed with fine weather and a very good attendance from all accounts. This is one event that Heather and I have on our list to do next year. It is the ultimate event covering this period in our history where motoring was in its infancy, styles were different and people loved to dress up for the occasion. All in all a great spectacle.

Heather and I are heading to the South Island soon with our caravan. Modern technology will enable us to still look after your interest during this time. I hope this time will enable us to visit some southern branches and some of the museums down south and to ride our bikes around some areas on the vast network of rides. We will also be supporting one of our sons at the endurance race at Levels in Timaru on our way to the Deep South of NZ.

Till next time, be safe and keep left.

Bozy

Cover Picture

Waikato Branch Changes to VCC Structure

1 Should Sec/Treas, Registrar and Beaded Wheels Editor be appointed rather than elected Appointed

Sec/Treas roles be separated

2 Position of Speed Steward elected or appointed Appointed

3 Amending Constitution to enable like-minded organisations with similar interests to become members No FOMC does this job

4 Should conference be held every year for Branch Representatives

AGM Annually

Mid Year Regional Reps only

5 Level of disciplinary action in Branch constitution Status Quo

6 How long of term for each Board Member should be and why Staggered – 3 year term with option of 2 terms max

7 Board having ability to appoint a person with specific skills as required Yes

8 Regional areas

Waikato VCC continues to support option 1 (as at July 2023 meeting)

SECRETARY’S REPORT

I don’t have much to say this month.

If you receive an email with attached documents, flyers and entry forms and can’t download them to print off please let me know.

I have been informed on Saturday that our branch web page was down so am following up with the web domain who we pay to have a web page. www.wvvcc.co.nz Hopefully it isn’t too much to worry about.

The AGM is fast approaching; nomination forms for all Club Branch Committee positions will be included in the April Venture newsletter. We would like to see members put their nominations forward, all committee positions are required to be filled to run a successful Club. We desperately require a social convenor to help organise the social events and also help the organizers of different rallies where lunch and dinners are required. Lorraine is very involved with the Early Ford V8 club, she keeps the kitchen stocked up with coffee etc and is happy to help on club nights and Thursday morning teas. Like a lot of members Lorraine and Cossey go away in their motorhome from Feb to May each year. Life is too short not to enjoy life while you can.

Enough from me and I will try and send a photo or two while we are away for Aaron our Venture Editor to include.

We will be away travelling for 10 weeks in the South Island. I will have the club computer with me. Jillian has kindly offered to be secretary for me at the Committee meetings and then when she and Bob are away later in the year I will try and fill her shoes as treasurer.

Heather

PASSING LANE

Bev Pidduck Waikato Branch member for over 30 years. Our condolences to Terry, their family and friends.

CLUB CAPTAIN’S REPORT

Well, here we are in March, the third month of the year. We have had a great summer, with just enough rain to keep the grass green, well in Matamata anyway and the lawns still need mowing weekly. I heard the Blue Smoke and Pedals was a great success. Thanks to all the members who helped and especially Graham and Pat Holmes for the generous use of their property.

To make our program of events successful we need members to come forward with offers and ideas for runs and events. A club run can be either a scenic drive or a special destination, or a combination of both. You cannot rely on the committee or your Club Captain to organize everything. We are happy to help and to advise, so give one of us a call. Our March Club Run on the 24th is a prime example. The plan we had in place has just fallen over and will be carried over to a later date. So, ideas are needed for the club run on the 17th March please. During March the Horseless Carriage Club of N.Z is visiting our Branch on the 15th to 17th. All Veteran vehicles are welcome to attend and all club members are invited to come and view the range of Veteran Vehicles on display. On our March Club night we will display one of Reece Burnett’s Veteran or Vintage vehicles and Terry Pidduck’s steam car. Reece’s vehicles are always finished and displayed to a very high standard, so a very worthwhile night to come and view them. Do not forget the Wednesday Wanders, they are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, so check your emails for the destinations.

For the Motorcycle enthusiasts the Mooloo Meander is on the 6th April. The entry form will be out soon so polish those exhaust pipes and get ready to start riding. The Branch’s main event is the Double Fifty Rally, this year it is being held on Saturday June the 8th, which is the weekend AFTER Kings Birthday Weekend. For the newer members the Double Fifty stands for 50 miles in the morning and 50 miles in the afternoon. The Rally organizing team is in place and the route has been plotted. If any members are looking for somewhere to go over Easter Weekend, come to New Plymouth with Marcia and I. We are doing the Taranaki Branch’s Maunga Moana Rally. This is their main Rally for the year and we have done it twice before. We won our class one year. Give me a call if you are interested.

Also keep Easter 2025 free for a North Island Easter Rally to be hosted by our Branch. There has not been a North Island Easter Rally since 2018, when Waikato hosted that one. I would also encourage members to register their interest in the 2026 International Rally, all the information was sent out by email, and the information is also in Beaded Wheels. So fellow members, your Branch needs you, your participation, your ideas, your commitment, and your support.

Till next time, have fun in your cars (and bikes).

Graham P.

MOTORCYCLE REPORT

The VCC Motorcycle activity recently has been the overnight tour, which I hear was a success and the weather fine. Hopefully Bob is using his excellent writing skills to tell us about this.

I had a great ride with lots of back roads to and from Wanganui for the Heritage weekend 19th - 20th January, where they close the streets for 4 blocks and have around 400 classic vehicles on display (I parked my bike with the Whanganui Classic Club guys) and live music etc.

We also attended the NZ Classic MC Racing Register festival at Manfield February 3rd and 4th. A new venue after 43 years at Pukekohe. This was excellent, with some Waikato identities doing the hard work organising, especially Cheryl Mickleson and Ken McGeady.

I encourage everyone to enter our biggest event of the year, the Mooloo Meander, April 6th. The route is going to be first class. Entry forms should be emailed by now. Entries close 22 March. We have decided to have a pea pie pud meal at the clubrooms on the Friday night. Steve W

2024 WAIKATO BRANCH MOTORCYCLE TOUR

Our bi-annual motorcycle tour entries this year were affected by a clash of dates with a couple of one-make club annual rallies. Consequently, it was a reduced fleet of 14 bikes which assembled at our clubrooms for the Friday afternoon departure.

Conditions were quite suitable as we trundled off via Karapiro and Piarere on minor roads to bypass Tirau for an ice-cream break at Fitzgerald Glade. Holdens Bay Motor Camp in Rotorua was again our destination for the night, which was reached by the Mamaku Range, then Oturoa Road to Ngongotaha and Hamurana, to skirt around the north of Lake Rotorua. Once again, on this visit the Camp made available their dining room for all our meals and socialising, which began with a Friday evening fish ‘n chip repast.

Saturday’s run set off at 9 to take us past Hells Gate and the lakes, the road nearly all limited to 60 or 80kph nowadays, but not too restrictive for our group of club qualifying machines. Once through the Rotoma Scenic Reserve, we turned into Braemar Road for a visit to Adrian Collins’ collection of BMW machines – all nicely presented and almost a full set it would seem. The R100 turbo-charged drag special he is currently building was of particular interest to those more mechanically inclined among us. Braemar Road is a 10km beauty with its pleasant scenery and sweeping curves but beware of the major washout at one point.

Through Edgecumbe we continued, taking note of the weirdly bent girder on display outside the dairy factory entrance, a stark reminder of the power of the 1987 earthquake which quite seriously damaged the factory and surrounding district. Next stop was a visit to the rural workshop of Neil Barnard, Vincent owner and restorer of vintage Nortons. The 1914 500cc side valve model 16H in pride of place was a beauty, fully equipped with acetylene lighting and ready for the road. Nearby a couple of early cammy Nortons were undergoing a rebuild –you don’t see that very often. Neil has a long family history of motoring and motorcycling, both touring and racing, so there was also plenty of memorabilia scattered around his very large workshop to add colour to a very interesting visit. Later he was to join us for a spot of lunch at the nearby Red Barn Café, who looked after the group splendidly.

Our afternoon touring route was alongside the Bay of Plenty shore through Matata until turning at Otamarakau onto the winding Old Coach Road through Pongakawa, which comes out at Paengaroa. A fill of fuel and a quick look over the restored old Coach Road wagon on display outside the Comvita premises kept up the interest for a return to our overnight accommodation.

Here, Jillian had spent her day preparing for us an evening meal which left no-one wanting more! Dave Mayhew entertained the group with his graphic description of falling off his bike (again!) and being rescued from drowning by our following back -up driver Ian. Didn’t seem to affect his ability on the harmonica though, with which he went on to capably demonstrate.

A run back to Cambridge the next morning via pleasant SH.30 to Atiamuri, then through to Tokoroa to pick up the Old Taupo Road and later Horahora Road, heading homewards, was only broken by an essential coffee stop at the Robert Harris on the way through. A bite of lunch at the clubrooms was all that was required to see everyone on their way home again after a very rewarding weekend tour. Thanks to all those that came along, worked, rode, laughed and told tall tales, it was a blast.

Bob Hayton

WORKSHOP REPORT(s)

Cossey asked me to write notes for the workshop while he's away. The working group has expressed interest in what they would like to see as a workshop project. The new project is to build a truck on a Ford AA rolling chassis. This is only possible because Graham Holmes is prepared to donate this rolling chassis to our branch. The shed has also had the offer of 2 petrol pumps which might look good outside the workshop.

With such good progress being made on the Mini and the Studebaker it would be good to have another project ready to start.

The hoist is available for members’ modern cars if they would like to save a few dollars and service them themselves. There would be a mechanic on hand willing to advise and help if necessary.

Terry Pidduck

The workshop was very busy in November and December of last year with good numbers of Club members attending on each Thursday when the shed was open. Much work has been done on the wiring of the Mini and progress has been made on the Studebaker which now has an engine that runs. Wonderful morning teas have been provided by Heather and Lorraine. If you have some spare time on a Thursday morning then it is worth a visit to the workshop and clubrooms.

The hoist has had a Jacking system made up for it which has been constructed by Alan Sharp. Thanks go to Alan for doing this work. This will enable individual wheels to be lifted while the car is on the hoist. The only thing needed now is couple of small hydraulic jacks and if any members have an old hydraulic bottle jack in their garage which still goes and which they don't need then if they are happy to donate to the club the committee would appreciate it. If you could help,please contact Jeremy Brook on 021 152 0922. The tyre changing machine has been operating successfully.

A motorcycle lift has been offered to the workshop and hopefully this will be installed in the next couple of months.

The workshop committee is investigating another project vehicle for restoration but this would be dependent on enough members being interested in working on a vehicle and when space is available after completion of the Mini and the Studebaker. Realistically, however It will be sometime before another project is commenced.

Jeremy Brook

Proof that our Venture newsletter goes far and wide, and even gets read sometimes, came in the form of a phone call from the North Island Club Captain, Glyn Clements. He advised that he had stumbled across a 1918 four-cylinder Studebaker engine with some of the accessories still attached and did we want it. Although in a forlorn state after serving as a saw bench or some-such, it will without doubt be a source of spare parts if the need arises, so it is now ours for the asking price of a dozen dark beer! Just remains for the pickup from Kimbolton to be arranged sometime.

Thanks to Ron Finucane for offering to adapt the Studie headlamps to proper dipping bulb holders – a tricky job which is good to have on the way to completion.

The workshop was closed for the normal Thursday session on 15th Feb in respect to Bev Pidduck, whose remembrance service was to be held that afternoon. Good to see that many of the regulars got along to that function instead. Workshop sessions were to start again in the normal way on Thursday 22nd February, so come along and offer your assistance, enjoy the morning tea and social engagement with other members. We can find you a job too if you are inclined to offer your time or skills.

Lots of other interesting jobs remain, so if you are keen to join in with this club project in any capacity, get in contact with Alan Sharp or Bob Hayton at either: alannzdodge@gmail.com or hayton.rj@gmail.com respectively (alternatively, by phone at 02102553853 or 0274230610) to have your name added to the contact list, together with any special skills you may be able to contribute. Work sessions are on the workshop open days on Thursday mornings, from 9.30am onward and morning tea is always put on, so no excuse really for not becoming involved to help, learn or socialise.

A BIG WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

We hope that you will enjoy the club and it’s many activities

If you have any queries either big or small please do not hesitate to contact any member of the committee and they will be more than willing to assist you in any way possible.

Spencer Brockbank: 1939 Chevrolet

Jamie Woods: Napier 1912 T47 31N Tourer

Mark Cooper: Vincent 1948 HRD Rapide M/C

Alex Blythe: Morris Minor 1953 Sedan

Claire Andres-Bowden: 1957 Vauxhall Velox

Peter Bloodworth: 1966 Fiat Bambina

Once again, welcome to the club. We hope to see you at the club night on the second Wednesday of each month.

Mar

Fri-Sun 8-10 Ford Convention

Sat-Mon 2-11 North Island Club Captains Tour

Fri-Mon 29-1 South Island National Easter Rally Nelson—see advert below

2024 National VCC South Island Easter Rally

29th March – 1st April – Nelson

This is just a friendly reminder to members to get their entry forms in for this Rally.

This event also celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Nelson Branch.

Also please note that the Golden Bay Tour, (2nd to 5th of April), is proving popular, and with the exciting programme planned, will be well worth entering while in the Nelson area.

Please contact:

John Barker : driving baby7s@gmail.com or 027 911 0763

Rally Secretary

KEEPING THE CLUB SHIPSHAPE...

Thank you Erin, Jillian and Les for coming and helping me in the garden on the 8th of Feb. Les had no room over the back fence of the club grounds to put the lawn clippings so I got over the fence and pushed hard to move stumps, weeds, lawn clippings to go down into the gully. Lucky I didn’t go with them as it is a long way down. Angel Café supplied morning tea to the busy men in the Workshop, gardeners and Parts shed, not to forget about Tony who has and will continue to paint the entrance then the kitchen. Looking good Tony.

Heather

Wednesday the 13th of March

A vehicle of Reece Burnett’ s and Terry Pidduck’ s

Locomobile Steam Car!

Wed10thApril

March Club Night: Locomobile Steam Car!

Steam engines can’t be what the silicon chip and computers are today, but they must be in second place. The first viable steam engines were used to pump water from mines in 1712 and then became used for almost anything that required power. The first vehicle to use a steam engine was a guncarrier in 1770 and the last a prototype turbine design powering a car in 1970.

The main years of steam car production were 1898 to 1923 with about 20,000 cars sold. The French dominated the market in the early years, but America took over with the Stanley twin brothers forming the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in 1902, making steamers until 1924.

The Stanleys had built their first car in 1896, forming their first company in 1898 which was incorporated in 1901. They sold their patents and manufacturing assets to a partnership who made Locomobiles and Mobiles from 1899 until 1904, when the Stanley brothers took over again. Their steamers were not cheap, costing $3,900 in 1924 while Ford’s Model ‘T’ was $500.

Thanks in advance to Terry Pidduck for the above info and for bringing in his Locomobile for the March club night.

05-06 April 2024

If you have a two or three wheeled machine — come along and join us for our annual motorcycle rally.

Friday night—pea, pie and pud at the clubrooms. Saturday - first bike away 10am for a scenic run over great Waikato roads followed by dinner and prizegiving back at the clubrooms. Entry forms

Open one hour before club nights

Now open Thursday mornings 10am—12pm

Lots of parts including:

wiper blades steering columns

lights gauges generators carburettors

light bulbs wheel rims gaskets bumpers armatures alternators axles distributor caps

Recent additions:

Mk 2 Escort radiator

Mk 3 Cortina bumpers

Valiant VE rear bumper

XY Falcon tail light

1931 Morris Minor Radiator and surround Parts

Alan

Les King 021 1909506

Clive Plumtree 07 8275973

Terry Pidduck 027 2726319

Graham Holmes 027 6277341

DO YOU HAVEACAR, CARS, MOTORBIKES OR PARTS THATYOU WISH TO SELL?

1991 Ford TX5 Ghia

Auto. Air con. Moonroof. Power steer. New tyres. 120,000 kms. Deceased owner. Rego and Wof up to date. Serviced by South Auckland Ford. Drives like new. $ 8200.00 ono 021 474 894 phillward@xtra.co.nz

1928 Chevrolet Tourer

Has had rebore & new aluminum O/S pistons, valves, cam gear, radiator core, brake linings. Has WOF& REGO & VIC

$22500 Ring Colin 0276596669

Wanted Mercedes Sprinter 313 LWB Camper Van Expected range of years of 2008 to 2014 in our price range. Desire a vehicle in tidy condition, with no rust and including an awning. Please contact Bede on 027 702 5437

1963 Fordson Dexta (Petrol)

Very original condition Comes with carry all tray $4500.00 Contact Gavin 07 855 3846 0274 904 108

1989 Mazda MX5 Euros Roadster Rego and Warrant expire in March 2024, 159.713 km, 1597cc 5 speed manual, 2 owners, Engine bay brace, Lowered suspension, After market exhaust, Flying Miata link ECU custom intake $9,800 ono 022 165 4772

1951 (approx) Ford Prefect E493 A Partly restored, tidy body, runs. Not Regd. Offers over $2500 to Mariah ph 0223611667

The information in this newsletter and on the club’s web site, is supplied as a service to club members. Articles and other copy of interest are always welcome and encouraged. The opinions expressed in this newsletter and on the club’s website are those of the author alone. Neither the club nor any of its officers accepts responsibility for the accuracy of any statements or opinions.

Notice

We are getting non members ask about putting an advert in the For Sale or Wanted section of the Venture. After a discussion with the committee it has been decided that an advert from a non Waikato VCC member will incur a $15.00 charge. This will cover a three (3) month insertion. After the three (3) months it will be automatically withdrawn.

Veteran & Vintage Car Club (Waikato) Inc.

Branch Officers 2023/2024

Library

Workshop

Website: www.wvvcc.co.nz

Email

Secretary: waikato@vcc.org.nz

Editor: vccventureeditor@gmail.com