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The Weekend Sun
Restoring the inner beauty As a young man Peter Jones followed the family preference by buying a Vauxhall as one of his first cars. He soon developed a fondness for the brand – but it wasn’t until later the fitter and turner began putting his practical talent into restoring and rebuilding the British classics. “I was interested in driving them and looking at them; but by then my main
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for rebuilding things, I thoroughly enjoyed refurbishing and rebuilding old [railway] carriages; and I guess that flowed onto the Vauxhalls.” From there, Peter’s interest developed into an obsession for collecting early Vauxhalls. “Then the Vauxhall J came along and that really interested me, so I got stuck into that aiming to have it completed within three years but with full-time work and commitments that wasn’t possible.” In his collection, Peter has accumulated 10 roadworthy vehicles ranging in vintage from 1934 to 2004. But it’s the 1946 1800cc 14hp six-cylinder Vauxhall J that has soaked up his attention during the last nine years. Finding it derelict, he’s loving restored it
interest was in restoring them,” recalls Peter. From starting off with a “very quiet and reliable” Vauxhall LIP, he then owned a Vauxhall Victa 2000 for 16 years. But following a series of company cars, Peter u-turned his attention in 1995, buying a Vauxhall Cresta to restore. “The hobby just grew. I guess with my engineering background, having trained as a fitter, plus my enthusiasm
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From rotted carcass to a restored thoroughbred, it took Peter Jones three times longer than he expected to restore his 1946 Vauxhall J.
to original condition, finishing the job last month. Challenges included reproducing small parts, such as the casine fittings that had crumbled, and repairing alloy parts to a state where they could be recast then hand-finished, along with the chrome bonnet flutes. “[I’m] on now to the next one – a 1953 EIP Velox to be restored to the same standard – but hopefully in a shorter timeframe. For information on Tauranga’s Vauxhall rally next weekend see page 35. By Hamish Carter
Fit to drive seniors’ safety approved Senior drivers are benefitting from having their cars checked to ensure its set to “fit” them perfectly through the inaugural series of CarFit safety reviews offered this month. Tauranga Travel Safe coordinator Karen Smith was excited to be able to offer the programme, saying strong interest from volunteers to undergo training in order to run the programme meant Carfit checks could be offered in five places around the Western Bay.
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This ensures people do not have to travel too far to receive a onceover of their vehicle, says Karen. “We had a great response from people who are keen to help others through the programme, with many [participants at the recent training day] saying they had learned a lot themselves.” The community education programme shows older drivers how to set-up their car to “fit” them so they are in the safest position, with the greatest range of vision and able to access all controls. Checks take about 20 minutes, with volunteers assessing the position of the driver’s seat, steering
wheel and seatbelt. They also look at other safety features in the car. An occupational therapist will review any changes made. While older drivers are among the most safety-conscious they are more likely to be seriously injured when an accident occurs because of their greater physical fragility. The CarFit checks will be offered twice a year, with the first series just being completed this week. Sessions were held in Otumoetai, Greerton, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke and Katikati. Call Age Concern on 07 578 2631 for more information on the next series. By Hamish Carter