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THE HUB November 2026

Official Magazine of the THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND CANTERBURY BRANCH

CLUBROOMS: Cutler Park, McLean's Island CLUB NIGHT: 7.30pm Ist Thursday of the month CONTENTS

Chairman’s Report

9-90s Report

Secretary Report

Commercial Report

Club Captain’s Report

14 Vintage Report

Veteran Report

Motorcycle Report

Swap Meet Report

The Mart

OCBC Report

Officers and Reps

Copy for the Dec/Jan Hub closes on Sunday 29th Nov 2026 20 Nicholas Drive, Linwood 027 848 7775 (Text) Or preferably email thehub@vcccanterbury.org.nz The views expressed in ‘The Hub' are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of the Committee, Editor, Branch or Club.

Cover Photo VCC Canterbury Swapmeet

Canterbury Branch Activities and Events

November Tues 3th Thurs 5th Sat 7th Sun 8th Wed 11th Frid-Sun 13/15th Sun 15th Tues 17th Wed 18th Sun 22nd Wed 25th Sat 28th

Grounds Maintenance Noggin and Natter Highland Games Homestead Rally 9-90s / Motorcycle Noggin Show Weekend Rally OCBC Grounds Maintenance Commercial Noggin Veteran Annual Rally North Canterbury Noggin M/C Annual Rally

December Tues 1st Thurs 3rd Sat 5th Wed 9th Sun 13th Tues 15th Wed 16th Sun 20th Wed 23th Sat 26th

Grounds Maintenance Noggin and Natter Christmas Social 9-90s / Motorcycle Noggin Children’s Christmas Picnic Grounds Maintenance Commercial Noggin OCBC North Canterbury Noggin Boxing Day Run

For the latest status of our events check our website. Online readers click here.

Canterbury Branch Monthly Programme Noggin Night 1st Thursday of the month

Old cars, bikes and coffee 3rd Sunday of the month

9-90s 1st Wednesday after noggin

Grounds Maintenance Morning 1st Tuesday and third Tuesday of the month

Motorcycle Noggin 2nd Wednesday of the month

Commercial Noggin 3rd Wednesday of the month

Parts Department Wednesdays 12.30-5pm, noggin night and every 3rd and 4th Sunday 9-12pm

North Canterbury Noggin 4th Wednesday of the month

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT: The contents of this newsletter may not be reproduced in a commercial publication without the Editor’s permission.

Refer Pages 56 and 57 for Branch Officers, Representatives and Co-ordinators 5

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT Another month has rushed on by, with it getting dangerously close to time to starting thinking about Christmas. Obviously the big event for the branch in October is the Swap Meet, with a large number of our members involved in planning, preparation and volunteering over the weekend to make it happen, along with the co-operation of our McLeans Island neighbors without which it wouldn't be possible. Once again it looks to be a good result for fund-raising from the weekend, despite the weather being not as tropical as it could have been, helping the branch activities continue for another year. So many thanks once again to Colin Hey for the huge effort involved in making sure it all happens as it should, along with members of the swap meet committee looking after various aspects of organisation, and everyone else involved with setting up, helping out, and cleaning up afterwards. Things will only get busier from now towards Christmas, particularly the branch events calendar, so make sure your diary is up to date and we'll see you out enjoying your vehicles. Neil Shaskey

Secretary REPORT October has certainly been one of the busiest and most rewarding months on the Club calendar, with our annual Swap Meet taking centre stage once again. What an incredible three days it was! Firstly, a huge thank you must go to Colin Hey and the many volunteers and teams who worked tirelessly before, during, and after the event. While most members get to enjoy the fruits of their labour over the weekend, there is an enormous amount of planning, preparation, set-up and pack-down that takes place behind the scenes. The success of the Swap Meet is a testament to the dedication and commitment of so many people, and our Club is incredibly fortunate to have such a capable and hardworking team. Thank you all for the roles you played in making this year's event such a success.

For me personally, the weekend provided a fantastic opportunity to meet even more members and put faces to names. Somewhere amongst the activity, I even managed to recruit a new member, which was an added bonus! I also had the pleasure of helping once again in Headquarters and Site Renewals. Those areas provide a wonderful opportunity to meet members and visitors from all corners and share in the camaraderie that makes our Branch so special. It seems I may also have acquired a new title. Katryna informs me that I have progressed to "Backup HQ Announcer." I suspect this promotion may have something to do with the fact that I always seem to have plenty to say, although I can't be entirely sure! Regardless, it was great fun lending a hand and being part of the action. October was also the month I finally achieved something I should probably have done much sooner. After sneaking away once my

Swap Meet shift had finished, I made my very first visit to the Parts Shed. I honestly could not believe that I had never ventured there before in all my time with the Club. What an incredible place! Wayne Stocks and the team gave me a warm welcome and then kindly let me loose to explore what can only be described as a treasure trove of motoring history. The sheer volume of parts is astonishing, and to my delight, I even discovered Fiat Bambina parts hidden amongst the collection, which certainly warmed my heart. I explored both upstairs and downstairs and was relieved not to be accidentally locked in. Apparently, that has happened before! The highlight, however, was receiving the highly coveted invitation into the official smoko room, where I am reliably informed much of the real business gets done. What was discussed over tea and biscuits must remain confidential, but I can confirm it was well worth the visit.

A sincere thank you to Wayne and the entire Parts Shed team for your hospitality, the cuppa, the stories and for taking the time to explain how everything operates. I came away with a far greater appreciation of the incredible service you provide to our members. Whether it is listening, advising, locating a rare part or helping someone complete a restoration, the work you do is invaluable. I genuinely left buzzing for days afterwards. You all do an outstanding job. Thank you also for eventually letting me out. I promise the scones are on me next time! Another first for October was finally making it along to National Office. Karen, Linda and Murray kindly welcomed me for a visit and gave me a wonderful tour of the facilities. It was fascinating to see where so much of the Club's administrative work is undertaken. One of the highlights was visiting the National Archives, where Don Muller continues to work his magic preserving our history. What a remarkable collection it is. From historic motoring jour-

nals, event programmes, medals and books, through to commemorative wine and beer bottles, there is something to capture every enthusiast's interest. There was even the famous door from our former building, which apparently simply could not be left behind. Rightly so, I suspect! For anyone who has not yet visited, I would highly recommend adding it to your motoring bucket list. Unfortunately, I missed catching up with Don himself, but Murray made me feel very welcome and explained that the occasional vibrations felt throughout the building are simply another bus passing by. Nothing to worry about! It was also lovely to spend some time with the team over a cuppa and a not-so-healthy piece of cake chatting and watching the video of the move from the old building to the new one! Thank you all for your hospitality. I look forward to visiting again soon. On a more sombre note, the Club received the resignation of John Kuipers during October. John has been an active member and a driving force behind many of the 9 to 90's activities over the years. He asked that we pass on his best wishes to the Club and shared how much he has enjoyed being a member of the Canterbury Branch. John, thank you for your enthusiasm, friendliness, support and contribution to the Club. Your involvement, particularly with the 9 to 90's events, has been greatly appreciated, and your presence will certainly be missed by many of us. Thank you for everything you have done for the Branch and for the positive impact you have had on our membership. It has also been extremely pleasing to see continued interest in Club membership, and we warmly welcome the following new members accepted during October: New Members 32840 - Dean Riley 32842 - Scott Buckland

32844 - Roy Ashby 32847 - James Kean 32849 - Matthew Glubb 32853 - Warren Parkin 32859 - Hunter Dobbie 32866 - Wayne Garraway We also have another membership application recently received and awaiting approval.

As we move into November, the dust has finally settled on another successful Swap Meet, although I suspect many volunteers are still catching their breath. Thank you once again to everyone who contributes their time, energy and enthusiasm to make this Club what it is. Happy Motoring! Catherine Tibbles Secretary, Canterbury VCC

Enter Here 12

CLUB CAPTAINS Wow the Swap Meet is done for another year! It is always so deeply rewarding when an event comes together like that, especially when the attendees notice and appreciate all the hard work put into the setup and these comments were the highlight of my weekend! The Saturday night live band brought the whole room together on the dance floor. The atmosphere was great. There is nothing quite like that feeling of collective pride when a team clicks, the camaraderie is strong. After a couple of conversations with club members it got me thinking about how we get unlicensed drivers and novice drivers interested in our club. If you have a child, grandchild, or young person in your life that needs to learn to drive, in this case it was learning to drive a manual car, our grounds would provide the perfect controlled and safe environment to build confidence without the stress of modern traffic. I encourage you to pass on your passion! Sometimes those little "hair-raising" moments like stalling the engine, a bit of gear crunching, or figuring out how to steer without modern power steering are exactly what make the learning experience so fun and memorable! Using the club grounds this way keeps the club vibrant, brings the next generation into the fold, and ensures our “Vintage” cars continue to be loved and driven rather than just sitting under covers you could even test drive your new restoration.

Something Interesting this month……. In the earliest days of vintage motoring, petrol stations didn't exist. Drivers had to buy fuel in small tins from local pharmacies or blacksmiths. Bertha Benz famously had to stop at a pharmacy in Wiesloch, Germany, to buy ligroin (a petroleum solvent) just to keep her car running, making that chemist the very first fueling station in history. The “pocket calendar” will be out next month and will be available at the bar.

Please see later in this hub, advertisements for the Children’s Christmas Picnic, Christmas Social and the Annual Rally February 2027. Katryna and Henry

Enter Here

VETERAN REPORT I always look forward to the October Veteran coffee morning at Kirwee, as it means Swap Meet is over. All the jobs that need doing have been done, the crowds have come and gone, we’ve got some more money in the club bank account to carry on maintaining and improving our facilities, and the big clean-up has happened the day before, and the grounds look pretty much like nothing has even happened. In a way, coffee morning seems the reward, where we can relax and not worry at all about what needs to be done tomorrow or next week! This month we had a dozen people show up – four of them in Craig Keenan’s 1920’s Sunbeam tourer. A nice day, and once again a nice run for me from home in the 1909 Wolseley Siddeley, with the Familton/Colsell De Dion following for company. The slight NW wind meant shorts and a tee-shirt were in order, a slightly slower run up there, but a great tail-wind and downhill run home. It was the first time I’d been out on that car for around 6 weeks, and a good coffee and later a lunch made the whole outing very enjoyable.

This month we’ve delayed the Random Run until the week of 26 th to 30th as a few of us had other commitments in the 2 weeks following the coffee morning, so that’s probably been held by the

time you get this Hub. So, the Hororata Mechanical and then the VCC Canterbury Branch Swap Meets were the big fixtures on the list for late September and early October – both very successful but from the veteran perspective, more for the social aspect rather than finding parts. Jenny and I missed the Hororata one, as we managed a weekend away in Dunedin to visit the Autospectacular event down there. A great show, but sadly only one veteran car (Colin & Judy Winter’s 1900 Wolseley) and one veteran motorcycle on display (regretfully I didn’t record the details for this machine). The Canterbury Branch Swap Meet was the Veteran Car Club’s chance to run the annual Friday night Swap Meet Dinner for the owners of Veteran machinery, and this year it was decided to have it in Kathryn Smith’s shed/museum to provide a better venue to socialise rather than trying to do it in a noisy pub or restaurant. Kathryn did a fantastic job of purchasing and organising the food with some helpers, and we had a great meal and really enjoyed the chance to catch up with everyone there. It was attended by 25 people, including several from other parts of NZ, so was a very enjoyable occasion. After many months of organising and waiting, Allan Familton and Lesley Colsell have now landed their latest purchase in Lyttelton, after buying it sight unseen and then a 3-month sea journey in a container from the USA. They have purchased a 1910 White Steam car, which has been restored in the past but is currently needing a complete ‘power-unit’ rebuild after being dismantled some time in its more recent history. Having finally seen the car with his own eyes, Allan is pleased that it is exactly as was described and photographed, but is under no illusions as to how much work and manufacturing will be required to get it all repaired (including making many new parts), and eventually back together and running again. We know he will relish this challenge, and he certainly has the skills needed to see it through. We shall follow progress with much interest and encouragement. Coming Veteran Events Veteran Coffee Mornings – Always the second Tuesday of every month, at Thirsty Acres, Kirwee (about 25Km West of

Christchurch) from 11.00am. All very welcome. If you feel so inclined, you can drive there in your veteran or any old car, or you will be just as welcome if you come out in your modern vehicle. You can stay on for lunch too if you want. Monthly Random Runs – these are planned at the coffee mornings so we can pretty much guarantee good weather, so keep an eye on the Veteran Facebook Page following the coffee morning dates for details. They will always be held on quiet country roads, and will sometimes include a picnic lunch or a café visit. Sunday 29th November – VCC Canterbury Branch Annual Veteran Rally – details and entry form can be found later in this Hub. The day will start at Cutler Park at 10.30am, and feature a coffee shop stop part way into the morning run, and finish at a domain for a picnic lunch where some simple field tests will be held. One test will be a timed start-up following the lunch stop, so get that starting procedure sorted now.

4th to 6th December ‘Pioneer Motoring Group’ One and Two Cylinder Rally in Clyde. One of the most anticipated events on the calendar for all one and two cylinder veteran vehicle and motorcycle owners. For more details please contact Bruce & Shirley Shadbolt, phone 027 260 9349, or email shadboltfamily@hotmail.com. Don’t delay, as you will need to book accommodation straight away. Sunday 13th December – Veteran Car Club Christmas BBQ Lunch at Kathryn Smith’s, Avonhead, Christchurch. Please bring a salad and a dessert to share, and your own plates and cutlery and drinks. Sausages provided. Starts at 12.00pm, a great way to catch up with other members as we head into the festive season. 12th to 14th February - Annual Veteran Car Club Summer Rally (formerly Mid-Summer Adventure Rally), Oamaru. Any veteran or two-wheel braked Vintage is eligible, or if your veteran isn’t going you can attend in your modern if you want to join

in. Make sure you book your accommodation in plenty of time for this one too. For more details please contact Colin Hey. 5th to 10th March - One and Two Cylinder Veteran Rally in Blenheim. A combined rally with Oldsmobile owners from all over the country, also organised Bruce & Shirley Shadbolt and hosted by the Blenheim Vintage Car Club. The Rally is open to any one or two cylinder Veteran vehicle (including motorcycles). As for the Clyde Rally above, for more details please contact Bruce & Shirley for an entry form, phone 027 260 9349, or email shadboltfamily@hotmail.com. It is recommended you also book accommodation as soon as possible.

Although the dust has now settled at Cutler Park, there is still a bit of work required to wrap the event up properly and put it to bed for another year. One important part of that of course is finding out how successful it was financially, but at the time of writing this report there are still some significant invoices to come in, so we will have a better idea by the time the Swap Meet committee meets for its final debrief meeting in mid-November so can pass that information on later. All considered though, it was a very good Swap Meet again this year. The attendance over the 3 days seemed to reasonably match that of last year, the weather held off on Friday and Saturday (although it was very cool both days), and we had great weather on Sunday when a small number of patrons turned up to snap up the last of the bargains (and we heard there were many to be had that day) I would like to thank everyone involved this year, no matter what part you played in the running of the event - from the committee, the Parts Shed team, the grounds and building maintenance teams, the motorcycle section and others who helped set up the grounds and also produced the amazing display of multi-cylinder motorcycles in the Barn, and everyone who put their name down for a rostered duty over the weekend. A big thanks too to those who organised the various displays of cars and machinery, and to those who spent many hours on the gates selling tickets and ensuring everyone knew where they had to go. Congratulations to the Vintage Austin Register who once again took away the much coveted Best Club Display trophy, heading off the Jowett Car Club and VANZ Unlimited who came second and third respectively. Also well done to Donald White from the South Canterbury Branch who won the Coombes Trophy for the best Vintage Car on Display with his Model A bus – now a mobile home. For me, well, I’m glad it’s all but over for another year, and as I 27

mentioned in my Veteran report, I thoroughly enjoyed our Tuesday veteran coffee morning two days later, knowing it had gone well. The most pleasing aspect for me was leaving the bank on Monday morning after banking the weekend’s takings (that process takes over an hour!) and returning to the club grounds with lunch on board for the clean-up squad and finding the grounds looking almost like nothing had happened. Only 12 Noggins until Swap Meet 2027! Colin Hey Swap Meet Committee Chairman

Another great turnout of around 80 cars and two motorcycles, and in good warm weather this month too. Swap Meet 2026 was done and dusted, and all that remained was the well-worn isles between the site blocks where the grass was be well trampled. November’s OCBC will be on Sunday 15th November. Come along in or on your favourite car, truck or motorcycle, regardless of what year it is. Remember you can bring any vehicle out to OCBC, especially if it’s a bit special to you. Invite your mates, and come and enjoy a coffee in our great club grounds with fellow enthusiasts.

BARN HIRE & CAMPING

The Barn is available for hire to all members for birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, and other functions. Contact Kevin Clarkson 021 0270 6525

9-90s The October run started at the peg on a fine but cool morning with a good turnout of around 28 cars. Tony’s instructions took our seasoned navigators out through Spencerville and into beach Rd but those of us who had to push start our car (a bad starter motor connection), were letting the Grandson have a drive in that old car and trying our hand at navigating, got a little lost before rejoining the route as it entered Hawkins Rd then through the northern outskirts of the city with the option of a little detour around Willowbank Reserve ending up on Avonhead Rd where we were Welcomed by Kathryn Smith at her beautiful Family home with a large open area to park our cars and enter the large shed built by her late husband Errol to house their wonderful collection of beautifully restored cars and a few other vehicles. Kathryn & Errol are of course well known in the club as a generous couple who helped out some of our members after the earthquakes by storing cars for them after other storage was badly damaged. After spending sometime admiring their collection we drifted back outside into a lovely sunny day to enjoy our lunch and the raffle which gave Barbara and Diane, eagerly helped by Bruce’s grand children Marina & Jack, quite a challenge to get around the crowd 33

scattered under trees and shrubs around the large yard. After lunch some of us took the opportunity to have a meander around Kathryn’s lovely garden before heading off homeward after a wonderful day out. Many thanks to Tony and Ngaire for organising this for us all to enjoy. Speaking of organisers We still have two months next year, February and May free if anyone would like to help out. If you don’t have a destination in mind I can help with a few suggestions. I’ve had a chat with our old friend John Kuipers who Coordinated 9-90s for us for around thirty five years. John tells me he has resigned from the Vintage Car club as his health is making it too much of a struggle getting to events to be able to enjoy them now. I’m sure you will all join with me in saying such a huge THANK YOU for all the time and entertainment he has given us. He also told me the ladies are quite safe around him now. I’m still not totally convinced about that. Thanks Mate! You have bought us many wonderful times. John may still attend our runs on the odd occasion if he’s feeling well enough. Next months run organised by Les Sloan and helpers leaves from Rolleston Community centre at 9.55am on the 11th of November on a short run with two stops. One to view an interesting collection and another with a beautiful garden. Happy motoring. Ken.

Commercial Report Greetings all, So much for spring – we’ve had some extremes of heat and snow! The A30 is now running, and I’ve been out and about in it quite a few times just to try and get some miles on it before we set off on the show weekend tour. That will be it’s first trip away since I’ve owned it. The last adventure away was a day trip to the Otira viaduct opening ceremony in 1999. We’ll be passing back over it again on the tour. It’s starting and running well – I had forgotten how low geared it is and keep looking for the next gear! I’ve done quite a lot to it in the past few months and while it’s not all visible – it’s got a lot more pep that it had before. I’m sure it will bowl along nicely over the Lewis and Arthurs pass on the tour. Coming events – Show weekend Tour – If you are thinking about the Show weekend tour it might pay to book your accommodation now. This year it is off to Greymouth. Over one pass and home via the other. Should be a great weekend. Past Events – The Annual Vintage Rally was on 27th Sept – So much for a spring day. 5 hardy souls turned out in Vintage cars and a few PV and PWV. I heard the rain on the roof in the night and knew for certain there was no way I was taking the Lagonda out in that weather! I don’t mind so much if I’m caught in a passing shower but that was some serious wet weather! I took my Toyota Highlander and tailed along behind Graeme Shasky in his Dover Express. Graeme’s wipers could barely cope with the snow buildup! And my Highlander was warning me that it’s emergency assist functions were not working.

One of our Commercial group – Graeme Shasky in the Dover express.

Graeme stopped in Darfield to clear the snow off his screen.

VOG LOG Our faithful readers may have wondered what happened to the VOG's in September with no report? (maybe not) Well we had another visit to Garden City Helicopters and Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Always interesting seeing all their equipment and hearing the dedicated team members talking of what they do. We also saw their latest helicopter with state of the art equipment. Made by Airbus and costing 22 million plus the medical fitout that goes into them and that was a seconhand price. There is a 2 year waiting list to get a machine. While there they had two callouts so we were able to witness the quick response from the team. It was eight minutes from the time of the callout until the machines were in the air. Very reassuring to see how well this all happens in an emergency. Also included in the visit was a viewing of the “fixed wing” aircraft or air ambulances as used by the Flying Doctor service. A very informative talk was given by one of the pilots that operate the service. AND NOW TO OCTOBER An amazing day for an amazing ride on Tuesday 13th October for the VOG's to “Head out on the Highway” as sang Steppenwolf from the movie “Easy Rider”. “Rhumba In The Red Zone” was the title of our ride today organised by Mark Sullivan. Taking us around the new cycle/walkways (Te Ara Otakaro Trail) in the Avondale, Avonside areas. It was good to see where some of our millions of taxpayers dollars go. Lovely sealed track and some attractive looking bridges over the Avon River (or should I say “Otakaro River” to be PC) A good turnout on the day although numbers are getting lower – it's an “age thing” I think, unfortunately a few of our members have health issues that keep them off their bikes but I guess we can't go on forever.

A highlight for the day for myself was a ride on Dave Backhouse's 38

“Hot Solex” or a Wolf in Sheeps Clothing. Dave being the great mechanic that he is imported from the USA a kit that gives his standard “tatty” looking machine an injection of power and speed, but it's scary stuff when one tries to stop as the brakes are still standard issue. The acceleration certainly blew me away compared to the normal Velosolex's. I have recently done Hotlaps at Ruapuna in a V8 Falcon (not driving but as a passenger) and the exhiliration of the speed with those cars is phenominal Maybe Dave's bike isn't quite that fast but boy it certainly could get up and go. Over and out until November . Royce VOG 1

The October Commercial Noggin was hosted by Peter and Lyndal Monro at their shed in Tai Tapu. There was a great turn out and a very nice supper thanks to our hosts! There are no arrangements for the November Noggin – it has been suggested that they may need to form a sub committee similar to the motorcycle section to arrange there functions. If anyone is keen to join the Canterbury Branch committee and take over as Commercial Convenor, please contact myself or our club committee. As you know I have taken a new role looking after the Awards ceremony. See you out on the road, Michael

Vintage Report Another successful Swap Meet. I thought so. A very good turn out on Friday of both; people and displayed vehicles. Sadley the weather did not play ball on Saturday morning and whilst it only drizzled briefly at Cutler Park the poor weather was more persistent in Christchurch and that’s mostly where our custom resides. That said a good number of people did turn up by afternoon and the vehicle display was well attended too. Sunday was an excellent day weather wise. Sadly, most of the trader stalls had emptied out. This gave me a greater chance to have a closer look at the remaining stalls. Almost unbelievable, but I found in excellent condition a thermostatic bellow control unit for radiator louvres from a 1930 Buick. I’ve never seen one at any meet before. Whilst I did have a spare, I wasn’t going to pass this opportunity by. Sunday was a thoroughly enjoyable day at a more relaxing pace. I had a good chance to look at the one make vehicle displays which I thought were looking really good. This section has grown in size and there seems to be a desire to grow this even further. I’m certainly on board with that. What can we do about the reduced number of stall holders on Sunday? After all we are trying to encourage the public to attend. Flogging stall holders to stay may be a medieval outcome but probably won’t wash in these times. If word gets out that it’s a Saturday only family event it diminishes the club’s opportunity. This is the club’s primary annual income stream. My congratulations and utmost respect to the Swap Meet Committee and all the volunteers who make this event the success it is. There is a enormous amount of work put in behind the scenes to an event of this scale. Did you know that there are trophies awarded at the Swap Meet. Judging takes place on Saturday. There is a cup for best one make display and a cup for best presented vintage and veteran vehicle. I will be providing some detail to the winner of the latter.

MS Coombes Ltd VCC Canterbury Trophy for:Best Presented Vintage and Veteran Vehicle at Annual Swap Meet. 1928 Ford Model A Bus Body. Owner. Donald White Donald purchased this complete vehicle six months ago from a Northland owner. It was delivered to Donald at Wellington Bluebridge Ferry Terminal just prior to boarding for its journey south. Whilst it was to be driven from Picton to South Canterbury it did get as far as Ashburton under its own steam. Sadly, it needed to be trailered the remainder of the journey. Apparently, it was drinking more water than a caravan of camels at an oasis. This is where an expedition companion becomes invaluable. Colin White was that person. I won’t divulge details of repairs but needless to say the engine was removed amongst other repairs to get it back on the road. So what exactly is the vehicle aside from a 1928 Ford Model A. It was converted into a bus body by a Levin craftsperson across 2004 – 2007. The body is an exact replica of the type used by US schools of that period. The interior was designed as a camper with the wood joinery being Kauri. The roof top lifts with pivoting side panels comprising celestial-stained glazing. This 2.5 tonne body and chassis sits on 20 inch steel disc wheels which were manufactured by Ford in Canada for use in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The tyres are firm at 60 PSI. The engine is a four cylinder Model A. The gear box is five speed from a Toyota Celica. The differential is from a Nissan Nevara. The brakes are hydraulic. So not entirely vintage factory production line. It gets along comfortably at 85 – 90 km per hour. Donald has since added a further 800 to 900 kms.

This is a stunning vehicle. It’s clearly an eye catcher as it attracted a lot of attention at the Swap Meet display both on Friday and Saturday. Donald has even had an enquiry as far afield as the USA. It would be great to see more of these unusual and quirky vehicles. See you motoring out and about. Jeremy Wise

MOTORCYCLE REPORT Daylight Savings now on, longer evenings for that bike ride after work.. Past Events. 26th September – Fish & Chip Run. A run out to the Hurunui Sheering Museum at Waikari; 15 riders took this event in. In appreciation a donation was made to the museum. Many thanks for Royce & Jan for the BBQ lunch. 3rd – 4th October – VCC Otago’s Dunvegan Rally. Did anyone go on this? Canterbury riders traditionally great supporters of this Otago event. 7th October – Noggin Night. A week earlier, to coincide with members setting up for the Swap Meet and the motorcycle display in The Barn. A good crowd… 9th – 11th October – Swap Meet. Motorcycle display very well organised, theme is advancing technology. About 26 – 28 bikes lined up by Joseph McClintock.. Well worth the effort to take a look. 17th – 18th October – Girder Fork Rally. This was the 40th running of this iconic event. About 24 eligible motorcycles took part, plus a number of ineligible machines as their riders went for a gallop. The destination was the YMCA camp at Wainui, where the riders stayed for the evening BBQ and breakfast the next day. In addition, a bus was provided for the more elderly members no longer riding could take in this significant milestone. See elsewhere for a write-up, plus a list of the gongs awarded. Future Events. 31st October – Fish & Chip Run. At the Vintage Machinery Club, Keating Park, 723 McLeans Island Road (next door but one…) As most would like some sort of ride/run rather than just climb over the fence, the thought is to meet at PMH at 9.30 am, a short run of about an hour or so until 11.00 am to arrive at the Machinery Club, then a BBQ lunch at the Motorcycle Shelter 1.00 pm. This event is being promoted to the wider VCC Canterbury Branch to encourage visitors to the Vintage Machinery Club where VMC Committee member Lyndsay Saunders will take visitors to see displays of many vintage machinery projects. Look out for the Event Reminders to confirm details etc. of this and any other events this next month or two. There will be a standard charge of $5 per person viewing who is not a memebr of the VMC…

11th November – M/C Noggin, Visit to Inition Testing Laboratories at 7 Canterbury Street in Hornby, between Ravensdown and Repco. Initial Testing carry out a number of testing procedures, destructive & non-destructive, on just about anything one might need testing to prove materials, design, etc. Meeting is at 6.45 pm for a 7.00 pm start. Park anywhere is all good. In the interests of client confidentially absolutely NO PHOTOGRAPHY is permitted!! Thanks to Roger Abel for the contact and organising!

28th November – Motorcycle Annual Rally. (Note, no Fish & Chip Run this month.) A good lunch time destination has been organised to see an interesting collection of vehicles. Field tests will be during the lunch break, followed by a run back to the Island for a BBQ tea etc. There will be an evening meal and prize giving at Motorcycle Corner, taking the shape of a BYO meat and salad etc. to share. This is an official M/C event, so there will be a back-up provided to collect stragglers… There is going to be a short run for tiddlers, power cycles and the like. There will be a riders briefing at McLeans Island and instructiuons issued to get to the start destination. Meeting is at 9.30 am for 10.00 am start. Organisers are Stu Skurr (0274 389600) and Dave Malcolm (021 1171382). 9th December – Noggin Night; Xmas Noggin. This will be a Christmas Dinner and social in The Barn, with a catered meal or something. The ham has been booked, and the committee will supply a range of salads. Royce will ensure there are no duplications so there should be a good variety… 19th December – Fish & Chip Run – Last for the Year. Meet at The Peg Hotel, Belfast, for a North Canterbury run. The usual, meet at 10.15 am for a 10.30 am departure. If applicable, more info next month. 2nd January 2026 – Motorcycle New Years Run. The usual meet at McLeans Island for a run. More details next month. Just a reminder, if you are paying money into the Motorcycle Section Bank Account then please note: Bank Account. Often you are asked to pay your entry fees etc. into the Motorcycle Section’s bank account. Here is the correct details: Account Name is Vintage Car Club Inc Canty, account number is 03 0802 0099727 00. 46

In future whenever an advert etc. about any motorcycle event asks you to pay into the motorcycle section bank account the CORRECT account name AND number will be given. That’s it for this month, Cheers, CML

Online Entry Form

Wheel needed for North Shore Branch 1935 Chevrolet Fire Tender. PCD 7 ¼ inches (PCD = Pitch Circle Diameter) 10 stud 4 ½ inch hole in the centre Both wheel and locking ring are required.

Alternatively just the locking ring may solve the problem, although matching wheel and ring would be preferable. Contact: Richard Bampton 021 134 6258 angelarichard@hotmail.com

FOR SALE 1923 CHALMERS – Restoration Project

Unfortunately, in need of a new home. Car 90% complete when purchased as a barn find. Much work completed towards a ground up restoration. Panel beating completed ready for assembly, diff and gearbox rebuilt. Motor under review. New springs and shackles etc. Original set of 24 inch spoke wheels built. Many photos prior to disassembly. Available due to health reasons . Happy to discuss further with genuinely interested parties. Brent 0274326512

Free

Insulate your garage, shed or workshop. Must go. Free polystyrene insulating sheets to take away. Various lengths, widths and thicknesses. Health changes mean I can no longer use the shed where I was going to install it. So out it goes. Quite a few Canty Branch members have used similar sheeting to have a warmer workshop / garage.

Burnside, pick up only. Easy access. Bevars Binnie 021 0266 2425 Bevars@outlook.com ‐-------------‐---‐--‐-------------‐---------‐--‐--2.

Also free.

Two of, new old stock, unused, as new LPG tanks. Originally supplied to the NZPO in the 1980s as tanks for cars, but never installed or used. Well past their original pressure testing date (3.3 MPA - about 480 PSI) date, but should be OK for workshop compressed air. No rust or dents. Bromley, pick up only. Easy access. Bevars Binnie 021 0266 2425 Bevars@outlook.com

Dodge 1927 Fast 4 Reg and WOF Paint and upholstery not perfect but rust free. $15000 Ph Justin 0279779276

Suzuki Alto 1989. Manual, approx 116,000km, 5 door, 4 seater, 800cc 3 cylinder engine. Garaged, 2 lady owners. Current rego and WOF. Based in Christchurch. All reasonable offers considered. Nicola 027 606 4023

TYRES-5:50 x 20 inch Lucas whitewalls, 2 0nly, 3 inch width, one-half current retail price. One only as above, 4-ply rating, blackwall. 5 x 5:00 x 23 in. Excelsior blackwall, 6-ply. Other sizes and makes available. (Firestone, Universal, BFGoodrich, Roadmaster, American Classic, Coker, Excelsior also). Add freight outside Christchurch. Phone Jack 03 352 6672, 0274 322 041.

WANTED OTHER BRANCH and ORGANISATIONS EVENTS See Notice board posters for more information.

2025-2026 Representatives Motorcycle Convenor Barn Bookings/ Paul Ainsworth (Joss) Camping ainsKevin Clarkson (Shona) worth.electrical@xtra.co.n kevinclarkz son1@gmail.com 027 432 1391 02102706525

Velosolex Group Royce Baker (Janice) whisky17@xtra.co.nz 03 322 5529

Swap Meet/Beaded Wheels Reporter Colin Hey (Jenny)

Parts Dept. Rep. Wayne Stocks

03 359 8737 021 883 807

waynestoxy@gmail.com

heywolseley699@gmail.com

03 383 1380

Assist-Librarian Michele Little henry.little@hotmail.com 03 327 5471 027 425 1765

New Members’ Liaison Jack Porter (Dorothy) jackhporter@xtra.co.nz 03 352 6672 027 432 2041 Branch Vehicle Custodian Mark Drury markdrury54@icloud.com 03 342 9297

Swap Meet Sites Neil Shaskey (Louise) 9—90’s Co-ordinator SwapKen James kenjj10187@gmail.com meetsites@vcccanterbury Building Maintenance .org.nz 03 980 0547 Pete Merrifield 03 352 8802 petemselwyn@gmail.com Grounds Maintenance 027 289 6201 021 435 118 Peter Blacklock (Chrisy) North Canty Noggin c.p.blacklock@gmail.com Alan Hill (Barbara) VIC Representative 021 181 3491 abhill@usnet.co.nz Chris Leith 03 313 6008 021 217 7140 Bar Manager 021 161 5866 Andrea Dallow (Gilbert) Joseph McClintock regmad1957@gmail.com Trophy Custodian & 03 322 4676 027 224 1465 Librarian Leigh Craythorne (Tony) Barry Jones craythornes@actrix.co.nz 021 310 458 03 342 9110 027 772 8660 56

2025-2026 Main Committee Chairman

Vintage Convenor Jeremy Wise jeremywiseuk@hotmail.com 021 0222 8317

Neil Shaskey (Louise) Chairman@vcccanterbury.org.nz 03 352 8802 027 289 6201

Veteran Convenor Colin Hey (Jenny) heywolseley699@gmail.com 03 359 8737 021 883 807

Secretary Catherine Tibbles Hello@vcccanterbury.org.nz

021 258 7338

Commercial Convenor Michael Hedgman (Claire) hedgesonholiday@gmail.com 03 745 9240 027 516 0029

Treasurer Robyn Cox (Eric) Treasurer@vcccanterbury.org.nz 021 237 6777

Club Captain ‘P’ Group Convenor John Enright (Debbie) jenright51@yahoo.co.nz 027 439 6572 027 355 8387

Katryna Shaw (Bryce) katonwheels66@gmail.com 021 0277 2375 Asst Club Captain Henry Little (Michelle) henry.little@hotmail.com 03 327 5471 027 288 8277

Hub Editor And Web Master Brodie Williams brodie@vcccanterbury.org.nz 027 848 7775 (Text)

Insurance

VERO CIS—telephone 0800658411 Canterbury Branch Agency Number 300130 This number needs to be quoted when taking out insurance for Canterbury Branch to benefit.

Open Hours Monday to Friday 8:00am—5:00pm

We now stock cloth tape for vintage vehicles. Several widths.