VCC TAUPO TORQUE MAY 2024

C-type Jaguar

TAUPO

TAUPO VCC MAGAZINE

Coming Events for Taupo VCC 2024

MAY

Sunday 5th

Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Wednesday 8th Club Night 7:30 pm: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday 15th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

Sunday 19th Weekend Run to Smash Palace, Horopito with the Rotorua VCC Branch - Overnight stay at Ohakune

Monday 20th Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

JUNE

Sunday 2nd Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Wednesday 12th Club Night 7:30 pm: Fire Safety Talk Tony Mannington

Sunday 16th Club Run - Brass Monkey Rally

Monday 17th Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

Wednesday 19th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

JULY

Sunday 7th Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Wednesday 10th Club Night 7:30 pm: Mid-Winter Pot Luck Dinner

Monday 15th Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

Wednesday 17th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

Sat 20th & Sun 21st Hobby Expo Display

Club Breakfast - First Sunday of each month

At The Huka Hub Café

Huka Falls, next to the helicopters. Special menu for Club Members. IMPORTANT: Please let Owen know by 3pm Friday if you will be there: 07 378 8327. Please be seated by 8:30 am.

Taupo Vintage Car Club Officers

Taupo Vintage Car Club, PO Box 907, Taupo 3351

PATRON Graham Mock

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Bob Pettigrew • Graham Mock • Joe Ridley • Eric Foley

CHAIRMAN

SECRETARY

TREASURER

CLUB CAPTAIN

Eric Foley 07 378 7006 chairman@taupovcc.org

Elaine Taylor 027 232 4792 secretary@taupovcc.org

John Searle 027 703 6374 treasurer@taupovcc.org

MAGAZINE EDITOR Dean Packwood editor@taupovcc.org

COMMITTEE

Murray Stanley 021 352 333

Peter Lockie 027 839 4296

Maureen Ransley 07 3776360 Andrew Birkbeck 021 026 32124

Owen Duncan 07 378 8327

Non COMMITTEE POSITIONS ARCHIVISTS June & Graham Mock 07 378 7513 BEADED WHEELS

378 7006

378 7429 SPARE

Owen Duncan 07 378 8327

VIC CERTIFIERS

Kelvin Trim 07 378 9055

Barry Hoffman 027 443 5479

Printed Mag Available

Printed copies of our monthly magazine, Taupo Torque, are now available from Copy Solutions in Taupo!

We email the magazine to Copy Solutions each month, so if you would like a copy, you can visit Copy Solutions in Taupo and purchase one of the following 3 options:

Black and White A5 Booklet

Printing Tips

Although you can print this magazine to A4 (either actual size or scaled to A4), this magazine has been set up in A5 format. This allows you to print 2 pages up on an A4 or even a booklet if your printer supports it.

If you open the magazine file in Acrobat Reader, and select file>print, under Page Size and Handling (see image below), you can print multiple pages per sheet. Click File>Print>Multiple>Pages per sheet> 2

If your printer supports printing both sides of the paper, you can also print a ‘Booklet’. Which allows you to print, then staple and fold up into an A5 magazine.

Here are some more informative links and videos to help:

• Printing Multiple A4 Sheets on One A4 Sheet in Adobe Reader

• Printing PDFs from Acrobat Reader

• Get Adobe Reader

Chairman’s Report

Eric Foley

Chairman’s Report for April 2024

At the top of my mind at the moment is our pending Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 8th May at 7.30 p.m. This is an opportunity for members to have their say about things that have happened (or not happened) during the year and to elect a management group for the coming year. The roles on offer are Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and a committee of four. (The ex officio roles, such as Editor, Librarian, etc, are appointed by the Committee). Some of the current officers are willing to stand again, but it is entirely up to the membership whether this occurs.

I would also be very keen to see an Events Group continue as I firmly believe this group has done an excellent job in organising what is to happen and when. It has certainly taken a load off the Management Committee. I understand this group meets regularly in a local coffee shop so that seems like a good role to put your hand up for ! It is time for members to put their thinking caps on and give some thought to standing for office !

I am pleased to report that the usual monthly events have ticked along nicely. Unfortunately, I missed both the Breakfast gathering and Petrolheads. We were hosting guests for the former and away for the latter, having a short break in Ohope.

Club night was a success, with a meal of fish and chips preceding a quiz. This event is a regular on our calendar and always proves popular. The fish

and chips came from 3 different sources and proved to be of varying quality. With about 40 people to feed, the food cannot all come from the same source. Eventually, everyone got fed and settled into a quiz organised and compered by Andrew Birkbeck. There was a challenging range of questions, much repartee, and laughter. I think it is highly likely that Andrew will draw the short straw to arrange next year’s quiz, if he is willing? There were a lot of smiling faces as members departed this event.

The usual monthly run had been organised for 21st April, but that coincided with Supercars which many members were keen to watch and which may have found congested roads. This event has been deferred for now but is still among the planned events. The Supercars event brought about great publicity for the region. I was daft enough to go down to Roberts St on Friday afternoon, as had almost every other citizen of Taupo. There was a vast crowd. We arrived at about 4.45 and had to park near Praters Supermarket! The prime reason for my venture was to see if the council had allowed the cars to park on the grass. (If so, why couldn’t VCC) However, it was only the roadway that was in use, so far as I could see. Moving around in this area was extremely difficult. Altogether, it was a wonderful weekend, although the weather gods weren’t kind to us on Saturday.

One small thing before I sign off is that the Committee is giving thought to installing a letter box outside our building. We currently rent a post office mailbox at $160 p.a. (and rising) for very little mail. Elaine tells me that most things come via email, with only occasional mail from Vero and VCC. A mailbox outside our hall seems to be a very sensible option. The nearby Men’s Shed has done the same thing, and the minimal mail for the adjacent pipe band comes to my home address.

Take care out there.

Eric

PETROLHEADS

Meeting at 10am, Wednesday the 15th of May, at the Wairakei International golf course. 527 Wairakei Drive,Taupo.

See you there! Thanks and Regards, Barry.

C-type Jaguar

Article and photos by Tony Haycock

Between 1951 and 1953, 52 Jaguar C-types (or XK120C) left the Browns Lane works in Coventry.

Between 1951 and 1953, 52 Jaguar Ctypes (or XK120C) left the Browns Lane works in Coventry. Following the strong showing by almost standard XK120’s at the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours, Jaguar founder William Lyons decided to have a proper attempt at the 1951 edition of the Grand Prix d’Endurance at the legendary Sarthe circuit, two hours southwest of Paris.

Before we go any further it is important to note this is not one of those 52 cars. It is however mechanically to the correct specification, but with a fibreglass body.

Aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer came up with the stunningly beautiful swooping, sweeping curves of the C-type, which still manages to keep a family resemblance to the XK120 parent, and yet look absolutely like a competition car. Obviously the look of a car is a very subjective thing. Having collected the Jaguar from it’s owner my first port of call was my work. Parking outside the front of the office, my colleague Lucy Tentori was called down to be in a couple of promotional photos for House of Travel Motorsport. Her first words on seeing the Jaguar were “that is much better looking than the last one you had here”. The last car I had there was a Bugatti type 37A, so that was a pretty good endorsement of the aesthetics of the C-type

The question of replicas (copies, fakes, call them what you will) always polarises opinions in the old car world, and not without good reason especially when something is being passed off as the real thing, when it is not - I think of the Lotus Cortina as a good example. Of the original 6 to have come here, only 20 have survived. The actual numbers are figures I have pulled out of the sky, but you know what I am getting at.

On the other hand, it has been said that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it IS a duck! And in this case, while it may not be the proverbial duck, it does have the heart and the skeleton of the duck, even if clothed in synthetic feathers.

What we have as the subject of our story is replica of a 1953 Jaguar C-type, the sixth kit from the late Peter Bruin. Built by long time vintage Bentley campaigner Geoff Owen of Kaiapoi, the Jaguar shares garage space with a vintage 3/ 4 1/2 litre Bentley, a mid 30’s and very historic supercharged MG Magnette and the exErnie Sprague Jaguar 3.8 Mk II.

From the outset of the project, Geoff’s aim was to have a car which matches exactly the mechanical and technical specification of the original. To that end, the suspension, steering, engine and gearbox are taken from a Jaguar Mk VII saloon. This give the correct 3.4 litre motor, which as fitted to the C-type is producing approximately 200bhp. Mated to this is the correct Moss 4 speed gearbox. More mention will be made of this device soon! With the correct torsion bar suspension and rack and pinion steering, the end result is a car which drives exactly as the real thing.

The body is from a mould taken from the Archibald car, shortly before it returned to the UK, and looks exactly as it should. Underneath, the tubular space frame chassis again mimics the real thing, so the end result is a car which looks, feels and drives as a C-type should. Although by any means an inexpensive exercise, even for someone with a lifetime of practical experience in the motor trade like Geoff, when considering the value of the genuine article (in excess of a million dollars in rough terms), this has given Geoff and Shirley the opportunity to come as close as practically possible to experience the genius if Lyons and Sayer at their very best. It also means that there is the chance for someone like myself, the ordinary car enthusiast off the street, to imagine what it was like to drive down the Mulsanne through the dawn mist.

It was indeed a crisp, misty morning when I opened the small door, stepped over the very wide sill and chassis tube, squeezed under the delightful wood-rimmed Moto Lita steering wheel and inserted myself into the very comfortable leather bucket seat, and imagined I was in France.

One of the delights of a competition car is the lack of unnecessary frills in the cockpit, and the C-type is typical of that. The uncovered alloy floor and transmission tunnel, along with the exposed tubes of the chassis all show the intent of a car built for speed above comfort. Likewise the dash shows its purpose - simple and practical. Large black-faced speedo and rev-counter flank the steering wheel, with

volts, fuel level and oil pressure all getting their own instruments. To the left of this, the ignition key and starter button are in easy reach, with light switches to the left again.

Now, having been invited to drive someone else’s motor car, and more so when the owner has very kindly allowed you to take his car for a decent drive, without his being present, it is somewhat important to be able to drive his car without doing harm to it. Imagine then my horror when leaving the Owen’s driveway, my first ever gearshift with a Moss ‘box was not a raging success! I had read about them, but this was my maiden experience, and I even now cringe at the thought of Geoff listening to my very unsuccessful attempt to locate second gear!

The gearbox is really the thing which most shows the age of the car. Brakes (correct drum, not discs as found on many replica C-types), steering, handling and performance are all on a par with modern cars, but this is technology from half a century ago, and when taken in context, a slow gearshift is nothing to be ashamed of, and don’t forget the object of the original exercise was to transmit 200+ bhp reliably for a 24 hour race. And it achieved this without difficulty. Having said this, it is the only gearbox I have ever used where downshifts (double de-clutch with a blip of the throttle in mid-change) are achieved faster and easier than going up the ratios.

Seated low in the car, the bonnet seems to stretch out for miles in front, with separate aero-screens for driver and passenger, and a larger full width Le-Mans regulation windscreen ahead of these provides more than adequate protection from

buffeting, even at speeds which can’t be mentioned in public. Even with no hood, side screens or heater, on a cold winter morning, this was a very comfortable place from which to operate a motor-car.

The gear lever was ideally placed for easy reach, and after the cramped confines of the foot-well of the Bugatti as mentioned earlier, the ability to wear proper shoes and still be able to operate the pedals of the Jaguar was a relief. Even with the throttle on the right as is common practice now (I am a big fan of the cental throttle pedal for old racing cars), the pacing is perfect for heel and toe downshifts, which as I said, are very helpful with the gearbox in this car.

With not much weight, and 200bhp, acceleration is very impressive, and when accompanied by the roar from the twin exhausts exiting from the left hand side, under the passengers door, when driving through town, you almost wish for red lights, just for the opportunity to demonstrate that the ultimate car sound is not actually a blow-off valve from a four cylinder motor with a tailpipe diameter in inverse proportion to the spotty-faced owner’s reproductive organ!

Obviously, city driving is not were the C-type is going to be at it’s best, although it certainly was perfectly happy to idle around town without any sign of getting hot or flustered. To really get the true experience of the car doing what it was designed for, long straights, and some twisty bits are called for, and I found some.

I have to admit now that I had forgotten a small but important part of the briefing Geoff gave me before taking off with his car. On getting to top gear, my thoughts were that it got there bloody quick, but it seems awfully busy approaching 100 km/h. Then the penny dropped. Geoff is looking at putting a higher final drive ratio in it, but until that happens, his one deviation from original specification was the fitting of an overdrive. Remembering this, I found the appropriate switch, cunningly hidden in full view in front of me, and instantly the revs came down as they should, and the fun really began.

The rack and pinion steering was a delight (both light and direct with plenty of feel), and was far better than how I remembered my experience of driving Geoff’s MKII previously. With the light weight of the C-type, the drum brakes were more than adequate for the job, and you would have to be doing a pretty poor job of driving to run out of brakes. With the torque from the engine meaning that the

majority of the 3.4 litre engine’s rev range is usable, the Moss gearbox would be no handicap to real “press-on” motoring . Bearing in mind that this was not my car, I was merely out to enjoy myself, and certainly not to explore the outer limits of the Jaguar.

The suspension was very good at ironing out any bumps in the road surface, and the ride quality was excellent - I have driven modern road cars which could learn a thing of two from this. It was also very good at transmitting the power to the ground, even with tyres of a size which would be laughed at by the current generation of motorist. One of the things which will stay with me for a long time after this test was the feeling on security from the car as I accelerated out of a slow corner, with the smooth surge of power which only a 6 cylinder engine can produce as the revs kept on climbing, that gorgeous sound coming out the side, the tail squatting, and the feeling that you could keep doing this without the car ever trying to bite the driver.

The overall verdict is that the C-type is a car which while designed purely for competition, today is equally practical for touring with regard to comfort and refinement. Yes, as Sarah, another of my colleagues commented, there isn’t much room for carrying your groceries, her loaf of bread did fit, and anyway, who needed groceries when the pits come up at the end of every 13km lap anyway? After three years work, Geoff and Shirley Owen really do have one of the ultimate multipurpose sporting cars. A great car to drive to the venue, then race or hillclimb, and after the event turn around and drive it home. Just as it was done in the 1950s.

Jaguar C-Type. Original oil on canvas (cropped) by NZ Artist, Don Packwood.

Club merchandise available on Club Nights.

Baseball Cap - $16.50

Polo Shirt - $38.50

Bucket Hat - $17.80

Fleece Jacket - $59.00

Club Lapel Badges and Car Stickers

We have most stock available at the club rooms.

Our fully equipped modern workshop facility offers a reliable, accurate and affordable solution to all your reconditioning and machining needs. Includes high performance race/street, general automotive, motorcycle, marine, light and heavy diesel and industrial.

We offer extremely quick turn around times and can pick-up or deliver if required

Brian Henson / Scott Murray Unit 6 / 465 Broadlands Road Rotokawa, Taupō 3378

Ph; 3773570 Fax; 07 3773572

Email; Engines@hmltd.co.nz

If your car's interior needs some love, reach out to us! We'll be happy to help!

Faded or worn leather/vinyl seats, Damaged leather steering wheel, Scratched dashboard or door panels, Cracked vinyl armrest and shifter.

As an alternative to replacing, Fibrenew can repair & make it look great again.

Don't replace, renew with Fibrenew!

DEAN WILLS

FIBRENEW BAY OF PLENTY

Locally owned and operated

Based in Taupo

Ph: 021 215 6889

Email: bayofplenty@fibrenew.co.nz

Web: www.fibrenew.co.nz

Rob Sinclair

MANAWATU BRANCH

POST ERA RALLY - SUNDAY 26TH MAY 2024

FORMAT

9 00 AM Meet at Clubrooms, Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North for a tea/coffee before the Rally

9 30 AM Rally Briefing

10 00 AM First car away

● Run length: Approx 150 MILES

● Fuel is available en route - Afternoon Section

● Lunch at Cheltenham Hotel

● Rally Entry Fee includes a Plaque

● Run will conclude at the Clubrooms for Prize Giving and Evening Light Meal (finger food)

● Please bring your own Drinks for the Light Meal (finger food) (water/tea/coffee will be available)

● Please advise any dietary requirements for lunch and Light Meal (GF, DF)

ENTRANT NAME

VCC MEMBERSHIP NO

NAVIGATOR (NAME)

TELEPHONE ( ) EMAIL

ADDRESS

VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR

EXPIRY DATE

RALLY ENTRY @ $20.00 / Per Vehicle = $20.00

LUNCH - (CHELTENHAM HOTEL) - (PAY ON THE DAY)

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR CHOICE NO. REQUIRED

FISH AND CHIP MEAL

BURGER AND CHIP MEAL

EVENING LIGHT MEAL (finger food) / per Head @ $10 00 / No of People = TOTAL

PAYMENT DETAILS

Please make payment via Internet Banking Manawatu Branch VCC 03 0718 0027253 01 Ref: Name, Reg No., POST ERA

Please send completed Entry Form to Organisers: Glyn & Cath Clements PO Box 232, Feilding 4740 (ph. 021 0833 4081) Or Email to cbz1@xtra.co.nz (Note: No. 1 not L in email address)

If you haven’t received an email confirmation of entry by the closing date, please contact the Organiser **ENTRIES CLOSE: 15th MAY 2024**

Art Corner

“The Guardians” Jaguar C-Type and D-Type. Original oil on canvas by NZ Artist, Don Packwood www.donpackwood.co.nz

The Jaguar C-Type (officially called the Jaguar XK120-C) is a racing sports car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. The “C” stands for “competition”.

The car combined the running gear of the contemporary, road-proven XK120, with a lightweight tubular frame designed by Jaguar Chief Engineer William Heynes, and an aerodynamic aluminium body, jointly developed by William Heynes, R J (Bob) Knight and later Malcolm Sayer. A total of 53 C-Types were built, 43 of which were sold to private owners, mainly in the US. The road-going XK120’s 3.4-litre twin-cam, straight-6 engine produced between 160 and 180 bhp (134 kW). The C-Type version was originally tuned to around 205 bhp (153 kW). The early C-Types were fitted with SU carburettors and drum brakes. Later C-Types, produced from mid 1953, were more powerful, using triple twin-choke Weber carburettors and high-lift camshafts. They were also lighter, and braking performance was improved by using disc brakes on all four wheels. The lightweight, multi-tubular, triangulated frame was designed by Heynes. Made of aluminium in the barchetta style, it was devoid of road-going items such as carpets, weather equipment and exterior door handles.

1. Veteran Class (pre 1920)

CLASSES

Motorcycles 2. Vintage (1 Jan1920 to 31 DecDec

Vehicles 3. Post Vintage (1 Jan 1932 to 31 Dec 1945)

Post 1960 Vehicles (P60V) 4. Post War Cars

Post 1980 Vehicles (P80V) (1 Jan 1946 to 31 Dec 1960)

P ROG RAMM E

Saturday 1st June

3-5.00pm You can collect your rally packs from the Clubrooms 25 Patapu St, Wanganui East.

S Sunday 2nd June

Bring your own picnic lunch and tea/coffee gear including your thermos of hot water

9.00am Assemble at The Corn Market Reserve, Somme Parade, Wanganui

9.15am Safety briefing, all drivers and navigators must attend

9.30am First car away

Dinner and prizegiving will be held in the Wanganui Room at the Racecourse, Purnell Street Period dress is encouraged but optional

6.00pm Pre-dinner drinks

6.30pm Dinner

Entries close: 17th May 2024. Late entries accepted will be entered as noncompetitive. Preferred method of entry is by online registration at the site bit.ly/2024wvccar. If registering online you still need to make payment by bank deposit. Alternatively, by email, to wanganuirally@gmail.com or mail entry form and payment to c/- The Rally Secretary, Wanganui VCC, PO Box 726, Wanganui 4540 Bank Deposits: 03-0791-0210433-00

EN T RY FO RM

(YOUR COPY - PLEASE KEEP)

Drivers Name ……………………………………………

Address ……………………………………….

Email ………………………………………..

Phone ……………………………………………….

Navigators Name ………………………………………

Vehicle Make …………………………………………….

Model ………………………. Year ………………………

Rego

Entry

Queries

Rally Organiser Rob O’Keeffe 0274326026

R Rally Secretary Christine Savage 06 3424755 or 027 3383321

Drivers

Mobile Phone…………………………………………..

Navigators Name ……………………………………………

Vehicle

Model

CC Rating……………………………….………

Entry Fee Incl magnet $40.00 $………

Extra magnet $5.00 $……… ……. Sunday Dinner and prizegiving $45.00 $………… …… (per person) TOTAL $________

Please detail special dietary requirements

I If posting or handing to the Rally Secretary, please complete this side and return with your payment

R ally Regulations

1. This rally is open to vehicles as defined in the rules of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.)

2. Eligible entrants must be current financial members of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.), or overseas residents who are members of a recognised Antique Motoring Club. The entrant must be either the driver, rider, navigator, or passenger of the vehicle entered. Invited guests are deemed Non-Competitive and should not interfere with the competitive section of the rally.

3. Actions that may bring The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) into disrepute will incur disqualification.

4. Any entrant found using any electronic navigation device may be disqualified.

5. Any vehicle changes made after the closing date will see the entry moved to the non-competitive class.

6. We prefer that you carry a fire extinguisher in your vehicle.

7 7. S Safety briefing: Entrants must attend the pre-rally briefing at

Taupo VCC 2024 Event Calendar

(subject to change)

May 2024

Sunday 5th May

Wednesday 8th of May

Wednesday 15th May

Sunday 19th May

Monday 20th May

June 2024

Sunday 2nd June.

Wednesday 12th of June

Sunday 16th June

Monday 17th June

Wednesday 19th June

July 2024

Sunday 7th July.

Wednesday 10th of July

Monday 15th July

Wednesday 17th July

Sat 20th & Sun 21st July.

Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Club Night 7:30 pm: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

Weekend Run to Smash Palace, Horopito with the Rotorua VCC Branch - Overnight stay at Ohakune

Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Club Night 7:30 pm: Fire Safety Talk Tony Mannington

Club Run - Brass Monkey Rally

Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

Breakfast at the Hub 8:30 am

Club Night 7:30 pm: Mid-Winter Pot Luck Dinner

Committee Meeting 5:30 pm

Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10:00 am

Hobby Expo Display

Taupo Vintage Car Club Hickling Park, AC Baths Ave, Taupo. PO Box 907, Taupo 3351

Taupo Torque is also available online with other VCC magazines via the online digital publisher Issuu. https://issuu.com/vintagecarclubofnewzealand