Banks Peninsula VCC - July 2020

“Dripfeed” NEWSLETTER OF THE BANKS PENINSULA BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF New Zealand (INC) VOLUME 43, No 6 july 2020.

Editor: Michael Williams 10 Selwyn Parade Lyttelton Ph 328 8043, email mimiandmichael@yahoo.co.nz

Chairman: Secretary:

Club Officers: Craig Keenan 322 1006 Ron Hasell 942 1105

Branch Address: 27 Showgate Ave, ChCh 8042 E-mail: bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz Noggin & Natter: 2nd Thursday of the Month • • •

Noggin 7.30 pm at the Papanui RSA. Upham Room – enter either from 55 Bellvue Ave or the first entrance on the left on Harewood Road (Papanui / Main North Road) Thursday 9th of July AGM night.

We look forward to seeing you there. Supper is provided.

From the Editor: Andrew Anderson has asked me to inform members that a celebration of Mollie Anderson’s life will take place on Saturday the 11th of July, 2.00pm., at Lamb and Hayward’s Rangiora chapel, 92 Kippenburger Avenue, Rangiora.

John Chamberlain has owned the ex Cutler family 1904 Curved Dash Olds for some time, and has finally got it running. It would be an ideal competitor at Hadstock next year.

Once again I’ve been looking through back copies of Dripfeed, and can thus tell you that at the 1990 Pomeroy Trophy, the winner was George Henry, swapping two wheels for four in a Jenson Healey.

Winner of Class B was Don Broome in his Lotus 23 Replica. This tells cynical readers that a Jensen Healey could actually run for twenty minutes without breaking down. Must be some sort of record.

And in 1994 the winner was Craig Pidgeon in a Ford Sierra. Not sure what state of tune it was. The winner of Class B was Wayne Marsh in an MG TC.

Geoff Edwards sent me this poster of a Ted Loversidge poster. Note the expression of terror on the faces of the Austin drivers, as they worry about what bit is going to fall off next.

Welcome to new member Mark Cummings, with an early Mazda MX5. Mark is the grandson of Pat O’Connor and has been coming to events for some time. He was an enthusiastic competitor at Hadstock. And before too many Old Members start spluttering into their brandy about Japanese cars, Pat admitted that when someone approaches him about buying an MGB, he advises them to try an MX5 instead.

At our recent committee meeting, it was decided that we will hold the Monte Carlo Rallye next year, over Show Weekend in November as usual. The irrepressible Giles Gill is keen to head a group of dedicated enthusiasts, given that the Old Brigade of Pidgeon, Palmer, Russell and Williams have retired and they will officially hand over the brown manila folder to Giles at a secret location.

In the last issue of Dripfeed there was a photo of the 1959 Lotus 7, now owned by Mark and Tracey Barrett, competing in the UK. There was a written message on the photo that looked like “The last of the Immortal Beetle Brakes”. David North, editor of the Gore VCC branch newsletter, and owner of three Lotus 7s over the years has provided an alternative translation. “The last of the Immortal Buckler Eaters”. Makes much more sense doesn’t it?

Future Events: AGM, Papanui RSA, 7.30 pm, Thursday 9th of July.

The same group of highly skilled professionals have bravely offered to stand again, but we are always looking for new members, so do come along and offer any ideas you have for the coming year. You won’t automatically be elected to the committee if you speak up, so don’t be nervous about having ideas.

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Balcairn Trial, Sunday 12th of July.

One of our great events that continues to be as popular as ever, and of course spawned three other similar events at Reefton, Blenheim and Nelson. Imitation is indeed the most sincere form of flattery.

Looking back through the archives, I discovered that we first went to the Flemings farm in 1995, so this is our 25th anniversary. Perhaps someone will bring a cake. In 1995 there were 33 entrants, including Bugatti, Fraser Nash, Sunbeam, Alvis, Fiat, Riley, Citroen, Essex, Vauxhall, Hupmobile, Clyno., and only one Austin 7. Fiat was the popular entrant, with 5. The Good Old Days etc etc. The winner was John Rodgers in his Chevrolet Hotrod, which his wife and daughters still bring to Irishman every year. My Citroen Big 15 was last, and James Palmer gave me an award for having the most ridiculous and unsuitable car. So do come along and enjoy what is one of our most popular events.

Last year’s winner was Dave Palmer from Nelson in a Hillman Special, with Damon Ross , another Nelsonian 2nd. Can Banks Peninsula pride be restored? Will the Mauger Bi Motore battle for glory? To get there, from the Anglers Arms pub at Sefton, head up Pemberton Rd, turn right at the T intersection into Marshmans Rd, go straight ahead at the shingle and turn left at the VCC sign into Flemings Rd. Please remember that we are extremely fortunate to be able to be able to play on the Flemings farm. So if you are a spectator, please drive sensibly and don’t take your 4WD into some mud to see what will happen. Too many people last year did this. This is a competitive event on private property, not a playground.

Timetable: 8.30am Scrutineering 9.15am Drivers briefing 9.30am Battle commences.

Night Trial Saturday 15th of August.

Organised as always by well known NZeta owner Michael Pidgeon, this event is always fun, as brave owners of Britain’s finest live dangerously as they put those Prince of Darkness electrics to the test.

Details to follow.

Awards Lunch, 23rd of August, 12.30 pm Tai Tapu Hotel.

In a remarkable and uncharacteristic display of lateral thinking, the committee decided that instead of having a dinner this year we should have a lunch, which should encourage more members to attend, and of course drive their old cars to said event. This year we are giving 50 year awards to Tom Cloudsley, John Ferguson and Clint Inns. Richard Foster will receive a 60 year award. These distinguished recipients now have quite some time to write their acceptance speeches, in which they sum up their motoring over the years, their favourite car, worst car, car I wish I’d never sold and so on and so on. Clint Inns is well known as a very impressive orator, but will need to limit himself to 30 minutes. Richard should arrive in the lovely Humber he bought all those years ago, Clint in his amazing Alfa Recreation, and John in one of his vast mobile barges from Crewe. As I write, Tom is in hospital, and Craig and Ron went to see him recently to present him with his badge. Tom was most appreciative.

Brooklands meeting, Levels, 5th of September.

Opening Run, 27th of September.

Pomeroy Trophy.

We hope to hold this event in October. Negotiations are proceeding, and we will keep you updated.

Ruapuna meeting, 31st October – 1st of November.

Past Events.

The Hadstock Driving Tests.

There have been very few good things about the lockdown, but the record number of entries at Hadstock bore testament to the fact that car people wanted to get out and drive somewhere. And so it came to pass that 32 drivers in a wonderfully diverse array of vehicles assembled in the gloom and drizzle at Hadstock, on a very muddy and slippery course. Convivial host John Chamberlain had thoughtfully kept about 50 young steers in the paddock until we arrived, to make sure there was an extra element to add to the mud that changed the event from an example of precision driving to survival of the fittest. And there were so many entrants that there was only time for three events., given that everyone was able to have two attempts, even if the 2nd one was usually slower as the course became more cut up.

Yet again there were lots of younger entrants. Whetu Pikari was in a Morris Minor, Courtney Chamberlain in the less than trusty Austin 12/4, Mark Cummings in a Mazda MX5, Thomas Palmer in a Fiat 126,, Fraser Kear in an Austin 7 Special, Josie Morrison and Harriet in a VW 1500, Tim Fox in a wonderfully restored 1960s Studebaker Pick Up. The list goes on.

The Model A Club, clearly frustrated at missing out on their Winter Run, (Irishman) were well represented, and there were three examples of French automotive excellence, two Citroens and a Peugeot. At the other end of the scale, Giles Gill was looking quietly determined in his Morgan three wheeler, and John Foster, in his third attempt at victory was on his Triumph two wheeler, a Triumph Metisse 500 scrambler. Poor old John. In the previous two years he did so well that we decided to disqualify him for being too successful, but a significant bribe of a bottled nature to a morally elastic organiser meant that he had a chance of victory this year. But Avon Hyde and Brad Govan could not be overlooked The first event was the traditional slalom, and it quickly became apparent that there was very little traction indeed, and the bigger cars, and FWD drive cars would be at a significant disadvantage. John Foster, on the one wheel drive Triumph, hurtled through in 43 seconds, and at the other end of the scale Andrew McGuire in his Mark 7 Jag took 85 seconds. Andrew is a fairly solid specimen, and with three equally solid sons of the soil on board, the Jag undulated and swayed gracefully between the cones as it struggled for grip in a masterful display of controlled power. Messers Hyde and Govan looked promising, with times in the 50’s and Russell Yates was as spectacular as ever in his MGB. New entrant Warwick Marshall in his Covid Special (mostly Ford) looked promising, but with a time of 102 seconds, Tim Fox was beginning to realise that a Studebaker V8 with twin pipes was not really an advantage.

The second event had been borrowed from the MG club and was new, so the Old Brigade reached for their defibrillators, and everyone else ie anyone under 50, caught on straight away. It was a sort of a cambelt thing, on gently sloping ground and the early starters had a distinct advantage, and all the second runs were much slower as the course began to resemble a bog at Balcairn. John Foster cleaned this up far too easily and the organisers began to wonder if the bribe has been big enough.

Neale Elder had a good time in his original boat tailed Morris Minor and Josie Morrison, aged 18 and

driving her father’s VW on grass for the first time showed some real skill as she recovered from a few 360 degree moments. Vaughan Morrison was actually using opposite lock in his vastly modified Model A, and Brian Smith was doing well in his Morris 8 Sports. The other one wheel drive specialist Giles Gill, in his mighty Mog was demonstrating his skill at one wheel drifts, as he flicked the back wheel out round the cones.

Paul McCulla is a vastly experienced driver who has raced all sorts of interesting machinery on tracks both here and in the UK. He also has a Model A and is the son in law of Basil McCoy, a potent combination.. However, the Model A wasn’t going so he arrived in his track car, a Peugeot 205 GTi, complete with roll cage, spoiler, rally interior and racing tyres, not to mention 250 bhp. However, none of those 250 horses seemed keen to engage with the ground, and in spite of skilful handbrake use and every other rally trick he could think of, struggled for grip. But he did do a splendid job of removing every bit of grass that came in contact with his tyres, thus saving John Chamberlain extra time on the tractor.

So as we paused for lunch, it was clear that the Triumph and the Austin hotrods were well out in front.

The French team were sulking over their baguettes and vin ordinaire because their beloved FWD systems seemed to have met their Waterloo, but irritatingly, the Model As were doing well, as were the smaller cars. Round three was a sort of complicated ever decreasing circles variation, once again new and on undulating ground, and as the rain increased, the ground got even more slippery, and for some, forward motion at any speed become the main goal. Great to watch of course as the mud and the insults flew in equal measure, and driver skill really was put to the test. The pattern continued as before, with many cars sliding helplessly into cones at very low speeds. To say most cars understeered would be an understatement. All terribly character forming of course, and for the younger drivers and first time competitors, I’m sure they really did learn a great deal about car control, which is one of the main ideas of a gymkhana.

Getting out of the paddock and onto the road was the final challenge for us all, but no one needed a tow from a handy Land Rover, and the Springston Hotel was a welcome retreat from the cold and the rain. John Foster triumphed on his Triumph with 154 points, and was quite overwhelmed, when presented with The Cynthia, the very tasteful trophy that is always presented by Cynthia Chamberlain, in whose honour it is named. Avon Hyde, A7, was 2nd with 180 points, and Brad Govan 3rd with 191 points. Paul McCulla got a bottle of wine for having the most unlikely/ridiculous car, and yet another great motoring event was over.

Photography by John MacDonald