VCC FAR NORTH FOCUS MARCH 2024

March 2024

It is one of only 2 which were bought in new, to New Zealand.

Ian MacGregor’s 1955 Bristol.

The

of the elected

Who’s Who for 2023/2024

is circulated with the minutes of the 2023 Annual General Meeting.

Club Cleaning Roster

March P O’Dell

April M & T Deverall

May C & M Ilton

June R & W Mackay

July C & M Ilton

August D & B Francis

September N & V Mason

October Everyone

November M & T Deverall

December Winston & Glenis

February Marg & Marg Caffeine & Classics

3rd Sunday every month 9.30 to 12

Next date: Sunday 18th February

Taipa Beach Resort

During the month and preferably before the main calendar event, please give the clubrooms a thorough check over. This includes cleaning the toilets, hand basins, checking kitchen, table tops, window ledges, sweeping the floors etc.

If your cleaning date does not suit you, please swop with someone else.

Thanks for supporting the running of the Club.

Window cleaning, washing walls etc. will be done at working bees.

Take note of any required maintenance and pass on to:

Building Officer - Warren Mackay

021 1036 4333

For any further enquires please contact our Club Captains.

The Far North Branch of the VCC has a policy that pets are not brought to any Club events. We do ask that this policy is respected please.

Calendar of Club Events 2024

March

8th Cruising the Bays Catering

9th Meeting Saturday 1 pm

16th Southern Captains Run

17th Caffeine & Classics

April

6 April Brian Parker Rally Ron & Beryl organising

13 Saturday Monthly Meeting 1 pm

21 Caffeine & Classics

May

11 Saturday 1 pm AGM with a monthly meeting to follow.

12 Mother’s Day Run Dave & Dorothy Duirs organising

19th Caffeine & Classics

June

8 Saturday Monthly meeting 1 pm

16 Caffeine & Classics

29 Molloy Trophy Warren and Robyn MacKay organising

Monthly

2nd Saturday 1.00 pm

Club Meeting @ Aurere Clubrooms

Monthly

3rd Sunday

Caffeine & Classics @ Taipa Resort

Club Notices

March 8 Friday

Cruising The Bays Tour

The Club is managing a BBQ at the Museum, catering for people on this tour - approx 100 people.

FNVCCC members helping with the BBQ please be at the Museum by 9.30 am to help set up.

There will also be a grand collection of vehicles to be viewed. Come along.

Southern Captain’s Run

16th March

10.30 arrival at John McGee’s farm.

This is a picnic day, so please come prepared with your drinks, food, chairs, and whatever else you need. Maybe insect repellent too!

The drive for the day is… you getting to & from McGee Rd, Kaeo.

McGee Rd…

It is sign-posted.

The Club flag will be at the intersection of SWH 10 & McGee Rd.

Heading north from Waipapa SHW 10

…after passing through Waipapa, heading North, you will pass the turn-off to Matauri Bay, then Matauri Link Rd on your right and McGee Rd is the next road on your right, at the bottom of the hill which has the southbound passing lane. There is a gateway you can pull over in, on the left near the bottom of the hill before the bridge, if you wish to let traffic behind you pass, before your right-hand turn into McGee Rd, which is just over the bridge… traffic is usually moving at a speed, both ways.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

Theodore Roosevelt

Heading south from Kaeo

McGee Rd is the next road on the left after Martins Rd on SHW 10… pass Martin Rd, go over the hill, along the flats & turn left at the bottom of the hill.

It is a narrow gravel road, so drive accordingly once off SHW 10 and follow the road to the very end approx 1 km. There are lots of drives off it, don’t be tempted to take any. Last house on the road.

John McGee has kindly agreed to host us, share with us his heritage farm and house and lots of local history.

After morning tea, we will chat with John, see his vehicles and house then move to a picnic spot in the shade on the farm for lunch.

Any members with a 4x4 who wish to drive it for the day, will be welcomed. We are hoping to take Members further up the farm to enjoy the views

Our usual vehicles won’t be taken there!

Brian Parker Memorial

This event will take place on the 6th April and it will start in Waipapa. Please note the date… it’s early in the month.

Expect to receive an email soon with all the information needed for this event plus the entry form.

Parts Shed

The parts shed is open from 2 pm to 3.30 the day of our monthly meeting. Feel free to come and browse.

For any ‘needs’ between meetings, please contact Peter Mason.

Our Facebook Page

The link is:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id =61555518696477

The page has this cover photo.

From the Chair…

At the February meeting, I informed those present that Trevor Kotlowski was ill in Rawene Hospital.

Unfortunately, I found out later that he had passed away while I was on the road to the meeting.

He wished not to have a funeral. A group of his friends organised a gettogether in his honour, which 5 of our members attended.

Trevor has also donated to the Club a lot of gear, all boxed, which he thought would be best left with us.

For March we have the Cruising the Bays Run on the 8th calling in at Winston’s Museum for a BBQ, for which I hope we will have enough helpers to keep the workload easy.

Our meeting follows on Saturday 9th.

The Southern Captain’s run is a week later, on the 16th , with Caffeine & Classics on Sunday the 17th.

Unfortunately, I will be away for both weekends, firstly at the Sidecar Register Rally in Napier and then at the VCC Executive Meeting in Christchurch.

Keith

Vintage Car Club of New Zealand

Chevy parts, radiator & fan & some tools were in the first 2 boxes. The remainder of the boxes are yet to be opened.

Northern Club Captain’s Report

Time March's on!

We have several events coming up, so keep your s on the calendar. But, looking back over February… We will sadly miss Trevor Kotlowski who passed away after a short illness. He was a very active member. I believe the club has inherited many ‘treasures’ from him. These we appreciate.

We had a wide variety of vehicles - 17 vehicles, of which 11 were vintage- for the vintage truck run which ended in Kaeo. The weather was great.

Apologies for being so remiss (once again ) for leaving behind our route directions! I go to lots of trouble to get them done, nothing is easy, and then I leave them behind . It was an easy run for most of us and the meal at Whangaroa Sports Fishing Club was once again enjoyed by all.

For those of us who have never visited the Kaeo Museum, it is a must-stop and see. It is very well done with lots of friendly folks running it.

Excitement for us in the Rover heading for home as we came across Vince and Naomi in their Overland, parked on the roadside in trouble, not far from the new bridge .

Our visitor, Bob, got it running and we followed for another 5 or 6ks before it came to a halt on the double lanes on Kahoe Hill.

A tow was required.

Tom and his Rover did well, as far as the Mangonui double lanes when it was “Hello, where’s the Overland???

Well, I cracked upimagining Vince and Naomi sitting, waiting!

I’m sure they were about 2-3 kms backthey had the rope with them!

It had untied .

We secured them again and towed them back to Kaitaia.

Fun times… (Laural and Hardy stuff!)

Claude and Marg in their Humber had arrived at the Kahoe stop to help. Later I got a call from Marg to say, they, couldn’t get going!!

Kindly, a young fellow helped them out, after which they motored home without a stop.

Next on the calendar, March 8th is catering for the sausage sizzle at Matthews Museum for the Cruising the Bays group.

Details in the Club Notices.

I have the food organised for this and look forward to catching up with Members who can help on the day.

Marg D

"If you're having fun, that's when the best memories are built."

North Club Captain's Run 17-02-2024

Naomi Mason

Our day started well and we decided to take our Overland on the run to Kaeo. We left at 8 am and the Overland drove smoothly, flying up the hills with ease and travelling well.

We got to Kaeo at 9:15 and relaxed while we waited for other club members to arrive. It was great to be early and be able to relax.

What a great turnout of vehicles, 15 in all I think.

There was interest from the public too, as people came to view our cars.

We headed north out of Kaeo and turned up Martin's Road, just out of Kaeo. A very steep road with corrugation but we made it without too much trouble, then we turned right at the top and headed along Matauri Bay Road for a short distance, before turning right onto Matauri Bay Link Road.

WOW!! What a corrugated road! It shook our poor Overland up so much. We bounced around like a ping pong ball, all over the road.

What a relief it was to be back onto good tar-sealed roads, so much easier to travel on.

We headed back through Kaeo to Whangaroa Fishing Club, with the usual stop at the lights by the bridge.

Yes! Traffic lights up here in the North. We got through and enjoyed a lovely lunch.

The plan next was to return to Kaeo to see the big trucks that were rallying from Kaikohe and further.

Unfortunately, our Overland decided it had enough, so we decided to head home. We stuttered & stopped through the green light, stopping in the middle with cars behind us. We had to wave the cars on past us slowly, then we staggered over the bridge, stopping & starting a few times. We finally got across the bridge & got to the side of the road, before the traffic lights changed to allow other cars to go, thankfully.

Vince looked under the bonnet and found that a spark plug wire had come detached and the spark plugs were all black. After connecting the wire & cleaning up the spark plugs, also giving the car a bit more petrol, we chugged off again, up & over the hill, although sounding very rough.

Oh No!! a few more stops & starts then she wouldn't go.

Tom, Margaret & their friends arrived on their way home and they stopped to help us.

Their friend Bob was a mechanic and he took a look.

Yes, the points were black again, and he cleaned them up.

They stayed behind us as we roared off, doing 40 miles an hour, which was very fast for us, and we got halfway up Kahoe Hill before she stopped again.

Bob checked the points again and said that our Condenser was stuffed. We needed a new one.

SO WHAT NOW?

Tom said they would tow us back to Kaitaia to our workshop and we were very grateful.

Claude & Margaret had stopped too, to see if they could help. It was decided that they would stay behind us as tail-end Charlie, as Tom towed us home.

The tow rope was attached and away we went, travelling very smoothly. All went well until we reached the Mangonui

Bypass when the rope became detached & flew back towards us, Tom kept going, unaware that we were not behind him! We were stuck on the side of the road for about 10 -15 minutes before Tom returned to look for us.

He said they had travelled about 3 kms before they missed us.

FUNNY!!

Also, our tail-end Charlie never turned up!

We hooked up again & headed back to Kaitaia without any more incidents. It was such a relief to get back to the workshop safely and get the Overland back inside.

What gratitude we owe to Tom, Margaret and Bob. Thank you so much for all your help.

There were a few comments made of " That's a great way to travel and save petrol.” Haha, yes indeed.

Then we heard that Claude & Margaret's car wouldn't start at Kahoe Hill!! They might need a tow! Oh No! Poor them. Fortunately for them, someone arrived soon after with a great toolbox. With some good Kiwi ingenuity… battery operated tyre pump, which pushed fuel from the tank… they got the Humber started.

That was good news.

On Monday & Tuesday, Vince worked on the Overland, putting in a new Condenser & fixing up the Distributor. He started the Overland up & took it for a drive and she drove well. Praise the Lord for this & our good friends.

We look forward to the next rally without any incidents.

Thank you, Tom & Margaret, for a good event.

Omnium gatherum…

Best wishes and support to all who are working with extra challenges each day. Special thoughts for Margaret Wallace who is not long home from hospital.

Remember when…

Far North Caffeine & Classics

“Don't worry about failure; you only have to be right once.”

GillandStanreceivedtheRepcospotprizeatthe Februarymeet,withtheonlyclassicoff-roader there.

Northern