Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring Update

Fun during the Pomeroy at the VCCNZ 2016 Festival

VERO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF HISTORIC MOTORING

Sunday 16 to Friday 21 January 2022, start planning now.

The Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring committee is still working diligently to bring to you a world class event in 2022. The change of date from 2021 to 2022 has given us an opportunity to review the original Festival programme and fine tune or change some of the proposed activities. Our original programme had included a public display on the Wednesday evening. However, this had presented some logistical challenges and we are working on a viable alternative which we should be able to announce before Christmas. This has necessitated a bit of a shuffle, and the proposed event will be on the Thursday evening rather than Wednesday. What I can tell you is that its something that has never been done at any of our international events and will be remembered in the future.

Covid 19 still has everyone wondering what the future will bring. Unfortunately, it’s quite feasible that we will have a reduced number of international entrants and a possibility of none at all.

However, the upside is that with no or limited overseas travel available, and if you were planning an overseas holiday, and not able to proceed with it, we would love to see you at the Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring where you can enjoy the wonderful sights of Taranaki.

▼ Field events are always a crowd pleaser, here’s some of the intense competition from the 2016 Festival of Historic Motoring in Dunedin. ACCOMMODATION

If you had booked accommodation in or around New Plymouth for this event please make sure you have changed this to the new dates in 2022.

If you haven’t booked accommodation yet, don’t forget the Auto Lodge or Plymouth International Hotels as possibilities and remember to tell them you are entering the Vero International Festival of Motoring.

We are aware there has been some difficulties in changing accommodation to fit the new dates when bookings have been done through booking agents. It may be better to deal with hotel or motels directly rather than through an agent.

REGISTRATIONS

We are working toward registration forms being available in March 2021. This is a bit later than would be ideal, but with the current situation with Covid -19 and the reluctance of companies to confirm prices so far in advance, the later we can open registrations the easier it is to get acceptable costings.

SURVEY

In last month’s Beaded Wheels, Diane, our National President, stressed the importance of supporting The Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring, in 2022. Towards the end of this year there is to be survey sent to all VCC members to gauge your intention to attend. If there is a low indication of attendance, we will have no option but to seriously review the viability of this event. To be blunt, without the support of our members we can’t continue. It’s quite simple, the Management Committee expectation is that breaking even financially is the bottom line and a financial loss is not an option or acceptable.

The organising committee certainly hopes we can showcase Taranaki to you all so please get behind us, and along with your friends, plan now for January 2022

Greg Terrill

Festival Director

VULCAN FACTORY VISIT

WORDS AND PHOTOS DIGBY YOUNG

110 years later and just in time…

On a recent trip to the UK I was fortunate enough to be hosted in Wales by John Viner, the current owner of the ex-Giltrap Auto Museum 1908 Vulcan. The car was sold back to the UK in August 1989 when Giltrap’s museum on the Gold Coast, Australia closed down.

This car was an amazingly original vehicle, still sporting its factory paint and upholstery. It was originally sold to Mr Fredrick Dodds of Newcastle, Mayfield NSW and came with a van body which could be fitted in place of the rear seat. In the UK it was repainted, and the original pleated upholstery was replaced with deep buttoned upholstery, a superb job.

John collected me after my lengthy train trip from London, and we motored to his beautiful little village, Llanrhaeadr ym Machnant (no I still can’t say it), and he asked “What would you like to do first?” I replied, “John, I’ve been studying your car for 20 odd years, I just want to touch it.”

Over the next few days measurements taken from my build were compared to John’s car, and overall I was very pleased with what I had done. Bonus upon bonus was a trip in his Vulcan to a pub at Llangedwyn about 10 miles away where we had lunch. When organising my trip I had mentioned to John that I wanted to go to Crossens just north of Southport and visit what was left of the Vulcan factory.

John was unable to come so a friend of his, Bob James, (who has rallied in New Zealand) volunteered. He picked me up and off we went to Crossens. On the way we called on Ken Medcalf who owned the remains of a 1925/6 Vulcan. He also had an FN, Sunbeam, Rolls-Royce, Graham-Paige and numerous Austins. But most memorable was a 1911 Daimler - absolutely original, paint, upholstery, speaking tubes and vases in the enclosed rear. An amazing car.

On a trip to the Atkinson Museum in Southport I saw another Vulcan which once belonged to Bob. An 11.5hp model from 1911 that was on loan from the Liverpool Museum. Apart from a repaint it is an original car, still with its leather hood and leather aprons between running boards and bodywork.

At last it was time to find the Vulcan Motor & Engineering factory in Rufford Road, Crossens. A little over-run but very recognisable from original photos. The factory has seen many occupants, including Phillips, Brockhouse, and Mallards, since Vulcan was taken over by Tilling Stevens in 1933. Car production ceased in 1928 but trucks kept the name alive until 1953 when Rootes Group took over. We decided to walk along Slackey Lane which runs along beside the building and this took us to a fenced off area where people were working. After explaining to a chap that I am restoring a car that was manufactured here 110 years ago he said “So you’d like to have a look then?” Absolutely! We made our way through to the old factory now used mainly for storage. A naturally well-lit environment that has succumbed to the ravages of time and a multitude of roof leaks.

Heading toward the front entrance we made our way up the oak staircase into what had been the Vulcan board room. Beautifully paneled in oak, with a fireplace near the entrance. Two chandeliers still hung from the ceiling. The only things missing were the board table and chairs, and maybe the smell of cigars or cigarette smoke instead of damp. The manager’s office was decorated in the same vein, but most other offices were quite dowdy by comparison. Downstairs to the original oak front doors where office staff would have come through and probably clocked in. Factory workers had a separate entrance or entrances as 700 plus people from around Crossens and Southport worked there having a significant financial impact in the area. Using Google maps, what is left of the factory covers about six acres, and old aerial photos show the factory would have covered around 12 acres. The whole area is due for demolition this year, and a new housing estate will be built in its place. Maybe they will name a road after the old factory, who knows? A few days later I was back on the train heading to London and another adventure, but thinking how a common interest brought two people together. I am especially grateful to John for his hospitality, and to Bob for his guidance and company to Crossens.

s We parked near the main entrance on Rufford Rd, walked down Slackey

Lane and entered the car park. What is left of the factory is indicated by 4 arrows. (Photo courtesy Southport Visitor) ▼ The board room with Bob James surveying the area.

MARLBOROUGH MAGNETOS

s The factory today with its original front doors still there as can be seen in period photos, including the army ambulance one.

s Vulcan army ambulance outside the front doors of Vulcan Engineering Co.

▼ John Viner’s 1908 20hp Vulcan with Garry Johnson, our chauffeur, outside the Green Inn pub at Llangedwyn in Wales.

General Shambles addresses the troops.

Magneto repair and restoration undertaken

Magneto Bearings supplied Magdyno and Maglita units restored

Exchange armatures available Coil Only service for DIY assembly Curiosities investigated

MARLBOROUGH MAGNETOS 027 577 8328 Contact Paul Radmall at paul@magnetos.co.nz

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s Trevor Loudon’s circa 1942 Indian 741B motorcycle. Foot and hand clutch made this quite a different machine and all round a very nice bike.

s John Loudon’s 1937-38 350cc 4 speed gearbox

Royal Enfield in original condition.

AN INDIAN STORY

WORDS JOHN LOUDON

Our family had the Danseys Pass Hotel in the Kakanui Ranges of the South Island from 1947-1959. I attended the local Ranfurly District High in the early 1950s, and during the school holidays would work in some of the Maniototo woolsheds, doing pickups and putting down wool bales with the old Donald presses.

This was quite tiring, and if not staying on the farm I would have to saddle up the horse and ride home to the pub, often not arriving until after 7pm and only fit for bed to catch up for the next day.

Not telling Mum or Dad, I took the bus to Dunedin early in my second season in the woolsheds, and after a few hours going around the motorcycle shops, I purchased a 1937 Royal Enfield 350cc which seemed in reasonable order, very tidy and ran well.

A visit to the army surplus shop in South Dunedin provided all the necessary clothes and I set off for home some 94 miles away on my new steed. The greatcoat I purchased that day was a woman’s airforce blue one and quite long, so covered the legs nicely. I have it today, and often wear it in the winter, but when it gets wet the feet drag a bit and it becomes very heavy after a while.

My arrival home was greeted with a pretty cool reception, but my old man calmed down the next day when he had a ride, although was quick to point out it was not like the big Harleys of his day. He and his friends must have been a mad lot of buggers by some of the stories he told, always trying to out do each other as they rode from A to B and sometimes ending up at D (the ditch).

Trevor, my older brother, had been working away from home when he got a job with the Rabbit Board. They used just about everything then from poison to gas, shooting, traps, and dogs, and all had different areas to cover but would often shift around and try different things on different blocks. Trev settled on dogs and shooting as his job, and lived at home on and off. When away he would borrow the Enfield and really took to motorcycling, so

took off to Dunedin one day to see what he could find and afford.

A couple of days went by and Dad got a phone call from Trev, could he lend him £50 as he had found the bike he would like, but was a bit short on cash and a decision had to be made that day as other purchasers were very keen also. Dad obliged.

I arrived home from work the next day to see the most beautiful Indian you would ever see sitting outside the bunkhouse. Painted red, complete with tank transfers, black frame and most other parts chrome plated, even the rims – complete with crash bars, pillion seat, pannier bags and windshield. I have no idea where he found it but the previous owner or owners must have been fanatics as it was in as-new condition with big fat tyres on it as well.

I have in recent years been lent a book on Indians, and some were built to special order, so this may have been one or it could have been assembled in New Zealand to USA specs – who knows, as it was just a 741 model Indian motorcycle to us then. It proved to be a very powerful and willing steed and on occasions we even used it to tow start the Model A as once it was rolling there was no problem.

After a couple of years and many thousands of miles the Indian was starting to smoke a bit on the downhill run. It still had plenty of grunt and was always an easy starter, even mid-winter, although in summer you had to be careful with the choke.

A decision was made to strip it down over the winter, and while we had a reasonable selection of Dad’s tools to use we still needed some pullers, so Trev wrote to Valentines. A parcel arrived from them in due course with everything we required and a complete list of Indian parts in stock.

This included just about everything, and a even a complete motorcycle could be made if required at around £195, plus on-road costs of course.

At this stage we boys slept in a separate bunkroom from the hotel, and it seemed an ideal place to work in, so in went the bike for its overhaul, much to Mum’s disgust, and from then on it was “make your b…. beds and clean up”. Then the fun started.

All went well and we had lots of the bike laid out and all cleaned up for inspection. The clutch plates were worn and this was put down to towing the A at times so a list was started and added to. The triplex drive chain was stretched to the limit but sprockets seemed okay and were left as is. We found that the rear chain and sprockets were a large pitch and not what the parts book said, so we knew then that the bike was built to different specifications. The electrics had been converted to 12v and had a 75w sealed beam headlight which made night riding much easier and the rider could see for miles.

Valves were burnt on exhausts but the inlets were okay and were much larger in diameter with larger stems. Where to get valves could have been a problem until one of the staff in Pringles garage at Ranfurly said he knew what they were from and produced four valves which were spot on and only needed lapping in.

The crankcase and bottom end all appeared to be in good order so were left well alone and we just replaced the rollers on the drive-side bearings. To get the bore right for the rings we just used a feeler gauge for the ring gap and sent it away with this measurement. In due course they arrived with instructions to give a minimum gap on the top ring of 0.16 inch and to this day, on all air-cooled engines I have stuck to this and never had a ring problem.

When all the parts arrived the big job of assembly was all on. By the end of the weekend we started it up and proved all our worries were over. It ran very nicely and was back to full power again. Trev had a girlfriend by this time and after a few very cold rides in the winter she put the hard word on the poor bloke to find better transport or another girlfriend. As usually happens, she won the day and the hunt was on to find a suitable vehicle. Eventually he arrived home with a 1934 Bedford pickup, also in very good original order so the romance was still on (it blew up later anyway).

Trev was very reluctant to sell the Indian after all our work, and I ran it in and rode it over the next few months until I finished high school. I then went back to the woolshed job using the Royal Enfield most of the time. I did ride the Indian to Dunedin to sign up for my first job at John McGregor’s as a fitter turner machinist which started after the summer holidays.

While in Dunedin I was approached by a guy who seemed to be very interested in the Indian, so got his name and address and passed it on to Trev. He bought the bike at the asking price and it was double what Trev paid for it three years previously and everyone was happy except me as I lost a very easy to ride and handle motorcycle.

So ends the story of an Indian with a difference, and maybe it still survives, but I never heard of it after it left the Danseys Pass Hotel and Loudon ownership.

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