Beaded Wheels Issue 376 June/July 2022

CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 76 YEARS

No. 376 June/July 2022

New Zealand’s Foremost Historical Motoring Magazine $7.95

SKOPE CLASSIC DRIVERS PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL ROAD TEST 1979 HONDA C50 CUB MARKET PLACE

9 418979 000012

FIND YOUR DREAM PROJECT

THE KETTERING CONTRIBUTION FROM ELECTRIC STARTS TO ROCK 'N ROLL

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

Possibly the bikes and riders are all lined up for a run. They are mostly Humbers and Triumphs circa 1912. Does any reader know anything more about this photo. Photo supplied by Bevars Binnie.

Photographs Required: Submissions of suitable prints and information are welcome. Post or email original photographs or high resolution digital files of historical interest with any available information to: beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz or Beaded Wheels, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Laserprints/photocopies are not suitable.

Photos will be returned as soon as practicable.

NATIONAL OFFICE

The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 Phone 03 366 4461 Email admin@vcc.org.nz

VCCNZ LIFE MEMBERS Andrew Anderson Roger White Norm Dewhurst Rod Brayshaw John Coomber

VCCNZ MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT Diane Quarrie 06 876 4009 president@vcc.org.nz SECRETARY/ TREASURER Christopher Leith 03 358 5378 hon.sec@vcc.org.nz CLUB CAPTAIN NORTHERN REGION Kaaren Smylie 021 664 341 nicc@vcc.org.nz CLUB CAPTAIN SOUTHERN REGION Alon Mayhew 027 202 9491 sicc@vcc.org.nz

REGISTRAR Rod Brayshaw 07 549 4250 registrar@vcc.org.nz SPEED STEWARD Tony Haycock 021 662 441 speedsteward@vcc.org.nz BEADED WHEELS CHAIRMAN Kevin Clarkson 021 0270 6525 kevin@vcc.org.nz Tony Bartlett 06 867 9850

mgmt1@vcc.org.nz

George Kear 027 221 4332

mgmt2@vcc.org.nz

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING comms@vcc.org.nz ARCHIVIST Don Muller 03 385 6850

archivist@vcc.org.nz

Murray Trounson 03 339 8830 mgmt3@vcc.org.nz

Please note this information changes annually - these details are valid until the next AGM

VCCNZ BRANCHES A full list of branch addresses and contact details can also be found on the VCCNZ website at www.vcc.org.nz ASHBURTON PO Box 382, Ashburton 7740 ashburton@vcc.org.nz AUCKLAND PO Box 12-138, Penrose, Auckland 1642 auckland@vcc.org.nz BANKS PENINSULA 27 Showgate Ave, Riccarton Park, Christchurch 8042 bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 660, Tauranga 3140 bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz CANTERBURY PO Box 11-082, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 canterbury@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL OTAGO C/-114 Shortcut Road, Luggate, RD2, Wanaka 9382 centralotago@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY C/- 448 Tukituki Road, RD1, Takapau 3286 centralhawkesbay@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo Whakatane 3159 easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz

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FAR NORTH C/– PO Box 312 Kaitaia 0441 farnorth@vcc.org.nz GISBORNE PO Box 307, Gisborne 4040 gisborne@vcc.org.nz GORE PO Box 329, Gore 9740 gore@vcc.org.nz HAWKE’S BAY PO Box 3406, Napier 4142 hawkesbay@vcc.org.nz HOROWHENUA PO Box 458, Levin 5540 horowhenua@vcc.org.nz KING COUNTRY C/- 53 Huia Street, Taumarunui 3920 kingcountry@vcc.org.nz MANAWATU PO Box 385 Palmerston North 4440 manawatu@vcc.org.nz MARLBOROUGH PO Box 422, Blenheim 7240 marlborough@vcc.org.nz NELSON PO Box 3531, Richmond 7050 nelson@vcc.org.nz

NORTHLAND PO Box 17, Whangarei 0140 northland@vcc.org.nz NORTH OTAGO PO Box 360, Oamaru 9444 northotago@vcc.org.nz NORTH SHORE C/- 7 Godwit Place, Lynfield Auckland 1042 northshore@vcc.org.nz OTAGO C/- 21 Mornington Road, Balaclava, Dunedin 9011 otago@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 rotorua@vcc.org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY 19 Redruth St, Timaru 7910 southcanterbury@vcc.org.nz SOUTHLAND PO Box 1240, Invercargill 9840 southand@vcc.org.nz SOUTH OTAGO C/- 1931 Breakneck Rd, RD 4, Balclutha 9274 southotago@vcc.org.nz SOUTH WAIKATO PO Box 403 Tokoroa 3420 southwaikato@vcc.org.nz

TARANAKI C/- PO Box 39029, Egmont Village 4361 taranaki@vcc.org.nz TAUPO PO Box 907, Taupo 3351 taupo@vcc.org.nz WAIKATO PO Box 924, Hamilton 3240 waikato@vcc.org.nz WAIMATE 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 waimate@vcc.org.nz WAIRARAPA PO Box 7, Masterton 5810 wairarapa@vcc.org.nz WAITEMATA C/- 9 Marlborough Ave, Glenfield, Auckland 0629 waitemata@vcc.org.nz WANGANUI PO Box 726, Whanganui 4540 wanganui@vcc.org.nz WELLINGTON PO Box 38-418, Petone, Wellington 5045 wellington@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz WEST COAST C/- 1999 Kumara Junction Highway, RD 2, Hokitika 7882 westcoast@vcc.org.nz

CONTENTS

Beaded Wheels Publisher

The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 Vol LXXIII No. 376

Issue 376 June/July 2022

Editorial Committee

Kevin Clarkson (Chairman), Judith Bain, Rosalie Brown, John Coomber, Mark Dawber, Greg Price.

Material for Publication

Reports of restorations, events, road tests, historical and technical articles should be submitted to beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz.

Email of text and photos is preferred, digital photographs should be high resolution eg 300dpi. Alternatively mail your contribution to PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140, typed or neatly printed, double space on one side of paper only. No payment is made to contributors. The opinions or statements expressed in letters or articles in Beaded Wheels are the author’s own views and do not necessarily express the policy or views of The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc).

Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Advertising Enquiries

Classified and Display Advertising to: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Phone 64 3 332 3531 Rate schedule available on request.

Back Issues Available on request to PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

Correspondence & Editorial Contributions

Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 366 0273 PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz

Subscriptions

Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

Phone 03 366 4461, Fax 03 366 0273 Annual subscription (6 issues) $45* inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$76* Other countries (6 issues) NZ$136*. *Payment by credit card incurs additional bank fee processing charge of 3%

FEATURES 14 16 18 20 24 28 32 34 37

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Production

Design: RGB Design & Print Ltd, Christchurch Print: PMP Ltd, Christchurch.

Closing Date for August/September: Editorial Copy Advertisements

26 June 2022 10 July 2022

My Sports Car Obsession The final instalment in Roger White’s recollections of the sports cars of his life Recapturing the spirit Photographer and journalist John King digs into his back catalogue

From Electric Starts to Rock 'n' Roll The turbulent career of Charlie Kettering Behind The Wheel Peter Cooper’s 1979 Honda C50 Super Cub South Island Tour 1946 – Transcriptions from Owen Good’s youthful journey around the South Island

Rally Snippets 37 Hunua 100 (2021 Delayed) – Auckland 37 The Whale Tail Run – North Shore 38 Irish Woman’s Rally - South Waikato Grandad’s Wheels It’s taken a wee while but Peter Horgan’s family vehicle is getting ready for the road

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Captain’s Log

The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.)

41

Book Review

5

VCC Branch Events

42

Archivist News

National Office Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 Email admin@vcc.org.nz

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National Office

43

Marketplace

7

Mailbag

48

Swap Meets & Rallies

Postal Address: PO Box 2546,

9

Timelines

49

Trade Directory

11

Soapbox

51

Idle Torque

12

The Way We Were

62

Passing Lane

The contents are copyright. Articles may be reproduced complete or in part provided that acknowledgement is made to “Beaded Wheels, the magazine of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc)” as the source.

Reproduction of articles must be at least 12 months after original Beaded Wheels publication date. Beaded Wheels reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes.

Like us on facebook Beaded Wheels

Irish Woman’s Rally 2022

38

COLUMNS As We See It

Website: www.vcc.org.nz Copyright Information

32

Re-Powered Road Cars

President’s Message

New Zealand.

1938 Diamond T Texaco

1938 Diamond T Texaco Tanker Restoration

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Address: 12 Aberdeen St, Christchurch,

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The Day the Bugatti Broke Down

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Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.

1979 Honda C50

Market Place

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COVER Enthusiastic VCCNZ drivers were hell bent on making the most of the track at the April Skope Classic held at Ruapuna Track outside Christchurch. Our cover features Canterbury Branch stalwart Colin Hey tearing down the track in his 1958 Wolseley 1500.

A report appears in Banks Peninsula Branch Idle Torque for this issue see page 52. Photo John McDonald.

The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) is the worldwide organisation dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of historic vehicles and related culture.

The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc) is a founding member of FIVA. VCCNZ Registrar Rod Brayshaw is the New Zealand delegate to FIVA and also a member of the FIVA Technical Commission.

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Club’s financial statements are currently being prepared for reporting to all members and I can advise that there is a surplus of income over expenditure of approximately $130,000. This is an extremely pleasing result and is attributable to careful financial and prudent management by the Management Committee, a higher-than-normal Vero profitshare and a profit from the Vero Festival of Historic Motoring.

The on-line membership application is now live, and it can be accessed via the Club website. Applications are already being received via this new system. The new branch portal which allows branch secretaries to view information regarding their branch membership is also up and running and a considerable number of branches are using it.

A VCC YouTube channel has been set up and if you have any video clips that you think might be suitable email them to our speed steward. Go to “vintage car club nz you tube” on google to find it.

A new club brochure is in the pipeline and copies will be distributed to branches for use at events where the public are present.

AS WE SEE IT In our last issue Bill Cockram featured in Soapbox raising the subject of the worth of having Idle Torque taking space in Beaded Wheels. I responded to his submission and finished up by asking “Who’s right?”. Based on the letters we have received, plus some verbal input to me, and a couple of emails to me that we haven’t printed, the answer is – Not Sure!

Most seem to think both sides have valid viewpoints with a slight bias towards keeping Idle Torque. Some have made suggestions as to how it could be improved, and we will be looking to act upon those

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My navigator Gaynor Terrill and I are looking forward to finally being able to take part in the Targa Rally at the end of May after it was postponed last year. It is interesting that the entry fee for the two-day event is more than $2,000 whereas the entry fee for the recently held six-day Vero Festival of Historic Motoring was $550. I know that they are completely different events and can’t really be compared because the Targa is organised by a professional event company and there are multiple road closures which are very costly. However, I can’t help thinking that entrants for VCC events get a great ‘bang for their buck’. I read recently that the fee for the FIVA World Rally, being held in Bulgaria, is NZ$1,800.

As I have advised previously I, along with the presidents of the Federation of Motoring Clubs and the New Zealand Hot-rod Club, had a meeting with the Minister of Transport in August last year to put our case on various matters, including a 12 month WoF/CoF. This was a very positive meeting and the Minister directed NZTA (Safer Vehicles) to work with our group with a view to achieving this.

Progress is now finally back underway (due to amongst other things NZTA staff being

suggestions in future issues.

Alan Wylie raises the possibility that a survey of members could be a good thing. Not sure about that. Many may just think currently that we have run out of ideas but by instituting a survey we could merely be proving them right. Maybe!

We thank Bill for raising the subject in the first place and hope he is not too disappointed that Idle Torque will continue to have a place in Beaded Wheels.

While on the subject of Idle Torque I would like to thank all of the Branch Reporters who write up the branch doings for the previous two months and present it to us, usually

badly hit with Covid-19) and NZTA have advised they are almost at the stage of make a recommendation to their leadership group to consider a class exemption for veteran, vintage and classic vehicles to extend the WoF/CoF period from six months to 12 months (possibly in conjunction with our VIC system). I hope that I can report on a positive note regarding this at the VCC AGM. We know that historic motor vehicles, on average, travel extremely low distances and are primarily used for leisure purposes only, very often as part of public events. This is backed up by the Federation of British Motoring Clubs survey undertaken in 2020 which found that the total miles covered by historic vehicles per annum is estimated to be 0.2% of the total mileage driven. The average distance travelled by a historic vehicle is 1,200 miles per annum and the average number of times a historic vehicle is taken out a year is 16. The New Zealand Federation of Motoring Clubs is undertaking the huge task of putting together a similar survey for New Zealand.

As a founder member of the Federation, the VCC fully supports this initiative.

by the deadline, for inclusion in the latest Beaded Wheels.

It is possibly not a job that suits everybody, but it is an important one and helps the cohesion of the Club as a whole.

I would like to make special mention of Far North Branch Reporter, Dave Duirs, who is hanging up his pen with this issue after some 22 years of Idle Torque reporting. What a great effort and we thank him for that. I could be wrong but I don’t think any other Branch Reporter has done a stretch as long as that. Thank you, Dave.

As a motorcyclist I am awaiting the forthcoming National Motorcycle Rally in February 2023. It seems the organisers

Plans to host the Vehicle Standards arm of the NZTA at VCC National Office to give them an overview of our VIC system had to be put on hold due to Covid-19 and they have now advised they are short staffed and are absolutely swamped with the Clean Car program. We had agreed at a previous meeting with them that a Memorandum of Understanding in relation to our DOMAS and VIC cards would be drafted and agreed upon.

Progress could be described as glacial at present, but I hope that they have the staff resources soon to allow both of these things to happen as we are committed to fostering and strengthening our relationship with them.

It’s great to see that national and branch events are getting back on-track with lots of our members taking part … let’s make sure that we continue to drive our history.

Diane

Diane Quarrie VCCNZ National President

have prepared a well thought out event that will enable participants to enjoy their annual Southland Rally the weekend before and also the Burt Munro Challenge events immediately following the national rally. Southland Branch Idle Torque has more information on page 58. What better excuse is needed to plan a journey south.

Kevin Clarkson Chairman Beaded Wheels

VINTAGE CAR CLUB BRANCH EVENTS DRIVING OUR HISTORY

Hawke’s Bay Branch members visit the Bibby family church Photo Esther Smith

JUNE 6 8 8 8 9 9 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 14 14 15 15 15 15 15 16 16 19 19 19 19 19 25 25 25 25 25 26 26 26 26 28 29 30

South Otago Hawke’s Bay South Otago Waikato Banks Peninsula South Canterbury Waikato Waimate Central Otago Hawke's Bay Northland North Otago West Coast Ashburton Gore Auckland C. Hawke’s Bay E. Bay of Plenty Gisborne Waikato Ashburton Manawatu Auckland North Shore Otago Taupo West Coast Auckland Far North South Canterbury Taranaki Wellington Auckland Gisborne Nelson Wellsford/Wkwth South Otago Wellington Otago

Combined Auction Night AGM Wednesday Run AGM AGM Midweek Run Double 50 Rally Midwinter Dinner AGM Sunday Club Run AGM AGM AGM Restoration of the Year AGM Midweek Tourers AGM Mid Month Run AGM Wednesday Wander AGM Twilight Rally Vintage Muster Club Run AGM Brass Monkey Run Rosco Sporting Trials AGM Molloy Trophy Rally Night Trial Mid Year drive and lunch Monte Carlo Rally Club Run Club Run AGM Sunday Run AGM Midweek Run Midweek Run

JULY 2 2-3 3 3 6 9

Nelson Wellsford/Wkwth Horowhenua Waikato Hawke's Bay Gore

9-10 Canterbury 10 C. Hawke’s Bay 10 Marlborough 10 12 17 17

Nelson Ashburton Hawke's Bay Taranaki

17 17 20 20 24 24 24 27 28 31 31 31

Taupo Wanganui Auckland Waikato Banks Peninsula Gisborne Waikato Marlborough Otago Auckland Nelson Waimate

Reefton Car Display Winter Woollies Wander Night Owl Rally Venturers Run Midweek Run Annual Dinner & Awards Night Motorcycle Midwinter Run Remembrance Run Combined Run with Nelson to Carlue Domain & Rai Valley Combined Snow Run Annual Dinner Winter Art Deco Run Bertrand Rd. Bridge 125 year celebration Posh Picnic.

Club Run Treasure Hunt Sunday Run Midweek Tourers Wednesday Wander Balcairn Trial Club Run Motorcycle Run Midweek Run Midweek Run Club Run Henry Ford Celebration Henry Ford Day

AUGUST 8 13 14 17 17 21 21

Hawke's Bay Auckland Hawke's Bay Auckland Waikato Banks Peninsula Central Otago

Midweek Run National VCCNZ AGM Sunday Club Run Midweek Tourers Wednesday Wander Awards Lunch Monte Targo (Daffodil Run) 21 VCC National Day Daffodil Rally for Cancer - check vcc. org.nz for your branch events 25 Otago Midweek Run

SEPTEMBER 3 11 18 19-23 24 25

Waimate Waikato Waikato North Island Central Otago Gisborne

Swap Meet Wednesday Wander PV Rally Club Captain’s Tour Blossom Festival Rally Club Run

NATIONAL EVENTS 21 August 2022 VCCNZ National Day – Daffodil Rally for Cancer 19-23 September 2022 North Island Club Captain’s Tour 3-6 February 2023 National Motorcycle Rally

This list does not contain all branch events – Check branch newsletters for up-to-date details of smaller events.

This column is compiled from the VCCNZ National Calendar of Events, and events as listed in each branch newsletter. Any deletions, additions, alterations need to be notified to Beaded Wheels by the Branch Secretary before 10th of the month prior to magazine publication.

While Beaded Wheels makes every attempt to check the accuracy of the dates published in this column we advise readers to confirm all dates with the individual branch concerned.

A valid Vehicle ID card (VIC) is required for any vehicle entered in a National VCC event.

Visit www.vcc.org.nz for more information on how to obtain a VIC for your vehicle.

Beaded Wheels 5

NATIONAL OFFICE NEWS Contact National Office for all queries regarding VICs, historic race licences, logbooks, registration of vehicles, lighting endorsement, address changes, subscriptions, membership cards, speed events.

VCC VERO INSURANCE SCHEME

Please note: Financial membership of the Vintage Car Club of NZ Incorporated is a requirement to be insured under the VCC/Vero Insurance Scheme.

10 YEARLY RENEWAL OF VEHICLE ID CARDS

Renewal advices are generally sent out three months prior to expiry. Upon receipt, please check the details are correct and if the vehicle’s appearance has not changed from the original Vehicle Identity Card, forward your expired Vehicle Identity Card and the signed renewal notice to your branch for completion.

If you do not enclose the expired Vehicle Identity Card, or if the vehicle’s appearance has changed, you must send two identical photos of the vehicle as it now looks.

Please return your renewal advice as early as possible.

HAVE YOU BOUGHT A VEHICLE THAT HAS A VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NZ VEHICLE ID CARD?

Upon a change of ownership, the Vehicle ID Card is no longer valid. It is easy to transfer this into your name. Complete the VCC Change of Ownership form (found on the Club Website, through your branch or direct with National Office).

BRANCH TRANSFER

To transfer between branches, complete a transfer form. This can be obtained through your branch secretary or from our website. Please note that the transfer form must be signed off by both branches involved in the transfer.

VCC SPEED EVENTS

Any member entering a VCC Speed Event must hold a current VCC Historic Racing Licence (or Motorsport NZ Licence), and VCC Logbook (or Motorsport NZ Logbook), for the vehicle concerned, which must have a current VIC.

Beaded Wheels Beaded Wheels is the voice of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) and its 36 branches covering the length and breadth of the country.

The efforts of our members continue to foster and ever widen the interest in this segment of our country’s history. It is to these people, who appreciate the fascination of age, the individuality and the functional elegance of vehicles from a bygone era, that this magazine is dedicated Beaded Wheels – Our long established title may have readers wondering about its

6 Beaded Wheels

origin. By way of explanation beaded edge wheels use beaded edge tyres that are kept in place by reinforced rubber beads, which fit into the rolled edges of the wheel rim. This style of wheel was a distinctive feature of early motoring, being used on early bicycles, many pre-1924 cars and most motorcycles until 1927.

In March 1955 The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand adopted the title Beaded Wheels for their club magazine which was the successor to the monthly Guff Sheet.

If you currently hold a VCC Historic Racing Licence, please keep an eye on the expiry date and if it needs renewing, please complete the Historic Race Licence Renewal Form and forward it, along with the payment, and a new one will be issued.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS/PHONE NUMBERS/EMAIL/VEHICLE OWNERSHIP

Please advise the National Office if you have changed address, phone number, email address or vehicle ownership.

COMMUNICATIONS WITH NATIONAL OFFICE

Please include your membership number in all communications with National Office including payments to the National Office bank account. This can be found on your membership card in the top right-hand corner.

NATIONAL OFFICE VISITORS

To ensure we maintain a safe working space for our staff and members, the following rules are being maintained. We thank you for respecting these rules.

•

Please wear your face mask

•

Sign in with the Covid app on your phone, or sign the visitor’s book

•

Sanitize hands on entry

•

Do not come to the National Office if you have cold/flu like symptoms

•

Vaccine pass required to obtain entry to National Office

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

JOHN L GODDARD TROPHY

FOR ACHIEVEMENT Do you know a VCC member who , deserves our Club s premier award?

Members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand are invited to nominate a fellow member for this annual award.

The nomination should be for any member who they regard as having been involved in a significant achievement.

It may be a particularly significant restoration, a memorable motoring journey or an important historical article or series of articles published in Beaded Wheels or some special service to the Club.

Nominations for the Award should be forwarded to: John L Goddard Award, Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc) PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE 8 JULY 2022

NATIONAL OFFICE HOURS

Mon-Fri 9.30am to 1.30pm.

Linda Duffell Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Inc Office Administrator

MAILBAG The editorial committee reserve the right to ­publish, edit or refuse publication of any item ­submitted as comment. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the policy or views of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) or the publishers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

HEREFORD NOT HAMPSHIRE

ANSALDO QUERY

Have just received my valued copy of the latest issue of Beaded Wheels.

I am hoping to find out the situation regarding Ansaldos in New Zealand. I have owned a 1923 4C model since the early 1960s, and have recently restored the vehicle as a raceabout. See photo. The car is awaiting inspection prior to being placed on Club registration, and has been entered in an RACV rally in October this year around the high country of Victoria. In the early 1920s an Ansaldo won this event with no loss of points for reliability, and I would appreciate it if any readers could advise me of any Ansaldo owners in New Zealand. My other collectable vehicle is a 1943 Chevrolet C8AX puddle-jumper which was originally owned by the New Zealand forces but shipped back to Australia from the Solomon Islands and is one of about 10-15 known to exist in Australia. Any contacts regarding the Ansaldo would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in anticipation

As the former owner of a 1952 Austin A70 Hereford, (see my article and photo on page 19 of the October/November 2018 issue, entitled Austin A70 Hereford A Saga), I was shocked to see the gross error perpetrated in Ewen Duthie’s A Trio of Austins.

The A70 pictured in the photo heading the article is an A70 Hereford, not an A70 Hampshire.

The Hampshire was a rather unattractive dull looking car produced by Austin from 1948 to 1950.

The delightful A70 Hereford was produced from 1950 to 1954, and its rounded appearance, similar to the upmarket Austin A35, was a popular delight.

Keep up the good work, Beaded Wheels is a well read and popular read in my family.

Roger Douglas

Len Schutt schutt@internode.on.net

1972 13TH INTERNATIONAL VCC RALLY

In response to Derek Upton’s letter, I would like to thank Derek for not only setting the record straight but also for his own highly interesting reminiscences of the event. Interestingly, the rally programme lists Dale Conlon’s entry no 414 on route 082 only as a 1931 Ariel, with no model details like most entrant listings. I guess that is why my photo has become wrongly identified accordingly, somewhere over the years.

Apologies to Derek and Dale for that.

Barry Barnes

IDLE TORQUE

Bill Cockram’s soapbox letter deserves consideration, particularly his comments regarding Idle Torque.

Yes, there are undoubtedly a very few members who carefully read all of Idle Torque in the hope of seeing a friend’s face, but I believe that, at best, most members would simply read the section on their particular branch, and, at worst, simply ignore it as being of little interest. If it came to a vote mine would be for its elimination, allowing more interesting and informative content to be included – if a magazine is going to grab a prospective buyer’s attention, it has to do so in the first few pages.

If there was insufficient content submitted by members, there is plenty of content that could be reproduced from our branch newsletters. For example, our BOP VCC magazine Klaxon has in the last few months included several interesting vehicle restoration articles which would be great content for Beaded Wheels. While branch members of the publication it was reproduced from would have seen that content, I suggest that it would worry few.

I also suggest further changes in the format of Beaded Wheels.

The first two pages of housekeeping content – details of National Office, the VCCNZ

Management Committee, the Branch details, the Beaded Wheels static information, and the VCCNZ info underneath it – should all be consigned to the last inside pages of Beaded Wheels. As should the National Office page. These are purely housekeeping matters, generally static in content and their position at the rear of Beaded Wheels would have no deleterious effects, but would enable interesting content to feature earlier in Beaded Wheels.

The President’s message and the Coming events page could constitute the first and second inside pages. The most interesting article could then be posted on the following pages, followed by the present content pages. However, Market Place is what I look at first, and most members probably do the same.

Its position should be advanced to the middle of Beaded Wheels.

Such changes would improve the interest and readability, would suit the majority of members, and may enhance our bookshop sales.

I applaud the Beaded Wheels Editorial Committee for their great unpaid efforts each month, which I know to be very time consuming and repetitive.

Debate on this matter is timely.

Bryce Strong

IDLE TORQUE

I wish to thank the Beaded Wheels committee for publishing my contribution to Soapbox and for the prominence imparted to it by the Editor’s immediate and passionate defence of Idle Torque. Any issue that involves major change to our magazine deserves wider discussion than just two opposing views. This is why I thought it helpful to include a suggestion for what could replace Idle Torque, and not simply criticize it in its present format. Members may well think of more desirable replacement content than I have suggested.

However I am compelled to

Beaded Wheels 7

A simple trick that usually works for me is to drape a piece of cloth over the nipple before fitting the grease gun to it. You may need to try material of different thicknesses to get one that works. The grease gun will have no trouble firing grease through the fabric.

You have been searching the internet for a piece of shim steel of a particular gauge, and you can’t find it. Not only is it non-standard, it’s never been made. I’ll bet that you already have the solution in your workshop. Sacrifice a blade, or two, or even three out of a feeler-gauge set and you can make up what you need.

Marsden Robinson

Beaded Wheels is always looking for hints of a technical nature.

If you have a top tip that deserves a wider audience email us today and we can help spread the word.

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Kevin and I simply differ on whether Idle Torque merits the extensive space devoted to it in our National Magazine. That I would have thought is a valid and simple premise from which to start discussion.

Bill Cockram

Richard Green

IDLE TORQUE OR IDLE TALK

IDLE TORQUE OR IDLE TALK

Bill’s remarks around large mammals of the family Elephantidae has prompted me to comment.

Editor Kevin Clarkson has asked for comments on Bill Cockram’s Soapbox piece in issue 375 and his own comments in response.

Frankly I was surprised at his main premise – that there is little or no place in the magazine for reports and news from other branches. To me this is a club magazine and without any form of reports from other branches it would quickly become just another motoring magazine without any merit. We all have contacts and acquaintances in other branches and I find it interesting to be kept in touch with the various activities happening elsewhere. I agree material in the branch news section does needs careful scrutiny and tweaking by the editorial committee to keep nebulous phraseology from rearing its ugly head, and fluff to a minimum. The current team seem to be doing ok.

Who is right? I think both are to some degree.

Idle Torque has the potential to keep members throughout the country posted on what is going on in the branches, and at the same time be of interest to casual or subscribing readers.

To my mind this means some reporting of interesting or unique aspects of Club events, but please no regurgitating of the rally route unless there is a significant aspect to the venue or points en route that could interest members elsewhere in the country. I prefer to see some information on the vehicles taking part, which if rating a mention could be described as, for example, “newly acquired” “recent restoration” “rare” “desirable” “regular participant” “delightfully original”. I also like to hear of restorations in progress and new discoveries and acquisitions. Any photos submitted should be at least mentioned in the text and a good descriptive caption supplied, and I thoroughly agree with Kevin that as many photos as possible are desirable.

Branch Reporters should bear in mind that their notes are not just for the edification of local branch members and should ask themselves the question, “Will this be of interest to

the primary purpose of Beaded Wheels should be to serve the interests of VCC members CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR OVER 70 YEARS

CLASSIC,

TORING ERAN MO E AND VET VINTAG

FOR 75

No. 358 June/July 2019

AND VETERAN

MOTORIN G FOR 76 YEAR S

NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95

No. 376 June/July

INE $7.95 ING MAGAZ ICAL MOTOR OST HISTOR D’S FOREM NEW ZEALAN

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CLASSIC, VINT AGE

YEARS

2022 New Zealand’s

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SKOPE CLASSI C DRIVERS PUT THE PEDAL TO THE MET AL

MEGA MOTORING

Rally Action From Around New Zealand BAY HAWKE’S ACTION IN DSON VETERAN RLEY-DAVI • 1920 HA ER P6 V8 1972 ROV D E OF THE MAGAZIN

CAR VINTAGE

NEW CLUB OF

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1966 NISSAN PRINCE SKYLINE, MAGNETOS AND MORE… MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND

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You can buy a brand new grease gun, and fit brand new grease nipples to your car, and when you grease it grease will still ooze out all over the place instead of going into the bearing.

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This issue we’re testing the waters with a couple of workshop tips from Marsden Robinson - let us know what you think.

Accurate, relevant stimulating content is essential if one seeks credibility. When we are no longer here, what we have recorded is what remains for those who follow, and that is why I included the words “long term” when making my point. I did not imply all other obligations come second as Kevin has claimed. After all, obligations are obligations, and ranking them does not lessen an obligation.

00001 2

your workshop hints wanted

As a vintage Roll-Royce owner and member of the RREC I receive a bi-monthly magazine from the UK. It is interesting to make the comparison. Each edition averages around 85 pages, of which about 10 are dedicated to usual categories like index, contacts, chairman and editors message, general news, intouch (mailbox) and events calendar etc making up typically 12%. There is some commercial advertising to support the cost of printing and distribution which amounts to 17 pages or 20% . The rest of the space, 68% is divided roughly equally between standard articles and Section and Register News. This is somewhat similar to Idle Torque but contains event calendars for each sections (branches), and specific special interest groups. It’s liberally populated with interesting photographs of events and vehicles. The 3-column layout similar to Beaded Wheels but rather than grouping all the photographs together they are spaced around the relevant text which makes it very readable.

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tricks of the trade

correct Kevin Clarkson with his inaccurate interpretation of my viewpoint. Careful readers will have noted that what I said in Soapbox in respect to Beaded Wheels was: ”For me the credibility and quality of what we publish is arguably more important than all other longterm obligations to motoring and the Vintage Car Club.”

ROAD TEST 1979 HONDA C50 CUB

THE KITTERING CONTRIBUT FROM ELECTRIC ION STAR TO ROCK 'N ROLL TS

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

$7.95

members at the other end of the country, too?”

As a some-time contributor to Beaded Wheels for over 60 years, I get it that it can be a thankless task with people ready to criticise if you get something wrong, but who seldom help out with useful material. A big thank you to those who do contribute and our volunteer BW Committee, who, as you can see from the simple evidence of our most recent issue, do a sterling job for our Club and its members.

Barry Barnes

IDLE TORQUE OR IDLE TALK

I read with interest Bill Cockram’s comments regarding Idle Torque and your response in the latest issue...

Firstly, I don’t think either of you are right or wrong; it’s just a difference in perspective.

I believe that Idle Torque has a place in the magazine. I agree with your comment that Beaded Wheels is primarily a clubbased publication, along with the benefits you noted in your response to Mr Cockram.

I would add that the section also could (and should!) be utilised to attract new members into the VCCNZ. My suggestion would be to have a look at how the imagery is formatted on the page, with a view (pun intended) to have photos that visually stand out take a more dominant placing.

Peter (Honda) Cooper

IDLE TORQUE OR IDLE TALK

I’d like to comment on Bill Cockram’s Soapbox and Kevin Clarkson’s response to it in issue No.375. I’ve always read every issue of Beaded Wheels from cover to cover. Except, that is, for Idle Torque. I soon found I had little interest in the activities of other branches and the content was often as dull as ditchwater so I would skip those pages.

Then I was invited to join the Editorial Committee and spent a couple of mostly enjoyable years helping to produce the magazine. Reading and subediting Idle Torque were among

the tasks I helped with. The quality of the contributions from the branch “scribes,” as they were called then, was variable.

Some did a good job while others disregarded the word limit and/or failed to grasp that they were writing for a national readership and not just their local branch. The write-ups were often highly parochial with “new curtains in our clubrooms” and “we had a pleasant afternoon” stories abounding. It could be an absorbing challenge trying to condense 450 words down to 300 while retaining as much of the writer’s meaning as possible but I felt there were other tasks much more worthy of the committee’s time.

I suggested at one of our committee meetings that Idle Torque be dropped from the magazine but found no support for the idea from my fellow members. I also proposed, perhaps naively, that a reader survey be conducted to see which parts of the magazine were liked/disliked by readers but that, too, went over like a lead balloon. One of my colleagues argued that “Idle Torque is the glue that holds the Club together”. It may be tacky but the effect on me is more repellent than adhesive.

The continued inclusion of Idle Torque makes Beaded Wheels look like it has never quite grown up from its small beginnings. It’s an anachronism in a national publication.

I don’t know about the effect on newsstand sales but Beaded Wheels would certainly be a better magazine without all those pages of tedious filler, especially if it meant more high quality content could take its place.

I agree with Kevin that the primary purpose of Beaded Wheels should be to serve the interests of VCC members but how does he know Idle Torque is a service members want and appreciate?

Reader survey, anyone?

photo: themodernclassiccarco.com

TIMELINES

1972 Triumph Dolomite

1902

120 YEARS AGO

1922

100 YEARS AGO

1947

75 YEARS AGO

1972

50 YEARS AGO

1992

30 YEARS AGO

VETERAN VEHICLES

Father and son Thomas and Charles Jeffery had a busy time at Rambler launching the Model C in March hot on the heels of the Models A and B. Thomas stuck to the tried and true. So the Model C featured tiller, not wheel, steering, a single cylinder 12hp engine under the seat, not under a bonnet, with chain driven rear wheels.

All for $750. By June the Model D had been added offering some luxury with its buffed leather hood and side curtains.

VINTAGE VEHICLES

July 1922 and a minor bombshell hit the English motorist.

Sir Herbert Austin and Stanley Edge had produced a small car that was a genuine car. With a side valve four-cylinder engine and three-speed gearbox, two doors, four seats, headlamps, a starter motor and four-wheel brakes. It was spritely, light and economical. Better still was the price reduction. Down to £165 from £225

by December.

PW VEHICLES

Volvo’s small car, the two door, 1414cc, 40bhp, four speed PV444 was finally in production in 1947. Not common here, the PV444 and its successor the 1956 1583cc PV544, established Volvo globally as a good performing, robust family car. Despite its styling being derived from 1940s Ford V8s and Pontiacs, it proved to be an effective rally car, notching up a series of victories from 1949 to well into the 1960s.

P60 VEHICLES

At long last those who had been waiting patiently since October 1971, through British Leyland’s strikes and other hold ups, for the twin cam 1.8 litre Triumph Dolomite were rewarded. One road tester commented it was excellent value for money, but he was waiting with even greater impatience for a completely new car from B/L.

P80 VEHICLES

In a world where hi-tech was seen to be a virtue, Honda more than rose to the challenge with their new 2.3 litre, DOHC, five speed manual or four speed auto four-wheel-steer Prelude.

Controlled by computers, Honda’s system reacted to the vehicle speed, the angle of turn and the speed with which the driver turned the wheel. Other than that it was stocked with standard Japanese luxury items, cruise control, power everything and tilt adjust steering.

Allan Wylie Graeme Rice’s compilation of developments in the motoring world this month in history.

Beaded Wheels 9

the bureaucrats have won.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

MAILBAG

CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 75 YEARS

A TALE OF COINCIDENCES

A few days later my wife Jill had to go for a second driving test because she went a bit too fast through a temporary speed restriction with a very inconspicuous sign on her first test. Because her driving license had expired by one day I had to drive her to her second test.

While waiting I wandered into a magazine shop where I spotted the issue of Beaded Wheels published before the two copies I had, October November 2021, which I purchased. A couple of days later I picked the magazine up and started reading Errol Chave’s letter on page 8 titled Where is it now?

I got to the bit describing the dashboard and knew at once that it was the MG we bought in May 1973. It was a tidy little car that went well and we had a lot of good fun in it, but after a couple years the body was deteriorating badly, the doors were coming loose and big lumps of filler were falling out so we decided to do a bit of

10 Beaded Wheels

New Zealand’s Foremost Historical Motoring Magazine $7.95

Body parts were stored in the loft, instruments and bits and pieces packed into cartons, engine and gearbox under my work bench and there they stayed for the next 30 years.

We sold that property 11 years ago so all the MG bits came with us and went back into storage.

Then about four years ago a man said that he understood that I had some old MG parts and did I want to get rid of them?

I thought for about five minutes and said “no, we are going to put it all together ourselves” – easier said than done.

So the work began…

Every bit of metal was sand blasted, primed and repaired.

A new wood frame was carved out, quite a lot of guesswork here as the original frame was so rotten it had crumbled away.

The upholstery kit, hood sidescreens and tonneau cover we had imported from England over 40 years ago were

MYSTERY SOLVED

CAN YOU ID THIS?

The cover of Beaded Wheels 371 solved a problem I have had identifying the black limousine used in the dvd copies of the Downton Abbey television series. The badge on the radiator was difficult to read but I now realise it was a Sunbeam. I am still stumped identifying the bluey green two-tone car that often follows the lovely black Sunbeam in Downton films. My guess is a Bentley?

This photo is of a motor that has turned up here in Hawke’s Bay. We are hoping by publishing this in Beaded Wheels somebody will identify it, and then a home can be found. I have more photos if required, contact me directly via email for more information.

WHERE IS IT NOW?

in the future he would let me know as I would possibly wish to buy it back. I had previously restored a Sunbeam 500 motorcycle and that same friend purchased it and looked after it well. Its present whereabouts is unknown but would also be of interest to me. Its last known registration was 97.649.

I am searching for a 1952/3 MG TD I owned and restored in the early 1960s. The car was in average condition when purchased but ran well enough.

However soon after purchase a crankshaft web broke and that prompted the full reconditioning of the engine along with meticulous restoration of bodywork, upholstery, paintwork, electrics and fittings.

As we took it apart the rust and rotten wood was so bad that no way could we afford, or had the time, to do the work that would have been necessary to restore it.

About this time our lifestyle changed. We moved to the country, built a large house and workshop, developed a large garden from scratch as well as earning a living so there was little time for the MG.

Ken Braddon (Abridged)

SEARCH FOR MG TD REG 815.909 / AF1122

work on it.

Some three or four years later, in what now can only be described as a period of mental aberration, I sold the car to buy a Ford Anglia 105E. The only mitigating excuse I can offer is that after a number of skiing trips to Queenstown, including one when the absolute lack of accommodation resulted in two of us sleeping overnight in the car, I concluded the Anglia would be a more practical means of transport.

9 418979 000012

We decided to go for a little test drive in in the MG we have been working on for some time, and put her nose out onto our tree-lined country road to make sure that it was clear. A car that was approaching pulled over and the driver got out to admire our vehicle (we hope) . We got talking and he gave me two copies of Beaded Wheels to read - December January 2021 and February March 2022 - and I enjoyed them very much.

No. 372 October/November 2021

BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CHRYSLER COUPE 1942 WL HARLEY-DAVIDSON MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND

It is always great to read Beaded Wheels especially when the President’s Message includes mention of a very healthy profit.

Gordon Taylor gordonandpenny@gmail.com or 022 432 8113, Nelson

In 1964, I think, I sold the car to a friend, Murray Campbell, who spent many miles with me going to and from ski fields and golf courses in the MG. We both lived in Wellington at the time and with the sale was the verbal agreement that should he ever come to sell the car

Digby Young digbyyoung52@gmail.com

I left New Zealand in 1966 to work in Wales. On returning in 1969 I looked my mate up and found that he had not used the car for some time. To my dismay it had not been under cover and had a good crop of long grass surrounding it. I offered to buy it but he declined on the basis that he hoped to restore it at some stage. That never happened and my friend subsequently died of cancer. I have been unable to trace or find out what happened to the MGTD or the Sunbeam 500.

When I purchased the MG it had the registration number 815.909 on the pressed steel yellow number plates. In 1964 registration plates changed and the MG registration became AF1122, on black aluminium plates.

There are one or two aspects that are unique to the Sunbeam and the MG TD and would help in their identification.

CADILLAC SPARKS INTEREST

I was very interested to read about the Caddies and Mrs Kay, whom I met. Leonard (Len) was coach for our footie team at Korakonui School during WWII when our family was domiciled there while Dad was in the desert and Italy. We stayed in Jim’s (Len’s uncle) farm cottage for free. Old Jim also provided free manuka for Mum’s coal range on which she cooked while it heated the one room.

A non-standard carburettor on the Sunbeam, while the MG has a number of nonstandard features, with one in particular that will no doubt disturb MG purists. As part of the reconditioning the dashboard was replaced with figured timber and the central instrument panel was replaced with a rectangular matt black chrome edged panel. The rear brake lights and the front parking lights were rewired to act as turning indicators controlled by a three way lever switch on the dash board adjacent to the horn button.

As for the structural and bodywork components of the vehicle, every member was stripped back and repainted.

The bodywork colour was as close to British Racing Green as the shop could manage.

Len’s two boys were at Koro’ and Brian played footy. Len gave us oranges at half time break and on gymkhana days on his farm put down a free hangi. Old Jim had a decent ‘29 Graham-Paige to take Mum to town once a week to shop for necessities such as Bycrofts crackers, and butter.

I still recall Dad walking up the path with his kitbag in 1945.

Bob Rout Invercargill

The engine reconditioning was carried out by Trevor Dunning, a skilled mechanic and a doyen of Dunedin’s motoring world at the time.

The car was still in my friend’s possession in Wellington around 1970/71. I am uncertain when or if he sold it or if it simply became part of his estate. The car’s registration at that time would have been AF1122 unless it had been allowed to lapse.

So there it is. The sad tale of a poor decision made over half a century ago. Any assistance from your readers in finding out the fate of MG TD AF1122 or indeed Sunbeam 97.649, would be much appreciated.

Errol Chave Phone: 03 4738 260, 027 652 6633 Email: chave@xtra.co.nz

8 Beaded Wheels

unpacked and with a bit of help from our son Mike the car started to take shape again.

The starting up of the engine that Peter Lawn had checked over 40 years before was was quite a milestone. As you can see from the photo only the hood and side screens to go now and we will be on the road again.

Unfortunately, during Murray Campbell’s ownership in the ‘60s, the car sat unused out in the open. This caused an awful lot of damage and Errol’s veneered dashboard had delaminated beyond repair.

Even the ply backing of the seat back was delaminated and had to be renewed. It must have been sodden for years as there was a high water mark inside the windscreen wiper motor.

Reading Errol’s article in the Beaded Wheels has answered a lot of questions as we could tell that the car had been much loved at one time but

horribly neglected at others.

We have often wondered about its history because it had been registered again in July 1972, nine months before we acquired it.

NTG Services in Ipswich England have been very good for the many parts that were missing or needed replacing. We really like our new dash. I have set the instruments into some birdseye maple wood that came from Jill’s great grandfather’s 1920s Napier furniture factory. And no, we will not add up the cost of this project.

I am so pleased that Bruce stopped that day and gave me those two copies of Beaded Wheels to read and also to Jill”s slightly heavy foot on her first driving test as without those two coincidences I would never have found out that little bit of history and how it got to the condition it was in. I am now going to get a subscription to Beaded Wheels.

Don Smith

SOAPBOX

This article represents the opinion of the author and in no way reflects the position of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand. Contributions up to 800 words are very welcome to soapbox. Email beaded wheels@ vcc.org.nz

A column for those who like to stir the pot … just a little.

VCC LOGO WHERE TO FROM HERE? The logo debate has ended for now with the decision reached at the latest Executive Meeting.

My views on the logo are well known and it is my belief that whatever may be ailing our Club a rebranding is not the means to fix them.

In saying that, I want to commend the President and Management Committee for investigating the idea and putting it before the members for branch voting when I rather feared we were going to be presented with a fait accompli.

I believe our wings logo has served us well, it is part of our heritage and should be retained as such. The process has however highlighted that there could be ancillaries to our logo that explains a little further what our Club is about and was delighted to observe that in the latest issue of Beaded Wheels the wings logo has had appended the legend Driving Our History on both covers and in places inside also. I would commend this move to branches also when arranging publicity and would further

suggest that this could from time to time be varied with adding instead the legends The Historic Vehicle Authority Of New Zealand or or All Vehicles Over 30 Years Old or variations thereof depending on the context. All three legends could be usefully used to get our message across which would achieve as much or more than any change of logo.

There is an undeniable need to try to attract younger members (ie anyone under my age of 80!) and in this context we should not try to focus unrealistically on youth alone, though heaven knows an infusion of young blood like it was when I joined the club 63 years ago would be most welcome indeed. The Ashburton Branch is therefore to be highly commended on its move to assist the local High School as outlined in Beaded Wheels, and is surely a way forward for others.

At a guess there would be double or triple our numbers in vehicle-based Clubs and groups whose motivations of restoration and preservation are similar to our own. These folk

could gain from the ability to move in the wider circles offered by our Club. At the very least we should extend the hand of friendship and look to ways we can cooperate and maybe form partnerships. All British and All American Days are embryonic examples of this.

I think each branch needs to look at itself too and determine whether it is catering for all members, whether there are barriers to participation with things like timing of meetings and events and look to project itself into its own community as a fun group to belong to.

Finally, there is a thorny question of what is vintage?

I hear a multitudinous snort across the nation –of course a vintage vehicle is one manufactured between 1 January 1919 and 31 January 1931. But ask any member of the public. I would bet the majority have heard of vintage cars and if asked to define it would venture that it is an old car without any idea of actual age.

I suggest this might also help to remove any “poor relation” feelings owners of later vehicles might sometimes feel.

I am more than ready to be shouted down, wouldn’t be the first time, but suggest that there is food for thought at all levels on the future of our beloved Club. Let the debate begin!

Barry Barnes

For years I have resisted the idea of vintage being other than

Beaded Wheels The Beaded Wheels team is always on the lookout for a good article for future issues.

To encourage you to put pen to paper two lucky authors or photographers per issue will win a limited edition Beaded Wheels cap.

is defined but I have now come round to the idea that vintage should mean any vehicle that the Club caters for. Adoption of this premise would give new meaning to the Club name. It then raises however the equally thorny question of what do we call our present vintage class and other classes and I confess I have no inspirational answers for that. I would like to see vintage retained in each class name (except veteran which is a perfectly good name in its own right) and can only come up with using decade names like ‘20s vintage or ‘30s vintage.

writers wanted

Alas we are not in the position to provide financial recompense for services rendered but we are sure you will be compensated by the satisfaction of seeing your words and photos in print.

Email your articles and ideas to: beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz High resolution digital photos are

preferred. Or contact our editorial committee chairman, Kevin Clarkson, if you wish to discuss an idea for an article. Phone 021 0270 6525, kevin@vcc.org.nz Our winners of the Beaded Wheels caps for this issue are: Diedre Rennie and Jocelyn McAlpine.

Beaded Wheels 11

THE WAY WE WERE

s

s This early Rolls-Royce Ghost was a competitior in the VSCC Welsh Winter Rally 1952 1 2/50 Alvis with the unnamed couple VSCC members and their car in background, and South African fellow trainee Roy Veal drinking coffee.

THE UNIMPRESSED COLONIAL The VCCNZ goes through a leadership change while Andrew continues his OE.

The next instalment remembering the origins and very early events of the Vintage Car Club as recalled by Andrew Anderson

ANDREW ANDERSON VCCNZ FOUNDING & LIFE MEMBER

12 Beaded Wheels

At the August 1952 AGM, Jack Adams stood down as our president and Buddy Harding was duly elected in his place.

On Rob Shand’s motion we resigned from the ANZCC, and I had a first good taste of VSCC activity at Prescott as told last issue.

In September, my employer Babcock and Wilcox decided to shift me from Scunthorpe down to their almost completed power station at Newport, Monmouthshire in South Wales.

Long before the Railton’s demise, Ken Green and my VSCC Northern mates had decided that I should have a real car and that a 12/50 Alvis would be the ideal mount for a “Wild Colonial Boy”! To which with Sportscar’s coverage of the Wellington scene in recent memory, I was in full concurrence. Of course, it took some finding and, as a gap filler, I had an early saddle tank BSA 350 side valve bike to do an Irish trip and finally acquired a 1930 beetle back Alvis with which to farewell my Scunthorpe mates and journey to Newport.

Unlike Keadby, the Newport job sported a fellow student trainee, Roy Veal from South

Africa, who had organized really good digs for me and again Tim Carson’s list had a very active VSCC couple, whose names totally escape me, who got me locally involved.

One of the VSCC’s major non-speed events, was their annual Winter Welsh Rally not far from Newport and, on the insistence of my new friends, Roy and I duly drove up for a look see. In the course of the visit I was introduced by them to Cecil Clutton and Laurence Pomeroy* in person at their HQ pub. In the absence of Tim Carson, this lot evinced not the slightest interest in “mere colonial” activities, restorations or personnel and, at my round Pomeroy ordered a liqueur that expended my entire last month’s earnings.

They didn’t impress me much either and my new friends

were terribly upset at the whole exhibition.

My job at Babcock now involved lagging and cladding all the big diameter steam piping armed with hands and tinsnips and piles of loose raw asbestos fibres. Looking for something in the big money field, like my Lake Pukaki adventure, was becoming vital after almost ⅔ of a year on £5 per week trainee wages.

This was a further spur to departure.

Unsurprisingly, Babcock and Wilcox were finally finished by a whole series of very expensive asbestos claims! * Laurence Pomeroy, (1907-1966)

was a motoring and technical journalist and served as technical editor of The Motor from 1936 to 1958.

He was named after his father who was assistant to Vauxhall’s chief engineer Frederick Hodges.

▼ Brescia Bugatti at the 1952 VSCC Welsh Winter Rally.

HALF PAGE FOR COKER

18 Parkwood Place, East Tamaki, Auckland

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  

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

–         Beaded Wheels 13 



Well sorted 1972 Jensen-Healey in its element

MY SPORTS CAR OBSESSION Part III

Words and photos Roger White

The conclusion of Roger White’s series on his vehicle of choice.

1972 JENSEN-HEALEY The Jensen-Healey came into being at the behest of Kjell Qvale the American importer of Austin-Healey and other sports cars.

He desperately needed a replacement for the ‘big Healey’. Jensen Motors also needed production work to fill the gap left by the demise of both the Sunbeam Tiger and Healey 3000 which they had built under contract The Healeys were miffed by the axing of the 3000 and the Sprite and were keen to keep their name active. They designed a thoroughly modern, unit construction, sports car. The engine chosen was the Lotus 2 litre twin cam 140 bhp unit developed for the soon-to-be-introduced Lotus Elite. The gearbox was Sunbeam Rapier and the suspension Vauxhall.

Unfortunately, the British motor industry was in the throes of self-destructing. Quality problems and production delays reflected badly in the finished products. To make matters worse Colin Chapman sold the engine without warranty and was effectively using this contract to prove the design before using it in his own products.

Proving my complete obsession with sports cars and in spite of enjoying the Tiger, I couldn’t keep away from Trade Me and spotted a very nicely restored 1972 Jensen-Healey at what I thought was a very reasonable price. A quick trip to Hororata with Frank Renwick confirmed my impression and I was soon driving home in it.

I found that there was a big following in the United States for the Jensen-Healey and many specialist parts were readily available. As I wasn’t too happy about the handling, I imported a set of Bilstein shock absorbers. They transformed the car.

The styling was not to everyone’s liking and most of my mates could not understand why I had bought it. But it was a delightful car to drive with far better performance than the MGB and TR4 and equivalent to the TR6. I fitted a Motorsport-approved roll bar to this car so that we could compete in hill climbs.

Although the Healey did not have the torque of the now retired Tiger, its handling and gear ratios made hill climbing fast and enjoyable. The hood was even better than the Tiger and the cockpit comfortable.

14 Beaded Wheels

Quality issues gave the Jensen a bad start, but once they were cured it became a very competent sports car. Unfortunately, it was all too late and Jensen folded after just 11,000 Jensen-Healeys had been produced.

So why did I sell it? I still don’t know to this day. If I could buy it back now I would.

FIT FOR PURPOSE RATING

–9

10

PURCHASE COST (2010) $12,500 SUMMARY: Very underrated, good value.

VALUE

2022 $25,000

1965 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 MK 3 (PHASE 2) In 1964 I attended the launch of the new Austin-Healey 3000 Mk 3 at the Winter Show buildings in Wellington.

There was an ice blue one on the rotating dais. It was gorgeous.

I wanted one. It took 45 years to achieve that ambition.

Once I had recovered my health, I decided to sell the JensenHealey and buy another restoration project, which didn’t work out, so I was back on the search again.

Still scrolling Trade Me every day I came across a Healey 3000 Mk 3 in old English White, red leather upholstery, lovely condition. $55,000. Urgent cash sale required. It was gorgeous.

A quick trip to Tauranga with Murray Hislop in support, a bank transfer and we were driving home.

When we got to Taupo I thought I should check the oil. Not a drop on the dip stick, what the hell? We had checked the level before leaving Tauranga and could not see any obvious reason for such a dramatic consumption.

We topped up and continued on checking the oil frequently.

I puzzled over this for some time and then came across an article on the internet talking about excessive oil consumption on big Healeys.

It suggested that excessive oil in the rocker cover due to worn rocker bushes and shaft, would cause massive consumption. The way to check was run the engine with the cover off and observe the flow from the rocker arms. If it is dribbling out – good, if it gushes

1965 SUNBEAM TIGER (2)

Austin-Healey 3000 Mk 3 (phase 2) The Handsome Beast- what more can you say?

out in a stream – problem. I fired the engine up, oil squirted everywhere, what a mess. I rushed to shut the engine down, but at least I now knew the problem. A new shaft and rocker bushes cured it.

The Healey was widely admired and really looked the part, but I had been spoiled by the driving experience of the Tiger.

The Healey’s engine and transmission was crude compared to the silky V8 and the Ford Toploader transmission. The cockpit was cramped and the perennial Healey problem of insufficient ground clearance under the exhaust was annoying.

Author Chris Harvey described the Big Healey as ‘The Handsome Beast’ I don’t think I could argue with that.

Diane continually tried to ban me from Trade Me, she claimed I was addicted. Who me? There it was, a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, New Zealand new, restored. $55,000. The same price that I had paid for the Healey a couple of years ago. Now I had to put my money where my mouth was. Healey 3000 or Sunbeam Tiger?

FIT FOR PURPOSE RATING

VALUE (2010)

8.5 – 10 $55,000

NOW

SUMMARY: The Handsome Beast.

We rushed to Feilding to check it out, but I knew in my own mind already, that I was going to buy it even though the Healey 3000 was sitting sulkily in the garage at home.

TIGER 0 was the fourth of the four New Zealand new Tigers imported by Todd Motors. This car was imported to order for a farmer in Featherston. He really wanted to buy a Jaguar E Type but couldn’t raise the extra cash.

Just as well he didn’t, he would have been disappointed, Chris Amon sold his E Type after just three weeks of ownership and bought a Tiger.

Chris said in an interview with Eoin Young “I bought a Tiger because it seems to me to combine a simple engine with a lot of reliable horsepower, good performance and a general lack of fussiness in a car that is pleasant looking and comfortable. I think it handles reasonably well and goes round a corner as fast as I want. It stops from high speed well with no fade.”

Eoin Young says the main reason Chris sold the E Type was the almost complete lack of luggage space. The E Type didn’t meet the Amon requirements in the wet and that the Tiger was a much better all-round proposition. And Chris would know.

The hard decision was made, and the Healey was sold.

I was not disappointed, even the second time around we thoroughly enjoyed the Tiger for many years.

In the early ‘60s Rootes Group had been struggling for many years and they were finally purchased by Chrysler Corporation.

Chrysler was less than pleased that their flagship sports car had a Ford engine and promptly axed the Tiger before its time.

Regrettably the time came to liquidate some assets and this very special car is now in the safe hands of Craig Pidgeon.

Sixty years of sports car obsession was over, but I still have Trade Me. FIT FOR PURPOSE RATING

2022 $90,000

VALUE (2010)

9.5 – 10 $55,000

NOW

2022 $100,000

SUMMARY: An Exceptional Motorcar (Author William Carroll).

Tiger back home. Original owner John Barton with Roger (right)

Beaded Wheels 15

RECAPTURING THE SPIRIT Words and photos John King

16 Beaded Wheels

Renwick 24 hour relay race, February 1972. Hamish Moffatt, Type 35 Bugatti, uses all the road, plus a little bit more, to pass Warner Mauger’s Sunbeam during the opening laps.

▼

John Venables-Llewelyn in the Type 13 Bugatti competes in the Invermay hillclimb, February 1972.

▼ Lawrence Poolman drives his Lagonda Rapier along a South Westland road.

Brian Middlemass tackles Invermay in a Cooper Bristol.

Hamish Moffatt, Type 35 Bugatti, Invermay hillclimb, February 1972.

Part of our recent extended curb on free movement caused by something nobody can see is, apart from working from home in my normal day job, the opportunity to scan old slides and negatives into digital format for use one day.

Among them I came across an image of John Venables-Llewelyn in a Type 13 Bugatti, somewhere off SH6 between Haast and Fox Glacier during the 1972 VCC International Rally. Members of 50 years ago might recall that Hamish Moffatt and John competed in that rally, plus adjacent Invermay hillclimb and Ruapuna Park racing. They brought with them a Type 35 Bugatti plus a fair number of spare parts strapped in, on and around the car, not to mention an engine in hand luggage, which they duly assembled on arrival into a working Type 13 Brescia.

They started from Invercargill while my starting point was Timaru in my 1931 Riley 9 tourer, and our routes coincided from somewhere like Wanaka. One of my abiding memories of that day is a spirited drive for some distance along the superb South Westland SH6 in company with Lawrence Poolman in his Lagonda Rapier — although he was probably using only half throttle.

I sent John a digital copy of himself sitting in the T.13 in the wilderness, and back came a response from the UK in short order: “That is just amazing, very many thanks! I don’t have many photos of that time left, it was a bloody long time ago as you say!

It must have been Lawrence who rescued us later in the trip when a back wheel fell off that car due to the keyway in the back hub shearing. He appeared round the corner at 45deg to the required direction of travel, stopped (somehow!) and took us down the road to the next garage where he welded up the keyway, lapped the hub back on and had us on our way in no time. A great effort which I still dine out on.

That trip was a great interlude in my life and set me on a slippery downward slope from which I have never wanted to recover!”

Beaded Wheels 17

THE DAY THE BUGATTI BROKE DOWN ▲ John Venables-Llewelyn pauses for his passenger in the Type 13 Brescia Bugatti off the road somewhere in South Westland.

Words Lawrence Poolman, supplied by John King Photos John King

I was on my way to the 1972 International Rally in my Lagonda Rapier, to my starting point which was Invercargill. On the way there I took part in the Invermay Hillclimb, the weekend before the Rally started, and met John Venables-Llewelyn and Hamish Moffatt.

While at the hillclimb I was invited by Brian Middlemass to stay with him. He was at the time the curator of the Queenstown Motor Museum, which gave me access to their workshop. I took advantage of this to complete a small job on the Lagonda — the carburettor spindles that I had run out of time to do before I left home.

I met John and Hamish again as they were both staying in a hotel in Queenstown at the same time as I was there. They had been able to bring two cars to New Zealand because John had a girlfriend who worked in a shipping office and had been able to get them very cheap shipping to New Zealand.

On leaving Queenstown I had a glorious drive down Lake Wakatipu, and not far before Kingston I came around a corner — at reasonable speed — and there in the middle of the road was the Type 13 Bugatti minus one wheel. John describes how I stopped!

Hamish was standing in the road, angry with his friend because John had confessed he felt something was wrong with the car but had not stopped immediately and the wheel had fallen off.

We managed to jack the car up and I temporarily refitted the wheel on the axle which had a broken keyway. To stop it turning I cut a small piece off my old carburettor spindle and jammed

▲ Willis Brown’s 4½-litre Bentley outside the VCC Otago Branch clubrooms in Park Street, Dunedin. This Bentley was raced by CWF Hamilton at Brooklands, famously winning three handicap races in one day. It has since been sold overseas.

18 Beaded Wheels

that in the broken keyway. He was then able to drive the car slowly to Kingston where we found a garage that allowed us to use their workshop to do a repair.

Fortunately they had Eutectic welding rods which in those days was one of the few choices you had for welding alloy steel. I completed the repair and as far as I know the car had no more trouble on the rally in New Zealand or later when it returned to England.

Hamish and John insisted they should buy me a drink in return for the repair, so we went to the local pub and had a drink to celebrate. While we were having a drink, John claimed that that was the day his divorce had come through, so that was part of the celebration. (I’ve never worked out whether it was true or a story to keep a rather young, naïve colonial amused.)

Then we travelled together to Invercargill, where they had arranged to park the Bugattis in an area behind Willis Brown’s jewellery shop.

We went by bus to the evening organised for the rally participants, and later ended up at Willis Brown’s house. Willis had a friend who worked on the Foveaux Strait oyster survey boat, and at 3 o’clock in the morning they were still drinking beer and sampling oysters. They returned to their hotel and I dossed down on Willis’s living room floor.

▲ Hamish Moffatt samples Bruce Winder’s Ransley Riley at Ruapuna Park, Christchurch, in March 1972.

He came and woke me at 8 o’clock and invited me to go with them to the start of the rally. The idea was that we would then return to his place and have breakfast, and instead of doing the first section of the rally around the Catlins travel straight to Kingston where he knew the driver of the Kingston Flyer and had arranged for us to have a ride on the footplate.

I declined because I knew that financially and physically I wasn’t up to their pace of living.

I did the rally. Sometime later, somewhere near Haast Pass I happened to meet them again and was invited to have a picnic lunch with them on a riverbed. Mrs Brown was most apologetic for the poor lunch, claiming it was leftovers, but for me it was items I have never seen before – imported beer and cheeses etc. (It was still the days of restrictions in New Zealand, and ordinary people did not have such delicacies.) For her this was just leftovers.

It was the most enjoyable rally I have ever had, even though it was said to be a financial flop.

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▼▲ Hamish Moffatt competes in his Type 35 Bugatti at Ruapuna Park, Christchurch, in March 1972.

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Beaded Wheels 19

FROM ELECTRIC STARTS TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL THE TURBULENT CAREER OF CHARLIE KETTERING Words and photos David McCarthy

The restless genius whose electrical invention all but killed off the electric car market would be sure to have been the first to cheer the irony of its rapid resurrection a century later.

Charles Franklin Kettering, the man with a quote for every situation and a vision for every decade, would be just as excited as Elon Musk about an electric future if he were with us today. He was what the Americans would call an “electric guy”. But also an eclectic guy.

The electric starter is now often thought of as just another step along the expanding automotive trail like automatic transmission, independent suspension or four wheel drive. It was very much more than that. The development of a practical starting system was a watershed moment in the history of the internal combustion engine.

Electric cars were gaining ground in the US in the early 20th century as city life grew at an astronomical rate. The main reason was ease of use, especially the ease of not using starting handles.

As many older readers will recall from their continued use on tractors and essential equipment on the many older cars which inhabited New Zealand roads until the 1960s, starting handles were potentially as dangerous as they were useful in the wrong hands.

In 1910 society ladies cranking a car was out of the question and many males were wary of the danger of a solid metal object that could suddenly recoil at high speed. Deaths were not unknown,

▲ Charles F. Kettering, pictured with his first electric starter.

20 Beaded Wheels

▲ Kettering on the cover of Time in 1933, a landmark achievement in that era.

injuries to arms and body commonplace. One of those deaths came to a close friend of Henry Leland, of Cadillac, who had stopped to lend a hand to a stranded motorist, and Henry became a man on a mission.

There were claims of battery starters from the 1890s and various other solutions, most using compressed air, were tried in the decade following. But for mainstream vehicles, the electric systems were either unreliable or too cumbersome to be practicalusually both.

Electric cars started easily for an independently-minded lady of means. They were quiet and, while slower than internal combustion vehicles, because of their weight that didn’t matter for town driving. Most of the better ones could get up to 80km on a charge, fine for city work, and with no oily rags or mysterious mechanical mishaps to cause missing lunch engagements downtown.

Electrics had a small market by percentage but as the styling improved an increasing number of influential people were buying them – as later happened with Tesla. They were expensive but threatening.

When Leland, the pioneer of the interchangeable parts that made mass production possible, found even his clever Cadillac engineers could not produce a compact electric system he turned to Kettering and his Delco company team, a “skunk works” of that time based in Dayton, Ohio.

Their solution sparked a revolution. Not just because it started the car without a handle, and worked, but because it also provided spark for the cylinders and, especially, power for the lights much as systems continued to do for decades.

Kettering, originally a teacher and then a self-funded electrical engineering graduate, had joined the National Cash Register company (early 20th century) and within a short time invented the world’s first electrically operated machine.

He became a motoring legend but was never exclusively into cars. He built and successfully demonstrated the first aerial selfpropelled bomb using a $40 two stroke motor with local Dayton citizen Orville Wright as adviser, but government funding to refine it was withdrawn when peace was declared in 1918. His team formulated a refrigerant to replace the effective but dangerous propane and ammonia for early refrigerators (Frigidaire was then

▲ 1912 Cadillac. The first car with a practical electric starter invented by Charles Kettering.

owned by General Motors) and its properties (cfc) brought spray cans into general use and later disrepute.

He also developed the Hypotherm, a treatment for pneumonia, rheumatics and fevers by spending some hours in an electrically heated cylinder at temperatures well above normal, an advance on the traditional “Hot toddy and bed sweat” and used internationally.

“No man invents something of note in the field in which he is trained” he would claim, somewhat oddly, adding “He knows too much about the obstacles. Theory should supplement the practice and not precede it.”

So when he had GM assembly chiefs review their painting operation and they told Charlie with some pride they could shorten the process with new cars from about 36 days to 31 they were stunned by the response from “Boss Kett”.

“Oh I was thinking more of one day” he replied. He went on to invent Dulon (known also as Duco) using a pyroloxine lacquer that could dry in hours. A walk down Fifth Avenue past a jewellery store displaying small objects with the new lacquer inspired that one.

Later his Research Division introduced double filament headlights, double action shocks, high pressure lubricants, variable speed transmissions and, finally, his goal of a high compression engine in 1947.

Small wonder that General Motors had bought out Delco, set Charlie up as head of engineering and later made him Vice President/Research.

The Kettering starting system had been based on using the battery for short bursts to a starter motor as opposed to the extended use on earlier designs attached to the crankshaft which could flatten fully charged batteries on one trip. It took some time to trickle down from the 1912 Cadillac as still happens in design today. Most US car makers took it up within a couple of years but Henry Ford held out for seven years with the Model T. In the end

▲ Kettering’s Oldsmobile Rocket V8 in the Batmobile 1956.

▲ The Batmobile 1956.

▲ A restored 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 on display in the Netherlands. Its fame had spread far and wide.

Beaded Wheels 21

▲ Kettering at the wheel.

the advantage of starting an engine from the driver’s seat was a no-brainer and a big seller.

Charles Kettering became an oracle freely quoted in popular science media (“I spend a lot of time thinking about the future because I will be spending the rest of the my life there” and “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time”) but not all his pioneering ways were triumphs to match his starter.

The major chemical discoveries so lauded then, and largely the work of his research associate Tom Midgley, did not stand the test of time. Midgely is now regarded as an “enemy of the atmosphere” and two of his inventions among the 150 “Worst Ever” by Time magazine.

“It doesn’t matter if you try and try again and fail. It matters if you fail and then fail to try again” was one of Kettering’s clever punch lines. Unhappily he was to live all of that with his Chevrolet market debacle of 1923. For anyone else it would have been his last assignment.

Kettering became obsessed with air cooled engines, inspired by the impact of the aeroplane during WWI. The potential weight reduction, cost and economy also appealed to manufacturers on paper. The problem was the extreme heat in many parts of North America for front engine designs, especially those of over 100 hp. Franklin was one who had been making air cooled vehicles for many years but their sales were restricted by nature in many states.

22 Beaded Wheels

In the early 1920s Kettering produced his solution, the so called “copper-cooled Chevrolet”. It wasn’t too long before he must have wished he hadn’t.

He designed a four cylinder motor with unique copper tubing fins ( because of copper’s greater ability to disperse heat) connected to the engine. There were special cylinder heads to reduce the fire hazard always present in certain conditions with air cooling then and with a large fan underneath the engine.

Gradually, at great expense, it was ready for production. Or was it ?

Oakland, the GM division that would become Pontiac, was unhappy with their testing of early cars and withdrew. Oldsmobile followed. Only Kettering’s threat to resign allowed permission for the final production by Chevrolet.

It was a complete disaster. GM had planned to assemble 50,000 of the cars per year. Only about 750 were made; barely 100 were sold to the public and most of them were bought back and wrecked. Nearly all the rest were destroyed by the factory and while Kettering was critical of production the copper cooling just didn’t work. A mere handful now inhabit museums.

It was claimed that the only positive outcome was GM mastermind Alfred Sloan changing the structure of decision making so that it was less dependent on one voice, even though he was close to Kettering.

Air cooled motors retained their fascination for engineers, especially in Europe, and ironically enough Chevrolet returned to the fray with the successful, underrated Corvair engine two years

after Kettering’s death in 1958. However most have again been overwhelmed by the power, energy and heat drain from the many ancillaries running off the modern engine.

Kettering’s pursuit of efficiency produced another major first of that era which one day long in the future would also be pilloried rather than praised “At present we are only using about three percent of the energy from gasoline. Imagine what our cars will be like when its 100 per cent” was one of his headline grabbing quotes in the 1920s.

Kettering wanted high compression engines for higher energy return but the fuel of the time could not match the pace of the engineering, producing “engine knock” (pre-ignition) which damaged engines. Midgely found what seemed a terrific solution – adding tetraethylead (TEL) to petrol to increase its octane rating, allowing higher compression, and so more efficient engines.

There were critics from the outset but it took decades to realise TEL streaming out of exhausts as lead oxide was poisoning the world and many of its people. A world wide ban ended what had been hailed 50 years before as an engineering landmark.

Kettering’s championing of the small diesel (the big ones were virtually only used on trucks then) was also based on efficiency.

“One of our major corporations spends $2m a year (1924) on petrol. If diesel could halve that cost wouldn’t that be progress ?”

European manufacturers came to the same conclusion in more modern times until another environmental crisis slashed their appeal.

Some of Charlie’s quotes got him into trouble. Discussing the “new model every year” principle his comment that “Sometimes it is best to leave the customer a little dissatisfied” as an incentive to trade up, undoubtedly true and still practiced today, was not what Sloan expected to hear from his Vice President.

He confided to one friend later in life “There are two opinions on researchers. First that they are highbrows and second that they are nuts. I try and stay half way between the two”.

The media however could never get enough of Charlie’s long range predictions often around future dramatically better “miles

“We must learn how to fail intelligently, for failing is one of the greatest arts in the world.”

CHARLES F. KETTERING per gallon” figures and, as always, lighter more efficient cars. Some were prescient.

In 1938 Charlie called for greater urgency in the building of roads especially “high speed superhighways”.

He predicted there would be 37 million vehicles on the roads by 1960 (an increase of 50 per cent) and six million of them would be trucks. The present road system wouldn’t cope and drivers would not accept cruising speeds of less than 100kmh.

It wasn’t a bad guess. The actual number turned out to be 51 million and fortunately by then the US Government had built many of the freeways Charlie had promoted over much of the country.

Yet Kettering’s greatest triumph may have been his last – his design of the 1948 Oldsmobile V8 his long awaited opportunity to build a mass production high compression motor.

Kettering achieved his goal by combining a design of the better top end performance typical of overhead camshaft engines with the build economy of the traditional flat head design. Known as the Rocket (Oldsmobile wanted to call it the Kettering but GM would not allow its staff individual’s names to be so used) it propelled Oldsmobile to record sales for years especially among younger and performance drivers, much as Ford’s V8 had done in the 1930s.

The 1949 Rocket 88, the potent V8 in a smaller vehicle, is regarded by many experts as the first muscle car, and even more experts acclaim the Ike Turner produced Rocket 88 song it inspired as the first rock ‘n’ roll record. Oldsmobile retained the design until the 1990s even while other GM divisions were using the more widely known company mainstream engines. Charlie had at least remained relevant in design for nearly 50 years, a rare feat.

One of Charlie’s many quotes might now be considered more important than most others. “I estimate about 130 billion horsepower of energy from the sun is going to waste every day and it worries me” contained the thought that cars could be using sun powered electricity for more than just starting an oil-based engine.

As it happened Chevrolet became a pioneer of solar powered cars but Charlie wasn’t around to make sure they stuck with them.

Sunny climes in California kept the dream alive and then along came Elon Musk to make it a commercial reality.

Even though that success may condemn the electric starter to history after a century of being a necessity, you get the feeling its inventor would have been all for it.

▲ Delco copper cooled Chevrolet engine.

Beaded Wheels 23

HIN BE

D THE WHE

EL

RIDING THE LEGEND

ROAD TESTING A 1979 HONDA C50 SUPER CUB Words and photos Peter S Cooper

One of the great joys of having a collection of old vehicles is the opportunity to regularly pilot a variety of machinery. Peter Cooper’s unrestored, New Zealand–new Honda C50 is just one example.

A LITTLE HISTORY According to Wikipedia, in 1956 Honda Motor’s President, Soichiro Honda, and Vice-President, Takeo Fujisawa, toured Germany and witnessed the popularity of mopeds and lightweight motorcycles. Fujisawa had been thinking about a long-term expansion strategy, and unlike other Japanese companies, they did not want to simply boost production to cash in on the recent economic boom in Japan. A small, high-performance motorcycle was central to his plans.

Motorists in 1950s postwar Europe typically went from a bicycle to a clip-on engine, then bought a scooter, then a bubble car, and then a small car and onwards. Fujisawa noted that motorcycles didn’t fit in this pattern and saw a gap in the marketplace. Honda, on the other hand, came to Europe to win the Isle of Man TT race and wasn’t interested in anything else.

Fujisawa’s concept was a two-wheel machine that would appeal to markets in both the developed and developing world, suitable for urban and rural use. The new motorcycle needed to be technologically simple to survive in places without up-to-date 24 Beaded Wheels

know-how and access to advanced tools or reliable spare parts supplies.

The common consumer complaints of noise, poor reliability, especially in the electrics, and general difficulty of use would have to be addressed. Because Honda was a large company and growing larger, it needed a mass-appeal product that could be produced on an enormous scale. The design had to be sorted out before production began because it would be too costly to fix problems in the vast numbers that were to be manufactured. The scooter type nearly fitted the bill but was considered too complex for developing countries to maintain, and the small wheels did poorly on badly maintained or nonexistent roads.

Fujisawa required that it could be ridden with one hand while carrying a tray of soba noodles, saying to Honda, “If you can design a small motorcycle, say 50cc with a cover to hide the engine and hoses and wires inside, I can sell it. I don’t know how many soba noodle shops there are in Japan, but I bet you that every shop will want one for deliveries.”

Convinced that Fujisawa’s concept was viable, Honda began developing the Super Cub on his return to Japan. The following year, the company displayed a mockup to Fujisawa that finally matched what he had in mind, Fujisawa claimed that sales would be 30,000 per month, half again as many as the entire monthly two-wheeler market in Japan. His goal was to export motorcycles on a scale yet unseen in the economic disorder of postwar Japan when most companies halting trade efforts were handled through foreign trading companies. Honda would have to establish its own overseas subsidiary to provide the necessary service and spare parts distribution in a large country like USA. To this end American Honda Motor Company was founded in 1959. In 1961 a sales network was established in Germany, then in Belgium and the UK in 1962, and then France in 1964.

The Honda Super Cub – with the rather confusing C100 moniker – was launched in 1958, with an update (now designated C102) in 1960. These used an OHV configuration up until the OHC engine that was launched for 1966. The latter engine was used for

many decades and is still manufactured under license in China and other countries.

OUR TEST MACHINE’S HISTORY This unrestored, very original example, was sold new to a local college principal by Bill Russel Ltd of Mt Eden, Auckland. Paint, upholstery, plastics and chrome are all original and have worn well over the last 42 years, a tribute to the love and care its first owner gave it. It features an accessory luggage rack and original Japanese aftermarket windscreen.

In 2012, I was on the hunt for an unrestored, original C50 Super Cub to add to my collection. I had been following an auction for one located in the Gisborne area via Trade Me when I received a text out of the blue from someone claiming that they had a better one that was located a lot closer to home. Though I wondered if it was a scam, I responded via text message for more info.

It turns out that the original owner had sadly passed away a year or so earlier and his son and daughter-in-law found the wee Honda too small to go anywhere, two-up. They wanted to sell Beaded Wheels 25

WHOSE CLUTCH IS IT, ANYWAY? In a book about the well-known Czech company, Jawa, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary, there’s a story about an unexpected connection with Honda and its Super Cub. According to Jawa, its engineers had been working on a wet (oil bath) centrifugal clutch of its own design, which was patented in a number of countries where its machines were exported.

When the company’s engineers spotted an article in an Italian motorcycling magazine on the Honda Super Cub, featuring a semi-automatic transmission, they wondered if the clutch design was, in fact, their own?

When an example of the Japanese machine was imported and disassembled, the Czech engineers were shocked, claiming that the Honda’s design was the same!

Jawa’s patent attorneys in France and Britain concurred that the Japanese clutch unit was a frank copy of the Czech design. This followed earlier correspondence from Honda’s European office expressing interest in the clutch.

Jawa replied saying that they were interested in talking with Honda, but the matter went no further.

Ultimately, with Jawa taking legal action in its export markets, Honda ended up paying royalties to the Czechs on every machine sold in those countries. The one exception was Great Britain, where Honda paid a lump sum in compensation. According to the Czechs, this was a precedent in British Law. Jawa did produce its own version of its semi-auto clutch. I saw a few of the 350cc ‘automatics’ for sale when I was based in the Czech republic, early this century.

26 Beaded Wheels

the bike to a good home to fund a larger machine and sent me a photo of the Cub, which looked like it was virtually new – I thought that if it looked as good as it did in the pic, it would be worth pursuing.

A motorcycling friend of mine with a ute was keen to have a look and help me to bring the bike back to my then home in Three Kings, so the pair of us went across town to view the Honda and possibly do the deal.

Needless to say, it was as good as described, having been very well maintained, with paperwork attesting to the fact. A deal was struck – I’ll admit that I did pay what was a premium, a decade ago – and I handed over the requisite funds, loaded up the Honda and watched the seller wave a tearful goodbye to his father’s bike.

The following morning, I registered the bike (thankfully, it was on hold), pumped up the tyres, pushed the Cub across the road to the local petrol station, and filled it up with fuel. It started on the first kick and I ended up riding it for 90 minutes around the neighbourhood. The only excitement in my travels was being stopped by a local cop who was checking registrations and WoFs, who quipped about the ‘very old warrants’ on my new purchase – my understanding is that WoFs were an option for moped class machinery at one time. I rode off seeing him admiring the bike with a big grin on his face.

Later that morning, I sent an email to the seller that I had ridden the bike and how nicely it ran after sitting for a year in his father’s garage.

THE ROAD TEST The C50 Super Cub is a pretty basic machine, just as Takeo Fujisawa envisaged it.

On the left handlebar are switches for the lights and horn, while on the right side, one finds the usual twist-grip throttle, front brake lever and turn indicator. The instrument panel consists of a 60 kph speedometer with lights for neutral and turn indicators. The instrument also has maximum shift points marked, much like those found on an old VW speedometer.

The pull-out choke knob is located at the rear of the headlight nacelle, while the ignition switch is found on the left-hand side of the legshield.

The fuel tank is located under the seat and holds around three litres. Flip the latch at the front of the dual seat and raise the seat to allow access to the tank. In the case of our

SPECIFICATIONS test bike, the seat fouls on the rear carrier, so one has to hold the seat open to twist off the fuel cap and feed fresh petrol into the tank. Just as well that the C50 is renowned for offering phenomenal fuel economy.

To start the Honda, one switches the key to the ON position, turns the ON-OFF-RESERVE fuel tap – located on the right-hand side, underneath the legshield – to allow fuel to flow, fully pulls out the choke and with a swing on the kickstart lever, the 50cc ohc engine comes to life. I have found that this particular Cub can be a little cold-blooded when it’s been sitting in the garage awhile and usually allow it to warm up fully before riding off. That also gives me a time to do a ‘pre-flight’ inspection to ensure lights and horn are working properly.

Once warm, the bike settles into a quiet, sewing machine-like tickover. Selecting first requires the heel-and-toe lever on the left-hand side to be moved upward and the transmission drops into gear with a clunk. Twist the throttle and the automatic clutch takes up and the Honda moves forward, albeit at a leisurely pace. Selecting the other two gears requires a double press down on the pedal to find second – neutral being in the usual place – and another press for third. Yup, this Honda is equipped with a three-speed ’box. Once in top, the bike can easily cruise at the Waka Kotahi/NZTA Moped Class legal speed of 50 kph, with just a little bit in reserve. In fact, once underway, the machine can be ridden using only the top two gears; there’s a surprising amount of torque available with this low-geared, 50cc ohc mill.

Engine Four-stroke SOHC 49.5cc, kick start, magneto ignition Output 3.6kW/4.8hp @ 10,000 rpm Transmission 3-Speed with wet, semi-automatic clutch Chassis Pressed steel underbone style with leading link front forks and swing arm rear suspension Tyres F/R: 2.25-17, 2.50-17 Brakes 110mm diameter drums F/R Dimensions 1800mm long x 640mm wide, 69kg (dry) Top Speed Around 50 kph or thereabouts

The leading link front fork and swing-arm rear suspension smooth out the ride without the Cub wallowing. I can chuck the bike around corners at speed and it feels pretty stable, surprising, considering it's shod with razorblade-width tyres.

The only thing the rider needs to get used to is the Honda’s propensity to lift the front end under heavy braking. This is the result of the leading link fork arrangement transferring the torque reaction under load. The drum brakes are pretty effective for the performance potential of the machine.

By 2017, Honda had built over 100 million of these rugged, reliable machines and they’ve remained in production, in various forms, through to the present day. They are fun to ride, easy to maintain and parts are still available from both OEM and aftermarket suppliers. It’s no surprise that Honda’s everyday, 50cc transport put the Japanese company on the global map and has become an iconic machine in its own right.

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Beaded Wheels 27

South Island

NELSON

TOUR 1946

PICTON

WESTPORT

KAIKOURA

GREYMOUTH

In 1946 a friend, John, and I undertook a motoring holiday in the South Island. We kept a very brief diary which recorded little more than places, milage, petrol used and an odd word to remind us of unusual events. It has been often suggested that I should put it in writing. Early in 2001 I re-discovered

CHRISTCHURCH

the diary and a glance through it brought everything back quite vividly. Although no pictures survived

TIMARU

the following is a tale I thought worth recording.

TEKAPO

Owen Good. Wellington, New Zealand

QUEENSTOWN

DUNEDIN

TE ANAU

The planning started in 1945 and to make a worthwhile trip we had to accumulate petrol rations for a year. This also gave us time to buy an old car and rebuild it to suit our own needs.

We settled on a pre-1920 bull-nosed Morris - a two-seater with a canvas hood and a very small rumble seat. It cost us £40. During the year we rebuilt the rear end into a copious boot, made a new hood, and repainted It. We found out that the clutch slipped if it got hot but it being a cork clutch, we purchased a pile of suitable sized corks from Woolworths with the thought that if need be we could repair the clutch during our journey. We did not have to do so in the end, although we got back only by the skin of our teeth.

We borrowed all sorts of gear, including a good tent, a petrol burner which we could mate up with our primus under a thick iron sheet, a car radio of very primitive design and various other bits and pieces. On 20 November 1946 we boarded the Tamahine bound for Picton.

DAY 1

It was a lovely day at Picton and there on the wharf was our car with three flat tyres, caused by the type of grapples they put on each wheel to load cars as these had pinched our narrow tyres.

Undaunted, we got out the repair kit and jack and set to work.

Once mobile we were under way to the cheers of the watersiders and headed off for Blenheim. Arriving there safely, we went to visit John’s uncle and, after a meal, left in the evening towards Kaikoura. After a short drive we spotted a nice green grassy area just off the road and settled down to try to sleep sitting in the car. It was not comfortable, so we were quickly wide awake when morning dawned. Would you believe the car was sitting on her running boards instead of the wheels - that’s right, our nice grass was in fact almost a bog. Luckily, we were alongside a fence which had a lot of loose battens. By digging under the wheels and driving onto the battens, we finally got out an hour or so later. Although I had had my driving licence for some years John did not yet have one. We had both had considerable experience with motor transport in the army and decided that if we

28 Beaded Wheels

INVERCARGILL

drove alternative hours on a trip like this he would have no trouble getting a license when we got back home.

DAY 2

We brewed up a good breakfast then had a very pleasant trip down to Kaikoura where we had lunch beside a quiet little stream. Whole cooked crayfish for just a couple of shillings! Good weather helped make for a lovely drive on to Amberley where we decided to camp for the night alongside the Kowhai river. After repairing another flat tyre we set up camp and prepared a pot roast. A fairly large piece of iron, which had started life as a run-in over kerbing to a garage, placed on top of our Primus and petrol burner provided a good-sized cooking surface upon which anything from fried eggs to pot roasts could be done. As with all these pressure type burners, we had been warned to make sure all burning was out before releasing pressure and we thought we were being very careful. However, we did not realise that our iron top was still a bit hot and when I let the pressure on the petrol burner go - WOOMPH - we were enveloped in flames quite close to the car and all our camping gear. I grabbed our washing up bowl (half a kerosene tin cut lengthwise), dashed down to the river and filled it with water, which I threw over the car and gear as much as over the stove.

It had all got so hot that the tank part of the burner opened at the seams. Fortunately, it was far from full and the petrol burnt away quickly, leaving us gaping at the remains of our meal. In fact, apart from the damaged cooker, there was not much harm done but a good lesson had been learned. We pitched the tent and retired for the night.

DAY 3

We made an early start to clean up, repair another puncture, have a good breakfast, and get on the way to Christchurch. As it was very hard then to get hops for our home brewing, we called in at an address we had been given in Harewood to arrange a supply.

We both knew Christchurch and did not want to see much of the

city, so just made a contact with a few relatives and lunched with some of them at Fails Café. We headed South in the late afternoon where Ashburton domain provided a nice spot to stay for the night.

DAY 4

After a good night we continued, stopping for brunch at a pleasant spot near Orari. A brief look at Timaru followed and then a short trip through to Waimate where an old friend had just resumed his pre-war position as a science teacher at the high school. There we met his wife and after repairing the petrol cooker in the school laboratory had a very convivial evening with them all.

▲ First port of call was Picton via the Tamahine.

DAY 5

DAY 8

After lunch we were once again on the road encountering almost gale force winds near Shag Point - luckily our hood and outside packings on the car survived without damage. We made our way on to Dunedin with only two more flat tyres on the way. It was quite late when we arrived at Tahuna Motor Camp.

Rain. Rain. More rain. However, all our gear was quite waterproof, so we just went on, lunching near a little town called Waipahi. A friend back home in Wellington had given us a letter of introduction to a Dr Orbell in Invercargill and had advised him that we would call in for information on camping spots in the Te Anau/ Milford area. Some two years later Dr Orbell gained great fame when he rediscovered the Takahe which had long been thought to be extinct. Arriving in Invercargill on a wet election day, we called in on Dr Orbell who made us most welcome. He regretted that he could not offer a bed as he had several scouts staying with him to help with the construction of quite a big sea-going boat in his back garden. However, he insisted that we should not pitch camp at the local available sites in such wet weather but offered us the use, with our own bedding, of the bunks in the boat. We had an established principle that we would not accept sleeping hospitality, but this proposal was most acceptable. I cannot remember any statistics of the boat but I do remember we needed a ladder to get over the sides into the hull, where the bunk area was well covered and dry.

After a good clean up we joined the Dr and his scouts for a fascinating evening covering election results, all sorts of bush law and scouting ventures as well as much advice on the various areas we had in mind to visit.

DAY 6

Dunedin attractions called us. We rode the cable car up Maryhill, then tried the Morris on Baldwin Street, the steepest street in a New Zealand town. Considering the load it was carrying and the very low horsepower coupled with a dicey clutch, it performed almost beyond our hopes. Lunch with John’s relatives was followed by a tour of Speight’s brewery, which was interesting, informative, and finally rewarding. Neither of us was a great imbiber but there were many occasions when a long cool glass of beer was most acceptable. We left the brewery well stocked for the rest of our trip. A quiet evening listening to political speeches was next and then a good night’s rest.

DAY 7

The regular trouble we had had with punctures was often caused by poor patches on the tubes, in fact some tubes were a real patchwork of patches. After a call at a local garage we learned that we could have all patches vulcanised at little cost, so we left every tube to be done while we were sightseeing. After that we had very little tyre trouble. We went through the Cathedral, the Town Hall, and Knox Church. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one of Joe Brown’s famous dances on at the town hall that night so we retired early, planning to get away promptly the next day. ▼ Alas we missed out on attending one of Joe Brown’s famous Saturday night dances.

DAY 9

The weather had lifted by the time we had enjoyed a hearty breakfast cooked up in the good doctor's backyard and we set forth once more. The roads through Winton, Dipton, Mossburn and what seemed like a wilderness to Te Anau were generally of thick somewhat slippery gravel and proved a good test of John’s driving.

At the time sealed roads were pretty much limited to well built-up areas, so gravel roads were the norm for the greater part of our trip.

In the main these were in quite good order the only problem being dust if other traffic was encountered. In the part of the country we were now passing through there must have been a readily available source of gravel which was most liberally applied. By the time we reached Te Anau the weather had once again deteriorated so we pressed on to stop at a disused mill at Knob’s Flat, where Dr Orbell had told us we would be able to use a worker’s hut with some facilities available. This proved to be quite correct, so we settled down with a good big open fire to dry out any wet gear and to warm up as it had become remarkably cold for the time of year.

DAY 10

We woke the next morning to very pale light and an eerie silence. The windows were well fogged up but opening the door disclosed falling snow with quite a thick ground layer building up.

Being quite unsure how our very narrow tyres would handle snowy roads we decided not to go further afield to the Eglinton Valley but

Beaded Wheels 29

crowd of fellows and trickled up the road a little way to camp for the night after a busy and quite enjoyable day.

DAY 13

We had a glorious run up past Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo to lunch and shopping at Fairlie. We then carried on over back roads to go through Geraldine and quietly on to Ashburton for the night.

DAY 14

Another very quiet day followed. We made our way up to Christchurch and drove a little way out to camp for the night. ▲ Westport c1946.

to back track to Te Anau and head towards Queenstown. When we were clear of Te Anau the weather was breaking so that soon we were in brilliant sunshine and enjoying spinning along roads with the dampness preventing any dust. The roads soon dried right out and thick gravel again became a hazard. John was driving happily along when a slight turn caused him to go into a slide. We were not going very fast and the slopes at the side were not steep, so the situation was amusing rather than at all perilous. In the end we went over the left side coming to rest gently against a stout wire fence. Getting back onto the road looked to be a problem until along came a vehicle with a crowd of young men from a football team aboard. One look at our predicament and they joined us around the Morris and lifted it up and back on to the road. A couple of our supplies from Speights in Dunedin was all the recompense they would accept. Lunch near Mossburn was followed by a quiet run through to Kingston where we camped, repaired our first puncture since Dunedin, and settled for the night.

DAY 11

On to Queenstown and we took a few hours to look over the obvious attractions and completed minor repairs including switching all the tyres around. We went down the Kawarau Gorge looking at Roaring Meg, and then on to Cromwell. After that we had a leisurely drive up to Luggate passing old dredge tailings and hillsides which were so filled with rabbits that when we approached round a corner the whole hill seemed to move. It appears that the metal boxes at almost every farm gate were where shot rabbits were left for picking up daily by a refrigerated truck for transport to an abattoir and so to market. We settled down at Luggate for the night.

DAY 12

To Tarras for breakfast then the climb over the Lindis Pass which resulted in a boiling radiator, more clutch slip and a petrol blockage which took us quite a time to clear up. We were in very picturesque country and were in no great hurry so enjoyed the scenery while we worked. At Omarama we decided to have refreshments at the local inn. Outside the back of the bar room a veranda overlooked a playing field where a game of cricket of a slightly lighthearted nature was taking place. It seems that, after shearing, the visiting shearers took on the local shepherds and farm staff for a yearly challenge. They were a bit short of players so that before we really knew what was going on we were playing, one on each side. After a very confusing game involving some extraordinary umpiring the match referee decided at about three o’clock that by a strange coincidence, the scores were level so that the game should end at a draw. This ruling was not contested and all assembled inside to toast winners, losers, drawers and anyone else that could be dreamed up. In due course we tore ourselves away from a great 30 Beaded Wheels

DAY 15

We had a gentle ride up to Culverden where we lunched before travelling on to divert into Hanmer. Here we visited a young lady friend who had gone there to recover from tuberculosis. Although the whole area suffered from reduced maintenance in the war years the great potential of Hanmer as a resort was very obvious.

From then on our progress up and over the Lewis Pass was slow and troublesome. The Morris’s radiator boiled, the clutch kept slipping and we had a couple of punctures. Eventually we crept over the summit very close to the end of daylight and limped to a stop close to Maruia Springs. Here we decided that we might once again try sleeping just sitting in the car. As before it was not a great success.

DAY 16

A dull morning revealed a very neglected Maruia Springs, the concrete baths half full of blackish looking water and mould and the surrounding area in broken-down condition. As the weather improved we motored on through rather beautiful native bush where at one point we had to almost stop to let two deer get off the road. In Reefton we went into a hostelry to slake our thirst and when we came out the Morris had disappeared. We noticed some amused looking bystanders so just quietly strolled down the main street, which, incidentally, seemed to consist of a string of hotels on each side. We found our car down a side street because the main road had been cleared so that a vice-regal visit to the town could have a clear run. We had a good laugh and friendly chat with the locals who were most interested in our journey. The trip from there to Greymouth was through lovely native bush and back country.

At Greymouth we looked closely at our timetable and it became obvious that we had run out of time to visit the glaciers so we decided to go as far as Hokitika that day and then take the coast road from Greymouth to Westport. Once again, the West Coast scenery lived up to its reputation.

▲ View of the coast, Punakaiki, West Coast. Photograph by Whites Aviation Ltd.

DAY 17

DAY 20

The coast road to Westport passes the Punakaiki rocks and blowholes and we spent some time watching the forces of nature and a good surf throw great volumes of water sky-high. Shortly after we passed through Charleston and there the Morris decided it had had enough. After a lot of searching for the trouble we found that the distributor part of the magneto was broken. We were lucky to cadge a ride on a coal truck into Westport where a garage was able to find us a replacement used magneto. It was too late to return to the car so we put up for the night at the Club Hotel. At the request of the proprietor we acted as temporary barmen for the evening rush and gratefully accepted free accommodation in payment. We became friendly with several drivers who were taking 5-ton ex-army GMC trucks back and forth from the coal field near Charleston carrying something like eight tons of coal into Westport. We were able to arrange a ride out to our car for the next morning.

We half anticipated magneto trouble again and sure enough it was once more quite solid. Heat treatment on our metal sheet over the Primus worked and after reassembly we were on our way to the applause of the onlookers.

After the Gorge our run through Tophouse and down the Wairau Valley proved easy and almost restful.

We had given up our earlier ideas of visiting Nelson and just hoped that we could make the boat in time. In the early evening we arrived at Blenheim where we set up camp and made our first good meal for a couple of days. Afterwards we tried to restart the car but the magneto had had enough. We had to get to the boat by about noon on the next day so we hunted around and found a knowledgeable mechanic at a nearby garage. He said he could fix us up in the morning by fitting a coil and using the magneto as a distributor after cutting out all its wiring and insulation. That sounded all right, so we accepted and retired to bed.

DAY 18

We fitted the replacement magneto but just could not get things running properly. By mid-afternoon we had not achieved very much and, on his last trip out for coal, the foreman of the drivers said that if we were still there when he returned he would tow us into Westport. We were very happy to accept his offer so tidied up and waited for him. He suggested using both his and our tow-ropes with a white towel tied into their join. We asked why, he laughed and said “you’ll see”. The roads were the usual dusty gravel and once we set off the dust from the overloaded truck meant that I rarely saw the back of the truck and could just follow the white towel. At one point John said, “You didn’t miss that bridge rail by much”, and I could only reply “What bridge?”. What a relief it was to get on to about a mile of sealed road into Westport. Although it was latish afternoon the mechanic from the garage agreed to help us out, but insisted that we have a meal with his family first. I think his name was Pete McLean from Corby’s garage and if either he or they are still around they still have my hearttfelt thanks. We then worked on the car and by about 10.30 Pete had it performing quite well again. We So had a good night’s rest before carrying on the next morning.

DAY 19

After an early start we stopped to have a look at an open cast coal mine but on returning to the car found we just could not crank it over. It transpired that some insulation in the magneto had melted while we were motoring along and had set after cooling down when we stopped. In desperation we demounted the magneto and warmed it up on a sheet of metal in the mine forge, which fortunately was handy. To everyone’s amazement, including ours, it worked when reassembled. By this time the two lost days attending to the Morris in Westport meant that we had to press on if we were to keep our booking on the boat back to Wellington from Picton. The trip up the Buller Gorge was probably the only really trying part of our whole trip. The clutch was now slipping to the extent that at every moderate hill climb the non-driver had to get out and push if we were to make even reasonable time. We reached the main road of Murchison at about midnight quite exhausted. We brewed up a meal at the roadside and once again put up with the discomfort of sleeping in the car.

DAY 21

It was mid-morning by the time we set out for Picton. The car seemed to be running satisfactorily but if we tried to go over about 15mph it spluttered and gulped, coming almost to a standstill.

After one stop we looked over everything and could only detect one possible wire that didn’t seem to serve a useful purpose, so out it came. The car then ran well to the boat at Picton. Unfortunately, it was then just after 1 pm instead of “by noon” and we were greeted by “sorry mates the deck is full and we are about to fold in the derricks”. Plaintive pleas served for nought. However, further wails accompanied by the quiet transfer of a folded 10 shilling note were followed by the fortuitous finding of room on the deck for our little car and smiles all round. Once disembarked we set off up to home in the suburb of Northland. The hilly approach tested the clutch which finally gave out just about 50 metres short so we walked home to an enthusiastic welcome. We had travelled just over 1700 miles. We had used 61 gallons of petrol. We had used 13 pints of oil.

We had had experiences not enjoyed by many.

POSTSCRIPT

In due course we recorked the clutch, John got his driver license and we sold the car for £80. The Morris had served us well.

Owen Good

Beaded Wheels 31

1938 DIAMOND T TEXACO

TANKER RESTORATION Words and photos Sue Keys

In early 2018, Steve and Sue Keys took the opportunity to purchase an original 1938 Diamond T Texaco tanker from Peter and Yvonne Phillips in Atiamuri. Peter and Yvonne had imported the tanker back in 2013 after seeing it sitting at the Kiwi Shipping yard in LA. Sue takes up the story of their restoration.

Steve has been an avid collector of gas station antiques and collectables for over 40 years. To combine this passion with a historic truck from the fuel industry was an opportunity of a lifetime for Steve. It quickly transpired how exceptionally rare the 1938 tanker is.

To the best of our knowledge, it is the only known complete example of a Diamond T truck with a Heil tank. There is one other Diamond T streamlined truck being restored on a donor chassis in the USA with a Standard Steel Works tank.

The three restored Dodge Airflows on display around the world all have Gar Wood tanks so we are thrilled that the unique styles

32 Beaded Wheels

of the Heil and Standard Steel Works streamlined tanks can also be studied and appreciated.

Before Steve started on the nut and bolt restoration, we decided to document and share the progress on a dedicated website. As well as publishing photos and detailing each step of the project, I researched aspects of the build techniques in the ‘30s and the history of various companies involved in manufacturing the tanker.

We published photos of the tanker on the internet and were contacted by two locals in Newberry County, South Carolina who recognised the truck. This led to us discovering that a Texaco

▲ Steve in 2018 prior to starting the restoration.

▲ The porcelain enamel trunk letters and the iconic Texaco bumper.

▼ A test fit of the front panels before painting commenced.

▼ The re-created hand and toe rails which were detailed in a 1938 Heil brochure.

dealer in Newberry County may have purchased the tanker when new. We engaged the services of a local business to research a piece of land identified as once housing a Texaco gas station and a bulk fuel storage plant. The title search confirmed the site being owned by Texaco from 1930 to 1976. We also learnt that the tanker was later bought by a local timber mill to be used as a water truck.

The lumber yard was located right next door to the Texaco bulk fuel plant so we are confident that we have found the tanker’s original home.

The first major stage of the project was the extensive repairs made to the 16 gauge steel body of the Heil tank. This arduous process took six months and was made more difficult with all the lead that had been used to finish the tank originally. A decision was then made to keep and repair the severely deteriorated streamline cab in order to keep the originality of the tanker intact.

The ’38 tanker survived 80 plus years with its original A.W. Wheaton Brass Works tank truck equipment. Rather than using a pump, the Heil tanker works on a gravity discharge system. All the original pipework, valves, bottom operator and valve selector have

been reinstated as part of the restoration. Where possible, we have been committed to restoring the tanker using the same techniques that were used back in 1938. This has included hot riveting the fish plates onto the chassis and the re-creation of the Texaco porcelain enamel letters. Throughout the project, we have been really proud to showcase the world-class skill and talent of the New Zealand craftsmen Steve has outsourced work to.

Steve himself has spent more than 2000 hours restoring the truck over the past four years. It has been a true labour of love for him, and his focus, passion and commitment to see the project through has never wavered.

Steve hopes to complete the restoration in the next few months, – once finished the tanker will be displayed at the Classics Museum in Hamilton. We publish project updates online at texacotankerproject.com and look forward to sharing this art deco beauty in the future at commercial and car shows / events around New Zealand.

Beaded Wheels 33

GMC powered Wolseley 680

RE-POWERED ROAD CARS Words and photos Jim Bennett

GMC POWER During 1958 my eldest brother Ivan competed for his first time with his recently acquired two year old Morgan plus 4 sports car at a standing ¼ mile sprint on Fryatt Street by the Otago Harbour. His car went quite quickly that day, doing low 17 second times, but the car that really impressed was Gerald Hoare’s tatty 1939 Chevrolet coupe which he had re-powered with a modified 4.4 litre GMC ex-army truck engine. He was consistently leaving a pair of long black marks at the start and doing times in the 15 second bracket. A year later at Fryatt Street again another very quick competitor was teenager David Young driving a recently acquired C Type Jaguar sports racing car. I thought that this thoroughbred car would be the fastest, but Hoare just beat Young’s time by a few hundredths of a second, driving his Chev for the fastest time of the day at 15.15 seconds.

Ten years later, and recently married to Thelma, I was working as a toolmaker at D.C. Ross Ltd where I had completed an apprenticeship. This precision engineering firm was co-owned by the afore-mentioned Gerald Hoare who oversaw activities in the workplace. That same year Gerald had also married. At this time he sold his immaculately refurbished Chev coupe, and a ¼ mile

34 Beaded Wheels

dragster that he had built, to racing driver and car dealer Spencer Black. Both of these vehicles were powered by GMC engines.

The dragster engine was highly modified with a full race camshaft and forged 14:1 compression ratio pistons, all mail ordered from the USA. This was at a time when the New Zealand Post Office would only allow purchase of one US dollar postal note per day (five shillings). Gerald would often visit three post offices on his way home from work, before they closed, to obtain as many US dollars as possible! The dragster ran on 100% methanol fuel. In 1960 or ‘61 Hoare, driving this vehicle at the Wigram Air Force Base, had covered a standing ¼ mile in the high eleven second range.

I had been day-dreaming of building a powerful sports or grand touring car and, aware that Gerald still had numerous GMC engine parts, purchased some good bits from him. Usefully, he also loaned me his Floyd Clymer publication Souping Chevrolet & GMC engines.

This 1950s book claimed that the GMC was a good alternative to the Ford Mercury flathead V8 to modify for high performance.

The following year Thelma and I bought our first house. This caused a major revision of car construction plans as other priorities seemed to absorb any spare cash. A 20 year old midget racing car, which I co-owned with friend Stuart Reid, was sold and my share was enough to pay our solicitor his fee for the house transaction

and buy a little paint and wallpaper. How then to get best value from the handy bits so that they could be turned into cash again?

I was aware that very few people were still using GMC trucks and anyway they wouldn’t want the go-fast parts. A body shell that was cheap and had a long engine bay was sought which I thought would be an interesting way of utilizing the GMC goodies.

WOLSELEY GMC I subsequently spent some time on our Sunday afternoon cruises peering under various parked cars looking for something which would readily accept the big GM engine. I eventually found what I wanted. For $50 I acquired a 1952 Wolseley 6/80 which ran badly on five cylinders. This money, borrowed from the wallpaper fund and being equivalent to most of my wages for a week, was almost repaid by selling the Wolseley engine and gearbox soon after for $40. This donor car had cost me just $10.

A major advantage of this vehicle was that there was only one fixed cross member, beneath the radiator. The rear gearbox cross member was removable, being bolted to the underside of the body.

Hopefully the hole where the engine had been would be big enough in which to fit a GMC power-plant. It was, just, as it transpired.

Gerald supplied a re-bored GMC engine block, intended for his dragster project, which he had rejected upon finding a very small change of colour in part of one cylinder. I was assured that this block would be quite suitable for a road car. Included were most parts required to build a reliable motor. He supplied one of his milder USA-sourced performance camshafts with special valve springs and retainers. On his advice some gas flow work was done to the cylinder head and 4mm was planed off the face to bring the compression ratio up to nearly 9:1. A pair of SU carburettors from a Mk7 Jaguar, were mounted on an inlet/exhaust manifold which I fabricated. On recommendation from Gerald, I obtained a “bullet proof” Packard 3 speed gearbox which conveniently bolted to a Chevrolet bell housing. This fitted the GMC engine with minor modifications to clear the starter ring gear. Humber Hawk front disc brakes and a ‘48 Ford V8 differential were fitted shortly after completion. With the Wolseley differential, the car could be driven into Dunedin’s View St at 20 mph in top gear and would accelerate to 30 mph before the top of the hill!

The Wolseley was a lot of fun as it was not visually different from a normal 6/80. A car enthusiast who came to view this car was shown under the bonnet and said he couldn’t see what had been changed. SU carbs were not normally used on American engines and to him it appeared to be just a Wolseley with a free flow exhaust. He was surprised by the acceleration when taken for a ride. He understood better after the source of the power was revealed.

Handling was reasonably good with the car winning the over 3000cc class at two hill-climbs. No luck at a wet standing 1/4 mile with wheel-spin in top gear until halfway along the course. My times were in the low 17s on cross ply retreads.

During the time this car was being modified I was promoted to the drawing office at D.C. Ross Ltd upon the incumbent leaving.

Our road car at this time was a Mk1 Ford Consul which was sold upon completion of the Wolseley.

A year or so later I acquired Doug Ross’ interest in the business and was doing a lot more city driving attending to our clients.

The Wolseley was at a disadvantage around town as it had a large turning circle and did only 15 mpg on a trip. The fuel consumption was much worse around town. This was not helped by taking

all and sundry for a demonstration. I recall taking friend Barry Vuyk for a ride up Opoho Road behind the Botanical Gardens one wet day. He went into convulsions of laughter as the old car was easily power-slid around the tight, damp, corners. (Barry had been campaigning a Zephyr-powered 100E Ford Prefect in OSCA racing at this time). I was now using “company petrol” but the firm needed all the help it could get. The 6/80 had to go. It is one of the few cars that I have ever made money on. Barry Vyuk was the manager of a car sales business a block along the road from my workplace and he sold the car, on my behalf, for about three times what it cost me in parts.

LOW LIGHT MORRIS MINOR

Soon after the Wolseley-GMC was back on the road Thelma had obtained her driver license. With only limited funds we decided that a small car for her would be most useful. An early model, low light, Morris Minor, which ran on only three cylinders, was duly purchased and the next weekend the engine was replaced with one from an early Ford Prefect. My brother-in-law had found it lying in long grass behind the firm where he worked. This business was about to enlarge their premises and the old engine was headed for the rubbish tip. Upon starting it had a distinct ticking sound. The tick disappeared when number three spark plug was shorted out.

A worn connecting rod small end bush was discovered and easily remedied.

The engine swap was fairly simple as the side valve Morris engine was apparently based on the design of the 1932 Ford 8. To make the Morris gearbox fit, the bolt holes in the bell housing had only to be filed a little bit oval to bolt to the Ford block. The Ford front engine mount was altered and a few other simple adaptations made. The Ford engine capacity at 1200cc was 30% larger than the Morris unit. With a high compression cylinder head (Ford 8), free flow exhaust, and a single 1½ inch SU carburettor fitted to the engine the car preformed quite well.

Thelma rang me at work one day to say that while she was taking her mother shopping the Minor’s engine had stopped suddenly near the level crossing on lower Rattray Street. Going to her aid, it was easiest to swap cars with her taking over the Wolseley-GMC. After she departed the Morris started ok, but stopped again when crossing the rail tracks. This was soon found to be a loose wire on the ignition switch. However that was not the end of events for the day. I was informed that my mother-in-law had been banned by husband Harry from ever riding in “that” Wolseley again. On their way to her house the water level must have got a little low as the

Beaded Wheels 35

SAVE THE DATE Daffodil Rally for Cancer SUNDAY 21 AUGUST 2022

To find out more about your local Daffodil Rally for Cancer, visit

www.vcc.org.nz

radiator started steaming going up Lookout Point. Thelma flagged down a taxi driver who helped get the cap safely off the radiator and add some water from the container always carried in the boot.

Apparently Harry nearly had an apoplectic fit when his wife told him of her adventures.

WOLSELEY 4/44s The leather upholstery and wooden trim of the Wolseley 6/80 appealed and when it was sold another Wolseley was obtained.

This was a later model and more compact, excellent handling, 4/44. These cars were powered by a 1250cc overhead valve engine similar to MG T series of the period. With this power unit moving a heavier sedan body the performance could be described as somewhat leisurely. My intention had been to upgrade to the later and more powerful 4/50 specification which used a 1500cc BMC B engine. However this plan changed when I spied an advertisement for a Mk2 Ford Consul engine, which was acquired in exchange for a surplus Ford 100E engine and some cash.

This Consul engine had been previously modified to bring it up to later Mk3 Zephyr 4 specifications. With higher compression and bigger valves than the Consul this 1700cc unit was rated by Ford at 68 bhp and was a reasonably straight forward conversion.

The Wolseley bell housing was fitted to the Ford motor using an adapter made from a rolled ring of one inch square section steel.

36 Beaded Wheels

Com e join t and he fu All a n ge

s an vehi d cl are es type welc s ome !

Unfortunately the 4/44 gearbox was not up to the task and after stripping the teeth off second gear twice something more robust was sought. A Wolseley 6/80 gearbox was fitted, only requiring the large locating hole on the 4/44 bell housing to be enlarged as the bolt pattern on the front of both gearboxes is the same. A modified rear mounting, shortened driveshaft and lengthened gear change linkages completed this upgrade. I also fitted the Wolseley 6/80 differential, which I still had, giving more pleasant open road cruising.

With 50% more power than original, this car was such a success that a second vehicle was similarly converted for Thelma as an upgrade for her Morris/Ford Minor. A couple of years later, with business improving, I had use of a modern company car and the first Wolseley/Ford was swapped for a pile of Jaguar parts from Peddie - Dick Motors to aid construction of my second FURI sports car. A consequence of these activities is that journalist Allan Dick has referred to me, on occasion, as Dunedin’s Gyro Gearloose for making something reasonable out of what many people seemed to consider worthless old rubbish.

RALLY SNIPPETS

A round up of notable rallies and events from around our branches

Auckland: John and Roger Morrison 1916 Briscoe.

2021 DELAYED AUCKLAND HUNUA 100 Auckland Branch Words and photos Jocelyn McAlpine

▲ Auckland: Stephen and Tracey Winterbottom 1930 Talbot.

Auckland’s annual rally, the Hunua 100, has been held on Labour Weekend for 63 years. Sadly last October we in Auckland were still deep in the throes of lockdown. We eventually held the event on 13 March, with no garden party, no prizegiving dinner and dance, just the cars on the rally. As with many things during these turbulent times, numbers were down, but entered vehicles ranged from 1915 Model T to 1989 Mazda. Those either on the touring run or those on the competitive run were treated to some old fashioned vintage car roads from Kumeu, through Kaipara and onto Port Albert where the deservedly proud Port Albert Hall committee welcomed us into their immaculate country hall with incredible hospitality. After lunch we headed back to Waitoki, driving 110 miles in total, a true test for the cars and drivers. Congratulations to Rodger and Val Ball the overall winners.

THE WHALE TAIL RUN North Shore Branch Words and photos Richard Bampton

On Easter Sunday four eligible cars arrived at the start, where chairman Tony Sparkes was waiting with his Mazda MX5 to give out the instructions and see us off. Participants in the run were Bill and Robyn Duffy plus grandson and 1928 Ford Model A, Malcolm and Joan Jacques plus grandson and Rover 3.5, Charlie and Jill Armstrong and very original 1979 Range Rover two door, Jim and Lynn Hefkey and Almac TG, and Sarah Bampton with her father in a modern. The Almac is an MG TF inspired fibreglass bodied car, built in New Zealand, and Jim’s beautifully kept example is a ▲ Whale tail run entrants.

Beaded Wheels 37

later version, one of only about 20 built, fitted with a Toyota 2 litre DOHC engine., The Whale Tail Trail is an initiative by World Wildlife Fund in New Zealand and draws attention to the predicament of the Hauraki Gulf due to over-fishing and pollution. Sixty-seven whale tails, each individually painted by artists from New Zealand, have been placed round Auckland City and will eventually be auctioned off to help the cause.

Our run took us to nine of the whale tails on the North Shore.

The first group visited was at The Plaza at Whangaparaoa. Here we were joined by Alan and Christine Albon from Auckland Branch in

IRISH WOMAN’S RALLY 12-13 March 2022 South Waikato Branch Words Trevor Appleby photos Deidre Rennie

Irishwoman vehicles on the farm track to a secluded spot where part of Lord of The Rings was filmed.

38 Beaded Wheels

their Mazda MX5. The third tail at Long Bay New World was visited next followed by the Brown’s Bay tail. The we stopped at Kennedy Park where we enjoyed a leisurely picnic lunch and examined the gun emplacements and fortifications.

The next three tails in Takapuna were a drive past because of the impossibility of parking, so on to the next team tail photo at Smales Farm. Last stop was Devonport Wharf to collect the final whale tail.

A great run, excellent weather, good company and the opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of the Hauraki Gulf and the endangered Bryde’s whales.

Things didn’t start out too well as on the Monday prior to the rally we learned that the Targa Rally was going to be using the same roads we had intended to travel on to get us to various farms that we intended to go through. So we quickly changed the two days around to avoid confusion.

Sixteen cars lined up on Saturday morning, it was great to see a lot of new faces and vehicles from the Bay of Plenty Branch including North Island Club Captain, Kaaren Smylie, who joined us on the Sunday. Her husband Jim painted a good picture of the Saturday run through nine farms describing the challenging terrain, and plenty of animal spotting along the route. A great day’s motoring for our old cars and the weather was in our favour.

Entries included a 1917 Dodge, Model As, Standard, Desoto, Chevrolet, Delage, Riley, a 1928 Morgan Aero and a 1925 Harley (with sidecar).

Both the Harley and the Morgan completed the two days rallying. The Morgan put on a great display while trying to climb a steep shingle track on day one and in the end had to be towed up to the top.

It is very apparent that we need no more than 20 vehicles on this rally due to the terrain and not to mention dust. We had a lot of lost vehicles on day two. The instruction being to follow the leader.

We are working on a solution to that problem.

Thanks to the Wharepapa South School who supplied us with lunch and the Saturday night dinner.

For those who enjoyed this year’s rally, remember to get in early and register to avoid the 20 vehicle cutoff.

South Waikato: Model A Ford belonging to Les and Helen Duggan.

South Waikato: Unrestored Chev added tothe ambience of the rally.

South Waikato: Delage and Model A - sunrise in Pukeatua.

South Waikato: On the way to Rusty’s Roost for lunch.

Beaded Wheels 39

GRANDAD’S WHEELS GIVING THE CHRYSLER A NEW LIFE Words and photos Peter Horgan

Peter Horgan has gained access to a piece of his family’s history, a 1930 Chrysler CJ 6. The vehicle was purchased second hand in Motueka

by Peter’s grandfather, Alexander Horgan, who secured the registration AT4444 which it still holds today. Peter takes up the story of the vehicle’s journey into his hands.

I had heard about the Chrysler over the years but never really took any notice until my wife, Wendy, and I were holidaying around the top of South Island a couple of years ago. While visiting an Aunt in Nelson we spotted the Chrysler taking up half of her garage under a dusty old car cover. She told us how the car was passed on to my cousin Michael and his dad and they had begun the restoration. Unfortunately Michael’s dad passed away, so the Chrysler was destined to sit in the garage and move with the family as they shifted house around Nelson.

Upon returning home to Auckland I commented to Wendy how I’d love to help restore the old car (and keep it in the family) and much to my surprise she agreed. Next step was to talk to my own father (Pat, grandad’s oldest son and a retired army mechanic) who now lives in Australia, to see if he would help. He wholeheartedly agreed so I phoned Michael to see if he would agree to sell the Chrysler to me. Understandably he didn’t want to part with it fully but also wanted to see the car restored, so we worked out a partnership. Then the fun began, how do we get it up to Auckland? Dad and I considered a road trip with a car trailer, but unfortunately covid hit and travel for him to New Zealand was impossible. So I flew to Nelson to help it get loaded on a car transporter one Friday, flew home to Auckland, and saw it get delivered into our garage on the Monday.

40 Beaded Wheels

When the Chrysler arrived in Auckland, the transporter driver told us how he does these sorts of jobs all over New Zealand and sometimes he would move a car four to five times as people learned just how big a job restoring a car can be. His advice was do one part at a time and don’t get overwhelmed.

The pandemic developed from weeks into years and continued closed borders meant no access to my dad’s skills. The sale of our house of 27 years also meant the Chrysler was going to be on the move again (sound familiar), so I contacted the North Shore Branch of the Vintage Car Club to find a person to help restore it. They put me onto a restorer who agreed to work on the Chrysler when he has spare time at his panel beating business (a year to two year project). His apprentice has just started some work on the car and his only comment was these old cars are made out of real steel with a sad look on his face. So hopefully in about a year the Chrysler will be on the road for the first time in decades under her own power.

The panelbeater’s brief is not to restore CJ to showroom condition but rather to a condition that would be what it was like when my grandad use to drive it all those years ago. I hope this is just the first stage with more of the story to come.

CAPTAIN’S LOG DAFFODIL DAY RALLY FOR CANCER

Coming up on the VCC branch annual calendar is one date of significant importance. Sunday 21 August – our VCC National Day/Daffodil Rally. This event gives New Zealanders the opportunity to support and donate to our Club’s nominated charity.

On this day throughout New Zealand, hundreds of vehicles in all various shapes, sizes, and models, will hit the road Driving our History or alternatively be on display for public viewing, showcasing our members’ pride and joy. The big drive for the VCC with this campaign is to increase the profile and awareness of our organisation.

By the time you read this column your branch coordinators will be in fullswing plotting and planning your specific branch event.

Coordinators will have all their advertising material scheduled and ready to roll out in the local community newspapers.

In the coming months our VCC 2022 Daffodil Rally national advertising is scheduled in

several nationwide publications alongside the many social media platforms to spread the word to the wider New Zealand public about this campaign.

Additionally, the Cancer Society will be promoting this event on their Daffodil Day fund-raising website. A great alternative option to provide the public, via an online portal, the opportunity to donate to this very worthwhile cause.

In the meantime, in the lead up to 21 August, please keep circulating the word amongst all your personal contacts about this campaign.

NI CLUB CAPTAIN’S TOUR

In August last year, a decision was made to cancel the proposed 2021 NICC Tour due to Covid. am thrilled to confirm this national event has now been resurrected, and will take place in September this year.

The Tour will commence in Tauranga, and end in New Plymouth.

My fellow Rally Director, Alastair Jones and I have all our ducks lined up, so all we need

now is you, the members, to accompany us. Part of the thrillsand-spills of this tour will be driving on back-country roads, that will be traffic free. Some roads could test your driving skills, but fear not, your mount will not be compromised. For the lounge lizards there will be a couple of alternative routes available for cars with minimal ground clearance.

Some of the venues we have selected to visit will be rather interesting, and will provide all the oohs and aahs.

Our evenings are scheduled to be very relaxed, and will allow you time to unwind and chat with your fellow travelling companions. Don’t delay with your entry form, as entries may have to be limited due to accommodation restraints.

being far more informed than when they arrived of the importance of promoting the Junior Membership category amongst their own branch members.

Signing our kids up to the VCC organisation at an early age, can only be advantageous to them, and us, in coming years.

Whether ‘Master Junior or Miss Junior’ is one year old, or twenty-one years old, young people are who we want to grow our membership in the coming years.

In the next few months, we will drive a small campaign targeting the younger age bracket, as this is where our solid future is – our youth!

JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP

At our recent Executive Meeting a robust discussion was held amongst the delegates in attendance, about our VCC Junior Membership. I must admit at the end of all the discussion several of our members left that meeting

Kaaren Smylie North Island Club Captain

BOOK REVIEW THE ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE: PORSCHE 356 Brett Johnson.

Published 2019 by Veloce who supplied the review copy. ISBN 978-1-787112-96-4 Reviewed by Mark Holman Although it was published a couple of years ago, I am using this particular volume as an example of this very useful series of books. Veloce’s Essential Buyer’s Guide series now includes well over 100 books, covering motorcycles as well as cars, from MG Midget and XK150 to various MercedesBenz and Land-Rover models

and much more; mostly postmid 1950s.

They are all small, softcover books, most with 64 pages although some are bigger. Each one follows a similar format; is it actually the right car for you, what different models are there, is the correct documentation available, a 15-minute evaluation to decide if the car you’re viewing is worth pursuing, paint problems and problems due to lack of use, .

However, the core of each volume is the ‘Serious evaluation’ chapter, with a set of boxes to enable you to score the car you’re viewing. Each book is

written by someone with good knowledge of the marque, so their advice is based on practical experience and there are plenty of photos to show you what to look out for. For example, when looking at a 356, watch out for oil leaking from a bell housing which usually indicates a leaking pinion seal which requires the engine to be removed; open the floor mounted vents and turn the heater knob on - does rust blow out of the vents?

There are plenty more areas to assess relating to upholstery, suspension, electrics. At the end, your score should enable you to evaluate the car objectively.

Especially at the modest cost

of these books they definitely have the potential to save you a lot of money and to avoid being blinded by a car that may look good on the surface.

Beaded Wheels 41

ARCHIVIST NEWS Our club archive is located at the VCCNZ National Office in Christchurch and is open to visitors on Friday mornings.

It contains a wealth of historic material, a lot of which has been digitised. It is well worth a visit or if you have any queries do get in contact with our archivist Don Muller phone 03 385 6850 or archivist@vcc.org.nz.

AARD MOTOR SERVICES ASSOCIATION The first time I saw the initials AARD was emblazoned accross the radiator of a Hudson Super Six at the 1980 International Rally at Rotorua. On further investigation I discovered that it was the name of a large service car company called AARD Motor Services Association that transported both passengers and mail in the North Island with some small agencies in the South Island. In some cases there was an arrow though the centre of the AARD. The first large service car company in New Zealand was the Mt Cook Company, which had a service from the Fairlie rail head to Mt Cook in 1906, this was followed by Newman brothers service cars in 1911.

AARD was by founded by Rupert Rennie Woodcock from Napier in 1918. By 1920 they covered many major routes in the North Island and by 1924 there weren’t many North Island roads that they didn’t travel and they had agencies in most major towns.

They mainly used Cadillac, Hudson, Buick, Packard, Stutz, Nash, Studebaker, Paige, Stearns and Ford.

It was interesting to read that the Bay of Plenty agents, Holman and Beckett, on the corner of Devonport and First Avenue, ran a service from

42 Beaded Wheels

Auckland, Tauranga, Opotiki connecting with the Napier Gisborne cars that came via the Motu Gorge, the main Gisborne Opotiki route, as the Waioeka Gorge Road had not yet been constructed. That would be some trip through the Motu in the 1920s.

Hunter Motors of Dunedin had an AARD agency that covered Timaru, Kurow, Oamaru, Dunedin and Invercargill.

Rinks Taxis of Christchurch who owned 50 cars were also affiliated with AARD. In the late 1920s the New Zealand Government enacted laws that meant it was hard for private service car operators to obtain a transport license. From 1926 New Zealand Railways Road Services (NZRRS) started taking over bus and service car companies. AARD was taken over by NZRRS in 1928.

The name was continued for a few more years. In 1933, the Transport Amendment Act stated “No new licences would be issued to bus services that ran along side of a railway route”. From 1936 – 1939 NZRRS had purchased 27 private bus companies at bargain prices, in 1940 they had 138 buses on the road.

This story came about because a few years ago at the Archive

I found a large 880mm x 1130mm, folded 1920 North Island map that was published

by AARD, showing all the routes they travelled as well as side elevation pictures of some of the routes, showing the elevations of each route. On the map there are statements like under “Royal (the Prince of Wales travelled with AARD in 1920) and Vice Regal Patronage, AARD Royal Mail Contract to Everywhere, 1000 cars Available Anytime”. I showed the map to a number of people who all agreed it deserved a better home than being stored folded in an envelope. It has now been framed and is hanging on the wall at the VCC Archive.

At the bottom of the map is an additional sticker that says, Curran Motors who were located in Kaikoura.

While searching for information, I came across a recent photo of a delightful old stone building which is situated at Lichfield, halfway between Putaruru and Tokoroa. Below one window I could see AARD, below the other it said Bank, and situated on the right was a large sign that said South Waikato Vintage Car Club.

I contacted the branch who gave me the following information.

The building was built as a billiard saloon in 1888 behind an existing hotel. It has also been used as a general store.

During the 1920-30s it was

used as an AARD depot, to stop for refreshments, refuel and exchange mailbags. Other uses were as a bank and lately as a church. Since 1975 it has been the home of the South Waikato Branch of the VCC. This may be one of the last buildings in New Zealand that still displays AARD signage.

Thank you to Francis Munden and Pieter Deutz Ebeling for supplying the above information.

WHAT DOES AARD MEAN?

I searched Beaded Wheels for any information and found a reference in Beaded Wheels 33, March 1963 page 36, saying that AARD meant, “Always Alert, Ready to Drive”. AARD which is a Dutch name which means world or earth, but by having an AA at the beginning, it would ensure it always appeared first in the Wises Post Office Directory, (ref On the Bus in New Zealand page 35.)

Acknowledgements: On the Bus in New Zealand, 2007

by John Crystal.

Don Muller Archivist archivist@vcc.org.nz

MARKET PLACE Terms and conditions CLASSIFIED RATES Due to space limitation, classified advertisers should refrain from the use of dashes, spaces, logos, blank lines and formatting. All classified rates include GST. The 65 word limit includes contact details. Advertisers requiring ads longer than the standard 65 words, or who require typography or space, must apply display rates. The advertising department reserves the right to edit or return classifieds not meeting the criteria Member of Vintage Car Club: No charge for text or photo classified advertising. Members must be financial and identify their Branch. Limited to one free advert per issue, maximum of three insertions per advertisement.

Non Member: $21 for first 40 words or part thereof, thereafter 15 cents per word (max 65 words per advertisement).* Text in a Boxed Ad : $24 non-members* Colour Photo Ad in Box: $56 non-members, enclose a clear photo and an SAE if return required.* Advertisements should be typed or clearly printed.

Advertising Email address: beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Advert and Payment: to arrive not later than 10th of month preceding publication. Payment by Credit card or Internet banking (for Internet banking details email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz).

DISPLAY RATES* Casual (per issue) 3 Issues (per issue) Full Page $900 $720 Half Page $530 $390 Horizontal ¼ Page $270 $216 All display rates quoted exclude GST and are for finished digital artwork s­upplied. Artwork can be arranged at an extra charge. Deadline for copy 10th of month preceding publication.

Beaded Wheels will consider articles of a technical nature for inclusion in its editorial space. Beaded Wheels however regrets that it is not able to offer editorial space for advertisements nor for the promotion of products.

Marketplace advertising cancellations received in writing prior to advertising deadline will be refunded in full. Where possible Beaded Wheels will refund 70% of the advertisement cost for any cancellations received after the booking deadline. *Payment by credit card will incur additional bank fee processing charge of 3% Beaded Wheels makes every effort to ensure no misleading claims are made by advertisers, responsibility cannot be accepted by Beaded Wheels or the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) for the failure of any product or service to give satisfaction. Inclusion of a product or ­service should not be construed as endorsement of it by Beaded Wheels or by the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.).

No liability can be accepted for non-appearance of advertisements and the text of all advertisements is subject to the approval of the editor who reserves the right to refuse any advertisements which are not compatible with the aims, objectives, and standards of Beaded Wheels or the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) In accordance with the provisions of the Human Rights Commission Act 1977 Beaded Wheels will not publish any advertisement which indicates or could reasonably be understood as indicating an intention to discriminate by reason of sex, marital status, ­religious or ethical beliefs.

Advertisers should take all care in drafting advertisements as they could be held liable, as well as Beaded Wheels and the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.).

Advise national office of any changes of address or sales/purchases of vehicles

FOR SALE 1929 CHEV CHASSIS i n good condition. Shed stored. $500. Temuka. Phone 022 636 9961 or 03 615 9668.

1979 MGBGT Very attractive car in good road condition. WoF, reg. $8,200 ono. Phone 03 455 8834, Dunedin.

A PAIR OF 9.5 INCH HEADLIGHT LENS plus rims Lens are marked Brown Stabilite Fixed Focus, 1x Parabeam 10 inch dia lens, 1x Parabeam 8 inch dia lens, 1 x CAV 9.25 dia lens. A pair of Twilite 9.25 inch dia lens plus one rim. Unidentified convex lenses, one 6.375 inch dia; one 6.625 inch dia, probably Lucas. Can you use them? Then make an offer. Ph 09 232 0245, dewdrops@xtra.co.nz

MEM AUCKLAND

CARBURETTOR RECONDITIONING including classic and performance makes. 40 plus years trade experience. Free advice. Contact Graeme Tulloch, Tulmac Carburettor Specialists on 027 612 2312 or (Levin) 06 368 2202 COACHWORK F or all your coachwork, woodwork and timber rim steering wheels for your veteran, vintage or commercial vehicles contact Designs N Wood, John Martin, 11 Bell Avenue, Cromwell.

Phone/fax 03 445 0598, 021 109 1309 or email martin_jw@xtra.co.nz MEM CENTRAL OTAGO

DRIVESHAFTS DRIVESHAFTS DRIVESHAFTS We can alter or make driveshafts with fabric components to take modern universal joints and yokes, as well as performing dynamic balancing. We also carry a large range of driveshaft components for car, trucks, industrial and marine. M S Coombes Ltd, 344 St Asaph Street, Christchurch 8011, Ph 03 366 7463, email: info@mscoombes.co.nz HUBCAPS – a ny problems contact me. I now produce either hubcap skins or complete hubcaps. These are top quality replicas.

Pressed not spun to the closest possible original specifications. I can manufacture any model that uses the skin system plus many others provided they do not exceed 10½ inch in diameter. For more information phone Dave Patten Replica Manufacturing (2003) Ltd, Phone 027 247 7956, 160 New York Street, Martinborough. dave.patten@wise.net.nz VINTAGE STATIONARY ENGINES. Lister model J & L. Lister diesel 3hp. Mogul 2½. Cushman Cub. Massey Harris. Little Jumbo. Contact Andrew 027 611 6225, steamer.boy@gmail.com

MEM CANTERBURY

BALANCING BALANCING BALANCING, We can balance most vintage and single cylinder engines, fans, driveshafts etc. Work is carried out on a modern digital machine.

M S Coombes Ltd, 344 St Asaph Street, Christchurch 8011, Ph 03 366 7463, email: info@mscoombes.co.nz

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

CYLINDER HEADS o ff 350 Chev motor. No cracks, good cond. Phone 027 445 3199

MEM CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY LWB LANDCRUISER 1981 FJ45 4.230cc 2F petrol engine. Rego on hold. Body panels completely rusted, towable. Has transfer box driven Thomas winch. As is where is. Offers. Details, location etc.

Ph Dennis 04 475 7413 nisbetdd@xtra.co.nz MGB ROADSTER 1965 1 17,000 kms NZ new in good order, white, one owner the last 29 years, hard top no soft top, down sizing the garage, new WoF and reg, and cylinder head , $18,000 ono. Call Bill for more info 06 758 4244. MEM TARANAKI RUSHMORE MOTORS can market your Veteran, Vintage or Classic car immediately. We have great success with most makes, and listing a vehicle is completely free. We hold a huge database of prospective buyers and we endeavour to match sellers with buyers. If you have an unused vehicle sitting in your garage and would like your bank balance considerably enhanced, give us a call on 027 2245 045 inc a/h. vintagecars@xtra.co.nz PENRITE OILS W e carry a large range from vintage to modern engines. Gearbox, diff, SU dashpot and water pump grease.

M S Coombes Ltd, 344 St Asaph Street, Christchurch 8011, Ph 03 366 7463, email: info@mscoombes.co.nz

Please advise National Office of any changes of address or sales/ purchases of vehicles.

Email admin@vcc.org.nz or post details to VCCNZ, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140

GOT VIBRATION PROBLEMS?

T he crankshaft pulley/balancer/damper may be the cause. Rubber perishes over time. John at Harmonic Damper Rebuilds can rebuild your pulley like new. He has a proven system to re-rubber and re-sleeve dampers. Most can be rebuilt as good as new and save you money and engine repairs. 027 666 3350 or 07 863 3350 damperdude@gmail.com MAGNETO AND COIL WINDING SERVICES Magneto repairs, coil rewinding, work guaranteed. We buy and sell magnetos of all types except aircraft.

728 Waimutu Road, RD2 Marton 4788.

Phone Warwick 06 327 3849, 027 281 8066, walandlynn@farmside.co.nz

MEM

VINTAGE CAR REPAIRS

All Classic and Vintage Car restoration.

• Panel making • Wooden body repairs, • Bumpers and moulding repair • Competitive hourly rate.

Unit 1 11 Penn Place, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch

Phone Grant 341 5100 or 027 223 9474 granttvin@gmail.com

Beaded Wheels 43

MARKET PLACE

MODEL A FORD ROADSTER PICK UP 1930.

Owned over 50 years. Fully restored in 1990s to a high standard. Very orig. Drives very well with a sweet motor. Body #9F 509, engine # CAE6482. $47,500 ono cell 021 202 8147, mvincent587@ gmail.com MEM CANTERBURY

BUICK CENTURY 1957 r unning 364 nailhead and dynaflow transmission. Very nice car, no expense spared, restored to a very high and original standard, hard to fault and beautiful to drive. $75K contact Hunter 027 663 9018. MEM SOUTHLAND

1963 JAWA/CZ 175, b uilt to look like a military motorcycle. In dry storage since 2009. Need space, hence sale. Has run, but wiring needs finishing. Price includes enough spares for basis of another bike.

In Waihi. $2000. Peter ph 021 146 4568/pteeboy@ hotmail.com MEM AUCKLAND

1963 AJS MODEL 31 CSR 650CC Certificate of Authenticity from UK Matchless/AJS Owners Club.

Extensive recent work, motor not fully run in.

Bottom end rebuilt by Graham Cole, top end by Chris LeGrice. Magneto rebuilt, new Mk1 concentric, new clutch centre . Reg and WoF. Health dictates sale. $18,000. ono. Terry 027 431 3644 MEM AUCKLAND

MICHELIN TYRES - b rand new 6.00/6.50 x 18 just HOROWHENUA BRANCH SPARES has one near arrived and ready to go. Not cheap but the best all complete unrestored 1954 MG ZA Magnette Mk 1, round vintage tyre I have used, grass, gravel and repowered with Morris Marina 1800 engine. Spares seal. Up to six available immediately $750 each. Mike incl 4 drs, bootlid, 1 front mudgrd, another Marina 1800 motor. No seats/paperwork. Shed stored 30 yrs.

Crehan 021 030 3316 mikecrehan@hotmail.com $500. Ph 06 364 7238 after 5pm, callumfarmer77@

MEM BANKS PENINSULA hotmail.com HOROWHENUA BRANCH VCC MEMBER OFFER

$65 + p&p

1929 MORRIS COWLEY, export model. This is an WE HAVE OUTLIVED THEM, after being stablemates original and unrestored car which attracts attention since 1980 so want to leave home and are for sale. wherever it goes. WoF, rego, some spares including 1927 Austin 7 (tophat), 1930 Austin 7 (tourer). Both motor and gearbox. Has completed numerous restored and rallied over many years, low miles. rallies. Reluctantly selling after 30 years. $15,000 Price – highest offer considered, as no rush, safely Contact Chris 0274 421 639, cmclarke@xtra.co.nz garaged and reg. Ph Norma & Ernie Pailthorpe 04 3894 558, PO Box 7471, Wgtn. MEM WGTN

MEM HOROWHENUA

CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF JAGUAR ORIGINS with this superb hard cover publication. 316 pages, 485 photos. Order by email: kctbooksales@gmail. com. Include your name and address and mention Beaded Wheels to pay VCC launch price. Payment to KCT Book Sales 12 3089 0270739 01. Retail Price $79.99 RRP + p&p*. P&P $10 or $14 for rural delivery

JAGUAR 3.4S TYPE 1967 Rare manual with overdrive.

76,000mls, low owners. Reg & WoF. Excellent original condition. Current owner since 1981. Amazing amount of documentation including factory owners manual, maintenance receipts . Complete Jaguar tool kit. Garaged since 1981. Authentic complete example, $39,000 ono. Ph Simon 021 662 285. MEM CANTERBURY

WOODEN WHEELS m ade for your metal­ work. Steam-bent felloes, any shape spokes.

New beaded rims available in some sizes. Phone Vern Jensen 06 323 3868, 16 Osborne Terrace, Feilding, sandvo@callsouth.net.nz MEM MANAWATU

44 Beaded Wheels

1928 BUICK 25X STANDARD 6 Holden body tourer ready for paint. All new woodwork (Southland Beech), motor, gearbox, diff stripped and full rebuild, rebuilt radiator cowl, new radiator and cap, new wiring harness. Everything to complete car, have quote for new steel & wooden bows for hood. $13,000 ono. Contact Bruce Roberts bruceakroberts@gmail.com. MEM NELSON

MARKET PLACE

1930 MODEL A PHAETON. C ut down to a pickup.

As is where is. Runs well. New radiator. Good brakes. $17,000. Would restore back to a Phaeton. Location Canty. Photos available. Contact Rushmore Motors 027 2245 045.

1948 FORD COUPÉ Location Auckland. Reg & WoF. Body off complete total restoration. Nothing spared.

Sits on 100k with no stress on the motor or trans. $77,000. Contact Rushmore Motors 027 2245 045 inc. a/h.

VINTAGE ENGINE SHORT BLOCKS We can in most cases rebuild your short block using modern shell bearings, new pistons and rebuilt oil pump.

Please contact us for more information.

M S Coombes Ltd, 344 St Asaph Street, Christchurch 8011, Ph 03 366 7463, email: info@mscoombes.co.nz

1938 AUSTIN BIG 7 O lder restoration WOF and reg, runs well, comes with a lot of spare parts. Ph 021 072 0670.

TWO 9 INCH LUCAS HEADLIGHTS FOR SALE. S uit 1930s Vauxhall or Bedford also Vauxhall hub caps.

Offers. Phone 09 275 6381. MEM AUCKLAND

LAGO TALBOT 1949 FACTORY BERLINE 6 cyl, twin cam, 4.5 litre 170 bhp 4 speed, preselect gears.

Mechanically similar to Lago’s successful GP and Le Mans cars. Recently completed after a 50 years long restotation. Runs very well. Current rego and new WoF Vehicle in Auckland, genuine reason for sale.

Contact owner for more details 022 360 7220.

MEM OTAGO PENRITE ENGINE COOLANT A colourless hybrid-organic non glycol based corrosion inhibitor designed specifically for use MORGAN THREE WHEELER FOR SALE Morgan in Veteran, Edwardian, Vintage and Classic Car 3 wheeler super sports, 1933, beetle back, cooling systems. M S Coombes Ltd, 344 St Asaph Matchless MX4 water-cooled engine, electric start, Street, Christchurch 8011, Ph 03 366 7463, email: 12 volt electrics. Professionally restored with all info@mscoombes.co.nz mechanicals and body work. $65,000. A custom built aluminium fully enclosed tandem axle trailer with electric winch for loading and unloading is available as an option for $10,000 Phone Allan Duffy mobile 021 655 171. MEM AUCKLAND

RENAULT MEGANE EXPRESSION CONVERTIBLE 2001 1.6L. One owner 11,000km electric hood.

As new condition, fitted with roadbox eg 2 seater without roadbox ie 2+2 automatic, power steering, ABS, air conditioning, radio, CD, player. Car in Auckland. Phone Don Hadfield 021 797 340 or 09 298 6546. $14,950 ono.

VINTAGE AND VETERAN CAR MARKETING. I maintain a database of buyers and sellers of veteran, vintage and post vintage vehicles, placing buyers and sellers together. Free to list. No hidden costs. No computer, no problem. Just call me.

Whether buying or selling a veteran, vintage or post vintage vehicle, contact Les at Rushmore Motors Ltd. Phone 027 224 5045. Inc. Sat. vintagecars@xtra.co.nz Free catalogue available.

Finance may be available on most vehicles.

1951 MORRIS MINOR LOW LIGHT. E x cond.

WoF. Spare o/head motor. Tyres good with spare tyres. Body good. Paint good. New uph. No sign of rust. New radiator and universals. $13,000.

Location Canty. Contact Rushmore Motors 027 2245 045.

VINTAGE & CLASSIC QUARTZ halogen bulbs.

Replace your existing bulbs without rewiring the headlamp assemblies. Up to 100% brighter than your existing Tungsten bulbs. Will fit most reflectors fitted to Pre & Post war cars and motorbikes. Also available in single filament 55 watt P22 & BA15 bases for use in spotlamps and mechanical dip reflectors.

Most bases and configurations available in 6v & 12v. Further info: Norm & Jan Sisson, sole NZ Agent. Phone 027 311 6563 , Amuri Motorcycles, 2C Birmingham Drive, Christchurch.

Email modelboatsupplies@snap.net.nz PISTONS PISTONS PISTONS PISTONS FOR VETERAN, VINTAGE, CLASSIC & ODDBALL ENGINES. We can supply piston sets for most makes and models. All piston sets come complete with rings and gudgeons.

We have over 700 listings at competitive prices.

M S COOMBES LTD 344 ST ASAPH ST, CHRISTCHURCH Ph: 03 366 7463 E: info@mscoombes.co.nz VALVES exhaust quality stainless for vintage engines. Available in blank form or machined to size required. George Calder, 307 Hoon Hay Rd, Christchurch. Phone 03 338 5372 or email gandkcalder@gmail.com

VINTAGE TRUNKS made to order or stock sizes. Dust proof and waterproof. Phone Allan 06 844 3959 or 0274 469 331 Napier, acjones760@gmail.com MEM

Beaded Wheels 45

MARKET PLACE

ALFA ROMEO GUILIETTA TI 1962 C omplete but rusty, one of only 4 in NZ. Rego on hold GT1290 Parts are readily avail in UK. 1300 twincam, alloy drum brakes,some spares and new parts, great handling and quick small saloon. $4000. Ph 09 376 6763 or keith@sailone.co.nz.

MEM WAITEMATA

TRIUMPH 2000 MK I 1963-1969 f lywheel and ring gear, $125. Also: timing chain, Rolon duplex “3DR62-H/MAN” on label, “DR957-62-1” on box, new, application unknown, offers. Ph 07 347 8490 or email randgmayes@gmail.com. MEM ROTORUA

TRIUMPH TIGRESS 250. 1963. Restored as a long term project. Not concours but very nice condition.

New tyres. Dating certificates, manuals VIC. Rego on hold. Offers around $3,000. Ph Brian for further details on 021 0231 8146. MEM AUCKLAND

VETERAN CARBS, RAF, TTSunbeam, various Claudel bronze, Bosch dual, DU4 and DR4, mags, Austin 21″ steel wheels, bulb horns, Rushmore electric light set, gas and oil lights. Ph 07 348 4227. MEM ROTORUA

GENUINE FACTORY PERFORMANCE CHEV 1957 4 barrel Carter carburettor with correct oil bath air cleaner. Suit 265-283 CI. Carb needs repair but new overhaul kit supplied. Also available period dual port performance/economy manifold. Phone Robert 027 367 7676. MEM SOUTHLAND

1930 TRIUMPH CTT MOTORCYCLE 500CC. Single, twin port. Fully restored to original. Limited kms since restoration completed. Laid up, Rego on hold, WoF expired 2021. $20,000. Phone Ian 04 902 2157. MEM HOROWHENUA

1952 AUSTIN A 40 SPORTS Jensen body.

MODEL A FORD EXHAUST SYSTEM, d rilled and Restored 2001, has not travelled a lot of miles baffled to the original Ford blueprints. Expansion since. A reasonably rare model and very collectible and contraction within the muffler also correctly Reluctant sale. Phone 027 434 5636 for further catered for $327. Virtually unbreakable manifold information.

MEM ASHBURTON to exhaust clamp also available. Ph 03 359 0565 or 021 128 9252 or www.vintagefordparts.co.nz

1948 WOLSELEY 8HP. A rare opportunity to purchase. Less than 50 believed imported into the country. Partially restored with an abundance of extras difficult to obtain including gears, chrome work, and backup spares, from years of meticulous salvaging. Ph Ivan 027 499 8386 MEM BOP

1937 NASH LAFAYETTE V ery nice condition with many factory extras inc o/drive, radio, heater and wheel spats. Fully refurbished interior, w/wall tyres.

Good usable classic. Reg & WoF. Asking $22,500 ono.

Ph Ray 027 696 2965. MEM WEST COAST

1933 RILEY 9 MONACO TOURER. C onverted from a sedan. Front doors reversed. Seats 4. Reg and WoF. High spec crank replaced. Top folds down. Very comfortable. Twin carbs. Performs well. $39,000.

Contact Rushmore Motors 027 2245 045.ç

46 Beaded Wheels

1932 MG MAGNA F1. 4 seater Sports Tourer.

Project. Reg. on hold. Location Auckland. Body ready for external coachwork. Original steel panels are available. Recon. motor and 12v gen. Host of spares. $22,000. Location central NI. Contact Rushmore Motors. 027 2245 045.

MARKET PLACE

WANTED 1928 MODEL A ROADSTER right rear guard, both valance panels. Ph Pete 021 106 2370. MEM WAIKATO

OLDER TYPE SEWING MACHINE WANTED (maybe treadle operated) or something else suitable for heavy duty sewing eg vinyl. Phone 022 636 9961 1943 CHEV PUDDLEJUMPER ENGINE COVER , or 03 615 9668. inspection bungs and roof mounted hatch handle.

Ph Peter 03 329 5333. MEM CANTERBURY PARTS WANTED: New fibre timing gear to fit Dodge 4. Castle model 1208 Brass headlight. Two America 1990 - 94 FORD LASER TX3I. 1 800cc twin cam. 3 type square side lights. Phone John 06 751 5554 or door NZ new. Low km, mint condition. 1913 Swift email megandjohnny@xtra.co.nz MEM TARANAKI 2 cylinder car engine. Contact Andrew 0276116225 Email steamer.boy@gmail.com MEM CANTERBURY PRE UNIT TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE WANTED for restoration, prefer Trophy but anything OBLONG DOOR HANDLE AS PICTURED. AMAL PRE MONOBLOC CARBURETTER 275 , considered. Email jconnolly@xtra.co.nz or Oblong external measurement is 78mm across 7/8 bore, float bowl optional. Burman clutch 5 ph 027 454 0746. MEM CANTERBURY by 50mm deep. Phone Paul 0274 463 908, 1/8, 1936 to 47. Any Panther lwt parts 250-350 p.anderson1@xtra.co.nz . MEM HAWKE'S BAY cc, 1936-47. Any Webb lwt girder fork or parts SMALLISH RECTANGULAR TAIL LIGHT s uitable for 1936-46. Ph 07 863 7232, pam.wayne.c@gmail.com a mid '20s sports car to fulfill requirements of LTSA

MEM BAY OF PLENTY high stop light. Can you help with something that won’t look out of place ? Ph Paul Hicks 09 425 7015, AUSTIN K4 OR LOADSTAR PRE 1955, 5 ton truck hicks.family@xtra.co.nz MEM WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH parts wanted. A parts truck would be ideal, cab condition unimportant, I'm mainly after running V8 MGB WANTED. A ny condition. Call 021 845 145 gear such as wheels, axle and gearbox. Anything, VAUXHALL CHEVETTE HATCHBACK or a anywhere considered, ph John 021 626 042.

Firenza not worried about mechanicals but

MEM ASHBURTON must have reasonable body ph 0275 690 070 or MY FIAT 510 RESTORATION is missing some of BACK ISSUES OF THE FOLLOWING MG howardgoold@yahoo.co.nz the correct instruments. The speedo is correct, MAGAZINES WANTED; MG Enthusiast, Enjoying WANTED FOR BMC 1800 (AUSTIN) Gear change but the clock should have the same bezel as the MG, and MG Magazine. Ph Dennis 07 348 8448 or cables, Engine mounts or any other parts you may speedo (the one in the photo is from a 501). Also, kennydennis96@gmail.com MEM ROTORUA have to keep my old car on the road. Ph Les Costar both the ammeter and the oil pressure gauges are FORD 3.7 DIFF/ CROWN WHEEL & PINION, from 027 271 7022, les.gail.costar@slingshot.co.nz from a 501. The correct ones are very similar - just bigger. Both the ammeter and the oil pressure 105E Anglia, Cortina or similar to fit racing Mistral.

MEM EBOP gauge should fit into a 65mm dia. hole. Can anybody Must be in excellent condition. Phone Don, 021 212 WANTED J40 AUSTIN PEDAL CAR in tidy condition. help? Happy to swap, if that helps. Ph 022 025 9924 3074.

MEM BANKS PENINSULA For display in my lounge. Phone 027 345 2676 or

MEM CANTERBURY LUCAS WIPER MOTOR FOR (but not limited to) email wandj1340@t.co.nz. MEM BAY OF PLENTY 1968 Series 1.5 Jaguar E-type. Number on body must be DL3A. Anything considered but N.O.S. or rebuilt preferred. Phone Craig 04 476 6547 or phone/text 022 680 4854. MEM WELLINGTON

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19 - 23 SEPTEMBER 2022

Friday/Saturday 9am-4.30pm, Sunday 9am-2pm

Join us on this fun weekend and visit the Mecca of Vintage Motoring of New Zealand Admission Friday, Saturday and Sunday $5 per day or $10 for a three day pass Accompanied school children free

Day 1

Tauranga

Day 2

Cambridge

Day 3

RAGLAN

Day 4

TAUMARUNUI

Day 5

NEW PLYMOUTH

Day 6

Home

RAGLAN

Tauranga

CAMBRIDGE

Taumarunui new plymouth

For information email swapmeetsites@gmail.com

for entry forms Contact

www.theswapmeet.org.nz

Kaaren Smylie North Island Club Captain

Mobile: 021 66 43 41 Email: nicc@vcc.org.nz

OAMARU • NEW ZEALAND

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.)

Annual General Meeting Saturday 13 August 2022

Coinciding with the Victorian Heritage Weekend

SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2022 A & P Showgrounds Ettrick St • Oamaru

9.00am at Double Tree by Hilton Karaka, 8 Hinau Road, Karaka, Auckland.

Hot Food and Coffee available Enter your Vintage, Classic Car or Hot Rod in the Show & Shine Public Entry from 8am $5 per adult Children under 15 free

Site Holders entry from 7am $15 including 1 free entry

National Office: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.

Email: admin@vcc.org.nz Telephone: 03 366 4461

All enquiries to The Secretary, northotago@vcc.org.nz or Derek Brehaut 021 390 518

ALL VCCNZ MEMBERS WELCOME

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

TOP OF THE SOUTH 2022 Join us for the drive of a lifetime!

Not a race, but a test of precise driving and time keeping.

No special car mods (roll cage etc), required.

FIRST TIME TO NELSON AND TASMAN DISTRICTS 2 Day Time Trial: Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October 2022 (Scrutineering, Documentation and Briefing: Friday 28 October)

Refer: www.targa.nz for details.

Contact: Rod Corbett 48 Beaded Wheels

rod.corbett88@gmail.com

Ph 027 433 8772

Photo : Proshotz Photograph

TRADE DIRECTORY

OLD AUTO RUBBER The Southland Branch invites you all to the

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2023 National Motorcycle Rally Join us for a fun-filled weekend in Invercargill

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Stay on to attend the Burt Munro Challenge 8 – 12 February 2023 Visit our website for updates and to enter: www.sporty.co.nz/nationalmotorcyclerally

105 HARROW STREET DUNEDIN 9016

Rotorua Vintage & Veteran Car Club proudly present the

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Hot food and refreshments available SELLER SITE INQUIRIES: Neville Harper 07 348 2412 or 027 494 7249, email daharpers@gmail.com CAR SHOW INQUIRIES: Bob Mackay 07 332 3849, email bob.mackaynz@gmail.com ALL OTHERS INQUIRIES: Alan Judd 022 049 5492

Admission Seller’s vehicle and driver $10 per site

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Beaded Wheels 49

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NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE

IDLE TORQUE A round up of events, personalities and branch gossip from VCCNZ branches around the country

ASHBURTON

ISLA JONES

Ashburton Branch has started up a monthly midweek run to a luncheon destination. We were very pleased and surprised at the number turning out for our first run. Twenty-three cars started and went out to Peel Forest for an excellent luncheon at the Green Man Café. It was great to be out and about again and seeing everybody mixing and enjoying the outing on a lovely fine Mid Canterbury day.

On another run ten drivers and their navigators met at the Mayfield Domain to drive to Gawler Downs Station. On arrival, the owners Lorrie Prouting and Neroli and Harley Davies, gave a short talk about the station. On across the Rangitata Diversion Race and up to the top of the station for lunch, with a wonderful view of the Canterbury Plains, and where Lorrie told us more of the station. It was then onto Agate Corner where Murray Hawke told of how they got there. From here it was down the hill to the main road where some went for refreshment at Panther’s Rock restaurant before heading home.

On Easter Monday approximately 35 Vehicles left our clubrooms heading through Westerfield and then up to Mayfield and ending up at Klondyke at the start of the Rangitata Diversion Race. This is an irrigation scheme that runs from the Rangitata River to the Rakaia River across the Mid Canterbury Plains for 67Km (42miles). It feeds two power stations, with the last one at Highbank, and three Community Irrigation Schemes for farm land in Mid Canterbury, then discharges into the Rakaia River at Highbank. Work started in 1937 and was completed in 1944.

AUCKLAND

JOCELYN MCALPINE

▲ Ashburton: Lunch spot at the top of Gawler Downs overlooking the Canterbury Plains.

▲ Auckland: Roy Sharman’s Wolseley 18/85.

Auckland: Peter Alderdice in his 1928 Morgan.

▲

Mid-week and motorcycle runs have been well attended and have visited several private collections, including one of Maserati cars that has a Peter Tempora-built replica of the racing 250F Maserati. Visitors to the branch displayed two Panther bikes, made in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, by Phelon & Moore, as well as a racing push rod ES2 Norton, reported to be one of the fastest

▲ Auckland: Peter, Alan and Wayne reunite with the Velie.

Beaded Wheels 51

racing pushrod singles in the world.

An intrepid, brave and daring group took part in the Irish Woman’s rally in the Waikato, including Peter Alderdice in his 1928 Morgan 3 wheeler, and Paul Tomlin on his Harley-Davidson and sidecar.

The Dewhurst/Winterbottom families successfully revisited Taranaki for their Maunga Moana Rally, luckily managing just to avoid being involved in a huge landslip on the way home.

Well-known Auckland vehicle the 1924 Velie Silver Swallow tourer, began its VCC life courtesy of George Giltrap gifting it to the Waikato Branch in 1959. It was eventually sold to Alan Roberts in 1964, then to son Wayne in 2000 who and has acquired some new spare parts which will help to ensure this well-used car continues its motoring for many more years.

Our condolences to the families in the passing of Steve Massey, who rode a BSA Shooting Star and an Ariel Red Hunter, also Wilma Madgwick, a great stalwart of our veteran section.

member Tim Stace, in his Austin-Healey 3000 Mk1, had his first outing at the track and soon got to grips with his new steed, thoroughly enjoying himself. Another vehicle which attracted a lot of attention was the stunning 1939 Delage D6 3L of Mike Crehan. It had never been run in anger prior to this meeting, and the car behaved impeccably all weekend. Mike was delighted with its 180kph main-straight speed. Russell Greer, in the fearsome Stanton Corvette, was easily the fastest of the front runners. He still had to work hard for every inch of the track from the likes of Russ Haines’ Holden Special and the two Lotus 23 Replicas of Mark and Tracey Barrett. Close racing all weekend with a diverse selection of cars - Mistrals, SP250 (Dart), Morgan, Wolseley, MGB, Triumph, Kato Special, all dicing with the singleseater favorites - the ACE III, Spangeralli Holden, Stuart Special and 1929 Chrysler ‘62 Six - made for one of the best VCC outings the large crowd had seen in a long time.

BANKS PENINSULA DON GERRARD

BAY OF PLENTY

We welcome new member Kristopher Ward with his Austin A35 race car, a vehicle that has been campaigned for many years.

Sadly we say goodbye to Richard Foster, a 70-year member of the Club and a Founder Member of our branch, who died peacefully in March. We extend our sympathy to the family.

In April the re-scheduled Skope Race Meeting at Ruapuna took place, and our branch worked hard to attract an excellent and varied VCC entry of 22 competitors. Great to see some new cars taking to the track, such as Andy Down’s 1963 Ford Beowulf which has significant race history. Unfortunately a blown headgasket side-lined it for the weekend. New

Alistair and Gwen Jones staged a Dead End Run on 16 March, which took in a number of side roads not generally used by most members. An unexpected glitch occurred when a truck accident temporarily closed SH 2 north of Katikati, which meant that SH2 also became a Dead End road, but the brilliantly fine weather meant that the unexpected hiccup did not put a damper on the day out.

Members are continuing with restoration projects which began in earnest during the Covid lockdowns. Murray Sutton is making great progress with a rare 1960 Mini-van, and the writer has sourced more hard-to-get componentry for his 1976 Australian built Mini Clubman

▼C entral Hawke’s Bay gathering at Whangaehu beach. entral Otago: Noel and Bernice C Hassad enroute to Routeburn Shelter. This is the ONE LANE BRIDGE from the tv series of that name. Photo by Graham Taylor.

▼C entral Otago: Michael Wyatt, far right, architect of Routeburn Shelter.

52 Beaded Wheels

DONN WHITE

van. The writer has also been busy helping his son Sam with a basket case 1992 Mazda RX7. Several members have noticed an increase in the cost of parts and servicing of late, which seems to correspond with an increase in the value of many of our older vehicles, particularly those which fall into the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s bracket. Anything automotive does not appear to be exempt from the current upwards trend relating to costs and valuations.

Coming up are key events such as our Swap Meet and Car Show on 6 November this year, and a sub-committee is working on the staging of the deferred Highland Fling Rally from April 2022. The Highland Fling coordinators are working towards staging the event 12 months on from this year’s postponement.

CANTERBURY

TONY BECKER

Recent activity included the Motorcycle Section’s Annual Jim Toohey Run which headed west. A good muster of 18 bikes supported by a handful of backup vehicles and friends. This included a worthy shed visit to an interesting collection in Ross.

The 30-bike attendance for the March Fish’n’Chip run via Lyttelton to a large Leeston shed will be capped by April’s run to an even larger shed at Ashburton Airfield. A hangar full of rare aircraft, some seen nowhere else, like the 1940s era Gloucester Meteor jet fighter and ‘70s VTOL Jump Jet. The P Group Annual Rally cruised to Arthur’s Pass this year, gathering at the Klondyke Corner destination among resident keas. The 9-90s Group took a short tour via an alpaca farm to the late Warner Mauger’s agricultural business park venture at the former Templeton Hospital complex. A highlight was Warner’s own car collection which included his Austin 7 racer, a stunning

▲ Banks Peninsula: Big Cats show their prowess. Photo John McDonald.

▼C anterbury: Famous Lady Wigram Trophy Racer, the Stanton Cropduster 1950s special. Named for its torquey De Havilland Tiger Moth cropduster aircraft engine.

▲ Bay of Plenty: The sunny Autumn days have been a bonus to push some of the jobs outdoors and get rid of the dust and grime.

Sam White borrowed a water blaster and some help from his Dad to keep chipping away at the 1992 Mazda RX7 'basket case' project.

▲ Bay of Plenty: Two of our branch members are working on restoration projects involving mini vans. The writer recently sourced more hard to obtain componentry for his Australian built 1976 Mini Clubman van.

▲ Canterbury: Lotus Cooper.

▲ Canterbury: Austin seven special.

1914 Caddy roadster, Lotus track race car and the legendary Wigram-raced Stanton Cropduster, still all original right to its torquey and unforgettable Tiger Moth aircraft engine. Autumn Run colours were enhanced by a sparkling day, and a chance to blow away cobwebs on the heels of covid restrictions. Old Cars Bikes and Coffee mornings, on the third Sunday of the month, are a great opportunity to view and socialise at our wonderful home base at Cutler Park. In light of efforts to reach out to younger enthusiasts, the decision to allow membership applications to be processed online has proved useful.

▲ Central Hawke’s Bay: start of Afternoon-Night Rally.

CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY JOHN FOOT Our March run, organised by Iain and Eva Gollan, took 10 cars and 20 members out to the coast, with a visit to a Bentonite operation on the way, where the owner gave us a very interesting talk about the history of the operation started by his grandfather and still in operation today.

Bentonite has had many different uses over the decades from use in foundry moulds, drilling mud at Wairakei, some concrete products, women’s cosmetics, and its main use today in kitty litter. From here we travelled to Whangaehu Beach for lunch,

then went back to Porangahau to view a very impressive collection of irons (used for ironing clothes) collected from all over the world. The owner gave us a very informative talk about his hobby, after which a number of us stopped at the Porangahou Hotel for a small refreshment. In April Bruce Poole and Ken Lyons organised the annual afternoon/night rally, which covered 160km. The route took us out and around Oruawharo homestead then up into the foot hills of the Ruahine ranges at Whakarara before travelling back down to the Tikokino Sawyers Arms hotel for soup and a bun. When we departed Tikokino it Beaded Wheels 53

EBOP: Okataina EBOP group at Lake Okataina Outdoor Education facility about to go bush.

▲ Far North: Navigators roost. ▲

EBOP: Mark and Karen Sparkman have added a Renault Fuego to the fleet.

was dark for the rest of the run, which took us through Argyll East, Te Aute, Papanui and Waipawa to the Waipukurau Club for a late dinner. There were 52 members, including visitors from Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu branches, who sat down to dinner.

CENTRAL OTAGO

DON YEAMAN

We welcome new members Chris Harvey (1929 Morris Cowley, 1938 Austin 7 and a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine), Anthony and Pip Mclean (1929 Chrysler 65) and James Hart (1990 Porsche 964). We look forward to seeing them on our runs and rallies.

Our March Sunday run was to Glenorchy and the Routeburn Shelter at the start of the Routeburn Track. It was a 9:30am start from the clubrooms in Cromwell, then to the Events Centre at Queenstown to meet up with the Wakatipu group, while the Wanaka ones came over the Crown Range. Next was a coffee stop at Glenorchy, always a great drive on a sunny day but, our Club Captain Bert Turnbull noted it was sad to see how business had been affected, as two of the coffee shops had closed down. After our caffeine shot we travelled another 25km including the last section on shingle through stunning native forest to the Routeburn Shelter for a picnic lunch. The shelter, made of precast concrete, blends in with the surrounding 54 Beaded Wheels

area. One windbreak wall is made of glass with a terrific see-through map of the entire region. One of our members who accompanied us was Michael Wyatt, the architect who designed the shelter.

After lunch a number of members took the opportunity to walk part way along the track, some being a bit more ambitious than others in how far they went. On the way home several members stopped in at Greg and Karelan Doran’s to check out their shed and Greg’s latest projects.

EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY

BRUCE SEDDON

Our monthly run for March was a picnic run to Lake Okataina via country back roads. Steve and Joy Growden directed 10 cars with 15 occupants from Edgecumbe out to Manawahe on sealed country roads until we turned to run around the north side of Lake Rotoma. The Manawahe Road extension around Rotoma is a picturesque tunnel through native forest, with a very dusty narrow (often single lane) dirt surface, that someone forgot to place gravel on. The cars all spaced out to maintain some visibility, and regrouped just before the SH30 intersection between Rotoma and Rotoehu lakes. Yellow dirt camouflage was the “in” colour. A short run along SH30, then a turn south to stunning Lake

Okataina took us to our lakeside picnic spot. After lunch Harry led us to the Okataina Outdoor Education & Recreation Trust facilities, where we took a bush walk to a hidden waterfall, accompanied by the sound of many native birds.

Our next monthly run started with the bi-monthly Classic Car Breakfast at the Red Barn in Thornton, and then rolled into another picnic run west along the coast to Otamarakau. From there we drove inland for another coating of dust on gravel roads in the countryside around Otamarakau, Pukehina, and Pongakawa to Paengaroa.

This land is all rapidly converting from dairy to kiwifruit orchards in some largescale developments. From Paengoroa we turned north to the coast and our destination at Maketu in a park alongside the Maketu estuary. After the picnic we drove over the hill to the beach at Little Waihi on the Waihi estuary on the inland side of the Pukehina spit.

FAR NORTH

DAVE DUIRS

The Bonds hosted a lunch and viewing of their colourful begonias at Waimate North. Lunch from mid-day to 4pm had us cover many topics, which should keep the country and old cars going for a while!

Our Southern group had a picnic at Mahinapua, with some hardy folk having a dip. The Northern evening noggin’n’natter,

being moved to an afternoon, was better attended. Having these less formal day trips are proving popular for the winter.

Max Allen had a dozen entries for the Brian Parker Memorial run, which took in back country roads, with one of the highlights being a drive through the Switzer retirement village in Kaitaia. Evidently this was very much appreciated, as most entrants were in eligible vehicles. A tricky quiz and catered meal at the clubrooms had Keith Lyndsell’s team from Kohukohu triumphant with entrants from Dargaville taking the next two spots.

A visit to Nudi Point in Takahue was not a strip show but an enlightening introduction to a small home industry producing body care products from local ingredients and essential oils. We now know what the latter are but I’m still not too sure why they are essential.

George Vuletich has completed a full restoration of his Mark I Zephyr, and Max Allen is enjoying youthful memories by running around on a large motorbike. I accepted a modest, “market” price for my Peugeot 403 only to see it re-auctioned

under fancier promotion for twice as much.

GORE

BILL SHEDDAN

It is with sadness that I report the passing of our branch founding member and Club Patron Neil McVicar at the age of 97. He was active in club affairs from the branch’s inception in 1966 until his passing. Neil and his late wife Doris attended many international rallies throughout the country, and two extensive rallies in Australia in 1970 and 1978. Neil was employed by Shell Petroleum for over 30 years, and drove the Shell tanker backing up the 1965 Haast Rally. This kindled his passion for older cars and for the Bullnose Morris Cowley that he drove for most of his vintage motoring. A large contingent of club members attended his service, followed by a well-attended social at the clubrooms.

Some events were cancelled in March, but on 10 April, 17 cars and their occupants enjoyed a fine autumn Sunday afternoon. The occasion was the Frank

Robson Memorial Run and Clearwater Caper, held on sealed roads and culminating in afternoon tea on Greg Elder’s lawn at Riversdale. David North had the highest points and closest time, with Des Brewster and Jim McBride coming second and third. Bruce Price had the best car, a 1962 EJ Holden Premier. Paul Herron won the Clearwater Caper with John Tremain second, both in Model As. Our new member Jean Smale was the guest speaker at this month’s meeting, and gave an interesting talk on her Targa Rally experiences and the rally cars she has owned.

HAWKE’S BAY

ESTHER SMITH

Our March club run was titled a Restoration Run. It was that and much more, with five venues to visit. The first venue gave us a taste of what was to come. We viewed the Chalmers family eclectic collection of vehicles ranging from a veteran 1917 Chalmers, vintage 1927 Sunbeam, a 1936 Rover to the AustinHealeys, various rally cars and finally

▲ Far North: Chair Win Matthews; organiser Max Allen; winner Keith Lyndsell. ▲

Gore: Neil McVicar cutting his 97th birthday cake. ▼H awke’s Bay: Michael and Christina Morgan, 1926 Chrysler G70 phaeton.

Gore: Bruce Price’s Holden. ▼G ore: Des and Janet Brewster enjoying their success.

▼ Hawkes Bay: Chalmers family Veteran 1917 Chalmers,

▼H awke’s Bay: Paaymans 53 Chev 4 dr sedan.

Beaded Wheels 55

the most recent purchase a 1975 Chevron about to be raced for the first time. Next we were off to visit AutoClass Automotive Services, where the Paaymans family operate a vehicle restoration business, with each member bringing their own particular skills to the operation. Then it was a quick drive around a few corners to the Richards’ property where there was a restored Fiat Bambina, a great run-around car in times of sky-rocketing petrol prices, another earlier model under restoration, and a recently purchased Citroen 2CV On display was a nearly complete 1903 Stanley steamer that belongs to a neighbour. Just shows that you never know what is just down the road. Finally off to the lunch stop and the home of the Gentrys. Lyn’s latest creation being a Pratt & Whitney radial nine-cylinder aircraft engine and propeller. The engine is from a de Havilland Beaver, and Lyn had made the short propellers himself with amazing precision. Lastly it was back to Napier for a visit to Neville Smith’s garage, but this time alongside the cars we were shown an impressive collection that showcased the development of radios.

HOROWHENUA

BOB BARTON

On Sunday 20 March we had a visit from the Manawatu MG enthusiasts club, who were having a run and stopped off at our clubrooms for lunch. A great bunch of people with some lovely vehicles.

On 27 March we had a picnic at Foxton Loop, and 24 members with their vehicles turned out to a lovely setting by the river.

▲ Nelson: Rob Boult. ▼N elson: Maureen Joblin receives Anne Eagan Cup as winner of the 2022 Ladies Rally.

On the morning of 10 April we held our economy run put on by our member Verdon Heath, in the afternoon we enjoyed a gymkhana outside the clubrooms. Our member Rex Williams was in charge of the course, and members from the Manawatu MG club turned out again. All had a great time – I can’t wait to do it again. Last of all, a picture of one of our members Linda Barton driving her birthday present, a 1929 Morris Minor sports, given to her by her loving husband Bob. As I am writing this I have been told that our Patron, Tom Hayes, is in hospital having an operation. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

MANAWATU

MARLBOROUGH

CARROLL WIBLIN

Work on the area known as Patchett’s Green has been carried out by our volunteers, and thanks especially go to John Symonds for the use of his digger, and to Vintage and Farm Machinery for the use of their tractor. As it is an old rubbish tip site there has been some slumping. It should look good when the grass grows. This area gets of lot of use, so it is great to see it being maintained so well.

The motorcycle section continues to thrive, with reports of some great runs and not so great mechanical problems.

Through all this they retain their sense of humour and remain positive. With Glenn Harris riding the 1928 Harley-Davidson, his tongue-in-cheek sense of humour came through when he reported that he had a great advantage on a recent run, when the total loss oiling system gave him the jump by “enveloping everyone in a dense blue exhaust cloud”. Although it seemed that Honda was the preferred bike of the day, the bike that performed the best was the 1936 New Imperial.

Our Club Captain Cath Millar continues to come up with some good runs, and the latest was to the Pinoli Pine Nut Farm.

▲ Nelson: Winner of the Ladies Rally Maureen ▲ Horowhenua. MG visit.

Joblin leaves Upper Moutere in the 1947 Chev Thriftmaster truck.

North Otago. Autumn run.

56 Beaded Wheels

BRYAN ABRAHAM

The end of February saw members meet at Kairanga for a short drive through flat farmland backroads to Feilding for a picnic lunch at Kitchener Park.

A couple of weeks later there was a very good attendance for the annual branch Ruahine Ramble. The route took cars over the Saddle Road to a private museum near Maharahara (a few kilometres south of Dannevirke) where three Kenworth trucks were parked in the centre and surrounded by motorcycles, bowser pumps, motoring memorabilia and lots more. The branch had visited the museum in April 2021, but many members were keen to go back and it gave those who missed the outing last year an opportunity to check it out.

Early in March there was a group gathering, photoshoot and tea at the clubrooms for those members who had attended the 2022 Vero Festival of Historic Motoring at New Plymouth, and

therefore instrumental in the branch being presented with the Sun Alliance Trophy for the highest percentage of members attending the festival.

April ended with a Sunday afternoon run which took participants on a pleasant drive north through Colyton, to Halcombe, Mt Biggs and back to the clubrooms via Feilding and Bunnythorpe.

▲ Nelson: Rob Boult’s Allard which he competed in the Australian Cannonball run.

▲ Horowhenua: Gymkhana Daphne Williams showing the men how to do it.

▲ Manawatu: Clubrooms after the April Sunday Run.

Horowhenua: Linda Barton on her maiden run in her Morris Minor.

Manawatu: Vero Rally participants lined up in front of the clubrooms with their cars and the Sun Alliance Trophy.

The owners gave a rundown on how they started out, and how they have now got the most sophisticated machinery for every stage of the processing of these nuts. Cath seems to find some very interesting places to visit, and all runs are well attended as word gets around about where we have been and what we have seen.

NELSON

RAY ROBERTSON

A followup to a couple of articles in Crankcase on the racing career of Rob Boult saw a contingent of about 60 members visit Rob and his family’s aircraft hangar at Motueka. Rob had assembled not only his own cars but a number of historic racing vehicles, while his daughter and son-in-law, who have an interest in aircraft, had contributed to the afternoon by intermingling half a dozen interesting machines with the cars. There were short informative talks on each of the various cars and aircraft, which made for an extremely interesting and pleasant

afternoon. To be able to physically see and touch a few of these cars was also very special.

Our Ladies’ Rally enticed an enthusiastic collection of vehicles on a scenic run around the Upper Moutere to Riwaka areas. Stopping enroute at Upper Moutere to take in several activities organised for Artisans Weekend added a holiday atmosphere to the run. A lunch stop was made at the source of the Riwaka where an underground stream exits from the Takaka Hill and forms the Riwaka River. Presentations were made to first place winner Maureen Joblin (oldest vehicle), 2nd place to Merilyn Clarke, 3rd place to Kyra Wareing, and new Nelson member Pip Grant won Best Dressed for the era of their vehicle.

NORTH OTAGO

CLIVE BLUNDEN

Autumn Gold Run: There was a good turn out of ten vehicles, with a driver and navigator in each, the weather was overcast at the start, but as we

ventured inland towards the lakes, the sun came out.

The autumn colours, particularly from Kurow to Otematata, from the thousands of willow and poplar trees planted as part of the Benmore Dam project was its annual spectacle and provided a wonderful back drop to this inaugural Autumn Run. A very pleasant trip from the clubrooms up the back route to Duntroon then around Lake Aviemore to our lunch stop at the Benmore Dam. The vehicles taking part were, S McEwan 1983 Ford Cortina, John Law 1971 Rover 3.5, L&D Brehaut 1958 Wolseley, J&W Adamson 1956 Karrier van, R George 1964 MGB, J&J Gale 1974 Triumph Dolomite, P Berry 1964 Jaguar Mk 2, T Hales 1969 Daimler, L&M McLeod Holden Trax, K Perry and Vera 1974 Falcon, last but by no means least Ernest and Brenda George in their great 1935 Plymouth.

Beaded Wheels 57

NORTH SHORE RICHARD BAMPTON We welcome new members John Milson, R McAinsh, James Liu, Shane Hegh, John Pearson, Cory Burnett and Pete Stubbs.

The Posh Picnic was held in March, and in spite of atrocious weather this year a good turnout of vehicles and members enjoyed a run through the rural lanes of Dairy Flat before arriving at the Okura Village Hall, which meant an indoor picnic in the dry. Winners of the best table were the well-turned-out David and Sally Lane, and Malcolm and Terry Dean.

Several new members enjoyed the Whale Tale Trail, reported elsewhere in Beaded Wheels.

With the spares shed bursting at the seams, a second container has been obtained. This one will hold the stock of parts for Japanese cars. A chain gang was organised to move the components from the tractor shed to their new home.

Chairman Tony Sparkes’ new Riley RMA is in the members’ shed with a team finishing the rebuild. As with all these projects there was much more work to do than advertised. The rest of the Thursday workforce, now back up to the high 40s as we recover from lower numbers during Covid, are working steadily on branch vehicles.

OTAGO

MARION MCCONACHIE

We held a very successful Dunedin to Brighton Run in January, again attracting entrants from further afield. Planning

for the combined 70th Dunedin Brighton Run and National Veteran Rally in 2024 is underway.

We are planning a three-day event for our 50th Taieri Tour to be held over the weekend of the 4 - 6 November this year.

A successful day trip to Roxburgh with a visit to Tally Ho Woolcarding. Barbara and Stuart Peel get the wool from customers and sort, wash and card it, then wind it into skeins ready for felting and spinning. We finished the day with a tour of the historic bakery and a coffee at Millers Flat.

June’s Thursday run will be to Oamaru for lunch.

The branch continues to welcome new members who are coming on our events.

Wednesday morning sessions at the clubrooms are very popular, with the spare parts also open.

In April our members assisted with traffic management for the Otago Rally.

This is an opportunity for our team to get out and see the cars, as well as assist with this event.

Our club nights have seen some interesting speakers. This month construction of our rural roads was explained with diagrams, and this invited some interesting discussion by those present.

The Restoration Rally is coming up and we look forward to seeing some new vintage vehicles and a motorcycle added to our local fleet of vehicles.

Branch History books are still available $50 plus P&P. Please contact Otago Branch secretary to purchase.

▲ North Shore: Bruce Skinner’s wonderful Pierce-Arrow, waiting for the Posh Picnic.

Run

▲ North Shore: The Chain Gang

58 Beaded Wheels

▲ North Shore: David and Sally Lane, Posh Picnic Winners (with Terri and Malcolm Dean).

ROTORUA

RONALD MAYES

In April Chairman David Tomlinson had his 1978 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II as the Car in the Room at the regular meeting. He gave a detailed explanation of the improvements made since the Silver Shadow’s introduction in 1965 and R-R afficionados would recognise the significance of his car’s (personalised) number plates.

The Silver Shadow was Rolls-Royce stylist John Blatchley’s last design, and years later he would reflect that he “got it right.”.

Following difficulties last year with the increasingly heavier traffic on Rotorua roads, the annual April Night Run became a twilight run. The traditional dinner followed upon the return of the 40 participants to the clubrooms. The only on-road problem seemed to be due to glare from the setting sun as drivers negotiated the streets of the eastern suburb hills, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.

The mid-weeker’s run had participants enjoying a clockwise drive around Lake Rotorua, with a stop to enjoy the spectacle of the Okere Falls on the Kaituna River, followed by lunch at the nearby cafe.

Coming up will be our Central North Island Swap Meet at the Paradise Valley Raceway, 7am to 2pm on Sunday 10 July.

The 10th anniversary Lakefront Car Show will be on Sunday 30 October, 10am to 2pm. As usual, all donations received will benefit the St John Ambulance Association. At some time between those events the popular Sulphur City Rally will be held – details will follow soon.

▲ Rotorua: Rotorua members discuss chairman’s Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II.

▲ Rotorua: Twilight Run: members raring to go.

▲ South Canterbury: Gavin and Michelle Munro’s 1928 Ford Model A. Run to Waihi Gorge, 27 March 2022.

▲ South Canterbury: Neil Manchester’s 1956 MGA, Shannon Stevenson’s 1980 Ford Escort, Waitohi Bush Reserve. April Mid-Week run.

▼ S outhland: Graeme Williams on his 1925 Henderson Deluxe features as the poster boy for the VCCNZ National Motorcycle Rally in February 2023.

▼ S outh Canterbury: Graham Jarvis’ 1958 Ford Zodiac and Bill Weir’s 1957 Chevrolet BelAir 4-door hardtop. Run to Waihi Gorge, 27 March 2022.

SOUTHLAND

STUART FRANCIS

The Southland branch is hosting the 28th National Motorcycle Rally in Invercargill next Waitangi weekend (3 to 6 February 2023). The organisers have decided to hold the National Motorcycle Rally between two major local events, the Southland Rally and the Burt Munro Challenge.

The Southland Rally will be held on the Saturday of the Waitangi weekend and is optional. The National Motorcycle Rally will start on Sunday and finish on Monday night. The Burt Munro Challenge, also optional, starts on Wednesday and finishes the following Sunday. This allows entrants to compete in two different rallies in one weekend, and to attend the Burt Munro Challenge while having a good break away in scenic Southland.

Entries to the National Motorcycle Rally can be made using the website:

www.sporty.co.nz/nationalmotorcyclerally, entries close on 30 November 2022.

With the Rally being held early in the New Year we cannot accept late entries. Entries for the Southland Rally can be made at the same time using the same website.

The Burt Munro Challenge will put accommodation at a premium, so we recommend booking early. A link to accommodation options can be found on our website.

The Southland Rally is the flagship rally for the local branch catering for all classes of VCC eligible vehicles. The rally includes a combination of speed and field tests and culminates with a prize giving dinner in the Southland clubrooms.

The four day Burt Munro Challenge is now one of New Zealand’s major motorcycling motorsport events and encomapasses Hill Climbing, Drag Racing, Beach Racing, Circuit Racing, Speedway and Street

Racing. Most events have classes for Pre 63s with Girder Forks to Formula 1, with half of the classes for vintage, classic and lost era machinery. (burtmunrochallenge. co.nz.)

SOUTH CANTERBURY

SHANNON STEVENSON

The annual Motorcycle Rally, organised

by Neil Manchester, took place on 6 March, the route taking riders to Geraldine.

The speaker at our April Noggin and Natter evening was 50-year badge holder Barry Smith who held a discussion about the Bismarck and showed us a detailed scale model.

The parts shed team have been busy recently with newly donated pre-war Ford parts. They are also categorising a number of rare parts, including a Chevrolet 490 gearbox which is offered for sale.

Beaded Wheels 59

▲ Taranaki : Joe Fraser with our North Island Club Captain being presented with his 50 year badge and certificate.

▲ Wairarapa: Mike D’Alton and regular navigator Jim Barr with the Bentley roadster. ▲

Taranaki - North Island Club Captain Kaaren Smylie with Tracey and Stephen Winterbottom overall winners of the Maunga Moana Rally .

Organised by the Munro family and attracting over 31 vehicles, a run on 27 March took members out north-west of Timaru, ending up at the Waihi Gorge DOC camping grounds overlooking the Waihi River west of Woodbury.

The first of the 2022 mid-week runs took place on 14 April and attracted more than 15 vehicles. This run, organised by Barry and Linda Yates, took members north-west of Timaru via Taiko and Pleasant Point to reach the Waitohi Bush Recreational Reserve, set on hills above Pleasant Point with views over most of South Canterbury.

TARANAKI

COLIN JOHNSTON

We welcome new members Wayne Parker with three cars and two motor cycles, Dedrie and Glen Krutz with their 1930 Essex, Anna and Dean Goble with their 1930 Model A truck, and John Apps with a 1925 Willys Overland.

A visit to Tawhiti Museum in Hawera was arranged for our monthly Sunday run in April, and it was well worth the visit to this well-known landmark owned

by Hawera identity Nigel Ogle. It is an amazing museum with a major attraction in the Traders and Whalers exhibit, absolutely a hauntingly real and stunning creative voyage into our Taranaki past. You are taken in a boat which meanders its way down a created river through a dark bush and rocky coastal environment of the 1820s. What a wonderful way to learn about our own country’s history. All the articles on display, including both life sized figures and smaller scale figures, tell stories of the 60 Beaded Wheels

past. Nigel must be congratulated for his vision and as he says, “Historical displays should be exciting and relevant”.

Our Annual Maunga Moana Rally was held in March starting in Inglewood and ending up at the Swiss club in Kaponga for lunch. This year the overall winners were Tracy and Stephen Winterbottom from Auckland, with Danny and Sue Pattinson being the highest placed Taranaki entrants. Congratulations to Joe Fraser, who was presented with his 50-year Badge

by North Island Club Captain Karren Smylie at the Rally Dinner.

WAIRARAPA

KEVIN BALL

Terry Mathers’ 1955 Peugeot 203 took overall honours in this year’s Rex Porter Memorial Rally. His navigator was Judy Wood. They also won the RG and R Elwin Cup for best performance in a post-war car. This eye-catching silver saloon is the result of 12 years work and many dollars.

It was a rust-bucket when he bought it, yet today it’s better than new. Terry, from Wellington, imported a host of parts from France for the restoration. Barry and Linda Wells, in their 1973 Triumph Stag, came second. They also took out the Churchill Cup for best performance by a P 60, and Linda won the Roy Elwin Navigators’ Plate Trophy. The Jones Cup for best performance by a post-vintage car went to Mike D’Alton and Jim Barr in Mike’s lovely 1934 Bentley roadster. The sight of a 1972 Mercedes 350SL convertible towing a trailer raised some eyebrows, but it was just Brett and Sue James enjoying their

rallying. Sue is confined to a wheelchair and there’s not enough space in the Merc boot for it. This way both can participate.

There was a surprise at the end of our March midweek run. The venue was SUP Brewery, a small boutique operation at the northern end of the Masterton railway station. Twenty-three branch members (a full house) turned out for a shared lunch and a taste of the local brews, all named for New Zealand Olympians. The beers are brewed onsite, using locally grown hops.

WAITEMATA

ROB CHAPMAN

Our third Manunui Coastal Hill climb has been rescheduled to 27 November, so on short notice an alternate event was organised. This consisted of a garage raid and aviation visit. Peter Digby opened up his workshop in central Auckland for inspection of his fine car collection, vapor blasting, and soon-to-be nickel-plating facility. Guest of honour for the day was our oldest club member Les Harris. Les is a BSA Bantam tuning guru and very fierce track and hill climb competitor. Outside the garage we were greeted by a TR5, Morgan V8 and a very desirable Riley Brookland Replica. After this show everyone was intrigued about what we were going to see once inside. We were not disappointed as Peter had lined up various projects, some completed and others on the way. These included a Wolseley Hornet, Morgan three-wheeler, Austin 7 specials, several MGs, and a very nice T35 Bugatti replica.

Members were very impressed by the level of workmanship, and the variety of projects

all on the go at once. We then took a short drive across town to the North Shore Airfield, where we were guests of Gilly and Stan Smith. They have a wonderful collection of vintage aircraft under repair and/or operational. After a detailed description of the planes by Stan, an L4-H was wheeled from the hangar and after refuelling flights were taken up the coast over Orewa Beach. Gilly had arranged a BBQ, and the North Shore Aero Club opened the bar to our members.

WAIKATO

time on a Thursday then wander down to the clubrooms, grab yourself a cuppa and a crescent and enjoy a few hours with your fellow members. I’m sure the club and the project car would appreciate your knowledge and your company.

WANGANUI

IAN HIGGINS

Branch stalwart, Ian Chamberlain, has been working on restoration of a 1906 Arrol -Johnston. When I visited Ian, the car was running and ready to have the body fitted.

We are all looking forward to viewing the completed project.

We held our Annual Gymkhana at Craig and Wendy Ryland’s property on the outskirts of Wanganui. Yours truly was declared the winner in my Willys Jeep. As it was a lovely fine day, we had an informal branch meeting and afternoon tea outside following the event.

Our annual Castrol Autumn Motorcycle Trial has been held. The overall winners were Karl and Rebecca Brown riding a 1952 AJS. This was special for the family, as this bike was formerly owned by Rebecca’s late

HUGH MCINALLY

The new workshop is now up and running and now is housing a project car which has been donated to the club by a generous member and now that lighting has been installed we expect that members may occasionally burn the midnight oil to bring the project car to completion.

The committee has elected to make every Thursday of the week a Workshop Day with the workshop open between 10am and 2pm. This may be extended as demand increases. If you have a bit of free

▲ Wairarapa: Driving Miss Daisy is branch treasurer Graham Hodder.

father, John Kendrick, who was a member of the Wanganui Branch. John’s wife, Linda, is on the committee of our branch, and she, along with Club Captain Frank James, presented the various trophies to class winners at the clubrooms. A Sunday run the following day rounded off a most successful event. These bikers certainly know how to enjoy themselves and they love their bikes.

On 24 April, one of our many Cub stalwarts, Peter Hardy, organised a Scatter Run. Twenty-five entrants motored from the clubrooms in all directions in search of answers to the many questions set

by Mr Hardy. Our Deputy Club Captain Andrew Johnson, with navigator Leathan Broadhead in Andrew’s 1981 Datsun, won the event.

Planning is underway for our Annual Rally on 5 June which follows on from our AGM on 1 June.

WELLINGTON

RAY BETTERIDGE

The Biennial Motorcycle Rally attracted 41 entrants from as far away as

▲ Wairarapa: Champions all round; Terry Mather and Judy Wood, winners of the Rex Porter Rally, with the 1955 Peugeot 203.

▲

Wanganui: Captain Frank (on right), having presented to Karl and Rebecca Brown the Cliff Lowe Memorial Trophy for being the overall winners of Wanganui’s Castrol Motorcycle Trial.

Wanganui: Winners of the Scatter Run were Andrew Johnson and Leathan Broadhead in Andrew’s 1981 Datsun.

▼ Wanganui: Wanganui Master Restorer, Ian Chamberlain, alongside the yet to be completed 1906 Arrol-Johnston.

Beaded Wheels 61

Wellington: Phil Kidd’s Railton.

Whangarei. They were treated to another sunny weekend and toured the Wellington coastline. Local Bob Cumming shared the honours with Graeme Crawley from Auckland.

Since then Aaron Janes has taken 11 bikes on the annual South Island tour, covering places from Akaroa to the West Coast then back to Kaikoura before returning home.

Ian’s Sunday Run joined forces with the Zephyr Club to visit an Alpaca Farm.

Club Captain Neale Ryder and Joanne put together another Wairarapa Romp, taking us to Pahaoa Beach which no-one knew existed, including some of the Wairarapa people who had joined us.

A leisurely meander through farm country alongside the beautiful Pahaoa River, with autumn leaves showering us like confetti. We arrived to have a picnic lunch beside a tranquil lagoon. A short walk away was the wild east coast with breakers relentlessly attacking the white rock formation. Among the many entries of note were a large number of 8-cylinder vehicles, several Fords and Rover V8s, a Chev and Railton Straight 8 and an F1 car.

It was a leisurely trip home with a slow amble over the Rimutakas.

Our club night speakers have been great, with Phil Kidd presenting his very tidy Railton, one of only seven in New Zealand.

It was with sadness that we farewelled David Crooks, a long-time member who participated at all levels and made a

62 Beaded Wheels

huge contribution to getting our library shipshape. A fine gentleman.

WELLSFORD / WARKWORTH

CHRIS HARVEY

Our beach picnics have ended now that we are well into Autumn, and our runs on the first Wednesday of the month are now to cafes in the district.

On 24 April we visited a large private collection in Auckland’s north, but the standout event was a Run on 27 March from Wellsford to Whangarei to visit the Hundertwasser Art Centre, which opened on 20 February after years of planning, design and fundraising. There were 17 cars at the start (six club-eligible) and it was well worth the drive. The building is spectacular, with not a straight line to be seen, and the staff were very helpful and knowledgeable.

We look forward to our Winter Woollies Wander on 2 July, and hope it will be well supported by friends from other branches.

Be sure to dress warmly, as it can be very cold at the start which will be in Wellsford this year.

WEST COAST

ELSPIE MITCHELL

Despite the Scenicland Rally having to be cancelled for 2022, a group of Model A Fords from Canterbury opted to come to the Coast for a run. Adjustments were made to accommodate the Covid restrictions and 12 cars. The vehicles went

through the Aratika tree plantation and came out at Mitchells, through the old Christchurch Road and out at Awatuna.

This was followed by a visit to Evan Birchfield’s gold operation. The next day the group travelled up the Coast Road with stops at Punakaiki, Stratford’s tractor museum at Cape Foulwind, and then Little Wanganui en route to Karamea.

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

PASSING LANE In this column we acknowledge the recent passing of club members.

Information is supplied to Beaded Wheels by VCCNZ Branch Secretaries.

Benge, Ivan Clare, Keith Davis, Kelvin Hills, David McVicar, Neil Steer, Pat Webley, Joyce Wheeler, Bruce

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COME AND JOIN US WHATEVER YOUR WHEELS

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

Vehicles, motorcycles or trucks from 1890 to 1990 are club eligible. Or just join us and grab a ride with another member.

visit www.vcc.org.nz for more details.

Photo Graham Bailey

Are you looking for an excuse to get your car out of the garage – we have 36 active branches around New Zealand. Our events range from weekly runs and coffee get togethers, to hill climbs, speed events and touring. For the more intrepid, our infamous off-road adventures are the stuff of legends.

Beaded Wheels 63

DRIVING OUR HISTORY

Vero and VCC. Together we go way back.

At Vero we’ve been supporting the Vintage Car Club for over 30 years. For a quote on house, contents, vehicle (every-day and vintage) and boat insurance, please contact us and provide your VCC membership number.

Call for a quote on 0800 658 411 and select option 2, or email veropersonallines@vero.co.nz Excesses, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply to these policies. The provision of cover is subject to the underwriting criteria that apply at the time.