VCC Sth Canty Tri Car June 2025 by Vintage Car Club of New Zealand

AORANGI - TRICAR

NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH CANTERBURY BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND INC.

CLUB ROOMS

19-25 REDRUTH ST. TIMARU SOUTH

Timaru’s First Car Built by C. W. Wood

AND NATTER First Thursday of the Month

June 5th 2025

7.30pm Clubrooms

19 Redruth Street Timaru

Motoring greetings all!!

This is my last report for the current financial year ahead of our AGM: on Thursday 5th June 2025 7.30pm at our Club-rooms. The AGM replaces the 'Noggin' for June.

Our May 'Noggin & Natter' hosted Squadron Leader Andrew Stewart & his Flight Lieutenant wife, Nicole - both serving helicopter pilots based out of RNZAF Ohakea.

They provided an excellent overview of their lives and roles in various operations and we thoroughly enjoyed their absorbing presentation. Many thanks to Dad Grant for facilitating this!

Saturday 10 May dawned fine & sunny for our 'P' Class rally, which culminated at the Woodbury Domain and after that, a visit to Kyle Park to view their facilities. Followed by afternoon tea and presentations at Kyle Park. Members were funded on the rally entry via the 'Kelvin & Janet LOVE' bequest. Our thanks to the Family for this generous gesture and it's great to see Janet out and about attending some of our events!

End of Season run 25 May, followed by All British Day on June 1st.

From my perspective in my 1st year as your Chair, it's been busy & challenging, yet rewarding!! Many committed and talented people who assist with activities in many ways and love our club.

Special thanks to our hard-working committee and also to our Swap Meet committee & Team - awesome efforts all-round - 'Shout out' to Colin Johnstone for stepping back into the lead role after John Lester's untimely passing. Appreciated by us all!

Our Parts Team and 'helpers' do much work unseen by many of us, but we absolutely appreciate all of your work and sorting, cataloguing & selling our inventory. Parts Manager Barry Smith - 3 years as Parts Manager, leading a very committed Team and 5 years on our Swap Meet Committee. Also to Eric Robins & Wayne Young - always seen out and about on a Wednesday attending to the gardens and the lawns. Our grateful 'thanks'we do notice!

Sandy McMillan - Bar & Club-rooms Convener - always well prepared, reliable and efficient. 3+ years as Convener, but more time as well assisting prior to that..

Club Captain's - Gavin & Michelle Munro - our thanks to you both for your efforts over the past 4 years and looking forward to a well deserved retirement I'm told? Good luck with that, as help is always needed. We welcome Kevin Manchester & Ngadia along with Ross Hamilton & Wendy as Co-Club Captains.

These are very busy roles within our Club and help is always needed, so if members are asked to assist at events, please be available if possible...offers of help are always well received.

Library - Barry Barnes. Continued outstanding work here thanks - over 20+ years, including substantial and time-consuming hours this year spent on up-dating & amending our Constitution to comply with NZVCC requirements and the Incorporated Societies Act.

Shannon Stevenson - our IT & Web Page 'guru'. 11 years in to this role, and we note that our web-page regularly exceeds 1000 'hits' per month! We appreciate all that you do in this important space Shannon.

Les Rzepecky (Helen) - awesome job setting up our Tri-Car publication thanks. Always an interesting & varied read and a great resource to refer back to!

To Pauline Young our Secretary - our 'collective appreciation' for your dedication to this very busy role, over the past 5 years. For me as a new Chair, you have been most helpful in all respects thanks, and you have also done some sterling work with Barry Barnes around re-ordering our Constitution notes for submission & acceptance, as well ensuring that our Fire Safety compliance was completed this year...

To Nola Day - our Treasurer and 'Keeper of the Purse'! This is your 26th Annual Balance date I'm told! Big thanks Nola for your continued efforts & awesome work around financial/investment/account matters that keep our club 'fiscally fit'. Big job on a day-to-day basis - no pun intended....! Don Cameron - 'Noggin' night raffles. Unsung hero!

On a most 'sober' note - we were all very saddened to learn of the passing of long time member, Shona WEIR on May 20th. Wife of a former Chairman, Bill, and much loved by her extended Family. Our sincerest condolences to the Weir's at this time...

See you all at the AGM!

Regards

Colin HAWKE Chair

PARTS DEPARTMENT

I am pleased to present my 3rd annual report for the Parts Dept. The Parts Dept is fairly bulging at the sides with items. Over the year we have had several loads of parts donated. Finding space for all the incoming items is always a challenge – But having a great Wednesday team, we manage to sort and shelve these parts.

An ongoing project has been to make our workshop area a little more user friendly. To date we have removed some steel racking and opened up that area for another workbench. The addition of a vice and overhead light is a step in the right direction. Looking ahead comes a shadow board with tools.

Also we removed the hedge/shrubs in our Parts Dept carpark area. This opened up the fence-line and gives us more space for parking. At a later date we hope to re plant with low height shrubs spaced apart with something with colour in between.

The Swap Meet this year was possibly down in numbers but we still made a good contribution to our coffers from our Parts Dept trailer.

Our takings from the single trailer we took out this year totalled $320.00

However with the Sunday morning opening of the Parts Dept we took in another $240.00, making our total $560.00

In closing, I would like to extend my thanks to the Wednesday team for all their help in their various roles e.g. boiling the kettle, looking after the gardens, mowing the lawns and of course, identifying and sorting parts and then finding said parts a home on the shelf. Also it requires to be mentioned, the Rego's and W.O.F's being kept up on all the trailers.

Finally, our finances started the year at $6648.16 and closed at $8020.80.

Barry Smith Parts Manager

Swapmeet Report 2025

It gives me much pleasure to present the Annual Report of the 41st Swapmeet held at the Orari Racecourse in April.

Firstly I would like to record the sudden passing of our chairman John Lester. Although John had only been our chairman for three months, he had a vision and implemented good ideas to make the Swapmeet better for the future.

During the year prior to the Swapmeet a number of meetings were held to organise, engage services and suppliers required for the event. Also new signs were painted and sign-written by Barry Smith and the Parts Shed Team, along with new walkway bridges constructed by Gavin Munro and Glen Hawkins.

The Friday setup day went quite well with a very good turnout of our Members to help. The new format for laying the sites out seemed to work well. With some minor adjustments and improvements, this huge job should become much easier. The new walkway bridges made it a lot easier for the public to access all of the sites.

On Saturday with the very heavy overnight rain and continuing through to daybreak, the prospects of a huge Swapmeet didn’t look good but as the weather cleared site holders and public arrived.

The final number of sites sold and less public through the gates is a Reflection mainly due to the weather. Overall the day went off very well with very positive feedback from stall holders and food vendors, along with comments from the general public.

The clean-up of the grounds, collecting all the signs and repacking of all the equipment back into the container was made a lot easier with a good team of helpers.

I would like to thank, on behalf of the committee, Lee Burdon and members of the Orari Equestrian Centre for the use of their facilities, also for developing the extra car parking area and putting a new fence along the carpark which has made it much better and easier for us.

I wish to thank the North Haven Child Care Group for the outstanding job they did of the car parking. Also all of the non-members and committee members families and friends who helped make the Swapmeet a success. Finally I would like to thank all of the members for their help, and the Swapmeet committee for the many hours of work and dedication for the Swapmeet.

Colin Johnstone

Website end of year report - Shannon Stevenson

The website at www.southcanterburyvintagecarclub.co.nz celebrates its 10th birthday of being online this year.

It is continually being used, notably as an awareness tool of what our club is about, a place to find out when events are happening, and what has already happened - the monthly newsletter having a home on it. More people are using online forms to enter the likes of the Mid-Island and Mt Cook rallies. The process for signing up to the VCC is more straightforward, with a direct link to the online main VCC form. When there has been issues beyond my control (which is not often), Mark Medlicott of Medlicott Design (Medlicottdesign.co.nz) has been helpful with getting the Wordpress - the platform our site runs on - back up and running.

On another note, the main Facebook VCC group has been a great outlet to share photos of runs. It is a win-win as members across New Zealand see what we have done, and Les can easily download the photos for the Tricar. One thing, I have been in the IT role for 11 years now, and have overseen the website for over 10, and now live part of the time at Lincoln while working in Fairlie. Is there anyone within our branch who has an interest in IT and websites, and would be interested in the updating of the websitetraining would be given. Let me know at website.scvcc@gmail.com Shannon Stevenson

Tricar Report 2025

This is now the fourth year being editor for the Club magazine, Tricar. I am very grateful to all members who contribute articles, photos, jokes, regular reports and adverts.

I am continually learning how best to put together the publication, which at times has caused some anxiety, but usually sorts out in time for getting to the printer.

There have been a few more people opting for a printed version to compliment the emailed copy that they also receive, citing the fact that it easier to have a hard copy that can be picked up at a moments whim. My thanks to Helen who helps me put printed copies in the envelopes for posting, and to Nola for emailing the Tricar to members. Thanks also to members for your encouragement about my work. Les Rzepecky, Tricar Editor

Library Annual Report

June 2025

The 2024/25 year has been another steady one for the Library with Library and display items from several sources donated and processed during the year.

All donors are gratefully acknowledged. Duplicated books manuals and magazines were again taken to the Swap Meet and most of the magazines, going free, were disposed of. Some books and manuals were sold the proceeds from which fund the purchase of stationery items etc for use in the Library.

In an attempt to further reduce the holdings of duplicated items, they have all been placed out on the duplications table and members are encouraged to check out the books and manuals which are now available free. This offer is for a limited time only, so get in quick!

Borrowing has been quiet over the last 12 months and members are reminded that this resource is available to all members whether seeking technical information or interesting reading.. A thank you to borrowers who have been returning items regularly without need for prompting. Items for placement in the display cases continue to trickle in and there is not much room left. If you have not checked out our displays step into the Library and have a look, there’s lots of interesting stuff, and these items are frequently commented on favourably by visitors.

Shelf browsers are always welcome and if anyone is looking for something in particular I am happy to try and help.

I thank members for their support.

Barry Barnes

PARTS DEPT. REPORT MAY 2025

Down at the parts dept. we are still receiving donated parts on a weekly basis. They are quickly sorted into their category and put away on shelves. This is a never ending process, and thanks to our team we always seem to have somewhere to put these items.

Of course there is a steady stream of parts leaving each week also, so this then makes room for more incoming parts!

This is just a sample of some items we have:

Instrument Panels of various makes

A large assortment of Shock absorbers

Rims -most sizes

Fuel Pumps- Electric and Mechanical

Carburettors, lots of

Oil Seals, boxes of them

V-Belts

Fuel Tank Caps

Radiator Caps

This is only a fraction of our stock of parts, so if there is something that you need ,do come on down on a Wednesday morning from 9am til 12 noon.

Barry Smith, Parts Manager.

PV Rally

The South Canterbury branch Post Vintage Rally took place on Saturday 10 May. Organised by Kevin Manchester and attracting around 27 vehicles, the run after cups of tea were had took participants through Western Timaru and out through the rolling hills of Hadlow and Taiko to reach Pleasant Point, a number of cars taking a breather at that point.

With a trip north through Richard Pearce country, Waitohi, it was up over the Seven Sisters Road and down into Geraldine to reach the lunch stop at Woodbury domain. With the noon day sun blazing overhead it was a great time to look at the vehicles, one attracting many glances was Gavin Ladbrook’s newly restored 1936 Chrysler.

Upon leaving the domain there were three field tests - line the back axle up to the road cones, guess the number of toy cars in a box (17), and the year of a Citroen 2CV (the answer being 1987).

With Woodbury in the rear vision mirrors it was a trip south to Levels where the Kyle Park transport museum was opened up to us for the afternoon, the various trucks, traction engines, tractors and heavy machinery enthralling us for hours.

Thanks Kevin and supporters for organising.

NOGGIN & NATTER, 5th June

7.30pm

Clubrooms, Redruth St Timaru.

SPEAKERS :- AGM

KITCHEN DUTY :- Committee Members

BAR :- Sandy McMillan

Peter Hunter

Scott and Erin Wilson

Nigel Douglas

“Parts

Shed Wednesdays”

Wednesday mornings for coffee and tea, grab a seat, To get all the gossip, a great place to meet.

If you have a problem or part to find, Good bunch of blokes so helpful and kind.

There are old parts galore and what are they for, Bumpers, Grills and small parts and even a door.

With parts for Austin’s, Vauxhall’s, Chev’s, Old Ford’s and more, Check out the Parts Shed there’s stuff galore.

Everyone helps out and a Hawke in the chair, Was and old copper but nothing to fear.

Check out the library it’s well worth a look, Barnsey with his knowledge will help find that book.

Old blokes and Andy to sort all the stuff, So many parts but there’s never enough.

Wayne on the mower with the grass to mow, Les does the magazine with photos to show.

Jim tells his story over and over to be sure, John with a motor in bits and parts to store.

Clive and Alistair always plenty to say, When you have found your parts it’s Barry to pay.

The two Grant’s organising cars for display or a run, Veteran and Vintage cars can be so much fun.

Old Timer.

SCVCC Website Updates www.southcanterburyvintagecarclub.co.nz

To access other club newsletters go to www.vcc.org.nz scroll to News from our Branches as hard copy newsletters are not mailed out now.

SCVCC website - May 2025

- May newsletter placed up

- Focus given to PV Rally prior to event

- Focus given to All British Day, placed onto Eventfinda

- Events page updated

- Behind the scenes wordpress updates

Upcoming - More stories of various runs, online version of newsletter, information about upcoming events, members vehicles in gallery, Stories and photos from members are ENCOURAGED and can be sent through to website.scvcc@gmail.com

2025

Calendar of Events 2025 /2026 for the South Canterbury Branch of the VCC

June 1st All British Day

June 5th AGM

June 12th Midweek Run

June 21st Night Run

July 10th Midweek Run

July 26th Garage Raid – Waimate

August 2nd & 3rd Trials Sat. 2nd Young drivers (and anyone who wants to try) Including motorcycles on 3rd

August 14th Midweek run

August 21st Quiz Night - Ashburton

August 24th Flower delivery for Cancer Society

August 31st Daffodil Day Run

September 7th Opening Run –Ashburton

September 11th Midweek Run

September 14th Continental Run

October 25th- 27th Mount Cook Rally

October 31st –November 2nd Safari Weekend

November 16th Veteran, Vintage & Commercial Run

November 29th/ December 13th Club Christmas Party (Subject to availability)

2026

January 1st New Years Day - Fairlie

January 18th Ladies Rally

February 6th-8th 120 year Commemorative run to Mount Cook

February 15th Chairman’s Run

February 21st Club Open Day

March 8th Mid Island Rally

March 22nd Motorcycle Run

2026 continued

March 28th

April 9th

Swapmeet

Midweek Run

May 17th P Class Rally

May 24th

May 31st

Kings Birthday Weekend

End of Season Run

All British Day

June 4th AGM

National Motorcycle Rally

February 2027

South Canterbury VCC is hosting this event and is currently looking for someone to take on the position of Secretary for the event.

If you are interested please contact :-

Alistair Day, Rally Director for details. Ph. 0272025007

Email – chevy39@xtra.co.nz

Library Snippets

Thanks to Barry Crossman and Alvan Jones for supplying the Beaded Wheels issues missing from the Library collection.

On the duplicates table in the Club Rooms members will find books and manuals normally for sale, BUT FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, available free.

Please help yourselves but don’t bring them back! A good reason to come to your AGM!

BRANCH CONSTITUTION.

It had been our hope that we could get our Branch Constitution revised, accepted at the upcoming AGM and re registered before the Club National Constitution was voted on. We encountered some minor difficulties and have run out of time to follow the necessary +processes to do this, so the plan is now to await the outcome of voting for the new Club Constitution upon which you will shortly be asked to vote. We will be all ready to go once this has taken place.

Barry B.

120th Anniversary of first vehicle driven to Mount Cook.

5th –7th February 2026

Details to come

Mark your Diaries now

4 6

Farewell, Shona.

On the eve of going to print, we have just learned of the sad passing of Shona Weir. Known to all with her friendly smile and endearing laugh, Shona will be missed by all as a long serving member involved in Tricar production for around 20 years and participant with husband Bill in numerous events.

Shona’s pride and joy was her 1959 Chevrolet which won the restoration of the year award in 2005, a big left hand drive car that Shona always handled with aplomb.

The Club extends its heartfelt sympathy to Bill and all the extended Weir Family.

Your loss is our loss, too. Barry B

Shona in 1929 Chev roadster Bill and Shona had for a number of years.

Shona's pride and joy 1959 Chevrolet restoration of the year 2005

The photos are all from Club archives of photos donated by Bill and Shona from their time producing the Tricar.

Shona

Mid-week rally 10th April, a lovely afternoon’s drive going inland from Cave and ending up at Southburn Hall for afternoon tea. Thanks to Neil & Kevin Manchester for organising a great run! Melanie B.

Contact Les, 0211220011, for more information.

2025 VCC National Sth Island Easter Rally

April 18- 20

The Rally included Canterbury Branch 50th Anniversary of Naming Cutler Park after the visionary Chairman Pat Cutler who was behind the establishment of the park. This was decided at a meeting on 4/12/1969. It took until 1974 before it was decided that the McLeans Island site would become Canterbury Branch headquarters. Sadly Pat Cutler passed away in 1975.

Two SC Branch members travelled up for the rally , Ourselves and Alistair & Nola Day in the Chev Coupe with SC Branch member who lives near Lincoln joining in the Veteran Class in his 1914 Buick and Lex Westoby joining the motorcycles on the Sunday.

We had planned to take the Buick but with the diabolical weather forecast opted for the Vauxhall (External contracting brakes are not the best in the wet). Ironically both Rally days were fine but it rained heavily on Sunday evening and Monday morning until about Rakaia on the way home with the odd shower from then on.

We Motored up on Good Friday afternoon arriving at Cutler Park about 4pm for the “meet and Greet” and Registration Saturday, Rally Day saw the first cars away at 10, 3 Morning Rally routes, Short 40miles,Medium 60 miles and long 70 miles. ( No Time Trial) !! We opted for the Medium which zig zagged in the West Melton area, down to Burnham & crossed under the Motor way to the Lincoln area. The Longer scenic route went out towards New Brighton then over to Lyttelton ,out to Gebbies Pass, Motukarara ending up with all other entrants at The Lincoln Events Centre for lunch

The afternoon route (36 miles) took all entrants back to Cutler Park for a Sausage sizzle and a Noggin.

Sunday saw all entrants meeting at the Papanui Club for the Morning run to Cutler Park via the Summerset Retirement Village , a few navigational errors saw participants going around in circles seeing more of the complex than was intended.

1914 Buick

Ashley & Evelyn in Vauxhall

We eventually ended back at Cutler Park for the field tests , these comprised of 5 revolutions of the front wheel, tossing bags of beans into a target without stopping, towing a tray on a string with a water bottle on it without toppling it ,and counting rabbits hiding in the shrubbery also without stopping.

We ate our lunch there and socialized, The Parts shed was open Sunday Evening ,the Prize Giving was held at the Hornby Club in the large upstairs function room. A great venue. A good buffet meal efficiently served , 4 lines of diners . The prize giving went well with good humour but nothing for our members.

The overall winner was Mick & Gail Ingram in a 1929 Buick Sedan on their first rally in the car.

We enjoyed the Rally and we were pleased we made the effort to go. The Rally Pack had all the information in a spiral bound folder which included all rally Routes, I thought was a good idea.

Ashley Milliken

For Sale.

Year 2000 Peugeot 306, one owner for 25years, well serviced, runs well. Phone. 6881374.

Alistair & Nola Day in the Chev Coupe

PV/PWV – Best overall

Graham Jarvis

1956 MK1 Zephyr

P80 - Rodger & Barbara Baird

1989 Mazda MX5

Field Test

Tony McGillen

P60 – John Foster 1976 Daimler Sovereign XJ6

Best American - Gavin Ladbrook 1935 Buick

Trophies were presented by Co-Club Captain, Kevin Manchester

2025 May Midweek Run

We had 13 cars take part in the May 8th run which took us up Otipua road, down Morgans Road, Kellands Hill out to the Point Highway, then Temuka continuing on to Milford Clandeboye and finishing at the Farm Shop and Café in Geraldine.

I rang the café in the morning and they had the tables set up for us. I am sure everybody enjoyed catching up over a coffee.

Rodger Baird has kindly offered to organise next months run.

I think we are going to another café as most people like the idea of not having to cart chairs etc.

Kevin Manchester.