July 2022
Windsor Rally 2021
The North Otago Branch of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Inc.
Chairperson Report Winter has well and truly arrived this month, though at least the days will start getting a bit longer again. At the start of June I was preparing to take 1926 Chrysler Truck on the Irishman rally, all was going well, the truck was going well and I was feeling more confident in driving the truck. Then at the final moment, we lost the brakes on the Chrysler Truck and unfortunately they were not able to be fixed in time. So we came up with Plan B which involved taking the Chrysler Tourer to Fairlie on the trailer then driving the Tourer from Fairlie to Christchurch. Four of us and our gear in the tourer didn’t leave much space but it all adds to the joys of vintage motoring. I wish I could say the tourer ran all weekend without an issue but unfortunately that is not the case. We did start the rally on the Saturday Morning but by late morning we had been towed about 5 times as we had issues with the generator and battery and then water in the distributor cap adding to our problems. Our day ended with the car on the back up trailer back to Fairlie. On Sunday the run started from Tekapo, We took our modern car to see all the cars away then we headed up to Mt Cook for a Coffee and Cake. Even though the weekend didn’t go to plan I still enjoyed the weekend and will plan to try again next year. We held our AGM on Sunday 12th June; this was well attended by our members. This year we tried a different format by holding the AGM on a Sunday Afternoon and also we circulated all the reports before the AGM. By circulating all the reports before AGM, this meant they were not read out aloud in full on the day and allowed more time for questions and discussions. From the reports we moved on to the election of the Chairperson, Secretary and the committee. I would like to say thank you to the members for re-electing me in the role of Chairperson for a second year. I look forward to continuing in this role and bringing more confidence and knowledge into my second year as chairperson. Lee Brehaut was elected as our branch Secretary. Lee had been on the committee last year in the role of Minutes Secretary and is now taking on the full role of Branch Secretary for 2022/2023. Welcome Lee. John Gale is continuing on as our Treasurer for 2022/202. Our Committee members for 2022/20223 are Clive Blunden, Geoff Ellis, Lindsay McLeod, Tony Hales, Gordon Hay and John Law. It is a great balance of new committee members and committee members who are continuing on from the previous years. I look forward to working with you all over this coming year.
We didn’t have any nominations for the positions of Vice Chairperson and Club Captain at the AGM. If you are interested in either of these positions please get in touch with me. The reports from AGM and also draft minutes will be available on the notice board in the club rooms for you all to read. We have held our first committee meeting since AGM and have appointed the following roles outside of committee: Archivist: Kathleen Perry, Librarian: Robert Hutton, Custodian: Lee Brehaut, Parts: Ernest George and Derek Brehaut, Newsletter Editor: Graeme Simpson, Scribe for Beaded Wheels: Clive Blunden and ID card Authenticators: Quentin Barrow and Bruce Watts. Thank you all for continuing on in these roles. I look forward to seeing you all at our next club night. Rebecca George
Tea/Coffee Run Wednesday 13th July. Turn up at the clubrooms about 1pm Receive route instructions to leave at 1.30 Destination will be an out of town Tea/Coffee Shop Email reminder will be sent.
Month End Motorcycle Run
Wednesday 27th July Turn up at the clubrooms about 1pm to leave at 1.30. Route and destination will be decided on the day. Email reminder will be sent.
Mid-Winter Lunch Sunday 17th July 2022 Brydone Hotel -Flannagan Room 12 noon to be seated at 12.30 Cost $30 per person. Pay on line by 10th July with your Surname as reference A/c No 03-0937-0205996-00 Wear name badges please Speaker - Kevin Malcolm on the Waitaki Event Centre plans Join us for a good natter, a buffet lunch and an interesting presentation about North Otago’s next big asset
South Canterbury All British 2022 Three ‘John’s, a ‘Derek’, their respective partners and a second generation family of four with two cars, (the girls in one and the boys in the other), represented North Otago at this year’s South Canterbury All British Run. The usual gathering point down at the Bay was ideal to park up together, show our vehicles, grab a hot drink and socialise before heading off. As is the case with North Otago, South Canterbury has excellent roads to rally on and this year’s route didn’t disappoint. With 83 vehicles of all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes, and, as we found out, various heating methods! we arrived at a very picturesque venue. Along the way it was lovely to see folk standing or sitting at their gates out in rural land as we all rolled past. Thanks South Canterbury for another very enjoyable run. Lee Brehaut
Workshop Pro Chain Lubricant Fully Synthetic is a specially formulated fully synthetic chain lubricant aerosol designed for ultimate protection of chains and sprockets in a variety of demanding applications. These include motorcycle chains, lift and drive chains, leaf and roller chains and coveyor system chains. This product is initially a thin flowing lubricant which when sprayed, searches and penetrates into the chain links and rollers. Within a few minutes the solvent carrier ‘flashes off ‘ and the product thickens and provides a strong, cushioning and lubricating, grease like coating on all parts. This coating has powerful anti-fling properties and is not displaced by the fast movement of the chain. Chain and sprocket wear is reduced to a minimum by the lubricant coating.
National Veteran Rally February 2023 WHEN: Friday 24 – Sunday 26 WHERE: Rural Tuakau, Franklin bordering north Waikato, 56 km south of Auckland
ENQUIRIES: Barry Birchall barrybirchall@xtra.co.nz Tel. (09) 8188755 or 0277225225 Open to all veteran vehicles manufactured before 1918, with VIN.
Hosted by Auckland Branch
Secretary’s Corner . Hi everyone. I would like to start by thanking Rebecca for the work she did during our time with no secretary. It is a reasonably complex role at the moment as we transition from doing everything manually to a mix of manual and using technology. Relevant also with the Treasurer’s role. I am getting to understand various process and procedures within the Branch and for National Office and am looking at where and how we can improve our process and procedures or where we need to review what we are doing to make sure we are meeting members needs the best we can. The advent of a Branch portal on the VCC website is excellent. Each Branch can now access (only) their own Branch members at any time. I can see whether they are listed and their contact details. This has been invaluable as I discovered some sorting out that needed to be done regarding new memberships, transfers, and resignations. If you know of anyone who has joined or resigned over the last year or so but has not heard anything back from us, PLEASE let me know so I can follow up immediately. I would like to feel confident we have our membership list completely up to date before National does the next membership renewal run for this year.
New Members and Transfers A belated Welcome! To new members Sheldon McEwan and Mavora Ruddel, Wayne Croft, John Scarrott, Mac McGregor and Athol Caldwell. It is great to see new faces joining our Branch. Also a warm welcome to Bob White and Heidi Jeory who relocated from Gisborne several months ago. Bob has set up a new workshop on Beach Road and is currently working on a Retro Caravan. We look forward to seeing them both when they are feeling more settled. Wayne Abernethy has transferred to Rolleston and asked me to pass on his best wishes to everyone.
Distributor You may have noticed Graeme has put links into Distributor of interesting websites he has found. If anyone has websites or YouTube sites they feel may be of particular interest to members, please email them to Graeme so they can be shared. The
internet is so vast, sometimes it is hard to sort out the good from the rubbish. I have heard sounds of frustration from someone I know well over this very thing! Please don't hesitate to ring me if you have any questions or feedback. It is important we keep up to date with what our members want from their Branch. Keep warm! Lee Brehaut Cell 027 695 66 44
Computer Hint When Reading Branch Newsletters on the VCC Website Reading branch newsletters on the VCC website can be a bit of a challenge as I have found that often the font is too small. There is a magnifying glass function on the top tool bar on your screen but this seems to only slightly alter everything but the text I am trying to read.
Tool Bar
Magnifying glass
I have had a play round and found that using the Control key (CTRL) and scroll button on my mouse is more successful. So if you are also having trouble, try this method. Hold down CTRL and use your scroll button. If you get the text too big then you can move the page around by holding your mouse button down and moving your cursor (also known as click and drag), To get your screen back to where you started, put your cursor over the magnifying glass and click. This will bring up the RESET button. Click on that and you should be all sweet. If you get stuck, or have other ways you use to make reading other newsletters easier, give me a ring. I’d love to hear from you. Lee Brehaut 027 695 66 44
50 Vintage Years North Otago Branch History Excerpt pages 22 to 25 Clubrooms Clubrooms were first discussed in April and May of 1961. Land for clubrooms was considered, a house for sale in Solway Street was looked at and a shed 16ft by 30ft was priced. Land was leased from Mr. & Mrs. J. Wallis and a hut 10ft by 12ft was purchased for thirty pounds. Committee members put up the money until the club found the finance. A working bee was held to put piles under the club shed in North Beach Road which is now known as Caen Street. John O’Brien remembers ‘We built a tin shed on a section in Caen Street off Caledonian Road, North Oamaru. We had a kerosene heater to keep us warm, and our lights came from leads hooked onto the battery in one of our cars’. Left: Remains of first Clubrooms Clubrooms Meetings were held in this shed until the second Annual General meeting on 3rd July 1963 when it was decided the clubrooms should be sold. General Meetings and Club Nights were held in the Lodge Hall, the National Party Rooms (now the Laboratory in Steward Street) and then at the Labour Party Rooms which were on the corner of Dee Street opposite G.T. Gillies. Committee meetings were always held in members homes and always had supper to follow, provided by the wife of the host member. At a General Meeting held on 16th February 1967 it was decided that clubrooms were needed for meetings and for keeping books in but the committee decided “Not to do any more at this time”. At a committee meeting held on 18th July 1972 there was discussion about the Friendly Bay Tearooms and the possibility of shifting or building clubrooms on Reserve land. It was felt that it couldn’t be afforded. In August 1972 the club planned to apply to the Oamaru Borough Council for land. The next month there was an approach made to the Department of Education regarding the Dental Clinic in Severn Street and in November 1972, the Otago Education Board offer of the use of the Dental Clinic was accepted. Right: Middle School Dental Clinic Clubrooms
At the Annual General Meeting in 1978 there was discussion about clubrooms costs and other possible sites such as the Gospel Hall (now the Oamaru bridge Club) were looked at. In 1981 the committee learned that the Dental Clinic was to be handed over to the Oamaru Borough Council in five years. The club then looked into obtaining the Middle School (now the hospital) firstly on a lease, maintenance and caretaker basis and then the possibility of purchasing the building and access way. Meanwhile a letter had been written to the Oamaru Borough Council asking if the clubrooms in Severn Street could be retained should the property be disposed of. Other sites considered were the Customs Building, a house in Chelmer Street, the Lanes Thomson’s Building opposite the Fire Station and a house at Bullied’s Road Deborah. The 8th December 1986 was the take over date for the property at Bullied’s Road and members became debenture holders until March 1987. Buildings for sale and removal were then looked at with the intention of expanding the Parts shed and having clubrooms at Deborah. In 1992 a permit for a new shed at Deborah and a grant from the Lotteries Board were obtained. Meanwhile the Middle School was possibly going to be available and plans were drawn for that option. The process with the Middle School became drawn out to say the least and the Dental Clinic was painted as part of the lease agreement. Through all of this time other buildings were also looked at. When the engineers report was received by the Waitaki District Council and passed on to North Otago Vintage Car Club it was deemed not to be a viable proposition. In 1995 the North Otago Car Club Rooms were offered to the North Otago Vintage Car Club. Initially the rent for the Car Club Rooms was considered to be excessive and plans were made to re-roof the Dental Clinic building and decorate the interior. The building was re-roofed in 1997. At the end of 1997 all work on the Dental Clinic was stopped because of the Waitaki District Council plans for a Swimming Pool and Hospital. From the chairman’s report to the 1997/1998 Annual General Meeting “Our Clubrooms seem to have consumed an inordinate amount of committee and members’ time over the last few years, and it seems that whatever we decide Murphy’s Law will apply. Although we can ill afford to loose the money we have expended on the clubrooms to date, we should, I suppose, be grateful that we were still in the early stages of the renovations when the hospital plans were made public. It would appear that the Council is determined to demolish the Middle School buildings whether or not the hospital, or swimming pool are eventually built. The recent decision by the Council to gift the Awamoa tennis pavilion to Waitaki Boys in preference to ourselves has I believe given us a true indication of the level of assistance we can expect from them in finding alternative rooms”. The next year’s Annual Report stated, “The 1998/99 year has been a trying time for the branch, with the loss of our clubrooms at the old Middle School dental clinic. Although our present arrangement with St Lukes Church is not ideal, it does at
least provide us with an affordable, convenient place to meet where we can also house our library and rally equipment. The search for new premises has been a time consuming, and frustrating exercise for those involved, and I would like to thank them for their perseverance. Apart form the loss of our clubrooms the branch has had a successful year”. At a meeting held on the 3rd March 1999 at the St Luke’s Scout Den plans and estimated costs for a proposed new clubrooms at Deborah were presented. The vote at a Special General Meeting held on 7 th April 1999 was seven members for the proposal and six against. Some members were concerned about building clubrooms at Deborah because of the access and because of the intersection of Bullied’s Road and State Highway One. At the end of 1999 the North Otago Car Club went into recess. The North Otago Vintage Car Club held a Special General Meeting on 21st March 2000 for the purpose of considering an offer to be put forward for the purchase of the North Otago Car Club building. The branch took over the North Otago Car Club building at 1 Stoke Street, Oamaru in August 2000. The building is owned by the branch. It is on Reserve land and has a lease for twenty one years with the right of renewal. Left: Members Vehicles Outside Clubrooms 2002 Below: Nicky and Frank Renwick (Immediate Past National President) Cutting the Ribbon to Open the Clubrooms
On 2nd September 2000 Frank Renwick, the Immediate Past President of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand, and his wife Nicky officially opened the clubrooms. Predinner drinks were served at the Whitestone Rodders clubrooms next door and a meal was catered for by the Awamoa Ladies’ Bowling Committee. Speeches were made, thirty five year VCC badges were presented to foundation members and twenty five year VCC badges were presented to other eligible members. Editor:- Twenty-two years on, the club continues on the Stoke Street site Note. Formatting has been changed to accommodate Distributor layout.
Click on picture to run video
Will Thinner Oils Damage Your Engine?
Air Fuel Ratio - Explained
Horsepower vs Torque Explained
How Nitrous Works - More Horsepower!
Calendar of Events Club 6th July – Wednesday
July Club Night- Irishman’s Rally Report
13th July – Wednesday
Mid-Month Vehicle Run
27th July – Wednesday
Mid-Month Motor Cycle Run
17th July – Sunday Correct date!
Mid-Winter Lunch Please note this event has been previously advertise incorrectly
21st August - Sunday
Daffodil Run
19th November – Saturday
Swap Meet
3rd December - Saturday
Windsor Rally
19th February 2023 - Saturday 26th February 2023 - Saturday 5th March 2023 - Sunday 15 April 2023 - Saturday
All British Day North Otago A & P Show Wee Wheelie Wander Gerald Lynch-Blosse Memorial Motorcycle Rally
National and Regional 21st August – Sunday
Daffodil Day Fundraiser
3rd September
Waimate Swap Meet
10th September
Winchester Swap Meet
23rd to 25th September
Alexandra Blossom Festival
7th - 9th October
Canterbury Swap Meet
2023 3rd – 6 February
National Motorcycle Rally – host Southland
8th - 12th February
Burt Munro Challenge
Note:-all events will be subject to Covid protocols at the time. Every effort has been made to keep these dates as accurate as possible at the time of printing. Check with the Chairperson or Secretary to confirm any particular event of interest.
For Sale/ Wanted ads Keep those ads coming. Remember these ads are read by members of other branches and car clubs.
Parts Department Normal Monday morning opening for parts has resumed Open Mondays 10 – 12noon Parts Shed July 2022 Hi this month special is Tie Rod Ends. 34/38 Ford 10 35/48 Morris 8 32/34 Bedford same as 30/33 Chev 3 ton Bedford WTH or WTL 39/42 Chev 38/47 Austin 8 There are more available but you need to know your part numbers. If you could identify the others in boxes. Can you come to the parts shed on Monday morning so we can identify and name them or phone me for a suitable time. Morning tea on Mondays are good value. A chance to catch up and enjoy other members company. Tea, coffee, milk, cakes, biscuits supplied. P.S. we sometimes have scones as well. If you need any parts and can’t come on Monday morning give us a ring and an make a suitable time. Cheers. Ernest George Derek Brehaut Ralph Weir
027 209 0609. 021 390 518. 027434 5102.
SMALL BYTES COMPUTING For All Your Computing Needs New systems, repairs
Ph Jerry 027 435 8983
Printer & Fax servicing
Items for the Newsletter can be posted or dropped off to 6 Waiareka lane, off Saleyards Road Or emailed to gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com
Newsletter submissions. Preferred formats are Open-office, Libre-office or MS Word as an attached document. Plain emails create extra work. Please, no “enter” key at the end of every line. Contact me for advice if not sure. Thanks, Graeme
NORTH OTAGO BRANCH OFFICE BEARERS
NORTH OTAGO BRANCH OFFICE BEARERS
2022-23
Chairman
Rebecca George
021 293 7714
Vice Chairman
Vacant
Club Captain
Vacant
Secretary
Lee Brehaut (Derek)
027 695 66 44
Treasurer
John Gale (Jo)
03 437 1112
Committee
Clive Blunden (Jen)
03 439 5207
John Law (Colleen)
027 226 0963
Geoff Ellis (Daphne
021 115 8044
Gordon Hay (Joy)
03 434 5754
Tony Hales (Jenny)
03 434 7729
Lindsay McLeod (Margaret)
021 871 526
Beaded Wheels Scribe
Clive Blunden (Jen)
03 439 5207
Custodian
Lee Brehaut (Derek)
027 695 6644
Librarian
Robert Hutton (Mandy)
03 437 0774
Archivist
Kathleen Perry
03 434 7226
Newsletter Editor
Graeme Simpson (Wendy) gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com
03 434 8285 027 293 1059
Spare Parts
Ernest George (Brenda)
027 209 0609
Derek Brehaut (Lee)
021 390 518
Quentin Barrow (Ange)
027 434 5570
Bruce Watt (Barbara)
03 434 5306
Vehicle Verifiers
Club email address
northotago@vcc.org.nz
Committee Meetings 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7.00 pm. Members welcome.
Club Nights 1st Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm (details in The Distributor)