AORANGI TRICAR NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH CANTERBURY BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND INC.
CLUBROOMS 19-25 REDRUTH ST TIMARU SOUTH
Replica Timaru’s First Car Built by C. W. Wood
June 2020
NOGGIN ANDNATTER First Thursday of the Month
SCVCC CALENDAR OF EVENTS.
2020 - 2021 Year
July Thur = 9th Mid Week Run
August = Quiz night Organised by Ashburton Branch TBA Garage Raid. Organised by Oamaru Branch TBA Thur 13th = Mid Week Run Sunday 23rd = normally Cancer Rally ? You will be advised September = Opening Run organized by Ashburton Branch TBA Sunday 20th = Continental Run October =Fri 24th, Sat 25th, Sun 26th = Mt Cook Annual Rally November = Fri 6th Sat 7th & Sun 8th = Safari Weekend Sat 14th, Sun 15th = All American Weekend Sun 22nd = Veteran Vintage & Commercial Rally Saturday 28th = Christmas Dinner at the Clubrooms (mark your Calendar)
NEW YEAR
January 1st 2021 Friday = Fairlie Parade Sunday 10 th = Ladies Rally February Sat 6th, Sun 7th, Mon 8th = Weekend away Sunday 21st = Chairman’s Run Saturday 27th = Open Day
March = Sunday 7th = Motor Bike Rally Sunday 14th = Mid Island Saturday 27th = Swap Meet April Fri 2nd, Sat 3rd, Sun 4th = Easter Rally TBA Thurs 15th = Mid week run Fri 23rd, Sat 24th, Sun 25th = Vintage Vehicles Rally TBA May Thur 6th = Mid Week run Sun 9th = ‘” P ” Classes rally Sun 23rd = Restoration Run June Thursday 3rd AGM Sun 6th = All British Rally Thur 19th = Mid week run Sat 26th = Night Trial
COMING EVENTS
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NOGGIN & NATTER, Thursday, June 4th 7-30pm at Clubrooms, Redruth St, Timaru Kitchen Duty, Bar Duty,
————————————Thursday 11th June, Mid Week run.
More info on page 5 of this issue ————————————-
Welcome Back
Now that the gathering numbers have been lifted to 100 , the club can now run events but still with the social distancing proviso’s and contact tracing regime. JUNE’s event are as follows !/ Parts Shed open but smoko will be in the Clubrooms 2/ Noggin & Natter on June 4th 3/ Sunday June 7th “Breakout/ Restoration Run” ,Meet at Clubrooms at 10am for a run south BRING your LUNCH & return to the Clubrooms in the afternoon $5.00 per Car , PLEASE bring the correct money 4/ Thursday 11th Mid Week Run 5/ Saturday June 20th Night Trial. Meet at Clubrooms at 5.30 pm, with your takeaway tea , for a 6.30pm start. Modern Vehicles Welcome . Coming Events July 2nd Noggin & Natter July 9th Mid Week Run July 18th or 25th Garage Raid Oamaru TBA AUGUST 6th AGM COVER—Scene from the 1999 Easter Rally organised by SCVCC
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ITHANK YOU
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I would just like to say a sincere thanks to all those that i emailed several times last month making sure that I was getting the bulk email for the tricar sent out correctly. It has been a huge learning curve, so hopefully this Tri-Car gets to you all without me having to hassel you again. With postage now reaching $1-40 plus an envelope, plus printing costs, we are hoping that by emailing the magazine to about 218 email address it will be a significant reduction in our printing and postage costs. We will only need to get approx 60 mags printed each month in the future. So once again my sincere thanks for being patient with me and a huge thanks from the existing committee for allowing us to use your email addresses. For those that are still getting it by post, if you do end up with an email address and would like to go on the bulk email list please let me know. Many thanks Nola Day nola.day@xtra.co.nz or ph 03 686103. —————————————————-
————————————MID WEEK RUN Thursday 11th June WELCOME TO 2020 Meet as usual at the clubrooms for a 1.30 PM departure and plan for an afternoon tea outdoors locally or alternatively, if wet, back at the clubhouse. Bring a chair and your afternoon tea. I am looking for 3 volunteers to prepare runs for our midweek events for the rest of the Season (July to September). If you would like to prepare a run please contact me with your preference of the month you prefer. Your chance to get /do what you want??!! Barry Yates
SCVCC
Chairman’s Report for June 20206
Hi Everyone, Welcome back, Now that the Level 2 gatherings can be up to 100, we can get some events underway as long as the social distancing /hand sanitising protocols are observed It will be interesting to learn what everyone got up to under lockdown, I know of at least one completed restoration. I’m sure Shona would welcome contributions for the next Tricar. I was able to get out and about on the new bike as well as some work on the Mini project ,made a replica surveyors tripod and mounted a Buick headlight on it to use as an industrial style standard lamp, With Clive’s help, repainted the north wall of the clubrooms plus other projects at home. Good to see Eric has been tending the garden and that the lawns have been mown. The AGM is scheduled for August 6th , we are looking for nominations for most roles on the committee. Look forward to catching up on Thursday the 4th at the Noggin & Natter Ashley
Notes from the Library
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by Barry Barnes
Well folks, level 2 and light at the end of the tunnel? But at the moment not much happening in the Library. In fact I have only been back once since reporting last month of a fleeting visit. I was checking out an inquiry on the Vintage Car Club of NZ group Facebook page about a cover picture on Beaded Wheels. Are you checking out this page? I have seen comments posts and likes from Branch members. You may need an invitation to join, not sure of that but Ashley could assist. Check it out. I would like to make a correction to my article about the Aussie Rally in 1970. I neglected to include Alan Brehaut’s ABC as still residing locally. Alan was most disappointed in the condition in which the bike was returned to him after its trans Tasman voyage and stripped it down for attention, in particular to the nickel plating. In the first instance Alan had spent much time cleaning and polishing the components to ready them for replating taking great care to preserve original stampings and engraving so when he visited the platers he requested that they just remove the electroplate and return the items to him for polishing and final preparation. To his horror he found the platers had not adhered to his request and their metal polisher had gone ahead, in the process removing most of the precious markings Alan had been at pains to preserve. He gathered up the bits and brought them home totally disheartened and the bike has languished in dismantled state since. Further to reference to Alan Meredith’s book, I have had an inquiry from a local member who has obtained a copy. Alan advises me he does have a few copies available so if anyone else is interested now would be the time to inquire. I can provide contact details for Alan. I should also add that somewhere along the line I managed to delete without noticing a paragraph relating to the South Canterbury content of Alan’s book which covered Southlander Tom Stone setting up with local partners a garage in Waimate which initially sold many de Dion Bouton cars, largely through Tom’s salesmanship and the virtues of the product.
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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. May Website Updates - May 2020 newsletter placed up - Working upon creating online versions of entry forms - Behind the scenes Wordpress updates, tweaks 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 shannon.nzd@gmail.com
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South Canterbury Cars of the Past by Barry Barnes Although I have only been a member of South Canterbury Branch for 35 years, I had been regularly attending South Canterbury Branch events from 1963 onwards and I remember a lot of the cars that were active in Club events from that time. One that I only saw in the flesh at an early event in Christchurch was the single cylinder REO of Geoff Mehrtens. This was one of the first cars to be rebuilt in South Canterbury from remains Geoff found locally, something he was pretty good at, putting projects in to the hands of other locals as interest grew. The REO was one of the cars to make the first rally to Mt Cook back in 1956, and is shown attending a Pennzoil sponsored event in Rangiora around 1956. Another early car was the 1914 Overland of Bert Arnott. It was basically a largely complete original car that had been refurbished a bit and was sold I believe to a visiting Mormon missionary a couple of years later. Another car that was attendant at a lot of the early events was the 1924 Bean tourer owned by John Preen, commonly referred to as Bean’s Preen. I first encountered it a South Otago Sports Car Club sponsored event in 1960 at Balclutha but it
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was widely motored and I’m pretty sure John brought it down to Southland for one of the early Riverton Rallies which would regularly attract several South Canterbury entries. In the early days it was painted Royal blue with black guards but was later painted a beige colour. I cannot recall whether it was John or the new owner in Christchurch who repainted it. The photo as you can see is in the new colour. Note the Auster rear windscreen. Bert Martyn had a Chrysler 77 later owned by Alan Blaikie and later still by West Australian, John Roy, who keeps it in Palmerston from whence he joined in on the Salute to 65 Tour I ran in 2015 to commemorate the 1965 “Haast” Rally. Each ownership featured a different paint job and you will note in the photo it still featured at that stage customized front guards that some previous owner had done. These Chrysler 77s are fantastic motoring vintage car. The photo was taken at Riverton in 1963. When Jim Sullivan’s name is mentioned, it is usually in connection with his Bentley 4.5 litre or his 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom or perhaps his role as Past President of the VCC of NZ. However, he did motor for a short while a Mid 20s Vauxhall 14/40 Princeton tourer which was a very nice machine. It was an example of the smallest Vauxhall offering of the time, which included the redoubtable
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OE30/98s and 23/60s, but still a pleasant and most desirable car. This model featured con rods with lead shot balance weights attached to the big end and were known to be prone to an expensive failure when a weight detached itself and disappeared out the side of the crankcase. Jim rebuilt the engine whether as a result of failure or as a precaution I am not sure, but he found that Studebaker Champion con rods made a very suitable replacement which I guess would employ shell bearings instead of the poured bearings of the original. This photo was also taken at Riverton in 1963 Jim’s first motoring vintage vehicle as far I know was this 1919 Hudson fire engine, which like most such vehicles had very low mileage when purchased. It too was photographed at Riverton probably 1962. Danny Moran was a prominent member back in the 1960s and later and I recall attending a Mid Island Rally for which Danny provided the lunch venue at his Otaio property. Usually in company with Alan Armstrong he motored this Flat Nose Morris Cowley coupe which was a pleasant little car that tootled along very nicely. Danny was also Bulletin Editor and Beaded
wheels scribe under the pen name Daniel George and a great job he did of it too. This photo was taken at Mt Cook Rally 1965. I can tell because the portion of front wheel you can see belonged to the 1929 Nash I drove from Invercargill to take part in my first Mt Cook Rally. My boss would not give my cobber and I leave on the Friday before hand so we left Invercargill straight after work. We had a puncture at Herbert on the stroke of midnight and when we arrived in Timaru at about 2am decided to spend the night in the car down at Caroline Bay from whence the run was starting. We had barely settled down, one in the front and one in the back, when we had a visit from the constabulary who were not totally happy with our decision but said in view of the late hour we might as well stay there! The final photo is a nice little Singer Junior tourer restored by Owen Johnstone and has just very recently been sold on TradeMe at a bargain price, by the next owner who had had the car for 50 years. I hope members find this trawl down memory lane of interest. Some may at least remember the cars referred to
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Your Editors under Covid 19 Lockdown
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Being farmers we were classed as an essential service so not much changed. Bill was still able to work around the farm and also driving out to Sutherlands every other day to feed the 60 Heifers with baleage and give them a new break. Also the last of the winter feed needed be sown and seen here “Two Vintages” on the cultivation work.
We did get a comment from a cyclist passing by that he didn’t think that what we were doing was essential work, the reply was ,” without winter feed being sown how would we feed stock in the late winter and spring”. As to the above we need to be PC correct as farming on the edge of the city is like being in a “gold fish bowl”
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”Seen here filling the drill for the final sowing of the winter feed. Shona on the other hand found it a bit frustrating being told all the time by Jacinda that the over 70s were “elderly”. I certainly don’t feel it . I was fortunate that our wonderful Grand daughter Rosaria got my few groceries for me. After a couple of weeks of this I got rather used to this idea and felt that I could have her do it every week. Still I am back doing the groceries myself. It was great while it lasted. I along with heaps of others took advantage of going walking and a lot biking down Rockdale Rd. There were very few cars going past home. I caught up with all our neighbours who were doing the same either walking, biking or out in the garden . Always keeping our distance but was very pleasant. As the Saltwater Creek walkway was closed everyone seemed to come our way. Everyone was so relaxed and it was wonderful to see parents and children biking and enjoying the scenery and we were so lucky that the weather was so good. It could have been a different story if it had been wet and cold all the time. Unfortunately with rules being relaxed a bit not so many biking or walking now as most people are back working and at school. I think most people enjoyed the relaxed pace of life.
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CHANGE OF OWNER
SHOCK HORROR, Alvin Jones has passed on his 1962 Studebaker GT but breath easy, he hasn’t sold it but handed it on to his son Wayne of Queenstown. This is probably the longest period that Alvin has owned a car having purchased it 30yrs ago. It was purchased from a previous owner in the Lincoln area in original pristine condition with only 49000 miles on the clock. Since purchase, (Alvin is only the 2nd owner) has only done minor TLC work to the car,
the upholstery still being in excellent condition ex factory. There is now 81000 miles on the clock. Alvin and Margaret have motored this car extensively over the years in Vintage car and Studebaker club events. Alvin has finally given in, as Wayne as a little boy always said it was going to be his car!
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Alvin and Margaret on the 2018 Mystery Run parked beside Barry Smith’s Lark model Studebaker
BIG OCCASION. Alvin handing the keys over for this beautiful car to son Wayne.
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A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE EASTER RALLY 1999
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More EASTER RALLY 1999
For anything mentioned below please contact Graeme Taylor 03 615 7736 or 021 262 0913
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Old age and health has crept upon on me plus advise from family ( and I thought I was the one to give advise !! ) so on stock at the moment I have a wide range of parts left over from a restoration of a 1926 Whippet Roadster. There is also some 1925/26 Overland parts, radiator, water pump and other parts as well. There are enough parts to build a Coupe plus enough for spares. All well tested over the years, all in one place in Temuka. ALSO, Front axles complete full set of rewooded 6 x 19” rims that have been primed, used tyres – maybe a tube or 2. Choice of Honeycomb Radiators, that look OK, but are untested. Motors, all dismantled for checking, 6 blocks, all parts to go with them – take your pick. Gearboxes, diffs, Reset springs, body parts of a coupe. To locate enough parts to complete ours we bought equivalent of 4 cars in pieces with the intention of building a coupe. I am restoring a 1966 Cortina Mk1 S/W, English assembled, 1500cc, bucket seats, requiring a front bumper and the hub for a sports steering wheel, maybe 2 front disc brake suspension legs with good shockies. Maybe other parts as I progress. Morris Minor, I have been racing, rolling, restoring these for years and have numerous parts around or I know where to find them, give me a call anytime. I am home alone with heaps of memories and would like to be able to put something together with the assistance of some person who is able to apply their ability to this effect. Also need someone who would be able to put a range of my parts on Trade Me. Hours to suit them. —————————————————-
FOR SALE Austin A35 4 door “project” car, complete with some spares , $350.00
Contact Peter Small 027 319 1199.
Penrite Oils Just to let you all know that I am still able to supply you with Penrite Oils for your Vintage Vehicles. Engine and Gear Box oils, also Steering Box grease. Phone Alistair Day 688 6108 ————————————————The Swap Meet Committee has a speaker system for hire. Enquiries to Michelle Munro 03 686 4824 or email scvccswapmeet@hotmail.com ————————————————
WELCOME BACK Hope you all survived the lockdown and got plenty restoration work done. Looking forward to some car rallies
Deadline for Tricar is 16th June 2020 New Address tricar.scvcc@gmail.com
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COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR 2019-2020 Branch Correspondence to PO Box 623, Timaru 7940 Phone: 03 6885234 Chairman: Secretary: Treasurer: Club Captain: Newsletter Ed:
Ashley Milliken (Evelyn) 686 0834 Miles Winter (Cia) 021 344883 (Evenings) Nola Day (Alistair) 688 6108 Neil Manchester 6882112 Shona and Bill Weir 6886750 Email: tricar.scvcc@gmail.com C/R Convenor: Alistair Day (Nola) 688 6108 Parts Manager: Clive Merry 0274 409 384 Librarian: Barry Barnes (Carla) 688 5105 IT Officer: Shannon Stevenson 686 3263 Committee: Ross Walkinshaw 6880207 Ross Parker 6158260 Pauline Young 6861833 Oliver Irving 0223847784 SWAPMEET COMMITTEE Chairman: Colin Johnstone (Trish) Treasurer: Nola Day (Alistair) Site Convenor: Michelle Munro (Gavin) Grounds Convenor: Barry Smith Committee: Gavin Munro (Michelle) Alan Patrick Lex Westoby Sandy McMillan For Identification Certificate Processing – Alistair Day 688 6108 Warren Cox 688 8758
03 693 9093 6886108 686 4824 684 7405 686 4824 615 8803 03 612 6556
EASTER RALLY 1999