SpeakerforAugust
Thespeakerwehadorganisedhashadtopostponehispresentation untilnextmonth.However,don’tstayhome:comealongandenjoya convivialeveningofchat,news,rumours,gossip,teaandbiscuitsand allthegoodthingsthatmakeattendingclubnightsfun.
NewClubMembers
TedWillshasjustjoined.Hisapplicationisstillgoingthroughthe VCCNZsystemandweandlookforwardtohimjoiningour eventswithsomeofhiscollectionofmotorcycles.
Recovering
JeffFoxbrokeananklerecently,apparentlywhilekickstartinga motorcycle.
BadLuck
WarwickDoreenwaswokenonenightbyafireintheroofofhis house.Hewasluckytoescapewithoutinjury,andthefirewas quicklyextuinguished.
CoverPicture
CompetinginourDay/NightOwlRally,clubmembersChrisand VickyEdwardsintheirFordModelApickup.
Itwasgoodtoseeagreatturn-outfortheclubmeetingthismonth.In factIhadacoupleofmemberscommentthatitwasgoodtoseeso manyinattendance.WehadatalkfromVerdonHeath,partofourVIC team,explainingabouttheprocesstoobtainaVICnumberforyour club-eligiblevehicle(amustifyouwanttouseitonanynational rallies).It’sastraightforwardprocessandtheteamareveryhelpful,so youdon’thaveanyworriesaboutgettingone.
TheMid-WinterLunchwasagreatsuccesswithover50ofussitting downtoabuffetstylelunchprovidedbyRaewyn’sCafe.Iwouldlike tothankallthememberswhoturnedoutontheSaturdaypriortohelp settheroomup,andalsoonSundaywiththeclearingawayafterwards. SpecialmentiontoJohnWhitefororganisingthecaterers.(Theywere thankedonthedayfortheirusualexcellence.)
TheNight/DayOwlRallywasanothersuccess,attracting20carsthe samenumberaslastyear.Therunwasstraightforwardandvery enjoyable,finishingwithasuperbbuffetbrunchbackattheclubrooms. Resultswerecloseandarepublishedelsewhere.ThankyoutoGregand Jane,whospentthemorningpreparingthebuffet,andabigshout-outto everyonewhoentered.
Theawardsboardsareintheprocessofbeingup-datedasthereare somespellingmistakesandalsomorenamestoadd. Thecommittee,(whomeetonthelastWednesdayofthemonth)has beenlookingintotheinsurancerenewalasit’sduesoonandweare goingtoincreasethecovertobetterreflectcurrentvaluesasithasn’t changeinawhile.Nothingdrastic,justgoodcommercialpractice. Wehavehadacoupleofourmembersdamagethemselveswhilst enjoyingtheirmotorcycles.DonMcLarencameoffhisonhiswayback fromtheSouthIsland,breakingalegandsomeribs,thenJeffFox brokeanankleandfoottryingtostartanoldbike.Oldmenandbikes.
Willweeverlearn?Idon’tthinkso.Bothareonthemend:Donisback homeandevendrovehimselftothestartoftheNightOwl,Jeff meanwhileisapparentlyspendinghistimewanderingouttohis workshoptodrinkcoffeeandmutteraboutfullorderbooksforwooden propellersthathecan’tgetonwith.(thisinformationfromaninside sourcewhilstshesoldmemylottoticket).I’msureifthereisawayhe willfindit.
Getwellsoonbothofyou.
UrgentWearelookingforthatspecialpersontooverseethe organisationofnextyear’sSwapMeet.Thereisalotofexperiencefor youtotapinto,aspastorganisersareonhandtohelpandguideyou. Weneedtobeonthisnow!Please,ifyouthinkyoucanhelpletthe committeeknowASAP.Therewillbeapleaforextrahelpnearerthe time.
That’sallfromme.Seeyouallatthenextclubnight.
Whatagreatturnoutofmembers,andsomenewmembers,toourlast clubnight.Icountedover70heads.
Aftertheusualformalities,Verdongaveusaninterestingtalkonthe proceduretoobtainaVIC(VehicleIdentificationCard).Therewerea lotofquestionsandVerdonhadalltheanswers.Agreatsessionand thanksVerdonforyourefforts.
OurJuneGarageRaidwastovisitoneofourmembers,Tony Haythornthwaite.Itwasahugesuccesswithjustunder50members turninguptoviewhisvastcollectionofmemorabiliaandhislarge collectionofmainlyBritishvehicleswhichincludedMG,BMCMini, Austin,Rover,MorrisMinorjusttonameafew.Ofspecialinterestwas hiscollectionofbrassware.Manywereamazedbythebrass nutcrackers.ThesearenowverycollectableandIcanremembermost ofourfamilyandfriendsowningabrasscrocodilenutcracker.Someof thecarsinTony’scollectionareforsale.Seenoticeunder“Buy,Sell, Swap”.
Ournextraidwillprobablybeourlastforawhile.Basilhasdecidedto stepdownfromorganizingtheseevents.Ifanyoneouttherewouldlike toassistwithorganizingfuturevisitspleaseletmeknow.No experiencenecessary,plentyofassistanceandtrainingprovided.
Theraidshavegainedpopularityoverthepastthreeyears;infacttoo popular,andwehaverunoutofideasandplacestovisit.Iwouldliketo thankBasilfororganizingtheraidsoverthepast3years.Wehave visitedover50members’properties,privatebusinessesandprivate collections.
LastWednesdaywehadtheannualKapitiMid-Weekrunto ParaparaumutovisitKapitiClassics,followedbyamid-winterlunchat theParaparaumugolfclub.32WellingtonandHorowhenuamembers attendedthisevent.
ThenextplannedoutingisbeingorganizedbyRichardandGabrielle SaltandistovisitthelateCarlLutzfamilyfarmandtractorcollection nearOtaki.CarlhadacollectionofmainlyFordtractors.
Ourannualmid-winterdinnerwasattendedby52ofourmembers, whichwasagreatturnout,andenjoyedbyallthosewhoattended.
OnSunday5thJulyweranourannualOwlRally,anditwasreally enjoyedbyallthosewhoentered.TherallystartedattheLevin AdventurePlaygroundinfineweather.Afterdrawingacardfroma pack,thecarsheadedsouthtoOtaki,didatourthroughtheparkandup totheOtakiswimmingpool,outtothebeach,anduptotheKaitawa swingbridgenearOtakiForks.Hereentrantsweretreatedtoaphoto sessionwhilecrossingthebridgebeforereturningnorthuptheoldroute toManakauandbacktowardsLevin.Thedistancecoveredwas100kms andtooktwohourstocomplete.Therewerequestionstoansweranda fewsilentcheckstofind.Otherthanthat,itwasallaleisurelydrive withnostressuntiltheywereaskedwhentheyreturnedhowmanyflags didtheyseefromOhauBridgetoManakauturnoff,andhowmany railwaytracksdidtheygooverorunderthroughouttherally?
Notmanygottheanswersright,howeversomeentrantscouldtellme howmanyone-waybridgestheycrossed,andhowmanyspeedhumps theywentover.However,thesewerenotpartofthequestions. Numberswerethesameasinpreviousyears,withsomenewrally entrantsthathaveneverdonearallybefore,whichiswhatit’sallabout. Therallywasdesignedtobesimple,nostress,enjoyableandfinishing attheclubroomwithabigbreakfasttosatisfyevenCallum’s enthusiasticappetite.Therewasnopressuretowinthisrally,asin previousyearsthewinnerhadtoplotnextyear’scourse.Thereisno needforthatnowtohappenasnextyear’srunwillbeplottedto coincidewithour50thanniversarycelebrations.
Resultswere:
1stPlace:Don&JanMacdonald1956MorrisMinorTraveller 2ndPlace:AndrewJuddandLindaGallagher1963AustinWestminster 3rdPlace:DonMeek&JackieJob 1941Vauxhall12
First-timeentrantswereMurrayHeaney&DennisGibbs1969 MGBGT
OldestVehicle:Chris&VickyEdwards1929FordModelA Pickup.
Aspecialthankstoourphotographer,Bruce,andtheladiesandtwo gentlementhatassistedJaneandIwiththekitchencleanupfollowing thebrunch.
Ifyouwouldlikeacopyofyourphotographcrossingtheswingbridge, contactBruce,(Sparkeditor)andhewillemailthemontoyou.
OnSunday28thAugustistheVCCNationalDaffodilDay.
Again,thisyearManawatuaredelightedtohaveusonboardwiththem. WewillbejoiningtogetherpromotingourVCCClubsandatthesame timeraisingalittlemoneyforcancer.GlynClementshasthisunder control,andI’msureourmemberswillbeabletojoininontheday. Wewillleavetheclubroomsinconvoyaround11.30am,similar arrangementsaslastyear.WewilltravelviaFoxtonandRongotea meetingupwithmembersalongtheroutetoFeilding.Wewillallmeet inthecarparkjustdowntheroadfromtheCoachHouse,anddrivein andparkuptogetherby1.00pmforacardisplay.$10percar.At approx.2.30pm,therewillbeanorganized30-milerunleavingthe CoachHouseforapproximately1hour,finishingatManawatu Clubroomsforafternoontea,spotprizes,andsocializing.
ColinGeangehasmadeupthesetwosigns,oneleft,andoneright, especiallyforourclubtouseonvariousclubruns,andhasgenerously donatedthemtotheclub. Alotofworkwentinto makingthem,coming completewithasteelpegto holdtheminthegroundand stopthemfrombeingblown over.Thankyousomuch Colin.Wewilllookafter them,andtheywillbeput togooduse.
That’sitfromme,untilnexttime,keepthatoildripping. GregOliver
Theamazing collectionsofTony Haythornthwaite. Someofthecarscould beforsale,andhehas otherstoo-seenotice laterinSpark.
June2026
Forthefirsttimeinanumberofyears,wewillbevisitingthe WairarapaVintageCarClubSparesDepartment.ThedateisSundaythe 26thofJuly.TheplanistocarpoolandleavetheHorowhenua Clubroomsat8.30am,andtraveloverthePahiatuaTrack.The WairarapaVintageCarClubroomsareattheClarevilleShowgrounds whicharehalfwaybetweenMastertonandCartertononStateHighway 2,andtheClubroomsarewellsignposted.Southernmemberswho wishtojoinus,justshootovertheRimutakas.Wairarapamembersare expectingustoarrivejustafter10am. I’msurewewillbeabletofindanicecafeorcountrypubforlunchon thewayhome.
UnfortunatelytheMid-WinterSalewas aflop,andTradeMesalesareslow. Perhapsjustasignofthetimes. Ontheplusside,theClangersand BangersDaywasariproaringsuccess andwillmostdefinitelybehappening againnextyear,solookoutforit. WorkingBeescontinuetotickalong, withamemberofthepublicdropping offsomeitemsfromhisshedlast month.Ofinterestthereare2brand newgasketsetsforaHonda400/4.
SafeMotoringEveryone
