“Dripfeed” NEWSLETTER OF THE BANKS PENINSULA BRANCH OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF New Zealand (INC) VOLUME 41, No 5 june 2018 Editor: Michael Williams 10 Selwyn Parade Lyttelton Ph 328 8043, email mimiandmichael@yahoo.co.nz
Chairman: Secretary:
Club Officers: Craig Keenan 322 1006 Ron Hasell 942 1105
Branch Address: 27 Showgate Ave, ChCh 8042 E-mail: bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz Noggin & Natter: 2nd Thursday of the Month
Noggin 7.30 pm at the Papanui RSA. Upham Room – enter either from 55 Bellvue Ave or the first entrance on the left on Harewood Road (Papanui / Main North Road) Thursday 14th of June. We look forward to seeing you there. Supper is provided.
From the Editor: The annual Generals meeting was duly held, and unlike the Nats after the election, there was no bloodshed, no coups, no sulking, and the same office holders and committee were returned, accompanied by rousing cheers (or muted applause) as an acknowledgement of the work they do to keep the show on the road. After surprisingly little persuasion, Brian Smith was duly elected to the committee. Brian is a fellow Lytteltonian so certainly qualifies as a Hill Tribe member. He drives a suspiciously fast Morris 8 tourer, and an impressive replica of a James Dean Porsche, a 1955 550 Spyder, which is somewhat faster than the Morrie. Welcome to the committee Brian. Winner of the “Use not Abuse” trophy was David Owen, for competing so vigorously in both the C type and the Escort. Winner of the “Bruce Pidgeon Memorial Trophy” was Jim Bennetts with his Furi. At the recent Hadstock gymkhana, the Trevor Lightfoot Standard ceased forward motion en route to the prize giving. As soon as the bonnet was raised, lots of fellow competitors stopped and offered practical assistance to diagnose and solve the problem. Trevor wants to thank all those kind people who helped, and assures them that the problem with the mighty Standard is now solved. The Keenan Talbot has finally burst into action. Craig has had the car, a 1935 Talbot 110, for a mere 28 years, longer than he has had his children, and when his daughter, Hannah, said some years
ago that she expected it to be official car at her wedding, it gave Craig some much needed motivation. The mighty Talbot roared into life a few days before the wedding, and Craig bravely took it to work. It broke down in Lichfield Street, but Craig was undaunted, and on the day of the wedding it performed faultlessly, and looked superb. It’s a majestic beast and will no doubt be seen at events in the near future. Most editors or aspiring writers hope vainly for fame and glory, and as I write this I can look out of the window and see the house of that talented writer Joe Bennett. I suppose even Joe had to start somewhere, and when I got an email recently asking if my writing could be used in another publication, I felt that my hour had come. Was it the Guardian? The New Yorker? The Washington Post? My dreams of immortality came crashing down when I realised it was the Vintage Austin Register. If Austin owners want to quote me I am clearly being far too positive about their deeply flawed cars, so in the words of all school reports, must try harder. Looking through Papers Past, recently I came across the 1926 sales figures for cars sold in NZ. The total was 18,024, of which 5,142 were Ford. Chevrolet was 2nd with 1,621. Very much in the where are they vein, were 37 Ansaldos, 76 Crossleys, 58 Beans, 79 Clynos, 107 Citroens 21 Talbots, 117 Jewetts.and 693 Overlands. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. Welcome to new member Anita Wright. Anita has recently married Morris Wright, and as if that weren’t enough excitement, she also has a 1950 MG TD, so she has two Morris specials to play with. Good to see the “red Ford driven by the bearded guy’ on the cover of Beaded Wheels. Of course this doubles the value the Bond, and may well catapult Peter onto the after dinner speaking circuit.
Coming Events: The Night Trial: To be held on Saturday, June the 16th, this annual and popular event is organised by the surprisingly devious Michael Pidgeon, and a torch is always helpful. Phones are banned and participants may well be searched by sniffer dogs before starting. Starting point is the Northwood Super Centre, ready to leave the south east entrance at 7.00 o’clock. Given that most of the entrants will be in a British car and thus lit by Lucas prince of darkness electrics, and that the run is about 100 km, and over some shingle roads, the potential for catastrophe is enormous. The superb swivelling Cibies of my D would give me such an unfair advantage that I’ve elected not to compete but help Michael P with the organisation. Rosco Sporting Trial: This world famous event is on Sunday 17th of June, at Reefton, so bring your thigh waders and snorkel, as exotic Reefton can get a trifle damp. Entry forms later. For more details contact johncecilfowler@gmail.com. Run by the Westland VCC branch. The Targa Time Trial: Entry forms and all other relevant details are now available, so get in touch with Rod Corbett at rcorbett@xtra.co.nz 03 423 1551, 027 4338772. The Balcairn Trial: Sunday July the 15th, for the annual celebration of mud, mud, glorious mud. (Please note the change of date from the 22nd.) Entry forms are available from Ron Hasell. Timetable. 8.30a.m. Scrutineering 9.15a.m. Drivers briefing 9.30a.m. Battle commences.
I’m sure the Nelson contingent will be there in full force this year, and that the Bugatti replica will be fully sorted, and that an Austin or two might vanish into a deep puddle. Perhaps it’s time to bring back the river section, as the sight of a floating A7 is always a crowd pleaser. Pothunter Phil Mauger could bring out some serious earth moving gear and dig some Austin sized holes. And whatever happened to Stevie One Door?
The National Veteran Rally, Nelson, 16th – 18th of November. Although it’s a long way off, we have been asked to mention this in Dripfeed. The event celebrates 100 years of veterans, and the centenary of Armistice Day. There is a pre rally tour from the 12th – 15th, and a post rally tour from the 20 – 23rd. Get in touch with Jim Wareing for more details at jimnkyra@xtra.co.nz Paul Furkert from the Wairarapa branch has a very slow power cycle, a BSA bike powered by a 1951Trojan mini motor, top speed 20mph.. He wonders if there are some other owners of similar power cycles who might want to get together for a summer rally in the North Island one weekend. Entries, if there were any would be limited to those with a top speed of no more than 30mph, so Austin 7’s are ideally suited, but have too many wheels for this event. For more information contact paul.furkert@xtra.co.nz 06 3795355 or 02040273746. Monte Carlo Rallye organisation rolls inexorably onwards and I have great pleasure in reporting that, following an approach to the Royal Family of Monte Carlo, they have, after much deliberation, selected from a packed field of applications, an official Monagesque ambassador to represent them at our event. This distinguished personage will be in full regalia at all times and will mingle freely with entrants at the official dinner, after the official greetings from the Royal family have been delivered. This will, we feel, add a certain je ne sais quoi to an already stylish event. The entry form, with all you need to know about how the event actually works is finished and will be available very soon. Just remember that it’s Show Weekend, 16th and 17th of November.
Past Events: Hadstock Driving Tests. The annual Hadstock gymkhana, on the Chamberlain estate near Leeston is a time honoured tradition involving mud, muscle and malevolence, but this year the new ingredient was manure, as John Chamberlain had shifted the Herefords out of the paddock just a few minutes before we arrived. This was not the year for Gucci loafers, but more the sturdy Skellerup Red Bands, the gumboot of choice amongst the landed gentry of Canterbury. There was more manure than a National Party caucus meeting, which added an extra challenge for drivers and pedestrians alike. Mercifully, there weren’t as many Austin 7’s this year, so quality not quantity was the theme of the day. Proper vintage cars were in evidence, with Dawber Pontiac raceabout, the Chamberlain Austin 12/4, the Lightfoot Standard, the Pidgeon Fiat 501 and the Fox multicoloured Model A all reminding us what a proper vintage car actually is. John Chamberlain was driving a very original low mileage Jaguar XJC which has been in the family since almost new, Neale Elder was in his original boat tailed Morris Minor, Geoff Owen was in his potent Ford 10 Special, with
Jaguar, Citroen, MG and Austin Hotrod also represented. Hadstock is made up of five driving tests on a slippery paddock, and everyone gets two attempts at each event, as confusion often reigns first time through. This year, for some inexplicable reason, the organisers decided to introduce some new events, so there was a delay while a defibrillator was organised, as change does not come easily to some. However, once the tumult and the shouting had died, the red mist descended and competition began. Austin Kennel Saloon
The tests consist of a slalom event, three different versions of a cambelt/cloverleaf type and ever decreasing circles. After the slalom it became depressingly obvious that Brad Govan and Jason Roberts, sharing the driving in the Austin 7 Hawke, and Rod Corbett in another Austin 7 Special were going to battle it out for the coveted trophy, leaving the rest of the field to bicker over the minor placings. But in test two the Citroen D of Michael Williams won, proving that fwd is very effective on grass, and tension and abuse levels rose considerably. Geoff Owen’s Ford Special also beat the hotrod Austins, and the crowd went wild. But test three, a ridiculously tight course, favoured the small and puny and the Austins drew ahead. Test four threw a cat amongst the pigeons, as Craig Keenan, in his big heavy Jaguar Sovereign, showed superb skill as he flicked the Jag round the cones to win the event. The Austins fought back in test five, and once the results had been collated, protests ignored and duels fought, Brad Govan in the A7 Hawke had indeed won the Cynthia. Three seconds behind was Rod Corbett in his A7 Special with Jason Roberts third, also driving the A7 Hawke. Michael Williams, in the svelte Citroen D was a few paltry seconds behind in fourth place, leaving a bevy of British “sports cars” in his wake. Special mention must be made of Harry Dawber who wrestled the Pontiac into 8th place/, a fabulous effort considering the weight and length of the Pontiac. Harry improves every year, and he’s young too. The coveted Cynthia trophy is named after Cynthia Chamberlain, wife of John. Most of the BP branch are blatant pot hunters, so a suitable trophy was deemed necessary for this prestigious event. So some years ago a very classy lightly clad Greek style statue of a young woman was purchased, at great expense, from the Warehouse. Throwing caution to the wind, we sprayed it with gold paint, and mounted it on a very tasteful bit of formica board that Basil McCoy found in his garage, Basil also put a coat hook on each corner of the base, for that extra touch of class. The whole thing is a triumph of exquisite good taste and the lucky winner is able to display this thing of beauty in a prominent place at home.
Conflict of direction
Irishman Creek: These days, this wonderful event should perhaps be known as the Model A Club Winter Run, as there were 65 Model A’s on the run out of a record total of 158. Superbly organised by James and Jane Webb on the Saturday, and John Chamberlain on the Sunday, the cars were farewelled by the Oamaru mayor on Saturday morning and meandered through the foothills of North Otago to the lunch stop at Kurow, where something like 400 people had lunch and fuelled up, both exercises requiring considerable advance planning. The petrol station owner may well retire. The two Rolls Royces on the run alone just about emptied the underground tanks and had to be turned off while filling up so that the pumps could get ahead. After lunch the convoy drove up the Hakataramea Valley and into the mist and hoar frost, which was simply spectacular, if a little chilly. The view from the top of the Haka was shrouded in mist, so sustaining draughts were needed by some, to warm the inner man or woman. The mist continued until after Burkes Pass, so concentration was the name of the game for the drivers. The T intersection where the Haka road meets Haldon road loomed up very quickly for some, but I can report that the brakes of a RR Silver Ghost, in which I was a hypothermic rear seat passenger, worked brilliantly under pressure, and pulled up two or three tonnes of very expensive metal just before the ditch. The Sunday run was a good long run that culminated in a visit to “Blue Cliffs’, the home of the Rolleston family, and one of the great South Canterbury houses. We were given an informative talk by two of the owners, and then actually allowed to go inside. A very generous gesture, given that about 350 pairs of feet padded through the downstairs part of this superb home, which was designed by Helmore and Cottrell for the Rhodes family in 1890. It’s full of remarkable family treasures, and it was a privilege to be allowed to see it. We were then able to drive to the Blue Cliffs airstrip, further down Backline road. A first gear climb was rewarded with a brilliant view, and then a great test of two wheel brakes on the way down. I was lucky enough to come down in the enormous 1929 Cadillac belonging to John and Deborah McLaughlin. With 5 on board and weighing 3 tons, we were all a little tense especially when John went very quiet and heaved on the huge handbrake as we neared the bottom. Quality American engineering stood the test, given that the Cadillac has done 850,000 miles, and the seats retained their pristine splendour. Sunday pm was at Pete’s Patch with Russell Yates in the Ford Model A Bitsa coming first equal.
Steam Punk
Julie Andrews moment
The prize giving is always The prize giving is always entertaining, as the winner and runner up are announced, news that no-one wants to hear. By the time it began, the normally suave sophisticated mister cool of hospitality in ChCh, Johnny Moore, was a dithering ruin, as a cunning and highly effective whispering campaign, mounted by some nameless and unscrupulous people, had convinced young Mr Moore that he was going to be the winner. James Webb carried on the subterfuge superbly, and by the time Johnny and Greg May were the only ones left at the front, I almost felt sorry for them, such was their neurotic state of mind. They looked like they had been caught smoking behind the bike sheds, and were in the Headmaster’s study, about to get six of the best. Unfortunately they didn’t win, that honour going to Morrie Dunnage and Reg Horner, who both seemed remarkably composed about the whole situation. It’s wonderful thing, maturity, as Johnny and Greg might discover one day.
Fox on the run
For Canterbury branch events visit: https://vcccanterbury.wixsite.com/home