February 2019
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February 2019
February 2019
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Index In this issue… William C Daldy Harbour Cruise Pre 1950 Motorcycle Run Win at Motorclassica A Conversation with Joe Tidswell February Club Night 2018 Christmas Pot Luck Dinner New Year’s Day Run Vintage Muster
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Regular Features Chairman’s Report Club Captain’s Report Secretary’s Notes Motorcycle Notes Entertainment Notes Commercial Notes Library Notes Mid Week Tourers Veteran Notes Coming Events For Sale Your Committee
4 5-6 7 8-9 10 11 12-13 14 15 16-17 29 30
March Bulletin closing date
Strictly 25 February 2019
Cover Designed by Melanie Ball
The views expressed by the correspondents in this Bulletin are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Auckland Veteran & Vintage Car Club Inc. Any articles of interest, comments, letters to the Editor etc are welcome. All contributions are presented to and approved by the club committee prior to printing. Please forward any submissions to the Bulletin Editor.
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Chairman’s Report Hi everyone. If I haven’t already seen you to say Happy New Year, happy 2019. At the end of 2018 we had the Motorcycle meeting, the guest speaker was member Don Walker. Don brought along his very nice 1928 Raleigh with a polished wooden box fitted on the side. The next day we had the Xmas Motorcycle run out to our Pokeno farm for an end of year BBQ and the last event of the year was the Christmas pot luck dinner. This was very well attended and was a lot fun with Santa Russel and his cheery little Elf Rodger. 2019 started with the New Year’s day fish n chip run to Kaiaua, this was very well attended with 95 vehicles and around 140 people enjoying their fish n chips in the sunshine. Finally we had the January club run, where some met for breakfast at 8:00am at the Southern Motorway Drury BP Autobarn. Lynda gave the briefing and I sent them on their way with a joke. As it was Auckland Anniversary weekend we expected heavy traffic going to Thames for their Wings and Wheels event, so we travelled on the back roads down SH25 to Kopu and to our relief the traffic was light. We had a great day at the event, they had dozens of small planes and a very large number of cars and motorcycles on display. There were also large model aircraft and two homemade radial engines on trailers, one was a 9 cylinder that used Honda motorcycle heads and barrels, which sounded great. The other was a double radial of 14 cylinders that used Yamaha heads and barrels. There was also a WW2 army group dressed in German, American and NZ uniforms firing a big range of weapons. It was very hot out on the airfield, so we left around 3:00pm and went up the road to the Boiler House Brewery where Lynda is the manager. Over the next few hours we had around 16 members turn up for food and refreshments. We eventually got home at 7:00pm and reflected on what a great day we had. That’s all for now so keep those 2, 3 and 4 wheels turning safely. Martin Spicer
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Club Captain’s Report This is my first report for the year and already Christmas is a distant memory as Martin and I have been kept busy with our son-in-law’s father and aunt. They came out on holiday from the UK arriving the day after Boxing day and going back just a couple of days ago. This was our first New Years holiday since our girls were at college and Martin and I thoroughly enjoyed just relaxing on our lovely BOP beaches with the whole family and doing a few touristy things. We went to the Waitomo Caves (2) and did the tree top walk (both during the day and at night) through the Redwood forest in Rotorua, (absolutely beautiful). I hope you all have had a pleasant time over the holidays with friends and family. This a combined report for December 2018 and January 2019. The December Motorcycle Section had another successful monthly meeting, finishing as has become tradition with an elaborate afternoon tea. On the following day after a short Motorcycle run about 20 joined Martin and I at the farm for our annual BBQ. Numbers were down this year, but like us, lives get busier and trying to cram everything in is sometimes impossible. The last function of the year was our Branch’s annual Pot Luck Christmas dinner, which was a great success. The Branch provided a very tasty whole ham and together with all the different plates of food people had bought along, we were treated to a great feast, including some very yummy desserts. Everyone contributed to Santa’s sack and Santa and his trusty Elf made sure that everyone was deserving of a pressie. Thank you Russel and Rodger. We had a couple of quick fire raffles so a couple of people went home with a few extra goodies - an excellent night enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Thanks to everyone for helping tidy up afterwards, it was much appreciated. The New Year Day Run was greeted with grey skies and not overly warm. On arrival at the Jolly Farmer, Drury, we had 88 vehicles in attendance with about a 50/50 split between cars and motorcycles. I had two routes out this year with routes meeting at the back of Paparimu. On arrival at Kaiaua another 7 vehicles had gathered to meet us. It was great to see members who now live further away, Waihi, Katikati, Ngatea and Thames come up to meet us. All in all we had 95 vehicles and in excess of 140 people. The sun came out once we got to Kaiaua and so made for a very pleasant afternoon. January’s Motorcycle section had a good turnout with 13 bikes in the carpark and 43 members. They were regaled with some anecdotal memories from Jim Francis. Lots of laughs. Thank you Jim for giving us your time so graciously. Our first Club Night, was a BBQ sausage sizzle night, accompanied with potato salad, green salad, fried onions and some ice-cream to finish off. The Committee decided it would be a nice start to the year and everyone who came enjoyed the conviviality of the evening. For the January monthly Club Run I had arranged that we go to the Wings and Wheels show in Thames. About 11 of us met for breakfast at the Autobahn at 8:00am and by 9:00am at leaving time we had been joined by another 24 people. We had 24 vehicles leave the Autobahn and we took a quiet meander through the back roads down to Kaiaua, along the Seabird coast and finally popping out at Waitakaruru to join SH25a. The traffic was fairly light in
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Club Captain’s Report Contd.. comparison to what it had been on Friday when I was down there. Arriving at the show, we found that another 5 members with their vehicles had met us there. All in all there were 33 club vehicles out - a nice selection of motorcycles and cars ranging from a Model T to a 1960’s Vauxhall. Arriving at the airfield we found hundreds of vehicles on display, comprising of cars, trucks, motorcycles and military vehicles. Also on display was a very impressive selection of light aircraft. It was very hot out on the airfield and about 16 of us went to have a chat over a cold drink at the Boilerhouse Brewery (which I manage) and some stayed for an early dinner. All in all a very good day out.
Don’t forget to put your entries in for the Vintage Muster, (10th March, entry form included in this Bulletin). I look forward to seeing you out and about. Lynda Spicer
William C Daldy—Harbour Cruise New Zealand’s Largest operating Steamship The North Island Model A Ford Club Inc. has invited members of the Auckland Veteran & Vintage Car Club to join them for a cruise on the vintage tugboat, William C Daldy, probably the most stable, smooth and quiet ship on the harbour. There are few public sailings of this duration on the William C Daldy, so the charter is a great opportunity to experience one of the last few operating steam ships in the world. Sunday 24 February: 1:00pm—4:00pm. Board from 12:30pm
$45 per person. Bring a picnic lunch. Tea, coffee and licensed bar available on board. Please purchase tickets via website: https:// www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/harbour-cruise-on-william-c-daldy-with-northisland-model-a-ford-club-tickets-55121846928 Look for the tugboat image, ensure the date is correct and use the password: 1928tudor Depart from & return to the western side of Princes Wharf Cancellation due to weather is unlikely (the tug is a large vessel), however like all things vintage, mechanical issues can arise. Tickets refunded if cancelled. Further information and if you purchase a ticket please contact Rob Brown at: rtmgbrown@xtra.co.nz or (09) 483 5793 or 0274 745 726 See advert on Clubroom Notice Board
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Secretary’s Notes Entry forms available at the Clubrooms or me for the National South Island Easter Rally, hosted by Ashburton Branch and coming up in March is Waikato’s Vintage Venture if you’re looking for another opportunity to motor your Vintage with other Vintage vehicles. I also have details on an Irishman type rally being organised in March in the Waikato region. Remember to make sure we have your current email address. Tracey Winterbottom
PAUL’S MAGNETOS -
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Motorcycle Notes December Meeting—Lynda and I arrived at the Clubrooms for the last meeting of the year, the sun was shining and there were 13 bikes out the back. There were 50 plus members in attendance. Don Green brought along his brother Colin as a visitor. Reports—Martin reported on the Gymnic which was won by Don Green on his LE Velocette and on John Stokes’s pre 1950 motorcycle run. General Business—Don Green reminded members that he is the man to go to if you would like a Branch name badge. He is also the person to go to for a new rally route holder (for motorcycles). Peter Alderdice gave an up date on the forth coming National Motorcycle Rally in Blenheim. Guest Speaker—was member Don Walker who brought along his recently restored Raleigh box sidecar outfit, which was outstanding. Don told us the motorcycle’s story, from a sorry looking motorcycle to a concourse winning motorcycle. At the end of Don's talk we went upstairs to one of Lynda's great Christmas spreads. January Meeting—Lynda, our grandson Riley and I arrived at the Clubrooms on a hot sunny afternoon for the Motorcycle meeting. There were 12 bikes in the car park and around 46 members in attendance. Visitors—member Ernie Williams brought along a fellow Velocette owner, Brian Anderson from Hamburg. Also Barry Birchall and Barry Robert came along to support guest speaker Jim Francis. Reports—Martin reported on the Christmas Motorcycle run and BBQ and then the New Years Day run which went to Kaiaua for fish n chips. There was a great turn out of 98 vehicles (motorcycles and cars) and around 140 people enjoying the fish n chips and chatting in the sunshine. Member, Julian Jones then told us about his and Steve Heaney's long motorcycle ride on their Triumphs (1200kms) going from Auckland to Taupo, Napier, Gisborne, Whakatane and home - a really great ride. We talked about the forth coming National Motorcycle Rally in Blenheim - we have 20 plus members going there and we are told total entries are around the 180 mark. There was also a discussion from members on the pros and cons on painting motorcycles and also about Club acceptable vehicle insurance and the methodology of valuation. Coming Up—Future guest speakers – David Morley, with Lynda Maddock's very rare racing 250 CZ, one of only 2 in the world. John Seccombe, Chairman of New Zealand Land Speed Association, will come and tell us more about NZ land speed record attempts. John will also put me in touch with the world’s fastest woman on an electric motorcycle, American Eva Hakansson. She and her husband, now living in Auckland, built the very long bike and she did all the welding. Her speed on the salt was 271mph. Guest Speaker—Jim Francis. What a pleasure to have “young” Jim with us at the meeting. Jim turns a sprightly 98 years old soon and is still driving his car. He is one of the founding members of our Branch and although late, at last years Hunua 100 event he was presented with his 60 year badge. He has in fact been involved with the Branch for 63 years. He thinks that over the years he has
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Motorcycle Notes Contd... owned 20 motorcycles, purchasing his first one in 1938, which was a 1924 Raleigh and still owns this bike. Jim regaled us with a few stories of his younger years and it came across that he was a great character and has certainly enjoyed his life. Jim bought a 1910 Delage in 1946 as a small truck to move furniture. It was converted back to a car in 1955, the year that the Auckland Veteran and Vintage Car Club was formed. He still owns this car. Jim’s other love apart from his late wife Nancy and their daughter was his boat the Lady Margaret which is a well known boat around Auckland. It was built for Ted Clark of pottery fame (Crown Lynn) and it was used in WW2 as a naval patrol boat. Jim also has a soft spot for stationary engines. He has a shed that is completely full up with them. Jim answered questions from the floor. He read a letter he received in reply to a letter he sent to Queen Elizabeth. Thank you Jim for coming and talking to us and for giving we younger guys hope for a long and healthy life. (98) Wow! Keep those 2, 3 and 4 wheels turning safely Martin Spicer and Jack Clark
Above—Don Walker’s 1928 Raleigh & sidecar
Right—Jim Francis and Martin Spicer
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Entertainment Notes And before you know it, it is February. I have managed to catch up with many members over the busy January month and it is great to see so many out and about enjoying each others company and their vehicles. Our January club night was a general gettogether over a sausage sizzle which was enjoyed by a good number. Fay Kitson won the Lucky Door prize. We have a great guest speaker for our February meeting on Thursday 28th –Mike Mulholland is an aviation enthusiast and model aircraft builder whose interests span the entire hobby, ranging from ultra-light free flight indoor models weighing less than one gram, to large radio controlled models of over 2m wingspan. In these days where ‘buy and fly’ has become the norm, Mike remains a dedicated designer and builder with a particular passion for detailed free flight scale models. Aviation enthusiasts and vintage car enthusiasts have many interchangeable parts and many of you may have been modellers at some point. Mike will be talking about model aviation in general and updating you on developments in design, power sources and materials, while focussing on some of the techniques involved in his detailed scale models. For a sneak preview you can check out some of Mike’s work on the Hip Pocket Aeronautics site: http://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php?topic=20305.0 http://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php?topic=21872.0 http://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php?topic=22532.0
We are continuing our Lucky Door prize draw on this night too. So drag along another member or two who haven’t been in a while and enjoy the company, the talk, supper and you might go home with a little something extra by way of a prize.
Russel McAlpine Ph: 0274 735 451
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Commercial Notes A happy new year to all. I hope Santa delivered on his promises and nobody over indulged on Christmas Day. The Commercial function at our home on Sunday the ninth of December was quite disappointing attendance wise with only one other couple present until 6:45 pm when we had all but finished the meal and one more person joined us. There had been several apologies tendered, but it becomes hard trying to second guess how many to cater for and Pat has no desire to go down this road again. On a more positive note, the “Pot Luck” dinner 11 days later had a bumper turnout of 82 members sharing a fantastic meal. The “presents” from Santa’s sack though, are sadly not always the equal of what one donates. At least if I was going to drop something really cheap into the collection, I would remove the “one dollar” sticker first. Our first meeting for 2019 was surprisingly well attended. Perhaps the lack of a December meeting had some effect on that. Don Johnston had brought along his latest acquisition, a 1937 “Low Wall” Diamond T truck, albeit a one 49th scale model, beautifully made in China of course and it cost just $15.00. It was a pleasure to welcome Michael Hilliar along too, on one of his rare nights off from driving buses. We learned that Steve Keys is flat out working on his1938 Diamond T tanker, not unlike Bill Richardson’s 1940 Dodge Airflow. How many other countries can boast two such magnificent Post Vintage trucks? This picture shows Bill Ronald’s 1929 Graham Brothers truck in original condition, still working on his farm. I have tried searching for information, but found nothing beyond my assumption that it has a white on black six digit number plate on the front of the cab’s roof, which was the issue for 1927-28 and it is right hand drive, so it could well be here in New Zealand, with what looks very much like a Macrocapa tree in the background!! Keep M Rolling John Campbell
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Library Notes Book Review—’Dementia Prodest The History of the Veteran Car Club of Australia (Victoria), Published by the VCC Australia (Victoria) 2018 This excellent volume was recently gifted to the Auckland Branch Library of the VCC. Translated ‘Dementia Prodest’ the official motto of the club, means ‘it’s not necessary to be mad, but it helps.” The first chapter talks about the arrival of the motor car in Victoria, the problems the early motorists faced, the formation of The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, locally built cars, body builders, fuel supplies and regulations. We learnt about an Old Crocks Run in 1936 a parallel to what we had seen in Auckland with a lot of great early photos. The second chapter looks at the events organised before the formation of the Veteran Car Club in 1956, the formation of the club and events, participants and their vehicles in the early years. Again, we see lots of excellent period photos. I wish I had attended the Parker Auction. As you proceed though the book it looks at major events organized each year, participants and their car, club personalities, changes to the newsletter, club projects, trophy winners and the Committee. I loved the photos where we saw the vehicle before and after the restoration. They go on to say they have lost far too many early Rolls Royce’s from Victoria to Europe. They had a lot of makes from Europe which we never saw. They had almost thirty high wheelers on one run recently. With almost 400 pages, it is the best record of old car club history I have encountered. A must for any veteran car library and anyone interested in early history and veteran motoring. Only available through the Veteran Car Club of Australia (Victoria). http://veterancarclub.org.au Cost with postage to NZ one hundred Australia dollars—Barry Birchall In our last notes in November we mentioned that there were more books to come from the Brian Johnstone collection. Various things delayed this report so here it is now “part 3” 1927 Talbot 14/45 Handbook 1952/56 Tuning and Maintenance of MG’s by Philip Smith 1959 The Jaguar Companion by Ullyett 1986 The Mercedes-Benz since 1945 Vol 3 by Taylor 1963 History of Worlds Classic Cars by Hough & Frostick 1953 Crazy Journey by Hess 1949 The Story of E R A (English Racing Automobiles) by John Lloyd 1977 Automobile Body Design by Beattie 1959 The Best of Motoring Stories by Welcome 1956 Austin Sheerline & Princess Service Manual A big thank you to Bess Johnstone for donating all these books to our Library.
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Library Notes Contd... From Mr Drummond we received: Rolls Royce The Classic by Georgano Rolls Royce The Complete Works by Fox & Smith 1916 to 1939 Vintage & PVT Cars of the World by World Distributors 1960 Ford Popular Manual 1978 Morris Marina Manual 1978 to 1980 Morris Marina Manual 1968 to 1973 VW Transporter 1950 Standard Vanguard Manual From Neil Bieleski we received: Bosch Dual Ignition Manual Renault 750 Handbook Renault Dauphine Handbook Renault Fuego R1360, 62, 68 Handbooks Triumph Vitesse 13/60 Workshop Manual BMW 3 & 5 Service Workshop Manual Haynes Build your own Sports Car From Douglas Currie in Scotland (a Rover friend) we were given the 2016 and 2017 London to Brighton Veteran car run Programmes and top of them all we were given a copy of The Veteran Car Club of Australia (Vic) History of the Club titled Dementia Prodest (which means it is not necessary to be mad, but it helps). We purchased: Racing Jaguars in NZ by Watson Triumph Cars the Complete Story by Robson & Langworth Barry Robert and the Library Team—Barry Birchall, Colin Bott, Owen Hayward, John Stokes & Chris Wood.
Robinson Instrument Ltd
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Mid Week Tourers A lot has happened already since our last notes. Two mid-week runs, plus the New Years Day run and the Wings and Wheels day at Thames. Just like the Midweek runs, both the latter were very much a simple day’s motoring with a convivial gathering for lunch and natter. The Pot Luck dinner went off so well, with food this year even being left over. Then last month there was the Kumeu Car Show, held over two sun filled days with thousands attending. Both mid-week events were extremely well attended and much enjoyed by those present. So much so in fact, that resources at the December BBQ were taxed to the limit and we are already looking at alternatives for next year. Two members have volunteered their properties and this may involve a change of format. Perhaps a BYO picnic, or a caterer, or even a private “do” at a country café? Let’s have your thoughts. Later this year we intend to take a run to Thames where A & G Price will allow up to ten of us on a group tour of their foundry. We did this years ago and it will again be a case of “first in, first served”. There are lots of other attractions in Thames for those who miss out and for lunch. Likewise, the Chelsea Sugar Refinery now have a café and there are guided tours of the works. The Tours are limited to eighteen and cost $20.00 pp (Seniors) and take one hour. They must be pre-booked (and pre-paid). There is a demand, and currently the first available tour to suit us is Wednesday 17th April. At the moment I am waiting to hear back from them regarding the above. Let’s now hear from you. On a sadder note, I need to mention two members who have recently passed away; Glenys Dugmore, a stalwart member of Northland Branch and well known to many of our motor-cycling members, and Eben Moffitt, 50 year plus member and one time office holder in many aspects of our Committee. May they Rest in Peace. Our commiserations to the Vintage Austin Register and their members, many of whom are active VCC members, on the recent mindless vandalism of their vehicles at their National Rally. Similar hooliganism has occurred at some of our events, but not to the extent they experienced in Wanganui. We feel for them. Coming Events: Wednesday 20 February: Starts from the Drury Service Centre, on the Southern Motorway 10:00 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. departure. A longer run today, our destination is the Paeroa Maritime Park and Museum. $5.00 pp entry, plus hot drinks available, I understand $2.00 a cup, help yourself. BYO sammies, no café at the museum but there are in Paeroa. Wednesday 20 March: Starts from the Drury Service Centre, on the Southern Motorway. Yes, not a typo, due to our host and his location, it’s another Southern start—10:00 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. departure. Jack is taking us to visit Lionel Rogers Bugatti collection. It’s rather special. BYO lunch. Wednesday 17 April: Starts from the Warehouse Carpark, Westgate, 10:00 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. departure. More details to follow.
The Dewdrops & the Mid-Week Team Ph: (09) 232 0245 or email dewdrops@xtra.co.nz Mobile (as a last resort) 021 051 3770
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Veteran Notes There were fourteen attendees at the January meeting, which is quite reasonable considering the season. There were apologies from David Lane and Barry Birchall. Barry Robert is organising the sale of his single cylinder Rover. Len Woodgate is organising the sale of his Briscoe. John Morrison has purchased a 1908 Sears Auto Buggy, one of the first cars to be sold as a kitset. The current owner is doing some cosmetic work before John takes possession, the car is tiller steered, solid tyres and probably best used on very quiet roads. Phil Henley gave us a talk on the manufacture of the new stub axles for his 1913 Mitchell and the process he will have to go through to obtain compliance. For instance he has to have the people who made the axles certify the material used is as good as, or better than the original and trace the material to its sources. Gavin Welch drove his Model T to the meeting, the only owner to do so. David Oliver has had some issues with his model T, but now thinks it is going okay. Dennis Lowe is still driving the Curved Dash Oldsmobile on a regular basis. Roy Sharman met a man from the Isle of Man while visiting Wellington. This man owns a collection of Doble Steam Buses and obviously was interested in the one Doble built here. Roy also produced a Lucas "Startix" switch, a weird thing made by Bendix in the USA and Lucas in Britain about 1931-1933. Google BendStartix if you want the full story. By the time you read this the Annual Veteran Rally will have been and gone. John Stokes
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Coming Events February 16 20
Sat Wed
23 24 27
Sat Sun Wed
28
Thurs
3
Sun
5 9 10
Tues Sat Sun
14 16 17 20
Thurs Sat Sun Wed
23 27
Sat Wed
28 31
Thurs Sun
2 7 11 13 17
Tues Sun Thurs Sat Wed
20 21 24
Sat Sun Wed
25 26-27 28 28 30
Thurs
March
April
Sun Sun Tue
Motorcycle Meeting—Clubrooms 2:30pm Mid Week Tourers Starts Drury Service Centre, Southern Motorway 10:00am Swap Meet (Wellsford/Warkworth Branch) Club Run—Picnic Run—Starts Jolly Farmer, Drury 11:00am Commercial Meeting & Charabanc Maintenance Night Clubrooms 8:00pm Club Night (See Entertainment Notes) & New Members 8:00pm Bert Cuthbertson Motorcycle Run 11:00am Starts Jolly Farmer, Drury Committee Meeting 7:30pm Veteran Section Meeting—Clubrooms 2:30pm Vintage Muster—All Members are welcome to attend the Presentation Dinner at Clubrooms—$31.00 per person Bulletin Via Website or email Motorcycle Meeting—Clubrooms 2:30pm Vintage Venture Rally (Waikato Branch) Mid Week Tourers Starts Drury Service Centre, Southern Motorway 10:00am National March Executive Meeting (Wellington) Commercial Meeting & Charabanc Maintenance Night Clubrooms 8:00pm Club Night & New Members 8:00pm Club Run—Proposed Camp Out Committee Meeting 7:30pm Mooloo Meander Motorcycle Rally (Waikato Branch) Bulletin Mailing 7:30pm Veteran Section Meeting 2:30pm Mid Week Tourers Starts Warehouse Carpark, Westgate 10:00am Motorcycle Meeting 2:30pm Northern Raid (North Shore Branch) Commercial Meeting & Charabanc Maintenance Night Clubrooms 8:00pm Club Night 8:00pm Maunga Moana Rally (Taranaki Branch) Club Run Swap Meet (Northland Branch) May Committee Meeting
Note: The clubrooms are open on the second and fourth Thursday evenings each month from 7:30pm till 10:00pm and every Saturday afternoon from 4:30pm till 6:30pm.
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Coming Events
Thursday 28 February 8:00 p.m. Guest Speaker—Mike Mullholland Model Aircraft Aviation Lucky Door Prize
Club Run Sunday 24 February Starts:
Jolly Farmer, Drury
Time:
11:00 a.m.
Picnic Run BYO everything.
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Pre 1950 Motorcycle Run A few months ago John Stokes said he would like to put on a Pre 1950's Motorcycle run. The Committee agreed, so John resurrected the Veteran run from last February. John thought it was time to entice the older bikes out just by themselves. We advertised the run in our Bulletin and it went out on the email tree. The date was set for the 9th December. I rode over to John's property on my Honda CBX and no I didn’t ride on the run. At John's we had 6 bikes lined up. There was Don Green 1930 500 Rudge, Brian Gathercole 1947 Matchless 350, Peter Bell 1937 Royal Enfield, Steve Dense 1942 Indian, from Greenhithe Neville Olsen and Gill Stevens 1924 BSA 350 and finally all the way from Katikati Paul Whitehead 1924 BSA 250 round tank. The weather at the start was warm and sunny when the riders set off. John and I followed 15 minutes later in Paul’s car with trailer. The weather became overcast but stayed dry. The route meandered from Mauku out west to Aka Aka, Otaua, Waiuku and then back to John's property. The run went on some great motorcycling roads, up and down hills and good bends to swing round. There was a great absence of traffic on these quiet country roads. I was amazed by the number of roads which I had never been on. John and I caught up behind Paul on his little round tank. Paul was doing sterling work on this little 250cc with its 2 speed hand change, girder forks and ridged rear end. The run was 45 miles and took around 2 hours. Afterwards we unwound in John’s lounge with coffee/ tea and chocolate biscuits. Thanks John for putting on this great run, it’s just a pity that all the other owners of pre 1950 bikes didn’t take the opportunity to bring their pride and joys out to play. As this run was so good I will keep the instructions for a future motorcycle ride. Martin Spicer
February 2019
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Win at Motorclassica I thought I would share a special moment in my life with fellow Club members of the Auckland Branch of the Vintage Car Club of NZ. I have been a member of the Wellington Branch for 30 years. I run a restoration business in Upper Hutt and have done for over 25 years. We have a small team of 7 specialised people dedicated to restoration of Veteran, Vintage and Classic cars. We take care of the complete restoration from pick up to delivery. We rebuild engines, gearboxes, diffs, steering boxes, carbs, fabrication, upholstery, convertible tops, you name it we can do it. Our most recent success was a win at Motorclassica in Melbourne only weeks ago, with a 1932 Alfa Romeo Zagato bodied Spyder. We have been restoring this car from a trailer load of parts we picked up a few years back for a customer in Melbourne. We finished the car in July 2018. After running the engine in and having the car settled and sorted, we then shipped the Alfa to its owner in Melbourne. In September, once it had arrived to its new home, the word had got around Melbourne that this car had arrived. The organisers of Motorclassica approached Lawrence Southward asking if he would submit an entry into this huge event. Entries are by invitation only. An entry was submitted and a reply of consideration was sent. Two weeks later Lawrence called me to say it had been accepted and would I like to come over for the weekend of the event. I thought about it for 2 minutes and decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would be silly not to go. So two flight tickets were purchased and tickets to the Motorclassica event. Jen and I flew over on the Thursday so we could spend some time in Melbourne and Castlemaine with friends before going to the big event. The Sunday morning of the Motorclassica we made our way to the amazing Melbourne Royal exhibition building, the venue for the show. Lawrence met us at the gate to give us VIP passes which allowed us through the back door and not have to queue for half an hour. Once in those huge doors, I could not believe my eyes. After walking around the show for many hours looking over the 175 cars entered, I felt a prize with the Alfa was not on the cards. The standard of the cars and workmanship was amazing. After all, we were not aiming for a show quality car. These cars had been transported from all around Australia for the show and each owner hoping to win a prize or take home Best in Show. Lawrence had told me the concourse judges had spent a lot of time the day before looking over the Alfa and talking a lot between themselves. Mid-afternoon I met the judges and got asked many questions myself regarding the restoration process and what we had done. All 3 judges were very impressed and felt the car had a chance of a trophy. Finally the presentation time arrived at 4pm. Up on the podium were approximately 20 trophies for different classes and the 3 big ones of the day. After half an hour of presentations it got down to the last 3 trophies. Lawrence and I looked at each other and thought we had no chance against the stunning cars there. Finally after 2nd and 3rd were announced there was only 1 trophy left. The big one. Best in Show and considered the trophy that all judges felt was the best restoration there. When they called out the Alfa had won, both Lawrence and I were floored with excitement. It actually bought a tear to my eye. Lawrence
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Win at Motorclassica Contd... went up on stage and gave a huge amount of credit to us at Bristols and a great little story of the car’s history. After the presentation we went over to the car for photos and spoke to the judges at length about the judging process and what they look for. They told me it was one of the best restorations they had ever seen. That day felt like one of the proudest days of my career. Winning Best in Show at one of the world’s best concourse events is something I am very proud of. Having won two major prizes at Pebble Beach concourse with a 1931 V12 Hispano Suiza in 2017 and now this, we have been put on the world map of top restoration companies. A great feeling for a little business in Upper Hutt. If you have a restoration project or something you need rebuilding, we are more than happy to help. We are a business dedicated to restoration and rebuilding of any car. We have 4 specialised technicians in rebuilding of engines, gearboxes, steering boxes, carbs, diffs or any other mechanical component. We have our own upholstery shop with 2 full time trimmers and can take care of any restoration requirements. David Wilkens, Bristols Group Ltd, Upper Hutt, (04) 528 2580 or 0274 405 700 www.bristols.co.nz Article sent from Roy Sharman
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A Conversation with Joe Tidswell This was first published in a Horseless Carriage Club newsletter about seven years ago. Someone sent it overseas without my knowledge, but I did learn a lot more about some of the cars referred to in the article, so I have updated the article. I went to Australia for the Bi-Centennial Rally in 1970. There were 600 entrants with 98 cars from New Zealand. There were only vintage and veteran cars in those days on the rally. For me it was my first trip on a plane and my first great rally. On the plane going over I found myself in a seat behind Joe Tidswell. I knew Joe owned Auto Parts in Newton Road and I was aware the business had been around for a very long time. Before we touched down in Sydney I plucked up the courage to ask Joe if he had ever wrecked something now he regretted. He did tell me there were two cars that he should not have wrecked, one was four cylinder 1906 Rolls Royce, that was driven into the yard and the second was a huge six cylinder 1906 Model K Ford. I had always wondered about both those cars until I read recently a letter written by Joe, in response to something Dick Messenger had written to Beaded Wheels in 1964 from London, on the Model K Ford Dick had seen earlier at Muriwai. Dick remembered the large square radiator, the massive six cylinder engine and the planetary two speed transmission. The letter had solved one mystery. Below is Joe Tidswell’s reply to Dick Messenger. The car was a 1906 Model K Ford. It was Henry Ford’s first and last incursion into the six cylinder field and he lost such lot of money that he never made another six until the Second World War. The Model K cost $2,000 and was only made in one year. The 40 hp car was superbly finished with 114inch wheelbase and a weight of 2000lbs. The years between 1906 and 1907 were difficult trading years and Henry Ford blamed the fact that the car had 6 cylinders for its failure to sell. His other model, the Model N was priced at $600 and sold well. I acquired the car about 1933 when we went out to bring in another wreck at a house somewhere off Bell Road in Remuera, Auckland. The owner of the house asked us to remove the junk in the basement at the same time. The junk consisted of a Ford six cylinder car which had been partially dismantled and had no body. I do remember we had to knock out many studs to get the car out. How it ever got there was a mystery, the house seemed to have been built around the car. Luckily we had the use of a modern wrecking truck, a 1925 one ton Chevrolet. The Ford was not complete and had no radiator, steering or body, but there was no mistaking who made it. It had a huge six cylinder motor with six separate cast iron cylinders with no detachable heads. I think the bore was about 6in with a very short stroke. It had a 9 bearing crankshaft that drove the camshaft through timing gears which were exposed to the fresh air at the front of the engine. They also drove a water pump and an Eisemann magneto. The con rods were hinged on one side and snapped over the shaft and held with a cotter pin. The carburetor was a monstrous Schebler fed though a very long pipe to each cylinder. The motor must have been well over 6 feet long, so you can imagine the amount of plumbing involved with the carburetor, exhaust pipes and water pipes. The clutch was a mass of small plates, and the 2 speed gearbox was half
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A Conversation with Joe Tidswell Contd... attached to the motor, the gear lever being on the right side a torque tube was attached to the back end of the box. The crown wheel and pinion were a huge affair, of straight cut gears. The drive shaft was about 7 feet long and had the pinions made integral with it. The axle housings looked exactly like an over grown Model T and the axles had the gears made all in one with them. The shafts were not tapered but had a sliding key and were locked rather after the idea of locking a bicycle crank on. The front end looked like a Model T except much bigger and the stub axle arms were cast all in one with the stub. The wheels were 880 x 120, wood and had non-detachable rims. The car lay about our yard for years. Eventually we painted the motor up and kept it in front of the office as a show piece. During some alterations to our premises, it was disposed of, although I did try and get John Andrews the Ford agents to take it. It was certainly the only early 6 cylinder Ford to come into New Zealand and there used to be a photo of the car in J W Andrews Ltd showroom in Symonds Street, Auckland. It first appeared on the Muriwai Beach about 1922 and was raced by Jack Phillips, the manager of the Colonial Motor Co. He had acquired the car from one of their sub dealers, Mr. Jack Bruin, who was the assembly supervisor for the company, assembling Model Ts at Fox Street plant in Parnell. He could tell me a little of the car’s history. Stan Andrews raced his own Model T at the beach against the K but said the K never did any good. Mr Merv Hardy says he remembers passing it on the way to the beach, lying on the side of the road with a broken crank shaft. This is about all I can find out of the car’s earlier history, but I believe Haydon and Co here, who were Ford sub agents, had quite a lot to do with the car. I have since learnt that a Ford Model K and the first Model N Ford arrived in Wellington in December 1906 and they had been imported for a display at the Christchurch Exhibition in January 1907. The Model K Ford had arrived with hood and lights and could be purchased for 950 pounds in NZ. A massive sum in 1907, as it would have purchased two new houses. The car was not sold at the Exhibition and was returned to Wellington and sold much later to a farmer in the Wairarapa. With a full load of adults, the Model K was capable of 60 mph with very little vibration. On the hills around Wellington you could go as low as 4 mph in top gear. The media at the time said it could have been the first six cylinder car to come into NZ. The Model N Ford was sold at the Exhibition for 250 pounds. Henry Ford manufactured about a thousand Model K Fords but could not sell them, so after that car decided to stay away from the expensive car market. All the dealers in the States were told they had to take one Model K Ford and it could’ve been the reason that car arrived here. Dick Messenger had seen the Model K Ford at the Muriwai beach races in March 1921 and said with a two-speed gear box it was not very fast. The car broke down on the first practice lap with either a broken crankshaft or a transmission failure and was withdrawn. He never saw the car again until he saw the motor on display in Motor Specs show room. The Ford had been entered in the race by Universal Motor Company. I have discovered since, two four cylinder Rolls Royce’s were imported into NZ in 1906. One was imported by Scott Motor and Cycle in Wellington for
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A Conversation with Joe Tidswell Contd... Mr W A Keiller in Lower Rangitikei. The car come in with a Barker body and a Victoria hood with an electric light. It had glass screens to protect the driver and the passengers in the rear seat. Fitted with both speedo, milometer and eight day clock on the dash. The second car was imported for Charles Rhodes, also with a Barker body. Charles owned the Waihi Goldmine and two years later traded the Rolls in for a 38hp Daimler. George Henning sold the secondhand Rolls to someone south of Auckland. Dick Messenger had seen the four cylinder Rolls Royce in the yard in Newton Road and told me it was a complete car. Dick Messenger said he thought Joe had dumped the Rolls in the rubbish tip under Newmarket Park as nobody wanted the parts. We can not prove the car finished up under Newmarket Park. After the discussion with the late Dick Messenger, I was told Dick Butler from Hamilton had found the sad remains of a four cylinder Rolls Royce. There was a court case when Dick Butler sold the parts to Byron Ballan in Auckland as some parts on the car had been fabricated from items that were not Rolls Royce. After the court case, the parts were sold to Peter Vacher in the UK and in 1989 passed onto John Fasal. John Fasal did find the remains of a second car and the car has since been restored. From a production run of only forty, four cylinder Rolls Royce cars, only three have survived worldwide. Joe Tidswell also talked on the plane that morning about the twin cylinder 1903 Wolseley, with solid rubber tires on the rear that were built for the Colonies. He had found in a shed in Remuera the 1895 Benz his brother had found in Christchurch and sent north. The Benz had been imported earlier by William McLean from Wellington and was the first car to arrive in NZ. I never forgot that conversation and my only regret now is, I did not continue that conversation later with Joe. I also regret that I did not purchase the 1903 Wolseley from Stan Nolan when I had the opportunity. Joe Tidswell died not long after that conversation on the plane. The Tidswell brothers had established fourteen wrecking yards in the late twenties between Invercargill and Whangarei. Joe Tidswell controlled the North Island yards and his brother controlled the South Island operation. In Christchurch, Auto Parts did wreck a 1907 20/60 Rolls Royce. The car was imported into Christchurch by W G Stead with a Barker landaulette coachwork. Stead sold the vehicle to Rink Taxis in 1922 who used it for five years. The car was wreaked by Auto parts in 1927. Their slogan was “Ask Auto Parts First�. They always claimed they had the largest stock of car, truck and tractor parts in the Dominion. They owned Auto Radiator shops in Palmerston North and Auckland, where they carried out radiator repairs and had a panel and paint shop. They were, for a while, manufacturing windscreens for the new car assembly plants and had a foundry where they cast items they could not purchase. If a car came in to be wrecked, it was taken apart that day and the parts they did not require went for scrap. They did not run the wrecking yard with a car park full of old cars. Hugh Botting ran the radiator shop in Auckland and was chief buyer for the vehicles purchased. In 1935 the 1895 Benz was in the Palmerston North showroom, then after the war at Auto Parts in Hamilton, with Garth Hughes as custodian. When Garth
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A Conversation with Joe Tidswell Contd... passed away the Benz was sent to Alan Chermside, who was Branch Manager at Auto Parts in Whangarei. When the Vintage Car Club in Auckland was established the Auto Parts Benz appeared at all the major events, but Joe was seldom there. Garth Hughes drove the 1895 Benz between Auckland and Hamilton and Hamilton and Rotorua on a few early Vintage Car Club rallies. Joe Tidswell was the first in Auckland to save old cars and did it long before the Vintage Car Club had been established. In April 1936 the Automobile Association organized a run for “Old Crocks” in Auckland and some of the cars on the run had come out of Auto Parts yards. Before Joe died he did join the Auckland Branch of the Vintage Car Club and attended the Bi-Centennial Rally in Australia in a 1929 Buick that he had paid to have restored. An impressive tourer with wire wheels. Where are the cars now that that Joe saved? The 1895 Benz is now in the Southward collection. In Christchurch, Auto Parts had a 1902 Rambler that is presently with Colin Dickson in Gore. The 1903 twin cylinder Wolseley was sold to Stan Nolan in Hamilton and then went to Geoff McCarten in Wellington and is now in the UK. The 1907 Sizaire Naudin which Auto Parts had on the “Old Crocks” run was sold to Don Cameron and is now with Andrew McDougall in Melbourne. There were a few parts for a second Sizaire Naudin that also went to Australia. There was a motor removed from a Model N Ford on display in the showroom window in Newton Road in the early seventies that was acquired by Bryan Moir and is now in a car owned by Eric Steiner in Galatea. After Joe Tidswell died his widow did give the Auckland Branch over a thousand car badges. Some are displayed on panels in the shed behind the clubrooms but many more are still sitting in boxes and need to be displayed somewhere. Barry Birchall
Above—Model K Ford
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February Club Night
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2018 Christmas Pot Luck Dinner
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New Year’s Day Run Lynda and I spent New Years eve at our Pokeno farm having a family BBQ with family over from the UK. It was a great night, we got to bed around 1:30am. We were up at 9:00am and after breakfast we set off to the Jolly Farmer, Drury for the New Year’s day run to Kaiaua. Over the years we have been running the run to Kaiaua we have had a 95% sunshine rate and today was no exception. It was very pleasing to see the assembled glittering array of club vehicles. As the 11:00am leaving time arrived, I told the customary joke to send the members on their way with a smile. We had a pleasant and traffic free journey down to Kaiaua and that great view of the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel Peninsular. The fish n chip shop car park soon filled up so some parked next door and across the road. We had people from Thames, Katikati, Waihi, Hamilton, Orewa and Auckland. I had a count up of vehicles and there was 45 motorcycles and 53 cars, with around 140 people enjoying their fish n chip's and chatting away in the sunshine. And so ended another Kaiaua New Years Day run. Martin Spicer
Spares..Spares..Spares Open only the second and fourth Thursday evening from 7:30 p.m. till 10:00 p.m.
Saturday afternoon from 4:30 p.m. till 6:30 p.m. New parts coming in regularly! If you need it, take a look around or ask, you may be surprised!
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2019 Vintage Muster
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For Sale Motorcycle Rally Instruction Rollers—Simple and effective rally roller units – as seen and used for many years. Holds up to five A4 sheets of instructions and keeps them dry. Magnifying viewing window included. $60 00 plus postage (normally $6.00 ) Phone or Text Don Green (Member) on 021 073 2642 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1927 Dodge Tourer—We have owned her for 55 years and have travelled as far north as Dargaville and south to Christchurch. Never let us down. It's time for someone else to enjoy her for the next 55 years. Comes with spares. Phone Steve Borich (Member) 021 727 024 or srborich@xtra.co.nz, for further details. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Your Committee Chairman/Motorcycle Rep: Martin Spicer (Lynda)
Email: spicerclan2017@gmail.com Ph: (09) 233 6382 or 0274 454 593 Vice Chairman/ Entertainment: Russel McAlpine (Jocelyn) Email: rjmcalpine@xtra.co.nz Ph: 818 4285 or 0274 735 451 Secretary / Privacy Officer: Tracey Winterbottom Email: vintagesunbeam@hotmail.co.nz (Stephen) Ph: (09) 232 0246 or 021 732 209 Treasurer: Ian Hubbard (Lesley) Email: ian@fhp.co.nz Ph: 575 8236 or 0274 426 748 Club Captain: Lynda Spicer (Martin) Email: spicerclan2017@gmail.com Ph: (09) 233 6382 or 021 454 593 Committee Members: Don Green (Brenda) Clubroom Bookings/Spares/Name Badges Email: greend@slingshot.co.nz Ph: 266 8836 or 021 073 2642 Alan Price (Shaaran) Building Maintenance Email: birdwoodprices@gmail.com Ph: 833 8575 Shaaran Price (Alan) Social Convenor/New Membership Liaison Officer Email: birdwoodprices@gmail.com Ph: 833 8575 John Stokes Veteran Rep/Spares/Trophy Stewart Email: jcstokes96a@xtra.co.nz Ph: (09) 236 4582 or 021 185 5915 Non-Committee Officers: Librarian Bulletin Editor Barry Robert (Elva) Val Ball (Rodger) Ph: 627 9451 Ph: 298 6476 Email: rvball@xtra.co.nz Beaded Wheels Reporter Commercial Rep John Stokes John Campbell (Pat) Continuous Membership Awards Steward Ph: 828 7850 or 0272 446 928 Glenn Morris (Marion) Ph: 273 4975 or 021 136 5926 Insurance: Vero Consumer Insurance Specialist 0800 505 905 or 356 4501 Agency Number: 0300126 Clubrooms Street Address: Postal Address: Open: Club Night:
Ph: 579 5625 39 Fairfax Ave, Penrose P O Box 12 138, Penrose, Auckland 1642 2nd & 4th Thursday 7:30-10:00pm, Every Saturday 4:30-6:30 pm 4th Thursday of the month
Branch Email Address Branch Website
auckland@vcc.org.nz www.avvcc.org.nz
Branch Honorary Life Members:
Barry Robert Norm Dewhurst QSM Alan Roberts
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