CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR OVER 70 YEARS
No. 353 August/September 2018
NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95
9 418979 000012
VCC ON TOUR – IRISHMAN 2018 1972 MAZDA 808 COUPÉ MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
This early image comes from a collection supplied to Beaded Wheels by Bevars Binnie. It is copied from one of a number of a glass plate negatives found by the late Barry Stevens in the roof space of the Christchurch Press building.
Contact National Office for all queries regarding VICs, logbooks, historic race licences, lighting endorsement, registration of vehicles, address changes, subscriptions, membership cards, speed events.
NATIONAL OFFICE
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 Email admin@vcc.org.nz
VCCNZ MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
CLUB CAPTAIN NORTHERN REGION Kaaren Smylie 021 664 341 nicc@vcc.org.nz CLUB CAPTAIN SOUTHERN REGION Alon Mayhew 027 202 9491 sicc@vcc.org.nz REGISTRAR Rod Brayshaw 07 549 4250 registrar@vcc.org.nz
PRESIDENT Diane Quarrie 06 876 4009 president@vcc.org.nz
SPEED STEWARD Tony Haycock 021 662 441 speedsteward@vcc.org.nz
SECRETARY/ TREASURER Michael Lavender 03 325 5704 hon.sec@vcc.org.nz
BEADED WHEELS CHAIRMAN Kevin Clarkson 021 0270 6525 kevin@vcc.org.nz
Ed Boyd 06 348 4547
mgmt3@vcc.org.nz
Tony Bartlett 06 867 9850
mgmt1@vcc.org.nz
David Yorke 06 358 8060
mgmt2@vcc.org.nz
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING comms@vcc.org.nz ARCHIVIST Don Muller 03 385 6850
archivist@vcc.org.nz
Please note this information changes annually - these details are valid until October 2018
VCCNZ BRANCHES A full list of branch addresses and contact details can also be found on the VCCNZ website at www.vcc.org.nz ASHBURTON PO Box 382, Ashburton 7740 ashburton@vcc.org.nz AUCKLAND PO Box 12-138, Penrose, Auckland 1642 auckland@vcc.org.nz BANKS PENINSULA 27 Showgate Ave, Riccarton Park, Christchurch 8042 bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 660, Tauranga 3140 bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz CANTERBURY PO Box 11-082, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 canterbury@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL OTAGO C/- 4B Roto Place, Wanaka 9305 centralotago@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY C/- 3 Fergusson Avenue Waipukurau 4200, centralhawkesbay@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo Whakatane 3159 easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz
2 Beaded Wheels
FAR NORTH C/- 2534 Kaitaia-Awaroa Road, RD 1, Kaitaia 0481, farnorth@vcc.org.nz GISBORNE PO Box 307, Gisborne 4040 gisborne@vcc.org.nz GORE PO Box 329, Gore 9740 gore@vcc.org.nz HAWKE’S BAY PO Box 3406, Napier 4142 hawkesbay@vcc.org.nz HOROWHENUA PO Box 458, Levin 5540 horowhenua@vcc.org.nz KING COUNTRY C/- 34 House Ave, Taumarunui 3920 kingcountry@vcc.org.nz MANAWATU PO Box 385 Palmerston North 4440 manawatu@vcc.org.nz MARLBOROUGH PO Box 422, Blenheim 7240 marlborough@vcc.org.nz NELSON PO Box 3531, Richmond 7050 nelson@vcc.org.nz
NORTHLAND PO Box 17, Whangarei 0140 northland@vcc.org.nz NORTH OTAGO PO Box 360, Oamaru 9444 northotago@vcc.org.nz NORTH SHORE C/- 7 Godwit Place, Lynfield Auckland 1042 northshore@vcc.org.nz OTAGO PO Box 5352, Dunedin 9058 otago@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 rotorua@vcc.org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY PO Box 623, Timaru 7910 southcanterbury@vcc.org.nz SOUTHLAND PO Box 1240, Invercargill 9840 southand@vcc.org.nz SOUTH OTAGO C/- 1931 Breakneck Rd, RD 4, Balclutha 9274 southotago@vcc.org.nz SOUTH WAIKATO PO Box 403 Tokoroa 3420 southwaikato@vcc.org.nz
TARANAKI C/- 297 Huatoki St, New Plymouth 4310 taranaki@vcc.org.nz TAUPO PO Box 907, Taupo 3351 taupo@vcc.org.nz WAIKATO PO Box 924, Hamilton 3240 waikato@vcc.org.nz WAIMATE 4 Harris St, Waimate 7924 waimate@vcc.org.nz WAIRARAPA PO Box 7, Masterton 5810 wairarapa@vcc.org.nz WAITEMATA C/- Embroidme, 23E William Pickering Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632 waitemata@vcc.org.nz WANGANUI PO Box 726, Wanganui 4540 wanganui@vcc.org.nz WELLINGTON PO Box 38-418, Petone, Wellington 5045 wellington@vcc.org.nz WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz WEST COAST C/- 17 Loris Place, Greymouth 7805 westcoast@vcc.org.nz
CONTENTS
Beaded Wheels Publisher
The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 Vol CCCL No. 353
Issue 353 August/September 2018
Editorial Committee
Kevin Clarkson (Chairman), Judith Bain, Bevars Binnie, Rosalie Brown, John Coomber, Mark Dawber, Marilyn McKinlay.
Material for Publication
Reports of restorations, events, road tests, historical and technical articles should be submitted to beadedwheels@ vcc.org.nz. Email of text and photos is preferred, digital photographs should be high resolution eg 300dpi. Alternatively mail your contribution to PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141, typed or neatly printed, double space on one side of paper only. No payment is made to contributors. The opinions or statements expressed in letters or articles in Beaded Wheels are the author’s own views and do not necessarily express the policy or views of The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc).
Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Advertising Enquiries
Classified and Display Advertising to: PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 366 0273 Rate schedule available on request.
FEATURES 14 17 18
A Matter of Precision Irishman 2018
Behind the Wheel of Jonny and Jo Price’s 1974 Mazda 808 coupé
24
Good Old Days
26
What We Can Learn from some Data and Numbers
30
Back Issues Available on request to PO
14
18
47
34
Rally Snippets 31 Hadstock Gymkhana - Banks Peninsula 32 Autumn Run - Canterbury 32 Waikato Double 50 - Waikato
Box 13140, Christchurch 8141.
Correspondence & Editorial Contributions
Phone 64 3 332 3531, Fax 64 3 366 0273 PO Box 13140, Christchurch 8141. Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz
Subscriptions
Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Phone 03 366 4461, Fax 03 366 0273 Annual subscription (6 issues) $45* inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$76* Other countries (6 issues) NZ$136*. *Payment by credit card incurs additional bank fee processing charge of 3%
Production
Typesetting & design by RGBDesign Printed by Spectrum Print Ltd, Christchurch.
Closing Date for Oct/Nov Issue
Editorial Copy 27 August 2018 Advertisements 10 September 2018
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.)
COLUMNS 4
President’s Message
34
Brass Notes
4
As We See It
36
5
VCC Events
Mutterings of a Mature Motorcyclist
6
National Office
37 Marketplace
7 Mailbag
42
Swap Meets & Rallies
10 Timelines
47
Idle Torque
10
50 Year Awards
59
Passing Lane
12
The Way We Were
National Office Phone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 Email admin@vcc.org.nz
Postal Address: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
Address: 12 Aberdeen St, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Website: www.vcc.org.nz Copyright Information
The contents are copyright. Articles may be reproduced complete or in part provided that acknowledgement is made to “Beaded Wheels, the magazine of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc)” as the source. Beaded Wheels reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes.
Like us on facebook Beaded Wheels
COVER Irishman 2018. Top of the Hakataramea Pass, brief sunlight over and into the mist and hoar frost, brave souls topless in Austin 7, photo John McDonald. See page 17.
The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) is the worldwide organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of historic vehicles and related culture. The Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc) is a founding member of FIVA. VCCNZ Registrar Rod Brayshaw is the New Zealand delegate to FIVA and also a member of the FIVA Technical Commission.
HIN BE
D THE WHE
EL
Jonny and Jo Price’s
1974 MAZDA 808 COUP Words and photographs Greg Price
In Beaded Wheels 350, writer Peter Cooper identified a number of potential classic cars that were club eligible, in that they were 30-plus years old, and would not break the bank in terms of acquisition costs. Among the cars he identified were the Hillman Hunter and some variants which included the Hillman Avenger. Interestingly enough the Hillman Avenger was the first set of wheels for the owner of this little Japanese gem that belongs to the writer’s son and daughter-in-law. This little red Mazda has managed to remain unmolested since new primarily because it remained in one family’s ownership off the proverbial radar for some 36 years in Christchurch.
18 Beaded Wheels
PE It may well have remained secreted longer had it not been for the NZTA deciding to route the new Southern Motorway directly through the old farm shed in which it more recently languished as accommodation for an often wet and dirty long-haired retriever. Those readers whose memories still function properly will recall that in 1974 New Zealand was in the midst of what was then known as the no-remittance scheme for purchases of new cars, which around that time were in very short supply. Such were the very tight import controls in place at that time prospective new car buyers had to have overseas funds in order to purchase
a new car. Overseas funds generally meant that one had money lodged in an overseas bank account – usually Great Britain. Most franchised car dealers also used to insist on a trade-in, which invariably was passed to the dealer at considerably less than its true retail value (as indicated by the dealers’ Red Book), but then sold at a considerable profit. The sale price in most, if not all instances, being far in excess of the price of the new car being sold. Prospective new car buyers could have their names on the dealers’ waiting lists for, in many instances, several years before managing to get their hands on a brand new model. Quite often there was no choice of colour
or even body style. My recollections are that the country’s farmers all must have had overseas funds, as many of them seemingly acquired a new car every year. It was common knowledge that many car dealers made lots of money in what was described as a racket. However having said that I recall contacting a franchise dealer and masqueraded as a cash buyer for a new model and had I been genuine I could have bought one off the showroom floor. Unfortunately a lack of the necessary folding stuff prevented the transaction proceeding past the initial phone call. In 1974, when this little Mazda first rolled off the assembly line in Japan, my
Beaded Wheels 19
RALLY SNIPPETS
HADSTOCK HADSTOCK DRIVING TESTS 2018 banks peninsula branch
Words Michael Williams and photos John McDonald
The annual Hadstock gymkhana on the Chamberlain estate near Leeston is a time honoured tradition involving mud, muscle, machinery and malevolence. This year the new ingredient was manure. Our host John Chamberlain had shifted the Herefords out of the paddock just a few minutes before we arrived so it wasn’t 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 political party caucus meeting, which added an extra challenge for drivers and pedestrians alike. Mercifully there weren’t as many Austin 7s this year so quality not quantity was the theme of the day. Proper vintage cars were in evidence, with the Dawber brothers’ Pontiac raceabout, the 30 Beaded Wheels
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 milage Jaguar XJC that has been in the family since almost new, Neale Elder was in his original boat-tailed Morris Minor, Geoff Owen was in his very potent Ford 10 Special, with Jaguar, Citroën, Morris, Austin hotrod and MG also represented. Hadstock is, as always, made up of five driving tests on a slippery paddock, and everyone gets two attempts at each event, as getting confused by the cones is all too easy, even for the most experienced drivers. This year, for some inexplicable reason, the organisers decided to introduce some new events so there was a delay while a defibrillator and nurse were 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.
Young Will Dawber at speed in the Pontiac Raceabout, a creative work in progress.
Top to bottom: Neale Elder tickles the SU and supervises, the OHC Morris Minor while son cranks. Conflict of direction. Trevor Lightfoot battling sunstrike in the 1924 Standard.
The tests consist of a slalom event, three different versions of a cambelt/cloverleaf type, and the always popular 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 (The Cynthia) leaving the rest of the field to bicker over the minor placings. But in test two the CitroÍn D of Michael Williams won, proving that front wheel drive is very effective on grass. Tension and abuse levels rose significantly. Geoff Owen’s Ford 10 Special also beat the puny Beaded Wheels 31