CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR OVER 70 YEARS
No. 366 October/November 2020
NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95
VETERANS IN ACTION
9 418979 000012
Southland Branch Annual Veteran Rally
GREG PRICE GETS THE PEDAL CAR BUG MEMBERS‘ MOTORING MEMORIES MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
NATIONAL OFFICE Contact National Office for all queries regarding VICs, logbooks, historic race licences, registration of vehicles, lighting endorsement, address changes, subscriptions, membership cards, speed events.
NATIONAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING/ BRANCH OFFICE DETAILS AND CALENDAR OF EVENTS
secretary for a VIC change of ownership form, complete this and return it to National Office.
The National AGM took place on 15 August 2020, in Whanganui, as planned. During the AGM weekend the Executive Meeting was held. A copy of the minutes are held by your branch secretary. Your branch delegate, a member of the Executive, will have also reported to the members.
HISTORIC RACE LICENCE
VEHICLE IDENTITY CARD (VIC)/AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS
Applications for a Vehicle Identity Card / Authenticity Statement must be submitted to your branch. The only exception is a straight change of ownership with no alterations to a vehicle. In this case, ask your branch
Application forms are located on the Club website. An open book Licence Test is required for all those applying or renewing their VCC Historic Racing Licence. For those who currently hold a VCC Historic Racing Licence, please keep an eye on the expiry date and if it needs renewing please complete the required documentation. All application forms for the above can be obtained from your branch, the vcc.org.nz or the National Office.
If you are entering this event you MUST have a valid Vehicle Identity Card (VIC). Please get your VIC application, renewal application, or change of ownership submitted to your branch well in advance of the registration close off for the event. Do not risk disappointment by leaving it to the last minute.
discount, payment must be received at the National Office by 20 October 2020. When paying direct into the Club’s bank account, please make sure you put your membership number as the reference.
not paid nor advised of their wish to cancel their membership, one reminder notice will be sent out.
If payment has not been received by the March Executive Meeting where the approval of the Membership Status report is undertaken, then anyone who wishes to be reinstated after this time will be required to re-join and will lose any continuous service.
Please remember that you must be a fully paid up financial member of the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc) to be insured under the VCC Vero Insurance Scheme.
Membership cards will be sent in early November to those who have paid. For those who have
VCC MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION
Vintage Car Club members will have received an annual account for membership covering the period 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2021. To receive the
Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) National Office, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 Telephone 03 366 4461 Fax 03 366 0273 email admin@vcc.org.nz www.vcc.org.nz Office Hours Mon – Fri 9-5pm
Beaded Wheels Beaded Wheels is the voice of The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) and its 36 branches covering the length and breadth of the country. The efforts of our members continue to foster and ever widen the interest in this segment of our country’s history. It is to these people, who appreciate the fascination of age, the individuality and the
6 Beaded Wheels
VCC VERO INSURANCE SCHEME
functional elegance of vehicles from a bygone era, that this magazine is dedicated
Beaded Wheels – Our long established title may have readers wondering about its origin. By way of explanation beaded edge wheels use beaded edge tyres that are kept in place by reinforced rubber beads, which fit into the rolled edges of
Julie Cairns-Gee National Office Manager
CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR OVER 70 YEARS
the wheel rim. This style of wheel was a distinctive feature of early motoring, being used on early bicycles, many pre-1924 cars and most motorcycles until 1927. In March 1955 The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand adopted the title Beaded Wheels for their club magazine which was the successor to the monthly Guff Sheet.
No. 358 June/July 2019
NEW ZEALAND’S FOREMOST HISTORICAL MOTORING MAGAZINE $7.95
MEGA MOTORING
Rally Action From Around New Zealand
9 418979 000012
The minutes from the AGM are traditionally included in this issue of Beaded Wheels, along with the Branch Office details and Calendar of Events. Due to Covid-19 and the delay in several branches holding their AGMs, we have delayed the distribution of the these until the December/ January 2020 issue.
It is compulsory for any member entering a VCC Speed Event to hold a current VCC Historic Racing Licence, and a VCC Log Book for the vehicle they are using.
NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE RALLY
1966 NISSAN PRINCE SKYLINE, MAGNETOS AND MORE… MAGAZINE OF THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND
MAILBAG The editorial committee reserve the right to publish, edit or refuse publication of any item submitted as comment. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the policy or views of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (Inc.) or the publishers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
and a Falcon. It was a good day for Ford. The Ford in New Zealand book is due for release on 1 November. John Stokes Member - Wellington
MYSTERY SOLVED
Regarding the photo on page 2 of Beaded Wheels 365. This photo is on page 21 of the book The Veteran Years of New Zealand Motoring, with caption “The footbridge over the Matai, Waimea County.” The Matai River flows through Nelson. Don and Marlene Muller
CORTINA QUESTION ANSWERED
It was good to see an original example of a Cortina GTE in Beaded Wheels (365 - Aug/Sep 2020). The writer asked some questions which I can probably answer. The raison d’etre for the Cortina GTE was for Ford New Zealand to compete in the 1970 Benson and Hedges 500 for production cars in the 1600-2000cc class. To be eligible for entry a minimum production run of 200 locallyassembled examples was required. The man behind the Cortina GTE was the then Sales and Marketing Director at Ford New Zealand, J Reyn Penny. I interviewed Reyn extensively for the about-to-be-released book Ford in New Zealand - Driving Ahead 1936 to 1997 and, of course, this included the GTE. The full story is included in the book. Essentially, it was a standard production Cortina with the GT goodies. By 1970 the GT body was essentially the same as the standard cars – earlier ones were heavier duty, and with slight differences such as mounts for rear suspension tramp rods. Up to this point only standard production Cortinas had been assembled here, thus
the GTE body was the first such variant to be locally produced. Reyn wanted to take it a step further and emulate, to a degree, the 1600E variant, which had become a big hit in Britain. However he was constrained by budget and the copying was for looks only, the New Zealandmade wooden dash overlay (made in Christchurch) was the main 1600E item copied. Other luxury items included on the GTE were driving lights, reversing lights, a remote boot release and high-back front seats. To give the GTE a sportier appearance, the grille and rear panel between the lights were blacked out, and (horrible) wheel covers fitted on standard wheels. The 1600E was a very different car. Amongst the many differences were Lotus suspension and wide Rostyle wheels. The 1600E is, in my opinion, probably the best of all Cortinas, and for many reasons. While I cannot be absolutely certain, I am 99 percent sure that it was just the 200 GTEs that were built. They were available in only four colour schemes. The Cortina GTE went on to do what it was designed to do - it won its class in the 1970 B&H 500. Indeed first and second places in class, and 6th overall behind a V8 Valiant, Fiat 125s
I am fairly sure the Olds in the river shot is at the Maitai River in Nelson. The ford crossing was replaced by the first bridge over the Maitai around 1950 and is close to two popular swimming holes still in use today. I think one was called Dennes Hole. Beyond this point was Richardson’s farm. The area has recently been suggested as a possible new residential subdivision. I also would like to clarify the Mailbag query on page 7. The vehicle shown appears to be a Chev 4 with a tractor radiator. That’s my guess. John Sigley Ed note: Thank you to the many members who wrote to let us know the origin of the image on page 2 of issue 365. Unfortunately there are too many to publish here but at least we have the information now.
NEW PROJECT
I have acquired a new project car from my grandfather Gordon. It is a Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Mark III that until recently had next to no history apart from the fact grandad bought this car back in the ‘90s from Tauranga. The car came with boxes of parts, a rusty rolling chassis and damaged body and had been in dry storage for 20 years. Grandad was going to sell it but I talked him out of it and said I’d like to take it on as my next project. Having no chassis numbers, plates and tags could
prove a challenge as the project progresses. With the help of social media we have found out that it was raced in the early days, subsequently crashed and put back on the road again with incorrect plates and tags, then taken off the road again. I have contacted Rootes group and the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register and they were not aware that there was a Mark III in New Zealand. There were only 300 Mark IIIs made and only 1200 Mark Is (there was never any Mark II) Without chassis numbers I cannot confirm that it is a Mark III, however it is fitted with a Mark III dash. It has old New Zealand rego stickers from 1970 and underneath the layers of paint its original white finish can be seen. There is a blanked over hole in the mudguard where an aerial would have been fitted as can be seen in the photo of a Mark III Alpine racing at a Gisborne hill climb in 1960. The driver was Basil Lawrence. There is a hole in this same spot for the aerial and this car was then painted burgundy red which would match the colour scheme as shown in the photo. I am seeking information about this car in the hope that I can find out what my chassis number should be and the history of the car. There are only four Mark I Alpines in New Zealand and one special so I am hopeful that the information is out there. Jared Dacombe 027 547 7968 jjdacombe@gmail.com
Beaded Wheels 7
standard H10 or H12 hp with OHV and independent knee action suspension on a fixed tubular axle. I restored and motored one of these. See photos at left.
Vauxhall H12 hp Calèche circa 1940 body by GM Holden on Bedford commercial chassis, restored by Tom Clements.
END OF AN ERA
I have just received and read with interest the End of an Era about GM Holden and their most innovative productions with clever design features. They didn’t only produce vehicles as available from the manufacturers, but built in features such as split windscreens and even special bodies such as “slopers” designed by their own designers. Utes were also produced on various chassis including Bedford commercials on Vauxhall 10-12 running gear.
Tom Clements, Christchurch
INFORMATION PLEASE
I’m seeking information and/or history on the car in the below photo. Imported new by Tony Shelly of Shelly Motors, Wellington when he was the Porsche agent. The photo shows Tony in the car at the NZGP meeting at Pukekohe on 4 January 1969 when brand new. I would like to trace later owners and history. Glyn Jones, Christchurch glynjones1356@gmail. com or 021 892 887
HISTORY REQUIRED
I am attempting to research the history of a 1950 7R AJS motorcycle which I have owned since 1960. I have been told that Bob Burns bought the bike from Lloyd Williams Car Sales, minus the motor, in the 1950s. He then obtained a motor from the AJS factory(?).
One very special sports tourer was designed about 1938. This was the quite attractive Calèche Sports 4 seater tourer, built on the robust Bedford Commercial chassis. The motor was
In 1951 AJS built three works 7Rs and two spare engines. The motors had no engine number and a different spec to standard production models. The works motors had roller cam followers, and a different cam profile, GP Amal carb. My motor has no engine number, but has 51 engraved on the cam lobe and has early Amal GP carb. Any help from members who may know anything about the bike would be most appreciated Ian Wilson Mem Marlborough 03 972 0250, RD 4, Blenheim
GM Holden’s Calèche sports tourer circa 1949.
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PHONE 0800 15 0800 • brent@classictowing.co.nz • classic towing.co.nz 8 Beaded Wheels
TIMELINES Photo:©flickr.com/photos/42220226@N07/
Mechanical Restorations Vintage & Classic Spares (1980)
1946 Oldsmobile Ace series 66 sedan, possibly just a slightly dressed up ‘42 model.
Historical snippets of motoring interest from years gone by compiled by Graeme Rice 100 YEARS AGO OCTOBER NOVEMBER 1920
After visiting several American, English, French and German car makers, the Tench Brothers decided to import to New Zealand the American Norwalk Four with its luxurious bodywork and long easy riding springs. It would only last until 1922. A second, equally short-lived choice was the 3.7 litre Stephens Salient Six, built by the Moline Plow company of Illinois to keep their factories going during an agricultural downturn. Like many assembled cars it failed to attract a big following, despite being described as having style and beauty unmatched among medium priced cars. 50 YEARS AGO AUGUST SEPTEMBER 1970
Toyota revitalised their sporting ambitions with the new Celica shown at the Tokyo auto show in October. Based on the Carina, the two door 2+2 was offered with a wide range of engines and transmissions that could transform it from a 1.4 litre stylish shopping basket, to a five speed, 2 litre high performer. Thirty-six years later, in its seventh series, the Celica would be phased out.
75 YEARS AGO AUGUST SEPTEMBER 1945
Oldsmobile announced their 1946 models with an improved Hydramatic gearbox which gave a clutchless operation. “In fact, there is no clutch pedal in the car, gear changing is accomplished by oil pumps controlling the four sets of planetary gears” said one reporter. Buick’s 1946 models were waiting for plant conversions to be completed. Once commissioned the new plants would enable annual production of 550,000 cars, up from 308,615 in 1941. Meanwhile New Zealand car buyers were tolerating an exceptionally old car fleet. Very few cars were less than five years old, 11% were six years old, 13% seven years old, but almost half the fleet, 43%, dated from 1935 or before.
Stockists of new AUTOMOTIVE PARTS CAR, TRUCK & TRACTOR 1912–1997 (85 year span)
ENGLISH AMERICAN CONTINENTAL AUSTRALIAN JAPANESE
Kingpin sets Rear axles Engine gaskets Water pumps & kits Gearbox gears Clutch plates Suspension parts Clutch covers Steering joints Carburettors Crownwheel & pinions Fuel pumps & kits Spark plugs Brake & clutch cables Electrical fittings Pistons Wiper motors (vac) Steering box parts Engine bearings Valves, springs, guides Shock absorbers Speedo cables Wheel cylinders & kits Ignition parts Master cylinders & kits Timing gears & chains Shackles Lenses (pins & bushes) Engine mounts Ring gears & pinions MECHANICAL RESTORATIONS VINTAGE & CLASSIC SPARES (1980) RD 7 • Fordell • Wanganui • Phone/Fax 06 342 7713
30 YEARS AGO AUGUST SEPTEMBER 1990
A minor scandal erupted as Vauxhall launched the £46,000, 177mph 3.6litre, 377bhp, twin turbo Lotus Carlton. Autocar’s editor recalled the political fuss over the Chrysler Charger E49 15 years earlier and raised the question whether anyone buying the Carlton could possibly argue he would either need or will be able to use the top speed of just under 300km/h.
Graeme Rice
Beaded Wheels 9
HIN BE
D THE WHE
EL
“Holy Jupiter, Batman, it’s a Tri-ang Zephyr pedal car!”
WHEN ALL THE
STARS ALIGN WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS GREG PRICE
I’m not entirely sure if Batman and Robin actually had anything to do with Lines Brothers back in the 1950s, but given the names that Tri-ang used for some of its range of Zephyr pedal cars, there was seemingly some emphasis placed on some of those stars when selecting appropriate names for their high-end models. Initially three big Zephyr models were listed in the 1955 Tri-ang catalogue, and while clearly based on the Ford Zephyr Mk I models, they were not called Zephyrs as such, rather the range included names such as Neptune, North Star and Jupiter. Later, around 1960-62, a further model called the Meteor was added to the range by Cyclops in Australia. There were other models of this large Zephyr made (for example) in Canada under the Thistle brand (of Tri-ang), and two of them were called the Rocket 88 and the Comet. Cyclops began manufacturing Tri-ang products in 1952 as part of a major post-war restructure. As the names imply, pedal cars were pedal-powered by and large, although some of the more sophisticated were chain-driven. Inexplicably one of the models covered in this article had a driveshaft and a two-speed gearbox! But first, let’s look at the options available. Neptune – Enclosed chain drive, rubber aeroplane mascot, dummy gear shift and a two-tone horn. North Star – Cycle-type pedals, driveshaft and a two-speed gearbox (in both forward and reverse) brake, two-tone horn, mechanically operated trafficators and windscreen wipers, aeroplane mascot and AA badge. Jupiter – Traditional pedal-crank, two-tone horn, dummy gearshift, AA badge, and mechanical windscreen wiper. Meteor – Opening bonnet/hood, dummy engine (similar to that fitted to the Tri-ang/Cyclops Wolseley, Morris Oxford and Riley pedal cars), fillable petrol tank and radiator,
12 Beaded Wheels
fillable engine oil with dipstick, and a working handbrake. It also had mechanical windscreen wipers, a two-tone horn and working lights, albeit fitted in the grille. Having owned a full-sized Zephyr convertible for nigh on 42 years, finding one of these pedal cars was a must-do from day one, (many Zephyr owners purchased Zephyr pedal cars to complement their full-sized car) but these fancier high-end models were more elusive. The first example I spotted in 1981 was a Neptune then owned by a Zephyr enthusiast in Christchurch. I had obtained several of the smaller Tri-ang Zephyr pedal cars but this didn’t seem to cut it because of their being largely dissimilar to the real thing. In 1988 we finally located a well-used one in a farm paddock in Hampden, Otago. The (then) NZ Road Services bus driver following me at the time apparently did not appreciate my slamming on the brakes in front of him – if his subsequent horn blasting was any indication! Luckily for me the pedal car’s owner was now too big for it, and was making the transition to horses, so my contribution to a new saddle for her was much appreciated (especially by her mother). Initially the unrestored barn-find resided in the lounge until restoration commenced in earnest, and it became a miniature of our full-sized car, complete with everything scaled down to appropriate size, including the small packet of Craven A cigarettes, and a working scale-version of the original Echo 5-Star radio (which was a mini-cassette player in behind the replica drop-down facia). A continental kit and fender skirts were also fabricated from new aluminium oven trays. All the scratch-built
accessories were fabricated from Ford parts of one sort or another. The working hood’s material, door trim, spare wheel cover and seat upholstery were once the soft top for a Mk II Zephyr! While doing some research on these pedal cars, it became evident that there were other models in the range so, as collectors often do, we set out to find and purchase the other models. For those interested in pedal cars in general, particularly those from Tri-ang, there is a very good Schiffer 2001 book entitled Collector’s Guide to Children’s Automobiles, by GG Weiner. Next up was another barn-find in the early 1990s, this time the North Star model with the gearbox, albeit with only one of the gears functioning, and missing a wheel. When new it was advertised as “The only pedal motor car of its type in the world”. As can be seen from the pictures, this was in sad condition, having clearly been discarded by its most recent child owner and abandoned in the garden. Upon dismantling the gearbox it was evident that there were some parts missing, not to mention the whole gear lever mechanism. It begs the question, “What on earth possessed Tri-ang to produce a pedal car for a three – five year old kiddie, with a two-speed gearbox with muck-metal gears, and no synchromesh?” Despite being advertised as “Synchro-speed” I couldn’t envisage a three – five year-old being able to gauge exactly when it was safe to shift gears. Being able to compare notes with another owner of a North Star, his too was missing one of the gears, and both our cars had been converted to single-speed. This was evidence enough that synchro-speed was a bit of editorial license in the advertising. Factory service manuals for these pedal cars don’t exist, and not being an engineer necessitated my laying all the parts out on the table and trying to work out what was missing, and of the parts present, what part they played in moving the car forward (or backwards). Having had Zephyr gearboxes apart on many occasions, it was a relatively easy exercise to work out how this one was meant to function. Firstly there was a main shaft with two gears – one large and one small, and then there was a lay shaft, also with two gears – one large and one small, but opposite opposed. By that I mean that the small one was opposite the larger one and vice-versa. Adjacent to the main shaft was the selector lever which moved a locking piece (similar to the synchromesh on the full-sized gearbox) backwards and forwards, engaging the smaller or larger
gear to facilitate the two speeds – high and low gear. As it was nonsynchromesh, any kiddie trying to move between gears while going forward was inevitably going to stuff up (read strip) the soft gear teeth. Thus the remedy for the backyard dad was just to remove one each of the small and large gears together with the gear lever itself and bingo, you had single speed only. It took a while, but I eventually worked out that I could replicate the missing parts by getting both missing gears remanufactured, and fitting two fairly beefy return springs to keep the gears engaged. Early attempts at casting the missing gears proved unsuccessful so the option was to go for laser cut parts. As some of you might already know, getting gears laser- manufactured is no cheap exercise. So I got no change out of $300 for the two gears. I then had to make the shift lever from scratch, and that involved measuring the distance between the differential and the shift mechanism so the rod could be threaded for adjustment purposes. Once assembled, a test drive was out of the question due to the absence of any suitably-sized kiddies, and I was too big. And in any event I wasn’t going to let an otherwise well-intentioned kiddie loose in my project. So I had to be content with setting it up on the barbeque table and pedalling with one hand while changing gear with the other. From memory, one revolution of the pedals equated to two revolutions of the rear wheels in first gear, and three in second. That seemed to work okay and indicated that
Beaded Wheels 13