CLASSIC, VINTAGE AND VETERAN MOTORING FOR 78 YEARS
No. 388 June /July 2024
INTREPID NORTH ISLAND MOTORING ON THE 2024
9 418979 000012
HIGHLAND FLING
New Zealand’s Foremost Historical Motoring Magazine $8.95
ORIGINAL SURVIVOR 1919 NASH TOW TRUCK
MARKETPLACE FIND THE VEHICLE OF YOUR DREAMS DRIVING OUR HISTORY
Northern 1901 and Orient 1904 both owned by Alex Shadbolt. This photo was supplied to Beaded Wheels by our Club Archivist, as part of a collection he is working on. It was taken by South Canterbury photographer Don Oddie. For more information see this issue’s Archivist News on page 40.
PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED: Submissions of suitable prints and information are welcome. Post or email original photographs or high resolution digital files of
historical interest with any available information to: beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz or Beaded Wheels, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Laserprints/photocopies are not suitable. Photos will be returned as soon as practicable.
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 C/O, 722 Waterholds Road, RD8 Christchurch 7678 bankspeninsula@vcc.org.nz BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 660, Tauranga 3144 bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz CANTERBURY PO Box 11-082, Sockburn Christchurch 8443 canterbury@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL OTAGO C/-114 Shortcut Road, Luggate, RD2, Wanaka 9382 centralotago@vcc.org.nz CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY C/- 448 Tukituki Road, RD1, Takapau 4286 centralhawkesbay@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo Whakatane 3159 easternbayofplenty@vcc.org.nz FAR NORTH C/– PO Box 312 Kaitaia 0441 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/- 923 Taringamotu Road, Taumarunui 3994 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 C/- 125 Forbury Road, Saint Clair, Dunedin 9012 otago@vcc.org.nz ROTORUA PO Box 2014, Rotorua 3040 rotorua@vcc.org.nz SOUTH CANTERBURY 19 Redruth St, 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/- 7 Leatham Ave, Strandon, New Plymouth 4312 taranaki@vcc.org.nz TAUPO 33 AC Baths Ave, Taupo 5530 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 24B Nikau Heights,Lansdowne, Masterton 5810 DRIVING OUR HISTORY wairarapa@vcc.org.nz WAITEMATA C/- 8 Jean Place, Stanmore Bay, FAR NORTH Whangaparoa 0932 waitemata@vcc.org.nz NORTHLAND NORTH SHORE WANGANUI WELLSFORD/ WARKWORTH PO Box 726, Whanganui 4541 wanganui@vcc.org.nz WELLINGTON AUCKLAND WAITEMATA PO Box 38418, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045 BAY OF PLENTY WAIKATO wellington@vcc.org.nz EASTERN BAY WELLSFORD/WARKWORTH OF PLENTY PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941 ROTORUA SOUTH WAIKATO wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz TAUPO WEST COAST GISBORNE KING COUNTRY C/- 143 Ward Street, Cobden TARANAKI Greymouth 7802, HAWKE’S BAY westcoast@vcc.org.nz WANGANUI CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY
MANAWATU HOROWHENUA
WAIRARAPA
NELSON
WELLINGTON MARLBOROUGH
WEST COAST CANTERBURY ASHBURTON WAIMATE CENTRAL OTAGO
SOUTHLAND
GORE
BANKS PENINSULA
SOUTH CANTERBURY NORTH OTAGO OTAGO
SOUTH OTAGO
NATIONAL OFFICE
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140 Phone 03 366 4461 Email admin@vcc.org.nz
Motoring for more than just cars! We have 36 active branches around New Zealand. Our events range from weekly runs and coffee get togethers, to hill climbs, speed events and touring. For the more intrepid, our infamous off‑road adventures are the stuff of legends. This October will see Commercial Vehicles from around the country descend on Oamaru for our 2024 National Commercial Rally – see page 49 for full details.
DRIVING OUR HISTORY
GRAEME DUTHIE, DUNEDIN, OTAGO BRANCH MEMBER, IN HIS 1917 FORD T TRUCK. 2024 VCCNZ NATIONAL VETERAN RALLY ARMSTRONGPHOTOS.CO.NZ
Visit www.vcc.org.nz and get motoring with us today. See opposite page for your nearest branch
Vehicles, trucks and motorcycles from 1890 to 1993 are club eligible. Or just join up and grab a ride with another member.
CONTENTS Issue 388 June/July 2024
FEATURES
A real time warp - Joe Grose’s 1919 Nash tow truck
Regrets
20
12
41
Marketplace
10
Hidden Gems in the Alexander Turnbull Library
12
Behind The Wheel – Joe Grose’s 1919 Nash tow truck
20
Regrets Jim McCutcheon looks back at the one that got away
22
A Sidecar Story
25
Insomnia – the mother of creativity
26
1972 Holden Torana LJ GTR
29
Rally Snippets 29
Highland Fling
33
Highlands Festival of Speed
34
South Island Easter Rally including Post Rally Tour – Nelson Branch North Island Club Captain’s Tour
37
Scenicland Rally – West Coast Branch
38
Sandy Bay Hill Climb — Nelson Branch
26
1972 Holden Torana restoration
COLUMNS 5
From the Editor
50
Trade Directory
6
VCC Branch Events
51
President’s Message
7
Mailbag
51
National Office News
11
Timelines
52
Awards
39
Book Review
52
Festival Update
40
Archivist News
54
Branch News
41
Marketplace
66
Passing Lane
48
Swap Meets & Rallies
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated
36
COVER Rob Dennison’s 1926 Dodge on a typical rural Manawatu back-country road, during the Highland Fling, see page 29. Photo Jacqui Goldingham
National Office
Phone 03 366 4461 (9.30am–1.30pm) 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
DRIVING OUR HISTORY
4 Beaded Wheels
Find us on facebook Vintage Car Club of New Zealand
The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) is the worldwide organisation 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. VCC Life Member Rod Brayshaw is the New Zealand delegate to FIVA and also a member of the FIVA Technical Commission.
FROM THE
Craig Marshall, 1918 American LaFrance enjoying the 2024 National Veteran Rally. Beaded Wheels is looking for a reporter to represent Veteran affairs in the magazine. Call the Editor, Kevin Clarkson, on 021 0270 6525 if you are interested.
EDITOR
Want a Beaded Wheels cap? See details of how to win on page 39.
Lest there be any confusion let me repeat – the digital copy of Beaded Wheels is an extra benefit for Vintage Car Club members. It does not replace the printed version which each member household will continue to receive through the mail. There are no plans to discontinue the printed copy and nor can I see a time in the foreseeable future when we would discontinue with the printed copy. I can’t say it plainer than that! In the unlikely event that you don’t want the printed copy just biff it out, or maybe hand it on to an interested neighbour. (I can’t believe anybody would actually do that!) A printed copy is part of your VCC subscription and there can be no reduction in subscription
Beaded Wheels Publisher
The Vintage Car Club of NZ Incorporated The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand ISSN 0113-7506 Vol LXXV No. 388
Typesetting and Design
RGB Design & Print Ltd, Christchurch
Editor: Kevin Clarkson Sub Editors: Judith Bain, Rosalie Brown,
Mark Dawber, John McDonald, Greg Price, Charles Rushbrook
for opting out of a printed copy.
with a computer.
Incidentally, one of the more compelling reasons for getting the digital copy is that you can file it permanently in a folder on your computer thus building up an archive of back issues. This means that you can have the computer search that archive for information you may want. This is a facility I use all the time, but then I have the complete archive with every issue right from the beginning. There is an archive of older issues of Beaded Wheels available for download on the club website: vcc.org. nz/beadedwheels. Meanwhile you can file your more recent digital copies neatly on your hard drive to build your own archive for future use. Not sure how to do that? Get your children or grandchildren to show you. This must be one of the simpler things you can do
VCC car rallies are popular — casual events such as midweekers and monthly noggins are popular — but what really seems to get the cars along are casual car gatherings (bikes and trucks too!) often set around a coffee morning at local clubrooms. These seem to be ever more popular with our members and we are frequently joined by members of the public. There’s time for a casual look at cars, a chat to like-minded people and also a time to meet new people as we discuss their vehicles with them. I enjoy these events as I can usually spot a car or two that I would like to see featured in Beaded Wheels at a later date. I make notes on the day and discuss the possibility of a Behind The Wheel article with the owner and also rope Greg Price in to do the deed. Keep those Old
Correspondence & Editorial
Subscriptions
Contributions Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz Phone 64 3 332 3531, PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140.
Advertising Enquiries
Classified and Display Advertising to: Email beadedwheels@vcc.org.nz PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Phone 64 3 332 3531 Rate schedule available on request.
Back Issues Available on request to admin@vcc.org.nz
Beaded Wheels subscribers change of address to: PO Box 2546, Christchurch 8140. Phone 03 366 4461, Email admin@vcc.org.nz Annual subscription (6 issues) $52* inc GST Australian subscription (6 issues) NZ$112* Other countries (6 issues) NZ$185* Digital subscription (6 issues) NZ$39 available from vcc.org.nz or issuu.com. *Payment by credit card incurs additional bank fee processing charge of 2%
Cars Bikes and Coffee (OCBC) mornings going! I had a chat to Diane Robb, Patron of Ashburton Branch, at the Ashburton Swap Meet recently. This reminded me that we still have a vacancy for a reporter with a focus on veterans. Diane was our Veteran Reporter until issue 359 in August 2019 and nobody has volunteered to do the job since. Veterans are an important part of our history and deserve to have their own place in Beaded Wheels. Maybe somebody from the Veteran Club would like to have a go? Call me on 021 0270 6525.
Kevin Clarkson Editor Beaded Wheels
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 Incorporated” as the source. Reproduction of articles must be at least 12 months after original Beaded Wheels publication date. Beaded Wheels reserves the right to digitally store all published material for archival purposes.
CLOSING DATES FOR AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Editorial Copy 24 June 2024 • Advertisements 10 July 2024
Beaded Wheels 5
JOE GROSE’S 1919 NASH Words & photos Greg Price
Those readers who have watched that Pixar movie Cars, will be familiar with one of the characters – the tow truck, named Tow Mater. The locale in which that movie was based was the fictional town of Radiator Springs. Well, in reality, a life-sized version, Joe Grose’s 1919 Nash tow truck, can usually be spotted parked on the verge outside Classic Workshop, on Christchurch’s Ferry Road. And on some of those occasions, it will be adorned with the ‘eyes’ that can be seen on the character cars in the movie. 12 Beaded Wheels
You’ve gotta admit that the truck looks really great with this embellishment, and is a drawcard for the kiddies (and some adults) that happen past. Another interesting piece of information about this truck is that it is a local vehicle in every sense, and it has been in Christchurch since, well, forever. It was the early 1920s, when, as a tourer, it was imported by The Nash New Zealand Motors Limited, of 194 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch. The original owner was a Mr Sparrow – a transport officer. SO, HOW DID IT BECOME A TOW TRUCK?
Any Nash aficionado will know that Nash didn’t make tow trucks as such. A quick glance through the book entitled American Motors Family Album published by the American Motors Corporation in
This is purportedly New Zealand’s oldest still working tow truck
Tow mater
TOW TRUCK
(AKA Tow Mater)
1969 will see that, while Nash did make the odd truck, there were no tow trucks, or ‘wreckers’ as they are known in American circles. So, when Mr Sparrow’s Nash experienced starter motor problems, he took it into John Sampson’s garage in Tennyson Street. With this Nash running a Wagner starter-motor reduction drive, it had stripped the teeth in that reduction drive, and John Sampson learned that the necessary parts were not available. So, as any good kiwi would have done back in the day, he simply welded and then re-cut the teeth, only to find that the starter would jam after only half a turn. John Sampson offered Mr Sparrow an Ansaldo Six tourer (An Italian luxury tourer built in 1923 in Turin) as an exchange for the Nash.
Beaded Wheels 13