North Shore Vintage Car Club
Your journal
Progress: The monthly journal of the North Shore Vintage Car Club August 2019
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Your stories Your photos Your cars Your stories Your ideas Your committee
Editorial Welcome to my last Progress written from the UK. I’m certainly looking forward to getting back. The UK traffic is horrid, roads and verges aren’t maintained and there’s all the annoying “will we/won’t we” around Brexit.
Progress August 2019
I had a fabulous time touring across Somerset and Devon with some good friends from the Ford Sidevalve Club. We visited FIVE car museums including the amazing Haynes (of maintenance manual fame) Motor Museum. Brilliant! We found a small motor museum in Mortonhampstead on Dartmoor and I was delighted to find a 1936 BSA Car AND a maroon Wolseley saloon absolutely identical to our own. I have included in this edition a few of the photos from the various museums that we visited. I attended the AGM of the Ford Sidevalve Club and found it very interesting. The biggest strategic issue on the horizon for them is the move towards electric vehicles and the very REAL threat that our cherished cars may be BANNED from public roads in future. Many clubs in the UK are experiencing falling memberships, mostly, I’m sorry to say from bereavements. Four years ago the Sidevalve Club produced a 5-Year Strategic Plan, with objectives to increase membership, appeal to younger members and improve member services. Since then they have implemented an online Social Media help Forum, online membership applications, Online Spares Purchase as well as dramatically improving the bi-monthly magazine and increasing the number of regional branches. All of which has resulted in reversing the falling membership trend and increased participation in club activities. So we leave the UK in 5 days time and are just thinking about the pleasures of the journey. We are going through Hong Kong and it’s my plan to go into the city and catch up with an old friend. Saturday in the Hong Kong riots…. Hopefully I’ll see some of you soon! Stuart Battersby: battersby56@sky.com
Chairman’s Message: Kevin Lord.
Can you guess what it is yet? Full cars this time, but some rare stuff from my museum visits
Club Captain’s Report: Richard Lloyd.
Focus on the Marque: Volvo; Sweden’s finest as we continue our tour of world famous marques
Upcoming Events: Club runs and independent events.
Workshop Updates: What progress we made over the last month and what are we hoping to achieve over the next. Can you help?
Mech. Eng. 101: Basic technical/historical articles intended for non-engineers or mechanics.
Show and Rally Reports: Details of our successful Matakana run and my own exploits in Devon.
Committee Notes: NEW FEATURE: A brief overview of the most recent committee meeting
About Us: Who’s who and where’s where.
Cover Photo - Convention has it that you don’t feature the rear ends in car photos, but this shot of Terry Costello’s very original Model A Pickup works for me. Thanks Terry for the photos! Submit your photos to battersby56@sky.com
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Chairman’s Report
Progress August 2019
Kevin Lord
Now that the cold weather is upon us it is a good time to do these small jobs [sometime s big] to get your car ready for the summer season. Fortunately the grass in our field stopped growing (as ordered), giving us time to sort out the right mower for this job. Peter Aiken who has mowed our grass for many years has really mastered the new mower and the paddock is looking really good. Thank you Peter. Unfortunately I missed the Auckland /North Shore Rally due to a bereavement in the family . I believe this rally was not very well attended by our branch. Guys get in behind these rallies to support the branches. Our monthly run to Matakana on the 21st July to view a collection was well supported. Thank you Club Captains. Paul’s “ North Cape to the Bluff “. Join Paul to do the Spring Splendour which is part of this rally and remember you can drive any section or the complete full tour if you can. Paul has organised many interesting places to visit on the way. From the Chairman’s Garage. I have been working on my 1955 Ford Thunderbird to get it ready to Vin. As it has been in storage in California since 1971 it is rust free but requires all rubber seals and many other parts to be replaced (power steering, brakes, spring shackles and many more.). Car running well but has a few more things to sort out. I thought this job would take me 3 months, it has so far taken me SEVEN …... but I am enjoying it.
Happy Motoring Kevin
A Jaguar V12 powered Model T Hot-Rod for the chairman this month.
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Can you guess what it is yet? Some oddballs and rarities here. Mostly from Museums and shows in the UK. What’s the nickname of the truck at top-right?
Progress August 2019
Fill in your answers below: Just for fun: No answers will be given.
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Club Captain’s Report
Progress August 2019
June 2019
As we are all aware it is the middle of winter so it takes a little more effort to take the cars out and take part in club runs. Some of us took part in the Auckland/NSVCC Combined Rally at the end of June. Once again it was disappointing that only four of our members took part because it was a good run. Auckland Branch were very welcoming and pleased to see us taking part. They said they would like us to join them more often. Once again Brian and Sandra Strickland did us proud at the Beach Hop with Brian winning “Best Dressed” and Sandra winning $1,000. Congratulations to you both. Our latest jaunt was to East Matakana to see a collection of rally and race cars with several motorcycles of various vintages, some famous or driven by famous drivers such as the early McLaren. Of great interest were the cars in the workshop being rebuilt to a very high standard. There was a big turnout for this rally with 39 members and 22 cars. There was plenty of space for parking and the weather was excellent. We continued on for lunch at Sandspit which was leisurely but unfortunately we rather overwhelmed the café staff as we filled the entire café. They coped very well if a bit slow and we all enjoyed our lunch and agreed it was a really good day out. The cars behaved themselves and we all had a very pleasant time. Richard Lloyd, NSVCC Club Captain
Even Bentley doyen of the sporting petrol engine as recently revealed it’s first EVER concept car. And yup..Its ELECTRIC
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Daimler V8
Progress August 2019
Ray Urbahn writes to tell us of his new car
I bought this car earlier this year from Matamata in the Waikato after inspecting several others all of which had issues including rust, upholstery, woodwork, paint etc. Fortunately this car had been owned by only two members over the last twenty one years, one for ten years from 1997 to 2007 and the other for 11 years from 2007 to 2018. Between them they had replaced/restored most items including the cooling system, steering, fuel components, brakes, etc. and replacement of the automatic drive with a Jaguar four speed synchro manual box with overdrive which certainly increases the driving pleasure. Also pleasing to the eye was the restored woodwork, upholstery, chrome and tyres. The only issue (to my mind) was the stone chipped paintwork around mainly the frontal area even although the car had only travelled 25,000 miles since 1997 so after a visit to a local painter, this has been remedied. The total mileage is now at 137,000 miles. The car came with the original Owners Service hand book, the Service Workshop Manual, the original Registration Certificate, the original tool kit (the tools have "Daimler " stamped on them ) and loads of previous receipts for work carried out. The driving experience , even without power steering, is surprisingly modern and this car is not disgraced by more modern traffic.
Looks amazing Ray. Thanks so much for taking time to send us the photos. Looking forward to seeing it at the club sometime soon.
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Focus on the Marque Volvo
Progress August 2019
Volvo, Latin for "I roll", was born on April 14th, 1927 when the first car "Jakob" left the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. Founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, the company was formed on a principle of quality and safety which were both of paramount importance, a concept that still applies to the Volvo cars of today. The fledgling company produced both closed top and cabriolet models of their new four-cylinder OV4 and PV4 models, which were constructed to better withstand the harsh Swedish climate, than contemporary US imports. Both carried the Swedish symbol for iron attached to a diagonal piece if metal on the front grille; an aspect of Volvo’s heritage that can still be seen on today’s models.
The OV4 “Jakob”1927-29 : The first Volvo
In 1929 a six-cylinder PV651 model was introduced, which was both longer and wider than the Jakob. Its success helped the company to purchase an engine supplier, buy its first factory and by the end of 1931 return its first dividend to shareholders. The first production milestone of 10,000 Volvos was reached in May 1932 and it was not long before Volvo dealers were asking the company to develop a cheaper car "for the people". This was the PV 51 model of 1936, similar to the more expensive PV36 in design, but smaller in size and less well equipped. The Second World War significantly restricted Volvo’s production of cars, but by the autumn of 1944 the company had unveiled one of its most significant cars – the PV444. Volvo’s first "true" small car, its stylish design combined American flair with European size and it was an instant success. The PV444 and the PV544 would dominate Volvo production through to the mid 1960’s and be the first models to gain Volvo a slice of the important US market during the 1950’s.
PV651 1929-1933: 3 litre, 6-cylinder and 55bhp
PV802: 1938-47: 3.6 litre, straight-six and 90bhp: There’s a strong ‘whiff’ of American design in this
Another popular model was the Volvo 120 introduced in 1956 and often called the Amazon. Safety features and accident protection were a key factor in this cars design and this was enhanced even further in 1959 when both the Amazon and PV544 were equipped with threepoint safety belts – a world first and an invention pioneered by Volvo’s head of safety engineering, Nils Bohlin.
The 444 1947-58: 1.4 litres, 4-Cylinder, 44bhp
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Progress August 2019
Focus on the Marque (cont.)
Volvo’s first sports car was the “Sport” or P1900 launched in 1956 but this had a short production run and was replaced by the hugely successful P1800 in 1960. Considered to be an excellent touring car with it’s sleek coupe lines, the P1800 went on to find fame in “The Saint” TV series with Roger Moore behind the wheel. By 1964 Volvo had opened a new production plant in Torslanda, Sweden capable of producing up to 200,000 cars a year and by 1966 the Volvo 140 family was introduced, firstly as a saloon and later as an estate, helping to cement a family market that Volvo was rapidly claiming as its own.
The 120 1961-1970: many engine and transmission options
Innovations in safety and environmental care continued apace with crumple zones, rear facing child seats, collapsible steering columns, side collision protection and the three-way catalytic converter with Lambdasond. All these Features were introduced on Volvo’s in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The Volvo 240 range replaced the 140 with even higher levels of safety and quality and was joined by the smaller Volvo 340 models from Holland to take Volvo’s annual sales past the 4 million mark by the end of the 1970’s. In turn the Volvo 700 series of 1982 took the marque yet another step into the exclusive market for personalised highquality cars. Later in the decade the 340 was replaced by the 400 series, which won plaudits for its roadholding and safety as well as its generous amount of interior space.
The P1800: 1.8 litres, 4-cylinder, 108bhp. I wonder how/why the producers of “The Saint” chose this as Simon Templar’s Car?
A completely new and different Volvo was launched to the world in June 1991. The Volvo 850 was Volvo’s first front wheel drive executive car, with a transverse, five-cylinder engine. Its high level of safety combined with real driving pleasure won the car many independent awards. The proposed merger with Renault fell through in its final stages in 1993 leaving Volvo as one of the few remaining independent car manufacturers. This marked a key turn in the company’s plans and paved the way for Volvo’s new dynamic product strategy with the introduction in 1996 of the sleek and more rounded designs of the Volvo S40 and V40.
The venerable 144 1966-74: 1.8 and 2 litre versions available
They, like the Volvo C70 coupe and convertible that were introduced later that year, were cars that combined all of Volvo’s traditional values of safety, environmental care with sporty, elegant and exciting design and engineering.
The 740 1985-92. (Ed: I had one of these and drove a full U18 Sevens squad around NW England for a season!!)
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Focus on the Marque (cont.) Progress August 2019 With the Volvo S80 sedan of 1998 and the V70 estate of 1999, seventy years of new engineering and design were brought together in cars that both founders, Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielson, would still have recognised as Volvos that represented their wishes for safe, quality products, and that can hold a fascination and desire for customers in today’s sophisticated car market. (Having finished this run through of this Swedish success story with space to spare, I found this short article on the Volvo Owners Club website. And thought that you might enjoy )
A Volvo Moment: Asleep behind the wheel In the 1950s, it was a selling point if a car was convertible for sleeping purposes, and this advantage would be highlighted in advertising. Hotel rooms were expensive, and if a business traveller or a family on holiday could sleep in their car they could make big savings. ‘The PV544 is just as comfortable to sleep in as it is to drive,’ said a Swedish advertising film from 1958 - to name but one example.
In the advertising image from the late 1950s, this model has taken the form of a PV544. The fact that it is a 544 is visible due to the larger rear window and because seat belts are fitted. The woman is snugly tucked under blankets that could be bought from Volvo dealers. The fact that she is holding out her left hand and showing her wedding ring is very deliberate. In this picture, she is also alone and only one pillow is visible! Showing men and women sleeping together in cars was otherwise acceptable - but it had to be clear that they were married. Saab had discovered this the hard way when they had used an image in an advert where the young woman appeared not to be wearing a wedding ring. The photo was criticised by the ‘Daughters of the American Revolution’ organisation and was later replaced. Spending the night in a car required planning. Volvo produced several booklets in which they provided instructions on how to set up bedding in a PV. Volvo also offered special bed support kits. This consisted of two support beams and four leather trim locks. Transforming your PV544 into a bedroom required all seat elements - apart from the cushions of the front seats to be moved around the car in order to create a reasonably even bed for two. This meant it took rather a lot of planning and work before lights out at the end of the day. 9
Upcoming Events: Progress August 2019
August August 18: Club run: Whenuapai Air Force Base. Meet at the club room at 10 a.m. Cars away at 10.30 with intended arrival at the base security entrance at 1100 hours! Base Security require a photo I.D. i.e. drivers licence and suggest wearing closed in footwear. A light lunch is being provided by the base staff after our tour of the workshop and aircraft. Lunch will be finger food, savouries, sandwiches, sweet cakes, juice, tea and coffee at a cost of only $10.00 per person. Please RSVP by 15 August to Richard 09 420 5048 or Neil 09 426 5831
August 21: Auckland Branch Midweek Tourers : Starts Westgate Mall. August 25: Daffodil Day at Caffeine and Classics: Smales Farm, 9-12.
September September 28-29: NSVCC Spring Tour Starts Mangere. Please see the separate ‘Spring Tour’ flyer distributed with this magazine September 29: Caffeine and Classics: Smales Farm: 9-12.
October: TBA Regular Weekly Timetable •
Most Tuesdays from 9am. The workshops are open for your own personal projects with a selection of regulars around to help with advice and guidance
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Every Wednesday Club-Night: coffee, tea and banter
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Every Thursday Morning 9am—Noon : Restoration Shed, Spares Shed and Library all open. Coffee, Tea and Cakes at 10.30. Over 40 members now regularly attending at 10.30. John Tombs, we need more sausage rolls please!!
Longer Term •
North Cape to Bluff Tour: 24 September - 18 October 2019: Contact: Paul Collins for further details. Mob: 027 292 2204 or Collins.electronics@xtra.co.nz
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2020 National Easter Rally: Organised by Horewhenua Branch, Levin. Expressions of interest required ASAP
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Progress August 2019
Workshop Updates A brief update on all the current workshop projects. Achievements last month, plans for coming months .
The Chev : Tony Sparkes: The running boards are now on and we are looking for some aluminium trim to finish off the sides. Jim, upholstery, is making the arm rests for the rear passengers. We thought we had solved the temperature gauge problem, but we have not!
The Bedford AA Truck: Tony Sparkes: Jeremy ( Bespoke Auto Glass) has fitted all the glass except the quarter lights, which should happen next week.
The Bus: Clive Sandham: Seats are all prepared with bolting down plates in place and bolts made. Hatches need to be allowed for with T section frames so they can lift out. We now discover the drivers seat needs to be hinged so we can access the gearbox for greasing and maintenance. Once these are made the lino can be laid then seats can go in.
The BSA Van: Neil Beckenham: July has seen the front left and right-hand guards and butterfly bonnet removed. This has revealed the true sad state of damage after the vehicle had an unfortunate altercation with a large tree. The front suspension, steering, shock absorbers, and chassis, are all damaged. Should you or anyone you know have the following parts, it would be most appreciated. •
Luvax shock absorbers Type AR1 and AR1V. These are two-hole mounted shocks that were used on most British cars of the 30s.
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Girling brake shoes: These are known as the straight type i.e. the adjuster is parallel with the pivot points. These allow brake shoes were commonly used on Lagondas, Lanchesters, Rileys and Rovers and other British vehicles of the 30s.
Any information or parts of these items, please email the club.
BSA Dash: according to Mulliner 1936
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My Collection Many thanks to Terry Costello for sending through a few photos of his eclectic collection of amazing cars.
Progress August 2019
The first car in Terry’s collection is this 1959 Dodge 1959 Custom Royal Lancer sporting the 383 cubic inch D500 engine. Now I must admit to not being a great fan of American cars but if you wanted a car that really epitomised the USA 50s and 60s cars then this has to be the car you’d choose. Fins and lamps to die for!!
Next we have a beautiful 1930 Ford Model A Pickup with a standard Model A engine, the wheels are 16 inch from a 1935 Ford sporting radial tyres for improved handling
And finally we have the green Fordor is on 19 inch wheels as standard for the year, the engine is a 1953 G28T Industrial engine made in Germany after the war by Ford’s Cologne factory, these were fitted to Claas hay balers and appear the same externally as a model B engine, the internals are much improved with a fully pressure oiling system, insert bearings, slightly higher compression and an alloy sump pan. The G28T is highly sought after as a touring engine.
Over cover car this month is a 1928 very
Many thanks to Terry original Model A Ford with a cab built by Costello for taking the time the Colonial motor body company in Auckland on standard 21 inch wheels to show us his ‘fleet’ Who’s next???
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Mech.Eng. 101:
Progress August 2019
The Distributor In previous articles we have discussed the workings of piston engines, both conventional and rotary. You may recall the four stages in a traditional four-stroke engine, namely: Intake, Compress, Ignite and Exhaust. In this short piece we will look an ingeniously simple component (The Distributor) and how that manages the creation of the spark, the length of the spark and the timing of the spark. A distributor is an enclosed rotating shaft used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanicallytimed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order, and for the correct amount of time. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. (Delco) and introduced in the 1910 Cadillac. This ignition was developed by Charles Kettering and was considered a wonder in its day. Atwater Kent invented his Unisparker ignition system about this time, in competition with the Delco system. By the end of the 20th century mechanical ignitions were disappearing from automotive applications in favour of inductive or capacitive electronic ignitions fully controlled by engine control units (ECU), rather than directly timed to the engine's crankshaft speed. (Ed: Be assured I will NEVER attempt to describe the operation of an ECU in this magazine ;-) ) A distributor consists of a rotating arm or rotor inside the distributor cap, and fixed on top of the distributor shaft, but insulated from it and the body of the vehicle (ground). The distributor shaft is driven by a gear on the camshaft on most classic car engines. The metal part of the rotor contacts the high voltage cable from the ignition coil via a spring-loaded carbon brush in the centre of the distributor cap. The metal part of the rotor arm passes close to (but does not touch) the output contacts which connect via high tension leads to each spark plug. As the rotor spins within the distributor, electric current is able to jump the small gaps created between the rotor arm and the contacts due to the high voltage created by the ignition coil. The distributor shaft has a cam that operates the contact breaker (also called points). When closed the points earth the circuit but when open a high induction voltage is directed from the system's ignition coil along The ignition circuit the rotor arm through the plug contact in the cap and onward to the spark plug. The profile of the distributor cam, combined with the gap between the points also controls how long the spark lasts in each cylinder. The number of degrees that the distributor shaft rotates between when the points first open until they close is call the Dwell Angle. We discussed in earlier articles the need to advance the ignition as engine speed increases. The distributor manages the automatic advancing of ignition via a centrifugal advance unit: a set of hinged weights attached to the distributor shaft, that cause the breaker points mounting plate to slightly rotate and advance the spark timing with higher engine revolutions per minute (rpm). Frequently the distributor also has a vacuum advance unit that advances the timing even further as a function of the vacuum in the inlet manifold. Usually there is also a capacitor attached to the distributor. The capacitor is connected parallel to the breaker points, to suppress uncontrolled sparking to prevent excessive wear of the points. From the mid 1970s the primary breaker points were being replaced with a Hall effect (Electro-magnetic) sensors or optical sensors. As this is a non-contacting device and the ignition coil is controlled by solid state electronics, a great amount of maintenance in point adjustment and replacement was eliminated. This also eliminates any problem with breaker follower or cam wear, and by eliminating a side load it extends distributor shaft bearing life. The remaining secondary (high voltage) circuit stays essentially the same, using an ignition coil and a rotary distributor. 13
Mech.Eng. 101:
Progress August 2019
The Distributor The simplest and perhaps most cost effective means of improving the reliability and performance of your classic car is to upgrade to Hall-Effect Electronic Ignition. The two most popular suppliers for European cars are “Power-Spark and Accusparc. Both companies offer Stealth (hidden within your existing distributor) or full replacement distributors. I always fit a full Accusparc loaded Distributor whenever I get a new classic. Both companies have excellent reputations and will ship to New Zealand. The distributor cap is the cover that protects the distributor's internal parts and holds the contacts between internal rotor and the spark plug wires. The distributor cap has one post for each cylinder, and in points ignition systems there is a central post for the current from the ignition coil coming into the distributor. The rotor is attached to the top of the distributor shaft which is driven by the engine's camshaft and thus synchronized to it. Synchronization to the camshaft is required as the rotor must turn at exactly half the speed of the main crankshaft in the 4-stroke cycle. This rotor is pressed against a carbon brush on the centre terminal of the distributor cap which connects to the ignition coil. The rotor is constructed such that the centre tab is electrically connected to its outer edge so the current coming in to the centre post travels through the carbon point to the outer edge of the rotor. As the camshaft rotates, the rotor spins and its outer edge passes each of the internal plug terminals to fire each spark plug in sequence. Engines that use a mechanical distributor may fail if they run into deep puddles because any water that gets onto the distributor can short out the electric current that should go through the spark plugs, rerouting it directly to the body of the vehicle. This in turn causes the engine to stop as the fuel is not ignited in the cylinders. This problem can be fixed by removing the distributor's cap and drying the cap, cam, rotor and the contacts by wiping with tissue paper or a clean rag, by blowing hot air on them, or using a moisture displacement spray e.g. CRC or similar. Oil, dirt or other contaminants can cause similar problems, so the distributor should be kept clean inside and outside to ensure reliable operation. Most distributor caps have the position of the number 1 cylinder's terminal moulded into the plastic. By referencing a firing order diagram and knowing the direction the rotor turns, (which can be seen by cranking the engine with the cap off) the spark plug wires can be correctly routed. Most distributor caps are designed so that they cannot be installed in the wrong position. Some older engine designs allow the cap to be installed in the wrong position by 180 degrees, however. The number 1 cylinder position on the cap should be noted before a cap is replaced.
Distributor Points: Component parts
The distributor cap is a prime example of a component that eventually succumbs to heat and vibration. It is a relatively easy and inexpensive part to replace if its bakelite housing does not break or crack first. Carbon deposit accumulation or erosion of its metal terminals may also cause distributor-cap failure. As it is generally easy to remove and carry off, the distributor cap can be taken off as a means of theft prevention. Although not practical for everyday use, because it is essential for the starting and running of the engine, its removal thwarts any attempt at hot-wiring the vehicle. The moral of the story is take care of your distributor: A distributor malfunction is one of the most likely causes of a breakdown. Keep the distributor clean and dry inside and out. Make sure you know how to adjust the points, replace any cracked or damaged components. I would recommend an upgrade to electronic ignition (Stealth if you value originality) as a great reliability upgrade, but I’ll leave that decision to you!
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Splendid turnout for Matakana Garage Run: Progress August 2019
Run report by Richard Bampton
So what happened?? Sixteen club eligible cars and forty people out on a North Shore VCC run? The combination of a good forecast, a decent country run, early publication of rally details, a shed to inspect and lunch by the waterside is obviously a winning combination. Well done Richard Lloyd, Neil Beckenham and Denis Martin for organising this outing to Matakana Motorsport Workshop and Museum. There was, apparently, some sort of hitch on arrival, but the (hood down) Austin 16/6, bearing your reporter and his assistant, being the oldest car by nearly 20 years, arrived last, by which time the problem had been solved. The Austin proudly parked next to one of 2 Mercurys, but they were outnumbered by the 3 Daimler V8s. Tony Sparkes “new” Daimler being on its first NSVCC outing.
Tony Sparkes ‘new’ Daimler beside Richard Lloyd’s similar car
The museum contained some BMW track cars, a Maclaren Can Am, a 1978 Lotus partly dismantled, and a Sierra rally car among others, together with some race motorcycles, and in the spotless workshop more cars were being race prepared. The roll cage was probably the heaviest item on the largely carbon fibre BMW, and the cockpit looked rather complicated. Also in the workshop was a huge articulated mobile workshop. Lunch at the Café Sandspit, on Sandspit Wharf was a social affair. Fortunately some earlier customers left, otherwise there would not have been enough room for us all. With so many people ordering at the same time service was a little slow but it didn’t matter – the food The topless Austin parks beside a Mercury (Ed: And neither vehicle was injured or embarrassed was good, the company was convivial and by the encounter) although your reporter and his navigator had to rush out to put up the hood on the Austin because a small shower came down, even that did not impede the enjoyment of an excellent day out. Thank you, Richard, Neil and Denis.
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Ford Sidevalves conquer Exmoor, find another BSA and visit the amazing Haynes Motor Museum
Progress August 2019
Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with more Ford Sidevalves! Suffice to say that five 1950s Ford Sidevalves each covered around 900 miles in a week of touring. We (nearly) conquered the steepest A-Road in England, attended two major classic car shows, visited five car museums, drank quite a lot of beer and cider (we were near Somerset after all) and stood on the runway where the American 101st Airborne (Band of Brothers) took off for their famous D-Day exploits. Probably more in keeping with UK preferences each car had very simple waypoint directions between stopping points to choose their own route although with only five cars and just one navigator we often travelled in convoy. Tulips and Straight Line Navigation style rallies are few and far between in the UK. Most clubs now just publish directions of the form “Start here at “X”o’clock; meet here at 11.00 for coffee; meet here at 13.00 for lunch. No specified routes; everyone knows where they are going and it creates a more relaxing event. (Look out for our Club run on August 18th) Car shows, especially with club ‘stands’ are very popular with often multiple choices for venues on both Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season. Anyway, our little tour started with meeting at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum for their annual classic car show. There were probably 350 vehicles of all different shapes and sizes attending. Loads of Minis (60th Anniversary), plenty of Fords, MGs and Austins and a smattering of rare and interesting vehicles. I have included a few photos of the more interesting items from Atwell-Wilson on this page.
Model T Farm Truck
A work of art!
I was intrigued by this French unrestored Model T Farm Pickup. The wooden cart sides were a work of art. Most interesting was the history and location of the truck when found. The truck was purchased in the French city of Caen and still displays the dealers brass plaque on the window frame. The vehicle was purchased as a “Barn Find” in the French town of Falaise. Those of you with an interest in WW2 history will know that Caen was completely flattened by Allied bombing during June 1944. You may also recall that the US Army broke out Southwards from Normandy and then raced East to create a horseshoe shaped pocket surrounding huge numbers of Nazi forces and armed vehicles. What’s known as the “Falaise Gap” was pounded by thousands of tons of bombs and shells. That this vehicle survived one or perhaps both of these bombardments is truly amazing. Finally, to keep our regular contributor, Richard Bampton, sweet here’s a couple of shots of an old Austin. I think it might be the same as Richard’s (They all look the same to me!). The car was ‘as new’. I was very impressed with the matching ‘Cartridge Case Wheel-nut Covers)
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A pair of Ford E83W 10cwt vans. The red van won “Best Commercial”
A Steam powered car...Couldn’t see a make
Caen Dealer’s Badge
A big blue Austin
Ford Sidevalves conquer Exmoor (Continued)
Progress August 2019
After an evening drive through Cheddar Gorge we spent the night in Weston-Super-Mare and awoke the next morning ready to drive across the Somerset Levels (roads built on marshland are bouncy to say the least) towards the Haynes Motor Museum, near Sparkford, Devon. I think that I can truthfully say that this is the best museum of its type that I’ve ever seen. Over 400 cars from every era and from all over the world. I’m sure that you can see much more by following https://www.haynesmotormuseum.com/ but I thought I’d share a few photos and comments with you. The museum is very modern, with lots of chrome, stainless steel and bright lights. The cars are pristine and each is presented with clear, readable and interesting notes. As some of you will know I’m not a big fan of American vehicles but I was ‘blown-away’ by their collection: plenty of high end stuff with Duesenbergs and Cords, but also rare examples of the more common cars. I loved the Edsel station-wagon.
1915 Horstman built in Bath UK
1959 Ford Edsel Station Wagon
Gulp!! 1958 Facel Vega HK500 with 6.3 litre Chevvy Engine.
1941 Chevrolet Pickup
1936 Auburn 852 Speedster Top Speed 150mph !!!
Unmistakable Cord Design
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Ford Sidevalves conquer Exmoor
Progress August 2019
Continued Onward from the Haynes Museum with travelled cross-country climbing to 1200 ft and then down a steep gravelled track to our “Farm Barn” accommodation. It was a relief to finally settle and even better for the lovely country pub just a couple of miles away. “Ciders all round”. After an uncomfortable night’s sleep (dodgy bunk mattresses) we drove off in convoy. We were planning to tackle Porlock Hill (The steepest A-Road in Britain) but the 4.5 ratio rear axle on the Siva Edwardian wasn’t up to it, so we went ‘tacking’ up the toll road through plenty of hairpins. Coffee at Lynmouth, Fish n’ Chips on the harbour wall at Ilfracombe and Devon Cream Teas at Exford gave all the cars a little extra load. Day 2 took us to Moretonhampstead Motor Museum on Dartmoor where we found two remarkable cars. On the ground floor was an immaculate maroon Wolseley Six/Eighty. This is the exact car and colour that is patiently waiting in the club garage for it’s turn in the restoration shed. (See photos below)
The Siva: a 1960s built kit-car based on a 1937 Ford 8 chassis and sidevalve engine clims up from the barn
As if it wasn’t enough to find the Wolsesley; imagine my surprise to find a BSA Car upstairs! This 1936 BSA (a stablemate of our van) ihas a Mulliner coach-built body and is a little more upmarket than the van. (see photos below)
I had a long chat with the owner of the museum. He had a bit of a soft-spot for NZ having taken a Bentley across a few years ago. He is more than willing to help us with photos, designs and measurements should we need any more than the copious photos that I already have stored in my files. Our final day on Exmoor, involved a visit to two WW2 Airfields. First Dunkeswell, from where the American Navy Airforce flew Liberators over the Western Approaches and Bay of Biscay hunting U-Boats. And then Upottery from where the US 101st Airborne flew out on the night of June 5th 1944 to parachute into Normandy and start the D-Day invasion. You may recall that the US 101st was the unit on which the book and series “Band of Brothers” was based. The airfield museum there was full of first hand accounts of the bravery and terror faced by paratroopers on that day. 18
Finally, Brian, your previous editor told me to maintain a balance of featured vehicles. So here’s an old motorbike !
Committee Notes: July 2019
Progress August 2019
New branch members Robert & Trish Brown – 2x 1928 Ford John Ellis – Transfer from Waitemata Robert Maddox – 1935 Austin Grahame & Janette Cox – 1930 Ford Martin Howson – Transfer from Warkworth/Wellsford Committee Constitution – At the AGM Richard Bampton raised concerns over the election of the committee and suggested a number of amendments to the club constitution. Among the amendments was the election of committee members for a three year period, with new members being elected over a 9 year cycle. He has since been in touch to discuss amendments to the initial proposal with intent to resolve the issue. M. Dorbeck stated each point needed to be considered individually – a very restrictive document. The committee undertook to report back to the members within a two month period. At this stage the proposed amendments have not been finalised by the sub-committee but will be subject to a special general meeting for consideration by all the membership. The date of this meeting will be advised shortly in accordance with the club rules. There are a number of issues to be resolved such as the definition of conflict of interest applicable to the Incorporated Societies Act as raised by Richard. Sale of Club Land: - An initial feasibility study has been obtained from a registered surveyor in relation the possible sale of part of the lower field, however at this stage it is not considered necessary to proceed. Building security after Tuesday/Thursdays gatherings:- Need for committee to ensure the doors are closed, locked and alarm set. There has been instances recently where doors have not been locked and the alarm not set. National Office Remit:- R. Moon discussed the recent remit received from National Office relating to the automatic receiving of Notices of Motion without informed discussion. This often results in opposing notices of motion being submitted. The remit was supported by the committee. The committee supports the remit. Daffodil Run :- Daffodil Rally is not going ahead as far as NSVCC is concerned. A Club run to Whenuapai Air Base is proposed the preceding week 18 August 2019. Shed Finances:- John Higham raised the issue of the new shed expenses. He recommended preparing a list of the costs to date and expected expenses, such as partitions, concrete pad, shelving etc. Need to get members approval for additional expenditure. A sub-committee was formed to complete the costings. Dangerous Goods Shed :- Needs to be tidied up and leaking tins disposed of. To be done on Thursday morning. Mower disposal :- An approach has been made for the disposal of the old mower at the cost of the repairs of $600.00 Suggested that the be put together and placed on Trade Me and sold outside the club. To be sold “as is where is”. Clive and Neil to look at mower on Thursday. Compressor:- Need to look out for a bigger compressor for media–blasting. Need about 40 cfm for media-blasting. Maybe keep an eye out for a second hand compressor.
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Progress March 2018
About Us Club Address: 40 Masons Rd, Albany, 0632 Phone: 09-4792779: email: northshorevcc@gmail.com Website: www.vintagecarclub-northshore.co.nz Club Nights: Every Wed from 7.30pm. Restoration Shed: Every Tuesday & Thursday mornings 9am - 12pm Committee Meetings: Last Monday of the month, 7.30pm Club Runs: Normally 1pm start, 3rd Sun. of month. Always check the ‘Upcoming events’ VERO Branch Reference Number: HO0300144 (Quoting this number when renewing your insurance gives a small commission back to the club)
Main Committee Chairman: Kevin Lord 09-413-9157 or 027-235-0142 Vice Chairman: John Higham 09-478-7973
Immediate Past Chairman: Paul Collins 09-422-0500 or 027-292-2204 Secretary: Maurice Whitham 09-627-0310 or 027-296-9293 Treasurer: Ross Moon 09-426-1508 Club Captain: Richard Lloyd 09-420-5048 or 027-483-2898 Assistant Club Captain: Neil Beckenham 09-426-5831 or 021-588-536 GENERAL COMMITTEE Members: John Tombs 09-478-5677 or 027-378-5590 Clive Sandham 09-486-6047 or 021-903-548 Tony Sparkes 09-473-5828 or 027-499-5588 Michael Dorbeck 09 415 8339 or 021 998 755 Magazine Editor: Stuart Battersby: Tel: 022 471 2759: Email battersby56@sky.com THE INFORMATION IN THIS MAGAZINE IS SUPPLIED AS A SERVICE TO MEMBERS. ARTICLES OF INTEREST ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE OF THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND THE CLUB ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OF ANY ARTICLES OR STATEMENTS HEREIN.
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