SIDE CURTAINS
SIDE CURTAINS The magazine of the
ROTORUA VINTAGE AND VETERAN CAR CLUB
MAY 2018
WE’RE NOW ON FACEBOOK ! www.rotoruavintagecarclub.org.nz
Midweekers, April 2018
SIDE CURTAINS - May 2018 The magazine of the ROTORUA VINTAGE AND VETERAN CAR CLUB
Clubrooms: Neil Hunt Park, Tarawera Rd, Rotorua Postal: PO Box 2014, Rotorua Email: rotorua@vcc.org.nz Website: www.rotoruavintagecarclub.org.nz Vero Insurance: Phone 0800 658 411 and quote your VCC membership number Club Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of month (except January), 7.15pm for 7.30pm start OFFICERS
Chairperson - David Tomlinson Secretary - Dennis Whimp Treasurer - Terry Fitzpatrick Club Captain - vacant Asst. Club Captain - Kevin Scott Committee Bob Mackay Roger Nelson John Peters Lois Thompson Terry Wadsworth Cliff Wickham
CONTENTS Chairman’s Report From The Secretary April Car - BMW i8 April Midweek Run Morris Minor 1,000,000 Swap Meet 2018 Upcoming Midweek Runs Events Calendar
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Mid Weekers - Bob Mackay Side Curtains Editor - David Tomlinson rvvcc.editor@gmail.com Beaded Wheels - Ronald Mayes Librarian - Roger Couchman Asst Librarian - John Kirkland Cards/Flowers - Doreen Green
Cover Photos Front - BMW i8, April club night Back - April Night Run
CLUB CAR PHOTOS
If you want your club car photo on the clubroom wall then get in touch with Doug Green, and he will organise a time and place for a photo shoot. It would be good if we could have all member’s car photos on display. Side Curtains May 2018
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Chairman’s Report
- April 2018 by David Tomlinson
In April we had a very modern hybrid BMW i8 in the clubrooms, and a unique example at that. It was the proud owners’ second i8 and the only red one in New Zealand. The following Sunday night was our Night Run ably put together by Ronald and Gloria Mayes with extra help in the kitchen too. It was a partly cryptic set of questions and a very enjoyable run, which included a few moderns amongst the older cars. The run itself took place between the main course and dessert, and it was an excellent night all around. I played navigator while Fleur drove, and Alex contributed noisily from the back. This was the second event this year where one had to get out of the vehicle during the run (in a very safe area), and I actually enjoy this added element to our competitive runs. May’s run will be a touring run concluding with the option of a café or picnic lunch. The June run will conclude with an afternoon tea and our annual prize giving. We have our Swap Meet in July and the Sulphur City Rally in August. We need all the hands on deck we can muster for the Swap Meet, the volunteers board will be up in the club rooms from the May meeting. Please also note the July club night is a week earlier than usual, so it can be held before the Swap Meet. Last month I highlighted my garaging space problems after a new purchase, but I have now solved this by making the garage even bigger! Dare I risk saying not only can I fit what I already have in comfortably now, I think I could fit one or two more in! At the end of April while all the flooding was going on at home, Fleur and I managed to divest ourselves of all children, and attended part of the Rolls-Royce & Bentley Club AGM weekend activities. Based at the Wairakei Resort in Taupo, weather took a toll on some planned events, but we went on a tour of the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park and were shown how they managed the track using modern technology. 2
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A highlight was being allowed to do 3 laps of the track, albeit behind a pace car, but what a sight seeing Rolls-Royces and Bentleys from as old as 1923 up to a 2017 car on the track all at once. Fleur and I went around in my 1968 Silver Shadow and it was surprisingly nimble. I mentioned in my last column that I was featuring in the May edition of NZ Life and Leisure magazine with one of my Rolls-Royces. It took a while to find the article near the back, but it was a 4 page spread with lots of photos, and I hope it promotes interest in classic car ownership from the magazine’s readership. May is a most important month for the branch. Our annual AGM will be held, and although we review the past year, in particular the accounts, the AGM is most important for shaping our future. We also have three retirements from committee this year - Cliff, Roger and Lois - and we will be hoping for some fresh ideas from new committee members. In my Chairman’s Report to the AGM, I will be focussing on the high cost of operating the branch, some of which is beyond our control. Some things are within our control, including this magazine you are reading right now. Side Curtains costs over $4,000 per annum to produce and deliver to members. When I joined the branch it was costing the branch over $8,500 per year. Change is needed. In real costs, the branch spends $40 per year per recipient for the magazine, while we operate off a branch levy of only $10 per full member annually. Reducing the cost of the magazine by half in 2014 has been a help, it has saved over $16,000 over four years, but we are still operating an unsustainable product, and we need to address this at the AGM, as most other VCC branches have done in recent years. Also, we need to look at our branch levy, and what each member is expecting to receive each year. Our branch levy is the lowest of all the 36 branches, and is only one third of the national average. Please come along to the AGM this month and help us find solutions to operate more efficiently while still be relevant and providing fun activities for members to take part in. Enjoying our classic vehicles is what our club is all about. See you at the AGM! Side Curtains May 2018
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FROM THE SECRETARY by Dennis Whimp
Flooding behind the clubrooms
The committee has allocated up to $5,000 for the excavation of the debris and soil build-up and then the concreting between the clubrooms and the retaining walls. It also includes a concrete path beside the building to take the storm flows out to beyond the front of the clubrooms. Contractors have been engaged and weather permitting the works should take place during May.
Oak trees behind the clubrooms
There are large oak trees at the top of the bank behind the various buildings including our clubrooms. Council were pruning these trees and I noticed that a number of limbs had rotten centres. We have contacted Council pointing out the rot. The pruning has stopped and we are awaiting council advice. I suspect that Council now has a very long list of trees to inspect and remove so we may be waiting for some time.
Swap Meet Sunday 8th July, our main fundraiser
We need all the helpers we can for this event. Roger Nelson will be calling for names at the next meetings so diary this date. 4
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Around and About
- Jack Miller has obtained a very original and motorable 1965 Singer Vogue that only has 48,000 miles on the clock. These survivors are still out there. - Terry Wadsworth has the 1975 HJ Holden one ton tabletop ute painted and sorted and on the road after a 4 year rebuild. An LPG system has been added to cut Fuel costs. The ute has an aluminium tray that is possibly a factory fit. The extractors give the 253 V8 a wonderful throbbing pulse that can be heard miles away. The only thing that would sound sweeter would be the weatherman saying there will be no more rain until after the swap meet. - Malcolm Foster has sold the 1915 brass radiator Ford model T roadster pickup to a Canterbury chap who is over the moon with it. He has already had it to a couple of events down there where it was a star attraction. That now only leaves two veterans (pre 1919) in the branch. (cars, not owners) - Our illustrious chairman Dave now has more Rolls-Royces in his garage than there are in the rest of Rotorua. The latest acquisition is a real gem. A 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 limousine. The body by Freestone and Webb looks superb in the black and maroon colours. The interior is virtually original. Wire wheels really set it off. - Farewell to Steve de Jeu who is shifting to Canterbury. His laughter and company will be greatly missed. Steve’s joinery skills were put to good use as he made all sorts of shelving and bits for the clubrooms. He was always first at the swap meets on Sunday morning, making sure that the lights were all on and all the signage was up, and then the last to leave after packing all the signage away at the clubrooms. We won’t let the Canterbury club know just yet as I see that they are currently looking for more keen swap meet organisers. Side Curtains May 2018
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April car in the Room BMW i8 Hybrid sports car by Dennis Whimp
At the April meeting we got a glimpse of the future. The latest BMW I8 hybrid sports car brought along by Toni and Steve Cox that was immediately plugged into a 3 pin power outlet as soon as it arrived. These cars were constructed by BMW to trial the latest technology and computerisation. Steve commented that there is no way you would want to own one of these outside the warranty period which is 5 years. The Electric Engine Compartment is factory sealed and can only be opened by licensed mechanics with special tools. Their description of the car was only bettered by the demonstration of how to get in and out. The doors are approx. 1.5m wide and hinge forward from the base of the windscreen so they are nearly vertical when open. The door sills are approx. 200mm higher than the seat so to get in you sort of crouch down with your back to the car, sit on the wide sill and push off to slide over and down into the racing type seat that looked to be set at ground level. But then how to get out as there is nothing to pull yourself up with. A delicate yoga move with legs straight out and a push off the seat does the trick in getting 6
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over the sill which is probably why Toni wears slacks with this vehicle. Very problematic with a miniskirt. The two seater car is only 1.24m high. The front wheels are powered by a 96kw electric motor and the rear axles by a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine with twin turbo that delivers 170kw. The combined 266 kW ensures that 0 to 100 km/h can be reached in 4.4 seconds. Normal driving economy is 2.5 litres per 100 km and the range is up to 600km. The range is 35km using the electric only drive but the batteries are being continuously recharged. With the regenerative braking, there is little need to use the brakes. Construction is in two parts. The chassis and engine support structure is in high strength aluminium with the lithium ion battery pack located along the tunnel between the seats. The passenger cell is high strength carbon fibre reinforced plastic and the instrumentation a combination of digital and space age projection. And then just to add to the interest, Toni and Steve’s son, Sloane Cox talked about his Rally experience and his trip to Finland to learn Rally Cross which is huge in Europe. A really fascinating evening.
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April Midweek Run to Taupo by Bob Mackay Due to ANZAC day this month’s run was held on Thursday. The day broke to clear skies, although there were reports of fog through the central plateau areas of Waiotapu and Reporoa. Nine cars including one modern, among the club cars there were two new additions along for their very first club run, a very nice original Mini GT owned by Rockie & Rebeca Fiske that followed a Mustang out of town, passed it at the first passing lane and was not seen again until we arrived at the Mitre 10 car park. The other a 1963 Singer Vogue owned by Jack Miller that caught the eye of another member who was a little disappointed that Jack showed no interest in selling it to him! Having been lost in a shed for many years the inside is original and in top condition with only 48,000 miles from new. Yes what a find! The morning air quickly warmed up lifting the central plateau fog and turning into a very warm and sunny day. Following morning tea (and lots of talk) at the club rooms we proceeded to Columbus CafÊ (Mitre 10) in Taupo for lunch. Some chose to drive the State Highway 5 route where the roads are much wider and easier for other traffic to pass while others took the country road through Broadlands. We arrived just before 12 noon giving a little over an hour for lunch before we visited Allan Hosking with his small collection of Land Rovers including a 1957 and a 1949 plus an electric landrover (miniature model) which certainly took the eye of our three grandsons who we took along for the day. Allan talked about his most recent trips with the Land Rover Series One Club. The Land Rover Series One Club is a Small Wellington based club, the first trip of the year was from Wellington to Rotorua via east coast and Lake Waikaremoana and return to Wellington. The second trip involved trailering the 1957 series one to Carterton then driving to Wellington, taking the ferry and traveling through Molesworth Station to a gathering with the Rover club to celebrate the 70 years since the first Land Rover was produced in 1948. The return journey was via the West Coast though some of the old gold fields up to Westport and via the Ferry back to Carterton, some 1800km. 8
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More on the Morris Minor Million By Ronald Mayes
A Morris Minor 1000000 attracted a lot of attention at our lakefront show. Classic and Sports Car Magazine’s March 2018 issue has an interesting article on the restoration of one of the few remaining examples, and a lot about the model’s production. Why was lilac chosen for the colour of these special cars? Jack Field had been a sales promotion manager for Nuffields and still worked for BMC in 1960. Gold was the preferred colour for the 350 Millions to be built but ICI could not supply that colour. Silver? “Would only last 3 months” he was told (such was paint technology at the time) and “Pick a colour from our regular range.” They had Minors painted in a variety of colours: orange, pale blue, yellow, lime green, pink and lilac and more, and they were gathered together for a group of senior Nuffield managers to choose after their lunch. But their lunch was the usual over-lubricated meal where unlimited alcohol was on tap and the directors were in no condition to make up their minds about which colour to choose before they staggered away. Afterwards, Sales Manager Donald Harrison asked Field if they had chosen a colour. Field told him they had not, and asked him what he should do. “Please your bloody self ” said Harrison, and Field chose lilac. The colour was generally acclaimed by management but not that popular with the public, despite “feminine - appeal” colours being introduced by other makers, and some of the cars took time to be sold. Side Curtains May 2018
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WE WANT YOU! All branch members are urged to give their time and support to help run this year’s Swap Meet.
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AGM & CLUB NIGHT - May 9th Neil Hunt Park - 7.30pm Car In Room: A car will be displayed if time allows after AGM Followed by tea, coffee and biscuits
Touring Run - Sunday, 13th May 2018
Be at the clubrooms by 10:45am with the first car away at 11am. There will be a short touring run of about an hour south of Rotorua, finishing off at a cafe where you can either buy lunch from the modestly priced menu, or bring your own picnic. Once the lunch is over you can make your own way back home, with some suggestions on the touring sheet to help avoid main roads if you wish.
Upcoming Midweek Runs
by Bob Mackay
Wednesday May 23rd Meet at Columbus CafÊ (Rotorua Mitre 10) at 10am for morning tea. We will leave the carpark travelling via Ngongotaha at about 10;30am. This month’s run is to a venue with a collection of cars and I believe also includes a model railway. The venue has been organised by Les & Thelma Forward, I have little knowledge of this collection so we will all be in for a surprise. We will have a picnic lunch, so bring your lunch, chairs and tables, if the weather is suitable we can sit outside otherwise we can use the shed at the venue. To show our appreciation to our hosts a gold coin collection will be made. Side Curtains May 2018
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Contributions to Side Curtains This is your magazine! Please feel free to share anything you think might be of interest to the membership by sending it to the editor, preferably by email, and a picture says a thousand words, so include photos where possible. Members taking part in club runs or events hosted by other branches are encouraged to pen a short piece about their experience to include in the next issue going to print. All items to the editor by the end of the month.
www.rotoruavintagecarclub.org.nz The branch website aims to meet the needs of our members, to promote our branch nationally, and to potential new members. If you have any suggestions please contact David Tomlinson. Please check the branch Facebook page regularly too. 12
Side Curtains May 2018
Night Run,April 2018
Night Run, April 2018