Taupo VCC October 2018 by Vintage Car Club of New Zealand

TA U P O V C C M A G A Z I N E

OCTOBER 2018

TAUPO

A NCH

B– N. Z

V I N TA G CAR

UPCOMI NG E VEN TS • C H AIRM AN ’S & CAPTAI N’S R E POR T • OWEN D UN C AN ’S 1946 CHE V 610 PIC K-UP REBU ILD • B O B NE V I L L E ’S 19 2 8 M ODEL A FORD BOAT TA I L R ACE R • TAUPO VC C H ISTORY - PAR T 2 • AR T C ORN ER

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

Coming Events for Taupo VCC 2018 OCTOBER Wednesday, 10th October

Club Night, Clubrooms 7.30 pm. Guest Speaker: Constable Barry Shepherd speaking on Search & Rescue

Monday, 15th October

Committee Meeting 7.30 pm.

Sunday, 21st October

No Club run due to Labour Weekend, deferred to next Sat/Sunday.

27/28th October

Club Captain Run, Tony Mannington. Overnight to Napier via Gentle Annie. See page 39

NOVEMBER Wednesday, 14th November

Club Night: Ladies Night.

Sunday, 18th November

Combined Lunch Run to Rotorua, teaming up with Rotorua and BOP VCC Clubs.

Monday, 19th November

Committee Meeting 7.30 pm.

DECEMBER Saturday, 1st December

Taupo Christmas Parade, TBC. Taupo VCC Christmas Dinner.

Monday, 17th December

Committee Meeting 7.30 pm.

Wednesday, 19th December

Christmas Morning Tea at Clubrooms. Bring a plate.

VCC Car Torque Breakfast - First Sunday of each month At Coffee Club, Roberts Street, Taupo. Please register in advance to Owen on 07 3788327

October 2018 T

November 2018

December 2018

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque 2

Coming Events for Taupo VCC 2018

Taupo Vintage Car Club Officers

5 Editorial

COVER

Printing Tips

Chairman’s Report

11 Club Captain’s Report 16 1946 Chev 610 Pick-Up Rebuild 24 Bob Neville’s 1928 Model A Ford Boat Tail Racer 28 History of the Taupo Vintage Car Club - Part Two 37 Special Invitation From HBVCC 39 Club Captain’s Tour “Gentle Annie” 41 Art Corner Cover image: Owen Duncan’s 1946 Chev 610 Pi ck-Up.

42 Taupo VCC 2018/19 Calendar Year.

CLUB NIGHT The second Wednesday of the month at the clubrooms - Hickling Park, AC Baths Ave, Taupo.

CLUB DAY Third Sunday of the Month. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles and materials presented in this magazine are those of the authors and/or reference sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views held by the Taupo Vintage Car Club or The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand. Our intention is to stimulate discussion and enthusiasm among the VCC membership and the wider community. All photos, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners.

OCTOBER 2018

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Taupo Vintage Car Club Officers Taupo Vintage Car Club, PO Box 907, Taupo 3351

PATRON Graham Mock HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Bob Pettigrew • Graham Mock • Joe Ridley CHAIRMAN Neil Chave 07 3765262 chairman@taupovcc.org SECRETARY (Vacant) secretary@taupovcc.org ACTING SECRETARY Eric Foley 07 378 7006 secretary@taupovcc.org TREASURER Maureen Ransley 07 3776360 treasurer@taupovcc.org CLUB CAPTAIN Tony Mannington 07 3771598 captain@taupovcc.org MAGAZINE EDITOR Dean Packwood editor@taupovcc.org COMMITTEE

Eric Foley Brent Davidson Kelvin Trim Owen Duncan Chris Smith

Non COMMITTEE POSITIONS ARCHIVISTS June & Graham Mock BEADED WHEELS SCRIBE Neil Chave CLUBROOM HIRE Eric Foley LIBRARIAN Trish Jefferies RAFFLES Pam Mannington RALLY SPONSOR Terrys Tyres. SPARE PARTS Bruce Jefferies CLUBROOMS CUSTODIAN Owen Duncan VIC CERTIFIERS Bruce Jefferies Norman Pointon Lester Strawbridge Brent Davidson

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07 378 7006 07 378 2691 07 378 9055 07 378 8327 07 378 4582 07 378 7513 07 376 5262 07 378 7006 07 378 4774 07 377 1598 07 378 6180 07 378 4774 07 378 8327 07 378 4774 07 378 9226 07 378 4487 07 378 2691

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Editorial

Dean Packwood Spring is here! Or is it, yes, no, yes, definitely not... Maybe! All I know some of us open car owners, and some of us working in our garages, are definitely looking forward to summer and some warmer weather. We’ve got another great article on a re-build, with Owen Duncan giving us a behind-the-scenes look, and a bit of history, on his 1946 Chev 610 pick-up rebuild. If you like fast cars, you can’t go past Bob Neville’s 1928 Model A Ford Boat Tail Racer! And we also have part two of our series on the History of the Taupo Vintage Car Club, from Graham Mock. Cheers, Dean Packwood

Club Breakfast

First Sunday of each month At Coffee Club, Roberts Street. Special $10 menu for Club Members or order off their Menu. Please register in advance to Owen on 07 3788327 Be seated between 9.00 and 9.30. May be followed by a run out in the country. OCTOBER 2018

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Club Captain Run 27th 28th October Not too late to register just book your accommodation and let me know you want to be put on the list. Pre-Tour meeting at the Clubrooms. Monday 15th October @5.30pm See you there. See article on Gentle Annie on page 39

Club Day Combined Run Sunday 18th November 2018 This run will be a Combined activity/run for Branches in the region. We will travel from Taupo to Rotorua leaving our Clubrooms at 9.45am and will be meeting the other Clubs a the Te Amorangi Steam Museum at Holdens Bay Rotourua. There will be an entry charge to visit the Museum. More details in next months magazine.

OCTOBER 2018

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Wednesday 14th November 2018

5.00pm to 7.30 p.m An art experience with Maggie Dawson at Studio 92. Cost $15.00 each. Limited to the first 15 ladies. Afterwards we will have dinner at the Mole and Chicken at your own cost. Numbers not limited at dinner. Book by email to captain@taupovcc.org. OCTOBER 2018

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Printing Tips Although you can print this magazine to A4 (either actual size or scaled to A4), this magazine has been set up in A5 format. This allows you to print 2 pages up on an A4 or even a booklet if your printer supports it. If you open the magazine file in Acrobat Reader, and select file>print, under Page Size and Handling (see image below), you can print multiple pages per sheet. Click File>Print>Multiple>Pages per sheet> 2 If your printer supports printing both sides of the paper, you can also print a ‘Booklet’. Which allows you to print, then staple and fold up into an A5 magazine.

Here are some more informative links and videos to help: • Printing Multiple A4 Sheets on One A4 Sheet in Adobe Reader

• Printing PDFs from Acrobat Reader • Get Adobe Reader

OCTOBER 2018

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Chairman’s Report

Neil Chave Chairman’s Report – October 2018 The Daffodil Rally for Cancer at the end of August was well supported with a great turnout of club cars as well as many other local owners of classic & collectible cars. Around 50 or so left the club rooms in the early afternoon to drive to Kinloch on the fine and mild spring day. Fortunately most completed the run so we had a great ‘show & shine’ in the car park at Kinloch and all took the opportunity to admire all the cars. The Kinloch store probably had the best day ever for sales of ice creams and coffee! Maurice Gianotti from the Taupo Cancer Society collected the donations, and we raised around $600, and this was well up on the previous year. Hopefully next year we can mobilise more of the general public to come along and get behind this very important cause to support local services for those affected by cancer in the Taupo region. We also held our club night in September which was all about computers and maintaining security – Tony’s column will cover this in more detail. We also congratulated our club patron Graham Mock and wife June on their 59th wedding anniversary too. The ‘big one’ is next year. OCTOBER 2018

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The other highlight during September was the annual ‘Brunch Run,’ and we again were pleased with the support for this. During September the 2019 Rally planning committee met and as we seem to have just enough to form a workable committee to plan the 2019 rally programme. The Rally committee will now begin the planning for this event to be held in March 2019. We will always be looking for additional support so again if you would like to join this group then come along to our next meeting in October. The 2019 rally could be one of the largest the club has organised as the timing coincides with the North Island Club Captain’s Rally and those participating in that rally may well also get involved with ours. This means we could have 50 or more cars or 100 people to plan for. Looking ahead the committee has booked the Taupo Cosmopolitan Club for the annual Christmas function in December although due to the facilities available the capacity of the room allocated has a limit of 50. Also in October, we have the Club Captain’s run over the Gentle Annie road from Taihape to Hawkes Bay. Numbers for this are growing, and we have inquiries from other clubs to join this fun drive on a road that many will have passed by but never driven. Let Tony know if you would like to join the group. Looking ahead too we have the combined club’s picnic run to Rotorua in November where we expect another 4 or 5 clubs to join up in Rotorua for a summer picnic. This will be a great opportunity to see some other VCC club members’ cars and meet members from these other clubs. Neil Chave

OCTOBER 2018

1952 Wolseley 6/80

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Club Captain’s Report

Tony Mannington Club Captain’s Report – October 2018 After a wonderful trip traveling to Italy and France, it is nice to be home in the comfort of your own bed. On saying that, we stayed in some wonderful places like the Chateau De Rochecotte in the Loire Valley. Some of the highlights were arriving at Venice Airport and then boarding a water taxis to take us to our hotel. Our hotel was located in the heart of Venice Canals and a few minutes walk to St Marks Square. After spending 3 days in the heart of Venice, it was back on the water taxis to meet up with our tour coach for the next 18 days. Over the next 18 days, we visited Chateau De Rochecotte, located in the Loire Valley, France.

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places like the ski resort of Cortina D’Ampezzo, Cable Car to the peaks of the Dolomites to Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Rapallo on the Italian Riviera, Portofino, Cinque Terre, Florence, Pompeii, The Amalfi Coast, Isle of Capri and Rome to complete our tour. Then back in the air for our flight to Paris to start our 8-day coach tour of France traveling to Rouen, Honfleur, Bayeux, Normandy Beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel, going through the Loire Valley and back to Paris for our homeward flight. Pam and I both enjoyed Italy and France but would have loved to spend more time in France. “Maybe next time.” Now it’s back to business and good to hear that all Pam and Tony enjoying themselves at the Isle of Capri. went well with the Daffodil Rally for Cancer and the deliveries of the Daffodils to the local businesses. Neil’s run to Tihoi, always a popular run went off with a good number of new and old Club Members attending. We arrived back in time for the September Club Night. Owen Duncan had arranged for our Guest Speaker, Stephen Fox from Computer at Work, who got us into an interesting and enlightened discussion on being aware of computer scams and don’t “click” on everything you see. It might look genuine, but take a few moments to think, “Is this genuine.” If not sure “delete.” Stay safe. Breakfast Run again proved to be a popular run on our events calendar with a good member turn out for an enjoyable run arriving at the Clubrooms for breakfast. Thanks to the cooks and the cleanup team who helped serve up over 40 breakfasts. Where else in town can you get a breakfast for $5.00, great value for the money, we broke even, no profit this time!

OCTOBER 2018

Thanks to non-committee members Lorraine and Pam who also helped in the kitchen. While Looking forward to October, we have our last Club Night of the year at the Clubrooms with Guest Speaker, Constable Barry Shepherd, speaking on Search & Rescue. During my absence, Bruce Jefferies and his team of willing helpers spent many hours completely reorganising the Parts Shed. Thanks, heaps, guys. You did a great job. Club Captain Tour is all in hand. Those coming, please be at the Clubrooms on 15th October at 5.30, for team talk. Don’t forget Ladies Night in November. Club Annual Christmas Dinner 1st December at the Cosmopolitan Club. Tony.

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OCTOBER 2018

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1946 CHEV 610 PICK-UP REBUILD by Owen Duncan Owen Duncan shares about the rebuild of his 1946 Chev 610 Pick-Up

OCTOBER 2018

As a child, I remember my Grandad having a new 46 Chev truck farm hack, something which was quite prestigious in those early times. Being so young I donâ€™t know whatever happened to that vehicle. I guess this influenced me acquiring one in the mid 80â€™s which I subsequently restored and now regretfully sold on.

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In 2015 I stumbled across this beauty on Trade Me which was the promo vehicle owned by Tauranga Plumbing Supplies. This owner had owned the vehicle for the last twenty years, and he was able to fill me in on some of its history, having purchased it from a chap in Levin who ran a car salvage and mechanical workshop. I have since learned the truck had a jib for vehicle towing and was used at the Levin Motor Racing Circuit as a crash recovery vehicle. I am led to believe it also had dual wheels at that time. We struck a deal, arranged collection and Jerry Threfall and I picked it up and drove it home. As it was a ‘runner’ the first thing I did was join the USA Haulers for their Labour Weekend event in 2015. Day ‘one’ and we drove to Rotorua Lake Front Domain for a show and shine, with showers on the way, and a wiper blade that decided to fling itself off! That was well lost. Day two had us back at the Taupo North Domain for another show and shine in the sunshine. After inspecting all the pristine vehicles around me I was too embarrassed to lift my bonnet as the engine bay had years of mud and grease caked on it – it was pretty disgusting. However, the journalist for the NZ V8 Magazine did me proud by including the truck’s history and photo in their next edition which covered the Haulers event. OCTOBER 2018

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With the missing wiper blade, the mud and grease, a disgusting engine bay and the fact I had to battle the standard crash gearbox I quickly came to the conclusion that the crash box had to go and the truck needed some TLC and repairs! Although the motor was a good runner, it was a sad state to look at, with all the dirt. So in late 2015, I got to pulling it apart from the firewall forward, refurbished, removed rust and repainted and panel-beated the front and rear guards, a project I expected to take a couple of months. But no, it turned into an eighteen-month restoration! I sourced a US provider for Chev parts called Jim Carterâ€™s Old Chevy Truck Parts, they are certified to reproduce authenticated GM parts. I imported most of my original style fittings through them. And yes, that list is extensive... I also purchased a replacement motor and five-speed gearbox from a later model Chev to retain the GM theme. Valley Customs in Cambridge rebuilt the pedal box and converted the clutch system to hydraulics. Then once apart I discovered the springs were a mess, saggy and needed rebuilding. Another job to do! I had this done by Archers in Rotorua.

OCTOBER 2018

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The grease and mud was a mission! I sprayed it with a heavyduty degreaser, water blasted it, wired brushed it, sanded and spray painted it with Rust Kill. I then covered it in POR15 to give it a stone chip resistant cover. At one stage of the de-construction Noah, our young grandson was assisting me with the removal of all the nuts and bolts. He was underneath holding the spanner when he stopped and said: “Hey Grandad, do you think we should have a break now?” When I asked why he said, “Because your sweat’s dripping all over me.” Funny. Time for a smoko break, and mocha and hot chocolate. Priceless! Many hours of sanding and scraping were spent to get the firewall to bare steel, and it was finally ready for the spray paint. Luckily I had a good mate who was in between jobs, who assisted with some of this work at home, meaning I didn’t have to try transporting it to another site. He and I were able to completely panel and repaint front and rear guards, running boards all the inner guards. Many hours were spent assembling it, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of my friend Jerry, seen here working with front axle about to be reinstalled after having the springs and bushes rebuilt.

OCTOBER 2018

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July 2016 and here we are with a painted and tidied motor, reconditioned head and valves compliments of Henson and Murray, Taupo. The motor and gearbox was re-installed by my son Nick who is a qualified automotive machinist. The pick-up is now ready to re-install the front bodywork and grill. At this stage, I had had the grill restored and re-chromed by Wanganui Electroplaters â€“ expensive but a job well worth doing.

Before re-assembling the front panels, I had to have a dummy run to re-align all the original fixing bolts and rivets without damaging any of the new paintwork, so I decided to reassemble it in the lounge pictured above. Well worth the effort, but I had to cook for a month. It was like living in a paint shop with all the fresh paint smells. One of my importations from Carters was a new wiring loom so while the truck was apart, I had it fitted by Chris, my other son who is a qualified electrician. As the seat was pretty much a homemade model and standard ugly looking bench seat, I also decided to upgrade

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

that too. I had managed to acquire a secondhand seat which fitted perfectly and had that professionally refurbished by a local upholsterer, Grant Wallace. Overall I replaced a bucket load of nuts and bolts, I reckon close to around 150, a lot of which I check regularly to ensure they are sound. Special thanks to my family and friends and those who assisted with this restoration. I couldnâ€™t have done it without them. About the only thing left to do now is to fit seat belts (something I need to get onto after completing an install of a twin carb system). Weâ€™ve now done many more miles of trouble free motoring and no more crashing of the gears. The 1946 Chevrolet 610 as it is today.

OCTOBER 2018

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Bob Neville’s 1928 Model A Ford Boat Tail Racer

by Greg Stokes

Nostalgia is a yearning for the past or an appreciation for all thing’s old. Bob Neville’s “Lucky 17” 1928 Model A Ford Boat Tail racer is all of that and so much more. For anyone with the slightest interest in all things automotive, Bob’s tribute to the motor racing period of the twenties and thirties is a direct step back in time.

OCTOBER 2018

This fantastic little racer started its life on the East Coast of the USA many years ago, Michigan to be precise where an original Model A Ford was stripped down to be built into what is considered one of the most well-proportioned “speedsters” or “racers.” Built as a dual purpose vehicle, it was used in classic racing as well as on the street for parades and touring. Over time the car made its way to the UK before Bob found it and sent it to its new home in New Zealand. Before we go on any further, we suggest you study the photos and digest the styling and proportions, not to mention the selection of really basic

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and simple components. Your Dad or grandfather probably built something similar to race at Pukekohe Raceway or perhaps up the hill at Chamberlain Road? Perhaps you heard your Dad or grandfather talk about similar cars of the past. You may even have or know of someone who has all the makings of a car similar to “Lucky 17” which you can build to relive the past just as Bob Neville and his wife Julie do. While they cannot take the credit for the initial build, GMS Hot Rods have recently been doing extensive work to preserve, maintain and enhance the character of this car. “Lucky 17” draws

inspiration from early dirt oval racing, early Indy cars and other similar forms of early motoring where “specials” were built with what was laying around to go racing. First thing up for GMS Hot Rods was to give the suspension a tune up and correct the geometry while improving the driveability and handling characteristics. A new set of 21 inch Firestone tyres were fitted up, and the car was totally different to drive considering all the old style twenties and thirties components used throughout. Bob & Julie set off for the Art Deco weekend in Napier back in February where the neat little

“Lucky 17” rides on an original Model A chassis which has been kicked up in the rear to mount a 1932 Ford rear end and up front is a modified Model A front end. The original radiator and engine hood then all flow into the boat tail-shaped body.

OCTOBER 2018

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Above: The rear three-quarter view shows the “boat tail” style perfectly. The stainless exhaust really barks with the 200 cubic inch flathead four-cylinder Model A breathing through it.

car was truly well received. Bob and Julie are members of the North Island Model A Ford club, Taupo Vintage Car Club and also the Taupo Rod & Custom Club. Yes you read that right a vintage club and a hot rod club, but that’s the point of this car – it crosses boundaries and bridges the gap between the two sectors of automotive fun. Next up was the annual Repco Beach Hop in Whangamata and “Lucky 17” went back to GMS Hot Rods for an all-new dashboard layout. The idea was to draw from influences such as Auburn and Cord from the twenties and thirties but give things a real Model A

OCTOBER 2018

vibe. The dashboard itself kicks back under the cowling and slopes back toward the driver. The chromed Model A style dash housing six gauges by Classic Instruments. The result is classic, timeless and most of all unique. The car was also completely rewired before the Beach Hop. This time the crowd was different to the previous Art Deco but again, “Lucky 17” drew a crowd all week from Waihi to Whitianga and Whangamata. Shortly after, “Lucky 17” returned to GMS Hot Rods to undergo more work. The 1932 Ford four-cylinder engine needed a freshen up. Drury En-

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

gine Reconditioners were enlisted to rebuild the vintage engine using motor parts ex the USA from Veteran & Vintage Cars. While everything which was visible outside the engine was either polished (Shine Metal Polishers) if it was aluminium or chrome plated (Bumper Replacements) if it was steel. Alpine Panelbeaters were called upon to detail and paint the engine compartment, and then the whole thing was reassembled at GMS Hot Rods in time to be displayed at the CRC Speedshow in Greenlane, Auckland. The Teng Tools Grand National Rod & Custom Show is a show within the CRC Speedshow and to say the car was a bit of a hit was an understateBelow: Ergonomically, the interior layout is perfect with the custom seats in leather, the original Model A Ford steering wheel and the shortened gear lever all at good reach. The GMS fabricated dash and gauge panel is the icing on the cake though in terms of style.

Above: The chromed and polished 1932 Ford four-cylinder engine is something of a jewel. The Thomas finned head and the dual chromed Stromberg 97 carburettors are as much for performance as they are for good looks. It’s a blast to drive!

ment. In the roadster class “Lucky 17” was awarded second place among some tough competition. Interestingly, the car was never built to win shows but it’s incredible to be recognised in this way. With summer just around the corner, Bob & Julie are looking forward to some open-air motoring in this neat little time machine.

OCTOBER 2018

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History of the Taupo Vintage Car Club - Part Two

compiled by Graham Mock

The Mock Involvement Graham Mock and June Ormsby were introduced into the Vintage Car movement in early 1957 by Ernie Brickell. He was a member of the Auckland V & V C Club (Inc). Who owned and restored a 1924 Rhode, a small English roaster sports with a Dickie Seat.

Graham Mock Taupo VCC Life Member

It is with pleasure that I join with others in writing for this history of the Vintage Car Club of Taupo.

OCTOBER 2018

Graham & June became members of the â€˜Crankhandle Mob,â€™ this was a club within a club. All were members of the Auckland Vintage & Veteran Car Club Inc. who felt that the administration was a little biased towards Veteran or Exclusive English vehicles, e.g. Bentley, Rolls Royce, Sunbeam, etc. and were not interested in the common and plentiful supply of Continental, American or English mass-produced cars of the 1920s. This group of 14 kindred souls rented a large garage cum workshop/ clubrooms in Almoragh Road, Epsom. The Crankhandle Mob eventually were elected to control of the Auckland club at the general meeting in 1958 and

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thereafter joined the VCC NZ as the Auckland Branch. Graham bought the Durant A22 Sport Tourer from Roy Cope in bits and rebuilt it in the Almoragh Road premises over some nearly 12 months during 1957/58. The Durant’s first major Rally was the 1959 Auckland Anniversary Weekend Rally to Rotorua. Graham’s first visit to Taupo in a Vintage Car Rally was to attend the Napier Centennial Parade in 1958. Four cars from Auckland took part in that parade and Graham was fortunate to travel in the complete comfort of the Moses / Lawrence Daimler on what was his second visit to Taupo. They slept in the car on the lakefront sheltered by a huge pile of metal that was to be used for sealing Lake Terrace. Brunch was a tremendous platter of yesterday’s leftovers at the Tarawera Hotel; hastily fried up by a benevolent mine host’s wife. Graham was so impressed with the hospitality that he resolved to return on his honeymoon in the not too distant future. Napier was reached in due time and a very enjoyable weekend was had by all. The Hawkes Bay Branch of the NZVCC was formed after this event. When Graham moved to M. O. W. Wairakei, June, his “bride to be” stayed in Auckland to arrange their wedding.

They were duly married at St. David’s Church in Symonds St., Auckland later in 1959.

Mock / Ormsby Vintage Car Bridal Party 12 September 1959 The bridal car was the Moses/Lawrence 1919 DAIMLER, the Bridesmaids travelled in Harold & Shirley Denton’s 1926 MOON and Roy & Nita Cope’s 1925 SUNBEAM. The Groom and his attendants arrived in the best man’s Ernie Brickell’s 1924 RHODE, and of course, the honeymoon car was their 1924 DURANT. John Irvine, (club captain) in the foreground, recorded the event for posterity on 8mm colour film and the event featured prominently in the NZ Herald & Auckland Star. The bride and groom arrived in Taupo on 13th September 1959 and left for Napier on the 16th via Tarawera and to Te Haroto which is as far as they travelled due to Graham’s lack of confidence in the Durant’s twowheel brakes. It was to be 40 years later before the Durant reached Napier. The Mocks’ continued their membership of the Auckland Branch and attended their events over the next few years. OCTOBER 2018

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Above: Mock/Ormsby Vintage Car Bridal Party, 12 September 1959. The bridal car was the Moses/Lawrence 1919 DAIMLER, the Bridesmaids travelled in Harold & Shirley Denton’s 1926 MOON and Roy & Nita Cope’s 1925 SUNBEAM.

The decision to settle in Taupo was made at Christmas 1961 and plans for building their own home initiated. They moved into their new home almost 12 months later and are still there today in September 2007. In the meantime, three vehicles have been fully restored by Graham, with help from club members. Les Hayter and Shane Hobman on a 1938 Chevrolet Sedan. In 1997 Graham restored a 1939 Chevrolet ¾ ton Welldeck Truck, and the Durant was re-restored in 1999.

OCTOBER 2018

Inaugural Rally The Inaugural Rally held in March 1968 attracted 42 entries from as far as Auckland and Wellington, Napier & Hastings, Wanganui & New Plymouth and many points in between. The range of vehicles was equally vast with Fords, Chevrolets, Austins, Hupmobiles, Bentleys, Daimlers, AstonMartins, Alvis, and Dodge, Hudson, Willys, MG, Franklin, Packard, Stutz, Velie, Rolls Royce, Rover, Perry, Riley, Chandler, Talbot, and Buick all being represented. Some of the entrants are still in the club today such as Jim Lewis, Gordon Vogtherr, Rod Welch, John Bayly, and A Roberts.

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The Rally competitors were met by a welcoming team of marshals on the three main Roads leading into Taupo and given a map and directions to Taupo College. There was no competitive or timed section. The Programme • Saturday 12.30 to 1.30 Luncheon at St Patrick’s Hall, • 2.00 pm. Gymkhana at Old Taupo Aerodrome

• 8.00 pm. Social and Supper at St Patrick’s Hall • Sunday 6.00 am. Fishing party on M V Ponui return 9. 00 am. • 9.30 am. Static display on Taupo Domain • 12 noon: Light Lunch provide and presentation of trophies. Roly & Ann Goodson donated a cup and miniature for the Concours d’ elegance, and it was won by Watty Watkinson for his PERRY.

“Concours d’ elegance.” Sunday 17 March 1968 South Domain, Taupo.

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

2nd Annual Rally 1969

Taupo Centennial Rally

Taupo had its second Rally in February 1969. There was good support from adjacent branches, and those that took part enjoyed themselves. The late Dennis Amor played a significant part in organizing this event and his fleet at that time included a 1909 Rover, Darraque, Chevrolet, Dodge, Singer, Beauty Ford, Hudson Super Six, and a Derby Rolls Royce. Gordon Vogtherr won the Goodson Concours d’ Elegance Trophy with his MG Sports.

In January 1970 a Taupo Centennial Rally was held with both drivers and passengers dressing in period costume. This was a “No No” in vintage car club circles at that time so as not to detract from the significance of the cars.

Rotorua Branch Formed The Rotorua Branch was formed in 1969 with our support after boundary changes were agreed between the Hamilton, Bay of Plenty and Taupo Branches.

OCTOBER 2018

As a good number of club members were Austin enthusiasts and because of Taupo’s central location it became the venue for the first of the Vintage Austin Register Rallies, this was in February 1970. Many other One Make Clubs have also used the same reason for coming to Taupo as a venue and Taupo Branch has earned an enviable reputation for being a hospitable club.

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

North Island Rally 1971 The first major rally attended by members of the Taupo Branch was at New Plymouth in 1971. Phil & Fay Andrews, Denis & Thelma Amor, Roy Stewart, and Keith Booth had a memorable journey.

Photo shows Fay Andrews and son Bruce polishing the 1916 Perry for the Public Show.

13th International Rally 1974 Highlights over the years include participation in and organizing rally routes, checkpoints, and hospitality for numerous club events including the 1974 - 13th International Rally, where two routes 12 and 22 passed through Taupo en route to Wellington and thence to

Nelson. Checkpoints were manned at Waiotapu, Taupo, and Tarawera. A total of 78 cars passed through including 31 overseas entrants. Graham Mock attended a training weekend for Marshals in Christchurch so as to standardize the checkpoint procedures to give continuity to the Rally for the benefit of the participants.

Huka Sprint 1976 An interesting event took place in 1976 known as the Huka Sprint. It was run under the auspices of The Country Gentlemenâ€™s Historic Racing and Sports Car Club. The Taupo branch was requested to assist with marshalling duties, but as it turned out, found themselves running a racing event - simply because there was no one else capable of doing so. A section of road between Huka Lodge and Taupo had been closed, and the run was over a measured mile. The competitors had the road to themselves - or at least thought they had, but not quite, and club members will recall the anxiety they felt when the odd cyclist appeared from nowhere with a car on the circuit. OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

VCC NZ Branch Expansion In 1976 a group of Taumarunui enthusiasts who were members of Taupo Branch expressed a desire to form a sub-branch. Taupo supported this, and it was only a few years later the King Country Branch came into being. A similar scenario was enacted for the South Waikato Branch being formed in Tokoroa.

OCTOBER 2018

Phil Andrews, 1953 Alvis & Jack Hindess’ Austin 7 on Taupo Racing Track 1976.

Outdoor Motor Show To help pay for relocation of the new clubrooms, early in 1983 the Branch staged its most ambitious Motor Show to date. It was an outside event featuring all aspects of motoring. Entitled “WHEELS” it was held on the Taupo Domain and in spite of unfavourable weather it was a great success.

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

Left: Ron Clerke, Rex Bond and Les Hayter 1983. Below: Taupo Christmas Parade 1982 Bottom: ‘Kermit’, Ridley’s 1935 BSA Sedan.

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

Mock’s 1938 Chevrolet Sedan & 1939 Welldeck Truck.

1st Life Member— Jack Hindess At the Annual meeting of the Branch in June 1985, Jack Hindess was elected a life member of the Taupo Branch. Aileen & Jack Hindess

OCTOBER 2018

Jack was Founder Secretary, Past Chairman, Club Captain, you name it Jack has done it for the Branch. He also accepted the Chairman’s position again in 1985–86-87 and was the first to suggest that Taupo Branch should hold an Annual General Meeting of the VCC NZ. We will continue in next month’s issue of Taupo Torque with part three of the History of the Taupo Vinatge Car Club.

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

Special Invitation From HBVCC A SPECIAL INVITATION FROM HBVCC TO OWNERS OF CLUB ELIGIBLE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 2019 IS THE YEAR OF THE COMMERCIAL For the first time ever Commercial Vehicles will be the Featured Marque for 2019. Come to Napier and join the HBVCC for Art Deco Weekend 2019 from February 14th -17th. Kindly sponsored again this year by Euro City Ltd. 45000 people attended ADW in 2018. The Grand Parade on the Saturday will be limited to pre 1946 vehicles with a wheelbase of 160” or less. No tractors or trailers allowed. A weight limit of 3 tons will also apply. Here is your chance to show off that great Commercial vehicle along with Commercials from the Bill Richardson Transport Museum. We suggest you plan to arrive in Napier on Wednesday 13th Feb so you can participate in a special run for just the Commercials on the Thursday ending up at Off the Track restaurant for lunch. Attend our Valentine’s Dinner at the HBVCC Clubrooms that evening. Prizes for best dressed COUPLES this year. For 2019 the main rally is again on Friday and we plan to have a 3 or 4 hour run plus a picnic lunch at an historic Hawkes Bay homestead. Come and join the other 180 plus club eligible vehicles we expect to enter the 2019 Event. Go to the HBVCC website for an Entry Form. (www.hbvcc.org.nz). Entry forms for 2019 will be available from 20th August 2018. Accommodation in Napier is already filling up for Art Deco Weekend so book now to avoid disappointment. Contacts:

STEVE TROTT

stevetrott@xtra.co.nz

STEVE DONOVAN stevedon@xtra.co.nz

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

Club Captain’s Tour “Gentle Annie” Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th October 2018. For those of you that are still thinking of coming on the Tour, Please get your accommodation booking in as soon as possible whether it being Kennedy Park or accommodation of your choice: www.kennedypark.co.nz Some of our group intend also staying over on Sunday night and travelling back to Taupo on Monday. Plans at this stage are we travel over on Saturday to Napier. Have a combined BBQ dinner together at the camp and reflect on the days events with a quiet drink. Sunday visit the British Car Museum and I am waiting for confirmation for a couple more visits, leaving time for those that wish to travel back to Taupo late Sunday pm. For those that have not yet done so please confirm with me that you intend coming so you can be added to my email list of those coming. Planning on having a Drivers and Navigators team talk at the Clubrooms on Monday the 15th October at 5.30pm.

Inland Patea Heritage Trail, Central Plateau, New Zealand Description: Gentle Annie, also called The Inland Patea Heritage Trail, is one of the North Island’s best kept secrets. The route which we know as “Gentle Annie” is officially known as the Inland Patea Heritage Trail and crosses the Dividing Range through an area of great natural beauty and historic interest where earth movements have created unusual mountains with limestone scarps with natural forest. It started as the route of an old Maori Trail from the East coast to the centre of North Island. In the 15th century one of the most famous Maori leaders Tamatea Pokai Whenui (Tamatea means OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

he who explored the land) arrived in NZ on the Takitumu canoe and travelled the trail with his son Kanungunu. Many of the place names near the trail are called after the animals he carried in his basket. Later Patea, a Maori living at Manawarakau, travelled the trail. Legend says he went on a hunting expedition for a long time and returned with a poor bag to find his woman had filled his storehouse. Her incessant nagging on how poor a hunter he was led him to take her for a walk off a cliff. Rather than face her relatives he fled into the wild country west of the ranges where he remained in what came to be called Patea’s Country, a huge tract bounded by the dividing Ranges, Mount Ruapehu and Taihape. The Name gained the Inland to avoid confusion with the town of Patea. For 50 years the Inland Patea’s main port was Napier and everything was packed on horses over the ranges. By the 1870s the Inland Patea had vast Stations with Merino sheep and transport was a tremendous undertaking - typical stations could be sheering up to 75,000 sheep and packing the wool over the ranges on strings of pack horses. The strings were hundreds strong with one man to each string of ten. Mules were also used and one in five animals carried provisions and fodder for the trip. Each pack animal carried 200 pounds (91 kgs) and riding ahead were hunters with dogs providing fresh food. It was a dangerous job and it was not unknown for animals to lose their footing on the narrow rocky path over the precipitous “Gentle Annie” and plunge to their end in the Ngaruroro Gorge a hundred meters below. Panic could easily spread with the rest of the team following. They eventually returned with mail and supplies. This used to be the busiest and longest trail in New Zealand and remained so until Gold Fever struck and eventually in 1908 the railway was opened up to Wellington. (source: www.uniquelynz.com) Cheers Tony Mannington, Club Captain, Taupo Vintage Car Club.

Gentle Annie Road, Central Plateau, New Zealand. Photo by Martin Sliva www.NewZealandPhoto.info

OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine | Taupo Torque

Art Corner

1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Original oil on canvas by Don Packwood donpackwood.co.nz

The nameplate Eldorado is a contraction of two Spanish words that translate as “the gilded (i.e., golden) one” — and also refers to El Dorado, the mythical South American “Lost City of Gold” that fascinated Spanish explorers. Chosen in an internal competition for a 1952 concept vehicle celebrating the company’s golden anniversary, the name Eldorado was proposed by Mary-Ann Marini (née Zukosky), a secretary in Cadillac’s merchandising department — and was subsequently adopted for a limited-edition convertible for model year 1953. Cadillac began using the nameplates “Eldorado Seville” and “Eldorado Biarritz” to distinguish between the hardtop and convertible models (respectively) while both were offered, from 1956 through 1960 inclusively. OCTOBER 2018

Taupo Torque | Taupo Vintage Car Club Magazine

Taupo VCC 2018/19 Calendar Year. 2018 Wednesday, 10th October ��Club Night, Clubrooms 7.30 pm. Monday, 15th October ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Sunday, 21st October ��No Club run due to Labour Weekend, deferred to next Sat/Sunday. 27/28th October ��Club Captain Run, Tony Mannington. Overnight to Napier via Gentle Annie. Wednesday, 14th November ��Club Night: Ladies Night. Sunday, 18th November ��Combined Lunch Run to Rotorua, teaming up with Rotorua and BOP VCC Clubs. More Details in October Magazine. Monday, 19th November ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Saturday, 1st December ��Taupo Christmas Parade.TBC. Saturday, 1st December ��Taupo VCC Christmas Dinner. Monday, 17th December ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Wednesday, 19th December ��Christmas Morning Tea at Clubrooms. Bring a plate.

2019 Saturday, 2nd February ��Taupo VCC Open Day and BBQ. Wednesday, 13th February ��Club Night, Summer BBQ at Clubrooms, 6.00 pm. Sunday, 17th February ��Club Run/Blind Run. Monday 18th February ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Sat/Sun, 9th /10th March ��Taupo VCC Annual Rally. Wednesday 13th March ��Club Night 7.30 pm. Sunday,17th March ��Club Run. Monday 18th March ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Tuesday, 26th March ��Hospice Morning Tea 9.45 am. Wednesday, 10th April ��Club Night 7.30 pm. Sunday, 14th April ��Club Run. Lunch Run. Monday,15th April ��Committee Meeting 7.30 pm. Wednesday, 8th May ��Taupo VCC AGM.

OCTOBER 2018

END OF THE

Summer Wine NORTH ISLAND

C L U B C A P TA I N ’S TOUR

Tauranga

7–13 MARCH 2019 Taupo

Day 1

Thursday 7 March - Tauranga

Day 2

Friday 8 March - Taupo

Day 3

Saturday 9 March - Taupo

Day 4

Sunday 10 March - Napier

Day 5

Monday 11 March - Waipukurau

Day 6

Tuesday 12 March - Palmerston North

Day 7

Wednesday 13 March - Wanganui

Hosted by BOP Branch

Hosted by Taupo Branch Hosted by Taupo Branch

Napier Wanganui

Waipukurau

Palmerston North

Hosted by Hawkes Bay Branch Hosted by Central Hawkes Bay Branch Hosted by Manawatu Branch Hosted by Wanganui Branch

Kaaren Smylie

North Island Club Captain

Mobile: 021 66 43 41 Email: nicc@vcc.org.nz

g Bring alon ce, f e’ a your ‘Smyli cruise relax and wn at your o pace!

A NCH

Bâ€“ N. Z

V I N TA G CAR

Taupo Vintage Car Club Hickling Park, AC Baths Ave, Taupo. PO Box 907, Taupo 3351

Taupo Torque is also available online with other VCC magazines via the online digital publisher Issuu. https://issuu.com/vintagecarclubofnewzealand An Issuu mobile app is also available for IOS and Android.

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