VCC Taupo May 2026 Magazine by Vintage Car Club of New Zealand

MAY 2026

JOE AND BERYL RIDLEYS 1935 BSA SEDAN CAR

UPCOMINGCLUB OFFICERSUB OFFCERS

PATRON; GrahamMock(deceased)

CHAIRMAN GraemeDoree 0272496974 gelmdoree@gmail.com

SECRETARY GregNattrass 0211363155 secretary@taupovcc.org

TREASURER PeterDowsett 0274873358 treasurer@taupovcc.org

CLUBCAPTAIN OwenDuncan 0274482484 owen.duncan@outlook.com

MAGAZINEEDITOR GraemeDoree 0272496974 editor@taupovcc.org

COMMITTEE

MurrayStanley 021352333,JohnGribble072628091, GeorgeHolliday02721607050andNeilChave073767656

NonCOMMITTEEPOSITIONS ARCHIVISTS Vacant

BEADEDWHEELS& BRANCHREPORTER GraemeDoree 0272496974

CLUBROOMHIRE EricFoley 027246320

LIBRARIAN TBA

RALLYSPONSOR TaupoBrakeandClutch 073787429

SPAREPARTS TonyMannington 073771598

CLUBROOMSCUSTODIAN OwenDuncan 0274 482-484

VICCERTIFIERS KelvinTrim 073789055 BarryHoffman 0274435479

Club Breakfast - First Sunday of each month At Café Lacus at the Landing 650 Lake Terrace, Wharewaka, Taupō.

IMPORTANT: Please let Owen know by 3pm Friday if you will be there phone Owen on 0274482484. Please be seated by 8:30 am.

PETROLHEADS

The June coffee morning will be at Café’ Lacus At the Landing 650 Lake Terrace Wharewaka. Wednesday the 17th , at 10 am. Meet at the Club Rooms at 9.30 for 9.40 departure. See you there! Thanks and Regards, Barry.

Chairmans Report August 2025 Ladies Day Vero National Rally Update Parts Shed Update

Chairman’s Report

Graeme Doree

May. 2026

Well it’s happened. AGM has been held and a complete changing of the guard has ensued. Please refer to the officers list above. A great turnout of 54 members was a real pleasure to see and it is hoped that when other events are held, that attendance level is closely duplicated. The change to a midday or daylight time frame certainly makes a difference along with the temptation of coffee and cake. Your executive and new events committee has indicated a change to more of these to achieve the higher attendance than our evening meetings. For those who would like to help the events committee, other than those we identified at the AGM please contact Owen Duncan to let him know your willingness. The more we have the lighter the load.

The one thing that was disappointing at the AGM was the lack of women on both our executive and events committees. Ladies if you would like to help and have your say please let me know. Our constitution allows for people to be appointed as necessary to positions and this can easily happen.

The club is in good standing and this is in no small way to the previous executive. To Eric Foley, Elaine Taylor and John Searle I thank you for your excellent stewardship and hope that we can maintain this going forward. To those on committee Maureen Ransley and Andrew Birkbeck thank you. To Maureen, enjoy the time you have now recovered as I know a lot was spent on our club. To Andrew and Twyla Birkbeck we hope you enjoy your new life in the South Island.

To Murray Stanley, thank you for sticking around. Your past knowledge will be greatfully received as we go forward.

Also thank you to Owen Duncan who I have convinced that if he was going to coordinate the events committee that makes him Club Captain. He has agreed to that position. Owen brings a wealth of knowledge having had this position before. Lets all get behind him and assist where we can.

Graeme

REMEMBERING JOE RIDLEY

Taupo VCC Past Chairman Club Captain and Life Member

Passed away peacefully May 13th.

JOE & BERYL RIDLEY

Joe was a most friendly, dedicated and steadfast member of our Club. He contributed significantly to the establishment of our present Clubrooms, making use of his carpentry skills to help rebuild and then add new sections to the building.

His perseverance and “Can Do” attitude was always apparent with the number and quality of the Vintage Vehicles he restored.

Both Joe, with his wife Beryl became very involved with Local and National Rallies and events, as well as many popular social runs and clubroom activities.

The “miles” that were shared with many of us in our cars, and Joe’s congenial support and welcoming smile, will be precious memories always.

Farewell Joe RIP

Maureen Ransley.

A tribute from Trish Jefferies

Joe was such a loveable, friendly person and someone whom I was able to talk about anything with.

And he and Bruce were such good mates, and excellent caretakers of the clubrooms.

I bet they’re up there together now fixing everything St Peter wants done.

Here’s some words from Joe himself as published in the clubs 40th Jubilee Booklet in 2007 Put together by Graham Mock.

Joe Ridley remembers.........

My interest in Vintage cars led me to belong to the Manawatu Branch in the 1970’s. My first restoration was a 1972 Wolesley 15 Tourer. In its life, it had been a car, truck, tractor and finally a hen house complete with 16 eggs when recovered. It took three years to bring it back to its original condition. The second project was a 1914 Royal Enfield Motor Cycle, found in a dismantled state in a Woodville barn.

The purchase deal called for it to be restored within a year to take part in the Woodville Centenary Parade. This was achieved and the proud original owner led the parade on in – then the bike was mine.

Next project was a 1925 Chrysler 4 Roadster. This sadly neglected vehicle lay in a shed that had collapsed on top of it. After agreeing to build the owner a new trailer, the deal was sealed and the Chrysler had a new home. Another 3 year restoration project.

In 1983 the family moved to Taupo along with these three Vintage vehicles plus a replica Stirling Boneshaker Push Bike that I built from a photograph. A transfer from the Manawatu Branch to Taupo Branch was effected and straight-away my involvement with this Branch was warmly welcomed.

Taupo had no club rooms of their own and my first memory is meeting in the Cosmopolitan Club.

The Chairman Ron Clerke agreed to purchase a work shed to be placed at the AC Reserve. This soon became outgrown so the hunt was on for a bigger building.

Tom Biggar and myself negotiated a deal with the Tauhara Rugby Club for their unused premises for a grand fee of $1,000.00. A club project took place to unite these two buildings and since then further extensions have been added to more than treble the size.

During this period I obtained a most neglected 1935 BSA Sedan Car. This was another ground up restoration and was completed in time to take it to the 50 th Anniversary Rally of the VCC NZ in Christchurch.

Having always wanted an Austin 7, I at last found most of one in Palmerston North. Now having completed the restoration of this car in 2007 we now intend this to be our Rally Car.

Over the last 24 years Beryl and I have many happy memories of both local runs and National Rallies that we have helped to organise or take part in. We especially enjoyed the projects, club nights and the fellowship of the Taupo Branch of the VCC NZ.

A quick observation of mine is that Joe Ridley, Graham Mock and Bruce Jefferies ( now all deceased) were stalwarts of this club and the current members owe them a huge thank you for their time and efforts over the years.

As Trish mentioned there won’t be much that doesn’t get done with them all together.

Car based Acronyms

There are many acronyms based around the motoring world, and many are easy to understand, and many are complicated and have a technical background. Therefore, what is an acronym? The dictionary definition is - An acronym is a word formed from the first letters (or syllables) of a multi-word phrase and pronounced as a single word.

So !! Let's start with some simple ones that everybody has seen on the outer body of cars.

GTI – most commonly stands for Grand Touring Injection (or Gran Turismo Iniezione in Italian). It is an automotive term used to designate a high-performance vehicle equipped with fuel injection technology. While first used by Maserati in 1961, it was popularized by Volkswagen with the iconic Golf GTI in 1976. It represents cars that blend sportiness and speed with everyday comfort for longdistance driving.

GTO - stands for Gran Turismo Omologato in Italian, which translates to "Grand Touring Homologated" in English. The acronym designates a street-legal, high performance grand touring car that has been officially certified (or homologated) by racing authorities to compete in production-based racing classes

EFI - stands for Electronic Fuel Injection. It is a digitally controlled system that delivers the exact amount of fuel an engine needs. By replacing older mechanical carburetors, EFI uses an engine computer (ECU) and various sensors to mix fuel and air efficiently, resulting in better gas mileage, lower emissions, and improved engine performance.

GTR - stands for Gran Turismo Racing. This acronym is most famously used by Nissan for its iconic high-performance sports cars. GT: Originates from the Italian phrase Gran Turismo (or Grand Touring in English). It refers to a vehicle designed to combine sportscar performance with comfort for long-distance driving. R: Stands for Racing, denoting an upgrade in track-focused capability, aerodynamics, and powertrain.

L – Level/Lux (base level entry).

DL – Deluxe,

GL - Grand Luxury,

GLX Grand Luxury Extra,

GLS – Grand Luxury Sport. These are all trim levels on a car from standard to Luxury. There are many more trim level indicators, dependent on car manufacture and country of origin.

Some examples of mechanical based car Acronyms,

DOHC – dual overhead camshaft, ICE– internal combustion engine, VVT – variable valve timing,

ECU – engine control unit,

TDI – turbocharged direct injection,

EGR – exhaust gas recirculation.

So, next time you are sitting behind a vehicle in traffic and your eyes wander to the badging, you might be able to understand what model and type of vehicle it is. FYI I used a PDF file for this article, after putting in my PIN to access my SERP and that goes to show we use Acronyms to a large degree in everyday life. Well !! Now I'm off to watch FIFA football on my LED TV and maybe record it on my DVD player.

By George Holliday.

NELSON VCC 2025 COAST 2 COAST

By Rodney Hutchison

I was talking to my Methven mate Murray Hawkes a while back over something completely different, when he said that he had booked on the Coast 2 Coast run organised by the Nelson VCC. This run starts in Blenheim on the East Coast, heads up the Molesworth to Hanmer Springs, then down Tophouse Road to, surprisingly, Tophouse and the Nelson Lakes before meandering on to Murchison. Murchison to Hokitika on the West Coast found yet more back roads, including the Maruia Saddle. A whole new slant on ‘gravel roads’.

I have travelled to Molesworth and much of the rest of the Hanmer Springs area, including the road to Lake Tennyson, but I had not ever been down the Rainbow, ie Tophouse Road. This was a bucket list item and so this was too good an opportunity to miss‘do you need a navigator’, I asked, and ‘yes’ was the replygame on.

We all see photographs in various places of Murray’s Rolls-Royce Phantom I travelling tracks euphemistically called roads (recollect the front page of ‘Beaded Wheels’ a few years back with the image of Murray’s Phantom I crossing a ford on the Irishman Run), so I was not in the slightest bit worried about making it. I duly arranged to fly down and meet Murray in Christchurch before heading to Blenheim and the start.

There were some 46 participating cars, plus support vehicles. Contrary to preconceptions, not all of the cars were Model A Fords; there was quite an eclectic mix, ranging from a 1924 Dodge to a not so old Ford Focus.

The aim was to avoid main or sealed roads wherever possible. And so Day 1 started with Taylor's Pass out of Blenheim, just to get us into the mood and acclimatised to the dust. It also set the tone for the rest of the trip.

The Molesworth was as spectacular as ever. The road was in great condition and the cars spaced out to reduce the dust intake. Driving up the Awatere Valley on a perfect day is something else, and it did not disappoint. Then it was over the Ward Pass and into the Acheron Valley. The organisers had briefed us that the day was 200 km and to allow 6 to 8 hours. Why so long we asked? Because we kept slowing/stopping to admire the jaw-dropping vistas. It is certainly not a fast road and we all tended to travel at the same pace, generally determined by the slower/older cars.

I thought the Day 1 up the Molesworth was spectacular but, at our morning briefing, we were told that the Rainbow would leave it for dead. And it did!

Tophouse Road, also known as ‘The Rainbow’, is not for the faint hearted. Just two weeks after the major storm event, we wondered just how passable the road would be. We were ahead of the summer opening and accessed the road by special permission, so it may not have been fully repaired ready for the summer rush. Surprising, the road was generally OK, but it was the fords that had us a bit nervous.

Some of the more modern cars had limited ground clearance and were likely to struggle and the older ones may not have been so adept at ‘boulder hopping’, for the fords were generally boulder lined, not gravel!

We were under strict instructions to stay in convoy through the Rainbow Station section, and we did. The fords were generally manageable, albeit with some steep entries and exits, but one did prove a bit more of a challenge. Here, the support vehicles and even some of the participants’ cars came into their own, as some vehicles had to be towed through. The surprise of the day here was the Ford Focus. We all expected it to come to a spluttering and bouncy stop. But, no, the application of some very heavy throttle, a good run in and the car just seemed to glide to the other side – the smart money says it floated across. A total contrast to all the other cars!

As expected, neither the road nor the fords were a problem for the Phantom, with its more than generous ground clearance. As such, we were able to sit back and enjoy the country that were motoring through.

The Upper Wairau Valley through the Rainbow Station met every expectation, from wide open vistas, to narrow gorges, tussock land to beech forest - a bucket list item firmly checked off.

The Nelson Lakes are always special. We were warned of the sandflies at Lake Rotoroa, described as a “severe hazard”. But even they could not dampen the beauty of the lake and mountains behind.

After the Rainbow day, Day 3 had the potential to be anticlimactic. But, no, the fun continued, with us heading from Murchison to Springs Junction over the Maruia Saddle. Now. that is quite a road - narrow, winding and wet fords. We negotiated most of the corners without dropping a wheel either into the deep roadside watertable or over the steep drop off to the valley floor below and only one corner had us reversing for two goes to get round. The joy on Murray’s face when we reached the saddle was palpable, whether out of relief or from fun driving I still do not know.

The end of the run was Hokitika. Most of the cars made at it successfully, although a few were missing bits and may have been a bit battered beneath. But, universally, everyone had one of the best runs ever and there were smiles and laughs all around.

Very big thanks have to go to Joanne Hoffman and Rex Smith, together with their willing team, for their expert organisation and provision of (mainly) fine weather.

Would I do it again? Probably not, as I don't think a second run could match this. However, if any of you have the opportunity to do it in the future, do it!

Murray Hawkes Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 that Rodney had the pleasure of navigating in.

Ladies Day, Parts Shed and Events Committee Meeting - 28 May

Once again thanks to everyone who supported the recent ladies day, I hope you all had a good time. I have attached a couple of photos taken early on in the morning before we got super busy. The one of Elaine and Trish shows the blankets which are being made from strips some of our members are knitting. So far our club’s ladies have knitted up seven blankets since September last year. Amazing effort ladies. Elaine has been instrumental in getting so many of our members involved. Some wool is kindly being purchased ourselves from Lincraft, some has been donated. Many thanks for the donations.

Operation Coverup send a container load of new knitted/crocheted blankets, scarves, gloves, hats, jumpers etc for cold children in freezing Eastern European countries of Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Albania. This year’s shipment leaves in July 2026. if you want more details contact Elaine and she can fill you in.

The parts shed also had a good amount of support, with quite a few of the blokes coming to join us for a cuppa after having a chinwag downstairs.

The newly founded events committee were also in attendance and held their first meeting. This was well supported with more members than those voted on at the AGM participating. So good to see this much enthusiasm early on and I hope it will continue throughout the year. It sounds like they are well on the way to planning a calendar to keep us busy moving forward.

See you at the next day being held on the last Thursday of June - 25th.

A friend of Maureens has asked if anyone would be interested in buying his 1976 VW Beetle. I have full details and more pictures if anyone is interested. He is asking $28000 for it. The car has had extensive restorations done with a lot of new major parts including an engine rebuild. It’s a 1600cc. Let me know if you are interested and I can forward you more details and pictures. I have seen this car and it is in very good condition, started first time and made no funny noises.

Alpine Classic Car Show.

Not sure who went to this from the club but a friend has sent me some pictures. This one stands out. Its Craigs from Taupo Brake & Clutch.

WHAT’S ON

Taupo Brake & Clutch Coffee & Cars

Saturday July 4th 10am Tauhara Road

Yep it’s that time of year again. Neil and Lorraine Chave are this years organisers and have given me the following info. Meet at Club Rooms at 3.45pm for a 4pm start.

Please Please Please let them know if you are attending so that the meal venue can be advised before hand.

Neils info is in the club officers details at the beginning of the mag.

Brass monkey run june 21st

TAUPO HOBBY SHOW.

This is on the weekend of the 11th & 12th July. Our theme this year is American vehicles and we desperately need at least 5 to create our display. Again please, please, please let either Graeme or Owen know if you would allow us to put your car in the show.

The club is indebted to the continued support from the following sponsors.

Please support them when you can.

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