VCC Waitemata Phoenix June2026

WAITEMATA BRANCH DIRECTORY

CHAIRMAN: ROBERT CHAPMAN 021 038 3281

robman@orcon.net.nz CLUB CAPTAIN: STAN SMITH 0274 775 475 vintageaircraft@xtra.co.nz

SECRETARY: JACQUI GOLDINGHAM 09 44 58811 waitemata@vcc.org.nz

TREASURER: JACQUI GOLDINGHAM 09 445 8811 goldienz@orcon.net.nz BRANCH DELEGATE: IAN GOLDINGHAM 09 445 8811 goldienz@orcon.net.nz

EDITOR: MICHAEL GREIG 027 24 55 786 094456760

michael.john.greig@gmail.com SCRIBE Moveable Feast PAST CHAIRMAN: BRENDAN LAMAIN 021 132 4557 brendanandterry@gmail.com

COMMITTEE: MAX JAMIESON, MIKE HOPE-CROSS, HAMISH ANDREWS.

COMING EVENTS

Looking Forward

Club Night. 2nd June

See you at the RSA Room, King George V Memorial Hall, Library Lane, Albany, 7.30 pm.

June. 27th. Limited to 25 persons. An exciting visit to Buckley Systems, with the Vincent Owners. The visit is to Buckley Systems, manufacturers of precision Electromagnets including magnetic system designs, engineering and integration. For preparation for this event, please read ‘Ion Man’, Bill Buckley’s biography and learn the song, ‘1952 Vicent Black Lightning’ written by Richard and Linda Thompson, look on YouTube.

Please note: Very Limited numbers. To put your name on the list, phone the Chairman, Rob Chapman. RSVP

Prepare ye the way to the AGM this coming

June 2nd

TheBranchhasneedofyourinputtoensurethatyou,themembers,benefitsfrom thesharedhobby,interestandpassioninvintage,veteranandsportingcars,andtheir properuseonroadandtrack.Wesharetheinterestandknowledgeinthehistory, mechanicalcomplexitiesanddrivingtechniquesfortheseuniqueandspecialvehicles oftwo,threeandfourwheels.Pleaseconsiderjoiningthecommitteeissharingthe helm,tiller,wheelandkeeptheBranchatthevanguardoftheVintageMotoring Movement.Cateringprovided.NoBBQ,buthamorchickenprovided.Bringplateand cutlery,andremembertoexitwithit..

ThepositionsofClubCaptain,SecretaryandTreasurewill bevacant.

R’oil Can Rally. 25/26th July.

TheeventistheBranch’sPremierEvent,ourHairyChestedMotorists(itincludesyou tooMadam)StatementofourcommitmenttotheVintageMotoringSpirit,ouresprit decorps.Ourcourageousorganiserhasfoundthefinestofroadsandterrainthatis worthyforustoenjoyinthepropermannerofpilotingouresteemedmetalsteeds. Duetoaccommodationlimitations,thereisalessthanusualnumberofvacancies available.Pleasebeinfirsttoobtainanentry.

FurtherdetailsandentryformslastpagesofthisPhoenix.

AugustwillwelcomeustoDaffodilDaywithitsassociatedRally’saroundthecountry. Imagesanddetailswillfollow.

September20th willbringourFilmEveningtoRydersforourmealandice-creamtreat. Itisyourchancetodecidethefilmanddiscusthiswiththeorganiser,Mr.Goldingham.

OctoberwillofferusaGardenVisitwhichwillbeachancetoseeanotabledisplay. Onceagain,detailswillemergelater.

Waitemata Branch member Gilly Smith has sadly passed away. Stan has advised that her Funeral service will be held At North Shore Airfield. Thursday 4 June at 11am

Gillian SMITH Obituary

SMITH, Gillian Asdis. Passed away on 12 May 2026, aged 79 at North Shore Hospital. Sorely missed by her husband Stan, her dear family and friends. A celebration of Gilly's life will be held on Thursday 4 June at 11am, in Smith Tech Air hangar, North Shore Airport, Postman Road, RD4, Albany, via Gate 9; followed by refreshments in the lounge at the North Shore Aero Club. 0800 420 470 FDANZ

Gilly will be known to most of you as the other half of Stan in his role as Club Captain and for her events that focused on Aviation. Thank you Gilly for all you did for the Waitemata VCC

Jacqui

VCCNZ Waitemata Branch

Secretary

The Friday lunch at Riverhead.

The monthly run had morphed into a lunch and the Sunday had moved to a Friday and after a tense and protracted negations, the table settings had been finalised and the participants arrived at the selected site and with the preloading and rustle of cutlery, the chat had started. The attendees were diverse with Team E Type arriving first with the Chairman and the Editor, both modern mounted with the known conditions of their mounts noted: sans wheels and sans wiring followed by a member who brought his pre-war car, typical of the era and with honest patina, Team ’37 Chev, with Frank Pronk. (As a youth, I lusted after the knee action ’37 Chev, for its power and presence. The Editor). Ray Ferner brought out the Aston DB 2.

And the locals to the area, Don and Anne Suckling were in attendance. Due to the table booking system employed, the Chairman took control of the situation and once the numbers were added up, divided and shared, it was a tasty meal and affordable to the Gold Card holders. Such joy in the conversations, banter and ‘joie de vivre’ , there was call for this type of event to be repeated with offers of organisation presented to the group. May this ‘esprit de corps’ continues!

As the group departed after much inspection of the arrayed vehicles, I left to visit friend who lived only meters away from the establishment and stay for a few hours reminiscing on past glories. After that it was Tango and it was a great day out. My thanks to participants and organiser. Michael Greig

Member and star, Ray Ferner and Martin Spicer, Grand Master of the Motorcycle Section of the Auckland Branch of the Vintage Car Club of NZ.

MAY 23RD MOTORCYCLE MEETING

We set of from Pokeno in light drizzle, a bit of a worry as our guest speaker Ray Ferner had said that if it was raining, he probably would not bring his open top 1931 BSA FW32 race car, but luckily once we had come over the top of the Bombay's the weather changed to sunshine.

We arrived at the club rooms at 1.45pm, Lynda went up to the kitchen to get the aftermeeting tea’s set up. The members started to arrive, and then we heard the sound of a loud exhaust note, it was Ray arriving in the BSA, he parked the car just outside the back door for display.

Soon the car park was filling up we members all chatting and looking over the BSA car.

We had a nice collection of 12 bikes parked up, these bikes stood out -1976 Triumph T160 Trident, 1950 Panther Model 100, 1951 Triumph T100, 1986 Honda GB 500, and Keith Ballagh’s home built Velocette that has a 1938 engine, his own mono shock frame with Ceriani forks and disc braked mag wheels.

{The above article is from the Auckland Branch motorcycle section that appears to be more active than the car section. There are many speakers that Martin arranges and it is held usually the third Saturday afternoon at the Auckland Branch clubrooms in 39 Fairfax Ave., Penrose.}

Nomenclature

As the world descends into the chaos generated by that rogue state previously relied upon to provide assistance to struggling nations and help quell international disputes by upholding the rule of law, more Americanisms are creeping into our written language.

A recent example is race cars. For as long as motorists have been competing with others in speed events, they have been racing, and the vehicles used for that purpose have for well over a century been called racing cars and motorcycles. “Race” is a noun, usually denoting speed or people of common ancestry, and to use it as an adjective goes against the norms of the English language.

Americans tend to shorten such adjectives into nouns in other spheres, too. Fencing material with pointy bits has been shortened to barb wire instead of the barbed stuff familiar here, and the motoring world seems to have acquired stretch limos, identifiable as cars with ridiculously long wheelbases. What’s wrong with barbed and stretched? The limo now seems to be any car with delusions of grandeur, lazily shortened from the original limousine which required a glass division between its passengers and the lesser mortal employed to conduct its safe passage.

New Zealand is a country with British roots, and our vocabulary stems from that. True, our spoken English has been influenced for years by American TV programmes, but I suggest there’s no need for our written English to follow suit. Our language evolves, also true, but replacing perfectly good British terms with lazy Americanisms is, I maintain, to be resisted.

Our club was originally formed to include cars mostly built before the days of bumpers, which became necessary only because of increasing numbers of increasingly careless or incompetent drivers. (Can it have any connection with the way that the standard of driving started downhill when some doubtless wellmeaning person invented synchromesh?) Today’s cars have done away with bumpers altogether, which means expensive panelbeater visits after minor encounters with bollards and other obstacles.

Car part names also differ between British and American usage. My car is English and so its hood, in an ideal situation, might cover the occupants rather than the engine. It jars to read in Beaded Wheels about British sedans which in their native country have always been saloons, and is there anything more ridiculous sounding than an Austin Seven sedan? The external body parts that the British call wings and we generally known as mudguards (although the need to protect mud has yet to be satisfactorily explained) are called fenders in the USA, perhaps to fend off those pesky pedestrians who insist on crossing the road and running into innocent cars.

Fenders have given rise to the handy description of minor damage being a fender bender. This could well be extended, in the manner of the German language’s useful penchant for compound nouns, to that repair place being a called a fenderbendermender. Of course, you might have urgent need for a temporary replacement vehicle and borrow something from the fenderbendermenderlender. (The increasing number of women in the industry could lead to a further compound noun which the reader can doubtless work out.)

But I digress.

The aviation world, which I also inhabit, had to come up with new words, a whole vocabulary, to describe various parts of the newfangled flying machine. Some obvious terms were borrowed from the avian equivalent, such as wing and tail, but birds are able to control flight by the subtle movement of feathers, a technique not available to the fledgling human aviators. What would you call, for instance, that flappy thing on the end of a wing to aid lateral control, even if it had yet to be widely accepted in the face of early wing warping?

With the dawn of aviation taking place primarily in Europe, Orville and Wilbur being so fiercely protective of their ideas and patents on the other side of the Atlantic, it was left largely to the British and French to sort things out. The British being British, a committee was formed towards the end of the first decade of powered flight, and the French being French, many of the words adopted were of French origin.

Those flappy bits, for example, were called ailerons, a diminutive of aile, wing, and the long spindly thing, the main body of an

aeroplane housing the death-defying pilot (from French pilote, Medieval Latin pilotus, ultimately from Greek pēdon, oar) became the fuselage, from French fuseler, to shape like a spindle. Even the engine was named from Old French engin, itself stemming from Latin ingenium, ingenious contrivance. Trust the French to want to have maximum influence on a language, but such items as the rudder had long been used on waterborne vessels for a similar purpose and was the rōther in both Old English and Old French.

Purity of language is in the eye of the beholder, to thoroughly confuse clichés, and I object to the continuing degradation of a perfectly good vocabulary by introducing words from a country which has expressed a desire to return a perceived rival, a country which led the world to civilisation, “back to the Stone Ages”.

Pernickety of Beach Haven

Photo captions:

Racing cars have always been popular among young blades who enjoyed speed. William Moorhouse, who later found posthumous fame as William Rhodes Moorhouse, the first RFC pilot of Māori extraction and VC recipient, sits in his Lion Peugeot at Spratton Grange. These V-twin voiturette racing cars in their final form had cylinder dimensions of 80 x 280 mm, just under 3 litres, and developed 95 bhp. (Air Force Museum of New Zealand)

Early aircraft look primitive to modern eyes, and when this Radley Monoplane was built in 1911 the standardisation of aircraft nomenclature was still being established. James Radley (in cockpit) was a pioneer British aviator, having earned his certificate no 12 in June 1910, and built aeroplanes in partnership with William Moorhouse (standing alongside), who gained his aviator’s certificate in October 1911. (Radley Scrapbook, courtesy of Sir Henry Royce Foundation, Australia)

Chairmans Report.

It is with great sadness that the branch announces the passing of long-time member Gilly Smith. Details of her service are in this news sheet. Our deepest condolences to Stan and the family.

On a happier note, the R'Oil Can date has been set. The start venue this year has been set outside of Auckland not for the first time in the running of the event. I have been told we will be traveling uncharted roads for the R'Oil Can. We will see. Accommodation is limited so enter early to confirm an entry. Entry forms on last page.

A continuation of my claim with Vero. Yes, they finally accepted my claim. Not before they refused the claim on the grounds of Comprehensive Mechanical Policy whatever that means. At this point I was able to vent my frustration to management in their NZ office and to Veros' credit they got back to me within 24hours with a yes, we will cover the repair. All these shenanigans could have been avoided had I been able to talk with someone dealing with Vintage Cars in NZ. Take note Vero.

Rob Chapman

Editorial

With much joy I announce that my new set of four 21” wire, six stud bolt-on Riley wheels will be rejoining the car and myself after a visit to the South Island. At near 100 years old, a new set should cover the car well into the future. I look forward to using the car again for its proper purpose and in the proper roads that are still available to the Vintage Motorist.

As with all things, cost is increasing with a new pair of batteries for the modern SUV, filling the tanks in the fleet will mean that alternative employ may be required to keep the head above water. I am looking at air busking as the piano is hard to shift in front of shops and the footpath blocking is a no-no. I may resort to taxi dancing as well as outside the supermarket it the dance shoes on, talc and the ghetto blaster to dance Tango. In a keep fit mode, I go to the Tepid Bath, that old and well-respected restored swimming pool at the bottom of town and aqua jog for 90 minutes twice a week. I call it ‘dog paddling’ and am working to get into the regional team to achieve a placing so I can get into the lucrative off-shore dog paddling and access the international series. I know there is a lot said of the doping and illegal techniques that are employed by some sports people who are in it for the money not the love of the sport.

Many thanks to the contributors to the newsletter. I exist only to bring forth your utterances to our members for their oral and visual delight.

Michael Greig

Hi Mike,

I thought that the following experience which I was confronted with over the last few days and the subsequent outcome could benefit some of our members.

My Jaguar suddenly started giving a truly serious steering shudder at speeds above about 48 mph. I figured that I must have thrown a wheel weight and contacted a tire retailer on the North Shore about balancing the front wheels. This was done and the problem was changed inasmuch as the shudder just came in at about 55 mph. I spoke with another tire shop and the owner asked how old the tires were. He was horrified when I told him that the tires, which still had a tread depth of over 5mm, had been renewed when I completed the restoration in 2002. At his suggestion I decided to renew the two front tires and re-fitted the two wheels to the car. A short blast along the motorway revealed a violent shuddering even worse than before. By this stage I was truly mystified and in conversation with a friend I was advised of a company who were really expert at balancing wire wheels. I spoke with the principal of this company - Paul Walbran of Paul Walbran Motors in New Lynn who are primarily MG specialist service people. Paul explained that to achieve perfect balancing of wire wheels the wheels should be mounted on the balancing machine on a splined fitting rather than with cones. I took my wheels to them and after re-fitting them to the car I was able to drive at speeds up to 75mph before a very slight [but acceptable] shudder could be detected. I realise that most tire retailers when fitting tires to wire wheels, do so on a "hope and pray" method if they do not use a splined fitting for their wheel balancing machine.

Best Regards,

Alan Kerr

Hi Michael,

I enjoy receiving the Phoenix newsletters. Thank you.

In this issue you have put a red Jowet Jupiter, seeking more information. I can get more details, I expect, but it won't let me copy the photo in order to email it the Jowett Club members' registrar. Can you please email the photo to me? Then I can ask for information about the owner of this car and perhaps the event.

Thank you, Bunty

Great to see a Jowett Jupiter pic, as I used to own E1SA266 (the red car in the photo), that was originally owned by Red Skelton. The gold car, owned by my neighbour, the late Ted Miller, was one of four that Skelton bought from the factory and is two serial numbers older than mine.

Cheers, Peter Cooper (Friend of the Branch, scooter section)

Corinne, the human motor car mascot

As with so much in life, making movies must have been far more complex a century ago than it is today. Especially when special effects were needed to make the audience believe things were not quite what they really were –think of that 1927 masterpiece Metropolis and the motoring tricks used in it to achieve that grand futuristic setting. Apart from the actual Rumpler Tropfenwagens used, scale models were, of course, part of the plan. This photo shows the exact opposite of using scale models in film to achieve a somewhat bewildering effect. We see a radiator with a mascot – or hood ornament – that is actually a lot larger than expected. In fact, the mascot, in the style of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy, really is actress Corinne Griffith, dressed in a beautiful Art Deco costume.

The scene is from the 1930 movie ‘Lilies of the Field’, which is in fact a so-called lost film, with no known complete prints or negatives surviving other than about 40 seconds of a ballet scene. We do not believe it is much of a car movie, although this image is certainly powerful. Actress Corinne Griffith may have been an enthusiast herself, though. We found a photograph from a 1927 clipping showing her with her own motor car, a Hibbard & Darrin-bodied Minerva, no less! A fun detail, which unfortunately is too vague to tell us more about, is that car’s hood ornament – very large and definitely not the usual mascot. It may well have inspired the filmmakers!

Words: Jeroen Booij; Pictures: First National Pictures, Coachbuild.com Thanks to Pre. War. Com

This is a hand written list compiled by W.J. Hearne, now Oamaru, that was given to me over forty years ago during my informative and training years of Vintage instructions. Readers should find this invaluable while doing research on their vehicles. Try identifying the year approximately in the below picture of the first Riley 9 WD to arrive in NZ with Mr, J O S Miller with his ‘girlfriend’ , Miss Riley.

The numbers that are covered by the plate are that from the English registration as this was a demonstrator car from Riley for the journalists to road test. Note the car in the road test. Young & Co. were canny purchasers and sent out the car to be picked up in Whangarei, Mr. Miller told me. I have another picture taken by the photographer, W.J. (Bill) Brunell, with his daughter, Kitty, driving the Overseas Model.

The above article is from The Motor, August 11, 1931

Gentlemen of Note in the Trade.

Don’t forget Mac’s Garage. Top advice, professional service and well known and respected in the Vintage Austin and Riley world. 09 443-3733, found at 4 Ashfield Road, Glenfield.

Aegis Oil is a local firm headed by Paul Radisich, famous on the track. He gave a talk at the Auckland Clubrooms on the product. There is a Vintage and Classic range and well suited to our cars. Please support them. Members gave testimony to the use of soluble oil in the radiators at 5% rather than antifreeze.

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Last photo in this issue, I took long ago on one of the Branches magic adventures that were organised by Pat Bren in Napier which explored vintage roads and conditions experienced in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. It involved marvellous company, joyful evenings of excess and magnificent memories that are treasured still today.

The variety of cars that attended were of the finest vintage pedigree, the pick of the litter. Sunbeams 14/40’s, 25 hp, 20.9’s, Delage DI’s, Ansaldo 4CS, Austin 12/4’s, Riley 9’s, Vauxhalls of all the vintage period and open cars driven with passion and spirit by hairy chested chaps and chapesses.

In some of the most isolated areas of the country, far from any form of rescue, injured and maimed vehicles were repaired, towed or made better with materials at hand. Many of these heroic exploits are remembered and retold to the young, of these times when giants roamed and motored over the lands, many who are still amongst us.

Oh, my young ones, be inspired to go out into the wilderness and rekindle that spirit of adventure in vintage cars while we have time left to us. The steering wheel and gear knob are in your hands. Off, off you go!!

Remember to take a St. Christopher with you and some spare clean underpants with you.

Michael Greig.

PHOENIX

The OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of THE WAITEMATA BRANCH of the VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF N.Z. INC.

An old photo taken by M Greig last century. (Name the cars.)

CLUB NIGHT

Tuesday 2nd June

7.30 pm at the RSA Room, King George V Memorial Hall, Library Lane, Albany.

On Highway 1,Take Exit 410 Oteha Valley Road. Travel west along Oteha Valley Road, ahead through 2 roundabouts and straight ahead at Traffic Lights into Albany Highway then almost immediately RIGHT into Library Lane then very soon go right again into the parking area. The RSA Room is at the rear.

R’Oil Can Rally 2026 - Entry Form.

The R’Oil Can will start from Fat Kiwi Café, the corner of Turonga and Te Kanawa Streets, Otorohanga on Saturday 25th of July. The intended start time is 0745hrs. The Café will open earlier at 7.00am to cater for coffee/tea and breakfast. Please support them as they are opening early just for us. Ph ahead on 07 2146300 with your order to beat the queue. See www.fatkiwicafe.co.nz for the menu. There is a mandatory safety briefing beforehand, so final report time is 0730 hrs. Fuel up at Caltex Otorohanga across from The Fat Kiwi, or Waitomo Service station at the North end of the main street, before attending breakfast and briefing. Important: If Your car is not capable of making 150mile on a tank, bring a fuel can. We will be in the boondocks. No gas stations nearby. Great Roads, seldom travelled and the surfaces are superb. Entry fee $230 per adult. Entries close Saturday 4th July to assist with accommodation planning. There are limited rooms at the accommodation and by limited we mean 42 people First In, First Served Entry Fee includes; Rally, Morning Tea, Lunch, Dinner, Saturday night accommodation and Sunday Breakfast. Mud, Dust, Rain, Fog and Freezing Cold included free of charge! But if it’s fine, a stunning mixture of superb scenery on some of New Zealand’s least travelled roads. Entries accepted for VCC eligible vehicles with current registration and WOF, and with entrants VCC Membership card. Only entries from open top vehicles will be eligible. Please complete form below.

Name of Entrant

Name of Driver

Name of Navigator

Name(s) of Passenger(s)

Mobile Number

Alternate Mobile Number

Email Address

Postal Address

Accommodation (rooms all have ensuite bathrooms)

Number of couples

Number of Singles

Are you happy Year to share?

Number of children

Any dietary requirements:

Any mobility requirements:

Payment to be made to: Roil Can 2022 A/c: 12-3107-0056040-00 N H Russell. Please use Entrant surname and initial as reference e.g. West K

Email completed entry forms to: nigel@ecpltd.co.nz . cc Rob Chapman robman@orcon.net.nz

Confirmation of entry will be given on receipt of entry and payment.

Please don’t phone me after the 24th of May as I am out of the country until 11 July.

Any important enquiries to email above, or Rod Chapman 021 0383281 if they are truly important and can’t wait.

Accommodation suggestions:

Otorohanga:

Otorohanga and Waitomo Motels 07 873 8289 The motel reverted with the following room rates. This rate is per room. They waived the $20 per head for extras.

Say you are with the Vintage Car Rally when booking. Rooms 1,2,3,4 = one bedroom units has 1 double bed in room 2 singles in Lounge $170 per night

Room 6 = Studio with one double bed & 0ne Single bed $150. per night

Room 7= Studio with one double bed & one single bed $175 a night Rooms 8,9,10 =2 Bedroom units with one double bed in one room and 2 single in 2nd room and one bed in Lounge $175 a night Rooms 11,12 = Std Studio with One double bed and one Single $160 a night

Rooms 13,14,15,16,17,18,19 = King Single has one King Bed $175 a night

“Please note that early bookings would be in your favour as we normally have online bookings and will not have any control over the days availability if not booked early. As for today these are available for your records”

Other options in Otorohanga:

Palm Court Motel 078737122

Otorohanga Kiwi Holiday Park 021873981