PHOENIX Number 279
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PHOENIX NEWSLETTER OF THE WAITEMATA BRANCH VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND NUMBER 279
CHAIRMAN: CLUB CAPTAIN: 1st OFFICER: SECRETARY: TREASURER: BRANCH DELEGATE: EDITOR: PAST CHAIRMAN: COMMITTEE:
OCTOBER 2018
BRENDAN LAMAIN
021 132 4557 brendanandterry@gmail.com HAMISH ANDREW 027 296 9665 h.andrew@orcon.net.nz HUMPHREYS STAN SMITH 0274 775 475 vintageaircraft@xtra.co.nz VIV SCOTT 021 837 402 robandviv06@yahoo.co.nz JACQUI GOLDINGHAM 021 445 8811 GRAEME BANKS 027 500 3806 graban@ihug.co.nz kandmbeesley@outlook.com KEVIN BEESLEY 021 765 860 chicksmart73@gmail.com DI HUMPHREYS 021 025 75624 ROB CHAPMAN, MAX JAMIESON, MIKE GREIG and IAN GOLDINGHAM (Scribe).
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COMING EVENTS Looking Forward……… Month OCTOBER
Waitemata
Chelsea W.A.L.S.H. Hill Climb 18 (25)
DECEMBER
New Year’s Eve 31 Lochinver 19-20
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Swap Meets
Nat. Veteran Rally Nelson 16-18 Monte Carlo Banks Peninsular 17
Canterbury Swap Meet 12-14 BOP Car Show & Swap Meet 4 Waikato Swap Meet 18
Monte Carlo 13-14
NOVEMBER
JANUARY
Other Events
HRC Legends of Speed Hampton Downs – The Roycroft 24
HRC Tasman Revival - BMMP Taupo 6 Burma Rally Wanganui 18-21 Thames Wings & Wheels 26 Art Deco Weekend Napier 14-17 National Motorcycle Rally Blenheim 15-17 HRC Tasman Revival - Pukekohe 24 Club Captain’s N.I. Tour 7-13
APRIL MAY JUNE
Branch A.G.M. 6
UP NEXT…
Club Night - Thursday 4th OCTOBER Usual place and usual time. See you at the RSA Room, King George Coronation Hall, Library Lane, Albany, at 8.00 p.m.
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The 2018 Monte Carlo! Saturday/Sunday 13-14 OCTOBER. An event for the true motoring enthusiast. A ‘plan your own run’ you can make as challenging or as relaxed as you like. You may start any time from 12.00 midnight on Saturday, 13 October and must be at the finish, the Nikau Café, 1779 Waikaretu Valley Rd, Tuakau 2695 Port Waikato, by 12.00 midday Sunday, 14 October. Where you start from and at what time is entirely up to you – it all depends on how competitive you want to be and how many points you want to earn. This event is open to all VCC eligible vehicles, whether they have tops made of tin or no tops at all. The idea is to get out there and motor – be you either the cruisy tourer or press-on hairy chested type. We want to see you all out there! Organiser Hamish Andrew has devised a cunning yet simple scoring method whereby points will be awarded per letter in place names – full details included at the end of this newsletter. This is a fantastic opportunity to get out and ‘walk the walk’; to exercise your steed in the manner of your choosing. Lunch will be available for purchase at the Nikau Café and, weather permitting, the adventurous may take a guided tour through the adjacent Nikau caves – a truly remarkable experience. Please register your interest NOW with Hamish at h.andrew@orcon.net.nz, or on 09 276-9263 or mob: 0272 969 665 Pag e |3
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And coming right along….
CHELSEA W.A.L.S.H. HILL CLIMB Sunday 18th November 2018 9am – 3pm Sun. 25th Rain Day Chelsea W.A.L.S.H. Hill climb is open to all VCC eligible vehicles pre-1945 & up to Pre-1960 with prior consultation with the Waitemata Branch Committee.
ENTRY FORMS etc., are available in this issue of PHOENIX & NEED TO BE WITH Secretary VIV SCOTT 200A Greenhithe Road, Greenhithe, Auckland 0632
by 12th November 2018 Scrutineering will be held at Mac’s Garage (4E Ashfield Street, Glenfield) Saturday 17th November 2018 from 9am till 1pm. This service will be carried out by Ryan McDonald & Kevin Andrew Scrutineering at the venue is ONLY AVAILABLE to OUT OF TOWN ENTRANTS by appointment with the above scrutineers Please make arrangements with Ryan McDonald (09 4433733 wk.) / Kevin Andrew (0274989454 wk.)
MARSHALS are REQUIRED can YOU help?? please contact Di Humphreys 09 4460916 m. 021012575624 chicksmart73@gmail.com The event will NOT happen unless we have some VCC members as Marshals
All Marshals MUST be at MARSHAL BRIEFING in Pit area @ 8.30am ALL DRIVERs are REQUIRED to ATTEND DRIVERs BRIEFING @ 8.45am
(if you are not at Drivers Briefing you cannot enter the event) The Prize-giving will be held in the Chelsea Bay Café after complete tidy up of venue. Pag e |4
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Also… AUCKLAND BRANCH MID-WEEK RUN Wednesday 17th October. Starts from The Drury Service Centre on the Southern Motorway. 10-00am for a 10-30am departure. Jo (one of our “Junior” members) and Neil Beileski are planning to take us to Mercer for a Fish ‘n Chip lunch there, plus, if the weather is kind to us, a short trek over a paddock to view the remains of two of Roose Shipping Company steam powered paddle vessels which once plied their trade on the Waikato river.
The Dewdrops tel. 09 232 0245 email dewdrops@xtra.co.nz
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PAST EVENTS Looking Back…. Mosquito Revisit – 19 August. The revisit to AVSPECS was a result of our previous visit a bit over a year ago when our host and foreman at AVSPECS, Derek Smith (also son of committee member, Stan Smith) suggested we return in a year to inspect progress. Luckily the day was a beautiful one and the only day clear of rain for the week. The visit was well supported and we were joined by the Daimler SP250 Club, plus a couple of Reliant Scimitars sneaked in too. It was great to see members turning up in club cars with Rob Chapman appearing first with new member Chris Dentith as passenger in the Riley 9 Special and discovering that one needs to be snugly dressed in such a car. Vaughan Beesley was in the Hotchkiss, Peter Morelli in a vintage Bentley, The Goldinghams in the Sunbeam, us, the Host Derek Smith in black and back to camera answers questions. Humphreys, in the Model A Special, David Adams in his Rover 3500S, Steve Aldersley in his “C” Type Jag replica, Rob McNair in an “E” Type Jag, an SP250 club member in an XK150, a 30’s Dodge roadster, a couple of Daimler SP250s, a couple of Reliant Scimitars and a couple of Porsches. Quite a mix!
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The Mosquito was nearing the end of its complex restoration and it is intended to be flying in October, but there still looked to be quite a lot of work to finish it?
Cockpit fore and aft.
Derek was questioned at length about the restoration by those present and kept us fascinated with his expert responses. We provided afternoon tea with some attendees bringing a plate, but, in reality, by 2:30 p.m. most had seen enough and set off probably hoping to beat the afternoon traffic on the motorway, which turned out to be relatively light. RR Merlin to the right and core wing structure
All told, a thoroughly interesting and rewarding afternoon. Special thanks to Derek for giving up a Sunday afternoon to accommodate us. KSH
Line-up of some of the cars attending
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VCC National Day – Daffodil Rally – 26 August Last year this event suffered poor weather but was still well supported. This year more were expected and the weather forecast was certainly promising. The event was a combined one with North Shore, Waitemata and Warkworth/Wellsford Branches combining to raise money for cancer. The general consensus within Waitemata ranks was that it would be a slow parade all the way to Warkworth and that wasn’t really our scene. The day dawned reasonably fine if somewhat overcast and we arrived at the Caffeine and Classics venue at Smales’ Farm at 8:00am as requested to assist with collecting money, raising the gazebo etc. The Model A, being the appropriate colour, was parked adjacent to the gazebo. We left early and drove directly to Warkworth to meet the incoming rallyists and help set up etc. Once again, our daffodil yellow Model A was parked in the prime spot.
The Humphreys Model A beside Gazebo at Smales’ Farm. Pete Benbrook’s Renault beside, North Shore’s fire engine behind.
It was surprising and pleasing to see so many Waitemata-ites entering with North Shore, whom we thought would be attracted to this event, less so. Vaughan Beesley’s recently re-upholstered Hotchkiss was truly impressive and the thought and skill Vaughan and the upholsterers had put into the installation was amazing, with every nook and cranny utilised for properly finished storage spaces, with wine bottles and glasses, fire extinguisher etc., included. As anticipated, there was some grumbling within the ranks as to slow cars holding up streams of traffic and making no attempt to pull over to allow cars to pass. This does nothing to improve the image of the Club in the public eye and we are going to need every bit of support we can muster in the future fights against the inevitable attempts by bureaucracy to limit the use of our vintage/classic cars, with global warming as their righteous war-cry. The cars were parked on the lower wharf area car park and with 105 coming from Smales’ Farm and quite a large local contingent, the area was packed to overflowing with a great range of cars from all eras. An impressive line-up of Volvo P1800s, the most ever.
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Ultimately, $2600 was collected which everyone seemed pleased with and apparently it was somewhat more than the previous year. Three cars came equal first in the publics’ favourite car competition, a highly over-decorated Mini Ute, a truly classic Model T Ford bitsa and the Humphreys Model A Speedster, which was a very pleasant surprise.
Prize winning Model T Bitsa. (Looks like quite a reasonable sort of vehicle to the right. Ed.)
All told, one would have to say that it was a very successful event; the rain stayed away, but it was cloudy and cool. KSH General scene at Warkworth with Midgley Sunbeam in the foreground.
Heavy Metal – Morelli Bentley and Beesley Hotchkiss
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I would be obliged if you could please make sure that your members are made aware of the result of our National Day by either placing the following in your magazine and/or reading it out at your next Club Night. Many thanks Diane Quarrie ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VCC National Day - Daffodil Rally for Cancer Perfect weather, generosity and a good cause contributed to the success of our second annual Daffodil Rally for Cancer raising a record $60,000.00! We had great feedback and attendance for the 2017 event and raised $40,000.00 for the Cancer Society. I am delighted that this year we increased the amount raised by 50%, and I am very proud of our Club and our members who were involved. There were over 3000 vehicles either on the road or on display on the day. Twenty-six branches of the VCC were involved this year and all the money raised will stay in their area and be given directly to the local Cancer Society. Many Branches have commented that the response from the general public has been overwhelming, both in attendance and in their generosity. One of the lovely outcomes of this event is the interest generated in the Vintage Car Club, which has resulted in new members. I would like to congratulate and thank those Branches involved in the day for their enthusiasm and effort which has not only benefitted the Cancer Society, but also our Club with the public profile it creates. This day is a wonderful achievement for Branches and members who can be very proud of what they have accomplished. Our National Day has become a special event for the Club, and it can only get bigger and better from here! Pop the date for next year’s Daffodil Rally for Cancer in your diary now…Sunday 25 August 2019. Diane Quarrie National President ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryders Drive, Dine & Movie - 9 September. Having invited our friends to join us for the Ryders Drive, Dine and Movie we had decided to go in both the Model A and the Daimler SP250. The SP250 Diff has been repaired and re-installed so a short test run was required. While the Diff has proved quiet the car actually lost all power on its test run and came home on a tow rope courtesy of a friendly Devonport’ite. It was bitterly cold, Keith was fed up with old cars and, although voiced in slightly courser language, we were going modern - no argument! It was a relief to see the Goldingham organisers arrive just before 4pm as we’d been sitting in the clubroom carpark for enough time to doubt that we had the start time correct. A set of instructions for the front and back seat caused some interesting discussions and one or two U-
Sunday night at the movies….
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turns, but we eventually made it to the Ryders Complex in Avondale. The grounds there are being steadily re-vamped and starting to look very good and it’s only hoped that the old house will get some attention soon while it is still looking like a reasonable ‘do-up’ project. As always we have enough time to share drink and nibbles before the traditional Sunday roast is served and as always any meal that I don’t need to cook is really appreciated and enjoyed. Great to see Kris Hope-Cross with us after her recent serious session with an Auckland hospital. Not all tables were full but enough in numbers to make a very pleasant evening.
Sunday Roast
Ryders -main street and car park
‘The Great Waldo Pepper’, starring a very yummy young Robert Redford was the chosen movie and with so much flying activity going on upon the screen there wasn’t a bored person in the theatre. The number of Model A’s used in the film helped to keep Mr H entertained and while I had a vague memory of the film, probably only because of the main star, I couldn’t remember the actual story. Having matured, or at least grown up and out of love with Robert, I found the story rather silly. Two grown men, both having fought on opposite sides during the First World War, and both finishing the war being flying Aces, they, for the making of a film, in Bi and Tri aeroplanes, were to re-enact the final dogfight which had obviously become a wide eyed, open mouthed, legend. These two grown men shared a look, took off their ‘safety comes first in the film industry’ parachutes and spent time in the air not adhering to the script but trying to destroy each other’s aeroplane much to the film producer’s glee. Nail biting tension ensued and of course the outcome was that they both crashed and as expected by the audience, died!! Once again thanks Ian & Jacqui Goldingham for taking over John Gairdner’s Ryders organising role and we look forward to another Ryders Drive, Dine and Movie next year. Di Humphreys
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John Gairdner 1938-2018 Branch Founding Father, Treasurer, event organiser, mover, shaker and all round true character
John Gairdner - engaging, eternally positive, wicked sense of humour, great turn of phrase, forceful but never demanding or demeaning, unpretentious and not given to self-aggrandisement – what was there not to like? He was a mover and a shaker par excellence. Using his people skills to great effect he motivated the motoring ethos that created the North Shore Branch and was later further distilled by the formation of the breakaway Waitemata Branch. As a founding father of our Branch, he was fully committed to our cause right from the beginning. By dint of his personality, persuasive skills and friendships John played a key role as one of the few main players – if not the only main player - able to straddle both new and old branches; soothing fevered brows, settling ruffled feathers and massaging bruised egos. As the Branch got into its stride he quickly became our prime social convenor. Many of our early Branch committee meetings were held at the Gairdner household, the democratic machinery being well oiled with port and sherry accompanied by much hilarity. It is to John that we owe the Mid-winter Christmas at Whatipu, the annual Ryders Drive, Dine and Movie, our New Year’s Eve parties. He not only instigated these events, he also set their enduring tone and atmosphere – outrageous Christmas presents at Whatipu, legendary spit roast lamb, (roast dog, as he called it), mid evening singalongs and demonic pyrotechnic displays at New Year. Post New Year John and his dear lady wife Marge put on a Batchelor’s night at their Roseberry Ave home, knocking up the New Year’s Eve left-overs into a slap-up feed for the unattached within the Branch. It was John who visited the neighbours at Chelsea, settling their angst and ensuring their goodwill prior to the running of our annual hill climb. It was John who always manned the Chelsea top gate, applying his pleasant demeanour and silver tongue to assuage the impatience of those our use of the hill intruded upon. In his early days with the Auckland Veteran and Vintage car Club John was besotted with big, old Hudsons. However, the formation of the North Shore Branch bought him under the influence of the “Old Guard” namely Messrs Hearne, McNair and Stanley. John was persuaded that a big Sunbeam was just the thing for a man of his considerable talents and in due course he bought a 1925 Sunbeam P a g e | 11
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20/60 from Tauranga. This had been fitted in the past with a 25hp engine which made it a formidable touring machine. Under John’s stewardship the Sunbeam was well used but it did not always benefit from the degree of maintenance it required. Its numerous motoring excursions were often marked with stops for roadside tinkering and repairs, sometimes to the dismay of his passengers and fellow rally entrants.
Pebblebrook Nov 81
For John, though, it was people, his fellow Branch members, that really mattered, far more so than the cars they owned. He looked for and was able to draw out the best in people, he genuinely cared for their wellbeing and he wrapped up his relationships with everyone in a huge dose of hospitality, bonhomie and outrageous humour.
Takapuna Gymkhana Oct 81
Since the passing of his wife Marge a few years back John endured indifferent health which lead him to sell his beloved Sunbeam. This did not, however impinge in any way on his involvement with and enjoyment of the Waitemata Branch – he remained committed, engaged and enthusiastic right up to the end. We fare welled John on Thursday 2nd August and the capacity attendance at this farewell was a fitting testament to his personality – what was there not to like?
Ian Goldingham & Kevin Beesley. P a g e | 12
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Some of you will remember the ‘Progress Profile’ series that used to run in the North Shore Branch magazine ‘Progress’.
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Takapuna Gymkhana Oct. 81
Whatipu 2002
1975. VCC Run .
1966-67
Waitemata event 2017 Branch vehicles in farewell attendance
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More Branch vehicles in farewell attendance. This panoramic shot has had a strange effect on some people…
What more fitting for such a ‘people person’ than this group shot of Branch members and FOB’s taken at his funeral. John would be well pleased.
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FROM THE ED. The astute amongst you may have noticed there was no ‘Phoenix’ for September, a situation that came about due to the Editor’s absence overseas. A big thank you to Diane and Keith Humphreys and to Ian Goldingham for much of the content in this edition – all very good stuff. Sad and infuriating to read in Keith’s report on the VCC National Day event about slow cars holding up streams of traffic and making no attempt to pull over to allow cars to pass. Despite constant emphasis on this issue over many years there are still those amongst us who lack the common courtesy, good sense and road manners to allow modern vehicles, and fellow vintage motorists who clearly want to go faster, the opportunity, wherever possible, to overtake.
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In this writer’s experience there remain those within our club arrogant enough to think that no one should go faster than they do and who take umbrage at the idea of being overtaken. If you want to degrade our pastime in the eyes of the public and erode sympathy for our cause, then not pulling over to let others pass is surely the best way to do it. If you want to frustrate your fellow club member and detract from his/her vintage motoring enjoyment, then hog the middle of the road at 80kms when you sense he/she wants to overtake you. If, on the other hand, you want to further the VCC cause and demonstrate respect for your fellow club member, then get out of their way as soon as you safely and reasonably can. To do otherwise is just plain ignorant.
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FOR SALE…. Embroidered Branch Badges…………………………………………. $10 each. Great quality and feel the width! Contact our worthy Secretary, Viv Scott for yours.
1950 Ford Prefect Engine, gearbox, sundry other mechanical parts, doors and body section. Interested? Contact Kevin Beesley 021 765-860. kandmbeesley@outlook.com
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OTHER NEWS‌‌ A fascinating slice of history written back in April 1950, sent in by Tom King, featuring our very own Ron Roycroft.
New Zealand Sports Car Club Paekakariki Hill-Climb Adverse weather conditions on February 11th offered every excuse for the fifth annual Paekakariki HillClimb to be a failure. The night before the event a thick sea mist had clamped firmly down on the top third of the hill, and recent rain had left a thick deposit of greasy clay on some of the most difficult corners of the two-mile course. However, officials and competitors rose triumphant over these difficulties, and after a two-hour postponement of the starting time in a vain hope that the fog would lift, everyone pressed on regardless, with the result that the absolute hill record and three class records were broken in an accident-free meeting. The first round opened with a splendid climb by Jack Kennedy in his single-seater Austin in 2 min. 51.75 sec. Basically a standard "Seven," the little car ran and was handled beautifully and Kennedy can be very proud of his time. Next up was O. B. Cottrell with his totally enveloping bodied Austin Seven. Nice to look at but not enough horses, and 4 min. 4.95 sec. was needed. The Auckland Chatteris/Roycroft Racing Team was represented by Ron Roycroft with the blown "Rubber Duck" Austin and Roycroft made a terrific run, which was unfortunately mistimed. The 1,100-c.c. class record holder, M. Procter, was spectating, due to trouble with his Riley and Jock Brough had a walkover with his Singer saloon in 3 min. 48.45 sec. However, Jock is a fine driver and a real trier, handicapped by an unsuitable car, so everyone was pleased to see him figure in the awards list. In the 1,500-c.c. class Hugo Hollis donned a crash hat after boarding his blown TC M.G., showing he really meant business, and a very fast run in 3 min. 31.3 sec. bettered the previous class-record by over 8 seconds. W. Hanna drove a similar car, unblown, and registered 2 min. 50.6 sec., a splendid effort for his first appearance at Paekakariki. His tyre distortion through Cutting Bend was quite incredible. J. H. Cottrell handled his, Ford Ten Special well to record 3 min. 17.85 sec., but more power was obviously needed. D. Abernethy followed with an Austin A40 saloon in 3 min. 30.3 sec., a good time for a standard car. In the 3,000-c.c. class, Toby Easterbrook Smith opened with the Sunbeam Special in 3 min. 1.65 sec., a cautious climb for his first effort at the hill. R. Watson conducted his Jeep-engined Fraser-Nash up in 3 min. 6.95 sec. and Roy Cowan jumbled the gears somewhat in the T.T. Sunbeam, needing 3 min. 21.1 sec. He had run down the two-mile hill under his own foot power just prior to his climb, after repairing the p.a. set at the summit, so can be fully excused. Geoff Fasterbrook Smith then took over the Sunbeam Special from brother Toby and essayed an experimental climb in 2 min. 55.2 sec., the short wheelbase chassis appearing to advantage among the corners but the driver obviously in need of a radar screen in the fog. A. T. Freeman opened the unlimited class in the Thompson Special, caution through the mist but fast and controlled sliding on the corners with this very low car returning 2 min. 41.55 sec. Bert Cresswell's Ford Special had only been finished on the morning of the event, and a careful run took 3 min. 18.25 sec., the V8 engine boiling vigorously. A. S. Farland with the Buick-engined i.f.s. Singer Special followed, but clutch slip intervened and extended his time to 3 min. 49.75 sec. C. Andrews made a rather incongruous entry with a Morris Twenty-Five station wagon, but a time of 3 min. 23.4 sec. indicated no mean driving ability. In the second round Roycroft had an extra run to make up for his mistimed first run. A shattering getaway promised a broken record, but a little exuberance at the hairpin turned the Austin right around, in spite of P a g e | 17
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which a time of 2 min. 41 sec. broke his previous class-record by 3.35 sec. Kennedy followed with a very brave one-handed run, holding his ignition switch on with the other. Slightly slower than his first run, 2 min. 53.75 sec. was very good under the circumstances. Cottrell improved with his Austin to 3 min. 42.2 sec. Hollis, with the absolute hill record obviously in mind, gave a polished display of the art of climbing Paekakariki and amid great excitement occupied 2 min. 29.9 sec., beating Faulkner's 1949 record by 2.95 sec. Hanna was a fraction slower than his first run in 2 min. 50.75 sec., although his slide through Cutting Bend was a joy to watch. J. H. Cottrell improved to 3 min. 16.9 sec. and Abernethy pushed the A40 up faster still in 3 min. 25.75 sec. Toby Easterbrook Smith was obviously getting the feel of the hill and the Sunbeam Special, improving to 2 min. 55.75 sec., with a very fast run through the Cutting. Watson discarded his second gear chain on the 'Nash and needed 3 min. 29.2 sec., and Cowan got the T.T. Sunbeam up faster in 3 min. 15.3 sec. With first place in the class safe, Geoff Easterbrook Smith experimented a little more firmly with the Sunbeam Special, came very wide into the hairpin while apprehensive mothers clutched their young and made for trees, held third for a lot longer, blipped through Cutting Bend and reached the top in 2 min. 49.9 sec., a new class-record. Freeman made sure of the unlimited c.c. class with a very fast run in 2 min. 37.45 sec., and Andrews persuaded the big Morris up in 3 min. 19 sec.—he would go a lot faster with a suitable car. Then Roycroft made his final run. Spectators at the hairpin reported incredible speed up to, into, and out, of that difficult corner. Up in the mist nothing could be seen below, but the angry Austin screaming marked his progress up the hill. A sudden burst of sound as he came out of the hairpin valley, crescendo as he reached Watertrough Corner, down in the gears again for the right-hander before the Cutting, then a gasp from the spectators as the little car scuttled into sight around the penultimate corner and was locked over for the long slide around Cutting Bend. A short silence while his time came up and Gordon Markham's excited voice over the p.a. system—"Roycroft has beaten Hollis and set a new hill record in 2 min. 29.6 sec." A fitting conclusion to a great day's motor sport. Class Winners: 750 c.c.: R. J. Roycroft (Austin, s/c) ... 2 min. 29.6 sec. 1,100 c.c.: J. Brough (Singer) ... 3 min. 48.45 sec. 1,500 c.c.: H. Hollis (M.G., s/c) ... 2 min. 29.9 sec. 3,000 c.c.: G. Easterbrook Smith (Sunbeam Special) ... 2 min. 49.9 sec. Unlimited c.c.: A. T. Freeman (Thompson Special) ... 2 min. 37.45 sec. ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Ford The Ford Motor Company’s emblem hasn’t gone through too many changes since 1903, as they’ve stuck with the Blue Oval from 1927 to now. The original emblem was busy and bore the entire “Ford Motor Co. Detroit, Mich” wording in an amorphously shaped black-and-white background. The script, which has stood the test of time, was penned by Ford Chief Engineer Childe Harold Wills in 1909. The Blue Oval was added nearly two decades later, making the badge what it is today.
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THE SQUEAKY WHEEL… Not my words this month, but words I wish I had the talent to have written. The following article was sent in by Graham Banks. It’s well known in Talbot circles and dates back to the ‘80’s. From many years’ experience let me just say that there are some true words spoken in jest.
Talbot Troubles George Bishop on what the real cars were like IT MAKES me a mite sad that Peugeot/Citroen/Simca/Chrysler/Rootes are calling their Hillman Avenger a plain Talbot nowadays, even if it is simpler for the computer to slide its grimy claws around. The reason is that I was once a proud Talbot owner — ten times, in fact — and I think they have a bit of a cheek to play ducks and drakes with names like this. I mean the old Talbot of pre-Rootes days, that is pre-1935 or so, was rather like a Boxer dog with a good pedigree, masculine, upstanding, graceful, beautiful and liable to bite you in the backside when you are not paying attention. But the modem anonymous machine is a bit of a mongrel out of Hillman/Humber/Commer and who knows what else, and who wants a corgi-like mongrel with short stumps in place of legs instead of a Boxer? P a g e | 19
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The old cars had their eccentricities, but then they were designed by the Swiss, Georges Roesch, who had firm ideas about things. His concept of a motor-car was something into which you poured petrol, oil, and water from time-to-time and just drove it. If anything went wrong, which he considered most unlikely, then you sent it back to the factory. This was wise, as the average garage was apt to become confused if faced with some of Georges' problems. He used, for instance, all metric threads at a time when your English mechanic thought metre was something to do with Victor Sylvester and his quick, quick, quick-quick slow. The wise ones soon found out that 15 mms equals a quarter Whitworth or whatever — please don't take me literally and write to the editor. Then again he so arranged things that if you wanted to remove the engine you first took out the rear axle by removing the shackle-pins from the quarter-elliptic springs, then worked forward through torque tube, gearbox and so on, and then the engine would come out of the front, after you had removed the headlamps, radiator and so on. Most logical. But ignorant garagistes who tried to take the engine out first ran into all sorts of trouble, and if they persisted ended up by removing a chassis cross-member, and as they were stoutly riveted in this took time. Thus it was that the Trade came to hate Talbots and put the bad word about, although it was untrue that only a special breed of seven-fingered dwarfs from Mongolia were able to work on them. It was a car with fascinating tricks unknown to lesser breeds. Mind you, when I discovered the marque, time was marching on, and my youngest example, bought about 1947, would have been 13 or so years old. Georges was a great one for labour-saving, and in order to drain the sump all you did was to press down the dipstick, thus opening a valve underneath. This produced interesting results when you met Grunt on the forecourt and in an excess of force he released 3.5 gallons of Castrol on to his suede bootees.
Another labour-saving device was the one-shot lubrication, which consisted of pipes running to steering joints, shackle pins and such places connected to a chamber in the sump, with a plunger alongside the dipstick which one pulled every 200 miles to lubricate the entire chassis. One was not expected, you understand, to halt in the middle of a crossroads when 200 miles came up; it was an approximate mileage and once a year would do. The advantage of Georges' method over people like Rolls, Bentley and so on who had a similar system, was that they all had a separate oil tank to be filled, whereas Talbots filled themselves automatically from the sump. Splendid, as long as the pipes were not broken, or the dripping things blocked up. He also used the Wilson gearbox on most models, with various fiendish additions. The crankshaft was drilled so that the engine oil pump fed oil under pressure to the gearbox bearings as well. Jolly good but the foreign bodies (this is not a racist remark, but refers to carbon and such) soiled the oil and made take-offs jumpy. This P a g e | 20
PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
was because there was no clutch and one used the bottom gear band to take off. When the kangaroo starts became known Georges installed the Traffic Clutch, which allowed one to tick over at the lights as in an automatic car. Come the green, down with the throttle pedal and away you went. But unfortunately, after years of wear the balls of the clutch would scream at every light, causing people to turn their heads. There was no known cure. The Wilson box was a source of endless pleasure. Sometimes they would seize in top gear, usually with the radiator against the wall of a pub car park, and that's my story, officer. The only known cure for that one was to change the brand of oil, and that was handy in a dinner jacket on a night out. Talbot refinements to the 'box included a device which pre-selected the next highest gear when you engaged the one below on the pedal, and when you reached top it started going downwards. It quite upset some people to see the controls moving about without human aid. The gear changing pedal had a strong, very strong, spring and would break your ankle if your foot slipped off the rubber. Keeps young drivers in order. On one of my cars someone solved the rough take-off problem by closing off the oil feed from the engine, which made it beautifully smooth but also very warm if driven at any rate of knots. Much oil also fell in the road and upset the neighbours. Well, life is a compromise after all. I could write a book on the electrics, but we don't have the space. On the bigger cars like the 105 and 110 they worked with 24 volts for starting and 12 for running, with a cunning thing called a series/parallel switch which was supposed to regulate matters. But even with 24 volts the starter was not always up to churning 3.5 gallons of XL on a cold morning, and the best bet was to live on top of a hill. There was no reduction gear and the poor thing had to churn at engine speed. The dynamotor was a massive thing which would have driven a commuter train, if not a Talbot engine plus gearbox. When it got hot and smoked, the driver had to sprint round and whip out the field fuse (I think it was) before something terrible happened which cost a lot of money and smelled horrible. This was known as fun motoring, and they don't build 'em like that anymore and so on. Another Georges' special was a male/female coupling between engine and gearbox which used to destroy itself by the male member eating away the female splines. This happened to me in the middle of Dartmoor, and when I rang the specialist who had told me it would get me there all he said was: "I didn't say anything about getting back!" No wonder they changed the name to Avenger. There used to be one called the Lago, but I suppose the Handels came off. And on that note, I will tiptoe away.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
DESPATCHES…. If you aren’t mentioned in despatches it means you aren’t telling the Editor what you are up to. ➢ Insult of the month, from when insults had class. "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill ➢ A message to Michael (Greig that is) in relation to his ‘More Than Motoring Tales’ in the August ‘Phoenix’. Date: Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 6:32 PM Subject: Re: Fwd: Phoenix To: Michael Greig <michael.john.greig@gmail.com>
Michael, P a g e | 21
PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
Your article cracked me up. Wonderful ! Whatever you did for a living was wasted. Bill Shakespeare could not have written a better piece ! ! Terry ➢ Compliments from another Editor, via Keith H From: Brian McMillan [mailto:brianmcmillan@optusnet.com.au] Sent: Monday, 30 July 2018 15:01 To: Keith Humphreys Subject: Re: FW: Phoenix
Read every word - excellent. Love the delage ➢ Wallace McNair’s 1933 Sunbeam Speed 20 is headed off to Australia – provided it can pass their draconian (read nonsensical) asbestos restrictions. The ‘Beam has apparently been appropriately inspected, tested and certified – will it be enough to satisfy the Aussie bureaucrats?
➢ Bought these little beauties recently for the Riley Kestrel. LED’s to replace the festoon bulbs in the indicators. Difference being these LEDs flash! All by themselves – no further kit required. Clever, and much brighter than the old bulbs.
➢ Speaking of Mike Greig, it’s understood he may have acquired the 1925 Bullnose Morris project ex the Bradley estate. A very worthwhile vehicle, the Bullnose. ➢ Roesch Talbots came home 1st and 2nd in the 9th running of the Le Mans Classic held at Le Mans 6-7 July. GO52, the 1931 105 team car, won the race against the 70 entrants in the pre-war grid. Heading down to Indianapolis, the fastest part of the course, GO52 was pulling 5,200 rpm and 138 mph, without any slipstream assistance. Not bad for an old car. ➢ Some random holiday happy snaps…..
Budapest – where Trabants go to die… Bucharest. Didn’t try them. A bit violent for my taste.
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PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
Foreign badged Renault 12 lookalike in Bucharest. Saw many of these, most of them gracing waste lots and derelict backyards.
Merc in Sofia museum
Statue of Max Jamieson in Bucharest – a good likeness don’t you think? Amsterdam. Makes the Mini look positively enormous.
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PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
PHOENIX The OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER of THE WAITEMATA BRANCH of the VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF N.Z. INC. 200A Greenhithe Road, Greenhithe, Auckland 0632
CLUB NIGHT THURSDAY 4th October 8.00 p.m. at the RSA Room, King George Coronation Hall, Library Lane, Albany. 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.
Sent in by Keith Humphreys. VCC Hunua 100 1974. How many bums can you fit into a Kissel?
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PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
The Monte Carlo Type Rally and Scoring System – 101 Not sure how a Monte Carlo Rally works? Well, it’s simple. Basically, it goes like this. The organiser sets: • a start time. You may start on or after the appointed start time, but not before it. • An end destination. Self-explanatory, really. • A finish time, that is, the time by which you must be at the end destination. • A scoring system against which points are awarded so as to determine the winner. More about this in a moment. What’s missing? You got it – a start place and a route. This is where you, the participant comes in. You, the participant: • decide where you want to start from. • Determine your route to the end destination, taking into account being able to get there by the finish time and how to earn maximum points on the way. Bingo! You essentially plan your own event, making it as easy or as challenging as you desire and depending on how competitive you want to be. Let’s look at a couple of examples, based on: • the destination being our Albany clubrooms, • start time 12.00 am (midnight) Saturday, • finish time 12.00 pm (midday) Sunday. • Points awarded for different towns passed through, with more points for towns furthest away or difficult to get to. Participant A wants a relaxed kind of event and is not interested in winning, so plans to: • Start from his/her home at 8.30 am Sunday. • Drive a loop out through Helensville to Warkworth, then back down SH1 through Orewa to be at the clubrooms comfortably before 12.00 pm. No towns very far away or difficult to get to, so not many points earned. Participant B is a gung-ho motorist, very competitive and wants to win. So, he/she: • Drives up to Cape Reinga on Friday and starts from there bang on 12.00 am Saturday morning. • Blasts around a circuitous route through all kinds of obscure places carefully selected so as to be worth maximum possible points, covers hundreds of miles and roars into the clubrooms with seconds to spare before the 12.00 pm noon finish time. Hooray! Participant B wins. But, the point is, a great good time was had by all. Now, for our event in October, Hamish’ scoring system is based on points being awarded per each letter of the alphabet in a place name, against the following table: A=1
B=4
C=3
D=3
E=1
F=4
G=3
H=3
I=1
J=8
K=3
L=1
M= 3
N=2
O=1
P=3
Q=10
R=1
S=2
T=1
U=1
V=4
W=2
X=8
Y=4
Z= 10
So, ‘Huapai’ is worth 10 points (3+1+1+3+1+1). ‘Huntly’ is worth 12 points (3+1+2+1+1+4). Got it? A couple more things – a ‘place’ is a distinct village, town or city, not a suburb or sub area within a village, town or city. For the purposes of this event ‘Auckland’ is everywhere between Albany and Takanini. You will need produce proof, a time/dated photo will do, evidencing you having been in each place you claim for. Time to start thinking of your route and the places you might go through to earn maximum points on your chosen route. (Quezon City anyone?) P a g e | 25
PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
CHELSEA W.A.L.S.H. HILLCLIMB SUNDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2018 Rain Day 25th
ENTRY FEE $45
Please complete this entry form and forward to : Waitemata Branch Secretary : Viv Scott, 200A Greenhithe Road, Greenhithe, Auckland 0632
Payment can be made by (tick) Cheque ⃝ Cash ⃝ Direct Credit ⃝ (ref. Chelsea & Entrant Surname) Account : Vintage Car Club ANZ Bank 01 0121 0121976 00
DRIVER/ENTRANT DETAILS Driver Name……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Address…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Phone: …………………………………… Mobile: …………................................ Email: ……………………………………………. VCC Branch : ………………………………………………… Membership Number : ……………………………………………………………. Civil Driver Lic. Number : ……………………………… VCC Competition lic. Number : …………………………………………….. VCC Vehicle ID Card : ……………………………………. Vehicle Registration Number : ……………………………………………….. W.O.F Expiry Date : …………………………………………………. Entrant Full Name (if same as driver write “same”) : ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. Entrant Address : …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Make of Vehicle : ……………………………………… Model : ……………………………………………………………………………………… Year of Manufacture : ……………………………… Colour : ……………………………………………………………………………………… CC Capacity : ……………………………………………. Fuel : ………………………………………………………………………………………….. List of Non-original Features: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… If your vehicle has a permanent competition number please state otherwise a number will be issued on the day………… Chelsea Organising Committee look forward to your participation in this prestigious annual Waitemata Branch event
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PHOENIX Number 279
CHELSEA W.A.L.S.H.
OCTOBER 2018
HILLCLIMB
SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS These SR’s are to be read in conjunction with the current Vintage Car Club Speed Event Regulations dated 24/10/2014 Section 23
The organiser reserves the right to refuse any entry without necessarily giving a reason, notwithstanding having invited that entry. The organiser also reserves the right to issue additional Supplementary Regulations, or cancel the event. Dual drivers will be permitted to enter the same vehicle, and must complete separate entry forms, and will compete running alternately. Every vehicle must be scrutineered prior to competing. Scrutineering will be from 9.00am - 1.00pm Saturday 17th November at MACS GARAGE, 4E ASHFIELD ROAD, GLENFIELD. By Ryan McDonald & Kevin Andrew: Ph 443 3733. For ‘out of town’ entrants (south beyond Pukekohe…north beyond Warkworth) who are unable to make Saturdays scrutineering, there will be the opportunity on Sunday morning to be scrutineered by appointment only. Phone Ryan 09 443 3733 or Kevin Andrew 0274989454. Re-checks on specific items only will also be available at the venue. VEHICLE IDENTITY CARD/NZ HISTORIC RACING LICENCE/CURRENT VCC MEMBERSHIP CARD/LOGBOOK MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE SCRUTINEER. Also bring the FILLED IN VEHICLE SAFETY STATEMENT & INDEMNITY FORM (following 2 pages) DRIVERS BRIEFING: will take place in car-park Pit Area at 8.45am. ALL DRIVERS MUST ATTEND. Practice will commence immediately after, followed by timed runs. NO LUNCH BREAK: The event will finish with a Prize-giving in the Chelsea Bay Café adjacent to the Pit car-park at approximately 3pm. DRIVERS EQUIPMENT: Drivers are reminded of the dangers of wearing loose or inflammable clothing (i.e. most synthetics) The wearing of overalls is COMPULSARY. One-piece cotton work overalls are acceptable as a MINIMUM STANDARD. All single seat vehicle drivers shall be required to wear one-piece fire retardant racing overalls. Motorcyclists shall be required to wear leather gloves and stout boots. Full leathers are strongly recommended. All motorcyclists and drivers of open cars must wear safety goggles or a helmet visor. Crash helmets are compulsory for all speed events. The helmet must be in good condition and meet the following requirements : NZS5340: Australia AS1698: Britain BS6658-85 type A (blue label) : Snell Foundation : Snell SA90, (Homologation number beginning 02,03,04 followed by production number) P a g e | 27
PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND (Inc.) OWNER / ENTRANT VEHICLE SAFETY STATEMENT EVENT: CHELSEA HILLCLIMB DATE: Sunday 18th Nov. 2018 ENTRANT/DRIVER ____________________ ENTRY NO _________________ MAKE & MODEL ______________________ YEAR ______________________ VCC ID NUMBER______________________ PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS FORM BEFORE SIGNING Entrants bear full responsibility for the safety of their vehicles. You are required as a condition of entry to check each item below and to indicate that it is of sufficiently sound condition and operation to be safe for use in the event in which it is intended to participate. You must then sign this form to indicate that you accept full and total responsibility for the vehicle condition and operation and that you fully indemnify the organisers from any claim arising from the operation of the vehicle or from the failure of any part of the vehicle. The acceptance of or admission of any vehicle to any event shall in no way whatsoever indicate that the organisers consider the vehicle to be in a safe or satisfactory condition. WHEELS, spokes, rims, studs, nuts, bearings, wheel trims removed. _____ TYRES, condition. _____ SPRINGS, U/Bolts, suspension, axles, kingpins, shock absorbers etc. _____ STEERING, play, tight spots, ball joints etc. _____ BRAKES, operation, pedal travel, rods, cables, lines, hoses, fluid reservoirs, etc. _____ ENGINE, cover secure, throttle linkages and return springs, oil leaks, fuel lines etc. _____ BODYWORK, security of seats, doors, fuel cap, rear vision etc. _____ ELECTRICAL, battery secure, accessibility of ignition switch & marking, lamps secure, taped or protected. _____ EXHAUST SYSTEM, secure and acceptable noise level. _____ GENERAL STANDARD, of vehicle and accessories. _____ SAFETY HELMET, and protecting clothing goggles or visor, gloves, footwear etc. _____ FIRE EXTINGUISHER if fitted, must have either a pressure gauge showing an acceptable reading or an inspection label not more than 12 months old. _____ ROLL OVER PROTECTION Roll over protection, if applicable, must be to approved standards. _____ SEAT BELTS Seat belts, if applicable, must be to approved standards. _____ VEHICLE IS USING METHANOL FUEL YES / NO Methanol fuel labelling clearly visible as per speed event regulations. YES / NO CRANKCASE BREATHER Crankcase breathers fitted with suitable catch bottle. _____ COOLING SYSTEM Non-sealed cooling system fitted with overflow catch bottle. The use of non-water-based coolant is strongly discouraged. _____ SUMP PLUG To be wired in place for all circuit events. _____ I declare that I have checked the above vehicle and it complies with the requirements of the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) Speed Regulations and I accept responsibility for its overall safety: __________________________________ ENTRANT OR DRIVER’S SIGNATURE P a g e | 28
PHOENIX Number 279
OCTOBER 2018
Section 23: K 12/03/2008 WAITEMATA BRANCH
THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALAND (Inc.) EVENT: CHELSEA W.A.L.S.H. HILLCLIMB INDEMNITY FORM: IN CONSIDERATION of the acceptance of this entry and my being permitted to take part in this event I hereby agree to save harmless and keep indemnified THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF N.Z. INCORPORATED and its Branches and its associated organisations and their respective officials, servants, members, representatives and agents from and against all actions, claims, costs, expenses and demands in respect of death or injury to any person including the person of myself, driver and passengers and in respect of loss of or damage to property of any nature howsoever caused arising out of or in connection with this entry or my taking part in this event and NOTWITHSTANDING that the same may have been contributed to or occasioned by the negligence of the said Club, Branches and associated organisations their officials, servants, members, representatives or agents. AND I AGREE that both at the date of acceptance of this entry and at the date of the event, the competing vehicle does and will comply with the rules of the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.), the speed regulations and any supplementary regulations as notified with the entry form. I also consent to the collection of the details on this form by the Vintage Car Club of NZ (Inc.) for the purposes of registration, administration and the publication of results. I acknowledge my right to access and correction of this information. This consent is given in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993. _______________________________ ______________________________ Name of Owner: (print in full) Signature of Owner _______________________________ _______________________________ Name of Entrant: (print in full) Signature of Entrant _______________________________ _______________________________ Name of Driver: (print in full) Signature of Driver Dated: ________________________ IF any of the above persons is under the age of twenty (20) years the parent or guardian must print their own name in full and sign opposite the name of such minor. IF any of the above persons is under the age of twenty (20) years the parent or guardian must complete the following: IN CONSIDERATION of the acceptance of the entry of the abovenamed, I _____________________________ the parent/guardian of _________________________________ the above named minor HEREBY UNDERTAKE AND AGREE TO the indemnity terms and conditions set out above. DATED: __________________ SIGNATURE: ___________________________ P a g e | 29