VCC CENTRAL OTAGO PnS OCTOBER 2023

Figure 1: Club member Alister Stewart with two of his cars.

Photo by Allan Sutton

I was reflecting on the fuel consumption of the Grindley fleet and concluded our everyday cars are more economical than they have ever been over 52 years of motoring.

Both of our everyday cars are on the larger size, as I am a torque freak as opposedtoanabsoluterevhead.Theeverydaypartschaser/grocerygetter Aurion is averaging 9.3 litres per 100k (30.7mpg) and the BMW 528i which is our wedding/funeral/going to risk my license car is doing 8.3 litres per 100k (34.03mpg). Now you might say that is not impressive, but this is everything including cold starts, supermarkets, Frankton mall, getting trailer loads of compost and mainly driven at present by Rose who at times still confuses an accelerator with an on/off switch.

In the 70s, my 4-cylinder cars did no better than 25mpg. My Torana XU1 gets around 15mpg overall, can see 20mpg on a good day but I have seen single figures when driving it how it is meant to go. Our current cars are almost twice as heavy as the earlier ones.

This is impressive from the newer fleet and proves the old internal combustion motor still has some life left in it. Personally, the jury is out on BMW’s decision to chase EPA numbers and go to a turbo 4 instead of its lovely sixes but the driving experience is still no 1.

It also does my head in that, as I upgrade to newer economical and environmentally friendly cars, I must pay a gas guzzler/ute tax on first registration so some politician can feel green and still cruise around in his Tesla while feeding at the public trough. How do you sleep at nights Chris Luxon, getting cash back from superannuants and ute owners, and not paying road users costs?

Garry Grindley editorCOVCC@gmail.com

Please note I do not necessarily check this email address daily so if you want an urgent reply or action please also phone me on 021 279 5064 Copy deadline for next edition by the 25thof each month.

Circulation: 250

BRANCHOFFICERS2023-2024

CLUBEVENTSCALENDAR

Please take care to read and copy to your diary!

Wednesday 4th October clubrooms working bee, so please come along to help. We need some sanding, painting and repairs to spouting as well as tidy up some shrubs.

Thursday 5th October at 9.00 am. Clubrooms Working Bee

To cut back and tidy up trees and bushes on the front boundary of the club rooms fence etc. Please bring trimming tools etc.

Saturday 7th October

It is really important we support this event, which is why it is listed as one of our club events. These guys support us and we need a turn out of at least 6 cars. Please let John Wilson, our co-ordinator, know if you are attending.

Wednesday 11th October - Guest Speaker on Club night is Mike Casey, Forest Lodge Orchard, Pisa, the first converted to electric powered machinery orchard.

Thursday 12th Oct Midweek Run, Start time 10:30am; morning tea at Oturehua Hotel, where the owner will judge the best vehicle on site! He is another petrol head!

Then the plan is on to Dansey’s Pass Hotel for lunch at 12:30. However this is dependent on us having a minimum of 15 people. Backup plan will be Naseby Hotel. Approx 10k of gravel. Please let John Wilson know by the 5th October if you are coming so he can confirm venue.

Friday 3rd November Club Trip to Oamaru.

CANCELLED

Sunday 10th December for our Christmas function. More details to come.

Midweek Muster at the Parts Shed – Wednesday mornings from 8:30am, except for Club Night Wednesdays

Chairman’sReport

There was a good turnout at the last Wednesday Morning Muster so come along sometime even if it’s just to show off your pride and joy or just for a yarn over a coffee, we would love to see you.

Roddy was our 11th hour guest speaker last meeting and was well received with his story on selling his long-timed-owned 36 Chev sedan.

We sold some scrap metal from the sheds and were paid a sum of $397.45 for the metal and alloy.

We are looking into a plastic screen on the north end of the veranda for a windbreak rather than glass as will require a permit for a glass screen.

We would like to hold a working bee on Wednesday 4th October so please come along to help. We need some sanding, painting and repairs to spouting as well as tidy up some shrubs. There will be another one in October as well.

The John L Goddard Trophy was awarded this year to Sue and Steve Keys for the restoration of their 1938 Texaco Diamond T Petrol Tanker. The following is a link to view it if interested https://texacotankerproject.com/

Thank you to Ewen and Brian and their team for a very well-run Blossom Festival Rally. The start from Clyde is a winner as many took the opportunity to have Brunch or just a coffee and cake to start the day before the rally briefing and then off to the procession start.

From there you could choose the route of your liking to gain points before heading to the prize giving and BYO takeaway dinner at the clubrooms that 15 folk enjoyed. A great day out with 25 vehicles taking part who all enjoyed themselves.

Some thoughts that you may or may not know:

• Our branch receives commission if you insure your vehicles, boats, houses, contents or travel with VERO Insurance https://vcc.org.nz/vero-vccinsurance-scheme/

• Joining the VCC can now be done online, go to https://vcc.org.nz/how-tojoin

• Newsletters from the other branches are posted to the VCC Website each month. So, if you want to have a good read of other clubs’ activities go to https://vcc.org.nz/news-from-our-branches/

• You are very welcome to attend our branch runs in your modern.

See you at the next meeting on the 11th October.

John M

NewMembers

Ray Anderson: Cardrona, Gary Fredericksen: Cromwell, We look to meeting you at a club night or event soon

ClubNight–13thSeptember–ATearShed fora’37Chev.

September 13th must indeed be an unlucky number because neither the arranged speaker nor the back-up speaker could make it, so Roddy Maxwell stepped up at the last minute!

Roddy delivered a brief homily on his recent experiences of the sale of his 1937 Chev that was in original condition, with only two owners including himself for the last 25 years. Often ‘original condition’ means ‘haven’t got around to restoring it’, but no, it’s a Chev, and also the new owner may even drive it all the way back to Cambridge. He intends to join the VCC now that he has an eligible machine.

Selling on Trade Me can be a pain; the usual 3000 views, 50 watch listing, a flurry of calls or stupid questions or comments, then silence, but the price was lowered and finally someone put their money down.

There was some emotion as the new keeper drove out the drive today, with these words ringing in his ear, “Give us a ring when you get home - if you don’t make it home, don’t call me!”

Figure 2: At least Roddy still has the hat

Gerry Spencer

Septembermid-weekrun

This was another great outing. Three tables full and on Thursday! One younger member even took annual leave so he could attend. We met at the Chatto Creek Tavern for a good value lunch.

And then to Lindsay Pratt’s collection in Alexandra. What a collection or should that be an obsession?

Figure 3 Happy Dining at Chatto Creek

Figure 4; Beautiful E type

XJ Coupe

Rover Mini

And modern cars too

Mini Traveller getting new wood installed

XJ-R supercharged

BlossomFestivalRally

Article

by Ewen Duthie. Photos stolen from Bernice Hassed’s Facebook posting.

Twenty-four cars gathered at Clyde for the rally briefing and start on Saturday morning. Just on half of them joined in the festival procession with another 5 vehicles not doing the rally joining in also.

This year the contestants chose their own route from destinations they had been given around Alexandra and Cromwell and as far away as Roxburgh.

All cars travelled through the Golden View Lifestyle Village where the residents were expecting to see them.

We finished at the clubrooms for afternoon tea and prize giving with some having BYO dinner at the club rooms later.

Rally results were-

1st equal over-all

John Adamson 1952 Hilman Minx from Oamaru (also PWV section)

Gil and Ruth Edmunds 1973 Austin 1300 from Mosgiel

1st equal P60 section

Keith and Linda Nun 1978 triumph 2500S from Gore; also 1st equal P60 section

1st P 80 section

Mark Halkyard in a 1990 Citroen

1st PV section

Johnny Stevenson in a 1939 Buick

Vintage section

Keith Heineman in a 1930 ford model A

1st Motorbike section

Stu Adamson on a 1972 Triumph Tiger

Thanks to this year’s sponsors who were-

• Placemakers Alexandra.

• General Engineering and Safety Supplies.

• Tyreland Alexandra.

• GWD Toyota Alexandra

• Repco Alexandra

• Junction Auto Services

• Alexandra Auto Electrical

• Martin O’Connor Auto Services

• BP Workshop Ltd

• Alpine Auto Court Ltd

WinonSunday:SellonMonday

I am no mechanic, much less an engineer or a constructor. Rather, I have always been a pretty ordinary car enthusiast. So, I am forever grateful I grew up in a period when manufacturers and the public put some weight on the results of long-distance saloon car racing. In the NZ context, this was the manufacturer’s Benson and Hedges race at Pukekohe. Mostly these were normal models.

However, some manufacturers created a range of special run cars for the B&H when it was for NZ-assembled production cars. They were highly sought after by enthusiasts then and now. They include the:

• Ford Cortina GTE

• Fiat 125t

• Datsun 1200SSS

• Datsun 120YSSS, and

• Commodore SS.

These were all special runs with the idea of winning on Sunday selling on Monday.

The Cortina GTE was aimed as a class winner rather than outright and was based on the English 1600E which, in itself, was a Mk2 Cortina GT with upgraded trim, Lotus suspension and Rostyle wheels. The GTE was constrained by local content rules and missed out on the Lotus suspension and Rostyle wheels. Such an upmarket small car was a big initiative from Ford and really paved the way for the Mk3 Cortina GT and 2000E. Ford claimed to have made around 200 of these to qualify for the race and that feels about right. When I owned mine in 1973/4 there were 6 or 7 in Dunedin. Mine got the upgraded wheels but not the lowered suspension.

The Fiat 125T never quite came off. It was "designed" to win the 1972 B&H 500 outright. The importers, Torino Motors, came up with this idea of a "racing" version of the popular and competent Fiat 125 and had local (Auckland) experts devised enhancements that would do the trick.

Cams, carbs (DeLoreto’s or Weber’s), other engine mods, suspension, Ward alloy wheels and a big fuel tank that pretty much took up all of the space in the boot. All were yellow. The predecessor, the Fiat 1500, had been a solid class winner in previous races, the 125 was faster still, the 125T should be a winner.

But to qualify for the race, 200 identical cars had to be built. Torino Motors somehow convinced race organisers they would build 200 cars, even though the 125 was nearing its production life end, they never sold more than 1,000 125s in NZ in a year and by the time of the race only 80 or so 125Ts had been built.

The 125T was a quick car and it attracted an awful lot of attention. But they simply weren't fast enough to really be competitive in the race, which was dominated by the Chrysler Charger 770.

The Datsun 1200 SSS was another class contender in the 1200cc family saloon minor classacceleration from a standstill to 60mph in less than 12 seconds, would achieve 100mph (similar or better than the GTE) and yet retain most of its low-speed flexibility - sounded too good to be true. But the Datsun 1200 SSS, a New Zealand "special", did all these things with apparent ease. The Datsun 1200 SSS was devised by Warren Broadbent of Nissan Motor Distributors (NZ) Ltd and Dennis Marwood of Performance Development Ltd. It cost an extra $543, which was significant at the time. Despite this it is believed that around 1100 1200 SSS’s were sold and 150 120y SSS’s followed.

They came from Dennis Marwood with:

• twin 40mm Dellorto carburettors,

• NZ-made intake manifold for round-port head,

• custom air box (similar to the Japan Domestic Model GX airbox),

• standard 1200 cylinder head (not modified), compression ratio, gear ratios, brakes and suspension remained unaltered,

• Coby extractors (headers) and exhaust is 4-2-1 cast headers,

• a Datsun competition rally spec 270 degree camshaft with 70 degree overlap

This was the go-to car for NZ motorsport for years, from clubman to Shell Sport to rallying they did it all. Famous names like Marsh Motorsport, Reg Cook, and Noddy Murdoch all modified their cars further with GX oval port heads, increased capacity 5 speed close ration gearboxes, LSD etc.

The SS Commodores were built by GM-NZ specifically for the B&H series, which required that only NZ-assembled cars were eligible. Thirty VH SS Commodores were produced with a lot of input from Peter and Phil Brock. They were originally all painted white, with red and blue stripes, except one that was black with gold stripes.

Producing the small run of Commodore SS sedans at Trentham was a difficult exercise that was doubtless a loss financially to the multi-national. GM dealers complained that the price tag was too cheap and they, like GM, had to look at the vehicles as a promotional exercise. Retail margins were slim on the SS, which represented fine value for money.

GM NZ code-named the Commodore SS “8Vl69 L31 M21 G80”and the model sold at $30,509.00. At the same time, a base Commodore VH SL4-clyinder cost just over $14,000, while an SLX 6 auto with power steering was $21,500. As a more realistic comparison, the Commodore 4.2 V8 SL/E automatic of the day cost $33,000.00.

The object of the Commodore SS was not to make money for either the distributor or dealer, but to spread the GM name and help elevate Holden from its fifth position in New

Zealand passenger car sales in 1982. What General Motors ended up with was a 200 km/h car with performance to embarrass its counter-part across the Tasman.

A large amount of Aussie expertise, in the shape of Peter and Phil Brock, went into the creation of the Kiwi special that was able to out-gun the 1982 Group Three SS Commodore sold in Australia. A standard road-going Commodore SS tested by NZ Car – without any special tuning or preparation – proved to be consistently faster than a Group Three Aussie assembled version. The secret lay in the stripping of pollution equipment from the V8 engine. New Zealand, of course, had no requirements for emissions, so the Commodore SS is devoid of ADR 27A equipment.

On paper, the difference was not great – up from 180 kW at 4750 rpm to 184 kW at the same revs, but the Kiwi car shows an improvement throughout the speed range. Carefully prepared Commodores for series production racing in New Zealand were soon putting out as much as 220 kW (300 bhp DIN), close to 20% better than a standard SS.

Rapid Acceleration - the SS was able to slice half a second off the 0 to 160 km/h time of the Australian 5 litre Group Three SS. It wheel-spun to the magic “ton” in old imperial miles per hour terms in 16.9 seconds.

These were great times for petrol heads but sadly it was not to last. By the mid 1980s, motorsport moved to Group A rules. Production racing at national level ended and we lost the joy of the factory tuned cars.

LetterstoEditor

Letter No 1

Hi Garry,

I would like to make a little comment on my experience with old cars and the more modern SUV's.

I got my first Holden station wagon in 1974, a good solid work horse , then a falcon, several Toyota’s including three Prado's. I now have a Rav 4 (as a tool box i call it) and a BMW X5 as a wedding and funeral car which also tows my Veteran's around the country.

The Prado's were a marvellous truck for reliability and held their value very well but nothing comes close to the X5 for power (nearly 300 hp) economy, road holding, quietness. I can whisper in the front seat and the back seat passengers can hear me without raising my voice, whereas when after riding in a friend’s Aurion i could not hear the front seat people at all, maybe it was the tyres, not sure.

Just my thoughts as i can drive from Wanaka to Nelson in one day very comfortably but any other i have owned i would need a large scotch to help relax after wards.

Kind Regards

Murray Pryde

Editor Comment. Murray, you seem to have similar taste in cars to me. I always find 300 hp is the start of smiles per mile. I could never afford Prado entrance price so had to stick with Discoveries and Range Rovers. Interesting comment about the Aurion. My latest one is the sporty version and yes, the tyre noise is worse than the touring model I used to have, however it does handle better so as they say “there is no such thing as a free lunch”.

From: nationaloffice@vccnz.nz [mailto:nationaloffice@vccnz.nz]

Sent: Thursday, 28 September 2023 11:31 a.m.

To: gtml@xtra.co.nz

Subject: NEW VEHICLE FORMS LIVE ON VCC WEBSITE

Good Morning

Please note that new forms relating to VIC/DOMAS applications, Lighting Endorsements and Change of Ownership have been uploaded to the Club website.

There is now only one VIC/DOMAS application form for all members/nonmembers/overseas member or non-member. This also incorporates a lighting endorsement section.

There is a separate lighting endorsement application which only needs to be completed if a VIC or DOMAS has previously been issued without a lighting endorsement.

The Guidelines for Period Specials and Modified Production Vehicles has also been updated and loaded on the Club website.

These documents can all be found here VIC - Vehicle Identity CardVintage Car Club of New Zealand Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (vcc.org.nz)

The Registrar is currently working his way around NZ completing training sessions with VIC Officers around these new forms.

Kind regards,

Linda Duffell

Office Administrator

The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated

The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand

A LIFE OF MOTORS AND MACHINES

A quote my grandmother used to use often in her wisdom was … “the cobblers shoes are never mended “ . In my youth I never quite grasped the meaning of this little gem, but now with a little more age and understanding I know that it meant if you repair other people’s shoes all day you are probably less inclined to carry on the task at home!

I’m sure that this applies to many trades, however when I visited long term member and ex-chairman Alister Stewart’s workshop in Arrowtown, I realised that you can still have a passion for things mechanical even after a lifetime of grease under the nails and finding a remedy to someone’s favourite car, lawnmower or pushbike. Maybe a natural calling and understanding of what makes things go, or perhaps it was his early learning from Meccano days?

This man’s story begins back in his youthful, bike-to-work, Sturmey Archer three speed days, when at the tender age of almost 16 years post Southland Technical College he enters his apprenticeship with the focus of becoming a fully-fledged A grade mechanic.

His employer was the old established Invercargill firm, Bath’s Garage. That was 1961, and what a wonderful place it must have been for a bright eyed and eager-to-learn Stewart junior. If it wasn’t busy in the motor dept, he could be working in the body shop with timber and panels or swinging a hammer for the blacksmith in the spring-makers department beside a roaring forge.

I noted amongst all the memorabilia hanging in his workshop a proudly displayed “A” grade trade certificate dated 3/2/67 which confirms a busy and useful 5 years of learning the “tricks of the trade”, and numerous experiences with countless makes of vehicles along the way.

I first met Alister in person when I worked at Wright Stephenson’s Stock and Station Company in distant days. He was a dashing, white-coat-wearing man, who I learned was service manager for the newly formed Wright Cars Group. Gone were the days of Simcas and Singers at Bath’s - it was now Alister’s task to guide the introduction to old Invercargill of a new brand that we had great

difficulty in pronouncing at the time –“Toyota”…well as they say the rest is history !!

We remembered the first shipment of the little 3 door Corolla estate wagons arriving, very hard to sell and offered to staff at a friendly easy pay $2600, and then the bosses special silver “Crown” coupe made an appearance complete with unheard of electric aerial and windows, wow !!

Quite suddenly our salespeople were talking of Corolla, Corona, and Land Cruiser, instead of Holden and Chrysler Valiant. It wasn’t an easy sell at first and Alister was quick to remind me that there were problems with early Toyotas too.

There followed a spell for this now well-experienced mechanic at a Ford dealership and, as many will know, a long work-life followed attending to all makes in the now defunct but much missed Shaw’s Motors in Arrowtown.

On the club scene, Alister’s cars include a nicely restored 1922 Gray Tourer, a same age Gray roadster in restoration, and the striking blue Desoto model K sedan from 1929 (ex-John Hogg Winton).

Figure 5 Alister and The Gray

The Gray tourer was completed in 1980 after being rescued as a “basket case” by past member Alwyn Hoskins in Southland.

The Gray cars were introduced to NZ by Todd Motors from Heriot Otago and were manufactured in Detroit, surprisingly assembled by many previous Ford employees, and primarily designed to compete with the Model T Ford. Interestingly, the 2.7 litre motor appears as almost a copy of the Ford unit amongst other features. Todd Motors sold 400 Gray motorcars in roadster, tourer or sedan form in 1923 but sadly sales succumbed to the ever popular Model T shortly thereafter.

One of the highlights of my visit was to learn that John Todd had visited Alister and wife Mary some years ago in Arrowtown to view and reacquaint with the long-forgotten Gray make that had been a pivotal part of the their early success in NZ.

To round out our tea-cup discussion session, I asked the following familiar: YOUR

FIRST CAR A Humber 80, purchased as a “write off“ for 50 quid in the Baths Garage Days. With help from the panel shop, a new roof, 2 doors and back guards and a flash new white and red paint job’ it was just the “bees knees“.

NEXT CAR You guessed it, another Rootes product, a Singer this time, a twin carb “gazelle” Series 2, white with red flash again!

BEST CAR. It’s a Toyota V6 Aurion.

YOU have won LOTTO …got a new dishwasher, carpets, paid of the kid’s mortgages, what would you buy? A Chrysler 77 Roadster!

WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO INVITE TO DINNER? …Greg Murphy

Next time you see Mary and Alister say hi and take a look at their car.

SPANNERSNOTREQUIRED

Contribution by Alan Sutton

I was reflecting on my earliest memories of motoring in our family recently. We Suttons were a pretty boring lot really when it comes to cars. My uncle had a Morris 10 back in the fifties, Dad had a grey Morris Minor side valve split screen job, and my uncle Don had a bulbous Morris Oxford - it was grey too.

I suppose the most interesting car to me was my grandfather’s car, which was a tidy but well used 1937 Chev Sedan. As a family, we could be generally regarded as quite a frugal lot too, exhibiting on many occasions our strong Scottish heritage, particularly when it came to cars which seemed to be well down the pecking order in everyday speak.

Viewed very much as means of A to B it was a pretty barren landscape, all things considered, when it came to the family fleet which might on one or two occasions gather at a Xmas picnic.

Anyway, back to my Grandad’s old Green Chev. It was a smoker, oil burner, etc. you get the picture, I’m sure, and no money apparently to get an overhaul. I think it was advertised on the pink pages of the Auckland weekly news that used to eventually make its way to my grandad’s place, and there advertised in flowing script was the answer to, “no more costly repairs”. Holt’s piston seal it was called in the fine print. Worn Cylinder Compensation. “Wow!! just put in a tube of the magic goo, drive carefully for 50 miles straight and the engine will be like “new “, no more smoke, lots of power, etc.

Well, the Holt’s was duly applied to the wheezy six-cylinder stove bolt engine and off went Grandad driving gently to Gore and back from the farm, about 50 miles approx. My uncle Murray reckoned it didn’t

smoke quite as much? Well, there were some other noises too, not associated with the apparent lack of compression, while it was noted after a short time that the Holt’s hadn’t done the trick quite as expected and Grandad just kept the oil up to the old girl until he eventually had funds in hand to buy a new Datsun Bluebird, which never smoked or made clanking noises until the day he passed.

But this episode got me thinking about some of my own experiences with cures and wonder drugs that we could entrust to our elderly motors and a visit to a motoring shop could be a panacea to ease the anxiety of that new problem that was going to “cost a lot” according to most trained mechanics, who, incidentally, were correct in the end.

But anyway, “hope springs eternal” as they used to say (I think that was my grandmother, part owner of the Chev, who actually said that in the first place) and anything to avoid the evil day of laying a serious spanner to the works was the mantra.

My first Model A Ford had an anonymous rumbling in the nether regions and an oil change would reveal little white metal particles each time, rather like dandruff, which you can also get a potion for. We had one of those shake tree mechanics living next to us who, bless him, was always free with advice when it came to these things.

I don’t think Morey’s oil additive was a thing then so on his advice I invested in a bottle of colloidal graphite. On the bottle it stated that the product had been demonstrated to preserve, in perfect condition, a motor that had been run on the racetrack with the sump removed with no apparent after-effects. I’m not certain if this was the saving grace but I can confirm I did many thousands of gentle miles without mishap so I reckoned my neighbours must have been right on this occasion.

I checked on the Holts product history today and surprisingly Mr Holt was producing “no spanner “products from 1919 and they are still

going strong today, with “Radweld” and one of my favourites “Gun Gum” or “firegum“ as it was earlier called.

Another of my best experiences was using “Soldrit”. You may well recall this was a little round cardboard container rather like an oversize pill box. At the time, I had a Chrysler 80 which, despite all efforts, new radiator engine overhaul etc. still ran very hot to boiling. I used to watch that gauge rise along with my anxiety on each journey. On the way to the 1980 National Rally, we had a very anxious first day to stay with friends in Ashburton.

The next morning when I was anticipating another stressful day, my host produced a container of “soldrit”, which is really small metal-like flakes in appearance. He lifted the radiator cap and poured it into the circulating water with the added assurance “try this” . Hallelujah, by the time we reached Rangitata the Chrysler was purring cool and never faltered after that day!

There are many cures I’ve been told of, like oatmeal in the radiator water to stop a leak, someone else reckoned pepper would do the same. I have used bar soap pressed onto the core at the leak which did the trick for a surprisingly long distance, and brake cleaner fluid on a slipping clutch plate, but my all-time favourite patch-up job was on a winter trip to Central Otago with some car mates who at the time were running a Studebaker Dictator circa 1929.

Somewhere about the Devils Staircase, Lake Wakatipu, a tell-tale crankcase knock reared its ugly head. With some gentle driving, we arrived in Arrowtown. It was June, Queens Birthday weekend, cold as can be. What to do?

We had one of these old tents with the green top and poles around the sides. It was duly erected, and the Stude parked in and sump off to reveal no. 5 big end metal almost gone. Knock found!

Wayne Nicoll, who was with us, and others had heard it was possible to insert a leather bearing in emergency repair. As a result, part of my trouser belt went missing and with some careful fitting the leather into the big end cap then replaced it. Off to the pub to warm up and the Stude on all six. Made it home to Invercargill!

I’m sure you will have a “no Spanner story “ or two to tell.

And it would be great to add to this likely yarn!!

GoodvideooftheCorsairinactionWarbirds overWanaka2004

The RNZAF had a good record with the Corsair after the British had the seating raised for better Visibility hence the bubble canopy. The Americans were wary of the Corsair as the propeller torque (14ft Diameter) could cause take-off accidents. Hard to imagine now the number, we had over 450 of them on a lend lease arrangement. Check it out by clicking here G

OTHEREVENTS,NATIONALS.

VCC Branches that would like any of their events noted in our magazine, please contact us with the details at editorCOVCC@gmail.com

For more information on these and other events in Beaded Wheels, check branch newsletters which may be found at

http://vcc.org.nz/news-from-our-branches/

SATURDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2023 MMXXIII RALLYE AUTOMOBILE ANCIENNE MONTE-CARLO. See Graham Taylor for info/entry form. Buy,sell,wanted,exchange.

1923 Ford Model TT (Makarora House)

1923 Ford Model TT (Makarora House) need the room. $7750.00 firm. See Graham. (Editor; I must confess I am vague on what this is so description may be inadequate.)

1925 Renault worn steering box

Does anyone know of anyone in the Queenstown/Lakes District or Central Otago who could recondition the worn steering box from my 1925 Renault please?

Regards,

Paul Elwell-Sutton. pelwellsutton@fastmail.fm Haast.

Member 36/25206.

Name badges

Graham is preparing an order for these. He gets them done in batches of 10 or so. If you need one, please talk to him.

Photos and some notes on events

I can’t get to every event and my knowledge of VCC is limited. I enjoy when others help with contributions, like they did this month. This way, you will end up with a better mag that is well-rounded, and better targeted to the wider membership interests. Thank you to those of you who contributed. The Editor.

Let others know which branch you belong to at events away from home. These are produced locally and are made of high-quality vinyl. They are external stickers and go on the outside of the windscreen or on the bodywork. (They are easily removed with a hairdryer.) Cost $3 each. (A small profit goes to our club.)

To order contact The Secretary gtml@xtra.co.nz

Graham Taylor Mechanical Ltd

114 Shortcut Road, Luggate. gtml@xtra.co.nz 443 1416

027 248 9942

MAXXIS TYRES -- MIXTECH BATTERIES — SPAREX AG PARTS