VCC BOP KLAXON JUNE 2023

Crisis! We urgently need a Chairperson and a Club Captain.

By Bryce Strong, Klaxon Editor

We must have Members in these positions-

• To provide governance for the club, and ensure good leadership, and to ensure principles of best practice are adhered to.

• To be involved in the decision-making process of the club

• To contribute to the development of the club

Benefits of becoming an officer of the BOP VCC -

1. Expand Your Network. A big benefit is the relationships you form on a committee. It’s an excellent way to meet like-minded people who share your passion and desire to improve personally and professionally. You may also get some lifelong friends out of it.

2. Demonstrate and Develop Your Leadership. Through active participation, leading initiatives, and teamwork – you can show that you know what it takes to get the job done successfully. If you are interested in the chair role, it is a great opportunity to lead a team and gain experience in this area.

3. Acquire New Knowledge and Skills. Committee work allows you to gain knowledge and skills you might not have within your day-to-day role. Gain skills such as communication skills, leadership experience, event planning, project management and execution, and much more.

4. Pay it Forward. What are you passionate about? It’s important that you feel connected to the Clubs goals and mission. If you don’t, it will probably just feel like ‘more work’. And being on a committee is work, that’s how you are paying it forward – by providing your time, knowledge, and skills. When you are contributing to the growth and future success of something you are passionate about, it will feel rewarding.

The best advice when joining a committee is: You get out of it, what you put into it.

Members also have a responsibility to see that a club succeeds. This includes:

A sense of commitment: Members should show they are committed to the cause and purpose of the club by being available to perform tasks, contribute to events and projects, and do more than simply show up.

A sense of ownership: Members should take on activities or projects and make them their own. Give your club your time and attention.

A sense of sharing: Share your insight and expertise with others, whether professional or personal.

A sense of giving: Be ready to give of your time, effort, or money, to the extent you are able. When everyone in a club is generous with their time, money and talents, a club thrives.

A club’s performance reflects on its members. If a club is struggling, it’s probably because some of its members aren’t fully committed. To have an effective club, members and leaders must work together to build community and trust.

Are you committed to the Club? If so, please nominate for either Chair or Club Captain.

Any questions, contact Alastair Jones on 07 576 1124 or 027 900 4432

BOP VCC COMMITTEE 2022-2023

KLAXON EMAIL: klaxoninfo@gmail.com CLUB WEBSITE: www.bayofplentyvintagecarclub.com

EVENTS LIST FOR JUNE/JULY 2023

We extend a warm welcome to the following new Member

Richard Tunnicliffe richardt69@outlook.com.

6407, State Highway 2, Netherton, Paeroa 3671 027 7762 941

Richard has a 1964 Matchless G12 and a 1967 Triumph TR6P Motorcycle. PleasecontactourChairmanifyouhavenotreceivedyournamebadgebyournextmeeting

Brunch run only to -

414 Pyes Pa Road, Pyes Pa, Tauranga (opposite the Crematorium)

Date—25th June Club.

Meet at the Cafe at 11am or later.

An Oldie worth repeating!

HEAVEN & HELL

Enjoy a social brunch with fellow Members! Wanted

Heaven is where:

The police are British, the chefs are Italian, the mechanics are German, the lovers are French, and it's all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where:

The police are German, the chefs are British, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it's all organised by the Italians.

Model 'A' Ford gear cluster in good condition.

No repro gears please.

Contact- Les Pearson 027 2245 045 or lespearson@xtra.co.nz

I am a member of the Nelson branch and have been a member of the VCC for some 57 years.

KatiKati Hot Springs Run 28th May

On 17th August 1960, nearly 63 years ago , the BOP Club staged its inaugural run and chose the same venue as above and fielded 18 cars. With about 10 times more members now we only managed 9 cars, which was just half that number.

As that Aussie sheila said, “where the bloody hell are you” and what have we grown into?

Jill W explored her innovative side by organising morning tea at the Club-rooms with some very tasty home baking and then we were off leaving behind the Wades and Scotts as well as the Becks who elected to do the dishes.

Joining us were newcomers, Paul and Janet in a very tasty red MGB, hood up unlike Michael T who never goes anywhere in the TR 3A unless the hood is furled. Bravo.

First stop was the McGowan Emporium on the far side of KK township where we caught up with Gideon and Peter, who although living just around the corner had never walked through “Magoo’s” door, same as the rest of us.

There were plenty of relics to make it a place where memories were jogged, with “oh I remember one of those in the old garage when I was a kid”, and there enough spare parts to build an entire car of your choice.

It was just a short hop back to the welcoming thought of a toe put into the water to test the temperature and there were many pools to choose from.

The hot-tubs looked inviting with enough room to seat 2 comfortably and 4 passionately, so I picked the one with 3 bods already soaking up the warm enveloping H20. And believe it or not the topic of conversation was how to get around the increasing cost of large diameter tyres, not small sized budgie smugglers or bikinis.

It wasn’t easy to drag oneself out of the tub but the breeze was wafting tantalising aromas from the barbecue, emanating from the hot snarlers and patties, cooked to perfection by Jill and also Tony Hall.

Chatty time around the barbecue table helped the digestive juices do their work before it was time to gather up the cold togs and towels and tootle off home, still in brilliant sunshine despite the predictions of showers late in the afternoon.

You just can’t beat a hot sausage and a hot dip, so thank you Whitcombes for an extremely relaxing and enjoyable day out.

“A Nonny Mouse”

BOPVCC Mid Week Run 17 May 2023

Story and pictures by Donn White

A beautiful day dawned on May 17 which was perfect for a Mid Week Run to Whakatane. Jill and John Whitcombe told us to assemble at the Bledisloe Park at Little Waihi by 10.00am and partake in a picnic morning tea and get the route instructions.

The writer was running late after a school drop off and the Eastern Link proved to be a bonus to get to the start line only a tad late.

Upon arriving we saw a few cars that we hadn't seen before. This was due to Rotorua and Eastern BOP members also joining in. It's always great to meet new like minded people and exchange knowledge on resto techniques and things such as parts availability.

After some of the locals admired our vehicles we packed up and I was pleased to see that we were to head for Whakatane on the back roads along the bottom of the hills south of SH 2. Things were progressing well and I was starting to reminisce about the Targa Rally Special Stages and the huge Service Break always held at the Pongakawa School 20 or so years back - when we came to a halt. Sadly for the Targa Rally competitors the road is being tamed considerably with widening and safer cambers very much on the road works agenda. This will be a huge improvement for the locals particularly during Kiwifruit harvesting time - but the writer thinks back fondly to the blind crests, the bumps which made the car leave the ground in places for what seemed an eternity, plus the negative cambers which were a real test of skill!

BOPVCC Mid Week Run 17 May 2023 (Continued)

After leaving Matata we stuck to the main roads in order to get to our lunch venue via Te Teko and Awateri. Coming into Whakatane it certainly appeared to be a busy day - but nothing like the Tauranga traffic that we have to contend with on a daily basis. Speaking of which it was a good idea not to leave from the Club Rooms mid week - had some us tried to do that we would still be stuck in 15th Ave or somewhere... Lunch was a disappointment and no way did this reflect on the Mid Week Run organisers who at the last moment were shoved an 'over promised, under delivered' menu and fare. This situation sadly seems to be unfolding more frequently with a number of cafes, bars and restaurants post Covid. Anyway the group at our table munched down their cold burgers (no choices) and at least the beer wasn't flat.

Part of our group waiting patiently at the road works on Old Coach Road

Our thanks to Jill and John Whitcombe for organising this run!

A pennant purchased by the writer when on holiday at the Bledisloe Park Motor Camp back in 1967.

NEVER STOP DRIVING

The newsletter for those committed to keeping driving alive.

byLarryWebster•4/21/2023

Do kids like driving or not?

I’ve been noticing duelling narratives. In the “we’re doomed” category, Substack writer Rob Henderson, a psychologist, explains how today’s kids are more risk averse than previous generations and don’t want to leave their parents’ basements. The percentage of 17-year-olds who have drivers licenses fell from 62 percent in 1997 to 42 percent in 2021.

TheNewYorkTimes , on the other hand, recently highlighted a group of Southern California youths for whom the car is a cherished means to freedom and adventure. I probably should be celebrating the Timespiece a love letter to the car but it’s presented in an artsy way, with photos fit for a Forever 21 catalog. My colleague Joe DeMatio pointed out that the article merely confirms that for many young people in America, the car is as important to their social lives and development as it was for the characters in the flick American Graffiti a half-century ago. For the kids in the NYT piece, cars are rolling rec rooms, a way to connect with friends in person rather than through a phone screen. DeMatio found it heartening and hopeful and dismissed my concerns about the photos with a characteristic wave of his hand. Give it a read and let me know what you think.

I have three kids under the age of 20 so I naturally consider myself an expert on the topic. I’ve witnessed the corrosive effects of today’s never-ending digital entertainment stream and often resent the devices that take up so much of my kids’ time. Then I remember that T.V. and most new entertainment technology gets a turn in the hurt locker and is accused of being unhealthy. Tastes and behaviors change. The world changes.

That said, I rely on cars to suck my kids off the screens so I can connect with the buggers while they’re still at home. The machines are wonderful gathering points, as I’ve pointed out many times, from a road-trip tale to our book NeverStopDriving , now available in audio format. I’ve recently taught three stick-shift lessons to my 18-year-old daughter, who’s never leaned toward the family business. A kid who’s long viewed cars as her old man’s curious obsession now sees stick-shift driving as a potentially fun and valuable skill to have. During our first lesson in an empty high-school parking lot, she accidently did three burnouts and laughed each time. I did too. Now she wants to drive our ’86 Mustang to school.

A few years ago, we dove into the topic of kids and cars and concluded that there’s plenty of automotive enthusiasm in the next generation. I still believe that but am aware I travel in selfreinforcing circles. I’m also wary of too much screen time for our kids. Ben Franklin believed there’s virtue in moderation. Except, of course, when it comes to my cars, when too much is just

(Continued from previous page)

NEVER STOP DRIVING

The newsletter for those committed to keeping driving alive . byLarryWebster•4/21/2023

I’m grateful to work at a company fueled by a purpose to save driving and car culture for future generations. Hagerty Media contributes to that purpose via the material that we produce, which we hope stokes and spreads the passion. As evidence that it does: One of our time-lapse engine rebuilds, on a Chevy pickup engine, has over 45 million views.

If you enjoy our content and would like the contribute, please join the Hagerty Drivers Club, which now offers a free, 60-day trial. Already a member? Thank you. Please encourage your network to do the same and also sign up for this newsletter

Larry Webster

“THE FULL MONTY”

The ladies all know what the “Full Monty” is; nudge nudge wink wink, gaberdine rain-coat or polar-fleece dressing gown worn with a sly grin and then flapped around with gay abandon. But what has this to do with motoring, except that a few chaps have probably said that the restoration of their prized motor was the “full monty”. Well I was thumbing through an old copy of my favourite motoring mag. And came across the background to this most interesting expression which is worthy of sharing with you, so read on with no need to hide this from the other half.

Hill-climbing seems to be a peculiarly British form of motor-sport although I have read of a few famous ones on the Continent and even in the USA, but one that has escaped my attention is Harewood , nestled between Leeds and Harrowgate, up in Yorkshire. It’s the longest in Britain at only 9/10ths of a mile, and is not for the faint-hearted as it features a full throttle dash through a farm-yard with stone buildings flanking the track both sides.

It is part of Stockton Farm which was bought by Arnold Burton in 1961 who was a motoring enthusiast all his life but wasn’t allowed to race by his father, one Moshe Osinsky, who arrived in England from Lithuania in 1900, as a penniless immigrant. It didn’t take Moshe long after starting as a street peddler to open his first clothing shop at the age of 18, and then he changed his name to Montague Burton. In no time the “five guinea suit for 50 shillings” was the chosen apparel of one in four British males, and when he died in 1952 he was the largest retail tailor in the world with 400 shops and 14 factories.

In 1945, Montague Burton was contracted to provide “de-mobbed” servicemen with their first peace-time suit, complete with jacket, waistcoat and two pairs of trousers. Hence the term, “The Full Monty”,

However I don’t think Montague issued a set of instructions on how his jacket could be used to entertain British “tender gender” starved of male attention during the war years. Sent in by Alastair Jones.

Trip to Te Aroha to The Vintage Car Auction On Farm Sale from a women’s point of view

Saturday 6/5/23 was not promising to be a very dry day and it proved to be the case. As we came over the very soggy Kaimai ranges to have a look at the Vintage Car Auction that had been advertised thru PGG Wrightson it was drizzling all the way to Te Aroha.

As parking on the farm was not an option due to the very wet conditions, buses were run from town out to the farm thank goodness. We didn’t like the thought of getting stuck in the wet muddy conditions in the paddocks, even though we went in our Ute.

This was an on-farm auction of mostly Ford trucks and cars from the deceased estate of a Mr. Burgess. Nearly all these vehicles had been in the barn for 20 years or more - some up to 40 years and had never moved or seen the light of day since they were driven into the barn and they were not in the best of condition.

There were about 6 vehicle that were still in running order, but would need a lot of TLC. The last two trucks on the catalogue list were runners and were in good condition, so not much work needed doing on those. As many of the cars had not been moved, tires and batteries would be an issue to start with. Many were unregistered and unwarranted, some had registration on hold. So once you had purchased your chosen vehicle there would be many hours and much money involved to get them up and running again.

Well, the day as I said was drizzling on and off all day, and the conditions at the auction site were dismal to say the least! Mud, mud, glorious mad (glorious be damned) it was very wet and very muddy underfoot, no real places to get out of the rain or mud. But these folks that came to the auction were a hardy bunch and stuck it out for over 2 hours to bid on their desired rundown vehicle.

Once you got a seat to sit on you never moved (regardless of the continuing showers) - you could likely end up owning a vehicle if you caught the Auctioneers eye. At times bidding was brisk, but at the other end of the scale the Auctioneer worked the crowd hard to get the bidding up. The prices for these Vintage vehicle cars and trucks were surprising, ranging from $5000.00 to $50,00.00. In some cases the prices were way off the chart - it is called auction fever, some bidders go crazy.

It was of course mostly a mans domain, but there were some ladies there, including me standing in the mud and rain. It was amazing to watch all the thrill of the auction, and to see people getting excited when they realize that they are the winner on the day. Whether they will feel like that a few weeks down the track when the get their prized acquisition home and realize that there is going to be lots more dollars required to get it up and running remains to be seen. Even though the conditions were not the best, it was still an interesting day out.

On the next page is the flyer with prices realised at the auction, for your inrerest

Written by Jill Whitcombe

Monster Auction results (from previous page)

NEVER STOP DRIVING

The newsletter for those committed to keeping driving alive.

by Larry Webster • 5/26/2023 (Hagerty)

When an IndyCar driver is traveling more than 300 feet every second, at 240 mph, down the front straight of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, their next task is unthinkable to most of us: They have to hang a left. The 2.5-mile track is more rectangular than oval, with four 90-degree turns joined by two long straights, each roughly a half-mile long, and two shorter shoots. Indy’s qualifying format is a four-lap run and the driver with the highest average speed wins. A qualifying run is therefore 10 miles, a distance you and I cover in about 10 minutes on the interstate but Indy drivers finish in just two and a half minutes.

Alex Palou won pole position for this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 by averaging 234.217 mph during that two and a half minutes. The competition is incredibly close. The second-place qualifier, Rinus VeeKay, averaged 234.211 mph. Over those 10 miles, VeeKay was only about 20 inches behind Palou, or 0.004 second slower. An eye blink is 0.3 second. Those speeds include the turns, where the cars barely slow after hurtling down the straights.

On TV, those turns look deceptively gentle. They are not. I once raced a Formula Ford, a comparative turtle, on Indy’ s infield road course, which integrates the oval’ s front straight. As I barreled down that straight at perhaps 100 mph toward one of the oval’s turns, all I could see was the wall that lines the exit. I felt like I was in a tunnel that abruptly ended because I couldn’t see through the corner.

I can’t decide if Indy drivers are brave, crazy, or clueless. They’ll be going twice as fast as a sky diver falling through the air and doing so inches from other cars and mere feet from a wall. The risks are huge as evidenced by a recent practice crash between Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson that put Wilson in the hospital with a broken vertebra. We’ve seen the Indy 500 race so many times, we can become calloused to what is an incredible spectacle of human capability. I’ll be watching the 107th running this Sunday.

DARYL & ANNETTE WAKEFIELD

PH 07 574 8740

BOP RADIATOR SPECIALISTS LIMITED

Contact—Julian Parbery

Telephone—07 573 9109

Fax 07 5738915

259 Jellicoe Street, Te Puke, 3119, Bay of Plenty

Email sales@bopradiatorspecialists.co.nz

Cleaning with out chemicals or abrasives, it is eco friendly and cost effective way compared to other methods such as media blasting or paint stripping. It can remove light rust off delicate car/engine parts. It will easily clean a metal head gasket previously impossible with conventional cleaning methods. Benefits are - no harsh chemicals, no abrasives, no expensive set up cost (as with media blasting), no loud noises during the process, no hazards as with high pressure equipment, very precise cleaning and no clean up cost!

This cleaning can be done in your garage if re-

BOP VCC Operational Information

The Club Rooms are 29 Cliff Road. P O Box 660, Tauranga, 3144.

Key contacts are:

Chairman– Alastair Jones 07 5761124 Email: gandajones@kinect.co.nz

Secretary– Michael Thorman 07 5444291 Email: bayofplenty@vcc.org.nz

Club Captain Jill Whitcombe 07 5524201 Email: johnandjill37@gmail.com

Monthly events

Club night (except January) - 2nd Monday, start time 7.30pm

Mid week run — Wednesday following the club night

End of the month run Held on the last Sunday of the month.

Committee Meeting

Last Monday of the month

Noggin ‘n’ Natter — 4th Tuesday at 6pm

Location Sequence of Noggin ‘n’ Natter

1, Tauranga- Tauranga Citizens Club, Cameron Road.

Contact is Kaaren Smylie phone 021 664341 or 07 576 4180

2. TePuke– The Pap Tavern phone 020 4042 7624

Contact is - Lynn Howard.

3. Tauranga- Tauranga Citizens Club, Cameron Road.

4. Katikati- Forta Leza Café, SH 2, Katikati.

Contact is Owen Smith, phone 07 570 2000

If your birthday falls in this month please remember it is your turn to provide a plate for supper. Thanks to last months birthday people for their food.

Please remember to wear your name badges to all events. BADGES ARE FREE TO NEW MEMBERS.

LIBRARY HOURS— The library is open on club nights from 7pm. Also on most Monday mornings Yvonne & Paul work in the library until midday. Members are welcome to call in to search for or return books. If making a special trip please phone them at home on 07 572 0163 or 027 6098510 beforehand to ensure that they will be there. We are accepting good clean car service manuals or books that relate to automobile history or travel for our club library

PARTS SHED Clean out your sheds and bring those surplus parts down. They may be just what someone else needs Parts shed open most Monday morning. Contacts are Jack 07 5766346 or Colin 027 2629161

HELPUSHIREOUTTHECLUBROOMS!

CONTACTKAARENSMYLIE075764180OR 021664341