LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The only way I can adequately thank all the well-wishers, hand-shakers and back slappers from the last Club-Night is through the good pages of "Klaxon" because there just wasn't enough time that night to thank you all personally.

Your words and actions were much appreciated.

If any of you are interested in following up the story on how the old Buick was recovered and restored, you can read the story in Beaded Wheels # 180 and 181. Go to the www.vcc.org.nz, click on Beaded Wheels and then click on Beaded Wheels Archives. There's great stuff back to the first Guff Sheets. You'll enjoy seeing what was for sale and what prices were asked.

Best wishes for your motoring, Alastair

Jones

We extend a warm welcome to the following new Members—

Dirk Jost jostfamily@xtra.co.nz

25/101 Harbour Drive, RD2, Whitianga

Ph. 021 683360

Dirk has a 1984 Volkswagen Golf Gti & a 1971 Volkswagen Westfalia Bay Window -

Bruce Mckarras brucemckerras@gmail.com Ph 022 0455154.

23 Bellfield Place, Bethlehem, Tauranga .

Bruce has a 1954 Velocette E Mac 350 Motorcycle, a 1936 Velocette Velcette Iron Mac Motorbike, and a 1951 Bristol 401 Saloon

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We have a new junior member : Freya Wiseley kaaren@smylie.co.nz

238 Plummer’s Point Road, Tauranga 3172 -

PleasecontactourChairmanifyouhavenotreceivedyournamebadgeby ournextmeeting

Sharlene Martin 1957 Two Door Morris Minor 1000

I was asked to write a story on our 1957 Two Door Morris Minor 1000 so I thought I would explain how and why we got her.

I left school at 16, half way through the 6th form to do a horticultural course (I had to have a job before I could leave school, kids did what they were told in those days!) I was lucky to be picked up and dropped off at the gate by a girl on the course who lived up the road from me in a – you guessed it – Morrie 1000. I fell in love with the car and decided when I got a job I would get one too. ( I was brought up with an eclectic mix of cars, Sunbeam Talbot, Armstrong Siddeley, Daimler Consort, Peugeot 404, and a Simca (learnt to drive in that among many other cars.

So at the end of the course I got a job in a plant nursery and needed a car, you can guess what I wanted. For some reason my dad flatly refused my plea for a Morrie 1000, I was allowed to buy a Mini Traveller though which I loved.

Fast forward 40 years or so and as my husband is restoring a Mk 2 1600 E Ford Cortina for himself I decided the time had come for a Morrie for me. We found her in Auckland after a long search, the owner chose us from 8 other buyers as we had a garage and my husband has been a mechanic for over 44 years so we were able to reassure him she was going to a good home.

To get her going we have replaced the exhaust system, brakes, put 4 new tyres on ,done the diff pinion seal, carb overhaul and water pump and thermostat. All she needs to be restored to her former glory is a paint job and the seats to be reupholstered. We were even featured in the Sunlive photos taken at the Easter run which was her maiden outing.

So that’s how and why we ended up with our “ Cheap and Cheerful Little Lady “

Sharlene

Sharlene Martin’s 1957 Two Door

Morris Minor 1000

Waikato Double 50 Rally 2023 - by Raewyn and Graeme Fenn

This year we have had more opportunities to meet with BOP VCC members who are interested in Rallying our old vehicles – driving our vehicles over roads that they were built for and seeing things that one does not normally get the opportunity to enjoy. Let’s be honest, there are very few metal roads around anymore, so not much chance of getting down and dirty on a normal day rally.

So we had chatted with Deirdre and Tony, Les and Helen and Alistair and Gwen and agreed we would all take part in the Waikato Winter Woollies Rally from Cambridge on the 10th of June this year, meeting for dinner on Friday night and by some good planning, we even managed to stay in the same Motel – well done girls!

Unbeknown to us, Graham and Thelma Jack from our branch were also taking part and it was great to meet up with them on Saturday morning before the start, as they had travelled to Cambridge on Saturday morning.

As some of you will know, Graeme and I have been involved in major renovations of our home over the past 12 months, so we have not had the luxury of time for ourselves, so Graeme got out Graham Bluestreak all cleaned, greased, oiled and checked over early and without having to worry about dog-sitters anymore, we were free to leave early. Leaving Waihi Beach at 1.30pm, we were planning a leisurely trip to Cambridge with time for a nice coffee before settling into our motel and going for dinner.

As we all know! Rain has been frequent since Christmas and our Karangahake Gorge has suffered from flooding, erosion and several particularly nasty slips, so travelling through there is fraught with Road Works currently. While sitting in a queue beside the river, we both noticed a strange noise coming from the engine bay! We stopped in the Rest Area while Graeme checked it out and some Australian folk came to talk to us about what we were doing in our car.

No problem found, we carried on, but on the “Swamp Road”, Graeme felt he needed to investigate further and found that the generator was the problem, as soon as we stopped, our neighbours stopped headed in the other direction, to check we were all okay. The decision was made to go back to Paeroa Auto Electrical who were extremely helpful and Roger suggested that if he removed the generator, they would have a look at it. Done! However, the problem was found to be terminal, so we turned around and headed home to Waihi Beach. By now it was getting to 4.30p.m. but we decided that Graeme would get our Graham Crusader from the shed, where it had been resting for 6 months, and load up again, heading off to Cambridge again around 6pm. This time, it was dark and our lights weren’t much better than one candlepower each, plus by now the Auckland traffic travelling to the Coromandel for the weekend were all reaching our patch, so oncoming MODERN headlights were blinding! It was a very quiet trip through the gorge as Graeme tried to follow the white line and I tried to hold my tongue from telling him he was very close to the edge!!

Waikato Double 50 Rally 2023—Continued

Anyway, it was a beautiful evening and with the lovely bright moon, we made it to Cambridge about 7.30, before spaghetti on toast and into bed!

Saturday morning, dawned crisp and clear and we met up with Steve and Joy Growden from Kawerau when we were filling with fuel prior to breakfast at the VCC Car Club rooms. The time went really quickly as we caught up with the rest of the BOP members and friends from other branches. We found that there was a Teams Competition for Branches, so Graeme quickly talked to our BOP members and entered Jacks, Duggans and ourselves in the Team Comp. All too soon, it was briefing and then we were off, heading out towards Leamington and into Straight Line Navigation. This was a well thought out section, however, I don’t think the organisers thought about the Saturday morning netball, rugby and soccer traffic at that hour. It was quite tight and tricky for a few minutes there, before we headed off through Maungatautiri and continued to follow this road for many miles while also following the Waikato River and Lake Karapiro. What fabulous scenery, beautiful sealed roads and SUN!

We really lucky to have such beautiful country areas available to us to travel on and enjoy. I really enjoyed being able to show Graeme where I go to a Quilting Retreat every year at Epworth Retreat and Recreation Centre – one of the questions we were asked was to name the Retreat. (It was about this point that we realised we had forgotten our lunch!!)

Never mind, the next wee shop we passed, we would stop and get something – but no! We remained on sealed roads, near Arapuni, near Arohena and finally into the Ngaroma War Memorial Hall, and we did not pass one shop or roadside stall anywhere!

The Hall was set back from the road, up quite a steep driveway with a big paddock on the left which had obviously been used for sports over many years. Behind was a lovely area of native bush and the whole area was very picturesque, if chilly!

After a nice cup of tea and a banana that we had in the car from Friday night, we headed off, turning left from the hall, to continue the road that we had been on, and having to watch for a beast which had strayed onto the road unaware of the noisy cars coming to interrupt his eating.

This afternoon was to prove to be the completion of a full circle as we headed back towards Cambridge, along Bayley Road, Seafund Road, Wharepapa South Road, Owairaka Valley Road, before joining Arapuni Road to approach Cambridge from the South-West. The scenery was amazing, we were very high initially, and then ran through some amazing valleys with Awesome Limestone Rock formations. Some people were being inventive and had created small business’ like rock climbing, on their land.

Graeme always says, “There is usually a sting in the tail”, and this rally had a good one. As we turned onto Thornton Road, the instruction was to proceed to the Final Check. For those of us who were tired, or perhaps a little inexperienced, that meant turning into McLean Street and home to the clubrooms, however, the organisers meant to carry on until you met a Marshall who would take your Afternoon Card – about 2 kilometres past McLean Street.