JULY
Sunday 2nd Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th Hobby Expo
Wednesday 12th Club Night Mid Year Pot Luck Christmas Dinner 6.00 pm
Wednesday 19th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
AUGUST
Sunday 6th Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Wednesday 9th Club Night 7.30 pm
Wednesday 16th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
Sunday 20th Daffodil Run for Cancer
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 3rd Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Wednesday 13th Club Night 7.30 pm
Sunday 17th Club Run – BBQ Breakfast
Wednesday 20th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars 10.00 am
Club Breakfast - First Sunday of each month
At The Huka Hub Café
Huka Falls, next to the helicopters. Special menu for Club Members. IMPORTANT: Please let Owen know by 3pm Friday if you will be there: 07 378 8327. Please be seated by 8.30 am.
Although you can print this magazine to A4 (either actual size or scaled to A4), this magazine has been set up in A5 format. This allows you to print 2 pages up on an A4 or even a booklet if your printer supports it.
If you open the magazine file in Acrobat Reader, and select file>print, under Page Size and Handling (see image below), you can print multiple pages per sheet. Click File>Print>Multiple>Pages per sheet> 2
If your printer supports printing both sides of the paper, you can also print a ‘Booklet’. Which allows you to print, then staple and fold up into an A5 magazine.
Here are some more informative links and videos to help:
• Printing Multiple A4 Sheets on One A4 Sheet in Adobe Reader
• Printing PDFs from Acrobat Reader
• Get Adobe Reader
The months’ activities started very early on! Following an invitation from the National Park Business Association, a number of us took part in a car show at the National Park School on Saturday, 3rd June. A small contingent gathered at the club rooms on a cool, damp, windy day before heading to Liquorice Café, Motu-o-apa, for a coffee fix. It was then on to National Park to line up with other participants. On arrival, we found that there were quite a number of fellow branch members also displaying their vehicles. The car display totalled about 50 vehicles comprising a wide range of club-eligible vehicles as well as a number of hot rods and other interesting vehicles. A number of the participants had entered their vehicles in a competition. The judging was thorough, almost Pebble Beach in thoroughness. Paintwork, upholstery, engine, boot, etc., got the once over. The winners were George and Fiona Holliday and Bryce and Marion Gladdon. Despite considerable hard work by the judges, they could not separate the two cars and therefore declared joint winners.
Of course, National Park is not exactly tropical on a windy June day, so after a quick inspection of the vehicles, we retired to the school hall, where it was somewhat warmer. Following a lunch provided by local supporters, many of us decided that returning to Taupo was the most appropriate course of action. I understand the business owners that organised the event were happy with the result and hope to repeat the effort next year. In my view, this would be a good event to put on our calendar.
The following day was the usual breakfast at The Hub. The usual 30 or so participants enjoyed breakfast, coffee, and a chat before heading off for their usual Sunday pursuits.
Club night was organised by the Hollidays and proved to be an entertaining evening with the movie Some Like it Hot with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. It was, unfortunately marred somewhat by the poor sound quality. There are moves afoot to improve the sound of our tv set, which is an essential improvement for our older, hearing-impaired members. Ice cream at halftime went down a treat!
The final event for the month was the Brass Monkey Run. This commenced mid-afternoon and was organised by Murray Stanley. The run took us out into the rural areas adjacent to
Taupo and included visits to a number of power stations. With a number of questions to be answered along the way, the drive proved to be an interesting challenge. The day finished at Jolly Good Fellows, where the 35 or so participants enjoyed refreshments and a very pleasant meal. The joint winners were Jill and John Roberts, plus Peter Lockie and Andrew Birkbeck.
Finally, I would like to cover the ongoing saga of the new carpet. While we do have the grant of $10,000 from the Lion Foundation, we do not yet have new carpet. The problem is that Midway, who are supplying the carpet, have been repeatedly let down by their wholesaler. Despite repeated promises, the chosen product has not been delivered. The committee has decided to give up on this particular product and is in the throes of selecting another design. Fingers crossed this time!
Club merchandise available on Club Nights.
Baseball Cap - $16.50
Polo Shirt - $38.50
Bucket Hat - $17.80
Fleece Jacket - $59.00
Club Lapel Badges and Car Stickers
We have most stock available at the club rooms.
If your car's interior needs some love, reach out to us! We'll be happy to help!
Faded or worn leather/vinyl seats, Damaged leather steering wheel, Scratched dashboard or door panels, Cracked vinyl armrest and shifter,
As an alternative to replacing, Fibrenew can repair & make it look great again.
Don't replace, renew with Fibrenew!
DEAN WILLS
FIBRENEW BAY OF PLENTY
Locally owned and operated
Ph: 021 215 6889
Email: bayofplenty@fibrenew.co.nz
Web: www.fibrenew.co.nz
Taupo
Auto & Marine Trimmers
16 Manuka Street
07-378 6969
grant@taupoautomarine.co.nz
www.taupoautomarine.co.nz
Vehicle Servicing
Car Repairs
Vehicle Brakes
Car Exhausts
Shock Absorbers
Towbars
Tyres
Warrant of Fitness Safety Checks
Batteries
28 Oruanui St
Taupo
Owners: Susan & Peter Wall
07 3783132
Mobile 021 717131
In 2019, Dave Nixon was getting bored and decided that he needed another project. Already an accomplished kit car builder, having completed several other builds (including a Ford GT40), the next project in his sights looked pretty simple. Some boxes of bits advertised on Trade Me had the potential to be quickly assembled into a very nice beach buggy in time for summer. How wrong that turned out to be!
The advertisement promised that the boxes contained all of the parts required –the mechanicals were based on a 1972 VW Beetle, and there was a Meyers Manx inspired fiberglass body finished in lime green as well. Once all of the parts arrived, Dave rolled up his sleeves and got stuck into the build. Given that the VW chassis was shortened, the build needed to be certified as a scratch-build.
Like many “simple” projects, this one turned out to be a case of one step forward, two steps back for Dave. He strengthened the chassis, lowered the rear suspension, built a roll cage and bumpers, and installed the wiring loom (with the help of a local auto electrician). The project demonstrated the old adage that 80% of the work only takes 20% of the time, but it’s the annoying last 20% of the work that requires the bulk of the time to complete. Even a simple job like installing a rear brake light turned out to be an aggravation because it didn’t fit well on the rounded and sloping rear body surface. It took some trawling of the Hella catalogue before a suitable item was found.
As well as delays attributed to lockdowns during the project build, Dave also suffered a few health issues to further hinder his progress. He says that as a younger man, he often got impatient watching somebody struggling to assemble small items and thinking, “move over and let me do it.” But he now says that he has turned into one of those people himself – karma strikes again! These days his knee will only allow him to work on the
engine for 15 minutes at a time, so a job that should only take a couple of hours now takes a week’s work!
With the benefit of hindsight, Dave admits that his enthusiasm for the project perhaps overwhelmed his more natural impulse of “let the buyer beware.” For one reason or another, he found that he had to throw away a lot of the parts that came with his original purchase. Items that needed to be replaced included the seats, the steering wheel, the steering column, and even the engine. Once Dave got the engine running, it would not produce any power
below 2,000 RPM, and it was impossible to start from cold without pouring petrol directly into the carburettor. He came to the conclusion that the engine had been altered (and probably thrashed) in its previous life, and so it needed to go. He replaced it with an original spec 1600cc twin port engine which starts well and also pulls well through the revs. Dave says that it’s not massive power, but the buggy is a cruiser, not a racer. It only weighs 630kg and manages to accelerate OK, and having such a short wheelbase, a wrong twitch of the wheel will certainly get your attention!
Finally, in July 2022, the big day came when the Beach Buggy was certified and registered and given a 3-year WOF. Dave and his wife Jan now enjoy driving the buggy locally when the weather is fine, as it is strictly a fair-weather car, so it will never have a roof.
WINDSCREENS, CHIP REPAIRS, ADAS CLASSIC CAR RESTORATION, HEAVY HAULAGE / COMMERCIAL, DOMESTIC - HOME GLAZING, FORESTRY & RURAL
Find us: 39 Miro St, Taupo
Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Dear exhibitor
Welcome to the 28th Hobby Expo.
We have pleasure in confirming your inclusion in the 28th Hobby Expo. With this letter please find details concerning the Weekend, Exhibitor Badges, the Friday Evening Meal Menu and a Venue map.
The venue is laid out to make the best use of space available and in so doing we have made every effort to accommodate your requests. A copy of the layout is attached with this Email. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL BE UNABLE TO MAKE CHANGES ON THE DAY. Any major deviation will be notified before the day. Exhibitors are REQUIRED TO CONFINE THEIR DISPLAYS TO THEIR ALLOCATED AREA and not to encroach into walkways, public access or other exhibitor’s space.
COVID:
This virus is still around so, if you think you are vulnerable, then please make your own decisions re precautions before attending the event. If you are unable to attend for any reason then please let us know.
ROCKWALL:
Once again, the Rock Wall will be in operation and the back section of the venue will be coned off. All paying patrons attending the Hobby Expo will be able to have one attempt to climb the wall for free
These will be available when you present your exhibit for setup on Friday 6th July. For obvious reasons Exhibitor Badges must be worn at all times within the venue . Remember, Exhibitors not wearing their Expo Badges may be refused entry or be asked to pay at the door Exhibitors wearing their ID are entitled to free tea or coffee with their morning , lunch and afternoon tea breaks. This is available in the kitchen area.
The venue will be locked each night with resident security personnel also patrolling the premises. Having made that statement please be aware that the Taupo Model Railway Club Inc and Taupo Venues take all care but no responsibility of any breakages, losses or damage incurred during the Expo
The Taupo Model Railway Club is unable to supply accessories such as power leads, individual lighting or barriers. Exhibitors must supply their own such requirements. This means that exhibitors are responsible for completely equipping their own stands.
Please note that all electrical leads, power boxes and the like need to have a current test and tag label attached. This is your responsibility, so action it before you arrive.
Travel assistance to out-of-town exhibitors will not be guaranteed. A decision to pay this will be made by the Taupo Model Railway Club Inc. after the event and will be notified to exhibitors. Any payment will be made into the exhibitor’s bank account.
Whilst the Club is only too willing to assist with the temporary staffing of a particular stand it is unable to assist on a permanent basis. Therefore, exhibitors should ensure they have their own staff for adequately servicing their display Notwithstanding this requirement, Club members are available to assist with the carrying of large objects from vehicles to the display area. Also, to avoid a nuisance situation, exhibitors who have young children accompanying them must at all times be responsible for their control, safety, welfare and actions.
Our fully equipped modern workshop facility offers a reliable, accurate and affordable solution to all your reconditioning and machining needs. Includes high performance race/street, general automotive, motorcycle, marine, light and heavy diesel and industrial. We offer extremely quick turn around times and can pick-up or deliver if required
Brian Henson / Scott Murray
Unit 6 / 465 Broadlands Road
Rotokawa, Taupō 3378
Ph; 3773570 Fax; 07 3773572
Email; Engines@hmltd.co.nz
Taupo
Mobile: 0274 496363
Some of our intrepid members entered their cars in the Inaugural Alpine Vintage & Classic Car Show held at National Park Village School. It was lovely in Taupo when we set off, but the weather got worse as we neared our destination, and it was very cold and rainy up there in the mountains. There was food and hot drinks, and the sun came out eventually but did little to warm us up. It was a long day, but we hung in there until the end for the prize giving when the Bryce’s Heron and George’s Celica Supra won best in class.
Below: Entrants from Taupo in the Alpine Vintage & Classic Car Show
CLUB NIGHT - 14 JUNE 2023
Club night this month was a movie night which we haven’t had for quite some time now. Instead of something car related, we saw “Some Like It Hot,” and it was a successful evening with about 25 brave souls coming out on a cold evening to see it.
The feedback was that we should do it again sometime, which hopefully will not be too far into the future.
The man is driving, and I am once again sitting in the passenger seat while we are travelling in a slow-moving line of traffic, and I notice that the car in front has a silly name. Gone are the names we recognise, like Escort, Cortina, Anglia, Marina, and Capri, to name but a few. Whilst twiddling my thumbs and trying not to listen to the frustrated drumming on the steering wheel, I start to wonder what do these names mean in other languages and what springs to mind when you see one.
In France, the Toyota MR2 was hurriedly rebadged as the “MR” – pronounced “em-air” – because the local sales guys pointed out that not many people would want to drive an “em-air-deux” which is as close to “merde” (sh*t) as makes no difference.
Japan is infamous for its curious car names; Mitsubishi once came up with the palatable “Minica Lettuce,” but while that’s unquestionably inoffensive to English-speaking ears, as a car name, it’s a little limp. Sadly this variant of the Minica wasn’t followed up by the Mitsubishi Tomato and Mitsubishi Sesame Seed Bun.
Mitsubishi was also responsible for the Starion, which many people (including Jeremy Clarkson) believed would have been “Stallion” had there not been some confusion between the letters L and R. The original press materials indicated that “Starion” is a contraction of “Star of Arion,” Arion being a horse from Greek mythology. Still, it’s not the coolest of names and having to correct every person down the pub must have got tiresome for the owners.
Mitsubishi Toppo Guppy – Named after the best fish in the tank, perhaps. Mitsubishi is really on a roll.
Mitsubishi Minica Winky – Find something funny, Jenkins? Do share it with the entire class.
Great Wall Wingle – It sounds like a toilet break while trekking in China, but it’s definitely the name of a pick-up.
Silly car names aren’t exclusive to Toyota and Mitsubishi, though Ford, Austin, Vauxhall, and more have all been guilty.
Austin Princess – “Princess” doesn’t exactly denote a thrusting executive saloon.
Mitsubishi Carisma – It’s difficult to imagine a car with less charisma, no matter how much Mitsubishi wanted us to think otherwise.
Gaylord Gladiator – A car designed by Brooks Stephens, the man credited with inventing planned obsolescence in products (remember when lightbulbs only lasted a couple of months?). The Gaylord Gladiator was his greatest achievement, looking utterly obsolete from the moment they took the covers off. As we know from the movie Meet the Fokkers, there’s nothing funny about the name Gaylord.
Dodge Dart Swinger – This was a hip car to own when it was introduced at the end of the 1960s. Come the ‘70s, and it gave party guests the wrong impression. The keys were usually to be found in a bowl by the door.
Ford Probe – Nothing pleasant is associated with the word “probe.”
AMC Gremlin – Don’t get it wet, and definitely don’t feed it after midnight.
Mazda LaPuta – Laputa was the flying island in Gulliver’s Travels. Unfortunately, it is also a Spanish term for a lady of the night.
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow – The name “Silver Shadow” doesn’t cause any problems in different languages. However, the car was originally going to be called “Silver Mist.” Rolls-Royce had to ditch that name because in German “mist” is a different word for “dirt” or “crap.” “Silver Shadow” really is a much better name for a luxurious car than “Silver Sh*t.”
Audi e-tron – Audi sells its plug-in hybrids under the “e-tron” label. However, it sounds suspiciously similar to the French word “étron,” which means “pile of sh*t.” Maybe that’s the reason why nobody wants to buy one.
VW Vento – The Vento was introduced in 1992 as the successor of the Jetta. However, “vento” is the Italian for “wind,” but
colloquially, that word is also used for another source of “wind” – so basically, the car is called a “Volkswagen Fart.”
Studebaker Dictator – Not the best choice during the 1930s and ‘40s. By 1937, the name had become a little, shall we say, tarnished, and Studebaker abruptly changed it to Commander.
The Taupo Hospice Shop has kindly given us some nice books, which will be added to the library:
The library is for you to browse and/or borrow books that interest you and will be open every time we meet in the clubrooms.
Come and have a look round!
Parts department hours are better than ever:
7.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday 8.00am to 1.00pm Saturday
Parts and Services offer a comprehensive parts and service solution for your car, van, ute, truck, trailer, caravan, fifth-wheeler or campervan. We’re all about smart servicing – that means getting the parts that you need, and servicing your vehicle to your satisfaction every time.
Still at; 1 Miro Street, Taupo Web; partsandservices.co.nz
Phone; 07 378 2673
If you own a 1933 or 1934 Ford, you’ll want to be a part of the Model 40 Convention to be held March 8-10 next year. Celebrating 90 years of this beautiful model Ford, the event is open to both original & modified examples, but is limited to 100 entries. Having hosted past vintage and hot rod events, including Deuce Days for the 1932 Fords, the venue at Solway Park at Masterton is perfect for this sort of event. Trust House & JRI Insurance have come on board as major sponsors, and registration is open now.
For more information follow the event on the 1933/34 Ford New Zealand Facebook page.
Expressions of interest and requests for registration form to magoos@xtra.co.nz. Enquiries to the convenor; Lloyd Wilson 021-436-432
PS: Whether or not they can attend we would still be interested in hearing from owners, as we have established a register of 33/34 Fords in New Zealand. Also, we will be producing special anniversary plaques which will be available to Model 40 owners.
(subject to change)
July 2023
Sunday 2nd July
Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th July
Wednesday 12th July
Monday 17th July
Wednesday 20th July
August 2023
Sunday 6th August
Wednesday 9th August
Wednesday 16th August
Sunday 20th August
Monday 21st August .
September 2023
Sunday 3rd September . . . .
Wednesday 13th September
Sunday 17th September
Monday 18th September
Wednesday 20th September
October 2023
Sunday 1st October
Wednesday 11th October
Sunday 15th October
Monday 16th October
Wednesday 18th October
November 2023
Sunday 5th November
Wednesday 8th November
Wednesday 15th November
Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
. Hobby Expo
Club Night Mid Year Pot Luck Christmas Dinner 6.00 pm
Committee Meeting 5.30 pm
Petrolheads coffee n cars 10.00 am
Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Club Night 7.30 pm
Petrolheads coffee n cars 10.00 am
Daffodil Run for Cancer
. Committee Meeting 5.30 pm
Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Night 7.30 pm –
Club Run – BBQ Breakfast
the Hub 8.30 am
Sunday 19th November . . . . . . . . Club Run – Boot Picnic Pow Wow
Monday 20th November . . . . . . . . Committee Meeting 5.30 pm
December 2023
Saturday 2nd December . . . . . . . . Club Christmas Dinner
Sunday 3rd December
Friday 15th December
Wednesday 20th December
Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am
Club Christmas Morning Tea 10.00 am
Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am
