VCC TAUPO TORQUE MARCH 2024

Jaguar MKII

by Tony Haycock

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

THE TAUPO BRAKE & CLUTCH LAKE TAUPO COUNTRY ROADS RALLY ENTRY FORM

TAUPO

Coming Events for Taupo VCC 2024

MARCH

Sunday 3rd Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Wednesday 13th Club Night 7:30 pm: Graeme Seay & the Big Machines

Thursday 14th Prepare Rally Packs at the Clubrooms, 7.00 pm

Saturday 16th Club Run - COUNTRY ROADS RALLY

Monday 18th Committee Meeting 5.30 pm

Wednesday 20th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

APRIL

Sunday 7th Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Wednesday 10th Club Night 7:30 pm: Quiz and Fish & Chips

Monday 15th Committee Meeting 5.30 pm

Wednesday 17th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

Sunday 21st Club Run - Wingspan National Birds of Prey Centre, Ngongotaha

MAY

Sunday 5th Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Wednesday 8th Club Night 7:30 pm: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday 15th Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

Sunday 19th Club Run - Yet to be decided

Monday 20th Committee Meeting 5.30 pm 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.

Taupo Vintage Car Club Officers

PATRON

HONORARY

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Printed copies of our monthly magazine, Taupo Torque, are now available from Copy Solutions in Taupo!

We email the magazine to Copy Solutions each month, so if you would like a copy, you can visit Copy Solutions in Taupo and purchase one of the following 3 options:

Printing Tips

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

Chairman’s Report

Eric Foley

Chairman’s Report for February 2024

The year has got off to a very good start with breakfast at The Hub followed by a barbeque at the club rooms. Both events had good numbers, with about 50 people attending the barbeque. It was a mild evening weatherwise. Dean did a good job sizzling sausages while a small but highly efficient group beavered away in the kitchen. The excellent array of dishes prepared by the attendees contributed to a very pleasant meal. I departed at about 8.45, at which time there were still a good number of members chatting away. It was certainly not one of those nights where members rushed off immediately after the meal so that they could have their mid-evening cocoa!

The monthly club run took the form of an Economy Run organised by Murray Hutton. About a dozen cars assembled at the Mobil outlet near the airport. After filling our vehicle’s petrol tanks to the brim, we set out on a 60 km journey around the rural outskirts of Taupo, eventually returning to the starting point to refill our tanks. Murray then undertook calculations to establish a winner in each of the 3 classes. John Searle (Alfa), Les Bowick (Land Rover), and Owen Duncan ( Chev Ute) were the winners of their respective classes. The event concluded with a picnic under the trees at 3 Mile Bay. Altogether it was a very pleasant day with good clear instructions and (as a bonus) no questions to answer.

The month’s activities concluded with the Petrolheads Coffee Morning at Lacus

Café out at The Landing. It was a very pleasant event with about 20 attendees, including long-standing members Joe and Beryl Ridley. The lower than usual numbers at this event is probably a reflection of quite a number of members travelling at this time of the year.

While I am on about members, I would like to welcome several new members who have joined our ranks this year.

Mason Elliot - 1989 Fraser 7 Clubman; Eion Ritchie; Simon Petersen - 1971 MGBGT and Andy Taylor - 1950 and 1988 Citroen. Welcome to the club, gents.

Finally, I very much hope you have all completed and submitted the application form for this year’s Country Roads Rally. These events are not complicated nor taxing. They consist of a gentle tour through country roads around Taupo, commencing mid-morning and concluding mid-afternoon with a catered afternoon tea. Please get off your chuff, complete the application, and send it to Heather. We need your participation. Who knows, you may even enjoy the day!

Take care out there.

Eric

Jaguar MKII

Story and photos by Tony Haycock

The subject of this story was to be a 1935 MG NB Magnette. A delightful 6 cylinder supercharged pre-war car with a long New Zealand racing history.

Now the more astute among you will have realised that the photographs on these pages appear to show a Jaguar MKII. You would of course be correct. The Editor has not lost his grip and put the wrong photos with the story, there is a much more simple explanation, with an equally favourable outcome for me, the driver, and you the reader.

The plan was simple enough. Go to Kaiapoi, and Geoff Owen, owner of a Jaguar C-type replica, would allow me to take the aforementioned MG for a

drive. As we pulled up the driveway, the MG was looking it’s best in shiny polished aluminium, sitting out front of it’s garage. Of slight concern was the fact that the bonnet was off and sitting alongside the car, meaning either Geoff was wanting me to take pictures of its innards, or maybe all was not well with Abingdon’s finest! Wishing for the former as friend Andrew Vile and myself alighted from the slightly down at heel Peugeot 404 which is my spare set of wheels, it turned out the latter was the case.

First thing that morning in anticipation of my arrival, Geoff had taken the MG to the local garage for a new Warrant of Fitness (MOT to our British readers), and by the time he got home, 6 cylinders had been reduced to 5 courtesy of a blown head gasket. I would never want to wish ill upon a man or his motorcar, but I am quite happy to say right now in print that I am bloody glad it happened then. The thought of my driving out in someone else’s healthy car, and bringing back a stuttering 5 cylinder version is a most unpleasant one, so thanks Geoff, glad it happened to you!

So, as we were standing in the sun, discussing the frailties and tribulations of old car motoring, I had the additional concern of having promised to deliver the editor a road test of a historic racing car, and the car in question quite obviously wasn’t going anywhere soon! Then a moment of clarity and genius. The MKII Jaguar sitting in the garage, very nice red one, 3.8 litre, on wire wheels. Manual with overdrive, and with a very impressive race history to match. Not only that, but I had driven the car two weeks previously at Ruapuna leading the lunchtime parade of historic racing and sports cars in the lunch break of the Lady Wigram Revival race meeting.

Ten minutes later, Andrew and I are driving away in one of the country’s best preserved historic racing cars. Sold

new in November 1963 by Archibalds, the Christchurch Jaguar agent, to a local baker, the car then changed hands and was owned for the next 17 years by Peter Wilson of Timaru, who was better known as the mechanic and “right hand man” of renowned New Zealand touring car racer, Ernie Sprague.

Ernie earned his place in New Zealand touring car folklore for his on-track battles in his Ford Zephyr Mk3 against the works prepared Jaguar MkII of Ray Archibald (yes - the local Jaguar agent), and this MkII was built to a similar specification specifically for Ernie to compete against the Archibald car in equal machinery. When it came into Geoff’s ownership twelve years ago, the MKII still sported pair of large scoops under the front bumper to direct cooling air to the brakes, and inside the left front wheel arch the mounting brackets are still in place today for the cool air duct which took air from what during its racing life was a vacant left-hand headlight mount to deliver it to the larger than standard carburettors, feeding into a somewhat better than standard head.

Although the ride-height appears to be unaltered from standard, Geoff tells me that there has been some work done to the suspension, although this is no modern, tied down silhouette of a classic car, these are period modifications, so when pushed it still rolls and tries to wave the inside wheel in the air as any good MKII should. Never restored, but well maintained, the ex-Sprague “red and cream Jaguar” as it was known in the 1960s is a great example of how proper cars were

prepared when they were driven to the track, raced, and driven home at the end of the day.

Sitting on the cream leather seats, but with sheepskin covers, which are a good idea if you want to drive enthusiastically and not become intimately acquainted with the door or your passengers hip when cornering, and looking at the standard wooden dash of a MKII, only the wood-rimmed Moto-lita steering wheel gives any hint that that this is anything more than a standard get-away car from a 1960s cops and robbers movie. That is until you turn the key, and push the button labelled “start”. Nowdays a novelty in dressed up shopping baskets for pretentious gits, in the good old days, that was how one started one’s motor. Two things catch your attention immediately. Firstly the bark from the twin exhausts. Secondly, the not exactly confidence inspiring clatter from up front, as it takes a few minutes for pistons and other moving bits to warm up and expand to their correct operating clearances.

Once everything was up to temperature and the engine sounded as a good twin cam Jaguar six should, it was time to select low gear and head off for a pleasant motoring experience. By the time I had reached the end of the driveway and pulled into the street, the differences between the MkII and C-type were becoming apparent. The steering of the MkII was noticeably heavier than the rack and pin-

ion set-up of the C-type, although the smaller than standard steering wheel may have magnified this, and it was more of an observation than a criticism. Certainly, when driving the MKII at Ruapuna previously, a friend and fellow MKII owner, Andrew McGuire make comment as I was manoeuvring the car at low speed in the pits that there was no way that his car could be steered so easily. At the end of our little session he was keen for a look under the bonnet as the performance of Geoff’s was far greater than any normal MKII he had experienced, and he was keen to see if there was anything visible to help explain why. He kept pointing at the carbs, manifolds, and brake master cylinders making ooh and aah noises, so I got the picture that this was no ordinary car.

Revelation no. 2 was the gearbox. The all sychromesh ‘box (and no, it is not one taken from an XJ6 and retro-fitted) really showed up the progress made since the rather recalcitrant and clunky Moss item in the C-type. Although the gearlever has a much longer travel between ratios, the action is smooth, the synchro’s effective, and it really is as good as a modern item. The matter that it is only a four speed is no issue, as the factory overdrive makes sure there are plenty of ratios to choose from. With the more than ample power from the uprated engine (Geoff takes a guess at around 200bhp), this is a very practical, easy car to operate - and did I mention - fast?

Cruising on the Christchurch motorway at the legal speed limit of 100 km/h in overdrive top the tachometer is only registering around 1500 rpm. Should overtaking be required, a prod of the right hand pedal elicits an angry bark from the exhausts, the back of the car squats slightly, and the acceleration is immediate and very impressive. This is best done with the windows down, as this is a surprisingly quiet and refined car, so you need to let the music in somehow. Motorways are really not a good way to demonstrate how a car rides or handles, so we went in search of some country roads with a few imperfections and sweeping corners to see how a car modified for the race track 40-plus years ago can cope with the reality of normal motoring today.

We found the road we wanted and soon got our answer. It copes very well. Even with the suspension stiffened, bumps and imperfections in the road surface were dispensed with efficiently, without upsetting steering, handling or passenger comfort. I can happily say it gives a far better ride than some modern sporting cars

I have driven recently, with road holding not compromised in favour of handling at all. I had found that when on the track, front-end grip was not up to modern standards, but this is not a modern car, it is quite heavy, and I would blame a lot of that on the Dunlop SP tyres which are on it. I have to say that my experience of these tyres has been somewhat less than satisfactory, and I wonder what effect a set of Michelin ZX’s would make if the car was to be pushed to its handling limits in competition. Still, this is Geoff’s road car, and for normal road driving, there is nothing wrong with it at all.

This was not the first time I had been fortunate enough to drive this piece of New Zealand racing history, and I certainly hope it won’t be the last. As we pulled back up the driveway and handed the keys back, my feelings for the red and cream Jaguar were unchanged. This is a car which could be used as everyday transport even today, it has performance which is more than impressive even by current standards, and the Jaguar MKII is in my opinion one of the best looking sporting saloons ever built. I would be very happy to have one parked in my garage.

So we never did get the chance to try the MG.

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

PROGRAMME:

Friday 15th March

6.00pm At the VCC (Clubrooms), off Spa Road. Collect rally packs / noggin and natter

BYO food and drinks

Tea and coffee provided

Saturday 16th March

8.00 am At the Vintage Car Clubrooms collect rally packs and chat

8.30am Rally briefing

8.45am Stage 1 - first cars away to morning tea stop

Stage 2 - cars away to lunch stop

Stage 3 - cars away back to town

3.30pm Afternoon tea and prize-giving

CLASSES

Class 1 Veteran and vintage vehicles (VET and (VV) Before 1931

Class 2 Post-vintage vehicles (PVV) 1932-1945

Class 3 Post-war vehicles (PWV) 1946-1960

Class 4 Post 1960 Vehicles (P60V) 1961-1980

Class 5 Post 1980 Vehicles (P80V) 1981 onwards

Touring Non competitive and non members

MORE INFORMATION:

1. One person in each vehicle MUST be a financial member of the Vintage Car Club of NZ and may be called upon to produce their current membership.

2. If fewer than three vehicles are entered in a particular class, then these vehicles will be placed in the next appropriate class.

3. In the event of a dispute, the decision of the organiser, in consultation with the Chairman and Club Captain of the Taupo Car Club Incorporated will be final.

MORE INFORMATION

Morning tea is supplied by us, afternoon tea is being catered for at the clubrooms at no charge.

Lunch – The venue is a local tourist spot which you will be welcome to enjoy at your own expense if you wish. You can bring your own lunch, however there are beverages and limited items to purchase at your expense. Bring a chair/ rug and maybe a sun shade. Of note -There is no cellphone coverage at this venue.

There are toilet facilities at each stop. There are no gravel roads. There is no fuel available on the route but you shouldn’t need a top up.

ENTRY FORM

ENTRY FORM

To be sent to Taupo VCC as below:

Email entry form to:

Heather Duncan – heatherduncan@xtra.co.nz

Phone 027 232 4866

Pay total owing below via internet banking to:

Westpac 03 0430 0246086 01 Please use your Car Rego as Reference.

Alternatively post this form along with your remittance to:

Taupo Vintage Car Club, PO Box 907, Taupo 3351

Name of Entrant:

Address:

Phone Number/s:

Email:

Navigator’s name:

Make, model & year:

Class entered:

VCC member No: Note: If not a VCC member, please sign waiver overleaf.

Branch Name:

Car Reg No: Qty Cost Total

Entry Fee $50.00 $________ (per car and two people)

Additional people $20.00 each $________ TOTAL OWING $________

GUEST INDEMNITY WAIVER ADVICE

The organisers of this event draw the attention of participants of the following rule regarding eligibility:

Events should be open to vehicles as defined by Club Rules – All vehicles accepted must be entered by a financial member of the Club. Either the owner of the vehicle or the driver on the day shall be a member of the Club, or if resident overseas, a member of a recognised overseas organisation.

This means that if you are NOT a member of the Vintage Car Club of NZ Inc and you wish to drive in this event in a vehicle owned by a club member, we welcome you as a guest in a non-competitive capacity and because the Club’s public liability insurance only covers incidents involving Club members, we ask that you sign the indemnity waiver below.

INDEMNITY WAIVER

I agree not to hold liable the Vintage Car Club of NZ Inc, Taupo Branch, it’s members, officials or representatives, for any loss, however caused, or for the consequences of any action by an official member or representative of the Vintage Car Club of NZ Inc, and accept that my participation in this event is as a non-competitive guest only and I do so entirely at my own risk.

You agree as a condition of entering the event that the Taupo Vintage Car Club has the right to cancel the rally in the event it considers, in its sole discretion, that NZ Government Covid19 restrictions will or will likely adversely affect the feasibility of the rally to the point that holding the rally is not feasible, financially or otherwise. In such an event, Taupo Vintage Car Club will endeavour to refund entry fees that have been paid but may withhold some or all of such paid entry fees to pay for rally expenses already incurred or committed.

I/we have read and accept this Indemnity Waiver

Signature …………………………………………………

Name (print in full) ………………………………………

Signature …………………………………………………

Name (print in full) ………………………………………

Date ………………………………………………………

Enquiries to Rally Secretary – Heather Duncan

Email - heatherduncan@xtra.co.nz

Phone 027 232 4866

P O Box 907, Taupo 3351

Entries close on 7 March 2024

IMPORTANT: Your entry will be confirmed via email. Please contact heatherduncan@xtra.co.nz if you don’t receive confirmation from us by 11th March, 2024.

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

Based in Taupo

Ph: 021 215 6889

Email: bayofplenty@fibrenew.co.nz

Web: www.fibrenew.co.nz

16

07-378 6969

grant@taupoautomarine.co.nz

www.taupoautomarine.co.nz

Vehicle Servicing

Vehicle Brakes

Shock Absorbers Towbars

Tyres

Taupo Owners:

07 3783132 Mobile 021 717131

Sunset over Taupo. Photo by Trish Jefferies.

Economy Run

by Murray Hutton

Sunday 18th February turned out to be another great sunny Taupo day for our Economy Run.

13 cars turned up at the Airport Mobil Service Station and after checking fuel tanks were full,parading cars for Service Station owner,cars set off at approx 1 minute intervals for a 64.3 kilometre run.After just over an hour cars arrived back, refuelled and handed details to organisers.

Everyone then went to 3-mile bay park and a leisurely picnic lunch under the trees.

0 - 1500 cc

(modern cars were not eligible for prize!)

1501 - 2500 cc

2501 - Onwards cc

Winners received a metal Mobil sign!

The Great Manawatu Steam Fair

Feilding - 2024

EXPERIENCE THE STEAM ENGINES OF YESTERYEAR

10 AM - 4 PM Sat 16TH & Sun 17th MARCH 2024

MAEWA ROAD (Opposite the cemetery) FEILDING

Ride and Steer Traction Engines and Steam Rollers

Working portable and stationary engines

Live Steam Models and Steam Driven Sawmill and other Vintage Machinery

Art Corner

The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its combination of exceptional aesthetics, advanced technologies, high performance, and competitive pricing established the model as an icon of the motoring world. The E-Type’s claimed 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) top speed, sub-7-second 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration, largely unitary body construction, front and rear independent suspension with disc brakes, mounted inboard at the rear, and rack-and-pinion steering, distinguished the car and spurred industry-wide changes.

The E-Type was based on Jaguar’s D-Type racing car, which had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for three consecutive years beginning in 1955.

The E-Type employed what was, for the early 1960s, a novel design principle, with a front subframe carrying the engine, front suspension and front bodywork bolted directly to the body tub. No ladder frame chassis, as was common at the time, was needed and as such the first cars weighed only 1,315 kg (2,899 lb).

Jaguar E-Type at Honfleur, France. Original oil on canvas by NZ Artist, Don Packwood www.donpackwood.co.nz

Paeroa Steam Up, 30th and 31st March, 2024

Hosted by the Historical Maritime Park, Paeroa

Puke Wharves, 6894 State Highway 2, Paeroa

Steamboats

Stationary steam

Maritime Museum

Remains of PS Kopu

Trailer boiler in steam

Any other heritage machinery welcome

High Tide: Saturday 30th 1408, Sunday 31st 1450

Activities can start from about 11am

Launching facilities and trailer storage available at the site. Self contained campervans welcome to stay on site.

Further details contact Daniel Hicks, daniel_hicksnz@yahoo.co.nz

021 187 3014

Taupo VCC 2024 Event Calendar

(subject to change)

March 2024

Sunday 3rd March . . . .

Wednesday 13th of March .

Thursday 14th of March . .

Saturday 16th March .

Monday 18th March . .

Wednesday 20th March . . . .

April 2024

Sunday 7th April . . . . . .

Wednesday 10th of April . .

Monday 15th April . .

Wednesday 17th April . . .

Sunday 21st April. . . . .

May 2024

Sunday 5th May . . .

Wednesday 8th of May

Wednesday 15th May

Sunday 19th May .

Monday 20th May .

June 2024

Sunday 2nd June. . .

Wednesday 12th of June

Sunday 16th June

Monday 17th June .

Wednesday 19th June

Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Club Night 7:30 pm: Graeme Seay & the Big Machines

Prepare Rally Packs at the Clubrooms, 7.00 pm

Run - COUNTRY ROADS RALLY

Committee Meeting 5.30 pm

Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Club Night 7:30 pm: Quiz and Fish & Chips

Committee Meeting 5.30 pm

Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

Club Run - Wingspan National Birds of Prey Centre, Ngongotahā

7:30

- Yet to be decided

Meeting 5.30 pm

8.30 am

Meeting 5.30 pm

July 2024

Sunday 7th July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breakfast at the Hub 8.30 am

Wednesday 10th of July . . . . . . . . Club Night 7:30 pm: Mid-Winter Pot Luck Dinner

Monday 15th July . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Committee Meeting 5.30 pm

Wednesday 17th July . . . . . . . . . . . Petrolheads Coffee and Cars, 10.00 am

Sat 20th & Sun 21st July. . . . . . . .

Hobby Expo Display

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

Rob Sinclair