Editor’s Snippet

My navigator Pat and I had a great time on the Ladies Rally - who knew there were so many streets with ladies names? Thanks to Kathryn and Lesley for all their hard work.

Looking forward to hosting some out-of-town friends for the upcoming Mooloo Meander - my bike has a new WOF, is cleaned and ready to go!

If you have been away on a motoring adventure, or have a special car that you would like to share with the members - an article is always appreciated.

Jillian (Editor & Treasurer)

April Project Report

Various interruptions have prevented very much progress since the last report and this is likely to remain the case for a week or two still. A range of essential parts required for further progress are out for upgrade or renovation, which is also holding up further progress in the workshop. These include the cone clutch which is out for re-lining with a more suitable material, front wheels away for new grease seals, cam gear for soda-blast cleaning, the right front mudguard for re-shaping and the magneto for alteration. Piping to the vacuum tank still has to be extended – thanks to Cos for loan of a suitable copper pipe bending tool for this job. Securing of rear mudguards by bolting rather than the current woodscrews is underway, whilst fitting the boot lock and handle is the next task awaiting the return of Graham to the ‘shop, now that the boot lid has been removed for better access. Location of suitable hood supports should also be tackled this month. Lots of interesting jobs remain, so if you are keen to join in with this club project in any capacity, get in contact with Alan Sharp or Bob Hayton by email to alannzdodge@gmail.com or hayton.rj@gmail.com respectively (alternatively, by phone at 02102553853 or 0274230610) to have your name added to the contact list, together with any special skills you may be able to contribute. Work sessions are currently on the workshop open days on Thursdays, from 9.30am onward and morning tea is always put on, so no excuse really for not becoming involved to help, learn or socialise.

Hello to everyone. I think summer is here finally. Articles in the Venture cover club activities and events where we have been asked to participate, a great chance to promote the Vintage Car Club.

I understand that the sun was shining for the Wednesday Wander up to Fred Rix’s in Huntly and all who attended were very impressed by his collection and had a great day out.

The North Shore branch is looking at coming to visit the Waikato Branch club rooms, Workshop and Parts Shed in May.

Double Fifty organisation is well under way and you would have received a copy of the flyer by email.

Moving forward - to reduce the number of emails I will only send out Vintage Car events, any others I will only print them off and put on the notice board in the Club rooms.

March club night was interesting learning about the archive’s of the branch held in the Library. We have interesting Club nights coming up in April and May.

Our AGM is fast approaching, with nomination forms to be included in the May Venture Magazine. All positions will be able to be nominated. Please give this some thought and put your hand up to help with your club in all areas. We are all willing to help you with any of the positions.

Heather Secretary

A Big Welcome To Our New Members

We hope that you will enjoy the club and it’s many activities

If you have any queries either big or small please do not hesitate to contact any member of the committee and they will be more than willing to assist you in any way possible.

Andre Simpson - 1956 Vauxhall, 76 Triumph Tiger & 52 Royal Enfield M/Cycles

Timothy Norman

Peter Fulton - transferred back to us from down South

Once again, welcome to the club. We hope to see you at the club night on the second Wednesday of each Month.

Note from Roy: Have been having flashbacks regarding early days of WVVCC so have put some memories together

1958

February

Apparently, a notice of interest for forming an Old Car Club had appeared in the Hamilton paper, the Waikato Times. As an enthusiastic group attended it was decided to call a formation meeting the following month. Waikato VVCC had been conceived.

Around the corner came Roy in his Model A, the country boy, who had come to town 5 years earlier, now aged 15. He had left Hamilton Tech. College, sold his bike, bought a 1930 Ford tourer using his paper run money and paid 70 Pounds ($140) for the vehicle. Full time work, a 5 year electrical apprenticeship, began. His weekly pay, cash in a brown envelope, was 4 pounds, 2 shillings and 6 pence: that’s $8.25 cents in today’s money. Life was good, money for nothing, chicks for free as they say.

March

The second meeting resulted in a committee being formed, with rules written up and membership fees set. Waikato VVCC was born.

April

Roy turned 16. The Model A ran well, except it would sometimes pause on a hot day, then start up again. Roy drove to Ernie Brown’s place in Fox Street. Ernie was an adult acquaintance twice Roy’s age. He drove Midget racing cars at Forest Lake Stadium. Ernie was Roy’s hero. As Roy pulled into Ernie’s driveway, he came sliding round the corner in his midget car, track testing on the Hamilton metal street. I told him about the Model A. He cleared the vent blockage in the petrol cap, no more stopping. A guy turned up to visit, Ernie looked at me and said, “Here’s Garth, an old mate, he and I, and a few other guys have just started an old car club group called Waikato Vintage Car Club”. I wondered what a vintage car was. My stepfather later said it was like an old vintage wine, something well matured. I wondered what he had been drinking. Ernie said they were having a club run next Sunday, and I should bring my Model A along. I must have looked a bit sceptical. Ernie looked at me and said, “There will be a few sheilas there.” So I went. That’s when I saw her. My wife for life. My destiny was in front of me.

May

The next club run went to Rotorua, to visit Gilltraps Museum. Ernie suggested I should go along to meetings. I wondered what they did at meetings. He said they talked about vintage cars, club activity etc. So I went to the next meeting at Centreway Tearooms, in Garden Place, Hamilton. Ernie was President, Garth was Club Captain. I wondered what they were talking about when somebody said there was a motion on the floor and they should talk about that and not get side tracked with anything else. I wondered who would clean it up.

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME - WHEN I’M 65

June

Ernie asked if I would like to join the Waikato VVCC. I hadn’t really thought about that but said I would. A gymkhana was held at Claudelands Showgrounds Hamilton East; they were quite popular in the early years.

July/August

I filled the membership form in [still have copy], paid the fee, one pound one shilling (a quarter of my week s wages). After the mandatory 2 months good behaviour, good character report!!?, by August 20 , I was officially a full blown member of Waikato VVCC.

1959

The club attended the parade in Huntly for the opening of the new Tainui Bridge. There was a dance that Saturday night and a few of us attended. Later in Feb / March some of us went to Auckland and drove in the parade down Queen St and over the new Auckland Harbour Bridge to celebrate the opening.

Meanwhile, back in Hamilton, Mooloo parades were running on some Saturday mornings between Knox St and London St. These were to attract spectators to Rugby Park. They continued over winter for some years.

The club’s first “Annual Rally” was held at Morrinsville in April, during Easter. There were about 38 entries. [Double Fifty was 10 years away.]

Later in Nov, the Labour government won the election and raised the price of petrol from one shilling a gallon, to two shillings. [One shilling is ten cents.] We were gutted. How will we afford to go on rallies!?

1960

This was the big one: Waikato VCC was on the map. The annual rally was at Morrinsville again, but this time it was a National rally for NZVCC, run by Waikato Vintage Car Club, which was an independent club at the time. Entrants rallied there from all over NZ. 108 of them and 4,000 public spectators looked on. The car park was full of PV cars, their everyday transport. The Waikato locals flocked to Morrinsville to see the vintage cars parading around the Gymkhana arena doing tricky manoeuvres. John Bayly showed them how it was done driving his 1929 Franklin [Air cooled] Cabriolet. Colin Dray had driven his 1924 Oakland all the way from Wellington. Barry Grant was there in his 1930 Cadillac V 16 Service car.

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME - WHEN I’M 65 cont’d

1961

There was talk of clubrooms, but that’s all there was, talk. Waikato club at that time had no money or much enthusiasm to acquire clubrooms. There was also talk of joining NZVCC and becoming the Waikato branch. The Annual rally was held at Morrinsville again, but much smaller with entries back to around 40. Roy was awarded youngest owner driver trophy, 17 years young. He still has it. Roy somehow ended up on committee that year and it took over 20 years to get off. What!!!!

The Matamata trio Bruce, John and Alan “came over” to Waikato club from BOP after they saw how well Waikato was going. Committee meetings were held in members’ houses which could mean travelling to Matamata, Huntly, Te Awamutu, or Morrinsville, sitting through a long meeting with some members talking about everything except club business. After supper and checking out the shed projects, we sometimes arrived home after midnight, falling into bed, having to get up early enough next morning to start work by 7 am. Happy Daze.

1962

A group of 6 drove down to Wellington with Joe Marsden in his ‘59 Hillman Gazelle, and Les Death with wife Liddy in their 54 Armstrong Siddely to meet NZVCC to talk about becoming the Waikato Branch. We all had to stand up and say something at the NZVCC AGM held at Southwards tube factory. Andy Anderson the NZ president, summed up afterwards and said, “Umm! Umm! Yes well, we will talk about this at the executive meeting tomorrow morning. [Sound familiar?]

Garth Hughes the club’s first Club Captain died suddenly during this year. This was the first club funeral, with standing room only, on the footpath outside the Hood Street Funeral Parlour. Ernie took over as Club Captain. The juggernaut rumbled on. Every month there was a run to some event, with meetings the second Wednesday of the month. By now, they were being held at Woodstock School hall, Fairfield, Hamilton. More talk about clubrooms. We met there for 17 years until 1979, when clubrooms were built in Cambridge. Annual rallies were held in different towns over a two day weekend, Huntly, Pukekohe, Thames, Tokoroa, Matamata, Cambridge or Hamilton. Entrants usually stayed overnight in hotels. Winter dances were held in the Avalon Drive hall, tramp suppers, shipwreck dances etc. They were noisy affairs until little Morrie picked a fight with big Morrie, and was sent sprawling across the dance floor on his back out into the foyer. The silence was deafening! No more winter dances after that.

…….

To be continued next Venture

Disclaimer. This is not intended to be an accurate history of Waikato VCC

Roy Rowe