WhenIconsiderthefactthatIhavenowbeeninthepositionofchairman for2years,IfeelIcanlookbackwithanelementofsatisfactionasto wheretheclubhascometooverthisperiodoftime.
WhenIfirstcametotheclubIknewtwomembers,RexWilliamsand MarkGibson,anditwaswithmuchtrepidationthatIcameintotheclub onthatfirstnight.MarkwasthefirstguyIranintoandhisopening statementtomewas,“here’sourfutureChairman.”Ofcoursemy commentbackwassomethingthatIcouldnotrepeathere,butasit transpired,thetruthofthestatementisnowtheobvious.
IhavetoadmitthatitwasoneofthebetterdecisionsthatIhavemadein recenttimesandsomanyfriendshipshavedevelopedfromtakingoverthe office.
Ihavethoroughlyenjoyedthepositionandalongwiththatthe responsibilityofgettingthecluboutthereintothepublicarena.The numbersattendingclubmeetingshavedoubledandthesmilesandthe laughterisunaccountablyhigher.ItisrewardingtobeabletosayifIhave gainednothingelseintheclub,thisalonehasmademyeffortworthwhile. Butinsayingthat,thejobisnotyetcomplete.Therearestillthethingsto bedone,ideastobefulfilledanddesirestobeaccomplished.
AllIcansaynowisIhopethattheclubwillperseverewithmeforthe next12monthsandgetoutthereandassistinmakingusoneofthebest carclubstobelongto.
Let’sgetonwithnextphaseoftheclub’sactivities.Forwhathastaken placesincetheAGMIwillleavethereportstoothermemberstomakeon whattheythoughtoftheday,andIwillconcentrateonwhattheclub needsmorethananythingelseatthemoment,andthatisaCLUB CAPTAIN!!!!!!!Istherenotsomeoneouttherewhoispreparedtogetus upandrunningagainintheActivityField?Whoisgoingtostandupand giveusarallyorsomeothersortofeventwhichwillhopefullyputusina car,oratleasttheClubRoom,foranafternoon?Comeon,thinkaboutit andlet’sgetsomethingmoving.
Wehadnonewclubcaptainappointedatthe AGMtoreplaceBruceandVerdon.Bruce alwaysmadeuslaughatclubmeetingswith afewjokes,sowewillgiveyousomehere:
SpeakerforJuly
ColinGeangeisgoingtogiveusatalkaboutarecentinterestingproject thathehasbeenworkingon.
NewClubMembers
Therewerenonewmembersatthelastclubmeeting.
Recovering
WilfMilner,GeorgeMcLeanandBrigidWilliamshaveallshowedupat clubeventsrecently.It’sgoodtoseethattheyareallwellonthemend.
ClubBankAccountNumber
Theclub’sbankaccountnumberhasbeenchanged.Justthelasttwo digits,soitisnow03-0667-0269227-02.Pleaseusethisnumberforall futurepayments.
Thanks
ThankstoWayneThrowerwhohashadtostopmowingthelawns aroundtheclubrooms,ajobthathehasbeendoingforsometime. NewthankstoDonMeekwhohastakenoverfromWayne. (Doyoulikethenewmower,Don?)
CoverPicture
Areyoureadyforwinteryet?NotabigdealintheHorowhenua Hemisphere,butifyoulivedinCanadaorNorwayyouwouldbechanging youengineoilandcoolantforawintergrade,fittingyoursnowtyres, sprayingalltherubberdoorsealswithsiliconewaxtostopthemfreezing shutandparkingthelawnmowerintheshedwherethesnowploughis kept.
Wehadagooddiscussionafterlastcommitteemeetingaboutrearrangingsomeofthestorage.Manyofthemagazineswillbeboxedand storedupstairs.Therearemanyduplicatedcopiesofthese,andtheywill beofferedtoclubmembersatclubnights.
Wehavereceivedalotofworkshopmanualsrecently,sowewillspread outthespacetostorethem.
RobinandDianeStrachan
Theladieshadtheirturntodrivewhilethemennavigated.Asfarasweknow, nobodygotlost.Wehadallmetatthe clubroomforalunchofaselectionofsoups andbreadrollspreparedby DaphneandRaewyn.
ThecoursetookusaroundthedistrictsouthofLevinuntilwemetforavisitto theSmisekPotteryatTeHoro.
PicbyDeniseLiddle
PicbyBruceJamieson
Thepotteryhadbeenbuiltin1969,butwhenthenewexpresswaywas built,itwasdismantledandre-builtonanewsiteabout50metersfurther east.Pictureaboveshowsthetwobrickkilnsrelocated,althoughnotquite finishedandreadyforuse.JohnRapleyandCallumFarmerlookquite interested,whileJackChapmansitsthinking.
AlsoofinteresttomanywastheoldTeHoroRailwayStationwhichhas alsobeenre-builtonthesite.
PicbyDeniseLiddle
PicbyBruceJamieson
Thenextstopoverontherallywasavisittoalargepropertywherethe SouthAfricanplantsProteaaregrown.Theproprieter,BethJewell,gave usatourofthegrounds,locatedonthesunnyfoothillseastofManakau.
Themainfloweringseasonisover,buttherewerestillplentyofsamples availableinthepackingshed,andmanyweresnappedupbyourdrivers.
Alotoffolkscan'tunderstandhowwecametohaveanoilshortage hereinAustralia.
Well,there'saverysimpleanswer. Nobodybotheredtochecktheoil. Wejustdidn'tknowweweregettinglow. Thereasonforthatispurelygeographical.
OurOILislocatedinBassStrait,EastQueenslandShaleFields,Canning Basin,PerthBasinandNorth-WestContinentalShelf.
OurDIPSTICKSarelocatedinCanberra!!!
SparePartsSaleandShinyThingsAuction
Thesetwoeventstookplaceonthe15thJuneattheclubrooms.
Lotsofwarmjacketsandhandsinpockets,butnotmuchevidenceofrecent purchasesatthegaragesale.
Clubmembersinspectingthegoodssetoutfortheauction.
ThiswouldbegoodtoputintheSpark.Itisthelinktooptout ofyourprivatecar/bikedetailsbeingpassedontoanyone exceptthepolice. https://transact.nzta.govt.nz/transactions/PersonalInfoAccess/entry
Radioactivity:
TheFordModelAwasthefirstcarfittedwithacustommadecarradio. Thefirstpageofthemanualcautionstheowner:"Theradioshouldonly beusedwhenthemotorisrunning!"
FromGeorgeMcLean
GarageRaidon8thMay.
ThistimewevisitedthegarageofGerryHarveyinManakau.Gleaming inthesunshineinthe yardwasaFordModel Apick-up,restored manyyearsagoand hasretainedits immaculatefinish.
CurrentbigprojectisanotherModelA,thisoneasedan.Thechassis, engineandtransmissionare completeandawaitthebody, whichwecouldexamineclosely andadmiretheworkmanship thatitisundergoing.
TheModelAbodyhassurvivedextremelywell,andonlyrequiresa bitmorewoodworkandthesteeltobepainted.
Gotoneoftheseinyourgarage? Whynot?
DucttapeislikeTheForce. Ithasalightsideandadarkside,anditholdstheuniversetogether.
FromMarkGibson
May2024
Istartthismonth’sSparesReportwithaheads-upforthis comingOctober.TheworkingbeethatisplannedforSaturday the5thhasbeendelayeduntilSundaythe6thThisissowecan joininwiththeTararuaRoddersHotRodShowonthe5th,by puttingonadisplayofourcars,trucks,motorcyclesortractors onthelawninfrontofourClubrooms.
Theworkingbeesoflatehavebeensomewhatonthequietside, howeverSparesMidWinterSaleandtheclub’sShinyParts Auctionnextmonthshouldimprovethatsituation.ThreebootloadsofFordV8andBMCparts,alongwithaload‘38Hudson TerraplanepartsfromBarbaraTimmswillkeepSparesbusyon thenextworkingbeemorning.
LatelywehavehadsomeclubmembersnotontheSpares Teamorganisingwithlocalpeopleaboutwhentheycandrop offpartsforus.Thisisfinewhenwearethere,howeveriffor somereasonwehadtocancelatshortnotice,andwedidn’t knowtheywerecoming,thentheselocalpeopleareleft disappointed.Justsomethingforustothinkabout.
SafeMotoringEveryone
Callum
OurKapitiRunstartedwithadiversionintoWellingtontopick uponeofoursonswho'dbeenataconference.Wearrivedat Red'scafealittlelaterthanmanywhowerealreadyseated andchatteringaway.WelearntthatRed'swasstartedbythe ladythatrantheRedShedfurtherdownthe,nowold,SH1 untilitburntdown.Welovedthatcafeandoftenstopped there.ThisRed'sdoesnotdisappoint;ourfishandchips, baconandcornfrittersarrivedpromptlyandwereabsolutely delicious.
Ourpost-lunchroutetookusovertheexpresswayandnotfar totheOtaki-MāoriRacingClubwheretheOtakiPotteryClub hasitspremises.Althoughstartedin1989,theClubhas relativelyrecentlymovedintothesefantasticfacilities.They tookoveratotallyemptyspacewhichisnowdividedinto teachingrooms,awheelroom,glazingroom,alibrary,akiln roomandtheToteGallery.Weweregivenatourandavery informativetalkabouteachspace.Thewallsandvarious shelveswereadornedwithpiecesinstagesofpreparation, withthegalleryholdingakeenfocusformanyofus.Students herecanbestudyingthroughOtagoUniversityaswellas joiningforleisureactivity. Weleftforhomewithsonandmewishingwelivedcloserto Otaki!Anotherwonderfuldayout;thankyouRoderick!
AnnO’Rorke
BIGCARS-SMALLPEOPLE
VCCBanners
Thesefabricwindscreenbannersinbluewithgoldletteringare againavailable.
Thesecanbeusedwhendisplayingyourcaratshowsorrallies. Newstocksnowat$15each.OrderfromRobinStrachan.
LibraryMerchandise
Vintage&PostVintageBuicksforsale.Approximately11to12cars availablefromtheestateofRussellWallace.
Mostcarsarereasonablycomplete,andsomerestorationworkhasbeen carriedoutalready.Someengineshavebeenreconditioned.Thereare alsoafewinasorrystate,althoughcomplete,whichmaybesuitablefor partsorrestorationproject.Therearealsonumerouspartsavailable,such asgearboxes,frontaxles,etc.
Includedare:
1924Buick64-doortourer,completeandapprox80%restored
sellingonbehalf. Oroffersofinteresttosellerdirect: phoneSteveWalker021713099
1935x3cars.Oneisasoft-topcoupe,onea6cylsedan. Reasonableoffersconsidered.CarsarelocatedinShannon.
Wantedfora1953CommerKarrier14hptruck:frontwheel brakeslavecylinder.
PhoneMartinGibbson0211865105.
MGBGT1973,currentRegoandWOF,84,000km,andhasVCCVIC.
Darkbluetrimandcarpets.Fullyreconditionedautomatictransmission, reconditionedheadwithhardenedvalveseatsforunleadedfuel.
Inertiaseatbeltsfitted.Newwaterpumpandfuelpump. ContactJohn,0299024862.
Forsale:AustinA40Devon,1949modelinexcellentrestoredcondition. Mechanicallysoundwithrecentreceiptsavailable.RegisteredandWoF. Opentosensibleoffers.phoneWellsScadden0276824040
Forsale:FordZephyrMark2,1962.Fullyrestored. Hasoverdrivefittedandelectricfuelpump.RegisteredandWoF. Priceisfirm:$25000.phoneWellsScadden0276824040
Answerto“WhatAmI?”
TheBritishLeylandconglomeratewas,andperhapsremains,aneasy targetforjokesandcommentsaboutpoordesignandreliabilityoftheir vehicles.TheAustinAllegro,launchedin1973anddiscontinuednine yearslateraftertwomajorupdates,hashadmorethanitsfairshareof them.ItlookedfarmoredumpythanitsdesignerHarrisMannintended, itsengineswereold-fashionedandthequalityofitsgearchangewas questionable.Thentherewasthe“famous”quarticsteeringwheel,which manypeopleseemedtobelievewasthecar’sdefiningfeature,even thoughitwasdroppedfromtherangeatanearlystage.However,the Allegrowasn’tasmuchofafailureasisoftenbelieved.It’struethatit didn’tmakeenoughmoneytodragBritishLeylandoutofitstroubles,but itsoldnearly670,000examplesinunderadecade.
PARKING
NIGHTOWLRALLY2024onSunday14thJuly
Drivers’briefingintheclubroomat9:30am, firstcarawayat10:00am.
Wearenotcateringforlunchthisyear,so bringsomethingtomunchanddrinken routeifyoulike. Therewillbecoffee,teaandbiscuitsatthe endoftherallyattheclubroomswhilewe sortouttheresults.
Thecourseshouldtakenomorethanthree hourstocomplete,therearenogravelroads, nosteephills,notricksandnotimed sections.Therewillbesomesilentchecks andafewquestionstosolve.Youshouldfind itallquitestraightforward,thoughifyoudogetlosttherearesomecluesto getyoubackontrack.
CALENDARofCOMINGEVENTS
July 9GarageRaid-Horowhenua
July 14NightOwlRally-Horowhenua
July 21MorrisMinorClubvisitourclubrooms
August18MorrisMinorClubvisitourclubrooms
November10TararuaTrundle-Horowhenua
Anyenquiriesto:BruceLawriePhone0274762489
TAILLIGHTS
