The Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch of
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand PO BDX 2168, Kopeopeo, Whakatane 3159
December 2016
RUNNING BOARD
___________________________________________________________________________ Club Night: Last Thursday of the month (except December) at Whakatane Athletic Clubrooms, Short Street, Whakatane 7.00 pm Social get together Branch meeting starts at 7.30 PM 1
THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NZ Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch Postal Address: PO Box 2168, Kopeopeo, Whakatane 3159 Branch Officers: 2016/2017 Honorary Branch Member
Lorolei Pollard
Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Treasurer Club Captain
Les Costar position yet to be filled Gail Costar Joy Growden position yet to be filled
07 323 6406
les.gail.costar@slingshot.co.nz
07 323 6406 07 304 9777
les.gail.costar@slingshot.co.nz growden@xtra.co.nz
Committee:
Steve Growden Lytle Hall Lorraine Stock Alan Stock Peter Hadley
07 304 9777 07 308 4044 07 308 7890 07 308 7890 07 312 9069
growden@xtra.co.nz emeny.hall@nettel.net.nz alan.lorraine@clear.net.nz alan.lorraine@clear.net.nz
Editor Beaded Wheels Reporter Almoner Name Badge Sales Parts Shed Supervisors:
Margaret McKerras Peter Donovan Lorolei Pollard Peter Donovan Phil Leaming Steve Growden Keith Watson Maureen Bond Keith Watson Les Costar Keith & Margaret Watson Thava Guy Lorraine Stock Les Costar
07 307 0407 07 312 5848 07 307 0373 07 312 5848 07 304 8415 07 304 9777 07 312 9081 07 304 9165 07 312 9081 07 323 6406
runningboard10@gmail.com donovanz@xtra.co.nz
07 312 9081 07 3049917 07 308 7890 07 323 6406
kandmwatson@clear.net.nz
Archivist VIC Collators: Saleable Items: Supper Supervisor Raffles Community Liaison:
donovanz@xtra.co.nz phil.leaming@xtra.co.nz growden@xtra.co.nz kandmwatson@clear.net.nz kandmwatson@clear.net.nz les.gail.costar@slingshot.co.nz
les.gail.costar@slingshot.co.nz
Club Regalia For Sale: Contact: Keith and Margaret Watson (these will be available at Club Nights) EBOP Cloth Jacket Badges $7.50 EBOP Car Window Stickers $1.00 EBOP VCC Windscreen Stickers $2.00 NZVCC Winged Lapel Badges $7.50 EBOP Name Badges $12.50 (to be ordered)
EBOP Cloth Jacket Patches $10.00 EBOP Car Bumper Badges $20.00 EBOP Lapel Badges $6.00 EBOP Cloth Caps $15.00 Rally Number Holders s/s $15.00 VCC Cloth Winged Badges $7.50 Please wear your name badge to VCC functions.
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From your Chairman: On Saturday 26 November we met at the Edgecumbe Cossie Club Car Park to take part in the Edgecumbe Christmas Parade. There was a great collection of Club Vintage Cars and Trucks and a stray Royal Enfield Bullet Motorbike. I never got to talk to the rider and thank him for joining in with us. Other vehicles that took part were fire engines, tractors, off roaders, kids on scooters and bikes. There was a band for entertainment and bouncy castles for the kids and I am told that some of our members demonstrated Zumba to the crowd. Thanks to all of those members who took the time to be part of the parade and to display your vehicle for an hour or so at the end. I know they all created a lot of interest. Next morning, Sunday, it was up bright and early to meet Steve and Joy at the shingle-pit corner to drive to Litchfield to take part in the South Waikato TTT Rally. We got to Putaruru in good time and stopped at BP for petrol and a coffee, then off to the club rooms at Litchfield to pick up our rally packs. As we were early, our rally number was 2 and Steve and Joy number 3, soon more cars arrived, it must have been disappointing for the organisers as there were only 13 entries, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a great Rally, about 70 miles in total over some great bush roads, with grass so high in the middle, the underneath of the cars were polished and with the MG all the oil leaks were cleared away. We passed through areas where the pines had been cut down and the land converted to pasture and there were areas where this is ongoing. I guess there must be more money in animals than trees. After answering most of the questions and finding 25 silent checks on these marvellous roads that you would never be able to drive on other than the TTT Rally, we arrived at the finish for a BBQ sausage and a cup of tea before prize-giving. With so many sponsors and prizes, I think everyone got something to take home. A great rally put on by a very friendly group, we will be there again next year as this rally is a nice day out, starts at 10.00am and finishes about 1.00pm (if you don’t go off course), then with lunch and prize-giving and you are heading home at about 3.00pm, a great way to spend a Sunday. As 2016 comes to a close, I ask where did the year go, but lots of things have happened, personally and clubwise and we have had a lot of new members joining this year, keen to join in on our activities with a very nice assortment of cars. So I think 2016 has been a good year for the branch. We have had club runs and events most months with a good turn-out of vehicles each time. Lately we have been having pre-club night dinner at the Chinese Restaurant which is very popular, this month we had 17 members attend and we hope to continue on with this in the new year. Many members have travelled overseas and many have travelled within New Zealand and joined in other Branch Rallies, all making new friends and enjoying themselves and their vehicles. 3
I would like to wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and if you are travelling over the holiday period take care and watch out for idiots on the road, we want you back in one piece next year.
Events Report: Weekend Trip to Gisborne 5 cars left Whakatane for our weekend at Gisborne with 2 more arriving later in the day. A great weekend, thanks to the hospitality of the Gisborne Branch. 3 cars travelled the East Coast Road home in fine weather staying at Hicks Bay, but getting extremely wet from Waihau Bay to Opotiki. (There is a report on the weekend further in this issue). BOP and Waikato Swapmeets A few members attended the Bay of Plenty and Waikato Branches Swap-meets. Edgecumbe Christmas Parade We had a good turn-out of members and vehicles for the parade.
Coming up: December Saturday 3 Saturday 17
Whakatane Christmas Parade, meet at Rex Morpeth Park, Short Street between 9.00am and 9.30am, the Parade starts moving off at 10.00am Kawerau Christmas Parade, followed by lunch at the Old Trout Cafe, Rotoma meet at Ron Hardie Event Centre, Onslow Street 10.30am, Parade starts moving at 11.00am
No Club Night in December January Sunday Sunday 22 Thursday 26 Sunday 29
Classic Car Breakfast (date to be confirmed, could be 8th) Rotorua Lakefront Car Show 9.00am Club Night Waterwheel Trust Live Day, SH30 opposite Military Road, Onepu, 10.00am
February Sunday 5
East Coast Rally
Les.
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From your Secretary: The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand is creating a number of new online features that will be of advantage to members. The first one is now up and running. At a recent meeting of the Club Executive it was suggested branch monthly magazines and newsletters were made available for reading on the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand website. Magazines are now able to be read by going to http://www.vcc.org.nz and clicking on “News from our Branches” on the menu down the left side of the home page. Then click on the magazine you want to read. Each magazine will be posted as soon as it is received and will appear in the alphabetical order of the branches. The current monthly magazine for each branch will be removed once the current month is received. There are a number of magazines already on the site. You can read them at vcc.org.nz/news-from-our-branches I have entry forms available for: Wanganui Branch – Burma Rally 20th -22nd January (entries close 10th January) Taupo Branch – Lake Taupo Golden Anniversary Rally 10th – 12th March (entries close 24th February) And you will have received an entry form for our East Coast Rally Sunday 5th February
Happy Holidays
Gail
From the Editor’s Desk You will have noticed the new layout of this issue. Going forward I would like to be able to show a photos of member’s cars. The photo this month is of Joe Webber of Gisborne with his 1931 Austin 12/6. Joe was one of the foundation members of the Gisborne / EBOP Inter Branch Matawai Campouts 30 years ago, as many long time members will remember. This is your branch newsletter and it seems fitting that photos of members cars should be displayed on the front page if you are happy for it to be there. If you would like to see your car in this space, please feel free to email me a photo of it. The Branch Officers details have now been moved from the back to page 2 for easy access of member details etc. In addition you may have noticed the new email address for the Running Board Editor. The reason for the change was to set up a dedicated email address so that when the next Editor takes over from me (yes that will happen one day) he or she can sign into the GMail address and all the previously sent Running Boards will be available in the sent folder plus all the member email addresses.
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When I started this job it was a bit of a mission entering all the email addresses into my email contacts. Setting up the “runningboard10@gmail” is designed to make a seamless transition for the next editor. This idea was suggested to me by Paul Beck who is the Klaxon editor (BOPVCC) and I am grateful for his help and suggestions. Please remember that if there is something that you want to sell, swap or buy, this is the place to advertise that. Just send me an email and I will insert it on your behalf. This month the Easter Bay had a visit from some lovely Classic Cars – about 18 of these brightly coloured cars from the Austen Healey Club. They called in on their way up around the East Coast. It is always a great sight when classic or vintage cars get together. Plus it is a great photo opportunity for enthusiasts.
Margaret
November Swap Meets Lorraine and I travelled to two nearby swap meets during November. First was Tauranga on 13th Nov., which is BOP VCC’s combined swap meet and car show. We had thought of running a VCC eligible car through for the show, but as we hadn’t been before and weren’t sure of the format decided to settle for running the Chev pickup in case any substantial purchase opportunities presented themselves. This turned out to be an enjoyable morning out. We came across Noel and Lois picking through the swap meet and Phil was in full swing turning piles of parts over. Lorraine saw him triumphantly carrying some items away, although she couldn’t describe what he was so happy about. The sellers section is not large – just enough to provide variety and some interest. However, the car display is well worth the trip. Here we came across a number of other club members admiring the varied range of well presented cars. There was something there for everyone’s tastes – brass veterans, vintage, and on through the years to classics, Americans, British, and on the recently club eligible 1970’s and 80’s. I was taken with the BSA sports car which is a rare item. The bonnet was up showing the chromed gear linkage which runs from its dashboard mount, over the top of the motor and down to the front right to the front mounted gearbox. Only the English could come up with such a head scratching precision engineering solution and leave you wondering – Why? A beautiful 1955 Buick sat in front of a Jaguar XK140. There were a number of different Jaguars all in beautiful condition – I just wish their owners well with the attention I know these lovely cars demand. I have renewed interest in Triumph 2000/2500’s , so spent some time checking over the details in each to store away for things I need to check on ours. Alvis, MG’s, Austins, Model A’s, Daimlers, Chevs, Fords, motor bikes – there was something for everyone, and someone to talk to at all corners. Our second meet was the Waikato VCC and Vintage Tractor Club combined swap meet at Karapiro Domain. As we didn’t feel like an early start to get to Karapiro by 7:30am we made a weekend camp out of it and trailed the caravan over to the Domain for two nights. Saturday was drizzly and got windy overnight, but Sunday 20th Nov dawned fine and still for a bright outlook for the morning’s meet. As we were on site we able to watch the early birds trailing in from 6:30am on to set up and I then started trolling through the stalls by 7:30. By 9:00am the allotted field was full and humming – plenty of treasures and parts to work through. Not as big as Rotorua’s swap meet earlier in the year, but it still took as much getting through. I caught up with a friend from my motor bike club of years gone by, but didn’t come across any one else I knew.
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A hot day like this needs a few stops in the shade to rest the legs and regenerate to carry on. During one sit down a gentleman joined me on the seat and on talking I found he is from Tauranga and is the owner of the BSA car I had been admiring the week before. He also has an XK140 and an MGA in his collection. We were able to amuse ourselves with relating experiences of hitting the wrong gears in those bloody Jaguar Moss gearboxes. He had other interesting stories to tell and he made sitting next to a stranger well worthwhile. When I had picked over enough parts and decided there was nothing I actually could use in the next 3 months – or that I could clearly identify as the exact parts for our cars I walked away and began to people and car watch. There was no formal car show at this meet as in Rotorua or Tauranga, but there were plenty of interesting vehicles in the meet and in the car parks. There was a 1903 Stanley Steamer fired up and running in the grounds and the owner was willingly demonstrating its features and operation. It is quite quick, quiet, and retardation is left to a solitary contracting brake on the rear axle. Mind you, there is not a lot a weight to hold back – bicycle type wheels and a buggy body. No back seat for the old air bag either. Anyone want a project? There was another 1952 Prefect on offer – going condition, new set of floor boards, some cosmetics required, but a little better than the example we saw at Opotiki earlier in the month. Only catch was it came as a package deal with a second parts car. “Clearance Sale”. That was it – 2 swap meets, both great days, and we managed to avoid adding to the clutter in the shed. Bruce & Lorraine Seddon - 23/11/16
LAKE TAUPO RALLY GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 10th, 11th, 12th MARCH 2017 Enquiries to: Rally Secretary, Eric Foley Email: tfoley@jabiru.co.nz Phone: 07 3787006 P.O. Box 907, Taupo 3351 ENTRY FORMS NOW AVAILABLE SPONSORED BY WILLIAM DREW GOLDSMITHS
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OUT AND ABOUT Trip to Gisborne On Friday 4th 5 cars left for the Bi-annual weekend to Gisborne. First stop was lunch at the Opotiki CafĂŠ then onto our destination where we were joined later by 2 more cars in time for dinner at the Clubrooms. Cars at Matawai
Members at Matawai
After dinner we were divided into teams for Quiz time organized by Tony with lots of discussion and laughter on how to write the answers and in which column.
Graham said we had been invited to the Speedway on Saturday night to do a few exhibition laps, were we interested, silly question, the answer was yes of course. Saturday morning was the normal visit to the Farmers market which had lots of stalls, a few bottles of wine and plants were purchased. Line-up of EBOP member’s cars at Gisborne Clubrooms
After lunch it was out to the clubrooms for the rally which started around town, up Kaiti Hill what a beautiful view then out in the country. Gisborne club catered a beautiful dinner, then Tony announced that Eastern Bay had won the trophy back with Tessa & Barry and Les & Gail tying for first and Phil & Margaret getting 2nd.
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Cars Lined up at Gisborne Speedway
We then left for the Speedway where we did 4 laps of the track(no burn outs much to some disgust) and watch their fabulous fireworks display and a few races. It was a great night. On Sunday we returned to the Clubrooms for morning tea and to say a big Thank you for a great weekend and goodbye to everyone and the 4 cars returning home via the Gorge as 3 cars came back via the coast visiting Tologa and Tokomaru Bays. Les accepting the trophy on behalf of the Costars and the Keenes first equal
We were very lucky with the weather but unfortunately it didn’t last for Monday so the trip home was a bit scary in places and the gutters were flooded in Opotiki and Phil & Margaret had a lot of water inside their car as the Zepher’s new rubber wasn’t the right one, but a great weekend was had by all.
Cars ar Tokomaru Bay Wharf
Start of the rain filling with gas at Waihau Bay
Joy Growson
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Edgecumbe Christmas Parade. Some of the members participated in the Edgecumbe Christmas Parade and these were a couple of photos that were taken. Below – cars lining up prior to the parade and opposite – cars in the parade.
AS I AGE, I REALIZE THAT: I talk to myself, because sometimes I need expert advice. I don't need anger management, I need people to stop pissing me off. My people skills are just fine, it is my tolerance of idiots that needs work. The biggest lie I tell myself is - "I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it". When I was a child I thought nap time was punishment. Now it is like a mini-vacation. Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the drier for ten minutes and come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller. If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees. When the kids text me "plz" which is shorter than please. I text back "no" which is shorter than yes. At my age, - "getting lucky” means walking into a room and remembering what I came in there for. The day the world runs out of wine is just too terrible to think about.
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Calendar of Events December Sat
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Sat
17
Sat
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Whakatane Christmas Parade meet Rex Morpeth Park 9.00 – 9.30 Parade moves off at 10.00am Kawerau Christmas Parade (followed by lunch at Rotoma Cafe) meet 10.30 am at the Ron Hardie Carpark off Onslow Street Parade moves off at 11.00am Car – Truck Show, Whakatane 9.00 am – 2.00 pm (Classic Car Group)
No Club Night in December ______________________________________________________________________________
January Sunday Fri 20 – Sun 22 Fri 20 – Mon 23 Sun 22 Thur 26 Sun 29
Classic Car Breakfast date to be confirmed (Probably 8th) Wanganui Branch Burma Rally and Wanganui Vintage Weekend Wanganui National Veteran Rally Rotorua Lakefront Car Show 9.00 am Club Night Waterwheel Trust Live Day 10.00 am Onepu SH30 opp. Military Rd
February Sun 6 Sat 11
EAST COAST RALLY Gisborne Branch Three Rivers Rally
If you don’t have a club eligible vehicle on the road at the time you are very welcome to participate in club runs in your modern.
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