VCC HAWKES BAY THE MAG NOV 2022

themag.vcc@gmail.com

Editor: Kay Elmsly

Claridge

845 0577 or 027 286 6480

- 5pm

Taradale, Napier 4112

Coleske

021 474427

- 4pm

HAWKE’S BAY BRANCH CONTACTS//

Chairman: Esther Smith (Graham) c. 027 464 7314 humber@xtra.co.nz

Past Chairman: Ian Elmsly (Kay) p. 06 845 0577 c. 0274 790 682 ian.elmsly@xtra.co.nz

Club Captain: Paul Anderson (Janine) p. 06 844 2912 c. 0274 463 908 p.anderson1@xtra.co.nz

Secretary: Sandra Marsh (Kevin) p. 06 8700493 c. 021 2334476 hawkesbay@vcc.org.nz

Treasurer: Paul Eager (Carol) p. 06 845 4779 c. 027231 4304 paul-carol@xtra.co.nz

Committee: Malcolm Blair (Lesley) p. 06 843 7664 c. 021 576 360 malcolmblair52@gmail.com

Alastair Chalmers (Jean) c. 020 4088 4523 alastairchalmers@hotmail.co.uk

Kevin Cains (Kaye) p. 06 842 2496 c. 021 560 905 kevin.cains53@gmail.com

Steve Donovan (Pam) p. 06 835 9956 c. 027 217 7730 stevedon@xtra co.nz

Graham Bowker (Lyn) p. 06 845 0663 thebowkers@xtra.co.nz

Librarian: Larry Morgan (Cindy) c. 021 401 092 lazzer56@gmail.com

Club Custodian & Room Hire: Steve Donovan p. 06 835 9956 c. 027 217 7730 stevedon@xtra co.nz

Wednesday Run: Barrie Browne (Lindsay) c. 027 720 1238

Cruise ship Co-Ordinator: Colin Barnes c. 027 695 7075 cruiseshipcoordinator@xtra.co.nz

Mag Editor: Kay Elmsly p. 06 845 0577 c. 027 2866 480 ian.elmsly@xtra.co.nz

Spares Manager: Brian Taylor (Margaret) p. 06 844 5982 c. 027 443 6009

Spares Assistant Manager: John Durry (Jenny) p. 06 843 5798 c. 022 676 9401

Groundsman: Trevor Charman (Lyn) p. 06 844 5140 c. 027 292 6068 trevlyncharm@actrix.co.nz

HB Branch Life Members

Allan Harris life member Trevor Charman life member

HB Branch

6 Club Captain’s

7

8 Homestead Run 9 HBVCC

10

11 Mid-Week Runs 12 October Mid-Week Run 13

Mingle

14

15 Art Deco Event 2023 16

& Classic Car

Rootes –

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT//

By Esther Smith

Good to see Spring and the warmer weather has arrived, It’s time to get your vehicle out, wind down those windows to let the fresh air in and come out for a spin on either the Wednesday or Sunday runs, and don’t forget Tuesday morning at the clubrooms.

Speaking of spins we must have had the shortest club run ever when we visited David Mackersey’s Shed. We probably travelled not much more than 3 kms around Ahuriri. Thanks to Paul A for another successful run. Also the Wednesday runs are well worth attending you’re never quite sure what is going to happen or where you will go. Barrie Browne has got these well in hand, look elsewhere in the MAG for details of the next one.

You will notice we are now calling our final Friday’s “Mix and Mingle Nights”. This is a change of emphasis to recognise that they are inherently a social occasion for our members to get together.

CRUISE SHIPS. Our first cruise ship outing to welcome the Ovation of the Seas went well with 20 cars assembled on the wharf. - Colin Barnes has in a very short time frame done a stupendous job in organising a new team of volunteers for the cruise ship visits, he has liaised with the Napier Port to understand their requirements and navigated us all through the processes of Health and Safety inductions and obtaining our Port Passes. Plus he has got the roster well underway for the first half of the cruise season. So well done and thanks to Colin

LIBRARY - Larry Morgan our new Librarian is also all go, he is looking forward

to going down and spending some time getting to grips with the library contents and understanding what is involved in continuing with the cataloguing.

Speaking of Volunteers we are looking for some more of you talented and knowledgeable people to come forward and give us the benefit of your expertise. More detail in what is involved for each role is further on in the MAG

Disclaimer - I have to tell you now the hourly rate is pretty poor, in fact to be honest it’s non-existent

o Art Deco-Art Deco Rally Sub-Committee.

o Brits Night – Bingo King required for next Mix and Mingle Night

o Sound System/Projector Guru

By the time you read this report. I will have submitted on behalf of the Hawke’s Bay Branch our Registration of Interest to run the next Vero Rally in 2026 or 2027. We have met with the CHB VCC Branch to discuss the ROI and obtain their support as naturally we would want to venture down into their area, they were enthusiastic and have sent us a letter of support.

I look forward to seeing you at our branch events including the Homestead Run where on the ad I have asked members to please make an effort to bring your Club Eligible vehicle as we are a historic motoring club visiting an historic homestead, and that’s how I sell the club when approaching the Homestead owners regarding a visit.

CLUB CAPTAIN’S REPORT//

By Paul Anderson

Well, with summer on the way, I am sure we are all looking forward to some warmer weather.

By time these notes surface, the club will have been on Safari to Rotorua. Hopefully we will have had perfect weather and everything will have gelled together to make for a wonderful weekend. If this is not the case, I will put a stake in the ground now, and say that it won’t have been through a lack of effort but more a lack of ability and decision making on the part of yours truly. Hope I haven’t Jinxed It!

Last months run I have been assured was the shortest in the club’s history. Normally the Safari constitutes the October run and a great deal of the active club members would travel away with the club on this weekend. But due to an aging membership and Covid concerns, this is not quite the situation now. Never the less, I felt we needed to do something and create a reason to get the cars out of the shed. So, I took up the suggestion of a couple of people who thought we could meet for coffee and have a relaxed morning leaving the afternoon free.

We started with coffee at East Pier and then went to David Mackersey’s shed to view his wonderful collection of cars and memorabilia. While we were there, we were joined by Gordon and Shirley Vogtherr, long-time members of the club. One of Gordon’s early cars, a 1936 MGVA, which he campaigned widely around New Zealand and overseas was in the collection. It was one of David’s early acquisitions. It was great to see Gordon and Shirley in good health despite their advancing years.

David also gave us a run down on his West Quay Waterfront Development. Who would want to be a developer who had to face the increased cost and uncertainty when the Covid Pandemic struck half way through the construction process.

We had lunch in the garden area next to the Crown Hotel. I did not know that such a private area existed in the centre of the Ahuriri “Café Culture” area. The run was well attended and several people mentioned to me how they enjoyed the run (all four kilometres of it).

I did not take my sweetheart for a stroll along the Boardwalk after lunch, rather I took her back to East Pier for a lemonade.

Doug Bixley will bring his 1931 Studebaker Sports Roadster along to our next meeting and regale us with stories about the car and his association with it. I’m told Doug tells a good story so it is something to look forward to.

Happy motoring.

UP & COMING EVENTS//

MID WEEK RUN

Wednesday 2nd November

ALWAYS 1st Wednesday of the Month.

• Where: Meet at HB Vintage Club Rooms

• Time: 10.00am

More details on page 12.

CLUB NIGHT

Wednesday 9th November

Come along on the 9th November then at the close of our meeting, enjoy a chat with fellow members and a cup of tea/coffee and cake.

More details on page 10.

SUNDAY CLUB RUN

Sunday 20th November

This is our Annual Homestead Run. All details are on page 9.

MIX & MINGLE NIGHT

Friday 25th November

Put your name on the list at the club or contact Malcolm & Lesley Blair on 06 843 7664 or email –malcolmblair52@gmail.com no later than Tuesday 22nd November. More details on page 11.

14TH DECEMBER CLUB NIGHT

PLEASE NOTE THIS WILL BE OUR LAST CLUB NIGHT FOR THE YEAR MORE DETAILS IN THE NEXT MAG.

HOMESTEAD RUN

HBVCC

Club Meeting Wednesday 9th November 2022

Studebaker Stories..... Doug, a well known raconteur will regale us with stories about the Studebaker car and his association with it.

See you There!

Guest Speaker will be Doug Bixley

HBVCC MID-WEEK RUNS//

HBVCC Mid Week Runs

Great day on the Oct run thanks to John and Lee Anne Cocking. Our year is almost at an end only the Nov and Dec runs to go, we will not be doing a Jan 23 run so will re start in February next year.

November Run Wed 2nd Lunch at Patangata

By the time you receive your mag it may be too late to register for this run, but give Ivan Fisher a call he will help you with what is required. His contacts are here.

mossbank1943@gmail.com

Or call Ivan 021 239 8041.

Don’t forget your EFTPOS cards. The Tavern is a no cash pub.

December Run Wed 7th Peter and Helen Ball are the team organising this run for us.

So given that we are heading into the festive season Helen is asking you to bring a shared plate for this day.

Also let’s decorate the cars a little and perhaps we could also find a Christmas hat to add colour to the day.

Now that sounds like a nice way to celebrate, you could swap your coffee for a glass of wine perhaps, then finish with the coffee.

My apology people I won’t be around for this we are heading overseas to tour the top of the South Island, your club captain Paul Anderson will assist with the day.

See you all on Wednesday Nov 2nd Cheers

Barrie Browne clydebrowne@xtra.co.nz 027 720 1238

MID-WEEK RUN WED 5TH OCTOBER//

HBVCC Wednesday Run Oct 5th 2022 Or “Stand Easy”

Under the guidance of our captain, John Cocking QSM, 12 cars and two students, grandchildren, gathered to take in the challenge before us.

All dressed up with Beret, Swager Stick and clip board John set about his duty. Now the writer had to check with Wikipedia to make sure that it was a Swagger Stick and not a Pace stick.

Originally, the swagger stick was a functional implement used to direct military drill and manoeuvres, or to administer physical punishment. Nowadays it is more often a traditional visual attribute.

As you all know, if John has anything to do with something it will be presented in the right and proper way, and so it was, the route sheet was complete with some “points of interest” to note along the way.

The finish point was where many of us had not been for a long long time. Having instructed all with a good brief we were duly dispatched.

The route took us through south Taradale out to Omaranui Rd where we passed a monument in an orchard which commemorates the Battle of Omaranui in 1866 and the year the memorial was erected that being 1916 the 50 anniversary.

On then to Puketapu and note St Michael and All Saints church and memorial gate to WW2 on the gate post just 3 names.

Out over Seafield and Hedgeley Rd to the Esk Church that was built as a memorial to Lieutenant Percival Beattie who died on 4/11/18, it was erected by his father in law, Thomas Clark and wife Annie.

Out along the beach front heading to Napier and observe the Pill Box on the beach put there to? hold off the Japanese.

Now asking as we drove past, what are the two Beacons? Navigation Lights in conjunction with the “Admiralty Pine” up on the hill top, they gave three points to guide ships through Pania Reef.

On now via Corunna Bay past Main St down Hyderabad Rd up Chaucer Rd into Spencer Rd and question “ Why was this area called “suds alley” Wells were situated at the bottom of the hill in the Botanical gardens and used as a laundry for the troupes.

On into the city passing the Masonic Hotel and the statue commemorating the Boer Wars, back up to the Marine Pde passing what was the Soldiers Club in 1917 and became the RSA, and is supposed to be the first in NZ. Up Coote Rd passed the drill hall and on up to the lookout for the finish and lunch.

A most interesting look and better understanding of what was presented, John giving out the answers at the end, our grateful thanks to John and Lee Anne for an interesting day.

ART DECO EVENT

15-19 FEBRUARY 2023//

A selection of events over the Napier Art Deco weekend aimed at vehicles 1945 and older, so fitting into the period when the Art Deco style was to its fore. The feature group for 2023 is Early Ford V8’s (to 1945), who will have visits arranged specifically for them Wednesday and Thursday 15th - 16th February. Then there’s a celebration dinner on Thursday 16th open to all entrants and the club’s main rally, picnic and display on Friday 17th. Saturday 18th is the run for up to 300 vehicles through Napier CBD with a display at the end, and finally there’s a brunch at the club rooms on Sunday 19th with a live band, also open to all entrants.

BOOKINGS CLOSE ON FRIDAY 6TH JANUARY 2023 at www.hbvcc.org.nz/art-deco Enquiries: Paul at hbtreasurer@vcc.org.nz or Steve on 027 217 7730.

Vogtherr’s

Gordon’s

BACK TO YOUR ROOTES – NO 11

The following article is one of a number I wrote several years ago for the Humber/Hillman Car Club’s ‘Torque’ Magazine - Graham Smith 2022

Well in my last instalment. I was up to the mid 1970s and having just sold our 1961 Series IIIB Hillman Minx we were the owners of three large Humbers – the 1951 Mk III Humber Imperial, the 1960 Series III Humber Super Snipe (our daily car) and the 1935 Humber Snipe ‘80’ kitset. We used the 1960 Super Snipe as our daily transport as we were allocated a carpark in the grounds of the old wooden Government Building. At that time it cost $26 a year ($1 a fortnight) which was pretty good but there was a bit of an uproar a couple of years later when the price was increased to $75 a year –outrageous!

We used the 1960 Snipe quite extensively. Shortly after we married, Esther’s parents moved to a farm near the Wanganui River just south of Taumarunui and we would travel up there via Wanganui and the Paraparas on a Friday night for the weekend several times a year. The farm was down the Retaruke River and a bit north of ‘The Bridge to Nowhere’. The Retaruke was one of the few valleys that remained open after many First World returned servicemen settlers walked off the land in the district during the depression. The road was unsealed and went around two big papa bluffs and it was quite normal at night to have to stop and remove rocks from the road. One night it was raining hard and there were dozens of frogs on a half mile stretch of the road. Initially I tried to avoid them. However when their numbers became hundreds and then thousands we just had to drive through. I’ve heard stories of it actually raining frogs (rather than cats

and dogs) but what the actual reason was that night I don’t know. We were close to the river and the road would have been warm so that might have had something to do with it. We frequently also travelled to Auckland in the car to see my parents or to attend various Humber annual rallies.

The car only let us down a couple of times, and both were probably my fault! On the first occasion, when travelling home to Strathmore from work one Friday afternoon just on dusk, I braked quite hard for another car which hadn’t signalled its intentions on the roundabout by the airport. The engine then died and wouldn’t turn over on the starter motor and we were stranded. It seemed to have no electric power, no lights, no wipers (it had just started to rain) but the glovebox light was working! Apparently not a battery problem. Someone in a Holden stopped and offered us a tow home – he confessed after we got home that it was the heaviest thing he had ever towed. I spent all day Saturday and half of Sunday trying to find the problem. As I said, everything electrical was dead apart from the glovebox light. I finally determined that the ammeter had blown, and that the glovebox light was the only thing that wasn’t fed through the ammeter. Now why had the ammeter blown? They read up to 30 amps and would need a lot more current than that to burn them out. Finally I traced the problem back to some ‘handiwork’ I had done the previous weekend. I had taken the radio speaker in the top of the dashboard out and replaced one of the loose rattling retaining screws with a heavier and longer one.

Unbeknown to me, and unseen, the longer screw had been touching a terminal on the back of the headlight switch and, when I had turned the lights on just before the roundabout, there was a dead short which, fortunately had burned out the ammeter and not caused a wiring fire. So, nothing to do with the braking. Lesson - use short screws for your speaker!

The other occasion was during a tour of the South Island. Prior to the trip a fellow Vintage Car Club member from Wellington, who worked for Motor Spares (not Motor Specs) had come over and checked out the engine for wear while I had the head off. The inlet valves were quite coked up from too much cold running commuting but there was less than one thou wear in the cylinders. I should explain that Motor Spares were dealers in engine parts, particularly pistons and bearings. After the de-coke the car was running really well. We took my parents with us and travelled down the West Coast and over the Haast Pass to Dunedin. There my parents got a hire car and went north to see relatives, while Esther and I continued south to Invercargill. Now the roads in Southland were (and still are) pretty good with very little traffic and the distances can be deceptively large. Anyway we were travelling at a pretty steady 80 (and that’s not Ks) over two days and then we noticed an ominous rumble when heading back to Dunedin. We called into the AA in Dunedin and they diagnosed big end bearing problems. We took it into a recommended garage and left it there to be fixed and flew back home.

Although there was little wear and no damage to the bores when we had given it the de-coke the garage said it had some broken rings and scored bores and would need to be re-bored with new pistons, as well as a crankshaft regrind and undersized big end bearings. I duly imported oversized

pistons from Australia (took a bit to convince Customs that, although it is an English car, the pistons were made in Adelaide Australia and so eligible for lower tariff under CER) and a few months later in May I returned to collect the car. Well it hardly made it up the steep hills north of Dunedin. We still had all our camping gear in the boot and so I camped overnight on the Kaikoura coast (man was it cold – with a jersey and socks on and two sleeping bags I froze in the pup tent and crawled back into the car at 2.00am!!). Mulling over the lack of power I decided to have a look at the timing. Sure enough it had been set to the mark on the crankshaft pulley which is top dead centre, and not given the required 5 to 7 degrees advance. The car then ran better but even after the run-in period just didn’t seem to perform as well as originally. It wasn’t unit about 6 years later that I discovered why. With the head off again for a decoke I found that the pistons fitted were the standard compression pistons, whereas our car being English assembled originally had high compression pistons. I’d ordered high compression pistons from Australia (they have a raised crown with cut-outs to clear the valves) but I hadn’t checked them when I finally got them through Customs at Wellington airport and instead dashed them off to the engine rebuilders in Dunedin unopened. A lesson there. Further, the distributor centrifugal advance curve is different for the different compression engines. The higher compression has less centrifugal advance so to make up for this with the lower compression pistons I have now advanced the static timing a couple of degrees more. Not really spot on but a compromise until I maybe obtain a standard compression distributor, or better still some high compression pistons. More on the Snipes and Imperial and our shift to Gisborne next time.

ART DECO RALLY-SUB COMMITTEE

As you will be aware our Art Deco Rally is the flagship event on our motoring calendar and attracts over 150 entrants each year, the majority of which are from outside Hawkes Bay. The branch committee has decided to form a separate Art Deco Rally sub committee to run this event. The reason for this decision is that there is a significant amount of AD rally planning and organisation required that is separate to the general branch activities and therefore having a dedicated team makes sense We have a proven event format in place along with strong registration and management systems that have been developed over the years. Now we want to get others involved so that the experience, contacts and organizational knowledge gained over time can be shared and that specialist knowledge base expanded, as your committee are very keen for the rally to maintain its impetus and continue to evolve as a premier event for the branch, we are looking for members who have a keen interest in Art Deco to join this committee.

BINGO KING REQUIRED Our Mix and Mingle night for the end of November is going to be a “Brits Night”. As mentioned in the last MAG we decided this was an appropriate way to remember the Queen. As part of the evening someone had a bright idea that a Bingo session would be appropriate along with Mushy peas but that’s another story. However of the people I have spoken to no one knows anything about running a Bingo night. We have a caller, but need some expertise about what is required to run the event. Contact Esther Smith humber@xtra.co.nz or txt 0274647314

Desperately seeking someone with a keen interest in sound systems. We are looking for assistance from someone with knowledge of these types of systems. The sound system in the Clubrooms was revamped about a year ago and a new projector installed. So we want advice on how best to use it and also clear instructions/training for those within the club who use the system and instructions we can supply to outside speakers to ensure whatever they bring with them is compatible with the system we use .

Keen to put your name forward then contact Esther Smith humber@xtra.co.nz or txt 0274647314

SPARES NEWS//

By John Durry

Hi All

Over the last month the team at the spares have been sorting and down sizing to make more room.

To signal the Tuesday group morning tea time a bell (picture top right) is rung, which hangs by the entrance to the library. The other day I had a good look at the bell and written on it is TITANIC, so thought to myself having a bell from the Titanic was something special, so I asked around and our blast from the past Derrick Gordon (picture bottom right) came up with the history. The bell was donated to the club by Olive & Reg Kilby, two of our founding members in early July 1999 and on the 24th of that month a special Titanic dinner was held at the old club rooms, and this bell was used then, it went down a treat, so they say.

We would like to thank Derrick for his morning tea which he put on to celebrate his 80th birthday last week. I think this may have to be the norm from now on!!

Until next time.

CLUB SPARE PARTS CORNER

For any enquiries phone Brian Taylor on 027 4436009 or contact the Club’s Spares Dept. on Tuesday mornings between 9am & 11am on 06 835 1483.

FOR SALE//

FOR SALE: CLOTHING TAPE Mend your furs in time for Art Deco Festival 2023. $4 per metre. Phone Carolyn on 06 844 3323 or email carolyn@asian-seed.co.nz.

FOR SALE: Four cross-ply tyres 6.70 x 15” these are retreads less than a third worn. Have been kept in the dark. $100 the set. Graham Smith phone or text 027 2290158 or email humber@xtra.co.nz.

RELUCTANT SALE: Chevrolet Master Sedan. Older restoration; regularly serviced and maintained by local mechanic for the 20 years of current ownership. Very good all-round condition. Contact: 027 244 5938.

FOR SALE 2 small Fords 1935 Model Y a 2 door and a 4 door also 2 model CX De Luxe 4 doors they are striped down for rebuild some work done. Email frontstuffer@gmail.co.nz or phone Glenn 027 293 4024.

Ads for Wanted or For Sale that have been in the Club Mag for 4 months or more will be removed if the editor has not been notified that you wish to continue with advertising your item.

WANTED//

WANTED: OLDER VEHICLE. Ideally we want a vehicle that is user friendly i e that will cruise at 95 – 100 kph as we will be using it for trips away and on daily trips out. We do not want a ‘show queen’ but something clean and tidy. Ideally it will be a coupe. It needs to be Registered and WOF. I am 73 and are past restoring vehicles but just want to drive and enjoy. I’m thinking a 1934 Chrysler, Dodge, Desoto, Plymouth coupe would be good. Possibly a Model A Ford but it would need to have period speed equipment and overdrive to attain the travel speed we need. 1932 33 34 Fords and Chevys are probably more than we want to spend. I’m aware of a ’34 Plymouth Roadster for sale on trade me which would be good but it’s a Roadster and we are both past being baked in the sun or getting wet and cold. Contact dave Goodman Ph: 027 4427325.

WANTED: 1 PINION SEAL FOR 1946 DODGE. Outside diameter 3 9/64” or 3 3/16”, Inside diameter 1 7/8”, Width ½” or 9/16”. Please phone Lance on 027 464 2018.

WANTED: Road wheel for Standard Vanguard car. Early to mid 1950s. Geoff Johnston 879 9700 or 0273421 696.

Ads for Wanted or For Sale that have been in the Club Mag for 4 months or more will be removed if the editor has not been notified that you wish to continue with advertising your item.