As you read this the Ford Model T convention and Festival Rallywill have come and gone, and we will now be focusing on the Swap Meet (to be held on the 16th of March). If you can help with this in any way contact Katherine and let her know. Her phone number is on the inside front cover of The Wiper.
The replacement of the upper windows in the clubrooms with new panelling has been completed and looks really good, thanks to the generous donation of time and materials from Bruce and Pauline Price. I think we’ll be surprised at the heat retention come wintertime.
The club grounds are looking amazing and thanks goes to those who do the gardening, mowing, spraying etc.
You’ll notice that three of the picnic tables that languished under the roof of the old barbeque have now been placed and secured on the patio by the creek. Nice place to just sit and enjoy, although on the day they were put there it was too hot and we had to move inside.
Murray Proctor
Car photos for the Clubrooms
From the Editor’s Keyboard
The Wiper has a slightlydifferent “feel” this month as the bulk of the content is a great story by Colin Hamill. It is a very interesting account of his “car history” and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Garry & Sue Mulqueen have provided a report on the January Tuesday Ramble to Riverton and Star McDougall & Julia Evans tell us about their adventures before, during and after the Southland VCC’s 70th Anniversary Rally.
I’m pleased to say that my pleas for material are being answered, but please keep it up, I can never have too much
I get to as many Gore Branch events as I can, but am not able to attend all of them. I therefore rely on you, dear readers, to provide reports or stories about them for the benefit of those, like me, who missed them. If your stories are entertaining enough, who knows, it may tempt more members to participate in the runs. At least they will know what they are missing…
As always, a big “Thank you” to this month’s contributors.
Happy reading!
David North
Q: Why is the letter "F" similar to death?? Answer next month
Answer to last month’s Brainteaser
Q. Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet you miss me when I have flown. What am I?
A. Time
January Tuesday Ramble
Finally, after 12 months, our Chevrolet Bel Air has got new brakes and shock absorbers, and has been issued with a fresh Warrant of Fitness and new Registration.
So, after picking up Tommy and Patricia Nicholson we set sail and headed off to Riverton. The car went well and we arrived on time at the Lodge Hotel where we were treated to a beautiful meal of blue cod, chips and salad. For those who wanted one, a very generous glass of wine was the perfect accompaniment.
Everyone had a great catch up with those they hadn't seen over the Christmas break. With the rest of the afternoon free, we had a quick tour of Riverton before the wind and rain arrived and then headed for home.
It was a delight to see paddocks of newly-shorn sheep, fat, well fed dairy cows and fresh baleage everywhere. Yes it was great to see "the green, green grass of home” .
Garry & Sue Mulqueen
[Photos by the Editor]
We could see the view from The Lodge Hotel dining room this year! The Editor
Southland Vintage Car Club 70th Anniversary Rally
I (Star) went to the 40th Rally so decided to go to the 70th. First I had to get a Warrant of Fitness before I could register the 1932 Chevrolet. Failed the WoF. No brake lights and leaking exhaust manifold. I fixed that and away we (Star & Julia) went to Invercargill.
Arrived there okay and parked near the starting point. Told to park around the corner. Could not. The starter motor was jammed up. Tried rocking it but that did not work and all I had was an 8 inch crescent spanner. Not good enough. I flagged down Neil Kidd and he had a socket set and another guy had a ⅝ inch ring spanner required to loosen the starter motor and get us going which we did just in time to start driving through Queens Park Gardens.
I nominated 30 mph which my car did not like. Coughed and spluttered all the way to Riverton where we stopped for lunch and Field Test. We then headed back to Southland Vintage Car Clubrooms for drinks and a meal. Prize-giving followed and, I do not know how, but we got Second in the Field Test, First in the Time Trial and First Post Vintage Overall Winner.
We stayed overnight at a motel. Inthe morning we went to go home. Could not start dueto the starter motor had jammed again. I did not have the tools I usedbeforeasI hadreturnedthem. SooffI walked to Mitre10to purchase a socket set. Sockets would not fit because they were metric and they were the only type available. I had to return the socket set and buy a ⅝ plug socket and ratchet. I managed to get the car going and headed home.
I contacted Murray Proctor and asked him to look at it for me. Yep, bring it round, he said. I did and he heard me coming down Robinson Street….pop, bang, boom. I left it withhim hoping he could work miracles!
He has since contacted me and told me he removed a heap of dirt out of the carburettor. Starter Motor work in progress.
(L-R) Paul Herron, Bill Ainge, Star McDougall
There were three entries from the Gore Club and three trophies won:
Bill Ainge, Overall Winner Paul Herron and myself, Trophy winners.
Thanks go to the Southland Vintage Car Club for a well-run Rally.
Words by Star McDougall and Julia Evans
Photos by Julia Evans
Jokes from Gerry Kennedy
What did the buffalo say to his son when he dropped him off for his first day at school?
Bi – son
What do you call 100 sheep rolling down a hill? A lambslide
Bought a can of fly spray this morning, sprayed it all over me twice! I still can’t fly.
A mate said he had broken his leg in 3 places. I advised him not to go to those places again.
What’s In My Shed?
My Life withAustins, other Classic Cars, and virtually anything with wheels on…
by Colin Hamill
I had a strong interest in cars at a very early age, probably around seven or eight years-old. At that time my father owned a 1955 Austin A90 Westminster, which I loved to ride around in. It seemed to have a nice luxurious ride, with plenty of room inside. I also loved the look of these cars.
At the same time my mother owned a 1956 Austin A30 2-door. Abit more “squashed” for room, but still funto get around in. With theA30 being only a year old when Mum purchased it, I still remember how this wee car smelt inside, withthat rather sumptuous,nearlynew interior. So,twogreat British cars were now imprinted on me at an early age. This imprinting would never leave me, and much later I would own both of these models myself.
To get myown “thrills onwheels”, I began building “soap-box” style carts, which I ran down the hills near our home in Invercargill. There was no problem gathering up the timber and tools required to make them, with my father being a builder.
I raced these carts in the annual City Soap Box Derbies and continually developed them, with my own ideas for brakes and steering, etc. These carts went from small models with pram wheels, to very long, large carts with bicycle wheels, which if the hill was long enough, could get up to tremendous speeds. The last development I did to these carts, was to rig sails on them, similar to today’s land yachts. This allowed me, in the right conditions, to also traveluphill, andat timesreachspeedsalmost equivalent to the odd car that might be around me.
As kids, we often visited farms that were owned by relatives or friends of my parents. Of course, all farms had utes and country kids began driving these utes veryearly, so they could help with feeding-out, or shifting stock. One of these farms had an Austin A40 Devon ute, and, by the time I was between 10 and 11 years-old, I was driving this ute quite regular, helping with farm chores. So, this was the vehicle I learned to drive in, and yes,
because most of the drivers were young and small-built, it actually had wooden blocks wired to the pedals, plus the big cushion to put between yourself and the back of the seat.
During the early/middle 1960s, I used to go to our local car racing circuit at Teretonga Park, near Invercargill, with my father or family friends. I absolutely loved car racing and especially saloon-car racing. The big meeting every year was the International Meeting, at the end of January, which was part of the Tasman Series for open-wheelers. This series was shared between NZ and Australia and included many of the current Formula One drivers, who came down-under, during their Northern Hemisphere off-season.
Alot ofthe big names in Formula One attendedTeretonga over these years, including Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jo Bonnier, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Piers Courage, and Roy Salvadori. The Tasman Series was a great gift to Kiwis and Aussies at the time, with Formula One being mostly raced in the Northern Hemisphere. Bythe midsixties, 13% of the total population of Southland Province was at this annual meeting, and it is said that for quite a while, it was the “most attended” short circuit in the world.
During these years I became anardent fanofour ownBruce McLaren, who went on to construct his own cars and create his own Formula One Team, which still exists today. I sucked up every bit of knowledge I could find on him, through newspaper and magazine articles of the time. Bruce had a huge work ethic and tremendous organisational skills. He once said of racing cars: “Luck has nothing to do with it, it’s all in the preparation”. I have tried to live by that ethos myself, all my life.
By 1966, my father had given up building and was now a local building inspector, attached to the Education Board, involved in overseeing the building of new schools and alteration and repairs to older ones. He had a Government-supplied car, so the family car sat at home most of the week. Since the need for two cars wasn’t there any more, he asked me if I wanted to buy my mother’s A30. This came about some time in 1967, when I was nearing my 15th birthday. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, although I was a couple of months off being old enough to get my driver’s licence.
After purchasing the A30 and getting my licence, I knew this was my “ticket to the world”…well, the South Island of NZ anyway. I took it to school and ran around in it in the weekends, on the now very tired 803cc engine. Not long after, I installed a brand- new 948cc long-block, which I bought off the local Austin dealers. By 1970, I had developed this engine quite a bit, and had made body modifications to accommodate widened wheels, and as was the trend of the time, had put my own mark on the car, with customising its looks. In 1972, I purchased the whole drivetrain from an A30 circuit-racer and installed it into my A30. I purchased two brandnew 1¾” Stromberg carbs for the 1622cc MGA engine, and got hold of a set of Sprite front brake discs to bolt on. Other than that, the change-over was almost completely from the race-car. I then set about gradually finishing off the body. I owned the A30 in this configuration till 1974. It was fun to drive and very fast.
After the A30 was sold, I moved into ‘50s and ‘60s American cars, first owning a 1955 Chev, which I bought off a work-mate for $250. It was still a good original car and ran a 235 cu in Blue Flame six. I was surprised at the pulling power of this car, which was not far short of Chev’s 283 cu in small-block V8 at the time, and almost equal to the 265 cu in edition.
After the Chev, I went over to the Fords of the period, and owned several Ford Customlines and a 1965 Fairlane Compact. Most of the Customlines I owned were in really good original condition. With a couple of them, I was only the second or third owner. They could be bought really cheap too, with all of them coming in at between $500 to $750.
1955 Ford Customline. This car I restored in the 1980s. It is still on the road today. It originally came from Cheviot in North Canterbury.
1955 Ford Customline. I bought this car off two elderly sisters from Timaru, in the early 1970s
The last Customline I owned, a 1955 model, which was in exceptional order, I kept for 15 years. During that time I changed the original running gear for later model stuff, including a 302 cu in Windsor V8, 3-speed Mustang column-change gearbox and a narrow Mustang 8’’rear end. I also adapted Falcon discs to the front. I repainted this car too, as I didn’t like the original drab grey and teal colour scheme.
Through most of the time I owned this car, I was busy raising a young family and working to payoff mortgages, etc., so the Customline didn’t get a lot of use, and eventually I decided to sell it in the late 1980s. This car is still owned locally today.
Then came a long hiatus from classic cars till 2004, when I purchased a 1979 Holden Torana UC, which I came across while working as a roadmarker. The original 202 six had blown up and strangely, was replaced with a Starfire 4-cylinder engine that was also sick, not to mention the originalM20 gearboxthat had no third gear. But this car was in exceptional condition body- and interior-wise, and it was only the car itself that I wanted, as the running gear could be easily replaced. One bonus was that there was anearly 5-speed Holden Commodore gearbox inthe boot, so that would hopefully sort the gearbox problem. I had always loved these giantkilling little cars, since watching Bathurst through their heyday in the ‘70s.
Over the next year or so, I put new ‘worked’202 Holden running gear into it, used the ‘free’5-speed, and put 3.08 early Holden Commodore gears in the diff. It is now a great open-road car, with good torque and very economical, with the high gearing. They are also very good handling cars for their time, with a comfortable interior. Areal pleasure to drive.
Then around 2015, Michelle thought she might like to get a classic car of her own. She still had a hankering for FordAnglias, as she had owned one when she was young. So, I set about looking for a suitable Anglia to purchase. Well, I didn’t realise how popular these cars had become, and, of course, demand drives price. Agoodclean‘patina’car, that would still need to be painted, have upholstery work done, and probably engine and other stuff too, was going to set you back 8-10 grand, before you started. Add to it the work that needed done, and you were looking at closer to 20 grand than 10.
So, we thought we would leave the Anglias in the meantime and have a look for other small classic cars, to compare real value. After a day of trawling for small classic cars on my computer, I came across what looked like a very good conditionAustinA40 Farina, that was being sold through a car sales inPalmerston North, and it only had $5,500on it. I went through the set of 20 good photos that had been put up, showing every nook and
cranny of the car and thought to myself, “Gosh, if this Farina is as good as it looks in the pictures, it’s an absolute bargain!” Then I noticed that the car had been sitting at the car sales for a year, and immediately thought, why hadn’t this apparently quite mint Farina sold yet?
I decided to wait for Michelle to get home from work to see if she liked the car first, as it certainly didn’t look anything like an Anglia, and also it was painted pink! In the meantime, my head was racing. I thought this is way better value than pursuing the Anglia thing, and I still had quite a bit of Aseries mechanical gear that I had been carting around for the last 40 years, that could be useful for spares.
When Michelle arrived home I showed her the Farina, and asked her what she thought, especially as opposed to theAnglia. She immediately said she really liked it, especially with all the chrome, and thought it was way more stylish than an Anglia. Then my question was: “What about the colour?” She said she loved it and thought it made the chrome stand out. She then asked me what I thought about the colour. I told her I liked it too, for the same reason.
Michelle and the 1960 A40 Farina
I told her I was a bit ‘miffed’ about why it hadn’t sold over the last year, when it seemed such a good car, but would now phone the car sales to see if there was a particular reason for that. When I phoned, the salesman that answered said the Farina really was as good as it looked inthe photos.Also the engine had been reconditioned, it had had some suspension work done and the steering box had been reconditioned, so that was all good to hear as well. He said it went well and drove and rode really well too.
Then I popped the question about why, if it was so good, had it been with them for a year and hadn’t sold? I was stunned when he gave me the answer: “It was the colour”. He said the car was part of a local classic car collection, which included 18 British cars of various makes and types. The owner had died suddenly and his widow was selling the collection. The widow was a friend ofthe car sales owner, and had asked him if theywould help her dispose of the collection. He said the Farina was the ‘pick’of the whole collection, condition-wise, and that if it had been up to the women who were interested, it would have sold on the first day. But Kiwi male chauvinism is obviously still alive and well, and no waywere their partners going to have a pink car up the driveway. Unbelievable!
The car salesman said the Farina had started at $7,500, and was now down to $5,500, because the woman just wanted the sale of the collection done. I thought: “Wow, $2000 saved just because the car was pink!” I told the car salesman I would have gladly paid the $7,500 for it, if I had been looking then. He said: “So would a few other people, if they’d been allowed to.”
ThisFarina has had averyinteresting life, having beenfirst sold inBromley in the UK. It lived in Bromley for two years with its owner, Mrs Putnam, then moved to Bournemouth for another two years, before hopping on a boat with its owner and coming to NZ, in 1965. We are lucky enough to have all the documentation of this Farina's very storied life.
Prior to discovering the Farina, I had been getting a 1990 Lada 1500 roadworthy, to drive to Auckland for my daughter and her partner. It had been left lying in a shed in Invercargill for seven years and needed quite a bit of work to get it back on the road, and I was now nearing the end of this project. The timing of finding the Farina would work out well with taking the Lada to Auckland, as after delivering the Lada, I could come back to Palmerston North and pick up the Farina and drive it back to Invercargill.
In New Zealand History This Month
6 March 1966
Country Calendar goes to air
Scene from one of Country Calendar's famous spoofs (Te Ara)
Country Calendar was initially a news programme for farmers that was shot mainly in the studio. The first episode, presented by a pipe-smoking Fred Barnes, included a feature on an apricot orchard in Central Otago. The weekly show broadened its focus in the 1970s to appeal to a wider audience. At first broadcast on Sunday evenings, it moved to Saturday in the 1990s.
From the 1970s, the iconic theme music, ‘Hillbilly Child’, introduced half an hour of rural information presented in a way that was accessible to ‘townies’. Occasional satirical episodes disturbed those who didn’t get the joke. In the hands of Fred Dagg (John Clarke), a fence became a musical instrument. An episode on radio-controlled dogs sparked many complaints to the RSPCA; an exposé of high-fashion rural clothing was another highlight. A 2016 episode marking the series’ half-century introduced an app that allowed farmers to talk to their dogs.
National Club Captain’s Tour (meal) 12th April Paul Herron
Night Trial TBA
End ofSeason Run
Tuesday Ramble
Saturday 12th July Rod Bell
Last Tuesday of the month (except December)
Co-ordinated by Gerry Kennedy
Editor's note to event organisers
If you want to see a report in The Wiper please provide one yourselves or organise somebody to do it for you. (N.B. This works best if you ask them before the event!)
Email version of The Wiper
The Wiper is also available by email, either as a link to an online version or as a pdf file. The pictures are in colour, it arrives earlier, (most of) the hyperlinks work – and it saves the Branch money!
Please contact the Editor
8th March
8th March
Other Events 2025
Swap Meet Bazaar, Nelson Branch
50th AnniversaryAnnual Motorcycle Rally, South Otago Branch
11th March Race4Life, Teretonga Park
15th March
Central Otago Gold Motorcycle Rally, Central Otago Branch
22nd March Scenicland Rally, West Coast Branch
22nd – 24th March
5th April
10th – 13th April
11th – 18th April
18th – 20th April
18th – 20th April
18th – 20th April
3rd May
15th – 21st March
COVCC Otago Anniversary Weekend Run
Swap Meet & Bazaar, South Canterbury Branch
George Begg Festival, Teretonga Park: https://www.georgebeggfestival.nz/
South Island Club Captain’s Tour. Enquiries to: Mark Wilkinson, email sicc@vcc.org.nz
National South Island Easter Rally. Enquiries to: essexontheroadagain@gmail.com
30th NZ National Morris Minor Convention, Timaru
Wheels at Wanaka: https://www.wheelsatwanaka.co.nz/
Swapmeet, Ashburton Branch 2026
Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring
More of Gerry’s Jokes
It’s been six months since I joined the gym and still no progress. I’m going there in person tomorrow to find out what’s really going on.
Pat said to Murphy, “I can trace my ancestors back two thousand years.” Murphy said, “I suppose you came out on the ark with them.”
Pat said, “Oh no, we had our own boat.”
Saturday 15th March
Tuesday Ramble 25th March
10.00 am: Meetat Clubrooms
10.30 am: Depart for lunch at Beaumont Hotel
11.30 – 12.00 pm: Early lunch
1.15 pm: Depart for Millers Flat Visit Hawkeswood Mining (A gold mine just outside of Millers Flat)
Numbers before 20th March for catering Contact Gerry 027 233 4634
14th March
In Welsh History This Month
Pi Day is celebrated every year on 14th March.
Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (approximated as 3.14159). The earliest use of the Greek letter π to represent Pi was in 1706 by Welshman William Jones from Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd on Anglesey. The 14th of March was chosen because the first three digits of the pi calculation 3, 1 and 4 equate to the American date format 3/14.
Adapted from https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfWales/
Sent in by Donna North
What’s In My Shed? (Continued)
In early November 2014, I took a salvage trailer to an address in Invercargillto pick up a1990 Lada1500Classic, whichhad beenin storage for seven years, and had not run or been attended to during that time. The car was owned by a Hungarian friend of mine who had been living in Auckland for some years. Rather than truck the car to Auckland, I told my friend I would first see if I could sort the Lada out for him, to get it roadworthy again, then drive it to Auckland as a "road trip".
As I was semi-retired, I had the time to put into the car and my friend said he would source any new parts required, either here in NZ or in Hungary. The Lada would need some tidying done to the body in the usual places, but was inprettygood overall condition in that department. The engine had undergone a full rebuild by my friend some time before, so that was a bonus.
Some ancillaries to the engine needed attention, and wiring in the engine bay needed a tidy up. The brakes and all hoses needed renewed, as did a couple of shocks that were seized. The new clutch had freed itself up once new hydraulics were applied to it, so hopefully it would still be okay once the car was running again. The engine had a race "Lada Rally" camshaft put into it during the rebuild, but I decided to put a standard camshaft back in for the trip to Auckland. Anything else I came across on my travels through the car would be fixed or replaced along the way. The aim was to get the car up to 'Warrant of Fitness' standard at least, so it could be registered for the road again, and to inspect and attend to everything that could give reliability problems on the trip to Auckland.
The first time I got the Lada running after exchanging the cam, I took it out onthe street and it broke downat the end ofour block, not a good start. But it was just a minor wiring problem. The second time I took it out, it broke down about 3km from home, but that was just a brake hydraulic problem the car had while I was waiting on new parts to arrive. I was able to drive it home okay. As time went by the reliability began to come, as new aftermarket parts were fitted and the original factory stuff, most of which was well past its use by date, was thrown out. Some ancillary items were reconditioned 'mandatory' for reliability, suchasstarter andalternator. Parts for these two items came from Finland, but new brass bushes for the shafts had to be made by a local auto electrician. Most parts, including brake components, were still available in NZ, while other parts came from contacts in Hungary.
The one thing that struck me most, was how cheap everything was. The new brake master cylinder was only NZ$50 and the starter and alternator were both done for the price ofonlyone Lucas or Bosch item! As the weeks went by, I also attended to the bodywork and gave some of the paint a freshen up, including all the black and the wheels and bumpers, which made the car look a lot more presentable. The car by now, seemed to be running reliably again.
After Christmas, 2014, I felt we were in a position to give the car a shot at a Warrant of Fitness. It went straight through first time, we were stoked, the Lada was back on the road again! When everyone came back after the holidays, a sign-writer friend of mine did some detailing to the car. Hungarian flags were made as a nod to the car's owner, and the car was given a name, which is the name of a dog in a movie that goes on a road trip in a Lada through Eastern Europe. After successfully running the Lada around Invercargill for quite a while, it was now time to really test its reliability before heading toAuckland with it.
I worked out a triangular route to take on quiet country roads, just outside the city. One lap of this 'circuit' was 80km, so five laps non-stop would be 400km done, plenty enough for a one-off road test. The Lada breezed through the test-run without a hiccup and proved to be very economical, with 5-speed gearbox and good diff gearing. Economy and tuning was also helped out by the Ford Capri carburettor supplied, which bolted straight onto the Lada manifold.
The Lada sitting on the South Island's Kaikoura Coast, during the second day of the trip, while heading to Picton to catch the ferry to the North Island.
A couple of days later on January 30, 2015, I headed to Auckland and arrived in Manurewa (South Auckland) three and a-half days later. The Lada ran like a sewing machine the whole way, with no glitches whatsoever, much to the surprise of many “doubters” back in Invercargill. Once again, in the words of Bruce McLaren: “Luck has nothing to do with it, it’s all in the preparation”. It was now ready for another life on the road again. The car's owner was very pleased to have his beloved Lada back with him too.
On the way to Auckland, I called into the car sales in Palmerston North to look over the Farina and take it for a drive. It definitely was as good as portrayed. Prior to purchasing it, the car sales owner said the car owner had told him, that if I bought it, I could have $500 off to help with myexpenses of getting the Farina home. So, $5000 was the final price - bargain!
After a week in Auckland, I drove back to Palmerston North in a car sales ‘loaner’ car which had been dropped off to me. After switching my gear over to the Farina, I headed for Wellington to catch an over-night ferry across to Picton. The two earlier over-night ferries were booked out, so I had to settle for a 2.30am sailing, but it didn’t matter, as I was on my own and there would be time to lookover the Farina and do some fettling where needed, starting with the fan belt which was a bit loose.
By the time 10pm came, everyone left on the wharf realised they must be on the late ferry, and we drew together and introduced ourselves. A lady from Nelson had a huge Tupperware box of cake, which combined well
with the flasks of coffee that most people seemed to have with them. By midnight a few were starting to tire and were worried that if they went to sleep they would miss the ferry, but the ferry workers told us not to worry, they would wake us up when it was time to load the cars.
With the cars loaded, we headed out of Wellington Harbour. I think I was “out to it” as soon as we hit the swell in Cook Strait and didn’t wake up till the ferry was reversing into the dock at Picton, at 5.30am. With the Farina off the boat, I headed straight to Blenheim, to gas up and head south. The Farina was running like a clock and by mid-afternoon I was down near Timaru, and starting to ‘fade’ a bit, from my long couple of days on the road. I found a rest area and pulled in. I set the alarm on my phone for an hour and a-half ‘kip’and was immediately asleep.
When the alarm went off, I got out of the car and walked around a bit, to get my equilibrium right, then hit the road again. I gassed up for the third time in Timaru, where like the other stops, I still had ¼ of a tank left. I reckoned I would need one more gas-stop around Dunedin to get me home. It wasgetting dark bythetimeI went throughDunedin, to gasupat Mosgiel for the final time. At 10.30pm I arrived back in Invercargill - job done, Michelle’s Farina was home. I then realised this was the second time I had driven the whole length of the South Island (915km) in a day.
The first time was 44 years earlier, also in a “baby Austin”, my first A30. The Farina had run better and better as the trip progressed, after its long lay-off, and when I workedout the gas-mileage, it was 41mpg, right within the maker’s specs of 40-45mpg. Like the Lada, the Farina had run like a sewing machine all the way home. Two of the best road trips I have done, in two great little cars from opposite sides of the automotive spectrum. I believe that any older vehicle, no matter what sort of rap it got when originally built, can give back in spades, if fastidiously maintained and perhaps re-engineered a little.
Shortly after returning home with the Farina, a friend from the local Vintage Car Club turned up one day and asked if I would be interested in buying his 1952 A30 AS3. He had part-traded it in the sale of a vintage motor-cycle, and was now wanting the money out of it, to continue restoring another motor-cycle.
I had known this car for a while and knew it was a very good example of the first A30s. I still had a hankering for these wee cars, since owning my first A30 in the ‘60s. Then I thought, do I really need another classic car at the moment? The A30 had recently had a 1275cc A+ engine installed, coupled to a Marina gearbox. Other than what I could see, I didn’t know much about it, apart from the brakes needing a complete renewal. Still tempted, I took it for a drive and it rode and steered really nice, probably helped by recent new shockies and some steering and other suspension work. So, I asked about a price, and my friend said he just wanted $3000 back, out of the new upholstery job. The price was too low to turn down, for such a rare survivor car, in very good condition. So another one went into our growing stable.
This earlyA30 had survived so well, mainly because it had been in the one family from1952 to 1994, came fromCanterbury, and was always garaged. Unfortunately, since its original family ownership it had had a few “butchers” at it. They had set many “traps” with poor workmanship, and it took awhile to iron all these out. But intime I got to the “end ofthe tunnel” and wasn’t so reliant on having a cell phone and a tow-rope with me.
Examples of “mischief” were: wrong distributor cap clamps, which allowed the cap to “float” under revs, interrupting spark and timing. A brand new distributor rotor had been forced onto the distributor shaft, which had surface rust on it, thus increasing the shaft diameter and causing a fine split in the rotor, which filled with dirt and tracked the spark away. This “trap” caught me out a wee way from home, and because I had previously seen the rotor was new, I wasn’t carrying a spare for that, but at least I was carrying a large screw-driver to be able to lever it off and find the problem. The cell phone and rope came in handy on that occasion.
Then I noticed the car had metric bolts everywhere in it, for some strange reason. Alot had beenscrewed into SAE cage nuts and were barely holding on. Ireceived acut eyebrowonedaywhenI bumpedthecoil. Becausethese coil clamps often have a bit of tension on them when bolted down, it flew up from the bulkhead and got me good. Both the SAE cage nuts were virtually stripped out, with the metric bolts in them literally hanging on by a thread! With a lot of re-tapping of threads and many new bolts later, I eventually weeded all the “foreign” stuff out, and returned the car to its original specs in that department.
BecauseI knewthat only4700-oddoftheseAS3carswerebuilt inthe1952 production run (May to December), I deduced that not many would have reached our shores originally. I decided to get in touch with the NZ Motor Vehicle Register, to see if I could find out how many were still left on the register. The email ended up on the desk of a very helpful lady, who did a search and was able to tell me that I had one of only three 1952 Austin A30s left on the register, either on the road, or “on hold”. I thought they would be thin on the ground, but not that thin! (We sold it when we came to Gore.)
About a year later, I decided I needed to gear Michelle’s Farina up a bit, to allow it to travel a bit quicker on the open road, while still keeping the engine revs at a comfortable level. Virtually all our original A-series cars in NZ had the terribly low 4.55 diffs in them, except for the occasional Sprites and Midgets. I knew my best bet locally would be to find a MkII Farina diff, which had a ratio of4.22, whichwould allow Michelle’s Farina to travel comfortably at 90-95kph.
I advertised in our local car club magazine, and got a reply from another club member, who lived in a seaside town near Invercargill. He said he had partedout two MkII Farinas years ago, and still had oneofthe diffs. (I have since located another 4.22 diff from an early Sprite, which is now in the A30, although a 3.9 unit would be better for that car).
So, one Sunday, I went out to Riverton to retrieve this 4.22 diff, accompanied by a 24-pack of beer, which was the purchase price. On arriving, Neville showed me around his collection of Austins. There was an A40 Devon ute, powered byan1800cc B-series engine. Next was a very tidy, original, A50, which had only done 40,000 miles.
Then Neville wanted to show me his pride and joy, a 1930s Austin 16/6, which was in the big shed. On entering the shed, there was this stunning, completely original 16/6. I couldn’t believe the condition this car was in. Neville was obviously pleased with my response to his beloved 16/6, and asked me if I’d like to take a ride in it, to which I duly replied “Yes please”.
Then out of the peripheral vision of my right eye, I spotted another car in a far corner of the shed behind me. When I turned around, there was a very tidy looking Austin A90 Westminster, sitting covered in a film of dust. While Neville readied the 16/6 for our ride, I nipped over to the A90 to have a quick look, while trying not to appear too distracted to Neville, who was still conversing with me on the history of his 16/6.
This Westminster had really grabbed my attention, as I had always liked them since my father had owned one when I was a child. It immediately brought back a lot of memories for me, and it was even the same colour as my father’s one. This car was in exceptionally good, original condition for its age, with very straight, clean lines and with all its stainless mouldings very straight as well. As good a “survivor car” as you’ll get. The only drawback was it had a rather dilapidated leather interior, compared to the conditionofthe body. But, I guess, ifyoudon’t lookafter leather, the”cow” just keeps dying!
By now, we were ready to take the 16/6 out for a drive. I was really impressed with the 16/6. It was a good car for its old technology. It rode quite smoothly, had good brakes for the time, and good power. The only similar carsI had riddenin wereModelAFords, andthe16/6 wasdefinitely a step up from them.
On returning to the shed, I thanked Neville, then asked him what he was doing with the A90 Westminster. He told me it had been sitting for eight years, after the 3 litre 6/110 engine he had put in it had failed, and that he probably wouldn’t be doing any more with it now - I could have it for a couple o’grand if I wanted it. Neville also told me the car came fromNorth Canterbury, there was no rust anywhere, a short cross-member underneath had been replaced, but more likely because it had been damaged.
I immediately thought: “Okay, the registration is still live, the whole car is still here, including original jacking equipment, nothing is missing. I’ve got no bodywork, or paint-job to do, but the interior will have to be replaced
and there is an engine to rebuild.” The 3-litre in the car was badly damaged, but the original 2.6 engine was still there, and only suffering the usual problem of broken top piston rings, causing it to fume. Apart from that the 2.6 engine was still running well when taken out. So this was a bonus, I would be able to rebuild it, and return the car to its original numbered engine. I did some quick numbers in my head on what was to be done, and thought: “Yep, two grand is a good start to getting this old girl back on the road again. And I still had room for one more car at home - just!” I told Neville I was very interested in the A90 and that I would ring him the following day and let him know for sure, either way.
Onreturning home with Michelle’s diff, I ran it past her about theA90. She cracked up laughing, and said: “You only went out there to get a diff!” She then said she reckoned it was a good find, and said “Go for it, but that’s it, there’s no room for any more!”
The next day I rang Neville and said I would take the A90, and the following weekend I tookatrailer out andpicked it up. Whilethere, Neville told me the tyres (which I had noticed) were brand new, just before the car was parked up, and that he had pumped them up hard, so they were still round. Also, in 1995, it had brand-new brakes, including sleeved wheel cylinders and drums put on, and that the shocks had been done at the same time. So, that was good to hear - more money saved.
This car has been myproject over the last three years, and I’m verypleased to have it. It has a lot of sentimental value for me, plus the fact that there are not very many left in this country now, with only 26,532 of this model having been built.
In the first year I owned the car, I was still working seasonally in roading and used the off-season to strip out and prepare the interior for the new upholstery, and restoredtheboot area. I also didsomeworkon minor things that needed tidying because of age.
In the second roading off-season, I took out the front suspension and put in a new set of king-pins and some bushes, then cleaned and painted everything as I re- assembled. I also re-packed all the wheel bearings and adjusted the brakes properly, including the hand-brake.
During the third year, I fully retired and made a big push with the car, from April 2018 through to February 2019. During this time I took out all the running gear, except the diff, and cleaned down and repainted the engine bay. I then disassembled the original 2.6 engine, ready for reconditioning, collating and bottling everything that came off that was to be used again, and cleaned and painted all outside engine parts and accessories. All nuts, bolts and studs to be used in the rebuild were cleaned and any threads that needed attentionwere “tapped’or ‘died”. Alltheelectricalaccessorieswere either reconditioned or replaced with new. The damaged 3-litre engine came in handy too, in supplying some “much younger” parts for the “rebuild” engine.
Engine bay, before and after fitting the engine
Any of you who have done this exercise will know the enormous amount of time it takes, but it certainly pays off when you start to work back the other way with the rebuild. Everything is at hand and ready to go. Throughout the engine rebuild and installation, I had the help of a good friend of mine, who spent his working life in the motor-trade. Sometimes, when a problem has to be sorted out, two heads are better than one to reach a good outcome.
Also, dealing with the BMC C-series running gear is virtually impossible on your own. This is because of the tremendous weight involved. It took two of us just to lift the reconditioned head onto the new engine block. The garage roof had to be beefed up to sling the engine and gearbox in as one unit. I think as you get older you become more wary of lifting, and often wish you had been this wary when you were much younger and thought you were “bullet- proof”.
Bythe end of Januarythis year, everything mechanical was back in the car, including a Wolseley 6/110 floor-change gearbox, to replace the upstairschange one. Shortly later the engine was fired and initial testing and tweaking was done.
The car has now done 350 miles on the open road, with only the new upholstery to be completed and fitted to the car. By then, a new “subAntarctic” summer should be starting to arrive, and some serious miles can be done in warmth and sunshine, such as seems to exist all the time in wonderful Queensland.
TheA90 will probably be the last Austin I own, and restore. We will be just busy enough now, driving and maintaining the classic cars we have.
Colin Hamill (16/6/2022)
[Colin sent me the story when he was considering joining the VCC. In the end, he decided not to join, but I thought the story was too good not to be published The Editor]
Online Bonuses
Proposed annual WoF for light vehicles over 40 years old: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/02/10/major-warrant-of-fitness-cofchange-proposed-for-some-vehicles/
2025 - The Year of the Wood Snake: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/chinese-new-year-2025-hereswhat-to-expect-in-the-year-of-the-wood-snake/
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ADVERTISEMENTS
FOR SALE
Shed clearance – offers invited for a trailer load of Plymouth parts, including a motor in need of work, two engine blocks, sundry other items and a Dodge radiator surround with badge. Parts will be at the Gore Branch Swapmeet on 16 March or can be viewed by contacting Garry Mulqueen on 03 208 9232
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FOR SALE
1952 Austin Sheerline
6-cylinder, 4-litre, manual gearbox, 4-door sedan. Current WOF & Rego. 125,000 miles. Interior: walnut dashboard & leather seating original. Restored in ex condition through 1996. Good history kept over the years of service.
Many spare parts available. Located in Gore, Southland. $40,000 ono.
Contact Max: phone 027 431 8139 or email maxstron@xtra.co.nz
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WANTED
I aminneed (throughaseriesofunfortunatecircumstancesquite sometime ago) of an engine block and its internals for my 1929 Essex Coach. I have the sump and head. Contact Brian Morris on 021 279 1018 or email brianandleonie@xtra.co.nz
Spotted in the March 2025 issue of The Crank Case, the Nelson VCC newsletter: https://www.nelsonvcc.org.nz/march-2025/
1924 AMILCAR Model CS - car was owned by Alex McLennan who passed away a few years back. There is an article about the car in the Beaded Wheels issue 285, April /May 2007 pages 12-14. If anybody is interested in obtaining this vehicle or finding out more contact: JoannaCollinsat TheCopyPress, Nelson, on035472972oremail jo@copypress.co.nz
Tailpiece
Sent in by Evan
Henderson
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