Radiator Cap October 2018

The
Radiator Cap
October 2018 Newsletter
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COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Chairman Anne Richardson 09 425 6298 / 021 277 9010
ricanne@gmail.com
Immediate Past Chairman Leon Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122
brendda@xtra.co.nz
Secretary Peter Yarham 09 422 9685
pyarham@xtra.co.nz
Treasurer Leon Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122
brendda@xtra.co.nz
Club Captain Anne Richardson 09 425 6298 / 021 277 9010
ricanne@gmail.com
Assistants Neil Cremer 09 425 4955
neilmtf@xtra.co.nz
Frances Ross 09 425 8737
John Duffy 021 208 7474
johngduffy38@gmail.com
Newsletter|Website Chris Harvey 09 422 2662 | 022 365 0171
chris.harvey@westnet.com.au
Health & Safety Leon & Brendda Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122
brendda@xtra.co.nz
Vehicle ID James Lawrie 09 425 9928
gloria-james-lawrie@xtra.co.nz
Motorcycle Rep.
National Executive Delegate Leon Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122
brendda@xtra.co.nz
National Executive Observer
Librarian Frances Ross 09 425 8737
Property Supervisors George Lloyd 09 425 7622
yorksandlancs@gmail.com
Badges
Hospitality Convenors
Anne & Dennis
McDonald
Anne 021 214 2267
Dennis 021 265 2466
annedenmac@gmail.com
Deadline for contributions to the newsletter is 23rd of the month..
The opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily the views of the branch.
Branch address: PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941
Bank a/c: BNZ 02-0480-0047413-000
VERO Agency No. 0300159
VERO Free phone 0800 658 411
wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz
Visit our website
www.vcc-wellswark.org.nz
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Wed 3 Oct
Sat 6 Oct
Thu 11 Oct
12:00 Mid-week Café Run to Top of the Dome
Settlers’ Day at Matakohe
17:30 Club Night: BYO BBQ and salad to share
12—14 Oct Wairarapa Branch’s 50th Anniversary Rally weekend
Wed 17 Oct
Thu 18 Oct
10:00 Coffee & Cleaning
19.00 Club Committee meeting
Sun 21 Oct Hunua 100
Sat 27 Oct Kowhai Festival: park at the bottom of Neville St by 09:00
Sun 28 Oct
10:00 Start of the Coast to Coast Run from Waiwera Beach
3—4 Nov Far North Tour: entries close on 18th October
Wed 7 Nov
Thu 8 Nov
Wed 14 Nov
Thu 15 Nov
12:00 First mid-week picnic of Spring at Wenderholm Regional Park
17:30 Club Night with talk about petrol by David Jacobson of Z New Zealand
Coffee & Cleaning
19:00 Club Committee meeting
16—18 Nov National Veteran Run
Sat 24 Nov
Sun 25 Nov
Wellsford Santa Parade
Warkworth Santa Parade | Maungatoroto Car & Bike Show
Sun 2 Dec 11:00 onwards arrive at the Sollis’ property for the Posh Picnic at about 12:00
Wed 5 Dec
Sun 16 Dec
12:00 midweek picnic at Snell’s Beach: location to be advised
Christmas lunch | dinner to be confirmed
You have probably received your annual membership renewal form by now. When paying by bank
transfer be sure to include your name & membership number so the funds can be identified and
credited correctly. Can anyone identify a payment which has been made with the only reference
WILLOW-WAI PROP ?
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
It has been so good to see members coming to our activities. We welcomed two new couples
to our club night and a third has also joined this month. It will be good to hear their
car experiences adding to the rich tapestry of our branch.
I do have to report that, sadly Denis and Sheryl Martin have decided to return to the
North Shore branch. We will miss the contributions both have made around the club
rooms, the finances, and their participation in events. We wish them a happy return to a
club that majors on restoration.
The committee has considered in some detail a draft Code of Conduct issued by the VCC
Executive for comment. We welcomed it as a guidance to branches and commented that
there were areas where more emphasis should be put on bringing the club into disrepute.
It is partly about the organisation as a whole e.g. pulling over to let modern cars past; but
also about how members respect others, and especially those who volunteer to take up
roles within the branch. We will circulate the final version to all members when it has
been approved. We are waiting for a revised framework for branch constitutions. We will
consider that in due course. Any changes the committee makes to our existing one would
then be taken to our next AGM for approval by members.
The committee has stated that its members will support the Club Captain role because of
the dual responsibilities I am currently holding. Those who came on the Sunday run to
Echo Valley will know I am making mistakes—not enough time to be thorough. It really is
time for members to step up. Please will you all think about volunteering yourself or approaching
someone you believe would do the job well. Although it keeps you busy, it is fun
to be a core part of the club, get to know all the members, and seek out interesting activities.
The committee can appoint that individual until the AGM, and they could start to pick
up the reins with support from the committee. (If there are more than one we will ask the
members for a view!)
Finally, I will try not to be boring every month, but this is a platform for information to
members so you all feel involved and can respond if you have a point of view. Let us hope
for the Summer Time clock change to provide light evenings at the club rooms (BBQ starts
this month) and pleasurable motoring.
Anne.
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CLUB CAPTAIN’S REPORT
Maybe spring has come and our activities this season will be sun drenched!
The Mid week café at The Wade was well attended; 27 people with 3 eligible cars.
The club night welcomed 2 new couples to the club: there were 20 people.
28 people visited members Theresa and Don Windley at their Echo Valley Olive Orchard.
This was a shed raid with a difference. They made us so welcome. Don had devised a quiz
for those with suitable vintage American car knowledge and this was won by Dave
Wenzlick. Theresa showed us the delicious olive oils and skin products they make, and we
finished with the history of olive growing in NZ and their production methods. The afternoon
was completed by a pizza at the Rusty Pelican to which Don and Theresa made the
drive down.
The Coast to Coast run is on October 28th. Arrive at the beach in Waiwera for a 10.00 start.
Drive through Waiwera and turn left into The Strand. Park under the trees at the turning
circle. Bring a flask of coffee to start the day. The navigation rally will be straight forward,
with some nice scenery. We will finish at a beach on the west coast. You can either bring a
picnic or use the café. It has a mixed menu including fish and chips and other seafood.
The last midweek cafe of the winter is at the Top of the Dome on October 3 rd .
See the events for the picnics, starting at Wenderholme RP on November 7 th .
We then move into all the Festivals and Santa activities. I have not had any take up of the
Settlers Day at Matakohe although there is still time.
The Kowhai Festival is on October 27 th . We are in the same place as last year at the bottom
of Neville St, on the right outside BNZ. Please arrive 8.30- 9.00. You can leave after 2.00: it
closes at 3.00. Lots of variety interests the crowds and shows off the range of vehicles the
club supports. I hope you will support this event, and we can take turns to look out for the
cars while others check out the festival.
The Posh Picnic will be on December 2nd at Brian and Rosemary Sollis’. Arrive about 11.00
for picnics about Midday.
The Santa Parades are 24 th November in Wellsford and 25 th November in Warkworth. More
information next month.
Happy and Safe Motoring;
Anne and Team.
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RUN TO ECHO VALLEY OLIVES ON 23 SEPT
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91 OCTANE PETROL
I am concerned about the 91 Octane fuel we are forced to use – it doesn’t seem very volatile,
and doesn’t burn properly when my car sits for a week. I have to put newspaper under
the exhaust outlet, otherwise I get a large wet black patch on the garage floor and this is
with fuel that I don’t consider to be old.
I recently rebuilt a universal Stromberg Downdraft Carb for our Chrysler and in the process
needed a new main jet and adjustable needle assembly for it. I visited “Weber Specialities”
in Silverdale and had a good discussion about petrol, etc. with the proprietor and about
tuning of classic cars relative to this 91 Octane.
His comments were that most vehicles need a “hotter” spark plug than original spec, up 1
grade. He said he does have difficulty setting mixture strength correctly and noted that the
tailpipe is always black (it used to burn grey with correct mixture) and “colour tune” spark
plugs are no longer any use. He agrees with my comment about watery black discharge
from the exhaust until engine warms up.
These are comments from an older man, whom I can tell has had vast experience in his
business.
Recently I decided to buy some petrol preservative with a view to using it in the Chrysler. I
began with a visit to Repco – they don’t stock a product such as a preservative at our local
branch and the young staff don’t know anything about the subject (or old cars either for
that matter).
I think that as a Branch of the VCCNZ we should enquire about this subject to the Oil Companies:
maybe one of them has a person who may come and give us a talk on the unleaded
fuel we have had for this winter. In previous times petrol was deliberately made more volatile
for cold season use, as was diesel – it seems to me this no longer applies. I guess,
with modern fuel injection and computer ignition systems, modern vehicles don’t require
seasonal fuel.
I have been told by two people (both are very experienced mechanics) that more static advance
of ignition timing does help also.
Since I started writing this article I have received an email from David Jacobson of Z New
Zealand who would be prepared to attend one of our meetings to talk to us about petrol
and old cars. This has been arranged for the Club Night on 8th November so think of some
questions to ask him.
JAMES LAWRIE
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CLUB CARS OF THE MONTH
STUDEBAKERS 1917 & 1954: GRAHAME REMEMBERS
Back in the 1980s everyone around the house
had a Saturday morning job. Mine was reading
The Herald and in the motoring section one
morning in 1985 I came across a 1917
‘Studebaker 3 passenger Roadster’ for sale by
auction so we decided to go and take a look.
After lunch when all the jobs were done we
headed across the Harbour Bridge to Turner’s
auction rooms—then near the Tepid Baths—
and through the glass saw this magnificent old
car. We returned a few days later to find out
more and the attendant told us he understood
it to be the only one in New Zealand.
We got so excited about this valuable find that we forgot to ask any more questions and went
home thinking it could be the only Studebaker left in NZ, so Anne went back next day to the auction
and bought it. On delivery by truck to our house in Takapuna the modern car was shifted out
of the garage and the Studebaker moved in. From then on my regular Saturday morning job was
trying to get it started—and there was much more to it than simply swinging the crank handle.
One fine winter’s morning we packed up the boot with tools, filled the big tank with petrol and
Anne and I set off for Devonport. The car performed well, attracting a lot of attention all along
the way. We drove down the main street of Devonport radiating heat and gushing steam and
stopped at the ferry building, then went across the road for a snack while people gathered
around and admired the car. Then we filled the big tank with petrol again and set off for home.
The return trip was not so good: everything went wrong and she finally gave up the ghost leaving
us stranded somewhere near North Head.
The kind people of Devonport responded and
came to our rescue, delivering us and the car
safely back to Takapuna. It was quite an adventure,
we met lots of new people who all
seemed to be full of advice about the history
of old cars and how to fix them. One night an
American from Michigan with whom I was doing
business came home for dinner. He was
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also interested in antique vehicles and that contact resulted in letters from his part of the world
which added information to what was now our file on how to find obsolete parts for old cars.
Since those early days the mechanical and fuel problems have all been sorted out and the car has
been driven many thousands of miles on some of the most remote North Island roads, but hard
work and time has taken their toll and she stood in the shed for 22 years awaiting all sorts of
maintenance. A couple of years ago we got her up and running again for the 2017 Winterless
North Tour, retracing the trip politicians took 100 years ago to experience the poor roads north of
Auckland, and now she is back in the shed still waiting for that maintenance.
Soon after getting her I let it slip that, if ever something came on the market that didn’t use so
much petrol, I would buy it. Without knowing we were soon considered to be Studebaker enthusiasts
and through the grapevine people made sure we were told of any ’Stude’ that was for sale.
A collection of old cars started to develop, followed by new sheds to keep them in. At the moment
we are down to four club eligible cars, two of which are Studebakers.
LONGER - LOWER - WIDER
Owing to the wartime restrictions on the car companies, it was only in 1947 that really new car
designs emerged in the USA. Studebaker prepared well in advance for the post-war market with
the slogan ‘First by far with a post-war car.’ This claim was vindicated by the designs of Virgil
Exner, notably the 1947 Studebaker Starlight coupé, which influenced later cars. Exner's concepts
were spread through a line of models like the 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight coupé with its
new trunk design which prompted the jibe that one could not tell if the car was coming or going.
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For 1953 the head of
Raymond Loewy Associates
Studebaker design
operation, Robert E.
Bourke, radically redesigned
all Studebaker
cars and the car that became
known as the
‘Loewy Coupe’ was produced
as a concept intended
to spark interest
in the other models in
the range. The elegant
coupé was an immediate success and demand soon outstripped supply. This particular car which
Grahame acquired was assembled for the 1954 Motor Show in Los Angeles and is one of only
three that were factory-fitted with the very rare ‘New High Style’ Continental spare wheel kit .
The same basic design appeared on the 1955 Sunbeam Rapier but it does not look half as good
on the smaller car and ‘longer, lower, wider’ certainly rings true for this much awarded design.
This car is one of 5,040 produced with a 232.6 cubic inch V8 ( 3.832 cc) with 3-speed automatic
gearbox incorporating ‘Hill Holder’ and no-creep facility, and it rides on a 120 inch wheelbase.
When new it cost US $2,502 and about 300 of the coupés remain on the road world-wide. The
’53/54’ Studebakers won nearly every class in the Mobilgas Economy Runs of the day and this
model won its class with a figure of 27 mpg (US) which is quite remarkable for a car of this size.
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MYSTERY MOTORS
What car is this ? Answer in November’s newsletter.
September’s Mystery Motor was a Facel Vega ‘Facel II’ produced in France 1962—1964.
FACEL was a metal stamping company which
made parts for the aviation industry and car
bodies for Simca, Panhard and Delahaye before
starting to make its own cars in the 1950s. The
cars were very luxurious and very expensive
and were much favoured by royalty and Hollywood
stars. The Facel II used 6.3 and 6.7 litre
Chrysler engines and in its time was the fastest
four-passenger car in the world.
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NOTICES
VCC National Day - Daffodil Rally for Cancer
Perfect weather, generosity and a good cause contributed to the success of our second annual
Daffodil Rally for Cancer raising a record $60,000.00!
We had great feedback and attendance for the 2017 event and raised $40,000.00 for the Cancer
Society. I am delighted that this year we increased the amount raised by 50%, and I am very
proud of our Club and our members who were involved.
There were over 3000 vehicles either on the road or on display on the day. Twenty-six branches
of the VCC were involved this year and all the money raised will stay in their area and be given
directly to the local Cancer Society.
Many Branches have commented that the response from the general public has been overwhelming,
both in attendance and in their generosity. One of the lovely outcomes of this event
is the interest generated in the Vintage Car Club, which has resulted in new members.
I would like to congratulate and thank those Branches involved in the day for their enthusiasm
and effort which has not only benefitted the Cancer Society, but also our Club with the public
profile it creates. This day is a wonderful achievement for Branches and members who can be
very proud of what they have accomplished.
Our National Day has become a special event for the Club, and it can only get bigger and better
from here! Pop the date for next year’s Daffodil Rally for Cancer in your diary now…Sunday 25
August 2019.
Diane Quarrie
National President
SPARE PARTS WANTED
If you can help with these requests please reply to Ross Holden, Communications Officer at VCC
and he will pass on the information. Phone 021 263 8488 Email comms@vcc.org.nz
1.
“Hi - was recommended by a fellow enthusiast to ask on here of my dilemma, being a lover of old
cars with owning currently a 68 mustang, 67 Mk1Mini and now a 57 A35 Austin van which is in a
full restore at 85%. One of my trafficators I think, has an internal melt down (just big sparks when
connected). Can anyone aid me by having a working spare in their box of bits. The model in question
is a SF80 . I am located in Carterton.”
2.
“Hi I’m in the South Canterbury branch but I’m going to be doing up a 75-76 Datsun 180b. Would
you please ask the other branches if there is someone that might have parts?”
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SOME CARS SEEN AT
TAURANGA’S RALLY
13

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Contact us today for a free quote!
Phone: 027 275 0080
09 425 8747 or 09 426 2314
Email: chemwash@rosscoltd.co.nz
14

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Sales.warkworth@guthriebowron,co.nz Tel 09 425 8187 Fax 09 425 8585
If undelivered return to PO Box 547 Warkworth 0941
ADDRESS
STAMP
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