Radiator Cap December 2018

The
Radiator Cap
December 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
Vacant
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 Leon Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122
brendda@xtra.co.nz
Anne 021 214 2267
Hospitality Convenors
Anne & Dennis
Dennis 021 265 2466
McDonald
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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Sun 2 Dec 11:00 onwards arrive at 108 Wilson Road for the Posh Picnic starting at 12:00
Wed 5 Dec
Sun 16 Dec
Wed 16 Jan
Thu 17 Jan
Sun 20 Jan
Wed 6 Feb
Sat 9 Feb
Thu 14 Feb
12:00 midweek picnic at Snell’s Beach: park in Sunrise Blvd beyond playground
12:00 Christmas lunch at The Salty Dog
12:00 mid-week picnic at Brick Bay
19:00 Club Committee meeting
11:00 meet near Neil Cremer’s house 16 Jackson Crescent for a picnic on Tony
Niccolls’ farm at Martin’s Bay
12:00 mid-week picnic at Scandrett Bay
Display cars at Leigh School Summer Festival
Club Night
16—17 Feb National Motorcycle Rally
Wed 20 Feb
Thu 21 Feb
Sat 23 Feb
Wed 6 Mar
Sat 9 Mar
Thu 14 Mar
Sat 16 Mar
Coffee & Cleaning and Working Bee before the Swapmeet
19:00 Club Committee meeting
Swapmeet
12:00 Midweek picnic
Are we there yet? Rally
Club Night
A & P Show
Christmas Dinner at The Salty Dog
12:00 Sunday 16 December
$30 per person payable to the Treasurer in cash on the day.
Let Anne & Dennis McDonald know by 10 Dec if you will attend
and /or if you have dietary restraints. Phone 09-422 0041 or
Email annedenmac@gmail.com Bring a $5 Secret Santa gift
wrapped for a male or female.
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
T
his is my last report of this eventful year. I would like to thank those of you who
have given their support and time willingly to help in various ways; at events,
working at our club rooms; also supporting and participating in our activities. May
2019 be even more participative. A special Thank You to Jack Algie who brought along
freshly made scones to cleaning morning.
I had expected to be able to report on successful Santa Parades: four cars made it to
Wellsford and escaped before the rain, but Warkworth was cancelled because of the early
morning conditions and forecast (the sun was out by 11.30! ). Never mind, there is always
next year.
Looking ahead to early 2019, please check the events page for up to date information.
There is an extra Sunday picnic on 20th January, arranged by Neil Cremer. The first big
event of the year is the Swap Meet. Please give Doug Hamilton as much help as you can:
he is leading on the arrangements this time. We will have a Working Bee on cleaning day at
the club rooms before the Swap Meet to tidy up and to sort out any items we are not using
so we can sell them on our stall. If you have anything in the club rooms that you want returned,
please let a committee member know and you will be let in to retrieve it.
I am hoping to be more active on the motoring side next year, with a healthy engine. So,
here’s to a Happy and participative year for the club, Season’s Greetings for Christmas and
a Healthy Safe Motoring year for all club members.
Cheers,
Anne.
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Wednesday 20 February

CLASSIC CARS & AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TECH TIPS BY IAN CUNNINGHAM
I
n the 1950s Automatic Transmissions started to appear widely as an option and debates
as to the merit of manual versus auto was always interesting. The advantage is
two pedals instead of three and in todays traffic that really is an advantage. However,
manual transmissions use less power to drive the vehicle and that makes them slightly
more economical (more miles per gallon – old school measure—or fewer litres per kilometer).
The early autos were mainly two stage, and as time went on three stage became the norm.
The American companies coined fancy names for them like
Dynaflow introduced by Buick in 1948
Ford-O-Matic introduced in 1951
Power Glide—Chevrolet & Pontiac
Trimatic—GM | Holden
Hydramatic—GM | Cadillac
TorqueFlite– Chrysler
Ford C4 and C6—various models
Delco 350—various models
BorgWarner 65 & the 35 used in many English | European
cars—and the lifeline of the transmission repair shop.
An automatic transmission is an hydraulic drive system needing a low pressure, large volume
of fluid to both drive and lubricate the unit (somewhere around 400 PSI).
The transmission works a little like a centrifugal clutch through a series of gears to drive
the differential, thus driving the wheels.
A fluid coupling (torque convertor) with engine at idle results in no drive. As engine revs
increase the coupling exerts drive to the gearbox in a smooth manner.
The system changes gears through a complex valve chest, locking and unlocking planetary
gears and bands hydraulically. The gearbox will change gears automatically up and down
and is road speed sensitive as to when this happens.
The transmissions used in classic cars are usually 2-speed and 3-speed. These types are
serviceable as they have mechanical | hydraulic operation with no computer control, and
they require servicing from time to time. Most transmissions benefit from keeping the
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the adjustments up to spec and, as we now spend a lot of time stopping and starting in
traffic, servicing will be advantageous. Keeping the oil level correct is a must as low oil level
can make the transmission slip or overheat . The correct oil must be adhered to as well.
The condition of the oil is an important factor as auto transmission oil has a high degree of
additives and these break down over time. I personally watch for colour, odour and feel in
the oil. Any slight change in in the automatic transmission oil is an indication of a service
requirement (reset bands, change oil etc) The filter in auto transmission systems is not
complex and wont filter out all particles. Tired oil will cause excessive wear on bands and
clutch linings. A well serviced transmission will last a very long time between overhauls.
Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid allows the transmission to work. Transmission fluid works as a lubricant for the parts
within your transmission. Transmission fluid is optimized for the functions of the transmission. These
functions include valve operation, brake band friction, and the torque converter. Transmission fluid is required
in all automatic transmissions.
Transmission Oil
While all automatic transmission require transmission fluid, this is not true for all manual transmissions.
Some manual transmissions do use transmission fluid, but others use gear oil or sometimes engine oil.
Sometimes gear oil is called transmission oil. The transmission oil lubricates the manual transmissions and
other parts involved.
Transmission oil has a noticeable odour because of its sulfur-bearing anti-wear compounds. These compounds
are necessary to reduce high sliding friction by the helical gear cut of the teeth. In a motorcycle in
which the clutch is bathed in transmission oil, there is usually nothing separating the lower part of the
engine from the transmission, so the same oil lubricates both the engine and transmission.
Transmission Oil Change
The transmission fluid in an automatic transmission will typically need to be changed out every now and
then. The same is usually true for transmission oil in manual transmissions. However, speaking very generally,
transmission oil changes are needed less frequently than transmission fluid changes. Some auto
manufacturers claim that the oil never needs to be changed, as their transmission is a closed circuit. However,
the oil might need changing due to other transmission problems, repairs, or leaks. These claims
should be treated with a critical eye and you should ask a technician at a transmission shop if your specific
vehicle might require a transmission oil change. (See https://www.mistertransmission.com/ )
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Use this very simple method to test if a setting is out of spec:
With engine at idle (brake applied) shift transmission lever to N.
Shift transmission lever to D, and you should feel Drive engage almost straight away.
Shift trans lever to N and now shift transmission lever to R: you should feel Reverse engage
almost straight away.
Any noticeable difference in delay means that attention is required .
Now we come to what sort of oil we need to use in older transmissions.
The Borg Warner 35 is designed to use ATF type F fluid as do Fords with the C4 automatic
transmission installed. This oil is mineral based and seems to work for me. I have been told
to check around because as modern oils develop this issue has become a minefield. Stick
to the better brands like the ones which
make their living solely out of lubricants.
Hope this has some benefit for you
happy car buffs.
Ian
[Hydramatic 3-speed]
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CLUB CAR OF THE MONTH
THE TELEPHONE : CUNNINGHAM’S CALIENTE
I
t just goes to show what a difference a phone call can make. Sometime in March
2011 we had a call from our long time friend Murray Toms who is, and always will be,
a car enthusiast. He has a special place for all things made by Chrysler. He had found
on the internet a 1914 Dodge Convertible in Detroit, showing unbelievably low miles,
which prompted him to make contact with the dealer handling the sale. After some time
and lots of negotiations this old gem became Murray’s. In the meantime he wondered if
Eileen and I would join him and his wife Valerie and just drive the car from Detroit to Los
Angeles to ship it home. We said ‘yes’. Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? We
thought that because the car was, after all, unknown to us we should allow some time to
make this journey. We applied for a 3-month visa and set forth on 1st June 2011. Arriving
in Detroit and inspecting the Dodge we concluded that we would be doing quite a lot of
R&M on the old girl. The Dodge was 97 years old and no matter what happened we would
be crossing the Rockies and a couple of deserts with four passengers and we would probably
have some problems. (Photos of the Dodge courtesy of Classic Driver # 57)
What a marvellous excuse that was to look for an American Rock & Roll car for us. I have to
say I was like a kid in a candy store. I went to two big car shows, the first at the Ford Village:
that lasted three days. The second was at the Packard Proving Ground and there
were hundreds of car for sale. There I found a Ford Thunderbird, excellent on top but rusted
out underneath. N.B.G. Along the way I met an older mechanic who offered to show
me a car he had at his home. From that Eileen and I became the proud and lucky owners
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of a 1967 Mercury Caliente convertible. This car had been in the owner’s family in Texas
and he had purchased it, repainted it, rewired it and overhauled the engine, transmission
and brakes and worked on a complete tidy up of the car (chrome etc) and most of the car
is original.
Actually his name is Raymond E. Bright and he had a collection of six cars at his home in
Washington. Michigan. He told us that at 85 years of age working on them was getting
harder to keep them up to scratch. All the cars were stored in an immaculate garage with
heat pumps and dehumidifiers, and they were all covered. Raymond was appalled that we
were driving across to Los Angeles and said we should have them trailered. He said he
never drove his cars in the rain: they only came out on sunny days and were always trailered
to shows. We consider ourselves lucky to have met Raymond, and of course we assured
him that we would take good care of his Mercury and would keep him informed of
our progress. We have contacted him a couple of time since we have been home and he
was pleased to hear from us.
We believe our car’s mileage is genuine and all the numbers add up. It was built in 1967 in
the Loraine factory as a two-door Mercury Caliente Convertible, with a 298 c.i. V8 (2V).
Consecutive No.48458, original colour white, interior trim dark blue vinyl. Date of manufacture
10 April 1967. Transmission C4 automatic. We think the number of convertible
Calientes produced that year was 1,523. The dealers who handled the sale of the Dodge
(Classic Auto Showplace in Detroit) were wonderful to us: they put us in touch with parts
suppliers, and found us a vintage & classic car mechanic who did work for us that we could
not do ourselves. There are plenty of car parts in Detroit.
We soon had our cars set to go and early on a Saturday morning we headed north and
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crossed the Mackinac Bridge: 5 miles log and 200 feet above the water. Then headed west
into Wisconsin, through Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and then to
California. Typically we covered about 200-300 miles per day. The Dodge started early in
the morning to beat the heat—up to 110 deg F—and travelled at about 35-40 mph. We
left later and caught up, travelling at 60-70 mph. We kept off the freeways, used black top
roads and kept away from big cities. Found a good place to eat and a motel with good aircon
around 2 pm. Checked the town out. Next day the same as before but always looking
for side trips. This way we went to smaller towns and we met the real people. They all like
old cars so we were treated really well.
We drove our Mercury from Detroit to Los
Angeles without too much trouble. Had the
brake booster replaced, a fuel blockage
(back country petrol station) and a universal
cross failure (all Fords of that era do
that). The Dodge completed the trip as
well. She needed a little R&M from time to
time. Left a drip of oil here and there,
caught altitude sickness in Yellowstone
Park, but she got there.
We arrived at Apple Valley, just 90 miles
from Los Angeles central. We concluded
that we had got this far without even a
scratch and were fearful that in Los Angeles the old car would be out of her depth. Also, I
was not keen to drive in the mad traffic of Los Angeles so we trucked both cars to our
shipping agent and spent a week cruising around California in a rental car before returning
home. Altogether a great adventure that we never expected - all because the phone rang.
(The rain and mud at the 2017 Winter Woollies would have horrified Raymond: Ed.)
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MYSTERY MOTORS
What car is this? Answer in the next newsletter
November’s car was a Henry J, named after Henry J Kaiser who was chairman of the Kaiser
-Frazer Corp which was heavily involved in building Liberty ships in WWII. Aiming to increase
sales of Kaiser cars, in 1949 the company received a federal government loan to
build an economical car for five passengers costing no more than $1,300 which would
attract "less affluent buyers who could only afford a used car" The attempt became a pioneering
American compact car. and to achieve this the car was built with the fewest possible
components. To save body stamping costs the early cars had only two doors, fixed rear
windows, the bare minimum of internal
appointments, and did not have rear bootlids.
It was little cheaper than rivals from the Big
Three and did not sell well as it was regarded
as cheap and nasty with low trade-in value.
In an attempt to boost sales the car was
marketed, with minimal trim changes, as an
Allstate through Sears Roebuck , but that did
not help and it died unlamented in 1954.
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“ARE WE THERE YET?” RALLY
9 MARCH 2019
F
or the benefit of all new members who have recently joined this Branch, this
event is an Annual Rally and is held as a memorial to the late Mike Brown. Mike
was a member of our Branch and during his time with us, and built up the little
1901 White Steam Car. If you look towards the kitchen from inside the Clubrooms there is
a photo on the wall, on the left-hand side of the servery.
All Mike had to start the restoration were the remains of the car’s steam engine, which
was resurrected from under a macrocarpa tree somewhere in the Napier region. He was a
very talented engineer, making up virtually all the intricate parts of the car himself – a
most creditable effort. He did get to use his car for a period before becoming ill and
attended several Branch activities. He generously gave many of our Branch members rides
in it! His family has donated a large Steam Gauge as a Trophy – which remains in the
Clubrooms. The “ White” remains in the care of his son in the Taranaki region.
Paul & Debbie Hodder won the Rally in 2018 so are setting the course for 2019.
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13

Low Pressure
Exterior
Cleaning
• Moss & Lichen
Control
Exterior Insect
Control
Contact us today for a free quote!
Phone: 027 275 0080
09 425 8747 or 09 426 2314
Email: chemwash@rosscoltd.co.nz
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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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