The Radiator Cap

The
Radiator Cap
December 2019 Newsletter
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COMMITTEE MEMBERS
2019
Chairman Anne Richardson 09 425 6298 / 021 277 9010 ricanne@gmail.com
Secretary Peter Yarham 09 422 9685 pyarham@xtra.co.nz
Treasurer Dave Oliver 027 443 8046 ollie.d@gmail.com
Club Captain Paul Hodder 09 422 4067 / 027 473 4350 4hodders@gmail.com
CC’s Team Neil Cremer 09 425 4955 neilmtf@xtra.co.nz
CC’s Team Frances Ross 09 425 8737
Rep to ExCo Anne Richardson 09 425 6298 / 021 277 9010 ricanne@gmail.com
Hospitality Anne & Dennis A: 021 214 2267 annedenmac@gmail.com
Convenors McDonald D: 021 265 2466
Social Convenor Neil & Lucy Cremer 09 425 4955 neilmtf@xtra.co.nz
Property George Lloyd 09 425 7622 yorksandlancs@gmail.com
Supervisors Doug Hamilton 09 425 6139 doug.hamil@xtra.co.nz
Health & Safety Brian Payne 09 425 9262 banddpayne@xtra.co.nz
Vehicle ID James Lawrie 09 425 9928 gloria-james-lawrie@xtra.co.nz
Motorcycle Rep Dave Oliver 027 443 8046 ollie.d@gmail.com
Librarian Frances Ross 09 425 8737
Editor/Reporter Chris Harvey 09 422 2662 / 022 365 0171 chris.harvey@westnet.com.au
Badges Dave Oliver 027 443 8046 ollie.d@gmail.com
Add. Member Leon Salt 09 423 8122 / 027 423 8122 brendda@xtra.co.nz
Add. Member Brendda Salt 09 423 8122 brendda@xtra.co.nz
Branch address PO Box 547, Warkworth 0941
wellsfordwarkworth@vcc.org.nz
Bank a/c BNZ 02-0480-0047413-000 Visit our website at
VERO agency No. 0300159
www.vcc-wellswark.org.nz
VERO free phone 0800 658 411
The deadline for contributions to the Newsletter is the 23rd of the month.
The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Branch.
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Sat 30 Nov
Sun 1 Dec
Wed 4 Dec
Sun 15 Dec
Wed 8 Jan
Thu 16 Jan
Wed 5 Feb
Sat 8 Feb
Thu 13 Feb
Wed 19 Feb
Thu 20 Feb
Sat 29 Feb
Wed 4 Mar
Thu 12 Mar
Wed 18 Mar
Thu 19 Mar
Wellsford Santa: meet at Community Centre at 10:00 for 11:30 start
Warkworth Santa: meet at Baxter Street at 10:00 for 11:30 start
12:00 Midweek picnic at the Esplanade, Manly Beach, Whangaparoa
12:00 Christmas Lunch at The Salty Dog Inn, Snell’s Beach $30 pp
12:00 Midweek picnic at Scandrett’s Bay
19:00 Club Committee
12:00 Midweek picnic
Leigh School Summer Festival
17:30 Club Night
10:00 Cleaning & Coffee
19:30 Club Committee
Swapmeet
12:00 Midweek picnic
17:30 Club Night
10:00 Coffee & Cleaning
17:30 Club Committee
Christmas Lunch on 15 December: RSVP to Anne & Dennis by 10 December
Wednesday picnics on 4 Dec, 8 Jan, 5 Feb & 4 Mar
Santa Parades on 30 Nov & 1 Dec and Swapmeet on 29 Feb
Cleaning & Coffee on Wed 19 Feb and 18 Mar: please join in and help
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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
A
nne has been away most of the month touring India. She is due back soon.
Late October and November have been eventful as Paul reports. The run to Port
Albert and the Far North Tour were both enjoyed in beautiful weather. The Far
North Tour again took us over roads I cannot recall travelling. The gravel stretches were in
good order and the coastal run from Whangaroa down to Matauri Bay was spectacular.
This coming weekend features two Christmas parades. Wellsford’s is on Saturday starting
from the Community Centre at the top of the town and running to the railway station and
back. We need to assemble there at 10.00 a.m. Warkworth’s is on Sunday and starts from
the end of Baxter St. Again, we need to assemble by 10.00 a.m.
The Christmas dinner is on Sunday 15 December at the Salty Dog Inn. Please let Dennis or
Anne McDonald know you are coming before 10 December and don’t forget the Secret
Santa gift – one each!
At our club committee meeting we were given a training session on the use and operation
of the club’s new defibrillator. It is kept on the library shelves and is clearly signposted. It
is very straight forward to use with clear recorded instructions being given as soon as the
green button is pressed. If you’re not already a member of St Johns, it’s perhaps worth
considering joining. Advertised annual subs are: $50 for an individual, $65 for joint membership
and $80 for family membership but I understand these are about to go up if they
haven’t already. Non-members are always charged for the service if it is required.
James & George have had a busy month carrying out vehicle inspections for VICs. A VIC is
essential for entering a vehicle in a National or International event. They can sometimes
take time to process so folk should not leave it to the last minute to obtain a VIC.
Our annual Swap Meet to be held on 29 February 2020 will be upon us before we know it.
It is our main fund-raiser for the year so please circle the date. I will be sending out a roster
in early February with names alongside the various jobs we need to have covered at
the event.
Finally, a message from Anne:
It is nearly the end of the calendar year again. Time seems to fly by. I would like to thank all
the committee members for their support this year and all those members who have
helped the club in any way. All your contributions are much appreciated. I will be home as
this newsletter goes out, so I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas & a Healthy New Year.
Happy motoring;
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CLUB CAPTAIN’S REPORT
T
he end of the year is in sight and we seem to be heading there with what seems
like a “sprint to the finish line”! This month has seen a few interesting events
starting with the Coast to Coast run on 27 October. A wonderful sunny Spring day
saw 10 cars lining up at the Omaha Surf Life Saving Club car park for the start. A quick
briefing and we were away for a jaunt through the local countryside to end up at the wharf
at Port Albert and, more importantly, we enjoyed lunch at the fish and chip shop!
Over 2-3 November a number of cars from our club entered the 47th Far North Tour.
Starting from the Northland’s clubrooms in Heritage Park in Whangarei, we headed west
and then north to stop at Kaeo School for a superb buffet-style lunch put on by the PTA.
The afternoon’s run included some truly spectacular views at the scenic lookouts as we
made our way back to Kerikeri for the evening. On our way home on Sunday we stopped at
the Northland’s clubrooms for a quick cuppa and a rummage through their large spare
parts department.
The first of this summer’s picnics was at Snell’s Beach. This had an attendance of around 15
people.
As to upcoming events…
• Sunday 24 November is the Posh Picnic. This will be held at Leon and Brendda Salt’s
place at 413 Whangaripo Valley Rd at Midday.
• Christmas Parade #1 Saturday 30 November is the Wellsford Christmas Parade. Please
be at the Wellsford Community Centre on Matheson Rd by 10:00 am to dress up your car
with decorations for the parade starting at 11:30 am.
• Christmas Parade #2 Sunday 1 December is the Warkworth Christmas Parade. Please be
at the end of Baxter St by 10:00 am (again) to decorate your car to be ready for the parade
starting at 11:30 am.
• Wednesday 4 December is the midweek picnic. This will be at the Esplanade at Manly
Beach in Whangaparoa at midday.
• Sunday 15 December is the Club Christmas Lunch at the Salty Dog Inn at 12:00 noon.
The cost is $30. per person payable at the door and only in cash. RSVP to Anne or Dennis
McDonald by 10 December. We will be doing a Secret Santa. Ladies bring a gift for a lady
and gents bring a blokey gift. All gifts to the maximum value of $5.
• NO club committee meeting in December.
Wednesday 8 January is the January midweek picnic at Scandrett’s Bay, at midday.
Till next time...may your Santa hat still have on it he decorations left over from last year.
Paul
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CLUB CAR OF THE MONTH
ANNE & DENNIS’S 1965 MG 1100
A
t a Christmas function in 2015 I was talking with a group of people and the topic
of vintage and classic cars came up. As it so happened, Anne and I had been toying
with the idea of finding a vintage|classic car with which to have some fun and
after further discussion with the group we heard of an MG 1100 that was for sale. We
managed to obtain a contact number and—yes—the vehicle was still for sale and a consequently
a trip to was arranged to Te Aroha where the car was located.
So off we went to inspect the vehicle. accompanied by our neighbours Ian and Eileen Cunningham,
Ian being an old-school mechanic. After two hours or so of close inspection—
including putting it up on a hoist at a local garage—and a road test, we decided to buy it.
Two weeks later we went back to Te Aroha to pick up the car after a couple of minor requirements
(a Warrant of Fitness etc). This was followed by a very uneventful drive back to
Mahurangi West with my second oldest grand-daughter who loves the car and has given
me strict instructions never to sell it as she wants it, come what may.
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ANNE &DENNIS’S 1965 MG 1100—CONT.
I don’t have much history about the car, however I believe it was assembled in Newmarket,
Auckland and sold by Coster Motors on Dominion Road in 1965. At some stage in its life it
was put into storage for about 15 years, hence the steel brake lines suffered internal rust
issues and they needed replacing. Some investigative work on the gearbox gave an opportunity
to replace the clutch while the engine was out of the car. A new set of tires was
fitted and it had a full service of the cooling system, including a strip-down and total rebuild
of the radiator, as well as a professional clean.
Other than that, all that it requires is regular love and care: lots of elbow grease to keep
her sparkling and regular use to keep her moving. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes. Numerous
rallies later she has done us proud and never let us down. Long may you continue
to do so, Marigold, as you are affectionally named.
Dennis
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VEHICLE INSPECTION CERTIFICATES
P
lease note that Head Office (VCC NZ) now requires all VIC Applications to be recorded
in Branch Meeting Minutes before being posted to Head Office.
As there is no Branch Committee meeting in December, this means that no new
applications for VICs will be posted until after the meeting on 16th January 2020 !
James Lawrie
VIC Inspector
Discounted rates for NZ VCC members on The Interislander, and Northern Explorer, Coastal
Pacific & Tranzalpine trains.
Book at www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/members-fares using Promo Code WH5465
Save $0.20 cpl on diesel for 3 months starting 1st December (thereafter $0.15 cpl) and
also save up to $0.12 cpl on petrol. Sign up at www.nzmca.org.nz/kiwi-fuel-cards
8

MYSTERY MOTORS
W
hat car is this?
Last month’s mystery motor was the 1938 Buick Y-Job, considered to be the
first ‘concept car’, and a fully functional one at that. It was commissioned
and inspired by Harley Earl who was head of GM’s Art & Colour Section but was actually
designed by George Snyder and engineered by Charlie Chayne, and Earl used it as his personal
car throughout the 1940s. Its low, full-width frontal sheet-metal and radiator grille
with hidden lights (possibly copied from the 1937
Cord) was in stark contrast to the prevailing style
of high vertical radiator grilles, separate head
lights and mudguards flowing into running
boards. It had electric windows and a powerretractable
soft top that stored beneath a metal
deck panel when the top was open. The war
years put a brake on car design but the style of
this car was a good ten years ahead of the pack.
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Cleaning
• Moss & Lichen
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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
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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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