Spare Parts 2004 02 OCRS

February 2004
The team here at Dynapack hopes everybody has had an enjoyable and safe Christmas and New Year celebration.
Our racing season to date has been a little bumpy with some minor problems causing a series of mechanical failures but this has not dampened team spirits in any
way. As they say "Thats Racing".
The formation of the new Dynapack owned Racing team has been a learning experience for all involved and there is no doubt that the NZ V8 series this year is far
more competitive than last year.
After a top ten finish at Timaru, Invercargill and Manfeild our mechanical woes
surfaced, however the team is very confident that the reliability issues have been
solved and the rest of the season will see improved performance from the car.
i
I,
1
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On the Cover:
Speedster versus Taipan
SeepageS
The Magazine of the
Constructors Car Club Inc
FebrualY 2004
Opinions expressed in this
magazine are not
necessarily those of the
Constructors Car Club (Inc).
Issue 1 Volume 17
Club Officials
In this Issue
President:
Jon Loar
Secretary:
Dave Clout
Club Captain:
Brian Worboys
Treasurer:
Steve Strain
Club Meetings
The Constructors Car Club Inc
meets at 7.30pm on the second
Tuesday of each month at The
Vintage Car Club, 3 Halford
Place, Petone (Eastern end of
Jackson Street).
Prospective members or others
interested in building their own
cars are welcome to attend. (The
club does request a donation of
$2 towards running the meeting.)
Meetings generally include a
guest speaker or demonstration
followed by general discussion
and supper.
The Club Magazine "Spare Parts"
is produced monthly from February to December each year. Contributions and advertisements are
welcomed.
,
~
Contact the Editor on Phone
(04) 904 3385.
Coming Events ..•...•.........•...•.......•..•...•...•..........•..•.•.....•.......
Meeting Minutes -13 January 2004 .....................................
Beauty versus the Beast .........................................................
From the Bridge ....•.•.••.•..•..••....•...•.......•..•.•.•..............•..•....•••
The Jaguar XKI20 ............•.......•.•.•......•.•.•..........•.....•......•..••.
Reflections on the building ofaXK120 replica ...................
XK120R - The other half of the story ...................................
A trap for (not so) young players .....................••.•..••••.•.....••.•
Monthly Quiz Cars....................................................•..•....•....
Advertisers' SUpplel11ent ....•..•.....•.•...•.......•......••..•....••..•........
Almost 5 5
...•..•.•...•.••.••......•.•.•..••....•..•..•.................•.•.•..
The Ankle Biters Column ..•..•...................•...•...•......•....•.......•
Presidents Report - February 2004 .......................................
Italy 13 - a.k.a. SJvitzerland 3 ............................................... .
It Jvas that til1l£ ofyear again! .•...•....•.•..•.•.........•....•.........••..
Blood Sweat and Tyres ..........................................................
New Member
Letters received ........••..•..•...........•...........•..••.•.....•..............••.
Greetings frOllt I(ablll ...••...••..............•.....•.............................
Club Sport and Kit Car Activities ..........................................
Buy, Sell and Swap ................................................................
Tip Bits
......•....•.....•......................•..........•...•.............
Rally Wairarapa 04 ....•..•.............•.•..•....•....•....•..••.............•...•
All in a Spill
Mel1tbers Projects .........•..............•......•.......•..•...........•...........
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16
19
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24
28
30
31
32
37
40
43
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48
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51
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Cut-off date for contributions for the next magazine is
Tuesday 24 February 2004
Editor
Ross Bridson
Phone: (04) 904 3385
e-mail:
[email protected]
Club Correspondence to:
The Secretary
Constructors Car Club
POBox38573
Wellington Mail Centre
Wellington 6332
Typesetting and graphics
layout by:
NS Services
Silverstream, Upper Hutt
Ph & Fax: (04) 970-5036
e-mail:[email protected]
•
I,
Coming
13vents
Saturday 14 February - Event
Next Committee Meeting
Hardseal Motorkhana, Ex GM car park, Dante Tuesday 17 February
Dave Clout's,
Road, Upper Hutt.
7.30pm,
Dominica Crescent,
Grenada Village.
Sunday 15 February - Event
Sat 19 June - Event
British Car Day, Start time 1O.OOam Trentham
Memorial Park, Barton Rd entrance. Club displays,
trade stands, swap meet etc.
Rally Wairarapa. Not a CCC event but the Club has
been asked to help .. See page 51
BRA REPLICA
SEVEN
www.almac.co.nz
P~().Bo)(
40483, Upper Hutt, Ph/Fax 04 528-8680
FRASER CARS
MEMBER COMPONENT CAR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF NZ (INC)
0800 4 CERTZ
www.fraser.co.nz
Low Volume Vehicle Certification
1/318 Beachaven Rd, Beachhaven, Box 34610, Auckland 10, New Zealand
Telephone (09) 482-0071
2
Fax: (09) 482-0516
Spare Parts
iJeetine:M.inutes -13 January 2004
President: Jon Loar
Secretary: Dave Clout
Previous Events:
None?
Kebble
Dave Hanson - 1969 Gordon
Kebble
Coming Events:
Alan Stott - Mid 1968 Gordon
Kebble, do you get the
impression they were taking the
piss out of me writing all this
February 5-8, 2004 - Starship down?
Visitors:
Car Trek event has been
Richard - came along for a look cancelled due to lack of entries. This month - none, no magazine
in January.
about the same time last year.
February
6-8,
Waitangi
Weekend Harvest Hawkes Bay
Technical Committee
Previous Minutes:
- has been arranged at short
Report:
The minutes for last month were
notice to replace the cancelled
Grant asked if there were any
available at the door. Taken as
2004 Starship event. Contact
scruts required.
read. Minutes Accepted.
Sandra & Dave Bray, or Alan &
Pam Stott for more details. Also
see web site:
Technical Questions:
Treasurers Report:
Someone asked - will Triumph
Steve was away on business.
www.harvesthawkesbay.co.nz
wheels fit an Escort PCD? A very
Inward Correspondence:
February 14 Saturday, 2004 - quick 'No' came back from Tim
Letter from member Barrie possible date for a hardseal H, I think.
motorkhana.
Browne asking if we knew of any
Ross Bridson and Dave Bray
7's for sale.
were asked to give a brief
account of their respective
Committee Report:
Advertising cheque from Total There was no committee experiences re getting VIN
Performance.
meeting in December despite numbers for their recently
Corporate the secretary saying otherwise in completed vehicles, of which we
Invoice
from
will hope to get into the club
the last magazine.
Consumables.
rooms ASAP.
Usual number of membership
Spare Parts:
renewals, and a few enquiries.
Patrick Harlow and Grant Major Buy, Sell or Swap:
had produced 'Sparse Parts' at Your chance to speak up at the
Periodicals:
the very last moment. Everyone meeting to buy, sell or swap
NZ Petrol head - Vol 6, No. 12, thought that someone else had items. These are recorded in a
December 15 2003 (Members it under control - well it was the separate article elsewhere in the
are welcome to take the two holiday season.
magazine. Remember, email,
issues at the end of the night).
type or neat hand written details,
or use provided forms to the
American Iron - Early American Mystery Vehicle:
secretary before, during or after
Car Club, December 2003.
Last month the meeting to have them
Tim Hutchinson - Gordon Kebble included in the next magazine.
You can also send details directly
Outward Correspondence:
Patrick's usual replies to new George Ulyate -1967-68 Gordon to the editor. The secretary does
not record details at the meeting
membership enquires.
Kebble
- we don't have time, he's too
Dave Frost - 1964 Gordon slow.
Apologies:
Steve Strain, Anthony Moult,
Trish Burt, Ken Rogers.
February 2004
January 19 2004 - MG Car Club
Picnic Day at Manfeild
Autocourse.
3
MotorSport NZ:
Mr Kelly had nothing to report.
He had left a copy of the latest
MSNZ News and a circular at the
front desk.
General Business:
Dave Beazer had nothing to
bring up this month.
Shop Steward:
Brian was still away on holiday.
Guest Vehicle:
Triking of visitor Vic Scott.
Guest Speaker:
Vic gave us a brief talk about
how he came to purchase his
Triking and how he went about
getting it registered here in NZ
since he imported it built up new
from the factory in England. It
started life as a kit set in 1988
but was returned to the factory
for assembly in 1996 when it's
owner decided to upgrade to
another later version. Vic bought
it after it had been assembled.
This version has a Moto Guzzi
engine, Mini rack & pinion
steering, some Citroen parts and
does about 40 - 50mpg. A few of
us heard the mention of a cost
of £16,000 but we can't be sure
whether Vic meant he paid that
much for his one. It seemed a
bit expensive even including
assembly.
Angles
on
tlte
Triking
Vic also entertained us with
stories of his driving experiences
in the 3 wheeler.
Raffle:
Number:
Murray
4
45 Won by: Glen
Spare Parts
·
23eauty verses tlie23east
Porsclie~56EJoesaaainstara!pa1'l,
After doing a road test on two
high horse powered cars I
decided that it was time to have
a look at the other end of the
scale and compare two cars on
the humble VW Beatie platform.
The Taipan has been around
since the early 70's and its
origins are a little shrouded in
mystery. However the first
manufacturer that I know of is
Cooke Brothers in Christchurch.
Thanks to Kit Peveril I have one
of the original sales brochures.
The first two paragraphs say
this ...
Chisel nose of Taipan is useful when driving under
dogs or pedestrians
"A low blur sweeping out of the
corner and hurtling along the
straight, with its snarl changing
to a rasping bellow on overrun
as the brakes go on for the
corner. The taps are turned up
again and the car squats on its
haunches as it rockets through
the turn and is gone - the fading
beat of the motor is all that is left
of its passing.
No, not all, locked into the
memory bank is the sight of it
and the indelible impression that
you've seen a Can Am car blast
by"
An alien vacuum cleaner and German ladybird
Kings Court. I remember the
expression "floor it and wait" and
if you were lucky acceleration
should
have occurred by
The last paragraph starts ...
Christmas.
In a VW, "Rockets
"Taipan Body Conversion Kit for
VW - Bolts to shortened VW through the turn"was something
chassis." Something miraculous you only did once as there would
must happen in the conversion never be a second time, ever. In
from VWto Taipan. I have driven its heyday the VW fronted up
a couple ofVWs in the past and with its 44hp 1.61tr engine and
words like "blur", "hurtling", gasped its way from 0 to 100kmh
"snarl", "bel/ow" and "rockets" in 27 seconds (World Cars
would be straining to get into my 1991). "Fading beat of the motor
mind. If they did it would like a is a/l that is left of its passing." If
group of punk rockers gate you waited for long enough this
crashing a party being held in the may be the case but by then your
February 2004
tea would have gotten cold and
your mum would have been out
looking for you. In its heyday
Lamborghini and Ferrari did not
feel threatened.
It is unknown how many cars
Cooke Bros produced. There
were sufficient to become a
reasonably well known kit and
Southwards Museum has an
example in their display. In 1981
the car and moulds was sold to
Peter Clapham of Daytona
Fibreglass in Porirua. He made
less than ten and has not made
5
any more since he sold up and
moved to Wanganui in the late
80's. Recently I heard that he still
has the moulds.
Ken McAdam purchased his
example of the marque after it
was advertised in our club
magazine, as a project for his
son and him to tinker around
with. I think he is the twentythird
or twentyfourth owner of the car.
The Porsche 356 of Dave Bray
has a pedigree which is far
easier to fossick out, originally
starting life in America as a body
built by Vintage Speedsters of
California. Graeme McRae of
McRae Sports Cars purchased
a body as he wished to put it into
production along side his
Porsche 550 Spyder replica.
Once he had taken the mould off
the body he no longer required
it and it was at this opportune
time that Dave and Sandra Bray
happened by. At the time Dave
was looking for a car that would
fit a man of his stature. Two
years later the car was finished
and to all intents and purposes
is a very accurate replica of the
original.
Chrome and detailingfinishes the 356 nicely. The
Taipan could do with some seventies graphics
High mounted stoplight is cunningly hidden in the grill
EXTERIOR
The exterior of these cars hark
back to two classic eras with the
Porsche being a stunning
example of the fifties and the
Taipan being a true reflection of
the flying wedge shaped cars of
the late sixties and early
seventies. The Porsche looks
like it has just rolled out of the
factory while the Taipan is
showing signs of its multiplicity
of owners. The original gelcoat
is stiil unpainted and needs
some attention. Ken is talking
about restoring the car and it
would
be
a
relatively
straightforward project. From all
angles both cars are very
different. It is from the front
6
The rear of the car is one area that can be improved
threequarter angle that the
Taipan looks its best and its
angular lines tend to overshadow
the subtle curves ofthe Porsche.
I have never liked exposed
motors on a car, which is the
main area where the Taipan
designers give the impression
that they intended to finish that
bitatsomestagebutneverquite
got around to it. If the extended
the tail just a couple of inches
further and then dropped it over
the body it would not only have
covered the engine but given the
length a better sense of
proportion in profile view. The
Porsche looks glamorous from
every angle but lacks the
aggressive stance that the
Spare Parts
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Taipan has when it is standing
still.
Detailing on the Porsche is
excellent with strips of chrome
and gold Speedster lettering.
The Taipan cannot compete with
its huge tailfin and fibreglass
vents. From any distance it
would be hard to tell this car
apart from the real thing and
several Porsche connoisseurs
have been fooled by the
attention that Dave has paid to
the last detail. On the side of the
car between the drivers door and
the wheel arch is a little yellow
badge of Reutter & Co,
Coach builders of Stuttgart -
Tltis Taipan Itas one of tlte best interiors I Itave seen on a cal' of tit is type
It is extremely Itard to not think that tltis car is an original
February 2004
7
found on all the originals
built and also on Dave's
one It is only when they
touch the fibreglass body
that they discover it is
actually a fake. Side by
side it is easy to pick that
the Porsche is clearly the
superior. However with a
bit of thought, a nice
paint job in a pastel,
some seventies graphics
and a motor hidden
behind some nice rear
panels, the Taipan could
give it a run for its money.
INTERIOR
The interior ofthe Taipan
was one of the nicest I
have seen in a such a car
and very tastfully done
again in seventies style.
All the gauges are easy
to read and the single
stalk for the indicator is
where you would expect
it to be. The gear stick
although tall was in the
right place. Of the two
cars the Taipan is the
only one with weather
protection with push in
panels that slide into the
slots of the Targa top. I
was a little tall for the car
and had to slouch slightly
in the seat to see every
thing. In both cars the top
of the windscreen was at
first obstructive for
outside vision but I
quickly got used to it and
soon I forgot about it
altogether. The seating in
the Taipan could do with
some more cushioning.
Although it lacked doors
it was still very easy to
get in and out of. I liked
it.
The two different eras of the cars are apparent
things with no creature comforts. Dave
has again been faithful to the original
and nothing has been overlooked in
relation to detailing. Indicator stalk has
been placed on the left as it is in
European cars. steering wheel is out of
an original 356 and was found by a friend
visiting America. Seats are of the
traditional bucket type and quite
comfortable. Upholstery is done as per
the original and is a very high standard.
The car is as new and it is obvious that
it is well looked after. Unlike the Taipan,
the Porsche has opening doors with
wind deflector screens perched upon
them. In both cars the pedal are floor
mounted and the gap between the
accelerator and the clutch is further than
With the 356 it was like I expected, the gauges on both cars are
climbing into an era. simple and easy to read.
Sports cars were simple
8
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
I had arranged to meet both Ken
and Dave at the foot of the
Heywoods Hill and when asked
which car I wanted to drive first,
I chose the closest one which
was the Porsche. First
impression was that the car was
faster than I thought it would be
with ample power to pull it up the
hill with enough in reserve to
keep it accelerating. The car
understeers and its narrow tyres
tended to follow big ruts in the
road. Still it was like driving a
brand new car. The short throw
on the gearbox was always
precise and the suspension
absorbed the bumps flawlessly.
The view from the car once you
Spare Parts
..l...
forgot about the top of the windscreen is
panoramic. There is plenty of wind in the car
but the windscreen and the side screens do a
reasonable job at keeping out the worst of it.
Flys and insects did not need to be filtered out
through my teeth. Although its overall
performance is not startling it would have no
problems keeping up with modern day traffic.
Power comes from a modified VW 1600 motor.
It runs 1.3: 1 ratio roller rockers, twin Dellorto
carbs and water injection into both manifolds.
The pistons are Cima and are graphite coated.
The crank, rods, lightened flywheel and clutch
have all been balanced.
The Taipan also has twin carbs giving it a
reasonable performance. Surprisingly the
handling on this car was totally different with a
strong tendency to oversteer, which wasn't
helped, I discovered later by the rear tyres
having only about 13psi in them. While driving
the 356 had been like driving a new car the
Taipan was more "agricultural". Here again it
was showing its age. Some earlier owner had
removed the pedal stops and these were now
leaning forward that the only way they could be
used was to get your foot under the pedal before
pressing it down. If you got it wrong then the
clutch or brake would end up under the arch of
your foot. This meant that when the sole and
the heel of your foot was firmly planted on the
firewall the pedals still had a wee way to go. An
event that caused the heart to go pitter patter
was coming down Heywoods and braking
because of traffic stopped at the traffic lights I
realised that although my foot was firmly on the
floor the brake pedal wasn't and that I was not
going to be stopped until the bonnet was several
metres in front of the car in front. The only
variables in this equation were the crumple
zones on both cars. Instinct says to press harder
and hopefully by the time your foot goes through
the firewall the car will have stopped. Somehow
I got the nerve to take my foot off the brake,
flick my toes under the pedal and again apply
sufficient pressure for the Taipan to pull up short
in a time that only allowed half my life to flash
before my eyes. Which was a pity as I was just
getting to the good bits.
On the open road both cars are very quiet and
there is no distinctive VW burble. In the Taipan
I could see down the chisel nose to the road
with the higher wheel arches on either side.
Rear vision was a different story with the interior
February 2004
Vave. on·tne Porscne
356 'Reyfica •.
£iies@
);>
The overall authentic appearance
);>
Mechanical simplicity which makes
maintenance fairly simple
);>.
Good running . . which comes from that
simplicity
);>
ClaSSIC colour scheme (I've gotta say
that, 'you-know-who' did that part ofthe
.job!)
Visfiies
®
Y
The stiff and awkward tonneau cover
which is a pain to get over the car,
having to be attached at the front first
because of the extreme slope of the
windscreen -plans are in hand when
the present project frees up time and
money
);>
Lack of off-the-pedal left foot room. for
the driver- nowthe petrol tank has been
changed I think I have found the answer
to that too- same conditions as above
);>
Wind buffeting. At speeds which of
course we would only do on private
roads of course, there is quite a bit of
wind buffeting around the back of the
neck. OK in summer, Hterallynofso hot
in the winter
9
mirror designed to show absolutely nothing of any
importance. Due to the wedge shape and the big rear
wing the only thing that would ever be seen out the back
was the top of a Kenworth truck radiator if it happened
to pull up behind you at the traffic lights. Still this is not
unusual in many exotic mid-engined cars and normal
rearward vision was quite adequate through the wing
mirrors. The Taipan felt faster than the 356 but this could
have been because of the firmer suspension and the
proximity of the road to your backside. There was less
wind in the cockpit and once you got used to the cars
quirks it was a pleasant driving experience.
Around town it was a different story. Again the 356 was
a piece of cake to manoeuvre while the Taipan was a bit
of a demon. The accelerator was very much a "go no
go" button which caused a bit of excitement with
pedestrians on crossings. Both cars got a lot of looks
with the Taipan scoring the most points with the teenage
set and the 356 doing the same with the more mature
set. If a teenager ever waves a fist you with the thumb
and little finger extended it can be considered a good
thing while a single middle finger extended has a totally
different meaning. After consulting with my teenage sons
at home later I was told that the former means they
think your car is cool while the latter is somewhere I
didn't want to go. The Taipan scored several points of
coolness and the 356 got several friendly waves from
the generations that occur after adolescence.
In summary the Taipan is by far more fun to drive in a
heart stopping kind of way. The 356 is the sort of car
that you could hop in and drive every day with no
surprises. With the Taipan you could have a surprise
for every day of the week not including Birthdays and
Christmas.
AND THE WINNER IS ...
It was a great experience driving both cars. I had not
expected them to be quite so different but they were in
almost every respect. The Taipan is a dramatic car to
drive an aspect which isn't lost even when parked at the
side of the road. In the rear vision mirror it looks like a
giant alien vacuum cleaner coming to get you while the
356 looks like a friendly ladybird on wheels. Still it is the
rear and the tired finish which lets the Taipan down. With
the tail being extended to look similar to the Porsche
driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans it would
improve it a lot.
Likes
Attracts attention
Funio drive
...~
Affordable.
Not many like it leftori.road.
.'lJisfikes
®
)-
Seating position
~
Pedal Position and feel
~
Too low at front to drive
normally over driveways etc
)-
Hard to sele.ct gears.
The best all rounder car is the 356. It has been
meticulously finished and is the easiest to drive. However
depending on what Ken does to the Taipan in the future
I may have to revise that opinion.
10
Spare Parts
The two cars in a natural setting
SPECIFICATIONS
Speedster 356 replica
Car
Taipan
Engine
VW 1.6 litre flat 4
VW 1.6 litre flat 4
Fuel
Twin Dellorto Carbs
Twin Dellorto Carbs
Power
70hp
66hp
Gearbox
VW4 Speed
VW4 Speed
0-100 kph
13.5 seconds
19sec (not getting full throttle)
Frt Suspension
VW Torsion Bar
VWTorsion Bar
Rr Suspension
VW Torsion Bar
VW Torsion Bar
Brakes
Disk front/Drum rear
Disk front and rear
Length
3850mm
3700mm
Width
1650mm
1700mm
Height
1225mm
1145mm
Wheelbase
2125mm
2030mm
Chassis
Shortened VW
Shortened VW
Body
Fibreglass
Fibreglass
Weight
??kg
??kg
Est. Build Cost
$?? Unknown
$2,000 (Purchase Price)
February 2004
11
•
r 10m the Blidge
Brian Worhoys
{1arage'Tour 7 'December 2003
We started off at Roy Hoare's
where we found Roy had his
Almac TG up on the hoist. This
wasn't because the TG needed
any repairs. After Roy's major
rebuild the car has just been put
onto the road, so this car is for
driving, not fixing. No, this was
to demonstrate Roy's innovative
hoist that makes working under
a car so much easier, and safer,
than using jacks and axle-stands
(or that pile of bricks you naughty
boy). The main components of
Roy's hoist are two lengths of
galvanized steel purlin C section
which form the actual ramps for
the wheels, and a chain hoist to
give the upwards urge. We also
admired the new dimensions of
Roy's garage and marvelled that
they still have enough section
area for a nice rear garden,
although the garden scene was
to some degree compromised by
the High-School electric vehicle
project parked on the back
verandah. Roy gave us an
update on this project, which at
that time seemed to have an
uncertain future.
Off then to John Bell's to view
the new Tri-via 3x2. I have to
work this out every time. The 3x2
means three wheels with two of
them driving. In this case the two
driving wheels are at the rear, the
remaining third wheel is at the
front and does the steering,
controlled by a set of motorcycle
handlebars. The engine is a flat
four Honda motorcycle unit
mounted at the rear and starts
12
Roy's TG on the DIY hoist
and runs well with a very sporty exhaust note from the two vertical
pipes. The car is pretty near finished and looking very sharp indeed.
As with John's previous cars, his passion for working in wood has
been a major influence and has yielded yet another intriguing and
endearing little car. Looks to be pretty much ready for the road
now, John.
The engine end of John Bell's newest project
Spare Parts
1
Ian MacRae's current
project is a Lola style sports
car with Fiat mechanicals.
Ian has now completed the
body-shell for the car and
we were all very impressed
with the line and finish on
this
masterpiece
of
fiberglass. When we arrived, the essentially completed car was sitting in the
driveway without the body
so we were able to admire
the detail of the construction. Then, with some willing hands, the body was fitted to the chassis. I noted
that Ian had to remove the
cam covers to give clearance for the body, the fit is
that close. A small "power
bulge" has been molded to
allow the additional clearance necessary to be able
to fit the cam covers and
body at the same time - but
Ian has yet to cut the hole
in the body for this - and I
can appreciate any hesitation he might have in doing
this as it will be a bold move
to cut into such a beautifully
finished and painted bonnet.
Round the block to the
Loar residence. Progress
has been good on the '34
Ford project. Engine (V6
Mazda) and back axle
(Ubiquitous Jag unit) are
sorted with the front
suspension being the only
major area still at headscratching stage. Great to
see a project of this type
taking place amongst the
ranks of the club car builds.
Actual doors, wind-up
windows and a proper roof.
I can count the number of
these on the fingers of one
hand.
Just a short drive then to
February 2004
Fiat power for Ian MacRae's newest car
Fitting tlte body to tlte Fidget
Don Flowers' garage. Just caught this one in time as it is completed and
just waiting for the paper-work so Don can get out and enjoy the summer
driving it around. Maybe you've already seen it driving past. If you have
already had a sight of Don in your rear-view mirror you wont forget it..
this is a vehicle with some presence! If you had a Toyota Chassis and a
Rover car for other donor parts, there are only two logical names for the
resulting vehicle, either "Royota" or "Tover". "Royota" sounds like a
kitchen appliance, which this is not, so "Tover" it had to be. The tourists
were very impressed with the soundness of Don's build and his innovation
in making use of available components. A very unique vehicle in the
grand tradition of the club and always pleasing to see a guy who's had
a vision and stuck to it 'till it's on the road. A lesson for us aiL
13
Man cannot live by bread alone.
No, indeed, man also needs a
meat patty, cheese and maybe
some fries with that. So much for
the gourmet Mc Luncheon, then
round the corner to creep
sideways into the Ulyate shrine
to Blokes Shedmanship. What's
he got in there? What he not got
in there? The main feature as
ever is George's Monoposto
single seater car, redolent of the
racer's of the early fifties. Not
sure if George plans to put it on
the road, but if so, it must be
pretty close to finished. This car
has a very classic look and as
with all of George's work, the
engineering detail and levels of
finish are very good.
With a turn to the left, and a step
to the ri-I-I-I-ghL and we arrive
at the Almac lab to see what's
on the slab. Who can possible
keep up with it all Alex? (Or is it
Alexenfurter?) Once-apon-atime all you needed was a rusty
old Cortina for donor parts. The
Sabre chassis that was on
display now takes a Toyota V8
engine and Jag running gear at
both ends. Just put it down to
progress I guess. Also there for
the viewing, a very clean looking
Almac "7" Supersprint, and the
inevitable range of various Sabre
and Cobra bits and pieces, each
with a story to tell.
Next stop, the Derby residence.
Phew! A cuppa. Thanks Phil. Oh
yes, cars! Phil's No.1 project is
the Rover SD1 Ute. There is far
too much innovation and
interesting detail in this project
to go into here. But it was good
to see the vehicle sitting on its
wheels so that, even if progress
has been slow ... there is clearly
movement in a forward direction
taking place. It was interesting
to see Phil's little wheeling
machine he had made himself
using just a self-aligning ball
14
Watch out for Don's Tover in your mirrors
The myate Monoposto
Alex explains the latest Sabre chassis developments
Spare Parts
bearing and a ridged
frame. This had enabled
him to make up the special
shapes
needed
to
fabricate the very tricky
firewall to accommodate
the rearwards location of
the new motor. The No.2
project lives in the attic.
The whole car was
winched down for our
inspection. This project is
a complete tube chassis
Phil has built to suit AlfaRomeo mechanicals and a
GT fiberglass body of
uncertain history. Recent
work has included the
fabrication of a remote
gearshift mechanism. N.B.
the Alfa gearbox is as a
single unit with the diff at
the rear, even though the
engine is in the front. All a
bit too much to take in at
one sitting.
Last but not least we
popped round the comer to
see what was going on in
the Stott garage. There we
found
Ken
Rogers
Phil's Birdcage SD1
tinkering away on Alan's Jag Special. This is a rebuild of a Special made
many years ago, using jag parts of the day to build a two seater early
thirties style sports car. The car has a very authentic historic flavor but
this also brings a lot of headaches as Ken explained. In some ways the
job is much harder to do than if the car was an actual true vintage model.
If it were an original, at least you would know what parts would fit. This
project is a huge challenge for Alan and Ken, and they are making a very
fine car in the process. The current status is pretty much completed to
the casual observer, but there are still a myriad of small details to sort
out.
And so, we drifted
off to other places.
It was quite a
marathon tour, with
nine
garages
visited and about
15 tourists during
the peak of the
day. Thanks to all
the hosts. Again I
make the point: It's
what goes on in the
garages
that
makes the club. It's
pleasing to be able
to report that all is
well out there in
garage land.
Lejt:Alan
Stott's Jag SS
Special
February 2004
15
In 1939 Mr. William Lyon's
factory was converted to assist
in the war effort and senior
management took their place
alongside the general work force
in carrying out fire watching
duties. There is little doubt that
in the early stage of the conflict
they were all kept extremely
busy since Coventry was a prime
target for the Luftwaffe. In the
latter stages of the war these
mandatory duties became less
demanding giving rise to the odd
game of cards or dominoes.
Senior management, however,
held brain-storming sessions
planning of the cars to be built in
the future, when hostilities had
ended. Many proposals were
aired by Messrs, Lyons, Haynes,
Bailey and Hassan on the roofs
of the Coventry factory, dreams
were dreamt and sketches were
made, perhaps some on the
back of an odd empty cigarette
packet.
At the end of World War II Britain
was faced with rebuilding a
peacetime industrial based
economy. A slogan of 'Export or
Die' was adopted by the
government and this was the key
to earning desperately needed
foreign currency. The message
was simple, those firms which
did not send a significant amount
oftheir production abroad would
not receive the scarce raw
materials to continue their
operations. Nowhere was the
pressure greater than on our
motorcar industry and no
currency more important than
the mighty dollar, the coinage of
our car hungry allies in the USA
16
3182cc 'XJ' engine failed to
produce enough torque to
impress Lyons but by increasing
the stroke this problem was
overcome and the 3442cc twin
overhead camshaft 'XK' engine
was born. This engine became
probably one of Jaguar's
greatest assets and in various
Gradually economies recovered, forms stayed in production for 40
people in the West began to years.
enjoy the return to peace and
freedom, Jaguar's cars reflected The 'XK' six cylinder engine was
the prevailing mood of optimism first seen in public in October
and best of all, as Gis returned 1948 at the Earls Court Motor
home from duty, the American Show. Jaguar displayed a
people
were
suddenly stunning two-seater sports car
discovering European sports which stole the show and was
powered by the new 3.4ltr
cars in a big way.
engine.
The car used a
Several engine designs had shortened version of a saloon
been considered up on the roof car chassis with deep box
tops of the factory in the dark section rails, considerable cross
days of war and those that bracing and independent front
proceeded beyond the 'cigarette suspension. The show car was
packet stage' were each only meant for limited production
designated
'X'
(for and used an alloy body over a
experimental). Initial early wooden Ash frame. The engine
design studies (XA, XB etc.) did produced an amazing 160 bhp
not get very far but 'XF' was built and the car was named the
(a double overhead camshaft, XK120 being an indication of the
four cylinder unit of 1360cc). claimed top speed and making
'XG' was a development of the it the fastest production car of its
Standard Motor Companies day. There were naturally
1776cc unit but lacked doubters and in 1949 Jaguar
sophistication and failed to took a production car to Belgium
provide sufficient power. The and in front of invited press
'XJ' engine was designed in four recorded a speed of 126 mph
and six cylinder form with double with the car in full road trim and
overhead camshafts. The four using 'pump' petrol. Even higher
cylinder 2 litre 'XJ' engine did not speeds were recorded without
progress far beyond the the windscreen and with a
experimental stages although a smooth chassis undertray.
unit was installed in a M.G.
special in 1948 and powered the Thus one of the most beautiful
car to 176mph during testing in motorcars of all time was born.
Belgium. The six cylinder
At around the same time a new
name appeared in the ranks of
the British car industry when the
SS Car Company changed its
name to Jaguar Cars Ltd. Mr.
Lyons knew that SS was hardly
a desirable brand name for the
future.
Spare Parts
--L
Thus one of the most beautiful motorcars of all time was born.
XX120
'Rey{icas
Such is the heritage and
mystique surrounding this
wonderful car that demand and
therefore value of original
vehicles has remained high. It is
hardly surprising then that the
XK120 has become the subject
of replication, with varying
degrees of success. Kit car
manufacturers in the UK
particularly have used the XK120
concept and body style to
provide a comparable element of
drive style for significantly less
outlay and for many kit builders
the satisfaction of building a
recognised classic themselves.
share 80 years of experience in
all aspects of the Motor Industry.
Chris and Simon have
concentrated on high quality
coachwork, winning a number of
concourse awards. Whilst
Malcolm has spent many years
working for Rolls-Royce, was
commended whilst with the
company and continues to
maintain these world renowned
cars to this day. More recently
an in depth knowledge of the kit
car industry has been gained by
all three partners. And the great
thing about classic restoration
people getting involved in kitcars
is that they thrive on attention to
detail.
As a result, Nostalgia Cars is
setting new standards in product
quality, customer confidence and
satisfaction
within
the
Component Car and Small
Volume Production Industries.
One such kitcar manufacturer,
which has been more successful
than most in producing a quality
reproduction of the original
XK120, is Nostalgia Cars.
Nostalgia Cars, UK, is jointly
owned by Chris Boyer, Simon
Davis and Malcolm Rolfe who
February 2004
17
Tlie NostaCgia CCassic
120
The 'Classic 120' is a replica of the renowned
Jaguar XK 120. As you would expect the car
uses major Jaguar mechanical components.
These are removed from an XJ6 (1969/86)
or Jaguar XJS (3.6Itr) donor car.
Modifications are necessary to some items
and for this purpose an exchange scheme is
in place for the home builder. Items, which
were prone to corrosion on the donor cars,
are not required for the assembly and are
therefore discarded. The self-build is a
straight forward procedure, taking
approximately 650 factory hours. Each
chassis/body package is accompanied by a
build manual.
Suspension
.Jt :few
Body panels
Chassis
Syecs:
Engine.
Any Jaguar XK or AJ6 six-cylinder twin cam power unit.
Transmission.
Five speed manual or Automatic
Suspension.
Front independent, double wishbone, adjustable coil-overs Rear,
independent single radius arms, adjustable coil-overs
Brakes.
Jaguar XJ6IXJS servo assisted dual circuit disc f & r
Chassis.
100mm x 50mm boxed steel ladder frame.
Body.
Unstressed glass resin fibre - steel side impact reinforcement.
Length:
173.0in
Width:
62.0in
Wheel Base:
102.0in
Track:
51.0in
Kerbside Weight:
1286kg
A single Jaguar XJ6 (Series 1 to 3) or XJS (AJ6 engine only) car provides many of the parts for the
standard assembly of the Classic range of motor cars
18
Spare Parts
'Reffections on tlie1JuiCc£inB ofa 'Repaca XX120
Ian Price
The first time that Dave and remember how long the case
Sandy Bray first talked about a was but part of it now holds up
Jaguar XK120 was after a trip my carport.
home to the UK. They went there
There has been talk of suitcase
looking for something different,
racers ever since I joined this
but came back to New Zealand
club. We thought that we had the
sold on the XK. So after some
ultimate in a 3.4 litre motor with
talking about what would be
gearbox sitting on a crate on
needed the car kit was ordered
wheels, now if only we could
and work commenced. I (silly
steer the monster... That thought
bugger) offered to help out
stretches the mind a bit. The
where needed and we started
details of the build would go on
with the running gear while
for volumes and are all a bit
waiting for the body kit to arrive,
much to recall. However the
ex UK. A motor with a 5 speed
things that stick out for me are,
box was the ideal choice, and
the first fire up of the motor and
body
was
ordered
to
the unruly noise the starter
accommodate modern steering
made, ending up in the new
so we had work to do while
flywheel being machined and the
waiting. The main failing of the
car show, and Dave and myself
original XK120 is VERY heavy
DRIVING the monster in to the
steering, poor brakes and
hall.
equally poor lighting; after all it
was all Lucas, prince of Credit must end with Dave.
darkness! He never quite lived Sandy has to be congratulated
up to proclaimed king of the on the quality of the build. I get
road. So all that had to be sorted. the blame for some of the detail,
in that Dave says if he didn't do
Unpacking the body was like a
it right I'd moan. If the truth is
Christmas party. "All welcome,
really known Dave is as
bring a screw driver!!" I don't
particular as me and has
produced not a kit car so much
as a Replica. I didn't see the last
stages of the build as trimming
and final details were done. But
when I saw the end result, I was
speechless ............ and still am.
It is impressive. All this just goes
to show you what can be done
by this club and its members.
Some say that when the car is
registered that it's finished, but
really work just slows from build
to maintain and repair.
Helping on this build was a
pleasure and at times gave me
something to concentrate on. I
hope that XK120R; gives them
as much pleasure driving it as
the build did.
Impressions oftlie 'Experts?
"Seen from a distance, the Classic 120 looks impressive, but when you get closer (and no
matter how close you get), you discover not faults but examples of ingenuity and
craftsmanship" .
Martin Foster of 'Kit Car Magazine'
"The 4.2ltr Jaguar straight six lump hardly breaks into a sweat as the Classic 120 settles
around the national speed limit. So relax and let the car purr along like the big cat it so
elegantly emulates."
Ian Stent - "Which Kit Magazine"
"Off the line the 120 accelerates cleanly, the sonorous straight-six bellow provoking you to
press on. The rack is infused with bags of feel, especially at high speeds. To put it crudely,
February 2004
19
T
1700e
A-eg CJqllB )IX
'
i,
I
i I
,
, I
'I
I,
XKI20R "":'THE "OTHER"HALF" OF THE STORY
After the successful completion
of the Porsche 356 replica in
February '97, I realised that
Dave would need another
retirement project.
English magazines yielded a
certain amount of information but
we really had to see for
ourselves, so this became a
small part of a visit to the UK in
September '99.
We inspected two component/kit
car manufacturers, one poorly
built, the other with great
possibilities of finished style, but
not really us.
Then it was time to visit
"Nostalgia" who had just
completed their prototype XK120
in my home town, Taunton,
Somerset.
be in having smaller hands and
more nimble fingers to get into
awkward places with a nut, bolt,
spanner or screwdriver. Then
Many parts, fortunately, were there were times when two
available from Jaguar Spares in people were needed to fasten a
Upper Hutt, which resulted in a nut and bolt due to a large
number of hours travelling back portion of the car getting in the
and forth over Haywards Hill, way - you know what I mean?
plus time for me to sit and read
Jaguar magazines and talk to At certain stages I was silly
enough to think' ... we should be
Sue Andrews.
able to finish this by (a certain
While waiting for the crate to month), but NO. Time to take a
arrive from England with body, few steps back, take a deep
chassis and a few smaller parts, breath and say ' ... better we
Dave set to work on the engine found out now."
cleaning process in our garage.
I felt that the non-constructive
What a messy job!
times were frustrating for Dave
Phrases come to mind like ' ... when he had to wait for someone
don't forget to change before you else (commercially) to do a job,
do that!' and 'How long before but this was my chance to
you're ready for lunch?'
mention one or two home
Soon we were into long faces, handyman items that needed
mutterings, crashings of tools, attention.
capabilities (with some help from
others) to complete the project
to our satisfaction?
I think we were "hooked" from
that point. It was great to be able
to spend time with the building followed by a long study of
team before leaving for home. workshop manuals. I was often
Many questions were answered used as a 'listening post' but was
and Dave experienced five laps allowed to make what seemed
(as passenger) of the Castle like flippant comments which
Combe Race Circuit to really get sometimes re-shaped the
a feel of this slightly modernized thought processes.
XK120.
Some restless nights were
The rest of the story is history, almost like he was back in the
as written in several articles over real world of paid employment,
the last four years, so I'll try to with tossing and turning, while
add my views at various stages probably working on the current
problem.
of development.
My early memories of an XK 120 Just as well he had others to
are of Sybil Lupp racing on the refer to when out of his depth.
Renwick road circuit near Many Thanks!
Blenheim (say 1960?) so maybe
I was drawn to that lovely shape A bonus in some ways, the crate
a long time ago. I was part of the was several months later than
early discussions on 'shall we?', expected, so in August 2000 we
'shan't we?' 'How much do we l:5uilt a large low-level deck in the
need to bring in from the UK?'- back garden - somewhere to
if only at times to nod in relax away from the garage.
agreement. Another big question My main practical use in the
was whether it was within our construction process seemed to
February 2004
My enthusiasm needed a boost
from time to time, so I would look
through the Jaguar books yet
again, and think 'We'll be driving
one like that soon'.
Colour choice was more or less
mine, though I doubt that Dave
would have settled for purple and
pink any more than I would. A
good old green ("British' if you
like) was teamed with suede
green leather, a combination
used in originals.
Nearly four years from when
work on the engine started, and
I'm very proud to travel in our
second,
much
more
complicated, project car. The
grin will stay on my face for some
time to come.
Once again, many thanks to
everyone who helped Dave
achieve his goal - a beautiful
XK120R.
21
J!\. trap for
I
(notso)yauntJP{ayersl
We are fairly pleased with
ourselves just now, having
managed to get the XK 120 on
the road after only a little over
four years' work.
Officially registered as "2003
Homebuilt Jaguar XK120
Replica" it is as accurate as we
(that means all the other folk who
have been involved not just
Sandra and I) have been able to
make it, but one very 'old British'
feature that we managed to
incorporate was an oil-spraying
system at the front of the engine
to keep down the dust and to
prevent under-body rust. Yeah,
right!
The truth is that after we had the
car on the road, it was marking
its progress by dropping darned
nearly 'commercially-exploitable'
amounts of oil from its 13-litre
sump. Yes, the sump contains 13
Htres - and that sump turned out
to be the origin of the problem.
In the pursuit of accuracy in
appearance of the engine we
chose to use the original early
XK120 cast alloy 'coffin' sump in
place of the crude tin box
normally fitted to the 3.4 Htre Mk
2 engine that we've used.
Although we had very little in the
way of 'surplus' oil during the odd
times the engine had been run
at home, once it was on the road
we found it coming out
somewhere between the bottom
of the timing chain case (pic #1)
and the top ofthe sump (pic #2);
on removal and inspection it was
clear that the seal on the
crankshaft had been pinched in
two diametrically opposite
places.
22
Dave Bray puts his money where his mouth is and makes sure
the front suspension on his X/H20 replica is good and tight
Based on a measurement of the
timing case a new 2 3/4"
diameter seal was obtained, only
to find that it didn't fit the sump because the recess at that point
was only 2 5/8" in diameter.
Mk2 Timing Cover
120 Sump
All bolt holes lined up when it
came to fitting the sump, and the
only (feeble) excuse that I can
make for not getting it right first
time is that the seal in question
is not readily visible as it's in
behind a large crankshaft
damper on the front pulley. It has
also since emerged that only the
very early XK 120 has the smaller
size opening, so a later model
sump would have fitted perfectly.
We looked into machining out
the sump to take the seal, but
this
seemed
a
major
undertaking, especially over the
summer holiday period, with just
a semi-circle to cut and the
consequent risk - or so it was
Spare Parts
claimed - of the cutting tool
'chattering' in use.
meant that there was a curved
section recess in the sump which
meant that the seal wasn't a
After much debate and looking great fit on that part of its outside
at a sketch that I had done of circumference anyway.
the problem, "she who must be
obeyed" threw in her two- Phil Patterson of Whitby, my
pennyworth and asked why a favourite motor engineer,
smaller outside diameter seal to machined up appropriate
fit the sump could not be used, packers of aluminium and fixed
with the recess in the timing case them in place with a material
being packed to fit; to cut a long called Devcon, which is a 'twostory short - that's the way the pot' material that appears to
harden to a consistency that can
problem has been solved!
be turned and tapped to all
It's interesting really; claiming to intents and purposes like
know nothing about the aluminium. The end result of this
mechanicals of cars, Sandra modification is that henceforth a
never hesitates to make off-the- modern, stock-size neoprene
cuff suggestions when there's a seal can be used.
problem.
This seal could not be slid along
If she's wrong - "... well, f don't the crankshaft into the
understand these things overhanging timing cover, nor
anyway". If she's right - and could the mains be dropped
that's not at all unusual - due without releasing the timing
acknowledgement must be chain; therefore the timing chain
made ofthe genius of the month, cover was removed.
which seems fair, I suppose.
At this stage we found it to be
There were a couple of down- corroded internally where water
stream issues; the original pump fits (to the point where the
gland-packing type of seal used corrosion was just visible on the
before the neoprene square- back of the casting, so it didn't
section ones became available, have long to go before it would
have broken through and water
would have leaked straight
through into the oil!)
Sometimes things work out - a
visit to Ray Andrews of Jaguar
Spares in Upper Hutt in search
of a replacement located a
brand-new 35 year-old Mk 2
timing cover just sitting on the
shelf calling out my name!
Makes you think sometimes - if I
hadn't stuffed-up by using a
badly fitting old-style sump, we
wouldn't have needed to
investigate the oil leak.
If we hadn't investigated the oil
leak, the timing chain cover and
water pump wouldn't have had
to come off.
If the timing chain cover and
water pump hadn't come off, the
corrosion wouldn't have been
spotted.
If the corrosion hadn't been
spotted it looks like sometime
very soon there would have been
a water leak into the oil that could
have wreaked major havoc.
So - hey, it was all for the best
anyway.
This Month's quiz car
Last Month's
quiz car
Gordon Keeble 1960' GK1!!T.
327 Cu.ins Chev VB 300bhp
In total 99 cars were built
140mph top speed
The concept for the GordonKeeble was to couple a US VB
engine with a traditional British
GT package ...
February 2004
Manufacturer, model, year of manufacture please.
23
303 Willis Street, Wellington Ph (04) 801 5140 - Fax (04) 801 6665
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://lNWW.mac!ennanpelformance.com
•
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•
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•
Momo steering wheels & accessories
YOKOHAMA - FAlKEN - TOYO - BRIDGESTONE - UNIROYAL
24
Spare Parts
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Steering joints, bushes
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Wheel alignment
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All work unconditionally guaranteed
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Discounts for CCC members
Superior
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VISIT US ON THE WEB:
www.superior.co.nz
February 2004
1111'"
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SUPERIOR SPRINGS
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Manufacturers of
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INDUSTRIES LTD
PO Box 38-432 Wellington Mail Centre
37-39 Eastern Hutt Rd, Wingate, Lower Hutt
Phone 04 939 2100
Fax 04 939 2110
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25
Visit our website
www.usedtyres.co.nz
Vall, IaUery r,ecla'''''' and
Bruce McLaren Trust
www.mclaren.com
Guardians and promoters of New Zealand's Motorsport History and Heritage
membership
095228224
[email protected]
PO Box 109050 Newmarket
Auckland
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Exhausts
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all other engineering work
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Ah
021 543943
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Bruce Wright, 04 564 5070
February 2004
27
}f1j.dOS~5S············
I
, I
, I
Somehow the flat plains of the
Southern wairarapa seem like
another world to most of us who
live south of the Rimutaka
Range. Its small rural towns
seem 'real people' size with not
a sign of the usual American fast
franchises
which
food
increasingly standardise the look
of so many New Zealand towns
and cities. The wairarapa is a
gem well worth visiting regularly
to put city living lives in
perspective. With its fields and
its sheep, its stables and
donkeys and certainly an aura of
peace, what better place for our
club's Christmas celebration
lunch than this special part of the
world.
On 30 November (last year!) in
brilliant sunshine twenty two cars
assembled outside Upper Hutt's
Te Marua Golf Course, with their
owners seemingly reluctant to
break off talking to leave on the
first leg of the day over the
spectacular (a word used by my
recent overseas visitors to
describe them) Rimutaka
Ranges. Then on through
Featherston (originally known as
Burlings after Henry Burlings
Bush Inn. A base camp for the
construction ofthe first road over
the range in the early 1850's)
and on to Martinborough
(founded 123 years ago by John
Martin who named the streets
after exotic places he had visited,
Panama, Texas, Venice etc, and
now home of some of New
Zealand's finest wine producers)
to our first stop for coffee in an
old building in the centre oftown.
The building also houses an
active market which was in full
swing and had a wine, food, gift
area which was also doing
steady trade. (Although I noted
28
I
f
Dave and Sandra Bray's beautiful Porsche 356 replica leads
the Saker and TG ofMatthew Cooley and Roy Hoare
over the Rimutaka Range
Saker corners flatly while Roy sets up the line for his Almac
the merino and possum fibre or two back, a lady in quaint old
sweaters I had seen a few weeks Arrowtown told me that on Iy part
earlier on our reconnaissance of one building in the whole main
trip were still there despite heavy street was original, all the rest
reductions. Perhaps $380 is still were quite modern, built to look
no bargain!).
old. Martinborough looks set to
do the same. Cobbles and ye
A quaint ol~ town ~artinbo~ough olde gas lamps would look fine,
and steadily getting quainter. I like the place. The plan was,
When the club went South a year coffee , the ladies could then
t
I
Retro and modern. Matthew Cooley -s Saker alongside two of
Almac's best, the TG's ofRoy Hoare and Brian Robinson in
Martinborough's well known Square
Spare Parts
shop, and the men could talk or kick
tyres - I think it worked out. In the warm
sunshine the 'plastic' flashed, the tyres
were kicked and time went pleasantly
by.
As the convoy of our cars started to
move out, past the shady old trees in
the well known square, I just knew the
next thirty kilometers to Gladstone and
lunch was going to be memorable.
If ever an open car was made for
anything this was going to be it. Warm
sunshine, perfect countryside and
absolutely empty roads. Roads with
bends and straights, rises and swoops
that make your heart beat faster. The
sort of thing you just know St Peter has
in store for you when you finally go
through those Gates.
•
I
John Mander's Napier Ruxton (The Mandermobile)
dwarfS Dave and Carol Frost's gleaming Almac Cobra
outside Marlborough's Colonial Hotel
little feisty. As we all assembled at Te Marua that morning I
Well eventually we had to stop, heaven
had telephoned her with some idea of the numbers for the
is all very well but we humans do have
lunch and had said around 50 - 55 (people leaving or joining
to eat and anyway this was the object
along the way and you try counting parked car drivers and
of the trip - lunch.
passengers!). Anyhow, at the pub I waited until everyone
When you walk through the door of the had paid to say 'thanks' and 'goodbye' and suddenly from a
Gladstone pub you immediately sense sweet little lady she sprang at me like a badly upset Pit Bull.
however isolated it is, (there is not "You owe me money - you said 55 people". Well, as you
another building for miles around) that can see, I didn't but there was no advantage pointing this
serious quantities of beer have flowed out, she was definitely upset. She was one organised lady
that way over the years. It's no Old too and had a list by name of everyone who had paid which
Colonial masterpiece or romantic she counted in front of me. We were not going to make 55.
hideaway but somehow the old Then another lady arrived who was just a little less flustered
weatherboard walls and beaten tin roof and counting the list, she made it 50, then out of the blue a
look right. The dirt parking in front, the late payer arrived at the counter and immediately the snarl
old man willow trees in the beer garden dropped from the little lady's face, she smiled, took the $15,
with the Ruamahanga River slipping turned to me and said "51, that's lovely, I'm happy" - so
quietly past all add up to what Rural was I!
Councils like to put on their roadside
On to Carterton and down a few k's to Greytown (the
signs as 'Real New Zealand', although
Wairarapa's oldest town, 1853 with its almost intact Victobeware, Gladstone was a popular bloke
rian main street architecture) and down Wood Street to the
and there are at least three other
area's latest entertainment venture 'Puzzlewood', reputed
Gladstones scattered around the
to have cost ~ million dollars. From the tea rooms there we
country. Again, I like the place.
were all going to say goodbye and go our separate ways.
The Smorgasbord lunch was superb, I'd like at least to joke about the place or people, like our
cold meats, potatoes, salads, pasta, little Pit Bull lady, but I can't. Although we had organised
chicken followed by a Christmas sweet, our club visit with the owner, the place was a disaster. As I
cheese, biscuits and coffee. A good said at our club night review of the day "Don't bother to go
value at $15 a head. The lady had told there unless you want to feel depressed." So the day unforme when we had lunch there a few tunately spluttered to an end. But what fine driving and
weeks earlier that we wouldn't complain what good food the Wairarapa has to offer. Taken all in all
if she organised it for us, and she was the day might not have quite made the 55 but it was a good
right. Although on the day she did get a 51 ---- and "I'm happy".
February 2004
29
j
The ·.5\nk.Ce 13iteisCoCumn
I!
I
"
I just have to start off my column
with a comment about the recent
covers of the new magazine.
There a probably quite a few
commercially
produced
magazines that could learn a bit
about how to photograph a
vehicle(s) for the cover of a
magazine. The rest of the
magazine was a credit to the
contributors. Well done, great.
to help finance my next project
it has to look better than it did.
This time I will be using proper
chassis paint bought from one
of our advertisers. I will let you
know how I find applying it and
any problems I encounter. It's
called 'Chassis Black' and is
made by an Aussie firm called K
& H Surface Technologies, sold
locally by Total Bodyshop
Supplies.
bolts onto a 1989-97 T-Bird
Cougar Sport Coupe. The end
result is actually quite good. You
can check it out for yourself if not
able to view the pamphlet at the
next meeting on their web site
at - www.easyrods.com
It was with interest that I read an
article about fuel injection from
our northern member one Mr
Phil Bradshaw in the Jan-Feb
Issue of Sports Car Talk, the
I hope you all had a good break
over the Christmas/New Year This next little snippet of magazine of The Sports Car
period and are now raring and information is not for everyone Club of NZ. Now I'm sure
ready to produce more but those who have an interest whether this is a new article or
entertaining articles for this even in the American Hot Rod type one that may have run in our own
more readable and informative vehicles - even if only to magazine previously since Phil
magazine. You should also be appreciate the engineering that has been quite a prolific
contributor to our magazine in
fired up and ready to tackle even goes into them.
the past. I've copied out part 1
the most daunting tasks on your
We have received a pamphlet and will wait for part 2 in the next
projects.
from a company in the United magazine. I had not been that
I finally got inspired enough States who are producing what interested in EFI in the past but
recently to finish removing the A- they term - 'It's a cool and radical over time I have been won over
arms off my Leitch. A few of the way to build a hot rod. Blend old by all the advantages of fuel
nuts can be very awkward to and new with our fibreglass injection. Since I will be retaining
remove with the radiator and components'. Now although it's the fuel injection on my next
engine in place. I then had to not a new idea, they have put an projects motor I really should
start removing the deteriorating interesting slant on the whole read a bit about it so it is not such
hammerite paint. Ever notice idea of adding fibreglass parts a mystery to me.
how it will fall off if you want it to to an existing vehicle. Normally
stick but can be very persistent you take an older vehicle and try That's all from me for this month,
in clinging on until you have and make it look newer and happy building.
really broken out into a sweat. more exotic. These guys
Not quite sure why it has pitted produce a 1949-51 Ford Single Cheers, The Ankle Biter.
in places but if I am to sell it soon Spinner front and rear kit that
Visit our website
www.almac.co.nz
Box 4()483, Upper Hutt, Ph/Fax 04 528·8680
30
Spare Parts
-,-
l
A somewhat belated Happy New
Year to one and all. After a hectic
2003
beavering
away
congratulations are in order to
Don Flowers, Roy Hoare and
Dave Bray all of whom have
managed to get their respective
projects on the road over the
Christmas I New Year period.
Also not far away is Ross
Bridson who hopes to have his
Morgan replica ready by Skite
night. It seems a little like waiting
for a bus. Nothing happens for
an age and then all of a sudden
four come along at once. I'm
pretty sure that there is an
arcane branch of chaos theory
that explains such phenomena
but I'll let the mathemeticians in
the club work out which one it is.
I'm also aware that there are a
few other cars not so very far
away in the pipeline. Sadly mine
isn't one of them with hold ups
on the front suspension still
continuing.
In the meantime I've been
experimenting with creating a
grille and roped in Ian Macrae to
lend his technical prowess. As
February 2004
Ian Macrae will tell you it's not it. Hmmm back to the square bar
been the easiest process in the and Ian talks to a man who can
world. Initially the plan was to soften it. This is where we come
construct a set of V shaped bars to the crunch - cost of bar plus
from brass sheet with concave softening is in excess of $200.
What if it doesn't work? Do I risk
bends at both ends.
the money or put it towards a real
Sadly once the V-shaped bend one. Bit of a tough call so I'm still
had been put into the sheet it pondering. In the mean time
was sufficiently work-hardened anyone with a bright idea please
as to want to bend no more. OK, let me know.
we thought we'll use square tube
however the local supplier said Finally - the believe it or not
there was no demand any more section: After reviewing the state
so they didn't stock it. Next plan of the club funds the committe
- square brass bar which we has decided to recommend a
dutifully shaved the edges off in reduction (Yes, we do mean
order to get a nice V profile. This reduction) of the annual subs
went OK and things were looking from $50 to $40. For those who
hopeful until we put it into the are interested this has come
bending jig where upon it broke about for two reasons:
- of course there's no demand
for soft brass bar so all the 1) Reduced magazine costs
supplier had was half hard. At now we are being assisted in the
this point I considered fabricating magazine production by
the grille in wax and using the Dynapack.
lost wax process to get it cast. 2) In order to run at a slight loss
After all wax is nice and easy to and so reduce the excess
form. Yes says the local casting amount of club funds. This
man but it also flops around all proposal will be put to the
over the place on something as membership at the AGM in April.
flimsy and large as a grille. Do
you self a favour he says, forget
31
ItaCy
13 -
Day 31 Sunday 11 August Grandson (mid afternoon)
I '
I
[The story so far ... four weeks
in Italy have been followed by a
trip to Geneva where I caught up
with my friend Jean-Pierre and
his wife Francois. On the second
day with JP we visited the Sbarro
exhibition in his lakeside country
house, and having just left there
mid-afternoon - read on ... ]
We leave Grandson driving
away from the lake into the
rolling landscape with a
backdrop of low tree-clad
ranges, and rejoin the
expressway on the outskirts of
town.
JP asks, "Do you want to see my
De Tomaso? It is near here."
"Ooh, yes please" I respond.
The drive back to Geneva is
going to be an hour or more
anyway, and somewhere along
the way we leave the
expressway and travel down
some country roads, sealed but
without verges or centreline, and
cut through rolling pasture, much
of it long golden stalks of hay or
wheat(?). It must be a country
road as it turns here and there
for no apparent reason.
II
j
"Here we are" announces JP as
we crest a low rise and approach
a farmhouse sitting in the base
of a shallow bowl. The house is
large and single story with a tiled
roof, some 50 metres back down
a flat driveway from the road.
The two large farm-sheds sit at
right angles to the house on the
far side of a broad parking area
at the end of the drive.
The further shed is typical of an
32
a.k.a. SwitzerCand3
NZ farm, without doors on one
face, farm vehicles parked under
the shelter of the roof -·1
remember two tractors at least
with space for four or so large
vehicles.
Asking what was underthe other
covers JP proceeded to remove
them to reveal the TRs. But it
was obvious where his passion
was - as there was far less to
say on these (and they were both
worn and in disrepair, although
The nearby shed is small and tidy enough to be an easy
while the front is open it is deeper project) - and his attention
and there is more variety of quickly returned to the Pantera.
clutter in there.
The farmer arrived and took
Having parked on the driveway some interest in who was
JP, Francois and I exit the car mucking around in his shed - yet
and walk into this nearby shed. once he recognised JP and they
JP heads for the far left side passed a few words he quickly
against the wall, where several left us to it.
objects site on the otherwise
clear floor, with canvas covers Having pulled the covers back
over the cars we departed over them.
returning to the expressway and
JP had mentioned to me when on to Geneva.
he was in NZ that he owned, or
had owned (one was never sure "Now I would like to take you to
of precise detail with JP being a see a friend of mine", says JP,
French speaker with somewhat "He also makes models, and I
broken English), several sports am sure you will enjoy his
cars. He listed a Pantera, a 911, collection."
a TR4 and a TR6. I had gathered
that, being an apartment dweller, JP goes on to explain that this
he had arranged storage out fella's passion is Formula 1, but
he focuses on the articulated
somewhere in the countryside.
trucks that the teams use to
The first cover to come off was transport there cars and their
the Pantera - wow! The car was gear from place to place. (Yesin need of some attention, but takes all sorts!) JP formed a
this was minor. A good cut and friendship with him after meeting
polish would make it look a him at a model-makers
and
having
million dollars and there was convention
some minor mechanical issue established that JP had many of
waiting to be resolved someday. the Formula 1 cars - JP has
The tomato red colour was very constructed for himself a
'70s as were the large radial complete set of all of the team's
tyres. It, like the other cars, had Formula 1 cars for each year of
been
purchased
for a the competition since the mid
remarkably reasonable price '80s.
In addition he had
quite some time ago when it was replicated this collection on a
'wearing out' and in need of paid commission basis for
repair, and before it became another collector - and in the
'collectible' .
course ofthese activities he had
also accumulated a good
Spare Parts
l
Playboy's playmate of the year from the June 72 issue with her
Pink Pantera
"It's
absolutely
fantastic," says Liv
Lindeland from Norway
ofthe $10,000 LincolnMercury De Tomaso
Pantera, one of her
many Playmate of..the
Year prizes. "It'll be
great for driving around
Los Angeles, but I really
can't wait to take it to
Palm Springs. [often
head out there when I
have a weekend away
from the studios. If only
they'd hike the speed
Ii m it on the San
Bernadino Freeway, I
could make it in halfthe
time, because the
Pante>ra will go up to
150 miles an hour."
Extract courtesy of
Playmate June 72 issue
No title needed - Pantera rear view
Not JPs car - but just to remind you what a Pantera looks like
February 2004
33
number of extra and duplicate
(triplicate?) models. It was these
spare models that he sold or
traded to his friend.
In dense suburbia we pull up to a
two-storey block of units that
looks like it was from the '60's
with a large central entrance, lots
of glass and varnished wood
slatted walls. We have rung
ahead to make sure that he is in,
and we go straight to his
apartment door. When the door
opens he greets JP warmly, and
is introduced to me (no, I don't
remember his name!). He steps
back into the confined space and
we join him inside the apartment.
The unit bedsit arrangement, with
a large single room, an alcove to
the side with the kitchen in it, and
a separate toilet/laundry. But
there is no real room to move!
The walls on three sides are
shelving, floor to ceiling, and on
the fourth side at the front under
the windows is a large workbench
littered with cardboard, paper, PC
and printer, brushes, glue and
bits of model. Down the centre
of the room is more broad
shelving, around six foot high,
with cupboards in the base.
There is a not-so-generous
space to move around in, and
the room has the feeling of a
storeroom.
As noted this man is into trucks.
Along all of the shelves are rows
of articulated trucks, all
distinguished by their individual
bright team colours. They are
arranged by year - and if the
team has two trucks (e.g. Ferrari)
then there are two trucks on
display. Interspersed with the
trucks are the Formula 1 cars,
sitting in front of their team truck,
sometimes with figurines of the
drivers also.
On the large central unit is a
34
Ferrari Trucks at Home
Team trucks backed up to the pits in the paddock
at a Formula 1 event
diorama. It is the pits and starting grid of Monza (?) for some
particular year (which escapes me). In the centre of this model
along its length is the two-storey building that is the pits, complete
with service crews in pit lane. In front of pit lane, beyond the
concrete crash-barrier, is the starting grid, with all the cars sitting
in position waiting for the start, the starting lights and advertising
hoardings surrounding them. Seating on top of the pits is crowded,
the crowd scenes being photographs pasted into the banks of
seating - but it is difficult to spot any repetition in the people
depicted. On the other side of the building is the truck park. Here
all the trucks are backed up to the individual team's service bays and there is the line-up of trucks for that year, with the occasional
truck-driver or team crew-member figurine dotted around them. It
is a work of many, many hours.
Above this diorama is the half complete works of the next one.
Same idea, pits, cars and trucks, a complete scene of the start of
the race.
In the cupboards are bits: figurines, wheels, mechanical parts,
balsa, kitsets of the tractor units - all manner of things.
Spare Parts
And magazines. Magazines of
trucks and of Formula 1. A
magazine is shown to me of the
basis of the new diorama pictures published of the pits
and crews and truck park (yes!)
and starting grid - all they
activity of the day. Our host
bemoans the difficulty with
timing these photos, as all too
often the trucks come and go,
or the angle obscures the view
of some of trucks or worse,
hides them completely!).
The conversation moves to the
collection of photos for oneself
-attending Grand Prix events
and cruising the truck park (or
as close as one is allowed) and
photographing what is there. Or
staking out the motorway on the
day the teams depart for or
arrive at an event, and
photographing them as the
pass. Or staking out the
favourite truck-stop along the
route and waiting for the teams
to arrive for a rest-break.
The Arrow team truck, and Renault beside
smoothing edges.
The discussion revolves on to the availability of these models
commercially - with many of the trucks being made commercially
and sold through catalogues and model conventions. But this does
not satisfy the true collector, as the detail is sometimes not right,
and the less popular or less successful teams are sometimes omitted
from the offerings. Everybody wants to know about the Ferrari team,
but in comparison how many are Toyota team fanatics?
Then more explanation of the
desire for a complete
photographic record. Not only
does it help with being sure of And if your flat is full of models where do you live? Well, upstairs of
the full compliment of models to course, in fact in the apartment directly above, which is a little larger.
be made - but it also helps with The workshop was previously elsewhere, but when this small unit
the detail on each individual came up for rent, the wife agreed that it would be a good idea truck, and in particular with the closer to home, and while she still doesn't see hubby much there's
sign-writing detail. I am told that more chance of it when he's just downstairs.
the advent of computer graphics We take our leave in the late afternoon and return to JPs flat for
programs have made a great dinner. Plans are made for the following day when we will depart
difference to this hobby. The for France, travelling west across the border, then heading north to
sign-writing is now often applied Mulhouse and the Schlumpf collection, then east again crossing
as a transfer to the square f1at- back into Switzerland to Zurich, where my plane home leaves in
sided trailer unit using transfers three days from now.
printed from the computer using
an inkjet printer and special Dinner, home to the hotel, channel surfing 20 or so channels of
transfer paper. The image is mixed French and German language TV (there was nothing on), a
often scanned from a photo - sleep and already it is morning again ...
and these are rarely able to be
Day 32 Monday 12 August - Geneva. JP and Francois arrive in
taken square on to the vehicle,
their 3-series Beemer to pick me up from the hotel early, and we
so they are stretched and pulled
are off to the centre of town.
to be made square then tidied
up removing shadows, cleaning I know I keep mentioning this but. .. JP has listened to me express
up door shut-lines, and my great attraction to the Chrysler Atlantic show-car model that I
February 2004
35
i
Tlte real Cltrysler Atlantic sltowcar - not a model!
saw in Riva del Garda two weeks
ago - I regret not buying it to
some small degree. JP has yet
another friend that owns a model
store specialising in vehicles (car
and truck models) in the centre
of town. JP has spoken to him
and confirmed that he has one
of these 1/18 scale die-cast
Atlantics on the shelf. At 8:45am
we are parked outside the shop
in one of the central city streets.
It is busy, with the four-Ianed
street carrying buses and other
central city traffic on this normal
work-day. Yet JP confidently
parks the car illegally outside the
door of the shop in the clearway
- only to discover that no-one is
there yet. After a moments
debate we head across the road
to a cafe opposite where we a
greeted by the typical waiter,
black jacket, white shirt and
white cloth draped over one arm,
tray in hand. It the cafe provides
table service and is somewhat
like a hotel dining room, you can
order cereal for breakfast here,
or cooked breakfast, or just
coffee as we do.
A couple of minutes later a fellow
walks through the door and
36
greets JP on seeing him. It is
the store-owner arrived for work,
coming to get his morning coffee
first. He stops and talks with us
for several minutes before
leaving to cross the street and
open up. We finish our coffees
and follow him five minutes later.
ofthe races (or racetracks) being
just down the road. And the odd,
special and one-off type cars are
represented here too. Such as
my Chrysler Atlantic, and other
rarities that it would take a
special enthusiast to appreciate
and purchase.
The shop is everything that a After struggling with my more
specialist car model store is practical and frugal side I
anywhere in the world. There purchase the Atlantic, but not
are shelves stretching high up before having thoroughly
the wall and display stands in the scanned every shelf from end to
middle with little room to get end for half an hour. Now all I
around them. There are rows of have to do is somehow pack this
models in all scales, with a vast large box in my luggage.
array in the 1/18 th and 1/43 rd Remember I am travelling with
ranges.
The models are a pack, and I have already
somewhat sorted by genre - managed to purchase a cuckoo
there are classic, 50's, modern, clock for my daughter, which, in
pre-war, sport, Formula 1, show- a carton with the volume of shoecar,
hot
-rod,
trucks, box, has displaced my
construction, fire appliances, everything else in my pack,
farm vehicles ... so much!
pushing my clothing into the odd
shaped corners of the pack as
Perhaps the difference to here this box occupies the centre. A
in NZ is that the variety has just model in a carton will not fit in as
a little more depth. For example well!
the Formula 1 models are a
complete range of all the racing
teams, and I guess it reflects the
greater population and closer Time to go ... France awaits ...
following that results from some
Spare Parts
·It wastfiat time of year aaain t
Dave & CaroleFrost
Carole and I always enjoy this
time of year, if for no other
reason than the invites we get
to take Camilla out to various
charity functions.
It started weekend of 29.11
when we drove down to the
British High Commissioner's
residence at Homewood
House in Karori, this was for
a "Save The Children" open
house day. We travelled down
from the coast in convoy with
a mate and his "74 Roller".
The first couple of people we
met at "Homewood" was Ross
Church, who was a big part
of the organizing team (who
else organizes charity
functions harder or better than
Ross). Next we met up with
Ian Price and the ever
gorgeous "va DAME", the
weather was perfect and the
company fantastic. Better still
was the news that the day
attracted over 1,000 people
and raised near to $17, 000 for
"Save The Children". Next
year I feel sure we will we
honored with the appearance
of a BRG "Jag 120" replica
owned by Dave and Sandra
Bray.
On the afternoon of the
following Tuesday we were
asked to take Camilla down
to Korori again. This time we
had to deliver the Deputy high
Commissioner, who was
dressed as Father Christmas,
plus his little helper to the
children's Christmas Party.
So our next outing was
Sunday 7/12, when I had to
February 2004
37
dress up this time, no the rumors
are not true, it was in male gender
as Farther Christmas and as you
can see I have a little buddy with
me, well maybe not so little, Carole
as "BOBO BUNNY", call me forward
thinking if you like, but 'Bring On
Easter'
Dave & Carole Frosty's
SAKER CARS
Saker Sprint
Saker SVI
By TURNBULL ENGINEERING
P.O. Box 9, Bunnythorpe, Manawatu, New Zealand
Phone/Fax: 06 329 2923
web site: http://www.sakerears.com
e-mail: [email protected]
38
Spare Parts
....
Borrowed from Cars.& Car Conversions magazine of December 1966.
Subscribers will have noticed that C&CC ceased publication with effect
from the October 2003 edition, and its website no longer responds.
February 2004
39
~,
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I
I
!II"I
ivl'l
• ii!
I" !"I'I'
1J(ood; Sweat
t'
Ii'
, III
ana Tyres
II
II
,ii,'
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:1
It had been our goal ever since
our good placing at the Hanmer
Rally this year, to compete in the
Westland Rally, partly because
of the great roads, partly
because the rally would take us
past the front door of my coconspirator's Mother. I guess
that's as good a reason as any.
Firstly, here is a little about the
car itself. As you can see from
the picture, outwardly it looks like
a pretty standard 1979 Honda
Accord 3-door. If you look a little
closer things are not quite what
they seem. As a confused
Hokitika local pointed out during
a service "There's no engine in
the front". Instead, sitting where
the back seat used to be is a
1600cc
VTECH.
The
transmission is as you would find
it in a front wheel driven car, but
the gear ratios have been
adjusted to make sure that we
use the engine to its optimum.
Under the bonnet at the front we
have the radiator, fuel cell and a
wing to direct the air out of the
top of the bonnet.
Honda
The Westland Rally was the
final, and championship deciding
round for the Mainland Rally
series. We had only done one
other round of the series, so we
were not in contention for overall
points, but after our recent good
showings, and John's second
place overall in his club's annual
points, we were hoping for a
good class placing. This year's
event comprised of 365Km,
105km being made up of eight
special stages.
We started off in the pouring rain
from Greymout~. The first tour
was pretty straightforward and
Inside, it's a pretty basic set up,
two race sets, with the required
harnesses, roll cage and a left
hand side mounted speedo and
tripmeter. It's not an ideal rally
computer, but it gets the job
done.
The Honda needed a bit of work
in the lead up to the event, as
John lost a wheel competing in
a sprint and had to put some
huge nights in to get everything
working happily again. I felt a
little guilty just flying down for the
event instead of being there to
help sort the car out, so many
thanks to him for all the hard
work.
40
Engine Bay
Spare Parts
we pulled up to the first stage
with five minutes to go until our
clock in time. I was given a little
surprise while waiting at the time
control, we were told that the
stage was starting early and we
were the next car and due to start
in 1 minute. This just isn't how
rallies work usually, and we had
a bit of a rush to get our helmets
on, set the tyre pressures and
line up, again, not what you need
before the start of Stage 1.
By this time, the West Coast was
living up to its reputation, it was
hosing down. We were given a
supplementary note that a ford
was running at 300mm deep,
rather than 100mm as in the
route book, and we were off. The
road had not been used on a rally
since the Heatway years, and
went through from Notown Road
towards Lake Brunner; a 22Km
run through the hills described
as "Fast start, very unpredictable
to tricky fords to downhill to open
country road. Very fast with the
odd tricky corner."
Engine bay
The road had cut up and lots of
jagged rock had been exposed,
which about 4km in caused our
first puncture in a long time. We
passed two other cars already
changing tyres in the same spot,
so we weren't the only ones to
have to get out in the rain.
Another 4km down the road we
came to the ford previously
mentioned. It turned out to be
more like 700 - 800mm deep
and had washed a car away
earlier. The only reason we got
through was the driver ofthat car
was pointing us to the shallower
part to the right (many thanks to
him for standing in the rain and
helping us).
I
This ford had proved a major
headache further up the field,
when a car was almost washed
away ("My wallet was floating up
February 2004
I
: I
I
Inside Left
41
by my knees ... "). Fifteen cars
had been backed up behind the
ford before we came through.
This means that the first car to
the ford after it was blocked had
lost 15 minutes on the road
through no fault of theirs. This
is not what you need on the first
stage!
II
on the start line would not let us
start the stage. After querying the
situation through the assistant
Clerk of Course, we were
allowed to complete the stage,
and therefore stay in the rally, but
were instructed to follow the
sweeper through and were given
an estimated time. Two stages
in and not having a quick time
on the scoreboard is not
something that John and I are
used to. I think touring through
the stage, while it didn't do our
overall times any good, was
good settling down time. It
allowed John to regain focus on
the whole event, rather than two
stages. After all, competing in a
rally is a true endurance event,
it doesn't matter how fast you go,
unless you are there to cross the
finish at the end of the day.
.
By the start of stage 3, Mitchells
a 17.72km test described in the
book as "Classic stage". "Fast
start to tight twisting centre to
tricky brows to fast finish". We
were starting to get back in the
groove. The car was on song,
and the song of a VTEC singing
loud and proud through a very
short exhaust is something to
hear. We were running next to
last on the road, but the road was
hard packed and had not cut up
at all, and although it was still
hosing down with rain there was
plenty of grip.
then tumbling into 7.5m of water.
Clinton had made it out pretty
quickly, but on reaching the
surface had realised that Kevin
had not surfaced, and went back
down to try and find him. Kevin
had tried to get out through the
back of the car, which was on its
front at the time, was not able to
and had to find his way back
through to the front of the car
and out the driver's door. He had
been under for 2 minutes by this
time (now, hold your breath for
two minutes while finding your
way through a dark room to see
what this is like). I am pleased
to report that the guys were both
ok, although the car was more
than a little soggy once it was
retrieved with the help of two
divers and a crane. I have to
admit; going upside down into
water is my greatest fear while
racing.
There were some very tight
corners and narrow bridges, but
we kept moving through the
stage at a good rate of knots. On
the side of lake Brunner we
passed a crew standing on the
side of the road, dripping wet,
wrapped in blankets and not a
We got to stage 2 after using 20 car to be seen. ClintonAnderson
minutes of lateness (we had a and Kevin McCaughey had gone
total of 30 minutes of lateness with their almost brand new
to use before exclusion from the lancer Evo 6.5 into the lake, first
rally) with one car behind us. For hitting a rock with the front ofthe
an unknown reason, the officials car 2m down underwater, and
From there we toured toward
Kumara
and
the
Old
Christchurch Road, which is one
of the best bits of road I have
ever competed on. The sun was
coming out and the car was
screaming, it was a fantastic
feeling. The road started off quite
windy and tree lined, but soon
opened out to wide sweeping
corners and blind brows on a
country road.
A little further down the track we
had a second puncture, not good
when you have only one spare,
and you still have about 10km of
the stage left, followed by a
further 1Okm to the service park.
The young guys that we had
servicing
for
us
were
experiencing their first rally as
crew, and had only three hours
sleep the night before after
enjoying the local nightlife (no,
not the possums, the country
pub down the road). For anyone
who has not service on a rally, I
can assure you that it is just as
strenuous as competing. You are
always rushing against the clock
to be in the right place at the right
time, and these guys were
fantastic! Unfortunately, their cell
phone had run out of juice, so
we had no way of contacting
them once we cleared the stage
in last place on the road. We
made it about half the way to the
service on the flat before we lost
the tyre completely, and were
just getting out to put the other
flat tyre back on so we could
keep going, when we saw a most
beautiful sight appearing out of
the mist and rain, the guys had
come looking for us! Out into the
rain again for a quick tyre
change and off to the service
pack for a fuel top up, and check
over of the car.
42
Further on, we got on to a
beautiful long, long straight, and
were doing 180km/h, when we
found a member of the public
coming towards us! That was a
sphincter clenching moment I
can assure you. The loser had
moved a tree trunk that was
blocking a side road and driven
past all the signs. I hope he was
fined and lost his licence, as I
know that he was stopped at the
start control. Idiots like this
simply do not belong on the road.
At the next service park at
Spare Parts
...
Hokitika we caught the attention
of some of the locals who
tracked us down after seeing us
earlier in the day, and were a little
surprised at what they found in
the back seat.
We toured back to service to
top up with fuel, and off to a
short hill stage, only 8km long.
Unfortunately half the field had
to tour through as the official
were having radio problems at
the finish line. Disappointment
The next stage was an 11 km run
was repeated on the next
around Lake Kanerie. It was the
stage, a repeat run around
first regroup of the day so we
Lake Kanerie, for 15
finally got back to the correct
competitors including us. The
place on the road. All fired up for
stage was cancelled as the
he start we took off. The stage
organisers had run out of road
was describes as "Tight, twisting
closure time. As we had
stage. Do not drop off without
already lost two stages at the
your togs. Fast finish on country
start of the day, it was quite
road". We carried way too much
upsetting to have this happen,
speed off one of the straights into
but such is life. We were
a still wet corner and had a very
assured that we would be able
close look at the lake. John
to compete at the next stage,
managed to persuade the car
which was also the final
away from the edge on the right,
special stage of the rally. It was
but we ran into the ditch on the
a run through the Old
left. We were soon on the way
Christchurch Road again, but
again with only our pride
in reverse direction. This put
damaged. Of course, we had
the smiles back on our faces.
had the moment right in front of
We flew through the stage,
a group of spectators. The rest
luckily remembering the one
of the stage was incident free
blind brow that had a tight
and very fast with some very
corner after it. The sun was
long straights. An awesome
still out, and spectators were
piece of road, I wish we had a
everywhere in the stage taking
camera in the car.
pictures and waving us on. It was
great!
From there we toured back to the
finish at Greymouth and into a little
controversy. I couldn't understand
why we were not listed in the
preliminary results, and was
assured by the hard working
Competitor Liaison Officer that it
would be sorted out. An hour later
I returned to find that we had been
listed as DNF, which came as a bit
of a shock as the car was, as I
pointed out to the official, sitting
right outside the window! They took
this onboard, and we were back in
the classification.
We ended up fourth in our class, a
finish that I was very happy with,
especially as we had expected to
be out after the first stage. Out of
the 59 cars that started the day,
39 finished.
Our thanks go to our sponsors,
MagnumMac (Thanks Murray!), to
our hard working Service Crew
(Nathan, Sean and Brett) and to
our spouses for letting us have a
fun weekend away.
New Member
The Constructors Car Club warmly welcomes
the following new member:
Chris Collins:- One Seater Wellington (ph 473-0252)
E-Mail:
Chris intends to build a sigle seat open cockpit, closed body car which he want s to
use for sealed hill climbs. Possibly running a motorcycle engine. He has always wanted
to build a complete car and the icing on the cake will be the fact that it is his own
design.
February 2004
43
.....•..•.....••.
·0···························
Letters 'Receivea
FLATTERY
Dear Sir
Welcome back Richard. Your
membership form is in the post.
Just read the copy of the latest
magazine and what a fabulous
surprise to see the McLaren
Flyer enclosed. Thank you so
much, it's just great -I was quite
speechless!!
Please pass our thanks on to all
concerned.
SEVEN Problems
All the best for a great Christmas
and a wonderful New Year.
Just wondering if you could help
me. I have been perusing the
Regards,
Jan McLaren
Wellington
constructor club website.
Dear Sir
supply many bits.
Obviously the top of the range
Do you have any suggestions on
cars are the Fraser cars from
where I could go or who I could
Auckland:
contact (email preferably)
http://www.Fraser.co.nz
regarding questions about
but you need a fairly large
MORE of the Same
building a lotus seven style car
wallet :-).
from scratch - in NZ! I am
Dear Sir
having real problems finding info I also drop into a site that a
Top of the morning to you.
on donor cars which New fellow club member showed
Zealanders have cheap and me for info:
Well, what can I say about the abundant access to (i.e.
http://www./ocostbui/ders.co.uk
CCC Club's magazine other than Japanese imports).
it truly is the best club magazine
Above all join a club, because
I've seen by far. In my days of Any
help
or
direction every problem you have
President and after that, appreciated.
someone has had and solved.
Secretary I get to see most if not
Peter
Enjoy yourself and feel free to
all such magazines.
[email protected]
get back in touch.
Regards
Peter,
Cheers
Warwick Chandler
Glenn
Murray
Dunlop Targa NZ
There are quite a few replica
Lotus Sevens being built by
companies and individuals at
Dear Sir
present. I am building from the
Ron Champion book at present
A while back I was a member of but am using a variety of other
the Constructors Car Club, but sources both for information and
then let my membership lapse. parts.
However, I would now like to
rejoin and wondered if you could I am using a standard Escort
tell me how. I am most (albeit a van) as my donor
interested in replicas and attach vehicle, front suspension parts
a picture of my 32 Ford NB4 from
Ian
McGregor
roadster.
(Christchurch)
at http://
www.mcgregormotorsport.co.nz.
Best Regards,
he builds very nice cars and can
Richard Buchanan
MODEL A Roadster
44
SEXUAL Misconduct
Dear Sir
I am wondering what the CCC
has come to that our monthly
magazine has sunk to casting
nasturtiums against the good
reputations of ballet inspiring
wafer-fowl. I am referring of
course to the allegations of
trans-species
congress
mentioned on page 5 of Sparse
Parts.
Spare Parts
I
,d
Iii
P.S. Ganders are male geese, a
male swan regardless of his
morality is a 'cob'.
John Hill
Wellington
[email protected]
Thank God for the astute readerand we thought it might be lost on
our audience.
And you will be pleased to know
that the magazine has taken a
proactive approach to the
improvement of editorial quality an increase in budget funding will
see us move from casting
nasturtiums as we do currently to
casting sunflowers next month and
hopefully rose petals by the end of
the year...
Regards Grant Major
KIT car enthusiast
Dear Sir
My name is Ben Murdoch. I'm 14
and I live in Christchurch and I was
trying to find out about getting a kit
car to build but I don't know much
about getting kit cars and I was just
wondering if you could help me out
Yours sincerely
Ben Murdoch
Christchurch
[email protected]
What other benefits do you
get from joining this club.
Sorry for so many questions
its just that I don't know where
to start!!
Thanks for any help you can
offer as it will be most
appreciated.
Mark Lockley
Christchurch
Mark. [email protected]
The world of home built cars
is enormous from those that
build cars from scratch
those that buy a kit in a box
with all the parts, to those that
buy somebody else's finished
or partly finished project.
to
Where do you start? Well that
is easy. If you send me your
land address I will send you a
membership pack, which tells
you the process to follow, and
how to go about building a car.
It will also include a
membership form but there is
no obligation to join if you do
not see us fulfilling your
needs. Also it is a very good
idea if you can visit our
website
whkh
~
www:constructorscarc/ub.org.nz.
Not only does this site have
links to aI/ the New Zealand
manufacturers ofkit cars it has
details about members cars.
many of which are scratch built
(Specials).
Can we help? Definitely. No
matter what you decide to build
there will be people in the club
who have been down a similar
road and I should be able to
point you in the direction of
somebody that should be able
to assist you.
There is already a large
contingent of members in
Christchurch and committee
member Ron Stroud, who has
recently moved down there, is
thinking about getting a
Christchurch branch of the club
up and running.
FIAT Monster
Dear Sir
I am mechanical engineer from
Yugoslavia, and I am free to
show you my last project. The
car is based on the old FIAT 600
for very popular Hobby class
1600cc. Super 600 is Yugoslav
champion in class on circuit and
hill climbing for two years in
competition with Honda, Audi,
VW...
Sincerely yours
Dragan Jovanovich
Yugoslavia
[email protected]
Hello my name is Mark and I am
from Christchurch. I am looking at
buying or trying to build my own car
design. I basically would like to
know ,where do I start? In terms of
meeting all legal requirements
about making the car.
Can you help? Any information
regarding building my own car.
would be most appreciated. Also do
you have to be in the North Island
to become a member and if not
what does the membership cost.
February 2004
45
{jreetinesfromXabuf.
am writing from the
Gandamack Guest House in
central Kabul, just a few hundred
metres from the central shopping
area of Chicken Street.
Although you can't buy chicken
on Chicken Street you can on
Flowers Street which is just
around the corner. The actual
street I am on is Passport Lane,
and yes you can get passports
here, get the photographs too
from a man with a wooden box
camera set up with a stall just
outside.
The Gandamack is quite an
interesting place and a very good
guest house too. It consists of
a few houses around an
enclosed
courtyard well
protected from whatever may be
on the street outside. My room
would almost suffice for
permanent accommodation,
about 20 x15 feet and on the
corner of the house hence
having windows on two sides.
Out one window I can see the
lights on 'TV Mountain', actually
I do know the real name of this
rather rugged peak about 2 miles
from me but I could never hope
to spell it.
An ubiquitous East German oil still waiting for his money. The
stove keeps the place warm guest house is now operated by
although there is a faint scent of a journalist who was the one that
diesel oil permenting everything welcomed the SSC and
in here. Double glazing keeps international press as they
out what little noise there is. In 'liberated' Kabul in advanced of
fact the city is so quite at night I the Northern Alliance forces.
can easily hear the overheading
My work here is going well
airliners at 30,000 ft above us.
although I did loose my first two
For decoration I have some sort days through my bag that
of 20 string guitar which looks included needed materials not
quite old, wooden with ivory being forwarded at Dubai,
inlaid decoration. If anyone visits however the bag is here now but
me we can have a game of the new PCs that I am supposed
chess on the ivory chess board, to configure, install and train on
it looks like ivory and is obviously are yet to be seen.
of not recent manufacture.
The trip here involved four flights
The guest house lounge area two of them rather long, about
seats about 8 folks on over- 12 and 10 hours each and with
stuffed sofas dominated by a big the necessary buffer times at
TV and a coffee table covered each transit point it was about
by a plethora of rernote controls, 35 hours from home to here (and
changing channels really does then another three days wearing
the same clothes).
require expert assistance.
The restaurant seats quite a few
and serves excellent meals from
a menu that changes every three
days. Decor in the common
areas is dominated by an
extensive collection of firearms,
these are not recentAK47s and
such like but products of Snyder
and Enfield from the century
before last. Of the 30 or so long
arms on display only about half
would be breech loaders. A
frequent evening diner is the
ambassador of a major country
we all know well.
I have a big bed which might
have seen some history
although nothing remarkable is
likely to happen there in the next
6 days. There is a small office
space with a rather smart leather
topped wooden desk topped off
with an ashtray made from some If you were to 'Google' ~ the
plastic thing which might have Gandamack I sure you would
been a small mine, it certainly turn up some interesting stories,
looks military enough. There is this was the Kabul house of Mrs
Internet to every room including Osama (the 4th). Apparently the
mine although the satellite link family left early one morning
is not fast it certainly is before the latest round of bombs
functional.
began to fall and the landlord is
46
Formalities at Kabul are
interesting, the plane arrives and
all passengers cram into a
grossly undersized room trying
to fill in arrival documents and
get processed at the various
immigration desks, yes there is
more than one desk but you
need to go through three of
them! That is for the people who
have valid visas and such like,
for those who have been here
before we know that all you need
to do is go to the office of the
border police commander, fill in
one form, pay the standard visa
rate ($30) and drink tea from his
office urn while he stamps the
passport, files a couple of papers
and chats about my previous
visits, then out of the office and
onto the street. So civilised
really! An hour or two later
passengers are still trickling
Spare Parts
--ii
through the orthodox channels.
When I first came here it was on
a chartered Cessna from
Pakistan which parked alone on
a huge concrete apron, the same
space is now constantly filled
with five or so products of
MessrsAirbus and Boeing. The
cavernous terminal building is
now grossly over stretched and
the car parking space is jammed
with 4WDs, buses and even
brand new Volga sedans. Of
course a number of the old
Volgas and Zaphorettes are here
too, some of the really older cars
(60's maybe?) are in remarkable
condition and I can only assume
that they have been stored away
while owners have been away
avoiding the last 15 years of so
of almost constant warfare.
Some things don't change,
although the Gandamack is on
a central city street there are
potholes that no normal car
could negotiate, and these holes
are getting bigger. Sewage still
flows through open drains to pits
that are emptied in the early
hours by stalwarts of society who
shovel it all into donkey karts and
spread it on vegetable fields.
Lunch at the office is a simple
affair, a metal plate of rice, a slab
of naan bread and usually
beans, pumkin or somesuch in
a sort of sauce. This appears to
be adequate and being what
everyone else gets one can
hardly complain, of course for
many it is their main meal of the
day and I suspect a principal
reason for many turning up to
work at all. I of course am lucky
and can get the gourmet stuff at
the Gandamackjust a few hours
later.
Kabnl-------....-------.....,..,.-....:-----.
0<
Google was searched and this is a litle bit of what was found - Ed:
"House rules at the Gandamack stated that only sidearms are permitted in the dining room,
so I got used to fmding stacks of rifles here and there. It had always been thus: Before
Jouvenal marched into town for the BBC as Kabul fell in 2001, this was an AI Qaeda safe
house, where Yemeni men used my own cement room, No.7, to store rocket-propelled
grenades. After just a few hours in my airless cell, the Gandamack began to feel more like
Guantanamo." (There is probably a good reason why John the author wears a beardhaving regard to his vocation)
February 2004
47
[email protected] .
eee elubSport
Here we go 2004. I hope everyone is enjoying the new format magazine. I am guilty of not being able
to cover everything that has been happening, but I am relying on contributions, so please send me an
email on whats happening with yourself or others. Contributions to this section are very welcome.
This section is to cover a calendar of events, reports on activities, snippets of info from other clubs,
news, developments of interest, upcoming events, funny happenings, - another words anything of
sporting or general interest.
A special thanks must go to Barry Styles F2 Sports Car Club photographer for his help. For those
down in the mainland, if you don't tell us, we can't print it - so look forward to hearing from you guys.
End of last year saw a number of our members competing at Taupo, Pukekohe, and Manfeild with
great success.
Anthony Moult - Gulf 7
Colin Young - Chevron Classic
Anthony Moult had an outstanding weekend at VVhitlakers Manfeild Classic Meeting but his unusual
corner entry above was spotted by our intrepid photographer Barry Styles. Anthony's resulting spin
saw a sheepish confession in the pits, but his enthusiasm saw his lap times tumble and his 1600
Push rod Ford embarrassed many high powered machines with several top ten results. Colin Young
also got everything together with several wins, a second and a third over the two days going home
with a big smile on his face with record lap times.
Bruce Tumbill - Saker Sprint
Bede Harris - Saker SVl
Success was also abundant at Taupo with Bruce Turnbull shown here leading a Caterham, a Hulson
F2 and a Piranha 7 on his way to more success. But how can you hold back Bede Harris in the Lexus
48
Spare Parts
V8 powered SV1, who drove like Micheal Schumacher, more wins at Taupo and Manfeild with some
outstanding drives, look forward to seeing how he goes with some more horsepower this season.
Barry however reports that in one race Bede and Paul Ingrams concept were swapping the lead lap
after lap when Paul spun at Coke. Now most people would button off and cruise to the finish but "oh
no !!" not Bede, pushing harder he drifted wide into the marbles, foot into it and around he went to, just
to let that certain little cheeky whitey in a JRM sneak through for the win.
John Mines - JRM
Ewart Allderson - Milli Cooper
34 years later and John Mines (our own Ken Smith) is still upsetting the F2 boys (not to mention
Bede), winning comes naturally to John although a few mechanical problems dogged him at Manfeild.
Ewart Anderson's V8 Escort still needs some attention, so out comes the Mini Cooper for some fun.
Well that s all for this month, John Mines JRM and his friend Craig Wylie in a Caterham are off to the
Ruapuna and Tlmaru Motorsport and Southern Classic Festival events weekends of 1st and 8th February,
So look forward to hearing about those events.
February 1
Canterbury CC KT & C Skope
Ruapuna
Canterbury CC
February a
South Canterbury CC Classic
Timaru
Sth Canterbury CC
February 15
Southland Sports CC Classic
Timaru
Sth Sports CC
February 21 - 22
F2 Sports Cars Round 4 TBC
Taupo
TACCOC
February 22
Manfeild Series/Champs
Manfeild
MCC
February 28 - 29
F2 Sports Cars Round 5
Pukekohe
Northern Sports CC
March 7
Pukekohe Series/Champs
Pukekohe
Northern Sports CC NZIGP
March 7
Manfeild Classic Meeting
Manfeild
MG Car Club Wgton
April 3
F2 Sports Cars Round 6 TBC
Manfeild
Central DistlClassic CC
NZ
va Tourers Championship
2003 - 2004
January/Feb 30 - 1
NZ va & Super Trucks
Manfeild
February 13 - 15
NZ va & Super truck Finals
Pukekohe
March 12 -14
NZ va semi finals
Taupo
April 2 -4
Nzva finals
Manfeild
February 2004
49
.'Buy,Se{{aitiiswap
Wanted or Wanted to Buy
Freebies
Has anyone for sale or would sell even loan a
48mm DCOE Weber Carbo They can phone me
or email me.
I have composed the following list of parts that are idea
for your projects that have been given to me. These
parts could be yours, all you have to do id ring me on
9779994 and come and get them.
Kind regards
Ewart Anderson
Ph 388-2929 hm 939-2100 wk
1.
2.
[email protected]
I need a strong axle with an LSD and discs for my
clubsport Escort project.
Any ideas or contacts?
I have one in the shed sourced from an unknown
Holden (probably Torana), but it is huge and
heavy, takes two hefty people to lift it!
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Cheers
NikJames
Ph 526-2584 hm
mailto:[email protected]
liP
Mitz sterion diff and half shafts
Nissan lepped rear end from disc to disc plus
set up wheels
Toyota steering column
Toyota steering rack
Nissan steering power rack and pump
Nissan steering column
Falcon disc and calipers
Pair 1987 sss Nissan front seats
Pair 1987 toyota front seats
Toyota stubs disc and capilers RWD
Toyota stubs disc and capilers CVs FWD
Nissan stubs disc and capilers CVs FWD
Come and get them
Regards, Gerald Lee
[email protected]
Fibreglass filler mixing trays. Use the lids and even the
sides of ice cream containers to mix fibreglass filler on. They
are cheap and disposable. Cut to the size required. (Workshop
Wally)
Fibreglass filler applicator:About the beat applicator for
filler on body panels is one of those very flexible broad bladed
knives used for flipping pikelettes. This will follow body panels
curves very nicely and put the filler on a thin smooth layer. At
a pinch ice cream container plastic could be used in a similar
way if cut to suit. (Workshop Wally)
Battery Cooling: Battery getting hot? Simply build a leak proof battery box and allow the
box to fill with water !I!! (This 'idea' courtesy of Alex McDonald)
Reliable Fasteners. VVherever possible use Nylock nuts. They are cheap and effective.
Do not use lock washers and to find out why not read the late, great Carroll Smith's book
Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook.. (Bob Needham)
Help: I a running out of my supply of hint and tip ideas. If you enjoy this column and find
it helpful and have a good idea of your own please send it to me. Thanks. Editor
50
Spare Parts
-'-
~rcyWairarapa04
Hi there fellow Motorsport fans. You may, or may not be aware, but, Hutt Valley Motorsport Club,
Kapiti Car Club, Wairarapa Car Club and Wellington Car club are running the Rally Wairarapa on the
19th June 2004. Therefore, the organisers ofthis event are currently seeking assistance from anyone
that is interested in helping out in this event. There are many jobs that need filling, so if yourselves,
friends or family are interested in helping out, I would love to hear from you. I can be contacted via email, or alternatively call me on (04) 977 5291 or 021 211 7524.
Thanks,
Stacey Taylor, Chief Marshal, Rally Wairarapa 04
Wellington Car Club, Wairarapa Car Club, Kapiti Car Club &
Hutt Valley Motorsport Club present:
RALLY AIRARAPA
J NE 19 2004
YOUR HELP IS NEEDEDIUn
THERE ARE HEAPS OF JOBS
THA T NEED TO BE FILLED
SO IF YOU CAN LEND A HAND
IT WOULD BE GREATLY
APPRECIA TED.
I
Contact Stacey T ayior (Hutt Valley Motorsport Club)
9n 5291 (home) or 021 2117524 (mobile)
For further info on the rally go to: www.railywairarapa.co.nz
February 2004
51
.J\({ in .J\ Syin .
Meta(yorming fry an Ot:a.:A.ge Process
By Ross Bridson
With the completion of my
scratch-built Morgan replica
getting closer by the day I knew
that over Christmas I would have
to devise a means by which I
could appropriately finish the
centres of my alloy wheels. To
date they have been but scantily
clad and rather rudely displaying
their navels (wheel bearing
covers) to the world. What I
needed was some nicely
polished wheel centre caps,
preferably as similar to the
original Morgan ones as
possible.
The wheels I am using are ex
Ford Falcon, (early '80's vintage)
which
are
not a
bad
representation of the Morgan
pattern, and I have seen at least
two cars around Waikanae
wearing them, complete with
centre caps. Hmmmm you're
thinking and believe me I was
tempted (for a split second)
especially when I spied one of
the vehicles had been rather
badly shunted. But in the end I
decided that I would rather not
have 'FORD" emblazoned on my
wheels. So, what to do?
The next option was to search
the net for after market caps.
And there were heaps of them all shapes and sizes and for all
manner of vehicles. Diameter
was the biggest problem. I had
to find a set with exactly the right
diameter for my wheels. And
then at last I stumbled on a set
being sold on 'ebay'. They were
new, the right diameter and even
looked close to the Morgan
pattern. Bingo! The auction had
5 hours to run (on Christmas day
would you believe), so out with
52
the process involves taking a
disk of annealed metal, spinning
it and at the same time applying
pressure to it so it flows over a
former. It's very similar in many
respects to clay on a potters
wheel. It's amazing to watch
metal flow like it does.
In my case the metal was 1.2mm
half hard aluminium sheet (offcuts of car body panels) which I
cut into disks and annealed with
the gas torch and soap routine.
(ie.e Rub sunlight soap across
the surface, and heat it until the
An undressed wheel
soap turns brown). If it is
the credit card, punched in the
annealed properly the alloy
numbers ... and then spied the
should make a dull thud when it
small print. "Only for sale in the
is hit rather than ring. Other
continental US". "Darn" or
metals such as copper and
words to that effect. So what to
brass can be spun as well. Even
do? Well, make them yourself of
stainless steel although much
course.
higher tool pressures are
So back on the web to learn how required apparently with
to spin metal in a lathe. I'd stainless. The disks can be cut
thought about this on and off and smaller in diameter than the
had a few sites in my favourites linear distance round the former
folder for future reference, found because the metal gets thinner
a couple of others including a as it flows around the former.
very useful tutorial and then it
The former itself can be of any
was out to the shed to give it a
rigid material that can be turned
go. That's the Kiwi way right?
easily. Wood is often used, but I
Well it's "my way" anyway.
had a steel block the right size
so
I used that. The shape of the
So I did, and I guess the results
cap
is like an upturned drinking
speak for themselves. If you
haven't ever tried this give it a tumbler so I turned the steel
go. It's actually fun and its not block to the right shape and
that hard to produce a slightly undersize. In fact getting
the diameter right was the
reasonable result.
biggest challenge of the whole
The following photos show the exercise since I had no idea how
essential elements of how I went much the metal would stretch. I
about it. I must confess that my had to get the finished cap so it
set-up was a bit crude cos I don't just slid inside the wheel centre
anticipate making a career out - too big and it wouldn't fit, too
of metal spinning. It simply small and it would be sloppy and
served the purpose. However, inclined to fall out. In the end I
Spare Parts
made the former too small and
had to weld an extra ring to it to
bring it back up to size.
To clamp the disk so it will spin
and not stop when pressure is
applied, a clamping block is
required. The disk is held
between this block and the
former when the lathe tailstock
live centre is tightened up. My
clamping block was shaped to
also enable the disk in the centre
of the cap to be pressed in my
vice. The former has a
corresponding dish in it for the
aluminium to be pressed into.
Worked like a charm.
Annealing a
blank
The next step was to true up the
disk as it tended to buckle during
the annealing process. This was
quite easy to achieve with a little
pressure to the outer edge.
Now we come to the fun part.
Forming the metal was done with
pressure against the disk with a
steel tool, held by hand, and
levering between a pin in the
lathe tool post and the spinning
metal. ( See the photo's). Quite
a lot of pressure is required,
hence the long tool. Mine was
made from a discarded attempt
at a steering shaft about 500mm
long shoved into a hole in a
length of large diameter
doweling. It finished up being a
bout a meter long, and was held
as per the photos with the
wooden end tucked up under the
armpit. It was actually very
controllable. The pro's advocate
a special tool rest in which a
number of holes have been
drilled to take a vertical pin. I just
used the existing tool post bolted
down and shifted the lathe
saddle when I needed to. (By the
way, mine is a metal working
lathe, but a wood working lathe
would be just as suitable). A
lubricant on the metal surface is
essential to avoid excess heat
February 2004
Form tooL former_ pressure block
and 4 blanks
Setup in the lathe. Note the blank is slightly warped.
53
However, a few important points
I discovered were these:
•
Ordinary jam sealing wax is
OK as a lubricant. Bees
wax and the other
alternatives mentioned in
the literature would
probably be better but I
didn't have any. The wax
on the metal made the
polishing
process
interesting though.
•
The correct movement of
the tool is from a point
below the pressure block
(at 6 O'clock position - not
at 3 O'clock as you might
expect) and sweeping
down across the spinning
disk/object.
•
It seems best to maintain
the unfinished metal in a
bell shape without letting
the outside edge curl back
on itself.
•
The metal needs to be
pressed firmly against the
former as you go. It is very
difficult to go back later and
reshape metal that wasn't
finished properly.
•
One annealing is sufficient
for the whole process (for
aluminium) provided nottoo
much pressure is applied in
Beginning the shaping process applying pressure to the metal
The wheel cap taking shape. Note the unformed metal
taking shape.
(and work hardening) and to give a good finish. Around 1000
rpm is the magic speed.
The end of the tool can take on a variety of forms according to
all the literature I read. Mine was simply shaped with grindstone
and file to be rounded on one side and nearly flat on the other.
It is supposed to be highly polished in order to give a good
finish to the surface of the metal. Mine could have been a lot
better but served its purpose.
For a description of the spinning process, it would be far better to read the tutorial on the web by an expert
(refer http://prl.stanford.edu/documents/pdf/spinning.pdf),
rather than for me to describe what I did.
54
Four finished wheel centre caps
ready for fitting
Spare Parts
.I.
one spot or the metal stretched too thin. I
destroyed my third cap when the metal
tore by getting it too thin and hard. I was
trying to impress my son by showing him
how easy it was - isn't that always the
way? "Pride goeth before a fall"
Just for those curious who want to know how I
attached the caps to the wheel so they don't
fall off or get pinched, I had thought about '0'
rings and such like but the grooves required
for those would be very difficult to incorporate
into the spun cap. So I simply made up an extra
ring of 3 mm x 9mm flat alloy (extrusion) and
pop riveted that inside the lip of the cap. Then
I drilled and tapped 3 holes around the
perimeter at an angle to vertical to take 3 set
screws. The angle was for 2 reasons. One to
enable the screws to be tightened more easily.
The other so the screws could bare on the inner
edge of the wheel centre groove and therefore
pulling the cap tight into the wheel as well as
keeping it locating it centrally (Clear as mUd?)
An appropriately dressed wheel
So there you have it. Metal spinning for rookies. It is easy and fun,so
find a suitable project and have a go. It only took me two whole days to
make 4 caps. You could do it in half the time I'm sure.
76 pages devoted to classic cars, grassroots Kiwi motor sport,
constructor's cars, hiliclimbsJ classic races and rallies, touring,
performance modifications and equipment.
SUBSCRIPTION OFFER FOR
"SPARE PARTS" READERS
Issue 13
now On Sale
In flU Good Bookstores
SAVE over 20% off the cover price.
$38 for 6 issues, postage included.
I
Contact us on the numbers be/ow.
Get Tarmac before it is out in the shops!
S7.95
New Zealands finest P
February 2004
55
Members Projects
'Daviti' J-farve"!/sliT40 - SCC!NZ Teen N'1fJnt visit to liT 40!NZ Lta
(Reprinted from Sports Car Talk October-November 2003)
It is an indication of sports car fans
infatuation with the GT 40 that there is
always a good tumout of club members
to any Tech Nite involving this iconic
car.
During our visit to Ecurie Lievre in
March 2003 David Harvey announced
that he had bought GT 40 Replications
from Phil Ware and was planning to
relaunch the car on to the world
market. Since that time a great deal of
effort and resources has been put into
making a world class product. GT 40
NZ Ltd has moved into the factory next
to AC Fibreglass who moulds the GRP
components for the car and have set
up a workshop to facilitate manufacture
and assembly. AC have been given the
task of reworking the tooling for the
body panels to ensure accuracy and
ease of fit up during assembly to
eliminate problems previously
experienced.
The original chassis jig has undergone
similar treatment to correct any
dimensional discrepancies and the
suspension and steering mounting
points have been computer analyzed
to give appropriate camber change and
eliminate bump steer. The space frame
has undergone small changes to
ensure maximum strength and to allow
easier fit up of all extemal and internal
body panels including the doors.
Another change is in the mounting for
the front and rear body units, these
were previously welded to
The current demonstrator car fondly called 8 Ball
orto reflect any customer feedback.
David Harvey is considering a
scaled up version, in response to
customer interest generated by to
production of the Anniversary model
by the Ford Motor Co. This will be a
welcome development to the larger
members of the population. At the
time of our visit two cars were being
readied for shipment to a distributor
in USA with several other orders
awaiting confirmation.
We must thank David Harvey for
allowing the SCCNZ to visit his
factory at very short notice. Check
out his web site www.gt40nz.com
Detail is precise right down
to the seats
the main frame but are now a bolt on
fixture to allow for ease of repair in case
of accident damage and in the case of
the rear to allow for alternative
transaxles, Porsche, Audi, Renault or
ZF.
Previous issues such as limited
headroom have been tackled by the
fitting of a folded steel floor plate
allowing the seat to be mounted lower
in the cockpit and the car is now
subjected to a continuous process of
improvement to resolve any problems
56
Doors which can only ever belong to a GT40
Spare Parts