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NEWSLETTER - MAY 2014

THIS IS THE PUBLICATION OF THE VETERAN CAR CLUB OF SOUTH AFRICA. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE COMMITTEE, THE EDITOR, OR THE CLUB. REGULAR GATHERINGS ARE HELD AT THE CLUBHOUSE, 21A VILLIAGE ROAD, KLOOF AS PER THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS PUBLISHED IN THIS NEWSLETTER.

Visitors are welcome in the care of a Member, and MUST be signed on by that member. Parking within the Clubhouse grounds is intended for Qualifying vehicles only. (30 years or older) at Bonnets-Up. Club Marshals are on duty to direct you on arrival. Modern vehicles should be parked next door at No. 20A Village Road. Parking at your own risk. Any late cancellations of social bookings will be charged for in full. SUBSCRIPTIONS ENTRY FEE: Couple: R300 Single: R300 LOCAL: Couple: R500 including SAVVA fees. Single: R350 including SAVVA fees COUNTRY: Couple: R400 including SAVVA fees. Single: R250 including SAVVA fees. JUNIORS: R50 HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS - FREE LIFE MEMBERS — R17 Plus R200.00 for printed Newsletter (Optional).

Banking details: Standard Bank - Hillcrest - Branch Code - 045726 Account Number - 051417421 Payments may be made by bank transfer or cheque. CASH AND CHEQUE deposits should include bank commissions. Please fax through proof of payment and name to 086 6145 217

OFFICE BEARERS 2014 / 2015

Cell: Home: (031) PATRON Lynton Milner 083 7847334 765 7334 PATRON’S COUNCIL Carl Mouton 082 4145887 764 2322 PRESIDENT Peter Kaminski 767 5408 VICE-PRESIDENT Lynette Barnes 076 7300347 266 1075 COMMITTEE & PORTFOLIO HOLDERS CHAIRMAN Reg Taylor 082 4146207 705 6391 VICE-CHAIRMAN Peter Hall 083 3848796 764 0365 SECRETARY Terry Cleland 078 5620933 763 3741 TREASURER Maryann Stewart 072 4556937 765 3794 MAINTENANCE LIBRARY/REGALIA Shona Middlebrook 082 8773069 767 2317 BAR Ralph Barnes 079 5880613 266 1075 SPARES Peter Kaminski 767 5408 DATING Alastair McDonald 082 2684046 767 4585 NEWSLETTER Carol Cleland 082 5560214 763 3741 CONCOURS/TROPHIES Dave Morley 0840545646 446 4063 EVENTS CO-ORDINATOR Graham Hossack 083 6775122 266 6637 LADIES’ CIRCLE Lynette Barnes 076 7300347 266 1075 CLUB RENOVATIONS Alastair McDonald 082 2684046 767 4585 SAVVA REPRESENTATIVE Peter Hall 083 3848796 764 0365 CLUB REGALIA Tie - R45 Blazer Badge - R45 Stainless steel Badges - R120 G.P.S. South 29° 47' 44″ East° 50' 16″ Elevation 580.3 metres

MAY 2014

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EDITORIAL

The AGM is over and I think it went off very well having it in the afternoon. I have to apologize for the Newsletter being late but Terry and I have just moved house and oh

boy what a job. I thought the boxes were never going to come to an end. I have also been called back to work so now I have even less time on my hands. I will not be available on the phone or email during the day It seems as if the hot weather has disappeared and the cooler weather arrived. I for one am very pleased as we have had a very hot and humid summer.

Until next time and keep the petrol flowing through your veins.

Carol Cleland - terry.cleland@vodamail.co.za

SPARES SHOP

The extension to the spares shop is now complete and you are welcome to come and

browse. Please check your garages, workshops etc for any spares that you do not want

and donate them to our spares shop. We now have space for spares. For your informa-

tion the Spares Shop is open at every Bonnet’s Up and on the following Wednesdays

between 10am and 12pm.

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BIRTHDAYS IN MAY 2014

We wish the following members a Happy Birthday:

Jill Brown, Lindsay Brunette, Ron Clark, Keith Crawford, Kristin de Klerk, Molly Gallwey, Peter Gillitt, Bray Heenen, Ken Hopkins, Val Hopkins, Jacques Kalil, Paul Keenan, Brian Kemlo, David Miller, Dave Nozaic, Marilyn Peart, David Ryan, Yvonne Simmonds, Frans van Schaik, Lynton Westbrook, Margaret Wilson, Jock Wiseman

GET WELL SOON

Adele Nicols and Darrell Nicholls

We are sending you healing thoughts and a little sunshine

to brighten up your day.

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CHAIRMAN’S CHAT

By the time you read this newsletter the Diamond Jubilee celebrations would have com-

menced, hope many of you are going to participate in as many events as you can. Remem-

ber it is still not too late to put your name down for

the prize giving brunch and you will “kill two birds

with one stone” as it is also Mother’s day on that

Sunday, there is no excuse not to attend.

Just imagine the foresight of our foundation mem-

bers for which we must be very grateful, just look

around the club house and grounds and location. We

are very fortunate to be in the position we are,

many clubs don’t have a base and operate out of

homes etc. We really have something to be very proud of and to enjoy.

This past Bonnet’s Up was a bit different four members brought their homemade Tear-

drop trailers for display, what a great idea and I believe this will be the future of tour-

ing our beautiful country. It is an idea for either older couples or couples without chil-

dren, even those with children and little overnight tent can be pitched for the children.

The cost of fuel these days makes traveling with conventional caravans very expensive,

not to mention the price of caravans. I was at the caravan shop last week purchasing

some items for the Teardrops and then had a look at a secondhand caravan the asking

price was in excess of R 150’000,00 that is ludicrous. Those without caravans the cost

of hotels and bed and breakfast is also fast becoming expensive, so the answer is a

Teardrop. These little Teardrops weigh in at under 250kg and can be towed by small

town cars without any problems. The lightening is all LED so the lights run off a 12 volt

battery which can last up to 5 days before charging is necessary. Most of the caravan

sights have electricity so it will be a matter of plugging in a charger. The stove is a gas

canister type stove; there is a cold box which keeps food and drinks cold for up to 5 to

8 days just with a block of dry ice. There is a container of water suitable for washing

dishes and drinking, so all in all a self contained sleeper trailer.

Congratulations must go to the master mine Carl Mouton for initiating this wonderful

idea and making it work.

Time for Cars in the Park is just about upon us so get the old girls out polished and

ready for display.

That’s all for now, take care. Reg Taylor — Reg.Taylor@liquidityservices.com

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100 CLUB WINNERS

Congratulations to Linda Volker and Dave Miller who are this month’s winners.

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CLUB EVENTS 2014

11 May Knysna Car Show

18 May Cars in the Park Pietermaritzburg.

25 May Bonnets UP

12 June GG Run to Sigies

22 June Jock Leydon

29 June Bonnets Up

29 June Baynesfield (Winter Market)

20 July Scottburgh Car Show

25 July Bonnets Up

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OBITUARY

Tribute by Eric Goosen

ROBERT VERNON VAN WIJK 18.12.1946—22.04.2014

A master motor mechanic, an avid and enthusiastic restorer of old cars, a gourmet braai

chef, a successful businessman and to Kath and I, a very good friend.

Everything that Rob did he did with passion, be it the restoration of a car or braaing

chicken pieces.

Rob attended the Selborne College in East London and after leaving school, served an

apprenticeship with Barnys Motors who were the East London agents for Fiat, jaguar

and Bentley cars.

His colleagues, who held im in high regard presented him with a light 15 Citroen for his

21st. This car could have been less than ten years old—and there started his passion

for old cars.

Natal beckoned and he settled here in the early seventies getting involved in the local

Motor trade and joining the VCC in April 1985.

Rob started off in Natal earning his keep selling motor boats and Honda motorcycles

for a firm in Durban, moving onto McCarthy Toyota and soon became chief salesman and

sales manager. He however decided that there was room or a call for an auto uphol-

stery business and started a firm which he named “Highway Auto Trimmers” When he

was satisfied that it could be done and after a few years his interest in the business

started waning and he sold the concern to Collin Liddle who then expanded to cover

bodywork as well.

Rob then returned to the sales side of the motor trade and eventually became sales

manager for McCarthy Peugeot, Pinetown. He was eventually made Director and after a

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number of years in this position he took early retirement due to a physical disability.

Rob has two daughters Robyn and Natalie and a son Vernon. From Rob’s first marriage.

Both daughters live in New Zealand and Rob kept in contact with them on Skype.

Rob and Cynthia were married on New Year’s Day in 1995 and that was a start of a lively

and happy home life for Rob. They both got pleasure form entertaining friends to din-

ner parties. Rob had a well equipped workshop and always had a car being restored or

overhauled. There was a very close relationship between Rob and Cynthia’s daughters

and their families, being fully supportive of each other.

On the 9 May 2009 Rob suffered a mild stroke and that was the start of an unbeliev-

able series of maladies over the following five years. He was admitted to hospital a

number of times for periods of one day to seven days at a time. He suffered a number

of strokes and a few epileptic fits, and underwent numerous operations some major.

Only a person with a strong love of life could have survived all this and dept a smile on

is face. The times, good and not so good were shared by Cynthia who cannot be praised

highly enough for the way she supported Rob day and night.

Rest in peace my friend.

CHAIRMAN’S WEEKEND

This has been planned for the weekend of the 17 October. Further details to follow.

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EULOGY - JAKE EWING

By Andrew Stewart

Jake was born in Portobello in Edinburgh on 28th December 1926. His parents had six

children. Jake was one of five boys with one sister Dora. The family called him Jackie

and he became known as Jake. His father was a baker and little is known about Jake's

mother as it seems she left the family when all the children were very young. Like many

people in those days Jake had a tough upbringing. He enjoyed the opening lines of the

book “Angela’s Ashes” which were "I had a wretched childhood - it is the only one worth

having!" He could identify with it fully. The early years of Jake's life taught him about

self sufficiency/stoicism and that complaining or moaning about life never solves prob-

lems.

Although young he served with Scotland's famous Black Watch regiment and saw active

service in France and Germany. He was always proud of these years but did not dwell on

the hardships of war preferring to recall the camaraderie he experienced with his fel-

low soldiers. As we all know life in the UK after the war was very difficult. Work was

hard to find; settling down to a normal life strange. Africa/Australia/ New Zealand and

Canada were beckoning and Jake emigrated from his beloved Scotland to the then Rho-

desia. He never forgot his Scots roots. All his life he identified with Scotland never

completely loosing that Scots brogue. He was seldom without his tam o’ shanter.

He arrived in Rhodesia in the early fifties. He met Joan, his first wife’ in Salisbury and

they were married in 1956. They had a daughter Mary. Jake then had all those happy

years we call middle life, his daughter married and off his hands, two grandchildren and

a very busy happy social life every weekend. They had many friends. Jake was the most

enthusiastic partygoer. These happy years come to an end when Joan died in 1997.

However fortune smiled on Jake again when he and Peggy were married some 11 years

ago. They moved to KZN and the years at Le Domaine have also been very happy times

for Jake.

Jake was possessed of a sharp intelligence and artistic ability and was able to turn his

hand to any DIY job. There was nothing he couldn't fix. He had great personal charm

and was possessed of a wonderful sense of humour. He had two dominant interests in

life - gardening and cars. To say that he had green fingers is an understatement. He

could grow anything. His other great love was cars of all types. Over the years he

owned many vehicles. These included a convertible Sunbeam Talbot, a Bedford van, a

Vauxhall Victor, a Ford Prefect, a Mini Moke, a Humber and of course three/four Cit-

roens. He enjoyed the car club in Harare and especially the Veteran Car Club in Kloof.

Jake’s black Citroen Light 15 ‘Clementine’ was often seen and admired at ‘bonnets up’.

Jake and Peggy loved participating in club events and it was a great disappointment to

him when his illness prevented him from doing so.

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“CAR OF THE DAY AT BONNETS UP APRIL 2014

The Car of the day was won by Brendon Keating but brought to the club by Doug

Wallace was a 1927 Overland Whippet.

Club members also brought their Teardrop caravans. This was quite something to see.These are owned by Reg, Carl Mouton, Ollie Hart and Andrew Stewart.

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SAVVA Technical Tip 84 –

Spray painting

The following tip / advice was sent in by Alf Dolt who resides in Cape Town. Apart from

being a Chemist by profession, Alf has restored some magnificent cars over the years

therefore is an authority on the subject of spray painting.

Spray painting (The hazards of)

Most enthusiasts restoring a vehicle enjoy the sense of achievement when doing most

of the work themselves. This includes the painting, which if precautions are not taken,

can be harmful to one’s health. Of necessity, this painting is normally done in one’s ga-

rage, unless you are fortunate enough to have the use of a professional spray booth.

Spray painting generates copious volumes of overspray, which consists of very fine solid

paint particles (dust) and toxic fumes of various solvents. The passages of our lungs are

lined with countless hair like tissues (cilia) whose wave like action sweeps mucous, dust

or other small particles from the respiratory passages up and out of the lungs. The

paint dust and solvents cause cessation of this sweeping movement, and extended expo-

sure can lead to permanent damage, resulting in all that muck lurking in the lungs result-

ing in the most unhealthy sounding coughs, shortness of breath etc.

Fortunately for the hobbyist there is an excellent twin canister full face mask made by

3M available at most paint suppliers. This has paper filters on the outside (for the

dust) and very effective granules in the canisters which absorb the toxic fumes. These

masks can be seen in ac-

tion on DSTV History

channels, Ricks Restora-

tion, Born to Ride, and

Counting Cars etc. So if

used by these profession-

als they must be good and

my own experience con-

firms this. It’s quite

amazing that when wearing

one of these masks with

fresh canisters one cannot

smell the fumes while

painting!

When painting, expose as

little of the body surfaces as possible and use the mask when flatting down filler, gas

welding or anything which produces obnoxious fumes. Please take special care so that

you may enjoy the fruits of your labour for many years to come.

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GOLD CIRCLE RACING CARNIVAL

CLAIRWOOD

Greetings All VCC Members,

The Rising Sun has again very kindly stepped up and agreed to sponsor the Scottburgh

Classic Car Show for the fourth year running.

One of their big events each year is the Gold Circle Racing Carnival at Clairwood on

Saturday 7 June. It is a fabulous day even if you're not into horse racing - like me -

because there is a lot happening and the sight of these magnificent creatures galloping

close to one, is terrific.

A condition of the Rising Sun's sponsorship deal for the Scottburgh Classic Car Show

this year is that I should organize some classic cars for this horse racing day ... as if I

haven't already got enough to do !! I need not more than 20 cars and I shall be taking

the XK and MG Midget but I appeal to other enthusiasts to offer to show their cars

too please. Golden Circle has asked us to be at Clairwood at 09h00 and leave after the

last race at 17h00. We will have free entry into Clairwood and will park on the grass

next to the track beneath the main Grandstand. There will be an amazing huge buffet

luncheon which will be offered to us at only R100 per head in the special guest dinin-

groom. All proceeds will go to charity which this year will be Rotary. You will be allowed

to put up your club banner but there will not be enough space for gazebos. Of course

you need not participate in the luncheon if you do not wish to do so – there will be

plenty of other food to eat not far from the car display.

I ask you please to let me now if you are willing to display your classic car (pre-1975) at

Clairwood. Only 20 subsidized lunches (normally R200) will be available to each driver

who displays his/her classic car. Payment for the lunch will be made to me as I will have

the tickets.

Please ask your membership if some would like to participate and have a great day at

the races. I will obviously need to know who they are, what car and contact details

please.

Thank you very much for your support.

Kind regards,

Peter Fielding - SCCS - Event Organize

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HOW TO GET FROZEN BRAKES TO ROTATE

Some frozen brakes can be awful to get apart or rotate - I partially damaged a rear

brake on my 1951 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser V8 when the rear shoes were

frozen to the drum and the drum was on a very tight taper driveshaft like the Traction

front drums. I could not rotate the drum on the shoes, so I tried loosening the ad-

juster cams to bring the shoes off the drum, but the cylinder pistons were frozen solid,

and would not allow the shoes to retract. I next unbolted the cylinder from the back-

ing plate, hoping that would allow the shoes to slide on the drum - no luck. I tried wob-

bling the drum on the now unbolted cylinder, but the opposite ends of the shoes were of

course trapped by their hold-down plate inside the drum to the backing plate, and there

was no way to get them untrapped. I tried pulling, wiggling, anything to move the drum

off the shoes, but they would twist with the bottom ends being trapped, and jamb fur-

ther. I later learned that, as all shoes inside edges wear an undercut in most drums,

there is a lip on the inside edge of the drum which catches the shoe edge and traps the

shoe inside the undercut lip. So I got so frustrated that I just brutally yanked the

drum off, twisting the shoes and breaking off part of the trapping plate riveted to the

backing plate which holds the shoe ends opposite the cylinder. I was able to repair the

damage, but it was not fun. I had to straighten the shoe steel plates, and make a new

hold-down plate on the backing plate.

Some years later, I bought a 1951 Jowett Jupiter that had sat on a hillside uncovered

for 40 years above Sausalito California. Of course several wheels were frozen. The

right rear would not break loose to rotate so I could drag the car off the

hill. Remembering how bad the Studebaker brake was, I dreamed up another way to try

to free up this wheel to rotate without damaging the brakes. I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in

the backing plate as close to the top of the drum, right underneath the cylinder, know-

ing I'd have to plug the hole later to keep water out, but it wouldn't create a functional

problem. I then caulked the gap between the outside edge of the drum and the backing

plate with cheap caulk - then let it dry. Lastly, I bought a gallon can of WD40, put a

clear pvc plastic tube with funnel on the other end, into the backing plate hole, and

FILLED the drum with the WD penetrant, knowing I could easily wash it off the shoes

later with acetone-containing Brakekleen. Twenty minutes later, I was able to put a

long crowbar between two drum studs and rotated the drum easily - it worked surpris-

ingly well. I had tried the crowbar on the studs earlier, but applied so much force to

the studs without success that I was afraid I'd break them off.

The WD lubricated everything inside, did no damage, and saved the day. I had a large

pan under the drum to catch the WD when the caulking seal broke during the first ro-

tation, filtered it and recycled it.

So if you're ever in a really desperate situation, try this trick!

The WD completely defeated the rust grip on the drum, reducing the friction enough to

allow rotation, and the first rotation wore the rust down to where it lost all grip.

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STEVE McQUEEN’S MEAN MACHINE -

THE 1957 JAGUAR XK-SS “GREEN RAT”

Jaguar’s epic 3.4 liter, DOHC inline-six powered D-Types were originally built for com-

petitive racing– with a few also falling into the hands of privileged private owners. But

by 1958, the D-Type had become obsolete– new racing mandates now called for smaller

3.0-liter engines, which would hurt the D-Type’s performance on the track. Ferrari had

proven themselves to be the masters of small-displacement, high-performance racing,

particularly with their iconic Testa Rossa that could handily eat the 3.0 liter D-type’s

lunch. Jaguar found itself

needing to unload 25 of the

3.4 liter D-Types.

Jaguar execs decided to con-

vert the old D-Types to

street legal sports cars and

sell them to the public as

limited-edition GTs. The Jag-

uar was subjected to a series

of street-legal retrofits,

including– a full-width wind-

shield, and a bare-bones top

and luggage rack added to

the rear deck replaced the

original racing dorsal fin.

Removable fixed-pane side

curtains were then mounted

to the Jaguar’s doors.

A vestigial exhaust system

was devised by engineers–

complete with a guard to pre-

vent laymen from burning

themselves on the Jag’s ex-

posed, aggressive sidepipes.

The roadster’s lighting was converted to meet street specs, two nicely-appointed seats

were added, a passenger side door and sleek bumpers were tacked-on, and they were

ready to roll. Tragically, 9 of the 25 XK-SS D-Types were destroyed by a fire at the

Jaguar factory in 1957, making the remaining 16 all the more special.

One of these iconic roadsters would find its way into the hands of Steve McQueen–

who enjoyed an on-and-off love affair with this special Jaguar up until the very end.

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LICENCED TO DRIVE - A SHORT WARTIME STORY.

By Carl Mouton

My Dad was the first Army Officer to be sent North during the last World war. He

left on the 24th June 1940, his birthday. There was a distinct fear that the war would

come south so we were

moved from Pretoria,

where we were then living,

to our family farm close to

Platrand Station in the

Standerton District.

One Morning the Station

Commander of the Paarde-

kop Police Station, Sgt

Visser arrived at the farm

and informed us that with

the threat of war looming

the rural areas had been

divided into sections and in each area a family who owned a car who would be selected

who would be responsible to transport anyone injured in an attack to the nearest Hospi-

tal which in our case was Standerton 20 miles away.

Mom had a licence and we had a Blue 1932 Chev Sedan so she could take care of that

but if something happened to her there had to be an alternate driver. He said to my

Grandfather, obviously in Afrikaans “Oom Carel you will have to be the alternate

driver”. The old man refused point blank and said that he was only happy to use his cart

and Horses. That was obviously unacceptable.

He then looked at me and said to my Mom. “Hy lyk opgeskote leer hom om te bestuur,

oorlog is moontlik” (He looks an able person teach him to drive, there is a threat of

war). Mom said, “But the child is only 9 years old” to which the Sgt. retorted. “This is an

emergency get on with it, train him, initially on the farm road, then on the district road

but he is not allowed anywhere near the National road. Once he is capable he must drive

the car to the Station 2 miles away to give him confidence.

Well I started off driving by standing at the steering wheel with a stack of pillows be-

hind me and a panicky Mom sitting right next to me in case something went wrong!

Gradually I improved and soon I was driving with her to the Station and back. Of course

there was virtually no traffic on the roads in those days especially with Petrol rationing.

A year later Sgt. Visser was back wanting to know how I had done. Mom said that I was

confident enough for her not needing to sit right next to me. He then said Mom must

send me to the Station on my own on a regular basis to build up my confidence even

more!

That is how I came to drive legally from the age of 10 years old!

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A PICTURE TO REMEMBER

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If you wish to place an advert on this page

Please contact:

Carol Cleland on 082 556 0214 or

Email: terry.cleland@vodamail.co.za

* MGTC fascia/dashboard—New. Looking for reasonable offer. Phone Brian von Sorgenfrei 0824909270

**Mercedes 190D engine block, inlet manifold and various bits and pieces. (make an offer)

1967 Red MBG-BT, 3000 miles R98,000.00 Contact Gavin on 0837083830 or email meulen@yebo.co.za

**1983/1984 Honda Prelude Gold 116000km. Excellent condition. Motor never opened. New shocks, new cam belt and coil fitted May 2013. contact Janet 0731613493 or email jannev@mweb.co.za

*** BMC six cylinder engine for sale. Com-plete with carbs, starter motor, dyn namo and distributor. Only done 52,000 miles. R2000.00. This engine has been fitted to the following vehicles. 1954-1959 Wolse-ley 6/90, 1954-1959 Austin Westminster A90/A95/A105, 1955-1958 Morris Isis, 1958-1959 Riley 2.6 and 1956-1959 Austin-Healey 100-6. I also have the gearbox which is like new. Plus an additional gear-box with overdrive. The gearbox is at present a floor change box. I have all the linkages and gear lever for right hand floor change. Contact Kevin on 083 2516 805

***************

WANTED

MGA 1500 Exhaust Manifold . Phone Brian

von Sorgenfrei 0824909270

**************

Just a thought. “ No one is ever old enough to know better .”

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