VVC VIEW THE MARCH 2019 - Vintage and Veteran Club
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TH E
VVC VIEW
MARCH 2019 ISSUE 02
E-mail: editor@vvc.co.za • website: www.vintageandveteranclub.co.za
Mail: P.O. Box 35129, Northcliff, 2115 • Clubhouse: 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, Johannesburg
EXCEPTIONAL CARS
OFFERED FOR SALE
1966 Corvette 1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
Triumph TR6 1923 Ford Model T
1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster Oval Window beetle
DELIVERING YOUR DREAMS ONE CAR AT A TIME.
Brian Noik :: Tel: 082 416 9584 :: www.oldcars.co.za :: brian@noik.co.za
Follow me on facebook twitter instagram using @oldcarssa
Editorial
Brian Askew
MARCH 2019 Page 3
Greetings from the dam to buy cars such as Mercedes-Benzes, Porsches, Teslas
and 1960s Dodges and Chevrolets. The companies
This issue has a couple of cautionary tales in it. were apparently shell corporations set up to receive
Earlier this month, Bloomberg tells us, automotive the payments and the money was immediately with-
buffs looking to buy classic cars online were side- drawn and sent to countries in Eastern Europe. The
swiped by a group of international con artists, who victims never received cars and many were unable to
posed as dealers and collectors to scam them, U.S. recover their money or had to repay loans they took
federal prosecutors said. Ten people were arrested in out to buy the vehicles. Four of the defendants were
the U.S., Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, who allegedly arrested in the New York borough of Queens in De-
created fake personas on well-known online auction cember, while another two were taken into custody
and trading sites and claimed to be selling classic ve- in Kuldiga, Latvia, the same month and extradited to
hicles, as well as boats and machinery. the U.S. Two others were arrested in Riga, Latvia, and
Vilnius, Lithuania, and extradited to the U.S. Two oth-
“The defendants’ once-lucrative joyride is over,” U.S. ers apprehended in Helsinki and Vilnius are awaiting
Attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey Berman, said in a extradition. The defendants face as long as 30 years in
statement. prison if convicted.
The conspirators pretended to negotiate sales, coming So, as a cynical South African, one is not surprised –
to agreements with buyers on prices, down payments but the demon of greed is not far below the surface in
and shipping costs, and then directed the victims to many folk. Beware.
send money to supposed transportation companies
that would accept payment and ship the cars, prose- On to my editorial duties. I offer my thanks to Aubrey
cutors said. The collectors thought they were agreeing Malden – for another cautionary article, Pam Hall for
the SAVVA Desk, Eric for the tech tip and Ian Holmes
for the DJ article. Enjoy your cars.
Brian Askew
From the
chairman’s desk
Ian Holmes
MARCH 2019 Page 4
From the Chairman’s Desk His contact details appear elsewhere in this news-
letter so if anyone is contemplating any event un-
This time of the year DJ Fever breaks out and it is der the banner of our club please advise Henry
rather demanding! From the preparation of bikes to so that the necessary steps are taken to comply
planning the logistics to doing all the bookings and with any relevant regulations and procedures. He
other items it is a busy time but how fortunate we are would also welcome any suggestions you may
to still have this wonderful old event happening in have for new events that may not yet be on the
our midst. The race it commemorates was truly a gi- calendar so please bear this in mind.
ant among events and amazingly there have already
been more than twice as many commemorative runs On the social side our Sunday braais are growing
than there were original races but that is not surpris- in popularity and it is great to see new old fac-
ing when you consider that the event is 106 years old es attending these. If you haven’t yet been there
this year. please consider it as they are a love way to social-
ize. Friends and family are welcome too and that
My wish is for as many of you as possible to support is a lovely way for us to encourage new members
the Rally by participating or just being there at the fin- which are so important to our future.
ish to welcome the intrepid riders home. As usual the
finish will be at the CMC in Germiston on Saturday 16 Here is wishing all DJ riders especially the first
March from about 15h00 onwards. Clerk of the Course timers of which there is a good number this year a
Larina McGregor and her small team are doing a won- safe enjoyable and memorable experience as they
derful job behind the scenes in preparing everything coax their old machines along the route that be-
for what we trust will be another great run. Numbers came famous over a hundred years ago.
are slightly down this year but considering all the fac-
tors which impact on entries that is understandable. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable motoring what-
That is also why every bit of support is so welcome. ever your choice of wheels.
Our theme for our next Club Sunday is DJ Bikes so we
are hoping to have a good turnout of these old ma- Ian Holmes.
chines there.
At the last committee meeting we discussed how
important it is for any event being planned to be
referred to our events man Henry Watermeyer.
New Members
Karen Kaiser
MARCH 2019 Page 5
This month we welcome a new country member: Should you require a printed newsletter the sub-
Colin Greyvensteyn from Cape Town. Colin is scription will increase by R25 for the year for both
one of our younger members and he has a couple normal and country members to R575 and R450
of restoration projects, a restored 1972 Kawasa- respectively. The banking details are: The Vintage
ki and a couple of running vehicles – a Triumph and Veteran club, Nedbank Benmore Gardens,
tr3A and a 1926 Lancia. Even if he is not in the Branch code 197305 account numbers 1973038617.
area we hope to see him from time to time at the
club meeting and other events. The month of March is the DJ month for the VVC.
This year it will start from Hillcrest on Friday the
Thank you to Michelle Morrow for yet again look- 15th of March with the bikers finishing at CMC in
ing after my desk on Sunday 27 January as we Germiston in the afternoon of the 16th of March.
were travelling. If you would like to come and support the bikes
finishing, the address for the CMC is: Corner of
The name badges were delayed but they should Power and Refinery Road in Germiston. The bik-
be on the board next to the entrance at the club ers should start getting in from about 15.00. I
house on Sunday the 24th of February. wish all the competitors, sweepers and organisers
a safe and fantastic event.
Thank you to the members who have paid the subs
for the year 2018/2019. I have received a couple
of payments which I cannot identify. Please will Karen Kaiser
you check if you have paid to see if your name
and or membership number was listed as the re-
cipient reference. If not please send me proof of
payment so I can allocate correctly.
The subscription fees for the e-mailed newsletter
for the 2018/2019 club year are R425 for normal
membership and R300 for country members.
Birthdays
Karen Kaiser
MARCH 2019 Page 6
MARCH 2019 MARCH 2019
Vince Warren-Hansen William Hebenton
Tony Watson Bert Scheepers
James McGee Basil Vertue
Howard Freeman Piet van Vuuren
Phillip Gordon
Murray Kotze
Robert Hart
Patrick Weech
Derek Heard
Bert Lopes
Roy Jones
Kevin Cronin
KC Saayman
Garth Beaven
Hamish Morrison
Milton Espley-Jones
Ian Shepherd
Ron Wheeldon David Cutter
Harry Calver Richard Gundersen
Michael Stephanou Neville Bensted-Smith
Please join us in Friday evenings at the club, in the“Milk Bar” for a few rounds!
Events
Henry Watermeyer
MARCH 2019 Page 7
2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(Subject to amendment – see Notice board for more current information)
FEB 24 VVC DJ Bikes On Show
FEB 24 POMC Summer Rally
MAR 15 / 16 VVC DJ (Durban - Johannesburg Classic Motorbikes)
MAR 17 VVC DJ Breakfast
MAR TBA VVC St Patrick’s Evening
MAR 17 PR Piston Ring Swop Meet
MAR 24 VVC Vintage Cars and Bikes
APR 7 SAMCA Angela’s Picnic - Delta Park
APR TBA VVC Red Car Day in Parkhurst
APR 28 VVC Sports Cars
APR 28 GRMC Knysna Motor Show
MAY 27 VCC Cars In The Park - Pietermaritzburg
MAY 26 VVC Motorcycle Day With VMC and CMC
JUN TBA POMC Mampoer Tour - Willem Prinsloo Museum
JUN TBA JHMT DJ Memorial Run
JUN 13 / 19 EPVCC Milligan - Port Elizabeth
JUN 26 VVC Great Train Race
JUN 30 VVC American Cars and Bikes
JUL 6/7 CMC 1000 Bike Show
JUL 28 VVC Your Favourite Car or Bike
AUG 4 POMC Cars in The Park - Zwartkops
AUG 14 / 18 POMC Magnum Tour Cars and Bikes - Mpumalanga
AUG 25 VVC Annual General Meeting/Post-Vintage Cars and Bikes
SEP VVC Parkhurst Day
SEP 7 SAVVA SAVVA AGM POMC
SEP 15 PR Piston Ring Swop Meet
SEP 21 / 24 MTFCOSA SAVVA Veteran/Vintage Nationals - Free State
SEP 24 SAVVA National Drive IT day
SEP 29 VVC Post-45 Cars and Bikes and Buick Club
OCT TBA OFSVCC Rendevous Tour
OCT TBA VVC Johannesburg Historical Run
OCT 27 VVC 100 Year Old and Veteran Cars and Bikes
NOV 2 RAC London to Brghton
NOV 12 / 14 CVMC Fairest Cape Tour
NOV VVC Movie Evening
NOV 24 VVC TBA
DEC TBA VVC Kenjara Run
DEC 29 VVC Christmas Meeting
Monthly breakfasts (usually the second Sunday of the month)
We now braai at every Sunday meeting • VVC Milk Bar open every Friday evening
For Gauteng Rallies visit SARRA website – www.sarra.co.za
DJ 2019
Ian Holmes
MARCH 2019 Page 8
DJ 2019 riders! Unfortunately there is a new hazard facing the
entrants too in the form of heavy traffic. Considering
It all started in 1913, when Captain Lloyd and some this it can be argued that the modern day event is still
friends hit upon the crazy idea of having a motorcycle the most challenging regularity rally in our country. It
race from the City of Gold down to the sea in Durban requires great concentration focus and determination
some four hundred and three miles along rough tracks to set out on today’s DJ and stick at it all the way to the
in the veld and generally nonexistence of anything we Reef. That has to be what brings many repeat riders
might call a road today. Little did they know they were back and attracts the healthy crop of first timers we are
setting in motion an event that still evokes all kinds of happy to have each year.
emotions and activities every year around March.
From the welcoming function at the Natal old car club
The original race usually started on Union Day (31 on the Wednesday evening to the buzz in the docu-
May) and over the next three ,later two and even- mentation area on the day preceding the start all of this
tually one day saw intrepid (some say much more forms what has become the premium old motorcycle
harsh things) motorcyclists attempting to cover the rally and the smiles on the faces bear testimony to this.
distance between the two cities just a quickly as they
could. Much is available about those early races and Once again on 14 March the old bikers and their steeds
there is an excellent website www.djrun.co.za which will gather in a shopping centre outside of Durban at
has an account of each one of those early sagas. The Hillcrest (modern traffic conditions no longer permit a
most spoken about was the famous snowstorm run in start at the City Hall as was past practice) as they pre-
1921 when only three machines finished the course but pare route schedules swop stories and get psyched up
there are so many other great accounts of hardship for the challenges which lie ahead on the route. Last
endurance and skill. minute lubrication tweaks to cables and a variety of
other rituals are performed and the build-up is an es-
These days of course the event has a very different fla- sential element of the DJ as it is known. War stories are
vour but there remain a few common factors. Firstly exchanged advice is given and great speculation about
the machines being used all have in theory to have what the Clerk of the Course Larina McGregor this
been around and taken part in the original races so all year has planned for them. Of course the weather plays
entrants are on machines manufactured on or before a vital role as rain doubles the challenge straight away.
December 1936 which was the year the last race was Much reference to predictions on cell phones and TV
run. The second commonality is that where possible is made and that is always the wild card in the game.
except for principally safety and of course the chang-
es brought about by progress the original route is fol- Initially the race ran from Johannesburg to Durban but
lowed as closely as circumstances permit. as the organisers were mostly in Joburg it was decided
many years ago to start in Durban and run inland. The
Another great similarity is despite modern roads the prize giving was usually held in Johannesburg after
present day runner have the same challenges to cope the event and was a Black Tie event where the magnif-
with in keeping machines going. Add to this the fact icent Schlesinger vase was handed to the winner along
that the newest machine participating today is eighty- with a stunning array of other trophies for various
three years old and so are some of the present day achievements. The organisers are extremely fortunate
DJ 2019
Ian Holmes
MARCH 2019 Page 9
in having some of the original trophies including the and thumping it’s was along a beautiful scene in the
beautiful hundred and five year old Schlesinger vase mountains or climbing one of the passes over which the
which the winner gets to hold. The vase itself is a won- route takes you.
derful history of the event recording the names of all
the past winners. The following quote from the DJ website perhaps sums
up some key essence of the run.
Depicted in the old photograph is Alf Long a past win-
ner on a 1923 Indian.
The extract below, taken from the 1927 programme, cer-
tainly captures the atmosphere, excitement and interest
in the race since its inception fifteen years earlier.
“The romance of half a hundred speedmen pound-
ing hot engines over the rugged 400 miles separating
the coast from South Africa’s greatest metropolis has
gripped the imagination of sportsmen all the world
over. The Durban-Johannesburg motorcycle race has
come to rank as one of the Empire’s classic events; lo-
cal enthusiasts go mad over it, the race is “splashed”
in the South African press and the English periodicals
wax enthusiastic. The race was born in 1913 when Cap-
The Fabulous Schlesinger Vase donated to the event tain HN Lloyd organised it and the winner is awarded
by SA’s first movie mogul IW Schlesinger. the famous Schlesinger Vase, a silver trophy costing 125
pounds.”
Participation in the DJ is like no other rally because of
the unique nature of the route the machines and the We look forward to this year’s run with the same expec-
entrants some of who come from countries as far as tation and nerves as we know from the past and wish
Australia the UK and America “just to do a DJ” and all first time riders a safe and unforgettable experience.
that is something to be proud of. There is nothing quite
like being on an old motorcycle which is running well IL Holmes
Technical Tip
Eric McQ
MARCH 2019 Page 10
SAVVA Technical Tip 139 – Repairing aluminium
thermostat housings
A year ago I was faced with the problem of a corroded
top hose/thermostat housing. Why they make them
out of such poor quality material only the manufac-
turers we will ever know. I recall trying to repair one
using aluminium welding but because it was so old
it just disintegrated. I had to import a replacement
which meant the car was laid-up for many weeks – Note: I have subsequently imported a replacement
not to mention the cost. housing but being inherently lazy I’m leaving the re-
paired one on the car - as the say let sleeping dogs lie.
This time I had to find an alternative as I needed to Above is a photo of the fitting. The dark area is the Q
use the car on a forthcoming run. After asking around Bond filling.
for inspiration, the local hardware shop suggested I
tried using a product called Q-Bond which sets rock Eric McQ
hard and can be used on aluminium.
Having little choice It was worth a try, so, I cleaned
the corroded area with a wire brush and filled the af-
fected area with this magic powder. One fills the af-
fected area with the powder then drip what looks like
super glues onto it. It sets rock hard and I was able to
file it to shape within minutes.
I didn’t expect it to be a permanent repair, however,
if you can’t get a replacement “van die rak af”, you
don’t have much choice but to repair the old one even
on a temporary basis. This temporary fix was over a
year ago and recently I had to remove the top hose
and the repair seems to be holding up very well. In-
cidentally, after the repair I filled the radiator with
copious amounts of anti-corrosive additive (not an-
tifreeze) to stop any further corrosion. This seems to
have worked.From The Desk
Of Savva - 7
MARCH 2019 Page 11
LICENSE DISC - CORRECT PLACEMENT OR FINE!
An interesting fact was brought to my attention yesterday. A member had parked his vehicle in
a local shopping centre which is private property. He was issued a ticket by the local authorities
for showing his current license disc but in an incorrect area on the windscreen.
His current disc was at the top of the windscreen on the left hand side - it now appears that your
license disc should be displayed on the left hand side at the bottom of the windscreen.
A tip: be aware of placing your license disc in the correct area on your windscreen otherwise you
too can receive a R200.00 fine.
Following up on this—It does stipulate on the renewed license under instruction; 1. Cut out disc
and affix to the lower left-hand corner on the inside of windscreen or disc holder as per
Regulation 36.From January MARCH 2019 Page 12
From January MARCH 2019 Page 13
From January MARCH 2019 Page 14
Nursing
Thoughts
MARCH 2019 Page 15
Home Care
I would like to share with you a recent article in “the nest” by
KS Dunham entitled, The Responsibilities of Visiting Nurses
Ms Dunham explains “Visiting nurses, also called homecare
nurses, meet patients in their homes to provide nursing care
including medication administration, treatment and other
nursing interventions. They may work for a hospital, an in-
dependent visiting nurse service, or hospice. Their specific
responsibilities vary from job to job, but some general re- care in the home than they are in the hospital. If the patient con-
sponsibilities are the same for nearly all homecare nurses.” sents and it seems appropriate, involve the whole family in any
Sister Anne sources our home care staff from local service needed teaching. Make sure the family and patient understand
providers dependant on the location and needs of the patient. the treatment, why they are getting the treatment, and what
type of results they should expect. Since extended family car-
She continues with patient assessment. “This is one of the egiving can often negatively impact the health of the caregiver,
first responsibilities of visiting nurses. Patients who are re- you should also be prepared to make referrals for the family in
ceiving care in the community are usually not as sick as those areas such as medical complaints, mental health counselling or
in the hospital, but they are less likely to have safeguards in a caregivers’ support group.”
place. It’s important to assess not only just the effectiveness
of the intervention you are in charge of, but also all the pa- This leads naturally into coordinating communication with oth-
tient’s body systems. It’s also important to look at the physi- er care professionals. “Depending on the patient’s diagnosis’
cal environment as part of your assessment and identify any she notes “they may already have a care manager in place. In
potential hazards for the patient.” I personally asses all of addition, you may have care provided through your facility or
Sister Anne’s clients prior to devising a health care plan for as secondary function of the division of social work. However,
them. This may include home nursing care as well as support if you are the professional who is most frequently in the home,
from other medical professionals, such as physiotherapists you may need to coordinate care with the patient’s doctors, fam-
and social workers. ily therapist, and any assistive personnel who are also involved
in the patient’s care.” Integrating our care with the whole fami-
Dunham describes treatment tasks, which “are, generally ly’s needs is a key part of what we do at Sister Anne. The com-
speaking, the reason the patient is receiving homecare nurs- bined team of family, care givers and professionals need to be
ing. These might include administering intravenous drugs, aware of the patient dynamics to provide a holistic environment
changing dressings, maintaining a ventilation system, as- for their healing.
sessing wound development or changes, and other treat-
ment, as provided through physician or registered nursing Anne Askew
orders. As a homecare nurse you will work more autono-
mously, but you should still have access to a continual med- “Safely Cared For”
ical supervisor as well as full set of standing orders, policy
and procedures.” All our nurses have tasks, detailed for their Sister Anne Askew
particular patient. They are required to document all proce- Cell: +27 82 604 5806
dures and patient experiences for auditing purposes. Email: anne@sisteranne.co.za
Website: www.sisteranne.co.zaLooking Back –
Porsche 914
MARCH 2019 Page 16
Looking Back – the 914 The early 914 at Porsche’s Stuttgart museum
Porsche celebrates two half-century anniversaries at That low tide of appreciation is reflected in how its 50th
the extreme ends of the spectrum this year, that of the birthday is being commemorated – nowhere. That is, other
all-conquering 917 endurance racer that transformed than a special exhibition announced by the Porsche Muse-
the Le Mans 24-hour spectacle, and that of the innova- um in Stuttgart, Germany. As one dedicated Porsche guy,
tive but controversial 914 entry-level sports car.
concours judge and former 914 owner noted, “There is no
excitement about the 914’s 50th anniversary.”
This model of Porsche has a soft spot in my motoring
memories. In 1972, my then wife and I drove one across
America. The white 914/6 belonged to a friend of ours.
He and his wife drove it from Toronto to Vancouver to
visit the Pacific National Exhibition, we flew across and
joined them there. They returned on our tickets and we
drove the Porsche back through the Rockies, the Bad-
lands and the Prairies.
At 80 odd horsepower, it battled to keep up with the V8s
of the day – Camaros, Charges, Mustangs etc. However, Part of the display of 914s at the Amelia Island Concours
we had one nice overtake of a queue of some ten cars in in 2015 | Andy Reid
rural British Columbia – headed by an RCMP patrol car.
“They’ve been behind him for the past 20 minutes” I com-
The air-cooled 914 was introduced to the world in August
mented. “More likely the past 20 years” observed Pam.
1969 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Ger-
many, to replace the four-cylinder 912 as Porsche’s low-
While the 917 has been lauded and praised innumera-
ble times for its many achievements, the 914 has been est-priced car. It remained in production until 1976, when
disrespected as something less than a real Porsche. The the 912E reappeared for a single model year until being re-
mid-engine, targa-topped two-seater was shadowed placed with the front-engine/transaxle 924, which had is-
from the beginning by its origin as a joint project between sues of its own. From the get go, there was resistance as the
Porsche and Volkswagen, and it has never reached the 914 was powered by a modest 1.7 -liter boxer engine from
level of acceptance in the collector car community as the the VW Type 4 – it was sold in Europe as a VW Porsche.
Porsche 356, 911 or, in recent years, the 912.
The removable roof is stowed in the rear trunk|Bob GolfenLooking Back –
Porsche 914
MARCH 2019 Page 17
The 914 styling also strayed widely from Porsche tra- From this mixed bag of appreciation and value, things
dition. The targa roof B-pillar design was seen as un- are very slowly improving for Porsche’s red-haired
gainly, and the removable panel was rumored to leak stepchild as auction prices for exceptional examples
as the seals dried out all too quickly. gradually climb, although you can still pick up a nice
one privately for Corolla money.
But it was Germany’s first mid-engine production car,
the unique look was pretty cool, it handled great, and
it established a sports car trend. The interior was nota-
bly roomy for such a small vehicle, and there were two
fairly large trunks, one in front and one in back.
A more-powerful 2.0-liter engine was added to the
mix, which improved performance considerably, and
the 914/6 model brought the flat-6 engine from the 911
into the space just behind the seats.
The Porsche 914 does have its fair share of enthusiast
owners | Porsche
Hagerty’s value guide pegs the average price of a 1973
914 2.0 at $19 500, topping out for an absolutely perfect
one at $72 500. A 914 with the base 1.7-liter engine fairs
even worse, at $13 500 average and a high of $55 000.
Gooding & Company sold a very nice, low-mileage 1973
914 2.0 for $58 240, including auction fee, at its recent
Arizona auction. The Gooding sale was heartening to
Porsche focused on youth and adventure in its 914 914 enthusiasts not just for the price achieved but be-
advertising | Porsche archive cause a 914 had been accepted in the first place into such
a high-level auction venue.
The 914 was discovered to be a competitive mount
for amateur racers on a budget, mostly because of its Porsche groups now welcome 914s into their shows and
well-balanced handling, and professional teams built club meets, but they are still way down in the well-es-
quite a few winning entries. tablished pecking order. The 914/6 is the exception, the
six-banger placing it on a higher playing field of value
Yet the 914 remained branded as a lesser Porsche, and and collectability. For those who are 914 owners, fans
when priced cheaply as used cars, they often fell into and collectors, it’s up to you, then, to have your own cel-
the hands of owners who cared for them shabbily. ebration of the half-century mark. Those 917s might be
That made their reputation and desirability slip anoth- worth millions, but your 914s are certainly worth having.
er notch. Deferred maintenance for these cars proved
disastrous, particularly in the area of rust mitigation. From Classic CarsThe Law and
Repairing Your Car
MARCH 2019 Page 18
The Law and Repairing Your Car My most recent episode however took me outside our
club membership and put me in the hands of a real, “
I am one of those that love my car, but rugby some- Specialist.” One trained in Germany.
time back ruined my ability to bend, twist, wriggle
and maneuver into the places where old cars some- Amongst those specialties was at first my syncro
how need us to go. The hard to get at places to service mysteriously broke whilst in their care, to repair an
the car, and in some cases even simply clean it. oil leak! So he broke the law once as the car was fine
when it arrived at their workshop. The car was in their
So I have to give it to professionals to do. And I have care. Any damage whilst in their care, their problem.
been blessed with some good ones and some who do
not care a flying Ford how they charge you and what And now let me share with you the rest of just a small
they charge you. part of the story begins…let me share with you what
you must look out for.
Incidentally everyone in our good Club has been
straight and honest in their dealings with me. And The consumer Protection Act in South Africa clearly
done the work according to the law. states that you must be given a written quote for theThe Law and
Repairing Your Car
MARCH 2019 Page 19
job (work and spares) and that it must be signed and invoice to me, which I was supposed to sign before the
agreed by yourself, prior to commencement of the job. work commenced) it says,
My “Specialist” didn’t.
“CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT.
In fact I repeatedly asked this “Specialist” for estimates
of labour costs which he refused to give me. At first “I authorize you to do the work listed above at my ex-
he had said he couldn’t give me even an approximate pense and replace and supply such parts and material
figure; additionally he said he doesn’t give quotes/es- including oils and petrol that may be necessary to com-
timates, as it’s unusual to do so on old cars. No, that’s plete the work set out above an (their typo not mine) I
not the law, give a quote. Get it signed. agree to the scale of charges as detailed on the sched-
ule displayed in the workshop office for inspection.”
I told him several times that I have a few old vintage
and classic cars; and that any workshop that works on Shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Or in this
them always gives an estimate for parts and labour. case, the 356B Porsche.
Plus they also call/email for permission to go-ahead.
They also up-date me on any issues they come across Be warned. I put trust where trust needs to be signed
that need attention; and therefore more money, and off first.
ask for my approval to continue the repairs.
Oh and a small PS. Work done must be guaranteed
However, he just specialized in doing what he wanted for a minimum of 3 months. That is the law. And any
to. He carried on regardless. Racking up a big bill. other loss or damage whilst the car is in the repairer’s
hands is their responsibility, not yours…as an adjunct
The law states that if additional work needs to be car- I was told my windscreen wipers now don’t work, and
ried out as other faults or repairs are discovered dur- neither does the hand-brake.
ing the contracted repair the supplier must stop work
and get further authorization from the owner before Some “Specialist.” Some reputation!
continuing the job. Mine didn’t.
Beware.
Without any phone calls or emails I was finally hand-
ed an invoice for R78,000.00 !!!! This included out- Aubrey Malden
work- the machining of the gearbox ( which they never
sought authorisation for, just like all the other labour
costs) and a complete set of new brake pipes ( which
again they did not seek authorization for.
Interesting to note upon their Tax Invoice (their finalMGB/E
Mark J. McCourt
MARCH 2019 Page 20
MGB/E Under that bonnet is an electric motor sourced
from Zytek Automotive, a division of Continen-
While the sounds, smells, and feeling of an inter- tal AG, supplier of Formula E racers. This motor
nal-combustion engine and three-pedal manual trans- is rumoured to make 70 kW (equivalent to 94 hp,
mission have always been an integral part of the almost exactly what the original car ’s twin-car-
sports car-driving experience, some inventive owners buretted 1.8-liter four-cylinder made), along with
have chosen to re-power their vintage sports cars with 226 NM (roughly 167 lb-ft) of torque, those out-
electric motors, citing instant thrust, zero emissions, puts giving the Roadster EV surprisingly original
and future readiness among the reasons. Indeed, some performance, too- 0-60 mph in 8 seconds, and a
automakers are now getting into that game! 105 mph top speed. Range, while not Tesla-like
at 155 miles, is fairly reasonable by modern EV
standards. The plug-in charging port cleverly
shares the position of the original fuel filler, above
the rear bumper.
A West Midlands English firm, RBW Classic Electric
Cars, recently debuted its unique take on the plug-in
classic sports car, debuting the RBW Roadster EV this
past September 12-13 at the UK’s technology showcas-
ing and industry networking trade show, the Cenex
Low Carbon Vehicle Event 2018. Some electric-conversion sports cars retain a man-
ual transmission while dispensing with a clutch,
In an interesting twist, RWB is not using restored orig- as that’s a fairly efficient method of transmitting
inal MGBs as bases for its Roadster EV; rather, it’s us- power without the loss given to an automatic’s
ing brand-new, all-steel bodyshells made from original torque converter, and you might expect to see a
MGB tooling by British Motor Heritage, the organi- stick in this RWB Roadster EV, but that’s not the
zation that has been building those MGB body shells case. It uses a modern Chrysler or Jaguar-style
since 1988. This car is immediately identifiable as a B, rotary dial to select drive. The MGB’s tradition-
even lacking octagonal badging, the original chrome al Smiths instrumentation has also been replaced
body-side trim and bumper overriders, and sporting a with digital readouts. The cabin appears lavish-
suggestively bulging bonnet that may be another BMH ly upholstered by local specialists at GB Classic
piece, originating on the 1993-’95 MG RV8. Trim.MGB/E
Mark J. McCourt
MARCH 2019 Page 21
Both right- and left-hand drive examples are being
built –18 Roadster EVs are scheduled for completion
in 2019– with colour and trim specs available at the
buyer’s choosing. RBW Classic Electric Cars is pricing
the Roadster EV at £99 600.
The Roadster EV won’t be RBW’s only electrified Brit-
ish classic- the firm is also promising a plug-in EV riff
on Jaguar’s coveted XKSS and C-type, using Zytek
motors and handcrafted aluminium bodies built by
the Mielec, Poland-based coachwork specialists Greg-
son Polska.
While this may horrify purists, remember that the
RBW Roadster EV is being created out of whole cloth, Do you think an internal-combustion engine is insep-
and no original MGBs (or irreplaceable parts) are be- arable from a classic British sports car, or would you
ing sacrificed to create the 30 examples this firm has be willing to forgo the traditional driving experience
promised to build. to enjoy vintage looks with modern green motoring?
In a distributed statement, RBW’s managing director
Mark J. McCourt
Peter Swain said: “Our aim is make these great classic
cars better for the modern age, and to do that, we have
been fortunate to be supported by great companies
who share the same ethos.
“In our research and development, we put the cars
through vigorous testing, which showed just how
much pressure is on the body as well as the compo-
nents. Such is the power of the engine, we used new
components wherever possible to ensure the best for
owners to enjoy from their classic electric sports car.”From The Desk
Of Savva - 8
MARCH 2019 Page 22
MOTORCYCLES
Setting the Float Height on an AMAL Monobloc Carburetor
So often many of us motorcyclists experience difficulties with carburetors flooding or suffering
from fuel starvation, together with finding the correct setting of the float height. I certainly hope
this garage / workshop tip will be helpful.
If you look on the circular float chamber cover, where it says “ Amal “ – you will see a pip in the
casting, just off-centre. This represents the correct height.
To check the float height against the “ pip “ you need a clear piece of tubing, attached to the bot-
tom of the carburetor. The level of fuel in the tube will be the same as the level in the float cham-
ber, and can be measured against the “ pip “.
An old carb bottom nut can be drilled and tapped with a needle jet screwed into it – to make
a spigot onto which a battery breather hose can be attached. Fix the pipe alongside the cover,
before turning the fuel on. Make sure it doesn’t move about, or you will get a false reading. Turn
on the petrol, but do not tickle the carb, or you will get a false reading.
“ Always check that floats are airtight, by immersing them in water, and looking for bubbles ”
before you this check.
Good luck , ride safely – alwaysSavva Technical
Tip No 140
MARCH 2019 Page 23
SAVVA Technical Tip 140 - fuel Filters and announced that was the problem. There was a
hair line crack and it was sucking air. I fitted another
It’s amazing how a small problem can manifest itself filter and – walla! Problem solved.
into a major problem. Sometimes, it’s the fault of the
product/part and sometimes the fault of an inexperi-
enced mechanic as in this case.
An example:
After servicing my little old 1958 Singer, i.e. new oil
and filters etc the car developed a major problem. It
would run perfectly and then suddenly lose all power
and the electric pump would go wild because it was
short of petrol. I would then wait a while so the pump
could catch-up and fill the carburettor. This you will
appreciate really inhibits one’s progress i.e 5 kilos in
30 minutes!
I started by replacing the electric fuel pump, no differ-
ence, then using a compressor blew the fuel line out
– no obvious blockages. Drained the petrol tank and
removed the fuel gauge situated at the top of the tank
in the boot so I could look inside to see if there was any Two days and R700.00 later the problem turned out to
junk – clean as a whistle. be the R20.00 fuel filter. The question why? To be hon-
est I can’t blame the filter as I could have been rough
The problem had to be somewhere in the pipe from fitting it. My suggestion is to be careful when fitting
the tank to electric pump situated under the bonnet. I them as they are made of plastic and could be dam-
replaced a large section of the fuel line, no better. The aged if miss-handled. Also, don’t buy the inexpensive
pump still went wild. Then in desperation I sucked on no name brands. Attached is a picture of the offend-
the petrol pipe going to the pump and ended up with ing filter.
a mouth full of 95 grade petrol – not nice!!!
Eric McQ
Then a friend came around who is far more knowl-
edgeable than I’ll ever be so I had to listen to his sug-
gestions. For some unknown reason he went straight
to the new fuel filter, wriggled it then sucked on it,Classified
MARCH 2019 Page 24
The For Sale Table
Don’t forget there is a table at the back of the hall for Please note, items placed on the “for sale table” must
items members would like to dispose of. This we feel have the price, sellers name and contact number clear-
is better than waiting for the periodic flea market. ly marked on them. Also, items not sold within three
Should you have an item to sell please affix a sticker months must be removed or they will be removed and
or label with your name and how much you want for discarded by the club.
it. Items with no amount means it’s a freebie
Insurance Brokers
Specialising in Vintage and Veteran Car Insurance
together with Personal and Business Insurances.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Glenn Broadhurst, Yolandé Vermeulen
Telephone: 087 736 2222 Fax: (011) 699 0783
Email: YVermeulen@fnb.co.za
An Authorised Financial Services ProviderClassified
MARCH 2019 Page 25
Brand new set of 4 Koni shocks for V12 E Type MG SA Tickford
44 years of an Edwardian MG [built 1936 in K Ed 8’s
reign] – it is time to find a younger custodian of the ele-
gant MG SA Tickford Coupe which lives in McGregor.
Extensive work history available. Formerly owned by
the late Phil Howie and driven up Munro Drive by
Phil Hill - see “Norman Talks” in Thumbs Up Dec.
2017.
Contact Peter Gerber:
pgerber@farad.co.za
+27 82 901 9222
R680k to the “right home”.
Keith Poole - k-mpoole@lando.co.za
or
023 625 1306Recommended
Suppliers
Paul Koski
MARCH 2019 Page 26
We are drawing up a list of recommended suppliers, please feel free to add to this list or make
recommendations, notify me on: chairman@vvc.co.za
Body repairs and painting:
*Shield Panelbeaters, Manny Bairos 084 506 7237
Restorations & General Workshop
* Brian Style, 082 330 1688
* Heritage Workshop, John Allison 011 626 2970, 072 108 4280
* Charles Goodman 082 449 6901
* Tony Watson 011 875 2101
Dating Club Vehicles:
* Eric Mc Q
Car Covers:
* Pat Barclay 011 698 3166, 073 263 7982
Powder Coating
* African Powder Coating, 13 Fountain St.
Eastleigh, Edenvale. John 011 452 3345
Plating
* African Electroplating
- Peter Posniak 082 553 5032
Auto Trimmers:
* Nev’s Auto Trimmers Neville, 011 472 0392, 083 284 9408
Engine & gearbox etc. mountings (same day service)
* Nick Mountings, Wynberg 082 445 1489
Seat Springs:
* Seat, compression, tension springs etc.,
Weblor Springs 011 452 8686/7
Instrument Repairs:
* Sports car centre, Alan Uzzell 011 646 1631
* Nigel Ridley, Clocks and Instrument repairs, 011 803 1319Recommended
Suppliers
Paul Koski
MARCH 2019 Page 27
Insurance:
* SAVVA Insurance,
Glenn Broadhurst
Yolande Erasmus Cell: 087 736 2222, Fax: 011 699 0783
Brake, Clutch & Accelerator, speedo cables
* Cablecraft, 77 West St., Kempton Park, 011 394 4865
* Martin Peach, Bordeaux, 011787 2995, 082 492 7794
Brake hoses, cables, electric window repairs
* TK Cables, 627 Ondekkers Road, Delarey, 011 029 5366, 086 552 5514
Piston Rings
* Made to size, Industrial Piston Ring Manuf.
David Godwin, 011 622 2546/7
* Cord Rings, 5 Kruis St. Johannesburg, 011 334 9525
Lenses (reproductions)
* Duke’s Car Lenses 083 655 3657
Vintage tyres:
* Jeppe Tyres, Roy Greenburg 011 614 0462, 082 491 2025
Refurbishing Woodgrain on steel and wood:
* Ivan Cotton 076 034 9482
Chev and Ford Part importers
* Mike Leisegang: 082 857 8733
Rolls-Royce & Bentley Spares and repairs
* AP Wallis 083 264 1700, 011 609 4652
Ford Parts (F Series)
* Gary Dixon 011 609 3631
Carburettor Services
* Frank Hackney 011 493 7000
Carburettor Services - 22 Loveday Street South Johannesburg frankhackney@mweb.co.zaAlways Leave
Them Laughing
Derek Sturgess
MARCH 2019 Page 28
Murphy’s Technology Laws – Part 2 Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch
where it itches.
The primary function of the design engineer is to
make things difficult for the fabricator and impossible All things are possible except skiing through a revolv-
for the serviceman. ing door.
To spot the expert, pick the one who predicts the job
The only perfect science is hind-sight.
will take the longest and cost the most.
Work smarder and not harder and be careful of yor
After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said
than done. speling.
Any circuit design must contain at least one part If it’s not in the computer, it doesn’t exist.
which is obsolete, two parts which are unobtainable
and three parts which are still under development. If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.
A complex system that works is invariably found to When all else fails, read the instructions.
have evolved from a simple system that works.
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong
If mathematically you end up with the incorrect an- the one that will cause the most damage will be the
swer, try multiplying by the page number. one to go wrong.
Computers are unreliable, but humans are even more
Everything that goes up must come down.
unreliable. Any system which depends on human reli-
ability is unreliable.
Any instrument when dropped will roll into the least
Give all orders verbally. Never write anything down accessible corner.
that might go into a “Pearl Harbor File.”
Any simple theory will be worded in the most com-
Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of plicated way.
pressure, temperature, volume, humidity, and other
variables the organism will do as it damn well pleases. Build a system that even a fool can use and only a fool
will want to use it.
If you can’t understand it, it is intuitively obvious.
The degree of technical competence is inversely pro-
The more cordial the buyer’s secretary, the greater the portional to the level of management.
odds that the competition already has the order.
Any attempt to print Murphy’s laws
In designing any type of construction, no overall di-
will jam the printer.
mension can be totaled correctly after 4:30 p.m. on Fri-
day. The correct total will become self-evident at 8:15
a.m. on Monday. Derek SturgessContacts
MARCH 2019 Page 29
VVC COMMITTEE FOR 2018
Chairman Ian Holmes ianhol@iafrica.com 083 646 3089
Vice Chairman Paul Koski paul@frontiers.co.za 082 442 6662
Treasurer/Clubhouse Brian Lawlor bjclawlor@cinet.co.za 082 853 7312
Assistant Clubhouse Guido Kaiser karennkaiser@gmail.com 083 307 0581
Registration/Members Karen Kaiser karennkaiser@gmail.com 083 307 0581
Events Henry Watermeyer henry.watermeyer@gmail.com tba
Regalia / Events Steve Martin sentry@netactive.co.za 082 551 8588
DJ Finance Bert Lopes hcsllopes@gmail.com 083 637 5171
Clubhouse Exterior Cindy Rousseau prousseau09@gmail.com 084 969 6993
Editor Brian Askew brian@quaestior.com 082 601 3021
Ex-officio Portfolio Holders:
Social breakfasts John Hassall jh29@pixie.co.za 011 679 2342
Dating Officer Eric McQuillian eric@anatomical.co.za 083 700 0171
CORRESPONDENCE
All correspondence to the club should also be addressed to: info@vvc.co.za
PLEASE NOTE
Deadline for articles for the next issue is the 7th of the previous month
Please do keep your articles coming in. Your contributions are appreciated!
When submitting photographs please ensure that they are high resolution, to do justice to the
pictures, particularly in the printed version.
VINTAGE AND VETERAN CLUB ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 2015
Joining Fee: R125.00 (including Name Badge) Extra name badges R25.00
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Ordinary Members: Country Members: (outside of Gauteng)
R550 including monthly printed Newsletter R425 including monthly printed Newsletter
R425 including monthly emailed Newsletter R300 including monthly emailed Newsletter
Honorary Life Members: FREE
Banking Details: Vintage and Veteran Club, Nedbank, Benmore Gardens Branch 197305. Account No. 1973
038 617
Affiliated to SAVVA
e-mail: editor@vvc.co.za • website: www.vintageandveteranclub.co.za • mail: P.O. Box 35129, Northcliff, 2115
clubhouse: 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, JohannesburgNotice Board
MARCH 2019 Page 30
CLUB POSTAL ADDRESS
One of the big changes of our times is how communication takes place and the volume of hard copy
material such as letters and documents is ever diminishing. Currently the Club operates a Post Box at
PO Box 651901 Benmore 2010. We have seen a steady decline in the volume of items delivered there and
a special trip has now to be made to collect such items as my still go there and the committee is consid-
ering giving up this post box. I have offered my personal box as an alternative and providing there is no
compelling argument to the contrary the following box number can be used with immediate effect:
PO Box 35129
Nothcliff
2115
Ian Holmes
EVENTS
The events are published in the newsletter every month and will also be announced at the Sunday Club meeting
held on the last Sunday of every month. There is a breakfast meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month at various
venues around Johannesburg. These are truly enjoyable and kindly arranged by John Hassal. If you would like to
be on the invite list for these please send John an email on: jh29@pixie.co.za or Karen on: willdo@icon.co.za
FACEBOOK
Note that you can also join the club’s Facebook: The Vintage and Veteran Club VVC. It is a closed group. If you join,
Paul will accept you as a member. There is a lot of other interesting content posted from around the world. Karen Keiser.
SHIRTS, REGALIA & FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Wearing a club shirt. There is a blue short sleeve shirt with the VVC badge above the pocket and
also white polo shirt with the VVC badge. They will be on sale at the Sunday Club meetings.
If you would like to place an order kindly contact Karen on: willdo@icon.co.za
or Jeff Morrow on: defendersafes@mweb.co.za. We have also secured a number
of fire extinguishers, 1.5kg and 1.0kg and also fire blankets. These will also be
on sale at the club.
The club encourages you to make use of the newsletter to move some of the smalls bbb
you’ve accumulated. With so many members sizing down and moving you are welcome yyyyyyy
to advertise. Remember “one man’s junk...”Advertisements
We… Buy and sell Vintage, Classic, Sports Cars and Motorcycles.
Our stylish, spacious showroom is ideally placed for maximum exposure and to catch
the attention of all passing traffic. Please call in to see the wide selection of vehicles we
have on offer. Consignment Sales are welcomed and we travel country-wide to view.
We can also assist with collection and delivery of vehicles.
STOCK WANTED - Ph. 082 566 7897
Amongst others, we are looking for Mercedes-Benz SL’s,
Chevrolets (vintage as well as Apaches and other bakkies)
Porsches from 1960/1970 and 356’s,
Austin Healeys, E-type Jaguars,
1930’s/1940’s Fords, Mustangs &
Ford Model T’s & A’s, plus MGA’s, MGB’s, MGTC’s & MGTD’s.
We would, however, like to hear about ANY good condition
Classic, Vintage or Sports cars for sale.
70, Main Road, Knysna
(N2: Next to Total Garage)
Sales: 081 325 1507 / 082 566 7897
Email: info@hocasc.co.za www.hocasc.co.zaYou can also read
