PO Box 10331, Christchurch 8145. Ph 03 359 1100

Email: classicmotoringsocietynzinc@gmail.com cmsnz.org.nz JUNE 2019

Chairman: Barry Ricketts 021 775300 Vice-Chairman: Julian Barrett 03 359 1100 Secretary: Noeline Hurst 03 347 9092 Treasurer: Diane Brandish 03 327 8991

Committee: Rod Hurst 03 347 9092 Jim Milne 027 611 3455 Kit Peverill 03 327 9362 David Harman 027 3438700 Tour Director: Graeme Sharp: 021 395 944

EVENTS DIARY

SUNDAY JUNE 2ND

Queens Birthday WeekendDutton's Garage visit, as they're opening especially for our group can you please indicate your attendance ASAP by text or phone 027 675 2544 or email jbkbarrett@gmail.com.Meet at 148 Carlyle St, Sydenham 10.30am.A coffee cart will be on site.Following the visit will be a short run to the Brickworks for lunch. Also require numbers for this.

THURSDAY JUNE 13TH

Gold Card Cruisers Meeting Place Rolly Inn, Rolleston Car Park 10 30am Cafe Lunch.

PLEASE NOTE: Cafe Lunch will continue throughout the Winter months til September

BARRY'S BANTER:

As much as I enjoyed writing about our Pre Alpine Imbibing Plan my bubble was soon burst when Kay and I rocked up to Yvonne and Graham’s motel room in Timaru. We weren’t exactly late, it was only 5.00 p.m. but the party had already started and there was already much merriment going on.

But as I entered the room, grabbed a bottle of wine and started swigging, it all went very quiet. “We’re not saying anything while you’re in the room.” Said the spokesperson with a slurred voice. I was stunned. Kay said “ Serves you right……. big mouth!” The spokesperson then rummaged around in the bedside tables and fronted up with a copy of The Bible. She waved it under my nose. “You swear on the Bible. Go On. Swear…… that what ‘appens on the Alpine stays on the Alpine. Got it?”The once friendly group suddenly turned into an angry mob. I had no choice but rest my right hand on the Good Book and concede. So, if you want to know what happened on the Alpine you’ll have to ask KAREN.

I am however free to write about my own car, I hope. We took the 1993 Subaru WRX which has STI engine and running gear. The engine has only a mild tune but is churning out 260 BHP. With a weight of just over the tonne it has a power to weight ration of 230BHP/tonne. That takes it into serious performance car territory. With permanent four wheel drive to boot the car is absolutely amazing on the straight and simply exhilarating on the bends. Apart from driving a company Mazda 3 I have never actually owned a Japanese rice burner before. The car was a project initiated by my son, who had grandiose ideas of putting an STI engine into a WRX body.

The project was, unbeknown to me, partially funded by the allowance I was sending him whilst he attended Uni in Dunedin. The electrics were a nightmare and that’s pretty much where the project came to an end. He then moved to Qatar and the car was transferred into my name so it was left to me to finish off the project and then sell it. But when I drove it, the plan kind of changed.The car was made ready for the Alpine event. But the bucket seats were so hard I had to go down to para rubber to get some foam which I cut to size and plonked between the buckety bits on the bottom cushion. Kay could now see out of the side window and I could see over the dashboard. Although for most Subaru WRX Sti owners it seems that visibility is not really necessary, or cool. I had a couple of young Suburu mechanics in Ohoka fit a device to the turbo to provide more grunt. I got 20 BHP for $160. That’s the best bang for buck I’ve ever come across. When I was a kid saving up for a stage 1 head for my Ford Cortina Mk2 GT I dread to think how much money I had to spend just for a paltry 5BHP. And there were no dynos around to see if I did actually gain any power!But with the additional turbo sparkle the brakes were pretty lifeless. So I had larger vented discs with four pot callipers and race pads fitted. What a difference. The deceleration is so fierce it makes your brain hurt. Anyway, I know nothing about rice burners and even less about Turbos but slowly I have started to learn Suburu speak. I can now say things like.

“Check the BC Coilovers man!”, “I just turn up my Manual Boost Controller and I mash ‘im, innit”, “Nek minnit”.

And then there’s the funny hand shakes and chest bumping, droopy shoulders, dragging the feet, low hanging trousers with the bottom hanging out and of course ……the hoodie. Ah yes, the bottom thing. Bit embarrassing. Here’s a brief breakdown of the incident.

“Like, so what ‘appened, right, is dat I rocked up to Repco, right, an I met up wiv one of my bros from the crib next door right. He got the wicked pants on, so like I pull mine down a bit, innit. But den like I forgot I ain’t got no boxers on innit. People was like pointin’ and laughin’ in the shop innit. So like I had to make a run for it, innit. But den, nek minnit, I like fell over innit.” What is it with the youth of today and the overuse of the word “Like”. So irritating innit?

The Alpine was a blast from start to finish. Sharpie it turns out was being totally uneconomical with the truth when he said the unsealed roads were chosen because of their stunning and unexplored scenery. I didn’t see no scenery. I was too busy caning the living daylights out of the Sub, drifting round corners and flying over crests trying to overtake Graham and Julian in their German tractors. I like the car so much I now use the Sub as a daily driver for work. No matter what time they set their alarm clocks my neighbours now all wake up at 6.30 a.m. And that’s just driving along the road on the choke. I don’t light up the afterburners until I am clear of the residential area. Which is when I wake up the livestock. I gotta tell ya, I have never had so much fun. Sorry I meant to say “Like truly wicked innit bro”

REPORT ON SUNDAY MAY 5TH

We met at the Rolly Inn and waited for half an hour with no cars turning up so we headed to Ashburton to meet up with the Plains Roatry Club car run to raise funds for the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust. There was a good turnout of approximately 150 vehicles and morning tea was included in the entry fee. We met up with 4 of our Club members as we made our way to Mt Somers for the lunch break where there was a variety of food stalls. It was great to see a couple of our members win prizes! After lunch we took highway 72 to Glentunnel for coffe at the Willow cafe. Thanks to the members who turned up for a great day out, it was just unfortunate that it clashed with the Alpine Run. Rod Hurst

REPORT ON GOLD CARD

CRUISERS MAY 16TH

It was a fine day for a Cruising day and sixteen cars arrived at the Peg Carpark. We motored through Woodend and Amberly turning off at Waipara to head inland on the Hanmer road. At Waikari we turned to travel through Hawarden, its always nice to drive the quieter country roads with the hills in the background and eventually we turned on to the Main Road again. At Balmoral Reserve we turned into another side road that gradually led us back out almost to Culverden. We had booked the Red Post Cafe there for our lunch which was enjoyed by all. As we left to return we could see rain clouds in the distance so the tops went up on the convertibles and sure enough it was heavy rain all the way back to Pegasus where we had Coffee and Cake at the Flat White Cafe.

Gill Milne.

2019 ALPINE CLASSIC

The Alpine is now done and dusted and the GG's have ridden off into the sunset! A fantastic time was had by all participants with no major breakdowns reported, although it was noted that #36 started off as a Austin Healey and then somehow overnight morphed into a Jensen Healey, it must have been something to do with an electrical charge or lack of !

Getting the starting orders for the day

Lunch at Lumsden, Trevor what's that oil puddle!