Affiliated to SAVVAe-mail: editor@vintageveteran.co.za

website: www.vintageandveteranclub.co.zamail: P.O. Box 651901, Benmore, 2010

clubhouse: 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, Johannesburg

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

In the previous newsletter, Ian Holmes wrote that this was probably his last report as Chairman. I for one didnot take his comment seriously. At the AGM on Sunday morning, he also stated that he will not be standingas Chairman for the coming year, which I again dismissed as it was impossible to imagine the Club withoutIan at its helm. Late on that same Sunday evening, my phone rang and Ian’s name appeared on the screen. Much to my surprise and amazement, he suggested that I consider becoming Chairman of the Club. I wasboth taken aback as well as flattered by this recommendation and his belief in my ability. After somedeliberation I knew that I could not refuse the honour of holding the Chair of this prestigious and long-standingClub.

My love of old cars including their history, elegance and mechanics, as well as my desire to increase theawareness of the Club and its activities within the broader community, made me realise that I had to take onthe role. It is with great appreciation and gratitude that I accept the position and look forward to making avaluable contribution to the future of the Club.

With this in mind, I want to acknowledge all that Ian has done to bring the Club to where it is today and thankhim for his commitment, dedication and influence. We are most fortunate that he will continue serving onthe committee offering his valuable support and guidance. I would not be ableto fulfil this role without thesupport of the committee and other support members. In this regard, I look forward to working with thenew committee members and those who continue to serve after so many years.

Paul Koski

FROM THE CHAIRMAN’S DESK

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The intrepid new Chairman Paul Koski enjoying the annualParkhurst Heritage Day bash.

There is one new member to greet this month. It’s a welcometo Trever Warburton and his wife Wendy who live inMorningside. We hope that you will enjoy your membershipand that you will be joining us at our monthly Sunday Clubmeetings, breakfast outings and other events. I nearly forgotthe Friday (every) evening bar function at the clubhouse.

Thank you to all the members who have paid the annualsubscription fee. If you did not collect your membership cardat the monthly Sunday meeting it will be/have been sent toyou by post. We have still got close to 70 members who havenot yet paid. The annual subscription forms were sent out 4months ago. If you have not received the form, misplaced itor maybe forgotten if you have made a payment please sendan e-mail tokarennkaiser@gmail.com and I will check andgive you the information which you need to make the payment.Please refer to Noel’s comment in the September Newsletterregarding unpaid membership and insurance.

The members who receive their monthly printed newslettermight have experienced a delay with the September newsletterdue mainly to the postal strike, the same might be valid foryour membership cards. I hope this will be a thing of the pastfor the October Newsletter.

Wishing you a wonderful spring with lots of enjoyable drives.

Karen

Syd BiddulphDorian Radue

Daryth CrawfordStewart Cuninghame

Roy JoycePatrick Watson

Douglas HenwoodWayne Kennerley

Ian GlauberPeter Wales

Murray BlumbergAndries Janzen

Chris LewisBrian Noik

Betty RichmondJonathan Tacon

Bill GreigHarry Davidson

Chris SpinksCassim MohamedMaitland Barnes

Scott EatonPatti Scales

Colin Lazarus

NEW MEMBERS

THIS MONTH’S COVER

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Please join us onFriday evenings

at the club,in the “Milk Bar”for a few rounds!

ADVERTISE HERECONTACT US

info@vintageveteran.co.za.

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Savva Technical Tip no 88 – Electronic IgnitionOften discussed are the pros and cons of fitting electronic ignition to early cars. I’m sure there arepros and cons to fitting them however I cannot think of a con. Modern cars have proved the pointas I doubt if there is one make still fitting points and condensers – they are all electronic.

There are numerous types of electronic ignition units available, most being either optical or magnetic.I believe the optical is possibly the better way to go especially for very high revving cars but for mypurpose I settled for the simple magnetic type. I have used them for many years on various carsand have never had a problem.

I’ve just fitted one to a Sunbeam Alpine (the type as fitted to MGBs) made by Accuspark, England.Fitting is so simple even an accountant could fit one. Firstly, you dispose of the points and condenserand the wire lead that goes from the distributor to the coil. Next, you fit the electronic module wherethe points were situated. It’s the same size as your points and uses the same fixing screw. Now youlift off the rotor, drop on the magnetic ring and replace the rotor. Coming out of the distributor fromthe module will be two new wires a red and a blue. The red goes to the positive side of the coil (+)and the black to the negative side (-) and there you have it. No points to wear out and no condenserto give trouble. The units are maintenance free and no adjustments are necessary.

Six volt units may be a problem to obtain. Perhaps they will have to be special orders. Positive toearth are available for some distributors at an additional cost. There are various suppliers of theseelectronic units. In Gauteng, Carl Reynolds will do the whole job for you. He is at 082 442 1902 orignition@optical.co.za. For the D.I.Y. enthusiasts a D.I.Y. version is available from Old Timers Vintage& Classic in Cape Town. They cost about R650.00 each plus postage. They are available from Steve0826460824 or woodward@icon.co.za

For the brave, who would like to build their own unit we can offer a diagram for a 6 volt system. Itretains the points and has a separate control box which fits onto the fire wall. The condenser isdiscarded with, and the points will last forever as there is only a minuscule amount of current goingthrough them. The heavy current is absorbed by the electronic gadgetry in a box attached to thefire wall. I fitted one of these 6 volt systems to a Buick 8 many years ago and haven’t seen the insideof the distributor since.

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World War I Run London - By Harry Greene

In the August VVC magazine an article mentioned the World War 1 100 year commemoration tobe held in London on 4 August 2014. Fortunately Colleen and I had planned to visit our daughterCamilla, in London over that period.

A quick google and the programme was obtained .Whilst the day was to begin at the Royal ChelseaHospital with a foreword by HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO (patron of the Brooklands Museumand Trust and the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain), we chose to observe the proceedings atLancaster House just off the Mall and near to Buckingham Palace.

At the Chelsea Hospital each vehicle collected Chelsea Pensioners resplendent in their red coatswith medals and black hats to travel to the reception at Lancaster House.

The turnout was magnificent. We met and chatted to a marshall and later a spectator who was afriend of a participant and member of the sports car club. Both were very friendly and knowledgeable.We learned that following the day’s proceedings many of the cars would go on to Belgium andparticipate at the Mons commemoration whereafter some would undertake a two week tour inEurope. Quite something for 100 year old cars!

Turning to the cars, all were in seemingly pristine condition although not over restored and rangedfrom 1909 to 1915, thereby in keeping with cars which would have been around during the war. Thelist included:

6 Rolls Royces

5 Model T Fords

4 Talbots

3 Rovers

3 Vauxhalls

2 Buicks

2 Sunbeams (one of which had been brought back from Australia and in the 2 weeks prior to theevent had been stripped repainted from canary yellow to a bright blue)

2 Austins

2 Napiers

And also A Dennis Tourer, a Commer Estate, a Maxwell, a Thornycroft torpedo, a Rochet-SchneiderTorpedo, a Wolseley with a very different windscreen, A Berliet Type AM , an Overland DS, a DeDion Type EF,an Oakland Tourier, A Mors Tourier A Humber,and a Newton Bennett.( apologies forany irregularities)

What a sight to have all these vehicles on display and particularly as they accelerated up the Mallen route to the Imperial War Museum which had recently been refurbished. It was a sight appreciatedby the large crowd, and an event we truly enjoyed.

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The Lancia FulviaThere’s no other classic quite like the Lancia Fulvia, with its combination of style, performance, practicality andbeautiful engineering, yet this is a car that’s appreciated only by those few people in the know. Virtuallydisregarded in wider circles, the Lancia still looks superb more than three decades after the last example wasbuilt, while it’s also great fun to drive and easy to maintain, which is why it’s well worth seeking out a good one.

The Fulvia earned a very good reputation thanks to its numerous rally successes at Italian, European andInternational levels. In the Seventies, the lovely HF Coupe version outsold the practical yet sporty Fulvia saloon,and the model was kept alive until 1976, being sold alongside the newer Beta (launched in 1973).

The Fulvia story starts in 1961, with the arrival of the Flavia. With its 1.5-litre flat-four engine, this was the firstLancia to feature front-wheel drive, and it offered a distinct break with tradition; gone were the pillarlessconstruction and sliding pillar front suspension of previous models. This new arrival provided the basis for asmaller model to sell alongside; the Fulvia, which debuted in saloon form, in 1963.

These first cars featured a 59bhp, narrow angle 1091cc V4 with a four-speed gearbox, which didn’t give thecar the performance it deserved; that’s why from 1964 there was a 71bhp twin-carb option. However, it wasin 1965 that the definitive Fulvia arrived; the Pietro Castagnero-designed Coupe. Rakish and aerodynamic,this sporting 2+2 soon featured aluminium doors, bonnet and bootlid to reduce weight and improve agility –so even with an 80bhp 1216cc engine fitted, the car felt pretty sprightly.

Those first Coupes were reasonably quick, but it was clear the chassis could handle more power, which is whya stream of more powerful editions was released. Complementing the standard models, the famous HF-badgedcars appeared to satisfy Lancia’s desire for competition success. In 1.2, 1.3 and five-speed 1.6 forms theyproved enormously successful in international rallying, winning every major rally apart from the African Safari.

They were usually recognisable by their red body, yellow/blue centre stripes and bumperless appearance, themost successful variant, the 1.6HF, gaining the name ‘Fanalone’, translated as ‘big eyes’ in recognition of itslarger seven-inch inner headlights. The Fanalone arrived in 1966, and within a year there was another sportyedition; the 1.3 Rallye Coupe, with an 87bhp 1298cc engine. The 90bhp 1.3 Rallye Coupe arrived in 1968,along with a 101bhp 1.3 HF and the 115bhp 1.6 HF Fanalone. With its wider track, bigger headlamps and alloywheels, the latter was also available with a semi-works 132bhp tuned engine as a rare option.

In 1971 Fiat, having bought Lancia in 1969, introduced the Series II Fulvia, with raised outer headlamps forthe UK market, a five speed gearbox and alternator.

These were welcome changes, but throughout the car was evidence of cost-cutting measures; gone were thealloy panels and some of the embellishments that made the early Fulvia such a joy to own.

Under Fiat’s ownership, the Fulvia continued to be developed, with the 1600HF (a sanitised Fanalone) beinglaunched. With its wider wings, 115bhp powerplant and 6J wheels, it looked the part but packed the punch toback it up. In the same year, the Zagato-designed Sport 1600 was introduced, complete with electric windows,then in 1972 the Fulvia saloon was phased out. By 1973 the 1600 had been killed off as well, with the remainingwide-arch 1600 bodyshells being used for the limited edition 1.3 Monte Carlo; with a black bonnet and a lackof bumpers, it looked like a true rally weapon for the road.

The final development came in 1974 with the arrival of the bumperless Fulvia Safari, while standard Series IIIcars were treated to a set of white gauges. These were only tweaks though as by this point the Fulvia (at leastin saloon form) was over a decade old; by mid-1976 it would be killed off altogether.

As well as Lancia’s own coupe, an alternative interpretation was offered by Zagato from 1967. Called the Sport and featuring an 87bhp 1298cc powerplant and higher final drive, this initially featured all-alloy panelling and was more aerodynamic than the standard model ; there was also a hatchback profi le in place of the coupe silhouette. By 1970 however, because of the high production costs, the Sport was made of steel throughout; by 1972 the car had been killed off.

In total some Fulvias 155,000 were made.

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Parkhurst Heritage Day Gathering

On 24th August we held the 4th Heritage car and bike day in Parkhurst. The Parkhurst event was bornfrom the desire to bring our cars out of the Club and into the public areas.

Judging by the number of people who complemented us on the event and the past events, it is clearthis is becoming a major VVC annual event.

This year we received the support of Craft Restaurant and a marketing company “The Brand Crew”who pulled out all the stops resulting in a lot of media attention and publicity surrounding the event.From next year we expect the Parkhurst business community forum to join in the marketing of the eventand Tim Trulluck, the ward councillor promised to arrange a full road closure. The planning has alreadystarted and the next Parkhurst event is one that should not be missed. We are looking at a date in May.

For those of you that could not make this event, it was a memorable and entertaining day out. Therewas an amazing atmosphere with lots of dress up in top hats, bowler hats and tails.It was a rare sighthaving the two Curved Dash Oldsmobiles driving and parked together.

The event was also supported by members of the Buick, Cadillac, Jaguar, Model A Ford Club, VMCand the Triumph clubs. The public certainly enjoyed the event and particularly the Vintage car rideswhich to many of them was a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride in cars over 100 years old. Asidefrom being photographed by every cell phone camera on the street, we also arranged professionalphotographers and the pictures tell the story.

Thanks to Neil Starr for arranging the vintage gramophone music once again.

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2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

(Subject to amendment – see Magazine & Notice board for more current information)To be arranged (other ideas will be welcome!): - Concours d’Whatsit; Brian’s Fun Run;Social evening; Monthly breakfasts (usually 2nd Sunday of month)

OCTOBEROct 19 PR Motoring Memories Piston RingOct 26 SB Studebaker Club Show Day Smuts HouseOct 26 VVC Sports Cars, Bikes,BDC & Flea Market

NOVEMBERNov 9-11 CVMC Fairest Cape Motorcycle Tour CVMCNov 30 VVC Veteran Cars & Bikes

DECEMBERDec 7 VVC Christmas Lunch – venue to be advisedDec 28 VVC Christmas Meeting

I am a fully-qualified project manager, currentlyworking at Standard Bank. I run my own

businesswhich provides training in project

management.

My wife is Lindy, and we have been marriedfor 33 years.

I have two sons, Johnathan, aged 28,and Andrew, aged 25.

We live in Blairgowrie, Randburg.

Meet Mike Leisegang

Born and grew up in Pietermaritzburg.

As a child I rode in the Model 'A' I nowown, a 1930 Sport Coupe. My cousin,Gordon Stewart, formerly of Bedfordview,now Howick, had a huge collection of Fords,mostly much younger than this car, andwhen the 'A' finally stood in the mid-1990s,Gordon parked the car until 2012, when Ibought her from him. Since then I haveacquired another Model 'A', a 1928 TudorSedan, which is currently undergoingrestoration.

I enjoy the Model 'A's because the partsare freely available, and the cars are easyto work on. I have helped a number ofother Model 'A' owners to get their 'A'sgoing, notably Ronnie Kaplan's 1930Roadster.

My portfolio on the committee will be events,which I shall do alongside Alan Hogg. Ilook forward to the challenge of serving onthe committee of such a prestigious club.

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FOR SALE

Old cars bring ot the best in us

A very touching story by Mike LeisegangA week ago, I was in my Model A, parked on the side of the road whilst I waited for someone.As I was sitting there, I heard a man talking aloud, describing my car to someone with him. I lookedin the rear-view mirror, and saw the man with his wife, who was quite obviously blind.The man saw that I was in the car, so he moved to the window, and asked me if I minded that heshow my car to his wife. Not a problem I said. He then proceeded to hold her hand as she reachedout and touched all the bodywork, feeling the fenders, the headlights, the radiator, the bonnet, andthe wooden toolbox in the front.The whole encounter lasted probably ten to fifteen minutes, and then his wife moved to the window,and said to me: "Your car is very beautiful!".What an amazing experience, and one that I shall remember for a long time. It reminded me ofjust how much we take for granted.

I have windscreens and side windows of Consul,Simca, Zephyr, Opel Olympia, 1965 Prefect,Vauxhall and Jupiter cars. I would like to sellthe lot for a few bucks.Please let me know this is a steal.Mike Adendorff073 335 0988

ARLEC HEAVY DUTY12V BATTERY CHARGERR100

SET OF 2 (L&R) BMC REAR VIEWMIRRORS.NEW (PURCHASED AND NEVERUSED) COST R400 EACHBOTH FOR R150PHONE 083 307 0373

600mm wide 3 in 1 sheet forming machine, strong on base ex C Richmond offers [ new aboutR6K] ,2 Ton chain block hardly used, offers [new R800],2 Ton crawl hardly used, offers [newR1100],3 Metre top i beam rail to suit above, offers? .Derek 083 795 1346011 465 1346

MG TC 1948. All original, drives beautifully,mechanically sound, licensed and in full use.R265.000.Car can be seen Parkmore, Johannesburg.ContactDon Lindsay 082 570 3196or Aubrey Malden082 901 8402

The club encourages you to make use of the newsletter to move some of the smalls you’veaccumulated. With so many members sizing down and moving you are welcome to advertise

..remember “one man’s junk….”

CONTACT USTO SELL YOUR

STUFF

We are very sorry to have to announce the sudden and sad passing of our great friend and intrepidmotorcyclist Ric Lewis on Friday 12 September at around 17h00.

Ric was in Port Elizabeth where he had just started work on a contract with Akhane Construction at the portof Ngqura (Coega Harbour) when he suddenly became ill and was hospitalized.

A memorial service will be held at the VVC on Friday afternoon and a more comprehensive obituary willappear in the next issue. Ian Holmes.

RIC LEWIS

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The club encourages you to make use of the newsletter to move some of the smalls you’ve accumulated.With so many members sizing down and moving you are welcome to advertise ..remember “one man’s

junk….”

Be sure to enjoy the club’s facilities on Club Day. It is a chance to get up close and personal with like mindedenthusiasts and benefits the general camaraderie within the club itself.

MONDAY CLUB THANKS ALL WHO PURCHASED A TICKET AT OUR RAFFLE AFTER THE AGMON SUNDAY.

The winning ticket was fine, but we were unable to find the holder of the second prize – a very good bottleof Red Wine. Perhaps if anyone still has their ticket and would like to phone me with the number, I will check

to see if it is a match to the bottle. I can’t publish the number in case my phone rings off the hook !Many thanks

JANET JONES - MONDAY CLUB011 706 6730 / 079 185 8392

A driver pulls up by a traffic warden. ‘If I park on these double yellow lines and pop over the roadto post a letter will you give me a ticket?’ asks the driver. ‘Of course I will,’ replies the warden. ‘Butthese other carsare parked on double yellow lines,’ argues the driver. ‘I know,’ replies the warden.

‘But they didn’t ask me to give them a ticket.’

A man is out on the interstate having an evening drive in his sports car. He decides to open herup and the needle jumps to 120 mph. Suddenly he sees a flashing red and blue light behind him.He thinks about outrunning the cops, accelerates for a few seconds, then comes to his senses

and pulls over. The officer comes over to check his licence. ‘I’ve had a tough shift,’ says the officer.‘And this is my last pull over. I don’t feel like more paperwork so if you can give me an excuse foryour driving that I haven’t heard before you can go!’ ‘Er, last week my wife ran off with a cop,’ saysthe man. ‘And when I saw your car I was afraid he was trying to give her back!’ ‘Have a nice night,’

says the officer.

The MG Car Club invited the DJ crowd along to enlighten them on the DJ exploits. It seems a great timewas had by all including our former Chairman Ian Holmes.

A DJ Noggin

Club Funnies

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Disclaimer: While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of advice, information and views given toreaders, the Editor, Club Committee & Publishers cannot accept responsibility for any damages or inconvenience that may arise.

VVC COMMITTEE FOR 2014/2015Paul Koski paul@frontiers.co.za Chairman 082 442 6662Eric McQuillian emac@metroweb.co.za Vice-Chairman 083 700 0171Ian Holmes ianhol@iafrica.com Dating 083 646 3089Alan Hogg alan.h@mweb.co.za Special events 082 469 5755Brian Lawlor bjclawlor@cinet.co.za Treasurer/Clubhouse 082 853 7312Mike Leisegang mike.leisegang@gmail.com Events 082 857 8733Jeff Morrow defendersafes@mweb.co.za 083 537 0441Guido Kaiser karenkaiser@gmail.com 083 307 0581Karen Kaiser karennkaiser@gmail.com Register/Members 083 307 0581Ex-officio Portfolio Holders:John Hassall jh29@pixie.co.za Social breakfasts 011 679 2342Chris Cardwell connomara@hotmail.com Dating Officer 082 774 6196Mark Richardson retromr@gmail.com Newsletter Coordinator

CORRESPONDENCEAll correspondence to the club should also be addressed to info@vintageveteran.co.za.

PLEASE NOTEDeadline 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.

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