Galaxy of Cars · Club Captain’s Report - David Mossman PAGE 2 NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB...

Date: March 2014

Special points of interest:

Coast to Coast USA

Galaxy of Cars

Model A Owners

Plating vs. Paint Pt2

Inside this issue:

Club Reports 2-3

Club Events / New Members 4

Galaxy of Cars Club Outing 5

Model A Owners Interview 6

Waiuku Classic & Engines 7

Era Fashions 8

Coast to Coast NY to LA 9

Baker’s Report 10

NIMAFC Club History 11

From The Garage 12

Plating versus Paint Pt2 13

Club Merchandise 14

Classified Adverts 15

Famous Quotes & Tiny Tips 16

Welcome to the North Island Model A Ford Car Club Inc.

The purpose of our club is to enjoy, restore, preserve and protect the Model A Ford Automobile and to foster a spirit of good fellowship and family

participation through the use of the Model A Ford.

Membership is open to anyone with a sincere interest in the Model A Ford. Ownership is not a prerequisite.

www.modelafordclub.co.nz

Chapter Members of

Model A Torque Best International Newsletter Award - MAFCA 2013

Our new Club Website is now live

Club Captain’s Report - David Mossman

PAGE 2 NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB NEWSLETTER JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014

Executive & Committee 2013-2014 Club Captain: David Mossman [email protected] 027 235 0444 or 09 443 5253

Vice Captain: Terry Costello [email protected] 027 492 0642 or 09 630 0548

Secretary : Ross Bolton [email protected] 021 941 002 or 09 431 4092

Treasurer: Stephen Upson [email protected] 027 488 7721 or 09 443 0433

Editor: Paul Hunter [email protected] 021 435610 or 09 827 2153

Commi ee: Steve Driver (Trophies Co‐ordinator) 027 494 9905 or 09 534 6843

Harry Sherborne (Events Co‐ordinator) 021754001 or 09 5793431

Gavin Leckner (Merchandise & Librarian) 021 040 6116 or 09 426 4697

Tom White 027 232 3221 or 09 832 3221

Historian: Paul Smith 027 485 2234 or 09 235 5305

There is no doubt that Galaxy of Cars at Western Springs is a fantas c day and a great venue for clubs to show their pride and joy – namely their cars. We had a good a endance with 12 Model A’s on display. It was great to see club members standing by their cars with their hoods up cha ng to the general public about their prized possession. The owners were as fascina ng as their vehicles. Numerous cars were spread across the ring of grass bounded by the dirt track of speedway. Amongst these cars was a mint ’29 leatherback sedan for sale, which many club members admired, however while looking over this car it was sold. The new owners Penny and Stephen Nisbe are now new Club Members, whom I welcome to the Club and look forward to seeing them on some of our runs.

My eyes were drawn to an ar cle in the NZ Herald 5 February, Page A13 where a reporter had wri en an ar cle about Gal‐axy of Cars. This is part of the ar cle that he wrote:

“Behind the line of Model A Fords I find a quintet of women cha ng in the shade of a gazebo. They’re quick to dismiss any preconcep ons I have about being car widows, mourning a life me of dad’s dinner going cold as he refuses to come inside. “You won’t find any of those here”, one tells me. The wives that come along here are commi ed to it. They love the camaraderie of it. The ones it leaves cold ……………. Well, they are not here. Awesome – thanks to our ladies who back us up. They are always there suppor ng their husbands/partners, talking to the public, supplying food and beverage to keep everyone happy and helping to create a friendly atmosphere.

Don’t forget to update the beer fridge calendar of events as we con nue to have more fun and laughter while enjoying this sunny weather. Remember, we NEVER cancel club runs. Your commi ee is s ll compiling Wednesday Tech Nights and more touring and racing events, especially Hampton Downs Raceway March 8th & 9th where you can catch me if you can. Read your newsle er and if you have any ideas please contact a Commi ee Member to discuss them. Of special benefit to Members check the Clubs Web Site.

Cheers David Mossman

Sideswipe: Ralph Levinson took the special ‘Handbrake Award’ for arriving at Galaxy of Cars – LATE AGAIN – a flat tyre is hardly a decent excuse. Watch out, you could be the next recipient!

Happy Birthday Alex Wilson, our 82 year‐old Jockey Boy who s ll draws the ladies on his birthday night and is keen to be driving his car to Art Deco Napier. What a legend.

Footnote: Please do not forget to let us know if you wish to a end the Roycro Vintage Fes val Roycro Trophy day March 8 & 9th ‐ Hampton Downs . Be part of the Lunch me Parade around the Race Circuit. We would need to organise Pre Booked Tickets Please reply to Di Humphreys ‐ 09 4460916(hm) ‐ 09 4457587 (wk) or [email protected]. See our events calendar for full details

NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB NEWSLETTER JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014 PAGE 3

Treasurer’s Report - Stephen Upson

Treasurer’s report February 2014 Bank balances as @ 31 January 2014 Chq Account $ 5249.78 Savings Account $ 219.75 Term Deposit $ 15151.23 Income for January $ 1080.00 Expenses for January $ 480.00 As of wri ng this report the club has 211 members including 4 life members and 2 youth members.

Editor’s Comments - Paul Hunter Well, a er many hours of si ng behind the computer screen early in the morning, our new website is now up and running, with many many new func ons and features. But before I get to telling you what those features are, I would like to pay thanks to Paul Smith and Bev Randell for their years of service providing the club with a website. Our new site has pass‐word func ons allowing club members access only certain areas, this will allow you to download the latest newsle er. We have an Events Calendar, linked to Google Maps, we have a Technical Ar cles sec on, that I have back loaded all of the ar cles published, and you can search by key words, such as “oil” it will return all “oil“ ar cles. We have a Forum sec on that you can post queries and we hope that members will help with answers. We have a Buy Sell Swap sec on, that only members can enter items, as well as photos. We have a Newsle er sec on, with all of the last 15 months Newsle er up‐loaded, with the last 6 running months only downloadable when you have logged on. We have Members Gallery, where we would encourage you to upload some photos of your car/s, plus other features, visit the site to see what you can ac‐cess. The one key item to remember is that you can view all areas of the site, but you will need to login to be able to either download, or enter data. To do so, your user name is your name i.e. paulhunter (note, no spaces between first name surname) and your password is your home phone number (no area code). Should you have any issues (commonly known as gremlins accessing the site ) please do not hesitate to contact me.

Secretary’s Report - Ross Bolton

Hello everyone,

Once again we have some great ou ngs coming up for you this year. Check out the lis ngs on the coming events page.

The Galaxy of cars was very well a ended, a nice fun day was enjoyed by all. For the Hampton Downs Roycro Vintage fes val weekend see details in the newsle er.

I have been working on the Roadster these last few months a er the new all steel body and guards arrived from Brookville in Ohio. A er degreasing and buffing out the surface rust from body and guards it received two coats of Killrust Super Etch primer from the boys at Wa yl Paints. Then things got a bit more difficult although the body fi ed on the chassis without any problems, the mudguards were another thing. If Henry had to spend the me I did fi ng the guards and running boards together, he would have been very frustrated. However I now have only the RF guard to fit and the body will be complete ready to be dismantled for pain ng, the colours we have chosen are Brewster Green body, Apple Green wheels and of course Black guards.

I have fi ed a high ra o crown and pinion, 39 V8 gearbox and Model B Motor with cross drilled cranksha for full pressure oiling to the big ends, high comp head, touring grind on the camsha , Stromberg 97 down dra carb, all balanced with lightened flywheel. The wheels are 1935 16in wires with radial res. With these mods I may be able to keep up with Harry. I hope to have some pictures for the next newsle er. There will be more from Her and its goodnight from Him

NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB NEWSLETTER JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014

Welcome to new NIMAFC Club Members Welcome to our new members

Stephen & Penny Nisbe , 20 Brookfield Road, Drury, Auckland ‐ 1928 ‐ Leather back

John Ross, 1 Shaw Street, Kingsland, Auckland ‐ 1929 Roadster

Club Events - do not forget to mark these dates in your diary

Current Month

March 3rd ‐ Pukekohe swap meet.

March 8 & 9th ‐ Hampton Downs Roycro Vintage Fes val Roycro Trophy day . The Waitemata Branch Vintage Car Club of New Zealand would like to invite NIMAFC member‐ship to their Roycro Trophy Race Mee ng at Hampton Downs Race Circuit on Sunday 9th March 2014. Entry costs for NIMAFC members for the day will be $30 per person. This will include : Entry for the driver and one passenger in your Model A ‐ period a red, cooked breakfast at the Te Kauwhata Café at 10 Main Road, Te Kauwhata. : Be part of the Lunch me Parade around the Race Circuit. We would need to organise Pre Booked Tickets but this can be sorted out closer to the event me. Please reply to Di Humphreys ‐ 09 4460916(hm) ‐ 09 4457587 (wk) or [email protected]. Come on guys, lets support this great event. For those interested contact me and I will send out the full invita on and please let me know as soon as possible, so I can let Di know numbers ‐ Editor

March 9th ‐ Thames Classic Car and Motorama.

March 16th ‐ Sunday – Run around North Shore to Shakespeare Regional Park, Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Points of Interest for the day: Meet for breakfast 8am Lake House in Takapuna (op onal). Run starts at 9.30am Lake House, Fred Thomas Drive Takapuna. Brief display and drive by of Model As, into two Re rement Villages. Leisurely scenic drive around the beaches of the East Coast Bays and visit the Silverdale Pioneer Village. Family BYO picnic lunch at the Shakespeare Regional Park, Whangaparaoa (please bring chairs, picnic blankets, swimming gear, sunhats and picnic food). This is a compe ve run so please bring your thinking caps. Op on: If you cannot make the morning run, please join us for a picnic lunch at Shakespeare Regional Park approx. 1.30pm. Not a date to be missed! Let’s make the most of the lovely summer days!.

2014 Ongoing Months

April 6th ‐ The Waikato Triumph Car Club is again holding its Annual Car Show and Swap meet. They look forward to seeing our Club at the Te Awamutu Race Course, Racecourse Road, Te Awamutu. We hope to have your support on the day to help the Waikato Westpac Air Ambulance.

April 18 to 21st ‐ Easter weekend 100% club weekend at Opito Bay.

April 25th ‐ 27th ‐ ARLBERG SKI LODGE – MT RUAPEHU. Friday easy commute to the Chateau Road – then almost to the top of the Bruce Road Mt Ruapehu is the Arlberg Ski Lodge on your le . The Club has secured the use of the Arlberg Ski Lodge for 3 nights (Friday – Sunday). If you wish to travel down and stay Thursday 24th someone will be there to greet you. Visit the Club website to download the flyer for the weekends event.

May ‐ Run to Auckland Airport Fire brigade ‐ date to be confirmed.

June ‐ Run to the naval base Devonport.

July ‐ TBA.

August 9th ‐ Combined prize giving evening with a dine & dance at the CT Club Remuera.

September 21st ‐ 27th ‐ Australian Na onal Rally Model A Ford Meet, Busselton Western Australia. Rally by the Seaside.

September ‐ Winery run in West Auckland TBA.


Club Outing’s - Galaxy of Cars - PeterCalderonlifeinNewZealand‐NZHerald

Love of vintage vehicles is puzzling but it's also intense ‐ just ask those with a piece of history in their garage.

In a life that has been rich in embarrassing moments, one stands out. Years ago, cycling through a carpark, I stopped to admire an immaculately restored Rover 90, just as the driver, resplendent in plaid jacket, cheesecu er and yellow bow e, disembarked.

As we cha ed about old cars ‐ I was scarcely an aficionado but I once changed the clutch in an Aus n A30; it took me about six weeks ‐ I put my bicycle on its side stand so I could take a closer look. It seemed to happen in slow mo on: the bike slewed slightly, teetered and toppled against the car where the rounded p of the handbrake lever le a perfect pea‐sized indenta on in the front passenger door. In the silence that spread like an oil spill, I fancied I could hear my heart beat. "Yes," the man said at last, drawing out the word so it sounded like the final exhala on of a dying man. "She's a beau ful car all right." It goes without saying that I did not take my bicycle to the Galaxy of Cars at Western Springs Stadium on Sun‐day. And I took to heart the "Please do not touch" signs displayed among the exhibits.

Spread across the ring of grass bounded by the dirt‐track, it was more like a sea than a galaxy, although there was stellar sparkle enough in the assembly, which was organised (almost strictly) along community‐of‐interest lines. The Hillmans and Humbers got along like the close cousins they are; the Holdens and Fords kept a grudgingly respec ul distance; Jowe Javelins relaxed in the shade near the main gate alongside their rela ves the Bradfords, which I'm old enough to remember as bakers' vans. These cars were household names for baby boomers, made in an age when Bri sh marques predominated on our roads. You could tell they were Bri sh cars, the old joke went, because if you opened the boot, you'd find a gang of spray‐painters playing cards and drinking tea.

By the me we le school, some of them were ge ng old enough for us to afford (though me and care have made them expensive again now): we cut our teeth on Aus ns and Morris Minors and, if we were stupid enough, Vauxhall Vivas. This was an era when any import from Japan was dismissed as "Jap junk". The owners were as fascina ng as their vehicles: one man read the paper by his 55 Fairlane ("it's got a Thunderbird motor and a four‐barrel carb"), which he bought nine months ago "for the wife". He's been a mechanic since he le school but he bought a car already restored because she got cancer (as he put it, she "got the rust in"). "We didn't know how bad it was so we thought just do it. She's in remission now and the car drives like a dream."

Barry Roberts sits at the wheel of his 1908 single‐cylinder 6hp 780cc Rover with a chassis of white ash and spokes of hickory. The essence of the original is there ‐ the engine, the gearbox, the front axle, the wheel hubs, but he doesn't drive it much. "I've got another one, you see. It's a year later. It's a two‐cylinder." An even older horseless carriage is a 1903 Oldsmobile with a "curved dash" that looks like a footrest. Only a steering lever (with a bicycle‐style bell) spoils the illusion that this is a horse‐drawn trap.

Behind the line of Model A Fords, I find a quintet of women cha ng in the shade of a gazebo. They're quick to dismiss any preconcep ons I have about being car widows, mourning a life me of watching dad's dinner go cold as he refuses to come inside.

You won't find any of those here," one tells me. "The wives that come along here are commi ed to it. They love the cama‐raderie of it. The ones it leaves cold ... well, they're not here." To read the full ar cle, click here or h p://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar cle.cfm?c_id=1&objec d=11196682&ref=rss


Model A Owners Interview - John Castle Q. What made you decide to get a Model A and when did you get your first Model A? A. My interest really began when I was in the 6th form at Westlake when I regular‐ly travelled to school in a friend’s 1928 Tudor and in 1967 when I le school I bought that car from him for 60 quid, my first car. As they say ‘the rest is history’

Q. Was your car restored or did you restore it? A. It was a well worn original car and typically at that stage in life, I could only afford to keep it mobile. We were all heavily into surfing in the 60’s and it man‐aged to serve us well, later to go on to new “experiences” with Rainton J Has e owner of the Pink Pussy Cat Club!

Q. How many Model A’s have you owned and have many do you have now? A. To date I have owned 8 Model A’s and currently have just a 1928 Tudor which is where it all started. Four have been full restora ons . A new project beckons once the Tudor is fully sorted for touring.

Q. What is your Favourite Model A memory? A. I don’t have one par cular memory but the 1970’s stands out when a fair number of club members were rela vely newly married, we socialised together a lot with our young families and tapped into each others exper se as most of us were re‐storing a car from scratch on limited resources.

Q. Where would you want to travel in your Model A? A. Country places and routes in New Zealand that we have not already travelled such as New Plymouth to Napier over the Gentle Annie and more remote parts of the South Island of course.

Q. What would your dream Model A be? A. A completely original NZ new car, any model would do. I con nue to dream although I do know of one not too far from here!

Q. What advice would you give to someone if they were buying a Model A? A. In today’s environment I would recommend a solid, registered and warranted vehicle with good panels, paint and uphol‐stery as long as it was reasonably correct. Mechanicals are rela vely easy to sort out.

Q. What's the best thing about being a member of the Model A Club? A. Having been a member since 1972 I have met many interes ng like minded people and a number who remain good friends today. As you get older I think you value these friendships more .

About the member I am very much the amateur restorer and enjoy working on Model A’s as a hobby and don’t have any clear favourites having owned two Phaetons , a Fordor, a Roadster, two Pickups and two Tudors . Today I lean more towards the early cars . I did go off the rails in the late 60’s when I shoehorned a flathead V8 into a 1930 Phaeton , the idea coming from a certain club member from Matakohe we visited back then! ! EC1616 where are you now ? Also about that me a quite original 1931 Chev Wentworth sedan was also in the mix, but I was not tempted to keep it par cularly as the white metal bear‐ings were shot. Soon a er I joined the Club I got “dra ed” on the commi ee as you do and I have covered all posi ons at one me or another. I enjoy going to swap meets and the camaraderie you share, one day I would like to get to Bendigo in Australia, plus a return visit to the USA taking in another Na onal Meet would be good.


Waiuku Classic Car Display - by Brian Hoskings

We all set of at 0900 to meet up with Alex at the Glenbrook Hall and on the way we were slowed down by a convoy of Wil‐lys Jeeps, but I must commend them for keeping well to the le and le ng us pass. Incidents on Glenbrook road included Pukeko Killer Trevor, taking out two young birds and Gavin’s car breaking down. However, with a few prayers from the vicar, who had stopped to help, (a er all it was the Sabbath) Gavin and Helen were soon on their way.

Arriving at Glenbrook Hall, we were met by Alex, who led us to the venue. This was a farm, owned by Clifford Bryce, and the display areas were very well set out. A very good selec on of vehicles to view, including classic Mustangs, Belair's, Cor‐ve es, Pon acs, Chryslers etc, as well as vintage and veteran vehicles of all descrip ons. Loud music of the appropriate era blared out, and the local Lions Club provided sausages, hamburgers and chips, all at very reasonable prices. Entertainment included the crushing of a Mazda car by driving a crawler tractor over it, several mes. It was great to see Len Hoyland and Owen arrive in Len’s Model A Roadster, we were all very pleased Len could join us for a while. All in all a good day out, with perfect weather, a great venue, excellent display, nice food, and most important, good friends. Looking forward to the next one.

Dream Engine Bays - How about sending me some photos of your engine bay - Editor

In this issue, we have Keith & Margaret Watson’s 1930 Victoria with a very nice looking engine, another le hand drive, look and the spare space and look what you can do. Any hot right hand drive engines, come on do not be shy, send me some photos ‐ Editor


ERA Fashions

In the early years of the automobile, ge ng gas for the horseless carriage was no small feat. gasoline

evolved from bulk depots on the outskirts of towns, o en requiring three people to fill tank, to curb side

pumps. As the popularity of the motor car increased and technology allowed quan es of fuel to be re‐

fined from the same amount of petroleum, merchants of all stripes, bicycle shops, general stores, garages,

and automo ve dealers, installed gas pumps in front of establishments. By 1920 approximately 15,000 gas

sta ons were located in the United States. were rudimentary at best, some li le more than shacks, with ad‐

ver sements li ering their walls and roads leading to them. They were considered by many to be an eyesore,

and even worse, there li le confidence in the product they

Major oil companies took note and began to standardize their sta ons, making them visually to the mo‐

torist. Not only did the sta on need to look good, the service employees needed to honesty, integrity,

reliability and quality. What be er way to do that than through the clothing

I saw this on the Ford Barn website (h p://www.fordbarn.com) and thought that it is somewhat scary but very very true. In my case it is not the worry about my wife Kerrie selling the car and parts (the spare parts seem be growing in volume, I am told that it is a disease, in my case I tell everyone it is simply enjoyment and the fact that I like many, cannot help buying a bargain), it is leaving my car/s to my children and my son in‐law hot rodding it. I have let him know that I would be watching him, may not be an issue, but in the back of my mind. Editor


Coast to Coast - New York to LA (from Autoweek)

Rod Wade and Michael Flanders have set a new modern record for a pre‐war car, driving their

Ford Model A from New York to Los Angeles in just 50 hours, 20 minutes and 6 seconds. Right de‐par ng Staten Island, New York, just past midnight on Friday, Wade filled up a bo le with water the Atlan c Ocean, and emp ed it into the Pacific when the team reached Venice Beach in Marina Rey, Cal‐ifornia, late on Saturday night. Their first a empt five weeks ago ended in mechanical 38 hours

into the drive, with the Ford Model A suffering a broken cranksha , but with a 40hp engine, the team was successful on the second

Not only did they beat 60 hours as they’ve planned, but they arrived almost 10 hours early, in the cess

pos ng a faster me than Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker’s 1933 me of 53 hours and 30 was driving a V8‐engined Graham‐Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8. His record that stood for years, But this is a different type of record, of course—Baker didn’t have the modern Interstate system, GPS naviga‐on or a support car in his 1930’s cross‐country racing effort. So Baker’s very much stands and will

con nue to stand, as it’s impossible to try to best his feat under modern ons using a pre‐war car. But Wade and Flanders’ 50‐hour, 20‐minute record isn’t quite the same modern a empts made using modern cars. Instead, it’s a new benchmark for pre‐war cars in mes. Submi ed by Dick


It certainly was a great month with the Tourists and the campervans filling the

Bakery car park and using the Baker’s facili es.

The special we have been running has gone down well with all the customers –pay for two of anything

and get the second one free which included the Viagra muffins which had the Manageress’s of the two

rest homes asking us to tone down the mixture as the headboards were causing considerable damage to the bedroom

walls.

Course the promo on has caused the ll to overflow and the missus has had to give up some of her biscuit ns to help

provide safe storage for the extras to provide for that rainy day.

Had old Bluey the prospector in the other day hadn’t seen him for a few months as he has been up in the hills and sat

down and had a coffee with him as he has always something good to talk about.

During the conversa on he ask did I know the meaning of IWI, I said no, he replied, it means‐ I WANT IT. Never

thought of that then he ask did I know the meaning of KIWI‐ I said it was our favorite nocturnal bird he replied it

means KEEP IT WITHIN IWI. Knowledgeable bloke that Bluey.

Had the Re red Real Estate manager call in the other day and he seems pre y happy with his re rement and suggested

he might infringe on the Bakers territory and do a bit of Long lining – however his favorite customers are not too happy

about him re ring as they are missing his morning teas.

While the Baker was out doing his deliveries he spo ed the Vicar from Howick driving through Thames in the new

parish roadster and rumor has it that he was doing a survey on the collec on boxes in the Thames – wonder if he is

looking at moving.

Well the Baker is con nuing his charitable work and is organizing three large events. The first is a large fashion pa‐

rade with speakers from three top labels and including 23 other top labels. This is a 2 hour show limited ckets

Kayla/Milly’s Autumn/Winter Fashion P r e

Speakers from: Paula Ryan, L sse te DJ

Venue: Richmond Villas T me

Date: Wednesday March 12th

Tickets $30 ea. Includes wine, cheese e

Spot Prizes

Secondly during Thames Heritage week a MotorRama is being held on the 22nd of March. All Classic and Vintage cars are

welcome to a end the parade Meet Rhodes Park from 9am Parade starts at 10.30.

Thirdly there is a 75 mile Poker Run on April 26th, registra on 10.30‐11.30 at the Kopu Hotel $20 per head prize giving

GBD e.g. Junc on Hotel Pollen Street 5pm $1000 cash up for grabs plus other prizes. This is a great fun event.

Further informa on on these events contact the Baker 0275 797 275 A er Hrs. 07 8685989

The fashion parade and the 75 mile poker run is in aid of the Thames ‐ Coromandel ‐ Hauraki‐Waihi Life Educa on Mobile

Classroom.

Regards,

The Baker

The Baker’s Report - by Bruce Smith (retired)

NIMAFC CLUB History – FEBRUARY 1978 - (35 years ago) by Paul Smith – Club Historian


Club Captain Ross Ward reports:‐

What a sight! Saturday morning 28th Janu‐ary saw 33 Model A’s assembled in Corn‐wall Park ready for the convoy run through Auckland Streets to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Model A Ford. Club members from as far away as the Bay of Islands with Ken Bigley, and Bill Cole from Horopito and Steve Harvey from Rotorua, all par cipated in the weekend events.

The convoy of ‘A’s arrived at the Museum of Transport and Technology at 11am. Op‐era on ‘AA’ Bus was then organised which saw on dozen clowns (including current members Paul Smith & John Castle) si ng on the ‘AA’ running gear with Vic Wooten (the original owner) at the wheel driving from K. Road to M.O.T.A.T. with its maiden journey across country (the new motor‐way) and on public roads for the first me. A free steak lunch was provided by M.O.T.A.T. and rides in various Model ‘A’s were run in the a ernoon.

On Sunday the cut‐away Model ‘A’ motor and gearbox was assembled and installed into Ted Casley’s running gear as a display of the simplicity of the ‘A’ mechanicals, and again rides were held in members cars.

On Monday (Auckland Anniversary day) the roughest Model A Roadster (Ross Ward) was fired up for the first me in 15 years to everyone’s amazement and driven around the Museum grounds. There was no work undertaken on the Bus over the weekend because of other ac vi es and everyone was too involved in enjoying a relaxed sunny day with other members and discussions with the public.

On Saturday 45 Model ‘A’ total were present (some coming direct to the display), on Sunday 30, and again 30 on the Monday. All in all the weekend proved successful and I would like to thank especially the “out of town” members who put in so much of their me to make this celebra on a success.

M.O.T.A.T. tells us approximately 10,000 people visited the museum over the three days from which they ne ed $14,000 a er expenses. The Museum last week gave the Club a $300 dona on for our par cipa on.

It was great to see four newly restored (or partly restored! – Len Hoyland) cars out for their first Club event. I was obvious to see a lot of prepara on was put into this event.

From the Garage - by Paul Hunter -


There are many ar cles wri en about how to install new king pins in a Model A Ford. However, unless you fully under‐stand the geometry of the Model A front end, there may be an element of doubt concerning whether you did the job correctly. Since I did not understand the front‐end geometry, I turned to Les Andrews for a proper explana on. Most of what is wri en here about the front‐end geometry is a paraphrase of Les’s explana on.

The weight of the body and frame in the front is res ng on the center of the front spring where it is U‐bolted to the frame. This weight is transferred out to each end of the front spring where the shackles a ach it to the front axle. There‐fore all the front‐end weight is si ng on the front axle. This full weight is transferred to the king pins. To test the theory, slip a king pin into one end of the axle, without the spindle installed, and install the locking bolt, the king pin is now an integral part of the axle. It is easy to see that the weight of the axle will now be applied to the bo om side of the king pin flange. The king pin is locked in place in the axle and does not rotate.

Directly under the king pin flange a thrust bearing will be installed. The weight will now be on the thrust bearing and it will sit on top of the top surface of the spindle when it is installed. When the wheel is on the car and it is si ng on the ground the front‐end weight is pressing down on the thrust bearing and against the top surface of the spindle. The spindle will rotate on the thrust bearing around the sta onary king pin

One would think all you had to do was put the parts together and you’re good to go. Unfortunately reproduc on parts and 75 plus years of wear enter into the equa on. The thrust bearings available today (Timken part number T‐83) are not as thick as were the originals (Ford part number A‐3123), therefore shims are required for proper fit. The repo dust cover retainers supplied today are incorrectly made and will interfere with the installa on. Wear to the ma ng surfaces of the axle and spindles are also a factor. All these variables must be taken into considera on when installing new king pins. One would think all you had to do was put the parts together and you’re good to go. Unfortunately reproduc on parts and 75 plus years of wear enter into the equa on.

The thrust bearings available today (Timken part number T‐83) are not as thick as were the originals (Ford part number A‐3123), therefore shims are required for proper fit. The repo dust cover retainers supplied today are incorrectly made and will i nterfere with the i nstalla on. Wear to the ma ng surfaces of the axle and spindles are also a factor. All these variables must be taken into considera on when installing new king pins.

When installing new king pins the first effort should be to determine how many shims are needed under the thrust bear‐ing. To do this install the king pin, the thrust bearing, and the spindle. Leave the dust seal off. Lock the king pin to the axle with the locking nut and bolt. Rotate the spindle and see how freely it r otates. Note a ny up a nd down movement. You will probably have up and down movement so add one or two shims. Check it again. Add shims un l the spindle seems to be binding and not turning freely. Remove a shim if that is the case.

The shims will take up the free space that is between the bo om of the thrust bearing and the spindle. This free space is created by the lack of proper thickness of the thrust bearing and any wear that has occurred on the ma ng sur‐faces of the axle and the spindle.

Bratton’s An que Auto claims to stock a repo metal dust cover that is made to the original Ford drawing. That may be the case, but it s ll may not fit properly due to wear to the axle or spindle surfaces. Les Andrews says to leave them out completely. If you are a purest you may not want to do that.

My advice is to go ahead and try to install them. If they interfere, remove them and grind the lip down a li le bit.

When you think you have the proper amount of shims installed and you think the dust cover is not interfering, there is a way to test it. With the car s ll si ng on jack stands, place a floor jack under the end of the spindle near the threaded end and run the jack up to put pressure on spindle. This will simulate the wheel being installed and the car si ng on the ground. With your fingers try to rotate the thrust bearing. You should not be able t o move i t . Do the same with the dust cover; you should be able to rotate it.

Correct installa on of king pins, along with correct adjustment of t he f r ont wheel bearings i s e ssen al to safe proper steering.

Our thanks to Tom Endy for his excellent ar cles ‐ Editor

PAGE 12

King Pin by Tom


Plating vs. Painting Model A Parts - Part 2

Some parts that were originally cad plated are now being manufactured in stainless steel. Stainless steel can be made to look like cad by bead blas ng. Examples are lug nuts or the rivets that hold the headlight bucket to the moun ng bracket. What is terne pla ng? It’s an o en‐asked ques on. The only part I know that was terne plated is the cutout switch. Cut‐out switches today are likely to be cad plated, stainless, or painted black by the restorer. Cad switches are acceptable for judging the touring class for the na onal clubs. But originally the finish was dull gray metallic pla ng. Using a soldering iron and a high lead solder best duplicates terne at home. Another uncommon pla ng was lead. It was used one place, the ba ery‐grounding strap. Today’s repro parts are copper straps. The originals were similar but lead coated. This can be duplicated using body solder available from auto body stores. Or, mail order pla ng companies sell a brush‐on lead coa ng that works extremely well when heated with a propane torch. Considering that this strap is impossible to see, very few restorers will worry about ge ng it right. Star ng with the 1928 models, Ford used nickel‐pla ng inside and out for all bright trim parts. Nickel can be buffed to a very bright, almost chrome‐like shine. The problem is that it oxidizes and turns dull quickly. On the plus side, nickel is non‐porous. Water cannot penetrate nickel. The low‐buck alterna ve to pla ng is buying new repro parts that are nickel‐plated. Pain ng nickel‐plated parts seriously detracts from quality of the restora on and should be avoided if you are hav‐ing your car judged. Mid‐way through produc on Henry started using a Butler‐nickel finish for interior plated parts on deluxe cars. Butler finish is a sa n finish. It makes the interior look richer. In fact, I bet you think that’s why Ford did it. Wrong! It saved labor. To achieve a bright nickel finish both the copper coat and the finish nickel pla ng had to be buffed. There is no buffing done to a butler‐plated part. The Butler por on was lightly scratched using a Butler wheel on a bench grinder. Butler parts were not chrome plated. There is no cheap way to duplicate Butler‐nickel finish. The least ex‐pensive route that will keep your restora on looking sharp is to use repro nickel‐plated parts or to find good used parts. You will lose only marginal points in judging for using bright nickel in place of Butler. Some of the hardest pieces to nickel plate are pot metal parts. The pla ng used as the base coat is either copper or nickel. Both are high in acid con‐tent. Pot metal is very suscep ble to acid. Old pot metal tends to develop cracks that allow the acid to penetrate the met‐al. Once this happens, the piece begins to dissolve in the pla ng solu on. To solve this problem platers use a different non‐acid copper solu on as the first coat. Repro parts generally do not have a copper base coat. They receive a “flash” coat of nickel over the base metal to provide a bright finish. The flash coat is very thin. Underlying scratches or imperfec ons will show through. Bumpers were manufactured in chrome from the start of produc on. The plus side to chrome is that is not affected by air and does not oxidize. The downside is that chrome is porous. Water can penetrate chrome and rust the base metal if not protected by a coa ng of nickel. Chrome is also expensive. Original chrome parts should be retained and re‐plated if possi‐ble. Original bumpers are heavier and made from spring steel. Reproduc on bumpers are not. By late 1929, Henry began experimen ng with chrome radiators and cowl bands on the town cars. However the extra cost to chrome plate made it imprac cal for the bright work on the Model A’s. In 1930, the switch was made to a rela vely new product, Allegheny Rustless Steel. Today we know this product as stainless. Stainless items should not need to be re‐placed. Stainless can be re‐buffed to a high shine. In general, nickel, Butler, chrome, and stainless parts should not be painted. These items are all very visible on your car. You are be er off spending the dollars here on restoring the original parts or finding good used parts with li le wear. The low dollar alterna ve is to buy reproduc on parts. Perhaps this is more informa on than you wanted regarding Model A pla ng. In short, if you are showing your car locally, I recommend the following. Plain steel – the general rule is to paint it black. Raven – paint sa n or flat black. Cad pla ng – buy a new reproduc on part. Terne –the only part terne plated was the generator cutout. If you s ll run a generator, buy a new reproduc on part in cad. Lead – the only part lead plated was the ba ery grounding strap. You don’t see it so use what you have. Nickel – buy a new reproduc on part. Butler – subs tute a new nickel‐plated reproduc on part and take the loss of points. Chrome – subs tute a new chrome plated part. Stainless steel – rebuff to original shine. The quick and simple recommenda on is that the best compromise between pla ng and pain ng is to buy reproduc on parts. You can get away with pain ng a few parts that were either not plated or available either painted or plated. But, every me you paint a plated part, you will lose detail and devalue your restora on. If you plan to show the car for MARC or MAFCA, plate the original part. Reprinted from the The Penn‐Ohio Model A Club ‐ This tech p was originally provided by Bob Hudec and printed in the August 2001 “A” Quail Call.

Small Cap Badge $5

NIMAFC sew on badges $9

Metal bumper badges $20

Caps $15

Polo shirts $25

Polo fleece jackets $45

SPRING SALE Polo Fleece Jacket Sizes 3XL & 2XL Reduced to $35 to clear

Summer Cap One size fits all Reduced to $10 Bumper Badge Adver se your Club Reduced to $15

The only item not shown is the adhesive s cker of the NIMAFC. They cost $1 and are the same as the sew on badge. To order any of the above merchandise please make contact with Gavin Leckner on 021 040 6116 or 09 426 4697


Club Merchandise for Sale

Wanted & For Sale

Classified Adverts - Support our advertisers

Errol McAlpine (see Veteran & Vin-tage advert above for full contact de-tails)

Available Custom made engine crate for freighting your motor to an engine rebuilder, contact John Castle 09 - 4794135 for more information.

For Sale - 1930 Roadster Pickup, Green with black guards + spares. Call Chris Worboys: Feilding 06 323 8033.

Wanted

Model AA wooden wheels, any condition. 07 575 9868 Fergus.

Powerhouse Generator 3 Brush Ring. Call or email Paul Hunter 09 8272153 or [email protected].

Brake and Clutch pedals for single plate clutch – preferably Oval pads – price to be absolute minimum due to slow plate takings - The Vicar 09 5346843 or [email protected]

For Hire - Tandem axle flat deck car trailer available for hire to Auckland Club members - $50 per weekend/two day hire. Contact Paul Hunter - 021 435 610 or email [email protected]

For Sale - 1929 Ford Model A Rumble seat Roadster, restored 20 years ago, stone guard, custom upholstery, side curtains, hood cover, full width rear bumper, trunk rack & trunk. 4000 miles on reconditioned mo-tor, new WOF and Rego, $35,000 Phone Malcolm 09 412 7720

For Sale - The personalised plate MY A is for sale for $7000. If you are interested please phone David Gray on 09 817 5658. He intended listing it on Trade Me but de-cided to allow NIMAFC Members the first opportunity to purchase it. If unsold it will be listed on TM.

For Sale - 1930 - 31 Model A Truck Chassis 131½ inch wheel base. Sand blasted and painted, ready for use - $900 ono Owen Goldsmith 07 543 0061

For Sale - new cast brake drums for the Model A both front and rear . These are at the best price possible @ $235.00 ea. incl GST or a set of 4 for $880.00. Contact


A space for your advert, contact the Editor for more information - [email protected]

Classified adverts and Wanted & For Sale. No charge for members selling their own items. Items will run in three issues, unless renewed or canceled. Business card size commercial ads are $25.00 per year, and “hobby business” ads are $10.00 per year. For information, contact Paul Hunter 09 8272153 or email [email protected]

PAGE 15

Henry Ford Famous Quotes “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”

Henry Ford

Tiny Tips features in each and every MAFCA maga-zine printed monthly, these Tiny Tips from MAFCA members will be reprinted in our newsletter. Should you have you own Tiny Tips, please do not hesitate to provide an article for our club members. This way we all enjoy and learn from others experiences and we in turn can put these tips into practice.

North Island Model A Ford Club Inc. P.O. Box 57-017, Owairaka, Auckland New Zealand.

The views and articles expressed in this newsletters are the views of the authors and may be reprinted provided acknowledgement is given. Where articles have been reprinted, the NIMAFC recognizes those authors and thank them for allowing their article to be used in our club newsletter.


Galaxy of Cars · Club Captain’s Report - David Mossman PAGE 2 NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB...

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Transcript of Galaxy of Cars · Club Captain’s Report - David Mossman PAGE 2 NORTH ISLAND MODEL A FORD CAR CLUB...