MARCH 2019 ISSUE 02 2019i.pdfand or membership number was listed as the re-cipient reference. If not...

THE

VVC VIEWMARCH 2019 ISSUE 02

E-mail: [email protected] • website: www.vintageandveteranclub.co.zaMail: P.O. Box 35129, Northcliff, 2115 • Clubhouse: 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, Johannesburg

Brian Noik :: Tel: 082 416 9584 :: www.oldcars.co.za :: [email protected]

DELIVERING YOUR DREAMS ONE CAR AT A TIME.

Follow me on facebook twitter instagram using @oldcarssa

EXCEPTIONAL CARSOFFERED FOR SALE

1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

1923 Ford Model TTriumph TR6

1966 Corvette

1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster Oval Window beetle

Greetings from the dam

This issue has a couple of cautionary tales in it.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg tells us, automotive

buffs looking to buy classic cars online were side-

swiped by a group of international con artists, who

posed as dealers and collectors to scam them, U.S.

federal prosecutors said. Ten people were arrested in

the U.S., Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, who allegedly

created fake personas on well-known online auction

and trading sites and claimed to be selling classic ve-

hicles, as well as boats and machinery.

“The defendants’ once-lucrative joyride is over,” U.S.

Attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey Berman, said in a

statement.

The conspirators pretended to negotiate sales, coming

to agreements with buyers on prices, down payments

and shipping costs, and then directed the victims to

send money to supposed transportation companies

that would accept payment and ship the cars, prose-

cutors said. The collectors thought they were agreeing

MARCH 2019

EditorialBrian Askew

to buy cars such as Mercedes-Benzes, Porsches, Teslas

and 1960s Dodges and Chevrolets. The companies

were apparently shell corporations set up to receive

the payments and the money was immediately with-

drawn and sent to countries in Eastern Europe. The

victims never received cars and many were unable to

recover their money or had to repay loans they took

out to buy the vehicles. Four of the defendants were

arrested in the New York borough of Queens in De-

cember, while another two were taken into custody

in Kuldiga, Latvia, the same month and extradited to

the U.S. Two others were arrested in Riga, Latvia, and

Vilnius, Lithuania, and extradited to the U.S. Two oth-

ers apprehended in Helsinki and Vilnius are awaiting

extradition. The defendants face as long as 30 years in

prison if convicted.

So, as a cynical South African, one is not surprised –

but the demon of greed is not far below the surface in

many folk. Beware.

On to my editorial duties. I offer my thanks to Aubrey

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

This time of the year DJ Fever breaks out and it is

rather demanding! From the preparation of bikes to

planning the logistics to doing all the bookings and

other items it is a busy time but how fortunate we are

to still have this wonderful old event happening in

our midst. The race it commemorates was truly a gi-

ant among events and amazingly there have already

been more than twice as many commemorative runs

than there were original races but that is not surpris-

ing when you consider that the event is 106 years old

this year.

My wish is for as many of you as possible to support

the Rally by participating or just being there at the fin-

ish to welcome the intrepid riders home. As usual the

finish will be at the CMC in Germiston on Saturday 16

March from about 15h00 onwards. Clerk of the Course

Larina McGregor and her small team are doing a won-

derful job behind the scenes in preparing everything

for what we trust will be another great run. Numbers

are slightly down this year but considering all the fac-

tors which impact on entries that is understandable.

That is also why every bit of support is so welcome.

Our theme for our next Club Sunday is DJ Bikes so we

are hoping to have a good turnout of these old ma-

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.

MARCH 2019

From thechairman’s desk

Ian Holmes

His contact details appear elsewhere in this news-

letter so if anyone is contemplating any event un-

der the banner of our club please advise Henry

so that the necessary steps are taken to comply

with any relevant regulations and procedures. He

would also welcome any suggestions you may

have for new events that may not yet be on the

calendar so please bear this in mind.

On the social side our Sunday braais are growing

in popularity and it is great to see new old fac-

es attending these. If you haven’t yet been there

please consider it as they are a love way to social-

ize. Friends and family are welcome too and that

is a lovely way for us to encourage new members

which are so important to our future.

Here is wishing all DJ riders especially the first

timers of which there is a good number this year a

safe enjoyable and memorable experience as they

coax their old machines along the route that be-

came famous over a hundred years ago.

I wish you all a safe and enjoyable motoring what-

ever your choice of wheels.

Ian Holmes.

This month we welcome a new country member:

Colin Greyvensteyn from Cape Town. Colin is

one of our younger members and he has a couple

of restoration projects, a restored 1972 Kawasa-

ki and a couple of running vehicles – a Triumph

tr3A and a 1926 Lancia. Even if he is not in the

area we hope to see him from time to time at the

club meeting and other events.

Thank you to Michelle Morrow for yet again look-

ing after my desk on Sunday 27 January as we

were travelling.

The name badges were delayed but they should

be on the board next to the entrance at the club

house on Sunday the 24th of February.

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

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.

MARCH 2019

New Members Karen Kaiser

Should you require a printed newsletter the sub-

scription will increase by R25 for the year for both

normal and country members to R575 and R450

respectively. The banking details are: The Vintage

and Veteran club, Nedbank Benmore Gardens,

Branch code 197305 account numbers 1973038617.

The month of March is the DJ month for the VVC.

This year it will start from Hillcrest on Friday the

15th of March with the bikers finishing at CMC in

Germiston in the afternoon of the 16th of March.

If you would like to come and support the bikes

finishing, the address for the CMC is: Corner of

Power and Refinery Road in Germiston. The bik-

ers should start getting in from about 15.00. I

wish all the competitors, sweepers and organisers

a safe and fantastic event.

Karen Kaiser

MARCH 2019

Birthdays Karen Kaiser

MARCH 2019

Vince Warren-Hansen

Tony Watson

James McGee

Howard Freeman

Phillip Gordon

Robert Hart

Derek Heard

Roy Jones

KC Saayman

Hamish Morrison

Ian Shepherd

Ron Wheeldon

Harry Calver

Michael Stephanou

Please join us in Friday evenings at the club, in the“Milk Bar” for a few rounds!

MARCH 2019

William Hebenton

Bert Scheepers

Basil Vertue

Piet van Vuuren

Murray Kotze

Patrick Weech

Bert Lopes

Kevin Cronin

Garth Beaven

Milton Espley-Jones

David Cutter

Richard Gundersen

Neville Bensted-Smith

MARCH 2019

2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS(Subject to amendment – see Notice board for more current information)

FEB 24 VVC DJ Bikes On ShowFEB 24 POMC Summer RallyMAR 15 / 16 VVC DJ (Durban - Johannesburg Classic Motorbikes) MAR 17 VVC DJ Breakfast MAR TBA VVC St Patrick’s EveningMAR 17 PR Piston Ring Swop MeetMAR 24 VVC Vintage Cars and BikesAPR 7 SAMCA Angela’s Picnic - Delta ParkAPR TBA VVC Red Car Day in ParkhurstAPR 28 VVC Sports Cars APR 28 GRMC Knysna Motor ShowMAY 27 VCC Cars In The Park - PietermaritzburgMAY 26 VVC Motorcycle Day With VMC and CMCJUN TBA POMC Mampoer Tour - Willem Prinsloo MuseumJUN TBA JHMT DJ Memorial Run JUN 13 / 19 EPVCC Milligan - Port ElizabethJUN 26 VVC Great Train RaceJUN 30 VVC American Cars and BikesJUL 6 / 7 CMC 1000 Bike Show JUL 28 VVC Your Favourite Car or Bike AUG 4 POMC Cars in The Park - ZwartkopsAUG 14 / 18 POMC Magnum Tour Cars and Bikes - MpumalangaAUG 25 VVC Annual General Meeting/Post-Vintage Cars and BikesSEP VVC Parkhurst DaySEP 7 SAVVA SAVVA AGM POMCSEP 15 PR Piston Ring Swop MeetSEP 21 / 24 MTFCOSA SAVVA Veteran/Vintage Nationals - Free StateSEP 24 SAVVA National Drive IT daySEP 29 VVC Post-45 Cars and Bikes and Buick ClubOCT TBA OFSVCC Rendevous TourOCT TBA VVC Johannesburg Historical RunOCT 27 VVC 100 Year Old and Veteran Cars and Bikes NOV 2 RAC London to BrghtonNOV 12 / 14 CVMC Fairest Cape TourNOV VVC Movie EveningNOV 24 VVC TBADEC TBA VVC Kenjara RunDEC 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 eveningFor Gauteng Rallies visit SARRA website – www.sarra.co.za

Events Henry Watermeyer

MARCH 2019

DJ 2019 Ian Holmes

DJ 2019

It all started in 1913, when Captain Lloyd and some friends hit upon the crazy idea of having a motorcycle race from the City of Gold down to the sea in Durban some four hundred and three miles along rough tracks in the veld and generally nonexistence of anything we might call a road today. Little did they know they were setting in motion an event that still evokes all kinds of emotions and activities every year around March.

The original race usually started on Union Day (31 May) and over the next three ,later two and even-tually one day saw intrepid (some say much more harsh things) motorcyclists attempting to cover the distance between the two cities just a quickly as they could. Much is available about those early races and there is an excellent website www.djrun.co.za which has an account of each one of those early sagas. The most spoken about was the famous snowstorm run in 1921 when only three machines finished the course but there are so many other great accounts of hardship endurance and skill.

These days of course the event has a very different fla-vour but there remain a few common factors. Firstly the machines being used all have in theory to have been around and taken part in the original races so all entrants are on machines manufactured on or before December 1936 which was the year the last race was run. The second commonality is that where possible except for principally safety and of course the chang-es brought about by progress the original route is fol-lowed as closely as circumstances permit.

Another great similarity is despite modern roads the present day runner have the same challenges to cope with in keeping machines going. Add to this the fact that the newest machine participating today is eighty-three years old and so are some of the present day

riders! Unfortunately there is a new hazard facing the entrants too in the form of heavy traffic. Considering this it can be argued that the modern day event is still the most challenging regularity rally in our country. It requires great concentration focus and determination to set out on today’s DJ and stick at it all the way to the Reef. That has to be what brings many repeat riders back and attracts the healthy crop of first timers we are happy to have each year.

From the welcoming function at the Natal old car club on the Wednesday evening to the buzz in the docu-mentation area on the day preceding the start all of this forms what has become the premium old motorcycle rally and the smiles on the faces bear testimony to this.

Once again on 14 March the old bikers and their steeds will gather in a shopping centre outside of Durban at Hillcrest (modern traffic conditions no longer permit a start at the City Hall as was past practice) as they pre-pare route schedules swop stories and get psyched up for the challenges which lie ahead on the route. Last minute lubrication tweaks to cables and a variety of other rituals are performed and the build-up is an es-sential element of the DJ as it is known. War stories are exchanged advice is given and great speculation about what the Clerk of the Course Larina McGregor this year has planned for them. Of course the weather plays a vital role as rain doubles the challenge straight away. Much reference to predictions on cell phones and TV is made and that is always the wild card in the game.

Initially the race ran from Johannesburg to Durban but as the organisers were mostly in Joburg it was decided many years ago to start in Durban and run inland. The prize giving was usually held in Johannesburg after the event and was a Black Tie event where the magnif-icent Schlesinger vase was handed to the winner along with a stunning array of other trophies for various achievements. The organisers are extremely fortunate

MARCH 2019

DJ 2019 Ian Holmes

in having some of the original trophies including the beautiful hundred and five year old Schlesinger vase which the winner gets to hold. The vase itself is a won-derful history of the event recording the names of all the past winners.

The Fabulous Schlesinger Vase donated to the event by SA’s first movie mogul IW Schlesinger.

Participation in the DJ is like no other rally because of the unique nature of the route the machines and the entrants some of who come from countries as far as Australia the UK and America “just to do a DJ” and that is something to be proud of. There is nothing quite like being on an old motorcycle which is running well

and thumping it’s was along a beautiful scene in the mountains or climbing one of the passes over which the route takes you.

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-tain HN Lloyd organised it and the winner is awarded the famous Schlesinger Vase, a silver trophy costing 125 pounds.”

We look forward to this year’s run with the same expec-tation and nerves as we know from the past and wish all first time riders a safe and unforgettable experience.

IL Holmes

MARCH 2019

Technical TipEric McQ

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 – not to mention the cost.

This time I had to find an alternative as I needed to use the car on a forthcoming run. After asking around for inspiration, the local hardware shop suggested I tried using a product called Q-Bond which sets rock 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.

Note: I have subsequently imported a replacement housing but being inherently lazy I’m leaving the re-paired one on the car - as the say let sleeping dogs lie. Above is a photo of the fitting. The dark area is the Q Bond filling.

Eric McQ

MARCH 2019

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 The Desk Of Savva - 7

MARCH 2019

From January

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-sponsibilities are the same for nearly all homecare nurses.” Sister Anne sources our home care staff from local service providers dependant on the location and needs of the patient.

She continues with patient assessment. “This is one of the first responsibilities of visiting nurses. Patients who are re-ceiving care in the community are usually not as sick as those in the hospital, but they are less likely to have safeguards in place. It’s important to assess not only just the effectiveness of the intervention you are in charge of, but also all the pa-tient’s body systems. It’s also important to look at the physi-cal environment as part of your assessment and identify any potential hazards for the patient.” I personally asses all of Sister Anne’s clients prior to devising a health care plan for them. This may include home nursing care as well as support from other medical professionals, such as physiotherapists and social workers.

Dunham describes treatment tasks, which “are, generally speaking, the reason the patient is receiving homecare nurs-ing. These might include administering intravenous drugs, changing dressings, maintaining a ventilation system, as-sessing wound development or changes, and other treat-ment, as provided through physician or registered nursing orders. As a homecare nurse you will work more autono-mously, but you should still have access to a continual med-ical supervisor as well as full set of standing orders, policy and procedures.” All our nurses have tasks, detailed for their particular patient. They are required to document all proce-dures and patient experiences for auditing purposes.

MARCH 2019

Nursing Thoughts

care in the home than they are in the hospital. If the patient con-sents and it seems appropriate, involve the whole family in any needed teaching. Make sure the family and patient understand the treatment, why they are getting the treatment, and what type of results they should expect. Since extended family car-egiving can often negatively impact the health of the caregiver, you should also be prepared to make referrals for the family in areas such as medical complaints, mental health counselling or a caregivers’ support group.”

This leads naturally into coordinating communication with oth-er care professionals. “Depending on the patient’s diagnosis’ she notes “they may already have a care manager in place. In addition, you may have care provided through your facility or as secondary function of the division of social work. However, if you are the professional who is most frequently in the home, you may need to coordinate care with the patient’s doctors, fam-ily therapist, and any assistive personnel who are also involved in the patient’s care.” Integrating our care with the whole fami-ly’s needs is a key part of what we do at Sister Anne. The com-bined team of family, care givers and professionals need to be aware of the patient dynamics to provide a holistic environment for their healing.

Anne Askew

“Safely Cared For”Sister Anne AskewCell: +27 82 604 5806Email: [email protected] Website: www.sisteranne.co.za

MARCH 2019

Looking Back – Porsche 914

Looking Back – the 914 Porsche celebrates two half-century anniversaries at the extreme ends of the spectrum this year, that of the all-conquering 917 endurance racer that transformed the Le Mans 24-hour spectacle, and that of the innova-tive but controversial 914 entry-level sports car.

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, we had one nice overtake of a queue of some ten cars in rural British Columbia – headed by an RCMP patrol car. “They’ve been behind him for the past 20 minutes” I com-mented. “More likely the past 20 years” observed Pam.

While the 917 has been lauded and praised innumera-ble times for its many achievements, the 914 has been disrespected as something less than a real Porsche. The mid-engine, targa-topped two-seater was shadowed from the beginning by its origin as a joint project between Porsche and Volkswagen, and it has never reached the level of acceptance in the collector car community as the Porsche 356, 911 or, in recent years, the 912.

The early 914 at Porsche’s Stuttgart museum

That low tide of appreciation is reflected in how its 50th birthday is being commemorated – nowhere. That is, other than a special exhibition announced by the Porsche Muse-um in Stuttgart, Germany. As one dedicated Porsche guy, concours judge and former 914 owner noted, “There is no excitement about the 914’s 50th anniversary.”

Part of the display of 914s at the Amelia Island Concours in 2015 | Andy Reid

The air-cooled 914 was introduced to the world in August 1969 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Ger-many, to replace the four-cylinder 912 as Porsche’s low-est-priced car. It remained in production until 1976, when the 912E reappeared for a single model year until being re-placed with the front-engine/transaxle 924, which had is-sues of its own. From the get go, there was resistance as the 914 was powered by a modest 1.7 -liter boxer engine from the VW Type 4 – it was sold in Europe as a VW Porsche.

The removable roof is stowed in the rear trunk|Bob Golfen

MARCH 2019

The 914 styling also strayed widely from Porsche tra-dition. The targa roof B-pillar design was seen as un-gainly, and the removable panel was rumored to leak as the seals dried out all too quickly.

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.

Porsche focused on youth and adventure in its 914 advertising | Porsche archive

The 914 was discovered to be a competitive mount for amateur racers on a budget, mostly because of its well-balanced handling, and professional teams built quite a few winning entries.

Yet the 914 remained branded as a lesser Porsche, and when priced cheaply as used cars, they often fell into the hands of owners who cared for them shabbily. That made their reputation and desirability slip anoth-er notch. Deferred maintenance for these cars proved disastrous, particularly in the area of rust mitigation.

From this mixed bag of appreciation and value, things are very slowly improving for Porsche’s red-haired stepchild as auction prices for exceptional examples gradually climb, although you can still pick up a nice one privately for Corolla money.

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 914 enthusiasts not just for the price achieved but be-cause a 914 had been accepted in the first place into such a high-level auction venue.

Porsche groups now welcome 914s into their shows and club meets, but they are still way down in the well-es-tablished pecking order. The 914/6 is the exception, the six-banger placing it on a higher playing field of value and collectability. For those who are 914 owners, fans and collectors, it’s up to you, then, to have your own cel-ebration of the half-century mark. Those 917s might be worth millions, but your 914s are certainly worth having.

From Classic Cars

Looking Back – Porsche 914

The Law and Repairing Your Car

I am one of those that love my car, but rugby some-time back ruined my ability to bend, twist, wriggle and maneuver into the places where old cars some-how need us to go. The hard to get at places to service the car, and in some cases even simply clean it.

So I have to give it to professionals to do. And I have been blessed with some good ones and some who do not care a flying Ford how they charge you and what they charge you.

Incidentally everyone in our good Club has been straight and honest in their dealings with me. And done the work according to the law.

MARCH 2019

My most recent episode however took me outside ourclub membership and put me in the hands of a real, “ Specialist.” One trained in Germany.

Amongst those specialties was at first my syncro mysteriously broke whilst in their care, to repair an oil leak! So he broke the law once as the car was fine when it arrived at their workshop. The car was in their care. Any damage whilst in their care, their problem.

And now let me share with you the rest of just a small part of the story begins…let me share with you what you must look out for.

The consumer Protection Act in South Africa clearly states that you must be given a written quote for the


job (work and spares) and that it must be signed and agreed by yourself, prior to commencement of the job. My “Specialist” didn’t.

In fact I repeatedly asked this “Specialist” for estimates of labour costs which he refused to give me. At first he had said he couldn’t give me even an approximate figure; additionally he said he doesn’t give quotes/es-timates, as it’s unusual to do so on old cars. No, that’s not the law, give a quote. Get it signed.

I told him several times that I have a few old vintage and classic cars; and that any workshop that works on them always gives an estimate for parts and labour. Plus they also call/email for permission to go-ahead. They also up-date me on any issues they come across that need attention; and therefore more money, and ask for my approval to continue the repairs.

However, he just specialized in doing what he wanted to. He carried on regardless. Racking up a big bill.

The law states that if additional work needs to be car-ried out as other faults or repairs are discovered dur-ing the contracted repair the supplier must stop work and get further authorization from the owner before continuing the job. Mine didn’t.

Without any phone calls or emails I was finally hand-ed an invoice for R78,000.00 !!!! This included out-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 final

MARCH 2019

invoice to me, which I was supposed to sign before the work commenced) it says,

“CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT.

“I authorize you to do the work listed above at my ex-pense and replace and supply such parts and material including oils and petrol that may be necessary to com-plete the work set out above an (their typo not mine) I agree to the scale of charges as detailed on the sched-ule displayed in the workshop office for inspection.”

Shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Or in this case, the 356B Porsche.

Be warned. I put trust where trust needs to be signed off first.

Oh and a small PS. Work done must be guaranteed for a minimum of 3 months. That is the law. And any other loss or damage whilst the car is in the repairer’s hands is their responsibility, not yours…as an adjunct I was told my windscreen wipers now don’t work, and neither does the hand-brake.

Some “Specialist.” Some reputation!

Beware.

Aubrey Malden


MGB/E

While the sounds, smells, and feeling of an inter-nal-combustion engine and three-pedal manual trans-mission have always been an integral part of the sports car-driving experience, some inventive owners have chosen to re-power their vintage sports cars with electric motors, citing instant thrust, zero emissions, and future readiness among the reasons. Indeed, some automakers are now getting into that game!

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.

In an interesting twist, RWB is not using restored orig-inal MGBs as bases for its Roadster EV; rather, it’s us-ing brand-new, all-steel bodyshells made from original MGB tooling by British Motor Heritage, the organi-zation that has been building those MGB body shells since 1988. This car is immediately identifiable as a B, even lacking octagonal badging, the original chrome body-side trim and bumper overriders, and sporting a suggestively bulging bonnet that may be another BMH piece, originating on the 1993-’95 MG RV8.

MARCH 2019

MGB/EMark J. McCourt

Under that bonnet is an electric motor sourced from Zytek Automotive, a division of Continen-tal AG, supplier of Formula E racers. This motor is rumoured to make 70 kW (equivalent to 94 hp, almost exactly what the original car ’s twin-car-buretted 1.8-liter four-cylinder made), along with 226 NM (roughly 167 lb-ft) of torque, those out-puts giving the Roadster EV surprisingly original performance, too- 0-60 mph in 8 seconds, and a 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.

Some electric-conversion sports cars retain a man-ual transmission while dispensing with a clutch, as that’s a fairly efficient method of transmitting power without the loss given to an automatic’s torque converter, and you might expect to see a stick in this RWB Roadster EV, but that’s not the case. It uses a modern Chrysler or Jaguar-style rotary dial to select drive. The MGB’s tradition-al Smiths instrumentation has also been replaced with digital readouts. The cabin appears lavish-ly upholstered by local specialists at GB Classic Trim.

While this may horrify purists, remember that the RBW Roadster EV is being created out of whole cloth, and no original MGBs (or irreplaceable parts) are be-ing sacrificed to create the 30 examples this firm has promised to build.

In a distributed statement, RBW’s managing director 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.”

MARCH 2019

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.

Do you think an internal-combustion engine is insep-arable from a classic British sports car, or would you be willing to forgo the traditional driving experience to enjoy vintage looks with modern green motoring?

Mark J. McCourt

MGB/EMark J. McCourt

MARCH 2019

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 – always

From The Desk Of Savva - 8

SAVVA Technical Tip 140 - fuel Filters

It’s amazing how a small problem can manifest itself 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 junk – clean as a whistle.

The problem had to be somewhere in the pipe from the tank to electric pump situated under the bonnet. I replaced a large section of the fuel line, no better. The pump still went wild. Then in desperation I sucked on the petrol pipe going to the pump and ended up with a mouth full of 95 grade petrol – not nice!!!

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,

MARCH 2019

Savva Technical Tip No 140

and announced that was the problem. There was a hair line crack and it was sucking air. I fitted another filter and – walla! Problem solved.

Two days and R700.00 later the problem turned out to 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 fitting it. My suggestion is to be careful when fitting them as they are made of plastic and could be dam-aged if miss-handled. Also, don’t buy the inexpensive no name brands. Attached is a picture of the offend-ing filter.

Eric McQ

MARCH 2019

Classified

Specialising in Vintage and Veteran Car Insurance together with Personal and Business Insurances.

Insurance Brokers

CONTACT DETAILS:

Glenn Broadhurst, Yolandé Vermeulen

Telephone: 087 736 2222 Fax: (011) 699 0783

Email: [email protected]

An Authorised Financial Services Provider

The For Sale Table

Don’t forget there is a table at the back of the hall for items members would like to dispose of. This we feel is better than waiting for the periodic flea market. Should you have an item to sell please affix a sticker or label with your name and how much you want for it. Items with no amount means it’s a freebie

Please note, items placed on the “for sale table” must have the price, sellers name and contact number clear-ly marked on them. Also, items not sold within three months must be removed or they will be removed and discarded by the club.

MARCH 2019

Classified

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.

R680k to the “right home”. Keith Poole - [email protected] or 023 625 1306

Brand new set of 4 Koni shocks for V12 E Type

Contact Peter Gerber: [email protected]+27 82 901 9222

MARCH 2019

RecommendedSuppliers

Paul Koski

We are drawing up a list of recommended suppliers, please feel free to add to this list or make recommendations, notify me on: [email protected]

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 1319

MARCH 2019

RecommendedSuppliers

Paul Koski

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 [email protected]

MARCH 2019

Always Leave Them Laughing

Derek Sturgess

Murphy’s Technology Laws – Part 2

The primary function of the design engineer is to make things difficult for the fabricator and impossible for the serviceman.

To spot the expert, pick the one who predicts the job will take the longest and cost the most.

After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done.

Any circuit design must contain at least one part which is obsolete, two parts which are unobtainable and three parts which are still under development.

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that works.

If mathematically you end up with the incorrect an-swer, try multiplying by the page number.

Computers are unreliable, but humans are even more unreliable. Any system which depends on human reli-ability is unreliable.

Give all orders verbally. Never write anything down that might go into a “Pearl Harbor File.”

Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of pressure, temperature, volume, humidity, and other variables the organism will do as it damn well pleases.

If you can’t understand it, it is intuitively obvious.

The more cordial the buyer’s secretary, the greater the odds that the competition already has the order.

In designing any type of construction, no overall di-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.

Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches.

All things are possible except skiing through a revolv-ing door.

The only perfect science is hind-sight.

Work smarder and not harder and be careful of yor speling.

If it’s not in the computer, it doesn’t exist.

If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.

When all else fails, read the instructions.

If there is a possibility of several things going wrong the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

Everything that goes up must come down.

Any instrument when dropped will roll into the least accessible corner.

Any simple theory will be worded in the most com-plicated way.

Build a system that even a fool can use and only a fool will want to use it.

The degree of technical competence is inversely pro-portional to the level of management.

Any attempt to print Murphy’s laws will jam the printer.

Derek Sturgess

MARCH 2019

Contacts

VVC COMMITTEE FOR 2018

Chairman Ian Holmes [email protected] 083 646 3089 Vice Chairman Paul Koski [email protected] 082 442 6662 Treasurer/Clubhouse Brian Lawlor [email protected] 082 853 7312 Assistant Clubhouse Guido Kaiser [email protected] 083 307 0581 Registration/Members Karen Kaiser [email protected] 083 307 0581Events Henry Watermeyer [email protected] tbaRegalia / Events Steve Martin [email protected] 082 551 8588DJ Finance Bert Lopes [email protected] 083 637 5171Clubhouse Exterior Cindy Rousseau [email protected] 084 969 6993Editor Brian Askew [email protected] 082 601 3021 Ex-officio Portfolio Holders: Social breakfasts John Hassall [email protected] 011 679 2342 Dating Officer Eric McQuillian [email protected] 083 700 0171

CORRESPONDENCEAll correspondence to the club should also be addressed to: [email protected]

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.

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 NewsletterR425 including monthly emailed Newsletter R300 including monthly emailed NewsletterHonorary Life Members: FREE

Banking Details: Vintage and Veteran Club, Nedbank, Benmore Gardens Branch 197305. Account No. 1973 038 617

Affiliated to SAVVA

e-mail: [email protected] • website: www.vintageandveteranclub.co.za • mail: P.O. Box 35129, Northcliff, 2115

clubhouse: 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands, Johannesburg

MARCH 2019

Notice Board

CLUB POSTAL ADDRESSOne 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

Nothcliff2115

Ian Holmes

EVENTSThe 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: [email protected] or Karen on: [email protected]

FACEBOOKNote 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 EXTINGUISHERSWearing 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: [email protected] or Jeff Morrow on: [email protected]. 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...”

MARCH 2019 ISSUE 02 2019i.pdfand or membership number was listed as the re-cipient reference. If not...

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