The magazine for vehicle enthusiasts Classic - Collectable - Unusual - Interesting www.nncvc.org.

uk
Issue 26 Summer/Autumn 2013

CENTRAL GARAGE
BEHIND THE TOWN CLOCK SHERINGHAM
General service & repair of all makes

A REAL PUB SERVING REAL FOOD TO REAL PEOPLE Pool Room and Darts

M.O.T. Testing

BRAKING-CLUTCHES-EXHAUSTS RADIATORS-TIMING BELTS WINDSCREENS TYRES-FREE FITTING ELECTRONIC WHEEL BALANCING PUNCTURES FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT
(large selection of tyres in stock)

M.O.T. Testing Station

Air Conditioning Service and Repairs Retail Motor Industry Auto Electrical Federation Engine Analyser Breakdown Recovery

www.villageinnwestrunton.com

LARGE MODERN WORKSHOP 49 HIGH STREET, SHERINGHAM TEL/FAX: 01263 823168

Chairmans Report

rikey the season is nearly over and almost time to put our motors to bed for the winter. I know many of us still use them during the winter, but being able to find a day when the roads are dry and salt free as well as sugar beet sludge free does take some hope on behalf of the owner. Our winter events are upon us and some good things are on offer. Miss at your peril the November meeting when Ian McLachlan is coming to talk to us about The USAAF over here!! Our popular festive lunch and the Mincepie night and the New Years walk are all on the horizon. Each and everyone of these events is worth turning out for. These are all a must.for new members We are looking for possible events for our 2014 calendar, ideally we need to occupy our partners on as many events as possible. If you have something in mind why not let one of your committee know details, these can be considered for inclusion next year. The club belongs to us all and we are very happy to have suggestions from the members for events. You will recall that I will be standing down at the AGM, time for a new driver to take the wheel. To ensure continuity it is best that my replacement comes from the existing committee as experience is hence already

known about the way the club runs. We have a suitable candidate who has put himself forward for the Chair and also a Vice Chairman too. In the event that no other members wishes to take the post they will go forward for election at the AGM in January. More about this from Secretary Roy. Many of you will know that I am passionate about the well being of our club, so when I step down I will still be helping out where I can, or perhaps it will be where the committee will let me!! Whoever the Chair and Vice Chair are to be I would urge you all at this point to make sure you fully support them in the task of taking the club forward. I am very much looking forward to supporting my replacement and I do so hope that you are too. It is an exciting time for us all. I look forward to seeing you all during our winter events, it is always good to hear about the tasks on the horizon to keep our motors running.

Geoff Front Cover - a scene from our Summer Fair and Classic Vehicle Show at Beeston Regis

Secretarys Report

irst of all apologies for the late F publication of this magazine but I hope you will find it interesting

thanks are due to them especially our main sponsor Regent Garage.

Turning now to Club matters Geoff standing down as our Chairman and handing over the Horn after especially as we have some articles 7 years. The Club was founded in from members who have not cotrib- 2007 following a plea from Geoff in uted in the past. In fact I have had to the Autumn of 2006. hold back some articles for the next Also Christine and Geof Sparrow issue. are standing down at the AGM. The Club has had a very busy summer with lots of events to enjoy in the good weather which finally arrived. There has been plenty to choose from incuding some good away visits on our Monday Club nights. Our thanks to Brian Willcocks for his efforts which also include organising the speakers for our autumn and winter club nights. The Summer Fair & Classic Vehicle Show held at Beeston Regis Holiday Park was a great success enabling our charity partners to raise over 4.500 between them with upto another 900 being available from Gift Aid All the costs were covered by sponsors and advertiser in the souvenir brochure and many Committee Contacts
Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Treasurer/Membership Events Geoff Jones Christine Sparrow Roy Beckley Rex Chipp Graham Gibbins 01263 860676 01603 781917 01263 837619 01603 788726 01263 826042

I am pleased to advise members that Bob Smith ( of Triking fame) and Colin Baxter ( of olive green MGB and our walk organiser ) will be proposed by the committee as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively at the AGM in February 2014. The Committee are already working on the programme for next year which as always will enable everybody to enjoy the lovely Classic,Collectable Unusual and Interesting vehicles owned by our growing membership.

Roy
Magazine
Editor - Roy Beckley gwroybeckley@gmail.com Design and layout - Marc Wilford Printed by Cheverton Printers, Cromer

Disclaimer:
Please note that although every care is taken, the North Norfolk Classic Vehicle Club (The Club) accepts no responsibility for the return of photographs or other material submitted from contributors. Care is aken to ensure that the contents of all our publications are accurate but the club cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may occur for the statements or views that occur editorially. Whilst care is taken when accepting advertisements, if in doubt readers should make their own enquiries. The Club cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. Nor shall the club be liable for loss damage or injury to any person or property acting

on information contained in the Club Magazine or any other Club Publication or the Club Web site. The Club will however, investigate any written complaints which they receive.

News from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs Stop Press

Massey Harris Tractor Collection

he May Club meeting was T a visit to Marsham, and the home of Bob Parke. There are various levels of collector, which range from the casual to fanatical, and I think, in the nicest possible way, Bob must qualify in the fanatical category. He has amassed over 50 single marque tractors from The Massey Harris range. These are complimented with equipment and models, and all have been painstakingly restored to a high order of finish.

Following a meeting with the DVLA on 10th October the Federation have been asked to pass the following information to all its members

DVLA Local Offices will begin to close from 25 October. The centralisation of services at DVLA Swansea has meant that new policies and procedures have had to be considered, including the photocopying and authenticating of documents supporting a V765 application and how to obtain a tax disc following a V765 application. These changes and the new procedures will be communicated in detail to Owners clubs on the V765 scheme before the first offices close. They are also all in working Bob very kindly provided a The V765 form is used to register order. tour and explanation of the cola vehicle under its original lection, and finished with a visit registration Number to the workshop. 40 members participated in a very enjoyable evening. Tea was provided by and the local Royal British The Norwich office of the DVLA Bob, Legion Womens section offered closes on Friday 25th October cakes. The raffle proceeds were donated to The RBLWS, and were gratefully received.

Brian

HOLKHAM HALL.

olkham Hall Country Fair H was as usual held over two days, this year being Saturday

and Sunday 27th and 28th July. Classic Cars were restricted to just fifty each day and the parking area to say the least was very poor, with no view of the main ring and almost out of sight of the publics eye. Marshalling on entry to the site on Saturday was appalling with nobody seeming to know where we were supposed to park and this year there was no Classic Vehicle parade in the main ring. We have however been promised better next year. Watch this space!? Other than this the show was its usual entertaining self with mounted pony games, parade of the Championship Youth Marching Band and a wonderful display by the Kings Troop Royal Artillery Musical Display complete with gun carriages.

With lots of stalls to visit together with all the entertainment this is certainly a good day out for all the family in super surroundings especially if the weather is kind, as it was this year. One word of warning, if you go next year for the first tine, take a picnic, as we found the food mostly awful and hideously expensive!

G.S.

Next years event will be over the weekend of 26th/27th July 2014

HEVENINGHAM HALL
e attended the Wings & W Wheels (Country Fair) at Heveningham Hall which was on 6th & 7th July via a picturesque route from Cromer. Unfortunately we were late arriving and the gate for exhibitors cars was closed so we went to the main gate. Even though we had booked, we were unable to go to the classic car area and had to park in the public car park. Considering that older cars are more likely to break down en-route, it would have been helpful if the designated entrance had been open for longer. Apart from that, the event was very well organised and in a beautiful setting. There were lots of activities and events in the main ring to suit all tastes. There were two displays by the The Blades RAF Team (ex Red Arrow pilots) who gave a stunning show . They are performing at the Cromer Carnival in August, instead of the Red Arrows this year and I dont think people will be disappointed. Among the classic vehicles was a 1928 Vauxhall 20/60, towing an old Eccles caravan of simiar vintage, also a 1934 Austin 18

Carlton, again with a similar type of caravan. Over two days, approximately 130 cars were listed to attend, together with motocycles and tractors. We feel it would be a very good day out for the NNCVC next, year the dates being 5th & 6th July 2014

Kind Regads Peter & Lynda Moore

STONHAM BARNS CLASSIC CAR & VINTAGE MARKET

Sunday 18th August.
his years Stonham Barns T show was bigger than ever with some 660 listed entries from both club and individual sources. Club members from N.N.C.V.C. who have attended in the past tend to come back most years. As can be seen by the entries, this is a massive show, but it is not just the Classic Vehicles that are an attraction, as there is a large auto jumble , many substantial stalls selling all manor of goods, plenty of food available and a full programme in the main ring starting at 10am and finishing at 3.30pm. In addition there was this year a very good Rock n Roll band playing at ringside, and of course available at the Barns all year round are the leisure and retail facilities which include the famous Owl Sanctuary, numerous shops, garden centre and restaurant. Club support in general for this event is very good, with East Anglian Practical Classics based in Lowestoft bringing a massive 104 vehicles to the show and the Suffolk Enthusiasts Club managed a credible 47, others from around East Anglia averaged approximately 18-20 cars, mostly from small or specialist clubs. NNCVC. managed 9!! This is a great pity as you really are missing out on one of the absolute top events of the year, and for most its only a bit over an hour from your homes. Those of us who attended had a super day finished off as usual with a great meal on the way home at the pub we always use. Sadly Geoff & Ann could not join us as Geoff was unwell, but not to worry Geoff, as we all shared your meals between us!!!! Roll on next year. G.S.

Vernon is doing a running repair on the Alvis, materials used:- BLUE TACK!!!!

WROXHAM & HOVETON LIONS CLUB CAR SHOW .

he excellent Wroxham and Hoveton annual car show moved this year from the Norwich Rugby ground to the West side of the Royal Norfolk Show Ground. Access and general organization was excellent as has always been the case with the Lions Club. Luckily a mostly sunny day on both the Saturday and Sunday meant that exhibitors and public alike could really enjoy this rather different show, as in addition to a very good turnout of Classic Vehicles many new car retailers take the opportunity to display

their latest products. There are plenty of stalls, some car orientated , but many of a more general nature, and a good variety of food is available for the hungry, including Fish and Chips and an excellent Hog Roast. This show, being well within easy reach for most members ,is very much worth a visit. There is much to see, the location is fine and the club plot sizes are generous. It would be good to see this better supported by club members next year. G.S.

Philip Groves lovely 1971 Triumph Trailblazer 250.

LONDON TO BRIGHTON CLASSIC CAR RUN 2013

our 1989 Jaguar XJS was a year shy of being old enough for the dateline set for the event. The plan was to make a short holiday of it, a couple of nights away before and after the run. The run was to start from Brooklands Museum on Sunday 2nd June and finish at Brighton Racecourse. So on the Friday before, three cars met up on a cold murky morning at Barton Mills on the A11 and then proceeded to the Baldock Services on the A1 to meet up with Malcolm and Cheryl. The M25 was very slow going around Heathrow by which time the weather was quite warm and so were some of our cars. However, we made it to RHS Wisley Gardens, our stopping point for lunch. After a very pleasant afternoon ambling round the gardens and the very impressive tropical glasshouses, we made our way to our hotel. We got caught in rush hour traffic and Vernons engine got very hot, which turned out to be a sign of things to come. On Saturday we visited Mercedes World and then walked over to the Brooklands Museum. Here we discovered that entrants to the London to Brighton Run should have received a voucher from the organizers for reduced entry fee to the museum, however none of us had

t last years NEC Classic Car Show, I saw an advert for a London to Brighton classic car run organized by GE Classic Motor Events. I mentioned to some friends that I had always wanted to do the London to Brighton since seeing the film Genevieve. Although this wouldnt be the real London to Brighton for Vintage and Veteran cars, it was as near as I was ever going to get. Only three other couples, all club members, were brave enough (or stupid enough) to agree to come along. They were : Vernon & Val Enever in their 1960 Alvis TD21 drophead, Tony & Ann Connell in their 1936 supercharged MG PB and Malcolm & Cheryl Genever in their 1970 MGB Roadster. Hilary and I would be going in our 1954 Riley RME as

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received them. We didnt realize it at the time, but this was the first indication of the poor organization of the event. Things turned out alright thanks to Vernon blagging us all in at the reduced price, and the fact that the Historics At Brooklands Classic Car Auction was in full swing. We managed to wander in and have a nose round without paying the 25 catalogue/ entry fee. Some very classy cars were there and Hilary, without knowing what it was, quite fancied the nice shiny navy blue one which turned out to be a DB6 that sold for 123,200.

again a muddle was caused by the lack of signs and marshalls, and was not helped by the fact that there was a wedding fair event going on at the same time.

After that we gave up with the suggested route and made our own way to the finish. Here they tried (but failed this time) to split us up again. Things did improve a bit with a buffet and live singer which were laid on, but went downhill again when Cheryl decided to join in with the singing! The best thing was that Tony and Ann were awarded a plaque for the oldest car entered. We all thought it was Sunday morning arrived and again very well deserved, after they had it was sunny and dry for the big driven all that way in a little car day, so far so good. Tony and nearly eighty years old, not once Ann had been staying close by with the hood up (personally I with relatives and were the first of dont think they have got one as us to arrive at Brooklands, only to be marshalled in, marshalled through, and marshalled out the other side in error and had to go round again. The rest of us arrived in convoy but were split up due to the poor marshalling and we couldnt find anyone who knew where we should park. Eventually we all managed to sign in and team up again, only to find that the allocated departure times had all gone to pot. Somehow we all managed to escape the chaos at the same time and set off for Brighton. There were two suggested routes to follow, the short route and the long route of about 100 miles. After getting lost we found ourselves on a third very long route to the halfway stop at Chiddingstone Castle, Kent. Once

11

Ive never seen it). They would probably have won the prize for furthest travelled as well, if the bloke from Switzerland hadnt made it. Unfortunately Vernons car had heard of the expression Brighton or Bust and for the last few miles had been making an awful racket. It did make it to Brighton but then it bust, well the water pump did. The car had to be recovered back to home, and Vernon and Val continued the holiday in a hire car. After the run we stayed away for a few more nights and had a great time and a really good laugh. That was until I mentioned that I have always wanted to enter the Peking to Paris Rally ..(Im not sure why, but there were no takers this time!) The GE event is not cheap at 89.50 per car, and was very poorly executed, and therefore none of us would recommend it. If you want to go to Brighton Racecourse, a cheaper and probably more

enjoyable event would be the one advertised on the hoarding in the background of the photo of my car at the finish. However, I am sure that what all of us would recommend is getting away for a short break with other club members and their classic cars. their nice 1936 Hilary and I would once again like to thank the others for coming and making it a very memorable trip.

Chris & Hilary King

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1967 Cox GTM Restoration.

hen Marian decided to W buy a Cox GTM in need of restoration it may have been

rear steering) the body tub was turned over with the aid of a hoist. The floor pans and sills were replaced and points to accept a Ford side lift jack were added to each corner. Next came the reconditioning of the suspension and brakes, all of which were standard Mini apart from the rubber spring cones, which had been machined in an attempt to soften them up a bit. In a bid to rid the doors of the leaky Perspex sliding windows I developed toughened glass electric wind down windows consisting of Cortina winding mechanisms and a couple of domestic door hinges. A ply wood template was used to prove the system before going to the expense of getting glass made. The flat glass swings out away from the frame before disappearing into the door. Ten years after this I developed a Mk2 adjustable version of this mechanism for the Mirov windows. Under the front clamshell I fitted a Mini saloon fuel tank, a ten inch spare wheel and an Allegro radiator with electric fan. Alongside the tank clips were fitted to accept the jack and wheel brace. The original twin wipers were converted to a single blade system, which swept the screen more effectively. After reconditioning the engine and

a case of if you cant beat them join them. It was the late 1980s and she had already put up with a modified Dolomite Sprint engined Triumph TR7, A kit car build, an Austin Mini Moke restoration and numerous visits to car shows. The GTM was a 1967 Cox, chassis number 11 that had been registered in 1975 and last taxed some three or four years previously. It had been stripped, which revealed the amount of work required to get it roadworthy once more. The chassis on these early GTMs is all flat steel sheet, with the rotten sills being the only curved panels; a new pair had been made but not yet fitted. The floor panels also needed replacement, but the body panels, being glass fibre, only needed minor repairs and a tidy up. Loose parts supplied included a laminated windscreen, three boxes of assorted bits, a 1275cc engine and five Dunlop Denovo wheels and tyres, which were not used as they proved to be very heavy. With the doors and bonnet off and both sub frames removed (because of the mid engined layout the GTM uses two front sub frames with extra suspension links locking the

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gearbox they were fitted to the sub frame and the body lowered over the top. This high lighted the fact that the starter pinion housing fouled the chassis by a good inch and a half. I had two options; cut the housing or modify the chassis. I chose the latter. With the chassis cut, boxed and welded everything was refitted. This time the clutch cover hit the chassis! Only a little panel beating was required along with a specially offset clutch lever arm. An Allegro exhaust system was cut and welded to fit under the boot floor and a removable panel added between the boot and the engine to improve accessibility. The gear linkage used a late Mini remote lever housing, which was connected to the gearbox via a long steel tube and two drop links. To improve the look of the narrow rear end and to add cooling air ducts the rear wings were cut and moved out by a couple of inches each and the gap fibreglassed. A large cardboard tube was used as a former to fashion a rear bumper underneath the Granada Mk2 tail light assemblies. Air intakes in front of the rear wheels were added and finished off with cut down plastic cutlery trays. A shallow front air dam was added to the front as well. Weeks of filling and rubbing down were followed by two coats of etch primer sprayed using a borrowed

compressor. Grey filler primer preceded six coats of cellulose white paint. Next were the electrics using a modified standard Mini loom bought from a scrap yard. Stripped of all its tape it was laid on the floor and, with the aid of a wiring diagram, I set about identifying and labelling all connections and made a list of all the services whose position had moved due to the mid engined lay out, and lengthened and moved wires to suit. The upholstery started with using light grey dralon velvet glued to card board and stuck to the roof with half an inch of sound proofing behind it. With this installed, along with black vinyl A post trim the windscreen was fitted; a job that took almost an entire Saturday of frustration. A new dashboard was designed, after countless sketches, in separate modules to allow easy trimming and future maintenance. The instrument panel used Triumph Dolomite gauges and the glove box received an interior light. To minimise cutting errors and to ensure a good fit I made full size wallpaper patterns for the carpets before tackling this task. The carpets were edge trimmed in red vinyl before being finally fitted. Hand cut and polished aluminium GTM badges were made and fitted inside and out along with polished prancing pony badges at the front and

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on the steering wheel; not for that Ferrari effect, just because Marian likes horses. The front one was pinched a year or so later. The oak gear knob was also inlaid with a miniature aluminium pony set in resin. After bleeding the brakes, filling oil and water the engine was turned over without plugs to get oil pressure. Countless attempts to start revealed the ignition timing to be 180 degrees out, with this corrected it started at the first turn. A spectacular spray of coolant a few minutes later revealed something amiss. The Skoda expansion tank had a 7lb cap and this was too low. I needed a 13lb cap but they were all too shallow, the Skoda one was a bit deeper than average so by taking two caps apart a deep cap with the required poundage was created which solved the problem. A test drive produced a slight misfire under hard acceleration ; this was caused by three things. The timing was slightly out, there was a loose earth wire in the distributor and I had inadvertently fitted a 6V coil instead of a 12V one, all of which was soon fixed. Marian enjoyed several years motoring in the GTM apart from the time the brakes failed coming up to a junction in Saxthorpe (incorrect brake shoes fitted) and she had to go sailing across (luckily nothing was coming) and the time when the throttle return

spring decided to come loose and the engine just revved and revved! Hopefully my quality control has improved but she hasnt asked me to build her a car since, I wonder why!

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JAZZ IN THE MEADOW

welve club cars joined the line T up of other classic cars and a dozen or so Harleys for what turned out to be a great afternoon of music at Wood Dalling on Sunday August 4th

organiser allowed us to put up one of our events shelters in case of rain or sun, neither of which occurred though the skies darkened at one point. Over the years we have asked members for suggestions of events to support that are a little different, this certainly was that. Since the music was the main reason for going no stalls of any sort were laid on, perhaps as well as most people were captivated by the music. As an outside event in a fairly small area the music was loud enough to hear and still quiet enough to enjoy chatting to the club members. It is intended to run the event in 2014 when we hope to support the event again.

From 12.30pm till 3.00pm we were royally entertained by the Nene Valley Trad Jazz Band. As well as jazz they played a wide range of easy listening music much appreciated by the gathered listeners if the regular rounds of applause were anything to go by. Following a short break after the Jazz singer Terry Adams took the stage. Terry plays in a variety of styles, Buble, Sinatra, Bennett, Diamond to name a few, he was supposed to play till 6.00 but much to the delights of the crowd he carried on entertaining us long afterwards. We paid a very reasonable 5.00 entry fee per car and for that got the music and also a two course cold lunch for two!! Recognising that the do was to raise money for the BIG C charity pretty well every club member bought a load of raffle tickets to add to their fund raising total. I was also pleased at the reasonable prices at the bar beer for just 2.50 a pint is jolly good these days. A prior meeting with the

GJ

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MY FIRST SET OF WHEELS

t was 1957, I would soon be I starting Agricultural College in Lincolnshire and since I lived in

Huntingdon at the time some form of transport was indicated!!. Being of meagre means, four or even three wheels were out of the question; so I went to our local motor cycle/scooter shop. I didnt really fancy a motorbike so I went for a second hand Lambretta LI 150cc, registration number YNM 340. Blue and white with tailored windscreen and pillion seats. Price paid was 550- I saw one in Tinklers in Norwich at 4000!!. It is amazing how I can remember that registration number but cant remember where I put my car keys. Ah well, age creeps up on one!!. In those days if you were going to College you were given a nonrepayable grant!!. Oh happy days, anyway I had my grant for 1000 for my two years at Kesteven Agricultural College. I was hoping that in addition to covering my College fees, the grant would help towards my transport costs; most of the time it did. You have to remember that scooters seemed to travel a hundred miles on a pint of petrol, so from my point of view it was the perfect way of getting from my home in Huntingdon to Kesteven in Lincolnshire, a distance of some 80-90 miles. I must admit my earliest experience after getting the Lambretta ended up with me coming off on a very nasty bend

and somehow cover the remaining 20 miles home with a broken front fork, anyway the lesson was learnt with regard to balance on bends in relation to footboards too near the ground. What it is they say oh yes its a learning curve. On another occasion coming back from Kesteven one very foggy morning I rode straight over a new roundabout they were putting in on the Stamford bypass which was being built at the time. This was at 2am so no other traffic about!!. Anyway I had started my course and was enjoying my wheels travelling on the old A1 up to Kesteven College and coming home at weekends. You werent supposed to do that every weekend but I managed it most of the time. I must mention at this stage that prior to me getting my grant my family had decided to emigrate to Australia on the 10 assisted passage scheme. Also at this time I was engaged so I had to incorporate a wedding into my studies before my family left for the other side of the world. The wedding went off fine and soon afterwards my family went off ok and I resumed my studies. When I had finished my two year course I went to take charge of a breeding flock of free range Light Sussex and Rhode Island Red poultry plus turkeys and battery hens. I still had my Lambretta and she had served me well but we decided to upgrade and purchase a Heinkel 3 wheeler bubble car but that is another story another time maybe!!.

Colin Baxter

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Well Done Ford

all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way For computers have enhanced our lives, read on. At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates the boss of Microsoft reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon. In response to Bills comments, Ford issued a press release stating: If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics. 1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash...twice a day. 2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car. 3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this. 4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine. 5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads. 6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation warning light. I love the next one! 7. The airbag system would ask, Are you sure? before deploying. 8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna. 9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car. 10. Youd have to press the Start button to turn the engine off. PS - Id like to add that when all else fails, you could call customer service in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!

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From Freddie George

ASHBY AUSTINS.

y involvement with Austin M motor cars goes back quite a long time. In 1957 I took my

Finals, waited for a positive result and got married a fortnight later. I had always thought that Austin Sevens were nice little cars so Karin and I looked around for a suitable model. A 1935 four seater open tourer, CYT 660, colour dirty grey with black mudguards,, came to light in deepest Essex. There ensued a demonstration run around Peldon Reservoir during which it briefly broke down - the low tension lead had come adrift - and then after the handing over of the exorbitant sum of 35 we then rumbled off home and have never looked back since. It was in a pretty rough state then and burnt oil to look like a steam engine. Often doing up the engine on the kitchen floor and applying a coat of paint to the body, we used the car from 1957 to 1961, during which time we ventured forth as far as the South Coast, Wales, and East Germany in 1961. The latter trip was with a small daughter in the back. In East Germany at that time there were still many old BMW Dixies (really an Austin Seven made under licence by BMW) DKWs and Opels, so we were not particularly conspicuous. 1960 saw the introduction of the MOT vehicle test. We survived that with much trepidation, but from then on many old cars

disappeared from the road. Before 1960 one saw cars often in really interesting dilapidated conditions, with things such as tyres not just worn bald but down to the second or third layer of canvas. 1961 to 1964 we were in Ghana. We left CYT 660 in England, in fact almost gave it away. On returning to England we now had three children so the Seven was rather too small. Fortunately a colleague had almost done up a 1935 Austin Twelve Ascot Saloon. After the exchange of 5 and a bit of work on my part CGF 614 was back on the road. In fact we arrived in Holt in this car in 1965 and used it as an everyday car until 1970. In 1968 a Farfield pupil Robarts used to laugh about this small Twelve saying that his uncle in Norwich had a real Austin. This transpired to be an Austin Eighteen York Saloon. This acquisition required the investment of 50. The body and interior was in very good condition. In fact the back seats looked as though they had hardly ever been sat on until we got it. The six cylinder 2510cc side valve engine is fairly thirsty at the best of times, but at the time of purchase the car did about 10 miles per gallon of petrol and 50 miles per pint of oil. After reconditioning the engine the car has been used regularly, and particularly for holidays until 1980. It has made trips to Wales, Holland, Brittany and three to East

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Germany with four children and much baggage. In the seventies, the Austin Seven and the Eighteen have been used as background scenery in various films. A Danny La Rue film entitled Our Miss Fred has the opening scenes set on Cromer Pier and Cromer Promenade. The Eighteen is in the background. Danny La Rue walks off the Pier and actually drives the Austin Seven away. It survived! ITV brought out a revival series to Dads Army entitled Backs to the Land some scenes were shot in Heydon Park. The Austin Eighteen was in this ,as were a small contingent of Greshams School CCF dressed as World War Two soldiers, and Major Peaver who contrived to fall out of a tree and twist his ankle. By way of variety I also acquired another old car from a venerable elderly gentleman who used to attend a French evening class I once ran in Holt. This was a 1933 BSA Ten car NG 8289, with a Wilson pre-selector gearbox, which were infact forerunners of automatic gearboxes. This model called the Peerless coupe body on it. I managed to rescue it from the scrap yard where it was in danger of going (a) because the piston rings on cylinder one were broken and it puffed like the proverbial steam engine, and (b) it had had a slight broadside collision with the local dustcart which had dented the door, and more seriously had slightly bent the half shaft on the back axle.

After considerable renovation I used it for several years, but there was a persistent problem with the head gasket which insisted on blowing with monotonous regularity. I have since passed the car on to my son Mark who properly renovated the car and the engine for his Duke of Edinburgh Gold hobby activity. In 1983 he drove it to Spain and Portugal, returning over the Andorra Pass and doing 6000 miles in the process. We now assume the engine is basically all right. In the eighties Mark also made three trips to France with various brethren and friends in the Austin Eighteen, notching up 2000 miles each trip. The last trip included ascending to Puy de Dome and Clermont Ferrand which did not do the clutch much good. In the seventies gas guzzlers like Austin Eighteens were hit by the Suez oil crisis. However, fate was kind, and by dint of going modern I was able to continue my Austin tradition. My brother with three children and two large dogs was beginning to outgrow his Austin A35 Saloon number BHW 755, cream in colour with some 150,000 miles on the clock. As this car could do 50 - 60 m.p.h. comfortably and some 45 miles per gallon on a run, it had an almost modern performance, and was eminently suitable for everyday use. When one has an A35 it seems to have a magnetic effect. One is stopped in the street and overwhelmed by such inanities

such as I learned to drive in one of those and is pressed to more of them. There followed a black A35 WPW 175, a grey one THU 919 which my other son Nicholas had, and which younger daughter Katie now owns. And lastly I acquired the latest blue A35 OBX 140 some many years ago. In the meantime I also acquired five other A35 cars and three A35 vans all rather tatty, which I have dismantled for spare parts. Incidentally, all my four children took their driving tests in the first A35 BHW 755 and all passed first time. Mark also ran this car for several years, covering many miles including one 2000 mile trip to the South of France and on another occasion coming second in an economy run (49.2 miles per gallon achieved)to commemorate the 25th anniversary of these cars in 1982. Unfortunately Kate eventually parked it on its roof in Swansea which did not do it much good. It is now pensioned off to a quiet retirement in the REME shed, where it still runs , albeit with air conditioning as it is now door less. In 1988 all three pre war cars were brought out for Marks wedding cortege. By this time both sons were outgrowing the rather auntyish appearance of their A35s and they both evolved and graduated into acquiring MGB sports cars. They dont look much like or feel much like an A35, but they are basically just a sports car version. A35s have the Austincum-BMC A series engine which has evolved and developed

without much change right up to very recent generations of Minis and Metros. Some 12,000,000 of these engines have been built, an unsung success story of British engineering. The MGB just has the enlarged B series engine. For our personal use Karin and I have Austins Seven CYT 660 and A35 OBX 140 plus one spare A35, and a pile of general spares. Barring accidents we do not intend acquiring any other cars , certainly NOT a NEW car, as what we have should last another 20 years which should cover our needs. I am afraid we will not be amongst those who will contribute to the boom in new car sales if and when it comes.

K.eith Ashby
P.S. We have now reached the END of an ERA. After 50 years we have sold CYT 660 and it has gone to a good home. However, we have not given up Austins. We still have our modern A35s and it so happens that they too are just 50 years old.

Sorry I was unable to insert pictures in this article. Ed

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AUSTINS IN DOCK

ctually it should read on the A dock The photograph with this short article is one we havet

seen before. One of our many interests is all matters maritime We recently added the book An Illustrated History of the Port of Kings Lynn and Its Railways to the nautical section of our book shelves It is written by Mike G Fell OBE who has very kindly given us permission to publish the photograph from his collection. Apart from being an excellent and easily read book it also shows Austins on page 96.Thecars are A30s and although Mike cannot date the photo our guess is that it dates from between May 1952 and October 1953 Close examination

of the print will reveal the fuel filler cap on the offside rear wing and the socket hole with cover for the TBar to open the boot, which has internal hinges. With the aid of a magnifying glass the speedometer type can be see which confirms that the car is an early A S3 model. The other thing noticed was that the cars seem to have more ground clearance than usual. Perhaps one of our more knowledgeable members can explain the reason for this increased clearance. The port of destination is not known. Maybe someone within our ranks may well be able to help with this information.

Andrew and Ann Steamline Blue A30 JVG 540 Olive A30 JVG 540 Olive

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Bexhill Motor Racing

rooklands is generally B recognised as the first motoring racing circuit in this country built by Hugh Locke King in 1907, however this is not the case, Bexhill in Sussex makes the claims to have held the first regular motor racing in UK. This was all down to a gentleman, The 8th Earl De La Warr who in 1902 held the first motoring event at Bexhill-onSea. In 1896 he built an innovative cycling boulevard on his sea front estate at Bexhill (he owned the sea front) and cycles could be hired and riding lesson provided for new cyclist. A fee was charged to use the mile track which was surrounded by fencing to prevent use by non paying cyclists. Aside from that the Earl was responsible for encougraging mixed bathing, making Bexhill the first coastal town to allow such outragious behaviour!!! Later the cycling track became a race track with the advent of horseless carriages powered by the internal combustion engine. During that famous period when the Bexhill sea front races were held between 1902 1907 huge noisy cars were raced in pairs from Galley Hill along the sea front east to west against the clock, more akin to drag racing today. More than 200 cars competed in the inaugural meeting in 1902

and the local hotels and boarding houses were packed with the curious who had come to witness, for the first time on British soil, the spectacle of motor cars racing at speeds in excess of 50mph when the speed limit of the day was a mere 12mph. The major problem for the drivers was having to slow down in order to prevent crashing into the ornate gates and pillars of the Earl s estate at the western end of the road. With the brakes not being very efficient at the time and with cars of up to 8 - 9 litres they were enormously heavy. One car did finish up at the bottom of Bexhill cliffs and eventually the racing was stopped due to the dangerous nature and the do gooders at the time. In 1906 plans were drawn up for a racing circuit which almost reached to Beachy Head, with garages, restaurants and hotel accommodation. The course unfortunately never saw the light of day and the motoring set moved to the new Brooklands circuit in 1907. In 1913 the seafront land was aquired by Bexhill Corporation and that ended any chance of racing. A few attempts were made to resurrect the races and the last competition was held in 1925 after which the Royal Automobile Club withdrew permits on public highways. Although Jubilee Speed Trials were put on in 1954 to celebrate Bexhills motoring heritage and for the first time the

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focus was on historic rather than contemporary vehicles, this lives on today as the Bexhill Festival of Motoring held annually. . Footnote Frank Nichols was born in Bexhill in 1920. He opened a small garage in Pevensey in the late 1940s and later set up a garage in London Road, Bexhill, where he produced the first Elva car. Elva Cars moved to Rye in 1961 and ceased produc-

tion in 1969. Hence Bexhills motoring hertitage, there still exist a motor club called the Bexhill 100 deicated to older bikes and cars of aldl makes, similar to NNCVC.

Ray Bennett

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Unusual Motor Bikes.

By Ray Bennett
have a friend called Fred who I lives in Sussex now, who over recent years has spend his time restoring rare and unusual motor bikes. His latest restorations include a 50cc Maserati racer, Moto Rumi 125cc scooter and 125cc Moto Rumi racer. More on the Moto Rumis in a later article. Brief history of Maserati Motorcycles. Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ernesto, Ettore and Marioi Maserati brothers were born in the late 19th century and during their early working lives they all worked for a variety of companies related to the cycle, bike and car industry and various subsidiary industries. Alfieri Maserati started his engineering business building spark plugs and accumulators in 1919. Alfieri, Bindo and Ernesto built Grand Prix cars for Diatto. Following Diatto withdrawal from racing cars in 1926, the Maserati marquee was born. One of the first Maserati Grand Prix cars won the 1926 Targa Florio, driven by Alfieri Maserati. The company was sold off in 1937 to Adolfo Orsi from Modena. After the Second World War the Orsi was keen to get into bike production with a need for cheap reliable transport and purchased Italmoto in 1953. The Italmoto manufacturer produced two-stroke 125cc and four-stroke 160cc motorcycles. Although Maserati motorcycles were not directly affiliated with Maseratis

automobile they were allowed to use the companys trident emblem. Maserati offered in 50cc and 75cc mopeds as cheap fast transport for young Italians. Maserati went on to produced in 125cc, 160cc, 175cc and 250cc motor bikes with two-stroke and four-stroke engines winning many prestigious races on route before selling out eventually selling out to Citroen in 1968. For those with internet access history that is more detailed is available. The bike is a Maserati Blue 50cc race bike 1959-tuned engine with 18 mm del-orto carb. The history of how Fred acquired it as follows: Fred lived in Royston Herts and there was a lady in the local bike club (she was in her 60s then) who used to race bikes in her youth. In the 50s the ladies boy friend at the time went to the Maserati factory to purchase parts for his 250 Maserati and saw the bike laying around in the factory and purchased it. He bought it back for the ladies 18th birthday and she began to race it in a lightweight class until she blew the engine up and she retired from racing. The lady said she had a bike in her shed she wanted to dispose of it. A few weeks later the bike was purchased and box full of bits with the aim of restoring it not really considering what had been found although it was badged Maserati.

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After getting in touch with Maserati in Italy Fred realised he had stumbled across a rare machine and problems started in earnest. It had sat in her shed for 45 years, the piston had disintegrated in the barrel, and engine was in a poor state. Needless to say, many new parts had to be made specifically and the reconstruction became a lengthy and very expensive business to return it to its original condition. The bike is only one of five in the country and always creates a lot of interest at the shows.

Many people thinking Maserati only made cars and Fred had one chap offer to buy the bike to sit along side his Maserati car in his house. The bike is part of Freds collection and was a labour of love at the time, which has turned out to be an investment now. I doubt whether the bike will ever be sold off, but who knows? Stories about Freds other bikes will follow at the Editors discretion.

Ray Bennett

From This

To This

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Group Spaces

s the Club has grown year on year - we now have over 200 A members and their families in membership - the Club has been trialing a software programme from Group Spaces which is a London-

based online company that provides technology to help real-world clubs, societies, associations and other groups manage their membership and activities, and promote themselves online. The company was launched in the United Kingdom in 2007 and has since expanded into the United States and over 80 other countries.and, its software is used to host over 5 million memberships. The Club does not share the information it has in respect of its members with any third party so the Committee needed to be sure that the site would be secure and it is satisfied that sufficient controls are in place. The Club is using the software to maintain up to date information in respect of the data provided on the membership form. At present the Club uses the programme to send messages, particularly Newsletters to the members who have provided an e mail address , print labels to send out newsletters by post. We are also able to hold additional information regarding our advertisers and other groups within the Club In the future the Club may control renewal of membership and payment of subscriptions. Currently only three members of the committee are registered as managers and are able to access the information and it is envisaged that one further member of the committee will be added in due course. Shortly we will be sending out details to each member a note of the information we hold so that you may check this and advise any changes. If any member would like to know more about Group Spaces and how the Club is using the data we hold please do let me know. So far the programme is proving an excellent tool and is making administration of the Club more managable and easier and we are able to get information out to the members very quickly. For those with e mail do check your in box and if after looking in your spam and junk boxes you are not receiving our Newsletter let me know. One was recently sent on 8th October - Please tell me if you cannot find it or have had difficulty opening it.

Roy Beckley Secretary gwroybeckley@gmail.com

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Dear Roy, It was nice to meet you at the Beeston Regis fete a few weeks ago. I did not realize what an active classic car club we had on our doorstep! I have been driving classic cars for over forty years... I learned to drive at the age of twelve, when my father gave me his old 1959 Ford Consul. No, I was not an early law breaker, we did live in a private park with over two miles of private road. I remember taking the consul to the last piece of private road and walking a mile with my gallon can to the local village for petrol. Over the years, I have owned all the TRs, except the 7... I really regret selling my TR2. It is my ambition to buy it some day

May I through your club, introduce Broadland Classic Car Hire and Yourcarworkshop, both located in North Walsham. The Car Hire was started last year... the season has almost finished for hire. However, we are now busy sending out Gift Vouchers which can be bought for a friend or relative for Birthdays/Christmas etc. Yourcarworkshop is due to open by the end of September. It is a brand new workshop, fully equipped with hoist and tools for the DIY self-service mechanic. For further details, please contact me direct on 01692 538060 Kindest regards, Kelvin Rumsby

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Some Photos from events visited during the year from John Allan

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