Hi from an Aucklander in Perth
My name is Andrew Metford, I’m 36, a toolmaker and machinist and also an electrician, and I’ve been involved with classic cars all my life, although they weren’t always classic at the time!! My first car was a 1967 MG BGT in British Racing Green with wire wheels, and I’ve had a horde of B’s and GT’s and the odd hot 2L MK1 Escort since. Currently have 2 nice BGT’s sitting in Mum and Dad’s garage while I’m overseas.
My Dad ( John Metford ) used to take me to lots of meetings at Pukekohe, in the late '80's I guess it was, on the old club circuit, when the cars used to pit on the front straight of the main circuit out in front of the Members stand. I always remember seeing a brand new red XF Falcon from Australia with the number 7 on the door painted up exactly as Channel 7 in Australia had their symbol, and the old Cooper (?) 500 on the trailer being towed by the Morgan etc etc. The Pinepac Falcon and Mustang, Bruce Manon’s turbo Escort, Barry Algie’s orange Monaro, and Veen Smith’s then brand new Commodore doing battle while we sat up on the grassed bank under the trees. I still remember those times when motor racing was simpler and seemed more accessible.
Next time I’m home ( planning on January so I can go to the NZFMR ) I’ll dig out Dad’s photo collection and scan as many as I can and post them up. Probably nothing special compared to what’s on TRS already, but it’s what got me interested and they are my first memories of live motorsport.
In 1995 I joined the MG Car Club Auckland, and have been a member ever since ( committee member for 2 years too ). I’ve done everything with them, motorkhanas, sprints, trials, autocross, won a few trophies, met some great people, learnt a hell of a lot, and had a hell of a lot of fun. I stared doing regularity trials with them at MGCC and Escort / Capri Car Club track days, then progressed onto what is now the series run by Rex Oddy. Around that time Mum and Dad ( John and Jenny Metford ) got pretty involved in running the dummy grids, and ended up doing it for a lot of the classic meetings for about 8 years before they “retired”. I guess it helped Mum not worry so much about David and I racing as she wasn’t directly watching the racing, but was still at the track, but she always seemed to take us racing in her stride. She’d probably got used to it after the years of car club activities.
Since those days, I’ve gone on to being a ( albeit briefly ) racing competitor in Ray’s Leisuretime ( as it was back then ) series in the ex Paul Forsyth ’66 MGB roadster. My very first race meeting in it was what turned out to be the last Wings and Wheels at Whenuapai, what a great meeting that was. A few years prior I got a photo of me sitting on the Britten V1000 motorcycle at Whenuapai. I remember going when the “pits” were out in front of the hangers, then in later years they moved over onto the grass on the other side of the track. The MG's last evert ( we didn't know it at the time though ) was when my brother and I did Targa Bambina at Taumarunui and got a finisher’s medal, and took the car home straight.
I’ve since reshelled the tired old roadster into a ’74 MG BGT bodyshell, and I was all but finished it when life got in the way and I moved to Western Australia to take advantage of the mining boom. The car sits patiently waiting for my return home in just over 3 years’ time. I have been working on completing it on the few occasions I have been home for holidays over the last 5 years.
My brother David ran in Rays’ ERC series for a couple of years recently in a green MK1 1600 Escort, and did very well with several wins against larger capacity cars. Again life got in the way so he’s taking a couple of years off as he has a young family now, but his car sits in wait too.
Anyway that’s enough rambling from me. I recognize a quite a few names here that I’ve seen at the races, but I’ve only meet John McKechnie some years ago when he did the upholstery on a couple of Dad’s cars, and of course the aforementioned Mr Green. I recognize SPMAN and GD66 from the Perth motorcycle forum, but have never met them in NZ or Perth.
I’m coming home for the NZFMR, it’ll be the first time I’ve managed to escape at the right time, so I’m looking forward to seeing some great cars and meeting some great people.
