Motoring pics Vintage cars - early years, events from 1960's 70's and 80's

[Roger Dowding]

A photo appeared on the Bruce McLaren Tribute page - with a young Bruce and an Atlantic Attendent - refuelling a Jaguar - the plates are the 1956 - 61 series - picking the photo is around 1960
- any comments please !!



The McLaren's Service Station on Remuera Road, Remuera. 1956 -61 plates on the VW - I think..



Another version of the same photo - was the refuelling photo at McLaren's ??



Can't see an Atlantic pump ...

The building was being redeveloped in 2017 - 2018 and the McLaren trust moved out and had the "Museum " at Hampton Downs - I am unsure what the current status is - they [ the Trust ] were expected to move the Trust Museum back to the Service Station site later..

27 September 2023.. Understand from Amanda McLaren - Bruce's daughter that the Trust will relocate to the Service Station in the near Future .. It will have all the collection in Museum quality display and a couple of cars - The Austin 7 belonging to the Trust and others cars on loan.
Amanda has posted on the Facebook page " Bruce McLaren Tribute ", regarding the relocation as the display at Hampton Downs is closed and the cars returned to the various owners / donors.

[Roger Dowding]

Need help with Classic Lucas wiring - well this should be of assistance.
- from the Archives of Rex Urban an Austin Healey [ Sprites mainly ] and Austin guy from Salem Oregon.
He ran a business " Mini Motors " back in the 1980's when i met him in 1982 with his business partner Paul Lawry.
Rex has had Austin Mini and Morris Mini's as well as Austin A35 and Austin A40 Farina cars over the years.

The Chart ;



Something associated with Lucas was the unreliable nature of the products - and some humour ..



A Metal sign for Lucas ..



Advertisement for Lucas Accessories , Light etc ..

[Roger Dowding]

Had a Trip to New Plymouth - not a Road Trip as flew from Auckland, but did drive to Auckland and then had a Trip around Mt Egmont, while there - New Plymouth to Inglewood, South Hawera on Highway 3 then along the Coast of #45 through Okato and Oakura, saw the Kapuni Gas Plant at a distance.

While in Hawera had good Coffee and cake at a small Cafe then went to Ethel Anne Antiques - the shop occupies four shops and has connecting doors ..

There was a collection of Vintage Ash Trays - which sparked my interest, however they seemed expensive at between
$115 and $195 .. They were Dunlop Goodyear and others as well as a Blue Reidrubber one.
My sources tell me that pricing around $25 to $50 is more like it when they appear at Swap Meets.

The Hawera collection.







The Reidrubber Ashtray in the centre of the display - in Blue - the most expensive at $195.



My own Reidrubber / Ridge Remoulds one - in Red, which I acquired 30 or so years ago.



It sits with a 1920's AA Auckland Badge that has the RAC " Royal Automobile Club Associate " notation.
The Badge was my Great Aunts I believe and would have been on her late 1920's Nash, which she had until the mid/late 1930's.

[Oldfart]

So you missed on the most extensive collection of vintage memerobilia in Kaponga! Shame on you.

[Roger Dowding]

So you missed on the most extensive collection of vintage memorabilia in Kaponga! Shame on you.

Oldfart, sadly, from my and a friends Uncle another car guy, on the trip, we were being taken around by non-car people, didn't know about Kaponga, and just looked at the map we did SH3 and SH45 so missed it all together .. something for next time Rhys,

We were travelling in a Diesel Kia Sportage .. not sporting but went well, 5 people and all our luggage, Auto so didn't need Mr de Normanville's technology ..

[Roger Dowding]

New Registration for the year started 1st July 1979 and the " Carless Day " regime started on 29th July ... may be a day or two out.

The new Registration Sticker with the " C " and a Carless Day sticker being displayed by a lady - no idea who or whether it was part of the Promotion of the scheme ..



Sunday - was a " Blue " Sticker ..and the 1979 - 80 Registration sticker was a pale " Blue ".

Posted before - the range of Registration and Carless Days stickers
- Registration from 1965 to 1996
- there has been mention of the 1964 - 65 sticker missing in the image, but possibly as the new plates were issued no sticker was required for the first year.
Commercial Vehicles - Heavy Transport, Buses and Taxis didn't get new plates until July 1965, so presume they did need a sticker - I am unsure.



Stories abound of people getting a Carless Day car - mine was an Austin A35 for " Tuesday " - the Carless Day for the TR4A ...

[Roger Dowding]

Car Show again at a Farm in Pahoia, last held in 2021 then Covid prevented the 2022, and rain stopped the 2023 show.

About 70 cars, a bit less than in 2021.



The Plates say it ;



A Couple of Z cars





Modern MG with an MM trailer - part Morris Minor the bodywork, part BBQ.



This was part of the Morris Minor Club of Rotorua group with some local MM's.
Photos to follow.

[Roger Dowding]

The Pickup has a Toyota Twin Cam motor, and those Truck pipes are false, has side pipe at the front of the tray.







SOFT54 and DA12




The Convertible MM was an early-ish one
" 1954
Make: MORRIS
Model: MINOR
Colour: GREY
Body Style: Convertible
VIN:
Plate: SOFT54
Engine No: 90UL77004
Chassis: FCH53251567
CC rating:ⓘ 998cc " not the original cc - sidevalve was 918 cc then the first MM OHV were 803cc .
Not known when first in NZ - Plate appears to have been issued in 1994. Carjam records are not always correct as we know.

DA12 the car beside it is NZ New in 1957.
" DA12
Plate Type: Standard
Origin: NZ New
Used as: Private Passenger vehicle
Cause of Latest Registration: New
NZ First Registration: 20-Mar-1957 "

[Roger Dowding]

Part Racing Car - Part Workshop Hack " Van ".

These photos appeared on the Bruce McLaren Tribute Fb group with credit " T Alexander ".

Presume that would be Tyler Alexander who was with Bruce from 1963 approx onwards.
In Bruce's book " From the Cockpit, he says.
" recruiting mechanics for the tour. Wally [ Wilmot ] Harry Pearce and Timmy's [ Mayer ] American mechanic Tyler Alexander " in the end Harry couldn't go.
The " tour " was the NZ Australian season in 1963 - before the time of the photos.
The book published originally in 1964

The photos; at the McLaren Factory at Colnbrook in 1969
: " Testing the rear wing - High Wing - design for the M8B

[Roger Dowding]

This would be 1960's [ late 1960's ] looking at the Pumps - rather squat compared with the pumps of the 1950's and earlier.
Looks like 83 Octane on the standard pump - Boron - was it a bit more.
Cortina seems to have the Black base number plate so at least 1964 on and the model came out in originally around 1962.



An Advert / Article on McLaren [ Elva ] - from the Can-Am era - 1968.

[Roger Dowding]

An event that took place in 1973 has recently been featured in NZ Memories Magazine;
The story of Rex and Elaine Carkeek and their 1954 Citroen.

A bit of NZ " Motoring History ".



The article - 6 pages [ 3 double ].







The Newspaper cuttings from the Article;

[Roger Dowding]

Petrol [ Fuel ] Ration Coupons from the 1940's in New Zealand.
THey cover " Motor Spirits " - " Power Kerosine " - Diesel Oil " - " Fuel Oil " " Lubricating Oil ".

The Coupons ;



A portion of the Certificate authorising the issue of the coupons - dated with Christchurch 1948 and 1949 stamps.



Would like to know more about this;

[Roger Dowding]

A set of photos from Keith Humphreys VCC enthusiasts from way back.
These photos brought back memories as went to the event with Lyle Chambers in his BSA Special - the Ford 10 powered front wheel drive creation, now being restored to its 1950's " Special " state *** - It started as a BSA Saloon with a one litre approx [ think it was 982 cc ] four cylinder BSA engine but was repowered with a Ford 1172cc when built as the Special.

The car lived in my garages at Herne Bay from 1981 - 1984, when Lyle was my flatmate - we had shared my house in Mt Albert late 1980 to 1981 and have driven it on a number of occasions

Here my photo at the event and at Mt Albert, was a cold morning.



The Keith Humphrey photos of the BSA Special. front Number Plate removed to improve performance ?? - The Talbot did the same.





In colour; same spot as second photo of Keith's.



The Alistair Robinson Talbot on a run too - Keith Humphreys photo.



*** Car is currently being rebuilt / restored by Clive Butler as it was in the 1950's 60's to better than when Lyle acquired it early 1970s.
-First saw the car around 1975, when I joined the Austin Healey Club, at the time Lyle Chambers and Richard Leaper had half shares in a very sad looking 100 - Six, which was a restoration project as were many AH Club Cars at that time, the 100 Six and 100 the Four were only 15 [ Six 1957 - 59 ] - 20 years [ Four 1953 - 1957 ] old.

[Roger Dowding]

A couple more Keith Humphries photos - The BSA Special - part of over 30 taken at Chelsea Sugarworks, Colonial Road North Shore 1979.

[Roger Dowding]

GM9897 - was the Registration on the car - plate issued in 1973.
Car was purchased, according to the old style Registration papers by Lyle Chamber in March 1977.

Clive Butler, who is slowly restoring / rebuilding the car advised me recently - as follows ;

" buff registration paper back from 1965. Lyle bought the car on 14th March 1977 & I bought the car from Lyle in 2001. I also have registration renewal papers from 1977 to 1984. The car was originally an FW32 model with the Chassis highly modified. "

Clive also advised that he is selling off his BSA cars and parts - he has more than one and is looking for interested parties.

A few photos of the car from my archives - have been posted before - grouping them all together,
at Mt Albert 1978 - 79







In Herne Bay 1981 - when Lyle and I lived in the big house with the double garage, that contained the BSA and my crash damaged Triumph TR4A along with Lyles Motorcycles, while our main cars - " the daily drivers " a Sunbeam Rapier and the Triumph 2.5 PI saloon were on the road.







To come a few more of the car at various events and a couple of how it looked in 2022 at Clive Butlers workshop in Auckland.