AVCMC Fanmail
December 2016

From The Driver's Seat

By Joe Janssens

A big thank you to Rob Wallis for keeping the ship under control while I was relaxing on another ship during October month.

Another year is gone and dusted once again. This will be the last newsletter for this year.

On a very positive note: the majority of the membership fees have been paid. Thank you! And the organization of the 2017 O.D.Inggs is well on track .

During the year the Club’s monthly social events on the third Thursday of each month, as well as the various club outings, were again very well attended. Thanks to Rob Wallis for a job well done.

Our Christmas function at the fish River Sun was once again well attended. The unpredictable wind and crowd was unfortunately a party breaker. I want to extend a warm welcome to our new members Ian Hattingh and his wife Bettine, Alf Steck and his partner Mercia and Hans van Eck.

Our club will go into recess after this month’s Last Noggin & Supper Night - a Bring and Braai on the 15^th December. We re-open on the 12^th January followed by by the Club’s Anniversary Breakfast on the 14^th January.

As we reflect on this wonderful holiday, we must keep in mind that Christmas is not just any holiday but may be the most important one of the year for some people. It is a time for remembering, a time to share the goodness of your heart with others, and for expressing with words and gifts what someone means to you. It is a chance to make wishes come true and to give something from your heart. It is a chance to give a message that will express love and caring to the ones we care about the most.

I want to end off by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. To all of you who will be travelling during the festive season: take care and drive safely.

Joe

Through The Windscreen

(This is what lies ahead)

For Your Diary

December

Thursday 8 Dec - 5 to 8pm - Motoring DVD at the Noggin

Thursday 15 Dec - 5 to 8pm - Supper night
Bring and Braai
Last noggin for 2016

Saturday 31 Dec - CLOSED - AVCMC Museum - CLOSED

January 2017

Thursday 12 Jan - 5 to 8pm - Motoring DVD
First noggin for 2017

Saturday 14 Jan - am - Club Anniversary breakfast
Diarise the date! Rob and Maggie Mears have kindly invited us all to their home in Bathurst. Might be a bring and share - details to follow. We have accepted this generous invitation only on condition that Maggie provides her inimitable brownies for pud

Thursday 19 Jan - 5 to 8pm - Supper night
Rob's famous hamburgers

Saturday 28 Jan - 9 to 12noon - AVCMC Museum

Way out in the Future

18 to 19 March 2017 - OD Inggs rally
30 April to 4 May 2017 - Milligan rally (proposed dates)
27 May 2017 Saturday - Vintage Scramblers at Bathurst

Rob Wicks of Hogsback and Dave Hawkins are hatching a plan and will probably ask for a display of old cars

RSVP..ing - Hey Guys, this is important!!!

I am sure that our mothers brought us all up to be polite little boys and girls. Maybe we forgot that when we became big boys (none of us really grew up). But now that we are into our second (the real?) childhood, we should easily be able to remember our mothers. Yes, and what they tried to teach us too. Bless their big hearts and their warm bosoms upon which we cried when we stubbed our precious little toes. Um, was it warm hearts and big bosoms? Anyway, while we are remembering our mothers, let's also remember to RSVP our favourite Events Co-ordinator Rob Wallis, especially when the hard working laddie has to book tables and so on. He has a difficult job, so come on boys, let us do our bit to help.....

Birthday Congratulations

December

4  Keith Schroeder
5  Colin Clayson
27  Rob Mears

January

4  Hennie Van Der Merwe
5  Ian Hattingh
11  Rob Wallis
20  Pam Gush
21  Nielen Erasmus
22  Fred Pittaway
25  Rob Houston
26  Hugo Nel

Kowie Brake & Clutch

Kowie Brake and Clutch still caters for all your braking, hydraulic and clutch requirements.
We now also have an engineering workshop in which we can manufacture a range of to spec items. We also build trailers, bowling green polishers and cricket pitch rollers.
For these latest products visit www.facebook.com/protearollers
Contact us on: 046 636 1156 kowiebrake@telkomsa.net

The Dashboard

(This is going on right now)

Welcome to New Members

We have two new members to welcome.

Hans Van Eck and his wife Nadine live in Bathurst. They own three Triumphs (Yoohoo!! says your Spitfire-owning editor)

Colin McIntosh and his wife Fiona live in Kleinemonde and they own a Jaguar XJ6.

We hope that they will enjoy and participate in the club activities.

Say, we must now have almost as many members out in the 'burbs as we have in town? Assuming that we can refer to outlying areas such as Bathurst, Grahamstown and Pretoria etc as suburbs of Port Alfred.....

On The Lighter Side

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife’s voice urgently warning him, “Herman, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on the Freeway. Please be careful!” “Hell,” said Herman, “It’s not just one car. It’s hundreds of them!”

My son Matthew sent this in. It popped up on his Facebook page. Not sure whether to laugh or cry - but I expect that there are lots of folk who have no idea how an ic engine works. Note, for the jongspan, that ic = internal combustion and not integrated chip! For us old toppies anyway....

Inspirational

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son
-     1 John 5:11 NEB

Have a great Christmas and remember why it is that we celebrate - Ron.

The Rear View Mirror

(Past Events)

Brunch at Fish River Sun - Sunday 27 Nov

by Ron Gush 

Ten old cars assembled at the Civic Centre and trundled off a little after 10am. Into the easterly wind - my Austin notices the wind direction.

Twelve cars parked by prior arrangement on the lawn near the pool and the collection of classics attracted quite a crowd of admirers. Nobody loitered outside for too long as the wind was getting up a bit.

Cars on the lawn near the pool

And so to breakfast. The Sun had provided a separate venue for us next to the main dining hall - a bit of a fracas about that earlier on but Rob was able to sort it out amicably. It was pleasantly quieter in our venue than out in the crowded dining room.

Joe welcomed all to our Christmas Event, and in particular our new members Peter Viner, Ian Hattingh and Hans Van Eck and their wives. He also welcomed Peter's guests Chris and Jean from Windsor and Janice from Bath - all pleasantly surprised to be invited on a classic car outing. The late Pat and Don Lee were remembered. Finally Joe thanked Paulette for the thoughtful gifts  for each of the ladies and Rob Wallis for organising the event.

Rob noted that 40 people RSVP'd and 40 people pitched!  Well done all ye members!

American Auction - Roger thinking: Shall I have that or open this?

After the main course Rob got the American Auction under way - amid much heckling and confusion. "I can't imagine doing this in an old age home!" he quipped. Little does he know.... Somehow he maintained a semblance of order and everyone enjoyed the receiving and swopping of presents.

After we had eaten our fill, perhaps overdoing it somewhat, we wandered outside and found some spectators sitting in our cars for photos! Why would anyone get into another person's car uninvited? None of us would do that - would we? But I did find that in every case where I approached individuals politely and asked them, with an explanation, please not to do that, their response was invariably an apology and backing off. Thus I think that the problem is one of lack of understanding or knowledge - of how much labour, expense and tender loving care goes into running these old cars. Or it might be different customs, or plain excitement when seeing these lovely old cars up close. How do we deal with this problem? This is not the first time it has happened - I wrote about a similar incident at the Bathurst Show a few years ago. As a result, I am personally not keen to display my old cars. Somehow we need to deal with this - put up notices near old car displays, or in the window of each car, or leave a security guard or all of the above?

What do you think? It was a good outing. Thanks Rob

One of the Austins that made it out on 9 November to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sir Herbert Austin's birthday. Breakfast at Crema in Kenton was enjoyed by Dave, Daphne, Ron and Pam

In The Boot

(Useful Baggage and Tools that we need for the trip)

1983 Mini Clubman 1275E - FOR SALE

In very good condition.
Price: R30,000
Selling as I have an opportunity of buying another vehicle. 
Vehicle is in Port Alfred
Contact: Charles - Cell: 076 849 0549 : Landline - 046 624 4563
e-mail : pellewcwh@3i.co.za                                                    1/3

Classic & Sports Car Insurance Placements
“We Drive Classic Cars”
We insure them with Great Care.
Tel: 031 701 0226 l Cell: 082 781 4410
Email: pat@smythebros.com
A Division of Smythe Financial Services cc Authorised FSP No. 16054

Snapped by Charles Pellew on a recent trip

1929 Rugby "Caravan' at Thomas River. Built on the chassis of a Rugby truck. Entrance from one door only on the left hand side.

On the front bumper, notice the canvas bag which cooled water for human consumption.

It was displaying the SAVVA badge and the Border Club badge.

It is the only Rugby Caravan in the world

Buick straight 8 parts wanted

I am in search of a wheel and fender wheel well for my 1932 Buick straight 8 restoration project.

Can anyone assist please?                                                       2/3

Mitch McAllister
Tel: +2713 752 3570
Fax: +2713 752 4703

Committee

Chairman:                                 Joe Janssens      083 235 1101               
Vice-Chairman
and Events Co-ordinator:          Rob Wallis           082 334 0354        
Secretary / Treasurer:               Shirley Martin      071 675 4570
Clubhouse Manager:                Peter Viner          046 624 3552 or 082 831 5769
Grahamstown Rep:                   Norbert Drager    046 622 6282 or 072 765 6448
Fanmail Editor:                          Ron Gush            046 648 3186 or 083 272 1961
Members:                                  Keith Schroeder  046 624 4114 or 082 412 3378
                                                  Roger Darkes      046 624 2874 or 082 373 8181

Other portfolio holders:
OD Inggs Co-ordinator:             George Armstrong 072 347 0924
SAVVA rep and Vehicle Dating: Des Hill               083 228 6774
assisted by:                                Dave Hawkins    046 624 2215 or 082 453 2618
Webmaster:                               John Austin-Williams (contact via Ron Gush for web content)

Tailpipe - for the ladies

by Ron Gush

Last month you will recall that I touched on the advantages of being a classic car widow. I mentioned how this can imbue the skills required to remain bright eyed and bushy tailed while your doctor is giving you a detailed run down on your recent blood tests. Well, here is another one for the books:

The other day, Pam had arranged a meeting with two of her Grahamstown Training College friends to discuss a shindig that they are organising as part of their annual (old girls - but not a good idea to put it that way) reunion. I had spent an hour or two degreasing the brake shoes on my little old Austin. Not the most glamorous of tasks but then some of the things you have to do to maintain your Mistress are not all that glamorous.

Anyway, having done the job and adjusted the cable brakes and so forth, I reversed the car out of the garage to run it around the block, just to test the brakes. As I did so, Pams two friends walked up our driveway. Wow! What an absolutely beautiful car, they gasped, sounding a little breathless - but then our driveway is a bit steep. "And you reversed out so quickly that we didn't even have time to show a bit of leg and perhaps get a lift!" with a naughty twinkle in their eyes. "Where did you find it and did you restore it and was it in poor condition and what a polished finish ...." they blustered on a bit. I thought the high polish bit was pushing it. But I let it go and mumbled something or other in response.

Well this all got me to thinking how lucky Pam is to have a classic car husband. She gets to ride in this beautiful old car anytime. But if she showed me a bit of leg I'd get suspicious. I mean, these lovely ladies probably have husbands who are professors of anthropology (had to get Google to help me spell that one) or doctors of philosophy who are frightfully clever, but you could just see them thinking - "How on earth did Pam get so infinitely lucky to bag an old car mechanic?"

Well from one who knows, let me tell you that Pam is one mighty smart cookie. And I'm not about to tell you what Pam replied.....

Our contact details are:
Email: club@avcmc.co.za
Website: www.avcmc.co.za
PO Box 2057, Port Alfred 6170
We are affiliated to SOUTH AFRICAN VETERAN & VINTAGE ASSOCIATION.

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Albany Vintage and Classic Motor Club · PO Box 291 · Kenton-on-Sea, EC 6191 · South Africa