Kapunda - week 57.

A midweek sojourn across to Kapunda for morning tea by the Barossa crowd did not go un-noticed.
One vehicle that caught my eye was this T model buckboard.

It's not a cut down tourer but was built by Duncan & Fraser (yet another Adelaide body builder) as a buckboard in 1922. This vehicle has been in the Barossa AND in the same family for all of these 90 years. 90 years ago Fords came to Australia from North America as rolling chassis and were fitted with locally made bodies when they got here. You could say that all of the black bits were made in Canada and the grey bits in Adelaide.
Another buckboard that made the journey was this Oldsmobile.

Now this one more than likely was converted from a tourer. This was the typical buckboard style of the era with a bench on each side of the cargo bed. This was ideal for ladders, pipes, posts etc., in fact it would be just the thing for Andrew's 15 ft. windsurfer poles. If you had extra passengers they could sit in rows down each side, a bit like a Troopy.
When I was a kid my dad had a green and black Model A Ford with an identical buckboard body to this. Because it was used for a milk round it had a canvas covered canopy over the back. (This was before he saw the light and upgraded to a horse and cart). One morning after finishing the round and washing the serving cans, we were going home along Fullarton Road when this bloke in a Rover 75 came past and immediately cut across the bow of the Model A, a dangerous move cutting off a car with cable brakes. Anyway, this guy must have been the original roadrager and obviously had the Edgar Brits about something because he slowed down and let us go past and then came up to do the same thing again. Just as he came across, dad flicked the wheel and hooked that spring steel front bumper into his wheel arch behind the rear wheel and then backed off. This pulled the rear guard clean off. We just went home and never saw the guy again.
Years later I had a Model A myself. It was bright orange and was a mud plugger. The guards were cut back and running boards removed and it had excellent ground clearance on its 19" wheels. It too was a buckboard with tailgate and the rollover hoops were topped with a tin roof. It had an OHV conversion, a Holden carby and extractors and heaps of hp. I can understand why they used those motors in speedcars for so long. One day we towed it on an a-bar out to a VSCC gymkhana in a paddock out near the White Horse Inn. It went very well against the E-type 30/98 and the odd Alvis, until the motor seized. We left it in the paddock until the following weekend. When we returned it was gone so someone must have taken a liking to it.
I think I've digressed again. Anyway, you'd think this must have been a ute run to Kapunda judging by the photos here. There was, in fact, a lovely light green FJ ute and a couple of WWII Jeeps, a Willys and a Ford (I don't think I've seen a Bantam one) but the commercial vehicles were definitely in the minority.

Last of the true fish & chip shops.

Driving in the Adelaide hills? This shop's in the main street in Williamstown. Talk about old school! They even cut up their own chips from locally grown spuds. None of these bags of frozen chips for them where you're not sure of what you're getting. AND you can taste the difference. The only thing missing is the newspaper, they use butcher's paper. The newspapers are, however, on the tables for reading while you wait. The lady that runs it is lovely. She'd make a good car club treasurer.

Another mystery local sporty.

No-one seems to recognise the car of Peter Blight that he has restored so nicely. Peter, who lives in Williamstown (SA), would love to hear from anyone who can throw a bit of light on its history. Here's a few shots of it at Collingrove.

This is what it was like when Peter bought it in Elizabeth.

The body was in 6 pieces, front section, rear section, 2 doors (double skinned and with FJ door handles), boot lid and bonnet, plus a crude roof to fit FJ windscreens. The only other part was the remains of an angle iron frame. At the time of purchase Peter was told it was a Buchanan. At that stage he had not seen one of those so he had no idea what a Buchanan actually looked like. He was also told it might be a Bolwell. Anyway, he's seen the real things and now doesn't believe it is either, which is a fair assumption. This car looks even less like a Buchanan than the Triden, built by Ron Tonkin, which took many of its styling cues from the Buchanan, amongst other things. Ron, of course, built two other sports cars that many have mistaken for Buchanans. Despite the similarities, Immanuel, who has one of them (Larry had the other one), has taken measurements and nothing conforms whatsoever. A long shot maybe, but did Ron, who was adept at creating shapes and mould making (and, in fact, was the fibreglasser at Elfin), make this car too? What do you think, Wayne Tonkin?
There was also another car that was built by Albert Ludgate that was not one of the Capricornias that we know. Albert and Ron were known to each other. I have distinct memories of that car as a teenager and it most certainly had that Austin Healey hip line as did many other Australian specials (including, of course, the Winston Bolwell car). Believe it or not, Steve Rowley has seen this body and he can't throw any light on it. I wonder if Clive Hill can.
Peter is guessing, and I would too, that it was built about 1960, possibly by someone local. Immanuel, who is also in Williamstown, and Peter will have to put their heads together. Peter has sent photos to "Restored Cars" but nobody there knows anything.
While we're at it, has anyone found any more information on the car that Michael Scheid's cousin built?

Ready to hit the road again.

The Altima at Calder.

Surprise encounter.

Brian Deckert was down at Goolwa Beach today and look what was there as well.

I'm particularly fond of Type 13s. The early Hispano is nice and the cyclecar is a beauty too. The passenger sits in front of the driver, a bit like a Tiger Moth.

It's nice to admire Ettore's works of art. The Bugatti family were very talented (something of an understatement). This chair was designed and built by his dad, Carlo.

It was a centrepiece of an exhibition in Turin in 1902 but I saw it at the Art Gallery of South Australia who own works by Carlo, Rembrant and Jean Bugatti.

Look who's......

.....driving the Talbot in the London-Brighton down-under....

....and who's got to road test the black K3....

Kapunda - week 56.

A bike club rolled through town yesterday. Among all the sinister black Ninjas and brightly coloured other bikes were these gadget filled contraptions. I've never seen them in the flesh before. I'm a country bumpkin remember.

Are they "Smart" bikes? Or should I say SmartTrikes?

Advance notice - 6 Hour - Mallala

Bolwell 6Hr Team - May the 5th 2013

Chris and I require Bolwell drivers to nominate for the 2013 6Hr Club Team.

The first things you must do are

•  Make sure you are a financial member of the Bolwell Car Club and have a copy of your membership card;
• Join the MSCA - the cost is $20.00 and the form is available at http://www.mscasa.com/membership/mcsa_member_form.html;
• Get your Cams Level 2 - Speed License; the cost is $103.00 with the form at http://cams.com.au/Forms/~/media/Files/Forms/Competitor%20Forms/Lv%202%20License%20application%20renewal.ashx.

In addition you will need to have a suitable 900 gm fire extinguisher that meets AS1841 and is less than 3 years old (or has been serviced within 3 years) on the day of the event; and a helmet which as a minimum meets AS1698. This is the normal Australian standard for helmets and I have found the cheapest good way to go is to buy a motor bike helment rather than a dedicated car helmet which is much more expensive.

 

Please let either Norm ( 8251 3228 or normandsarah@chariot.net.au) or myself (83361256 or gascoigne@kern.com.au) know if you wish to enter.

 

We will provide further information about what you need to do and we will also try to organise some practice before the event. However, even though the event is in May; time will go very quickly and we need to start now.

 

Cheers Norm and Chris

 

Congratulations Sean.

Motorclassica - the Australian International Concours d'Elegance & Classic Motor Show.

Winner of the Classic (Sports & European) Class - 1972 Ferrari 365GTB/4 (Daytona) Coupe owned by Sean Brennan.

More Mallala.

The red Datto No.13. Unlucky for some. One of many. All getting quicker every meeting. Well...except for this one. Usually does 1.21s. This time 1.23s. Getting used to the new suspension mods.

Blue 260Z.

2 road going Zs with the boys hanging on the maestro's every word.

MR2 and a couple of TR8s. All good fun.

Loudest car on the day - the Chevodore. Went pretty hard too, after the brakes were bedded in.

As did this rotary powered 808.

The Amaroo. When are they going to let these bike engined clubbies have rego? They do in other places.

Out comes the Plymouth - my favorite.

Here it is hooked up behind the Volvo ute.

Up close and beautiful.

Even closer.

A nice tail.

Mallala last Sunday.

Another MSCA Super Sprint and it was our turn for flags.

4 Mark 7s. That's Bobbie T, Ron behind him, Barry behind Ron, talking to John H and Dino's looking pleased with himself. Ken's Celica under the awning.

Phil and Rita's Mark 7. Chris, Sue and Norm in the background.

3 bums. The middle one is Ron's.

2 smart looking 7s and some officious looking officials.

During the lunch break the Bollies did some exploratory laps. Parade laps they're called.

Ken's new toy and the previous owner checking to see that it's being looked after. He's smiling. Pete S, Colin and Annette behind.

Nissan SR20, one of the reasons the Celica is so quick.

Wayne's finished the Birkin and here it is. He can be very proud.

Kym's well-travelled Clemente.

Flag point 3, Colin's and my spot on the wall.