Small Victories

The content of this post might not seem much to most people but a series of small wins has made the world of difference to me. Having had both knees replaced due to accumulated sporting injuries and then snapping my femur in a mountain bike accident late last year has meant that for nearly 2 years, normal activities have been somewhat curtailed, not to mention varying levels of pain which is pretty wearing.  Although I generally have a positive outlook on life, physical restrictions also take their mental toll.

Today was a big step in the right direction with the first ride on my mountain bike since the accident. (HERE). That ride could have happened several weeks ago but psychologically, I kept putting it off as memories of the accident and rehab was still a bit raw and a mental block.  Time to put my big boy pants on today and get out there.

More nervous than I look!

It was only a 10 km ride, mainly on tar seal with just a bit of level gravel thrown in but the impact (perhaps a poor choice of word) was both confidence inspiring and wonderful.  The femur still niggled a bit but with a pre-ride warm up and taking it fairly easy on the ride, most of the pain had actually disappeared by the finish.  A sore butt and aching wrists due to ergonomic differences between the MTB and static bike aren't really relevant.  Heart rate was ok too on the hills although they weren't substantial gradients.  These should get even better.  Someone who is not me in our household has issued a dire warning about not riding gnarly off-road trails again.  This is on pain of death so good behaviour would be the safest bet.

Ride data - not too bad for a 77 year old geezer

Most people hate strange noises which they can't track down, particularly when it applies to their method of transport.  For over a week, we've had a buzzing sound in the MGB.  It only happened over a very narrow rev range and we couldn't agree where it was emanating from.  It was driving me nuts so I went for a drive with the express intent to track it down.  Anybody following would have wondered what the heck was going on with lots of body movement and head swivelling trying to pinpoint the noise.  It didn't seem to happen at the rev range whilst the car was stationary which made things more difficult.  The photo below was taken at one of the stopping points where this anomaly was discovered. It's actually quite a scenic spot where there is a working vintage gold ore crusher. (Details HERE)

Two vintage bits of machinery - one 100+ years old and the other made in 1972

It wasn't until nearly the end of the drive when the source of the buzzing noise finally revealed itself.  It was coming from the right hand fresh air vent on the dashboard.  The movable centre where the air direction can be changed vibrated against the outer casing at certain revs - some sort of harmonics.  Why it suddenly chose to start doing it is a mystery.

The solution was surprisingly simple.  I found a flat piece of clear plastic packaging medium in our recycle bin and cut a piece to slip between the movable component and outer frame.  The mild interference fit still allows adjustment and it's an invisible repair.  The photo below shows a tiny sliver of the plastic shim as it is being pushed into position at the left hand end of the right vent.

Another small victory!

The supply of potable fresh water around the world seems to be an increasing problem.  It's not only through drought but crumbling infrastructure (old piping or inadequate size) is impacting on the development of housing and commerce throughout the world.  The house which we now live in was built in the 60's as a holiday home on the edge of Coromandel harbour away from reticulated water supply in the village.  The only water source was rainwater collected in tanks.  Eventually, reticulated water was laid on our road but a permanent below ground connection to established properties was a major and expensive exercise because of the steep topography and vegetation.  We've occasionally run a hose to the reticulated water connector at the roadside after long, dry periods or lots of visitors but in the main, tank water collected from the roof has been just fine.

The problem is that with the house being old, filtration was pretty crude, particularly from a biological perspective. We've never got sick but maybe we were just plain lucky. Local tradesmen like plumbers are pretty good at their job but are a nightmare in getting them to turn up when they promise and good communications are rare. Because of this, we sat on our thumbs and did nothing, despite it being on our important task list.  Then lady luck shone on us with a flyer dropped in our letter box.  It was from a small specialist company dealing with rainwater systems who operated out of the Bay of Plenty and Waiheke Island - not a million miles from us (WEBSITE HERE).  To cut the story short, we met the owner, liked what we saw and he's just finished stage 1 of our upgrade.  New filter systems on the storage tank infeeds, biological and particulate filters on the feed to the house plus cleaning and sterilising the storage tanks. Some additional upgrades yet to come.  All completed in a day and a half with a very high standard of workmanship and quality components.  It's probably fair to say that he's cost competitive against local plumbers too because of his specialist knowledge.  I'd call that another victory!

An extremely tidy filtration system 

Storage tank with 2 stage particulate inlet filtration

Going back to the potable water problems in many parts of the world, I'm surprised that the relevant authorities don't encourage greater use of rainwater.  Ok, our storage tanks are old fashioned but new designs are relatively unobtrusive and can even be built into the walls of structures, just like a neighbour's house.  Food for thought?

To sum up, a series of small wins with good outcomes are definitely able to give a real mental lift! 

Rehab and Adult Toys

For those of you with dirty minds, you're going to be disappointed!  In this instance, "adult toys" refers to classic cars and motorcycles!

The previous post outlined the circumstances of my mountain bike accident and surgery to repair a broken femur.  A number of people were involved with my rescue, several of whom I hadn't previously met.  I was able to track them down, thank them personally and give them each a gift for Christmas.  As with any small community, (population ~1600), news spreads fast so I've had to endure plenty of mickey-taking since the accident every time we go into the village.  Jennie has received nothing but commiserations for putting up with me but I have a plan in place to show appreciation for her not stabbing me to death during rehab.

Rehab has gone well but it's been painful and slow.  Use of crutches stopped a couple of weeks ago and exercises including pedalling a static bike continue to build leg strength and flexibility.  It will be a while yet before I'm back on the mountain bike, even simple road riding.  Confidence has taken a bit of a knock as the time draws closer but we'll get there.  I'm also somewhat anaemic from the surgery but iron-rich food should help in that respect.

Sincerest thanks for your notes of support, comments on the last blog post and also Facebook.  It genuinely means a lot when you're fighting what feels like an uphill battle in terms of recuperation.

The opportunity to do anything interesting has been a bit limited.  Driving our modern vehicles has been ok but actually getting into our MGB GT has been impossible until recently.  Even now, some minor contortions are required.  It so happened that the Coromandel Classic Car Club held its annual car show last weekend for bikes and cars of all shapes and sizes so it was into the MG to see what was on display.  Perfect weather, good food, a ukulele band and line dancing demonstrations to complete the country atmosphere; plus a stunning array of vehicles.  Here are some of the photos I took, with some narrative where appropriate.

If I remember correctly, the registration sticker said a 1934 F series Morgan 3 wheeler.  It's powered by a side valve Ford engine of either 8 or 10 hp.  The vehicle on the background is a 1933 Essex Terraplane.  

Morgan 3 wheeler and US-made Terraplane

Rear view of Morgan and Terraplane

A modern "classic" this time - a 2002 Ford Thunderbird.  It clearly has a European design influence compared with earlier Thunderbirds but in my humble opinion, looks a bit bland. Apparently had a reputation for transferring road vibrations throughout the car.

2002 Ford Thunderbird

The rear end of a 1964 Ford Thunderbird, complete with streamlined headrests.  All the excesses we've come to expect from a convertible of that era.

1964 Ford T'bird

The next 3 photos are of my favourite car at the show, despite all the wonderful exotic hardware on display.  It's a 1950's Borgward Isabella manufactured in Germany.  One of our UK neighbours had one for years.  What makes it my favourite is that it's a genuine recent barn find from the Auckland region. The paint is original but time and UV has reduced it to an odd brown-pink colour. There's the slightest dusting of rust in a few places but no serious rusting or rot at all.  I hope that it's left "as-is" because that's what attracts attention.  

Borgward Isabella

Isabella dashboard and steering wheel

Isabella engine bay

This is a 1942 Chevrolet Fleetline with an in-line 6 cylinder motor.  Production was deferred in 1942 because of WW2.

Chevy Fleetline

The BMW Owner's Club brought 15 classic BMW's along.  They were from the days when you could actually tell them apart and they still look great.

BMW classic mix

This 1955 Cadillac looks like something out of Toy Story!  The finish was nigh-on perfect. 

1955 Cadillac Series 60

A motorcycle for a change.  A Czechoslovakian Jawa CZ owned by a local resident.  Pretty sure that it's a 175cc twin from the late 50's or early 60's.  I was given one and got it going but never registered it for road use.

Jawa CZ 175 2 stroke

A couple of British 650's.  This particular BSA Lightning was from the early 70's when the British motorcycle industry was in decline.  Designed with American market styling, it was a decent bike but didn't have the good looks of the earlier A65 Lightning and sales were poor.  The Triumph Bonneville was what captured the public imagination in the early days and held a number of world land speed records (hence the name).  This model is probably from 1965.

BSA Lightning and Triumph Bonneville

The HRD Vincent is one of the most famous bikes of all time.  This one is absolutely flawless. It's a generalisation but any Vincent 1000 will probably sell for upwards of NZ $50,000.  Looking on British auction websites, prices vary considerably according to precise model and condition.  There are a few currently being advertised at NZ$130,000 or more - a good investment, eh?

HRD Vincent 1000

The 2 cars below were a mainstay of the 60's in Australasia, the '62 EH Holden Special station wagon and a '62 Chrysler Valiant.  The Holden in particular was a favourite on the surfing scene.

EH Holden and Chrysler (AUS) Valiant

A seriously large Ford Galaxie.  I saw them raced at Silverstone in the late 60's by Jack Sears and Sir Gawain Baille.  They took up a fair percentage of the track width and added another complication to getting past them!

Ford Galaxie, 1968 model with 7 litre engine

Another 7 litre job - a '75 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible.  Looks very presidential before armour plate became necessary.

75 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Some nice local machinery from different eras.  a '74 Toyota Landcruiser, a 1979 Mitsubishi Jeep and a 1936 Ford Coupe in metalflake cherry red.

A nice mix

Arty shot of a 1973 Jaguar E type V12

E Type Jaguar

A flawless finish on this Chevy truck

A Chevy work of art

Orange must be the new black!  '22 Corvette being driven by a local young lady.

Attractive Corvette, equally attractive owner

A V8-powered hot rod which started off as a Ford Prefect with an 1172cc side valve engine!

Originally a UK Ford Prefect

The Ford Prefect origins can clearly be seen from the rear.

The original is just about recognisable

A modern "classic" - a 1990 Nissan (C33?) Laurel.  It looks to be drift car inspired with lots of goodies under the bonnet including a big turbo.  Compliments to the person who engineered it and it was so clean that you could conduct surgery in the engine bay.

1990 Nissan Laurel Turbo

The vehicle below is a 2013 replica of a 1933 Ford. The owner would have had to jump through hoops with transport authorities to make it road legal.  Given the problems I had with the MGB GT for a minor discrepancy, I take my hat off to the owner for perseverance and craftmanship!

1933 Ford replica

The Australian-made Valiant Charger is a personal favourite of mine and only superficially resembles the US-made Dodge Charger.  I'd be very happy to own one but collectors have pushed it out of my price range!

1972 Valiant Charger

Our GT engine bay pretty much in its normal state - doesn't take much looking after considering that it's almost a daily driver.

1972 MGB GT

I hope that you've enjoyed just a handful of photos from the car fair. Exhibits must have been 200 or so, including our MGB GT which earned some nice compliments.  A large proportion of them are owned by residents of the Coromandel Peninsula.  Given our low population density and relatively remote location, I'm always amazed what people have lurking in their sheds.  I suspect this represents the tip of the iceberg!  I'd like to think that we're merely custodians of these cool vehicles and that they'll continue their march through time with future custodians who will love them as much as we do.

Wings and Wheels 2024

What with cancellations due to Covid and the tropical storms in NZ last year, I've missed attending Wings and Wheels at Thames until now.  The location is only an hour down the coast too.  What a great day it turned out to be, with excellent organisation and everyone chilled and simply there to have a good time.  As I've remarked previously, there appears to be little or no snobbery or a hierarchy among NZ classic car owners which leads to some great discussions.

Even better, any classic cars or light aircraft owners were admitted to to the airfield for free and had a ringside seat for all the activities.  Can't be bad, can it?  The weather was warm and dry, although rain was forecast later in the day.  The following photos are only a small selection of the zillion I took and the sheer variety of vehicles and aircraft was guaranteed to avoid boredom.  Even Mrs James was moved to remark that she had a wonderful day out!

Great retro poster and pilot information

After we'd been directed to a parking spot between a Model T brewery delivery vehicle and a supercharged Model T bucket hot rod belonging to a middle-aged woman, we noticed something a bit different parked about 50 metres away.  This was a rolling chassis powered by home made pulse jet engines running on LPG, very similar to the WW2 German V1 flying bombs.  Even better, there was to be an engine run every hour!

Not something you see every day!

 

Starting it involved the use of a leaf blower to get the air and LPG circulating.  The noise and particularly the frequency was unbelievably loud and actually vibrated the bones and organs inside the body.  Pretty unpleasant but nonetheless impressive.

We have ignition!  Note all the fingers in ears

Being local, we were quite early and it was enjoyable to watch other classics drive in over the next hour.  A line of vehicles from the Austin Healey Club made for a great sight.  They sell for serious money, especially the rarer 100 series models.

Various Austin Healey models driving in

An Austin Healey Sprite with aftermarket bodywork

There was a pretty even split between British and American vehicles and with a population of ~ 5 million in NZ, I'm always amazed at just how many classic vehicles there are lurking in sheds around the country.  You can add light aircraft too, judging by how many private aircraft were arriving for the show.

Citroen with forward opening front doors

  Ford Cosworth Sierra RS500 - a rare beast

Ford Corsair GT - haven't seen one since leaving the UK in 1975!

Dodge Challenger R/T - shades of the cult movie "Vanishing Point"

A Packard Special which would look at home in a Mad Max movie

Ridiculously wide tyres on this Stingray

Plymouth Barracuda - yummm!

A Dodge 6

Supercharged Holden Monaro towing a racecar

Superb retro caravan

Jaguar XK150

Heaps of E-types on display

Mrs J and a certain MGB GT!

1952 Morris Minor - 918cc side valve, I think

We simply ran out of time to look at some of the vintage bikes which were at the other end of the airfield but a bike on the back of a ute (pick up truck) near us caught my eye.  This is the Honda XR500, first introduced in 1979.  This particular bike looked like it had never been ridden.  Whether it was new or flawlessly restored was hard to tell but I'd imagine that it would fetch a premium if ever sold.

Honda XR 500 trail bike

So many other vehicle photos which deserve to be posted but it's the turn of the aircraft now.  When we arrived, there were already lots of planes parked up but there were a constant stream on final approach. A quad bike customised to look like a mini-hot rod was tasked with guiding them to an allocated parking spot.  As a point of note, the pilots of the WW1 replicas and WW2 Warbirds could pretty much be described is "mature" with plenty of grey hair on display.  I found this strangely reassuring!

A Corsair taxiing to its designated spot

 

Arty shot of Yak tail fins

A couple of biplanes of unknown make, both of them in flawless condition........

In magnificent condition

The Warbirds Havards then put on a formation flying and aerobatic demonstration which was really impressive, especially against the ever-lowering cloud base.

Havards ready for takeoff

Formation loop

Barrel roll with smoke

There were also some WW1 German and British replicas flying.  For me, they clearly illustrated the fragility of combat in those days.  These photos scale up well.

Albatross, Triplane and Bristol Fighter

Albatross low pass

The Fokker Triplane

After the demo by the WW1 replicas, the weather was closing in and although there were to be demo flights by other aircraft, we didn't want to be trapped with every attendee trying to leave at the same time onto an arterial road which was already packed with long weekend traffic.  A reasonable number of people had the same idea but getting out was no hassle at all.  It was also great to meet up with Peter, the organiser of the MG Owner's Club for the Bay of Plenty region. He had driven up with a number of members. Where we live is a long way from the regional bases so we don't often meet up with other members.  What an excellent day and looking forward to next year!