February 2018

Freewheeling The magazine of the Rover Owners’ Club NSW and ACT. February 2018.

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Dennis specializes in : ~ Rover classics ~ Land Rover ~ Discovery ~ Range Rover * Modifications * General repairs * Trip preparation * RTA registration inspections * CAMS rally registration inspections

Triggs Motors

88 Excelsior Parade, Toronto ABN:45413062141 Phone (02) 4959 2122 MVRL:27049. Fax (02) 4959 5061 Email [email protected].

ISSN 2206– 2963

President President’s Comments Ian Shearman president @roverownersclub.com.au Since our last Freewheeling there have Vice President been only three events: Richard Dalziel vicepresident @roverownersclub.com.au Our January general meeting, when our Club Captain member, Peter Scott with help from Andrew Holland clubcaptain @roverownersclub.com.au Gail, showed some photos of some motor cycle trips and other motoring activ- Secretary Warren McEwen secretary ities. @roverownersclub.com.au

Prior to that meeting there was an Oa- Treasurer Richard Dalziel treasurer sis Run, to Auburn Gardens and lunch @roverownersclub.com.au at the nearby Auburn Tennis Club. Registrar And on Australia Day the Carnivale at Robert Walker registrar @roverownersclub.com.au Parramatta Park was held where classic cars were on show. Editor editor Ken Dunkley @roverownersclub.com.au

Forthcoming events are the Oasis Run Web master webmaster Rob Turner on Tuesday 6nd February 2018 to Bur- @roverownersclub.com.au rawang General Store, For a full list of all positions including phone num- and bers, see the back pages of this magazine. Sunday 11 February 2018, Picnic at The Rover Owners’ Club welcomes new member

Hanging Rock Display Day in the Mac- edon Ranges, Victoria Stephen Della Franca who has a P6B

James Kali who has a P4 105R One subject which is always in the background is that relating to spare parts. Our Parts Manager, Paul Anley has reported that we have sold a 9 HP head which we have had for many years. Yippee!!! Cover Photos Front Cover: Enjoy your Rovers. A line of P6 at the 2017 Rover Owners Dis- play Day.

Ian Back Cover UK Rover owner, James Paling’s 14 HP Sports Sedan in front of the Walthamstow Town Hall early on a Sunday morning (that explains the lack of other traffic) Ian 3

Finally, it happened, after 42 years of waiting apprehensively, I experi- enced what every pre-1937 Rover owner dreads. Luckily, the damage was less than it might have been.

The Bluebird had not had a decent run for a couple of months, due to The Cyclops getting lots of attention. I have thought, in the past, that if one car is getting attention, another car in the same garage will get jealous and demand similar attention. It was late July. I had driven through Oatley shopping centre, past the railway station and up the slight hill towards Hurstville Road. I turned left on to Hurstville Road and changed into 3rd gear. The engine revved but the car did not accelerate. I came to a halt and changed into 1st gear. I let in / out the clutch but the engine was not transmitting power to the back wheels. Completely at a loss, I let the car roll back and parked. “The clutch”, I thought. The clutch is rela- tively new. I decided to walk to my friendly mechanic, Wes, and pick his brains. Wes collects and restores old Holdens but otherwise, he is a nice bloke. He thought for a little while and said, “I think you have broken an axle.” Immediately, I saw that he was probably right. On returning to the car, I started the engine, selected 1st gear and looked underneath to see the propeller shaft turning and the car standing still. Up until 1937, Rover cars were fitted with semi-floating rear axles with the hub secured to the shaft by a taper, key and nut system. From 1937, most models were fitted with half shafts permanently fixed to the wheel hubs. Pre-War Rovers and many other English cars were renown for breaking half shafts. Looking at the thickness and design of the shaft of my '14', it seems very robust, much the same size as the P4 axle, yet stories abound of broken shafts. I had become re- signed to experiencing a break at some stage. I expect that it is poor quality steel that causes the problem. Modern axles are made of chrome-molybdenum steel. I located a firm in Mildura, Titan Axles, with a branch in Sydney at East- ern Creek, that could have made a new one for me, if necessary. On the other hand, P4s hardly ever break an axle. A former vice-president of our Club, Vic Lewin, used to tell the story about the parts manufacturer, Duly & Hansford, for whom he worked. When the P4 was first sold here in 1950, they made a large batch of axles, relying on Rover's previous record. Ten years later, they melted down the whole lot. The only thing that goes wrong with P4 axles is worn splines, leading to play in the drive train but this only occurs after a very high mileage. When an axle breaks, anything can happen. Drivers reported being overtaken by a rear wheel when an axle broke while descending a steep hill. In other cases, significant body damage can result. Some cars were so prone to breaking axles pre-War that owners carried a spare in the boot and were able to do the repair on the side of the road. Fortunately in my case, I was travelling at a low speed and the wheel remained on the car. It depends on where, along the shaft, the break occurs. Wes called a tow truck for me and we brought the car to his workshop. This was a job that I could have done at home but I would not have been able to get the car up my driveway and into the garage. When Bluebird was placed on jack- ing stands, Wes determined that it was the right-hand shaft that had broken. The Gibson Book of the Rover regards the replacement process as so simple that it dismisses the job as beneath their dignity to describe. Over the years, I had accumulated three spare axles. As both sides are the same, unlike the P4, all three were suitable as replacements. Unfortunately, Wes was inundated with modern car work that week and I was happy enough for Bluebird to get low priority. Two weeks after the breakdown, I called at the workshop again to see how things were going. The broken axle had been removed, showing the worst possible breaking point: at the splines going into the diff. The next step was to remove the other axle and see if the broken piece could be poked out through the other side. Otherwise, the diff would have to come out. This proved fruitless as the plate holding the crown wheel blocks the hole where the shafts pass through the diff centre.

A week later, having had no further news from the workshop, I called in to see what progress had been made. Bad news – as they couldn't poke the broken bit of axle out, the differential would have to be removed. This was probably necessary anyway as it was likely that bits of metal would be floating around inside the housing. While the axles and diff were out, the housing would be cleaned thoroughly.

Diff housing with the diff centre removed for cleaning and removal of piece of half shaft.

Two months after the initial breakdown, The Bluebird was still in the workshop with both half shafts and the diff centre on the floor. The mechanics had been unable to remove the piece of half shaft so they were going to send the diff centre to a diff specialist who would probably take the planetary gears apart and set up the diff from scratch

After a couple more weeks, the diff centre returned. By this time, Wes was due for his annual holiday (to the Mount Panorama car races). Bluebird remained untouched throughout October. By the end of October, the workshop had found enough time to fit the diff and insert the half shafts. All that remained to do was to bleed the brakes. (Yes, Bluebird has hydraulic brakes on all four wheels. Apparently, car owners put all sorts of fluids in the system and then complained when the brakes failed so Rover went back to mechanical brakes until the 1948 season.) While bleeding the brakes, the mechanic noticed brake fluid seeping from the jump hose to the axle housing. The old hose was sent away to a local brake specialist to be reconditioned. It was then November and I was planning to move to another house. The car was finally finished on 10th November. I primed the fuel pump, retarded the ignition, turned the key and, after more than three months sitting in the workshop, away she went. The mechanics were impressed. I drove it home. The long wait for the repair covered the entire “display season”. True, I had The Cyclops and The Pushbike to take to displays but Bluebird is my favourite toy. The total amount charged by the mechanic was $1240, including dismantling and assembling the differential and including having a new brake hose made. Over three months of garaging was included free.

Jim Moule (241) 5

The Katoomba Rovers that found new homes in 2016 – update report. Text and Photos by Chris Forsey.

In 2016 the estate of David Smith (former ROC member) was being dispersed by his family. This included two Rover cars comprising a P5B sedan (ex Ian Coupland) and a P3 ‘6-light’ (ex Canberra region).

As I was familiar with the P3, I took an interest in the future of the P3 which, at the time of David’s death, was partially dismantled for repair. David had acquired the car some years prior as an older restoration requiring fettling to bring it up to useable condition. David had completed much of the work prior to his death.

The P3 was eventually purchased by Roman and Debbie Lesiuk in South Australia who undertook the work to complete necessary repairs and renova- tion. Roman contacted me recently to advise that the P3 is now registered and on the road.

In his Christmas message to me, Roman wrote: ‘Debbie and I love driving and working on the car – it is both rewarding and enjoyable’. It was really great to receive this news and wonderful to hear of another Rover car back on the road.

Dennis Automobiles

Originally known as Dennis Brothers Ltd, the company was found- ed in 1895 by John (1871–1939) and Raymond Dennis (1878–1939). The brothers who made Speed King bicycles which they sold from their shop, the Universal Athletic Stores, in Guildford.

They made their first motor vehicle in 1898, a De Dion-powered tricycle which they exhibited at the National Cycle Show, which they offered for sale, along with a quadricycle. In 1899, the first Dennis car proper appeared, the Speed-King Light Doctors' Car, a four-wheeler with a 3.5hp a rear-mounted de Dion engine and three -speed gearbox for speeds of 4–10 mph (6.4–16.1 km/h). Intended for use on unpaved roads by the likes of doctors, surveyors, or travelling salesmen, it had an offering price of £135; though shown at the National Cycle Show, it was never produced or sold. 1902 Dennis At the 1900 National Cycle Show, Dennis displayed only motor tricycles and quadricycles, with the tricycles claimed to be capable of a (then-remarkable) 30 mph (48 km/h), three times Britain's speed limit. The next year, a 3.5hp de Dion engine was offered in the tricycle, while there was a choice of two light cars, both with tube frames, three-speed gearbox, and shaft drive: an 8hp de Dion single and a 12hp Aster twin. About this time John Dennis built the Rodboro Buildings, the first purpose-built motor vehicle factory in Britain, to manufacture motorcars in the town centre.

The 1903 London Motor Show saw the debut of an Aster-powered four, the 16/20 hp, which joined a 12hp de Dion, offered as a hansom, making it one of the very first motorised taxicabs. It was also in this period Dennis offered its first and only sports racer, powered by a 40hp Simms, while the tricycles and quadricycles were discontinued. They were replaced by commercial vehicles, with the first bus being made in 1903.

In 1905 Dennis entered the inaugural Tourist Trophy with a pair of standard (stock) 14hp tourers, which came six- teenth and eighteenth, competing against specialist racers.

The next year, a 20hp Roi de Belges phaeton covered 4,000 mi (6,400 km) which earned it the 1907 Dewar Trophy, and it became a production model. 24/30 and 30/35 White and Poppe engines were offered, and soon became usual, indicative of a gradual climb in market status..

Two models, a 20hp and a 35/40, both fours, appeared in 1908, while on the commercial vehicle side, the first Dennis fire engine appeared the same year. For 1909, these were replaced by all new 18hp, 24hp, 28hp, and 40hp models in 1910. Of these, only the 40 survived; the larger 18hp and 24hp, as well as a "monstrous" 28hp six, disappeared for 1912. The 18hp was renamed the 20, and a new 24hp appeared at the end of 1911; they were joined in 1913 by a 15.9hp, which survived until the start of the First World War.

In 1913 Dennis moved to a larger factory at Woodbridge, on the outskirts of Guildford.

After the war, car production did not resume, and in 1919 Dennis bought White and Poppe and transferred engine production from Coventry to Guildford..

The company would also make a foray into the production of lawn tractors.

Source for above and for photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_(automobile) 7

Book Review and By Ken Dunkley At Christmas, my sister gave me the following book, THE HARBOUR. Author: Scott Bevan Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN 9781925368772 (hard back) 97819253668796 (e book)

This is quite a book. It is 592 pages long but very easy to read and the story is broken down into easy to read chunks. As the author paddles around Sydney Harbour and up the Paramatta. River in his kayak he describes the history of each area, how it got its name and the current use of the area. Naturally the bridges over the harbour and Parramatta River feature in the story. Their history, construction and what was there before are covered. Did you know for example, that one of the original iron bridges across the Parramatta River had to be opened to let boats through, but on a hot day, it expanded so much when open, that it could not be shut again. So the fire brigade had to be called to hose the bridge down, cooling it and shrinking it so it could be shut again. Late in my reading I discovered a map in the back of the book that really put the “icing on the cake” as the author vis- ited each area. I resolved to use my Opal Card during 2018 to visit more of these places by ferry and I am sure I will have a much better appreciation of the history. I will try to spot the memorial to Henry Searle, a champion sculler that stands proudly in the middle of Parramatta River. I did not know that this memorial exists in the middle of the river. The author describes how the river looked at the time of European settlement. Beaches of sand, native trees right down to the waters edges,. No mangroves and muddy banks. No pollution. It must have been beautiful. Thankfully, major efforts are being made to clean up the pollution that our forebears and thoughtless people have made in the last 230 years. Clean Up Australia Day

You too can make a contribution to restoring the pristine character of the Parramatta River and its banks by joining in Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday 4 March 2018.

Join your fellow Rover Owners’ Club members and classic car enthusiasts from other clubs at Putney Park

This is not an onerous task as each year the park is cleaner and cleaner. Gloves are provided but older clothes are a good idea as you may need to reach under some bushes.

Bring some lunch and sit in the shade after cleaning up the park and enjoy a fine view of the river and watch all the boats going up and down river, the aeroplanes flying overhead, while you chat with your fellow club mates and solve all the world’s problems.

How much for a P6B? Last month, this question put forward. What do you think was the asking price for this low mileage, mint P6B recently put up for sale in the UK?

Well the answer is $A 61,000.00. YES! that is correct $A61,000

The F Head About 12 month ago, ROC member Igor Spagic sent me an article from Restored Car Magazine, March/April 2016 issue, about the F head. This was used by several manufacturers including Rover . This lead me on a trip through the internet and the following is from Wikipedia reference https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ IOE_engine So the information below is from the internet but the credit for suggesting this item belongs to Igor Spagic. Thank you Igor.

The intake/inlet over exhaust (IOE) engine, also known as F-head (in the US) and pocket valve, is a valvetrain configuration used in early four-stroke internal combustion engines. The configuration consists of inlet valves located in the cylinder head and exhaust valves located in the cylinder or engine block.

IOE engines were widely used in early motorcycles, initial- ly with the inlet valve being operated by engine suction instead of a cam-activated valvetrain. When the suction- operated inlet valves reached their limits as engine speeds increased, the manufacturers modified the designs by add- ing a mechanical valvetrain for the inlet valve. A few automobile manufacturers, including Willys, Rolls-Royce and Humber also made IOE engines for both cars and military vehicles. Rover manufactured line four and six cylinder engines with a particularly efficient version of the IOE in- duction system.

A few designs with the reverse system, exhaust over inlet, or EOI, have been manufactured.

Source of this picture https://www.bing.com/images/search? Description

In a F-head/IOE engine, the intake manifold and its valves are located atop the cylinders, in the cylinder head, and are operated by rocker arms which reverse the motion of the pushrods so that the intake valves open downward into the combustion chamber. The exhaust manifold and its valves are located beside or as part of the cylinders, in the block. The exhaust valves are either roughly or exactly parallel with the pistons; their faces point upwards and they are not operated by separate pushrods, but by contact with a camshaft through the tappet or valve lifter and an integrated valve stem/pushrod. The valves were offset to one side, forming what seemed to be a pocket, leading to the term "pocket valve" being used for IOE engines. An F-head engine combines features from both overhead-valve and flathead type engines, the inlet valve operating via pushrod and rocker arm and opening downward like an overhead valve engine, while the exhaust valve is offset from the cylinder and opens upward via an integrated pushrod/valve stem directly actu- ated by the camshaft, much like the valves in a flathead engine.

Origin

The earliest IOE layouts used atmospheric inlet valves which were held closed with a weak spring and were opened by the pressure differential created when the piston went down on the inlet stroke. This worked well with low-speed early engines and had the benefit of being very simple and cheap, but the weak spring was unable to close the valve fast enough as the RPM's of engines increased, necessitating stronger springs, which in turn needed direct mechanical action to open, as the atmospheric pressure of 15psi limits the total force available from creating a pressure differential, mean- ing that a 15-lb spring is the strongest that can be used (for practical purposes, it would have to be lighter still). When the limits of this system were reached, the design was improved without substantial changes to the head casting by add- ing a mechanical system to open the inlet valves and stronger springs to close them. In both cases, the exhaust valves were in the block and were opened by contact with a camshaft through a tappet or valve lifter and closed by springs.

Advantages and disadvantages

The IOE design allows the use of larger valves than a sidevalve (or L-head) or overhead valve engine. Its advantages over the sidevalve/flathead also include a compact combustion chamber, a well-located spark plug, and a cooling effect from the mixture swirl, along with better intake mixture flow. Disadvantages include a combustion chamber of more complex shape than that of an overhead valve engine, which affects combustion rates and can create hot spots in the piston head, and inferior valve location, which hinders efficient scavenging. Due to the added complications of rocker arms and pushrods, it is also more complex and expensive to make than a sidevalve engine, as well as being physically larger due to the rocker arms being placed over the cylinder head, and it requires an inlet valve and ports in the cylinder head, while the cylinder of a sidevalve engine is simply a closed-end cylinder

Rover IOE engines

Rover used a more advanced form of IOE engine. It was designed by Jack Swain in the mid-late 1940s and was in production from 1948 to the early 1990s. Unlike the conventional F-head IOE, this had an efficient combustion chamber designed for good combustion, rather than simple manufacture. The top surface of the block was machined at an angle, with the piston crowns angled in a "pitched roof" to match. At TDC, the piston almost touched the angled inlet valve and provided good 'squish' to the combustion chamber itself, offset to the side by half a cylinder diameter. The resultant combustion chamber shape was a near-ideal hemisphere, although inverted and tilted from the usual "hemi-head" design. The spark plug was centrally mounted and this,[ together with the turbulence generated by the squish, provided a short flame path. The thinness of the gas layer between piston and inlet valve was so confined as to reduce the risk of detonation on poor fuel, one factor that kept it in service with Land Rover for so long. During the late 1940s and early 1950s when the only petrol available was low octane 'pool' petrol it also allowed Rover to run higher compression ratios than many competitors with the more usual side- or overhead valve designs.[

The unusual combustion chamber arrangement with its angled valves also led to an unusual valve train. The block-mounted camshaft operates small wedge shaped rockers, one for each valve. In early models the camshaft acts on a simple pad on the rocker, but for later models this pad was replaced by a roller follower. The exhaust rockers act directly on the valves, whilst the inlet rockers act on pushrods running up to a second set of longer flat rockers operating the inlet valves. The Rover engine, like many 1940s and earlier British designs, was a small bore, long stroke (undersquare) engine to keep the RAC tax horsepower rating as low as possible, thus keeping the road tax as low as possible. The IOE layout enabled Rover to use larger valves than would normally be possible in a small bore engine, allowing better breathing and better performance.

The Rover IOE engine family encompassed straight-4 (1.6- and 2.0-litres) and straight-6 (2.1-, 2.2-, 2.3-, 2.4-, 2.6- and 3.0-litres) engines and powered much of the company's post-war range in the form of the P3, P4 and P5 models. Adapted versions of the 1.6 and 2.0 IOE engines were used in early version of the Land Rover as well. Power outputs ranged from 50bhp (Land Rover 1.6) to 134bhp (P5 3 litre MkII & III). The 2.6 6-cylinder IOE engine had a particularly long career. After being used in Rover P4 saloon cars it was added to long-wheelbase Land Rover models from 1963 in the 2A Forward Control models, then in 1967 in the bonneted 109", and remained an optional fitment until 1980 when it was replaced by the Rover V8.

Similar Packard cylinder head

The shape of the combustion chamber as an "inverted hemi-head", along with the angled cylinder head joint and pitched -roof piston crowns, had earlier been used in the 1930 Van Ranst-designed Packard V12 engine, although in this case the valves were both in the block as side valves and the spark plug was poorly placed at the extremity of the combustion chamber.[

Other users

Motorcycles

The IOE valvetrain layout was used extensively in early American motorcycles, mainly based on a French design by De Dion-Bouton. Harley-Davidson used IOE engines with atmospheric inlet valves until 1912, and with mechanically driven inlet valves from 1911 to 1929. Indian used IOE valvetrains on all of their four-cylinder bikes except those built in 1936 and 1937. Other American motorcycle manufacturers that used IOE engines included Excelsior, Henderson, and Ace.

Automobiles Hudson used an IOE inline-four engine in its Essex line of cars from 1919 to 1923 and an IOE straight-six engine in its Hudson line of cars from 1927 to 1929.

In Europe in the same period Humber Limited of Coventry, England produced a full range of cars using IOE engines, these were however phased out at the end of the 1920s in favour of models using cheaper L head engines shared with Hillman

Post WW2 Willys, and its successor Kaiser-Jeep, used variants of the Willys Hurricane engine from 1950 to 1971.

Rolls-Royce used an IOE straight-six engine originally designed immediately prior to WW2 in their post-war Silver Wraith. From this engine Rolls-Royce derived the B series engines for British Army combat vehicles which were produced in four, six and eight cylinder versions (the B40, B60 and B80) by Rolls-Royce (and in the case of the B40 used in the Austin Champ by Morris Motors) for military vehicles, fire appliances and even buses. A more advanced shorter stroke passenger car development the FB60 engine, a straight-six IOE engine displacing 3909cc and producing a claimed 175 , was used by BMC in the Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R saloon car. Over 6000 of these cars were made.

Exhaust over intake (EOI)

Some engines have been made with the reverse configuration, having the exhaust valve in the cylinder head and the intake valve in the block. The ABC Skootamota began production with an engine of this configuration, but this was changed to an overhead valve engine before production ended.

In 1936 and 1937, the Indian Four had the valve positions reversed, with the exhaust valve in the head and the inlet valve in the block. In theory, this would improve fuel vaporization, and the engine was actually more powerful. Howev- er, the new system made the cylinder head very hot. The exhaust valve linkage required frequent adjustment. The design was returned to the original IOE configuration in 1938.

Rover P5 Photo from the internet.

One Of Life’s Great Mysteries. Text and photos by Ken Dunkley.

Life is full of unanswered questions and unsolved problems. Take this problem for example. First let me digress a bit and set the scene for you. If you drive a modern car (and by that I mean anything post World War 2), it will have normal headlights and then you can select high beam out in the country. This is achieved by having bulbs with two filaments in them or maybe two separate lights like a P6.

BUT If you own an old car (That is just about anything prior to World War 2) it could well have single filament bulbs. My 1936 Rover 14 Horsepower Sportsman is like that. Normal driving is on High Beam but if you approach oncoming traffic you can select “dip”. The headlights are nice big shiny things with a reflector inside which is held in the Normal (or high beam) position by a spring. When you select “dip” an earth is provided to a solenoid in each light. The solenoid extends and tilts the reflector downwards . So the intensity of the light does not change, just the direction in which it is aimed; is changed. Both headlights are like this. I really do not drive the 1936 car much at all. It has no seat belts, no airbags and a weak as dishwater body that would probably disintegrate in a serious crash. Why would I drive it when I can drive a super reliable, very comfortable, and safe Subaru? But I do drive the 1936 Rover around the local streets every few weeks. I must say it is a bit of a head turner and that makes me feel good. Each time, when I put it back in the garage, I check all the lights are working correctly. I can see the head lights on the garage wall and when I select dip, there is a loud “clunk” as the solenoids are activated and I see the lights lower on the garage wall. I know that all is well and I can go and enjoy a nice cup of tea.

Tilting Reflector

Fixed chrome plated outer shell. Disconectd from normal position.

Solenoid that tilts reflector and gives low beam

Power to single filament bulb.

BUT The time before last when I drove it around the local streets and put it back in the garage, I noted that the head lights did not “dip”. I did nothing about it. A few days ago I drove it again. This time the headlights did not dip again. With registration due in April I thought I should do something about this and not leave it to the last minute as per usual.

Day 1 of the rectification. (this was really just the afternoon). I looked for all the usual things like loose connections, wire not connected to anything etc. If you have looked under the bonnet of a 2018 model car you will see there is not much room in there and you must wonder how they ever got the engine in there in the first place. Well I can tell you that a 1936 Rover is not much different. Sure there is a lot of space around the engine but the electrical wires are hidden under the radiator/grill/body work/mudguards/etc/etc. Clearly it was not designed for some person on the other-side of the world to look for loose wires 83 years later. Anyway I found nothing wrong. Then it hit me. Every time I turned the lights ON I heard a loud “clunk” so what I was seeing was the light in the dip position and I could not get Normal. I must have had a short to ground somewhere so the solenoids were being activated when-ever I turned the lights ON. And so Day 1 ended with mystery unsolved.

Day 2 of the rectification (again it was really just the afternoon). The dip system works through a switch on the steering column near the horn button. When selected to “dip” it provides ground to the solenoid in each light. So I went looking for a short to ground that should not be there. After much frustration trying to track those elusive wires I found nothing. So ended day 2 with thoughts that maybe I’d be better off with a Daimler. 13

Day 3 of the rectification (This was still an afternoon activity). I disassembled both headlights and disconnected the earth wire from each solenoid looking for a short to ground. With the reflectors resting on the mudguards I tried the lights. What do you know? The lights both worked on high beam but no dip function on either light. I reconnected the grounds on both headlights and checked the light function. Both head lights were now working correctly! Piece by piece I reconnected everything on the left headlight checking the light function at each step and the lights continued to work correctly. High beam when selected on and dip when the dip switch was moved to dip. The problem just had to be in the right headlight. I inspected every bit of the right light looking for a short that would active the solenoids but found nothing. Piece by piece I reassembled the right headlight checking after each part was refitted. Everything just worked perfectly. Now only the chrome rim containing the glass was left. This had to be it but I could not reason why. I refitted the rim and glass and the lights worked perfectly. I tried repeatedly over several hours and over several days and each time the lights have continued to work perfectly. Switch the lights ON and they come on at high beam. Select ‘Dip’ and there is a loud “clunk” from each solenoid and they go to dip. Switch the dip switch back to normal and they both go back to high beam.

The up-shot of all this is that I have found NOTHING, the lights now work correctly but I do not know why. Will they continue to work correctly until after the road worthiness check? Well I hope so. The headlights on my 1936 Rover remain one of life unanswered questions and unsolved problems.

Thoughts of purchasing a Daimler are on hold .

A Monthly Meeting you cannot miss.

If you have taken even a passing interest in the daily news, you will be aware that there is much con- troversy on the West Connex Road project.

While various politicians have been seeking the headlines on that project, quietly and without any fanfare, people have been getting on the with NORTH CONNEX PROJECT.

As noted on Page 16 of the January issue of Freewheeling, the most populous area of Sydney for ROC members is the northern part of Sydney and so that project will have a significant impact on their driving. Even those living in Sydney’s south and west will feel the benefit of this project,. It will take lots of trucks off Pennant Hills Road.

The ROC has been able to secure a visit from Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Gina Kelly at the March Monthly Meeting.

Be there to hear all about it!

Another classic Rover Advertisement supplied by Igor Spagic.. 15

Club Calendar.

Please remember it is necessary to reserve your place on any event, except Club meetings, by telephoning the person organising the event. If you decide later not to attend something for which you have booked, please let the person organising the event know so others will not be inconven- ienced by waiting for you unnecessarily. If you can’t get to the event – get to a phone! It should be recognised that whilst the Rover Owners Club takes every care and precaution, members and their guests participate in all activities by their own choice, and act on their own behalf, thus at their own risk.

If the words Invitation Event precede the details in an item, it means the club has been invited but will not be attending as a group. You should contact the person indicated, or visit the club web site and obtain details, followed by making your own arrangements to attend.

If the words Invitation Event do not precede the details in an item it means the club will be attending as a group and you should contact the ROC club person indicated to arrange attendance., or visit the club web site and follow the detailed instructions. Tuesday 6 February 2018 | Invitation Event | Oasis Lunch Run to Burrawang General Store • Download full details | Oasis Burrawang Run PDF • Contact | Mark Hertz | Mobile | 0410 679 268 Email | [email protected]

Sunday 11 February 2018 | Invitation Event | Picnic at Hanging Rock Display Day • Locality | Hanging Rock, Macedon Ranges, Victoria • Registration essential, visit website: http://www.picnicathangingrock.com.au/ • Organising Club | Macedon Ranges & District Motor Club Inc.

Sunday 18 February 2018 | Lunch at Colo River

Wednesday 28 February 2018 | General Meeting • Venue | Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock | 8:00 pm

Email | [email protected]

Wednesday 28 March 2018 | General Meeting • Venue | Veteran Car Club Hall, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock | 8:00 pm

Sunday 8 April 2018 | Invitation Event | Robertson Heritage Railway Station Annual Classic Car Show Day • Venue address | Robertson Heritage Railway Station, Yarranga St, Robertson • Time | 9.30 am to 1.30 pm

• Download full details | Robertson Heritage Railway Station Display Day 2018 PDF

Wednesday 25 April 2018 | Anzac Day | NO GENERAL MEETING • Please note, there will be no General Meeting for April as the regular meeting date falls on Anzac day

Friday 27 April to Monday 30 April 2018 | National Rove, Shepparton, Victoria • Hosted by the Rover Car Club of Australia (Victoria & Tasmania)

Monday 30 April to Saturday 5 May 2018 | Post Rove Tour of Tasmania •

Note! PDF files references above are available through the club web site.

Rover Owners’ Club General Meeting . ( General Meeting .24 January 2018)

Meeting opened at 8:05 pm with 29 members and guests attending.

Apologies: Rob Turner, Thea Shearman, Augusta Monro, Peter Phillips, Bruce Duncan, Ashley Lynn, Chris Forsey, and Adrian Rowland.

Previous minutes. Moved. Ian Shearman. 2nd. Robert Walker

President: Ian Shearman welcomed Members and guests and asked all members to sign the attendance book. Committee reports Editor: Ken Dunkley had nothing to report. Webmaster’s Report Rob Turner reported by email: The website is running well, no problems Secretary: Warren McEwen informed members that the PO box had been cleared and all mail distributed to the relevant club officer. Other than that, there was nothing to report. Vice President / Treasurer / Public Officer: Richard Dalziel presented members with the current financial status of the club and the statement of finances. Treasurers Report. The financial statement for 21st Dec. He stated that he is now accounting on a Full Year basis and will prepare a formal budget for the full year 2017-18.

ANZ Term Deposit #1 $ 14,000.00 ANZ Term Deposit #2 $ 10,000.00 Bendigo NSW Cheque $ 8,710.48 Westpac ACT Cheque $ 1,095.12 Total $ 33,805.60

CMC representative’s report: Ian Shearman Informed members that the new CMC representative for the club is Derick Scott and there is no report as there had not been a meeting this year so far. He also informed members that a new sub committee had been formed at the CMC and he was a member of this committee. Registrar: Robert Walker reported that as membership renewals were still coming in daily he is unable to give an accurate account of membership at this time however He will have a more accurate report next meeting. Club Plates: Steve Williams reported that a few of the Flynn auction cars were starting to come on the road. Spare Parts: Paul Anley said that a member is looking for P4 overriders and another member needs a good P5 fuel tank. Also, that a 9 Hp cylinder head had been sold. Club Captain: Andrew Holland reminded members of all the listed coming events which included. Carnivalie in Parramatta Park A run to the Riverside café at Colo. 18-2-18 Clean up Australia Day 4-3-18 A visit to the Airbag Aviation at Bankstown Airport. 7-4-18 Note: All events are listed on the club web site and in RoverNET every week. Please contact the club captain for any further information. ROC Shop. Peter and Gail Scott had nothing to report. General Business: Peter Scott displayed a model of a P6B that he had acquired Dudley Bennet spoke on the purchase of another R40/75 that he is willing to part with. Nigel Rock mentioned asked how long ago 2 P3 Rovers had been at a general meeting. Jim Moule informed members that he had a small number of books, “A Short History of Rover”, for sale for $5.00 each. Paul Wagstaff thanked the Committee for posting him a Certificate of Appreciation.. Andrew Holland has his green P6 2000 on the market. Rex Mickan spoke on the latest developments at Jaguar and Land Rover. Richard Dalziel reported on his latest trip to the Gosford Motor Museum noting that the black P$ Cyclops was not there. Ian Shearman thanked Keith Beale for donating a large quantity of tools to any members wanting them. Ian Shearman listed some of the guest speakers at coming meeting and asked for suggestions for guest speakers for future meetings. Ian Shearman spoke of a Victorian, Bruce Sanderson who was enquiring regarding members who would be interested in repairs to the top dashboard display on R40/75’s. And finally, that the Federal Library will now accept copies of Freewheeling in an electronic copy.

Ian Shearman then adjourned the meeting and Peter Scott gave a talk using a photo display, prepared by Gail, on their recent trip on his veteran motor bike.

The raffle was then drawn, and the meeting then closed at 9:25 pm. The members adjourned for refreshments.

The next Meeting to be held on Wednesday 28th February 2018.

The ROC Club Shop is back! THE ROVER OWNERS’ CLUB REGALIA. The ROC collection includes both ROC clothing and vehicle regalia. All ROC regalia can be used at club events, invited events and ROC meetings,. You can order the ROC car collection or the ROC Clothing Collection by completing the form below and emailing to Gail and Peter Scott at club [email protected]. THE CAR COLLECTION. Item Name Price Quantity Sub Total EXTERIOR WINDOW DECAL $ 5.00 ROC

INTERIOR WINDOW DECAL $ 3.00 100 TH ANNIVERSARY

WINDSCREEN SASH $ 10.00

ROVER WHEEL STICKERS $10.00 (SET OF 6)

REPLICA ROVER P6 TOOL ROLL. $55.00

THE CLOTHING COLLECTION. Item Name Price Quantity Sub Total CLOTH BADGE

CHAMBREY SHIRT

ROC POLO SHIRT $ 35.00

(LIMITED SIZES REMAIN.)

ROC SPRAY JACKET. $ 38.00

(ONE L ONLY.)

Funds can be EFT’ to the Rover Owners ‘Club account prior to pick up. Electronic funds transfer can be made to the Bendigo Bank BSB 633 000, Account 126 077 999 Please use “your surname” 20 “ Payment Reason” Club shop/merchandise purchase; so that payment can be correctly allocated and receipted.

Rover Owners’ Club Inc. Honour Roll. Presidents Founding and

1965 –1968 Keith Beale Life members 1969-July 1970 John Allcock July 1970—1972 Neville Lowe Keith Beale 1973—1976 James Moule Grahame Jones 1977—1980 David Arnold 1981—1984 Robert Merrick 1985—May 1987 Ray Quigley May 1987—1991 Tony Cope Life members 1991—1994 Theo Lyras 1994—1998 Michael Douglas Jessie Tester 1998—2003 Bruce Duncan Anne Lloyd-Owen 2003—2005 Derek Scott Bill Campton 2005 –2009 Richard Dalziel Bob Campbell 2009—2010 Jim Nicholson Tim Crick 2010-2016 Janet Legge 2016-2017 Warwick Ravell May 2017 Nicholas Munting. June 2017- Ian Shearman Honorary Members present James Taylor

The Rover Owners Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month (except December when it meets on the Thursday immediately after the second Wednesday) at the Veteran Car Club of Australia, 134 Queens Road, Five Dock. Meetings commence at 8pm sharp and usually consist of a general business meeting followed by a guest speaker or other appropriate entertainment. A light supper is usually served after each meeting. People with an interest in the marque, owners or principal drivers OF ANY ROVER vehicle (including 4wd) are welcome to join. Cur- rently the joining fee is A$25.00 plus annual subscription A$40.00 including GST. Membership includes a year’s subscription of “Freewheeling”, the Club’s magazine. A members partner or relative can apply to be an Additional Family Member if they wish to participate on committee or vote at club elections, but "Freewheeling" is not included. There is an annual fee of $10 per additional family member wishing to take up this option. Electronic Banking details are:- Account Name. Rover Owners Club Inc. Bank . Bendigo BSB 633 000 Account number 126 077 999 Club postal address is: - Rover Owners’ Club, PO Box 503, Pennant Hills. 1715 The Club e-mail address is: - [email protected] The club website is: - www.roverownersclub.com.au Overseas subscriptions are warmly welcomed. Visitors are welcome at any time. The Club conducts a number of events during the year usually incorporating a drive to a particular venue. There are also social events that members may participate in, such as the Mother’s Day breakfast, annual dinner, picnics and the Club’s Annual Display Day. An elected Management Committee supported by a number of appointed sub-committee roles manages the Rover Owners Club. The Management Committee meets monthly on the second Wednesday night. The President usually chairs this meeting and minutes are kept. Contributions to “Freewheeling” close on the first day of the month of publication. If you want to publish an article, news about an event or something in the Market Place section it needs to be with the Editor by the first of the month. Preference is to receive articles by email, but typed or even hand written will be acceptable, as long your writing is legible. Make certain your name is on the article and your phone number in case we need to contact you. Do make certain we do not infringe copyright. If the article has come from another publication please let us know and also let us know if you already hold permission to reproduce the materi- al.

‘Freewheeling’ is the official journal of the Rover Owners Club Inc. (under the NSW Associations Incorporations Act 1984) registered number Y2302602. On 23 September 1964 it was recognized as the first in the world by the Rover Company Ltd. The opinions expressed in Freewheel- ing are not necessarily those of the Rover Owners Club, its officers or members. Whilst all care is taken, this Club and its officers do not accept responsibility for opinions expressed or the availability or quality or fitness for use of any services, goods or vehicles notified for sale or hire or the genuineness of any advertiser or author. Other clubs may reproduce articles originating from members with acknowledgement to this publication.

President Ian Shearman [email protected] 9876 5999 0412 039 824

Vice President Richard Dalziel [email protected] 9489 3553 0412 709 228

Club Captain Andrew Holland [email protected] 0414 625 236

Secretary Warren McEwen [email protected] 9980 2653 0418 695 503

Treasurer & Public Officer Richard Dalziel [email protected] 9489 3553 0412 709 228 COMMITTEE.

MANAGEMENT Registrar Robert Walker [email protected] 0419 220 357

ACT Representative Chris Forsey [email protected] 6297 1080 0413 996 481

All British Rep Andrew Holland [email protected] 0414 625 236

Archivist Rob Turner [email protected] 0404 463 489

Club Parts Manuals Paul Anley [email protected] 9684 1795

Club Plates ACT Hugh Boulter [email protected] 6258 8221 0407 215 008

Club Plates NSW Steven Williams [email protected] 9896 5650 0450 706 519

Club Shop Gail & Peter Scott [email protected]

Club Spares Paul Anley [email protected] 9684 1795

CMC rep/committee member Ian Shearman [email protected] 9876 5999

Council of ACT Motor Clubs Chris Forsey [email protected] 6297 1080

Editor Ken Dunkley [email protected] 9533 3326 0400 463 322 OFFICE BEARERS Librarian Andrew Holland [email protected] 0414 625 236

Postage Warwick Moriarty [email protected] 9773 4734 0411 739 132

RoverNET Editor Rob Turner [email protected] 0404 463 489

Technical Coordinator Warren McEwen [email protected] 9980 2653 0418 695 503

Web master Rob Turner [email protected] 0404 463 489

Workshop Manuals Andrew Holland [email protected] 0414 625 236

Hunter Barry Murdoch [email protected] 0412 998 192 Illawarra Stuart Rigby [email protected] 4232 3148 0413 473 825 North Eric Davison [email protected] 6624 4537

Western Peter Colwell [email protected] 6888 5310 0409 927 185

Southern Highlands Rob Turner [email protected] 0404 463 489

Southern NSW/ACT Chris Forsey [email protected] 6297 1080 0413 996 481 AREA CONVENORS

Pre-War James Moule [email protected] 9542 1967 0490 388 470

P2/P3 Greg Alexander roverp2p3@ roverownersclub.com.au 9569 5159

P4 Nicholas Cope [email protected] 0487 474 695

P5/P5B Warwick Ravell [email protected] 9872 7860

P6/P6B Andrew Holland [email protected] 0414 625 236

SD1 Adrian Rowland [email protected] 4787 8591

ORDINATORS Rover 400/800 series Rex Mickan rover800 [email protected] 0409 787 541 -

CO Land Rover Graham Dawson [email protected] 9982 8828 MODEL TECHNICAL R.Rover/Discovery Jim Nicholson [email protected] 9624 2247

R40 . 75 Dudley Bennett [email protected] 9997 3493