Tappet Chatter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Tappet Chatter Journal of the MG Car Club of Canberra. INSIDE Tappet Chatter June 2013 Number 376—June 2013 www.yallourn.com 2 MGCCC June 2013 Tappet Chatter Contents: Official Journal of the MG Car Club Canberra Inc Office Bearers 4 ABN: 49 156 199 381 President’s Message 5 Torque 6 Correspondence to: 50 Sheds of Grey - Mike Stearn 8 Post Office Box 4141 Elixir of Life 13 Weston Creek ACT 2611 Home Page: Details of Aussie MG Distributor emerge 15 www.mgcccanberra.org.au MG SUV Confirmed for OZ in 2014 19 Googong Dam run 20 Natmeet 2014 Bulletin 1 24 Club Calendar 26 Monthly Meetings are held Club Events 28 on the second Thursday of Sporting Report 29 each month, (except MG Cycling in bonus race 35 January), at St Peter's Anglican Church Hall, cnr of A Rare sight indeed…. 39 Parkinson St and Watling Pl, Motor Racing Report 43 Weston at 7.45pm. Help Line 46 Marquet 47 A ‘Lunchtime Natter’ is held at Lotus Bay, Yarralumla (near the Yacht Club) is held each Tuesday from 12.30pm. The MG Car Club Canberra Inc. accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of articles, correspondence, opinions and advertisements contained herein. Cover photograph Andrew Hutt in the MGB V8 mit navigator at the Articles may be copied for Motorkhana publication but an acknowledgement is expected. Acknowledgments – thank you to all who contributed articles and photographs for the Printed Post magazine. Approved Material for the June magazine should be PP237008 00007 with the Editor by Monday 1 July 2013. 3 Tappet Chatter June 2013 MG CAR CLUB CANBERRA INC. LIFE MEMBERS: Brian Darke, Margaret Brown OAM, Peter Daley, Malcolm Robertson, Ian Holden and Brian Oxley. COMMITTEE 2012 - 2013 President: Peter Dechaineux 6281 5917 or 0409 350 984 [email protected] Treasurer: Laurie Gardiner 6293 4191 (h) 0418 488 931 [email protected] Secretary: Greg Whitfield 0498 107 658 [email protected] Asst. Secretary: Graeme Rossiter (02) 6288 2477 (h) 0431 930 710 (Display Events) [email protected] Public Officer: Greg Whitfield See above Sporting Secretary: Kent Brown 6255 4943 or 0412 558 029 (also Vice President) [email protected] Editor: Mark Horsfield 0415 400 044 [email protected] NON COMMITTEE 2012 - 2013 Social Coordinators: Bruce & Margaret Murray 629 61077 or 0412 322 453 [email protected] CACTMC Delegates: Laurie Gardiner see above Geoff Piddington 6291 8063 [email protected] Registrar CRS Historic Plates: John Harriott 6292 8420 (H) 6247 8266 (W) Greg Whitfield see above Regalia: Tony & Judy Laughton 6255 5207 [email protected] Club Library: Geoff Nickols 6239 7339 CAMS Delegate: Kent Brown see above Natmeet Coordinator Greg Whitfield see above Club Car Trailer: Contact: Laurie Gardiner see above Alternate: Nigel French (02) 6163 5551 Tappet Chatter Distribution: Bruce and 6296 1077 Margaret Murray [email protected] Club Workshop & Laurie Gardiner (02) 6293 4191 Equipment: Nigel French (02) 6163 5551 Webmaster: Pip Herr [email protected] 4 MGCCC June 2013 President’s Message he Committee has resolved that for the financial year 2013/14, the Club T will support the Yellow Van as our Community Support organisation. The Yellow Van rescues excess food from food retailers, restaurants, event cater- ers and corporate offices, and distributes it to charities and refuges supporting vulnerable people in the Canberra region. This service is free to both the donors of food and the charities who receive it. For more information on this organisation, search the web for “The Yellow Van food rescue”. Discussion on Facebook continues, and our webmaster, Pip Herr, is developing guidelines on its use with the aim of making the MGCCC page secure and, in particular, restricted as to who can enter messages and photos. Also, the intent is to monitor all postings to ensure that the content is acceptable be- fore it is shown on our Facebook page. Congratulations to Kent Brown for the Motorkhana on May 26th, the event was well attended and resulted in a number of new Club memberships. If you have not already put your name down for the annual Presentation Din- ner on 27 July, please give it your consideration – it promises to be a fun eve- ning. Current planning is to launch our new website in August, and by this time the data on the current website will be reviewed and updated. The 2014 Natmeet will be held in Ballina over the Easter weekend (18-22 April). The format for the event will be significantly different from previous years in that it will be essentially a social occasion without the normal com- petitive/sporting events. Further information can be obtained from our Secre- tary Greg Whitfield. Don’t forget our social run to the Old Cheese Factory at Reidsdale on 23 Jun. Further details are available in this magazine. A major event this year is the Canberra Centenary Rally on 19 and 20 October 2013. This event is being run by the National Trust and promises to be a highlight of Australian motoring. Further details are available at http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/act/Rally. Happy MotorinG Peter Dechaineux 5 Tappet Chatter June 2013 Torque Magnette 60th Anniversary http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/ act/Rally Magnette 60th Anniversary Cele- brations, Strathalbyn, SA Saturday 2014 Natmeet 13th – Sunday 14th October 2013. See http://www.mgccsa.org.au/ The 2014 MG National Meeting Registers/MGA.html for more de- (Natmeet) will be held in Ballina tails and the EOI form. NSW from 18-22 April 2014. Hosted by the Gold Coast Guest Speaker MG Car Club, the 2014 Natmeet will trial a new abbreviated format; it Many thanks go to Mr. Bill Wood will have neither Motorkhana nor who attended our last meeting and Speed events. The schedule so far regaled us with tales of his life re- looks like this: pairing and selling MG's from the days of his apprenticeship until re- Friday - Noggin & Natter c/w tiring from his company Morwood Rocker Cover Racing Motors. Saturday - Concours & Theme Night Sunday - Touring Assembly through Byron hinterland with a free night (perhaps take in the Byron BluesFest) Monday: Touring Assembly through Ballina / Lismore hin- terland and the Presentation Dinner The organisers emphasise that Bill Wood (right) with Club President Ballina is a popular tourist town and Peter Dechaineux is also very close to Byron Bay where the annual BluesFest is held Canberra Centenary Rally every Easter. Because of this ac- commodation can be a very scarce The National Trust of Australia Can- commodity. berra Centenary Rally will be held Natmeet Bulletin #1 has more in- 19-20 October. The closing date formation including an accommoda- for entries is 31 August. For fur- tion directory; you will find a copy ther information contact Graham of the Bulletin on our club website Gittins or visit: or see www.goldcoastmgcarclub.com.au 6 MGCCC June 2013 If you intend going to Natmeet tardy, and get those membership 2014 please contact Greg Whitfield subscriptions in. ([email protected]) so we can get a sense of numbers for accom- Your Magazine modation purposes. Below are the Judges comments on Membership Renewal Tappet Chatter from the National Meeting 2013: It is that time of year again, where our Treasurer dons his leather suit, picks up his whip and motions us to Special Commendation renew our club membership. The advent of electronic banking has "Tappet Chatter is a well balanced made it easier for members to pay blend of reports, (executive and their dues and for committee repre- other), technical articles, touring, sentatives to process renewals. If competition news, book reviews, you wish to use electronic means to classifieds and other pieces. pay your membership, the details Printed on good stock, and varying can be found on the flysheet sur- in size between 48 and 56 pages, rounding this magazine. Con- this is a magazine I would look for- versely, if you wish to pay by cash ward to arriving in my letterbox if I you can do so by paying directly to were a member". the Treasure, who will provide a receipt. If you prefer to pay by I congratulate and thank all the cheque, simply complete the fly- contributors who make this maga- sheet and send it to the address zine what it is, an informative and indicated on the sheet. relevant, digression from reality. One benefit of membership is the issue of this outstanding Magazine each month delivered to A man walks into a bar…. you hand at the meeting, your let- terbox and your inbox. Don't be Idiot!!! Advertising in Tappet Chatter Advertising Rates : Cover: Full Page $200.00 pa Other: Full Page $170.00 pa Half Page $ 95.00 pa Other - casual Full Page $ 35.00 per issue Half Page $ 22.00 per issue 7 Tappet Chatter June 2013 50 Sheds of Grey A peek into the secretive world of club members inner sanctums By Mark Horsfield have heard you can define a man the land who could do whatever he I by his shed. This is true of Mike needed to with what he had. His Stearn. shed was very similar in appearance, As a generalisation, defining organisation, storage devices and the a man by his shed takes into account feel of the "Man-Shui". the size (as we all know size DOES It's quite ironic really be- matter) what toys, machines and cause as I got to know Mike a bit gizmos reside in the nooks and cran- better the more he reminded me of nies, and the uniqueness or quirki- my Grandfather (sorry Mike).