New Zealand's \eteran and Vintage Motoring Magazine 0 Price 30 cents STEEL TUBE U·BENDS A practical way to fabricate CARAVANS, TRAILERS, CANOPY FRAM ES, GATES, GARDEN FURNITURE, EXHAUST PIPES, RACING MANIFOLDS and many other items. 1 D,I,'m;" M, outside diameter (0.0.)01",;01, lob, ~ made. ~ 2 Ascertain centre line radius of bend required. This can be done by placing a circular object over the old bend, (if any), and measuring same as in Illustration A. U Bends are supplied in centre line diameter measurements as in illustration B. i.e. 8" C/l Diameter U Bend. 3 Cut U Bend to required angle using straight end where possible, but always cutting to radius centre line point. as in illustration C. A cardboard Disc cut to inside diameter with angles and centre marked is very useful to determine position to cut U Bend. See Illustration D. Due to slight deformation caused by bending, it may be necessary to match ends before welding. "O" "- Compound bends may be made by using different die­ o' 1&0" meter U Bends, but always cut to Radius centre line. @ D U Bend, in Pack, of Five. Available a' Follows : Tube Size U Bend ell Diameter Tube Size U Bend elL Diameter I" 0 .0. 6" 9" 12" 11 " 0.0. 8" - 12"- 11" 0 .0. 6" 9" /2" If: 0.0. 8:: - 12',:- Stocked by WO.D. 4" 6" 9" 12" I. 0.0. 8 - 12 - • 2" 0 .0 . 10" - 16" 11" 0 .0. 4" 6" 9" 12" 21" OD 10" - 16" GARAGES WO.D. 6" 9" 12" 2;" 0 :0 : --- 16" and I" Square tube in 90 ° bend, only. AUTOMOTIVE 4" Radiu, 6': Radius 9" Radius WHOLESALERS COPVR IG H T • "Beaded Wheels" is published bi-monthly for the Vin tage Car Club of N.Z., lnc ., fro m its ed itorial office at P.O . Box 13140, Christchurch. New Zealand, by Purse, W illis & Aiken. Ltd., Chr istchurch. Annual Subscription $1 .50. Individual Copies a nd Bac k Numbers, 30c, Pos t Free. Editor: Mr B. M. Idou r. Advertising Rates available on re q ues t to Adver­ Vo!. XV, No. 65 Aug.-Se pt., 1970 tis ing Manager, P.O. Box 13140, Ch ristchurch. Vintage Car Club of N.Z. Inc . Beaded Wheels is the vo ice of the Vintage Car Jl,'! ove ­ utent in New Z ealand and of th e Clubs whose efforts are [ostering and ever 'widening the interest of this NATIONAL EXECUTIVE movement and [orm rally ing points for that euer in­ Presiden t: J. M. Sullivan (So utb creasing band of enthusiasts. The fascination of age Ca nterb ury) . itself or revulsion from the flashy mediocr ity of th e Club Cap tain: H . D. K idd (Auck­ land) . present day is draw ing an increasing number of motor­ cu » Vi ce-Captain: A. K. Wright ists back to th e individuality , solid noortb, and functi onal (Wanganu i) . H OIl . Secretary: J. S. P. Palrner elegance th at aoas dem anded by a more discrimina ting (C hris tchurc h) . generation and it is to these that this magazine is ded i­ Clu b R egistrar: E. R. L. Gait, 63 H oon Hay Rd., Chris tchurch, 2. cated. Executive: F . E. Gill (A uc klan d), N. C. Skeving ton (Cbristchurch), L. B. So uthward (Welling ton), R. J. Hasell (Christchur ch) . BEADED WHEELS EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Chairman: Tom C leme nts. CLUB OFFICE Committee: Gavin Bain , Geoff H ockley, Bruce Pidgeon , Bo b Scott. Ph oen ix H ou se, 82 H ereford St reet, Christchurch. Materia l fo r publica tion is the resp on sibil ity of this co m mi ttee Telephone 74-003 . a nd sho uld be forwarded to P.O. Box 131 40, C hristchurch, type d H ours : 12 to 4 p.m. or nea tly printed, do u ble spaced on one side of pa per onl y. R eport s of restor at ions, events, road tests, histor ical and technical articles welcome. No payme nt made to contri butors. All club corresponde nce, including members' cha nges of address, mu st Closing date for copy October-November issue: 1st September. be sent to T HE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF NEW ZEALANDINC. COVER PHOTOGRAPH P.O. BOX 2546, CHR ISTCHURC H. Gavin Bain's 1924 Ben tley. IN THIS ISSUE This old ambulance 2 Hero's lament 11 Wanganui rally 20 Experts 70 4 Of P.V.V. interest 12 Letters to Editor .. 20 No. 728-a rebuild 5 Motor-cycle musings 13 Branch notes .. 21 Boanerges . 7 Rocker gear wear 14 Classified Advertisements . 30 Chrysler 'Triumphant' 8 Irishman's '70 15 More about the Thomas 9 Levels speed day 18 This old ambulance By Len Elliott windows and a door. Eureka! A The bonnet, wheel brace and motorised caravan! various other goodies we found poking out from bushes. We even It was Wednesday, May 11, Stan took some persuading to part with her and changed his robbed his farm trailer, as the 1966, when Bryan Jackson and two front rims and tyres were on myself left Au ckland and set out mind a couple of times, but after looking at the restoration on the that! for Kerikeri, Northland, in our With the trailer hooked on be­ 1930 Packard 8 with a 16ft. four­ Packard and knowing we were starting a museum, put his name hind a tractor we started for the wheel trailer on behind. Our road but only got half way­ quest-to obtain a 1915 16 h.p. on the dotted Iine. We both look­ ed at each other and thought, let's during the last seven years a Rover Sunbeam World War I mighty Chestnut had decided to ambulance. get it loaded, but quick before he changes his mind again. push a branch across the drive­ The drive up in the late after­ way. Here's where the crosscut noon was plea sant and our minds We solicited the help of two saw comes in, 15ft. up. were full of expecta tions at the neighbours with their tractors, and I didn't like the look in Mrs prospect of obtaining this unusual laid a line of boards like railway Booth's eye as I climbed HER marque. Arriving about dusk I lines from the vehicle to the tree with that crossbow, and I had my first glimpse in the failing trailer. Several bars of home-made promised I would only take off light and could see that it was not soap provided the lubrication for the minimum neces sary to get going to be all beer and skittles the flat, perished tyres to slide on past. At last the road and at to get her out the next morning. as all four were locked up and about 5.30 p.m. we pointed our It is not unusual for stories to all the time the rains came down. Vintage with Veteran load for begin with, "The day dawned fine Some six hours later she was on home. and warm," but not so today. It the trailer and we set about We drove all night to arrive was cold and wet when I let up collecting the various parts not back at I a.m. A long day but well the blind in the back of the attached. From a packing shed worth it. Later in the morning we Packard where we had spent the we retrieved the bulb horn (bulb stripped off some of the galvan­ night (she converts to a full perished) stamped W .D. with a ised sheet to expose the old double bed sleeper: handy for broad arrow, the original horse­ canvas. One can imagine our fossicking trips and rallies). We hair palliases from the lower jubilation when we saw the big had come prepared with tractor stretcher racks and a hand opera­ red cross and just showing coats, block and tackle, ropes and ted siren that sounds like a coffee through a coat of overpaint some all manner of tools, but before we grinder crossed with a rooster. letters. were to get our pri ze loaded we were to need two tractors and a cross-cut saw . After seven years in the one spot the seedling tree-tomatoes had matured and one could sit in the driver's seat and pick ripe fruit. It was not only tree­ tomatoes that were ripe, the whole front portion of our vehicle was at the same stage. Still , I ha vc seen worse. Stan Booth, the owner, had bought "Gerty" in \925 cm the West Coast where she had been used as a Mortuary Van cum ~mt\\\~h\\C:'e t\~ \.\\~ \1.\.\\\1>, Yli !>!>\.'ta\ Board in areas where there was no resident doctor. Stan covered the back in galvanised sheet, put in a sink and wardrobe, two Len Elliott and Sunbeam Ambulance ready and resplendent. PAGE TWO W ith a buck e t of soapy wa ter hea ting tube could be tak en up a nd a brush we cleane d the sur­ thro ugh the st re tche r co m pa rt me nt face a nd slowly the le tter ing fo r warmth . a ppea re d. "R.A .S.C A 1060" be­ T he four fo rward brass gated low each ot he r a nd further down cha nge on the gearbox is reason­ nea r the dr iving co m part ment a bly smooth but the sa me ca nno t "D.E & O.S, Defence Dept., be sa id for t he big co ne clutch, Well ingt on, N.Z.'·, wh ich deciph­ especia lly in rever se, wh en one 's ered mean s-Royal Army Service head is almost sha ke n off with the Corps, Ambulance, No.