MAGAZINE of THE CADILLAC LaSALLE CLUB of NEW ZEALAND INC. finz Golden Anniversary Calais! NOVEMBER 2017 The Black & White facts - We formed our New Zealand club in 1973 and celebrated our 40th Anniversary in 2013 making us one of the oldest Cadillac clubs in the world. We are proud to be an cadillacclubofnz.org International Affiliate of the world-wide Cadillac LaSalle Club of the USA - itself formed in 1958. Front & Inside ‘COVER Caddy’ pix ‘68 Calais 2-door pillar-less hardtop owned by Ron Melville, Bay of Plenty CLC NZ 2 FINZ Magazine Editor: Ron Melville Recipient of (CLC) The Yann Saunders International Activity Award 2013 Now here’s a sneak-peak of what this issue is The Maurice Hendry Award for Excellence in all about... Journalistic Contributions - 2015 International Newsletter Excellence Award - 2015 F O R E W O R D Old Cars Weekly ~ Golden Quill Award 2011, 2012 2014, 2015 & 2016 Hi all. Hard to believe that my Calais is 50 years young come the 3rd week of November 2017 having been built 50 years previous on the 3rd week of November 1967 - according to my Contributions to: [email protected] deciphered VIN number. And I reckon the translation is accuarte The Editior reserves the right to accept or reject any contributions. given that in the original handbook I possess, Mr. Shulte took Deadline is 20th of each month delivery at Shepard Cadillac in Oakland, CA on December 28th, 1967. More about the history behind my Calais in this issue. Well we all had a grand ol’ time at our 2017 Cadillac Nationals/ AGM in New Plymouth weekend of the 13th October. Despite it being a ‘Black Friday’ too, we never saw any black cats and all of us from the Bay of Plenty enjoyed a lucky five plus hour drive. Plenty to tell and many more photos than I have ever encountered from previous Nationals and an amazing photographic contribution from an unexpected source! So many good pics we will spread them over several issues! If you are a member who is yet to pay their subs then you will pleased to know that by paying them now, you will save 10% on the new sub (of $50 per annum) starting 1 September 2018. So send in your $45 now to Lois. Details elsewhere and please set up an auto payment - it will help the Treasurer! So as with many of our issues, plenty to read from around the globe and plenty of colour. The 2017 Caddy Nats/AGM brought out the funniest What with summer on it’s way for us ‘down under’, we are just things and people! Ed starting to warm up. So don’t forget to take some photos on your phone, tablet or old-school camera and send me them with a paragraph of what you got up to on your summer cruise or Xmas picnic! Drive safe and see you next month, Ron - Ed :) 3 cadillacclubofnz.org First up an arranged ‘shed visit’to John Rae’s private property. For those that don’t know who John Rae is, he is a big-time Insurance Broker who is also responsible for the creation of New Plymouth’s infamous AmeriCARna held each February. He is a petrol head and has a passion for red cars and circut Our Global cars. By ‘invitation only’ we had the honour (and received the red-carpet treatment - quite literally! - see pic) to see through his very up-market ‘American Diner-themed Man Cave’ complete with kitchen and good parking for his cars and memorablia. We enjoyed his stories and hospitality plus getting to look FAMILY first hand at his collection and very cool it was too. NZ - BAY of PLENTY - Report on The 2017 Cadillac BoP members leaving the Kaimais John gave everyone an AmeriCARna-2017 cap and Nationals in New Plymouth - by the Editor. > DAY 1 donated one free entry pass to the 2018 Event that was to be drawn at the AGM next day - thanks John Well 12 of us in 6 Caddies met up on the Kaimais on for your generosity and hospitality. Friday the 13th (not unlucky for us or our cruise!) for our cruise to New Plymouth. Due to the usual traffic, Next we headed to our evening meal destination. 4 Caddies took the Tirau route whilst ‘Petunia’ (Dave ‘Naki members, Frances (Club Secretary) and and Trish Cummins fabulous ‘47 Caddy) and yours Murray McCurdy generously opened their gorgeous truly drove straight through via Cambridge and ended Notice the minor Faux Pas 8-vehicle garage-capacity hugely modern home to up arriving before the others at our planned first or should that be Ford Pas? the nearly 50 members that attended that evening. coffee stop. Next was at Mokau - famous for their A well organised event, professionally ‘catered’ with ‘white-bait fitters!’ It had been fine, weather-wise tables set up in one of the 4-car carpeted and ‘cosy- until then and the rest of the way to NP it poured warm’ garages. In the other garage, M & F’s Eldo with rain and continued into Friday night. convertible, Jag rag-top, ‘07 Mustang rag-top (RHD too) and a original-looking 351cu Ford Falcon. We checked into our nice accomodation at the renovated ‘Auto Lodge’ (spot the ‘Faux Pas!’) on After what seemed like hours, it was announced our Devon Street where big Yank tanks dominated return coach trip back to the motel had arrived and some of the parking spaces! After attending to the John Rae pics - Red carpet, Diner, many weary but happy faces boarded the bus in formalities of ‘Registration’ an upmarket coach rolled unused 1959 Daytona ticket stubs, search of a good nights sleep. I sat in my bus seat and up to transport us to to the evenings events. Christine Conder (BoP) climbing noticed the clock on board, 9.10pm! out of race car Publication details - ‘FINZ’ (2017 ‘The Americas Series’) is Copyright to The Cadillac & La Salle Club of NZ Inc. Publication is distributed Like many Caddy events I have had the pleasure of via email and snail mail. All correspondence to the editor: [email protected] Artwork/design layout and technical support by attending, by time we got back to our motel, had a Shea’ Melville ([email protected]). Ideas and concepts by Ron Melville and many inserts from Editors own collection, both hard few drinks and laughs it was midnight and time to hit and electronic copy. We thank all contributors world-wide for permitting publication, use of items and advertisers for your ongoing the sack (bed). A long first day with the forecast of support. To advertise, email editor for rates. FINZ is a non-profit club publication and printed for club members and readers enjoyment. No responsibility taken for errors or ommissions. The name FINZ is copyright to the Cadillac LaSalle Club of New Zealand finer weather for day two! formed in 1973 and original magazine name conceived circa 1974. FINZ is proudly made of and in New Zealand! FINZ Magazine under Ron Melville Editorship is in Year 8, Vol. 11, Issue 11 - November 2017 4 cadillacclubofnz.org ‘65 Caddy in very original condition running sweetly everywhere we went. He is also a keen photographer as you will witness elsewhere in this mag! Come 11am it was off to a ‘show and shine’ at the Inglewood Rail Yard. Our ‘pop-up’ show attracted a number of locals and the 22 of Our Global our Caddies looked grand as they sparkled in the sun! Within the hour we were off to ‘Naki members Brian and Marie Gillett’s home perched on a flat and picturesque hill. Again, their garage served as the place for lunch and a chance to check out B & M’s shed, cool ‘Dino’- the caravan and their ‘55 Oldsmobile. An ever-warming day made for a good day and I heard on the local radio we achieved a high FAMILY of 16c! Before long we were off again, this time for a sneak peak of the ‘soon to be opened’ Hillsborough Holden Museum. All brand new, NZ - BAY of PLENTY - Report on The 2017 Cadillac it was busting with GM Holdens from many eras - all well presented Nationals in New Plymouth - by the Editor. > DAY 2 and plenty of Holden memorabilia on display too. It is indeed an As promised we woke to clearer skies, albeit coolish impressive set-up with plenty of purpose-built parking for the odd big temps and many of us rose early in search of that old car! We arrived back at our motel mid-afternoon with our AGM precious ‘fossil fuel’ as it was expected we would scheduled for 5pm. The objective is of course to keep the paperwork cover a few miles today. A wipe down of cars and politics to a minimum to make more time for ourselves and fellow afterwards and it was time (8.30am) to head off, camaraderie. Trophy time is always a great positive acknowledgement firstly a cruise around town to view the ‘Len Lye’ of what we do well: Museum Building (the great ‘mirrored one’) and to > Best car = Trish & Dave Cummin’s ‘47 (Yes!) Te Rewa Rewa bridge (very cool) and then to Mark The Souber shed above. Brendon and Lois. Cookie and > Most Members in attendance at NZ Caddy Nats = Taranaki and Noeleen Soubers (‘Naki members. Noeleen cake - note the Cadillac crest! > Most Caddies at NZ Caddy Nats = Taranaki past FINZ mag Editor, past Maurice Hendry Award Show and shine at rail yard and > Most new members recruited 2016/17 = Bay of Plenty recipient and Life Member - NZCLC).