VMR Tenth Anniversary Rally 2010

Post by **Ian Grace** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:30 pm

Finally ready - all set. Leaving Seattle 4 a.m. tomorrow morning. Will be at the Gardeners Arms Friday night - and ready for a pint or more!

Post by **Ian Grace** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 6:13 pm

Got back to Seattle late last night after an uneventful, if very long day's traveling. Unbelievable weekend - the weather was kind - great cars, absolutely wonderful company, and more than a few pints of English ale. Full report in M 136 and I'll get a photo gallery on the website as fast as I can. In the meantime, here's one to be going on with from Sunday - Pete Williams of Hereford Vintage Auctions in his Morris Special having fun at (or rather, in) one of the Kineton fords. If anyone else has photos of the weekend, please send them over so that I can generate a compendium CD for everyone who entered.

Toby · Post by **Toby** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:24 pm

Ian, you beat us home! Thankyou for organising it all.

Frank van Voorst · Post by **Frank van Voorst** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:24 pm

Many thanks for organizing a nice weekend,

We returned today with a Morris Minor gearbox, a Ford V8 gearbox, a Morris minor front wing and several other bits in the trunk. We really appreciated the nice and relaxed atmosphere with all Morris Minor and other prewar car enthusiasts.

Frank

Post by **Ian Grace** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 6:22 pm

Frank,

Many thanks for coming over with Peter and your Lincoln Continental friend (what is his name?).

I thought you might like this shot - captions on a postcard please...

Post by **Ian Grace** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 7:19 pm

In addition to the photo gallery uploaded to the website yesterday, Allan Rhodes of Track Car Photography has put 148 superb images online at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=83 ... 8547139961

These can be ordered (in full colour) as follows:

Poster print prices:
A4 @ £17.50 (minimum order of 2 required)
A3 @ £25.00
A2 @ £30.00
A1 @ £35.00
A0 @ £40.00
Plus postage for any size £2.99

Canvas print prices:
A4 @ £48.00
A3 @ £65.00
A2 @ £106.00
A1 @ £170.00
A0 @ £220.00
Plus postage for any size £8.99

Canvas print sizes in inches
A4 - 8 x 12 (Look nice framed)
A3 - 12 x 16 (Ideal framed on the wall)
A2 - 16 x 24 (Big and amazing when framed and hung on the wall)
A1 – 24 x 32 (Bigger size to impress your friends)
A0 – 32 x 48 (The big one.. Have to be blind to miss it!)

Please note:
Poster prints will be exact size for standard frames but canvas print sizes are approximate.

Post by **Ian Grace** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:07 am

Allan has some superb images of the weekend on his site - many including some great action portraits - including this one of Frank and Lincoln in the back of the Meteor.

Post by **Ian Grace** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 4:41 pm

We heard at the Plough that someone had headed off from the lunch stop and was stranded because they had put diesel in their car. A search party was sent out form the pub, but we found nothing on the route. It turns out that it was Alan Wheeler in his Bullnose who had headed back home eastbound towards Reading from the Inn For All Seasons.

He reports:

"Sat beside the Bullnose with 7 galls of petrol/diesel mix for 2 hrs then got a quick run home via Britannia rescue. Lots of cleaning liquid now!"

Both Andrew Batey (broken half shaft) and David Roscoe (exploded diff.) also got recovered safely. Andrew was lucky enough to have broken down less than half a mile from the lunch stop, and I came across him as I swept the morning route. A quick visit to the garage next door to the pub to buy a tow rope and I towed him in to the pub with my Toyota rental (don't tell the rental company!). He was recovered home from there. David and Diana blew the back axle on his Semi-sports somewhere up a steep hill off-route near Chipping Campden in the morning and were recovered to the Plough in time for tea, and since they were staying at the Plough and had their trailer there, they were also sorted. David reports that the CWP is toast as well as the casing. A new 7/37 and casing is being fitted.

Stand by later today for some incredible news regarding next year's Rally.

Post by **Ian Grace** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:41 am

I met with Ian Patton at Prescott last Saturday - Ian is the Prescott manager for the Bugatti Owners' Club - the owners of the hill since pre-war days. He was very impressed with our event - both the organization and - particularly - the members and entrants. He explained that Prescott is permitted 30 days of climbs per year - limited by local noise restrictions. These days break down into four categories - the BOC's own days, the competitive speed events, the driver training days and the 'club' days - such as ours. He further explained that, of all the club days, we are the only pre-war club who hire the hill - the others are the Jaguar Drivers Club, the Ferrari Club, etc. We have hired Prescott three times now - in 2003, 2005 and again this year. So I asked Ian whether it might be possible to book a day next year - with the view of making this an annual event - so that it could gain some regularity and momentum. He replied by explaining that he sees that there is a gap in the Prescott annual calendar - for a generic pre-war club event - a non-competitive counterpoint to VSCC Prescott - and he invited me to take on the challenge of organizing such an event. The problem was that all 30 days for next year had already been taken up - so such an event would probably have to wait until 2012. I told Ian that I would be delighted to take on such a task if a date could be found - in either 2011 or 2012, and we left it at that.

I called Ian from Seattle this morning and the hill management were just meeting to discuss the issue. And the result? Somehow they squeezed a day in next year. The date will be Saturday July 16th - for a 'Prewar Prescott'. So I plan to run this as a generic pre-war event, separate from the VMR, but forming the highlight of the VMR Summer Rally weekend. And the VMR will benefit from discounted entry, etc.

Clearly this will be a massive undertaking - we are talking a major international event - open to all pre-war cars. More details will emerge very soon, but the objective is to preserve the laid back atmosphere of our past VMR Prescotts, but the event will be expanded considerably, and one of the first decisions made today was to nominate the RAF Benevolent Fund as the official event charity. Just as the pre-war golden age of motoring came to a close with the outbreak of war, so the day will conclude with a WW2 flying display as a mark of remembrance - also remembering that many of our pre-war cars were used during the war and contributed materially to our victory - many of us are now driving cars that were owned in the war by those who never returned, and their sacrifice paid for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Those who participated last weekend should all be highly commended tor making the day so successful, and for so impressing the BOC management. Both Ian Patton and the Chief Marshal John Hicks commented to me that, of all the clubs they deal with - ours is the very best.

This will become an annual event - and 2012 is also already booked. It will take place on the third Saturday in July in perpetuity. Watch this space for further news as plans develop. And thanks again to everyone who came along and made this such a special and very impressive event. Once again, the VMR shows the way.

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:59 pm

Fabulous news Ian,.... however as you have pointed out, a HUGE undertaking..!!

I might do some work on the car to prepare it for an attack up the hill next year,....!!! going up is easier than coming down.... brakes are MT's weak point!

Post by **Ian Grace** » Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:38 pm

And more good news today - Peter has offered to bring his Hurricane to close the day. Should be a fantastic sight - and sound - over Prescott.

Brief history below, where it is noted that it is said to be the most historic fighter aircraft to have survived the war. As mentioned elsewhere, Peter's wife Poly owns the Hundred Pound Minor in the NMM Bealieu, and was the builder of the Semi-sports rep. that is now owned by Paul Veenboer over in Holland, and was copied by Peter from Keiran White's car over in Ireland. Peter is currently restoring DH Leopard Moth G-ACMA.

Hawker Hurricane Mark I, R4118, was delivered new to 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron at Drem on 17 August 1940. During the Battle of Britain it flew 49 sorties from Croydon and shot down five enemy aircraft. After being battle damaged on 22 October 1940, the aircraft was rebuilt and taken on charge by 111 Squadron at Dyce on 18 January 1941. There it was flown on patrol over the North Sea and was again in combat. Over the following two years it was used primarily as a training aircraft with 59 and 56 OTUs, and was rebuilt a further three times following major accidents, including hitting a lorry on the runway and being stuffed into a snowbank!

In December 1943, R4118 was crated at Cardiff and shipped to India as a training aircraft. However it was never needed and remained in its packing case in Bombay until 1947 when it was struck off charge. It was donated to a university for engineering instruction. The fuselage was stood outside in a compound with the propeller, wings and tailplane laid on the ground. There it remained until June 2001 when Peter Vacher was able to conclude six-year-long negotiations and R4118 was loaded into a container. The aircraft has now been restored to flying condition.

During its lifetime, it was fitted with no fewer than five Rolls-Royce Merlin III engines, and underwent four major rebuilds. It is still powered by a Merlin III (the only other aircraft in the world to retain a Merlin III is the Sea Hurricane at Shuttleworth). It is said to be the most historic fighter aircraft to have survived the war.

Meticulous restoration was undertaken by Hawker Restorations Ltd in Suffolk. This included fitting every piece of equipment which was in the aircraft during the Battle, such as the first of the VHF radios (the TR1133), the Identification Friend or Foe unit, the original 8 Browning machine guns, and the camera gun in the starboard wing.

Pete Kynsey from the Fighter Collection flew its first test flight on 23 December 2004, since when it has been displayed at airshows throughout the U.K.

The full story is told in ‘Hurricane R4118’, by Peter Vacher, published by Grub Street Publishing @£20. Obtainable from the publishers 020 7924 3966, bookshops or Amazon.

This EAA article includes a photo of what Peter started with:

http://www.eaa.org/bitsandpieces/articl ... ration.asp

Post by **Ian Grace** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:51 pm

This report just in from Roger Burnett, who also seems to have had a particularly eventful return from the Rally.

"The car went pretty well until we were on our way home. We were just outside Great Brissington at around 11:00 a.m. when I noticed that the steering was a bit funny. I could find nothing wrong at first but then felt the horrible slithering sensation of a puncture. It's been so long since I had one that I had almost forgotten its symptoms. I tried to change the wheel but the central post on my "new" vintage jack (which looks like a house jack) just rotated without lifting the car. I found a garage at the other end of the village but the mechanic had no transportation! I borrowed a Mole wrench and, after hiking back up the hill, was able to use this to stop the post rotating. Two hours later, we were happily on our way only to hear a strange rubbing sound. Upon investigation, I found that there was no clearance between the tyre and the rear wheel arch. I tried to lever the wing upward but we were stopped a mile or two later by another driver (on a hill of course) who told us that smoke was coming from the back. When I told him that the body had sunk onto the chassis, he just remarked "that's the problem with being overweight"!

We crossed the A-40 (very close to the Inn For All Seasons) and stopped to have a think. We had just decided that we really did need help when a policeman arrived. He offered us his phone but, strangely, it could not call 800 numbers. He suggested that we drive to the Barrington Filling Station who were very helpful. The mechanic could see nothing obviously wrong (broken spring etc.) so we called the rescue service, explained the situation, and asked them to send a flatbed truck. After waiting for 90 minutes, we called again and were told that the rescue truck - not a flatbed - was stuck in traffic. I again explained the situation. They then sent a different truck driven by an enthusiastic and nice young man who said that he would transport the car on a tow dolly. When we demurred, he said that he would investigate. To my surprise, he identified the problem. Two bolts that attach the body to the chassis had come loose at the rear of the car. With some difficulty, he replaced them but there was still no clearance. He then left (by this time, it was 4:30) and said that he would be right back with a flatbed. Just before 6:00, a very nice chap stopped and came over to introduce himself as he had recognized the car! He turned out to be a fellow M-type owner (unfortunately, I lost his name - Brian Ashby maybe?) who had seen the car when it was in Mike Allison's workshop. He was very helpful (as were all the people at the Shell station) and said that he would arrange for the car to be stored somewhere should the rescue service not arrive. We then called them again and were told that the second company had called just before 6 to say that they would not do the rescue. A third truck was then dispatched. This arrived around 6:45 - almost six hours after our first phone call! This time, they finally sent a flatbed and the driver was fantastic. He was an ex-army man who had driven 160-ton tank transporters so we finally felt that we were in good hands.

We got to Mike's around 8 p.m. and he rushed us to the station. We made it to my brother's flat in London by 10 p.m. and even managed to get some dinner (at a great steak place called Le Relais de Venise) before crashing into bed. We left early the next morning for Malaga and did not get much sleep that night either. One of our guests got the news that his grandmother was extremely ill and had to leave at 3 a.m. to fly back to Atlanta. We had no less than eleven visitors in July and are feeling a bit overloaded. Apart from the abrupt departure, another guest managed to drive into the garage door while we were away - so badly that it cannot be opened so the blacksmith will come on Monday. We just said goodbye to Daniel, who returned to New York this morning, and are hoping that life will get a bit calmer. We relish the idea of having some time to ourselves before Inka's nephew arrives with his family on August 10.

I realize that I have written far more about our misadventure than you may find interesting. It's vintage car owner's therapy!! I am still quite puzzled by why the body problem only arose after we changed the wheel. The only reason I can think of is that one or more bolts were literally hanging by a thread and that they were released when I jacked up the car."

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:28 pm

What an epic story.......... i wonder if the spare wheel has been respoked slightly wrong, meaning the rim of the wheel is more inbound than it should be!!

Post by **Ian Grace** » Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:57 pm

That is a very good point Ronald. I suggested that maybe the wheel was fitted with a wider tyre. I'll relay this to Roger.

Ian

Post by **Ian Grace** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:33 pm

Vintage Minor Register

VMR Tenth Anniversary Rally 2010

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