SCZZEC Magazine August 2002

In This Issue.............

Well here we are, July has come and gone, halfway through the year. We had two events during the month with good turnouts and enjoyed by those who attended.
The Poker Run was won by Gary Lash and crew. The night at Indy Karts produced some regained youth in driving skills and a lot of fun for the 20 who attended.
Next outing is the bus trip through to the Christchurch Casino on Saturday 24 August. Please let us know if you are attending as this will save time in ringing around. Christchurch members may like to meet up for a great night out.
We expect to be leaving Timaru at 3pm, arriving at 6pm.

Happy Zephyring

Bob Stevens
President

South Canterbury Zephyr & Zodiac Enthusiasts Club

A recent incident in Rotorua where some used oil was discovered in a stream which runs through a public reserve illustrates just how irresponsible someone has been.
Investigations have revealed that about 30 litres of used oil had been deliberately poured into the stream contaminating the water, water cress and the stream banks, also posing a threat to wildlife and children who play in the reserve.
It is fortunate that the weather was fine. A higher stream flow would have carried the contamination to the lake.
Ensure disposing of waste oil is within the law.

Club Captain�s scrapbook

Indy Karts

The date - Wednesday 17th July
The time - Around 7.45pm
The place - Indy Karts Timaru
The temp outside - Cold
The atmosphere inside - Expectant
The fun level - Very High

Yes, it was a great night at the Indy Karts raceway as 20 members and friends did battle on the track.
The race was run as an Enduro, and after everyone had grasped the Do�s and Dont�s (well sort of!) it was race time.
What a lot of fun we had too. Everybody got to do 2x6min stints on the track with some drivers having 2x3min shifts and 1x6min shift. Now that confused a few, but it soon all fell into place.

The results were very close with the Yellow Team consisting of Bob Duke, Bob Stevens, Bill Ridder, Graham Yarrall and Garey Hanifin coming in first with a total of 102 laps completed.
It was great to see a good turnout on such a cold night and everybody agreed that we should do it all again some time.
Thanks for the support everybody.

Poker Run

Ten cars and their occupants took part in the Poker Run on Sunday 21 July.
We met at Muffler and Auto where the first cards were handed out.
The next stop was Pleasant Point after a good cruise around Timaru and the backblocks. Ice creams were the order of the
day here, and the second card was handed out.
Then on to Temuka for the third card after another good drive around the countryside.
We made a quick stop at Washdyke for the fourth card and then back to Nev�s pub (The Terminus) for the final card and some refreshments. While most people complained of having lousy hands, Gary Lash came up with the best hand consisting of a straight. A pair of queens saw Sue Hanifin take out second prize, and Bob Stevens� pair of nines was good enough for third prize.
Thanks to the Zanzibar Restaurant for the $50 meal voucher and to the Muffler and Auto shop for the second and third prizes of an oil pack and an anti freeze pack.
Thanks to all those who participated, and keep that trophy polished Gary, someone else will be after it next year!!

Garey Hanifin
Social Convenor

In 1955 due to company promotion I needed a bigger car for company travel and bought a one-owner Zephyr Mk I in near-new condition. When the Mk II came on the market I bought a brand new model from Hutcheson Motors inChristchurch.
Although the Mk II was a delightful car, I could not resist purchasing the �ahead of its time� Mk III with the four-speed gear change. This new purchase was made from Hutchinson Motors of Christchurch on 29 October 1964 and has served me faithfully to this day.
The engine is still in original condition (except for new oil rings in 1985) and has never been rebored.
I have resisted many good offers for this immaculate car - no money would ever buy it as it is promised to my daughter Sally who I know will keep it in the same spotless order.
During my long association with the South Canterbury Zephyr and Zodiac Enthusiasts Club my car has won both the �Best Mk III� and �Best Club Car� awards as well as being placed at the international convention at Christchurch in 1991.
Some years ago Barry Goddard did a write-up on the pristine condition of my Zephyr.
This was published in the December 1999 issue of the NZ Classic Cars magazine - a copy of this has been donated to be placed among the club records.
I now have just over five years to go to have owned my one original owner Mk III Zephyr for 40 years - this is if I can live that much longer. I am currently in my 82nd year and still in better shape than most of my age.
It has been, and still is, a privilede to have been a member of the South Canterbury Zephyr and Zodiac Enthusiasts Club since its inception as a separate club.
Long may your club prosper and I know that my daughter Sally will continue her association with the Zephyr club movement for many years. My garage has never been without a Zephyr in it for over 47 years - my Zephyrs have not just been motorcars - they have been part of my life.

My first experience with motor cars was when I first learned to drive in 1933 in my uncle�s Plymouth on his farm in Southland. It was largely trial and error out in the paddocks, giving fences and gateways a wide berth.
My first car was a 1926 Singer Sports - two seater with folding hood - rear dickie-seat and disc wheels.
After returning from war service overseas in 1945 I bought a 1936 Austin 7 which I kept until 1951 when I bought a near-new 1950 Morris Minor - the lowlight model. This was a great little car - as Jim Macdonald of our club will confirm, having still owned one of them to this day.

Doug Ussher
1964 Mk III Zephyr

About 15 years later, I became the second registered owner.
The car needed a paint job and I took an inventory of all the new spare parts in the boot - a treasure indeed. But ball joints and tie rod ends were needed, also a complete engine rebuild was desirable.
Rings were available here right off the shelf! but for the rest of the stuff I had to go to England to get (and visit my parents at the same time). All I needed for the front end joints was a set of nylon inserts because all the joints were a rebuildable design.

All the parts on my list were available - although a teenager at the local parts shop, had never heard of a Zodiac, car that is.    The staff were friendly and determined to help. The most uncooperative and blunt individuals were the parts counter people at the local Ford dealer in St. Albans, Hertfordshire.
Soon the car was certified and on the road. A real head turner! But I was disappointed with the lack of power.
After checking all the usual things, with no improvement, it was wise to look deeper, eventually, it was found that the fibre timing gear on the camshaft had shifted on its metal centre, a not unheard of thing according to one British journal.
The gear is now replaced and performance is improved.
Other things have been done to improve safety levels - higher wattage bulbs, the use of relays in the electrical system.
The strut tops were rebuilt last year and since I have owned the car, it has never been driven in winter, or in the rain for that matter. It has 79,000 true miles on the clock.

My 1966 Mk4 Zodiac comes from Oceanside California, but may have been one of four Zodiacs sent to the Oakville Ford headquarters for evaluation in the Canadian market since sales got off to slow start for these cars in England.
The VIN. is BA58FJ60877 The date of the first(?) registration in Canada is September 25, 1980 to the late Mr. Luka Dragicevic, in Tecumseh. Ontario Canada.
People in Windsor Ontario told me he also owned property in Oceanside. Ca.
The car was advertised in a Windsor classified car journal that was a month old when I read it.
I ran to the nearest phone at work, I was the first and only answer to the ad! The advertiser lamented �no-one knows what it is�.
We struck a deal. I am the second registered owner.
Repairs on the �66 are similar to the �68 but there is almost no rust repairing to do.
The engine is rebuilt and ready to go into a sparkling engine compartment.
But there were two big problems to be solved. Someone had stolen both front seats in Windsor! And the front struts were unrepairable, a number of small things and trinkets were missing.
Meanwhile, my brother in New Zealand had been following my progress (or lack of it) and told me of a Mk4 Zodiac in his village that was for sale for NZ$100

To cut a long story short, I bought the car, went to New Zealand, loaded up five suitcases with every possible removable thing including the front seats and struts.
I was hit with an overweight fine by Air New Zealand.
After becoming suspicious, they weighed our hand baggage - it was 30lbs overweight,
so it had to be loaded with the suitcases and my electric razor was in it.
Had a nice vacation in Browns Bay near Auckland with my wife Betty - even got to see my brother who will be bringing the remaining two brake rotors when he visits Canada in June.

My feelings about the Mk4s??
A comfortable American style car with some features terribly ahead of its time, yet have become commonplace today.
Perhaps that contributed to its reputation, with a public accustomed to only gradual improvements, they were bound to ask where are the king pins or upper and lower wish bones - it�s not safe without them?
Also they came at a time when cheap gas was hard to find but high priced gas was easy to find in unlimited quantities.

A few of these cars were fitted with four wheel drive and antilock brakes in an effort to overcome some of the weight/traction problems that the British police were having with these machines.
The �66 Mk4 has a C4 automatic. No power steering, and 13� wheels.   I have no problem with reliability with the �68 and really enjoy the thrill of driving it to shows where I hear elderly English gentlemen calling it names like �flying pig�.
But as one British car journal said - any car this ugly has to be a classic!

I began tinkering with Fords in the fifties in England. My first car (not a Ford) was a rusty SS100 - a real traditional.
Then word was out that sporty car bodies were being made of something called fibreglass and were designed to fit on an Anglia or Prefect chassis.
I bought a new chassis and an old Prefect for the running gear, got an exchange engine, threw out the cylinder head and installed an Anglia head instead (instant 10 to 1 compression ratio) then a set of close ratio gears for the box and a special crown wheel and pinion as an after-burner.
Next I cut the front axle in half, installed a bracket and bushings at its centre and enjoyed independent front suspension. Finally, a plastic body from London. The 1172cc became a 100mph �Town Car� in the hands of a teenager! There were a number of villagers who were happy to hear that I had emigrated to Canada.

Finally, some questions remain about the Mk4s.
What happened to the four Mk4s that were sent to the Oakville Ontario Ford Plant for evaluation? Is my �66 Mk4 one of them?- since in the trunk were found extensive records of repairs, likes and dislikes of the car, and a work order to touch up he paint on a door for a car show.
What is the history of my 66 Mk4 between 1966 and 1980 when the Canadian registration took place? And are these two the only Mk 4 Zodiacs to be found in North America?

Ian Lalande
Box 532, Hastings. Ontario. K0L-1Y0 Fax:    705-924-1429
Any correspondence or information welcome.

My 1968 Mk4 Zodiac was purchased new by Richard Clee of Toronto. Ford of England shipped it over by boat to the port of Toronto.
Mr Clee was and still is an avid car enthusiast and it was the advanced features of the Mk4, such as Macpherson struts, disc brakes and independent suspension all round, a
3-litre V6, power steering, full instrumentation etc that attracted him.
The car is LHD. With 4 speed gearbox. These cars were exported by Ford of England to India, New Zealand and Africa only. (Afrizodiacs?)

Casino Bus Trip. Meet at car park, Le Cren St Tavern, leaving at 3pm

Anniversary Weekend run to Christchurch - Auto Restoration visit

Alexandra Blossom Festival weekend

Ashburton weekend run

Club Christmas Dinner-evening, Greyway Lounge

Woody Allen:
�Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don�t have a good partner, you�d better have a good hand.�

Lynn Lavner:
�There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women.
Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL.�

Steve Martin:
�You know that look women get when they want sex? . . . . . ..
...... Me neither.�

Drew Carey:
�Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as meaningless experiences go, it�s pretty damned good.�

George Burns:
�It isn�t premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married.�

Rodney Dangerfield:
�If it weren�t for pickpockets I�d have no sex life at all.�

George Burns (again): �Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope.�