Vintage Car Rally

This weekend (Easter) the North Island National Car Rally was held in Masterton.

The 1962 Skoda Felicia is one of three still running in New Zealand. They had a 1100cc  engine and were based on the more common Octavia 2 door sedan. 

There never seems to be any shortage of nicely restored Ford Model As at vintage car rallies in  NZ.

Alvis produced this TC100 model in 1955.
It was quite a performance sedan for its day with its 3 litre overhead cam six cylinder power plant.

Hillman Minxes were a common everyday car in the fifties when I was a  junior petrol-head.
This example dates from 1947.

This BSA 650 Lightning was not part of the rally, but ridden there by an attending spectator.

1953 Chev Bel-Airs were reasonably common in NZ, but not in two door form and obviously not with LHD.

The star of the rally had to be this 1931 Hispano-Suiza J-12. An immense limousine with huge die-cast bumpers and an impressive V12 under the bonnet. Its rarity would probably put its value somewhere in the priceless category.

Whitewall tyres and a sensible amount of chrome make this 1935 Ford an attractive sedan without the over the top flamboyance of  later American cars.

This 1929 Chrysler 65 has been fitted with a period accessory.
A central driving light which "steers" with the front wheels.

The area above the windscreen and the dashboard in this vehicle have been covered with badges from attended rallies.

Nicely restored 1958 Bedford D6LC3.

The R series from John Deere was JD's first diesel, produced from 1949.
This is a 1952 example with its horizontal twin having a bore of 5.75 inches and an 8 inch stroke.
By my calculations that makes about 3.4 litres for each cylinder.

"Gentle Annie"

Last weekend I decided on a ride through the Napier to Taihape road. Known by the locals as Gentle Annie it is an amazing motorcycling road with very little traffic.

The only truck I managed to snap was this new KW with a load of longs on Highway 50, but I managed to cut the end of the logs off.

I'm not sure if this is the highest point of the road. but a magnificent view back to the Hawkes Bay.
Click on image to enlarge. 

Further west Mount Ruapehu was visible ahead with its head in the clouds.

There are many corners like this with a good view of the road ahead.

Home through Mangaweka of course...

...and over the Saddle Road past the Te Apiti wind farm.
A very enjoyable day and a total of 556kms and about 9 hours on the road including photo stops and lunch.
I almost had a change of plans when I saw the vintage machinery day was happening at Takapau, but like a true motorcyclist I decided the great weather was too good not to take advantage of.

Dredging the Dregs.

These are some of the last Truck photos I ever shot on film.

2004 Scania R164LA480 takes a break in The Warehouse carpark at Petone.

This Hino FS 700 of J.B.Hughes pictured here at a new housing development in Wainuiomata is typical of many 6x4 tippers in NZ. There must be a huge number of Hinos set up like this throughout the country.

Not that common to see a two axle tractor pulling a three axle trailer in NZ. Despite the breakfast cereal livery this 1989 Nissan rig now belongs to Jeff Weber and is employed to haul circus equipment.

The pedestrian bridge over the railway at Petone was a great vantage point for snapping trucks, like this single deck car hauler of Auto Movements, on the busy Petone roundabout.
Unfortunately the bridge was demolished a few years ago and a new one built much further north.

Truck Rentals run a large fleet of many different brands. This 2003 Freightliner FL112 is parked at Gracefield.

Also in the Gracefield area is this Scania R470 of National Express which went on the road in 2005.

G.J. & G.M. Meyer contract to the Foodstuffs supermarket groups with this 2004 Isuzu CXH.

The pedestrian overbridge at the busy Paremata roundabout is another excellent truck spotting point. The best times are on week days when there are more trucks and less cars, which makes it difficult to make time to get there.
This plain white Scania 420 carries Linfox labels on the doors.

At the same place a Kenworth T600A of John Everiss transports a digger.

I have mentioned John Lockley's all American fleet before on this blog.
this is his unusual (for NZ) 1994 Peterbilt 377A.

Oldfields of Masterton have had this Mack Ultraliner for many years.
The tipping deck can be removed to be swapped for a bitumen tank.

Machinery Movers 1997 Ford LTS 9000 is parked at Copthorne Solway Park motor Inn in Masterton coupled to a B-train carrying a load of old wheel-less B-train.

The distinctive bright green livery of Philips & O'Brien adorns this 2007 Isuzu CXJ at Seaview.

A Mixed Lot of Recent Snaps.

I have seen camper vans built on all sorts of chassis, but this one takes the cake !
Austin 1800.

These Japanese style car loaders intrigue me. Lifting the whole front of the truck to tilt the deck seems odd, but it works.
This was at my work last Monday morning.

Another Japanese style which puzzles me. Why didn't they use the small wheels on the front axle as well.
Is it to give the cab occupants a better ride?
This Isuzu parked on a property west of  Masterton.

A collector of all things military near Carterton has this AMC 6x6  tractor.
The NZ Army had 8 of these. Some were Cummins powered, but not sure if they all were.
I believe they all had canvas topped cabs and LHD.

My wife trying to decide how to get on her new bike !
Taupo: the weekend of the Pat Benetar concert.
I'm not a big Benetar fan, but America and Bachmann & Turner were brilliant.

R620 Scania with a load of sticks near the above bicycle.

Returned from Taupo through Napier and discovered it had been the Art Deco weekend.
Saw this Bentley on the street.... 

....and this Buick.

The Seagrave ladder truck from Auckland passed through Masterton this week. Built in 1960 it served the L.A.F.D. for many years and the was presented to the City of Auckland by the people of  Los Angeles in 1995.
They didn't park it in the best place for photographing it.

It is apparently powered by an 18 litre petrol engine, but I don't know of what make.
Plain gear lever with no switches, suggests it is probably a straight 4 or 5 speed.

A Few More

Isuzu EXZ380 of A1 Transporters unloads cars at ANZA Motor Company in Palmerston North on a grey day.

Kecamaho Haulage's 2007 Volvo FH12 460 has the curtains drawn in the midday sun at Seaview.

Operated by Rapid Road Freighters, but in the livery of Marley, this 1997 Isuzu EXZ 370 is parked in the rain at Petone.

John Lockley's fleet is all American. This is a 1991 International Transtar at Seaview.

1992 Mack CHR689RST of Higgins with low-loader at Upper Hutt.

Another member of the John Lockley fleet. His rare 1996 Marmon at Seaview.

Roadways supply refrigerated products to Burger King with this 2004 Kenworth K104.

This Freightliner FLB from 1996 with its brightly liveried curtains is stopped in Palmerston North.

New Zealand Freighters operate this 2004 Volvo FM 12 with quad-axle semi flat deck.
Seen here at Seaview.

Smith Spreading of Carterton use this 2006 Isuzu NPS 4WD for spreading fertilizer on smaller properties.

Flat decks that can be adapted for logging use must be a useful item for Total Transport.
A 2007 Freightliner Argosy.