Victoria Vintage View Newsletter of the Victoria Chapter September October 2016 Bill Bouchard Editor Nearing the completion of summer provides us with the transition to a new season. Sure, the weather will push us to the more selective choices of our collector vehicles and for our members there is the start of an important season. That is, the recommencing of gatherings for meetings and participating in the Chapter business. We will vote for a recipient of the Robert Lawrence Memorial Trophy at our October general meeting. The recipient is presented with the trophy at our Awards/Christmas banquet on December 4. Then in November we hold our annual elections and this is very important for the effective function of our Chapter. Think about putting your name forward when approached by our nominating committee of Richard Johnson and Richard Maki. Our Awards/Christmas banquet will be a luncheon buffet at the Gorge Vale Golf Course. Two days following that is our member appreciation night during the regular meeting of Tuesday December 6. On the back page of this newsletter there is a brief notice for two activities on Saturday, September 10. This is also the last day of the Island Challenge that takes place in Campbell River and it is the day before our annual and very free corn roast. We recently received notice and a request to participate in the St. Luke s Family Fun Day. Last year a few of us enjoyed the activities on that Saturday and the organizers were appreciative of our taking part in their special day. For this event the gathering is at 9:30 for setup and the activities, including food, go from 10-2. On that same day and during the same hours there is the annual Cars, Rods, and Rides at the Archie Browning Centre in Esquimalt. This is a major event with prizes, pancake breakfast, rib fest, vendors and much more. Speaking of major events our Chapter features the annual corn roast on Sunday, September 11 at Heritage Acres. Plan to come early and help with the preparation in the morning, then stay for lunch of steamed corn on the cob, grilled hot dogs, drinks, chips, and ice cream. Bring the family, it s free!! Following our display of vehicles at the rest homes and our Swap Meet his past summer, I wasn t able to participate in any of our Chapter related events. I missed the outings and this affected my ability to feel the activities and put together the articles for this newsletter. This really confirmed by interest in receiving articles and pictures from members. Your assistance is much appreciated when you send material for the newsletter. You don t have to send completed articles, just a few notes would be fantastic. And thank you for that consideration. Bill Bouchard Editor
Fisher 1929 Model A The idea was to put together an article about the recent completion by Tom and Mark Fisher of a 1929 Model A. For a few months I had been thinking about a visit to the Fisher s to see the vehicle, gather information and take a few pictures. So in April I had scheduled the outing and invited my friend Ray to come with me, as he has an interest in old cars and loves to take pictures. The outing to see and learn more about this 1929 Model A turned into much more than a fact-seeking meeting. Tom and Mark greeted us like old friends, providing us with a totally comfortable visit. Also, there was a sincere offer to return for a longer visit, just for socializing. All of the work is carefully catalogued. Dual side mounts certainly complete this car. It was in the early 80 s that Tom started work on the car, with mechanical work undertaken in those earlier days. Before Mark started the project that would see the car through to completion the 1929 Model A had been 30 years in a garage. Originally a Business Coupe the car was significantly changed after the purchase and installation of a new body, making this car a Roadster Coupe. There was a further modification to the car with the rumble seat changed to a regular trunk. And respecting the high cost of the new fenders Mark didn t drill the fenders to install the rear lights, instead fastening these lights to the rear bumper.. A trunk replaces the rumble seat. Lights fastened to the bumper replaced drilling into new, and costly fenders. 2
This first class restoration took about a year to complete and it is without question an immaculate and mechanically superior vehicle. I fully expect that Mark and his dad Tom have been able to enjoy some of this summer in company with the 1929 Model A. All pictures courtesy of my friend and vehicle enthusiast, Ray Shergold. 3
Tracking vehicle history Article by Jamie Graham After two fairly recent meetings with ICBC officials, I had some information that may be of interest to your members living in this province. I am with the Volvo and Mercedes Benz Clubs in BC and as a hobby I have helped people search for histories on their older vehicles. I am sure the frustration with privacy legislation is nothing new but last year I asked for a meeting with ICBC officials so look for an easier way to track down a vehicle history. First I wrote to ICBC exploring the chance of identifying a person or process that could help with that nebulous area of linking current owners of antique or collector cars with their original owners or purchasers. We all know that ICBC has a collector car section that handles this kind of thing but I learned that the volume of requests is not high and when they do find information they are restricted as to what they can release because of issues related to privacy. It is no secret that ICBC maintains records on older vehicles in a number of formats. When I explored the ability of a private citizen with an interest in tracing the history of their newly purchased collector car, I was assured that ICBC maintains experts in this field. I have personal experience trying to trace the history of an old car for a colleague and ICBC was more than helpful. They were able to find two owners that registered similar cars in the year of my interest. There were some legal restrictions that applied to the corporation regarding what they could provide but my experience with them was excellent. In January 2016 I had a meeting with Norm Felix, Manager of Registration Programs (runs the collector car program), Rob Wilson, the Director of Personal Insurance and Cam Sutherland, Manager of Risk Underwriting. They were very helpful in explaining the rules by which their information could be shared with the public. Obviously one cannot just walk in to their records room and gain access to historic records but a reasonable request to their collector car folks should gain you the information you are seeking. The records are safe and can be accessed just by documenting your request to the right people within the corporation. The low number of requests might be because few of us know that this service exists. I know that every new owner of an old car without a registration history feels a loss. Wanting to learn more about your cars history can be a daunting and exciting journey and I certain encourage new owners to find out as much as possible. ICBC will help you as long as the request is specific and you have to share with them the information you have, including photocopies and records. The reason for this message to collector car people is to just let you know that the service exists and that if you want information on previous ownership, you just have to write or send a message to Norm Felix at ICBC (norm.felix@icbc.com). Thank you Jamie Graham for submitting this article. 4
Ice Cream for 2016 As we all know the summer this year has shifted from the great weather days with sun and heat to the stretches of cooler and damper days. So it happened that our ice cream run on July 5 was one of those cooler and damper evenings. But that didn t deter the members who are strong supporters of Chapter activities and who are great fans of treats, albeit cool treats on a cooler evening. It takes a great team to create the fun times and as per tradition this was a Paul and Liz Taylor designed run, with Gordie and Jane Thomas putting together the treats. Hospitality for the evening was provided by the Sherman s, at their home and property near Royal Oak. The numbers were at 25 vehicles and 41 people. The route was circuitous and included a few contacts with West Saanich Road before ending at Harvey and Sue Sherman s property. Ice cream, cake, warm drinks, and sprinkles (for the ice cream!) complimented this 17th annual ice cream outing. At Harvey and Sue s home. Pictures compliments of Richard Johnson. August 14 Sunday Run Article from Paul Taylor We had a beautiful, sunny, warm summer day for the August run. Following Harvey & Sue s lead in their 1966 Valiant convertible (with the top down, of course!) we toured out West Burnside to Wilkinson Road, turning left onto Interurban Road. We did a nice, leisurely and shady drive around the Hector-Conway loop, back to Interurban Road. Another shady and winding drive along Goward Road took us to Prospect Lake Road. Then we crossed West Saanich Road, going up Sparton Road and the left onto the very shady and winding part of Old West Saanich Road. We turned UP Verling Road (and I mean UP!) and picked our way out to Oldfield Road, then to Keating X Road and Veyaness. Then we followed East Saanich to Haldon Road, then DOWN (and I mean DOWN!) Thomson Place to Mt. Newton X Road. Carrying on further out, we took West Saanich Road to McTavish, then back in East Saanich and Wallace Drive into the thriving metropolis of Brentwood Bay. We turned onto West Saanich Road for the last leg of our journey and stopped at Sassy s Restaurant at the corner of Keating Cross Road for the coffee/lunch/dinner stop. Thanks to Harvey and Marc for the lovely drive along mainly shady roads that were perfect for topdown cruising! Statistics are 15 vehicles and 28 people on this drive and refreshment break. (See page 6 for top down viewing) 5
Picture at bottom right from Richard Johnson, all other pictures from Paul Taylor. Thanks to both members. 6
Still a challenge Promoted in 1975 by Frank Ney, Mayor of Nanaimo, the first Malahat Challenge was an ambitious event, with a route from Victoria to Nanaimo. Busier highways and the featured older vehicles eventually came into conflict with the busier Highway 1 and the Malahat route. So in 1999 the Malahat Challenge was done. Now it s the Island Challenge, with the pre-28 as featured vehicles but also open to the newer vintage. And our Chapter has a few members who enjoy the event every year. This year the North Island Chapter hosts the Island Challenge in Campbell River over the weekend of September 9-11. This year s Island Challenge features the Friday evening Meet and Greet, a Saturday driving tour to Gold River (65 miles each way) and Saturday evening banquet. There will be a full report in the next newsletter. The first Malahat Challenge, Sept. 20, 1975 Island Challenge in Victoria, Sept. 6, 2014 Best Restoration At the recent Oak Bay Collector Car Festival, Don and Dolores Stevens were very pleased that their 1967 Mustang was recognized and awarded Best Restoration. Don noted that his cousin, who previously owned the car, would be very pleased with this award. The Stevens had that extra reason to really enjoy their Sunday on the Avenue. An Opportunity I was sent this picture and information after meeting with a friend during an outing at the Torque Master s car show in Sidney. This Packard is in front of what appears to be an old wrecking yard right in Osoyoos as you re coming from Keremeos. So if you are in the area, have a closer look. 7
Chapter Happenings September Meeting: Tuesday September 6, 730 pm. Our first meeting following the summer. See you at St. Luke s Church Hall. October Meeting: Tuesday October 4, same time, same place. Please make that extra effort to be at this meeting as there is membership voting for the Robert Lawrence Memorial Award. Entertainment to feature Whatzit Night, so bring your strange items. November meeting: Tuesday November 1. Our elections night, a great opportunity to participate in the future of your club. October Sunday run: Sunday October 16, organized by Vinettes. Awards/Christmas luncheon: Sunday December 4, 2016 with tickets on sale commencing at our October general meeting. Corn Roast 2016 Sunday September 11. Free corn, hot dogs, drinks, and ice cream served for lunch. We start shucking and preparing before 10 and lunch is at the noon hour. Please remember that there is no Sunday run in September. Picture on the right is from the corn roast in 1979, when members seemed to have more energy!! See you at Heritage Acres on Sunday September 11. Saturday September 10 The day before our corn roast there are two opportunities for activities with your cars. There s the St. Luke s Family Fun Day at the St. Luke s parking lot. A few of us went last year and it was very enjoyable. They have activities for all ages and there is food as well. Be there for a 9:30 set up and the event runs from 10-2. Then there is the Annual Cars, Rods and Rides in Esquimalt at the Archie Browning Centre. They are featuring vintage cars. There is lots of action during this show. For additional details check out their website at www.celebrationoflights.ca 8