JEEP news The e Newsletter September 2014 Volume 154 B Max Goodridge at 92 still has the keenest eye for great Jeeps and reckons that this Jeep restoration undertaken recently is the best one yet out of In Street Tamworth (site of Marathon Spares and the home of the real Jeep here in NSW and indeed Australia!). PRESIDENT Cliff Bambridge thebambos@bigpond.com EDITOR and MEMBERSHIP Mitch Holland mitchtez@gmail.com
SIGNALS Firstly an apology for a bit of confusion on the Vietnam service providers within our organisation. Alistair was no way intending that any comment on local tour operators, was referring to Vinh s Army Jeep Tours, but some other operators in the Vung Tau area where Glen Nolan operates. Vinh s business venture is in another area of Vietnam altogether and it was ME that grouped the two together in one overall comment about putting a travel feature for those of you who may wish to visit the country in your holidays. World War 2 Jeeps NSW - should find us!! So please fellas, get me some information so we can inform the readers of all the good things that Vietnam has to offer the Military Vehicle and history buff, interested members. Plenty of trip reports of recent escapades by our comrades. Full report on Don s Party weekend, Kenny s first Harry Café de Wheels Sunday fun run BBQ and of course Peter Walker s Remembrance BBQ held after the huge Marathon Auction in Tamworth NSW last weekend. Not as much money around, as this brilliant GPW was passed in at $20k which does not cover the parts bill! However, it is now under negotiation and looks like finding a home soon. Below left, check out the very dapper Mr. Swane, grinning for he achieved over $10 k reimbursement for storage of his very original GPW. Graeme Meyer worked tirelessly throughout the weekend. MITCH Jeep News No.154B September 2014
STANDING ORDERS THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BIT OF YOUR NEWS - Read it and act! No use having a Jeep tucked away in the shed if you don't use it!! REMEMBER THE SLOGAN!!! LINNWOOD HOUSE Military Vehicle Day This Sunday the 14 September. Gates open from around 8 am. They have a huge open and shaded area for our displays. The house is located at 25 Byron Road Guildford. They have stalls plus food and coffee etc. THIS SUNDAY!!! SEE UPDATED FLIER Burwood Spring Festival - 21st September Phone Rhonda Sclanders ASAP on 02 9911-9935. Kenny s and Raquel s MV Fun Run Sunday 28th September Woolloomooloo (at the iconic Harry s Café de Wheels) to the Loftus Tram Museum. Details next pages. Phone Ken 0418 260 013 Motoring Expo at the Australian Motorlife Museum Integral Energy Recreation Park, Kembla Grange from 9:30-2:30 on Sunday 5 th October. Each year they have a different theme and in 2014 it is Military vehicles. Please make contact with Wendy Muddell on 0408 211 844 or 02 4228-7048. Or Email wendyjm1@bigpond.com FLIER ON BACK PAGE CAMP BUNGENDORE - 3-7 October Full info in Jeep Action Magazine MJCQ SWAP & FIELD DAY - 17 to 19 October See flier back in Part A. RATHMINES CATALINA FESTIVAL Saturday 25 October 9am to 3pm. Rathmines is located on the westerns shores of Lake Macquarie and would make an ideal run up from Sydney if someone would like to arrange something. XMAS BASH @ THE SHED 21-23 November Our Premier yearly event starts Friday arvo, set up camp, shoot the breeze on all things Jeep. Great local drive on Saturday and our big dinner and Auction. We just love Aeroplane pictures! Just a selection from the internet or facebook recently. Of course the Paratrooper leaving the C47 in tandem is undertaking another jump over France to celebrate what he achieved 70 years ago on D-Day!
OUT & ABOUT - Kenny s Harry s Café de Wheels to Warragamba Run A good turn out on what was a great day in Sydney the other weekend for those that went on the first of Ken and Raquel s Harry Café de Wheels runs. The next is advertised on the other page in a couple of weeks.
Jeep News No.154B September 2014
OUT & ABOUT - PETER WALKER REMEMBERANCE BBQ - Tamworth A great evening was attended by about 50 mostly WW2 Jeeps NSW members after the Auction at Marathons Shed to remember the bloke who started it all back in 1990, Peter Walker. Pete went to the big shed upstairs 10 years to the day, so where else fitting to get together and have a beer and sanga to share stories and a bit of BS. Thanks to his partner at that time, Audrey who returned our Pete s Piston Trophy, suitably inscribed to its importance, to Carl for the presentation words, to the members who braved the chilly evening and finally to Marathon who kicked the tin to supply the ingredients.
The Great Marathon Auction Was attended by over 100 keen buyers last weekend. Vehicle wise, there was not a lot of big money out there with a couple of well restored items being passed in for not meeting their reserve, however some of the middle market did well. The older restored MB below went for $16.5k. The Bantam Trailer was passed in at $1.7k, however one sold at $3.5k. Original shovels up to $240 and the axes went up to $180. Steady on there Neil, its only a photograph! A fine job by all concerned in running. A word by Neil on the significance of the day and Peter Walker, including why this piston has been sitting on some of the Jeeps all morning. For those that didn t know!
ANZAC 2OI4 TOUR TO NORMANDY Part A in what will be many parts. Edited by Graeme Person from a trip diary by Mick Jericevich - Photos by Graeme Person In 2012, Hans Sprangers suggested organising a tour to Normandy as we had done in 2009. (See Jeep News No.111, 113 and 115b for Ken Bathurst s report on that trip.) His idea was to start in Sicily as we had been to Gallipoli before, so we thought that sounded OK. The word went around and soon had the 10 vehicles to form the tour that he wanted. Five lots of Kiwis put up their hands for inclusion and as they filled 2 containers they had themselves organised. Hans had some thoughts of what areas of Italy to cover starting in the South as we had covered the Northern part in 2009. His original thoughts were Sardinia and Corsica but decided on more of Italy and then the ferry over to Croatia. The original idea was to ferry to Dubrovnik but the ferry from Ancona to there was not running that early in the season, so we were to go to Split instead. Mick and I flew to Amsterdam on April 16 to meet Hans at Apeldoorn where the Dodge Ambulance and the Jeep were stored on a property owned by a friend of Hans. This was the same Jeep that Hans had driven on the 2009 tour. Hans had purchased the Dodge and fitted it out with bunks, frig etc. Our camping equipment was loaded into the container in Newcastle containing the Petersen brothers Dodge half tonne Carryall, the Desert Chev and a Jeep. We had a few days getting the vehicles ready and left Holland on April 20 to head down to Genoa in Italy to catch the ferry to Palermo in Sicily. This part of the tour was not without a few problems with breakdowns, mostly electrical and overheating. We passed through Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and into France during that day. We travelled down through the French Alps with weather to match the location, rain and cold and the wipers stopped working so it made driving quite difficult. We were on a toll road at 70kmh with a speed limit of 130kmh so we kept far to the right and had a flashing led light mounted on the rear at eye level - we had no incidents so the light was effective. We stayed for 2 nights in Formula I Hotels on the way to the Italian border which offer VERY basic accommodation with no staff in sight, all transactions by credit card before you get in the door and coin operated food and drink dispensers but better than sleeping in the Jeep! Jeep News No.154B September 2014
Wish I had My Jeep! Other Page: Loading day in Newcastle with the Petersen Brothers. This Page: Getting Hans vehicles out of storage in readiness for the drive south to Palermo to meet the others and our camping gear, which was packed into that container.
We came to the town of Heyrieux where we found a couple of old blokes restoring a early model Citroen. we thought that these 2 would have an array of 6 volt parts I.E. condenser and points maybe even a battery? No go, so we went to Macca s to use the Inet to see who else was in the area, but did not open till 1100hrs As we waited, a French man drove into the carpark in a van and it turned out that he was a rep for spare parts and knew of a garage about 15 kms away that had 6 volt parts. Hans and he quickly departed and arrived back with a condenser. The Jeep was running better but still not quite right. As it turned out this garage where Hans had been to get the condenser was on our way going South. We called in to try and see what the ongoing problem was - a short from No. 4 spark plug lead to the cylinder head - new lead, no more problems for that day anyway. The Alps were quite picturesque still covered in snow to about 3000ft which led us to the Mont Blanc tunnel which is about 20kms long and was a bit of a problem as it is compulsory to have the headlights on whilst in the tunnel - we barely had enough in the battery to run the motor let alone *re lights - we got lots of reaction from other vehicles who tooted and waved or maybe shook their fists at us. We made the other end OK and then we were in Italy. The journey took 4 days which considering our vehicle problems was good time for the almost 1000 miles from Apeldoom The weather improved considerably as we travelled through Italy to Genoa and was actually quite warm. Our ferry booking was for 24 April but we had arrived in Genoa one day earlier than planned and Hans wanted to get to Palermo sooner rather than later because of the others in the party who were flying into Palermo, so we booked onto the ferry on the 23rd which was no problem that early in the season. It is quite amazing what reactions some people have when they see old vehicles. When we arrived in Genoa and were approaching the wharf area, we could see the port but couldn't quite work out how to get to the correct ferry terminal. We were following Hans and when we stopped for traffic lights, a man on a Lambretta scooter pulled alongside Hans and offered to guide us to the correct terminal which was great for us. The interest shown by some people along the way varied from unbelieving stares to enthusiastic waving - the ex military vehicles are quite noticeable. We were in the muster area of the wharf in readiness to drive onto the roll-on - roll off ferry along with several other cars and several semi-trailers. We talked to some interesting people around us who either could not believe where our tour was taking us or thought we were mad! At about 9 pm we were directed to drive onto the ferry but the Dodge wouldn t start - Hans had been fixing a tail light and left the ignition on and overheated the coil - soooo guess what? the Jeep towed the Dodge up the ramp and on to the main vehicle deck. The crew then directed us to do a U turn whilst still towing the Dodge so we would be facing the rear doors when we docked in Palermo. This was not possible given the Dodge's poor turning circle so the crew had to help us push the Dodge around a 7 point tum to line up with the Jeep! The ship was modern with good facilities but was far from full with only one dining room open. The cabin was spacious and comfortable and the sea was very calm. It was 1900 hours the next day when we arrived at Palermo and we were off the boat in fairly quick time. Now to find the Hotel and some secure parking! To be continued...
Jeep News No.154B September 2014
OUT & ABOUT - Dons Party - (report and pics by Mitch and Les) After many newsletter adverts calling for interested parties to come together, we finally managed to muster a few troops, snag a fine weekend and head out west following the railway line to visit Don on his 12k acres of prime agricultural land north west of Orange. The Western HQ Woolshed was the meeting point on Friday and by 9am Saturday morning for any late comers, before our departure, striking west at Tarana. It was a weekend of minor dramas, firstly before that departure with an overly loose front wheel bearing for Roaring Meg, then with a rear spring shackle on Sweeties Jeep near O Connell. Lunch stop at the Railway Hotel at Millthorpe Station before catching Don at Bob Macs in Orange, thence refuelling and off past Sir Thomas Mitchell s Expedition monument through Manildra and Gumble. Don had put in a lot of work in the previous weeks and tidied up his shed, which was to be our home for a couple of nights. Weather was cool, but fine and we quickly had wood gathered, a fire on and plenty of pre-dinner horses douvers!
Sunday we viewed his collections and set off for a tour of the area, via Goobang National Park back into Yeoval for a late lunch at the great Royal Hotel. The locals here were most impressed by our presence. The late arvo was spent firstly back at Cumnock Royal Hotel, were a brave lassy was going through an Ice Challenge in the name of her nominated charity. She was from Canada, so I guess even iced water in Australia was not that cold! Not being that brave we took off while we could and some stayed by the rekindled fire while a few went with Don for a reccy of his son, Bruce s motorcycle proving ground. Don unfortunately suffered a broken axle at the base of the challenge and waited for our circular route return. Quick appraisal saw us all returning to the shed and fireside with the others for an easy replacement job from spares carried by Terry. Following a slow sunny Monday morning, Les s Jeep needed a bit of attention from some missing screws in his carby, leaving only two out of six without any form of minor drama! Route home was back into Cumnock, south through Yarras Lea to view a train carriage collection before refuelling again in Molong. From here we zigged and zagged cross country to Bathurst for a final lunch and all returning home via differing routes to end for what was another great weekend Jeeping. Jeep News No.154B September 2014
Don, our gracious host. Sir Thomas Mitchell departed near this spot to discover things out west. The Darling River in his second expedition in 1835, his third to Australia Felix (WA) in 1836 and his fourth to Central Queensland in 1845. Got around ay! Would be a whole lot better in a Jeep. Jeep News No.154B September 2014
Les got a chance to do a bit of washing as this middle picture of a series that was shown on the cover of Part A attests! Balance is the key to being a good farm dog, otherwise it s a long run all day long!
Jeep News No.154B September 2014
Jeep News No.154B September 2014