The West Wind Zephyr & Zodiac Owners Club

of South Australia Inc.

MAY 2017

The West Wind

2016/2017 Committee President Dave Henley 0407 702 012

Vice President Ashley Hobson 0409 743 219

Secretary Joy Nieass 088 536 4914 Treasurer Gordon McPherson 8386 1087

Editor Craig Doddridge 0401 738 305 Publicity Officer Peter Dillon 0427 802 971

Committee Members Judy Henley Cheryl Taylor Kerry Dillon

Tony McHugh Pat Hobson

Ex Officio Officers Vehicle Registrar Barry Goddard 8288 0393

Southern Inspector Ashley Hobson 0409 743 219

Web-masters Pat & Ashley Hobson 8395 6153

Honorary Life Members Dave Henley Ashley Hobson

Steve Dawson Joy Nieass

Club website http://zephyrsa.webs.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/zzosa

DISCLAIMER: The views and /or opinions as expressed in member's correspondence and information

published in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the club or its members generally.

Shannons supports our club by providing its premises free of charge for us to use for our

monthly club meetings. A large number of our club members already have

policies with Shannons but if you do not, please support them by enquiring for a quotation.

Call 13 46 46 https://www.shannons.com.au/

The Editor’s 2 Bobs worth

Hello and welcome to the May edition of The West Wind. I recently had a read through the April issue of Survivor Car Australia magazine and didn’t get too far past page 5 as there was an interesting article about what makes a ‘Survivor Car’ in Australia. The article was accompanied by a nice photo of a Victorian registered MkII Zephyr wagon which looks like a Ford publicity photo (below). While the article was quite informative it does give comment about the growing trend of car enthusiasts appreciating an original car that is still surviving in its original factory specification. To me there is something special about a handmade, weathered car that was produced before 1979 and the part that car has played in the life of its owners. Each stone chip or panel dimple or scratch tells a story for someone and that just fascinates me. Sure the panel gaps aren’t perfect or there might be an inconsistent paint coverage over the entire body, but those smells and sounds of an original ‘survivor’ contribute to my overall interest in our marque of cars. After sitting in and driving lots of modern cars in recent times, I can say that the enjoyment of the ‘old’ interior smell takes me back to a world where life would have been far less frantic and stressed.

For those members interested in the Survivor Car Australia magazine, more info can be found here. Please don’t think though that I don’t like modified cars because I appreciate them too. For instance I’ve already investigated an EV Zephyr (battery/solar powered) option for my MkII ute for the future but in the meantime I enjoy seeing all our member’s cars out on the road in the sunshine no matter what format they are. I’m usually quietly impressed when I view most cars and I take my hat off to any owner who follows their passion and vision with disciplined enthusiasm. To dedicate the time and energy required to complete the modifying of or the restoration of their cars is truly inspiring and to be admired. With this in mind, the diversity of our club’s cars is a credit to us all whether our cars are modified, restored, original or preserved. So keep up the great work everyone, as I am as happy as the next person to park one of my cars next to yours and discuss all things about cars and life. Well, I’m of to the shed now to tinker with a set of triple SU carbies so stay safe out there and enjoy the motoring! Craig

Club Buy & $ell

WANTED TO BUY :

- Any new old stock parts to suit a MkII, rear tail lights for lowline MkII &

reversing lights accessory kit (A204E-18274-A) – contact Craig Doddridge - MkIII front & rear door check springs – contact Ashley Hobson - Mk IV tie rods required – contact Mal Bateman

FOR SALE : - 1958 MkII Zephyr sedan – Riverton SA (Gumtree) $7,000

- 1959 MkII sedan/convertible – NSW (Gumtree) $23,500 - Just Cars- a number of Zephyrs (all marks)

2017 Events

Club Meeting May 9th Copper Coast Classic Cavalcade – Kadina May 21st Club Meeting June 13th

Club AGM July Club Meeting August 8th All Ford Day – tbc September tbc Rock N Roll Festival – Victor Harbor September tbc Bay to Birdwood September tbc Palmer Rod Run October tbc Strathalbyn Swap Meet & Lunch October tbc Ford Invitational Picnic - Lenswood November tbc Yankalilla Cruise November tbc Uraidla Hot Rod & Classics Picnic December tbc Club Christmas Lunch – Mt Osmond Golf Club December 10th

OUCH! An unfortunate victim of the recent Cyclone Debbie where the uprights on one side of the house gave way!

Shoot the Breeze – President’s Report; Dave Henley

Gday, yoall. Well the 12 weeks of summer have gone like last week’s pay and we are now into Autumn which is generally relied on as the most comfortable and bankable period to get out and about. Well as I write this the TV news weather report tells of storms in Adelaide and Melbourne. Bit different than last year, when I was buying in water. The tanks are full and the dams are at least half full even before the winter rains. Must be something to do with Global warming! Easter break was blessed with fine weather where a sizable contingent from SA headed off to Swan Hill to meet up with the Melbourne and NSW zephyrphiles to take in the local points of interest and generally have a good time. The attendees were, Steve, Jude and me with Joy as a passenger, Ash and Pat, Tony with James from the UK, Nathan and Renee with the Henley tribe travelling in the family 4WD with the Mk 2 ute tagging along on a trailer and Chad with his new bride Karolay. I will leave a more detailed report to Ash and Steve. One of the things on the agenda was to go to the Murrabit market where it was arranged for our cars to be on display. The market was huge and at a guess there would have been over a thousand people there. The Zcar line up generated a lot of interest and one old fellow stopped to talk to me about a Mk 2 Consul ute he had which needed some new tail light lenses. He went on to say that he knew a local bloke /neighbour that was once into Mk2 s in the 60s and although now into his 70s he is building another with a V8 conversion. Given that I knew a bit of the local Riverina Zephyr history I asked what was his name and as I suspected, it was Ken Spence. This old fellow knew well of Ken’s drag strip history in his amazing V8 Mk 2 and gave me his address. Steve and I went around to Ken’s place but unfortunately Ken was not at home. As it turns out I will be heading back through Swan Hill again this weekend and I will see if I can catch up. It’s a long haul on the way to Yackandandah to go to a wedding so Jude and I will be stopping over at Greg and Rae-Ann’s in Shepparton to catch up. Since then one of the Vic boys, Mick Donohue, who happens to drag race a very quick Mk 2 wagon has caught up with Ken at home. Anyhow I will see how things go and if Ken is keen we will do an article and an update in a future newsletter. As far as the cars went there was only a couple of minor (failing to proceed) incidents of which involved Ash and Tony but the fact that Ash knew his car intimately and that James knew that a Mk 2 auto could be tow started saved the day! Oh and some were not aware that although the motel did not have an allocated parking space for each unit it was pointed out to all by one disgruntled “Lifer,” that once a certain convertible bagged the spot it became part of a Life Membership contract. It obviously needs to be in the club constitution?? As far as what’s coming up, we have booked the Mt Osmond Golf club for the third time (by popular demand) on the 10th December. Put aside the 16th of July for our AGM and give bit of thought about the running of our club and what you can do to keep it going. And don’t forget that the members that have cars on Club Historic Rego need to front up with the correct paperwork and your car if it needs to be inspected. The latest on the changes to the scheme to include the modified cars are reported to be on time and on course for the 1st of July. It would be good to see the implementation by then. See you at the next meeting. Dave Henley

Engineering funnies!

Understanding Engineers #1 Two engineering students were riding bikes across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice. The clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway." Understanding Engineers #2 To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Understanding Engineers #3 What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers? Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets.

Ford Oval News

While Ford may not be making the Consul, Zephyr or Zodiac cars anymore (but you never know what’s around the corner), here is some news that may relate to Ford vehicles with DNA from our wonderful Fords;

For 2017 Ford recently released the new Escape which is a name change from the previous Kuga model. The mid-sized SUV provides a fresh facelift and positions itself to give a closer resemblance to the larger Everest models. Some of the reviews have been very positive while some comments about the base model are certainly warranted given the value for your dollar. The $28,490 (plus on-road costs) asking price is dual-zone climate control with rear air vents and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Ford’s sophisticated Sync3 voice-controlled multimedia system providing access to satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity, the reversing camera, DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth with audio streaming and CD player.

Compared with the fussy, button-heavy cabin of the Kuga it replaces, the Escape’ s dashboard inherits the simpler, cleaner look of the latest Focus small car with which it shares much of its underpinnings and drivetrain.

Ford Racing The recent round of the V8 Championship was held at the glorious Phillip Island Circuit where the Falcons were at the pointy end of both races.

Race 5 of the championship saw the DJR Penscke Falcon driven by Fabian Coulthard complete the 51 lap race to win by less than a second. The race was marred by pit lane infringements and many Dunlop tyre failures as the entire championship moved to a new configuration for Phillip Island. All up there were around 15 tyre failures during the race and while great for TV, not so good if you are running a multi million dollar racing team or a driver travelling at 200+km/h!

Race 6 was run on the Sunday with the Falcons again running strong. This time Chaz Mostert took the chequered flag from Prodrive team mate Mark Winterbottom with less than a second gap. The Dunlop issue will be scrutinised for quite some time and it would be hoped the bugs are ironed out before the next round in Perth.

McLaren Vale Vintage & Classic

A beautiful autumn day in the McLaren for the members who attended the McLaren Vale Vintage & Classic day on the 2nd of April. With the main road blocked off to the public, a parade of about 300+ cars took place before each club went to their allocated wineries for an afternoon of views and music by the cars. By reports, a great day out was had by all.

Easter 2017 Crank Tales; Steve Dawson

Easter this year was looming closer with our combined clubs run to Swan Hill. I'd been checking and tweaking my ute and making sure I was ready for any unforeseen problems. In the tray I always carry spare new fan belts, water, hoses, emergency tyre repair kit, electrical spares, globes, spare ignition coil and the tool chest with nearly every item to help if an issue arises. Along with a jack, spare wheel, I also put in a 12v air compressor for this trip, a couple of camping chairs and an esky usually get a ride as well. Thursday morning I set off for Tailem Bend to meet other members, soon after we set off on our trip. Once about halfway, stopping for fuel for some was the only short break before reaching our destination, Swan Hill on the Victoria and NSW border. The Eliza Jane Motel was home base. First up was to register/pay for our rooms, then unload our bags etc. into our rooms, plenty of zephyrs/zodiacs already filling the car park! A meet and greet of the other members and a cool drink was next, by late arvo we were in need of a feed with the local R.S.L. nearest and lots of us headed there for an excellent meal and socialise. Most members came back to the motel to relax and chat etc. till late…. Good Friday morning, depart for a “tour” around Swan Hill checking out local places of interest, then by 11.00 or so gathered at the Pioneer settlement, a line-up of our classic z-cars on display was impressive with lots of locals and travellers looking and asking about or taking pics etc. Most of us had lunch in the large kiosk on site, with plenty of interesting vehicles and house hold items from days of old to view, then relaxing before taking a Paddle Steamer cruise up and back on the Mighty Murray River, once all back on land it was time to cruise back to home base, before long it was tea time, some opted for take away to be “quick and easy” yeah right, this was good Friday and the only shops open were packed with non-atheists type people all wanting fish-chips. Some waited 1 ½ hours to get fed, others went elsewhere, my choice was the excellent R.S.L. Again, no waiting, comfy, good food and service. (Mixed grille with bacon!!) Back at the motel, more late evening liquid refreshments and plenty of noisy story telling was the go, finally shutting up in the ‘wee’ hours ….

Saturday was an early start, heading out about 120km to the Murrabit Market, one of the largest in regional Australia. Our cars were allocated a large area to park right in the busy centre of this event. Some bought items of interest or just enjoyed the many interesting stalls etc. Again plenty of comments and interest in our classic z-cars and after a bite to eat and picture taking some headed off to attend the huge Quambatook Tractor Pull only a half hour drive away and we were there. Great event, well organised, huge crowds, all sizes of ‘tractors’ and plenty of high octane noise to entertain. The sun was fierce but with hats and sun screen we all endured. Even had a bar serving welcome cold drinks! Once we'd seen all competitors perform a few times it was time to head back to home base, now getting dark but was an enjoyable drive in this wide dusty part of Aus. Dinner time saw some go to nearby restaurants or eat back at the motel. Yep we went to – the R.S.L. of course (seafood basket this time) damm fine dining! Back after our meals it seemed the revelry and noisy groups had worn themselves out. So a quieter evening looking at pics and talking ending earlyish ….

Sunday was a drive/cruise day, 170kms taking us to Woorinen

South, visiting ‘Syds’ private collection of model cars/tractors/bikes, classic cars, vintage bikes, memorabilia and more. A gathering of our Zephyrs out the front of Syds

made for an excellent photo opportunity. Lunch at Toolybuc was great then a long but enjoyable trip back to Swan Hill was made even more interesting by using a 3car ferry to get us all on the other side of the river. Needless to say some of us got

a bit over enthusiastic after waiting our turn…. All good fun! Back at base camp we refreshed ourselves

before walking to the nearby sporting club for tea where excellent food and a good turnout.

The Melbourne Z -club presented the N.S.W. Z-club and our S.A. Z -club with attendance plaques and there was plenty to

enjoy and chat about. Soon it's time to head back to the motel to relax. A gathering in the huge breakfast

kitchen/swimming pool area, the dedicated talked about everything and then some till late…

The next day, Monday saw everyone packing up then having our last breakfast before our trek homewards. Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend, kept safe and happy, The next event of this type will be Easter of 2018 at Mt. Gambier!! Hope more can come to enjoy our great lifestyle and country…..zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yours sincerely Steve Dawson F.S.M…….zzzzzz

Blast from the Past Rundle Street 1964 (with a MkII with a side Fashionline trim just squeezed in)

C / @AdelaideYesterdayandToday

Next ZZOCSA Meeting – Tuesday May 9th from 7:30pm Shannons Office Cnr Neville Ave and Main South Road, Clarence Gardens