SWTVC BULLETIN NUMBER 01/21 (JANUARY 2021)
The SWTVC Website can be found at www.swtvc.org.uk
Registered address of the SWTVC: 80 Barfillan Drive, Glasgow G52.
Committee:
Alan Brown (Chair) san.soubeyran@hotmail.co.uk
Sandra Brown (Secretary) 07951 732611
John Stewart (Treasurer)
Harry Sherry: (Webmaster)
Ken McGeoch: (member)
John Young: (Membership Secretary)
Ronnie Johnston: (Editor)
Dave Stewart: (Webmaster)
Kevin Began: (Events Co-ordinator)
Monthly meetings: These normally take place on the 3 rd Tuesday of the month in the Kirkhouse Inn at 08.00PM but are suspended meantime.
EDITORIAL:
I hope everyone is keeping well and enjoyed Christmas as much as possible in the unusual circumstances.
Well, 2020 is drawing to a close and I am sure few will mourn its passing. Let’s hope things will return to normal next year and we can enjoy our cars again.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.
CLUB ISSUES:
AGM Zoom Meeting was successful with all motions carried. This means there will be no subscription charge to existing members for the coming year. You should have received your membership card for next year enclosed with the Club Christmas card.
With a view to keep everyone connected we agreed to try to arrange a member’s Zoom Meeting for the end of January. One suggestion considered was a member giving short presentations over Zoom. These would be brief and, ideally, with a motoring theme although any interesting topic would be welcome. I would be pleased to hear views on this before our next Committee meeting on 11th January 2021.
Kevin Began and Dave Stewart were returned to the Committee unopposed.
The Committee will operate on the assumption that the virus restrictions will be relaxed at some point next year. In anticipation of this we will make provisional plans for Club events and suggestions for this would be welcomed.
Thanks to all who participated.
Ronnie Gordon.
I expect everyone is aware that Ronnie Gordon, our past Chairman, suffered a brain aneurism recently. I am pleased to report he is making good progress and is looking for someone to spring him from hospital.
I am sure everyone will join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.
CAR FOR SALE:
The Morris featured on the Club Christmas Card is for sale.
To avoid confusion I am speaking of the green Moggie Traveller.
Anyone interested can get in touch with Dave Morgan for more details.
Contact Sandra Brown Club Secretary for phone contact details.
NEW LEGISLATION:
A couple of changes to legislation you may be unaware of.
The first affects the three yearly driving licence renewals for persons over seventy and is an easement to help DVLA cope with the virus emergency.
If your licence expires between 1 February and 31 December 2020 it will be automatically extended for 11 months from the date your licence is due to expire.
The second concerns the use of traditional black and white number plates and takes effect from 1st January.
In summary, this corrects an anomaly in the legislation which appeared to allow all vehicles in the “Historic” class to use the old style plates. In fact, only those registered before 1st January 1973 AND registered as Historic are allowed to do so. However, to avoid undue cost of replacement, an exemption has been given which allows historic vehicles registered prior to 1STJanuary 1980 and already fitted with these plates to retain them.
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A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
I was reminiscing, as one does at this time of year, and I thought of the fun I once had as a daft laddie looking for parts for whatever banger I was running at the time. Does this bring back any memories?
As a youth, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was car daft and, indeed, still am although the condition is now under better control.
I passed the driving test shortly after my 17th birthday and bought the first of a series of old cars that were just “bangers” then but would probably be worth a fair bit today.
Inevitably, such old cars demanded a lot of maintenance and weekends were usually spent under the bonnet or looking for spare parts.
As my income would not stretch to buying new spares I became familiar with all the car breakers in the city.
Back in the sixties there were few environmental or safety regulations and scrap cars were simply stacked up and anyone wanting parts was allowed to scramble over them in situations that would make a modern Health & Safety inspector take a fit.
To add to the danger every yard had a bad tempered dog that looked like it would eat you if it could just get off its chain.
Around that time Jim Groce released a record: “Bad bad Leroy Brown” which included the line “Meaner than a junkyard dog” which was a very apt description.
While removing the part you had come for it was common practice to put several odds and ends in the bottom of the toolbox and “forget” to mention these at the gate.
Scrap yards were all over the city but these are gone now with no trace remaining. New housing has replaced the rusting hulks and it is difficult to visualise how it once was. Indeed, one of the Scottish TV comedies, I forget which, has a character looking at a housing development and exclaiming in awe struck tones:
“I mind when this wis aw scrapyards”.
Modern breaker yards are now quite clinical with useable parts already removed and the customer given no access to the cars.
All very safe and environmentally friendly but nothing like the fun of rooting around hoping to find that much needed part.
Are there any older petrol heads out there with memories of scrap yard hunting?
Ronnie Johnston
A CAUTIONARY TALE.:
This happened to me a few days ago. I include it as a warning but, in truth, it would be difficult to accomplisheven if you were trying to do it deliberately.
My car has been lying outside, unused, for a few days.
The snow on it had partially thawed and then re-frozen and I only discovered this when I went to use the car. I don’t like to scrape ice off a windscreen as it can leave tiny scratches that make driving at night difficult. My tried and trusted method is to pour COLD water over the screen which usually melts the ice.
In the meantime I started the engine to put a little heat in the car.
I had forgotten that I had left the wipers in auto mode meaning they will operate when water hits the sensor.
The moment I poured the water on, the wipers activated but the blades were frozen to the screen. There must be a fair bit of power in the motor as the arms simply broke the fittings on the blades leaving them stuck to the screen and beyond repair. Particularly irritating as I had fitted a pair of expensive Bosch blades in preparation for winter.
That’s all folks, keep safe and enjoy New Year.
Best wishes,
Ronnie Johnston.