GSM CAR CLUB OF SOUTH AFRICA

Newsletter No 31
22 October 2007

POST-JUBILEE NEWSLETTER

Hi all GSM fans

A few weeks have passed since our very successful GOLDEN JUBILEE!

May I hasten to say that these thoughts are entirely my own and are not in anyway the thoughts of the club executive. They have not evolved from discussions with anyone, and are also not intended to offend anyone, and I apologise if I have left anyone un-mentioned.

The description above, “very successful” is therefore also my own observation.

I think that the event that was planned, over possibly two years, and that was eventually presented by a small club like ours, entirely by amateurs with no professional input of any kind at all, was nothing short of tremendous. There is an open “thank you letter” on the website by Peanuts, but this is additional and hopefully in more detail!

Firstly, without you, the members, this event would not have been possible. The mere fact that you have regularly paid your subs and assisted with fund raising from time to time, has helped the club build a small but substantial kitty to use for club affairs. The committee allows us to buy certain parts: windscreens and various sealing rubbers which is then sold at a small mark-up. This all helps. Further, thanks for attending our functions and especially the Jubilee at L’Ormarins and at Killarney!!!!

One of the main aims of the Jubilee was to get members “networking” on a wider scale than only around the Cape Town area. This I think was achieved and many of you now know some of the guys in the Eastern Cape, and further a field such as Gauteng and Kwa Zulu Natal.

I know that Peter du Toit from Gauteng would have loved to attend, but a serious “pitstop” for heart surgery prevented that. I believe he has made a good recovery and is on the mend.

I sincerely hope that anyone from up-country visiting Cape Town will feel free to visit Peanuts and Rose at their place of work which also happens to be the GSM Head office!

I am sorry that we could not learn more about John Amm’s Dart. Possibly some photos on the web may assist. The register, that Peanuts is working diligently on, has taken a huge leap forward. From even before the Jubilee, during the run-up, many Dart and Flamingos emerged and obviously we will learn more about them as time goes on! This register, that Peanuts is working so diligently on, has taken a huge leap forward! From even before the Jubilee, during the run-up, many Dart and Flamingos emerged and obviously we will learn more about them as time goes on! This register will become the GSM Bible, and is going to affect the value of cars on the register positively to a large extent. So, please keep it up folks. Study the register and send Peanuts the info that he so badly needs to build an accurate record of GSMs around the country and the world.

I have had positive feedback from many interested people that are surprised at how many Darts and Flamingos still exist and the condition some of them are in!

Peter Gough said “Just look at the condition these cars are in fifty years down the line!” and Ritchie Jute said “Ja, and look at us…., we are buggered!” (Not the right words, but this is a family club). Just enjoying the company of “old timers” like Peter Gough, Ritchie Jute, Denise Joubert and Donald Philp was also great. Bill Jennings was not able to come, we missed you Bill!

Now who else do we mention? I think we have to name a few. Dawie de Beer and Deon de Waal are artists when it comes to working with fibreglass and spray painting under pressure of time schedules. Both Deon and Dawie gave up hours of their own time to help other GSM owners to get their cars ready, or nearly ready in time! Many candles were burning at both ends for weeks on end. Dawie got his yellow Dart “POEIER” to the show, loosing the bonnet along the way was just a small mishap! Thanks guys!!!!

Clarry Taylor and Sidney Ehrenreich worked for themselves and others for many long hours as well! To the guys from Durban, Eastern Cape, Johannesburg. Thanks guys!!

Rose Fouche and Ester Brown, and the Fouche children Trisha and John were roped in more often than they would have wanted to, but never complained.

Peanuts himself, well, without him there would most certainly not have been an event at all, or even a book! Thanks Peanuts, and the whole Fouche Engineering staff, whom all helped in many ways, also in getting a beautiful white Flamingo there for Rose, and an extremely neat and original turquoise Dart for Peanuts. Thank you guys!!!

John Bam and Jan Driedijk almost completed their car. It was at the Jubilee, almost completed but not quite! The Flamingo-Alfa that they are building is really from another lever! We have heard about the Flaming-Lexus, four cam V8 with automatic box, but that did not make it to the function. The car has over 900 hours spent on a rebuild, and I would like to see these two cars match up against each other.

Ronnie Roberts and Marion also need to be congratulated on their effort to get the ex Fritz le Roux Dart to the event! How they managed, only they can tell! Surely with gallons of midnight oil as well!

Dave and Esta Brown also got their car to the show. This Flamingo has been owned by Esta for many years and was often used as daily transport. After many years in the garage, it seems it will soon run again. I am glad it was never sold, a history as that, is not easy to build!

Colin Smit’s very handsome yellow Flamingo, Dave Lyon’s immaculate Flamingo, all the way from the Transvaal, and John Philip’s cream Flamingo almost ready, all very painstakingly carefully restored cars, undoubtedly better than when they originally left the factory!

In closing, I would like to thank Sandy Brunette for putting together an awesome book!!! DART, the Real GSM Story” Thanks also to all contributors of photos. I posted a book to John Rabe in Johannesburg, and his comments were “In my wildest dreams I never thought the book would be nearly as good as it turned out to be!”

A vote of thanks also to Sandy’s wife Lynn, for putting up with him while toiling to get the book ready for the deadline! It could not have been easy.

Thanks also to Bob van Niekerk and his family for attending. Bob attended under great duress, and actually landed in hospital at 03.00 on Sunday morning after the Killarney lunch. His emphysema and lack of oxygen caused him to be rushed to hospital by ambulance. He is back home, and getting stronger by the day.

I can assure you that none of the trio that were responsible for the formation of GSM ever gave one moment to think about what they started fifty years hence!

Bob managed to get almost four of his own cars to the Jubilee; the Flamingo V8 was displayed by his eldest daughter Janine. The silver Flamingo-Ford 2.0l ohc. by its owner Jacki, and a Dart brought to the show by Mias for Laura who is in Mumbai, and an almost running chassis Flamingo-Ford 1.5l for Karen, still looking for body shell! Quite an achievement I’d say!

We are fortunate to still have Bob around, the late Willie Meissner’s son was able to attend the celebration with a Dart and a Flamingo of his own, and Christine Deim, the late Verster de Witts daughter was able to attend Killarney, while his son Dirk could not attend due to pressure of work, but designed the numbered “medal” you got in your goodie bag. Versters ex-wife, now Joan Smuts would also have liked to attend, but was not able to.

All we can do is thank Bob, and Willie and Verster in their absence, for designing and building such a fabulous little car, that was so far ahead of its time in looks and performance that has given them, during their lives, and us since then so much fun and pleasure!

During both the L’Ormarins and Killarney functions; I was not able to meet with all our visitors from afar. Please accept my humble apologies and would you please be kind enough to write a short (or long) story about your trip to Cape Town and all the happening in between! This could go on the web, and should be interesting reading!!!!!

I am sincerely grateful to have been able to have been a small part of not only the past, but also the present. Thanks to all of you!!

Thanks again as well to all our sponsors!

Yours sincerely
Piet van Niekerk

PS: Please write in your dairies our Christmas Party on the 30 November 2007. It will be R100 a ticket. Could you let me know as soon as possible and send the money so I can give it to the ladies organising the party. We would also like to go on a breakfast run to Hout Bay and have breakfast at Suikerbossie. Mr Dave Lyons has kindly invited us to his house to look at his beautiful cars. As soon as I have arranged this with Dave I will let everyone know the date.
Thanks Rose