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GSM CAR CLUB OF SOUTH
AFRICA
18 July 2003
Newsletter No: 13
Hi all GSM fans
It has been a while since we met at The Wijnland Auto Museum. On
behalf of Peanuts and myself, a very big thank you for everyone that
attended. We booked for 40 people, and the final count was 45 or 46.
Please give yourselves a big hand! Les Boshoff and Ian Loubser were
favorably impressed by the attendance of our members. They have had
experiences with far larger clubs than ours and attendance was very
poor. Thanks again, let's keep up the good spirit. The restaurant
was very busy on that day and some members were not impressed by the
service. I agree with them, my apologies! It was discussed with the
Cape Garden Centre, apologies from them as well! Although it was an
interesting day, with good food, I felt that our GSM cars did not
get enough attention.
This we are rectifying at the next meeting. On the 9th August, the
annual Cars at the Castle, and GSM were invited to attend again. We
will be allowed five cars. We will be in the same spot we had last
year. Kindly phone Peanuts and book your spot for your car. First
come, first served! There will be a prize for the best exhibit. Why
don't we try for that? Any ideas will be welcome. We have our
albums, photos and banner. A few plants and a garden set of tables
and chairs could make quite a difference. The 9th is also national
Women's Day……How about a few of our members in bikinis? One never
knows……!
Another date to remember is the weekend of 19th to the 22nd March
2004. This will be GSM day at Gariep Dam. This will be the gathering
of every GSM in the country, and everybody that was ever associated
with GSM in any way. Members can drive there on the 19th, a Friday,
we will work out something for Saturday and Sunday, allowing the
22nd a Monday which is a public holiday for driving home. We are
looking for a sponsor, and will report as we progress. If your GSM
cannot get there on its own steam, it must come on a trailer. We
want to hold a census, and see what is around. Dr Con Joubert from
Bloemfontein arranged the last one, and has volunteered to assist
again. He was actually the driving force that formed the GSM club in
1976, not "78. We are loading a CD that he sent us on the website.
Very interesting. Your must look at it.
At present we are negotiating with Proudly South African. We would
like to use their stickers on our cars at shows. I hope to have
finality by 9th August 2003. Will report progress.
Being a small club, with good communication, we don't send out
accounts, but subs are due once more! Please let us have your
membership fees for 2003. You may pop in and pay Rose at Peanuts's
shop, or at the Castle. We will have a receipt book there.
While talking about the club, I would like to mention that it seems
that our branch, Cape Town, is the only branch with some kind of
activity. Our finances are sound. We spend no money at all. We have
R6,000.00 in the bank. This strange set of circumstances is due to
only one fact, and that is that our chairman carries the costs of
running this club. Recently, I was silly enough to allow him to talk
me into accompanying him on a trip to Gauteng to buy four GSM cars.
All four cars were bought from the estate of the late Sparks Nolte.
Sparks who was a lifelong friend of both Bob and Willie, died of
cancer recently. The gem in the collection was the Alfa Dart raced
by Ernest Pieterse, A.A. F1 champion in the sixties. This is a very
original car, in outstanding condition. Dart No: 5904. This car was
bought by Clive Spolander. Clive is a new member, well know for
racing his green Mk2 Jaguar 3.8 at Killarney, and now the famous
Datsun 160 coupé. Clive says he is not going to race the Dart, but
we shall see. I have heard that before!
Car number two, also a Dart, was Sparks's own car many years ago. It
was stripped completely; rebuilding was started but never completed.
Photos show that sections of the chassis have been replaced. The
body was prepared for respraying ten or more years ago, and now has
to be redone again. This was the first 1000cc Ford car ever
produced. This car Peanuts wants to rebuild for his own collection.
Dart no: 5921.
Car number three, a Flamingo no:64038 bought for Gideon van der
Westhuizen, also a new member. This car was raced in Zimbabwe.
Car number four, a Flamingo no: 64055, Taunus 1500 engine bought for
Johan Kotze, also a new member.
Both the Flamingos need plenty TLC. They have had extensive body
mods, eg flares to take 10 inch wide wheels, a sunroof etc., apart
from standing outside for many moons. Their new owners need a lot of
support and encouragement from all of us.
Other cars that have changed hands during the past two months,
mainly due to the initiative of our chairman are, Dart No: 5807,
this car has not changed hands, it has been owned by Fritz le Roux
for twenty-five odd years, has been standing in Kempton Park, and
Peanuts has persuaded him to bring the car to Cape Town to rebuild.
Newsletter No:11 said that John Bam is working on a Flamingo
No:64030 bought from Joe Booyen, that car was sold to Peanuts, who
has now sold it to Ronnie Roberts, and John Bam has taken over the
Alfa car No:64023 (ex Grant Stephens). Ronnie is also a new member.
The Flamingo No: 64083 Peanuts bought from Louis Buys in Robertson
has sold to Colin Smit. Colin is going to great trouble to get this
car into absolutely pristine condition.
On the grape vine, and through various phone calls, we heard about a
Flamingo No: 65027 at the Sondagsriver, in the Eastern Cape. The
owner was reasonably keen to sell, and it seems that Ivan Liebenberg
will buy this car. We have not heard from Ivan, but I will not be
surprised if he rocks up here with the car soon as it is a runner.
The car sold to Ronnie Roberts, Peanuts has replaced with Flamingo
no: 64045. This car was found lying in a garage in Panorama, right
here under our noses, owned by a Mr de Lange. This car is also only
a shell; it needs a total rebuild, from the chassis up! From mods
done in the engine bay, Peanuts recognizes the car as one which he
himself assisted to put a V6 engine in some twenty five years ago.
Small world! Peanuts is also building a new racing car. This is a
Levy Dart, on a light weight chassis with a mean rotary engine.
Watch out Johan Walters, you will have some competition soon!
Negotiations are underway with a Mr Fareed who owns Flamingo
No:65028. Nothing final yet with this car, but a whole lot of cars
new to Cape Town.
We have also just heard of a Flamingo in Soweto, but definitely not
for sale.
During our visit to Gauteng, Ford celebrated their 100th birthday
with a special Ford day at the Heidelberg Motor Museum. We spent the
Monday there. They have a very interesting selection of cars, well
worth a visit if you are in the area. They are also the proud owner
of a Dart and a Flamingo, both in funning condition, very neat.
I was also taken to the home of one of our earliest members, John
Hampson who is rebuilding a Dart found at a sugar mill in Swaziland.
He has almost completed the running gear, and has to strip it again
to fit the body. An absolute work of art, painfully neat. Even the
100E engine in its original green paint, with a beautiful twin-carb
aluminum manifold for the two Strombergs.
Dart windscreen, brand new Shatterproof, are available from end of
July at R975.00 each. We have ordered ten. They will be here this
week. GSM caps at R35.00 also on sale at the Castle.
Also available for Darts, are rear coil springs, made to the exact
specs, and bonnet badges. For Flamingos, we have new windscreen
rubbers, rear windows and rubbers, door sealing rubbers and clear
lenses for front park lights.
There are two more cars for sale in Gauteng, a Dart and a Flamingo
no 63012, both owned by Marie de Lange and available at R20,000.00
each.
Finally, The Crankhandle Club has invited our club to visit them on
13th August. They have meetings every Wednesday evening, at their
excellent clubhouse in Wynberg. Their facilities are really good.
Apart from the very interesting library, they have a pub, fireplace,
braai facilities etc..
The second Wednesday in a month there is a seniors meeting at 10.00
in the morning. Peanuts and I will address these people as well. We
want to refresh their memories about GSM. The seniors are
influential business and retired business men, with a lot of
influence in a wide variety of subjects. We thought it would be a
good idea to have two, very neat cars, a Dart and a Flamingo on
display. The cars will have to be taken there on Tuesday afternoon,
locked up in the clubhouse over night and be driven home after the
evening session at 8 o'clock. We will try to get Uncle Bob there
too. Anyone who is free to attend the morning or evening or both
session will be very welcome. Please phone Peanuts to co-ordinate
the visit.
We would like all cars, but parking is a problem, thus we will
arrange an outing to one of the Sunday morning Natters they have at
Tinour Hall, when the weather improves.
Well fans, I genuinely think that's plenty news for now, enough to
mix up the smartest brain! Looking forward to seeing you all at the
Castle on the 9th August.
Kind regards
Piet van Niekerk |