There and Back in a 38 Ford

[fordlovr]

The South Island Easter meet held by the Vintage Car Club was to be held in Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island.

Greymouth is on the other side of the island from where I live.
It’s only a 3 1/2 hour drive from one side to the other in a modern car, it will take a bit longer in a 75 yr old car with 3 speed and cable brakes! (and about a 12 hour drive from end to end of the island)
Anyway we had been planning the trip for a few weeks, and then of course on the day before we were to leave the whole country was hit by the tail of cyclone Ita. The West Coast was particularly badly hit. At home we had the second biggest “one in a 100 year rainfall” in five weeks! On the Friday morning all the reports of the devastation on the West Coast were coming through, what to do? Whole swathes of forests blown down, hundreds of acres. Roads closed, roofs blown off. Couldn’t phone the motel where we were booked.
Taking all this into account off we went with one window wiper and a bottle of Rainex.

Stopped for morning coffee to ponder

Yes, off we go.
It’s about a 2 hour steady climb across the Canterbury plains, then into the foothills and up Porters Pass 3081 feet, the third highest point on the South Island Highway network.
Through to the better known Arthurs Pass

Always plenty of Kea at Arthurs Pass, a native parrot that are very cheeky and can rip bits of rubber off Vehicles.


Then down the viaduct and under these bridge things. There used to be lots of road closures here due to washouts, rock slides etc.

Time for a lunch stop at Kumara.

This was in the main street of Greymouth

Beside this sign! Not funny.

The start of the rally on Saturday was fine

Lots of model A’s, I was the only Ford V8. Then the rain came again and didn’t stop.

Typical leaky Ford windscreen!
Two days in Greymouth then time to head home. Went a different route this time through the Lewis Pass 2835ft, approx. a 4 hour trip plus stops, but as it transpired it took a bit longer. Coming down a gentle long right hand bend with a slope up the side of another hill, I was feeding it the gas, about 50/55 mph, when BANG!



A blowout, had to back up approx. 100 yards to get off the road, changed the tyre then set off again. Another hour or so down the road then flap flap flap and see something flying up out the back. Stopped to have a look and the tread from the other back tyre was peeling off.


Cut bits off and kept driving. Miles from anywhere, we kept stopping and cutting off small bits , but the time came to say enough. We were only 30 minutes from home, but asked a friendly looking farmer if we could park in his yard.
Called my son to come pick us up and went back the next day with another wheel and drove home. All in all a good trip, the V8 went fine but the weather wasn’t the best. I’m on the lookout for two new tyres. Crossply’s? Or change to radials all around? Something to ponder. The car went well enough, I’ve had it long enough to be confident in it but I don’t think it was running 100%, do they ever? Drove a total of 468 miles and used about ¾ of an inch of oil, measured off the dipstick. However much that is. Petrol? Well I’m a bit embarrassed. Keep in mind that we buy our fuel by the litre, measured the distance with a 75 year old speedo, had to convert all this, and whichever way I did it, kept getting 13 miles per gallon!Is something wrong? Timing? carby? We did have 3 adults with luggage, some food/drink, a few tools spares etc. also it’s a fairly heavy car. The terrain was a bit of a grind at times, 1st gear up very steep inclines here and there. Oh well, it was fun tho !!! Cheers Bryn

Drying the car out at home