2018 Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia Spring Tour - Part II

Monday 24th September - 2018

2018 Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia Spring Tour - Part II

After over-nighting in Yass, it was now time to hit the road again for another day of adventure driving through the magnificent Riverina countryside of NSW.

My '63 Valiant Regal Sedan among the
vibrant countryside of NSW's Riverina district.

Considering that the eastern states of Australia are experiencing the worst drought conditions for more than 100-years I was very surprised to see that the countryside we drove through today is still holding up quite well.

The Riverina is one of the most agriculturally diverse areas of Australia. It sits in the South-West region of NSW. The dams were still half full, the paddocks were green & the cattle & sheep all had their heads down munching away on the grass. 

Although I am lead to believe that after talking to the locals here last night at the Red Cow Hotel here in Junee where I managed to sink a few schooners, that once you travel west from here towards Narrandera & further west to Hay the countryside changers dramatically for the worst unfortunately.

The Red Cow Hotel in Junee

During the journey yesterday our first stop was at a little place called Binalong to visit Peter Minson Art Glass and see Peter, a third-generation glass blower, perform the skillful art of glass blowing.

Once we departed Binalong heading towards Murrumburrah & Cootamundera the paddocks were full of these sun flower seed crops.

We visited the Monte Cristo Homestead
reported to be one of the most haunted houses in Australia

We arrived into Junee early afternoon & I decided to visit the Monte Cristo Historic House that was originally built in 1876. It's a charming Victorian design, of pleasing line and proportion. Unchanged since the Colonial days, when it was renowned as one of the region's social centres, where grand balls were held and the local gentry idled their time away playing tennis or golf one the region's first golf courses. 

Monte Cristo Homestead, Junee, NSW

Parked outside this residence were fellow Chrysler Club member motor vehicles [below] also viewing this Historic House.

This magnificently restored 1932 DeSoto Airstream
has joined our group of Chrsyler products on this tour.

The most impressive vehicle (love them or hate them) was this beautifully restored 1932 DeSoto Airstream, WOW !!! what an impressive automobile. If you do not know any thing about these vehicles they were way ahead of their time back in the early ‘30s.

In the back ground you can see other Chrysler products from our club parked in the car park.

A wide variety of Chrysler product
joining in for the Spring Tour.

Today being Day 3 of our Spring Tour here in Junee our road tour takes us to the Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory, then afterwards we visit the Roundhouse Rail Museum.

The Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory features a
'39 Chevy Delivery van as part of their artifacts on display

Unfortunately today will be my last day on the Spring Tour with my fellow Chrysler Restorers Club members, early tomorrow morning I will be heading back home to Sydney to prepare for my journey to Adelaide in my 1931 Model A Ford 2 Door Tudor Sedan for the National meet in Murray Bridge.

I will be departing Sydney for Adelaide, South Australia accompanied by an old mate of mine (Peter Deane, we did our Motor Mechanics's apprenticeships together 55-years ago) in the early hours of Friday morning, over-nighting in Hay, NSW & then onto Glenelg, South Australia to meet up with another 1,500 Historic Vehicles to compete in the Bay to Birdwood Run on Sunday the 30th September.

So until I hit the road to Adelaide, keep smiling & safe travels.

 
Cheers for now.
Warbo.

2018 Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia Spring Tour - Part I

Sunday 23rd September - 2018

2018 Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia Spring Tour - Part I

This 7-day tour heads to southern NSW and in the later part, takes us down along Australia's longest river; the Murray River, which forms the natural border between the states of NSW and Victoria. We will be exploring & visiting places on either side of the river.

For this tour, I am taking my '63 Valiant Regal, 4-door sedan - in complete original condition.

My '63 Valiant Regal 4-door Sedan
First stop; visiting the Tulip Top Gardens at Sutton, NSW

For the first stage of the journey tonight I am here in Yass holed up at the Motel after a very enjoyable drive from Cronulla to Camden where 38 members of our Chrysler Club including 23 vehicles gathered to receive our instructions for the following 7-days of the Spring tour.

Magnificent Tulip beds and blossom trees at Tulip Top Gardens 

Today’s journey once we departed the Curry Reserve in Camden took us winding through the Southern Highlands to Bowral, Moss Vale, Marulan, Gunning, Goulburn.

We visited the Tulip Top Gardens at Sutton, which are located on the Federal Highway about 20kms north of the nation's capital, Canberra  It's a 10-acre garden, full of stately flower beds of tulips and other Spring flowers and shrubs. It offers a bursting kaleidoscope of colours in a tranquil setting of grassy lawns and shady trees.

It's all nicely tucked away in a hidden valley full of hundreds of blossom trees and bursting flowers beds. Classical music is piped over loudspeakers as you casually meander down a pathway that leads to a waterfall and a beautiful watercourse.

Tulip Top Gardens

As you can see by these photos it was well worth the visit, helped of course by a truly brilliant day with the sun streaming down on all the Tulips & Cherry Blossoms.

Yesterday I drove 219 miles (352.45 kms). Fuel consumption was 11 gallons or 41.93 ltrs. Averaging just on 20 mpg.

My '63 Chrysler Valiant outside the Yass Motel, in Yass, NSW

Tomorrow, Stage 2 of our journey takes us further south to Junee via Binalong, Harden, Cootamundra. Only a relatively short driving distance for the day of 154 km’s/95 miles.

To be continued...

Cheers 
Ken.

2018 Concours d'Elegance

Sunday 9th September - 2018

The Porsche Club of New South Wales hosted the 2018 Concours d'Elegance / 70 Year Celebration of Porsche in the Don Lucas Reserve, Wanda Beach, Cronulla today.

On a beautiful Spring morning at Wanda Beach in Cronulla
I displayed my yellow 1977 2.7 Porsche Coupe
The residential high-rise buildings of Cronulla Beach in the backdrop.

On a magnificent Spring Sunday morning here in Cronulla I joined 300+ other Porsche owners as it gave me the perfect platform to display my 1977 2.7 Porsche Coupe. 

l purchased my Porsche way back in 1979 from the original owner Dr. Robert Cannon who purchased the vehicle on 23/03/77 from Hamilton's of South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria.

After 39-years of owning my Porsche, this is the first time I have ever
put it on display at a car show. Licence plate KW 911.

l have owned this beautiful Porsche for 39-years, so l decided for the 1st time in all those years to proudly participate / show my vehicle in recognition of celebrating 70-years of Porsche sports cars.

More Porsches on display in all their glory that were 

entered in the Open Concours category.

My vehicle is now 41-years-old, last year the paint work was starting to look very tired so l decided to give the vehicle a face lift, we completely stripped the paint back to bare metal & resprayed the vehicle to its original colour. The vehicle now looks better than when it rolled off the production line in Germany all those years ago.

In those 41-years the speedo reading shows only 174,000 klms. (4,243 klms or 2,636 miles per year). Definitely genuine mileage. 

2018 Concours D'Elegance Judges huddled together discussing
the results of the various categories.

Don Lucas Reserve in Cronulla offers a lush parkland setting with a gorgeous backdrop (as you can witness in the photographs) located on one of Sydney's iconic beaches to show off your car.

Throughout the day there was a roving commentator interviewing participants & asking questions relating to their car & its history. 

A future Porsche owner enjoying the Porsche Diesel (Standard) tractor.

At one point he mentioned the similarity between this event & the Concours d'Elegance held at Pebble Beach,California. Never having been to that event at Pebble Beach in California l really can not comment. However it would want to be excellent to even come any where near the showpiece setting here in Cronulla.

Mean looking Gun metal Grey Porsche 930 with HUGE picnic tray.

This years event was held in conjunction with Porsche Cars Australia, at a guess l would say there were close to 300 Porsches dating back to the 1956 Porsche 356 to the latest Porsche GT3RS, plus very special & increasingly rare cars proudly on display in the Reserve.

The event was designed to accommodate all Porsche enthusiasts from the hard core Open Concours entry, Wash & Polish entry as well as the Porsche owner who simply wants to put his car on the grass and enjoy the day.

Latest Porsche GT3RS on display yesterday.

Not to mention all the Porsches that were parked in surrounding & nearby streets, l suppose that these Porsche owners did not want to pay the $40.00 Park up Display fee for guests with a Porsche.

White Coupe, another fine example of the 1956 (356 Porsche)

All participating cars were given a special commemorative 70th Year celebration Grill Badge supplied by Porsche for the once in a lifetime opportunity, 

Please enjoy the few photographs that l took at yesterdays event.

Cheers for now

Warbo

Goodguys Rat Day at Wanda Beach

Sunday 2nd September - 2018

The Goodguys Rod & Custom Club held their 18th Annual Rat Rod Day on Father's Day at a new venue [for them], at Wanda Beach in my home town of Cronulla.

My '57 Chevy sandwiched between two T-bucket 
hot rods with a gloomy Pacific Ocean in the background

In recent years hundreds of hot rods, rat rods, customs, street machines, VWs and bikes have cruised in for their traditional Father's Day event. With a wide variety of cars turning up, you never know what you are going to see.

My '57 Chevy picked up the 'Top Shiny'
Award on the day

For the first weekend of Spring this morning, under overcast skies, light rain showers and cool south-easterly wind blowing in off the Pacific Ocean, I braved the elements to turn up and show my ‘57 Chevy 2-door pillarless Bel-Air Sedan at the annual Goodguys Rat Day Car show at Wanda Beach in Cronulla.

A classic no airbag statement...
Airbags were introduced as standard equipment in 1997

I was pleasantly surprised that my Classic ‘57 Chevy won the trophy for the ‘Top Shiny’ category out of all the other Hot Rod participants that were entered.

My '57 Chevy picked up the 'Top Shiny'
Award on the day

And why the name Goodguys? No, they are not sponsored by the electrical goods retailer of the same name. Founded 35-years by Gary Meadors who was from Cave Creek, in Phoneix, Arizona [very close to where I have my place in Phoenix] thought that all of the club's car owners were just good guys - simply out having fun with their cars and not doing any harm in society. Hence the name - Goodguys.

Needless to say I am a very “Happy Chappy”.

Cheers
Warbo

Boeing 707 Reunion

Saturday 1st September - 2018

Today there was a 50th Year Anniversary for all those lucky Trolly-Dolly’s that flew on the Boeing 707 Aircraft for Qantas.

Flight Service Director Andrew Heath & his loyal Customer 
Service Supervisor Ken Warburton posing in front of the Classic ‘57 
Chevy parked near Darling Street, Balmain.

So to get us both in the mood I decided to drive my ‘57 Chevy to the Cricketers Arms Hotel in Balmain to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Balmain, an inner Sydney suburb will charm you with its heritage pubs, beautifully restored sandstone cottages and terrace houses.

Some of Australia's best-known writers, actors, film directors, musicians and artists call Balmain home. A casual stroll along the streets will reveal Balmain’s colonial heritage, from its working-class roots to the many restored Georgian and Regency buildings and some of the harbour city’s oldest pubs.

The Cricketers Arms Hotel

in Balmain

In the top photo: Flight Service Director Andrew Heath & his loyal Customer Service Supervisor Ken Warburton posing in front of the Classic ‘57 Chevy parked near Darling Street Balmain.

Qantas entered the jet age in 1959 with delivery of its first Boeing 707.
It flew until March 1979 with Qantas.

Balmain was the perfect location to celebrate the great memories of the early nostalgic jet age years flying and working onboard this iconic Qantas aircraft.

Cheers
Warbo.