Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

roverdriver

An International Vintage and Historic Car rally is taking place in Wanganui New Zealand this weekend.

Below is a link to a story about a rather interesting car-

http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/junked-jalopy-re-emerges-as-polished-rally-diamon1/1242968/

As the story says, my friend Brian and I recovered the vehicle, but as I was thinking about returning to Australia at the time, I left it with Brian.

Here is a clipping from the Wanganui Chronicle from 1970

Seems I had a bit more hair back in those days!
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bob2 · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 1727 Location: Malta

nice story Smile

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22449 Location: UK

Are you planning to go and see it sometime?

R
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47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

Looks splendid and a great story
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peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7119 Location: Edinburgh

A wonderful find. It's surprising that such items as coach lamps hadn't walked.

Peter
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roverdriver · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:04 pm Post subject:

Rick-I lived in and near Wanganui when I was in N.Z. and would dearly like to be there for this weekend, but alas, circumstances don't allow.

Peter- When the car was retired, it was put into a shed. The owner (son of the property-owner), removed the front axle to make a trailer. Many years later the shed burned down and the remains of the Napier became completely overgrown with convovulus. It was hidden from the road by a hedge and hidden from sight even on the property. Brian and I found it because we were doing a fairly detailed search of the then derelict house and garden. Brian and my wife were collectors of old bottles, and Brian and myself were also keen to find car parts, and there were a few of different makes scattered about. It was luck more than anything that made us investigate the heap of vegetation that contained the remains of the Napier.

Here is a photo taken as we excavated the remains-

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Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Wonderful restoration. And though completed by someone else, it could not have been done if you had not found it.
Here is a photo which might interest any Napier fans.
Believed to be the fleet of the Angel Carriage Company, Chesterfield, Derbyshire UK. It is highly likely that one person in the photo. is the brother of my maternal Grandfather around 1913.
Both brothers competed to provide the first motor taxi-cab in Chesterfield. I believe my grandfather won with his Belsize, but official records no longer go back that far.

This is My grandfather and his Belsize about the same time.

Jim.
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Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4759 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi Jim

If you are interested in Belsize cars you might like to look at this thread:
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5338&highlight=trawden

It was running 6 mths before you joined the forum so you might not have seen it before.
I have just checked on Google Street view and the garage is still there, can't see any of the old cars but the Tel Number is visible if you want to have a word with him.
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