Northern Sports Car Club - the early years.

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
Sorry to hear of your uncle's passing.
I can imagine he was fun to be with and had a good sense of humour like you.
With kindest regards,
Ken H

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
Sorry to hear of your uncle's passing.
I can imagine he was fun to be with and had a good sense of humour like you.
With kindest regards,
Ken H

Thanks Ken,

He was a motoring enthusiast since the 1930's and still interested, I would visit him in the rest home with another Car magazine " Classic " type and he would sit and read, to the extent that his lovely wife Una would say " Ed, we've got visitors ", I always said it is OK they can keep as the article are about old cars, so wouldn't even be a recent magazine. he loved them.
Recently I was in touch with the family that bought his very special SD1 Rover a Vitesse Van den Plas with Walkinshaw modifications, one of only two in NZ, Told Ed and he was pleased to know the car was still around - Ed sold it in the mid 1990's.

This car ; here with a P4 owned by the same family

[Roger Dowding]

A couple of cars that Ed either owned or were his mates so he travelled in them, they did a lot of touring back in those days.
This one the 1930 Austin Seven which Ed and my Dad Mac modified with the raked windscreen, cut down doors [ like an MG ] and a modified exhaust, straight through pipe with small copper tubes inserted, apparently made a lovely sound.
Here at Mt Messenger, picture by the other guy in the second Car Unsure who the person on the left is, could be Win Bristow who did those sketches at Ardmore GP in 1954/56.
My Dad Mac [ 1917 - 1999 ] in the middle and Ed [ 1919 - 2018 ] on the right, both with Pipes.

With some mates in Russell in 1941 ; His Mates car - Ed in the middle - A Lea-Francis !!
See note below from Trevor Sheffield - A Fiat 509

Photo's from Ed Dowding archives, courtesy his son [my cousin ] John Dowding.

[Trevor Sheffield]

Roger, I think that the car looks like a Fiat 509 rather than a Lea-Francis, going by the shape of the radiator and badge also in particular, the alloy covered generator driven from the front of the crank.

P.S. After posting as above I googled regarding the Le-Francis and am convinced that I am correct. My first car was a special which I built based on a Fiat 509, so that I know the car well.

[quote With some mates in Russell in 1941 ; His Mates car - Ed in the middle - A Lea-Francis !! [/QUOTE]

[Roger Dowding]

Roger, I think that the car looks like a Fiat 509 rather than a Lea-Francis, going by the shape of the radiator and badge also in particular, the alloy covered generator driven from the front of the crank.

P.S. After posting as above I googled regarding the Le-Francis and am convinced that I am correct. My first car was a special which I built based on a Fiat 509, so that I know the car well.

[quote With some mates in Russell in 1941 ; His Mates car - Ed in the middle - A Lea-Francis !!

[/QUOTE]

Trevor, thank you for sharing your knowledge ; The car was identified as a Fiat 509 on another forum when I posted the photo, so your confirmation helps. The note about the Alloy Cover, something I had not noticed.
Sadly, cannot ask the Man in the photo, Eddie Dowding. My Cousin Ed's son John was trying to identify the people also.

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
The Fiat 509 was a good looking machine.

Ken H

[Roger Dowding]

Another Gem from Graham Woods the NSCC Hillclimb of 1956, some great names.
Have established that Wairamarama would be the Wairamarama Onewhero Road, near Glen Murray, home of the Roycrofts back in the day,
- others may no more of the events,
- a bit before my time was only 9 then and still on a trike trolley or scooter, although did have a few Dinky Cars !

[Roger Dowding]

Reposting some of the information as a new Item has come to light !!

The Programme and Regulations Book - the Cover. It had the Trial Instructions in it as posted before ;

Rod Peat entered an RX3 but not this one - The event was just before Rod and Judy Peat went to the UK.

The Officials

The list of Entrants

Class and overall results

The Final Results and Times

The Trophy presented to Peter Levet - he still has it - photo Milan Fistonic who visited Peter recently

The GT6 and I got 4th in the Trial [ex-wife as navigator ] 8th in the Hillclimb at Cosseys and 9th Overall.
One of the best days Motorsport I ever had, don't think they ever did it again.

[Roger Dowding]

A introductory Brochure for Northern Sports Car Club - Date not known but has 6 digit phone numbers so guessing 1970's
The Clubrooms are shown [ built in 1972 ] and there is mention of the Benson and Hedges 500 Race
The Club Circuit still in use too !!

Many thanks to Milan Fistonic for this piece of NSCC History;
Will make a correction if date becomes known !!

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
I thought of you when one of the lads brought his dad's TR 4 into Moss Motors, Goleta, CA, today.
That is my BMW wagon in the background with the door open as I rushed to get this taken before the "gawkers" arrived !

Cheers mate.
Ken H

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
I thought of you when one of the lads brought his dad's TR 4 into Moss Motors, Goleta, CA, today.
That is my BMW wagon in the background with the door open as I rushed to get this taken before the "gawkers" arrived !
[ATTACH=CONFIG]56329[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]56330[/ATTACH]


[ATTACH=CONFIG]56331[/ATTACH]

Cheers mate.
Ken H

Love it Ken H .. my car still has the Rego number but is on the hold list [ see below ]
- you can keep the Registration Number if the car is being rebuilt /restored or suspended for other reasons - not being used etc..
Could find out who owns but costs a bit.
Just waiting to win the Big Lotto, so I can by it back, plus tidy up the MX5 too.. not sure what " Her indoors " will say. Think would need to buy her a big gift too !!. Having three cars would be a bit much. Ask ERC - he has six and I know you have at least two BMW and Mini-Cooper, any more ??

Cheers to you too !!
Roger D

[Roger Dowding]

Here's a report on a1949 NSCC event won by Gordon Brown in his Special.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34313[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]34314[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]34315[/ATTACH]

Just looking at this report on the 1949 Winter Trial - The " Jack Boot Memorial Trophy " Trial for Northern Sports car Club and noticed an error ??
The first photo is the ** Gordon Brown Ford 10 based Special and not J Aitken, who would be Jock Aitken, mechanic and mate of both Eddie Dowding the former Club Captain and President of NSCC in 1945 -46 and my father Mac Dowding who was the clubs Auditor for a time in the 1950's
Laurie Powell in his Ford B4 with V8 power too in the results.
The article from Milan Fistonic amazing archives

[Trevor Sheffield]

Just looking at this report on the 1949 Winter Trial - The " Jack Boot Memorial Trophy " Trial for Northern Sports car Club and noticed an error ??
The first photo is the Gordon Brown Ford 10 based Special and not J Aitken, who would be Jock Aitken, mechanic and mate of both Eddie Dowding the former Club Captain and President of NSCC in 1945 -46 and my father Mac Dowding who was the clubs Auditor for a time in the 1950's
Laurie Powell in his Ford B4 with V8 power too in the results.
The article from Milan Fistonic amazing archives

Roger, I am unable to detect any error, please explain..

J Aitken (Jock) was the second NSCC member to build a Ford Ten Special, immediately after Gordon Brown and his car was built to a higher standard of finish but, lacked the two speed Ford T diff fitted to Brown's car which put it at a disadvantage.

As a Mechanic he operated a one man garage in a shed in a quite conspicuous situation on the left side of a right hand bend after coming down Grafton Road from Symonds Street. No longer in existence as a result of the motorway. It was a very tidy workshop in contrast to that operated by George Smith and he was popular with the taxi fraternity. As I recall he went on to build a Ford V8 Special. Like Brown he often drove his Ford Ten Special as a road car for business purposes.

In later years Ron Roycroft used to acquire a Model T Ford special for the event, which he won until the occasion when I beat him driving my AC V8. "The Winter Trial" was a the officially designated title, but all and sundry referred to it as "The Mud Trial".

[Roger Dowding]

Roger, I am unable to detect any error, please explain..

J Aitken (Jock) was the second NSCC member to build a Ford Ten Special, immediately after Gordon Brown and his car was built to a higher standard of finish but, lacked the two speed Ford T diff fitted to Brown's car which put it at a disadvantage.

As a Mechanic he operated a one man garage in a shed in a quite conspicuous situation on the left side of a right hand bend after coming down Grafton Road from Symonds Street. No longer in existence as a result of the motorway. It was a very tidy workshop in contrast to that operated by George Smith and he was popular with the taxi fraternity. As I recall he went on to build a Ford V8 Special. Like Brown he often drove his Ford Ten Special as a road car for business purposes.

In later years Ron Roycroft used to acquire a Model T Ford special for the event, which he won until the occasion when I beat him driving my AC V8. "The Winter Trial" was a the officially designated title, but all and sundry referred to it as "The Mud Trial".

As mentioned elsewhere Jock serviced my first car in 1967, after being introduced by Mac Dowding - my Dad - at the garage in as you mention " Grafton Road from Symonds Street. No longer in existence as a result of the motorway "

[Trevor Sheffield]

Trevor, wasn't aware that Jock's car Ford 10 special looked similar to Gordons, my error - will correct - thanks for the information.
As mentioned elsewhere Jock serviced my first car in 1967, after being intorduced by Mac Dowding - my Dad - at the garage in as you mention " Grafton Road from Symonds Street. No longer in existence as a result of the motorway "

Sorry my bad. Did not see the caption to the photos which is incorrect. Jock's car was not the same as Gordon's

[Milan Fistonic]

The Club Meeting held by the NSCC at Ardmore the week following the NZ Grand Prix.

[Milan Fistonic]

NSCC Hillclimb at Ostrich Farm Road in October 1960.

[Roger Dowding]

Milan, your archives are amazing Thank You .. as an aside my Uncle Ed [ Eddie ] Dowding would have been 99 last Sunday RIP Ed Dowding [ 14 October 1917 2nd May 2018 ] - he loved seeing much of your stuff - used to show him the Roaring Season posts or copied some of your post and E-mailed them to him.
Ed was the NSCC President 1945-46 year and had been Club Captain the year before.

The NSCC " Winter Trial " - as Trevor Sheffield has noted was also the Jack Boot Memorial Trophy Trial - Jack was Ed's brother in law .. Trevor is nearly 90 !!
This was the 1949 event and is mentioned in the Scott Thomson biography of Ron Roycroft -" Up to Speed "

[Paul B]

Great pic Roger, Its great to read the history.
Also agree, Milan always amazes me with what he has and shares with his posts
Cheers

[Milan Fistonic]

NSCC meeting at Ardmore - November 1959.