365 Days with a Model A

Hagerty Canada has been a great supporter of our Classic Car Adventures events this year, and their company is full of real classic car enthusiasts. We just received this PR from Hagerty Media and thought it was worth sharing. Here at CCA we believe that classics are for driving, and Jonathan Klinger is going to prove it in the extreme with his “365 Days of A”. Go Jonathan!

Ever wonder how our great grandparents got by without GPS, iPod hookups and cruise control? Well, Hagerty Media does and so do many of our readers. Jonathan Klinger has agreed to act as the closest thing we’ve got to our great grandparents and has volunteered to chronicle what it’s like to drive an 80+ year-old car every day, rain, shine, snow or tropical storm for the next year.

Why are we doing this? Hagerty Media thinks there’s a great story in this and Jonathan is going to record the good, the bad and the hilarious in print, on the Web and in video for our magazine readers, Facebook fans and Website visitors. Although the car’s daily use for the project precludes its insurance with Hagerty (therefore it is not insured by Hagerty), the point of it is, we want people to know just how usable and easy to own great Pre-War vintage cars like the Model A really are.  In other words, if Klinger can drive one every day through every season, you can darn sure enjoy one every possible weekend while looking after a great piece of our motoring heritage.

The 1930 Model A being used for this project is not the same Model A that the employees restored (the employee-restored Model A is far too nice to drive through the winter and it doesn’t have roll-up windows). If Jonathan has to travel to an event by plane and the rental car company can not offer him a Model A Ford, he can take a newer vehicle. (We’d like to know what rental companies offer Model A’s…they’ll get our business! – Ed)

So follow his exploits, laugh with him, grit your teeth with him and give him an occasional push as we officially kick off “365 Days of A” today and will end with the car being driven to the annual Hershey swap meet in October of 2011.

Follow this journey through Hagerty’s magazine and website, and a regular blog with photos and video at www.365DaysOfA.com.

Car Movies: Pas de problème!


Leave it to the French to create the most wacky and entertaining car chase scenes! Like the Dukes of Hazzard, but without the tough American iron to absorb the landings, the stuntmen and European tin in this 1975 film take a beating. The leading man in his Fiat 131 tries to get away from the baddies in their VW K70, leaving a trail of wreckage in their wake.

It is surprisingly hard to find much information about this film online, but famous stunt driver Remy Julienne is credited as a driver. He later went on to do stunt work in many of the James Bond films. It turns out a Citroen DS makes a great ramp, french roads are full of talented stunt drivers, and a Fiat tends to fly better than a VW. This just makes us want to go buy an old Peugeot and make drift!

[via Retro and Classic Cars]

Sea to Sky Thanksgiving Run 2010

Defying all weather forecasts, a surprise clear and sunny morning greeted 50 cars at Park Royal Monday morning for the second annual Sea to Sky Thanksgiving Run. As the sun crested the horizon to provide a bit of warmth, an eclectic mix of British, German, American and French machinery rumbled down the on-ramp to Taylor Way towards Britannia Beach. It is a heart-warming sight to see a huge gaggle of vintage metal keeling over through turns in unison!

Once again, we were amazed at all the new cars we had never seen before – Vancouver is proving itself to be a hotbed of low-key classic car enthusiasts. The BMW, Datsun, and VW crews were out in force, plus a few minis, a Renault R8 holding down the French side, and a great group of American landyachts and hotrods. Heads turned to watch a Rolls Royce and pre-war Talbot roll into the parking lot at Galileo Coffee too. The spotless Talbot was fresh off a 10-year restoration and Pebble Beach Concours appearance this summer. Personally, I’m impatient after 1-year of restoration on my Mini – I can’t imagine ten years!

Thanks again to everyone who came out and made it another special day behind the wheel. We are excited about the great community of enthusiasts that is getting to know each other! Thanks also to Lance and the staff at Galileo Coffee who we tend to overwhelm every year! We’ll leave you with images from the day. If you have photos you would like to share, please post a link in the discussion forum (you may need to host them on flickr or photobucket first if you don’t have hosting).

[Thanks to your generosity, we will be delivering a full car-load of food and cash for Squamish Helping Hands and Food Bank – thank you!]

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Rally du Chilliwack Recap

Here at CCA, we’re always delighted to see other groups organizing classic car events, especially when they are Spring Thaw Alumni! Bruce and Chris from CECC hosted a one-day rally near Vancouver last month. Lee, take it away…

Event Story & Photos by Lee McKinnon Pederson, Additional photo by Bruce Larson.

Organized by the Classic European Car Club, the Rallye Du Chilliwack was held on Saturday, September 18th. Although the drive into the Fraser Valley was a soggy one- a deterrent for at least a few potential participants- by the time the teams completed their odometer calibration, the skies cleared and the sun came out.

Each team was given identical maps with eight photo check points. The goal was to locate each checkpoint based on the map and photos, and take a verification photo in the approximate location. Starting in Chilliwack, and passing though Kent, Harrison Hot Springs, Mission, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, before ending in Langley, the team covering all the checkpoints in the shortest distance was the winner.

Each team spent a few minutes plotting what they hoped was an optimal route before hitting the road. By the time the teams reached Killby Historic Farms, a kind of mid-way point on the rally, the sun was out in full force reminding everyone that summer still had a few more days to go.

Homemade egg salad sandwiches and lemonade fortified the teams for an afternoon of driving that took the group through the backroads of Maple Ridge and then on to Abbotsford. The twisty roads around the Clayburn village were an unexpected pleasure. A Lancia Beta Scorpion in front of the old Clayburn store offered an bit of surprise automotive colour!

All cars were running well until a few meters past the final checkpoint, when Julius and Ben pulled over to the side of the road with an ailing Fiat. Four other teams pulled over to try to figure out the source of the problem. The fuel system was quickly identified as the offending party. Fuel lines were tested, fuel senders were examined and fuel filters were flushed without results. The culprit turned out to be an ancient (possibly original?) “second” fuel filter lurking near the driver’s side fender. Once resolved,the Fiat took the time penalty and went on its way. Everyone agreed that car repair on the side of a country road on a warm September afternoon was about as good as it get’s breakdown-wise.

A road-weary but happy crowd gathered at the Langley Brown’s for a bite to eat before heading home. Many thanks to Bruce and Chris for putting on this enjoyable and well organized event.

Cobras and E-types and Mustangs, Oh My!

Racing was an entirely different world back in the 60’s. This 8mm film, complete with its clacketing projector reel soundtrack, really has a neat feel to it. Just a bunch of people hanging out by the bay in NorCal, watching a stream of SCCA Production A/B/C warriors battle and bump it out on the streets of Candlestick Park in 1965. The 1.9 mile temporary road course was used from 1963 until 1965, using the parking lots and roads surrounding the relatively new San Francisco Giants stadium. Frantic flagmen, haybales for safety (kinda), and lots of excitement! Keep your eye out for the #7 Cobra driven by legendary Phil Hill, and the chequered flag taken by Don Wester in his yellow Porsche 904(?).  [Video link via The Chicane]

”]The track layout as it was in the 1960’s.

Ford-based Russian car is a real GAZ

By Nigel Matthews

The Russian car Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod — translated from Russian, “Gorky Automobile Plant,” or simply known as a GAZ — was a product of a joint venture between Ford and the Soviet Union which became the largest auto plant in Europe.

The first model off the line was based on Ford’s new Model A, and was called the GAZ-A. The Canadian equivalent likely would have been the GAZ-EH.

The first GAZ I encountered was in 2006 at a Barrett-Jackson auction. It was a 1974 Gaz-13 “Chaika” Limousine used by a Kremlin official. That car surprisingly sold for $43,200 at this all-American show.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a photo of a smaller version cross my desk and wondered how this car, which looked almost brand-new, ended up in Canada. What was the story?

The only way to find out was to call the owner, Mikhail Molchanov. He told me he had owned the 1959 GAZ-Volga in Russia for many years. He left it behind when he immigrated to Canada but planned to have it shipped at a later date.

He purchased two other Volgas to provide a sufficient supply of parts so the car could be restored in Russia, which took three years. When completed, it was shipped to B.C.

This second-generation model has a different grille, with horizontal bars and a large star in the centre. The story goes that one of the Russian generals disapproved of the first-generation grille.

So the designer thought that, if he placed a big star in the centre, the general could hardly disapprove of that and they got away with it. The third-generation cars had the leaping deer removed from the hood, because it was not very pedestrian-friendly. Not many cars are.

If you see this magnificent car — which looks like a cross between a Studebaker and a Ford — on the streets or at a car show somewhere in British Columbia, take a good look at it, because I doubt you will ever see another one in Canada.

Nigel Matthews is the sales and marketing executive for Hagerty Canada

Reliving movie history on the Grand-Saint-Bernard Pass

By Budd Stanley

Who could forget the classic opening to The Italian Job? No, not Marky Mark walking through a Venetian piazza. The one from 1969 starring Michael Cain that opened with  Rossano Brazzi carving his way up an Italian Alp in a classic Lamborghini Miura to the musical mixture of a Lamborghini V-12 and the song “On days like these” performed by Matt Monro. Well, that special bit of road that Brazzi was enjoying until his untimely run-in with an ill placed bulldozer, was the Grand-Saint-Bernard Pass. After my adventures on the Col de Turini (see story), I travelled north to experience the Grand-Saint-Bernard (lets call it the GSB) and ironically hit Turino at the hight of rush hour. Like Minis full of gold loot, I too struggled to get my Z4 through the endless maze of traffic filled streets, for on the other side of the city lay the alps and the town of Aosta which leads to the hidden jewel.

Linking Aosta, Italy, to Martigny, Switzerland, the pass is a much more interesting alternative to the toll tunnel that goes through the mountain. Experience has taught me when new roads are built under old ones, it’s a good sign that traffic will be light on the long road, and this was the case when I made the climb into the alpine border lands that mark the Swiss-Italian territories. Taken mid-evening on a weekday, I nearly had the entire pass all to myself, even the motorbikes and cyclists were few and far between, a trait the GSB is known for.

The route starts in the mountain valley leading north from Aosta, Italy, and begins as a winding country two-lane road. At the base of the Valais Alps, the road narrows to a single lane through a heavy wood, with rock barriers, so careful anticipation of oncoming is required. However, it all got interesting once I punched through the tree line and out into the alpine, a spectacular manmade line that traverses the side of the mountain four times before loping over the rocky crest. The expanse of the valley heeds a great view of any impeding traffic, while the narrow winding lane is littered with only a few sharp hairpins to give the driver an abundance of challenges.

Over the first crest, and I was greeted with a feast of meandering corners slowly making their way up to the famous tunnel of death just below the first peak. It is in this magnificent bowl that all the filming took place for the original Italian Job. No wonder, as this road is by far the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in terms of cosmetics, the route is a constant joyful challenge and the landscape is breathtaking. As I carved my way through the natural obstructions, I couldn’t help but whistle the iconic song to myself, with a disappointed look coming from my girlfriend from across the cabin. Yeah, it’s a cheese ball song, but at this particular moment in time, and in this particular place, no other song seemed worthy.

I have to hand it to the Italians, the condition of the road was immaculate. It looked as though it just had a complete makeover prior to my arrival. The tarmac had that fresh black color with bright white lines, and the entire route up to the peak had clean, stained-timber Armco barriers that would act more for decoration than as a savior if anyone were to leave the road. Rightly so, several pullouts have been created for drivers to take a break from sweaty palm driving, and to enjoy the rocky outcroppings, alpine meadows and brooks that make this place just that much more special. At the peak lies a mountain top lake, still half covered in ice, as well as the usual touristy kiosks, hotels and restaurants.The peak of this Alp represents the Swiss-Italian boarder, manned by two uniformed agents and a sharp looking Land Rover Defender. With a nod, I was waved through and began the decent down the Swiss side of the pass.

The Swiss side is a stark contrast to that of the Italian, as the road was very narrow and bumpy. Nerves are tested with much larger drop offs and nothing more than a few stones planted on the side of the road to keep you alive – maybe.

Arriving in Martingy, Switzerland, the end point of the pass, I had time to reflect on this beautiful stretch of road. While it may not have been the greatest driving road in the series, it still made for a truly special driving experience. Breath taking views, great road construction, history, and a great mix of aggressive and challenging driving conditions all make the GSB is a must if you find yourself in northwestern Italy, or southwestern Switzerland.


Total Distance: 74.8 km
Altitude: 2,469 m

Best time to go: Pass is only open between June and September.

Places To Stop: Pullout just over the tunnel entrance for spectacular views (27 km), Swiss Border, kiosks and Inns at the top of the Col (33 km), Pullout near tunnel ventilation shaft with a history lesson of Napoleon’s expedition and great views (36 km).

Starting Point: Coordinates 45°44′28″N – 7°18′51″E. Beginning in Aosta, Italy, take the E27/SS27 (Ave Grand-Saint-Bernard) north into the Alps. At 19 km, leave the tunnel route and follow SS27 over the pass. At 33 km is the summit as well as the Swiss border, the route then tracks down the Swiss side joining back up with the new route  and continues on to Martigny, Switzerland.

Finishing Point: Coordinates 46°5′16″N – 7°3′19″E, Martigny, Switzerland.

Road Type: Smooth flowing two lane alpine road on Italian side that turns into a rough and narrow lane that slows due to terrain.

Warnings: Due to altitude and snowfall the pass is only open during summer months. The Swiss side of the pass has large drops with only the occasional stone to prevent long drops off the road.