Tag Archives: feat

Jellybean Autocrafters Fall Colors Tour

Another new must-try event has been announced for the 2010 season. Inspired by the Spring Thaw, Jellybean Autocrafters will be hosting their Fall Colors tour October 1st-3rd. The event is 3 days and will take you on an 1100 kilometer journey, highlighting some of British Columbia’s nicest roads. Your hosts are Ewald and Kurt Penner, owners of Jellybean. The entry fee includes two nights hotel, gala dinner and a lunch…but the best part of this event doesn’t end with planning. The real gem is going to be the participants.

If you’re a regular here at Classic Car Adventures, you’re probably someone who appreciates more then just one marque or era. Jellybean shares that attitude, and are open to a wide variety of entrants. If you’ve got a classic, vintage, hot rod or car of interest, you’re in! Vehicles earlier then 1979 are the primary interest, but they’re also accepting limited entries from 1980 to 1986. If you’re into driving, this Fall event is definitely one to check out! See the Jellybean website for more details.

Rallye du Chilliwack – September 18

We hope everyone has been having a fun-filled summer with their classic cars. Things have been quiet here on the website, as we enjoy the sun and car events, but as the summer months count down, talk has returned to what driving events are coming up.

A couple of Spring Thaw participants from The Classic European Car Club of BC (CECC) are hosting a 1950’s style competitive road rally in and around the backroads of Chilliwack on Saturday, Sept. 18th, 2010.

The Rallye du Chilliwack will test the navigation, driving, and observation skills of teams entered as well as their vehicles. It is open to owners of any European car from the 60s, 70s, and 80s which will be placed in one of four CECC classes. Navigators are strongly recommended, but expections can be made.

In brief, each team (driver and navigator in an automobile) will be given a map with only a rough idea of certain check points. The teams are to locate the checkpoints, photograph themselves at the check points, and then meet at a final destination without being late. The team that navigates the best route (shortest miles) wins the rallye.

There will be a nominal cost ($10-$15/team to cover event stickers/maps) and certain requirements (older European car, valid drivers lisence & auto insurance, working odometer, and digital camera).

You can find more info at their website: http://www.classiceuropeancarclub.com/events-chilliwack-a3.htm

Feel free to discuss this on our forum as well.

Classic Rag Run takes to backroads of Mission

Fifteen cars turned out for the first CCA Rag Run in Mission, BC on Sunday morning. Some new faces and cars joined a cast of “regulars” and after an hour-long drive through the backroads of Mission and Stave Lake, we arrived back at the Mission Springs Brewery restaurant. The group descended upon the buffet and scoured the two stacks of used car magazines that everyone had brought to share. Thanks to everyone who came out, even on a surprisingly grey overcast morning (summer, thou art a tease)! The Food Bank will also be receiving a much-needed overflowing box of food thanks to every one showed up. A great way to spend a Sunday morning!

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June 13th, 2010 – Rag Run

If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a stack of magazines sitting on the shelf awaiting recycling or re-reading. Here at the Classic Car Adventure’s offices, we think it time to give those Automotive magazines new life, and meet other car enthusiasts in the process! Surely other enthusiasts have magazines we wish we had bought, and ours have more reading life left in them. So we thought, “why don’t we try and get our Classic Car friends together and have a magazine swap?!” If you’ve been to any of our events before, you know we think classic cars are best enjoyed while moving…so of course we’ll be hosting a drive as well!

Similar to our Thanksgiving Run, our new “Rag Run” is a free-to-enter event with a short (approximately 45min-1hr) drive along some fantastic twisty roads. While there is no entry fee, we are asking each car to bring at least one-non perishable food item for the Food Bank. We definitely hope you’ll want to be involved in our magazine swap, to do so you simply need to bring three classic car magazines that you wish to swap out for three new (to you) ones. We’re not worried about whether the magazine you bring is one-marque specific, multi-branded, a particular style or even what year the magazine is from. If it’s got reading life left in it, it’s perfect!

Our drive through the valley will have simple to follow directions, in the typical Classic Car Adventures style. We’re heading out onto twisty roads which will take you back to those years before 6-lane highways from point A to point B. We’ve always felt the fun is in getting there, even if we’re doing a loop back to lunch! Speaking of Lunch, the Mission Springs Brewery has brought back their Sunday brunch due to popular demand…and we plan to try as much of the menu as possible! If you haven’t yet been to the Mission Springs Restaurant, you’re in for a treat. Whether it’s the antique gas pumps, the ’46 pickup hanging from the ceiling, or the spark plugs built into your table…there is something to interest every car nut.

When: Sunday June 13th, 2010. Driver’s meeting at 10:00am, Lunch (optional) following our drive.
Where: Meeting at the Mission Springs Restaurant parking lot. 7160 Oliver Street, at Lougheed Highway, Mission BC
What to Bring: At least one non-perishable food item for the food bank. Three classic-car related magazines (of any type).

This event is open to any make, and any model. While our events are certainly geared towards cars made in 1979 and earlier, the most important part is that you’re a classic car enthusiast!

Vancouver ABFM Video

With over 630 classic cars on display, the 2010 edition of the Vancouver All British Field Meet was one of the best yet. Held in the beautiful VanDusen Botanical Gardens, this year’s show featured the Jaguar E-Type and British-built Fords. The first in the Classic Car Adventures video series, we check out a few of the highlights, including an AC Ace, 1934 Aston Martin Ulster, and a Jaguar E-Type.

Vancouver All British Meet this weekend

Jaguar E-types at the 2009 Vancouver ABFM (Photo: Warwick Patterson)

One of the big local early-season events for classic car fans, and British classics in particular, is the Vancouver All British Field Meet. Held in the lush Van Dusen Gardens, this is a great gathering, offering up a wide selection of drool-worthy machinery. The 2010 edition will be celebrating British-built Fords, plus the Jaguar E-type which celebrates its 50th birthday this year.

This annual celebration of the British motorcar and motorbike is the largest of its kind in Western Canada, with more than 5,000 attendees and 600 cars and motorbikes displayed at the beautiful VanDusen Garden on Saturday May 22, 2010. The garden setting, brass band music, piper, concessions, swap meet, artists gallery and vendor booths all complement the wonderful display of cars and bikes.

2009 Vancouver ABFM (Photo: Warwick Patterson)

New this year, Hagerty Collector Car Insurance, the world’s leading provider of collector vehicle insurance will be on site to present a series of seminars called “Cars That Matter “ – focusing on the past 25 years of British classic car values – on the Great Lawn at VanDusen Gardens. This series is no cost to show attendants and will run at scheduled intervals throughout the day.

The Cars That Matter sessions will be conducted by Dave Kinney, arguably one of North Americas most knowledgeable collector car experts. Kinney is a member of the American Society of Appraisers and has over thirty-five years experience in various aspects of the special interest, antique, classic and production vehicle areas of the market.

In addition to the Hagerty’s Cars That Matter series Hagerty will be encouraging Vancouver’s youth to get involved at the show through their Operation Ignite! Connecting Kids with Cars initative by hosting their signature Youth Judging Program. A joint initiative with the ABFM to help ensure the future of the collector vehicle hobby, young people under the age of 18 will have the opportunity to learn about the basics of judging a cross section of classics on the field including those cars entered in the Young Timers class for owners under the age of 25.

The youth program will be conducted by Tabetha Salsbury, Hagerty’s Youth Program coordinator who has a degree in Automotive Restoration from McPherson College, McPherson Kansa. Parents and Grandparents of young people seventeen and under should contact show organisers to reserve a place for their young enthusiasts in this interesting free program.

“In addition to our recent announcement of offering Collector Car Insurance to Canadian markets we are eager to share our other resources with car enthusiasts in Canada”, says McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Insurance.

“Dave Kinney’s expertise with collector car values and our Youth Judging program provides reasons the entire family can take away valuable insights from the show.”

Hagerty’s Operation Ignite! “Connecting Kids with Cars” is a suite of programs designed to grow the interest of the hobby among young people through interactive events including Youth Judging, Young Designers Contest, Scale Model-building Contest, Kid friendly Car Show Kit, Motorsport Paddock Tours and a youth -oriented website. Through these programs, young people will gain hands-on experience that will increase the education of and enthusiasm for collector automobiles, boats and tractors.

See you on Saturday!

Volvo so good it couldn’t be true, but it was

Not only was he our trusty sweep driver for the 2010 Spring Thaw, Nigel Matthews is also a regular contributor to Vancouver daily newspaper, The Province. This article appeared online and on Page C21 in the Friday, May 7th edition.

Click for Larger Version

The three-day 2010 Spring Thaw Adventure tour along the scenic route from Hope to Squamish, via Osoyoos, Sun Peaks and the Duffy Lake road, attracted around 65 classic cars from all over B.C., Alberta, Oregon, Washington and one from as far afield as Lake Worth, Florida.

Last weekend’s run, staged by classicaradventures.com,featured some wonderful automotive gems — Aston-Martin, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Datsun, Fiat, Intermeccanica, Jensen-Healey, Lancia, Lotus, MG, Mini, Mercedes, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Rover, Saab, Triumph, Volvo and Volkswagen.

One of the Volvos caught my eye, it belongs to John Chattin-McNichols, of Seattle, he spotted the 1967 Volvo 144S on Craigs List for an asking price of $500. He asked all the usual questions of the seller, using his knowledge of the particular model’s, shall we say, peculiarities. Queries relating to such matters as rust and that vinyl dashboard top, which has a tendency to crack? The owner responded in the negative to each question and stated: “It’s in mint condition”.

Chattin-McNichols was now becoming a little agitated, thinking he was getting the usual exaggerated sales talk. Knowing that most Volvo rear seats of that age are often in poor condition he asked the final question. “Hang on, I will look,” said the seller. A few moments later the out of breath owner, returned to the phone: “Perfect . . . I don’t think they have even been sat on”.

The only downside was a fuel tank full of pinholes; a simple fix.

Photo: Tony Latham

The 144 series was the first of the boxy body style Volvos to us the tridigit nomenclature that designated a series 1-four-cylinder-four-door, the “S” model was fitted with the more powerful B18B engine used in the 1800S sports car.

Small numbers of this model made their way to North America. This example was a factory delivery car, meaning that the original owner took delivery of it at the factory in Sweden, drove it around Europe and then had it delivered to the USA. It still had the decal indicating this on the side glass

The 144S had spent the last 18 years in storage, its original female owner had given it to her son and he had little interest in using it, so he did not.

Photo: Tony Latham

A 1966 Volvo 1800S owned by Irvin Gordon of East Patchogue, New York, USA holds the Guinness world record for the highest mileage in a Volvo, using the same engine as Chattin-McNichols 144S. Gordon has driven it for more than 40 years. It has covered 2.7 million miles and the owner is now targeting the three million mile mark.

Nigel Matthews is the sales and marketing executive for Hagerty Canada– hagerty.canmatthews@hagerty.com