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No. 426

Feb’ 21

Rich River

Echuca & District Historic Vehicle Club Inc. P.O. Box 792 Echuca VIC 3564 Club Rooms: Rotary Park Echuca

Email: editor.edhvci@outlook.com

SHARE THE PASSION

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Dina Galea 1st Lindsay Rankin 7th Helen Henderson 7th

Ed Gibson 8th Judy Thompson 8th Ian Taylor 9th

Greg Glenn 11th Jan Rankin 15th Lyn Taylor 15th

Janice Morrison 16th James Burrell 17th Bev Nelson 18th

Dominic Norman 21st Carole Edwards 22nd Ron Rigoni 26th

Noeleen Anderson 31st

Echuca & District Historic Vehicle Club Inc. Corporation No: A0007157R

Norm Raverty Elma Raverty Beryl Gregson John Eddy

Colin McConnell Barry Mitchell (Dec) Ron Wood Don Tracey

PRESIDENT Brian Wills (Lyn) President-edhvci@outlook.com

5483 5207 0418 541 496

VICE PRESIDENT Ken Wilson (Jan) Vicepresident.edhvci@outlook.com

5482 4585 0409 804 858

SECRETARY Peter Dunlop (Kate) Secretary.edhvci@outlook.com

5480 6464 0407 949 291

ASSISTANT SECRETARY Maureen Blair Asstsecretary.edhvci@outlook.com

5869 3469

TREASURER Joy Mitchell (Rob) Treasurer.edhvci@outlook.com 0400 548 004

ASSISTANT TREASURER Dina Galea (Tony) Assttreasurer.edhvci@outlook.com 0403 896 941

CLUB CAPTAIN Position Vacant Captain.edhvci@outlook.com

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

David & Helen Henderson dhendo@iinet.net.au Robert & Jane Jefferson Jane.jefferson@live.com

5482 1793 5480 2435

0419 031 711 0490 185 301

REGISTRAR (C.P.S) Rod Cole (Estelle) Registrar.edhvci@outlook.com 0417 340 629

WELFARE OFFICER Kate Dunlop (Peter) Welfare.edhvci@outlook.com 0427 392 507

SAFETY CHECK OFFICERS Tony Murphy (Amanda) Rodney Cole (Estelle) Phillip Burke (Jenni)

5484 5205

0417 340 629 0419 528 632

ORDINARY MEMBERS

Barry Higgins (Barbara) Ordmember.edhvci@outlook.com Kevin Morrison (Janice) Ordmember2.edhvci@outlook.com

5482 5301 5480 9314

0427 825 301 0409 177 190

FEDERATION DELEGATES 0407 688 130 Rob & Joy Mitchell Federation.edhvci@outlook.com

A.O.M.C DELEGATE Len Barry (Marion) 9318 8551 0419 377 643

EDITOR Bruce Ewing (Lyn) Editor.edhvci@outlook.com 0447 220 928

Office Bearers

Life Members

March Birthday Celebrations

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BURRELL Loraine CUTTING Kim DOHERTY Andrew DUNLOP Peter

DUNQUE Kevin DUREAU Alan GADSDEN Graham GRETGRIX Robert

HEALEY Luke MAY Allen ODGERS Geoffrey RAVERTY Norm

SUTTON Rod TARANTO Brian TRACEY Don WALKER Ray

WILSON Ken

The following members have C.P.S renewals due in March.

Please ensure you have received your renewal notice from Vicroads as it is your responsibility, not theirs.

New C.P.S Registration

When putting a new vehicle on the CPS, there are several key steps that need to be completed for registration to occur.

Given the vehicle is post 1st January 1949

Step 1: The owner must be a current financial member of our Club

Step 2: Collect two forms from VicRoads ( or the VicRoads web site

1. Vehicle Eligibility & Standards Form

2. Club Eligibility Form

Step 3: The vehicle must have a current Victorian Roadworthy Certificate

Step 4: Form 1 must be signed by Tony Murphy or Rodney Cole (Safety Check Officers). For this to be signed off the vehicle must be seen by them. In addition to being a Safety Check Officer, Tony Murphy is authorised to provide Roadworthy Certificates.

Step 5: Photos of the vehicle must be taken and preferably date stamped

1. Front

2. Driver’s side

3. Driver’s side with door open

4. Rear

5. Passenger side

6. Compliance Plate (if possible

7. Engine No (if possible)

Step 6: Photos to be provided in a digital format (jpeg) to the Registrar prior to Form 2 being signed

Step 7: Have Form 2 signed by the Club Registrar

Step 8: Take the Roadworthy Certificate and two completed forms to VicRoads

Step 9: Provide the Registrar with your Club Number Plate number, the registration date and the

number of days the Permit is valid for.

Rodney Cole

0417340629

We are reminded to ensure our Permit Sticker is affixed to the inside cover of our Logbook, with the VicRoads stamp on it.

Fines up to $800.00 can be applied.

From the Registrar

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“ N O O N E K N O W S YO U R PA S S I O N L I K E S H A N N O N S . ”

The passion, the pride of ownership, the sheer emotional attachment— no one understands it better than Shannons. So when it comes to insurance for your special car, daily drive, bike or even your home, there’s only one person you should talk to—a fellow enthusiast at Shannons. And remember, you can pay your premium by the month at no extra cost. So call Shannons for a quote 13 46 46.

SHARE THE PASSION

Greeting to all Members, another month gone and it is still going to be hard to use our Club rooms for meetings so the Executive Committee has elected to continue with the Rich River Golf Club until further notice.

The Tuesday Coffee Group are still enjoying their weekly gathering at the Club rooms.

Members who travelled to Picnic Point enjoyed great weather and fellowship, thank you Elma & Norm Raverty. I also heard a whisper that a great fish was caught on the Sunday? Not when I was there on Saturday!

Some Members once again enjoyed meals at the Tongala pub, it’s a pity there are restrictions, but it is the only way we can continue with these functions, thank you to Joy & Rob Mitchell.

There are only 17 positions left for the President’s Run on April 18th.

Hope to catch up at the next meeting, in the meantime, Happy Motoring.

Brian Wills

President.

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Meeting opened by President Brian Wills at 7.30 pm (Held at Rich River Golf Club Moama) Present:: 71 as per attendance register Apologies: Beryl Marshall, Neil & Mavis Grumitt, Ken & Jan Wilson, George & Grace Kidgell, Barry and Barbara Higgins, David & Helen Henderson, Leonie Mitchell, Scott Mitchell, Brian Taranto, Dawn Webb, Carole Edwards, Robin Simons, and Brent Stephen Moved by Laurie Edward, seconded by Val Cosway that apologies be accepted, all in favour carried. Sick List: Since our last meeting in November 2020, we have had quite a few members on the sick list. Most are well on the way to recovery, and for those more recently who have found themselves unwell, we wish them all the best for a speedy recovery. Visitors: Reg Golding was present and has applied to become a Member pending approval and was warmly welcomed by the President. Business arising from previous minutes: There was no business arising from the Minutes of the previous meeting. Minutes of the previous meeting: As published in the club's November 2020 newsletters, they were confirmed as a true and accurate record on a motion. Moved by Peter Dunlop, seconded by Herb Cosway, all in favour, against nil carried. Secretary’s Report: Peter Dunlop Correspondence out Vic Roads advising them of new office bearers for 2020-2021 club year Consumer affairs annual statement incorporated body Correspondence in: Thankyou card from Lynette Clee and her Family for cards messages and the guard of honour at Kens funeral Various newsletters from other clubs Entry form RACV Alpine Rally starting Saturday, Nov 20th to Saturday, Nov 27th Moved by Gordon Bell, seconded by Rodney Cole, moved that inward correspondence be received and outward approved, all in favour carried. Treasurer’s Report: Joy Mitchell Joy Mitchell presented the November and January Treasurer’s report. Joy also reported that a letter had been written to Rotary in October requesting a reduction in rent as we have not been able to use the clubroom since March due to Covid 19 restrictions. Joy reported that Rotary had held a meeting, but as yet, there has been no reply. It was moved by Joy Mitchell and seconded by Ron Wood that the Treasurer’s report be accepted. All in favour, carried. Joy also mentioned that Rotary had wanted assistance from the Car Club members for the Steam Rally. Joy was of the view that due to the age of most of our members, it was not a good idea that they are possibly exposed to Covid 19. This must have been the view of outer clubs as it has been decided not to proceed with the Rally at this time. Joy also requested approval for payment to cover postage for the November and December Newsletters. It was moved by Ron Wood that this payment be approved and Seconded by Tony Galea. All in favour, carried. New Membership applications received from: Reg Golding and Leon Atkinson. New Club Membership approval since the last General Meeting. No approvals since last General Meeting New Membership Application Awaiting Approval Received from Reg Golding and Leon Atkinson. The President asked those present if there were any objections to membership approval for Reg Golding and Leon Atkinson. There being no objections, both were approved for membership. Club Captain's Report: (Position Vacant) The President noted that it is difficult to organize events without the assistance of the Club Captain.

Minutes General Mtg 02/02/21

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Past Events: Christmas Party on Dec 18th at Rich River Golf Club was well attended. The meal was very well received, and the trivia

quiz kept everyone on their toes. 21 members hosted by Peter & Kate Dunlop ventured to the Lockington Pub on Jan 15th, 2021 and a good time was

had by all. On the same evening, Joy Mitchell also took a group of 20 to the Leitchville pub and all who attended were well-pleased with the $3.50 pots!

Upcoming events: 5 – 8 February 2021 -Annual Picnic Point long weekend camp. Is always an enjoyable event. See Norm and Alma for

details Feb 11th, 2021 - Joy Mitchell advised she would take a party of 26 to the Tongala Pub for an evening meal. Depart Club

Rooms at 6.00 pm Apr 18th, 2021 -The President advised that the “President’s Run will be well worth the trip. A limit of 60 meals has

been allocated, with 30 places already booked. The President urged anyone who had an idea for an event or function to let the committee members know and they would try to make it happen. For a full listing of club events and updates, please refer to the club calendar in the newsletter. Registrar’s Report: Rodney Cole Rodney reported it had been relatively quiet. One vehicle came off the registrar and one was added. Norm and Elma Ravertys Cadillac Moritz Eldorado As an aside Rodney reported that 43kms of thread was used in the month of January whilst only 96kms was used for the whole of 2020 in their business. Swap Meet Report: David Barker Swap Meet for 2021 cancelled due to covid 19 virus. Swap meet committee has a new Treasurer, Dina Galea, with Kate Dunlop staying on as assistant treasurer David Barker reported that it had been assessed and in order to comply with all the permits and Covid 19 rules and regulations double the usual number of volunteers would be required to run the Swap meet. Hopefully, the event will be back in 2022. Peter Dunlop expanded on this by saying that name and addressed of every attendee was required. Medical facilities had to be on site in the event that some become ill with suspected Covid 19. No queueing permitted at toilets. The restrictions and requirements are very onerous. Ballarat, Castlemaine and Lancefield Swap meets (which were either side of Echuca’s Swap meet) have cancelled their events for the same reasons as it is just too difficult. There was negative feedback in that 30,000 people in Melbourne can watch the tennis, but 1,000 people cannot attend a Swap meet. Editor’s Report: Bruce Ewing Bruce Ewing was absent, but a Bulletin is due shortly. Welfare Officer: Kate Dunlop Get well cards sent to David Barker, Val Cosway, Ellie Wallace, Brian Wills, Richard Wearne, and Ken Wilson. Kate also reported that Kevin Morrison who was present, had been in hospital and the Club hope that he continued to get well. AOMC Report: Len Barry Len Not Present, nothing to report. Bunnings Barbeque: Rob Mitchell reported that extra volunteers were required due to Covid 19 restrictions, but they had managed to get the required number of volunteers to run the last event. Rob advised he had asked Bunnings for 3 more events and was told that Bunnings will conduct a ballot to allocate dates. Rob noted that more help was needed to conduct these barbecues as they are currently the only means of fundraising at the moment. Club Membership Officer: Ron Wood Ron wood welcomed Reg Golding and presented him with a Welcome pack. Ron advised Reg that whilst things are quiet at the moment due to COVID 19, the club usually conducts lots of events and functions. Ron also advised he had Echuca Car Club plates to be bolted to the top of car number plates for a cost of $18.00. Ron also had some yellow stain windscreen banners which were very popular for a cost of $10.00 each. Federation Report: Rob Mitchell Nothing to Report. Moved by Geoff Suggate, seconded by Judy Thomson that all reports be accepted, all in favour carried.

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My Vehicle/s and why is it so: Trevor Berryman was asked to give and impromptu talk about his vehicles. He said he had a Suzuki Mighty Boy which was a nice drive and roomier than expected. Trevor was of the view that these vehicles will get rarer and more sought after as time goes on. Trevor also has a 1970 Rover that gave him no pleasure. He felt like a royalist as these cars were favoured by British Prime Ministers and the Queen even had one! Trevor much preferred Aussie made vehicles especially when it comes to trying to get parts. Chris Edward was also asked about his extensive collection of vehicles. TR3A 28 Model Ford Shooter with 350 Chevie engine and a Holden front end. ZC Fairlane Ute. 1981 Toyota Royal Cabin – Bus XY Ford Fairmont on the hoist for 2 years Lincoln Continental for over 2 years waiting. Toyota Landcruiser bought for $1K spent $3K – good car. Land Rover which I bought for $0.00 and spent $3K – a good car. Bus 2004 on Club Rego – Rego was originally $1,300 – Will go to Picnic Point trip Jaguar XJS Coupe with 55,000 miles. Pulled up near Albury by the police for doing 200 and had a 30-minute chat with the nice policeman. He said “Silly old prick go and book a racetrack next time. He gave back licence and let him go. General Business: Club Meetings: Peter Dunlop said the Club needs to consider how we conduct our meetings until we get a vaccine. We can only fit 30 people in the clubrooms. There have been suggestions to meet in the open air or the Rich River Gold Club and should we meet every month or every two months. Val Cosway was of the view that the RRGC was the best option and the responsibility for COVID 19 compliance rests with them. This will be it easier for the Club. The weather will start to get colder and many won’t want to come out in the cold. David Barker asked what the hire fee for RRGC was, which is less than we pay Rotary pro-rata for the Club Rooms. It was moved by Joy Mitchell that meeting take place at RRGC until further notice. Seconded by Murray Blair. All in favour – carried. The question of monthly or bi-monthly (every two months) meetings was discussed. Rodney Cole advised it was much easier for anyone requiring vehicle registration etc to see him a meetings every month, rather than try to arrange a specific appoint John Cutting informed the club we must be mindful of what our constitution is in relation to when we hold meetings. Others were of the view that the monthly meetings provided social contact especially as Covid 19 restrictions had left many isolated. This was a way to catch up in a safer way. It was moved by Joy Mitchell and seconded by Laurie Edwards that meetings continue monthly social contact. All in favour – carried. Peter Dunlop also brought up the matter that RRGC needs to set up the meeting room properly (social distancing) and set up tea and coffee facilities (this had not been done). He also was going to try to make booking for 2 for one meals as a group so members could sit together over their meal before the meeting. Club Policy: It is permissible for members to wear their Club T-shirts whilst at the RRGC. Meeting Facilities – Rodney Cole pointed out that what we pay to hold meetings at the RRGC was less than what we pay Rotary for the Club Rooms and urged the Executive to think about and discuss the matter for consideration by the Club.

President closed the meeting at 8.25pm.

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Dear Club Members

Until further notice, all General meetings will be held at the Rich River Golf Club in Moama on the first Tuesday of the month, commencing at 7:30 pm.

For members wishing to dine in the Golf Club bistro prior to meetings, Rich River is offering a two for one meal deal on Tuesday evenings (6:00 pm on) to Golf Club Members. Please note, it is $10.00 to become a Golf Club Member, so if you join before ordering a meal, you will still be better off.

Please Note change to booking in for dinner arrangements

Please email Secretary Peter Dunlop secretary.edhvci@outlook.com or phone 0407 949 291 if you wish to dine prior to the meeting and I will book us in as a group. The Golf Club has requested this change so as they can allocate all seating in the one area of Bistro

Peter Dunlop

Secretary

Club Memorandum

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W ell, this was an event that a couple of months

ago, nobody thought would happen. However, with a lot of planning, thought and help from the Rich River Golf Club, all was well.

It was great to see so many of our friends there and to be able to catch up with them all. The club had done a great job with the tables, all looking very festive. The meal was equally as festive and enjoyable. Delicious as well.

Our new President Brian and wife Lyn organized the raffles, Peter Curtain gave everyone a coloured printed copy of the Christmas News Letter and Helen and David Henderson had devised quizzes that were on each table. These were a bit hard but all the tables got some answers. There a few

Christmas Dinner 18/12/20

“smarties”. Our table wasn’t one of them though.

Brian also presented Rob Mitchell with a Certificate of Appreciation for all, his work over the years as Club Captain and Joy received a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

“a great end to what has been a pretty ordinary

year” Due to Covid there was no dancing or entertainment so it wasn’t a very late finish, but a great end to what has been a pretty “ordinary” year. Lets hope the next one is better and brighter.

I think a few people were going to see Robins Christmas Lights on the way home. Herb and I certainly did

Val and Herb Cosway

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T here were 7 cars that left Rotary Park at 6.00pm. We had no sooner got into the cars when the wind really picked up and we had the most dreadful dust storm

hit.

“we couldn’t see a thing” When we got out onto the main road we couldn’t see a thing, but as we drove out of town the dust gradually eased, but the wind was pretty bad all the way up. We were in the Corolla and could feel the wind trying to lift the car.

Luckily no one suffered any damage from falling trees or such and we all arrived at Leitchville safe and sound. We collected one more car on the way and there was one already waiting for us and another arrived a little later.

The hotel was extremely busy. The meals that they serve make it a very popular place to eat, especially on a Friday

Leitchville Hotel 15/01/21

night. We had one long table set for all 20 of us. We ordered separately and spaced it out a little but we all got served more or less together which was good.

The meals are very good and huge into the bargain. Some people had a job trying to clean their plates, mainly those with Schnitzels or steaks, but no one was disappointed with the food.

By the time we came to leave the wind had settled down a bit and it was a very pleasant drive home.

Another 20 of the members went to the Lockington Hotel so hopefully they had as good a night as us.

Lets hope that it won’t be too long before we can all go to the same place.

Val and Herb Cosway

Lockington Hotel 15/01/21

I t was the first time out of the shed for Barry and Barbara Higgins’ Red Riley for eight months. As always, Barry had some concern over the twin carby

tune, nothing to worry about; the Riley loved the challenge and even navigated through a massive pothole as we approached Lockington with ease, even if the shock absorbers were put to the test.

“Yogi, our Club mascot,

was a happy camper” We had 20 club members in attendance and if anyone was hungry when we arrived at the venue, they indeed weren’t when we left as we all enjoyed a lovely meal. There were plenty of leftovers, so Yogi, our club mascot, was a happy camper as well

Kate and Peter Dunlop

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I t was, as it turned out, very lucky that we didn’t get invited to a

breakfast this year. It poured with rain. However the day cleared up as it went along and by 6.00pm it was brilliant. Mind you the wind got up and after Monday’s 40 odd degrees it got cold enough to put jackets on.

It was really good to catch up with everyone and although there weren’t as many people as other years it was still a good roll up. And it was nice to see a fair

number of club cars.

Our revered President Brian attended with just one crutch after his knee operation. He was getting around to everyone very well.

As is usual on this day everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Norm as his birthday is the 25th.

Let’s hope that everything is starting to get back to some semblance of normality and that this evening is the start of more events.

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Q uite a few of us chose to meet at the pub. This made

it a bit easier for the publicans with orders being placed at less of a rush.

We were limited to numbers so I guess that a few of us missed out. We can only hope that things get better sometime soon.

It was certainly a meal worth having with a pot which included either beer,

soft drink or a wine (and not just a house wine I might add). There were some that found the meal too big but doggy bags were available. We have got tea for Friday night.

It was so nice to be able to catch up with some of the club members that we haven’t seen for so long.

Thanks to Joy for organizing it.

Val and Herb Cosway

Tongala Hotel 11/02/21

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Picnic Point 05-08/02/21

T his was a first for Rob and I and with the forecast of 100% rain

for Friday we decided not to join the group until Saturday , arriving shortly after Peter & Kate Dunlop.

Club members, Norm & Elma Raverty, John & Carol Eddy, Jim & Theresa Brereton, Stephen & Joan Ritli, Geoff & Lisa Odgers, Chris Edward, Don Tracey, and Reg Golding were already settled in having arrived either Thursday or Friday, along with Neil & Mary Parker, Tom and Jenny Reid and Margo & Graham Hendy. Club president Brian Wills and Lyn made a day trip on Saturday leaving after tea. Upon our arrival it was pretty quiet as many of the ladies had headed to Deniliquin and the guys were out and about.

The afternoon saw a left handed bocce game as Tom was recovering from

surgery with Stephen & Joan winning the trophy, rumour has it, that favored Joan who might just be left handed. Others chatted while poor Brian fed the evasive Murray cod a delightful afternoon tea.

We all bussed to the Mathoura Bowling club where we enjoyed a lovely meal, some drinks and yes

more conversation. The bus trip home saw a kangaroo guard of honour along the road reinforcing our decision not to drive.

After a late night with free musical entertainment provided by a wedding at the Timbercutters, saw us eager for a latte when they opened at 10 am, We farewelled Don before heading back to the park for lunch. In the arvo some were brave enough to have a swim while a more

productive fishing expedition was had by Neil & Tom , a 4 kg cod. Several games of Klopp were played with new comer Lisa winning a game. We gathered for tea in the camp kitchen for our last get together as some were leaving quite early in the morning, others staying another night.

A relaxing time for all.

Joy Mitchell

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T he early 60s brought on a new era for setting records at the

Bonneville Salt Flats. American Streamliners were now regularly getting over 300 miles per hour but none were coming close to John Cobb’s 394 mph record that was set back in 1947.

An American Hot Rodder by the name of Mickey Thompson made it his goal that he was going to be the first to break the 400 mph barrier. He was already famous for building the first dragster in the early 50s and for setting a record of 294 mph with his twin-Hemi

Engine dragster in 1958.

To try and reach 400 mph he built a custom streamliner that was nicknamed Challenger. The Challenger was powered by four Pontiac 415 V8 engines that are hooked up to four ’37 Cadillac transmissions. Mickey took the Challenger to Bonneville in October of

The Right Stuff—Battle of the Jet Cars

1959 and was able to reach a speed of 363.48 mph. However, this was not the 400 miles per hour record that Thompson had hoped

for.

Thompson would spend the next year improving the cars aerodynamics and engine performance. A 6-71 GMC supercharger was added to each individual Pontiac V8 motor, and other minor adjustments were made which gave each engine 750 hp. Mickey Thompson and

his crew then took the Challenger out to the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 9th, 1960 and made an amazing one way

record of 406.60 mph which made him the fastest man on Earth!

Enter the Jets.

By 1962 Jet cars had begun to become a more common appearance at Bonneville with a few different jet cars trying to achieve speeds that were

thought impossible to reach. Those who brought jet cars to compete were; drag racer Art Arfons, known for his Allison V12 powered Dragsters and his brother Walt Arfons, another man by the name of Dr. Nathan Ostich, and a drag racer by the name of Craig Breedlove.

During this era record setting at Bonneville changed from being a weekend hobby into a full scale competition with high dollar cars, a high level of competitiveness and it finally became a serious business.

Art Arfons ran a series of cars that were powered by General Electric J79 turbo-Jet engines that continued running the name Green Monster which is what he nicknamed his dragsters.

His brother Walt Arfons would run a car nicknamed

Walt Arfons Wingfoot Express was powered by a Westinghouse J49 triple jet powered engine.

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Wingfoot Express, which was powered by a Westinghouse J49 triple jet powered engine. Craig Breedlove would run a three wheeled car that was nicknamed the Spirit of America which was powered by a J47 engine out of an F-86 Sabre fighter

plane.

The record setting in this era became similar to that of the test pilots; Chuck Yeager, Scott Crossfield, Gordo Cooper and Gus Grissom of “The Right Stuff” and NASA fame. Every time one of the Arfons or Breedlove would set a record, the other guys would go back and rebuild their cars or build a new car just to beat that last set record, even if it was only by a couple miles per hour.

The competition officially started in August of 1963 when Craig Breedlove beat Mickey Thompson’s 406 mph record with a new record of 407.45. The record would stand until October of 1964 when Walt Arfons and his driver Tom Green would set a record of 413.20 mph in Wingfoot Express. This record would be short lived because like any good brother Art was competitive and had to crush his older brother’s record.

Just three days after Walt set his 413 mph record, Art took his budget-built Green Monster to a record

breaking speed of 434.02 mph. Art just didn’t beat his brother’s record, he crushed it!

Like most records of this time, Art’s record would only last eight short days because Craig Breedlove was back at Bonneville with a rebuilt Spirit of America to

push the envelope even further. Thanks to his rebuilt J47 engine and improved streamlining on his car, Breedlove was able to achieve a new record speed of 468.72 mph.

“However Art’s record would only

last just eight short days because Craig Breedlove was back at Bonneville with a

rebuilt Spirit of America to push the

envelope a little further. “

However, Breedlove knew

his Spirit of America was capable of going even faster, so back to the garage he went. They made a few minor engine adjustments and were able to run and crush all previous records by breaking the 500 mph mark with a record setting run of 526.28! He achieved a speed of 539 on his return run before his parachutes tore off and he lost control crashing through a telephone pole before crashing into a brine lake that was at the end of the

course.

He would escape completely unharmed but his Spirit of America was completely destroyed.

Art Arfons would then break

this record with his rebuilt Green Monster at the end of the month by setting a new record of 536.71 MPH which was the final record set for 1964.

Breedlove would return to Bonneville in 1965 with a brand new car nicknamed Spirit of America Sonic 1 that used the faster J79 engine with a 4-wheel design. During his first run of the season Breedlove would temporally lose control of his car and almost end up in the same lake as

last year, but he was able to recover his car in time. He found out at high speeds that his front end was lifting off the ground and causing the control problems, so they added fins to the front of the car to add more down force to help keep it stable at higher speeds.

On November 2nd of 1965 Breedlove would set a new record of 555.483 mph. Art Arfons and his rebuilt Green Monster would then break this record when he managed to achieve a speed of 576.553 mph. He was still able to break the record

Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America

Art Arfons record crushing ‘Green Monster’

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Green Monster to try and break Breedlove’s record. However, during his first attempt at setting a new record one of the front wheel bearings broke and his car went out of control while he was at the speed of around 610 mph. Sadly, the car was totaled but Art

despite having to regain control of his car after one of his rear tires blew out and one of his parachutes ripped away. However just eight days later, Breedlove would then shatter Art’s record by breaking the 600 mph barrier and setting a record of 600.601!

Art Arfons would return in 1966 with a newly rebuilt

Noble but that was done in Nevada so Gabelich’s record still stands as the fastest record in Bonneville.

It really amazes us how much ingenuity and hard work that gets put into the cars that have run at Bonneville throughout the years. Bonneville is a really unique and special place that has so much history and so many stories that it’s hard to fit them all into one piece. We sincerely hope that Bonneville will remain the ultimate proving ground for generations of hot rods to come and we support all of the “Save the Salt” efforts to ensure that those who have the desire to create one of a kind machines and the courage to drive their machines as hard and as fast as possible will have the opportunity to become the fastest man (or woman) in the world!

survived with only a few minor scratches and some salt burns to the eyes. Arfons would soon retire from Land Speed Racing and begin a career in tractor pulling.

Craig Breedlove’s record would stand for five more years until 1970 when a man by the name of Gary Gabelich would shatter his record. Gary Gabelich used a car which was powered by not a jet engine but a rocket engine that used hydrogen peroxide oxidizer combined with liquefied natural gas.

The Final Record

On October 28, 1970 Gary Gabelich would do the impossible, not only would he break the 600 MPH barrier and shatter Breedlove’s record he would set the fastest record in Bonneville history!

During his record breaking run Gabelich pushed the Blue Flame to an average speed of 630.478! His record was not broken until 13 years later by Richard

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For Sale is Charlie Pellegrino’s last restoration project, sadly not completed before Charlie passed away, but finished off by some of Charlie’s good friends.

1959 Ford ‘Tank’ Fairlaine 300 (Chassis No. 59av58e724g)

Ex Funeral Parlour vehicle with a genuine 80,000 miles

- Rust free and freshly painted with all brightwork and bumper bars having been re-chromed.

- Interior has been retrimmed, a full rubber kit installed and new air conditioner and heater fitted.

- A reconditioned 332 V8 & Cruise-O-Matic transmission, complete with a new 4 Barrel manifold and Edelbrock Carby

- Jaguar Series 3 reconditioned front end, including reset Springs front & rear, reconditioned brakes front & rear, power steering with new seal kit and new 225 x 15 tyres.

- Supplied with an Engineer’s Certificate but no Registration, the car drives & brakes extremely well.

Will consider offers over $ 45,000.00 Contact Charlie’s son Mick, 0427 835 200

For Sale

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March Tue 2nd General Meeting Rich River Golf Club 7:30pm

April Tue 6th General Meeting Rick River Golf Club 7:30 pm Apr 18th, 2021 -The President advised that the “President’s Run will be well worth the trip. A limit of 60 meals has

been allocated, with 30 places already booked.

The Committee urges anyone who had an idea for an event or function to let them know and they will try to make it happen.

COMING SOON

2021 Club Calendar