Bangers to Bluff 2018 — it’s on again!

21 November, 2017

 


 

The 2018 dates for the annual Bangers to Bluff car rally have been announced, and team entries are now being called for. Up to 20 old bangers — four-door cars with WOF and rego, costing less than $2K — will leave Auckland April 10, 2018, and spend the next 13 days driving roads less travelled all the way to Invercargill, where the organizers will take ownership of each car and auction them off to raise funds for charity.

Bangers to Bluff has been run by the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay for the last three years, with steady growth each year as its popularity has increased. So far, it has raised $85K for charity, and the masthead charities for 2018 are:

  • Hopeworks Foundation — providing information and support for those dealing with brain injuries
  • Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand — working to reduce the burden of multiple sclerosis on those diagnosed, their carers, and families.

The route will cover approximately 2500km of some of New Zealand’s best and most scenic roads, including the North Island’s Forgotten World Highway and the South Island’s Haast and Arthur’s passes. The main goals are to raise funds and awareness for the charities, while having loads of fun and travelling our great country. The rally is not a driving competition. It is a fun and friendly event with points won for challenges along the way, and a trophy is awarded at the end. 

The organizing committee is now looking for participants for the 2018 event. Participation can be in the form of entering a team and vehicle to go on the rally, or through sponsorship and/or donations. If you would like to know more, reach out to the team through one of the following channels:

  • bangerstobluff.co.nz
  • Facebook.com/bangerstobluff
  • Peter Bailey, 0274 736 994
  • [email protected].

The Bangers to Bluff committee would like to acknowledge the support of platinum sponsors Fruehauf and CarJam, as well as supporting partners Protecta Insurance and the Automobile Association.
 

Travelling companion

It’s easy to see why the Morris Minor Traveller was one of the best-loved variants of the Morris Minor. Introduced in 1953, it was equipped with the same independent torsion bar front suspension, drum brakes, and rack and pinion steering as its saloon sibling but, with their foldable rear seat increasing versatility, many Travellers were used as trade vehicles, says Derek Goddard. Derek and Gail Goddard, the owners of this superbly restored example, have run Morris Minors since before they were married in 1974.
“Our honeymoon vehicle was a blue Morris Minor van — it was a rust bucket,” says Derek.

Super Leicht Gullwing

It’s fair to say that nothing much in the classic Mercedes world gets past Mercedes-Benz Club stalwart Garry Boyce so it wasn’t surprising to learn that around 15 years ago he had sniffed out an extremely rare 300SL lightweight Gullwing as well as a 1958 300SL Roadster hiding away in the Waikato. The cars were not for sale but Garry eventually managed to persuade the owner to allow him and his restoration team to take a look at the Roadster. They discovered a very distressed but largely unmolested car. The car was so original that the body had never been off the chassis, meaning most of the parts and fittings were still present and correct, as they had been fitted by the factory.