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Thursday, January 31, 2013

THE 4X4 CLUB – ZIMBABWE



THE 4X4 CLUB – ZIMBABWE
Newsletter No: 98
February 2013
P O Box HG 594 Highlands   Harare   Zimbabwe                                     The Motor Sports Club House,  2 Annan Road, Eastlea, Harare.
The Chairman and Editorial Team:
CHAIRMAN:      Tim Thorburn                498723   /  0772.645.518                     thorburn@mweb.co.zw
EDITORS       Mike & Pat GILL        494028 / 0778.843.843 / 0778.731.288   gill@zol.co.zw 
4x4 Club Website http://www.4x4.co.zw                 Face Book Site:                                 4x4 Zimbabwe
The 4x4 Club is affiliated to the Zimbabwe Motor Sports Federation - ZMSF
Our Club is a member of the Mashonaland Motor Sport Association Club House, situated at: 2 Annan Rd. Eastlea.   It is available for hire for weddings, conferences, kid's parties, 21st birthdays, etc.
News, comments and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Club or the Committee

THE EDITOR’S DESK        -   Michael and Pat Gill
Have you thought about who you would like on the new committee yet?  The AGM is on the 24th March.  Please put your thinking caps on and be prepared to vote!! 
Agenda and minutes and all the gummige to propose and vote will go out shortly.  We really need young people with a sense of adventure as Events Officers, someone who can plan and lead a trail drive, etc.  I am sure there must be someone out there who can take over.   Have a look at the committee members at the end of this newsletter; have a look around you at your member friends and if you think they qualify then nominate them; and yes, you can volunteer your own services.  This is not an onerous task and is a lot of fun. 
 

DO YOU WANT TO BUY A WINCH
Before you rush into buying a winch here are a couple of thoughts.
1.  Whatever you buy will need a very strong mounting plate.
2.  You must be sure that it is mounted onto the chassis in such a way that it can carry the weight of your rig like a crane, off the road.
3.  They are very dangerous when the cable breaks.
4.   You need a good knowledge of the drain on your battery.  Many people run the battery flat.  Maybe you should have a dual battery.
5.   According to WARN you need a winch that pulls 1.5 times your empty, or full, rig.  A double cab pickup needs a 9000 lb winch and a Cruiser or Patrol would need a 12000 lb winch.
6.   Maybe you should think about a Hi Lift jack.  Yes, it can pull.  It takes much longer but has lots of advantages.
7.   All the extra weight of the winch and metal work will reduce your front ride height by about 50mm.  Now you need to change the front springs.
8.   If you are still with me you will see that buying the winch is the start of a big spending spree.
9.   Only the best and most expensive are water sealed.  So pulling a boat or car out with the winch under water may be terminal if not serviced soon after.
10.  The wire rope only works to full advantage when winding on the bare drum.  It loses about 5 – 10% each layer and then there is the damage caused by bad winding.  Most cables are 30 to 35m long; most recoveries are less so the rope is already several layers deep.

LETTER FROM Kathie McIntosh OF S.O.A.P.
Dear 4X4 club,
What a marvelous Christmas you gave the destitute elderly!!!   $475 cash and all sorts of groceries went a long way to add Christmas cheer to so many old people. It was decided by SOAP to use your donation for one particularly desperate home.  It was the Braeside Home for the Destitute Elderly.  It inhabits18 woman and 24 men who have no family; no support, and in fact have nothing.  4 ladies from the Highland Presbyterian Church go every Friday with a nourishing meal for the inhabitants.  We have furnished a dining room and every Friday they sit down to a meal.  In front of my eyes I have seen them develop a sense of dignity and pride.  They were "The Forgotten Old People" All the groceries that you sent I put in individual parcels and, at the Christmas Party, every one received these huge parcels of food to tide them over  Imagine their joy!!   Some of them could not remember when they last got a Christmas present.
Then to add to their joy Pat delivered a large parcel of beautiful clothes.  There were dresses, lots of shirts and --best of all-----men's shoes!  These will be divided among the needy.
 So, on behalf of many needy old people, a very big and very sincere thank you to all the members of the 4X4 club.  May God bless you.
Yours sincerely,                     Kathie McIntosh.


CHINESE PROVERB
If you want to be happy for a day – get drunk.
If you want to be happy for three days – get married.
If you want to be happy for a week – kill a pig. But
If you want to be happy for ever – MAKE A GARDEN.


TECHNICAL TIP
You know that small water bottle for the radiator water; well you can see it gets very dirty.  Have you tried to clean one, shaking nuts inside with soap or pool acid or Meths or engine cleaner or Jik all failed me.  Get a strong piece of wire, fix a small piece of toweling to it, put soap and water and start prodding around inside.  Result - A nice clean tank and I can see the water level again.

MEMBER'S NEWS:
Lloyd Clarke's daughter, Amy, had nasty accident in Lloyd's lovely Nissan Patrol.  He says it was the car that prevented her from much more serious injury.  Both she and the Patrol are well and up and running. Ngomo Kurira here we come.
Rene Czudek bought the LR90 V8 from the Linds and with the 4x4 bug he now has a Jeep Wrangler as well.  While playing with it at Donnybrook it just failed to perform till Ray Walker pointed out it had no front drive.  Ray had experienced this on his Wrangler so a few quick repairs under the gearbox and happiness, four wheel drive again.  Now he is looking for a Series 2 Landy SWB.
Grant Weare is on a mission with V8 Disco and other bits to create a new SWB V8 toy.  Keep it up and you may have it going before Dad, Kelvin, gets the Cournil going.


TECHNICAL TIP:
Tubes of glue are often scattered around the workshop or lost in an overfull junk drawer.  Make yourself a handy home for these battered and twisted tubes.  Cut the top off a 2 litre plastic squash bottle and tuck it away on a corner of the work bench.  If you keep all your tubes in here at least they are handy to get at and do not stick to the surroundings. 


A LITTLE BIT OF PAM AYRES
There are holes in the sky
Where the rain comes in.
They are ever so small
That's why the rain is so thin.


PAST EVENTS:
ARCADIA DAM "ACTIVE SPORTS MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE"
Once again your Club was asked to help with a cross country MTB race and this time the Gills and the Greenways did the job in their Patrols.  This is a three day event of about 85 ks per day through the most beautiful Mazoe Valley and North to Arcadia Dam on the Pote River.
Our jobs were to act as a sweep car, pick up the breakages, and set up water points with food and drink.  The cyclists had done about 35 ks by the time they found us and the 4x4 Club banners.  You should see how hungry and thirsty they were.
We had to go back down the route to collect a cyclist near the Mazoe River and with a sick exhausted rider on board we sank into saturated sand like quick sand.  The driver's side running board was under wet sand!  Luckily we had a winch and there was a suitable tree at 45 deg. in front.  We pulled ourselves out onto hard ground, put the casualty back in his seat and rejoined the event.

ANNUAL GOMOKURIRA MOUNTAIN DRIVE.
The day and drive was lovely! 
26 Vehicles, in all approximately 70 adults, several children and pets. We could not have asked for better weather.
There were 2 routes – the difficult route lead by Malcolm in 'Fugly' and the easier route lead by Roger in his Patrol. Malcolm in the Jeep/Nissan comp. led two other cars, Alan Sheers in his Landy S3 and Dale Kiggen in his comp. S1 Landy.   
We all arrived at the lunch spot safe and sound without mishap.  There was the usual 'kissing the beacon' at the very top.  The last 50 m is tricky and needs guidance from the spectators.  I think the first kiss was by Tim in his Pajero.  Some of the “geo-cachers” among the club went searching with GPS for the 3 geo-caches in the area.  One not too difficult that had some of the “muggle” members hooked onto the sport. The other involved a bit of energy and a climb so we left that one to the enthusiasts, while the rest of us preferred to relax under the trees. The third may have been found by some of the members on their way home.  This event is always such a great way to start the year! Stunning views, good company, good food and drink and of course all the conversation about whether we should drive a Landrover, a Nissan Patrol, a Landcruiser, a Jeep………..
Thanks to Carol Weare who were in their Landcruiser 60


4x4 Club Diary -      2013
These dates change as the year progresses, but flyers will be sent out before each event.
FEBRUARY  17                 MUD FEST                      Donnybrook
MARCH     24           AGM                     Donnybrook
MARCH /APRIL 29-1       EASTER
APRIL                    17-21           Expedition                       Away
MAY            11-12           Bushpig                            Shamva Road
MAY            17-18           Motor Show                    
MAY            25                Night Extreme and Jamboree Launch  Donnybrook
JUNE           13-16           Bush Clearing                   To be Advised      
JULY           13-14            Course Building                Donnybrook
AUGUST  3-4       JAMBOREE           Donnybrook
AUGUST      12-13            Away Weekend                T.B.A.
SEPTEMBER 15              English and African Rules          Donnybrook
OCTOBER    19–20           3 Hills                              Chinamora
NOVEMBER 22–24           Dungbeetle TBA              Mutare
DECEMBER  8                 Christmas Run                  Local



DONNYBROOK
To enter Donnybrook Park on a non-event day it will cost you $2 per car, providing you have you membership card.  Non-members will be charged $20 per car.  You must sign the book at the gate and put your name, your Club and membership number.   Do not pay without signing the book.
Please note:  If you wish to go to Donnybrook to play and there is another event on, then the organizing club can charge what they like for you to enter.  They will have hired the entire complex for that day. Please don’t try and argue with the gate attendant, they will just be doing their job.  Either pay-up or go away and come back on a free day. 

WEB SITE   /   FACE BOOK
Have you had a look at our Web Site?  Grant Weare has done a really good job of updating it.    Go to:   http://www.4x4.co.zw
We have a Face Book site  4x4 Zimbabwe         

Motor Sports Association Club House

MSA Membership: The Club House bar works on a Swipe Card basis and any member of an affiliated club can join.  Pay your $20 Club House subscription and get your card.  Bar prices are double for non-cardholders. 
Hall for Hire - Hire our affordable Club facilities for parties, Wedding Receptions, meetings, seminars, courses and other functions.  Assist us in this way to obtain funds for the Clubhouse.

CLUB FORUM
A forum for the club has been created.   Click on the following
It will be linked back to the 4x4 website in due course but register in the mean time.  Please pass this link on to anyone you think may be interested in posting on the forum.

YOUR 4X4 COMMITTEE FOR 2012. 
CHAIRMAN                         TIM THORBURN                  timthorburn.zim@gmail.com         0772.645.518     
TREASURER                         KELVIN WEARE                   weare@telfordmica.co.zw               0772.326.687
SECRETARY                          CAROL WEARE                    theweares@zol.co.zw                       0733.400.496
VICE CHAIRMAN                 MASS KIRK                          masslisbeth@gmail.com                  0772.261.682
CHF MARSHAL/EVENTS     ROGER ELLIS                        ellisr@barzem.co.zw                        0772.219.154
MEMBERSHIP                     PAT GILL                                             gill@zol.co.zw                                    0778.731.288
EVENTS / EQUIPMENT       GARETH GEACH                  garethg@sunlite.co.zw                     0772.283.524
EVENTS                                PETER BENZON                   petebenzon@hotmail.com              0775.009.218
EVENTS                                JASON YOUNG                    jason@telfordmica.co.zw                               0772.918.878
ENVIRONMENT                   MUZZA BLACK                    muzza@zol.co.zw                             0772.241.000
NEWSLETTER                       MICHAEL AND PAT GILL    gill@zol.co.zw                                    0778.843.843

Till next time. 
Michael and Pat GILL
Phone:   04.494028    (M) 0778.843.843        (P) 0778.731.288


4x4 colour logoTHE 4 x 4 CLUB
P.O. BOX HG 594    HIGHLANDS      HARARE      ZIMBABWE
2 Annan Road, Eastlea,  Harare. 
www.4x4.co.zw
Affiliated to the Zimbabwe Motor Sports Federation
MEMBERSHIP  RENEWAL              -         2013

Name:                  ...........................................................................................................

Address:               .............................................................................................

                              …………………………………………………………………………………

Telephone numbers :  Home:  .……........................    Work:: ……………..................  

Cell: ...........................………...........          E-mail : …………………….......................       
In order to keep our records up-to-date, please complete in full. 

Signed:  ............................................... Date:     ...……..................................

                    Annual subscription for 2013 is           US$40
Our Bank Account Details, if you wish to do a direct deposit:
The 4x4 Club;   NMB Borrowdale Branch;
Branch Code: 11106               Account No:  260066827
Please advise me as soon as you have paid, or we will not be able to reconcile the account and you will not get your new Membership Card. 
Pat Gill:           Membership Secretary
Phone:  494028          Cell:  0778.731.288               Email:  gill@zol.co.zw



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