THE 4X4 CLUB – ZIMBABWE
Newsletter No: 113
September 2014
P O Box HG 594
Highlands Harare Zimbabwe The
Motor Sports Club House, 2 Annan Road,
Eastlea, Harare.
The
Chairman and Editorial Team:
EDITORS Mike
& Pat GILL (M) 0778.843.843 (P)
0778.731.288 gill@zol.co.zw
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
The Time has come, the walrus said……….. And the time has come for us to do the
same. We are hanging up our editors
boots. And this will be the last newsletter you get from us. We are looking for
someone to take over this lovely task. Yes it takes time but it makes you very
aware of the Club activities, meeting interesting people and it widens you
knowledge of the 4x4 world. The other
thing is the whole concept of this Newsletter must change and look forward. We have been doing it for a long time and
times change. We feel sure that a more
youthful approach would be in the Club's interest. And someone who can add
photos!!
Thank you everyone for your support over the last fourteen
years we have enjoyed writing all 113 editions.
CHAIRMAN'S
CHATTER: - Peter
Benzon
I would
personally like to thank Mike and Patty Gill, our esteemed Editors, for their
tireless work in putting together a newsletter without fail every month,
finding interesting content, letting everyone know what is happening and
chasing me for my chairman's chatter every month. It really has been good. Now
we just need to find someone to take over this important role in the club.
We have a
very hectic month or two coming up with firstly the motor show at Old
Georgians, we are going to have a stand again promoting our club so drop by and
have a chat. (We just need volunteers to
help maintain the stand)
Thereafter
junior and ladies jamboree, guys don’t be shy to bring dads pride and joy down
and have some fun. Then we have our Beatrice Bushpig come and enjoy the
Beatrice hospitality and watch the teams slog through the hardest courses of
all our events.
Three
different events that will cater for everyone’s tastes in 4x4ing, please make
an effort to come and join us. It will be great to see some new faces.
Have a great
month of 4x4ing. Cheers, Pete
NEW
MEMBERS:
We are up to 99 members; there must be one new member or even an old one
who would like to pay their subs to me to make the grand 100 total before I
hand this task over to Wilma. Who will
be your new Membership Secretary. You
will hear from her before too long about next year's subs.
MEMBER'S
NEWS:
Kelly-Edwards: Congratulations to Matt and Justine on the
birth of their son. Will this be another budding "off Roader"? Ex Members Quentin and Cheri Kelly-Edwards
have been out on a visit from England to meet their latest Grandchild.
From North
America.
I'm just going back through my
emails, and I never responded. There is
a good reason, in that we're currently on the road in Alaska, on a trip down
through the Americas. www.lebretonsintheamericas.blogspot.com,
if you're interested. We're in a 2000 Jeep Cherokee with a 4.7 litre v8 petrol
that manages to make the most noise and consume the most fuel whilst
simultaneously delivering the least amount of power of any V8 I've ever
experienced! And of course next to the gargantuan Ford F350s so beloved by the
Alaskan males, we appear to driving in a toy car, but there we go. Thirstiest
toy I've ever had! We will switch, in October, to a
Brazilian-assembled diesel Defender which will hopefully cut our fuel bills
somewhat (while compensating through dramatically-increased oil consumption!).
Hope to back in Zim by Christmas, at
which point paying our subs will of course be a priority!
All the best, Gus LeBreton
You may remember the Gus and family
drove up to Cairo and back a couple of years ago – some people do get around!
FOR SALE
Nissan Patrol TD42 motor. $1000 Call Mike Gill, 0778 843843
TECHNICAL
TIP:
Classic
and Vintage free licence: Tony Golding of
the VCCZ Called in at ZINARA Head Office and spoke to George
Chamwaura (Controller Licensing & Transport). The Post Offices are not in a
position to exempt Classics from licensing fees without referring them to
ZINARA's Head Office for approval. George suggested that members with Classic
Cars should licence their vehicles through ZINARA's Head Office in Glenroy
Shopping Centre, Glenara Avenue, to avoid problems. The agreed date for
exemption from licensing is: "vehicles which were 40 years old or more as
at the 1st June 2011(made on or before 1971) shall be regarded as Vintage and
Classic vehicles"
Thank you Tony Golding for this
article.
Changing
an engine. Because the
Authorities make this so difficult I suspect that very few Registration records
are correct when a vehicle has had an engine change. It is not such an onerous task, we know, we
have recently done it.
1. Go to Southerton
Police vehicle inspection with the Reg. book, Documentary evidence, a completed
CVR4 form and the car and tell them the story. They will check the relevant
numbers.
2. Go to CVR Registry,
Forbes Ave. CBD and see Room 10. As there is zero hope of finding parking there
someone will have to sit in the car.
Time taken 10 – 15 mins.
3. Go back to Zinara House where they will enter details on
their computer. This prevents a problem
when relicensing.
You will need some explanation as to where the motor came
from. We bought our motor from Jupiter
Motors and their invoice was accepted. I
would think the Number Plate of the donor vehicle would have to suffice.
Note received from
our travel Agent which may be of use if you are travelling.
Dear Traveler,
Please be advised that effected Monday the 25th of AUGUST 2014, individuals
will only be allowed to take outside Zimbabwe a maximum cash amount of USD$5000.00
per exit down from USD$10 000.00. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has introduced
this measure to try and ease liquidity problems bedeviling the economy.
PAST EVENTS:
Once again the Gills acted as sweep
for the Blue Cross event just before the August holiday. There were only 8 Off Road cyclists this
year and they rode in two groups of 4.
There were 12 Horses and four walkers on the same "Brown
Cross" route but they were well ahead of the MTBs. A batch of Road Cyclists took the tar
route. We were doing roughly 100ks per
day and had the pleasure of spending one night at the restored La Rochelle
country hotel. In fact the MTB riders
were the very first guests and the place was far from ready but we had luxury
bedrooms and were fed by an outside caterer.
In case you do not know, this "Blue Cross" event is a fund
raiser for the ZNSPCA and about $13,000 was raised. Competitors start at the lowest point in
Zimbabwe, Runde / Save river bed and travel 500 kms uphill to the highest
point, Mt. Nyangani in Nyanga. The
finish and prize giving was at Rhodes Hotel, Nyanga where all participants
gathered. It is Great fun and a great
event. Our Nissan Patrol, with its
changed motor, behaved perfectly and our new system of making the bed inside
was very good. No rooftop this time.
Watch out for flyers which go out before every event.
Keep an eye on our Facebook site for Club activities.
4x4 Club Diary - 2014
Note the date changes in yellow.
These dates change as the year progresses, but
flyers will be sent out before each event.
(A) Social Family Day. (B) Touring/Camping (C) Comp Car 4x4 driving.
Sat /Sun 21 Sept Training/ Junior Jambo (AC) Donnybrook
Fri/ Sun 26/28
Sept
Bushpig (C) Beatrice
Fri / Sun 10 /12 Oct Bush Bash (C) Umvurwi
Sat/Sun 1
/2 Nov 3 hills (B) Chinamora
Fri / Sun 7/
9 Nov
Mutare Jamboree TBC (C) Mutare
Sunday 7 Dec Rumble (A) TBA
Note
some dates may be changed as circumstances dictate see flodded yellow.
No
doubt there will be extra Trail Drives fitted in for your enjoyment
YOUR
4X4 COMMITTEE FOR 2014.
NEWSLETTER/MEMBERSHIP MICHAEL AND PAT GILL gill@zol.co.zw 0778.731.288
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.
FACE BOOK
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.
Michael
and Pat GILL
Phone: 04.494028
(M) 0778.843.843 (P) 0778.731.288
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