It isn’t often you see a vehicle which has survived the ravages of more than seven decades, especially one that has seen hard service. Whether through good luck or good management this 1934 Australian-bodied Ford Roadster, with major input from its current owner, has managed to do just that
It is believed this car, assembled in Geelong, Australia, was brought to New Zealand by one Douglas Taylor (of Christchurch), and it was first registered here on November 6, 1937. However, even by the time Taylor on-sold the Ford to a garage in Timaru, it had covered only a moderate distance. Then the vehicle went to a Bob Patton and, still without having travelled far, was transferred to the ownership of Alan Weatherburn. Alan had a sheep and cattle farm in the Gore area, and at 83 is still alive and well.
When I spoke to him on the telephone recently he recalled some of the car’s history; “It was a good car I got it towards the end of the war, probably ’43 or ’44. It always got me home with no hold-ups.” Having said that, he did undertake a rebore of the block at one stage, spending £80 on the job. “£10 a cylinder, it was,” the recollection as clear as if the bill had been paid yesterday.
A confession of sorts was also put forward in that (being on a farm and putting all things mechanical to work) there had been occasions when sheep had been rounded up in the Roadster. I don’t know whether that was a Kiwi innovation or something copied from the Americans, but the car performed the task admirably. Alan then went on to inform me that he even courted his wife Nancy in the Roadster; “They were great days,” he said with a chuckle, and added that their first son, Jim, would pull out the hand throttle which would “make the car shoot off,” much to little Jim’s delight and Alan’s consternation.
Something else which has stuck in Alan’s memory is the dash plaque that proclaimed the vehicle to be a ‘Product of the British Empire.’ The Roadster, unfortunately, suffered a little on the rough roads and was soon outgrown by the family; a bassinet was not a good fit in the car, so it was moved on and that was the last time Alan ever owned a V8, which in my eyes is a bit sad.
Modern times
Moving forward to 1973, the car was purchased by Ross McCarron, whose mechanical delights have appeared in this magazine before. Ross is a real fan of early Fords and drove the Roadster home to Devonport, Auckland, while zipped up in a sleeping bag to fend off the cold. There the car sat in his expansive basement until 1990, when Roger Haybittle stepped up to the mark, prised the car from Ross’ grasp and started on a journey that would take some 16 years to complete; a journey that would take him to many swap meets, to many workshops, and into the company of some truly talented craftsmen.
Among the many tasks that needed to be undertaken during the restoration there was, naturally, some bodywork to be tidied up. Roger enlisted the services of Tony Daligan, of the now defunct South Pacific Automobile Restorations. With that chore completed to everyone’s satisfaction, the decision to paint the car Cordoba Grey was an easy one for Roger; even though the body of this particular car was originally painted dark green (with black fenders), Roger’s father had owned a 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan in Cordoba Grey, and this colour was also available from Ford in 1934. So for Roger, there was a personal connection to an original colour. The top coat was applied by Casey Panelbeaters in Glenfield and the Poppy Red wheels, with whitewall tyres, are period perfect.
To Roger the final touch was to be three pinstripes; two thin stripes and a thicker central stripe, but they had to be done by hand for authenticity. For this sleight of hand Roger knocked on the door of Beachaven’s Steve Levine, and Steve worked his magic just as expected.
Another to work his magic was trim master Bernie Beckett. Roger took the car to Bernie with the intention of getting it just right. Leather was available in ’34, so this was chosen for the front passenger compartment. The rumble seat (or ‘dickey’ seat, as some refer to it as) is trimmed in a more weatherproof leatherette. Behind that is a very functional luggage rack, for which Roger has located some original-looking old suitcases.
Matching numbers
Incredibly the vehicle is a matching numbers car, meaning the engine block is the one that the car was born with. Fully reconditioned (still with white-metal bearings) by Wayne Griffiths of North Shore Engine Reconditioners, the engine runs like new and is topped by a stunningly reconditioned carb from Carburettor Specialties.
All the other pieces of the jigsaw came together slowly but surely, one part at a time, and with a ‘steady as she goes’ approach. Many evenings were spent in the shed preparing or fitting parts, and Roger’s wife would, no doubt, have questioned her husband’s sanity from time to time. Now, though, Roger is certain that Meriel has taken quite a shine to the car, and when I met the couple at the Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival in Kumeu last January there was no shortage of smiles from either of them.
Also at Kumeu this year Roger managed to locate some gearbox parts and an oil pump. “You don’t often find things like that at swap meets any more, it’s not like the old days,” Roger lamented, and he’s quite right. While it’s always worth getting an early start and heading out to any swap meet just in case, you would be ill-advised to hold your breath if you’re in search of parts from this era. Don’t ever stop looking, though; like Roger, you might get lucky. He found the correct voltage regulator he was looking for at one swap meet, and although he didn’t really want to carry the cumbersome generator/ regulator unit around with him, that was the deal; take the lot or nothing. Now he has a spare generator for the six-volt system.
Ross, the aforementioned previous owner, has also been very helpful in locating/ supplying various parts over the years. Meanwhile those gearbox parts Roger found at Kumeu could be just the ticket to get rid of the excess play in his gearbox main shaft. For the moment, though, the gearbox functions adequately. Roger admits that this certainly is not a race car, so he doesn’t drive it like one.
Minor differences
Numbers-wise the Roadster is part of a minority. During 1933 and 1934 Ford Australia put together 1038 Roadsters at its Geelong plant; 468 in ’33 and 570 in ’34; but the numbering that started with the ’33 model was kept sequential for ’34. This has given Roger’s car the number 40R/714, 40R being the model number, and the vehicle is thought to have been assembled in July of 1934. Compare that with the American figures of 563,921 and Canada’s additional 35,376, and Australia’s 1038 makes for a rare offering. There were some minor differences in the Australian-bodied vehicles, not the least of which is the length of the wooden floor. On the Australian cars the timber carries a lot further back, possibly as part of the Australian-content requirements. The lines on the Australian cars, however, remain as flowing and as sensuous as those of their American counterparts.
People’s Choice
With the restoration journey at an end Roger and Meriel can now embark on a new journey; a journey of enjoyment. Instead of meeting tradespeople in workshops, searching for that elusive part and constantly parting with hard-earned cash, they can now meet friends, new and old, in the pleasant surroundings of picnic grounds, roadside cafés and wineries; alfresco dining within sight of their Roadster, which has indeed been a labour of love.
Also, now that the car is on the streets, the quality of the vehicle is starting to be recognised. In early March at the Mount Maunganui All Ford Day Roger took home some well-deserved awards. The list included Best ’32-’40, Best Paint, the Supreme Award (Best of Day) and the coveted People’s Choice.
At the close of our conversation Roger humbly added; “I didn’t want a show pony.”
Well, I’m sorry Roger, you’ve got one; and now you’re just going to have to live with it.
Words & Photos: Peter Callen
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