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WAIKATO
MUSTANG
CLUB
25th Anniversary and Reunion Edition
1975 --- 2000
This magazine was compiled and edited by Archie and Jeanette Stutt.
Originally produced in A5 size and printed in black and white, in July 2000.
In March 2001 this 2nd edition colour version was created by scanning the original text and photographs. Because of the changed format size and the use of computer editing, there are some differences in presentation from this version c/w the original.
Scanning and editing of this 2nd edition by Wal Marshall.
Copies of this booklet can be downloaded from the following web site:
THE EARLY YEARS
The Waikato Mustang club celebrated it's 25th birthday in July 2000.
The Waikato Mustang club was formed on the 9th of July 1975 at a meeting at Gary Keith Motors premises in Hamilton. 12 people founded the club with elected officers being Graeme Jones president, Trevor Hartley (Secretary Treasurer, and Peter Williams as club captain.
The club was born, as a result one might say of the large number of Mustangs passing through Gary Keith's yard back in the early '70's. (See the special section at the end of this special edition magazine. During those years most of these cars were imported by individuals and tourists as the Ford Motor Company never brought them in thru their dealer network. As you will read later, the first club meetings were held in Gary's premises.
Getting back to those early years of Gary and his Mustang roundups, an unusual incident comes to mind, where a Mustang was stolen from his yard. On discussing this incident recently with Gary he refreshed my memory with the following facts. The thief entered the premises during the night and drove the vehicle out through the showroom window and on through the locked steel gates. Unfortunately for the thief, the car ran out of gas shortly after. The car in question was a rare Shelby 500 GT. I guess the moral of the story is - don't leave your Mustang parked up with too much gas in it.
While on the subject of gas, a hot topic in those early years, when one time gas was in short supply (blame Hussein) the Auckland club requested our club's help, to supply them with gas on their way to a convention in New Plymouth. As petrol stations were closed over the Labour weekend, our club members were asked to store gas for them, to top up on their way through. Also around that time some members were concerned about public criticism of wasting gas in driving around in large V8's. They were encouraged not to worry -just enjoy your Mustang - if you are paying for the gas - just use it.
First club run to Taupo in 1975
Over the years our club membership would rise and fall as folks moved on to other things or maybe to finance a home or business venture or whatever. I wonder as I look over the list of past members, where all these good folks are now, what they are doing with their lives and how many of them still own a Mustang. Perhaps after being without one for a number of years, they may have gone out and purchased another (maybe to relive past years).
Club members attended many auto related events over the years such as hot rod shows, community day displays, school galas and so on. One that comes to mind is the Hamilton Community Day annual parade, which would proceed from Hamilton east, across Victoria bridge and up the main street to finish up with a massed display at the Claudelands showground's.
Community Day club display
This event included clubs for virtually anything from motor vehicles to bible clubs. Our club parade was always very popular owing to the fact we combined with the "Waikato School of Elegance" a modelling school for young ladies. These ladies rode on the front guards of our cars during the parade and on arrival at the showground's the cars were arranged in a half circle around the rear of my furniture truck which was used for a dressing room, and the girls would model the latest fashions around the cars at hourly intervals, these shows being broadcast over a public address system set up on the rear of the truck. It was a very popular display and always had a good public audience.
Community Day Fashion Parade
Another occasion I remember well was the first NZ Ford convention held in Cambridge on the 4th Feb 1978. The venue for the car display was a football field next to the tower tearooms as you enter Cambridge. Club members were rapt as we had a total of 6 cars in the display, which was considered a good number for a display back then. Those who attended were:- Arthur Jonassen, Ron Jones, Ray Hansen, Richard Bennett, Don Bright and myself. Three of these guys still own the same Mustangs - Arthur, Ron and myself. That same year I was elected club captain, Jeanette who was already editor tried to stand down, but no one wanted to do the job (I wonder why?????). She was still doing the job in 1980 with both of us compiling and editing the magazine. At that time the club had a president, secretary, club captain, and sheriff (for fines) - a committee of 6 and a refreshments officer who's job it was to organise a supply of wine for the ladies and a beer for the men at club meetings (yes, ladies did attend meetings then). With the drink drive laws being made harsher, that procedure was eventually terminated.
1980
April 1980, club member Peter (turkey) Tasker and myself, along with 12 disciples from the Auckland Mustang Club flew to Australia to attend the annual convention of the Mustang-Shelby-Cobra-Car club in Sydney. As part of this weekend we attended the Castlereagh drag strip where us Kiwis were loaned cars to have a go.
Ross McKee with 428 Cobra Jet
Of course yours truly is behind the wheel of a beautiful yellow 428 Cobra Jet when it decided to put three legs out of bed much to my horror, as the motor had just been totally rebuilt and run in!
The following year when Jeanette and I attended the same event I was presented with the three pistons from the car - two of which I still have - chromed of course. The other resides in Albuquerque New Mexico which I presented to the Mustang club there, as a trophy in later years. On both visits to Sydney we were billeted with the then president Bob Ryan and his wife Eileen. These folks treated us like royalty and we cherish the happy times spent with them.
While away in Sydney, 4 cars from our club put on a fantastic show of speed and handling with up to 80 mph attained down the back straight (Seddon Road) at the "Round the Founders" go-cart event. They had the crowd yelling for more as they left the circuit.
Ah yeah, on another occasion I remember coming home from a BBQ afternoon around the swimming pool at Graham Jones (Gary Keith's salesman at the time) in Leamington. It was a Sunday night, not much traffic - us in the Mach 1 and Ian (Bucko) Johnston and Lynn) in their 351 Mach 1, racing neck and neck down Cobham Drive side by side yelling "gumball" at each other (I think the movie gumball rally came out about then) not a cop in sight. Imagine trying that stunt these days!
During those years we hosted many great socials and fancy dress parties in our garage (yes the coloured bulbs and physcodellic lights are still there along with the stereo set-up – (some things never change - sighs Jeanette).
Another popular venue was at Peter and Una Tasker's in Hukanui road. Those garage parties and vice versa parties hold many funny memories, then there were the wine and cheese evenings, the bingo nights, and liqueur tasting events to raise funds for the club or just have fun or whatever. Fortunately I have a copy of every magazine the club published, and on browsing through them from time to time helps to bring back happy memories of the good times spent with folks who had a relationship with a Mustang at one time or another.
1981
In May 1981 I was elected vice president and Jeanette secretary; yes she finally got out of the editors job! In 1982 I was elected president with Jeanette as secretary.
1982
Oct 1982 the club hosted it's first Mustang convention in Hamilton. Fairview Motors was the venue for the car show. Saturday trading was in by then, but Fairview's kindly offered the use of both the car and truck workshops as well as their huge lunchroom for club members. On the Friday their staff emptied the workshops of everything that could be moved and the pits were covered over with steel plates. We had a total of 71 Mustangs on display.
The dinner and dance on the Saturday night was held in the Ferry Bank building..
The theme was Hawaiian and for this event the ladies spent many nights making leis (not lays) while some male members spent many nights practising a Hawaiian dance for the Saturday nights entertainment
The club spent many great times with Aucklander's in those early years. We would travel to Auckland for their club socials and private parties, with Auckland members in return attending many of our functions throughout the years. One occasion comes to mind, when we had 7 Mustangs parked in our back yard - I don't know how - only a 5th acre section and swimming pool at the time. We had club members in every room (cosy). If I remember rightly, the occasion was a mid-year dinner at the Hamilton hotel in the main street. I owned a furniture truck back then and everyone was bundled into the back and taxied to and from the hotel, the departure from the hotel being delayed with hotel patrons being kept inside while police officiated at a fight on the footpath outside. For the trip back to our home, one male member of the Auckland club was tied to the rails with furniture straps by the females, because he wasn't capable of standing on his own.
Good times were had in Auckland at the homes of Rick and Shirley Hartnet (427 Shelby Cobra fame) and Neville and Maude Johns (the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy). He was always playing the last post at every event somewhere along the way - trumpet I think!!!!!
Ah! Yes my fiends, time passes, alas, but the memories linger on.
1983
March 1983 the monthly meeting at Peter (Hetty) Williams house is closed early to allow everyone to watch "Shogun". Was this movie Mustang related I wonder? In July 1983 the convention account was closed and the monies used to subsidise those travelling to the CHCH convention that year. 9 cars and 18 people attended. Members were given $200 each to attend. At that stage our membership stood at 18 cars. I remember well our group arriving at the ferry wharf in Wellington where other club members from around the North Island joined us. When the order came, we drove onto the ferry in convoy- 49 Mustangs in all - what a sight!.
But what followed was one of the worst ferry crossings since the Wahine disaster with most on their hands and knees. All were in a panic when they called for anyone who was in charge of the Mustangs - only to be told they just wanted to make arrangement's for off-loading at the other end!
After the convention most of us travelled south to Queenstown, Arrowtown etc for a cruise around the "deep south". I remember at one point there were a number of our club members travelling along one of those great stretches of highway down there, our speed around 80 to 85 mph -when we met a black and white, about a 70 model Holden, coming towards us. His brake-light's never even came on - it was just on 5 pm and I guess he wanted home for tea.
May 1983 I was again elected magazine editor -jeez- have I been doing it that long!
1984
April 1984 -AGM held at the original Chartwell tavern in "Winnies Bar" after Winston Churchill - this was followed by a luncheon in the restaurant "The Jolly Poacher". Management opened the bar for the meeting (no Sunday bar trading then) while the cars were lined up for judging outside.
August 1984 Jeanette and I travelled to the USA for a 6 weeks holiday, where we were given a great welcome with a pot-luck dinner by members of the Mustang Owners Club of California at a members home in Downey. I remember a meeting where I was asked to speak on Mustanging in "Noo Zealand". One member asked how much we paid for gas. On my reply that we paid almost $4 gallon in their money at the time, she replied- "You guys pay $4 a gallon and you still want to drive Mustangs - you must be mad!". I visited Mustang recycling yards where cars were packed so tight you couldn't walk between them. I was informed they would all go back on the road one day. Americans love their cars and Mustang owners are a very devoted group the world over.
We also stayed for a week with a Mustang family in Albuquerque New Mexico with whom I have been corresponding with since 1977 -and still doing so. I will always remember the ride in an early modified Mustang coupe equipped with nitrous oxide, down a country road. It was an adrenaline-pumping ride, I can tell ya!! (Yeah I have it on video - well that is a view of the rev counter as at was winding out -) Oh yeah, and also the noise!!!!!!!!!!!!
1985
December 1985, the club hosted its first All Ford Day at Fairview motors (the local Ford dealer) yard at Te Rapa, with a total of 65 vehicles. We had 14 Mustangs on display. John Chapman brought his ex Paul Fahey Mustang down from Pukekohe for the day. A sum of $201 was raised and this was given to the Disabled Living Centre to help with the cost of their new premises.
The First All Ford day
1986
May 1986 with the GST arrival, it was decided to increase Club subs from $15 to $20 with $5 of this to go to convention funds account - all were in favour of this one. Much of 1986 was taken up with planning and organising for the up and coming 1987 convention to be hosted by our club.
1987
Convention was eventually held at the senior citizens club in Victoria Street, with the car show held in the under-ground car park. This worked out very well as one of the events during the car show was a trip on the Waipa Delta (our local river boat, which was only a short walk over the bridge away. A rollicking good time was had by all on the boat.
The night social was held in the hall above the car park, the dress was "hard luck". As a result of the Pizza Hut being included in our advertising and on the motifs for the teeshirts they donated $200 worth of vouchers for pizzas, which were used for part of the Saturday lunches.
We were privileged to have a member of the Mustang-Shelby-Cobra Car Club of Australia attend our convention. Carol Penhall was the wife of the then president of the above club at the time. She was very impressed with the organisation and also the number of cars we had for the show. She later wrote in their club newsletter that one of the things that really impressed her was the sight of 75-80 Mustangs driving in convoy to the Meremere drag strip on the Sunday during a torrential downpour, while being videoed by a hotrodder in an open t/bucket with a plastic bag over the camera. Incidentally on arrival at the drag strip the rain eased off and the next 1/2 hour was spent by cars running up and down the strip to dry it out. Carol was taken down the strip in Rick’s 427 Shelby and later did a 17 sec run in my Mach 1. As a result of a good profit at the convention I suggested donating $50 to the helicopter rescue appeal to which all agreed.
December 1987, and another great Xmas social was had at the Jolly Poachers in the Chartwell Tavern.
1988
February 1988 - a ten pin bowling challenge with the Valiant Charger club, and a club dinner at Wilson's carvery all on the club.
May 1988, I am again elected magazine editor after, a break of 12 months.
1989
June 1989 - this was to have been the AGM but as a result of a lack of attendance or interest, (a problem which had been getting worse over the past year), the only solution was to regrettably "wind up the club". With this in mind a final meeting was held again in July with a newsletter sent to all members giving them a chance to voice their opinions. Those who attended this meeting were Alan Ward, Wayne Martin, Lindsay and Jill Sanson, Danny and Rosemary Cook -myself and 3 prospective members. At this meeting it was agreed to carry on the club with the ten members and would now be run on a strictly social basis with monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month. It was also agreed that each member must attend one out of every three meetings to be eligible for membership and it would be strictly adhered to. Non-attending members would have to phone in an apology. Wayne Martin to continue as president, Alan Ward as secretary and Archie Stutt as editor and correspondent. (Ye-haa the ponies were running again!)