The new toy is now at home.

Well the ship carrying the Heinkel finally arrived last Friday and a few days later after it was inspected by Australian Quarantine, we were told we could pick it up. Off to the docks with our empty Messerschmitt trailer, and there was the Heinkel. There was no damage incurred on its long sea trip.

It was the talking point at the depot, but we loaded it and sat it next to our Messerschmitt when we returned home.

There is a lot of work required, but it has traveled half way round the globe, so we had better get on with the work. I expect it to be on the road in early 2015

The latest news on the Heinkel.

The actual car is still sitting in a container, by now it should have changed ships and be on its second leg of its journey.
If the current data is correct it has missed the connecting container ship and is still sitting on the quay side.
At least we have some good news, although the steering wheel centre was missing one has been found on E-bay USA, the car is a late one and was made/assembled in Ireland hence the special I on all the badging.
A real lucky find.
We will keep you posted once we know where our new little car is!

A new toy is on the way to us from the UK.

We haven’t had a new car in our garage for a while so we have been looking.
We were looking for a Heinkel, but as none were imported into Australia (except private imports) few were being sold. We bid for a few on E-Bay UK, and at last we were successful.

We bid and won a 1960's Heinkel.

We flew to London, hired a long wheelbase Ford Transit, and arrived to view the car in Devon.
Let’s say the words on E-Bay were extremely kind to the description. The car had been brush painted, and it only took a very short time to compile a full page of “missing parts”
We resolved to continue, and loaded the car into the Transit.

We then drove back from Devon with our new toy on board and parked it in Roly's drive way. He had been volunteered to hold it for us pending our getting a permit to ship

To import a car to Australia you need an Import Permit, and that takes 20 working days. At the end of the full 20 days, the permit was issued.

The car was collected from Roly's drive way and taken to the shippers yard, where it had to be put in a container for transit to Melbourne Australia. The Ship (MSC Lauren) was last seen departing Felixstow UK and heading for Portugal, and it is due in Melbourne October 2014.

When we see it next we can really have a good inspection of what we have bought, order the missing parts and get our new toy on the road.
Current location of the ship with our new toy as of 10.45 am 15 August is,

New location, docked in the port of Sines, as of 20.25 Saturday 16th August.

Now along the north African coast heading for the canal. Thursday 21st, 20.20 GMT.
New location, the Read Sea! 26/8/2014.

The racing Messerschmitt.

"I took the Messerschmitt to a car show and Race meeting.

The Austin 7 Club hired an old race track for the day, to run some Historic car racing. The Track is about 200 km north of Melbourne, and when I got there I joined a Reliant and a Goggomobile. Lots of racing and lots of cars in the show. Our group made a spectacular display when we were invited to have a few laps of the circuit and I lead the trio. The Messerschmitt even got a prize for “Outstanding Spectator Vehicle”"

National Motoring Heritage Day in Australia.

I took the Messerschmitt to a Car show to display its new side carrier for the first time
It was National Motoring Heritage Day in Australia.

Our Messerschmitt proudly showing its side carrier and a German flag for its heritage.

There was a good turnout of cars, and here are a few that caught my eye.

A nice line up of Austins.

A nice Chrysler.

A Model "A" Ford.

Of course Model "T" Fords.

Rovers.

A nice Vauxhall.

And many more nice cars
It is Autumn now, so we are getting near the end of the Car show season here in Australia.

An over due update.

The Blog has been a bit quiet recently but we have been working in the background.
When Messerschmitts were sold, there was a factory extra in the way of a boot carrier, (we have one of those) and a less often fitted "Side carrier"
The side carrier is for a suitcase, or a set of Ski's or both.
We now have the "Side Carrier" and I am getting a set of old ski's - all from Germany the home of the Messerschmitt.

 Side rack down, ready to load.

Side rack up, very neat and tidy.

A busy 2 weekends coming up
We have a National Motoring Heritage day Sunday this weekend -I think you call it "Drive it day" in the UK.
The Messerschmitt is going, should get some good pictures.

The weekend after is Historic racing at Winton - Winton is an old Historic race track about 300 Km north of Melbourne.
http://www.historicwinton.org/newwinton_files/historic_winton.html

Should be fun and I am expecting to be able to do a few show laps in front of the crowd with the Messerschmitt. I am arranging to have a video taken so here is hoping it all works out - got to be a fine day.

J type at the starting grid, and there off.

Turn up your volume.

Our brakes seemed as if they were binding the other day, so off with the front brake drums. The 4 brake cylinders had been replaced when the van was overhauled 2007, but all 4 were totally seized and in the open position - no wonder I could feel binding!. 4 brand new front brake cylinders later, and we are back ready for action.
(Hercules too had all its brake cylinders seized recently, and they had to be replaced. They also were new only a few years before)
The Australian Grand Prix is due to be held 16th March, and seeing as the track is less than half a kilometer from our house, what better place to test the brakes