
Morris Register
of South Australia
South Australia's Nuffield Motoring Club

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NUFFIELD NATTER
A Shovel Full Of Molasses.
Can you resist buying something you don’t really need when you visit the dusty section of an op shop? The weekend away at Kapunda was the undoing of my resistance to junk.
I didn’t really want anything but walked away from the secondhand shop wares shop with a rusty $5.00 shovel and a handful of even more rusty railway “Dog Spikes.” There was something arty brewing. But first I had to remove the rust from the items of intending art. Memories from early days of vehicle restorations came flooding back, (Woodie always said “Vehicle”. ) Where I removed so much rust from car bits and pieces.
The old plastic green bin I used for my Molasses brew was still down the backyard.
So here we go again, off to the stock feed business down by the racecourse to buy a litre of molasses. The molasses rust removal technique isn’t the fastest, cleanest, or odour free technique, But I have had so much success with the brew that here I was giving it a try on the old shovel. The mix I used was one litre of molasses to nine of water, in a plastic container. It has been recommended not to use metal. I gave my shovel and dog spikes three weeks in the festering, smelly brew. They came out covered in a dark slimy goo. Once I cleaned that off the shovel etc. they almost gleamed that new steel gleam. But almost as soon as the slime had been cleaned off, a slit rust film appeared. So quickly drying the articles or applying a rust preventative will curb the rust appearance. Oh Yes. Make sure the tub you use is large enough to hold the items you want to Then I realized that for the art to proceed, I would need a welder. At a major expense of forty dollars, I purchased a stick welder and mask.
Here goes.
With much spluttering and burning holes, my art piece has come together.
After a bit more paintwork my work of art may be presentable enough to go on show in our backyard.
Now the art bug has bitten, I'm on the lookout for more old shovels and garden tools.
What a shovel full of bull rust.
Barry Booth
​


“TAKE ME FOR A RIDE IN YOUR MAC TRUCK”
Do you remember that pop song from years ago which began with the line
“take me for a ride in your Mac truck”.
Well down at the Mt Gambier Veteran Vintage and Classic Car Club annual rally
last weekend, (14,15 October) we were singing a variation, “take me for a ride
in your truck Mac”.
The “Mac” we were referring to was local resident Colin MacDonald, who with
his wife Glenys are members of the MGVVCC and also members of the Morris
Register of SA.
Colin has been involved with large trucks all his working life and he and Glenys
attended the rally with their recently restored 1971 Atkinson Prime Mover.
It is a beautiful unit and justifiably was voted the winner of the Shannon’s
Insurance trophy.
I personally thought it might also collect the people’s choice award for “the
vehicle you would most like to steal” category.
It would not be easy to drive home however unless you had a heavy-duty truck
licence !!! … and I would not relish the time it would take to wash and polish
the brute !!!
Diana and I, plus Jim and Jacqui Pearce and Geoff and Hellina Barnes attended
the rally, and despite the weather being a little damp occasionally everyone
had a great time. The Mount Gambier Club members are most welcoming, and
we got to see an incredible private collection of amazing vehicles on one of the
runs as well.
The “in house” catering was, as usual, exceptional, we all decided to start a
diet, but not until we got back home.
But back to “a ride in the truck Mac”, Colin offered to take us all for a spin
around the block, (some needed a ladder to get up into the cabin), but once
ensconced in the sprung passenger’s seat the view was amazing.
Colin and Glenys also own a Series 1 Morris 8/40 and will be attending the next
Morris Registers National Rally in Shepparton next April, together with their
son Jamie. We look forward to catching up with them again there.
​
Brian Triplow
