Cars

09/22/05

One is never enough.

	The Bandit: Rhino Buggies Bandit Demo Vehicle Rhino Buggies made this little bugger as a Demo model for their do-it-yourself buggies plan sets - I bought the plans a year ago, and got not further. But when Rhino decided to sell their Demo, I could not pass it up... Anakie Action Shots Soon! Specifications: Engine: Subaru 1800cc front wheel drive. Gearbox: Four speed with four wheel drive engage. Suspension: Front McPherson struts, rear air shocks Steering: As per donor vehicle - rack and pinion. Brakes: Front discs, rear drums as per Subaru donor vehicle. Chassis: Space frame. Length: 3500mm Width: 1750mm Wheel Track:1600mm Wheel Base: 2000mm Cab Ground Clearance: 520mm Ground clearance: 300mm Tyres: ATV Type. Kings 6 Ply. Size 26" x 12" x12.5". Pressure - 35Lbs Rims: 12" x 10" www.rhinobuggies.com.au
	The Wrangler: 2004 Jeep Wrangler Sport The new baby finally arrive (4 MONTH wait!) Brand new in August 2004. Powertech 4.0L Inline 6 cyl Quadra-Coil suspension Hard top and Soft Top options Alloys and CD Sound Sytem
	The Rodeo: Purchased in 2003, this 2000 model DX Rodeo tray is now my number one vehicle. It's a 6 Cylinder Auto, and it's not a dramatic machine. But it suits my short daily commute to work, and weekend tasks like lugging gas bottles around for Anakie.
	The SS: 2001 Holden VX Series II SS V8 Auto Sedan My first ever NEW car. Leased this new 2001 V8 SS VX Series II in about October 2001. One of the first of the series II. Phantom Mica Metallic Paint, CD, Full electrics, tinted windows, Sunroof, and 225Kw of factory standard Gen.III V8 power. When your head was under the bonnet, and you revved it hard, sounded just like Bathurst! Was worth just a smidgin over $50K. Engine did develop a piston slap at about 30K Km, and required engine rebuild - was never the same after that. But was definitely the best machine for driving up and down to Work at the AWB in Melb. Had to give up the lease when I left AWB to go to Oakley. Handed the keys back and walked away, with a little tear in my eye....
	The Cruiser Ute: Found this one cheap for $3000, rough as buggery. NO electrics - except for the windscreen wipers that only worked sometimes when you belted the internal motor above the dashboard with something heavy. The blinkers only stayed on when you held them there: Which was difficult if you were trying to change gears and turn around the corner at the same time. The Bull bar on this beast was HUGE, could have a picnic between the grill and the bar. She was developing a serious loss of power, and I was going to sell it rather than fix up the motor, on on the trip to take it to sell it, I put the foot down one last time, and there was a rattle, then a wobble, then an almighty Explosion! A vast cloud of dark grey smoke enveloped the ute as I rolled to a stop at the side of the highway, and then the cloud moved slowly down the road and away: It was like watching the utes imprisoned soul escape. I found the number two piston rod wrapped around the alternator leads like a banana, and a hole the size of a football in the side of the block. Al that was left of the piston was a million sparkly little pieces. Quite artistic really. I gave her away. But I still have the piston rod.
	The Racing Galant: Ahh, my Racing days....I think it only lasted two official Race Meetings, at the autocross track at Avalon, but had a great time prepping the car, and repairing the damage. It cost me $500 bucks, from a girl I new at the Vic Office of the AWB, who was going overseas and had to get rid of it. In the first race I was warned - "don't go off the high side of the track here, it's full of potholes"... So second lap, I got wide and threw it off the high side: The potholes didn't worry me while I was airborne, but did cause some trouble immediately afterwards, ripping the steering box from it's bolts on the subframe. Day's of Thunder ! She's still in the back yard, and I have a spare motor, if anyone is interested?
	Cruiser: 1983 Toyota Land Cruiser station wagon. Picked up the cruiser in about '95. Has seen some excellent trips, and plenty of action, inlcuding a South Australian Outback trip over to Adelaide > Pt Augusta, Coober Pedy, Woomera, The Oodnadatta track, Maree, Arkaroola and the upper Flinders Ranges, Parachilna Gorge, Wilpena Pound, and back again. Along with dozens of smaller trips - particularly up to the Murray River at Torrumbarry. Still have her as number two car at the moment - but the rust has started to get to her, and I think her days are numbered: Pity , as the donk is still great afetr a rebuild in 99 when I ran out of oil and seized the engine, and the old man emu suspension kit I put in here is going strong....
	Magna: Lost the Photos of the Magna - will have to keep looking. "Upgraded" to the magna while working as a shipping agent. Was doing lot more local driving, and needed something smaller and nimble for manoeuvring on the wharves. Eventually passed this one onto my Parents.
	The Mud Surfer: 1969 HT Holden Kingswood station wagon. Never has a vehicle been so loved, and so abused! I bought it off an old guy for $700, in rough but honest condition, to replace the Prem. Needed to get a roadworthy to get the registration transferred, and the only thing the mechanic picked on was front lower ball joints... I could afford the ball joints, but not the press tool to change them over (old ones were stuck). So I cleaned up the old ones with a wire brush, and put the empty boxes of the new joints on the dash board in an obvious position, and took it back for second assessment - passed with flying colors! This beast saw some real action - I left a huge ding right down the right hand side, as I flew back into the driveway of the share house in Clarendon St. Some blamed the beer, I think the bloody gate posts had moved. It gained it's "Mud Surfer" name after a particularly boggy camping trip to Torrumbarry on the Murray.
	The Prem: 1970 HT Holden Premier Sedan. First Car. Many firsts in this car :) (Sadly, some of which have not been repeated since!) Front bench seat, powerglide transmission (both speeds - slow and go like buggery), and the original 6 cylinder 202 Red Engine. The 2 Speed Powerglide is still a favourite of drag racers... I bought this off my cousin Joe when I was nearly 19 for $2000. I added a sunroof later from the Baron's capella when he rear-ended a bus. To me this was and still is the ultimate Australian Man's sedan. Sadly, while returning from a road trip to Yackandanda for Clint's 21st, she was lost: 4 of us in the car, me Joe, Darkey and Rude -Rude was driving (I think I was very hungover), and we lost it in greasy drizzly conditions near Healesville, on the Black Spur. Hit a tree head on. We survived, but the prem was finished. Later cut her in half and dumped her at the wreckers.

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