Lessons learned: A day in the life of 50-140

[DBT]

Long story on the way here, so for those who don't like a lot of detail (or reading much), I'll post the bottom line up front:

First point: Two rivets are not sufficient to secure your front number plate to the Perentie brush bar. Even (especially) if it is a slimline plate.

Second point: If you lose your NSW personalised number plate(s) and have to report them lost (per legal requirement), then you are going to have a serious problem getting them replaced.

Quite possibly serious enough to compell you to go fishing in every bog hole you drove through in the previous 24 hours.

Due to a combination of factors, not least of which: the previous 24 hours fell on a Sunday and; your vehicle being a Perentie, there might have been quite a few of them. Bog holes, that is

Some of these numerous bog holes might be very ... pungent smelling. Prompting one to wonder what else might be lying on the bottom of said waterlogged ditch, waiting for your garden rake to disturb it, so to release yet more fragrant goodness.

Go on. Ask me how I know this. :(


Not sure why one came out sideways, but here's some pics:

[DBT]

Third point:

More photos you take of your vehicle during an outing = more forensic evidence that may be available to assist your investigation.

[Barefoot Dave]

G'Day mate.
Bugger.
I lost a plate last year on an AULRO drive. ripped off when I pushed a burnt wreck of the road.
You would have thought 5-6 people watching would see that?
Na!

[DBT]

Indeed Dave. Was just me and 9yo son on this trip. But for all the photos I took, I did not notice 'till the hose down back at home.


Attached a suspicious photo above that I took on the day and totally missed the evidence at the time.


There's more to this story. Just stringing y'all along to measure interest. :twisted:

[DBT]

OK, on second thought this is a forum, not a novel, so the good news is I did find the lost plate today.

And no it wasn't in one of the bog holes, though that's certainly where the damage was done.

After dragging the bottom of several holes and realising the futility of the exercise, I started to drive home again.

Just getting back on the hard top after some fast dirt, I was coasting in 3rd when a glint of light caught my eye off on the shoulder.

I slammed the brakes on in pitiful yet eternal hope, only to be immediately overtaken by the dust cloud that was trailing behind.

Once the coughing stopped and my eyes cleared, I investigated and was delighted to find my mangled yet mostly intact front plate.

So yes, miracles do happen.

[Barefoot Dave]

Raaaayayyyy:banana::thumbsup::clap2::clap2:
It was going to be too much of a pain to get a single plate re-issued so I let it ride for a while.
In the meantime another good samaritan handed it in to a Station 45 minutes away where it languished for a while before they returned it to Qld Tport.

The upshot of my episode was some probing questions from QPS about any connection with the stolen and burned car :/

In the end, I just got a new set issued at the same time as I registered my Carryall. For a few weeks I had 2 Landies with sequential number plates for no additional cost! added another couple of rivets to be sure, this time ;)

[Dervish]

Good story, with a happy ending to boot. I lost a plate in the Bloomfield River once. Sufficed to say, I didn't bother looking for it.

I might nip out tonight and put another couple of rivets in my plates :angel:

[PhilipA]

I have found that a reason that they fall off is, if they are only attached at the top, the force of water from the bow wave lifts them up and if strong enough snaps them off.
I have come home to find my front plate at 90 degrees on my old RRC, when I took off the big bracket to take off the spoiler and rivetted it to the bumper.
So rivet it at all corners or attach it to a length of piano hinge which is then attached to the bumper.
Regards Philip A

[DBT]

Yep. Pretty much what happened Philip. Looking at my recovered plate, the water has bent it up. One rivet tore out and the other held on, putting a right angle bend in one corner.

Back on the road, a bit of speed and the airflow must have finished it off. We had left the forrest briefly to go to the shops, then headed back in for the "scenic route" home.

One thing for sure, modern plates are a lot thinner than they used to be.

I now have 4 rivets in each, front and rear.