Mmmm wonder why

[Ean Austral]

Gday All

Just drove from Pt Augusta to Alice Springs and total number of Land Rovers we seen on the road = 0 . Did see 2 wrecks at Kulgera roadhouse but that was it.

Maybe all the others were taking the off-road route . [thumbsupbig][bigrolf][bigrolf]

Cheers Ean

[V8Ian]

I think you might be onto it, Ean.[biggrin]

[Hogarthde]

You should call into the Road Transport Hall if Fame, Ean.
Three old Landies there. , including Signor Lassiter ‘s son’ s which ,in itself is worth the fee.
Pity I am not still there to show you around .

dave

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I hope tonight is a hotel stay Ean,,
hot enough here---[bighmmm]

[weeds]

What....where are all the best 4 x 4 x far, you’d think it would be every second car on the road.

[V8Ian]

You should call into the Road Transport Hall if Fame, Ean.
Three old Landies there. , including Signor Lassiter ‘s son’ s which ,in itself is worth the fee.
Pity I am not still there to show you around .

dave
I'll second that, well worth the visit and could only be enhanced by Hogarthde's company.

[Ean Austral]

I hope tonight is a hotel stay Ean,,
hot enough here---[bighmmm]

got smashed by 70km/h winds in woomera last night - certainly tested the camper build quality and the 2 occupants - boss asked how I could sleep so easy - listened to that noise for 30 yrs when I was fishing [bigrolf][thumbsupbig]

slumming it in the camper again pedro .

Cheers Ean

[Pedro_The_Swift]

so where are the rocket pics???????? :rulez::bat:

[V8Ian]

so where are the rocket pics???????? :rulez::bat:
Blown away. [happycry]

[p38arover]

Lots of Evoques and Disco Sports around here.

[DiscoClax]

Gday All

Just drove from Pt Augusta to Alice Springs and total number of Land Rovers we seen on the road = 0 . Did see 2 wrecks at Kulgera roadhouse but that was it.

Maybe all the others were taking the off-road route . [thumbsupbig][bigrolf][bigrolf]

Cheers EanThose wrecks were still in pretty good nick in July. I could have parked my D1 next to them and not look out of place. Defo and a D1 parked up near the laundry IIRC?

Those, and a couple of nice Defos together in Alice, were about the only ones I recall seeing on that trip. Actually no. We followed a couple of Defos across the Simpson from Birdsville to the start of the Hay River where we headed north.

An incoming generic Jap thing even commented over the CB about seeing "a little Land Rover" as we came into view over the dunes. Maybe he was excited he'd finally gotten "Bingo"...

[Zeros]

Heaps of Landys in Alice. Sutton’s is one of the best service agents in the country.

[Hogarthde]

Well, thanks for the endorsement Ian, we really enjoyed our 13 months there.
Busy during the day and partying every night; sure beat farming in Montumana!
Also. endorse Zeros comment re Sutton’s , top drawer blokes.
Sounds as if Ean was on a mission to get to Darwin a.s.a.p., probably anxious for the
unlimited speed sign to appear?

Dave

[DiscoClax]

Agree on Suttons. Despite being flat-knacker they extracted a couple of shocks from one of the Disco wrecks out the back for me when I limped in with one broken. Very decent lot there. I haven't met anyone with a bad thing to say about them. 10/10 would recommend :)

[Ean Austral]

So arried in Darwin - total number of Land rovers seen from Port Augusta to Darwin = 1 . A defender at the devils marbles.

did see 2 in Alice.

Pretty sad really , certinly expected to see a few more.

Cheers Ean

[DiscoClax]

Not enough discerning people of taste about. They believe the scuttlebutt telling them these LR things are trouble and to avoid. More for us :)

[ATH]

It's odd but sometimes we see good numbers of all model LRs when on an extended trip, then nothing on others! But in Perth it seems there are more of all type LRs everywhere...... on 2 occasions today we were among 2 others at traffic lights which was most pleasing to see.
Makes a change from being swamped by "Asian vehicles" ...... :)
AlanH.

[scarry]

So arried in Darwin - total number of Land rovers seen from Port Augusta to Darwin = 1 . A defender at the devils marbles.

did see 2 in Alice.

Pretty sad really , certinly expected to see a few more.

Cheers Ean

Unfortunately,they are gradually disappearing from the bush,as they only make around town yuppy vehicles these days.[bighmmm]

We don't see many out of town at all theses days.

[rick130]

When I first went to Alice Springs something like 18 or 19 years ago there were Landies running and everywhere, there were at least as many 110's as there were 78 Series, maybe more.
It was really noticeable as I wasn't into Land Rovers then.
I asked my step dad why and he mentioned that Suttons had an excellent reputation.

LR don't really make cars for out there anymore.

[Konradical]

A week earlier and you would have past two heading south. Fast new one and slow deadly older one!

[ramblingboy42]

In the 8 yrs I owned my D2 I was always the only Land Rover out in the bush....all the tracks and crossings we all talk about here..... what used to **** me off was the common question ..."how'd the Land Rover go gettin' out here?" The implication was what ****ed me off. No one ever asks me how my Ranger goes getting out there......same roads , same conditions , same crossings.

[RobMichelle]

Hey ramblingboy42 howd ya #%&^n ranger get out there ?? [emoji6]🤯🤣[emoji23]

[cuppabillytea]

Lots of Evoques and Disco Sports around here.
It was first port of call for "Crispy Creams" around there as well, I believe.

[ramblingboy42]

Hey ramblingboy42 howd ya #%&^n ranger get out there ?? [emoji6]🤯🤣[emoji23]

hahaha, easy peasey japaneasy

hey, you know its just a 130 with a leaf spring rear.......

[DiscoClax]

We were having a late lunch stop in Finke after towing the FILs Rodeo there from near Lamberts. Waiting for the flatbed from Kulgera. A couple of blokes on KTMs rolled in from the south and we got chatting. Whilst knocking them up a quick cuppa we mentioned we were waiting on the truck and the first response was "what's wrong with the Landy?". *sigh*
It must just blow their minds to come across something like an L320 or L322 (or later) out there...

[DiscoClax]

hahaha, easy peasey japaneasy

hey, you know its just a 130 with a leaf spring rear.......And rear drum brakes...
And ergonomics... [emoji14]

[rick130]

And rear drum brakes...
And ergonomics... [emoji14]Ergonomics are so overrated....

Just like NVH [emoji23]

[DiscoClax]

Last week I participated in a drive event on a fairly mild off road track loop for work. We had the new MY18 Ranger, Everest and Raptor, as well as imported LHD F150, Chev Colorado, and Toyota Tacoma as reference vehicles. Drove nearly 2 hrs to and from the event in my L320 TDV8. That wasn't a good idea. Everything else was just rubbish in comparison. The Toyo was especially terrible. I don't know what they were thinking with that thing. I drove the loop in my L320 after it had finished, on my way home, to do a fair comparison in my own head. No contest. Note that I've been doing objective assessments of vehicles for twenty years professionally, so this isn't a fan-boi post.

Many years ago we had a drive day down at Werribee 4x4 center. After getting approvals and signing my rights away I was begrudgingly allowed to bring my old D1 and participate. Spent the day driving all over that place (it's good fun if you get the chance) in all sorts of vehicles. Gave four others a lift back to work at the end of the day (younglings) but did a quick loop on the way out. They couldn't believe how smooth and comfortable my old heap was. Long travel coil springs set up for offroading compared with cart springs designed for onroad handling and load carrying...
Oh, and I have a cherished pic of my mighty D1 towing the first-gen US Raptor back to base there after it failed to proceed (transfer case electrical gremlins). :)

[rover-56]

Gday All

Just drove from Pt Augusta to Alice Springs and total number of Land Rovers we seen on the road = 0 . Did see 2 wrecks at Kulgera roadhouse but that was it.

Maybe all the others were taking the off-road route . [thumbsupbig][bigrolf][bigrolf]

Cheers Ean

Adam Plate at Oodnadatta once told me that he fixes more tyres off Landrovers because they are all out in the rough stuff.
Terry

[Zeros]

Holding your nerve against the Toyota tide is second nature for Land Rover drivers in central and northern Australia. Only those with good taste and big kahunas can handle it. Everyone else retreats to the sheep farm. The thing is that for every predictable negative comment you receive, there is a great experience, discussion and LR comeraderie around the next corner that no one driving a Toyota will ever understand. (There is also no need to wear a kidney belt, dig your leaf spring hangers out of sand or mud, or spend your life savings on fuel!)