dungarover
17th February 2008, 04:48 PM
Well, I've been back for an hour or so and I will say I really enjoyed the trip today, thanks to Mick and Philippe for doing the 'nhard years' as per any well organised trip that's the key to making it a sucess.
Well, started off at the Ormeau servo for myself, Stikman and psimpson7. After a few minuts and formally introducing myself to Pete and his better half (sorry I forgotten your name already :confused:. I have a memory like a seive for names :(). About 8:30 or so the rest of thye 9 vehicles trundles through with Mick up front I think and Bolts (or Steinzy) dragging up the rear. turned up vennoe Drive and to the start of the track where we aired down.
This is where we divided the group into 2. One group for the 'foolhardy' which is more my speed and the more sensible bunch (or maybe not from what i heard. maybe Steinzy can elaborate on that later :angel:).
Our group, consisting of Mick, Philippe, Pete, Justin, camo (briefly) and myself headed off to tackle some more demanding terrain as you would expect when 5 out of 6b of the participants have vehicles that are double locked and have winches, etc... We had a light intoduction with an easy access track to the main play area and then a small chellenge of a hill, maybe more for others and not so much for some.
Poor Camo's Rangie had enough before we had already started, busting yet another engine mount. With no shroud and the likelyhood of the fam going into the radiator (not recomended :wasntme:) Camo decided to jump into my Rangie for the remainder of the day, but now it was my turn. The Rangies are not having a good day as yet (well the Lucas 'prince of darkness' EFI ones that is :mad:) because not long after, the Rangie crakced a darkie and stopped, at the most inapropriate time (ie- looking at the sky :eek:)
This is what is great about being in a 4WD club, there's always plenty of mates to assist (although a beer bribe is sometimes handy, but not nessacary on this occasion) Mick came to the rescue in the mack truck and dragged my dead Rangie up the hill. I then poped the bonnet and discoverd that the AFM hose had popped off the end. This is where those 'bling' silicon hoses suck bigtime, total **** factor IMO and have no place on mt rangie, so in the bin and a waste of money once again :mad::mad:.
Mick then lead us up another good run that takes you back to the main access track (name unknown. Been there a couple of dozen times and still can't remeber the 'names').
Lots of axle articulation and so forth up this track to get those springs out of cobwebs so to speak, then a small cliumb that had a few hairy moments for some although loose as buggary with rock strewned over the place didn't help the cause, but hey that's what we here for, to play hard :twisted::twisted::twisted:
Justin I will say makes the most spetacular attempt at this one with rocks, shale and dirt flying down the hill but was advised not to take that line, so I didn't and took another line that seemd to be just as challenging wiithout the shake rattle and roll.
Up at the top of the track, it was stikmans turn to take the lead and now we ended up going down another track that was a good workout of roof gutters and so forth. I think nearly all of us had hit the roof at some stage on this track, but still no substanial damage on any vehicle. This track had a few hairy moments, but all was taken in our stride but once again, after attempting another hill the AFM poped off as I reached the top. Luckily Camo had the screwdriver in hand so it was an easy 30 second fix and we we're off again to check out the 'tower of terror'.
This is one hell of a climb with plenty of 'pucker' moments. I've conqured a couple of times quite a few years ago but now it's becpome a 'no go' even for reasnobly modified vehicles and suicide for those who have the 'flat chat' mentality.
After diliberation and even though we all had winches, time was the main factor so it was a decision not to try it on this day and find something that required no major recoveries and we headed back up the track we came down.
On the way down, one of my Silverstone tyres had encounterd a sharp rock and sliced the tyres sidewall, meaning it was time to chage the tyre. With camp and Stikam, the tyre took bugger-all time to change and sooner raher than later, we were on the road again.
getting towards 12PM, Mick n9I thinbk) took the lead again and we went for a run down the creek, which in all honesty is a shadow of it's former self no\w there's water flowing. the recent heavy rains have moved and changed some of the track and also doing i9t in the reverse order that we normally do the track was different as well.
We headed towards and through the 'old' play area (now closed to public access) we headed back up the main track that would lead us up to the road in which we can head out. This track also has changed a fair bit since I was last there with more rust and rocks exposed after the rain of recent washed all the topsiol off everything.
At this stage, I think I heard that Steinzy had drowned his P38 in the mud and they were still trying to get it going, I couldn't get a good reception so I don't really know, but time for a bit of a wheelstand. \Stikman was f\irst, done a decent jon from what i was told, pete went through and was okay but it seemed by popular vote that i took the cake. All I know id that it was major pucker time when all I saw was sky and nothing else. Camo on the vidcam took a great shot of it (just finished watching it), but after some guidance from Mick, it was all good again and all 4 wheels of the Rangie were on the ground as they should be.
At this stage, we all headed out and onto the main road. Some pumped up there tyres, some said they goodbyes and headed off back home to the GC, whilts some who live only 5 mins away (Pete).
Thanks to Stikman and MickG for there 'leadership' qualities, also Camo for weilding the vidcam.
Damage report from our group-
One busted engine mount (camo)
EFI AFM issues with the end popping off (aquarangie)
One knackerd Silverstone Mt117 Sport (aquarangie)
Bark collection on panels at any one time (nearly all of us)
Lots of happy faces whilts doing it (EVERY BLOODY ONE OF US :twisted::twisted::twisted:)
All in all, it was a bloody good day, great company and great wheeling. Those who couldn't make the trip shame you missed out :(
Maybe next time. Try and get that Vid up on youtube tonight or tomorrow. Will post a link so watch this space.
Trav
Well, started off at the Ormeau servo for myself, Stikman and psimpson7. After a few minuts and formally introducing myself to Pete and his better half (sorry I forgotten your name already :confused:. I have a memory like a seive for names :(). About 8:30 or so the rest of thye 9 vehicles trundles through with Mick up front I think and Bolts (or Steinzy) dragging up the rear. turned up vennoe Drive and to the start of the track where we aired down.
This is where we divided the group into 2. One group for the 'foolhardy' which is more my speed and the more sensible bunch (or maybe not from what i heard. maybe Steinzy can elaborate on that later :angel:).
Our group, consisting of Mick, Philippe, Pete, Justin, camo (briefly) and myself headed off to tackle some more demanding terrain as you would expect when 5 out of 6b of the participants have vehicles that are double locked and have winches, etc... We had a light intoduction with an easy access track to the main play area and then a small chellenge of a hill, maybe more for others and not so much for some.
Poor Camo's Rangie had enough before we had already started, busting yet another engine mount. With no shroud and the likelyhood of the fam going into the radiator (not recomended :wasntme:) Camo decided to jump into my Rangie for the remainder of the day, but now it was my turn. The Rangies are not having a good day as yet (well the Lucas 'prince of darkness' EFI ones that is :mad:) because not long after, the Rangie crakced a darkie and stopped, at the most inapropriate time (ie- looking at the sky :eek:)
This is what is great about being in a 4WD club, there's always plenty of mates to assist (although a beer bribe is sometimes handy, but not nessacary on this occasion) Mick came to the rescue in the mack truck and dragged my dead Rangie up the hill. I then poped the bonnet and discoverd that the AFM hose had popped off the end. This is where those 'bling' silicon hoses suck bigtime, total **** factor IMO and have no place on mt rangie, so in the bin and a waste of money once again :mad::mad:.
Mick then lead us up another good run that takes you back to the main access track (name unknown. Been there a couple of dozen times and still can't remeber the 'names').
Lots of axle articulation and so forth up this track to get those springs out of cobwebs so to speak, then a small cliumb that had a few hairy moments for some although loose as buggary with rock strewned over the place didn't help the cause, but hey that's what we here for, to play hard :twisted::twisted::twisted:
Justin I will say makes the most spetacular attempt at this one with rocks, shale and dirt flying down the hill but was advised not to take that line, so I didn't and took another line that seemd to be just as challenging wiithout the shake rattle and roll.
Up at the top of the track, it was stikmans turn to take the lead and now we ended up going down another track that was a good workout of roof gutters and so forth. I think nearly all of us had hit the roof at some stage on this track, but still no substanial damage on any vehicle. This track had a few hairy moments, but all was taken in our stride but once again, after attempting another hill the AFM poped off as I reached the top. Luckily Camo had the screwdriver in hand so it was an easy 30 second fix and we we're off again to check out the 'tower of terror'.
This is one hell of a climb with plenty of 'pucker' moments. I've conqured a couple of times quite a few years ago but now it's becpome a 'no go' even for reasnobly modified vehicles and suicide for those who have the 'flat chat' mentality.
After diliberation and even though we all had winches, time was the main factor so it was a decision not to try it on this day and find something that required no major recoveries and we headed back up the track we came down.
On the way down, one of my Silverstone tyres had encounterd a sharp rock and sliced the tyres sidewall, meaning it was time to chage the tyre. With camp and Stikam, the tyre took bugger-all time to change and sooner raher than later, we were on the road again.
getting towards 12PM, Mick n9I thinbk) took the lead again and we went for a run down the creek, which in all honesty is a shadow of it's former self no\w there's water flowing. the recent heavy rains have moved and changed some of the track and also doing i9t in the reverse order that we normally do the track was different as well.
We headed towards and through the 'old' play area (now closed to public access) we headed back up the main track that would lead us up to the road in which we can head out. This track also has changed a fair bit since I was last there with more rust and rocks exposed after the rain of recent washed all the topsiol off everything.
At this stage, I think I heard that Steinzy had drowned his P38 in the mud and they were still trying to get it going, I couldn't get a good reception so I don't really know, but time for a bit of a wheelstand. \Stikman was f\irst, done a decent jon from what i was told, pete went through and was okay but it seemed by popular vote that i took the cake. All I know id that it was major pucker time when all I saw was sky and nothing else. Camo on the vidcam took a great shot of it (just finished watching it), but after some guidance from Mick, it was all good again and all 4 wheels of the Rangie were on the ground as they should be.
At this stage, we all headed out and onto the main road. Some pumped up there tyres, some said they goodbyes and headed off back home to the GC, whilts some who live only 5 mins away (Pete).
Thanks to Stikman and MickG for there 'leadership' qualities, also Camo for weilding the vidcam.
Damage report from our group-
One busted engine mount (camo)
EFI AFM issues with the end popping off (aquarangie)
One knackerd Silverstone Mt117 Sport (aquarangie)
Bark collection on panels at any one time (nearly all of us)
Lots of happy faces whilts doing it (EVERY BLOODY ONE OF US :twisted::twisted::twisted:)
All in all, it was a bloody good day, great company and great wheeling. Those who couldn't make the trip shame you missed out :(
Maybe next time. Try and get that Vid up on youtube tonight or tomorrow. Will post a link so watch this space.
Trav