Made it to Cooma & back

[gromit]

We were a bit worried about the lack of road testing before heading off because the old girl hadn't been used much over the last 12 years or so.
She was running a bit rich (very worn Holden carby) but better than burning out exhaust valves.
Settled on a cruising speed of 50mph on the flat, tended to slow quite a bit for hills. Uneventful journey to the NSW border where we bush camped on Thursday night, checked the oil and decided to top up at Cooma because the level wasn't down too much. Struggled a bit on the hills approaching Cooma, would settle down to 26mph in 3rd gear and hold at that speed. Then about 30km out it developed a misfire and finally gave up on a steep hill....
Unpacked the camping gear to get to the toolbox and after some investigation found only 1.5V at the coil. Solved the problem by hot wiring the coil direct to the battery and she made it to the registration (thanks to those who stopped to offer assistance).
The father-in-law & I had a great time at the event and met some fantastic people and saw some very interesting vehicles & camping setups. On parking at the showground on the Saturday someone ran up to us as we got out and asked " did you buy this from a guy in Devon Meadows ?", turned out he had looked at it about 6 years ago but turned it down because he was about to travel overseas.
Lots of interest in the home made welder, extra gearlever and the original camping setup in the back. Also got some ideas for what some of the roofrack bracketry held originally and found out many other things that weren't original but had been made by the first owner.

Left Polo Flats at 7am on Monday to make the run back to Melbourne and all went well until the Pakenham Bypass (a few Km's from home) when she developed a misfire. Nursed it for the lat few Km's and got home at 5.15pm.

Fuel consumption worked out at approx 14.5 ltrs/100 (no worse than my Territory) and used about a pint and a half of oil (mainly lost from the rear main seal). Slight oil leak at the rear of the cylinder head and now a misfire to cure.

A fantastic road trip (apologies to anyone we held up on the way there or back), a fantastic event and look forward to the 70th....

Colin

[UncleHo]

G'day Gromit :)

Good to hear that you made it up and back without to much hassle, can't remember if I spoke to you or not, love the truck, a true bit of Australiana :cool:

cheers

[Dinty]

G'day All, I saw your very distinctive vehicle in various locations either Polo Flats where you camped and in town but I didn't get to say G'day either anyway maybe somewhere else, cheers Dennis:wasntme:

[graceysdad]

I am please that the fellas who bought there old Series machines to Cooma made it safely and got home safely, good to see so many of the old dears on the roads , probably never see the likes again

[100I]

try shouting it a condenser

[graceysdad]

Hehehe! Holden motors dont act up like this and if they do you can buy the part at the chemist shop

[JDNSW]

Hehehe! Holden motors dont act up like this and if they do you can buy the part at the chemist shop

First time I struck an older Holden motor stopped out in the bush (they had been there for well over twelve hours) it was the timing gear - hardly a roadside repair, rather worse than a misfire. The last time I drove an older Holden in the bush it kept backfiring through the carbie, setting fire to the aircleaner, and finally gave up altogether, but not when I was driving it (I think it was a hole in a piston, but the engine was scrapped without opening it).

John

[Disco Pom]

Well done Colin...true Land Rover Overlander spirit :p

Must of been fun on the freeway with some angry semi drivers behind you :D

Hope they showed you some respect by not sticking their finger out of the window at you !..I get that sometimes in my P38 cruising along the freeway at 90k's minding my own business , trying to get the fuel economy down to below 18l/100 :(....they overtake and the single digit appears out of the window and horns blowing..no respect for us landie drivers out on a nice relaxing drive..

cheers,
Richard

[graceysdad]

This is why I named mine the Blue Streak, coz she will Streak past the others, on the end of a tow truck!, that Holden motor you come across John must have been one flogged out motor, bet it was a Red, Grey motors behave better!

[Larry]

I am please that the fellas who bought there old Series machines to Cooma made it safely and got home safely, good to see so many of the old dears on the roads , probably never see the likes again

Are you talking about the vehicles or the drivers???:p:D

[DiscoDave]

Good work Colin.:)
I too was amazed my 86" could drive to Cooma without problems. Didn't overheat (well there was no steam anyway) despite leaking coolant and a non working temp guage. Drove down in convoy on the Thursday and clocked over 100kph on the downhill stretches near Canberra (this is with 6.00x16 wheels and no overdrive!) initial calculations show I was using 13L per 100km which I'm very happy with.
Driving home was also good although I took it a little slower and had several rest breaks. Unfortunately I lost the use of the clutch in Penrith which made the last hour "interesting" - by chance I had been discussing 'clutchless' driving technique with people at the awards dinner so I knew what to do! :cool:
The clutch problem was due to a sheered pin (actually a bolt that someone had used in place of the proper pin) and I was able to fix that. I did have a problem adjusting the clutch stop as the bolt seems to be seized and I just can't find a way to get a spanner on it. The clutch works okay but 'bites' very near the top of the pedal travel.

[JDNSW]

.......Unfortunately I lost the use of the clutch in Penrith which made the last hour "interesting" - by chance I had been discussing 'clutchless' driving technique with people at the awards dinner so I knew what to do! :cool:
The clutch problem was due to a sheered pin (actually a bolt that someone had used in place of the proper pin) and I was able to fix that. ...

That pin is a hardened pin, and using anything else is likely to result in a similar occurrence in the not too distant future.

John

[gromit]

Overall other drivers were OK with a few exceptions.
We tried where possible to pull over if the convoy got too large behind us and spent a lot of time driving on the hard shoulder to give people enough room to overtake.
It was amazing to see some cars approaching behind at speed then suddenly braking as though they couldn't judge that we were traveling much slower than them. The truck drivers were all great and sat back till there was room to overtake.
When traveling on the hard shoulder we had P Platers tooting and waving thanks as they went past along with a lot of older drivers, others completely ignored us.
Had a Post Office Contractor overtake 6 cars to get in behind us and then followed about 2 feet off our tail for a few Km's till he could get past, must have been in a hurry delivering the mail (?!).
This is a generalisation but both the father-in-law & I felt that people towing boats had the least respect for other road users.

Anyway, an interesting experience........


Colin

[graceysdad]

Any old Series is an old dear, 40 years plus and still plodding, just thinking about getting an old vehicle from one state to another under its own steam and with little problems in the heat of summer is a job well done, says alot for the technology, try getting a Willys jeep to do the same thing

[numpty]

After sorting out the carby the day before we left, I was very pleased with Leon's fuel consumption. Sitting on about 70 k's most of the time, he returned around 20 to 22 mpg (what's this l/hundred crap):p The speedo is in miles, so mpg is where it's at. We actually drove him about750 miles (Colo Heights to Cooma and return) and apart from burning about 2 pints:angel: of oil, nothing untoward occurred. I'm assured they are supposed to burn about this much, as it helps with upper cylinder lubricant. This from an older expert, so disbelieve at your peril:D