Thread: Top Gear Bolivia Special

Originally Posted by stooge

Speaking of mechanical things, like the 3 wheeled suzuki, did anyone else think that the use of the words "Clutch problems" was incorrect on the Toyo? If it was clutch, Hamster wouldnt have any drive, more like gearbox/snyc problems than clutch. Being pedantic I know

Ummmmm ........... have taken a Mack truck with 100 tonne float all the way in to Telfer Gold Mine from Marble Bar with no clutch (cable had broken) - loaded a dump truck and drove out - got as far south as Meekatharra until a new cable flown up to us and fitted on the side of the road.

The description (even though a bit vague) on the show was entirely plausible, as was the way that Hammond described having to effect gear changes without the clutch. Have done it myself with many vehicles.

Might have been pushed?

Had that episode for months, how absoloutely awesome was it.........

Yep, drove around in my HQ 1 tonner for about 2 weeks without a clutch cable. Just had to start it in gear at the lights!

Best Top Gear for yonks.

That Rangie certainly got puut through its paces but the little Suzzie held its own.

Had a Suzzie for a shooting buggie and chased pigs in it for years and apart from the few cracks in the little chassis and a lot of flats it never missed a beat.

Driving on those mountainn tracks reminds me of going up the Military access road in Kashmir up to Srinigar. At least the Indians worked out it was safer to do it one way traffic - up on Monday, Down on Tuesday etc. That solved the head on traffic problem but not the idiot overtakers who would go around you on blind corners.

As for the Toymota - needed a lot of tools to keep that going

Originally Posted by BMKal

Ummmmm ........... have taken a Mack truck with 100 tonne float all the way in to Telfer Gold Mine from Marble Bar with no clutch (cable had broken) - loaded a dump truck and drove out - got as far south as Meekatharra until a new cable flown up to us and fitted on the side of the road.

The description (even though a bit vague) on the show was entirely plausible, as was the way that Hammond described having to effect gear changes without the clutch. Have done it myself with many vehicles.

Anyone who has spent any quality time driving old blitzs & studes would know that a clutch is optional, just makes it easier (especially at the lights).

Back in 1994 the RFS brigade I was in had an old Leyland Mastiff 6x6, it had a clutch failure in the early stages of the fires up near Bucketty, they guys drove it for the next 10 days before things settled down enough for a clutch change (mind you it also needed a gearbox as well by then).



Punted this around for more than a week, over various tracks/roads, the Stude it was replacing can be just seen in the background (taken c1986)

Martyn

Going up through the gears without a clutch is not too bad but coming down well that takes some doing. Drove a Bristol Double decker bus with crash box through Pakistan and Iran with a dodgy clutch which ended up failing all together. If you did not have the revs right there was no way you could get the bugger back down the gears. Led to some hairy moments going down steep grades when you could not select a lower gear and the brakes were getting hot and failing.

They were the days.

Loved the Bolivia Special. Would have loved to do that drive - even without the support crew

I enjoyed the show,yes staged,as is everything on all their shows.
They are great showmen.
My first 4x4 was a Shorty 40,but older than the one in the show.
I know of one retired on a farm scrapheap in exceptional condition for its age.I wouldnt mind aquiring it myself.Them old shorty 40s arent alot different than the 2a 88" Landies.
Andrew