Thread: Anyone Travelling the Coast Road from Sydney to Brisbane - See if you can spot thiis!

Did it drive onto the truck?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Did it drive onto the truck?

Hello Ian,

Yes it did. However, I have been informed by Mick the Truck driver, that it does not run very well. It may need some tools because it either has timing or fuel issues. I saw a video of the van running and being driven around a paddock. It sounds like it was missing. The engine is 302 Cleveland motor out of an XA Falcon with an automatic box. The brakes sort of stop too.

My plans are fitting something like an Isuzu 6DB1 to it instead. Back in the day a popular engine swap was a Perkins 6-354 a six cylinder diesel. That too could still be a possibility. Or maybe a Cummins diesel? Something without a lot of wires and computer modules hanging off it though. Then it would be just tooo modern for a Luddite like me.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

A bit of a different looking photograph of Bluey taken on Monday the 30th of March. On a tilt tray truck and on its way to a weighbridge to get its dimensions sorted out. Bluey came in at 2.56 tonnes. Not much room left on the tilt tray.

What has made things interesting. One 3.5 tonne capacity car trailer I found weighs in at 1060 kilograms.... + 2.56 Tonnes = 3620 kgs ... Oopsy too heavy!!! Possible tow vehicle 3.5 tonnes towing capacity. There went that idea!

Maybe I need a heavier vehicle to tow things with in the future! That's irony for you! Bluey will be that vehicle!

Kind regards
Lionel

Hello All,

There have been and are some AULRO members working behind the scenes. Once Bluey is safely on its six wheels here at home the members will be identified and thanked publicly and profusely - if that is okay with them?

One member made the decision to buy Bluey that much easier. It is always helpful when someone can confirm for you that the vehicle is not actually a matchbox toy. Also that the video clip has not been adulterated too much. They went above and beyond going out and inspecting the van for me.

The other member is still assisting me behind the scenes. A bit like the Wizard of Oz.

I have not met either of these club members in person - yet. It just goes to show what a great club we are members of.

No .... Bluey is NOT the vehicle that is coming across from Perth - Western Australia!

Kind regards
Lionel

hmmm good luck to you Lionel.

I drove a couple of those in trayback version post cyclone Tracey working as a remote areas diesel fitter.

I'm thinking it had a Perkins 6.

It didn't endear itself to me in any shape or form , uncomfortable seating out of phase with the vehicles suspension , which forced one to drive in lower gears as soon as you got off the Stuart Hwy, because you just could not drive it over corrugations at any good speed.

They were a work beast though and we'd load it up with spare generators and pumps and lots of diesel service spares , food , booze and fridgeboxes and go away for a few weeks.

Surprisingly they always seemed to get through the worst driving conditions which would stop the Landcruisers and f150's which often accompanied us.

Certainly better tyres and suspension components , a good pair of bucket seats would transform it from the vehicles we went bush in. Add aircon and stereo, starting to sound better.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

hmmm good luck to you Lionel.

I drove a couple of those in trayback version post cyclone Tracey working as a remote areas diesel fitter.

I'm thinking it had a Perkins 6.

It didn't endear itself to me in any shape or form , uncomfortable seating out of phase with the vehicles suspension , which forced one to drive in lower gears as soon as you got off the Stuart Hwy, because you just could not drive it over corrugations at any good speed.

They were a work beast though and we'd load it up with spare generators and pumps and lots of diesel service spares , food , booze and fridgeboxes and go away for a few weeks.

Surprisingly they always seemed to get through the worst driving conditions which would stop the Landcruisers and f150's which often accompanied us.

Certainly better tyres and suspension components , a good pair of bucket seats would transform it from the vehicles we went bush in. Add aircon and stereo, starting to sound better.

Sounds like you're getting soft in your old age.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

hmmm good luck to you Lionel.

I drove a couple of those in trayback version post cyclone Tracey working as a remote areas diesel fitter.

I'm thinking it had a Perkins 6.

It didn't endear itself to me in any shape or form , uncomfortable seating out of phase with the vehicles suspension , which forced one to drive in lower gears as soon as you got off the Stuart Hwy, because you just could not drive it over corrugations at any good speed.

They were a work beast though and we'd load it up with spare generators and pumps and lots of diesel service spares , food , booze and fridgeboxes and go away for a few weeks.

Surprisingly they always seemed to get through the worst driving conditions which would stop the Landcruisers and f150's which often accompanied us.

Certainly better tyres and suspension components , a good pair of bucket seats would transform it from the vehicles we went bush in. Add aircon and stereo, starting to sound better.

Hello Rambling Boy,

From my research the installation of a Perkins diesel instead of the International petrol motor could be considered a bit of one step forward... situation. There was a decrease in speed performance. The gear ratios did not quite suit the diesel's output characteristics for the vehicle. However, this was all made up for in the fuel lasting a lot longer.

One thing for sure Rambling Boy is that there is a lot of room to do things like seat modifications. Air conditioning - um that might need a tad of compartmentalisation to achieve that end.

I now have a welder and it seems by one report that I will have plenty of things to practice on. Another link with these vehicles is that I did my work experience in Grade 10 at a local truck repairs and body builder in Goulburn. One of their income streams was to buy the ute versions of the International and Dodges and do them up for sale. I worked on the body and the engines. Yes my van has rust in the very same places as those trucks back in my youth. Fortunately, these rust sections are in nice large and flat panels

Kind regards
Lionel

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Sounds like you're getting soft in your old age.

Says he who now rides in air conditioned comfort in a soft riding Western Star.

Maybe we could send you on a run in a Super Hippo from the 'Dangie to Bulloo Downs to bring you back to earth.