Thread: Big Red...not that hard...for some

Back in the 80s, my late, best mate was a professional photographer. He scored a job with the then Qld Government Tourist Bureau (or whatever) to gather a portfolio on Western Qld, with one request being a photo of Big Red.
Now, in those days, not everyone owned a blinged up 4x4 and this was the case with my mate. He was the owner of a base model Torana hatchback, with the Starfire engine.

He drove this to the top of Big Red and had the piccies to prove it. When I mentioned to him that people like to say that they got their 4bee up there, his response was, "Nobody told me that!"

A friend of mine missed a gear change while ascending big red. He was about half way up, almost came to a stop, found first gear and successfully crested the ridge. Driving a fairly heavily loaded 200Tdi 110 Defender.

A variety of other brands of 4WD's were having multiple attempts and a comment overheard from one of the amazed 'observers' at the top was "is there anything that can stop these Land Rovers".

Our group consisted of seven other Landys all all of which crested without a problem.

In my experience, it has little to do with the vehicle - mostly tyre pressure and driving technique.

When I did Simpson years ago with Pajero club, I did big red in H4 with rear auto locker in a Great Wall X240. Its not the vehicle. Its how you drive it, momentum, and tyre pressure. In fact I drove the whole Simpson in mostly H2 (rear auto locker) and only selected H4 on some of the bigger dunes to get over. None for me needed a second go, and I did not get bogged or chop up the tracks. Our group had bets on if I could do big red in H4! I also was nearly 1/2 in petrol used CMF the Diesel Pajs. As the ad says Nothing Special! Just Chinese rubbish!!

Originally Posted by JDNSW

In my experience, it has little to do with the vehicle - mostly tyre pressure and driving technique.

Also time of the day/temperature.




Colin

Last I only gave the hard line a half arsed attempt…….didn’t make it

Drove up one of the easier lines, from memory tyres were F18 R22

We were going E-W and didn’t want to break anything as we were continuing on around aus….wasn’t fussed we didn’t get up the hard line.

Plenty of others taking massive long run ups and flying over the top…

We didn’t even hang around to watch others, took some pics as it was late in the day and headed off to find a camp

My late BIL did it in a split windscreen Kombi. Of course, like the Porsche in Colin's post, the rear engine RWD traction thing helped.

I flew up the difficult track in our loaded D4,tyres on 25 PSI.

Two locals in LC Tray backs couldn’t believe their eyes.

After a bit of a chat and look around,I took off and forgot to turn the swerve control off,what ever it is called,and got bogged.The locals helped push it out.

Tried it many years before in a loaded D2a,it didn’t have a hope of getting up the more difficult track.