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Australia coast to coast in a site-unseen 84 Wagoneer

Bad Karma

Captain Sarcasm
BENEFACTOR
Lifetime Member
Member
City
Cobourg, Ontario, Cana
State
da
Is anyone else thinking about the complete insanity here? And I don't mean the incredible photos.

These are digital photos taken by a hand-held phone and updates about this trip written on that same phone that's roughly the size of a large candy bar, from the other side of the planet, wirelessly uploaded to this thing we call the internet, where we can sit here in our homes or work in the US to check them out, or on our phones or tablet computers, any one of which is HUNDREDS OF ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE more powerful than ALL of the electronics that were used to put the first man on the moon.

There is a Canadian here too! :wave:

This thread is truly epic. Those cliff pics are beyond epic!
 

gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Thanks for all your comment folks, really happy you are interested. I have actually arrived home now in one piece and have been to the workshop for a quick tidy up of that awesome bus.

So I have switched to computer mode now as my thumb is not up to the task of completing this thread. I have just been back through and fixed up numerous spelling mistakes thanks to my oversized thumb and Apple's inability to autocorrect all of them.

BW you are completely right in saying how amazing the technology is in that we can do what I have done and pretty much the entire way have been able to update from right there on the spot. I did that exact same trip when I first moved to Western Australia back in '89. We had giant paper maps, had to work out things like fuel and food stops and that was purely guesswork as what we almost always found was that what looked like a dot on a map was actually a large town and then the reverse. Now I can go to maps, see what the town looks like from above, even see the service stations and make an educated guess on whether or not I'll be able feed the Jeep (and myself) or not. Range is not the Waggie's strong point when running on LPG so I was stopping every other town to regas. I even downloaded a speedometer app on the road since I figured, being a Jeep, I'd have an error of sorts and sure enough, 10%.

So anyway Day 2 ended with a gain of 1.5 hours as I crossed into WA (not Washington :rolleyes: ) so that gave me scope to punch on and try to reduce the load for the last run home. I pulled over for a power nap but as soon as I closed my eyes the damned phone rang, someone wanting to give me work. Rightio I'm all stimulated now so I got vertical and got going.
I was at the starting end of the longest stretch of straight road in Oz, 146km. Great! I was supposed to be sleeping. Anyway I rolled along dead straight for what seemed like forever until eventually caught up to a caravan. I went to overtake and, wouldn't you know it, there's a bend to the left.
Some more pictures from Day3

You know what? I can't get this damned thing to work right, it won't let me attach images. I'm going back to my phone.
 

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gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Back on the phone now so I can post what I want when I want. Just to bring a CJ8 to the partyImageUploadedByTapatalk1442577342.362773.jpg
With those shots of The Great Australian Bight, they gave actually restricted access over the years and now you have to be looking and thinking to see the little two wheels tracks which take you to the best spots. I drove into and out of two other designated vantage points but the car park is fenced at both and only foot traffic is allowed out on a boardwalk to take photos etc. drive another kilometer down the road and you see what I see. Notice at the bottom of the cliff the massive pile of earth from the last slip? That was there about 6 years ago when I last parked a vehicle there. Nonetheless I was tiptoeing back to the jeep and starting it vewy vewy kwietly after taking those photos. Puckering all the wayhttps://vimeo.com/139694927 this was camp last night. A beautiful spot next to a salt lake
 

gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Jambo I have to have that brochure. I'll go look for it. I saw another one which I think i posted somewhere on this forum showing the same jeep in two scenes, one at the polo and one at a fancy restront getting the valet treatment. The guy selling that jeep showed it as one of the pics in his car sales.com ad.

So Day 4! Home stretch.
Good sleep in the swag on the ground and up at 5.
Obligatory bacon and egg sanga at the next town, regard and on my way. Caught a police checkpoint on the way into town though. Of course the cops were all to interested in talking about the Jeep than why I was driving someone else's vehicle from Qld to WA. (I haven't changed the license yet).
Poo time so I pulled into this most awesome spot at the start of the salt lakes system which actually runs from here way up north. Have a look on Goggle Erth if you're interested, search for "Lake Johnston" or "Norseman" and you'll find them. "A" Class reserve and really something. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579043.373956.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579077.757037.jpg
200ks of dirt on this stretch which I'm glad to say the good ship Archie revelled in. The wagon is so planted on the road. Really feels good on loose surfaces. Doesn't feel any different to bitumen really. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579381.258400.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579439.292369.jpgpast a couple of the nickel mines I look afterImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579484.592211.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579539.841931.jpg the second one I believe is the highest grade nickel mine in the Southern Hemisphere. Woohoo
Back on the macadam and I come to the Dog Cemetery outside of Corrogin. These wheat belt guys love their working dogs (sheep) and the cemetery is full of spots, diggers, fangs, Bruces and of course BlueysImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579782.092446.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579801.075211.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442579821.925502.jpg
150 kilometers from home now
 
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gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
And here we are. 4251 kilometers plus 10% = 4676. I can safely say 1300 litres of fuel be it LPG or gasolene at anywhere between 1.50 and 2.00 for petrol and 0.60 and 1.60 for LPG. Do the math. It is not a cheap way to bring an FSJ across an island this big but it sure is fun.
Apart from interestingly fluctuating oil pressures, incessant power steering bleeding and a leaky sunroof I can, hand on heart, say YES YOU CAN go to the other side, get in a totally unknown vehicle and drive it LIKE THE WIND (or like a big boat) all the way home and live to tell the tale.
Back at the shop and a little tidy up. First to go: the spectaclesImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580635.458827.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580654.427347.jpg
Quick exploratory scrub on the tyres and wheelsImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580708.475356.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580723.024972.jpg
And out onto the lawnImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580767.458191.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580787.041608.jpg

I'll keep this thread alive as I go along with this Wagoneer. It's a long way off from getting a birthday. Someone else is first in line, waiting patientlyImageUploadedByTapatalk1442580952.258222.jpg
 

bigwalton

Alaskan Postal nutjob
FORUM MANAGER
SOA Member
City
Dexter
State
MI
HOT DAMN!! Well done sir!

Looks SO much better without that cow catcher and the pic of it cleaned up :drool:

:cheers:
 

jbeemer

CJ-8 Member
Gold Member
City
Conklin
State
MI
This is just awesome, Thank You so much for sharing the adventure!!!!! :headbang:
 

wm69

Scrambler Junkie
Silver Member
Lifetime Member
City
God's Country
State
AR
Looks great. Awesome trip.
 

gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Thanks so much folks, glad to be back into own bed.

I have a small shopping list starting with the Over Riders or whatever you guys call them where I took off the roo bar. The whole front looks naked without them. Does anyone know a guy with heaps of Jeeps who may have some spare? ;) :wave:
Also needing a few of the little plastic/chrome/wood grain end covers for the door pull handles. Guess I'll start with eBay
 

gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Folks I was looking at a GW on eBay from a few weeks ago and this is its front axleImageUploadedByTapatalk1442615340.088734.jpg it has Selectrac
Mine also says Selectrac but my front diff looks like thisImageUploadedByTapatalk1442615401.640072.jpg
Can some please tell me what this is about?
I've never seen this vacuum thing on an axle before and if mine has this why doesn't the other one?

Edit: Disregard. I did some homework and found its a disengaging deal, vacuum operated. Only in these for a year or two like this. I also understand that due to its viscous coupling I can, and should, drive it around on hard surfaces at least every 10,000 miles. I think by the look of the hoses on mine it won't shift anywhere. Jobs to do.
 
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jerseyjeeps

Crazy about AMC Jeeps
Lifetime Member
City
Landing
State
NJ
I have several parts FSJs. If you can't find things in Oz, i'd be willing to ship.

Do you also have a large box appendage looking thing by your right knee ? That's a tell tale it's the vaccine axle. It's very problematic that whole setup. :/
 

gazzo

AMC Jeep nutjob
Lifetime Member
City
Fremantle
State
WA
Thanks Eric. I'll get a list together and photos and we can go from there.

I'm not sure on the box, I have AC (not engaging compressor, electrical yuk) so that may be hiding this box you speak of.
There is a black plastic box the size of an ignition module if that's the one? It's on the right side of the tunnel under the dash above my left foot
 
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