Post by vanman on Mar 8, 2022 3:18:10 GMT -6
A Kombi Tale of Woe
Monday, 14 February 2022
12:10 PM
This is a true story. The year is 1971, three young new poms were living in Sydney. After we had been living there About a year, we started to get itchy feet, and decided to explore Australia. Well, we weren't exactly flush with money, so we decided to buy an old VW kombi van. It had three bench seats, which Will be our beds, a full roof rack, so we thought, no worries, this will hold everything we own!. So, the day of departing came, and with the rack full, off we went. I tell you, us english had no idea of distance, we were planning
On driving across Australia to Perth! In this van, 5000 miles!. Well, the poor thing only had a 1200cc engine, when we Had a head wind I think we could have pushed it faster. The first mistake with the van was not fitting air scoops on the Sides for better engine cooling, tch. Even though we started off in the winter. Well, amazingly we got as far as Broken Hill before the first breakdown. The cooling fan bearing decided to give up with up with a squeal. Got a new one, can't Remember where. Oh, have'nt told you that we are pretty hot shot mechanics, ha so we fix it ourselves. Right, got to Port Augusta. Someone said lets go see Alice Springs, yeah why not. I'll tell you why not, because its 800 miles up a DIRT track, no worries, off we go, I tell you we were nuts. Oh my god, the dust, we looked like red Indians in that van, flying over the cattle grids. Got as far as Woomara when a engine valve gave up.Out with the
Engine again, it is easier to work on when it is out. Scored a lift in a fuel truck to Port Augusta to get a new valve. Got back, now we did end up in a prison cell for a night in Woomara, but I won't go into that! Okay, now we are bouncing along, going well, only 50 miles to Alice, yahoo, then BANG, Oh boy, a conrod had Smashed through the crankcase. The motor just gets too hot,and gives up. In those days you see like two cars a day! After existing on a can of beans for a day, a godsend. A landrover comes along, he tows us into an Alice wreckers yard.
By now we take it in turns who is getting underneath the van! As luck had it there was a beetle there, so we bought The motor from that and installed it in the Kombi. Do you know that motor got us to Perth, and ran around Perth for The next two years with no trouble. So that was a lesson to new poms! Stay in town!! If you were amused by my story click my link bit.ly/3vPAmVq you will be very interested.
Monday, 14 February 2022
12:10 PM
This is a true story. The year is 1971, three young new poms were living in Sydney. After we had been living there About a year, we started to get itchy feet, and decided to explore Australia. Well, we weren't exactly flush with money, so we decided to buy an old VW kombi van. It had three bench seats, which Will be our beds, a full roof rack, so we thought, no worries, this will hold everything we own!. So, the day of departing came, and with the rack full, off we went. I tell you, us english had no idea of distance, we were planning
On driving across Australia to Perth! In this van, 5000 miles!. Well, the poor thing only had a 1200cc engine, when we Had a head wind I think we could have pushed it faster. The first mistake with the van was not fitting air scoops on the Sides for better engine cooling, tch. Even though we started off in the winter. Well, amazingly we got as far as Broken Hill before the first breakdown. The cooling fan bearing decided to give up with up with a squeal. Got a new one, can't Remember where. Oh, have'nt told you that we are pretty hot shot mechanics, ha so we fix it ourselves. Right, got to Port Augusta. Someone said lets go see Alice Springs, yeah why not. I'll tell you why not, because its 800 miles up a DIRT track, no worries, off we go, I tell you we were nuts. Oh my god, the dust, we looked like red Indians in that van, flying over the cattle grids. Got as far as Woomara when a engine valve gave up.Out with the
Engine again, it is easier to work on when it is out. Scored a lift in a fuel truck to Port Augusta to get a new valve. Got back, now we did end up in a prison cell for a night in Woomara, but I won't go into that! Okay, now we are bouncing along, going well, only 50 miles to Alice, yahoo, then BANG, Oh boy, a conrod had Smashed through the crankcase. The motor just gets too hot,and gives up. In those days you see like two cars a day! After existing on a can of beans for a day, a godsend. A landrover comes along, he tows us into an Alice wreckers yard.
By now we take it in turns who is getting underneath the van! As luck had it there was a beetle there, so we bought The motor from that and installed it in the Kombi. Do you know that motor got us to Perth, and ran around Perth for The next two years with no trouble. So that was a lesson to new poms! Stay in town!! If you were amused by my story click my link bit.ly/3vPAmVq you will be very interested.