Flagstone Creek Road

This is a grab from my dashcam of a run up the mountain along Flagstone Creek Road.

 The quality is poor (both sound and vision).

 The vision problem is a consequence of camera shake.

 I don't know why the sound is so poor.

 Anyway - FWIW, I'll post it.

NB - It was done whilst remaining well within the posted limits. This is one of the advantages of the MX5. You don't have to drive it fast to enjoy it.

Of Cats and Frogs

Appearance is good

My bride is one of eleven, and six of her siblings are female. This means I have lots of sisters-in-law.

2.1 litre V6

One of them has a fondness for Jaguars (the motor car – not the animal). She is also fond of frogs, but that’s another story. Her hubby (my brother-in-law) has been for some time, searching for a Jaguar as a surprise gift. He found one (a 2002 manual X-Type) and it was in Toowoomba. These things are not all that common, and manuals are like hen’s teeth. His bride (said sister-in-law) also has a fondness for manual transmissions.


So the plot was hatched. I was to look at the car, and if it seemed OK, serious negotiations would be entered into. It was very OK, well-priced, and the deal was done.
Brother-in-law and bride are flying from their home base (Cairns) today, and I am meeting them at the airport with the surprise – the Jag.

Fake wood - real leather

Not everything went smoothly. Turns out the air conditioning was non-functional, although it was working when I first inspected the car. Now air blowing warm is not a good thing in humid Cairns, so parts had to be found, and repairs done. As this is written, the parts have been dispatched but not delivered to Toowoomba, so here’s hoping they get here in time to be fitted before I have to drive down to meet the midday plane.

I’ll keep you posted.

Snarly cat on wheel.

As to the car – it’s in top nick and has covered about 120000 kms. These were the first Jags produced after Ford bought Jaguar in or around 2000. Ford used the Mondeo frame, which upset many Jaguar traditionalists, but the cars are more reliable than pre-Ford Jags as a consequence, and well-sorted.

Frogs are a thing....

The Jaguar ambiance is still there, with lots of leather and wood, and it’s a very pleasant drive. It’s powered b a small (2.1lit) six, and has a Getrag gearbox. It actually feels a little bit like our Focus to drive, and has idiosyncrasies like the bonnet opening handle on the passenger’s side which it shares with the small Fords.

It was the first (and only, I think), front wheel drive Jaguar.

My SIL is fond of Frogs, so I found a frog themed key ring (pictured) to go with the car. I hope she is impressed.The parts for the A/C didn't arrive in time to meet the plane, but a rendezvous was organised later in the day. Sister-in-law was surprised (very pleasantly) and liked the frog......

Update -

The part arrived too late to have the car ready to meet the plane, but a surprise rendezvous was organised later. It worked.

Details.....Details

Tarted up engine bay.

Politics is beyond depressing right now, so I'll stick to posts about my MX5 for a while.

Restoring cars is less boring, and there is actually a result at the end of it. Can't same the same for political commentary.

Whilst the bodywork has a reasonable appearance, there's a lot of external detail stuff which needed doing. I started with the engine bay, the wheels, and other external bits like the wipers. I painted them, and made a bit of a hash of it.

More successful improvements included a new gear lever knob, leather binding on the steering wheel, and painting various visible bits such as the exhaust system and the brake calipers. The original wheel and gear lever knob were beyond restoration.

Replacement gear knob - not OEM.

This is the old one.

I also replaced a missing bolt on the folding top, which actually meant replacing two, to get a matching pair.

New bolts (6mm x 12mm)

The pics are self-explanatory.

From left - original - replacement - temporary fix.

Leather wrapped wheel. Note interim (5 speed) gear knob.

The other thing I tackled was the mag wheels, all of them having been fairly comprehensively kerbed by previous owners. That was entirely unsuccessful, as the product I used  to cover the kerb damage (and to prevent further damage) refused to stay in place.

Rimskins - partly detached.

They detached and flailed around on each wheel at different intervals - entertaining, but not useful. the problem is that already damaged rims don't provide a stable mount for the self-glued strip. They would probably work well on new rims.

Wheel refurbishment may be in order.

Looks OK - more to do.

On the Road Again

Appearance is good.

I've succumbed again.

After suffering from severe MX5 deprivation for the last four years, I've found the cure.

In this case it's a well-used 2000 NB. When I say "well-used", I'm talking 240000 km.

That's a lot, I hear your say. Isn't that a recipe for disaster - I hear you say.

Perhaps not. The previous owner was meticulous when it came to servicing, and the receipts were  there to prove it.

Soft top's in good nick.

It looks very much like my first one, but has a roll bar fitted. This seems to add a bit to chassis rigidity, and doesn't, to my mind, spoil the originality or appearance. It just means you have to get out of the car to raise or lower the soft top. 

Amongst other things, the timing belt, the soft top, the clutch, the brakes, the shockers and the air conditioning compressor have been replaced or overhauled. It's a bit like grandfather's axe.

It has a good set of Yokohamas, and a $800 Alpine stereo fitted.  Everything works with the exception of the heater, which has been blanked off because the previous owner saw this as a better option than removing the dashboard to fix it.

Interior needs cosmetic repairs..

It's a hoot to drive, feels as tight as a drum, and cosmetically looks pretty good. I see it as a project car, because it didn't cost much, and I'll enjoy restoring it slowly and carefully.

The wear is there, but it results from use rather than misuse. It also has an interesting patina. Because it's well-used, I don't have to worry about getting too many kms up.

Alloys need work.

When you've done a quarter of a million, why worry about a few hundred thousand more?

I'll start some restoration jobs when I finish work, and will post about it here.

A Lumpy Truck

This week I had the opportunity to cover 1000km in a lumpy truck.

It was an Isuzu MU-X (where do they get these model names?) and I finished up with it because the hire company had run out of Outlanders. It was, apparently, an “upgrade”.

This is the second time this has happened. The last time I was upgraded to a Toyota Prado, so comparisons were possible.

The Prado comes across as slightly up-market, especially comparing the interiors, but there’s not much in it. The MU-X is, for mine, a more useable vehicle. It is comfortable, very easy to drive, and feels every bit as strong as the Prado is reputed to be.

And best of all, it doesn’t smell like a Toyota. It must be the glues they use, but you could blindfold me and I would be able to pick a Toyota immediately by its distinctive pong.

The best feature of the MU-X is its motor. It feels unburstable, but at the same time, discrete and in the background. There is a slight diesel clatter, but noticeable only when cold. It’s the kind of diesel that you can start up at 5am in the motel forecourt without stirring the somnambulists. 

Like the motor, the transmission (in this case a 6-speed auto) is also discrete, but it kicks down with alacrity when booted. It overtakes well. 

It handles as you would expect – the separate chassis and off-road engineering creates a lolloping gait, but the steering is communicative and stability is fine. At no time, did I feel insecure at speed, something that was occasionally an issue in the Prado.

Whilst the interior is a sea of hard dark plastic, it is laid out logically, has plenty of storage, and looks easy to clean. The AC and sound systems were simple to use and the Bluetooth straightforward. The only negative aspect I encountered was the AC. It took a long time (minutes) to get the interior comfortable after parking in full sun. Maybe I wasn’t setting it up properly.

Probably the most sales worthy feature of these Isuzus is their value for money. They come in at over $7000 less than the comparable Prado, and are available with 4X2, for about ten grand less and Isuzu always seem to be prepared to offer deals. The 4X2 is rapidly becoming the weapon of choice for grey nomads towing tandem axle vans. 

They also have a strong reputation for reliability, if you read the forums. They seem to be matching Toyota in this respect.

The fuel consumption readout had me confused for a while until I realised it was set up for kms/litre.

Who uses that? 

After a little bit of maths, it became apparent that the thing was turning 8lit/100kms on a mixture of commuting and cruising. A fill-to-fill calculation across a 350km open road trip turned 7lit/100kms - not shabby.

In summary, these things are user friendly, non-nonsense, and good value for money. The one I drove was a genuine seven seater, with a DVD player folding down from the ceiling to keep the sprogs entertained. 

If you were contemplating a trip across the Nullarbor, or from Brisbane to Mt Isa, with a family of small children, this would be the weapon of choice.

A Rough Relocation

The beast at Bowen

I have, gentle reader, posted about relocations before.

Generally, they're good fun - a cheap way of seeing a bit of country. There's always the exception that proves the rule. I lived it last week.

I bid for a relocation of a six berther from Cairns to Brisbane, and got the booking. My bride was supposed to accompany me, but a family crisis intervened, and she had to stay home, so I was on my own, rattling around in a very large vehicle.

 

I flew direct to Cairns (Air North) and collected the vehicle. It was a 2010 VW Crafter chassis with a coach built Talvor 6 berth setup. According to the odometer it had covered over 200000 kms, no doubt at the hands of a variety of grey nomads, overseas tourists, and innocent relocators like me. It was, to say the least, looking a bit ratty.

I discovered at the end of the journey that it was being returned to base in Brisbane in preparation for sale. In the light of what followed, probably a very sensible idea.

On the way out of Cairns I stopped at a large shopping centre to stock up with groceries for what was supposed to be a leisurely four day journey south. I planned to take the scenic route, over nighting at beachside parks to catch the sea breezes.

When I returned to the machine with my groceries, it refused to start. It wasn't a cranking over/no engine type refusal - it was sullen silence - not even a click. When I put the key in the ignition, and attempted to turn it, the vehicle locked itself, and went into sulk mode.

I phoned the assist line. The key fob, very conveniently, had the emergency number attached. The operator (in a sub continental accent that took some deciphering) told me to wait and they would call the RACQ. I didn't have much choice about the "wait" part. Call out time was between 90 minutes and two hours. And it was raining on and off. The humidity reminded me of Phouc Tuy during the monsoon.

Whilst sweating it out (I had to stay with the vehicle - couldn't retreat to the air conditioned shops), I idly tried to turn the key. It started. I had already been waiting about an hour, so decided to stay put to wait for the patrolman. When he turned up to find the vehicle idling contentedly, he explained that unless I could get it to fault, he had no hope of diagnosing the problem. 

This was the first of many times I was going to hear that.

I pressed on south, and stayed at Flying Fish Point near Innisfail. Next morning she started up. I swear it was playing games with me. All was good until I tried to book into a caravan park at Bowen that afternoon. After paying for my berth, I jumped in to park it, and the gremlin returned. The thing (all eight metres of it) was now blocking the entrance to the park. The caravan park owner was not pleased.

Flying fish point. My bride's parents met here in the 30s.

After using up all my swearing vocabulary without repeating any given word, I phoned the assist line, got the same character whose communication skills left much to be desired, and after going through the spiel he demanded (booking number; rego; name and address etc) he called the RACQ.

Forty minutes later, I got it going, and phoned them back. There was no point in waiting for the patrolman who was apparently on his way (one hour delay this time) as it was not now "faulting". This was becoming utterly predictable.

By now, I was beginning to hate the bloody thing and would have cheerfully driven it off a cliff. There weren't any cliffs at Bowen. Apart from the starting gremlin, there were numerous other issues. The locker containing the power cable would open only sometimes (chassis was flexing) and some of the window catches were broken which meant they would work their way open as you drove along. You'd hear it getting noisier and the air conditioning would begin to struggle.

I elected to keep the power cable on the floor of the cabin, and retrieved the other bits and pieces I needed daily from the locker so they were available with swearing.

Next morning at Bowen (day two) I set out to refuel. It faulted on the forecourt of a service station after I filled it with diesel. It was obviously selecting the most disruptive situation in which to throw its tanty. I've taught lots of kids who exhibited this behaviour.

Now this was Bowen where the fishing is good and it was Sunday morning. Every man and his blue heeler were "goin fishin" and they were all lining up at the diesel pump, now blocked by the %&$# motorhome which I had the misfortune of driving. They were not happy, especially when they had to back their boat and trailers out to get around. At one point there were three boat/trailer combos backed up.

Stalled at Bowen. Note the witches hats and the sign.

I borrowed some witches hats from the service station and set them up with a sign sticky-taped to the rear of the vehicle. Ol mate patrolman turned up. I thought that this was the goods, as the bloody thing was actually now in a "fault" state and he would be able to diagnose it. Not so. 

He said "It won't start".

I bit my lip, avoiding sarcasm. Skills I'd learned as a Nasho returned to save me. He didn't have the correct diagnostic kit, so set about trying to organise a tow or a tilt truck. This was not straightforward at Bowen on a Sunday morning when the vehicle weighs over three tonnes and is eight metres long.

By the time he'd organised a tow, the thing had sparked up again. I got in and set out for Mackay, resolving not to turn the engine off until I got there. I had relatives in Mackay, and had told them I'd drop in for coffee. The coffee break was pleasant, and I climbed into the beast to head for Rockhampton. It wouldn't start.....

By now, I was well and truly over it. The intermittent fault meant that the whole deal had become a nightmare. I'd been advised to avoid turning it off, and to leave it running with the key in the ignition. Now I have faith in my fellow man, but there are those out there who would see a motorhome idling with the key in the ignition as an invitation.

Buying food, refueling and meeting the call of nature now became very complicated in the will she/won't she lottery. I've never been much of a gambler. I phoned the assist line and told them I would take this heap of %&$# no further until it was repaired. This carry-on was not what I had signed up for.

They got the message.

I was told to stay in Mackay and they would book the vehicle into the VW dealer first thing Monday. My rellies and I had a lot of catching up to do. We talked for hours, and went out for an excellent Malaysian meal. They had a car (Subaru Forester) which actually started. I slept in the luxury of air-conditioning. It was an ill wind....

Things were looking up.

At the Rockhampton dealer.

Then I got an early morning call from the assist line to break the bad news that the Mackay workshop was booked out, but they had set up an arrangement with the VW dealer in Rockhampton for Tuesday.  That meant a non-stop journey of 385 kms, hoping that I could get it refueled in Mackay without it stalling. You simply cannot refuel with the engine running. Apart from the fact that a vehicle this large, idling in a forecourt whilst the driver refuels, sticks out like the proverbial, it is not a safe practice.

I left my groceries in my rellies fridge (the gas had run out) and went to refuel. It started, so I returned, retrieved my groceries, and headed for Rockhampton. I made sure I went to the toilet first whilst my rellies watched the idling vehicle.

By now I had developed the technique of phoning ahead to find a caravan park which would let me drive straight into a powered site before turning the engine off. Explaining the reason was always problematical. Some people are suspicious of any deviation from the normal check-in procedure. Explaining what had happened in Bowen, and that I might end up blocking their entrance (not good for business) usually did the trick.

On to Rockhampton - and the dealer. In the meantime I had to negotiate an extra day past my original deadline to return the thing. They came to the party. I guess they didn't have much option. We had something in common. We were all at the mercy of the recalcitrant machine.  

The service manager in Rockhampton (a pleasant Irishman) tried very hard to diagnose, but he eventually (after four hours) reported that there was something wrong with the ignition sensor. Apparently the vehicle was failing (intermittently) to recognise the key. He suspected that it may have had something o do with wear in the ignition barrel caused by the weight of the six different keys for all the lockers and whatnot on the key fob. Over 200000kms of the dangling weight of these keys was not good for the mechanism.

It could not be fixed without new parts which could take days to get there. On to Brisbane...

Now Murphy is also Irish, and one of the mechanics, unaccustomed to the size of the motorhome, had a problem with reversing it and wiped off a heater outlet cover and scratched the panel it was mounted on. I left the dealer to sort this out with the assist line, and they repaired it remarkably quickly. Even so, I was still in Rockhampton at 2 pm.

 My rellies phoned up to see how I was getting on. My uncle (of Chinese heritage) said, when I told him about the mechanic pranging the thing, "You must have killed a Chinaman". Now that was funny. At that moment, any form of light relief was appreciated.

Morning at Childers

By now it was obvious that I wasn't going to make the extended deadline, as under the rules of the relocation, you are not allowed to drive these things at night. A further deadline extension was necessary and negotiated.

I made Childers just before sunset, and Brisbane and the depot at 10.30 am the next day.

I was never so glad to get out of a vehicle. The moral of the story? Life is full of surprises, but avoid dodgy motorhomes and deadlines.

They are incompatible. 

It hasn't put me off relocations....

Mercedes Benz Motorhome Review

It's long

I haven’t done a road test for some time, gentle reader, so I’ll remedy that omission right here.

Last week my bride and I drove a Mercedes Benz Motorhome from Brisbane to Melbourne on a relocation for a hire company. These opportunities are routine. The upside is that it makes for a cheap way to see some country (nominal day fee of either $5 or $1 daily).
The downside is that you don’t have time to stop and smell the roses.

We had four days.

The sliding door is heavy.

The vehicle’s full name is Mercedes Benz Ultima 3 berth Motorhome. It is on the MB Sprinter chassis, and has a 2.2 litre turbocharged diesel and a seven-speed auto transmission.

It’s not small (6961 mm long, with a 4325 mm wheelbase and a 1614 mm rear overhang), but the biggest concern for me, a novice driver of such a large vehicle, was the height of 2650 mm.

I did lots of looking up.

Despite its size, it is a very easy vehicle to drive with light steering and great visibility. It has the best rear view mirror setup I’ve ever come across, with views at driving height and kerb. I managed a three-point park at one stage, although I did notice the bloke in the vehicle parked in front looking nervous.

The other pleasant surprise was the fuel consumption of around 11 litres per 100 km. When you consider that you’re driving around one double bed, one single, a refrigerator, a kitchen, a bathroom and toilet and a full set of cupboards, it’s remarkable. The travel was mostly open road cruising, but it didn’t vary much in give and take country.

Pretty user-friendly

Controls are well arranged around the cabin, and there is heaps of accessible storage. The delivery van heritage is an advantage, as it was obviously designed with the welfare of a working driver in mind. I’ve never seen a vehicle with so many handles.

The cruise control, once you’ve read the handbook, is very easy to use, and the brakes light and progressive. It handles well, in a ship at sea fashion, which reminded me of Toyota Coasters I have driven, but the steering was less wandery than what I remember of the Coaster.

The only downside here was the susceptibility to side winds. It was never dangerous, but your concentration level had to be consistently high if it was blowy. We struck some gale force winds on day two.

So much for the vehicle – let’s look at the motorhome side of things.

Dusk in Goondiwindi

It was air conditioned, which was a godsend on the first night with day time temperatures of 40 plus in Goondiwindi, our first stop. Once your gear is stored away in the cupboards, there is plenty of swinging room, although you need to be organised when cooking or getting dressed.

The shower toilet is OK, but for skinny people only, and the bed quite comfortable. You can opt for a double, which creates issues when one person has to get up during the night, or two singles. The third single bed folds out crossways at the front.

Handy overhead storage

Stove (three burner) and fridge are reasonably accessible, and there is a second swing out barbecue on the passenger side rear.  A range hood pretty successfully sends cooking odours and heat outside, although the inbuilt fire alarm went off when my bride was searing some delicious pork chops.

It can be used independently (without hooking up to mains power) but you wouldn’t want to do this for more than a day or two – you’d run out of gas and battery after that time.

In its natural habitat, but you have to watch the tree branches.

It’s a machine I’d happily drive anywhere. It’s big enough for two.

Anything larger would be a bit of an overindulgence, and would become troublesome when it came to parking anywhere in a built up area.