Aussie Outback to Melbourne.The End...really!

[fotorabia]

I decided to return to the country of my birth after a 26 year [R]abscence...And have landed myself in the middle of the Aussie outback at Uluru..formerly known as Ayers Rock in the northern territories.I have a humble position as a highly paid bus -truck cleaner-champagne sunset waiter with one of the the big coach tour companies...and upon arriving here a few moths ago I knew transport was an obligatory issue.All my friends complained that cars were expensive here..the Kiwi Mob mates had paid $2700 for a shit old Mitsi van..soooo...on my 1st visit to the local workers trailer park where the Kiwi lasses wanted to buy some caravans I spotted this...

 

 

a 1977 MB W123 230.It had sat in extreme heat for a couple of years,,zero rust..i noticed practically new tyres and exhaust so with a slight-great risk i handed over $1000-650squid for it.One new battery..a new fuel line and Start U Bastard sprayed down the carbie she coughed back to life.Its a one German engineer owner from new..son inherited it and brought it up from Adelaide and then lunched it out,Its got a full service record from new..345000kms..interior is not to bad apart from saggy drivers seat...no instrument lights..i checked me fuses but could be a bulb..anyways....with tyres inflated..new coolant added..i took it to the local aboriginal community garage and I got an MOT.I do have to address suspension bushes..stereo propa is about to be added with 6x9 speakers....we took her for its inaugural roadtrip to Alice Springs just before Xmas which is 1000kms return and she rocketed along...touching 160kph at one long stretch,,which is the whole road...u dont do this at night cos u might hit a camel or a cow..

adding the coolant

 

 

At the work depot

 

Its only 1 of 2 classics on the road in Yulara..which is the resort..not a town as such...so i have to rely on the net for parts as MB keeps sending me all the wrong shit so ive given up on them..and my new star emblem is on its way from Bulgaria..

Roadtrip

A rather over tame emu giving it the once over..

 

So Im smitten by the beast..its the pre facelift model..and not to bad on the gas being a 2.3 / 4pot.Im getting heaps of comments on her..the Kiwi Mob love her...and I impress the German tourists with my Oldtimer conquest..all good shitists...hope yer a happy this New Year..if anyones needs a change of scenery and can handle extreme heat..theres heapsa well paid work here...sweet as..Rab

[bigstraight6]

Great post Rab, that old Merc cleaned up a treat, a 'car for life' in that ideal climate

[maxpower]

great old bus.... weather looks fantastic over there.. he says as he sits freezing his nutz off

[fotorabia]

Great post Rab, that old Merc cleaned up a treat, a 'car for life' in that ideal climate

Thanks BS6..your right..these can be a car for life...even old Mum in Scotland said she'd ridden in W123s in Morocco...lowering here is a joke..the highways are pot holed...and ive been looking at images of Africa safari versions where theyve been lifted ...but as such she l remain stock for now ..

 

and MP..the heat is full on...try 36C at midnight...sez him here who spends his whole time in his undies..indoors mind!

[DSdriver]

Yep, the Merc has scrubbed up nicely - what a find. I am looking forward to some more of your great scrapyard picture threads now you are settled again. Do the airhorns actually make the various large wildlife shift out the way or do the just turn and stare at you like the highland sheep in Scotland?

[fotorabia]

Yep, the Merc has scrubbed up nicely - what a find. I am looking forward to some more of your great scrapyard picture threads now you are settled again. Do the airhorns actually make the various large wildlife shift out the way or do the just turn and stare at you like the highland sheep in Scotland?

 

DS...no scrapyards except wrecks on the side of the road...i might be able to have a look in Alice Springs...Darwin is a mere 1900kms away....and as far as wildlife goes...ive already done the brake-swerve for numerous large lizards..and i saw the remains of two camels hit the other day by an average sedan..3 guys really badly injured..

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Merc looks absolutely great. What sort of work is available out there then?

[michiel]

Nice one, and what a great photo!

 

[dollywobbler]

Great stuff! I shall stop whinging about the crap Welsh weather though. 36 degrees at night?! I can't cope with anywhere near that as a daytime temperature, though I guess that's a very dry heat?

[fotorabia]

Merc looks absolutely great. What sort of work is available out there then?

 

Anything really..i saw a wanted for a diesel bus mechanic starting at $65k...any trade job is gonna pay well...theyre completely revamping the whole resort so builders..sparkies etc are wanted..altho youl have to comply with Aussie regulation...u can multi task here so u take on two jobs..say work at the airport with Qantas daytime..and then do an evening shift doing something else...i may well end up being a tour guide..but the average wage for anything here is 650squid pw...check out:

 

http://www.voyages.com.au/corporate/careers/

 

dolly..yep its dry..altho we ve had twice the average rainfall this season..its pretty muggy as i write...

[bigstraight6]

By the way Rab, I have this slightly romantic notion that rural Aus is chock full of old shite like Ford Zephrs, Triumph 2000's and of course Holden's, or would I be disappointed with a reality or modern Jap motors? Looking forward to pics of any shiteings!

[ProgRocker]

That Merc looks great. Nice buy.

[fotorabia]

By the way Rab, I have this slightly romantic notion that rural Aus is chock full of old shite like Ford Zephrs, Triumph 2000's and of course Holden's, or would I be disappointed with a reality or modern Jap motors? Looking forward to pics of any shiteings!

 

Its all new shite on the roads...but like NZ everythings been garaged or stashed so your kinda right..except more stuff on the roads in NZ..my one night in Sydney on the way here i only saw one old Valiant Safari...

[DSdriver]

Why has the reg plate changed - what is the system out there?

[fotorabia]

Why has the reg plate changed - what is the system out there?

When the rego runs out you get issued with a new plate..which is is also your road tax..you dont need insurance as this is par and part of the system...you re covered but the car aint!When you bring a car in from another state it has to be re-reg'd which means it has to go thru a roadworthy compliance..becos the the Merc already had been reg'd in the Northern Territories i didnt have to do that..u MOT it..then u get your new rego..

[Skizzer]

Great save and great pics! Next year's calendar to the front desk please...

[Minimad5]

Get in Rab

Loving the pictures, and think that Merc' looks just the job.

 

Glad to hear all is going well for you too.

All the best

[fotorabia]

Thanks Skizzer.... and Mark has your Kitten grown into a Wildcat yet...was wondering how you were getting on with it...

Ok..what very few spots Ive managed since being here..

70s Corolla owned by our only mechanic in the resort..he told me its only got 21000kms on it..plus he likes the Merc..so Ill get mates rates hopefully..

Ford F250 desert truck on gas..

Damien with an overheated-cooked-abandoned Lexus

Ford Falcon wagon..just recently used as a fire drill practice...cant blame them as they are cool!

Damien and I at the dump looking for bike parts..with his Dads new Mitsi ute..bagged...for big loads..not for show

[lancashireclamper]

Amazing pics, thanks for posting,

Have always had a thing about Australia, My Grandads Brother went in the 60's as a ten quid tourist and did alright, remember him coming back to the UK for a months holiday when I was about 6 or 7, was absolutely amazed with the stories he had and vowed one day I'd go there, 30 years later and never have, really wish I could find it within myself to do something with my life and shake off the can't be arsed attitiude I've settled into.

In the meantime, please keep posting, its brighteneing up a misty night in Lancashire no end

ps had a W1213 200 a few years ago, comfortable, reliable and impossible to dislike.

[Jon]

Nice looking Merc rab and glad that you sound to be doing well out in Uluru, compared to Wanganui. Got to say that, having heard about the temps my sister's experiencing in Brisbane, I think I'll stick with NZ for now! Also nice to see that you exchanged a white station wagon with an exhaust-stained rear lamp for a white sedan with one instead. Are you getting the chrome trim bits sorted? I reckon it'd look bonzer with a full set reinstated. Anyway, keep us updated.

[504GL]

Great stuff! I shall stop whinging about the crap Welsh weather though. 36 degrees at night?! I can't cope with anywhere near that as a daytime temperature, though I guess that's a very dry heat?

 

As a native Australian I always laugh at how great Brits think the weather in Australia is. Hot weather is fine on holiday when you're at the beach, but when you have to work or commute in that heat then it's not all that nice to be honest. I much prefer the climate in the UK if I'm honest.

[kinkersaab]

Love those old 123's. RE the dash lights. I bet you if you twiddle repeatedly with the rheostat thing from low to high they will magically start to work. it will make a funny grinding noise whci should lessen with use...... worth a try.

[Lord Sterling]

Brillaint purchase you've got yourself there Rab. Those Mercs are certainly delightful, I guess they feel tough and rugged, yet well appointed and delightfully presented.

 

Those Mercs are/were pretty well popular around the Middle East, my uncle in Kuwait is an enthusiast of the bigger W126, thats all he ever seems to have, if I ever get there (Which is looking less and less likely) then I'll certainly be considering an old Merc like yours.

 

Hot weather is fine on holiday when you're at the beach, but when you have to work or commute in that heat then it's not all that nice to be honest. I much prefer the climate in the UK if I'm honest.

 

I know exactly where you coming from. When I lived in Kuwait a few years ago, I used to walk to work as I didnt have a car (Unless I nicked Fatha_Sterlings Altima) the heat and light was absolutely horrible, though it was just bearable as the heat was dry unlike England where the air can get pretty moist and muggy in summertime.

 

When Ma_Sterling lived in Sydney a couple of years ago she used to complain about the weather, Sis_Sterling used to get easily sunburnt.

[fotorabia]

To all of the above..thanks for the kind and supportive words...weather report-acclimatization...nose bleeds-constipation-loss of appetite...ive lost 3 kgs since being here..ive been force feeding myself cartons of custard!..plus u have to drink litres of water everyday...funnily enough..we ve had twice the average rainfall this year so the desert has gone green and the seasonal plague of flies has failed to materialise..i had a few days working in the local aboriginal community..wild place...everyones got a wrecked Holdens or Fords on the property..and I was pumping gas-diesel for totally battered cars and cool double tanked Landcruiser troop carriers...the Merc certainly being the stand out car...its quite a change from my old Viva days...the comfort..ease...power that i have now...Merci has mild panel damage to left rear door and a front wing ding..hence why the chrome strips are off..plus they seem to come loose with the heat-expansion-contracting I reckons..ill sealant them on if i have to...its a ridiculously slow process trying to get anything for it...postal service might as well be run by camels..

Re: rheostat...what exactly do i have to fiddle with...duh

 

oh..and its cold and wet today!

[kinkersaab]

from memory of the 123 dash, left hand side of the binnacle, a small black plastic knob, for adjusting the brightness, they "fur" up, just twiddle it lots in the dark and i bet you will see the lights come on eventually. It might be on the right of the dash.... there are two, one for clock adjust, and one for lights...i think. you will work it out i'm sure.

[fotorabia]

KS..only two knobs..clock and odometer thingy...was yours a later model cos mines one of the early examples..77..mebbe i should just get a miners head lamp instead...im actually using a mini torch as a key ring just now anyway!

[kinkersaab]

That is right, it is the trip reset one, push it in to reset trip, and twiddle it to adjust dash light.... Go try it...

[kinkersaab]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=w123+d ... 29,r:2,s:0

 

that spring must be what makes the noise i was describing.

[fotorabia]

The reason for my new thread title is becos the coach tour company that my new best Italian mate and I have been working for has gone belly up.In true corporate fashion we were given 1 weeks notice of our redundancy hence on finishing work the Mercedes is mysteriously filling up with unopened bottles of champagne.Would this cheap Australian brand of bubbles work in the radiator...

SO..in true redundant-evicted from workers residency fashion..Diego and I are prepping the Merci with new sounds..fuel and water cannisters..a fistful of dollars..a camp stove and an expresso pot and are about to make the arduous 2000kms journey back to civilisation...out of this this over heated racist shit hole and back to the city of culture... Melbourne.

 

Upon leaving the Kiwi Mob will bless our land canoe in order we do not capsize or become another feature part in the remake of Wolfs Creek.I will be photographing any sighted wrecks..classics and roadkill on our way sth.Thank you.

[whiskeyonesix]

Aussie Road Trip

 

Looking forward to this! There's always plenty of old junk lying around the paddocks - so you should see something!