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

[504GL]

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.

 

Best of luck I have to say that as a city slicker (I was born and raised in Perth for 22 years) I've never really had much time for countrified folk in Australia.

[DSdriver]

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. Thank you.

Probably not the best place to start a "day trips to the seaside" enterprise. Have fun on the road trip and I hope you manage to earn a few bob soon. Pictures eagerly anticipated. Try selling the story/pics to National Geographic or Readers Digest.

[purplebargeken]

Brill car and a brill tale. Best of luck for the trip and employment.

 

Ken

[bigstraight6]

Sorry to hear about the loss of employment Rab but at least you have a road trip in a great country and car in pursuit of work, just think, you could be in the same position over here driving about in a shagged out Mondeo in the cold and rain chasing minimum wage jobs with legions of Eastern Europeans in front of you, so it's not all bad!

[fotorabia]

Sorry to hear about the loss of employment Rab but at least you have a road trip in a great country and car in pursuit of work, just think, you could be in the same position over here driving about in a shagged out Mondeo in the cold and rain chasing minimum wage jobs with legions of Eastern Europeans in front of you, so it's not all bad!

 

BS6..that image is so depressing I feel right fortunate I do...at the ripe old age of 44 and having repeated this cycle since i was 20..i feel quite confident...only discouraging factor is the accompanying barge in this rally team..a Holden Camira...has an obvious blown head gasket [its still running...but oil soaked head]..and the other Italian..Stefano is convinced it will be fine..ive bet him $100 his car will die first...and the spare fuel can is for torching it on the roadside...hes blinded by love..its truly the worst car Holden ever built...but hey..we 'l see what happens...

Had to get an unglamorous image of Merci beside Uluru-Ayers Rock today for posterity's sake..

[trigger]

^ Autoshite 2012 calendar photo!

[eddyramrod]

Definitely!

[fotorabia]

Thanks guys..if its going in the calender lotto..whom should i send the high-res copy to..and is it the solid as a rock with ripples that gives it that win-lose factor?

[eddyramrod]

Cavette seems to be the man in charge of calendar assembly, but it's probably best to wait for him to appeal in about September.

[John F]

Alternatively, start a new thread now so there's somewhere for this year's pics to sit & wait for selection for next year's calendar. Otherwise that excellent pic (or the one with the emu) might well get forgotten by September.

[trigger]

Good idea and duly done.

[fotorabia]

Well..abandoned Northern territory heat and slackness..primed the Merc...new coolant..and oil...40 litres of water..spare fuel tank..loaded to the brim and off we set...stopped at a number of roadhouses for refuel..our first overnight stay was at Coober Pedy..the opal mining town which is chocka full of old chod..

Cortin Springs roadhouse F250..who needs doors when u gotta jump out to clean the bogs..

Would u like an expresso with your Mercedes sir..

One of many burnt out wrecks on the way..

There were a pair of wedge tailed eagles finishing off Skippy when we drew up beside this carcasse.

Oi..two Italians looking for work..

classic tractor pull

old austin set up with moke carrier conversion..

 

beer advertisement utilising Ford Fairlaine

 

yet another wasted commodore..and on inspection..i found..

some bloody useful tools...

heavy rear ended Mitsi

round the world cyclist from barcelona..we gave him a bottle of water

 

On arrival in Coober Pedy..this show of joy..great old Corolla

Holden collection

 

Desoto

Holden EH

Holden HR

Hot Rod?

J40..common as dust and cheap here not like NZ

Why waste a bus...

Old mining truck..even all the ones in use were TKs or D series...

Opal bugs..

Cute Corona

Mitsi V3000..habitually pulling up beside us..

 

Diamond in the rough..err..or an unpolished gem..

 

whoever has to repaint this every year has a bit of a task..

 

Italian cowboys going spaghetti eastern..

 

Falcon shot to bits

 

Heat road mirage

Another dead Falcon

Lake Hart salt flats..not time for racing tho...

 

Sunset at Roxby Downs missle testing range

 

Drink of oil outside Adelaide

 

Port Houghton..we were approached by the nephew of the former owner..unreal...and we spotted this ropey 280E..lowered scene shite..

 

and yet another V3000..ok..thats it..lying in the grass in the middle of farm nowhere...going to Melbourne today..Merci has been faultless on this trip..beats all the other backpackers boring Commies and Falcons..we ve had loadsa comments and smiles..

[Split_Pin]

Great post, it looks like fun roadtrip with lots if interesting people and cars along the way!

 

I can see why old Mercs are so highly prized for their durability

[michiel]

Such a photogenic country - great stuff!

[bigstraight6]

Great update and pics Rab, come it coming

[fotorabia]

Stopped over in a small township outside of Swan Hill...half way between Adelaide and melbourne...all the countryside is littered with classic cars and farm machinery...i must have seen 100 old trucks..some still in use...

early Datsun twin cab

very tidy Jag..

Hirst limo services to the front desk please..

Mitsi Starion

At the house where we stayed..some maintenance guys showed up with this very sweet $500 Volvo

 

 

Charming old abandoned house with fully laden peach tree had a little pleasure left in the backyard..

Holden EK ute..just needs some doors n a bonnet..and a lawn mower motor

 

 

 

 

and then finally..my suspicions on the back tyre realised..we shredded it..and it didnt deflate...spare was the old original...which proceeded to make a really wierd noise..so we drove 70kms to Bendigo at 50kph until we found a tyre place..$105 for one new 14/215 and half an hr later we were on our way again..

 

The tyre shop had built this funny wee contraption..i liked it..Suzuki chassis with a V6

and their neighbors had this masterpiece hiding nxt door..a 1955 Ford Customline ute..

 

So now in Melborne in St Kilda..a few flash classics lurking around...we met another W123 at the lights and got a big thumbs up from the bloke driving it...

[fotorabia]

Merci Bends was mistakenly lent to the Italians who have now abandoned it on a farm in Nth Victoria meaning I have to go collect him and come back to the city..im back in the music industry breaking my back for large bands and theater productions..Melbourne is pretty good on the chod factor..heapsa 240 Volvos..more and more W123s are being spotted and i usually try n engage the owners..who all profess to love them..street spots..here they are..

on my mates street in Nth Melbourne...im gonna keep my eye on this..

tidy Jag

sad and lonely Supra

forgotten Celica cabrio

on my way to the big MB dealers to pick up the head gasket that has yet to fail on my W123...this baby

Studebaker street advertisement

traditional Aussie Kombi

interesting wheel choice on W108

the most shite Capri ever built

pure Volvo filth

non moving HZ Kingswood ute

tidy wee Civic..assembled in NZ and maybe here?

HR Holden

[retrogeezer]

love these updates, almost like being there. Awesome photos and spots as always - keep em coming.

[fotorabia]

Went for a long walk..in my sthrn neighbourhood,,then over to fashionable Nth Melbourne...

Last night just before we went to the footy match..thats Aussie Rules chaps n lasses..1974 Celica..he told me it was an original one old lady car

Valiant AP5 in the back of local garage

And the ultimate sinking landyacht..1970ish Pontiac Bonneville Safari wagon

Mogified Minor..which i quite liked...

Pure 240 sex

Scene too Mini van..most Aussie ones have the back windows..

Holden Kingswood HR

Celica

MB 450SLC

Falcon panelvan

Please remove your Preluded ideas..

Crusty down at high heels Alfa GT 1600 Junior

Ford Fairlane 500 with nasty wheeltrims

Holden Kingswood 2nd generation

The Coffee Cowboys 1962 import Ford pick up from Texas

Standard Melbourne ol 250CE..in dark blue..pretty....

Dead wait 280E similar to mine..and dang it..not for sale...

accompanied by a dead XD Falcon

Another common sight here....

and lastly..Valian Safari wagon...so not bad for a days jaunt...

[scooters]

well done mate,

 

those photos really cheered me up - you can almost smell the sun! thanks

[fotorabia]

well done mate,

 

those photos really cheered me up - you can almost smell the sun! thanks

 

I clearly dedicate this whole thread to your health n well being Scooters!...

[lovejoy]

What a magnificent 4 page read !! as others have said, just like being there. The photos really set the scene.

and all that outback scrap & roadkill, and kilometres of nothingness, makes you realise how vast the place is.

would love to be there too, I have only briefly visited Perth (saw Leyland P76's back then), Melbourne, and Sydney, but he wasn't in... CheersFotorab

[jonathan_dyane]

 

Is this the same one I remember seeing around Fitzroy in St Kilda I wonder

[fotorabia]

 

Is this the same one I remember seeing around Fitzroy in St Kilda I wonder

 

It probably is Jonathan..its in St Kilda..and thanks for the kind words guys..this is a kind of art form for me...Im actually about to start studying as a video camera operator..so soon it will be Autoshite TV hopefully!

[bigstraight6]

Great update once again Rab, that Valiant AP5 saloon is wonderful

[jonathan_dyane]

It probably is Jonathan..its in St Kilda..and thanks for the kind words guys..this is a kind of art form for me...Im actually about to start studying as a video camera operator..so soon it will be Autoshite TV hopefully!

 

I do hope so! Always look forward to this thread, keep up the good work!

[fotorabia]

A video recording we made at the beginning of the journey..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grDGKPPXtHU

[lovejoy]

just watched that vid :-[ my god, that scenery is boring !! and it seems to go on forever - keep on strumming, man

[fotorabia]

Yes it is quite monotonous!..but theres subtle changes..bushes or no bush!..When we camped out at Coober Pedy..we did some 15sec photo exposures with me and my torch...

[jnoiles]

the city of culture... Melbourne.

 

*snigger*