Shite japery in Aus (Now with freshly half baked content) WA & NT

[mercrocker]

Bonzer, mate...! In English, I particularly gravitate towards that rather splendidly outback-ed Holden EJ.

[Jon]

Great stuff, many adventures seem to have been had. That Coronet does look very interesting but as you say, sad that there's no details. However, Google as ever have come up with some snippets:

 

http://forum.driveonwood.com/t/early-wood-gasifier-from-australia/762

 

Built by a Kurt Johannsen, to run on mulga wood, apparently.

 

[LC Torana]

That's a charcoal burner.

 

Quick story from my folk down in the Western District (of Victoria).

 

During WW2, there was no real restriction on driving cars, but petrol, diesel, parrafin and even kerosene were rationed severely.

 

But you were allowed to drive your car, and if you were in the bush, if your journey was beyond the reach of your horse and buggy, or if you didn't have one (not all country people are farmers!), then what do you power your car on?

 

Enter the Charcoal Burner, or "Gasifier".

 

In the forests around the state, large kilns turned hardwood into charcoal.

Kurth Kiln, near Gembrook, Victoria

 

Not sure what size lumps the charcoal was broken up into, but I'd guess 1" - 2" or so.

 

You would have a "Gasifier", a vertical burner, strapped to the back of your car, which would heat the charcoal just enough to generate a combustible gas (carbon monoxide, perhaps? - I'm guessing).  This was fed straight into the carburettor, which mixed it with air as carbies do.

 

Did it destroy the engine and generally make the car rust faster?  Yes, and that's why the only pre-war cars left in Victoria are those that were laid up (in cities, by people who could take the train/tram/bus).  Cars that ran "on gas" were ruined in pretty short order.  But it worked, and kept our part of the nation mobile.

 

You can find pics of cars with charcoal burners fitted on the interwebs, if you're curious.

[Junkman]

Yes, but you tend to get into "collector" car terrritory if you want a good one.

 

Some examples of Australian made Fairlanes:

 

You can have this 1986 ZL with 360,000km on the clock for A$599

 

www.ebay.com.au/itm/151716918262

 

But a 1978 example with 563,000km will set you back A$2,500

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181774198709

 

And thirdly, a 1966 Galaxie 500, wearing Fairlane 500 badges will set you back an eye-watering A$10,900

 

www.ebay.com.au/itm/151705367804

 

How much is the postage to mainland England?

[LC Torana]

How much is the postage to mainland England?

Dunno. But I do know that cars are shipped in 20' containers these days, and I hear tell that a significant proportion of these fall off the ships in rough weather.

 

When the heart-stoppingly desirable Rover 75 V8 was found NOT to be coming to Australia, we did look at the possibility of private import. And since I could not get a visa to live in UK for a whole year, this could not be done.