33 out west

[Lawrie]

Good morning, this is my first time away in the 33 and caravan in a while,since my wife Carol passed , so I thought I would post some pics and thoughts along the way.
First up it’s very hot at the moment here,most days in the 35c up .
I had done a service on the 33 before leaving and changed oil and filter and grease etc,plus I replaced a cracked rubber fuel line to the pump,
On first day out the 33 just ran out of go on a hill it normally powers over,so I spluttered into a lay by and found the new fuel line was sucking air,an easy fix by recited the old one and off we went.
At the end of the day I fitted a good new one .
Fuel here is getting dearer thanks to Mr P, at $2 per litre and I’m sure it will get dearer,but that’s no drama,
Last night I found a really nice spot to stop for the night out in the sticks, with kangaroos and other wild life for company. I’m on a country road called Womble bank gap road, I was looking for who les but never saw any.
But there are the biggest and fastest cattle ever next to me, lucky there is a fence.
Will post some more pics as I go along, I’m heading for Quilpie and Eromanga and maybe across the border into south Australia and if I’m game a little bit .of sand.
Lawrie

[Lawrie]

Pics

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Lawrie

Pics

[51504bat]

Sounds like a great trip and nice caravan as well. Does the 33 still have mechanical brakes or has it been converted to hydraulics. Any trailer brakes? And sorry to hear about your loss.

[Craig CT]

Originally Posted by Lawrie

Good morning, this is my first time away in the 33 and caravan in a while,since my wife Carol passed , so I thought I would post some pics and thoughts along the way.
First up it’s very hot at the moment here,most days in the 35c up .
I had done a service on the 33 before leaving and changed oil and filter and grease etc,plus I replaced a cracked rubber fuel line to the pump,
On first day out the 33 just ran out of go on a hill it normally powers over,so I spluttered into a lay by and found the new fuel line was sucking air,an easy fix by recited the old one and off we went.
At the end of the day I fitted a good new one .
Fuel here is getting dearer thanks to Mr P, at $2 per litre and I’m sure it will get dearer,but that’s no drama,
Last night I found a really nice spot to stop for the night out in the sticks, with kangaroos and other wild life for company. I’m on a country road called Womble bank gap road, I was looking for who les but never saw any.
But there are the biggest and fastest cattle ever next to me, lucky there is a fence.
Will post some more pics as I go along, I’m heading for Quilpie and Eromanga and maybe across the border into south Australia and if I’m game a little bit .of sand.
Lawrie

Hi Lawrie; I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I was in Sydney at the end of 1986 and took a couple drives inland. There was some beautiful country not far from the city. I hope you enjoy your trip, Craig.

[Elmo Rodge]

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Lawrie, wish I was there to share the driving duties. It's hard to believe it was 4 years ago this month that we were there.
Wayno

[Lawrie]

33 still has mechanical brakes,but electric on the caravan worked off the 33 brake light switch just like a modern car with a rake controller in the 33,
It was not so,hot today and the 33 just pured along at 50-55.
So I’m stopped for the night in the bush, well not much bush ,but a nice clean fresh water rock pool, I have been swimming and also done my washing,
Petrol was 2.02 per litre today,
I also went and looked at some old explorers campsites from the 1800s, one Major Mitchell, it was a 1-1/2 mile drive on a sandy track, but worth the visit.
Lawrie

[Lawrie]

Wayno, that seems like a long time ago,time sure moves fast,
The driving out west and on back country roads sure is nice and relaxing,some big hills though, I thought the 33 was loosing power until I saw the sign that said top of the great dividing range,
I have a new set of rear gears in the 33, same ratio as before 3.78 ,these came from a low mileage wreck and are as quite as a mouse.
Lawrie

[mercman from oz]

Lawrie, I notice that you are driving on outback dirt roads.
I hope that the recent Queensland Floods haven't caused you any grief?
Regards Mercman <><

[rockfla]

Thank you for taking Us along, Lawrie. This is a fantastic post and enjoying your trip along with you. Take care and be safe

[Bored&Stroked]

Hey Lawrie . . . glad that you're back on the road again - good for the soul. Thanks for the pics and the story - keep more coming our way!

[Stretch Cab]

I looked you up on Google maps and you are out in the boonies for sure. In your original post you said: "I was looking for who les but never saw any." Is that a misprint or can you explain what a "who les" is?

[Tudie 36]

Lawrie, one day I hope to be as cool as you.

[Lawrie]

Stretch, yes it was the pesky spellcheck,it should be wombles,as it was on wombles road,
Mercman,no drama with flooding out here,but it is nice and green,
, I was not that cool these last few days, and today temp supposed to be 37c, but only a short drive out to Quilpie.
Fuel they say will be up to2-20 per litre, oh well ,maybe I will go easy on the throttle,but most likely not as I like humming along at 50-55 mph, it would be easier if I was a teenager, as the local council yard supplied our petrol via the siphon hose then.lol.
Main problem with the 33 yesterday was a load clunk from the firewall erea, oil p and temp fine so had a good look when I stopped for smoko, found the UHF radio speaker had fallen down by my feet,
Lawrie

[50fordcoupeman]

I really enjoy your stories and the photos of your country side. Thank you for taking the time for us!!

[aussie merc]

glad to see you out and about so keep the posts coming

[Lawrie]

Real world fuel consumption.
I keep a log book of my travels and repairs for the 33 ,
The last few days fuel usage is mostly around 17litre per 100klm, with one at 19/100 and one at 23/ 100??, but lots of hills on that fill up, and ,one thing I find there is a variation in the quality of the fuel as on the run with 23 /100 the engine seemed flat and not as strong on the hills, I filled up after that at Charleville, and it was straight away heaps better,
So even with a Stone Age engine fuel quality makes a difference,
Just a bit of information about Charleville for the USA members, this was a huge USA airforce base in WW2 and one of the few places that had the then secret norton bomb sight, there is one on display,but it is under. lock and key as now they are worried Mr P may be after it LOL
One minor problem with the 33 at the end of the day as I was checking in and parking my caravan my driving was not as good as it could be and I ran the caravan wheel over the edge of a concrete slab ,with a big clunk as I drove ever it, I then stalled, tried to start the engine but nothing happened, iI checked bat etc but no start,so got some folks to give me a push start, after I parked , and turned off ,it would then start like nothing had happened, the starter was not jammed, it would sort of try to turn the engine but just a 1/4 turn of the fan,the headlights stayed bright as I tried to start
I think maybe the big bump and shock might have dislodged a starter brush or some thing, but it’s back to its normal self again.
Maybe I check the battery cables .
Top fuel cost so far 2.02 per litre,
Lawrie

[corvette8n]

Lawrie: You need to post some video to go along with your pictures, I am enjoying your adventure, I’ll probably never get to your part of the world.

[Karl]

Lawrie gas NZ$ 3.30 per litre for premium (98 Octane ) in NZ. Kia Kaha -Karl

[koates]

Hi Lawrie, great to see you are having some fun again and checking out some historic places. Always interesting when you pull up in the old Ford and it brings out all the old folks who start talking about the cars they have owned. You never know one of them might still have a 34 V8 roadster in the shed. Regards, Kevin.