Bloody useless trendy things in houses

[facthunter]

I don't know why they even have normal vehicles there, There's not enough road to get the engine warm. 

 I was "given" a Toyota like that and some rust was coming out all above the cill at the top .It was never going to be worth keeping long term so I sold it and it went to  CAPE YORK at least once.. . Horrible on wet roundabouts and later Sahara's etc ride and steer much better..Nev

[onetrack]

The most dangerous Tojo's are those V8 diesel Troop carriers, the 76 series, with the wide track front axle and the narrow track back axle.

Toyota shoved the front track out by 100mm when they dropped the V8 diesel in, because the original Troopy was never designed with a V8 in mind. But they left the rear axle the original width.

But the combination of a wide track front end, a narrow track back end, and being high and narrow, makes them a real deathtrap, when loaded right up.

 

A good mate went camping in the S.W. Goldfields of W.A. one Easter with 4 other mates, one of whom owned the V8 Troopy the 5 of them were travelling in, with all their camping gear.

They were heading back to civilisation on the Hyden-Norseman Rd (a good wide gravel road), when they ran into heavy showers which left puddles everywhere, and a few greasy patches in the gravel.

They were sitting on 110kmh, when they hit a greasy patch, and within milliseconds the Troopy was on its roof in the ditch! They barely had time to understand what had happened.

The Cruiser just promptly did a slide on the greasy patch, the driver corrected, but he was too late, the Troopy had already started its death roll!

 

Fortunately, they all got out with just a shaking and the odd bruise. They were big healthy laddies, so they managed to tip the Troopy back onto its wheels, and notwithstanding the moderate panel and roof damage, it was still driveable - so they all climbed back in, and took off again.

 

But they only got 10kms down the road when they came across an identical Troopy sitting on its roof in the ditch! - a victim of the exact same circumstances!

 

There's a couple of engineering firms making a killing, selling properly-engineered rear axle spindle extensions that bring the rear axle out to the same width as the front end.

But it costs Troopy owners around $3500 to do this! - all because Toyota were too tight-fisted to widen the rear axle, in the first place!

[Fliteright]

Who on their right minds travels 110kph in such conditions? Idiots is all!

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, Fliteright said:

Who on their right minds travels 110kph in such conditions? Idiots is all!

Similar mindset to people who wouldn't get a vaccination in the middle of a pandemic, wouldn't you say?

[nomadpete]

When in the Bush, long distances are the norm. It's quite normal to drive 300k after work, to a BBQ at a mates place. And back home next morning.  in outback terms, a 3hr drive. It's normal to keep up the pace over those distances. Sometimes, driving slower can increase the risk of losing control, and often makes the vehicle dance all over the place whilst making the journey unbearably uncomfortable.  Experienced drivers cope with these very variable road surfaces. It takes something unusual to make the above events happen, even at highway speeds on unsealed roads. Having said that I've seen a Tojo troopey roll over in slow motion at less than 80kph when the back wheels jumped out of the wheeltracks and overtook the front before the driver had a chance to correct (but in that case I still reserve my doubts about the driver). And I've watched a Holden Commodore do an uncommanded 180 at 100 kph on gravel. So sometimes even experienced drivers get caught out. City folk have no idea about it.

Edited October 9, 2021 by nomadpete

[old man emu]

Interesting point about dissimilar wheel track widths. When I was a kid, we made billy carts with ball races for wheels. We built them with wide front axles, so we could get our feet on them for "power steering", and narrow rear axles  because they only had to support the rear of the cart where the seat was. On a good shopping centre concrete ramp you could do multiple 360's towards the bottom of the ramp where you had the highest speed.

[Old Koreelah]

10 hours ago, nomadpete said:

Having said that I've seen a Tojo troopey roll over in slow motion at less than 80kph when the back wheels jumped out of the wheeltracks and overtook the front…

Few people seem to understand that the Landcruiser has a design speed of 80 kph. (The Corolla design speed is 130) Most probably the Rollux and other similar types have similar limitations, so no wonder they drivers lose control.

I have attended too many accidents where a ‘cruiser got out of shape, resulting in death and permanent injuries. 

[Fliteright]

There will always be those who attempt to justify reckless behaviour on the roads! I’ve seen enuf carnage to last me two lifetimes and most of it totally avoidable! 

[Dax]

55 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

I have attended too many accidents where a ‘cruiser got out of shape, resulting in death and permanent injuries. 

After the millions of klms I've driven in everything from a motorbikes to road trains, there are very few who really know how to drive, especially on dirt roads. Caravan and campervan drivers are terrible, they buy big car, big van and think because they've backed it into their urban drive way they can drive it across the Simpson desert. I drove go carts, stock cars in the bush and learnt how to drive on gravel, sand and dirt tracks pretty fast. Then did an advanced driving course on the Navy, which taught me a lot and later raced bikes and side cars.

 

I see landcruisers as very stable if driven properly especially the all wheel drive ones, which can be testy if you don't have lots of experience on dirt roads. The number of fools you see driving around with the vans unbalanced, of overloaded high roof 4x4 is amazing and many  you can pic out as being disasters waiting to happen.

 

Every kid should be taught to drive in school, in all conditions so they learn how to really drive. Rather than now, where all they have to do is steer round a couple of streets, park and then let out on the roads. If you have no ideas how to handle an out of control vehicle, or one that requires the ability to take evasive action, you're in trouble instantly and 99% don't have a clue. Most just panic hit the brakes and that's the end of the road for them.

 

Had one smash in my life, that was cause by a drunk who drove across 4 lanes before hitting my car. Had many occasions where it could have been an accident, but was able to drive out of the situation safely.

Edited October 9, 2021 by Dax

[spacesailor]

I Have taught hundreds of people to drive, ( England )

The first thing l tell them is forget about driving, if they want to pass their test. & lean the bueaurocrasy., do what the examiner wants.

Then start your driving lessons !.

Only one failure , the wife !.

Had one fall of his bike three times on the test & Passed.

spacesailor

 

[onetrack]

When I went for my driving licence test in 1966, the old Sgt asked me 3 questions, and I got 2 of them wrong! Then he got me to drive around the little country town, and to drive past the only stop sign in town! - which I knew you HAD to stop at! But he still gave me my licence!!  

 

What he may, or may not have known (I suspect he did know), was that I was driving myself around for 12 mths before I was even entitled to hold a licence! I had to get to work somehow! - and a pushbike doesn't cut it in the country, when the jobsite is 60 or 80 kms away!

 

I also learnt to drive properly, by purposely drifting at speed in my Holden ute around bends in gravel roads, hanging the tail out, and learning how to correct! It was not only good training, it was good fun!

I've had a few narrow squeaks, mostly by driving too fast for the conditions as a youngster! Nearly cleaned up a flock of sheep when I was about 19, came hareing over a rise and around a curve at my normal 75mph (sealed highway, but only 1-1/2 lanes wide) - only to come face to face with a farmer driving his flock of sheep down the highway, no signs, no warnings! 

 

I locked all 4 wheels up on the EH Holden ute (ahh, those wonderful drum brakes with a PBR brake booster), and slid at 45° into the sheep - who all parted like the Red Sea in front of Moses - and I didn't hit a single one, and never put a mark on the ute! But I don't know who needed the brown corduroy trousers more - me or the farmer!!  LOL

 

Edited October 10, 2021 by onetrack

[facthunter]

I assume we ALL were mad as meat axes when younger. It's a wonder any survived... Nev

[Old Koreelah]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

I also learnt to drive properly, by purposely drifting at speed in my Holden ute around bends in gravel roads, hanging the tail out, and learning how to correct! It was not only good training…

 

…and slid at 45° into the sheep - who all parted like the Red Sea in front of Moses…

OT I was given my license in similar circumstances to you, then drove for years before getting a job where “throttle flat on the floor at all times” was my only instruction. Once came around a corner all crossed up to find a big troop of cadets sitting on their packs. They also parted like the Red Sea.

 

Unlike Dax, I’ve had lots of prangs; they taught me how much I still have to learn.

8 hours ago, Dax said:Caravan and campervan drivers are terrible, they buy big car, big van and think because they've backed it into their urban drive way they can drive it across the Simpson desert. I drove go carts, stock cars in the bush and learnt how to drive on gravel, sand and dirt tracks pretty fast. Then did an advanced driving course on the Navy, which taught me a lot and later raced bikes and side cars.

Every kid should be taught to drive in school, in all conditions so they learn how to really drive...

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard those sorts of statements;

I’ve never seen a list of the things schools no longer have to teach.

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

I have yet to drive on the Autobahn - and I doubt I ever will.. But over 'ere, on the motorways and dual-lane A-roads , you can get a nice head of steam up without worrying too much about ol' plod. When I work in London, I take off from home at about 3:30am.. I can take the A303 and M3, or the M5 and M4. Both routes are 70mph (c.110kph) limits, but if you do those speeds you're being overtaken by everyone. Generally speaking if you keep it at or below 80 mph (c. 130kph) pod doesn't care (though cameras do sometimes). Between 80mph and 90mph (c. 145kph), they will get tetchy, and over 90 you are probably guaranteed to get done.

 

However, exceed the speed for the conditions - even if within the speed limit, or otherwise drive like a nutter (such as driving at speeds the car clearly can't handle) and they will have you up by your pubic hair. But they do teach you to drive here - it isn't a case of go around the roads a bit. Although not to the standard of the advanced driver courses, as part of the test you have to pass a series of basic driving outmaneuvers and emergency braking tests in a purpose-built facility before the road test. It's sort of like a PPL - do the skills test first, and then the navigation.

 

I remember very early days here for me, I hired a Pugeot 106 or some such car from Heathrow airport (a weekly rental was cheaper than a daily!!) and headed west along the M4 to Swansea to take a flight in a De Haviland Vampire (T.11 from memory)... Having literally just come off the vote as a bloody immigrant, I thought to myself, I will stick to the limit - don't want to be in trouble with Mr. Plod.. At 70mph, the little Pugeot was, OK (but even a slight upward undulation would have it struggling). But the amount of cars that were zooming past me was amazing. When a grey-haired grannie in a similar car zoomed past, I thought stuff it.. and the foot went down. Was doing 80 most of the rest of the way (except for those bloody uphill undulations). On the way back, it must have been more downhill than uphill, as I managed to get the thing to 100mph in stages.. And even then, I was being overtaken..

 

A couple of other times, ol plod did nothing about it.. One evening when I was working in Gloucester, I called home and my partner wasn't answering. While I am tardy with calling in when I am going out on the p155, my partner always let me know if she was going out. I called home and her mobile almost every 5 minutes until about 10pm, where I thought stuff it, back to London. Going down the A417 from Gloucester, which is probably like the Hume out of Melbourne, I was doing about 90mph. In the distance, I could see a motorbike - thought no way that is the police. As I overtook it, I could see the workds Police emblazoned on the side of the motorbike fairings. Darn it.. I slowed down and when he caught up, he waved me on. So I floored it, and ne'er heard a word. We were the only traffic at the time and I guess he thought if I hit a deer, it is my problem.

 

Same, on my son's first Christmas.. we took him to my "parents in law" for the day, and on Christmas eve, we realised we left the camcorder at home. Got up at 4am Christmas day and did 100mph all the way on the M4 from just west of Bristol to where it ended in London. Grabbed the camcorder and headed back at the same speed. On the way back, just outside Swindon, I was radar gunned by the police and they wre following me. I thought, that's it, I am toast but decided against slowing down.. they never came for me, and I never heard anything of it. Of course, by this stage, it was about 6am Christmas day and there wasn't a car around and up until then, I may have passed a half a dozen.

 

Nowadays, it is a bit tougher and they have camera systems which measure your average speed and if you exceed the limit by a fudge factor, you can expect a fine in the post. But they are only stretches that have lots of heavy traffic. Although, since installing "smart highways" there were two deaths in 3 years where there were none in the whole time (c. 50 years) the M3 was open. Those smart highways are dumb as..

 

About 15 years ago, I would say, there was an editorial in The Age where some journo argued for a blanket 50kph speed limit - urban roads, freeways, the lot. It's one of the few times I have written into a paper, in which I did the research and it was clear than on all weighted measures - per capita, per estimated mile driven, per number of vehicles registered, etc., that the UK's road death and serious injury toll was less than Australia's. They aren't consumed with speed, but more so about dangerous driving.. and that speed is one factor. As far as I am aware, it wasn't published. However, these days, I would not be so sure as areas where there were high immigration rates from Eastern Europe and the sub continent, there was a marked decrease in the quality of driving - I am guessing either the standards have been lowered or they have allowed grandfathering of their licences from abroad (as was the case with me).

 

The moral of this long-winded story - teach people to drive properly; don't just throw the book at them for doing a few k's over the limit when there is no material change to the risk; throw the book at them when they are being stupid. Also, certainly in Victoria, especially the Traffic Operations Group (now disbanded) seemed to see themselves as a militia agains the average motorist. And, we have to breed out the over-aggression of young males (mainly) in thinking a car and the speed ant stupidity behind the wheel is somehow extends their phallic piece and endears them to women.. (which, for some reason, in my day, a souped up Holden/Ford/Chrysler, with a fluffy dice and velour interior, did!)

[nomadpete]

I firmly believe that a driver's licence should not be issued until the student has done a defensive driver course. Such essential skills as Emergency braking and obstacle avoidance on a wet road, standing beside a road whilst others do an emergency stop, to learn true stopping distance, and skid pan. And numerous other things that I've since forgotten. Unless taught properly, the beginner holds unrealistic confidence in their abilities, and are an accident waiting to happen. 

I know that after I got my drivers licence, that was when I really started to learn from my mistakes. I wrote off three cars and two bikes in my first year of licenced driving. In none of those accidents was I 'at fault'. After that, I decided  that it's not always so important to be 'in the right'. 

[Old Koreelah]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

… we have to breed out the over-aggression of young males (mainly) in thinking a car and the speed ant stupidity behind the wheel is somehow extends their phallic piece and endears them to women..

I agree with it all, except this bit: there is no shortage of young, over-confidant young women using our roads to prove they’re just as good as the boys.

[facthunter]

The "little ladies" change 3 lanes at a time nearly clipping the corners of each car. I'm sure they learn on play station Lately it's anybody who's possibly psycho or UBER drivers doing their office work while driving. People will "toot" you for stopping at a red light.. It's crazy out there, Man. Nev

[Fliteright]

The roads area war zone! Young girls, the worst offenders with P plates! Mob Ph in one hand, cancer stick in the other whilst stroking their hair sitting in the R/H lane speeding, yep they sure can multitask!

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, Fliteright said:

Young girls, the worst offenders

I call them YAFs - Young Aggressive Females..

 

I remember when I was a policeman when I was going to work one morning  in my own car, a young woman overtook me on unbroken lines then sped off, exceeding the speed limit. I caught up to her and pulled her over, got her details and posted out two Infringement Notices. She decided, as was her right, to have me prove the allegations in Court. After I have given my evidence, she got up to give hers, and she admitted doing what I said she had. The Magistrate asked her why she had done that, obviously to see if there was some mitigating reason. Her reply: "Because old people go too slow."

 

The Magistrate obviously thought that was not a mitigating circumstance and told her to give driving a miss for a couple of months.

[facthunter]

She'd be up for a few costs as well?   Don't take it personally. At their age an old person is 30. Nev

[old man emu]

4 minutes ago, facthunter said:

he'd be up for a few costs as well?

I don't think she had a solicitor. That's probably why the Magistrate was asking her questions. They don't normally do that if someone is represented.

 

I think she copped a fine and court costs. Not my department.

[old man emu]

 

I reckon tits on a bull are more useful than this. Sorry Ian.

 

[facthunter]

Helps you to hallucinate quicker.. Nev

[spacesailor]

THREE in ONE ,

Something is a little fishy here.

Charges

Entertains 

AND ?

spacesailor

[red750]

I hate those sink mixer taps with the flip lever. Go to wash the dishes, flip the lever and end up with a sink full of cold water. Go to fill  glass for a drink and get  a warm or hot one. The flip lever is always the wrong way.