Cripple driving a manual

I'm sorry to hear about your predicament V8Diesel.

What are the costs/issues with exchanging the manual gearbox for an auto gearbox?

Bloody hell thats no good - Good to see you are stil focused on the important things in life

That is very sad news and I can only wish that you may still recover the use of that leg over time.It is good to see you have such a positive attitude and I am sure you will work something out to get you and the pride and joy back on the road--good luck and best wishes for the future.

Dunno anything about the cost, but I know a bloke who lost both his legs in a truck prang years ago and he's got a 9 tonne Ford truck he drives around. It's all lever controlled, legal and he has no dramas driving it.

Sorry to hear about your setback.
When you say "they happened to bugger it up" do you mean they botched it and therefore is compensible? ie you can claim? if so then you would be able to get an auto no doubt.

If it was a risk with the procedure and you have no claim then the hospital should have a rehab centre and an occupational thereapist who should be able to advise where you could go for any conversions to your car.

Hope you can get out there soon.

Would sueing for medical malpractice or negligence be appropriate ?

Sorry to hear that, mate. I just found these sites that may be useful. Site Link and Site Link

Good luck,

Brian

My father many years ago had a permanant disability with his leg that he was unable to bend. Every 2 years he was able to replace his vehicle with a new one provided it was an auto and it was free of sales tax.
Hopefully, the same rules apply.

Hi V8 Diesel,
I am very sorry to hear of your story, but Do Not Despair. I am able to put you in contact with a young lad here in Clare SA that lost his left leg in a vehicle accident a number of years ago. It had to be taken from the hip.

When you see him now, he is as fast now on his crutches as a normal person walking. Matt still drives manual vehicles and trucks as well. I have just contacted his dad, and all of the company trucks and their own vehicles have all have the electric modification to the clutches. From what he told me, it sounds like a small electric motor, very similar to a windscreen motor is some how hooked to to a small chain, again similar to a bike chain, and this engages the clutch.

The person to speak to is Matt Jacka, here in Clare. His mobile number is 0439 936 612. Tell him you have been in contact with Steve Langman and he will be able to help you out.

Do not despair, you will be able to get back on track again.

All the Best

Stephen

Clare SA

Hopefully you will also find this link useful.

Site Link

If you do, can you let us all know. Not that I need to, but I have been considering it.

Cheers,
Dion.

That is sad V8, is there any chance that the nerve will recover in time??

Great to see that you have such a positive attitude.

There is a local truck driver here that only has one leg, drives a semi around and when he gets out of the truck it is a crutch under the arm to do all the stuff that truckies have to do.....amazing to watch.

If I see him around I'll have a chat with him, see if he has any thing good to offer.

Cheers
Michael

Bugger mate, I really hope you get it all sorted, really sad news..... please do let me know if you want a hand with anything mate I am not that far from ya.

Convert to Auto.. easiest thing you can do, and safer while you are offroad.

Willem looked into the hand operated clutch, but I think it was too much hassle to operate in the end.

im in teh same boat as you, and Im converting the GU to Auto soon

You now have me thinking about what I'm in for.
I just agreed to have a total disc replacement done on the L5 S1 disc.
They tell me that it is a relativily easy operation with minimal side effects, they didn't mention loss of use of legs.
Hope that you recover and don't have to get rid of your pride and joy. I'd look at what been sugested and get a transmission transfer done.

Cheers Kev

Strewth! Thanks for all the help and kind thoughts there folks - I genuinely appreciate it.

Some great suggestions there and the 'Click 'N Go' looks like just the ticket for my needs. (I'll just imagine I'm back driving the Acco with the old 15 speed Road Ranger gearbox) ;-)

Thanks again.

Mate, that's bad news indeed. I'm sure the responses here will point you in the right direction.
I have problems with my circulation in my legs. Not quite useless, but I can't run anymore. In fact some days I can't walk too far either. But thank goodness so far I can drive and do most other things if I act like a lizard.
Compared to your problem, I feel pretty normal :))
Good luck getting mobile again.

Hi V8

Sorry to hear of your plight. Dunno what to say. Its a bugger!

In 2002 I was in a wheelchair due to chronic arthritis and then came across the Click'nGo product. Since that time I have had 2 x TKR's and am walking again thank goodness. Still have arthritis of the neck and lower back for which there is no workable answer. I battle on.

Nevertheless I went to Adelaide and saw Click'nGo and drove one of their converted vehicles and it works real easy. I had had a long think about it and felt that I did not need it at this stage. From memory the price is between $2500 and $3000. The electronic device changes gears via the clutch on engine revs.

I hope that there is improvement in your state of health in the forseeable future.

Cheers

Bugger Mr V,,,not a good thing. We hope all goes well and that over time you get the full use of the leg again. Cant help with the conversion stuff, but if ya nees a hand with anything in the meantime,,,,just yell.

meow.

rick.

One site
Site Link

another

Site Link

Mate you musta been oin a bad hospital they even have you rambling about "liking" a Toyota, you poor fella, take a holiday to lovely Vic and I am sure I can work on your memory of what is a good 4b etc hehaha

I would be looking at the changeover to a auto in the old girl ( I am assuming you mean the cruiser here not any othe old girl) Marks 4x4 can do a wizbang job

V8

As you can see this is a pretty hot subject. It’s more common than a cold and there are many myths and misunderstandings about it all, especially from surgeons.

Been through all this. Sounds like me 9 mths ago.

It will get better. My sciatica hung around for 3 months, I thought it would never go. I did NOT have it before the operation.

What did you get done? Laminectomy?

I was at my wits end, I wanted to tour Australia but couldn't drive more than to the local shop and camping and 4wheeling was out. I couldn't sit for long periods and I was as grumpy as a caged circus lion.

It got to a point where I was convinced I was going to end up a cripple at the end of the day.

9 mths on I now can do pretty well everything I could do before.

How?

I attended a 2 week, yes 2 weeks, full time back pain clinic in Brisbane. I was very sceptical at first but after 2 days I was a different person. Bloody fantastic!

On the course I discovered a few things:
It put everything in perspective. I wasn't going to be a cripple. ;)
I had a guy sitting beside me who was injured in a parachute jump and has to put a catheter in EVERY night and can't sit at all, can't control his bowels but is pretty good in the head considering he was about to retire when it happened. I was ashamed how much of a whinger I had become.

Anyway it showed me I had to accept responsibility for my back problems. I hadn't been exercising my whole life and wondered why everything was so tight and stiff and sore and why I kept herniating discs.

I was paying chiros, physios, acupuncturists and anybody that would listen 1000's of dollars each year trying to fix the problem. It is all just a scam. I don't go near them now.

This course should be complusory for anyone with back problems or that has had a operation. I can't say enough about it. And it's free, covered under medical benefits.

Contact me offline if you want more info on the course or have any questions. I was lucky, my godfather is Australia's chief neurosurgeon and ordered me to go, he was sick of my poorlittleol'me attitude. I resisted looking into it for mths thinking nothing can fix this.

Don't sell the cruiser! I went from a Auto Disco to the Troopy and we are on the road now fulltime. :)

When people ask me how's my back now I reply "what back problem."

Hope that helps mate.
Cheers
John

Where's Greg???! Now he is who you need to speak to! EO member who lost both of his legs I think due to a work accident but nothing will hold the guy down!!!
Greg is an awesome guy and well,, pretty darn good with his 4wding as well!
He has his 4by all set up and converted and what not.

Site Link

that will take you to Greg and you can get in contact with him.

Cheers
Jo

Sorry to hear of your plight, but like others here have said, be hopeful that time (and physio) will heal.

After years of working with people with disabilities, it is truly amazing what some people do achieve.

Des Lexic mentions sales tax - of course that was replaced by the GST, and people with disabilities can get new vehicles GST free, as well as licence concessions - not sure, but this may include stamp duty exemption. If you don't mind 'labels', give it a go.

Meanwhile, getting your Cruiser converted to auto seems the best option. My son is an avid 4wd driver, and chooses to put auto in his 4wds.

Well a further thanks to all the additional replies is in order here.

Here's the situation as it stands. I will post this up for future reference if anyone else is ever in a similar position as the EO archives are such a valuable resource.

I spoke to a bloke called David Bosch (0407 788 624) in Perth who has all the 'Click 'N Go' info. He said TL Engineering in Bayswater can supply and fit it up to my Cruiser for around $2,500. He has a van fitted with the click n go I can test drive and his wife has one on a Prado, but that unit is currently broken (a worry!).

After a good chat with Murray at TLC (Toyota Land Cruiser) in O'Connor about an auto conversion, he thoroughly convinced me it is not the way to go. He assured me on the Cruiser it invloves all kinds of wiring loom issues and such and would not be cost effective. Much better to sell mine and buy an auto Cruiser. Remember I am unable to do the work myself now.

So next was a call to a good mate of mine who has some solid contacts in the car yards and he has put the word out on the street for me. Discussed a few other options and he said he'd march over and break the other leg if I went Jeep, Disco or Range Rover as his shop deals with hundreds of them and he reckoned after 3 or 4 years old (my price range) they are simply too much trouble.

Full size diesel auto left me with Patrol 3.0 and 100 series TD. Both too expensive so the Landcruiser 1FZJ105 GXL 4.5 petrol (live axle) auto is the go.

Rang Topline Autogas in Wangara and an LPG conversion with top shelf equipment works out to be totally free under the federal and state LPG conversion schemes ($3,000).

My other option is to buy a reasonable but cheap auto 2WD and just wait and see. Probably a sensible option but having done 3 big bush trips away just this year alone, it would be very depressing not to have a 4WD.

On the medical side of things, my injury is a sciatic neuropathy bought on by a hip resurfacing operation (required due to severe degenerative arthritis). Since the op I have completely lost the use of my tibialis anterior, toe extensors and flexor muscles. Gluteus maximus and hamstrings are not much better but at least there is something here (which is a good sign). I will go in on Monday to see my neurologist who will conduct an EMG and maybe an MRI which will hopefully tell me at least what's hot and what's not down there. I can still get around on two crutches so it's not too bad. No professional will give me an indication of what I'm in for. It should get better in weeks or years, but then again it may not. I have stopped doing internet research on my condition as it goes from one extreme to the other.

Thanks again for all the advice and help.

Mate sorry to hear the news.
I had a mate a few years back that moved to sunny NTH Q L and he had a similar problem as he just finished setting up his Patrol the way he wanted and also found the need for an auto ( New missus cant or WONT drive manual) so he went out and found a bog stock mint auto at a great price before selling his rig and swapped 99% of the gear over. His old rig looked bog stock and he sold it and made some cash which then left him with a later mod auto tricked up better than his old unit I don't know if this is an option for you but I thought I would share it with you , I sincerely hope you are able to get back to the bush soon mate all the best .

Regards J.B.