Gunbarrel Highway WA in a corolla

Why not they did it in horse & buggies.:)

Here's the recipe: Take one perfectly good Corolla and....

I'm thinking about doing it on a Vespa next time around!

Regards

Kim

So i take it irs easy then! shes an old girl though, corrigation might pull her apart!

Hahahahaha...and its not the Friday Funnies yet!!!

Yeah mate. You can do the Gunbarrell in your Corolla. But I doubt if there will be much of it left when you reach the other end as the corrugations are severe.
In places there are 4 to 5 tracks where people have made new tracks to stay off the corrugations...but they are all corrugated.

You will
A. Most likely lose the exhaust and muffler
B. Lose the fuel tank or put a hole in it
C. Bugger all of the tyres and the three spares you will have to carry
D. The bumpers might fall off
E. The engine might fall out
F. Worse things may happen...lol

The Gunbarrel Hwy was built in the 1950's and has not been graded since. Graded road might start 100km out from Carnegie Station but the loose rocks on that road might shred your little car.

Not a good idea.

Cheers

I have not been out there for a few years , but I went from the Alice to Warakurna to see my youngest son when he was working there in a little 1976 model Mini minor with no problems and went back and forward from the Alice to Mintabie Opal fields for a long time in that little rocket and never had too many problems with it , and that would have been around about the late 80's . Just bear in mind that your little Corolla is not really suited for that kind of travel and treat it accordingly and be kind to it , and you will get through . I have seen many of our indigenous brethren travel in the same sort of car as yours right through the anangu pitjantjatjara lands and a lot of times they got though , but they usually took their time , and if they never , well they just walked away , and left their vehicle :)

Willem ...

Yeah .. but apart from that?????

Jack

It is not a good dirt road, definately 4wd territory and plenty of them succumb, fearsome corrugations and long sandy sections.
The Great Central Road would be ok but would still knock the corolla around but the Gunbarrel definately not for a 2wd.
Mind you the 'locals' do ok in Valiants, Falcons and old Holdens but they don't have to worry about getting home ;-))

Inspired by Jeff Carter's "Great Book of the Australian Outdoors" and Jack Absalom, and the Leylands, in 1977 to 1980, I did the following trips and dirt tracks in a 1969 Corolla Wagon:

- Syd to Perth - including Pinnacles track at Cervantes, and a heap of sand tracks
- Central Aus: Tibooburra to Merty Merty, Old Strez, Dig Tree Rd, Cordillo Downs road, Birdsville Track, North Flinders and Arkaroola, Oodnadatta track, William Ck to Coober Pedy, Coober Pedy to Erldunda and along the Corrugated Rd to Ayers Rock and Olgas; Kings Canyon Rd and 4wd track to reedy's rockhole, west and east MacDonell Ranges,
- through floods in Nth Qld and Atherton Tableland
- western Qld
- Another Central Aus trip taking in all the usual sites

The Corolla had a sump guard, bullbar, and a tropical roof. Had a 27MHz radio for emergency comms. I destroyed a few tyres, and repaired a heap of others using a scissor jack as a beadbreaker. I had an extra leaf in the rear springs, lost the oil out of a front strut, and a bunch of other minor mechanical probs. Fuel tank was protected by the spare tyre. Carried spares for carby, fuel pump and distributor, bars leaks, epoxy etc etc etc

So, what about your 19 year old front wheel drive Corolla??? Is it as good as the 7-10 year old KE16 I had??? I don't know.
These days I'm not young and stupid, so my advice is don't bother. But the chances are that you'll make it, but theres a fair risk that you'll trash the suspension on the car, and might be dependant on passing travellers for help. The corrugations on the Gunbarrell are amongst the best :-)))

Cheers
Phil

troyza
are you asking about the Gunbarrel Highway or the Great Central Road?

Gunbarrel Highway Not likely!!!!!!!!!
Great Central Road with extreme care!!!!!!!!
Mac

I suspect like many he is mistaking the GCR for the Gunbarrel and for the GCR the answer is yes. I used to have an 89 camry and it would have done a far better job on the GCR then my leaf sprung 4 by

The only way you could do the G B Hwy in a Corolla is if you hired one, you wouldn't do it in your own.LOL

Cheers Steve.

Hey Couzin,

my bruddas couzin he did it in a falcon but it TOO big so corolla GOOD. be sure to roll car over every 200 k so you can rub its belly (like they do) but you be right.
See ya Wiluna
Ian@Mt Dare

Why not it's a TOYOTA isn't it?
Apparently they can go anywhere, (must be tue because I saw it in an add)

A couple of years ago, we were travelling the Gunbarrel and we met 3 old Chev's. A 35, a 36 and a new one. (Well it was new in 56 when it was built)
They had been on a rally and were heading for the Alice.
One was towing a camper trailer and the new one was towing a caravan albeit VERY slowly.
I had to tow the one with the camper up a bit of a hill cos it had a minor problem.
Well only a little bit minor cos the tailshaft had broken and they then took one car and the tailshaft to Warburton for repairs.
Actually, the amount of repairs that they had to do on the trip would have made most people back but they were afterv adventure

Hi,
Depends if you mean the Gunbarrel Hwy or Great Central Road. They both start at the Ayers Rock and head west to Warburton where the great central road heads south west towards laverton and kalgoorlie, while the gunbarrel hwy goes west towards wiluna.
I went west to east 2 years ago on the Great Central Road from Laverton to Ayers Rock and found the road to be very easy that a Porsche could have done it with ease. It is a little bit corrugated on the NT side, however does get graded during the tourist season (May - October). You should check on road conditions with the local police before you set off and obtain a free permit online as it aborginal land- Try the Yulara or Alice Springs Police on the east side and the Laverton Police on the West Side... Most of it is on the west.
Car wise... Ask yourself what you would do if it broke down??? An 88 Corolla is probably worth less than $2000 which is what it would cost for a tow from somewhere remote, so have a plan of what you'd do.... Just make sure you carry Oil, radiator hose tape (for repairs), plenty of distalled water(its drinkable), 2 x CHEMIWELD (to fix any head gasket problems), a second spare tyre and check you oil water and tyres every day before you set off. There are a few people on the road so you won't die, but don't expect a lift from everyone.
Not sure about the Gunbarrel Hwy - Most people confuse the 2 so I'm guessing you mean the Great Central Road.
Also buy a few 20Litre Jerry cans as there aren't too many places to get unleaded fuel out there and its about $2 a litre anyway.. so the jerrys will pay for themselves.... Its about 1400km from Laverton to Yulara and I think Warburton would be the only fuel stop.
Use your common sense and don't put yourself at risk as your about half a days travel from the nearest hospital (by plane) so a small incident can result in death.
Heed the warnings everyone will tell you - DON'T DRIVE AT NIGHT - KANGAROOS!!
Have a nice drive,
Cheers, Will.