Stuffed up this weekend !

Submitted: Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 13:46

ThreadID: 64478 Views:2885 Replies:6 FollowUps:7

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Robin Miller

Managed to drop a 30ft tree last weekend and its a bit complex but ended up with just the top 2 meters of branches across the bonnet of my 2002 GU patrol.
Managed to save the car from any major damage at the cost of a big bruise.

Put 4 or 5 small dents in the bonnet, and this got me to thinking, is this someone's way of telling me that I need a fibreglass bonnet to shave 10 kgs of the cars weight?
I have heard of them before but does anybody know who might supply them ?

While frustrated and trying to extract myself I took a shortcut to winch out a secondary
stump. To do this I just hooked the Plasma winch rope around the stump and hooked the winch hook over the rope (dumb idea - except for rely light loads) , anyway the hook pressure
snapped the rope and now I need to ask if anyone has a link to how to re-splice plasma rope back together.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone as we will be heading off in a couple of days to camp near Dargo Victoria for a couple of weeks.

P.S. Plasma rope has little kick back, but does have some as the two pieces ended recoiling about 20 ft back towards the car.

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Reply By: Willem - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 13:53

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 13:53

Robin

Looks like you are following in Bonz and Lucy's footsteps....LOL

I would just tie a knot in the plasma rope.

AnswerID: 340882

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:24

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:24

Don't wish that on me Willem.

I'm supposed to be the one setting the good example and while the precautions I took stopped anything serious , this was not my finest moment. At least no one else saw it happen !

FollowupID: 608533

Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 16:23

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 16:23

Willem....thanks for not including me in that short list of doomed souls... (far too many people in the past have made disparaging remarks about me and included me in their tyrade relating to the antics of messrs bonz and lucky!!!! hahahaha.....of course; most undeservedly!!!)

Robin, glad you survived relatively unscathed...... don't know much about fibreglass bonnets, but have been thinking of cutting a big hole in mine and fitting a rearward facing scoop off an A9X Torana. I know where I can get one cheap.....

FollowupID: 608551

Follow Up By: Blaze - Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 at 02:59

Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 at 02:59

Robin, I'm guessing you didn’t bother buying a lotto ticket?

Bill, I believe Willie is just doing the good neighbour thing in leaving you alone; your list of misdemeanours would fill the forum, and clog up the server, so best left unsaid and just leave them all in the history of the site.. LOL

Merry Xmas to you and the family mate, tell Annette my biscuit supply is running low...

FollowupID: 608648

Reply By: Member -Signman - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:08

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:08

Did ya say.........BUGGA !!!!

AnswerID: 340884

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 18:33

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 18:33

Hi Signman

I didn't because it wasn't a static situation as the cars bonnet was holding a far bit of weight from the branch still and I really had to think a lot about how to remove it , but you bring to mind a thought I had at the time.

The landcruisers have thicker skins than Patrols and I believe 2 of the 5 dents in the Bonnet would not have occurred had we had one.

FollowupID: 608567

Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 19:27

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 19:27

In 1976 I had a G60 Datsun Patrol (yes, they were Datsun, not Nissan) when a hailstorm swept through Sydney.

Sedans were seriously pockmarked - nothing visible on the Patrol.

They don't make 'em like they used to !

FollowupID: 608575

Reply By: Moose - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:13

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:13

G'day Robin
Sorry to hear about your mishap. Sounds like you were lucky that the damage wasn't worse to self and/or vehicle.
Try this re the rope
www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177344&highlight=splicing
Merry Christmas from the Moose

AnswerID: 340886

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:59

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 14:59

Splicing - thats the word I was looking for Moose, I did a search first using "Joining" and didn't get much.

That note is interesting , but it assumes you can get at both ends, I think I get the idea but might look for a variation which can re-join without having to take the other end off the Winch.

FollowupID: 608537

Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 15:20

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 15:20

G'day Robin,

I thought this stuff is looped like a ski rope? Which effectively is a section inserted into the centre of the rope - the strain on the weaving keeps it in place. I'm no expert on this but the ski ropes work well this way.

Kind regards

AnswerID: 340894

Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 18:22

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 18:22

Sounds like some fun we had a few years ago at the neighbours.

Dropping a big gum next to the house (as in 3 m away, and a 20m tree).

Tied it off to the ute down the driveway.

Trimmed a few branches to make sure it was going to fall away from the house.

Just put the chainsaw through for the back cut, and a gust came blowing towards the house. Yep, the tip of the tree started swaying over the house, and it lifted the back wheels of the ute off the ground. Gust luckily only lasted a few seconds, and the ute got traction, and the tree landed down the driveway. Perfect.
With the tip of the tree about 5m short of the ute.

But it was a very heart in the mouth moment, besides a few other things being said and done. :o)

Live and learn, and I can't help you on the splicing.

AnswerID: 340922

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 20:42

Monday, Dec 22, 2008 at 20:42

Hi John

Cutting trees has been responible for so many incidents all right , and unfortunately many with unhappy outcomes , and like yours some can be hard to believe.

One I remember well was that I actually cut right thru one tree about 2ft thick and it just stayed there and didn't move , I remember thinking , this is impossible and the only thing I could do was walk away quickly.
I came back 2 weeks later and it was still standing , completely cut thru , when I came back a 3rd time it was however down.

FollowupID: 608590