Stuffed Awd at Mt Dare.

Sorry you are correct, Outlander.

Col.

X 2

Many years back I travelled to many places in a Datsun180B long before I owned 4WD

PMK

It's how you drive .. true , but what you drive is also very important!

does not count PMK // Datsun 180 B's went anywhere and did anything, they were unstoppable, If you thought you could not do it, then the 180 would do it for you ?? ah they don't make them like that anymore !! dazren

I took my XC falcon ute thru most of the outback back tracks in the late 80's.

It must be how you drive, there is a picture in the Birdsville Hotel of a 911 getting some air over Big Red after crossing the dessert.

I know of a very well equiped Patrol that was towed several hundred kms due to contaminated diesel. Planning is the key more often than not. Most cars are more capable than there owners if well maintained.

Craig

Absolutely agree . I would feel very nervous with only a soft roader out in remote desert. Only a matter of how long you last. Even with the best driving techniques you can't totally undo the effects of hostile terrain on your vehicle.

Years ago we were at Dalhousie heading out into the desert. Started raining midday and continued, getting heavier all night. By morning the place was a bog. A 4wd club group headed out towards Purni early and turned up back at camp about half an hour later saying that the track was impassable. So they and everyone else headed to Mt Dare and down the finke track to go around the flooded creek. Mate and I had a leisurely pack up and then headed out towards Purni on the main track, found where they had a problem near the Gluepot, full side impression/profile of a Pajero in the mud on the bank on one corner where they had nearly rolled it. Hence the impassable info from them. Out past the tip we drove out of the rain band and continued all the way to Purni in fine but overcast weather on a dry track. There were clear tracks ahead of us in the dirt and when we got to Purni there was a Hiace 2wd 14 seater Commuter bus that had driven ahead of us that morning, did have a LSD and the driver a local said he went out there often.
Late that afternoon the mob that had driven around the long way arrived in time to set up camp in the rain with wet gear and having had to tow and debog a few times along the way.

I think from memory that the owner of the Birdsville pub took delivery of a brand new Model T Ford and had the sales rep drive the thing up to Birdsville for him....loaded to the hilt and with something like 6 or 7 people on board.

Spot on Josh!

Fab.

Did I hear Mini? :-)
At Coward Springs on our way to Billa Kalina and Kingoonya and back to Adelaide over Easter 1970.
Hand up anyone who has driven that route, south of the Margaret Riiver, in ANY vehicle?

Tried to do this route again in 1995 (25 years later) in a 4WD and could not get through. :-(

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome.

Peter, that brings to mind our Melbourne - Perth and back in a Capril in 1971for an 11 day honeymoon. With rain from Ivy Tanks, the Nullabor was all but impassible before Ceduna on the return journey, but not the way for the indomitable Capri which slid its way back.

I haven't noticed any imperious attitudes in any of the above only a justifiable scepticism

Well Joe how come you don't drive a Falcon then?

cause it broke when i put 800kgs in the boot hahahaha

There is a guy in Alice Springs that does 4x4 tours of the local area. Thing is he does drive a 4wd. He takes his car where most 4x4 owners struggles. He says it is nothing to do with the vehicle, all about the driver.

Josh

grew up there and yea just normal everyday roads were far worse than stuff like the tanami, gibb great central moorinie loop etc

and as said just about no one used a 4by

as for ah what about if it rained

yep it did nd back then there was no pussy footing closing the roads because of 2mm of rain - roads were never shut and every one still coped in some form or another

Few outback travellers in the 50s and 60s drove 4wd vehicles. My dad did plenty of trips with us in a bog standard VW beetle and later an EH Holden wagon with no problem at all. Nobody thought this was unusual. If anyone is in doubt with the capability of a 2wd then have a look at the Redex Endurance Trials or the T2 VW Kombi tackling the OTT Flight of the Volksies.

Thank you!

Jeff - Would you agree there are some times when you don not need a 4 x 4 to cross the desert and then there are times when there is no way you could unless you did have a 4 x 4? For instance just after a long hot spell and a big wind. I would like to see the 911 cross then, or indeed the combies :-) Last year a good example - Lots of rain and no crests made easy work of all those sand hills.

Just summarising the above comments into some perspective.

I see a lot say I drove this & that across there, but lets face it the track may have also been maintained back then as well. In the 1960's Dad & I drove across the nullabour in a Toyota Crown 3 on the tree station wagon.

Who wants to go back to the days of will I make it in this car? mmm

The idea of using the new 4 x 4 is the hope reliability and doing it with some level of ease :-)

Cheers Tony

Tony,

Yes, in a season of ideal conditions ie; reasonably dry, no wet clay/salt pans etc... I would have a go at taking an a 2wd vehicle across the Simpson, but It would have to be something with adequate ground clearance with a good LSD or lokka in it, I would also have a competent 4wd vehicle & driver as back up!

Two years ago we had an American fellow who wanted to take his 1923 Roles Royce across the Desert, this bloke had previously done the Paris to Peking rally with no problems, he needed Daves assistance with the shorty Patrol to do the Simpson!

As far as Awd vs 4wd vehicles breaking down, any vehicle can & will break down given the opportunity, as I proved earlier this year when my 80 series snapped a drive axle north of Bourke, I'd already driven from here to Oodna', Marree, Mungeranie, Birdsville, Windorah, Longreach & Charleville, it could have happened at any point in the trip, I was just lucky it was near help!

People are quite entitled to express their opinions on this forum as long as they repect others. I trust you also will extend that respect to others in an appropriate polite manner

Rob,

To have an opinion It helps to gather the correct Information!

The Post: "Stuffed AWD at Mt Dare"

Fact: It was a leaking power steering pump!

Another useful post to exploroz archives dont you think?

I'm more concerned about attitude and politeness than about being right or not

I also acknowledge that having correct facts is useful

Hey colin j, I didn't think you sounded like a know it all or that you were whining in any way. I don't necessarily agree with your opinion and you got the facts muddled, but you are entitled to it without getting bagged in my book. Cheers, Mike

Tragic!!!

Just call me princess :-)

Ingos got a point, no matter how he expressed it.
Where did the "major issue" come from?

Pretty sure if it was one of the regulars on here who owned the vehicle, there would have been tears. Luckily it was someone who wasnt on here to present the true situation and spoil the fun :-)

"drove past a cruiser today that was stopped on the side of the road. As it wasnt moving it was obvious the owner hadnt given done any preparation for the trip. He didnt have an Exploroz sticker on so is fair game for a good slagging off. What a loser"

all in fun gents :-)

thing is though-it turned out not to even be a softroader!