Francis Birtles Pioneer Trip

Here is our departure from UK with a crowd of thousands. 0600 was a bit early for the Poms.

Lang, is your engine like this one? I was wondering if the fan is gear driven, seems a good idea
 

Yes, everything is chain driven. There are two heavy tooth chains in the front case. One drives the fan, waterpump and generator the other drives the magneto. As you can see dual ignition. The magneto wires are coming across the engine and the coil wires are hidden in this photo by the tube they come through to the plugs.

The chains are so heavy I can not see them breaking. Two minute adjustment if they get rattly by moving either generator or magneto attach bolts in slotted holes..

Car is due in Darwin on Saturday morning and we hope to be on the road again early next week.

Planned finish is Linfox Car Museum at Docklands in Melbourne Sunday 18 August.

 


I don't know if you can make this video come up but here is a good view of the car at the detailers in Calcutta before loading into the container.
www.facebook.com/share/v/YAEWwcucf7N3QEUV/

Great shine on the machine Lang.
They did a top job for you.
Best wishes for the Aussie leg.

Have you finalised your trip south,  down the coast or inland?

We are hoping to get away 01 August. Finish is planned for Sunday 18 August at Linfox Car Museum in Melbourne.

You can see there are 4 days fat in the plan. It looks like one may be used as a lay day in Canberra at the National Museum. The other days are for slips to be used as required to meet the Melbourne date. Benalla may become Albury.

Day 1      Darwin  Mataranka               422
        2     Tennant Creek                       567
        3     Camooweal                           471
        4      McKinlay                              417
        5      Blackall                                 633
        6      Roma                                    487
        7      Brisbane                               477
        8      Brisbane            Lay Day
        9      Port MacQuarrie                   560
       10     Sydney                                 391
       11     Sydney                Lay Day
       12    Canberra                               286
       13    Benalla                                  452
       14    Melbourne                             213
 

Buggan, we will be on the New England Tableland.

If you give me a date and approximate time, I'll shout you both a coffee, should you be inclined to stop at the United, Oakey (Pie Face). It's on the highway, opposite Ricki Blinco's yard. I reckon you'd have earned a coffee by then.

Very interesting listening to you and Bev this morning on Macca, Lang.
Hope you get under way ok from Darwin.

Hopefully this will be my last rant on Australian port procedures.
We rolled up this morning to greet the Quarantine lady at PJ,s warehouse. Very thorough inspection on a vehicle that had been scrubbed to within an inch of its life before loading.
All looking good until "there is a water mark inside the spare tyre"
I could not see anything until she shone her torch at an angle and yes there was a slight stain where a couple of tablespoons of water had dried from the washing. It had been dry for two months in the container but might "have mosquito eggs".
It will have to be taken back to the wharf for cleaning (about $400 worth). I said just destroy the tyre as it is only worth half of that.
The lady was trying hard, so called the Entomologist whose first reaction was clean or destruction but she managed to talk him around. The storeman was dispatched to boil the kettle and the Quarantine lady got on her hands and knees and scrubbed inside the tyre with the hot water to kill all the mosquito eggs.
Computer punching proceeded apace and suddenly we had our Quarantine release. I went into the office to say farewell before driving off and the manager told me he could not release the car because Customs who had signed off last week had a hold on the car and he knew not why.
A 30 minute drive into town and knock on Customs door. A 40 minute wait and they came out and said it was now all good. I asked what the problem was and he said he did not know but probably some sort of computer glitch.
30 minutes back to the warehouse and finally, after 12 days of frustration, incompetence and indifference the Bean is now on the hoist at the Old QANTAS Hangar at the Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club ready for its new overdrive job tomorrow.
Maybe we will get away on Saturday??