Model A Restorers Club of WA Inc

Surgeon Reg on completing operation.

Look away if you are squeamish.

All cars and owners relaxing except Glad. Cars being tidied up and the team are at the showgrounds tidying up cars, themselves, and the camp. Glad went under the spanner Saturday. We found 3 burnt out exhaust valves [hence power in 1 cylinder]  and the timing gear very loose and stretching the guide holes [hence the backfiring].  Amazing she got us here. Surgery completed and being sown up today; should be mobile and hooting by lunchtime.  We adapted 3 old valves and inserted a new timing gear.  We cannot thank enough the Qld blokes in the breakdown area for their enthusiasm to help but surgeon REG would have gone on till midnight to finish the operation. Even Brett was promoted with 2 merit awards by Reg  – [a great honour for an ex- sheperd]  for inserting some valve springs. Allan the ex tool -maker was in the thick of it and appreciating the honour of assisting surgeon Reg, but understanding why he gave the tools away years ago.

The two proud Dads .Glad running better than ever thanks to Reg and the QLd club members . Ready for the down hill run home across the Nullabor starting on 31st march.

Thanks to TELSTRA for sponsoring this blog and please donate to the RFDS via www.flyingdoctor.org.au and use ref GLAD. Will be back online on 31st.

Regards Brett

First day of clear sky; had a great camp last night under the stars after a celebratory drink at the Prince of Wales Pub. Glad is going under the spanner today to reveal what condition her heart is in, 8am EST.  All the other cars are in good order and need a clean up for the start of the rally on MONDAY. Our team will give a power point presentation at the welcoming evening on our adventures around the Top End.

Awoke to  a cloudy day with rain.  Preparing cars for the downhill run. At Toowoomba we visited Barry the collector of tractors , had 100 odd tractors , amazing collection.

WE MADE IT!  We all got to the rally in IPSWICH. Glad got down to 1km per hour on the top of Toowoomba hill. We think the backfiring kicked her over the top, going down with 2 cylinders meant Allan needed to work the hand brake; also went through a few red lights to keep up the momentum . Truly an amazing car  –  a credit to  Henry Ford.

Now camped under a clear blue sky in Ipswich.  The family reunited.

We had a slow start and a visit to Athol Laycock  who is 92 and has a great collection of very special Fords, including Model A, Model T, 1934 V8 and many more all in magnificant order, and is restoring a Harley with side car for him to ride. We had a very pleasant hour and presented him a club calendar; a fine gentleman.

Glad has 2 cylinders operating and a death rattle when idling, but she continues to move East slowly on the hills; 2nd gear only once today.  Colin threw a front wheel bearing and had to have some machining done to get on his way. Two hours later good old Frank stayed with him while we battled more rain and some head winds; completed 220 kms. Only 311 kms to Ipswich. We think Glad has burnt valves on 2nd and 4th  cylinders and has a broken valve spring that is clattering [??].  Reg has been appointed head surgeon for Monday’s heart operation. Ipswich operating theatre is being prepared by Rally Director Les Duncan.

A long wait at roadworks near Roma.  Note the Toyoya with caravan belongs to John Wood, a friend I have not seen for 40 years, now tagging along with us. Roads are under repair and lots of delays; slow going, even water across the roads. on one roadworks Anthony ute had vaporation on the actual one lane bypass Allan jumped out to help and eventually got it going and Allan jumped onto the running board while antonny proceeded to drive 7kms with Allan still hanging on for dear life and reliving his youth, at the next town Ant stopped and wondered why Allan looked so white in the rain.

A  great old country pub with hearty meals . A short day [100 kms ] to check cars and prepare for the run into Ipswich – about 800kms. Still no sunshine. Well we changed the plan after we visited Warrego motors and assessed that Glad needed to get to Ipswich to have new valves fitted; amazingly Glad has been running on 2 cylinders for the last 2000kms  [what modern car would do this] – only steep hills and severe head winds slowed her up. The 2012 Rally Director is organizing the breakdown workshop to have a reservation for Glad, who drove from Gladstone  to Perth in 2009. Now she is back in Qld, but a bit tired; one steep hill out of Charleville she was in 2nd gear at 38kms. All cars went well today as we did about 380 kms. We have completed tonight 6380kms; only 570 kms to go. One flat tyre today. Had a good look around Charleville a great old wool town, but it still rained all day and the Qld roads did their best to try to shake our Model As to bits but to no avail. Reg in the support pensioner caravan also got a flat tyre.

Now in Mitchel caravan park and we are all in accommodation due to the persistent rain. Bob the banker could not stop at the smoko stop as he forgot to hit the brakes. Does not stop when you hit the clutch, Bob! We heard his scream as they sailed past narrowly missing a parked Model A. Bob the whitler still has the stick as a plug in his carby[?] but the tyre he fixed last night was flat in the morning. Practise makes perfect.

Please donate to the RFDS on www.flyingdoctor.org.au to support a good cause using ref. GLAD. Thankyou.

On the road again, photo shot Qantas 747 and then off to Barcaldine and Blackall. We encountered the worst head winds of the trip; all cars suffered and Glad was nearly unable to move forward; it appears 2 cylinders are not working. Took all day to do 340kms to get to Augathella. We have arranged to inspect Glad in the morning at Warrego motors, who have offered us some workshop space. Could be valves, tappets or ????

Bob the Banker met his first Cane Toad in one of his socks – it died from the smell. Peter has brought a pack of dogs to keep Tommy company. Bob the gardener had a flat tyre and a modern shocky fell off; otherwise all cars behaved well considering the wind and very poor roads.

Tommy

We have not seen sun in Queensland.  Is this the sunshine state?

Rained heavily overnight; washing first thing, then tourist day.  No driving.

A 21 foot southern cross windmill, fantastic. We had a great morning at the Qantas museum with a tour inside their first Boeing 707.  We have been asked to do a photo shoot tomorrow morning under the 747 with the Model As .  In the afternoon visited the Stockmans Hall of Fame [had to wear my white moleskins and put Glad out front] another great interperative centre. Then shopping and a camp; dining tonight with the Darwin Model A group.  Whilst driving  Glad I was stopped by the police and breathalyzed, much to their amusement. See photo of Glad’s new watch dog, Tommy.

Day looks wet and windy; will be a tourist day in Winton and then a short hop to Longreach. We had a late start and the owner wanted a group photo. We obliged [see photo].

We then visited the truck museum which was extremely interesting for all of us. Reg could identify all of the trucks and had a story for most as well [see photos].

Then we visited the Waltzing Matilda interpretive centre, a fantastic modern building with a very good coffee shop and many interesting story rooms and displays. Very impressive and delightfully friendly. At 11.30 we left for Longreach; extremely strong head winds and some rain, hard work for the As but we completed the 180kms in 4.30hrs with hourly stops. All cars running well. Glad needed to change a rear tyre as it had run out of tread and a bulge was appearing, but still up. Cars need a good check-over tomorrow as we will spend 2 nights in Longreach; washing to be done . Qantas Museum and Stockman’s Hall of  Fame to be visited, and the Botanical Walkway.

What people see from behind the team.

We departed at a leisurely hour to meet Reg who was camped out of town. Eventually the team assembled themselves and we departed at 9.30am, definitely in tourist mode. Strong headwinds and steady rain for the first half of the day, down to 65kms.  Cars all performing well under the conditions; no breakdowns or minor adjustments required all day. Saw bustard turkeys, brolgas, kangaroos, budgies, cattle [now drought master ], apostle birds,  and miles of undulating open black soil plains with thunderstorms scattered in all directions.  Very few homesteads in sight, all the population wear ten-gallon hats –  very Queensland. Stopped at Crocodile Dundee’s famous pub and at Kynuna, famous for its rodeos; lunched here.

We had the mandatory 1 hour stop and onto Winton for the night.  Rain threatening so some camped some in chalets. Winton hotel for dinner. Winton is the home of the droughtmaster  cattle in Australia; a big town and nearly the centre point of Qld. Hope to see its museum and truck museum in the morning. Only covered 350kms today;  it was enough with the head winds. All well.

Below left to right:  Allan, Colin, Anthony, Frank, Bob banker, Peter,  Reg and Bob the whittler [stick still in carby]. Coral absent making scones and Brett photographer.Peter Eadley’s  1928  Phaeton is called “Granny” and Ihave not noticed any other names of our Model As that could be perceived to be repeatable on this blog.

Had a good night and accommodation. Brett and Allan fixed Glad’s starter and Peter his tyre, then we leisurely headed for Mt Isa. Peter had an elecrical problem that was fixed and we got into Isa for shopping and sight-seeing around the mines. More rain and powerful head winds; cars travelling well at about 65kms, will do about 350kms today.

Coral refueling in Mt Isa

We all left Mt Isa at 3.30pm for Cloncurry we met our first steep hill and we were down to second gear, a shock after all the flat running , very hilly until Cloncurry with rain squalls. The country is very much like the Kimberley but more compact, lots of mining traffic. Now in Cloncurry; a large town with good accommodation, some of us in nice chalets and some camping. Fish and chips for dinner 1700kms to go for Ipswich.