I would not of believed this unless I was involved.
A wet outback Christmas Eve 2020 I was just about to have a Beer and I gets a call from the Father in Law to come over with my multi meter . its a long story WTF I was just about to have a Beer . So I goes over to investigate whats going on? There is another Mitsubishi Magna parked up the back yard and a dude named Steve working on it? I know anything is possible over here but? Apparently Hobo Magna Man Steve broke down out of town and was towed into town by the guy who owns the tyre shop.
The Magna a 1990 wagon had overheated and dropped 2 cells in the battery? a new battery at the Tyre shop and it still wasn't charging and overheating so he had been camping down by the river for a couple of days as he couldn't go any where . He had been walking past and spied the 1989 Mitsubishi Magna Wagon parked in the yard next to the 1965 Leyland Bus .... yes there is shit every where I dont know how he saw it. Magna Man Steve promptly knocked on the door and offered to buy the 89........ Sold for a big packet of rollies carton of piss and $20 fuel in the commodore to tow him to the yard. Where in the Outback do you just find a parts car ...................
The 1989 and 1990 magna wagons are the same pretty much although the 1990 is fuel injected......... I had a 89 sedan about 15 years ago they are a pretty good car.
Anyway by the time I got there with the multi meter and was introduced to Hobo Magna Man Steve (Flip Side of a Grey Nomad) ... He had already done the radiator swap (the 89 had a new big fat alloy radiator fitted before it was parked 9 years ago) It really was Christmas for Hobo Magna Man Steve. He told me he had owned the Magna for 10 years and only ever replaced the water pump. "OMG!" when I went to check the battery voltage I was Shocked by the Filthiest Engine and Engine Bay I have ever seen. I really didn't want to touch it ........................ apparently a power steering hose burst a few years ago and now it was all Baked on Filth. He was also running the wrong type of belt he had a V belt where he should have a Ribbed belt .....................................
There was no point testing for voltage until we changed alternators I reckon the original would of been full of crud .... changed alternators and still only got 11.89 volts at the alternator ... mind you the 1990 Magna ran perfectly apart from a hole in the exhaust.
Bad connections or earths I said but it was getting late and starting to rain and being Christmas Eve I had things to do .. Like Drink Beer .. They were already drinking Beer (Father in Law his mate/boarder Hobo John who lives in the 1965 Leyland Bus and Hobo Magna Man Steve). So I went home and cracked open my month old 10 litre keg of homebrew.
We were having a wet Christmas Day .. I went over the Father in Laws and there was Hobo Magna Man Steve swapping the hoods as his had a hole the size of your fist in it ... He had taped over it and brush painted the whole front white ... He told me he was working at some resort and the car was parked for two years and the ocean spray had rusted the front of the car ....... So he taped up the hole and painted the front so the coppers wouldn't take a second look. He was covered an filth and mud the car was full of XXXX Gold cans .... He had camped down the river last night ... and now lost his Phone ...... Poor Bastard I thought ... what else can go wrong!
The Battery light was still on .. Tacho and Volt Meter were not working. Hobo Magna Man Steve was desperate to get to Darwin He said he had a job as a "Tour Guide Bus Driver" ? We all just sorta looked at each other ......................
It was Christmas Day nothing is open He cant drive the car This is shaping up to be a Hobo Camp over the Christmas break ... move over John its a big Bus. Just then John found his phone on the footpath wet and with a cracked screen. (it must of been on the roof yesterday when he left) ............ and he must of run over it.
I showed Hobo Magna Man Steve where his main ground wires were and he cleaned them ...
And before you could say XXXX Gold the Magna was charging .. the Tacho and Volt Meter were working the Battery Light was OFF ........ it was still down on voltage a bit but I suspect more dirty connections But Never the Less "Merry Christmas Hobo Magna Man Steve"
Once his Magna was up and going he didn't want anymore parts off the 89 packed up his gear....He said he had 3/4 of a tank and he was hitting the road ...... I told him the servo at Barcaldine was open..... He thanked us and he was Gone. The little 1990 Magna Wagon with Victorian number plates drove off into the Rainy Distance.
What a Character .. My Christmas Good Deed .............. I Need a BEER.
I would not of believed this unless I was involved
