R.I.P.

[BDASH]

Originally Posted by MARXY

...What track was it?...

We spent a few hours repairing the hole the next day, so no need to steer clear. It is a track that was being recce'd for the Jambo, so if you go on one of the DOM DOM LOOP (C grade) or BLACK SPUR RUN (D grade) trips you'll use it and see it...unless someone has killed it again, but we made a good (solid) way to the edge that was still fun but safe. I had done it a number of times over the past couple of months and it was a "look bad but drive fine" type bog...how quickly they can become drive bads too

Back to my biggest lesson learnt, no matter how many times you've done a track/obstacle, no matter how easy it's supposed to be, and no matter who tells you it should be fine...do a proper check! I gues smy other biggest lesson is check your seals and double them up if you're going near water above door sill height. I should have been fine but the water was freezing and shrunk the seals...therefore no longer becoming seals.

[BDASH]

Originally Posted by crossflow

I'll burn the pics and video to CD and give it to you at the Jambo

Brilliant! Thanks.

[BDASH]

Originally Posted by thegurio

...it cant all be bad - at least your breathing!

Yes, although when the RACV assessor told me on the phone I'm sure I stopped breathing for a few seconds

Originally Posted by thegurio

...where auctioned off...buy back figure...radio and the fan were knackered, anything else?

No idea where being auctioned, but probably Fowles in Melbourne.

Buy back wasn't an option for me, if I want it I have to attend the public auction...and they are expecting $15K. I thought long and hard about this option, but the real issue is the unknowns. The radio and fan had gone already, what was next...what would be in 6 months, 12 months, 18 months...and after I finally got all the electrics sorted, how's the motor? It didn't stop through the whole thing and didn't show a problem the next couple of days (and no cream on the dipstick) but I did have muddy water at the top of the engine, is it a sleeper problem that could go in 6 months too (???)

Although it was a 1999, it had lived a good(ish) life as it had done over 230,000km's. It does have a near new OME kit and it did have a change over motor 12 months ago when an unnamed dealer did an oil change half way; the first half is taking the oil out, the second half is...anyway the motor blew and the changeover motor had done about 40K (now about 65K). This was info from the previous owner because I only got it in April this year.

If somoene on here does buy it and go for it, I wish them all the luck in the world. I went and spoke to the Auto elec who did the check with the RACV assessor the day after he checked it...as I was asking the question about what he thought, he was shaking his head and couldn't get it out quick enough "let it go, get rid of it". But of course there's always the possibility that someone is about to get a big bargain...but I don't think it will be me.

[thegurio]

Thats right - i remember that story now - and what a bargain it was, maybe it was Karma as you had a bargain and now the next guy might get one as well. Perhaps it might be an option to look around again.

Slightly off topic but interested none the less, how was it with over 200k's on it? were there any squeaks or rattles in it? I can gather you took it off road a fair bit and kowign off road melbourne no doubt it would have contained body crunching rocks and stuff... and how many k's did it ahve when you picked it up and did it deteriate at all in that time?

[BDASH]

Originally Posted by thegurio

Slightly off topic but interested none the less, how was it with over 200k's on it?

It was fine. I got it in April this year and I put on about 12,000 km's since then. But it was actually over 220,000km's when I grabbed it...but the motor had done less than 60,000. The long motor change over was because of a service issue mid-last year. Because it was a long motor change over and I'd had the suspension done (OME kit, the old/original suspension was shagged) everything was very good. So there weren't any squeaks or rattles to speak of (I went 4WD 2 or 3 weekends a month, which totalled about 15% of the driving time of the vehicle). The setup with the suspension, the muddy's (Maxxis Buckshot 245/75/16), the V8, and the Quadradrive, it simply went places that others didn't. The only time I had an issue 4WDing was when I diff'd out on tracks where others with bigger tyres and chewed things up...including my nemesis hole (that I have now done 3 times since ). Hope that helps.

[BDASH]

BTW, anybody who's interested, I think I've decided to replace it directly with another WJ...if I find the right one.

[goodol55]

Originally Posted by BDASH

BTW, anybody who's interested, I think I've decided to replace it directly with another WJ...if I find the right one.

Smart man.

Have you considered the crd?
I spoke to many grand drivers at the Texas w/end - all crd drivers were absolutely rapt in the diesel. All the v8 drivers i spoke to (ok, only spoke 4 or 5) were impressed by the crd's to the point that they said they would go that way next time.
On the trails- steep climbs, steep decents - no performance difference.
On the highway - when full throttle overtaking from 90~95 - no performance difference.
Fuel consumption - crd -10.5~11, v8 16 to 23