downunderdeuce: May 2018

well..what started as an idea copied from Texas friend Paul Fort, who runs the Texas Loop, a drive with an overnight stay..and I thought it would be a good thing to try locally...1600KMs around S.E.Qld..

The idea was just to drive with no set plan on what to do...and it worked a treat as you will see by my comments below..we had about 15 possible starters, we ended up with a few less, and on the run, some didn't complete the whole loop...but doesn't matter, we all had fun!

Brissy people started at BP Burpengary..Lance came along to see us off...

1st stop was at Nanango RSL, where we waited for some Brissy people, some Toowoomba-ites, and others......The Ketters had damaged a suspension part on the way, and limped in to Nanango, and besides a big effort from them, and local Terry, they had to quit and return home...

Our welcome sign at the motel in Gayndah..perfect hosts,

each day sort of ended up the same..park the cars..unpack...and catch up..

blurry, but you get it...relaxed afternoon before we walked to the local Pub for dinner..

Couldn't resist the next morning photo opportunity before we headed for Biloela..

13 cars ready for day 2..

off to Bilo!..all the locals loved seeing the differnt cars we had..

Monto to Biloela..just a hint of H2O on the screen for about an hour..that was all for the trip..every other day was perfect..T shirt n shorts for some of us..

Brad sort of picked the wrong motel..again..so came around to ours...which was conveniently across the road from the RSL and dinner...Three local rodders stopped by for a catch up...good times!

as usual..park..unpack..party-time!

Was great to see one of the avid supporters..Leon Birss..hot rodding icon..80 years young, and the Hemi powered T coupe just ate up those miles..

Dave Fairbrother kept up with us all...and did better on those wobbly roads than some of the coil-over cars...48 Merc flatmotor with Supra 5 speed...and very good economy...

The winner of Rodders Choice, Narrandera 73..Warren Wilkie came along in his tough sounding 3w coupe..

drinks and nibblies before dinner on the upstairs balcony..

Next day...group photo before we headed south for Miles..

You know I'm getting old when I can't go past a long drop without marking my territory...

On the previous leg, a Dissy quit on one of the cars..lucky I had a spare, and it was soon going..but Malcolm struck gremlins coming into Taroom.....was a tough one to diagnose...it got new filter and some plugs here..

so while we fiddle..may as well make it the lunch stop

Brad had to rescue Anita and ferry her up to where we were working on the Case 32...thanks buddy!

out of sequence, but the gremlins kept nibbling..this one at the lunch stop the next day where the Edelbrock carb got a checkover on the park bench..

More miles...most of the roads were good...and hardly any animals ..one car got hit by a bird..and only saw one Roo cross the road, that is always a worry in outback Aus...

Forget why we stopped here...think there was a big pothole that Ken couldn't avoid in the tub..no damage though..

two red 36 coupes came along..the Wilkies and the Axelsens..

good weather out there....but it changed on the last day..

out of sequence, but the fuel stop at Moonie, on the way from Miles to Goondiwindi...this was the roughest road..my Tudor can handle just about any road, but this was a 80km or less section for a long way...really bumpy-wavy surface..lots of cars hit the bump stops..

Goondiwindi at last!

and no doubt, those bumps were the topic of conversation, as well as the gremlin in the Case 32...think we solved that mystery..the deuce has a foam filled tank from the 80s...pump must have sucked the foam to cause a blockage at road speed, as soon as you stopped and idled, it would clear up and drive another 30 km before starving for fuel..

Brad kept us in laughter every day..top guy..

another small hiccup..Kens alternator quit at Gundy..fixed it by recharging his battery each day for the next days drive...not a big problem..

just some of the big rigs you had to avoid now and then..

Sunday saw us arrive early in Warwick, so boys walked the streets while girls hit the shops...

Warwick RSL put a separate table together for us..some had elected to go home already, but those who did stay for dinner...well..

the meal sizes were enormous...everyone was happy with the selections...but then..

Dave was gracious enough to buy us all some Pavlova desserts..thanks Dave..yummy food!

last day in Warwick..up early, and it was cold..check the ice in Daves patina cracks..brrr.

and their you go..back home after 1000 miles..didn't miss a beat..didn't even really get dirty..just had to clean front screen each day..all in all, a huge success, I think!