Offroad-Express

Hi,

I'm Macca, from over the ditch in Melbourne, Aus.. Currently driving a 1990 GQ Patrol with a few bits and pieces extra.

Joined up looking for more information on PTO winches as no-one really seems to use them in Oz, and a lot of you mob seem to! I've been reading a lot over the last couple of weeks and ORE seems like a nice sorta place to be, so I think I might hang around for a while..

Thanks to Titanium for the info on how to register!

used mine today. the linkages a bit stiff but it pulled well so happy

Gidday MaccaOz, welcome aboard. Been home 10 years now, but spent 18 years in Auss. Did most of my 4x4ing in Vic at Wanangatta Valley up in the Vic high country, Licola, Woods Point, Mt Baw Baw, Omeo, Gaffneys Creek and so on. Some really good 4 wheel driving to be had in Vic's high country. Take it you know most of the places I am talking about.

And then on over most of mainland Auss, such as Cape York, Tanamai Desert, Simpson Desert, North East WA etc.

And yes, a good winch is a must for most of the above places.

See you found it alright.

Spent 15 months in Melbourne myself (got back in May this year). Did not have a 4WD over there, just a VE SSV V8 Commodore!

I like the Easy Coast of NZud now.

Cheers

I'm back!

Been busy busy, so haven't really had time to keep up.. Since my last post we've had the "silly season", been fighting bushfires, got married in March and for the honeymoon we went for a 4 week drive out into the middle of Oz (lotsa pics in >this< thread), and work's been ridiculously busy..

Still, in that time, my Patrol's gone from basically a road-going mum's taxi, to a fairly decent sort of truck.



Current specs:

1990 GQ (Y60) LWB ST (Mid level spec)
4.5" spring lift rear
5.5" spring lift front (want to drop it back down to 4.5")
Drop boxes
+16mm lower rear control arms (+ 1 bent upper control arm to clear fuel tank)
Custom "notch" in the gearbox crossmember to clear the front driveshaft
HD draglink
Adjustable panhards
33" Maxxis Bighorns on 16x8 alloys
Recaro front seats
Both rows of rear seats removed
Custom cargo barrier behind the front seats (made from a rollcage template)
False floor where the 2nd row of seats were
Cage in the rear to hold all the crap I cart around with me (chainsaw, tools, recovery gear, swag)
Dual batteries
2 x Cibie Oscar cornering lights (HID)
2 x Cibie Super Oscar driving lights (HID)
Thomas PTO winch
Customized front bar

To be done yet:
Rocksliders/steps
Snorkel
Lockers
Work out how to get more flex out of the front end



Cheers

Macca(Oz)

Mate that is an epic trip/read. Fair bit of effort posting all those pics up about it to. Can't believe how many birds that cat ate, for one meal!

Quick question about the rooftop tent (thinking of heading down this road), whats she like in the wind? I haven't had a chance to look at one in person yet but I'd imagine you'd get a fair bit of swaying going on having that much weight up that high? How would you rate it against a bed setup inside the truck and storing gear up top instead?

Cheers, Taz.

Taz wrote:Quick question about the rooftop tent (thinking of heading down this road), whats she like in the wind? I haven't had a chance to look at one in person yet but I'd imagine you'd get a fair bit of swaying going on having that much weight up that high? How would you rate it against a bed setup inside the truck and storing gear up top instead?

We actually found that the tent wasn't too bad. We were affected by crosswinds more when I put the jerry cans on the rack than by the tent. The tent was relatively light compared to the crates of stuff I had in the back, so I think the CoG was still relatively low. Having 4"+ of lift, I was a bit hesitant about having any weight up high, so the tent seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

It was a bit of a parachute when it was set up and there was a bit of wind though. Still, it was our honeymoon, so there was a bit of rocking going on anyway..

We wanted to be self sufficient in case something went pearshaped out the back of nowhere as we were going by ourselves. Normally we'd be in a convoy with at least one other truck so I wouldn't have carried as much and been able to set up a bed in the back.

MaccaOz wrote:Hi,

I'm Macca, from over the ditch in Melbourne, Aus.. Currently driving a 1990 GQ Patrol with a few bits and pieces extra.

Joined up looking for more information on PTO winches as no-one really seems to use them in Oz, and a lot of you mob seem to! I've been reading a lot over the last couple of weeks and ORE seems like a nice sorta place to be, so I think I might hang around for a while..

Thanks to Titanium for the info on how to register!

Hi there,

Most of my family are from Victoria, Mainly Melbourne/Geelong areas. Do you know any one at the Ragged Edge 4x4 rock crawling park place in Melbourne.?? My cousin Michael works there on the weekends aye.

Cya Hayden.