[Oldneweng]

Hi All I am Dean


I have got a lot of useful information from the forum over the years and decided to join, mainly because I have a problem I need to solve I have to admit. More about that in the relevant sub forum.



I have had mostly fords in my 44 years driving.


XT Fairmont Wagon which I fitted with a 250 2V and Top Loader 4 speed.
XB GS Black Coupe which I fitted with a 250 2V and Top Loader 4 speed.
XB Sedan
XC Wagon
Escort Sedan

XF Wagon found to be rust covered with bog and structurally unsound so I took it to a wrecker. He kept driving it. Passenger door visibly moved up and down as you were driving due to A pillar flex. The bog wasn't strong enough lol.

XF Wagon. Much better condition. Dual Fuel

XF Wagon. Second car for work
ED Futura Wagon. Dual Fuel

AU Series 3 Futura Wagon is my current car. Dual Fuel


Since the second XF I have lived on a hobby farm of 43 acres in an area of many roos. I have had to dodge them on my drive. All the cars from that one have had bullbars except the AU. With the ED I stopped counting roo impacts at 50. Roughly 80 all up. I was working in a winery travelling at all hours of the night at times. When a small roo took off the top horizontal bar of the bullbar due to weld fatigue and slammed it into the bonnet I started to drive a bit slower. The AU doesn't have a Bullbar as they are way too expensive for airbag vehicles. I drive a lot more carefully. Sometimes you don't have a choice tho when there is thick undergrowth 2m from the road. A roo can hit your car in milliseconds. I once hit 2 about a second apart and had to go home for a gun to euthanise them. I also hit 3 one morning at totally different locations driving a fire truck on the way home after an overnight firegound patrol. When a roo is hit by a fire truck at 100kph it does not survive.



My cars are not show cars, just a means of transport in case you haven't realised that. I live 55km from the town we use for all our shopping etc, 7km inside Victoria from the SA border. That town is in SA. I travel on a lot of dirt roads in very poor condition.