Middy Cruiser

[Ed]

Vehicle
1986 BJ73 Mid Wheel Base Landcruiser.

Engine
3.4L 4 cylinder Non turbo diesel


Gearbox
5 Speed Manual

Suspension
Leaf springs, 2inch lift, has bags in it to stiffen it up if towing

Brakes
not sure, assume drums all round

Exhaust
standard

Wheels
Cheese cutters

Stereo
Old phillips head unit, and the speakers are actually pretty decent sound.

Modifications
Bull bar
Winch (12000 pound ironman)
UHF 40 Channel (about 3 other types of radios that will go too)
Crappy Hella spotties on the bar and 2 up top
Carry all on top with ply on it for a flat surface
Safari Snorkel
A PA SYSTEM! Has a proper microphone so you can be driving along and abuse people.
Drawers and shelfs in back
Fridge and slide.
Air Compressor x2, one for the bags and one for pumping tyres, has fittings in rear and front bars for the hose.
65L main tank, 135L sub tank - **** will get expensive (but actually is pretty good on fuel when cruising at about 90kph)


Future Plans
-Some decent muddies/AT's that aren't bloody narrow.
-Got to rip the shelf out so we can move the seats back a bit.
-Hate the look of the massive bullbar, will try get an ARB bar on ebay cheap.
-Possibly Lockers, will see how she goes in the bush.
-Work light out the back


Images Will be out bush in 2 weeks so Action shots will be comming.

 

[Sabbath']

Nice pickup, fiiiinally get to see pics of it

 

[Ed]

yep, drives pretty well for non turbo... just bloody keen to get it off the road!

 

[Jonesy484]

Best bit is that its RED!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDD!!!

 

[Sabbath']

Where you going to take it on its maiden bash?

 

[Ed]

Where you going to take it on its maiden bash?

It will be in the high country, Originally we were starting off at licola, through to wonangatta and dargo over 4 days, but due to the fires I think the bloke organising the trip has revised it so i'm unsure the exact route but it will still be in the high country somewhere.


Yesterday we gave it a clean, tidied up wires in the engine bay and ran a wire to the back for a work light. Just need to get/make a bracket which bolts behind the spare wheel to hold the light.


Also looking at an Ironman Fridge due to the people we bought it off wanting to keep the fridge in it (it was their deceased dads) although they are kind enough to let us use it for our 4by trip in 2 weeks!

 

[Ed]

Over past few days we did the seals in the front diff done and the transfer case. All ready to get going with some 4wding next weekend, Pics will come!

 

[Ed]

put a kaymar bracket onto the spare wheel which holds a fully extendable and rotatable light on top.

High country on thursday morning!

 

[Ed]

Alright, so went to the high country on thursday-sunday. Group was 9 vehicles and about 20 people, we had the middy, 80 series, ford maverick, toyota hilux x 2, 4 runner, old sahara landcruiser (leading), Gu Patrol massive lift and the navara.

Day 1 We started at moe and made our way to Briagalong where we started our 4x4ing, we had quite a few steep ascents but no downhill work. day one ended at horseyard flat (not a bad camp ground but not the best); Issues on day 1, 4 runner overheating (was fine rest of weekend) and the maverick not being able to use petrol underload/uphill gas worked fine though.

Day 2 we left horseyard and headed for the pinnacles which is 1500m up, It started to snow while we were up there in the middle of summer! Awesome views up there just freezing cold. From the pinnacles we descended down Billy goats bluff track which is well renowned, was awesome fun and we all did it without hassle. Following Billy Goats we headed down Hernes Spur which was truely way more gnarly than Billy Goats, It was steep and pretty rough in some sections, but in low first we all just cruised over it all. We ended up camping out at Wonangatta station which is a lovely spot but I didn't get any pictures.


Day 3 started off with us having a look at the hardest track in the high country which is behind Wonangatta station. It's name is the Widow Maker and the story goes a bloke tried the hill and got a fair way up (but it gets unbelievably steep) when he got his wife to get out of the car while he tried turning around or going further (can't remember) anyway he ended up rolling down the hill and over his wife killing her. So the decision here was just to look and definitely not attempt it, The day started off pretty good nothing too hard, then we came across a hill witch had the bulldozer over it recently and one of the pinches was just this loose dust, I ended up bogged and had to winch myself out (the hill was atleast 35degrees too) the skinny muddies really did just dig in over this crap. Only one other car got stuck there and it was later found the two cars that got stuck don't have rear lockers or a slippery diff which really helps. After this it was a cruisy day a really good downhill section which was rough and narrow and then we camped at Talbotville. This was the best camp spot due to the warm weather and a swimming hole which had about 12 of us in it sinking cans for over an hour!

day 4 we packed up and cruised into dargo for a counter meal!

Pics; Will add later and others when people send them through.

Parked up at the pinacles, middy, dads hilux and the old sahara leading the trip. and the patrol in the next.

Views from up at the pinacles

Fire lookout ontop of pinacles; this is where is snowed a bit.

Dargo from fire lookout.

Going down billy goats, realised while taking this photo I really needed 2 hands on the wheel haha

A little pinch going down billy goats (we were stopping just over this, patrol is on it in the next one)

Blokes comming down a part of billy goats.

mates lux

Few after me comming up to the helipad on Billy goats. (was a steep climb with the last 15 meters almost like steep steps, some people got wheels in the air.

and parked on the helipad.

A river.

A random hut that is pretty bloody nice.

River crossing after hut.

Part of hernes spur, not even the steepest part.

River at the end of hernes (wonangatta river i think it was)

And yeah I kinda only took pics of day 1 and day 2, so i'll wait to get some off others!

 

[Ed]

little update, skinny muddies are off... have some coopers A/Ts on it now, in winter will use the crappy muddies (really need decent muddies too though) no pic's because they are just tires and nothing special haha