I was only 17 with no money so Bank of Dad helped out. As you say it got a pretty good price. The jobs and pay were obscene in WA at that stage and it only took me 3 months on the oil exploration to pay him back. I drove it back to Melbourne, photo above, from Fitzroy Crossing by myself (my mate was accepted for the Army Officers School at Portsea and they only gave him 6 weeks notice so he flew out of Derby). The road through Wave Hill to Newcastle Waters was just a two wheel track across the plains. The last 1,000km was a trial with a slipping clutch so bad it would not hold on a slight rise in top gear. Think I got what I paid for it bad clutch and all.
Just remember. The day after I bought it with zero brakes I booked into a workshop to have them repaired intending to drive carefully across Melbourne on the hand brake. Got to the top of the hill, I think Canterbury, and pulled on the handbrake at the lights. "Bang" broken axle! Slowly rolling through the red light we picked up speed heading for the next set at the bottom of the hill, a very busy "T" junction. By this time it seemed we were doing the speed of light as I juggled through the continuous line of flowing traffic across our path. Straight across into the entrance to the Railway Station where about 30 metres of neatly trimmed hedge gently arrested our progress. Tow truck arrived and we continued our journey to the workshop. Despite the station-master walking in circles tearing at his hair I never did hear from Victorian Railways about their gardening difficulties.
Looks like the search may have borne fruit. Driving down from Brisbane to look at a member's vehicle in near west NSW next week and there is another, possibly two, in Sydney later in the week if the first does not pan out.
It seems worth joining a type specific group as well as the usual Gumtree/Marketplace searches.
Lang
