billybunters - from a bmw z4 to a mx5 se

[greenMachine]

Great stuff! Good on you for taking it on, and taking us along with you.

Thanks for the photos, they have whetted my (and I am sure others') appetite too!

[billybunter]

thanks all. good to hear you all enjoyed the photo run. to be honest since my return ive been totally stuffed and those last few long runs to get home took it out of me, couple of good days rest soon fixed that
anyway its over now so I am in no hurry to do a return run. I was a bit surprised to see only one mx5 on the whole trip at Katherine gorge and an se too. the only other convertible ports car sited was in alice springs was a young guy in a porsche boxster . looked a bit like the model I used to own a few years a go.
I did see a near new bmw m3 parked just outside the unrestricted speed sectioned with a guy doing what I think was last minute adjustments prior to the run....lol
looking back now I think this part on the unrestricted and seeing that flock of wild Gouldian finches land at that waterhole in pine creek was the highlight of the trip.
the worst part would have been from mt isa to the nsw border. several thousand dead roos in different states of decay and laying dead all across the road. in some places I could have done with auto cross skills.
hard to believe these bounces get knocked over by the road trains sometimes in bunches of 10 or more and they are spattered ever where. more importantly on that particular section of road stay well clear of the grey nomads pulling the vans at 80 kph. get past those fast or before you know it you will be riding over road kill.that happened to me very early in the first week of the trip and I never forgot the experience of the smell of cooked meat ...lol
if you wonder what was most annoying on the trip....the nomad on the trip up the guts. why? well you come you behind them sitting on 130 as they crawl along at 80 or 90kph and some of the bustardos at 70 kph and your on their ass pretty quick.
not only that even if they are sitting on 90 they are in a convoy of 2,3 or4 van and in most cases no gaps to allow you to get in so its all or nothing. plus I am not talking a few caravans and motorhomes - I am talking 100's and 100's of them in both direction.
road trains no trouble at all. they see you come up behind and actually slow down. these guys are great.
as for the car well apart from the sump plug incident I didn't really have any problems at all. one was heat soak so that could happen to all and one was slackness from the mechanic's work. if i'd stayed off the dirt roads the plug probably would have stayed in place.
no windscreen hits and I think painting the plastidip over the front end was a good move too. pretty sure that saved some paint.
took something like 2500 photos and nearly 400 short video clips so I didn't stuff about had enough driving now.
I had to take the bmw z3 down for a rego check yesterday or the wife did I picked it up. certainly looks the part I thought as I walked over and hot in. by the time i'd dríven it 400 metres I knew I took the right car to the top end compared to this bit of german crap
there is no way that car would have made the trip.
so it can just sit in the garage and fill in time and the next time you see some wanker in a bmw z3 remember that a person who doesn't know what a good car a mx5 really is

[taminga16]

Thank you for the wonderful images and your insights into the trip.
Good luck for Monday.
Greg.

[billybunter]

thanks. as for Monday and the hospital visit well that all started a couple weeks prior to the trip when for no reason at all I decided to buy and do one of those bowel test kits and the results came back with a blood sample.
so i will be under and on my back or side Monday morning for a full colonoscophy probe to check it out.

[KevGoat]

Oh fun ...

I had the same test and resulting procedure a couple years ago ... end result I was very glad I'd done the test!!

Best of luck mate ...



PS ... seriously, everyone should do this test. DON'T PUT IT OFF! It's simple and could save your life!

*end preaching ....*

[billybunter]

true - for no reason at all I decided to buy the bowel kit well one only reason-being over 60 years old I thought it might be a good idea. non smoker/drinker and 80kgs in weight anyway did the hospital trick today and they removed one colyp midway along the colon.
news got worse cancerous one too so its been sent away today to the lab for more detailed info and I am booked in next Monday to hear the final results.
just goes to show you either good or bad luck. good I bought the test kit or bad luck I found out!
anyway regardless if I was doing this trip in the next week or two i'd say the pressure would have been too much to carry it through so that way I am lucky I got in and got it over with no drama.

[KevGoat]

Hopefully it all turns out good and it's been removed in time.

I was 55 when I had my test and colonoscopy due to positive for blood. What was removed turned out to be precancerous. At the follow up, the specialist told me I'd done the test just in time. My wife had been nagging me for years ...

Best of luck mate ...

[billybunter]

back on deck and decided to remove the light coat of plasti dip from the front bar and guards. lot easier said than done. guards came up alright but the front bar -the dip pulled the paint right off to the plastic primer .
I will post photos shortly of the mess and my tip on removing light coats of dip after I found out the hard way. it may help others

[KevGoat]

Good to see you back!

[ManiacLachy]

Yep, glad to see you're still around. I'd been wondering what you were up to, thought maybe after your big trip you'd bought something new and moved on

[billybunter]

thanks. at the moment I am seriously thinking about another run about mid year to the top end and the open limit section.

[taminga16]

Hi BB,
I am pleased to hear that you are still on deck, I have missed your posts.
Best.
Greg.

[billybunter]

if any-one is after a good spray gun -super cheap has a very good gravity feed unit. I've been using it the past couple of days spraying a Honda euro body kit and re-paint the front bar on the mazda. best reasonable priced one ive used for years

[billybunter]

Following a lengthy talk on the phone today to Dann I think the white knight will be heading to Newcastle for some upgrades

[Lokiel]

Following a lengthy talk on the phone today to Dann I think the white knight will be heading to Newcastle for some upgrades

NitroDann make you "Big Happy Face".