A Strange OZ Troopy Story

[FlyNdrive]

A strange Troopy story

Here is my new (old) FJ45 Troopy. She was a vacation love affair that I ran into on two seperate trips to Australia. Last year I ran across her in Birdsville, Qld on the edge of the Simpson Desert. Last July I ran across a similar vehicle at the Musgrave Road House on Cape York Qld. I talked to the owner to see if it was for sale and he told me he was thinking about it and told a story of how he bought it for two trips...the Simpson and The Tip, so I left a business card. I looked at the pics from both vacations upon my return and noticed similarities between both vehicles. I checked the plates and it was in fact the same Queenslander. **

Last month my boss ran across it in Brizzy and left one of his cards. My boss e-mailed me last night to tell me he broke down seller down and got her. She will be 'up above' in time for Overland Expo.*

Here she is in Birdsville June, 2009


Here she is at the Musgrave Road House on Cape York, Qld June 2010.


Here she is a few months later when Brad tracked it down and



Here she is in the US.





Now I am arranging the logistics of getting her 'up above in time for the spring wheeling season. I have plans for Kokpelli trail, Moab, Ouray Co. and several other undetermined southwest trails.

See you out there.*

Cheers, **

 

[2manycruisers]

cool, great story and looks like a great rig. I like the taped up doors in the dust. What year is it?

Keep an eye out for another troopy in the Baltimore area. I sold a nice '84 HJ47 to a guy there last year.

 

[Chamba]

Congratulations!! It looks like a real beauty. It is on gas as well, so you will be able to fill it on propane back hom in the Up Above.

Please list it on the registry when it arrives, the link is in my signature. There is another HJ47 sitting in front of my house here in the land of Big Brother which will be going Up Above next week. Let's keep these beauties going north!!

Richard with Blue Freight s shipping the one in front of my house using roro, and the prices are very reasonable right now - which helps make up for the fact that the Aussie $ is at 97 cents.

Now all you need for yours is a 5 speed, some 3:73s, OMEs, comfy seats, tinted windows.... welcome to the madness

Josh

 

[a.greenspan]

.... nice Troopy ... congrats
Cheers
Peter

Josh, the AUS $ is near all time high, bad for imports in the US if you pay in US $ good for US exports....
http://www.godmode-trader.de/Devisen/Australischer-Dollar-Dollar

 

[FlyNdrive]

Thanks Guy's.

Josh, any info on shipping? With the Aussie running hot I want to make arrangements ASAP. I was going to go with a contact at Assassan Off-road, but if you want to share a container that can help both of us.

If not any other help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

 

[Chamba]

Thanks Guy's.

Josh, any info on shipping? With the Aussie running hot I want to make arrangements ASAP. I was going to go with a contact at Assassan Off-road, but if you want to share a container that can help both of us.

If not any other help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

We're not doing a container, just roro (roll on, roll off). You can deliver to Baltimore from memory. You can ship out of Syndney, Melbourne and (I think) Brisbane. Richard will take care of most things for you.

You will need to provide him with:

• Copy of the Bill of Sale;
• Copy of the transfer of ownership document ; and
• Certified copy of the seller's driver's licence.

Then get the seller to send you the originals so you can get it out of Kustoms and register it. Make sure the rig is clean before it is shipped...

Richard's details are as follows - tell him Josh the American in Australia gave you his contact details:
Richard Dexter
Director
http://www.bluefreight.com/
Check out our new website and subscribe to our newsletter.
www.bluefreight.com
Bluefreight Pty Ltd
Level 2, 46 Easey Street, Collingwood
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA 3066
Postal address: PO Box 2952, Fitzroy, 3065
Tel: +613 9419 9344 Fax: +613 9419 9544
Direct Phone: +613 9229 4459 Direct Fax: +613 9011 6119
Mobile: 0422 624 230 (International +61422624230)
email: richard@bluefreight.com
Skype: ricdexter
MSN IM: ricdexter@msn.com.au
Yahoo IM: ricdexter2004@yahoo.com.au
ABN: 31 099 376 413
Terms and Conditions available on our website

336 Offices, 75 Countries Worldwide and Growing!
COVERAGE WITH COMMITMENT


Josh

 

[FlyNdrive]

Thanks Josh, I will forward the info to my boss in Brizzy.

-Ben

 

[2manycruisers]

On the recommendation of another Mud member (jsaltlick), I contacted Lloyd International and found shipping roro through them cheaper than blue freight and I felt the service was a little better, too (I shipped twice with both companies).
The contact in AU is Jon Trussler lloydintl@optusnet.com.au
In the states, it is Andrew Gillis agillis@lloydintl.com

Blue freight told me I could not include stuff inside the rig, anything at all. I'm not sure what the regs are on that, but when I shipped one through Lloyd, they told me they could manifest items inside and the seller filled the rear with two big rooftop boxes that otherwise would have put the troopy over 18 cbm and into a much more expensive shipping class.

BTW, when they ask, yours is under 18cbm even with the roof rack. Won't matter if you use container, but does if you roro.

 

[Chamba]

David knows better than me, so I would follow his advise. Blue Freight will not allow ANYTHING in the rig at all; that's reason enough right there to go with Lloyd.

Josh

 

[FlyNdrive]

Thanks, Mates.

It looks like i'm going roro, and will be able to put some OZ purchases in the rear. I'm wanting a Black Widow sliding drawer, Kaymar tyre carrier from a LC 100, and a Milford barrier all to fit on my FJ C.

-Ben

 

[a.greenspan]

....the AUS $ is near all time high, bad for imports in the US if you pay in US $ good for US exports....
Australischer Dollar / Dollar Währung | Kurse | Nachrichten | Analysen | GodmodeTrader.de

If somebody is interested:

AUS $ made a new all time high 0,9859 against the US $
increase of the AUS $ since :
1 week 1,59 %
1 month 6,48%
1 year 8,74%
in 2010 10,26%
in 2009 20,45%

Cheers
Peter

 

[FlyNdrive]

Troopy Update:

The FJ45 has been sitting waiting for a ship in Brizzy, but after the flooding and Cyclone regular ship service from there has been scarce. I had a good Mate drive it from Brizzy to Sydney where it was put in a container yesterday and will leave in Tuesday morning.

It arrives in Long Brach on 25 March, and hopefully Clears customs in enough time to make it to Overland Expo on the 1st of April (no foolin')

 

[FlyNdrive]

Good news, the Troopy cleared customs and is only waiting for a DHS X-Ray inspection after it lands in Long Beach on Friday.

 

[2fpower]

Watch out for those loose hash pipes....

 

[FlyNdrive]

Watch out for those loose hash pipes....

funny story. I will make sure the Troopy comes out clean and hash pipe free.

 

[FlyNdrive]

The Troopy just landed in Long Beach about an hour ago on board the JPO Scorpious. Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions. Even though it cleared customs in route there is a DHS inspection hold on it for an X-ray. Hopefully it will be released in time to drive it to Overland Expo.

If so come on over to the MAXTRAX booth and see her.

 

[FlyNdrive]

For the past 3 days I have driven her cross country. She is in better condition than I ever expected. Before setting off I had Al @ Man-A-Fre send me a new cap, rotor, points, condenser, and air filter. Before setting off I had it checked over at Sierra Expeditions. They tightened up the alternator belt and that should of taken care of some overheating issues. I started off on US 40 with a top speed of about 55 and a little detonation in some of the long uphill climbs. I stopped at an AutoZone and picked up some Lucas fuel treatments & Heet fuel tank conditioner and the engine slowly started to run a little better. I drove throughout the night & made it into Oklahoma City just before Cruiser Corps closed. I picked up a new 4 core radiator, door seals, touch up paint, stainless steel hood & windscreen latches, rear view mirrors, replacement stickers, and other small stuff. I stopped by a local Firestone & got an oil change because I have no idea when the las tome was done.

I headed off & was able to to improve the gas mileage and every once and a while would test the top speed that was steadily improving. I called Hugh at Safari Ltd. And he told me to switch to a name brad supreme unleaded. I am amazed at the result of switching fuels. The idle is smooth, I no longer have to use the choke to keep from stalling out, and there is no vibrations in the engine.

I have it dialed in well and will try to improve it more this weekend. I will change the radiator, change all fluids from diff, transfer case, transmission, & coolant. I will add new parts from Cruiser Coprs & try to get some time in with a local mechanic to tune up the carburetor, check timing, check distributor, & electrical.

The Troopy is getting a little better every day.

Cheers,

-Ben

 

[Chamba]

Any photos from your trip yet? Wait untill you put a 5 speed in her- that will really bring her up to date.

When I put the GM HEI distributor in my LX, the power difference was really evident.

Cheers,

Josh

 

[FlyNdrive]

Yeah, I took a few.

Note some items are not upright...I know this. The damn photo bucket app can't orientate them correctly and I will upright them when I get to a real computer.

Here is one of the Sinclair Dinosaurs in Holbrook, AZ.

Here is the FJ @ the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ

The Conoco Tower in Shamrock, TX

Here is a good pic at Graceland. I arrived early in the morning and left to get some Steak N Shake for breakfast and came back just after sunset. I took pics off to the side and noticed the security gard never came out of the guard shack, so I backed it right up to the front gates. The guard came out to look at what was going on because the alarm for the gate started beeping like it was opening and it triggered the stoplight to stop traffic on Elvis Presley Blvd. I hopped out and the guard walked to the gate to talk to me. I kept moving left and right to get him behind the vehicle and out of the picture. The first vehicle at the stop light was a local police who just shook his head at me. I jumped into the FJ & drove off still having the green light.

-Ben

 

[fhawk5]

If somebody is interested:

AUS $ made a new all time high 0,9859 against the US $
increase of the AUS $ since :
1 week 1,59 %
1 month 6,48%
1 year 8,74%
in 2010 10,26%
in 2009 20,45%

Cheers
Peter

We need to keep that going so we can print more money to pay off that debt.