Here are my impressions from the test drive and some more (better quality photos)
I have committed to buy this rig pending safety certificate/roadworthy on Monday.
The seller took me around to a mate of his who has the exact same model running 30" tyres (mine has 29") and with the motor un restricted (the closing the gates thingo - whatever that is - I'm told they can be opened up by a diesel mechanic for about $120 - that remains to be confirmed!) And it had a lot more poke - even with the larger tyres. That one felt more like an older model car to drive through 1st and 2nd, especially on hill starts and approaching steep grades. This is a change that I think I am likely to want to do but will see how the economy is and how I adjust to driving it in the current configuration.
The front seat is too close to the peddles for me - but there is at least 4" of space that could be used by extending the rails that the front seat slides on without worrying about the rear wheel well... So extending that with a small weld and adding a new bolt at the rear position should be doable and this guy being an auto restorer told me he could probably do it in a couple of hours for under $100...
Other than that the cruiser is extremely nice to drive, bouncy and a bit rough due to the short wheel base and springs but I actually like that feel and will get used to it in no time. The diesel motor really hauls through in the higher gears unlike a petrol and the biggest issue seemed to be keeping the speed up and not engine braking when selecting a lower gear on a grade. So yeah, she's slow but once under way 4th and 5th are great driving gears and I think I will settle into it real well.
Everything works - lights, radio, air, aircon, wipers, high beam, driving lights, blinkers, dash indicators, the 4 high and 4 low also proved comfortable and easy to tuen into. The turning circle is great!
Here are some more photos for the record...
Looks like a winner to me. Very exciting
