I agree. It'd probably take a real special key! I've never seen a Joyota key, but I bet it's wild!
Dan
Blue Mule resto in Malawi
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I agree. It'd probably take a real special key! I've never seen a Joyota key, but I bet it's wild!
Dan
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- #642
Another update. Seems it was not an engine starting problem. According to the local freight handling agent:
"The car will start, but the problem is that it will not move anywhere since the drive shaft was unattached with the bolts removed. We don’t want to reattach anything since we didn’t take it apart. "
This is news to me. It was not this way when I drove it into the container in Lilongwe. I need the local agent to talk to me directly rather than going through a third party. I will have to get to the port to inspect the Mule myself and see what the real problem is. I have contacted the shipping agent in Lilongwe to try to find out if the drive shaft(s) was disconnected by them, and if so, why and where they put the bolts so I can put this back together. Very strange!
And frustrating. 
More updates as this plays out. In the meantime, we still don't have a bed, since the local agent won't deliver the household effects without the Mule, since they were shipped together.
is not a happy camper (literally!) right now - both her truck and her bed are still not home. 
Onward through the fog.
"The car will start, but the problem is that it will not move anywhere since the drive shaft was unattached with the bolts removed. We don’t want to reattach anything since we didn’t take it apart. "
This is news to me. It was not this way when I drove it into the container in Lilongwe. I need the local agent to talk to me directly rather than going through a third party. I will have to get to the port to inspect the Mule myself and see what the real problem is. I have contacted the shipping agent in Lilongwe to try to find out if the drive shaft(s) was disconnected by them, and if so, why and where they put the bolts so I can put this back together. Very strange!
And frustrating. More updates as this plays out. In the meantime, we still don't have a bed, since the local agent won't deliver the household effects without the Mule, since they were shipped together.
is not a happy camper (literally!) right now - both her truck and her bed are still not home. Onward through the fog.
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this all sounds too weird. i hope it is still the mule they actually have .who would remove the drive shaft and how do they misplace a container in the first place ,i hope this all gets straightened out ASAP
Dan,
Firstly, are you sure the transfer case is not simply in neutral? This sounds more probable to me. Secondly, why are they unloading your can without you present? I would not want them pulling the seal off unless I was there. Good luck.
Cheers,
Josh
Firstly, are you sure the transfer case is not simply in neutral? This sounds more probable to me. Secondly, why are they unloading your can without you present? I would not want them pulling the seal off unless I was there. Good luck.
Cheers,
Josh
Dan it wasn't me 
...honest.
...honest.
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- #646
this all sounds too weird. i hope it is still the mule they actually have .who would remove the drive shaft and how do they misplace a container in the first place ,i hope this all gets straightened out ASAP
PBG, Josh,
Until I actually see the shipment, I have no way to know what has happened, other than what I am getting third- and fourth-hand.
As for unsealing the container, see my next note with the info I just got early this morning from the shipper in Malawi. Unfortunately, the people here in the US have not been up front with me in this whole process.
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- #647
From the shipper in Malawi:
"Thanks for your message and we are sorry to hear about the problem with your car.
The vehicle was properly loaded and lashed inside the Container in Lilongwe. Nothing was done to the driveshaft’s.
Your Container was transported to Johannesburg on our own truck and delivered into Johannesburg depot for further railage to Durban and shipment on board.
So all went well and without problem on our side.
However, when we received the Bill of Lading we discovered that there was a different seal number from what we delivered into Johannesburg depot.
We have immediately tried to find out the reason, but nobody could give us a proper reply.
Our Agent in Johannesburg was told by Maersk in Johannesburg that they cannot comment, because the Container was booked through Maersk in Malawi and we should contact them.
Maersk in Malawi have contacted the various partners in South Africa, but never came up with a proper reply either.
Andria Lyden ric – can you please contact Maersk office in the US and try to find out why and where the seal was changed?
We never got anywhere with our efforts but if Maersk Head Office in US puts pressure on the South African Organisation, they might get somewhere.
Please inform us all about the result."
Of course, this is the first I have heard of any problem with the shipment itself; it does not bode well. I will down tools today at work and spend my time with the transportation folks, as well as arrange to get to the port this week to try to see what has happened to our shipment. In between appointments with the tropical diseases doc, that is. Hurray!
"Thanks for your message and we are sorry to hear about the problem with your car.
The vehicle was properly loaded and lashed inside the Container in Lilongwe. Nothing was done to the driveshaft’s.
Your Container was transported to Johannesburg on our own truck and delivered into Johannesburg depot for further railage to Durban and shipment on board.
So all went well and without problem on our side.
However, when we received the Bill of Lading we discovered that there was a different seal number from what we delivered into Johannesburg depot.
We have immediately tried to find out the reason, but nobody could give us a proper reply.
Our Agent in Johannesburg was told by Maersk in Johannesburg that they cannot comment, because the Container was booked through Maersk in Malawi and we should contact them.
Maersk in Malawi have contacted the various partners in South Africa, but never came up with a proper reply either.
Andria Lyden ric – can you please contact Maersk office in the US and try to find out why and where the seal was changed?
We never got anywhere with our efforts but if Maersk Head Office in US puts pressure on the South African Organisation, they might get somewhere.
Please inform us all about the result."
Of course, this is the first I have heard of any problem with the shipment itself; it does not bode well. I will down tools today at work and spend my time with the transportation folks, as well as arrange to get to the port this week to try to see what has happened to our shipment. In between appointments with the tropical diseases doc, that is. Hurray!
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It is 4:30am in CA, and I just read your entire post. This is better than many books I have read. Great story. When and if you ever sell this, add this thread and rights to the movie. Great adventure. I hope to use your experience on my restore projects. Thanks for the great pictures.
If you come out to Napa, stop by and have a glass of wine on me.
george
If you come out to Napa, stop by and have a glass of wine on me.
george
Well, perseverance - and panic
Something about a "blue Toyota Jeep" that looks new, but they can't get it to start. They wanted me to authorize a mechanic to "work on it". I asked if they had primed the carb or pulled the choke when they tried to start it. The response told me everything I needed to know"Huh? what's that?..." In any event, I gave them starting instructions (they will try again on Monday); if they can't get it started then, I will make arrangements to go to the port and help them. I also suggested they just find an old-timer on the staff who knows what a "choke" is
Soooo... maybe next week. Here's hoping.
I had the same problem w/ a mechanic. I dropped my Pig off for some work. When I went to pick it up they said "you can barely get this thing to start." My reply was "did you pull the choke?" All I received was a dumb look...
Which port is the Blue Mule in?
Dan
maybe somebody tried to steal it in Jo'burg
maybe somebody tried to steal it in Jo'burg
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thats what i was thinking ,how many 40 series are there in Joburg, especaily nice shiny blue ones
i spent two months in S.A. and i only ever saw one old cruiser and it was a 45 series on the beach near Margate or Southbroom i think .i hope all is well with the Mule
i spent two months in S.A. and i only ever saw one old cruiser and it was a 45 series on the beach near Margate or Southbroom i think .i hope all is well with the Mule
Dan,
If the seal was changed, then surely there is a record of who did it (or at least where it was done). I would not think that Maersk would take a container which did not have a seal which matched the paperwork- even in South Africa; the Danes are very pedantic and they seem to run a tight ship (pun intended).
I am sure you have thought of this, but the first thing I would do is to ask for copies of the bill of lading from Malawi to D.C. If they followed their own rules, then there should be a time/place (if not a name) where the seal number changed. At the very least, there should be one point where it had the original seal, and one where it had the current one: this would be where you might investigate further (although having lived in Third World countries, I tend to think that you will come up empty). Seals should not be given out without a record of who took it. Even if the seal was stolen, there should be a record of when/where it was stolen.
The problem with all of this, combined with the fact that customs has already opened your can in D.C., is that there is no culpability. If anything goes missing now, there is no way to prove that it was there when customs opened it in the US. Good luck Dan, I hope there is nothing irreplacable missing.
Cheers,
Josh
If the seal was changed, then surely there is a record of who did it (or at least where it was done). I would not think that Maersk would take a container which did not have a seal which matched the paperwork- even in South Africa; the Danes are very pedantic and they seem to run a tight ship (pun intended).
I am sure you have thought of this, but the first thing I would do is to ask for copies of the bill of lading from Malawi to D.C. If they followed their own rules, then there should be a time/place (if not a name) where the seal number changed. At the very least, there should be one point where it had the original seal, and one where it had the current one: this would be where you might investigate further (although having lived in Third World countries, I tend to think that you will come up empty). Seals should not be given out without a record of who took it. Even if the seal was stolen, there should be a record of when/where it was stolen.
The problem with all of this, combined with the fact that customs has already opened your can in D.C., is that there is no culpability. If anything goes missing now, there is no way to prove that it was there when customs opened it in the US. Good luck Dan, I hope there is nothing irreplacable missing.
Cheers,
Josh
Hi Dan
I flew my cruiser from Sydney Australia to Auckland New Zealand rather than shipping it. (In the early 80s.)
Because otherwise it would have sat on a wharf at each end (not to mention being susceptible to theft/damage on board the ship).
Even when flying it (when it was out-of-my-hands for only about 4 hours) - I still got the gear knob stolen in transit. (And I had already removed things like the radio and CB because I knew I still faced risk!)
But at least Pan Am (Don't think they exist anymore) paid the cost of a new gear-knob.
I would have thought you should have been safe with it inside a container though!
Fingers crossed for you that the Blue Mule arrives in your hands with minimal theft/damage.
I have experience with shipping - And you'll probably be told you have to initiate court action back in the country where your contract was initiated if you seek recompense/redress.
LEP - which is supposedly a "reputable company" used this loophole when I shipped goods from Perth to London around 1980. At the London end they demanded still more money (I was not told of any extra fees at the London end) before I could collect the goods. And the only way I could tackle them was by taking court action back in Australia (where the shipping contract was initiated).
If I didn't pay-up I was told I couldn't have my goods. So I had no choice but to pay up. .... Bastaaaaaaaaaaarrrds
International freight is a risky venture.
I flew my cruiser from Sydney Australia to Auckland New Zealand rather than shipping it. (In the early 80s.)
Because otherwise it would have sat on a wharf at each end (not to mention being susceptible to theft/damage on board the ship).
Even when flying it (when it was out-of-my-hands for only about 4 hours) - I still got the gear knob stolen in transit.
(And I had already removed things like the radio and CB because I knew I still faced risk!)But at least Pan Am (Don't think they exist anymore) paid the cost of a new gear-knob.
I would have thought you should have been safe with it inside a container though!
Fingers crossed for you that the Blue Mule arrives in your hands with minimal theft/damage.
I have experience with shipping - And you'll probably be told you have to initiate court action back in the country where your contract was initiated if you seek recompense/redress.
LEP - which is supposedly a "reputable company" used this loophole when I shipped goods from Perth to London around 1980. At the London end they demanded still more money (I was not told of any extra fees at the London end) before I could collect the goods. And the only way I could tackle them was by taking court action back in Australia (where the shipping contract was initiated).
If I didn't pay-up I was told I couldn't have my goods. So I had no choice but to pay up. .... Bastaaaaaaaaaaarrrds
International freight is a risky venture.
As a young lad newly hired in the gov't back in the 70's I was transferred to Puerto Rico and had my nearly new '75 CJ5 shipped. It never occured to me to strip everthing out of it, and thankfully only lost just what was in the glove box. I also learned that you couldn't ship a vehicle outside the contiguous US if there is a lein on it. Oops. Had to get Dad to pay off the loan before it could leave the shipyard.
This may be self evident, but I'm thinking that whoever changed the seal did the tampering or knows who did...
You have a number of people here in MD more than willing to help you get straightened out at the docks.
Dan
This may be self evident, but I'm thinking that whoever changed the seal did the tampering or knows who did...
You have a number of people here in MD more than willing to help you get straightened out at the docks.
Dan
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- #657
Sigh! Still waiting... Household effects arrived today. Very glad to have that stuff back 
and it all arrived in good condition. But the truck delivery was delayed again. Maybe Monday
So far, we have been able to determine that the container was opened in Durban. This is where the seal number changed, anyway. Until I actually can inspect the Mule, I won't know what happened, if anything, with the truck, tho.
I'll update as soon as I know more.
Household effects arrived today. Very glad to have that stuff back and it all arrived in good condition. But the truck delivery was delayed again. Maybe Monday So far, we have been able to determine that the container was opened in Durban. This is where the seal number changed, anyway. Until I actually can inspect the Mule, I won't know what happened, if anything, with the truck, tho.
I'll update as soon as I know more.
Hi All:
Dan, keeping my fingers crossed for you buddy!
Regards,
Alan
Dan, keeping my fingers crossed for you buddy!
Regards,
Alan
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Home
When the knock on the door came today, it was definitely worth dragging my diseased carcass outside to help unload this beauty
It was spitting ice, so I didn't stay out long - just enough to check the general condition of the truck. It appears that it may have been driven a bit somewhere along the way (Durban, maybe?) - there are about 15 miles more on the clock than when it went in the box in Lilongwe. The rear drive shaft was off - just the long piece; the short piece is still connected to the e-brake drum. The missing piece was laying on the passenger side floor, along with the four bolts that had been removed. This is just bizarre. I have no idea why anyone would remove that drive shaft.
But at least it's here. As soon as the weather clears (can't put it in the garage right now) I'll be taking care of that little issue, after re-doing the paint work on that part. Then I'll take on the other remaining work to try to get her trail ready (or at least mud-ready) by Spring.
When the knock on the door came today, it was definitely worth dragging my diseased carcass outside to help unload this beauty
It was spitting ice, so I didn't stay out long - just enough to check the general condition of the truck. It appears that it may have been driven a bit somewhere along the way (Durban, maybe?) - there are about 15 miles more on the clock than when it went in the box in Lilongwe. The rear drive shaft was off - just the long piece; the short piece is still connected to the e-brake drum. The missing piece was laying on the passenger side floor, along with the four bolts that had been removed. This is just bizarre. I have no idea why anyone would remove that drive shaft.
But at least it's here. As soon as the weather clears (can't put it in the garage right now) I'll be taking care of that little issue, after re-doing the paint work on that part. Then I'll take on the other remaining work to try to get her trail ready (or at least mud-ready) by Spring.
That is weird indeed.
Looks like it's otherwise allright. Still looks fantastic to my eyes!
Dan
Looks like it's otherwise allright. Still looks fantastic to my eyes!
Dan