Builds My '78 FJ40 "44" (2 Viewers)

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I also moved my HF Badlands 9000 winch from my hitch carrier cradle to my front bumper... I had to quit picking this winch up.

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Here's a side view

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I like the Badlands permanent mount better, pretty stealth looking. They are pretty good winches, I read some very good reviews on them.
I look forward to your snorkel install.:)
 
My snorkel install has become more about drawing cool air in a hot environment than fording water. I'm having trouble finding water to ford... The deepest I've had to ford, thus far, is San Juan Creek, in the Arc Dome Wilderness area. I had to ford it 13 times (26 times round trip) and I never got my hubs wet.

I have the snorkel and everything I need to install it, but it's now cool here. So, my snorkel install will take place, as I find the time, before it gets hot here next summer.

I'll likely install it before Christmas, but I don't want it to interfere with me driving 44 and enjoying the cool weather.

Stay tuned...
 
Technically... my rebuilt power steering pump failed while daBoise (Gunner an Chester) and I were our in 44, about 50 miles off pavement. I stopped by the rebuilder, on the way home, and he asked me to drop 44 off, on my way to a Dr appt on Tues. I told him I'd rather pull the pump and drop it off... pick the rebuilt pump back up on the way home Tuesday. Stuff happens... sure glad I had my spinner knob on the steering wheel.

Regardless, it didn't put a damper on our trip... we had a great time in the Meadow Mountains Wilderness and the Delamar Mountains Wilderness... seldom got out of 2nd gear off road... surprisingly the main road between US93 and NV317, Kane Springs Road (normally a very good dirt road) was as challenging as the off road tracks. The storm about a month ago destroyed much of Kane Springs Road. There were several spots that I wouldn't have attempted without 4WD... the two graders, working every day, will be working Kane Springs for a few more months.

The drainages, in the two wildernesses dont often see water, but when they do, its generally a lot... all roads and tracks were VERY rough and all washes were VERY washed out.

We drove 100 miles off road and had no problems, except for the power steering failure... 44 performed perfectly!!

We drove 44 at 75 mph, comping home and it held 75 at 3600 rpm, except on the steepest hills... it dropped to 70 on those... I am VERY pleased with 44's rebuilt heart!!

Also, we found the only real tree in both wildernesses:

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We saw some gorgeous vistas:

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Great pics Danny!

Vos deux garçons sont géniaux!

Sorry to hear about the PS unit, merde qui se passe!
 
I love really lonely places Danny and it's a shame that New Zealand is really too small to be able to drive into such vast landscapes as you have there (where you can be sure there's no-one for hundreds of miles in any direction).

Here's where I've been the last few days (cutting grass and clearing away timber etc to try to reduce the fire hazard over summer)..
Clearing.webp


(I snapped this picture yesterday afternoon. My BJ40 is there... But it is just round the corner and out of sight.)

Edit... And after climbing a bit higher and looking down from the other side of the same hill, this is what you see..
OtherSide.webp


By the way ... The little town of Picton is hidden between these two shots and was overcrowded with tourists off that cruise ship, the bow of which you can see sticking out of one of the fjords. (Edit: Actually I shouldn't use the word "fjord" because these big deep inlets aren't apparently produced by Glaciers. Hence the area is called "The Marborough Sounds" with the word "Sound" replacing "Fjord".)
 
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@lostmarbles

Same here Tom!! I do really lonely places really well.. as long as daBoise are navigating and riding shotgun... they are happy to go anywhere I want to go and do anything I want to do!!

Your pictures are gorgeous Tom!! But, like you, I prefer to get away from people and all the baggage they bring with them. Dianna loves to camp (in our travel trailer/caravan), but not nearly as frequently as daBoise and I like to go... and she would rather be home in an empty house, watching the dozens of Perry Mason episodes that she keeps recorded for just that purpose.

Was Peter able to make time to visit while he was doing business in your neck of the woods? He has a lot of wide open spaces too... but, you have gorgeous landscapes... and Gollum and Middle Earth... I know they are both real!!
 
I love really lonely places Danny and it's a shame that New Zealand is really too small to be able to drive into such vast landscapes as you have there (where you can be sure there's no-one for hundreds of miles in any direction).

Here's where I've been the last few days (cutting grass and clearing away timber etc to try to reduce the fire hazard over summer)..
View attachment 1164681

(I snapped this picture yesterday afternoon. My BJ40 is there... But it is just round the corner and out of sight.)

Edit... And after climbing a bit higher and looking down from the other side of the same hill, this is what you see..
View attachment 1164692

By the way ... The little town of Picton is hidden between these two shots and was overcrowded with tourists off that cruise ship, the bow of which you can see sticking out of one of the fjords.

Beautiful scenery Tom! I bet it's a wonderful place to live.
 
@lostmarbles

Same here Tom!! I do really lonely places really well.. as long as daBoise are navigating and riding shotgun... they are happy to go anywhere I want to go and do anything I want to do!!

Your pictures are gorgeous Tom!! But, like you, I prefer to get away from people and all the baggage they bring with them. Dianna loves to camp (in our travel trailer/caravan), but not nearly as frequently as daBoise and I like to go... and she would rather be home in an empty house, watching the dozens of Perry Mason episodes that she keeps recorded for just that purpose.

Was Peter able to make time to visit while he was doing business in your neck of the woods? He has a lot of wide open spaces too... but, you have gorgeous landscapes... and Gollum and Middle Earth... I know they are both real!!

Hi Danny

I should be seeing Peter in a couple of days time. (He just rang me this morning.) Small world eh?

I remember watching Perry Mason as a kid but I haven't yet had the urge to revisit the experience. You never know though ... It's certainly more of a possibility than attending Zumba fitness sessions like my :princess: does endlessly.

:beer:
 
Hi Danny

I should be seeing Peter in a couple of days time. (He just rang me this morning.) Small world eh?

I remember watching Perry Mason as a kid but I haven't yet had the urge to revisit the experience. You never know though ... It's certainly more of a possibility than attending Zumba fitness sessions like my :princess: does endlessly.

:beer:

Oh, Dianna does Zumba too... but not endlessly... and certainly not while watching Perry Mason... Zumba to a Perry Mason soundtrack is more my speed... actually, I was laughed out of the room... perhaps that experience led to me fleeing to the loneliness of wide open spaces...

Say "G'day" to Peter from his "Old Mate" and tell him my Aussie slang is a "Dog's Breakfast"!! I'm so confused, I no longer watch American Football... I'm afraid I'm going to tell someone "I rooted for (my team)" and people would think my behavior aberrant... it would take "longer than a wet weekend" to live that down!!
 
Oh, Dianna does Zumba too... but not endlessly... and certainly not while watching Perry Mason... Zumba to a Perry Mason soundtrack is more my speed... actually, I was laughed out of the room... perhaps that experience led to me fleeing to the loneliness of wide open spaces...

Say "G'day" to Peter from his "Old Mate" and tell him my Aussie slang is a "Dog's Breakfast"!! I'm so confused, I no longer watch American Football... I'm afraid I'm going to tell someone "I rooted for (my team)" and people would think my behavior aberrant... it would take "longer than a wet weekend" to live that down!!

Will do.

I think you should bowl around here and join us though. (It's just a hop, skip and a jump.) We could then all attempt to converse using the other person's slang because I can see you've already put in a lot of study on the subject. (I can assure you I'd similarly take the time to get up to speed with American slang using that same ultra-reliable world-wide-web of information that you've been using.)

We especially need you because without you Peter and I would probably just end up arguing about who's slang it is that we're using. (Our countries are so much inter-twined that we have ownership disputes over the likes of pavlova, phar lap and Russell Crowe.)

Thinking about this, there's quite a bit going on right now for @Bambi Girl and I to argue about. (Our news right now is full of coverage about Australia sending kiwis back home for failing their "good citizen criteria", and has been for days now, second only to rugby news.)

I've already told Peter how my :princess: has been mocking me over the time I spend on the computer with my "Internet Buddies" so he's probably already wary about setting foot inside our door.....

:beer:
 
Will do.

I think you should bowl around here and join us though. (It's just a hop, skip and a jump.) We could then all attempt to converse using the other person's slang because I can see you've already put in a lot of study on the subject. (I can assure you I'd similarly take the time to get up to speed with American slang using that same ultra-reliable world-wide-web of information that you've been using.)

We especially need you because without you Peter and I would probably just end up arguing about who's slang it is that we're using. (Our countries are so much inter-twined that we have ownership disputes over the likes of pavlova, phar lap and Russell Crowe.)

Thinking about this, there's quite a bit going on right now for @Bambi Girl and I to argue about. (Our news right now is full of coverage about Australia sending kiwis back home for failing their "good citizen criteria", and has been for days now, second only to rugby news.)

I've already told Peter how my :princess: has been mocking me over the time I spend on the computer with my "Internet Buddies" so he's probably already wary about setting foot inside our door.....

:beer:

Yo! Yo! I could like translate like Kiwi like slang to like Aussie like slang and like American like slang to like Kiwi and like Aussie like slang... Word!!
 
Yo! Yo! I could like translate like Kiwi like slang to like Aussie like slang and like American like slang to like Kiwi and like Aussie like slang... Word!!

Yeah Bro. You got it!
 
Great Pictures!

Thanks Dave!

I got that camera last Christmas, I think... I still prefer my iPhone. I added a filter, for sun, as suggested by Don (@handcannon). But, I will never be a photographer... I simply don't want to know how it works... It's hard enough remembering how to turn it on, point and shoot.

My main problem, right now, is my trips always seem to go backwards... I'm always finding the best photo ops are while facing the sun...
 
Hi All
Gee a lot happens on mud when you are out of touch for a few days.
Danny great photos but no Kangaroo or gumtrees.
God stone the crows I wonder were they are?
I have to go back and have another Captain s Cook just in case I missed them.

Power steering pump.
Tricky little devils as your rebuilt pump lasted about as long as mine. My mechanical skills must be on par with your mechanic, now that makes me feel good on this Saturday morning.

Sitting in a small airport in Tauranga New Zealand waiting to catch a plane to Wellington.
Tomorrow I will meet up with the great man himself. Mr Lost Marbles.
We had planned a 4 WD adventure but as usual customers have got in the way with a winery requiring my help.

This is one beautiful country and I look forward to experience the scenery Tom so proudly photo graphs .

Take care of your self old mate.
Cheers Peter



...via IH8MUD app
 
Hi All
Gee a lot happens on mud when you are out of touch for a few days.
Danny great photos but no Kangaroo or gumtrees.
God stone the crows I wonder were they are?
I have to go back and have another Captain s Cook just in case I missed them.

Power steering pump.
Tricky little devils as your rebuilt pump lasted about as long as mine. My mechanical skills must be on par with your mechanic, now that makes me feel good on this Saturday morning.

Sitting in a small airport in Tauranga New Zealand waiting to catch a plane to Wellington.
Tomorrow I will meet up with the great man himself. Mr Lost Marbles.
We had planned a 4 WD adventure but as usual customers have got in the way with a winery requiring my help.

This is one beautiful country and I look forward to experience the scenery Tom so proudly photo graphs .

Take care of your self old mate.
Cheers Peter



...via IH8MUD app


Hey Pietro!!

No need for a Captain Cook... No crows out there. I saw a couple of red-tailed hawks, a golden eagle and a huge jack rabbit (looked like a Bloody roo!). One day, I'll see a Big Horn Sheep... Don't wanna see a mountain lion... Or feel him nuzzling the back of my neck... I carry a .44 magnum out there, in an attempt at protecting daBoise from a purty kitty...

Given the short time my rebuilt pump lasted, I'm not sure you should so proudly compare your skills to those of my pump rebuilder...

Sorry your 4wd adventure went the way of the baby snatching dingo... Tell Tom I said he should show you his new Zumba routine.

I'd like to see his country and yours one day... We'll see...

Have a great visit and a profitable trip... Don't drink your profits in wine...

Cheers!!
 
Hey guys! I'm really enjoying the pictures ya"ll are sharing there (in my best southern drawl). I like the miles of hills, trees, lack of trees, and lack of humanity (and all it's accoutriments) you're showing there. And, it sure looks like da'boise are showing their approval also. Keep dem pics a'comin.

Tom, that first pic sure reminds me of southern Oregon/Grants Pass area. Grants Pass is in a very similar bowl, except it is a bit bigger. Many of the houses are tucked in among the hills and trees so that you don't see as many as are really there. I just looked up the current population and got a real surprise, almost 35,000 at the last census in 2010. When I lived there back in the early 70's I think it was in the neighborhood of 13,000. Your second pic looks a lot like pics I've seen of Puget Sound up in northwest Washington state (only been as far as Seattle). Lots of water and islands.

Danny, best of luck with the PS repairs.

Don
 

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