My Wang Nats Trip

[Thommo]

Getting out of Adelaide to meet up at the start of the freeway for a 7:30 leave


Plenty of cars & trucks drive by, tooting their horns at the sight of our line up, whilst they commute to work thursday morning.


Fuel stop at I think Lamaroo


Not much to look at while driving on the Mallee Highway


We have lunch on day one at Ouyen, within 50 meters of leaving Ouyen Camrons oil pressure instantly drops to zero with warning


After some fiddling about we realised we were not going to be able to fix it on the side of the road.


Luckly for us all, Glen & Katey had decided to tow their car to the nats, so we did have a trailer with us.
Glen's car came off, Cam's went on, and we continued on to Swan Hill where we planned to fix it.


After having a good look under the car at Swan Hill, Cam made the call to ring Grahame from Monash in SA's riverland to come pick the car up.
Cam and Grahame drove it back to Mildura to Don Mamone's shop for a diagnosis.
They found three things, 1st, a piece of piston skirt had broken of one piston.
2nd, the oil pump pick up tube had, at some stage fallen out of the oil pump.
Finally, with those two conditions, is was just a matter of time before the piece would get suck up and jam the pump, breaking the pump drive.
Cam & Grahame then towed the car back to Monash to do the repairs, finishing at 1oc saturday morning.
With a quick two hours sleep, cam hopped back in the purple beast and drove right through to be at the nats saturday afternoon.
Great effort Cam, Grahame & Don.

Mean while Cams partner Karen hitched a ride with me and the rest of us continued on.
We also hooked up with Gary & Sue "EKV84us" who travelled with us.

More road pics, Nothing to see out here between Swan Hill & Echuca

[Thommo]

We made it to Echuca for lunch on day two.
First stop was the Holden Museum


I'll give you a quick tour.
Upon entry you can watch a short film of the holden history.


The cars

[Thommo]

Whilst in town, we also checked out the Grand ol Echuca Wharf precinct.
Pity its all fenced of only leaving a small viewing platform.









After leaving Echuca we travelled out to Strathmerton to hook up with Gary & his wife Chris "62purpleek" who traveled with us on to the Big Wang, passing through
Cobram, Yarrawonga and the Bundalong area where a tornado had passed though recently, amazing to see healthy trees stripped bare with there limbs twisted.
We arrived in Wang about 5pm.

[Thommo]

Had a great time at the Nationals, Well done to Bill, Paul and the team for putting on a awesome event.

Some of the cars from my camera.

My first glimpse of Stewart's "Old Timer"

[Cal]

Looked like a good road trip .Shame about the engine dramas with the Blown EK

You'd think with the amount of thought and effort that went into the Holden Hurricane they'd have done a bit better than that steering wheel

[Thommo]

After the show on sunday, Stewart and I had a roll reversal, I have been taking Stewart for a spin in my car car every year I have been.
This year it was Stewarts turn to take me for a cruise in "old Timer" and I was really impressed with the whole car.
It looks superb, It goes really well, its a real credit to him.
Seems I not the only one impressed either, It was voted in for a trophy in a tough class. Congrats mate

Also after the show on sunday, I was fortunate to be invited back to one of the spectators at the event, own shed.
One sunday morning I saw that EK gasser being towed on a trailer across the bridge by an EK ute.
Later in the day, I noticed the ute pull up at the show, I went over for a chat to see if he could possibly bring the gasser back with him.
Unfortunately he had to return the trailer so it was not possible, so I just let it go.

After I got back from Stewarts cruise I noticed the same couple all over my car with their camera.
I go back for a chat to find out he is in love with my car, So he invites me back to his shed.
I'll let the pics do the talking, needless to say I was in Holden Heaven.













One of his vans, thats original signwritting from a local wangaratta business










Loves his FB's & EK's, unfortunatly for us, doesn't love computers.

[Thommo]

The trip home was non stop 11 1/2 hrs 890k's
Left 7am and hit the Hume to Seymour. Only Glen & Katey and I went straight home. Richard & Lenny were with us until Bendigo, then turned off to visit friends.

The billiard table smooth Hume, was a joy after the rollercoaster roads on the way over.




Between Seymour & Bendigo started off ok



But it turned foggy



Real Foggy!



After we left Bendigo, I started to get a little concerned where we were going, I was just following with no maps or GPS.
Had gone out through Inglewood heading for Horsham, the roads were getting narrow.



And Narrower with no line markings



and even more narrow



We finally came to the end of this at the "Little Pub in the Scrub" at Logan and back onto the Wimmera highway.



After all this back blocks travelling, we were getting low on fuel, first we found was a vending machine in Murtoa, Thats a good indication to me we are in nowheresville.



Grabbed a quick pic in front of the Murtoa Hotel



I finally see an Adelaide sign just out of Horsham.



Now we are on the Western Highway on the straight for home, 430K's to go


Across the Murray River at Tailem Bend, 100k's to go



I can see the back of the Adelaide Hills, its sunset, glare has been a problem.



On the downhill run into Adelaide now, entering the Heysen Tunnels 10k's to go







The end of the freeway, first traffic lights, the sea can be seen in the background, just gotta get across Adelaide safely to home.



Made it

[EKfanPaul2]

great Road Trip Story & pics Thommo.

THnaks for sharing them

Paul K

[samprinci]

nice 1 Thommoooo.

WOW! that old mates Holden shed was a great find mate! thanks for sharing mate
Sam

[Mick]

top pics and story thommo nice to meet you also

[Devilrod]

Nice one Thommo. Nothing like the road less travelled.....

[Thommo]

You'd think with the amount of thought and effort that went into the Holden Hurricane they'd have done a bit better than that steering wheel

Yes, Its a bit Kingswood isn't it.

nice to meet you also

You to Mick, and Lisa

[basic.green]

thanks for the story's and pics mate

[bebop67]

Hey thommo, great pix, do you know if the bloke is selling any of the grey hot up parts?

[Thommo]

He's definitely a collector not a vendor, sorry bebop.