Cross your Fingers!

[addo]

I'm shortly to depart on the 605's longest run in my custodianship. 850-odd kilomètres in one day.

It's hot, humid as hell and the aircon doesn't work. I've packed spare durite, coolant, tools and even a spare alternator! Naturally, an ignition module too.

[Hell Razor5543]

It is just as well the aircon doesn't work. If it did, you would be tempted to use it, and put the engine under more strain. So leave the windows down, and let the airflow help keep you cool (well, relatively so!).

[Stickyfinger]

say hello to Betty Swollocks for me, not seen her since summer !

[addo]

She's apparently at risk of that hearing disorder, tinny ear.

25% down, no dramas yet. Noticing the power is well down.

[CitroJim]

You'll be fine Adam! Let us know when you safely arrive....

[addo]

Arrived safely.

Have helped prepare food, talked, played with the dog and generally been lazy.

[CitroJim]

Excellent and perfect

[K-Pug]

Absolutely fabulous!

[Hell Razor5543]

Great news! Now to start worrying about the return trip.

[CitroJim]

Return trips are never a problem....

[addo]

I'm not in any hurry to return. Just getting into the swing of it here.

[addo]

And back; sighed, greased my wrists and slipped on the golden handcuffs.

Return leg was driven overnight, it was very hot on the day of departure and my PAS regulation electrovalve jammed in the fully bypassed position - rendering negligible assistance to steering for the entire trip. Fun, fun, fun. I fitted my fabricated top radiator hose a few days prior and found that although it works, some fettling is in order - needs a good 5/8" taking out of it. Better than too short.

Drove into a dusk thunderstorm and modest rain, the temperature dropped as I kipped in a layby between midnight and four, then heavy fog came down. It was followed eventually by muggy heat, the temperature and humidity rising sharply as I travelled north. A feeble alternator output had made for 40MPH night driving - too many roos about for luck to be pushed on the back ways.

Today I gutted one of the dual mufflers so there was less restriction - it had completely jammed up again with loose fibreglass - and drove the car some more to see if the steering freed itself (which it promptly did ).

Overall the car desperately needs the front dampers rebuilding, I expect this will be a "world first" for 605 owners but my machining expert reckons they should be not too hard to rebuild. It bobs and skitters like a lowrider, already have the bling wheels - I just need the Zapp & Roger tunes to go with it...

Fuel consumption - taking into consideration the failing head gasket - wasn't too bad, around 9.8/100 or 28MPG. Remember; heavy car, a shedload of tools (approx. 150kg), one up plus luggage, super hot weather and hilly roads.

The highlights of this trip (other than arriving successfully) were afternoon/evening swims in the river to cool down. Just brilliant, and the late closing ice creamery rated darned high as a chaser to it all. If you stay still in the water too long (a minute or less), the yabbies start to bite. Kind of bears out the ideas that everything wild in Australia wants to eat or poison you.

[Northern_Mike]

Kind of bears out the ideas that everything wild in Australia wants to eat or poison you.

Yes. My ex from Melbourne was like that..

Glad you made it home safe Addo..

[addo]

Cheers. It was, to be honest, a bit harrowing in the dark with barely a candlepower of light. Some clown has misdiagnosed a failed rectifier diode as a faulty regulator and fitted an external 55A reg to a 120A internally regulated alternator. A facepalm goes to me, as well, for robbing one of the high beam H7 globes for my Alfa and forgetting to replenish when new stock arrived.

[CitroJim]

Good to hear all is good Adam, thoroughly enjoyed your adventure.. That was some odd weather you experienced...

Kind of bears out the ideas that everything wild in Australia wants to eat or poison you.

Indeed and up in the Territory that was very much the case and I know from personal experience with my encounter with a red-back...