32-bits is the new 8-bits

For driving around urban areas, a modern hitech car that is under guarantee is fine.

For those of us who drive hours in older cars between urban areas, an easy fix car is much better. Horses for courses. We have the advantage of open sweeping roads to drive on :slight_smile:

What really bugs me though is that there seems so be a new car launch every week !

And this in a world in recession ! ( and dont get me going about money spent on celphones and tablets etc ! )

Disposable capital in many families is spent mainly on a few gadgets that do not benifit their country ( apart from some local service providers )

There seem to be a few manufacturers sharing engines, but I think there should a "standard" engine, gearbox, and transmission on a subframe available, and let various companies tart it up with body shapes and gadgets to woo buyers.

OK I have put the soap box away now.

Graynomad,

Land Cruiser FJ 40 ?

Mine is a lot smaller and has been waiting for me to install a two speed gear box for almost as many years -

It would look nicer with some more sensible tyres I know.

Duane B

rcarduino.blogspot.com

Graynomad
Thanks for sharing the image that compares europe to australia.
I live in the red spot next to France and it not spain. I think that proves my point :slight_smile:

Best regards
Jantje

Graynomad:
...I do have a new car these days but here's my last car, pretty much like yours I suspect

... Petrol consumption was diabolical (I carried 8 jerry cans in the back) but I bet you can't carry your firewood on the bull bar like that :slight_smile: Damn that was a good car, I wish I never sold it and am seriously thinking of looking for another one.

And there is the difference. My heat source consists of dinosaur-era farts, while you're using renewables already. I get about 27-29 MPG @ 75MPH, which is pretty good. On the downside, the ground clearance is but 4.5", so its way too easy to either go kerplunk on something in the street, or to hit a door on a badly-installed kerb. But, lots of space inside, three kids across in the rear row, etc. so it's the perfect station wagon for me at this stage in my life. The convertible is loads of fun too but I may sell it because I get to drive it so rarely these days.

In Australia, I'd be operating differently too. Much more important to have all sorts of safety gear along for the ride that is not needed here. After all, our service stations / tow folk are usually less than 5 miles away, in the bush it could be 100+ miles.

I live in the red spot next to France and it not spain. I think that proves my point :slight_smile:

I thought I'd see what our largest station (farm/ranch) is and found this so couldn't resist posting it :slight_smile:

Anna Creek Station is the world's largest pastoral lease in the world. Covering over 30,100 sq kms, 5.5 million acres, it runs up to 18,000 head of cattle, depending on rain conditions. Anna Creek is huge - bigger than Belgium, half the size of England, five times larger than its nearest United States competitor and is about 8,000 sq. kms larger than its nearest rival in the N.T. of Australia, Alexandria Station.

And there are just 18 people living there.

@Duane
I love the 40-series. Yes those tyres are a little extreme :slight_smile: I've always preferred the standard narrow tyres (razor blades as we call them), they are easier to thread between sharp rocks, cheaper, less strain on the drive train and steel rims can be fixed in the bush, mags can't. Also when you let the air out they are (according to some tests) no worse than fat tyres in the sand.

That's one mean-looking rig. Is it street legal?

What really bugs me though is that there seems so be a new car launch every week !

Me too, that's one thing I like about the "commercial" versions of Landrover and Toyota. The 40-series looked the same for about 24 years, that was followed by the 7x-series which looks almost the same after 28 years and still going. They have made some changes with the last model or two, most notably coil springs on the front (good) and a V8 diesel (not so good apparently) but the design is still almost the same.

Whereas most other cars change everything 3 times a year just so they are different to the last model. What a crock.

while you're using renewables already.

I've been living on solar for 12 years and we really aren't part of the "consumer" society although I'm not short of my toys I guess, so I reckon my account in the carbon bank is in the black, or at least not as far in the red as most westerners.

ground clearance is but 4.5"

Ooo, that's a problem. How the heck do you work on anything? Do they even make jacks that low :slight_smile: I love our motorhome, at some parts I can crawl under it on hands and knees without touching anything. OTOH when I have to use a spanner or something the blood runs from my arms after a few minutes because I'm holding them so high.

In Australia, I'd be operating differently too

Yeah you should have a vehicle that's appropriate for your environment and personal situation.

I'm heading off to eBay to look for a 40-series with a new motor.


Rob

How about emergency transport? Throw a bush pig in the trunk along with a full jerry can and a backpack. But 800 km on a bush pig, you'd deserve some kind of medal!

You might deserve a medal, but what you'd actually get is a trip to the hospital to put your guts back into your intestinal cavity, and that's if you're lucky :slight_smile:


Rob

That's one mean-looking rig. Is it street legal?

I wondered if I would get away with that. Its an RC Truck, whats more surprising is that the bodyshell starts out as a clear plastic jelly mold - with a bit of paint and a few stickers they can look pretty good.

Duane B

rcarduino.blogspot.com

He he, got me there :slight_smile: I know you're into RC and I did think the windows were a little strange and there's no door furniture, but people customise vehicles in all sorts of ways so you never know.

However as a photographer I should have cottoned onto the shallow depth of field. That's a give away. But then it's a common technique these days to manipulate the plane of focus with a TS lens to create that affect and make street scenes and other large objects look like models.

So it's not street legal then?


Rob

In Belgium we have MAX(Border distance) < 300km.

Heh. That reminds me of one of my favorite insightful and in offensive jokes:
"The difference between the US and Europe is that in Europe, 100 miles [sic] is a long distance, and in the US 100 years is a long time."

Mine isn't a very good example but there is a very big scene of guys that build 'scale' RC Trucks where the focus is on realistic performance and appearance.

The chassis's are based on frame rails with center transfer cases, leaf springs, solid axles, three speed gearboxes etc etc. Lots of guys scratch build their chassis from brass, its all very impressive.

Example complete with scale rust -

They are usually very heavy so look very realistic in action.

Duane B

westfw:

In Belgium we have MAX(Border distance) < 300km.

Heh. That reminds me of one of my favorite insightful and in offensive jokes:
"The difference between the US and Europe is that in Europe, 100 miles [sic] is a long distance, and in the US 100 years is a long time."

I can fully agree on that.
Best regards
jantje

I wondered if I would get away with that. Its an RC Truck, whats more surprising is that the bodyshell starts out as a clear plastic jelly mold -  with a bit of paint and a few stickers they can look pretty good.

I needed a second look, but the antenna with the yellow flag is a clue...

"The difference between the US and Europe is that in Europe, 100 miles is a long distance, and in the US 100 years is a long time."

excellent quote westfw , I cant find the originator , sounds a bit Churchillian :slight_smile:

Graynomad:
He he, got me there :slight_smile: I know you're into RC and I did think the windows were a little strange and there's no door furniture, but people customise vehicles in all sorts of ways so you never know.

However as a photographer I should have cottoned onto the shallow depth of field. That's a give away. But then it's a common technique these days to manipulate the plane of focus with a TS lens to create that affect and make street scenes and other large objects look like models.

Several cameras now offer art filters that do the manipulation in the camera (Olympus calls it Diorama). One of the TV shows I watch tends to use it on the video camera to show time passing (they speed up the video or make a video from time lapse shots), and I find it to be really annoying.

Great quote, applies equally of you replace US with AUS I think.

Duane, I'll see your 4x4 model and raise you a 6x6

1:1 scale :slight_smile:

What size is that, it looks pretty big.

the focus is on realistic performance and appearance.

That interests me, more so than the high-speed racing etc. Nice and slow so you can see the parts all working.

now offer art filters that do the manipulation in the camera

I'm not a fan of doing anything in camera, you can't change your mind later.


Rob

Duane, I'll see your 4x4 model and raise you a 6x6

I will raise you an 8x8 1:10 scale, not mine, but still -

Duane B

westfw:

In Belgium we have MAX(Border distance) < 300km.

Heh. That reminds me of one of my favorite insightful and in offensive jokes:
"The difference between the US and Europe is that in Europe, 100 miles [sic] is a long distance, and in the US 100 years is a long time."

And 4 years ago is pre-history.

I will raise you an 8x8

Bugger, I can't find any 10x10 photos.

The 8x8 is fantastic, I could get into something like that. Did you see the dumptruck go belly up in the background :slight_smile:

100 years is a long time.

50 years and it's heritage listed here. Hey, you work with what you got.


Rob

Graynomad:

now offer art filters that do the manipulation in the camera

I'm not a fan of doing anything in camera, you can't change your mind later.

Well for still shots, the higher end cameras have the ability to shoot in RAW+JPG, and the RAW file is the image before the art filter processing. My Olympus cameras even allow you to to go to a RAW file on the card, and select an art filter after the fact, and the camera will create a new image with the processing. Doing art filters in the camera has one big advantage over doing it in post, in that you can see the effect as you are composing the image, and not have to wait until you are at the computer. That being said, I tend to be old school and generally don't usually use art filters.