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Family4x4
4th February 2014, 12:01 AM
Last Saturday the wife,kids and i went for a drive to pick up some parts for our new to us Patrol. The parts were in Melbourne and we live near Bendigo, so we left at mid day and the plan was to have dinner at my mums then head home.

We had just pulled up at mums the back of our Adventra loaded with parts when the wife received a phone call from her father. I was handed the phone only to hear from the father in law that his hilux was in a creek and he needed help. I managed to say don't run the engine and we would be on our way when his phone battery went flat.

So we left the great smelling roast and kids with thier grandmother and embarked on the trip from Doncaster to Brandy Creek (near Warragul).

Approximately one hour later we arrived at the property (the property happened to be the lady who's Patrol we inherited). The father in law was there doing some fencing and general clean up work to the steep undulating property with a lovely creek meandering through the bottom boundary.

Now some if not most may not like the old Hilux on this forum but my father in law loves his old 1982 2.4 diesel tray back ute, he has owned it for 30 years and meticulously maintained it. The cab was starting to really show signs of its age with rust taking over though.

Anyhow after loading his tandem trailer full with branches and the like to go onto the fire pile he jumped into his ute and drove to the first gate, which happens to be at the top of the hill. Through the gate, he pulls the newly fixed handbrake (not by me) that he had done with out for years jumps out and goes back to close the gate there are a few steers in the paddock.

From here on in it was reminiscent of a Hilux commercial just a little less beachy. As he gets to the gate the handbrake on his beloved mate fails and it starts down the hill on its lonesome (not completly true the tandem was with it) his efforts to chases after his faithful friend are futile. So the story goes he tells me he couldn't watch the rest so he turned away. Eventully looking back to see the ute way down the bottom of the hill after plowing through two fences.

He is shattered the ute is a write off, he has been paying full comp on it the whole time but will not get enough to buy a ute in the same mechanical condition. On the bright side insurance paid for the expensive recovery.

The second pic is from the top of the hill. As usual it dosen't do the incline justice but if you zoom in you can just see the back of the trailer in the tree line.

401734017140175

growler2058
4th February 2014, 12:09 AM
Bummer...........well sort of
At least no one was hurt


Sent from my iPhone using Motorculture mobile app

BigRAWesty
4th February 2014, 06:18 AM
Can imagine his pain. Nothing like loosing a trusty old car, and like that aswell..

But no one was hurt, that's the main thing..

Sooooo.
Gq Ute for him now?? :p

Winnie
4th February 2014, 07:03 AM
Far out as I was reading that post I was just thinking I know who it is. A customer of mine who lives out at Brandy Creek lost his Navara the exact same way over the Christmas break, it's being repaired though

threedogs
4th February 2014, 09:47 AM
any chance of buying the wreck back from insurance Co and just using it on the Farm no REG
Thought at first it was my mates old man he still has
first model diesel Lux still going with a gazillion clicks on it

Family4x4
4th February 2014, 10:26 AM
any chance of buying the wreck back from insurance Co and just using it on the Farm no REG
Thought at first it was my mates old man he still has
first model diesel Lux still going with a gazillion clicks on it

The father inlaw has offered it to me for our property, it is a possibility, but i said we would probably be better parting it out if we buy it back, the motor was replaced a while back from the 2.2 to the big 2.4(haha). He/we are still unsure as to what we will do.

He definitely wants to replace it but this time with something with AC and Power steering. I asked if he wants it to be replaced with another Puslux and he said he thinks so.

macca
4th February 2014, 03:24 PM
Had a new model Lux (2005) and the handbrake just didn't work, PML when I saw that add.

The bloke yells "handbrake" like he's forgotten to pull it on, BS it's "handbrake" cause the bastard doesn't work!

Sorry that the FIL has lost his old reliable, maybe he can get something a bit more modern with some fruit as you said. Just steer him away from Hiluxes.