Thanks a million mate - yep, it's been a saga no doubt, but definitely getting there bit by tedious bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver
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Thanks a million mate - yep, it's been a saga no doubt, but definitely getting there bit by tedious bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver
Well, the light is definitely not a train coming the other way!!! Tank breathed to life today, and even got a small (interrupted though - I'll explain that in a second) run on the road up to the petrol station and back ... A few little adjustments to be made, and off to the dyno he goes!!!!! Relief is not strong enough a word to describe my feeling about it.
Sooooo ... apart from what got it started (I'll update that another time when I'm not ready to hit the hay), after 4 weeks to the day of sitting in exactly the same spot, we decide at about 6:30pm to take it for a small test drive ... up to the petrol station which is in the same industrial estate as AutoArt (approx. 6-700 metres max), and then back around the ring road in the industrial estate to give it a run at cruising speed (60klms per hour) to test both fuel mixtures and the new torque converter lockup switch - filled up and all is good, get around to the ring road and get up to speed and hit the switch, lockup switch works a treat just as I notice blue and red flashing lights behind me!!
Of course, flick the switch off and pull over. Young officer walks up to the car and asks if I knew how fast I was going ... yep, just over 60klms per hour as we are testing the truck out for some issues (industrial estate, 6:30pm, bugger all traffic, no residential, etc). "well" I'm told, "you were doing closer to 70 and it's a 50 zone" - contested the speed he said i was doing and asked to see the radar reading, and as fate would have it, he said he didn't have one and even admitted he didn't have time to lock in the speed (even though he was right behind me??). Then proceeds to go through the motions of asking me if I've been drinking (I hadn't, not a single drop unless you include coffee) and gets me to blow into the
machine. Do so happily.
Then he starts patting my steering wheel - says its not legal due to the lack of padding in the centre piece. Don't contest this really other than stating to him that I checked the DOT approved list, and all Autotechnica wheels with ADR badges are compliant ... he ums and ahhs for a moment and starts to look for an ADR stamp (which I tell him to look through the windshield at the back of the wheel as its there). At this point, he tells me "that's fine", but "it's not of similar design to the original wheel" - what?? This is a new one for me as I have the guidelines PDF on my laptop. So I asked him about it and I get a "you'll have to call the DOT and ask them". At this point, I am figuring he's just got it in for the truck, so I buckle and let him know, for the sake of a wheel, I'll swap it, but if you have to ping me for it, then do what you have to. He doesn't ... not only that, but he basically ignores me and starts to walk around the truck.
I notice in the side mirrors he's checking if the wheels are inside the arches. Walks back to my window and I begin to tell him I put the flares on specifically to cover the wheels ... again, ignored as he proceeds to ask me what is the maximum increase in tyre size for a modified vehicle - so I answer honestly that I know it's 15mm. So he starts - Blah, blah, blah, 33" too big, blah, blah, blah, if you had 35's you'd be going to court (no joke, "court"), blah, blah, blah but I'm not going to do anything as the new guidelines haven't been decided on so we aren't fining for that little trinket!!! So why tell me????!!!!!
Last but not least after detailing his impressive ability to recall vehicle modification measurements and guidelines, he asks once again "had any drinks tonight". What the????!!!!! So quite politely, but with some level of attitude, I respond, "mate, you put me on the breatho when you stopped me" .... "oh yeah" is his reply as he looks at the machine, and states "I didn't look at it" .... Apparently two machines he used on me that day that he didn't bother to use properly.
Yep, you got it, I felt harassed ... wasn't interested in anything I had to say, wasn't in a highly populate area, and I would suggest he was down there looking for hoons who hang around in there at night and having not found any, I was as good a target as anyone!!!
I understand the view that "monster trucks" are not suburbia friendly as it were, and I understand they need to ensure basic guidelines for road safety are followed, but this was simply too much. I was flatly ignored even when I felt I was answering a question, I felt like I was getting a lesson in 'who knows more about the law', and I felt it was personal - that's right, personal. That is, I'm a cop, I don't like 4WD's and whilst I really have nothing to ping you for, I'm going to take your time and make you feel as though you've done something wrong and guilt you into a Prius!! lol
That all said - I had reason to smile, coz my boy is back on its feet and ready for the final stages!!!
Lets hope he was just having a bad day, and isn't always like that.
Hope is all we have I'm afraid ... I won't say who, but a member on here who is a mate of mine AND a blue clad defender of the law told me a story recently of another officer making a beeline for a fourbie that pulled up at a set of lights and the officer proceeded to write a ticket (wait for it), for "obstruction of visibility" due to the standard UHF aerial mounted on the front passenger side of the Bullbar.Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver
I kid you not ... gone from the ridiculous to the completely sublime ...
And in saying all that - yes, they do a great job generally, for little pay and little reward - but they picked the job, and whilst I've no problem with upholding the law in all contexts, I have an issue with the perceived "personal opinion" on the application of said laws ...
I was picked up just before Christmas for no mud flaps remember, and he was fine with all else on the truck. Was also picked up at Christmas as my number plate wasn't on the front bar (displayed through the windshield as I hadn't put it back on from work done), and he also had no problem with the rest of the truck ...
I do have a healthy respect for the law, but that said I would rather rely on uninterpretable law, than the personal bias that seems to be placed on it dependant on 'what officer you get and on what day'.
No one seemed to have a problem last year in flood ravaged Brisbane when I used my truck to get Kennards hire equipment into the Milton area due to lift and larger tyres and snorkel letting me get through flooded areas easier .... then it was all blue arms waving, thanking me and telling me to drive up footpaths etc to get around debris etc ...
Anyway - I've hijacked my own thread ...
That wasn't as much fun as I thought it'd be!!!! lmfao
On a lighter note - I'll be sure to post up some video of it on the dyno - very exciting!! Never seen a dyno in action in real life before!!
On balance I've been lucky with coppers.
I was pulled over for a random breath test years ago. At that time I drove a '71 F100 ex ambulance. I was reaching into the back pocket for my wallet, still slowly rolling forward to the indicated spot, when the left front wheel found a step up in the grass at the side of the road. Before I corrected it, the Effie swung left as the step bit into the tyre and the tyre climbed the step.
The copper who was leading me to the appointed spot looked over his shoulder, gave a big grin, and pretended to run and jump out of the way.
The bloke with the machine was pretty stern.
As you know, we don't travel light, and I had visions of unloading the packed to the roof Effie on some pretext or other.
But, they sent me on my way fairly cheerfully.
For some reason I have had a couple of verbal exchanges with coppers in Warwick that did not lead to tickets, but did seem to start and finish with the boy in blue, in both instances a fat older bloke like me, a bit red and cranky.
Your bloke today sounds like a mongrel.
Your mate with the aerial could check the Dept of Transport website for the fact sheet that shows among such exciting things as overhangs, and sharp bits on bull bars, and tyre si2es, the correct place to mount a two way aerial. I did late last year, and I am confident that it shows just where your mate had his. I would then elect to defend the matter, and waste that coppers time, simultaneously keeping him out of the hair of other innocent motorists. If your mate can't spare the time, I'd at least send the fact sheet to the fine crowd, and invite them to review the issue. This could be a bit ticklish if protruding above the bullbar was one of those lengths of reasonably substantial PVC, then the antenna - that might be a bit tricky, unless of course he was about to head bush where it was required :-)
Couple of snaps of the new front bar - the centre hoop won't be as high, and a slight adjustment to the high mount housing on top of the winch to accomodate the rack of spotties, but you get the jist ... I like it!!
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mmmmmmquite like design mate alter the top as said and will suit tank %100
I can't wait to see the Tank in the flesh!
When you go for the dyno day take some ear plugs or muffs, you may just need em.