Victorian Four Wheel Drive Show 2001

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The Victorian 4WD Show at Wandin was blessed with good weather again. Big new-car catches for the show, were the presence of BMW X5 and Mazda Tribute four wheel drives.

Roger Smith of Beadlock Australia was promoting the Beadlock device which grips the bead of the tyre to the rim, thus enabling very low pressures to be used, at low speed in severe offroad situations, without the tyre coming off the rim.

The secret is an inflatable belt, with its own valve (left), which grips the bead, but does not extend above the rim walls.

Polans (tel: 9794 0626) were back again, after [2000], this time with a Landcruiser 6x4 sporting an extra (lazy) axle and their 3-door troop carrier conversion (on the near side).

Left: Haflinger 4x4 running around the site doing odd jobs.

Right: Coopair air bag suspension on the rear of Toyota Hilux. The front live axle and leaf springs are retained. The air springs are brilliant at handling variable loads (as truckies know), and allow good axle articulation.

Discovery, Range Rover, Series One, Defender 110

Left: The Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria (LROCV) prepares the Wandin site over the weeks and days leading up to the Victorian 4WD Show. On the Saturday night, dinner is served to volunteers and to exhibitors who set up on the Saturday before the show.

6am Sunday "What a Beautiful World".... right: On Sunday morning it is traditional for those who came up to work on the Saturday and camped overnight, to have breakfast at the Scout Inn.

That Hafi' again.

Before the public arrive: Coopair - tweaked Toyota Hilux.

Left: This set a few Land Rover Owners' hearts beating quickly - Defender 90s and these ones were for sale. Pictured a white cab ute, and a hard-top, Tdi's, a few years old, a few 10s of K-km shown, and the asking rate was around au$30K+/- from `British 4WD Imports' of Bayswater Vic' [email].

Pinzgauers, breeding like rabbits.

Look at all those trade-ins in the car-park.

Keeping the family happy.

Marks 4WD Adapters (look them up in [4wdlinks]) make alternative transfer case gears for Toyota Landcruiser transfer cases. These are 0.92:1/ 2.81:1, and they have 1.08:1/ 3.05:1 "coming soon". Interestingly, they tried to do a similar job for Nissan Patrols but found that there was not enough room.

Ritters Automotive were up to their usual tricks suspending Range Rovers (left) high in the air. This is an unusual view of a Range Rover 4.0.

Right: Part of the good turn-out. The day was sunny, if a little warm, and the public came in great numbers.

Misc' prices: High Lift Jacks seemed to be going for about au$120, cheaper Brand-X alternatives for $99, Black Rat hand winches for $430.

Next, the Landrover Owners Discovery stuffing (click), one of the special events.

- L.A11ison

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