1998 4WD Field Day
Members of the Land Rover Owners Club (Vic)
are hard pressed to identify this particular model
that was at the Field Day.
|
Sunday 22 February 1998:
A nice sunny day, a light breeze and the car and four wheel drive
parking area at the 4WD Field Day, Wandin, Victoria
has never been so full.
This Field Day was something of a departure for
the organising Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria
in that they had shifted the date from November to February.
In addition, 1998 is the
50th Anniversary
of the release of the original
Series One
Land Rover at the Amsterdam Motor Show (Easter 1948).
It was therefore very fitting that the latest Landy, the
Freelander,
was on the Land Rover dealer's stand.
The Field Day is a general 4WD show so you could also see
Nissan's new
Patrol GU,
GM's Suburban 4x4,
Hummers and any number of Wranglers (one
Teraflex-ed),
Range Rovers, Discoveries, Terrano's, Hilux's etc.
Once you had bought a vehicle you could add MacNamara, Maxidrive or ARB diff'
locks,
fit raised suspension systems, new wheels and tyres, bull bars, winches
and roof racks, and
hitch up an offroad camper trailer to set off around Australia.
Marks 4WD Adaptors can even modify the 4x4 with different
engine and transmission combinations.
Most vendors have good Field Day special deals,
some becoming extra good towards the end of the day.
ARB had an interesting new bull-bar
mounting system for air-bag equipped
four wheel drives. Basically this incorporates crush-cans into the
bull-bar's own attachment brackets. Apparently it takes 4 tons each
to crush these particular cans so they are not going to change shape
in any minor car-park touch, or even under inertial recovery
(snatching).
The RTA is said to be satisfied that a bull-bar with
these mounts will not adversely affect the performance of the airbags.
The large club area allowed four wheel drive clubs
and associations to display their vehicles and describe their activities.
For example, the
Australian National 4WD Radio Network
had a stand explaining its ever increasing coverage of outback Australia.
Members of LROC, and some commercial exhibitors, put on shows
of 4WD skills and of new 4WD equipment -
fitting wheel-chains, changing tyres, demonstrating the various
kinds of winch.
Many 4WD enthusiasts had brought "special" 4WD's along.
Roger Smith and Mike Smith's Range Rovers
which placed 2nd and 4th respectively in the 1997
International Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia (was Transpen)
turned up. Apparently a video of the Challenge will soon be available
for sale and may be shown on Australian
[TV]
shortly.
Camper conversions are always interesting for the different ways
of maximising internal room, head-room and storage.
The
Army
had its
Unimogs and
Perenties,
the CFA various Fire trucks -
which also kept the dust down by watering the access road.
As always the test-circuit was popular;
volunteers from the LROC drive members of the public around
this challenging track with its steep climbs and water crossing.
Inevitably there are impromptu demonstrations of vehicle recovery.
- 4wd.sofcom.com/4WD.html - 22/2/1998
4WD Field Day
|
- The latest in 4WD equipment and accessories for all makes and models
- New model 4WD vehicles
- Secondhand 4WD market
- The latest in camping gear
- Over 100 commercial exhibitors with Field Day specials
- Bush band
|
- Demonstration of equipment and recovery throughout the day
- Ride in 4WD vehicles on the test track
- 4WD
Clubs
and the VAFWDC represented
- Interclub Skills Competition
- Family Entertainment and food stalls
|
ENTRANCE FEE: $8 per adult, children under 16 free
Free entry to a competition on the day upon presentation of the
official brochure
Sunday 22nd February 1998
10am-4pm
Wandin Park
Victoria Road, Wandin North
MELWAYS 119, G7
|
|
For more information contact Neil Jones: xx-xxxx-xxxx(AH)
Land Rover Owners' Club of Victoria Inc.
P.O. Box 962, Mt. Waverley 3149
|
Land Rover 50th Gathering
1998 is
the 50th anniversary
of the release of the
Land Rover,
at the Amsterdam Motor Show of 1948.
The 50th Land Rover gathering will be held at Cooma NSW
(Friday 10 April - Monday 13 April 1998)
because of the town's geographical location and strong
historical links with Land Rover through the construction of the famous
Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Contact:
Martin Randall, tel:(xx)-xxxx-xxxx(BH), fax:(xx)xxxx-xxxx, or
Land Rover Owners Club (Vic), PO Box 962, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149
See the
4WD Field Day cross-reference
page
|
|
