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Flywest
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From: South Yunder Western Au
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| Check out the latest parts and accessories from Truck Hownd |
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offroad250
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DAFBFD58
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 Posted
- November 22 2008 : 7:32a
| | That is one hell of a monster bumper, Tank would drool I think. I think the link Jason posted should work for you | |
Flywest
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From: South Yunder Western Au
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Posted
- November 23 2008 : 3:24a
| Thank you gentlemen!
Thats just what I was after!
Amazing stuff - had no idea one could be obtained off the shelf - and much cheaper than a custom built one here too.
Thanks again - I'd never have found that! I spent hours and hours looking in google images for no result.
I'm indebted to you and will try and post a pic of the finnished article.
Our "Roo/Bull Bars" (kangaroo/bull deflectors) take a little getting used too looks wise - but most everyone who travels the country roads here has one here - so they sorta become commonplace and don't attract another second look.
I guess over there they would be mistaken for goffy snow plough! 
I can tell you they would work a treat for deflecting the smaller deer like white tails and muleys at speeds up to about 50 MPH or so - but something larger like a moose would likely still cause a LOT of expensive panel damage!
Would it be legal to have one on a road licensed vehicle stateside?
http://www.irvinbullbars.com.au/
Can't see any reason why you can't have them sent stateside from here, our Aussie pacific peso $ is only about 62 cents against your US $ at the moment so just take the price and multiply by .62 or thereabouts for the $US equivalent. (Being aluminum - would the freight be that expensive)?
I know mine is air bag compliant if thats any help.
"Roo bars" might become the next US must have after market truck accessory! 
Truthfully - we don't have a lot of roadside service in remote areas, so the original idea of roo bars was to decrease the impact damage from a roo strike to an extent where the radiator is protected and after the crash - your vehicle remains driveable to get to the nearest help for any minor repairs - which sometimes can be several days drive!
I hope youll all go see the new Baz Luhrman (sp?) movie with Nicole Lidman and Hugh Jackman - called "Australia" - its filmed in the remote north west of my home state of Western Australia - a cattle ranching region called the "Kimberlies".
You will never get a better look at this country's rugged and wild scenery than this movie, hopefully it might motivate a few of you to come pay us a visit.
Not sure about the content (probably a chick flick) but the scenery alone should be spactacular!
Cheers & thanks again. | |
Mort
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Posted
- November 23 2008 : 11:15a
| Dude, I had the idea of just beefy truck and stuff when I went to that site, it was kind of a shock to see one on a Holden. Cars generally don't have that accessory here, whether they're in a deer infested area or not.
Have you seen the one that Tank's 250 made himself? Pretty awesome job, and along those same lines.
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Edited by - Mort on November 23 2008 11:16a |
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offroad250
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Posted
- November 23 2008 : 9:40p
| Youre welcome Shann. Good luck! More pics!
Jason
Oh btw, your profile says your 14yrs old lol |
Edited by - offroad250 on November 23 2008 9:44p |
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Flywest
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From: South Yunder Western Au
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Posted
- November 23 2008 : 10:53p
| Thanks Mort & Offroad 250.
Tanks work is fantastic - I've not seen anything like that here!
Our standard 2wd vehilces tend to have the roo bars - because there is little or no help in remote rural or regional areas...and it's important to protect the radiator in a roo strike to be able to limp a fair distance to get help.
In your highly populous country - you would likely just call for roadside assistance or a tow from the auto club membership etc - whereas here - likely you'd be outside cell phone range, and no tow truck or autoclub roadside assistance for maybe 200 miles or more.
A lot of travelling sales reps - would fit extra spot lights and frontal protection bars for that reason - they can't afford the time inconvenience of being stranded.
There are a bunch of urban dwellers who are against fitting such bars to any vehicle 2wd or 4wd - if they are driven in citys and urban residential suburbs because of the potential damage to pedestrians in a collision.
So far there hasn't been any great push to change the legislation to outlaw such bars - but the pressure is always on from these urban dwellers groups!
Lots of people live in suburbia but regularly travel to rural regions....ours is a country very under populated by USA standards...
We have only 20 million pop compared to 280 million and growing in the USA, spread over about the same land mass area (ignoring Alaska and Hawaii obviously). Again in Oz, 18 million of our 20 million popn live on the eastern seaboard, with just 2 milion spread thinly over the rest of the continent.
It's because of the vast empty distances that so many rural vehicles all wear frontal protection devices of one form or another.
Basically - if (when) you strike a roo in a remote area, it could be a day to a week before anyone else happens along to give you assistance, your outside cell phone range - so any modification that allows you to still be able to drive the vehicle to the nearest help makes so much sense that few rural vehicles don't have a bar of some sort.
Thanks for the heads up about my profile Jason, I've fixed it (I'm 49 not 14) - I tend to have "Phat fingers" syndrome and often hit the wrong keys! 
Not sure what sort of pics you guys want to see - I have a bunch of them - mostly fishing related - as a charter fishing captain.
Mine & My Sons 4WDs
Eldest Son & I with our first sailfish!
This is one of my tow rig and boat!
Rear of my truck
Our home last year
Closeup of last years home
Our neighbours
My youngest (Heather) (Who likes to fish).
And go boating
And fish
And Fish
And snorkel
And weightlift! 
Probably enough pics for one post!
Cheers | |
ford_trck
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 10:09a
| | Nice truck, house, family, and surroundings. | |
Tom in Tacoma
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 10:31a
| Wow! Those Aussie girls are strong as hell!
Flywest - the saying on your tailgate about lugnut torque - I once had a gentleman in a souped-up Honda want to race my truck. I asked if he was aware that his engine didn't produce enough torque to tighten my lugnuts. I'm afraid he got a little upset with me. I know he didn't like how my 4x4 crewcab pulled away from him easily. | |
Texas Termin8er
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 11:20a
| Damn that looks like some good eating that your Daughter caught.
I know the last one is a Grouper. The first two look like a Snapper and another type of Grouper possibly. Hell they may all three be Groupers from looking at the mouth's.
Either way give me a charcoal grill and a stick of butter and I'm good.
TA | |
Buzz
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 12:28p
| Great pictures and family! I've always wanted to visit "downunder" someday...very beautiful!  | |
F-150 Ram Air
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 12:38p
| Not sure if your talking about my truck. But, yes. It definitely is a Cervini's hood. Don't see why Cervini's wouldn't be able to take care of ya. The only thing I would see, would be the shipping/freight. I don't even want to know. But, then again. Ya might be surprised. Cervini's is like 30 minutes down the road from me. Need any help. Just ask!
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Flywest
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From: South Yunder Western Au
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Posted
- November 24 2008 : 10:17p
| F 150 Ram Air
Yes - man that's your truck I was remembering!
Waaay cool - I was kicking myself for not saving a copy of the pic last time I saw it in a thread!
It so inspired me!
I'm going off to email the company right now - freight charges be dammned - I just want one! (Wishin I could afford to re-spray my truck a similar color too!!)
Thanks ever so much for chiming in with the info guys - I never thought I'd find those photo's again!
Were you surprised to find out there was a Ford production model downunder in the mid 70's that had the same hood / scoop arrangement
as the early 70's mustang?
They were an icon model downunder - you can't buy a restored 2 door ford falcon coupe with the scoops, for under $35K + hereabouts.
My Bro In Law used to have one as a kid when he first got a license - and he is in mid life crisis age looking for another to re-live his youth - he has scale models of them in his bar / pool room etc.
We can't find one that he can afford - even a empty shell at the breakers is like 10 grand!
They are a bit of a collectors item here.
Like my BIL, I also had a '75 V8 small block 302 Ford wth the same scoops as a lad back in the early 80's, hence my desire to mod the eff truck - and add the scoops this ol girl.
Maybe they don't mean much to you young guys - but us old pharrts - well - we like to re-live our youth a little as we get greyer and balder by the year!
It's only scoops - but it'll mean a lot to me at least!
F 150 Ram Air - if i lived in the states - honest you'd have to lock that bad boy up or I'd be round your place drooling all over it.
Thanks again for chiming in!
You guys are the greatest!
Hope you will come visit some day - had a guy from Florida took up my offer to visit early this year - he had a whale of a time.
Cheers & thanks again. | |
Mort
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Posted
- November 25 2008 : 10:20a
| I noticed you have a Raider canopy. Those are built a few hours north of me, in Canada. If shipping costs weren't prohibitive for that, I doubt a hood would break the bank.
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Edited by - Mort on November 25 2008 10:25a |
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Greez Lightning
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Posted
- November 26 2008 : 10:38a
| OMG I HAVE to go to Australia. I love everything I see there. The land, the creatures in the ocean etc etc.
I am a scuba diver and underwater photographer. I have been diving in Hawaian Islands, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Red Sea from one end to the other, Thailand, St. Thomas Is. Virgin Is. Grenada, California, but never Australia. Here are just a few of 1000's of photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/filmproducer/sets/878399/
I have been in the water with whalesharks and humpback whales, Mana rays bigger than a dive boat, 15 to 20 foot sharks .........you name it.
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Edited by - Greez Lightning on November 26 2008 10:43a |
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Tom in Tacoma
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Posted
- November 26 2008 : 10:49a
| | ...and his skin's all wrinkly to prove it! | |
offroad250
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Posted
- November 27 2008 : 6:53a
|  !!!! lol | |
Flywest
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Posted
- November 27 2008 : 8:16a
| GL.
I understand the desire to dive downunder - I started SCUBA diving at the age of 15, about 33 years ago when Jaques Cousteau and Gagnon were still alive.
Things have come a ways since then.
Theres 4 places to dive in Oz - The Great Barrier Reef in Qld - where every man and his dog dives - it's a massive marine park - most tourists end up there!
Unfortunately the Queenslad dive indutry earned a bad reputation some years back when they returned from a dive at the outer reef some 50 miles or so offshore - and managed to leave a couple (husband & wife) US diving team behind, after the dive - thru NOT doing a proper head count at5 the end of the dive.
It was only back at the wharf on the mainland that the realisation extra gear was aboard that no one claimed - triggered a search and rescue operation that failed - they were never found.
There was no excuse for what happened!
The reef itself is grand as a dive site and still attracts the bulk of the international tourists.
There is a large (but smaller than the GBR) reef complex in a marine park in Western Australia's northwest called Ningaloo reef (Exmouth) - that i would suggest is the equal of, if not better than, the GBR if only because, it sees far fewer tourist pressure. It's a place you can swim with the whale sharks and mantas etc.
While we were living on the island up that way recently, we had one of your fellow countrymen from Florida hos a keen sword fisherman come visit with us to fish for a fortnight - and he had a wale of a time and wrote nice things about us etc.
No joke - it took him 45 hours flight time just to get to us in the west - you can see why the bulk of tourists from USA head to the east coast & GBR - less flying time.
However - if you want to see "the wild west of oz" - then you need to come to West Australia despite the time and distance.
Mitch travelled LA to NY - then NY To Auckland New Zealand - then Aukland NZ to Melbourne Australia - then to Perth Western Australia - then up to Karatha in Northwest Auustralia! (Where we met him at the local domestic air port).
As I said it was 45 hours flying time (one way), although - he managed to get a return air fare for just over $3K which I reckon was very cheap ($1500 each way).
I can give you all manner of web links to the fishing & scuba diving here - asyou can see wehave a small 28 ft charter boat - both my sons 19 & 21 scuba dive and we have spare sets of scuba gear!
While on the Island we operated a charter fishing lodge as well as managing the co's pearl farming ops -so the boys were diving every day on the pearl lines and recreationally diving for lobsters etc.
If you ever do want to get down this way - let me know and if we can - we will do what we can to assist you - even if it is only free advice - and links toother operators who could look after your needs!
(I'm not touting for business - I just like helping others to see the best that our state of Australia has to offer).
This was our Island abode till recently
http://www.westmooreisland.com.au
You can download a copy of Capt Mitch's report of his visit here:-
http://www.westmooreisland.com.au/REPORT.pdf
I have articles from other scribes who visited if you want more info and pics etc of the fish, scenery and so on (just say the word).
If I were you - theres probably 3 places of the 4 including the Queensland GBR - I would dive in WA if I were you.
One is Shark Bay - so named for all the sharks there - but a unique world heritage listed place that stll harbours a large population of manatees (we call em dugong, but they all taste the same!)
Shark Bay
Next place is to dive is Exmouth - Home of the Joint US and Australian "Harold E Holt" deep sea submarine communications base.
Probably if you searched you would find Ex US Naval staff who have served at Exmouth in years gone bye to get first hand advice about the place for diving and fishing. The dive under the Naval Base Pier there is still rated as one of the top 10 dives in the world.
Lastly the Houtman Abrolhs Islands
Those would be the 3 "best" dive & fishing locations here in West Australia IMHO.
If you want to view a few tourist type websites on diving in the wild West just say the word and I'll post you some links.
If you've dived everywhere else then you havent seen it all till you've dived Oz.
You can probably tell I'm proud of my home state and what it has to offer!
Cheers! | |
Flywest
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Posted
- November 27 2008 : 8:39a
| An addendum
I notice your used to diving with big sharks, 15 - 20 ft, just thought I'd point it out for anyone missed it in the pic from above when I first posted it.
On the right and to the top and Mom and baby Southern Right whales i think, on their migration south to the antarctic...
On the bottom left I am reasonably sure is a great white shadowing mum trying to make baby into a meal! (Some say it's an orca but thats not their normal territory - they aren't sigular hunters preferring to hunt whales in packs - and the whole time we were over it in the chopper for maybe half hour it never surfaced for air once unlike mom and baby whale, leading me to think it is a great white on it's side judging from the tail which looks distinctly more shark like than whale like).
I estimate Mum at maybe 55 feet at say 45 tonnes, baby at maybe 15 ft and say 8 or 10 or so tonnes.
Bye those guesses - that would make the great white - maybe 30 feet + and who knows what weight!
Those 15 - 20 ft sharks you dive with are occasionally found WHOLE inside such great whites!
15 - 20 footers are just the right size for bait for the really big great whites!
Cheers |
Edited by - Flywest on November 27 2008 8:43a |
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Mort
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Posted
- November 27 2008 : 9:16a
| Shann,
You realize, of course, Greez is a retired movie producer. In that regard, he has the resources to fly down there on a whim, and has been known to do so. You may be costing him a lot of money by showing those pictures. Shame on you. | |
Flywest
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Posted
- November 27 2008 : 8:35p
| Hey Mort,
No, I obviously didn't realise Greeze was a restired movie producer - I haven't had the time yet to look at peoples bio's.
Heck, now I look, I realize I saw a LOT of his movies. A Man Called Horse was a kinda "cult favourite" of mine - saw it a few times at least, from memory! 
What the heck - I reckon Greeze is OK - them Hollyweird types - they are just normal people like the rest of us Mort, they get up and put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you 'n I do.
I've certainly never produced a Hollywood film, but have been on TV many times here - and helped produce, appeared in a few TV fishing documentaries & shows etc and been interviewed on the TV News over various environmental issues a few times - so am no stranger to the camera's and lights myself albeit only on the small screen.!
I hope Greeze does get to dive andphotograh downunder - his underwater pics are damn good - not surprising given his experience and background.
Least down here - he won't get no terrorists shooting at him and we speak english is an added bonus!
I hope he will go see Baz Luhrmans new release movie "Australia" because it will give him a good look at the scenery and landforms down here and just how wild, uninhabited and unexplored a lot of it still is.
This is truely the last fronteir - our visitor from Florida, Captn Mitch was freaked by the isolation on the island - we didn't see another person, boat plane or anyone for his whole fortnight stay!
He was saying back home - they go to the Bahamas, or down to Belize in Mexico, to get away from the crowds and do a little fishing - even there they see a hundred or more boats and mother ships etc....
Here blew him away - we spent 2 weeks fishing - including offshore stuff and never saw one other vessel at all..the whole time.
If you want to get away from the madding crowd...this is the place.
To give an idea...
You guys have some 280 million population, while in similar land mass we have 20 million, i.e. less than 10%.
The wild west is about fully half the total Australian land mass, and has a population of...2Million - i.e.less than 1% of your population.
Of that 2 Million 1.8 mllion live in the capital city Perth....the rest of the state (the equivalent of half the continental USA) has 200,000 people in it!
Basically pretty much anywhere you go in the Wild West, you are gonna be pretty much on your own...
Thats why all our fishing and dive spots etc havent been spoiled by being loved to death by tourists yet!
Thats why Baz Luhrman came here to our remote Kimberley area - to film his new movie "Australia".
If Greeze has dived everywhere else in this world - then he owesit to himself to come Dive Australia. If he wants the nightlife and people etc then the East Coast Queensland Great barroer Reef with the other 18 million Aussies and tourists is the place.
If he wants to see the wild west with us locals - then this is the place and the 3 destinations I suggested would be my pic of the crop.
I''m happy to help anyone Mort - Greeze are anyone else who wants to see how the other half live here in upside down land!
The lack of people pressure and urbanization is rejuvenating for the soul - theres something timeless about this ancient land.
Cheers! | |
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Hood Scoops Photo
