Bennett Vehicles

Austin 7

When I was 15 I really wanted a car...any car. My car of choice would have been an A model Ford sedan or coupe, preferably with two doors. By 1958 I had saved up enough pocket money and deposits on bottles. Also supplying newspaper to the  local Fish Shop helped ! My first car was an real antique, but at the time I bought it (for 15 pounds) I didn't realise that.. It was a minute 1926 Austin 7 in very worn condition but with everything working. It had a fabric two-door sedan body by Gordon England of the UK. The side valve 4 cylinder motor was 750cc and had a two bearing crankshaft. Ignition was by magneto and the gearbox had an external grate.  It probably was a bit classy when new because most of the Austin 7s that I had encountered as a kid were two door roadsters with very mangy canvas.It worked and it almost was capable of running in a straight line. I was happy with this.. It didn't travel very far because it used to shear Woodruff keys regularly. I became quite adept at producing these when needed. The Austin was never going to impress anybody and the bodywork was never going to be repaired by me, even though I would have liked to. I sold it to a schoolmate for what I paid for it. I heard later that he took the motor out of it for a boat and buried the chassis somewhere.

By 1959 I was working in a service station and managed to save some money. Taken in by the the sheer bazaz and newness of an 1948 Hillman Minx I lashed out and bought it. It had a 4 cylinder side valve motor and column change. It also had a garish green paint job and some shiny stars -so performance didn't matter much (not that it had much!) Cornering was an afterthought and its overall height made peering over traffic a breeze.Most memorable moment was stripping the differential of about 20 gear teeth in a face-off with a MG TF. Repairs were straightforward and made so often that mechanical fluency was achieved in a short period.

I got a real job in a factory. I had an apprenticeship in engineering. I had (some) money. I needed and wanted a Holden. I got one. It was a 1948 FX-215 Holden - one of the first 150 built. I found that out because the button lock for the back doors was placed at the back of the door -thereby making it almost impossible to lock the car from the driver's seat. This design fault was rectified on Holden #151 apparently.

FX-215 Holden

This was a real car which slammed down the highway, especially when I gave it two straight-linked Holleys (or was it Strombergs?). Lowered 2" front and rear and with a orange light on the dashboard it was my new home. Wow! Life was happening for me until some girl said it looked "kinda old-fashioned".

 My next car was an 1961 FB Holden Ute
for which I traded in my excellent 1948 Holden.
Not a smart move. It had been doctored with rust proofing over cardboard on the sub-floor. Sure it looked new but I didn't like driving it over bumps.

Falcon

So I bought a 1961 Falcon Ute which was painted pink (!) and hailed from Captain's Flat in the country. The car sales sprayed it black for a price It looked good, it rode well and it covered a lot of miles. I also fitted it out with a little known luxury... a heater.
Somewhere out in the west of the state the drain plug in the gearbox worked loose and the car limped back to Sydney where I became keen to dispose of it to an enthusiast     

Morris J-Van

                 

What seemed to be the obvious next vehicle
was a 1948ish Morris J-Van, ex NRMA, ex bread delivery van. It lived up to expectations which I must admit weren't that high. It got fitted out with a double bed in the back and did actually get past the city limits on a few occasions. An eccentric vehicle like this does grow on you and we certainly did miss it when it got sold.
It had been an eyebrow-raiser everywhere we went and was "interesting" to drive, especially over and down mountain roads.


A sporting Fiat 1100 four door sedan

Fiat 1100

(year unknown but post 1958 -probably 1961) was the next in line. It had "suicide" front doors but it went very well indeed. So it blew a head gasket on the side of the road near Jindabyne and required two headgaskets to seal the combustion chamber... I just loved working with frozen fingers and borrowed tools. It did the job and was really fun to drive.







Everone has to own at least one VW Beetle. Bev's was a 1963 sedan which was as neat as a pin until 3 days before we left the country a fuel pipe worked loose and sprayed the hot engine with petrol. Believe it or not, the fire was put out by a bucket of water thrown at the orange fireball where the motor was. After selling this one we were on our way.





Re-locating to England we sought out the obligatory

Volkswagen Kombi. Ours was a 1965 LHD model from a Koln florist fitted out with some cheap camping beds and a kerosene stove from the local KaufHof. It managed two major trips crisscrossing Europe and North Africa carrying up to 5 people. It eventually ended up with quite nice furniture made from London real estate signs and some curtains on the windows. It succesfully negotiated a lot of alpine passes and several deserts. It never missed a beat and we ended up selling it to a friend who again circumnavigated Europe and Turkey once more. It was eventually sold outside Australia House to another Aussie girl who intended to circumnavigate Europe. Who knows... it might be still going.

Ford Anglia

For ramblings around London I was offered a Ford Anglia, a side valve, four cylinder little car of indeterminate age/vintage without a functioning voltage-regulator/cutout. We kept it running with occasional joining of wires from the generator which protruded into the cabin. It kept us warm and took us on the road around towns close to London. We gave it to friends when we left England to return to Australia.

 
On our return to Sydney, there was only one real choice:- a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. Great car to travel distances but later to reveal rust in parts of the sub-frame just after we popped in a husky exchange motor. It was excellent to drive in and for us so roomy. We were very sad to sell this one off.

EJ Holden

What we needed was another large vehicle to go camping so we ended up with a 1970 Chrysler Valiant

1970 Chrysler Valiant

At the time we bought it (at auction) larger vehicles were being dumped because of jumping petrol prices. This was the ideal wagon for camping holidays. 6 cylinder and about 4.4 litre -it ate up the miles and, being a manual it wasn't so bad on fuel. There was room for everything and about this time we lugged a small caravan (ie trailer) hundreds of kilometres south to Berridale to become our snow accomodation. This arrangement worked well for several years and meant we were ready to pack our skis whenever the snow forecast wss good. The Val ran trouble-free for seven years but by then was showing its age.
The time had come for a smaller city shopping basket and we purchased a Mazda 1500 Sedan (year uncertain now). These were a good looking OHC vehicle and it turns out that the design had been done by Bertone apparently for Alfa Romeo but not used by them. Some Alfa models certainly looked very similar.. It was an excellent little car and it was perfect for city driving and parking. It was also the school bus and was a breeze to park. Apparently these sold in Europe with only a 1000cc motor.

Toyota Land Cruiser

About this time I came across an early 1970 Toyota Land Cruiser... - a thorough beast of a vehicle but I thought it could look good caught in Sydney traffic. Build quality was exceptional. I spent a lot of time hand painting the body pale blue but I would have preferred British Racing Green as had become Land Cruiser fashion at the time. I also set about making a camping body for the back tray. The weight became impressive and the petrol motor was incredible thirsty especially around town. I even disabled the accelerator pump to save me some money.. The beast had to go and it did after only a few very reliable years.

Chrysler 360

A six litre V8 was the next to catch my eye. A 1972 Chrysler 360 ex government VIP sedan with every conceivable creature comfort seemed so right. It had grunt and luxury and drank copious amounts of fuel but it did it in style. We had it for two months and after returning from Mt Hotham it caught the eye of a motoring enthusiastic who cut our security chain and departed with it at 3.30 in the morning. We still have good memories :-(

Next up was an emergency purchase of another Mazda 1500 way past its use-by date. We needed a car fast and we had spent all our spare money on the Chrysler. It worked (sort of) and I was amazed when some joker purchased this wreck off us because he was even more desperate for any transport.

Mazda 808

Mazdas were in vogue as we took on another city shopping basket, a Mazda 808 station wagon. It looked good'n'shiny but suffered from a narrow track. We discovered that some wide wheels available at wrecking yards had the same PCD as ours and we were able to improve the roadholding a little. It did the job well but didn't cope well with freeway speeds.

Valiant time had rolled around again and this time we were lucky to come across another gem. a 1974 Valiant sedan. Reliable and comfortable it ate up country miles and being another manual, was remarkably economical. It gave us seven years of reliable motoring. It was our choice for the regular run to the snow

Volkswagen Golfs had always caught my eye so I had no trouble acquiring a 1974 Golf sedan which proved to be quite a serious performer in the city and on country roads. The cylinder head had work done as I later found out and although the car had had a hard life it fairly thundered on the open road. Furthermore it was a thorough delight to drive. It had a short life but a merry one. Once the cylinder head needed replacing it became very tame and was no longer fun to drive.

Daihatsu 3 cylinder

A Daihatsu sedan with three cylinders (1 litre) was next on the scene. It did an adequate job and had the added benefit of easy parking...anywhere. Economical and reliable...I liked this at the time.and had no complaints whatsoever. I even took it outside the city limits.

Bev had decided it was Toyota time again so the first Toyota Corolla Hatch  came into the scene. It left the scene shortly after when ploughed into by a 4 wheel drive. A great loss..

The next was a 1986 Toyota Corolla Sedan which is still delivering product to this day without a hiccup. Absolute dependability is a valuable asset in my books. Build quality is impressive. Age is impresive.

The next to come was another Toyota Coroilla Hatch which was also destined for an unlucky fate. Whilst parked on a near deserted suburban , it was driven into by an 88 year old who had better things to do than concentrate where he was driving. Another great loss.








The Last in the current crop is a 1995 Toyota Corolla Hatch which is proving just as reliable and comfortable as all previous Corollas. As i write it is providing sterling service.

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Bennett Travel Blog: 2011 JAPANESE ALPS

1980 BALI

After returning from touring Europe we settled down in the Inner West of Sydney. In the late seventies, friends returned from a trip to Indonesia raving about the stuff to see and do there, especially Bali. We decided to go with our daughter in 1980.

Giant Garuda Bird

"Beji 1 up"

The tropical feel to the place was a real surprise to us, as well as the spectacular vegetation and the lifestyle of the local fol. We stayed at Kuta Beach as everyone did at that time and found the accomodation was (to us) quite luxurious. The fruit was unbelievable 

We also had booked a lodging up in the mountains of Ubud, at the Tjampuhan Hotel, the original abode of the painter Walter Spiess in the thirties. On the side of a Jungle stream, the whole place was exotic and the pace of the village life was totally relaxing. We adjusted our pace accordingly. It was then that we discovered "Murni's Warung"

Bemo Driver and Shotgun

KlungKung Gardens

The Monkey Forest

Kuta Beach Sunset

1973 USA

Home Base 1973

Citizen-of-the-World

There were NO "steamers" in Bankstown!

In early 1973 we decided to take advantage of the-then popular "Charter Flights" out of Europe and do a discovery tour of the USA. Loftleidir was offering flights via Reykavik in Iceland, an added attraction for us as it was mid-winter!

Heathrow gathering of Notables

Establishing Reykavik Brinksmanship

We found wintertime Iceland quite exotic and very different to Australia. There was a lot of historic stuff to see and to visit. A rewarding sidetrip. Their fish and whale blubber was fresh and tasty too!

Blogger in America

New York had much kinder weather than Iceland. People were curious as to where we had learned to speak such good English. We got several compliments for its "British" sound. Many Americans we encountered were surprised to think that THEY had an accent that sounded quite "Irish" to our ears. I said that we thought that accents made places more interesting!

New York skyline from a ferry to a statue

You'd do anything for the view!

Famous Bridge (as seen on TV)

Jones Beach NY

Time to take the Greyhound to see America. You get to see a lot at ground level and you get to meet colourful travelling companions. Roadhouse food had generous servings too. And the bus was always impressively warm. A singlet usually proved appropriate wintertime warmth inside the bus.

American Suburban Vista as seen from a Greyhound Bus
Your Chance to Name the Location

We were glad we had chosen to "Ride the Dog" on our travels across the US. It was a real eye-opener at times and the people we met always had a story to tell. I would have liked to have told them our story too but there wasn't enough time to do that.  On a limited amount of backpacker* cash it's all you can afford! It turned out to be excellent. Made it to Chicago by 5.30am -had a look around (weather was a bit chilly) before going through Moline, Rock Island, Iowa City, Des Moines and Omaha. Next on the list came North Platte Nebraska then Cheyenne, Laramie, Rock Springs and stopping at Salt Lake City for to catch our breath. Reno was pumpin' at 4.30 in the morning and from there we were treated to Greyhound "ringside" when the driver sought to evict two brawlin' whisky-tramps from the back of the bus. Loads of excitement for boys and girls when the driver gained ascendancy and threw them into the inviting arms of the Nevada desert.California next with Sacramento (we didn't visit the excellent Rail Museum :-(    ) Richmond, Oakland and then settling into the Odeon Hotel in downtown SF lookin' for the remnants of the "Summer of Love"
* There weren't any backpackers around that we could see. We looked like freaks carrying our A-Frame Rucksacks onto buses and into budget hotels.

 

San Francisco (just after the Summer of Love)

This vehicle impressed me!

You could almost smell eucalyptus leaves with San Francisco being so close to the Pacific shore ! 

San Francisco itself was chock-full of good stuff to see:  The Ferry Building,  Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, the square-rigger Balclutha, Spanish mission Dolores, Chinatown for the good food, Nob Hill, the Cable barn, Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge, Ghiradelli Square, Maritime Museum and Lombard Street's curves.

Los Angeles staying at the Hotel Cecil was next with trips to Anaheim and of course Disneyland (it delivered). Little Tokyo, and Alvera Street Mexican Markets before heading out on the "Dog" once more at 2.15am towards Flagstaff  via Phoenix.  Yep, next up was the inimitable Grand Canyon along its' south rim. More than spectacular!.................

The road back also took us through Albuquerque to interesting Santa Fe with its' Governor's Palace (1610), Cristo Rey then ever onwards to Pecos and San Antonio Texas. They had a Governor's palalce too, as well as the Alamo Museum and the rewarding San Jose Mission. They do good Mexican food hereabouts! On to Houston for the "Astrodome" before sassy New Orleans through interesting countryside. Visits to Canal Street and the French Quarter before travelling to Mobile, Montgomery,

Atlanta and beautiful, colonial Charleston in South Carolina. Changed busses in Richmond VA for colonial Williamsburg - a great place full of interest. Up to Boston for the "Freedom Trail" and the "USS Constitution".  Washington came up next with its' White House, Washington Memorial, Lincoln Monument, Jefferson Monument and the Capitol. Not to pass over Union Station which had an uncanny resemblance to Diocletian's baths in Rome (that's Rome, Italy). Washington also had Ford's Theatre and the incomparable Smithsonian Institute full of technological treasure.

Looks like a restored Diocletion's (or was it Caracalla's ) Baths to me

Washington Malcontent

Before we knew it we were back in New York and travelling on the Long Island rail Road back to Glen Head. Sidetrips to Jones Beach, Long Beach and Queens, The Verrazano Narrows Bridge, Staten island, Central Park Zoo and Roosevelt Field.

After 4 weeks on the road on a month's Greyhound pass plus a short de-briefing out on Long Island with the friendly locals it was time to return to Merrie Olde England, London Town, warm Watney's Red Barrel and thrilling Wall's Hot Dogs and the Bakerloo Line.

Jaded Aussie Tourist

Back in the UK -after much shopping at Tesco's, queueing and feeding gas meters we decided we were tired of London Town and planned to return to the Antipodes.

Southampton Farewell

Not a common sight in the Seventies

Approaching the Heads

Golden Holden, the 1963 EJ

Back to Australia -Life's a Beach!