Road-tripping hazards
1974 Ford Transit 115 Bus
Owned by Stewart Perry
(c/o classic.cars@bauermedia.co.uk)
Time owned 22 Years
Latest/total mileage 724/173,544
Latest/total costs £150/£13,973
Previously Tales of Transit family life
After almost 20 years working full-time I recently became unemployed (by choice). With no job to come back to, clearly the correct course of action was to take the Transit up the coast for a big family holiday to Queensland. In preparation for the 3500 mile journey the Transit received an oil change, transmission service, brake adjustment and a fresh dose of Chemi-weld sealant to ensure that a slightly weeping cylinder head gasket didn’t let us down. Finally, I installed a child seat restraint point in the back.
Two weeks after finishing work, my wife Kimberley, daughter Cecilia, dog Monnie and I rolled out the driveway, caravan attached, and pointed the Transit north. I felt a little apprehensive because
I’d rushed through the majority of the prep work. It was a relief to pull into Euroa at dusk with 110 uneventful miles behind us.
The next day we made Gundagai, then onto Wollongong, our first costal stop. The hills from the hinterland into Wollongong were some of the steepest grades I have ever driven. I was very thankful for both the disc brakes on the downhill run and the more powerful engine on the way back up!
In Wollongong I enjoyed taking Cecilia to her first car museum, the Australian Motorlife Museum, which is well worth a visit. The highlight for me was a pair of glorious pre-war Minervas.
Again heading north, we struck out early because we had to cross Sydney, legendary for its heavy traffic; pleasingly the Transit cut through busy conditions with no fuss. We stopped for lunch at the National Motorcycle Museum at Nabiac.
Arriving into Port Stephens after some epically heavy rain, I suddenly noticed a strong oil smell in the Transit cabin accompanied by a loud crackling sound under my feet. I quickly pulled over, tugging the bonnet release and yelling to Kim that I was fairly sure we were on fire and that she should get Cecilia and Monnie out ASAP! Springing from my seat, extinguisher in hand, I threw the bonnet open only to be greeted by smoke but no flames, much to my relief!
Quick diagnosis revealed that the rocker cover bolts had come loose allowing oil to flow into the valley of the intake manifold, which when topped up with water from the heavy rain resulted in water boiling on top of the oil, hence the crackling sound and oil smell.
I mopped up the oil with toilet paper, tightened the bolts as best I could, and we got back on the road. But what to do next, given we still have 2500 miles in front of us? Would my temporary repair hold? Or do I need to replace the oil-soaked gasket? – quite a difficult task with the rear two cylinders being notched into the firewall. I’ll let you know next time…