Just stopped and started to realize how many people and places have been effected by the weather...
so i thought i would drop a note to say Im thinking of our Bellet family and hope that everyone is OK..
we had so many nice messages when things were bad,well wet, that it makes you realize how special our family is...
So i hope everyone is dry,safe and together.
Liz

Thanks Liz, and likewise I hope things are settling down for you. I suppose you are flat-out moving people's flood effected cars?. Shame you weren't able to get to Motorfest - we had a top day.
Rye Park is still green despite a heatwave in January & only 39mm for the month. But we now have had 88mm so far in feb. (Thats a lot for us) including a wild squall that brought down a lot of branches. (One narrowly missed the [damaged] Magna!)
Every night we watch the News & feel for the people of Brissy, FNQld, Country Vic. and now Perth.
I for one don't mind the dollar a week tax & wish people would stop bitchin' about it!

Thanks for the thought, & hope everyone else is O.K.
Cheers, Matt.

not only country vic getting the big wet too.
had 217mm in 24 hours here.
and yep, the flooding that goes with it! not my house, and the cars are fine, but ALOT water around.

to think that 2 years ago, we were literally staring at the fires coming straight for us less than a K away, and now we're flooded and water logged.... aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh australia!

For once i'm glad nothing happens in Adelaide!

Just hang on for a while Dave, I dont think all this sh***t is over yet. Maybee saving best till last!!!! hope not.

Minus 32 celsius and about 1 meter snow here in Finland where I am living and also this morning driving my Isuzu Impulse. So, we have also much water here, but it is in more solid form than yours.

But don´t worry, of course I have +24 C inside my house

hahaha yeah man; we can't imagine weather like that, but because it's probably normal up your way, it doesn't cause a state of emergency! If that happened here, we'd be screwed!

As it turns out, we're probably getting the same amount of water, just in liquid form... and again, that's more than what we'd normally get and as a result a stack of people around Australia have been hit by mega-floods.

So far so good down in Adelaide.... but we're probably overdue for a serious, serious bushfire like the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983.... but we've had such a mild summer that even that seems unlikely. Still, March and April can get pretty hot, so we're not out of the woods yet!

Fingers crossed the weather leaves EVERYONE alone for a bit...

Hey Guys,

Darwin has just had 334mm + since yesterday 9.00am - damn cyclones.

I though it was a bit windy yesterday.........

SORRY antii -32 is not living 24 plus is only ok if the cars fit in the house too and you dont leave home.

Minus 32 I just can't imagine! I've heard your eyes can freeze open!
Still Antii, I reckon you would have had trouble with Adelaide's run of 40 C+ last month!
Not fun getting back into your car if it's been parked in the sun!
Cheers mate, hope you have plenty of Quilts!

And Neil, I hear you're getting another 200 odd mm today! Must be hard to keep your Tomatoes from splitting!
Matt.

Hey Matt the tomatoes are toast - they split a long time ago heh heh heh

Heh-hee... "your eyes can freeze open".. Yes, maybe, if your breath "steam" freezes to your eyelashes a long time and you don´t do nothing to get it off. But that is more an urban legend..

My Impulse garage is cold, but of course I have (as we all have here in Finland) an engine block heater that heats the coolant/engine and a 1600w heater blowing hot air inside the car. One or two hours heating and the engine is warm and the inside of the car too. Most of us have also at work a parking place where you can use the electric to warm up your car. Railwaystations, hotels etc have that possibility too. I think that is good when we get more electric powered cars, I hope Isuzus..., so we can recharge them up in many places.

Thanks Antii, now I can visit Finland in winter without fear! That's one of those experiences I would love to try - just once!
Coldest I've ever been was in a hut in the Kosciosco National park. Don't know how cold it was, but a 10 liter bucket of water on the floor froze solid overnight. My sleeping bag is rated to minus 15C, but I was too cold to sleep most of the night.

Good thinking - electrocar infrastructure already in place!
Can't immagine your power bills though! (Electric 'blankets' for cars!)
Cheers, Matt.

In northern Finland the cold record this winter is now -41C. In army I was in commando training and we slept several times in eiderdown filled sleeping bags in snow holes. These bags were tested that you can sleep in them naked when there is -30C, but we had the lowest only -10C.

You are wellcome to visit Finland. And you can stay in my home. But I recommend to visit in summertime. Then there is more Isuzu happenings. F.ex this year we take part in big Classic Motor Show in Lahti 7-8th May. Our theme is "Have you ever seen these Isuzus?". I´ll go there with my Isuzu Impulse (onlyone in Finland), Ari Nöjd comes with his Isuzu 117 Coupe (also onlyone in Finland) and Raimo Hurula will bring his Isuzu Bellel (the last one left from 4 in Finland. This came as the Japan embassy car) and maybe on GT from Timo Hytönen.

9-10th July we have our Isuzu club meeting here in my farm in Alavus.

From Australia only Peter Areskog has visited us in early 90´s. And we had our club racing day then and I won...heh-heh...

I have a ground heat pump warming my house. Last year only 1360 euros to all electric I used, about 1860AUD. If I remember right, electric is much cheaper here than in Australia. It was a big surprice for me when I visited Australia, that you have so cold inside your houses in your "wintertime". The floor of your bathrooms was like walking on ice. I have a heating in the bathroom floor and the thermostats keep the rooms between +21 to +24 in wintertime. So, we have warmer here in wintertime than you have, heh-heh...

But if you want only be in extreme weather...then you must come in wintertime... Sliding with rear wheel drive Isuzus is of course the biggist fun!

Sounds like fun; that event would be really cool.

I haven't got the cashola behind me for that one, but if I did I'd take up your offer for sure, Antti!

Yeah I'm not impressed by the coldness of our bathroom floors in winter.... I put a bath rug in there and walk around like I'm stepping on nails!

Cheers,


Dave

Thanks Antti, that's a great offer! Tracy (my wife) read this post and got a gleam in her eye, but alas, we can't afford it anytime soon. But one day......
I agree, it would be great to get some of that Ice-rally action - Adreniline city!!

Fortunately, we live near Canberra, and get frost anytime from May to early November - 6 months of winter, so our fire burns continuously from June until September, and we have warm floors! We visit Sydney, and people heat during the day but not at night, so yeah, freezey feet!

Please post some photos of the show, so I can look and dream!
Cheers mate.
Matt.

Can I join in on weather Antii ? Yes, here in summer in South Australia we have coolers to keep our houses at 21 to 24 celcius. Because it can get above +40 outside. I lived north of Adelaide and it got to +47 in the shade at the back door !! I don't miss it.

But when I was in my mothers country as a child, I remember -25 and snow. Different !!

B.

Hi, new again here after hard struggle. Well my question is that summer is on and planning to move to Perth on 7th from Sydney, do you think my bellett 2000 is fine to go with luggage as well including camping material like sleeping bags and quilt covers etc. I am going with partner and two kids.

Hi invgrp2, that will be a great drive. I've always wanted to drive mine to Perth from Brisbane.
Will be pretty squashy with 4 people and luggage though.
As long as your your Bellett's cooling system is in good condition then it should be fine (radiator is clean, hoses are good and you don't push it too hard in the heat)

Hi invgrp2

Apologies for your deletion previously, however you must understand that every person that joins this forum is reviewed by one of the moderators so we do not get spammers.

If you do have a Bellett and are planning that trip, good luck; we would love to see photos!

Probably best to ensure you are a member of your local motoring group (RACQ) in case you break down and need emergency accommodation! You can usually transfer membership to the local WA group (RAC, I think) when you move there.

Also take a few spares with you; other, more experienced road trippers will be able to recommend what parts to take. I take oil, water/coolant, a spare set of points and a few tools. I know others take spare water pumps, spare fuel pumps and other things. These things aren't just available anywhere anymore.

There doesn't appear to be many Belletts in Perth, so it will be good to see one over there.

We would all love to see a picture of your car.

Cheers,

Dave