Today is a good and a bad day. A wonderful part of owning and travelling in a 20+ year old car is that you can do much of the maintenance yourself. Sometimes, a lovely little surprise raises its head up and bites you. Today we were bitten.
I had been driving an hour and a half towards the Adelaide Hills to mountain bike some of the lovely trails in the area. Power loss became immediately noticeable on the steeper sections of road – bugger. So, whilst in the clouds, wearing thongs, shorts and a t-shirt, I pulled off the road. Bonnet up and time to check over the motor for possible issues. Firstly, I note that the flexible fuel lines are as hard as rocks. They weren’t when i put them in a couple of years ago, nothing lasts. Studying the bends in the hose, revealed a few cracks and thus possible air leaks. No more mountain biking for me, it is mechanical time. 10 min on Google, Supercheap was discovered, fuel hose purchased and fitted. All good. Well not quite.
I also noticed a vibration in the drive train when ascending toward hilly country. As I climbed under the cruiser, I noticed that the tailshaft felt solid enough, but perhaps there was a little movement in the Universal. Back onto Google to find a mechanic’s workshop and get it checked out. The crew at “Cross Country 4X4” were wonderful. Problem diagnosed in moments, and then they shuffled around other jobs to fit us in. The car now has new Universals, new rear suspension bushes and sway bar bushes. It rides just like a brand new 80 series. I can’t thank them enough for all their help here.
As it turned out, we had a some extra time to look around Adelaide. From the mechanic’s workshop, a quick walk to the train station and public transport into town. I love train rides, when you don’t really have to be anywhere in a hurry and when the people around you are pleasant. I don’t like train rides when I’m in a hurry and the people around me are annoying. Today was a pleasant day.
Soon we arrived in the main train station of Adelaide. We dodged the tram, dodged the busy people, dodged the school kids and the overly intense shoppers; time to find a coffee. So many options…
Alleyway cafes are always the best. Small poky family run businesses with homemade or in shop products on the shelves. Organic labels littered across the menu, oversized porcelain mugs and happy people behind the counter. These are the places we always look for. These are the real shops, these are the vendors where we wish to spend our money, these are the people we wish to support.
Motorbikes, alleyways and a french restaurant; teasing scenes. A little of Europe around us. We can only hope that one day the world is healthy, travel is allowed and people are happy once again.
I love the eclectic collection of buildings around Adelaide. Diagon Alley eat your heart out. I have taken images of only a few of the more interesting facades that I came across. Oh, how I wish modern construction techniques could mirror the splendour and detail afforded to the builders and architects of the late 18 early 1900’s.
fabulous Lez, you have done my beautiful city proud, now on a hunt for the above mentioned coffee shopxxxxx
So great to be a travelling mechanic!
We absolutely loved Adelaide! I didn’t give you the name of our no. 1 coffee shop – sorry – just too long ago! There would be so many more good ones now anyway. Sounds like you might have found a few.😊
That’s okay Jenny. There is so many good coffee places here anyway. Love Adelaide as well. It’s like Brisbane in the 80s.
Love the pics. Giving me lovely trips down memory lane of my time in Radelaide. Hope you are loving it!
By the time you finish the trip you’ll be driving a brand new 20+ year old car in bits 🙂 (but still way cheaper than a new one!).
Great pictures of Adelaide, the architecture IS very much more European – hopefully things will calm down in Vic and you will get to go into Melbourne, it is similar
Surely replacing everything bit by bit