Sad to say, but I've got city kids with techno fingers.
Getting them out and doing it in dirt is good for them. And they do love it.
Both of them are hangin' out for a Christmas camping trip to the beach.
Will be very interesting as I will have one on "P" plates and one on "L" plates, so I guess I won't be doing much driving. Young bloke just wants to drive the "gangster car"(black Jeep) or the Jag,not interested in the Mazda. Daughter on "P" wants to go off road.

BTW, as for the new Jeep , I have added mud flaps(genuine) and given it an oil change. But have a list as long as my arm to do. But work is picking up and I have taken on painting the inside of the house, since I promised to do it in 1997 when we moved in,lol.

 

I agree, Clarke! For optimum mental and emotional health (not to mention physical health) kids need a daily ration of dirt; inside and out. (That's why I'm so well balanced. ) This was never a problem while I was growing up and I tend to forget my situation was unusual even at the time.

I can well imagine the list of things on your 'new' jeep that are nagging for your attention. As it was very unloved before you got it, it will doubtless appreciate your attentions and efforts.

Please explain the Oz plate system, "L" and "P". We have nothing like that here, except for the handicap (limper) plates and the Exempt plates for gov't vehicles.

Good time to paint the inside of the house! You're just heading into camping season and other outdoor activities, and more work, and you're stuck painting. We (I!) painted inside this house completely when we moved in as it was new (except for husband's room which is too full to paint) and if I Never have to do it again it will be too soon!
(';')

 

Ok, when you turn 16 you can go on an "L" plate from passing your written test. 100 hours supervised driving,and minimum 1 year until driving test.



After 100 log booked hours of driving and 1 year you can sit a driving test to get your red "P", which comes with a truckload of restrictions,but you can drive unsupervised



Then after a year of that you get your green "P" with a few less restrictions.And stay on that for two years.Less restricted.



Then you get an open.

In my day I got to go for a theory test on my 15th birthday, then had to wait 48 hours before doing a practical test to get an open licence, car or motorcycle...Maybe the reason why I went 9 funerals before I was 18 from motorcycle crashes.

Here are the knew mudflaps to keep on topic.

 

Nice flaps!

So in Oz, one is basically 20 years old before one can drive with no restrictions other than traffic rules. WOW!! I think there would be open rebellion and riots in the streets here if that went into effect here.

It varies from state to state in the US, and I grew up in an agricultural area where kids are driving on country roads as soon as they can reach the pedals, but I had a basically unrestricted license when I was 14 (I had been driving for a couple years by then)!

Common sense made my dad not put me behind the wheel of a loaded grain truck at that age (besides I was a just girl!) but there were many others others who simply needed the help and put teens to driving all manner of machinery.

In that part of the world they call those motorized 2-wheeled vehicles Murder Cycles.

Did I mention, the flaps look really nice! The color matches and everything.
(';')

 

Here I am this afternoon preparing the Jeep for it's first serious beach trip and I discover it doesn't have a recovery hook on the front. So I shoot over to the local 4x4 accessory work shop(where I know the owner as our kids did 12 years of school together) and arrive at 5.01 pm, but door is still unlocked so I proceed to counter where the 7 staff are consuming amber happy juice.

My first question was can you fit a recovery hook to a KK Cherokee(Liberty for US) tomorrow morning. Responses were

1.No(owner)
2.They are not designed for off road
3.Don't get stuck
4.Pull it out backwards, the same way you went in.

I don't plan on getting bogged, but tides are not the best for this trip and you never know!

Turns out there is nowhere to attach a recovery hook on the newer Jeep. Will have to do more research on that one. I am sure someone on the Ausjeepoffroad forum has a solution.

Off to buy some MaxTrax just in case tomorrow.

 

Ex Jeep owner here . Just a 2 litre diesel Patriot , with a 6 speed manual box. But at least my Jag has 4x4 also .....

 

Your Jeep was not 4x4? never seen that before. I think our small Jeep here is called a Compass and is AWD.

 

As I expected, not like the old Jeep off road. But did surprisingly well considering.
Never got it stuck, towed out a bogged Subaru 4x4 with a trailer and trail bikes on it, never overheated. What more could you want?...... about another 6 inches ground clearance.

I know now I can't attack my favourite tracks with the same enthusiasm, but it will get there with a bit of gentle prodding. Can't put a lift kit in because we only have about 3" clearance of the garage door now.

Got to ditch the 18" rims with light commercial tyres and go to wider 16" rims with BF Goodrich A/T's , a proven formula in the past.

Lets see how far we have come from 1997 to 2015.


Lets see how far the kids have come from 2004 to 2015,


Camping is different with 5 adult aged kids(partners and add ons) rather than just your own two.


Fishing at sunrise, Noosa North Shore. The fishing rods have got bigger over the years but I don't catch more fish! And the same crappy home made roll out shade I had on my Jeep in 1998.

 

I imagine your 'new' Jeep cost a Lot more new than your old one did, which was also more useful and had more features than the 'new' one does... at least useful to you perhaps?

Cute video of the MaxTrax, but it looks to me like he backed into that hole, because there are no tracks behind but nice clear tracks in front.

Fortunately there's not much call for that sort of thing in my world. I stick to the roads.
(';')

 

In comparison the old Jeep was a lot more expensive, I got it in 1997 when it was just over a year old with 20,000 km on it and paid $17.5k(market value was around 25k)

The new one is 3 years old done 75,000 km and only cost $11.3k.(market value was 18-25k)

Both well under the current market value at the time of purchase, but being an opportunist I jump on a bargain when I see one and hope for the best. When I see a car at a good price when I am looking I have a drive and give it a once over and make an offer there and then, no time to go away and think it over or you will miss out.

That is what happened with the S1 Daimler lump I really liked, I was going home to think it over and it sold while I was driving home. It was a much better car with recent paint,panel and interior all near perfect.

But am glad in a way that I got an XK engine as every time I have had a V8 I have ended up back in a straight six.

 

This is the only car I have to drive at the moment. Fireball has been in the paint shop 4 days now and Bluey, the daughters Honda Jazz is waiting on a crank angle sensor. Drove past the paint shop and eye balled XJ6 today, it was rubbed back and looking like ready for paint........I need it back.

 

The other thing that is in the mix here is that the legal drinking age is 18. P Platers blood alcohol is supposed to be zero, but as they are teenagers boundaries do get nudged occasionally (!?).

Dont know about Clarke's region but random breath testing for both drugs and alcohol is pretty common here. So if you consistently push it, you will get caught.

Oh yeah, nice flaps Clarke. Hope your hoof is coming good.