Dodge a roo or hit it?

I was on my way from Parkes to Port Macquarie this evening, and between Gulgong and Ulong, a roo jumped out from the side of the road. I had started to slow, but when he jumped, I am figuring as well as increasing the braking, I have swerved slightly, then spun around, going off the road as I was stopping, but into a 1m deep ditch which rolled me.

Back to the panel shop I guess - just got it back from a small bingle.













I hope to have it back on the road soon.

shit mate, hope your alright apart from being shaken up.
your the second person this month ive heard of flipping the car that way. my aunty did the same thing but she was in a 4wd. its a write off.

Only 2 injuries were a bump on my head when I undid my seatbelt (obviously still not thinking quick enough), and a scratch on my leg getting out of the car through the scrub.

👎 🙁 🙁 🙁 👎

So sorry to hear Jeff, I hope you're OK and you can get the car repaired

Sorry to hear about this Jeff. It looks like you were pretty lucky though. It must've been a low speed roll, because the car looks to be in great shape apart from the fenders. I wish you luck in getting it back on the road soon!

I had been doing a real good 100 kph, but by the time it went into the ditch, I was nearly stopped (after spinning around and going backwards for a bit). I reckon if it had been flat ground, it would have stopped in the same place, only upright.

it must have been the night for it jeff i hit a roo about 6.45 pm tonight on Mount Nebo rd in Qld, I didnt have time to do anything but hit the breaks a split second before he jumped straight out in front of the car, i was driving a 4wd and was lucky as he wasnt really in the air when i hit him and he more went under the car, scared the schitt out of me tho! glad youre ok ! roos not🤪

Roof racks look like they saved the roof from to much damage. Glad you come out of it ok and the car will be back on the roads soon enough.

Granto wrote:it must have been the night for it jeff i hit a roo about 6.45 pm tonight on Mount Nebo rd in Qld, I didnt have time to do anything but hit the breaks a split second before he jumped straight out in front of the car, i was driving a 4wd and was lucky as he wasnt really in the air when i hit him and he more went under the car, scared the schitt out of me tho! glad youre ok ! roos not🤪

Seen a few people go off the edge of Mt Nebo road for dodging animals, not all ended as well as yours and Jeffs. At the end of the day, your life and the life of others is more important, best not to swerve if possible.

So glad your ok Jeff, poor little bug! 🥲

Dont worry about the car at least your OK!

VDUBXTC wrote:Roof racks look like they saved the roof from to much damage.

I was also surprised at how much they seem to have saved the roof - a good ad for the strength of Rhino racks I reckon. I haven't had a look in the daylight yet (there hasn't been any yet) but the racks themselves look to be OK.

sheeze Jeff........certainly glad you're ok, sad about the beetle after all this time and it's many MANY years of service.

you know where we are if you need anything, just give me a holla, be glad to help out

Daimo

Thanks Daimo. It has been a good car, and it only has a bit over 600,000 km on it.

Good to see You are OK and Your fingers still work OK.... lol

doesn't look too damaged Jeff...

Did the Kangaroo stop to see if You were OK ? 😂

bad luck about that ditch...

cheers

Lee

You WILL be busy over the weekend Jeff....

WOW..................again

Glad you are ok

Looks like you where very lucky Jeff. Similar thing happned to me in my beetle (apart from the roll-over) hence the black bonnet. sasme as you dont really recall swerving or braking that hard, but ended up doing a full 360 degrees after I hit the bastard at 100kph. certainly lets you know your alive.

You'd just about be getting green paint at a bulk discount by now????

Cheers
Brendan

Bloody hell Jeff, all considered there seems to me not too much damage, glad you survived unscathed, and an almost new dub too, no respect those roos. anything I can do to help you get it back on the road give me a bell, I may have some bits you can use.

glad your ok 😊
How is the roo??

Shit, wouldn't that piss ya off.

Main thing is, that you are ok.

As others have said, I don't think it looks to bad considering you rolled it.

All the best, Kevin.

In future hit it, your car will still be mangled but at least the roo gets what it deserves!!

After lunch today, I went back out there to see if I missed any bits and pieces in the dark - I didn't - but I took some photos of the skid marks (on the road - lol) and where I ended up, and from what I can see, and what I can remember, I saw the roo, started slowing, and started going out around him. He has then jumped out (according to the bloke behind me, he then jumped straight back again - bastard) and I have pushed the brakes harder and locked up. The back of the car has then come out to the left (clockwise) and right around, the back has continued around untill the back wheels have hit the dirt on the right hand side of the road (just missing a tree), and the front has then come around (completing a 360 degree spin) and off the right hand side of the road as well, then both drivers side wheels have gone into the ditch, and over she went.

I was suprised with the short distance from when I locked up to when I stopped - only about 50 or 60m I reckon - I might go back out and measure it. I had obviously slowed quite a lot before I locked it up I reckon.

Here is the skid photos - what do you think?

Start of braking


Spinning around


Heading for the ditch as I come around again


Rolled into the ditch


Just missed this tree as I spun around


The ditch I rolled in to


If I do get a chance to measure the distance, I will post it up.

Hi Jeff, glad to hear you're OK and the Beetle is not too badly off.

Germany's ADAC (their NRMA) did a study on this topic a couple of years ago. Wild pigs, not roos, are the menace over there. Their advice - DON'T SWERVE TO AVOID ANIMALS.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,690156,00.html

Can empathise with you on this Jeff - Gload to read and see from the follow on shots that you are okay and looking forward to getting the bug back on the road again.
Hit a roo in my old beetle a long time ago - I was always taught to try and steer clear if possible to stay in control on the hard surface but not to worry if you have to hit them (make sense?). I was lucky and got mine when he was crouching to spring up again and he went under the front right wheel (smashed headlight and dented front guard) and then along under the pan and ripped my heater box off the engine as the rear tyre got him. I think I was lucky and looking at your shots I think you were pretty lucky too. Those roof racks certainly paid their dues for you.

I just got back from measuring the distance from when I locked up untill the car stopped - 45m.



Bit shaken up though. I drove there, stopped for a few minutes to measure 45m, then was comming back - only got about 5km, and there was a fire on the side of the road and a few cars stopped.
In the maybe 10 minutes from when I went down the road and was comming back, a car has gone off the road and was well alight - just happened. I only had a quick glance - the front of the roof was caved in I think (must have rolled) - and the people (nearby neighbours) there wanted to know if I had a fire extinguisher - there is one in the bug, but not in the hire car I was in. They reckoned anyone in the car was gone.
I gave one of them a lift to the next farm to see if they had one - met them at the gate - they were comming to investigate the fire - they didn't have one but were going to try another neighbour, so my lift went with them.
I couldn't go back with them - that could have been me last night!!!!!!

Good to hear you are OK. I've always been taught, and always tell people, if an animal jumps out at you while your doing some country driving, drive through it, the sudden change in direction etc is enough to upset the car and send it spinning and in some cases, such as this, rolling. It amazes me how many people want to argue and tell me that swerving is the best thing to do... I'm not one to just kill animals, but id rather drive through something thats dumb enough to step out in front of me, than try and avoid it.

I tried - reflex action - like if someone throws a dummy punch.

Welcome to the 'club', Jeff. What a bugger!

It's hard to comprehend the apparent small amount of damage, but they are tough little bastards, though. Just as well you weren't in one of those flimsy little modern things. Did you check to see if the battery leaked? You may need to neutralise the acid with an alkaline solution.

Cheers,

Greg

I couldn't see Greg, but I don't think so. I didn't smell anything. I didn't have a lot of time - the NRMA tow guy wanted to get going, it was darkish, and my torch went flat. It didn't even seem to leak any fuel (thank God, after seeing that car on fire that the poor bastard was in this afternoon), even though I had just re-fueled at Gulgong. Only leak seemed to be engine oil. The car is locked in the NRMA yard, and the bloke was going away at 8.00am this morning and won't be back untill tomorrow night, so I won't get a chance to see it in the daylight, unfortunately, unless I drive back from Parkes early one afternoon.

I might see what I can do - maybee get more photos, and put some oil in the engine in case someone tries to start it.

I thing the lack of damage is due to the fact that the car had just about stopped, and it basically just layed over in the ditch in the grass and sapplings. The floor pan ended up not much higher than it would have been on the road the right way up - just the body and wheels were on the wrong side of it. lol

As everyone has said, you walked away from this, thats the important thing!! and the dub dont look that bad, and how good is it that you picked between the trees. All the best, Frank

thats Wallaby Ted's brother.........ROO Ted 😀

far out! good roll 👍

glad you are ok.

Any one you walk away from is a good one!
I believe in driving straight through.
The tough bit is overriding the desperate overwhelming instinct to turn the wheel.

there is nothing wrong in turning the wheel, knowing how to control the car in such an event is a different story though.

OK Jeff........get ready for all the 'what you should have done' advice! 🤪

Glad your ok.

Roo's are a bitch on a good day.

Its hard, but its best not to swerve.

Newt

poor Jeff...

what would scare me mate, is at 100kph and driving through instead of going around, the roo could come over the bonnet and through the windscreen, and becomes a 40kg missile at 100kph through into your face. Thats something to sure end up in injury.

i'd rather swerve at 'some' instances, except neighbourhood cats (a few are guilty of making my families front yard smell like piss)

You did what u did mate cause at the split second your instincts thought it was the right thing. Sure things went peachy, but it doesn't mean it was the wrong thing to do. Your survived to live another day, i'd call that an achievement. Its not like you get time to think and write down all your possible moves and solutions prior to this happening.

One aspect of the 'drive through it' method is that if it is a moving object, it probably won't be there when you get there.
Law of averages is on your side here. Goes double for something as erratic as a roo.

Having said that, every situation is different and it is almost always changing faster than you can react. All you can do is your best at the time.
And by your description of the incident, Jeff, I think you did quite well.
The little damage done to your car (and yourself) is testimony to that.

When these incidents occur they happen REAL QUICK. Conscious thought becomes an observer, and the ol'e hindmind takes over. That's a legacy of all our ancestors that didn't get eaten when quick action counted the most.

ps. Isn't it just like a beetle, though, to step out and back up into the trouble! All that mass at the back, I guess.

Lucky Phil wrote:ps. Isn't it just like a beetle, though, to step out and back up into the trouble! All that mass at the back, I guess.

It certainly is something you try to avoid at all costs, and it makes me wonder whether the extra weight of the alloy case over the standard magnesium case exacerbates the problem.

That then makes me wonder whether subie motors (or other brands as well for that matter) would be even worse, being heavier again.

I never had this issue with my old square and I used to do "handling maneuvers" eg 180, 360 handbrake turns, hard lock then turn etc...

problems I faced were a slight under-steer and the front kept going straight if braking was too hard during or just before a sharp turn.

then again the type 3 same much longer wheel base which helps a lot with snappiness.

It don't look to bad this is a recent pic .
here's a before pic from the vw Nat's 2011.

Ouch. Rub it in.

Best wishes Mate if you need bits give me a call,I should have some of them and they are yours if you need them.I was glad to hear from Matt that you were OK. Cheers Les

Didn't recognise it the right way up!😵

Just been reading aussie dubbin's thread http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=85509&page=2 - suddenly cleaning up and painting the underside of your pan makes a whole lot more sense. lol

Aw, come on - thats a bit low isn't it?

(good come back though lol)

THIS WAS A POST FROM JEFF A WHILE BACK (is anyone else having trouble with the "quote" button or is just me)

I was with NRMA (now IAG) for about 20 years, and when I eventually needed to make a good size claim on my bug, I had to battle them for about 5 months.

I have been with Shannons ever since, and made 1 good size claim with them - no problem at all.

Shannon's may be a little dearer (although not much), but at least I know if I do need to make a claim, I won't go through the agony I did with AIG. We have our Bora with them as well as the bug, and I would highly recommend them.

From your ole' mate Jeff


I'm about to reinsure/register, let us know how you get on Jeff.

I will do Donn. So far, so good.

Sorry to hear about what happened Jeff. Some people said that it's pretty unlucky, but I reckon it's more lucky. You got out alive, and the car isn't a twisted wreck of scrap metal.

It's easy to say that if an animal jumps in front of you, you should just keep going, but like you said it's a reflex action to stop. It's human nature! Sadly some people won't stop if that happens, kind of shows what kind of person they are. Some people don't value the life of another creature. (But this isn't to be confused with people who can think clearly or have experience in this kind of situation.)

rob53 wrote:Sadly some people won't stop if that happens, kind of shows what kind of person they are. Some people don't value the life of another creature.

What! and miss out on free dog food?

its even better when its a multi kill.

lol jk. 😁

here you go, I got you a couple of these stickers 😊

Gouranga!

ian.mezz wrote:here you go, I got you a couple of these stickers 😊

Thanks Ian, seems to be just what I need. 🙂

Shannons are sending an assessor to look at the car over the next few days to see if they can fix it for the sum insured, or will just pay me out. I get to keep the car though.

If they can get it sorted quick enough and pay the towie, I hope to get it out of the yard on Friday afternoon, check it out on Saturday morning, and limp it home during the day. Anyone going out towards Gulgong from the coast (between Coffs & Newcastle) on Sunday or Monday could give me a lift back to the hire car if I get the bug?

If Shannons can't sort it in time, I will do this when I finish at Parkes towards the end of next week.

I went to Gulgong this afternoon and took more photos. I taped the cracked windscreen back over the opening to keep the weather out (I didn't have the gear, skills, or time to try and re-fit it), put oil in the engine and turned it over (in case someone tries to start it) - couldn't start it - battery went flat (remembered I had the jumper leads in the hire car later on my way back to Parkes), and put the loose end of the roof rack back in the gutter. When I un-jamed it and lifted it, the roof popped back up. Looks even better now. Gotta love those Rhino racks.

This is the roof before I un-jamed the rack and put it back in the gutter.


This is the roof after it popped back out.


The worst dent is on the passenger side.


There is a dent on the drivers side as well though.


The front rack has bent the roof down slightly over the drivers door.


The back guard is dented and the tailight lens is broken.


And my new, 2 week old bonnet is dented. 🙁


I will keep you updated with how I go with Shannons - so far, pretty good.

Wow man! Looks like the car came out of it with very minor damage. Thing could have been a lot worse than that.

I daresay that the car will be back on the road in no time!!

I think I might have to invest in some of these Rhino Rack Rollover Protection Bars!! 😀


Smiley 😎

Just had another look at the crime scene photo's.
How in the hell did you manage to back up between the trees like that?
I bet you had that tree on the right real worried!

I was still steering (bullshit - I was a passenger)

Jeff you are a legend! Let me know how it goes or if you need help.Cheers les
👍

Thanks Les - will do. My next job looks like being in Taree, so it may not be hard. Start in about a month I think.

vlad01 wrote:I never had this issue with my old square and I used to do "handling maneuvers" eg 180, 360 handbrake turns, hard lock then turn etc...

problems I faced were a slight under-steer and the front kept going straight if braking was too hard during or just before a sharp turn.

then again the type 3 same much longer wheel base which helps a lot with snappiness.

you need to buy a new tape measure. type 1, 2, 3 all have same 2.4m wheelbase.

donn wrote:THIS WAS A POST FROM JEFF A WHILE BACK
I was with NRMA (now IAG) for about 20 years, and when I eventually needed to make a good size claim on my bug, I had to battle them for about 5 months.

I have been with Shannons ever since, and made 1 good size claim with them - no problem at all.

Shannon's may be a little dearer (although not much), but at least I know if I do need to make a claim, I won't go through the agony I did with AIG. We have our Bora with them as well as the bug, and I would highly recommend them.

From your ole' mate Jeff

I'm about to reinsure/register, let us know how you get on Jeff.

A lot of you may be aware, I had just had my car repaired about 2 weeks before this after a bingle on the Gold Coast in the rain a few months ago, and Shannons had been great once again.

At the moment with this rollover claim, the towtruck mob also have a panel shop, and told Shannons it wasn't worth repairing (I don't think they like doing anything to any sort of older car - not very impessed with them), so Shannons were looking at getting an assessor to look at it at Gulgong.

I really want my panel shop in Port Macquarie to do the repairs, and after talking to them, then talking to Shannons, the bloke at Shannons was most helpfull in organising to allow me to get the car out and drive it to my panel shop for a proper quote, and giving me all the scenarios of what I could do, and what I could expect depending on how the quote compares to what the car is insured for.

Shannons also expedited payment to the tow mob so they would release the car to me last Friday. Unfortunately, it didn't get into their account by the time I got their on Friday, so they still wouldn't release the car to me. I will try next Friday.

I did, however, re-fit the broken tail light lens (enough for the drive home), started the car (started first kick), and a few other bits and pieces ready for the drive home next Friday.

I will keep you updated.

Looks like Shannons are doing the 'right thing', Jeff. Let's hope they keep doing so, as insurance companies are not known for that, unfortunately. Keep us posted.

My cars [and house] are insured with Shannons, by the way.

Cheers, Greg

Amazing, you can drive it home but they (the towies panel shop) consider it a wright off, beyond belief but I guess that's our throw away society at work.

I am going to look at getting 3rd party from Shannon's as all the other insurances wont insure me coz my car has a few minor mods
and I am under 25. 👎

the car has no resell value but has some good unobtainium in it. So to me I don't care if it gets written off.
but I should really get my ass covered just in case I total someone else's car.

i'm going by vague memory but looked at insuring with shannons but they wouldn't take under 25's to insure my import for fire and theft. I dunno if thats changed teh last couple yrs.

just cars was different, but the owner of such (suncorp) has me worried...

if they ride it off , you can no longer fix it later on .🥲

Ian, I was talking to the RTA the other day and you can make special application to have a car that is written off re assessed for repairs. It obviously costs and will stop the dodgy blokes as they will know who keeps applying for this. So will greatly reduce the number of repairable write offs.

Kev

The way the bloke at Shannons described it, with cars over 35 years old. they can class it as a repairable write off, and it is up to the owner to cancel the rego etc. This is what will happen if the quote is over the insured sum, and the policy will be paid out and cancelled.

Once I have repaired it, I can show them the car has been repaired (invoices, photos etc.), and then take out a new policy.

NSW has new rules and there is no longer repairable rite off .🥲

From 31 January 2011, all NSW vehicles notified to the Written-off Vehicle Register (WOVR) will be classified as
statutory (non-repairable) write-offs.
Vehicles classified as statutory write-offs will not be able to be registered. They can only be used for parts or scrap
metal.
The laws will apply to NSW light vehicles including trailers, caravans and motor bikes. There will be some limited
exemptions to the legislation.
Vehicles recorded as repairable write-offs before 31 January 2011 will continue to be classified as repairable on
the WOVR and will be permitted to be repaired and reregistered according to current RTA business rules for a
period of six months.

There will be some limited
exemptions to the legislation. maybe old cars ok, it say they have to go to the pits thats $440 for that rta check over alone.

I have all my cars insured with Shannons and bajachris88 my 19 year old son has his 68 baja insured with them as well seperately from my own cars.

How can the car be a wright off it's able to be legally driven on the road as Jeff is suggesting, just because the insurer deems it to be not financialy viable for them to pay to repair it does not mean it can't be repaired safely, surely the insurer can pay out the policy without registering the vehicle as written off on the RTA records. Seems like a few calls to Shanons is required, it's all well and good for them to say they will insure it again but if you can't register it again then that means diddley squat, sounds like you would be better of not having the car comprehensively insured in some cases or at least not claiming, then there would be no insurance company to place it on the RTA written off register.

OK, an update of where my bug is up to.

The cost to repair my bug (properly) is more than it was insured for (it was insured for value, not cost to repair - that was all my wife would let me do - pretty sure that will change now :-)), so Shannons have paid out the policy, but because I had elected to be able to keep the car, I am now getting it repaired.

Because the car is over 15 years old, it can be repaired after being paid out. Shannons don't notify the RTA - that is up to me if I want to, but there is less structural work being done than the front end replacement I had done in Parkes, and it didn't affect rego, so I won't be doing that. Shannons said they will re-insure it once it is completly repaired. They said I will probably need to send them photos, and maybe a declaration from the repairer. They didn't mention a blue slip or anything though.

My repairer (Supalook smash repairs in Port Macquarie) was slow getting started (he had it dismantled enough to show me damage areas - mainly in the roof rails from the roof racks), mainly because he wanted to show me what he wanted to do before he started. This was slow because as I am working away, I am only home some weekends.

The first weekend I was home, I went to his shop to look at my car, I couldn't round him up - he was at South West Rocks with his son getting parts for his son's type 3 - not a bad excuse. They are a VW family - have had quite a few, currently the type 3, an L bug, and a Passat.

Anyway, it is underway - won't be ready for Sawtell unfortunately, so here are some photos. Adam and his team ure perfectionists, so they are going further than I would have worried about. They are not happy with some of the existing paintwork so are stripping off any areas of that that they are not happy with.

They work on a lot of cool cars. As well as general insurance work, they do all sorts of restorations. Last week there was a 56 Porsche body parked next to my bug, and this week the other cars in the main workshop were a Passat, a BMW, a Triumph, a top of the line Jag, a Holden, and a Toyota.

Here are some photos of the current state of my bug.










I will keep you updated as it progresses.

Jeff!

So sorry to hear what happened mate, glad to see it making a come back however!

By the way, those centre caps, they're awesome!

SebastienPeek wrote:Jeff!
By the way, those centre caps, they're awesome!

They are the shorter ones made for the 'Performance' wheels. As far as I know, they are made in SA. They also make longer ones, which is what I used to run, but they got bumped off to easy, and I used to lose nearly 1 per year.

I have taken the 'Performance' sticker off them and put VW stickers on them though.

Here are some photos of the longer ones.

If I wasn't going back to hubbies, I'd grab those in a heart beat and do exactly what you did with the VW stickers!
🙂

Looks like a big job after all Jeff..

Good to see that You have a great painter,, but bad luck on the waiting part... lol

so, Have You ordered the HUGE alloy bullbar Yet... lol..

I had a steel bullbar made for My 71 super back in the 70s...
and never tried it out on a real kangaroo... lol

My Wife had to jam on the brakes last week when going to Newcastle when a Very LARGE grey Kangaroo hopped across the road... must have been 7 ft tall...
even higher when He jumped 😂
😂

seeing they can jump so high...
why don't they just jump over cars... 😂

anyway good to see it will back on the road soon...

LEE

PS: Now I can see what caused the accident Jeff...
Your engine has two carburetors instead of one... 😂

68AutoBug wrote:so, Have You ordered the HUGE alloy bullbar Yet... lol..

I had a steel bullbar made for My 71 super back in the 70s...
and never tried it out on a real kangaroo... lol

PS: Now I can see what caused the accident Jeff...
Your engine has two carburetors instead of one... 😂

If it is for roo's , I think it is called a roo bar. A bull bar is what they use in the city - that is all it is for then (bullshit to use the full word). lol

I used to have a steel roo bar years ago on one of my '69s, but haven't had one for years, and wasn't really planning to.

Do you think the extra Carby it making the car top heavy? :-)

beetleboyjeff wrote:Do you think the extra Carby it making the car top heavy? :-)

Absolutely You raised the roll centre 2.7mm. Its not just extra weight either, you've moved it away from the centreline too!

Yeah but..... yeah but........ yeah but.........

The twins are both lower than a single, and when you move them both out evenly each side of the centreline, it makes it harder to spin (roll). Try spinning on a swing - put your arms and legs out - spin slowly. Pull your arms and legs in - spin quickly.

Same happens on sailing skiffs, especially going downwind - have the skipper and crew out on opposite sides makes the boat much more stable than both in the centre line.

Here endeth the lesson. :-)

damn. cant see anything with this dunce hat covering my eyes.

In relation to the original topic "dodge a roo or hit it"

Best to make strategies to avoid them in the first place and I speak from experience.

A former security guard at Puckapunyal Army base that is about 250 square kms big. in the middle of the night roos are everywhere. We had 4X4 tray utes on the dirt roads. Bull bars and radio contact. After a few years since privatisation began in 1994 we learned valuable lessons about the roo.

We learned that driving at more than 85kph often ensured that you would collide with the animal as you had not enough time to react. There was the reactive speed of the roo as well. Headlights on high beam with spotties are great in the bush but they do scare the roo and it hops- in any direction. If it hops towards your path and you are doing 100kph then you will hit it.

Fences are an issue also. I hit a roo 100 metres from my security post. It was caught between two fences with no where to go. Fences can be good an bad.

Shoo-roos. I have one. It came off a car a few years ago when I left Pucka workplace. They work. But some dont believe that- that's ok I know they do. For those unaware they are a device that emits such a high pitched sound that humans cant hear it. Animals can, including birds. Bird strikes have been in the hundreds for me as I drove around the state of Vic and NSW. Then vertually none with the Shoo-roo. But some advice here too....they are not a license for more speed in a roo infested area- why? because they also, like headlights, scare the animal resulting in movement at times across your path. If the roo is say 50 metres from the road it is likely to hop away from your path. If it is near the roadside its anyones guess. So the Shoo-roo is an effective device, a device that results in roo movement that is good because it raises the chance of it coming into your sight. The negative? Apart from the $500 pricetag plus simple installation (3 wires) they can lead the driver into a false sense of safety. If you buy one I'd suggest that you accept that the roo being startled by a shoo-roo is going to behave in a similar manner to being startled by a high beam headlight. So the lower speed eg under 85kph applies. The shoo-roo assists you though.

Many people not experienced with roos dont realise that they often hop straight into the side of your vehicle. There is not much chance seeing them prior to this occuring. The only advice I've got here is the shoo-roo can help and extra lights that shine wide of the vehicle. My trike has two spot lights that are pointed outwards and even though I give this advice, on the way home one late night a mature joey nearly hopped onto my wife's lap in the rear seat- I was totally unaware.

Finally in my view Wombats are just as dangerous. I ran over one in a vintage Zephyr and it bent my 3" tubular cross member then as it wnet under the diff it caused the rear of the car to get airborne about 50mm. I stopped to move the carcas and it was walking away albeit a little sore no doubt. But it was alive! The buggers are tough and slow. Unlike the agile roo if a wobat suddenly was there I'd try to swerve a little to miss it. Shoo-roos dont have any effect on Wombats!

Glad you are ok Jeff.

I had a mate that totaled his Audi 5+5 in a high speed impact with a Wombat on the Hey Plains. Pushed the headrests into the roof!!

I've been in a car that has connected with a Wombat. Definitely just as bad as hitting a brick wall, man they are massive animals!

Was in a TC Cortina, the car definitely was worse off, hit a wombat hole afterwards too...

Bug is getting close to being repaired, but didn't make it for Sawtell. :-(

Here is the current progress of the body in the prep booth, and the guards, bonnet, etc. in the spray booth - hope to have it back for next weekend.

Nope, still not quite ready. Adam is getting me a windscreen with a tinted band, and it won't be in untill Tuesday, so still waiting. :-(

Anyway, here are photos of the current progress.










Man, this is like extracting teeth.

I only hope all this 'foreplay' will be worth it. lol

YIKES

LOOKS like a new one Jeff....

no dirt roads for this baby...


LEE

PS: You had better put about 6 of those kangaroo whistles under the front bumper... lol

love the colour 🤓

😀

Bloody hell Lee, you sound like my wife.

Hi Jeff mate,

Looks like it's coming along nicely, though I did spot one problem that might be a showstopper.
There's a little bit of dust on the donk, so I recommend that you immediately send it me and get another. 😀

Glad to see you were alright after 'the mishap', and the car is getting a new lease of life.

Now for some Roo seat covers . . .

Old Timer

OldTimer wrote:Now for some Roo seat covers . . .

Old Timer

Yeah, they would be good for 'hopping' in and out. lol

Well, I finally picked up the bug from the panel shope yesterday afternoon (well, last night really). I only have to re-fit the bumpers, tow bar, and lots of other bits & pieces.

donn wrote:I'm about to reinsure/register, let us know how you get on Jeff.

Well Donn, you can read this when you get back from your trip.

Shannons have been great to deal with. The quote to fix my bug was more than it was insured for (my repairer said a classic like that needs to be insured for repair value, not resale value), so they paid me out, but I got to keep the car - I had taken that option when taking out my policy. The pay out paid for most of the repairs, we just had to make up the shortfall.

We have been talking to Shannons about getting it re-insured (or at least a cover note) before we drove it out of the panel shop, and they just wanted photos of it repaired first. (They actually rang me to see how it was going a week or so ago, as they hadn't heard anything) My repairer emailed them the photos about 4.30pm yesterday, but by the time I got there and went to pick the bug up, it was about 6.30pm. I rang Shannons, but got the WA office, and apparently the bloke we had been talking to was in Vic., which was now closed for the night. We re-emailed the photos to WA, they looked at them, and agreed to re-insure it for the original cover amount. I asked about a higher amount, and they would go about 40% higher without seeing the car in person (added about $4.00 to my monthly premium), but if I took it to one of their offices or got one of their blokes at a car show to look at it, they could take it higher.

Basically, got all this sorted in a 15 or 20 minute phone call. Pretty happy with that. I will talk to them about an increase when I see them at the next show - possibly the Comboyne Spring Fair in a coulple of weeks - they were there last year.

looks great Jeff and doesnt the new screen sparkle.
New glass always makes the difference.

You need new plates now

Mitchell