bellett.net

Stickman wrote:HUBBER HUBBER!!

What a be-ute-aful little machine Farmer (seriously)

Donkey hasn't stopped talking about your little truck ALL DAY, he keeps calling your ute 'My Jenny' in a Forest Gump voice then cracks into a few bars of Barry White's 'I can't get enough of your love baby'

You crack me up mate!
I watched Forest Gump a couple of weeks ago, "Ma Ginney......."

Glad you're a fan. There is a certain beauty in that weather-worn, hard worker exterior - like a wizened ol' farmer with a beat-up hat that walks with a shearer's gate, but can still throw a bag of spuds up on the sholder and cart it up to the truck. Theres just an honesty about it.

Joe (Giovanni) fixed everything he ever needed for rego, but wasn't too worried about the cosmetic stuff. He was happy shrek was going to the country to do odd jobs - a bit like putting an old horse out to pasture.
I think he'll be happy here........

Cheers, Matt.

.........But I've gotta turn the bumper up the right way. Thats just.........wrong.

Coming on winter again, time to bring some wood in. Hey Shrek, where you at? Hey, you're onto it!
AAARGH, SHREK STRONG!

Got onto a bit of seriously twisty wood, so borrowed John's splitter. Notice the motor? The splitter had a briggs twin motor driving the hydraulic pump, but sometimes the tough wood would not split, so he fitted a bigger 2-stage pump. Problem was, the motor wasn't powerful enough to drive the pump.
So he fitted this... Wisconsin V-4. 152 cu in.
Busts wood good.

Cheers, Matt.

And Shrek is barely even cracking a sweat.
Built to work, tough little truck you have there

yes sticky ...tuff ute .. that's what they made for .....

Thank goodness for that super low first gear that normally never gets used.
And rear springs you just can't break.

Built for a job and still does it well.

talk is that goivanni wants to buy it back to do interstate runs and have gricey drive it ha ha

Love the first photo Matt,good one to replace this month's Retired Wasp on the calendar,keep in mind for Vic next year,the V4 reminds me of a welder we had,driven by same motor,Gerry

I think I just got some wood

Farmer wrote:You have my admiration, those were seriously long hauls.
Got any more of those Diffs Greg??

There was a time when a Wasp ("Hornmobile" long wheelbase) was my only rego'd car. On telling a good mate I'd just bought another one, he reminded me of a trip we once did. We had to go from Coonabarrabran to Mudgee, which is only about 200 k's. But on the return trip we were towing a car trailer with Tracy's '65 Fiat 1800 6 on it. A bit slow on the hills? Just a bit!
But it just kept plugging, as they do.

Shrek is paying his way already.................

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We've had our first few light frosts for the year, so it will soon be time to light the fire.

Cheers, Matt.

Just stumbled across this post, the Hornmobile had some interesting events whilst in my ownership, I went from Greystanes to Gosford with a car trailer in tow to retrieve my 65 Bellett Sedan that had been abandoned there by my (at the time, becoming ex) wife.

I was wrapped in the fact that I was booked for speeding in a 100k zone, it was more like a trophy than a ticket.

Also remember an occasion when George Steeden's GT was pranged at Silverdale Hillclimb, I trailered the GT home and on the Western Freeway I just sat my foot on the floor, uphill and down, Kath Steeden followed me and told me later that I had hit 80mph on one downhill stretch, them was the days.

All scary stuff, Ted mate! But it was just what we did. I towed a few Belletts on car trailers behind my Bellett too. It probably wasn't legal even then, but mostly short hauls in the 'burbs.

I remember the Hornmobile on the track at one stage, surprising many! As did your auto sedan. The "Sludgematic" was faster than many, me being one. Something about the driver, and his skill.......hey Kamikaze?

Cheers, Matt.

I towed a 11ft Franklin caravan from Brisy to Cairns and back with a 67 Bellett, was around 1970. Stopping was the biggest issue.

PR95 wrote:I towed a 11ft Franklin caravan from Brisy to Cairns and back with a 67 Bellett, was around 1970. Stopping was the biggest issue.

Stopping was a big issue with the Hornmobile too, I recall once having Dave Waldons father with me with the Screamin Squirrel in tow, the traffic came to a standstill, but I wasn't able to, I wigwagged my way through a few lanes before getting it stopped, Daves father commented on how well it handled with the trailer and race car, I didn't have the heart to tell him I had no choice as stopping wasn't a real option.

Turned out the left rear brake cylinder had a leak and the brake shoes were covered in brake fluid making them all but useless.

The Hornmobile and Sludgematic at different times wore the race engine for kicks, just because we could.

In the Auto, it pulled around 50mph in first, 80mph in second and about 90 in top, the highly cammed motor couldn't pull it any higher.

The idle was around 1500rpm and when stopped you had to place it in neutral and pull it into gear with some accelerator as you took off.

Didn't leave it in long, got sick of breaking axle uni's on takeoff.

Some of the antic's George Steeden and I got up to were rather interesting at times, maybe I can relate some stories in the future.

Looking forward to a catch up at the Nationals, Ted. I remember some things, but have a great capacity for more reminders of back then!
Cheers, Matt.

Yeah, so I said Shrek could come to Gnoo Blas in Orange. Its only a month away, so perhaps I bettef do something about this seat. Ratter mode is OK, but I (or my back) need comfort. Its only a couple of hundred ks, but yhis is uncomfortable after a couple of hundred metres! There was a lump of cotton wad and foam jammed into the springs where the squab had worn through to them, then 3 layers of disintergrating seatcovers hung over. The seat cushion had been re-done, but a basic job with no tuck pleats. Hopefully we can get it a bit more serviceable.
Cheers, Matt.