A Wasp for Rye Park.

[Farmer]

Whats nice is when you get a phone caller that says "I'm Joe & you don't know me, but I've got a problem. I've sold my house, and in it's garage is an Isuzu Wasp that has to find a new home".
I can help with that.
It all sounded pretty good, being a runner with everything working, so up to Sydney to collect it. The same bloke has owned it for the last 33 years & used it with his tileing buisness. Yep, a Tiler called Giovanni.
I admit that it isn't quite as good as it sounded on the phone, but it starts & drives, and everything works. Kinda.
We gave it the once-over, Tyres: recaps, but OK; Front end: tight enough; Brakes: As good as any Wasp brakes I've ever used; Motor: recently new rings, a bit tappety, but pulls well; 'Box: no synchros left on second, but good otherwise; Exhaust: all good; New battery, newish back shocks, new Diff 25 years ago..........
Good enough to drive home!

Have a look mate, - Byewdifuuuuul!

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Yep, the bumper is on upside down (ugh!)

Dash is ........a bit..... crusty......

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Re-upholstered seat! ...bottom...
(Back has 3 disintergrated covers fell down behind.....)

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Get closer & you can see most pannels have had some pummeling.........

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Crusty? Its crustier than a Krustyburger...... crustier than a crusty roll thats been left out of the bag...for a week......... crustier than.......my other Wasp!
I reckon Stickman would swoon!
And look at the colour - Brunswick green Kilrust!

Theres a place for it in my driveway though, Luv it!
I haven't driven a Wasp for 25 years. Its bumpy and slow and cramped, just like I remember & just the way I like it!

Cheers, Matt.

[mrflibbles]

wow! nice find (is it called a find if the owner rings you?) crusty is cool, green with envy maybe.....

[KJB]

Great find - love the exterior mirror
KB

[gt orphanage]

Matt i looked at it when we were in sydney. He wanted more money then i would have paid for it. I never made him a offer. You have a huge project in that one

[Farmer]

Yeah Flibbs, it is a bit 'it found me', but thats cool I reckon. Its also cool that Tracy reckoned I should get it as it is a driver, and there are plenty of little jobs around the paddock it will be useful for.

That little mirror is actually useful Kerry, partly because it's so close to my face. The glass rattled of course, but I crimped the edge in a bit. Fix-it #1.

Tom told me you'd had a look Greg. I'm lucky that the house had sold and he had nowhere to take it. Yep, there are some rough edges, but I've got bits to fix them. Notice the glovebox catch works (rare spare).
I've fitted the new door catches (fix-it #2) put a proper radiator cap & lower hose on (#3)
and the fuel cap..............

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That plakky cap was waving in the breeze on the tie-wire. I jammed the too-short radiator cap onto the filler. (kinda fix #4)
Note the horn ring fitted upside down - How hard is it??

And yeah, I'll have to dab a bit of rust converter here & there............

I suppose I'm looking at what I don't have to fix - Front end, brakes, battery, shocks, exhaust, driveline all good.

I'm torn between leaving it with 45 years of use showing or go the whole hog. To call it "Working clothes" is a bit of an understatement!
Bank account says it will just get low cost fixing for the short term, but I will give it a good clean! Every time I touch it I'm instantly covered with filth!

Gotta stop saying "it." He needs a name............

Thanks & cheers, Matt.

[mrflibbles]

shrek? he was green....

i reckon your plan of fixing bits as you go is good, you can restore it later. Enjoy it!

[1968GT]

HEY, What a great name Mr Fibbles, what do ya reckon Matt??
Slightly different but what the heck!!!

[dave]

Nice one Matt!

It's a bit daggy around the edges, but the fact it's a driver and runner is AWESOME.

Hey I'm all for a Ratter, but it does need a bit of straightening.... it will be super-handy around the farm, though!

Farmer finally has a farm ute! Called Shrek!

The hot-rod peep mirror is just too cool.

So... If you leave now, you'll probably make the Nationals in it!

Good work!

[BULLITT]

WELL DONE MATT WAIT TILL DONKEY FINDS OUT HE WILL BE ESTATIC CHEERS AND STUFF THE WANKERS ON EBAY ........DAVO

[oz_toffa]

good save Matt. and even better when they come to you. just about name your price.

thanks for all the photos too



makes my brown one look pretty reasonable


OZ

[Farmer]

Shrek! I reckon that'll do! And he's bound to have lay-errrrs...........
Thanks Mr Flibbles!

Dave, I agree some straightening is in order - in time. For now he needs a shiny new pair of those guard mirrors Gary is on to, just for the contrast factor!
Hmmm, drive to the Nationals............now there's an Idea............anyone driven their Wasp 1000+ km to a Nats?? That oughta be worth some sort of gong!
(For those who haven't had the pleasure of Wasp distance driving, go for a run in your 3 bearing Bellett and don't use 4th gear ........oh, and put the seat forward 4 notches. .........and put something weighing 130kg in the boot!)

Hey Davo, Donkey and Shrek! Now that's just perfect!

Brown one Oz? Now you've gotta show me! I don't think I've seen this one anywhere?
On the price thing, we agreed on a price based on his description. Suffice to say we were looking through different sets of eyes! But he did take an offer, and held it for 3 weeks until I could get up there. I couldn't try & knock him down further on seeing it - I could see it was a difficult separation. He had his mate take photos of hand-shake and key hand over, like when they give away that new car in an art union! He stood and watched until I was out of the street, and it wasn't a smile on his face. 33 years..........

Cheers, Matt.

[gt orphanage]

It is on the cards for walter to head to Adelaide and Liz has driven him from brissie to sydney not quite 1000 km but close The secret is in the diff

[PR91]

welcome to the cool kids club Matt, where entry is only given to those with a GREEN Wasp...
isn't that rite Lizzie?!
as for 1000k in one... well i did Melb to Canberra for the 'old' Nats in 94 and again in 95 in mine, and that's near on 900 each way. how's that?
do i recommend it? no. would i do it again? HELL NO!
the few that have sat in my Wasp will also know that mine is a little more cramped than a normal one, and they were bad enuf to begin with... so mine gets used very little, and when it does, it doesn't go far. getting to old for this stuff!
great find mate, and enjoy.

[Farmer]

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.

[BULLITT]

ALL ABOARD ...OR SHOULD I SAY ALL THE LOGS OF WOOD ABOARD FOR THE RYE EXPRESS ..COME ON MATT YOU COULD HAVE DOUBLE DECKED THE WOOD THE FRONT WHEELS ARNT OFF THE GROUND YET CHEERS DAVO

[Leadfoot_Liz]

there is nothing wrong with the size of a wasp interior

its the size of the peoples trying to get inside one thats the problem.

me and mine fit perfectly, and if i can, health wise, i would love to drive Walter to adelaide.

somethings are just meant to be together.

Lizzie

[pa_man]

Exactly Lizzie
Hope you can bring Walter, with all this talk of Florians
coming lets see if we can get more Wasps to the Nationals
Josh

[Farmer]

Yep Lizzy, so true. There's plenty of room for those who like to be there. You just look right in there.
I took Rhys and one of his mates up the paddock for another load of wood yesterday. My boy is still growing! But we fit in OK.

Your Wasp is looking fine Josh, looking forward to seeing him in the metal.

Cheers, Matt.

[GTtoo]

Great script to a great story Matt. "Shrek" yes, maybe. But i think it should have the name of it's previous loyal owner and long life friend "GIOVANNI".

Just cramping up thinking of sitting in a wasp.

B.

[Stickman]

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'
I better not park him too close or he might just put his front legs on her tray then before you know it there will be little green utes and sedans running around every where

too beautiful (crusty) and dainty (pack mule) to be called shrek in my opinion but can see where your coming from...... but look at her curves

Funny thing about my Donkey is that my sis inlaw Renee refuses to call him that, she calls him 'Jack' as she says that dignifies him as a male donkey. Fitting me thinks and Donkey seems to like the acknowledgement too


Great score my Bellett family friend