The Dodgeball Run - driving a 68 Charger across Australia

[Laxy]

Hi all, been meaning to post this up for awhile, but in September 2011 me and my 3 best mates drove my 68 Charger from the East Coast of Australia to the West Coast along the southern outback route through a very arid part of Oz called the Nullarbor (meaning 'no trees'). I don't know if any model Dodge Charger has ever made this trek before.

It's a trip of about 2,500 miles, and we decided to call it the Dodgeball Run, creating a facebook group and taking lots of pics and videos.

We consumed lots of fuel, lots of beer, amused ourselves with mullet wigs and burnouts (no radio!) and saw some really cool things along the way, it was easily the best trip I have ever taken. The car made it no-worries with only a mysterious rattle which turned out to be an exhaust clamp and a plug lead dropping off for a fair few miles before we realised! It had just been completely rewired, had a fresh mild 440 and 727, and some new tyres.

Now, onto the pics! I will post some of my favorites but they are all in the link below. Some aren't quite in order but we basically went from the state of Victoria, through South Australia and finally onto Western Australia:
http://s312.photobucket.com/albums/ll333/Laxy_69/Dodgeball%20Run%202011/?start=all

























































No time to stop for repairs:

[Laxy]

Some more pics:






















Secret stash of Mopars in Kalgoorlie WA - 72 Cuda with factory 340 and 69 GL Clone with 440. Also contained a 70 318 Challenger and 72 340 Charger.








This an old telegraph station in Eucla from the 1800's, just on the border of SA and WA. Apparently there was a rabbit plague that destroyed all the vegetation on the sand dunes, so the dunes shifted and buried the station so it was abandoned:

[Laxy]

A quick story about a small deserted town in the middle of nowhere called 'Iron Knob'... 

We pulled in there after numerous photo opportunities with the main sign on the outskirts, then stopped to jack the car up as it suddenly developed a strange rattle that sounded uni or gearbox related. While we there a heap of local ferals came out to take photos of the car. They were really friendly, we asked the main bloke if there was much work in Iron Knob (bearing in mind the place looked like it was stuck in 1975), the bloke says 'Nah no work around here, but I've got 120 cars to keep me busy!'. So of course we asked about Mopars, and he said the only ones around were about 20 in a paddock nearby, that had just been cleaned out and sent to the crushers a couple of months earlier. DAMMIT. The closest thing to a Mopar he had was a Bedford truck with a 245 Hemi six cylinder. The sound under the car turned out to be a broken exhaust clamp (was the only issue we could find) - it sure didn't sound like it at first and we feared the worst. Not a nice feeling when you in an area like that!



Some more Iron Knob highlights:

[Laxy]

Bit of Mopar action in Kalgoorlie with a Max Wedge 426 63 Plymouth: 

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150417499854099

[Laxy]

This was the fuel consumption, luckily we didn't have to take backup gas cans as the Roadhouses were a maximum of 120 miles apart, with the Charger's range being about 200 miles if I had to stretch it. Terrible range but it was a fully loaded B-Body with a built 440 - the 2.76 rear end made the highway cruising easy, although it is an open rear end so apologies for the single-spinner burnouts haha.

Distance travelled - 3,450kms or 2,473 miles
Fuel used - 807 litres or 213 gallons
Fuel cost - $1,300.67
Consumption - 23.39L/100km or 11.61 mpg

[Marck]

Looks like you guys had a blast on your trip... 
What was the deal with the stormtrooper?   

[Fred]

Hey Laxy,  I just enjoyed a fabulous trip across the country without leaving my livingroom.
Thanks a bunch for posting your amazing cross country experience. Thoroughly loved it. Boy..........$2.10 a litre of petrol? Glad I live in Victoria.
I bet I can guess who onws that corrugated iron job ha ha!!

Good stuff mate 

[Laxy]

It was so random! We just saw him on the Western end of the Nullarbor as we were starting to see tall trees again, he said he is walking across Australia for charity! We actually pulled up and did a u-turn to go talk to him. Then I pulled a burnout and showered him in tyre smoke hehe

Saw on the news earlier this week that had made it across to Melbourne, now I think he is heading all the way up the East Coast. He is turning into a bit of a celebrity - google Trooper Trek and you can check out his site.

[Laxy]

Hey I just enjoyed a fabulouse trip across the country without leaving my livingroom.
Thanks a bunch for posting your amazing cross country experience. Thoroughly loved it. Boy..........$2.10 a litre of petrol? Glad I live in Victoria.
I bet I can guess who onws that corrigated iron jo ha ha!!

Cheers Fred, yes we saw some 'interesting' cars out there haha! $2.10 was at the Nullarbor roadhouse, gradually started getting cheaper after that. Had to make do with 91 and 95 octane a couple of times, they don't have 98 all they way across and the old 440 didn't like it too much.

[Fred]

Hey I just enjoyed a fabulouse trip across the country without leaving my livingroom.
Thanks a bunch for posting your amazing cross country experience. Thoroughly loved it. Boy..........$2.10 a litre of petrol? Glad I live in Victoria.
I bet I can guess who onws that corrigated iron jo ha ha!!

Cheers Fred, yes we saw some 'interesting' cars out there haha! $2.10 was at the Nullarbor roadhouse, gradually started getting cheaper after that. Had to make do with 91 and 95 octane a couple of times, they don't have 98 all they way across and the old 440 didn't like it too much.

I'd hate to have to settle for those low octone fuels with my hemi........she'd be pinging her way very unhappily across the country.lol

By the way............I like your car jack, do you keep him in the boot? 

[skip68]

    Sweet!    Thanks for posting Laxy.  Looks like one hell of a fun trip.   Nice car.  

[Laxy]

By the way............I like your car jack, do you keep him in the boot? 

Lol - he was backup jack in case of failure, as we had to use a jack from Repco that I purchased somewhere along the way (all my tools were in Perth, not with the car) and that moment in Iron Knob was the first time we tried it!

And thanks skip!

[Darkman]

I'm dissapointed Laxy, you drove straight past me and couldn't even stop in for a beer 

What an adventure.....who says old cars aren't reliable!

[Fred]

I don't know if any model Dodge Charger has ever made this trek before.

I think you've made history my man.
Are you coming back to Vic and how? Or are you and your mates looking to make some serious money in WA?

[Laxy]

I'm dissapointed Laxy, you drove straight past me and couldn't even stop in for a beer 

What an adventure.....who says old cars aren't reliable!

Yeah sorry I'm a shit bloke...  ... you're in S.A somewhere right? I actually had grand plans of posting a thread for this before the trip but it all crept up a little quickly. Managed to catch up with a few members of an aussie forum in Kal, we even stayed the night with 'em and got on the beers big time!

[Laxy]

I think you've made history my man.
Are you coming back to Vic and how? Or are you and your mates looking to make some serious money in WA?

I moved from Melbourne to Perth almost 2 years ago (born here but grew up in Vic) - had the Dodge stored with relatives for awhile until we could organize the trip! My mates flew back afterwards. So it was one way only, I still have an aussie Charger over there getting repainted after hail damage, may try and drive that over too! My VH Hardtop came across on the train when I originally moved here though.

[Finn]

Awesome! But you mean to tell me that you couldn't get that stacked bartender to pose with the car??? For shame! 

[bull]

  Excellent pictoral! Looks like you had a great time.

[Ghoste]

That looks like it was an amazing journey to say the least.  Love the Chrysler bar and... what Finn said.

[Laxy]

Cheers guys, the Chrysler Bar is in Adelaide, S.A near the old closed down Chrysler Australia manufacturing plant - well worth a visit if any of you overseas guys head down under.

It was hard enough sneaking a pic of that chick's rack at the bar (a skimpy's bar in Kalgoorlie) let alone getting the car involved... 

[Bob T]

Absolutely Epic Journey Laxy, well done with you and your mates, its the sort of thing Don Walker or Ian Moss would've written a song about
And , the old bus gave you no problems , what a machine   .
Green too eh, I thought it was black for ages.
Hows that guy hoarding the centuras 

Nice one mate, classic trip and one that will stay with you for a long time   

[tan top]

 wow  , what an adventure   ,  damn dude , you guys had some fun thanks for sharing all this stuff & awesome   pictures  


 

like this one    

[redgum78]

Awsome trip Laxy and great pics, thanks for sharing.
Was that fuel injection on a Hemi 6 I saw?

[TiMopar]

Excellent pictures, thanks for posting!

[Back N Black]

Wow! that's awesome, i would love to do a trip like that some day. Australia is a beautiful country. So, all you guys out there with trailer queens and garage eye candy, it much more fun driving em! 

[RallyeMike]

Doing epic things creates adventure and great memories. I feel another road trip coming on myself! Thanks for sharing this.

[moparstuart]

awesome trip , i though you had broken down at the same town as the Priscilla queen of the desert bus  


 
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV-Zzasrky8

[Fred]

Did you happen to come across the Leyland's at any point? 

[Fred]

oops!................just disregard.

[doctor4766]

May consider the trip along side you next time Laxy.
When are you bringing the pink Charger over?

[nvrbdn]

what a great trip. enjoyed seeing those pic's. the bar was sweet.thanks.

[XS29L9B2]

so nice your pics 

[SFRT]

TALK ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM! YOU ARE A HERO 

[road/track]

Wow, C@@L, this have been my dream, but I was convinced that I should do that on my motorcycle, now I have to re-think that..

Thanks for the story, really cool road trip

Cheers guys, the Chrysler Bar is in Adelaide, S.A near the old closed down Chrysler Australia manufacturing plant - well worth a visit if any of you overseas guys head down under.

It was hard enough sneaking a pic of that chick's rack at the bar (a skimpy's bar in Kalgoorlie) let alone getting the car involved... 

I also have an appointment at the bar... additional bonus 

[Laxy]

Thanks all, I highly recommend this sort of trip to anyone, way too much fun.

Doc, I'm probably aiming for late this year to bring the other Charger over, it would need a few things sorted before making any sort of trip though so will play it by ear. Will give you plenty of notice if I set anything in concrete.

And yes, that VG sedan was a genuine Pacer, original motor stored in the shed while it was running a very lumpy sounding 265 Hemi with owner-built fuel injection and a 5 speed manual! Randomly chased him down in a small country town in South Australia!

[Darkman]

Sad sad time for South Australia lost Chrysler and Bitsaremissing (Mitsubishi) took over!

[elacruze]

Wow. I wanted to comment on every photo, but it's all just too much...Awesome! Thanks for sharing that. Someday I'll get down there, although likely in the boat and I'll have to rent wheels.

[billschroeder5842]

Excellent Job! You've given me back my motivation for a Route 66 cruise!

[FlatbackFanatic]

Great pics!! Now that looks like a fun trip!!

[doctor4766]

It's an awesome trip in any vehicle.
I did it near on 10 years ago (as part of a 13000km round trip from Perth-Brisbane and back again) with 3 kids in the car, and the sights to be seen are amazing in places.

Hey Laxy, did you travel the Great Ocean Road as part of the route?

[aussiemuscle]

i like the black/dark green charger. it looks like the kind of thing the FBI might have driven. (dog dish hubcaps set it off).

[Laxy]

It's an awesome trip in any vehicle.
I did it near on 10 years ago (as part of a 13000km round trip from Perth-Brisbane and back again) with 3 kids in the car, and the sights to be seen are amazing in places.

Hey Laxy, did you travel the Great Ocean Road as part of the route?

Nah mate we went straight through central Victoria. Done the Great Ocean plenty of times when I was a local but it is a definite must-see for anyone doing this journey who hasn't been there before, although of course it adds quite a bit of time and distance to the trip.

I think I need to head over and do Route 66 next.

[doctor4766]

It's an awesome trip in any vehicle.
I did it near on 10 years ago (as part of a 13000km round trip from Perth-Brisbane and back again) with 3 kids in the car, and the sights to be seen are amazing in places.

Hey Laxy, did you travel the Great Ocean Road as part of the route?

Nah mate we went straight through central Victoria. Done the Great Ocean plenty of times when I was a local but it is a definite must-see for anyone doing this journey who hasn't been there before, although of course it adds quite a bit of time and distance to the trip.

I think I need to head over and do Route 66 next.

Chit yeah. That'd be awesome. I've kinda looked at doing that myself for a while now.

My sister in law in Melbourne talked us into doing the GOR instead of going through Bendigo or Ballarat or whatever it was that we were going to do. So down through Geelong we went.
Added an extra day getting to Port Augusta through Adelaide, having stopped in Portland overnight, but the sightseeing along the way was well worth it.
 

[XS29LA47V21]

Thank you for posting that was really cool, a little living vicariously through the photos.  I envision going to Australia someday maybe, but I am sure not with a Charger.  Some cool photos, anymore with Chargers maybe not on that road trip but another road trip with some interesting views or backdrops?  Show us more please from across the pond......   Thanks,

[nh_mopar_fan]

Awesome pics!

We're currently in the planning stages for coming over for a 4-5 weeks in October.

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Very cool saga Great post!

[TheGhost]

Looks like an awesome time, that's for sure.

I thought that all cars had to be converted to right hand drive down under?

[Darkman]

Looks like an awesome time, that's for sure.

I thought that all cars had to be converted to right hand drive down under?

30 + year old cars don't have to be converted

[Laxy]

Thanks for the comments!

[Hemidog]

Epic trip! I envy you those roads  I wish the snow would dissapear up here 

I really wish you would raise that rear though!