Break Down Story Number 7.

The Broken Cross Member.

Early 80’s, Grafton, well to be more accurate, Tucabia which is about ½ an hour east of Grafton. I was building a house on 100 acres out in the bush which was getting close to being finished but the kitchen was not finished. We use to have dinner at my son’s place which was about 10 minutes away in the village of Tucabia.

We were on our way home on one of these nights when the car, a MK I Triumph 2000, stopped. The engine was running but it would not move. I could not see any thing outwardly wrong, but as it would not move so there was nothing to do but walk the rest of the way (about ½ km) home. Now the road to our house was more of a bush track than a road so waking along it in the dark with only torch light to guide the way was not a lot of fun.

On closer inspection the next day we discovered that the rear cross member had broken where the exhaust goes through it. The hand brake cable also goes through the cross member and that was all that had stoped the rear of the car from hitting the ground. The reason the car would not move was that the considerable pressure on the hand brake cable had caused the left rear wheel to lock up. The car could not be moved so we had to repair it where it was in the middle of the road, luckily no one needed to use the road. Another cross member was obtained from the wreckers and the difficult job of repairing it was done. Luckily the exhaust was clamped on, not welded. So ended another break down adventure.

Ron Pope