Hello All - Garry Here

present your haflinger and introduce yourself to thehafllinger.com community
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Hi all - Garry Collins here. Just moved across from three of the Yahoo sites and Real 4x4 and will keep monitoring those while they continue to operate. I sure hope that over time all of the valuable information contained on the Yahoo sites is transferred over and that links remain to the information that cannot be moved.

I am looking forward to getting a lot of information and of course contributing as well but being new to Haflingers the contributions might be a bit slow at first.

I am from Canberra in Australia and would be considered a Landrover person. However I have always known about Haflingers and had the acquisition of one on my bucket list. I bought a 73 SWB last October and while it looked great in all the photos it was not quite as good as it appeared. It runs and stops but will require a little welding under the steering box and the front right hub has a massive oil leak and the front end is quite growlie. I haven't done any work as yet but will be start shortly.

Here it is

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Like most people who have Haflingers I also have general interest in cars and in my case specifically Landrovers and Jaguars.

This is my daily driver (Range Rover Sport Diesel)
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My 4wd (Land Rover FC 101)
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I have been away with a couple of 4x4 Pinzgauers and if the 101 has difflocks it is more than a match for the Pinz offroad. The Pinz has more clearance under the diffs, the 101 more under the body, but the Pinz is far more bouncy and tippy with those swing axles where the 101 is more stable - both a great vehicles.

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Project 1 (1957 Landrover SWB Station Wagon (Very very rare in Aust)
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Project 2 (Another 57 normal Landrover but this will be sold on)
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And Project 3 - 2013 is the Year of the E-Type Project - my 1971 Jaguar E-Type
Then (when I bought it 30 years ago)
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Now
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So that is me - looking forward to getting the Haffie on the road - will be my local 4wd vehicle, shopping cart and latte coffee drinking vehicle. Oh - the Haffie should fit in the back of the 101 :)

Thanks for setting up this site.

Cheers

Garry
PS - I will set up all my profile stuff later.
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Well after putting it off for a while I finally contacted the main previous owner of my Haffie an got some interesting information.

My Haflinger is an Australian assembled Haflinger and was sold new in 1973 to a farmer from Tasmania and then shipped to his farm in Tassie and used there until 2004 when it was sold to Stan from Dunalley in Tasmania. So the first owner had it for 31 years. The first owner died two days after he sold the Haffie to Stan. Some of you may recall that Dunalley was devastated by fires in January this year and Stan lost his home. If he had still owned the Haffie it too would have been destroyed.

Stan used the vehicle as a gold prospecting vehicle in outback Western Australia and on returning to Tasmania rebuilt and modified the vehicle.

He sold the Haffie in September 2012 as part exchange for a diesel 5 door 85 MB G wagen. I bought the vehicle in October 2012. So I am really the third long term owner in 40 years.

If you have looked at some of my posts you will realise that the vehicle has been modified in some ways.

Stan was not happy with the pulling power of the Haffie and was going to put in a Suzuki 3 cylinder 800cc engine but thought there would be too much cutting and modification so he decided to beef up the standard engine. In 2011 the engine was fully reconditioned with VW 1500 pistons and "Marley Barrels" taking the engine out to 750cc. Stan claims the Haffie is good for 90kph on 14" rims - but on my drive today it still seemed pretty gutless - hmm maybe I need to loose a few kgs. Oil pressure is 40 psi at idle and with revs gets up to about 70psi.

As part of this upgrade - the 123/Fiat Electronic Ignition was installed and to make the engine fuel and breathe better the Solex 34 PCI carby was installed along with a more efficient muffler (I will put this back on after it is MOTed).

On my current reversing light issue - Stan indicated that it never worked.

Stan claims the brakes have always been awful and that they need to be strictly adjusted up regularly according to the book - I can attest to them being awful despite them being adjusted up.

Cheers

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Roadworthy Achieved

Post by AustHaflinger »

Well I went down and had no issues with the roadworthy test and passed with flying colours. They classed the Haffie as a light truck - therefore a commercial vehicle so the issues with respect to things like a reversing lamp do not apply :) .

When I went to the government office to pay the money and get my plates they refused to register it because the receipt I had did not have the seller signature on it :? even though receipt was hand written and his name on it - so essentially a printed signature. So rang the seller explained the issue and he was happy to help so two hours later back at the office and a lot poorer.

Image

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I have a 100kph freeway nearby that is about 30km long so I just had to take it for is first real drive under my ownership. I still have a growly front end and oil leaks at the front left fulcrum pins but as speed increases the noise reduces and is quite pleasant to drive. Driving it around a bit hopefully will highlight issues that are not obvious in the static situation.

I know speed is not a priority with a Haffie but I did have to see what it would do - seemed to be happy cruising at just under 70kph (GPS speed) with the tacho on about 4100 RPM. I did manage to get 78.3kph on the GPS before its battery ran out at about 4700rpm and later did see 5000rpm when the wind changed. I don't think that my 762cc engine makes the Haffie go any faster but the 14" tyres do, however the extra torque did seem to be noticeable - going up moderate hills it hangs on in 5th at about 3500rpm and if you change down to 4th the engine runs out of revs where 5th holds on which was a bit of a surprise.

Now that I have satisfied my curiosity I will be using my Haffie just around town and sorting out a few other issues and the occasional 4wd trip up into the nearby mountains .

I also want to thank everyone who for the help that has been provided over the past 6 months of ownership - it has been great and I really appreciate it.

Cheers

Garry

PS - will a Haffie with a standard engine pull redline/governor in 5th on the straight and level?
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
HaffyHunter
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:12 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by HaffyHunter »

Hi Garry,
Congrats on getting your Haf licensed for the road. Your truck looks very smart in the photos. It sounds like the motor mods make it a little more comfortable to drive on the highway hills. My engine is completely stock and reaches similar speeds to yours but climbing highway grades usually requires downshifts to 4th gear. My truck easily engages the governor at 4800RPM when in 5th gear on the flat runs.
Cheers,
Steve
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks Steve - I was reasonably happy with its performance though I am not sure it would pass a modern Moose Test (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose_test) at any sort of speed.

Cheers

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
HaffyHunter
Posts: 238
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:12 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by HaffyHunter »

Hi Garry,
I agree, driving a Haflinger at 80KPH is akin to a ride downhill in a runaway shopping cart :o
Cheers,
Steve
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Rick K
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:42 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by Rick K »

Hello Garry. Congratulations. Its no small feat getting a haffy roadworthy and registered, and you have been tenacious, resourceful and determined. Im pleased too as we have another roadworthy Haflinger in our midsts, and improves the chances to draw folks together for another Oz Treffen. Well done. Rick
1963 Haflinger 700APTL (ex- Hydro Tasmania)
several Puch scooters[/size]
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Thanks Rick - I have covered just over 150kms over the past two days just driving around town. Engine and performance wise it runs very well. The growl I have in the drivetrain is a bit of a worry - noticeable from the slowest speed but goes when at cruising speed - I suspect a bearing in the front diff but it could be anywhere and may just be the noise of the straight cut gears in the hubs. I want it on the road so I can find out all these sort of issues that cannot be identified in the garage.

The front swing arm fulcrums are leaking oil from the diff but should be easy to fix with new O rings. Fuel consumption is a bit high at 15l/100km so maybe a good tune is needed - I haven't done anything is that area at this stage.

I have to take some Landrover parts down to a mate in Nowra in a week or so - his family owned the Haffie that was later used in "Call of the Wild" and has subsequently owned another ex Army Haffie - so I will tow the Haffie down and get him to check it over - he is a mechanic and knows them pretty well.

Overall however, it does drive better than I expected and the more I am driving it the more comfortable I feel with it.

Cheers

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
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pureredcordial
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:32 pm
Location: Canberra, Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by pureredcordial »

Hi Gary,

Just noticed a photo of you loading your haflinger into a trailer at the ACT Landrover Club day and it reminded me to sign up to this site! Yours looks very tidy!

cheers
Matt
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Hi Matt and welcome to the forum - the pics you saw must have been over on the Real 4x4 forum.

Your Dad rang me a while back and we had a nice chat about your Haffie for an hour or so. we both agreed that you needed to pull your finger out and get yours on the road.

I understand you have a Defender so maybe you should be joining the Landie Club - they are a club for all 4wds and offer historic rego. I will be transferring my Haffie across from full rego to historic through the Landrover club later this month.

Was it you who bought all those Haffie bits on ebay a little while back from up near Gunning??

Welcome - it is a great forum.

Cheers

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
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pureredcordial
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:32 pm
Location: Canberra, Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by pureredcordial »

:) I've been in the Landie Club for quite a number of years. I've email Allan @ LRC about plans to also register as a historic vehicle through the club. Just chasing paperwork to work out the exact model year as I'm missing a VIN plate - my dad is speaking to Tony in Melbourne about tracking the original build information. The last NSW rego papers I have list the gearbox and engine number which match but no VIN (looks like the tub was damaged/repaired where it would normally be.)

I did buy a crate of engine and other parts off ebay but much further out that Gunning from memory.

Cheers.
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Yes Alan did mention someone did contact him about historic rego on a haffie.

So did you go to the Show n Tell?? If not, why not?

I occasionally drive my Haffie to club meetings as I can fit into the car parks that have trees in the middle of them out the front of the football club.

Haflinger Technik in Scotland can send you a scanned copy of your builld sheet (even it was build in Melbourne) - cost is something like $50. It will be in German but most of it can be understood using an online tranlator. It will have all the numbers on it.

Remember - the gearbox number is not really the gearbox number but is the Chassis Number so is what most Aussie rego authorities want for this age of vehicles. Indeed when these were built VIN numbers were not in common use in Aust.

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
Doug Lennox
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun May 19, 2013 12:40 pm
Location: Townsville, Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by Doug Lennox »

Hi Matt, I agree with Garry, Haflinger Technik can provide a copy of the manufacturing Data for your Haf if you give him the engine number and chassis (gearbox) number for a small fee of 30 Pound UK. I have done this for my haf and was very happy with the information and professionalism given. All at the touch of a computer screen.

Best of luck.

Doug
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

Welcome to the forum Doug. Getting a few Aussies on here now and a few Banana Benders - not sure that is good though :lol:

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
User avatar
pureredcordial
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:32 pm
Location: Canberra, Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by pureredcordial »

Thanks. My dad has been in contact with Haflinger Technik but the engine / gearbox numbers don't match up. A replacement engine or gearbox at some time over the years?? Tony in Melbourne has all the paperwork I need to track it down hopefully.

Show and tell day in the middle of 2 long weekends and school holidays? I was down the coast :) Although I did fit in some 4wding in the Defender around NoName Firetrail area and a bit of Jeeping around Corin today so not all sand and surf!

--matt
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AustHaflinger
Posts: 2465
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: Hello All - Garry Here

Post by AustHaflinger »

pureredcordial wrote:I was down the coast :)
Sorry, you have your priorities all wrong - instead of sunning it up down the beach, you should have been home working on the Haffie :lol:
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
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