Blinding Rain, Big Bananas and Roadside Dramas: I Took Project Cactus On A 1,400 Mile Interstate Roadtrip

Regular readers would no doubt be familiar with Project Cactus, the 1969 Valiant Ute that David Tracy and I threw together with the help of a good dozen Aussies (and also the car-gods) in the span of about three weeks. We took that thing from a beat-up shell into a road-tripping beast, against all odds. Now it’s been over a year; here’s how this automotive miracle is holding up.

A reminder of Project Cactus’ legendary status. It began as this:

And somehow became this road-tripping beast within just three weeks:

Here’s a full video of the heroic odyssey:

As per my last update, Cactus had reached the one-year anniversary of returning to the road and had racked up around 8,000 km (around 5,000 miles) in those twelve months with no real issues or complaints. Our parts-car-with-plates had visited two Australian states, visited one of Australia’s largest car shows and had even been awarded ‘Most Unique Vehicle’ at a local event.

Well as luck would have it, Cactus got stranded at the farm where the top shot was taken for that anniversary article, due to a dead ignition coil. The fact that the coil was at least three decades old, donated from my Charger which lead a hard, daily-driven life prior to restoration and was more triangular in shape than the original cylindrical form it left the Australian Bosch factory meant it had truly performed yeoman’s service to have survived this long.

After returning to the farm a few days later to replace said coil and getting back to the shed, I finally put the plan in motion to replace the points ignition for an electronic setup. 

I did this because Cactus doesn’t run a ballast resistor as per the factory wiring, which allows for a full 12 volts to the ignition whilst cranking the engine to help fire up and then drops back to around 9 volts to extend the life of the ignition points and ignition coil.

Because this part of the original wiring harness was damaged, we had bypassed this system and ran power directly from the battery. The result of this was that the ignition points looked like they had been used for welding. How they survived so many miles at high-voltage is beyond me, and they were the original points that came with the locked-up 215 Hemi six!

By comparison, the cheap Ebay electronic ignition setup I set aside for Cactus had already run for around 20,000km in my Charger without issue and requires a full 12 volts to run properly. With ignition points components becoming more scarce (Bosch permanently closed several production lines during Covid), this meant I could save my meager stash of these dwindling parts for my other Valiant ute, ‘Lenny’ who is all-original.

Crispy!

With a Sunday afternoon spare, all it took was to remove and replace the old distributor and coil with the electronic items and Project Cactus moved into 1980s technology!

As I had hinted at in the anniversary piece, I had an upcoming trip to the Queensland state capital of Brisbane. The second-largest Australian state, located to the North of my home state of New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) is over 2.5 times larger than Texas and about 17% larger than Alaska with a population just over 5 million people.

Being that I didn’t need to be in Brisbane until Wednesday morning for my work conference, I opted to take the first two days of the week as leave to make my way up the coast and visit family. I much preferred this over flying, as it’s either two flights (Dubbo-Sydney, then Sydney-Brisbane) or a four-hour drive to Newcastle for a direct flight.

Travelling this way also meant that I could finally get a pile of Z32 Nissan 300ZX parts out of my shed and into their owner’s hands in QLD.

The Roadtrip Begins

With the under-tray storage loaded up with hand tools, power tools, spare parts and a big cordless work-light  in just-in-case I set off on Saturday after lunch.

The plan was to reach my aunt’s house about an hour north of Sydney for her birthday party that night. Cactus just ate up the miles and clear skies abounded. It bucketed down rain that night on the coast, making the half-hour journey to my cousin’s house to sleep a little more challenging due to the dark and slippery roads full of blind corners.

After spending some time with my cousin and his family (including some races together in Gran Turismo 7), I set off for my uncle’s place on the NSW North Coast, about an hour south of the Queensland border and not far from Grinspoon’s home territory.

The rain continued to come down really heavily, with visibility on the Pacific Highway at around two car-lengths at best for most of the journey North. I had to keep the vent-window slightly open to help de-fog the windscreen (there’s no blower fan nor heater in this machine), leading to the occasional drip onto my right knee. The ancient wiper setup was doing an admirable job keeping the screen clear enough.

The rain eased briefly at the half-way point of Port Macquarie, time to refill both the ute’s tank and mine. Plenty of stares and people pointing at this rolling conveyance of recycled refuse and reclaimed rust. We certainly were not in the country anymore!

I got in somewhat late to my uncle’s place, having taken it easy with all the wet weather. I pulled Cactus into the shed and straight to the bar fridge to crack open a few cold ones with him and a few mates. Once again, Cactus was the roughest vehicle in esteemed company!

Upon taking out my luggage, I noticed that there was some water pooling in the passenger-side floor. Whilst I wasn’t getting wet, there was some water intruding from somewhere. I suspect there is some cowl rust very close to the firewall, allowing it to drip down under the floor mats unnoticed.

It was a similar story in the storage area, which I knew had some leaks. When we replaced the rusty section of the tray near the cab wall, we didn’t have time to weld all of it up so it got a smearing of Sikaflex by DT whilst he muttered something about a galactic war between adhesive companies (it was really, really late in the evening, okay!).

I grabbed a drill bit and made some extra drainage for now as there was no sign of the rain abating for the entire time I would be away from home.

Ancient Electrics and Rare Lizards

Getting up early the next morning, we got to work checking the two starter motors I had brought with me as Lenny’s starter was getting weak and needed frequent taps with a hammer to get working. 

My uncle is an auto electrician, amongst other talents (he did the paint/panel on my Charger and a ton of other things on that car), so this was nothing unusual.

We stripped Lenny’s old starter down and found that the brushes for the motor were pretty much used up, but worse was that the drive was completely stuffed and they are hard to find for this model of starter.

At least I got to take a look at the gear-reduction which makes older Mopar starters such a unique audio experience:

 

The other starter which I brought along was in decent shape, so we cleaned it up and rebuilt it with a new solenoid. Sadly it’s not the famous gear-reduction type, but I’d rather be able to drive without needing to worry when I shut off the engine.

I used one of the hoists in the shed for some precautionary checks, nothing had come loose or become a cause for concern.

The next day, the rain cleared enough that my uncle decided it was decent enough weather to take his Perentti Coupe out for a run after a quick wash.

Designed in Melbourne by Revolution Fibreglass and sold from the late 70s to late 80s in either kit or as a complete car, the Perentti (named after an Australian desert lizard, the Perentie Varanus giganteus) is inspired by the third-generation Corvette and built upon a Holden HQ-WB Ute chassis. The extra length allowed for a 2+2 seating configuration, unlike a Corvette. Also unlike a C3 Corvette, the boot/trunk area opens and is a usable space for luggage.

The dash cluster was largely taken from an early Commodore, including the economy-minded vacuum-gauge!

You would think this sounds like a combination for a pretty awful sportscar, but with the engine moved over an inch backwards and down from the Holden location (now behind the front axle), and with the front passengers also sitting a long ways back from where they would in a Ute it results in excellent weight distribution and a low centre of gravity.

I got the opportunity to drive the Perentti on some gently winding roads near some sugarcane farms. The steering is remarkably responsive for a 70s Holden steering box, with nice and sharp turn-in as well as great road-feel. The coupe stayed flat in the corners and seemed to be really well balanced. The standard four-wheel disc brakes likewise were confidence-inspiring.

Not a hint of the chassis’ more agricultural origins was evident, this definitely had the handling and braking to match the sports-car looks. 

My uncle’s Perentti coupe (he also has one of the few convertibles built) is powered by a 253 Holden V8 (aka ‘thong slapper’) and a Trimatic (aka ‘traumatic’) 3-speed auto gearbox that will be removed and replaced by an injected 4.9L Holden V8 and 5-speed manual so the coupe will finally have a bit more performance to back up the visuals.

After lunch it was time to say goodbye to this coastal paradise, and head north towards the state line.

Project Cactus overlooks his greatest nemesis , NaCl + H20

I had to be careful once I reached the border, as Queensland, much like NSW’s southern neighbour, Victoria, doesn’t have signs warning of upcoming speed cameras.

Northward, Ho!

A few hours later I had arrived at the home of one of my best mates, Adam, and the destination for the 300ZX parts that had been my cargo for the past 1,000km or so.

Adam has been in love with the Z32 Nissans since we were in high school. He had a non-turbo 2-seater JDM-imported Z32 back in high school, which we got back on the road around eleven years ago after it had a collision:

Adam later purchased a thoroughly restored and modified twin-turbo 2+2 example during Covid and had it sent up from Dubbo to Brisbane.

After a great time with Adam and his young family, it was time to head into the CBD of Brisbane for my work conference. Project Cactus was a hit with the valets at my hotel, who were more than pleased to get to park such a machine!

Two days later, work conference concluded, it was time to head back to Adam’s ahead of a car meet that night. I asked the valet to bring my car out, warning them it was 53-years-old and column-manual, to which I got the reply ‘we get lots of old cars here, it’s fine’. A few minutes later, the valet approached me in the lobby and said ‘maybe it’s better if you drive this one out of the parking garage!’.

Going Underground

That night we had a car meet, organised by Autopian member FlavouredMilk. It was about half an hour from Adam’s, and the rain was absolutely relentless. The windscreen on Cactus was greasy, and it was so bad that whenever there were bright headlights in the opposite direction it was nearly impossible to see. I got more than a few stares at traffic lights as I was scrubbing the inside of the windscreen with a cloth!

Adam took his Z, and we arrived late, but the turnout was great and the selection of cars was excellent.

It always amazes me how quickly car enthusiasts can bond and find common ground for conversation, and this night was no different. Many laughs were had, Project Cactus stickers distributed and once again the world felt that much smaller.

Sadly I didn’t get many photos of the meetup, there was too much to talk about and too much to see!

The Datsun 2000 was a particular highlight, running a blacktop SR20 and looking amazing. The AU Falcon had some cool mods too, including a genuine V8 Supercars rear bumper that I unfortunately didn’t get around to photographing that evening. There was also a Tank 300, but likewise I ran out of time to chat about nor have much of a look at this.

As I went to leave, Project Cactus appeared to run out of fuel and conked out whilst still in the carpark. Luckily FlavouredMilk was still there and graciously offered to take me to the nearest servo (gas station) to fill up a fuel can in his NA-series Mazda MX-5. 

As shameful as it sounds, I had never actually sat in an MX-5 before, so this quick trip was a treat, complete with the raucous sound of ITBs (individual throttle-bodies).

With five litres decanted into Cactus, I was able to start up again and get to the servo. Curiously, the fuel tank would only take another 35 litres. This was odd as the tank is around 70 litres. As it was getting late, I ignored this and drove back to Adam’s as we needed to drop his mum off about an hour away and pick up some parts for me to take home.

The parts in question are a F6A (657cc DOHC turbocharges three-cylinder) from a Suzuki Cappuccino and a 5-speed manual gearbox to be swapped into Bek’s Mighty Boy. They have been up in Adam’s mum’s garage for the past two years or so, and part of the reason I took Cactus was so that I could finally bring these parts home and start working on this drivetrain swap.

The Suzuki Mighty Boy came with a 550cc three-cylinder engine making around 25hp, whereas the F6A made around 63hp. For a tiny ute that weighs around 1100lbs, it should wake things up!

Eastbound and Down

The next morning I loaded up and made my way south down the Pacific Highway. The rain was back, not as extreme as when I was heading up, but still heavy in places. 

Concerned by the unusual fuel issue the night before, I played it safe and filled up at the QLD border. Once again, the tank only took a few litres.

I resolved to keep putting fuel in at shorter intervals than I did on the way back, to avoid being stranded in case something had gone wrong with the fuel pickup or anything else in the fuel system.

Reaching Coffs Harbour, I wanted to get a photo of everyone’s favourite conveyance of congenial corrosion by their famous landmark, but with Coffs being Coffs (this place and I don’t have the best history, especially with vehicles), the best I could manage was this awkward shot hastily taken in a no-stopping zone:

There was an odd surging going on whilst driving in the hills around Coffs Harbour, but this seemed to be alleviated if the tank was completely full to the brim so I resolved to keep topped off whenever possible so that I could get back home if that is what was needed to do so.

My destination for the evening was the home of my mates Nick and Emma, Toyota Cressida enthusiasts who you may remember from the Anniversary article who live just to the west of Newcastle, hometown of The Screaming Jets.

Google Maps suggested I turn off the highway and head inland early instead of going through the slow-moving roads around Raymond Terrace, so I acquiesced and followed suit.

Driving through more country-style roads was a nice respite from the endless dual-carriageway. With only a few kays to go, the surging returned before our hero spluttered to a stop on a gentle slope.

Luckily there were dogs going berserk in the backyard facing the road I was stuck on, and the homeowner came out and offered me some of his lawnmower fuel. With that not getting Cactus mobile again, he offered to drive me to the nearest servo so that I could fill both his mower can and my fuel can to see if that alleviated the issue.

Incredulously, the nearest service station was barely 600m (less than a half-mile) up the road!

With another 12 litres or so onboard and some urging, Cactus fired back to life and I made it to the servo to put another 20 litres or so in the tank. 

Realising there is definitely a problem with fuel delivery, as I could see fuel at the base of the filler neck I got to Nick and Emma’s about an hour late and parked up for the night.

Down for the Cause

The next day, we met up with their friend Goose and his also-modified MX35 Cressida to head to a car show in neighbouring Toronto (or in local dialect ‘Tronno’) which was organised to support a young girl fighting cancer.

Heading over in convoy, Goose was dropping back just before we made the final turnoff to the destination. I found out later that his bonnet catch had failed and the bonnet had gone completely vertical at highway speed!

While this was going on, Nick managed to get stuck on the way into the event, his differential becoming an anchor and firmly wedging his Toyota to the contour bank.

After a few attempts to rock the car free, event organisers asked if I could free the sedan with a push from Cactus.

The assembled crowd seemed to enjoy the sight of a feral country-spec Valiant Ute attempting to ram a stranded Japanese vehicle, but it was all in vain.

One of the vendors selling merchandise finally came around with a Ram and a tow strap, ending the saga and clearing the way for entrants and cheers from the onlookers.

There was a great turnout to the show, with a broad variety of vehicles including a DeTomaso Pantera, old-school hotrods, some hotted-up Aussie vehicles and a great selection of old-school and modern Japanese vehicles.

I know Matt Hardigree is an Escort fanatic, so here’s some pics of an Escort Sundowner panelvan:

With midday fast approaching, it was time for me to hit the road for the final four hours or so home.

The Final Stretch

Knowing that the fuel system was threatening to go on smoko at the merest hill should the tank be only a few gallons from full, I resolved to fill up in every town from Toronto to Dubbo. This gave an average of less than 50km (~31 miles) between most towns until the halfway-point of Merriwa so the tank could stay very much full in preparation for the somewhat steep hills that I knew awaited me near Denman (less than an hour away) and Merriwa. 

Hardly the Rocky Mountains, but at this point they felt like the Himalayas with the fuel surging/starvation that was going on at even a gentle incline.

This was in stark contrast to the drive over a week ago through the same hills where the 245-cubic-inch ‘Hemi’ inline-six charged up effortlessly.

I pulled over near the steeper grades so that I wasn’t holding anyone up. With the right throttle, it was possible to still get up the hills at a decent pace that wasn’t that significantly off the signposted 100km/h (62mph), but the surging was still present and a constant concern.

After filling up four times in as many hours, I managed to make it back to the shed and went inside for a drink and a break from the heat.

When I went back to check over the fuel system and diagnose the issue, I noticed that the fuel tank vent tube was completely blocked with mud!

Here I have already started clearing the blockage, but as you can see it’s a rather small-diameter hose

In pre-emissions era vehicles, there is a small-diameter line that vents excess pressure in the tank to the atmosphere.

Because the low-pressure mechanical fuel pump on these vehicles is mounted on the engine, a long way from the fuel tank, any change in the pressure differential can have a dramatic impact on the ability of the pump to suck fuel through the line and up to the carburetor.

I’d never experienced this kind of malady before, and because engine performance seemed unaffected on flat ground I had decided to press on during the trip and had initially thought that perhaps the fuel pickup on the sender had broken the solder that held it in place and it had rotated, hence the inability to draw fuel from below half a tank or so.

Overall, the trip went well and goes to show just how well-sorted Project Cactus is at this point to have made it to the hometown of DZ Deathrays and back with an issue that could have been resolved by the roadside if required.

It’s easy to look at project cars and dismiss them as something you only take out in perfect weather, for short trips only.

If you’ve been through and repaired or rebuilt the major systems, there’s no real reason why you can’t go further. If your car can make it an hour down the road, in all likelihood it can make it another dozen more and then some.

Adventure rarely springs itself upon you, it is up to you to seek it out. Get out of your comfort zone every now and again, meet new people, try new things!

Now that we have another Aussie on the Autopian staff, I’m heavily considering taking our you-beaut-ute across the Outback, back to its birthplace.

Now get out there and enjoy your cars and communities!