After finding the ideal car to drive the Desert Rattler, vintage adventurer Rod Wade is continuing to completely rebuild the 1929 Ford Model A Snowmobile ready to take on the sands of five deserts in Australia. Rod said: "I am enjoying this build more than any...
Rod has started work on the vehicle he will be using for the forthcoming Desert Rattler Run - a 1929 Ford Model A that was previously used as a snowmobile. “Unfortunately because the ’29 had been a snow runner there was rust galore and there were...
While the rest of us were tucking into leftover turkey on Boxing Day, Rod left home at 6.30am to recce the route for the Desert Rattler Run in August 2015, arriving back in Wongawallan at 2pm on Tuesday 30th December. Here is Rod’s Recce Report… I drove...
What a looker, these Ford cars were the must-have of the 50's. They still look great. I am hoping for a few chopper shots along the way! I have the youngest navigator out of all the starters and Jackson (aged 18) is in for the treat of a lifetime. For the...
Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade is planning an epic 14 day journey across Australia, heading west to east across five of the driest and most inhospitable deserts in a 1929 special built Model A Ford in August 2015. This is not a race against the clock but...
Progress on the rebuild of the engine for the 1953 Ford being prepped for the RTM rally has been tedious and taking well over the estimated time due to difficulty in obtaining parts. The engine has been fitted back in to the car and has since come...
Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade made a journey back to the USA in October, returning to Hershey where he caught up with good friend and Ocean 2 Ocean supporter Don Snyder as well as engine builder Ora Landis. (LtoR) John, Glenn and Don Snyder There was time...
Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade made a presentation to Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates to say thank you for all of their support in the preparation and completion of the Ocean 2 Ocean Challenge - Australia in June. Awarding Times with Mayor...
Rod has been working with navigator Jackson Evans on updating and upgrading the 1953 Ford to make it a bit more rally friendly. The excitement begins to grow as rally plates are fitted. The Crestline Upgrading of the gauges was a priority, water temp into the engine, water temp out, oil...
The prep on the Crestline is gathering pace - Rod brings us up to date with his two latest mods...
With the Road to Mandalay rally only a few months away, Rod's begun the preparation of his 1953 Ford Crestline in earnest. The engine and doors have been removed with some upgrades taking place in order to get the car ready for its rally debut. We'll have...
Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade is inviting those that are interested in being the navigator in his 1930 Model A Ford in the Peking to Paris Rally 2016 to contact him via email at vintageadventurer@bigpond.com. All interested persons are asked to fund their own airfares and share...
Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade's next adventure is The Road to Mandalay rally in February 2015. Rod is one of 75 entrants in the rally, organised by the Endurance Rally Association, which is also responsible for the Peking to Paris Rally. When Rod was considering which car...
See what happened on the road in our picture movie from the Ocean2Ocean Challenge Australia...
Apart from the co-driver, support crew and their families (mine too) I would like to give special thanks to Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates from The Gold Coast City Council and the Deputy Mayor Josh Wilson from the Fremantle City Council. There was also...
Welcome Home Tudor Rose After a sleep in a proper bed after completing a double crossing of Australia in 101hrs I keep redoing the drive and working out just how to do it again and faster and better. I have been over and over in...
We did it - we set a new World Record for driving from one side of Australia to the other and back again in a pre-war car...
We could see the clock ticking nearer to the 100 hours target that we had set ourselves and knew that it was becoming more and more unreachable. The final straw was when the Head on the engine block came loose again and affected the fuel...
After leaving Fremantle and the fantastic reception we got there, it was back on the road to Surfers Paradise. We were making good time and crossed the Nullarbor reaching half way where we were met with a glorious sunrise. Driving at sunrise through the mist on...