Found by a fellow mokee, after being forgotten in a barn for 18 years, was a ’78 Moke that was in amazing condition, virtually rust free and almost complete. I dashed up the Hume to Goulburn to rescue my chariot, and Pantene came home.
Let me be totally upfront here - I am no motor head, in fact I had never so much as changed a spark plug prior to this. I bought three different manuals, removed bits, then used the manuals to identify what the parts were. I would then label and put them in a freezer bag. I took hundreds of photos.
Full time work, and raising three children does not give me a lot of free time so the project stammered and stuttered along. A couple of members from the MOA were great in giving support and dropped around on several occasions to help. This stopped the project from totally stalling. My aim was to keep the Moke as original as possible, thus taking advantage of the luck in finding such a complete original car to start with.
A year or so in, Mokefest was announced, and I decided that would be my line in the sand. I only have a small single garage. By the time my car was totally stripped and on blocks on its side resident white knight Ron Dickson had kindly stepped in and offered the use of his garage and his help.
IN the following months Phantom was born!!! Where possible, all original parts were restored and utilised. Whilst the name the Phantom is not anywhere on the car, there are symbols true to the theme throughout which, according to legend, means my Moke is under the protection of "The Phantom".
My youngest daughter, Tarli, became very involved and what a great joy to share this with her. My constant refrain was that the journey was as important as the destination. Poor Ron was constantly held up by all my other commitments meaning the project was still going far slower than anticipated.
Then Black Saturday. Due to my profession, I worked many long shifts back to back for weeks on end. The dream of Mokefest was slipping away. It was choice time - either continue being pedantic about my level of involvement and miss Mokefest, or be more gracious about accepting the generous help I was being offered, and let them loose! In stepped round table residents - Ron ,Dave, Bruce, Richard and Rhonda. Dave built a whole new wiring loom, doing an incredible job, and fitting it all. I did what I could, when I could, picking up bits for embroidery, getting special stickers made, bits chromed, and generally running around doing the little bits that kept it true to my plan, whilst this team put it all back together.
We scraped into Mokefest by the skin of our teeth. I can’t tell you how it felt to see the Phantom arrive in Wagga Wagga. He represents such a culmination of my dreams and gave me a focus at a time when I needed it. I have loved that car since the first time I saw it in that shed in Goulburn. Phantom has also bought friends into my life that I hope I will have for ever after.. It was these incredible people who got my Moke there.
In the way of all good fairy tales and legends, we then went to the ball, (also known as the Mokefest final dinner). The awards were announced with Phantom being presented the "Stand out car of the Show". Fighting back the tears, I accepted it on behalf of the our team. Thank you so much to my slightly rusty knights and fair maidens, thank you so very much,
I could sign off with "and we drove happily ever after" but hey it is a Moke!!!!!!
Lee Thomson 1192F
Let me be totally upfront here - I am no motor head, in fact I had never so much as changed a spark plug prior to this. I bought three different manuals, removed bits, then used the manuals to identify what the parts were. I would then label and put them in a freezer bag. I took hundreds of photos.
Full time work, and raising three children does not give me a lot of free time so the project stammered and stuttered along. A couple of members from the MOA were great in giving support and dropped around on several occasions to help. This stopped the project from totally stalling. My aim was to keep the Moke as original as possible, thus taking advantage of the luck in finding such a complete original car to start with.
A year or so in, Mokefest was announced, and I decided that would be my line in the sand. I only have a small single garage. By the time my car was totally stripped and on blocks on its side resident white knight Ron Dickson had kindly stepped in and offered the use of his garage and his help.
IN the following months Phantom was born!!! Where possible, all original parts were restored and utilised. Whilst the name the Phantom is not anywhere on the car, there are symbols true to the theme throughout which, according to legend, means my Moke is under the protection of "The Phantom".
My youngest daughter, Tarli, became very involved and what a great joy to share this with her. My constant refrain was that the journey was as important as the destination. Poor Ron was constantly held up by all my other commitments meaning the project was still going far slower than anticipated.
Then Black Saturday. Due to my profession, I worked many long shifts back to back for weeks on end. The dream of Mokefest was slipping away. It was choice time - either continue being pedantic about my level of involvement and miss Mokefest, or be more gracious about accepting the generous help I was being offered, and let them loose! In stepped round table residents - Ron ,Dave, Bruce, Richard and Rhonda. Dave built a whole new wiring loom, doing an incredible job, and fitting it all. I did what I could, when I could, picking up bits for embroidery, getting special stickers made, bits chromed, and generally running around doing the little bits that kept it true to my plan, whilst this team put it all back together.
We scraped into Mokefest by the skin of our teeth. I can’t tell you how it felt to see the Phantom arrive in Wagga Wagga. He represents such a culmination of my dreams and gave me a focus at a time when I needed it. I have loved that car since the first time I saw it in that shed in Goulburn. Phantom has also bought friends into my life that I hope I will have for ever after.. It was these incredible people who got my Moke there.
In the way of all good fairy tales and legends, we then went to the ball, (also known as the Mokefest final dinner). The awards were announced with Phantom being presented the "Stand out car of the Show". Fighting back the tears, I accepted it on behalf of the our team. Thank you so much to my slightly rusty knights and fair maidens, thank you so very much,
I could sign off with "and we drove happily ever after" but hey it is a Moke!!!!!!
Lee Thomson 1192F
Last Updated on Thursday, 15 October 2009 17:00