Historic vehicles track evolution of roadside service
When I started with RACQ as a 15-year-old apprentice mechanic in January 1980, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that 45 years down the track I would be working on some of the same makes and models of vehicles that I did back then.
But as the Historic Fleet Coordinator, that’s exactly what I do.
No two days are the same, as the needs of the fleet’s senior citizens vary greatly; I could be simply preparing a vehicle for a show or exhibition, fabricating a much-needed part that hasn’t been available for decades, or searching for a suitable addition to our historic fleet.
I have spent 35 of my 45 years with the Club in the Fleet Vehicle Centre.
Over that time, I have seen major changes in the types of vehicles and equipment used by patrols.
When I started, there was still a significant percentage of four-wheel drives among the fleet.
As time went by, more and more sealed roads and fewer dirt tracks meant patrols had to attend fewer ‘bog recoveries,’ and so the need for four-wheel drives diminished.
Before patrols carried batteries, smaller panel-van vehicles like the Ford Escort and Mazda 323 sufficed.
There was then a shift to style-side utes with fibreglass canopies. This allowed the concept of patrols carrying batteries to be trialled. Now, cab-chassis utes with service bodies are used.
The equipment used by patrols has changed a lot, too. To inflate a tyre, patrols once used hand or foot pumps.
When I started, patrol vehicles carried high-pressure cylinders filled with carbon dioxide and, later, on-board 12-volt compressors.
Now, most patrols use cordless mobile tyre inflators that can be taken to the member’s vehicle, regardless of location.
Wheel braces have also been replaced by air, and then battery-operated impact guns.
For diagnostic purposes, patrols had nothing more than a test light, test condenser, and test spark plug.
Then, as vehicles became equipped with electronic ignition and engine management systems, patrols were issued with Fluke digital multimeters.
Patrols now have an arsenal of diagnostic equipment, including battery testers and scan tools.
After viewing road service over a long period of time, it is very clear that the Club has adapted in all areas to meet the needs of its members as they change.
Every vehicle in the historic fleet, as different as each of them is, were what was needed to meet the needs of the member at that time.
Jim is the longest-serving employee currently working with RACQ.
