Suzuki 4WD.
The Suzuki car company, in the hope of breaking into the mining industry dropped 3 little Suzuki 4WD vehicles off at the mine on trial for a few weeks. These vehicles were a little on the smallish size compared to the more suited HJ 47 TOYOTA's we were using at the time.
Warren Brown the mine manager was given one of these vehicles to evaluate, the two shift bosses the others.
With all an metal construction and a smallish 4 cylinder engine these little buzz boxes were put through their paces as they drove around the pit, fitted with only the basics, bare floors no linings of any description the interiors were all open panels a short bench seat either side in the rear forced the occupants to sit facing each other with their knees spread due to the lack of room and two ultra basic seats completed the front.
One Saturday morning a dozer was pushing up a stock pile of clean sandy material in the pit and had produced a pile almost ten meters high.
Warren Brown decided to pop into the pit with the intention of having the dozer operator move on to another job he had in mind.
He approached the large heap, satisfied there was sufficient material to do the task and parked at the foot of the pile then climbing to the top waited for the Dozer to complete the next pass before stopping it to inform the operator of his next task, a little further on.
The operator understanding what was needed moved on and over the heap, Warren inspected the pushed up material as the Dozer headed off pleased with to see there were very few rocks in the mix, then followed the dozer tracks over the pile and down the other side.
At the bottom he discovered the 70 ton Dozer tracks had passed exactly over the middle of his little Suzuki from engine to rear door reducing it to something that now stood less than a 150mm high with four wheels laying flat and encased in the mustard yellow metal that was once a loan vehicle.
As the dozer crested the heap the operator had been unable to see anything directly ahead or below and feeling nothing unusual simply carried on.
Eventually arriving back in the office an hour or so later Warren rang Suzuki who by then the business had closed for the weekend.
The flat pack vehicle was retrieved and placed on the back of the supply truck with instructions to deliver it to Suzuki first thing Monday morning.
9am Monday morning Warren phoned the manager of Suzuki to explain the fate of the vehicle. Just as luck happens, the truck pulled up in front of his office with the vehicle strapped down on the back, as Warren began his story.
I think it has just arrived the Suzuki manager informed Warren.
Oh good, Warren replied could you let the driver know if you want it slid under the door would you prefer he pop it into your letter box?.
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