18/08/2026
Party Bus Update 🚌💨
Well... the old girl is parked up in the shed, awaiting a transplant.
After four years of being absolutely bashed around race tracks, building Ultra4 tracks, highways, back roads, muddy tracks and generally dragged all over the place, the Party Bus has finally said:
"Yeah mate, I reckon I've done enough." 😂
The blown head is the big one, but truth be told, after four years of abuse, the rest of the Party Bus is getting pretty tired too. There's plenty I'd love to fix, freshen up and upgrade while she's off the road...
Unfortunately, the Bigfoot budget is officially blown. Properly. Done. The budget tapped out harder than the ZD30.
But there's something else about the Party Bus that makes this one hurt a bit more.
The Bus has become a pretty big part of my identity.
It's actually pretty funny at offroad events. Take the Party Bus away and most people probably wouldn't even know who I am. 😂
I can wander around an event without a camera, without a media vest, without the Bus parked nearby and I'm basically just another bloke in the crowd.
I've had people I've been photographing for nearly 20 years walk past me at an event and ask:
"Is this your first time here?"
😂
It's amusing sometimes...
..but it's also a little bit weird.
Because I'm not necessarily the guy standing behind a camera all weekend.
There are already some bloody talented photographers out there who capture some absolutely amazing images, and I'm more than happy to let them do their thing.
I'm usually floating around, rubbing shoulders with the drivers and navis, listening in, hanging around the pits, helping organisers, getting involved wherever I can and generally trying to be part of the action, rather than just watching it through a viewfinder.
And I'm not there trying to tag every influencer I can find, begging for 5,000 followers or likes, or getting someone to convince my wife that I absolutely, definitely, need an LS swap...
Although, whoever came up with that particular strategy...
That was pretty bloody clever. 😂😂
The Party Bus is a big part of how I do what I do.
She's been used to build tracks, carry gear, shuttle people around, help organisers, haul recovery gear and occasionally sacrifice a panel or two — and quite a bit of paint — to help get someone out of a bad spot.
Sometimes I reckon I've done more recoveries than the actual recovery crews...
Oops. 😂
People know the Bus.
They know the music.
They know the stupidly large speakers.
They know that if the Party Bus is there, Bigfoot probably isn't too far away.
And after four years of dragging her around the country, supporting events, helping competitors and generally throwing myself into whatever needs doing, she's become almost as recognisable as the Bigfoot Media name itself.
So seeing her parked up in the shed is a little bit bloody depressing.
Which brings me to Brendon and Amanda from BSW Precision Automotive Accessory Fitting.
I genuinely can't thank these legends enough.
Brendon will be doing the work on the Party Bus for two very simple reasons:
1. He's the only bloody person I trust to touch the Bus these days.
2. He's a damn good bloke and basically an encyclopedia when it comes to old Patrols. 😂
I'm a photographer. I know enough about mechanics to get myself into trouble and enough to get by... but at the end of the day, I'm still a media monkey.
Brendon has sacrificed hours upon hours working on the Party Bus. Late nights after work, weekends and plenty of his own time to keep the old girl on the road and get me back out supporting the events I love.
When the head finally let go, I think it hit both of us.
It felt like someone with a size 12 boot had kicked us both square in the nuts.
We knew she'd been getting tired, but neither of us wanted to hear the final verdict.
So Brendon is now taking on the job of getting the old girl back into fighting shape.
And if you're looking for maintenance, mechanical work, accessory fitting or just some mechanical genius who knows his way around an old Patrol, do yourself a favour and hit up BSW Precision Automotive Accessory Fitting.
If Brendon can keep the Party Bus alive after the abuse I've given it, imagine what he could do with your car. 😂
At this stage, we're still looking at a few months before the Party Bus is back on the road.
But if you're a supporter of Bigfoot Media, a company, business, workshop, manufacturer, supplier, or just someone who wants to help get the old girl back out there, now's your chance to get involved.
If you can help in any way, shape or form — parts, labour, products, sponsorship, mechanical work, or even throwing a few dollars into the Save the Party Bus fund — please reach out.
If we can get some support behind her and bring the old girl back sooner, I'll be bloody stoked.
Because the Party Bus has spent the last four years giving everything she's got to this community.
I'd really like to see her back out there for a few more years yet.
There's still plenty of tracks to build, race cars to chase, drivers and navis to annoy, recoveries to "accidentally" get involved in and questionable decisions to be made.
The old girl isn't ready for retirement yet.
She just needs a bit of love...
..and apparently a new motor. 🚌💨😂
