A well-prepared car means surviving the day, not missing the fun stops, and making the meal stops. Read all you need to know to get a Bash car ready.

We have a few requirements for the vehicle you enter with, affectionately called a Bash Car. 

All vehicles entered in the Bash must have been manufactured 25 years or more before the Bash. This excludes those bringing a 4WD which will need to be 30 years or more. They must be roadworthy, registered and insured as prescribed by State laws. You can find some pre-loved Bash Cars for sale here.

Struggling to find a car which hits requirements? You could apply to bring a more modern 4WD, simply reach out to the motoring events team and we can help.

Download & Print the Bash Motor Vehicle Requirements HERE

Both two wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles will be permitted on the Variety Bash. Two-wheel drive vehicles entered in the Bash must have been manufactured at least 25 years prior to the year of the Event. Four-wheel drive vehicles entered in the Bash must have been manufactured at least 30 years prior to the year of the Event. Entrants may apply to bring a more modern four-wheel drive vehicle, with the agreement that the minimum fundraising target for such a vehicle be double the standard fundraising target.

All vehicles must be roadworthy, registered and insured as prescribed by State laws. All vehicles must have a minimum of two people and a maximum crew of four people. Motorcycles, buses, coaches, caravans, skateboards or wheelbarrows are not allowed.

All vehicles must carry the Bash door panels on the front driver/passenger doors onto which must be fixed the allocated Bash car number for that vehicle. The vehicle number must also be clearly visible, using fluro 10cm numbers on the front window and fluro 17cm numbers on the rear window (first set provided by Variety, replacements @ $30/set). All cars must also display the sponsor’s stickers, as supplied by the organisers, which includes a front window strip that doubles as a sun strip, and rear window strip advertising the Bash.

All vehicles are required to attend a nominated Checkpoint Day prior to the start of the Bash. Any vehicles unable to attend a Checkpoint Day need to obtain prior consent from the Motoring Events Manager.

At all times all entrants must abide by the rules of the road as prescribed by State laws and statues.

You may wish to start fresh with a car you have bought or a family hand-me-down or you may wish to buy a pre-built and tested Bash car.
You will need a reliable, well-built vehicle, which will survive the trip and be noticed so that your sponsors receive some benefit. If you are starting fresh with an un-Bashed car you will need to make some adjustments to the car to make it safe in the remote areas we are travelling to. The transmission, engine and engine ancillaries must be as originally specified for the vehicle. Modifications to the brakes, suspension and fuel tanks are allowed for safety but no improvements for extra speed or performance modifications are allowed.

Modifications to the body shape are permitted where such modifications are designed to enhance the appearance of the vehicle for sponsorship purposes or for fun! Attention-grabbing and unusual decorations make for a great Bash car… the stranger the better.

All modifications must comply with State Government Registration Rules.

Vehicle

• Working UHF radio (5 watt)
• Rear facing amber dust light, tilted down over boot lid
• Revolving amber lights at rear of rack (no other colours permitted). Red and blue flashing lights are prohibited as well as sirens mimicking emergency vehicles
• Fire extinguisher fitted in cabin, fully charged, within 5 years of date stamp
• Snatch strap – Approved D shackles plus D shackle attachments eg.
  Never attached snatch strap to a tow ball
• Two spare tyres (minimum) – Two spare wheels and tyres together with two tubes. The tyres should be decent off-road tyres as they are more resistant to punctures.
• Working seat belts for all occupants
• Cargo barrier in station wagons
• Engine restraint (chain motor in)
• Tail shaft restraint (catch strap)
• Laminated front windscreen
• Sump guard

Other equipment

• Photocopy of receipted certificate of registration and third party property (minimum)
  or comprehensive insurance papers. This paperwork will remain with Variety.
  (Your registration papers must clearly show the registration number, chassis number, engine number & expiry date and all four identifiers must line up with your vehicle.)
• Bash door panels displaying car number and sponsor decals
• Front and rear windscreen strips
• Windscreen fluro car numbers:
  Front 100mm – top right passengers side Rear 170mm – top right drivers side
• Basic tool kit – an assortment of screwdrivers, shifters, small ring and open-ended spanners, pliers, side cutters, pocket knife, gaffer tape, electrical tape, some small and medium size cable ties, a pair of multi-grips and some insulated wire of the size used in cars.
• First aid kit
• 10-20 litre water container
• Trip meter capable of recording distance travelled and intermittent distances

• Securing for all loose equipment
• Additional fuel capacity
• Brake lines, fuel lines and shock absorber mounts protected by hose
• Spare parts applicable to your particular vehicle: water pump, fuel pump, fuel filters (desirable but not essential), air filter, condenser, coil, exhaust gaskets and mounting straps, universal joint, rear axle with new bearing (wrap bearings in plastic). Selleys Knead-it is a good all-purpose epoxy repair for broken thermostat housings and general repairs.
• Road maps
• Check mudflaps do not drag on ground when vehicle laden
• 50mm tow hook fitted to front and rear / snatch strap hook fitted under front. For stiff pole towing, we recommend a removable tow ball/ fitting at the front, similar to a Haymen/Reese type towbar unit.
• 20 litres of fuel in approved containers plus funnel / syphon hose
• 20 litres of water, suitable for drinking and cooling system top up
• 5 litres of engine oil
• 5 litres of auto-transmission oil (if applicable)
• 1 litre of diff oil
• 500ml of brake fluid
• Jumper leads
• One can of WD40 or equivalent
• One can/bottle of radiator stop leak
• Jack and jacking plate for soft ground plus wheel brace
• Fan belt
• Radiator hoses, length of heater hose
• Fuel hoses
• Fuses
• Heavy duty torch
• One roll of racing tape plus small roll of tie wire
• Tarpaulin – may be required to place in front of vehicle when crossing deep water

We have a range of recommendations for preparing your Bash Car found here.

The Bash organising team do several surveys of the event prior to the official start to set the route and make all the arrangements. Part of the planning process, is to provide you with daily route instructions. You’ll receive these every morning at the start line (for the AM section) and mostly at the luncheon venue as well (for the PM section). On occasion, no lunch stop will be organised and you are free to choose your own lunch stop and purchase lunch as required. You will be advised if these apply to your Bash before Day 1. On those particular days the route instructions are from start to finish on that day. They are simple, easy to read distant measurements with an instruction such as SO (straight on) or TR (turn right) to get you through the set run for the day. Never leave the Bash route without telling someone, preferably an official. The Bash is well serviced with officials who check you out at the start of a section and back in at the completion of a section. If you don’t come through the finishing Checkpoint and our “Sweep” (last official in) has not seen you, then we put in a search and rescue plan. You will be liable for any charges if it proves to be a false alarm!

The Bash is allowed to run because we adhere to the road rules of the given states we travel though. We have no dispensation to break any existing road rule set by the police or the state’s ruling body, i.e., Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) in NSW.

For those would-be Bashers who can’t tell an upper control arm from an interior light switch – fear not! Travelling with the Bash are Mobile Workshops (MW) crewed by qualified and experienced mechanics, engineers and technicians whose job it is to look after all Bash vehicles.

If you were to break down on a Bash route, one of our MWs will carry out a minor repair to keep you going. In previous years, cars that looked as though they are beyond repair have been transformed by the mobile workshops into miracles of motion and have been shepherded into the next town. It is then your responsibility to have the car fully repaired and made roadworthy again.

We guarantee, if we can’t get you going, we’ll get you to the closest town where you can make your own arrangements to get the car repaired or transported to another location. Individual support vehicles are not allowed on the Bash, however, space is available on our Bash Baggage Truck which travels the entire Bash route to carry any spare parts that won’t fit in/on your Bash car.