Cars

[gadj1976]

First car driven : Dad's XE Falcon 1982
First car owned: XD Fairmont 1980
Current car: BF Falcon SR 2006, Mrs Felch has a 2006 Territory.
Best car driven: F6 Falcon Turbo 2010 - absolute rocket on wheels, scary fast !!!
Worst car driven :Mum's 1978 Toyota Corolla - 2 speed auto ! I could run faster !

Pretty obvious im slightly bias towards Fords...

everyone has their vices Felch

[Felch]

First car driven : Dad's XE Falcon 1982
First car owned: XD Fairmont 1980
Current car: BF Falcon SR 2006, Mrs Felch has a 2006 Territory.
Best car driven: F6 Falcon Turbo 2010 - absolute rocket on wheels, scary fast !!!
Worst car driven :Mum's 1978 Toyota Corolla - 2 speed auto ! I could run faster !

Pretty obvious im slightly bias towards Fords...

everyone has their vices Felch

I did own a Holden once, an old Gemini. It was a good car. In all honesty, im not so much anti-Holden but just have always preferred Fords. I drove a brand new Commodore the other week from Horsham to Adelaide (Territory blew a head gasket on the way home from Melb ) and other than the better fuel economy, both my older Falcon and Territory are equally good cars to drive. The 6-speed auto gearbox in the Commodore was crap actually - the Ford equiv sh!ts all over it.

[SABRE]

First car driven...................EH Holden Wagon sitting on Dad's lap aged 8 or 9
First car owned...................Morris Mini 'K' 1100
Current car.........................Holden SV8
Best vehicle........................Toyota Landcruiser 4.2 Diesel 'Troopie'
Worst car driven..................All Volkswagons, Volvos and an EJ Holden Wagon loan car
that used more water, oil & transmission fluid than petrol !
Nostalgic favourites.............1966 Pontiac Parisienne V8 and Super Roo GTHO Falcon
Most fun.............................Datsun 240Z & Suzuki Katana shaft drive bike
Most 'interesting'.................Humber Super Snipe

[mick]

My father had a 1962 Humber Super Snipe auto. It was a genuine 100mph car with a pretty gutsy 3 litre 6 cylinder, nice walnut dash and leather, however I believe that the Snipes were weak in the diff department. I can never understand the aussie love affair with the GTHO, garish and primitive even by the meagre standards of the early 1970s, live axel and cart springs rear suspension , cast iron pushrod OHV V8 relying on engine capacity for power, vinyl seats what real GT has vinyl seats?

[SABRE]

My father had a 1962 Humber Super Snipe auto. It was a genuine 100mph car with a pretty gutsy 3 litre 6 cylinder, nice walnut dash and leather, however I believe that the Snipes were weak in the diff department. I can never understand the aussie love affair with the GTHO, garish and primitive even by the meagre standards of the early 1970s, live axel and cart springs rear suspension , cast iron pushrod OHV V8 relying on engine capacity for power, vinyl seats what real GT has vinyl seats?

I agree with your facts about the Ford GTHO 'mick', that's why I didn't name it best car,
just nostalgic favourite. It is my memory of it's primitive but massive raw power that remains
a joy for me. A mate who used to race at Rowley Park let me drive his when I was only 16 and
on my 'L' plates, so you can imagine the impression that left.
Another mate had the Humber. Yeah 'mick' although amazingly heavy, they were a smooth and
stylish ride in their day. My mate loved to send friends to fill the Humber with petrol just to
see who could work out where the cap was located. lol. Those familiar with the Super Snipe
will know just what we mean eh 'mick' ? hehehe

[Booney]

Currently have my brothers 2010 Toyota Prado LX while he is in Perth for a couple of weeks.

Dropped him and the fam at the airport this morning and have been driving it today. Although a massive piece of machinery I'm quite impressed by the handling and the comfort is right up there with the best.

Would I pay $60+k for one? Probably not but it is a very,very nice car.

[SABRE]

Hey 'Booney', speaking of 4WD Toyotas, has anyone heard about a radical new model about
to be released? I happened to be riding the treadly past the new car holding pens at Outer
Harbour a couple of weeks ago and there were about 3 never before seen Landcruisers
parked in line down there. Wild colours too. Even a bright yellow model. They look like
someone crossed a Landcruiser with a Jeep and it gave birth to something Hummerish !

They weren't there long. Maybe they've been taken into the 'outback' away from prying
eyes for trial and testing work, or photo shoots. Has anyone heard about them ?
I think I want one.

[mick]

My father had a 1962 Humber Super Snipe auto. It was a genuine 100mph car with a pretty gutsy 3 litre 6 cylinder, nice walnut dash and leather, however I believe that the Snipes were weak in the diff department. I can never understand the aussie love affair with the GTHO, garish and primitive even by the meagre standards of the early 1970s, live axel and cart springs rear suspension , cast iron pushrod OHV V8 relying on engine capacity for power, vinyl seats what real GT has vinyl seats?

I agree with your facts about the Ford GTHO 'mick', that's why I didn't name it best car,
just nostalgic favourite. It is my memory of it's primitive but massive raw power that remains
a joy for me. A mate who used to race at Rowley Park let me drive his when I was only 16 and
on my 'L' plates, so you can imagine the impression that left.
Another mate had the Humber. Yeah 'mick' although amazingly heavy, they were a smooth and
stylish ride in their day. My mate loved to send friends to fill the Humber with petrol just to
see who could work out where the cap was located. lol. Those familiar with the Super Snipe
will know just what we mean eh 'mick' ? hehehe

Funny you should mention the petrol cap, I'd totally forgotten about that...it was in the taillight assembly wasn't it? hidden behind a reflector that screwed off. Your statement about the GTHO and nostalgia is a good one, although I never drove one from the same era, I liked the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe, sexy body, all indept suspension, 4 wheel disk brakes, 1-4 -1.8l DOHC engine with a five speed gearbox - all this in the late 1960s. A Ferarri in minature.....probably just about as reliable

[SABRE]

Funny you should mention the petrol cap, I'd totally forgotten about that...it was in the taillight assembly wasn't it? hidden behind a reflector that screwed off.

You got it 'mick'! Another of life's mysteries solved.

And nearly as confusing as the first time I looked for reverse in a Volksy.
God I hate Volkswagons! Sorry to fans of the Hitler Mobile, but once you've started to be
incinerated because you're trapped in the back seat of one that's on fire whilst driving
down Payneham Rd, they really do tend to lose their appeal !!!

The idiot that owned it was oblivious to our screams to stop, thinking we just didn't
like him doing 50 miles an hour in a built up zone!
Probably the little death trap's top speed too.

[gadj1976]

First car driven : Dad's XE Falcon 1982
First car owned: XD Fairmont 1980
Current car: BF Falcon SR 2006, Mrs Felch has a 2006 Territory.
Best car driven: F6 Falcon Turbo 2010 - absolute rocket on wheels, scary fast !!!
Worst car driven :Mum's 1978 Toyota Corolla - 2 speed auto ! I could run faster !

Pretty obvious im slightly bias towards Fords...

everyone has their vices Felch

I did own a Holden once, an old Gemini. It was a good car. In all honesty, im not so much anti-Holden but just have always preferred Fords. I drove a brand new Commodore the other week from Horsham to Adelaide (Territory blew a head gasket on the way home from Melb ) and other than the better fuel economy, both my older Falcon and Territory are equally good cars to drive. The 6-speed auto gearbox in the Commodore was crap actually - the Ford equiv sh!ts all over it.

Wedgie and you have a lot in common, he once owned a Gemini (treated it like garbage and swore off Holdens ever since).

I didn't like the XR6 I drove in Nov 09 (Hire car) but I think that was more the seating position more than anything. Also I couldn't believe than an XR6 didn't come with reverse sensors standard. Plain dumb when you can't see out of them easily.

I haven't driven a VE so can't compare the two gearbox wise.

I think I've had maybe 6 Holdens and 1 Mazda and really don't have a preference either way between Fords and Holdens. I would love an old Ford, either an XL/XM or XP but that will have to wait.

My old man's Falcon is very ordinary to drive, but I reckon its cos it's an AU. I've driven the BA's and they're much better in comparison.

We were going to buy a Kluger but have decided to put the money into another venture. Might have to upgrade from our Commodore sedan to a wagon of similar value because of growing family.

I should add that my worst car was my HZ that I bought for 800 bucks in 2000. Long story but after I bought it it broke down two doors down from the caryard. An NRMA inspection told me that the starter motor was 'gone'. I thought bugger it, and got him to 'hotwire' it so it bypassed the ignition. Other things to note - I had no lever on the bonnet lid, the gear lever didn't indicate whether I was in park, drive, reverse etc.. I had to have a pair of pliers under the seat to start the car. The process went like this:

Open bonnet with pliers
Make sure car is in park
apply handbrake
grab hotwire and place it on battery (car starts)
close bonnet
get in car
disengage handbrake
put car in drive (no way to tell other than to let the car roll forward or backward)
off we went!

The NRMA bloke told me to "make sure it's in park when you start it because if you bypass ignition it can be in drive and just "go". A bloke I did this for a few weeks ago ran over himself whilst attempting to get back in the car".

Ripper! And I almost did one night when driving home from the pub. I forgot to apply the handbrake. Luckily it was up against a permapine log in the carpark otherwise I could say I was runover by an empty car!

[tipper]

Hey 'Booney', speaking of 4WD Toyotas, has anyone heard about a radical new model about
to be released? I happened to be riding the treadly past the new car holding pens at Outer
Harbour a couple of weeks ago and there were about 3 never before seen Landcruisers
parked in line down there. Wild colours too. Even a bright yellow model. They look like
someone crossed a Landcruiser with a Jeep and it gave birth to something Hummerish !

They weren't there long. Maybe they've been taken into the 'outback' away from prying
eyes for trial and testing work, or photo shoots. Has anyone heard about them ?
I think I want one.

I reckon it is the toyota "fj" you saw sabre. they have been out overseas for a couple of years i reckon. it is toyotas attempt to cash in on the whole nostalgia thing, it is supposed to resemble the early land cruisers. they have been rumoured to be releasing them here for a while but i havent read anything on the subject for a while. they may have finally sent some here for local evaluation as you suspect. ill keep my eye on the motoring websites to see if they are here "officially"

[Dirko]

First car owned: Ford Festiva
First car driven: Mazda Ute of some description
Current car: Hyundai Trajet / Mazda 6
Best car driven: Mazda V6 Astina / Mercedes-Benz ML 320 CDI
Worst car driven: Ford Falcon EA

[Booney]

I'd imagine these are bound for the US?

Stupid Americans.

[The Ash Man]

Hey 'Booney', speaking of 4WD Toyotas, has anyone heard about a radical new model about
to be released? I happened to be riding the treadly past the new car holding pens at Outer
Harbour a couple of weeks ago and there were about 3 never before seen Landcruisers
parked in line down there. Wild colours too. Even a bright yellow model. They look like
someone crossed a Landcruiser with a Jeep and it gave birth to something Hummerish !

They weren't there long. Maybe they've been taken into the 'outback' away from prying
eyes for trial and testing work, or photo shoots. Has anyone heard about them ?
I think I want one.

I reckon it is the toyota "fj" you saw sabre. they have been out overseas for a couple of years i reckon. it is toyotas attempt to cash in on the whole nostalgia thing, it is supposed to resemble the early land cruisers. they have been rumoured to be releasing them here for a while but i havent read anything on the subject for a while. they may have finally sent some here for local evaluation as you suspect. ill keep my eye on the motoring websites to see if they are here "officially"

Being released in March 2011
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/gallery/2565/2011-toyota-fj-cruiser-australia/39328/2011toyotafjcruiseraustralia01

[dedja]

The idiot that owned it was oblivious to our screams to stop ...

Fort Battle-Axe again?

[tipper]

I'd imagine these are bound for the US?

Stupid Americans.

Thats the one! and from the look of Ash Mans link it will only be a couple of months and you will get to see them here to. at least they are in nice bright colours, gives you more chance to notice and avoid them!

[The Ash Man]

I'd imagine these are bound for the US?

Stupid Americans.

Thats the one! and from the look of Ash Mans link it will only be a couple of months and you will get to see them here to. at least they are in nice bright colours, gives you more chance to notice and avoid them!

http://www.toyota.com.au/fj-cruiser

[SABRE]

I'd imagine these are bound for the US?

Stupid Americans.

Thats the one! and from the look of Ash Mans link it will only be a couple of months and you will get to see them here to. at least they are in nice bright colours, gives you more chance to notice and avoid them!

http://www.toyota.com.au/fj-cruiser

Well done guys, I was starting to doubt what I'd seen.
I might still be going out of my mind, but at least the powers of observation are still working : )

[SABRE]

The idiot that owned it was oblivious to our screams to stop ...

Fort Battle-Axe again?

No 'dedj', she doesn't like to take chances by actually being in the car with me.
So far she's proven to be more of a steering fiddling, brake line cutting and
key in the ignition explosive device kind of girl.
It's only a matter of time mate.

[dedja]

LOL, by the way, what does SABRE stand for these days?