Damn. After scouting around car insurance last week, and finding their premiums were all pretty similar, I went with AAMI, as they seem to have a good reputation, and they gave a grant to the PTUA a couple of years ago, so I know they’re (hopefully) good corporate citizens. But given I drive something like ... [More]
Yes, I’m selling the old beast. It’s a 1993 Mitsubishi Magna TR Executive sedan, dark grey, manual, 4 cylinder 2.6 litre, air-conditioned. Built in sunny Adelaide, it’s got about 215,000 kms on the clock. The tyres were replaced about 10,000kms ago. Rego is until late October, though obviously a Roadworthy Certificate needs to be obtained ... [More]
I just bought a car. Well, subject to a mechanic giving it a going-over. Holden Astra CD TS, 2000 hatchback “Olympic edition”. Which means it’s from two Olympics ago, and that it has a few little extras like fog lights. Silver, electric windows, airbags, ABS, CD player, alloy wheels (like I care), remote locking. Perhaps ... [More]
The CSIRO says petrol could reach $8 per litre by 2018, due to supply peaking, then declining. (Of this, even at a cost of $10 per tonne of carbon, only 25 cents would be an emissions charge.) Jayne’s history blog notes that this month in 1940, “Petrol rationing was introduced, with motorists permitted to travel ... [More]
$270 for the car, to fix the distributor. I swear to you now, that’s the last repair — and hopefully the last money ever on that bloody car. (I filled up on Tuesday.) On the brighter side, did you hear about that car hoon guy, the one who was stupid enough to get his car ... [More]
Another top class bit of parking. Okay, so it doesn’t appear to actually say “No parking”, but it’s not hard to imagine what the intent was. I haven’t seen the Get Smart movie yet, but I’m quite amused by these telephone box adverts for it. In Rippon Street, they’re apparently very proud of that beautification ... [More]
When I bought my car (which seemed good at the time), the bloke I bought it from reckoned when the fuel light went on, you had about another 50K on it. So far it’s never caused me trouble — I’ve never tried to do a Krameresque “how far will it go”, and it’s never actually ... [More]
Jeez, at this rate, most posts this week might be transport-related. (See the cover of the Age this morning?) Back when I was learning to drive, one of the things that stuck in my head (thanks to Andre the driving instructor) was that when turning right, one should keep the steering wheel in the forward ... [More]
Something I remember my driving instructor telling me all those years ago was that mounting the kerb was a big no-no during a driving test. It would result in instant failure. It sticks in my mind, particularly when I see something like this: This was the second attempt at parking for this guy. I watched ... [More]
It would seem that big chunky cars are a symbol of luxury in automative design. Like that new big chunky Chrysler 300C that they keep advertising on SBS on Saturday nights — a snip at $54K for the base model — it might just beat the luxury car tax. It looks like a big fat ... [More]
Lines? What lines? (Outside Officeworks, Highett) No time to park properly! Emergency stove purchase! (Outside Clive Peeters, Braybrook)
My old car wasn’t always a 15-year-old bomb. Once upon a time it was the latest in finest automotive excellence. Even the colour in the ad matches mine! (Thanks to Tim C for posting this and other fascinating old Aussie commercials onto YouTube)