Rare and interesting car sightings

Somewhere to discuss things that don't fit into other categories.

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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Merc1107 »

Swift wrote:
scott wrote:The only problem with BMW's is the high maintenance costs and the cost of parts.
That's the whole problem with them!!
I know I'm nearly a year late to this one, but the maintenance costs of these cars fall upon two issues, (a) So-called "European Specialists" that charge a small fortune per hour to do basically the same work as any other mechanic. Maybe they have a bit more expertise on the ins and outs of these cars, but the labour required for a simple oil change should not run $500+. (b) Parts distributors, whether affiliated with dealerships or not, seem to think BMW parts are a license to print money. I've come across examples where parts for my E36 run 5-6x the cost here than they do SHIPPED from the U.S.A (including the crappy exchange rate).

Suspect these two points are what supposedly make European types more expensive, when in reality, a savvy owner could probably invest a bit of time and do their research to get a good deal. It's little wonder the Australian retail sector is collapsing, if this sort of thing is widespread.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

EB Series 1 models are hard to find, they had quite a short production run, from mid 1991 until about Feb 1992 when the EBII 4 litre upgrade went into production, not as many built, The EA III 30th Anniversary produced from late 1990 until mid 1991 had a lot of EB bits in in it. The EB1's ere essentially an EBII, but with the older 3.9 litre engine with CFI and grey bumpers and EA type trim and radio.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

The really weird thing was the EB Fairmont started getting the digital dash for the first time before it reverted to the analogue cluster with the series II as well as the Ghia model getting it also.
The EB was the last to have single point injection. The taxi base boss my dad worked at complained to me about how Ford dropped the single point injection, which he claimed worked better with LPG conversion than the multi point set up which became standard with the EBII range. The EBII and ED were the best of the EA derived models. Build quality was light years ahead of a rickety old EA. I personally think the revised taillight styling was a very effective updating of the car over the EA's very dated rear. Made it look much more modern and classy in my opinion, though I have a soft spot for the 30th anniversary EA. They were well built also.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

I read somewhere that the 30th Anniversary EA's were built at the time Ford ramped up exports for the Capri, they had to lift quality standards at Broadmeadows and this thus rubbed off on the late EA's.

My uncle had a May 91 built EA and it was well screwed together and quite reliable, it was too a CFI equipped dual fuel job. I remember the Falcon Classic special edition used to run out the EA with a limited colour choice, special trim and the Fairmont spec audio. They used some old Aussie cop show actors to promote it, one being George Mallaby.

The cop shop near us got a batch of the last EA's for general duties use, I went to visit the police station on a Cub Scout excursion and us kids climbed all over them, playing with the sirens etc.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

This 1990 Ford F150, last of the Aussie built ones. First registered 1992 according to the pictured documents.

https://www.australianmusclecarsales.co ... efi-243979
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

I love those wraparound blinker fronted ones.
They are very prized in America too and I bet the average yank doesn't realise we built them here for decades.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Heihachi_73 »

My recent sightings this week:

White 1966 VC Valiant near Ringwood Square Aldi, a maroon 90s Land Rover Discovery in Eastland with a ZZZ rego, and a white grandpa-spec VN Commodore Executive complete with the "peak cap" sun visor, unpainted black bumpers and the most boring hubcaps ever put on a Holden, basically flat circular pieces of plastic with the lion in the middle and no design detail whatsoever (not even slits or holes, just a lion in a circle). Unmodified VNs might just be worthy of mention these days, since most of them have probably been thrashed to death by P platers and/or crushed at the wreckers.

Oh, and also a GE Sigma in Ringwood St outside Eastland last week.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

Heihachi_73 wrote:My recent sightings this week:

White 1966 VC Valiant near Ringwood Square Aldi, a maroon 90s Land Rover Discovery in Eastland with a ZZZ rego, and a white grandpa-spec VN Commodore Executive complete with the "peak cap" sun visor, unpainted black bumpers and the most boring hubcaps ever put on a Holden, basically flat circular pieces of plastic with the lion in the middle and no design detail whatsoever (not even slits or holes, just a lion in a circle). Unmodified VNs might just be worthy of mention these days, since most of them have probably been thrashed to death by P platers and/or crushed at the wreckers.

Oh, and also a GE Sigma in Ringwood St outside Eastland last week.
Entertaining descriptions.
I HATE classic Valiants being driven by young people who weren't even a in existence when the final one rolled off the line in 1981. Why do they want one?!? They have no connection to them. Weird. They should only go to owners that appreciate then, not as a lark.
And those Conmodores. The VN was an underdeveloped model, so those plain wheel covers reflect that theme!
I quite like them myself. They are less fussy. More cars these days should follow that direction more.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

The later VN(1990-91 builds) Executives had a different style of wheel cover, with sort of a spoked look. The later VN's with the VP spec motor were a lot smoother.

I once found a DVD of the classic Aussie TV show, A Country Practice in my local library, these disc was of episodes aired in 1990. One episode had a bone coloured VN Exec with the boring hubcap design, that was just months old(possibly obtained from a rental company), that was used as a cop car(with one of the Burrigan coppers) it was used in a police chase scene that claimed a Datsun. Sadly the DVD is no longer in the library and I never made a copy. There was another scene where one of the characters was at a petrol station(fuel only around 60c a litre) and the VN pulls up, the character said "look at that flash looking thing". Old TV shows are great for people to see classic cars in their prime.

Also saw a GE Sigma in orange in Bentleigh.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

The VP hasn't aged well at all. I prefer the VN's cleaner more pure styling, so a 1991 model with the VP spec motor would be highly desirable to me, retrofitted with the pizza pan wheel covers! Column shift auto as the cherry on top.
I saw them as a bit of a throwback to Kingswood days with the availability of the column shift selector once again and traditional steel wheels with the four narrow slits.
The previous generation Commodores were too European for my tastes. It's like Holden were determined to depart from the rough and ready Kingswood image as much as possible and go more quasi BMW but went back to more American influence with the new bigger V6 Commodore.

What a shame you couldn't have obtained the Country Practise DVD for yourself. I'm sure the library ended up offering it for sale with their surplus books.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

Saw this ED wagon whilst crossing Eddy Ave, Haymarket today. I complimented the guy on his classic :) .
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

My neighbour had a Cardinal Red ED built 8/94, I remember watching (and helping) screw a bonnet protector on it(the dealer chucked the bonnet guard package and instructions in the boot because they ran out of time in pre delivery), only had it three years as he fell in love with the VT Calais so it was traded in.

Saw a GN Sigma of approx 85-86 build in a local shopping strip, on club rego plates so could not check the online rego checker for the exact year.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Heihachi_73 »

Swift wrote:I HATE classic Valiants being driven by young people who weren't even a in existence when the final one rolled off the line in 1981. Why do they want one?!? They have no connection to them. Weird. They should only go to owners that appreciate then, not as a lark.
This Valiant was owned by an older person (I'd say about the same age as the car).
scott wrote:Old TV shows are great for people to see classic cars in their prime.
Yeah, you see a lot of nice classic cars and buses on Prisoner as well, and even the odd train (one of the episodes shows, and even boards, a brand new Comeng train at "Rosewood" station, which was actually Caulfield with the name changed for the set). Unfortunately you need about $100 to get the full set of DVDs (there were no less than 672 episodes), or to be lucky to find it on Foxtel and not be 500 episodes too late.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

Heihachi_73 wrote:
Swift wrote:I HATE classic Valiants being driven by young people who weren't even a in existence when the final one rolled off the line in 1981. Why do they want one?!? They have no connection to them. Weird. They should only go to owners that appreciate then, not as a lark.
This Valiant was owned by an older person (I'd say about the same age as the car).

Yeah, you see a lot of nice classic cars and buses on Prisoner as well, and even the odd train (one of the episodes shows, and even boards, a brand new Comeng train....
Can you recall seeing a Melbourne Met Leyland National?
I've been dying to hear a fully Automatic one for years.

Nice to hear the Val with a good owner!
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by busrider »

Is it only Valiants that should be driven by people older than the car, or does this rule apply to all cars?
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by TA3001 »

I don't think the police would be thrilled by the sight of a 15 year old driving a 2007 Holden Berlina.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

busrider wrote:Is it only Valiants that should be driven by people older than the car, or does this rule apply to all cars?
All cars. If they demonstrate they actually appreciate the car and it's history, ok by me but I tend to assume the worst when I see some.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

Holden are auctioning off some of thier heritage collection. Including a mint VC Commodore 4 cylinder.

https://www.manheim.com.au/passenger-ve ... PerPage=50
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

The VN SV5000 driven by former Holden boss John Bagshaw is up for grabs for $60,000.

https://www.australianmusclecarsales.co ... 300-218363

I wonder what the current Holden boss drives, probably nothing too fancy.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Heihachi_73 »

scott wrote:EB Series 1 models are hard to find, they had quite a short production run, from mid 1991 until about Feb 1992 when the EBII 4 litre upgrade went into production, not as many built, The EA III 30th Anniversary produced from late 1990 until mid 1991 had a lot of EB bits in in it. The EB1's ere essentially an EBII, but with the older 3.9 litre engine with CFI and grey bumpers and EA type trim and radio.
Coincidentally I saw a teal EB1 GL (not GLi, which would mean an EB2) station wagon in Market St in Ringwood 3 days ago. If it wasn't for the Falcon GL badge on the back I wouldn't have even noticed it as an EB1 (EB badges are in a different font compared to the EA, notably they have a proper capital N instead of an enlarged 'n').

I also saw an early 90s Holden Nova with a rusty roof yesterday (and original F-prefix rego) parked not far up from Costco, and a classic FJ45 LandCruiser ute (naturally in khaki, I don't think I've ever seen them in any other color except white) in Ringwood St outside Eastland. Having heavy duty leaf springs on the front of a car-sized vehicle must be so much fun on Melbourne's awesome potholed roads.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

Suzuki Mighty Boy found in a Bunnings carpark.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

Found this VS ex cop car
https://www.australianmusclecarsales.co ... ack-244043

Tell them they are dreaming at $42,000. Probably were in the low 30's new.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by Swift »

^ They're feverishly fapping at that price. Ludicrous.
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by boronia »

Poking around in Facebook the other day, I came across a photo of a small Asian truck, registered in NSW. Very fancy cab with lots of chrome. Thought it might have been Chinese, but checking the rego, it came up as a 2017 Daihatsu. Checking the web, it seems to be a tarted up HiJet, which I didn't think was on the market anymore. Not old enough to be a "grey import". so got me wondering if Toyota is looking at bringing them back on the local market?
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Re: Rare and interesting car sightings

Post by scott »

Saw a Volvo 700 series from the 1980's, did not get a good look as was travelling in the other direction, but it looked like a 740, it was the classic boxy style.
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