No more Aussie cars- starting to really notice it

[lra]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Completely agree Ira.

As an aside, the connectivity/tech, eg. the huge screen with menu-driven X mode selection in the new Outback, I hope it doesn't age like an iPhone does; for if so the car will be unfunctional within a couple of years.

That is why 50 year old Holdens, Fords, and Valiants are still around, although expensive, whereas a 50 year old connectivity car with a touch pad will be a forgotten memory.
Who is going to be up for a 'classic' used 2022 Tesla in 2053, EV chappies ?

[Hulsty]

I have a 52 year old valiant, has all the original electronics save for the high beam switch and HEI being added (connected using original wiring). I dont see ICC screens etc lasting anywhere near that long.

[smoo]

I saw this on a FB page I follow.
Will be hard pressed to see the same of the disposable small capacity, turbo direct injected junk we are limited to these days.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by lra

That is why 50 year old Holdens, Fords, and Valiants are still around, although expensive, whereas a 50 year old connectivity car with a touch pad will be a forgotten memory.
Who is going to be up for a 'classic' used 2022 Tesla in 2053, EV chappies ?

Yep thank goodness we have the XW.

I tried to keep an original ipod, the coloured ones with the little screen as I thought the design was quite classic. Within a few years the battery had expanded, pushing the metal casing outward... grrr. So it had to go to that giant battery recycling facility in the sky. I guess if they sort the batteries, make them interchangeable or modular, then it becomes an option for an EV - but then you have to deal with software:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXHB3nh547A

Just out of interest, we just had our 1964 L Series Fender Jaguar re-wired. I bought the guitar as a 15 year old as it was the cheapest American Fender I could buy (just before Kurt Cobain/Sonic Youth made them immortal). My young one has grown up to be a good player, so has been badgering me to restore it... Simple electrics, a little renewal and re-solder, and it works like new! Best action and feeling on the neck of any guitar!

Edit: that said, I liked the Suby big screen more than I thought I would, as a new car. It isn't up in the peripheral vision of the windscreen, the menu screens were quick and intuitive. Just wonder how it will age.

[xkxlxm]

Just back from supermarket (there and back 8 km). It's hard to be precise, without crashing, but: 2 Aussie Camrys, about 14 Commodores [10 sedans, one wagon, 3 utes] not counting three being stockpiled in someone's yard; 5 Territories; a BA ute; 4 Falcon wagons; 2 Falcon sedans.

[Sprintey]

This is really good, worth a watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ac07Cwdjg

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

Just back from supermarket (there and back 8 km). It's hard to be precise, without crashing, but: 2 Aussie Camrys, about 14 Commodores [10 sedans, one wagon, 3 utes] not counting three being stockpiled in someone's yard; 5 Territories; a BA ute; 4 Falcon wagons; 2 Falcon sedans.

Around metro melb by any chance?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

This has long been a gripe of mine, but from the other angle. Why not build the cars to interface with both Android and iOS tablets, so the customer BYO’s the control centre?

This 100%

Car manufacturers have been trying to make their own in car entertainment software has been absolutely junk,

Ford SYNC in the old man's Fiesta ST no longer works with SMS messages on his phone, so some of the functionality no longer works with current Android phones and the bluetooth implementation is a bit sketchy.

They should have been working in with phone manufacturers a decade ago.

[xkxlxm]

T3rminator: Watsonia/Greensborough

[kevino]

Five hours driving round the Gc today. 3 Territories 1 vt commo zero falcons.

[xkxlxm]

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty ... I just spent 30 minutes in the local shopping strip counting the Aussie cars.

8 Commodore sedans, including an early one on full reg; 3 Commodore wagons; 3 Commodore utes

4 Falcon sedans; 3 Falcon wagons; 2 Falcon utes

4 Territories

1 Camry sedan and 1 Camry wagon

2 Magnas (one on a flat bed)

1 1973 (?) Ford Landau hard top (ruby red colour)

[It's possible that one or two cars might have gone up and down the road; not sure.]

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

This has long been a gripe of mine, but from the other angle. Why not build the cars to interface with both Android and iOS tablets, so the customer BYO’s the control centre?

If something happened to the B-Series ute to kill it, I would buy another. Even with the cost of a refit/refresh there is nothing comparable I’ve seen.

I agree, but I can go back to our 2004 Prado that had one of the early sat nav systems, it was amazing so I then I fitted an aftermarket system to my Territory.

The first IPhone wasn't released until 2007 at the same time Ford Released SYNC

& things like Android auto only came out in 2016.

Most new cars can now interface with both Apple, Android & google.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by Late braker

So I’m sitting in a bunch of traffic at the lights and just looking blankly around in the zombiefied way you do waiting to go and it is gradually becoming more apparent to me- I’m completely surrounded by Japanese, Korean and Chinese vehicles. I’m the only one in a group of 10-20 cars in either direction in an Aussie-made car. And it’s only increasing (obviously…) I’m kind of proud about it actually. I even got a compliment recently from the console operator at a servo. Made me feel quite good.
Anyone else “feeling it”? (lol Toyota…)

Aussie made?

Hmm..maybe the panels were stamped in Aus..but most of the bits came from foreign countries....

If a new Commodore or Falcon were on sale there is no way I would buy one, they were just rubbish at the end.

[T3rminator]

"Aussie designed and assembled" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

[kevino]

Gold Coast 1230-4 pm today

Statesman X 3
vf x 5
ve x 4
bf x 1
ba x 2

vx-vt-vy x 12


It appears the aussie made cars come out to play after lunch. Bit of fun this aussie car spotting.

[fgpsi]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

T3rminator: Watsonia/Greensborough

Saw and old bloke driving a mint VP Vacationer in greenzy a few months ago. funnily enough it was at greensborough plaza which still looks like its stuck in the 90s.

I bet hes had it since new

[Late braker]

Originally Posted by smoo

I saw this on a FB page I follow.
Will be hard pressed to see the same of the disposable small capacity, turbo direct injected junk we are limited to these days.

image

image

Truly amazing. I had to check the numbers a few times…

[Late braker]

Originally Posted by zilo

Aussie made?

Hmm..maybe the panels were stamped in Aus..but most of the bits came from foreign countries....

If a new Commodore or Falcon were on sale there is no way I would buy one, they were just rubbish at the end.

I don’t think anyone would describe the last FGX Turbos and the V8s and the last VF SS-V as rubbish. Objectively world class sedans. Have to be brave enough to not be woke and just say so because it’s the truth. Car people always love the AMG C63s and the M5- we all want that but really… $$$. I was behind a C63s today and another one last week. Awesome but…

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by zilo

Aussie made?

Hmm..maybe the panels were stamped in Aus..but most of the bits came from foreign countries....

If a new Commodore or Falcon were on sale there is no way I would buy one, they were just rubbish at the end.

Was quite surprised when I had problems with the boot release catch on the FGX pulled it out to lube it all up ......made in China stamped on it

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by PooDog

Was quite surprised when I had problems with the boot release catch on the FGX pulled it out to lube it all up ......made in China stamped on it

Probably happens a lot more than people realise.

Lower ball joint for my wife's territory bought about 9 months ago

[GasoLane]

Can we stop with the personal bickering?

[hackney]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Can we stop with the personal bickering?

Thx Gasolane.

[Sprintey]

Had a look around Geelong area today, saw SZ Territory, VE2s, Falcon ute, FG XR6s, VS, BF, - but overall not too much.

For what size, handling, and power you could buy for the money - and in the case of the Ford I6 incredibly longevity and reliability - the Aussie cars were bargains when viewed from a global perspective.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Had a look around Geelong area today, saw SZ Territory, VE2s, Falcon ute, FG XR6s, VS, BF, - but overall not too much.

For what size, handling, and power you could buy for the money, the Aussie cars were bargains when viewed from a global perspective.

The last generation Commodore(Aus) were actually very, very good cars.I personally did not like them, but that was a personal preference only.Shame the ZB did not take off. AWD VXR was a cracker of a car.

[Citroënbender]

I think a longer-term attrition of car travel within Australia, may have been part of the signal to makers, this era was drawing to a close.

[Sprintey]

It's funny Citroënbender, in the current post pandemic world, I'm actually doing more of it. How representative that is, dunno. But the freedom and the car is nice.

[zilo]

It's the cheap chinese bits they put in aussie made cars in the end that brought the overall quality down.

Cheap drivetrain and suspension components, window regulators, seats and suspension bushings to name a few. Whilst the original production runs may have started well by the end they were just sourcing crap from China.

I remember having a discussion with PDR driveshafts in Geelong a while back about some new CV components and the advice was to use second hand Unidrive parts if it was a choice rather than current chinese imports.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

It's funny Citroënbender, in the current post pandemic world, I'm actually doing more of it. How representative that is, dunno. But the freedom and the car is nice.

Totally agree with you, flying is a humiliating experience these days and much more of a risk of Covid than having your own cocoon.
The chance of getting a cheap airfare seems to have faded as well.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

It's funny Citroënbender, in the current post pandemic world, I'm actually doing more of it. How representative that is, dunno. But the freedom and the car is nice.

I believe this sort of behaviour is now the exception, not the norm. It might seem more familiar to people on a car enthusiast platform but overall people seem to make more ad-hoc short trips and have excuses for why the longer hauls don’t happen. Look at the places people used to foray to regularly from Sydney in the 1990s, now Charlie Bravo Foxtrot with respect to the distance and effort. Weekends at Nelson Bay, day picnics at Terrigal or Bowral, lunches at Broke, Mount Vic, Barrenjoey… Journeys of that duration and commitment are talked up but usually canned with some excuse.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by PooDog

Was quite surprised when I had problems with the boot release catch on the FGX pulled it out to lube it all up ......made in China stamped on it

Chinese parts are in a lot of vehicles, whether they are made in Japan or any where else for that matter.It is not new.Even ZF as most Ford owners know we’re made in their Chinese factory.My old G6E Ecoboost had the Chinese ZF HP26.I had @ the same time a XR6 Ecolpi ute,with the German made ZF unit.Even my old AU Futura had Chinese wiring in the engine bay,but never gave any trouble. The FGX XR8 variants had the stronger German unit, the rest of the range had the Chinese unit, which I believe was a lighter unit.