ubyte

It definetly pays to shop around. Im currently with AAMI. NRMA came in second by $100. Typically the insurance companies work out an insurance quote based on the following: # How old is the driver and level of experience (I.e. when did u start driving) # How many "at fault" claims have you had in the past 3 years # Who else will be a primary driver of the car (apply the above 2 questions as well) # In which state and postcode will the car be primarily located (makes no difference if its on the street, secure lockup/etc) # Type/class of Car (I.e. Family sedan or boy racer.... ) # Any mod/additions to the car # Likelihood of being stolen/Safety rating (eg Satelite tracking in a Rexx) Now regardless of the type of car/postcode add the following weightings to the base premium rate depending upon gender and age:- # Male <30 (Base rate x 1.2) # Male <25 (Base rate x 1.5) # Male <21 (Base rate x 2) # Female <25 (Base rate x 1.1)

The banditos's venture sounds like a good action plan for me... quick, nasty and dealt with quickly. And you even get a video momento of the event! No lawyer can provide that sort of satisfaction! Might want to consider a knee-caping option. That way the is goin to remember you for a long time to come...

This is the weekend to be buying a car, being the last weekend in the month. Dealers must hit their monthly quota. So its really buyers weekend, and you should be able to really screw the dealers into giving you the best possible deal! If not go to another dealer who has plenty of stock... Personally I think the dealer is pulling your leg about the BF and is just trying anything to move current stock. BA Xr6T at a glance Kerb weight - 1710kg (A) - 1690kg (M) Power - 240kW @ 5250rpm Torque - 450Nm @ 2000rpm BF Xr6T at a glance Kerb Weight - ? (A) - 1694 (M) Power - 245kW @ 5250 rpm Torque - 480Nm @ 2000 rpm MMM assuming the gear ratios are exactly the same, the BF would just be slightly quicker off the launch mark (30 more nm)

Tried the XR8, XR6T, SS and Monaro. Before deciding on me green T! For me it boiled down to:- # Doesnt look like a boat... strike off Monaro # Doesnt drive like a truck... strike off SS # Doesnt drink like fish.. strike of XR8 # Looks beaut & goes like tha clappers!

$1.20/25 for Ulimate98 is about average for Sydney for the past 2-3months. However I do recall seeing it for $1.30 the other week Typically u'll find the following pricing premiums # Ultimate 98; 8-10c's extra # Optimax; 8-11c's extra # Vortex 98; 10-13c's extra # Vortex 95; 7-10c's extra # Mobile 8000; 8-11'c extra

revheadrobbo on your invoice does it list this Suspension noise - TSB 90/04 Step.1 - Warranty as the fix for the front end creeking noise? Do u get the noise while going over speed bumps or undulating road?

If your lucky like me they'll charge you $50 for the adjustment and still not fix the problem! mmm I'm now curious about that loose stone theory...

Oh! The dealership involved is Hills Ford, Hornsby. That said, does anyone have a recommendation of a (preferably Ford dealership based) Service centre with a 1/2 decent reputation in Sydney? From a mates experiences I've learned that Parramatta is in the same boat as the hornsby mob.

Yeah true. I do expect the person behind the Ford service couter does know at least some of the inards of a Ford car that they do sell. I know I may be living in fantasy land but the only reason that I took the Ford car back to a Ford dealer was on the expectation that a Ford dealer would be able to service and warrent a Ford car. The job they did was rough as guts. Spilled oil over the top of the manifold, battery terminal was growing (poorly cleaned), battery top up performed with spillage all over the top, I doubt seriously that the inlet/outlet manifold was touched...

yeah mine squeeking from the back end now (well technically it started around 3,500k and have only been getting louder since.) Once the brakes warm up the noise gets really annoying. Apparently the ford boys located the problem and rectified it on my 15k service. Apparently it was the handbrake needed adjusting !!! I 2 have that annoying noise emmiting from near the drivers side door lock, it appears to be the outer door frame plastic cover being out ever so slightly missaligned. Press the plastic from outside and u'll hear it pop and click.

Here's a summary of the invoice. 15k/1yr service - $189.75 Oil filter - $12.28 Castrol Xt10/40 - $49.14 (is this stuff made of gold of what?!?!?!) Fuel system cleaner 1 - $13.75 (bottle of Wynns spitfire no doubt) Oil System cleaner - $14.10 Shop Supplies - $9.50 Environmental waste - disposal - $4.50 total for job #1 - $293.02 Noisy brakes - fix adjust handbrake - $49.50 - (this should been under warranty) Total for job #2 - $49.50 Suspension noise - TSB 90/04 Step.1 - Warranty PRGC309 CAM/Computer reprogramme - Warranty (even thou I explicity demanded that they NOT touch the factory flash mapping) Total Labour $239.25 Total Parts: $12.28 (oil filter) Total POL - $76.99 (Oil and cleaners) Total Misc - $13.98 (enviro crap) GST - $34.25 (for Costello's pension plan) Total - $376.75

Mines a stock T however I do notice a difference betweent the fuels... never tried dyno'ing to verify what I've found. * Shell Optimax - Great for economy however power seems to lack. Engine I find runs/sounds a little harsh * Shell pulp - Good for power and ecomony * BP Ultimate - Best for power and economy. * BP Pulp - Good for power and ecomony * Vortex 95 - Great for power and good for economy; however the engine seem to run/sound a little harsh * Vortex 98 ( expensive stuff when compared to the alternatives ie ulimate/etc) - good for power and ecomony Runs/sounds a little harsh; it feels and sounds that the engine has to work a little harder to achieve that similar thrust in your seat power when compared to BP ultimate. However, whether or not the pertol companies like to admitt it or not, they can and do have 'bad' batches of petrol. Or dare I say "water-it" down (I.e. blend in methanol) ...

Well I finally bit the bullet and put me beloved T in for her 15k service (even went to real ford dealer ship too.) A few hours and minus $380 later I got her back... and went for quick spin! However, scanning the invoice sheet I see the following entry POL - Castrol XT10/30 ? Umm call me stupid but isnt the T supposed to get a diet of 15/40 ?!?!?! I guess more importantly what can the wrong oil do to my beloved T's engine!

Add me to the list...

Must admitt I thought it was a cut-n-dry topic. However like NSW, I think its only with fixed/mounted cameras they must display warning signs before the camera. If its a mobile camera, then they are only required to put up a "speed camera in use" sign after your've gone past the speed camera... However, Im not 100% sure about Vic's laws in regards to the mobile camera's. The funniest thing I've scene are the camera's watching the speed camera's that are being watching by another set of camera's!!! :afro: Good examples in NSW are on Bell line of road (heading up out of Kurajong) and Woy Woy road (just before u hit the down hill run into Woy woy.) Must have been too many truckies with hacksaws out there...

New speed cameras or new state revenue making machines... Recently seen in Vic. Arn't camera phones lovely devices! I guess it will only be a matter of time b4 the boys in blue start using them in and around Goulburn/ Greater Sydney

your jinxing urself...

I'd say anything with tonage and blinker would get right of way... semi... Driven in Sydney lately? Taxi drivers share jobs with bus drivers!!!

Welcome to the mortgage bank-owns-my- club

Unfortunately car parks are a sad state of affairs these days. Like most I'd sooner park heaps away and walk a little as necessary. I've come to the conclusion that the only way to 1/2 ensure your car isnt dinged by some mindless is to stay with the car while the other goes into the shop. However when the need arises that you must do solo shopping continuously, buy your own 2nd hand clap trap (like a Hyundai eXcel...) that you only take shopping and leave at the station. Insure it with 3rd party knock-on-insurance and bob's your uncle. I 2 have had that nice egg experience. Was in redfern @ the time. So I wasnt too game to stop and beat the out of the culprit.

15w40 4 the T and 10w30 4 the na are the correct types from memory I think it also specifys the low-vis type as well. If we take into account brands # redline boys recommend 15w50 for the T http://www.redlineoil.com.au/oil-finder.asp #Penzoil seems to be on the money 15w40 http://www.penzoil.com.au/?method=lubematch.lubematch # Castrol GTX3 - 15w40 http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdeta...ntentId=6008606 # Valvoline Problend 15w-40 or ENGINE ARMOUR 15W-40 http://www.valvoline.com.au/products_up.cf...Y&category=FO20 Who said oils aint oils!

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregulations...s/speeding.html NSW - 3 points plus $75 (+ $cost of framed photo if u want it...) http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregulations...t_offences.html Conduct associated with street racing 3 Not have proper control of vehicle 3 Exceed speed limit by more than 45km/h 6 + $1,597 Exceed speed limit by more than 30 km/h but not more than 45 km/h 4 + $579 Exceed speed limit by more than 15 km/h but not more than 30 km/h 3 + $208 Exceed speed limit by not more than 15 km/h 3 Speed more than 130km/h but not more than 140km/h in a 110km/h zone 3 + $208 + A one-month licence suspension Umm dum dee do-do do dum deee do-do

$650/$720 is that all?!?!?!? *cough* *cough* *choke* *weeeeeeeze* I've just done my car insurance on a stock T. Im in Sydney, not quite 35, however rating 1 driver with no claims in 5 years. Living in a relative low risk suburb. Car is kept in lock up garage. CommInsure = $1920 (+ required that you got satelite tracking for the car fitted) Allianz = $1920 (+ same conditions as CommInsure) GIO = $1400 Suncorp = $1500 NRMA = $1200 JustCar = $1700 AAMI = $1100 Allianz are the underwriters for CommInsure as AAMI is for JustCar Insurance. I guess its fairly obvious which one I went with... Still $720, where's the justification in that!

Yep. CH9's crap-o-rarm-a 4 2nite. Unless your into reality TV these days theres not much on most nites. Noteable exception would be the mythbusters on SBS monday nites at 1930

Must admit I 2 drive around in manual mode quite often. Depending on your city driving habbits the T will get better fuel economy in manual mode. The engine doesnt have to labour (on low revs) as much with the taller ratios when running around that 60 mark. Mine too will give a small dunk/clunk when dropping from 2nd to 1st. However that's usually because some evasive driving is required while trying to stop. The only thing you have to watch when you knock it into manual mode and tap the gear selection, is that you now control the gear selection. I.e If you decide to launch it from the lights and forget to tap the the change ... be prepared for the engine cut out to kick in. It wont change up automatically. To reset it simply knock it accross to "auto" mode and then back to man however *dont* tap it up. Once you come to a complete stop it will automatically select 1 in manual mode. Heat is the killer of the auto; assuming that your not going to do a burn out every 10 meters I wouldnt sweat it that much.