CFlat

Oi again, It's back....picked up the HgAg ute today. Back to it's former pristine beauty. Looks a real good panel job, and I'm glad to be back in the T after a week driving the company's spare Mitsubishi Express van. Goin' for a drive now. Ciao

Oi, Dropped the ute into the panel shop today...should only take "a few days". Hope to have it back by next weekend. Can't complain about the delay. Smacked in the arse Sunday, got a quote Monday, spoke to insurance Tuesday, and it's getting fixed the following Monday. Hope they do a good job. Ciao CFlat

Hambo, If you've got a movie star type of face, buy the ute. ALL the good lookin' blokes drive utes! CFlat

Oi all, Had a shot (2 actually) at a Porsche 911 last night on Hindmarsh Drive. Dunno what model, they're hard to pick, but it was a wide body with the big ducktail. Beat him both times......verrry impressed (me not him.....the missus thought it was alright too!!). Porsche drivers get pissed when a ute kicks 'em. Ciao Cflat

Oi, Spoke to the insurance folks today (AMP/GIO) and got the best service ever! Lovely lady named Judy took all the details and advised me that they have waived the excess ($800) 'cos it ain't my fault. She says they don't care what the lying young bloke says, if I got hit in the arse, there ain't no story they are gonna believe to change that, and he will pay! Panel shop had a look and has quoted around $1700 plus parts to repair the beast. probably end up around $2600. Just hafta wait now til I can get the damage fixed. Still the best thing I've ever driven! Ciao CFlat

No witnesses, it was wet and windy and miserable.........anybody with half a brain was at home. I can only hope that a smack in the arse still puts the smacker in the wrong and not the smackee! Ciao CFlat

Pulled up at an orange light in Queanbeyan this afternoon and got rear-ended by a Commodore. Go to the police station with the other driver (young blokewith 3 mates)who tells a pack of lies about how the prang happened. So the copper says it's a minor accident and gives us a phone number to report it on. So I ring the number and it's the Canberra coppers who don't give a rat's arse about prangs in Queanbeyan! So he gives me another number to ring in NSW..........so I ring this numberand tell 'em all the gory details and about the bullsh*tting young turd, and they tell me it's a minor accident and they don't want to know about it! They tell me to ring my insurance company and lodge the claim. I ask who is going to determine responsibility for the accident, and I am told that our insurance companies will determine that! What the hell??? I am not happy, my ute's butt is bent outa shape, and some insurance clerk is responsible for enforcing the road rules......Jeezus!

Oi, just returned from the dealer with the new gearbox. 8 km's without a crunch! Haven't been able to do that for a looonnng time. Must say though, that I ain't confident, changing gears very gingerly. Next few days will tell, so I'll keep ya up-to-date. Ciao CFlat

So what does it say about BOV's - surely must be a regulation against those ricey valves "Pfffsssstwhoosh"?? CFlat

Oi, Just had a call from McGrath Ford to tell me my 3rd gearbox is here (2nd replacement). Booked in for next Tuesday to get fitted along with 15000km service. Not bad, averaging 5000kms per gearbox! Maybe T5 relates to the number of gearboxes you get with each car? :idea: The helpful dude at the dealer isn't sure whether anything has changed in the replacement box, or if it is just another rebuild. Guess I'll know in a few weeks if it's onother sh*tter! Let ya know. Ciao CFlat

..........and a Mitsubishi Lancer badge? Nu! CFlat :D

Oi TurboDewd, Met a Silver WRX a few nights back on Hindmarsh Drive. Typical Rexxie, BIIIGGG intercooler, BIIIGGGEEERRR Foglights. I took off from the lights, he took off also,Igot stuck into it, he got stuck into it also......and........he blew me sh*tless!! Never seen anything with so much friggin' grunt. He gave me a wave and a big grin at the Yamba lights........ahhhh I just grinned and waved back. I'll leave him be next time. :( CFlat

CFlat

Errr..... that would be Funk & WagnAll's?

Jeeesus! Every forum in Australia has discussed this crap! Facts: They are illegal in most states unless it is foggy (most states don't experience fog) They do NOT increase your "close-up vision" (they actually decrease your long distance accuity) They don't look "cool"" They ARE glary (by design they have a WIDE flat beam- hence glare) People using fog-lights have small willys and low self esteem!! Turn 'em off - leave it to the Late model camira SS drivers CFlat

Had the rubber shavings problem and the odd screaming from under the bonnett. Then the screaming became persistent. The little "idler wheel" on the front of the head was locking up under higher revs, and the serpentine belt was dragging over the pulley. Replaced at about 9000km and no problems since (with that particular problem anyway!) CFlat

Ooooohh!! Just had a sticky at a mate's new Pursuit ute. 290 kw plus extractors and exhaust. Reckons it now has around 320kw - sounds great. Blood orange with aftermarket black GT stripes - looks awesome. Didn't get a drive...........yet, but look forward to that. Ciao CFlat

Dealer called this morning to let me know that it will be about 2 weeks for new box. Seems top gear synchro ring is brass, while the other 4 are a "clutch-type" material. Mechanic thinks the special synthetic oil used in the turbo box may be "too slippery" for the brass synchro ring. The non-turbo uses the same synchro arrangement, but doesn't use the $20 per litre synthetic oil and doesn't seem to have the same top gear problem. Maybe they'll change to a different transmission oil - dunno! Let y'all know when it happens CFlat

Silverhawk, Just like mine - slow deliberate changes are OK, but a bit of a squirt thru the gears and slip it into top - "crunch". Mechanic says Ford reckons that "short-Shifting" (3rd to 5th) can contribute. Why would you do that? And if you did, why can't the gearbox handle it?? Does it know what you did - and is wreaking some punishment upon you for your weird driving habit? If your's is behaving like this, it ain't an intermittent fault - it's stuffed! Ask your dealer to replace it, Id be interested in the answer. CFlat

On my second replacement O-ring, must be special! Oh, and 3 other water leaks, thermostat housing, radiator hose and heater hose. CFlat

Just back from the Ford dealer - again. New gearbox is stuffed, less than 1000km after fitting. Same thing, crunching into top gear. Diagnostics mechanic says they have "had a little trouble" with the manual turbo box. They are gonna let me know when they have another new gearbox for the ute, and we'll give it another shot! Oh well, at least I won't wear one out! CFlat

No Lexus conversions, but four turbos in the group ,one white, one silver and two black. Two of 'em are owned by girls! Woops - lady clubmembers. And they drive the t#ts off 'em! Got one supercharged currently in the group also (did have 3) Combined run would present a problem, do I drive the MX5 or the ute? CFlat

Hey, nice run. Our MX5 club has done the same complete route (half of it last weekend) on the odd occassion, and it's a brilliant drive. Stop at Bateman's Bay for arguably the best fish 'n chips you can eat. Might be tied up that weekend, but if I can get out of it, I'll be there in the ute. CFlat

I was up front in a gold MX5 - took me by surprise and only got to wave at the last few - too excited I guess at the sight of so many XR's CFlat

Errr.........yeah......so were we!! CFlat