PAH

Guys Reading up on the new XR6T Sprint, the article seemed to say that the Sprint has been fitted with launch control for the FIRST TIME. I've always thought that my 2008 FG XR6T had launch control. Am I sadly mistaken? PAH

Yeah. And it would be nice to see a few XRs and SSs running against each other. Would they last for 12hrs of punishment? My Bathurst preferences. 1. Race road based cars at Bathurst. 2. Race pedal cars. 3. Race V8 Supercars. Not a fan of V8SCs as their links to real cars are only skin deep. And they corner my slot cars. The GTHOs and XU1s looked fast due to body roll and oppy lock etc. The drivers had to work harder to cope with the same cars we bought for the road. But that's why GTHOs XU1s and VL Walkies etc pull such high prices. Good luck collecting VX HSV as an investment. How much track cred? I continue to lament the fact that Ford did not respond by importing Bathurst spec Sierras to Australia. What were they? RS 500s? The downside of the 12hr is that its stacked with unaffordables. I'd rather that to Silhouettocars. I'd like to see them race registerable cars up to a max of maybe $120k. PAH.

Guys, The Bathurst 12 Hour is set for 5 - 7 Feb. Not many Fords or Holdens . . . yet. It'd be nice to see Camaros run against Mustangs. As it is, I like to see the <$200k GTR knock off the Euro exotics at twice the price. P

Guys, Ever wish you had a fun car to thrash at Wakefield or Winton without molesting your new XR Sprint? Check out this Nota. It's along the lines of a Lotus 7 except this one has a transverse engine / drivetrain over the rear axle. Looks like fun. Even better if it can be registered. As us old timers give up our bikes, it might be close to a four wheeled bike? http://www.notasportscars.com/

Looks like the ACCC has done some good for motorists. We should have access to fresh data relating to fuel prices in our area. It might help to lower prices if enough people use it. http://www.themotorreport.com.au/62789/fuel-prices-real-time-data-available-to-australian-motorists-soon

I can understand the riders not noticing the chopper when they were riding but I'm surprised they didnt look up when they parked. The chopper must be quiet. They could ping a quick XR6T just as easily.Back to the original story. Can the news report be trusted? "The 21-year-old is due to appear in Sutherland Local Court on February 4." Ive been out with young blokes doing "ride-ons" to show them the tricks of the trade. I bounce them for texting as they drive, especially when they cross into the path of oncoming cars (with me the passenger). Their frequent response? "You gotta show me respect"!! Hard to fathom.

Guys, Some might see this as a reason to bag cops . . . https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/30432114/nsw-cop-caught-driving-126km-h-while-drunk/ But the law seems to be being appied without favour. And that's a good sign. In countries where the government's integrity is questionable, I guess it's much harder to press for integrity in government departments such as poice forces. Thank goodness for ICAC. Lets hope and pray that they remain a force on the side of integrity to stamp out shonky deals and corruption wherever it occurs.

Guys, Just saw this airbag that looks a bit like a flack jacket. Might be useful when riding the ZX14 interstate? Or when flying with a dodgy airline over a war zone. Panic if you see the pilot wearing one? http://media.smh.com.au/video-sport/video-sports-hq/the-airbag-that's-changing-ski-safety-7096553.html

Spiro had an FG 5.4L in his workshop with twin turbos. I guess that's the best of both worlds?

I am talking about the factory air intake under the bumper that allows air to the radiator and intercooler. And Kings Springs are about the same height as factory XR6 springs?

So why don't I want the car too low? A.) Lowered cars is sign language to cops - "come and book me." B.) I don't like the car's underbelly scraping on servo driveways. C.) I don't like the front air intake under the bumper smacking into concrete stoppers in Coles car parks. So who makes stiffer springs that dont chop at least 50mm out of ride height? Maybe KMAC? Not sure if others make lowered coils that are only 20mm to 30mm shorter. Anybody know? Also, I have a full set of Bilsteins that are probably the correct shocks for standard XR6T springs. If I lower the car, will these Bilsteins be OK with lower coils, stopping the coils from falling out? I am chasing more steering response, more tyre grip and I dont mind a ride that feels a bit more go-karty. Suggestions??? PAH

Even after a couple of nice sets of Superpro bushes up the back end of my FG XR6T, the axle tramp came back. Tyre King at Baulkham Hills did a full wheel alignment and it disappeared. I normally knock back the rear wheel alignment, but after that win, I will be more receptive to suggestions that a rear end alignment could be a good thing. I have urethane bushes in the control blades and the diff. PAH

Guys, I was out for a bit of exercise when I spied a neighbour with a set of BA XR6T mags for sale. He's asking $30 each. Sound fair? I don't think they'd look any good on my FG XR6T but I am tempted to buy a pair just in case I get a trailer. I doubt he will break up the set of four. If I buy all four, is anybody interested in buying two off me? All wheel have minor grazing at the very edge of the rim. Tyres on the rims are cactus. PAH

Guys, We all know that the cops are targeting drivers playing with their phones, even when we're stopped at a red light. Has anybody been fined for playing with their Sat Nav whilst driving? I am happy if the answer is no because I pick mine up to press the button for audio directions when driving. It may not be as obvious as playing with a phone but I dare say it's a similar issue - driver distraction. If they push this line of thinking they'd have to ban changing CD's in the stereo and fumbling around for the Coke can. PAH

And don't forget that our current VF's and FG's have significant Chinese input. Where do they get their electric motors for windows and wipers etc as well as nuts and bolts for assembly? Yeah it's a shame that Ford didn't fit the blown XR8 engine to the Mustang. Anybody owned a high mileage BMW? Are they high maintenance as they approach 150k's or do the run on and on like a Falcon taxi? Heard a rumour or two that prompted me to ask the question. If they're cheap to maintain up to 200k - 250k, the 135i looks nice. A Toyota 86 with a Harrop blower would be a fun car. I wish Toyota and Subaru would fit the 2.5L engine to the 86. Point taken about the Clubbie R8 with it's heavy duty transmission bits but don't forget this. The base model VF SS is $44k. +$15k for a blower takes it to under $60k. Will the factory transmission hold up? The TR6060 in my FG XR6T seems to be doing OK with heaps more grunt. Is the R8 worth another $20k? PAH

Nice Sydney roads. At $80 - $90 per set, these whiter globes would need to last heaps longer than they have for me to bother buying them again. I might put one of the factory globes back into the LHS. Or drop in one Spiro again. As stated above, one of Spiro's mechanics told me they no longer sell these whiter globes.

Guys, I've now bought three sets of extra bright headlight globes and had all of them blow in a short period of time - a few months. And NO I have not touched the globe! The first globe to blow was on my bike - the rest were in the XR6. As my car was at Spiro's for some other work, I got them to fit an Osram globe to replace the blown globe in the RHS headlight. I should have got them to do both with Osram globes because the extra bright globe in the LHS has now blown. Spiro's mechanic said they've had similar experiences with these extra bright globes and as a result, they have switched to standard Osram globes. I wonder if Osram makes extra bright globes? I had a set of Phillips high power globes years ago and never had any trouble. If I see Phillips globes on special, I might give them a try again. Anybody else had similar problems? PAH

We're just a tad lucky in NSW because our fixed speed cameras are sign posted. Not so in all states. Our NSW cops also seem to allow a reasonable tolerance before issuing tickets. And there's good reason for that - here it is (from this article): "Highway patrol officers do not rely on their vehicle's factory-fitted speedometer to record speed because of inaccuracies. Instead, each vehicle is fitted with a digital speedometer which sits atop the dashboard and conveys a readout which is calibrated from the car's differential." I understand that Aust Standards specify a 10% tolerance for car speedos. Given the inaccuracies ADMITTED BY THE POLICE a 10% tolerance makes sense. PAH

Thanks Guys, I like to carry my Galaaxy S2 in my shirt pocket. That's gonna be a problem if the S4 and S5 are bigger because I am not the manbag type. If an S4 or S5 had a better battery that lasted 1.5 or 2 days I'd be tempted. The S2 does all that I want. Giving me an S6 might be like giving Miss Daisy's chaufer a 350 RWKW XR6T. PAH

I dare say that the most important things to check are that the qual from whatever RTO is a qual that is valued by prospective employers. A comprehensive course that has no relevance to employers is not likely to be of much use. I've seen the NBN Co Contractors rodding and roping the pipes in my estate in preparation for FTTN. The NBN rollout appears to be providing employment opportunities via their Contract Co's. Who are the NBN Contract Co's? ISGM may be one of them. If I was a young bloke looking for a job in telecoms, these job opportunities might be a way into the industry: http://www.isgm.com.au/working-at-isgm/subcontractors/installation-and-maintenance/ http://www.isgm.com.au/nbn-multi-dwelling-unit/ PAH

My FG XR6T is now almost 7 years old. Even though it's still going well, time for an update? And if so, what are the options? A Falcon XR8. Has Ford fixed driveline shunt and rollover noise? Seating position is still not as good as the Commodore. Fuel economy? A Falcon XR6. Has Ford fixed driveline shunt and rollover noise? Seating position is still not as good as the Commodore. Fuel economy? VF SS and fit a Harrop blower. Fuel economy? Doesn't have the HSV's heavy duty driveline bits HSV R8 with the factory blower. Fuel economy? Ford Focus RS. 257kw in a lighter car sounds nice. How good is Ford Customer Care? Subaru WRX STI. The smaller size is better for me. I don't need or want a large 1.8 tonne car. Sounds like Subaru no longer fits forged pistons so tunes are limited. I'd like to see Subaru bump up the power to compete against the 257kw RS. BMW 135i. The limited slip diff is damned expensive and some suggest it's an options box to tick. Falcon XR6 LPI auto. No turbo :-( But if my heart ruled my head, it would be a sensible option. Cheap running. If driveline shunt and rollover noise remains an issue, the auto might mask that. Easy to drive around the burbs. Any obvious alternatives that I've missed?

My thermo fans run for a few mins after I turn off. If you park in the carport, maybe spray a bit of water through the grille onto the radiator with a garden hose?

As the battery in my Samsung Galaxy 2 is close to stuffed, I started shopping for a new one. Most of the phone shops told me that my Samsung Galaxy 2 is too old and just buy a Samsung Galaxy 6! Half a dozen shops later, I managed to buy a Samsung Galaxy 2 battery. I note that Officework flogs UNLOCKED Samsung Galaxy 4's and Samsung Galaxy 5's. If I'd updated to a Samsung Galaxy 4, what does it do that a Samsung Galaxy 2 does not and what does it not do that a Samsung Galaxy 6 does?

I had a bit of axle tramp on hard acceleration. The guys at tyre King Baulkham Hills did a 4 wheel alignment and the prblem disappeared. So I gear the rear end needs to have correct geometry to avoid axle tramp. I plan to keep an eye on that in future. PAH

Milcom told me the courses are free for Qld residents. Call them and double check. PAH