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Forum Index : Site News : Merry Christmas
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5012 |
Hi All. Just a quick Merry Christmas message from the admin. Been a very interesting year. Personally, I see the COVID-19 pandemic as a good thing for the world as a whole. Less pollution, more caring of each other, and the planet is a little more united. Here in Australia we lost less than 1000 people, which is a amazing result and only happened because we listened to the experts, accepted the lockdowns and border closures, and got on with life. Myself I've been busy with my software business. The business has grown to the point where I no longer have to worry about the bills, and have a little spending cash on hobbies. To keep me sane and away from the computer, I finally got my old HQ Monaro back on the road after 20 years sitting in the garage gathering dust. For non-Australians, the HQ Monaro is a 1970's V8 muscle car, similar to a Camaro/Mustang/Challenger/etc. I spend 6 months replacing all the rubber suspension bits, shock absorbers, steering joints, oil seals, brakes, etc, etc, etc. I really enjoyed the hands on time, covered in grease and dirt. There's something very rewarding about working on old machinery. Got it registered in November, and take it for a drive every weekend. Sure brings back some memories.  So hope everyone has a great Christmas and new year. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Clockmanfr Guru  Joined: 23/10/2015 Location: FrancePosts: 427 |
Hi Glenn, Just to say 'A VERY BIG THANK YOU' for keeping this forum running so smoothly. From Normandy France we wish you good Christmas greetings. BON NOEL. Everything is possible, just give me time. 3 HughP's 3.7m Wind T's (14 years). 5kW PV on 3 Trackers, (10 yrs). 21kW PV AC coupled SH GTI's. OzInverter created Grid. 1300ah 48v. |
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Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9061 |
Those HQ's used to be EVERYWHERE over here in NZ, but they are quite hard to find now. While not exactly V8, I have been rebuilding a Morris 1300 for the last couple of years, and she is ALMOST ready for her WOF.(Warrent Of Fitness). In NZ, you have to get a WOF every six-months, which as I understand, is very much the same as the MOT(Ministry Of Transport) test in England. I don't know if in the UK they have to have six-monthly or yearly checks. Would love to know. Someone from the UK please post here.  Our American members might be shocked at this point. In NZ, Australia(as far as I know - Gizmo?) and England, you have to do periodic WOF's/MOT's to certify that your vehicle is fit for the road and structurally sound. This involves tests on all major systems such as engine-smoke, engine mounts, brakes, tires, all lights, structural integrity(looking for rust), wheel bearings, suspension components, exhaust leaks etc....lots of things. As far as I know, in America, this is NOT a requirement, only that you register your vehicle for whatever state you live in. Basically, 95% of the awesome hot-rods you see coming out of USA would be ILLEGAL here without a full certification - which is about 10x the price of the standard WOF - and they can still fail it on any number of things they don't like(backed up by regulations). All those retro-bucket Fords etc - illegal here, cos there is no roll-bar on most of the USA builds - instant fail. Even if they DO have a roll-bar fitted, if not "Structurally correct" - Fail. For example, a roll-bar bolted to the body would fail as it would 'Punch-through' if the car rolled, and so any roll-bar has to be bolted/welded to the chassis. If your car never had a chassis in the first place, then you have to build and fit one for the roll-bar to bolt/weld to - and certify that also. You cannot drive any uncertified vehicle legally on the road, and if you do, you put yourself in line for about $1000 in fines - no current WOF or REG(registration). That's for every offense, so drive it ten times with no street-legal status, and get caught 50% of the time - five grand in fines and counting.... You yanks don't know how lucky you are! Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577 |
Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all. This is definitely the best and most helpful Forum and group of people I have come across anywhere... and the smartest. What so many of you do and take for granted amazes me as is the help and generosity with time and helping you all give. Quite amazing and very much appreciated. I remember those HQ's when they came out. My father was manager at a Holden dealership and had his pick of company cars. They gave him an XU-1 Torana when they came out and then an SL/R 5000 which were the epitome of the GM go fast cars here at the time but he didn't like them. Got sick of having to catch Taxis home when the things got stolen all the time. Got himself a Nice 5L HQ Premier and loved it. Was the first car he had with Disk brakes and nearly put himself and everyone else through the windscreen for the first week but they were great cars. I still remember the burble of the thing as he'd drive it up the street going to work. You could hear it for some ways even though he tried to drive it very quietly. They would sell his drive car and he wasn't happy till he got another one and he always seemed to get them in the green colour with the white trim. He just about put us Kids in plastic bags before we got in the thing and if we touched the windows and left finger prints, he went into orbit. My brother had a HQ as his first car. We used to work on it and take the whole front off the thing in one Piece as it took 5 Min to do and then you had complete access to the engine and front end. Our grandmother whom we lived with would come out and find everything forward of the windscreen sitting on the back lawn in one piece looking at her. Was about 8 Bolts, the wiring connector and undo the radiator hoses and the whole front comes right off in one piece. You have done a good job on that old girl Glenn. It would be worth a Lot of money now. These thing were common as Hyundai's are now back in the day but you don't see them around any more. I take it this is a 308? |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5012 |
Its a 350 Davo. I rebuilt the motor back in 1990, and added a few go faster bits. As a younger man I use to take it drag racing, but these days I dont rev it past 5k. The motor is old now and I dont want to have to rebuild it. Grogster here in Australia, once you pass a road worthy and get the car registered, we dont need to do another road worthy for as long as we keep the car registered. But the boys in blue can pull you over and inspect the car at random, and put it off the road if there is something they consider un-roadworthy. Then you need to fix and get it inspected before you can drive it again. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577 |
Nice! My father had a 350 Hk Monaro. I think it scared him a Bit. He didn't keep it long and I remember him telling everyone how fast it was. I think what really put him off was he touched it going round a corner in the rain and the thing spun and he was inches away from coming to grief with a truck. Those old Dunlop Aquajet Radials did not have a good reputation even back then. The twin Turbo Merc he has now would probably leave that thing for dead though. That is a weapon although in a silk glove because the thing is so quiet and smooth and devoid of all the other fun things you can't tell how fast you are going except for the speedo. Too complicated and intimidating with the endless and useless gadgetry on it that I'm sure not one single owners knows how to work half of it or actually uses more than 10 % of all the "Because we can " bells and whistles. The seat heaters are Impressive though. I guarantee you could drive to work and leave the things on with your lunch sitting on them and come back to a lovely roast dinner at Midday. And I mean whom would be seen dead in a car that didn't have 16 different colours programmable for the Footwell lights? That is in Qld. That's why you have so many real Rust buckets on the road! :0) In NSW and I'm pretty sure Vic, You have a 12 Month inspection in order to be able to re register the vehicle. Sometimes, If you know the guy or the right place to go, the only inspection is when you inspect the notes to Pull out your wallet to get your " Pink slip" which is all uploaded to the Roads Mob. For many years None of my cars were every inspected. I'd go to the mechanic, he'd say " anything wrong with it? " Id say not that I know of and he'd shake the brake test machine to get a reading, take my money and give me the ticket. I said to him one day, aren't you worried you'll get caught doing that? He said No, I only do it for people like you. I said what is like me? He said people that are fussy with their cars and know the second if something isn't right. He said I have had people come in for an oil change and a wheel is hanging on by 3 threads on the only nut and they haven't got a clue. I have since seen that. People with collapsed wheel bearings and they ask if you think it will be OK for another month till they save the money to get it fixed. Looks like for most people there will be no BS restrictions in your own state at least and for us Filthy NS welchmen banned from everywhere else, we'll have to stay in our own borders and support our own people. Good thing if you ask me. Good luck QLD and Vic tourism and hospitality industries though! Merry Christmas to all and happy new year. |
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| johnmc Senior Member  Joined: 21/01/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 282 |
Good day Gizmo, Thanks for your time and efforts to the forum. Seasons Greetings to ALL Nice Monaro brings back memories, I was service foreman at GMH dealership at the time the factory entered monaro,s were released . I believe they were only released to a select few dealerships as they had to produce at least 100 vehicles to compete at bathurst. Any rate I took this hairy monster for a test drive and it scared the daylights out of me because of the raw power. This vehicle was not safe in the hands of most drivers, the Boss crashed the vehicle about a week later . At the time we had own panel beating shop but the monaro just disappeared. cheers john johnmc |
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| Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577 |
Santa arrived out the front of pur house.  May not be able to take on the Griswalds for Numbers of Lights but I'll guarantee my Crissy Decos are the Heaviest! :0) |
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