Other Classics We Own / Owned or Admire

[NudgerSS]

2 year visa so here for a while. Wife's job has brought us out here so I'm doing the house husband thing.

We're in an apartment so as much as I'd love to get an old motor it doesn't make sense to. We only need the 1 car if I'm not working.

The bad thing is the longer I'm away from my Escort the more I think about selling it when I get back.

 

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[Rally Pack 2000]

2 hours ago, NudgerSS said:

2 year visa so here for a while. Wife's job has brought us out here so I'm doing the house husband thing.

We're in an apartment so as much as I'd love to get an old motor it doesn't make sense to. We only need the 1 car if I'm not working.

The bad thing is the longer I'm away from my Escort the more I think about selling it when I get back.

 

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Parking in some apartment blocks here are never well planned and result in much fewer spaces than needed. Sill if you can find a place for one a project may keep you enthused for when you get back. There are some Mk2 bargains to be found. Or if you like Mk2 Cortinas they go for a song here at the moment.

[NudgerSS]

Can't believe the prices of old British stuff. Seen a lovely Rover P6 V8 for $6k in a fetching poo brown.

There's an option of another 2 years but think the wife will be burnt out and had enough by then even though she's always loved Australia and lived here before in her 20's.

She's finding Aussies aren't the easiest to re-educate.

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[Rally Pack 2000]

7 minutes ago, NudgerSS said:

Can't believe the prices of old British stuff. Seen a lovely Rover P6 V8 for $6k in a fetching poo brown.

There's an option of another 2 years but think the wife will be burnt out and had enough by then even though she's always loved Australia and lived here before in her 20's.

She's finding Aussies aren't the easiest to re-educate.

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What do we need re-educating about? (apart from our taste in wheels)

[NudgerSS]

Business practices. I'll not say which company it is but when she was asked to come out here she knew there'd be a few challenges but don't think she realised how many and how much resistance there'd be.
They don't seem to see she's out here to help the business get on a sure footing, protect it and grow from there.

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[Rally Pack 2000]

1 hour ago, NudgerSS said:

Business practices. I'll not say which company it is but when she was asked to come out here she knew there'd be a few challenges but don't think she realised how many and how much resistance there'd be.
They don't seem to see she's out here to help the business get on a sure footing, protect it and grow from there.

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To be fair People never like to be told their business by others from outside no matter where they are from, especially when companies bring in American experts in particular who think they know it all and in turn have no idea of the mindset of Australians. They think because we watch their TV we think just like them.  Often an approach applied in American or European business simply doesn't go down well with the people on the street and the workers that are being retrained do have an idea of certain things that will and wont work on a local level. This may come across and a reluctance to adopt new ideas but there is reasoning behind it and shouldn't be discounted out of hand but seen as valuable local experience. If you give the impression they are plebs you are trying to re-educate because a foreign way is best (especially if you keep referring to how its done back home) then that will just come across as pompous and superior and get peoples backs up even if what's being said has validity but if its done in a meaningful way that she genuinely wants to help as their equal and look for alternatives then things will progress. One thing that will get the backs up of Australians every time is if they think your condescending them as dumb colonials or when the Americans think of us as outback hillbillies. Even if that's just false perception on our part the slightest error in wording or phrasing will be met with a blunt response. Australians reject any sense of a class system, whether it be a rich upper class or celebrity culture that the Americans have created for themselves or the alternate one of aristocracy that you can somehow be born better than others. Many times people don't even realise they are doing it because they arent part of those groups back home but unfortunately suffer from stereotypes and guilt by nationalistic association. Things that are said inadvertently falsely give that impression because as soon as Australians hear an accent the detectors go up to see if your talking down to them in any way. I suspect it would be analogous to if a French or German came to tell you what is best for British business, even if they know what they were talking about the barriers would go up with "what can the Germans and the French know more about England than us". I have actually seen it play out here on the forum when I first joined. I would answer a question posted and it would be totally ignored because what could an Australian possibly know about Escorts and then another poster in the UK would say the exact same thing they would get a thank-you that was helpful. It then sort of morphed into hesitation to accept any premise because Australian Escorts were different so any tip or suggestion probably wont apply on British examples. Everyone was very polite but you could see it happening. That still happens every now and then actually. Its taken a few years to break that barrier down and when I got to be Moderator here, to me it was a terrific sign of acceptance. Its probably nothing your wife says or does she just needs a couple of years to get past basic human nature. Yes we are a stubborn lot. An extension may go alot easier since trust as been built in these first couple of years. Mind you who would want to stay here with so much heat, fires and no water? Your place back home isnt empty by any chance?

[NudgerSS]

Yes I can see why people's backs would get up. Funnily enough some of the worst are ex-pats. We've been here 6 months now and I think she's finally starting to win people over now they can see results from things being implemented.
We've been up to Gosford this morning where she had a meeting and they were all talking about the fires. The problem we have around our way at home right now is flooding so if you need any water I know where there's some going spare.

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[Rally Pack 2000]

1 minute ago, NudgerSS said:

Yes I can see why people's backs would get up. Funnily enough some of the worst are ex-pats. We've been here 6 months now and I think she's finally starting to win people over now they can see results from things being implemented.
We've been up to Gosford this morning where she had a meeting and they were all talking about the fires. The problem we have around our way at home right now is flooding so if you need any water I know where there's some going spare.

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You wont get much other conversation while the fires are blazing. The fires get worse every year and the country towns have their dams go dry every summer. Queensland has an annual flood season too and I have said for decades get the British to teach us how to build canal networks. You could have both a scenic transport corridor and channel the water to those desperately in need of it. The British also build the nicest bridges so that helps make it all look nice to boot.

[Rally Pack 2000]

I always hand an interest one one of these. they were pretty cheap back in the day and about the only affordable mid engined car at the time. They were known to be rusty things though even here. I imagine they fetch reasonable money now if they survive.

[Rally Pack 2000]

Always loved these since the 80s but never seen one in real life. The few I have spoken too that have ever driven one never say much nice about it. Never meet your heroes as they say.

[meXEco]

Hmmm yes please...^^^

[stephens_xpack]

RS200, the group B rally car they finished making just after group B rallying died. Shame, never got to see how it would have faired. Iconic for all the wrong reasons.....

[katana]

I've actually seen a couple of RS200's on the road down here in the Surrey area - one was probably a replica kit car but was bloody good copy, the other genuine but really such a disappointment seeing an out and out supercar pootling around like a shopping car - had no 'presence' whereas a Delta S4 and a 6R4 Metro actually sound angry - all the time!

[NudgerSS]

I was always a 6R4 fan having had a couple of MG Metros as my first cars. That n/a v6 growl was the best group B noise.

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[meXEco]

I remember years ago doing some marshalling on the Tour of Cornwall rally-and seeing/hearing my first 6R4's-jesus Christ probably the best sounding car I've ever heard to this day-especially on full chat-still one of my all time favourite cars-a lottery win would deffo see one in my collection.

[notenoughtime]

On 25/11/2019 at 04:07, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Always loved these since the 80s but never seen one in real life. The few I have spoken too that have ever driven one never say much nice about it. Never meet your heroes as they say.

I remember seeing loads of these outside AVO 

COULD HAVE BOUGHT THEM CHEAP only if I had the money then 

[Rally Pack 2000]

5 hours ago, notenoughtime said:

I remember seeing loads of these outside AVO 

COULD HAVE BOUGHT THEM CHEAP only if I had the money then 

Darn I though you were going to say you found one hidden in the corner in your recent workshop clear-out!

[notenoughtime]

Imagine! 

[meXEco]

Hopefully picking this up next week-belonged to a good longtime friend of mine who sadly took his own life recently. He'd had the car probably 25 years-they were joined at the hip-he loved it. After his funeral i wanted to enquire about the car-but didnt know how to go about it without upsetting his girlfriend or seeming like a vulture. A couple of weeks ago i was browsing eBay as you do late one night and saw the car for sale on there through a friend. I asked if my mates girlfriend would mind if i tried to buy it to keep as a memento-i would have been sad to see it leave the county for someone to mod etc. and be lost forever. She was happy to let me have it and gave me a while to try and get some cash together-she said it's not really about the money it was nice it was going to one of his friends-but a deal was struck and i'm going to see her next week. It will go into storage for a while-it needs a little welding and a bit of tinkering-its had a motor swap to a 2litre Passat engine i believe-maybe someone who knows vws could shed some light? I'll probably end up selling my Escort and doing this GTi a bit of justice it deserves. Early 'mk2 '84, i remember when he used to go the local vw dealers for bits and he'd quote the chassis number or reg number-and get either mk1 or mk2 parts as it was right on the crossover between the 2.

RIP Kiv miss you.

 

 

 

[Rally Pack 2000]

1 hour ago, meXEco said:

Hopefully picking this up next week-belonged to a good longtime friend of mine who sadly took his own life recently. He'd had the car probably 25 years-they were joined at the hip-he loved it. After his funeral i wanted to enquire about the car-but didnt know how to go about it without upsetting his girlfriend or seeming like a vulture. A couple of weeks ago i was browsing eBay as you do late one night and saw the car for sale on there through a friend. I asked if my mates girlfriend would mind if i tried to buy it to keep as a memento-i would have been sad to see it leave the county for someone to mod etc. and be lost forever. She was happy to let me have it and gave me a while to try and get some cash together-she said it's not really about the money it was nice it was going to one of his friends-but a deal was struck and i'm going to see her next week. It will go into storage for a while-it needs a little welding and a bit of tinkering-its had a motor swap to a 2litre Passat engine i believe-maybe someone who knows vws could shed some light? I'll probably end up selling my Escort and doing this GTi a bit of justice it deserves. Early 'mk2 '84, i remember when he used to go the local vw dealers for bits and he'd quote the chassis number or reg number-and get either mk1 or mk2 parts as it was right on the crossover between the 2.

RIP Kiv miss you.

 

 

 

Doesn't look like it needs too much even the trim seems in great condition. Just a bit of black wax on the bumpers and you will be good to go! So will you be getting out of OS Fords altogether?

[meXEco]

It is in very good condition-the interior is pretty mint from the pics I've seen. Yes bit of reblacking on the trim needed too. Really don't know whats gonna happen yet-I wont be selling the GTi-and the Escorts been sitting in a barn for the last 6-7 years waiting to be done-cant really see that happening in the next 6-7 either so may just get rid but it'll be worth a lot more done...doin my head in a bit to be honest. Did think about a little cheap OSF-Pop or Prefect/Anglia-maybe Cortina mk2-all depends on the Escort really.

[meXEco]

Well I managed to get enough cash together so she's now mine and will get tucked up in a mates barn then we'll have a good look over her and start some plans. Never thought i'd say this but I may have to join a Golf forum as I am clueless about these cars.

[Rally Pack 2000]

9 minutes ago, meXEco said:

Well I managed to get enough cash together so she's now mine and will get tucked up in a mates barn then we'll have a good look over her and start some plans. Never thought i'd say this but I may have to join a Golf forum as I am clueless about these cars.

You can always still come here for questions on Bosch distributors though!

[accord83]

I have a Mk 1 Cabriolet, and sometimes I wished I'd remained clueless!!

 

[Rally Pack 2000]

1 minute ago, accord83 said:

I have a Mk 1 Cabriolet, and sometimes I wished I'd remained clueless!!

 

Hey thats really nice!!!!!