New car

[Eddy Matthews]

After the death of my Dad, I decided it's time to change cars again. I no longer need a vehicle the size of my current Toyota MPV, so I'm buying a Volvo S80.... It has so many electronic gadgets it will take me a year to figure out how they all work but boy is it nice to drive!!

Regards
Eddy

[Dinosaursoupman]

Now, how are you going to get all your boats in there Eddy?

Very nice. How does it do petrol wise? Our current family car is a guzzler, was designed for long stretches on the open highway not for around town.

Randy the Dinosaur Soup Man

[Eddy Matthews]

Now, how are you going to get all your boats in there Eddy?

Very nice. How does it do petrol wise? Our current family car is a guzzler, was design for long stretches on the open highway not for around town.

Randy the Dinosaur Soup Man

It's a very deceiving car Randy - The rear seats fold flat (split 60/40), and even the front passenger seat will fold flat for really long loads.

It has a 2401cc 5 cylinder diesel engine and will do an average of 42-44 mpg. which is amazing for a large saloon. Just goes to show we don't all need huge V8's
 
Regards
Eddy

[Dinosaursoupman]

Hello Eddy,

Looks like a lot of thought was put into your selection with fitting your boats being top priority. Like I said before, very nice.

I did notice though, They put the steering wheel on the wrong side!

Randy the Dinosaur Soup Man

[Eddy Matthews]

Hello Eddy,

Looks like a lot of thought was put into your selection with fitting your boats being top priority. Like I said before, very nice.

I did notice though, They put the steering wheel on the wrong side!

Randy the Dinosaur Soup Man

I think you need glasses Randy - The steering wheel is on the right side 

Eddy

[Bob Golder]

Hi Eddy,

Now that I know the front seat folds flat for REALLY long loads  can we fold it flat for a REALLY long journey on Sunday  - if so I'll bring a blanket 

[Dinosaursoupman]

Hey Eddy,

I guess we here in the States can attribute one more thing to our French heritage. Besides fries and kisses, we drive on the right side of the road.

Randy the Dinosaur Soup Man

[Red_Hamish]

And there was I thinking we'd been Left behind. Or is it simply we are more chivalrous than the French or do we still do combat with lances hanging out the right hand side windows.

Eddy, now we know why you needed to get the Volvo before the weekend, a nice wee drive through the bonnie parts of Scotland to visit your favourite (favorite, for our ex-colonials) paddler, Waverley.
Enjoy the M74 and A82 along Loch Lomond side with all those other holiday invaders

cheers

Jim

[Eddy Matthews]

The A82 alongside Loch Lomond shouldn't be too bad at this time of the year, but even if we do get stuck behind a caravan, it's glorious scenery so who cares if you have to drive slowly?

The A74/M74 is a different story though!!

Eddy

[Roderick Smith]

I had had second-hand cars 8, 11, 11 & 8 years old.
As retirement approached, I went for a new Subaru Liberty Outback, all-wheel drive, 6 cylinder.
It is rated to tow 1800 kg.
At the time I bought it, I didn't know what weight of boat I would be buying.
Jessie II on the trailer is 1400 kg; I could have survived with the more economical 4 cylinder model.  The car does munch fuel, particularly when towing.
A photo of the car, only a few months old, is in Large Paddler Builds > General discussion (Large), in the Jessie II topic there.  It was taken on the day of my first test cruise, near Walkers Flat (SA).  One essential requirement was that my car could handle the boat on the trailer, and that was proven.  Murray Princess passed while the seller and his son loaded the boat onto the trailer.

Enclosed: a photo when it was only a few days old.  I exploited most of the features for which I had bought it, driving through mud chasing paddleboat photos along the Murray, then skiing in NSW, on the roro Spirit of Tasmania III to Tasmania, then through mud and snow-covered roads there.  Here it is crossing the lower Pieman River, on the only river punt in Tasmania, nicknamed 'Fatman'.  I was on the last crossing of the day; the lonely minor road continuing to a mining town was blocked with a fallen tree.  I was able to go off the road, and around the tree, and back on again; then still connected to Spirit of Tasmania (I or II) to Melbourne that night.

Posted as soon after 17.00 (USA PST) as I could.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[sandystrone]

hope you can find the fuel for that new car Eddy,
its Scottish oil, and you,ll need your passport! but you are going to my part of the country and the inhabitants are friendly, enjoy the trip on the old Lady
               Sandy.

ps pleased Bob is going as your interpreter

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks Sandy - Hopefully the fuel situation won't be too bad.... In theory I can do the round trip on one tankful, but I'll topup at the first opportunity once we get to Scotland just to be safe...

We intend on stopping at Balloch on the way up to see how the Maid of the Loch is doing, and grab a bite to eat.

I have to admit that I cannot pronounce half of the Scottish placenames, so Bob will be useful for that, and also for general translation in pubs and restaurants etc 

Regards
Eddy

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's....& as Eddy notes  ..."I'm...[he] is buying a Volvo S80"..... ...but why does it have three peddals?

My question is....that if our universal GOD  &  in the heavens above us wanted us to drive a car with 3 peddals ....he would have given us three BLOODY legs with feet attached 

I rest my case  .......your most respectful "CONVICT stock" PD member from OZ 

[Eddy Matthews]

I have to admit that I would have preferred an automatic Derek, but I couldn't get a decent one in my price range, so manual it is....

Of course, if every PD was to send me a donation of £15 towards my "car fund", I could buy whatever I wanted Now watch everyone flock to ask for my Paypal account to send money to - Some hope! 

Eddy

[derekwarner_decoy]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM & Hi Pd's....... ....if each any one our 969 PD members offer UK Pounds 15 to our moderator.........[969 x 15 = 14,535 GBP]

What a SCAM that would be ....he would probably go OFF & purchase steam engine bits & pieces ....but I will not be the first to contribute to the EM benevolent fund