Archive for 2013
Car Accessories – A Top Ten
After my last post, where I had a bit of a snigger about some of the stupidest car accessories I’ve ever seen, I thought it was probably about time that we had a look at some good ones.
Of course, when it comes to compiling a top ten list of good accessories, it’s not easy. There are so many different types of motorist in the world. What is a brilliant idea for one type of driver is a real waste of time and money for another driver. So if I’ve left one of your absolute “must haves” off the list, apologies in advance – and let the world know what it is and why you like it in the comments section.
- P plates and L plates. I have a teenage son so they’re legal requirements.
- A towbar. Being able to do your own hauling is so handy. In fact, essential, at least in our family. There is always a
load of greenwaste to take to the local recycling depot, bikes and surfboards to take on holiday, kayaks to take to the nearest suitable body of water, people to help when they’re moving house, furniture to pick up from the store and a caravan to be pulled. Trailers can be hired, but what are you going to do if you haven’t got any way of hauling the trailer you’ve hired? My family have always insisted on towbars, to the point that my dad got one put on the Alfa Romeo they inherited from my grandmother. The installer said he’d never had to put one on an Alfa before… - Rubber floor mats. Someone is going to get into the car at some stage with wet, dirty shoes or boots. Or the dog will get into a mud puddle when you’re out on a picnic. If they’re not in the car already, buy them. They are so much easier to clean off.
- Roof racks. Great for adding extra storage, so much so that a lot of vehicles come with them as standard. If they haven’t come with yours as standard, it’s a smart move to take them off when you don’t actually need them, as they add drag and reduce your fuel efficiency.
- Seat covers. You can get them to protect the upholstery from dirt and tears (seat covers are easier to wash, especially if you have a child who hasn’t quite got the hang of holding on until you can find a suitable place to stop and pee). You can get them to personalise your car. Or you can get them to cover over the cheaper upholstery with something more luxurious such as sheepskin.
- Bike racks.
- Jumper leads. Much easier than pushing a heavy Land Rover!
- Storage holders that involve small pockets. I hate fumbling around in the depths of the glove cabinet for the house keys (kept separate from the car keys so someone else can open up the house while I’m putting the car away), a pen or my cellphone.
- A map. They’ve improved a lot but GPS systems and sat nav sometimes get it wrong, and they don’t always pick up things like road works or heavy traffic. Having a real hard-copy map helps you find a good alternative route.
- A microfibre cloth for cleaning off the inside of the front windscreen. There’s always something that manages to get onto it. A good cloth also doubles as a cleaner for sunglasses and regular corrective glasses. Smudges and smears reduce visibility and that reduces safety.
Holden's VF Commodore: What To Expect.
It’s not long now (at the time of writing) until the Holden VF Commodore range hits showrooms around the country; it’s expected to be the last Commodore made, designed and engineered in Australia……unless it sells well enough to return as a wholly Australian car.
The outgoing VE Commodore finished up production in May after close to seven years of production. Although the exterior is still a good looker, the interior specification and the march of technology have left it behind. Make no mistake, the forthcoming VF IS world class.
Holden has streamlined the range slightly, dropping the Omega and Berlina and launching the Evoke. It’s still powered by the 3.0L V6 and six speed automatic transmission combination whilst the the rest of the range stays with the 3.6L SIDI engine or 6.0L V8. The range has undergone a substantial weight saving regime, with aluminuim panels such as the bonnet, plus extra wind tunnel testing has provided a more slippery and aerodynamic shape (drag is now down to 0.309 compared to the VE’s 0.330 Cd), 
aiding in fuel economy. The Evoke is rated at 8.3L per 100 kilometres, matching and bettering some four cylinder cars. Electric steering, an electric handbrake and other subtle revisions such as redesigned wheel wells have seen overall fuel usage reduced by 23% since the VE’s launch.
It’s a smarter car as well, with rear view camera and Park Assist standard across the range plus some models feature a rear radar system, providing a warning of oncoming sideways directional traffic. Also on board some models is a blind spot alert system and lane departure system. The Commodore is also the first GM large car to feature tech such as Park Assist, making it a world leader in its class. Keyless start becomes more common; however one form of technology that has been around for a while, HUD or Heads Up Display, is reserved for the Calais V and SS-V spec cars. It provides a comprehensive information package, such as speed, current transmission gear, phone information and more. These two also gain Forward Collision Alert technology, informing the driver if there is a obstacle or vehicle ahead that has come into the Commodore’s sensor range; operating at 40 kmh or above, the system increases the brake system’s hydraulic pressure if the sensors warn of a potential threat, reducing the response time for the brakes to activate. A new and quite intelligent addition is Remote Vehicle Start. Available for Commodores with an automatic transmission, the car can be started from up to 100 metres away plus will engage the aircon and heated seats (if fitted). Parking sensors are standard
, including on the ute.
Ride and handling have been worked on across the board; there’s Touring for the Evoke, Calais and Calais V, calibrated for a light day to day driving feel. Sports Tune is on board for the SS, SS-V and SV6 to provide more handling and steering feedback whilst the SS-V Redline series gets a Competitive setting for those that are more of an enthusiastic driving style, providing better feedback and steering input. Brakes have been uprated as have the suspension isolation points, working hand in hand with acoustical engineering to provide a quieter cabin whilst Hill Start Assist and Hill Hold Control add to the driver safety experience as does Trailer Sway Control, which cuts engine power and engages the brakes if it senses any instability from a towed item.
Much has been made of the VF’s revamped interior; with re-rated seat cushions, material and a redesigned console and dash. The aircon vents have been relocated whilst the centre dash cops a large multifunction touchscreen, varying between mono to full colour, depending on model. 
As mentioned, the VF gets an electronic parking brake, removing the jaded and unpopular hand brake design of the VE. Also, the centre console redesign moves the window switches to the driver’s door, another long overdue change. MyLink gives the driver/passenger more options for music, including Pandora and Stitcher (internet based radio services) plus enhanced interactivity with Siri EyesFree.
Finally, a price reduction, with up to $10K being slashed from the upper end whilst the well featured entry level model, the Evoke, has been reduced by $5k, with a starting price of $34990 and the Calais is certain to be a sharp bet with $39990 on the ticket. The Caprice exterior remains almost untouched but 
cops the Calais interior and some extra fruit to justify its $59990 (V series spec) asking price. Servicing gets capped pricing for the first four services over three years or sixty thousand kilometres with intervals at fifteen thousand kilometres or nine months.
With the majority of Holden and Ford large cars, plus a commendable number of Toyota large cars, sold for fleet purposes, Holden clearly hopes that the world class refinements, additions and better value per dollar will reverse the trend towards the Japanese and Korean opposition that have made such a huge dent in the segment’s numbers. Right now, it’s worth more than a second thought to go to Holden for your fleet purchase and assist in, potentially, keeping this iconic brand here.
Accessories Not on My Wish List
I must admit I’ve still got a long face since I heard the news about the Ford Falcon getting the chop in 2016, so here’s something a little different to bring a smile. Here are some of the funniest and most ridiculous car accessories available for us all to buy – if you want to.
The world’s most stupid car accessory goes to a group in China. We all know how car occupant safety is paramount, so why would a group of individuals come up with the idea of designing a seat-belt shirt? I almost feel naked when I don’t wear my seatbelt in the car – particularly when I’m not the one driving! Some people obviously go to great lengths to avoid making it click, and that’s why the seatbelt shirt was invented. The seatbelt shirt has a diagonal black stripe that runs from the left shoulder down to the right hip or from the right shoulder down to the left hip, and this makes it look like you are wearing your seatbelt when you’re senseless enough to not be wearing it. Talk about jumping out of a plane without a parachute!
What about the bag of testicles to hang off the back of car bumpers? I’ve seen a few of these around, and I’m not quite sure why we need to make our cars male or female. As far as I know cars have never been able to be produced in this way!
To finish this crazy article on gadgets and paraphernalia that really serve no purpose other than to make you look like a dork, how about putting a hand that waves the peace sign onto your hatchback or station wagon? They attach to the rear-window wiper and wave back and forwards with your wiper when it’s going. I guess it’s better than any other rude hand signs I see from time-to-time being waved from car windows!
A Ford Driver’s Personal Reaction To Ford Australia’s Bad News
The bomb hit us all on Friday. Ford Australia is going to stop production altogether in 2016 and is shutting down the engine plant in Geelong and the assembly plant in Broadmeadows. I’m well aware that there are probably sound financial reasons for this move and is probably something to do with the whole global village thing, but I’m still gutted. I guess many other folk are, too, especially if they (a) were working for Ford Australia and are now out of a job and (b) were proud to drive an Aussie-made Ford.
The axe fell on Mitsubishi in Aussie five years ago. Now Ford is shutting down. How much longer are Holden and Toyota , which still have a manufacturing presence in Australia, going to be able to keep the home fires burning?
I don’t want to get into the whole political blame game thing. I’m not a political expert or an economist. I’m just a driver. I’ve been a Ford supporter for years. I got my driver’s licence in an Aussie-made Ford Falcon and I currently drive an Aussie-made Ford Fairlane (and, among other cars, I had an Aussie-made Ford Festiva in between those two). I liked the idea that I was supporting the team Down Under by choosing to drive a Ford. I liked the mental picture of the iron coming out of the Aussie mines ultimately ending up in an Aussie car factory and ending up being driven on Aussie roads – kind of like the vehicle equivalent of a farmers’ market and buying locally grown food. And I also liked the thought that it getting spare parts was a heck of a lot easier with a Ford. In fact, it was a lot easier and quicker to get the spare parts – it took my local mechanic next to no time to get a spare bit on the few times that something needed fixing on the Fords I’ve owned; when I had a Saab 9000, it took three weeks for a replacement part to arrive from Sweden, leaving me walking the kids to preschool in the middle of winter (said Saab was a great car when it was on the road, I have to add).
I suppose I’m not the only person with questions about what is going to happen now. First of all, what’s going to happen to all the workers and the community in the Geelong area now that an industry that’s been there for the best part of a century is closing down? And where are all the Fords in the world going to be made now? Are they going to be produced in some country where the workers get paid a pittance and work excruciatingly long hours in shonky conditions? What’s the knock-on economic effect going to be on the Australian economy as a whole if we’re not making as many cars locally and a larger chunk of ore is heading overseas in an unprocessed state instead of getting the value-added treatment here? Did they actually export many of the Fords made here in the first place (well, they sent a few across the ditch to New Zealand, but anywhere else?)?
However, a Reuters article reports that Ford USA is increasing production and is shortening its usual two-week summer shut-down from two weeks to one week to meet demand, as well as creating more jobs. Guess where the spare parts for your Ford might be coming from (I’m just guessing, too – some might be made by local folk (fingers crossed)).
And I have a question for myself: will my past loyalty to the blue oval override my support for local industry, or will I have a long, hard think about whether my next set of wheels should be a Holden?
Level 2, 9 Help Street