Just Joined - RAV4 2WD Hybrid. Cruiser on Order

[gjlockyer]

Gary, from Melbourne. This will be our first Toyota but our 5 adult children and spouses have had a few Toyotas over the years.

A life time ago I started my first “real” job as a Production Engineer at Ford in Geelong - just as the XY was was being replaced by the XA (the less said about that model, the better!)

i remember about a month into my employment there was a sale of 12 month old ex company cars - all lined up between the Engine and Stamping plants.  Included were 4 XY Phase 3 GTHO’s for sale all priced at $4500. If only I knew then what I know now!

we had a Mitsubishi L300 Starwagon, and survived it, as our family transport when the kids were young. Except for that I’ve been a Falcon / Territory person with one long standing exception. In 1972 I fell in love with a 1955 Mercedes 220a. Not a good career move as I was asked to park it well away from the front fence ( and the viewing public) in the Ford car park! As our second car, and my transport of choice, I’ve always had old Mercs and my current car, a 1991 300E, has just turned over 200,000 ks and is about to celebrate it’s 30th. birthday. ( It still looks and drives as new!) I have little interest in Mercedes cars beyond 1993 so I trust that this one will see me out. An 8 year old grandson expects to inherit it; he told me recently that he has 10 years to go and “ you’ll probably be dead by then.”

Our 2008 Territory is on its last legs so we were in the market  for a replacement. Test drove most medium SUVs and had settled on a Skoda Karoq, although a little concerned about Dealer numbers and resale value. Then we drove a RAV4 in late Jan. 2021. After a 2nd lengthy Test Drive it sold itself and we ordered a 2WD Cruiser Hybrid, Graphite with Nutmeg interior. After nearly 4 months we found out a few days ago that the Factory has accepted the order for a July build. Here’s hoping that we’ll be driving our first Toyota mid August.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by gjlockyer

[Tony Prodigy]

5 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

A life time ago I started my first “real” job as a Production Engineer at Ford in Geelong - just as the XY was was being replaced by the XA (the less said about that model, the better!)

i remember about a month into my employment there was a sale of 12 month old ex company cars - all lined up between the Engine and Stamping plants.  Included were 4 XY Phase 3 GTHO’s for sale all priced at $4500. If only I knew then what I know now!

Nice back story Gary. I envy the position you and most others were in at that time including my Dad. You being a production manager I bet you could tell some stories ! 
"If only you all knew" is the catch cry of today when the opportunity existed back then to purchase the most coveted Fords of an era. I was born in 71, so I had no chance, but funny enough those cars were still able to be gotten for pennies even by the 80s. I have lusted over the GT Falcons, and the XY has to be the nicest of the mustang bred shape, but my biggest love is for the XA, especially the still born Phase IV. My Dad had an XA Futura sedan in that metallic brown colour when I was around 4 years and I still have memories of it. That car got stolen and then he purchased a white XB sedan.
 What a shame Government meddling stole what would have been the best GTHO of all time. One lucky owner has the only production XA GTHO ever made and that car would be priceless. 1 of 1. How can you value it ?? I have no doubt a 5 million dollar price tag wouldn't be fanciful thinking either. It's had an interesting history that car.
It even has GTHO stamped in its compliance plate. I'm sure you know all about it. The Calypso Green car with full options. Wow ! The hair on my neck still stands up when I think about it. 3 others were being prepared for the races when the edict came down and work stopped. One car had been completed and the other two got shuffled off quietly to private ownership. One was later written off, and the other two, one of which is owned by the Bowden family and the I'm not sure who purchased the remaining ex Paul Carthew car. That one sold for 1.2 million I believe. 

The 200 odd sets of Phase IV parts were fitted to regular production vehicles just the get rid of them, so owners had no idea they were getting Phase IV DNA in their cars. The cars were mainly GS and GT Falcon V8s. They were known as RPO 83 cars. This was the loophole Ford used to quietly shift the remaining sets of Phase IV bits. The Bathurst Globes intended for the XA were even given away to XY GT owners. Many thought the XYs came stock with the Globes, but in fact they never did. It was thanks to the XA program that enabled the free upgrade to the various lucky owners. The rest were pushed down the production line.

I wish I was an adult back then and know what I know today, I would've bought a whole fleet of GT Falcons !! So yeah, I have a huge passion for the old Fords even though I drive a Toyota today. Have had several Toyota's in fact but the Aurion is what we own to this day.

6 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

An 8 year old grandson expects to inherit it; he told me recently that he has 10 years to go and “ you’ll probably be dead by then.”

Haha, cheeky boy. My son is also 8 and he thinks he's going to inherit my 99 E36 M3 coupe. He said on time "Dad... when you die, am I going to get your car ?"

I told him that depends. He will have to prove to me he's worthy of it otherwise I'll sell it before I die 🤣

6 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

Our 2008 Territory is on its last legs so we were in the market  for a replacement. Test drove most medium SUVs and had settled on a Skoda Karoq, although a little concerned about Dealer numbers and resale value. Then we drove a RAV4 in late Jan. 2021. After a 2nd lengthy Test Drive it sold itself and we ordered a 2WD Cruiser Hybrid, Graphite with Nutmeg interior. After nearly 4 months we found out a few days ago that the Factory has accepted the order for a July build. Here’s hoping that we’ll be driving our first Toyota mid August.

You made a good choice with the RAV. I'm sure it will give you years of trouble free motoring. I'm not a fan of the Territory to be honest. A relative has one and it's a bucket of you know what. I rode in it one time and it felt terrible on the road. The interior trim was poor quality too. They don't stand up too well over time as a Toyota would. After 10 years your RAV will still be in nice condition and the Territory will be ready for the Tip.

Post up some pics when you get it Gary. Love to see it.

All the best mate 

[campbeam]

Welcome to the Forum. Bit of good news after a lengthy wait for a July build confirmation. Just remember to have the RAV4 fully insured before you drive it away from the dealership.

I fully agree with Tony's post.

I did get a laugh from your grandson's request. Young fellow must think that you are on your last legs. I reckon you should get the last laugh and make him wait for his 21st birthday.

You will be doing well to enjoy driving your RAV4 as much as I enjoy my Aurion after 7 years ownership. Currently plotting and planning that maybe by 2031, I will be sitting in a fully autonomous electric grocery getter.

[gjlockyer]

Thanks Tony. You sound about Fords like I do about old Mercedes. If I had a million plus to spend, I’d happily settle for a late 50’s 300SL “Gullwing” - so named for the iconic doors that lift up from the middle of the roof. Only a couple in Australia and I’ve sat in one. Memorable day!

Do I have stories to tell? How are these 2? Like the day I was near the scrap compressor - crunched offcut steel into small blocks for recycling - and spied a bucket with about a dozen 4 barrel XY GT Carbys about to go down the scrap Shute. “What’s up with those?” “Probably nothing. But if the engine didn’t start up right out of the box from the US, and they suspect a Carby fault they’d put a new one on. Cheaper than employing a guy trained to diagnose and fix!” Makes sense but it still makes me weep!

Or about the time I did 3 months night shift And one early morning out of boredom volunteered to deliver a package to the Chassis plant at the other end of the Ford compound. Picked a key off the board in the poorly lit car pool and discovered it fitted a fairly scrappy looking 2 door Escort. Why couldn’t it have been a Fairlane? Started it up. Did it have a muffler? Why’s it shaking so much? Forgot the engine mounts? And then the tyres squealed and the back fish tailed ... and we were off. Parked it under a street light and opened the hood. What’s a muffler doing on top of the engine? Two valve covers just visible under the “muffler” - is that a V8 shoe horned in there? Got it back to the garage without wrapping it round a tree and forgot about the weird thing that went like the clappers but threaten to shake itself to death. At the shift changeover, all hell broke loose . Panic. “We’ve misplaced an experimental Escort with Cosworth engine in it.”  (Twin OH Cam, 4 Cylinder) I told them where it was but thought I’d keep quiet about the personal test drive. I never did find out howProduct Developement lost it or how it came to be in the car pool garage. At least I got to drive the car that not much later matched the big boys around Bathurst.

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by gjlockyer

[Tony Prodigy]

8 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

Thanks Tony. You sound about Fords like I do about old Mercedes.

I have a fondness for the old Fords as we were predominantly a Ford family. We had a family friend who was a stout Hemi guy who always had Valiants and then there was my Uncle who always had Kingswoods . I just thought the Fords looked the best and were quite robust and strong. Each their own I guess.

I love cars in general, Mercs of the era you speak of were amazing cars too. They don't make them like that anymore and built like tanks.

8 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

Do I have stories to tell? How are these 2? Like the day I was near the scrap compressor - crunched offcut steel into small blocks for recycling - and spied a bucket with about a dozen 4 barrel XY GT Carbys about to go down the scrap Shute. “What’s up with those?” “Probably nothing. But if the engine didn’t start up right out of the box from the US, and they suspect a Carby fault they’d put a new one on. Cheaper than employing a guy trained to diagnose and fix!” Makes sense but it still makes me weep!

Man, I'd be drooling at the site of a Holley 750 double pumper... putting them to scrap like that was a shameful waste...OMG !!!
They could've just thrown them in a corner and let the apprentices play around with them for crying out loud. That's too sad.

8 hours ago, gjlockyer said:

Or about the time I did 3 months night shift And one early morning out of boredom volunteered to deliver a package to the Chassis plant at the other end of the Ford compound. Picked a key off the board in the poorly lit car pool and discovered it fitted a fairly scrappy looking 2 door Escort. Why couldn’t it have been a Fairlane? Started it up. Did it have a muffler? Why’s it shaking so much? Forgot the engine mounts? And then the tyres squealed and the back fish tailed ... and we were off. Parked it under a street light and opened the hood. What’s a muffler doing on top of the engine? Two valve covers just visible under the “muffler” - is that a V8 shoe horned in there? Got it back to the garage without wrapping it round a tree and forgot about the weird thing that went like the clappers but threaten to shake itself to death. At the shift changeover, all hell broke loose . Panic. “We’ve misplaced an experimental Escort with Cosworth engine in it.”  (Twin OH Cam, 4 Cylinder) I told them where it was but thought I’d keep quiet about the personal test drive. I never did find out how Product Development lost it or how it came to be in the car pool garage. At least I got to drive the car that not much later matched the big boys around Bathurst.

 

Now that is a ripper story Gary. Man oh Man ! Can you imagine if they produced that little thing ? I mean, it would've been totally ridiculous but in those days just about anything went until the damn PC brigade came to town. What hope did the Phase IV program have if they were contemplating road rockets like a V8 Escort. 

I mean it has been done, but later during the early 90s when Mark Dell'acqua started the V8 Escort craze by cramming a 351 Cleveland into an Escort, they said it couldn't be done  The Famous DMT-351. Remember this car ?? He also has a candy apple red XT GT. He's done quite a few cars over the years but the two I've just mentioned earned his stripes in the big boys club. What a cool guy. I met him a couple of times through a friend and went to his place and got to see both these cars and chat about other things. He lived in Blacktown then, actually not too far from where I live now, but I don't think he's around anymore.

https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/351-cleveland-powered-1975-ford-escort-rs2000

 

 

[gjlockyer]

Tony, they did produce and sell  at least 500 of those   Cosworth engined Escorts (all 2 door, I think) as that was a condition, at the time, of racing them at Bathurst. The engine was a fully worked 4 cyl twin overhead cam unit. Back then id never seen a twin cam engine so I first thought if to be a V8. 

One of my colleagues had one of those Escorts. Ford never did fix the shaking vibration thing; among other side benefits his radio regularly dropped off from under the parcel shelf where it was mounted. No matter what he did he could never get the mounting screws / bolts to stay in. It was not a pleasant car to live with as a daily driver. And that radio was only AM. FM hadn’t been invented and cassette tape players were too bulky to be included as part of a radio unit. Those were the good old days .... I think!

Edited May 26, 2021 by gjlockyer

[KAA]

Welcome to the forum Gary, a lot on here have that IF ONLY moments in our lives, I had a 69 Mustang Fastback in the dark green colour and then meet a girl. hmm even though the Mustang was a love SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED became the true love of my life and has been for many many years so the Mustang went and even though at times I wish is still owned it my wife is still the one and only.

I am sure your history will prove useful on here to many and when that beauty of  RAV arrives we will enjoy your updates on how it is to live with

Keep Safe Down there Mate

KAA

[campbeam]

On 5/25/2021 at 9:39 PM, gjlockyer said:

After a 2nd lengthy Test Drive it sold itself and we ordered a 2WD Cruiser Hybrid, Graphite with Nutmeg interior.

Recent posts going down memory lane have reminded me of how much I was determined to buy a used 1994 Honda Prelude VVti-R at first sight then a closer look while waiting for the seller to arrive home. Sold itself just sitting there and the selling price was attractive.

Still remember doing an inspection of my Aurion which was an eBay listing by a vehicle wholesaler then going home to increase my bid with a view to winning, if the price was right. 

Another memory was taking an interstate road trip with our new 1998 Camry and watching the odometer roll over to 1111, 2222 etc.