IMB055

(Note:This isn't my entire view on the issue, but a joke never hurts, eh?)

"This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

"Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?

"A. It is money that the federal government will send to Taxpayers.

"Q. Where will the government get this money?

"A. From taxpayers. And banks. Actually, we really don't know yet.

"Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?

"A. Only a smidgen, but don't worry, we'll get it, and more, back off you.

"Q. What is the purpose of this payment?

"A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV, thus stimulating the economy.

"Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?

"A. Shut up."

ahhh so great in perth.

time to go for a run around lake monger :D

Is that Lake Monger or Lake Mongrel LOL jks :P

Shame that ol'mate lost his licence, hope you get out of the sh*t and into another stivo lol :P

Evo

Cheers, Evo, hopefully off the bike and back into climate controlled comfort lol

Could be worse, my neighbour fits metal roofing for a living - now that's a hot day at work!

has anyone had any experience with these wheels?

im thinking about the type m wheels.

otherwise i might go something else.....

Can't speak for the Type M specifically, but I have a set fo Lenso GF7'sin 18's (shadown chrome/polished) and they are decent quality. Good finish and no balancing issues.

I have lost more points in slow cars than decent ones.......

For years I had decent, quick cars and kept my record clean.....more through luck than anything else

....then lost 6pts in 6 months (15-30kmh speeding & red light)

Then had another clear year and a bit.........

then driving a diesel Captiva back from Orange got caught 15-30kmh speeding on double demerit point October weekend.

I had the choice of a good behaviour zero point licence for 12 months, risking a 6month suspension if I got caught doing anything or taking a 3 month suspension.

I took it on the chin, and started my three months on January 27th.

The sportivo gets a rest, and my mountain bike gets punished :)

I'm not whingeing about the weather, I get a lift home today! And with the aircon and the fan on, it's just 31 in my office this arvo!

Yesterday, I rode bike home in full work clothes. First time I had ridden 12ks since I was about 17!

Why I hear you ask?

Well, the same reason my Sportivo is for sale

Double demerit points

(Yeah, I had it coming to me!)

Interesting to hear. BlackNight's example probably addresses many of the concerns you had in terms of styling.

I have never rented one, whenever the opportunity arises (such as two weeks ago for a mate's bucks party) I generally go for a long wheelbase luxury car, like a Statesman or Fairlane. Doesn't cost much extra at all to get something with leather, climate and an interior that takes five adults easily and a boot that can take three bodies..... (joking)

Also, it's something I'd never buy to keep for myself.

Using rentals to get a feel for a model isn't a bad way to go though. You can give the car a decent run without any real pressure or followup phone calls!

One other thing they are great for is accelerated wear testing - or seeing what bits wear out on a car! For example, Mitsubishi Outlanders ahve very cheap and thin carpet. I rented one last year with 35ks on it had a hole in the carpet. I asked the guy at the rental place about it, and he said it was pretty much normal for that model!!!

If you can get one in the right colour, go for it - saves you some time, for sure!!

If it's not blue, I have a white one (primer coat) for sale in another thread

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/lofi...php/t18383.html

A couple of coats of your colour and you are good to go :)

Catz can tune hard.....

That cat is very blurry.......and is the basket it is in a reference to the 7AFE? Harsh....

In a serious response to Armstrong's question, up at those speeds there are so many mitigating circumstances that could lead to a 10km/h difference - wind, air temps, and a very long list of mechanical factors that can make a ton of difference. For example, some rubbish body kits could easily rip 10km/h off your top end.

Anyhow, I is ready for more catz now plz....

It needs to be priced right to make an impact......and only 17"s???

Sounds like $32990 max price point to me, and that's operating on the assumption of at least 150kw and good torque so it doesn't get left in the dust of XR5's and MPS's. If they aren't going to give it a good crack, leave the Levin ZR as the range-topper until they can give it a good run.....

...just bring the Blade in already, eh?

Wow......the responses are awesome entertainment.......

(....but I bet some of the harshest critics on that post wake up next to worse on Sunday morning)

That's an awesome exercise to commit to - in a driveway. not a project for the faint-hearted or those short of time! Excellent effort mate, and thanks for sharing the pics with us. Inspiring stuff. Are you trade qualified or a (very) skilled amateur?

Insurance is the biggest bonus that I can think of with owning the sportivo!!

Mine gives me a bonus every time I see an SP23 at the lights lol ;)

...and then again when it uses less fuel,

and was cheaper to buy etc. etc. actually, there are tons of bonuses. After two years, I still enjoy driving it everyday!

I really should have asked for spoiler at the time of purchase but I didn't thought of it. Anyway I'm now thinking about adding a spoiler, any idea how much the dealer would charge (parts + labour)? I'm just after a ball park figure so I can forget about it if it's prohibitively expensive. Also interested in fog lamps, any idea? Cheers!

G'day,

eBay has a supplier on there at around about $210 posted.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TOYOTA-COROLLA-HATC...A1%7C240%3A1318

(I have a Sportivo so mine had one from the factory, so I have no idea how good or otherwise this guys' product is - maybe another member may have dealt with them)

Good luck!

Why did I just suck the **** end out of 12 tins of rum and coke, I gonna be so ******en rat **** for work tomorrow :(

Hey Simo, how was your Bundy morning??

...so worst case scenario, you now have a friend who you will be able to get honest "girl" opinions off as you move on to pursue other opportunities..........easy for me to say, but mate, you have gold right there. Having women as friends has saved me from a couple of massive mistakes, as sometimes your bloke "mates" aren't always the best source of advice on everything (car mods excluded)........I think you have come out of this OK. Use the new situation you have found yourself in, and go well, son!!

:)

how about some yaris-like mudguards? :)

Don't mind the look of the mudguard option - has anyone here gone this way?

(My car still looks too a55-up without a skirt or something to tie it in with the side skirts.....)

Glad to see some Toyota track presence. Looks hot!!!

Is this a precursor to the Aurion V8 Supercar for the 2009 Season??

(I wish...)

Excellent work BKS!!!!! Enjoyed that article very much.

The only article I have in my collection is a similar vintage issue of Wheels, where teh tester panned it for the cars (his) inability to remain in lift on the 1-2 change compared to the Celica.

Geeezzzzz I Am Quite Surprised For The Number Of Kms Done By Some Cars :-l I Thought Mine Did A Few LoL But For A 2002 I Suppose It's Not Too Bad! ;-)

What can I say - if you like cars and enjoy tdriving the kays will come.........

.......150k service next friday ;) on my 03 sportivo and it still tight in the body, and winds out to speeds that there is no way I would admit to in writing. Previously (pre-mortgage) I had the luxury of being able to have an everyday car and a weekend car. The sportivo was the compromise that saw me get a better everyday car without a weekend car anymore. I don't regret it, but depreciation once you crack 100,000ks is a biatch............only if you want to sell. For me, there is no reason to sell at present, so I'll just keep on enjoying it.

Glad to hear you are getting out of it OK. $700 is still a solid kick to the financial nuts, but beats 2k anyday.

Karma will work it's way.

If you lose patience with karma and you do need to do something to make yourself feel better, always take the pain in the a55 option (toilet paper, crazy string, go to the bin of your nearest harvey norman and load up on cardboard boxes, assemble them and fill her yard with them, dead fish in the hubcaps) rather than malicious damage (aparently if you get a backpack sprayer from bunnings and fill it with roundup and jump the fence at night you can kill everything in her yard with one shot) or violence.

And like every ***** that keys cars, I bet she drives a complete ****box, right?

PS: Dig that wagon of yours. Damn nice ride, and unliek my hatch you could put a longer bit of timber than 2.4m in it!!

Look, not being single it's probably not my place to comment. But I'll put myself in your shoes for a sec, just for a laugh.....

1. 2 bad, 1 good = 33% quality= fail

2. The geographical aspects have already been commented on, but at that time of morning anything is worth a crack

3. I have some sympathy for Sinan's stance - if they stink, the stink can stay in leather trim

4. But the one you knock back is the one you never get back. It's a numbers game boys.

5. Just as surely as there will be another late night kebab, there will be another opporunity for you soon.

Sounds like a good buy for a facelift with those kays, from a dealer!

Enjoy!

I think it needs to be given a chance. I thought it was a reasonable first effort.

I will be watching again, for sure!

Compare it to the other garbage that has been produced in Australia trying to pass itself off as a "car show" (yes, I am thinking about that one that used to be on Channel 9 with Glenn Ridge, among other atrocities) and Top Gear Australia wiped the floor with it.

Look, we are a smaller country on the other side of the world. We have a smaller supercar market, let alone the overall size of the car market. The fact these guys have a track at all (Camden airport, I believe) is an awesome step up from anything else that has been attempted. It will always be a struggle for it to win a comparison against an established product with something brand new. I take people's points about it being derivative of Top Gear UK, but it has to be something like it, doesn't it?? The fact that they, in their first episode, bagged out Mercedes Benz and their Maybach showed that they won't be yes-men and say every car is good, which is positive.

Think about your first lap on a racetrack. You had seen it done before, you thought you would be a shot but professionals who had done a few track days before you still made you look like the new kid on the block that you were. I prefer not to be a hater. I will be supporting this show, and I thought left the line well, and will build speed, finishing with a respectable lap time at the end of the first season :D

On another note, any guesses as to who "our" Stig is??

PS: Having re-read this, it almost looks like I work for SBS. Just for the record, I don't.

Great to hear you will be back on the road again soon - and turned it into a positive with an upgrade!