If there had been no covid pandemic or chip shortage where...

[Dr Smith]

..would you be now "automotively speaking"...

In our case....we would have had a one year old Escape by now and no Territory.....(maybe not such a bad thing)
and most likely a 6 month old Transit Custom which would have replaced our 2017 van (always prefer warranty especially for work vehicles)

[Giant Cranium]

there would be a spitfire green vf2 ssv redline wagon in my driveway. they should have been about 45k but now about 90k

no one has considered the real victims of the pandemic

[Franco Cozzo]

JZS171 Toyota Crown or JZX110 Toyota MKII IR-V in the driveway.

Still no licence though

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

JZS171 Toyota Crown or JZX110 Toyota MKII IR-V in the driveway.

Still no licence though

What happened to your licence, Franco?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

What happened to your licence, Franco?

Franco happened

I overtook someone too fast in an overtaking lane, 61km/h too fast and come up on Mr Policeman with his laser gun thingo somewhere around the speed of light according to him

I've still got it for a few months until I'm answering for my 'crime', I've been driving like a knob for nearly 12 years now so it had to happen at some point.

[Sprintey]

Was it a 100 limit?

If so, 61kms over is 161 which is a Fibonacci level of naughtiness - solid.

(the levels are known as properties of the 'golden ratio', seen in all forms of nature and amazingly works in finance as well.)

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Franco happened

I overtook someone too fast in an overtaking lane, 61km/h too fast and come up on Mr Policeman with his laser gun thingo somewhere around the speed of light according to him

I've still got it for a few months until I'm answering for my 'crime', I've been driving like a knob for nearly 12 years now so it had to happen at some point.

Haha, gotta laugh, in 1977 I told a Liverpool Command Hwy patrol officer to get ****ed, I got 32 speeding fines in 9 months, and a defect on my 62 EK shaggin wagon every Friday, so I couldn't drive it until Monday, when the DMT opened, they dident do inspections on Saturday Morning, lol, he come to work in Lansvale/Cabramatta and kick the rear numberplate light in then defect me?

He was a dog Sgt Peter Black, Big Wheels section In the Sunday papers nicknamed him " Leadbelly " he would sit on the side road at night at Warwick Farm next to Sunnybrook Hotel, as the trucks come down the Hume Hwy heading south he would pull out on them, then book em "fail to give way to the right" that was a crap law, but the truckie give him a fair warning, they moved him!.....

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

What happened to your licence, Franco?

He has a ‘Licence’?Well I’ll be!

[FairmontGS]

Oh wait...

[simon varley]

I'd have had the Focus ST instead of keeping the ST-line. :(

more importantly, my 18yo would have her P's by now as we got locked out of VicRoads for best part of a year for her to get her learner permit.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by simon varley

more importantly, my 18yo would have her P's by now as we got locked out of VicRoads for best part of a year for her to get her learner permit.

Yep, There's a Lot of Kids in the same Boat..
2 of Our Kids Got their "P"s during the last 2 years.. Both 8-10 Months later then either would've liked but a least they have Them...

[DJM83]

FG F6 and if im lucky AU3 XR8.
Instead id make some money on what i have

[Sprintey]

Cars would have continued as is for me, but there would be no mint 1994 Land Rover Discovery in my young one's fleet. That was a covid purchase for him as the boys all went covid Leyland Brothers, and gets good attention wherever it goes. The little V8 on tracks at full blast sounds totally horn, even though you are not going all that fast. Fun facts: it's one of the first 3.9 V8s but also got the sway bar so it does handle better than a 60 series. I'd rate their offroad system with the live axles and the way they do full time 4wd and the high/low/lock select - very good! Classic Range Rovers of the same age have appreciated strongly and no reason why good original Disco's won't. Middle age guys are the most wistful looking at it, and the teen schoolkids just give thumbs up for the note. It tends to frighten female pedestrians, though. It's been reliable.

His 2011 XR6 went up in value - wealth effect!

The personal fleet went up in value overall, quite a jump for the V8s, which is small consolation for watching sportsmen and women go wherever they want while you can't. Because sports.

Our other young one skipped state so he'll be getting his licence in the elysium of un-virused and economically booming WA (I might be speaking too soon...) rather than the diseased East, as he completes his studies over there at a very good Uni. He literally got the last plane over from Vicoughistan before they shut the borders in a 4 day window.

Prices have gone mental for most things 4wd... that put an end to nostalgic ideas of grabbing a UZJ100 for the surf trips. I have found that the last Aussie stuff that's not V8 (say, clean low kms Territory or Commodore/Calais sportswagon) hasn't appreciated all that much (especially compared to the performance models) and that might be the sensible common garden variety update purchase. Decent electric is still unaffordable - Mr futurist Tony Seba said it would be corolla price by 2023

Oh yeah, new Toyotas have jumped in price (check carsales for top-spec models of... everything: so a 45K Corolla is roughly equivalent to a MG electric SUV so Tony is perhaps right, at double the price-point. I didn't consider that when I first saw his lecture...)

[Big_Daz]

I dont think it would be all that different... I'd still own the VF2 SSV Redline.. It would already have a supercharger added though with no Covid. Right now they are on back order until April/May due to Covid issues

We would still of bought Wifey's Sorento either way

Biggest difference is that I would have probably got my Yellow Mustang GT but Covid took that away. Getting new Ranger Sport V6 Diesel Instead.. Covid will probably make the wait time a hell of alot longer than pre covid, but thats OK

[ford71V8]

I guess Covid made us take longer to swap out the Territory for a newer one.....the prices didn't really increase but I had been waiting for the drop which never came.


The other cars are Aussie V8s so now I pay more for insurance.

[anobserver]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

..would you be now "automotively speaking"...

.... probably would have bought a ute, either an rtv or xl, as a second car and general run around. Was hoping for about 100 to 125 on the clock. Something in reasonable condition but not so good that id feel bad about driving it to work or parking it in the sun.

Think ive missed out. Another few years and most of the cars that appealed will have another 50 thousand ks or more on them. Not being mechanical i cant simply fix up a higher mileage car. And we'll need a replacement daily by then, which will be higher priority.

[BENT_8]

Its a **** virus but if im honest its resulted in a lot of positives for us.
I went from being comfortable in my casual job to uncertainty due to the lockdowns, it forced my hand to seek more stable employment and with that came more disposable income.
Without that extra income there wouldnt be a Ranger in the driveway, nor would we be in the process of building a house.

[Vesper Martini]

My Territory would have been traded at the start of last year, but with the prices of what I want being too high and the Ks on the tezza being low still it stays..

[vbomber]

Would of hand a ranger by now I think....but if I knew covid was coming would have kept the XR8 oops

[MustangNicko]

Would still have my '13 Turbo Ute because the covid tax wouldn't have tempted me to sell. Still regret it though.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by MustangNicko

Would still have my '13 Turbo Ute because the covid tax wouldn't have tempted me to sell. Still regret it though.

Seems good at the time but the regret always follows, I made a couple thousand bucks on one of my cars and nearly a decade later I still regret selling it

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by MustangNicko

Would still have my '13 Turbo Ute because the covid tax wouldn't have tempted me to sell. Still regret it though.

I aint letting my turbo ute go, try finding a good manual lux pack these days.

[Sprintey]

I see the story above Franco, OK good luck!

And yes, golden ratio is in tool stuff, last album was epic!

OK back to semiconductors and the joys of all the rare, interlocking global things that make them happen:

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/li...tage-far-worse

You beauty. A byproduct gas of Russian steel milling gets purified by a Ukranian company and then is vital for all the machines that cut the intricate stuff in the chips.

Simple electrics, mechanical fuel pumps, points in distributors and carburetors looking pretty sensible currently.

[MustangNicko]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Seems good at the time but the regret always follows, I made a couple thousand bucks on one of my cars and nearly a decade later I still regret selling it

My kid was 2 at the time and he loved it. Now he's 4 and asks me weekly when I'm getting my grey car back. Every grey ute we pass he asks if it's my old one. Feels bad man.

Originally Posted by DJM83

I aint letting my turbo ute go, try finding a good manual lux pack these days.

Keep it forever mate. Mine was a manual FG2 pleb pack but it was stupidly clean. The gel dome on the gear stick was still perfect!

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by MustangNicko

My kid was 2 at the time and he loved it. Now he's 4 and asks me weekly when I'm getting my grey car back. Every grey ute we pass he asks if it's my old one. Feels bad man.



Keep it forever mate. Mine was a manual FG2 pleb pack but it was stupidly clean. The gel dome on the gear stick was still perfect!

Dont worry mate it isnt going anywhere anytime soon if im honest.

[rare ss]

Hadn't planned on changing cars before Rona, didn't change cars, wouldn't have changed cars without Rona

[Smoke Pursuit]

I'd still have my Sprint 6 (only sold due to covid tax, think mines till the highest priced one thats sold yet) and we would have our Rav 4 and my V6 Wildtrak