Grant

I'm all class in the Passat, and use a tape adaptor plugged into the iPod. As you can imagine, the sound quality is far from awesome - but it is all I can be assed with!Cheers Grant

Is there a better TV series than Californication? I am just about to watch Season 3, Episode 5 once Monday Night Football is finished (I DVRed it last night). Outside of Top Gear, there are very few TV programs I will watch religiously. Cheers Grant

I only have 1 CD that I own within 6,500 miles of me. It is the last Kings of Leon album (can't remember its name off hand). All my music is digital, with all of my CD's in storage somewhere. I have circa 750 CD's on my ipod/portable HDD. Cheers Grant

Small hint.When you send a PM, you don't need to tell the world about it.

I wear one all the time, don't knock it till you try it

I was thinking about this as I was driving in on the freeway this morning, and the more I thought, the more the Holden Commodore makes sense as a Police car here. There are actually very few V8 RWD, suitable sedans around here anymore. I estimate that 60 - 70% of cars on the road here are the same japanese, 4 door, FWD, 4 or 6 cyl cars we have in NZ. In fact the new big Ford sedan (the new Taurus) doesn't even come in a V8 anymore, it is either a 3.5l V6, or a turbocharged 3.5l V6. I also think that it is a fantastic looking sedan (as most of the new Fords are here). Cheers Grant

I've never seen a Chevy Caprice police car here, I have only seen Ford Crown Victoria's (90%) and Dodge Chargers (10%).I spoke to the Police Officers who came to take statements when our number plates got stolen last year, and they said that they are struggling to find replacements for the Crown Victoria's (which Ford are no longer making) as the real issue was finding a car with sufficient trunk space for all of the crap they cart around. I'm not sure what the Commodore's trunk space is like, but I know that they are not happy with the Chargers. They have pretty simple criteria - 4 door sedan, V8, RWD with massive trunk. Edit: I have seen a few SUV Police Cars in the mountains, and a couple of Chevy Impala's in the city. Cheers Grant

My old man just returned to NZ from here with a selection of golf clubs, all of which were less than 1/3 of the cost in NZ. Not to mention the clothes and shoes etc him and my mother bought for next to nothing in NZ$ terms

As I said in Glenn's thread, I love it.

It is Gerry Hodges' from the BMWCC.Cheers Grant

I think it is a ZR1

I like them, nice and simple. Cheers Grant

That's fine and dandy, but I remember Brook saying in his I need a new job thread, that he now has no money to get from a to b.Therefore to me it makes no sense having nice wheels on a car that you can't drive because you have do money to put gas in it. However Brook, as Emily says your money (and I don't know your situation - maybe your parents pay for all your gas), do what you want. I'm just trying to be the voice of reason and would think having a car you can drive because it has gas in it is better than a car that looks better but is sitting on empty in your driveway. Cheers Grant

I'm playing devil's advocate here, but there comes a time when you have to cut your losses and move on. It does sound like that this is one of those situations. It sounds like it is a complete money pit, and unless yu have an endless supply of money, then I think you are taking the sensible approach to all this. Whatever you do, good luck, it sounds like you have plenty of genuine offers of help on here, should you decide to keep it. Cheers Grant

I hate to be the voice of reason here, but aren't you completely unemployed? Wouldn't waiting until you have another source of income be a better idea then spending what little money you have left on some second hand wheels? I'm sure that your car currently has wheels on it that serve their purpose. Cheers Grant

And for the record, I deleted the thread, for the exact reasons highlighted by Martyn, and Dan. Six years of participation on here have taught me what goes well, and what turns into a big unholy mess! Unfortunately this was going to be the latter. Cheers Grant

My thoughts exactlyCheers Grant

Yosemite was still jeans and t-shirt warm (shorts would have been fine too)South Lake Tahoe (the town) last weekend was little on the cool side at night (jeans and t-shirt during the day, but at night and before 10am was jersey weather as well). However further around the lake was bitterly cold. We got out just before the first snow of the season. It is weird going from really cold at South Lake Tahoe (just above freezing), and then getting back home, which is only 1.5 hours drive away and it being in the 30's celcius. I was with my parents, so we didn't attempt to many strenuous hikes in Yosemite, so climbing Half Dome was out of the question. I'll wait until my boys are a bit older, then we can do that. Cheers Grant

Hi All I just spent the weekend in Yosemite National Park. I have been before, but was very keen to go back. Pictures don't do justice to how spectacular this place is. Even the drive from the base of the foothills until you get to the into the park itself is amazing. Here are some pics (from my cellphone - I have photos on my digital camera as well, but they are still on the camera): 1 - 3 - Yosemite Valley prior to dropping down into the valley itself (including the famous Half Dome). 4 - 6 - El Capitan - a 3,000 foot sheer granite rock face (there are climbers on the face - but are too small to see). El Capitan is just amazing. 7 - Bridal Veil Falls - unfortunately going to the Park in the end of summer means that these fals are no more than a trickle, however these are spectacular in Spring (the falls height is 620ft) 8 - Typical monutain stream. The water is crystal clear, and bloody cold. 9 - Typical meadow - not that spectacular, but pretty nice I thought. Cheers Grant Edit: I also have some pretty cool shots from Lake Tahoe is anyone is interested.

Glenn had this done for me in my old 328i - it was great to get rid of the rattling cats!!Cheers Grant

Petrol Used: 95 Octane Engine Size: 4 Cyl, 1.8l Turbo Trans: Manual Car Year: 1999 OBC says 30.1mpg (OBC last reset about 2,000 miles ago). This equates to 7.8l per 100kms This has been a mixture of town, freeway and a sh*t load of mountain driving (in the last two weeks I have gone to Lake Tahoe and through Yosemite Valley - so lots of mountain climbing - from sea level to over 7,000 ft both times). This is also with three adults and a trunk load of luggage. Most of the freeway driving is at between 80 and 90 mph as well, so not the most efficient speed to drive the car. My father in law managed 36mpg when he took my car 3 hours each direction to their place to change the timing belt, water pump and tensioner for me. Cheers Grant

Simply awesome - great pics Carl. Cheers Grant

I can confirm that. I lasted less than 10 minutes in the Napier one during a Stag Do in Napier a few years ago. It was terrible.Cheers Grant

I think you mean FirecatsDoes it still exist? You are right - it is crap any other time of the year. I used to work in the Fonterra building and we used to watch the Firecats girls practicing their routines on the roof in the summer, and they would stay cool by bathing in a bath that used to be on the roof. Was good times.

+1. The forum is better with you a part of it.Cheers Grant