After weeks of warm sunny weather, a cold and wet change rolled into Sydney to perfectly align with our October night drive. This cut numbers drastically, and we ended up with three cars. The weather was better for the actual drive, and we just had occasional light showers. The genesis for this route came from a motorcycle app designed to find good roads...
by Nick Gruzevskis · Published October 27, 2023 · Last modified September 15, 2024
Fitting aftermarket head units to most vehicles made from 2000 onwards can often be problematic due to manufacturers integrating audio and HVAC controls into the one assembly. Many of us choose the path of least resistance, with the primary means of connecting a smartphone is via Aux and a $15 FM transmitter purchased from K-Mart. I must admit the ICC unit (Ford speak for...
Over the last few months, the blinkers have been playing up on my 450SLC. It started out when the car was first started up, the blinkers would flash very fast. After a while, I guess the flasher unit warmed up and they went back to their normal rate. Over time, this took longer and longer to happen, until they stopped flashing at...
In the first part of this series, I installed the 123 ignition distributor and got the car running. This part focuses on test driving the car and fine tuning the install. I should note that the 123 ignition distributor has nothing to do with the W123 Mercedes. A couple of people assumed I was fitting a distributor from a W123. The 123...
The September 2023 night drive was a bit closer to the city than the last one. We started at Mt Colah and finished in Brookvale. Due to some rain earlier in the week, and it being school holidays, we only had three cars on the drive, but that made it very easy to keep the group together. I took my 560SEL, and...
A couple of weeks ago, I posted an update about my W111 running issues. A reader who is an expert in these cars suggested I fit a 123 ignition distributor. His feedback was that even if it doesn’t solve my current running problem, it is a very worthwhile upgrade. My mechanic also thought the issues were probably ignition related. Based...
Today was the annual ACT German Car show. I always enjoy this show and this year was no different. The show is held at Queanbeyan Park, which is a great spot with plenty of shade. As with the last couple of years, I went down to Canberra for the weekend. Its a much better way to enjoy the show than getting up early and...
The 2023 British car show was finally on in Sydney, the first since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 shows were lost to Covid and the 2022 show to wet fields. The 2023 show was still at the Kings School in Parramatta, but not on the same day as the school fete like normal. It felt like a summer day today, with temperatures of around...
I’ve known the automatic transmission in my 560SEC was weak for a few years now. It was exhibiting a lot of the symptoms of wear that these 722.3 transmissions do when they are wearing. When it was cold, there was a lot of resistance in reverse. It would also occasionally bang into a lower gear or shift erratically. Once it warmed up, it...
Editors Note: This is part three in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about living with a Ford BF MK2 Falcon Futura Wagon. Part 1 introduces the car and part 2 is a six month update. One of the things I’ve noticed about using an LPG equipped car as a daily driver, is how rare it is to see other LPG vehicles filling...
My 250SE has been suffering from poor running issues for almost two years now. It started not long after I got the car back from being repaired from the impact with the Kangaroo. Despite a lot of work to try and rectify these issues, they are still plaguing the car. The challenge is that these are intermittent problems, and so hard to diagnose. I...
Today was the Monthly St Ives Auto Brunch cars and coffee event. The event is held in St Ives showground. Since I last attended, they have moved from being spread over some of the side roads and fields to the main showground. This is a huge improvement. The main showground is plenty big enough for all the cars that want to attend,...
For August, the monthly MBNSW night drive was back up north. The route started in Windsor, taking the putty road up to Bull Ridge road, across to the Sackville Ferry, up to the top of Wisemans Ferry road, then to Dural McDonalds down the Old Northern Road. These are all really nice driving roads, with little traffic at night. While the night before...
by Nick Gruzevskis · Published August 29, 2023 · Last modified September 15, 2024
The German Auto Show has grown into one of the larger Victorian car shows, showcasing the main German marques, but also some of the lesser-known brands that have ceased manufacturing, such as NSU and Borgward. The first show was held in 2016 at the Royal Institute for the Blind and continued at the same venue up to 2019. Initially the event was limited to...
The Shannons Eastern Creek car show is always one of the biggest events in the calendar for the Sydney car scene. I’ve been going for years, but this is only my second time displaying a car. This year I took my 1987 Mercedes 560SEC and brought my three children along with me. Last year I took my 250SE. When you display a car,...
by Nick Gruzevskis · Published August 13, 2023 · Last modified September 15, 2024
Owning more than a few classic cars can often be problematic, as minor maintenance jobs are often deferred. My 450SE (Claudia) had been on top of the hoist for a few months without being driven. I think she was prompting me to use her as a thick layer of dust had formed. When getting her off the hoist, I noticed I fair bit of...
More Posts
