7shades

I guess experience plays a part in that regard... At first you assume the worst of everyone. With time, you recognise the common errors people make, you instinctively anticipate them as they're incorporated into your normal driving mentality. Although driving up here with the percentage of rented Getz' being piloted by hogwimperingly stupid 'drivers' from all corners of the planet (I'm looking at YOU Asia) I've learned to assume nothing and expect anything. Soooo many stories :wink:

I don't remember much from my one and only proper driving lesson, but one thing the instructor said which stuck with me was actually the very first thing he said when we got into the car. "Right, first thing you need to know. Everyone else on the road is a hopeless f@$kwit. Assume otherwise and one of them will promptly kill you".

Liteace or Townace. Be aware, 7K into a Corolla is not a 'bolt in' job. Do a search and you will discover many threads on this topic.

Unlike us, New Zealand doesn't have a domestic car industry to protect, no citizens employed to produce them or their parts. Everything is imported. The government just makes their money via import duties and taxes, so I don't think they give 2 shits where the car came from. ( just like most 2nd world economies :) )

I've heard that...

You make no sense. Have you been taken off your brain medicine....

aaah waving the magic admin stick.... The last refuge of a scoundrel. Tsk tsk.

I was waiting for a post-op picture... Finally get that superfluous nipple removed?

What are you gunna do... Its hard to beat someone with a flailing bunsen burner whilst wearing a straight jacket...

K motor slanties are the preferred choice of science teachers and the mentally ill.

They paid good money for those Chinese made flags... Gotta get their Yuan worth out of 'em :)

Ever since I saw that article a few years ago (or may have been one just like it) I've taken to having a charcoal canister mask hanging in the shed. Its not hard to just hold it over your face for 30 seconds while you're spraying anything... Never know, might just save your life. Same theory with other protective gear like eye masks... Only takes a few seconds to put on, potentially saves you from living the rest of your life with one eye or something. Safety first kids |blink|

I told you man... I NEEDS MY CRACK And I haven't been dodging, they only give me one phone call a week in prison...

WGMG: When I can't get any GODDAMN CRACK

Have a look at the wreckers for newer hilux, hiace, liteace, etc etc. The glass unit itself is exactly the same size, just the brackets are different. All you need is the headlight to put into the KE bracket. Basically anything with that size rectangular headlight will fit, and if its a non-sealed unit it will be a normal H4 bulb.

Until you broke ALL the driveline mounts, the exhaust manifold, and BOTH rear bilsteins ;)

Noisy fuel pumps are also common, although most of the time its the fuel pump relay causing grief. You can test the fuel relay by jumping terminals 3 and 4 (I think) on the fuse panel and see if the pump is still noisy when its receiving direct current. My second '85 240GLE had that problem, turns out the pump WAS stuffed... $100 for a new one on Evilbay. Also check: Engine and gearbox mounts (they're supposed to be ridiculously soft, but not broken) Balljoints and tierods Tailshaft uni joints Exhaust manifold gaskets Front suspension bushes None of those are a massive problem to fix, but worth noting (and pointing out to the seller as bartering ammo :D )

And I now own that Teddy's volvo, and two others :D The electrics are the only thing that let them down. If the one you're looking at has everything working, it should be fine. Generally speaking any 240 still on the road these days has already had all the relays replaced, as they are ALL stuffed. Parts: Easy and cheap Stud pattern: 5x108 +18, same as Torana, pre-HQ holden, and a few other euros. I have 14" dragways on mine, looks ridiculous :D Towing: I drove Teddy's from Brisbane to Cairns in one hit, dragging an 800kg car trailer loaded with 2 sets of rims + tyres, 4 seats, and two Hilux gearbox/transfer cases (bloody heavy) without a problem. The back of the wagon was also loaded up to the roof.... No problems other than the front cam seal leaked a bit of oil when attempting to maintain 110kph up hills. Only seems to do it under extreme load though, I've done 10thou since then and it hasn't leaked again. I've towed an AE92 on a trailer with it... It didn't like it much, but it did do it. :dance: The redblock engine in these things is the european equivalent to the K motor. Ruthlessly reliable. Your 244 should be carby, which is good as far as avoiding EFI drama, but check the GIGANTIC SU carby for fuel and vacuum leaks. Manual or auto? Clutches often slip in the manuals, but easy and cheap to replace. The autos have an electric solenoid which activates the overdrive, and they commonly fail. 90% of the time its the relay in the dash causing the problem. If there's a little 'arrow' warning light on the dash that won't go away, thats your problem. They're not a bad old bus. Solid, comfortable, and reliable if correctly maintained. You'll also become part of what is officially the weirdest (but most supportive) fan base in the world :P Volvo for life :D

I found a phone, several AAA batteries, parking tickets from Osaka and about 2000 yen in small coins :D

This should get interesting. ;) The Nitrogen Tyre thread reminded me of something... Not long after I imported my JZX100, I was underneath giving it a comprehensive service and found that the Japanese owner had added one of those little magnets that clamp around the fuel line and supposedly 'align the atoms in the fuel making it more combustible, = POWAAAH' Which then reminded me of Hiclones... For those unfamiliar with this earth-shatteringly stupid invention, the basic premise is shoving a bit of bent aluminium in your intake pipe will make the car go faster. Hilarious thread HERE So I was wondering, what other MIRACLE powerup products or methods have you seen/used? You know, the kinda products that only cost $15 on eBay and yet manufacturers who spend billions of dollars on R&D every year somehow managed to overlook... THE FOOLS Or maybe your grandad swore black and blue that adding two teaspoons of caustic soda to each tank of fuel in the kingswood made it run cooler and get twice as many k's to the tank... Fire away... :D

I'm willing to bet they've installed Hiclones in all the intake piping too? ;)

I concur, 100% Especially with the Golf and its variants (caddy etc) The Mercedes Vito I drive is the same... May as well be a video game.

Its a wedge bulb... Pull harder.