What a busy time of year for all us Mopar-heads. The Christmas Party was fantastic with a good time had by all, but I must comment on the run to Wollongong.  It has been a while since we had so many cars on a club run and did it look impressive, turning heads which ever way we went. And some people came in their “other” cars for various reasons and still had a good time. Don’t be shy to come out on a run even if your Chrysler/Valiant isn’t on the road: Joe Anzini brought a mate along who was in a 4WD and I’m sure he enjoyed himself. The rain at Wollongong was a tad annoying, and the drive home was quite memorable due to the fog: but these did not put a downer on things.

            I can finally say the DVD from last year’s drag day with the Falcon GT Owners Club is in its final stages of production and will be available at the Darling Harbour show. While it is not a professional production it still makes a good memento of a great day. It was made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts and is a “better-than-nuthin production”. Initial numbers will be limited but more will be available as required. There is a bonus slide show at the end of it.

            Recently I became the proud new owner of a trusty CM sedan. It is not perfect but oozes character and is very friendly as a daily commuter. Normally I tend to over-service my cars but this one is running on a shoe string budget and I am proud to say it is flying the flag proudly. A quick once-over in terms of servicing and all was good: all it needed was two lower ball joints, a good wheel alignment, and a tx valve for the A/C. And I lashed out to get central locking fitted. The car regularly returns an average of 13.5L to cover 100 kms around town. Of course the car is a bit thirstier with the A/C on. I am also planning on taking the mighty Charger over to South Australia for the All Chrysler Day over there in February: look forward to another edition for a full report. The plan is to drive over Saturday, go to the show on Sunday and then come back on Monday. I was able to twist Kevin’s arm to co-pilot for me, with his reward being a line-up of VC’s! (His ideal birthday present!). Once the trip is done I can say the Charger has been driven to and entered into Chrysler shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Albury, Melbourne and then finally in Adelaide. I would love to drive HWY318 to Perth but at the moment the cost of fuel is prohibitive.

            Anyway that is enough of a rant from me, take care and happy motoring.

            Regards,

            Gerry

Editor’s Note:  The current cost of Unleaded in the middle of the Nullabor is $1.65 per litre. At 4,200Km each way and a fuel consumption of 15 Litres per 100 Km the fuel cost for the round trip,   including running about in Perth, would approximate $2,000. Then there is accommodation costs, meals, oil etc on the trip. This would approximate $400 each way or $800 for a round trip.

You can load the car on a truck for about $1,800 on a both way trip. With airfares approximating $800 for two adults and taxis etc at each end the total cost of shipping the            car both ways is not very different from driving across.

Sydney to Perth is a memorable trip in a Chrysler. I believe HWY318 would make it there and back  I am sure you will make the trip one day.

P.S.      If you need a co-driver drop me a line!