Pumped in $120 worth of PULP tonight, and didn't (and will never) give a toss about it again.

[tml678]

There was something a little different about filling the Calais up tonight, it was the first time I have done so since 'the end'. As I watched the thirsty girl guzzle down 70ish litres of BP's best, my thoughts turned (again) to what we've lost. I don't think any one of us would argue that our vehicles are on the cutting edge of technology, or the most luxurious things on the road, or indeed even the highest quality, but they didn't need to be, that wasn't the point of them, they were the vehicles for the average Australian, and by Christ they hit their brief well in my humble opinion.

So, I will never begrudge whatever it costs to shove the go-juice down into her fuel-tank again, because, without meaning to wax lyrical, what we have lost in the last few days transcends dollar value. The humble commodore, in its many variants, became what it was never meant to be, an icon, and unfortunately, what we will never have again.

I couldn't give a rats arse as to the why's and what's of Holden's demise, it shouldn't have fuc.k.ing happened.

I only hope in years to come I can adequately explain to my two infant children what they should have been able to experience.

 

[blackve76]

Just came back from America, 80 cents a litre for there premium (95)

 

[Forg]

If they're calling it 95, it's probably about 105 in proper measurements.

 

[blackve76]

If they're calling it 95, it's probably about 105 in proper measurements.

its labelled as 91 but converting to aussie is around 95, you could get 87, 89 and 91

 

[EYY]

Yeah the us don't measure in RON

 

[Sabbath']

Just came back from America, 80 cents a litre for there premium (95)

Cost of living is relativly cheap compared to australia across the board for visitors.

 

[mpower]

At the price fuel is now, there's never been a better time to own a V8 and run him on 98

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Cost of living is relativly cheap compared to australia across the board for visitors.

I spent 3 weeks there a few years ago when the AUD was at parity, I felt rich haha. Cost of living is cheaper than here in most places because income is lower than here. It's all relative. The people we stayed with were comfortable but had a pretty low income, he was a cook in a diner on around $8 an hour, she didn't work but they had a housemate that was a lawyer, it's not all Boston Legal, she was in family law and earned bugger all as well.

 

[VT&VX]

Cost of living is relativly cheap compared to australia across the board for visitors.

They come over here and think everything is cheap until they work out the exchange rate and real cost for the can of Coca Cola they just bought in one of our (little markets) Woolworths.

I only hope in years to come I can adequately explain to my two infant children what they should have been able to experience

But losing locally designed, developed and manufactured Holdens is history now, but those workers were always going to lose their jobs. Australian government subsidies were only going to be used to upgrade an overseas GM vehicle manufacturing factory, and then ship all that old equipment over here. Even though the equipment would be old, those old robots would be replacing people.

If you ever watch a doco on a modern auto assembly line for high volume vehicles, there aren't many people in there. Note: those docos are years old.

The only way the Auto workers could still be building cars in that factory is if a lower volume / higher value vehicle was going to be built here. Something where a bunch of people are cheaper to use than robots.

EG. Something special purpose and modular. Taxis? Police cars? Ambulance, Military, Government vehicles. Maybe a sports car?

 

[Sabbath']

I spent 3 weeks there a few years ago when the AUD was at parity, I felt rich haha. Cost of living is cheaper than here in most places because income is lower than here. It's all relative. The people we stayed with were comfortable but had a pretty low income, he was a cook in a diner on around $8 an hour, she didn't work but they had a housemate that was a lawyer, it's not all Boston Legal, she was in family law and earned bugger all as well.

Yeah, i went earlier this year. Roughly $8 US for a 6 pack of beer/premix spirits. Even with the conversion it was about $5 cheaper than here in Oz.

Even in the UK, even though the dollar is pretty shitty compared to the pound, it was 1 pound roughly for a 600ml bottle of coke from a milkbar. Even if you double that (think it was at 60p/$1) try finding a 600ml coke for $2 in Australia.

But, living in either, the cost/wages would make it hard to sustain that kind of lifestyle.