John's Auto Blog

NSW car insurance quotes

2012-01-28T12:00:00+10:00

It is amazing the difference between the different insurance companies when it comes to fully comprehensive car insurance.

Here's the quotes I received online when looking for insurance for our new car (a 15 year old 4-cylinder automatic BMW sedan).

AAMI: $776.95 with $625 excess.
Allianz: $680.36 with $600 excess.
Bingle: $839.92 with $550 excess.
Budget Direct: $876 with $600 excess.
GIO: $1,102.75 with $600 excess.
NRMA: $1,017.30 with $800 excess.
The Buzz: $792.39 with unknown excess.

I didn't bother getting quotes from any company that wanted my name, address and telephone number.

The Buzz should be commended for their very quick quote system, that just requires the minimum of information for you to get a price.

Allianz have free roadside assistance which saves us over $100 so combined with them being the cheapest insurer, makes them by far the best choice for us.

Obviously different drivers, cars, and address could mean that your quotes will be very different, but this shows you the importance of shopping around. It does take quite a bit of time to fill out all the quote forms online but could be well worth it.

Cannonball Bike Run... That's right... For Bikes!

2012-01-16T12:00:00+10:00

I just came across some old issues of my favourite motorcycling magazine, Performance Bikes, a UK publication.

In the December 2006 issue there is an article about the Cannonball Run for motorbikes which was run for the second time, in 2006. Performance Bikes magazine put together a bike to enter the race, a Kawasaki ZZR1400, with Dale Lomas to ride. Although the event is publically promoted as a navigation rally, it seems that some of the entrants including Dale were treating it as an all-out road race.

The "rally" started in Germany, went through Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria, then finished in Germany.

However even before Dale and a group of other UK riders made it to the start, they were stopped before they boarded the UK to France ferry and warned because they were identified as Cannonballers!

Even before the start in Wurzburg, Germany one British rider's event came to an end after he was spotted travelling at 240km/h where the limit was 100km/h. After a long pursuit - 40km - he was fined heavily, his bike was impounded, and he was sent home on a plane. Other entrants are also stopped and warned, and searched thoroughly for route maps and other evidence.

For the start of the race, riders leave before the advertised starting time in an effort to avoid the police. This puts the riders in peak hour traffic.

After averaging 160km/h for the first hour, Dale Lomas get's pulled over and fined for speeding, unaware of a police helicopter following his progress. Less than an hour later he pays another fine, this time for racing on the road. His route card and maps also get confiscated.

Due to the police attention the time clocks are reset for day two for a level playing field. The journey through Switzerland and Italy is without the previous day's police problems, and Dale runs flat-out racing against his main competition, a group of Finnish riders. He is able to out-ride them in the dry but they are faster in the wet. At one point he has the ZZR at it's maximum of around 290km/h and slows to 240km/h to overtake a car in a narrow gap between the car and a tunnel wall. Then he realises that the car is actually the police and they want him to stop. He runs flat out to out run the police, hoping that his 50km of fuel is enough to lose his pursuers. It is but when he makes it to the next checkpoint he needs a new rear tyre.

The next, departing from Venice, Dale is running flat with another rider. They split traffic at over 280km/h and christen the hard shoulder as "the Cannonball Lane".

During a photo stop Dale has a minor accident which the ZZR survives with the exception of some superficial damage.

On the final day, Dale is set on beating the Finnish riders. He again runs flat out through Croatia and into Slovenia. Once in the lead he slows for nothing, passing a police Volkswagen Golf at 240km/h and then a second police car. But later he is followed by a black BMW keeping up with him at 220km/h on a twisty section of road. He is pursued for a few minutes and then reaches a police road block, which he runs through despite the police attempting to stop him. With just a single road ahead he knows his race is done, and hides before the police have a chance to catch him.

The "race" is "won" by one of the Finnish riders and the final statistics for the 75 competitors are 8 arrests, 4 bikes impounded, 109 tickets received, 13,238 Euros in fines, 6 crashes, 2 broken bones, and 5200km.

The rally was again run in 2007, but it appears that the Swiss police were ready and were not going to put up with the same type of riding as the previous years event. In the December 2007 issue of Performance Bikes I found the story. About an hour and a half into the event 21 of the entrants were stopped by the Swiss police, whether or not they had committed any road offences. The event was stopped, and the other riders made their way home, trying to avoid capture at all cost.

Rotary engine capacity miscalculation

2011-12-16T12:00:00+10:00

I can never understand why the automotive world has gone along with the way that rotary engine displacement is calculated.

The 13B and RENESIS engines claim a capacity of around 1.3 litres.

My opinion is that these engines have a capacity of around 3.9 litres.

Let's look at the facts for the engine from the Mazda RX-8.

1. The combustion chamber size is 654cc.
2. There are two rotors.
3. Each rotor has three combustion chambers.

So 654cc times two rotors times three combustion chambers is 3,924cc... 3.9 litres!

I guess Mazda (and other Wankel engine manufacturers) are claiming this capacity because it is only possible that two combustion chambers are combustible (in contact with the spark plug) at any time. That's fair enough, but I don't know any six cylinder engines that fire all six cylinders at the same time.

Need more facts...

The RX-8 produces 170 kW of power, 211 Nm of torque, and has a combined fuel consumption figure of 12.9 l/100km.

A Ford Falcon with a 4.0 litre 6 cylinder engine has 195 kW of power, 391 Nm of torque, and has a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.9 l/100km.

A Toyota Yaris with 1.3 litre engine has 63 kW of power, 121 Nm of torque, and has a combined fuel consumption figure of 5.7 l/100km.

Do the RX-8 specifications look closer to the Falcon or the Yaris?

Hopefully you will now agree with me and join me in my (fairly silent) protest against this injustice!

Book Reviews

2011-12-14T12:00:00+10:00

For fans of the Cannonball Run, Gumball 3000, Bullrun and illegal cross-country driving, here is my review of three books on these topics.

The first title, Cannonball!: World's Greatest Outlaw Road Race, is about the original Cannonball Run. That's right, there was a race before the famous movie.

The race was run several times in the USA during the 1970s and started as a form of protest against the introduction of the national 55mph speed limit. It was intended to prove that skilled drivers could drive cross-country at high speeds in safety.

The book is written by the organiser of the race, Brock Yates, but also features recounts of the race from the original competitors. This makes it a real interesting read in that you get to learn about the organisation of the event as well as how the race went for the various entrants.

One of the most interesting and surprising facts I discovered when reading this book was that a lot of the things in the movie (which is a favourite of mine) were based on real events. I think if the movie started with "Based on a true story" noone would believe it. But at least a few of the teams in the movie were based on actual entrants, such as the ambulance, priests and the "just married" motorcyclists. There was even an all woman team although they weren't driving a Lamborghini Countach.

There are plenty of stories about run-ins with the police, mechanical problems and great stories about what it is like to drive flat out for kilometre after kilometre (well, mile after mile) for around 35 hours or more.

Another title covers the 2004 running of the Gumball Rally, which is an annual event in the spirit of the Cannonball Run, but not actually a race. The Gumball Rally is meant to be a navigation challenge within the road rules with a huge party each night after the days driving. Although the organisers discourage any illegal driving each year many drivers cop fines or jail time for various driving offences.

Our Gumball Rally: 3000 Miles, 3 Countries, 65 Ferraris, Only 1 Volvo is written by journalist Clement Wilson and his driving partner Richard Dunwoody, a retired jockey. It tells the story of how the two got together and came up with the idea of running in the rally, securing a car, and their adventures in the rally.

The car they chose was a Volvo V70R (not that they had much choice), which was an unusual choice given that most of their competitors were in exotic supercars. But if you read the book you will find that the more discreet Volvo did have it's advantages at times.

They drove hard, they partied hard, then they crashed the Volvo. My favourite part (and probably most of the entrant's favourite part) was when they were driving through part of Africa where they were given free reign by the King to drive however they wanted. This of course meant that most drove absolutely flat out and resulted in some major accidents.

I really enjoyed the book and it is a great insight into the event. It's not just about cars and driving but the author frequently sidetracks to other interesting things just about life. And I say author because I suspect that Richard Dunwoody didn't do much writing - the book is almost exclusively from Clement Wilson's perspective.

Lastly, I also read The Driver: True Life Adventures of an Underground Road Racer by Gumball 3000 and Bullrun legend, Alexander Roy.

Although I wasn't a big fan of the writing style and was often disappointed by stories that stopped short or should have been included; this is a riveting read.

Particular favorite moments were (of course) "The Battle of Rome", and the transcontinental record attempts.

A highly recommended book for fans of this form of "motorsport"!

Now I just wish there was a real* Cannonball Run Australia!

Cannonball!: World's Greatest Outlaw Road Race
By Brock Yates
Published by Motorbooks
ISBN: 0760316333
ISBN-13: 9780760316337

Our Gumball Rally: 3000 Miles, 3 Countries, 65 Ferraris, Only 1 Volvo
By Clement Wilson and Richard Dunwoody
Published by Virgin Books
ISBN: 075350992X
ISBN-13: 9780753509920

The Driver: True Life Adventures of an Underground Road Racer
By Alexander Roy
Published by Edbury Press
ISBN-13: 9780091924904

*There was a Cannonball Run in Australia in 1994 which was organised by Allan Moffat. It certainly wasn't an outlaw race but did have high speed events on closed off roads in the Northern Territory. Unfortunately the event was marred when several people were killed after a Ferrari F40 left the road and hit a group of the event staff. See www.cannonballrun.info.

More cheap used car purchase advice

2011-11-24T12:00:00+10:00

I have a confession... I kind of enjoy buying used cars, the negotiation process, and restoring used cars.

If I could have my way I would be in a constant cycle of sell current car, shop for new car, restore new car, and then back to the beginning again. And I'm happy buying cheap older cars as more expensive newer cars don't tend to need too much work. The reality is that selling a car is often time consuming and not fun, and buying a car can also take some time, and I don't want to be without a car.

If you've read my other posts you already know my negotiation tactics, which if I do say so myself, worked very well in my recent experience. So based on my experience here is some more advice about buying a real cheap car (around $3,000 or so).

Choosing what makes and models to look at

There are so many different models to choose from in this price range but the wrong choice could cost you a lot if something goes wrong. And some models will require much more expense to maintain and/or insure.

The engine

I always prefer to choose a model that has a timing chain rather than a timing belt. Timing belts need to be replaced regularly (some models in as little as 50,000km, some up to 120,000km) and replacement is usually at least a few hundred dollars (often $500+), mostly in labour and all the parts that the mechanic says you should replace while you are in there. Timing chains aren't perfect but generally last the life of the car.

If you are trying to keep maintenance and repair costs down then you want an inline 4 cylinder engine. "Vee" and "flat" engines have two of a lot of things that inline engines only have one of so many jobs might require twice the expense.

Research is very important as there are some engines you really should stay away from. For example, see how any people are complaining online about premature timing belt failure on their Holden Vectra, or the number of people wanting Kia to recall a certain model Carnival because engines are commonly requiring replacement after only 50,000km.

The model

There are some surprising luxury European models at this end of the market. In Australia it seems that some makes are real hard to sell at ten years old or more so are advertised at what appears to be amazing low prices. We've all heard the advice that European cars are much more expensive to maintain and I agree to a certain extent.

The smaller the volume of the brand sold in Australia the more expensive they tend to be to buy parts and service. I believe this is because with the smaller brands there is less demand for other companies to bring in parts so less competition. The higher volume brands, like BMW, whilst still expensive if you get your parts and service from a factory dealer, can be better as there is often many sources of parts.

The important thing if you do go with a European luxury brand and want to save on running costs, then you have to be careful where you get your parts and service. As the past owner of several BMW's I found someone to do repairs that doesn't mind if I supply my own parts, and I shop around for my parts, often buying from overseas.

If you are not going to do your own servicing or don't want to go to the extra lengths required to find parts and service then I would suggest you steer clear of the European luxury "bargains" at this end of the market.

The safest bet is to look only at models that sell in large volumes, which is usually Australian, Korean and Japanese cars like Commodores, Falcons, Magnas, Camrys, Corollas, Lasers, etc, etc.

The funny thing about the cheap used car market is that it seems that the more expensive when new larger models depreciate much more than the cheaper smaller cars. For the same price you generally get an older Corolla for the same price as a Camry. See for yourself, compare Commodore/Astra, Falcon/Laser, Mazda 626/323, etc.

Also keep in mind that the heavier the car, the more expensive registration renewal is (in NSW at least). The difference in price from the lightest to the heaviest is more than $200.

Here are some of my comments on popular models

Commodore/Falcon: These were the top selling cars of their time. They are plentiful, so there is lots of second hand parts and new parts to choose from. They both have timing chains in most variants and are old technology so can cope better with a hard life.

Magna: Great car for many reasons but how often do you see a ten year old Magna that isn't leaving a trail of oil smoke. The 2.6-litre four has a timing chain but all others have a belt.

Camry/Corolla: These models have really earnt their reputation for reliability and longevity. Most models in this price range have a timing belt.

Pulsar: Unlike most other small cars, the Pulsar has a timing chain.

Vectra: Some models have lots of reports of premature timing belt failure and Holden have significantly lowered the replacement interval because of this. Be careful.

Insurance

For this sort of money it may not be worth paying for fully comprehensive insurance, but not having third party property (not just a greenslip) is just irresponsible. Third party property might cost around $150-$300 a year but if you have an at-fault accident it could save you a lot.

For any insurance the model will be one of the determining factors in the cost of the premium. All of the insurance companies provide quotes online so it is easy to compare a few of the models you have short-listed.

This brings us to the topic of a modified car. I generally steer clear of them. Insurance companies will either not insure or charge more for modified cars. Even non-standard wheels are a problem for some insurers.

Trials of buying a real cheap used car

2011-10-10T12:00:00+10:00

Recently I have been looking for a used car for a family member. The requirements were a cheap price (around $2,500 to $3,000), mid to large size, clean and presentable exterior and interior, and a reliable vehicle. Obviously in this price range you can't expect a great car, but I hoped to find a good car that probably needed some TLC.

I looked to Camrys, Magnas and Commodores but kept an eye out for anything else that might do including Sonatas, Nubiras, Vectras, etc.

In this price range you are looking at a below average late 90's model, or an average to good car from earlier in the 90s.

After a day of looking it became apparent to me that few people take care of their cars. Given that cars are usually the second largest purchase by a household (after property) people really should realise that their car, if cared for, can achieve a substantially higher price at resale time than if not cared for.

It also became apparent that car dealers initially price cars quite high, and it doesn't take much to get a reduction of 15% to 25% if not more. The first thing to do when considering a car is to look at the sale sheet that should be attached to the visor which has a couple of important details on it: initial sale price and the date they got the car. When a dealer first gets a car for sale they often start with a high price, then they might reduce the car over time. It is not unusual to see a car initially offered at $5,000 then reduced to $4,000 and then maybe $3,500. So you can judge a reasonable offer based on the initial price listed on the sale sheet, and also keep in mind that if the car has been there for some time then the dealer is likely to be more keen to sell it.

From my experience, anything with an initial price of $4,000 was usually obtainable for $3,000. $3,500 is a reasonable offer for a $5,000 car. The important thing is to make them aware that you are serious, but also that you are prepared to walk away. My tactic was that I had a certain amount of cash from another car that I was going to buy but didn't go ahead at the last minute, and that I wanted a car now for the same price. If they laughed at my offer I told them that the car I was going to buy was advertised by a dealer at the same price as their's and the dealer reduced it to the same price I was offering so felt my offer was reasonable. Worst case the dealer often comes back with a counter offer and you find out what their bottom line is.

I eventually found an unusually tidy, low mileage VT Commodore Acclaim with an asking price of $3,995. I told the dealer the budget was $2,500 so it was well out. The dealer came back with, "I could do it for $3,000." I had a good look over the car and a test drive then expressed my concern about the upcoming costs of registration and new tyres. They then offered the car for $2,800. That was a great deal and I was ready to buy after I gave the car a more thorough going over. During my inspection I found that the water pump was leaking and they offered another $200 off to cover the cost of replacing it.

I didn't buy this vehicle because of a few concerns relating to the water pump, but a couple of weeks later I found another VT Commodore Acclaim that didn't meet reserve on eBay. I ended up buying this car for $2,800 after some negotiation. It was a private sale and getting to meet the owner gives important information about the real condition of the car. You can tell if the owner has cared for the car, and a few careful questions can usually determine if the seller is honest about the car's problems. In the case of the owner of the Acclaim, he knew all the common VT Commodore problems, could recite what work had been done to the car over the years, could explain some of the issues the car had, and took good care of the car so it would be safe and reliable transport for his wife and children. All that was needed was a quick look over of the car and I was satisfied.

The Evolution of Car Advertising

2011-08-04T12:00:00+10:00

Advertising new cars has certainly changed over the years. Generally there are features which are most commonly included in advertisements for each period of automotive evolution.

Probably in the early days of the horseless carriage it was new technology like electric start and disc brakes and the like.

There was probably a period before the safety police came along where performance was a common selling point in advertisements.

In the recent past there has been a lot of emphasis on safety features and fuel economy.

Recently things have moved towards technology and entertainment. Features like touchscreens, and USB connectivity are some of the more often touted equipment.

However, a recent Nissan advertisement takes the cake... Do they think we care about the engine, fuel economy, number of airbags or whether it has Bluetooth? No! They are focusing their efforts on the market segment that wants their car instrument panel to say "Happy Birthday" to them!

If you can't live without this feature, may I suggest you go and get yourself a 2011 Nissan Micra.

Gotta love NSW... Speed camera removal

2011-07-29T12:00:00+10:00

Whilst other states are suffering with more speed cameras and extremely low tolerances, NSW is removing 38 of their 141 speed cameras because they are said not to be improving safety, only revenue raising.

I fully support this, in fact I think they should remove the rest too!

I would be interested to know whether this move has any legal implications. Does this mean that people booked by the cameras to be removed are entitle to their money back? Does it mean that if caught for speeding and you can prove that it was safe to speed at the time and location that you shouldn't be fined?

For more information on the removal see the following links:

NRMA welcomes speed camera removal in NSW

NSW: 38 Speed Cameras Axed In Safety Audit

Residents rally against removal of hard-won speed camera

NSW Speed Camera Tolerance

2011-03-25T12:00:00+10:00

According to the Sydney Morning Herald 25 March 2011 (link here) there has been a tolerance of only 3km/h for speed cameras up until now.

However, this tolerance is being axed.

The NSW tolerance has always been fiercely guarded but in 2007 the Victorian government revealed that its tolerance level was 2km/h for fixed speed cameras and 3km/h for mobile speed cameras, plus a discretionary tolerance.

Australian design rules used to allow for a 10% tolerance either way on car speedometers, but now the rules only allow for the tolerance above the actual travel speed. Where does this leave cars made before this change, which could potentially read 10% too slow? Will this be a possible argument for contesting fines?

Who will benefit from the M2 Upgrade?

2011-01-21T12:00:00+10:00

Who will benefit from the M2 upgrade? The upgrade which is set to take 24 months and inconvenience users? The upgrade that will result in an increase in the toll to $6 at the conclusion (with an interim toll increase in 2011)?

The answer appears to be that it will mostly be bus users, and those other vehicles that are allowed in Bus Only lanes: taxis and hire cars.

Looking at the project map on the Hills M2 Upgrade website, the only section of new lane open to normal traffic (everything except buses, taxis and hire cars) will be the section in purple. This is the eastbound section between the tunnel and Lane Cove Road, and it will become a transit lane (T2 - driver plus minimum one passenger).

It appears that the rest of the new lanes, shown in red, will be "Bus Only" lanes.

I have not found any media reports mentioning this and I have asked the question directly to M2 Community Relations department but the answer was not clear and certainly implied that the new lanes would be for bus use. I can understand that they wouldn't want this information to be made clear to motorists.

Here's some of the response I received from the M2 Community Relations department:

"The scope of the M2 Upgrade project was agreed by government to respond to immediate needs to link into public transport."

"The widening of the motorway will increase capacity and make journey times for buses along the M2 more reliable."

Having reviewed the information on the website, the only benefits to motorists will be the following:

* A 100km/h speed limit westbound from Lane Cove Road to Beecroft Road (no use during afternoon peak hours) and the restoration of breakdown lanes in the same area
* The new entry and exit ramps

The new eastbound T2 lane will be of little benefit as this is one of the few places on the M2 that usually runs fairly smoothly.

If I every get a straight answer on this topic I will post information here.

Road Rule Confusion

2011-01-20T12:00:00+10:00

After reading the road rules around driving over painted islands in the most recent version of the road users handbook, I am a little unsure of exactly when you are allowed to drive over them.

On page 105 the section on painted islands says, "You may drive on a painted island surrounded by single continuous or broken lines to enter or leave the road, or to enter a turning lane that begins immediately after the painted island for up to 50 metres".

It also states, "You must not drive on areas surrounded by double lines."

Now this sounds pretty clear, until you read page 125, which in the section on S lanes states, "S lanes make a right turn lane at intersections by merging the kerb-side lane and making the other lanes follow an S shape. A single unbroken (continuous) white line separates the S shaped lanes. You must not cross this line."

Maybe this is obvious, but to me there is some ambiguity between these two sections.

Who thought up this intersection in North Ryde

2011-01-18T12:00:00+10:00

You really have to wonder what the road designers were thinking when they made the recent changes to the roads around the new North Ryde train station.

Looking at the attached image, let's start at point A and B.

Cars at point B have a traffic light in front of them. Cars at point A have just gone through a set of traffic lights and have no traffic lights at the intersection in front of them. Unfortunately the road designers didn't think that traffic ahead of the cars at point A would ever be bad enough that these cars may not get through the intersection in front of them when the lights behind them turn red. Unfortunately in the real world the traffic is this bad almost every day around peak hours.

The result is that cars at point A regularly drive right through the intersection in front of them in spite of the fact that cars at point B have a green light and want to go through the intersection too. Pretty silly, really. How about another set of traffic lights?

Moving to point C, the designers decided to make two lanes merge into one at this point. As there is plenty of traffic trying to join this road just before this point, it makes it very difficult for them as the other traffic comes to a halt to merge.

Point D is a new bus lane and bus stop that, from what I have seen, is very rarely used. I travel this way twice a day, 5 days a week and I can count on one hand how many times I have ever seen a bus use the lane. At around the same point, they also put in an extremely long right turn lane. Like the bus lane, this lane is rarely used. From what I have witnessed, there is never more than one or two cars using this lane, if any at all.

Couldn't these two lanes have been put to better use by extending the lane at point C or by extending the right turn lane into the M2 at point E which is another point which causes delay to traffic?

All these poorly designed lanes and intersections might have been forgiven if they were decades old, but these were all upgraded and redesigned in the last year or so! Unforgivable!

New Company Slogan for Sydney's Hills M2 Motorway

2010-11-16T12:00:00+10:00

It appears that Sydney's Hills M2 Motorway have come up with a new company slogan and are now advertising it at most entrances to, and junctions on the motorway.

"Expect Delays" is proudly displayed on electronic sign boards and is a natural choice of company slogan given that this is what many of their customers have been using when describing the motorway for some time now.

On the subject of the motorway, the resurfacing of the road seems to have come to a grinding halt. Whilst workers were quick to remove the top layer, and there was some resurfacing done initially, but now there seems to be no action at all in completing the job. This is causing the small pieces of bitumen that do remain to start disintegrating causing some large and uncomfortable bumps. The East-bound section just after the tolling area is undoubtedly the worst and probably bad enough to be causing damage to vehicles.

Perhaps another toll increase is required to finish the resurfacing?

Sydney's Hills M2 Motorway Problems

2010-08-17T12:00:00+10:00

Like many other Sydney motorists I spend approximately $2,500 per year to use the Hills M2 Motorway twice a day, 5 days a week, to get to and from work.

Unfortunately, also like many other Sydney motorists, I make these journey's during peak hours.

For $2,500 I expect a lot better. At least I am not driving a truck as then I would be paying over $7,000 per year!

I can't believe that our roads designers cannot do better. Most days during peak hours traffic crawls on the M2 from the start but somewhere quite a few kilometers from the end it frees up and flows well. It seems that the problems are all around the points where the entrances to the motorway are.

Most of the Hills M2 Motorway is two lanes in each direction with a third "Bus Only" lane. The bus lane can only be used by buses, taxis and hire cars.

I have heard that the RTA was responsible for the choice of two traffic lanes, and that the Hills M2 people wanted more.

On a side note, I have had some correspondence with the RTA and various politicians on the matter of why motorcyclists cannot use the M2 and they claim the decision was made based on safety reasons, due to the potential dangers of joining and leaving the bus lane. Of course taxis and hire cars have managed to do this safely from what I have seen for some time, so maybe the powers that be have a higher opinion of the quality of the average taxi driver's skills than I do... I personally believe that the average motorcyclist has better self-preservation skills. (Sign the petition to change this here and here.)

Anyway back to the point. Surely something can be done to improve the peak hour traffic flow on the Hills M2 Motorway.

Here are some ideas they may wish to consider:

1. At all times of the day the two bus lanes are under-utilised. During peak periods, perhaps there is a way that the busy direction bus lane cold be opened up to traffic and the quieter side bus lane could be used for the busy direction buses, and buses travelling in the quieter direction could use the normal traffic lanes.

2. Change the "Bus Only" lane to a T3 or T2.

3. Build another lane where possible, including adding a third east-bound lane to the tunnel, as has been done on the west-bound side. I know this would cause an issue to cyclists but I am sure an alternate path could be found, as was done near the toll-gate area on the west-bound side.

4. Switch to electronic tolling only, as this does seem to affect the west-bound peak hour flow.

Obviously all of the above suggestions will require significant modifications and road work, but an improvement is essential as traffic is progressively getting worse and the motorway cannot keep up with the existing traffic levels now - how will it be in a few years time.

To the persons in charge of the Hills M2 Motorway and the RTA: People are spending $2,500 a year on using the motorway. You have a responsibility to provide a better level of service than is currently being offered.

Note: There is talk of an M2 upgrade, which will also involve an "upgrade" of the toll to $5.50 (adding another couple of hundred dollars to the annual spend). Being a cynic, I suspect most of these upgrades will help primarily bus travellers, cyclists and people who breakdown. Here is an excerpt from the proposal:

The RTA proposes to upgrade the M2 Motorway. The Project would widen the existing motorway along 14.5 kilometres of its length.
Features of the upgrade would include:
- Widening and/or provision of a third lane along sections of the eastbound and westbound carriageways between Windsor Road and Lane Cove Road.
- Provision of new on/off ramps at Windsor Road, Christie Road and Herring Road.
- Widening and/or provision of a third lane eastbound and westbound in the Norfolk Tunnel.
- Restoration of the westbound breakdown lane from Lane Cove Road to Beecroft Road.
- Removal of the Beecroft Road bus on/off ramp.
- Upgrade of the M2 Motorway/Windsor Road, Christie Road/Talavera Road and Herring Road/Talavera Road intersections.
- Upgrades to M2 Motorway Intelligent Transport System

What around $10,000 buys you

2010-07-30T12:00:00+10:00

What used car can you buy for around $10,000?

For the sensible buyer, $10,000 buys you a 5 or more year old Toyota Corolla or Holden Commodore, price when new somewhere between $25,000 to $30,000.

But thanks to the depreciation of top-end European luxury cars there are some real interesting alternatives for this sort of money.

Fancy a Mercedes-Benz? Why not reach for the stars and go straight to the S class. The bottom of the S class range, the S280, could be bought in 1997 for around $160,000. Today a good example can be had for less than $10,000, and I am not talking cars with high mileage here -- one example S280 I found for $9,000 had around 170,000km and most of these models are serviced and looked after very well.

Maybe you prefer the more performance orientated BMW? How about the 7 series, in long wheel base, with the 4.4-litre V8? Back in 1997 a 740iL would have cost just over $200,000 plus options. There are now plenty of examples around this age for around $10,000. 730 and short wheel base models can be found for even less. Most models have all the luxuries including a dashboard-mounted TV with satellite navigation.

What is most surprising is how much better the lesser models hold their value. For example, for the same price of that 13 year old 740iL you could buy a 13 year old six-cylinder 3 series which cost around a third of the price of the 7 series when new.

I tried to find an Audi A8 for this sort of money but maybe there weren't too many sold here, but ten year-old A6's are plentiful at this price level.