Bullet32

What a great day of racing, thanks to everyone who made it run so smoothly. I'm thinking that we are going to have to stock up on the FZ-201's now that everyone knows how good they are No worries Duncan - You're right, if you can't see canvas or steel belts they're still good... So get out there and keep pushing!! It was great to see the Stagea out there as well!... The tyres held up alright too (no more warranty on that set though)

Haha, it's not the tyres I'm worried about... I would replace them with semi's anyway. It's losing a certain "appendage" when the missus finds out what I spent that much cash on. I'm still considering it though

Beautiful... Enkei RPF01's + 595RS-R 285's = Perfect fitment for that car, nice work! You won't be disappointed with the tyres either.

Damn I want those GT-N's... I just need to find out how to pull $1800 out of savings without the missus noticing

That's not what I said. I said "a large industry with many Australian jobs" and of course I know how importing works, I have been working for an importing company for many years, I don't really need it explained for me thanks. I'm not going to continue arguing, it doesn't matter to me which tyres you choose or where you get them from. I was simply trying to point out that your statement was incorrect and that there are many other reasons (not simply profits) that drive consumer pricing in Australia.

Obviously it's your call as to which tyres or "tires" you purchase and have fitted to your car... All I am saying is that Australian importer/distributors have costs associated with bringing these products into the country and supporting the product through the tread life of the tyres at many levels, such as: - Manufacturers warranty - Product and public liability cover - Staff and representation - Logistics/freight - Marketing and advertising - Inventory and warehousing - Importing fees and duty - Retail costs such as fitting and balancing Then there are the differences in currency which become very complicated as world markets rise and fall, tyre manufacturers deal in different currencies which have to be bought and traded so this includes financial fees as well. There is no simple answer as to why it is cheaper to import your own tyres, and making statements such as "Aussie distributors will say all sorts of bull so they can charge twice the price of imported tyres" is simply untrue and ill-advised... The company that I work for has been in operation for over 56 years and has a customer base in excess of a thousand stores, do you think they got to where they are now by just "telling people all sorts of bull so they can charge twice the price of imported tyres"? As I said, it's your call but when you buy local your money stays in Australia instead of going off-shore to help boost another country's economy... You'll also be supporting a large industry with many Australian jobs involved. Just something to think about.

As someone who works for an Australian tyre importer/distributor this is disappointing to hear... You are right on the pricing diferentiations between countries and sometimes the parity seems hard to believe but you need to realise before making these types of statements that there are additional importing and distribution costs such as import duty, freight, currency factors, financing costs, distribution costs, fitting costs, that does start to add up. In addition, your local retailer or distributor cannot compete with a one off importer who doesnt keep regular inventory, maintain equipment or pay staff to provide service to their customers. Also as the importer of any tyres directly into Australia you are deemed the manufacturer from an importing and insurance perspective and as such are not covered by any local insurance policy given any tyre issues. This is an additional cost that all Australian tyre importers, distributors and retailers cover every year.

Thanks Duncan and thankyou to everyone who attended! I can speak for all of the NTW team when I say that you guys were a great crowd and we would be happy to have everyone attend another night similar to this one (especially those who couldn't make it this time) sometime in the not too distant future. I hope that everyone who came now has a little more knowledge on tyres and how to get the best out of them! Cheers, Mick

Hi guys, For those who don't know me... I'm Mick and I look after the marketing and motorsport for Federal Tyres NSW. I actually work for National Tyre Wholesalers and have done for quite a few years now, so I will be the guy giving the presentation along with one of our NSW brand managers - Trent. We will try to make this Friday night as interesting and fun as possible while still being educational. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you, having a few cold beverages and snacks and hopefully helping most who attend to leave with a better understanding of tyres. BTW - Sorry but we won't be selling any tyres on the night Cheers Mick

I don't want to sound like a hater or anything but $16,500 for a 2003 XR6T?.. That's pretty expensive. Have a look at what else is available - Click

James, you forgot to mention that it weighs 1,150kg. So with 315rwkw thats somewhere around 300rwkw per tonne... Something tells me you're going to need some damn good rubber

Not trying to be a smartass but... Sorry, I don't think many people lend out their tools or garage equipment, I've made that mistake in the past (they either come back broken or don't come back at all). Buying a jack to keep will be one of the best purchases you can make if you're keen on working on your car yourself... They are very inexpensive these days. You can grab one for under $100 - Click here!

I've already seen 'Senna'... It's farkin awesome! Even if you're not an F1 fan you will enjoy this movie. Just thought I would add that

I can't thank you enough for that model James... I'm seriously blown away by the quality and attention to detail you put into it. For those who havent seen my car for real - this model is almost identical:

"if you don't wanna answer my question and have a sook, f**k off.. THANKS" Not a great way to make friends around here... But anyway... I forgot to mention Techworkz Automotive if you want somewhere done south that does good work.

+1 for ESP and Trojan. In my humble opinion I wouldn't go anywhere near Ultimate Tunes... But that's just my opinion.

Nice rant Bratva... We all agree with you. But... Unfortunately things will never change, the government will just keep installing speed cameras with the claim that they "save lives" and the sh!thouse license testing system will stay the same, breeding more bad drivers. I hope you pin the b!tch to the wall and she has to pay every penny!

I wish that were true... When my missus told the other party's insurer that I was a witness they told her that my statement was inadmissable because I am not an impartial witness, even if I signed a stat-dec. They won't listen to a statement made by a person who know's either party because they see it as bias toward the person they know... The only credible witness is someone how doesnt know either driver/owner.

Spotted and waved to Jimmy this morning... Heading up the hill towards Calwell. I didnt get a wave back (I was driving my 4WD though).

I took about 7 photos not very clear because of no Flash but it shows us on the medium strip at the end of the roundabout. Not really possible to speed on that roundabout as the limit is 80km/h and don't think my car can turn that fast. - Make sure you keep the photos because you'll most likely need to send them along with the Police report to her insurer. At first she didn't admit fault tried to blame him because obviously she had a moment where she completely forgot the rules of a roundabout and didnt even take a glance to her right to see bright 6000k HIDS. then realized and apologized many times. - If I were you I would rely on the fact that she will tell her insurer that you were at fault, you will probably get a claim letter from them in the mail. I have her drivers license number and name / phone number. I can try calling NRMA and asking them if she is insured but will they give me that information ? - They might not even speak to you about it unless you have legal representation. I dont have third party property just the standard insurance, car registered etc. - You'll most likely be fighting an uphill battle against an insurance company's legal team I'm afraid BTW - You mentioned that you have 6000k HID lights... Are they ADR approved?

1. Did you call the Police? 2. How many photos did you take of the cars, road and direction of travel etc? 3. Do you have 3rd party property insurance? 4. Were there any impartial witnesses? My fiancee had a similar incident recently and the other driver was 100% at fault but because he blamed her, there were no witnesses and the Police were not called it ended up in a stale mate and both drivers had to pay the excess for each of their cars (she had comprehensive insurance). Amazingly she was run into again about 6 months later by a guy trying to turn right from the left lane in a roundabout and cutting across her path, at the time he said to us that he was at fault but when he called his insurance he blamed us... It was just lucky that we took heaps of photos of the road, cars and reported it to the Police directly after it happened. Don't take anything that the other driver says for gospel, people are sh!theads and liars and will do anything to get out of paying (speaking from experience). If you don't have any insurance at all and she reports to her insurer that you were at fault then the only avenue you have is to take her to court which will be lengthy and expensive...

PM or text me your address Richard, I'll drop them off to you tonight.

BTW - you might be wondering what my signature 'WTF Quote' is about... Lets just say that Pete (MIVEC) said the wierdest and funniest thing I have heard in a looong time on Friday night.

Sorry Richard... I just checked the size of the speakers in my 4WD and there is no way I could fit 6" ones in Looks like I'll need to look at a custom install (I don't think that's gonna happen).

I'll take the stereo and speakers (need a new one for the fourby)! Also I can drop off your Club Locks when I pick them up