ras1983

Plenty of encumbered cars are sold by legitimate owners either looking to upgrade or to get rid of the loan, so don't avoid a car just because it is encumbered. What you want to do is suss out the seller. A legitimate seller will organise for you to contact the finance company directly to find out how much is owed and how to pay it off. So ask the seller who the car is financed to, and then start chasing it up yourself. Once you agree on a price with the seller, you pay the finance company the amount owing to it and the balance to the seller, and you get to take home an unencumbered car. The above is based on my experience. I had a car loan on an XR5 with BankMECU that I sold to a private buyer early last year. I called BankMECU and told them person X was looking to buy the car. I was able to see the balance owed to BankMECU the whole time so I was able to verify when the loan was paid off, and the buyer was talking directly with BankMECU and sent the payment to them, so the buyer was also able to verify when the loan was paid off and the encumbrance removed. He paid me the balance and took the XR5 home. So in summary ask to speak with the finance company directly and sort it out with them. If the buyer isn't willing to do that then you are better off walking away.

The fiancee and I went there earlier this year. How random that an SAUer owns the place! We had the lamb rack of ribs and a side dish (can't remember what it was) and absolutely loved the food. A definite thumbs up.

This is the crux of the issue: "It is not the only reason the car industry is in trouble, but it is the main reason. It is not the only reason Qantas is in trouble, but it is a big reason. Australia's currency has risen more than that of any other developed country. Our economic culture allowed our currency to escalate so high as to make our producers uncompetitive, and neither the government nor the Reserve Bank did anything about it. An anonymous minister tells us the next generation of Holdens will be built in South Korea, and shipped here duty-free under the new free trade agreement. That makes sense: former Holden chief Mike Devereux told us a Commodore could be produced for $3750 less there than here. Korea takes manufacturing seriously. Their economics is a practical toolkit, not a theology. While our dollar soared 91 per cent, the Koreans let the won edge up just 6 per cent. While Australia's cost base more than doubled between 2002 and 2012, Korea's cost base held its ground. Is it any wonder that by 2012, manufacturing production had almost doubled in Korea, yet was back to 2002 levels in Australia? Cheap imports cut local manufacturers' market share from 25 per cent in 2005 to 10 per cent. Falling sales mean rising unit costs for suppliers. In hindsight, Ford's decision in May to end manufacturing in 2016, and the Coalition's decision to slash support, were the funeral bells for the industry. Toyota and most component makers will follow. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/pms-decision-on-cars-means-hard-times-ahead-20131209-2z1kt.html#ixzz2n8cxIXET" It's very simple really. Holden and Ford built large cars. The public was increasingly buying small cars and SUVs. It is as simple as that. Small cars and SUVs are more economical to import. Unfortunately the above article neglects to mention the failure of the local car makers to adapt to changing buyer demand, but otherwise the main points are spot on and are representative of the Australian manufacturing industry in general. It's a sad day for Australia, that's for sure.

Pretty sad news and quite a shame he went out so young. Looks like they were going pretty fast; I can barely recognise the car as a Carrera GT. It's a reminder for the rest of us to take it easy on public roads.

I'm sure most people on this forum (and every other forum) wouldn't be able to 'drive' a supercar or hypercar without losing it. Again, I make my point: if someone as skilled as Ben Collins (aka the stig) spun out a CCX, then an average driver (and the average SAUer - including me) would be even more likely to spin out.

Just to get back on topic, OP have you thought of a cheap and fun family car like a Legnum (servicing and parts may be a bti tricky), XT Forester, Liberty RS, etc? For example, have a read of the following Forster XT article: http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=2501 For something less practical but that you could drive to within an inch of their lives while still staying under the speed limit, there are things like MX5s, S2000s, hot hatches, etc. Honestly I reckon keep the R35 and buy something cheap (for you) to drive around and have fun in. An MX5 with a turbo conversion would be a nice little project

There are quite a few videos of CCXs losing control. If the Stig managed to spin one then what hope does the average driver have?

Only way to know for sure with either car is to put the VINs through FAST.

I hate going to Auburn and Granville. And I'm Lebanese (albeit Christian)! I'd hate to think how out of place an Anglo would feel. Great food though :-)

I thought R cars couldn't be complied?

Everyone who doesn't have one should buy a cheap daily to drive around. Something decent can be had for well under $5k and will be much more economical than any turbo skyline.

So how do the Nissans (as nice as they are) fit into a GM/Holden shoot?

There's also a ripper Asian foodcourt in Haymarket - Dixon House Food Court. Cheap and dirty food, but tastes sensational. There is one place in particular (I think it's a 'sizzling plate restaurant' or something like that) that gives mountainous portions - but be warned: they make their food HOT with a capital F!

I haven't been there in a couple of months so I'm not sure. If it has closed down then that's a shame.