Mt Isa was OPELISED

[dug74]

After driving 1800kms to mt isa for a 30th birthday on xmas day....i got there..and the first place i went was maccas...

Entering maccas around 2pm boxing day...and what do i see... 2 black astras.. SRi T and and SRi so i parked beside them and entered...to have a long awaited feed...

The Turbo was from WA.. plates SHEDEVIL and the SRi was from NT ..both a long way from home...

Neways...i waited...then as i left...placed cards on their windows...only to have ppl run out to see what im doing....then after a lengthy chat..and a look at my black <with red dusty overtones> corsa. Thankyou and hope to see you on here soon.

Also...its amazing the amount of HSV and FPV you see in Isa...everyone owns a performace car...i guess you earn the huge dollars from the mines.

My friends neighbour has a HSV Grange which he leaves parked on the footpath...i was like...HELL NO.. my car went in the garage and my friend left his SS commodore on the footpath :D

Now...for Black Betty info... she used 5 tanks of fuel...up and back..

avg fuel consump.. 6.02L/100km <aircon on all the way it was like 47 in Isa>
avg speed was 92km/hour <speed limit is 110 and open on all the road, i did 120/130 most of the way>

P.S. I did slow down to 60 - 80 for the small towns and there was times when i had to do 70 due to sunset and kangaroos.

On my journey...i hit a bird @130km..hit windscreen and bounced off..
also nudged a kangaroo...was doing 70...roo jumped out..so i swerved and braked...just tapping him..he hopped away...and finally...i ran over a bunny/hare as i was doing 110..i swerved to miss...but hit it with passenger front and rear wheel....<clunk clunk> ...i didnt check to see if it lived...but im guessing it didnt :D Also had to dodge road kill constantly <dead roos, emu, pigs, sheep and a cow>

And...my car is now grey with red dusty overtones, bonnet and front bumper full of dead bugs and other larger insects..

All driving was continuous of @ least 6hrs without stops..<full tank> and temps all above 35 :(

Glad to be home...where is cooler and you can see grass.


The mine was excellent....huge hole <open cut> and they did blasting on monday night 8pm...no one told me..so i was yelling earthquake...becoz the ground shook for a moment...but i was fine on wed night when they blasted @8pm ;)

Also....next time im flying.....the drive is too long, dusty and well hot.

Cheers
DUG74

[EL BURITO]

nise to hear some one else willing to take there corsa that sorta distance. fuel consumption sounds kinda high though, nice to hear u had a good & safe time

[dug74]

I think fuel was pretty low really...with constantly do high speeds...yeah laugh...but 110/120 constantly for a small 1.4L engine and with air temp...who knows...but i know it was hot and dry....

figures show.. 5.9L/100kms...or 47mpg

Driving style, road and traffic conditions, vehicle mileage and standard of maintenance may also affect fuel consumption; therefore the results do not express or imply any guarantee of fuel consumption attainable.

As for the distance thing....just hit 70000kms...and it aint even 18 months :D

[EL BURITO]

Perth to Karratha 1800km 780kms a tank average speed of 110 to Geralaton then 140 for the rest of it. Then again i only had 5k on the clock wen i started this drive there for the car was so close to new. Did you get any funny looks at the major truck stops. dont know how its over that side of the country but any thing smaller than a commodor or a 4WD and it out of place. All i got was a chiped wind screen

[dug74]

Perth to Karratha 1800km 780kms a tank average speed of 110 to Geralaton then 140 for the rest of it. Then again i only had 5k on the clock wen i started this drive there for the car was so close to new. Did you get any funny looks at the major truck stops. dont know how its over that side of the country but any thing smaller than a commodor or a 4WD and it out of place. All i got was a chiped wind screen


Well i hit longreach and had a few yokels ask me what kinda car it was, a service station attendant and a trucker laughed @cloncurry when i pulled up...the laydee said...you aint from around here..you have a small car and no bullbar..dont you know they have roos around these parts...<HMMM DER!!!!>

The only scary part....was driving along with 4 berth road trains...which are over 60m long and very scary to overtake....most times i stayed behind them becoz they were doing speed and taking ouit the roos for me ;)

[oneightoo]

most times i stayed behind them becoz they were doing speed and taking ouit the roos for me ;)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[btm]

how does 'SHEDEVIL' fit on a number plate??

[oneightoo]

they used a smaller font :p

[Mr T]

Out of interest with regard to fuel consumption.

2 years ago peta and I took the Astra T to Goldcoast.

*figures taken from memory - accuracy not garenteed*
On the way up we went the coast road and avg 82km/h and about 5.6l/100km

On the way back we went inland and avg 102km/h and about 6.7l/100km

That extra speed really sucks down the juice.

[Mr T]

how does 'SHEDEVIL' fit on a number plate??

WA have 7 characters may have been 'SHEDEVL'

[oneightoo]

you should get better fuel economy with the air con on at high speed than with the windows down, due to drag..

mythbusters proved it..

[CJB]

Cool Dug, I imagine the car is back to basic black???

I can't believe you took it on those roads! EEK, the roos alone would be enough to deter me. They are bigger then the car out there!

So no damage from the roo? Why were you driving around sunset/night though? I know why, but yeah, pretty brave of you!

ha ha @ yokels... were they gross and dirty and talked with hick accents???

hmm... *plans road trip to Townsville*

just u in the car???

[oneightoo]

were any of them named cletus?

[CJB]

the slack jawed yokal!

[Captjono]

you should get better fuel economy with the air con on at high speed than with the windows down, due to drag..

mythbusters proved it..


I thought that they proved that it didn't make much of a difference and even a little bit the other way, ie. windows down/no air con better!

(it's been a little while since i've seen that episode though!)

[dug74]

whether mythbusters proves it or not...i aint driving @110 with 45ºC dry wind tearing off my face.

Fuel wasnt a concern...its like a $1.30/L up there and thats just for ULP.

Also a thing to note....when i was in Rocky...they only sold 91RON fuel and 95RON @ 1 servo....when driving the up the National A2 hwy to Mt Isa...all the small towns sell 91RON and 98RON fuels...off course..diesel is the main seller.

I guess thats becoz all the fully sik HSV and FPV utes the farmers drive. But remember...we are in drought and having hard times...well thats what city folks hear. :D

[Captjono]

whether mythbusters proves it or not...i aint driving @110 with 45ºC dry wind tearing off my face.

Point taken! :D

[JasonGilholme]

with hotter air intake temperatures you car wil add more fuel into the chamber in order to cool down the cylinder head and piston head.

[R3N]

WA have 7 characters may have been 'SHEDEVL'

If you get "plastic" plates from WA you can have up to 8 characters, I can't remember what those plates are called, they have a better name than "plastic" but my head's still ringing from last night

[EL BURITO]

If you get "plastic" plates from WA you can have up to 8 characters, I can't remember what those plates are called, they have a better name than "plastic" but my head's still ringing from last night

$290 Aluminum up to 7 characters, $395 Polycarbonate up to 9 characters