My Life in Cars: Queensland 1985 to 2000

My Life in Cars: Queensland 1985 to 2000

We moved to Brisbane in 1985 taking HX van from Victoria plus an auction car. We sure go through a lot of cars!

Commodore VC station wagon light green

Bought at govt auction in Melbourne and transported to Qld unregistered; seemed like a good idea at the time. Mistakes: Manual not auto for Brisbane's steep hills, No air conditioning but I did install it. 2850 engine. Nice enough in the end

Toyota Corona auto gold

We replaced the Commodore wagon in 1988 when Judy had trouble with the clutch while expecting our second child. Pretty ordinary car. Turned out to be a bit of a cut and shut with the roof being replaced.

Commodore VN sedan white auto

We replaced the Corona with an ex-police VN Commodore auto sedan from the government auction for $12k in about 1990. Nice car but expensive. Replaced with first of our Pajeros.

Mercedes 220S 1956 Roundie Ponton; Hobby car

I bought a 1956 Mercedes 220S Roundie as a hobby car. I liked the look of them. The car was on Mount Tambourine south of Brisbane. It had been in storage for 8 years but I got it going and drove it back home. When checking the bracks, I discovered only one wheel brake was working!

Nice on car, about the same power as the Commodore. I bought a second one with a Hydrak gearbox for $900. I sold them both after a couple of years as I did not have time or money with the family and renovating a big house. 

Mazda E2200 Bongo Campervan orange

Mistakes continue trying to find a suitable car for a new family of four. This time replacing the HX van for a Mazda Bongo campervan. The engine expired days after we bought it but luckily from a dealer who fixed it under the used car warranty. Our camper was orange and leaked.

Mitsubishi L300 Express 8-seater van maroon

Mistakes continue. A Mitsubishi L300 Express 8-seater van to get some more seats. An awful car with a terrible ride for the back seat passengers. Maroon but not quite as sad as the photo.

Mitsubishi Pajero NC 4WD Wagon white

Finally, a good car that seats 7, a 1986 Mitsubishi Pajero NC 4WD Wagon. Quite expensive at $14000. 2600 petrol engine. Manual. The first of 4 Pajeros.

Pajeros were very popular in the late 1980s and 1990s as there were few other family 7-seaters then. As a commercial vehicle, it had a lower price than the main alternative, a Toyota Tarago. Toyota went on to copy of the Pajero with the Prado.

We joined the Mitsubishi 4WD Club and had many great trips with the kids. However, it had rust chassis so we sold it and bought a second-generation Pajero.

We have had Pajeros continuously for 30 years, just wish I had turbo diesel earlier.

Mitsubishi Pajero 1992 V6 manual; Actual Photo

Replaced the white Pajero with a newer 1992 Pajero in about 1995 secondhand for about $22k, quite a lot at the time. One of the best cars we have had. Eventually sold in 2010 when we came back from UAE. Good fun with the 4WD club on weekend trips with the family. Quite surprising how much we could pack in the back.

Datsun 260Z 2+2 1977 manual

A Datsun 260Z 2+2 1977 manual to replace the horrid Mitsubishi van in about 1993. Usual rust spots and petrol vapour lock problems from the first anti-pollution model. Used as a daily driver until a police car ran into the back of me at a roundabout.

Commodore VN station wagon auto

A 1989 Commodore VN station wagon auto to replace my damaged Datsun 260Z in about 1996. The first of the 3800 V6s with lots of power but huge. A good car generally. Replaced with a VS Commodore sedan on LPG.

Mazda RX-7 Series II manual; Hobby car

Missing my 260Z, I wanted another sportscar but told no more Datsuns; So I bought a ring-a-ding 1984 Mazda RX-7 series II manual for about $5k in about 2000.

Very hot little car; the performance of a V8 with the thirst to match. Very loud, even after a custom exhaust. Very hot with no AC. Very small for a big fellow like me; I had the duck my head going over bumps so I didn't hit my head on the roof. Didn't drive it a lot and sold in about 2006 for what I paid.

Commodore VR sedan auto LPG

Liked the VN Commodore wagon but heavy on fuel so bought a cheap VR Commodore sedan on LPG. Bought in the dark and the car had a sun-blistered clear coat as was common with that model. It had been running on just LPG and I had to replace the fuel tank it was so rusted.

A good car otherwise for Judy's commuting to Kelvin Grove. Passed to my daughter then to my son, eventually sold as scrap for $350.

Commodore VS sedan LPG maroon safer Judy commute to Griffith Logan to kids

Replaced the VS Commodore with a safer Commodore VS Acclaim sedan on LPG in good condition in 2001 when Judy was commuting from Chapel Hill to Logan on the motorway. Lots of airbags and ABS braking.

Nice enough car, replaced with Clubsport but passed to my daughter, then son, then back to daughter. We had to replace the engine as it cracked a piston skirt; that rattle reminiscent of my Escort van. The engine from the wrecker had oil sludge problems and was a pain.

HSV Clubsport VT V8 auto; Actual photo

I purchased an HSV Clubsport VT V8 to replace my RX-7 hobby car in about 2003. It had been tricked out as a girl's car with pink highlights everywhere on a white car, including the engine bay. I bought it with a view to restoring to original, but Judy saw it and said "Mine", so it was. Nice car. Converted to LPG to save fuel. Sold from the Gold Coast when Judy had the leased Kluger in about 2011.

Datsun 260Z 2+2 1977 Son's Car; Actual Photo

My son bought a Datsun 1977 260Z 2+2 auto instead of his Commodore in about 2006 just before we went to UAE. He replaced the auto with a manual but was a bit disappointed with the expected performance change. A bit os a lesson for both of us.

Mitsubishi Challenger 2007 new white UAE LHD

When in Abu Dhabi we bought a new LHD Mitsubishi Challenger PB V6 petrol 2007 for $28k. It was quite difficult to buy used cars in Abu Dhabi and new gave use more confidence for reliability. A great car that we used for many long trips all around the UAE and Oman usually with 3 people. To begin, we had to travel out of UAE every 60 days to renew our visas.