Melbourne Meetup MkII - Getting it sorted

[flyingfridge]

There have been a few people in the old thread starting to ask when we're going to get together for another drive so it's time to start organising the next Melbourne cruise!

I've picked out a couple of potential routes, what do you think? Is there somewhere else in particular you'd like to go this time?



Proposed route 1: Gippsland and the Thompson Dam

Beginning in the outer easter suburb of Narre Warren, the first part of the cruise is spent on the freeway heading towards Drouin, where we leave the main highway and take in the flowing country roads leading into the foothills of Mt Baw Baw and then back down towards Moe where we will stop for a bite to eat and a re-fuel.

From there it's back up into the hills for a 55km cruise up to Thompson Dam which supplies Melbourne with a majority of its drinking water. Here you will see just how dire the water supplies really are.



Map of intended route


Proposed route 2: Southwest Vic - The Otways

Similar to, yet much less ambitious than the monster Great Ocean Rd Cruise I proposed last time, this is an easy jaunt from Subaru @ Docklands down to Colac. From Colac the road snakes through the Otways down to the coast. This section of road is one of the best I've ever driven on. Lunch is at Apollo bay followed by some Great Ocean Rd up to Lavers Hill and the day is topped off by an easy cruise back to Melboune.



Map of intended route

Proposed route 3: johnr's Gippsland route

Originally Posted by johnr

Sth Gippsland Hwy > Korrumburra > (turn north via first part of the sealed grand ridge road) Warragul > (cross the hwy going north) Neerim South > Neerim Junction > Yarra Junction > Eastern suburbs

The distance is a bit longer than the first meet but the first part is quick fwy running. There are plenty of unknown great roads with little traffic.

It's also worth noting that when we get to Yarra Junction, it'd be easy to skip back to Warburton for a quick blast up Mt Donna Buang like we did last time if we're in the mood by the time we get that far...

Map of intended route


May 11th would be the ideal intended date at the moment, that'll give everyone time to plan it and hopefully me enough time to buy a car!!

[eddysdaman]

Hey hey - great idea, and yet again, thanks for getting it started - I'll ask around with some of the guys who came last time if theres any ideas. But for me, Otways sounds good but scenery at dam makes it a toughie.

[fbc]

I'm in - can't be of too much help with route selection, but if there's anything else I can do let me know. By May 11 I should have a new toy too...

[Hidden_Hunter]

I doubt i'll be able to make it this time around, the integra probably wouldn't survive another all day thrashing

[flyingfridge]

It'll survive fine, hondas are reliable, my old prelude loved a good GOR day!

ooh, new toy fbc, do tell!

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by flyingfridge

It'll survive fine, hondas are reliable, my old prelude loved a good GOR day!

ooh, new toy fbc, do tell!

I don't perticularly want to risk it given that the noise and some occasional vibration is coming from the front left suspension, wouldn't want to be cornering then BAM into a tree
Also it's decided to burn oil at high rpm which is a bit annoying

[flyingfridge]

ah well, i'm sure someone will have a passenger seat for u!

[Zesty]

Christ, I'm so hoping I can make it to this one - it's something I've wanted to do since I got my licence. I still don't have my own car, though, and it's making me rather stabby. Grr! I hate being poor. I doubt I'd be allowed to take the 306, and it needs a major service anyway. The Euro-specialist is so booked out at the moment it might even be in the shop by May.

The Gippsland route sounds really nice, but it'd probably be too far for me to come from Ballarat - whether on my own or with a mate. Maybe if the Otways route is chosen, some really really nice person could give up a seat and pick me up somewhere in Colac. My father's family all lives down there and we go between Ballarat and Colac a lot - so I'd have no trouble getting a lift there.

[watto]

Good job getting the ball rolling again, 'fridge! Making us all feel lazy.

I should be able to manage to make it to this one. Fingers crossed!!

[fbc]

Originally Posted by flyingfridge

ooh, new toy fbc, do tell!

It'll be FWD...

The MR2's time has come - the mileage & reliability charts have crossed, so it's at the point where it's starting to cost me money. And I need something more practical. And with some more grunt.

And some more room (see pic from the first cruise...)

And some more quietness (relative term considering the din in the MR2)

But still with some handling ability and decent fun factor.

Clarkson wouldn't approve of the current leading contender...

My requirements are: $20k, max 5 years old, max 50,000km, four seats, decent boot, hatchback body for practicality, no coupes, reliable, grunty, has a proper clue about handling, would put a smile on my face, quiet, comfortable, power windows / mirrors / cruise control / central locking, small to mid size, not overly shouty looking. Anything French is ruled out (see reliability requirement). I'm open to suggestions, but I reckon in the past eight months I've considered pretty much anything and everything (note: the obvious WRX was ruled out early on).

[andyhui01]

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

I doubt i'll be able to make it this time around, the integra probably wouldn't survive another all day thrashing

pfft... my gf has took her 94 Prelude with 180,000km's on a full day trashing with the Preludeclub without any issues. I'm sure your Integra would do fine. Plus Honda's do burn oil at high RPM (even non VTEC ones I believe).

May 11th sounds good... Would the options be a vote? I think I would prefer the Gippsland one this time round as I have never been round that area. But if its around Mt. BawBaw, hidden did mention that traffic does get quite heavy during that time.


FBC, I guess you won't be getting the 850 R then? Was really looking forward to see one on the cruise.. haha

btw, how can we see the distances for the cruise? Could we get a rough distance for both cruises?

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by andyhui01

pfft... my gf has took her 94 Prelude with 180,000km's on a full day trashing with the Preludeclub without any issues. I'm sure your Integra would do fine. Plus Honda's do burn oil at high RPM (even non VTEC ones I believe).

May 11th sounds good... Would the options be a vote? I think I would prefer the Gippsland one this time round as I have never been round that area. But if its around Mt. BawBaw, hidden did mention that traffic does get quite heavy during that time.


FBC, I guess you won't be getting the 850 R then? Was really looking forward to see one on the cruise.. haha

btw, how can we see the distances for the cruise? Could we get a rough distance for both cruises?

My integra has 210,000km on it

[fbc]

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

My integra has 210,000km on it

Bah, it's barely run-in... MR2's beyond 316,000km now...

Oh, the route - I'm favouring the Gippsland one now, will be nice to find some new roads and see some new sights.

[mgkdk]

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

My integra has 210,000km on it

Pft, my civic had 312263 km on it when it was traded in, and it made all sorts of funny noises and still beat the crap out of ricers

[flyingfridge]

On the routes, I have done the Otways one before, so it's a known quantity. I haven't done the gippsland one before, so I'll end up doing a recce in the work car one weekend like I did last time. It's a cruise that the WRX club have done before that I didn't go on. Don't think of these two as the be all and end all. If you know of some good tarmac that we can do as a day trip from Melbourne be sure to suggest it!

[Armunn]

I'll try and make this one. The B4 is due for a service soonish so this'll give me a couple of months to get that out of the way (100,000Km going to be nasty on my wallet) Either sounds good, I haven't blasted down the ocean rd in my B4 yet, last time I did it was in a rented Falcon. Poor thing probably didn't know what hit it

[flyingfridge]

Originally Posted by fbc

My requirements are: $20k, max 5 years old, max 50,000km, four seats, decent boot, hatchback body for practicality, no coupes, reliable, grunty, has a proper clue about handling, would put a smile on my face, quiet, comfortable, power windows / mirrors / cruise control / central locking, small to mid size, not overly shouty looking. Anything French is ruled out (see reliability requirement). I'm open to suggestions, but I reckon in the past eight months I've considered pretty much anything and everything (note: the obvious WRX was ruled out early on).

Why not a bugeye hatch? Seems to fit the criteria very well, especially the reliability bit...


I know this one has high K's, but something like this?
http://www.wrx.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=47738

[fbc]

Originally Posted by flyingfridge

Why not a bugeye hatch? Seems to fit the criteria very well, especially the reliability bit...


I know this one has high K's, but something like this?
http://www.wrx.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=47738

They fail on age & kms - I'm looking for 2003 onwards, 50,000kms max. I considered them early on, but was put off those two factors, the really limited rear seat room with the WRX front seats, the chances of it being whipped to an inch of it's life, and the insurance costs.

The current front-runner is an 03/04 Astra SRi Turbo. Told you Clarkson (and no doubt many FG'ers) wouldn't approve...

[flyingfridge]

Originally Posted by fbc

They fail on age & kms - I'm looking for 2003 onwards, 50,000kms max. I considered them early on, but was put off those two factors, the really limited rear seat room with the WRX front seats, the chances of it being whipped to an inch of it's life, and the insurance costs.

The current front-runner is an 03/04 Astra SRi Turbo. Told you Clarkson (and no doubt many FG'ers) wouldn't approve...

Actually when i first read your criteria the first car that came to mind was Astra Turbo, nice choice - BFYB winner too. Aren't the 03/04 all coupes though?

[fbc]

Originally Posted by flyingfridge

Actually when i first read your criteria the first car that came to mind was Astra Turbo, nice choice - BFYB winner too. Aren't the 03/04 all coupes though?

Nope - the TS coupe never came here, pity - there were a couple of them under evaluation when I was at Holden. We got the SRi Turbo in 3-door hatchback form only (the convertible was also available with a Turbo).

The other contender is the Mk1 Focus ST170 - great looking thing, brilliant chassis, but *every* review pans the motor. I'd lived without torque for five years now - I need some in my life...