So did I say that my new car with its trip meter would prevent me running out of petrol??

Whoops, apparently having 17km left on your tank...means you are going to have to park up on the kerb, buy a jerry can and get some petrol....

and it was in the exact same place as last time!!!

My New Car!
TS Holden
Astra 2004 CDX
 
I know getting a new car may seem a commonplace occurence to you
all, but after having my poor little car for 19 years, its heartbreaking to
discard the old faithful, but i guess also about time i entered into the world
of...
 
v     
windows that dont have so much bubbling of the window tint that
you cant see out of them.
v     
climate control as opposed to 4x100 (four windows down and
travelling at 100km/hr).
v     
leather seats as opposed to seat covers over ripped vinyl padded
down with your 35+ year old nappies.
v     
a hatch that doesnt fall on your head when you are putting your
groceries in the back cause the struts are sadly passed on from this world.
v     
a CD player with 6 speakers that has steering wheel controls
(something unusual in australia, but something i coveted from my time in the
uk) as opposed to a tape deck that has "1989 with a bullet" stuck in
the tape deck (i did manage to get it out once and was excited that i thought i
had fixed it...so i put it back in...hmmm).
v     
an instrument panel that inter alia can tell me how far till i run
out of petrol, my average fuel consumption, as well as my instanteous
consumption -- which will be handy as i have been known to run out of fuel a
few times, most notably on thomas rd, subiaco on the way to a play at his
majestys theatre only to be saved by a motorcyclist demi-god who got off his
bike, walked to me in slow-mo whilst taking off his helmet to the sounds of the
hallelujah chorus! (but of course this predated shaunie!!!)
v     
crumble zones AND six air bags - which im really looking forward
to going off - not!! if you know how nervous i am, i will probably have heart
attack thus negating any added safety benefits of the new car. i did hit a roo
at 120km in 1996 just outside of broken hill, NSW on my way to esperance from
sydney, which did quite a bit of damage to my poor little car. since i was off
to live and travel in the uk the next week, it had to recuperate in my parents
garage for 4 years or so until i got it panel beaten etc. which was a good
opportunity to get the rust cut out as well - so it didnt "rain"
through the top of the windscreen anymore.
v     
low profile tyres as opposed to "low pressure" tyres, apparently i routinely
drove around with PSI of 10 or so in "the bees knees".
 
There are many other advantages of course of driving a 2004 car
over a 1983 car, but i will certainly miss my yellow bomb....RIP "the
bees knees" 1983-2006.
 
photo circa march 2003