Wheels – A Brief History

If there are any petrol heads out there in blog land, this slice of motoring nostalga is for you.
I have owned about forty motor vehicles since 1964 (the year I got my licence on my 17th birthday). I 'd like to share my recollections, good bad and ugly of some of them. Where I have photos, they're included.
1966 – Volkswagen 1200 beetle (1956 model - Ivory). It taught me about oversteer. I survived. It put a valve through a piston in 1968. I installed a motor out of a Kombi. It still went OK, but top speed dropped from 110kph to 105kph.

1968 – 1962 Volkswagen beetle (Dark Grey). It also put a valve through a piston on the way from Texas to 3RTB at Singleton. I bought another short motor, installed it, and sold it to my cousin when I went to Vietnam. I don't have pics of this one.
1971 – I bought my dad’s 1969 HR Holden (white) when I was RTA’d. It took me on many epic journeys. It’s pictured here between Alice Springs and Darwin rescuing my friend in his brand new Corolla which broke a fan belt. The HR never missed a beat.




1973 – A 1968 Renault R12 (white). My first French car. This was the beginning of an enduring obsession with products from Froggy land.

1975 – My first new car, a Renault R12 (Dayglo Orange) bought from John French Motors. It is fondly remembered. I courted my bride in this.









1977 – We traded my wife’s cut and shut Mitsubishi Galant for a new Chevrolet LUV (Yellow – Isuzu by another name). I fitted bucket seats and a canopy and we (new bride and I) did much camping.





1978 – We swapped the R12 manual for an R12 Auto (Dayglo Orange). We took it to Townsville with us. The transmission packed in the day after we traded it on the Subaru (see below). The dealer was not happy. I knew nothing, being distracted by looming fatherhood.



1981 – After the mandatory six months in Europe and British Isles (in a Bedford Camper) we settled down and bought a new Subaru 4WD Wagon (Yellow). It took us on many canoeing trips up and down the Burdekin, and was driven along the beach quite often.





1984 – Children were arriving – the Subaru was too small. We traded it on a Commodore 4 cylinder wagon (5 speed – brown). These cars were much-maligned, but it never gave us a spot of bother. It came to a bad end, however. My bride lost control on a wet corner in Townsville and hit a light pole with children aboard. The car folded up as it was supposed to, the kids were properly harnessed, and injuries were minor. The Commodore, however, was a write-off.

1985 – I bought a “bomb” – a white 1968 Peugeot 404 sedan with rust. The rust was repaired and it became my work car. We are now a two-car family again.

1986 – Our next car was a Falcon XD Wagon (white – 1983 model – ex Townsville City Council) which I purchased with the insurance payout on the Commodore. I fitted an air-conditioner obtained from a wrecker. It took me two weeks to get the dashboard back in, but it worked! Air is a must in Townsville. No photos survive.

1987 – Pug 1 died - the camshaft broke. A friend had a 1970 404 slowly rusting under his house. I offered him $400 for it and made a roadworthy car from combination of Pugs 1 & 2. There was less rust in this one because it's dry in Mt Isa. We are a two-car family again.

1988 – Mitsubishi Magna TN wagon (1987 - blue – manual with air). We took it and Pug 2 out to Mt Isa when we moved in 1992.










1994 – We sold the Magna (with an extra row of seats necessitated by the arrival of child 4) and bought a blue1992 Falcon EB wagon at a Q-Fleet auction. It had covered only 29000 kms. We fitted an extra row of seats, and moved to Toowoomba with the Falcon and Peugeot in 1996. The pic is about kids (mine and my many rellies'), but the car is in the background.


1999 – I acquired a new Kia Carnival (bronze) as part of a salary package. Again, a much-maligned car, but it proved reliable, roomy and economical. I was booked for speeding (116kph) on Brandon on way North to Herberton. We fitted a cruise control to avoid further episodes. I was too busy to take pics of this car.
2001 – Bought 1985 Peugeot 505 wagon – silver - eight seater. I took it and sons on an epic southbound journey to reunite with old army mates. It overheated at Canberra, so I drove it home very carefully. The radiator needed a clean. I relegated the 404 to the shed (restoration project). No pics!

2003 – I traded the 505 wagon on a 1987 version of same – also silver. It was fuel-injected and auto, and a beautiful car. It would carry half a tonne or eight people in total comfort.






2004 – I Salary packaged a silver Falcon SR AU111.

2005 – I bought another 505. This was a 1983 sedan (beige). One offspring learned to drive in it and used it for his first job delivering pizza whilst at Uni. I now owned 3 Peugeots. How did this happen?






2005 – I bought new silver Falcon BA SR and converted it to sequential vapour injection LPG. This was very cheap to run and had a touring range of 1100kms. Consequently, I took it on many very long trips (Adelaide etc).

2008 – I have disposed of all Peugeots. For the first time in over 20 years I am Pugless.

2008 – I bought silver 2003 Mazda MX5 roadster. I've been waiting 44 years to own a sportscar. It made up for the dearth of Peugeots.










2009 – We downsized from the Falcon to a specced-up 2006 Ford Focus (silver). It had only 18000km – was owned by an elderly couple. My bride loves it.



My favourite? It’s a toss-up between the Mazda and the second 505 eight seater. One is entirely for fun and the other was entirely functional. The 505 wagon is the only car I regret selling.

And I’ve never owned a household appliance (Toyota).