Congrats on the new ride! I'm glad to see some of those Monaros are being looked after over there. Have you been under the car to see how the ChassisClean treatment is holding out? You might want to remove the little panel on the ground effects in front of the rear tires and carefully remove any accumulated rocks and debris.
Does anyone know where to find sales figures for the Monaro in the UK?
My wife is British, many of her early years were in Kent. We lived in Darlington between 1999-2004. We were just there for Christmas and New Years. I really miss the cask ale - most of us yanks don't know what we're missing. Someday we'll move back to Blighty and I'll be shopping for a Monaro, but for now I'll be driving my GTO here in Illinois where we don't have many curves to enjoy but at least we have some wide-open straights to test out the speed ratings on the tires.
Congrats on the new ride! I'm glad to see some of those Monaros are being looked after over there. Have you been under the car to see how the ChassisClean treatment is holding out? You might want to remove the little panel on the ground effects in front of the rear tires and carefully remove any accumulated rocks and debris.
Does anyone know where to find sales figures for the Monaro in the UK?
My wife is British, many of her early years were in Kent. We lived in Darlington between 1999-2004. We were just there for Christmas and New Years. I really miss the cask ale - most of us yanks don't know what we're missing. Someday we'll move back to Blighty and I'll be shopping for a Monaro, but for now I'll be driving my GTO here in Illinois where we don't have many curves to enjoy but at least we have some wide-open straights to test out the speed ratings on the tires.
Stay safe out there!
Thank you!
So nice to hear that you appreciated our real ales, I'm part of Campaign For Real Ale U.K. (CAMRA) I really do have a liking for them and attend a fair few beer festivals in the local counties. I mean no disrespect but it seems that most of American cousins care not for this type of beer. I do believe that real ale is available in The States? I think you guys call it craft beers?
Return to England?!? Surely not? Nice to hear you enjoyed your time over here but The States has more appeal in some respects I feel.
As for sales figures for the Monaro I'm afraid it didn't do that well, I certainly have a love for muscle cars and have done since the age of five or so. Your T.V. serials has had a BIG impact on myself and quite a few of us over here back in the 80's.
Thanks for the tip about checking underneath the car. Mine was Waxoiled a few years back, hasn't seen many miles, a total of 33,000 in it's life so far. I'm not even sure our cars are fitted with the tray you spoke of at the rear.
I must say I'm very pleased with the Monaro and really enjoy the Anglo-American connection!
Yes there's plenty of corners and bends on our roads as you probably well know, and quite a few dual carriage way roads in the local area. Luckily best of both worlds!
Sounds like I need to pay a visit and try the ale! Haha
I saw "Arrogant Bastard" on the shelves in a few beer distributers in my hometown in Pennsylvania. Aside from wanting to try it for the obviously awesome name, I'm wondering if it being an ale stands up to a euro ale.
Have you driven your VXR much since you've had it? I saw you said the weather hasn't been too friendly lately
Sounds like I need to pay a visit and try the ale! Haha
I saw "Arrogant Bastard" on the shelves in a few beer distributers in my hometown in Pennsylvania. Aside from wanting to try it for the obviously awesome name, I'm wondering if it being an ale stands up to a euro ale.
Have you driven your VXR much since you've had it? I saw you said the weather hasn't been too friendly lately
Arrogant Bastard eh? Never heard of that one! Well the beer that is. Usually there isn't a great deal of ale across in Europe, it's most the U.K. who care for that type of beer. Usually a majority of the European beers have more gas in the beer where as ale is either flat to very low carbonation.
That's right the weather isn't too pleasurable currently and has limited the amount of use the car is getting (it's my second mode of transport). Currently the U.K. is experiencing very low temperatures with Europe in certain parts experiencing FAR worse. Apparently we're due our second covering of snow within the next few days, but English weather forcasts are usually unreliable!. As soon as the snow and ice make they're way elsewhere, more miles willl be covered.
I can't imagine the cars selling that well with Petrol prices.
When I was in England I like Newcastle brown ale, and that is sold all over the US now. Nice smooth ale. I lived at a pub, in the atic, in Peasenhall above Saxmundem?. They had drawn ale on tap, room temperature, it was good, but I liked snakebites better, lager and cider mixed, tasty, but not very nice in the morning. It was an old school pub, loved it. Great people owned it. Is that the baddest car in England, or do the BMW's keep up, or other cars?
When I was in germany, they had an irish beer, Kilkenny-kill Kenny, south park, lol, like a sweet Guiness, they served it cold, great beer. Just Wiki'd it and it is made by Guiness, awesome beer. Here's a link, I'm going to find some, yummy.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilkenny_(beer)
Just looked it up, not available in America, damn..
I am well aware of CAMRA, bless them. My father in law is a member. Yes, here in America we can get bottles of many ales from the U.S. and the U.K. It might sound snootish, but in my experience the bottled stuff just does not come close to comparing to the hand-pumped-fresh-from-the-brewery product. If we could get Black Sheep Brewery's Best Bitter or Fuller's London Pride properly done and on tap here, there would be a revolution. I love an ice cold bottle of Budwieser or can of Old Milwaukee Light lagers as much as anybody, but the real ales are a completely different class of drink. There may be brewers in the likes of Chicago and New York doing the cause some justice and serving it properly, but I haven't found them yet.
Back to the car since this is a GTO forum: Maybe the ground effects aren't the same on the Monaro, but the screws on the front side of the my rear wheel wells are sort of hard to see but easily accessible when the tire is off. Also check your coolant level. Mine came a bit low from the factory. Also suggest getting one of those float chargers for your battery if you aren't going to be driving it every week. My car is 7 years old and the original battery still behaves like it is new.
I can't imagine the cars selling that well with Petrol prices.
When I was in England I like Newcastle brown ale, and that is sold all over the US now. Nice smooth ale. I lived at a pub, in the atic, in Peasenhall above Saxmundem?. They had drawn ale on tap, room temperature, it was good, but I liked snakebites better, lager and cider mixed, tasty, but not very nice in the morning. It was an old school pub, loved it. Great people owned it. Is that the baddest car in England, or do the BMW's keep up, or other cars?
When I was in germany, they had an irish beer, Kilkenny-kill Kenny, south park, lol, like a sweet Guiness, they served it cold, great beer. Just Wiki'd it and it is made by Guiness, awesome beer. Here's a link, I'm going to find some, yummy.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilkenny_(beer)
Just looked it up, not available in America, damn..
Yes, unfortunatley our wonderful government has seen to it that the motorist has been made to suffer rather dramatically in the last two to three years.
Our yearly road tax has ridiculousy. My Monaro is £235 per year circa $550!!! With Monaro's from 2005 onwards (LS 2) circa $900!! Gasoline is a £1.35 per litre, around $3.00 for regular 95 Octane with 98 Octane at £1.45 per litre.
However there's a fair few larger prestige and sports prestiege knocking about, obviously owned by people with high rates of pay. So even though the government is strangling the motorist financially we're still breathing and willing to pay out. Fair few Audi's, BMW's, Chrysler's, Jaguar's etc. Oddly we've never seen as many production cars over here utilising V 8 engines!! Not gonna complain about that though!!
Ok, so Newcastle Brown Ale (Newky Brown as we call it) has made it across the pond and sold all over. I must say I'm very pleased to hear this! It's not one of my favourite, or a regular, but it was one of the beers that began me on real properly brewed beer. Not so long ago one of our supermarkets, Sainsbury's was getting a few beers in from the Brooklyn Brewery though alas I can't quite remember the names (probably down to drinking to many of them!! ) It's really nice to see you guys appreciating good beer, same thing is going on Australia too. Don't get me wrong, although the biggest growth market according to various Pub (bar) managers I speak with is that Real Ale is really taking off in the past 18 months far more than in the last 14 years since we English woke up and smelt the coffee (or is that hops ) there is still many people hooked on that damn lager stuff. It's weak in taste, nasty gassyness and is brewed in a manner which good beer isn't. I've tried Coor's over here and I have to say, and maybe it wasn't an import, the taste was nearly none existent!
Saxmundem eh? Yeah, that's not far from me at all. Down in Suffolk I believe, in fact I may well have been of been there if you can remember the name? Snake bites eh? You like the strong stuff eh? Did they ever use a little blackcurrant? Kinda sweetens a bit, then known as Snake Bite and Black. Used drink them back in my youth when going to my death metal gigs, it's metallers drink really!!
Killkenny, yes I know of this one. Usually it's a cream flow beer, meaning it's not a real ale. Carbonation like Guiness is separate to its barrel, added in a pressurised cylinder on it's way to the tap. But, at least it's better than lager.
I think you may find it is available in The States. There must be an importer who will sell it you? Sadly you'll probably need to but rather alot of it though to make it worth their while!
Get this, when the Monaro was launched in the U.K (2004). Vauxhall used the Monaro VXR (my model) to introduce the VXR range which they were planning. Such as Astra VXR, Corsa VXR, Insignia VXR etc. Turns out Vauxhall only imported 50 VXR Monaro's from Holden Australia which were fettled by HSV (Holden Special Vehicles). It's great, mine has special HSV badging and a badge indicating which car of the production run it was!
So over standard 5.7 Monaro LS1 I get better suspension, VXR interior (half leather/alcantara seats embossed with VXR logo and extra gauges. Short shift gear box, better rear diff (3:45) VXR split five spoke wheels. VXR body kit and rear spoiler. Better headers and a power ouput of 385 bhp over the standard Monaro's 333 bhp.
I am well aware of CAMRA, bless them. My father in law is a member. Yes, here in America we can get bottles of many ales from the U.S. and the U.K. It might sound snootish, but in my experience the bottled stuff just does not come close to comparing to the hand-pumped-fresh-from-the-brewery product. If we could get Black Sheep Brewery's Best Bitter or Fuller's London Pride properly done and on tap here, there would be a revolution. I love an ice cold bottle of Budwieser or can of Old Milwaukee Light lagers as much as anybody, but the real ales are a completely different class of drink. There may be brewers in the likes of Chicago and New York doing the cause some justice and serving it properly, but I haven't found them yet.
Back to the car since this is a GTO forum: Maybe the ground effects aren't the same on the Monaro, but the screws on the front side of the my rear wheel wells are sort of hard to see but easily accessible when the tire is off. Also check your coolant level. Mine came a bit low from the factory. Also suggest getting one of those float chargers for your battery if you aren't going to be driving it every week. My car is 7 years old and the original battery still behaves like it is new.
Black Sheep and Fuller's London Pride, now you're talking. We're gonna have to have a beer together sometime! Plus there's SO many others I could introduce you too. I even brew my own, ale, european lager, cider, stout,mild etc. Bit of a dry spell at the moment, must get back into it. Both the car and me like a drink!
No, I wouldn't say that sound snooty, proper beer is best served from the cask (barrel). Bottles are the next best alternative with tins being the last (nasty metallic taste).
May I suggest you try bottled European beers or lagers if not done so already? Pilsner Urquel (first lager ever I believe) is a good one, or Staropramen. I like em' and drink em' when wanting something a little fizzy and good for hot days...not that us English have much of those!
I checked the fluid levels the other day, all is well. Plus I have a battery conditioner which I'll definately be using. I'll have to get under the car and look for this rear diffuser. Thanks for the tips, much appreciated!
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
, I'm part of Campaign For Real Ale U.K. (CAMRA) I really do have a liking for them and attend a fair few beer festivals in the local counties. I mean no disrespect but it seems that most of American cousins care not for this type of beer. I do believe that real ale is available in The States? I think you guys call it craft beers?
. Usually there isn't a great deal of ale across in Europe, it's most the U.K. who care for that type of beer. Usually a majority of the European beers have more gas in the beer where as ale is either flat to very low carbonation.
The Jury
Not gonna complain about that though!!
Linear Mode
