MBCNSW December 2022 night drive on Picton Rd

Last night was the final MBCNSW night drive of the year, and the final MBCNSW event of the year.   The drive was a variation of the one we did in December last year.   We started in Camden and took some back roads, before joining Picton road towards Wollongong.  From there, we took the M1 up to the infamous Engadine McDonalds.

The route was curtailed from last year due to all the roadworks on the main roads and the state of the smaller roads.   The storms and flooding this year has really taken a toll on the sorts of roads we like to use for these night drives.   The great thing is that work is well under way to repair them, we must have passed at least 10 roadwork sites.

This route also provided the opportunity for a few people to have an earlier night.   There is a spot about 20 minutes into the drive where we cross the M31 motorway.   This provides a good place to leave the group and head back to Sydney.   A couple of people took that opportunity.

We had a good mix of cars on the night.   The oldest being a W108 280SE 3.5.  There was also a W116 450SE, two W126s (my 560SEC and a USA spec 300SE), two W124s (a 230E and a 300E), and two modern CLS – a 6.3 and a 500.   The 300E (pictured above) is an interesting car in that it was one of the last of the M103 300Es with the update spec and leather interior before they phased out that engine.   Its a more reliable package with no wiring harness issues, fragile transmissions, and less propensity to blow head gaskets than the M104.

I took my 560SEC on the drive after the SLS repairs.   It rides much better and looks much better now the rear ride height is correct.

Most of us finished the drive at the infamous Engadine McDonalds, now immortalized in Australian political history.   For all that it was small, dirty and understaffed.     The weather was quite good on the drive itself, but I had some rain as I got close to home.