Author: Nick Gruzevskis

Guest Post: Aston Martin and Rolls Royce Concours @Cruden Farm, Victoria 0

Guest Post: Aston Martin and Rolls Royce Concours @Cruden Farm, Victoria

This Sunday in November presents some what of a feast for classic car enthusiast, with many car clubs holding their annual Concours event. The AOMC website notes ten events for Sunday 17th, including Jaguar Concours & Display Day, Day of the Volkswagen, Maserati Days, 32nd Rob Roy Historic & Classic Hillclimb and Aston Martin & Rolls Royce Concours d’Elegance. This year I had a...

Guest Post:  Comparing two different R170 SLKs 0

Guest Post: Comparing two different R170 SLKs

Editors Note: This is part four in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about owning a Modern Mercedes convertible – in this case his R170 SLK230.   The previous entries can be found here.    Two cars of the same chassis/model often drive differently after 20-30 years, depending on mileage, maintenance & number of owners. I got the opportunity this weekend to drive a 2003 SLK230...

Guest Post: W210 E430 – Replacing Cabin Air Temperature Sensor Fan 0

Guest Post: W210 E430 – Replacing Cabin Air Temperature Sensor Fan

Editors Note: This is part two in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about owning a W210 430.   The first part can be found here.   I’m one of those individuals that can’t handle interior noises, mostly rattles & squeaks, but in this case it’s been a buzzing noise coming from the dome light in my new E430. I had procrastinated long enough, so did some...

Guest Post: Adding a W210 E430 to the garage 1

Guest Post: Adding a W210 E430 to the garage

The only constant of our garage is new acquisitions, we never seem to be able to slim the fleet down. The latest addition was considered necessary when my daughter (Jessica) came to grief with her 2005 CLK320 on a concrete wall at Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood. Given we are insured for market value, we weren’t confident that it would be repaired. Once we got...

Guest Post: 2024 Jensen Car Club National Rally 0

Guest Post: 2024 Jensen Car Club National Rally

The Jensen Car Club of Australia (JCCA) was formed in 1987 though the amalgamation of two former Clubs, “The Jensen Interceptor Car Club of Victoria” and the Australia Jensen-Healy Owners Club”. Our feature event is the National Rally, the first which was held in Canberra in 1983. The 2024 National Rally has just been held in Perth, Western Australia (May 3-6th). This is the...

Guest Post: SLK230 – Installing a Pippins wind deflector 0

Guest Post: SLK230 – Installing a Pippins wind deflector

Editors Note: This is part three in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about owning a Modern Mercedes convertible – in this case his R170 SLK230.   The first part can be found here and the second part here.   There are times when you feel like you’re making progress on a classic car and other times it just feels like you’re procrastinating. As I have just...

Guest Post: Owning an R170 SLK230 3

Guest Post: Owning an R170 SLK230

Editors Note: This is part two in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about owning a Modern Mercedes convertible – in this case his R170 SLK230.   The first part can be found here.   Sometimes the journey on improving a classic car seems to be more fulfilling than using the car. I’ve now owned the Sally the SLK since July 2022.  Every time I looked at...

Guest Post: Installing an aftermarket audio unit in a 2008 Ford Futura 0

Guest Post: Installing an aftermarket audio unit in a 2008 Ford Futura

Fitting aftermarket head units to most vehicles made from 2000 onwards can often be problematic due to manufacturers integrating audio and HVAC controls into the one assembly. Many of us choose the path of least resistance, with the primary means of connecting a smartphone is via Aux and a $15 FM transmitter purchased from K-Mart. I must admit the ICC unit (Ford speak for...

Guest Post:  BF Futura Wagon – LPG Fuel economy update 0

Guest Post: BF Futura Wagon – LPG Fuel economy update

Editors Note:  This is part three in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about living with a Ford BF MK2 Falcon Futura Wagon.    Part 1 introduces the car and part 2 is a six month update.    One of the things I’ve noticed about using an LPG equipped car as a daily driver, is how rare it is to see other LPG vehicles filling...

Guest Post:  Victorian German Auto Show 2023 0

Guest Post: Victorian German Auto Show 2023

The German Auto Show has grown into one of the larger Victorian car shows, showcasing the main German marques, but also some of the lesser-known brands that have ceased manufacturing, such as NSU and Borgward. The first show was held in 2016 at the Royal Institute for the Blind and continued at the same venue up to 2019. Initially the event was limited to...

Guest Post: Maintenance jobs deferred – W116 steering alignment 0

Guest Post: Maintenance jobs deferred – W116 steering alignment

Owning more than a few classic cars can often be problematic, as minor maintenance jobs are often deferred. My 450SE (Claudia) had been on top of the hoist for a few months without being driven. I think she was prompting me to use her as a thick layer of dust had formed. When getting her off the hoist, I noticed I fair bit of...

Guest Article: Ford BF MK2 Futura Wagon – 6 Month Update 0

Guest Article: Ford BF MK2 Futura Wagon – 6 Month Update

Note:  This is part two in a series by Nick Gruzevskis about owning a Ford BF MK2 Falcon Futura Wagon.   Part 1 is available here.   What could go wrong owning a 16-year-old Australian designed and manufactured vehicle? It’s now been close to six months since we picked up our 2007 Octane Metallic Ford BF MK2 Futura Wagon, affectionately known as ‘Lister of Smeg’, because...

Guest Article:  What’s a Ford BF Falcon Futura MK2 like? 2

Guest Article: What’s a Ford BF Falcon Futura MK2 like?

I’ve lost count of how many marques I’ve owned, but I’ve never owned a Ford. My father did though, and it was the proud replacement for his 14-year-old Volkswagen 1600 Notchback, a rare car now, but also assembled in Australia. In 1985 my father purchased a brand new XF Fairmont from Cam Dawson Ford in Geelong. He optioned power steering, air conditioning and alloy...

Guest Article: My W116 Journey 4

Guest Article: My W116 Journey

It was back in April 2018 when I got a call from Greg at Gullwing Motors, telling me to come in as he had a car that I might be interested in. Oooh, this sounded exciting, what was it?! I couldn’t get up there fast enough to see the red W116 450SE which Greg had just towed out of a customer’s garage, together with...

Guest Article: In search of another Benz – Part 1 6

Guest Article: In search of another Benz – Part 1

It’s only been a bit over a year since I sold Oskar, my 1988 300SE at the 2021 Shannons Autumn Auction. It was my father Oskar’s pride and joy, and I was keen to join the MBCV when I inherited the car in 2011. For many years I used the car as a daily driver, then later it was swapped to club plates, with...

Classic Jalopy