It's been 7 years for this car with my family. We have done lots together. Collecting the girls from school every day, trips to the beach, up country, Ikea, Bunnings, towing boats, sofa-beds, 3m of timber IN the cabin...everything. I miss it already. But I don't miss getting underneath it every weekend.
Multiple petrol pumps and alternators, new batteries, starter motors, leaking radiators, head gasket, cracked sump, split drive shafts, the list goes on. The subframe bushes were shot, rear bearing was gone, the brakes, weren't all that flash lately and the ABS was getting weird at times. But engine pulled hard and the turbo didn't blow smoke, much.
220,000km over 14 years doesn't sound like the end of the road, but it got to the point where I couldn't get under it in anymore.
The best thing about the wagon? The interior. Still looked like new after a decent scrub. The practicality was awesome. The functionality was beyond its years, for many years.
A pity GM got in the way and spoilt the engineering longevity....
But that was always going to happen wasn't it?
There aren't any left on our roads down here anymore, and mine might have been one of the last 9-5 wagons running about. At least I could properly say I didn't give up on it before others did. Being a DIY guy for all these years might have prolonged its life a bit, who knows.
I had always thought 400K would have seen the car out, and would have got another 5 years from it.
As was quoted in "The Castle"...Tell 'em he's dreamin'!
Anyway, it's been quite a journey, and the car has certainly been a part of the family for all these years.
My Aero sedan was a truly excellent thing, until it got hit hard from both ends and sent to the wrecker a few years back. One in the carpark just yesterday turned my head and had me looking...I believe it will become quite the collector's car down the track, actually...
'Nine-Fiver' (Aus715) signing off from this section of the Forum for now.
Time to get the 9-3 up to scratch now....
