Null's ultimate Dream Car Thread - A CV8 Monaro in Austria
Discussion
RipGMH said:
Each turn requires effort, no power steering, and again the car leans, creaks and the motor hums. Every input into the steering and throttle has a noticeable noise and movement.
On the open road you, you need to always be mindful of the extra braking distance your need, the slight delay in response on the throttle whilst the 130bhp engine pulls almost 1.2T.
The winds let’s you know exactly how fast your going, coming in from all the doors.
Oh wow, i can almost vividly image going down the road in a vintage Holden now, awesome write-up. On the open road you, you need to always be mindful of the extra braking distance your need, the slight delay in response on the throttle whilst the 130bhp engine pulls almost 1.2T.
The winds let’s you know exactly how fast your going, coming in from all the doors.
Can definitely feel the passion you have for this car in your words!
Sounds like like every drive is real adventure. May I ask, were you a kid when these cars were "new" or lets say "still a common sight on the roads"?
Cause I feel like the "hero cars" from ones childhood heavily impact their emotional connection to cars and their thoughts on everything automotive and new inventions/tech that enters the market.
And it seems like the Monaro does take a lot of people back to their childhood/teenage hero cars/memories, with a few added benefits of a "modern" car like you said (air con, power steering, better brakes etc..)
Looks like I definitely need to experience a drive in a similar car from the 70s or 80s at some point in the future, you've got me interested.
Although I am still relatively certain I would not want to own any car from that period of time as a weekend cruiser, so passenger seat will do.
I prefer my own cars to be as rattle-, creak and wind-noise-free as possible, excluding engine/exhaust noise and turbo spool of course
And that lean and weight shift compared with unassisted and possibly lousy brakes sounds a bit frightening
But as with almost everything, I imagine you can get used to it if you want to
bonesxu1 said:
RipGMH.
Null loving your enthusiasm for your Holden they are great to drive and bring a smile to your face every time you start them up.
Thank you, sir! It's more than car brand to me, it's a lifestyle Null loving your enthusiasm for your Holden they are great to drive and bring a smile to your face every time you start them up.
Got any pics of your Ute that you can share? Always love a clean V8 Ute!
SturdyHSV said:
Perhaps less a lifestyle and more of a medical condition for me 
Always enjoy reading your posts Null, I would love to drive one of the Holdens to Austria to sample some of those fantastic roads you've shared with us
Oh my goodness, a V8 Ute, a V8 Wagon and a V8 Coupe in the driveway. The man is living his dream Always enjoy reading your posts Null, I would love to drive one of the Holdens to Austria to sample some of those fantastic roads you've shared with us
Be sure to hit me up when you take on of your Holdens across the channel and to the Alps.
I know if I ever came across another Holden on the road, I'd completely loose my mind!!!
I somehow have this wildly unrealistic dream to organize a Holden meet / road trip of some sort someday far away.
Since there are so few in continental Europe, the more folks from the UK willing to come join us down here, the better.
I only know of a few Pontiac GTOs and G8s, one Monaro, at least one Chevrolet SS and two VXR8s in Germany, one Ute in the Netherlands and Belgium respectively.
There are also a few GTOs in Sweden, one calls Finland home and one resides in Hungary.
And then there's that one red Monaro in Austria, of course
How awesome would that be, a selection of some of the most amazing cars ever made cruising together on some of the best roads on the planet!!!
Probably highly unlikely to ever happen, but a man can dream.
Oh WOW. What a stunning car!!! Always loved the Utes with the wings on the tonneau cover, so damn cool!
I see a scooped hood from a Monaro and VXR wheels, aftermarket exhaust an lowered suspension. Must be an absolute joy to drive
What else that has been done to the car? And I imagine there can't bee to many of those in the UK, did you ever encounter another one on the road?
I see a scooped hood from a Monaro and VXR wheels, aftermarket exhaust an lowered suspension. Must be an absolute joy to drive
What else that has been done to the car? And I imagine there can't bee to many of those in the UK, did you ever encounter another one on the road?
bonesxu1 said:
Loads of mods too many to list, forged LS1,CNC Trickflow heads, Yella-Terra roller rockers, Harrop HH122 supercharger etc etc plated diff, T56 Magnum box with Sequential shifter.
I'm in the Isle of Man not in the U.K technically.
Oh well, here I am, thinking my CV8 with a bone-stock LS1 delivers a "respectable" a amount of power, and certainly always has me 100% focused when I'm out and about on our 80 / 100 kph restricted Bundes- and Landesstrassen (A-roads /B-roads). I'm in the Isle of Man not in the U.K technically.
And then, along comes a madlad in a bad to the bone, manual everything RWD Ute with probably twice the hp (uneducated guess),
wheelin' it on the Isle of Man, where there are no speed limits anywhere outside of villages. Dang.
Can't even imagine how much respect that car commands even on a dry, warmed up road. Most people would probably kill themselves within minutes of getting behind the wheel of your car.
You are a completely different kind of MAD, sir. And I like it. Absolute beast of a car, enjoy
Edited by Null.Performance on Saturday 6th February 23:18
91964 said:
I’m in!! Seriously! As soon as restrictions are lifted I’m looking for any excuse to get back over to Europe. Austria and Switzerland is where my petrol powered heart is!
The green machine is ready to go!
Oh my, what a stunning VE SSV Ute... All those beautiful Utes you guys are posting almost make me suffer from some buyer's remorse right now The green machine is ready to go!
Quick, Iet me post one of my favorite pictures of my CV8 from last year to remember why I personally always preferred the coupe just a tiny bit over all the other awesome Australia utes, wagons an saloons
Awesome to hear your excitement, if we can really make that happen one day, I'll gladly show you around the best local roads and we'll definitely have ourselves a little photoshoot with our red and green Holdens
The past couple of months were the toughest of my life, after what had already been the most difficult year of my life.
In short, I quit my soul-sucking 60-hours-a-week job in the creative industry after six years, and left a lot of related s
t and stty people behind me in my "old" life.
With a much better paying, at the same time much less soul-sucking job secured, I started tackling the biggest project in my life yet - my own mental any physical "rebuild".
Today, the weather was finally nice enough to allow me to do the last thing to get me over my depression - I was able to take the Monaro out for a gentle 25 mile after-work drive
after 143 days of winter hibernation! Oh, how much did I miss being behind the wheel of my childhood dream car!
A set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires to replace the old and flat-spotted Pirellis should arrive within the next few days.
I very much look forward to having good tires on the car for the first time! This will hopefully take it to the next level and further increase the driving pleasure
New year, new job, new life, new possibilities, and thankfully still the same "old" car
2021 is going to be a damn good year!
In short, I quit my soul-sucking 60-hours-a-week job in the creative industry after six years, and left a lot of related s
t and stty people behind me in my "old" life.With a much better paying, at the same time much less soul-sucking job secured, I started tackling the biggest project in my life yet - my own mental any physical "rebuild".
Today, the weather was finally nice enough to allow me to do the last thing to get me over my depression - I was able to take the Monaro out for a gentle 25 mile after-work drive
after 143 days of winter hibernation! Oh, how much did I miss being behind the wheel of my childhood dream car!
A set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires to replace the old and flat-spotted Pirellis should arrive within the next few days.
I very much look forward to having good tires on the car for the first time! This will hopefully take it to the next level and further increase the driving pleasure
New year, new job, new life, new possibilities, and thankfully still the same "old" car
2021 is going to be a damn good year!
SturdyHSV said:
I'm glad to hear you've gotten out of the soul-sucking job and things are moving up
My Monaro suffered during my few years with depression, was used less and less until it largely just sat unmoving on the drive for about 18 months at one point, had bits of algae growing on it etc.
Fortunately enough changes started to happen that I got it back on the road, I also got a new dream job at the start of 2019 and was feeling much the same, new year, new job, new life, new possibilites and yep, still the same old car
All the best mate
Oh wow, that was tough to read. Thank you so much Sturdy for being so open about it!My Monaro suffered during my few years with depression, was used less and less until it largely just sat unmoving on the drive for about 18 months at one point, had bits of algae growing on it etc.
Fortunately enough changes started to happen that I got it back on the road, I also got a new dream job at the start of 2019 and was feeling much the same, new year, new job, new life, new possibilites and yep, still the same old car
All the best mate
I still feel like mental health issues are largely frowned upon in society, ignored or not taken seriously by most.
The first time I personally noticed something was "wrong" with me was back in August 2020,
when right on the first day of my vacation those severe exhaustion symptoms, both mentally and physically, started.
I just could not get out of bed, even though we had super nice summer weather, was not motivated to do anything, not even go for a drive in the Monaro,
because my whole body and head was literally screaming from explainable pain, I felt like I had invisible "wounds" all over... kind of hard to describe.
Every move was physically hurting and although I felt this incredible mental and physical exhaustion and was suuper tired, I just could not sleep at all...
Of course, being young and dumb, I tried to be "strong", ignore and "fight through it", but 3 months of not being able to sleep more than 2 or 3 hours per night,
combined with a s
tload of overtime work, completely wrecked what was left of my body and mind, and at the end of October 2021, just could not take it any more and had to quit my job...
October, November, December and January were really tough, sometimes I wish I could erase those from my life.
I was in really dark places mentally, and sometimes taking "the easy way out" seemed like a plausible option...
The new and "better" job at the beginning of January certainly helped, but most of all I am just really, really thankful that I had people that where there for me
when I needed them most, they saved my life and helped me get back on track.
So looking back at it, it "only" took me about 8 months to "rebuild" after realizing "hey, something is wrong with me" for the first time.
I cannot even begin to imagine how incredibly tough it must have been for you, battling depression for multiple YEARS...
Very glad that you have managed to overcome it and broke free from the chains!
Cheers mate, drinking one for you right now.
Time for a little update after the first 120 kms on the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires in dry and reasonably warm spring weather (ca. 15 °C).
The comparison is not exactly 100% fair, as the Pirelli P Zeros that came with my car have a DOT code of week 46-2016, so take it with a grain of salt please.
Bottom line is: The Michelins are expensive, but certainly worth every penny.
I can definitely recommend them for the type of driving that I do and they are a big step up from the Pirelli P Zeros.
Most notably, the Monaro now rotates a fair bit easier around the bends and the braking performance is just superb! Very confidence-inspiring!
Feedback and grip level are as you'd expect from a Michelin high performance tire and leave absolutely nothing to be desired.
On a side note, they are a little less noisy and a less "crushy" over road imperfections than the Pirellis, which is always welcome.
Dimensions for both sets of tires are 235/40 R18.
The comparison is not exactly 100% fair, as the Pirelli P Zeros that came with my car have a DOT code of week 46-2016, so take it with a grain of salt please.
Bottom line is: The Michelins are expensive, but certainly worth every penny.
I can definitely recommend them for the type of driving that I do and they are a big step up from the Pirelli P Zeros.
Most notably, the Monaro now rotates a fair bit easier around the bends and the braking performance is just superb! Very confidence-inspiring!
Feedback and grip level are as you'd expect from a Michelin high performance tire and leave absolutely nothing to be desired.
On a side note, they are a little less noisy and a less "crushy" over road imperfections than the Pirellis, which is always welcome.
Dimensions for both sets of tires are 235/40 R18.
Lincsls1 said:
Yeah, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres are very good, got them on my Monaro too.
Unfortunately, I've just had to replace one after getting a sidewall puncture, that's lightened my wallet of £190 FFS!
Wouldn't mind so much, but it had bugger all miles on it (<2000) and was like new.
Aah bUnfortunately, I've just had to replace one after getting a sidewall puncture, that's lightened my wallet of £190 FFS!
Wouldn't mind so much, but it had bugger all miles on it (<2000) and was like new.
ks. Destroyed tires suck big time... Did you have to get the car towed back home, or did you simply discover the car with a deflated tire in the garage the next morning?
Oh I see you went one step further and got the Pilot Sport 4S. Great choice!
I was seriously thinking about the 4S and watched/read some reviews, but personally could not justify the extra cash of about 50 Euros per tire for what seemed like a slightly more track-focused tire with (potentially?) much more rapid wear and only marginally different characteristics on the road.
rivercar1981 said:
What a great story of how you realised your dream of getting a Monaro. Your passion for it too is so clear. Well done on landing the better job and giving yourself a better life balance.
Your Monaro looks brilliant, but as you can see, I'm perhaps a little biased
A euro trip to meet up with other Holden is def on my list of things I'd love to do in mine.
I look forward to more updates of your adventures in your Ro.
Edited by rivercar1981 on Thursday 15th April 22:10
Thank you for taking your time to read through my whole thread! Oh I would love to meet up with other Holden enthusiast one day, that would be amazing!
May I ask, is that still the original coat of paint on your wheels, or where they perhaps treated to an excellent respray using OEM paint code?
I need to get my wheels refurbished at some point to fix all the curb rash and transportation damage, and I am thinking about maybe going for a slightly brighter and shinier shade of silver.
It is a tough decision as I am also not entirely sure if mine are a bit "faded" after 15 years (probably, there is some paint peeling/flaking going on) or if they still show the original color well.
Anyway, your wheels look very much how I want mine to look like after they are done!
And the paintwork too! Need to get a professional detail done at some point to get my Monaro back to showroom condition again.
SturdyHSV said:
Much appreciated, it is perhaps less frowned upon now (or at least, publicly it's less taboo) but I think it is not taken seriously simply because it is pretty much impossible to understand unless you've been directly impacted either yourself or via a loved one.
I realised how wrong I had been with my understanding of it upon my previous partner having suffered with it for 15 years (I expect still does now, 20 years on) and being exposed to it almost constantly over our 8 year relationship. I realised that despite being a fairly smart guy, I'd been totally wrong about it, so I don't hold any grudge against others who don't "get it", as believe me my ignorance was blissful and I can totally understand how it makes no sense from an outside perspective.
Since coming out the other side of it I've been happy talking to people about it, there's a Depression thread over in the Lounge sub section on PH, that was helpful both in terms of seeing how similar so many people's stories are but also being somewhere that I could feel like I was doing something good in trying to help or support other people which was a little pick me up during particularly low times.
Glad you're enjoying the Michelins, I've dabbled a bit with different tyres on the Monaro but always end up back with Michelins. The PS4S still lasts quite well, this is a great website (a PH'er too) for tyre information
https://www.tyrereviews.com/
Sturdy, you seem like a genuinely good human being! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge I realised how wrong I had been with my understanding of it upon my previous partner having suffered with it for 15 years (I expect still does now, 20 years on) and being exposed to it almost constantly over our 8 year relationship. I realised that despite being a fairly smart guy, I'd been totally wrong about it, so I don't hold any grudge against others who don't "get it", as believe me my ignorance was blissful and I can totally understand how it makes no sense from an outside perspective.
Since coming out the other side of it I've been happy talking to people about it, there's a Depression thread over in the Lounge sub section on PH, that was helpful both in terms of seeing how similar so many people's stories are but also being somewhere that I could feel like I was doing something good in trying to help or support other people which was a little pick me up during particularly low times.
Glad you're enjoying the Michelins, I've dabbled a bit with different tyres on the Monaro but always end up back with Michelins. The PS4S still lasts quite well, this is a great website (a PH'er too) for tyre information
https://www.tyrereviews.com/
I don't feel any hatred at all towards most people or even close friends who "did not get it" either, as you said they'd have to live though it themselves to really understand the severity of it.
And I certainly do not wish that upon anyone.
However, for those who deliberately abused me and my character traits for their own purposes / advantages for years, I do feel a lot of hate.
But those special kind of evil people are exactly as worthless to me now as I was to them as a human being for years.
I destroyed all the bridges and connections to them, locked all the doors and thew the keys away - Erased them from my life.
I also had to permanently cut ties with a lot of people who "contributed" to my mental and physical degradation over the past couple of years.
Everything just to be able to heal.
First weekend road trip of 2021 is in the books! Took the Monaro up to beautiful Gosau Lakes in the Dachstein Mountain Range.
Woke up with the sunrise at 6am, pulled the Monaro out of the garage, picked up three mates and had a fantastic day hiking and exploring
a place of our beautiful home country that we had not been to before.
Even with a full load of passengers plus hiking gear in the boot, the Monaro is still an amazingly capable grand tourer,
hauling people and cargo in style, speed and comfort!
God, I love this car
Woke up with the sunrise at 6am, pulled the Monaro out of the garage, picked up three mates and had a fantastic day hiking and exploring
a place of our beautiful home country that we had not been to before.
Even with a full load of passengers plus hiking gear in the boot, the Monaro is still an amazingly capable grand tourer,
hauling people and cargo in style, speed and comfort!
God, I love this car
Good evening fellow petrolheads,
I am sorry that I haven't updated this thread in quite some time. Had a busy summer and the weather unfortunately was nothing to write home about mostly.
Current mileage is a little under 61k kilometers / 38k miles - Which means i have driven the Monaro a little over 3000 kms / 1800 miles this year.
Less than I hoped for, but still, every single one of those kilometers was an absolute blast!
I still love it he car as much as ever and I hope that never changes. And I still believe the VZ Monaro is one of the best cars ever made in the history of the automobile!
Overall, the Monaro performed flawlessly at all times. I've managed to get it to two car shows this summer and did some day-trips with it,
so lots of great memories were made, and those will last a lifetime
I will post some more updates and pics from those adventures later. Let's start with something a bit more "basic" first
After getting the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires in the beginning of this year (which are absolutely amazing, highly recommend them!),
I had another big improvement done to the car this year - I got the massive rear glass tinted to keep the brutal summer heat out.
Tinting rules in Austria are a bit strange - nothing allowed on the front windows, but can be as dark as you want from the B-pillars on back.
As I have never been a fan of this 50/50 look on sedans and coupes, I went with a -85% tint on the rear windscreen only.
On a side note, the combination of the massive size and extreme curvature of the Monaro's rear glass was quite the challenge according to the installer.
She was very relieved when I told her mine is the only Monaro in the country so she will very likely never have have to do it again
She did a fantastic job nonetheless! I am very happy with the outcome, fit and finish is flawless, and it sure does keep the heat out nicely!
Here's a quick cellphone pic of the finished product:
I am sorry that I haven't updated this thread in quite some time. Had a busy summer and the weather unfortunately was nothing to write home about mostly.
Current mileage is a little under 61k kilometers / 38k miles - Which means i have driven the Monaro a little over 3000 kms / 1800 miles this year.
Less than I hoped for, but still, every single one of those kilometers was an absolute blast!
I still love it he car as much as ever and I hope that never changes. And I still believe the VZ Monaro is one of the best cars ever made in the history of the automobile!
Overall, the Monaro performed flawlessly at all times. I've managed to get it to two car shows this summer and did some day-trips with it,
so lots of great memories were made, and those will last a lifetime
I will post some more updates and pics from those adventures later. Let's start with something a bit more "basic" first
After getting the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires in the beginning of this year (which are absolutely amazing, highly recommend them!),
I had another big improvement done to the car this year - I got the massive rear glass tinted to keep the brutal summer heat out.
Tinting rules in Austria are a bit strange - nothing allowed on the front windows, but can be as dark as you want from the B-pillars on back.
As I have never been a fan of this 50/50 look on sedans and coupes, I went with a -85% tint on the rear windscreen only.
On a side note, the combination of the massive size and extreme curvature of the Monaro's rear glass was quite the challenge according to the installer.
She was very relieved when I told her mine is the only Monaro in the country so she will very likely never have have to do it again
She did a fantastic job nonetheless! I am very happy with the outcome, fit and finish is flawless, and it sure does keep the heat out nicely!
Here's a quick cellphone pic of the finished product:
No, your eyes are not deceiving you - Two Holdens in one location in the heart on Europe!
Back in August, I met up with a fellow Holden enthusiast from Germany and his Pontiac G8 GT / Holden VE Commodore SS / Vauxhall VXR8
on the world famous Rossfeld Panoramastrasse above Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
Never thought I'd get to see another Holden vehicle parked next to mine in my life, nor that we'd get the chance to drive up a scenic mountain road together.
We spent hours talking petrolhead stuff and why Holdens are the best
His Pontiac G8 was imported by an Opel dealer in northern Germany back in the day as a "grey import" (insured as an Opel Omega etc...)
It has the 6.0 liter L76 engine under the hood paired with a 6L80 6-speed automatic transmission and an LPG conversion.
Back in August, I met up with a fellow Holden enthusiast from Germany and his Pontiac G8 GT / Holden VE Commodore SS / Vauxhall VXR8
on the world famous Rossfeld Panoramastrasse above Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
Never thought I'd get to see another Holden vehicle parked next to mine in my life, nor that we'd get the chance to drive up a scenic mountain road together.
We spent hours talking petrolhead stuff and why Holdens are the best
His Pontiac G8 was imported by an Opel dealer in northern Germany back in the day as a "grey import" (insured as an Opel Omega etc...)
It has the 6.0 liter L76 engine under the hood paired with a 6L80 6-speed automatic transmission and an LPG conversion.
Time for a little update:
- The Monaro hasn't left the underground parking garage since October 31st and will stay there until spring arrives in a couple of months.
- I have ordered various Polyurethane suspension bushings and parts from Pedders and Whiteline Performance, PBR front & rear brake hoses,
as well as front lower control arms from Whiteline, which I am especially excited about
Some of those parts will go onto the car in spring, some only when the stock ones are worn out.
- Also purchased a Mishimoto aluminum radiator, possibly looking into ordering upgraded brakes (discs and pads)
and a bunch of reliability upgrades & common wear items from the US.
I still love the car as much as ever and although I only got to enjoy a little over 3000 kms / 1800 mls behind the wheel this year, every single one of those was an absolute joy
One of my favorite memories from this year is that I visited my first ever car meet in the Monaro back in August - Austria's biggest American Car Meet,
known as the "Austrian 500" in pre-covid times. It is organized by Austria's biggest American Car Club.
Their founder is Mr. Heinz Peter Amerer, a pilot and entrepreneur who once operated the biggest cargo airline fleet in the country.
He also has an amazing collection of American cars, including a red Final-Gen ACR Viper Extreme, which unfortunately was not on display this year.
Mr. Amerer brought along a stunning yellow 6th-gen ZL 1 Camaro though
He'd given me special permission to join with my Australian born Monaro, and what can I say, the car was very well received.
I was absolutely blown away by the amount of attention the car got, even when parked next to a stunning C7 ZR1 Corvette.
Many people had never seen or heard of a Holden Monaro before, and the few who had were interested in how it made it's way to Austria.
The car constantly drew a crowd an I bet it was photographed a few hundred times that day
Had tons of great chats with like-minded petrolheads and got to check out all the great cars on display.
Everybody just had a great time at the meet, which was very well-organized. Definitely visiting again in 2022!
Mr Amerer's Camaro ZL1 - sans the 1LE package, since that isn't road legal in most of Europe, as you guys surely know
Fantastic Buick Riviera "Boattail"!
- The Monaro hasn't left the underground parking garage since October 31st and will stay there until spring arrives in a couple of months.
- I have ordered various Polyurethane suspension bushings and parts from Pedders and Whiteline Performance, PBR front & rear brake hoses,
as well as front lower control arms from Whiteline, which I am especially excited about
Some of those parts will go onto the car in spring, some only when the stock ones are worn out.
- Also purchased a Mishimoto aluminum radiator, possibly looking into ordering upgraded brakes (discs and pads)
and a bunch of reliability upgrades & common wear items from the US.
I still love the car as much as ever and although I only got to enjoy a little over 3000 kms / 1800 mls behind the wheel this year, every single one of those was an absolute joy
One of my favorite memories from this year is that I visited my first ever car meet in the Monaro back in August - Austria's biggest American Car Meet,
known as the "Austrian 500" in pre-covid times. It is organized by Austria's biggest American Car Club.
Their founder is Mr. Heinz Peter Amerer, a pilot and entrepreneur who once operated the biggest cargo airline fleet in the country.
He also has an amazing collection of American cars, including a red Final-Gen ACR Viper Extreme, which unfortunately was not on display this year.
Mr. Amerer brought along a stunning yellow 6th-gen ZL 1 Camaro though
He'd given me special permission to join with my Australian born Monaro, and what can I say, the car was very well received.
I was absolutely blown away by the amount of attention the car got, even when parked next to a stunning C7 ZR1 Corvette.
Many people had never seen or heard of a Holden Monaro before, and the few who had were interested in how it made it's way to Austria.
The car constantly drew a crowd an I bet it was photographed a few hundred times that day
Had tons of great chats with like-minded petrolheads and got to check out all the great cars on display.
Everybody just had a great time at the meet, which was very well-organized. Definitely visiting again in 2022!
Mr Amerer's Camaro ZL1 - sans the 1LE package, since that isn't road legal in most of Europe, as you guys surely know
Fantastic Buick Riviera "Boattail"!
With the end of winter slowly, but steadily inching closer and closer, time for one last throwback.
I attended the "Festival Gut Gallmannsegg" in early September 2021 with my Monaro, which is an annual gathering of American,
exotic and sports cars in the State of Styria, a good 500 km round trip away from me.
I got up around 3:30 am and started the drive around 4:40, the plan was to arrive there around 9am, and hit a wash bay on the way as close to the destination as possible,
so I would arrive with a clean car. This was by far my longest trip in the Monaro so far, but totally worth the 8 hours of driving time.
The Monaro felt right at home there, and i met a ton on great people!
On the way home, i took the scenic route via the "Gaberl Pass / B-road 77 ", one of the greatest driving roads in all of Austria.
Basically it is like an Austrian version of the famous Angeles Crest Highway - a 40 km stretch of twisty road up and down a mountain.
A totally surreal experience, being on a road surrounded by lots of like-minded petrolheads on bikes and in sports cars, just here to enjoy a good spirited drive.
I attended the "Festival Gut Gallmannsegg" in early September 2021 with my Monaro, which is an annual gathering of American,
exotic and sports cars in the State of Styria, a good 500 km round trip away from me.
I got up around 3:30 am and started the drive around 4:40, the plan was to arrive there around 9am, and hit a wash bay on the way as close to the destination as possible,
so I would arrive with a clean car. This was by far my longest trip in the Monaro so far, but totally worth the 8 hours of driving time.
The Monaro felt right at home there, and i met a ton on great people!
On the way home, i took the scenic route via the "Gaberl Pass / B-road 77 ", one of the greatest driving roads in all of Austria.
Basically it is like an Austrian version of the famous Angeles Crest Highway - a 40 km stretch of twisty road up and down a mountain.
A totally surreal experience, being on a road surrounded by lots of like-minded petrolheads on bikes and in sports cars, just here to enjoy a good spirited drive.
mercedeslimos said:
Any hassle from the Polizei that day? Looks like a beautiful place, and no sign of snow!
No sir. Never had any troubles with the police when I was out and about with my Monaro. I was stopped at a temporary checkpoint last October, they had a look at the documents and wanted to know more about the car, they had no clue what it was, but seemed to like it a lot.
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