Hi All,

Next Monday I'm driving from Adelaide to Sydney, probably stopping overnight in Wagga. The following Monday we are driving from Sydney to Lismore, again a stay of a few days stay, and then back to Adelaide (either via Broken Hill or back through Wagga via Parkes).

Questions : Any easy way to keep the bugs off the front of the car that doesn't involve a fixed plastic screen?

Any helpful hints from anyone who has driven these distances in an RX8? (apart from trying to avoid the speed traps on the Hay plain?)

Do I need to check the Oil once I arrive in Wagga?

Should I chance going back via Broken Hill, or should I stick to the civilised world?

 

Hi dbb

I drive about 1,000k/wk, mostly highway. Bugs are a fact of life and, unless you want one of those butt-ugly black bras, all I can suggest is to ensure you regularly wash and wax your paintwork. Also, the airflow profile of the Rx-8 is slightly more susceptible to bugs than my previous V6 Astina. Recommend BarsBugs in the washer reservoir.

If you don't want a bra, then you will have to live with likelihood of stone chips, mainly from the large Bdoubles travelling that route.

In my experience, speed traps are unlikely early AM (before 9:00am) but no guarantees.

However, absence of these early in the morning is more than offset by wildlife risks, which is active on those roads at dawn and dusk

Check your oil every second fuel fill, minimum, and if really motoring, every fill.

I haven't travelled to Adelaide via Broken Hill for about 10 years so can't comment on current road conditions, but that last drive involved Nyngan to Cobar at dusk, and I have never seen as many kangaroos on any road -- slowed me to less than 80kph and one eventually jumped into the side, taking out my LH mirror. Lesson: drive it during the day, or stick to the southern route.

Apart from that, enjoy! The Rx-8 feels really stable and comfortable at speed on these roads.

Timbo

 

I drove from sydney to melb in my rx7. I used Glad Wrap on the bumpers. It goes on and stays on. As you's expect it comes off quite easily.

=)

 

I was wondering if something like Gladwrap would
work. So it just stays on and won't get sucked into
the radiator or go flying onto the windscreen?

 

Nah, once its on the static holds it there, just make sure all the ends are not pointing the way the air can catch it.

Put some on and have a test drove around your block, you'll see.

They use similar stuff in burnout competitions so the rubber doesnt stick to the rear panels.

 

That's a good tip - thanks :D

 

Gladwrap! Never thought of that -- will try it immediately. Thanks kas
Timbo

 

I can see the next big fad .... Kas's cling colours...

...or would that be Kas' Kling Kolours.

Now that KKK thing rings a bell doesn't it?

Don't let AAMI near the concept! They'll rebuild an entire car out of duct tape, pipe cleaners and good old KKK

 

This is a bit bizare, because on Monday I'm heading from Sydney to Adelaide....going down via Broken Hill, and back at the end of the week via Hay.

Might try the glad wrap (although it doesn't sound like me).

I drove 1000K a coupld of weeks ago, and got the front of the car completely covered in bugs... they just washed off fine...so I'm not too worried.

More worried about stone chips !

 

Glue the cardboard tubes from the glad wrap over every surface of the car, then apply 3 layers of glad wrap and a generous splash of olive oil (oops sorry, wrong program).

I like the fact that the 8's front comes away easily - you could almost have a "touring" front and a "city" front if you felt like it.

I suppose the bonnet chips are the real worry.

 

Am now trying to think of a productive use of the little serrated strips on the Glad Wrap box. Re-grooving tyres, perhaps?

Suddenly, this forum has found environmental redemption!

 

yes and for the final piece of the puzzle, that which renders all glad-wrap packaging compoentents usable:

The "cardboard" cai...

Take the cardboard roll from the centre, drill 30mm hole in underside of airbox and direct, without bending, the pipe through to the inside of fender.

This will produce a nice ram air affect.

Be careful of rain, soggy cardboard in the intake duct could get quite messy.

 

You can use the "end of roll advice" stickers to make sure the glad wrap stays in place

Now we just have the box left guys come on... :D

-pete

 

About six boxes a side all stuck together and painted in body colour gives you the cheapest set of MS side skirt knockoffs you could ever hope for or imagine!

A little creative folding and cutting will produce a eyecatching centre roof fin too.

...can you say gladwrapboxagami ?

 

ROFL!

newsflash: Kev Motorsports trials new ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT Material: Cardboard.

-pete

 

I bet "cardboard fibre" would be really popular until people realised they were buying my old shoe boxes

...Stay tuned for the roll cage made out of recycled aluminium cans!

 

SHINE IT is an auto product I smear all over the nose of my wrx sti with reasonable success. I live in the Northern Tablelands of NSW and know too much about trying to remove bugs which run into me at enormous velocity.
Incidentally I am driving from Sydney to Adelaide on 21 October and returning to Walcha via Grenfell/Molong/Wellington/Gulgong/Coolah/Gunnedah (still almost un-policed) on the 28th.
Still in the sti: my titanium/red-black 8 does not arrive until end November.
cheers, jack.

 

oooohhh....

the cannonball-run!

wunderbar!

rated by many as australia's best drive.

Ric