CORNER STORIES

After spending a semester studying Danah Boyd and looking into Networked Publics I've found myself spending more time going through the internet of old. Social media has very obviously changed a lot but the internet still plays host to the Networked Publics that came before it, like Zilvia.net (still active). Despite the level of activity either reducing significantly or stopping altogether these sites still exist. And unlike modern social media ie Instagram or Facebook they never really suffered context collapse, better preserving online interaction or participation.   My point is many of these sites, even the ones only accessible through the wayback machine are terrific for capturing the otherwise irrelevant moments in history that can later become relevant. Like this one: This image was sourced from HERE on the Shannons Insurance club page. Rather than unpack what's in the image I'll start with the provided information from user Skelitore ; "Bought the car as a p...

I thought I was done posting for the year but I had to drop off some stuff at my grandparents and saw this parked up on a narrow street in Glenalta. Sure its not a GTR ( I really don't care ) and sure the wheel choice is off ( bad ) but seeing the millennium jade paint against a real setting made me finally appreciate the colour. Sadly I don't have much to write about this car, it's a Skyline - one of the most well known and iconic cars to come out of Japan. But to me it was just another cool chance encounter.  This Christmas my family is in Japan, parents & brothers. So even though I'm in Adelaide, It was nice to cross paths with a slice of Japan to have for my own. It's definitely incomparable to their experience, but take what you can get... like pretending it's a Christmas colour scheme. So to wrap up I'll do that thing where I fantasize getting to drive the car and what music I'd have playing. No corny Christmas song sorry. Instead something ...

** PREFACE: RECOVERED ARTICLE FROM MOTOR WEEK SEPTEMBER 1985 ** FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE is not only a powerful tractive tool, but a potent marketing weapon. Just ask Subaru and Audi. The Japanese firm has been in the all-wheel-drive business longer than the Germans, and has specialised in small saloons and estates that can scoot through mud and snow with the aid of selectable four-wheel drive. It also sells these vehicles in two-wheel-drive form, and in the States the importers have netted a sizeable portion of the import market with these sturdy but unexciting cars. Around 80 per cent of Subaru's production crosses the Pacific to America. With the aid of four-wheel-drive, Subaru has created a profitable business in a market niche that has been left unsullied until recently. Now that Toyota and others have entered the arena, it is looking further afield. The answer has been provided by Audi, which entered the four-wheel-drive field with the epoch-making Quattro in 1980, five years after S...

Fresh off the boat?? The dried up jacaranda flowers tell a different story.   I figured I'd dump all the photos first to give you that auction feel.  Seeing this car was a surprise but reaffirmed how ridiculous car spotting in SA is. On my push-bike headed to my girlfriends I noticed a plateless car, so I rode further uphill and was rewarded for such a choice. I can't say it's a car I've previously admired but it certainly gave me some dopamine walking around it. This, however, led to more questions. For example the suburb it sits in polices no-rego street-side cars pretty hard. So how has it been able to sit on the street and more importantly why is it there? That second one is a bit more obvious from the plates. The car has no compliance and likely failed to be on-roaded. Now it's just parked up in a sorry state until bureaucracy punishes it more. While it's not my kind of car, plenty that can be done to take it from its current situation and make it a bit mor...

First of all, this post started as a street sighting but ended up slightly different. It is about me & my dream car - the Volvo C30 T5 R Design.   Before I begin with my 'how I got here' story let me lazily gain your attention with peak Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson .   If you watched the video until the end you may have taken note that Polestar's take on Volvo's C30 never actually made it into production. But... Volvo still sold a C30 badged the T5 R Design , Polestar did the tune amongst other enhancements and it still came out in rebel blue. Plus no moleskin. How many of these made it to Australia? No clue, but I hope they all came with the six speed manual gear box.  ** Update 20 rebel blue Polestar tune cars for Aus, 10 of each transmission - Auto/manual. I was walking home from work on a thirty degree day, cutting through a super market car park when I saw this;   I was melting as I wandered around, taking it all in. This was my dream car and I had f...

After a quick dance with some euro treats and a one night stand with the Torana I'm back to spotting what I think tastes best. Japanese cars. The ones I know of and the ones I don't. Like this one. I was aware of the Cresta's existence but overall I know little about the luxury Japanese sedans of the 80s/90s. That said I love the A31 Cefiro. So what's up with this Cresta? Well besides once being sold exclusively at a Toyota Vista dealer in Japan it now sits street side in Adelaide. Looking a bit sorry, or at least in need of a wash. Despite it's minor flaws it was otherwise a good looking automobile. Like a Soarer with more doors. The decent barrel (Work-looking) wheels adding to it's Japanese pedigree. I didn't get a photo because of how dusty the window was but it had an extremely small wooden steering wheel. Me personally, I thought the ride height was tuff-enuf but I'm sure to most it needs more low. Trim wise the car was Super Lucent but only in nam...