[gonnamissit]

This week marks the one year anniversary of the sale of my Insight. I sold because I was moving to Australia so it was a really reluctant sale. Specially after 3 yrs 9 months of joyful ownership (Mine was the first Insight delivered to Raleigh, NC).

Anywho, I just wanted to say hi to all the Insighters I met: Rick, Bert, Mark, Bambi, Eliot, the Skringles (?), holycow (who bought the car from me) and those whose name I can't recall at the moment.

I still read the posts in here every now and then which usually prompts me to go looking at the classifieds for used Insights around here. They stopped selling new Insights in Australia in March 2004 so used is the only option.

The only cure to my withdrawal symptoms is a long drive in my 2004 Smart Roadster: A funky little convertibe with plastic panels and aluminium hood , 3 pot engine (just like the Insight) a kerb weight of 800kg (just like the Insight) and head turning looks (just like the Insight)

Not the same and Insight but being a 45MPG convertible it goes a long way .... (sights). Mind you there is this 2001 Citrus Yellow advertised for USD$12k that is very tempting (The Insight sold for about USD$30k here so less than 50% after 3 years is good)....

Diego Torres
EX- 00 (893)

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Interesting - the Australian prices you quoted (in USD), for both new and used Insights, are very close to those in the UK.

Sounds like a bargain for the Insight - would you take a hit if you sold the Smart? If not, go for it - you know you want to!

 

[Rick Reece]

Diego,
Good to hear from you. I'm still driving slow to maximize mpg. I saw one of the Smarts in Switzerland a couple of years ago. It definitely looked interesting. We still havn't gotten everyone together for a drive but theres always spring. Have fun, RIck

 

[gonnamissit]

Interesting - the Australian prices you quoted (in USD), for both new and used Insights, are very close to those in the UK.

Sounds like a bargain for the Insight - would you take a hit if you sold the Smart? If not, go for it - you know you want to!

I would take a rather large hit and I like the smart enough to live with it....

 

[No. 166]

Hi "gonnamissit"
howjerdoinmateorright !

In 2001 they had a red insight at the BIG Honda-dealer in Sydney (forgotten their name now) and in 2003 they had an Insight up in Darwin at the ONLY Honda-dealer in the Territory. Sadly the one in Alice Springs closed down.....
I never have seen one on the road there though, well the Birdsville Track and all the others "out the back o'bourke" aren't what you would call "Insight proven".
Australia just isn't Honda turf in general.

Whereabouts in Australia have you settled if I may ask ?

seejerlatermate !

 

[gonnamissit]

I am in Sydney. That is BACK in Syney, moved to the US in 96 so this is a return to home for me.

Do you come to Australia often?

Honda has always been on the expensive side here, that does not help with the popularity. However in recent years they have come up with very competitive products like the Jazz which sell like hot cakes!

 

[Big D Insightman]

Hey "gonnamissit" so you are the one who holycow bought his (#893) from. I bought #892 on April 14th, 2000 it was the first one delivered to Dallas. By the way I saw a few Smart Roadsters in the French Rivera back in July and they looked like a very cool car. If I thought that I could get parts for one of them here I might consider buying one but I think they are only going to sell some other type of them here. Probally a stupid SUV version or something. Well have fun down under.

 

[No. 166]

i've been down there about half a dozen times. Just for vacation though.

If you're interested, here the drives we did. All in a 4wd:
-Townsville-Mt Isa-Darwin
-Adelaide-Birdsville-Alice Springs-Uluru-Oodnadatta-Adelaide
-Perth-Kalgoorlie-Tom Price-Exmouth-Perth
-Adelaide-Uluru-Alice Springs-Oodnadatta-Innamincka-Bourke-Canberra-Sydney
-Darwin-Kununurra-Gibb River Road-Halls Creek-Tanami Track-Alice Springs-Darwin

I'd love to drive the "Canning Stock Route". 1900 kms of NOTHING. No traffic, no settlements, no gas-stations, no-nothing . Just you, the elements, and over 900 sand-dunes.

Such a splendid country....
The southern cross in the sky. The parrots. Delta Goodrem. The "britishness" of things. And the quietness of the outback and the deserts. There's NOTHING on the planet that compares to this.
Not the Mojave, Death Valley, White Sands.......

Sorry for being offtopic.

 

[gonnamissit]

Hey "gonnamissit" so you are the one who holycow bought his (#893) from. I bought #892 on April 14th, 2000 it was the first one delivered to Dallas. By the way I saw a few Smart Roadsters in the French Rivera back in July and they looked like a very cool car. If I thought that I could get parts for one of them here I might consider buying one but I think they are only going to sell some other type of them here. Probally a stupid SUV version or something. Well have fun down under.

Yes it was me. From what I have seen he either reset the lMPG or his commute (30miles) has done wonders for it. I was at about 64.3LMPG and he is way higher than that now.

You can get parts for the smarts from south carolina. http://www.smartcarparts.us

ZAP is importing some ForTwos and Mercedes announced they'll start bringing in some ForFours in the near future. Not sure about who imports roadsters in the US but a personal import wouldn't be out of the question.