Forg
The R8 Tourer has it in black ... I was sorta considering hunting around for one, but I'd have to use HSV door-handles (or paint the chrome black which would prolly be a disaster in 5 year's time) and also do the window surrounds. This almost hides the chrome; well not quite, but at least puts something there for it to line-up with rather than just floating there.
I'll stick with grille inserts, fog-surrounds and guard grilles in black.
AshDVS
The window surrounds are available in non-chrome too.
Mine are non-chrome, and door handles are body colour.
I think with the VFII taillights the chrome mould kinda works.
Forg
I don't think the door handles are available with the keyless-entry buttons, except for HSV.
The window surrounds I know are still available, they've been sticking 'em on the occasional special edition (like Storm and Sandman this year); but the door handles are a bit stickier. And I think if you're going to have chrome somewhere you need it in at least two other places; so I'm happy for that to be window-surrounds, the trim between the taillights, and the door handles.
Might wait 'til I've got the hoist to do the grille & fog covers & "sports armour" though, the bumper has to come off which means getting underneath.
Forg
Since I see Ash has done a Commode update, I will too!
Point The First: not yet bothered with the de-chromification of the grille. I've seen some dark coloured cars around with the blackout, and I'm less sure than I was a year ago.
Point The Second: (and anyone reading this has probably already seen my comment in the Bruces thread but I wanna complain again) "bugger!"
AshDVS
What the hell happened??
Philia_Bear
A ford
Forg
Indeed, a ~25yo in an XR8 ... he was behind some dithering buffoon in the right-hand-turn-only lane (where there is no arrow), the dithering buffoon didn't turn right when all the traffic coming the other way had cleared, and the light went orange as I was approaching the intersection.
So the XR8 guy decided he wasn't waiting, and decided to pull into the straight-ahead lane (ie. to beat the light) at the same time that I was occupying it.
Didn't accuse him of it, but I suspect his plan was to turn right from the left-hand lane.
Anyhoo, had a recommendation of a panel beater at Chatswood who instill confidence. Because I'm not going with the default Suncorp-owned sausage-factory panel-beater, there's still a need for them to submit a quote and for Shannon's to approve it (if I'd gone with the sausage-factory I'd have been able to take it in to be fixed the day after it happened and we'd have it back already - albeit in various differing shades of green). So that approval should be on Friday, and it's been tentatively booked in for Monday 29th in the assumption the quote's approved (panel beater was very confident). They want it 2 weeks.
Had a look at some other cars they had, and they do seem to do a pretty decent job. They had an Ordi in that battleship grey mica (you know, the one where it looks semi-gloss grey from a distance & when you get up close you realise the semi-gloss is actually because of the hefty mica effect) ... and I couldn't tell where that was blended, apparently it was a rear-ender but you couldn't tell it. So if they can do that, they should be able to manage with the Regal Peacock.
Plus I'll be waving the lifetime repairs warranty around quite loudly if we get differential fading in a couple of years ...
MattC
SSV Redline is an awesome car! As is the Calais V!
Forg
Thanks for the positiveness!
Although I prefer the Redline's suspension & brakes over the Calais' heated seats ... and more importantly, the Calais' chromey grille. :)
MattC
The Redline has heated seats? Spec wise, they're pretty much identical except for a different suspension tune and Bremo brakes. Although I think Brembos are optional on the V8 Calais?
Rob
needs less mudflaps
Forg
Mudflaps Rool.
No, Redline doesn't have as many luxo features as Calais V, stuff like heated seats & seat position memory based on key-fob & auto-dipping LHS mirror when reversing. Apparently an extra control module is required for that stuff, it's not just an ECU flash to add it.
The Brembos aren't optional on any non-Redline; but if you get Redline wheels, it's not a big thing to fit Brembos to another model (although Redline does apparently get a bigger master cylinder too). Although the brake parts will cost a couple thou, and probably about the same for the wheels.
MattC
Ah, I didn't know any of that! I was driving a Calais V last week and I stepped away thinking that it's very sad they're going out of production. Great car!
Forg
Pest-inspection guy last weekend had rented a Calais weekend-before-last, and commented the same (I was washing the car when he arrived). I agree; it's actually a great car; and I'm very much NOT a Holden fanboI, Volvo4LyfYo. :)
A few annoying shortcuts have been made though; micron-thick paint is one, look at it too hard & you can wear through to the undercoat ...
MattC
I'm just praying that my S80 doesn't turn out to be a piece of crap as one mechanic insists...
