Do we drive down to South Island this Xmas or not?
Discussion
OK I’m going crazy now. The family down south has just booked a flipping amazing house in Te Anau on the waters edge for week after xmas and were going to use it as a base to do day trips to Milford Sound, and usual hot spots around there to see and do. If I don’t take the car I will be cursing and swearing wishing I did as we will be right in the heart of some of the best touring roads. Oh and the thought of taking the 350 through Homer tunnel or what ever its called would be very cool too!! The more I think about it the more I want to drive the car down this xmas now. I was going to wait till next year and do a tour of the tracks or CLNZ was doing a massive tour as well. Decisions decisions, oh and im not going to do both not enough annual leave and of course $$$$. The only thing that puts me off taking the car is ground clearance for getting car on and off ferry, caught out on driveways and over sized speed humps, and will have to accept the fact the car will on occasion have to parked uncovered at night. Otherwise assuming cars going well at the time I should be good to go. 
The thought of doing it in convey with other cars next year also sounds fantastic so don’t know what to do.
Thoughts, anyone else driving down at Xmas from the north???
The thought of doing it in convey with other cars next year also sounds fantastic so don’t know what to do.
Thoughts, anyone else driving down at Xmas from the north???
I'm not seeing the dilemma TBH, and I think you already know the answer too!
Do you plan to never, ever take Mem.... um, the 350 to the South Island because of the ferry and parking issues? If you plan to do it sometime what better time than now?
Talk to the ferry company when you check in and ask if you can go on last and take your time with some blocks or something. Take a car cover. Have an awesome time and take lots of pics!
Just reread the bit about the convoy option... OK, that may be a dilemma... can you do both?
Do you plan to never, ever take Mem.... um, the 350 to the South Island because of the ferry and parking issues? If you plan to do it sometime what better time than now?
Talk to the ferry company when you check in and ask if you can go on last and take your time with some blocks or something. Take a car cover. Have an awesome time and take lots of pics!
Just reread the bit about the convoy option... OK, that may be a dilemma... can you do both?
Edited by Omerta on Thursday 22 May 00:41
Nice blending James, what about the hills mate. George, Memphis WAS loaded up in original pic.............and yeah I know I said the "M" word
!We have done the ferry crossing quite a few times in daily driver hacks and just rememberd how Black Beauty may have struggled so this car being a little worse off. I will also talk to someone in the club who I know has same spoiler as mine and am positive hes taken his down south. Can always take some blocks with us I guess.
Now convincing the Accountant that Jansen is going to pay for the fuel bill
Omerta said:
Just reread the bit about the convoy option... OK, that may be a dilemma... can you do both?
Would just mean extending the insurance to cover the extra miles being covered. Im easily talked into this kind of stuff so who knows. The CLNZ is a $4K + trip with loads of stops and track days. I would have to sell quite a few paintings to cover that me thinks.Edited by Omerta on Thursday 22 May 00:41
Kylie said:
We have done the ferry crossing quite a few times in daily driver hacks and just rememberd how Black Beauty may have struggled so this car being a little worse off. I will also talk to someone in the club who I know has same spoiler as mine and am positive hes taken his down south. Can always take some blocks with us I guess.
Fairly sure that Tony B has taken his yellow Esprit to the south island. Not sure how his spoiler compares to Mem . . . err . . . yours. 
I seem to remember getting low cars on the ferry isn't too much of a problem. Esprit is super-low though, so I'm not sure. I seem to remember it varies depending on what deck you're on (angle of the ramp etc) So if you ask to be loaded with a view to the height of the car you might get preferential placement.
I seem to remember doing it in the TR7 FULLY loaded (rear suspension almost on the bumpstops) with gear and the ferry was a doddle. The speedbumps at the Wellington end ferry terminal were another matter though, although these can be driven around if you're careful.
I seem to remember doing it in the TR7 FULLY loaded (rear suspension almost on the bumpstops) with gear and the ferry was a doddle. The speedbumps at the Wellington end ferry terminal were another matter though, although these can be driven around if you're careful.
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Fairly sure that Tony B has taken his yellow Esprit to the south island. Not sure how his spoiler compares to Mem . . . err . . . yours.
Is that the V8GT sold through Greenlane Exotics last year? If its like this one it breeze through most tricky situations with care. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Lotu...No mine loads lower.
RobDickinson said:
Forget fuel bills, its only money!
Whats the range in the tank?
Rob its about 75 Litres capacity, highway cruising 20mpg and spirited as little as 6 ! In metric terms im estimating 400km/tank on avg with a bit of hooning in patches as you do. My last few fill up have been all over the show not getting true figures really hard to measure at the moment. Its not as thirsty as I thought it would be.Whats the range in the tank?
Kylie said:
Rob its about 75 Litres capacity, highway cruising 20mpg and spirited as little as 6 ! In metric terms im estimating 400km/tank on avg with a bit of hooning in patches as you do. My last few fill up have been all over the show not getting true figures really hard to measure at the moment. Its not as thirsty as I thought it would be.
$160 in 400km of spirited open road driving?!?! That's a bit thirsty!Even my Exige which chucks most of the fuel out the back unburned does about 480km/tank with a chunk of "giving it the Johnny Large Potatoes" thrown in... that's about $83
Kylie said:
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Fairly sure that Tony B has taken his yellow Esprit to the south island. Not sure how his spoiler compares to Mem . . . err . . . yours.
Is that the V8GT sold through Greenlane Exotics last year? If its like this one it breeze through most tricky situations with care. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Lotu...No mine loads lower.
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Kylie said:
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Fairly sure that Tony B has taken his yellow Esprit to the south island. Not sure how his spoiler compares to Mem . . . err . . . yours.
Is that the V8GT sold through Greenlane Exotics last year? If its like this one it breeze through most tricky situations with care. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Lotu...No mine loads lower.
Esprit said:
Kylie said:
Rob its about 75 Litres capacity, highway cruising 20mpg and spirited as little as 6 ! In metric terms im estimating 400km/tank on avg with a bit of hooning in patches as you do. My last few fill up have been all over the show not getting true figures really hard to measure at the moment. Its not as thirsty as I thought it would be.
$160 in 400km of spirited open road driving?!?! That's a bit thirsty!Even my Exige which chucks most of the fuel out the back unburned does about 480km/tank with a chunk of "giving it the Johnny Large Potatoes" thrown in... that's about $83
Omerta said:
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Kylie said:
Kiwi XTR2 said:
Fairly sure that Tony B has taken his yellow Esprit to the south island. Not sure how his spoiler compares to Mem . . . err . . . yours.
Is that the V8GT sold through Greenlane Exotics last year? If its like this one it breeze through most tricky situations with care. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Lotu...No mine loads lower.
The 350 has an extra lower splitter then a rubber flexi one again. Under really hard corning they rub the surface. So yeah not cool lining up the Ferry ramp in this position
Im not sure how much ground clearance Memphis has but Ive taken cars with under 100mm ground clearance (with my BMW loaded to the roof and towing a trailer it was probably approaching 50) without too much problem.
It will depend on which ferry your on though as there are significant differences. Even each of the interislander boats is different so you have about 4 to choose from.
One of them in particular (maybe others too) has a separate loading platform and ramp for the big trucks below the car deck. Because its lower the ramp is alot shallower so you could probably talk them into letting you park down there (they put me there with a car wehn I had a trailer on).
The problem I had with the steeper ramps was right at the top coming up when the front wheels are travelling horizontal and the middle of the car wants to beach the exhaust before the back wheels get to the same level.
has but Ive taken cars with under 100mm ground clearance (with my BMW loaded to the roof and towing a trailer it was probably approaching 50) without too much problem.It will depend on which ferry your on though as there are significant differences. Even each of the interislander boats is different so you have about 4 to choose from.
One of them in particular (maybe others too) has a separate loading platform and ramp for the big trucks below the car deck. Because its lower the ramp is alot shallower so you could probably talk them into letting you park down there (they put me there with a car wehn I had a trailer on).
The problem I had with the steeper ramps was right at the top coming up when the front wheels are travelling horizontal and the middle of the car wants to beach the exhaust before the back wheels get to the same level.
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