Capri Card

How's this? My better half found this Birthday Card a while back & kept it for my birthday last week. It is even Australian made! It just goes to show that a few people have memories.



Capri - Concessional Registration

I should have done this two years ago. I have had my green Capri on full rego since I have had it but apart from club events I rarely use it. So, when the rego renewal came due last week, I decided it was time to go to Concessional Registration. Having had the two Capri Club forms completed to say I was a financial member & the car was 30 years old, I headed to the local Transport Department office at Macgregor (Brisbane). After waiting for about 10 mins, I was called to the window and the young lady started my processing. She then stopped & said that there was only one problem - they didn't have any of the new yellow concessional plates at this office! I was a bit surprised that the S plates were now yellow & she confirmed that they were just new! I don't know why I had to wait when the lady at the first counter could have informed me of this fact. Anyway, they rang through to the Greenslopes office where it was confirmed that they were available.
So I headed over to Greenslopes with all my papers. No problems with the paperwork or the new plates & they had never heard of the new yellow S plates! They are still black! But it took about 10 mins & three ladies for them to cancel my old plates on all the databases.
However, the good news is the savings. To retain my full rego was going to cost $660. The concessional rego was $182 - a savings of nearly $500. Not only that but my Shannon's insurance is also dramatically reduced.
I realise that this type of rego restricts my ability to use the car but I can live with that & the savings can't be ignored. I don't particularly like the plates though! I'll just have to save up for a personalised plate!

More Capris in Japan - No, Toyotas

Recently when in Japan I was fortunate to visit the Toyota Museum in Nagoya. If you have an opportunity to go to that part of the world, be sure to include this place in your visit. It would have to be one of the best automotive museums in the world. Due to time constraints, as I was on a guided tour, my visit was a bit of a rush & I could have spent many hours here. I did not know that Toyota started in the textile industry before building cars but that is another story. The first Toyota sedan was built in 1935-6 and resembles an Austin in some respects. The moulds relating to this car are displayed as are all the engine & gearbox types ever built by Toyota. All the displays are amazing and are housed in this huge building. I have a few pictures of some of the static display

However, the exhibits that blew me away were those, that at the press of a button illustrated the various parts of the assembly line. It went from the engine assembly to the final mating of the body to the drive line. Even the robots fired into action. Absolutely amazing and some of the videos are following.

Nothing to do with Capris but it would make any car enthusiast smile. 

 

 

 

To go a step further, I came across this recent Youtube video: Megafactories-Toyota Australia. It is a fantastic video on how the new Toyotas are built. At about 26 mins in, the video returns to the Toyota Museum in Nagoya. I wonder if the Capris were built to these standards.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ToyotaAust/featured?v=Gbp5jRH5eCs

Capris in Japan

Are there any Capris in Japan? Well, if there are I didn't see any. As you might have observed I haven't posted anything for a few weeks as I have been visiting this wonderful country. I don't have any Capris to show you but I saw some other interesting cars & I will show you a few photos.
This was our taxi in Yokohama. Most are the special Toyota taxi model that are common throughout Asia. They are immaculate inside & outside. The seats have white lace cloth on the headrests with self opening rear doors.
Drivers often wear suits, white shirts & ties, gloves & some wear caps. They are very honest & you pay what the meter says & they take small tips reluctantly. A bit different to our country!

This a Tokyo wedding car at the Meiji Shinto Shrine. There were 20 weddings on the Saturday we visited so these guys were kept pretty busy. This photo doesn't show how the roof also opens up allowing the brides with elaborate head gear to enter with ease. The make was the London Taxi Cab so I don't know who makes this type of vehicle. The building in the background is used for blessing cars. So, if you have a new car & want it blessed it is driven in here for
special ceremony.

I saw this car in one of the 

smaller rural towns we visited. It appeared reasonably new but had no markings on it so I don't know what make it was. If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.
The small van/box like wagons are really popular throughout Japan and with their small engine size they have reduced registration costs.
I also have some great pictures from the Toyota Museum in Nagoya which I will post soon.