Regular readers will know that the Chev and I have been going through a rough patch. It happens to all relationships, especially those that have endured more than 20 years of financial and emotional abuse. I had parked her to the rear of the shed where she is currently being used as a storage table for bar fridges.
But just now as I looked at her out through the kitchen window I fell in love with her all over again. Maybe she is due for a makeover.
A full rebuild. A transformation into something I can enjoy and love without any anxiety. A true relationship based on trust once more.
Now the big question... what to do???
Big block? LS? Electric?
I want fun, reliable and affordable. A truck I can jump in with a moments notice and cruise in comfort on the highway.
What are your thoughts?

I think I have tried almost every type of mobile phone mount in my car including a few home made jobs. This has been the best set up by far.
There are many brands but the basis is that it slots into the aircon vents the same as my air freshener and has a magnet on it to connect to the stick on magnet on my phone.
No more suction caps falling off the glass and no more complicated cradles that need two hands to insert the phone.
This set up quickly and easily transfers to a variety of vehicles. It fits easily in my handbag when travelling and jumping into a hire car. I can easily rotate the phone to best suit GPS apps. Best of all the air con keeps my phone nice and cool even when it is in the sun.
What set up do you use and recommend?

My Chev has the Tiffany Blue but my Audi chose a pale pink in their Wilde Drive air freshener. Toss out that tacky pine tree and get a high quality stainless steel Wilde Drive air freshener in a variety of colours accommodating your favourite perfume or essential oils at wildedrive.com

Thank you to everyone for a spectacular weekend at Northern Nats. I have almost recovered. I look forward to seeing you at the next race meet at Springmount Raceway.

I was honoured to go cruising with Mr Paul Barry in his 1964 Chevy Impala at Northern Nats. A gorgeous car and a lovely bloke. Great to see him out roll racing later that day.

I was just going for a drive to see a friend.  3 months later I had circumnavigated the continent.  I just followed the bull bar avoiding cyclones and Wolfe Creek nightmares.

In January 2019 I purchased a 1976 Cadillac Coupe de Ville known affectionately as the "Caddy".  Over the coming year stay tuned as I slowly give her a makeover to turn her into my dream cruising machine

Thank you to everyone who has supported Wilde Drive.  I started Wilde Drive to provide the basic car advice that I, as a person who loves cars am looking for.  I did not start it as a platform for women's rights in the automotive industry.  Here is where I explain why.  NB: I say the word penis a LOT.

Lara Wilde of Wilde Drive and Jonathon Packham prepare for the 2019 Targa Great Barrier Reef in a 2016 Holden Insignia VXR

When I first watched Carrie’s wedding scene in Sex and the City I observed her trying to clamber out of the town car with that giant dress and her bird intact on top of her head.  She did not look at all comfortable or at ease.  Don’t be Carrie.

Getting married is a big deal.  Some women spend their lives planning their special day.  The person you are going to marry is the first part to organise.  Then the dress, the venue, the cake, the entourage, the music, the dinner menu and finally… the wedding car.   The car may not seem like a huge deal but it can make or break the big day.

If your choice of car breaks down you will be late, if it is in poor condition the dress can tear or stain, and if it is difficult to get in or out of you will become a mess as you fight your way through.  I have never been married but I have been in and out of a lot of special cars and often wearing fancy gowns.  Here are my tips to make your arrival and exit safe, simple and stylish. 

Life in the tropics is wonderful.  Great beaches, fantastic roads winding along coastlines and through mountains, countless villages offering a selection of local produce and gourmet feasts and for the most part, magic weather all year round.  Of course as most of the world prepares for snow and the southern parts of Australia prepare themselves for stinking hot days that could make their world catch fire at the slightest provocation, we in the North prepare for the wet season.
 
If like me, you love your cars then the wet season can be horrible.  That musty smell, mould everywhere, mice using your car as a hotel to keep dry and the frustration of getting in and out in the rain can drive you bonkers.  Here are some of my best ideas to care for your car this wet season.

Cars have always been an opportunity for fashionable self-expression.  Fluffy black and white cowhide seat covers and frangipani stickers tell us a lot about who you are.  Like all fashion trends, there are automotive based fashions which come and go.  One such trend is the desire to coat every panel matte black.

Car parks are a thing of nightmares if you love your car.  Shopping trolleys, small children with greasy hands, large children looking cool perched on your bonnet with their mates, and neighbours who use your car to stop their door from swinging too far.  I shudder just to think of it especially as the Christmas shopping season draws near. 

While the average punter will try to get a park as close to the door as possible, you can pick someone who loves their car by their insistence on parking as far from the action as possible.  We willingly walk the extra mile when we have peace of mind that our beloved will not be left in bad company.  Here are some tips for you if you too have car park nightmares.