ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A first-year Betoota Grove university student has failed to listen to his father – and every other older male in his life today and inked the purchase of his new car.
Max Gillen could barely contain his excited when he spoke to our reporter this morning out the front of the Pisse Dans Ma Poche Cafe down the French Quarter.
A maroon 1994 BMW 318i was parked out the front with a pair of red P-plates flapping in the wind.
“How cool is it?” he asked our reporter.
Our reporter said it was very cool.
“I got it for $800 off this bloke in Betoota Ponds. It’s only done 390 000km, which the bloke said was nothing for German cars. It’s got a full service history but the bloke said he’s got receipts as the last stamp in the book is from 250 000km. But yeah, I’m chuffed,”
“Dad told me not to buy it. He said I’d regret it. My uncle Mike said the same thing. Those guys have driven Falcons and Hiluxes their whole life. They wouldn’t know. But yeah, I can’t wait to take it out on the open road.”
Young Max was kind enough to give our reporter a lift down to The Advocate’s Daroo Street newsroom.
It became quick apparent that Max had overpaid for the vehicle.
At about 80kph, it starts to wobble quite violently. The throaty exhaust note that Max said he likes is obviously a hole in the exhaust somewhere. When stopped at the lights, the smell of exhaust fumes is almost disabling. Taking off from the lights, a small plume of blue smoke shoots out from the back.
“Dad said it’s the piston rings,” Max laughed.
“How would he know? He’s a tax lawyer.”
We drove over a speed bump and the wipers turned on. Max laughed.
“How good is this thing?” he laughed.
“So much character.”
Dropping our reporter off out the front, Max smiled and took off into the distance down Daroo Street with a god-awful moan from the engine and a sickly whine from the gearbox – or transmission.
The Advocate spoke to Max’s father, who confirmed that this is a lesson he needs to learn on his own.
More to come.
