Auto Expert John Cadogan
There are 12 million cars on Australian roads. We drive more than 200 billion kilometres every year. We burn 30 billion litres of fuel. Carmakers sell more than a million vehicles every year in Australia - the most competitive automotive marketplace on earth. Yet buying a car is one of the least pleasant consumer experiences. Almost everyone who does it feels violated.
Look around you: the roads are choked, and the motorist is the quintessential golden goose. The car liberates you and binds you - just try living without one. If you find any or all of that confusing or confronting, or both, you are not alone. And you've come to the right place. I'm John Cadogan, and this is AutoExpert - don't forget to subscribe for regular updates, and visit the website: AutoExpert.com.au.
Auto Expert John Cadogan
Well done, net zero obsessives, proudly solving the nonexistent problem of UK canal boat emissions and the impact of same on global climate change.
www.narrowboatworld.com/16470-batteries-in-electri…
2 months ago | [YT] | 246
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Spent 72 hours in Adelaide last week, amazingly without once being taken by a pelican. (It's one of Adelaide's major ambient hazards, apparently - there are warning signs everywhere.)
One did approach in the casino Wednesday evening, and I tried to apply the official governmental advice. Critically absent were a jumper and/or umbrella. So I improvised, adapted and overcame: I quickly whipped out my G-string, and gesticulated menacingly at its beak. At this point it reconsidered its cunning attack plan, and the threat of becoming just another pelican statistic in Adelaide was neutralised. Disaster was averted.
Just another day in Australia's only living cemetery.
Seriously: society has become so damn soft that we're warning about the risks posed by pelicans now.
2 months ago | [YT] | 218
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Taking the dog for a walk, and saw this sticker on a random parked-up would-be drift special.
In spite of the cold morning, how could I possibly say 'no'?
I sincerely hope the owner got what he wanted.
(This was obviously very confusing for the dog.)
Fascinating how people personalise their cars, huh? (Like, there's actually a commercial market for 'send nudes' stickers, apparently.
2 months ago | [YT] | 157
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Kia Tasman was officially awarded five stars on safety by ANCAP today. Buried up the back of the press release were a few caveats, which, in a nutshell, mean the top-spec X-Pro Tasman, and the well-appointed X-Line, will be officially 'unrated'. Also unrated will be 4x2 variants, and single-cab variants, when they lob. Only the dual-cab S, SX and SX+ models will be five-star.
This seems like a disservice to families, which will naturally skew towards the unrated higher-spec variants like the X-Line and X-Pro. No guarantees of safety performance for them/you, it seems.
Tonight's video drills down into this mess, and tries to make objective sense of it: https://youtu.be/mtGMTu2tkp4
2 months ago | [YT] | 128
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Only a few more hours to save up to 40% on a new Olight. (These are awesome torches - I use one every day.) They offer great value, superb performance, and excellent reliability.
Check out the video here to make sense of which one might be right for you: https://youtu.be/kN6y9C55DzQ
Product links here:
Olight sale: USE CODE AEJC
14-18 July 2025
Javelot Turbo 2 Kit, 20% off: au.olight.com/s/VK4UVY
Javelot pro 2, 25% off: au.olight.com/s/RN9R47
Oclip Pro, 20% off: au.olight.com/s/2ATUIQ
Array 2 Pro, 25% off: au.olight.com/s/16BD5G
Warrior X Turbo, 25% off: au.olight.com/s/HDJNGD
Seeker 4 Pro Desert Tan, 30% off: au.olight.com/s/I3HXXK
Marauder 2, 25% off: au.olight.com/s/30KP8Y
Arkfeld Ultra, 20% off: au.olight.com/s/AGLYPB
Warrior 3s, 30% off: au.olight.com/s/O5OT00
Baton 4 Premium Ti, 40% off: au.olight.com/s/IRN7FR
Prowess, 30% off: au.olight.com/s/FA87EY
Swivel, 25% off: www.olightstore.com.au/s/7ZKCGX
3 months ago | [YT] | 42
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Today's mission: Mapping the underbody topography of one of the most complex vehicles on the market: the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV. It's up on the new 4-post hoist, and we'll be doing a long-form deep-dive into where all the bits are, what they do, and (from what's visible) reverse engineering how well, or badly, it's put together.
Full video detailing that will drop this week, plus two more on this vehicle: the top 10 things I loved about the plug-in hybrid ute, and (for balance) the top 10 things I hated about it.
4 months ago | [YT] | 401
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Olight's 18th Birthday sale ends in a little under 6hrs. Check out my review of these two new outstanding Olight products in the video:
My code is the only way to get 12% off them.
Full details:
Olight 18th birthday sale ends 19 April 2025
Warrior Ultra tactical torch au.olight.com/s/5B3273
Olight Duron folding knife au.olight.com/s/0JPN0V
Get 12% off the above two with code AEJC at checkout
Great discounted Olights:
Baton 4 kit (with power bank) au.olight.com/s/IRN7FR
Marauder Mini: au.olight.com/s/7OERR4
Duron: au.olight.com/s/0JPN0V
Baton 4 Kit: au.olight.com/s/IRN7FR
Seeker 4 Pro: au.olight.com/s/I3HXXK
Baton Turbo: au.olight.com/s/KXWB56
i18 Brass: au.olight.com/s/YBGJVL
imini2: au.olight.com/s/ZCFK2G
6 months ago | [YT] | 12
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Just installed two of the sexiest vices on Earth, on the sexiest antique cast iron table on Earth. Probably looking at 400kg of cast iron gorgeousness, right there. The table, formerly a spindle moulder, was sold by Staeker & Fischer in Sydney, and the two Dawn vices are RH offset - a 4OS (red one withv 4-inch jaws) and an SG 150 (Super Grade, nodular iron, 150mm jaws). The SG 150 feels like it weighs as much as 1.2 strippers (60kg), and is basically indestructible - total overkill for a home shop.
The SG 150 is bolted straight into the table with m16x2.0 high-tensile flange bolts, and the 4OS uses M12x1.75 socket head cap screws, also bolted straight into the table.
Because of the offset overhanging the holes on one side, laying out the holes concentrically was a bit of a challenge (not so much if there were nuts underneath, but these are all threaded into the table directly and tapped in situ.
Capped off with light press-on DIY 2mm copper jaws for both vices, so they're now not only compatible with nuclear holocaust survival, but also fine work.
Let me know if you want a video on the DIY aspects - because there's a lot to know before fitting a vice. (Especially into a solid cast iron table.)
6 months ago | [YT] | 236
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
So, my videos are also available on Spotify now. The big advantage for you, as I understand it, is that you can stream the content, lock your phone, and the audio keeps playing. (I don't think non-premium YouTube does that.) So, if you're just listening while painting the house, for example, that's a plus:
open.spotify.com/show/60TP8bGG173JtfNlsgyHsH?si=90…
6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 184
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Auto Expert John Cadogan
Novated leasing is a cost- and tax-effective way to own a new car, for many Australians. Government incentives on EVs and PHEVs are huge, too.
You can compare hundreds of new cars at one glance here, without having to look the cars up individually: bit.ly/novated-lease-calculator
1 year ago | [YT] | 69
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