The Journey..

S-Flow to Straight Flow Hotbits Muffler

2010-08-31T20:19:00.009+08:00

My previous muffler setup was S-flow due to the ride was on auto mode. After the conversion to manual, Mr C had suggested that the back had to be cleared off. This is to gain some high end torque.

Coincidently, my friend, Vincent was looking for a straight flow end muffler as well. So, I just asked him to get me the same muffleras his :). We wanted a straight flow with a low sound resonance muffler. Our friend, James had been using this muffler for about 3years...and he strongly recommend this muffler coz it was very quiet-straight flow muffler. ;P.

And he ordered 1 for himself too, coz his existing muffler showed signs of old age. ;D. So, Vincent ordered a total of 3 mufflers from his friend from KL. He got bashed up by his fellow friend for getting so many mufflers at 1 time. Haha.

Later when the mufflers arrived, Vincent and I went to POI Exhaust to get it installed. I had changed my exhaust header at this same shop. Previous article was HERE.

Hotbits muffler - Quiet-straight flow...

Under the car...S-flow...

Hotbits in...custom tail pipe...need to redo it again soon.. :P

The welding spot...

Fixed a flange for easy and exchangeable in future...

Closer look...

Well, after the changed of this muffler, butt dyno tells me that not much difference. But after a few days driving it, my butt dyno gave another reading. Hehe. The response was better and the willingness of the RPM needle to climb up was much more faster. When going for top speed, it felt smoother. In sound wise, it was perfect. Very quiet when cruising on the highway and not disturbing others. Hehe. Great deal on this muffler. ;D

Auto - Manual Conversion - Final

2010-08-21T20:31:00.005+08:00

It's been a few weeks since I got my ride back. I guess it is time to give my point of view for this conversion. :P. Well, it is not a professional review, it is just a personal point of view of myself.

I'm impressed and very much satisfied by the workmanship and all the detailings that Mr C had put in. It was very clean and neat. If I didn't tell anyone about this conversion, I guess the person who was viewing it will think that this was an original EK3. ;)

All the wirings had been done up neatly. Sockets relocated according to EK3. Any missing brackets had been replaced. It wasn't the best engine bay but I'm still satisfied with the works. :)

We found out that the bottom of the engine was leaking when doing this conversion. After checking, it was the oil pan area that caused the leaking. So, a new gasket had been replaced. Then Mr C need to redo the wirings under the dashboard. I got scolded when he saw the bunch of messy wires under the dashboard. :)

The previous owner was the culprit. Hehe. So, Mr C had redo the wirings. To be able to do all the wirings, he will need to take out the air cond parts under the dashboard. So, I guess it is time to give my air cond a good service. :P

Well, enough for the long process. Let's view some of the end result photos. :D

Neat and clean...

Clutch oil container on it's place (just like original)...

Correct position of the pedals?...yes, very comfortable...

Gear lever with original EK9 shift boot...but with a replica EK9 gear knob...

Inside view after glove compartment opened...

No sign of any wires under the steering wheel...

Gear box internals before the casing been mounted back...

Another view...

Before cleans up...

After cleans up...

From the photos above, you can actually see that all the wirings below the dashboard had been tuck in and hidden. Very neat and I like that very much. Nice job on that. :)

What can you see from the before and after photos? Not much a different, but the obvious part was the inlet manifold area. That area no longer messy with all the cables and wires. The throttle cable had been reposition according to the original EK position. Changed the battery terminal connector to the snap on type. Much more convenient for battery thieves to steal my battery. Haha. :)

As for the performance wise, I must say that it is far more better than auto. The response was fast and great. No more lagging for the power to be delivered. ;P

I guess this is a very worthy upgrade. ;D

Auto - Manual Conversion - Part 2

2010-07-11T21:29:00.002+08:00

Here's part 2. Hehe. :)
Work still on going this weekend. There was still a little finishing job had to be done. As for now, everything was in place. I predicted that my ride will be out in this few days. Hehe. :P

Work progressing...

Very clean starter..

Gear lever and linkage in place...

Pedal set in order...but still very messy...

Gear mounting and etc all done..

I wonder if there is part 3 for this topic? Hehe. I don't think so. I will update the final outcome of this auto to manual conversion in the next post. Plus...I will try to explain what's the difference between driving an auto and a manual tranny (from an amature and noob driver point of view). Hehe.. ;P

Auto - Manual Conversion - Part 1

2010-07-07T21:25:00.004+08:00

Well, after keeping quiet for awhile, it's time for new updates. Before this, I bought a B18cR 4.4fd LSD gearbox. After polished and serviced it, everything was kept away. Now, all the necessary parts had arrived and the show had begins. The conversion from auto to manual had started. :P

It takes a lot of patience and hardwork to get evrything nicely done. I gave this task to Mr. C. Hehe. ;)

Currently had started to take out the auto gearbox. Auto gearbox out, but manual not yet in. Why? Coz everything had to be cleaned before going in. Engine block, body firewall, steering rack area and lots more. I took this chance to get the whole engine bay cleaned up. Hehe. :)

For the clutch pad, due to budget constrain, I chose Honda original clutch pad. Mr C called it 'tiger skin'. From the clutch pad appearane, it does look like tiger skin (yellow with black stripes). :P

Auto gearbox is out...

Before...

After...

Can you notice the difference between before and after. Look closely, the engine block was cleaned. Lots of thick oil accumulated at that area. Mr C will have a check later. :)

Then I notice that there was minor leaking at the oil pan area. I think it's time to change the gasket of the oil pan. More $$$ needed. I'm way out of budget. :(
Anyone would like to sponsor me? Haha ;P

Well..more updates in a few more days...

Dato Sagor Circuit, Kg Gajah - Outing with Swifters

2010-05-02T11:13:00.004+08:00

Yesterday joined Swift Club Malaysia members convoy to Dato Sagor Circuit at Kg. Gajah, Perak. They joined a mini race organized by Cari.com (if I'm not wrong). There were 8 Swifts, 1 SX4 and 1 Mini Cooper. Oops..forgot to count me in, Civic. Hehe. :P

We started the journey early in the morning. Reached the circuit at 9am. After registration, drivers briefing and souveniors giving, they all headed into the circuit for a free practice time slot. Very challenging course. :)

I didn't join in the fun coz my ride had some problem previously. Need to fixed it before put it in the track. ;)

Convoy on the way to Kg. Gajah...

A part of the track...

A fast Satria...

Another fast car...

D2 sponsored fast Satria...

Another view...

Marshall of convoy for the day in action...hehe

Driver from Cameron Highland...

Cute Swift (cannot see those cute stickers)...

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

2010-04-26T12:54:00.004+08:00

Went to Poon's Photo on Saturday and got this lens for my new toy. This is the cheapest lens from Canon. It's a prime lens best suits for potrait photos. Will upload some photos in my photography blog with this lens soon after I got the chance to play with it. :)

No more budget for next month. :(

Check Engine Light On

2010-04-26T12:31:00.004+08:00

Well, it's been awhile since the last post. :P
A few weeks back, I was running my ride without vTec function. It's because everytime vTec engaged, this 'check engine' light will appears in the meter panel. It's very frustrating to off and restart the car everytime this pop up. When this light came out, it surely something is not right.

Last week I sent my ride to my mechanic Mr C for check up. He tried to get the diagnostic data from the ECU but failed. Looks like some wiring messed up during engine swap by the previous owner. ;P

Well, Mr C opened his 'secret manual'. Hehe. Then he tapped on directly from the ECU socket to get the data. Problems found. There were 2 issues. Load error and VTEC solenoid valve error. I started to smell money flying away now. :(

For load error, most probably due to wiring issue. Can't do anything much. Had to live with it untill can find a part that was missing.

For the VTEC solenoid valve error, Mr C swapped it with 1 of his 'collection' of VTEC engines. Just the valve only. ;P

After the swap, I test run my ride and engaged with the vTec as many time as I can. After 6 times, the same problem pop up again. :(

Went back into workshop, and Mr C reset the ECU and touch up a bit the wirings. Then he asked me to hop in. Problem SOLVED. Unbelievable. Then he swapped the VTEC solenoid valve with my original valve. I tested it again. No more light popping up. :)

Till today, I still can't figure out what went wrong. Maybe some loosen socket gave a wrong signal to the ECU. Not too sure. But anyway, now I'm happy to vTec-ing my ride. Haha. :D

Canon EOS 1000D with kit lens

2010-02-27T09:44:00.002+08:00

Got a new toy for a new year. Hehe. :)

There will be another blog relating to my journey into photography. ;P
http://my-podz1.blogspot.com/

Canon

Canon EOS 1000D

After much information form the net, 1000D is a good gear for beginner like me. It was the cheapest DSLR for entry-level. Hehe. :P

For information about this gear, follow this link - Canon EOS 1000D

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-12T11:27:00.006+08:00

I would like to wish everyone in the world...

Happy Chinese New Year

(graphic courtesy from Princess Bumblebee)

Puma Drift Cat II

2010-02-10T13:04:00.004+08:00

This is one of the stuff for my Chinese New Year celebration from Princess Bumblebee. Hehe. :P

Drift Cat II

B18CR S80 Gearbox 4.4fd LSD

2010-02-01T16:09:00.006+08:00

After more than a year hardship, finally I managed to save enough $$$ for a auto-manual conversion. ;P

I asked Master Chung to look for a nice and suitable gearbox for my ride. Frankly, I'm attracted to B16B (S4C) EK9 gearbox. 4.4fd with helical LSD. That's really nice. ;)

1 day, Master Chung called me and told me that he saw a nice gearbox laying on the floor at halfcut shop. He asked if I'm interested to get it. I thaught I would be getting an EK9 gearbox. But he told it was S80 B18CR gearbox. I was shocked. I asked myself, should I take it? Well, my mouth faster than my mind, a yes just pop out from my mouth. Hehe. :D

Then a day after that, I went to his shop to have the 1st look at the gearbox. It doesn't look good from outside, but the inner parts were so clean and nice. Then I got a lesson from Master Chung. ;)

He agreed to take out the inner parts to check everything internally. And some cosmectic work need to be done. The gearbox housing is going to get a nice and smooth polishing till it shines. Haha.

Just got it...

LSD?

nice? dirty? bad? ;P

S80

internals...1,2,3?

Japan...;D

LSD? FD?

smooth and nice

helical?

polished...hehe..

enough shines?

better than just got it..hehe..

Now the quest to get all the parts for the conversion is going real fast. But the ship from Japan was too slow. Haiz. ;P

Hopefully can get some good news from Master Chung soon. Till then...stay tune. Haha. :)

EJ7 Headlamp Restoration - DIY

2010-01-27T12:38:00.004+08:00

Most of the plastic material of the headlamp will become yellowish or blurred over a period of time. It happened to my 13 years old ride too. :P

Well, after some research through the Internet, I found that it can be cleaned...but needed some effort and risks involved. Therefore, I had consulted numerous people who is dealing with cars. Mainly car painter, mechanics and etc. Car painter's own car were having the same problem. He said he tried to polish with sand polisher but still failed. I told him my idea. He against it by saying it would not do much and most probably I'll make a hole at the headlamps. Hehe. :)

Well, I just go with my plan and did the headlamp restoration for my ride. ;)

Basically, you just need 3 grades of sandpaper(try to find the finest, used by car painters), water, masking tape, car polish or headlamp restorer and some patiences. :)

The defect...

Nearer view of the defect...

cover the side with masking tape...

after 1st attempt of sandpaper+water...

2nd attempt...

after 3rd attempt and polished...

polished again..

Well, after comparing the 1st photo of the defect with the last photo of the final result, I was quite satisfied with the result. :)

Now, the headlamps look much better compare to last time. ;P

P/S - Here, I would like to warn anyone that wish to attempt to DIY as what I did, please do it at your own risk. Don't blame me if your headlamp got a hole or you can't get the same result as mine cause every situation is different. ;)

EK4 Door Visor - DIY install

2010-01-09T12:55:00.004+08:00

I had always like a door visor at any cars. It just make the car look so good. Besides that, it is useful when you need to wind down a little bit of your door window especially during raining time. Door visor will prevent the rain from pouring in. But of course not during heavy down pour. :P

I had surveyed the price for this EK4 door visor set for a few months. Almost everywhere was selling at a very high price. At last, I got a set from Sasuke. He is a Honda used parts dealer at KL. Very nice and responsible seller. The price that he gave me was a really nice price. So, I just grab this set of EK4 door visor.

Princess Bumblebee got to know about this and she insisted to pay for this set as my Christmas and New Years present. Thanks a lot Princess Bumblebee!!! :)

After a couple of weeks, finally I have some spare time to install the door visor. I tried to DIY the installion since it was just plug and play. ;)

Check all the clips. Should do this before buy the set. :P. Found that 1 of the clip was missing. So, I just DIY a similar clip for it.

The DIY clip look smaller..hehe..but it fits well...

Use some extra strong bond adhesive to hold the clip...

Make sure all the clips are in good shape. Reshape it if necessary...

Pull out the rubber at the door frame

Place the visor to the door frame. You need to figure out a way to slot the clip in...

After the position of the visor was correct, all the clips should be able to clip in place. You will need a small flat head screw to add extra security to the visor. After tighten the screw, you can start to push back the door rubber back to the door frame. It was not an easy job. But once you get the technique, it would be fast. Hehe.. :P

After done installing...3 pieces more to go...

Repeat the same steps for the front visor. You will need 2 small flat head screws for the front visor. It would tightly secure your visor when you hit the highway. Hehe.. ;)

Front and back, right side done...

Nicely aligned...

Repeat the same steps with the left side of your car. By this time, you should be able to get all done with no sweat. Hehe.. :)

Done all 4 pieces.. hoooraay...

It took me 4 hours to get everything done. But it's worth it as now I will know that it is not an easy job to assemble things back. When disassemble it, no sweat. But it is hard when assembling it back. :)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T16:13:00.003+08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone in the world!!!!

Bridgestone Potenza RE001

2009-12-13T16:07:00.004+08:00

Yokohama Parada Spec 2 was a good tyre. Overall performance on dry road was good. For wet surface, better than AD07.

Got some review on Bridgestone Potenza RE001. The urge to try out this tyre had been pressing me so I thought why not. So, I sold off the Parada and get 4 new RE001.

I had to wait for almost 1 month after Parada sold off before I could see RE001. Luckily the tyre shop owner was kind enough to lend me 1 set of rims and tyres. :)

On Thursday, James told me that the owner of tyre shop called him up and told him that RE001 had arrived. Finally...the anticipated Bridgestone Potenza RE001 had turn up. ;)

So, on Saturday, I went to exchange the current rims and tyres (borrowed from tyre shop) with my rims and new RE001.

The threads are so nice and different. Very interesting. It had mounted to the rims when I reached there. So, the installation process begins. After alignment and payment made, I took a ride with these new tyres.

My comment would be...very silent and nice grip on dry (still in run-in progress). To my surprise, the comfort level is very high. You won't feel too bumpy riding on these RE001. Very nice feel I would say. But I don't how's the performance of these tyres on track. ;P

Potenza RE001

rim cap ayam (not well known brand)..hehe..

Bridgestone..a bit shaky...hehe..

After mounted..yahoooo...my ride is back to previous look...

Birthday Celebration at Folie-Folie

2009-12-01T16:23:00.005+08:00

Abbie's hometown friends wanted to give a birthday celebration for Abbie and 1 of her friend, Ngan Mei. They held it at Folie-Folie Ipoh. Quite a nice and smooth environment. Suits family lunch and dinner. The stools are a bit different from others. Worth a try. :p

The name...

Fish steak..

Earl Grey Tea...

Chicken chop...

Discounted Haagen-Diaz...

Birthday cakes...

Abbie's friends...

1 more shot...

A couple...

Early Christmas celebration..hehe..

Old Master Q (Lao Fu Zhi) Event

2009-12-01T10:49:00.007+08:00

Old Master Q a.k.a Lao Fu Zhi. I'm sure almost everyone are familiar with this funny and great character. When I was small, I used to read it when I went for a hair cut. It's a good time passing while waiting and cutting hair. It has developed a reading interest in me which made me likes to read. You guys should encourage your children to read non-violent comics or story books. :)

On Friday, Abbie went to shopping with her friend at Ipoh Parade. On that day, she bumped into Old Master Q a.k.a Lao Fu Zhi mascot. There were 2 of the characters that appeared. Old Master Q and Potato a.k.a Da Fan Shu. She was so happy because this characters were among her favourite. So, she took a few pictures with the mascots. She found out that on Sunday, the author (creator) of Old Master Q and friends will be coming to Ipoh Parade for an event. So we had planned to have our Old Master Q toys to be signed by the author.

On Sunday, we went as early as 10.15am coz I'm afraid it will be full for the parking space. Well, no harm to be early coz we can have brunch at Ipoh Parade. There's lots of diners in Ipoh Parade. :)

After brunch, we just walked around and waiting for the event to kick off. At 12.30pm, we could see someone from the organizers were begining to arrange everything. Then at 1.15pm, the author, Prof Wong Chak arrived with VIPs to the stage. Yeah..you guys are right, the author of Old Master Q is a Professor. ;)

Then the event started with speeches from VIPs. Then Old Master Q and Potato mascots came out and gave a stunning performance of Hip Hop Dance. What a show. Really good. ;P

Kids around were so excited that when the mascots were leaving, they stormed like a swarm of bees towards them. Haha. That's great, not much people and we can line up at the front to get signature. Haha.. :P

Well, we sure got our signature from Prof Wong Chak on our toys. Really priceless coz Prof did it carefully and with lots of patience. I think he gave a lot of attention and patience in his comic drawing as well. :)

The stage...

Prof Wong Chak arrives with VIPs...

Look at the crowd... ;P

YB giving speech...

Old Master Q and Potato came out and greet their 'father'...

Both mascots performing...

Some dance moves...

Potato was a bit shy..hehe..

Old Master Q a.k.a Lao Fu Zhi

Hey..Potato can dance well too...

Appreciation giving ceremony...

Some Q&A with Prof Wong Chak...

Prof Wong signining our toys...

Another 1...

Da Fan Shu with Prof Wong Chak signature...

Both toys have it...

It's a great day and very happy to get the signature from a great artist. :)

Go Kart @ Sunway Extreme Park, Ipoh

2009-11-09T20:04:00.004+08:00

Last Saturday, I had invited some of the guys to have some fun at the new Go Kart track at Sunway Extreme Park in Ipoh. I went to the track last week to get the first experience of go-karting with Sifu Chung and Malat but it was raining that day. So, I managed to get a sneak preview of the car. Quite new and nice. So I decided to ask everyone to have fun there. :)

When reached the track, there was dark cloud in the sky. Doesn't look good but the track was very dry due to it was very hot in the evening. Nice timing, I was telling myself. I just wish they would come early a bit so that I can have my first ever go-kart experience. Hehe.. :P

After waiting for some time, the sky had turn dark. I was like 'argh..can't play again?' :(

But, there is always hope. Koh arrived just in time. I told Koh to get his helmet and we should go without waiting. Later if Vincent arrived, and IF the weather is nice, then we can ride again. ;)

So, we went in the track and WOT our heart out. Haha. I was like oversteering all the time. And Koh was just too fast. Hehe. I was lucky that he didn't hit me when I oversteered. He was a great driver. Hehe..respect . :)

After 3 laps, the rain started to pour. Well, the last 3 laps would be 'drifting' go-kart experience. Haha. At least I know what was oversteered and drifting was about. Haha.. :P

Anyway, I had so much fun that day. I'm sure there will be a 2nd visit to this track. Hehe ;)

Vincent came after the rain started, so we just 'talk cock' at the pit stop. He said he will play on Sunday. Hehe. Private practise. Haha...:)

Well, below are some shots of the car and track. Thanks to Princess Bumblebee for being a photographer that day. Hehe.. ;)

Nice seat and handling..

Front view..

Small but fast..

Lots of cars waiting to be occupied..:)

Koh finished 1st..bravo..hehe..

Ready for action..

My 1st go-karting..

Mean Machines 2009 at Auto City, Juru, Penang

2009-11-02T15:28:00.013+08:00

It's been quite sometime since I blogged. :) Well, this weekend, I visited the Mean Machines 2009 at Penang. It was a car and motorsport show event where you can see lots of car and motorcycle enthusiasts. You can see lots of modified cars, classic cars, mini bike, classic motorbikes (kapchai) and models. :P

We started the journey after breakfast at about 10.00 am. It was a relax and beautiful journey towards Penang. On the way, we enjoyed the songs from the CD. ;)

Just before reach Juru tol, we were caught in the middle of the traffic jam. We were so eager to know what had happened. The outcome, a lorry carrying small rocks had overturned. A 2 lane highway had became single lane and every car slow down to catch a glimpse of what happened (including me). Hehe.. :)

Well, scroll down for pictures of the events. Hehe.. ;P

Nice Smart4two..

Fully loaded with superb ICE..

The only GTR R35..

Nice posing?.. hehe..

The best looking Savvy I ever seen..

Nice job done by Savvy Owners Club (SAVOC)

Looks familiar? Hehe..engine is old, but ICE is cool..

Dare to drive the 'bulls'???

The best line...it translated as "Car Modifying Is Not A Guilt"...

Drift car..

A great collection of classic car..

Nice bimmer???

This is older than me..haha..

Nice TD...

For Satria Neo owner..be proud..

R3 track car secrets revealed???

Saw lots of Transformer there...

Interior of a modified 350Z

Mini Red Bull???

Nice airbrush technics...

Wonder what is his origin???

See that tubes? Who knows what's it's function???

Nice rojak..haha. Try to guess what it's origin...

Malaysians are full of ideas and creativity..

Well???

Nice color...

Don't ya wish ya Wira looks like this...

Bikes...

Nice decorated bimmer...

Super GT...

Japan Police guys sent their representatives..

Well, there you have it. A short summary of Mean Machines 2009. Lots of fun and nice journey. Hehe.. :P

Thanks to Princess Bumblebee for all the pictures. :)

Ipoh Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant

2009-08-04T12:41:00.003+08:00

Ipoh Foh San dim sum was very famous for it's dim sum. Recently, they had expanded their business. A bigger place to accomodate more people. Which means more money for the boss. Hehe.. :P

My big brother was back from KL on Saturday and he suggested to try out the new place. I heard that it was hard to get a place if went there late. So, we woke up at 5.45am and prepared ourselves. Reached there by 6.25am and we saw a lot of people were waiting at the entrance. My gosh!! Is that real? Yeah..that's real. Haha. :)

Then restaurant starts their business at 6.30am. So, we went in and i'm amused with the decoration. Outside was so beautiful with all the lights (still dark when we arrived). It was like a fine dining restaurant. The interior design was like Hong Kong style with retro feels. ;)

Very comfortable I would say. After we settle down, I notice that the had a very pretty and retro style for breakfast. I like that very much. But in terms of service, I would rate it 5/10. Don't expect a 5 star service at here. Hehe. But overall, I would recommend for a 'fine' dim sum breakfast for everyone who can afford (price is 5 star price). ;P

Once in a blue moon, it is a great breakfast. For me, it wouldnt be my choice for daily breakfast. Haha. :P

Nice retro style..

Self service counter for porridge and chee cheong fun...

Main entrance and cashier counter...

View from outside...

Char siew pau..loh mai kai...:P

Actually I got a few more pictures but lost it somewhere. Haha. But if you really want to try out this Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant, go there, and you can enjoy it. Hehe.

Yokohama Parada Spec 2

2009-07-26T23:29:00.008+08:00

Saturday had been an unlucky day. I got 'something' pierced into my tyre. I guess it happened when I went to my friends garage. A lot small sharp pieces on the floor. What an unlucky day. But after a short thought, I felt that it was a lucky day instead. :P. Coz it happened on my off day. So, I can get replacement for the tyres without taking any leave. Hehehe..;)

How nasty...

Another view...

The culprit...

So, I called up a tyre service center recommended by my friend. It's BH Tyre Service Center located at Silibin main road. He said that place got the cheapest tyre in town. When I enquired for Bridgestone RE001, it was sold out. New stock will only arrive on the next month. :(. Then I asked for Yokohama Advan Neova AD07. Same answer. What a day. :( Then I decided to go over that shop and have a look.

The shop owner was a friendly guy. He recommended Michellin Preceda and Yokohama Parada (not Prada). I thought of getting an used tire just to wait for RE001 the next month but too bad, he don't sell any used tyre. Then I take a look at Parada. It looks ok. But I don't know about the performance. I asked the boss, but you know the answer, right? :P. Of course the boss will say good. Hehe. :)

Well, since the price was ok, I just grab it. Just try it out and see how good it is. ;P

All rims out and prepare for a new set of Yokohama Parada..

The tyre thread looks...

Yokohama Parada Spec 2 195/50/15

All done...

Looks ok?

After the new set of tyres, wheel alignment, I went for a test drive. I make a rough and fast cornering and it feels good. I can feel the tyres gripping hard on the road. I think it worth the price. Maybe it loose to Advan Neova. But..how to compare? I don't have the cash for another set of Advan Neova for comparison. :P

Service - Lubricants change

2009-07-21T12:43:00.003+08:00

When I stared at my speedometer, I realized that it is time for routine service. It was time to change engine lubricants oil, oil filter and some minor checking on all the fluids. So, I went to 'specialist' workshop on Monday (schedule leave). When I reached the shop in the morning, Choong was attending a Kelisa. I was surprised coz I didn't see any of his helper. Then I got to know that his apprentice was on half day leave. :P

This means Choong need to attend every patient. Haha. So, he was busy with the Kelisa. Fan belt and engine oil change, break fluid change and ATF lubricants too (yeah..it is an auto transmission :P). On the queue was a guy name 'Pok'. That's how Choong pronounce. Hehe.

This guy brought the Putra (Prince) with Evo2 transplant. Turbo monster. Sorry, but I didn't took any pics. Hehe.. :)
Everything seems perfect but the windows. It was not tinted. Haha. :P I was so jealous when he told me that the Recaro bucket seat was given by his friend. Yup...FOC. :(
His ride had some 'tap' 'tap' sound when engine started. Choong suspected the wiring giving some errors. After the Kelisa out from the pit, my ride was next coz my ride just need to change engine oil. Putra need to wait a little longer. Hehe. ;)

As normal, I used Top 1 Fully Synthetic engine oil. A bit costly but it can preserved the engine better. Hehe. After done, just before I wanted to leave the pit, Choong called me and he said he got 'nice' stuff. Haha. He showed me a set of Ultra Blue 8mm plug cable. Originally from Japan. He offered a very reasonable price which I was so tempted. Haha. :P.
I just can't resists, and I asked him to fix it ASAP.

Then I started to 'feel' the differences. I had a vacumn meter in board. It was useful. I made a comparison and I noticed a better FC. I don't know how accurate this is, but at least I know my ride was lighter and throttle was lighter. Hahaha...:)
I will try to compare the FC when I fill my ride's tank up next time. For now, pics says a thousand words. ;)

Silicone plug cable

Ultra BP Silicone Power Plug Wire...8mm...Made in Japan...*drooling*

Fixed to the ride..hehe...

Perak Drift Show

2009-07-13T12:40:00.007+08:00

On Sunday, we went to Ipoh Stadium to catch the Perak Drift Show. Well...quite a show that we catched. :P Most of the cars were from 70s or 80s. These cars fit in just nice for drifting. With some engine mods, hell yeah and you are good to drift. Hehe...:)

Below pics are some of the action at the venue. Just stayed there for a while and browse through all the 'pit stops'. ;)

AE86 on side way action...

AE86?

Really? :P

No front bumper=faster?

No match for AE86

Nice?

Silvia?

Battle of the old timers...hehe..

GL?

Silvia kind a afraid of scratches to the car. Hehe...

Old skool battle...

Old but still drifting...hehe..

Cefiro?

After the drifting show, 2 bikers show off some bike stunt. Quite interesting to see some 'talent'. Hehe...:P

Getting started..

Bike drift..

Without rear fender, it's easier for a wheelie..

After the bike show, we decided to leave the arena. Before that, we went in to the 'pit stop' to have a glance on the machines. Hehe...:)

Here is 1 of my friend's friend. He used to hang out at my friend's workshop. Seems like he had done an engine transplant to his favorite machine. Nice huh? ;)

Imported accessories...

Engine transplant?

Then we headed our way to had lunch...late lunch I guess. Hehe...:P

Credit to Ms BumbleBee. Thanks for all the nice pics. :)

B16A Exhaust Header Upgrades

2009-07-08T15:47:00.007+08:00

It was Monday, my company 'gives' us a day leave. So, I went to exhaust shop to do some upgrade. It's been long since I didn't upgrade my ride. Hehe.. :)

This shop recommended by Vincent (a fast VTEC driver). Haha. He just upgraded his extractor. He got himself a 4-1 extractor. Wow..getting more HP now. Hehe..;)

I went to the same shop and asked for a 4-1 extractor for my ride. The boss showed me a stainless steel 4-1. Damn nice and pretty. As I wanted to say yes, put it on...he said that my ride not so suitable to fit this in. It will make my ride more sluggish. My ride is B16A auto. Then he recommended to use 4-2-1 with a 2" piping plus a bullet. The previous owner had used a smaller piping and normal bullet.

So, the full package is 4-2-1 plus 2" piping and an Apexi Motorsport bullet (stainless steel wool, can withstand 1000C). I wonder if there is an Apexi Motorsport...hmm? The brand is not the point, it is the quality that matters the most. Hehe :)

stainless steel 4-1...not for me :(

4-2-1...for me now :P

muffler? no..it's a center bullet..;)

Apexi Motorsport? Hehe..1000C

dismantling everything...hehe

done..for the 4-2-1 only

I forgot to take picture of the whole set after done. Sorry..but I'll add in later. Hehe..:)

I will update on the performance and 'feel' after these upgrades. But it's only in my point of view. Hehe ;P

Filter Box - DIY

2009-07-08T15:32:00.006+08:00

I had done this DIY 2 weeks ago. But I did not manage to post it coz too busy with my work.

Since changed to whale penis type air filter, no box was able to fit this ernomous size thing. Haha.. :P

So, I decided to DIY a box just to cover up and block some hot air from the engine. I hope it will gives a louder sound when VTEC kicks in. Hehe.. ;)

Measure and cut

Done

The results is...the VTEC sound really louder than previously. Maybe i will find a filter box that can suits in so that the roar is louder. Hahaha..:)

Cold Air Intake - DIY

2009-06-16T17:02:00.004+08:00

It's been long since I last updated my blog. My apologies. Hehe. :P

Well, yesterday I was on 'compulsary leave' made by my company. Since I did not upgrade or mod anything recently, I thought of DIY a Cold Air Intake (CAI) to get more cold air. Not sure if there is any differences but...well, just do it. Hehe..:)

In the morning, I went to Dunrite, an accessories shop at Falim, Ipoh. This shop has variety of performance parts and the price is reasonable too. So, I got this good deal for approximately 1 meter CAI hose with nice blue colored aluminium mouth.

1 meter CAI

I had seen people made a hole at the side at the bottom of the bumper to fit in CAI. According to some research, that area has a very high pressured. So, the air is better. I'm not planning to do so coz I don't want to cut hole at my bumper. :P

So, I stationed my CAI at the front area of the bumper. Need some time and thinking to put the 3 inch hose into that area. But I made it too.

mouth at the front bumper

Closer look - next to spotlight

After a day of installation, I felt that my ride had a better response. but I think it is just my imagination. Without dyno, nothing can be sure. :P

EJ7 - Paint Job 3 - Final Outcome

2009-05-01T10:10:00.004+08:00

Finally, after a long wait for the outlook changing of my ride, the outcome was superb. After some minor touch up, everything was great. I'm 100% satisfied with the result. :)

The clear coat was great and very 'reflective'. Haha. And the color of the 'white' was in my expectations. For the price I paid, I got this outcome and lots of extra work that I requested, I a real satisfied customer of this workshop. :P

If anyone would like to have a quotation for their ride for car painting, you may drop me a mail and I will send you the contact number. ;)

Back view

side front view

How's the reflectiveness? Smooth enough? Hehe..

Another back view

Front view with smoked head lamp

As you can see, I got the headlamp smoked. It looks cool. If anyone wants to get their headlamp smoked, send me an email. I can get you an attractive price. Hehe. ;P

EJ7 - Paint Job 2

2009-04-20T10:45:00.003+08:00

After a week, went to the paint shop to get a sneak peak of my ride. When I reached there after work, the car still in the painting room. I saw my friend still doing his job restlessly. A big applause to him. :P

From a tiny small glass window, I snapped some pictures of my ride. He had been treating my ride for the whole day. I can see that he had put in a lot of efforts in my car. Champion White had stick up to my car. What a view. Haha..:)

Enjoy some sneak of the new look of my ride. I'll update again when the right time comes. Hehe..;)

Back view in painting room

Another back view..:P

He is working hard..:)

Front view after out from the room

Another front view..;)

Keep on follow my blog if you want to see the end result of the complete new look of my ride. Hahaha...:)

EJ7 - Paint Job

2009-04-12T09:10:00.005+08:00

It's been quite long after the last post in my blog. Sorry about that. :P

Ok..let's update my ride status. Hehe. I had sent my car to the paint shop last week but my friend was just too busy to start the work. That's ok with me coz I want a good quality paint job. He started to take off the old layer paint which spoiled on Tuesday. When I went over yesterday, he had done up all the patch up job and repaired all the dents. Just minor dents. All 3 main surface that will face the sun everyday will be given an undercoat. :)

Below pics shows all. ;p

Rear bonnet and patch up everything

Minor dents that patched. :)

Blind? Where's my 'Big Eyes"?

Roof...

Close up eveything...

I'll keep updating this, but be patience as I could only update on Saturday. :P

GAB SS Series Adjustable

2009-03-02T12:51:00.003+08:00

On Saturday, the suspension system of my car had been upgraded. GAB SS Series Adjustable for my ride. :P

Below are the process. :)

Front installation in progress

After installation.

Rear installation

Done

The whole process took about 2 and a half hours. All the neccessary measurement had been done by the 'expert'. Hehe...:)

The height of the car was reduced by 1 and a half inches. This will gives a lower graviti point for the whole car. Which is good. :P Now have to be extra careful and slower when sees bump or holes. :(

After done the installation, it's time for the result and adjustment. The cornering 'feel' was great. Not much body roll when you take a fast corner. This means I can have a better confidence for every corner that I take in fast speed...I guess. :P

I can say that it is not too hard when goes into bumps. Considerably comfortable.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with these set of suspension. Very good for street use but not for track use (expert says so). :P

Creative way to placed a speed trap camera

2009-02-25T07:14:00.002+08:00

I just received a mail from a friend regarding this. The mail says that these green trash bin look a like thingy was actually a speed trap camera. The camera was installed in it. It was located at USM (Penang) area and Bayan Lepas area. I don't know how true it is. Maybe some Penangites friends would shed some lights on this. :)

Our traffic police team were getting more creative nowadays. Please take a careful look around when you driving around the neighbourhood. Hehe...:P

Green trash bin?

A closer look

OMG...A speed trap camera in it?

Incentive for Old Cars to be Scrapped

2009-02-24T09:13:00.003+08:00

Tuesday February 24, 2009
MAA backs cash incentive
By ROYCE CHEAH
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) supports the proposal for the RM5,000 payment as an incentive for old cars to be scrapped but hopes the Government will fund the programme.
“This proposal is not new. The industry suggested this before but the Government felt then that it did not have the necessary funds and asked the industry to come up with the RM5,000 on their own,” said MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad.
Aishah said the only company undertaking this programme was Proton. Proton’s programme is called Proton XChange and started in February last year.
Proton will take old cars of any make – as long as they are registered in Malaysia with a valid road tax, in working condition and fully paid for.
In return, the car owner will get a RM5,000 voucher to buy a new Proton Savvy, Gen-2, Satria Neo or Perdana. Aishah said if the scrapping policy was included in the mini-budget, then it ought to be extended to all makes to better stimulate the automotive industry.
She was commenting on the statement by International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the proposal had been submitted as a package to be included in the mini-budget.
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Car Dealers and Credit Companies Association president Khoo Kah Jin said the scrapping policy should also allow the RM5,000 incentive to be transferred from the owner to another person.
He added the other important consideration was how to make the scrapping process eco-friendly.

Article taken from The Star

What's wrong with these peoples mind? Do they think everyone was as rich as they were? Think about this...if I can only afford to buy 1 car, I would choose a relatively cheap and low maintainance type. So, I would opt for a 8 years old car and take a small amount of loan which I could settle it by 4 years time so that I can have extra cash for my kids when they grown up and go for school. By the time my debts finished, my car would be 12 years old.

If the plan works, then, I would be in debt 'again'. I have to 'trade in' my car for a RM 5,000 discount for a new car as my old junk need to be scrapped. I have to take a loan which I guess will amount to RM 20K at least.

In summary, we will be 'slave' for loans. Our entire life will be dedicated to work , and earn money just to pay for the car.

Suspension system

2009-02-23T12:56:00.003+08:00

It's time for suspension upgrade. I've been surveying the market for new and second hand unit. But after getting inputs from friends, need to minus out second hand unit choice. Second hand unit need to depend on your luck and expertise when checking for leaking. Quite tough for me, I guess. :P

So, according to my tight budget, GAB Adjustable Suspension SS Series was the best choice. There's opinion says that this is not a good suspension. On the other hand, some people who use this said that it was a great damper. It had a high/low and soft/hard adjustment. It was a full adjustable suspension set.

As for me, I never try this suspension before. So, why not? I will let everyone know the result after fixed it. :)

According to track racer, this suspension set was not suitable for track use. But for normal driving, it is very good indeed. Well, let's try the product and review it. Or else, we won't know forever. Right? :P

New SS series in the box

Opening up the box

The full set

I will get this fixed to my ride on Saturday. I will post the review after i get to ride on it. Hehe...:)

Simota Air Intake Piping - DIY Install

2009-02-16T22:55:00.006+08:00

For the past few days, I kept searching the Internet for a good deal for air intake piping set. Found some aluminium normal piping but I wanted a 'whale penis'. That's what people calls it. :P

Then, found a place at Ipoh (my hometown) which selling it at a very attractive price. So, I went to the shop to have a look. When I asked the person in charge, which I thought was 1 of the boss there, he told me a price which is different from the advertisement. Way too high and with the same amount of money, I could get a carbon fibre 'whale penis' air intake. So, I told him that what I saw in the Net was different and he said that time was promotion price. What a great excuse. Then, I made a curious and thinking look. He saw me and he offered the same price as the advertisement, just for me (the last unit). Yahoo...immediately I said deal and I bought it.

Below are the steps that I took to fix it to my car. ;)

Tools need :
1) Phillips screwdriver
2) Spanner size 10

The stock air intake.

Open up the top cover. You can see the filter in it.

At the side, there are a few screws that you need to loosen to take out the bottom part of the box.

At the throttle body, loosen the clip that hold the piping. Then, pull it out carefully.

The whole set of stock air intake system. :P

The complete set of 'whale penis' air intake. :)

The manual. Always read the manual (if there is) before starts you work.

Put the clips to the place. The air filter and big to small connector (to join the pipe to throttle body)

Since everything came off, take the opportunity to clean your throttle body. Just wipe with cloth or add some solvent if needed.

Attach the connector to throttle body. Place the screw of the clip at a reachable area. Tighten the screw.

Then, attach the pipe (whale penis) and tighten the clip's screw.

Install the air filter and hand tight the clip. Later need to add the bracket to hold the pipe staticly.

Place the bracket under the clip and tighten it. The other end of the bracket goes to the chasis. Unscrew 1 of the screw and lock it tight.

The outcome. Gorgeous? I think so..haha..:)

After all installation done, start the car and check for any air leaking. Check for the intake performance as well to see if it is working perfectly. :)

Then, I brought the car for a test drive. Really impresive. The response are better and the sound when the Vtec 'kicks in' are much more louder. I like that sound a lot. Haha...:P

It is really worth it after all the pros that I gained. I hope my car did not run too lean. But the next step is to get an AFC to tune everything. ;)

SO4 Boss Kit- DIY Install

2009-02-16T20:27:00.007+08:00

Earlier when I changed the steering, I noticed that the boss kit had cracked. Due to safety concern, I tried to get a replacement for it. Quite hard to get what I wished for. I thought getting a fully aluminium and higher type of boss kit. Saw an advertisement online and it was stated that 'fully aluminium'. I was so happy and bought it. When the part arrived, I was so dissapointed bcoz it was not fully aluminium. It was just steel with chrome finished at top part and the bottom part was the same material as normal boss kit. WTF...:(

Then, I just had to leave my wish behind and get a replacement boss kit as soon as possible due to safety concern. So, I bought a normal boss kit.

Here below, I listed out the steps by steps for all of you if you wish to change the boss kit on your own. :P

Tools needed :
1) a 'T' wrench size 19 ( you can get it at the back of your car, if your car have it)
2) Allen key
3) Phillip screwdriver

Make sure the wheels are in a straight line (not the steering wheel). Open up whatever covered the screws. But don't loosen the screws yet.

Use the screwdriver and slowly pry out the button horn.

Unplug the horn wire, use the 'T' wrench size 19 to unscrew the center nut. Use your imagination on how to hold the steering or ask someone to help you. :P

This is how the boss kit looks like. :)

The cracked line. (Top view)

Another view of cracked line. (side view)

Then, just open up all the screws on the steering wheel with the Allen key. Install the new boss kit to the steering shaft and hand tight the center nut. Then, put the steering wheel at the boss kit and aligned as center as possible and fasten the screws. Then, tighten the center nut with the appropriate force. Reattach the button horn wire and install it back to the center hole. Test the horn if it is functioning well.

The result

Bring your car for a straight line test. Just make the car go in straight, and see what's the position of the steering wheel. It must be align properly with the wheels. If it didn't suit you, redo everything. :P

After a few times doing it, you will be like a profesional trained mechanic. :)

1st Day of CNY

2009-01-31T13:18:00.005+08:00

This year I woke up late on the 1st day of Chinese New Year compare to the previous year. Maybe it was because this year, there was no fire crackers and lion dance troop sounds. It was kind a silent this year. Not the same as 15 years ago. I really missed all the fun and noise of Chinese New Year.

What remained the same was, I'm the 1st person to wake up in the morning. He..he. :P

After all the preparations, and waiting for my siblings and father to get done, I started the car to got it warm up before we all started to head to my grandparents house to pay an early visits. It was a traditional customs where family members pay their respect and visits to the older family members. Upon meet up, we will wish them all the good things.

Then, we will get 'Ang pow' (red packet). Yay.....:)

This is the scenario when my brothers came home...house jam up with cars. :P

Normally after visits at grandparents house, I would follow my father to go to the temple for prayers. Pay my respect to God. But this year, my aunt wanted to go to a temple at Chemor. I decided to follow her. If I'm not wrong, it was call Sin Hock Yuen. I'm not sure about the name of the temple. I only knows how to go there. If you want to go, just give me a call and I'll be your guide. :P

When we reached the temple, we saw a lot of well wisher in it. I really amazed when I steps in this temple. It was so big. With a few buildings around a pond or should I said a lake as the size was bigger than a pond, but slightly smaller than a lake. It was beautiful. Then we headed to the main building where we offered our prayers. Again, I was surprised as I heard a guy (spoke with a microphone) giving direction to a group of people. Then only I realized that we will be guided through out the whole praying process. It was good thing as we will be offering our prayers without mistakes. :P

We follow a group and started the prayers. Then, we were asked to purchase some joss stick and waited facing the lake. There's a bridge linking from 1 side to the other side. I thought we would be walking on this bride. But I had a wrong guess. :P
We walked by the side of the lake. Then we reached the 1st destination and we offered our prayers. 1 thing I noticed was, the guy actually explained some history of the god when he guided us through the prayers. That's a good thing because we could learned some history and got to know better.

After that, we just follow all the way of the side of the lake. There were a lot stops to offer prayers. At last, we were to head back to the starting point. This time we got to walk on the bridge. Yay...:)

Then, we had some drinks and a bun and headed back home. It was an interesting experience. I think I'll make my way to the temple again as there's lot more things to see. I didn't got the chance to snap pic. ;)

The starting point - beautiful buildings with back surrounding.

Koi fish in the lake.

*All pic took by Sony Ericsson K800i

2009-01-25T02:09:00.004+08:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR !!!

New steering...used

2009-01-23T00:38:00.004+08:00

Since the economy situation is not good, I planned to do my project slowly. I'll need to save up a little bit per month to get the budget. :P

Thus, I spent again. Ha..ha. It's like everytime I had the free time, my wallet will hurts. :(

But it's ok, as I'll spent it later too. No harm done. Just that I'll need to wait for a little longer time before I can get other parts. ;p

Well, this time I get a steering for the ride. It was a Momo steering. Ha..ha. Actually, I had to use a more accurate word. It was a Momo button horn steering. That's more like it. :P

Actually, it was a steering took out from a Suzuki ride. My friend got it from a chop shop many years back. He had kept it well in his store room. The condition of the steering was excellent. Just like new. And I got the original Momo button horn came together with it. For me, it was a worthy buys. Thanks to my friend, James for searching the other friend's store room to get this. :P

Got it fixed on the same day. And below were the images.

Momo button horn (original)

After fixed to the ride.

Now, it's more comfortable when driving compare to the previous ride.

p/s - Sorry for the low quality images. All images taken with a Motorola V3 VGA camera only.

Domani Style - Temporarily need to be abandon

2009-01-17T13:34:00.007+08:00

At the begining of this project, I planned to convert this ride to Domani style for rear area. But due to budget and economy situation changed, my plan changed as well. For temporary, I would used the original style but with white signal lamp for the rear part. Found a great deal online with MHCC member. The credits went to Unaz (a member of MHCC). I got myself a rear bonnet, a fiber spoiler and body rear lamp (white signal) for a quarter of a Domani style set worth.

The rear bonnet and spoiler came painted. Crystal black, I believed. Very nice condition, of course there's a little scratches but it was acceptable. So, I decided to install the rear bonnet with the spoiler and the body lamp. Although the paint was different, but it was better than mine (paint peel off). :P

Maybe I could share some DIY that I did. :)

For the body lamp, it was simple. I'll try to sort it to step by step :

1) Open up the rear trunk
2) At each side, there's a cover (some sort of hard mattress). There's a few plastic screws / clip around.
3) Unscrew and take out those screws / clips. You need to unscrew first and then pull it out.
4) After took out the screws, you can see the whole back part of the lamp. (See image below)

5) Unplug the wiring, and unscrew 4 nuts which hold the lamp. (see image below)

6) After all 4 nuts taken out, you can easily remove the lamp.
7) Place the new lamp in place.
8) Put on all 4 nuts and tighten the screws.
9) Reconnect the wiring connector.
10) Put back all the screws/clips to the place.
11) Repeat the same steps to the other side of the car if need to.
12) Check all lights (brake light, signal light, etc). And all done.

*Please note that there's a thin sponge attach to the lamp. Do not discard it. This sponge will help to prevent water from flowing inside your trunk. If you find it not in a good condition, try to get it from spare part shop or you can DIY from any other similar material. :P

As for the rear bonnet, it's quite simple too.

1) Take out all the wiring and connector hiding inside the bonnet. (including the lock if need to)
2) You figure it out yourself how to dismantle the cable. It's very easy when you looking at it but it's hard for me to explain here. :P
3) There's a pillar (1 at each side) with 2 screws. Unscrew it to get the whole bonnet detached.
4) You may need to get help from someone to hold the bonnet so that it won't fall off and break your windscreen.
5) Replace the new bonnet and tighten all 4 screws.
6) Put all wiring and connetor back to the hiding place. Don't forget the cable. :)
7) Reconnect all connector and check all lightings. And you done.

This is how my ride looks like after changed the rear bonnet and body lamp.

EG6 'Heart' Transplant

2009-01-12T01:44:00.010+08:00

Recently, there aren’t much activities or upgrades for my ride as Chinese New Year is getting close. Need to spend a lot of $$$ for this day. :P

But 1 of my friends had completed his project. He swapped his engine from B18C to B16B. Can you believe that? Yes…believe it. Maybe because of the road tax is cheaper. Haha…;)

Below are the images of his ‘heart’. :)

(Fully polished - including gearbox)

(another angle)

(this is how it looks like when a big radiator mod into EG6)

(front view)

*All images courtesy of James. Thanks a lot to James for all the nice pics. :)

A meaningful story...

2009-01-03T06:51:00.002+08:00

I received this email which I think is very meaningful. I thought of sharing it with everyone. Please take a minute to understand the meaning.

A Story to live by

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.
He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'
This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life Is a Gift
Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who died too early on this earth.
Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Kuala Lumpur, Happy New Year

2009-01-01T00:04:00.004+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!

Past few days, I was cruising around Kuala Lumpur. Just went around to have a look in the big city. :P

I went to 1 Utama for window shopping with my cousin. Not really planned to buy anything. Just walking around and it was time for lunch (late lunch I guess). :D

We can't decide what to take. Then, we finally found a nyonya cuisine. So, that would be lunch for us. I had a dish of Chee Cheong Fun and a bowl of Cendol. My cousin had a plate of Nasi Lemak Pandan Special and a cup of Tea. The bill ain't cheap though. The food was nice but it was pricey. I guess...big city, pricey. :P

Then we continued with our window shopping. Then, I thought why not just get my self some new clothes for Chinese New Year. But got to spend less this year. So, I'm looking for the highest discount available in store. :)

Found myself a couple of shirts. Not too pricey. Actually I like the words on the shirts. Ha...ha. Without realising the time had passed so fast, it was almost dinner time. So, we just went of to the stalls.

Even at this night stalls, it ain't cheap too. Back to my hometown, small little city, it was much more cheaper. But, it's ok. Once in a blue moon we spend extra, I guess. *wink*

In the center of the mall...nice deco.

SO4 / EK4 Auto Flip Side Mirror

2008-12-26T12:56:00.004+08:00

Since long time ago, I wished that my ride can be fitted with auto flip side mirror. But sadly, the previous 2 rides that I owned can not use it. This time, my ride can installed these side mirrors.

Few days ago, I went to chop shop and look for the side mirrors. I found a pair which look nice. It comes with relay and switch (full set). After made the payment, I took the mirrors back and when I tested it, the right side not functioning. *sigh* Yeah, I know..I should had tested it at the shop. :P

So, I went back to the shop and requested for a replacement. The shop agreed to change it for me. The next day, I received the replacement. I was surprised that the color did not match with the left side. But, I thought, it's ok..I'll paint the car sooner or later. then, the 2nd surprise happened. I noticed that it is not the same car model. The left side is SO4 and the right side is SO3. The length and the curvy area were not the same also. But anyway, I tested it again. OMG..the same thing happened again. It is not working..again. So, I went back to made another replacement.

This time, I told the shop that they gave the wrong model to me. But they insisted that it was the same. How can it be the same? 1 long and 1 short. He said that it can be installedto the car. I told them that I knew that it can be installed, but do they give me warranty that water won't go in? They kept quiet for a while. Then I continued and ask if they buy a pair of ear phone, would they accept if it is not the same size? They were dumbfounded. At last, the boss said she'll replace it. Thank god.

After a few hours, finally, I received the side mirrors. Although it was not the same color, but it's ok. I can accept that. This time, all working fine. What a day. So, next if you guys wants to buy something, make sure you test at the shop. Check everything and make sure it is ok before you leave. This can save a lot of your time and petrol. :P

Full set

Ip Man - Movie review

2008-12-25T11:41:00.008+08:00

Theatrical release poster

Yesterday was Christmas Eve, and the best way (economically) to spend the night was to watch a movie. Just my point of view as now the economy is not in a good condition. Just gather with friends, have a drink and watch a movie. To me, that's good enough. Of course you can opt to share the day with family which I strongly recommend. :D

Well, I watched Ip Man yesterday with the gang. To be honest, this movie was definitely not suitable for kids as all the action was so real and violence. I must comment all the people who made this movie. It was a good movie with a strong story line and action.

The movie is based on true story of the Grandmaster Ip Man. He was the person who responsible in making Wing Chun (one of the Chinese kung fu style) popular and famous. Grandmaster Ip Man was the Master of the famous kung fu actor, Bruce Lee. The whole movie was about how Ip Man saved the dignity of the Chinese people when they were bullied by the Japanese. Full of action and Wing Chun style kung fu plus other kung fu style also. Ip Man was a man who had lots of patience. He respect his wife to the top of the line. Maybe some will called it 'afraid of wife'. But I very much agree with Ip Man saying that that's call 'respect', not 'afraid'. He used his kung fu skill brilliantly. He did not show off and look for fights everywhere. But when his own friends and people got bullied by other people, he would lent his 'fists' for them. To know how the whole story goes..go get a ticket and enjoy it. :P

This movie had taught me a lot valuable lessons that can help me improve myself which I will try to adopt. We are all human beings, don't bully other people. We must help each other in our life. Have lots of patience in everything we do and be optimistics. We can survive if we try our best to do so. Don't be arrogant in everything we do. Be humble all the time. Put up a simple smile for our loved ones even we are too tired to do so coz with 1 simple smile, can make the whole day better for them. Always respect your wife, girlfriend or girl / woman. Respect everyone that come across us. That's the most important. ;)

The whole movie had a lots of element in it. Funny dialogue, valuable lessons of life, action, kung fu, history and lots more.

Bravo to the production team and casts of Ip Man. Great movie...:)

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holiday!!!

2008-12-24T18:41:00.002+08:00

Here, I would like to wish everyone around the world...

I wish for world peace and everyone's healthy. Enjoy everyday!!!

Recaro - Love at first sight...

2008-12-20T20:02:00.006+08:00

Ever experience love at first sight? I bet almost all of us had that kind of feeling for at least once. You would know when it happens. The heart beats stronger and faster. You feel excited and anxious. Yeah...that kind of feelings. From that point, you knew, that is the one that you want. :D

When I'm browsing through the Internet, I found a dealer that specialize in Honda parts. Interior, exterior, engine parts and used car parts. You can find almost everything by Honda. But of course, it is not from Malaysia. I think it is from US as it is dealing with US Dollar. Hehe..:P

While I browsing the webpage, suddenly my heart stopped. Then, it beats harder and stronger...just like the love at first sight feeling. I saw a beautiful (not girl) seats. Really match to what I want for my ride. These will definitely be in my list for the ride. I will try my best to find it around town. I really hope I can get a good deal for this beauty. Can't stop looking at the picture. Haha...;p

The beauty..

4-1 or 4-2-1 extractor?

2008-12-19T04:08:00.003+08:00

In the afternoon, I went to the 'specialist' workshop. I thought just went there to have a look to see if I has the luck to learn anything new. When I reached the workshop, he was busy doing his work. I saw a couple of MIVEC in the workshop. One of them was having an engine oil change and the other 1 was 'stripped' off. The 'stripped' MIVEC was changing the cam. I went to the back and saw the faulty cam. It was full of sludge. I wonder if the owner ever change engine oil. :P

Then, there's a Perdana waiting to change gear box. Don't have the chance to ask a lot about it. All of a sudden, 'specialist' came and told me that he has a 4-1 Type R extractor. I was wondering if there is any Type R Honda comes with 4-1 extractor. I thought all came with a 4-2-1 extractor. Maybe this is made for Type R engine. Well, it can be fitted to my Vtec, I supposed. Hehe..;D

He said that 4-1 will release all the power that the engine manage to produce. I wonder how? But I really interested in this extractor. Maybe I'll just install it, a couple of days later.

Sorry..as I did not take any picture. There will be pictures if I install the 4-1 Type R extractor. Hehe..:P

Some info on tyres..

2008-12-19T00:07:00.004+08:00

A couple of days ago, 1 of my friend pop up a question to me. When he started the question, I was dumb founded. I was thinking..'Why he ask such a basic question that every driver should know?'. Then I realized that, some people just 'drive' car. The only things that they knew was..pump petrol, start the engine, press the fuel pedal and the car runs. Whenever they faced car break down or any sound, send it to the specialist. Some don't even know that the engine oil need to be changed. OMG. Don't laugh so hard..this is true. I met with this 'person' before. :P

Well...here is some basic knowledge of how to read the tyre. The size, width, height and etc about tyres.

Starts with this.

The code.

If you want to know about the details, go to http://www.carbibles.com/. You can find most of the informations about car there. Enjoy...

Transporter 3 - movie review

2008-12-14T11:55:00.005+08:00

Theatrical release poster

It's been quite some time I didn't get the chance to catch any movie. Kind a 'busy' or you may call it lazy. He..he..:P

Yesterday night joined the gang for a movie. Transporter 3. Before the movie starts, the mind starts to pop up questions. 'How's the movie compare to the previous?'. 'Worth it or not to watch?'. 'How big the action would be?'. And lots more.

The movie, sure lots of action. Real 'fast' action. Lots of fighting scene and the most thrilling part was car chasing. For car lovers, you will be amused and maybe some will find it hard to believe. Haha..:D

It's all about a guy who needs to deliver a 'package'. This time, he got caught in the middle of his own 'rules'. He need to break all (almost) the rules that he had set for himself as a transporter. Lots of action...and got great body muscle and nice girl figure too. Got some romantic and kissing scene. Go watch it for the rest of the story. Hehe..;p

Ok..cars in the movie. To be frank, I'm wondering if this movie was an advertisement for Audi (Jason Statham used a Audi till the end of the movie). He never changed car coz 'something' tied him to it. Back to the Audi...it was a great car. Now I know that. Haha..:)

This Audi had started to appear to be a personal car for Frank Martin, so, a transmitter had been installed to 'tied' him to the car. A bomb at the wrist. The 'vroomm' sound of the was so nice and furious. I must compliment a few things here. This Audi were 'scratch proof', 'bullet proof', 'dent proof', 'shock proof', 'water proof', 'puncture proof' and engine is 'stall proof'. Haha..what a perfect car. I did not extravagate or boast you all. This movie featuring an Audi with all the 'proof' I mentioned. I want that car badly. Can save a lot of costs. Haha..:P

Forgot to mention that the tyre was real good too. But I couldn't catch what brand was that. It had a real good grip when you needed it.

Go watch this movie and you will know that I didn't lie to you all. ;D

First service...???

2008-12-13T13:23:00.005+08:00

Days when I can not earn money will be the days that I can not save money. How? You can’t get it? Hehe..let me explain.

Days that I can’t earn money will be the off / rest days. So, got lots of free time to spend. Then, the brain will start to spin faster and creates a lot of desires. Haha..then my wallet will be emptied to fulfill the desires. No..no..not ‘those’ desire. Desire to own a great ‘feel’ ride.

I went to the workshop for service. Since this is a used car, so, it needs a check up by the ‘specialist’. Need to change engine oil, oil filter and bla bla bla…

At early morning 0815, I reached the workshop. Need to wait for 15 minutes as the ‘specialist’ had a major ‘operation’ till late night yesterday (according to him). It is ok with me coz I had used to be early. He..he.

After the car went into ‘operation room’, the ‘heart’ was the 1st thing to open. To check the timing belt, the top cover need to be opened as the side cover was attached together with the top cover. By open up the top cover, we can check the cam shaft and other parts condition as well.

Top cover opened.

Upon checking, the timing belt needs to be replaced. Currently using ‘no brand’ timing belt. ‘Specialist’ recommended for original Honda belt. Checks continue..water pump looks and sounds not so good. It is advisable to change it to save 1 time labour cost. Other than that, everything seems to be fine. So, parts were ordered. Timing belt and water pump need to be removed. When they removing parts by parts, I was like OMG..still can’t get the timing belt out. The procedures were just too many. Engine mounting, power steering pump, side covers and etc. Not an easy task dude. After the timing belt removed, the new parts had not arrived yet. In the mean time, the other ‘specialist’ was kind enough to clean all the dirty parts which need to use. Top cover, side cover, screws, engine mounting bracket and etc.

Parts arrived.

Timing belt B16A 98

Imitation water pump (can see the NPW?)

Original Vtec water pump (the logo has wings) :D

After all the parts checked, installation begins. 1st the water pump. Easy task for the ‘specialist’. :P
Next will be the timing belt. This task has a certain degree of difficulties. Hehe. You need to align the belt. Precision matters here.

After all done, side covers and top cover mounted to the place as it should be. Then engine oil to be changed. Fully synthetic will go in. After all checking done, we go for a ride to test the car. Smoother and more responsive I would say. Nice job done here.

When back to the workshop, pop up the hood, and saw some water marks. The radiator started to give some hints. It would be the next mod. Need to find a larger and better radiator. :P

Amazing picture..

2008-12-09T04:37:00.004+08:00

As I was browsing through my emails, I found this mail that really amazing. So, I thought of sharing it out.

Below picture has 2 faces of very popular and famous person. If you look at the picture at a close distance, you will see Albert Einstein. But if you stand for about 3 to 5 meters away from the picture, you will see Marilyn Monroe. Try it out and let me know the result. I had tried a lot of times and I did saw both famous person.

Sneak peep of the new ride..

2008-12-08T04:38:00.006+08:00

Well, today can publish more than 1 is a miracle indeed. Hehe..:P

Ok, this post will gives everyone a sneak peep of the new ride I had chosen for the ultimate goal. Maybe you can guess the ride. I'm sure everyone will get the answer correctly. I'll keep on updating the progress till the ultimate goal has achieve (I hope so..hehe..). So, hang on there and follow up patiently. :)

Toyota Vios - Makeup car..

2008-12-08T00:48:00.017+08:00

Here start the story of a makeup car. Before I found the car that I want to, I had surveyed around and on the internet for the best look (bodykits) for it. And I found it. It was stunning and I like that a lot. Oops..forgotten to tell you guys that I want to get a Toyota Vios.

This is the model which I will follow. Hehe..saw this pic on 1 of the famous car mod website.

After I get the Vios, the first thing that I changed was the rims. I get a set of 16 inch, 11 spokes rims to replace the stock 15 inch rims.

Rims replacement on the way...

Next, I go around town to get the bodykits that I want. Found it at last, and I requested that no holes for my car when putting all the bodykits.

At the workshop...

Start changing...

After done...without paint and grille..

After all mounted up on the car, now it is time to get it painted. Found a guy to do this job with the minimum pay. Really cheap if compare to outside as he is my friend's friend. Haha..:P

Before paint...ugly!!!

After paint...nice!!!

Next thing is to remove the catalytic. This will gives my ride a better performance. I had consulted my friend who is keen into car performance. He is an enthusiast in motoring sports. :)

I replaced the middle exhaust (with catalytic) and muffler to a one set middle exhaust custom designed for Vios (without catalytic) and a 'S' flow muffler. No picture snapped that time. :(

After done, the pick up and overall performance was better. Very satisfying indeed. But missed out 1 thing. Open pod air filter. But I'm not too into open pod, so, the alternative would be drop in air filter. I chose the famous brand and I'm very satisfied with the results.

Stabilizer bar can not be left out. This time I chose to use a 4 point stabilizer bar for better handling. With some touch up on the outlook, then all done. But something was missing. Oh..the smoked head lamp. Surveyed on the Internet, not cheap dude. Then I search for DIY instead. Aha..there's and can be DIYed. Good...

It is a very simple process. You just need to heat up the glue that joints the front transparent case and the back case. Then, covered up all the place that you don't want to 'smoke'. I used flat black color to get a better result. Then, use silicone glue to glued the transparent cover and back case back together. Yeah..it is very exhausting indeed. But very satisfying after you saw your effort and the effect.

All open up and covered, waiting to be 'smoke'...

End results..

And the final appearance would be as below..

Accident..

2008-12-08T00:38:00.004+08:00

When my working hours finished, I took my ride home. On the way, my right foot was feeling so 'heavy'. So, the ride moves faster. Hehe..:P

It was raining, so the road was a bit slipery. At far, I saw a few bikes stopped and gathered at the same spot. In my mind, I thought that maybe there was a bike that having some issue. So, I just continued with my ride. When passed the group of bikes, I saw an image of a Vios back light. I pressed hard on the brakes. Just thought that want to have a look. It is really a Vios that plunged to the side of the road and dive to the bushes (quite deep).

That car must be too fast and out of control (understeer). Since that car was on the other side of the road, I can't offer my help (it is raining). And my position was too far to snap a picture. :(

So guys, don't speed if the road is slipery. Stay safe and be careful. :P

2008-12-07T19:36:00.026+08:00

I had said before that I'll show my steps to mod a makeup car (kereta solek). Well, before I start to tell stories, I thought maybe I can start from the beginning. I'll start with my first car.

My very first car which fully support by myself was a Proton Iswara LMSS. Maybe a lot of people out there won't notice or bothered about the model of our local made car. It's ok. Just keep scrolling and you will find some image to make yourself more clear about this car. :P

This is LMSS. All bodykits comes from factory. :P

I had added a vacumn gauge meter to this ride. I don't have any picture of that time coz I haven't start blogging. :P

After 3 months riding this machine, I decided to improve the driving stability of this ride. Hence, I added on a stabilizer bar and change all springs to sport springs. These springs lowered the car by one and a half to 2 inches. With this minor changes, I could felt that when cornering, it had a better handling compare to previously. Really satisfying. This is a really good car (in its own category of course). :)

And after 3 years++ riding on this machine, I had an accident for the first time. As a result, I had to replace the front head lamp, front hood and side panel. And not forget, new painting.

Looks like not a very bad damage?

This is the car that I 'kissed'. Hehe..

The bumper almost dropped..

How bad was the damage? You decide..:P

After all the repairs done, I decided to upgrade my ride. I will upgrade to the car that I 'kissed' before. Haha..a Toyota Vios. :P

Mission Accomplished..

2008-12-06T23:44:00.003+08:00

After 2 days of running around the town, finally, everything had been settled. This means that I had got myself the Honda Civic. :P

When I got this ride, I'm not quite sure about the pros and cons of it. So, I decided to have a little fun. I just press and see what I can get from it. Great..nice feel. The day started to rain heavily. I rushed to my friends place. Chat for a while and he was admiring the ride.

The next day, I took the ride to the workshop to have a minor post mortem. Checked all the oils that need for this machine. Found out that engine oil not enough, power steering oil less than the minimum line (can't believe this), no windscreen splash water and some dents all around the body. So, I just add whatever that is not enough and I thought the windscreen splash will work after I added water. I was so dissapointed when I tried to press the splash. Nothing shoots out. :(

And I noticed that the radiator area had some water marks. Suspected that the radiator had leakage. Add up water into radiator and let the engine run. Found out that it had a minor leak at the radiator cap area. Will fix it when I send the whole car to the experts. :)

Here I have some advice for all readers. If you want to get a second car, be prepare to put in some effort and money after you get the car. If not, just get yourself a brand new car. :P

Unproductive day..but yet gained a lot

2008-11-30T16:22:00.005+08:00

For the past 2 days, it is an unproductive days for me. This means that whatever I did for the past 2 days, I did not gain any profit (financial wise). :P

But I found a lot of experience and things that I wish to achieve. After I finished my work for the day, I only had 2 hours of sleep. I was awaken by the ringing phone of mine. I pick up the phone in a semi conscious state. It was my friend and he told me that he found a car that suits my criteria for getting a car. I was like..OMG..really can get?!!!

So, with the speed of light, I bring myself up and went to my friend's place to pick him up and dashed to the location of that car. When I saw that car, I was astonished. Is this for real? I'm getting an engine that worth a few thousand in the car that I wanted? That means I'm going to save a lot of money this time. I was so excited. In my heart, I had made my mind that this is the one. I would not let it go. Although the outer view is not so good, but it is acceptable. So, my friend request to have a ride on it. Not bad at all. Great car.

Now, another dilemma is on me. My curent ride. How much I can trade this car? So, after evaluated by an 'expert' in second hand deal, he could only offered a price that I can't accept. Oh, what a disappointing moment. Since it is almost time for lunch, I suggested to everyone to go for lunch and decide everything after lunch. That's the deal. When I'm having my lunch, I was thinking how to get a better price. No luck at all..another disappointing moment whereby I can't get a better price. So, just forget it and took lunch.

After lunch, and a little bit of grandma stories, I sent my friend back to his place. Then I went from bank to bank, hopefully to get a better deal for the loan interest. But failed. So, I just prepared the deposit for that car and sell of my current ride in a very bad offer.

When I reached the destination, I was like no mood. Then, I found the owner and told him that we should arrange all the necessary procedure for his car. Then, to my surprise, he told me that he need to look for a ride because his dream ride were gone. So, someone suggested him to take my ride instead. He asked about the price and I gave him the min price of my choice. He didn't bargain at all. I guess it is a good price. Oh..it's my lucky day today. Without delay, I signed all the documents and we talk business about me being the seller this time. He..he.

He agreed with the price and took my keys for a ride. He seems to be very satisfied the ride. That's a good sign. And that's wraps up the deal and the day. It was a great and lucky day for me. I got a good deal car that I wanted and I get a min price for my current ride!!!

Now, everything is under process and hopefully all goes smoothly. In 2 or 3 days later, I will own a Honda Civic EJ7 with the heart of B16A. I know it is not a very proud thing but I'm just happy that everything went under estimation. It is a good thing. Hooraay!!!!!

The very first post...

2008-11-27T04:08:00.000+08:00

From this point starts, I can tell people that I have a blog. Hooray..

So, this is the very first post but I'm still noobs in blogging. Well..everything will have a starting point, right?

Today I went around town to choose a car. I plan to mod a car in performance wise. But, the problem is my knowledge in performance of engine are so shallow. I think that I just need to learn and mod at the same time. :P

Before this, I'm just into exterior mod. Some people will call it Makeup Car (Kereta Solek). To me, it's a way to express your imagination and creativity towards the exterior look of your car. Maybe some people will think that it's a waste of money to mod a car without having any horsepower increase. Well..everybody have their point of view. :)

I'll try to gather all the steps and things that I had done to mod my current ride. But just not today. Maybe I'll feature some of my friends cars in future too.

So,...sit tight. Cheers.