Cheapest way to go sideways? Go kart, absolutely.
Wow..what a thrill. Though for only 10 minutes, it was fun fun fun from the get go. Especially everytime on taking an S-bend, and also taking the big corners ala parabolica flat out. Now I understand the thrill when Mark Webber talked about taking the 'parabolica' in Monza. Haha.
Apart from that, I've always wanted to do an opposite lock , the one when you have to steer the car the opposite way after an oversteer. Well I got to do it, in a kart la. The experience left me salivating driving a RWD on a track.
Its actually my third time karting. Set a decent time, but took 4 laps before I gained confidence to take corners, pedal to the metal. Looking forward for the next time.
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Friday, 18 January 2008
Scrap your car for RM400?
Well not quite.
For every one successful project car (the one where one restores an old, rusty, non-drivable condition car to one thats pristine, perfect and showroom condition car), there'll be easily eight other failed project cars (berkarat, terbiar, and with the car tepi jalan, all four tyres gone, supported by bricks, even the bricks have started to crumble). Its a sight for sore eyes, and being an car nut, it hurts to see it. Even if its a first generation Honda Accord. I feel for it. I know how hard it is to keep a car going at tip top condish. The emotional anguish, the financial committment, and the experience of fixing one thing, with another one failing the week after. So if you can't commit to it, what should you do with it?
The government should go ahead and implement the option to scrap these cars. Scrap owners sell their scrap at a price fixed by scrap yards, based on how much the yards can sell the besi buruks to the kilang besi. The kilang besi will buy these scrap at a price, which could be factored in to their production cost of a steel. I'm not from the steel industry, so I have no idea how much it is. Of course along the way, everyone will find a way to make profit. Not realistic? Maybe. But if we can find incentives for everyone, then it'll definitely work.
As for me, there's one project car thats on its way to greatness :)
For every one successful project car (the one where one restores an old, rusty, non-drivable condition car to one thats pristine, perfect and showroom condition car), there'll be easily eight other failed project cars (berkarat, terbiar, and with the car tepi jalan, all four tyres gone, supported by bricks, even the bricks have started to crumble). Its a sight for sore eyes, and being an car nut, it hurts to see it. Even if its a first generation Honda Accord. I feel for it. I know how hard it is to keep a car going at tip top condish. The emotional anguish, the financial committment, and the experience of fixing one thing, with another one failing the week after. So if you can't commit to it, what should you do with it?
The government should go ahead and implement the option to scrap these cars. Scrap owners sell their scrap at a price fixed by scrap yards, based on how much the yards can sell the besi buruks to the kilang besi. The kilang besi will buy these scrap at a price, which could be factored in to their production cost of a steel. I'm not from the steel industry, so I have no idea how much it is. Of course along the way, everyone will find a way to make profit. Not realistic? Maybe. But if we can find incentives for everyone, then it'll definitely work.
As for me, there's one project car thats on its way to greatness :)
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Heartbreak
What you love most, hurts you most. Hehe.
My head gasket went south last week.
Before taking the plunge into the Alfa ownership, I have prepared myself for worst case scenarios. Emotionally and of course, financially. Hence my frustration was not to the point where the food don't taste, or did I experienced any sleepless nights. I took a risk a year ago, and it took the same time for me to fall flat on my face, or at least that's the reason I think the gasket blew up on me.
It started by me driving a bunch of friends home to Kuantan, from KL.Four of them to be precise. Hitting Karak, I immediately floored the accelerator. Switching my right foot between brakes and the accelerator, making the boxer run its 129 horses relentlessly. 80% of the time, keeping the revs +5000 rpm to steer the bella around uphill corners. It was such joy.
2 days later, during idling, the Alfa lost power and sounded like running on 3 cylinders, as opposed to 4. I decided to take it to the pits. More of a workshop actually. On my way, the temperature went all to way to 110deg C, so I stopped to let it cool. Popping the hood, there were no water in the reservoir. Shit. Cranked the engine. Stuck. Sounded like the piston seized, which later I found out was quite right. Tow it is then.
Opening up the cylinder heads, found that one of the gasket had a water/coolant leak, causing water to mix with oil in the cylinder where I had work done before. We speculated that it could have either been poor quality gasket installed on my last timing belt 'putus' episode, or just improper installation. I didn't send the car to an Alfa specialist then, since I needed the car quick.
Now its all systems go. Better get some mods before it starts to 'merajuk' again. Maybe a pair of disc brakes, a squadra chip, and ICE. Worth to mention that I didn't send the car for washing for 3 weeks before the gasket failed. Heh.
My head gasket went south last week.
Before taking the plunge into the Alfa ownership, I have prepared myself for worst case scenarios. Emotionally and of course, financially. Hence my frustration was not to the point where the food don't taste, or did I experienced any sleepless nights. I took a risk a year ago, and it took the same time for me to fall flat on my face, or at least that's the reason I think the gasket blew up on me.
It started by me driving a bunch of friends home to Kuantan, from KL.Four of them to be precise. Hitting Karak, I immediately floored the accelerator. Switching my right foot between brakes and the accelerator, making the boxer run its 129 horses relentlessly. 80% of the time, keeping the revs +5000 rpm to steer the bella around uphill corners. It was such joy.
2 days later, during idling, the Alfa lost power and sounded like running on 3 cylinders, as opposed to 4. I decided to take it to the pits. More of a workshop actually. On my way, the temperature went all to way to 110deg C, so I stopped to let it cool. Popping the hood, there were no water in the reservoir. Shit. Cranked the engine. Stuck. Sounded like the piston seized, which later I found out was quite right. Tow it is then.
Opening up the cylinder heads, found that one of the gasket had a water/coolant leak, causing water to mix with oil in the cylinder where I had work done before. We speculated that it could have either been poor quality gasket installed on my last timing belt 'putus' episode, or just improper installation. I didn't send the car to an Alfa specialist then, since I needed the car quick.
Now its all systems go. Better get some mods before it starts to 'merajuk' again. Maybe a pair of disc brakes, a squadra chip, and ICE. Worth to mention that I didn't send the car for washing for 3 weeks before the gasket failed. Heh.
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
You gotta have a little faith bro
I'm gonna start using these phrases. Though not sure it'll sound just as cool in Bahasa Malaysia.
"You've gotta have a little faith bro" -> "Kau kena la tawakkal sikit"
"There 3 things that are certain in life..death, taxes and (insert anything appropriate for the occasion you are talking about)" -> "Ada 3 benda yang pasti dalam hidup...kematian, cukai dan..."
"You've gotta have a little faith bro" -> "Kau kena la tawakkal sikit"
"There 3 things that are certain in life..death, taxes and (insert anything appropriate for the occasion you are talking about)" -> "Ada 3 benda yang pasti dalam hidup...kematian, cukai dan..."
Sunday, 29 July 2007
"Get away from our women"
Why am I such a car nut?
Easy. A perfect family weekend for me would be going for test drives with my dad and my brother. Let me list down some of the more memorable ones.
1. V50 - We got flagged by the traffic cops for speeding at Kerinchi link (150 at a 90km/h zone), but was let off due to my dad's legendary trickery.
2. Fiat Coupe - Approaching the sharp right hander from Subang entering the Federal Highway, our sales advisor remarked, "Tuan haji, corner depan tu". Haha.
3. Saab 9-3 - Emergency braking, and immediately saying, "Just wanted to test the ABS".
Now I have to plan for our next 'get away from our women' day and test some really mean machines.
Easy. A perfect family weekend for me would be going for test drives with my dad and my brother. Let me list down some of the more memorable ones.
1. V50 - We got flagged by the traffic cops for speeding at Kerinchi link (150 at a 90km/h zone), but was let off due to my dad's legendary trickery.
2. Fiat Coupe - Approaching the sharp right hander from Subang entering the Federal Highway, our sales advisor remarked, "Tuan haji, corner depan tu". Haha.
3. Saab 9-3 - Emergency braking, and immediately saying, "Just wanted to test the ABS".
Now I have to plan for our next 'get away from our women' day and test some really mean machines.
DSG
I've experienced the future.
Its in the form of DSG,
I'm still reeling with excitement after test driving the Golf GTI Mk 5. Incredible, incredible experience. All cars in the next 5 years must be fitted with DSG. The shift is instantaneous, almost game like feel. Reminds me of pushing the R1 button to upshift and the L1 button to downshift on my PS2 controller, when playing Grand Turismo 3. The paddle shift on the steering wheel will need time to get use to, since if follows steering movement. I think I 'arcaded' the DSG more than I should, what with the burning clutch smell, after stepping out of the GTI at the end of the test drive.
Next to the 156 GTA (the aural experience), the GTI test drive was one of the most memorable test drives I've been on.
Any car with a DSG, deserves to be in my dream garage one day, next to the 156,E39,145 and E30.
Its in the form of DSG,
I'm still reeling with excitement after test driving the Golf GTI Mk 5. Incredible, incredible experience. All cars in the next 5 years must be fitted with DSG. The shift is instantaneous, almost game like feel. Reminds me of pushing the R1 button to upshift and the L1 button to downshift on my PS2 controller, when playing Grand Turismo 3. The paddle shift on the steering wheel will need time to get use to, since if follows steering movement. I think I 'arcaded' the DSG more than I should, what with the burning clutch smell, after stepping out of the GTI at the end of the test drive.
Next to the 156 GTA (the aural experience), the GTI test drive was one of the most memorable test drives I've been on.
Any car with a DSG, deserves to be in my dream garage one day, next to the 156,E39,145 and E30.
Wednesday, 4 July 2007
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