120k miles and counting - indeed the car has pulled over to 120,000 miles and how did I celebrate this milestone. 17psi 3rd gear pull from 30mph to the top of 4th. Pulled pretty quick.

Other news - brake upgrade scrapped and new direction sought. Needs to be quick as the brakes are on last er legs :-)

Labels: 120000, 120k miles, pull

  ¶ 11:22 PM 1 comments

  it's cold outside - it's ruddy cold outside and I've noticed a few things and below I have gathered together a few of these musings..

an MR2 isn't terrible on snow / ice it's just far better than me
ABS is quite happy to lock up all 4 wheels in snow on ice and ignore the car itself is still doing 20mph!
gearboxes and heel and toe gearshifts work better in snow than brakes
the above does require a tap on the brake pedal otherwise the guy behind gets one hell of a fright!
sideways in your works carpark doesn't always upset the security guard - he now thinks I'm 12! Generous of him I say lol
bolt together modifications very rarely are that :( more money down the pan

Take it easy out there folks  ¶ 4:16 PM 0 comments

  disc's ordered - indeed have ordered the new 315x28mm Lexus LS400 discs so hopefully they'll be here soon. Also got some standard caliper bolts from Toyota but alas they are too short to fit through the adaptor bracket into hub / new caliper's. So will need to source some M12 x 1.25 x 30mm 12.9 screw bolts just to make things a bit more secure. Can't have the brakes bolted on with a wing and a prayer. Seems to be the season for brake upgrades though I'm doing it the hard way

Not going to be able to fit all this together til Feb at the earliest, got a few things on with work so no time to do anything else.

Labels: bbk, caliper bolts, discs, lexus brakes

  ¶ 1:42 PM 0 comments

  cold slimy roads + 2nd gear at 16ish psi = wheelspin and the tail sliding out. Mmmm I won't be doing that again with quite the same free and easy not paying attention attitude. This was in a straight (wasn't so straight afterwards) line lol. A quick feather of the throttle and it came back into line. Funnily, the beemer behind me stayed a lot further back from then on. Ho hum  ¶ 1:31 AM 2 comments

  Messenger Live Multiple logins at once - having been forced to update to Live Messenger I started the trawl round the internet to find how to get more than one login running. Turns out MS already provide a way to do this without using third party software. Perfect! All that's needed is a registry hack.....er ok I can do that. It is very simple and I found it on this blog and yep it works. The steps are listed below but check out the blog for more info. Obviously you need to have more than one login account otherwise why would you need to have more than 1 messenger running :-)

Run Registry Editor (regedit).
Navigate to the following registry key:
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Live\Messenger

For 64-bit (x64) OS, go to following registry branch instead:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Live\Messenger

In the right pane, right click on any blank space, select New on context menu, and then click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the new registry value entry as MultipleInstances.
Modify the MultipleInstances and set its value data as 1.
Start as many Windows Live Messenger windows as you want from Start Menu.

Labels: messenger, MSN, multiple instances, multiple logins, Windows Live Messenger

  ¶ 11:46 AM 0 comments

  MOT passed - brakes still feel a bit funny but it's pushing me to get the bits for the BBK together and then in the new year get it fitted. Got a bit on over the next 2 odd months with work so messing with the car isn't an option. That and the pish weather we have!

Kumho KU31's? yeah the 255x40 certainly are sitting good on the wheel and do fill the arches. Obviously haven't had a chance to push them yet but will bed them in nicely and see if they rub with cornering load. Not likely in this weather though at least I have a full tread to lean on!  ¶ 6:11 PM 0 comments

  excel tip for changing month text to integer - indeed found this little gem to change Jan into 1 and it goes like =month(1&A1) where cell A1 has Jan in it. Full acknowledgement and explantion found on this website . Has a nice description of what that code is doing and why and we all like to know why something works!

Labels: excel, excel month text to integer, month to integer

  ¶ 2:24 PM 0 comments

  MOT time - er it failed lol. Rear tyres on / below legal limit which is fine I have no complaints about that at all. Coming into the winter with on the limit tyres is plain dumb and it's forced me to actually pick a tyre brand / model! So after much deliberating and trying to find someone with tyres I've plumbed for a completely new brand to me but recommended by folks running the same car as me.

Choices were for widths

245x40x17 - I know they'll fit without rubbing but waste of a 9 inch rim
255x40x17 - now you're talking and it **shouldn't** rub - note the use of shouldn't

Uniroyal Rainsport 2 - couldn't get them in any size I wanted
Goodyear F1's D3 - not impressed with the last set I had
Hankook RS'2 - not on sale anymore
Falken 452 - got good feedback from folks using them


Kumho KU31 - again good feedback from folks using them and I know someone running them


Bridgestone SO2 - Porsche fitment with the real aggressive tread wear


So I plumbed for the Kumho's in 255x40x17 so hopefully they'll be good - usual new tyre warnings apply - they'll grip like a wet bar of soap on lino til they wear away the mould releasing film!

Steering gaiter split and front brake balance dangerous. Ho hum, all getting fixed as we speak. Bloody cars

Labels: Bridgestone S02, falken 452, kumho ku31, mot, Uniroyal Rainsport 2

  ¶ 1:50 PM 2 comments

  amazing day out! - was such a sunny day I had to go out for a drive. Jet washed then polished car then drove it for 180 miles. 100 of which were in brilliant sunshine though not always warm, that's what the heater is for eh! Bunnet and sunglasses were used, I must have looked some state hehe. The drive back was in the dark, car behaved perfectly throughout the trip, ripped past traffic when asked and gave me one hell of a ride. The A85 from Tyndrum to Dalmally is an amazing stretch tarmac

Some pics below
on the road to Crainlarich



beside Loch Fyne




front fogs have been refitted, front end looks great

Labels: A85, Aberfoyle, Crainlarich, Dalmally, inveraray, stunning drive, sunglasses, Tyndrum

  ¶ 11:18 PM 1 comments