ER34 front rotors warped again....

After I got my front rotors skimmed and slotted back in August 2006, the car feels great. No more shuddering upon hard braking. However, it only lasts me for 2 weeks (!!!) before I managed to get 'em rotors warped again.

Sigh......I seriously hope it's just uneven rotors and not associated with other more minute details concerning the braking system. I had lived with it for close to 4 months now and it's beginning to irritate me badly. I can't drive hard with confidence knowing the car will vibrate upon hard utilization of the STOP pedal.

Pic 1: Brembo F50 brake kit

There are indeed many stock replacement rotors out there as with a total big brake upgrade kits. If one have the budget (> JPY 800,000), the Brembo F50 brake kit with 15" rotors seems to be like the big daddy of brake kit for the Skyline.

However, back to reality, I have tried the budget way, that is to skim and reuse back the OE units. Now, it's perhaps time to go aftermarket and opt for a replacement unit. I have surveyed around for the available models that I would consider. Looked at offerings from Dixcel, Project Mu and also Endless.

Pic 2: Project Mu's SCR Pro

Pic 3: Endless' 24 Slit Rotors

In the end, I narrowed down my choice to either Project Mu's SCR Pro or Endless' 24 Slit Rotors. Just wire transferred the cash to my contact in Japan yesterday and would hope to get it delivered via EMS as soon as possible over here.

Which rotors did I ordered? Will let you all know once it arrives..... :P

Waits in glee!!!

Low batt and a fried amp?

Well I had some electrical problems with the ER34 for the past week. Sometimes the electronics will flicker about while driving. The heaunit, headlamps, taillamps and meter cluster LEDS all will flicker a couple of times and be back to normal.

Now this of course is very worrisome. I had no idea what the hell is wrong with the car. Initial suspicion was the fuse distributor. But had no idea which electrician can work on the ER34 unit. Sigh....

Anyway, this carries on for quite a while off and on. Sometimes, the engine will even go dead. Luckily this only happens while idling at the lights. I did try to check the battery power level and it shows a healthy 13.5V via the OE battery voltage meter. Once I used the flash lights (high beam), and the same thing happened. Everything went flickering on and off. Did an experiment later and held onto the flash lights (high beam) for a prolonged period; and it stalled the engine!!

Pic 1: Fried Amp

Then one fine day, my amp got fried!! I suspect the irregular power input could have been the cause of it. Send it for repair and while waiting for it to get fixed, I borrowed an el-cheapo amp to be used. The amp came back with the below components changed:-

1) 2 pcs Transistors

2) 1 pc IC

3) 3 pcs Mosfet

Pic 2: El-cheapo borrowed amp

Anyway, I check the battery water level on the Pitwork battery and the water level is kinda low. Top it up and afterwhich I had no electrical flickering problems anymore. Guess the ER34 really hates a low batt just like Diego the Sabertooth tiger hates water in Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. Checked via a multimeter and the voltage level looks fine.

Pic 3: Miniscule Pitwork battery

I think perhaps I need to upgrade to a bigger sized battery. And a maintenance free once too. Did someone say Gel-Cell batteries from Odyssey?? Nah if I can source it in Malaysia, it'll probably run into 4 digits. :O

Land of The Rising Sun Flag & Japanese text

I have always had a fondness for the Japanese "Rising Sun" flag. I think I liked it ever since I saw one of Spielberg's lesser known movies called "Empire of the Sun" way back in 1987. I just recently got hold of the DVD and watched it again after 19 years since the first time I seen it in the cinema.

Pic 1: The Empire of The Sun movie poster

Needless to say if you have watched the movie before, the emotional turmoil one gets throughout the movie is unlike any of the current movies where one just watches and forgets it the next day. The movie is set during the WWII invasion on China by the Japanese in 1941; it leaves a deep impact in your heart on the hard life of a young British boy who got separated from his rich parents in Shanghai. The separation lands the boy in Suzhou Creek Internment Camp and the subsequent hardship in the camp until the end of the war in 1945 after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

Anyway, I had the idea to do a "Rising Sun" flag decal on the ER34 complete with the Japanese text "スカイライン" meaning Skyline. Got it done and the below are the results..........

Does it turn out ok? Any comments???

Pic 2: Driver side (Yes that's me in the reflection with the "peace" sign)

Pic 3: Passenger side

Pic 4: View from afar