Replacement of cracked front speakers

After my memorable trip to my dear old favourite country China last December 2006, I came back home to my beloved ER34 only to destroy the front speakers. Sigh.....

Pic 1: Pioneer TS-A1680S

With budget constraints and the lack of proper resource and knowledge on In-Car Entertainment (ICE) systems, I went ahead and got a Pioneer TS-A1680S Coaxial 4 Way Speaker as a replacement for my Eclipse 8052 speakers. It came with the below specifications:-

- 220W Max. Power Handling
- 16cm woofer / 40mm dome midrange / 10mm dome tweeter
- Interlaced KEVLAR® Brand Fiber Reinforced IMPP cone woofer
- Butyl rubber surround for smoother response
- Long voice coil design
- Glass-imide voil

After installing the speakers it is apparent that cheap things are rarely good. The speakers are kinda 'noisy', an attribute that I was told was due to it being 4 ways.

Anyway, it will do for now, afterall I'm not too much of an ICE person. As long as I no longer have to listen to music via broken speakers.

Pic 2: Door panel removed

Pic 3: Thats where the Pioneer resides

Oil change with Lubegard Bio/Tech Engine Protectant

God I was out of touch for a while. Been a 'lil busy to update my blog.....

Anyway, did my 50,000km oil change on the 12th January 2007. Yup, you guessed it right, in came the Q8 Formula F1 10W-50 with original Nissan oil filter (Part No. 15208-53J00). This time round I also added in the Lubegard Bio/Tech Engine Protectant. This stuffs claims to reduce engine oil temperature which is a problem I'm having.

Pic 1: Lubegard Bio/Tech Engine Protectant

I've recorded 115 Degrees Celsius on prolonged high speed runs on the highway and also on 10th tenth enthusiastic driving. :O

This is indeed getting worrisome. I desperately need an engine oil cooler!!

AC Delco Maintenance Free Battery

If you have read about my constant raves and rants about the car having some electrical problems under Low batt and a fried amp?, you would have empathized with the sort of irritation I've been having with the car.

Pic 1: Stock Pitwork battery - NS40L

I finally got time to try another suspected cause of the problem. Change the battery!! If it still fails, then it has to be the battery cables.

Anyway, one fine day I sneaked out from work to do some shopping. Well, it is unbelievable that one CANNOT find a maintenance free battery the size of NS40L. And this is after going to perhaps 5 workshops and calling up some spare parts shops. Crazy!

Darn it. I finally decided to try my luck with the NS40ZL. The difference between the two is the location of the terminals. In the NS40L, the terminals are located inwards towards the engine while the NS40ZL has its terminal location outwards towards the car front bumper. Fitted it in and thankfully enough, the cables are long enough to reach the + and - terminals. Phew..... and I nearly resorted to ordering a set in from overseas. LOL :D

Pic 2: AC Delco Maintenance Free Battery - NS40ZL

Anyway, the battery I used is from AC Delco, a brand that I have been using since my days in my previous ride. Have no qualms about its reliability and being black in colour is a plus point. :P

Once fitted, I'm a happy camper. Gone are all my electrical gremlins. Now the car feels good without my constant worries of it going dead in the middle of the road.

Woohoo!!!

Skyline Owners Year End Gathering

Pic 1: The Skyline owners

Well what a way to end year 2006!!!

We had a gathering among the Skyline owners on Friday, 29th of December 2006. All started to roll into the meet up location at Piccadilly Restaurant & Cafe in Millennium Square, Dataran Millennium PJ from 9:00pm onwards.

It's a spectacle to see over 30 units of arguable the best export out of Japan all together. We have a multitude of different Skylines from the R32 GT-R till the R34 GT-R and everything in between. In addition, there were quite a few of the Nissan 350Z as well plus a couple of the S15 Silvia.

Anyway, it's nice to meet the owners of the same make and model and we had a wonderful time checking out each others rides. In some what of a contradiction, the group that I was with was drinking beer the whole night.

Hmmm.......this is the first time I drink alcohol during a car club gathering. :P

Anyway, it's great to meet you guys and hope we can do this more often. Perhaps this year I can and I will spare more of my weekend time for drives around our local hill resorts.

Eh, wait a minute I need to get my brakes done first. Sigh.........

Some pics of the night as below.

Pic 2: R34 GT-R with Tomei RB28 engine. Drool......

Pic 3: Crazy quad exhuast pipes!! Aussie style mate!

Pic 4: Row of the Nissan 350Z

Pic 5: The Skylines. Mine looks damn tame. :(

Pic 6: The beer lovers club!

Pic 7: Yours truly. Thanks to CONOCO for the goody bag!