Okuyama Carbing Front Lower Arm Bar Installed

Pic 1: The Okuyama Carbing Front Lower Arm Bar

Yea, finally got time to get the Okuyama Carbing Front Lower Arm Bar installed on the ER34. It simply bolts on to the left and right front suspension arms' mounting points via the factory nuts.

Any difference? Can't really tell until the next drive.

Sigh...I miss 'driving' the ER34. :(

Here is how it looks like.

Pic 2: "Front" indicates the front of the ER34

Fuel price increase yet again

Pic 1: The ER34 at a petrol kiosk on the day before the fuel price hike

The Malaysian fuel (gasoline) price will be increased tomorrow on the 5th June 2008. Yet again! Yes, we Malaysians has seen the steady increase of fuel prices over the last decade. So uhmmm......it's nothing new nor it is not surprising to most if not all Malaysians.

Here is the history of the fuel hike over the years:-

Before 1990- RM 0.89/litre
year 1990 - RM 1.10/litre (increased RM 0.21)
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20/litre (increased RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30/litre (increased RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32/litre (increased RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33/litre (increased RM 0.01)
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35/litre (increased RM 0.02)
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37/litre (increased RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42/litre (increased RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52/litre (increased RM 0.10)
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62/litre (increased RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 - RM 1.92/litre (increased RM 0.30)
05/06/2008 - RM 2.70/litre (increased RM 0.78)

As you can see, this time round, it's a MAJOR increase, the highest increase ever (for now). Word has it that it may even reach RM 4.00 a litre sometime in August this year. That is madness. The government always stresses that Malaysia still has one of the cheapest fuel in the region. Yes that is true but those countries are not petroleum producing nations. Have they ever compared fuel prices with countries that have petroleum production like Malaysia? For example, fuel prices in the below countries are:-

If fuel prices are increased but there are other alternatives like public transportations, then there is a cheaper avenue out; but public transportation in Malaysia is not convenient nor planned properly. A car/motorcycle here is a necessity item. The car population is an amazing 500,000 vehicles every year (out of a population of 27 Million)!

At the moment us Malaysians are worried about the domino effect this will entail. Cost of transportation will go out, prices of food will increase, electricity tariffs will go up, and basically everything else will be costlier. If only our pay are increased proportionately. :P

To help offset the increase in fuel prices, the government introduced a cash rebate of RM 625 per year will be given to owners of private cars with an engine capacity of up to 2000 cc and pick-up trucks/4WDs/SUVs of up to 2500 cc. For vehicles over 2500 cc, there will be a reduction in roadtax of RM 200 and for motorcycles up to 250 cc, a rebate of RM 150 annually.

As for the ER34? Every 50 litres I pump in now is an additional RM39.00.

Sigh......

Pic 1: The ER34 looks at the rush to fill up before the fuel price hike tomorrow

Hyundai Coupe GK 2.7 (Tuscani) with an ER34?

Pic 1: The Hyundai Coupe/Tuscani GK GT V6

A few people were surprised to see me pottering around in a Hyundai Coupe (GK) over the weekend, thus I've decided to write a 'lil bit about the car. The Hyundai Coupe (also known as the Tuscani) I was driving is the 2nd generation GK model GT V6. It has a 2,700 cc heart mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Producing 172bhp @ 6000 rpm and 245 Nm of torque @ 3800 rpm, it is more than adequate to potter around town and be one of the faster cars out there.

Interestingly, this particular Coupe/Tuscani is the ONLY unit in Malaysia. Bought into the country in the year 2002 by the distributors of Hyundai in Malaysia, this unit has remained in the custody of the distributor all these years. So yeah I guess it's as rare as a Ferrari F50 or a Maserati MC12 here in Malaysia. :D

Pic 2: Interior shot

So how does it drive? Hmmm.... where do I begin?

Lets start with the 'feel'. Stepping into the car, one would notice the low seating position, you sit really close to the ground which is a plus. In the cockpit, the instruments are safe and predictable. Illuminated in red, it oozes out European style. The semi-bucket seats are a joy to be in and the availability of a sunroof is great. The visibility out could be better though. The high waistline and wedge shape of the vehicle makes parking judgments an art to master. :P

The six speeder transmission is something one would expect only to find in performance vehicles out of Japan or exotics from Italy buuuuuut hey, it exists in a Korean marque. Not too bad eh? The only issues I have with the tranny is that it's too heavy; requiring effort to row the gears. It could also be slicker and feels less notchy. On the plus side, the throws are really short. Much better than the ER34 I must admit. :O

Pic 3: The six speed tranny

Pic 4: Nice supportive semi-bucket seats

I do find difficulty in performing heel-and-toe with the pedals as compared to the ER34, but maybe because I suck. LOL :D

The steering is more weighted than the ER34 giving out more feel. The ceiling height is very low, I only have perhaps 2 inches or so of ceiling space. With a helmet on, I think there will be friction.

Driving the V6 engine brings me nostalgia as I reminiscence of my time with the Proton Perdana V6's 6A12 engine. Smooth revving and gave out a nice purr to it. The Coupe's Delta V6 engine could do with a higher rev limit than 6,500 though. It also sounds pretty quiet; nothing a bigger and freer aftermarket exhaust can't fix. :)

Pic 5: The 2,700 cc Delta V6 heart

Is it fast? Well it's not all looks and no go. Doing the century sprint in 7.2 seconds and all the way to a top speed of 233km/h, it's more than fast enough for a lot of drivers out there.

Overall somehow I feel the Coupe is more 'sportscar-like' in feel than the ER34. Think about it; a cramped interior, poor visibility and a car that requires effort to shift it's gears are traits of supercars of yesteryears. The ER34? It feels and drives just as easy as any decent Japanese sedans out there.

Ok, you guys can shoot me now. LOL :D

The most interesting comment I got driving the Coupe/Tuscani is this, "Did you change car or sprayed your car red?". I was stunned at first but it was kind of hilarious actually. And yes, it's a girl who asked that. Hahahahaha

Pic 6: The meter cluster

Pic 7: The centre fascia

Here are some pictures of the GK with the ER34. Enjoy!

Pic 8: Side-by-side with the ER34

Pic 9: Front view with the ER34

Pic 10: Comparing the rear view with the ER34

COMMENTS ANYONE?

Accord Skyline in the making....

Pic 1: R34 headlights on a CD Accord

The other day, I came across this fifth generation Honda Accord (CD chassis) that is undergoing a conversion to a R34 Skyline look. The owner has already fitted in the front headlights and rear taillights from the R34 Skyline. Along with it I also spot the R34 GTT Altia front bumper and stock rear bumper ready to match.

Note the huge wheels that is jutting out from the wheel wells. The wheel arches has been cut to accomodate them! Those wheels looks to me like the Rays Engineering Gram Lights T57-RC. I bet the final look of the vehicle will widebody style.

Can't wait to see the final product. :)

Pic 2: R34 rear lights on the Accord

Pic 3: Check out the wheels

Oil change and new brake fluids

Pic 1: Undergoing oil change

I finally got time to service the ER34 after my trip back. It's supposed to be done right before I leave but guess timing was not right on my side. Well I guess to be serviced and be left undriven also serves not much purpose. :P

This time round, I decided to give the Motul 8100 Ester E-Tech 0W-40 a try since I don't have any stocks of my regular Torco SR-1 5W-40 lying around at home. Together with an oil filter change from Nissan (Part No. 15208-53J00), I'm set to go.

Pic 2: The Motul 8100 oW-40 E-Tech

Of late, I also notice my brake pedal isn’t that 'firm' anymore. I guess it's time for a brake fluid change. Rummaging through my store, I found a bottle of Truth Endless Dot 4 Brake Fluid at home, so I might as well get my brake fluids changed too. :)

Having all these changed feels great. Finally with new blood in the system, I would 'dare' to push the ER34 a 'lil harder. Miss driving her for 3 weeks! :(

Pic 3: The Truth Endless Dot 4 Brake Fluid

Pic 4: Bleeding the brake hoses. Exhaust is bigger than a human head. :P

For Sale: IMPUL 534S front bumper and GTT rear spoiler

I am letting go my IMPUL 534S front bumper and the original ER34 rear spoiler. If you are interested, kindly email me via eujin[at]hotmail[dot]com.

I'm sure you know how both items look like, so no pictures are necessary.

Many thanks. :)

R35 GTR Brochure

This is the most 'valuable' item I've got from my trip back. A R35 GTR brochure. Super!

Pic 1: Front cover

Pic 2: What's inside......

Pic 3: Specifications and trims.