NISMO bucket seat for the home??

Well not exactly from NISMO but sort of a replica. :P

I was shopping for a chair for my study room and came across a lot of offerings from the shops out there. Mind you, they are not that cheap. Well since the asking price is kinda steep I might as well custom make one for myself.

My study room sort of have a theme. I have a LOT of Skyline models and also framed autographed pictures from top World Rally Championship (WRC) drivers. Since it is automotive based, why not have a bucket seat in there as well?!?

Thus, I had a bucket seat done modelled after the Recaro SR3 and embroiled the NISMO wording on the headrest. Got it wrapped in black micro fibre cloth with red stitching. The bucket seat is then bolted onto the "legs" of a proper office chair and woila I have a NISMO bucket seat for the home. :P

It is also highly adjustable for height, recline and tilt ensuring the most comfortable position is found. I absolutely loved it!! Nowadays I leave it in my living room for watching movies as well. :P

Some of you guys have seen and tried it out. One even fell asleep in it. :P

Here's some pictures of the seat. So what do you think? Hehehe

Pic 1: My NISMO bucket seat

Pic 2: Front view

Pic 3: Side view

High Performance Challenge Track Day

The ER34 finally is no track virgin. Its race track virginity was broken when it went into the High Performance Challenge Track Day on the 22nd July 2007.

Sadly though, the day was a wet one. Thunderstorm hit Sepang International Circuit (SIC) the whole afternoon drenching the tarmac wet; making it super slippery on the newly resurfaced tarmac.

The day was only limited to the south circuit which is about 2,609 meters long and consist of 8 corners. I did not have a good outing at all; the car was sliding on every corner in the rain drenched tarmac making it very difficult to drive confidently. Imagine reaching speed in excess of 180km/h only to brake hard into a 2nd gear corner.....really nerve wrecking experience. It doesn't help at all when I fitted in my stock wheels with Firenza ST-03 tyres instead of my 18" Work wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

Oh and I had one hell of a major spin out approaching turn 3 (Turn 9 if you look at the whole circuit). :(

Pic 1: SIC South Circuit

Pic 2: The ER34 at HPC

Pic 3: Lucky got a tent, else myself also will be drenched wet

GReddy Speed Limiter Cut Controller

The ER34 comes from the factory with a 180km/h speed cut. Japanese cars are limited to 180km/h as a agreement between manufacturers and the government. Upon reaching 180km/h, fuel is cut to the engine; a drag when you see smaller capacity cars overtaking you while you're stuck at 180km/h.

Yes, I have had even 1,600cc cars keeping up to pace with me with the stupid speed cut on.

Thus, I got hold of the GReddy Speed Limiter Cut Controller to eliminate the speed cut. The device is wired into the ECU to rid of the factory speed limiter. It has no display whatsoever and is totally hidden from view.

I've not seen it selling here in Kuala Lumpur before (maybe I don't scout around much). I got mine from Japan and I liked it for it's pure simplicity; there's no cool looking display devices and such. Probably that's why it's not popular here. Many would prefer the flashy Apexi Rev Speed Meter. :P

Here is some pictures of the product.

Pic 1: GReddy Speed Limiter Cut Controller (front box)

Pic 2: GReddy Speed Limiter Cut Controller (rear box)

Pic 3: What's inside.....

Pic 4: Will connect to the ECU

Pic 5: GReddy Speed Limiter Cut Controller mounted on the ECU

Llumar Solar Security Tinted Film

Finally I did my window tinting, or rather security film tinting. I had Llumar Security Film fitted onto the ER34.

According to Llumar, Police estimate that the glass is the entry route for at least 60% of the unauthorized entries into light passenger vehicles. Further, police believe that a 10 second delay in entry is sufficient to discourage a spontaneous theft; the increased break-in time and the additional noise call attention to the thief.

LLumar automotive security film is designed specifically for use in vehicle windows to create a barrier of defence against smash-and-grab thieves. It deters theft by increasing the time it takes to break through a vehicle window. While the glass will crack after repeated impacts, it remains adhered to the film slowing the access to the vehicle interior and giving you time to escape.

Pic 1: Installation of Llumar

The ones I installed are the top of the line Solar Security Tinted Film (8 mil) with the below properties:-

Visible Light Transmittance - 52%
Solar Energy Rejected - 29%
Visible Light Reflected - 6%
Ultravoilet Rejected - 99%
Tensile Strength (lb/in2) Finished Film - 29,505
Tensile Strength (lb/in2) Raw Polyester - 32,000
Break Strength (lb/in) - 235
% Elongation at Break - >100
Peel Strength (g/inch) - >2720
Puncture Strength (lb) – 156

Have a look at the YouTube video demonstration of how good the product is:-

ER34 goes for major service

Ever since I got hold of the ER34, I've been planning to do a major service on the vehicle. My defination of major service is to change all belts, the crank pulleys, oil seals and spark plugs.

I wanted to use Pitwork parts instead of the generic brands, thus it took me a while and several orders to Japan to obtain the below parts for the job:-

NISMO Timing Belt (Part No. 13028-RSR45)

Pitwork Air conditioner belt (Part No. AY140-40910)

Pitwork Fan belt (Part No. AY140-40890)

Pitwork Power steering belt (Part No. AY140-40865)

Pitwork Idler Pulley (Part No. AY660-NS001)

Pitwork Tensioner Pulley (Part No. AY460-NS010)

Pitwork Oil filter (Part No. AY100-NS00)

Then locally, I sourced for the below:-

3X Nissan Crank Oil Seal (Part No. 13510-50B10)

6X NGK Iridium Iriway 7

5 litres of Torco SR-1 5W-40 Engine Oil (Fully Synthetic)

I sent the ER34 to my mechanic over the weekend and he worked on the car from 11:00am till 8:00pm. And I hung out at the shop the whole time. Gosh, thats a looooong wait. :O

After doing up all the above, the ER34 feels great. I think the Torco engine oils are excellent stuffs. It's dyno proven against Motul and Royal Purple of the same viscocity to produce more horsepower out of the car. Free hosepower! Amazing!

I couldn't believe it at first but after trying so, I'm a firm believer. If you need the oils, gimme a ring/email and I can get you some at a good price.

By the way, I'm utterly surprised that the previous owner of the vehicle had done a complete service too. All belts and plugs had been changed. Even the water pump. So now I have a spare set of good condition timing belt, air conditioner belt , fan belt, power steering belt, idler pulley and tensioner pulley. If you need it for whatever reason, you know who to look for a bargain. :)

Here are some pics of the parts and install process.

Pic 1: The parts that's going into the RB25DET NEO

Pic 2: Torco SR-1 5W-40 Engine Oil

Pic 3: Remove the engine cover, radiator, fan & timing belt cover

Pic 4: More things to strip...

Pic 5: Change idler and tensioner pulleys and oil seals

Pic 6: In goes the NISMO timing belt

Pic 7: Remove coil packs for the spark plugs change

ER34 headlights restoration

When I got hold of the ER34, the headlights are all faded and blurry. It sure makes the car looks old, not taken care of and sucks big time when it is viewed up front. I need to get it fixed!!!

Fortunatly, I got a buddy of mine that operates a business that refurbishes and repairs aircraft windows, aircraft canopies, aircraft/helicopters wind shields, side and quarter windows, etc....

Pic 1: BEFORE - Drivers' side

Pic 2: BEFORE - Passenger side

And the good thing is that the same application/technology can be applied to automotive headlights as well. I sent the ER34 in for a quick check and a couple of hours later, the car headlights came back shinning like new. Definitely worth the effort!!

So if you are interested to do the same, let me know and I'll hook you up with my friend in AeroClear, the aircraft window specialist.

The end results as below:-

Pic 3: AFTER - Drivers' side

Pic 4: AFTER - Passenger side

IMPUL bumper hurt pretty bad ....

I made lots of effort to avoid taking the ER34 to places that the front bumper may not clear. Unfortunately my luck ran out 2 days ago. I took the car to a friends' place and the roads leading into the condominium and out of the condominium was under some construction works.

The roads were pretty bad and if that's not enough, on the way out, the IMPUL front bumper got a menacing scrape with the tarmac. The road had a sudden dip and right ahead of the dip, the ground was raised; thus accentuating the situation.

Sigh.... was not feeling too happy about it until today. :(

Here's how bad it is........

Pic 1: The damage

Pic 2: A closer look