Reality Check

So I finished work and had supper with Naijiao, Andy, Viv and David.

On the way home on Canning Highway near Curtin, I hit a traffic light, and as you do I stopped and waited there.... To my left was one of the nicest and fastest bikes you could ever lay eyes on, a Yamaha R6 (0-100 km/h in 3 seconds...).
Anyways I take some notice but not a lot as the lights go green...

I'm driving down at the speed limit and in my rear view mirror I see a single light turn into the same street i.e. the bike...

It sped up and tail gated me til the next set of lights where it split into 2 lanes... controlled by another set of traffic lights. (which went red)

So I'm waiting checking out this awesome bike next to me and having a cheeky grin because I absolutely love the look of the Yamahas and wanted a bike myself sometime a bit earlier in the year...

So the lights turn green.. I wait, as I know there IS NO point even trying to race a bike. I did not give in to his provokes, the revs of the bike, the nod of his helmet... the lights turned green and we waited there.... a second or two passes and he's like fuck it and absolutely mashes the throttle.... I see it and am absolutely amazed at the acceleration, and sound! Something I've never seen before! Easily over 180 km/h, he just kept GOING!

As I watch him afar into the distance... his brake lights disappear... I think to myself holy shit hes fast .... however at the back of my mind I knew something was up, I knew that something bad had happened...

I approched to where I last saw him.....

I see on the other side of the road... a $20,000 bike laying there... and the rider lying there unconcious and not moving at all. He is badly scathed and was soaked in blood. His shirt literally deteriorated..

I swear profanities (as you do) and put on my hazards and run to him. I shout out "FUCK are you alright?" I try to get a response and continually ask whether he wants an ambulance or not...I didn't know WHAT to do!? Was he ok (Probably not after going that fast)?, Was he dead? I just was blank.. It was so mind blowing!

LUCKILY at this time and where he was lying, an off duty ambulance officer drove past in a small jeep!

With an ambulance officer there to know what to do really helped.. the guy drowsily woke up ando came to his senses, at this time he was swearing many FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK's and told us HE REALLY NEEDED TO GET HOME? All whilst insanely disoriented...
"Don't call the police PLEASE, I'll give you LOTS of money if you can get me and my bike home"

.... I drive an MR2? And the Ambulance officer had a smallish jeep too, so no way in hell could we even load it onto our cars?
I helped him lift his bike and I see him trying to start his poor bike... but wouldnt start? it was like gone... dead?

It was soo lop sided too... one side was so scratched, damaged.. scarred and so insanely fucked up that it wasnt even its proper shape anymore. There he is trying to get his bike going... even though he's in NO CONDITION at all to ride but thats what happens when you drink and drive.. if you get done for, you're fucked as well.

Lady luck was on his side tonight.. the bike started after 10 or so tries and he screamed "FUCK YES", I helped him gather his belongings which were scattered across the road and gave it to him... me and the ambulance officer couldn't have stopped him, it was his choice to go and on 2 flat tyres too... We told him to ride carefully (as he kept insisting his home was very very very very near). But no, this guy after crashing and getting rolled over at 180 km/h still went pretty fast past us.

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Ok so I'm pretty shaken at the moment.. I know in my heart that I made the right choice, NOT to race NOT to do such stupid shit on the public roads. But it was scary as fuck, he could have EASILY died. And then what? Would I be blamed for it? No one was there, how would they know that I wasnt the one whom provoked him? A message to all of you with sports cars.. Cool it. Ego is nothing, your safety and your health is more important.

Another thing is, I just hope all of you who drink and drive REALLY know what you're doing. Don't die to stupid shit like this and don't hoon like a douche on the public roads, thats what the tracks, skidpans and go karting are for.

Lastly, Those riding bikes... be careful please, I know that its Perth and NOT Malaysia, but still... (Directed @ you Strawberry) Just take care please?

You may not be so lucky as this guy... Don't forget, your parents raised you and put so much into you.. it would be a shame and the epitome of torture for any parent to see their child die before them.

ea

Christmas comes early for Mister 2

So... Here I am again, most probably deciding that spending money on this car is in my best interest :0 Anyways, as I was selling my AW11 parts... lets just say some offers came up that were TOO good to refuse! That is, genuine revision 5 clear indicators and revision 5 floor mats (very very insanely rare!!!). i.e. I caved in and let my shopaholic voice tell me YES!


The old rank blackened one from the previous owner


The new rev5 clear indicator set :)



Back to what it should be (also rank imo the crystal)



And very awesome car mats :D

I am also amazed at the speed of delivery! I purchased these off ebay somewhat 4 days ago.. and here they are!? Japan to Melbourne to Perth!? The Japanese are toooooo efficient!

Back to the JDM look :)

Anyways thats it for Red Riding Hood for now... as I have to save money for my holiday :) and/or AIRCON :@

Numero Uno DIY

So back in the day (ok a couple years) I changed my dash bulbs on my AW11 from green (stock) to a nice bright blue LED coloured dash. However wanted red and bought these bulbs as well but never bothered to install them!(its quite an annoying job). Luckily enough for me I still had them after I moved and a couple hours of man handling and cleaning later, we go from this:



To a ripped out dash:



To a nice red looking dash :) :



Very Audi I think :-)

Next on the list of easy DIY will probably be the clear front indicators I ordered and the side indicators. Possibly a resand and clear coat of the rear tail lights, A respray of the centre panel, and the painting of the black side strips :).

Aging? Blossoming? Evolving? Growing Up? Ripening?

It's funny the big change that I can sort of see. A lot of us are beginning to strive towards our goals in life? Our aspirations? Our dreams?

Obviously some will make it and some will not but that's not what's important. Its the trying and experience that is! So now, almost everyone's working or wanting to work, be it for a holiday, for their careers, cars, houses/homes, clothes, food etc. etc.
Me? I'm working for my hobby (expensive I know) which is my car, a GENG holiday with my closest friends, Epic clothes (like GENG PANTS), and really can't wait for next years uni semester to come so I can chop it :)
So what shapes us to be the way we are?

The other day I went Go Karting with some fat ugly short shit and it got me thinking... What if I started this when I was young? What if I had that talent, that KNACK for it... but I'd never know would I? I mean all the F1 drivers started karting when they were like 6 or 7. So how did I come to instead do commerce/asian studies than to what I was epicly interested in like engineering? Of course you can't blame your parents,because they just want the best for you. Even if it does mean letting them live vicariously through you, at least they're happy right?



I was talking to an Aunty at work last night, and told her what I was studying, and she said her son was studying engineering at Tafe and that she would never push her children to study things that did not interest them? I was like sure you can let your children do what they want... but in the end without guidance most of us wouldn't be doing so well?

Anyways everyones futures look really bright and I really can't wait to see where everyone ends up :)


MR2:
So like... My car has no Air Con... the Thermal expansion valve is apparently blocked and not letting any refrigerant through to the compressor! So basically its doing nothing and i paid $120 to get that checked!? then another $600-$800 to get THAT fixed and that might not even fix the problem! Luckily enough Ness can get me GENG discount ^_____^v.
Hope I have air con soon... I'm sort of baking in my red riding hood..

PS: Anyone want an SW20 for 7.5k? ;)

1984, the start of life?

In 1984 Toyota produced an epic car, the MR2. It was revolutionary in design, and handling and the like have been never seen from the Japanese domestic market during this time. Powered by the 4A series motor, these cars had a lot of revs to give and was a true drivers car. A combination of lightness, nimble and direct neutral feeling and a low center of gravity all trained me to be a more proactive driver than what I could have ever done (NO ABS or power steering) if I drove say a Civic (hi uncle).

Some many years later (2006?) I found myself wanting an MR2, an SW20 at the time. I however, stumbled across a white G-Limited 1989 Toyota MR2 instead. It had 135,000 kms on the clock and it was completely stock, though not without its issues. It needed not that much work but rather replacement of parts to get it up to my standards, most of which I provided in the 3 years I owned it (as I nicknamed, 'tofu').

From the top of my head It was given something like:

New battery
New Windscreen
MR2 Spyder Rims
195 Bridestone Adrenalin Tyres
Twosrus Rear Tie Rods
Front and Rear Ball Joints
Prothane Total Bushing Kit
TRD engine Mounts
High and Tight Sway bar end links (front)
MK1 MR2 Twosrus Reproduction Floor Mats
Inner and Outer Tie rod ends
STI Ignition leads
Koni adjustble struts
King Springs
TRD shift knob
New Front Rotors and Calipers
New Starter Motor
Shifter boot
New OEM pinstriping from the UK!
And a few other parts that never made it on.

I spent countless hours on this thing, whether it be actually working on it, or researching, or asking for help on my many forums... it was all for my hobby, my interest, the one thing that made me smile :).




However.... as you do when you mature, you begin to realize nothing lasts forever. This is when I took a step back and looked at all the work, all the effort, time and (more painfully) money that i've injected into it. I could have left it and left it worse for wear when I first purchased it.. It probably would have started rusting (You all know what I'm talking about ;D) and falling apart, but no! I came along and basically gave it a new lease on life, and do wish the buyer (a Father, whom I assume will give this car to his adolescent son) will look after her for many more years to come!

What I'm saying is I regret everyday that I sold it..all that time, all that effort.. what was the point? With the money I had over the new car (Red Riding Hood/RRH) I could have probably dropped in a blacktop 20 valve 4AGE or a 4AGZE... far greater and faster than what this new car can do stock).

Being me, I insisted on buying a newer car/base to start with, a 1997 Toyota SW20 Bathurst. I gave into the red young seducing looks of a newer MR2 over my original tofu, and now what? Do I start the process again? Bring it back up to my standard? Up to scratch? Is it really worth it?

Tein Super Streets? R32 Magnesium forged rims? Gen III 3SGTE engine? Or even a BEAMS 3SGE with ITB's? simple questions... not so simple monetary value however... :(




I always ask myself what do I really want from this? But I also know I love this sort of thing, I have a drive and passion for it and its not a fast car i want nor a show car.. but rather a car I can be proud of, that has taught me things, that was tuned, researched and brought to immense GENG levels by me :).

I still don't know why I love these things (MR2's? Toyota's?)... It may mean I will go through all 3 generations of the MR2? who knows? But I do know this, money can always be re-earned, Time is never wasted if you're doing something with it, and at the end of the day if it floats your boat and keeps you fulfilled and satisfied in life, then who cares? ^___^v



That will do for my first blog post...

PS: Funny how 8 years of difference can change designs so much on the lines and cues of the same car!

...I blame you Jong xin for making me start blogging :@