Here is our group video project. It is a comedy sketch style video about teaching group member Sam to drive a car with a manual transmission. It took us a lot of effort, but we had a great time filming...Hope you enjoy!
Filmed with a Canon 60D & GoPro Hero 3 and in HD for your viewing pleasure.
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
CAR LIFESTYLE POST 4 - My Top 10 Best Looking Cars
For my 4th and final post, I will be listing the 'Top 10 Best looking cars' in my own humble opinion. Having to number and rank stuff like this is quite a big challenge. Others could equate it to listing, in order, their favourite songs, or shoes. Each has a time and place! So don't take this too seriously.... In order to make this MUCH easier on myself though, I set some ground rules. All cars must be rated in STOCK appearance, not modified however the images included of the cars may have some modifications but that has no bearing on their selection. Secondly, no concept cars. All these vehicles can be bought and driven (Although some are a bit harder to find, and then afford).
Let's get started. Number 10 on my list is....
The 1970 Chrysler Valiant VG Pacer Hardtop
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These car's used to be quite prominent in the Australian car scene back in the day, often being used as family cars alongside the early Holden's at the time. Although Chrysler also offered some pretty sporty packages back then too, in fact these cars could be optioned up to 175kw (235BHP) from the factory thanks to the 245 Hemi engine - that was over 40 years ago!
Number 9 on my list is...
The 1973 Mazda (Savanna) RX3 Coupe
These cars are quite a cult classic, fetching big dollars in recent years due to a high demand market. These cars are unique in that they feature a rotary engine, unlike most cars that utilize a conventional piston engine. Rotary engines have an unmistakable sound and feel and have a lot of opportunity for performance modification. The 12A engine output was around 97kw (130BHP).
Number 8 on my list is...
The 1992 Honda NSX
One of the most rigid and best handling sports cars of the 90's thanks to Ayrton Senna's direct input with the chief engineer of the NSX at the time. Producing 200kw (270BHP) out of the 3 litre motor (Later models available in 3.2L) it is considered one of the most reliable sports cars ever even today. And well, it looks pretty damn good too.
Number 7 on my list is...
The 2010 Maserati GranTurismo
A sleek and modern ride developing 298 kW (399BHP) out of it's glorious sounding 4.2L V8. After seeing one of these in person a few months ago it really brought to my attention how striking it is - I couldn't look a way and for that reason it has made my list, for now.
Number 6 on my list is....
The 1973 Holden HQ GTS Monaro
Now we move onto some real Aussie muscle. The HQ GTS Monaro is just simply a beautiful ride, and given the price of a good one now - I'm probably not the only one who thinks so. Quintessentially Australian with its big 5.7L V8 producing 205kw (272BHP), aggressive stripes and an intimidating presence. This would be one of the car's I'd have to buy if I ever won the lottery just for the sheer grin it would put on my face.
Number 5 on my list is...
The 1987 Ferrari F40
Fast. Expensive. Awesome. A lot of people will tell you they have that certain car, the one that they have only seen in person a select few times but are still absolutely in love with. For me, this is it. The Ferrari F40 is one of Ferrari's most prominent and adored cars. At it's time of release it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive Ferrari ever sold to the public making 352kw (471BHP). Considering it only weighs 1.1 tonnes, this equates to an extremely thrilling ride.
Number 4 on my list is...
The 2000 Mazda FD RX7
The RX7 is a thing of beauty, admired by car enthusiasts young and old. These car's are timeless in that they have lines that will never again be replicated (Thanks to safety laws mostly...). This is a shame, because well... Look at it! This car, like the Mazda RX3 features a rotary engine - the 13B Twin Turbo making 195kw (261BHP). Unfortunately, this wasn't Mazda's most reliable motor and despite being such a wonderful car, it also gave rotary cars a bit of a stigma for being expensive to run and unreliable, due to badly designed apex seals. Though it can be rectified now, rotary engines are more temperamental than most other motors and do need frequent servicing to stay in top shape - worth it though!
Number 3 on my list is...
The 1986 Holden HDT VL Calais LE Turbo
I absolutely love these cars. When you take a turbocharged 6 cylinder car from the 80s that's pretty damn cool in itself (to me anyway) and add a bit of Peter Brock to the mix - You get this. Now a collectable, these cars were a great choice for someone with a bit of money to burn who wanted to get around quickly with style. Producing 150kw (200BHP) and weighing 1.35T these car's could certainly get up and go and as a result of this, and sharing a motor with a few other cars (Nissan Skyline R31, Nissan Patrol GQ) the aftermarket for these cars has absolutely soared. People are making huge power with small budgets thanks to the potential stored inside the RB30 engine.
Number 2 on my list is...
The 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 22B
The 1990's Subaru Impreza WRX put Subaru on the map as a manufacturer with its success in the world rallying championship (WRC). In response to changing rules in the late 1990's, car's were allowed to be wider and more powerful - Subaru decided to take advantage of this and design something great. Based on the first generation (GC8) Impreza, the 22B was an STi coupe, which was modified by hand to have huge wide guards to fit larger tyres, this gave the car an incredible look, you could tell exactly what it was built to do. Go fast. The engine was also brought up from 2.0 Litres to 2.2 Litres resulting in 210kw (280BHP). Many think this denotes the '22' in the name which is a fair assumption. In order to allow the car to compete in the WRC however, it had to be based on a road car. So to meet this rule, a limited 400 22B's were sold to the public - It is reported that they were completely sold out within the first hour of release.
Number 1 on my list was a very hard choice as you can imagine, but I decided to go with....
The 1970 Dodge Charger R/T
I'm sure you've seen this before. The second generation Dodge Charger has been in TV series, games and movies countless times. For me, the car has a great low-slung, masculine look that says "Don't piss me off". Seeing (and hearing) these car's makes me feel like a kid, and for that I am grateful. If I am ever given the chance to own, drive or even sit in one of these I won't hesitate - It's just too beautiful and charismatic to pass up. The Charger came with an array of engine options, but I think the 440 six-pack is coolest (although the 426 HEMI is a very close second), the 440 made 290kw (390BHP) - Not bad at all especially for a car over 40 years ago!
I hope you've enjoyed this list of mine, and have maybe learnt about some cars you've never seen or though much of before. As a 'car guy' it was impossible to ever be 100% happy with this list, so some honourable mentions I would like to add are: BMW 635CSi E24, BMW E30 M3, Nissan Skyline R32, Chevrolet Comaro Z28, the new MY2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost, De Tomaso Pantera GT5 to name a few...
-Alex
The Car Lifestyle Community
Just this past Friday night at eastern creek raceway saw a large event that summed up a part of the car lifestyle we all love.Myself and a few friends decided to show up and loved all 3 hours we were there for.
The massive Orange Grove Mega Centre carpark transformed into a spectacle of auto culture, music, traders and incredible cars as the first Fitted Friday brought the best of Sydney's fitment car culture together. The atmosphere was buzzing and there were good vibes in abundance thanks to the DJ's and great attitudes of the crowd numbering into the thousands.
A quote from Moey from the Queen Street Group had this to say about his latest car; "It’s with pleasure I launch my new car and a new era for us here at Queen Street. We’ve been through countless builds of different genres and always created award winning machines. At this point in Queen Street’s life-span excitement for new builds doesn’t come with ease, but I’m excited for Queen Street and where we’re headed! Thanks to everyone who’s supported us this far and got us to where we are, we’re still going hard! Here’s my new Liberty Walk Murcielago."
All in all the night was awesome and a huge success for all car lovers.
Had a great time, would recommend anyone who likes cars to go and would definitely go again.
-Jesse
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Sam - My Experience with the Bathurst 1000
I had initially planned to save this post for an investigation into what
to look for when purchasing a second-hand car, however realising that I
had no expertise on the subject, I thought better of it. Instead I was
enlightened by one of the most important dates on the Australian racing
calendar - the Bathurst 1000.
The aforementioned John (from my previous post) is the resident racing fan of the house and consequently his undying love for the sport meant the loungeroom was turned into his personal pit-stop for the weekend. All that could be heard were the repetitious hooning sounds of suped-up V8's charging around the legendary Bathurst track... over and over and over again. As you might have picked up, this kind of thing really isn't my cup of tea. Historically waking up to the discovery that motor racing was on the TV brought a bitterness to my mouth and an ache to my stomach, as it meant that neither the AFL, nor the rugby, nor the cricket, nor anything else, would be televised that day.
However, this year was different. This year brought a little bit of everything and more. Every good sporting event needs a story to grapple its viewers. While Emmanuel Adebayor's goal for Manchester City against Arsenal in 2009 was a great goal in and of itself, it was made both legendary and infamous only by the fact that it was against his old club and that he thus decided to run the entire length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal support.
With bottles and other debris being pelted towards him, we were embraced by the human element of game and soon forgot that it was just football being played. The sport is a catalyst or a vehicle (no pun intended) for creating intense human interaction. This is what intrigues those without an appreciation of the talent being displayed and is why on the weekend I found myself in a position I had never been in before: being interested in the Bathurst 1000 race.
The controversy started with the rumour released by News Limited that Ford would cease involvement in the sport at the end of 2015, in line with its plans to exit production in Australia and cease producing the 'Falcon' vehicle in 2016. This had obviously rallied a huge response from enthusiasts and those within the industry, as representatives began desperately fighting for their case. I can only imagine that this was undoubtedly in the back of the minds of all Ford drivers as they embarked on the most widely renowned V8 racing event of the year.
The second bit of excitement came from the relaying of much of the track prior to the race. The process had apparently left Turn 2 as an incredibly hazardous part of the track, with little bits of tarmac littering the road. With the insane speed that these cars were moving, the commentators likened trying to traverse over the turn to driving on ice. Unsurprisingly, this created a lot of the action for the day with spills and crashes occurring one after the other. Obviously, for someone like me, this was far and away the most engaging aspect of the race. Not only was it amazing watching the sheer carnage of incredibly expensive vehicles being torn up, but it was incredible as someone who's fascinated by the strategy in sport and games to witness so many drivers unable to account and adjust to the conditions. While I can't attest to having any idea how difficult it is to actually drive a V8 supercar, it did appear somewhat strange that so many cars fell victim to the surface.
The final stroke of absurdity came late in the race when race-leader Shane van Gisbergen's car failed to start after a pit-stop. This left Jamie Whincup and Mark Winterbottom fighting it out on the last final laps for the race win. In the neck and neck battle, Winterbottom spun out, and Chaz Mostert took his place quickly pressuring Whincup. On the last lap, Whincup's fuel had run very low, leaving him to try and conserve it whilst fending off Chaz Mostert. This proved an impossible task, as the car inevitably ran out of fuel, leaving Whincup rolling over the line in 5th place and Mostert as the 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner.
Once again, if you're anything like me, that's pretty amazing; incredibly, one guy's car dies after leading the majority of the race, another guy spins out in a battle for first, and his competitor then inexplicably runs out of fuel. However, the real icing on the cake is Chaz Mostert's story. Remember that controversy surrounding Ford? Well Mostert is a Ford driver. Not only that, but he's merely 22 years of age and started in last position at the beginning of the race! This is the 'Steven Bradury-esque' story that everyone loves to see, the underdog triumphing over all odds, and was the perfect finish to what was an amazing event to witness.
So there you have it. A demonstration that no matter what sport you witness, there lies potential for some of the most exciting drama and inspirational storytelling possible... even if it's motor-racing!
The aforementioned John (from my previous post) is the resident racing fan of the house and consequently his undying love for the sport meant the loungeroom was turned into his personal pit-stop for the weekend. All that could be heard were the repetitious hooning sounds of suped-up V8's charging around the legendary Bathurst track... over and over and over again. As you might have picked up, this kind of thing really isn't my cup of tea. Historically waking up to the discovery that motor racing was on the TV brought a bitterness to my mouth and an ache to my stomach, as it meant that neither the AFL, nor the rugby, nor the cricket, nor anything else, would be televised that day.
However, this year was different. This year brought a little bit of everything and more. Every good sporting event needs a story to grapple its viewers. While Emmanuel Adebayor's goal for Manchester City against Arsenal in 2009 was a great goal in and of itself, it was made both legendary and infamous only by the fact that it was against his old club and that he thus decided to run the entire length of the field to celebrate in front of the Arsenal support.
With bottles and other debris being pelted towards him, we were embraced by the human element of game and soon forgot that it was just football being played. The sport is a catalyst or a vehicle (no pun intended) for creating intense human interaction. This is what intrigues those without an appreciation of the talent being displayed and is why on the weekend I found myself in a position I had never been in before: being interested in the Bathurst 1000 race.
The controversy started with the rumour released by News Limited that Ford would cease involvement in the sport at the end of 2015, in line with its plans to exit production in Australia and cease producing the 'Falcon' vehicle in 2016. This had obviously rallied a huge response from enthusiasts and those within the industry, as representatives began desperately fighting for their case. I can only imagine that this was undoubtedly in the back of the minds of all Ford drivers as they embarked on the most widely renowned V8 racing event of the year.
The second bit of excitement came from the relaying of much of the track prior to the race. The process had apparently left Turn 2 as an incredibly hazardous part of the track, with little bits of tarmac littering the road. With the insane speed that these cars were moving, the commentators likened trying to traverse over the turn to driving on ice. Unsurprisingly, this created a lot of the action for the day with spills and crashes occurring one after the other. Obviously, for someone like me, this was far and away the most engaging aspect of the race. Not only was it amazing watching the sheer carnage of incredibly expensive vehicles being torn up, but it was incredible as someone who's fascinated by the strategy in sport and games to witness so many drivers unable to account and adjust to the conditions. While I can't attest to having any idea how difficult it is to actually drive a V8 supercar, it did appear somewhat strange that so many cars fell victim to the surface.
The final stroke of absurdity came late in the race when race-leader Shane van Gisbergen's car failed to start after a pit-stop. This left Jamie Whincup and Mark Winterbottom fighting it out on the last final laps for the race win. In the neck and neck battle, Winterbottom spun out, and Chaz Mostert took his place quickly pressuring Whincup. On the last lap, Whincup's fuel had run very low, leaving him to try and conserve it whilst fending off Chaz Mostert. This proved an impossible task, as the car inevitably ran out of fuel, leaving Whincup rolling over the line in 5th place and Mostert as the 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner.
Once again, if you're anything like me, that's pretty amazing; incredibly, one guy's car dies after leading the majority of the race, another guy spins out in a battle for first, and his competitor then inexplicably runs out of fuel. However, the real icing on the cake is Chaz Mostert's story. Remember that controversy surrounding Ford? Well Mostert is a Ford driver. Not only that, but he's merely 22 years of age and started in last position at the beginning of the race! This is the 'Steven Bradury-esque' story that everyone loves to see, the underdog triumphing over all odds, and was the perfect finish to what was an amazing event to witness.
So there you have it. A demonstration that no matter what sport you witness, there lies potential for some of the most exciting drama and inspirational storytelling possible... even if it's motor-racing!
Jesse - My interest in cars
ISYS100 car life style group member Jesse Blogging here.
Ever since I can remember I have been crazy about all things cars.
As a child I owned hundreds of toy cars that I would play with everyday using hotwheels tracks or R/C cars to play and race around.
and all of my video games had to be car relates from pure racing games to RPG car game it was main main interest that remains today
he more and more I have grown older the more they have been a focus on and a goal for me in my drive in life.
From always tuning into watch all type of motorsport from around the world when every its on
to having my birthdays as a kid at go-karts
and now as a adult having my birthday event as driving V8 super cars
Anyone I consider a close friend has this same passion and interest in a lifestyle of cars and I can find it very easy for myself and others will this lifestyle to easily connect over it.
The term lifestyle is perfect in describing what all of us who are so obsessed with cars. From my youngest age of memory till now and probably till the day I die everything cars will be my lifestyle.
Sam - Salvaging Parts
A few months ago, my Mum's partner John got involved in an unfortunate
car accident. It had been raining and whilst going down a hill he
decided to change lanes. This caused his car to lose traction, sending
him head-on into a road barrier. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the
damage to the car appeared relatively minimal.
Well, perhaps not minimal, but at least repairable! This, as I soon learned, was not the case, as the impact had caused the chassis become bent. Now, to those just as illiterate to these sorts of things as I am, a car is not road-worthy with a bent chassis, and to fix a chassis the entire car more or less has to be pulled apart and put back together again - a massive task which doesn't come cheaply. Thus, the decision to write-off the vehicle was the obvious way to go. With the insurance company paying out roughly $18,000 for the 5 year old Ford Falcon, which was originally worth over double that, John decided to salvage what he could from the wrecked vehicle. When your car is written-off and towed you have first right to buy it from the wreckers - in this case, it cost $800 to buy back. With the car back in his possession, John began pulling it apart and advertising the parts online. People came from as far north as Newcastle and as far south as Melbourne in order to get the specific part they needed! When all was said and done, there were only a couple of parts unsold. Here is a list of what did:
Seats - $750
Engine and transmission - $5,500
Towbar - $90
Bluetooth module - $60
Integrated Command System - $50
Handbrake Boot - $20
Fuse cover - $20
Shock absorbers - $250
Springs - $150
Front Brakes - $100
RR door - $75
LR door - $75
RF door - $75
LF door - $75
Mudguard - $25
Rear Spoiler - $50
Side skirts - $30
Head Lining - $10
Boot carpet - $10
Various parts - $95
Interior light - $30
Steering Wheel - $90
Exhaust - $100
Boot struts - $20
Front door rubbers - $45
Sun Visors - $51
Wheels and Tyres - $650
This amounts to an incredible $8496! Needless to say I was gobsmacked when I found out the insane remuneration that can be had by taking the effort to sell your old car parts.
Well, perhaps not minimal, but at least repairable! This, as I soon learned, was not the case, as the impact had caused the chassis become bent. Now, to those just as illiterate to these sorts of things as I am, a car is not road-worthy with a bent chassis, and to fix a chassis the entire car more or less has to be pulled apart and put back together again - a massive task which doesn't come cheaply. Thus, the decision to write-off the vehicle was the obvious way to go. With the insurance company paying out roughly $18,000 for the 5 year old Ford Falcon, which was originally worth over double that, John decided to salvage what he could from the wrecked vehicle. When your car is written-off and towed you have first right to buy it from the wreckers - in this case, it cost $800 to buy back. With the car back in his possession, John began pulling it apart and advertising the parts online. People came from as far north as Newcastle and as far south as Melbourne in order to get the specific part they needed! When all was said and done, there were only a couple of parts unsold. Here is a list of what did:
Seats - $750
Engine and transmission - $5,500
Towbar - $90
Bluetooth module - $60
Integrated Command System - $50
Handbrake Boot - $20
Fuse cover - $20
Shock absorbers - $250
Springs - $150
Front Brakes - $100
RR door - $75
LR door - $75
RF door - $75
LF door - $75
Mudguard - $25
Rear Spoiler - $50
Side skirts - $30
Head Lining - $10
Boot carpet - $10
Various parts - $95
Interior light - $30
Steering Wheel - $90
Exhaust - $100
Boot struts - $20
Front door rubbers - $45
Sun Visors - $51
Wheels and Tyres - $650
This amounts to an incredible $8496! Needless to say I was gobsmacked when I found out the insane remuneration that can be had by taking the effort to sell your old car parts.
Nathan's 626 - Suspension Work Part 2 of 2
This post will be part 2 of 2 on the front suspension work that has been done to the 626. This post will cover front strut removal, building, and replacement. This will be my final post on the blog.
The 626 has had a lot more work done to it than I have posted here... If you would like to check them out I have a work log thread online here: http://mazda626.net/topic/45237-ndh795s-2000-626-5-speed-worklog-tons-of-pictures/
Started stockpiling parts to re-do the front struts, replaced everything in this diagram except the upper spring seat and the spring itself. Everything was OEM except for the shocks themselves which were KYB:
^ You can also see the front swaybar bushings that we bought.
Installed the struts, massive improvement in handling, and the car corners flat now! There are also no more squeaks/rattles/noises from the struts…
Disassembly:
Old struts out:
Lots of Parts!
Compressed the springs:
^ Thanks to our friend Mike for bringing up his air compressor and impact gun!
Upper spring seat that we were re-using (only these and the springs themselves were re-used, everything else inc. bolts/seals/etc was new). There was no rubber on them, therefore they can't wear out:
There was a huge difference in the old bearing and bump stop compared to the new stuff
For some reason there was a big difference in the design of the mount compared to the old ones too:
Old:
New:
Installing the new struts:
Installed with the help of our friends who own the other 626 (from earlier when we did the rust repair)
You can see my car in the background (in the garage)
The old stuff:
A video of the old shock, barely rebounds half-way:
Trusty eBay $20 spring compressors worked great:
All torqued down! The next few weeks later went and re-checked everything with the torque wrench:
The struts were the last major work that’s been completed on the car. As of 1st Oct 2014
Next for the car:
- Buy and fit new starter motor (current one is dying)
- Fix boot lock that doesn’t open (can open it from inside the car but not with the key in the boot)
- Paint rotor hats (as they are ugly and surface-rusted at the moment
- Fix little clutch fork rattle (just needs a little more grease in there)
- Buy new tie rod ends, the ones we put on earlier in the blog already have cracked dust boots
- Figure out where some crossmember washers go... (oops)
- Buy a new drivers side CV axle and fit it and maybe a new joint shaft too (there is play in the splines)
Thats it from me!
- Nathan
The 626 has had a lot more work done to it than I have posted here... If you would like to check them out I have a work log thread online here: http://mazda626.net/topic/45237-ndh795s-2000-626-5-speed-worklog-tons-of-pictures/
Started stockpiling parts to re-do the front struts, replaced everything in this diagram except the upper spring seat and the spring itself. Everything was OEM except for the shocks themselves which were KYB:
^ You can also see the front swaybar bushings that we bought.
Installed the struts, massive improvement in handling, and the car corners flat now! There are also no more squeaks/rattles/noises from the struts…
Disassembly:
Old struts out:
Lots of Parts!
Compressed the springs:
^ Thanks to our friend Mike for bringing up his air compressor and impact gun!
Upper spring seat that we were re-using (only these and the springs themselves were re-used, everything else inc. bolts/seals/etc was new). There was no rubber on them, therefore they can't wear out:
There was a huge difference in the old bearing and bump stop compared to the new stuff
For some reason there was a big difference in the design of the mount compared to the old ones too:
Old:
New:
Installing the new struts:
Installed with the help of our friends who own the other 626 (from earlier when we did the rust repair)
You can see my car in the background (in the garage)
The old stuff:
A video of the old shock, barely rebounds half-way:
Trusty eBay $20 spring compressors worked great:
All torqued down! The next few weeks later went and re-checked everything with the torque wrench:
The struts were the last major work that’s been completed on the car. As of 1st Oct 2014
Next for the car:
- Buy and fit new starter motor (current one is dying)
- Fix boot lock that doesn’t open (can open it from inside the car but not with the key in the boot)
- Paint rotor hats (as they are ugly and surface-rusted at the moment
- Fix little clutch fork rattle (just needs a little more grease in there)
- Buy new tie rod ends, the ones we put on earlier in the blog already have cracked dust boots
- Figure out where some crossmember washers go... (oops)
- Buy a new drivers side CV axle and fit it and maybe a new joint shaft too (there is play in the splines)
Thats it from me!
- Nathan
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