gunat

The Beetle has been in production since 1949 (and still is)- its considered the precursor to the modern day budget car. Most of our parents will remember owning one or driving one in their lifetime.... Remember the list is for the 50 greatest "All time" cars.... The E30 3 series is considered the quintessential BMW; being the car that brought the company our of near bankruptcy....and putting BMW squarely in the arena of performance sedans... Most of the cars on the list have historical importance- by setting some kind of milestone in the automotive industry.... Having said that, its clear that this list is very biased toward british & European cars...(Aston Martin DB9??? the sh*t is only 1 year old and probably has only 800 very rich owners! What BS!)

Well, all you honda nutz...here you go: Civic Type R 2007

Not sure if this is for real...but...i'm sure you Honda blokes will be happy to see this... http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/24/screami...s-cover-before/

Thanks for the compliment Pilawoos! I'll add to Pilawoos' recommendation- step up to cleaning your entire breathing apparatus (for the car, that is!) O2 sensors are more likely to fail than get clogged, so i'll have to say check your air-flow sensors, idle control. Strongly recommend that you get your fuel system cleaned too. 3M has this fantastic cleaning solution- an FC Can you connect to your engine directly (after you disable/disconnect the main fuel line) and run for 15mins. It made a huge difference for my car. Get a professional to do the whole thing, though. Nadheera J., Performance Motors, Autoforce to name a few... BTW, i read earlier in the post that you have a K&N drop in air filter- which means you can re-use it...try cleaning and re-oiling it (kit available at Motorcade) Good luck!

Best Advice is to have a professional take a look- sounds like starvation of some sort (air/fuel?). I recently had my fuel system cleaned up along with new plugs, as well as cleaning up the throttle+idle control. Made a massive difference for the engine...in power delivery and smoothness.... I found BKR6EP-11 (VX platinums) at miniworld on Alan Manthinirarama Road (between High Level/Baseline Rd)- they go at 3500 a set, i think. Wouldn't really recommend the iridiums- they didn't last more than one year in my car- mechanic said they aren't really suited to our hot climate and perish quicker.

By the way guys....we are f**king fortunate that the insurance companies here value against the car and not the driver! In the US/UK, insurance is for the DRIVER....and they take into account how old you are, where you live....past accident history....and to add to that- the TYPE of car you drive. There is a general rating given to the car that determines it as high risk/low risk. My first car over in the US was a 14 year BMW 3 series- i paid $2000 for it. Since i was 21 and living in the city...and it was a new US drivers license....my premium was frikking $2500!!!!! 4 years later i bought a Miata MX-5 @ $9000 and my premium went down to $1000 because the car was "low risk" despite being RED and a CONVERTIBLE!!! Go figure.... So all in all, we're lucky we can still pay less than $500 a year for full cover....

What about no-claim bonus as a plus? I've had my car(s) on full insurance since 1996 and haven't had an accident since. By 2000, the no claim bonus hit 55%, effectively reducing the annual payment by more than half. After transfering that insurance 3 years back to my current car (re-valued 500k more than the previous car), the premium went up....but the no-claim still remained, so again, my annual payment was marginal. With the new car- payments were in the region of 15k. I recently had to renew, and to my surprise, J*******i informs me that i've recieved a further bonus- and i just had to pay 8k for full cover! And thats after i had a minor claim for a small accident....! So the math DOES add up when it comes to how insurance can work to your advantage. However, one thing that really bothered me was the penny picking of the evaluators. They knew i would be car-less for about 1 week, and DID not see the need to give me a car. Apparently the accident "value" has to be of a certain amount to warrant a replacement car. Plus they ENCOURAGE second hand parts replacement- as they will only pay a certain percentage if the parts are brand new (what A**h***s- they want their customers to use substandard parts!!!) I've heard that this is the same for V*P/J******I. Through most people, i have heard that the best company is SLIC/F****** O**. I am considering the move now....but with a 65% no claim..... Incidently, we also have 2 classic cars on 3rd party, and i don't think the insurance companies will stop those, as most 3whlrs, buses, trucks, use it.... To substantiate Dimma's advice, if you have a vehicle that you value, full cover is a good way to go; especially when it comes to theft/Civil commotion....if you don't give a rat's ass....then 3rd party is fine....

http://channel4.com/4car/road-tests/drivin...rvette-z06.html New 505bhp Corvette to kick the lambo/ferrari's derriere....american style....yep,there ain't no substitute for super-sizing that engine.... Funny enough, if you squint your eyes looking at it, it has uncanny resemblance to a car we know and love- the RX-7 Efini...

Hey Folks... Going to be installing a Momo steering wheel to my car- which has an airbag system for both driver and passenger. Question 1: Where is the best place in colombo to get this done without damage to the car or (new) steering wheel? Question 2: Does anyone know how to disable the SRS warning system once the standard steering wheel is removed? I've heard that this is a better approach since the passenger airbag system that could be "primed" otherwise... Any help would be appreciated. cheers

Hey guys Useful link to understanding the jabber on getting the right sparkys for your wheels. http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/technic...s_technical.htm http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/technical/diagnosis.htm

Kim, From what i read, it sounds like your front bumper is the only part of the kit that is messed up. 1. As Velocity says, forget abt the front bumper and chill out. 2. If the the rest of the kit is ok, concentrate on making sure the balance work is done properly. 3. Important: If the paint is complete, let it weather for 3 weeks before compounding/polishing- it'll make a hell of a difference to the final finish. 4. If your problem is with the fibre add-ons, the good thing is that it can be sorted out with a little patience and time. 9/10 times, things in Sri Lanka have to be done twice/thrice over before its done right. good luck.

Hola, I see an avatar pic under your name which looks to be a white honda with 3-spoke alloys- is this the same car? As the others have said, if you have damaged alloys or badly worn tires, this will contribute to tire rumble. Best thing to do is to get to a garage/tire shop and have the car looked at. also keep note of: - worn out shocks; they allow more vibration into the body of the car - offset alloys (what you describe as 'out of wheelbase') can have an adverse effect on the effectiveness of the suspension - Low profile tires on our bad roads make a lot more noise - incorrect tire pressure good luck

If you're looking for replacement engines (like those found for japanese cars at wreckers...) I'll have to say you're going to be at a loss. since the market for these particular models is very limited, dealers won't justify the need to supply them. having said that, one can never be sure what can be found in the wrecking yards in Panchikawatte..... good luck

I'd recomend Tokimo. Elcardo are ok, but their finish is very sloppy and they never get it right first time- you will always end up going back for a welding correction.

S'all good now Kris- i got in touch with Kim- had a chat. I'm still looking for the right 15" rims to fit my car, until which i'm not able to part with the 14"s. v

No worries K... Good luck on the hunt- let me know if you have any questions.... cheers v

Nice Posting dude...be good to hear the efini will be back!

Hey Guys... Yeah, yeah...so i've been a goner for a while- was on strict vacation, so i avoided the laptop and phone as much as possible! K- Yes you're right in hearing about the sensitivity of the 4AGE once it breaks 100k; but nothing that can't be prevented, with good maitenence habits. My car is now at 120k, and its still going strong....no knocking, pinging (that only happens if you pump 90 octane!) or strange vibrations. Having said that, i have to admit i border on maniac-type maintenence on my car. - change oil every 3000kms, regardless of colour. I use standard multigrade 20W-50 Mobil XHP (synthetic does absolutely no good for older engines) - tranny oil once a year - New plugs once a year (standard platinums- iridiums are great, but they don't last too long in our hot environment) - New Fuel Filter once a year - I've yanked the standard air filter out and put in a K&N cone, which is really economical in the long run, given that an original filter is about 1500 rs, which should be changed every other service, given our shitty air quality! - Radiator Flush once a year; i use BP coolant, which comes in a 5 litre can, and you don't mix it with water - I'm now under the impression that the engine mounts don't last too long; mine were replaced at 80k, and now my mech. says its getting slightly worn. - I'm also particular about keeping tire pressure up and correct weekly...given our road conditions, there's a substantial amount of wear and tear on the suspension already, and i'm pretty sure some it gets to the engine too....just by vibrations, etc. - i've read on club 4AG website that the early 4AGE (16v's) had a tendency to have failed bearings around 150k, but i've yet to hear of a 20v with this problem. By the time the 20v came out, Toyota/Yamaha had 15 years to perfect the internals...so i'm going on the hope that with the correct maintenence, i'll get to about 150k, after which i will rebuild the engine. As for you finding an good engine- thats like jumping blindfolded into a pool of crocs man! Sadly, most of the early GT's that were brought to SL were used as daily drivers with chaffeurs! So a lot of them didn't get the attention that was needed to ensure the engine will last. To get one into correct stock shape would probably cost in the region of about 60-120k, depending on what kind of work needs to be done. A lot of the parts have to be brought from Japan or Toyota Lanka will have to get them, as they do not keep stock of most of the parts- thus quite expensive. IMO, Nadheera Jinasena has the most experience with working with the 20v 4AGE- he has (to my knowledge) worked on 2 engines so far...both performance boosted with port/polish, high lift cams etc. As an owner, i have to say its one hell of a car. I've owned a Mazda MX-5 and a old 84' BMW 318is coupe back in the day; and while the GT can't compete with them in terms of handling and sheer driving enjoyment; neither one can compare when it comes that screamer of an engine, and performance. I really wish they made a smaller package with the same engine! But in terms of combining practicality with fast, enjoyable transport, the GT is a damned good car. Its more comfortable than the Vi-Rs/RS, and is actually a little more anonymous, if thats what you prefer.... I bought my car back in '03 spring- it had only 2 SL owners- both relatively good about taking care of the car. Paid 1.1; which at the time...was a hell of a deal. I've done a lot of work on it since. New wheels+tires (originally came with steels/hubcaps!)- i actually went through 2 sets of tires in 1 year; the first were Rikens, and they were so hard, they messed up the ride. Now i've settled nicely with the BG's. New suspension all around, new exhuast (Elcardo- they suck; going to Tokimo); New Paint. I've also had to replace the routine maintenence stuff, like alternator, power steering pump, etc. I'd have to say my car is in relatively good nick...of course, for being 8 years old, its no pushover....but i do my best to keep it good. Kris- dude, i'll let you know abt the 15" BG's...it all depends on whether i find the right 15" alloys to fit the car. I looked at OZ, but they don't have my PCD size! So i've gotta hunt around. No luck in finding a 6speed GB yet. I'm still thinking of making a trip to K'negala to do a hunt, but time is a restricting factor! I've attached a not-so-great pic...hope it won't hog up too much space... Good luck guys. v

Hey Guys, Just read Kumudu's post on GT/Ti models yesterday, only to find that we have use the new forum from today....! I think everyone on the posting covered most of the details on the GT/Ti. Here's an interesting way to get some accurate information off the Japanese-only carview website. Go to the babelfish online translator (or any other translator you prefer): http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and type in the following links to translate the japanese scriptures: http://catalogue.carview.co.jp/TOYOTA/CARI...001/engines.asp http://catalogue.carview.co.jp/TOYOTA/CARI...cifications.asp http://catalogue.carview.co.jp/TOYOTA/CARI...996/engines.asp http://catalogue.carview.co.jp/TOYOTA/CARI...cifications.asp Note that the GT sits 10mm lower than the other models, and that the actual chassis identification of the post 2000 models is STILL AT210, although we know it to have the "new look" front and rear. Also, the -models inherited the 6 speed MT from the Levin, which i am told is the best engine/tranny combination for the 4AGE. They also come with larger alloys (15") as standard. Incidently, I'm thinking of upgrading my GT to 15" alloys- its sitting on 14" with Jap. Bridgestone Turanza AQs (195/60 R14) which i paid 40k for- i will probably sell them off- anyone interested? Good luck on the hunt K... cheers v

Great Work Team AutoLanka on the New Forum.... Been on Vacation, so its great to see a new year with improvements and additions to the site! Greetings for the New Year Everyone- Good Luck and Safe Driving! - v