Hertz Donut

Working on cars: Probably my large torque wrench. I'm a bit OCD with ensuring everything's set to spec so I'll even use it for wheel nuts if it's out of the shed. Building/reno work: My 305mm double bevel sliding compound mitre saw and stand. "Cut 3 rough-swan 4x4s in one go you say?" *SKReeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeee* "There you go love." *sniffs dismissively, sculls can of beer, crushes it against forehead, grabs wife round the waist, bends her backwards with a forceful tongue-diving snog, jumps in car and does helis in the driveway*

I figured as much, thanks. had a look on epc-data and came to the same conclusion. Fortunately I have already sourced some replacements. Yay for hookups.

Failed a Warrant of Fitness with it. Leaking front left shock. Do these match any other model's OEM shock? I had a quick look through the suspension thread but everyone seems to be not married to accountants and they go straight to coilovers.

*Tries desperately to avoid mentioning underarm bowling...* Sport is full of examples of rules being bent to win at all costs, the thing is the innovators are the ones who get vilified, because somehow they didn't "play fair". In reality everyone is just annoyed because they didn't come up with the idea first. IMO it's a bit of a quandary, since the best way to avoid this is with control formulae, but that doesn't foster innovation, and quite frankly I find them boring.

Ok well addressing those points: - Is the Magna not comfortable? I thought they were a bit of a couch on wheels given they're old bangers. - How much power does a daily need? If you're at least as fast the nearest P-plater Falcodore then you can stay ahead of the carnage. - As for looking cool...I drop my son off at his private school in our beat-up, smoky old VS*. Other kids are dropped off in Euros, including some exotics like Aston Martins, Maseratis and Ferraris. This doesn't worry me one bit, because I could easily buy any of them but I'd rather keep my money in my multiple properties, and I know most of the people turning up in the exotics are up to their eyeballs in debt or they're writing them off against their businesses. There's rich people, and there's people who try to look rich. I don't consider myself rich but I'm not about to hurl myself into debt on a depreciating asset just to play "Keeping Up with the Joneses". [edit to avoid all sorts of e-carnage] NZ is a different culture to Aus so the last point may be moot over there. [/edit] *...although my son is now keenly aware of keeping up appearances so this may change.

$30K is a project budget, not a daily driver. I smash around in a 1996 Commodore I bought 16 years ago that currently has 291K on the clock, goes 8 years between oil changes and doesn't cost a cent in bodywork, because try as I might I just don't care about the aesthetics. I've spent about $1500 on replacement parts in the past 4 years to keep it in good mechanical shape and it'll still dip well below 9l/100km on the open road despite being driven like a rental. It'll never get stolen because it looks like it was dragged out of a wrecker's yard, and even if someone does nick it I won't care, because it's not worth anything anyway.

Fair enough, I don't think anyone's ever built a car that has been universally loved, so you're better off building it for the person to whom it matters most: yourself. Good luck.

Oh, if anyone's got some spare change this little beauty's up for sale in NZ: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/ford/auction-833791282.htm

How did I ever miss this thread? Thanks SAU, you've completed my life.

It's not NZ's fastest street drag car by a very long shot, but it is the championship winner by points accumulation. It's very cool though. I wouldn't have the guts to try and build one because I injure myself enough on "normal" mechanical work, so trying to keep 1.21 jiggawatts in the wires and out of my body is bound to end with Kiwi Fried Donut.

Sneak into their house while they're out and hook up an explosive device to their toilet, with a pressure switch attached to the seat. Write "Boom" a few sections in on the toilet roll. Sleep with their mother/daughter. Steal their identity and empty their bank account. Boil their pet in a pot on their stove. Wait until they're asleep and tie them up and tattoo a penis on their face. Shrug it off as harmless joking around. Your choice.

Not reeeeally feeling the C-pillar treatment, smacks a little of Kia/Hyundai, maybe the kick over the rear arches is too high or something. IMHO American muscle should look like an automotive sledgehammer, and this and the latest Mustang aren't working for me when it comes to the rear end. Therefore I won't buy either. Nothing to do with lack of funds. Honest.

Signing up to Internet forums specifically to beg for FB competition likes ALWAYS works.

Note to self: Check build threads section more regularly. This is most pleasing.

No idea, I haven't had the enthusiasm to check it more closely, could be a dirty sensor as mentioned. The car's been acting as a tool shed for the past few weeks so I've only just got it moving again (and took it for a 300km trip to celebrate). All I know is it operates as expected above 1/4 tank, then once it drops below 1/4 sometimes it'll bounce back up to just below 1/2. Shut it down and restart and it's back to normal.

I've noticed sometimes when my gauge gets down just below 1/4 it will spring back up to just below 1/2. I just fill up every 400km or so and dgaf.

Sweet, thanks. I spotted a pair of R35 seats on TradeMe here in NZ but if they're a similar weight i think I'll pass on them. (Again, yes, I know, strange).

A++. I know this is a strange thing to ask when talking about whales but I don't suppose you weighed the stock and R35 seats?

Starts off promisingly at the beginning but becomes increasingly horrific towards the end. I wouldn't pay money to see it at the movies, maybe I'd watch it if a mate rented the DVD.

Got it back on the road. There was nothing wrong with it, our shed had started leaking so I had to store some stuff in it as the house was already full of junk. So it held a 12in sliding compound mitre saw and stand, medium-sized tool box, cardboard box full of hand tools, 18v drill, angle grinder, jigsaw, socket sets, assorted boxes of fixings like nails and metal straps (I'm building a deck, 2 sheds, a greenhouse, a fence and a pergola at the mo), a pile of random polystyrene blocks, A CUDDLY TOOOOOY!!...a whole stack of flattened cardboard boxes, a tensioner assembly and serpentine belt for the Commodore, a lawn chair, a pile of magazines (official journal of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants - riveting read, assorted volumes, offers), a pile of newspapers, a hedge trimmer attachment for a weed eater and various plastic bags of crap I cbf looking at. And now it's back on the school run.

^Yup. It's like trying to follow up a killer debut album. The original NSX is the Appetite for Destruction of the motoring world. My biggest fear is the new NSX is the "Axl Rose world tour" of the motoring world.

Oops, my bad. 350Ss were '03-'04.

PM35 (RWD) would be simpler, Autech made manual M35s, called the 350S, by mating a PM35 and a 350Z. I want one, badly.

I don't get out much in mine these days. Got a roadie to Wellington next week though so I can blow out the cobwebs a bit. As for oil, I just change it every 3 months/5,000km and chuck in 5 litres. Saves having to try and check the useless dipstick.

I see no option to fit a Liberty Walk kit.