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would you read it if i typed in 'txt tlk'? haha

I must say, you really know how to work a lady in red. :D

farq time flies. The last one didn't seem that long ago.

meh. I'm not trying to argue with you so please don't treat it as such. let me rephrase that as i realised it sounds a little dismissive. let me start off by saying don't take what i say anything other than friendly debating. The reason i say this is because i've fallen into the trap in other threads where things got out of hand and ended up in a argument with the original poster B) I'm simply saying that if your business model relies solely on someone not copying your ideas and selling it for cheaper then it's a disaster waiting to happen. what has happend is that these companies have failed to inovate (the very thing that these companies are claiming is suffering). $2000 forged rims is not innovation. A $300 peace of aluminium as a 'heat shield' is not innovation. What these companies have failed to do is convince us that spending this kind of money for a daily driven street car is worthwhile. As a direct consequence, cheaper knock-offs have been able to thrive. Because, lets face it, we all want the look but if we could comfortably afford it, we wouldn't be driving corollas :D I guess a closer analogy would be that of clothing brands. How is it that companies like Politix, Diesel, Gstar can justify charging so much for their products when their designs are constantly being ripped off? simple answer; because they constantly come up with new designs. I agree with you that stealing designs is kind of a dog act, but you've gotta be reactive to it.

I said it was analogous, not the same situation. Secondly, expressing outrage over natural market forces is a little redundant. Thirdly, The chinese rip off haven't and will not destroy Mercedez simply because Mercedez have invested unholly amounts of money in the right sort of marketing and brand awareness. They have built up an image in all their markets. It is completely and utterly Trust and Greddy's fault in not realising the importance of their overseas markets. It stems from the Japanese corporate/marketing culture where they keep the best for themselves - a simple example would be what Sony did with their PSP and PS3 product range. I could go on.

DUDES! go to a motorcycle shop (bikebiz in parra) and get a roll of that rim tape. It's the same sh!t and you can apply it yourself. it's got a coating of that safety reflective crap. here is an example:

Sounds analogous to the music and movie piracy argument. I think calling it 'disgusting' is quite unfair. The simple fact that 'knock offs' such as BSA wheels are cheaper and are easily accessible have alot to do with it. Who in their right mind is going to spend $2k+ for a set of forged wheels with no tyres simply just to drive on the street - not everyone. You can blame the knock off as much as you like but the simple matter is that companies like Greedy and Trust simply didn't invest enough in overseas marketing, stock availability, and awareness of quality. In a nutshell, they opened up a gap wide enough for companies like BSA and Seibon to take advantage. It would be like Lotus blaming toyota or Mazda for killing the marketing for the small, rear wheel roadster. It's simply rediculous.

+8mm toe out. far out dude! sux about then not replacing the tyres. Don't expect the current ones to start wearing down to an even surface again, the 'access' of the tyre is permanantly farq'd.

Not bad dude. LOLZ at the dirty talk. haha

My car is fine atm only if its warm. Car has done 65k atm. Last service was 61k shown on the service manual. If the clutch was to wear out, im sure the car will run on free REV is that right? yep. you'll notice the clutch will start to catch higher and higher up on the pedal until eventually, the car will just free-rev and keep slipping, then usually followed by the worse smell that your car has ever produced. hehe

I've gone through a few clutches in passed lives with my old car but i'll take your word for it ;)

The red lip looks like the rim tape on motocycle wheels - i like it! :P

like I said. everything seems to indicate a hesitation from idle. since it can't be a ignition timing issue with these engines, I'd say look at air leaks in the intake piping, or perhaps even old spark plugs. How many K's and when was the last service? Also, to Kaze; heavey duty doesn't always mean heavy pressure plate. It mostly refers to the button material - kind of like when they say "heavy duty break pads". Also, a new clutch will always seem lighter due to the thrust bearings being brand-spanking new. Everything will eventuall get heavier as the clutch and bearings wear in.

as a mechanic friend once told me. The shocks don't make noise (especially a knocking noise) whether they're fubar'd or not. like other have said, check pillow mounts, and control arm bushes. If they need replacing, save yourself the headache and time and take it to a professional. I changed the bushes on my old car once. Took me hours for something that should take 1. You'll need a hydraulic press to get the old bushes out of the control arm.

That looks friggen awesome.

The shuddering while taking off would indicate the opposite of a worn clutch. If the clutch slips, the engine should be free to rev while the car doesn't move. check your intake piping to see if there are cracks. It sounds more like a hesitation when the engine is cold. Do you have an intake or pod filter in your car?

wont you need like a translator bullsh!t thing ? babelfish ? not the most reliable translation. hehehe. it'll probably translate with really bab grammar. hahaha "All your bases are belong to us!" hahahaha LOL are you serious? i use babelfish all the time mannn, how do u think i got my tatt HAHAHA - lucky mine does mean candy but :) Hahahahaha that's what you think. It probably translates to "boiled sugar molded into tasty treats" hahahaha AHAHA nooo buddy, lols got a friend to confirm it :) Are you sure he's not FOB hahaha?

cool! I'll always miss my 4th gen celica. congrats on the ride. You might want to get the scuff looked at near the wheel arch. rust at the wheel arch is like cancer man.

Good stuff. You're gong to be joining the chai latte drinking sydney forum members. haha don't hesitate to ask if you need any help.

that's not bad. It's not really arty to the rest of the world but it means something to you. plus, it's ok to show that if you want to wear an evening or backless dress.

wont you need like a translator bullsh!t thing ? babelfish ? not the most reliable translation. hehehe. it'll probably translate with really bab grammar. hahaha "All your bases are belong to us!" hahahaha LOL are you serious? i use babelfish all the time mannn, how do u think i got my tatt HAHAHA - lucky mine does mean candy but :) Hahahahaha that's what you think. It probably translates to "boiled sugar molded into tasty treats" hahahaha

I'd say keep it simple first. The most obvious thing to check is Toe angle. Most factory cars don't come with adjustable camber. Also, someone already mentioned above that dealers rarely ever do the wheel alignment. Unless you're complaining of the vehicle 'pulling' to one side, it's something they'll simply just tick off as being done when infact they never even touched it. Hell, some dodgey wheel aligners will simply just give you a turn-or-two to the opposite way of the pull to correct it. They won't bother to even hook up the wheel angle sensors - real dodgey!

^^^ Not to mention a publicist/ P.R director. *cough cough* hehe

white with silver lip makes the wheel look smaller because the two-tone breaks the spoke line. The fact that the spoke curves into the wheel and doesn't reach the rim only exacerbates the smaller wheel effect.

wont you need like a translator bullsh!t thing ? babelfish ? not the most reliable translation. hehehe. it'll probably translate with really bab grammar. hahaha "All your bases are belong to us!" hahahaha edit: correcting my 'bab' grammar - i meant to write 'bad'. Oh the irony! hehe