Hiro

Drove mine to Bathurst and back, round trip of about 700k (including laps :-P), all signs point to over-cooling problem to be sorted, although if I cruise around with the heater on full the gauge still drops a bit

I'll be there with both the AE102 and the JZZ30

Now combined with my BZ Touring lights that are actually useful at night

Re-wired the loom for the parkers to fit the larger indicator-style plug, then finished installing the BZ Touring copy headlights. Tomorrow should be wash and clean out in time for Bathurst, as well as overdue coolant/thermostat change

Well, eventually got the ****s with the halos and decided it was time for some fresh eyes - there are only so many times you can re-wire burnt-out low beams before you run out of patience, ring terminals, and wire. Decided to go back to combined low/hi beams, really liked the look of the BZ Touring-style headlights but didn't want the hassle of re-wiring to suit the JDM layout (parkers in the main unit, side indicators where the ADM parkers sit, no guard repeaters). Eventually just bit the bullet and bought some off eBay (copies, but decent quality by the looks of them), under the impression that I'd just run the clear side parkers from the halos until I could re-wire them as indicators....only to find out that the halo parkers wouldn't line up with the BZ main units. Bugger.....hang on, looks like my original OEM parkers do line up though :D Sure, I can slum it for a while, but it is better than nothing. This feeling was then made better by the fact that what I thought were amber lenses in the side indicators/parkers turned out to be crystal lenses with amber bulbs :D So I ripped out the amber bulbs and put in some clear ones, only to find out that the plug was different/bigger compared to the OEM parker plug....bugger.....hang on, they look similar to the OEM bumper indicator plugs....no, change that IDENTICAL to the OEM bumper plugs. So I put the OEM parkers back in for a few days until I could make it to the wreckers (this afternoon) to grab the front indicator loom and gut it for the plugs. Which I did. Unfortunately it got dark before I could take photos, but for the first time in probably 4 years I've got headlights that I can use with confidence at night and actually see things without resorting to the high beams (which were capable of killing low flying birds and possums at the top of power poles at the other end of the street). Parkers are now substantially stronger and better spread too (the benefit of going from a 5W T10 to 21W T20 bulb). Managed to get some photos with just the main units in earlier in the week, I'll get some decent shots of the whole front end at Bathurst on Sunday. After that, all I need to do is paint my open-mouth OEM grille black (had to use the black slat OEM grille in the meantime, and I don't particularly care for the import grille that came with the lights), wire up the foglights, and my FX front end will be complete :D

You mean my parent's manual CSi isn't worth its weight in gold? Dang, they were hoping to retire off the proceeds of selling it...

+1 for extended version, assuming me and Charlene actually make an appearance this time :P

Record will probably drop again next year, 2011 is the last year before it goes 100% tarmac...

Would have been an ST162 anyway, both the SX 5-stud 3SGE and povo ST 4-stud 3SFE models shared the ST162 designation.

240km/h speedo, 9000rpm tacho and rear disc brakes are the other things to look out for for SX/GT 5-stud models.

Yeah realised that, just offering a commonly available alternative. In my book you should really only have nuts on the rim if it's a 2/3-piece wheel anyway, if they're not physically needed then they tend to clutter up the design.

The word "legally" is censored on Boostcruising though, so they might get the wrong idea...

Pressurised cooling system (blowing out the overflow bottle), burning coolant (burnt water smell in exhaust, + white smoke), heating up extremely quickly even in winter (warm within 1km) sounds a lot like blown headgasket, although most likely just between the cylinder and water gallery if there isn't evidence of excessive oil burning or a milkshake under the oil cap.

Speech!

We drove all the way up there for a Nebo run :P

Gave the Snoarer a quick wash (+ cleaned the wheels, bloody Greenstuffs), was going to do a coolant change and full wash on the 102 as well but silly Cara took my car keys to work with her (she drove it yesterday), AND she had the spares as well...

Speedy Cheetahs? Very common design (most wheel manufacturers have a version), the Speedy version used to come in 4-stud (from 17" up though), not sure if they still do or are only in Falcon/Commodore patterns now. Fairly sure they're all just a derivative of one of the classic BBS styles

"Laps" = relatively sedate driving from Conrod to the top of Mountain Straight, then have some fun across the top - bearing in mind that the speed limit is and always has been 60, it's a public road, there WILL be oncoming traffic and there is always a decent chance of a cop sitting behind a tree with a radar gun So lairy powerslides, 150km/h blasts down the straights and the like are not tolerated at all (and as said bring the forum, of which I am a member, into disrepute). Usually we park up the top of McPhillamy and shoot the breeze (in the past we've had a BBQ/fire but don't think one is planned this year), do some drive-by videos/photos/drives-in-mates-cars, the obligatory starting grid photo/video, and on occasion visit the motor-racing museum.

Does not exist. 4AFE is 1.6L, 7AFE is 1.8L. There's your real problem.... As for OP, definitely go the 4AGE, unless you are simply pottering around town. 7AFE vs 4AGE might be a different story though (my 7A is capable of matching stock big and smallport 4AGEs, not 20Vs though)

Try checking the wiring/contacts at the dome light itself, you only need to pop the cover off and undo one or two screws to pull the unit out. I had similar issues with my 102, the switch wasn't making clean connection with the contacts and thus wasn't turning on reliably.

Re-wired my headlights yesterday, only to have the retaining screw for the passenger-side low beam spring clip strip it's thread. Considering all the previous drama I've had with these headlights, that was the last straw, so bodgied it up as best I could to get all lights working again, then immediately went inside, jumped on eBay, and bought myself a new set of BZ Touring copies.

Time for a bump methinks...