Squalled

I actually got a Fireball drying towel at Toyotafest a few years ago and I've been pretty happy with it too. Does their finishing foam get applied via a foam cannon or is it more of a spray on, dwell and than rinse?

Yeah that's what I remembered but wasn't quite sure if it was the case or not.

Got into a bit of detailing stuff during lock down last albeit, mostly entry/beginner level gear seeing as there's a lot I'll need to learn over time and to see what works best for me. Product: Bowden's Own Happy Ending (yes a silly name I know). A finishing sealant used with a pressure washer. Application: Mix the formula 9 parts water, 1 part H.E. in 1L snow foam cannon. Apply to wet car after a wash and rinse off as soon as possible once the entire car has been coated. Experience: This has been my go to coating for a few months now. You can't really beat the ease of use, simply mixing it in the cannon, spraying it on before rising it off for instant protection. I've found that it's best used out of direct sunlight on cooler days since it can cause streaking and marking if left on for too long before drying but other than that, it's quite a nice product. I did have issues with my snow blow cannon clogging up from it, only because I didn't flush water through the cannon once completed to make sure nothing got caught up in the aerator which Bowden's replaced free of charge after contacting them. Bowden's state on daily driven cars, the coating will last up to 2 months before needing a top up. I've found that it tends to last about that or even longer than 2 months which is a nice bonus. I've used it on my Mum's car which is always garaged and it tends to last more than double the daily driver time which is a nice bonus. It creates some awesome beading and is quite easy to tell when it needs to be re-applied. They do advise not to spray it on the front window as it can cause streaking so if it does, a glass cleaner can be used to quickly clean the coating off. In terms of pricing, I've used it quite a number of times and still have well over half a bottle and I've had it for roughly 9-10 months now and although I did get it on sale at the time, even the normal price isn't too bad considering how simple and effective I've found it. I do find although they claim half a bottle can be used, I tend to have to use the entire bottle even on my Corolla which is probably the only disappointing thing I have found with it. More info here: https://www.bowdensown.com.au/blog/latest-news/our-happy-ending/

I've seen the sump removed on an 04 and looked to be the same as my 05. I believe the Celica one is different to the Sportivo's in terms of the sensor from what I was told a while ago.

Are you running the stock rims? Personally I ran 205/50 Michelin Pilot Sport 4's on my 16" rims for a few years and they were waaaaay better than the RE002s I had before. Wet and dry, there was endless grip with them. Only downside was I felt it accelerated a little slower than the RE002 only because I went with 50 profile where as the 002's were 45 profile. Most guys these days tend to run 205/50 which IMO looks perfect on 16s, 45 profile looks a little small but the acceleration is much nicer. I personally don't rate RE003's that high after having Pilot Sport 4's. I re-call seeing RE004's and possibly new Pilot Sports are arriving in Aus some time this year so might be worth waiting for reviews on those tyres to come out since RE003s and PS4s are an older design. If you need new tyres now, I'd high recommend Michelin PS4's. They're a bit pricey but well worth it.

Not sure if this any help mate - https://jp-carparts.com/toyota/partlist.php?maker=toyota&type=153150&cartype=6&fig=1105 You may have to contact the parts department as they will likely have a better idea.

Let's get right into the New Year right. Going to be updating the forum thread a lot more regularly than I ever have before this year (well I hope at least 🤞) For Christmas, my parents got me a new vacuum since our old one had been out of action for some time and I was using a dying dust buster for a long time before not even really bothering much with my interior. It's the Karcher WD3 and all I can say is wow. It's probably the best vacuum I've used and reminds me of using the vacuum's you'd find at car washes in terms of how powerful it is. I have used it a few times now but I've since cleaned the inside of not only my car but also my parents cars (I'm sure that's why they got it for me). I will still be doing a complete clean next month in terms of pulling the seats out and steam cleaning them along with the floor mats but this is a good start to get the ball rolling at least. I cleaned the mats the day before but didn't get any before and after photo's. I also got a ToolPro detailing kit from my parents and used it to clean around the air vents, steering wheel, center console, shifter and dash. Very happy with the results so far and makes clean dust out such a breeze.

I'll say it has, I had planned an overseas trip for this year with my partner and we had it cancelled last minute before we would've gone. We were both pretty bummed but after everything that happened, we were glad we didn't get stuck overseas. The headlights are factory ones that I'll have pull off the lenses to paint the insert/surround as they are. I have had them polished a few times but the damage is also on the inside and I'd have to pull them apart to fix it. I'm not to happy with the paint on this set so I'd rather re-do another set with what I've learnt since to make them even better than the current. I've got my original headlights that came on my car that are in mint condition in terms of the lenses so I'll be using them. If not, I may get a factory style replacement which I hear are a lot easier to pull apart but we'll see 🙂 That's what I was thinking, using the garage for the day, pulling the seats out and giving them a good deep clean and give the car a nice vacuum too.

Last update to finish off the year. 2020 has been a tough year for all us, some more than others. A lot of things haven't gone to plan this year but I have a lot to look forward to next year. I've got quite a list for next year, I think I'll be lucky if I even get half of it done but hopefully I can get most of it done during my leave early next year. Other than the usual maintenance and problems that arise, here it is. - Replace current headlights with new black housing headlights - Monitor leak (potentially power steering pump) - Replace the clutch and flywheel (if needed) - Clutch has done almost 100k kms and tends to slip a bit after a pull and when cold, I have quite a rattle that seems to go once warm, and also when driving it comes back when the clutch is engaged so I have a feeling the throw-out bearing has worn down too. - Give the interior a major detail (leather treatment for the rear seats and door trims, clean and protection for the floor mats and Recaro's) - Get BRD mounts and shifter cable bushings installed - Potentially rebuild coilovers and replace end links (there's a fair bit of squeaking and creaking going on towards the front and a little in the rear also). There's a few minor mods I do have in mind for next year, but I'll see how I go in terms of if I really want them or not. Here's how the car sits during this current wet spell in Sydney. Still haven't had the chance to clean it since every time I can, it rains. The coating seems to be going well still, beading pretty much on at least 90% of the car, the rear bar seems to have lost a bit of it along with the roof. You can also see how bad the headlights are, despite being detailed a year ago they have lost their clarity and also tend to fog up and fill with water in the rain due to my horrible seal job. Other than that, hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year. Stay tuned for updates in the New Year!

Ah nice Ian. I found a setup on Steam that helped remove some of the dead-zone when playing Assetto Corsa and it was honestly a game changing. Some of my PBs went down by more than a quarter of a second or more, which doesn't sound like much but with such a minimal change driving flat stick I thought it was a good addition. I was tempted to get a Fanatec wheel when I was looking but ended up with the G27 in terms of overall value I feel you can't beat it. Sadly I'm just mounted to a desk with a "gaming chair" which I've always thought is good enough for my use anyway.

What's your setup? I use my trusty G27 I've had for honestly about 8 years or so now. I played Assetto Corsa at friends place last year and got hooked after hearing so many good things about it. I got it March this year and haven't looked back. Got a heap of modded tracks in mostly Aussie ones like no longer existent Oran Park, Sydney Motorsport Park, Lakeside Raceway and a heap more. A modder I follow has also released Group A touring cars which I've always loved so I mostly steer those around.

Glad I'm not the only one who's had the same drama. I love all their other products as well, Orange Agent works really well and leaves a nice smell compared to other cleaners I've used in the past. My top 3 Bowden's products in terms of what they offer and their results would have to be Happy Ending, Wet Dreams and After Glow.

Something that is definitely beneficial for the echo is handling mods. If you find that extracting power is looking expensive, look into some coil overs/spring and shock combo along with bracing. These will go a long way in improving a great aspect the Echo has over a lot of other cars. As Ash said, look for some new quality rubber and new rims if you can along with some new pads and discs. It will definitely make for quite a potent package in the twisties and will guarantee maximum surprise from others. A mate of a mate has an Echo with a Blitz supercharger kit, definitely has the straight line speed that it lacks from the factory and with all of the handling and safety mods, it makes quite a great track car.

Yeah it bugs me a lot especially because I generally don't go to this particular office I'm in a lot so my normal office isn't as bad in terms of getting dirty. It's at the time of the year where I won't have enough free time to give it a nice clean either. Definitely looking forward to February, got a few things in mind I'd love to get done!

Minor update Nothing to new here sadly. Recently I have had to return to another office for work full time once again so I've been racking up some kms in the last few weeks or going to and from and dealing with a lot more people on the road than I ever re-call before. My office is in an industrial area and is right near a concrete facility and rubbish tip so I hardly ever clean my car seeing as within an hour of arriving it's covered in dust and dirty once again. Hopefully when this bad weather finally clears I'll give some love that it desperately now needs. Here's how it sits at the moment, in all its dirty glory. I've managed to get 2 weeks off work in the new year at the start of February so I plan to finally do another set of black insert headlights since my current set are not that great and have had quite a few issues from my inexperience at the time. Hopefully I can get a few other things done in the time, maybe a nice interior clean and detail while I have a heap of extra time. Stay tuned!

When I applied Bowden's, I let it sit basically for a day or before doing my highway drive where it all flung off. In saying that, I may give it a go again if I ever want a less glossy look.

Thanks for the feedback Tony, appreciate it. With the Tyre Sheen, I think because I applied it and just left it as opposed to applying, and wiping afterwards led to it flinging off the tyre itself. I'm the same with Armorall, I only use it since it's there and I mean it does the job for the moment but I definitely rate the Export stuff, can't go wrong.

In the last few years I've used 3 different tyre shines. - Export - Bowden's Own - Armorall Export: My personal favourite of the 3 I've used. For the price you can't complain, I usually pick up a few when SCA have them as a bundle of 6 or so. Love the wet look and it's pretty simple to apply. I use an old face towel we've had for years at home that we use for tyre shine application. The only draw back is that it probably lasts a fortnight or so at the very most if there is no rain. Bowden's Own: Of the 3, I found this one to be the most disappointing especially when I began supporting and buying Bowden's Own recently (I had tyre sheen long before I even realised it was Bowden's). I wasn't really happy with the finish, it does give a nice subtle look but I personal prefer the shiny finish. I also found that after applied it, it didn't really stick to the tyre and flung off onto the body which I wasn't sure if I had applied it incorrectly. I did want to try it again but I can't seem to find the bottle anymore. Armorall: I currently use this at the moment as it was a free one we got some time ago. It is a foam application and I apply it to the same towel and rub it in and I do like the finish, I find that it lasts about as Export but I do find it a bit more annoying to apply compared to the Export tyre shine. After having a quick browse, I think I may give the Meguiars Gel a go the next time I need tyre shine.

I'm with Tony on this one. I mean some things do actually get reduced but I too have noticed a wide array of different items go up in price and basically when "on sale" return to the price they were prior.

I agree Ash, I thought the exact same. I think most Black Friday Sales in Australia are bit lack luster to say the least.

Repco has a few oils on special for Black Friday sales. https://www.repco.com.au/en/oils-fluids/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil/c/1862918079?q=%3Arelevance%3ApartSlot%3AENGINE%2BOIL&text=# Not too much going compared to other big sales we've had.

Not a problem. I have seen coil packs get cracks in them, hopefully it's something as simple as that which solves your issue.

Have you checked any fuel related items like the fuel pump, fuel filter, injectors etc? Are there any modifications done to the car also? If you've done any, did you notice the issue after they were added?

Since owning my 2005 Corolla Sportivo, I've done 95% of my oil changes and the rest have been done by my local mechanic if my car has gone in for another fix of sort and I usually provide my own oil of my choice which they thankfully don't mind. I've owned my car over 5 years and have clocked over 100000kms since I've owned it and have used 3 main oils in my car. - Penrite 10 Tenths Racing 10W-40 - Penrite Full Synthetic 10W-40 - Nulon Full Synthetic 5W-30 For the first 2 years or so I mostly used the Penrite variants would use the 10 Tenths if I could get my hands on it if not, I'd use the other Penrite Full Synthetic. Between those 2 oils I didn't notice any significant difference in oil consumption, discolouration etc. At the time the most common issue was the fact I had quite a few old seals which have since been replaced. One of the more common things with 2ZZ-GE's which I have personally found is that when you run 10W-40 or a higher viscosity oil, it tends to make the engine quite "tappety" which is especially noticed when idling. I heard this for some time and assumed it is quite normal which it is but a few friends had recommended trying Nulon 5W-30 Full Synthetic as they had rated it quite highly and noted minimal burning and discolouration. I bit the bullet and went ahead with Nulon 5W-30. The first thing I did notice was the "tappety" noise wasn't louder, more or less the same or a slightly lower in volume. After doing a few thousand kms (I usually do oil changes between 5000-7500) I went to change the oil and it looked no worse than using any of the Penrite 10W-40 variants and I found I usually have the same amount of oil coming out as well which is a good sign that I'm not burning this oil. My servicing is complemented with genuine Toyota oil filters and I do have a few sets of sump plug gaskets I change every 2nd oil change or so to keep it freshly sealed. I do rate Penrite pretty well but I'm also super impressed with Nulon and have 0 issues with both since using them. For 2ZZ-GE's I usually recommend Nulon 5W-30 Full Synthetic unless the owner has mentioned it burns a bit of oil which in that case I'd usually recommend trying a 10W-30 or 10W-40 and seeing how that goes. Unlike Honda's various VTEC engines from the 90s and early 2000s, the 2ZZ-GE is generally not known to burn a large amount of oil between changes so if this becomes the case it's usually something more sinister causing the oil consumption (I could be wrong but this is what I've found over the years).

I'll say, although the oil had done just under 6000 kms or so, I'd still rather change it every 5000 kms since I do give it a hard time here and there. So for some time it has odd idling and after cleaning the MAF I have noticed a major improvement, especially on cold starts where it would start at roughly 2000 RPM and sometimes drop to 800-900 RPM and I'd have to give it some revs for it to idle nicer. I initially thought it may have been the idle motor on the throttle body but so far so good after the MAF clean. Thanks Tony! Thanks KAA, was definitely needed especially now with the unpredictable weather from the La Nina season we're now going through. Will make it much easier to clean when it inevitably rains 😂