Buddha

I've PM'd Silva to advise that I won't be able to actively participate in the dyno testing, but I shall be in attendance to watch all the big numbers happen. This therefore leaves one blank space on the dyno, so if previously you missed out, here's your chance! Send a PM to Silva and he'll be happy to sort you out! :D

You may have been asked this before, but how did you end up with your exhaust exiting on the passenger side?

Yeah, it would seem I spoke a bit too soon. But given that Flavio Briatore is both Webber's manager and boss of Renault F1, hopefully there's a silver lining to this little "cloud".

I know there's been chat about this for a while, but I have just read an announcement confirming that Toyota will be supplying engines to WilliamsF1, and therefore Australia's Mark Webber, for the next three years. Finally I can back Webber and Toyota all at once! :D

Yeah, but your old one had a great bloody big hole in the side of it! :P

I ALWAYS park in 3rd ;) you shouldn't park in reverse I was taught exactly as Donna does, and I've always started with the clutch in, probably because I'm scared of doing the "hop" :P

I will be out tonight, but only briefly ... I have to be up early tomorrow to go and watch the SuperTaxis! :D

This may well come too late to help, but I picked up the Haynes manual for the RWD Celica's (no. 92015, as you said) at Repco for $39.95.

I hope you're joking about that, because Toyota owners will start to get the same teasing as Mitsubishi Pajero owners. I didn't know what Yentil meant, until I did a search ... its a slang word with a meaning that includes sandpaper and a certain part of the male anatomy ... DEFINITELY NOT GOOD! :P

I can't make it tonight, but I will see everyone on Saturday, most likely as part of Team Hdache. I'll have those bits from the old Buddhamoble that SB is chasing on Saturday too.

The button is there so that if you are holding a speed somewhere between 3rd & 4th (say, going up a long hill) you can switch 4th out so that the box isn't constantly hunting between the two, as autos tend to do. I think its a bit of cost cutting on Toyota's part, so they can use the 3 speed selector and surrounds but still offer the overdrive.

Note to self ... allow extra 15mins on each trip ... 27 y.o. hairdresser car + 27 y.o. truck motor + 27 y.o. auto = S-L-O-W :P

Some interesting points there, but I thought I'd have my 2 cents worth, anyhow! Firstly, the article gives me the idea that, at a corporate level, anyway, that Prodrive are doing with Toyota what they've done with Ford, except for the V8 team. i.e. Toyota would supply the cars to be tuned to become TRD vehicles, just like Ford sends Falcons over to become FPV's. There's no mention of anything outside Australia, much less F1. Besides, Prodrive are coming back into F1 in '08 with their own team, details of engine supplier TBA. In regards to V8Supercar, the governing body actually do want Toyota, and any other interested company, to join in as long as they meet the regs ... its Ford and Holden who chuck hissy fits from time-to-time, not wanting other kids to play in their sandpit. Ford and Holden created the rules, they have developed suitable cars and engines, they have all the name drivers contracted, they have the fan base all tied up ... they should dare other companies to have a go, rather than act like spoilt brats.

From the Mazda website ... Maxx Sport - 108kW 2.0, side skirts & rear spoiler - 5 sp man $26500, 4 sp auto $28500 SP23 - 115kW 2.3, front & rear aero bumpers, side skirts & rear spoiler - 6 sp man $29600, 5 sp auto $31860 Probably add $2500-$3000 for on-roads. Well outside your $22K budget ... even a basic Neo will set you back $20990 + on roads as a manual, although you might get one with $22K cash.

Top shots, Dave ... the pic of the Celica has become my new avatar, if that's ok! :D

Here's a link: Prodrive to do TRD

I've learnt that not every topic is worth reading ... :P

What a narrow minded idea Toyota had there I would be interested to know why they wouldn't have released a manual version for their so called "performance range" vehicle. Maybe Toyota figured the car would have more control that way ... and remember, the Avalon was auto only, also. Anyway, it will probably feature some sort of manual function ... I know that's not the same as a clutch and stick, but given that most HSV's and FPV's go with autos, maybe Toyota are on the money.

My new blue beast will be in attendance, just don't expect too many reflections off the "lustrous" 27-year-old paintwork! :P

As an up-till-know Big Brother fan, I agree with Azza's comments. However, I have to say that this year's show has been pretty boring ... what has kept me watching in previous years is the emergence of one or two characters in each group, that kept me interested. This year there's been no-one of interest. Oh, and if David and Jamie don't stop crying at each and every minor issue, I'll personally go down the coast and bash their heads together! Hey, what a top idea for a cruise! :P Look on the bright side, everyone whinges about how much money the telcos are raking in, with two less housemates, that's two less evictions for the public, which means two less weeks that the telcos are raking in their 1900 and SMS charges! :P

I shall be along this week, in whatever poop-box I end up renting! :P

Thanks again, Donna ... Sci-Fleet did it for me on Friday night, reasonably priced, can't ask for more than that! :)

Every tyre manufacturer specifies a range of applicable rim widths for each size of each tyre they make, so as long as a 6" rim fits in that range for the tyre you're considering, then you're ok (assuming they are legal in your state and will actually fit your car, of course). A good example was some tyres I had on my old Starlet ... I was told by more than one tyre dealer that Yokohama S306 185/60R13 tyres were too wide for the 5" rims, but Yokohama listed 5" as the minimum of their range for that tyre ... as it happened, they were an excellent tyre and I only traded them in after 50,000-odd kms because I was given some 14" alloys. I think it helps to do a bit of research over the net before you see the tyre dealer. :)

belly

OK, but how do you equalise things to be fair? For example, how do you equate a time from a lightweight, drag-slicked car vs a stocker? This is why I suggest just a PB sort of day, because unless everyone agrees to run in the same spec, then you're comparing apples with oranges. To me, the only other fair way to do it is make everyone do a "daily driver" run, with all bits attached and normal road tyres and base the comp on those times. Then those who want to run with slicks, stripped, etc, can run for their PB's. I realise that the weight and slicks don't quite make the same difference as, say, FI over NA, but they still offer an advantage that not everyone can have for whatever reason. Andrew obviously drags his car as a regular hobby, and all the best to him, but for most of the Corolla guys (and I'd imagine a fair proportion of the Mazda crew) who only drag maybe once or twice in their lifetime, the time and expense of removing everything and having a set of drag tyres set aside is not practical, or relevant. Mind you, if the Mazda guys are using Type-R stickers, then most of the Toyota's have an advantage ... everyone knows a TRD sticker adds far more HP than the Type-R ones! Well...the point isnt to equalise it...the sportivos have power to weight over even a savagly NA modded thing like andrews when its weight reduced!. Also... many of us see little point in a street trim run...because, even if in street trim say you run 16 seconds flat....that is NOT an indication of how fast it is on the street... i can launch at 4000rpm on the track, get absolutely no wheel spin (if the track is warm), rip through the gears with no chrip and its great...on the street, a 3000rpm will light up... the difference in road surface and a race prepped drag surface is HUGE.... so a street trim run isnt going to give you a true indication of anything. Stripping seats out of cars isnt that hard a job... takes me about 30mins to "race prep" my car... ok more for a toyota cos of those fancy flat folding seats no doubt...but still...shouldnt be overly that hard.... And the mazda's are behind the 8 ball to start with because of the previously stated power to weight issue... Guys running stock, or near to stock (such as you or I) know we can't "compete" against hte likes of Northy, SB, Twilight and others.... So we go out to have fun.. pick your opponants, race people who you know you can have a good run at (theres little or no chance i'll line up the likes of northy on my first run...i might later in the night after i've proved a few things to myself)...really comes down to making of it what you will.. Also, there are plenty of other places you can "win"... win off the launch, win over 60 feet, win over quarter track... its highly unlikely that one car will "own" every inch of the track given the simillarities in displacement, traction and power of the cars... sportivo might have the top end grunt, but the oldschool mazda tech is torquey and suited to minor quarter track victories...so theres room for everyone to be a winner if thats the way you wanna look at it. And as for TRD stickers... 5kW on a toyota, 15kW on anything else! :) Well I guess the only fair way then is to have awards based on classes, say, fastest 2ZZ, fastest 1ZZ, fastest SP20, etc, because the cars are all so different, otherwise Andrew will just flog everyone and you may as well just give the trophy to him at the start! :P At the end of the day, you want people to go home happy and feeling that they've had fun, rather than feeling like "yeah, well I would have beaten so-and-so but he had the advantage of product x and mod y". Or how about everyone pick their spec normal/light, slicks/street tyres, etc, for the night and have awards for most improved time, or most consistent runner. We all know that there was some simmering animosity on both sides after the last event, and I'm just trying to suggest ways that we can turn that around for everyone's benefit. Oh, and TRD stickers obviously give more power to Toyota's because they are designed for Toyota's. Haven't you seen Steve Irwin's "Genuine Parts" ads???