New Tires

There are always signs when your tires are worn out such as sliding out when cornering, car floating when it rains heavily or lost of traction and grip even at the traffic light. All of these happened to me and some time almost cause an accident during rainy season. Since my last set of tires really disappointed me, I spent some time searching for better tires. When I first bought my car, it had different set of tires for the front and rear and the rear had a negative camber setting, around 50% usage of tire. I had it adjusted back as straight as possible (around 80% usage) to save tire cost. Now, I decided to use different set for front and rear and if possible use negative camber again.

I asked around for recommendations. My friend with the turbo Celica recommended me a tire, Achilles ATR Sport from Indonesia. According to him, it is grippy even for his power and is very cheap. Those description really fit my criteria. Since my rear tire only uses 80% of the tires, it would be a waste to use expensive tires and with the ATR Sport it would be cheaper and performance is still maintained. As for the front, I wanted good tires because of the front wheel drive system and handling is in the front. I bought Yokohoma S Drive tires. The S Drive is performance tire from big Japan make, Yokohama and it has high review. 

Achilles ATR Sport

Before actual use, what actually seems different about the S Drive compared to other tires is the groove shown below with the red arrow. In Malaysia where is rains all the time, getting a good tire that drives well in the rain is crucial and I think the special grooves definitely will increase the performance in the rain. However, I am not happy about the shops that changed my tires. I got 3 rims scratched and I just had them painted. It seems that I do not deserve perfect rims. Everyone should be aware of their rim condition after changing tires.

After 2 weeks with the new tires, the performance is better than my previous Falken Ziex ZE-912. Cornering has been great and the steering is lighter making handling and response so much faster. In the rain, the car does not slide or hydroplan easily and it is possible to drive faster. I had a feeling that the tire pressure plays some part too and I checked the pressure. It was at 230 kpa in the front where usually I pump at 220 kpa. I guess 230 is more comfortable and corners better.

Test Drive: Toyota Celica Blitz Supercharger, Unexpected Try

After months focusing on my assignments, studies and exams, I finally got some time to do what I did not have time during that period. This includes meeting up with my mechanic friend for a nice chat and taking my parts that I left there last year. When I was there, I was surprised that I saw this red beast at his place. The last time I saw this car was at a financing website because it was repossessed and my friend must have bought it. I knew the previous owner so the spec was already known but there is one thing that I am very interested in. It is how this beast drives.

Custom front bumper based on rare C-One Ver.II

Carbon Carnard 

4 pot ST205 Celica Brake with cross drilled rotors and Tein Suspension behind 18" Rim

Let's talk more about what is not observable just from looking at these photos or from the outside. The thing that is controlling the awesome, rare Blitz supercharged Celica is a standalone management, the Apexi Power FC. It is said to have great tuning capabilities and could push the 2ZZ-GE engine further to extract more power than other management systems. I had always wanted one of this for my own Celica and the fact that it is well equipped makes it more tempting for me to test it. I asked my friend for the key and took a drive. I did not have too much road to test it so I could only test the power in a straight line. 

Vortex Generator

ER34 spoiler with loud exhaust

The first thing I noticed when I got in the car is the facelift cluster that is a surprise because it is not a facelift model and the many meters that monitored many things about the engine. The clutch was light and easy to handle. As I drove the car, I realized that the brake although same with mine, does not bite well and it feels soft without much response. I was told it is because of the racing brake pads. These pads can withstand high temperature for races but requires some warming up. It does not work efficiently when cold and will feel like there is no brakes. In addition, the gear is difficult to engage especially the 2nd gear and I had difficulty doing so.

Facelift Cluster & Blitz horn button

Greddy Oil & Water Temp. meters

Greddy Boost & unknown meters

Temp. meter

For those who are not familiar, a supercharger increases the power in lower rpm region making the power curve more linear. I used the 3rd gear (high gear) at a low speed to test the power at low rpm. Usually there would be a power lag but the car pulls easily proving that the Blitz is working and does increase power but there was sadly, no sign of the famous roaring sound from the Blitz, as if broken. I was thrown into another surprise when I hit above 5k rpm. The supercharger pulls the car with high torque but at 5k rpm car suddenly pulls out of no where making me lose control over the steering. As a Celica driver, I quickly realized the sudden pull is the "lift" mechanism. It really scared me. The "lift" usually comes at 6.3k rpm on stock but the Power FC does have the ability to lower the "lift" timing.

Blitz Sonic Power Air Filter

Rare and much sort after Blitz Supercharger with Intercooler

In conclusion, it was not a very good drive. Do not get me wrong. The Blitz Supercharger works wonderfully at low rpm and the engine still has the "lift". What is not right in my mind is how the supercharger and "lift" get along at a lowered 5k rpm. The whole power band is not smooth at all making it a difficult car to drive especially as a daily drive. If I were the owner, I would get it to fine tune to make it smooth and get more power. I can handle driving a Turbo Celica and this should be an easy job but it is not.

Family MPV

As written in my previous post titled Car Shopping, my family is letting go the family MPV and replace it. I realized that I have not reviewed this family car before on this blog before and before it leaves the family, it would be appropriate to do a review on it. This 2001 Toyota Estima L has been in the family since 2006, serving for 6 years. The family golden MPV is a 7 seater model with 16" rims and Aeras body kit. Not much luxuries and accessories (only 2 vacuum doors) comes with the car, almost like a basic model. The engine used is a 2.4l 2AZ-FE engine with 156 bhp mated with a 4 speed automatic transmission. 

The Estima along with Toyota Alphard and Toyota Vellfire, are advertised as really comfortable car suitable for long distance traveling. I have got to say this is really a comfortable car suitable by the whole family on an outing and definitely a good passenger car where you can stretch and sleep easily. Having say this, in my opinion it is definitely not driver car for me. The seat just could not be adjusted to a comfortable position and it is hard to see the entire car as it is wide and long. Handling is completely a different style as taking any corner at high speed would cause high body roll and the risk the car rolling and overturn. Hard braking also cause weight to shift to the front a lot and hard to maneuver.  

Having list out the downside of this MPV,  you have to understand that driving an MPV is not the same as driving a regular car. You have to consider the weight, height, length and the type of car it is. What I do like is when you are driving alone, the 2.4l engine really pulls away and can reach a high speed on a highway. You got to admit there is power this big car as it is meant to pull 7 person with some baggage.  My mum really loves the idea of an MPV where the whole family could be together in comfort when going out.

In a conclusion, as a car and a MPV it is a very good choice. The car although long and tall, it is just the right size compared to the square Alphard or Vellfire. It is comfortable for all 6 passengers and has the power to pull all the weight. The downside is the lack of huge space for luggage if passengers want to sit comfortable and is not a car that someone that have no experience with MPV could drive easily. Many adjustment needs to be adjusted to one's driving style especially for a guy like me.

It's Back Again

After a week, my Celica is back again from the same painter the second time. First it was the left side and now the right side. It is expensive like that last time but to get even color I had to return to the same place. From the photo you can see that the side mirror is not white anymore. Looks brand new.

Here is a photo of the rim painted months ago and the one with gold caliper is newly painted. I do not know whether is it obvious here but the newly painted rim is more brighter in color. This is the reason why I had all 4 painted during the last visit to the painter to get an even color. I hope people could not see it so obviously. Not everyone have an observant eye.

Although the car got new paint that makes everything look new like nothing happened, there are some unavoidable permanent damage. The window and rubber lining is full of scratches from where the side mirror closed and the mirror that broke came flying out. I hope there is something that could be done about it.

The Celica is back and I hope nothing happens to it anymore. My heart and wallet could not take more of this.

MR-S

Toyota MR-S was brought to production from 1999 to 2007 as a small but sporty in style and handling sports car. The first time I saw one on the road it strikes me as a a really compact sports car with 2 seats. I remember when my mum said it look so cute and I had to researched about this particular sports car. The MR-S is really a fascinating sports car with many fans worldwide despite its small size. Many would compare this car with its predecessor, the Toyota MR2 and the result was a mixed one.

Layout
What is so special about the MR-S and its predecessor is its layout of MR (mid-engine, rear wheel drive). When a car has a mid engine in the back, the front and back ratio is a key point and the car mechanism is different from regular front engine ones. The overall airflow design is different with shorter exhaust system, usually short because of the distance of engine and the end of the car. Handling would also be different because of the weight in the back making the rear wheels more grippy and better handling and traction than a FR car.

Engine
It is a surprise that there is only one engine available for this car. It uses a 1.8l 1ZZ-FE engine found in normal cars such as Toyota Corolla and in sports car like the Celica ZZT230. It is an inline 4 engine that only churns 140 bhp at the crank. For a sports car, this is a complete letdown and if compared to the MR2 it would be a big disappointment. The MR cars of Toyota was meant to be small but powerful as the 2nd generation MR2 had the 3S-GTE turbo engine that has 245 bhp, which is powerful for a sports car and its size. So, many were not pleased with the engine choice for the MR-S.

Transmissions
The early models of MR-S has a 5 speed manual gearbox with an optional of a 5 speed SMT (Sequential Manual Transmission). Now, many might not be familiar with the SMT and with the lack of a clutch pedal and missing H pattern shifter, it was mistaken as an auto transmission. The SMT is no doubt a manual transmission but allows quick shifting over the conventional manual transmissions, often used in professional races like F1 and Rally races. It behaves like a manual, having to shift from 1st gear when starting and shifts in a pattern of + and - like tiptronic gearbox and on the steering wheel. In 2002, the manual becomes close ratio 6 speed and in 2003, the SMT receives 6 gear too. It is faster and easier to drive but with the fun of a manual transmission. Its all fun but the SMT is hard and expensive to maintain.

Down buttons on the front up buttons on the back

Performance
Many always thinks that the thing that determines the performance is how big and fast the engine and in this case, the MR-S would be terrible. Toyota does not launch a sports car if they know it is weak. What is the specialty of the MR-S is the overall balance. The low weight, small size, low height and great handling negates the effect of the small engine it has. This made the MR-S a super handling machine and gets in and out of turns swiftly out powering bigger cars in mountain passes. It is a perfectly balance car but people do still want more power. Some have turbo the 1ZZ and some have transplanted the more powerful 2ZZ-GE from the Celica.

Convenience
The MR-S only has 2 seats with a soft top convertible roof. I never like soft top convertibles because of the small plastic rear window that is hard to see through especially in the rain and small in size. However, the MR-S has a heated glass rear window. Further to the inconvenience is the lack of storage space because the engine is at the back, there is no boot. The front although emptied of an engine, only provides a small size compartment and has a medium storage space behind the seats. It can fit 2 medium bags as shown on the photo below with the official MR bags from Toyota.

Styling
The interior of MR-S is not an exceptional to the Japanese trend of sports car and is very minimal. It has a normal cluster and regular square shaped aircond vents. The aircond controller is still manual type where you turn the knob. Everything is plastic and design were poor. It serves as a day to day interior enough with functions and no luxury because it would make it too heavy and expensive.

On the outside, it looks nimble and sporty that many would like regardless of gender. There are also many different exterior enhancement that makes each MR-S looks different and have a different feel. There is also an option of a hard top from Toyota that is put over the soft top. Below are some photos of different bodykit, some with hard top on.

I would like to try one MR-S just to get the feel of driving a MR layout car. I have never driven a MR-S nor any MR cars before. So, this review is based on researches. 

Looks better

Finally, I had some free time to send the Vios for a service and install the parts I previously bought. The car have been sluggish and requires some attention due to the lack of people driving it. The wipers actually worked tremendously for a cheap product and I am impressed. It wipes well and is quiet. After the service it drives better even at high rpm around 5k rpm. The photos below are before and after of the Vios with parts. The side mirror cover is not painted but it blends well with the car color.

Side Mirror

Rear Light

         

At the same time, I also sent my Celica for a routine service and some small adjustment. It was hard to drive in a right hand drive country without your right side mirror. I had to keep looking at the right side and stayed on the middle lane. I got a replacement side mirror that is white and dirty as seen on the photo below. It is definitely an eyesore with the different color and having the scratches but surprisingly the white actually goes well with my gray. 

When I sent my car to the paint workshop for the repair and pain job, I saw this white Nissan Fairlady 370z with grey and orange stripe. It looks great and I love how it is slimmer and better in the interior than its predecessor the 350z. Hopes my Celica looks better like this when it is done next year.