The Next Level

The Honda world-famous "Type R" models are nicknamed "Turbo-Killers" for a reason and that reason, in my opinion, is that these are the most powerful Naturally Aspirated (NA). Its i-VTEC engine (V-TEC in the past) is a high revving, high power engine with high torque at your disposal. The specialty lies in the lift system that gives a boost of power in the powerband. It started with the NSX Type R (NA1) up to the latest Civic Type R (FD2R) which are all very fast to say the least. Although the NSX was an MR sports car, most Type R models are FWD and were at first laughed at by other car makers. Soon, the Type Rs proved themselves that Front Wheel NA cars can be fast and catch up with Turbocharged sports car. My first car was not a Type R but it was a close copy of it.

In 1999, Toyota noticed Honda's increasing market share in sports car and based their next Celica on the popular Integra Type R (DC2) in order to compete. Toyota replaced the most powerful variant of the Celica from the GT4's Turbo AWD setup with the 7th generation Celica (ZZT231) by favoring a new high rev NA engine and FWD setup. On paper, DC2 and ZZT231 have a lot of similarities. They both have 1.8L high rev engine, similar horsepower and torque, FWD setup and most importantly, the lift system. Thus, driving the ZZT231 Celica gave me the experience of almost driving the most powerful NA sports car. I gain the knowledge of how FWD handles and how to get the most out of the high rev engine and its lift system. Now, having experienced the best in NA engines, I think I should move on to the next level.

Humans are bound to be curious about something new or different. In this situation, I am no different. I have thought of trying new variants of sports cars. For my next sports car, I would definitely like a Turbo car. It does not matter whether it will be an RWD or an AWD because both would be something new to experience. Having said that, I actually have a little experience of driving a Turbo RWD car. My dad's Mercedes Benz E200 CGI has a 1.8L Turbo engine and is an RWD. That is why maybe I am a bit heading towards the AWD area and I have one particular model in my mind that fits the budget and has the heritage. The GT-R, Evolution Lancer and Impreza are a few examples of Japanese Turbo AWD models that are available and my bias is the Subaru Impreza. I have not narrowed down which model I might purchase but any will do. The Boxer engine, the 6-speed manual gearbox, 280 bhp and the bass tone exhaust. The thought of these features already makes me feel all excited.  That would be the next level for me.

Auto Cruise

The Auto Cruise or Cruise Control is not a new invention and have been available in cars since the 1950s but not all cars have it. It used to be a luxurious gadget for all the big brands and now it finds itself in almost all kinds of car. I knew about the existence and an idea of what it could do but I have never needed it. So, it was not a big deal for me until I started driving the Mazda 6. The Cruise Control comes as a standard and as a car-nut, I fiddled with it some times. I was impressed from the first time I tried the Cruise Control and I started to see why people especially in Europe love the Cruise Control. Being able to maintain a certain speed without the hassle of keeping the throttle steady and most importantly lower fuel consumption. I already know the Sky-Activ engines are good with fuel economy  and so the Cruise Control should be a very good compliment to it.

One day I had to make a trip down south to a state called Malacca and its around 148 kilometers from my house. Being confident with the Mazda 6's fuel efficiency and wanting to get every kilometers out of a full tank of petrol, I left home with only 1 bar of fuel left on the indicator. I figured with Cruise Control I could get quite a distance before I need to pump petrol and there would be petrol stations along the highway to Malacca. In addition, all new high tech cars are equipped with an indicator of remaining distance you could travel based on current petrol level. I started my journey with full confidence and with my 2 important tools, I was all set. I set my Cruise Control for about 110 km/h and although the indicator displayed I could only go for 18 kilometers but I already drove for almost 35 kilometers, which boost my confidence. 

Soon I reached the zero mark and have no bar left on the fuel gauge. I started to calculate that the full fuel tank can hold 60 liters and I usually only pump 53 liters. So, there should be 7 liters for me to use after I reached the zero mark but just to be safe I lowered the Cruise Control speed to 85 km/h and waited for the next petrol station to appear. However, soon I noticed something was amiss. The highway was passing by mountains and that is a sign where no petrol station will appear and I worried. My worries increased and started to panic. I put the speed to 70 km/h, rolling along the highway and started praying. I really did pray and I turned off the radio and air-cons with my window down. The thoughts of being stranded on the highway crossed my mind several times. After 53 meters of rolling at 70 km/h, I finally found a petrol station by a rest stop. 

It was a risky thing to do I would say. I miscalculated and thought that there would be more petrol stations along the way. However, I did proved that it is in fact that the Mazda 6 is very fuel economical especially with the Cruise Control. I truly think the Cruise Control is a marvel and a useful gadget but I won't be using it much though. On the way back from Malacca, I hit the highway with the Cruise Control at 140 km/h and I arrived back in KL in no time with great mileage. It was a blast and I have learned my lesson. The next time I have to travel far, I will start my journey with a full tank.

MR-S in the flesh

As a fan of Toyota sports cars, you can not leave out the Toyota MR-S and so I was very excited to be able to meet one in the flesh. If you have frequently visited my blog, you would remember a review that I wrote about the Toyota MR-S or you could read it here, MR-S review, if you have not. Ever since I decided to let go of my Celica, I started to sell off my mods and someone was interested in my Camcon unit. So, I arranged to meet up with him and to my surprise, he drives a Toyota MR-S. That was a period where I have detached myself from anything related to cars and meeting this MR-S made me felt like a small boy, getting ice-cream on a hot day. I was not even paying much attention to the owner when we were talking business and when I got the chance, I asked if he could show me his car. That is when it got interesting.

When I first saw his MR-S, I noticed it has a hard top, facelift rear lights and facelift rear bumper. I thought I was lucky not only to be able to see a MR-S but also a well equipped, rare late model. In Malaysia, it is really difficult to get a facelifted JDM sports car because they are mostly grey imports and only the initial models were popular. I know because there only a handful of facelift Celica that I found excluding the one I driven before. However I was told by the owner, it is actually an early model only will an exterior upgrade, even with facelift front lights. The car talk went on and on, and was even longer than the business talk. Maybe there is a lack of photos and sorry about the quality. I was also given a tour of the interior and sat in the cockpit. Being all excited I forgot to take photos of the inside. The gear knob indicating 5 speed manual gives a strong indication that it is an early model because facelifted models have 6 speed manual. 

I actually thought of getting a small sports car as my weekend ride and the MR-S came to my mind and so I asked a lot about owning one and learn more about it. Frankly, I like how its stock looking with the original rims but comes with the exterior upgrade and rare hardtop. Owning one does sound fun but it is still unaffordable because of its age. The only regret of this meet up is that I could not have a test drive of it and could not take better photos. At least I get to say I have seen a Toyota MR-S up close. I really hope there are more meetings like this. Let's hope I get a sports car again soon. Please bare with these limited photos though. 

Farewell to You

You came into my life unplanned and caught me by surprise. Never in my life would I have guessed that I would have a chance to have you in my life. This was the beginning of my story of my Celica. It has only been 4 years since I met you and some say it is short but to me it has been a lifetime. My car related life before you was just the beginning of me as a driver. Back then I knew nothing much about cars and was beginning the aesthetic phase that struck many drivers that most never left that phase. Prior to you, I only had experience with bodykit and rims for my Vios. You taught me a lot about sports car performance know how and driving skills that I could have never learned from driving a regular car or from reading magazines.You gave me actual experience of driving a sports car and showed me the effects of mods. Rather than reading about how a lift kicks in, I had the chance to feel it firsthand and I get to experience changes as the car undergoes more and more mods.

My curiosity of how a car works, what a mod does and how to properly handle a sports car increased and I started to learn more. You taught me that raw horsepower and high displacement engines are not what that matters. You taught me the difference between brake and wheel horsepower. Other includes the potential of cars with different drivetrains, power of naturally aspirated cars versus force inducted cars, the different types of layout and engines available and my personal opinion that handling is more important than increasing horsepower. Thanks to you, I even had the chance to enter a race car circuit for a drive (twice actually). I happen to be the type that learns faster by doing the deed and having you around makes that easier. I also get to know a great bunch of enthusiast that enable me to learn from them and allowed me to drive different setup for the same car such as TRD spec, super NA, supercharged and turbo Celicas.

It was really hard for me to hand over your keys and watched you left the premise, knowing I will never see you again. It really breaks my heart to watch my mentor, my partner in crime, my pride and my companion leave my life so early. I had many good memories together and remembered taking you out for a spin whenever I am depressed. Most of the people around me knows I treated you like my wife, taking care of you most of the time. You have done well accompanying me in the process of learning. I am a better driver thanks to you. The new car might be here but you will never be replaced so easily. You are my first sports car and I will never forget you even if I have a new sports car in my life. Now my car is just a car and not my partner in crime but I will always have the memories when we were together.  Farewell and I hope that you will find a new owner that will care about you like I did soon. Thank you and Goodbye.

On the Track

First Wedding Convoy

Dyno Time !

First Model Shot with my long hair

Full Blast Models

His Turn

There are 4 rims on the Mazda 6 and two of them especially the right side are damaged. One is carved out and one has a thin but long line. The reasons behind these are just pot holes and blind spot. I can thank the city hall for leaving the road filled with dangerous holes that could do more than peel the paint of our rims. In addition, the Mazda 6 is really a big car so there are bound to be limits of the side mirrors. Hence my two rims not in pristine condition and that is not all. Due to some incident with a taxi driver, my driver side door handle is scratched as well. It all started when I was driving home from work one night and this taxi was trying to move into my lane although I am already in the lane. He got a little too close and a scratch was made and he just stopped there, fearing I might ask him to reimburse me. I realize the meteor gray color I picked for the Mazda 6 is a good color that makes small scratches not that visible from a distance.

Now you may ask what happen to the guy who was careful with his car and spends his sundays touching up the car, cleaning it inside out and polish out scratches. Well he is still here but is having a hard time adjusting to the Mazda 6. It is because I am used to the way that the Celica drives for 3 years that without me realizing it, I tried to drive the Mazda 6 like the Celica which may not be the best way to drive the Mazda 6. So, I might be sloppy with the new car because I still drive the same way as I did in the past. This car really starts to make driving just a mean of transport and it no longer excites me. Skill and focus not as strong as before and that could ultimately be the reason I am not that careful while driving it. I am really afraid that I would lose my edginess after getting tame by a luxury large sedan. In addition, squeezing to park in my office parking area with 2 other large cars is not easy and might caused scratches here and there.

Left Rear - damaged with tyre cut

Left Front door handle

Left Front - scratch

Scratch on side mirror

A New Year

So it has been 3 weeks and still the problem could not be resolved. All we know is that the E.C.U. is running on safe mode and hence the rev cut at 7,000 rpm. My dad is getting restless and his friend have finally agreed to take the car to sell. Also, coincidentally a potential buyer texted me and so I have to bring the car back for the buyer to view. I took the liberty to search on a famous Celica forum and found somethings but it was useless too. I have no choice but to exchange the Celicas and bring mine to the office for viewing. So, I went to exchange and when I was almost home, something major happened and if I know my luck well, it is usually not a good thing. The car stopped and I was stranded for 3 hours by the highway.

Left the temporary ride for my own ride.

End of manual experience

After 3 weeks, finally get the best mileage for 15L of petrol

It was the first time I have experienced such an event. I was driving along a highway not far from my place and I was hitting around 130 km/h and suddenly I felt a sudden loss of power where there is no response when I hit the accelerator. I remember having experienced something like this once when I was driving around 185 km/h and the speed cut came. So, the car started to decelerate at a high pace and I was fearing the car behind me would hit me. Since there was no response from the accelerator, I tried downshifting. Still with no response, I put it back to Drive and then the rpm needle went haywire, downshifting and upshifting on its own will and rpm going up and down crazily. I have no choice but stop by the road side and although the car was not moving anymore, I felt the car vibrating and the engine started to choke like the engine is going to die off and it did. I then try to restart the engine but it took me almost 2 minutes to start. I thought my nightmare was over when it started but the idle rpm could not even go past 1,000 rpm and slowly chokes with whirling sound in the exhaust. It died off again and could not restart. I even saw some white smoke from under the hood.

Location of petrol tank 

All empty out

I remembered my mechanic friend told me that he changed almost everything mechanical that he could think of in order to fix my rev cut problem. That is why I could not think of any problem and I panicked. I call my mechanic friend to hurry over to fix my problem. By the time he arrived, I was already very sweaty like in a sauna and he tested the ignition coils, spark plugs and injectors. He realized that the injectors were not injecting any petrol and then he went and took a look inside the petrol tank and realize it was as dry as a desert. I could not believe that it was this empty when the petrol gauge shows there is still petrol left. This gave us a hint that the meter cluster that might be malfunctioned and could be the source of the rev cut problem. However, that is the least of my thoughts because I was wondering how on Earth could I get some petrol. My friend called his friend to bring some petrol and I was on my way back home but I realized there is a problem with the aircond compressor and hose. The next day, my dad's friend came and took the car. I was told that the aircond compressor is done and needs replacement. Lucky I do not need to deal with that. In a way, the Celica gave  me another lesson as a farewell gift. I finally know how it feels when you are out of petrol. It was not pleasant but definitely memorable.

Could be the last time I see this view and look at the special guest behind. Lucky shot.

Temporary Ride

It is known from one of my previous post that my Celica has been sent for repairs and because the mechanic is a friend of mine, I got a great deal. When I sent my car to his workshop I would be without a ride home and the work needed to be done will take at least 3 days. So, in exchange my friend loan me his Celica while mine is at his workshop. Actually this Celica of his is of no stranger to this blog because it has been featured here before but it is a little bit different now. What has change is the removal of the powerful Blitz Supercharger kit, all the cool gauges and its super computer, the Power FC. So now, it is just a regular manual Celica with super loud exhaust muffler. Now since the accident, I have not been driving the Celica and have not had any exciting drives and knowing I could have a manual Celica really got my blood pumping fast again.

Familiar 4 Pot Brake

It has been over 2 weeks and still my Celica could not be diagnosed. I am getting worried but at the same time, I have been enjoying the manual one. Firstly, I will talk about what is familiar about this Celica that I find close to my own Celica. On the outside, there is not one part that is similar with a different bumper, different spoiler, different lights and different rim. When you venture inside, the seats, the interior lights on the dash and interior color tone is different especially the exciting manual shift lever. Since my Celica is a facelift model, only the name, shape and design are the same. However, there are some small bits that reminds me of my own Celica. On the outside, there is only the 4 pot brakes that I myself have upgraded. The inside there is the facelift cluster meter, auto transmission paddle shift buttons, the passenger seats, metal pedals and the door sills. Sure brings back memory just by sitting in the cockpit and instantly you get that racing feeling.

This is not the first manual NA Celica that I have driven. So, I am familiar with the difference in performance with manual and auto transmission. The manual car will just keep going and the torque is great. It is so nice that even the 20 kg brakes feel normal here compared to the heavy weight I felt on my auto. This car has a slightly hard clutch and the pedal is not easy to engage especially when you need to start the car. Since I drive it daily, I have been introduced to traffic jams, slopes, bumps and some instant when you can't get the gear in and this is a good learning experience for me. I find out that stock clutches are the easiest to drive but this hard to handle clutch gave me more confidence in driving a manual car. The brakes are great and I am used to it but the handling needs work. It has the same aftermarket suspension that I had and is a Superstrut suspension. However, the car is on a much stiffer setting than my already stiff setting and maybe because of the large spacer it uses, the car is not steady and balance. It feels like it will jump around even at small and low speed corners which is surprising given its stiff setting.

Favourite Part of It

The worst part is that horrible exhaust muffler. It is so deafening especially in the Celica which has almost no sound proofing done. The sound comes immediately after 2,000 rpm which is quite instantly since the close ratio gearbox revs quickly, forcing me to shift up really quickly and in a minute I am already at 4th gear just to avoid the sound. So, I have been cruising on 6th gear most of the time and the worst is when you are in a housing area or when I am back home during midnight. It is a hassle to drive while trying to keep it quiet. Luckily with 2 weeks of practice, I manage to control the sound to a minimal. Sometimes it results in jerks when on 1st gear. It makes me wonder how could all its owners stand that bloody noise and how people like loud exhaust sounds. It causes headache sometimes especially after work and it consumes petrols a lot too. Do not get me wrong when I complain because it has been a joy to drive a manual Celica. It is like a dream come true and the power is addictive like how a high rev NA with instant respond feels like. However, I think it is time to get my Celica back. 

The annoying loud exhaust muffler

P.S. All the photos show parts that are familiar except manual shifter and exhaust muffler.