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threepot

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Posts posted by threepot

  2. JDM plate on a UK car

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    1. Check that there is a registration plate both at the front and the rear of the vehicle, and check each one for security and condition. 4. Refer to pages 4 - 6 and check visually that the characters are correctly formed, spaced, and are not obviously likely to be misread due to, for example, badly positioned or uncovered retaining bolts etc. P4 Size of Characters Testers are not required to physically measure the characters or their spacing and the following information is provided for guidance only. Registration plates should only be rejected for character dimensions or spacing if they are clearly incorrect

    cartableregplate.jpg

    I think some poeple get abit anal about number plate law, really the plate has to be in the correct font, and the correct colour, and safely fixed to the car.

  3. rechroming lights

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    I've had loads of plastic and glass lensed light units apart.

    140 degree's in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes makes the glue nice and soft.

    Sometimes you have to have a 2nd or even a 3rd oven session to get them unbonded all the way round.

    But I have spoke to loads of chroming/coating businesses all over the place, and nowhere can re-chrome a plastic inner reflector. If they are metal then you can get them re-chromed.

  8. How much does Toyota actually know about their cars?

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    When it comes to skilled automotive engineers in dealerships there is a catch 22 present. They will only employ young people with qualifications in the automotive area, e.g. BTEC 2/3 or NVQ 2/3 in Vehicle Maintainence.

    But spend a couple of days round your local colleges Automotive workshop and you will realise a fair few of the lads who do those courses are not pushing IQ's of 150 :) And the lectures are prone to teaching a syllabus which is geared to pass rates which is not challenging their top students - pass rates supply funding in the modern FE college.

    Quite often, the lads who are quite experience before they start college drop out through boredom, more often than not they have been doing all the stuff they cover at college with their dad, uncle, brother etc for years.

    No one can do 2/3 years at college, then from nowhere be any good at fault finding. Yes they can drop oils, change brake pads, put an exhaust on, change a spring, swap a wheel bearing, fit a CV joint etc - some better than others. But they have not had some fantastic experienced mentors to work beside year on year - that is where good mechanics often come from.

    It takes decades of challenging jobs to become good, and that isn't decades of servicing and wear n tear parts replacements.

    There are some good guys out there, but I think they are a minority in the industry. I hope I have not offended too many garage workers here :)

  9. How to protect polished rocker cover?

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    I've polished quite a few alloy items for various cars.

    Problem with lacquering polished alloy, is where/when the lacquer peels if totally ruins the finish, and now you have an ugly bit. You can't re lacquer it without being able to see the ugly bit in the mirrored finish. Removing all the lacquer is less than ideal, and difficult to not damage the polished finish. The lacquer often peels because there is nothing to bind to as the metal has such a smooth surface - its like trying to paint glass.

    It is a bit of a pain polished alloy items - but they look very nice.

    All I do, it just give items a quick little coat of autosol every 6 months or so and they stay mirror finished.

    Change your tyres over

    in Consumable Parts

    Posted

    ZE-914's are a budget tyre in my books. They are hardly a Pirelli, Continental or Bridgestone.

    Anyway price does not directly correlate with tyre quality/performance.

    I can't remember exactly but I'm sure the Falkens have lower EU ratings than the Rainsports for Fuel economy and grip.

    I know the Falkens are a tad more expensive at the places I shop, not by much mind you.

    Change your tyres over

    in Consumable Parts

    Posted

    Pretty much all lowered cars do it in my experience. Me and my friends went though this game for years.

    It's the entire geometry of a vehicle suspension system. It's what make the car stable and drivable!

    At standard height, the tyres should keep an even contact area with the road as the vehicle rolls and corners.

    Unfortunately, as you lower it, it increase the camber amount at rest e.g. driving in a straight line. As strut/spring length reduces the camber increases. So the tyres have more load on the inside edges.

    This is either due to the ratio difference of the upper arm to the wishbone as per the rear end of a celica. You need to increase the length of the upper arm to fix this.

    Or its due to the MacPhearson strut configuration as per the front of a celica. If you can move the top mount outwards then you can correct it. You can get or make what they call "adjustable pillow ball mounts".

    As you alter the ride height you ideally need something like this on the rear end:-

    http://www.monkeywrenchracing.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_178&products_id=1111&osCsid=kfnl5ipbhdett2khlcsmudjdu0

    And you need to take it to somewhere that has a proper alignment setup - I'm not talking tracking done at quickfit. It's pretty cheap to do, and worth every penny as the car will feel less twitchy on the rear under braking. And obviously it'll use its tyres properly.

    I'm sure there are plenty of people who will disagree with me though.

    And I have never lowered a Celica in my life :)

    Change your tyres over

    in Consumable Parts

    Posted

    Unless you deal with the camber, then all I would suggest is getting the passenger tyre put on the drivers side and vice versa.

    Then you can wear both shoulders out before they are toasted entirely on one edge.

    Does seem madness to scrub corners off tyres, but such is life.

  18. Car keyed :(

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    Although you will not make it disappear entirely, if you get a touch up pot of paint to match the vehicle, then thin it down a bit with thinners...

    You can pull some into the scratch with a cloth, brush etc, then pull a bit of rubber to remove the excess.

    Wait for it to dry. Rub back the "over spray(spill)"

    Then touch it up again if you have hollow spots. And polish back.

    This will hide the undercoat/primer/metal line you can see as the "scratch".

    • Like 2

    Uniroyal Rainsport 3?

    in Consumable Parts

    Posted · Edited by threepot

    I'm not running 3's, but I've had previous rainsports and I love them. Have a set on my missus car too, cuts through standing water fantastic.

    There are better dry tyres out there - but for typical UK annual weather sort of realism, they are perfect. They are fun in the dry don't get me wrong. - But they are not a pre orange oil Yoko :twisted:

    Uniroyal are actually a sub brand of Continental Tyres, and are German.

    Kuhmo are Korean, they are OK, but not on my list to purchase again if I can afford something else.

  24. engine helps :)

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    Get someone who REALLY knows to have a look at it.

    Takes very little to asses the wear state of an engine.

    Get it on the bench, take the sump off, part a couple of big ends on it.

    Take off the rocker cover, remove a couple of cam caps.

    With engines an old saying rings true.... better the devil you know, than the devil you don't!

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