DaveR

Looks good.

I've just reacquainted myself with this build. Very impressive stuff. My favourite mod of yours is still the stock-looking Syvecs cal' switch! It's the little touches!

So having just passed my MOT with no real worries (although a new exhaust has moved higher up the priority list!) I thought I'd treat myself to something new and shiny. Since Lee at SRD did JamieP's Black Duck with the MAHOOSIVE K&N air filter, which I loved the look of, I fancied changing mine for something altogether more impressive. I asked Jamie which his was (the RC-5171 in case anyone else was wondering) and set about doing some measuring in my own bay. Clearly we all know the filter WILL fit (as proven here), but I'm keen to retain my heat shielding so I realised that that one - at 12" long and with a base diameter of 8" - wouldn't quite squeeze in. I decided to opt for the biggest one I could fit in the existing space, using the specs of the RC-5171 as a stepping off point. After a lot of measuring and comparing things on the K&N website, I landed on the RU-5045. The surface area IS less than the RC-5171 but not by much and SHOULD (if I've measured correctly... ) fit inside the confines of my current heat shielding. Win-win!! I've just ordered it so hopefully by the weekend I'll have it on. Side note: If you've just made it through that entire post without giggling like a child at some of the innuendo, well done...

Done. Passed. I need a new exhaust due to a small hole having developed towards the back of my Super Drager (it was on the shopping list anyway) and it turns out that technically the Whifbitz sun-strip is a bit on the naughty side but all is right with the world. Thanks again, Benjy!

Just dropped Suki off. I'm in the coffee shop down the road as I type.

Thanks. I don't like the look of them black (or carbon or stock grey), which is why I sprayed it in the first place. Visually it raises the front if the car and makes it look ungainly and unfinished. To my eyes anyway. I used a metal polish called Peek for the exhaust- the missus found it in Tesco. It certainly does the trick!!

It's technically overdue by a couple of weeks (but as I haven't used my car in that time that's entirely irrelevant) but I'm setting off shortly to see Benjy for my MOT. I'm pretty sure Suki's up to spec... Wish me luck!

Go into your user settings and tick the relevant boxes to order one. It's fairly self-explanatory when you get there. You get stickers, membership card and club 'business cards' if memory serves.

Thanks matey. Like I say, she's a 'go car' not a 'show car' so the odd blemish is more than acceptable in my eyes (just look at the stitched up tear in the bumper next to my front tow strop...!), but that doesn't mean that I have to stand for tattiness. It's a fine line!!

High on the successful tidying up of my engine bay and front bumper paintwork, I thought I'd polish my exhaust tailpipe too: Before: After: Jobs still to do this week (while things are steady at work) include T-Cut-ing the tint on my tail lights, polishing my headlight lenses (for the THIRD time this year - they really are starting to suffer now... ) - see the last pic in my front bumper painting post - and replacing the rusty (bare metal) bracket holding the centre of my Zunsport grille in place with a painted one. All simple stuff for now with bigger mods to come later in the year...

Continuing the theme of tidying up, I decided to dodge the weather () and spray Suki's front valance and fixed aero-lip over the last couple of days. Really this is an annual job thanks to potholes, dodgy road surfaces and speed bumps, but for some reason I didn't get around to doing it last year so my car really has suffered in this respect on the tattiness front. So... Before (see what I mean!!??): Rubbed down: I kinda wish with hindsight that I'd paid slightly more attention to the two areas arrowed in the pic. See below... Masked and primered: Top coat on: The reason why I wish I'd paid more attention to the very front of the aero-lip: To be honest I'm not going to lose too much sleep over this as it is absolutely GUARANTEED that the first time I drive my car this will end up getting scratched or scuffed or whatever (as proven over the last x years since I first sprayed this part). I'm not after Concourse standards here, so as long as things stand up to scrutiny at a distance I'm content enough... Lacquered and masking removed: The end result: Looking MUCH better, even with the dubious finish in parts.

Precisely. Mr Policeman doesn't generally know the law he's enforcing at any given time (in my experience) so what chance do we stand...?

I'm not going to claim to know the exact law on this, I don't. BUT in the case of our beloved import Supra I would guess that common sense should (could ) prevail - the front plate holder may be smaller than a UK-spec's but is also open-ended so a plate of any width and virtually* any height can actually be fitted. To that end there isn't any particular reason why you can't have a standard UK plate. On the other hand, I don't have a totally standard plate (because, having had one in the past, I think they look ****) and fitted the smallest legal (hopefully... ) one I could, so I feel your pain. * virtually because at some point the height of the plate will be restricted by the bottom of it meeting the ground... More importantly: They chin it off quite legally in America...

Luuurrrve that curve.

I can't get the img code to work properly on my iPad, but here you go matey: Click this link.

Ahhh. Gotcha!

and Good luck with the Supra hunt. Maybe try some passenger rides on Friday if you're going to Bluewater? There's usually some willing drivers if the weather holds.

How have I missed this thread?! Your car looks awesome, Rob. I love the transformation.

and How is your licence "otherwise occupied"...?!

Thanks, Luc. My current effort is re-spraying the front bumper valance and aero-lip. It's still a work in progress with the last coat of lacquer about to go on. Pics to follow...

Stunning.

Better late than never... As promised, pics of my endeavours to spruce up my engine bay over the weekend: Before (looking rather sorry for herself ): Stripped down and ready for cleaning: Paintwork tidied up; metal waiting to be polished: The eagle-eyed amongst you will also notice that I binned the - decaying - plastic conduit that I had covering my throttle cable (see second pic) in favour of some shiny new silicone vac-hose. I also replaced the heat-proof sleeve that helps protect the cable where it sits close to the turbo (seen here loosely fitted and unfinished). Turbo-side cam cover polished compared to the tatty inlet-side: Cam covers complete: Plenum before: Plenum after: Everything polished - including the power steering reservoir, FMIC-to-plenum boost pipe, coolant expansion tank, turbo compressor housing, top water elbow and of course all the bits I'd taken off to clean away from the car (brake fluid reservoir cover, n/s engine bay box, oil catch tank, rad' slam panel, inlet pipe) - and ready for assembly: Close-up of the spark plug and cam pulley covers re-fitted by the shiny cam covers: I binned the cable tie holding the throttle cable to the strut brace, by the way... Finished :

Interesting read. Those cheeky Chinese, eh?!

I actually like the combination of a Do-Luck front with Veilside skirts (throw that Trial rear on and things get even better, incidentally!). Ridox are nice too but with that extra 'lip' they only really work as part of a complete kit (well, front bumper at least). I say leave the Veilsides on.