Dad on GT5

The top nutter in the family experiences the joys of video game racing. I also just heard that one of my uncles plays gt5 a LOT. What can I say? Real men play video games!

On Driving Safely

Can someone tell me legally what lane motorcyclists should take when on the road? Or is "anywhere there is an opening" considered a legal lane?


But seriously folks, during the past few weeks there have been two major (meaning worldwide news) fatalities in motorsport. British Indycar driver Dan Wheldon passed away last October 16, while Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli passed away last October 23. Both men passed away during the race they were participating in.


Let that sink in for a while. Those two people were racing inside a racetrack. They both had to follow rules and regulations specifically designed for their safety while racing. They did not have to worry about oncoming traffic or pedestrians crossing the street. And yet, because of freak accidents, they both lost their lives.


Now imagine yourself driving our streets. I don't know about you, but it scares me whenever I drive, specially when I have my baby with me (she does sit in a car seat). There are too many motorists and pedestrians who only think about their own gains. There are those who know the road rules but believe it only applies to everyone else but themselves. And there are those impatient people who drive so fast and cut everyone off just to shave a few minutes off their travel time.


I can't say I'm not guilty of committing at least one of those things I mentioned above at least once a week. That's what sucks - in this country no matter what you do you will be forced to drive "like a typical Filipino driver" once in a while. I hate it when I have to drive like that. It puts not only myself (and my ride) at risk, but also others both riding with me and outside.


But I try to drive safe. I try to follow road rules. I stick to my lane and I don't weave in and out, whether the traffic is slow or fast. I let other cars pass if I sense that they are driving in a fast and unsafe way (relative to my definition of fast, of course). It has to start somewhere, and hopefully if people get to read this they might try to start driving and behaving like civilized, smart, common-sense equipped motorists and pedestrians. Then maybe, just maybe, traffic conditions and road safety will improve.


A quick disclaimer, I don't believe I'm a slow driver. I pace myself with other motorists, making sure I leave enough space to slow down in case of sudden stops. Sadly, the gaps I leave are used by the speeding motorists as gaps to weave in and out of, but that's for another article.


So everyone, please drive safe. Wear seatbelts if there are seatbelts available. Use your common sense. And please, if you want to race, race using computer games or go on track days. Don't do it on the streets.


Out.

Five Things I'd Like to Do to my Ride

Given the opportunity there are five things I'd like to do to my current ride (a 2001 Rav4 loaner from my mom). I doubt I'd have the opportunity to do all of them, but some of them are long overdue.

1. Bring the car to the shop and have all pending maintenance work done to it. When the car was sent to the shop for it's 95k maintenance, the shop had four or five recommendations to fix the car. Something about some bushings, steering system maintenance, and some stuff needs to be changed. So far we still haven't gotten around to scheduling when the car will be brought to the shop, but I honestly think it needs to be done soon.
2. Upgrade the headlights and fog lamps. Either switch to HID projectors (I've been browsing the internet and I have not seen any HID projector headlamps for the car) or put in brighter bulbs. Preferably the yellow bulbs that don't blind oncoming traffic yet bright enough to light the way even in the rain. Same for the fog lamps.
3. Upgrade the in-car entertainment. New stereo with mp3 compatibility, better speakers, and a new antenna. Maybe even a pop out LCD screen so I can also install a camera on the back of the car to help me when I park in reverse.
4. Restore the exterior. It's a ten year old car. Wear and tear are showing and some of the rubber on the mouldings are falling off. Basically just bring it back to a near brand new look.
5. Add clear tint that will help reduce the heat inside the car. Yes, my car has no tint. And I just park it outside the house, where there is no roof. Temperatures do get high and uncomfortable inside the car when it's left under the sun for a long time. I need a car tint that will maintain the current visibility but help prevent the car from baking.

You'll notice that my priorities for the car are more on the maintenance side and comfort side. It doesn't mean I don't want to fix up the engine, brakes, and suspension.


To be quite honest, my driving style is more of the (relatively) slow, relaxed variety. I don't need to drive fast and I'd rather save gas (and stress) by going at a (relatively) slower pace than most rude motorists who love to weave in and out of traffic.


Maybe in my next post I'll describe my driving style and my pet peeves in motorists. Maybe.


Out.

The Gitano in the News

Here's something I missed: some news coverage of the Gitano on the GMA news show 24 Oras:

At 1:01 they mention that the glass is made locally, and it is, by Glasteck, Inc. in Laguna! Proudly Pinoy!

Speed Demons Take Notice

I sometimes sign my posts with a "get your thrills on a race track and not on the road" or "drive safe and save the racing for track" or something like that. The message is simple: if you want to drive fast, then a controlled environment like a race track is the safest way to do so.

Recently, Fifth Gear had a segment about crash testing. What caught my eye was the speed at which the crash test was done - 120mph, or 192kph. Words don't do justice to the film, so watch it yourself:

When the forensics expert analysed the results, it was clear that no amount of safety equipment will matter. Not seatbelts, nor airbags, crumple zones, even roll cages will save the driver or passengers.

192kph may seem like a lot, but a speed of 190kph and above are reachable by many cars available in the Philippines today. And what may surprise you is that there are many small, affordable cars (less than PhP1.2M) that can meet - or nearly meet - those speeds:

Chevrolet Cruze L, PhP 808,888 (196kph)

Ford Fiesta 1.6L, PhP 766,000 (196kph)

Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia, PhP 975,000 (190kph)

Honda Civic 1.8, PhP 883,000 (196kph)

Hyundai i30 CVVT, PhP 988,000 (189kph)

Hyundai Accent 1.6 GLS, PhP 808,000 (196kph)

Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS, PhP 938,000 (190kph)

Hyundai Tuscon CVVT, PhP 1,038,000 (195kph)
Kia Rio 1.4, PhP 675,000 (187kph)

Kia Soul LX, PhP 1,170,000 (196kph)

Kia Carens CRDi EX, PhP 1,195,000 (190kph)

Mazda BT-50 Pickup, PhP 999,000 (185kph)

Mazda 2 1.5L, PhP 725,000 (198kph)

Mazda 3 1.6L, PhP 860,000 (185kph)

Mitsubishi Lancer EX, PhP 990,000 (205kph)

Nissan Grand Livina, PhP 858,000 (205kph)

Nissan Sentra 200, PhP 1,050,000 (198kph)

Nissan Frontier Navarra, PhP 1,110,000 (190kph)

Subaru Impreza 2.0, PhP 1,128,000 (199kph)

Toyota Yaris 1.5L, PhP 731,000 (190kph)

Toyota Vios 1.5G, PhP 775,000 (190kph)

Toyota Altis 2.0V, PhP 1,135,000 (195kph)

Toyota Innova 2.0 J, PhP 803,000 (185kph)

note: figures taken from C! Magazine's October 2011 issue

And these are just brand new cars - there are a lot of used cars out there that sell for PhP 700,000 or less that can easily exceed 200kph. What does this mean? It means nearly everyone has access to a vehicle that can potentially cause the kind of accident seen on the film. It also means that every motorist needs to drive more responsibly on the road.

In light of that, I will sign off on all my posts in the same manner.

Drive safe, buckle up, and save the racing for the track!

Project Fieldmaster: Entry #2

A week in, and the Fieldmaster is already in full-on restoration mode (unlike the e30, I have control over the schedule of this car's work). There's so much that needs to be done. The Pajero runs, but isn't running great. The last owner admits that the car wasn't maintained regularly, so I'm going to have to assume the worst.

First things first: give the car a top overhaul and a full service. Second, give the steering, brakes and suspension a full inspection and fix what needs fixing. Third, give the car a much needed cleaning, and that means a complete detail job inside and out. Last, some minor upgrades like a new alarm, lighting upgrades, and maybe some audio work.

But back to the present - here's whats been going on so far, at least mechanically:

1. The rear window motors are shot, so I need to get new ones. (Didn't get to take a pic of this, but hopefully I can get one next time i get to visit it.)

2. The timing belt is starting to show its ply, so that has to go. Might as well replace all the belts. And spark plugs. And filters. And fluids. And...

3. The auto shift knob is wiggly and loose. When we opened it up, the bushing has already disintegrated!

4. The battery terminal is... um... let's just say it's not what it should be. That's a safety issue right there.

5. Off goes the valve cover, and it's sludge city!

6. The rear axle is leaking fluid. That means the oil seal is dead. The wheel bearings are still good, though.

There's a lot more, for sure, but we've gotten the ball rolling. I'm really excited to see the end result, but so far, the journey there is just as fun. There's lots to look forward to - after all, the journey has just begun for me and my Fieldmaster.

Project e30: Entry #6

Progress? Not much. But there is an important development - my camshaft has arrived! It's actually ready to be installed, but there's a lot of assembly work yet to be done. The motor itself isn't whole yet. The pistons, conrods, pins, valves, retainers... Then the fine tuning comes into play. And after that, there is more to install. The Z3 steering rack isn't on yet. The tranny also needs to be reinstalled. Then the engine goes in, and with it, the new stainless steel exhaust system.

Still, I'm hopeful that since all the pieces of the puzzle are there, the rest of the work should be (relatively) quick. With some luck and a lot of work, the poor bimmer will finally get some sun by November. For those scoring at home, that means it will have been in the shop or a year.

But even after it leaves Goodwrench, there's still a matter of tuning. We are still debating whether to go with the Miller WAR chip, or the Unichip, which is very popular in the Philippines.

It's been a REALLY long time coming, but I hope it's worth the wait.

Project Fieldmaster: Entry #1

Introducing Project: Fieldmaster

1997 Pajero Fieldmaster 4x4
6G72 3.0L V-6 NA

157,000 km on the odometer

Factory specs:

Sophia White (w09)
Gray leather
Power Sunroof

Project: e30 isn't even done yet, and here I am with a new project. Sigh... I had no intentions of getting another project car, but this was one ride I could not pass up.

In my post about cars that made an impact on me in when i was younger, I listed the 90s era Montero/Pajero as one of the defining cars of my youth. And this example was one of the cars that got it in the list in the first place. The first owner was my dad's eldest sibling, who is my godfather. It was then sold to my mother's oldest sibling, who is my godmother. And when I had a chance to own it... well, I had to take it.

The plan is simple - first will be to restore it back to its former glory and then do little upgrades (a nice alarm, an ICE install, a little engine tuning, and a few other little jobs) to turn the Pajero into a cross-country cruiser.

Over the years, the Fieldmaster has developed quite a few problems, but they can lumped into a couple of major problem areas.

Problem one: It's a V-6 gas. That means not-so-great fuel consumption. This is where the engine work will likely come in. I think a full service will do the motor wonders, but I'll also consider a chip tune - not for power gains, but for fuel consumption. Of course, a little more power never hurt anyone. The fact that the automatic tranny doesn't like shifting before 3000rpm doesn't help, either.

Problem two: It's banged up. And I mean BANGED UP. There isn't a panel on the exterior that doesn't have some kind of ding or dent or scratch, and the interior has been... let's just say it was used a lot. The center console is in rough shape, there are tears in the leather, some of the plastics are worn and have discolored and even the cupholder is past its best.

Problem three: It's not quite fully functional. The Mitsu runs, and it stops, but a lot of it's in-between isn't good. The steering alignment is way off, half the electric equipment is dead (power windows, power mirrors, lights on the exterior, lights behind the dash, maplights, compass... it's a long list, suffice to say.

Like Project: e30, I'll document it's progress and post periodic (hopefully regular) updates here. Hopefully the Fieldmaster doesn't give me as much heartache as the Bimmer (though it wasn't really the e30s fault - you can blame Ondoy for its misfortunes).

Unlike the e30, I'm not that well versed in the Pajero, so if anyone out there wants to lend a hand, please leave some notes and suggestions in the comments box!

Cheers!

- frag

Complete list of problem areas:

Front driver's side fog lamp is dead

Right reverse light is dead

Both power mirrors don't work

Front power windows don't go up right

Rear power windows don't work

Light behind AC control, compass/altimeter are dead

Door key slots are hard to work

Steering alignment is way off

Passenger side sun visor doesn't fold right

Map lights are dim

Drivers seat leather is torn

Tear in front passenger side door card

Interior and exterior tickers faded and peeling

All panels of the bodywork have scratches and dings

Front bumper has a crack

Hand brake boot is missing

Lighter is missing, and the lighter socket is corroded

Center console clips are either broken or at least not fitted right

Passenger cupholder is broken

Power aerial is dead

Erratic wiper timing

E brake engages too high

All sorts of squeaking and rattling noises from the interior

Damn you Quiel!

Was looking forward to tomorrow... until a witch named Quiel showed up. It was to be a track day with the Tuason Racing School. TRS is offering a special BMW Car Club of the Philippines Track Day, with the help of ACC/BMW Philippines. Unfortunately, it's been postponed due to bad weather... Crap...

It wasn't going to be my first time getting instruction from pro racing drivers (thanks to Kookie, George, Louis and Menchie Ramirez, George Apacible, and Eric Camarillo), not would it have been my first go-round in the Clark International Speedway (thanks Mano and the MSCC). But the event was to be the biggest track event that I've personally been a part of.

Hopefully when the track day does push through, I can report on the day's experience. For all you petrolheads out there, I highly recommend taking a driving course with some professional drivers, like JP and Mike Tuason, honing your skills and getting your thrills on a race track, and not on the roads.