Prawny Baby

So, today started like every other day in the life of the track A3: looking a little rough, odd coloured panels, unloved and unwashed. Then, in traditional fashion, I pulled some bits off, and it looked even worse: However, summer is getting closer, and it can't stay looking crap forever. For the last year I've only taken photos of the right hand side mainly, like so: But not any more! I know there are too many photos, and I know many are similar, but I don't care I'm just so happy to have the car back, as I loved it and remembered it

Mine's a sealey tools copy called BOSCHMAN, as above, doesn't crack wheel nuts off, but on most stuff it cracks off general nuts and bolts and saves LOADS of time. Just walk around the car with a breaker and crack all 20 nuts, then whiz them on / off with the gun, and retorque at the end Saves loads of time when stripping down parts as well like for a gearbox change, just be wary of reassembling with the impact gun.

Box that whined like hell and had the worn out gears was the previous one, bought from a chap called Ben on ED38. Robins box came from OllyB's Bora, the famous white ko4 car that was on air ride. Georges box was perfect for the duration of it's life, until bang. New box has been built properly, with new bearings, new synchros, diff bearings, and some Motul Gear 300 Oil, shifting is WAAAAAAAAY nicer. Fingers crossed it lasts.

I still have 4 pages to reach to catch up, but these posts have irritated me enough to need to reply straight away. Jardo: I do NOT drive like a tool. I use my car properly, and only when it is appropriate and safe to do so, and also with the utmost mechanical sympathy. Please see Georges thoughts on my gear changing, these have been echoed by most people who've been in my car. I change gear VERY slowly, because it's not a race, the 02J is an old and antique shit gearbox, and given the history of ym car, I want to try and keep them alive as long as possible. George, thanks for the back up, that's actually as fast as I have ever changed gear in the A3, I don't need to change any faster, because once into gear, it's so fu<king fast it makes my world go backwards Come on dude, lets play fair, don't talk sh*t, and I won't call you out on it. Simples. You were in plymouth the entire time your old man had the gearbox, you didn't see it in pieces, and your Dad said georges box was in fantastic condition when he stripped it down. it was the previous one that was knackered, of which I have pictures.

fancy ultra bling brakes don't fecking work anyway

I got some more new toys!

2003/2004 cars being looked at, average UK mileage is around 12k per year, so your average mileage will be 108-120k. I don't think you can be concerned about a 70k car

Does BGW mean Big Gay Wing? if so, I like it I'm afraid my likely creation would be more of a spoiler than a wing, more like the Pulsar above rather than the MX5, simply due to the limitations of the Gay3's all glass rear hatch, there's very little scope to attach anything that'd look half decent. I was going to talk to you about potential angles / lengths anyway before ripping into anything. As you summed up nicely, a diffuser is a LOT of work at the moment, compared to some form of big gay wing / spoiler, Ultimately I'd like to introduce some form of home made splitter, but I think it'd be very foolish to add any more front end grip without first addressing the rear. your old mx5 is looking a little different! Anyone else coming along to watch the BTCC on sunday at Thruxton>?

Ask george about how fecking horrible his car was with plastic windows. He and Liam sweated like feck on the way to germany, so much so that he actually removed the front windows for the drive home, then got utterly soaked in a freak storm. Oh how we laughed. realistically, it's 1100kg and 350bhp as it is, and retains electric windows, an alarm, stereo, and remote central locking. I don't think the 0.5S per lap I'd gain from removing all those really outweighs the negatives of not having them. For me, if you can't wind the windows down, turn the stereo up, and blast along your favourite country road on a sunny sunday afternoon, then you've probably gone a bit too far for something that's still road legal. same logic with the Mini, which also retains full glass and wind up windows. the other issue is weight distribution, just going perspex on the rear will shift the weight bias even further forward, and it's already about 65/35 as it is, hence things being added in the back (meth tank, battery) and removed from the front now. I'm also hoping to add some form of rear spoiler soon to try and reduce lift at the rear. I doubt any net gain in down force will occur, but if I can at least reduce lift a bit it's got to help with the light rear end at high speeds'

haha, I'm such a winner. The old owner of Jardo/Pierres old car was having issues selling it, I told him it was due to the chavy carbon bonnet, and kindly offered him a deal with an exchange for my volcano black bonnet to match his car. We swapped, he sold it within a week, go figure? And i got a mint carbon bonnet from it The otherwise looks just fine thanks sort of. Give me 2 weeks.

Car is back on the road. Very very happy with it:

We bought a lupo for Tori: It's fecking awesome. I really love driving it! Also, I blew up a gearbox, then had a new one built, and then fitted it.

I have outed you

Ignore me, through stalking the link in your sig and the members list on SSS I have answered my own question

at least you're honest you on the SSS fb Mike?

yea, killed another box Mike, Diff bolts making a break for freedom, either come loose or one has snapped, not sure until it's stripped down. Trans locked up on my at low speeds and released itself with a BANG, casing is cracked inside the bell housing and oil is full of metal particles. RIP box #7. Long live box #8!

I would be if I had a gearbox in the car

that's actually pretty cool What arb did you fit MIke? If it's a TT/S3 undershft bar, the oE drop links DO need spacing and longer bolts, or they'll be worn out within a week.

No Robin, I think Adam is racing at Donington Park this weekend. I'll be setting my Sky! Bird: car looks ace man. Impressed. Is it mapped yet? if not, why

had me going? you said the price, I said they were reps, you rambled on some more, I still said they were reps..... Silly mong. Still, who cares, at that money, that's an absolute bloody bargain! SOmehow, rainbird has gone from wolverine look-alike to Gangster in about 3 months flat Looks super-bad-ass 'Bird!

Mine was squeaking a goodun the other day George! But of a hoon and it seemed to go away Most odd. I'm still chasing a serious knock on mine, almost everything has been replaced, yet the knock carries on as bold as day. No idea

As jardo said really. Takes a feed from the coilpack switching wires, then you do a calibration at 3k rpm so it can work out how many cyls and ignition type, then you programme your set point, and the gap between the lights in this vase 7100rpm with 200rpm between lights, so the first blue comes on at 6500 and it counts up to the red one.

Tt225, s3, Lcr, r32, some a3 Quattros etc etc Car looks good bird, very nice. Not silly low. I like. Shift light fitted the other day only a simple unit with 4 LEDs, 3x blue leading up to the shift point and then a red LED at the shift point. The blue lights come on at 200rpm intervals before the shift point. In this vid I had it set to 6800rpm so the first light comes on at 6.2k ish a little clip, very slow gentle pull to show the light, not full throttle, and no gear change because I don't have 3 arms! now set at 7100rpm Took a few photos the other evenig and even experimented with Instagram, which as you can see, makes everything look silly I won't bother again. The only issue is its now like a challenge every time I drive it to see how many lights I can get in each gear! red light in 3rd is easy enough, any lights at all in 4th is a bit fast

All coilovers go straight on mike. None will allow you to drop the car more than 40ish mm without rubbing though. that's a function of a completely different part. As said before, 19mm undershaft ARB and spaced stock drop links is the cheapest solution.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Much has passed since I last read, were we talking about arb's for leons? 40mm or more will rub. most noticable on full lock in reverse. jardo's car did rub when first done, it's probably worn away half the arb / shaft now so gone silent. pikey. TT/LCR/S3/R32 arb's will fit, the first 3 being 19mm typically, the the R32 being 23mm. They'll go under the shaft and bolt to the stock drop links using some spacers and longer bolts. Can either make a spacer, or use washers, or two additional nuts works as well. bars typically sell for £40. by far the cheapest solution.