Ground Zero

Typical of the way I do things in my life, everything reverts to basic after a spell of experimentation, adjustments, trial and error. The HKS Legamax exhaust has been replaced with a pure stock original exhaust. The only thing that was done was to weld on bigger tips because the original ones are just too small. The knocking and thumping sound from the HKS exhaust knocking on the torsion beam is banished forever. The original exhaust fits the Sunline centre-pipe perfectly. Sound-wise, there is a little rasp but nothing obtrusive and definitely nothing that would warrant the authorities attention. Performance-wise, it is definitely not as free flowing as the HKS and some retardation can be experienced but nothing I cannot live with. I suspect the retardation is caused by the stock extractors rather than the muffler. I might be tempted to put back the after-market extractors just to experiment the difference but that's a project that can wait.

Finally, after nearly a year, the shark fin antenna has been installed. It works excellently since it is a functional antenna that replaces the stock antenna. I installed it myself with some help from a nice chap from the Swift Club. The only mistake I made was creasing the roof liner but it's hardly noticeable after a few baking sessions in the sun. There is no stark difference compared to the stock whip antenna in terms of reception but it gives Nickie a different look.

The side mirrors were given a little make-over. The top part has been sprayed glossy black whereas the lower portion is kept red. It does make the mirror look a bit sleeker and conforms to my red-black theme. As usual, racing stripes were added to maintain the 'stripey' theme.

Nickie looks great and more importantly, drives great as well. I do miss the after-market extractors and the HKS exhaust but I figured having peace of mind was more important. The car does feel a bit 'retarded' in this set-up but there's nothing I cannot do to enhance it in future. For now, I am enjoying the car.