Suzuki Swift Sport

Sunday Drive

2011-07-17T18:13:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures of the Sunday breakfast drive. There is nothing like good roads, good food and good company as we drove along the B-roads. Of course, it gets better knowing that the little Swift can take all the abuse! As you would have noticed by now, the car is pretty much back to stock. The Dangun side mirrors were replaced by the original side mirrors and yes, we are back to the good old Rays wheels. After so many changes, the Rays looks like they are here to stay.

The pau at this shop are the best! They taste so good, it's amazing. We even bought some home and in the process, wiped out their stock for the day!

Did you know?

2011-05-01T19:36:00.000+08:00

For those of you who are considering replacing some engine parts, did you know that:

1.   The intake manifold has specially widened intake runners and polished internal surfaces that enhances the incoming airflow for high power.

2.   High-lift intake and exhaust cams boost engine performance at high revs for strong, ever-available acceleration.

3.   The pistons are warm forged for strength and are cooled by oil jets for further durability.

Didn't I say that a room full of Suzuki engineers cannot be wrong?

Suspension, Sunday Drive & New Swift Sport

2011-04-24T18:07:00.002+08:00

After countless attempts to rectify the suspension problem, I decided to fix the best suspension in the world for the Swift Sport; it is called stock suspension. Made up of Monroe shocks and black-colored springs, they proved to be the best suspension for all weather, terrain and value for money. Sure, the car sits a bit higher and does not look so cool without that low-down stance but you will appreciate it when you take off from bridges like what happen during the Sunday drive we had today. I do not want to rattle on about how good the stock suspension is but take my word for it, you want a cheap and efficient system, put back the stock suspension. Once again, I say this: a bunch of Suzuki engineers cannot be wrong.

We had a blast during today's Sunday drive. It was a recce trip to see what the west coast had to offer. The roads were nothing to shout about but the scenery was truly beautiful. We also had a taste of what WRC drivers go through because some of the road were really narrow, muddy and bumpy. The cars came back all caked up with mud but more importantly, nothing broke. That is the beauty of a Swift Sport; it has the right amount of power, handling and strength to do almost anything and if anything breaks, it is not expensive to fixed. Here are pictures of where we were today.

Which brings me to the 2011 Swift Sport that will be launched later this year. I hope the design turns out based on the concept car.

Melted Rear Diffuser

2011-04-18T13:22:00.000+08:00

How hot is exhaust gas? Very Hot. So hot, it melted the rear diffuser! But of course, if you set up your exhaust system properly, you would not have such a problem. The Supertrapp end caps directs the hot exhaust gas around the disc compared to the conventional straight through system of normal exhaust system. I had wanted to buy a Supertrapp heat shield to shield the plastic diffuser from the hot air emitting from the end caps but never got round to ordering it. The price I paid is a fairly expensive one but luckily, someone was kind enough to let me have his rear diffuser for the time being. Anyway, I have been thinking about going loud. Those single exit exhaust like Sunline 60SS are really loud and light. The lesser weight on the rear might help to solve the rubbing problem that is really annoying. While the situation has somewhat improved after inserting rubber bump stops on the springs, that is probably not the safest method and certainly, not professional. This problem should be solved once I buy over my friend's Tanabe Sustec Pro.

Nickie 2 Suspension 0

2011-04-10T18:42:00.001+08:00

Nickie scored another win today in the suspension department. The Monroe shocks which are supposedly indestructible are broken. I realized this during the drive today. The car was tram-lining and steering was wooly ie. I could be turning the steering wheel but the response seems delayed. On top of that, the car was bottoming out rather easily. Initially, I thought it was the 38mm offset on the Buddy Club wheel that was creating the problem. But, it could not be so because when I ran the Rays rims (offset 42), I also had 3mm spacers on them giving a final offset of 39mm. Anyway, the bottoming out was so bad, the side walls of the tyres were slightly cut.

This is the second set of suspension after the Tanabe GF coilovers gave way not too long ago. Not surprisingly, when we hit the B roads, the suspension takes a real beating with the kind of speed we are traveling at. So, it is back to the drawing board to find a set of suspension that can withstand the beating of our Sunday drives.

Buddy Club P1 Racing II Wheels

2011-04-09T11:01:00.000+08:00

The wheel fetish is incurable. These are the latest wheels that I bought. They are original Made in Japan Buddy Club P1 Racing II wheels with an offset of 38. One more mm and those wheels are going to rub the fenders! Nothing more to say except that these wheels are gorgeous! I hope they are the antidote to this dreadful disease. If you are observant enough, you would also notice the top grill is different. It does not have the S insignia but the meshing is the same as the stock grill. I have been searching for this grill for a long time because I wanted it to match the bottom piece. Enjoy the pictures.

Supertrapp End Caps

2011-03-13T13:07:00.002+08:00

I have been wanting to put on a Supertrapp exhaust for the longest time. Our laws here demand that all after-market exhaust system needs to be approved by the Land & Transport Authority. After installation, they need to be checked and certified and guess what, you have to pay a fees to get all this done. The Supertrapp end caps circumvent this problem because it is bolted onto the stock exhaust. The question is, how much difference can these few pieces of metal make. The answer; plenty. Due to the design and the way the discs are stacked together, exhaust gas are actually forced out faster giving the effect of a full blow through exhaust. It can also be tuned for more torque or higher end performance. Agreeably, they look silly but its nothing that a can of black spray paint cannot resolve. I was sceptical but after read up all about it, I am convinced now. Those things are awesome and since I had them on last month, the car is a real blast to drive. Don't take my words for it, try it for yourself. They are not expensive and best thing of all, they are transferable.

I took off the tips for about a week to do some enhancement work on the pipings because they were starting to rust. I also wanted to see whether there was any marked difference with and without them. The answer is yes, there is a difference without them. Firstly, the sound factor. Without the end caps, the exhaust sounds thin. With the caps on, the exhaust sounds fuller but quieter. Secondly, performance. I realised there was a substantial loss of torque. Without the caps, it felt like the car is not pulling as strongly as compared to having them on. Thirdly, efficiency. With the caps on, the engine idles more steadily with little hesitation. Without the cap, there seems to be seem some peaks and dips in the engine revs when at idle. Not that this is important but personally, I like my engine to idle smoothly. Fourthly, consumption. Unbelievable, fuel consumption was better without the end caps. I get 13.9km/l compared to 13.7km/l with the caps on. That also means the engine is probably running slightly richer with the caps on.

The tips looked out of place in its original chrome. I had them sprayed black so as to blend in with the rear diffuser.

End of Wheel Fetish

2011-02-03T10:32:00.001+08:00

3 years on and countless sets of wheels later, I think this set of wheels is the ONE. It is 17 x 7.5 with an offset of 40. The brand is supposedly Konig but I was unable to locate this model in their catalogue. It looks large for a 17' wheel because of the way the spokes curve out from the centre all the way to the edge. The black and shadow chrome colour sets off the wheel nicely and matches the overall appearance of the car. I got them rather cheaply since they are second-hand. The condition was rather good with some marks which are not really noticeable. I am confident this set of wheel is here to stay. In fact, I have put up my trusty and faithful Rays G57 for sale.

Since the last posting, the car has gone through some substantial changes. The Exedy organic racing clutch and lightened flywheel has been replaced by the original ones. What a difference it makes! I learnt that racing clutch and lightened flywheel are designed for one thing; racing. So, if you do not bring the car to the track often enough, stay away from anything that is designed for racing. The car is so much more pleasant to drive now and my fuel consumption has increased dramatically from 12.3 km per liter to 13.8 km per liter. On top of that, my feet and calf muscles are not sore when stuck in a traffic jam.

The wild rear spoiler has also been replaced with the original rear spoiler. Stock parts are starting to find its way back to the car but not everything will remain stock. There are still areas where enhanced parts will remain.

A Great Day at the Workshop

2010-11-13T03:41:00.001+08:00

What a great day I had at the workshop today. For those of you who are familiar with Project S, you would understand why it is such a great place to have your Swift done, be it for regular servicing, repair, maintenance or some serous mods. The owner of the shop, Raymond is a great guy. I think he eats, sleep and does everything else in his Swift less the messy stuff. Seldom would you meet a guy who knows his stuff inside out. His team is equally friendly and knowledgeable especially his chief mechanic. Within a short time, he pointed out all the 'mistakes' that were done previously. It was shocking yet comforting to know that such things can actually happen and it takes a trained eye to spot them.

Finally, after many agonizing months, the LSD is replaced with the stock differential. What a complete change it has been, no more chattering and no more weird steering feel when the clutch is depressed. In the process of replacing the LSD, we took the opportunity to replace the clutch fork with a reinforced one, clutch bearings and installed a RRP clutch collar. All these are good enhancements that gives me the peace of mind I need.

Sadly, we also discovered the front left Tanabe Sustec GF coilover shock absorber was leaking. We suspect the oil seals are broken because the shock could not rebound when pushed in. That explains the funny knocking sound from the front and the constant pull to the left. They were replaced by stock Monroe shocks paired with JIC lowering springs. The car sits higher than before and that is fine with me. Ride comfort is great and handling is not compromised. Besides, we are not talking about taking the car for a real race and for practical reasons like cost, the Monroes and JIC springs are just perfect. They will probably last forever compared to some coilovers who will leak one day.

It was also a good opportunity to do some body work enhancement. The fenders are now endowed with Juran fender mole rubber fender moulding. These things are not cheap but it was definitely worth it. The car looks great now with the black wheel arch. Unlike the original Suzuki wheel arch mouldings which are thick but hollow, the Jurans' are nice and slim, with just the perfect dimension to set the car apart from others. Some rubber linings were also stuck onto the rear, side and front end of the car to cover the gaps left by the sideskirts, front lips and rear diffuser. The blue colored strips looks a bit off but heck, they are there for practical reasons ie. to prevent water ingress. Perhaps, when I could find black colored strips, I will have the blue ones removed but for now, they stay.

The Greddy easy cams were not performing well and some adjustments had to be made. After some tweaking, they are performing at peak now. Since they are adjustable, some tuning was required to ensure its operational efficiency. With the cams adjusted, the car feels rather different now. It seems to have bigger lungs and the transition between gears is much more fluid. Where there used to be a jerk due to a drop in RPM, the cams keeps the revs longer and you do not feel the 'jerk' as much as before. Its still there no matter what since it is a manual car but its much nicer to drive now. The idling RPM has dropped to 650 rpm but that is not a problem as it can tuned up. The other noticeable difference is the linear pull of the engine. Where it used to pull quite quickly but running out of steam just as quickly, there is a sense that the pull is stronger and controlled. No longer do you have to drag gears to get the same shove. Changing over at 4500 rpm is like hitting the sweet spot whereas it used to be much higher. Overall, a very good enhancement but only if installed professionally and tuned perfectly.

A Pivot Raizin Spark Earth Red (Type S) was also installed. This replaces the ignition fuse and is fitted in the fuse box under the steering column. From the short drive back from the workshop, the fuel consumption reading was 13.4 km per liter. Previous readings without the Spark Earth was 13.2 km per liter. That is an amazing piece of electronic gizmo. The car seems incredibly quieter now and cranking up seems much faster. Definitely a good enhancement that should be considered but please have it installed correctly.

Last but not least, a Panasonic LifeWink battery monitor was installed. This thing is supposed to check that the battery is properly charged and warns you when there could be problems with the battery or alternator indirectly. Its a little device that works very well.

The car is being prepped for a long drive back to Hua Hin. As usual, a complete and thorough check needs to be done. Luckily, the leaking shock absorber was discovered or else, it could have spelled disaster. Never assume everything is fine. It never is unless you know for sure, it is.

Club Raze Wheels Installed

2010-11-08T02:50:00.000+08:00

The moment of truth finally arrived. Brought the wheels to the regular tyre shop for them to be installed onto the car. As each wheel was installed, there was a sense of queasiness that it would not match the overall image of the car. I have tried to maintain a clean and simple design but obviously, these Club Raze wheels are hardly 'simple- looking especially with the deep dish chrome rim and multi-spoke centre. The color combination was another factor. When the installation was completed, it was time to assess the situation; do the wheels stay or do they go? It took plenty of getting used to but I think the wheels are looking good. Whether they get to stay forever is another matter. For the time being, they do give the car a new perspective.

Wheel Fetish....again

2010-10-29T15:47:00.007+08:00

I have always wondered why women need so many pairs of shoes. Now I know. You can never be satisfied with just a few pairs of shoes. Some days you want something really bling and flashy. On other days, you want something subtle and indiscreet. If only one pair of shoes can fulfil all these requirements, then perhaps, the wheel (I mean, shoe) fetish might stop. I have stopped counting the number of wheels I have tried, only to revert back to the Rays 57S at the end of the day. Where colours are concerned, there's the shadow chrome SSW, black BBS, silver Rays and white Advanti. Where size is concerned, there's the 18" OZ and Magline and the rest are 17". Is there something that have not been tried yet? Probably but good sense has stopped me many times not to cross the line. However, I always knew that there is a wheel out there that will be the last one I will ever fit on the car. Could this Club Raze Club 2 wheel be the one? It is 17 by 7JJ with an offset of 42. The centre spokes are matt bronze in colour and the outer rim is chrome. It has a slightly deep dish of about one inch. Not much but enough to give it an aggressive stance. The multi-spoke design should make the rim look aggressive but because it does not extend all the way to the circumference, it looks subtle instead. It is not a lightweight wheel, around 9 kg but with a design like that, I don't really care. Besides, with the kind of driving I do, weight does not really matter. The design struck me as unique and since I have never tried bronze colored wheels before, might as well give it a shot. Only time will tell how long this wheel will last on the car before I swop them again. In the meantime, looks like the Rays 57S are going to take a break again.

Form and Function

2010-10-05T19:02:00.001+08:00

We are all victims of the form and function syndrome. Most of the time, we forego function for the sake of form. Obviously, form gets noticed and becomes a good talking point. Manufacturers of body kits thrive on this syndrome to make their money and people get sucked into making their car look different from others. It is like women and their clothes, shoes, bags, etc. No lady would want to be seen wearing the same dress as another in a party. The men probably do not care too much about clothing but when it comes to their cars, it is an entirely different story. In the quest to be different, therein lies the danger of putting form ahead of function. Adding spoilers, canards, changing the entire bumper, fitting some 'aerodynamic' piece of metal under the car to deflect wind, etc all sound rather normal but when you delve into the technicalities of doing things like that, one must understand that they are taking a big risk. Car manufactures spent a great deal of time and effort to design the car they produce. The final product is a consolidation of both engineering and bodywork blended perfectly to achieve the purpose of the car, whether it is a SUV, MPV, sports car or super car. Many hours resulting in many changes are put into the design before the car is finally put on sale. Which explains why sometimes the final design differs from the conceptual design. The Suzuki Kizashi is a fine example. You would never think the car would turn out this way if you have seen the conceptual model. It turns people off when the final product differs from the concept car and this is where, after-market manufacturers come in. They give you a chance to have your own conceptual car by offering different types of spoilers and body kit.

There is nothing wrong with altering the looks of your car to reflect your personality, creativity or financial status. Take note that some of these after-market body kits cost a lot of money. The important thing is: where do you draw the line and how do you know the line needs to be drawn. Some find out the hard way when they get into a serious accident resulting from some power hike modification. Others realize soon enough that what they think is creative is actually gross when people walk past their car and giggle. Nobody can tell someone when, where and how to draw the line. The responsibility lies solely with the owner. If he likes his car in lime green, a spoiler big enough to sit 4, an air filter that gives better 'breathing' ability, my advice is to leave them alone unless you are the one paying for the parts and modifications. Better not pass judgement lest judgement be passed on you.

As for me, my reference point is a simple one; keep it as stock as possible. Through the years of modifying this and that, I have come to a conclusion that one man cannot match the expertise of many white coats who engineered and design the car. So, as you can see, after a cycle of doing this and that, the car will be restored back to as stock form as possible. I have learnt that modification, unless properly engineered and executed will not match the reliability and efficiency of the stock parts. However, car manufacturers needs to make money and where they can cut corners, they will, so long as safety and dependability is not overly affected. Remember that car manufacturers make their cars for the general public and if you are a motorhead, you will soon realise that some stock parts are simply not good enough for your type or style of driving.

Therefore, before you proceed to do any enhancement, ask yourself what you want out of the car. If the car is for going to the supermarket and back, there is really no need for a turbo charger unless you really need to get there in a hurry. In fact, wouldn't the manufacturer have fitted one in the car if they think the car needs it?

I am in the process of removing parts in the car that was not there in the first place. The LSD is first on the list. I was watching the review of the Swift Sport on Fifth Gear and realized that the car handles very well in stock form. In fact, it seems a lot more fun to drive without the LSD. As time goes by, every non-stock part will come under close scrutiny. The objective now is to identify stock parts that are not up to the mark and replace them with enhanced parts eg. clutch fork, clutch seal, bearings, etc... RRP (www.rsrs.jp/en/index.html) seems to be a company who knows what they are doing. Rather than modify, they enhance.

Here are the latest pictures of Nickie. As you can see, the Rays have gone back on the car. These are reliable and solid wheels. So what if they weigh a bit more than a forged wheel, the point is I can drive confidently to Phuket and back and not worry the wheels will fall apart.

Little Things That Count

2010-09-25T22:30:00.001+08:00

I dislike a messy interior whereby you have wires running all over the cockpit to power up things like GPS, phone charger, air ionizer, etc. If there is a way to power up all the essential gadgets wirelessly, that would be really great. However, technology has not reached that stage. So, the next best thing is to plan your interior power point layout properly taking into consideration all the essential gadgets you need. The important gadgets to me are the GPS and communication set. Previously, I was using those 2 or 3 outlet DC power socket that taps power from the cigarette lighter adapter. After plugging in the power cords for the gadgets, there were wires running all over the car. It was a real mess and there are always chances that the cord could come loose or the splitter could pop out of the cigarette adapter (which has happened before). An additional power point was added next to the hand brake lever to provide power for gadgets used in the rear of the car and especially for the comms set. When the comms set is not in used, it can be used to for other small gadgets like air ionizer, portable DVD player as well as for charging the mobile or whatever. It is quite a simple job. Just need to buy the adapter and tap power from the cigarette lighter adapter.

Nighttime Running Lights

2010-09-21T02:20:00.002+08:00

Finally had the LED side indicators for the side mirrors wired up. Instead of using them as signal indicators, I decided to use them as nighttime running lights. They are connected to the folding mirror switch. Whenever I need to turn them on, I push down the folding window switch and they light up. They will be useful in the car parks or poorly lit areas whereby turning on the main headlamps may not be necessary. They will be most useful during our convoy drives for purpose of identification. Hopefully, the additional lighting will increase the safety factor. Here is how they look like:

Here is some advice for those using car mats on your manual transmission car. Make sure your car mat or carpet is not obstructing the clutch and gas pedal. Make sure the pedals can be depressed all the way down without it being obstructed. I discovered in the nick of time that the poor shifting on my car was because the clutch pedal was not depressed all the way down.

Seats, Side Mirrors and Front Lips

2010-09-16T22:39:00.002+08:00

The full bucket seats have been replaced. As much as I loved those seats, it came to a point whereby they become too much of a hassle to get in and out especially now that my car park space is no longer as wide as it used to be. Having tasted the benefits of a full bucket seat, I looked around for a worthwhile replacement that can be reclined and perhaps, with lower side bolsters so that getting in and out would not be too much of a hassle. The SSCUS Viper seats were just the things I was looking for. They are full bucket seats which can be reclined and I could still use my 4-point harness whenever I need to. These seats are made of cloth and synthetic carbon-fiber leather. They are definitely more comfortable and climbing in and out is no longer a hassle. They match the rest of the car interior perfectly. With the ease of getting in and out of the car with the new seats, the MoMo steering wheel and NRG quick release were replaced with the stock steering wheel. Somehow, I feel more comfortable with the stock steering wheel because it has an airbag. It also makes the interior look more tidy and obviously, original looking.

The Dangun side mirrors really looks good and more importantly, they work very well. Unlike those little GT side mirrors or Ganador side mirrors, the Dangun side mirrors gives good rear visibility coverage. I did not wire up the LED side indicators for now but that should be an easy project.

The Kansai front lip was damaged in a little accident and they were replaced by these front lips. Instead of a full frontal red look, the lips were sprayed the same color as the original front lip to retain the original look.

The car is looking good with these recent additions and it is unlikely any more exterior modifications will be done. The white wheels may go soon and replaced by the Rays 57S that has been sitting in storage. More emphasis is going into making sure the engineering aspects are sorted out. A Monster Sport water pump pulley was added and this made some difference instantly. The throttle does feel a bit lighter and the engine seems to rev more easily. The LSD has been giving me some problems with the awful chattering at low speed. I decided to have the LSD oil change to a different brand, MOTUL instead of using CUSCO. It worked beautifully and the chattering is gone. I supposed there is some wear and tear on the LSD and the original CUSCO oil is probably not so suitable. The MOTUL LSD oil is fully synthetic and has "Motul's highest quality 100% ESTER BASED synthetic 75W90 gearbox oil. Designed for today's high performance vehicles, and all out race cars. This lubricant is virtually unshearable. Its stability at high temperatures make it ideal for extreme conditions. Many endurance professional race teams swear by this oil. Designed for transmission gearboxes and rear axles".

Dangun Side Mirrors & Pivot Stand

2010-05-31T10:36:00.000+08:00

Here's something I have always wanted also but never got down to buying it because it was just too expensive; Dangun side mirrors. You can view the assortment of mirrors they have here: http://www.dangunracing.com/supersportmirror.html. Anyway, somebody on the Swift actually had a pair shipped in. Cost him a bomb but since he is selling his car, they are up for sale and I am there for the taking. These are the V8S model which comes with LED signal indicators, motorized mirrors and light carbon fiber finish. Only thing that I don't like is that it cannot be folded but for half the price of a new one, its alright.

Here's another thing that was on my wish list but I somewhat forgot about it; its a stand for the Pivot gauge. The present position of the gauge on the A pillar is not exactly where I would like it to be. Fisrtly, its a bit ricey and secondly, its also a bit unsightly. The stand is nicely situated at the dashboard and looks somewhat more elegant. Since its position is dead ahead, it would also be easier to view the gauge.

White Wheels

2010-05-30T23:09:00.000+08:00

I have always wondered how Nickie would look like with white wheels. Well, I finally found out. It was a quiet Friday afternoon and I was picking up Daisy from the workshop. She had a complete servicing job done since the last time it was done was in May 2009. Not wanting to hang around while the mechanics were finishing up, I took a stroll to my favorite rims and tyre shop. Most of my rims and tyre were bought here and the owner is fondly called Uncle. A really nice man who is always accommodating and sells stuff at a reasonable price. He takes in used items also and refurbishes them to like-new standard. And there sitting on the shelf was a dusty, white set of rims. It must have been there for the longest time because it looked yellowish, more than white. A quick check with Uncle and I found out that they are actually used Advanti Racing rims. They were 17" x 7.5" width, offset 42 and would fit the Swift perfectly. Uncle quoted me a price I could not refused. Sold. I decided to remove the tyres from the Rays and transferred the tyre pressure monitoring sensors/air valve also. With a good wash and some polishing, the white wheels turn out nice and white. I think they look good and perhaps, the Rays will really take a long break it deserves. Once again, they are not for sale.

Back to Front

2010-05-24T12:48:00.000+08:00

Had enough of the radical looking front grill and decided it was time to put back the stock grill albeit with a blacked-out S insignia. It looks good actually with the Greddy front lip. Not too much red up front now. The Remus exhaust have been performing well. I don't think it is any much different from the stock exhaust but since it was a good buy, I cannot complain.

Remus Exhaust Installed

2010-03-02T21:11:00.000+08:00

The Remus exhaust was finally installed last weekend. It didn't take the workshop too long to have it installed. Heck, they did not even used a hoist; the guy jacked up the car from the rear and installed it just like that; lying down on the floor. I was not comfortable for the installation to be done this way and I was right. Upon reaching home, there was rattling sound coming from the exhaust. I suspect the hangers holding the exhaust were not installed properly. I could actually shake the exhaust and hear the rattling sound. I just don't understand why workshops want to put themselves at the mercy of their customers. Why can't they do it right the first time so that they don't get ragged by irate customers, like me. Well, the rattling sound aside, the exhaust was exactly what I predicted. It is no louder than the stock exhaust, it does not really give that much power as claimed (perhaps, not until I have the ECU re-tuned) and most certainly, it is not that much lighter. Visually, the rear end looks a bit more aggressive with the larger exhaust tips. So, why do it in the first place if I already knew what the end results would be? Good question and the only answer I can give is this; its part of the preparation. Pictures are probably not necessary since I have posted similar-looking pictures previously.

Magline Wheels Installed

2010-02-07T13:09:00.002+08:00

Here are pictures of the car with the 18" Magline forged wheels. I gave the wheels a good scrub to remove the marks left by old brake dust followed by a good polish to give the wheels some glow. They looked rather nice now after the clean-up. There were some small areas on the wheels with nicks and scratches but they are too small to be seen unless you scrutinised them closely. Anyway, I am really not sure how long these wheels are going to last before I swop them again. I still think the Advanti Nebullar N993s looks nice and its low weight a good combination. With Enkei's MAT technology, it is quite a good bargain for a 18" wheel.

Finally, I remembered to take pictures of the NRG slim design steering wheel quick release. It is now working perfectly. What created the problem previously was that the rubber on the boss kit was preventing the quick release from turning. As it was made of rubber, you can imagine how much force is needed to turn the quick release to lock and unlock position. The quick fix solution is to apply plenty of rubber grease around the rubber boot of the boss kit. However, the permanent fix it to trim off the rubber that is touching the quick release. It does not affect the aesthetics and neither does it create any safety issue. It is much more convenient to climb in and out of the car now. In addition, it provides a great security feature when potential thieves realised the car does not have a steering wheel. Here are the pictures.

Gone Too Far

2010-02-06T21:42:00.001+08:00

The time has come to call it quits. With all that I have done to the car, it has reached a stage whereby it is no longer fun to drive the car leisurely. In fact, it is a real pain to try and hold back on the throttle because the car hates it. It begs to be driven hard and fast. That's fine on the open roads but on the crowded streets, it is not a safe thing to do. Prior to installing the lightened flywheel and racing clutch, the car was still well-behaved even with the LSD installed. You could feel the LSD working when you make a turn but it was controlled and you don't hear any chattering. The situation today is completely different. At low speed, the car jerks like crazy when turning and you need to control the clutch in order to avoid the chattering. Not very cool when people point to the car and thinks the driver just passed his driving test. I assume the racing clutch is the cause of the jerking due to the better bite from the organic clutch. Coupled with a lightened flywheel, balancing the revolutions, engaging/disengaging the clutch and trying to turn smoothly is a real test of patience. Definitely not cool when circling around a multi-storey car park looking for a space.

On the other hand, when the road is clear and going faster than normal is permissible, the car is a real joy to drive. With the forged Magline wheels, moving off feels so much better probably due to the unsprung weight of the wheels. On the move, a tap on the throttle gives instantaneous response, like as if the Swift is a go-cart. Driving sensibly, I get 12.7km per litre. Drive the car hard and it drops dramatically to 12.0km per litre.

For some strange reasons, I could not bring myself to install the Remus exhaust that is lying around in the storage. Every time I want to do it, a quick look at the rear end tells me to leave it alone. It has got to be those black BMW exhaust tips that's talking to me! The car simply looks unique and uncluttered with the present rear set-up.

The installation of the underdrive and lightened crank pulley is put on hold. There are some other considerations to be sorted out before installing the crank pulley. I have complete faith in the crank pulley that it will improve performance. However, my next enhancement may make the crank pulley irrelevant. Stay tuned.

Wheel Saga Ended

2010-01-17T23:50:00.002+08:00

Just as I was about to commit myself to buying the 18" Advanti Nebullar N993, someone on the forum decided to sell his 18" Magline HF 602B. It is 7.5" wide, offset 42 and weighs 6.9kg. Coupled with an incredibly reasonable price for a forged wheel, I bought it. The wheels are not perfect, there are some minor nicks here and there but no major damage whatsoever. Nothing that cannot be touched-up by the workshop. Besides, for that price, I cannot ask for anything more. Looks wise, it is not exactly what I am looking for. Well, it looks too complicated with the centre star-faced look and since it is dual PCD, there are 5 extra holes. The centre cap is also protruding out instead of flat. Well, a quick visit to the wheel and tyre shop should solve the problem. I am glad the wheel saga is over, at least for now. Here are pictures of the wheels.

This saga has taught me that patience is a virtue. Granted that the HF602B is not exactly what I wanted but it is certainly a worthy buy. I would have to pay 3 times more for the Advanti Nebullar and end up with either bronze or black wheels which I am not particularly keen to have on the car. The 18" G07 white wheels would have cost 4 times more and likewise, I am not sure it would look good. Silver is a safe colour and you cannot go wrong with silver wheels, no matter what body colour your car is. In this case, the HF602B is slightly 'chromish-silver' and sets it apart from the normal spray painted silver wheels. I have good feelings that once they are mounted on the Swift, the car will be transformed dramatically. For now, I have to exercise patience (again) while waiting for the wheels to be touched-up before they are mounted. As for the 17" G07, they will take a break inside the storage. Someone asked me if they are up for sale. Well, most certainly not.

B Pillar Harness Bar & Wheels Issue

2010-01-10T03:03:00.004+08:00

The current racing harness arrangement needs to be re-worked. While it is functional enough, it creates inconvenience for the rear passengers as well as limiting the load carrying capacity when the rear seat needs to be folded down. It can always be disconnected but that creates a safety issue. The B pillar harness bar is the simple solution to the problem. I remembered seeing it on my friends' WRX and thought it was a very good idea. Not only does it create the support for the harness, it also provides some strengthening to the chassis. Coupled with the existing chassis bar, the B pillar harness bar will do wonders to the overall integrity of the car. Here are pictures of how it looks like.

The search for a lightweight set of 18" set wheels has probably ended. Just a quick recap on the various options I was considering and in fact, almost committed to buying but nonetheless, the deal did not go through for whatever reasons. It started with the G07 Motorsports, same design as the present set but in 18" guise and white in colour. Decided against it because while it is strong, it also has a hefty weight issue and I am also not sure about the white wheels. Next, the Magline HF601. This is a good set of forged rims that was quite light but somehow the seller never reverted despite many reminders. So, I decided to drop the chase. Finally, the wheels that would most likely make it to the car are Advanti Vigoroso Nebullar N993. The specifications are close to what I am looking for; 18 x 7.5JJ, offset 45. These wheels are made with MAT (Most Advance Technology) licensed by Enkei. They weigh about 7kg per piece, which is about the same weight as the OZ Superleggeras. They look neat and simple, in fact, much like the 19" Tecnomagnesium on Daisy. So, I figured if big sister has them, little brother should have the same design too. I would much prefer the silver ones but the distributor brings in only the matt black and bronze. Here are the pictures.

Revised Look

2009-12-29T23:55:00.003+08:00

Here's Nickie with the new look. I really hope this would be the last time I do anything to the exterior. Well, I nearly ordered the NTC body kit because it was on sale. It would have set me back by at least 2k including shipping from the U.K. That's alot of money for a body kit for a car that is already quite handsome in stock form. I think a nice looking car is important but I don't want to spend money excessively to spruce up the exterior. Besides, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

I did mentioned that the car is as red as it can be except for the side skirts. One more thing that I did not mentioned earlier but if you had a keen eye, you would have noticed it. I've added spacers that was previously used on the OZ Superlegerra to the G07. I am not sure about the dimensions but the spacer on the front wheels are thicker than the rear wheels. I would estimate that the front spacer is about 5mm and 3mm on the rear. It does help to push out the wheel slightly but still leaving enough space such that there is no rubbing. Since the spacers are so thin and made-to-measure, integrity is not affected at all. On the subject of wheels, I have been hunting around for a used set of 18" but so far, no luck. No hurry though and unless the measurements are correct, its best to be patient.

One more small change that made a huge difference was the replacement of the black wheel nuts to the original chrome wheel nuts. Its somewhat puzzling that something like a silver wheel nut can actually make the wheel look so much better, in my opinion. Whoever said that the little things in life counts obviously knew what he was talking about. So, before you jump into anything big, its best to start with the little things first. Its definitely cheaper and less stressful.

Lightened and Underdrive Crank Pulley

2009-12-17T00:32:00.003+08:00

Here is another enhancement that I am considering. Someone in the forum did his research and came up with a working model of the lightened crank pulley. Crank pulleys are not new in the market. Daisy had them long ago to underdrive the water pump and power steering. She even had a lightened crank pulley but I decided to take it off because the lightened crank pulley was not dynamically balanced unlike the stock crank pulley. I did not want the risk of wrecking the engine for a meagre increase in power(?). Daisy did run better with the underdrive pulleys and till today, they have not given any problems whatsoever.

Several Japanese tuners have also been selling underdrive pulleys either for the crank, water pump and even alternator. They are relatively inexpensive to purchase but more than the price, they must be doing something useful. I was never convinced until I saw the results of what a lightened underdrive pulley can add to the efficiency and power output of the Swift engine. Here's a quote from the guy who made the pulley.

"I know there are many schools of thoughts about lightweight crank pulleys. Based solely on physics, number one there isn't lose of torque at the wheels, number two there will not be any harmful resonance (the stock crank pulley isn't dynamically balanced to tackle resonance anyway). Instead you get better throttle response and on a track you get better rev matching while up shifting, much like installing a lightened flywheel."

It all sounds good but unlike others who only talks, this guy went all the way and custom-made a crank pulley to prove his logic. He took another step forward by conducting a dyno test to make sure it really works and this is the result.

"The black curve you see is my Swift Sport in stock form. 110ps at the wheel amounts to about 126.5ps at the crank, very close to the 125ps stock on paper.

The red curve is with the underdrive crank pulley. 114ps at the wheel is about 131.1ps at the crank. All in all a gain of about 4.6ps. I was more for the torque gains and was pleased to see the jump in the torque curve."

Would you not buy this product when so much painstaking work has been done to prove that it works? I would buy it in an instant. There is only one problem. It will take him about 4 to 6 weeks to make one for me because the machine used to produce the pulley is being used for something else. The cost of the pulley is $400. For a proven gain of 4.6ps, this is a fantastic product. With some extrapolation, I figured the increase will be much more once it is installed on Nickie. I would very much want one as soon as possible so that it can be installed together with the Greddy camshafts and Remus exhaust. Thereafter, one more round of ECU tuning to maximise the enhanced components and Nickie is ready for another long run up north. Here are some pictures of the crank pulley.

Stock Crank Pulley

Lightened & Underdrive Pulley

Comparison between stock and enhanced puley

Final Product Anodised in Red

The question that begs to be answered is this; when will this enhancement exercise end? It seems that there is always something new to pop into the car. Its a difficult question to answer but I am consciously aware that each enhanced part has proven its worth individually. As a complete package, Nickie no longer drives like before. The car has grown up considerably. It would be unfair to stop unless it is proven that any change or addition of parts will not increase the efficiency and is no longer economically viable. In short, when it does not make sense to do more, the enhancement exercise will stop.

More Acquisitions

2009-12-09T13:09:00.002+08:00

Finally, I managed to track down the short hub that will fit the NRG Quick Release Thin version that I bought previously. It comes from NRG, of course and it is on its way. I am confident this will solve the present problem I have right now with the regular hub. Since both products come from NRG, there should not be any fitting issues. Once linked up together, I foresee that you cannot even tell that there is a quick release system for the steering wheel. And thats how I like things to be, subtle. I will also likely buy a regular quick release for the MoMo Corse Devil steering wheel. This way, I have one steering wheel for long distance driving ie, MoMo Quark and another for B-roads drive ie. MoMo Corse Devil where more steering control is required. The Quark will allow me to stretch out a bit while the Corse Devil, being nearer to my body will give me better leverage to do the twists and turns. It sounds like a ridiculous arrangement but I supposed thats the best way to deal with 2 steering wheels. Here's the NRG short hub.

I have gone ahead and bought the second-hand Remus exhaust. Looking at how it is put together, I am confident there is some way I can integrate the BMW exhaust tips onto the exhaust. As you can see, the Remus exhaust is made up of several parts joined together by clamps. To me, that is a really smart way of doing things because that allows infinite adjustments to make sure everything fits perfectly. With a fixed system, you have to rely on luck that the alignment of the various components are perfect. The pictures shows you what I mean.

Greddy Camshaft & Remus Exhaust System

2009-12-06T00:23:00.005+08:00

The end is not in sight. Now that the ECU lock codes have been deciphered, it is possible to re-tune the engine every time a new enhancement is added.

I met Daryl who sold me the lightened Exedy flywheel. He had the Greddy camshaft installed on his Swift. Obviously, the best person to give feedback on a product is someone who is using it now or previously. I say this because there are many people who should not say anything about anything because they have not done anything related to the thing being discussed. So, they will quote that 'they heard that' and 'my friend said' this and that. A good friend on the forum once said, 'If you don't open your mouth, people won't know you are stupid.' Anyway, back to the Greddy camshaft. Daryl's feedback was that he noticed some loss in the low end but in the mid to high end, the torque (or pull) is much stronger. Taking into consideration that his car is an automatic and only a piggyback computer for tuning, I think the camshaft behaviour could be different on a manual transmission and especially with an ECU that is now more flexible for re-tuning. In fact, Greddy's advertisement says that the "Greddy performance camshaft Easy version has been designed to provide improved midrange torque and response, whilst enabling easy installation by simply replacing the standard camshafts. Features include:

a.   Designed for improved mid range torque and response
b.   Easy installation with high performance from extensive testing
c.   Pre-designed for straight swap with best valve timing already setup"

Obviously, this will be the next enhancement to little Nickie. I feel kinda strange calling him 'little' nowadays because he has certainly grown up substantially. With the company he kept during the Phuket drive, Nickie has certainly prove his mettle and that's something to be proud of. Here is a picture of the camshaft.

I have also been toying with the idea of replacing the engine and suspension mounts. I am going to put these enhancements(?) on a long-term hold, at least, until it is time to replace the stock mounts. The experience of those who had it was that engine noise will increase substantially and more dramatically, vibrations in the cabin will be more obvious. I do not think the effects are good for long distance driving; being a hardcore driver has its limits. Which is why I held back on an after-market exhaust system because all they do is increase the noise level without giving substantial gains. However, after doing some research, I found out that there were a couple of such exhaust system that was not excessively loud yet provides some performance enhancement. They are HKS Legamax, Milltek and Remus. I can vouched for the HKS Legamax because I had them previously but sold them off because I did not think it was doing anything good. It certainly was not loud at all compared to the stock. Here is how it looked like on the car.

Reading the feedback on the Milltek exhaust on the UK Swift forum, the comments of those who had it installed was that the exhaust was relatively silent compared to the stock. I figured these guys must be pissed having paid alot of money for an exhaust system that does not 'announce' their arrival. Here is how it looks like.

Finally, I came across the Remus exhaust system. I am familiar with Remus because Daisy had them for awhile. We cannot really do a proper comparison since both cars are worlds apart but Remus philosophy has always been the same; make a good exhaust but keep the noise level down. To confirm this, I asked someone who was selling his Remus exhaust what his personal opinion is of the exhaust. His feedback was that it was a little louder than stock and a tad louder than the HKS Legamax. Now, that sounds good if you don't mind the pun. Only drawback was that some modification needs to be done to the rear diffuser in order to fit the exhaust tips properly. That sounds familiar because Daisy went through the same thing. I am waiting for confirmation on this from the seller. If all goes well, I would probably buy the second-hand Remus exhaust system since I will never buy a new one. My only concern is weight. I am hoping it will not be any heavier than the stock exhaust. Here is how it looks like.

Why an after-market exhaust system now? What about the one and only BMW exhaust tips? Simple. The Remus is a semi-flow exhaust system; that means minimal loss in backpressure which gives me the low end torque needed especially coupled with the Greddy camshaft. But, with the increase in mid and high end torque, it will provide the means to expel the hot gases more efficiently. The ECU tuner says it could even add a few bhp. That sounds good, right? As for the BMW tips, they will remain with the stock exhaust and kept in storage. Nothing will make me sell those tips away.

Any enhancement must make sense. It must also serve a purpose that is relevant to the type of driving and most importantly, the driver must feel confident that these enhancements are robust and suits his style. Nothing is more frustrating than spending money to find out that an enhancement does not meet your expectation. I have been there and done that. And I will probably continue to go there and do that because there is no one who can tell you what really works on your car except yourself. Earn yourself some speaking rights by doing it rather than talking about it. Remember, if you don't open your mouth, no one will know you are stupid.

Update on Enhancements Done

2009-12-01T01:45:00.004+08:00

Following the acquisitions, no time was wasted installing the various parts. It was an anxious period because I had no idea how everything will gel together. I was aware what each enhancement would deliver but each individual part need to work in cognisance with the rest as a package. Over a period of 4 days, the car was transformed dramatically. Here's a quick glimpse of the enhancements done and a personal assessment of the effects to the overall performance of the car.

I have mentioned earlier that the ECU would remain stock. However, when you have a professional ECU tuner in town, I did not want to forego the chance to give him a shot at reflashing the ECU. After 2 days of poking and probing, he added more horses to the engine than I could imagine. Not only was power increased, fuel consumption improved dramatically too. Apparently, the car was running a rich mixture to prevent a blown engine. The tuner lean out the mixture just enough such that I could still use the lower RON rating fuel in Malaysia and Thailand without compromising on power delivery. Most noticeably was how much quieter the engine is compared to stock. The electronic throttle was also tuned to be more sensitive. The speed cut has also been removed and the revolution cut has been increased by another 500 rpm. The overall effect is that the car accelerates very, very quickly. The increase in torque can also be felt in all gears. The car is really, really fun to drive now.

The Exedy lightened flywheel and organic clutch are a match made in heaven. Earlier on, I was told that more revolutions would be needed to move the car and my earlier experience with the organic clutch was that I needed bigger leg muscles to operate it. Those fears were unfounded. I did not have to rev the engine any more than usual and the clutch is just a tad heavier compared to the stock. In fact, when the clutch runs in, it would not be any different than the stock clutch. But, the difference lies in the delivery. The car takes off like a bat out of hell and pulls very strongly in any gear. The bite point of the clutch is almost immediate once you release it. The lightened flywheel gives the impression that the car has undergone a weight loss programme. Put together, this is a potent combination if you want quick gear changes and power on the move. The effects is also attributed to the re-tuned ECU.

The thin version of the NRG steering wheel quick release was installed with the MoMon Quark steering wheel. It was disappointing because the fit is really bad. Somehow the boss kit does not match the quick release. More work will be needed to make the whole system work properly. The regular quick release puts the steering wheel too close to the driver and makes it difficult to operate the signal indicators and windshield wipers stock controls. An order has been placed for a lower height boss kit. Hopefully, this will solve the problem or else, I will have no choice but to revert back to the original system.

The Scan Gauge II does not work with the JDM Swift Sport. As such, the center console idea has been scrapped completely. I will have to rely on manual calculations to estimate the 'distance to empty'. This is really selfish on the part of the Suzuki factory to have such a system. While everybody else is OBD II compliant, Suzuki made it impossible to read any data from the OBD II port on the car. Anyway, with the re-tuned ECU, there is a strong likelihood that the Scan Gauge II may be able to read the data. This is not tested yet but I am quite sure it will work this time.

The Racetech battery could not be installed because the terminal points of the battery does not fit the original couplings of the harness. I need to buy adapters in order to use back the original couplings. Needless to day, they have been ordered. The next problem that needs fixing is securing the battery onto the original battery tray. The Racetech battery is about 2/3 the size of the original battery. Some customised brackets will be necessary to secure the battery.

The Kansai front splitters have been replaced by the Greddy front lip, painted in red. The rear diffuser has been painted red completely. In addition, the Kansai rear spoiler has also been replaced by a Greddy rear spoiler painted in red. The car is as red as you can imagine. The only black stuff are the side skirts which I decided to keep black in colour because removing them may mean damaging some clips which holds the side skirt to the car. The car looks awesome. The deal on the Magline wheels did not go through. That could be a blessing in disguise as I think the G07 wheels looks really nice now with the overall red theme.

Pictures will be posted once available.

Latest Acquisitions

2009-11-11T12:48:00.007+08:00

We talked about not installing an oil earlier. However, I just could not resist buying this oil cooler when I saw it being sold. Its actually meant for a different application but it looks and performs almost exactly like the one being sold by JWRC Custom. What I really like about it is that it should lower temperature by a few degrees but not drastically. Furthermore, oil pressure should not be affected too much since it is an in-line system. Lastly, the real reason for installing this oil cooler is the 'cool' factor. This will add some bling to the front since everything is red and black. Of course, the price difference between the JWRC Custom and this one is extremely large. Here's the JWRC Custom version.

And here's the one I bought.

Another acquisition that was discussed earlier was the ScanGauge II car computer. After doing some research on other car computers that are available in the market, I decided that the ScanGauge II is the one to buy. The gauge has most of the functions I would want eg. trip computer, voltmeter, etc. Since everything is built-in into one single gauge, I do not need separate gauges eg. voltmeter and this in turn, translates into less clutter and more space in the centre console area. I have also purchased a cover to mount the ScanGauge so it will look neat and integrated with the dashboard. More information can be found here: http://www.scangauge.com/

If there's any space left on the cover after mounting the ScanGauge II, I would like to include an additional cigaretter lighter power outlet and some switches to turn on/off power supply to the charger for the comms set and GPS.

Another item on the order book is the SecureStart Jump Starter. Since I will be deprived of a power outlet to charge my Racetech battery when I move to my new place, I needed a replacement to continue providing a trickle charge to the battery when the car is not being used. I could use the stock battery but that is too heavy to carry around. I came across this product and realised how useful it is and the technology behind it is quite amazing too. It is ridiculously small but yet powerful, 900mAh is a lot of power. My plan is to put it inside the engine compartment and have it hooked up to the Racetech battery. Every week, I will take it out and have it recharged using my CTEK electronic car charger. In fact, I may not even have to do the charging at home since the SecureStart jump starter can be fully charged from the cigarette power supply in minutes depending on the amount of power drawn. Technology is indeed wonderful. In addition, I can carry it with me in the car and perhaps, save some damsel in distress. More information can be found here: http://www.boldertmf.com/product_2.htm

I have decided to give the car another makeover. The two Kansai splitters are coming off and replaced by a Greddy Front Lip. The side skirts and rear diffuser will also be re-sprayed to red to match the rest of the car. The rear spoiler may be re-sprayed to black completely or else, the two wing tips will be re-sprayed to red instead. I am still undecided whether the front grill should be replaced by the original grill. In the end, my inclination is towards a mono colour car rather than splashes of additional colour here and there. Essentially, the front end will look like this.

Pressure Sprayer Tried, Tested & Proven

2009-11-04T20:15:00.003+08:00

Not completely convinced that the pressure sprayer will do the job of removing dirt and grime on the car, I decided to put it to the test one more time. It was raining the whole day yesterday and the truck had to go through a few muddy puddles. Of course, dirt was stuck everywhere and by this morning, this was the situation.

This provided me with an opportunity to test the pressure sprayer. I added car shampoo into the 8 litres sprayer and top it up with 5 litres of water. A few quakes to make sure the shampoo is well mixed with the water and a few pumps on the handle and we were ready to go. The whole truck, including the wheels were sprayed with the foamy mixture. The inside of the wheel arches were badly coated with mud but once the foam hits the mud, it melts right off. By the time I reached the starting point, some of the dirt had already came off. Since there was balance left in the pressure sprayer, I sprayed more foam on the dirtier parts of the car.

Next, I filled up the pressure sprayer with water up to the 8 litres mark. With a micro fibre mitt, I sprayed water on the area that the mitt was working. I stopped now and then to inspect the mitt to make sure there were no visible contaminants that might scratched the paint. I was also thinking that the mitt would actually be soiled with the dirt being picked up. Surprisingly, the mitt was clean and I concluded that it is actually being 'washed' all the time since there is a constant flow of water. To play safe, I rinse the washing mitt in a pail of water after going through the dirtier parts. About 6 litres of water was used to wash and rinse off the foam.

The first thing I noticed was that most of the water has run off. The truck was relatively dry. However, this could also be attributed to the constant polishing. Next, I filled up the 1.5 litre pressure sprayer with about 1 litre of water and a cup of liquid polish, give it a good shake and a few pumps on the handle. I sprayed the mixture on one side of the truck first and then wipe it off, rinsing the cloth frequently. Its better to work panel by panel with the polish mixture. The whole wash and mini-wax job was completed in 30 minutes. The result was most pleasing. Close inspection did not show any serious scratch marks were left on the panels. By the way, the car shampoo was not anything fancy; a 2 litre bottle cost $3. The label said that it contained silicon wax. One more observation, I did not get all wet and dirty compared to using an electrical high pressure washer or even a regular hose.

This method obviously does not replace the conventional and proven system of using high pressure washer and water hose. But in a situation whereby facilities are limited, this method works well. The important point to note is not to rush and apply too much pressure. Keep the water flowing all the time to ensure the area being washed is well lubricated. Rinse the washing mitt and drying cloth often to prevent dirt from collecting inside.

More Enhancements in the Pipeline

2009-10-29T20:14:00.008+08:00

It looks like we are on a roll now that we have tested and tasted the potential of the little Swift. Little Nickie has indeed grown up much since the epic drive. He is no longer restricted to just a point-to-point car and certainly, calling it a supermarket car adds insults to injury. He has proven that with the right enhancements, this little fella can run with the big boys. Not implying that the car is as good as the Porsches, Lotus or BMW but it held up very well on its own. In any case, the Swift is not in competition with them and the drive was not to prove that the Swift is as good as the company. It was a fun drive for friends to get together and enjoy their passion for long distance driving and dining. They certainly made provisions for the Swift knowing that it has probably only half (or less) the horsepower compared to their cars. The only sensible thing to do is to let them know the limitations so that the convoy is kept intact and safe driving is maintained. If one car breaks down, the whole convoy will be affected. So, we kept to the limits of the least powerful car, in this case, the little Swift.

The next logical thing to do is to enhance the car further so that the rest are not bogged down if the Swift does go with the company again. The obvious power mod as I have mentioned before would be a supercharger but thats taking it way over the top. Until I am convinced that the natural aspiration (NA) enhancements cannot provide the added boost, will I consider a supercharger. Its really a no-brainer to install a supercharger. Its instant power without blinking an eyelid. But, that would be boring because there will be nothing else that needs to be done further. I prefer to take the slow route, it gives me opportunities to learn more about the car and how far it can be pushed. Even if I finally install a supercharger system, all these enhancements will not be made irrelevant.

Exedy Lightened Flywheel. A guy on the forum wants to sell this but he is unsure whether he wants to part with it. Nonetheless, if he does not want to sell his, I will buy a new one. This flywheel is 4.7kg compared to the stock flywheel which weighs 7.2kg. The nett effect of having a lightened flywheel is better throttle response but it also means more revs are required to get the car going since there is less 'stored' energy in the flywheel. It all sounds a bit confusing eg. wouldn't it be the same if I stepped harder on the throttle to give me the same acceleration. The answer is no. For the same amount of revolutions, the acceleration with a lightened flywheel is much quicker compared to the stock flywheel. The quirkiness comes when you need to park the car or drive slowly. You will realised that you need to keep the car on a higher revolution to keep it moving slowly. With a heavier flywheel and the 'stored' energy, the car needs less revs to move off. On the move, the throttle now becomes more sensitive to inputs; lift off the feet and you will feel the revs drop almost instantaneously but when you jam it, you will see that the revs climb much faster and that translate to better torque. With the low gearing on the Swift, this is bound to be a neck bending experience and hopefully, increase the Gs. The logic for me to have a lightened flywheel is so that I can catch up with the others in the convoy if I get somewhat left behind. It does not increase power per se but it helps me to close the gap quicker.

MoMo Quark Steering Wheel and Quick Release. Someone commented that the present MoMo Corse Devil steering wheel looks 'cheap'. As you know, I don't really care what they say and I certainly did not buy this wheel just because someone said my present steering wheel looks cheap. I bought it because I really liked the shape and form of the wheel. It looks really elegant and yet, sporty. Besides, I also got it from a fellow motorhead who thought he was the only crazy guy around to have more than two steering wheels! Eric, if you are reading this, you are the man! Again, I am blessed to have met Eric. Besides being a nice seller, we discovered that we have many things in common, not just cars alone but other stuff. He is also helping me to source for a low hub so that when it is installed onto the quick release (QR), the wheel will not be in my face. The QR I am buying is styled like the NRG one shown below. A quick visit to the NRG website (http://www.getnrg.com/) revealed that they even have a thin version of the QR. Needless to say, that is on order as we speak. In the meantime, I will make do with the present set-up until the thin version QR arrives. The QR is a necessity, not for style. As I have mentioned previously, this was one enhancement I need in order to get in and out of the car comfortably. It also helps that it doubles up as a security measure to prevent my car from being stolen.

Magline HF 601 18" Forged Wheels. These are my dream wheels, 18" x 7.5" ET 42 and weighs 5.5kg according to one website. I would think they probably weigh more like 6 to 7kg. Whatever, they are still lighter than the present 17" x 7" ET 43 57Motorsport G07WT wheels I have right now. They will be a perfect fit on the Swift. I admit that I still love the 18" wheel look on the car eversince I had the OZ Ultraleggeras. More than just the look, the light wheels contribute significantly to better acceleration and reduce the unsprung weight of the car. I also have the option of using either set of wheels for different applications.

Racetech Design RTR 700 Racing Battery. This battery weighs a mere 6kg compared to the stock battery which is almost double the weight of the Racetech battery. Read more about the battery here (http://www.racetechdesign.com/index_files/Page1228.htm) Obviously, the sole purpose of having a lightweight battery is to....save weight, of course. There is only one drawback to having a lightweight battery; it drains faster than normal battery unless the car is used everyday or the battery is trickle charged by using a battery charger. I have recently experimented with some solar chargers but they don't really work so well. I still prefer to use the electronic battery chargers like CTEK. A digital voltmeter will also have to be installed to monitor the state of the battery. The battery bug would be my choice. It attaches directly to the battery and it checks the battery each time before start-up. I will also have a plug-in voltmeter in the cabin to check the voltage while on the move. I don't need to know the voltage all the time and besides, the 12V power supply is needed for other things.

Exedy Organic Clutch. I had this clutch installed previously but removed it because the timing was wrong to have it installed. I was not sure which direction the Swift was going then and having it on the car seems out of place. Good thing nobody bought it when I tried to sell it. Now, its going into the car and the time is right especially since I am going to install a lightened flywheel. These two components somewhat goes hand-in-hand. A stronger clutch will definitely give me more confidence during long drives. It will be harder to work the clutch initially but once it breaks in, you won't know its there.

It is an exciting time for me and the little Swift. I am energised from the last drive and honestly, I cannot wait to hit the road again with the Swift, of course, with all the enhancements done.

Portable Washing System

2009-10-24T17:44:00.002+08:00

I don't like a dirty car. I don't care what people say when they see me washing my car even if it looks clean to them. During the last drive, this was one of the problem I faced. Luckily, when we were in Phuket, we were able to find a reasonably good car wash but I have never really liked my car to be washed by anybody else except myself. Anyway, this problem got me thinking for a solution. A search on the internet actually came up with many alternatives. The system I was looking for should be light (so that it does not add weight to the car), compact (so that it does not take up space) and reliable. The type that runs on 12V car battery was considered but I figured its better not to tap battery power because I don't want to end up with a clean car but a dead battery. That would really be silly.

So, I settled for the manual pressure sprayer. They are cheap, reliable, light, compact and almost indestructible. I bought a 2, 5 and 8 litres sprayer for different application. The 2 litres sprayer is for small jobs eg. clearing up the mess around the rear windscreen and boot area. The 5 litres sprayer is for a complete clean-up job for the Swift. The 8 litres sprayer is for home use or for Daisy since she has a bigger boot space. Don't be too quick to pass judgement on these pressure sprayers. They may not give you the pressure like the electrical high pressure jet washers but they work well enough to provide enough water to do a proper wash. They also provide a continuous flow of water so you are not wiping the car 'dry'. This prevents or at least minimised the chances of scratching the paint job. I had the wand shortened so that it is easier to work with and only need to top up the bigger sprayers with water when I need to but keep the 2 litres sprayer filled. I also make it a habit to carry water to fill the radiator or other purposes and the sprayer doubles up for the job.

I experimented with them on the Isuzu truck. Unlike a conventional wash, you don't need to hose down the car. I filled up the 8 litres sprayer and added car shampoo. A few pumps of the handle and voila, believe it or now, I have foam coming out from the nozzle. I sprayed the whole car with the foam. By the time I came back to the start point, I could see that a fair amount of dirt has already been dissolved. At this stage, I only used about 2 to 3 litres of water.

Next, I used a micro fibre mitt to wipe the car in situ with the water from the pressure sprayer. So, at all times, the area being wiped is always wet and chances of scratches occuring is minimised. Take note that the whole idea of this car wash system is not for the purpose of detailing a car; it is meant for removing dirt so that it does not build up and makes it harder to remove later. Whatever fine scratches I put on the paint job can be easily removed when I do a proper detailing job when I get back home.

Once the whole car has been wiped (I used the term wipe, not wash specifically), I proceed to dry the car with a micro fibre cloth and using a pail of water to rinse the cloth. This is where the collapsible pail comes in handy. It contains up to 9 litres of water and folds flat for storage. After wiping the car dry, I can even add some liquid polish mixed with the water in the 2 lires sprayer. Spray a thin layer of it on the car and then wipe it off for a simplified polishing job. No more having to hunt around the car park for a tap or hose. Simple and effective.

Review of Proposed Enhancements

2009-10-20T11:57:00.000+08:00

I want to start off by thanking Cj from AP Drive. As always, he provided valuable inputs at the expense of closing a sale. This is one nice person the world should have more of. Good advice is always hard to come by. If you read some of the things posted in forums, you will soon realise that there are many uninformed, ill-informed or mentally deformed people who just wants air time. They offer nothing constructive to your queries and when all else fails, they ask you to do a search on Google. Then, there are the crusaders who tries to flaunt what little they know so that they too can have the air time they want; their mission is to protect the newbies but not knowing that what they say, in reality, reflects their lack of intelligence. There's a saying that goes like this; you can fool some people some of the time but not all the people all the time. Another saying goes like this; if you keep your trap shut, nobody will know you are an idiot. However, I consider myself blessed to have met many nice guys from the forum, not ON the forum. In fact, we have become good friends, sharing thoughts and ideas not just about cars but life itself. That is probably the only consolation and motivation that prompts me to visit the forum. But, I have grown wise and avoid threads that the so-called 'gurus' patronise. But, you cannot avoid these people because they will poke their nose into every other thread to show their intelligence (or the lack of it) so that they maintain their status as Gods of Mods and Crusader to the meek and humiliated newbies. Perhaps, their web persona is a way for them to gain the respect they need because in real life, they don't get a second glimpse from others. But, that's their business and as long as they stay out of my hair, I will not give them a hoot. Sorry, I had to let off some steam and now, back to the issues at hand.

The idea of an oil cooler has been ditched. I was 'educated' on the pros and cons of an oil cooler by Cj and the conclusion is that the Swift does not really need one. The oil temperature at 120 - 122degC at 4500 to 5000 rpm is normal. The critical temperature is actually around 135degC. Since I change my engine oil regularly, there will not be any siginificant ill effects on the engine. All I need to do now is set my oil temperature warning light to come on at 130degC instead of 120degC. Problem solved without incurring a cent. All thanks to Cj. In addition, the license plate will be changed to a longish-type since the present squarish-type is blocking a part of the front lower grill. Every bit of enhancement counts.

The full bucket seats will stay. To provide better ingress and egress out of the cabin, I will invest in a quick release for the steering wheel. It will also serve as a security measure. I love those bucket seats and giving them up is the last thing I would want to do.

The stock ECU will stay. Apparently, in order for Monster Sport to re-program the ECU, you need to send them the stock ECU. Downtime is about 3 to 4 weeks and the cost is about $1500. There is really nothing wrong with the stock ECU, it provides the power and more importantly, the flexibility and adaptability to suit different conditions eg. fuel grade. Of course, a little bit more juice would be nice but I can always do it some other way, perhaps mechanically rather than electronically. I have also been advised not to re-flash the stock ECU. So, the new ECU idea is ditched.

The Hurricane drop-in air filter will be replaced with the stock paper filter. Air filtration was one of my worry during the drive. While I knew that the enhanced air intake system was pushing in huge amount of air into the system, I also know that a lot of dirt is going into the system too. Coupled with the rain and dirty water being sucked into the system, it was a bit uneasy. Although provisions were made in the intake system for water drainage, there was concern still that everything may not be 100% perfect. However, my inspection of the air filter and the main components seems to show that all is well. I thought the filter will be covered with mud but it seems to be really clean. This is either very good or very bad. It means either the water has run-off even before reaching the air filter. Or everything has gone into the system. But, if the latter was to happen, I think the engine would have seized up but it did not. I am convinced that the Hurricane steel-mesh air filter is working well; it actually filters out dirt down to 0.5 microns. But, I prefer to err on the safe side, so the paper filter is going in and the Hurricane filter is coming out. This is a good article regarding stock air filter:

http://autospeed.com/cms/A_2232/article.html

Read it and make your own conclusions. I already had intentions to remove the Hurricane air filter previously but never got down to doing it because the local conditions are not extreme enough to have it removed. Having gone through the extreme conditions of the epic drive, I am convinced the paper filter will prove itself useful; it will not create a power loss or 'choke' the engine. If conditions are better during such drives, I can always pop in the Hurricane air filter.

Securing a 4-Point Harness

2009-10-18T00:41:00.000+08:00

Here are pictures to illustrate how a 4-point harness is secured.

Securing the Chassis Brace

2009-10-18T00:35:00.000+08:00

For those who asked about how the chassis brace is secured, here are pictures to illustrate the installation.

Comments and Questions

2009-10-16T09:27:00.001+08:00

Constructive comments are always welcome and if you accessed my blog via the various forums, you can always ask me questions using the private messaging system of the forum. I have decided to disable the comments feature of this blog to keep it neat and tidy. I am sure everybody does not agrees with what I do and they have their own thinking and thoughts about how they would want to do it. Well, good for you. Start your own blog and tell the world your ideas. I disliked people who critcised for the sake of criticising without providing an alternative plan or solution. That's so easy to do and shows the total lack of respect for the author who may have spent alot of time and effort coming up with the idea. Don't get me wrong. I am open to constructive suggestions but if you have none, I suggest you read and move on.

Post Analysis of the Epic Drive

2009-10-14T20:09:00.001+08:00

For those of you thinking about doing a drive like what I did, here are some personal tips to share with you.

The engine was completely stock except for the enhanced air intake system. I felt more comfortable going on a long drive with the engine in stock form because you never know how after-market parts may fail and fixing it can be a real headache. Where power is concerned, it is more than sufficient taking into consideration that I was in the company of some serious high performance cars. This lead me to consider replacing the stock ECU with a Monster Sport ECU which will increase the power from 125bhp to 140bhp. Although the MX160 supercharger would be the ultimate, I am concerned that it may not be able to handle the extremities of such drives. In any case, the Monster Sport ECU can be retained if I choose to install the supercharger. The additional 15bhp will come in handy during overtaking and keeping up with the rest of the convoy. However, if the company you are driving with are not like the ones I have, the engine in stock form is more than sufficient. The second enhancement would be an oil cooler. Running the car continuously at 4500rpm, the engine oil temperature read 120degC, sometimes up to 125degC. At certain times when it went up to 6000rpm, the engine oil temperature remained stable at 120-125degC. An oil cooler would be useful to lower the oil temperature by 5degC so that it remains under 120degC. However, the speed at 4500rpm is already around 140km/h which is probably the safe speed for the car. 150km/h at 5000 rpm would be the perfect crusing speed but in this present state, I run the risk of overheating the oil. There were times when the speed went up to 180km/h but that would be suicidal to maintain especially on roads whereby anything can happen. I seriously do not see the need for anything else other than these 2 enhancements.

The strengthening of the chassis is a must. Those anti-roll bars and strut bars comes into play. Even the chassis bar provided the extra strengthening the car needed. The price to pay for all the strengthening is that you have a very rigid body that is not forgiving. You will feel every inch of the road and get thrown about like a ship in the ocean. Coupled with a stiff suspension set-up, you better be prepared for a rough ride. However, when the twisty roads comes up, I was glad I had this set-up. It enabled me to throw the car into the corners without any worries. The LSD provided the extra edge so much needed to keep the car in check during the corners. However, the LSD can also get you into serious trouble unless you know how it works and more importantly, how to use it properly. In this area, I am happy with the set-up.

The full bucket seats and harness gave me the security I needed to be aggressive. I know that if anything happens, I would be safe as long as I am strapped down tightly to the seats. However, the inconvenience of climbing in and out is something not easy to get used to especially when we were hopping from place to place for sightseeing. It would have been better with reclinable bucket seats but the price to pay is weight. I am undecided whether the bucket seats are a good thing for long drives. One thing for sure, the cushion needs to be improved. I will be replacing the stock cushions with after-market ones that are thicker and firmer. Being strapped down also means you need to plan your cabin equipment effectively eg. GPS, comms system, etc. I made sure the important gadgets are within reach even when strapped down and more importantly, everything in the cabin needs to be strapped down so they don't fall off when you make a turn or over bumpy roads.

Fuel considerations. One of the biggest worry taking the Swift across the border was the fuel requirements. According to the manual, super unleaded petrol is recommended. This was rather vague and through some research, super unleaded petrol actually translate to RON 96 and above. This was not a problem in Malaysia as they had RON 97 fuel but it posed a challenge in Thailand whereby the highest RON rating is only 95. The manual also indicated that fuel containing not more than 10% ethanol can be used. During the trip, I used the various grade of petrol available including Gasohol 95. In between, I used Roar Nanofuel Technology fuel additive. Coupled with the Broquet B30, I never encountered any knocking of the engine. Everything ran smoothly except for some slight power loss which was not glaring at all. Average fuel consumption was 12.2 km per litre or 8.2 litre per 100km at an average speed of 140 km/h. I have read many comments on whether the Broquet works and even worse comments about the Roar Nanofuel additive. To those skeptics, I can only say that its proven these 2 products work well.

Put back that rear windscreen wiper. I know some guys take them out to save weight(?). You will realise how important the rear windscreen wiper is when it starts to rain. No amount of Rain-X is going to help. Just look at the pictures and you can see that the amount of dirt the rear windscreen collects.

Brakes. The stock brakes are more than sufficient even with stock brake pads. Unlike track driving, long distance driving does not require you to brake often. In fact, since the stock brake pads work at low temperature, it is actually more condusive for long distance driving because it will bite when you hit the pedal. I found out that whenever I had to slow down, I would push down hard on the brake pedal. That gives me an indication of how well the bite is and then I ease off from there to achieve the level of braking I need. Simple and effective.

Car computer. One of the problems I faced was the lack of information with regards to how much further I could travel with the present fuel level. A Scan Gauge II trip computer would be useful so I would know when to top up fuel instead of doing it each time we pull into a gas station. Running on a lower level of fuel would have helped in acceleration yet enough to get me to the next gas station. A Scan Gauge II trip computer is on my buying list.

Driving with the aircon on and off made a massive difference. It came to a point in time when the discomfort was worth it. Only when it became unbearable did I turn on the aircon but only to turn it off again when I have 'cooled' down. It was not so bad in the evenings but I soon realised that driving with fresh air coming into the cabin helped me to stay alert better. On a long stretch of road with nothing much else to do except hold the steering wheel straight, the boredom can get to you and there is always the possibility of dozing off. This is made even worse after a heavy meal. Blasting the stereo did not help. In fact, the stereo was not on most of the time. It interefered with the comms between the cars and you could miss out on important calls by the leader. On the subject of comms, I would need to get an external microphone and speaker combination. I would also need to rig the charger so that it is within easy reach and stays put when the road gets rough.

One thing about the Swift cabin is the lack of storage and whatever storage available is really quite useless; they are either too shallow, too narrow and when you put things inside, there is the irritating rattling noise because of the hard plastic. I taped down the 2 spring loaded tabs on the drink holders because they are jamming things whenever I take them out.

Lights. In order to protect the headlamps, I had them covered with a thin film. The only problem was the shop used a solar film so the intensity of the light was reduced considerably. Halfway through the journey, I was tempted to ripped them off but decided not to as I figured that since I am not the lead car, I could depend on others. Needless to say, I ripped them off the minute I reached home. The correct material to use are clear film like Llumar. But, since I did not have enough time to get a proper job done, I had to compromise on using the solar film instead. The car will be going in for a full clear bra wrapping on the lights and bonnet. I am also considering a headlight washer system. There was a point in the drive when the light throw was only about 20m. This was due to the mud all caked up on the headlights and with nothing to wash it off.

There are a couple of things I would do or carry with me for a long drive like this in future. First on the list would be a collapsible bucket for washing the car or better yet, a collapsible hose. Believe it or not, the car really needs a wash especially if you go through rain and muddy water. A coat of Rain-X or something similar on the rear windscreen will help to reduce the dirt build-up but it won't solve the problem entirely. A better GPS holder is required; one that is strong enough and provide enough reach to the driver so that I don't have to reach out to touch the buttons. An additional 12V power point would be nice; located next to the gear shift lever or in the tray under the audio head unit. This solves the problem of having to switch power cords for the GPS, walkie-talkie charger and ioniser. A multi-plug adapter simply does not work.

In summary, the little car has proven itself to be able to withstand the harsh conditions of a long drive. There is nothing lacking in the car but if you want to play safe like I did, the enhancements made a world of difference. I would think that the car in pure stock form can do the same thing but it would not give you the confidence when road conditions are not great. Of course, if you just slow down, no dramas are going to happen. For me, I wanted to test the limits of the car. In the end, the car beat me. I was a wreck stepping out of the car but the little car seems to be saying, "Is that all you can dished out?"

Coming Home

2009-10-13T20:54:00.000+08:00

An epic journey comes to an end with more to follow.

Thai-Malaysian Border

2009-10-13T20:45:00.001+08:00

No hassles in crossing over from one country to another.

Here and There

2009-10-13T20:42:00.000+08:00

Where fuel was concerned, I used RON 97, RON 95 and Gasohol 95. In between every 2 top-up, I added 10 ml of Roar Nanofuel additive. There was no discern power loss and at no point in time did I encounter any knocking. A Broquet B30 was also installed.

More Scenic Pictures

2009-10-13T20:36:00.000+08:00

Incredible Scenery and Company

2009-10-13T20:33:00.000+08:00

A most humbling experience for Nickie to be in the company of Porsches, BMWs, Lotus, Mercedes Benz and Audi. The scenery was breathtaking

Car Wash in Phuket

2009-10-13T20:21:00.001+08:00

A car wash in Phuket. There was a huge build-up of dirt on the rear.

The Epic Journey

2009-10-13T20:16:00.000+08:00

It's finally done; 2900km over 5 days. We have returned home safe and sound from an incredible drive. We never thought that this little car can do so much with so little especially with the kind of company we had. But we did it and we are proud of it. Will we ever do it again? That's a difficult question to answer now but I am sure it would be a resounding yes. And the next time, we will do it better with the experience gained.

The LSD was amazing but its not for the inexperienced. You can get into serious trouble if you are not careful because of the quick centering of the steering wheel and the additional force needed to keep the car along your chosen line during a corner. Its hard to explain the feeling but the overall control achieved is so satisfying. I would not recommend this modification if all you are ever going to do is drive from point A to B.

No long story here. Just pictures to show how much fun we had.

Cusco LSD

2009-09-08T10:25:00.000+08:00

Here's the real thing.

Seats, Wheel and Chassis Brace

2009-09-05T23:33:00.000+08:00

I forgot to mention APdrive and the owner, Cj. I don't know Cj personally and I have never met him but through his messages, I know that this will be one place I'll head for when the time comes for change in seats or other performance parts. He has been most helpful with his comments and recommendations. Unlike resellers who flood the market with replicas, common stuff, APdrive caters to a different niche market; those who are performance-oriented but of course, their things are not cheap. Since when are good things cheap anyway?

This is Where We Will Go from Here

2009-09-05T23:28:00.000+08:00

All the time spent wondering what I really wanted the Swift to be has come to this; Nickie will follow in the footsteps of Daisy and be configured for both B-roads and long-distance driving. As always, preparation is important. And this where the journey begins. Nickie needs to be enhanced substantially in certain areas in order to ensure she is reliable and safe to carry out such tasks. Some of the earlier enhancement modifications eg. strut and anti-roll bars, coilovers, enhanced air intake system, etc have already been installed. However, those are not enough to bring it up to the level of reliability, safety and handling I desire. So, the enhancement journey begins.

The Recaros have been replaced by replica Bride bucket seats. I've never really like the Recaros because I have never felt comfortable in them. No matter how much adjustment I make, the Recaros cannot give me the driving position I want. I always felt I sit too high and the side bolster obstructs gear changing. Changing to the Bride seats brought about a whole new experience. While others may scoff at the idea of using bucket seats, these seats fit me to a T. The height is just right and more importantly, it is so much more comfortable to shift gears because there is no obstruction on the side. The legs are nicely extended unlike sitting on the Recaros where the knees are bent almost 90 degrees. While it is not as body-hugging as the Recaros (which I dislike, by the way), they are really comfortable and I can shift my bum around slightly. This is important to me during long drives. I bought replicas instead of original bucket seats like the Cobra and Sparco because I wanted to be sure I will like sitting in a bucket seat. This is not about style. It's about making sure I achieve the driving position I want in order to drive effectively. It will be a matter of time before I ditch these replicas and buy original bucket seats. For the time being, these seats are serving me well. In fact, I have received comments from a sports seat installer that these replicas are actually very well made. They don't flex and the materials used are rather high grade. I decided to use original seat rails to ensure they are properly secured instead of using the stock 'welded here-and-there' type. I want to be sure that if anything happens, the seat stays put. Getting in and out of the car now requires some acrobatic moves but practise makes perfect and I can jump in and out without any problems and not worried about damaging the sides of the seats.

Sabelt 4-point harness was added to the list simply because using the seat belt is a mockery of having bucket seats. The position of the seat belts has changed substantially and I doubt its effectiveness when I need it. It is also uncomfortable to use the seat belts now because the configuration has changed. I have never used a harness before. Having used it for the last couple of days, it is now a habit to reach for the harnes than the seat belts. The feeling of being safely secured to your seat is really comforting. It is not the most user-friendly but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. I only hope my passenger feels the same way.

The stock steering wheel was replaced by an original MoMo Corse. I could buy a replica for a quarter of the price but the stories I hear about replica steering wheels falling apart was enough to convince me to get the real stuff. I may have lost the air bag on the wheel but the harness makes up for that. Besides, the stock steering wheel is too 'fat' and obstructs climbing in and out of the car. Aesthetically, the MoMo steering wheel with its red thumb rests matches the oversall interior look of the car.

I have successfully morphed the BMW exhaust tips onto the stock exhaust tips. Now, the rear end is much more pleasant. It's simple. No more chrome shining pipes or big diameter pipes for me. These tips are here to stay. And yeah, Nickie could possibly be the only one with BMW exhaust tips.

A truly remarkable added-on feature is the to-in chassis brace. It connects to the two seat belt bolts on either side of the car. This brace has added so much stiffness to the chassis that all the creaking sounds I used to have are gone completely. I feel the car is in 'one-piece' instead of the usual flexing you experience when going over bumps and undulations. A truly must-have mod if you own a Suzuki Swift.

In the process of the transformation and enhancement work, I am clearer now about what needs to be done in order to prepare the car for its epic journey. That's right, Nickie is going north, all 1,600 kilometers to Hua Hin. The work is not completed yet. An LSD is already on the order book and the brake rotors and pads will have to be changed. The LSD will give added handling capabilities to the car. The final touch will be a clear bra on the front part of the car since no bras are available.

So, after 2 years, this is how things are going to be. From here on, you might not hear much more about what modifications are done because the modification chapter will be closed. Well, at least until something comes along that will make enhance the car further.

This would also be a good time to express my gratitude to the people who has made all this possible.

Juzz4Cars. This is a top-notch workshop. While the owners are some of the best friends I ever have, they are real professionals who gets the job done safely and effectively. They have attended to every little fault that I brought up and cured them. They have also made sure the car is safe to cater to my needs. These guys are really the best in the market.

Miki Marketing. This is where the seats were installed and the guy who helped installed them was none other than the boss himself. You could see experience reveling itself by the way the seats were installed and the advise given. This is another top-notch shop for all your sporting needs like seats, steering wheels, racing suits, etc. Many people tell me they are expensive, snobbish, etc...but I realised that after spending 5 hours with them, whoever complains about them needs to have their head examined.

Cobra Seats

2009-08-22T23:27:00.000+08:00

The seat dilemma continues...I was introduced to the Cobra seats by an advertiser in the forum. He had some very good advice for me in choosing a good seat. While replica seats may look like the real thing externally, they are not internally. A good seat has its weight on the bottom to lower the CG, for safety reason. Also, the material used is just as important. The Cobra seats don't come cheap but they are reasonably priced. Another decision to make.

SSCUS Euro PU Seats

2009-08-19T17:55:00.000+08:00

My enthusiasm for the Bride Low Max Gias seats diminished when I saw these seats. They fall nicely in line with my European (whatever that means) theme. I would prefer them to be in fabric but heck, PU is just as good; it's easy to clean. I can always cover the back seats with the PU material to match the front ones. The best thing is that they are really cheap! $620 for a pair. Quality should be good since the company that manufactures these seats have TUV approval.

What's Next

2009-08-15T11:24:00.000+08:00

Unlike his big sister, Daisy, it's easy to find stuff for little Nickie and cheap too! There's no point buying brand new original cosmetic stuff but I would settle for 2nd hand original stuff without blinking an eyelid. Replicas are in abundance without much compromise on quality and of course, they cost only a fraction of the original stuff. Besides, most of the stuff I put on Nickie don't stay very long. It's easy to flogged off replicas because there are many people like me who just want to change looks for the heck of it. However, I draw the line when it comes to engineering parts. No replicas, as far as possible. If it's an after-market part, I will do the research required to make sure it's safe to be used. For the time being, the engineering department is staying stock. I have the necessary parts like extractors, mid-pipe, exhaust, racing clutch, etc to convert the car into a little beast but that transformation is on hold.

What's next on the list? Well, I've decided the stock Recaro seats will be swopped with replica Bride Low Max Gias. I've never really like the Recaros because they don't feel like real Recaros having experienced the real stuff on Daisy. I will have to give up the side air bags but in lieu of that, I will have a 3-point racing harness installed instead. I figured that if DTM, BTTC or other track cars don't have side air bags and the driver is properly strapped down with a racing harness, safety will not be compromised. The passenger may not like it but hey, it's for their own safety. I was toying with the idea of having full-bucket seats but decided reclining semi-bucket seats will be more comfortable and convenient.

Next, exhaust tips. I am really anxious about this mod because it's something I've always wanted to do to change the look of the rear end. Currently, the exhaust tips are replica Spoon exhaust tips. I don't fancy them too much because firstly, they are heavy. Secondly, they are not 'big' enough and thirdly, they are too shiny! Thanks to a good friend (seems like I am blessed with many good friends) who gave me a pair of chrome black exhaust tips from his BMW 135 exhaust, I am going to morphed them onto the stock exhaust tips. A lot of work will be needed but it's going to be worth it...Nickie may be the only one with BMW exhaust tips.

A very expensive change will be the 18" Rays 57 MOTORSPORT G07WT wheels. They are 18 x 7.5" 5 x 114.3 Offset 43 and will cost a whopping $750 per wheel (not including tyres). And they will be white. These are the last set of wheels I am going to buy. No more messing around with wheels after this because I think these are the ultimate wheels for the car. They are not as light as the OZ but that don't matter as long as it is strong.

You would notice by now that I am taking a slightly different route in my modification madness. I am trying as much as possible to stay away from regular JDM stuff and taking the European route. I want to prove that a Jap car need not look like a Jap car (whatever that means) but it can be transformed tastefully into something more European-looking (whatever that means). Oh well, it's personal and at the end of the day, as long as I am happy with how the car looks, that is all that matters. You people should have fun modding your car too and don't let others distract you.

Back to the Good Old Rays

2009-08-08T23:44:00.000+08:00

The OZs were replaced by the Rays about a week ago. However, the knocking sound is still there. So, it is not the wheel that is creating the problem. That's bad news. The next course of action is to strip the whole left suspension and check to see if anything is loose. We have already tightened every visible nut and bolt including the front strut bar. Let's see how it goes. Here are the pictures of Nickie with the Rays.

Back to the Rays

2009-07-13T17:54:00.000+08:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your patience in reading my blog. It must be quite painful to read all about the things I do to Nickie because it seems I keep going around in circles. Well, this posting is not going to be any different. Before you start calling me names, I thought it is better I clarify, explain and reinforce the logic of the mods I do. Let's take this swopping from the OZ 18" back to the Rays 17" as an example. As much as I love the OZ rims, they are beginning to give me problems because of its size. The tyres rub against the coilovers when going over humps and we have this irritating knocking sound. Besides the sound, there is a possibility that the coilovers could be damaged from the knocking.

The OZ are 18" x 8J; which means spacers are necessary to prevent the rim from rubbing on the coilovers. It also means that camber adjustment is limited as too much negative camber means the tyres will also rub against the coilovers. This is applicable if you have a camber kit installed because in original form, the front camber of the Swift cannot be adjusted. That leaves me with 3 options; adjust the camber every time it runs off, remove the camber kit or replace the OZ with the Rays. I chose option 3 for simplicity and practical reasons. Having to replace 4 wheels is easier than having to remove the camber kit and most importantly, I can change the wheels myself. Obviously, the camber is misaligned and alignment would have to be done after I put back the Rays. Regarding the point about spacers, I would certainly not recommend having them on the car because it reduces the length of the securing bolt. Which essentially means the wheels cannot be tightened as much as you would want it to be. Although the chances of the wheels dropping out is highly remote, why would you want to take the risk?

I certainly hope I have clarified my actions. It all bothers on time and situation. Pictures will be posted once the replacement is done. Thank you for reading.

Additions, Deletions, Replacements

2009-06-28T13:08:00.000+08:00

Here's another round of cosmetic changes. Decided the side moldings on the door needs to be taken off. This is the second time I have put it on and taken it off. There's really nothing wrong with it. It gives protection from people who might put a dent on the door. I've been wanting to take it off but could never find a reason to do so until the plastics started to peel off from the double-sided tape. It was easy to remove 3 out of the 4 pieces. The last one was horrendous to take off because it was stuck on using 3M double-sided tape. It was baked onto the car and took me almost 4 hours to remove it with lighter fluid, wax, polish, WD40 and anything I could lay my hands on. Good thing patience prevailed and I did not make any scratches. I swear, from now on, unless my life depends on it, no more 3M double-sided tape on anything that might come off later. The side moldings actually makes the door panels look smaller since it divides it into 2 halves. Anyway, they are put into storage again and if anyone wants to buy it, I would sell it.

Added the Monster rear lip add-on. It makes the rear end looks a little lower and makes the car appear more balanced when seen from the side. It was sprayed the same color as the side skirts to maintain the color flow and coupled with the front carbon fiber splitters.

The clear tail lamps have been replaced by the stock ones because the authorities consider all after-market parts as illegal. Can you beat that? Now you know why every other car looks like the other one in Singapore.

The exhaust tips have also been changed to Spoon look-alike. They are screwed onto the exhaust pipes. The authorities deemed my previous exhaust as illegal because the tips were welded on. As you know, the stock tips are screwed on the exhaust pipes. Apparently, any cut and weld marks on any part of the exhaust system constitutes an illegal modification. Can you beat that? You buy an expensive car but the authorities decides what you can and cannot do.

I am not sure this will be the final look. The grill is starting to bother me and I am thinking of putting back the stock grill. Most guys I meet like the grill because it's different and gives the car character. I even have a special logo attached! Anyway, it will stay for now until it's time to go.

More Lips and Wing Tips Pics

2009-05-20T12:56:00.001+08:00

Enjoy the pictures taken during the day.

Lips and Wing Tips

2009-05-17T01:33:00.000+08:00

I admit I've never been a fan of carbon fibre. That was the main reason I did not install the Kansai front lips because it only comes in carbon fibre. I wanted it to be in FRP so that I can spray it red in order to obtain a singular colour on the front end. But alas, things are not meant to be when a good friend offers you 2 Kansai carbon fibre front lips at an unbelievable price. As you can see, they look incredible. It gives the front end a more aggressive look and not only that, it provides some down force also.

See the wing tips? They have been changed to carbon fibre ones but notice that the design is no longer the Kansai-type. The same friend gave me those wing tips to match the carbon fibre front lips. These wing tips are meant for the GT spoiler. So, the holes are not aligned and the wing tips don't actually fit the stock holes. Well, with some ingenuity and a drill, yours truly converted it to match the spoiler. So, it's no longer a Kansai spoiler, neither is it a GT spoiler but it's a Nickie spoiler. The size of the wing tips are much bigger than the Kansai ones. I've just realised that doing 'big' things on Nickie makes 'big' differences.

Next on the list? The rear bumper needs to be lowered and a project is being hatched while we speak. Check back in a couple of weeks and see for yourself. Enjoy the grown-up Nickie pictures.

Old Shoes with New Clothes

2009-03-29T00:45:00.000+08:00

Decided to re-install the OZ Superleggera 18" rims back on Nickie. They were nicely re-sprayed before being put into storage since September 2008. Figured it is time to give Nickie a new look as some aspects of the car's exterior has changed. As I was changing the rims, I realised how light these rims are compared to the 17" Rays 57. Anyway, the rims are gonna stay on Nickie for awhile since they are kinda nice and the Rays 57 can take a break. The next thing that needs to be done is to re-install the after-market headers. I miss those things the most. The Sunline centre-pipe will have to come off and replaced with the stock mid-pipe or else the boys in blue will nab me for sure. The Exedy racing clutch will also be re-installed since I think I might have blew the clutch after the last track day at Sepang. Bought over a second-hand Hot Inazma Pocket from a fellow forum guy for my motorbike but decided to try it on Nickie first. Wow...that is an amazing product. The lag in 2nd gear seems to have disappeared and my senses tells me that the car is definitely much more livelier. Where there used to be some hesitation during idle, all these seem to have gone away. There are people who sneered at such products doubting their effectiveness. For me, I listen to what they have to say but no matter what, the decision is mine to make. If it works, good for me but if it doesn't, then I just ditch it. Hopefully someone will buy it over but not without feedback from me. Enjoy the new pics although they are not well taken because it was turning quite dark.

Nickie's New Nose

2009-03-27T11:01:00.001+08:00

A forum member made this grill as a trial to see if there were enough takers for him to make a group purchase. Sadly, no one took up the offer. Seeing the chance that since this is a one-off thing, I bought over the prototype from him. I think the stock front grill looks nice but somehow, I preferred a smaller grill. There were some options to consider eg. Scrit or B-crews but those are common and expensive. I got this cheap since he had no use for it anymore. Got it sprayed red instead of black because I really wanted to make it look different. The result is rather satisfying. I will put back the chrome (but matted) S insignia on the vertical. Let's see how long this look will last before I make another change.

Indycator Gear Knob

2009-01-25T12:37:00.000+08:00

It's not a spelling error. That's the name of the indicator gear knob that was installed last week. It's not really necessary to have a gear knob that tells you which gear you are in. But, this was bought as a favour for a very good friend who wanted me to help him advertise this new product. Anyway, it's quite a cool toy and it does come in useful at times when you really cannot remember which gear you are in.

On the racing track at Sepang

2008-12-13T22:43:00.001+08:00

We spent a day at the Malaysian F1 track at Sepang. This was the first time the little car was going north. Admittedly, not much preparation was done except for a quick wrap of the front areas of the car to prevent stone chippings. Despite that, a few chips could be found but it was better than nothing. We did a very quick drive from the 2nd link up to Sepang. Surprisingly, the car was quite well-behaved at high speeds. However, the noise was unbearable and the volume on the stereo had to be turned up louder. Oil temperature went up to 120C and this has prompted me to re-think whether an oil cooler is needed. Under normal circumstances, this would not be required. The buggeration about installing the oil cooler is that the bumper needs to be removed and this means having to break the seal on the front number plate.

As for the experience of driving on the track, let's just say that this would probably be the first and last time. Personally, there's not much enjoyment driving round and round. I would rather do those long road trips because there is a destination to look forward to and the excitement of the uncertainties of getting there. However, it was fun but this is just not my cup of tea.

Looks like all the work put into the car has paid off. The rammed air intake has indeed given more 'lungs' to the car. The absence of the sports headers is certainly being felt. Notwithstanding, the car is a pleasure to drive long-distance. Next stop could be Krabi.

NTC Bodykit

2008-11-23T12:24:00.000+08:00

This is the bodykit I would consider in lieu of the wide bodykit. It's simple, subtle but somewhat aggressive. Made by a German company, quality should be top-notch.

Nickie is on a Calendar

2008-11-22T01:05:00.001+08:00

Nickie is going to be featured on a calendar.

What next for the little one?

2008-11-21T19:56:00.000+08:00

Someone asked me what's next for the Swift? That started me thinking. Do I need to do more? The car is runnning well, it doesn't look too sloppy. But of course, more can be done. So, if I could find the time and resources, here's my wish list.

Major Mods

1. Headers. Having experienced it previously, headers are real bang for bucks. Nothing can add power and efficiency like good headers. Hopefully, there will be approval given for after-market headers.

2. SSS Superchager SC150. Another bang for bucks mod. Forget about all those CAI, semi-flow, hi-flow air filters....this one is it. The only thing holding me back is the need for a piggyback. I prefer a re-mapped stock ECU. Adding the price of the SC and ECU costs a whopping 12K. That's too much money for 25bhp. Apparently, Suzuki Sports is willing to supply a re-mapped stock ECU with the supercharger for the same price. If this is true, looks like a supercharger is on the way.

3. Wide body kit identical to the Super 1600. I have been searching high and low for a manufacturer but no success. Although I did find a widebody kit supplier but I didn't like the look of their kit. I saw a picture of a 4-door Swift with the original body kit and it looks awesome. But more than just looks, the wide-body kit will provide the stability required for my kind of driving.

Minor Mods

4. Seats. The stock Recaro seats are nice but they are too high and not the most comfortable. Would love to switch those seats with some full-bucket ones to reduce some weight as well as increase comfort, if any.

5. Put back the Exedy racing clutch if mods 1 & 2 can be done.

6. Engine mount/suspension bushings. The stock mounts were designed for comfort, which is why they are soft. Being soft, power is lost. Although not significant, but harder shock mounts will increase efficiency at the expense of a louder engine note.

At the end of the day, I think it's important to set out the objectives of the mods. For me, power and handling comes first. When I think I've extracted some juice out of the car, then I work on exterior mods. But, this is always a see-saw affair....so, the car is always in a constant stage of change. But of course, once the mods I want to do are done, all mods stop. I don't get distracted by what others do.

Workshop Crap

2008-10-01T11:17:00.000+08:00

As advised by my regular mechanic, I brought Nickie to the workshop for a check on the steering rack. This workshop is linked to the dealer shop who sold me the car. As the car had a 3-year or 60,000km warranty, I thought I might be able to make a claim for a new steering rack. But, I never heard or know of any workshop who would dish out a new part for you without giving you some crap. With this expectation in mind, I made an appointment and brought Nickie to the shop. I told the receptionist what the problem was i.e., there was a 'clicking' sound whenever I turned the steering wheel to the right and it only happens at a particular angle. There is a another 'click' sound when the steering wheel is turned back to the centre and also, at that same angle. Obviously, she had no clue what I was talking about but I did not want to spoil her day. The first mechanic that attended to me twisted and turned the steering wheel and heard the sound for himself. He thinks some nuts and bolts are loose. So, with a couple of spanners in his hands, he tightened every damn bolt there was under the engine. The sound did not go away. He called his senior mechanic. This guy came, heard the sound, took the car for a spin, came back and said, "your gantong (shocks) are making the noise." I looked at him and told him that firstly, those shocks are coilovers, they have just been tightened, they have been installed for over a year and not a sound was heard till last week. He looked dazed because he obviously knew that I know my stuff and when I insisted that the sound is coming from the steering rack. So, he called the workshop manager. He hopped into the car with the senior mechanic, went for a spin, came back and said, "Because your car is lowered, there is a lot of stress on the steering mechanism. Also, your wheels are too wide and your camber is not enough. So, it is harder for the steering mechanism. Nowadays, the material used is thinner than last time. So, not so strong. Anyway, your car modified, so cannot cover under warranty." I said, " Thank you. Give me my key please."

Why do all mechanics take car owners as idiots? What makes them think that they can pull all this crap and get away with it? It only proves my philosophy that if you own it, know it. Spending time under the bonnet helps to know you car better. Getting your hands all oily and greasy to help your regular mechanic goes a long way in knowing what goes where and what does this and that. DIY some of the stuff, if you mess it up, don't worry...it is never that bad. You can always call your regular mechanic. Lastly, read and do your research. Learn lessons from others and how the problem was resolved.

I drove away from the workshop feeling glad that they did not do more damage. The only irritation I felt was that they put their greasy bums on Nickie seats without even putting on a plastic cover. It's good not to expect too much because you won't be disappointed.

Ground Zero

2008-09-26T15:27:00.000+08:00

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.

Sick Suzuki

2008-09-21T22:08:00.000+08:00

The theory that if nothing is broken, don't fix it is so true. The car has been running well with an after-market headers which obviously, is illegal in the eyes of the law because there is no catalytic converter attached. Furthermore, as it is not made by Suzuki, it can never be approved by the authorities. So, into the workshop the car went to have the headers removed and revert to stock headers. At the same time, the Sunline centre-pipe was re-installed, connected to the HKS Legamax muffler. This is where the problem start. Firstly, the fitting was off. No matter how much adjustment was made, the tail pipes could not be centered. So, off to the exhaust shop to have the pipes adjusted. That's when I realized that there was a clicking sound when I turned the steering wheel. Turns out that the steering rack may have been damaged somewhat. Next problem, the muffler was knocking against some metal parts on the left side. We thought it was the coilovers that could be loose but it was not because we had them tightened. After 4 rounds of knocking, welding, heating, adjusting, nothing seems to work. This is completely frustrating. The problem has been identified. It is the centre pipe knocking across the torsion beam, part of the suspension system. Apparently, the centre pipe had to be pulled down so that the exhaust tips are centred. In doing so, the centre is too close to the torsion beam and each time the beam moves, it hits the centre pipe.

It's unbelievable. All the mechanics who tended to Nickie could not establish what was wrong. Finally, yours truly had enough sense to think through the problem and actually discovered the cause. Yet, when I explained to these 'mechanics', they have that glazed look on their faces, like as it they don't understand what I was trying to tell them. I am convinced that half of these so-called mechanics are not thinking hard enough. Understandably, they have a hard life but they are also obliged to solve problems because they are the so-called experts. Anyway, this had taught me a very important lesson; if you want something done, you got to do it yourself. Don't leave it to others. It's not that they don't bother but sometimes, solving problems does not come with the job. They would prefer to do the mundane, SOP-kind of jobs so that they are not overly taxed. I can respect that but when a customer tells you he has a problem, you have to solve it. In any case, the knocking sound has gone away. The pure stock exhaust has been re-installed linked to the Sunline centre-pipe. Life is back to normal. I can hear my music loud and clear. I don't have any fears of the authorities chasing after me because I have a loud exhaust. I have peace of mind again. There's no real difference between the HKS Legamax and the stock exhaust in terms of performance. Acceleration is just as good. Maybe this weekend, Nickie will finally have a chance to taste some B-roads. Stay tuned.

Almost There

2008-09-07T13:46:00.000+08:00

The little car is so much fun to play with. You can probably changed the looks every month if you bother enough. But, I wanted a permanent look that is pleasing to the eye and experimentation is the only way to achieve the desired effects. I've always hated that whip antenna on the roof. It literally sticks out like a sore thumb. Using a working shark fin antenna cover does the job of covering up the base. But, I think it's too big. It stays for now until I find time (and guts) to rip off the roof lining and install the real shark fin antenna that I bought many months ago. The 18" OZ Ultraleggeras are in storage. They are great rims but the ride is just too harsh for my feeble body. In its place now are 17" Rays 57 ultra-lightweight rims shod with 215/45 Goodyear F1 tires. They look a lot like the stock rims and in fact, a guy asked me why I never changed rims. That's good. I don't like the car to look ostentatious and the stock-looking it is, the better. These rims are really light and I have been able to achieve a constant 13.6 km per liter compared to the SSW rims which gave me only 10.7 km per liter. I am a firm believer of lightweight rims now but weight is not everything. It needs to be strong too, which means you have to spend more because cheap rims may be light but they are not strong. The hi-fi department also went through some changes. Well, not really changes because I installed the stock head-unit with an iPod adapter. I cannot understand why I did not do this in the first place instead of mucking around with off-the-shelf head unit and DVD player. This is definitely one of the best thing I've done. It looks neat and tidy and when the light comes on, it looks really nice with the orangey glow. Maybe, I'm too used to the orangey glow thing because that's the same colour Daisy has. Speaking about Daisy, it's time that the little Suzuki gets a name too. It's Nickie. Yup, a little boy's name to reflect the fun nature of the car. It's also the name of one of my favourite Thai singer, Nicole. Back to the mods. The pedals have been replaced with original Suzuki Sports racing pedals. These are bigger and if you noticed the gas pedal, it has a little extension on the left to help with heel and toe. Back onboard are the side moulding that were removed months ago. I got sick of it lying around the store-room and decided to install them. No regrets. It has saved Nickie from a nasty dent. Some pricks (male, female, kids, old or young) just don't know how to open car doors. Thanks to the side moulding, it absorbed the blow. Last but not least, the rear lamps have been changed to the transparent type to match the front head lamps. The original tail lamps were just too red and the whole rear end did not have enough contrast. Bought these used lamps for a low price and spent some time cleaning them up and wiring them up at the same time. It uses normal bulbs except for the additional brake lamp which uses a LED. It looks great at night. Nickie is growing up to be quite a handsome lad.

2008-07-06T21:24:00.001+08:00

More pictures of the new look....

A New Look...again

2008-07-06T21:14:00.000+08:00

Thanks to my good friend who sold his Swift Sport, I acquired all the mods he put into his car. It's a fairly long list which includes the original Suzuki Sports carbon fibre intake, short shifter, OZ 18" wheels, MoMo Volante steering wheel, Exedy Racing clutch, HKS exhaust, etc. After a short spell of experimentation, I decided I only wanted to keep the wheels, short shifter and exhaust. Simplicity was the theme of the new look. But then, that's really subjective. Those 18' OZ wheels really makes a difference. And, the black side vanes of the rear spoiler also made substantial difference.

Black Wheels

2008-05-25T01:19:00.000+08:00

In a moment of madness, I decided to re-spray the BBS wheels to glossy black. First impression after putting them on was that it looked really strange. It was neither right or wrong. However, after 2 weeks, I am beginning to like the new look. Thought of putting a red line around the wheel but decided that would be too 'ricey' and decided to keep it all black. One thing for sure, it's more difficult to maintain especially if you want it to look clean all the time. Did some photoshop work to see if changing the colour of the side skirts and front spoiler will change the look.

Favourite Picture

2008-04-20T20:57:00.000+08:00

This is my favourite picture. The number plate has been erased! With that stupid thing gone, the car really looks mean with that 'big' mouth!

Window Tinting

2008-04-20T20:33:00.000+08:00

Finally had the front windows tinted. The original look was not really in sync with the almost darkened rear windows. After the tinting, the difference is not so stark anymore. See the difference.

Recent Additions

2008-04-14T02:34:00.001+08:00

Gone is the stock rear spoiler, now replaced by a Kansai FRP replica rear spoiler painted in body colour. As with most replicas, they never fit 100%. So, as usual, yours truly had to take necessary steps to ensure a good fit. All joining points are pasted with foam. This is to ensure watertight integrity so that water don't seep through the gaps and collect somewhere. It's also aesthetically pleasing since you don't see the gaps. I made the S insignia and had them pasted on because I wanted people to know it is a Suzuki and because the other only insignia is on the front of the car and it cannot really be seen because it was blacked-out. I've put back my SSW rims and sent the BBS for a re-spray. I would probably spray them glossy black just for change although my tire shop man keeps telling me to leave them silver since all BBS are silver. Overall, I think the car looks good with the new spoiler and 'new' rims. My next mod is to remove that ugly-looking whip antenna and replace it with a working shark-fin antenna.

What's been going on?

2008-03-23T20:58:00.000+08:00

Been months since I gave an update on the little Suzuki. Since then, not much has changed actually. Ever since the tow truck incident, I have done a couple of external changes to the car. Nothing drastic though because I want to maintain a stock look so as not to attract the attention of our men in blue. Anyway, I was lucky enough to come across a set of BBS rims. Since I had to wait for the replacement of the other rim, I slapped them on till now. I'd probably put on a new set of tyres on the other set of rims. The rear spoiler has also been re-painted to match the colour of the side-skirt and front bumper. I bought some old-fashion pin stripes and had them pasted on the car. It's not outlandish but gives the car a somewhat sleeker look. Enjoy the pictures.

Look What the Tow Truck Did....

2007-11-01T14:45:00.000+08:00

The car was parked on one side of the narrow lane in front of the workshop. This dumb-ass tow truck driver did not realised the tow was wider than the truck and went right through. The 2 cars were stuck side-by-side until we managed to use a jack to lift and pull the Swift to one side. The damage is not substantial. But, the pain and agony of seeing the damage is too much to bear. Why can't people be more careful? I would gladly move the car if they asked me. On top of that, the tow truck driver had the cheek to tell me to send it to his workshop for repair. Why should I let them desecrate the car further? It pisses me off that people think you can be suckered to do the things they want. Not me.

Project RAB Phase 2A

2007-10-27T18:56:00.000+08:00

Almost there but not completely there yet. Through many twists and turns, I have finally managed to align the intake spout to the air duct. It's not completely aligned though. What's really needed is a 120deg aluminium pipe joining the 2 silicon hoses together to achieve the required angle. For now, this is the best it can be until I can custom make the pipe. In place of the metal air collector, I've switched it with a rubber one. The removes the noise issue because the metal air collector is too big and moves around. In the process, it hits some parts of the surrounding panels and creates irritating noise. The samaller diameter of the air collector also ensures less leakage of air from the air duct. The wire mesh inside the piping is from an old MAF that was previously used on Daisy. Everything fits nicley. This is one of the most satisfying project I have done to date.

Anyway, guess who picked up on this air duct idea? Check out the new Nissan GT-R. Looks like we have things in common.

The reverse lamp covers have been tinted slightly so as to give more attention to the exhaust pipes. The chrome fuel cover has been replaced with the original so as to ensure colour consistency throughout the car.

Project RAB Phase 2

2007-10-13T15:09:00.000+08:00

I wouldn't call this the final product but it's as close as what I wanted it to look like. The pipings are made up of 2 pieces of 90deg silicon hose and joined together by an aluminium pipe. What I could not achieve was the angle of the opening to face the intake hole directly. Luckily, I kept the old funnel of an ITF foam filter. It sure came in useful in channelling air into the intake. The coolant tank has also be re-located to the front so that there is space for the pipings. I took into consideration that water ingress will be a major problem. So, the pipings are pointed downwards to allow water to drain off using sheer gravity. There is a little hole right at the bottom of the aluminium pipe. To test for water integrity, I actually filled the pipe with water to see if the water will really drain off. Eureka! The water did drain out from the hole and when I applied forced air using a blower, the rate of flow was even higher. I am not a scientist. So, don't ask me why it's like that. In fact, the stock air intake is really well designed by the Suzuki engineers. The reasonator has 3 large holes at the top to trap water and a smaller hole at the botton for drain-off. if that is not enough, the part where the air filter is slopes downwards so that any remaining water will flow down and out before it can actually enter the throttle body. So, if you count the number of fail-safe measures, there are at least 3. 300% redundancy is really a lot.

First impression of the set-up is that there is really no change to the low-end. I have purposely kept the piping length as close to original. Where noise is concerned, there is no change also. The fun is at higher revolutions. Where the stock intake will have problem sucking air, this set-up rams air into the air-box and keeps it pressurised. What you get is increased torque and better throttle response. Well, you won't need this for daily driving but my objective is obvious; B-roads drive and fast runs on the highways.

This has been a most satisfying project. If I were to do it all over again, there are a couple of things I would do:

1. Manufacture a one-piece piping using carbon fibre or aluminium.
2. Tight fit between the outlet of the air duct and opening of the intake so that there is literally no leak.
3. Black pipings instead of blue.

The best part about this whole mod is that I have kept the air intake system relatively stock. It looks neat and tidy. Maintenance is a breeze and cheap too because there is no open-pod filter, trunking, etc... to mess around with. Drive characteristics remains unchanged at leisure pace but when I need to open up the throttle, I know I have more air than needed.

Project RAB - First Glimpse

2007-10-11T23:28:00.000+08:00

The first phase of Project RAB (Ram-air bonnet) is completed. The bonnet was installed without any hitches. The internals are kind of messy right now. However, it gives me the indications of how the pipings should run. Phase 2 of the project will be to make the permanent pipings either with carbon fibre or aluminium pipes.

Ram Air Bonnet

2007-10-01T23:32:00.000+08:00

It's finally done. Hopefully, this bonnet is the one and only kind here with a NACA air duct. The logic for doing this is simple. The stock air intake is just not good enough. While it is situated at a low pressure area just behind the left headlight, the incoming air is just not charged-up enough. I wanted an air intake that serves 2 things; firstly, cool air and secondly, the air must be charged. Another thing, I wanted to retain the original air intake assembly. When I inspected it, I cannot help but notice how much thinking went into the design. Sufficed to say that, I was not going to swop it for some cone filter or ram air intake. There's still some R&D work to be done to channel all that charged air to the intake assembly. The biggest concern is water ingress. I have developed a few designs and trials should be starting soon. Stay tuned....this could be the next best thing to a supercharger.

Decal Mania

2007-10-01T23:04:00.000+08:00

What happens on a boring Sunday afternoon? I ended up pasting decals on the car. Taking the cue from the recently launched Mini Challenge, I thought checkered flags would look nice here and there. Problem was identifying the right places to put them. A safe bet would be the side skirts, I thought...and that's where most of the decals went to. Had them on for a couple of days only. Just 2 hours ago, all the decals came off....and the car is back to stock. Not surprising, right? Anyway, back to the Mini Challenge. For the first time, I actually liked the looks of the car. It looks kind of retro to me and reminds me of how Minis should look like in the first place.

Debadged Front End & Pivot Stepping Gauge

2007-09-16T17:12:00.000+08:00

Decided that the front chrome S badge needs to go since the rear one has left already. So, with plenty of patience, Ronsonol lighter fluid and my special tool, the big S came off. A fellow in the www.swiftclusg.com was selling actual carbon fibre ones for $62. That's alot to pay for a badge. So, as usual, I decided to make my own. Using the original S as a template, I cut out the shape on carbon fibre sticker sheet. Stuck it on and voila! saved myself $62. I'm attempting to 'wrap' the S with the same carbon fibre sticker and see how it goes.

Finally, after 2 or more years, the Pivot 5-in-1 stepping gauge is put to use. It was originally meant for Daisy but there was simply no space on the dashboard to put it. It would look ricey on the A pillar. So, the gauge was put into cold storage. When I wanted to sell it off on Yahoo! auctions, nobody wanted to buy it because it was so damn expensive. Price? $600. Hey, it's a Pivot Stepping Gauge, not some cheap crappy stuff. Anyway, it took 2 days for the workshop to rig it up. I am really pleased with it....especially the shift lamp. No more guessing, when that light comes on, I know exactly when to shift. It also monitors oil temp and water temp. We tried to get the boost/pressure to read vacum but it's not working well. We will sort that out later.

Debadged Rear End

2007-09-08T17:42:00.000+08:00

Here's how the rear end looks like without all the badges. I think it looks better this way. It's got a clean look. Besides, those badges are killing my drying cloths. Due to their pointed edges, the cloth gets hooked up all the time and frays. If you want to remove your badges, a word of advice: patience. Whatever method you used, take your time or else, you are sure leave scratches. I use dental floss (waxed, of course) to cut off the badge from the body. Douse it with plenty of Ronsonol lighter fluid to soften the gum. Don't worry about the lighter fluid streaming down, it won't hurt the paint job. Remove the rest of the gunk with masking tape by pressing the tape on the gunk and then slowly lifting it off. This method is guaranteed not to leave scratches. After all the gunk is off, a few layers of polish will remove the tiny bits and give you back the shine.

Check out my Pivot 5-in-1 stepping gauge. Bought this almost 2 years ago when Daisy had a supercharger onboard. Never got round to installing it mainly because it looked kinda out of place inside Daisy. Tried to sell it on Yahoo! auctions but no one could afford to buy it. It is $600. It gives RPM reading, water temp, oil temp, boost and pressure readings. It also has a built-in shift lamp. This is one cool gauge and coincidentally, matches the main instrument cluster and air-con vents.

Engine Bay Water Seal

2007-09-06T21:54:00.000+08:00

Fed-up with water all over the engine bay especially when I use a hose to wash down the car, I decided to do something about it. Thought about complicated methods of doing it but surprisingly, an idea flashed before me when I saw some discarded wipers. I pulled apart the rubber bit from the metal bits. With some double-sided tape, I attached them to the side of the engine bay and voila! no more water ingress from the side. That simple mod saves me having to wipe the engine bay dry. Coincidentally, the wipers were from an E39...

More mods to come...

2007-09-02T12:43:00.000+08:00

I've just bought over a second-hand bonnet for a CAI project. The idea is to cut a hole ideally near where the stock air box is located and channel air via a NASCAR air vent. Some pipings will be custom-made to ram air into the intake pipe of the stock air. Looking at all the available systems, I decided on customising my own CAI because I want to maintain the stock air box for 2 reasons; firstly, the stock air box is nicely constructed. It would be a waste to take it out and besides, it's got good shielding from the heat. Secondly, it will be not be noisy; taking into consideration that the stock air box comes with a reasonator. Stay tuned for the results.

The other mods in the pipeline is the modification of the Wilwood brakes used previously on Daisy. New hangers will be made and enlarged front rotors will be used; probably 286 mm. This would be a nice mod and make stopping that much better.

Minor Makeovers to the Swift

2007-09-02T12:40:00.000+08:00

Added side mouldings today. At first glance, it did not looked good. As always, will let it stay on the car for a while before I decide what to do next.

Welcome to the Family

2007-09-02T12:38:00.001+08:00

This posting is a carry-over from my other blog on Daisy.

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting little Swifty. Yup, took the leap and got myself a Suzuki Swift Sport just about a week ago. Wasted no time getting her up and ready for some fast runs on the B-roads. Here's the list of upgrades to date:

1. Cusco Front Strut bar
2. Cusco Rear Strut bar
3. Cusco Front Anti-roll bar
4. Cusco Rear Anti-roll bar
5. Cusco 4-point brace
6. Tanabe Sustec GF Coilovers
7. SPK Steel Braided Teflon Brake lines
8. Hurricane Steel-mesh air filter
9. Suzuki Sports Sports Clutch pedal
10. SSW 17" rims with 215-45 tyres all round

Okay, so what took me almost 3 to 5 years to do on Daisy took me only 1 week on Swifty and at a fraction of the cost. So the drive is not as fantastic as Daisy but for the price, let me say that Swifty ain't no pushover. She is swift and sure-footed with all that enhancements. I've been holding back on the throttle just so that I do the break-in nicely. For now, enjoy the pics.

New Mods to the Swift Sport

2007-09-02T12:20:00.000+08:00

I must admit that the mods I am laying on the little car is more than expected. While the initial intent was to keep it as stock as possible, I cannot resist putting more oomph into the car because it is really capable of doing more in the engineering department. However, I am keeping all mods as legal as possible. So, nothing will be done to the extractors and the exhaust will remain stock. To improve the air flow, a Sunline Racing mid-pipe was installed. The diameter is slightly larger compared to stock and the chrome steel pipe really looks good (especially after a good rub with autosol). Surprisingly, the improvement is quite significant. The pull is so much stronger and the car feels like it's lungs have expanded considerably.

To give some glam to the rear-end, I ditched the stock exhaust pipe tips and welded 2 really big tips! They fill the holes on the rear diffuser nicely and gives the car a nice sporty rear end.

Internally, I've added a Suzuki Sports foot rest and racing clutch pedal. The sports pedal is really nice and makes the clutch biting point much lower. It feels softer to press also and that helps in a traffic jam.