Brief update and stuff

The Calibra Turbo page has been updated with 2 pics of my new Accralite pistons that arrived today. Almost too pretty too hide in an engine if you ask me but there you go! At least with parts arriving the build appears to be moving on...

Also.. why can't I sneeze at home? Why does it have to be while navigating a roundabout? Weird.

Nude roller coaster action! (well, no "action" as such)

A whole bunch of students rode the "Nemesis Inferno" ride at Thorpe Park on May 21st.
Something to do with a world record for most naked people riding such a thing (why is there a record in the first place?)
See some pics HERE - if you like that sort of thing.

Italy has the right idea!

Check it out!

.site updates!

Okay I've updated the Calibra (turbo) and 911 pages today. Nothing huge but there are updates none the less.. enjoy!

Real or not?

You decide

Case modding too far?

Here is a good case of too much time and not enough to do... hehe. It's very good but a little much for me - and I'm not entirely sure it's all that "healthy" either.

"Interesting" C5 'Vette

Here is an interesting VWVortex link. It's a late model C5 Corvette with a '53 "body kit". An odd hybrid if you will. Not my cuppa but certainly well done and almost looks like it is meant to be that way. Cool eh?

Rebel cars...

As in Star Wars rebel cars... people messing up normal cars to make them look like THIS. It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.

Comedy car products...

... courtesy of Kaleco Auto.

Run for your lives!

[shudder]

THIS is a knife...

Customs found it... beyond explantion really!

Long, but funny, acronyms

AUDI:
Always Unsafe Designs Implemented
Accelerates Under Demonic Influence
Automobile Under Demonic Influence
Another Ugly Deutsche Invention
Always Undermining Deutsche Intelligence
Automobile Unsafe Designs, Inc.
All Unnecessary Devices Installed


BMW:
Big Money Works
Bought My Wife
Brutal Money Waster
Break My Window
Break My Windshield
Babbling Mechanical Wench
Beastly Monstrous Wonder
Beautiful Masterpieces on Wheels
Beautiful Mechanical Wonder
Barely Moving Wreck
Big Money Waste
Big Money. Why?
Big Money Works
Born Moderately Wealthy
Breaks Most Wrenches
Bring Many Wrenches
Brings Me Women
Brings More Women
Broken Money Waster
Broke My Wallet
Broken Monstrous Wonder
Bumbling Mechanical Wretch
Blasphemous Motorized Wreck
Bavarian Manure Wagon


BUICK:
Big Ugly Indestructible Car Killer
Big Ugly Imitation Chrome King


Camaro:
Can A Mechanic Actually Repair One??
Can't America Make A Real One?
Chevrolet Assembled Mustang And Repaired Often
Could Always Manufacture And Recall Often


CHEVROLET:
Can Hear Every Valve Rap On Long Extended Trips
Cheap, Hardly Efficient, Virtually Runs On Luck Every Time
Cracked Heads, Every Valve Rattles, Oil Leaks Every Time
Constantly Having Every Vehicle Recalled Over Lousy Engineering Techniques
Condition Hopeless, Entire Vehicle Relies On Leftover Engine Technology


DODGE:
Drips Oil, Drops Grease Everywhere
Damn Old Dirty Gas Eater
Dead Old Dog Going East
Dead On Day Guarantee Expires
Dead On Delivery, Go Easy
Dead On Delivery, Guarantee Expired
Dead Or Dying Garbage Emitter
Dear Old Dads Garage Experiment
Daily Overhauls Do Get Expensive


FIAT:
Failure in Italian Automotive Technology
Fix It Again, Tony
Fix It All the Time
Found In A Toilet
Feeble Italian Attempt at Transportation

FORD:
Frigin' Old Rebuilt Dodge
Fix Or Repair Daily
Found On Road Dead
Fast Only Rolling Downhill
First On Race Day
First On Recall Day
Fabricated Of Refried Dung
Fails On Rainy Days
Fantastically Orgasmic Realistic Dream
Fatally Obese Redneck Driver
Fault Of R&D
Finally Obsolete Racing Device
Fireball On Rear Denting
First On Road to Dump
First On Rust and Deterioration
Fix Or Recycle Dilemma
Flipping Over Results in Death
Flipped Over Roadside Disaster
Follow Our Rusty Dogsled
Foot On Road Decelerates
Forced On Reluctant Drivers
Formed Of Rejected DNA
Forwarded Once; Return Denied
Forward Only; Reverse Defective
Forlorn, Old, Ratridden Dustbin
Fork Over Repair Dough
Fouled Out Re-done Dodge
Frequent Overhaul, Rapid Deterioration
Free Or Reduced Drastically
Frequent Opinion: Really Disappointed
Fumes and Odors Readily Detectable
Funny Old Rattling Dump
Forget Out Running Dale (Earnhardt or Jarrett)
Features O.J. and Ron`s DNA
Found Out-Right Dangerous
Future Of Racings Delight
(backwards) Driver Returns On Foot
(backwards) Dumb Rednecks Own Fords
LTD:
Lacks Total Dependability
Lots To Do
Looses Transmissions Daily


GM:
General Maintenance
Great Mistake
Garbage Motors
Generally Miserable
Grossly Misconceived
Gluteus Maximus
Good Money
Goofy's Manufacturing
Gone Mental


GMC:
Grief & Misery Combined
Garage Man's Companion
Gotta Mechanic Coming?
Generally Mediocre Cars
Get More Chicks
Gets Mechanics Crazy
Gods Mechanical Curse
Got More Crap
Great Mountain Climber
Great Motor Car
God Made Chevy
Good Moron Car
Got Mine Cheap
Get My Checkbook
Gone Mad Corp.


GTO:
Gas, Tires, Oil
Get Tools Out
Get To Onramp
Good To Own
Get The Others
Generally Trashed Out
Good Time Out
Gone To Overdrive


HONDA:
Honest Officer, Nobody Drank Anything
Had One Never Did Again
Hang On, Not Done Accelerating
Hallmark Of Non-Descript Automobiles
Hallmark Of Non-Destructable Automobiles
History Of No Dramatic Acceleration
How Odd, No Darn Acceleration?
PRELUDE: Pistons Rattle, Engine Locks Up, Differential Explodes


HYUNDAI: Hope You Understand Nothing's Driveable And Inexpensive...

JEEP:
Just Eats Every Part
Just Empty Every Pocket
Junk Engineering Executed Poorly
Jumps Extremely Excitedly over Potholes
Jinxed Engine has Extra Parts


KIA:
Kick It Around
Kick It Again
Killed In Action


LOTUS: Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious

MAZDA: Most Always Zipping Dangerously Along

MG:
Money Guzzler
Mostly Garaged
Major Goof
MGB: Might Go Backwards
MGB: Might Go, But . . .
MGB: Motor Going Bad
MGF: Might Go Forward


MUSTANG:
Motor Under Strain, Transmission Almost No Good
Massivly Under Sized Tires And No Go
Maybe Under Serious Thought Another No Go
Maybe Under Serious Thought Another Nice GTO


OLDSMOBILE:
Old Ladies Driving Slowly, Making Others Behind Infuriatingly Late Everyday
Overpriced, Leisurely Driven Sedan Made Of Buick's Irregular Leftover Equipment


PONTIAC:
Plan On Numerous Trips In Another Car
Poor Old Numbskull Thinks Its A Cadillac


PORSCHE:
Proof Of Rich Spoiled Children Having Everything
Pulled Over Regularly So Cops Have Enough


SAAB:
Send Another Automobile Back
Swedish Automobiles Always Breakdown
Sad Attempt At Beauty
Sorry Auto, Always Broken
Shape Appears ***-Backwards


SUBARU: Screwed Up Beyond All Repair Usually

TOYOTA:
Too Often Yankees Overprice This Auto
Torturous On Your Old Tired ***
The One You Ought To Avoid


TRIUMPH:
This Really Is Unreliable Man, Please Help!
Tried Repairing It Until My Parts Hurt!


VOLVO: Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object

VW:
Vintage Wreck
Virtually Worthless

The Rasterbator

No it's not rude but it IS clever.
Basically it'll take any image and rasterise it. Make it black and white and like those old comics done with dots... you know the ones (BANG!).

Have a go HERE. Printing them off might be hard but... worth it!

Viridian Room 2

The first room wasn't all that hard to escape from. Random clicking eventually saw me out of there.. the sequel isn't as easy; but it's no less enjoyable! Have a go... oh, some parts are random!

I Luuuurve this!

Geek OUT and buy this. Love it!

Fly-by!

This made me laugh... seen it before but not on the web. Excelllent... :o)

Top Gear/5th Gear episodes

Are for download right about... HERE!

This is a great site (bittorrent only) and I used to use it before it died last year.. now it's back and rather lovely. :D

A naughty bunny

Speaks for itself

Lotus Carlton content!

Here is an estate with a difference... (registration required)

Remember the Honda ad?

Well here is a really old video that is the same.. only not. If you see what I mean.

One day...

... I shall have a garage like THIS.

One day!

Speccy games in Java

Here is a great site with some clever Java-emulated games. I just had a quick go of Driller - one of my favourite "3D" games at the time... ah the memories!

It surely beats having to have a bleeding edge PC just to get a game to boot... but of course, it's not SWG either! Enjoy!

Hey hey 16k!

A love of all things retro and 16k? Well I am!

Have a look at this for a flashback!

Hmmm want pie...

Don't you want pie?

Do you hear something?

No?

Must just be me then

Scammers scammed!

Quite a scary thought at what lengths people will go to but here is another great VWVortex link!

Europe publisher of Neocron: DoY announced!

This thread on the Neo forums announces it as Big Ben.

Good news! This means the game might finally get acceptance.... I'm firmly in to SWG now but I'm keeping my account on Neo alive for now ;)

Weather!

I thought I'd check out the weather forecast for the next week or so - especially with my trip to Exter this weekend. And low and behold I get this response. Marvellous.

ONLY in the UK.. honestly.

Another day another update!

Last update for a while on the Calibra.. three days is enough for now!

Check it out HERE

Now I'm ready for bed! LOL

.calibra updated!

Again! Right HERE

Another days work... one to go :D

.calibra updated!

Spent a good few hours with the Turbo today. And the pics are HERE.

Tommorow there should be more and by Monday I hope to have MOST of the engine here at home. We'll see if it works out that way or not!

Starting grid

It's Friday and tomorrow (throughout the weekend) I'm back on the car... assuming the weather lets me of course! Doesn't look good at the moment I must admit... :(

Either way I need to do something. I'm picking up an engine crane this afternoon with the hope that I can get the engine out of the Calibra this weekend. I've yet to get anywhere constructive but time will tell.... Should be "fun".

Japanese "modding" and Japanese "modding"

This VWVortex link is beyond explanation.

Weird doesn't even begin to cover it.

Two VERY strange auctions!

First is the Size 12 wedding dress currently bidding at around $13million. Hmm. But that's Ebay for you!

The second is a Boeing 727 converted in to a home. Or to be more presise - a company that will sell you one and put it anywhere. It's real too - though a bit crazy! Still, I guess if we were all the same life would be a little dull eh!

If only it were true...

SP1 for Star Trek? Ah I could just see it happening! Continuity? No problem.. we'll just correct it later! LOL!

Anyway - the "article" is right HERE

XBox NEXT/2 spec

Right HERE

Make your own mind up!

The '05 Boxster Coupe

It's certainly interesting and does indeed distance the marque more from the 911 (which can only be a good thing).
However it does look a little odd... but I guess these pics aren't actual offical shots!
Bring back my aircooled!

Surely no one likes the Supra...

THIS much?

I mean. You can modify - but there is a point where it becomes silly. But then what do I know? The modifications to my Calibra already way outcost the actual value of the car!

Do you have a K&N on your car?

Then have a look HERE

Interesting, no?

Engine rebuild... progress

Yes believe it or not there is progress!

Today myself and my good friend Si (1 or 2) spent time stripping the engine bay of electrics, fluids and such before the engine comes out. I was quite surprised how many cables, hoses and clips that had to be removed so the engine can come out cleanly! And I'm not done. We've done the bulk of the work (including clutch-cable-son-of-a-bitch) but the driveshafts need to be popped as does the txb.... that happens next weekend (hopefully with the engine following!).

No pics from today.. but there will be next week ;)

Planet Half Life director leaves...

The article is here. It's an interesting read. Especially when it comes to what the media tells us and what may or may not be true.

I still await Half Life 2 with high hopes - but I'm becoming cynical in my old age and expect to be disappointed. Only time will tell... is HL2 another Duke Nukem Forever?

Hand art

Just what it says on the tin

Right here

A lot like the painting done to naked women's torsos... except not. :)

.site update

I've updated the Calibra Turbo page with some new pics and info on my engine work (ie.. none so far!)

Soon I'll be starting the work but I'm hitting small annoying walls. Oh well.

Fancy a BTTF DeLorean?

Well HERE is your chance!

Engine rebuild...

... so far I haven't even begun yet I'm facing an interesting challenge.

I have the following basic parts:

1. New Sachs Sports Clutch (£130)
2. Lightweight flywheel (£50)
3. KKK26 Race Turbo (bare) (£135)

I'm now looking at:

1. Custom US spec Eclipse tubular manifold ($500)
2. Forged pistons (£?)
3. ARP bolts (£65)

Just for starters!

I have a lot of work to do and also a lot of thinking. I know how things are going to start - with a plastic greenhouse (£30) and some cheap/free crane rental but after that it's down to the (basic) Haynes and some digital pictures. Good eh?

I should think it'll all be good fun and I start properly on Friday with some ancillary removal (hahahaha). Pictures and progress to follow!

Got a Calibra SE?

Then visit THIS page.

Useful eh? I'll add it to the Calibra pages soon.

Friday Ranting

Two things irritated me this morning.

One was the Police camera van sat on a blind corner on the way in to work. I was always sure that speed cameras were used to prevent accidents - not for revenue. Of course I'm not naive enough to believe it but to see the van sat there just proves the point. I do not speed on that road (not many people do) and it's the main route in and out of an industrial site so it's hardly going to have small children en route to school either. Pathetic.

The second was Mrs. "I'm going to get a cigarette out". What exactly makes this safer than using a mobile phone? I mean, you cannot hold a phone (usually about the size of a packet of cigarettes) or type a number in without it attached to the car. So why can you get a packet out, open it, pull out a cigarette and then proceed to light and smoke it? It takes BOTH hands to do part of that! Effing marvellous.... because ciggies bring the government money I guess that's alright.
I hope her, and everyone else that does it, crashes (without harm). That'll not teach them a thing mind you.

Personally (due to my anal attitude to things) I won't drink, eat or generally do anything other than drive my car while it's moving (hell I won't even do it when stationary). It's a car after all.

Rant over. Enjoy your day ;)

3D desktops?

Check out Sphere for WinXP.

Interesting concept - I wonder how it works? I guess if it could be used in the same way any FPS does then it'd make for an interesting environment to work within - assuming you couldn't "virtually" put Outlook 20 miles away....

An FPS weighing in at under 100k?

Indeed it is true... you can see the pics and download the beta demo here

Marvellous.

Apologies....

.. for being so quiet recently but I've had a lot on. But soon that will change and I'll be back to irritating the masses with my usual garble.

But for those still here I give you THIS - it should either make you smile or become quiet ill.

Enjoy ;)