Well I just had to look and see if the car leaked so with extreme difficulty dragged myself out there to be rewarded with peace of mind...no leaks...that flimsy little top surprises me as I felt it would be no match for the rain last night..70 mm...
So very happy.
Hopefully we get the little rag car port up tomorrow and fit some brackets on the track and posts of the roll off to make things more secure.
Well I just had to look and see if the car leaked so with extreme difficulty dragged myself out there to be rewarded with peace of mind...no leaks...that flimsy little top surprises me as I felt it would be no match for the rain last night..70 mm...
So very happy.
Hopefully we get the little rag car port up tomorrow and fit some brackets on the track and posts of the roll off to make things more secure.
Alex
Convertibles are wonderful, but with rag top versions keep the top clean and avoid dirt / moss / lichen buildup issues. Oh and there's the other thing, that once happened to one of mine .... Watch where you park them: they're apparently very easy to open with a knife.
I kept my little Hyundai because the mx5 is just so impractical...I just now drove into Tabulam and talked my daughter into helping me out given I cant walk. I can find spots on my feet to use the pedals thankfully...but as I was getting out noticed a button " sport" so later I am going to press that button and see what that is about.
Happily my filter draws were at the post office..the ones I got from my favourite astronomy shop..Bintel.. these are the last things but assembly may not happen until my feet and hands become operative. With the weather who cares...
Alex
...but as I was getting out noticed a button " sport" so later I am going to press that button and see what that is about.
Hi Alex,
I'm sure it's like many autos that have such a button: the transmission will hold the gear to a higher engine speed (RPM) than usual, giving you that little bit of extra acceleration in the lower gear. It may not be a specific hard limit as what is usual can change with adaptive/fuzzy logic control of the transmission as it learns the driver's driving style.
So the car sat out in the rain all night so I dont know what to expect but my feet are so crook I cant get out to look..I am going to stop my meds for some relief as the pain is a little too much.
Alex
It is a Japanese ragtop not an old British one, it will be fine. We had an MG Midget at one point and the roof (Which was new when we put it on the road) more sort of divided the water between inside and outside the car rather than keeping it out. It leaked both ways, water in and oil out.
Thanks JA...Is that all? You can do that with the stick.
I was hoping for a different chip output sortta thing..telling the injectors ( it does have injectors I guess) to give it more fuel...
Anyways my feet are so bad I dont think I should drive the good spots on my feet earlier dont seem too good anymore. But I would like to go down to the river as I bet the bridge will be under...just to see if I called it.
So I will have to sit and take it easy..I am just so lucky I can see the mountains today..life is just so unbelievably fantastic.
Now the chooks have gathered at my window to keep me company..how good is that.
Alex
Thanks JA...Is that all? You can do that with the stick.
You can certainly do that "with the stick" if it's a manual, but your's is an auto yes? Although it does depend on how yours implements the driver initiated gear selection and how long it holds it in gear. usually the "sport" button on an auto simply raises the upshift point maybe in concert with the fuzzy/adaptive logic in the transmission control.
Best is to try it and see if the shift point changes with the car in AUTO & Drive with the SPORT mode OFF and then ON.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave
I was hoping for a different chip output sortta thing..telling the injectors ( it does have injectors I guess) to give it more fuel...
That would be great but would require 2 concurrent/ selectable ECU maps/programs. Possible yes, but I doubt it.
Best
JA
PS: Come to think of it and in trying to give the fullest possible answer, one can cheat the ECU (not a good idea unless you understand every possibility) by telling it has a different intake air temperature than what it really has. This trick could be done with an appropriately placed resistor switched in and out of circuit. I doubt a car company would ever consider such a modification, but I'm sure some enthusiasts might try. It's not really recommended unless you know the cars fuel/air, power and thermal limits and can measure them to understand the changes. I wouldn't do it, but if I had a car I liked I might consider having the ECU remapped (chipped), but who knows: your insurance may vary. Undertake such at own risk
It is auto and you move the stick to the left to control gear change from what I can tell.
Thank you very much for explaining things.
Maybe I should get a turbo and a nitrous kit
Alex
I would not ever bother with the old "Fool it with resistors" stuff. That really only had a place a couple of decades ago when aftermarket ECU's were rare and prohibitively expensive and factory ones were mysterious black boxes. A semi factory hotted up model (The Australian built Nissan Skyline GTS2) had an "interceptor" add on module to modify inputs and/or outputs to make it run properly with the far wilder camshaft they fitted to that car than the factory one as even for SVD, modifying the factory ECU was a no-no in 1989. Now with an half reasonable aftermarket ECU they would make more power, produce lower emissions and be nicer to drive!
Modern cars don't leave a whole lot on the plate as far as easy gains for a retune to be worthwhile, not run of the mill petrol models anyway.
Alex, if it is anything like MX5's of old, the top half of the rev range is where it will sing! A friend had a nice NB at once point and reckoned for an enthusiastic drive on a twisty road it really wanted to be between 4 and 6 thousand RPM to keep it awake.
Last edited by The_bluester; 11-11-2021 at 09:47 PM.
I dont think my car is in the mood of earlier models...but thats ok once I get used to it I am sure it will have more power than I need or can manage.
Heck my little Hyundai is a handfull ...cause I am old ..I dont feel it etc but it would be reasonable to conclude I wont have the reaction times that I would say when racing bikes...
But a high reving unit is my idea of a sports car...but this new car is suitable for my age I feel.
Alex
Alex,
I drove an Auto when they were first released and seem to recall that there were 'Paddle Shifts' on the steering wheel which provided a lot more flexibility.
If you are not sure image the steering wheel and someone will lead you through it and if you are looking for a little more 'push in the back' and a sporty sound a good start would be a quality sports muffler.
Greg.
P.S. When I purchased my first MX-5 an older (than I) gentleman told me 'To get used to smiling more often and be prepared to spend more on Sunscreen'. Enjoy.
Last edited by taminga16; 11-11-2021 at 06:23 PM.
Reason: Addition. Post Script.
^As soon as you drop the top you'll gain 20km/h+ as well as all the engine and exhaust note. It's the vibe of the thing Alex
Best
JA
I was going to try it after lunch but the Sun is fast disappearing.
Alex
Quote:
Originally Posted by taminga16
Alex,
I drove an Auto when they were first released and seem to recall that there were 'Paddle Shifts' on the steering wheel which provided a lot more flexibility.
If you are not sure image the steering wheel and someone will lead you through it and if you are looking for a little more 'push in the back' and a sporty sound a good start would be a quality sports muffler.
Greg.
P.S. When I purchased my first MX-5 an older (than I) gentleman told me 'To get used to smiling more often and be prepared to spend more on Sunscreen'. Enjoy.
I have it all worked out..they put something in the manual..so helpful.
Alex
I looked closely at the colour it is metalic after all...
So drove into Tabulam and back with the top down..I dont know why its a big deal it felt no different and you really could not see unless you really looked around.
But very easy to put up and down ... All good.
Alex
I went to Tabby for a great lunch at the cafe and on the way back decided to switch the "sport" switch... Well worth the money as it seemed to take on a whole new personality... It was noticable well before the gear change so I cant see that is just holding the gear change longer...to me it felt like the diff ratio was moved way down ..I doubt that but only because I dont know how they could achieve that effect... but it was like changing sprokets on my race bikes as I remember things...when you put on the smallest sprocket at the front it became a wheel standing monster.
Had the top down and was able to wear my Panama hat as it is rather protected with the top down...thank goodness my feet are even a little more better today as I was able to do some tidy up around the observatory...we just cut the annex off and there is stuff..good stuff..laying under it...but still so much to do as the tractor left huge ruts in the ground that need filling...half a bucket at a time is all I can manage but in time it will get done.
So all on balance is good...except for those dumb kids of mine who profess open minds but will not look at the science or other side of their position.
Open mind does not mean to believe anything I thought but to weigh all arguments...seems not..
Anyways stuff them its not as if one cant find the truth if you look for it...
The trick with modern cars and electronic throttles is that they can fiddle with the throttle response to suit different driving "Modes" Even my deisel work car does it, put it in the most sporting mode (In an oiler AWD wagon!) and it holds gears longer, kicks down more enthusiastically but also shows significantly sharper throttle response.
I have fitted an electronic throttle setup in my race car and have plans for multiple selectable throttle maps. Being a turbo car with power delivery best described as "Sudden" it will be handy if it rains to be able to switch to a throttle mapping that significantly softens the power delivery. Nowadays they don't so much map throttle opening as map torque delivery, you can have the pedal held in one position and have the actual throttle plate more or less dancing the samba though the rev range to deliver what you are asking for.
Thanks for taking your time to explain all that ...I feel better for knowing all that as it really seemed that what I was experiencing was certainly more than "holding" the gears...As I said I should read the manual..it is unforgivable that I have not even now but what happens is I forget to bring it with me into the house and getting there and back is such a pain and so I get inside and say ...damn it I forgot the manual well next time
Anyways much happier knowing the "sport" switch is there as in normal mode it felt like my little Hyundai would clean it up.
And very happy with the top...it is so easy you dont have to grit your teeth to put it up or down...just like opening or closing a door....And I can not believe how easy I find it getting in or out..I sit straight down or stand straight up no problem with my walking stick and just lift my legs ( with my hands) in or out.
At first I was not really liking its look as to me it seemed more sedan like than sports car but now I actually like its appearance..even the metal flake paint looks nice.
I am debating if I should go to Bunnings tomorrow and which car to take..I only noticed the tyres on the Hyundai are at the wear limit so probably best not to drive it but I have this fear of placing a decent car in any public parking lot cause there is a big risk of all sorts of damage particularly with folk dragging stuff around on those trolleys...I could leave it until Tuesday but then I will have more places to go than I will be able to cope with endurance wise...plus its blood tests and cancer dictors.. But I need another tarp and forty meters of 15 amp extension lead and maybe an additional roof for the car port which I forgot first time around.
Hang it I will take the Hyundai...even down to the wear marker there is a surprising amount of tread...I will look again as my earlier inspection was very casual.
Alex
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_bluester
I have fitted an electronic throttle setup in my race car and have plans for multiple selectable throttle maps. .
Unfortunately it is in the middle of what turned out to be a major redevelopment so I have not driven it in 6 years, 2022 will be the one! The last two years I have started the final push to put it back on the track (I normally do club level sprints and hillclimb) but when COVID lockdowns hit I sat on it over the last two years. I was just replacing an electronic dash that turned out to be a dud, but then it snowballed into a full electronic refresh including the entire wiring loom, dash, ECU, power control module, new fuel system (The only remaining bit from before is the fuel tank) new turbo, pedal box to delete the brake booster and facilitate the drive by wire etc..
Wow. Looks great. Thanks for putting up the photo.
And I wish you all the best getting back on the track..there really isnt anything to compare to racing.
Alex
Yeah. I seem to be the odd one out in a lot of ways in that I don't think a car needs a bazillion HP and tyres the size of median strips to be a sports car. One of the best I could think of was the now well aged S15 200SX/Silvia. Around 1200kg, about 200HP, not very big tyres so you you really want to go and have some fun you don't have to go at a stupid pace to enjoy the car.
If there was not an edict from my wife that four seats are required I reckon an MX5 would be nice. Or if I really felt like brewing my own, a GT-Z, which is a mid engined ICV (Basically a kit car) based off the mechanicals of a 1.5L Hyundai Getz! When the car is comfortably under 1000KG, 1.5L will provide plenty of fun.
