The Five Year Plan

Plans.

Yes, people have plans.

Everybody does.

Truth is, it's only money.

Thus, this is my plan for STELLAR.

First, it will be the floor board. I probably will need 2 to 2.5 grand for this.

Then, the wheels. Budget, 1.5 grand.

Then, I want to rebuild the current bodykit, with sheet metal instead. This one probably will cost about the same as the floor board.

Then, the exhaust. I will need to find an RC40 unit. Single box.

Then, the engine. I want to have a hill climb profile. Three quarter race cam or something. This probably will need 10 grand.

Then, lowering him. As in, very low. A-la Coyote the McCormick car. But no going under a trailer anytime, if at all. This will need some body cutting for both front and rear arch, and structural welding for the rear arch.

Phewww.. I guess that is all for a 5 year span. Yep. It is a long process. But priorities are already set.

Or I just do the floor board only. Maybe next year. Or just a simple reshell.

Single Box Now

After cringing too much everytime metal meets tarmac, I finally decided to dismount the center exhaust box.

In the end, I swapped the backbox too.

And STELLAR has a different sound now.

And true to words by others, single box are still loud.

But I kinda like the sound. Only thing is, I have to start STELLAR outside the house. I think it might vibrate the walls and the sliding door if I did it in the porch.

I Feel An On-Ramp

Finally I found some time to repair the exhaust bracket.

I sent it at the Everco muffler shop opposite the Wangsa Melawati masjid.

When I saw that the shop also have oil recycling tanks, I asked him to do the oil change as well.

What's frightening though, it is done on a ramp, and I have to drive it up there myself. I am so afraid of STELLAR falling down sideways in between the ramps. Driving down is another nerve wracking episode.

Ouch!

The Shrill

Lately there's this shrill sound coming out from the engine bay area.

It is pretty much audible all the time. I think it corresponds to the wheel or something, coz it only sounds when the car is moving.

And then, the exhaust is hitting the rear skirting. Visual check reveals a broken rear bracket.

The car is near it's next service too. About time huh!?

Boy Versus Mini

STELLAR's exhaust is knocking against the bodykit again!

It has a continuous rattling sound that will last the whole duration of the engine run.

Sooner or later, I will have to attend to it anyway.

So today, two other major things happen.

Muzaffar needs a pro-tem babysitter. Consensus (mine) decides that my parents will be it. I hope they can stand the supposedly weeklong accompaniment. And I hope we can stand the thoughts of missing him. I already misses his bite, and I was actually hoping that the shoulder bite scars would not heal, to remind me of his antics.

And, I got a new company as well. I added another hobby to my stable already. I bought a Tamiya Mini Cooper Monte-Carlo. It is an almost-exact replica of the Timo Makinen-Paul Easter rally-winning 60s Mini. I wished I had bought the blue one instead, but this one will do, until I have enough dough to buy the alternate body.

Back home, I was having fun already, albeit limited. But I did too much wheelspins already, even within the confined space.

Nyum2! Sooner or later, the house will not be big enough for the two of us (read: me and my Mini Mini).

Now, what to call my latest Mini huh? I have to find a name for him as well.


PS: Wonder what will be Muzaffar's reaction when he sees an actually moving-by-itself toy?


The new hobby of mine!