Barely a couple of weeks into ownership of the Cefiroluls, and tumultuous expenditure pattern is starting to take shape, with nary an end in sight - Engine conversions, new wheels, winter tyres, suspension components. All items that I haven't spent the money I don't have on o_o.
What I have spent money on however is fuel, and lots of it. Well, actually, not too much of it, but I am a label whore, as well as other more common classification of whores, and insist on solely using Shell V-Power. Even at £1.30 a liter. For comparisons sake, a tank of Shell V-Power costs around £70, in Saudi Arabia I was filling the combined fuel tanks of another Nissan Inline-6 Powered vehicle, for £8. For twice the volume of fuel. Granted though, that Nissan in question (the venerable Y61 Patrol) consumed that doubled volume of petrol in about the same distance. It is also blessed with the aerodynamic qualities of a goat. In saying that though, considering the Cefiroluls is a moderately massed car, with an archaic Single Camshaft inline-6 engine, it didn't fare too badly considering my occasionally lead foot, running about 550km for the 52.40l of petrol added, equating to around 27.37MPG.
On picking myself up from the Shell Forecourt floor after filling the fuel tank up with £73.76, and attempting (and subsequently failing miserably) to get a discount by doing a little dance, making a little love, I then thought it would be wise to try out and document a few fuel saving techniques. So I took a poop. Lighter weight and all.
Ok, not really, but I did check and inflate the tyres up to 30psi, and so it goes. Yes, I'm going so far as documenting fuel costs. And I have all but 1 receipts kept as well. No, you wouldn't be saying anything new in telling me I have far too much time on my hands. And yes, it's very annoying for me to answer my own questions. And no, I don't have anymore. And.
^_^
Fast forward through a busy few days of nothing and I arrive to, yesterday I think. I noticed the front driver's side tyre looked slightly flat, though a quick check by a local garage revealed the tyre to still be at 30psi. Interestingly though, the valve was leaking slightly, as demonstrated by the frothing of the soapy liquid. Mmm, hot, frothy valves. *Ahem*. I'll need to keep an eye on that. Whilst having the wheel off, I thought it was opportune to check the wheel offsets too so as to know what to shop for once some amount of money should unwittingly fall into my lap (people with said surplus of money can contact me via email for my laps' address). Ah. 15x7 ET11 for the front. Not a particularly common offset (says me with the ET7 on the Cynos ^_^). And the rear one - 15x7.5 ET5. Ah. Stance explained, kkthx.
One factor became immediately apparent as well whilst the car was lifted to remove the wheels. Firstly, there is no wheel travel (No Shart -_-). At all. As well as the fact that the chassis isn't stiff. At all. As well. Infact, the door couldn't be opened with the car slightly jacked up. This is something I had noticed as well going over those infernal speed bump island POS's, with only one side of the car - lots of creaking. That will need to be rectified somehow. For no tangible reason other than, its something I've noted, and I'm bored, and want to pretend I know what I'm doing by creating a solution for a problem I made up. Score.
This exorbitant conflagration of spiralling costs and labour were yet to cede. I returned home, deflated, a shell of the boy I used to be, for I was to attack the most arduous task as of yet in my 6 years of automotive ownership. Remove some of the window deflector clips.
Well it was cold! And they're small and sharp and could hurt me :(
Anyway, 5 seconds worth of unscrewing the chrome window trims allowed me to remove several of the deflector clips, however a couple on each front door remain, as I believe they may be held in by the window seal and are far too energy intensive to be a concern for now. Onto the boot leak. By far the most concerning issue about the Cefiroluls, apart from its awesome stance (teehee), was the fact that the Boot Mat was essentially a big sheet of blue cheese. It was mouldy. COMPLETELY. And it perfumed the car with a pungent overtone of Gorgonzola. The source of which was clearly evident on opening the bootlid one morning dewy morning, to find a little mischievous puddle of fungus party on the right hand side corner by the wheel well. So, as feeling and groping the bootlid opening revealed no concise culprit, I clambered in and closed the bootlid. O.M.G. You could fit several of me in here! Note to people who owe me money. You can fit in my boot. Err. So, yeah. You may find yourselves in a dark boot on a mouldy mat for some minutes of discomfort. Let that image haunt you!
Before this I made a semi-startling discovery - wondering how a person locked in the boot should escape should the unlikely scenario arise, I noticed a little lever by the boot lock mechanism; I pulled it up, closed the boot. Then I tried to unlock it with the key. Uh, TF? Boot Release in the cabin. Nada. Errr. Halp. Fortunately I managed to unlock it again by using a 2m long curtain rail through the drop down hatch behind the arm-rest to release the little lever. A mildly annoying discovery. How dare it.
Anyway, whilst pretending to be bound and gagged and perspiring from the excitement, I noticed a little weeping from the boot lid seal directly above the location of the puddle. It would seem that the seal is letting in some water, though its peculiar as that was the first location I checked, and did not manage to determine anything conclusive on first inspection of the seal. No matter, I'll replace it, see if it fixes anything. Though I have noticed the boot lid is slightly raised when closed at the hinge on that side. Hmm.
Onto the second torturous straining of my fibre. In my quest to impress my mates with teh induction sounds bruv!, I sought to find an Airflow Meter Adaptor and matching conical air filter to replace the Air-box assembly. I was bored, and I had the aforementioned over-stocking of no money to waste. That and my primary reason (no, srsly!) was to hopefully improve economy filter. Anyway, after measuring the AFM PCD, I sought to find the required adaptor and filter. Found, though there was a kit on eGay for £58 delivered. Meh, worth a drive to Halfords and see if they can help (Lul). They couldn't. And leaving the car park I was forced to lower my window to an admirer who questioned why I didn't "drift the car bruv". Well. You took 5 hours to decide which windshield wipers to buy, and drive a Honda Civic. And I. Don't want to waste money and petrol and such futile activities. And yes, my slippers and pipe don me well.
Onto the final, quasi-stroke causing ardour of this episode. Writing this blog entry. That is all.
So much effort.
Also, here's the writer of the blog:
Regards,
Dead Bug(^_^)
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