Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
First Car - Update...
After that long-ish post, I was struck with nostalgia...
All that time spent with Shadowfax (SFX):
1) The mechanical fuel pump that would dry out in exactly 3 days (same time as a long weekend to go home in), making me crank the engine for 5 - 10 minutes just to get her started on Monday mornings. Exactly 3 attempts.
2) That brake cylinder in the left front wheel that was always leaking - with that characteristic pull to the left when I stomp on the brakes (probably all the time). Those wise in the ways of SFX know how to pull to the right while using the brakes. Lack of such knowledge would lead to scenarios with Shadowfax sliding sideways at 90 kmph on a 2 lane highway much to the amusement of a truck driver driving towards her.
3) Bad charging hardware with extremely low RPM city driving would leave the battery without much charge for emergency engine startup. Thanks to perfect engine tune, I was never left stranded. This led to my driving with just running lights and not using wipers in precipitation.
4) Leaky windscreen seals would leave the the foot wells wet if she was left out in the rain for too long. Ah... the squelch of stepping into a wet car. =)
5) Leaky engine seals (old age - she was a 1990 model!) would leave white smoke under hard acceleration and idling - this would lead to very interesting moments in underground parking lots with me worrying if the smoke alarms would be tripped. It was like in the movies - parking SFX, and then me emerging out of white fog (smoke, fog - it all looks the same) like the hero.
6) Overpowered black market stereo system - hand-wired (by some one else) stereo system (bad amp included) and inverted hand-wired speakers (Gowher, in Cochin - best hand made speakers!) make for very loud music. I've been asked (politely) to turn down my music more than once by parking and security guards.
7) Mismatched tyres with little or no tread would let SFX slide around a bit on nice fast sweepers on highways. Good fun...
8) Solid steel bumpers in Chennai traffic. 'Nuff said.
9) Upholstery that would poke and a front seat that would slide forward under hard braking. Heh.
10) Last but never least - a radiator that would periodically leak all the water it had all over the parking lot. I swear SFX was messing with me most of the time. She'd do this only when I had access to water - ended up with me always carrying close to 7 liters of (non-potable) water in the car at all times.
Ah... I miss you SFX. Come back where ever you are!
All that time spent with Shadowfax (SFX):
1) The mechanical fuel pump that would dry out in exactly 3 days (same time as a long weekend to go home in), making me crank the engine for 5 - 10 minutes just to get her started on Monday mornings. Exactly 3 attempts.
2) That brake cylinder in the left front wheel that was always leaking - with that characteristic pull to the left when I stomp on the brakes (probably all the time). Those wise in the ways of SFX know how to pull to the right while using the brakes. Lack of such knowledge would lead to scenarios with Shadowfax sliding sideways at 90 kmph on a 2 lane highway much to the amusement of a truck driver driving towards her.
3) Bad charging hardware with extremely low RPM city driving would leave the battery without much charge for emergency engine startup. Thanks to perfect engine tune, I was never left stranded. This led to my driving with just running lights and not using wipers in precipitation.
4) Leaky windscreen seals would leave the the foot wells wet if she was left out in the rain for too long. Ah... the squelch of stepping into a wet car. =)
5) Leaky engine seals (old age - she was a 1990 model!) would leave white smoke under hard acceleration and idling - this would lead to very interesting moments in underground parking lots with me worrying if the smoke alarms would be tripped. It was like in the movies - parking SFX, and then me emerging out of white fog (smoke, fog - it all looks the same) like the hero.
6) Overpowered black market stereo system - hand-wired (by some one else) stereo system (bad amp included) and inverted hand-wired speakers (Gowher, in Cochin - best hand made speakers!) make for very loud music. I've been asked (politely) to turn down my music more than once by parking and security guards.
7) Mismatched tyres with little or no tread would let SFX slide around a bit on nice fast sweepers on highways. Good fun...
8) Solid steel bumpers in Chennai traffic. 'Nuff said.
9) Upholstery that would poke and a front seat that would slide forward under hard braking. Heh.
10) Last but never least - a radiator that would periodically leak all the water it had all over the parking lot. I swear SFX was messing with me most of the time. She'd do this only when I had access to water - ended up with me always carrying close to 7 liters of (non-potable) water in the car at all times.
Ah... I miss you SFX. Come back where ever you are!
First Car!
After quite a bit of searching over two days, I finally managed to dig up a picture of my first car - affectionately called Shadowfax. The name stuck because of the following description from Wikipedia on Shadowfax - No Man could tame Shadowfax. He would not tolerate a bridle or saddle and only carried Gandalf by choice.
A willing partner-in-crime for almost everything, she has once helped me win a bet that I could drive all the way from home to Besant Nagar Beach in top gear - no stops , no downshifts anywhere... Here's the route map - starting from the 6th Main Road on the left all the way to the Schmidt memorial (on the beach) on the right!
Route Map:
View Larger Map
Also party to a broken linkage rod from the shift lever to the gearbox (read - stuck in one gear) I've driven all the way from Mount Road into my garage in Adyar! The clutch did not give way after that feat and lasted all the way to a ass-out drive of 700 kms in sweltering heat from Chennai to Cochin at the end of my Chennai stay...
Mount Road to Adyar: (Thousand Light on top to Kasturibai Nagar at the bottom)
View Larger Map
Chennai to Cochin: (Chennai - Ambur - Erode - Coimbatore - Cochin)
View Larger Map
It's been an honor, old friend - no other vehicle will be as dear to me as you. I wish you were here with me now.
A willing partner-in-crime for almost everything, she has once helped me win a bet that I could drive all the way from home to Besant Nagar Beach in top gear - no stops , no downshifts anywhere... Here's the route map - starting from the 6th Main Road on the left all the way to the Schmidt memorial (on the beach) on the right!
Route Map:
View Larger Map
Also party to a broken linkage rod from the shift lever to the gearbox (read - stuck in one gear) I've driven all the way from Mount Road into my garage in Adyar! The clutch did not give way after that feat and lasted all the way to a ass-out drive of 700 kms in sweltering heat from Chennai to Cochin at the end of my Chennai stay...
Mount Road to Adyar: (Thousand Light on top to Kasturibai Nagar at the bottom)
View Larger Map
Chennai to Cochin: (Chennai - Ambur - Erode - Coimbatore - Cochin)
View Larger Map
It's been an honor, old friend - no other vehicle will be as dear to me as you. I wish you were here with me now.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
General update - Christmas 2007
It's again been too long since the last update...
Sylvie's been doing good.
She got a nice oil change at 18000 kms with fully synth EO from Shell -
Today morning she got a new set of rubbers (at 18490 kms) - Metzeler Sportec M3s.
Sylvie's been doing good.
She got a nice oil change at 18000 kms with fully synth EO from Shell -
Today morning she got a new set of rubbers (at 18490 kms) - Metzeler Sportec M3s.
That custom tyre paint job took me close to 90 minutes... =)
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