Special K

You didn't replace the letter at the end... nil pwant.... Spec K

You're not far off Mike - if you put the first letter at the end of the word they spell the same backwards.. Spec K

Mebbe - " come up with the goodies or we will beat you over the head with a blunt torque wrench..." ? He has a very persuasive way with words, does John... took lessons from Riceburner, I reckon... Spec K

Brains working? Figure this one out.. What do these seven words have in common? - 1. Banana 2. Dresser 3. Grammar 4. Potato 5. Revive 6. Uneven 7. Assess Give it another try... look at each word carefully. You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer... (No -it is not that thy all have double letters...) SpecK

A few for JAE - My wife told me - "Sex is better on holiday". That wasn't a very nice postcard to receive.. My girlfriend thinks I'm a stalker. Well, she's not exactly my girlfriend yet.. My wife has been missing for a week now. The police told me to prepare for the worst, so I've got all her clothes back from the charity shop.. I was expelled from school. In the school play I completely misunderstood the stage direction - "Enter Ophelia from behind" My neighbour is half-American and half-Iraqi. He's his own worst enemy.. Mother-in-law came in with a duck under her arm. I said "What are you doing with that cow?". She said "It's not a cow, it's a duck!" I said "I'm talking to the duck". The missus hasn't spoken to me for a week and all because I didn't open the car door for her. I panicked and swam to the surface... Every morning for the last week a German shepherd has come and crapped on my front lawn. He did it again today and this time he brought his dog as well.. Spec K

Good on yer! As Rob has intimated there could (should) be a decent chance to safely try your (best colour) beauty in the New Year.. Spec K

Rob - did you mistype? "EDIT: ignore me, looks like I (t) should of been replaced" Blurry right - don't want you at Croft... Spec K

Ian, This is merely my own view... ..you are saying - "..Full service - oil should be replaced" Not what my service book says.. Spec K

Har! I agree... it gives me a chance.. ... but a huge amount of good mechanicing/good provenance/good luck needs to happen between now and next Wednesday and it's a situation where money is not the issue, it's where goodwill might make the manhours available... (.. Ian, any spare horses heads going cheap?...you know all the best stores in west London... it's your choice, man....) (.. ten seconds...) Oi! - have you chosen, man. ? Okay, Nursey..... I'll take the pillls now... Spec K

Update..... Miraculously a new VVTI Controller - plus bits - has appeared.... and I must thank John Crisp (Service Manager at Hills of Woodford) for talking to TGB Customer Services and ".. making them an offer they can't refuse.." (not sure whose bed he put the horse's head in...) - from nine weeks lead time to three days... My car is now in the workshop. It's a race against time to see if the whole lot, plus Fensport remap, can be completed before Croft... but everyone is focussed on it.. I've got everything crossed.... my legs are squashing something I'd forgotten existed... Spec K

That's it, in a nutshell. Warranty claim has been approved for vvti parts. If I use the car and further damage occurs, it ain't covered... Spec K

Points to ponder... I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.. Borrow money from pessimists - they don't expect it back All those who believe in psycho kineses, raise my hand I almost had a psychic girlfriend..... but she left me before we met Okay, so what's the speed of dark? When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines I intend to live forever..... So far, so good.. What happens if you're scared half to death twice? My mechanic told me "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.." The problem with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you And finally, If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work? Spec K

Sorry James - I did not make a note of it... Thanks Teg. I am fearful of using the car now, in case the fault recurrs when I'm miles from home and the engine blows.. there'll be no warranty on it.. I will speak again with my dealers but I am not hopeful of getting a courtesy car for the two months it will take to get the parts... Spec K

I wasn't just referring to the poly bushes as 'not for wimps' - which you certainly are not, the way you pedal your car about! Personally I am not convinced that a stiffer rear roll bar is necessary for me/my driving style - but that is a subjective matter, I did not try changes when my car was n/a and I like the feel and controllability I now have with the Tein EDFC setup and standard front and rear rollbars. Yes, I am fitted with the rear Swaybar links - I cannot say I felt an appreciable difference but it is a long time since I put them on (n/a) and I fitted Koni adjustables/ Summit rear topmount brace at the same time so it's difficult to be analytical of the one element.. I would certainly consider a rear topmount brace to match the front if I was in your position. I suppose the only way to evaluate changes is to try 'em! I don't think steering rack poly bushes on their own will alter the handling characteristics of your car - they make the steering more precise and the car more 'pointable' (that's a comparison made by Adrian and Colin Hoad from CAT Driver Training of Pitman's vs my car). I think Pitman has a slightly stiffer rear rollbar than standard - and I might try it at some time in the future. But it will be next year as it looks as though I'm out of the TSS for the rest of this year - the vvti parts (warranty honoured, by the way) are on back order and not expected until the first week in November... so if anyone develops the same problem be prepared for a two month wait... Spec K

A great afternoon/evening... a very big thanks to Rob for the grub... and his family for putting up with us.. and to all the CAT 'winners' who donated their champagne... and to Faith for bringing her mobile pub.. Good to meet new Members, as well as the old'uns.... c'mon Will, you know you're hooked... Spec K

Using my thought-reading prowess I felt instinctively that you were not referring to the first post in the 'ALS Ice Bucket Challenge'.... .... and so it proved... ... d'ya think I could get a job on the stage.. ? Spec K

Hi Brian... welcome... ... sounds like your one of us 'ancients'.... second childhood? I stayed with the auto. Not regretted it.. Spec K

What time at Abbey? Spec K

Well..... poorly car or not I have to turn up at Rob's tomorrow.... this I cannot miss..... Rob - can you PM me your venue and postcode pls. Is there anything you would like me to bring? Spec K

Keethos - I will probably have to cancel my Macclesfield visit - the vvti issue won't be cured by then and I don't want to risk an engine malfunction on the way there or back from JAE.. ... this is a real bummer.... Spec K

No - George was manual. He has his car back - n/a. He is as happy as Larry.... I have no courtesy car as I am still using mine. Spec K I am going to try to meet my 'meets'.

Yes, Ed - you have nailed it. Not sure on engine out - but that is not a major issue. If it proves necessary for a full engine-out rebuild scenario (and I deem it necessary) it will be done. Eight hours, according to my dealer. So I've booked 'em - car goes in at 11.00pm and I get it back at 7.00am. Simple, innit... they charge as much as F1 mechanics so I want the same... Spec K

Haversack? <chuckle>.... nice one, Stan.. Summit 4-point reference 2/4578 is my version. But a top brace is essential - I would not recommend the lower without the upper (not necessarily the Summit but that's the way I've gone...) And, if you are really focussed on ultimate front-end control - which I know you are! - the next step I would consider would be polypropylene bushes for the steering rack.. that nails a n/a front end to its best possible performance, subject to dampers. Not for wimps. But that is only my opinion.. <aside.... my baby is crying, I can hear it! The engine bay clean today is irritating......aww, poor little diddums...> Spec K

To answer some of the questions - Lauren - my mileage is 26,000. The car, with turbo, been 100% reliable on road and track. It has done 229 miles round Spa at full chat - three full tanks of fuel with two drivers - and not missed a beat.. Faith - the room is booked and paid for, so you're welcme to it if I don't make it. (I even had the engine bay valeted today, just for JAE... and I've got me fancy dress as well!) Ecutek re-map does not affect vvti. Rob - Toyota have issued 'Dealer technical notes' - and a modified standard vvti map - which they say overcomes the problem. However - this new map has a 'G' suffix which denotes for manual cars only. An 'I' suffix denotes for auto, which has not been released, or so it seems at the moment... Keethos - this appears that the valve timing 'locks' and the oil control valve on the right cylinder bank malfunctions. If it is ignored (or fails to re-set itself, which mine thankfully did after the Friday overnight hotel at Milton Keynes) the engine can go bang.. Voice message from my dealers today - they are waiting for advice from Toyo UK Technical in regards to what is covered under warranty.. An initial idea was to swap the oil control valves to see if the problem recurred on the left cylinder bank or stayed with the right cylinder bank - a bodge which I am not happy to try, as its my engine that would go bang, so for me it's a full vvti assembly replacement (8 hours dealer time). Fortunately I was in the workshop when the technician found the issue and he spent a good half hour chatting with Adrian at Fensport. So, whatever route is decided on, there are clear ground rules that no remapping is to be done. If they install a standard fuel/timing map on a turbo (and probably a s/charged car as well) there could be serious issues, as we know from the past. I will keep you informed. My baby is comfortable, in no pain and taking comfort in the loving cooing noises I am making... Spec K

James - you will wear Cups out in no time on road.... 225's are way too small for f/I in my opinion - you need ridiculously sensitive throttle control to stop the car 'snapping' on you under top acceleration/hard cornering. 235's on 8.5" or 9" rims are optimum - my 245's on 9" - great grip! - flex the walls too much. But... big 'but'... we all drive differently and what is sauce for the goose makes a roast pig taste disgusting... err..... Spec K