ReBORN: The Monster Half Breed from Thundera...The JEEP-RA

Sometimes you come across pretty weird stuffs coming out of the automobile modifications world.
Heard of the Datsun Sunnny Pickup with deliriously power happy NA SR20 4-ITBs from C&Y Sports Garage from Japan?

sourced from import tuner magazine

sourced from import tuner magazine

sourced from import tuner magazine

Sarawak can lay claims to some pretty whacked out stuffs too.....How 'bout our very own Miri built 3000VR4 GTO with a 2JZ Heart?

monster jahat...(sticker rah tepinya...hehe)

Try this one for size, classic 240Z with RB26Dett with all its drive trains and suspension system out of a GT-R R33? Extreme Engineering I'll say...

stim ku nangga emblem Z tok...deym...

classic stance...

i wonder if it could sangkut??hehe..

insaane...better believe it!!

Which brings us to Our Blog entry of the day, The Half Breed Jeep-Ra.

Jeep-Ra was born a Chyrsler Jeep XJ Cherokee 97 Sports powered by a Chrysler 2.5 block 4 Banger. This was my very first car which I learn to drive in and in years to come, my very first true project car. It is extremely well-built with an awful thirst for petrol. Good thing here in Miri, we can just grab a shovel and dig an oil well out of our backyard huh...

Till one fine day, our trusty Cherokee died unexpectedly never again to awake. The ECU was burnt to a crisp and I had to source for a brand new ECU out of good Ol' USA for Rm5K. Before tax that is, when I found out how much it'll cost me plus taxes and such...it was well out of my means!!!

I began to look for alternatives....its a shame to put down a warrior built to last an eternity when only its poor heart was the only weak link....I searched high and low for Used ECUs...even considered diesel transplants from Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux's powerplants...which doesn't seem like good value for money...

I was about to give it up for ghost when i came across the Legendary 1JZ-GTE in a junkyard....Inline 6, Twin Turbo, 2500cc....seems like a perfect choice...It produces far more power compared to the more expensive diesels from Rangers or Hilux....I began to wonder if it would fit into the rather square and tight XJ's engine bay without cutting into the firewall (kotak itam besarrrrr ya bah!!)....I was sold on the idea when the Junkyard's Towkey (Owner) told me it would cost pretty much the same transplanting the 1JZ as it is the oil-burners...

No Firewall was Harmed in The Making of The Jeep-Ra

The biggest job apparently was to mate the OEM 4WD 5-Speed gearbox to the engine...I was adamant to keep the Jeep OEM gearbox instead of the one that comes with 1JZ as I know that the OEM would suit the power/weight ratio of the heavier XJ as compared to one that the auto tranny from the 1 JZ is used to.

New Bell Housing designed To Match The 1JZ to the OEM Jeep 5 Speed 4WD Gearbox

Yes, I have come across many succesful transplants of the venerable 1JZ and its auto tranny into an XJ which later becomes quite a lethargic experience because the heavier XJ chassis wears down the ratios in the 1JZ tranny....Power's there but it runs out of steam too soon... Avoiding the same mistake...I embarked on a journey of uncertainty as it has never been done before and much to the woes of my mechanics....I strongly insisted on using the OEM tranny back for the transplant..heh heh heh (aku nang suka MEJAL!!! tapi xpat chelen Captain dz@l laa hahaha)

Mated Tranny to the engine

6 months later, there was still plenty to do but generally it was done!! the engine's in, the wiring's connected, the cooling system fabricated, the tranny mounted..the cluthes had to be changed while the tranny was still out, the oil pan had to be fabricated as it knocks into the front axle due to the lower mounting points...BUT..Its mostly done!! Huge Relief!!

New Set of Clutch Kit+ Clutch Cover

Oil Pan Altered to give sufficient Travel Clearance to the Front Axle

When it's time to roll out on the roads, I find that the ride was like riding out a typhoon huricane on the seas in a small Penambang (boat exaggerated)!! No doubt the rush from the powerful 1JZ was there but I felt unsure of its road handling capabilities. Back into the workshop it goes and a major suspension job was needed to complement the new found power from the 1JZ.

Koni Heavy Tracks

Mated with KINGS Springs

Rear Koni Setup

Koni Heavy Tracks was put to duty complementing the KINGS Springs (Aussie made) that was squeezed into the frame. FYI, it was meant for a Hilux but Extreme 'Kampong Style' Engineering was applied here... hehehe..Now the XJ is lifted 4 inches all around with a much stiffer and more grounded ride...

Abit on the igh Side but its OK (boleh ajak bahh)

The final result? With the OEM tranny better suited for the heavier chassis, the XJ never felt lighter and I can still engage 4WD as I normally would with the old engine...Marvelous!! Imagine launching on 4WD with 2500cc Twin Turbo Inline 6...easily trumps a 350Z on a quarter mile.....On the roads, it powers on the 2 rears for a less harsh ride and reasonable fuel consumption.


I absolutely adore the Sleeper look.....It gives so much pleasure to see the look on unsuspecting peeps when it just leaves them trailing in smoke and dust...

Test runs session (Tq Johan for pix)

Who knows...maybe 1 day it could end up to be a 10 second car like this Jeep Cherokee built by Blair's Autocare???hehe....Turn your speakers to full blasts and enjoy the video!!

The Cherokee Warrior Lives!!

Rizal Webb

p/s: to those who were appalled at the desecration of a fine American machine, FYI Jeep parts costs few arms and several legs up here in Sarawak...for the same amount you can get a fully functional decent workhorse of similar caliber.....Take note that we have tried the best of our abilities and resources to keep The Cherokee proudly American.. mahal oiiii brg Jeep sitok!!!

Motorsports Related Thingy: In the month of Ramadhan? Heyy!! I have a story 'bout dat too!!!

Soooo...everybody is already well acquainted with the Infamous Pan Borneo 'Highway' right?

State of Sarawak is the 13th State of The Coalition of Malaysia
With Land Mass almost 3/4 the size of Peninsular Malaysia

So back then...this is a 'Once Upon a Time' Story too..After my failed attempt to drive back to Kuching...in a 'mere inches from the bloody ground' car...(IT threw a hissing fit, protesting at the state of the 'Highway' in BIG Cloud of Smoke!!)..causing me and me pal Adamz to camp out in the darkest of night in No Man's Country (gelap segelap nya laaahhhh..hidung mancung aku tok pun sik nampak!!!!).... car had to be brought back from where we started on a flat bed..

Gambar Ilustrasi, Tiada kaitan dengan jalan cerita berkisar pada Bulan Ramadhan

Much later on...Continuing onwards the journey with car now properly set up (height-wise) and no longer puffing deathcloud smoke...I found myself dreading the drive back 4hundredplus km.... alone (Adamz was left for the dead to feast on...Borneo is Vampire Country You know), during Ramadhan...during Bloody Ops Siakap Sikap Sikat...which means i cannot go over 80kmph...niceee ..ohhh..wat else awaits meeee!!!

I dread.. the day...i ever toyed around with words during the Holy Month of Ramadhan....

Gambar Ilustrasi, Tiada Kaitan DenganPerjalanan Sebenar

less than 170km away from my FINAL destination....the car came to a spluttering halt....*insert all known expletives, profanities known to Man and Alien HERE!*(tebik posa) and my buddy-buddy Brother Sehidup Semati who is suppose to escort me back home is waaaaaaaaaaaaayyy ahead of me....milessss ahead.....very the reluctant to turn back and help meeee...(hahaha..sikda sikda..aku dgr sora kawu nang beratlah nak nulong bunyi riya!!)

so Here I am...stuck in the middle of the wilderness..AGAIN!!!...ALONE!!!! Only good thing is...its BRIGHT and Sunny instead of dark scary night...did I mention how bright it was???? Bright=Hot=Thirsty. I have ran out of gas...right in the middle of nowhere...along the Pan Borneo Highway...ARRRGHHH!!!! for The Love of GoD!!!

Gambar Rekaan, Di 'cut n paste' untuk memberi gambaran sebenar

Its not really my fault...so happens that particular day...a number of petrol stations are out of RON97...only RON92 was available....I can't run on RON92...it would be disastrous to the already highly tuned symphony under the Hood...I was trying to coax it to the next nearest small town hoping they will have RON97 (those 0f you who never drove on the The PAN..there's only a splatter of petrol stations along the PAN...small cowboy outpost type..)

Gambar Ilustrasi, Mirip kepada keadaan sebenar

Wat to do wat to do....abandoned the car by the roadside...started to walk into the jungle..on a beaten track...there should be jungle outpost store somewhere...I'm sure of that...about 30minutes into my hike..i saw a small outpost store..THANK GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!.

Petrol ROn97 sold in 2Litre plastic CocaCola bottle..higher than retail price but that's expected off. in the Rainforests of Sarawak..I always thought that KPDNHEP or KPDNKK as it is known now is a bunch of crap Ministry...Its where useless Ministers, Civil servants in our government end up serving...

There I was....hugging 2 bottles full of precious-precious RON97..I fill them up lovingly, turn the ignition keys.....Nothing...turn it again..this time making sure the fuel pump switch is switched ON..again Nothing..*bang head on steering* calmly dialing my Bestest of Best friend who is suppose to come back for me...calmly texting my Brother from Another Mother in Miri of my predicament...*Help*Help*

Gambar Ilustrasi, Tiada Kaitan Dengan Yang Hidup Atau Yang Mati..haha!!

Then suddenly it hit me...the whirring noise..for fuch's sake!! the external hi-flow fuel pumps!! the petrol is not filling up the tanks..of course it won't start!!!! this is the time you wish you have a stock fuel tank setup in your car...

Gambar Idaman, Akan mengakibatkan perasaan cinta yang menebikkan posa

drag myself back again the beaten track into the jungle...bought me a wheelbarrow load of petrols..dish out more moolahs to pay...drag myself out to the side of the 'highway'.....poured it into every possible orifice of tanks available....switching all switches ON...(mcm airwolf jak oi..bluethunder ka)....TURNING ignition key..

IT ROaRRRR 'ed back to Life!!! OH God In Heavens!! Thank You!!

by now..i'm dripping wet of sweat..coarse throat, sandpaperish tongue, smelling of hi-octane petrol, dizzy of heat..I'M ON the ROAD Again!!!!

Gambar Bayangan, menguji tahap Keimanan semasa pengalaman pada Ramadhan

Thanks for nothing Old Pal Old friend who didn't turn back for me....texted the broods back in Miri 'There's HOPE YET!!!'...sighing relief...lets hope nothing else goes wrong...

Famous Last Wordsss ..hahahaha...

that's a story for another time Folks!!!! till then, In The Month Ramadhan...

dz@l

Gambar Pinjaman, Untuk memberi gambaran sebenar keadaan

(p/s: kenak rami agik org mati rah highway peninsula nok lurus ada compare ngan The PAN Borneo kita tok nok single carriageway single lane....turun nait bukit, gunung, lembah, kejap asphalt, kejap gravel, kejap tanah merah, tanah runtuh siya2, lubang sebesar tayar lori..penuh ngan tanker, lori balak, apa segala lori..bas..beskal.. and yet we have less fatalities...Peninsular kah...tiap ari bah fatalities...adakah they all crappy drivers?? food for thoughts...hmmm...)

Gambar arkib, jarang-jarang berlaku sehingga terpaksa diguna berulang kali

Gambar realiti, memberi keadaan sebenar kerap berlaku

Motorsports Related Thingy: In the month of Ramadhan? been there,done that.

Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah. This Ramadhan reminds me of an outing we had back in 2008. Crazy Whack Stuffs.

A friend of mine, Asren had set up a tuning session for his wide-bodied Chilli S15. It was definetely the right time for the machine to be perfected and gain the power it should register with the massive modifications done. The Engine was sent overseas for the Horsepower Quest.FYI.

The Workshop informed me few days earlier that the deed is done.....that the engine is finally back in the belly, so there I was wide awake after Sahur that Ramadhan day....waiting impatiently for the Power Hungry Convoy coming down from the Land of Liquidified Natural Gas for the tuning session at Lutong Airfield, Oil Town.

Gathering of like-minded enthusiast pada hari terik membara di Bulan Ramadhan

The hella flush S15 and the height deficient accompanying cars meant that the trip down took longer than it normally should (tauk jak jeraya Coastal Road ya giney). It was already high noon when we finally reach the designated tuning area. Check out the bright sunny sky!!! Hours underneath that will guarantee any mortal to melt a few inches shorter...now multiply the torture factor by a Gazillion during Ramadhan!!!!

Seat ya nang faveret laahh

The tuner who was flown in straight from KL went right down to work. That's Edmund calibrating the standalone Microtech ECU. The S15 should be able to touch around 400+ hp with the modifications. Like them bucket seats!!!

Can you imagine what happens to a human being under the hot searing sun for like 5 hours!!!!..the crazy Miri Sun sumore!!! Folks' been to Miri knows exactly what i'm yammering aout...the Sun hovers just millimeters away here in Oil Town.....too lazy to describe. further..wanna elaborate pun dah nak muntah (tauk jak pancaran matahari di Miri tokkk!!).

Next time i'm gonna just sit inside the car with air conditioned full blast on.

Assembly of Power, Over 1000bhp gathered to welcome the new member...
oii balit gik oiii..dahla miss sungkei!! kejap gik nak sahur balit!!

Yesss...its darkkk.....By the time we're done....the sun has set, the cows were jumping over the moon...and the stars' circling my throbbing head.....Its a 'female dog' to tune cars without a dyno machine.

(Bila gik kita nak berisik Dyno Machine.....)

@spool

Touge Expedition: Miri Roads.

Sorry for The Lack Of Update...

Kind'da Busy....

Here's a shot of a touge run between me and a turbocharged RX8, a HKS Spec-ed S15 spec R.

Coming soon..The Detailssss..

(pic's kinda funky..not advisable to try take a pic while at maximum velocity)

@spool

Just A Tease for an Up Coming Post...

Open Track Days....Grassroot's boon...or is it?

Sepang International F-1 Circuit holds open track days on certain weekends (Sunday Track Days or Saturday Nights Special) for motorsport enthusiast to participate in circuit driving experience. Its a fairly reasonable event for enthusiast to test their machine or polish circuit driving skills around one of the most well-known F-1 Circuit in the world.

Lately, I have observed abandoned recklessness on the circuit and listened to many woes from regular track goers of the open track days. Many moons and suns ago, the 2pm to 5pm allotted time for cars on the track would have been sufficient (You can do 3'20 per lap in a reasonably decent car around Sepang, you can't do more than 5 laps before over heating the brakes, tires or engine). Nowadays, there is just too many incidents on the track that would require the runs to be red-flagged and more time spent needlessly in the pits rather than on the track itself.
Why do we go for track days in the first place? WHY..its a place to go about and have abit of fun with our motors without endangering other road users ain't it? The KEYWORDS here Ladies and Gentlemen, is FUN and SAFE. Its certainly not a place for us to boost our egos and go out hassling other track goers ain't it? Motor-enthusiasts have enough inflated egoes as it is!!

Here's what I think of the Open Track Days. Its for peeps to go out have fun driving/riding their machines in a safe venue. Its mostly for those enthusiast who are at the grassroot level who fancy a spirited driving/riding without dishing out astronomical cost for a wee bit of fun.

Here's what Open Track Days are NOT suitable for:

• People who has a death match or grudge to settle
• People who tracks professionally

Here's what you need for Open Track Days:

• A Car/Bike which is mechanically fit and does not leak any fluids
• Safety Gears ie. Helmets, Gloves, Sunnies etc.
  
• Common sense

I'm not going to go into details and go tell you to bring spare tyres, jacks, plenty of water bla bla bla.. That's up to you, It just show how serious you treat your open track days are. But basicly what you need is already mentioned above. I say go out there have fun and be safe and apply some common sense, you'll be tracking around Sepang like a Pro in no time.


There will be people who are much faster than you, you let them pass by blinking your blinkers or signaling with your hands. You are not obliged to let them have their own way because at the end of the day, you too have paid for the privilege of driving on the track and you too have timed laps to beat..so screw those tailgaters and if you drive a Brick (Volvo 240s, 144s) just go ahead jammed those brakes and give 'em a new nose job. Good riddance to these morons!!

You can easily spot these morons out of the pitlane blustering away, crossing the white line separating the track and the pit exit only to brake hard into Turn One...I mean...what is the point?? You have not reach optimum temperatures for your tyres and brakes to work properly and there you go like a bat out of hell!!! Where's the common sense? By Crossing the pitlane exit divider you could easily have caused a bad accident!! For what? For you to have a better corner entry speed at Turn One??? on your out lap??? are you using any common sense at all?? These are the morons you'll see spining out in the subsequent turns or worst.. ramming another track goer in the rear...
Most important thing to have out on a track day is still..Common sense..Be sure to come equipped with one!

(Bila gik Bumi Kenyalang nak beroleh Track toookk....sigh..)

dz@l

SloVi is Slow No MORE!!

gohetgostan
*Contents of this post is horrendously exaggerated and to be taken with a pinch of Salt and AjiNoMoto!!

So here we are (Webb's co-piloting this particular day and Google Earth's on the helm) driving down the elevated highways and traversing the many turn-offs and over-passes that is the maze of the expressway...when suddenly just around the corner is a traffic build-up fast approaching us... (expressway..embak laju lahhh..mahal bah mun sik diguna sepenuhnya!!)

Just our luck to face more delays in our journey to Cake-Heaven...not to mention that its just the wrong day to come down to an area which is horribly congested...Thanks a Damn Much Reen...(Reen embak nanggar tranny; not the automotive kind ok)

Not wanting to waste any more time in the queue up, blinked right for an immediate lane change to make a U-Turn heading back on towards the expressway when an Angry Growl of an Inline 6 rumbled thru SloVI's cabin...(sak jak linga twik..hihi)

Out of the corner of my eye (tlinga MyVi nang besar laaahh..nampak clear bahh), I saw a Black Proud Ultimate Driving Machine fast closing the big gap in front of it to deny the SloVi its passage back to the expressway..

I was thinking ' Apa Jak lahhhh...' and dove into the fast decreasing gap and quickly tore through the U-Turn back to the expressway... approaching the U-turn, The UDM's 6 Pot brakes slowed the Fat Beast down just enough for me to squeeze through...

So there we were entering back onto the expressway when i spotted on my rear view's that the German Machine is seriously picking up its skirt,diving in-out of traffic and giving us the chase..

I thought 'That's juvenile of you'...I so didn't expect this from a driver of a such a classy car...

Making full use of the SloVi's already much-improved suspension and its low rpm massive torque...We slipped under the over pass and merged quickly to the utmost right lane for quick access back to the expressway with the UDM's Kidney Grille hot on poor SloVi's back..

Slamming thru the gear-changes (sik masuk gear skali, over rev skali..hahaha!!) I got out of the peak hour's accumulating traffic, onto the exit to emerge victorious over the UDM..Close call...compact size helps..(gik asa koooo!!!)
When Lo and Behold!!

A Championship White interlopeR who was much-much-much further ahead than both SloVi and the UDM decided to join the fray (aduh..dahlah bergawut..gago jak daktok nak ngeshow skill!!!)

Clearly intimidated by Slovi's conquest over the Bayerische Motoren Werke, this Eastern Racing Marquee decided to test SloVi's nimbleness thru the crazy TGIF's traffic..

Diving Fast and Hot into the long sweeping right exiting the expressway, inches away from the barriers..SloVi gave chase to the new poseR, gaining fast on it ... the newcomeR has poor cornering abilities...(SloVi's rpm cuts out at 7.5k DAMN!!)

By the time both we both reach the merging traffic off the exit ramp, SloVi was breathing down its back with much better angle, much faster exit speed..The Race Derived machine stood no chance and was defeated easily...(Webb's nonchanlantly waving sayonara to the shocked driveR)

ON towards Cake Heaven we Go!!!...Tra-La-La-La-La...the SloVi is Slow no MORE!!!!!! (Webb's grining ear to ear*gedap gedup jantung akuuuuu!!! Antu juak ko GoogleEarth!!* hihi)

The Mad One

Cross Weight Adjustment for MySloVi

I went to Kegani Autotech in Puchong to adjust the corner weighting/balancing of my car. The aim is to get the cross-weight as close possible to 50%.

MySlovi's crossweight with me sitting in the driver's seat is at 52% .....there's a wedge of 2% to be adjusted top get it down to 50% cross-weight.

So Kenny (Kegani's Proprietor) tweaked the ride height till it reach 50% with me sitting in car. Again this setting helps to reduce the excessive tail out problems I have been having and increased MySloVi`s stability.

Onto the next step then!!

Rizal Webb

The Slow Meets Track!!

Before this, there is no proper way for me to test the car..I just drive the car on the street and tried my best to drive the car as smooth and as fast as I possibly can by creating, learning and mastering my own imaginary racing lines...Thanks to the twisted and potholes ridden roads in KL......the sharp and long flowing corners available here in PJ and urban Selangor.

But still, my balls are not Made of Steel...to push the car to its limit since there's so many things to consider...(penakut sbenanya)haha..

Spirited driving is fun and I'm truly addicted to it but safety is still my first and utmost concern..I guess I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to join Myvi Motorsport Club(MMC) trackday in Litar Dato Sagor, Kg Gajah Perak.

Wooo!!!! It's my first time to drive in track and I'm so damn excited. Now I can really push my MySloVi to its limit and see what can it do with all the basic upgrades packed in.17th July 2009...Off i went headed to Kg Gajah, Perak with the MMC convoy from KL, a 2 and a half hours journey. I was abit surprised to see the track layout upon arriving at Dato Sagor's Track...It's quite small with corners that are really really really tight (GO-KART LIKE!!!)

We were hosted by Tougeking Motorsports who taught us about threshold braking..emergency lane switch...under/over-steer control...and racing lines...

They let us tore down the track by on our own so we really had fun there. I pushed my MySloVi to the limit and lap by lap I slowly understand my car's characteristics and with it, improving my driving skills plus gaining more confidence.

In the evening, a 5 lap mini race between 5 cars was organised and I was asked to join them too. I had never drove on the track before....let alone race in one with other cars involved!!!

I started out on 3^rd position and finished 4^th out of 5 cars....haha...

Damn!!! They're all fast fast drivers!!! THEY BLASTED AWAY Like I was standing still!!!!

A supercharged Myvi started on the last grid and managed a podium 2^{nd .} I really need more engine upgrades and good set of tyres but I had to get the stability issues on MySloVi sorted out first. Power without Control is a Losing Battle they say...

Here's a video taken from a supercharged MyVi with Advan Neova AD07 tyres starting at the back of the grid. Thanks to adrIo@adrian for the video he uploaded in youtube.

Note the driver's comment about my car..."NO POWER CANNOT USE!!"

WAAA!!!! This one sure racun me alot hehe....I was trying to dive in and brake late into the corner and out-accelerate the car in front of me out of the corner....the lack of power from MySloVi hampers my effort...

There are still a lot of work that needs done to my MySloVi...

• 1^st the shocks are too soft for tracks...I need a higher spring rate setup..
• 2^nd I need UHP (UltraHighPerformance) tyres...I lost all grip with my Continental CC-1 tyres...but it is a street use tyre to be fair....not meant for aggresive driving but more towards mundane city driving...
  
• 3^rd I NEED BUCKET SEATS!!! I was thrown in, out, left and right everytime under hard brakings and diving hard into corners...I had to hold and pull myself up after being thrown around...Its really exhausting doing this all the way!! HAHA!!.
• 4^th I need to improve the engine respond... I kenak tapaw on the straightways!!!!

hmmm...Lets see what's next I can do to MySloVi.....till next time....CHEERS!!

rizal webb