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Currently Playing The Song : Ayumi Hamasaki - SCAR

Thoughts And Blog :
Just helped finish some typing earlier, Having nothing really to do at this wee hour in the morning, after having gone for a late night of rounding across Singapore with the usual suspects.

Yesterday the Pestbusters guys came down to scour the house for any signs of termite infestation. Most of it was found on the third floor in the study room where books and wood are aplenty. Haven for those creeps. Spread some powder and chemical. Said they would follow up again in a week's time.

Benny has gotten more poison done to his car again. I don't know, maybe it does pay to be a working adult. Some cash to play around with.

Considering that the car is about 1.5 years old, I say that I've already done quite a great bit of modification to it. Though most plug and play, I do not see any proper tuning potential in the Swift, not at least in strict LTA-governed Singapore.

It would be best to use a proper sports category of cars to go all out in. That is, for example, the Honda Civic Type R (FD2R), Nissan GT-R (R35), Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (CZ4A) or Subaru Impreza WRX (GRB). These are good and proper bases to start working/tuning with.

Considering that the Swift is a first car for me, I would say that I'll leave engine tuning alone and concentrate fully on learning how to maximise the car's best ability; cornering and improving my road handling skills. I've already felt it's cornering limits in the various situations and road conditions that I've been well, lucky to experience by chance or deliberately.

In any case, I'm still no good at fully understanding engine tuning, hence, "If it ain't broke, don't fuckin' touch it."

I've always told many of my friends, that power isn't everything. There is no end to modding, as well as power. However, it is essential to have a good safety base before deciding to increase power. That is, tires and brakes. These are essential items that are used day to day, unlike excess horsepower which is not fully utilised on our extremely congested roads.

You can have all the power, but without the grip ability from the tires to properly put that power down from engine to road, it is useless. Worse, imagine going fast in wet conditions and lack the ability to slow down when something crops up is serious trouble.

I'm quite particular about having such modifications done first. Tires, brakes... these are MUST items, even if you're a 'safety' driver. Accidents don't occur because you cause them, but they happen also because other people cause them upon you.

Personally, when I see a 'souped' car on the road, I'm quite a bit of the critic. My first areas of inspection of that car would be:

1) Tires
2) Brakes

These two things would already make me marvel at how the driver is able to think for himself, and the safety of his passenger, lest the usage of semi-slick tires.

For me, I feel that though the Swift is a little lacking in the horsepower department, but I imagine being able to understand how to keep the speed up while utilising what I know about the car and my knowledge. Think of it as, Takumi Fujiwara in the AE86.

Now I'm not saying that I'm anything as good as the Initial D character, but simply being able to be the best I can with what I'm given. As a lot of good friends in SwiftClubSG have always advised me, "Why up the power when you have problems keeping your car under control in harsh conditions?"

That really inspired me to properly understand the car and the limits it presents, as well as my own driving ability.

posted by Aaron @ 3:53 AM