410 Motorsports

Haven't Forgotten

2011-02-28T23:30:00.011-05:00

Yes I am still here and kicking, but it's been a busy several months and the military having moved me to Kingston, than to Petawawa a week later, than back to Kingston before Christmas to get my military drivers's license, than home for the (and a very busy) holidays, than back to Kingston for 2 weeks before sending me to Alberta for my soldier's qualification course, than back to Kingston for a few days before them sending me back to Petawawa. It's nice to be somewhat settled and actually have a desk to sit at to actually do some work online...too bad my new laptop's been crashing or shutting down me for the last month and a half. I can do alright, just can't overload it. Definitely a hardware issue, part of it is that it's overheating so I can't run it in "Performance" mode, but she'll do OK until HP figured out what's wrong with it themselves. I know it'll need to me replaced or physically repaired, but I gotta run through the motions with them. It's an HP TX2-1360ca tablet PC I picked up in June. Awesome little machine and does games quite safisfactory; fortunately since it's the only tablet PC with an actual decent video card, but it doesn't have the build quality of my old LG.

Last year was a year just to stay afloat, but I did manage to pick up a new car. Found a 2004 Mazda Rx-8. I actually was trying to find something 2006 and up, but this thing is MINT, never winter driven and owned by a Mazda Tech so it's got all the upgrades done. The only thing it needs is a new set of tires. I picked her up on Thanksgiving weekend, enjoyed it for that weekend, than immediately put her away for the winter and am anxiously waiting for spring! I will say I did miss having a car and it was nice to be back behind the wheel of something quick and nimble. The Rx-8 has it's own page in the "Projects" section now as well. It's all stock, but that will of course change in time. :D

The truck is sticking around forsure. Did some off roading, including swamping a bit of the truck and broke her water-cherry. Broke 1 starter and 2 alternators last year, as well as stripped some wheel lugs. I've got a flashing SRS light from the water because it damaged the pre-tensioner in the passenger front seat belt since it was submerged in water, but it'll get fixed once Nissan eventually gets the part. The water incident also took out my 1200w inverter, so it was upgraded to a 1750w inverter showhorned under the passenger seat. Advernture Weekend was awsome, but cold and rainy, especially for in September, but we made the best of it. Picked up a few recovery items before the winter, but so far haven't recovered anyone at all, but I did use the winch several times off-roading, and it works great. Even wired in some in-cabin controls; those were very convinient.

Although the year did start great, I have encounted a roadbump, but it's one I can overcome, just sets me back financially. This year, the Rx-8 needs tires before it comes on the road in spring. I'm also looking at going to goneMOAB this year, especially since I can't take any vacation time between May 30th and September 30th, so might as well take one hell of a trip. Only with that, the truck needs some upgrades. High on the list for that is full skids, I want to throw in a locker in there too since it's recommended so that I don't have to "bump" obstacles, and upgraded tie rods since I haven't done that yet. The Grassroots4x4 so far has done an amazing job, but I'd feel more comfortable eliminating one more weak link in the steering system. Truck will more likely need an exhaust system too, and I'd really want to put headers in there while I'm at it, but I'll have to play that one by ear. I got my 1-year pay raise on the 25th, and just in time to make 2011 enjoyable!

Overdue Updates

2010-05-15T10:41:00.007-04:00

I probably should inform that I am still very much alive. What ended up happening is a week after my last post is that I actually got a call and got sworn in for the Canadian Forces than only had 3 weeks to get ready to go, which included totally cleaning up my grandmothers garage like I was never in there (with a small section of parts that I'm keeping, including some Xterra parts) and prep the Mx-3 to go to the wreckers. She's still in there sitting on jack stands, but I told my parents that if my grandmother really wanted it gone, that it's ready to go and they can call it in to get flatbeded away, but she's good with it and said we can deal with it until I get back since she only uses her car and a half garage for her lawnmower anyway.

Also in the rush of getting things gone before I left was to fabricate and mount the winch in my truck. The one thing about working with my dad that it's hard to get your own idea across when he had one in his head too, but it came out quite well. He also made some front shackle mounts on it. Those will affect my approach angle just a tad, but once I eventually put on a (modified) brush guard, it'll sit about that distance anyway, so I don't see any problems there, especially since it's about 1/2" off of how an actual winch bumper would sit anyway. It's made with a 1/2" steel for the base plate and 3/8" sides for mounting, so it's strong as hell; the frame with break before this mount does.

I also installed the heated seat pads in the rear seats and wired all that up. I had gotten my second set of Pathfinder switches in from eBay so I figured might as well. They were in great condition and not only were the light bulbs still intact and working, but they worked exactly how they are suppose to with the way I have them wired up to work with aftermarket pads. I put those switches up front of course, and moved my other set to the rear. The only thing is that my rear passenger side pads don't heat up, but I think that just a connector issue; the pins don't like to line up in the connector 100% sometimes, If not it's a dead controller. I just need some time o sort that out

Also before I left, I got some LONG overdue maintenance done on the truck; timing belt, power steering belts, new steering rack (leaking), water pump, tensioner, A/C sealing & recharge, installed my Grassroots4x4 upgraded idler arm, serviced the clutch/brake system and the parking brake was sticking. Also did an oil change and an alignment. We also put on the sending unit for the oil pressure gauge with the adapters I got but I never got around to actually running the wires to the gauge itself yet. Ironically after doing all that, my alternator decided to fail so we ended up putting in a 165amp marine alternator and replaced my trucks original battery with a dual post D35 Optima Yellow Top. She should be good to go for a while now. I'm just happy that it's all done, despite the money spent, some was service that was way overdue that I just couldn't afford to. I was highly recommended by a friend to bring my truck with me (and I'm so glad I did) to BMQ so I wanted my truck to be reliable for the long drive up, but also since I'll be mechanic-less for 3 months.

Anyway, Basic Training (ie: Boot Camp) had been interesting, good but tough, but sets better as time goes on. Currently starting week 9 of 13. The problem is that we only get our electronics on the weekend, and there's no internet access. We're stuck in an indoctrination period for the first 5 weeks, so we weren't even allowed outside the base for that time. On week 5, I went out and picked up a Rogers Rocket Stick, however after a week of work, come the weekends, you just want to GTFO, so it easilly get distracted and just go out and enjoy my freedom as best as I can for 72 hours, especially they will only allow weekend leave if we've performed/behaved well that week. Last week we we're the duty platoon, which means we had extra responsibilities around the base, mostly cleaning, and that week, we weren't allowed out when we're assigned as the duty platoon, so this week, time to enjoy ourselves!

Winch, Heated Seats & Breaking Stuff

2010-02-04T19:58:00.007-05:00

Hmm, I'm actually surprised that the last update was done before Christmas. Weeks fly by seamlessly. Since, I've actually unemployed, again, for the last few weeks. Still waiting word on the army, they seem to be taking their time, but it seems at least they are doing stuff. A few people got e-mails this week to fill out an online form for being my references. Heading to a job fair this weekend anyway for other options, but I'm actually leaning considerably towards the forces. I was told that there's a hiring freeze until April by a friend so I decided to give them a call just to make sure and that is indeed true.

Considering that I haven't done an update after Christmas, one thing that I haven't mentioned is that my parents surprised me and got me a winch as a gift. Ideally I wanted a Titan Winch, but this will definitely do. Well, if you've noticed on the Xterra, I don't have a winch bumper, and I don't plan on getting on either. With the body lift, there's plenty of room for a custom winch mount. Mind you, even without the body lift, it actually could fit, probably with some trimming of the bumper in that case. Regardless, my dad just needs to make a mount for the winch, which we've been working on this week. Did some test-fitting and some tweaking and the mount should be close to being bolted in. Next step is to remove the bumper and drill the holes in the frame. Last step is to modify the front crossbar to put the fairlead on it and weld that to the mount. Than to finish it off, to paint it using my process. My yellow top ended up going into my aunts van temporarily. Once I get that back, I'll be put into the Xterra, and hopefully coincide with wiring up the winch.

I also foolishly decided to tackle the sending unit for the oil pressure gauge. I knew it was going to happen and it did; I snapped the OEM sensor trying to take off the connector. I called Nissan and they wanted $130 for a new one. It's cheaper that I thought but it would still hurt right now, so I called my mechanic and he got me a price on a new aftermarket sensor; less than $20, so I was happy. As you can see, we actually didn't use the last NPT-BSPT fitting. We did it for a few reasons; 1) leass leverage/stress on the OEM mounting point, especially if mud gets pushed up in there and 2) there's a piece off the motor what would of been in the way of the aftermarket sending unit. The thing with MPT and BPST is that the difference is only 1-thread-per-inch, so you can make them fit if you want. The adapter is ideal to not ruin the OEM threads, but with the new aftermarket OEM sensor and the fitting costing $25, it really not an issue if they need to be replaced in the future. We also used a liquid sealant rather than the Teflon tape because the OEM sensor is a 1-wire and grounds through the chassis. The Teflon tape could actually insulate the sensor, causing it to not work. I still need to run wires from the sending unit to the gauge, but that's all that's left.

The heated seats have been working great. On my last week of work, the rep came in and I picked up a few sets of pads from him. One pair was suppose to be for a fellow CNTC member, but he hasn't set a date for the installation yet. It's about 3-5 hours worth of work. The other set I got was for anyone potentially for anyone else, but no one seems interested, but also the rep said that there's a possibility that he won't be carrying them anymore, so I decided to do what I also wanted to do and put heated seats in the rear. To say the least, putting them in the rear is actually ALOT harder than the fronts. I plan on getting another set of Pathfinder switches and they'll be mounted on each side of the 12 volt outlet behind the center console. Well see how soon I can get some Pathfinder switches, but I think the round switches that come with the pads are narrower, so I can use those in the meantime until I get the switches I want, but we'll see.

A-Pillar, PAC & Bandwidth

2009-12-18T23:28:00.002-05:00

Just a few small updates. I got the heated seats completed and man are they nice to have this time of the year. I've also got in my A-pillar gauge pod in last week. I moved the boost gauge over to it but it left that empty spot in the cash, so I picked up a voltmeter to go there and also got an oil pressure gauge, but they're not hooked up yet. The volt gauge should be easy, just mostly time and weather related. I'm just not sure what's requierd with the oil pressure gauge.

For site updates, I put up the instructions for installing a PAC steering wheel control interface. It's for the SWI-PS, but should apply to their other models as well. Also, I've got an e-mail yesterday saying that I will probably exceed my monthly bandwitdh before the end of the month. I was surprised, that'll be 2 months in a row. I guess that's a good thing and wish I could upgrade my hosting; so just a warning, get what you need and save it just in case...

Some Upgrades

2009-12-08T20:38:00.002-05:00

Wow, time flies. Well, looks like my website exeded it's max monthly traffic allowance. That's not a bad thing forsure, but we're going to have to deal with that unfortunately since I can't afford to upgrade my hosting at the moment.

Well things have been slow but at least some progress. One of the local guys had a "fluid swap" day at his place, so everything but the coolant was changed, and man did they need to be changed. At the same time, I put in a rear diff breather, removing the factory capped vent with the Nissan 38323-C6010 fitting and used rubber tubing follow the factory lines to up being the tail light and into the body through one of the capped holes. Also after waiting for 2 months, I was finally able to get my heated seats pads in. They're installed in the seats and they're very straight forward to tie into Pathfinder/Maxima heated seat switches. So far they're just running on a cigarette lighter adapter, but when I get a chance, they'll be hard wired to a switched power source that runs with the remote starter. Unfortunately I broke my digital camera a few week ago by keeping it in my back pocket and sitting on it, but the replacement screen I got for it off of eBay for $30 should be in any day now. I also just got my A-pillar gauge pod in today as well. I've only got a boost gauge to go in there, and I need to pick up a volt gauge to put in the spot where the boost gauge was.

Save Dunnville, Fort Erie (Auto) Race Track, Centrafuse & Pesky Knock Sensor.

2009-09-26T23:02:00.013-04:00

Well, although it's apparently been known for a bit now, but it's news to me, it seems that the Dunnville Autodrome is being forced to shut down. Apparently the problem is with noise generated by it's use, which is ironic for the fact that it's at an airport. That location is host to many lapping and drift days, racing schools, press events and even uses for tests in the car review show "Motoring". I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Mazda press event a few years ago to showcase their performance cars and their MazdaSpeed upgrades. I've been looking forward to heading back to that track; it's a technical short track that's quite fun. If you wish you know more about it's closure, you can see the press release here and you can sign the online petition at http://www.nyspeed.com/savedunnville/index.php.

On a possibly related note, and a positive one, is that they're going through with building a race track in Fort Erie! It plans to open for 2011, so I've got some time to get a new car and race ready, but I'm definitely excited to have a race track only 20min from my doorstep! You can see the track at it's official site, http://www.cdnmotorspeedway.com/. It's going to have all kind of facilities for racing as well:

Canada’s first and only professional class 1 mile oval course

2.6 mile FIA Certified road course which exits and enters through tunnels…never seen before in North America

Drifting Circuit, Moto Cross Tracks & Test track & Driver Club Circuits
The most popular forms of racing on a single site: Open Wheel, Stock Car, Mixed Configuration, Motorcycle, Drifting, Moto Cross / Off Road, Electric Vehicle Racing and much much more…..

The Xterra's PC got reformatted today. Installed a version of XP Lite and I decided to move away from RoadRunner and give Centrafuse a try. So far it's only installed, I still need to install some hardware drivers to get the system running so that I can use it, but so far I think I'm going to prefer Centrafuse. My only gripe at the moment is that XP Lite doesn't have the Hibernate option, so I'll have to look more into that when I get a chance.

Also with the Xterra, I found that my sub wiring was wrong. I wired it according to Mitchell OnDemand's diagram, but the polarity for the one set of output running to the sub listed for the "3.3" is actually wrong, and on my truck it's the same as they have for the "2.4", so I'll be making note of that in my instructions when I get a chance.

One last thing, and ya I've been busy with the Xterra, but I've been having issues with it retarding the timing again, so I've actually unbolted the knock sensor, wrapped it in foam and taped it to part of the harness so that it would be extremely desensitised, and it's still managing to act up. Mind you, not nearly as much as before I did the plugs, and there's little different between not and how it was acting post-new-plugs, but just to say that it's still doing it, but I do suspect it's somewhat related to the weather, mostly warmer days. When I get the chance, and when the weather cooperates, I'm going to replace the knock sensor with a 560K (560'000) ohm resistor and go from there.

And to finish, on a personal note, I'll be starting to work as an installer at Base Electronics come Monday. I'll be helping them out until the (hopefully) air force position goes through and I would start basic training in January. I was planing on taking a leave of absence from the valet job for that since I don't know how long I will actually be needed there, but that seems to be a bit of a hassle, and I was asked to just work one day a week to keep that going, so I may just do that and see how it goes. The irony is that on my first day back from my medical leave, and I wake up at 4am from pain in my right arm; I got buritis in my right elbow....I swear that job doesn't agree with me.

Crazy Times

2009-09-14T15:51:00.006-04:00

Wow, it's been that long since I've updated here, but things were just that crazy. The valet job was consuming all of my time, working 6 and 7 days a week, 8, 9 and 10 hour shifts. Basically I had 3 days off in 2 months time, not fun. I've actually been off for the last week on a medical leave since I was just exhausted and in pain; my body didn't get any time to rest, that I still have to squeeze in the other things I needed to do too.

On the long weekend I went away with CDN-NTC club to Minden for camping and off-roading. It was exactly what I needed; great times! The truck got a few upgrades, including a 2" body lift, a PML (poor mans lift - cranked torsion bars and rear shackles) and 32"x11.5 Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar sidewalls. It performed exceptionally well. I've also received my Grassroots4x4 steering upgrade last week, so that still needs to get installed. I've also got Shrockwork sliders ordered, should arrive in another 4-6 weeks.

This past weekend I installed the PAC steering wheel control unit to allow my factory steering wheel controls to work with my Pioneer 980BT head unit. It was much simpler than expected, and works great too. I also hard wired my CB since having it on ignition is inconvenient, and I mounted heated seat switches from a Pathfinder I got a while back and put them in the center shifter trim, looks great. I also found out that my local car/home audio place, Base Electronics, can get the heated seat pads! They just never got into it because of the time involved, it's not worth it because of how time consuming that it would be, and in turn, how expensive it would be for the customer. I think I may be doing this next, and hopefully quite soon, especially since my truck won't (or shouldn't be able to) fit in the garage anymore from the lift. I'll have to see what the cost of the pads are.

On a personal note, the job hunt continues, but I'm going through the process of applying to the Air Force; I just need to drop off my transcripts, but that doesn't start until January.

Gotta Do What You Gotta Do...

2009-07-22T17:54:00.002-04:00

I wish I had time to update this as often as I did and want to, but time just isn't there. It's truely hard with the nice(ish) weather here, but life's been crazy. I got a job as a valet driver at the Hilton in the falls to get by. I work 6 days, even night shift, and it's a job, and it's pretty fun, but I'm still in the red. You'd think with all the car that I get to drive I'd post up some reviews, and trust me, I'd really like to, but I just can't sit down long enough.

The Mx-3 part out is going well, keeping me busy too taking it apart, getting quote and shipping stuff off. There's still a lot of stuff left, including several large ticket items.

Another thing keeping me busy is that I've bee going through the process of a new job. It's not exactly what I want, and honestly, I don't know what they're offering to pay yet, but I'm suppose to hear something from them Monday. I do have a line on an idea job, but I can guarantee that it will happen, and I wanted to keep the valet job as a second job to help me get back on my feet, but I need to move forward just in case. Hopefully if all goes well they'll take me back when all goes well, but only time will tell. Ironicly, another bilingual hiring agency e-mailed me today; guess I'll have to see what they got in store...I'm definitely keeping my options open.

Because of the lack of funds, nothing much has gone on with the truck. I did upgrade the speakers several weeks ago and took pics of the process, but I haven't gotten a chance to make a page up, but if anyone needs any help on that, or anything else, I'll be glad to help.

Parts & Part-Out

2009-06-09T15:55:00.004-04:00

Well life has been keeping me busy. Work was crazy, but I took as much work as I can when they gave me a 2-week layoff notice, so I'm technically out of work, but I've got a few remaining jobs left to make a few bucks for the next week or two. I've also been looking for a new job for the last 2+ months, with only 2 interview so far, which was over a month ago, but I checked with them and they still haven't hired. So I believe most companies are going through the motions of getting applications, but are waiting it out for a bit before hiring, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed.

Also, as of last week, the Mx-3 is being parted out. The frame and underbody is rusting out, the engine bay isn't looking good either, so I'd need a new shell. Along with finishing the extensive motor work planned, I would have to spend about $10'000 just to get an Mx-3 back on the road, and that's not including the other things I had planned. So I have to make a tough decision, to either go all-in or cut my losses, but I think it makes sense at this point to move on. It's been a great run, but it's time for something different and newer.

Long Time...But Only A Quickie...

2009-04-27T21:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, just been extremely busy. Working at the office and warehouse in Burlington, so with an hour and a half commute easy way, it doesn't leave much time in the evenings. I've even had to put off going to the gym and even play some games. I've even worked on about a dozen computer repairs to take care of, among many, many other things, and I don't think I'll be able to do a major update for at least another week, unfortunately. Also been working on the website for the shop my mechanic will be opening in the next few weeks. Check out www.rjmercier.ca for more details. If anyone in the Niagara region require automotive service, I HIGHLY recommend him; his knowledge and experienced is just awesome. I, and many, are glad he's finally doing it. He's been talking about it for a few years, and it's a risky step of course, but I'm sure he'll do great.

Just a quick note, apparently as of May 1st it'll be illegal to drive while talking on your cell phone, hands-free exempted of course.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090423.NATS23ATLART2156-2/TPStory/?query=Toronto

Undercover Police As A Taxi?!?!

2009-04-05T22:35:00.010-04:00

Well, it's been busy as always, working a job in which I'm on site for 9 hours, plus a 1.5 hour commute each way, so that's been taking up almost all of my day, leaving no time for going to the gym and video games; even the Mx-3 didn't get any lovin'. Had to squeeze in some time to work on 4 computers (yep, I fix computers too) this week; 2 virus/spyware cleans (one infected with over 400!), one new laptop setup and one with a corrupt Windows where the power supply died while I had it. Managed to finish all those this weekend, with just a data transfer left on the last one. I took advantage of the nice weather Sunday to grind down and get a few coats of primer and paint on the fenders for my dads utility trailer. That's getting revamped with new 3500lb leaf springs, new lights and wiring, and the rest of it will get a new paint job this year.

On the Mx-3, I got a problem where the key for the locking wheel lugs shattered on the passenger wheel, and since it's a unique pattern, you can't just get a replacement one. I got a tool that removes stripped bolts and nuts, but the one that I needed to use was too big for any sockets that I had, or even that Canadian Tire had or could get. Got one a Princess Auto today and it fired off no problem, so now I can finally take the passenger axle out. Those will also come in handy for the nuts that disintegrated on the front motor mount.

The Port Colborne cops have increased their unmanned speed trap cars to 2 now, but that's not even the sneakiest thing their doing in Ontario. Check out this faux-taxi caught in Milton. I don't know there this sits in terms of "entrapment", but sure isn't a nice move on their end. Probably to catch all the street racers that went out and started to race with the new Fast and Furious movie that opened Thursday. I was planning to see it Friday or this weekend, but those plans didn't end up turning out, but hopefully I'll be able to check it out this week.

A friend posted up event listing for lapping days around Ontario this year. I hope to have that posted in the Calendar soon. And a final note, we're losing our spring-like weather for a few days, calling for 15-25 centimeters of snow around the Hamilton & Halton area Monday (tomorrow). I'm glad I kept the snow tires on the Xterra, many of my friend and family expected that one last snowfall that always comes in April, and we gambled right. But that gorgeous weather we had for the last few weeks really tempted me to put the all-seasons back on, and I would of too if I wasn't so busy. I think I'll volunteer to drive for the carpool tomorrow...

Mx-3 Meet, NFS Shift & MX-3 Progress

2009-03-24T21:26:00.005-04:00

Well the second official Mx-3 meet of the season went off well this past Sunday, with about a dozen members showing up. Weather looked promising, but the wind was cold, despite a sunny day.

Well another Need For Speed game is coming out for later this year. Need For Speed Shift looks to be taking the lines of ProStreet, but kicking it to a professional level, similar to the Project Gotham series, and looks very nice! Release date is currently September 22nd of this year for North America. I still haven't gotten Underground yet, so I guess I need to jump on getting those.

I had some time to work on the Xterra. I've figured out how to bypass the vacuum solenoid for the boost bypass mod. The problem is that despite everything working well with no codes, it's dropping boost down to 2psi once warmed up, and apparently this is a common problem with these trucks. Although with the boost bypass done and getting a full 6psi, it's still adjusting the timing. Fortunately fuel economy isn't really affected, but it would be nice to have the power it suppose to have, cause it feels quite good when it does. I'll have a bypass workaround posted in the next few days. This mod does not gain an extra 2-3psi as many have said it's suppose to do, it's just a fix for the boost loss that people have misinterpreted by those who do the mod on Ford Lightnings and Cobras, and GM Cobalt SSs and Ion Redlines.

Been working on tearing the motor out of the Mx-3, taking advantage of the nice weather and so far that's going fairly well. At this point, I just need to remove the axles, unbolt the mounts, and it should be out pretty quick. Work schedule has changed as of yesterday, so that won't happen until the weekend now, at least. I'm not in a rush at this point anyway, and once I'm ready to continue with the built, no matter how busy things get, I don't have to worry anymore about making time to pull out the motor. I'm glad I got progress done while I could.

Speed Traps Not Actually...Wha?

2009-03-16T22:44:00.003-04:00

I've made an interesting observation. Yesterday I noticed a cop car parked on Welland St, just north of Killaly St E. Ironically, there was no officer in or near it, that I noticed anyway, and still no one was there when I returned down that road 15 minutes later. And just today, the same situation, this time parked in the lot of the burnt up Garrisons on West Side Rd. Again, a cop car, but no officer nearby. A dozen minutes later, we drive by, but not there's a second car pulled up beside it like they would when 2 cops are talking to each other, but again, there's no one in that first car. This would be, and I'd say an efficient way, of controlling speeders and those who run stop, by tricking motorists into behaving. This isn't something you want to gamble on either; whether or not a cop is actually there.

Also with this absolutely nice weather we've been having, the cops have been out, so be careful. There seems to be a few new unmarked units; a black with black tint Crown Victoria, and a totally stock-looking Chevy Impala where the only giveaway would be the lights on the rear deck of the car. It's got no tint, hub caps, and not antennas except for one in the location where the OnStar antenna would sit...very, very sneaky.

Knock Sensor And Boost Bypass

2009-03-14T19:11:00.015-04:00

The knock sensor relocation mod for the Xterra is finally done. The instructions listed on http://www.nexterra.org/ by daggerdoggie were good, but his wires colors were off, as well as his pictures didn't show enough detail, so I've made my own instructions. There listed in the mods under the Xterra's Project page, but if you want a quick link, you can check it out here:
http://www.nd4spdse.net/projects/xterra/knock/index.html

Despite replacing the knock sensor, I'm still only getting 2psi of boost. I think there's something wrong somewhere, either in the vacuum bypass actuator is getting stuck, a vacuum leak or a check valve in one of the vacuum lines (if there are any) are bad. I also looked into trying to figure out this boost bypass mod and the more I look into it, the more it doesn't make sence, especially when I get no gains physically tying the bypass closed. The only thing I can think of is the stop screw may be stopping the bypass from fully closing, so I'll have to look to see what that does if I adjust it

Top Gear posted a bit of interesting news. If you've ever seen the Lamborghini Reventon is an awesome car, designed with influenced aspected from aircraft, including it's LCD dash. Only 20 of the beautiful cars were made. Well, it seems that even the rich are hurting for money, since 7 of the 20 Reventon's have been listed for sale recently, quite sad.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/lamborghini-reventon-2009-03-11

Oh, and one more thing. It seems that Duncan @ Titan Winches Roof Top Tents have gone up in price. He said he won't be carrying any in stock since their cost went up almost $200. Kind of unfortunately, but I am glad I got mine when I did. He said if he's order them in, he would organize it as a type of group buy, so for anyone interested, keep it in mind. I'm not sure what the quantity he needs on an order, but I hope for those interested something can be arranged.

Work, Work And Choices...

2009-03-04T19:36:00.003-05:00

Well, I've eben really busy, between work, and even doing some computer work. Works been slow, so I've been keeping myself busy and making a few extra bucks on the side, even have to do some work designing a webstore for a company in Welland. I actually haven't has much time to even fire up the 360, surprisingly enough. Actually, I've done some running around getting shipping quotes for the SRD reproduction tie bar. Speaking of which, those are official for sale. You can see the official thread here:
http://mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=68926

I installed a boost guage in the Xterra. The interesting part about that it that I've been only boosting 2psi most of the time. I have hit the stock 6 on a few occasions, but I think it's a limitation by the ECU because of the knock sensor code. As far as I've read, the ECU isn't suppose to limit boost, but I think that may be false. We'll see what happens after we put in the new knock sensor. Also with that, I ordered a knock sensor and the Maxima pigtail from Welland Nissan. The pigtail actually came in damaged. The parts guy stared at it for about 30 seconds before saying he'd order a new one. I'm going to give him a shout tomorrow since I'd like to see about getting that done ASAP, maybe even Friday is things pan out. We'll see what the boost guage says after that's fixed. Here's a link to the knock sensor work around. Just a note, that's $300 in parts, after taxes:
http://www.nexterra.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071&highlight=knock+sensor

I've also got a line on a job, which I should hear something about it this week. With that, I've been thinking about a commuter car since the Xterra is far from fuel efficient to do a 200km round trip daily. I was at first thinking about importing a Mazda 626 hatchback, also known as the Efini MS-6. I got a quote on a '91 with only 47'000kms on it, but they're asking $8700. I was honestly expecting a bit cheaper, considering it's not a high-demand car, but we'll see what else comes up. There's also getting the option of a domestic 626, or even get a used 4cyl Mazda6 for that price. The Mazda6 seems to get a bit worse milleage than the 626 does. Under the new EPA system, the MS-6 and '93 626 would get about 28MPG, the 2000 626 is apparently rated for 25mpg (28mpg before the EPA correction). A '93 626 probably wouldn't get the 28 from the milleage it'll have, maybe the MS-6 might. Those are all for automatics, since I'm not getting a manual to drive in traffic, as much as I'd like to, it just doesn't make sence. I also got thinking and looked into it, but the Millenia S, the supercharged 2.3L V6 gets the same milleage at a 4cyl Mazda 626 of the same years...PLUS it'll have alot of toys, including heated seats, leather and just better styling. But it would require premium fuel, but I'm guessing the MS-6 would too, more likely using a FS-ZE. So I'll be looking more into it, and the MS-6, and I don't want to jump the gun before I do hopefully get the job, but it's an idea.

Oh, and just a bit of news, I guess a record got broken for the fastest ticket issued at 250km/h. Way to go kid! Well I'll say one thing, if you're going to get caught doing 50-over, might as well go faster, the consequences are the same anyway for 150-over, no?

Taxing per mile (USA) and more smoking fines.

2009-02-21T23:28:00.002-05:00

Well I've been trying to update with news as much as possible, but I've had a busy week working in Peterborough the last few days, I'm also guilty of being addicted to Call Of Duty 4 (C0D4) on my 360. World At War apparently is OK, but Modern Warfare 2 (COD6) is scheduled for release later this year, but there's plenty of people online to keeping playing MW1 with. I still haven't gotten Need For Speed Undercover yet, but I'm going to wait a bit later, for them to drop in price, to pick them up; I need to get the 360 version to play, and the PC version to add to my ever growing collection. I still haven't completed ProStreet either, which would make it the only NFS game I have yet to complete, so I should do that before I pick up Undercover, especially since I truely enjoy the police chases, but it's just so hard to put down COD4, and at the rate I'm going, I should be able to get to the 10th Prestige before MW2 comes out.

Me and a few friends are heading to the Auto Show tomorrow, hopefully that should be good to check out.

Also had the CDN-NTC meet Friday. Had a great turnout with easilly over 20 people show up, maybe even 30. Those guys are hilarious and nuts! We ate at the Edelweiss Sports Bar & Grill in Kitchener and the wings were pretty good, just could of used more sauce.

Jesse finally got the SRD reproduction crossmember and tie bar this week and they installed perfectly, so in the next few days I'll get the official thread posted to sell them on Mx-3.com. Colin is also looking at getting rear trailing arms done which I'll definitely get.

As for some car-related news, and I lost he article, but a man from Port Hope was charged with the law forbidding anyone from smoking in a vehicle with a passenger under 16. The female passenger was only 15 years old, and she was so upset over what she "caused" that she, the 15 year old girl, stepped out of the vehicle and lit up a cigarette. In Ontario, it's not illegal for anyone under 19 to smoke, it's just illegal to purchase them cigarettes, so she wasn't doing anything illegal, but that in itself is a twist of ironly.

Also, there's some talks in the US about taxing motorists for every mile that they drive. Obama said he won't be adopting the policy, but the fact that it was mentioned upsets and worries motorists around the country.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29298315/

There's some talks on the big 3. GM will apparently lose Saab, and that will become it's own
seperate company
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/20/saab-files-for-bankruptcy-in-swedish-courts-wants-1b/

If you want to waste some time, you can play this fun flash game. You get to be Chrystler and drive a vehicle of your choosing, you pick up items to keep Chrystler afloat, hit a car, and you lose some cash.
http://issue.imotormag.co.uk/car-reviews-car-news-car-videos/1H49996f97e7d29012.cde/page/26

Have a good weekend!

Sunfires, Sway Bars & Spacers

2009-02-16T18:30:00.009-05:00

Well it's been a busy week, had to cross the river to get a steering rack and sway bar for my buddy's GS 400, dropped off and picked up a new yellow top at Automotive Warehouse for my other buddy. It was one of 2 I picked up for the Mx-3, but I traded one for the CarPC components I have in the Xterra. Saturday I actually spent the entire afternoon and evening working on my resume, doing a major update on it and sent it off. Sunday for those that don't know was the Daytona 500 was on, and it was a good race, until it started to race with less than 50 laps to go. Usually that's when the racing really starts to get really good. Also, the 2010 Camaro was the official pace car for the race.

I haven't been to the Toronto Auto Show yet, but I've heard a few people were disappointed. The plan is go to next weekend, so we'll see how that pans out.

I got my Whiteline sway bar and another hatch garnish for the Mx-3 last week. I talked to my (now ex) girlfriend and my mechanic cousin, and they said that the knock sensor relocation would be just fine, and that if it is indeed 8hrs+ work, my cousin would hightly recommend it, so we'll see about doing that in the very near future. Here's one set of instructions I've been looking at:
http://www.nexterra.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2071&highlight=knock+sensor

Actually, while running around, we stopped at Best Buy and EBGames and in the lot seems to be a random j-body meet. There was the 3 Sunfires parked together, than the Cavalier came up and parked after we walked passed. It's quite funny and quite random, and one of many reasons why I'd never own one

For automotive news, it seems that 17.4 Billion dollars isn't enough for GM, as they're looking into filing for Chaper 11 bankruptcy.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKN1425572520090214

On similar news, with Chrystler not doing well either, and they've been looking at selling the Viper. Although I'm personally not interested in any Dodge product, the irony is that the Viper is my dream car. Despite the economy, and well, with fuel prices, sales of the V-10 sports car have been poor, but it seems that big names like Roush and Saleen are interested in not only purchasing it, but also expanding on it. We'll see what happens over the next while, but as long as they stay true, or even improving on it (like VW did with Lamborghini) and not use it's name for exploitation and for marketing and sales.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/14/saleen-roush-potential-buyers-for-expandable-viper-range/

I've also been looking at getting thermal spacers made for the Xterra. Outlaw Engineering actually got back to me today, but they require a commitment for 20 sets and they say will run roughly $100. That estimate seems a bit low for the price, but I'll look into it, especially with a bunch of the CNTC guys requiring a knock sensor fix as well.

And on a final note, I'd like to wish everyone a happy belated Valentines Day and a happy Family Day!

Birthday, MyKey & Speeding Cop.

2009-02-10T18:29:00.013-05:00

Well I've been busy the last few days, my birthday being Sunday and everything, so no new pages have been updated.

Anyway, the Mx-3 meet turned out great! Several Mx-3's, two 323's an an Xterra. Ironicly, there even happen to be a Nissan Maxima meet in the same lot after we came out of Boston Pizza. Thanks to everyone who came! The weather was nice, could of been better, but it's hard to remember it's actually still February. The nice weather has started to get me anxious to start working on the Mx-3, even paid her a visit today dropping off a hatch garnish I just got. But with the nice weather, I'll have to take advantage of it to work on the Xterra. It's got a a knock sensor code, which is typical of them to fail, so it's causing fairly bad fuel milleage, so I'll be looking at going a mod to put on I believe would be one for a Maxima, and relocating it to a much more accessable spot. It also got a good wash yesterday, and man did it need it!

A bit of news. A cop got pulled over and lost her license for doing 165km/h on the 403. Her license has been suspended for a week and her undercover cruiser has been impounded. Glad they're being inforced even with police officers, but they should be professional enough to know they're not above the law.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/585301

Also, Ford is coming out with it's MyKey system in their Focus for 2010. It was a system introduced in October last year. It's key that can be programmed to set vehicle restrictions on speed, and even muting the music until the seatbelt is connected. Should help younger drivers stay responsible.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_31975.aspx

A few days ago, a Coach Canada but on it's way to Niagara Falls was reported driving erraticly. The driver has been charged with impared and no one was injured.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/584490

We've been having alot of stray cats around the house, and we were talking about cats not hiding in engine bays in the cold weather like they used to, well apparently one family's cat hid in their engine bay and went along with them for an hour and a half ride. The cat was not harmed.

Oh, and to edit in something else....if you're hardcore into racing games, and I mean HARDCORE, check out this racing wheel! Wrapped in leather, fluid damping system, 1000 points of tracking, all for a cheap $1300.
http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/ecci_trackstar_6000

GM also announced, which I'm sure you've heard, is letting go another 10'000 jobs world wide. And on the day that the US Senate released the US bail-out plan, the DOW jones dropped 382 points. Oil is also under $38 a barrel, in which we should wonder why gas is still floating around $0.80/L. We should be around 50-60cents, but I'm sure they can get away with it, considering that the populus is happy with 80 cents rather than a $1.30.

Ooops!

2009-02-08T00:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I got my weekends mixed up, and the Auto show is NEXT weekend, and the weekend after...not this one and the next one. Meh, no matter, guess I was a little to anxious.

For those that apply, don't forget the Mx-3 Meet today (Sunday) at the Boston Pizza on Hwy7/401 @ 1pm. I'll see you guys there!

Oh, and it happens to be my birthday today.

Work

2009-02-06T22:58:00.003-05:00

Well not much for updates. Been working odd hours and into the evening, plus had the Explicit Contentz meet Thursday night, but in regards to that, I should say man cops like to wait around on highway 115/35. Saw 3 driving back to Peterborough. Besides, the Internet at this Comfort Inn sucks. It's fast once it gets going, but the responce is like dial-up, and my laptop isn't very erogonomic. More likely I'll be back up here next week, so I'll see about finding a different motel.

I'll be heading out early to pick up the girl than head to the Toronto Auto Show, so I'll be out pretty much all day, than there's the Mx-3 Season Opener meet Sunday, so I'll be out and about most of the day Sunday as well, than back home for a birthday supper with the family.

The Xterra is in desperate need of a wash, from all the salt it gathered on the drive up Wednesday, but it's been too cold, so it would just turn into an ice cube if I washed it. The power steering belt isnt' liking the cold right now either. I'll have to give the engine bay a quick spray down when I wash it.

Irony, DTV and Bluetooth.

2009-02-04T23:40:00.005-05:00

Well it looks like it's happened. A 29 year-old Sarnia woman was charged for smoking while having 5 kids in her van; she was caught at a R.I.D.E checkpoint. Apparently there were also child restraint violations spotted as well during the check.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/02/03/8247961.html

Also, looks like the DTV transition is one step closer to being pushed back to June 12th. It's a move that will cost US tax payers and companies both broadcasting and waiting for the availability of that signal spectrum, millions of dollars. More likely the result of the combination of the procrastination of many, and the ignorance of Obama to want to push it back. It's such a bad idea for wasting money in the current economical situation.

And one last thing, apparently they've come out with a bluetooth key that, puts the cell phone in a "driving" mode, responding to call and text messages that the person is currently driving and will respond later. It seems it'll also not allow the driver to use a hand-free device, which they say does nothing to make things safer. Although I personally disagree, I do and can see people concentrating more on the conversation rather than driving; where their eyes and motorskills stop functioning when talking and listening.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/04/texting-driving.html

Lobo shelf, SoloII and MazdaSpeed3

2009-02-03T22:59:00.002-05:00

I've put up the Sgt_Lobo shelf mod link in the Xterra Projects page today. I've also added the PITL autocross schedule in the Calendar. First day is May 3rd.

For car news, the MazdaSpeed3 will be at the Geneva show. No performance specs yet, so we can only see the visual upgrades, distinctively are a hood scoop, spoiler and twin tail pipes. You can get more info on it here:
http://blogs.carpoint.ca/2009/02/new-mazdaspeed3-debuting-in-geneva.html

Top gear also has a little blurb about the '09 Mazda3, which lucky for them, they have a diesel version over seas. You can read their article here:
http://www.topgear.com/uk/mazda/3/road-test/2.2-mzr-cd

Remember too that they passed the law that it's illegal to smoke in a vehicle with children present. Another step in the right direction I'd like to say, but should be done regardless if it's a law or not, nor if it's enforced or not. Also, transport trucks are now limited to 105Km/h, so please be courtious to them and give them room and time to pass slower traffic. And for transport truck drivers, please be courtious refrain from passing trucks doing 104km/h on a 2-lane highway, it's not nice.

I'll be on the road, working in Peterborough until Friday, than heading to the Toronto Auto Show Saturday. I should be at the Explicit Contentz meet Thursday.

Burning car, a dozen Nissans and a plate sticker.

2009-02-02T23:35:00.003-05:00

Well was a very exciting weekend. RV show was OK, but the ignition started to smoke in the TL on the way back, so we had to call CAA and get it towned to Rainville Auto. Got a loaner for the rest of the weekend and the TL should be ready for pickup tomorrow. It's a '99 Acura TL and we we're having issues with the ignition cutting out when driving, or shut off after starting when releasing the key. We let the problem linger, figuring that it would just stop working, not realising it could actually catch fire! Since my sticker is about to expire on the Xterra, and my new plates haven't arrived, I had to get and put on a new sticker before the 8th, especially since it was nice out today. The fun of detatching a plate that was made "theift-proof". And I get to do it again in a few more weeks, yay!

The Nissan Truck meet went great, 12 trucks + 1 in spirit, so it turned out great! Got a few ideas, and picked some brains for more knowledge...hmm, brains....

Found out you can (finally!) add HD radio support for Pioneer head units. The GEX-P10HD MSRP's for $100.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/Navigation/Accessories/GEX-P10HD

Also it seems that the S2000 is being discontinued, which will get it's last hurrah with an "Ultimate Edition". It doesn't get any performance upgrades however, and they don't even know if it'll come to North America, but not a big loss for a fancy paint job, interior and rims.
http://blogs.carpoint.ca/2009/01/ultimate-edition-marks-final-hurrah-for-hondas-s2000.html

The Miata is getting a facial, to go with the style of the rest of the Mazda line-up this year. Also gets 167hp and some suspension tweaks, and will still come in it's PRHT. We, and I, should be able to see it at the Toronto Autoshow this coming weekend.

Not much for site updates, got the Mx-3 fog light install page done and uploaded, and I'm working on the stereo install for the Xterra. Also check out the used parts listed under the Parts section.

Slow Day

2009-01-30T23:38:00.002-05:00

Not much for an update today. If you haven't noticed, that ladybug in the menu on the other pages; that will be a link dedicated to my late sister that passed in a car accident over a year ago. I've also been working on a page for the mounting and wiring diagrams for installing fog lights in the Mx-3. The diagrams took some time, I just need to finish up the page and load the link into the Mx-3's Project page. Those will be done in the next day or two, but I'm getting to bed early tonight, and we're heading out to the RV show in Hamilton tomorrow (Saturday), but I may be able to squeeze out that page before we head out.

I've got plans to head to iHop Sunday morning. For those that don't know, you don't need to cross the border for iHop goodness since there's one on Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls now. From there, I'm heading off to the Nissan Truck Club meet in Toronto for 2pm, than of course, it's Superbowl Sunday, so heading off to a friends to watch that, so don't expect many updates this weekend.

Enjoy the Superbowl (and it's commercials!) and have a good weekend.

Snow mayhem & zombies!

2009-01-29T20:56:00.008-05:00

Well, for site updates, just added a used parts list, under the Parts section. Also, here's a picture of my cousin's car in the news broadcast that I mentioned yesterday. Just a few scratches, but more to come I'm sure...

Some funny news: apparently in Texas, they're having issues with people hacking the electronic traffic signs. So if you're in Austin Texas, be careful since there are nazi zombies on the loose. Remember, to kill a zombie, you need to either shoot it or give it a hard blow to the head. Decapitation is a sure way to make sure it doesn't come back.
http://jalopnik.com/5141930/we-told-you-not-to-hack-the-electronic-road-signs-didnt-we
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/Road_signs_warn_of_zombies

More pages added, and snow mayhem!

2009-01-29T00:24:00.003-05:00

Oh ya, I'm just kicking them out! The Parts page has been added, listing both SRD-replica crossmember and tie bars, added a link in the Links page and the Contact page is up too. There's even a "there's no forums here yet" page in the forum section. I also changed things around, having the News page as the first view.

Not much news except for some irony on my cousins part. She's got the snow tires that I successfully used on the 626 for only a season. Well today she managed to get in the ditch on the 406. Yes, I love snow tires, I swear by them and they are absoutely great, but they don't make you invincible. I know those tires work damn good too. Experience does make a difference, so Live and Learn, but the fact that she got a speeding ticket last week kinda gives me an idea on what kind of driver she is at 18 (is she turning 18 or turning 19, hmm, can't remember). Yes, I know and everyone knows what kind of driver I am, but the only ditches I've encounted are the ones I've deliberately played in ;) Oh, and with that, she managed to get on CHCH news about it too! She was shown twice at 6pm apparently, but we didn't watch it, but she was on briefly at 11pm, so we've got it saved on the PVR. I'll take a picture of it later with the camera (that's the only way I can do it unfortunately), but gotta document that, right? ;)

Got about 15cm of snow today. I did the second clean up of the driveway and sidewalk before supper. Unfortunately I had no excuse to drive the Xterra, so snow just piled up on her. I wanted to take a nice outdoor picture while I was outside, but I left the battery in the charger, so I cheated and took one from inside instead.

More site updates.

2009-01-27T20:06:00.002-05:00

Still not feeling well, but I've got a few more things done. The Links page is up, and I've also was able to link a 7-day forecast in the Calendar.

And some off-news. If anyone is following the DTV transition in the US, where they've been advertising (like mad) about the February 17th deadline, they're looking at extending the date to June 12th. This could be good news for those rely on getting their content from the US, but there are arguments that the numbers are skewed, so the reason for pushing back the date is inaccurate. For us in Canada, the date is currently set (and was already pushed back) to August 31st, 2011. Also, it's being said that the free-to-air system will be down in about 6 months.

New pages up, 1000hp electric Aero and Top Gear news.

2009-01-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Well I have the time to put up the Articles page, with my article on snow tires and my review on the Titan Winch's root-top tent. Unfortunately I haven't been feeling well today, and spent most of the day sleeping and resting, not having the energy to sit in front of the computer and get more pages up.

Well, here's some interesting news. Shelby SuperCars, the company that currently makes the worlds fastest production supercar, beating out the (sexy) Bugatti Veyron's title. Well, they announced that they're making a pure electric version. The specs? 1000hp and 800ft-lbs of torque, a range of 150-200 miles on a single charge, but the kicker is the recharge time of only 10 minutes. Personally, the downfall of going electric isn't it's range, but a recharge time that takes several hours. This is hopefully a step in the right direction for advancing the elctric car. If you want more details on it, check out the links below. Expect a pre-production version by mid-year.
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/the-worlds-fa-1.html
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/01/worlds-fastest.html

Well, there's a new episode of Top Gear being aired tonight, and those who want (or download it) can expect another interesting episode. Apparently they're doing a double-stacked race, literally a car on top of another, around the Nurburgring. They'll also be driving Mazda's prototype Furai concept. Should be a good watch, as always!

Welcome to 410 Motorsports!

2009-01-25T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to 410 Motorsports! Well I've got most of the content up, the more important stuff that I wanted up right away, anyway. Articles, Links, About and Contact are so far blank. The forums won't be online for a bit for the fact that my current host doesn't do PHP, so i'll be a bit before I transfer over to a host with that ability.

Both vehicles are listed under the Projects section, and I'll add the sub-pages on added details for those after I get the rest of the main pages up.

There's already a few events in the Calendar section, including the Toronto Auto Show, the weekly Explicit Contentz meet in Whitby, the Nissan Truck Club meet February 1st and the Ontario Mx-3 club meet on February 8th.

And just a bit of news, for those that don't know, and are interested. Fast & Furious 4 got it's official release date of April 3rd earlier in the week

Happy Birthday Joanne

2009-01-24T10:23:00.001-05:00

Have a good one Jo...we'll be thinking of you!