Alfashark

Relevant if it's a newer car (I struck this issue for the first time on a 2010 model): Sometimes you may need to tell the car via OBD2 device that it's a new battery, so it doesn't try and pump a squillion ergs into the new battery...

Just got our 6 back from a couple of weeks sitting at the dealers after ICCU failure, so I've been running around in a base-model RWD 6 in the meantime.

Interesting comparing the two: Obviously our one has a shitload more power and torque being AWD, but even with 225hp/320nm the loaner was surprisingly quick for 1900kg. Decent enough seats, but no heating or cooling in them... Better range than ours too, with less dead cow interior/bells and whistles/extra motor and diff.

The real treat though was the steering - Even though they're a pretty well balanced machine, front to rear, the lack of motor and diff in the front made it at least feel like the older 911s and S110/120L Skodas I've driven. Super responsive, light on the wheel without feeling disconnected or floaty and eager to turn in even when pressing on a bit.

If you were in the market for a mid-large sized car and wanted to go electric, I'd say go look at a base EV6

Pretty fucked. Again, if you've got the ability to throw an extension lead at it while you're at work, you're set.

Should get a reasonable bump off a level 1 (3-pin plug) overnight on a 24kwh battery. The higher rated the socket, the more juice you can bung in.

On the 6 using an 8amp plug, it would take 40-50hrs as it's 3 times bigger, hence a proper charging box installed on the side of the house.

Pretty sure someone I know picked up a Leaf for a box of Steinlager - Battery is rather sad as it's only got 50km of range between charges, but for a work commute he's stoked.

15 minutes ago, Doug Hill said:

We had a mk2 3.2 TT with a little exhaust and I always thought it sounded like a masturbating Wookie. Really lovely motor otherwise

Haha! There's an offshoot of the DUBNZVW/VASK group exclusively for VR6 models, known as Wookies in the wild...

39 minutes ago, mjrstar said:

The golf R32 engine has intrigued me, I haven't done any real research, so it's probably a garbage idea for some reason, and is probably not ideal for high rpm, but from a capacity vs physical size, it could be alright...

 

 

it seems like a likely candidate for a +t conversion, just check out the head gasket surface area between the bores,  and the number of head studs.. (2 things not easily changed on an engine)

VR6+T is a very common mod, and there's shitloads of material online about it, plus a wad of aftermarket bits. 

The engine itself has been around forever in various configurations - 2.8 12V, 2.8/3.2/3.6 24V. Yes, they're heavy but as mentioned, they've got a lot of meat in the block.  15° angle between bore center-lines, so they run a conventional inline-6 crank and firing order... Add to that the asymmetric port length between cylinders (inlets are on one side of the head, exhausts on the other) and they sound absolutely awesome.

1000hp+ is achievable - Just spend 30 seconds on YouTube looking for VR6 Turbo Mk1 and Mk2 Golf conversions...

Mate had a red one on white OZ rims, about 20 years ago.

Had all the go-fast bits, to the point where it was nicknamed "The Paralyser" because at least as a passenger, you couldn't do anything but sit in the passenger's seat with a grin that a belt sander couldn't take off when he'd launch the fuckin thing.

Fucked a gearbox trying to do helis like the cool kids in their Evos...

I can recall things getting decidedly breezy over 180-ish as the outside air would start to find its way through the door handle cutouts in the door-cards too.

The other thing about the chromate finish is there is/was NO standard shade of green. It varied batch to batch, day to day, hour to hour and I've seen it everywhere from almost duck-egg blue, to an almost brown/black with plenty of tans, khakis and greens in between.

I guess the question is, how badly will they corrode/oxidize if left unpassivated in your particular application?

A friend gave his Alfa magnesium bell-housing and transaxle nose a tickle up and then gave them a quick squirt of clear. Last time I saw them they were still bright and shiny.

Yep. I know a lot of folks airbrush using gloss paints and seal everything in with a coat of matte clear too.

There's also a huge range of decal softening solutions available too that let them really conform to panel lines or details without tenting or tearing.

Others that I know seem to be a 50/50 split between paint/clear/decal/clear and paint/decal/clear.

Your mileage may vary, but 20 years from now you may find the decals lifting/flaking if they don't have that thin waft of clear over the top.

Love your work!

Also, outstanding use of Banana for scale...

1 minute ago, igor said:

Ah, the disposable shitbox stage. Then suddenly there aren't many left and they start to appreciate a little because people start to want them again.

The same old curse.  Was most evident with late E30 BMWs, then E36 and Merc C-class. As soon as the used imports hit the market, the arse dropped out of the prices and suddenly every cunt had one and now they've all but disappeared.  That said, the E30 series ate up a lot of them.

Currently waiting a couple of years for the Cupra Born to start being traded in - Similar size to a Mk7 Golf, sufficient power and decent range. 

Being VW's slightly mental Spanish cousin, it'll be a lot of fun if SEAT/Cupra past models are anything to go by.

So, from discussion last night, this is a roll your own adventure - He simply got the idea from sharning with some friends of his who ride - Like him, they've done their time on farm bikes and small road bikes and progressed up to some decent sport bikes.  

As far as route planning goes, that's to be worked out yet as it's over a year away, so plenty of opportunities to avoid certain death. The wife is keen on joining for some legs, as her titanium spine won't deal with prolonged 2 wheeled punishment but is already in talks with my sister about providing service vehicle + trailer duties.

Further details to come when planning actually results in firm ideas.

24 minutes ago, square said:

I played the confused boomer at one in omarama yesterday, drove there from chch, car told me to stop there and force feed it. The thing ( charger and car ) made some interesting noises getting juice rammed in at 600 odd amps.  The car said it was preconditioning the battery pack for superchargering before we got there whatever that means 

 

Impressive though, 350ks extra range in 20 minutes 

Tesla yeah? If you pick the charging station on the nav screen, it starts preconditioning (elevates, or cools I suppose) the battery back to the optimum to achieve the maximum available charging rate.  

@Ned will be able to explain it better.

Unsure myself yet - Will attempt to find further details tonight.

So, the bro in law just sold his S1000RR and bought this:

with the intention of doing the 125cc or less, Cape Reinga - Bluff? ride next year...

I said I'd do it in the most punishing style on something 50cc or less. I'm thinking Gyro for maximum grot/durry punching goodness.

Come on now, start with a full size one and whittle it down...

If you feel like going back to pleb-spec with a brush, a lot of Japanese armour was painted with brooms...

That way you be historically accurate and it hides a lot of sins.

The usual italian crunch on upshift to 2nd?

I got very good at splitting scavenged 33 boxes to find good synchro rings, or just taking the one from 5th and slipping it into 2nd. 

Stab in the dark, but a povo-spec 147/156 box won't fit?

Ahh true, I'm not well versed in transverse setup Italian cars. I thought there would be a bit more plug and play Latin Lego going on.

What flavour box is it? Would a clutch from something like a Punto turbo work? I imagine that'd be a bit higher rated than one from an NA combo.

10 hours ago, flyingbrick said:

I would like to re-iterate that Hamilton's charging situation is terrible. 

Had two cars lined up behind me yesterday and I have way less fucks when people try muscle their way in.

It seems like every second use of this particular public charger has someone tapping on my window asking how long I'm going to be, then loudly talking amongst themselves about how busy they are etc.. then they pace around between their car and the charger, constantly checking the amount of charge I have and looking at me like I should care.

Nah mate, im on 70% and this was going to be enough but since you are being rude and making me uncomfortable, I'm going to 90.

 

Got em at the BP and Z stations up there yet?

3 new chargers at the Z in Putaruru,  2 at the BP in Tirau and 2 Chargenet ones in the public carpark in Tirau behind Enchanted Cafe.