A common question that I encounter while looking at the next sports car goal (which I have affectionately named “the future dilemma”) is whether I want it to have a manual or an automatic transmission. This is a serious question. The first time I ran into this was when I purchased my Mazda 3. That Mazda was the first car I actually purchased wholly on my own. I vividly recall that when I.. Read More
I’m ready to discuss the future dilemma as of today, just shy of August, 2021. I haven’t been able to post as regularly as I have been going into the office, returning to some semblance of normalcy. Today I happen to be working remotely so I thought I would check in. My primary goal remains debt consolidation, and I will continue on this path for the foreseeable future. That being said, I still.. Read More
Let’s call it, Project CELICA – Level 2. I’ve invested somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 thousand dollars into Project CELICA between parts and associated labor, but the car is night and day different from when I purchased it. The most major upgrades came from the clutch, flywheel, wheels and tires. Don’t get me wrong, the most important repairs were the timing chain cover gasket and chain tensioner because oil leaks of any.. Read More
I confirmed that I currently have four different tires on my car from three different countries. This is nuts. Passenger side rear: Cordovan Velozza ZXV4, 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2016 ($109.99) (USA)Passenger side front: Keter KT757 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2016 (China)Driver’s side front: Kumho Solus TA31, 225/40R18 88V, Manufactured 2017 ($171.00) (Korea)Driver’s side rear: BFGOODRICH g-Force Comp-2 A/S, 225/40ZR18 92W XL, Manufactured 2015 (USA, model subsequently replaced with A/S Plus) The driver’s.. Read More
I just wanted to update after a busy couple of weeks. Three out of four motor mounts have been replaced (save for the one with the nut that is free in the frame on the passenger side). The clutch kit, flywheel, and rear main seal have finally been replaced. The shaking of the motor is gone, and the previous (worn) clutch assembly and flywheel was in desperately poor shape as I expected. Now.. Read More
So I managed to crawl out of my slump. In retrospect I think my low spirits were relevant to the old saying “one step forward, two steps back” meaning that essentially every time I try to reach my goals I inadvertently set myself back further from said goals. Over time, experiencing this type of frustration just leads to you not wanting to even try to work towards the goals–the textbook definition for lack.. Read More
The concept of motivation is quite powerful. It’s not just the name of a TI song which resonated with me back in 2004. Motivation is the force that pushes. Motivation causes action–you can liken it as the potential energy behind the kinetic energy. It is your fire within. In its essence, motivation is the reason most of us get up every morning. It’s the reason why we strive for our goals and reach.. Read More
So a few weeks back, the garage door opened in the afternoon. Nothing out of the usual–I assumed my wife got home from work early. My wife was not home. I checked my Nest camera and she never came back, yet sure enough, the garage door opened. It proceeded to close and open a few more times. Clearly, shenanigans were afoot. First thing I thought, there must be bad wire connections between my.. Read More
So, let’s talk about laundry. Laundry is a chore, meaning there is never really a good time for it. You have to do it, so you make time for it. In my case, I made time before work as I have the privilege of working at home. So I shove my full load of laundry in my washer and wait for the alert that it finishes so I can migrate the load to.. Read More
So after watching Sebastian (2zzlow on YouTube) and yet another of his videos, my Dad and I think it useful to replace another motor mount under the battery support in the engine bay. This part ID is 12372-22020 and is called several names, the left mount, driver’s side mount, or transmission mount. I still don’t have the rear engine mount I ordered last week, but it usually does take a couple weeks with.. Read More