Archive for July, 2010

Turbo problems – more delays

The turbocharger arrived at CV Performance this morning, and I spoke to Con on the phone not long afterwards, but there was something wrong with it, so it has now been sent back.

I haven’t been informed of what the issue is exactly, but I’m assuming that the stuff-up was when it was sent for waste-gate porting. It makes the most sense to me.

The down side to all of this is that my car has now been gone for a week and a half, and I have no idea when it will be finished.

The up side? CV Performance discovered the issue with the turbo, and have sent it back to get resolved, and I’m not going to have a dodgy turbo fitted to my car.

CV Performance do take their time with their jobs, and honestly, I like it.
When the car has been there, they have always been very informative when I’ve shown up, or when I’ve phoned them about what stage the car is at, what the hold-ups are, and what needs to happen next.

Knowing that the car will be done right is very important to me, and CV Performance truly do leave me with the feeling that they are spending sufficient time checking that everything will be in good working order.

On another note, over the time I’ve been driving the Corolla that I’ve borrowed from Bas I’ve put more air in the tyres, topped up the oil slightly, and topped up the water in the radiator and reservoir.
It’s considerably less noisy now, and it feels much more stable at 100kph on the motorway.
At some point, I’m hoping to have a quick look at the power steering, it’s a bit on the noisy side.

XR6 intercooler shipping delays

It was originally suggested that my car repairs would take only two days. Today is day four, and some of the parts only just arrived.

There was a small shipping hold-up with the parts from Process West. Apparently I’m going to be getting a new experimental intercooler, which is similar to their stage three. Instead of being 100mm deep, it is only 90mm deep, and because of this, it needs no modifications to the car to fit it.

I was told that the new cooler has the same flow capacity, and the same ability for heat dissipation as the old one.

Right now I’m a bit antsy about the delays, but the cause is simply a lack of knowing where things are at right now. I don’t do too well when I’m out of the loop, or so to speak.

I’m curious, excited, and a little nervous.

Coastal carpet python

Most people that know me, know that I’m not really an animal person, outside of the standard domestic pets, primarily cats, but I don’t mind dogs either.

At one point of my life, I did have two mice, even though I was never really comfortable with them.

A friend of mine, Catie, has had pet cockroaches (eww!), and when I was visiting for coffee once, when she lived in Canberra, she told me that her snake had got out. I was certainly not comfortable, and considered standing on the lounge.

Tonight, while I was sitting at the tavern with Mark, Jaron, Woody Daniel and others, I had no idea that Daniel had an 80cm coastal carpet python wrapped around his neck, until someone pointed out the fact that a snake had appeared on the front of his shirt.

After startling the staff that came to clean the tables, one of the other guys took interest in the snake, and held it a while, then it was returned to the warm inside of a jumper.
Half an hour later, I asked if I could hold the snake. I explained that I wasn’t comfortable, but that it was one of those life experiences that I wanted to notch up.

All said and done, while I was pretty tense, I held the snake for a couple of minutes, but all was pretty smooth until it slid up my sleeve. Daniel grabbed it, and put it back in my hand, and I pulled up my sleeve, for another minute or so of snake holding.

I think that I would do it again, given a snake this small. Perhaps I should talk to Meredyth about hers.

It was only a couple of days ago that Saina mentioned the school holidays, but I completely forgot, and when Adam asked if I’d go shopping, I said yes.
I have to go to Supercheap Auto for a set of license plate covers, anyway.

I’ve always hated shopping centers, crowds and hoards of screaming girls. Don’t get me wrong, I like looking at girls, and Westfield is completely filled with eyecandy, younger and older. It’s the noise I can’t deal with.

As I type this, Adam and I are sitting on the roof, drinking hot chocolate, just taking a break from the screaming crowds.
When the drinks are finished, we’ll head back downstairs to EB games, some shoe shops, and eventually to Supercheap.

False Apple iPhone plans.

According to Telstra’s blog, the iPhone 4 plans leaked yesterday are not Telstra’s new plans, and the Telco giant has no idea where they came from.

In one way, I’m glad, as the plans were fairly expensive. In another, I’m now just that little bit more paranoid that Telstra’s plans will be even more out of my price-range.

Telstra iPhone 4 plans leaked?

Telstra iPhone 4 plans leaked?These look to be Telstra’s iPhone 4 plans, and as per usual, Telstra have no issue charging like a wounded bull.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking at switching to Telstra as my provider for the iPhone.

In Australia, they simply have both the biggest, and the best network available.

With 3, I’m having all sorts of reception issues. Any time I walk in to a building, things go to pot, and as Tim(b) said to me not long ago “Telstra has service everywhere. Carparks, indoors, pluto, etc.”

The plan with Telstra is $10 per month more expensive at a whopping $79, and has 750mb of data per month. I don’t even come close to using 300mb on my plan with 3 (which allows for 1gb).

My call credit per month would go up from $600-ish to $800, although I have no idea if calling would be more expensive, but given Telstra’s ability to take arms and legs, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are much more expensive.

Is it really worth the extra money for decent coverage, and hopefully-decent mobile internet speeds? Who knows.