billybunters - from a bmw z4 to a mx5 se

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 7:42 pm

cahill's crossing Kakadu nt

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 3:39 pm

road trains nt

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 3:46 pm

An epic journey in such a small car.

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:11 am

Kakadu nt

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Sun Aug 02, 2015 12:01 pm

In this shot, I bet you're thinking "Thank god my car's not red - DOH! Forgot about the stripe, start the car honey, START THE F'N CAR, GO, GO, GO!":

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:24 pm

well she was actually yelling -get back to the car its kicking up dirt...lol

joshuam · Postby **joshuam** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 1:58 am

Wow, truly stunning shots and locations. Looks like an amazing trip!

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:07 pm

car has never really ran well since I have hit the warmer temp of 30 plus in the top end. I think I am down a good 50 bhp or more plus the odd spluttering. changed the plugs that helped a bit but not much. I now think it could possibly have something to do with my chiptorque re-chip. tune
I experienced similar in the odd hot days I drove it in orange nsw- i must admit they were the odd day not every day. I will know more once I drop to a cooler climate or road service...lol

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:43 pm

daly waters historic pub -1930's

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:54 pm

the stuart tree -daly waters

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:02 pm

eagle rock - largest eagle I've seen so far on the trip

billybunter · Postby **billybunter** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:15 pm

bitter springs nt

old telegraph station tenant creek

I was suppose to veer off to mt isa but "stella" the mx5 got her grove back and is making very good power. appear to like the low drop in temp by at least 10 to 12 degrees and appears very strong.

well it had to end here. stayed overnight in a cabin at the wycliffe well road house. the ufo capital of aust.

35 klm from the open limit section. I decided i'd give it one more run prior to leaving the nt. this time no passenger - no back pack -no bonnet bra. i decided to leave all the stuff in the boot to hold it stable as the extra weight really helps and around 7.30 am out i went. to cut it short it was a very easy run in top gear to the soft cut at 7050 and although I could have gone on to 7200 for the hard cut I called it.
back on a 150 klm cruise a minute or two later I was passed by a Nissan skyline - fairly new model like I was standing still - all this at 9am in the morning. I was probably on the road for an hour in total and we were the only two on the road.
still surprised how bad the car was running in the 33 to 35 degree heat and how it returned to normal once I got away from the hotter temp. my biggest surprise is how quick it is in the top end rev range and how much that luggage bag can slow you down

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:39 pm

Fantastic photos, really makes me want to do a long road trip.

It seems like ambient 33-35* is the temperature where your intercooler is getting heat-soaked (can't dissipate heat faster than it's heating up, meaning that it's not cooling the air down) - imagine how bad it would be with the token OEM intercooler which is 1/3 the size.

It's been long recognised that the token OEM intercooler gets heat-soaked quickly at the track but your experience demonstrates that in Australia and other hot climates that it's really a mandatory upgrade.