The journey to Apu
Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:10 pm
I figured it's time to tell my story since Apu will spend the next few days at MX5Mania...
My car ownership journey started in 1992 with a brand spankin' new Daihatsu Mira. That's right...all of 647cc filling 3 cylinders that revved it's heart out to 32kW. It was cheap, fun, super-economical, had two seats and more luggage space than I needed. And I was regularly mistaken as the Pizza Hut delivery guy...the fact that it was red didn't help.
Second car was much more interesting. Two years later, I acquired a white 1994 Honda Civic VTi and promptly drove it into a kerb. My first experience with understeer, lift off oversteer, and an unhappy girlfriend who had to come pick me up. That was a lovely stretch of road though...winding, convenient, scenic, within city limits...Melbournians will know what I'm talking about.
Following that, I moved to Singapore...and that was a shock for the system. Think price of a 3 series BMW for a Toyota Corolla. Took me about 3 years to get over the sticker shock before I bought an Alfa 155. Sweetest sounding 2L 4 cylinder, but it had the most unreliable fuel pump and...a bunch of other things.
Many angry threats from girlfriend convinced me that buying a used 155 was not the best idea. Sucker for punishment that I was (am?), I decided that buying a NEW Alfa would solve my problems. I'm not sure if it was Alfa (un)reliability or intensive modifications were the reason for the Alfa 146 spending so much time in the workshop. Either way, it proved that that particular girlfriend was a sucker for punishment. Great minds, methinks. She married me, and was brave enough to have that Alfa as the wedding chariot. But just in case of problems, I had the Alfa Romeo Owners Club in convoy...
We moved back to Australia 7 years ago and after a stretch of incredibly unremarkable cars / MPVs (some I still have...unfortunately), mid-life crisis took hold. I wanted...nay! NEEDED a car that was fun to drive, and a convertible so that I could feel the wind rush through my fast receding hairline.
So I did what every desperate male in my situation would do. Go out and buy the first MX5 I test drove. Eh, it ran well, was less than what I was prepared to pay...and I now look like a freak with 4 silver cars at home.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Apu.
Unfortunately, Apu had to sit in the rain and unbeknownst to me...had blocked drainage channels. Thanks to Ajay from MX5Mania who handed me the most hi-tech tool for solving that problem.
Apu now does not have any underfelt, which is fine - I intended to strip the insulation anyway, but was too lazy to get to work with dried ice and a wire wheel. At least that made it easier for me to wire up the Stebel horns, haha!
More pictures to come as I add stuff to Apu!
My car ownership journey started in 1992 with a brand spankin' new Daihatsu Mira. That's right...all of 647cc filling 3 cylinders that revved it's heart out to 32kW. It was cheap, fun, super-economical, had two seats and more luggage space than I needed. And I was regularly mistaken as the Pizza Hut delivery guy...the fact that it was red didn't help.
Second car was much more interesting. Two years later, I acquired a white 1994 Honda Civic VTi and promptly drove it into a kerb. My first experience with understeer, lift off oversteer, and an unhappy girlfriend who had to come pick me up. That was a lovely stretch of road though...winding, convenient, scenic, within city limits...Melbournians will know what I'm talking about.
Following that, I moved to Singapore...and that was a shock for the system. Think price of a 3 series BMW for a Toyota Corolla. Took me about 3 years to get over the sticker shock before I bought an Alfa 155. Sweetest sounding 2L 4 cylinder, but it had the most unreliable fuel pump and...a bunch of other things.
Many angry threats from girlfriend convinced me that buying a used 155 was not the best idea. Sucker for punishment that I was (am?), I decided that buying a NEW Alfa would solve my problems. I'm not sure if it was Alfa (un)reliability or intensive modifications were the reason for the Alfa 146 spending so much time in the workshop. Either way, it proved that that particular girlfriend was a sucker for punishment. Great minds, methinks. She married me, and was brave enough to have that Alfa as the wedding chariot. But just in case of problems, I had the Alfa Romeo Owners Club in convoy...
We moved back to Australia 7 years ago and after a stretch of incredibly unremarkable cars / MPVs (some I still have...unfortunately), mid-life crisis took hold. I wanted...nay! NEEDED a car that was fun to drive, and a convertible so that I could feel the wind rush through my fast receding hairline.
So I did what every desperate male in my situation would do. Go out and buy the first MX5 I test drove. Eh, it ran well, was less than what I was prepared to pay...and I now look like a freak with 4 silver cars at home.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Apu.
Unfortunately, Apu had to sit in the rain and unbeknownst to me...had blocked drainage channels. Thanks to Ajay from MX5Mania who handed me the most hi-tech tool for solving that problem.
Apu now does not have any underfelt, which is fine - I intended to strip the insulation anyway, but was too lazy to get to work with dried ice and a wire wheel. At least that made it easier for me to wire up the Stebel horns, haha!
More pictures to come as I add stuff to Apu!
Big job and the choice of Rover or Ford 302 V8 (carbs, no ECU issues) or a crate motor like in this NC! From the Kiwi MX5 forum:
