Wilch's NA6 Car Diary (comic book style)

Twiggy · Postby **Twiggy** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:28 am

Fantastic work! I'm really enjoying reading this.

Postby **Okibi** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:56 am

I love it, thanks for putting in such an effort and sharing with us!

RawSouth · Postby **RawSouth** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:14 am

Awesome man! Just awesome!

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:43 am

Love it. Keep up the good work man.

Bauer · Postby **Bauer** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:51 am

A great read. Well done

CheyneX5 · Postby **CheyneX5** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:01 pm

I'm a huge fan! I will follow this for sure.

RobH · Postby **RobH** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:29 am

Great read and fantastic photo's.

Love the photo of the box on the table with the light coming out of it. I have that feeling when a new part is delivered as well.

Looking forward to seeing more.

DaveWA · Postby **DaveWA** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:48 am

EPic!

slug_dub · Postby **slug_dub** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:50 am

That's a very entertaining read :mrgreen:

Your car is absolutely killer!

bruce · Postby **bruce** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:37 am

Nice. But I was promised BOOBIES!

wilch · Postby **wilch** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:17 pm

Thanks for the positive vibes guys!!

There'll hopefully be more updates with parts next week. Fingers and toes crossed!

wilch · Postby **wilch** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:42 pm

Don't ya just hate waiting!

There's one thing I've always said I'd be installing on an MX5 if I ever bought one. Literally always. For reasons of safety, and a little bit for looks. But I've had to be patient. Organising things around the Christmas/New Year break is exceedingly hard at the best of times. This year's been harder for some reason. Anyway...

(excuse the change in tense in the images!)

I injured my back some time around the start of last year, and it's been getting better ever since. I actually felt it had nearly healed 100%. Which turns out is a bad thing. I pushed myself a little too hard the week before last, doing the above fix on the MX5, an oil/oil filter change (which was a mighty pain in the arse. My arms won't fit where they need to to get the oil filter out! Took me 3 hours to finish this normally simple task *shakes fist*), as well as 6 hours in my garden mowing, pruning trees, and clearing dead tree rubbish. All because I felt strong'ish again.

Wrong.

I went for a very early morning drive the Saturday before last. I managed to get half way to my destination and found myself in serious trouble. I didn't know it at the time, but I had popped one of my vertebrae out of place ever so slightly mid corner, which then pinched a nerve, which then caused my lower and mid back to spasm.

It was at this time that my clutch leg went numb, and I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my back...I was 30 minutes at least from home, and the pain was getting progressively worse. I had to turn around. A feat in itself without power steering and the pain.

On the way back my pain level was increasing, and my ability to drive decreasing. I stupidly pulled over, and attempted to get out of the car. Once out I noticed I could not straighten my back without severe pain. To give you a mental picture, stick your hips out to the right. That's how mine were stuck.

My parent's house was closer than mine, so I made my way there. By the end of the day I couldn't stand, sit, or lie down without severe pain. What had happened last year had happened again.

Long story short, I was taken to have a catscan again and was told that surgery was an option, but I instead have opted for intensive remedial massage and chiro this past week, coupled with anti-inflammatory's and other drugs. Same as what I did last year. I can now stand up straight, walk, and drive (with a back brace) with only some discomfort.

So anyway, the things in the box have had to wait.

...and they're still waiting.

But one thing didn't have to wait. On with my back brace, and armed with some pain killers:

I booked some time at MX5 Mania with David. Today was my first time dealing with David and Ajay. Good guys. I spent most of my time there talking to David about his and his son's go karting, as well as some things about his gold MX5 race car. All while he was installing this:

A Brown Davis roll bar. I've always loved the way these things looked, and I've always been wary of the fact that if the MX5 were to flip there's nothing but my head between the ground and the car.

On the way there I took Galston Gorge (my back hated me for it), and on the way back I again took the Gorge (my back really hated me for that). I think the car did feel different. Stiffer. That said, I was in pain...but also having a bit of fun.

So here we are. Roll bar installed, car safe and sound, and wilch on pain killers resting his back.

wilch · Postby **wilch** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:30 pm

Hmmm, silly me to start researching after the fact. But I've come across some nasty posts on a U.S. forum about these Brown Davis bars being nothing but style bars due to their mounting points etc.

I'm not sure I'm happy about this...

I'm going to search these forums now for info. *sigh*

Jeo · Postby **Jeo** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:34 pm

Yeah... I read similar things on the US forums before I bought my MX5+ bar. I wasn't sure how to take it either.

Guran · Postby **Guran** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 5:56 pm

I suggest you phone Brown Davis and ask. They are a reputable business that has been around for many many years, and they thoroughly engineer and test their products. They are NOT style bars. However it is important that they are correctly installed.