What Happens to the DC2 Lately?

In fact not much has been going on with the DC2 as it has rained on the weekends for the 5th consecutive weekends. For safety reason why don't do morning drive when it is wet. So last Saturday I decided to do something about it besides taking it out for fresh air. It was a bit sunny and yet cloudy Saturday morning and I remembered from last year I have had those TM spark plugs that I have not used. So I took the car out first to have the license plate re-made to meet the legal requirement (the orginal was way to small and the letters too tight together). After that I took the DC2 to Pak Lok and borrowed some tools for the spark plugs replacement. The existing ones (some NGK Iradium ones) were very rusty and brown in color, which was a sign of enriched air/fuel ratio.

Anyway the car fired up immediately and sounded a lot more energetic afterwards. What a feeling! The car was powerful, more linear and tractable in engine response, and was louder. It reminded me the time at ZIC race course in 2004.

On Sunday we canceled the morning drive because of the wet roads. Instead Tiki and I took it out the Shek O to have a breakfast. Boy, the car did feel very good! A lot of power and energy. Boy, was I rusty in my driving and the tight cornering? I definitely need more practice.

I need to wait another Sunday for the morning drive!

A Day with Meguiar's

It was a Sunday morning without rain. I have not washed and cleaned my C36 for over two weeks because I got the car wash by nature everytime we drove out.

The venue was at the beautiful Marina Club at the Clear Water Bay Country Club. We were invited to the Meguiar's Car Care Clinic 2006. There was the good reception by Meguiar's team, especially Tom and Matt. There was the very nice quality cold drinks and the buffet lunch.

To be continued.

Fun Driving in the Heavy Rain!

It has been heavily raining for a few weeks now. And I love driving in heavy rain, even though my rear-drive C36 was not supposed to be good at it. The steering feel provided by the Micheline in the wet was excellent. I like heavy rain because it coated the road surface with an added level of smoothness and refinement. The car felt smoother, rode better and had less bump-thumps on rough or broken roads. Of course there went traction and road feel, which I did really care for. The reduced visibility makes the same road stretches more interesting and challenging. And there were some big pot holes hidden beneath the water puddles, waiting to be discovered and shocked through the car chassis. Last but not least, the fun of hydroplanning, skidding and sliding under permissible conditions was worth a mention.

I love the elegant way the single-blade butterfly action wiper moves back and forth across the windshield. I hate the fact that the new generation Mercedes has ditched the single-blade design and opted for the the more traditional twin wipers.

The search for the 'right' MX5......

My first encounter with MX5 was actually a Miata when I was still in College (1988). I knew it was a great handling sports car. That was about it. It was last June when a friend Alex offered me one day with his 1992 silver MX5 that I started to discover something amazing about this little convertible. With the top down, I had never felt so direct and close to the road itself and other road users. The feeling was crude but great. Of course after the end of the day my throat and lung condition was not that good due to the air pollution. But the MX5 was not at fault.

The car was light, nimble, had great steering and cornering poise at not so high speed. Of course one couldn't compare to the modern cars which are more luxury, refined or grippy. It was indeed very very good. I regreted not buying this silver sample from Alex when he bought my Subaru STI sportswagon.

Since then I had been seeking and checking out whatever MX5s I could find. An auto would not work for a MX5 and it had to be a manual. Year 1991 and 1992 were the ones to look.

Between the convertible SL and MX5, Tiki and I would probably prefer MX5 for its friendliness when it comes to re-selling.

To be continued.....

What is a perfect car?

Why would some men focus so much energy and effort on the motoring experience, or to be specific, on their own precious car(s)? Every so often we change and modify our car(s) for various reasons. Every morning when I look at the mirror myself, I am looking at a fine example. What I can tell you that most passionate motorists have a consistent flow of desire, passion or drive that keep us going for the perfect car to own and for the perfect drive that would make us proud. In career we always rise to the level of incompetence. In motoring, we stretch our resource on car(s) to the level that strains our relationship with the better half or endangers our financial well-being. We are all some type of perfectionist in search of a perfect ride, where "perfect" is a concept. This leads me to think what is perfect? Is it a set of factors that need to fulfilled simultaneously, or are the factors moving targets. Or it is simply a bottomless pit. After 20 years of pursuit myself and watching other car enthusiasts, I can only tell I am getting closer to ever before, and feel less painful in getting the 'perfect'. That's all about it. When I talk to young kids mad about cars, I can see part of me in them. I have traveled far but yet not so different from the youngsters. When I talked to people who have arrived, I can see their desire not being fulfilled and readily detect some degree of emptiness, despite their perfect fleet of cars that we could only dream of. What lead me next? Hmmmm. It would be easier to search of a 'perfect' driving moment or experience. It is a moment, occasional one and may not be repeatable, when we are doing something about our own ride - driving, talking about or washing/waxing our own car(s). This would require us to live in the moment (the present moment), and to enjoy while it lasts. And let's not expect that the same sweet experience would come back in the same intensity tomorrow when we take our ride out. It does not always work that way. (to be continued.....)

My Ultimate Car?

Tiki asked me another day what would be the car I like to have without giving it a second thought. My mind went blank all of a sudden as I was pretty satisfied and happy with my present "fleet". I had no idea then. A few days later, I discovered I had figured out for myself all along. It has been a yellow body color Lamborghini Gallardo. Recently Lamborghini released a facelift as well as the Gallardo Spyder, also in stunning yellow. I also don't mind that my last name is part of the brand.

But then if I think about it again. Is it an Ultimate Car? It would be slow for the morning drive (because I need to be careful) and way too fast for the daily drive (and I cannot leave it on the streets like I do now in a carefree way). It will go neither ways in terms of being ultimate.

(to be continued.....)

Mercedes SL - Next ride?

As the C36 maturing in a daily car (two months since end of March), we have been thinking of selling the C240. I have been thinking perhaps it is time to get a very affordable convertible that Tiki always wants. And I always dream of having a true luxury car with deep luxury, great creature comfort and pillowy ride. The short list contains the Mazda MX5 (Year 1991 or 1992, manual transmission) or pre-1996 Mercedes SL (preferrably 1995 Silver body color with 3.2L in-line 6 with 5-speed auto, 1760kg, 25mpg, 0-60mph in 8.1s). Given the opportunituy I would definitely go for the post-1997 5.0L v8 (1840kg, 22mpg, 0-60mph in 6.3s). However the SL500 will be most expensive in terms of purchase cost and running cost (fuel and annual license fee). Just found out that the 'potential" SL320 is a 1993 black color model. Sigh! It is too old, and not in silver!

A short drive with S320

The silver S320 on the right corner of my C36 --------------->

I had a short drive of the S320 (W220, a silver color Year 2000). Softly suspended by AIRmatic DC system, the big car did have a good ride and very little road noise. The steering was very light, quick and accurate (well, in a way). Two things stood out from my impression. First it was the road noise. The noise level, if there was any at all, seemed to stay at the same level, regardless of the road surface. This was very different from the LS430 which was silent on smooth surface, but noise level rose very slightly but noticeably as soon as the tires hit the rough surface. However I would not say the S320 was quieter. Second the engine seemed to have good power and torque combination that can haul the 1'800-kg car in all kind of traffic condition between 1'500 to 2'300 rpm. Rarely it did go over 2'700 rpm. Of course I was not in a hurry and went with the traffic flow. On the contrast the 3.6L engine in car seemed to be happy revving between 1'800 - 3'000rpm in normal driving condition. No doubt the C36 was built more for mid to mid-high range power. And it relied on the large engine capacity to provide the torque at low end. If you ask me to choose I prefer the reasonable responsive but lazy style of the S320 engine.

TM Spark Plugs

After a busy week it was a Friday. I took a break from the office and went out to meet a friend Peter. I had the Torque Master Spark Plugs refitted in the C36. The car immediately felt lighter but the engine felt more freely revving. It felt more like a smoother and more refined 3.0L V6 rather than a big-bore in-line 6. Before the C36 felt heavier and the engine torquey and powerful. So they are two different characteristics. Couldn't say which I like more but I think the 6 TM plugs would save more fuel. With fingers crossed I really do hope so. I would have the TM plugs to stay for one week.

Things I don't like about modern cars

I have been test driving or road testing different cars, old or new, as much as I can. Over the recent years, I see an ugly trend of car design which deviate away from the common sense. First it is the increasing weight despite the advancement of materials. Second it is the engine and the amount of catalytic converters to meet the emission regulation. Despite the advancement of technology, our new cars today are heavy and sluggish and not necessary more fuel economical. To say I was disappointed with the direction or trend in the last 10 years would be an understatement. The advancement and technology had been there, but marketing and regulatory side-tracked it. It is also called diminishing return. 10 years ago a 2.0L engine car only weighs around 1200kg. Today it is 1400kg that a 2.0L engine needs to pull. Who really needs or wants to pay for that 200kg baggage? Better crash protection, cleaner exhaust, more comfort? For all that added weight? It is not going to help fuel economy, responsiveness in acceleration & braking, and cornering finesse. Talking about trade-offs!

Cayenne

A friend Eddie asked me to put random thoughts about cars in the blog. One day he asked why there were so many Porsche Cayennes on the streets of Hong Kong. I was wondering why and two ideas popped into my mind almost instantly. First many or a large percentage of Cayenne owners are the first-time Porsche owners. Second many people want Porsche cars but cannot buy Boxsters or 911s because they have a family to lurk around. Porsche Cayenne is not cheap but it would be most people's best excuse to get themself a Porsche. Of course let's not forget the edge on performance, engineering and image associated with Porsche. It is a runaway success. A business owner in Hangzhou, China, told me over dinner he was the first owner in China to have the Cayenne Turbo S just two to three weeks ago. Next time I hope I could get a ride in his new Cayenne.

Michelin Pilot Sport 2

The C36 spent a few days at the garage for a timing chain and chain tensioner replacement. Most of the time it was waiting. However last Saturday I got a good chance to try the Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires on my C36, thanks to Joe Lau, another owner of a beautiful black 1994 C36. Test drive back and forth confirmed the tire change was inevitable. I hated to see the still brand new Yokohama AD07 goes. However there was no way I could tolerate the stiff wooden ride despite the huge grip and confidence the AD07 had given to the C36. Because of the wet weather I did not drive the car too much. The car ran smoother on rough road and had a lot of steering feel in the wet.

Update June 1, 2006
After close to 1'000kms the handling and ride of Michelin tires did not deviate too much from my first impression. PS2 is not as harsh as the AD07 in the ride department. There is always an smooth, well-damped insulation between the road surface and the chassis. However this feature does not mask the fact that the C36 does have a suspension that is too stiff to cope with the broken pavements of Hong Kong, and yet too soft to cope with its own weight in tight corners. What Michelin excels over Yokohama is the ability to provide snappy turn-in and a more stable contact patch on rough and broken surface. In the grip department of course AD07 is a winner (Michelin really not far behind) but really in the daily city driving I do care about ride and handling more than utimate tire grip. (to be continued.....)

DC2 is back home!

Today I visited my DC2 at the KYB (one of the high end car tuners in HK) in the afternoon. All the suspension parts are replaced, with a few maintenance items to keep the car fresh. However I decided not to take the car home until after dinner.
Around 8pm I paid the bill and took the car out for a spin with Tiki (my wife). The handling problem was gone but the steering and chassis feel were less direct. It was okay as I like stability over over-sensitive dynamics. Then I asked Simon (owner of KYB) to do a demo of what the car could handle. The grip was great and the car was much more stable. But then we found out we had tons of old parts in the rear trunk. After they were removed and I drove the car home. Boy, the car was a lot lighter (at least by 25kg+) and somewhat more nimble and it could be felt. The short journey from KYB to home was simply a delight. Immense and responsive power, light-weight, nimble handling summarized the experience.

The ride of C36 continued to improve a bit today, I now played some music to a kind of sublime to bump-thump road noise. Believe it or not, it worked for me.

C36 with the SLK Alloys

Easter Weekend. Took two friends with cars to a Jinway (a HK tire shop) for tire and wheel service. My friend's Aristo GS300 JZ161 got a new set of 18" 5-Zigen wheels and a set of Michelin PS2 tires (235/40R18 and 265/35R18), replacing his two-year old 225/45R17 AD07 on an unknown set of alloy that came with the car when he bought two years ago.

Jinway showed me a fresh set of used SLK350 alloy (zero marks though) for my C36. 7.5Jx17 front and 8.5Jx17 rear. Not AMG style but look absolutely stunning in my opinion on the C36. They look great when I see the reflection of my silver C36 with the new wheel from the car parked next to me. They were also lighter in weight compared to the AMG Monobloc that came with the C36. I lifted them back and forth between old and new ones to confirm that there was a weight difference. The turn-in was lighter and more keen. The new SLK alloys made the slightly dated C36 looked younger, and actually made it more like a "C360'.

Yesterday I also changed my windshied wiper, too, for the forthcoming rainy season.

Small Fixes on C36

Mar 31, 2006 Fri

Brought the C36 to KYB for wheel alignment. Front cambers were found to be almost equal on both sides at 1 degree. That's a good sign because they were not adjustable. It also told me that the geometry of the suspension and chassis was intact during the last 11 years. At least I hope so. It would be nice to have a bit over 2 degrees to dial out the natural understeering. Of course the front castor could not be adjustable, both at 4 degrees. Simon of KYB dialed in a bit of toe in for the rear wheels (factory spec). Front toe were set at 0 degree instead of slight toe-in as specified by the factory.

After the wheel alignment the car's handling was improved and cleaner but not as much as I expect. At least the car felt more nimble but still understeer in most cases, making me a bit worried about carrying speed into corners. I was just wondering if I were driving the car the right way. I understand that the car was front heavy and tended to oversteer when accelerating out of corners. However the turn-in was really not very good, until the front loading started to lighten up.

AD07 is showing more grip everyday. However the side wall is a bit soft for the loading on the outside wheel during cornering. I could feel the front tire bited very hard but the side wall failed to support this level of grip. I have to put 32psi to help the sidewall stiffness.

I guess it would be slow-in-fast-out for the time being. The failure to carry speed into corner was disappointing.

Saturday - April 1st Rugby 7 weekend

Met up with Charlton with his white C280 and both of us sent our W202s to Pak Lok Garage for some small fixes at 10am. Tiki and I then went to the Rugby 7 game at HK Stadium.

Small fixes on C36 included: (a) horn, (b) ambient temperature display, (c) head lamp adjustment, (d) lamp inside glove box, and (e) windshield wiper. The attention to details at Pak Lok in getting the C36 back to perfect working condition was amazing.

Ah Shing (owner of Pak Lok Garage) met us up at the Tin Hau MTR with the C36 around 7:30pm after the Rugby game. I was told that the ex-owner of my 1995 C36 bought himself a 1997 C36. Judging from the condition of my C36 and a lot of money spent on it previously, I wonder if I was getting lucky. As a matter of fact I missed the chance to see the 1997 C36 about six months ago and I just knew it was the ex-ower who bought the car before I had a chance to see it. I was wondering if the 1997 model had a 5-speed but was told it was only a 4-speed electronic gearbox. In UK and USA 5-speed was offered in 1997 models.

C36 Another Small Fixes

Last Saturday I have the new Bosch ignition coils (total three, one for two cylinders) fitted. It was an easy job and the part cost was low. Now the engine purred smoothly while it pulled like a train. I had not fitted the TM spark plugs yet since the Bosch spark plugs in the engine were relatively new.

Somehow for whatever reason unknown to me the handling of the C36 has been improving while it approached my first 1000km. It feels more direct and the chassis is more responsive. I could not feel that car was front heavy at all. Only in tight corners I could feel that it was indeed a heavy car. It was not bad and I was surprised. Still the shocks were not responsive enough following the dips and crests of the pavement. Sometime I found the wheels out-of-sync and pounding the road surface. This was apparent in the hard driving, serious affecting roadholding and stability in rough pavement.

I checked my favorite Mercedes parts supplier at Mongkok - Valiant. They got me a quote of C36 original factory suspension (a set of four shock absorbers) which were in stock. But they would set me back around $10K HKD. Wow! I hesitate but decided that this was a safety issue worth spending. However since Easter Break is around the corner and decided to purchase the factory shocks shortly after the Easter holiday

And my good friend Simon found me today a set of fresh used C32 AMG wheels for a fairly reasonable cost. I would consider only if I could prove that it is significantly lighter than the AMG Monobloc.

I have driven the C36 for the whole week. My second fuel stop yesterday showed that the fuel consumption has dropped to HK$1.65 per km (or HK$785 for 485km traveled). Not bad at all. Considering a good mix of city, highway, 15 min of full throttle blasting with Evos.

C36 Updates 7

I suspect the handling could be improved with the shock replacement and/or lighter alloy wheels. The Bilstein shocks that came with the C36 were quite new and were suspected to be a source of the slow response of the suspension. I will try to find out next week if there are any Original Mercedes or AMG shock absorbers. I had bought two sets of Bilstein shocks before, Sports and Standard, in 2005. None of them worked better than the original Mercedes stock shocks that I fitted on the C200 and C240, in terms of handling and ride quality. And the difference is very easy to tell.

On the contrast, the Yokohama AD07s have developed fantastic grip. The grip is a bit much for the daily driving.

Here is the US C36 Spec from www.mbusa.com. Click to enlarge.

C36 Updates 6

Filled up the tank yesterday the second time - $710 for 420km traveled. $1.7 per km was reasonable because it covered a variety of road testing and fast running. No doubt if I drive aggressively it would be more than $2 per km. I still believe I can do 450 km per full tank if I am more careful with the gas pedal.

Last night I removed the spare wheel and tire from the trunk to lighten the rear load. Boy, it was a heavy piece, at least 15kg. This makes me think twice about not changing to a ligter alloy wheels. Why I removed the spare wheel and tire? It was because I would like to make the car lighter and the rear more agile (more tail happy).

My First Blog on C36 and.....

The image on the side is my last daily ride (C200), preceding my current C36. Both in Silver.

Yesterday the suspension overhaul has started on DC2. All the arms and bushes are to be replaced. Will get the car back on Saturday. Then I can tell if the handling issue is resolved.

Today I road tested a silver 2003 Mini Cooper 1.6L auto. It was a nice little car with nice sharp handling. But I was not impressed by its engine response with a couple flat spots, especially after driving the C36 for a while. In terms of ride it was comfortable but the body structure could be better.

Then the auto 1991 MX5 in red was not that impressive. It was just old, dirty and required a lot of work. Paint work and engine were okay. I was offered to have the car for a period of time.

The C36 remains a comfortable ride, abeit a bit heavy. However there is a slight ride issue. Even the shocks have been replaced (with Mercedes orginal Bilstein AMG shocks) the suspension is not well planted on the rough road surface with a bit too much wheel bouncing. However the traction and handling are sharp, and a bit too grippy for my taste as a daily car. In a nutshell it is just a bit busy and noisy in terms of suspension, otherwise it is very comfortable and a fine ride.

C36 with Nakamichi CD-300

Today I went to Mongkok to fit the CD Receiver Nakamichi CD300. It has a RDS radio and a CD player that can play MP3. RDS is an important feature for me but then only Kenwood, Sony and Nakamichi have RDS. I only had limited choice. I choose the HK$2,200 Nakamichi CD300 with RDS and MP3 - a new release from Naka. Its look is not stylish but who cares since it is in a car of more than 11 years old.

I have decided to not use the amplifier to keep the car light weight and simple. But the Focal speakers remain.

The low end torque is really impressive, not bad for a 3.6L.

The steering is still vague and the whole car does not feel sharp. I check the front camber visually and it does not look like it has enough negative camber. The car still track true and straight but it does not have much feel when the steering wheel is turned. Definitely it needs a wheel alignment check.