It's almost the end of 2008, after being away for about 4 years (not having a Honda) and still active online and offline with the Honda communities and scenes, i must say things have not really changed since year 2000. As we exchanged and commented our views/ideas, we managed to fix the big puzzle on what is still happening to this very day as we speak.
Healthy Competition Leads To Vicious Rivalry & Self-Destruction
Competition starts when u have a goal to win the trophy. To be better than someone else. And sometimes at the the same time to kill your own friend discreetly, ouch. To compete among friends is good if it helps both parties grow to be the best and at the end of the day,both share the cake.
These days, due to distinctive factors, people are willing to buy things secretly to so-called surprise everyone and unforgettably purchase an item which another best friend wants. Isnt sharing is caring these days?. Things do turn sour when communication stops and the secret agenda starts to boil in the person's heart. In the end, u lose a friend.
When insincerity crosses the line, i believe life has a special "gift" ready for you to make things even. Maybe a blown engine. Maybe an ugly car. Maybe life forces you to sell your car. "What comes around, goes around".
Scrooge McDuck Cost Saving Theory & Formula
These days if you have a b-series engine, things are affordable regardless of brands. Availability wise, parts are aplenty new and used. To be able to be "lucky" to purchase any new and used parts, u either buy them at the right time or be at the right place or both. There is definitely a need to go around far or near, weekend scouts and learn about the type or parts being brought in and the regular prices being sold.
The YEN currency exchange rates can be a reason for sellers to hike up the price but your personal budget is not a reason that you should be arguing to buy parts. I admit that sometimes im lucky and sometimes im not. When you have the money, the parts are not there. When you dont have the money, parts are piling above your head. The only trick to tackle this is to be firm with your decision and save for that particular parts. When the time comes, empty your pocket like a treasure hunter and hug the part like u never had it before. We call that appreciation and smart.
Everybody has patience, not everyone has perseverance to relax and enjoy the modification life. Being thrifty is good, being calculative is bad. Sometimes u buy cheap. Sometimes u buy expensive. Its a process of give and take. Good stuffs are not cheap. They come with good quality checks and they last longer. No point of purchasing branded parts when they are about to break and crumble like biscuits. Due to the fact its branded, ure enslaving and self-forcing yourself to purchase it. Stupid duck.
Monkey See, Monkey Do. Monkey Stuck Between The Bamboos
There are times when u make decision in an impulse. When that happens, your experience will navigate you to make the best choice. If your experience is weak, you'll always feel insecure. If you have experience, u have the sense of security on what to do next. What's with people following other people when they want to upgrade to something better? Too much insecurity maybe? Feeling being left out due to the fact newer is better than older? The only thing that makes u insecure and makes u decide with a fool decision when you cross the line blindly when others are not holding your hand. Well grow up!.
When it comes to b-series and the new k-series, you have to spend, let me rephrase that, invest on yourself to buy car books and magazines, spend a bit of time going to online forums. Spend some money on cakes and drinks during meet-ups. At the same time u expand your network of friends. There is no way you can know more and better without actually reading and compare your facts with other people. Unless u believe in your own theory i guess you can continue dreaming. Theoretically things do work.
In real life, engine does not perform well with assumptions, scepticals and stereotypes. Its all about personal investment, research and development. The more you invest, the more you get the answer. NASA is not a backyard shop that makes instant noodles and build rockets at the same time.
Tuned By Spoon-Fed
Whatever mods you do, always do some research and ask around. Asking around does not mean ure alerting the world ure building the fastest car in the world. Asking around is part of the learning curve. No harm of asking unless ure shy and a egoistic SOB. Having an ego the size of planet earth is not gonna win you anything, maybe it'll makes you stay and rot inside your closet for a long time. Try not to be a cry baby and expect everyone to nurse you and feed you with free flow information like a jugs of beers.
Life has some programs for you to pick your ass up and learn something of out it. Sitting behind the computer all day and hoping for a big ass gold to drop from the sky is nuisance. There is no such thing as the complete-extensive-comprehensive book that u can find and solve all your questions. U can compile all your findings and make such a book for yourself, not others.
- Sooner or later b-series engines are gonna deplete and if there are any more left in the next 10 years either they are going to be expensive due to demand or seriously cheap since nobody wants to play with them. Just look at the old single cam and Si engines. Nobody wants to buy it even if its cheap. So lets look it both ways.
- If you plan to maintain and mods your engine, you should have a basic knowledge on what is going on with your car. A simple idea on how an engine works should be a good start. You dont have to be a professional to be an expert. Read the manuals and books for starters. Being lazy adds you to the dumbass statistics.
- Anything on a k-series is triple of a b-series. So dont try to act smart and think that having a stock k-series can do wonders. It takes triple more money to build a k-series monster.
- Since we are on the losing side of having a lower currency exchange rate, you are bound to save 3 times more than people in Singapore or London. Living in Malaysia with commitments can only make you buy a small toy each month or maybe a bigger toy every 3 months. Its a fact unless you earn RM10,000 or more after tax and deductions.
- Im going to say this for the 100th time, k-series is the future. This engine is going to live another 10-15 years unless Honda decide to change its design to a greener engine. Same goes the Evo-X Mitsubishi engine. Same goes with the R35 Nissan Skyline.
- DIY is not the answer to fix all things cheaply, if DIY can be done on all matters, we dont need engine builders in the world. A housewife with 5 kids can set a cam timing before a dyno run and tune Motec M800, duh!.
- If you like b-series, be prepared and equipped with knowledge. Understand the wear aand tear factors before even modding the car. Classics and antiques can be cheap and can be a headache sometimes.
- If budget is an issue all the time, stop playing Honda. Stay with the national production cars and you dont even have to bid for rare parts on Ebay.
The last time i blog something like this was about 2 years ago. I hope i dont have to blog something similar in 2010 which is 2 years from now.
