[Kesler]

Howdy everyone, this is just a thread for me to spam myself - for all those looking to keep an eye on how the boy from Hemel is going with his new toy, this is it.

For those who haven't read my thread in the Newbie section, here's the 'Previously on Kesler's adventure' :

So............how did it go????

He's probably still out driving it, Kat!

Hahahahaha! I've driven it twice yesterday, then went out in the dutty diesel today.


So, what happened was - I decided I'd go and pick it up on Friday, so booked the day off then came all the reasons under the sun from my friends on why they can't take me. Luckily one of them said 'ok, let's do it'.


Friday, circa 8:00am
Hemel Hempstead


This arrived:

And we scraped all the way to Cambridge... 50 miles of pure wincing on the slightest of crevices! We had to pull over at one point to see if we lost something on the M11.

 

[Kesler]

What seemed to feel like 15 hours later, but was only 1.5, we got there.

There it was, my car:

Basking in all it's glory. The dealership saw us scrape up into the car park. At this point I got out of the car and ran over to what would be mine that day.

Unfortunately the paintwork prep was done on only the parts I pointed out - which I only did 10 seconds of, but was then assured the WHOLE car would be checked out and done. But hey, that's what warranty is for right? So when I'm ready to part with the car (finding this the real challenge) they will send out some crappy little courtesy car while I get the 86 taken away for a proper paint job.

Asking 'surely you'll give me a like-for-like car to drive in the meantime', while pointing at the 64-plate 86 next to mine, they laughed. Well I thought it was a valid question.

Anyway, Finance do what they do best - make you wait. So I waited. Then for some reason I thought I was the only one in the dealership and noone could hear me to said quite loudly 'F&CK THIS, I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME PHOTOS'.

Had to apologise to the elderly couple who was looking at the Aygo behind me.

The photos when I was waiting:

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[Kesler]

Friday, circa 12:00pm
Cambridge

Famished, went into the city centre for food:

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[Kesler]

Friday, circa 4:00pm
Cambridge

Finance finally released the car to me. DROVE. IT. HOME.

Friday, circa 11:00pm
Saturday, circa 1:00am
Saturday, circa 2:00am
Saturday, circa 4:00am
Saturday, circa 5:00am
Hemel Hempstead

Car is still outside my house.

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[Kesler]

According to my spreadsheet, in no particular order I will line up to order:

• HIC rear visor - ORDERED
• Eibach Pro-Kit - ORDERED
• Cusco front strut brace
• New wheels (To be decided/keeping it hush)
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym2 - unless anyone advises other tyres?
• Milltek resonated secondary cat back
• Valenti rear lights

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[chopper602]

<ul>[*]New wheels(To be decided/keeping it hush)[*]Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym2 - unless anyone advises other tyres?

[/list]

Are you sticking to 17" wheels? If so, there is nothing at all wrong with the OEM Michelins, progressive level of grip, hard wearing and stand up well to track days. I'm coming up to 23K on mine (two track days and a handful of 'spirited' laps of the Nürburgring) and there is still quite a bit of tread left.This is of course, sticking to the ethos of the car.

 

[fridgeman]

I got a great deal on my bridgestone porenza 235 40 18, had the bridgestone before and got 20k out of them..£90 + vat fitted.

 

[Kesler]

<ul>[*]New wheels(To be decided/keeping it hush)[*]Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym2 - unless anyone advises other tyres?

[/list]

Are you sticking to 17" wheels? If so, there is nothing at all wrong with the OEM Michelins, progressive level of grip, hard wearing and stand up well to track days. I'm coming up to 23K on mine (two track days and a handful of 'spirited' laps of the Nürburgring) and there is still quite a bit of tread left.This is of course, sticking to the ethos of the car.

Hey Chopper,


The Primacy HPs? I am thinking of keeping the OEM wheels and maybe putting winters on them. The new wheels I'll go for are 18"s so am looking at alternative tyre choices. I know from my previous Type R that the Goodyears performed well, but it's only an assumption that it will work well on the 86 as this is now the RWD world.


Decisions Decisions!

 

[Kesler]

I got a great deal on my bridgestone porenza 235 40 18, had the bridgestone before and got 20k out of them..£90 + vat fitted.

Hey that's not bad you know! The Goodyears equate to £80 a corner, based on 225/40R18, so they're currently on my list. The Potz back then where fantastic in the dry, but questionable in the wet - not sure if they've changed the compound slightly since, what are you thoughts on the performance of them on your 86?


I'd also like to try the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta but can't seem to find them anywhere

 

[Kesler]

I'm coming up to 23K on mine (two track days and a handful of 'spirited' laps of the Nürburgring) and there is still quite a bit of tread left.This is of course, sticking to the ethos of the car.

Forgot to mention about this - that's phenomenal tyre deg!!

 

[fridgeman]

Hi Kesler,
Its funny but it feels better now than before..by that I mean I like the weight of the steering now more than before.

I have driven mostly on dry roads but I have had a little of the wet stuff, in the dry the grip is just superb it is like glue.

I dont tend to push on the wet so not the best person to ask but I have got no complaints with the bridgestone, to be honest they are much better than I expected as I cant make out any more trye noise compared to the ome tryes.

 

[Kesler]

Hi Kesler,
Its funny but it feels better now than before..by that I mean I like the weight of the steering now more than before.

I have driven mostly on dry roads but I have had a little of the wet stuff, in the dry the grip is just superb it is like glue.

I dont tend to push on the wet so not the best person to ask but I have got no complaints with the bridgestone, to be honest they are much better than I expected as I cant make out any more trye noise compared to the ome tryes.

Sounds great mate, thanks for the feedback! Certainly one to consider!

 

[Kesler]

So the week has been quite busy:

Friday - FF7 meet and screening in Enfield Cineworld. Christ there were so many cars there, didn't feel comfortable with my car there what with that many Saxo's and 106's and the like. There where however, a nice cordoned off area of nice cars which looked to be there just for FF7, and seemed like they had a bit of cash as they hired some security guy to look after the cars as they were in:

Didn't take any snaps of my car - I probably wouldn't like to go back to Enfield again.

 

[Kesler]

Saturday - Washed the car ready for Mimms Honda Day in Rockingham.

Yes I know what you're thinking. I was supposed to be on our club stand with my Civic but when I put it up for sale I didn't realise it was going to be sold so quickly - so I was left without a Honda.


A friend of my was lending me his yellow S2000 but unfortunately the ECU started playing up when we were testing it making sure it would be fine for the drive there and back, so I ended up selling my club stand ticket and will pay on the gate on Sunday, though would be parking at the 'non-Honda' bit - which was a little silly and extreme - about a mile away from all the other cars. Alas, that's for the Sunday post.


Quick car wash snaps - the missus wanted her car washed too, duly obliged:

Ready for Mimms

 

[Kesler]

Sunday - Mimms Honda Day. To be fair I'm still knackered writing all of this out in the office at the moment, I've only transferred the photos to my PC at home last night and done nothing else to it, I'll see if I can process a few of the day to show you all how it all is/went.

Just couple of phone snaps for now, timed.


5:00am - Woke up, slept again


5:45am - Woke up, heard lots of revving outside of the house


5:47am - Looked outside, turns out it's just one car, my friend who's going to Mimms with me, he's trying to get his car over the ramp on the driveway


6:00am - Turbo's through getting changed, toilet duties and everything in between, grabbed my stuff and went to meet up with the convoy


7:00am - McDonald's Jarman Park Hemel Hempstead, everyone was horrifically hungover. Was quite a funny sight.


7:45am - Shell petrol station, Hemel Hempstead - for those who couldn't be bothered to fill their car up the day before


8:something - Toddington Services, M1, to meet up with the others. Finally a photo:

8:57am - Bearing in mind we were supposed to get there at 8am, and planned to get there for 9am, we set off to Rockingham


--- Mimms time in between, photos to be posted up in the next few days ---


Knackered from the day, my friend chooses to sit by the car, instead of the lovely comfy seats IN the car...

Mimms over, drove back to get some dinner. Was then told by 5 difference conversations that there was a night meet at Costco Watford, so nipped over. Horrific. If anyone says to go to those meets, don't bother. You'll miss Match of the Day 2 for a start, and you'll be cold. And you'll be frustrated as to why none of these kids can park properly.


Ended up just parking, chilling out with the mate, who took his car out with me:

 

[Kesler]

Today - ludicrously tired. Yesterday's trip to London for a 4 year old birthday party should've been easy and chillaxing and the like. Clearly not - how can something so small have so much energy!?

Anyway, Few things dropped off at the office from the postie:


Customised GT86 heated seat switch garnish - seriously cool bit of workmanship, if you haven't got it already but would like to get one sorted in your GT86OC username let me know and I'll get him to arrange it, maybe even a group buy to keep the costs down?

Also a cheap little GoPro tripod mount - a second one, one for the selfie stick which created dramatic and epic drone-like photos and videos, and one for my Hague camera mount:

Yeah that Rollei can come off, and finally the GoPro can be used once more.

 

[Kesler]

Attended the Mimms Honda Day at Rockingham, photos throughout the day below:


IMG_6140by Andy Liu Photography, on Flickr



IMG_6150by Andy Liu Photography, on Flickr


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IMG_6164 by Andy Liu Photography, on Flickr</font>



IMG_6164by Andy Liu Photography, on Flickr



IMG_6374by Andy Liu Photography, on Flickr





Edited by: Kesler

 

[Kodename47]

Love the DC5R but I can't believe how big they look in comparison to the 86.

Is that a B series Mini?

 

[Kesler]

Thanks Steve, they are massive and what I couldn't get my head around is that Honda made a car back in 2001 and it doesn't actually look dated in 2015! A lovely car the DC5, and one I'd love to own one day. That or the FD2.

Yep that's the Dream Automotive VTEC Mini Cooper, B16 with a frank'd carbon Clubman front end to make a little space for the engine, on ITBs too


Full photos of the Mimms Day:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/andyliuphotography/sets/72157649488577634


Other albums of mine:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/andyliuphotography/sets

 

[Kesler]

So, I've bought a couple of things here and there. So much for 'learning the car' before the little mods go on!

The 86 has gone back to Toyota for the paintwork concerns of mine that's getting dealt with under warranty. I asked them 'what car will I get in the interim'.


'A Yaris.'


Ok, it's a 64 plate, has DAB, and has a reversing camera. But that's all the good stuff. Firstly it's a Hybrid. And it's an auto. And there was so much bird [email protected] on the car it could've warranted a colour change to DVLA.


I literally had to watch where I put my hand to shut the door. Hand sanitiser sales have gone up recently in the Hertfordshire area.


Anyway, to cheer me up,this arrived: