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Re-post from STOMP if you haven't seen it. http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...nt.jsp?id=17582 http://202.157.174.100/20080407-ss-rudetax...er2/Player.html http://202.157.174.100/20080407-ss-rudetax...er1/Player.html

Any bro wan to share ur ride!!!

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...nt.jsp?id=11757 looks like china is the boleh land of the east asia. from "replica" cars to animal cruelty

The Electric New Paper : Why post online if you can't take flamings? Netizens slam blogger who filed police report after she's 'flamed' for her photos and comments THE pictures were personal and revealing. When Michelle Quek, 18, put them up on her blog last year along with some comments about herself, she did not expect a fiery reaction. 06 April 2007 THE pictures were personal and revealing. When Michelle Quek, 18, put them up on her blog last year along with some comments about herself, she did not expect a fiery reaction. But that was exactly what she got. It became so bad she filed a police report. When she posted a copy on her blog, it sparked off another wave of 'flamings' against her for 'over-reacting.' Which raises the question: How far should one go to defend oneself as the Internet becomes more and more like the Wild Wild Web? Michelle's problems started when an Internet user named Chao_turtle came across her blog and started a thread on a popular Internet forum last October. Literally translated, 'Chao turtle' means smelly turtle. In response to the post, other users started subsequent threads about Michelle in the following months. Michelle, a student, said there were four threads, each with hundreds of postings, and there have been about 2,000 postings. She was upset when many forum members commented on her pictures, and they took postings from her personal blog and put them on theforum. Some comments were polite, but many others were nasty and insulting. Soon, the flamers even moved the forums to her blog. The flaming went on for almost a week. That was when she threatened to make a police report. The forum users taunted her - and she went ahead.. On 28 Mar, Michelle filed the report at the Serangoon Neighbourhood Police Post against one Chao_turtle. Michelle said she uploaded her personal photos on her blog knowing that it would be open to the public. 'I'm fine with people viewing and keeping my photos, but not putting them all over a forum and insulting me over it,' she said. That night after going to the police post, she uploaded a digital copy of the report on the blog for all to see. The next morning, someone posted the picture of the report on the forum. The thread received a staggering 1,400 posts and 27,000 views in one day before it was closed by the forum administrators. Michelle said: 'These people have gone too far with their abuse of my photos and defacing of my blog.' She claimed they 'defaced' her blog by posting nasty comments on her tagboard, which is an electronic message board designed by her. In defending herself in the forum over these photos, Michelle said they should not be criticising her because there was nothing wrong with what she did. She was free to post her pictures, she had a family lawyer who would help her and her father supported what she was doing. Some forum members found her tone condescending. Others did not like the way she flaunted her lifestyle on her blog, about how her brother drove a Honda Integra Type R, a sportscar, and how she couldn't wait to get her licence so she could drive one. She also wrote about how her mother bought her a Louis Vuitton bag, from the Damier Azur Speedy collection. Other more daring users went on to flame her on her blog's tagboard. One anonymous post on her blog read: 'You are an open target... but you don't know who am I... hahaha... scared right...' With the overwhelming attention that she was receiving, Michelle started feeling paranoid. 'Will I get into trouble outside because lots of people now know how I look?' she asked The New Paper when we spoke to her last week. 'I'm from a middle-income family. I never said that I was rich,' she added. For Michelle, all she wants now is to be out of the spotlight. She feels more at ease after making the police report. After the report was posted on the forum, the flaming died down for a while. 'I'm a bit relieved now. I don't have to worry... If the flaming stops, I won't pursue this case,' she said. Is she over-reacting? Some netizens think so. Ms Helen Leong, 28, a regular forum user who read the posts, said: 'If she can't take the flamings on the forum, then why did she post her pictures online? 'It's common sense: if you post anything online, you have to be prepared for flamings. 'The correct thing to do if your pictures are leeched and posted on other forums is to inform the forum administrators to remove the pictures.' Some others acknowledged that users like Chao_turtle may have overstepped the line by using words like 'slut'. A 24-year-old engineering undergraduate who took part in the forum wrote: 'Chao_turtle is entitled to his opinion, although I do not agree with the way he started the issue.' Forum user Han Ming Guang, 22, an undergraduate from the National University of Singapore, said that making a police report was 'ludicrous'. 'Flaming happens everywhere,' he said. 'If she can't handle it, ignore it. If she can't ignore it, then she should just make her blog private.' Michelle has now locked her blog pictures with a password to restrict access. When contacted, a police spokesman said: 'We found no criminal elements disclosed and have advised Michelle to liaise with the service providers to remove the objectionable content.' Copyright

As in any other weekday, I was travelling along the AYE towards the Buona Vista Exit on the 3rd lane of a 4 lane Road keeping a distance of about 1 car length from the vehicle in front moving at about 70km/h-80km/h. Out of the blue, a 20 year old SBN ****Y COE junk blue Merc cut into my lane forcing me to jam brake but realising that it was not enough to stop, (remember, it was only 1 car length away from the vehicle in front and he could pull such a stunt! the big lorry behind me also about 1 car length away) I swerved to the right, missing another car who drove defensively and braked a little sensing that I might swerve to the right. All this while my hand was on my twin magnum horn for a good 2 seconds but the blue merc driver calmly and confidently just took my lane. The result? 3 CARS sharing 2 LANES side by side! Blue merc, me in the centre on the dotted lines and a black sedan on my right! Next, I heard a barrage of horns behind at least 7-8 different long and loud horns. I hope it was not an accident as after we spaced ourselves out, I saw a big empty space in my rear view mirror. Quite a few vehicles had stopped! I horned after that bugger for about 5 seconds on his tail and he refused to stop. I drove along side him about 1km later on for about 3 seconds horning and signalling him to stop intending to tell him off about his horrid driving and the possible accident that he had caused but he refused to even look at me choosing to continue driving. For such an irresponsible and dangerous driver, I trailed him all the way right behind him into the cte and he drove his pathetic car to the Hong Lim police post. He stopped and called the police on the phone and i parked behind him. All this while we were both in our vehicles. When 4 policemen came out the door, i exit my vehicle to tell the police what happened but the police told me to stay near my vehicle and then that chao ah kwa finally came out and approached the police. some 40 something old guy. I explained the situation and had my particulars recorded before i was told that i can go. The purpose of this post is that if anyone was injured in any accident along the AYE at about 7.15-7.25 a.m. due to the inconsiderate driving of that joker please feel free to approach me to be a witness. I hope that there were no accidents caused by all the confusion and sudden lane changes. And that chao ah kwa, dare to do this kinda stunt dun dare to take responsibilities for his actions. c'mon. did he think that just because he was protected by a car's metal body he can pull that kinda stunt? When asked by the police why he did not stop after he knew he caused considerable confusion on the road by his reckless driving, he claimed that he was afraid that me or others will hammer him. hahaha and i replied the police that this is singapore and that road rage is a very serious offence. Both the policeman and me smiled to each other. So that ass of a driver dared to pull stunts which could have or maybe even caused an accident (i'm not sure but guessing so because lots of vehicles stopped behind me after the incident)just because he was protected in his car but dare not apologise or check if his actions had caused an accident. Initially, intended to trail him to see which office building he was going to so I could lodge an appropriate report to the traffic police but that chao ah kwa drove right to the poloice station. best now. If there was an accident, he cannot distance himself from it now as he had just positioned himself at the scene of the crime. ok thats all folks. p/s never let horrid drivers get away with such horrid acts.

Mitsubishi Motors raises forecasts By Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo Published: October 30 2007 09:49 | Last updated: October 31 2007 00:07 Mitsubishi Motors on Tuesday revised its full-year sales and profits forecast after reporting a 30 per cent rise in first-half sales and profits, reflecting strong performances in overseas markets. MMC, which had its first operating and pre-tax profits for the first half in five years, raised its full-year revenue forecast by 11 per cent to Y2,700bn ($23bn) and its operating profit forecast by 37 per cent to Y70bn. For the full 2006 year, sales were Y2,203bn and operating profits Y40.2bn. The net income forecast for the full year was unchanged at Y20bn due to expectations of higher taxes. MMC

For those who are interested in these tyres - this is my review. Long, so for those who do not like details, I suggest you skip this post. History of tyre usage: Pilot Precedas, followed by Yokohama ES-100. This so you know what I'm comparing against. Style of driving: Mildly aggressive. I tend to take corners faster than others. No track days at all, street driving only. Wheel size: 14" My ES100s were wearing to the wear bars already, which prompted me to shop for new tyres. In the 14" sizes, there are not many high performance tyre choices, and I do not want to give up my 14" wheels which I find nice and light. Also: the fact that bigger tyres are always more expensive, and I do not see the point in going bigger. I asked myself what I wanted in new tyres. The ES100s served well; good dry grip and good wet grip for about the first 80% of their estimated 27,000km travelled. However I am able to feel them sliding at dry corners taken at a higher speed. They became quite scary in the wet as they wore down to their wear bars. I locked my tyres twice during the last 1000km of their service. All tyres do that I suppose. They get noisy at about 20,000km, but that was not something I was too concerned about. I'm quite impressed with their hydroplaning-resistant capabilities, but wet grip could be better. So before I changed tyres I asked myself what are the five most important qualities my next tyre should have. Perhaps you should ask yourself too, if you are intending to buy new tyres. With my style of driving, my wheel size and the kind of car I'm using, I decided on these five priorities in order of importance: 1) Wet Grip 2) Weight 3) Dry Grip 4) Comfort 5) Tread Wear Reasons: 1) Wet grip. No matter how good you think your tyres are....everything pretty much comes to the same level once you drive in the wet. No tyre in the world has equal wet and dry grip...all tyres have reduced grip in the wet. I have experienced a 180 turn in wet weather, sliding during ebrake manouveres and the feeling of losing control due to hydroplaning. All experiences were unpleasant, and I was lucky to have not met with an accident. That is why wet grip is my top priority, and will always be, given our tropical climate, my high daily mileage and the ever increasing number of idiots on the road. 2) Weight. I do not have a powerful car, so my priority is to keep my unsprung weight to a minimum, even if the weight savings are less than a kilo per tyre. My car is sensitive to unsprung weight changes and I do not want to lose the handling I am enjoying now if i change to heavier tyres. 3) Dry grip. As mentioned the ES100s had good grip. They were able to take quite hard cornering (Reminder:Not on track,on SG roads only). However I quite dislike the greasy feeling they gave me at times...can be fun sometimes, sliding around and being able to break traction but I prefer to have more dry grip. 4) Comfort. The ES100s were quite harsh especially so during the last 2000-3000km or so of their lives. I usually pump them to 32psi front and 31 back and even with a 60size sidewall, they were quite hard. My Bilsteins are rather stiff shocks, and while stiffness usually aids in cornering, my daily driving route can be uncomfortable. Having harder tyres than the ES100s will definitely be a negative. 5) Tread Wear. Last in my list, since I chance my tyres every two years and less, which is about 30000 or more km. Some tyres wont last that long and I do not want to spend unnecessarily on a fast wearing tyre (which will probably made with a softer rubber compound, redundant for my needs). So my new T1Rs are 195/55 R14s, which gave a slightly wider footprint than the ES100s. I have a soft spot for aggressive looking tyres, and the T1Rs did not disappoint me in the looks department. Comparing with the ES100s, they are slightly softer. This is at about 30psi all around, and I will pump up to 32psi all around and probably report back the results here. But probably the most shocking discovery of these tyres - they are squirmy. I tried some hard cornering and the feeling is like I'm riding on jelly the split moment after I jerked my steering wheel . Examining the tread pattern of the T1Rs , I understood why they were like that-the T1Rs have deep treads and a relatively high void volume....the weight of my car rests on the relatively tall treads. However once this split second squirminess goes away, the tyre stays planted to the ground. I have not driven my car as hard as I did with my ES100s and I will do that after when I feel the tyre has worn its mold compound sufficiently (and probably report here too). I had some chances to drive the tyres through puddles of water about one inch deep - cuts through with very little resistance, and this is with a speed of about 60-70kmh. Impressed. On damp surfaces (damp means no standing water) they are greasy but I attribute that to the mold compound not scrubbed off completely yet. On wet roads (wet means a thin layer of water on surface) they perform well but like I mentioned before, slightly greasy. They are quiet but not dead quiet as some people report them to be. But considering I was from worn ES100s, any tyre will probably be as quiet. Not an issue to me though. Perhaps the most impressive observation was the lighter feeling my driving felt with the T1Rs. Again, I do not know whether it is because of the mold compound. But the car feels slightly lighter overall and I like it. I have not observed my petrol consumption after the change but I doubt it will be of any significance. Another plus from these tyres, they do not crash on road imperfections, something which I encounter daily with my previous ES100s. It feels more comfortable and my journey is more forgiving. Take note that softer tyres will absorb more shocks, stressing your suspension components less. For the record I was also considering the highly recommended Hankook RS2s, but the RS2s are heavier, harder and although they drive well in the rain, from user reports I have read, T1Rs win over the RS2s in this department. The RS2s were also cheaper than the T1Rs but my research points that the T1Rs last longer. So if your priorities for your next tyre are similar to mine, I recommend these Made in Japan tyres over other tyres. Oh and I really think the tread looks nice, did I mention that before? N

The following link brings you to the real good quality post-it pranks, unlike some half fcuk attention grabbing attempts in singapore. http://www.justkeepthechange.com/getting-c...h-post-it-notes

Don't ask me what it's about. Just happen to see 3 girls sticking Post-It all over the CRV. So distracting during lessons!

http://drawahouse.com/TakeTheTest/

Dear Moderators, I wish to propose for your review and consideration as to whether it would be good for members to indicate their age or age group under the 'Edit Profile' section. I know that some or if not majority of female members might not feel comfortable in indicating their actual age. But at least they could indicate either they are in their early or late 20s, etc. At the same time, we would be able to distinguish members who have yet got their driving licences and/or teenagers. The reason that I am proposing this is that it would be good for me (I can't speak for others as this is only my suggestion) to be able to gauge the level of communication pertaining to issues in the FORUM.

Not too sure if you have experienced it. I posted a normal class ad selling a set of rims taken off my new ride in a car enthusiast forum (no names/car make mentioned) and the very next day, I got a PM from the moderator giving me the price options. I mean, surely, there is a difference between an individual and a vendor!! To solicit 50 bucks for a one time ad was way too shocking for me! (call me el cheapo). I was duly informed that the advert will be deleted if no payment is made. What say u? I taught it is radical but kinda high handed.

Dear MCForumers I was involved in an accident earlier yesterday, at 6.35pm along Simei Avenue. I am posting this thread so that other forumers, as well as I, could gain some learning points from the abovementioned incident. I hope the kind members here would share their knowledge and pointers on how I could have handled the incident better. I was driving along Simei Avenue, after just exiting PIE, and I stopped at a junction. I looked at my rear view mirror and saw a white Toyota Corolla behind me. There were two youngsters in the car, both wearing T-shirts of the same design. The driver of the Toyoya then put his head out of the window, looking at another car...perhaps he knew the driver of the other car and was communicating something. When the lights turned green, I moved off and the white Toyota sped off and overtook me. It seems he was racing with another car. I just made a remark to my wife who was beside me that these guys were really reckless to do so at a busy stretch of road. As I wanted to go to The Singapore Expo, I kept to the 3rd lane and before I turned into the filter lane, I saw at the corner of my eye that the Toyota was reversing from the junction in front of me. It was in the second lane and obviously the driver had realised he had bypassed his route and decided to move to the filter lane as I was. I could see the body of the Toyota is moving perpendicular to my direction. I was by that time at the filter lane and I sounded my horn. As I stopped at the filter lane in order to check and give way to traffic, I got a bang from behind. The Toyota had banged into me. I stepped out of the car, assessed that the damage to the bumper was minor..only scratches. With further inspection, the bumper had been slightly 'dislocated' at the joints. The driver of the Toyota and his friend told me to settle and said it was just scratches and could be waxed off. I told him that I need to bring to a workshop to assess the damage and as I pointed out to the guy that he could see the bumper was not properly positioned already. By that time, a TP came over and asked if anybody was injured. The driver was shaken by the presence of the TP. I said nobody was injured and he said to settle among ourselves. The TP then rode off. As I checked the Toyota's driver driving licence, I realised he had just passed his licence in Nov 2006. I also realised that he didn't display his P Plate. As I didnt want to make a big deal out of the matter, we excahnged details and I said I will be willing to go to his workshop. I realised that we were both going to Singapore Expo and they were working for a PI which was having a booth there. What happened next made me really think whether I had been a fool... While I was at the Expo, I received a call from the Toyota driver and it was his boss. He was very friendly and asked if I was still at the Expo. I said I was and he asked if he could look at the damage. We went to look at my car and he said it's very minor and he offered to send a mechanic to rectify it for me the next day. My car could be left at any location and they would come over and repair it for me. I agreed to it and the guy's boss told him to write a letter stating he would pay for the full damage to the car. I was impressed with the boss, really helping his employee. About 3 hrs later, I realised that I have to use the car the next day. Since my car is an OPC, I smsed the driver and requested $60 from him. The reason why I asked for $60 was because I planned to drive my car to Sin Ming, a sticker workshop, so that my friend would be able to see what the mechanic from the other party would do to the car. In order to do that, I need to pay for the OPC licence, which is $20. By leaving the car at Sin Ming, I need to travel to my workplace at Bukit Merah during peak period. That would be about $20 per trip. I called the driver to explain the breakdown and he agreed, but he stated that if I could present the taxi fare receipt and claim that amount. I said that would not be a problem. What happened next was really unexpected. A few minutes after talking to him, I received a phonecall from his boss. His boss was angry and raised his voice at me. He said that I shouldn't claim a single cent from his boy and since I am being so fussy, I might as well claim the insurance. He 'reminded' me that the damage is very minor and also stated that I should remember that my excess is $500 (though it isnt). He stated that they are in the car business and they would know how to write the insurance report. I was taken aback by all this. It was a total change of attitude. I asked him what did I do to offend him and I have been cooperating. All I asked was for a courtesy sum($60) for my inconvenience. He kept on talking about not doing the car. After awhile, I explained to him the situation and said that if it is his car that got banged, would he just leave the car to a stranger to fix it without knowing what is being done. After getting his word, I agreed not to ask for the compensation. I hope the brothers here would advise me on the proper procedure and also what I could have done better. Perhaps asking for the compensation (OPC coupon and two way taxi fare) was out of line? Perhaps I should have reported to the TP who was there to take down the guys particulars. All this has left a sour taste and really made me ponder whether I should have been nice at all. I believe that the boss was agitated because his boy kept calling him in the middle of the night and thus responded in such a way. This thread is not meant to attack the PI but I hope the brothers here can shed some input on the best way to handle the matter. Your input would be truly appreciated. Thanks.

Anyone interested... Thanks

http://chery-vertex.com.sg/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1170675285 Is it true that police can catch people from those camera install on lampost along the expressway? Where can I get the confirmation?

Not sure this feature is available, but I can't find it. Can we have the search function return the result at thread instead on post? If a thread got few hundresd post, it will return so many pages.

By Julian Lim - Feb 24, 2007 AsiaOne [/size] Car buyers have been flocking to showrooms and emptying their red packets for downpayment, as car dealers see red-hot demand for new cars following the COE price plunge and Chinese New Year holiday. Champion Motors, the local Suzuki distributor, reported a 30 per cent increase in bookings after COE prices fell to their lowest level in 17 years. The popular Swift and SX4 Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) have been snapped up quickly by buyers, some of whom could have been waiting to see if there would be any further cuts to ARF (Additional Registration Fee) in the latest Budget package announced by Second Minister for Finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam last Thursday. Parallel importer, Car Times, saw more families visiting their showrooms since reopening on Wednesday, and up to half of them made bookings, which translates to about 20 per cent increase in overall sales. Attributing the surge in interest to the latest COE pricing anomaly and the long Chinese New Year break, Miss Gem Yeo, Executive Director of Car Times, named Toyota Wish and new Honda Stream as the best-sellers among the new orders. The Category B COE price for these two models have fallen from $12,152 to $6,002. Mr Kenny Chua, a graduate student who recently ordered a Suzuki SX4, was among those who were tempted by the low-COE price to change car. "I've already owned a Korean-made car for more than three years. But, with it starting to present some problems, the drop in COE did make it easier for me to get a new car." Many AsiaOne readers seem to have been infected by the car-buying itch. Nearly 56 per cent of 60 readers in an AsiaOne poll indicated that they are considering buying a new car. But the good times may not last. The surge in demand has prompted dealers to raise prices. For instance, prices of Honda's hot sellers, the City, Jazz and Civic (1.6), have started inching up by S$400

Hi Bros, Living in the sembawang drive area,overlooking the JTC Sembawang Area (Woodlands Ave 10). Several unused busstop there right...assume you coming up from the Sembawang Camp area towards Wdlands Ave 12..u pass by the new Sembawang Temple..then go up..just abeam of JTC Sembawang that busstop...near the beige and blue window HDB..that busstop..recently TP bike park there..not very easy spot due to heavy vehicles parking and cos people zoom by fast..TP lean near railing WATCHING people just be careful , think before steppintg

head down to Madza Showroom at macperson right now? The New CX7 is still wrap in a golden butterfly bow waiting to be unwrap Sorri didnt have time to take pic tho

how

Check link below: http://www.mycarforum.com/...i?post=618475#618475 I believe many of the Aveos and Optras should be experiencing this. Please note that some of you might want to keep the beading water surface. This is not something for everyone. If you are not the high speed driver type and juddering wipers irritate you, this is THE solution for you.

Taken off another website on Mobile Audio. Welcome to the wonderful world of car audio! This hobby can get expensive, so, yes, it's important to gather all of the information that you can before you begin your install and start purchasing products. Otherwise, you will end up like most of us here who are constantly upgrading and changing our setups to make them better, since we may not have learned all that we would've like to when we started our own systems. I think it will be hard to find a good DVD/in-dash screen with good processing or a separate processor, and amps, speakers, etceteras given your budget. #1. Which vehicle will you be installing this into? This will determine quite a few factors and eliminate useless suggestions. You mentioned that this will be a car that you spend a lot of time in, so it's your daily driver, right? #2. Do you know if you want to try and use the OEM or Stock Speaker Locations in your vehicle, or are you willing to tackle some wood, fiberglass, and possibly metal fabrication to achieve better speaker locations and possibly Sound Quality? Fabrication means three things: Time, Money, and a Learning Curve if you're a noob (but IMO you do learn more from 1st-hand experience.) It's possible that the results may not come out as you expect the first time around and you might have to give it another go to get it right...which most likely means more time and money. Taking your car to an EXPERIENCED shop and installer MAY save you time and MAY give you better results, but will no doubt cost you quite a bit more in Labor charges. Get 1st-hand recommendations here for quality installers/shops if you decide to go this route BEFORE you pick one! If you have a great installer/tuner, it can be well worth it! Trial and error by doing it yourself or with your buddies can be a great experience, too! #3. Do you know if you want to stick with a 3-way setup (Tweeter, Mid, & Subwoofer, (which is easier to install/setup, & tune) or a 4-way setup (Tweeter, Midrange, Mid-bass, Subwoofer, (which is more difficult to install, setup, and tune properly.) This may depend on the vehicle and the available or possible speaker locations, and will also determine the amount or type of processing you need to take full advantage of the products you select. There are only a select few processors that will allow you to do a 4-way setup easily. I think that it's most important to listen to as many speaker setups as you possibly can in the beginning. Looks like you have already found a set you like, or at least the tweeters. The OZ Matrix Elite set is good for the money. Regarding speakers, DIY is much harder since you usually will not be able to test or listen to all of the possible speakers and combinations that you are interested in. Most of the DIYspeakers that will be suggested are all capable of excellent SQ, but will their type of sound be pleasant to YOUR EARS? Some speakers reveal EVERY detail (including flaws or bad recordings) and some are "mellower" or more forgiving and a bit easier to just listen to for everyday pleasure. Try to listen to as many hi-end speaker sets as you can to see what is available and possible. As you have experienced already, you may like the tweeters from one set, the mids from another, possibly the mid-bass drivers from another set. There is no perfect speaker set for everyone. There are many others, but try to listen to Dynaudio, Focal, SEAS Excel & Lotus Reference, Boston Acoustics Z, Polk Audio SR's, JL Audio XR's, Diamond Audio, Critical Mass, Alpine SPX's, Rainbow Platinums, CDT, DLS... If you can make it to one of the informal gatherings, this would be a great place to hear some of the cars of the members here that are using DIY setups that most others do not have at your typical car audio shop. At every shop you go to, see if the manager or owner will let you demo his/her car, and not just to see how LOUD they get, LOL! Listen for details and instrument and vocal placement and tonality. Basically, how REAL or LIVE does it sound??? If you don't have any good reference recordings to audition these with, ask for suggestions here. If you haven't discovered already, Speaker Pathlengths are of upmost importance if you want a truely hi-end system, even if you want it to sound good from just your driver seat. "Pathlengths" are the distances from each speaker to your ears or to your listening position. You want to minimize the differences in the distances of the speakers to your ears from the left and right sides of the car. Ideally, all of the speakers on the left side of the car would be equidistant to your ears as on the right side. The processors we speak of usually include "Time Alignment" or Digital Delay, which can adjust or delay the speakers output so that all speakers appear to be equidistant to our ears. This can be very useful but is still considered a "band-aid" to proper speaker placement or "equal pathlengths." It cannot correct for differences in Frequency Response, intensity/levels, and reflections/cancellations due to the different speaker positions and on- & off-axis response of the speakers from the different left and right positions. If all the speakers on one side (mid-bass, midrange, & tweeter) cannot be located close together, then ideally you want a processor that has independent Time Alignment or Delay for each channel or each speaker. Only the higher-end units will do this. There are a few non-DIY speaker component sets that I believe achieve amazing imaging and sound right out of the box or what I call "Plug & Play." Of course, they will all have different sound signatures and prices, but here are (IMO) just a few suggestions to consider from least expensive to more expensive. (All 6"/6.5" 2-way) Alpine SPX-177R (May be weak in Mid-bass for some, good tweeter) Polk Audio SR6500 (May be weak in Mid-bass for some, great tweeter) Boston Acoustics Z6 (Strong Mid-bass, will get LOUD and sound great/take lots of power, tweet may be bright for some. EXCELLENT Imaging.) SEAS Lotus Reference (great mid-bass, mids, and tweeters, but not quite as much sparkle/air up top.) Morel Elate 6 (just nice all-around, Harder to Find at good prices) Remember that a deficiency in one area may be made up by the system as a whole or with EQ/Tuning/Speaker Placement. For instance, you may be able to use your sub to help out the mid-bass area, or a bright tweeter can be positioned and EQ'd to give a smoother/more relaxed response. If you want to use the Matrix Elite Tweeters in a 2-way system, I would try the SEAS W18nx-001 7" Mid/Midbass at Madisound. Excellent, if not THE BEST all-around Midrange/Mid-bass driver for $308 for a pair. You would need to make sure they will fit in the location you choose. Scan through the Speaker Reviews on this site for some great information! Regarding Head Units, if you are going to invest in a good processor, such as the Alpine PXA-H701/RUX-701 or the Rockford Fosgate 3SIXTY.2, you could get away with the factory head unit or a basic aftermarket HU with good SQ and a minimum of bells/whistles. If you want a head unit with Processing built-in, IMO there are only two choices with enough processing power that you won't want to upgrade later...the Eclipse 8053 or 8xxx series, and the Clarion DRZ-9255. You can find the Eclipse 8053 used for $225-$350 (not a current model), but the DRZ will be much harder to find used and is usually $600-$900 used. Neither will play MP3's (not a problem for you) and neither have a detachable face plate. Both have Excellent SQ. I own and currently use the Eclipse 8053, the Alpine PXA-H701/RUX-701 (with an old Sony C910 HU) and the Premier DEX/DEQ P-9 Combo. Of the HU's with built-in processing, IMO the Eclipse 8053 is by far the most intuitive and easiest to set up, and then the DRZ-9255. I REALLY don't like the menus/setup of the current Alpine and Pioneer HU's with built-in processing, or the new Eclipse units for that matter (this doesn't include the P-9 separates) They have some good features, but SQ-, feature-, and setup-wise I will take the 8053 any day! D@mn! I hope this isn't too much information at once...I've been rambling, LOL! Good luck.

hi guys, was my post regarding some of my octy parts to go moved or deleted?

OK there has been some products surfacing over the weekend and this prompts me say something. First of all, X-Rev. It is hard not to miss it because it has been going around in flyers on windscreens in Ikea's carpark. I point you to the website: http://www.x-lube.com/All%20frames.htm It touts the ZeroFriction formula. You know what the surprise is? It has been around. See this link: http://www.lubricants.co.uk/zerof_friction_reducer.html Quite similar to what this product touts: http://www.emtacorp.com/products/default.aspx A lot of fallacies are already evident in their website. I quote their FAQ. First of all, what is an effective lubricant? High performance cars? You mean sub-120bhp engined cars are high performance? Hot and humid? Since when does an engine mind "hot and humid"? Engines and their oil are extremely comfortable at such temperatures. It is only blizzard cold they start to cough and wheeze. The humidity does affect the oil in a way because this will increase oxidation. Engines are not humans and don't need air conditioning. Major oil companies interested only to sell petrol with increased fuel consumption in cars? Then they won't be selling 20 to 30wt oils and hide these from us! How about Amsoil, cxxxxxe, Royal Purple, Redline and Schaeffer's. They are not associated with any oil company. So they are also interested in increased fuel consumption?