retro-classics - automotive blog

Authors Cars

Authors Cars; The 260C Travels Onwards.

December 18, 2011

So, it’s been quite the long while since I’ve have the time or indeed the ability to post up on here and for that, I apologise. Things got a little hectic for me, a new job, new house, no internet. A slight shift in priorities. During this time I also let one of my cars go. A good friend of mine had expressed and interest in the old Cedric and traveled the length of the country to retrieve it (well to be fair he cheated using a plane for some of it) but another friend and owner of a certain deathly awesome Celica traveled the full length via road in his celestial dragon steed.

The resulting awesome of having two really good cunts stay at your place for a few days looks something like this;

Day before Departure

The 260 made the drive back from Invercargill to Auckland with very few issues which I was very glad to hear and a small transformation and serious tidy is on the cards, it’s in better hands now than it was under my ownership.

Dirty ol' Celica

Some of you may recognise the Celica. It’s powered by a 1UZ causing many cries of “Gosh, that’s neat!”, it’s quite the car to ride in.

So. With the Sunny as the daily, the Cedric under new ownership and a new job, the 110 is starting to get a bit of attention, not enough, but a bit. Completion is still a ways off but parts are starting to be accumulated again. Yussssssss.

-Michael

: Authors Cars, Cars for Sale

Random retro snap: Audio cradle, fitted.

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November 14, 2011

by Orion

Made a bit of progress on the vintage audio project over the weekend. Took a couple of headunits and amps down to ProTech, opened up the cases, hooked them up to a test rig and tinkered around for a while with help from oldschool.co.nz members slacker.cam and Ned – the end result being that with a bit of judicious (and precise!) modding, it should be a cinch to “hook into” the cassette line-level output with a suitable media player device and still have the headunit control the tone, balance and volume levels.

Next step: figure out how to switch input seamlessly between cassette and line-in without blowing anything up. (Don’t look at me like that; everyone knows cassettes are The Bomb!)

The component cradle mentioned in last month’s update is now installed in squid, with cassette deck and EQ fitted.

It is awesome.

Now where did I put those Black Sabbath tapes?

: Authors Cars, Inspiration, Random Retro Snap

These are the tools at hand, and this is what you came for.

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November 5, 2011

by Orion

After busting my arse all week to get both DR30s to Hampton Downs, an administrative fuckup today resulted in neither of my cars being judged in the show and shine competition at Nizfest which I paid to enter.

The organizers gave me two bottles of cleaner wax as amends, but I don’t think I will return next year unless a retro-classics or oldschool.co.nz club stand is organized. Was pretty disappointed and ended up leaving the event early after discovering this.

However Snoozin von Richy of OS fame snapped these photos of the DR30s on the trip home, which kinda cheered me up a little. And at least I made it there and back in the end, even after all the trouble squid was giving me! Thanks to all of the OS guys who came down for the day, and cheers to Ned for taking on driving duties in the coupe.

My own photos of the day will be up within the next 24 hours. There was a definite lack of older Nissans and Datsuns this year.

So rest your faith on some solemn note.

Squid definitely needs to go lower. For the love of dish!

When I give up on you it's not me being callous.

Coupe has near-on perfect road stance though.

Send me a letter, tell me how it's going.

Check out Richy’s flickr here »

: Authors Cars, Events, Random Retro Snap

Last piece of the puzzle arrives

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October 28, 2011

by Orion

Another special delivery courtesy of Ewan @ hayatonka arrives at my doorstep… or as the case may be, on my desk at work. Ironically enough, it was cheaper AND faster to send it via seamail, instead of in the latest container. Go figure!

And on that bombshell, the epic parts collection mission for squid which has taken somewhere in the order of two and a half years and gobbled up over ten thousand dollars has finally concluded.

The part in question? A mere Pioneer component audio cradle, model ADT-N202E, new old stock, and as rare as hen’s teeth. This is a genuine aftermarket part manufactured especially for the R30 Skyline, back when the Lonesome Carboy range of component audio gear was really popular and people were adding tape decks, equalizers and the whole shebang to their cars – Pioneer definitely doesn’t make stuff like this anymore!

Gotta love how understated 1980s Pioneer packaging is.

The idea is to remove the factory lower console and bolt this cradle in its place which then provides space for two extra audio components. No issues for me since the lower console is long gone in squid, and in its place currently sits an ugly Kenwood 2-DIN headunit that I have no particular emotional attachment to…

Contents of box.

Fitting instructions included, all in Japanese of course. The detail of the OEM console diagram is astounding given this is an aftermarket part!

Looks like a cinch to install!

Hopefully I’ll have some time one upcoming evening or weekend to dummy-fit the cradle and the cassette deck I have lying around. Question is, do I fit an extra amp or an equalizer in that second space?

Choose wisely, young would-be Jedi.

: Authors Cars, Automotive Documentation

Authors’ Cars: Coupe lyfe

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October 3, 2011

by Orion

How to regain motivation for the coupe:

Fit some lush wheels.

Track down a functioning AAC valve and other miscellaneous replacement engine bay sensors, then give car to John (aka CXGPWR) for an afternoon to werk his magic. Voila, car feels like a completely new beast to drive and actually picks up from down low instead of bogging like a bastard.

Wash it for the first time in aaaaaaaaages.

Yes, I know it looks like it could do with a bit more slam but this is actually an optical illusion more than anything else. Perhaps 55 profile tyres weren’t such a good choice after all.