Archive for June, 2009

Hello all, my name is Alex but I’m better known on the internet as Durty.

I figured I would write a wee introduction about me and the cars i have owned.

I owned a 1984 Toyota Starlet, followed by a Civic, Sentra and a Cordia

Then one day kyteler posted a link on oldschool.co.nz to a trademe auction for my first Volvo, a 1978 Volvo 264. I managed to buy it for $215 and never actually did anything with it due to it blowing a headgasket and some idiots biffing rocks through the windows

but now i was hooked, two 1982 244′s followed in quick succession

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came across this video on YouTube and thought to myself, “hey that music sounds familiar…” – turns out it’s a clip from Over Drivin’ GT-R, the Japan-only version of The Need For Speed which replaces all of the vehicles with Nissan Skylines. would love a copy for myself (just for the kitsch factor) but I don’t have a Sega Saturn.

and to pad it out here’s a bonus ’80s sportscar bonanza vid:

Coupe progress

June 2, 2009

…following on from this update.

Well after much cursing and swearing, I got the old fuel pump controller out, and what a disappointingly plain object it turned out to be. Thanks Nissan, for locating the mounting screws underneath the parcel shelf trim – spent a good hour or so carefully removing the rear shelf speakers, the rear seat backs, and all the christmas tree clips – whilst trying not to break anything in the process…

thanks, nissan. (by decypher the code)

Oh yes. Silly little thing.

The one from squid (which replaces the faulty unit you see here) wasn’t quite as torturous to remove, being located on the inside of the rear wheelarch behind a trim panel… but it still took more time than it should have (plus I had to drive 150km down the road to another city to fetch it). Ah well, the joys of old cars – typically, the parts which break the most often are always the hardest to remove and replace.

anyway, my plea still stands: if anyone happens to have a fuel pump controller in working condition that looks like the one above, PLEASE let me (or Michael) know and I shall arrange to buy it off you. As before, I’ve heard musings that L20ET, VG20ET and VG30ETs use the same part, made by JECS. The plug has a rectangular 8-pin layout and the numbers on the controller itself read as follows:

17001 R2200
A63-000 100
3823
(may be a serial number; squid had a slightly different one)

And the verdict? the coupe definitely drives a lot better with the replacement controller in place; no more low-down hesitation and strange surging on acceleration. clearly the old one was faulting to the extent that the voltages being supplied to the pump were less than optimal.

…another satisfied customer :D

Got into work this morning to find this box ‘o swag waiting for me at dispatch:

box 'o swag (by retro-classics)

Express delivery: four days from Nagoya to Auckland (including the long weekend)

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Over the Queens Birthday weekend, it is quite common for there to be event of an automobile nature acrtoss much of the country, though I didnt look for anything specifically in my area I was lucky enough that Raizer from oldschool.co.nz covered for me, the Gisborne Car & Bike Show, oddly enough, In Gisborne, NZ.

With a scratch over 200 photos there’s plenty to view, I’ve included a few minor sample in this post but the link to the gallery on the retro-classics.co.nz flickr account is at the bottom of the page so you’ll have to read the entry to get to it :P

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