Nissan Skyline R33 1993-1998

Class:       Sports Compact

Rivals:     Mitsubishi Evo 6, Subaru Impreza S5, Audi S4 MKI, BMW M3 E36

Engines:  Petrol, 2.0, 2.5, 2.5Turbo, 2.6 Turbo (GT-R), 2.8 (400bhp)

Gearbox: 4 Speed Auto, 5 Speed Auto, 5 Speed Manual

Awards:  A R33 GT-R Lapped Nordschleife in 7 mins and 59seconds!! That's Award Enough!!

OK the keen eyed blogger may have noticed that the video is actually of the R34 around the Nurburgring but its still very cool and gives a very good idea of the challenge of the Nordschleife!

The R33 Skyline was launched in 1993 as successor to the very popular R32 and although heavier, did come with 6 cylinder engines from 2liter up and there was also a 4pot 1.8liter available!

The very 1st Skyline rolled off the production line of the Prince Motor Company in 1957 which went on to become Datsun and then Nissan.  It wasn't until the 1980s that the Skyline legacy really took off with the introduction of the R31!! A 2 liter turbo, rear wheel drive beast!

The R33 was seen as the every day sports car, it was the 1st in its class to have airbags fitted (post 1996).  Parts are interchangeable and very affordable and easy to source!

The Straight 2 liter model boasts 130bhp standard and its not unheard of to hear of a R33 tuned to over 1000bhp!!!

The 130bhp R33 will not set the world alight, but it is enough fun and has enough power to light the rear tyres when required and you will not be left short on over taking.  A bit more torque would be nice but you can always fit a 2.5 turbo engine for less than €1000!!!

They are easy to source cars 2nd hand and if your brave enough to import directly from Japan yourself, you can save a small fortune, but you will have the hassle of paying VAT (because your importing from outside the EU), VRT, NCT and if you can put up with all that, not exactly knowing what you are getting!  If you have the patience to do it, we would recommend it, but if you don't there are plenty of specialised importers of Japanese cars along the Ports in Dublin or in the UK.

The Skyline has always been the boy racers wet dream, and we would reckon tongue in cheek that there are a disproportionate amount of middle aged women down as owning several Skylines around the country!!

There isn't a petrol head on the planet that will not raise more than a passing glance as one of these cars pass!

Take time to watch the video because its is serious driving and remember, the speedometer is in MPH, not KPH!!

Here at Allparts.ie, we will be adding one of these to our ever expanding virtual car collection!

Gary

Speed Cameras - The Facts on Avoiding Accidents!

Loath them or hate them, the story is that the mobile speed camera units are here to stay.  Here in allparts.ie we welcome the idea they represent, we are all for road safety and we support the http://www.makeroadssafe.org/ campaign run by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).  Even though we can understand that the safety of the operator in the van is paramount,  and the van is not meant to cause a hindrance to traffic,  what we don't understand why they always park on the widest and straightest part of the roads,  which are the safest!!

The fact is that speed cameras do save lives!  Since their introduction in November 2010; figures show that up to March 2011, up to 26,000 motorists have been issued with a fixed penalty fine of €80, up from 9,500 the previous year.  Although 61 people have been killed to date on out roads, up 5 on this time this year.

At time of writing, the sun is splitting the stones outside, we're in the lead up to 2 long weekend in a row, it is inevitable that there will be accidents! 

What can we do to avoid accidents?  Its often said the all accidents can be avoided, well in reality they can't but we can take our fair share of responsibility to make sure we are always best prepared!!

We can look at the obvious factors- driving under the influence, driving while tired, we could look at these till were blue in the face and people will never learn so well leave that up to the ads on tv.

Instead we will have a quick look at how car maintenance will insure your in the safest possible position in case of accident.

• Tyres!! Your point of contact with the road! Match your tires with what your car Manufacture recommended for you vehicle.  I'm not a fan of cheap tires but they are no harm if your doing low mileage.  If your tires are worn, you will not have good grip under load, aka braking and cornering!  There are tire wear indicators on each and every tyre that anyone can check to see how worn your tires are.  Also, keep a check on your tire pressures, an under or over inflated tyre could lead to a blow out!
• Brakes!  Brakes can be visually inspected by any mechanic for wear and tear.  Any steel brake pipes on older cars and vans should be visually inspected for signs of pitting and weeping!  Buy your brakes from reputable dealers, cheap pads you buy on eBay could be made of dust and give up when you really really require them.
• Suspension!! Suspension component failure disrupts the handling of your car.  Get what ever knocks and funny feelings you have with your motors handling checked out by some reputable as soon as your can!
• Engine!! Regular servicing will lead to better reliability that will help prevent you breaking down on a dangerous stretch of the road at night  time.
• Pedisterains! Oh man I don't like these guys either! I can't understand why they must walk at dusk, along the main road with no hi-vis vest on!!  Especially where we are based in the west as we are beside a lovely and scenic 8km of fabulous beach in Enniscrone, as well as the castle and river walk in Easkey!  But we must share our roads with them, especially in this weather so keep an eye out for them.
• Bikers!! Always keep a good look out for bikers when pulling out of a junction!  A bike has a small profile and can be hard to spot!  Bikes should travel with headlamps on at all times to aid visibility as well as following all the same rule for maintenance as every other road user!
• Cyclists! Obey the rules of the road!  Red lights means stop!!!!!  Cyclists should also wear hi-vis clothing and make sure their lights are working in the evening time.
• Agricultural!  Its getting into silly season again where tractors and large machinery will be on the roads 24/7.  Have patience when stuck behind a tractor, most contractors and lads that do a lot of work will pull in when they have chance!  They have a job to do as well so they will not appreciate some one in his Range Rover refusing to pull in in case it gets dirty and then annoyingly lying on the horn as they pass!  All Agricultural vehicles should follow the same points as above and make sure their trailer implement lights are also working!  

The speed cameras, as well as the GardaTtraffic Corps are there for your safety, and you generally wont attract their attention unless you deserve to do so!

Remember, keep the race in its place!! I'll never be known as a slow driver but I'm not crazy!! For serious racing there are plenty of karting facilities around that will keep the speed out of your system for a while at least!

You can look up the Safety Camea locations at http://www.garda.ie/GoSafe.htm

For some sat navs you can download warnings that will let you know when approaching a safety camera zone, look up the website revelant to your unit for more information!

Take it easy, but keep her lit!!!

gary

The Allparts Fuel Saving Guide

With the price of Diesel closing in on €1.50 a liter and Petrol on €1.60, the average cost of topping up your beloved motor is costing more and more on each and every visit to the pumps!

So here are a few tips from Allparts.ie that everyone can follow:

• Tire Pressures: Keeping you tires pumped and regularly checking their pressures will ensure you car is not over working every time it has to rotate its wheels.  Tires with incorrect pressures can cost up to €10 in an average tank of fuel.  Most vehicles have a manufactures guideline on tire pressures either on the drivers side door sill, or inside the fuel cap cover on the car itself, or in the owners manual if you can't find it on the car.

• If your car comes with cruise control, ignore it!! This keeps the car at a constant speed, even up and down slopes.  When travelling downhill, ease back on the throttle and work with gravity to keep a constant speed, use the momentum you have built up then to get you up hill.  Don't mash the throttle pedal going up hill, this is just a waste of time.

• Anticipate the road ahead.  This will avoid heavy braking and harsh acceleration. Which Burns Fuel!

• When pulling off, accelerate smartly, not like Lewis Hamilton but not like Granny either!  Get into top gear as quickly as reasonable.

• Don't carry unnecessary weight!  There is no need to be carrying around the golf clubs all week if your only playing on a Saturday afternoon, thrust me, they won't impress the new secretary in the office!

• Regular Servicing keeps a check on tires, refreshes engine lubrication and keeps an eye on brakes and suspension components that keep your vehicle running smoothly!  A restricted air filter can drastically increase fuel consumption, try breathing through your sleeve for a minute and you'll see how difficult it becomes.

• Wash you Car, not only will a bit of TLC bring out the shine in your motor but reduces weight and aerodynamic drag!

• Turn off the Air Conditioning. Consider opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you'll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.

• If stuck in traffic, and you car doesn't come with one of those fancy stop/start didgeridoo's, if you're idling over 45 seconds, knock off your engine providing it is safe to do so!

Some magazines will tell you to buy a hybrid, or down size your car or walk everywhere and car poole, well, we are not going to tell you to do that here at Allparts.ie as these are all down to personal preferance.  The builder with the V10 TDI Tourag could be far more fuel effecient than the 17year old with her Nissan Micra, if you can follow these tips and match your vehicle to its application, then you should reduce your fuel bills.

Gary

PS: Don't Buy a Prius!!!!!

Ford Focus 1998- Present

Class:      Compact/Small Family Car

Rivals:     Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla/Auris

Variants:  Hatch, Saloon, Estate,Van, Coupe Cabriolet

Engines:   Petrol: 1.4 Zetec, 1.6 Zetec, 2.0 Zetec

               Diesel: 1.8 TDDI, 1.8 TDCI

Gearbox: 4 speed auto, 5 speed manual, 6 speed manual

Awards:  Top Gear Car of the Year 1999 for the MKI

               Fifth Gear, Best Family Car 2004 for the MKII

             

The Ford Focus has just reached the milestone of 100,000 units in Ireland and has been the top seller on ten separate occasions since its launch in 1998! This means the Ford Focus is Ireland's fastest selling car...ever!

The Focus took over from its Iconic predecessor, the Escort in 1998.  The Escort ran in limited production beside the Focus for two years before it was discontinued to allow customers get used of the distinctive new Ford design, previously seen on the Ka, the Puma and the Cougar.

In 2008, the Focus took over from the Cortina as Britain's best selling car, a record that stood for 27 years.  It was beaten in 2009 by the smaller Fiesta.

Ford has just released the MKIV Focus in March!

Being better used of driving German car I always found Fords difficult to drive, everything seems chunky, and not quite in the correct position!   That was until the Focus came out.  Everything was right, the ride was smooth, the handling is very good, and the noise levels and overall comfort are decent!  I'm not a huge fan, but this is a decent reliable car that unless you go for the RS or the ST your not going to get too many trills out of driving!

When looking at one to buy 2nd hand, keep an eye out for a history of clutch and gearbox problems, what ever it is with the Focus, once they start to give trouble they seldom stop.  But there are reports of petrol cars reaching over 200,000 miles without seeing so much as a spanner so mach sure you have a good mechanic with you when you go to view a 2nd hand model.

The MKI Focus scored 4 out of 5 stars in its EURO NCAP Tests and the MKII onwards scored 5 Stars.

Running costs for the Focus are very reasonable, with your average petrol model running at approx 40mpg mixed driving.  They are reasonable to tax and the new models fall into tax band B which is €146 a year!

The Ford Focus RS WRC won over 30 World Rally Events and won the World Rally Manufactures Championship in 2006 and 2007.  Driven by Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Martin and Marcus Gronholm, the Focus became one of the top competitors in World Rally competitions until replace by the smaller Fiesta ST this year.

The Focus comes with a great pedigree, replicating past honors of its predecessors!  Its a great A to B car that will not let you down and is not hard to maintain.  This car will suit any type of driver, from beginner onwards.

gary