so i saw a white GE lowered with dark 16's this am and it looked sweet.

so im going to be running the rota's i already have and DWS. will see if i can get the tpms pulled out of the stockers sometime next week.

 

i need to go to the hardware store and pickup a short 3" diameter pvc and end caps... and primer/cement.

oh you guys know where this is heading.

 

Kenchan,

I came across your post about downshifting and I started to wonder if you experience any throttle response difference when your A/C is on. I can almost always (about 90 percent of the time) tell when the compressor engaged/disengaged.

In my 09 GE8, everytime the A/C compressor is engaged, its harder to blip the throttle to my desired rpm for the downshift. I've been hating driving my car every summer time because of this. The rpms also drop faster when comp. clutch is engaged.

I drive in the DC metro area so traffic is horrible and even launching from 1st gear is hard as long as the comp. is engaged. I find the power is reduced and have to let the clutch slip more fo that particular instance so that the car does not bogg down from 1st gear launch. Oh yeah, at a traffic crawl in 1st, every time the comp. engages/disengages, the car would slightly buck back n forth and sometimes a little bit worse where it gets really annoying.

I was wondering if you experience some of these. Lol.

 

hey onemig- i do encounter the same ordeal on the MT GE and there is a learning curve. the spool is significantly delayed when the compressor kicks in.

on my downshifts i let the side of my right foot stay on the throttle significantly longer than what i would normally do on my G or 370Z. it's not so much a 'blip', rather an open throttle state. after a while, my foot learned how open the throttle needs to be and maintains that rpm while i gently clutch out and release throttle.

i dont discrimnate whether the ac compressor is on or off. it's only one mode in my head and i just have a wider compensation 'duration' for the flywheel and drivetrain to match speeds before letting out the clutch completely.

i suggest not worring about when the compressor is on or off. then things start to smooth out regardless of the a/c being on or off. GL!

 

Might be able to get it yourself if you have the tire shop just break the bead (and hopefully not the sensor).

Just need an 11 mm deep socket and a ratchet then snake it around the tire.

 

huh! never tried that. i think i will let the shop do it before i break the tpms and scratch my wheel.

 

so i got my laminex fog overlay protector thingie today so slapped it on.

removed the lamp (just one philips head screw under the finisher and pull out)...


separated the front bezel to get good access the lens. it's 3 philips head
screws as well. then cleaned the lens...


aimed the overlay several of times to get it right. the cut wasn't perfect
so i had to place where it had the most lens coverage.

this is a dry install so i used the peeling-liner to pull up the overlay as
needed to get it to center. i placed the front bezel and verified placement.
took me a good 6-7 tries... then lifted up the overlay one last time.

from one side, used my medium hardness squeegee under a glass mf
towel and applied pressure, making sure not to trap any air.



finished...

 

Hahaha, at least give it a shot when transferring them your new wheels.

Basically you'll jsut need to stick the sensor in the valve stem hole, set the nylon washer on the mating surface for the sensor's "stem cap", and tighten the stem cap till it snugs (don't NEED to gorilla it down). Easy peezy.

The fog light over lays look pretty good. Much easier than the GD Sport's it seems

 

hootie- i wont be installing the tpms in the wheels... you'll see next week what im up to.

i forget how the bezel comes off the GD (i painted it black), but it was much easier to remove the GE's for sure.

 

drove the GE to work day. was a fun drive. im really liking this car.

one thing i need to improve is the driver's seat. i need more side bolster support when i zip through the turns... hahahaha.

hummmm... any recommendations?

again, please dont dive in all a once with suggestions!!

 

*crickets*

 

Hmm... I can't remember how the GE's seats are designed. How much of a recline do you have when driving? I usually run either dead vertical or one click back in my GD. If in an unfamiliar vehicle, I usually try to "dig" my shoulder blades into the seat during hard cornering. haha

 

I never considered the need for racing seats until putting 205-50-16" tires and coilovers on my car.. I may end up getting a pair of them in the distant future if my advancing age doesn't slow me down more than it already has.

 

hey hootie- my seat back is reclined somewhat for comfort, but not a gangsta type recline. i think the GE has more side bolstering than GD? maybe i need to dig my shoulders more too and sit upright? but the current seat setting is pretty comfy.

like last weekend i did an across town road trip and when i got home, i wasn't tired at all.

hey coyote- yah, for the most part i dont really need it as my roads are like 95% straight, but when i do encounter a turn, i like taking it fast.
i dont have issues in my G or Z so im thinking it's the limited side bolsters in the GE's seat.

 

Yeah it has been annoying cause I tend to always drive with more concentration in anticipation of the a/c to change my driving habits at the exact instance the comp. clutch is on/off. You're right about me not worrying about it to much but it's going to be hard for me as I've developed some "mind and machine connection".

At least I'm not the only one who notices it. Thanks Kenchan!!

 

hahaha, yah, i think the best way to approach is to give the car a much wider margin of error to compensate for the compressor turning on/off.

the on/off change is very abrupt compared to other cars with higher power rating, but like me, you will get use to it, i think.

 

I used to use this thing back in the day and loved it, saved my ass in a crash too (kept my head from going through the side window in a broadside)

CG-Lock Autocross/Solo Driving

Kept me tight against seat and made the most of the factory bolsters, I used to use it on track and canyons, didn't want to deal with a 4 point.

It used to be cheaper (like $35), I might pick up another one tho, it was a good product.

 

little off topic but i was angered by the way my kid's school had picked out my younger kid as needing ESL assistance. he really doesn't need it, he reads and speaks fine for his age. even the sound efx sounds he makes when playing with his cars is in English. i asked this ESL teacher what lead her to this conclusion cause it sounded like racial profiling to me.

she said the interview she did with all students on the first day of class lead her to believe my son was not understanding what she was saying. i explained to her my kid was nervous that day. when he's nervous he doesnt speak regardless of what language he is being spoken to. have you considered personality?

im my mind she just generalized that just because my kid has black hair and doesnt speak up, he requires special assistance as a foreigner. that is f-king bs cause if this was a white kid with the same personality, they would probably put the kid on a 'need to watch' list but not recommend ESL. ESL is for foreigners. my kid was born here, he is an American. English is his first language.

so i asked this f-king lady if she even talked to my son's homeroom teacher cause not once has his homeroom teacher spoke out about my son falling behind in class so much that he's going to need ESL.

i told her i would send my son's teacher an email asking how he's doing. then the lady kinda studdered sensing i was getting angry and said she did speak to my kid's teacher and he's doing fine. wtf again, then why would he need special treatment? because he has black hair and can speak yet another language?

this borderline racist type profiling makes me mad. obviously i told her in my native English that if my son needs help with English, he will come to me for help. he will not be needing ESL assistance.

 

hey wanderer! thanks, i use to use this device too on my other hobby car a while back and while it does work as intended, it's not very comfy and 'bangs!' on the door sill when i remove the buckle. i dont know about the GE's retractor, but some retractors can't pull up the buckle with CG-lock attached due to extra weight.

 

I used to hit my window with it all the time.

I actually forgot about that drawback

I don't see many other options besides changing the seats out or adding foam to the existing side bolsters. I'm sure you could get an upholstery shop to do that, but at what cost? IDK. Could probably pay for seats by that time.