Southern Belle

[Petrus]

and a    car-toon 

[Joesson]

and a    car-toon 

That does look very familiar, lacks only the Warrior graphics!

[Petrus]

That does look very familiar, lacks only the Warrior graphics!

...and the red stripes 
It is a rendering of Kai Kogashiwa´s MR-S in the Initial-D series.

Should really contain my exuberance drifting btw. Went out for a spirited spin with the lighter no-muffler fitted and underway stopped at a venta for a coffee. Rolled up the nice smooth, wide tarmac; did a 180 degrees on the throttle, enjoying the now again sexy sound, backed up in the parking space. When I walked in the doors, a Guardia Civil patrol car did a round at the site and the adjacent petrol station....

[J88TEO]

Lucky getaway!

[Petrus]

Oh and the alternator swap did not come to fruit.
Quoting form earlier in this thread:

´The bummer is that you don´t know what you don´t know; that there is always more, ALWAYS:  A vital bit of key info dropping into place a lot, is boúnd to be unveiled áfter you took a plunge.´

So that is lightness not added.

[Petrus]

The TRD type brace arrived from Germany and fits oh so well:

[Joesson]

@Petrus
You have mentioned that the Roadster's in Spain are comparatively rust free, from those pictures I can see that is the case. The front cross member is typically rusty/ been the subject of some TLC on UK cars.

[Petrus]

@Petrus
You have mentioned that the Roadster's in Spain are comparatively rust free, from those pictures I can see that is the case. The front cross member is typically rusty/ been the subject of some TLC on UK cars.

I have yet to encounter a rusted fastener.

[jvanzyl]

What do you think of that gear stick cage that the MW place sells?

[Petrus]

What do you think of that gear stick cage that the MW place sells?

Looks like art. A pity that I can´t use it    I am sure I could make up a ´reason´ to sell it to the gfs if it was a manual shift 

As it is, very happy with the strut brace. Not sticking a ´TRD´ blurp on; that would be fake.

[Petrus]

Tatááá

[Petrus]

Today had the front shocks replaced. Left front damaged to the point of flopping without resistance by me hitting a pothole HÁRD, bottoming it out.
Went for OEM damping but with the Sportivo springs.

With the inner splash plastic off adjusted the front bumper skirt a bit better.
Used a bit of mounting kit to aid the plastic fasteners I used to adjust the plastic skirt. While it is hardening added band aids. Looks    and if it were not for it getting filthy would leave them 

Obviously aligned again.

Now, the not damped wheel was a slight damper on sliding fun but all is well again so let it all hang out just now 
Well not literally because it slides very neutrally with throttle controlled oversteer. Understeer only if you brusquely plow it into a tightish corner.
Ah the fun of a nimble ´unaided´ cabrio.

Next on the list is refitting the steering wheel one tooth to the right and changing the SMT fluid.

Meanwhile controlling windscreen envy @Ardent
Like DIYing a lightweight bonnet replica, a plastic windscreen is still on the whish list...

Ah, since I am well chuffed with the car-toon may get it printed on a T-shirt 

[Petrus]

The front bumper skirt now matches good enough






...and the rear is patched up too.

[J88TEO]

band aid 

[Petrus]

Went for a WOW drive today.
The original plan was to stay the weekend at the coast with Málaga girl but she tested positive for and it quite ill with Covid. I did not mind and would have gladly played nurse but she preferred not be responsible for perhaps infecting me thus Mountain Girl. Mountain Girl agreed, so me not going was thus democratically decided 

From the mountain valley where the farm is, you can take the highway to the coast, crossing the major Las Pedrizas pass. Alternatively take the scenic route which crosses two passes or take the rural route across one pass more still.
Since one pass thataway lies the neighbouring village Alfarnate which today celebrates the Feria de Cereza.
Lóvely weather so gave the windscreen a clean and off we went.
Mountain Girl in sexy, risqué really, summer dress. Tricky, also riqué, mood though. Not sure she´s happy I am not off for the weekend or p´´ed off because of having her own plans erased. Best tred lightly.

All twisties, stop in the picturesque mountain village, tasted cereza-gazpacho, bought a 24 month old raw goat milk cheese, then all twisties again.
Some 80 kilometers only and especially the second bit, from Alfarnate ... is second or third gear only.
As we did a ´circular´ did five passes, four of which different. Whát a swinging joy at the tune of the singing non-muffler!

The last and lowest of the three aforementioned is the Puerto del Sol. Named thus because it is the last one between the north side of the divide and the coast in sight.
We did not go down all the way but at some 200 meter altitude doubled back up into the mountains again over another rural alternative.
The photos we took of the views were all too much light too little scenery so only the pass sign left...

[Petrus]

Today had a cute small pressed aluminium ´Alfa-type´ front plate made.

Felt off yesterday and in the light of the campaign promoting the fourth vaccination I had Mountain Girl get self test while she was in the village anyway. Málaga girl had tested positive a few days earlier too so could have caught it, should have.
The vaccin will be not-obligatory for 60+  (like @Joesson and me) but for my life style defacto yes. The escape being natural recovery certification!!
And yessss!!!! Positive. Informed the local heath centre and it has gone into the system. Already have electronic confirmation. Fingers crossed I get the flag in The System.

What that has to do with the plate???
Well, had quite a lot planned for this week involving others and did not want to pull the plug for thém. So only cancelled a date.
Rebaptised Mountain Girl ´Robin´; my masked helper and we followed the plan with me keeping distance and her following instructions.
When at a local industrial estate with a quarter of an hour to kill, not really an option to go for a coffee and right next to the restaurant is a car parts shop which stamps number plates. Tatááá; with Robin in instruction following mode ...
Now officially they are not allowed to make the plate without a homologation approval for the car as the size is otherwise not legal but Robin in blond mode is ´lethal´.
Have the plate!!! 

[Ardent]

Just to recap.

Three individuals having had multiple VACCINE jabs to prevent the contraction and transmission of a virus, are testing positive for the virus they have been "VACCINATED" against.

[Petrus]

It did get mé a cute illegal plate Jase 

[Ardent]

Alls good then.
Moving on. Nothing to see.

[Petrus]

Pretty much limited by Covid (´Robin´ has tested positive too) and that is never good as my idea generator gets overactive then.

Will try have bunch of stickers made of my car-toon and stick one on every pass sign 

[Petrus]

Changed the SMT fluid.
Not complicated, just a faff and more if you see the dust cap of the fluid reservoir when collecting the last wrench 
Ah well, still Covid affected 
Nah, more distracted by the Frenchies ´protecting´ me from éverything within a 100 metres. It is just not safe when I am not behind the gate 
Anyway; sucked it out, flushed some, filled up. Starts, works.

On a side note; cleaned the air filter box and the K&N element. Amázed about how ´fatty´-like dirty it was. The bottom box as well. The top bit spotless, as it should be pffff...
The element same; suck side filthy, sucked side just a bit darker than fresh.
So it sure filters A LÓT 
Had not expected it to be thís filthy though.

After changing from side entry to entry from behind the lamp unit, deleting the air duct I had noticed an increase in dirt,  but not thís obvious because I had not left it 10K kms.
Now also because there was more of it, the dirt itself drew my attention too. After looking closely at it, my thought is that sucking the air from right behind the rear tyre also sucks in a relatively higher % rubber particles.

Refitted after a próper clean and southern sun dry, it is actually clearly audible. My inlet funnel is a bit of a megaphone so exaggerates but still, on an n.a. not a good thing so: Note to self not to wait 10k kms.

[Petrus]

Fit the small numberplate. Lighter too, so fingers crossed it does not upset the balance 

[Petrus]

Inside of the RHS headlamp unit a spider had managed to enter and by some weírd strategy/coincidence eaten a mini moth there. More logically later died, áfter which a second mini moth had found it´s way in and subsequently died.
So an interesting little eco-system but... best not thére.

Took a fine but longish bbq fork and bent the legs closer stuck on a narrow long strip of lint free cloth, bent the legs closed and wound/bound the strip on. Wetted it so the tiny corpses would sick and later the crap rubbed off.

I was a bit apprehensive about the maneuvering but it actually worked first go!

Also remembered the drama of dropping the H4 bulb in  so this time made sure not too 

Being a particularly lovely, quiet morning, I went for a spin. The only charming company being the car.  Windows down to maximise open experience, strapped in the empty passenger seat to prevent ány distraction by the belt buckle.
Well, that was fun.

Dug out the summer pijama and left the rear vent open for the heat to breathe out.

[Petrus]

A wónderful drive 

[Ardent]

Thought you were filling it with water, like a mobile paddling pool.