MOTORSPORTS ATTIRES

Color : Black

Material : Cotton

Size : M, L

Price : RM50

FREE POSLAJU WITHIN WM

ADDITIONAL RM5 WITHIN EM

The SSR Longchamp X4

What is an classic Japanese car without the SSR Longchamps?
I always wanted a set.but then i had to buy a car to slap it on to. They came in different width and varieties; some had the clean lip finish and some came with the riveted type. These wheels are fairly common to the old school bosozoku style and drift community.

I love how you can slap them on anything; from Toyota 86′s,

MK2 or MK3 Celica Supras,

Cressidas, Crowns, Nissan S13′s, Datsun 240′s, 510′s,

Mitsu Galant’s, Box type Lancers

and even a CRX; the list goes on…

Of all the collection of 15 inch wheels produced by SSR, Longchamps would be my favorite because of it’s simplicity, available sizes and it would look good on almost anything boxy and old school.

gotta love this picture.

Credit to Mayday Garage

How To Properly Wash and Dry a Car

Without Causing Swirls.

We all enjoy the feeling of driving a freshly washed car. The cleanliness of the vehicles we drive says a lot about the type of person we are. It’s no different than how we care for our houses, our landscaping, or our personal appearances. Beautifully prepared cars project confidence, professionalism, and just makes us feel good when driving (or admiring) them! And the act of car washing can be therapeutic and relaxing as well.

But as we engage in the ritualistic weekend activity, are we doing more damage than good? Although most car owners have spent countless hours over the years washing their vehicles, chances are it is being done incorrectly and/or with the improper materials which in the long run results in paint that is full of swirls. Not only do they make the paint look bad, but they also reduce the overall value of the car as well.

What are swirls and what causes them?

Swirls or spider webs on the surface of the car are thousands of micro-scratches that have a negative impact on the overall appearance. They are more noticeable on darker colored vehicles, and can easily be seen in direct sunlight or under the lights at night while in a parking lot.

While there are many causes of swirls, the biggest culprit is improper washing and drying techniques. They can be avoided for the most part once you learn how to properly wash and dry a vehicle, as well as which materials to use. One trip to the automatic car wash (also referred to as swirl-o-matics), or a quick wipe down with the wrong kind of towel can quickly destroy 15 hours of machine polishing. Even if the local car wash or dealership offers a hand-wash, it doesn’t mean that they are using proper methods or materials, and in many cases can do more harm than good.

This is what paint should look like.

This is what it looks like after years of improper care.

What materials and products are needed?

My first advice is to say that you should keep your kitchen supplies where they belong…in the kitchen! Kitchen towels (or any household towels or rags) are very abrasive and easily scratch the delicate painted surfaces of your car. Dish soap over time can damage rubber trim, and it can strip off any wax from the finish as well.

You’ll need:

At least 2, but preferably 3 buckets (they’re inexpensive, and stack to save space)
At least 2, but preferably 4 Grit Guards
A Waffle Weave microfiber towel for drying, and a supply of various plush microfiber towels for final buffing.
A mild auto washing detergent.
A plush sheepskin wash mitt (it’s always good to have a spare!)
EZ Detail brushes for cleaning wheels and wheel wells
A quick detailer spray and/or spray wax.
A mild degreaser/all-purpose cleaner to help break down heavily soiled areas such as bird droppings, tar, sap, or other stubborn forms of contamination.

Let’s get started!

Now you’re ready to prepare your wash buckets. Yes, that was plural, as in more than one bucket! Ultimately you want 3 buckets. One is your wash bucket, one is your rinse bucket, and one is dedicated for wheel cleaning. You could get away with just two, but then you’d have to stop and clean out a bucket after you finish your wheels before you started on the rest of the car. Notice too that I use Grit Guards in both my rinse bucket and my wash bucket (for best results, use two Grit Guards per bucket!). For the rinse bucket in particular, this helps dislodge dirt and debris from the wash mitt, and then keeps the abrasive sediment at the bottom where it is away from the cleaner water at the top. The reason you need a rinse bucket is because you want the water in your wash bucket to remain clean throughout the entire process. If you use just one bucket that means you’re introducing dirt into your wash water, then using that same dirt to wash your car with…hence all the swirls!

Note: When you add your car wash detergent to your wash bucket, be sure to closely follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for how much product to use. More isn’t always better, and in fact you may strip any existing coats of wax by using too much detergent.

Grit Guards are placed at the bottom of both the wash and rinse buckets.

All 3 buckets are filled and ready to go.

Wash your wheels first!

One thing to keep in mind for wheel cleaning is that you always want to start the car washing process with the wheels first. The reason we do this is because the wheels are typically the dirtiest parts of the car, and we don’t want to risk overspray from the wheels getting all over a clean painted surface.

Make sure that you have a dedicated bucket and wash media strictly for wheels! Never use your wheel washing materials on painted surfaces. Ever! There are too many abrasive contaminants on the wheels, and if you were to use it on the paint afterwards, you’ll most likely damage the finish.

Use your Mini EZ Detail brush to get inside the tight areas and to reach the inner barrels of the wheels.

Then use a sponge or soft cloth to clean the face of the wheels.

Make sure that you thoroughly rinse out your wheel brushes and sponges before dipping them back into your wheel wash bucket! If not you will contaminate the water, and by the time you get to the final wheel you would be washing with mud!

Proper washing for a swirl-free finish!

To avoid water spots and streaking, you want to make sure that the surface of the vehicle is cool to the touch, and preferably in the shade.

First you want to pre-rinse the surface to remove as much of the dirt and debris as possible. Try to avoid using a strong stream of water as the pressure on heavy particles can potentially scratch the paint.

If you have any heavy contamination, now is the time to pre-soak it with an all-purpose cleaner. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how long to allow it to dwell.

When washing the vehicle, start at the top and work your way down. Wash the roof, windshields, hood, trunk lid, and then move down to the sides.

Dip your sheepskin mitt into the wash bucket, and then clean one small section at a time using little to no pressure. You’re merely trying to float away dirt and debris from the surface. When washing the horizontal surfaces on top, use a straight arm motion from front to back. I’ll typically work a section roughly 3’x3’, and then thoroughly clean out my wash mitt in the rinse bucket before moving on.

Wash horizontal surfaces in front to back motion.

After washing each small section, dip your dirty mitt into the rinse bucket and agitate against the Grit Guard at the bottom of the bucket. This will help to dislodge the dirt and debris from the mitt and keep it at the bottom of the bucket. After rinsing, then dip it back into the wash bucket (agitate against Grit Guard in wash bucket also) to start the process over again. Rinse the vehicle frequently and don’t allow soap to dry on the surface.

Note: When you finish washing the vehicle, your wash bucket should be as clean as when you started. Never introduce dirt into your wash bucket!

Agitate wash mitt against Grit Guard.

Now that you’ve finished the horizontal surfaces, move on to the vertical surfaces and work your way around the car. Here you want to wash in straight up and down motions and in small sections the same as you did on top. Rinse your wash mitt frequently, and I would recommend using a completely separate wash mitt or sponge for the lower areas if they are exceptionally dirty.

Wash vertical surfaces in up and down motion.

As you make your way around to the back of the vehicle, take a moment to wash the exhaust tips using your wheel bucket and Mini EZ Detail brush.

Note: After every time you wash your car, be sure to thoroughly clean out all of your buckets and wash media. While cleaning your wash mitts in particular (I wash mine by hand in the sink), carefully inspect them to make sure there are no foreign objects imbedded into them that could cause damage to your paint. Also allow them to dry completely before storing them so they last longer. Should you ever drop your wash media on the ground during the washing process, then grab a spare to finish the job…one small piece of debris could wreak havoc on your car!

When doing your final rinse, take the nozzle off of the hose and allow it to flow freely over the surface. This sheeting action will prevent water droplets (that cause spots), and will reduce the amount of actual drying required.

Car wash final rinse using sheeting method

Time to dry and shine!

We’re done with the wash process now, so let’s move on to the proper way to dry it to keep from marring the finish.

Just because you’re armed with some microfiber towels it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to induce swirls in your paint. You also need to have the right kind of microfiber, and care for it properly as well. You have to use a very high quality microfiber towel, and use light pressure. For drying I use the DI Waffle Weave Towels, and for buffing I will use the DI Great White or Ultra Plush towels.

The first thing I do after washing is to use compressed air to blow off all of the standing water, and water that hides in all of the cracks and crevices. The less you have to touch the vehicle the better. If you don’t have access to compressed air then don’t worry because you can still get it done the old fashioned way.

Now that you’re ready to dry it off, first take your microfiber towel (lightly spritzed with your instant detailer for added lubrication to prevent marring) and gently drag it across the finish to remove the majority of the water. Here I am using the Waffle Weave microfiber that is capable of absorbing up to 5 times its weight in water.

Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel drying the car

Or if you have very little standing water you can use a blotting method.

Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel blot drying your car

This will leave a little bit of water on the finish, and you want to get that wiped down to avoid streaking. If you just buff that out with a plush, dry microfiber, you still run the risk of marring the finish. For this step, you want to add some lubrication using either a Quick Detailer or a Spray Wax . Use a fine mist either on the surface or directly onto the towel, and lightly buff to a brilliant finish. If you spray directly onto the surface, and end up with streaking or smearing, then try misting a little bit directly on the towel instead. With today’s spray waxes, they’re very easy to use and can be applied to all surfaces without fear of staining trim. By using this method, you’re also drying and waxing all in one quick step! This method is quick, easy, and it is very safe for the finish of your car.

First apply Quick Detailer or Spray Wax.

Then lightly buff to a brilliant finish.

Once this step is completed you should reach for a general purpose microfiber towel for the finishing touches. I reserve my most plush microfiber towels for exterior painted surfaces, and then I keep a set of general purpose (less expensive) towels for cleaning areas like the door jambs, behind the fuel filler lid, and drying the wheels. Never mix your plush towels with your general purpose ones.

Ultra Plush Microfiber Towel door jamb cleaning

All Finished!

If you follow those key steps in washing and drying, you should be able to keep your vehicle looking its absolute best without inducing swirls in the washing and drying process. Once you get this system down, you should be able to complete the entire process in an hour or less.

Finished Ferrari after proper washing and drying

Credit to detailedimage.com

CRX wire tuck

First and foremost, if you are not capable of dealing with wires, do not try this. You will fuck something up. Each wire tuck is different and troubleshooting wiring over the net is about as difficult as trying to win INC ROTM with an ef hatch.

Anyways, you shitheads, here it is. Pay attention, put on a bib, and take notes.

Anyways, I didn't take pics of the car "before" I started, but here's what it looked like a while back:

I got the car today and took a "before" under hood pic:

I jacked it up and yanked the fenders, front end and battery out.

Notice the jackstands. Anytime you do work long term, use jackstands. Not jacks....jackstands. I'm not trying to read about any of you guys getting hurt because of this.

Enough of that shit...pics:

Remove all of these little brackets. Some have bolts, so just yank them out.

Some of them have a clip that goes into the body. Using a panel tool, just pop them out.

Kind of a loose shot.

These little clips hold the loom to the body. As you pull, cut these loose. I'll explain why later.

Yank out the windsheild cleaner solution bottle.

Unplug the headlights and the ground plug.

Remove the sockets from the harness.

Dangling harness so far.

Remove the resistor box and put it aside. This is it's plug.

This is the "warning" wires for the brake fluid. Simply tape these off on BOTH ends. These will not be hooked back up. Some folks will bitch about this, but I check my fluids weekly, so it's not needed for me.

These are some more examples of those clips thast need to be removed. It helps to cut them off so when pulling wires through grommets/holes, they don't get snagged.

Open the harness up and take note of the wires. All of them are uniquely colored, so this will be pretty simple.

Aaaaaaand cut.

This plug went to the windshield wiper thingy. Since it's not being used, I can just slide that unused wire out and remove the ground as well. 1 less wire to deal with.

Plug the headlights back up and run the wires back through.

These are the screws needed to make a ground. 1 is a starwasher, one is a self tapping screw and the other is a screw that comes with Pioneer radios.

Scrape off some paint and use the self tapper to make the hole.

Now put the Pioneer screw through the ground plug and then put the starwasher on.

And screw it in. The Pioneer screw is a larger thread than the self tapper, so it gets a solid grip. The starwasher helps dig into the paint. Grounds are crucial, so make sure this is solid!

Pull the harness through the firewall.

And this is what ya have so far:

This plug is needed to set timing, so it has to be accessble (I know I spelled it wrong, get over it.).

I pulled it out the loom, cut it shorter to be closer to the reisitor box area, soldered and taped it up.

This grommet is where I will be bringing the wires through.

Before I bring it in, I need to remove the huge boot and tape up the wires to bring them through.

and..

Using a "unibit", I drilled the hole larger in the OEM grommet.

I also slit it so I can pop it back in.

and it's back on.

This next piece is called a "c-clamp". It hold down bundles of wires. This is good to use so that the wire bundle doesn't move around overtime wearing a hole in the loom or coating.

In use.

Next up is 3m strip caulk. This is used to seal up holes. It never dries, and the hotter it gets, it is more pliable. In fact, overtime it will "seep in" to the grooves of the loom sealing it further.

Roll it out like a tootsie roll.

And wrap it around the loom.

This seals up around the hole preventing anything from getting in. This may be overkill, but overkill is my business and wiring is something you don't want to half-ass.

I'm only being super detailed on this side. I will still show what's going on on the other side, just in not as much detail, as it would be redundant.

Wires stripped back on the car side and interior side.

Box O' wire. I save all wires leftover from alarms and other stuff for projects like this.

Measure out the wire and connect both ends.

I took the grounds from the car side and gave them their own solid ground.

All the wires connected.

Soldered, taped, loomed, and fastened up.

Pulled the injector harness off.

Loosen the clutch off the tranny and pull it off, letting it hang on the driver side.

Injector harness on top of the block.

Aaaaaaaaaaand cut.

Extensions soldered on.

Notice the length difference?

I ran the harness under the intake manifold. I brought the clips up inbetween the runners and plugged them in.

I ran the rest of the harness into the hole.

Plugged in the resistor box and tucked it high in the dash.

And here is the OEM grommet back in place.

Some folks cut a large hole low in the bay and run all the wires back in that way, and that's cool. I, however, prefer to use factory holes and grommets. The other way may be cleaner, but it's alot more work, and if not sealed properly, it may allow water to leak back into the cabin.

Tucking the brake booster crap.

Unhook from the intake mani.

GENTLY using a rubber mallet, tap the elbow upside down. Using a metal hammer will bend or snap this off, delaying any progress.

Run the hose under the brake lines.

And remove the bracket.

Onto the passenger side wiring. Unhook all lights and remove all relays, screws, ground blocks, etc.

Reference pic of horn wiring.

Random pics of stuff laid out.

Unhook all plugs and fusebox stuff.

Now this harness is all the AC wiring components. I am going to remove this for now, but I'm leaving the wires intact and labeled so I can go back in and hook it back up later. I might even go ahead and run it tommorw. I dunno yet.

Either way, it has to be cut...

Open the bundle and check for no duplicate wires. I found 2 wires that are yellow with a green stripe. However, one has silver dots, while the other has two silver dots. Make sure to cut them so this is easy to identify.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnd cut.

Unplug.

No more vtak.

GENTLY push the wires through the grommet. Pulling too hard may depin a plug causing hell and havoc.

Harness in the car.

Bay shot.

Plug the headlights/horn/fan back in.

Oh Hai!

Wiretie and secure the bundles.

Fuse panel and car side harness chilling in the floorboard.

Since the Zydne is a 1 wire vtec ecu, I ran the vtec wire back out to the solenoid.

On to the passenger side light harness. I popped the grommet out and ran a car antenna down the hole.

Taped the wires to it and pulled it back through.

Here's where I f'ed up. I cut the harness too far back. I should have cut closer to the headlights, but I didn't. What this did is made the wires at this end uncomfortably short. Fortunatly, I have the patience of a saint with wiring and made it work. Note for next time: Cut closer to the headlights...lol

I put the grommet on and grounded the ground wires on each end.

Once again, extend all the wires.

And loomed up and secured.

Push the engine harness through...

and plug up the plugs and fuse box.

New ground wire. I used Stinger HPM 4 gauge wire. It's super flexible, has a nice jacket and is super easy to work with.

I used the 14mm rear shock bolt as ground. Nice and solid.

12 feet of the same power cable.

Run it from front to back

Using the oem clips, it holds the wire nicely. Thanks Honda!

And out the back.

Old and worn starter/battery cable.

New and sexy starter cable.

The old starter signal cable was too short.

Cut and soldered new wire on it. Make sure to use the same size cable. I used some heavily sheilded 12 gauge.

Loomed and tucked.

This plug controls the winsheild wipers. I've seen alot of HTer's delete the wipers, but in NC, we have to have them.

Off with the plug!

Solder and tape up new extensions.

This grommet is where the wires will be going through.

Slide the grommet on and slide it all in.

Solder it back on at the fuse holder end.

Rememebr the clutch cable?

Pull the bracket off and slide the cable under the intake manifold.

And bolt it back down.

Unbolt the vacuum stuff.

Take them off the bracket.

I taped them together (most cars only have one, for some reason this crx has two and they are wired together, so I didn't seperate them)

Wire tie it down.

Cut the wires, extend and plug in as usual.

On to the next sensor, pretty much the same procedure.

Here's the wiring for the sensors..done.

All the wiring (minus grounds) are done under the hood. I wire-tied the wires together neatly and put the oem grommet back in place. This is important to keep the cabin waterproof.

Supplies needed for grounds. 8 gauge wire, some crimp rings, wire cutters and Snap-On cripmers.

Measure the length.

Cut the wire.

Slide the jacket on first.

Put it in the crimpers. It is important to put the "notch" on the backside of the crimp, not the "seam" side.

Front and back.

Make sure that the ends are equal and the wire is not twisted. The wire should lay flat just like this.

Driver side ground. You should have a million short 10mm bolts let over. Use them for this purpose. They are the same thread pitch and everything. You could ground it elsewhere, this is just where I did this one.

I used the starter for the passenger side. Main reason being, is that the starter draws/uses the most current, so I put the ground there.

I simply made a ground on the firewall using the Pioneer screw/crimp/starwasher mentioned earlier in the thread. I may move it inside the cab later for a cleaner look. Either way, it works.

These are some necessary pieces. The larger piece is a ANL use holder. It has a 100 amp use in it. This is placed next to the battery. If there was an accident, the 4 gauge gets damaged or something bad happens, this fuse will pop. This MUST be installed i you are to relocate you battery. It is a cheap way to protect your car.

The smaller piece is a distribution block. This splits the larger wire into smaller wires nicely.

Both these pieces can be purchased at a stereo shop.

Distro. block in use.

Even though the block is covered with plastic, I still wrapped it in tape just in case.

Tuck everything away and put the carpet back.

This small battery box can be purchased for about $13 at Advanced auto.

I cut some holes out and screwed it down in place.

Dropped the battery in place, strapped it down and put some wood in the box to keep it from sliding around.

Hooked the ground wire up.

I measured out the 4 gauge for power and cut it. This is where the fuse holder goes.

Fuse holder in place.

Aaaaannnd hook the battery up.

Put the cover back on the box.

A couple of quick notes here. I plan on swapping the battery out for an Optima soon. It's not safe to ride around with a lead acid battery in a passenger compartment. These batteries give of fumes which are of course, harmful.

An Optima and/or gel style battery would be a much safer choice for a daily driver.

I will also be securing this better in the following days. A neighbor of mine is a welder and he says he'll whip up a nice little bracket for a 6-pack. This will be safer in case of an accident, the battery will not become a projectile in the car.

Now, I admit, I make mistakes. As I made one on this car. When I went to hook the battery positive terminal up, there was a HUGE spark. It's ok if there is a small one, but this was huge. I knew immediatly something was wrong. I pulled the ring terminal back and checked everything out.

It turns out when I put the 8 gauge ring on the starter, I turned it too tight. The backside of the ring terminal was touching the starter, and creating a deadshort. I replaced it and the jacket and all was good.

It is important to make sure you have solid connections and nothing is touching.

I just thought I'd share my own mistake...lol.

Before:

After:

The best way to look at it is corner by corner and see how much stuff is gone/moved.

The car started on the first try, all lights work, idles fine and no cels.

If I had gone straight through, without stopping, I could have done this in less than 8 hours. Stopping to take pics, post them, narrate and answer questions takes alot of time and slows me down. I need to clean up the vacuum hoses on the intake manifold and some other minor stuff by the AC. But for the most part, it's done.

Enjoy.