Project GAB SS

Recently I changed my suspension to GAB SS. Now I have the ability to adjust my car height and damper rate as and when I like. This feeling is nice but adjusting it may prove troublesome.

So how is the cornering performance of this GAB SS? Put it this way, absolutely sweet and no regrets. Well comfort is sacrificed, if you speed at bumpy roads, be prepared to feel the bumps. Fair trade off, I'd say. Well, the reason why I change to this suspension is so that I will enjoy a firmer ride with minimal rolling. Also to reduce the unsprung weight and to have the overall planted feeling, not to forget the more aggressive lowered look :-P

I believe I have achieved all that with this GAB SS.

But on Christmas day, on the way back from my friend's place in Rawang, I was going a bit too fast on the downhill and didn't brake hard enough for the speed bump....cracked my bumper, dislocated the front part of my engine bay a little. Spent another RM70 to put everything in place. LOL...Still no regretz, the feeling when I throttle at the corner will put a smile on my face, anytime.

My Christmas present box

Inside my present box

Notice how the front looks lower than the rear? Serious no-no for me, re-adjusted it thereafter

Project K&N Drop In Air Filter

It's been a while since I last posted. On Christmas day..ah...the time when everyone is having a good time, well my ride is no exception. It's about time I change my OEM air filter and at last, I decided to go for the K&N drop in air filter. Previously, I was contemplating between open pod and drop in. Some of my friends advised me to get open pod whereas some dismiss the very same idea. So I'm left to decide.

Open pod is claimed to improve performance at high rpm whereas the low end would suffer. Sounds good eh? Not to mention, the beautiful intake sound -the perfect icing on the cake -

Well, open pod is marginally more expensive than a drop in setup, and more complicated. One would need to customize an air ram or get a ready made ones [for a start]. That would set you back around RM100-RM250 depending on the material and workmanship. After that, one would need to look for a good heatshield as open pod is susceptible to heat which is not good for your engine performance which means another RM50-200. Another thing to consider is that open pod would tend to get dirty faster than conventional filter. Well, since more air is going in, can't help that the dirty particles may escape the filtration, isn't it?

Contrast the above to drop in, well drop in is just plug and play. Take out your original OEM filter, fit the aftermarket filter. Easy as A-B-C. Well it is said to improve air flow but the performance gain is said to be superior to that of the open pod. Despite this, I decided to get the drop in. The reason? I don't see it as an integral part of my plan to build a 130 whp Neo. I heard that Neo MME retains its original air box + higher air flow filter AND the Satria Neo R3 are using K&N drop in filter but pushing 145 hp. With this backdrop, I guess drop in would do the job just fine. Afterall, I'm not building a hardcore high hp engine. Since a drop in will give me what I want, I don't need open pod. Not to mention, no suffering during hot weather and a relatively cleaner engine. Total costs of the K&N drop in filter is RM250 from Kakimotor.


Why K&N? Well, K&N claimed to be the best air filter in the world. Since K&N 'live and breathe' air filters, it's only natural that I look at them for air filters.


Ok, last part. How is the performance? To be honest, I don't feel any difference. LOL. Nothing at all. But I have no regrets. Since I can re-use this filter again and again and I'm sure the high flow characteristic will benefit the engine in some way. Perhaps a 1 whp increase? LOL

What's inside the box?

Ada K&N sticker, Ada GAYA

Project FGK-Hotbits Performance Exhaust

After more than a year, I finally got myself a performance exhaust. Having considered various exhaust brand in the market from Hotbits, Works-Engineering, Everco, Superstreet etc. I finally decided to go for the FGK extractor. It must be stated at the outset that this FGK extractor is not in any way related to the FGK Japan (Fujitsubo) exhaust. To avoid confusion, I'll refer to the Malaysian FGK as FGK (and not the FGK Japan). Apparently, I was told that the FGK is a registered trademark in Malaysia.

Anyway, I came across this local FGK extractor lately thanks (or no thanks) to Drex. According to Drex's own words, "Welding and material quality (of the FGK is) better than Hotbits. Unexpectedly, surprisingly worth the cheap price!!". [The words in the round brackets are mine]. I had the opportunity to do a short visual comparison between the hotbits and the FGK, it seems that the welding of the FGK extractor does look much better than Hotbits extractor in the sense that the welding of the FGK is more smooth and fine. 

That aside, I have no regrets getting the FGK 4-1 extractor. No noticeable power loss below 3k but there is a noticeable power surge from around 4k onwards all the way to 7k rpm. At high rpm, I can feel the air exiting from my exhaust at a rapid rate which makes the rev and the car feels lighter. Perhaps, this is what 4-1 is all about, torque at high rpm. For those who is unsure of whether to get 4-1 or 4-2-1 extractor, I believe Drex's chart is useful to explain the difference between the two setup and then it's up to the driver to see which one to get.

Drex's chart illustrating the performance difference between a 4-2-1 and 4-1 extractor

Generally, 4-1 would improve the mid to high rpm range at the expense of the performance at low rpm whereas 4-2-1 improves low to mid rpm and generally throughout the powerband.

To complement my FGK extractor, I got myself the Hotbits straight flow muffler. I kept the original mid piping. So now the sound is awesome. At low rpm, it is bassy whereas at high rpm, the sound is firm. Absolutely no regret. Thanks to Drex for the recommendation and advice. Much appreciated.

In the meantime, I will continue to observe the performance and will be posting a dyno chart soon, maybe at the end of the year.

Master Drex fixing the FGK extractor

Proud user of the FGK 4-1 extractor

Picture of the dyno chart. The chart was overlayed by Drex for ease of comparison

Feel free to check out the video

Service with Mobil 1 Fully Synthetic

Ahhh....am typing this at 9.31pm after a long fun trip in Indonesia. After a fair share of adventure and even bigger share of bus ride, I am happy to be standing on Malaysian soil earlier today at 1.15pm. So what did I do the first thing I get home? Spending time with my beloved ride of course. This time around, 'we' made a trip to Bernard's place aka Maddriver's garage because 'she' is due for oil change.

Previously, I filled her up with the Petronas fully-syn 5w40 and today, I chose to fill her up with Mobil 1 fully syn 0-40.

So the million dollar question, how is this Mobil 1 engine oil? Well...I feel that my engine is smoother (if any). Seriously, the difference if there is any, is too negligible. Having said that, I did feel that my engine revs lighter but this feeling, is so minimal until it may very well be considered as placebo effect. In other words, there's no noticeable difference. The reason why I say that the engine revs lighter / smoother is because when I drove my car out of maddriver's garage...I enjoyed this light feeling but after that, it gets all normal.

Notwithstanding the above, the biggest difference I can feel now is that with Mobil 1, I can continue driving my car the way I drive with an absolute peace of mind knowing that my beloved ride will be reasonably-well protected.

4 Liters of Mobil 1

Signal Light problem solved

Today I'm in a good mood because I managed to fix my car's signal light problem. I was having this weird problem, every time I turn on my right-hand side signal, it won't retract on its own after I make the turn. While this doesn't affect my driving/cornering but it is slightly annoying because I need to turn off the signal light. I would say the annoyance rating is 1.5/5.

Actually this problem surfaced after I collected my car from Proton SC. I highlighted the problem to them and they had ordered and fixed the center cone and center console (the white plastic thingy behind the steering wheel) but yet, they could not fix it. After close to 3 weeks, Proton SC gave up on rectifying the problem and told me that it's due to my steering + NRG kit. Well, from my point of view, they just push the problem to me and tell me to go solve it myself. Of course, I am rather disappointed with them because this problem can never be associated to my momo race steering + NRG Kit because after I installed those items, I never encounter this problem.

Please view the video below for better understanding.

Well since Proton SC cannot rectify it, I had to go back to Kakimotor Sunway. I reached Kakimotor slightly after 10.00am and by 10.30, they managed to pin-point the problem. Half an hour later, I got back my car with the problem fixed. Viola. I'm so happy. Kakimotor don't know how much labour costs to charge, they said RM20 which I gladly paid.

Car Detailing Session with Sonax

Today is a rather tiring day because it's time for me to perform the monthly claying, polishing and waxing on my car. I normally use Turtle Wax products but recently, I came to know about this product from Germany, known as Sonax. Unlike other well-known products in the market such as Meguairs, Turtle Wax, Perma Glass, Soft 99 [and the list goes on], Malaysians at large have never heard of Sonax (at least among my car friends). I guess it's largely due to the fact that Sonax products are not available in most retail stores. In light of this, I decided to write a review about the Sonax products that I have used to let more people know about this product. As the saying goes, shared joy is double joy.

Apparently Sonax is a very reputable brand in Europe and is one of the world's leading car care product manufacturers. They used to sponsor a few F1 teams in the past but currently, they are the Mclaren Mercedes F1 team's official supplier.  

Having tried out the Sonax Active Shampoo 2 in 1, I was quite pleased with the overall performance of that shampoo. I have used many shampoos before but I was using the Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash which costs around RM70 prior to the Sonax shampoo. The Turtle Wax Ice Car Wash is quite a good car wash, it's thick, sudsy and smells like honey dew whereas Sonax shampoo works as good as the Turtle Wax Ice car wash but only cost RM30. Nevertheless I feel that the Sonax shampoo doesn't feel as thick but it works and cleans the car well.

A side-by side comparison of the two car shampoo bottles

Now a quick comparison between the two, Sonax shampoo costs RM30 for a 500 ml shampoo whereas the Turtle Wax Ice car wash costs, as said earlier, around RM70 for a 1.89 liter of shampoo. Now, Sonax doesn't look that attractive anymore, right? Well, Wrong. This is because the Sonax shampoo boasts an impressive 1:500 concentration ratio which means that, only 20-30 ml is required to fill up 2 gallon water unlike the Turtle Wax Ice car wash which requires 2 Oz. (59 ml?). So in the long run, Sonax is more economical and if you need to clean a very stubborn stain, just use the Sonax shampoo undiluted.

Notice just a small cup of Sonax shampoo is needed to produce 2 gallon of water full of bubbles?




Anyway, I started off the detailing session by giving my car a full 'shower' using the Sonax shampoo.

See how dirty my car is after just 1 week?

So after I washed my car, I dried it with the Sonax synthetic chamois. Well, the chamois absorbs water very well and it is an essential tool for drying your. Now I cannot imagine drying my car without it. I use the chamois to wipe of the water from my car and then followed by the Sonax ultrafine microfiber. If you ask me, it is a quality product which comes at a very reasonable price.

After washing the car, I clay my car to ensure that my car surface is free from any contaminants. The result? Well, a smooth surface. Then, I apply the Sonax Xtreme Polish and Wax No.2 using the Sonax application sponge. I don't know how much polish and wax liquid I have used to polish and wax the whole car but it's not much really.

It's very easy to apply especially with the application sponge

Not bad for an amateur

Now my car is rather shiny. Well, I'm quite satisfied with the Sonax Polish and Wax No.2. It costs RM47 and I'm sure it can last for another 3-4 applications before I need to restock it. So am I going staying with Sonax for my car care need? A definite yes.

I like the shine :-) If someone like me can do it, I'm sure you can do it far better

A mirror like shine, well almost yeah?

The water bead

Well considering that Sonax is a quality product and has exceptional value, I am looking to replace my current Turtle Wax Ice products with Sonax once they are finish. But I'd still keep the Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Liquid Polish as an icing on the cake :-P

For those who are interested in buying sonax products, you may visit here http://extremecarcare.blogspot.com/
It is an online shopping place for Sonax. I got my stuffs from there.

p.s.: I do not get paid for writing about my experience with Sonax, I'm just a happy customer.

Accident at Klawang Route

15 May 2011 marks a very special day because it is on this day that me and my neo had an accident. On that fateful day, myself, Izrin, Amir, Syed, GFX, Yehlai and DJ decided to go on a midnight drive on the Klawang route. We all started the drive around 12 midnight and few corners after we passed the beautiful dam, my car understeered badly into the drain. I was shell shocked as to how it could happen. Well, it was a dearly mistake as my front rim was broken, the rear rim was scratched badly, my drive shaft bengkok, my door slightly out of shape, bumper cracked and many other damage that was later detected in Proton SC.

Before the drive, I was feeling very uncomfortable with my car as I have adjusted my camber setting and not only that I wasn't used to the new setting, it felt weird for me and I was yearning for my old original setting. But after the warm-up session, I managed to overcome those hard turns and was able to build up my confidence with the new setting. For some reason, I decided that I was going back to the tyre shop to adjust back to my old setting the next day. Well, sad to say that I didn't get to carry out that decision because, after the warm up session. I decided to up the game a little (seeing that I managed to clear the warm-up session) and was driving close to my usual speed, each corner passed gave me slightly higher confidence which induces me to increase more pressure on the pedal. Until, this particular corner, a huge sweeping left hander, my car understeered right off the road and onto the drain. I was shell-shocked for it was the first time that I was caught by such heavy understeer. Maybe, I think, maybe I pushed the car beyond my driving ability and beyond the car's safety limit. I guess, I was going at too high a speed. Truly a good lesson for me. I forgotten my sifu's words to me, don't push to the limit on the street. The street is, afterall, a very limited stage. Safety comes first. Well, in the midst of having that much fun on the touge, one tends to forget the basic.

So my car was stucked in the drain, Izrin, Amir, Syed, GFX, Yehlai and DJ all worked together tirelessly to help me pull the car out. Seriously, words cannot express how much I appreciate their presence there that night. Without anyone of them, I don't think things will go as easy as that night.

Firstly, thanks everyone for helping out in getting the car out. Especially Izrin and Syed who had to go around finding solid object as a platform for my car to roll out of the drain. Well, according to Syed, he claimed to have seen a white cloth or commonly known as a "kain kapan", a type of cloth which is used to cover dead bodies among the malay community. Apparently Syed and Izrin lifted a nearby wooden plank before Syed started running for his life leaving Izrin behind, who then slowly put down the wooden plank and left too.

Secondly, thanks to GFX, you are like running a mobile clinic with all the useful tools in place. From carpet to hydraulic jack. Seriously, they are a huge life saver. Without them, we would be stucked there longer. Also to Yehlai who is one of the coolest guy I've seen. I'll forever remember the crazy anxiety when we failed to keep up with the tow truck which was towing my car!!

Amir and DJ, thanks for your laughter and companionship that night. Of course, special thanks to amir for being the last car. I don't think that's a nice place to be. LOL. Again, thanks everyone who cruised at 10km/h on klawang that night together with me. It must be very boring and tiring for you guys. I'm so sorry for the trouble. Special thanks also to Syed who went to find help at the police station. Special mention must also be given to both GFX and Yehlai who both accompanied me to Kajang police station. It was around 7 am when it was all done. Somemore Yehlai had to work the very next day. You guys are the real angel.

I'll forever remember what you guys did for me that night. Of course, my car stucked in the proton service centre for almost 1-2 months.

Well it'll be sometime before I can drive with you guys again.

Sigh

Ouch

 See, the thing is bent?

 What become of my rear rim

 New rims :)

Project Oil Catch Tank

I got a free oil catch tank as my birthday gift recently. Well, actually oil catch tank is not an essential item for satria neo as indicated by some because the amount of oil trapped by the tank is so minimal that there is no real reason in installing it in the car.

Well, since I got it for free, I took it to Drex for installation.

For those who don't already know, the purpose of an oil catch tank is to trap oil in the form of mists and blow-by gases to prevent them from which would otherwise be routed back to the intake for the engine to burn off. Apparently, the oil catch tank is able to collect the oil mist and condenses the fuel vapors while allowing "cleaner" gases to be passed back into the intake. However, the oil catch tank must be cleaned every three months just in case.

Can spot my oil catch tank? It's in the pic

 This is my Oil Catch Tank

Project Fuel Cap

Hello again,

So what do you think of the satria neo fuel cap? Looks kinda ugly, right? Well, Top Gear used to condemn it and I personally felt that it doesn't match the car. So, time for another cheap mod to improve this aspect of the car. I noticed that there are some neo owners out there who put CF stickers on their fuel cap, some spray the whole fuel cap to blend with the car. Well, for me, I sprayed the fuel cap and stick a CF sticker.

Ta-da

There ya go, now that is what I call, a fuel cap :D

Project Front Speaker

Recently I was in the market for a decent front speakers as my neo does not come with any front speakers. Driving without the front speakers can be a little frustrating especially when you are driving on the highway because the sound at that speed will definitely drown out the radio sound and affects your in-car entertainment enjoyment as you struggle to hear what is coming out of the radio.

Actually I am not an ICE guy and I definitely don't want to spend hundreds on speakers. On this note, I cannot understand why some are willing to spend $$$ on ICE. Well, that is their preference I guess. Oh, since we're on this, to "those blonde chinese lala who blast their trance music in their car as if it's some kind of mobile disco", you look dumb and stupid. Go to hell ah beng. We don't like your music and you look like a fool :(

Well I got my front speakers from my sifu who is selling to let go his satria neo OEM front speakers. I paid at a bargain and got it installed by Howie from EA Autoworks.

With just a mere RM100, I am now driving with front speakers. A huge improvement :-)
Also, for those who are installing new speakers in their neo, make sure your installer installs them properly otherwise your car will be a fish tank each time you park under heavy rain :)

Michelin PS3 [Tyre Review]

The stock rubber that comes with my neo is theContinental Comfort Contact CC5 195/55/15. Initially, I thought of shifting to higher performance rubber after I finish stock rubbers but unfortunately, after a night run at Klawang, I decided that the stock rubber has to go. It cannot accommodate my driving style as it was screeching all over and if you keep 'torturing' it, trust me, you'll understeer and go off the road. Nearly happened to me once. In other words, the CC5 is just a comfort tyre.

So went around asking for a good performance tyres for beginners like me. For this purpose, I even had a TT session with my sifu. Basically, there were 3 options, (1) Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE001; (2) Michelin Pilot Sport 3; and (3) Yokohama Advan Neova AD07. After discussion with my sifu, I decided to drop AD07 from the list as it belongs to the extreme category and I agree with my sifu that, one must learn how to utilize UHP/Max Performance tyres before going to Extreme Performance tyres. For some reason, I opted for the PS3 as it was enjoying great reviews and it is said to perform relatively well in wet. 

So changed all tyres into PS3 and viola. I almost cannot believe the amount of grip that I'm having and most importantly, this is just PS3 and not some RE001, AD07 or R1R. Ok back to the topic, PS3 is rather silent and comfortable, I guess it's due to the softer sidewall. Anyway, it is a major improvements over the stock tyres. Another trip to Klawang and I am able to push much harder without the tyres screaming for mercy and the car was able to hold it lines through those sharp corners especially when I throttle out of the apex. 

Additionally, PS3 performs reasonably well in wet condition. At least I feel that way when I'm driving in wet condition. Anyway, I recommend this tyre to all who is looking for a decent performance rubber. I can only compare this to my previous stock tyres and I have yet to experience other performance rubber. Maybe I'll have a change of view once I try other tyres. As for now, PS3 is the best tyre I have used but I wish it had stiffer sidewall.

What happened to my CC5? Well, I sold it off at a bargain due to lack of space

Project Bucket Seat (Chapter 2)

In Chapter 1, I wrote about my replica Sparco Fighter. Well, although I enjoyed relatively good headroom, as time goes on, the seats emit some weird squeaking plastic shrieking sound. Initially I thought it was due to the rails but it turns out to be the seat itself. I went to ask a few people and got a good lecture from someone about the replica seat. Apparently, these replica seats are a serious danger hazard to anyone who decides to sit on it. The risk is multiplied when you belongs to the heavier group. Due to the poor quality, the seat might snap on impact and the sharp edges of the seat may just impale your vital organs in an accident.

So, I decided to get the seat out of my car and look for a long term solution. At the end of the day, I got myself a SSCUS Viper. Well, I use it with the SSCUS rails and brackets and feel rather uncomfortable as the headroom is now reduced (as compared to earlier). In other words, I'm sitting closer to the roof as opposed to away from it. Dang, defeats the purpose.Mind you, the SSCUS subframe which I use is supposed to be made lower.

So I took out the SSCUS subframe and use my previously customized bracket. Viola. Problem solved.

Project Momo and NRG

Many people overlook the importance of driving position. There's a saying goes, learn to walk before you run. Instead of focus on the big things eg. performance etc., one must not overlook the basics such as driving position.

I find myself unable to get a good driving position. Due to the length of my legs, I had to sit far away from the steering and when I do, both my arms will be outstretched. Totally uncomfortable and not the safest driving position in case of untoward incidents. Therefore I decided to extend the steering a little closer to me. There were two options, (1) add a steering wheel spacer) or (2) a quick release.

A good steering wheel spacer in the market is the R3 wheel spacer. Costs around RM200+ and it is supposedly, of high quality.

An example of R3 wheel spacer

I opted for a quick release kit as not only that it allows me to extend the steering closer, it enables me to release the steering as and when I like. Especially when you're parking unfamiliar places or under a hot sun where you want to cover your precious steering wheel from the scorching sun :)
Bought it from kakimotor, the Quick release is priced around RM200+, quick lock is around RM100 +
Now I enjoy a good driving position :)


Oh as for the steering, i got the MOMO Race- Loving every second of it. Holding a momo while driving it a completely different experience. Try it out yourself :)

This is the NRG quick release CF look :)

Removed steering

NRG Quick Lock for added security

My MOMO Race + NRG Quick Release

Project Sport Rims (Wedsport SA55-M)

There's a difference between facts and opinion, opinion differs from one and another and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. On the contrary, facts doesn't differ because, a fact is a fact. Those who differ from facts are labelled as ignorant. Back to the topic, it is a fact that the SNeo Lite's steel rims + cover and the alloy wheels of the higher end version of the SNeo is ugly. Now that is a fact and not an opinion because if you ask 100, you'll most likely hear 101 answers saying that the Sneo stock rims are ugly (1 additional answer here is the echo resulted from the 100 answers given at the same time in a firm manner)

So I went around looking for sport rims...and spotted the Wedsport SA55-M with redlining.

Project Bucket Seat (Chapter 1)

It is common knowledge that Satria Neo is the antonym of the word 'comfort'. Being 185cm in height, the word of 'comfort' would seem like a farcry. The reason for this is due to the design of the car and the stock seats that comes with the car which results in a very, very limited headroom. So if you're as tall as me, you'll find myself sitting inches from the roof of the car.

For those who are above average in height, it is almost a necessity to 'do something' to release more headroom.  Also, the height adjuster which comes with some versions of the SNeo, would serve no purpose if you're looking to release more headroom. So the only real solution to the headroom issue is aftermarket.

There are few options to release more headroom, some resort to removing chunk of cushion from their stock seat to allow them to sit lower, while some take the bold move and completely remove and replace the stock seats. I for one, chose the latter option.

I considered a few bucket seats ranging from Bride to Recaro and from original to imitation. Since the sole purpose of this project is to release more headroom, I was of the view that there's no point in going for original which can be very costly. Say, one Sparco Evo costs RM2400 +/- a piece excluding rails and brackets. So I decided to go for a replica ones (a decision which I soon regret)

Having considered a few bucket seats, I opted for the Sparco Fighter due to its price and design. It looks reasonably nice and is able to fit large size people like myself.

This is how the original Sparco Fighter looks like

And this is my Sparco Fighter replica. Doesn't look as good but what about its quality?

I bought the seat for around RM500. The seat comes with rails, thereafter I went to customize a bracket for my SNeo. I paid another RM200 for the bracket and installation (feels a bit pricey) but the workmanship, i feel, is really good.

The result? AWESOME. I was able to release a substantial amount of headroom though coming in and out of the car has become a challenge. If you're parking close to a car at your driver's side, be rest assured that you'll never be able to climb out.

Well for the headroom? I think it's a worthwhile price to pay. I found out that the headroom increase is attributed to my customized bracket because it's designed in such a way that it's almost stick to the ground :P coupled with the bucket seat which has minimal cushion pad.

Type R Spoiler

Satria Neo Lite does not come with a pre-installed spoiler and for those who cannot stand the botak look, aftermarket spoilers will be an inevitable option. There are many spoilers in the market and you will have many shapes to choose from. However, if you like the R3 spoiler, you have to change your rear windscreen. Ah Liew from LYN explains it well in http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/952703/+100

Anyway, I have set my eyes on the Type R spoiler. For those who are interested, I can tell you where it is available and at what price (from my previous research), they are as follows:-
i) Monstermodz - Kajang - RM 250
ii) After 12 Garage - Sunway - RM 350
iii) Kent Bodykit - Kepong - RM 300

I did mine at After12 Garage. After some dramas with After12, I managed to get mine installed. To be honest, I am not too satisfied with the finish especially when you look at it closely.

This is how the spoiler looks like from the rear

The Type-R Spoiler

AUX Cable

I own a Sony Ericsson Walkman Phone which allows me to store up to 8gb memory worth of music files. I imagine how great it would be if I can connect my phone to my car audio as I don't have to burn so many CDs. I am not much of an ICE guy and the stock audio system is enough to satisfy me, therefore it does not hurt to enjoy some music on a long journey drive.

As a matter of fact, the proton HU has the AUX input mode but before you can start using that, you will need to connect a cable from the back of the HU and connect that same cable, to your MP3/Ipod/in my case, walkman phone, etc. device. I did my AUX cable at EA Autoworks for a fee of RM 70 with 3 months warranty. It is considered reasonable because the Sony Ericsson MMC-70 cable alone already cost RM 40 (and you will still need an additional adaptor).

For those who are interested, may want to consider EA Autoworks.
Another alternative, http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1220710

This is AUX cable. You will notice the cable from the glove compartment.

Cool World Security Tint

The very first thing I did with my car was installing a security tint. I believe it is an affordable and a good investment. Apparently the Tint is 4 mil thick and cost only RM 350. Those who are interested may want to find Damonzero from LYN. I did mine with him and he attended to all my queries.

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1379142&hl=

With the tint around, the car looks better with the darker tint and the cabin seem much cooler. Even if the car is parked under hot sun, it takes only a while for the car to cool down. Then again, it may be due to the good air-condition.

Those who want thicker security tint may opt for the RhinePro series which has a tint of up to 7 mil security tint.

The Beginning Of A Beautiful Relationship

It all started back in mid Jun 2010 when I decided to order a Satria Neo Lite. Initially, I have no intention of getting a car at that point of time, as a matter of fact, I sold off my old 1997 Proton Satria 1.3. The reason being that I was working near Midvalley The Gardens and I thought that KTM would provide a cheap and easy mode of transportation traveling to and from work since the KTM station is conviniently located near my house and Midvalley.

I sold off my old Satria 1.3 to my uncle who is a second hand dealer for a nominal sum of RM 5,500. The car was quite in a bad shape considering the rusty roof and many other small bits here-and-there that require touch ups. Anyway, he managed to sell the car for some small profit. I heard it he sold it to a Malay guy. Well, hope the the car will end up in good hands.

Anyway, I took KTM for almost 2 weeks and I totally give up hope on it. With the frequent delay and breakdowns, it is way too unreliable and a small fry like me, cannot afford to arrive late at work. On top of that, suffocating myself in a sardine-packed train is definitely not a good way to start my day. Hence, I decided to fastforward my plan to get a Satria Neo. 

I went to this Proton dealer near Pasar Borong Selayang. A guy by the name of Brian attended to me. Well, I ordered a black neo lite with him and paid the booking fee. He promised that the car will arrive, latest 2 months. I trusted him and waited. In case you don't know, I took KTM for that whole period and life was really not too fun, truthfully. I can bet  RM 1 billion with you that every morning of a working day, you'll hear people shouting and pushing, the scene is overly chaotic and you'll wonder why we Malaysians cannot excel in Rugby or American Football~really.

To my horror, Brian still unable to get me the car 2 months later. I got extremely frurstrated with him, went to Proton Branch in Mutiara Damansara. Mr. Khor attended to me and checked the system. Apparently, there is one neo lite black available. Straightaway I cancel my order with Brian and proceed with Mr. Khor. Honestly speaking, anyone looking to order a Neo may want to look out for Mr. Khor from Mutiara Damansara branch, he is a man who provides service of the highest quality.

A week later, I got my car and a beautiful relationship with my neo has just begun.

Badawi on KTM Komuter back in 2008. Apparently he was unhappy with the services wanted immediate improvements to be made. Well, 2010, it still sucks.

This is the Satria Neo Lite in showroom condition