Installed!

[octothorpe]

This project turned out to be *MUCH* more annoying than I thought it would be. Installing the rear sway bar was no problem. The biggest hurdle there was getting the jack to lift the entire rear end high enough. That required me to put down a couple of very long 2x4s to use as a "ramp" (gas jacks move forward as they raise the car). The jack stands went on, and the procedure took about 90 minutes. Someone with more experience would have done it in about 30 minutes, but I'm a punter.

The big problem was the intake. Jeebus was that a giant bitch. Even though the TSX is a cousin of the Honda Accord (it uses the "narrow accord" platform used in the european accords), it is *VERY* different from my prior accord (now the Pagermobile). There is an almost entirely inaccessible bolt that took me over 2 hours to get out, one click of the ratchet at a time. I also had to take the battery out entirely, as there were bolts that needed to come out under it. I didn't want to take off the entire front bumper, but that may have sped things up. The thought of removing all those bolts, *and* clips was just something I didn't want to tackle, so I removed the wheel, removed the splashguard and did it that way. It took 5 hours.

Oh, and did I mention that I had to translate the directions from Japanese? Even after translating, they were *awful*. "Take the airbox off" is not sufficient. How many bolts? Where are they located? I *really* need my shop manual.

Oh, yeah, one more thing. My across the street neighbour decided to tell me that "the mechanic thing really isn't part of our community". He moved in about 2 weeks ago, and I believe he is renting the house. I may have to make his life more difficult. I told him if he knew what was good for him, he'd mind his own. Classist bullshit. Over the summer we had a mid-day blackout. One of the elderly women from down the street came up to me and politely asked if I could open her garage door, so she could get her car out. I kindly obliged. Later that week, I found out that she was responsible for the official complaint I received about my car being left in my driveway. It's good to know when my neighbours want something they're all bright and cheery on the surface, but backstabbing cunts when your back is turned. At least this bloke spoke to me directly.

Classist, racist douchebags. All of them.

Comments

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your neighbors. They do reinforce the stereotypes about Greenwich.

Can I ask why you & Bill live there, or is that too long a story ... ;)

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know if there is a story to it at all. I moved in with him about 5 years ago, and he's lived in Rye (also a wealthy suburb of NYC, but in NY) and Greenwich since he got back from living in Brazil (at least 20 years or so)

I've never really fit in here, but that shouldn't matter. I don't socialise with them, and don't really feel the need to. Greenwich has always been odd in my mind. It's not as über-WASPy as, say, New Canaan, but it's close. I suppose I am used to being around (and enjoying) people who *aren't* exactly like me. Greenwich isn't the place for that.

Bill however, *does* fit in here. He's everything I'm not with regard to playing the WASP card.

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

Well, I know from Rye, the sister and brother-in-law of one of my first BF's live there and we stayed at their house a couple of times when visiting New York. Pretty, if you like stone mansionettes and lots of WASP monmmies in SUVs. Eek.

[jrjarrett.livejournal.com]

Hi there - I was just doing a friendsfriends browse when I came across this entry.

It does my heart good to know that my love/hate relationship with Volkswagens for some of those very reasons. I am part of an internet VW Scirocco group, and we've termed things like impossible-to-reach-bolts, "German Engineers I'd Like To Slap for $100, Alex!"

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Welcome to my corner of the globe!

And yes, there are a few Japanese engineers I now want to maim.

[kitchenbeard.livejournal.com]

The biggest hurdle there was getting the jack to lift the entire rear end high enough. That required me to put down a couple of very long 2x4s to use as a "ramp" (gas jacks move forward as they raise the car). The jack stands went on, and the procedure took about 90 minutes. Someone with more experience would have done it in about 30 minutes, but I'm a punter.

Do you have any idea how deliciously sleazy this sounds?

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

::lick::

Glad that you got it done

[rockey1.livejournal.com]

Damn your neighbars - - I am sure glad that my neighbors are not like that. Perhps you just have too much class and you threated their boring existance.

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

I found out that she was responsible for the official complaint I received about my car being left in my driveway.

Ummm...isn't that what the driveway is for?

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Sure, I can see where it may be a problem if it were in the street, as we're in a narrow cul-de-sac, and it becomes difficult trying to get around the turn while avoiding vehicles.

But it's *my fucking driveway*.

[danthered.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait...where you live, there's a rule you have to put your car in the garage unless you are actually driving it? You can't park it in the driveway...?

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

we do have plenty of rules, but I am not sure that's actually one of them.

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

Is there some sort of covenant in the neighborhood that you had to sign when the house was purchased? Otherwise, I don't know how there can be an "official complaint" about something that's perfectly normal...

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

I live in a "community". There are various rules, but really, as the houses are owned, and we pay various common charges, there isn't anything they can do that would legally hold any sway. They can only issue dirty looks, and sneer at the leatherclad biker who is clearly "not one of them". I think I need to invite a few MCs over, along with all my black and latino friends (and their friends) and watch as everyone cowers in their houses, and possibly calls the police.

I'm the troublemaker who rides a bike, drives a loud car (well, not as loud as the bike), and actually waves, is friendly, and says 'hello' to everyone who works here (the gate guard, the landscapers, etc). Most people just zoom past in their SUVs as if they weren't even there.

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Too bad my club's on the other side of the country... do you think a bunch of grungy, shaggy bikers who kiss and grope each other would have the desired effect on your neighbors? ;-)

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

I'm the troublemaker who rides a bike, drives a loud car (well, not as loud as the bike), and actually waves, is friendly, and says 'hello' to everyone who works here (the gate guard, the landscapers, etc).

Why, you...you trailer trash, you! Fraternizing with the help like that! LOL

If there's nothing they can do, I'd be tempted to give them an "Official Mooning", but they'd probably secretly like it. Just remember that while they publicly scorn you, they're probably masturbating to fantasies about you - including the crone with the faulty garage door. And just smile.

It's part of the reason I had to get out of suburbia, after the separation. No overt classism like you're being exposed to - in fact the town was a big mix of lower-middle-working class with a whole bunch of new yuppies thrown in. Just the overbearing sense of pressure to conform and not stand out.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Actually if there's a covenant on the deed, they can make legal complaints and there can be lawsuits in civil court as the covenant is normally seen as a legally binding contract (unless it compels you to do something illegal as in deny you the ability to sell your home to darker people, you know, from across the Channel).

I'd just start sending your neighbors complimentary subscriptions to the nastiest magazines you can find.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look into that.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Or register them all in the ACLU

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

I can sympathize on the annoying neighbors point. I've lived in this building longer than anyone else - and yet some of them have the gall to treat me like an "invader".

As for the work ... well, I'm not mechanical. It took me an age to replace a headlight bulb once...

[danthered.livejournal.com]

You shoulda called in a specialist. ;-)

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

I should have consulted the owner's manual before wasting a lot of time... fortunately, no actual damage done, other than to my ego.

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

Well - I'll admit to being of the "Read-the-manual-if-all-else-fails" school of engineering as well. My experience with car repair is such that while I CAN do some of the more simple things, my time is probably better spent on things I enjoy more. I grew up repairing the shitboxes I was driving ('70 Duster, '71 Pinto Wagon, '78 Dodge Diplomat...) in my teens and twenties. I spent too many nights fixing things that had broken inconveniently and at the worst possible time to ever really enjoy it. Patching broken transmission lines under the Pinto with rubber hose and hose clamps while lying in the slush in 20 degree weather at night was just not fun. By the end of it's useful life, the lines were more rubber hose than metal tubes.

But - when I was in London in '83, I did help a guy with that exact same repair to his Lotus (found a hardware store for the necessaries and they had the right transmission fluid, too!). At least he knew how to jack it up for me while I got the stuff I'd need. He and his date were very young and all dressed up and I took pity on them and did the work that got them going again after about an hour...but I told him to get that thing to his mechanic ASAP! He offered money, but I declined. It was just nice to be nice.

[vernnyc.livejournal.com]

I'll have to remember to wear a hoodie should I visit ... maybe buy some bling for the occasion


oh, and ay "yo" a lot!

:-)

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

platinum and diamond grills baby!

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

Your neighbors would drive me absolutely crazy too - they'll be first up against the wall when the revolution comes (though that revolution is a bit overdue). Still, I pity them a bit for living such fearful, uptight lives.

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Pity them more because they don't realize they're living fearful, uptight lives....

[beastbriskett.livejournal.com]

Well, were the busted knuckles and tight-twisting spaces worth the effort? How's the results?

The neighbor sounds like a total asshat. "Mechanic thing" indeed! Start calling him Gladys Cravitz immediately.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Throttle response is *much* better. Others have dyno'd, and it hugely improves torque on the low end (it's a design flaw in the stock airbox) to where it should be (but not where it *could* be), and adds perhaps 1-3WHP. The real reason to do it is to prep for the Hondata ECU reflash which is an additional 12-15WHP, and eliminates the ugly drop in torque around 5800-6000RPM.

Oh, and at WOT, it sounds like a bat outta hell. You'd never think that could come out of a 4-banger.

*massages back and shoulders*

[laitechs.livejournal.com]

i know nothing about mechanics, i'll take your word it was a huge task. being able to translate japanese...to me is amazing..i tried to learn..but so many charachters, styles, and similarities, and anunciation dificaulties. also sorry you're surrounded by classist, racist, backstabbing douches. *temples and neck massage* have a cup of tea, and remember..karma comes in many flavours, they'll get theirs, envision you're neighbors rental contract being broken, and he has to move to the ghetto. envision the little old lady, getting put in a nursing home by her uncaring unloving children. and if that doesn't work, remember you're better then them. ^_^.