Eunos Chump

There's a new version of Tuner Studio available (for Megasquirt) that has a fabulous new feature - live VE tuning.  As the car is way out of tune after all the trouble I had with the leaking manifold, I was keen to try this.  On Saturday I got no further than the garage as my back was just too stiff to drive, but I had more success today.  Basically, you switch on autotune and just drive the car.  The VE table is displayed onscreen, and it amends the values on the fly, according to the target VE table you've set.  When you're ready, you burn them to the EMS.  I've got a tank of plain rather than super unleaded so I couldn't risk any flat out runs, but it does seem smoother already and the idle is now steady. I'm trying to arrange a trip to the Ardennes in early summer, which just happens to be convenient for Spa circuit and the Nurburgring.  I've made it clear to my friends that anybody not attending is an enormous girl's blouse, and so far they're...

MX5 has seen a bit of use during the recent snow, it wasn't much good but considerably better than the BMW.  It did get stuck earlier in the week when I tried to get it on the drive, and took 6 people to shift it - my back has been very bad again this week but I had no option but to get stuck in.  This was a mistake... hopefully be in better shape on Monday, I've only been into the office twice since Xmas. The Berlingo is back on the road, after replacement of the impressively sci-fi sounding Comms 2000 unit.  This is actually the column switch assembly, but it's full of electronic gubbins because the car uses multiplex wiring.  I managed to hit myself hard on the nose taking the steering wheel off, but apart from that it was an easy swap (apart from the £197).  The parts guy at the dealer admitted he sold 'loads' of these. Having trouble getting a reasonable insurance quote for the MX5, A-Plan want £580 which seems ridiculous at my advanced age. ...

Mrs B's Berlingo is broken again (needs a new indicator switch), which has meant rushing the MX5 back into service.  I'd been disassembling it in a half-arsed fashion over the past few weeks, not expecting to put it back on the road until February at least, but needs must. Here it is, being gently nudged out of the garage.  I got what appears to be a Fiesta oil filler cap from Halfords, turned out to be a perfect fit (and cheap at £3.50).  It's all back together now, and runs LOVELY.  I've got a very bad back right now, so it wasn't easy but worth it.  I had a ride through the countryside with the top down for an hour, impulse power only because there's still a bit of snow about.