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David
Yudkin's TS
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In June 1997 I wanted
to buy a new car. After much searching I decided on a Daihatsu Charade,
but I didnít want an ordinary looking, run of the mill Charade. I decided
on a Red 3 door TS Model and then started to add features. Because of
my want for Automatic Transmission ( I do 90% Peak Hour City Driving),
Power Steering, and Power pack the car had to be ordered from the factory.
This was
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| the start of a 12-week wait. In the meantime I started to work out what modifications and features/accessories I wanted. I checked out all the Charades at small car Sunday as well as going to see SSV at Lonsdale and looking at their photo album. After about 10 weeks the car arrived and work was started. Dave Potter fitted the Cruise Control (this has saved me many a time form radars and cameras), tinted the windows, fitted the alarm, dropped the suspension 1‡", rolled the rear guards and added camber caster kits front and rear. Then the car went to SSV for a week | |||||||||||
| where it was fully body kitted, an MRT Rampod induction system was fitted and the exhaust system was changed from the catalytic converter to the rear, (2" pipe with a single sports muffler and a large chrome tailpipe). Finally the 15 x 6‡" rims and 50 profile tyres were fitted and it was mine. Because of the auto transmission, Daihatsu didnít fit the tacho as part of the power pack. They said that the transmission mode lights were more | |||||||||||
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| important. Not that I agreed but there was nothing I could do about it. I have only just found and had fitted a small 2" tacho on top of the steering column to the right of the | |||||||||||
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hazard button. It was not an easy task to find a tacho, or a mounting spot, but the Trisco tacho has a slim metal case and doesnít obscure any of the instruments. Even though this car is an auto it still goes hard and revs out. Yes it is a bit slow off the mark but once it gets going, it goes like a bat out of hell! Through the hills, using the box as a manual, it will keep up with the best of them. 1st gear gets to about 60km/h, 2nd gear up to 120km/h and I must |
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admit that I have never run it out in 3rd yet (soon I hope). The combination of the rampod and exhaust system really help and it sounds great under full acceleration. My future plans for the car are limited due to financial reasons, all of the above cost about $10,000 on top of the base vehicle price, though in the long term I may get some extractors fitted and do up the stereo. I may have to replace the front skirt with one not quite so low to the ground as it is very easy to scrape and already has a few cracks in it, not from me but the wife isnít so careful, (guess whose been banned from driving it). If it is ever written off it will be replaced with the next size down. |
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