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My Driving Experience – Kelisa to a
Subaru
April 02, 2007 |
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unrated, unedited
by andy
kow 
click me
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In
2003 I purchased a Special Edition Kelisa (which comes in blue and
also includes blue seats), is a small nimble car that is just
perfect for driving around town. Power to weight ratio is also good,
the engine which is a Daihatsu derived EJ-DE is a 989cc,
water-cooled, 3-cylinder, 4-cycle, 12valve, DOHC engine develops a
standard 50hp. This 1000cc engine delivers good torque at the mid
RPM range which is used most of the time in city driving. After
owning it for 4 months I finally got a chance to take part in a
GymKhana that was held in Penang’s famous
Fort
Cornwallis
. This GymKhana involved forward gears and reverse gears. As it was
my first time, I didn’t really know how to hand brake turn and
reverse and shift gears at the same time. But not many people in
Penang
at that event could do that either. That’s when I actually met the
current legend Julian “Uncle Champ” Phang, God of Hand Brake in
action.
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Since
then I got more involved in motorsports and devoted my free time to
learning as much as I possibly can about the car and driving
techniques. I took part in as many autocrosses I could, that
included KKS, R3 and the recent GRA series. The Kelisa was pretty
stock standard, my first mod was the 15-inch rims that was wrapped
with TOYO tires. Being a small car there isn’t a lot of choices
for tires within the size that is suitable for the 15” rims. 6
months later I decide to help boost the engines HP and bought the
HKS open pod mushroom filter with a custom intake pipe.
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Due to the
size of the engine bay there wasn’t much room to fit a Heat
Shield, so I decided to just run it right in front of the radiator
fan. Yes it’s not a good idea, I know that. Last but not least, my
most expensive mod on the car are the HWL absorbers. Prepared by
YSKhong Motorsports the absorbers preformed well and made the car
more fun to drive on the limit. So I learnt how to drive the car by
practicing with every chance I could.
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Every
drive is a learning experience for me, there are some great drivers
in a Kelisa out there too who made the under 1300cc class a little
more interesting. But overall the Kelisa is a great car despite the
rear of the car having slight manufacturing problems with the axle.
Having a proper setup at the front wheels makes the whole experience
with every drive at an autocross totally different.
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I’ve
always had a liking for the Subaru Impreza. The first experience I
had was in Ivan “DarkHelmet” Khong’s car, coming all the way
from KL to
Penang
to “Yum Char” and drive the narrow hill roads that we call
Teluk Bahang. I was amazed with the car’s ability and it’s
power, it’s like a shot of adrenaline when the turbo spools up
and just sticks you to the seat. The Impreza takes corners with
ease and it feels like the whole car is on rails. Indeed I was
amazed with the experience and I said to myself that I would
definitely get that car as my next car. 3 years after my
experience, I’ve finally got a chance to own the Impreza.
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The
model, a 1997 GC8 import model from Motor Image. The car was in
pretty stock condition when I got it with some slight
modifications added. Best part of the car was the body with it’s
green paint that was in great shape. I was told the car had a
paint job so it looked good outside. The engine EJ20 was still
running perfectly and looking at it closely it had minor mods like
the STI intercooler and TD05 turbine. HWL suspension was already
on and although a little bumpy with the current springs the car
hugs the road with so much control. I noticed the drivetrain also
had a center differential that made the 4-wheel drive feel like a
rear wheel drive car. Last mod that was already on the car was the
thermal wrap on the exhaust piping and the large muffler that
amplifies that notable boxer sound. Current mods I have added so
far was the Rear LSD and I’ve been having fun driving in circles
making UFO or Donut marking at various spots in Penang. Muahaha.
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My
first drive experience was when I got the car and drove it
straight to GRA Round 4 in 2006. I knew I was the new kid in the
big boys category so I just decided to learn how the car handles.
Believe me jumping from a front wheel drive Kelisa into an Impreza
is a whole new experience. The ability to late brake
and weaving through the first set of slaloms was
effortless. Setting the car up for the first 360 degree was
interesting as I engaged the handbrake to let the rear break
loose, when I throttled the car the rear wheels just powered the
car round the cone easily and making my 1st dount! The
next part of the course was a short straight into a right 180
degree turn. Still in 2nd gear I heel and toe into 1st
gear, engaged the and brake and turned, then I spun. But it was
fun, every drive in the Impreza was exhilarating. After 3 tries I
made that turn going sideways and from that day on I finally
understood what it was like to drive a 4-wheel drive, such control
and power.
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Although
I don’t have a lot of experience I have learnt that you should
respect the car’s ability and limits. I hope to take part in
more Autocrosses in the near future with the Impreza.
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This
concludes my 1st review. J
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- end -
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