A lot has trasnpired since my last update. Ginger’s has new brake rotors, new brakes pads, new tires, and has had her Bose (read: BLOWS) stereo components removed, including the hard-to-remove amplifiers that live at the bottom of the centre console.

The new tires (Dunlop Direzza Z1 Sport Star Specs in 215/40R17) rid the chassis of virtually off the vibrations is suffered at highway speeds, have provided a more supple ride, and boosted traction, particularly wet traction, far beyond what the OE Toyos provided. The new brakes (no-name rotors and Carbotech AX6 pads) are mind-blowing. The bite is unbelievable as is the readiness with which the pads release from the rotors. The removal of the deposit-lined rotors pretty much eliminated the remaining wheel-balance related vibrations, making the car much more pleasant for cruising.

I won’t miss the muffled, fake sound from the Bose stereo, but right now we’re doing without any tunes as we await some 8″ to 6.5″ speaker mount adaptors to come in the mail. In the meantime, there is work to be done: I’ve already modified the wiring harnesses to work with the new Pioneer F700-BT in-dash navigation unit, but I still need to trim and solder some connections. I also want to complete the lighting modifications before I finalize the install.

Lastly, the bumper damage I caused has been repaired, but the paint match isn’t quite right, so I’ll be speaking to Bemac autobody this week about getting it repainted, probably when the alignment is being done by Phil or George at Canadian Tire Carling.