Night OFF-Line Meeting
I have joined off-line meetings but all are day-time off-line meetings.
Normally, I depart the meeting point in the afternoon and drive back to the garage before midnight.
However, this time, this off-line meeting’s gathering time was 6:00pm.
The schedule for this off-line meeting is the meeting continues until everyone goes home.
Actually, when I joined the Daikoku PA off-line meeting in July, it was the night off-line meeting. But I just be there for the first 1 hour and left the place so I think I can say that this is the first time for me to join the night off-line meeting.
Preparation
I did not drive my AW11 for long time.
Actually I just moved my AW11 from the old garage to new garage approx. 100 meters in August.
Thus, I worried about the battery had gotten flat and if so I need to fix it before the off-line meeting date. So, I decided to wash my car at the car wash place a day before Daikoku PA night off-line meeting.
Please note, it is difficult to wash my car at the tower parking so I need to go the car wash place where I can wash my car by myself.
I inserted the car key to my AW11 and turned it.
Clank, Clank, Clank….
After the rather lengthy cranking, 4A-GELU engine woke up.
From its cranking speed, I felt the battery was a bit loosing its power however it was enough to start the engine without a trouble.
I drove to the wash place and wash AW11 first.
The body coating was still there but weaker. I again put the body coating on the roof, front hood, engine hood & trunk lid
I’m ready for the meeting.
To Daikoku PA
When I headed to Daikoku PA driving on Tokyo Metropolitan Highway (TMH), the sky started to lose its shines. I like this fading timing of the day especially driving on TMH. It does not necessary with the high speed but enjoy the time with the car with the moderate speed driving.
When arriving at Daikoku PA, I needed to turn on the head lights. The sky was not completely dark so I felt the shaded light in the sky. I like this feeling.
At a little past 6:00pm I arrived at Daikoku PA and there were many AW11 gathered already.
I took this photo a little while after I arrived.
This is not the end of the off-site meeting but when the meeting started.
More AW11 came in late. This off-site meeting does not have any group-run or moving transition so some came and some left time to time.
During my stay at Daikoku PA, there were more than 20 AW11 gathered.
Other than AW11 there were a few SW20 but some were not MR2, Subaru SUV, the 1st golf cabriolet, Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.
Ferrari and Lamborghini were interesting because these cars have engine at middle of the car. Thus it is similar engine layout but the how they treat the engine and other mechanisms were so different from AW11. It was a good chance for me to closely observe the differences.
I especially had interest in F355 because it has MR layout as same as MR2.
Personally, I think F355 is the best model so I have a scaled model in my room.
F355 engine room is started right after from the driving seat stretched out until the rear end. There is no luggage room space as you can see in AW11 or SW20. The heated air can move out from the engine room at the end of the car. Also, the large empty space is prepared after the engine with the air intake manifolds open at the end of side air intake holes.
The left 2 squared boxes are the air intake manifold with air filters. Just besides these air intake, the outlet from the side air-intakes end.The air that does not used for the engine is combined with the heated air from the engine and escapes to outside from the engine hood or the meshed rear end.
MR2 prioritize the usability to the heat reduction from the engine.
The original concept of MR2 is the car is used casually for daily shopping and owner might go for a drive with a partner. Thus, the head reduction is enough for non-racing run I suppose from looking at its design and construction. AW11 has a luggage space after the engine.
On the contrary, F355 is designed to accommodate the racing speed driving from its cooling mechanism and air handling design. Thus, it does not have any room for a luggage after the engine.
The both car, Ferrari F355 and Toyota MR2 (AW11) have same layout, mid-ship engine mount and rear wheel drive but they are very different in the architectures due the concept is different each other.
I could hear that even F355 has that large space in engine room, the rear combination lamps might bent from the heat after the heard driving from its owner. This hands on owners’ talk cannot be boring at all if it continues on and on.
I know most of the facts before this night off-line meeting but it was fun to hear the same thing especially from the maniac owner.
Interested Car
Each AW11 has its story and I cannot cover every car joined for Daikoku PA night off-line meeting.
This AW11 is in my attention during this meeting.
This is the two-toned AW11 as you see.
The owner purchased this AW11 from Toyota and has driven it. So, this is one owner car. Thus, I thought it was possible to choose this color when AW11 was sold.
σ(^^) : We are the same team, TWO-TONED, aren’t we?
Owner : Well…, y, yes.
σ(^^) : I didn’t know AW11 has this color when it was sold.
Owner : This AW11 was painted as whole.
σ(@_@) : What??? Isn’t it an original color?
Owner : When I bought this as a new car the color was different.
σ(^^) : Then, what is the original color?
Owner : When I bought it was white.
σ(^^) : I think this coloring looks very natural.
Owner : Well, I think that is because the paint work was done great by my husband.
σ(^^) : ….
Some dramatization there…
σ(^^;)
This owner is running a body shop.
It is true that there should be a skilled professional to have a good paint.
However I think the choice of colors are very good.
This combination is good with AW11.
I think it is sharp and very sporty.
I would like to see this in the daylight and if possible take photo with my AW11.
TK
Links (リンク)
My AW11 blog in Japanese
みんカラ
Mixi
TMCJ : Toyota MR2 Club of Japan
IMOC : International MR2 Owners Club
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にほんブログ村 トヨタ
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