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I AM IRONCAR: THE AUDI R8
2007-11-21 17:59:00
Audi is now poised to join the league of super cars such as Lamborghini and Ferrari, thanks to blatant advertising for its new Audi R8 in the Ironman movie. The main character in the show, a rich and feted playboy, emerges from the vehicle to a flurry of paparazzi camera flashes. Alright, so this is a supercar, ...
More About: Audi

Dyno Testing your ride- Is it necessary?
2007-11-13 03:47:00
When ‘dyno testing’ is mentioned, people straight away think of showing off one’s the torque or power of one’s car. Actually that is only one purpose of dyno testing. A computerized engine dynamometer accurately measures torque and rpm and then can accurately calculate horsepower. Knowing your horsepower and torque gives you a solid basis for making changes ...
More About: Testing , Ride , Dyno

Computer crashed?
2007-11-13 03:21:00
Dear readers, Once again engine start button apologises *bow* My trusty Apple Macintosh of 4 years crashed on me, and i’m using a borrowed PC to blog now. Till date apple computer has not given me any word about my mac’s repair, and it’s been close to 3 weeks since i submitted in the CPU for repair. Sorry guys ...
More About: Computer , Crashed

Can Alloy rims affect your vehicle performance?
2007-10-26 12:15:00
You’ve seen them around: family sed ans with HUGE alloy rims. Sometimes you also shake your head and wonder, all these riceboys. Don’t they realise the rim is just aesthetic and does not contribute to the car’s performance? No they do. Let me explain. Certain rally designed alloy rims are lighter (less weight = more speed) and also are designed to increase the cooling of the brake disks. Some designs have better build quality than ...
More About: Performance , Vehicle , Alloy , Perform , Rims

The first step towards financial freedom!
2007-10-26 12:00:00
Dear Readers: I apologise for my lack of posting activity. Due to various projects and work and the  internet, i was going crazy. My company,  a Japanese trading firm, also had lost of ‘entertainment’ to do at night, if you know what i’m saying. So i made a tough decision. They were pay ing well but the people and customers wer e nastier than the British paparazzi. I resigned. And right now, armed with affiliate incom e from the Internet and my own tidy sum of savings, I will devote my time to enginestartbutton as well as other online income. But thanks for your viewership and reader ship, and I promise to inject more fresh news and tuning tips for your reading ple asure. Dozo Arigato Gozaimasu!    
More About: Freedom , Financial , Financial Freedom , Step

E-Brake - Make or Brake it!
2007-10-17 18:29:00
Today, after a long absence from blogging due to projects, I am going back to the basic E-Brake. Why E-Brake? Many petrolheads love to do  fancy shit like heel-toe drift, inertia drift etc etc. Most forget however, that the basics are the ones that save your ass. “Philip-san, won’t E-brake we ar out my tires or won’t they burst ?” No you dummy, Bridgestone and Yokohama ha ve tested them on gruelling conditions. Right, lets get down to the lesson. 1) Find a large open space, maybe an empty parking lot or industrial area for practice. Avoid at all cost all sorts of obstacles, such as lampposts, which can be dangerous if you spin ...
More About: Make

Auto Insurance Quotes you need to know
2007-10-13 11:00:00
Great, you signed up for a new Subaru. But you’ll need to get an insurance quote, and you’re not very sure how to go about it. Oh well, been there done that. In the pas t, a guy like me would take time to slowl y go through brochures, phamplets and insurance stuff for a decent quote. That is until i discovered Online Auto Insurance Quote. This site is something different in the sense that is it direct. Very direct. Ok lets take a look at the front page. This page comes with a rating ...
More About: Auto Insurance , Quotes

Parking Losers. Park off!
2007-10-08 17:55:00
My apologies for not posting recently, I have been very busy settling into my new job. It’s hard to juggle work and bloggi ng, especially in a busy (i would say sla ve-driven) nation like Singapore. Anyway I have been seeing a lot of people  parking really badly all over the place. I really think they either bribed someone, stole their driving I.D from a corpse or got their licence from the PRC practicing parallel parking using 2 water buffalos. Kudos to a local hero, the ‘parking  idiot’ vigilante, for exposing these selfish, boorish, WANKERS who make me ashamed to t ell foreigners that i am a singaporean. Good on ya mate. Are there any sites that expose the doubl e-standards of the local parking ticket wardens as well? Heheheh….
More About: Parking , Park , Losers

Drift? Learn Left Foot Brake first lah!
2007-10-03 17:00:00
Drifting has been glamourised in movies such as Tokyo Drift and Initial D However not many people will tell you to  wake up and concentrate on proper vehicle handling and that Drifting is actually a visual appetizer but the meat & potatoes is your handling. That’s where the Left  Foot  Brake (L FB) comes in. When driven under acceleration with no brakes applied, a front wheel drive (FWD) car will understeer when the front wheels are turned. To overcome the understeer, left foot braking ...
More About: Learn , Drift

Slick Celica or Sick, Silly car?
2007-09-29 15:32:00
Toyota phased out it’s iconic Celica in 2006. The memory lives on though. Although many  people did not have a good impression of the last mass produced Celica (the T230 1.8 VVT-i engine. YUCK!), there is one Celica a true boy racer will remember with tears in his eyes: The Celica GT4 S185. To call this vehicle a sports couple is actually an understatement. The Celica GT4 ST185 was originally ...
More About: Silly , Sick

Cold Air Intake Advice
2007-09-26 18:26:00
Recently, i made friends with a top class mechanic from Australia. Craig Wilson has ten years experience repairing and maintaining all types of vehicles, 4 years of those as owner of his own workshop. Today he has agreed to give you, dear reader, priceless advice on what to look for when choosing a cold air intake system. Remember, this advice is PRICELESS and yo u’ll have to thank Craig for that! Take it away, mate.  The Cold Air Intake…what you need to know to get 110% out of ...
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Performance Turbo Kits?where to find?
2007-09-22 14:28:00
If you’re looking for that little boost (aka Turbo kit) to give your scooby more bite than bark, read on. After doing some searching online, I discovered 2 tuning garages which provide turbocharger kits at reasonable, if not, fantastic prices. They are: Turbochargerupgrade kits.com (Mcwell Ventures, Singapore) Mcwell has been in the business for years and they carry ...
More About: Performance , Kits , Find , Perform

Watch that gas.
2007-09-19 17:49:00
Conflict in the Middle East, Earthquakes are hitting Indonesia, planes are crashing and the price of gas is still going sky high. Some things never change. What we can do  about the gas part, though, is still slig htly within our hands. While using my old man’s CRV, i was  pissed off at being unable to find a goo d website for my local area (Singapore) which updates the pricing of gas/petrol around the country. My North American friends have one in Gas Buddy. It’s really comprehensive, and a bit confusing for me to read. Looks like a tutorial on economics! But recently i stumbled upon a Singaporea n page which monitors gas pricing… Yeap. No fancy names. Petrolwatch sets ou t exactly to fufill it’s basic purp ose: Petrol (or gas) watch! What i understand was Petrolwatch used to  be free a while ago. Of course things ...
More About: Watch

The Serpent car
2007-09-17 17:54:00
Imagine a car inspired by a serpent. You have the Mitsuoka Orochi. This serpent isn’t coming towards y our babe with an apple and asking her to  eat it. But what it does though, is captivate you r imagination. Most anime loving fanboys will drool over  this vehicle though. It looks like somet hing out of Akira! Alright some proper information. Orochi i s designed by Mitsuoka Motors, a company which custom makes retro-looking vehicles from older engines such as the 240SX. Due to Mitsouka’s exclusivity as a  classic automobile builder, not many units are seen on the road. As for the Orochi, it is powered by a 3MZ - FE, 3311cc V6 DOHC EFI engine, the same engine chassis as the Lexus RX models. Sad. You would think that with such a bea utiful design, the engine could have been more preppy.  Mitsuoka have taken a very big risk, and it looks to ...

Engine Start new beginnings!
2007-09-17 15:34:00
Dear readers: As of today Engine  Start  Button will be g oing through slight changes. Firstly, i got a new job as a Business De velopment guy in a Japanese Petroleum fir m. Yes, you may think there’s more cash to be made but in truth, well, I work the Japanese way. I don’t have to spell it out. Basic ally it means less time for my blog posts , sadly. But that’s a fact of life. Nevertheless, i will still post, but mayb e not as frequently. Secondly, a friend, a kind soul, informed  me that engine start button’s alignment and overall site design was amatuerish. I have to admit he’s right. But I h ope you guys cut me some slack, because I ’m a first time blogger. Engine Start Button is my f irst (and to date, only) blog. For those who have read my postings and v oraciously continue to read new ones, I have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I am grateful that you appreciate my expertise, advice & tips. I will continue to churn out delicious nu ...

Sukuzi?moving forward!
2007-09-15 06:30:00
  This futuristic Suzuki, called ‘Kizashi’ was unveiled at the Frankfurt 2007 Motorshow. It looks like a mix between the batmobile and a Dodge Mag num. According to John Neff, no press release was given and people were left to do their own guessing. However, if this is the direction Suzuki is going its time to give them credit for their vehicles, instead of making light of their small cars, pocket rockets and off road vehicles. I will move on to something more ...
More About: Moving , Forward

Nissan Cefiro A31- Drift in a family sedan
2007-09-11 19:30:00
This is the 1st vehicle that will be featured in a section of my blog purely on automotive imports that are out of production. Back in the 90s, every guy wanted a Nissa n skyline R32 or Honda Integra type R (DC2). They overlooked a performance car that Nissan produced which gained popularity as a Drift machine in Japan - The Nissan Cefiro A31. Released in September 1988 to the Japanese ...
More About: Family , Sedan , Edan

Fuel saving advice that?s??good advice
2007-09-11 17:15:00
I know you guys think that i’m gonna blog about some magnetic fuel device or voltage stabilizer to help you save gas. Those things do help. But even with those  devices attached, if you drive like a ma dman, god help your fuel tank. Here’s some basic advice from my fe llow automotive expert, Mr. Mike Eggert. Mike runs his own site at http://www.fuel frugal.com Gas Saving Tips - Pass the Pump or Pass the Buck By Mike Eggert Unless you have been living under a rock and don’t own a car, you have definitely noticed the rising ...
More About: Advice , Fuel , Good , Ice T

Enter the Geely
2007-09-08 07:25:00
Geely China Dragon? Bah! Must be some squarish vehicle that copies another Toyota , Mitsubishi or Mercedes. To me China cars were always an eyesore, pretty much like watching George Dubya talk. But as i was looking at this Geely model, i did think: ‘ Actually it’s not bad an effort for a China made car! ‘ Hey, ...
More About: Enter , The G

Honda Inspire-d
2007-09-06 09:06:00
You’ve seen lots of custom cars which are overdone, half- baked. Take a look at this Honda Inspire and you’ll go: ‘Now why didn’t i think of that?’ Mr. Neo CH’s 2003 Honda Inspire (Accord) does just that. It jumps right at your face , cutting a sleek, powerful look but not overdone with silly stickers or ...
More About: Onda

Stab your Gasoline bill to death right now
2007-09-04 21:30:00
Ever wondered how soaring fuel prices could affect you? Picture this: Imagine a tomorrow where you have to fork out an extra $200 USD (or Sing dollars) a month just to run your vehicle. You will have to tighten your belt. No movies for the family, no new toys for the kids, your wife/partner has to ...
More About: Death , Gasoline , Bill , Soli , Right Now

Prius tell me the truth?
2007-09-02 18:49:00
The Toyota Prius is the environmentally conscious person’s favourite ride. Everyone knows that, and in humid Singapore, even  the older, uneducated folk know it as the ’seng you‘ (Chinese fo r fuel saving) car. But the next generation prius fitted with a turbo? And a larger variant model that looks like something out of the set of ‘I, robot‘? According to various sources circulating  around the internet (and some may be comp lete and utter cow manure) the 2009 Prius may come in 2-3 variants of models. The 1st model would retain the 1.5 l hybr id drivetrain. However, the fuel efficien cy rate is going to be set around 40km/litre - approximately 113mpg. The current Prius uses nickel-hydride ...
More About: Truth , Tell Me , Ruth , The Truth

In one Accord?
2007-08-26 11:07:00
Spy Photos of the new Honda Accord have been leaked all over the net. It’s shocking. The exterior design  is surprising plain, and when i say plain , words cannot describe it. Lets just put it this way, it looks like a cross between a Hyundai Sonata & a Toyota Camry (Thailand model). Anyway exterior looks aside please. The a ccord is powered by a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine that produces 268-horsepower - the most ever for any Accord - while introducing a new generation ...
More About: Cord

The 7 no-nos for newbie auto tuners
2007-08-19 17:50:00
So you want to custom your sporty 2nd-hand coupé or a brand new hatchback. Good on you. Now you want to start modifying and you’re confident people will like your ride because it has tons of stickers and a very fierce bodykit right? WRONG. You’ll be laughed at, scorned, and the big boys on the road will take you out. Well. That is ...
More About: Auto , Newb , Newbie

Sway my way?
2007-08-17 13:00:00
No, i am not writing a ballad. I am refering to stabilizer bars, or sway bars as most people call it. By the way, ’sway’ in chinese means unlucky, for my foreign mates. So i will use the term ’stabilizer bar’. Stabilizer bars (also known as roll bars, or anti-roll bars) are designed to keep the chassis or car body ...
More About: My way

Watch out for the Crossroad crossing
2007-08-16 08:00:00
If you ever wondered what you get when you blend a CRV with a small Hummer, just look at Honda’s new Crossroad. It was a sight to behold for the writer here as he strolled into the Car Mall. Honestly, i thought it was a product of terrorist attacks paranoia. Hell, it looked ...
More About: Watch , Crossing , Ossi

ATTENTION: Military duty from 20th Aug-31st Aug 2007
2007-08-15 01:00:00
Dear all: I will be on compulsory military service from the 20th of August -31st of  August for the Republic of Singapore. You see, (to my American & foreign mates) this is compulsory service for eve ry male Singapore citizen. Like it or not you have to do it. Therefore there may a blog posting lag du ring this period. Occasionally i may be allowed to return home or to go out for a short period of time, before scurrying back to camp. Therefore if you do see a blog post betwe en the period of 20th August -31st August, I managed to re-appear in the civilian world. Somehow. Many of my fellow countrymen complain abo ut the 2.5 years of military service and subsequent yearly callups.  I will not get political here because i know big brother is watching closely…but ...
More About: Military , Attention , Duty , Tent

Hyundai Genesis Concept: Let there be V8
2007-08-13 21:30:00
This is amazing. For the 1st time, a Hyundai model actually made it to my news page! Haha! Alright, kimchi jokes aside, it looks lik e Hyundai has finally made it. Announcing the arrival of the 2008 Hyundai Genes is V8: A 4.8l DOHC V8 engine, 300 over bhp monster on rear wheel drive (Drifters, take note) . Has Hyundai finally found the key to making the big boys quiver in their boots? I don’t think so. Lets take a look at the design. Do you see ’Lexus GS300′ and  ’mazda 6′ stirred, shaked and  melted in together? So much for design originality. What you have to  give credit to Hyundai though, is for the  specs that accompany this beast. Yes, the V8 engine. It’s called the Tau, and it’s a 4.6-liter V8 engine ...
More About: Concept

I believe I can fly?
2007-08-11 12:00:00
So you want to make your ricemobile look fierce with a spoiler or GT-wing. You think, well, it’s just an ornament, right? *BEEEEEEP* Wrong! There is a principle be hind how spoilers work. It’s quite simple ( except for the brainless Asian riceboys aka ‘ah bengs’ who mod their rides because it looks ’stylo’) Spoilers are generally used by sports cars to maintain ...

Ford Transforms it?s image
2007-08-09 12:00:00
People think Ford vehicles are either family cars or sports car wannabes (think Ford Focus ST170). Well after the Tran sformers movie in 2007 , most non-US people must be wondering, what the heck was that model used as a police car in the movie? Let me introduce you to the Ford Mustang Saleen 281 Extreme. Ok a bit of history lesson. Saleen and Ford go a long way back. Saleen had always tuned performance vehicles for ford, and in recent years, they have ...
More About: Image