oldfiatman

King of the road!

2012-01-16T10:04:00.007+08:00

This is a familiar sight on the our roads nowadays. It seems that nothing we can do about it and the long arm of the law is doing nothing as well (or it seems). I was once forced to stop while cruising 110km along the highway and the reason was that the number plate need replacing after years of use and abuse. The officers politely told me that the offence will set me back $300.00 and after some advice given, I was told to be on my way and replace the plate as soon as possible.

Epoxy project on `El Cheapo' spinning rods.

2012-01-13T21:58:00.009+08:00

First time applying epoxy glue on rod butts. A friend's repeated call for making the rods more presentable and the cork lasting resulted in this endeavour. Patience is a must as the epoxy needed 24 hours of drying time. Hang it high up in your workshop or store far away from kids prying eyes. Reasons would be (1) it is dangerous if come into contact with the eye or oral and (2) the finish product will have lots of small finger prints on it ...

Epoxy essentials ... resin and hardener

Fenwick HMX 6' (1)

Fenwick HMX 6' (2)

Lemax Platinum 6'

Lemax Thunder Bird 7' (1)

Lemax Thunder Bird 7' (2)

Rainy day blues

2011-01-25T16:38:00.010+08:00

There are only two types of weather here, heaps of sunshine and rainy days. I woke up this morning and was greeted by dark skies and heavy rain. The pictures below are not taken on a busy motorway but on a normal quiet housing area. Usual traffic turns chaotic once it rains. Reason - most parents use cars to send their children to school instead of the usual choice of motorbikes. Roads are clogged and cars are reduced to a slow pace. Tempers flared and coupled with the lack of courtesy spells a very chaotic morning ...

A penchant for prawns (prawning)

2011-01-25T15:52:00.016+08:00

2011

The Department of Wildlife caught a huge 3 metres long estuarine crocodile on the bank of this river but that did not stop locals from going for more prawns. More sightings were reported over the week. All that the anglers or fishermen could do is to be extra careful and open their eyes not just for the ten legged creatures but also for the four legged ones ...

Sungai (River) Belat

Sungai Soi

2010

Sungai Belat Sungai Soi
(My fishing buddy)
Upper reaches of River Soi
Upper reaches of River Soi Sungai Soi Sungai Belat

Life

2011-01-06T14:35:00.008+08:00

Came across this particular piece somewhere yesterday, something about life. Interesting ... I'm half way thru it.

Please click on the picture for a larger view

Pahang River estuary

2010-04-29T16:47:00.011+08:00

Fishing is very enjoyable but never relaxing. The boats were parked close to a couple of kilometres from the estuary. Going out to sea and coming back can be very stressful. Then come the huge waves that can work you out and left you hanging by the side of the boat while others are fishing, feeding the fish with what you ate that morning. But ask any angler, the moment he stepped on the jetty, he is already thinking of the next trip. For me, the journey through the estuary will always send cold chills down my spine ...
We were hit by what the locals call `the three siblings' waves on the way back. According to Mario, the third which missed us would surely send us swimming.

Our trusted skipper and cook , Mario.

Kenyir Revisited

2010-02-18T20:51:00.004+08:00

Jenagor Jetty

The Mighty Clutha River?

Tranquillity

This is the last watering hole you will see for the next three days

Lures and knots are discussed extensively here as well as the ones that got away

A good fighter that will leave any angler grinning but toman is not a good eating fish

Brainstorming

The `Lubuk' salute by Capt Kokoq

Ujang showing the way

Fishing buddies

Siam and Poyok

A Walk in the Clouds

2010-02-18T20:50:00.040+08:00

It is a town in the clouds. Excellent roads going up, cable car, buses, taxis and of course by helicopter for the affluent. The place has everything you wish for: entertainment for the young and old, lodging, food, excellent weather and the list is endless. Individuals and groups make their way up for various reasons such as holidaying, honeymooning, enjoying life and gambling (for most of them).
The things to remember if you are planning to have a family outing are to book your room(s) earlier and to bring heaps of cold hard CA$H.

I like this particular picture ... having a RICHDAD definitely helps.

Venice anyone?

My youngest stayed for an hour on the carousel ... with her father of course.

Into the wilderness

2010-02-17T20:14:00.024+08:00

Spent 3 days and 2 nights in the wilderness. The trip to the `lubuk' took more than 2 hours. The destination was nicknamed `Lubuk Janggut Baung'. According to our guide, Tok Ki, all the `lubuks' were given names due to their significance or related tales. The water level was getting quite low on the first day of the journey. We made quite a number of stops to fish and refuel (I took along a 3hp OBM which needed refueling every 40 minutes). The trip downstream along the meandering Rompin River could have been fast and shorter if the intended OBM did not decide to call it a day. The engine I brought along really saved the day. At least 2 people would have to stay behind and miss the whole experience if I had decided to leave it at home.

The journey to Lubuk Janggut Baung

View from the skipper

The river flows faster on the other side.

One of the few fishing stops we made along the way.

Camped for the night

Favourite bait ... cengkerik, never leave home without it.

Mode of travel, a 14 footer with 15hp OBM, a 12 footer 5hp OBM and a 12 footer with a Yamaha 3hp ...

Joyful old men, camping and fishing

Target, kelabau (gives a good fight), baung (there seems to be quite a number of species to remember all their names), lais (good eating fish) and nyet-nyet ... a nuisance species.
Picture below shows the catch in a Orang Asli's dugout.

Our guides, Pak Ya, Tok Ki and Man Kasut (a local and the owner of the dugout/canoe)

Not that much, eh. The `rakit' was stranded during the end of the year flood.

Our cook ... an engineer by profession, an angler and adventurer whenever he is free.

The tents

The trusted 12 footer

The life saver

When he is not cooking or fishing, he will be my navigator ... watching out for sandbanks/sandbars and other obstacles.
Up ahead is the `Lubuk Batu Berendam'

The journey upstream lasted more than 3 hours. Pheww!

I had the noodle dream ...

2009-11-25T11:20:00.002+08:00

I love watching Po the panda in action ... oversized, cute and most of all his love for noodles. Talking about noodles, there's this joint that serves excellent noodles. And I mean really delicious servings that will make you craving for more. This is a teaser for ... the man in Massey U. Auckland, the pictures say it all ...

(For those who are interested ... drive thru Mentakab towards Bentong along the old road for 2 km and watch out for the junction to Kg Batu Kapor on your right. Turn right and the noodle joint is 5 minutes away.)

Noodles with beef and chicken in thick spicy soup

Fried noodles with beef, chicken ... flavoured with sesame oil

Fried kue tiaw with beef and chicken

Offroading

2009-11-24T21:31:00.015+08:00

We went offroading last weekend. The track was awesome, slippery and very challenging. My ham radio cum offroaders buddies rated it as just a `3' in terms of difficulty. Enjoy the pictures and you might think otherwise.

In deep trouble.

Here comes the baby elephant to the rescue.

Hard at work.

Pulling power.

Mission accomplished.

At the TT session on the way home, the boys were already planning for another trip. Interested anyone?

Kuantan best kept SECRET!

2009-07-06T15:32:00.004+08:00

Definitely the best kept secret but the recipe is no secret for Malaysian at large. The rojak is fried taufoo (soya bean cakes), a variety of fritters, slices of boiled potatoes, cucumber, turnip (jicama), fried chicken (my favourite), yellow noodles (I will do without this) and of course the gravy (a well guarded trade secret).
The pièce de résistance, the cendol comes in a variety of flavours to please individual cravings. Plain cendol, cendol with glutinous rice and cendul with red beans are among the types of cendol served. There will be a crowd waiting to be served if you come to Mustafa Cendol during lunch and tea time. Be prepared to wait but the service is always good at any time of the day. The taste is even better!
Location: Drive thru Kuantan towards Teluk Cempedak, you will come across a Shell Station on your right and the the eatery is just after the station. Enjoy.

The Fiat131S Mirafiori is leaving ...

2009-06-13T22:09:00.004+08:00

Yes, the Fiat131S is leaving soon. It was a difficult decision that had to be made sooner or later. Maintenance for the jalopy is getting more and more expensive. Parts are difficult to acquire and the worst of all, good mechanics who are willing to repair or even dare to open the bonnet are practically non-existent. Nevertheless the memories will linger ...
"Spend the last 21 years taking care of her. Love her, hate her but she is still with me. Rusty, squeaking, yet still manage a steady speed when needed."

Fishing at its best!

2009-03-15T19:47:00.004+08:00

Saturday saw my initiation to sea fishing. I mean the open sea and not the normal surf fishing I am quite comfortable with these days. We went out about 25 nautical miles and started to jig for live baits using the usual appolo method. Live prawns were brought along and that seems to work wonderfully on every cast. Our 2 boats were captained by a couple of very experienced blokes equipped with the sonar and gps. We manage to bring back 4 haruan tasik, 4 large and countless palm size kerapu, ohhh ... a 11kg stingray, a large barramundi / white siakap, 4 bayan and countless other species. I can say that my first introduction to open sea fishing was ... fishing at its best!!!

Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Udang Galah)

2009-01-31T23:24:00.003+08:00

A wonderful creature of the river, good to eat and pricey. It can also be a nightmare for those who seek for it but a `out of this world' feeling once you hook it. I just came back from the river and below are the pictures of the wonderful creatures. (Note: You can see `juniors' in the pics as well ... nothing that I can do because the prawns have a habit of eating the bait deep. C &R will not be a good idea.)
Pic No. 1

Pic No. 2

Twin Engined Fiat 131S?

2009-01-31T23:05:00.006+08:00

This is for real. Is it really a twin engined Fiat 131S? Well look again at the picture. Emm ... sorry for the misleading title. Yes it is an engine but an outboard engine (Yamaha 3Hp outboard engine) to help me travel upstream and down with ease. It is portable and light enough to carry to and from the Fiat. I just cannot leave it on the boat just in case someone wants to make a few bucks out of it! Other equipment on the Fiat ... tools for her, rod and reels (heaps of it), fuel tanks (for the Yamaha), tackle box and of course a cooler box.
Requirements of a fishing mate ... an avid angler, friendly, not fussy and heaps of common sense.

Into the heart of Kenyir

2009-01-30T00:51:00.024+08:00

I've never been to Lake Kenyir and that's the reason why I gladly participated in the trip recently. Lake Kenyir is the largest man-made lake in South East Asia. The Kenyir Dam supplies the much needed electricity for the nation.

The journey was not for the faint hearted. The lake is vast, huge and the houseboat was our only refuge.

The house boat was equipped with bare minimum essentials so to speak. There 's the kitchen, toilet, sleeping area and of course ample fishing area around the boat. And of course ASTRO to keep the inhabitants in contact with the outside world. Forget handphones because who needs handphones out here!

The wall in the background used to be the unscalable face of a mountain. Well, imagine the deepest area of the lake. Our guide told us that he once calculated the deepest to be over 700 metres!

Sanctuary in the middle of the lake.

Scenery like none other.

The place is filled with cove, marsh and other hidden spots known only to boatman, local and avid anglers. Casting is the name of the game.

The peace and tranquillity of Lake Kenyir. Never to be found elsewhere.

The tree trunks jotting out of the water can be a hazard for boats or boat house. We need not worry because these boatmen knew the lake like the palm of their hands. The lake is huge no doubt but they can see the route which others cannot. I had watched in awe how they manoeuvred and parked the huge houseboat in between the tree trunks.

Try the skill of casting and you will not forget the experience forever. I had the chance to watch and emulate these maestros in action. They can land the lure on perfectly timed and picked locations. My salute to you Mr Ujang, Mr Sahir and the `name thou shall not mention' house boat captain.

Serene surroundings a good remedy for those seeking answers to all the questions in life!

The Bewah Cave. It used to be on Mount Bewah but now accessible by boat!

The cave is an archaeological site. Some said that the findings dated back 2000 years.

Docking area for our houseboat.

Back to the jetty but I've made a promise to come again. Quoting Master Yoda ... come back to Kenyir, I must.

Fishing with Fiat

2008-12-31T09:29:00.006+08:00

I've been busy these days going on fishing trips. No, I'm not turning this blog into a fishing site. The trips were mainly on inland waters because I'm not really in favour of the wide open sea and seasickness. Just to share the bounty of inland waters, enjoy the pictures below.

Udang Galah (the much sought after fresh water prawn)

Patin Buah (2nd most expensive patin)

Patin Muncung (the KING, most expensive & most elusive of patin)

Divided loyalties

2008-09-16T11:49:00.005+08:00

The task of keeping a vehicle in running condition is no easy feat. The need for a more reliable and trouble free car reduces the 131S to a weekend car. Nobody would want to be stranded on the way to work or with the missus and kids. The 131S runs around with a boot full of spanners and parts just in case it decides to break down (which is rarely).
So less time was spent for the 131S because of ...

Reason No. 1

Reason No. 2

and finally Reason No. 3

The Process of Aging

2008-09-15T22:38:00.011+08:00

The once beautiful and neat dashboard.

The car was involved in a pile-up some 14 years ago. The workshop did quite a wonderful job restoring it. Yeah, I was the driver on that fateful night. And no I was not seriously injured except for bruised shoulder from the restraining seat belt. Note the now visible body work done previously.

(Right)

(Left)

Steering

2008-07-03T19:43:00.012+08:00

I am catching up on my old habit these days, fishing (large river prawns aka Macrobrachium rosenbergii). Spent weekends with the trusted 131s going to my favourite fishing spots. The road / off road trip revealed an excessive play in the steering assembly. Inspection on the steering assembly confirmed the faulty parts - worn left and right ball heads. More bad news, need to be replaced are tie rods, and both lower arms + ball joints. The result is a very firm and precise steering feel. More fishing, mate!

Axial joint

Bushing for the left axial joint

Lower arm + ball joint (below in the picture are the rubber bushing for tightening the stabiliser bar ends to the lower arm)

Tie rod end

Thingy springy

2008-04-02T10:18:00.003+08:00

Anyone experienced a broken carburetor return spring? It happened to me no less than 4 times. This final replacement is already 3 years old. It suddenly snapped during normal cruising. The engine gave a loud revving sound and it was almost impossible to drive. Since then a piece of sponge (car wash type) will always be an extra item in the car, just in case it happens again. I looked for the original spare but to no avail. The spare part dealer only seems to be interested in larger and easy to sell items. There is this shop selling dealing in all types of springs for machinery. Selected the spring with acceptable tension (unless you are a heavy footed person) and correct length. Installing it can be a nightmare because of the springs location. Steady hands and a lot of patience needed. It worked but there is always this thing bothering you ... when will it snap again.

Lives on to die another day.

2008-03-21T21:47:00.013+08:00

The old lady lives on to die another day. I changed the coil (a Bosch unit), new set of high tension lead, Champion N9YC spark plugs, reconditioned distributor (a whole set replaced), new air filter, engine oil change and a wee bit of tweaking done to the carburetor. I got it running (short distances) for quite sometime and the engine sounds sweet again. Forgot to mention that I also changed the middle silencer/muffler (a straight flow unit) coupled with a 124 rear silencer/muffler (could not find a 131 unit) with chromed tailpipe. Sweet.

Note: I've modified the radiator core to an aluminum 3 hole in-line unit, took out the original fan motor and replaced it with a Jap piece, modified the spare tank and the window washer tank.

Photos to be posted later.

(Posted on 23 March 2008)

Fine example of Fiat camaraderie ...

2008-03-03T13:42:00.002+08:00

Browsed the internet and found this very fine example of love for Fiat cars.
http://www.131mirafiori.com

Fiat 131 Special - Specification

2008-02-27T20:36:00.015+08:00

The Owners Manual - Fiat 131 Special 1600

The specification was quite impressive for a seventies car

Mine came with a 32 ADF (wish it had been a 40 DCNF)
LSD equipped!

(Adapted from Fiat 131S Owner Handbook)

Still a bag full of surprises?

2008-02-27T07:49:00.009+08:00

The 131S is surely full of surprises even at this age. CKD and assembled in Johor Baharu way back in 1977, it was FIAT first 131S model here in Malaysia (that's how old she is!). Last two weeks she was chugging along with three cylinders. Equipped with the little knowledge on Fiat (131 in particular) that I have and phone calls to a couple of helpful mechanics, I tried to diagnose the problems. It seems that the fourth cylinder is not firing consistently thus irregular firing of spark plug. The recommendations :
1. Change spark plugs - did that with Champion N9YC - same firing.
2. Check the high tension lead - done that - no visible and audible results.
3. Check the coil - did just that and even better by changing to a Bosch unit - again no result.
4. One of the valves could be faulty thus resulting in irregular firing of spark plug - I am no mechanic.
5. Called up one of the helpful mechanic again.

He actually drove the car back to his workshop 10 km away. It was later diagnosed as having a faulty distributor - the whole assembly, contact point, condensor etc.

Lesson learnt:
In maintaining a classic car such as mine (classic or antic?), it is advisable to keep stock of essential parts that are considered as maintenance. You never know when you will need it. I used to get second hand parts (extremely difficult to get parts or rather expensive to buy it new) from this Indian chap in Kg Nakhoda (on the way to Hulu Yam).
A couple of shops in Jalan Ipoh still keep a healthy stock of parts (haven't seen them for quite some time though).

Reminiscing

2008-02-26T23:22:00.000+08:00

It had been more than two decades since I got my hands on the 131S. It lacked care and maintenance from its previous owner. Honestly it was not my best of choice to get one. I was aiming for a simple Japanese family car to get me from point A to B.

The body rusted under the doors where the rubbers seals used to be, worn out tyres, slightly smoking motor and few faulty electric equipments and meters. The first thing I did was to give it a set of new rubbers. The mechanics was actually cursing at the choice I had made in getting a Fiat. It was then I got to know the meaning of Fiat - Fiat Is Always Trouble. The lower arms were faulty and camber were out. His long list included among others the ball heads, tie rods, absorbers ... .

Have I gotten myself a lemon? Then and only then I got to know of three people who change my perception on "The Poor Man's Alfa" - Ah Ngow, Usop and his trusted right hand man Sain.