APR GTC-200 Adjustable Wing Enhancements

Made some "enhancements" to my wing. First was to replace the APR supplied fasteners with titanium equivalents. Only the side plate fasteners were stainless steel. Everything else is anti-rust plated mild steel. Managed to replace everything except the M6 40mm studs. Picture below of the titanium fasteners.

The price of Pro-Bolt titanium fasteners are getting prohibitive and they do not make mushroom shaped dome head bolts so my fasteners were actually supplied by 3 different suppliers - Pro-Bolt, Hyper Bolt and Competition Fasteners. All are from the UK though and the current conversion rate (1 GBP = 5.7 Malaysian Ringgits) is painful :(

I had the cf plates which I bought from APR cut to the shape and size I wanted. Tao did the cutting. Thanks Bro! These will be used as the base and reinforcement for the pedestal mounts.

I might cut larger base plates later. Pictures of large(r) base plates below. Pictures courtesy of APR Performance FB site. What do you think?

Had the wing PPS Teflon coated by the good guys @ Shine Guard. This should help keep the wing in tip top condition throughout its working life on Sharkie. Did this out of necessity as the clear coat on the Mine's wing (especially the side plates) would fade only after a couple years despite constant TLC waxing.

The wing and rear boot lid is currently at the paint shop for installation and painting. Yes, I decided to buy a brand new boot lid vs getting a used one. Cost me RM 960 just for the boot. Can't wait to see the finished article..

New Wiper Arms and PIAA Aero Vogue Silicone Windscreen Wipers

Decided on new replacements for my windscreen wiper arms as the current ones were beginning to look a bit jaded aesthetically thought function wise still perfect. Why not repaint or powder coat some might ask? Well, a brand new set from TCEAS cost less than RM 88 so I don't see the point of repainting unless you want to save a couple tens of ringgit. Picture below of the old arm on passenger side.I have already touched up the faded section with a paint pen once but it doesn't last. Wiper and arms are always exposed to the elements and lead a hard life.

Wiper is a Bosch Aerotwin which is the best wiper I've used to-date. Best to me means less noise and still wipes the windscreen clean after a year or more of use. The Aerotwin I used lasted me more than 2 years. Picture below of the new wiper arms.

The part numbers. The reason the labels stated "Tan Chong" instead of "Nissan" is probably because the arms are made in Bolehland.

For this round I've decided to try some PIAA silicone wipers which Bro Mugil highly recommends after using on the SP. I was initially looking for the Forza Hybrid  or Vera which is PIAA's top range wiper but could not find any available anywhere in Penang. Only managed to find the next best wiper in PIAA's range which is the Aero Vogue in Neuton so bought a pair for RM190. Pix below of the Aero Vogue.

Close up of the aero cover.

Part numbers below. Remember, N16s use 16" (driver) and 12" (passenger) wipers.

PIAA claims the Aero Vogue is a hybrid type wiper. To me it just looks like a conventional wiper with an aerodynamic fairing/cover. The aero cover per PIAA reduces chatter and lift at high speed. If you have ever used wipers long term @ speeds in excess of 120km/h you'll know what lift means. The lift reduces the wiping efficiency of your wipers rendering some wipers practically ineffective at high speeds. The new aero cover features "Pass Through" technology (some holes/slots on the cover. Sounds simple but the trick is the position, size and shape of the slots) which greatly reduces blade chatter and lift at high speeds. PIAA also claims it's silicone technology reduces surface tension causing water to repel from the windscreen for streak free and quiet operation.

Installation of the arms including testing took bout 15-20 min. Removal of the old arms took longer than the install. PIAA provides clear diagrams on the wiper packaging for an idiot proof installation.

Like many other JDM parts nowadays the PIAAs are fully or partly made in you know where..

Picture of the new arms and PIAA wipers installed.

The aero "Pass Through" tech slots.

The PIAA have quietly gone about doing an excellent job so far but I've yet to test it's high speed effectiveness. Whether or not they last as long as the Bosch Aero Twins also remains to be seen. I'll report in due time.