so, yeah, that last post got started a month and a half ago. But I just popped it up today. I've actually had some other car-type experiences, like going to my first Great Falls Cars & Coffee event in August.
That's because I'm ultra-motivated again, finally. Part of that is I've signed up for a the TrackDaze event @ Summit Point (Shenandoah Circuit) this weekend. So I'll try to be more dilligent about writing up that experience.
Also, today I tried out Do It Yourself Mechanics for the first time. They're a shop with a bunch of lifts that you can rent, and it comes with a 104-piece craftsman tool kit. There are other 'extra' tools that you can rent by the hour, with a 1-hour minimum. Plus, they've got some mechanics that can look over your shoulder if you're just starting out (like me). Since I'm trying to 'squeak' by on expenses through the end of this year; and so that I can be more independent in maintaining the miata, I headed over there to do an oil change, swap on some centering rings & 949 racing lugs with the Enkei's on the miata. Oh yeah, did I mention, I've put the stock wheels (with new Khumo all-season tires) back on the fit. Things went pretty well; I only had a couple of boneheaded moments, I got to scope the place out, and learned a bit more about the miata. Plus, the lift time cost me $46 (including an hour of rental for a brake bleeder). So my oil change cost me ~$100, including the $50 I paid for Mobil1 oil & filter. And it meant I wasn't trying to squeeze around/under the miata in my tiny 1-car garage which is overstuffed with other stuff.
So, stay tuned, and I'll have more info about the track day this weekend (hopefully including some video too).
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
I'm not dead yet!
"I'm getting better"
So, wow it's been a while since I last posted up here. A fair amount has happened.
1st, I got a rather serious infection of "OneLap Withdrawl". It meant that I spent a bunch of my non-working time (which, since I was back in Miami, was minimal) reading blogs and trying to keep up with the event as much as possible.
Then after being in Miami for two and a half weeks, I drove from there back home... helping a co-worker who has difficulty flying... and has parents concerned about her driving solo the whole way back. If I remember correctly, I did it (driving the whole way) in about 16.5hours (6am to 8.30pm), in a rental Sentra, including dropping off my co-worker in Richmond. It wasn't too bad, the rental Sentra had descent power, and I've gotten used to driving automatics. I think I only had one 'oh goodness' moment, which came during heavy-ish traffic and an on-ramp merge area where a honda zipped down the on-ramp and cutoff a semi... or was it dump truck?
Then I jumped on a plane three days later and headed to England for what turned out to be two months (originally planned as 1 month of work, with a two week vacation). In that time I got to learn that the Seat 1.4TDI-eco [is absolutely gutless], the VW Golf TDI 2.0 is much better, and the Ford Fiesta 1.5TDI is somewhere in between. I also found that I prefer driving gas cars, and driving on the left. I also learned how good I am at judging car placement (driving in the narrow street hill-towns of Spain), and how much I dislike Hertz (missed a scratch declaration on car pickup that cost us $135 in 'new damage').
Finally, I managed to arrange a track day @ Summit Point for two days after I got back from England. I managed to get the car inspected, and switched over to some 'consistent' rubber thanks in large part to my good friend Greer. My original plan was to swap my Enkei & OneLap rubber onto the miata, and put his miata wheels/rubber onto the Fit. However, his Borbets had an 'installed' hub-center-ring that meant they wouldn't mountup onto the fit hubs (56.1mm hub vs. 54.1mm miata hub). So I ended up using his wheels/tires for the track day.
The track day itself went pretty well, although I felt pretty slow. I was having trouble trusting the tires, and I still need to sort the brake pedal height w.r.t. to the gas-pedal height so I can do consistent heel-toe downshifts. I didn't pass anyone, and was passed quite a bit. Although, I had shown up for only the second day of a two day event... and it was my first time at Summit Point 'Main'. In the end, despite my lack of pace, my instructor recommended me for the intermediate group. Now, I just need to go to a track for the second time and actually get to be pushed into that group.
So, wow it's been a while since I last posted up here. A fair amount has happened.
1st, I got a rather serious infection of "OneLap Withdrawl". It meant that I spent a bunch of my non-working time (which, since I was back in Miami, was minimal) reading blogs and trying to keep up with the event as much as possible.
Then after being in Miami for two and a half weeks, I drove from there back home... helping a co-worker who has difficulty flying... and has parents concerned about her driving solo the whole way back. If I remember correctly, I did it (driving the whole way) in about 16.5hours (6am to 8.30pm), in a rental Sentra, including dropping off my co-worker in Richmond. It wasn't too bad, the rental Sentra had descent power, and I've gotten used to driving automatics. I think I only had one 'oh goodness' moment, which came during heavy-ish traffic and an on-ramp merge area where a honda zipped down the on-ramp and cutoff a semi... or was it dump truck?
Then I jumped on a plane three days later and headed to England for what turned out to be two months (originally planned as 1 month of work, with a two week vacation). In that time I got to learn that the Seat 1.4TDI-eco [is absolutely gutless], the VW Golf TDI 2.0 is much better, and the Ford Fiesta 1.5TDI is somewhere in between. I also found that I prefer driving gas cars, and driving on the left. I also learned how good I am at judging car placement (driving in the narrow street hill-towns of Spain), and how much I dislike Hertz (missed a scratch declaration on car pickup that cost us $135 in 'new damage').
Finally, I managed to arrange a track day @ Summit Point for two days after I got back from England. I managed to get the car inspected, and switched over to some 'consistent' rubber thanks in large part to my good friend Greer. My original plan was to swap my Enkei & OneLap rubber onto the miata, and put his miata wheels/rubber onto the Fit. However, his Borbets had an 'installed' hub-center-ring that meant they wouldn't mountup onto the fit hubs (56.1mm hub vs. 54.1mm miata hub). So I ended up using his wheels/tires for the track day.
The track day itself went pretty well, although I felt pretty slow. I was having trouble trusting the tires, and I still need to sort the brake pedal height w.r.t. to the gas-pedal height so I can do consistent heel-toe downshifts. I didn't pass anyone, and was passed quite a bit. Although, I had shown up for only the second day of a two day event... and it was my first time at Summit Point 'Main'. In the end, despite my lack of pace, my instructor recommended me for the intermediate group. Now, I just need to go to a track for the second time and actually get to be pushed into that group.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Superlative Sunday
Greer popped over and brought his jack. And we swapped one of the Enkei RPF-01's off the fit and on to the miata... just so i could get a look at the fitment. Looks good. So that helps solve one of the questions/decisions I've been noodling around on for the last couple of weeks.
I also did some web searching and found that Tanner recommends WD-40 to get the black gunk off. I hate to admit it, but I don't have a can in the house :(.
I also ended up at Advanced Auto to buy a replacement headlight for the wife's Beamer. Stupidity aside, I got the bulb and managed to get it in without blowing up the bulb, the car, or the house. Although it did take quite a bit of fiddling, and french before the bulb holder would lock in place.
I also did some web searching and found that Tanner recommends WD-40 to get the black gunk off. I hate to admit it, but I don't have a can in the house :(.
I also ended up at Advanced Auto to buy a replacement headlight for the wife's Beamer. Stupidity aside, I got the bulb and managed to get it in without blowing up the bulb, the car, or the house. Although it did take quite a bit of fiddling, and french before the bulb holder would lock in place.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Quick Note
The Soft Top is out!
Took about 1.25 horus, 4 awkward standing positions, and 1 rain rail bolt down the driver's side rain rail. I'll have to find a pen magnet and fish it out one of these days.
I've gotta figure out the wheel situation, will the Enkei's fit (they should)... and not look too out-of-place? Then that should probably be it for taking the car apart for a while. I may actually put some of the parts back on, depending on the neighborhood reaction. It'd be nice to pull the door plastic and the black gunk off first... but I'm 'concerned' about how much 'trouble' that's going to be.
Took about 1.25 horus, 4 awkward standing positions, and 1 rain rail bolt down the driver's side rain rail. I'll have to find a pen magnet and fish it out one of these days.
I've gotta figure out the wheel situation, will the Enkei's fit (they should)... and not look too out-of-place? Then that should probably be it for taking the car apart for a while. I may actually put some of the parts back on, depending on the neighborhood reaction. It'd be nice to pull the door plastic and the black gunk off first... but I'm 'concerned' about how much 'trouble' that's going to be.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Additional Lightness
Because of the long hours I pulled in Miami working, I'll be taking some time in the morning this week to catch up with stuff around the house. Today that included removing the hardtop, the door panels, and door speakers.
I was going to give the miata a rest this week. But checking the weather shows a 'clear' spell. So I'm going to make the most of it. If I get real brave, I may remove the soft top as well. I'll see about getting some pictures posted soon.
I was going to give the miata a rest this week. But checking the weather shows a 'clear' spell. So I'm going to make the most of it. If I get real brave, I may remove the soft top as well. I'll see about getting some pictures posted soon.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Official Event Pics Up
Pictures from the official event photographer, from the Green group (i.e. the run group I was in) are now up. I'm the little red miata, with magic blue tape numbers, and front bumper.
Time Flew...
...when you’re working 10hour days in a sealed box. Add to that ~3 days without internet connection, and it'll explain why I don't have a post up about my first track day @ VIR with the miata.
14 hours, 855 miles, no top, not tunes, and 40-50degF OATs, and I was still grinning like an idiot when I got to Miami... other than getting lost in downtown miami. Google didn't know they shutdown I-95 4miles from my their prescribed exit; and my google-maps-phone thought my GPS coordinates indicated I was swimming in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Francisco. Fun times.
So, back to the track.
My instructor's name was Bernie. He drives a miata too. Only w/ race seats, and big sticky kumho vx710s.
We met right after the driver's meeting, and talked about what kind of driver I was, the miata... stuff he needed to know to be a good instructor. I also met Bill, who's parked next to me, and is running in advanced with his b18 swapped civic hatch; who's apparently not far from me in a home setting too.
Bernie took me out in the 'Advanced Group' to show me the line. He was complaining about the cold temperatures, and the tires not sticking as well. It was good to go out with him before my session, because driving the miata is quite a bit different than the Fit... or at least the way *I* was driving the Fit. Particularly turning in much earlier... and how much speed the car could hold through corners; or so I thought.
We ended up gridding late, ending up the last cars onto the grid, behind the skyline and M3. They were quite slow during the yellow flag warmup lap, with the first car out (and aggressively driven S4 Avant) catching up to us. We eventually got around them both, and pulled a little bit away from that S4. I eventually slowed up a little in the 'first' part of the track and let the S4 by under the tunnel. Braking was an area of concern, since I ended up doing my own bed-in, and it seems they weren't quite all the way bedded in. So we worked our way up to braking later and later...
especially into turn 14. Eventually Bernie said 'Brake at the 1'... and I did. However, something in the grey matter didn't like the speed and chucking the car towards roller coaster. So it went for more brake, which ended up locking up the brakes.
Cue the billowing smoke, with Bernie adding "Ok, turn in" before I went off the track. Getting back on the gas I was greeted a nice 'oscillation' in the tires. I tried to collect myself and ended up going off line through roller coaster. We kept driving, and worked up the speed again, ending the session 'ok'. We came back and took at look at the car, and didn't find a flat spot in the tires. I went out to the restaurant to record my thoughts, and download my video... which turned out like carp. During that is when the cold caught up with me.
Second Session
I could tell it was starting to warm up. The 'thump thump thump' of the tires is only bad in a couple of spots so I decided to keep on driving on it, Bernie didn't think it was a big deal; just cautioning me that if I locked up again there was a good chance I'd lock up in the same place. Apparently this can blow a tire.
The session went pretty well. I Passed a mustang after jostling around with a couple of CTS-Vs at the same time. The Mustang let me by under the tunnel, and I had to take the off line way through the upper esses. Bernie was happy with how I took it. Slow up a little to compensate for the bad line, and make sure to hit that first late apex to set yourself up for the follow-ons.
Third Session
That slow M3 from the first session picked up speed, so I let him by. Well, I caught him again, since he was ending up off line a lot; he just seemed to be using more of his engine this session. So, while I hounded him in the corners, he pulled away on the straights. Most likely his instructor was saying to stay out in front, if I'd let him by that meant I thought he was going faster. Meanwhile the 2 CTS-Vs caught up to us, and I let them by. Then I caught up to the M3 again, heading into 14. Bernie was egging me on, to get up on him so we'd get a run going down the front straight. I knew he was going to brake early, so I pulled by brake point back 200ft, trying to use my superior comfort with braking to close the distance. Well that worked too well, as he grabbed more brake than I expected... Hello Flat Spotted City! This time it was the right front. However, I did the right thing, got out of the brakes to stop the lockup and kept it together a little better going through roller coaster. The M3 still wouldn't let us by, and Ryan Fitzgerald was closing up in his well driven 330i so I let him by on the front. I finally got around the M3 going under bridge 6a-7 after hounding him through the bottom esses. Good times, hooked up some areas better. Almost over did it in the lower esses once. Even with all that, I got signed off solo for last session of the day :)
Last Session
Was doing pretty well, had to jostle with some of the cars... and was keeping up pretty well with the Red 'vette after I let it through. Then I got concerned when I got to Oak Tree 1/2 through the session and saw the black flag out. "Man, what'd'I do!?" So I moved over down the back straight and let out of it a bit, signaling the vette by... didn't want him riding me as I was trying to go into the pits for my talking to. But he just sat there, so I waited 'till I got to the top of the hill, and saw from that flag station that the whole track was black flagged. So we all went in and waited for one of the R32's to get pulled in on a tow truck, from what looked like turn 1. After that we got let out under 'green'. I don't know how it happened but the white RSX got around the 'vette and was raring to go. Let him go at the tunnel then tried running hard in a couple of areas, and realized I was starting to get a bit tired... then about two laps later, going down the back straight I looked at the gas gauge which had been
at 1/4, was now on the bottom line. That wouldn't be good to run out of gas, and have to get towed back in, I was by myself and decided to call it a day.
I ended up not going back for the second day. I was worried about my tires, and the impending snow... which might or might not cut the day short. I spent that $160 on two new front tires instead, banking on the fact that it'd be better to have two round tires for an 850mi trip. Ended up with Kumho Solus KR21's (?), which seem ok. I think I'll probably match the rears up with the same Kumhos at some point... and see if I can fit the enkei's from the fit on the miata with their OLOA Kumho's still on. Could make for some better track time fun... and would help the budget a bit.
Ok, end of my book for now.
14 hours, 855 miles, no top, not tunes, and 40-50degF OATs, and I was still grinning like an idiot when I got to Miami... other than getting lost in downtown miami. Google didn't know they shutdown I-95 4miles from my their prescribed exit; and my google-maps-phone thought my GPS coordinates indicated I was swimming in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Francisco. Fun times.
So, back to the track.
My instructor's name was Bernie. He drives a miata too. Only w/ race seats, and big sticky kumho vx710s.
We met right after the driver's meeting, and talked about what kind of driver I was, the miata... stuff he needed to know to be a good instructor. I also met Bill, who's parked next to me, and is running in advanced with his b18 swapped civic hatch; who's apparently not far from me in a home setting too.
Bernie took me out in the 'Advanced Group' to show me the line. He was complaining about the cold temperatures, and the tires not sticking as well. It was good to go out with him before my session, because driving the miata is quite a bit different than the Fit... or at least the way *I* was driving the Fit. Particularly turning in much earlier... and how much speed the car could hold through corners; or so I thought.
We ended up gridding late, ending up the last cars onto the grid, behind the skyline and M3. They were quite slow during the yellow flag warmup lap, with the first car out (and aggressively driven S4 Avant) catching up to us. We eventually got around them both, and pulled a little bit away from that S4. I eventually slowed up a little in the 'first' part of the track and let the S4 by under the tunnel. Braking was an area of concern, since I ended up doing my own bed-in, and it seems they weren't quite all the way bedded in. So we worked our way up to braking later and later...
especially into turn 14. Eventually Bernie said 'Brake at the 1'... and I did. However, something in the grey matter didn't like the speed and chucking the car towards roller coaster. So it went for more brake, which ended up locking up the brakes.
Cue the billowing smoke, with Bernie adding "Ok, turn in" before I went off the track. Getting back on the gas I was greeted a nice 'oscillation' in the tires. I tried to collect myself and ended up going off line through roller coaster. We kept driving, and worked up the speed again, ending the session 'ok'. We came back and took at look at the car, and didn't find a flat spot in the tires. I went out to the restaurant to record my thoughts, and download my video... which turned out like carp. During that is when the cold caught up with me.
Second Session
I could tell it was starting to warm up. The 'thump thump thump' of the tires is only bad in a couple of spots so I decided to keep on driving on it, Bernie didn't think it was a big deal; just cautioning me that if I locked up again there was a good chance I'd lock up in the same place. Apparently this can blow a tire.
The session went pretty well. I Passed a mustang after jostling around with a couple of CTS-Vs at the same time. The Mustang let me by under the tunnel, and I had to take the off line way through the upper esses. Bernie was happy with how I took it. Slow up a little to compensate for the bad line, and make sure to hit that first late apex to set yourself up for the follow-ons.
Third Session
That slow M3 from the first session picked up speed, so I let him by. Well, I caught him again, since he was ending up off line a lot; he just seemed to be using more of his engine this session. So, while I hounded him in the corners, he pulled away on the straights. Most likely his instructor was saying to stay out in front, if I'd let him by that meant I thought he was going faster. Meanwhile the 2 CTS-Vs caught up to us, and I let them by. Then I caught up to the M3 again, heading into 14. Bernie was egging me on, to get up on him so we'd get a run going down the front straight. I knew he was going to brake early, so I pulled by brake point back 200ft, trying to use my superior comfort with braking to close the distance. Well that worked too well, as he grabbed more brake than I expected... Hello Flat Spotted City! This time it was the right front. However, I did the right thing, got out of the brakes to stop the lockup and kept it together a little better going through roller coaster. The M3 still wouldn't let us by, and Ryan Fitzgerald was closing up in his well driven 330i so I let him by on the front. I finally got around the M3 going under bridge 6a-7 after hounding him through the bottom esses. Good times, hooked up some areas better. Almost over did it in the lower esses once. Even with all that, I got signed off solo for last session of the day :)
Last Session
Was doing pretty well, had to jostle with some of the cars... and was keeping up pretty well with the Red 'vette after I let it through. Then I got concerned when I got to Oak Tree 1/2 through the session and saw the black flag out. "Man, what'd'I do!?" So I moved over down the back straight and let out of it a bit, signaling the vette by... didn't want him riding me as I was trying to go into the pits for my talking to. But he just sat there, so I waited 'till I got to the top of the hill, and saw from that flag station that the whole track was black flagged. So we all went in and waited for one of the R32's to get pulled in on a tow truck, from what looked like turn 1. After that we got let out under 'green'. I don't know how it happened but the white RSX got around the 'vette and was raring to go. Let him go at the tunnel then tried running hard in a couple of areas, and realized I was starting to get a bit tired... then about two laps later, going down the back straight I looked at the gas gauge which had been
at 1/4, was now on the bottom line. That wouldn't be good to run out of gas, and have to get towed back in, I was by myself and decided to call it a day.
I ended up not going back for the second day. I was worried about my tires, and the impending snow... which might or might not cut the day short. I spent that $160 on two new front tires instead, banking on the fact that it'd be better to have two round tires for an 850mi trip. Ended up with Kumho Solus KR21's (?), which seem ok. I think I'll probably match the rears up with the same Kumhos at some point... and see if I can fit the enkei's from the fit on the miata with their OLOA Kumho's still on. Could make for some better track time fun... and would help the budget a bit.
Ok, end of my book for now.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Dark Side
I've been pulled over to iRacing finally. It helps that I finally have a dedicated place for the my G25 to sit; and it's got some extra room for the displays to grow :). The chair situation is still 'temporary', but its enough to get some time in.
The plan is to grab VIR, and try and get some laps with the soltice so I'm ready to go for the trackday on monday... and a bit more intune with RWD dynamics. Then I'll see just how far down the rabbit hole I want to go with my 3mo purchase.
It'll also give me something to do when we get snowed in again tonight ;).
The plan is to grab VIR, and try and get some laps with the soltice so I'm ready to go for the trackday on monday... and a bit more intune with RWD dynamics. Then I'll see just how far down the rabbit hole I want to go with my 3mo purchase.
It'll also give me something to do when we get snowed in again tonight ;).
Monday, February 22, 2010
First Trackday
So, after braving the frigid north, the miata is back in to R&R for installation of a new AL radiator (the plastic one had hairline cracks in the plastic tanks), plus upgraded brake pads, and steel brake lines. They'll also go through the required inspection.
Inspection? Yup, because we're headed to VIR for our first track day on March 1st w/ TrackDaze. I've signed myself up for the 'Novice' class again, since this is my first time on-track with a RWD car. And I've only spent about 2 out of my 14 years driving non-Fwd cars. So i'd rather be in the more 'forgiving' environment of the novice class... although...
Looking at the list theres quite an assortment of cars in the novice class. With only 13 cars signed up, I imagine there's a pretty good chance the run groups will get combined to increase track time. I'll try to be more on-top of my video gear this time out. Which means I've gotta start hunting through the house to find it all after the winter break.
Inspection? Yup, because we're headed to VIR for our first track day on March 1st w/ TrackDaze. I've signed myself up for the 'Novice' class again, since this is my first time on-track with a RWD car. And I've only spent about 2 out of my 14 years driving non-Fwd cars. So i'd rather be in the more 'forgiving' environment of the novice class... although...
Looking at the list theres quite an assortment of cars in the novice class. With only 13 cars signed up, I imagine there's a pretty good chance the run groups will get combined to increase track time. I'll try to be more on-top of my video gear this time out. Which means I've gotta start hunting through the house to find it all after the winter break.
Winter Wonderland
120#s
That's the amount of sand I've been hauling around in the trunk of the miata, through the 30" of snow that fell on DC on Feb 4-5. I managed to breakout from VA on the 6th, while nervously watching the oil guage as I straddled unplowed snow along Rte 15 in Virginia. Because, once I got to Maryland, the roads were clear from there to New York... where I spent the last two weeks on a work assignment. The miata handled itself admirably... only getting out of shape when I got too anxious with throttle input trying to get up some hills at slow speed.
That's the amount of sand I've been hauling around in the trunk of the miata, through the 30" of snow that fell on DC on Feb 4-5. I managed to breakout from VA on the 6th, while nervously watching the oil guage as I straddled unplowed snow along Rte 15 in Virginia. Because, once I got to Maryland, the roads were clear from there to New York... where I spent the last two weeks on a work assignment. The miata handled itself admirably... only getting out of shape when I got too anxious with throttle input trying to get up some hills at slow speed.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Can Your One Lap Car...
Haul this?
Ok, so maybe Dubler's Jimmy and Amanda's Colorado could. But I get better gas mileage ;).