AudiOn19s

Mid Ohio PCA chapter has an event there next September which I plan on attending. It's great that we've got another great facility within a couple of hours.

AJ. Take Draco up on his offer. The suspension stuff done to his car is nothing short of 1st class and is likely something that will really peak even more interest in the car for you. Even if you just got a ride vs. drive in that car it'll probably be very telling of what they can do when put together correctly. Andy

I had a customer contact me several weeks about a car they purchased and were having shipped here. Once it arrived it went to IPS for work and he asked them if I could do the detail while I was there. Brandon, Jeff and Eric (who I was constantly in the way of) went out of their way coordinate the effort and to make me feel right at home in the shop, gave me everything I needed and at no benefit to them at all other than making a customer happy. True show of top notch customer service. Gents I really appreciate the effort to accomodate me and it was great getting to meet you guys in person finally. Andy

uhhh..I'll agree a new car isn't a great idea. Can't say I'll ever buy a new car ever unless I have money to just piss away. That said I love the spirit of the 135i. Small, sporty, luxurious 300hp, 3250lbs with modding potential. However they're not available in the used market yet...AND I don't care for the front end styling. Bangle really screw'd up the front end if you ask me. However the 335i coupe is dead sexy....has the same powerplant, more options available, and can be found in the used car market. Chip and injectors and the cars make 390 hp / 440 tq. at the flywheel. Here's a really clean local one that's for sale. The owner is OCD and the car is spotless. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3619123#post3619123

Guess I missed the FD being gone. Sorry 'bout that David. Having driven both at the track..the Z06 was as quick as your car on better tires and driven at a higher (and someone idiotic) level. The 'vette was impressive for no more than was done to it but I still don't think it had the potential of the FD if they're similarly modified. Hard to make up for that 300+ lbs on the track. Having said that, I'd still own the 'vette first though as a track rat Andy

Outstanding car. May I ask though...you've already got one of the most potent track cars available if it's got the right bits...so why the 'vette. Looking for change?...looking for a "reliable" track car? Andy

Gotcha. No harm in opening his eyes to what's out there...and actually obtainable at the same time. Andy

We are kind comparing apples to oranges though. Cars like the IPS' TT vette's, Sam's old 'vette, etc are complete packages where they completely re-built the motor around the power adder of choice in order to maximize results. Very well thought out and design'd packages With the 599 they took a high compression motor and slapped on a blower making only 6psi due to compression constraints and then tuned it. How much power does an off the shelf 6psi blower kit make on a C6 Z06? (quick search yields 622whp @ 6psi) So...tear down the 599 and lower the compression, make cam changes to maximize for power adders then stuff a turbo on there at >20psi and you'll be in the same balpark as the rest of the cars in your origional comparison with very impressive results.

Great info in this post. I had actually ruled out Plasma because as I understand it they all have glass screens which will cause reflective issues in our bright room? Now I may need to have another look. Burn-in really isn't a concern for me but the reflective screen could be a major killer for me. It's weird (and probably a show of how little I actually know on this topic) that it would appear as though LCD is the technology that everyone is headed towards despite the blurring issues with motion and the poor grey/ black performance even on the latest and greatest sets. I'm guessing that's because of the rapidly dropping cost for the LCD panels themselves making this the most affordable to produce and buy in the near future? I'm not doubting that it's an outstanding product but it seems like you have go make sure you get the latest 120hz processers and backlighting technologies in the LCD's to really get the full benefits. This makes the LCD's comparably much more expensive than the others. The DLP's seem on their way out but seem to still have the most advantages for what I'm doing right now. I don't even own any HD media other than cable so I highly doubt I'm taking full advantage of the current technolgy for any of the sets. Price always being part of the equation makes the DLP's more attractive too. But with a 60" DLP unit being the smallest you can find I almost think it's too big for the space it will be going in. That and DLP pictures seem to be hit and miss for me. I swear my old 780p Sony unit has a better picture than the current Mitsubishi units. Samsung is the only other supplier of DLP units any more and I'm just not blown away however I do like the fact that they've solved the bulb issues by moving to LED's for light sources. If Sony still made a DLP TV this discussion would probably be over... for now...more research needed. Andy

I need some current info on what's what in technology when it comes to TV's. It's been 4 years now since I purchased a television and it's time for an upgrade. However I'm somewhat confused on where the technology has gone. I guess what I'm missing the most is what has happened to the "DLP" projection units in these last few years. When I purchased my TV 4 years ago I went with a DLP unit because it was the most band for the buck you could get back then. Plasma was the thing in those days and LCD was just up and coming. In looking at the market for what's available now it seems as though the majority of the TV's now are LCD units with less Plasma's out there and DLP projection televisions being almost non-existant. So...give me the pros and cons of the technology currently. I don't need a Television that can hang on the wall. the way our living room is setup there's no need for a flat panel and based on criteria I used several years ago I'd still go with another projection unit, but I'm scared that top companies like Sony and Philips don't even make these units any longer. Has LCD technology gotten soo much better than the other two that that's the way to go right now despite still being the most expensive? If I do go with another DLP projection TV what brand should I be looking at. As stated the two brands I'm the most loyal to (Sony and Philips) don't even make projection TV's any longer. Andy

+1 has the same shoe profile.

I have some pretty inexpensive Pirelli's on 15's for the Audi in the Winter. Don't know the exact model but whe I do know is: 1) They work pretty darn well for what I believe was $55 a tire 2) They have the biggest sidewall lettering I've ever seen. You wan read the words Pirelli and Winter half way across a parking lot. Print's not white..just large bilboard sized writing. Why on earth they did that is beyond me. 3) They've lasted 2 winters of constant driving with minimal wear showing even with the -2 degrees of camber that car has all around. We've got Dunlop Wintersport M3's for the M3 (ironic no?). They're OK but honestly I don't even know why I put them on each winter. I don't even think I've driven that car in the rain more than a couple of times...let alone the snow.

You guys that like Invisible Glass need to try SprayWay glass cleaner. I'm not knocking the stoners product as it's great and I used it for years, SprayWay is just better IMO. Andy

Buy 2 get 1 free on any individual towel (towel kit excluded). http://www.andyschoice.com for product details. This deal good through Friday 10/31 -Andy

I agree with Aaron. Start with Goo Gone. It's actually pretty tame compared to some of the other solvents out there so it doesn't work as quickly but it's safe and easy to use. Put some on a rag and let it soak into the area in question for 30 seconds and then gently aggitate. Try not to scrub too hard no matter what so you avoid scratching the paint. 3M makes an amazing adhesive remover (white and red can) if the goo gone doesn't work first. Andy

Thanks gents...and special thanks to Ben for my first order. Ryan: I should have clenaer as well as a few more products in the near future. Andy

probably due to Mobile1's reformulation of all of it's oils. If valvoline is making a top grade synthetic then I could see the claim. I've never paid any attention to their oils though. All of the stuff I read about the reformulation of Mobile1 is what lead me to switch to Redline for the 996. I still use Mobile1 in the Audi though as I never drive it hard anymore. Andy

The old Z5 (yellow and thick) was better at hiding but only just...the new one (Pro, purple and smells like grape) does basically nothing to hide. I supose if you were to do about 10 coats it might start, but it's not really going to do the trick. If done correctly using an abrasive will remove so little clear that you're not going to harm the life of the paint. OR you could pick up a glaze and use one. They'll hide defects for a short period..but a coupel of washes later and you'll see everything again and have to re-do the glaze process. If you choose to go that route 3M Imperial hand glaze is what you want. PITA to work with but does the job you're looking for. I have some I'd sell you cheap if you want as I can't stand using it. Clearkote sells a couple that are suposed to be much easier to work with but you can't get them locally. With either glaze your're wasting your time with the Zaino as it won't bond well to the oils in the glaze and durability will suffer. Andy

This reminds me of the 5 year guaranteed sealants the dealers apply.

If there's one thing that's really lacking in the local retail market it's a source for high-end microfiber. Every time a customer or friend asks me where to get outstanding microfiber products I have to send them to various websites on-line as there's simply not a good source for them locally. I'm proud to tell you now that you've got another option that's cheaper and more convenient than the internet. I've taken my favorite towels and I'm making them available to local enthusiasts. http://www.andyschoice.com Please let me know if you've got any questions or if I can help out in any way getting the right products in your hand. Also, check back periodically as more product offerings are coming soon. Andy

You could probably part it out on MBWorld or like forums. This is assuming you have the time and space to actually do that. But it might be your best bet at getting the most money out of the car as long as you're up for the hassle of doing it.

mmm...the Morgan Aero 8 is a wicked cool car. He was flying at Nationals until it ate a motor.

Mike, Does the standard refinish cover curb rash repair? Can you fix rash on my factory M3 19's. they're polished /clear'd faces on them like these? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/jedi-knight83/Car%20Stuff/OEM19M3.jpg Andy

No problems. Thanks for having me out.