williaty

Got it at NAPA on 161 this evening. I didn't even know they did paint. AP, I'll keep you in mind for next time.

I need to buy a small amount of color, clear, and thinner to airbrush some small areas on my car. Rather than paying OMGWTF money to buy from PaintScratch.com, I was hoping there's a local automotive paint supply place that sells retail. Do any of you know of a paint supply shop that can make me 4-5oz of color-matched paint and will sell retail and speak noob?

He'll have more to say, I'm sure, but the trunk lid is nowhere near done. The stuff he's really nailed, (like the scoop, bumper, etc) is surprisingly even. There's some spots with a slightly different amount of matte/gloss, but overall it's better than I was expecting.

To answer you question about making it quieter, just put all your soft luggage in the trunk. Clothes, blankets, pillows, that sort of thing. All of that will make the car substantially quieter. Long term, RaamMat and Ensolite made a HUGE change in how quiet my car was. Also be sure to take all the spares you can possibly need plus tools. A lot of the car parts stores there will look at you funny if you ask for a part for an import. I take fuses, relays, bulbs, a lot of oil (engine and tranny), zip ties, hose clamps, extra air filter, stuff like that. Also, can you not make a low-boost map to make your wife less nervous about driving it for the freeway trip there and back, then reflash it for fun?

New pics up in the Flickr Set. I would like to point out that there's a Thorne in that trunk. Yes, Thorne has dressed up for Halloween as the ass end of his car. Five months early. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3645/3572407506_4b570a0ff1_o.jpg

Yes, I was talking about just a machine shop to do the work on the valves. I'll bring them just the heads with the valves/springs/retainers. No cams, no rocker assemblies, no valvecovers, no attached engine. Nothing but the parts they're going to need to work on. EDIT: There's a shop in Delaware that does headwork too, isn't there? I cannot for the life of me remember where it is.

I will be wanting a multi-angle valve job as part of my engine rebuild. I'm looking for a trustworthy shop that I can take the heads to, drop them off, and pick them up later with a good, tight-sealing multi-angle (probably 5+radiusing) valve job. I don't want to have to put up with a lot of BS or drama. I just want to give them my heads and get back heads in better shape. I have no idea if it matters (valves are valves) but this will be for my EJ253 Subaru engine. Do any of you have a shop you'd trust to do this?

http://www.motorauthority.com/images/Odds/Caterham/RS-V8/260208cat.jpg In matte finish bare carbon. With a Ferrari V12 under the hood. Alternately, this: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2905591349_41bea60601_o.jpg In matte black. With a Ferrari V12 under the hood.

Seriously, call Andrewtech, tell him how they've failed in the past, tell him the gear ratios you like now, tell him your power and power plans, and he'll come up with the best possible box. FWIW, due to how weak the Australian Dollar is right now, PPG gears are going at like 40% off.

Get Cusco motor mounts (solid metal) and a Group N tranny mount. No more moving tranny after that.

/me looks at Thorne's pile of parts /me looks at his own NA station wagon Yeah, still not worried about staying in front

Shaffer's has been gaining traction over on BitoG for a while now. I have to say I can't see the point as it's (AFAIK) no cheaper than other high-zoot oils and it's so easy to get good results from stuff you can actually go to a store (real store like Auto Assets, etc, not big box like Autozone or Pep Girls) and buy off the shelf. Considering that we have several Redline, ELF, RP, and AMSOIL retail stores in town, mail order is just kind of silly in Columbus.

I'm already registered. Like I said, I'm just there to horse around, so anyone that wants to ride with me is welcome to. I'll also have time to help anyone who wants to run for the first time.

Spectators are always free, just walk up to Registration and sign the waiver to get a wrist band. You can also ride with people for free by borrowing a helmet. I'm planning on being at the event and won't be taking it seriously, so I'll be giving rides.

I assume you're looking for a tire that goes well in the little snow we do have but doesn't make you cry every time you have to drive your car in the winter without snow? Look at the "winter high performance" class, which you kind of seem to be doing. Draco and I drove a lot this winter together in different areas, everything from dry tarmac, to wet tarmac, to gravel, to frozen gravel, to frozen mud, to partially frozen mud, to straight up ice, to wet snow, to dry snow. The interesting part is that we had different tires from the Winter Hi-Po class. He had the new Dunlop Wintersport 3D's and I had the Hankook Icebear W300s in the V-rating (that's actually important in this case). I have to say that you can't go wrong with either tire. The 3D definitely had the edge in the snow. The Icebears definitely had the edge on cold, dry tarmac and gravel. In fact, I was shocked at how close to my UHP summer tires the Icebears were on dry tarmac. In central Ohio, I'd go for the Icebears as they have a little extra on tarmac, which is what you get most of around here. If you lived in southeastern Ohio, where you get more snow and it never gets plowed, I'd get the Wintersport 3Ds because of their extra edge in snow.

You driving down in the Lotus? That might be worth it all on it's own.

OK, it's a 3,000lb car with about 90-95HP (guessing from 170-ish at the crank minus AWD drivetrain losses) at the wheels. I get to watch glaciers out-accelerate me (though I can corner WAAAY better than a glacier). Seriously, Thorne and Draco have both driven behind me for extended lengths of time, they can vouch for how slow I am to accelerate! I'm pretty hard to keep up with when the road gets twisty, but people wonder if I'm pedaling away from a stop light. I am thinking I'll probably go watch though. It's 90 minutes one way, so it'll come down to wither I have enough gas to get there and back that week or not.

They're pretty fun. They don't have the balls of, say, a 50's American land yacht, but they are loud. The note is still just a little ricey (though WAY better than an average Japanese horn) even if it is Hella loud.

They're just a straight-up super-loud horn. They draw 18 amps at 13.8 volts and produce 118dB. I have yet to have a single luxury SUV driving, cellphone yapping, latte drinking soccer mom fail to have the shit scared out of her since I installed them.

Dude, you don't want me on a 1/4. I'll take one run and be so slow no one else manages to get on the track the whole day.

I've not checked recently, but Roush Hardware in Dublin (and probably Westerville) had a little when I needed it about a year ago.

FWIW, if it isn't stupid hot that weekend, I'll be going to both the WOR and OVR 2-day events as they're a good value. However, I won't be competing for place, I'll just be driving for the fun of it. That means if anyone wants to come out for the first time, I'll be available to give rides or to go for rides with people so you won't be twisting in the wind all on your own.

Nah, I'm here for the duration. After getting banned over there for the same thing Thorne just did, I figure I need someplace that's quite a bit less censorship-happy.

Yup, that's me. However, only the blue wagon and the black wagon actually belong here. The rest of those cars just show up because if they hang around long enough, their suspension will get upgraded. I swear, 6 months after I leave, a Subie's going to roll into the driveway and ask whoever is here "Hey, this is the place Subarus get worked on, right?"

There is something satisfying about flying into a dirt corner at mach 5, hanging the ass out, and spraying ground into the air all the way around.