Lateral-g Forums - Does anyone have friends that are stuck in a build era?

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i managed to put 17000 miles on the malibu last year.... perhaps i should coin a new phrase and call it a pro-commuter

I'm still one of the guys that likes to drive them more than wrench. However, I know to much for my own good. I can't get away with the same things most guys can. Everytime I've ever tried to cut a corner, it's back fired on me because I know better. So I've just learned to build to my expectations. Do I need a road race pan and an accumulator? Doubt it, but I sure don't want a rod through the side of my new block. Do I need a rear end and tank vent through the trunk? No, but I don't like a mess underneath. Is the heat exchanger necessary in my radiator. Aluminum blocks sweat more than steel blocks so it's nice to bring the oil up to temp faster. Not a neccesity. Do I need a clutch rated for 1000hp? Maybe not, but I dont' want any problems on the track. Do I really need different brake pads that are coming next week? Nope, but I hope it improves the performance on the street and track. Did I have to spend countless hours working on the minute details. Nope, but the car has my stamp on it. Every change I've made and I'm leaving out about 100 of them has improved the car. To me it all comes down to your expectations. I'm chasing the best driving and suited car for me. I want it to feel like it was custom tailored and fits me like an armani suit. I'm no where close.:lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by XcYZ (Post 275769)

Sure thing, Rogue. How many miles a year do you put on your Camaro?

For insurance purposes 2500 :_paranoid

Quote:

Originally Posted by deuce_454 (Post 275829)

i managed to put 17000 miles on the malibu last year.... perhaps i should coin a new phrase and call it a pro-commuter

atta boy :thumbsup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegas69 (Post 275833)

you just have the sickness BAD. :lol: You strike me as one of those guys thats more involved and interested in tinkering/wrenching that actually beating on that beautiful black paint job. I don't blame you. You've done a fantastic job with your car.

But you're definitely amongst those that have the 'i need this' disease when you don't 'need' anything. A rental corrolla and a full day of instruction at the track will make you a lot faster than any part or mod you can do. ;)

Its taken me a bunch of track events and owning the mini to realize this. An epiphany of sorts. My mini will walk every car on this forum at an autox, and it costs less than most people have in their subframes and brakes.

It really put my own pro-touring project in perspective....

sorry for the babble.

Ok..the better the car is the worse I can be. :lol: I'm not worried about any paint job. I'd rather scuff and chip it up than not drive it. It's only paint.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue (Post 275894)

My mini will walk every car on this forum at an autox, and it costs less than most people have in their subframes and brakes.

It really put my own pro-touring project in perspective....

sorry for the babble.

But you look like an idiot....:willy: sorry I just had to say something:wow:

I know you guys don't know me on here because I just lurk and learn. But I love this thread. It started out dealing with someone stuck in an era and now it's about people stuck in a situation (cars too nice to drive, or cars never being nice enough). I'm seeing parallels.

My car's a mopar.... it is lowered, stiff suspension and has 205/70R14's ... yup they make tires in that size. I just haven't pulled the trigger on a modern combination. I don't drive it much because I've only had it about a year and it needs a lot of love...and seat belts.

My friend that got me into this stuff has a 68 Camaro that is barely street legal (he just got his car teched for SCCA (?)). He used to drive it 150miles to the race track (Button Willow, Willow Springs, etc) until he blew his engine racing and had to have AAA help him back. Now he trailer's it there. He still probably drives it a minimum of 3 days a week just around town and upgrades/works on it constantly.

My room mate has a 69 C10 show truck on air bags. He's got a full kit of crap to polish his car with, which takes him 3 or 4 hours to get it ready for a show. The only power tools he has at our house are for his wheel polisher!

I'm slowly understanding and accepting all faces of this hobby. Everyone gets enjoyment from their cars in different ways. Either you love the G's your body feels accelerating or pulling through a turn, passing someone on a race track (on or offroad), the challenge of rock crawling or mud bogging, the thumbs up you get when your driving down the street, the sound of car alarms going off as you idle by, the compliments at a show or the satisfaction of having a certain car in your garage, even if you don't drive it. However you roll is fine with me.

Cheers!
-Dave

Great point Dave....

It's whatever turns you on. Waxer or greaser - tech check in guy - or cone replacer...

I like spending time in my shed "improving" (aka: destroying stuff)... half my friends can't figure that out... I don't try nor have to explain it to them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RECOVERY ROOM (Post 275494)

Just think of all those Camaro's that got cut up from the pro street days.They still are one of the best looking cars tubbed.

Personally i love the pro street cars, I tend to build pro street style cars. You throw some 18's and 20's on a tubbed car looks killer.

Where are the guys at hot rod magazine for this one. They love the street machne look of the 80's. I too think it is cool but just not for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by monza (Post 275911)

But you look like an idiot....:willy: sorry I just had to say something:wow:

tell this guy
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18..._1967_mini.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue (Post 275723)

I believe 95% of the pro-touring community is stuck in the street rod era. Bolting on every possible high end billet or chrome fancy performance part, every modern drivetrain option, every high end seating option, suspension subframes. Yet the cars just sit, and rarely get driven except to 'goodguys' events and autox events at car shows. The concept of pro-touring goes against car shows IMO.

I saw the same behavior in street rodders that I do in the pro-touring community. Lots of upgrade addiction and constantly evolving cars constantly in a state of evolving/changes, rather than the owners actually enjoying DRIVING THEM.

Sinking 150k into a camaro to drive to a cruise night or drive in a 35mph autocross at a car show? Doesn't make sense to me. I think for some people, its all about wrenching and tinkering, I can understand that. But not enjoying the fruits of your labor is an absolute sin. I've given up on inviting anyone on these forums to track events because no one shows. Seems like everyone thinks you have to have every go-fast product on the market just to keep up with the jones's. I'm all for supporting the aftermarket community and buying parts, but whats the point of buying a set of coilovers or sway bars when you've never even pushed your car to the limit to know that it NEEDS those coilovers.

Makes no sense to me. Lots of cars in a constant state of upgrading around here. For what purpose? Seems like an awful lot of SEMA cars which are show cars.

Racing? Only know a few people that hit the track here.

Autox? A properly driven miata with minor mods or an S2000 will destroy the entire pack of high dollar pro-touring cars at a good guys event. :willy:

I see a lot of guys sinking so much money and details into their cars to the point where they're too scared to push the limits of their car on a track for fear of balling it up. 20k paint jobs on a car thats supposedly built to be reliable and a touring car that can be driven from CA to NYC? Thats just silly.

I wish more cars were built to be driven. More streetfighters, more restomod cars. Less of these six digit show touring cars. I'm willing to bet those that are guilty of having high dollar builds had street rods in the past.

/rant.

I was reviewing the results from my last local autocross and I out ran all minis and got edged out by less than a tenth by a s2000. My official time was 42.5xx. http://lvrscca.org/race-results/auto...ound14_raw.htm That included taking out the ESP track champ. I agree at a Good guys put around it would be tough due to the fact it's like driving through a grocery store. It's plain physics. I have little desire to run one of their events for that reason.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue (Post 276019)

tell this guy
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18..._1967_mini.jpg

Nice, I was feeling guilty for my lame slam and you schooled me with style.

I have to be honest. When I first joined the community I was more into a show car look, and rodder stlye. But this site has really made me change all of my plans and make my car more agressive.
_I thank everyone on here for arguing with me at first, and showing me the light_ :cheers:

I look at car era's as all fads- some worse then others. I guess it all depends on the car.
When I see a 80's era camaro with orage and purble graphics - i Laugh out loud. so dated. if the car was done less extreme I might respect it a little more. I also see fads in steet rodding and sadley I also see things in pro touring that look like a fad to me. just little things that will make cars dated in 10-15 yrs, maybe less.
But thats o.k- any mods some one does to a car will be a fad. the only classic style is classic. (hence the name -classic)

Aaaand speakin of mopar guys with their head in the sand...

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...=0#Post5850459

One poster in particular, dont know how 'super'.

most guys stuck in the era are going off opinion and really dont have a good understanding of most things modern. It is also what they know and they dont want to learn anything new.Some of these guys are still stuck in the world of a show quality paint job costing 2,000 dollars. I just ignored there ignorant comments and keep on going along with my daily grind, You should have seen the guys I know eat there words when I finished the GTO, HILARIOUS.