NorCal (Bay Area) OFF-TOPIC Chat Thread
 

Hello Friends! Let's chat in here so we can keep meet/event threads clean so the information can be found quickly!

I did like all the chit-chat and getting to know each other that was happening, so I want to keep it going (in a better place!)

Ready, set, CHAT!

Going for a cruise... now!

I didn't drive my car at all today... I figure it needs a day of rest too!

I did leave my pass window cracked last night and the door cars was SOAKED today... opps.

Anyone else going to t-hill tomorrow?

Is there a track day or something tomorrow?

Yup see you there! :thumbup:

Rain and more rain... Should be interesting out there.

Blaine the event tomorrow is GripDriftSkid 8... Registration is open for GDS 9 in Feb. And they even have special pricing for it. :)

Nice! Well let me know how it is and maybe I'll sign up for feb!

^Same here. Goal this year is at least 3 track days. My wrx buddies agree T-hill is a really good track for a first track day. Good warm-up for laguna seca and infeneon.

The biggest problem with courses that hold Major touring races is barriers are usually pretty close to the racing surface so fans can get reasonably close. At tracks like Thunder Hill that don't hold NASCAR/Moto GP/ALMS events ect don't have to be as safe to accommodate people all around so there is less stuff to hit if you fuck up.

That said, I've done track days on tracks with guardrails all over the place and very close to the racing surface. I'd like to do about 4 days next year.

It's funny when I lived in Michigan I dealt with snowy weather for 5 months and now after a few weeks of rain I'm still pissed off at the weather... lol.

T-Hill is a nice open track to learn. No barriers like mentioned and plenty of run-off. Watch out for the backside tho, if the barriers are still there.

Is there enough BRZ/FRS in the bay to hold our own day? Or are you guys on an open track day. Great luck, have fun, and be safe.

Off-topic chat thread right?? I'd like to propose a short detour to NorCal Hobbies in Union City one day during a cruise. My RC haven for all rc, dirt and on-road. I'd like to take a pic under their signage...after all, this is just another hobby. *wink*

It's pretty easy to have your own track day, it usually costs like $3K or so to rent a track like Thunder hill for the day then you sell 10 slots for $300 or 20 for $150. I mean I just made those numbers up but it would go something like that.

I'm starting to feel like "that guy" but when I lived in Michigan there was a rich dude with a GT-R that kept renting Gingerman Raceway (google if your curious) and would charge people $150 for unlimited track time. It really just depends if you can use the facilities insurance and course workers.


BTW... it would be WAY easier for us to plan ahead and all just sign up for the same track day.

Wanna buy my Traxxxas short course truck? I never use it. I should have put the money towards a crawler build instead. I used to have a Jeep for rocks in real life and I think I'd enjoy/use a crawler RC more.

So what did you guys drive before your FR-S/BRZ purchase? I had a 07 MKV GTI! I do love the FR-S but I miss the crap outa my MKV. It was tuned to about 250WHP and 310WTQ so it was WAY WAY WAY faster (in a stright line) than my FR-S with a whopping 170WHP and 140WTQ...

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Thanks for info Blaine. 3K is relatively in-expensive. Hope that covers insurance, ambulance, and their crew.

Hehe no thanks for the Traxxes. My kids got plenty of off-road from Slash down to mini-8s. I myself run on-road...so me and the kids take turns turn-marshaling.

Sometimes that fee does cover that stuff and sometimes it doesn't depends on the track.

I don't know a ton about RC. My truck isn't steering right now, it's almost like the servo or something is toast because I don't even hear it trying to turn. Any suggestions on things to check out?

Blain, ur RC's servo may be toast. Replace all the batteries (or charge them) and listen to see if there is noise in the servo. If there is absolutely no noise, u may have lost bind. Bind it to the tx then try again. If it does make noise but won't turn, just grinds, may be ur servo saver (cheap fix) or servo (not so cheap fix).

Just a curious question. Would it be worth it if i installed 5x114.3 spacers on my fr-s or should i just stick with the 5x100?:|

What wheels can't you find in 5x100?

It's not something I'd do. It's going to make proper off-set really difficult unless you are installing wider fenders. Plus it's something that can fail on one of the most stressed areas of your car.

This is one of those things that if you have to ask you shouldn't be doing it.

the volk g25 in 19x9.5. they dont make that width on 5x100.

It's doubtful they make in it an offset that would work with adapters either.

:mad0259:what do you think would the offset be if i used adapters with it? *sigh* there goes my hopes of slapping on some G25's on my frs.:( why couldnt they make 19x9.5's in 5x100 bolt pattern?:(:mad0259:

You've never even told me what offset they come in.

This is what it looks like out in front of my house right now:

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This rain is boring....

1974 Toyota Celica ST. The BRZ is faster, but the ST definitely is a more interesting car.

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/...a/06fe34c4.jpg

NICE!


My brother just had a flat on 280 so I had to go deal with that... shitty.

Not if you know the right empty parking lot.

You're from Michigan originally too? I was raised in West Bloomfield and lived in Novi until 2007.

I actually have some first hand knowledge on renting Thunderhill for a day. Unfortunately, it costs A LOT more than $3k. The track itself is $6k for a day, BUT once you add in the other costs such as corner workers, insurance, tow truck, etc it comes to $10k+

Yeah! I lived in Grand Rapids from ages 6-23! Been here for about 3 years.

I'm not surprised it costs that much, $3K is what is costs back in Michigan for a non touring track.

Also I just saw you have a Boxter Spyder, what made you want a BRZ even though you own that car? I cross shopped the FR-S with used Cayman S but decided the FR-S would be far cheaper to operate and I want to be able to put miles on it worry free (already over 15K).

I'm really interested, hope we can organize a track day for our group! Are track newbies welcome? It would be my first :burnrubber:

Edit: nevermind just read the post that it may run $10k+ :confused0068:

noobs are welcome at most track days. Almost every track day will have a novice group.

I'd highly recommend you do a track day with well run, respected group that is friendly to novices like Hooked on Driving before committing yourself to a private track day where there will be no instructors. Try it out. Be careful though, it's VERY addicting. :D

SF native, but lived in Holland and GR from 2009-2011. I miss Zingerman's, and Meijer!

Ah yes, Grand Rapids. Great place to grow up.

I wouldn't doubt it only costs $3k to rent a track in Michigan...

My boxster spyder is my weekend/track car. As awesome as a car that it is, I don't like driving a car like that around town everyday. There are only about 700 of those cars in the US, and it would kill me to have some soccer mom dent the car. The manual roof isn't exactly practical either. As far as maintenance goes, it's actually pretty cheap if you're a DIY'er. oil only needs to be changed every 10k miles or once a year. I love purist cars meant for drivers, though. The spyder fits the bill, but so does the BRZ. My BRZ will serve as my DD and occasional track car. I can't wait to get it.

Ah yes, Zingerman's and Meijer.... :thumbup:

what about Vernor's soda?

Never got into Vernor's but Faygo! Especially Rock & Rye

Meijer is the best store ever! We used to joke "if you can't find it at Meijer you don't need it!" Sigh...

Nice, I just found them to be similar yet pretty different. I really want a Porsche but with 100K miles bumper to bumper warranty it's like I have Toyota factory support as long as I don't power mod.