Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by soundman98

looks good from 20ft away! but any closer and it looks like someone threw buckets of paint at it!

Oh, thanks -

NO thanks for those that made fun of me -

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by spcmafia

Has anyone ever made FT86 club license plates? Or has a logo I could use to have them custom made.

ichi would have the logo's

Originally Posted by Spuds

Warning car talk:

I'm looking for advice on things I should consider before embarking on a major 'build' of my FRS. I'm asking here because I'm more likely listen you you all telling me I'm crazy than rando forum urchins lol. Things that have crossed my mind:

-I really need to test drive a 2022+ before dismissing it: working on it...
-why start with a 2.0L engine when you can afford a car with the 2.4L? Why indeed...
-I should really get some track/autocross experience to see if that makes a difference : also working on that... Slowly
-budget: this would be in lieu of trading for a 2022 with cash, so I think I've got that covered for the amount of work I can actually do (?)
-tools, space, etc: I've got an oversized 2 car garage and everything I need to do routine maintenance and more. I can buy/borrow/rent anything big and specialized.
-transportation:. I've got a 2018 Buick Regal still under warranty on the other side of the garage and my wife really hates driving anyway so I'm probably good there.
-have you talked to vendors/shops/etc yet: No, not yet. Kind of an introvert so talking to new people is hard. Also I don't want to waste anyone's time if I am not sure what I want.
-How much does all that time/effort/money work out to in Cayman units?: No! Bad Spuds!

-Why am I doing this?:. I kind of just want to try it as a challenge. My problem is I'm too cautious and never had the space/money/stability to feel comfortable with major mods and now I do. My irl car friends are all about that torque (280ftlb or gtfo) and most of the encouragement I get is trade in the FRS for something faster, so I guess there's a bit of wanting to prove them wrong lol.

if you're so cautious, is buying a new vehicle to mod the crap out of while it's still under warranty really realistic?

i get the challenge, but really, i think the 1st gen is a more 'reliable' challenge for you if you're so cautious. most everything has been done and figured out, with many different parts still readily available--much easier to weigh the gain's/losses of each mod. the 2nd gen has some desirable platform changes, but i don't get the impression that toyota invited aftermarket companies in to develop parts for it like they did for the 1st gen. so the aftermarket parts availability is still very much in flux currently.

it really sounds like you're just looking for a project for 'fun', or haven't really figured out the direction of the project.

it's fine to do things for fun, i do them all the time, but modding for fun is entirely different than modding for a track use...

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by soundman98

ichi would have the logo's


if you're so cautious, is buying a new vehicle to mod the crap out of while it's still under warranty really realistic?

i get the challenge, but really, i think the 1st gen is a more 'reliable' challenge for you if you're so cautious. most everything has been done and figured out, with many different parts still readily available--much easier to weigh the gain's/losses of each mod. the 2nd gen has some desirable platform changes, but i don't get the impression that toyota invited aftermarket companies in to develop parts for it like they did for the 1st gen. so the aftermarket parts availability is still very much in flux currently.

it really sounds like you're just looking for a project for 'fun', or haven't really figured out the direction of the project.

it's fine to do things for fun, i do them all the time, but modding for fun is entirely different than modding for a track use...

Oh, second gen was to drive mostly stock for a while, deferring the mod bug because warranty lol.

And yes, this is just for fun. I do want to try track stuff which I imagine is also fun, but idc about chasing 10ths... Yet.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, thanks -

NO thanks for those that made fun of me -

[Captain Snooze]

.
Imperial Walker

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Oh, second gen was to drive mostly stock for a while, deferring the mod bug because warranty lol.

I was speaking to a tuner who did some work on my BRZ and he said the 2nd gen was a much more mature car. Depending on mods not a lot faster than 1st gen but for road use a significant difference.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Oh, second gen was to drive mostly stock for a while, deferring the mod bug because warranty lol.

And yes, this is just for fun. I do want to try track stuff which I imagine is also fun, but idc about chasing 10ths... Yet.

If you are interested in track/autox you have one of the best learner cars already. I’d just throw pads and fluid at it and give it a try.

At what point are you better buying a Cayman, that’s tough to answer. Consumables are going to be much more expensive on the Cayman so that factors in too. But you have a stock car with a warranty. Also depends on the model. Speed wise, it would take a lot to make a twin as fast. Last year at the SCCA TT event here in the NW a stock Cayman GT4 won Max3, was about 10 sec a lap faster then me, me being a Max4 car NA with aero. With faster tires and my suspension properly setup I figure that it would be a 5-6 sec deficit. It would take a ton of money and more driver mod to make up that much more time.

If it ends up not being something you are interested in then I would go Cayman for a fun street car.

[davidca]

Finished Far Cry 6. I welcomed the variety of weapons. The overwhelming amount of missions/things to do, but it was just a big meh. Far Cry 5 was more enjoyable, at least story wise and depth of characters. The spanglish was sort of funny at the beginning, but then it just got very annoying.

There are some missions with Danny Trejo, but Im in no rush to get into them.

For more visit best websites

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by davidca

Finished Far Cry 6. I welcomed the variety of weapons. The overwhelming amount of missions/things to do, but it was just a big meh. Far Cry 5 was more enjoyable, at least story wise and depth of characters. The spanglish was sort of funny at the beginning, but then it just got very annoying.

There are some missions with Danny Trejo, but Im in no rush to get into them.

For more visit best websites

Lol, ripped right out of our own pc gaming discussion!

Reported

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

If you are interested in track/autox you have one of the best learner cars already. I’d just throw pads and fluid at it and give it a try.

At what point are you better buying a Cayman, that’s tough to answer. Consumables are going to be much more expensive on the Cayman so that factors in too. But you have a stock car with a warranty. Also depends on the model. Speed wise, it would take a lot to make a twin as fast. Last year at the SCCA TT event here in the NW a stock Cayman GT4 won Max3, was about 10 sec a lap faster then me, me being a Max4 car NA with aero. With faster tires and my suspension properly setup I figure that it would be a 5-6 sec deficit. It would take a ton of money and more driver mod to make up that much more time.

If it ends up not being something you are interested in then I would go Cayman for a fun street car.

For non-serious track time, buying a vehicle for the cause really boils down to 2-3 options for me. 86, Miata, or s2000, but the fanboyism has greatly inflated the cost of the s2k, so they're almost priced more like art pieces anymore, making them a more difficult proposition to throw into a corner with wild disregard.

A Cayman might be faster, but at increased cost, anything american won't be great on the track without a ton of work, and generally double the brakes because of the extra weight...

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by soundman98

For non-serious track time, buying a vehicle for the cause really boils down to 2-3 options for me. 86, Miata, or s2000, but the fanboyism has greatly inflated the cost of the s2k, so they're almost priced more like art pieces anymore, making them a more difficult proposition to throw into a corner with wild disregard.

A Cayman might be faster, but at increased cost, anything american won't be great on the track without a ton of work, and generally double the brakes because of the extra weight...

I will say, my friend's Camaro SS 1LE is pretty phenomenal on back roads (I drove it for an hour) and reportedly just as good on track. I am just not a fan of the size and ease of getting into real trouble lol. Definitely expensive consumables though.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

If you are interested in track/autox you have one of the best learner cars already. I’d just throw pads and fluid at it and give it a try.

At what point are you better buying a Cayman, that’s tough to answer. Consumables are going to be much more expensive on the Cayman so that factors in too. But you have a stock car with a warranty. Also depends on the model. Speed wise, it would take a lot to make a twin as fast. Last year at the SCCA TT event here in the NW a stock Cayman GT4 won Max3, was about 10 sec a lap faster then me, me being a Max4 car NA with aero. With faster tires and my suspension properly setup I figure that it would be a 5-6 sec deficit. It would take a ton of money and more driver mod to make up that much more time.

If it ends up not being something you are interested in then I would go Cayman for a fun street car.

Yeah, I think that's the plan. There's an entry level track event with classroom, and paced laps for an hour or so I was thinking of trying. Even if it winds up being boring, at least it's a low investment way to meet some local track folks I think?

Edit:. Or I just join scca, buy a helmet, and pick an hdpe to go to.

[86-75309]

Originally Posted by soundman98

looks good from 20ft away! but any closer and it looks like someone threw buckets of paint at it!

“From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.”


― Raymond Chandler, The High Window

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Yeah, I think that's the plan. There's an entry level track event with classroom, and paced laps for an hour or so I was thinking of trying. Even if it winds up being boring, at least it's a low investment way to meet some local track folks I think?

Edit:. Or I just join scca, buy a helmet, and pick an hdpe to go to.

That would be a good start. I’d really recommend taking part in an instructed event first. They usually focus on safety and etiquette and work up from there. Some stuff on driving line and basic techniques. It would be worth calling or emailing them and asking questions first on how they structure the day. We have a couple decent groups in my area that I have done classes with and they are helpful.

I really wouldn’t worry about joining SCCA. You don’t need to in order to do one of their TNiA events and those are kind of clusters anyway that I would recommend avoiding unless you are desperate. You only really need their membership for competitive events.

I’ve met tons of people that have become friends over the years doing track days. You are already participating in a common interest. Most people are friendly. I haven’t met too many idiots.