Spring is in the air. With less than a month to go before the first track weekend, it’s time to stock up on parts and make repairs. Nothing says Spring like new tires. For SCCA autocross in the MINI, I’ll be running Hankook Ventus Z214 R-comp tires. This is the medium compound (C50) which should …
It’s hard to get motivated to do anything related to my cars when it’s 15 degrees outside. If I’m lucky, I can keep the garage about 30 degrees above the ambient temperature, but when the best you can get is in the low 40’s, you don’t want to stay there long. Fortunately, we had a …
The wait is finally over. The F-22 turned 20 this month and can be registered as a “historic vehicle”. Since I purchased the car out of state, I would have had to go through the Maryland’s bureaucratic inspection goat-rope, aka the mechanics & bureaucrats work protection act. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for safety, …
After several false starts, I finally managed to remove the old exhaust system on the 325is and install the new cat and muffler I’ve had since August. All of the DIY postings I’ve read on e30 exhausts have said the same three things: 1. Don’t try this without a lift; 2. This thing is long; …
I got the MINI back from Frederick Motorsports last night. I had Scott install the new adjustable Konis along with the replacement camber plates. I also had to have the front muffler replaced. It’s too soon to really offer an opinion on the new struts. My impression is that the ride home was smoother and …
The replacement camber plates arrived from IE today. The adjustable Konis arrived earlier in the week. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to get them installed next week. When you compare the two photos, you can see how the urethane failed. I’ve been told they have improved the manufacturing process so these are not as likely …
I am always amazed by the chain of events that leads to discovery. This past weekend, I was getting my MINI ready for winter. We don’t get a lot of snow here in Maryland, but when you car is only a few inches off of the ground, it doesn’t take much to slow you down. …
I haven’t been keeping up with blogging so I’ll try to catch up with a few things in this post. With the economy in a tailspin here in the US, I’ve put my BMW project on hold for a while. There are a couple of advantages to this strategy: It preserves cash should we have …
Read more “Catching up with Fall Track Days & Progress on the BMW Stealth Project”
Today was the final SCCA event of the year at FEDEX Field for the Washington DC Region. The course was long — almost double the usual length. With some tricky off-camber turns and off-set slaloms, it was too long to try to memorize so you tried to pick out the tricky parts and ride out …
I haven’t managed to make any of the local SCCA autocross events so far this year. I bought a season pass last winter, but as it turns out, I had to work during the first five events. I enjoy the longer courses the SCCA runs, but don’t enjoy the events as much — everyone is …