TDI fades into regulatory oblivion; Enter Miata

[Rupert]

I had a huge "oh shit" moment about 5 minutes into the day.

Hit a loose patch of gravel and my outside rear kissed the road edge. Made such an awful noise, at first I thought I scraped the exhaust. Spent a good 1/2 hr hyperventilating and touching every spec of dirt on the rear undercarriage before I was convinced it hadn't hit. I think what happened is the shock topped out while I ran over some debris and/or my inside lip scraped and the diff stopped and/or it was hanging loose and the diff stopped. Alignment seems fine--no vibrations at speed and it tracks straight--but I should probably have it done anyway.

Dodged an expensive bullet. Even more freaky I wasn't on it that hard and had my TC on, just a gnarly bit of gravel.

I once put my nose into a ditch mid-corner in my old Miata kind of like that. Cooking along at just a little over suggested corner speeds, hit a patch of oil or something. I had been going 7-8 tenths earlier (public roads), and it was the 3 tenths that did me in...

[Rupert]

Yeah, plenty of blue hairs in Park Avenues and RVs, most of them are considerate and will yield. You do run into oblivious a-holes that won't pull over, but the cut-offs also allow you to let gaps build.

The motorcyclists tend to be pretty quick, but I caught a pack of Harleys this weekend that were agonizingly slow.

Fuuucking Harleys.

[Rupert]

Oh poor you, you only have like the entire Olympic peninsula that hardly anyone drives. 

There's gotta be some good back roads in the Cascades too.

I always thought the prettiest stretch of interstate in the US was that drive from Seattle to the San Juans.

Side note: mini-Seattle-vaca 3rd weekend in August and thinking about surprising the lady friend w a fast car and night-trip to Friday Harbor.

What interstate between Seattle and the San Juans? I-5?

Like Kevin said, WA-20 is a rad road. So is the Mt Baker Hwy in the last few miles, and Chuckanut Drive. Not much else I found in terms of curvy roads in western WA though. Everything is full to the brim with tourists/Seattlites anyway. There are a few here and there in canyons in eastern WA, nothing spectacular. However, there are a bunch of good empty roads within a few minutes of where I live now. Just need to bring the 944 out of "storage".

[MrH]

Whenever I drive the Dragon it's like a revelation mixed w therapy.

Everytime I'm tempted to rethink my purchase--really, WTF am I doing at 6'4", driving 20K miles/year for work, with a Miata for a DD--I just remind myself how many smiles per dollar I generate and I can't think of a better car, period.

I'm not the fastest guy up there or the coolest car by a long shot, but damnit if I'm not nipping at the heels of the speed demons and letting out some of the biggest "Wooooooooooo's!" I hear all day.

Forgot to mention I caught up with a powder-blue, super clean S2000 hardtop tagged for NY outside of Asheville and saw them 10+ times the rest of the day waving at me. Really bummed we didn't get a chance to run together.

Yeah, that ND is a fucking awesome car. Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

[CALL_911]

Forgot to mention I caught up with a powder-blue, super clean S2000 hardtop tagged for NY

yeeeee

[Tave]

Had the alignment done this morning.

It was tracking straight as an arrow but the rear end felt unsettled and low-speed steering effort was a hair assymetric. Both issues appear to be fixed.

I went to a chain, yeah yeah but the price was right, they gave me a lifetime warranty on it (will pay for itself the next time I need one), and it's the most convenient shop in town in terms of walk-ins.

After 7 months I'm at 15K miles and the tires will probably need replacing soon unless I tone it down.

[12,000 RPM]

205/45R17 tires are surprisingly expensive

[SJ_GTI]

Had the alignment done this morning.

It was tracking straight as an arrow but the rear end felt unsettled and low-speed steering effort was a hair assymetric. Both issues appear to be fixed.

I went to a chain, yeah yeah but the price was right, they gave me a lifetime warranty on it (will pay for itself the next time I need one), and it's the most convenient shop in town in terms of walk-ins.

After 7 months I'm at 15K miles and the tires will probably need replacing soon unless I tone it down.

Jeebus. I am a year in with my car and I barely cracked 6k miles.

[Rich]

Jeebus. I am a year in with my car and I barely cracked 6k miles.

Unthusiast.


Tave and sporty, Pick a dragon weekend

[SVT_Power]

Jeebus. I am a year in with my car and I barely cracked 6k miles.

Obviously if you hadn't bought an overpriced econobox, you might want to drive your car more 

[SJ_GTI]

Live and learn I guess. 

[Laconian]

My MX5 has about 2500 miles on it, after 7mos of ownership.

[Raza]

My MX5 has about 2500 miles on it, after 7mos of ownership.

y don't u dryv?

[Laconian]

I do, but my commute is 5 miles.

[AutobahnSHO]

I do, but my commute is 5 miles.

He means fun dryv.   

[Tave]

Unthusiast.


Tave and sporty, Pick a dragon weekend

I'm not the one with a wife and baby on the way, and my gf lives on the opposite side of the country, so I'm pretty wide open. Could do it as early as this weekend. Whatchu thinking.

[Rich]

I'm not the one with a wife and baby on the way, and my gf lives on the opposite side of the country, so I'm pretty wide open. Could do it as early as this weekend. Whatchu thinking.

I'm thinking early October, but you're right... the wife/baby dude should probably pick.

[Raza]

I do, but my commute is 5 miles.

Move.

[12,000 RPM]

I don't think I'm gonna be able to get out to the dragon any time soon. But you motherfuckers can come kart... there's a track 10 minutes from my house. We can grill and shit after

[SJ_GTI]

I don't think I'm gonna be able to get out to the dragon any time soon. But you motherfuckers can come kart... there's a track 10 minutes from my house. We can grill and shit after

Wait, why would you want to shit together...? Is this some new hipster way of male bonding...? 

[Rich]

I don't think I'm gonna be able to get out to the dragon any time soon. But you motherfuckers can come kart... there's a track 10 minutes from my house. We can grill and shit after

Deal, which day?  October is shit for me

[12,000 RPM]

My bday weekend, the 16-17th

I will put out a bro beacon and we can make a little day of it

[Rich]

My bday weekend, the 16-17th

I will put out a bro beacon and we can make a little day of it

Sounds good. I'm in

[Tave]

There's a possibility I'm visiting family or friends that weekend, but if not I could be convinced.

[Tave]

Also NC 66, the mini-dragon, is about 15 miles away from me, it'd be a lot easier trip for y'all than Deal's Gap.

[Rich]

Also NC 66, the mini-dragon, is about 15 miles away from me, it'd be a lot easier trip for y'all than Deal's Gap.

Married kid dude said gokarting.

I could do mini or real dragon another day though. Roads are not fun down where I'm at.

[AutobahnSHO]

Married kid dude said gokarting.

I could do mini or real dragon another day though. Roads are not fun down where I'm at.

LOL FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING and/or TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFIC

[MX793]

LOL FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING and/or TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFIC

Florida?

[Tave]

Coastal Carolina I believe. Same type of geography.

[12,000 RPM]

Tave how far are you from CLT?