Calling All Petrolheads

[RAF74_Winger]

Salute Squad,

I don't know whether you're all petrolheads like me, if you are the following website might be of interest:

http://www.drivers-republic.com/

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Salute Winger

I used to do all the repairs on my vehicles myself, but have given that up, since I hate getting covered in grease.

I still do the work on my motorcycles, I find I usually do a better job than the guys down at the motorcycle shops, on occasion I have gotten bikes back with loose bolts, speedo cables unhooked, etc. I prefer to check everything myself to make sure yours truly's butt is covered. ;)

[RAF74_Winger]

Salute Buzz,

I gave up repairing cars after I discovered that mine only break down on the coldest, rainiest days of the year. Being cold, wet & covered in oil is not my idea of fun.

W.

[RAF74_Bimmer]

Bah. Blood and grease build character. I've been wrenching on cars for over close to 20 years. I won't buy a car unless I'm comfortable working on it. These days there are a few things I can't handle without very expensive equipment, but all the basic mechanicals I do myself.

As to driving, I autocrossed competitively for 8 years, have driven and navigated numerous TSD rallies, and have done track schools. I just returned a couple weeks ago from the BABE Rally, a 1500-mile odyssey in $500 cars (you need to be comfortable fixing cars before this sort of trip).

Both my cars have manual transmissions. Both are rear-wheel drive. You might say I take my driving seriously.

[RAF74_Winger]

Hah! My character has been built quite enough thank you.

Don't be so mean spirited Bimmer, front wheel drive is fun, you just have to develop your left-foot braking skills!

Surely nobody would develop an automatic transmission would they? Where's the fun in that?

W.

Nice autos BTW, is that a 2002? The triumph 2000TC was my favourite, very similar car.

[RAF74_Winger]

What's a TSD rally? Rallying to me is bombing down a dirt road at 100+mph in a Lancia Stratos, Ford Escort or similar. Like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdYwclByOVo).

W.

PS You can do it on snow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyP7BeKnRCk) too.

[RAF74_Bimmer]

I've driven FWD in anger. It is a different thing, surely, and can be made to go fast, but it rarely feels like it wants to. Left-foot braking has its advantages, depending on the platform (even in RWD), but it doesn't really compensate for dividing up steering and power duties. Only in snow is it of any particular advantage, and only then if you learn the Scandanavian Flick, which can be fun, especially when passing SUVs on the outside.

Yes, it's a 2002 - 1974, dual Webers, 300 Motorsport cam, 9.5:1 tii pistons, Supersprint header, big brakes, polyurethane bushings, Bilstein sports, Eibach springs, 15" wheels, knockoff Recaro seats, and probably some other stuff I can't remember.

The clips you posted are stage rally - I don't have the money to chase that right now. TSD rally is basically a rally run on open public roads with timed route instructions; you need to travel at a certain speed and hit your checkpoints precisely. This usually requires driving rather briskly. These are often run in fairly thinly populated areas and on dirt roads, so it can present some interesting challenges.

Oh, and I'm not mean spirited, I'm from New York. You got a problem with that? ;)

[RAF74_Drummer]

Sorry chaps....Here is MY idea of ride.

[RAF74_Bimmer]

First car I ever owned was a 73 Dodge Challenger; not a Camaro, but similar in concept. It was fun as long as your direction of travel was straight ahead at a constant speed or accelerating. Turning and stopping, on the other hand, were somewhat dramatic events, but not in a good way. The roads around here are not made for straight-line speed, and I've since become rather enamored with lateral G forces, so no more muscle cars for me.

A buddy had a 69 Camaro. I changed the heater core on it. In the winter (well, who needs heat in the summer?). I also drove it once. It had 4-wheel drums. I did not see any reason to work on it or drive it ever again.

[RAF74_Winger]

Drums on all four wheels?:eek:

[RAF74_Stew]

You got 'dat right, Drum :)

My first engine rebuild was a 1930 Model A Ford that we used to drive around the farm in. That engine was a thing of simplicity and beauty and had a whopping 40 hp from 200cid lol.

I then moved on to a '66 Mustang and later a '69 Camero convertible with a 327. Not exactly muscle cars but they were a lot of fun to mess around with. My all time favorite, though, was my cousin's 1966 Corvette with a 427: 435hp, dual 4 barrells, and could do 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds. He let me drive it to my senior prom and my poor girlfriend was completely terrified the entire time :)

My dad takes the cake, though. He had a 1958 Corvette with a 283 when he was in college- one of best cars of all time. However, he got engaged to my mom and decided to trade it for a 1960 Volvo. Car and Driver later had a ranking of the sexiest and ugliest cars of all time. It named the '58 Corvette as one of the "sexiest" and the 1960 Volvo was rated as one of the ugliest. My brothers and I have never let him forget that!

I miss driving cars that required a tune up every 12,000 miles, but you could tweak 'em with nothing more than a good socket set and a few screwdrivers... When this recession ends I plan on buying a 1936 Ford Pickup with a flathead V-8 so I can get some grease under my fingernails again.

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Salute

I had quite a variety of hotrods in my youth, although my first car was a.....

Volkwagen Beatle!

I got so good on working on Beatles, I could drop the engine and trans on one in 1/2 an hour. That was a good thing, since I went through rings and 2nd gears faster than you could imagine.

I graduated to a '58 Studebaker Silver Hawk with a 327 Chevy dropped in it.

Looked just like this:



Then onto a '55 Chevy, also with a 327.

The end of my hotrod days came with a 1960 Morris Minor, with a Ford 289 V8.

Car looks like this:

http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/82846,9572/1960-Morris-Minor-1000_photo.aspx

The engine actually protruded slightly into the drivers compartment, the seats had to be moved back.

Considering how much power the car had, and its weight, and the fact it was jacked up with extra leaf springs, it did not handle well at all.

Its end came one day just after it rained, when I shifted just a little too hard into second, and broke the rear end completely loose, ended up going sideways off the road, then backwards through a carport.

Fortunately the engine did not break loose, I had installed a roll bar, and although the carport roof collapsed on me, I managed to survive without much more than scratches and bruises.

Needless to say, this was a wakeup call, and my driving was more responsible after that.

Also, I then discovered motorcycles, and cars became kinda tame... ;)