Cars, Computers, Society in General
All things automotive
Round four of the 2020 Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car was at Atlanta Motorsports Park this past weekend. The Probe was in attendance, making it’s USCA debut. Let’s talk about Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP). This is a country club, but instead of a golf course, they have a race track. It’s carved out …
So lots to unpack here. DriveAutoX Round 2 at Traders’ World, just north of Cincinatti. I did not win. Not even close. Yet, still close. The SCN class was much more competitive than it was at UMI Motorsports Park. Eric Brown showed up with is SCCA STR prepped ND Miata, and just laid waste. It …
This past weekend I ventured to UMI Motorsports Park in beautiful Clearfield, Pennsylvania, for the first round of the 2020 DriveAutoX season. DriveAutoX is autocross from the same people that bring us the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car. The series features simple rules, a small class count (just five!), and LOTS of runs. …
As the country tries to open up after our nearly three month containment trying to stop COVID-19, automotive events are starting to actually happen again. Most states near me have recognized events like Autocross as pretty safe, so they’re starting to not be cancelled. Case in point was this past weekend’s South Bend Region event …
As I write this, tomorrow will be the first day of May. You’re probably reading this on the first day of May. We’re still stuck in COVID-19 limited contact rules, but things are looking up. At the top of things, my state of residence, Kentucky, acted aggressively back in March, and it seems to be …
Summary: The stuck tie rod ends from my previous post got unstuck. The good people (person) at DreamStreet Garage aligned the car (as best they could), and I took it to NCM, one of the most technical tracks in the country for a track day. And I didn’t die. First session went about like this: …
A seven day thrash complicated by illness and my day job has ended. The original suspension has been replaced by Tokico Illumina shocks with ground control coilovers, 500lb springs, and a new clutch. The suspension was mandatory for what I’m going to be doing. The clutch was optional. I didn’t know the condition of the …
We’re at what I’m calling “Stage 0.” I have a car that can be driven safely on public roads. Even highways at speed. As long as the temperature is above 40 degrees. Work since the last update has been more extensive than I’d planned. I’d hoped to be cleaning it and moving it outside so …
She’s been together, then apart, then together, now apart again. It’s sitting on all four wheels most of the time now. The priority this past week was fixing the rusty tailgate so the car would be watertight again, and I could reattach the factory spoiler. The repair started with a trip to Cody’s. He has …
After much consternation, I have a moral victory: The Probe now runs properly. Since getting it running, I’ve had a problem with it breaking up at around 3000 RPM. It just wouldn’t spin any higher. I checked and replaced all the usual suspects. I replaced the spark plugs. I rebuilt the distributor and spliced in …