Rochester / S.E. MN

Is anyone planning on participating in this event:

http://www.mnsubaru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14932

If so, are you driving up to Maplewood first and driving with the group, or are you driving from Rochester?

I think it sounds like fun and I will probably join in.

Brad

 

I just got an account on this site last night... From SE MN! I have an 07 WRX.

 

Jack

Welcome!

We have spurts of organization here in Rochester and get together on occasion. Either to just hang out in a parking lot somewhere and talk cars, do installs....typically at my place or get together at a malted-beverage serving establishment and drink malted beverages and talk about cars of course!

We have also met up with folks from the Twin Cities and done some of the drives. See Brad's post below.

Steve Boyd
Rochester

 

Brad

My name is on the list. I hadn't gotten deep enough into it to think about the logistics.

I think if we could get the group from Roch together we could either get up at the crack of dawn and drive to Maplewood or take backroads and meet them somewhere.

I think to get the full experience we should convoy to Maplewood.

Steve

 

Still thinking about it. I don't want to be a hand raiser and then have something else going on that weekend (i.e. weddings, family functions, work). Otherwise, I'm sure I'm up for going.

Jack, welcome! Hopefully we do have more get-togethers. It would help with more than the half dozen or so people we have in Roch/SE MN. The more the merrier!

ANYONE UP FOR AN INSTALL DAY!?
I have coilovers, rotors and new track (HP+) pads. I'm sure I can do all of it myself, but if anyone's curious or wants to help, they're more than welcome to!

 

I've got a guy in town that has done mods for me some time! He just put the STI SS in my car yesterday! Coil overs sound interesting...

 

welcome jack!

btw since i havent heard from anyone I'm assuming no BWW today :emo:

 

Thanks MUCH! I'm looking for anyone with an SPT exhaust. I want to order one like ASAP! but would like to hear it first if I can!

 

Josh

Sorry....I missed the part of your post about BWW. Can't make it. I'm going to swap my wheels to summers as soon as I get off my backside.

Steve

 

Watching basketball and brewing the next batch of beer! - sorry

I'm itching to put on the summers soon too. The winters really don't like the warm weather.

 

I tried to respond earlier and the stupid site crashed on me.

I'm up for an install day next weekend if you are ready that soon. I don't have anything to install but I'm up for helping. Can use my place if you want.

What kind of coilovers did you get?

I wish I hadn't had my head up my butt when the brake group buy was going on. I didn't figure it out until after it was over.

I'm buying Readymix's Accessport as soon as he has his car back together and can unmarry it.....I'm getting anxious. More Powa!

Let me know on the install day.

Steve

 

K-Sport Control's, they're used but should be nice to try -especially with my blown strut! As for the brakes, I'm pretty sure they'll still give you a nice mnsubaru discount - just talk to Russ. AP should give you a nice kick in the pants, can't believe you've gone this long without it.

 

Really don't need anything for brakes now anyway....just wonder where I was when all this was going on...

Just drove down to QT to air up the tires....Holy crap it's like driving an entirely different car with the 'ol summer tires on....fun...fun...fun!

Steve

 

I'm sporting the summer all season factory tires with 33 PSI in them. Do you know what the summer suggested PSI is generally speaking?

 

Should say inside your driver-side door sill on a little silver sticker.

Steve

 

Had a little incident (flat/leaky) with my summer tires, but Discount Tire fixed it for free! I hope to do my coilovers on friday, and flip my fsb right side up. Also, my TMIC arrived this week, all I need now are injectors (and spark plugs and gaskets and gm bcs) and someone to give me a tune.

 

Hey Pat, doing the brakes this weekend or waiting? I still need to do my lines and bring back your wrench.

I'll rinse those bottles again and get them to you this weekend.

 

Unless i get really ambitious the brakes will wait until maybe a week before I do a track event. I won't need the wrench for my brakes, but it might help my with my front endlinks... anyway, whenever you get a chance. I've had steve's spring compressors in my car since october! I'll probably use them to get my old eibach's off so i can sell them.

The next batch of beer (a hefeweizen) has been brewing since sunday and should be ready to bottle in another week and a half.

 

Coil-overs are in. Barely fit with my 235 wide tires (1/4" to 1/2" between the tire and the shock body). Now I need an alignment (Firestone). Seems to handle much better even at the soft dampening setting.

A new problem arose. I have a leaky CV joint on my axle. Needs to be fixed pronto...

 

Congrats on the coilovers, you're going to love them, that is plenty of room (only need a few mm). Do you have sway bars? Bummer on the CV joint.

Been working on my car too. I am going for Porsche-like steering and braking response. Installed TIC fender braces based on all the positive reviews on iwsti.com. I put in a Cusco brake master cylinder brace, again just because so many people had positive reviews. Ordered a carlabs x-brace for the rear. I am too chicken to install my new steering rack on my own and am waiting for Matt to return from vacation to help me with that one. Have to bleed the brake fluid this weekend and change the oil and it will be ready to run!

 

Brad

Sounds awesome!

Everybody....Let's get together on Sunday, April 15th to start the season off right!

I'm open to suggestions for the logistics.

Steve

 

Help Pat move across town into Lynn's house by Silver Lake??? - this is what I'll be doing most of April.

 

I see Bob's going to FTL@MAM. Tell him to have fun Steve!

 

Sounds good to me. DQ?

 

Is anyone planing on going to the rallycross on the 29th in canon falls, I'm just going to watch and find out what I'd need to do to drive in some. If anyone is ya wanna caravan or something?

 

Yes to DQ on Sunday!!!!!

What time?

Steve

 

OK, I'm in. 3 or so would work for me.

I'm moving right now, so this is my last post at my old apt. I don't know if I'll be online at the house - depends if my neighbors have an open wireless router. Somebody call me when you're going.

 

Let's call it 3:00 this Sunday the 15th of April at the Dairy Queen on NORTH BROADWAY!

Steve

 

I'll try to show. Roommates b-day @ the breakroom so I don't guarantee coherence.

 

I'll try to make it to DQ too.

 

Josh

We wouldn't expect coherence anyway!

Hopefully we will see you there!

Steve

 

yeah, I'll be there. Nabil said he's coming too.

 

Brad

Refresh me on which track days you're planning on doing this summer.

I am meeting my dad in Newton for the NASA event next weekend. We're just going to do Saturday.

Looking for some ones to do later.

Steve

 

The ones that are actually on my calendar and are at least 90% certain are:

MAM HPDE with FTL July 7-8
Road America HPDE with NASA August 4-5
MAM HPDE with FTL August 18

Less certain is the October 8 HPDE with NASA at Autobahn

I was hoping to do some sooner, but too much going on. Wish I could do the NASA event this coming weekend but I will be at the waterpark of america with a bunch of 10 year old kids to celebrate my older daughter's birthday. I am still planning on bringing the whole family for the MNSubaru cruise to LaCrosse in June.

Have fun this weekend, put some miles on your dad's car too,

Brad

 

Are there any other dates at Road America? I'm up for going to other places/dates as well.
I saw Bob was at Park Place putting money down on an Evo VIII, so I would guess he'll still be going to events this summer

I'm working on arrangements for that vf39 install, but I'm getting stuck with finding someone to give me a tune...
later,
Pat

 

October 20-21 there is another NASA event at RA, see all NASA events here:

http://www.nasaproracing.com/nasa_event/list_events

Seems hard to get tuners here. If you are using a Cobb AP you might find a map that you can download at NASIOC that is specific for a vf39 in a 2.0L WRX. Would probably at least get you to Chicago for a tune by Jorge...

 

Found some more events with MVP http://www.mvptracktime.com/index.html

 

Brad and Pat

The talk at the NASA event today is that the October event at Road America may be canceled. They were highly suggesting that if you wanted to go to Road America to go in August.

By the way....I went to the NASA event this weekend....just Saturday....just got home. It was held at the new Iowa Speedway (Nascar Track) in Newton, Iowa and it was an absolute blast!!! The course was combination of the oval and an inner road loop. Driving on the oval was really wierd and challenging all at once. I have a newfound appreciation for the skill it takes to drive an oval like this.

Steve

 

I am definately in for the Road America. The October Autobahn sounds cool because it is the entire track which is rare for NASA since the place is a private country club and typically it only rents out 1/2 of the track so that it's members have access to the other half. The NASA event at Gingerman sounds really cool too.....it is an HPDE only event so no racing or comp school so there will be more seat time and the opportunity to try some different stuff.

I'm definately hooked on the track thing. Man was it an absolute blast today. I actually found the edge of the limit of my tires....they sing a nice high pitched little tune. The whole banked, oval track was new to just about everyone there and it was very fun! 0nly two other subies that I saw and one Evo that ran in my group. It was a good course for us.

More later!

Steve

 

Sounds great. That Autobahn event sounds like fun. I am going to see if I can get that day off of work. Too bad we don't have a club like that in this area. Glad to hear you are hooked Steve. I am too, starting to think about getting a suit, new helmet, and getting serious tires...

I am up in the cities right now. Matt is installing my new steering rack while we have the kids at the Waterpark of America. Do you have any pictures of the event from yesterday?

Pat, you going to Autobahn? That MVP group sounds fun. We should see how many we can get to attend these events.

Brad

 

I know there has been talk of a club like that but it is incredibly expensive to be a member. I heard something like $20,000/year!!!

I didn't take my camera...because I am an idiot! My mom took a bunch of pictures though...as soon as I get them I will post some up! If you want to see something really cool, the Iowa Speedway has a LIVE webcam. Go to www.iowaspeedway.com and look for the link on the left hand side.

Steve

 

I might be up for this!!!

Steve

 

Glad you had fun Steve. Did you ride with an instructor? Earn points toward HPDE class 2? or was it an event more like FTL?

I am up for all events unless i have some wedding or other family business to attend to - or if the event is too far away like indianapolis or topeka. So all Autobahn, MAM, and RA are a go for me. What is the next one anyone's planning on attending?

 

On a side note, I am told that we now get the same discount here @ Clements as we do at BP and Minnetonka Subaru.

Nabil (Beeloo) got it set up but hasn't announced it so I am. Next time I'm in there I'll try to talk her into setting up a thread like the other two.

 

Pat

I did have an instructor....that's what I went for. You don't really earn 'points' but get experience. They gave us a passport or log book for the instructor to fill out for each event that will help you move up by letting you know what to work on. Unforunately my instructor....who was awesome....was a.w.o.l. on my last session so they threw some guy in that had never even been on the oval track. It still went fine and he had good things to say but I'll have to catch up with my instructor from the first three sessions and have him fill in my log book. The whole system is pretty much self-regulated....you move up and sign up for what you feel you're ready for. If they don't think you're ready they may ask you to step back.

It was four 20 minute sessions with an instructor with classroom instruction and debriefing inbetween each track session. My instructor would have let me go out on my own during the last session...which is maybe why he didn't show. Not tooting my own horn...but I think I was doing really well because I asked him to give me as much feedback as possible while I was driving....and I listened to him.

At the start my instructor asked me why I came. I told him I wanted to work toward being a better all-round driver and I wanted to work on conquering my apprehension at finding the limits of my car. At the beginning of each session he would ask me what I wanted to work on and we would concentrate on those things. Seriously it was the best $189 that I think I have ever spent on my car. I only wish I had planned to stay the second day.

I say everyone should at least try this once and go into in with the expectation and hope of learning as much as you can from everyone there. Go to learn....not to impress.

For me....I'm currently planning on doing their MAM event at the end of June, the Road America event at the beginning of August and the Autobahn event in October....and maybe the Gingerman event in September if I can convince Tami to come along so I don't have to drive the whole way alone. I also hope to fill in with one or two of the FTL or other events during the year. I see myself quickly converting from Auto-x guy to a track-day guy.

Do it!

Steve