turboeric

Absolutely wonderful, and vintage Clarkson.

I've certainly noticed differences, even among the same listed octane. My wife's Subaru runs perfectly happily on 87 octane here in B.C. (yes, we use the same rating system), but on Washington state 87 octane, it pings like mad. I also noticed in some places in Montana and Idaho, they were selling 85 octane as regular!

+1 It is gorgeous though.

Most of the track days I do are with the BMWCCA, where there's lots of BMW and Porsche drivers. Every last one of them is a friendly car guy with interests in far more than just the Germans - they just love cars and driving. Never met a Manhattan banker, but the status seekers don't understand much of anything and aren't car guys and therefore aren't worthy of my attention. Who cares about them? Real car guys understand Sevens.

I had a brand new TR8 with about 8000 miles on it, when it was hit by a drunk while parked in front of my house. I tried to claim for lost value, as it now had an accident declaration on it. Their response can be paraphrased as inviting me to have sex with myself.

My 92 Miata is an FM turbo'd 1.6 making 219 hp at the rear wheels. Tons and tons of fun. With some Nitto NT01s on 15x8 6UL wheels and Tein Flex suspension, it embarrasses much more expensive machinery on the track. So far, 60,000 miles of boosted fun with no unexpected "upgrade opportunities". I too highly recommend FM - unlimited support, quality hardware. On the surface, their kits seem expensive, but they come with everything you need. Well worth it, in my opinion. Besides, passing a Z06 on the track with a "girlie car" is worth every dime.:devil:

Wow, Homeland Security will be interested in you and your planned detonations! :rofl:

There are huge chunks of the area I drive in where there is no cell coverage. For me, it's a useless waste of money. A GPS works virtually everywhere. I have an older Garmin, which we used when touring northern France. Hearing it try to pronounce Rue General Eisenhower as a French word reduced us to giggles.

Let the Lucas jokes begin! Seriously, there's volts getting to your battery and lights, but not amps. (gross oversimplification). Sounds like you may have a dodgy ground in there somewhere, or your alternator belt is slipping.

Fail? But he got great height and distance! Now, with a Hayabusa.....:devil:

That's actually pretty good for 16" wheels, but heavy for a 7. I second the recommendation of Goodwin Racing - they're good people to deal with. They are a dealer for 949 Racing 6UL wheels, which are highly regarded in the Miata community. Reasonably light, strong and cheap - made for a Miata racer who didn't like the range of choices for 15" wheels. You can get them 7, 7.5, 8, 9 or 10" wide. I have a set of the 8" wide ones for my track tires on the Miata, and they've been perfect. I too saw the GRM article, which confirmed what others have discovered at autocross - if you have a choice between weight and width, go for width. That said, wheel/tire weight will have an effect on ride and feel, and a 3 pound difference is a significant percentage of the weight of a 7.

That's gorgeous. Wood is the original composite - a carbohydrate fibre embedded in a polymer matrix. You wouldn't want to drive it in a rainstorm 'though.

Makes you wonder about the cops when they start blasting away in a populated area without knowing what they're shooting at.

If it were a Miata motor, I'd say you need to do plugs and wires.

When was the last time you changed the plugs?

If idle is a problem, it's probably not the fuel filter. If any fuel can get through the filter, it's enough for idle. Also check for vacuum leaks. But the backfire suggests ignition problems, or huge over-fueling.

I dunno - my 92 Miata has passed all generations of M3 and a C6 Z06 on the track..... It may not be 100% stock 'though. :devil:

Un-freaking-believable. The sight of houses surfing over an embankment is surreal. I think most people have (or had) a mental image of a tsunami as a giant wave, a la surfing in Hawaii, but this surge of water is just so relentless. Even being there, it would have been hard to comprehend.

I remember reading about the Polimotor effort years ago in either R&T or C&D. I'd assumed the idea had died, but apparently not.

Or a tolerance for ignorant intolerance. I've needed glasses for both distance and reading since I was 10. I may not have been an Olympic athlete at that age, but neither was I a doddering old fool. With corrective lenses, both my distance and close vision is better than 20/20. However, both sunglasses and safety glasses are a problem, as neither seem to commonly be available in quality products for glasses wearers. Yes, I know I can get prescription sunglasses, but my lenses cost over $600, and it doesn't solve the safety glasses issue.

I wonder if the F1 cars will run clamshells or cycle fenders?

Don't worry - you'll be complaining about the humidity soon! :devil:

Very cool, but I'm glad I don't have to keep my shop that tidy!

I haven't done it in a 7, but have done the swap in about a dozen other cars. They always were a direct replacement. I've never seen a spring for retaining a sealed beam - always a steel ring around the outside, retained with 3 screws.

First, based on my experience with heavier cars (Miata, RX7), those tires will survive your first track day just fine. They won't give you face-stretching grip, but you probably won't be exploring the outer limits of your car's capabilities on your first time out anyway. I've had excellent experience with the Nitto NT-01, which has the added attraction of being cheap and durable (as these things go).