dodint's Automotive Evolution

[dodint]

I still don't like Minis, but nice and congrats, man!

Thanks dude, it's fun for what it is.

Transformation complete, there really shouldn't be more cosmetic changes moving forward at this point. Just odd and end performance tweaks and creature comforts. Someday when it's not snowing and dark by 4pm I'll polish it up and take some really good pictures, but for now this is it:





I work in the building in the background that has the really narrow vertical windows. Kind of like a prison.

[dodint]

Oh, I've been whining about the windshield banner being too big. It seems to look fine in pictures but from inside the car it feels huge. Probably because I'm tall and the car is small, but the bottom of it is basically right in my line of sight.

[CudaMan]

Doing some reading right now and the local auto-x scene is 70 miles away.

That's pretty good!

[dodint]

Russ said the same thing. I guess I took it for granted that in NC they had auto-x on the flightline about 200 yards from where I worked (and I never went).

I just think it's disingenuous to call it the "Steel Cities SCCA" and it's not even in Allegheny county. It doesn't even border Allegheny county.

Most of that 70 miles is all turnpike so I should be able to get there in under an hour. And when I move to the North Hills it'll cut that distance in half.

[dodint]

Ah, my bad.

I used Google to find my local chapter. When I checked the SCCA region finder it found that my home region is actually Allegheny Highlands which is only 22mi away. They setup their courses at the WyoTech in Blairsville.

I'll probably run there till I move and then switch to Steel Cities. I imagine the field at AHR is very small, should be nice place to get my bearings.

[CudaMan]

These days I travel 2.5 - 4 hours one way to events. Half the time we do Saturday+Sunday events because of that, and grab a hotel nearby. Good excuse to have dinner etc with friends Saturday evening too.

There is a site 15 minutes from me but I rarely go, it's so small. I should more often, but between the racing and the faraway weekend events (and having a weekend to do non racing stuff) it doesn't usually happen much.

[dodint]

I'm a fat guy in a stock MINI. I feel like your level of intensity and dedication may be a little higher.

I had no trouble going to VIR, five hours away, to attend BMWCCA events. A matter of perspective I guess.

[CudaMan]

Yeah, although I treat it more like vacation time now that I have SRS BZNSS outlet for my driving. Autox is roots and friends and stuff. I started traveling 3 hours to events years before I did any National-level autocross or any road racing. But I'll admit I'm a little crazy about driving.

[novicius]

What's the specs on your Pops' Mustang? Coupe or fastback? C-4 auto or four-on-the-floor Toploader? C-code, A-code or K-code ( ) 289?

(Decode the VIN to find this info out. Will also include the factory paint color.)

[dodint]

Thank you to everyone that helped me research and sort through the purchase of my first performance V8.
Seriously though, the help was exceedingly thorough and much appreciated.

I go fast now and I'm giddy when I do so:



Drove down to DC today and bought this 1998 Mustang SVT Cobra. It's a pretty perfect car for me, fairly amazing find really. My Dad (pictured) actually found it for me yesterday when another I was looking at fell through.

I bought it from the second owner. The guy set it up but wasn't sure what he wanted to do, so he beefed up the drivetrain and the suspension but left the motor completely stock. When it came time to bolt on a supercharger and start search for horsepower, he decided to sell it and focus on other projects. He really likes this car and took care of it, the sale even came with the original SVT dealership brochure and a fitted car cover.

It got 305hp/300ft/lb torque when new. Going to dyno it soon to see what is left of that.

Deets:

black w/black leather interior
6-speed manual transmission
cruise control
power seats

Suspension:
FRPP Springs
Tokico shocks/struts
2004 Cobra front control arms
adjustable rear upper/lower control arms.

Drivetrain:
D&D Motorsport T56 Magnum 6-speed manual transmission (700 lb-ft rating).
McLeod RST Street Twin Clutch (ATM MCL-6911-07C)
short throw shifter
Steeda adjustable clutch cable (STD 172-0201)
aluminum driveshaft
replaced pilot bearing
31-spline FRPP axles
Auburn Pro differential
4.10 FRPP gears
2000 Cobra R wheels
Flowmaster mufflers

Brakes:
2000 Cobra R Brembo front brakes
rear calipers recent replaced (same spec as 2000 Cobra R or 1998 Cobra)

The guy did 80% of the modifications I wanted to do, and used quality parts to do it. The interior looks almost new, as well. Very nice, straight car. Exceedingly happy with my acquisition.
The 6-speed is an upgrade from stock and it feels great, the car even already had the shift knob I wanted. The transmission really smooths out the upgraded rear gearing and has really solid feel, even with the short shift kit.
The only things I want to do before I get on track is weld in some subframe connectors, and install some suspension linkages to fix the bumpsteer that is a bit frightening, honestly.

I've always been a BMW guy when it came to performance driving, so this is a completely new venture for me. Super stoked.