[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Gokart3

What an awesome thread. Some great points in here from many of you. I haven't been on this forum for too long, but have some HPDE experience and raced karts as well. I ended up getting out of karts because of problems with my neck. (Not associated to a kart crash). It gives you an incredibly "pure" lesson in car control. Many things you do to tune a kart are different that in a car because the suspension in a kart is tire pressure, chassis flex, etc... You don't have springs, shocks, sway bars. BUT, the car control that you learn crosses over very well IMHO.

I also believe that MGizzle is spot on with teh Grand Turismo ref. I used to love playing Sega Rally on the Sega Saturn system. It was a great racing game for it's time with excellent relative action for inputs. Seemed just like what the car would do if you were driving it. Now I have a PS2, Gameracer chassis with an aluminum USRP race seat on it, Logitech Pro wheel/pedals, all hooked up to a dedicated (retired) old school 60 inch bigscreen. I spend A LOT of time playing on that thing, and I swear it makes me quicker in the car. Another came you may try MGizzle, if you haven't already, is TOCA Race Driver 3. EXCELLENT game. It replaced GT4 for me. The other thing that I really like about playing on the sim.... no in my rear view mirror.

But whether you're just getting started in modding cars and driving/racing, or you're experienced, there are most definitely some great points in Myles OG post and the others. I've been guilty of overdoing the mods myself, and it absolutely doesn't help, unless you're headed to a car show. I've seen guys on 800-1000 lb springs that just don't have the seat time to use them. One that wrote off a brand new race car that he *thought* he could drive. The wall on the left side of the backstrait at Portland International Raceway begged to differ... One high end racecar written off in it's first weekend.

And Myles, I was thinking of starting a thread just to say thanks for all the time you spent with me on the phone yesterday, but since you're here... I'll just say thanks now. I forgot about the time diff and called Myles just as he was walking out the door yesterday. He comes back in the shop, takes my number, then calls me from his cell and talks to me for 40 minutes on his drive home!!! Then tells me I can call him anytime, even on the cell if I have any further questions. Hell, we just sat and talked cars for a lot of the call.

I'm older that most here, and have probably had more cars than some of you have had pairs of shoes. I've dealt with hundreds of suppliers over the years, managed a Goodyear store for a few etc... I've got some experience. And I've been on some forums where guys like Myles (and Clint too) are taken for granted or even dragged thru the mud. You guys, and myself, are VERY lucky to have these guys here as vendors and advisors. I know that's sappy, but I just wanted to spit it out. As a matter of fact, I've got to give you a call now, before you're running out the door... and order some stuff!

Thanks!
Brad

Brad thanks alot man. Were all car guys, so why should I "close" at 5pm when al I will be doing is talking to my buddies about cars and racing !! So why not talk to clients...which is what happens by default anyway right? I know one thing, I wish I had as many cars as you did....that was amazing info !! I always wanted an S2000 just for the 89,000 rpm redline !!

Myles

[twiSTies]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

Brad thanks alot man. Were all car guys, so why should I "close" at 5pm when al I will be doing is talking to my buddies about hot women, cars and racing !! So why not talk to clients...which is what happens by default anyway right? I know one thing, I wish I had as many cars as you did....that was amazing info !! I always wanted an S2000 just for the 89,000 rpm redline !!

Myles

fixed that for you.

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by twiSTies

fixed that for you.

lol.....nice....except I am happily married as all married non complaining men are.....

Myles

[Mi_Black_Pearl]

this is an awesome thread. . very relatively important. and its funny cause we haven't really thought about this extensively to bring it up as a thread. but i guess the economy crisis situation now has a lil to do with finally influencing the issue to arise. I try to be very careful when it comes to spending as most of us do. On the other hand, value should equal to quality and it's unfortunate that those two aren't really proportionally matching as well anymore. its all over the place as one could be too much than the other or vice versa and along with everyone trying to take the easier route for the most part. so when i mean by careful, i mean in terms of measuring the value equal to the quality which in turn regards all the other elements such as usage, satisfaction, etc. and it's indeed hard to stop when you can't determine this but threads like this should can put some minds who need it into perspective.

only money i've wasted so far were for all my window decals (iwsti sitcker and a custom front windshield one) which weren't sticking on correctly while i've tried a few times already with news ones after new ones as i found out later the rainx i was applying after my washes were the cause. although, i try not to think of it as a waste and rather just as a learning experiment because sometimes those mistakes which have that certain cost are needed once in a while just to know better for the future. then of course there is also the thought of the stock parts just sitting on the shelves collecting dust and doing nothing for me. o well, life is too short to worry so much. so just go and stimulate the economy in a reasonable and moderate way according to your own standards!

[Gokart3]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

consider this. When you make a mistake at a indor karting track you just get passed and or bump a tire. When you make a mistake on a back road or on the track.......you get the following:

a. you get to make that call to your wife( who will NEVER Let you forget that moment).

a1. or to your GF, or MOM..or DAD ......

b. you get to talk to the tow truck driver about what happened......and listen to all his stories about people who balled it up at the track..OR on that "section" of road.

c. you get to explain to your insurance company how you fell asleep at the wheel,..or how there was a deer in the road......

d. you get to learn the hard way.

NOT saying that to YOU...but kinda putting it out there for the novices who probably spend TONS of money on power and spoilers. And if someone were to spend 100.00 per month on karting(nothing compared to gas prices) after a year they would be sooo much better a driver( to some degree) than the average next guy. 100 dollars is a small round of drinks in Vegas !! a Tank full of race fuel !! 100 double cheeseburgers !!

Anyway..you see my point.

KARTING ROCKS !!

Myles

And.......

I had approx 7,000 bucks in my last setup with kart, spares, trailer, etc..... At 20 bucks a throw, that's 350 sessions on track in a rental. Of course, they don't go 80 at the end of the front strait (Which feels like a buck fiddy in a car). But, even if you were to take the money that would pay for one set of tires for the car, let's say 1,000 bucks. That's 50 sessions in a rental kart. GUARANTEED to make you quicker in the car. Absophuckinlootly guaranteed.

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Gokart3

And.......

I had approx 7,000 bucks in my last setup with kart, spares, trailer, etc..... At 20 bucks a throw, that's 350 sessions on track in a rental. Of course, they don't go 80 at the end of the front strait (Which feels like a buck fiddy in a car). But, even if you were to take the money that would pay for one set of tires for the car, let's say 1,000 bucks. That's 50 sessions in a rental kart. GUARANTEED to make you quicker in the car. Absophuckinlootly guaranteed.

18hp Emmick karts at JIm Hall in Cali were 82mph at the end of the straight and I am a big dude !! At 610.00 for a 2 day school thats still a bargain.

Myles

[Gokart3]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

Brad thanks alot man. Were all car guys, so why should I "close" at 5pm when al I will be doing is talking to my buddies about cars and racing !! So why not talk to clients...which is what happens by default anyway right? I know one thing, I wish I had as many cars as you did....that was amazing info !! I always wanted an S2000 just for the 89,000 rpm redline !!

Myles

Hey Myles,

You're welcome... you earned that post.

I still have the S2000 sitting in the garage. I've got to get around to writing up an ad for that thing, the sun's starting to peek out every once in a while. It was an awesome car. The handling was phenominal on backroads and the track. BUT.... it needed this>>>

to be really fun to drive. And even with loads of mods, my STi would KILL it in almost all situations. Especially coming out of an uphill turn with NO torque. Unless you're going downhill, the STi will murder it. The S2000 was more like a scalpel for surgery, where the STi is like chainsaw.

[wrxcelration]

Originally Posted by RaceComp Engineering

consider this. When you make a mistake at a indor karting track you just get passed and or bump a tire. When you make a mistake on a back road or on the track.......you get the following:

a. you get to make that call to your wife( who will NEVER Let you forget that moment).

a1. or to your GF, or MOM..or DAD ......

b. you get to talk to the tow truck driver about what happened......and listen to all his stories about people who balled it up at the track..OR on that "section" of road.

c. you get to explain to your insurance company how you fell asleep at the wheel,..or how there was a deer in the road......

d. you get to learn the hard way.

NOT saying that to YOU...but kinda putting it out there for the novices who probably spend TONS of money on power and spoilers. And if someone were to spend 100.00 per month on karting(nothing compared to gas prices) after a year they would be sooo much better a driver( to some degree) than the average next guy. 100 dollars is a small round of drinks in Vegas !! a Tank full of race fuel !! 100 double cheeseburgers !!

Anyway..you see my point.

KARTING ROCKS !!

Myles

I have "C" covered w a deer and my dad was in the car(04 wrx) hahaha. I was driving down the highway when a deer ran out. I went on the shoulder to avoid and left rear unexpectingly blew spinning us on the road and into the enbankment. 18g of damage on a 20g car and they fixed it, hense why I have my sti now. Karting seems like a ton of fun, just dont have many friends that are into it. Ill def be looking into it more as well as some auto-x classes as Ill be getting into auto-x this year.

[Jelphree]

I am very thankful of this particular thread. I've asked/PMed TiC and RCE multiple times about drive train/suspension parts/set-up. They may have not given the advice I wanted to hear, but I got the advice needed to hear.

I went on a shopping spree within the last two months. I think I have all TiC/Kartboy bushings/parts, and purchased a CF drive shaft and an X-Brace. I was looking to get a suspension set-up and was about to pull the trigger on RCE T2's, TiC CO's, or Ohlin+springs, heck even a Q-Rack, but I kept doing research.

I re-evaluated my needs and I've decided to keep my suspension and learn the car. I'll end up taking my car to the high performance driving clinic at Button Willow and at local auto-x's. My goals to to be fast with the stock suspension set-up and slowly add what I need as my driving improves.

The past 6 months I've been reading the drivetrain and suspension thread more often than any other technical thread.

We as Subaru/STi owners are very lucky to have vendors such as TiC and RCE that actually go above and beyond for their customers. Now I have to hit up the local karting tracks

[Turninconcepts.com]

Shameless plug for a friend, and with all the talk of karting to learn... kartboy has two 125 karts available...

[RaceComp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

Shameless plug for a friend, and with all the talk of karting to learn... kartboy has two 125 karts available...

Hmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.............buy shifter kart or go to 24hrs or LeMans?
damnnnnnnnnn......

shifter kart = 2500 calories per 2 hrs.
24hrs LeMans=Belgium beer, French butter filled food and gain 20lbs.

I will call Tom Monday.

Thanks Tony !!

Myles