Daisy didn’t get driven much, and is back at my parents house under the car cover. I hope she isn’t damp with all this rain we’ve been having. I couldn’t keep her up here with me, because that was just too many cars.

Kayden finally got some front struts. I was going to go to a rallyx yesterday, but with the AF stuff coming up, and knowing how I start to worry about time, I decided it was better if I just stayed around here for the day. Probably better anyway so that I didn’t have to worry about the suspension seating on the way there – or something getting broken. She will also be staying down at my parents house while I’m gone, and I have been told that she will be driven on occasion by my mom, talking about getting groceries, and dad, who said the first time he drove her that she would be fun in the mountains, while he was going through some gears

There’s been a lot of car stuff going on lately. Import showdown was yesterday, the mitty was this weekend, and Caffiene and Octane was this Sunday, which I went to and had a great time. Got to see a bunch of nice cars. This one especially got my eye… it’s about a million dollar car. Pristine.

I also lost my camera. Well didn’t loose it really, it was in my mom’s car. So there aren’t as many pics as I wouldn’t Like… maybe she will post some if she can figure it out.

 Her expression was very much like what the hell? This never happens. So she talked to the other lady. The other lady called that Vincent guy, but no answer. I was sad I was curious to see if he had my tag or another one. They resolved to just give me a brand new tag and a brand new registration.

Hooray. I can drive my car now!

Meet Daisy

Friday, with the hlep of Paul of Corson Racing, I trailord Daisy to Lawrenceville, GA to Tim’s house for help with the tuning of the carbs. The SUs were giving me fits of trouble, and being a n00b and not knowing exactly what I was doing, the advice was much welcomed.

Wheels are On!

Picked her up at about 7 ish. It wasn’t so bad getting her on the trailor. We just backed it up and rolled her on. The motor was running rough, but well enough to move. We made a quick stop at the gas station and I put some gas in her, 93 of course, and filled his truck up. Then realizing we were both hungry we stopped at Chick fila for a quick bite.

Loaded!

We finally famde it up to Tim’s house about 9-930pm. Not too bad, but much later than I wanted. We unloaded her, and I got home about 1000pm. I was going back after work Sat. to work on her.

On the way

So I wake up, tired, exhausted, and knowing that the day has only just begun. Then thinking about my luck with cars, and realizing it’s going to be a LONG day. I went to work, and finished early. YAY a bonus to my day. I rushed home, and met Mike there. Then we drove about 15 min to Tim’s house to get to work. We pushed her into the garage, because for some reason the battery decided that today was the time to die (so dramatic that battery was, couldn’t just be un-charged, nope, it died).

Tim adjusted the float bowl levels and showed me which part to adjust. Then he began to adjust the air flow. Now, I adjusted the air with this 1″ piece of tubing like I was told to do. What does Tim do? With his hands. Just puts them in front of the carbs and adjusts them just fine. Within 30 min Daisy was driveable. HOOORAYY! It seemed so easy! Why couldn’t I do that?! I need practice.

So I took it down the street a bit and told him what I thought. The brakes need more work, but the still need to seat. It also felt like it fell on it’s face a bit. So we swapped. I was in the pass seat and he drove around the block. I was so excited. She lives. But he said that it pulled well. And everything was good until we came to a stop and it was idling way too high. So we moved again, and it idled even higher. I got a bit nervous but he seemed okay with it all. We got back, popped the hood, and began to check it out. The throttle linkage wasn’t tightened down. So it caused it not to return to the low idle but rather sit at a higher one.

Going out of the Neighborhood

We fixed that, then did a quick once over, then I got the okay to go have fun. We jumped her off again, and I grabbed my purse and sunglasses (gotta be stylin), and I rode off… into a hot day.. and on the way toPepBoys for the battery issue. So I’m driving, smiling, ear to ear, and get up to a red light. I glance back for opportune picture time and the car stalls. Not my fault – just did. So I try and crank it. No juice… NONE. Great. There is traffic galore and I can’t even roll start it cause I’m going up a hill. So after a single attempt to roll start it in reverse, and failing miserably, I roll over to the turn lane, to a small gore spot, but essentially out of the way. Mike rolls around to park in the parking lot beside me. I jump out, grab my tools (because I knew I would need them) and pull the battery out. We put it in his car and I run off to Pepboys, which is only down the street, and he stays w. Daisy in case something happens.

Car Stalls about Here

So right as I’m coming around Daisy to leave he motions that there is a cop about to check on what’s happening. That’s fine. She all legal and stuff.

I get to Pepboys, and he calls. He wants to know where the registration is. I tell him. End of convo.

He calls again. He says that the tag that is on the car is registered to some Vincent guy with a Tahoe. WTF? I’m confused, and freaking out, because I just took care of all this Thursday. Also note that : I cannot get a ticket – OF ANY KIND, because they aren’t allowing waivers for the Air Force and I’m maxed out on tickets for the past 5 years. About here is where I feel like I might throw up.

I get back just as the cop is leaving and I get the CliffNotes on what just happened. It was a very obvious mistake about what happened. Thye literally handed me the wrong tag. The last 2 numbers were different at the end of the tag. IE 81 vs 79. Simple enough. The cop said the only thing that he could have given me a ticket for was for an improper tag, but he wasn’t going to do that. Also, he said take the tag off, and if I got pulled over again show the cop that the registration was up to date. It would be essentially like the tag was applied for. BUT with my need of not having any tickets I found a better idea was to go home and park it.

Then we drove it around the neighborhood a bit.

At the House

So tomorrow I will be on the way down to Monticello to figure all this out, and if there is any… ANY sort of hassle I will be raising so nastyness. I just want to drive her. For more than a few miles.

So let the fun begin.

It was Georgia’s own Tokyo Drift parking lot scene this past Sunday. Once or twice a year there is a meet called Import Alliance that is held at the World Congress Center parking deck in downtown Atlanta. Car enthusiasts from all over the southeast come, with their cars and their friends, to this meet and greet. This year had an astounding 800+ cars that paid the $5 parking to get in.

The meet stretched over five floors and included car groups, photographers, and vendors.  When I arrived it took over 15 minutes to find a way through the crowds to find a place to park. I was talking to Chad of Chadbee Photography and he said that, “it’s hard to get a picture because of how many people are here walking around.” With the limits of space between cars, this is very understandable.

While there were 800+ cars there were so many more people, sometimes 4+ to a car, or car and trailer.

Walking around one could find lots of ideas of a new project to start, a different way of running some wires, or a wild and crazy paint scheme.

I actually saw Wendy, one of my old cars.

There were clean ones, dirty ones, fast ones, and slow ones, but for $5 it was a good 3-4 hours spent on a Sunday after noon.

front shocks

a thermostat

and something to make her AC work… grrr

I can never have a car that is just fine… I want Madison back.

Rubbing one off in that bathroom at work… which I would do if one happened to come into the Ingle parking lot.

Ferrari 458 Italia – Technical specifications

Dimensions

Length 4527 mm (178.2 in.)

Width 1937 mm (76.3 in.)

Height 1213 mm (47.8 in.)

Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.)

Dry weight 1380 kg (3042 lbs)*

Weight/power ratio 2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW)

Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58%

Engine

Type V8 – 90°

Displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)

Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm

Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm

Specific power output 127 CV/l

Compression ratio 12.5:1

Tyres

Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5″

Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5″

Performance

Maximum speed >325 km/h (>202 mph)

0-100 km/h

Fuel consumption + emissions

Fuel consumption*** 13.7 l/100 km

Emissions*** 320 g CO2/km

Gearbox

Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1

Electronics

E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS

* With forged wheels and Racing seats

** Including 5 CV of ram effect

*** Combined cycle (ECE+EUDC)

Ram Looking for his Ipod? I think?

I20 Eastbound from I285

 We manage to get out of the city and on the way. We stop in Augusta for some Mexican and a pitcher of Dos Equis. Then back on the road to Cheraw. When we get there it’s about 11:45 pm. We check in the hotel then go say hi to Carlos, the driver of the Audi, and Jerry, a former pepboys coworker.

Hotel Room

Looking for the Proper Outlets

The next morning we are up at 0630 to get breakfast before all the drivers (cars and moto) meet downtown for the drivers meeting and start of the race.

In Sasha at Sonic getting Breakfast

About 8am, we head downtown and stand around waiting for everyone to leave.

Waiting

THE Audi

BMW Love

DSM

Got Grip?

Bikes

The cars are last to leave. This is so the bikes don’t have to deal with all the ruts the cars will make.

About to head to the First Stage

Red Bull Shots FTW

I drive... Boys to the backseat

...the typical... ur gonna get raped picture...

We go to the first stage to watch the cars.

Nice JDM Subaru

GOOO AUDI!

First Bike Through

We get to see the last of the bikes… now on to the cars!

Cold

-waiting-

The First Car Through!

YAY!

Blowin Some Smoke

The Audi Rollin Through Stage 1

After this the cars and bikes go to the second stage. There’s not enough time for us to see all the stages, because some are miles apart. So we go to service. The cars will get there in a little bit.

Subaru in Service

Getting Service

Om Nom Nom

A$$ Shot... I mean... GO DSM...

The Audi had some brake issues (a broken hose) they figured out a way to work with it, and Kayden came in handy. We went to go get brake fluid!

So the Audi might have had some Issues

Carlos Ready to Go

After the Audi left we went to the next stage. It was an L shaped Turn. Good. Some Dirt Time!

DSM Through the Stage

Playin in the Dirt Again

Just Aimin at the Crowd... No Worries

GOOO!!!!

Get to It!

Respect my A-Tharw-a-tay!

Go Carlos!

Crouching Tiger Hidden Subie

Radom Mini : Note the License Plate

The cars had a quick run back to Service for fuel, which is good, because it took us awhile to get to this spot on the course. We walked over a mile down this random dirt road to get to this hairpin. Completely worth it. Great shots and only this guy and his son there as volunteers.

Bike Time

Another

Time for Some Dirt Slinging

Throw Some Dirt!

Best Shot of the Day

Lancer

For having no spark it was running swell

Ridin!

Ridin Dirty!

Ridin Very Dirty? lol

There was another stage we went to, but it was at night and I couldn’t take any pictures. We got lost a bit and traveled up and down a bunch of these dirt roads – which were wonderfully nasty since it rained… a lot. So I got my own rally time in. Got some pictures on my “rally” mess Sunday Morning.

Kayden

Not TOO Bad Right?

About to leave to go home – Jerry was talking about John’s TDI.

Jerry Showing off the V Dub Skills

In the car ready to go… not too late.

Ram Ready to Go? Check!

Me Ready to Go? Check!

Front Seat Ready to Go? Check Mate!

Bye Sasha!