Winter

For those of us in the Rust Belt, winter is here and has been for some time; although this year I cannot say that it ever truly left.  For me, winter has often meant a time to either: A) Sell all my cool parts and go back to square one (and inevitably do things worse the second time) or B) Buy parts and sell them before I ever use them.  This winter though, I’m attempting to accomplish something, to build a base for what will come in the future.

That something is Project S2000.  As mentioned in my last update, its a car that I have a long standing desire for and as seen in the last update, I already have a few sweet guidebooks from J-land to improve the likelihood of the car turning out aesthetically pleasing.

In this update, I’ll show you, my loyal reader(s?) the first of the parts that will eventually find their way onto that most perfect Japanese sports car.

The first? Spoon Sports Aluminum Shift Knob, Anodized Blue.  Why? It looks cool, it was only produced in limited numbers (as far as I know) and I dig it.

The second? OEM S2000 CR Faux-Carbon Fibre Radio Door.  Why? I think it looks a bit nicer than the simple silver on “Base” cars and I’m hoping it’ll actually pop a bit less in the interior than those silver doors.  Oh, and I just really enjoy OEM+ mods such as that.

Here’s a picture with the radio door part #, just in case any one is ever interested.

The next update posted will likely be something similar to this.  We shall see in due time.

Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter to all those reading!

Why No Fit-Related Updates?

My blog  has focused on my Fit(s), modifications to them or friend’s cars I’ve parked them next to, in pretty much every post since its inception.  So why have I done so little to my Fit in the month and a half that I’ve owned it?

The reason for this is simple, I’ve made it a mission to obtain the car that’s been my ‘realistic’ dream car for years now, the Honda S2000.  Every cent that would’ve been spent on modifying the Fit has gone into a savings account, strictly for S2000 related funds.  I’ve also spent a small chunk of change buying smaller, inexpensive S2000 goodies, a couple issues of S2000 Hyper Rev, an Option magazine featuring the Amuse S2300 GT1 and limited edition part from Spoon that has yet to make it out of Japan.

So why tell you this?  Nothing more than to just let my few readers share in my excitement/anticipation.  This blog’s reason for being is its status as a place for me to do some writing, on a topic that I am deeply passionate about. I have a history of planning great things, and being incapable of following through on these plans; it is time for me to change that.

Why the S2000? Along with the NSX and EK9 CTR, it is an example of Honda at its absolute best.  120 hp/litre from an inline four, capable of 9000 RPM available in a reliable, mass produced car designed in the mid-late nineties?  No one else (or Honda for that matter) can accomplish such a feat fifteen/twenty years later!  Combine that with a lightweight, rigid chassis, great weight distribution and an ergonomically perfect interior; you’ve got a perfect driving machine.  By the numbers, the car is already something special, add to that to sound from the F20C at full song, the simple aggression of the bodywork and the sense that nothing like it will ever be built again; yeah, I need one right now.

Why right now? As outlined above, lust for the car is definitely a huge component in the immediacy (well, within a year or so) that I hope to obtain the car.  Outside my passion for the car, the choice is also logical/financial, S2000 prices will likely never drop much below where they are right now, the cars are only getting older, rarer and (soon) more expensive.  If I can get a decent example before it falls into the hands of someone who will never appreciate it like I will…I’ve done my part to preserve the legacy of a motoring icon.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any cool pictures to share with you folks as I have yet to obtain an S2000, instead I leave you with a picture of a collection of collections of paper & glue.

A Three Day Tryst.

Last spring I worked for a car dealership as a secret shopper, in this role I was given the opportunity to take various premium brand vehicles in for service in order to evaluate the employee’s customer service.  One of these premium brands was BMW, and in the process of taking my information prior to the servicing, my email address was recorded.  A couple weeks back, about eight months after my time with the last BMW, I received an email from BMW USA offering an extended test drive of their new i3.  Being the car dork I am, I could not turn this opportunity down; immediately locking down this past Tuesday until today as my time with one of the newest EV’s on the market.

Tuesday Morning Rolls Around, Ms. Rambler and I go to our local(ish) BMW dealership to pick up the i3.  First reactions?

Exterior is weird, interior is amazingly aesthetically pleasing and well thought out.  Materials used are top notch in the non-base model with the dash plastics being a bit disappointing in the lower trim levels, screens are easy to read and intuitive, iDrive is a non-issue.  Seats are comfy, back seats are reasonably spacious (if smaller than those in a Honda Fit), trunk is acceptably large.  All is going well.

First drive, the feeling of silent acceleration is cool; even having driven a Nissan Leaf in the past…it is still really cool.  The steering is heavy, gave the sensation of almost sporting intentions.  The ride is firm but well controlled, all in all it behaved as a BMW should.  The only thing that took time getting used to was the regenerative brakes dramatically slowing you each and every time you let off the accelerator in the name of extended battery life.

However, the initial feelings of amazement and enthusiasm did not last the entirety of my time with the i3.  The ride was a bit too firm, when a 40k “luxury” car rides somewhere between a well-maintained 2012 Fit and a 2008 Fit on blown shocks and Tein S-Techs, you’ve got a problem.  Charging (on a standard wall outlet) took forever, IE: over fourteen hours from just above empty to 80% full this morning; the battery life is also much too short.  From that 80% I was only able to get about 65 miles in range, and I’m a very efficient driver, averaging 52 MPG in my time with the Fiesta and 41 thus far with the GE.  The steering is VERY heavy and with zero feel, it feels like the car is trying to make itself something it is not (that said, I was equally displeased with the steering in the 2005 330xi I drove this past winter/spring).  Ms. Rambler felt so negative about the driving experience that after 10 minutes behind the wheel she lost all enthusiasm for the car, despite how ‘cute’ it was.

That said, the i3 certainly has its strengths.  To begin with, the torque from that electric motor is stunning, the i3 is legitimately quick; the seats are great with the fastest seat heaters I’ve ever experienced, and the rest of the interior was still a truly pleasant place to be (it also made me feel like I were on the bridge of an early prototype of the USS Enterprise).  And for those of you who want to be the center of attention….there are few better cars out there.  EVERYONE looks at it, many of my coworkers had questions/comments about it, random strangers asked about it (either calling it cute, strange or, in one case, “one of the coolest cars she’d ever seen”).  People wanted to know more about it, what it was like, how much it cost, etc., it really captivated people.

Having given back the car a couple of hours ago and taken the GE out to dinner, I can safely say one thing without hesitation…I can foresee no scenario in which I’d want to get rid of my Fit and replace it with an i3.  The Fit is more fun, more practical and it makes you feel involved in the driving experience, something a precious few cars do today.

More Words About Fits!

Fluids are in (the car)!

Brakes feel great, ever so slightly better than they had on the OEM fluid.  I suspect this was more due to air being removed from the brake lines than the improved fluid itself.

Trans feels great as well….except going into fifth gear.  5th was never quite right and was actually a big reason for my changing the trans fluid in the first place, however it seems that somehow changing the fluid has made the problem more intermittent but on those rare occurrences, much harsher.  I’ll be changing the fluid back to the OEM Honda MTF in the near future, hopefully that’ll put things right.

The Spoon filter is still sitting on my bookshelf and will remain in that location until Spring, I’d rather not immediately subject my fancy yellow filter to snow/salt/etc.

On a positive note, I installed new Yokohama AVID Ascends in the OEM 185/55/16 sizing on all four corners, and the car feels much more composed in every day driving scenarios.  It really is quite impressive how big an upgrade these tires are; my only hope is that they are decent in the snow and last a long time.  Performance is not a factor as these are only my cold/lame weather wheels/tires.

But now you’re probably thinking exactly what I’d be thinking at this point (or sooner), “Is this guy ever going to actually modify the car?”  Well, I can’t really answer that other than by saying this:  Eventually; in other words, when snow is not on the immediate horizon.  That said, I did start the process of making the car something a bit different than every other 2009-13 Fit in America, by picking up a set of Japanese market base model Fit tail lights, courtesy of Jesse Streeter (whom I recommend without hesitation).  I shall end the post with a picture of the newest addition to my collection of Fit goods.

Changes.

Four months since my last update and things have massively changed for the better, at least at far as my car life is concerned. When I last left off, I’d just bought a brand new Fiesta EcoBoost.  I thought I would manage to keep myself content by consistently attaining 50+ MPG while riding around in the quiet, comfy, butt heating Ford; however things were not meant to be.

Soon after the initial purchase, I found myself regretting the decision, missing the Fit and just in general bored & displeased with the thing.  Beyond that, I was faced with more rattles than in my Civic, even with its 16/14k spring rates, blown speakers and other annoying little issues.

Recently however, I found myself in the position to trade the Fiesta for a 2012 Fit Sport (with a five speed manual) and some cash.  I didn’t need to think about the offer, I accepted immediately and have not looked back.   Using the cash, I was able to pay off the remainder of my student debt; with some of my income now freed up, I immediately set out to do the maintenance the car deserved to keep it tip top mechanically….and to better suit it to my sensibilities straight off the bat.

There’s a picture of the car as I got it, in my five full days of ownership…I’ve bought a few parts, made some plans for the future with it and installed my trusty Buddy Club Type B shift knob from my last Fit.

In addition to that, I bought these sweet maintenance parts:

Also, my lady friend bought a GD3.  Its pretty sweet too, that car will remain stock for ever (maybe).

Thanks for reading, I’ll try to update more often from here on out.

GeeDeeThree is No Longer.

I’ve sold my Fit.

After considering just how much the modifications in that last post would cost, in addition to the beginnings of rust on the car, the horrible condition of the interior (all fabric surfaces were somehow on their last legs), and other factors….I decided the car was just not right for me at this time in my life.

After selling the car privately, and using my brother’s car for a month, I came to the conclusion that I needed a boring car that I would be able to drive every day and not be tempted to mod.  Thus, I wound up with a 2014 Fiesta SFE EcoBoost.  In other words, a Fiesta hatchback with a 1 litre three cylinder turbocharged engine as part of a super fuel efficient package.

This car is an amazing daily, the interior is very nice, it does not share the feeling of cheapness & cut corners with the Fit; the seats are incredibly comfy, though I’ve only taken the car on a longest trip of 3 hours each way so far.  The three cylinder has a nice little grumble (for a stock car) and it is ridiculous to hear the little turbo spool up and blow off pressure.  In addition to that, I’ve averaged around 50 MPG since taking delivery of the car last month; not something that can be complained about.

I WILL update this blog again…just not until I start doing more cool car related things again.

 

Oh, and most importantly, here’s a pic of the P R O C E E D cars from OK Chicago. (Click picture for full-size if so desired)

 

Long Time, No Update

Not much has changed since my last post, at least with the car, the plans, those have changed rather dramatically.

To begin with, 1/2 of that list of wants is being overhauled entirely, the other half will get done at some point, your best is as good as mine as to when.

First things first, I’m cutting corners, instead of spending $1100+ on the J’s Shock/Spring combo, why not buy Swift Springs & KYB GR2?  Similar valving on the dampers, fairly similar drops and spring rates, but over $400 less expensive?  That just sounds like a good idea to me.  So why am I raising the car (for those that don’t know, the drop on Swifts is not nearly as dramatic as Tein S-Techs & blown OEM dampers)?

The answer to that is simple, coilover options for the GD3 are limited.  When spending under $1500, there are no quality options to be had; when spending over $1500, the options do not satisfy my wants enough to justify that added cost.  Sure I could give HKS and be mega low, however, I don’t trust their durability, nor their comfort.  Conversely, KW’s are great, however the inability to go as low as my springs have without compromising travel entirely does not sound appealing.  AMR Engineering, the last of the coilovers in that price range, has a history of lacking customer service and from the very few people who have used the Fit application, the fitment has not been perfect.

So to sum up my options, here they are:

A) Buy new dampers, keep Tein springs.  Deal with bouncy ride height and a shortened damper life span.

B) Buy new dampers, buy Swift Springs.  Deal with dorky ride height, enjoy improved handling & livability.

C) Buy cheap coilovers (Tein Basic, Buddy Club, D2, etc.).  Deal with poor ride quality, short life span, start this process again in a few short years.

D) Buy mildly pricey coilovers (AMR, KW, HKS).  All quality products, still not perfect for me.  Oh and this costs double what option B costs.

To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what my final decision will be on this front, either option A or B, coilovers just do not seem like a good option for a daily driven car in WI at this time in my life.  Continuing on with the post, what else has changed from my last update? Wheel & tire selection!

I’ve realized I don’t want to pay ~$1000 for brand new SSR’s that I’m not head over heels in love with, I also don’t need the extreme summer grip provided by the Dunlop ZII, no matter how incredible a tire it may be.  If I keep my Teins, I’ll be using a 205/50/15 Dunlop DZ102; if the Swifts are my spring of my choice, I’ll be using the 195/55/15 breed of the DZ102.

Why the DZ102? The DZ101 got good reviews for a daily driven, semi-capable summer tire; the DZ102 is its replacement, has a higher wear rating AND a really good looking tread design.  This is the stuff that matters folks, functionality combined with aesthetics, the >$100 savings while still picking up a quality product are nice as well.

As for wheels, what will I be doing?  Again, I have no idea.  Nothing mind blowingly awesome.  Ideally? Ram’s Racing PR6 or Regamaster EVOs; classic time attack wheels built to the highest standards.  Those options come with a hefty price tag, options that still fit my style as well as my price range?

A: Kosei K1 15×7 +38.  $105/wheel.  That’s hard to pass up, especially on a known quantity like the K1.

B: OZ Starlight 15×7 +32.  Who knows how much.  Pretty rare.  Pretty cool.  Pretty good option.

C: Some random used wheel that comes up for sale and intrigues me.  This is the most likely option.

Wheel hunting is fun, I look forward to doing it soon; however, for the first time in my life, I’ll be looking to buy a set of wheels with the intention of keeping them for years, having never owned a set for more than six months at a time.

In addition, I don’t believe I’ll be able to leave the aesthetics of the car completely as they are, the car looks goofy with a OEM Sport rear lip and no front lip/side skirts. Additionally, with the OEM grille and rear spoiler, the car does not please my eyes in the slightest.

On that front, I’d like to acquire either a J’s or Mugen grille, to go side by side with OEM sport lip/sideskirts.  To top those items off, a Spoon duckbill; the most cliche of choices, and for good reason.

In summary, I’m a bit of a nut who can’t make up his mind.  I’m also a graduating college senior who is trying to continue with the hobby he loves while being financially responsible.  For years, I’ve been back and forth on selling the car; always wanting something sportier, more fun, better to drive & look at.  However, I’ve come to realize, that life does not end at 30 years old or when one has a family; so with this I’ve come to the conclusion that the Fit needn’t be a visual stunner, needn’t drive like an Amuse demo car or do any other one thing incredibly well.

What I need is a reliable car, which I can afford, which I can trust to get me where I need to be, rain, snow or shine, and that is still the fun car that I so lust after as a car enthusiast.  With these pieces, I seek to attain all of those things, the ride height will be a bit higher than it is now, it will also be comfier, more family friendly (a good thing), and it’ll be more fun!! I am not done modifying the car, that day will likely never come, at least not until I’ve actually done everything that the car’s spirit demands.

I do apologize for this near thousand word rant, I hope there were at least a few points that made sense.  I’ll update the site again when I actually make a decision and have some parts in my hands.  Until then, go out, enjoy cars, car life and the people around you, whether car friends or not, they’re what truly matter.

Still Nothing

Car is still stock.

Suspension is still in need of replacement.

The car will remain this way until next summer, when things shall pick up again.

Wishlist:

J’s Racing x Showa Shock/Spring

15×6 SSR GTV-02 w/ 195/50/15 Dunlop ZII

New B-Pipe (Sans Resonators)

Fixed back bucket seat

Purpose of said wishlist?

Make the car look decent, sound a bit cooler and most important make it a joy to drive for the first time in its ‘life.’  Its time for me to start getting some seat time and I’ll drive as many events as I can afford, auto-x, HSAX, track days, anything.

Rebirth. Step 1 of Many.

I was putting the car to stock to sell/trade-in.  I realized that would have put me further into a financial black hole.  After this revelation, the decision was made to make the car FUN for the first time in its life.   No focus on crazy rare/expensive parts, no ultimate styling, no nothing.  Just proper ride height, well informed spring rates, awesome tires and brakes, all made fun to look at and listen to through a rad set of wheels and my stupid rare and awesome RS*R C&K axle-back. 

With that, I sold my J’s grille and wing, swapped out the Greddy Evo 2 for the RS*R and am in the process of finding the aforementioned fun things.

I also threw on my GEEKY LURV sticker.  Check his blog here: (http://geekylurv.wordpress.com/)

AutoX and One Ugly Fit

Looks like I’m going to be doing my first AutoX this summer, specifically the May 5th event at USAIR with the Fox Valley Sports Car Club (http://www.fvscc.com/forum/).  I can’t even put into words how excited I am for this.

How rad does this look!?

Full schedule @ USAIR:

Sunday, May 5th

Saturday June 8th

Sunday July 21st

Sunday August 4th

Sunday September 22nd

On the Fit-related front, I’ve sold the J’s front lip and Spoon N1.  Bought a Greddy Evo 2 as well as an RS*R C&K.  Car is definitely at its ugliest.  I’d like to put it back to stock over the next few months if I still have all my stock stuff.