It’s been six months since the last time I posted an update and some pretty cool stuff has happened in that time.

In my ongoing search for a tow-capable daily driver replacement for my Matrix this spring, I think it’s coming down to these two.

Last one for 2018. There’s a few little things to do over the winter and then start hitting 2019 as hard as I can. I was hoping to be able to have a roll bar put in this winter but with the pup needing knee surgery those funds will likely not be available :(

Since I’m still on the wait list for the wait list for the last HPDE in October, I decided to go ahead and do the trackcross this weekend. It was raining all day, with the paddock basically covered in 1" of rushing water at times. The track, while wet, didn’t seem to have too much deep standing water on it so the…

With a nice clean workspace, getting the car prepped for HPDE was a much more pleasant experience.

Man was that fun. Four 30-minute track sessions and though the temperature did creep up to the 3/4 mark, the car never had a problem, and made the hour drive home just fine. I’m so happy with how well this car drives on the track. The staff at Dominion has got it figured out, the event went so seamlessly between…

As though I wasn’t already stressing out over it enough already. 

Since the last update I finished going around the interior and stitch welding the seams.

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted an update on the FX, and a few little fun things have happened in the intervening couple of months. The first thing of note was that I acquired a rivnut tool.

Is there better way to spend a hot, humid weekend than in the garage with your friends, wrenching on a racecar project? I submit that there is not. This time the project at hand is an S13 track car that is in need of more room for race rubber, and revised low-speed aero for autocross.

In anticipation for my first HPDE day in August, I got a oil pan baffle kit for the 4AGE in the Corolla. If you’re unfamiliar, basically these little trap doors only allow oil to flow towards the pickup, preventing the oil from sloshing away under hard cornering (like what you’d see with sticky tires at the track) and…

I know forums as a medium are a dying breed, but does anyone know of any forum that is not make/model specific but deals with track car setup? Specifically things like safety system setup and design. Think fire suppression systems, seat/harness mounting, cage design, aero, etc.

After a very successful trackcross event, a few small issues made themselves known that needed to be addressed.

Hopefully this isn’t a repost, but the tall man is back!

I’ve been looking at 00-09-ish Outbacks to replace my Matrix as a daily in the next year or so, and I have some questions.

Japanese Classics of VA Car Club (JCVA) is hosting our 10th “Rolling up the Blue Ridge” cruise this Saturday. All vehicles welcome. Come cruise some beautiful mountain roads with us!

... since I bought my first and favorite car. The adventures, friendships, trips, races, and memories this car has been there for are some of the most valuable things in my life. It may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. Here’s to 10 more years.

After a miserably cold and wet March, an odd 80* day calls for some porch time. This lovely DIPA is a local brew by Triple Crossing, and part of the “hazy NEIPA” trend in craft beer. I absolutely love these juicy, silky-smooth beers!