Part 2: The Day that Counted
With all the racing on the first day concluded, I pulled off to the camping area and set up my "makeshift bed".
I was hanging out with the Honda guys, since they were awfully cool and interesting. I learned why my competition was so difficult after talking with them; they had "racing beaters". There was no carpet, no interior panels, no carpet...just the seats, the wheel, the dash, and the shifter. I was going up against Civics and Integras on a diet that had some interesting mods on them. The Civic was GSR swapped, and the Integra had a shorter gear ratio due to a special transmission. I'm mostly stock, so of course it made sense that I had a tough time keeping up.
One thing that fascinated me though was that when I launched my car alongside them during the double cross, I could more or less keep up with them! Seems like I have very similar acceleration in the lower gears thanks to the P5's lower-end grunt, but wasn't able to see what happened at higher speeds. Yet, I was at a large disadvantage in regards to handling, which accounted for how I got gapped. I had a longer wheelbase, more weight, and stock suspension; quite the contrast to the mods they put on their cars. I'd imagine that as soon as I get that VTCS removal + MP3 ECU done sometime, I'll be at least able to make up time in the straights.
After a lot of hanging out, drinking, and delicious burgers, night came upon us.
I, uh...don't recommend sleeping in the back of your P5 with the rear seats folded all the way forward. that wasn't a comfy night, as there was a little notch on the rear that hurts your back.
Morning came quick. Shoulders sore and spine misaligned, I was ready to tackle the next racing day.
I lined up my car at the staging grid...
...and walked the track
That Neon and the ZX2 Escort in the image above are absolutely no joke whatsoever. Those guys dominate the competition, and are regularly on the podium! Can't wait until I can be that competitive.
Heats came by one by one, and FB had many more people show up. Had quite a few Integras, Civics, a Toyota Camry with a bespoke manual transmission swap, a CRX, and a Ford Fusion (that spanked a lot of folks on all seasons!)
Overall, I didn't do as well as I normally would've. I placed 22nd or 23rd out of 26 or 27, but had a blast. Radiator worked like a charm. Only problem is that I'm beginning to have a lower opinion of the OBX shifter I installed. I didn't realize that the allen key bolts in the adjusting mechanism were so easy to strip, and have loosened severely; the shifter turned into a long-throw shifter during the event. If it wasn't super long, it was scraping the bottom of my heat shield! Damn thing. Looks like I may have wasted some cash by being stupid, lads. At least I kinda-sorta re-tightened it, but it's bangs on the heatshield.
When I arrived home, I learned that my Blox knob arrived while I was gone. I coupled it with my somewhat ghetto DIY shifter boot (cuz broke lol); that really changed the dynamics of shifting. Felt a heck of a lot easier, really, but also reduced the notchy feeling of the short-throw. The worst part was, I
STILL didn't get rid of the rpm-dependent buzzing!! It only got quieter, but it's still there. At this point, I'm convinced it's the shifter. I do know that the Bronzeoil bushings do increase vibration a little, but that shifter's been nothing but trouble. Might have to either go back to stock or save up for a B&M or TWM shifter in the future.
