So Friday evening I went to the drag strip with my employee, Ray in his 2002 Z28 Camaro. It was a most enjoyable time. I've posted our very first race (and we were the first cars to race at the track too!)
Surprisingly, this was both of our best times for the day...though my car was having some problems I found out later due to my tune. Apparently my tune needs to be street tested for the intake I have vs dyno tuned. Since I was the very first stock G8 to be tuned with the prototype intake, New Era (guys who tuned me and made the intake) later discovered a few more tweaks that were necessary (i also removed torque management which was set at 50%). Incredibly, after I posted on the forums when I got home Friday night at midnight, the tuner at New Era told me to come in the next morning and fix the tune. Great service there.
Basically, my car was shifting into 5th gear when I was going through the traps...and I should have been in 3rd, so I knew something was messed up. Also had a few other G8s there and one guy had pretty much the same mods as me and was tuned by New Era 2 weeks prior. For a test, we decided to race each others car, he took mine, I took his just to see if it was driver error. Nope, I ran a 13.2 vs my best 13.7 (could have run lower if I kept the car in 3rd gear, but I let it shift into 4th at the traps). He ran a 13.8 in my car, so not driver error!
Anyways, here is the race. I got a big jump on Ray, but boy is his car fast. Passed me near the end. All he has an aftermarket exhaust. Fun times...now I gotta go back with my retune and pull a 13 flat muwhahaha
He couldn't drive his car lol....I later saw him pushing it off the track.
GJ said about 23 hours later
Tell whoever it is recording the race to film both speed trap times with a good zoom and, ah, a steady hand. :)
Sounds like you had a good time--let us know how the "re-tune" goes. How did your numbers compare to a stock g8gt?
Geoff said 1 day later
Stock G8 was running 14.2's...it got pretty hot and humid out there with an few drips of rain. Probably could have seen better times in cooler weather. I know the other G8 was running 13 flat last week, so he was about .2 off.
The re-tune is remarkable from a low end standpoint (haven't pushed it high really). With torque management off, you can really "feel" the pull now. It was good before (better than stock), but I guess I didn't know what I was missing hahaha. I can also tell that my car holds the revs longer too which was part of my problem with my 1-2 shift which shifted way too soon. Not sure if I'll shave off .5, but I should do considerably better. I'll let you know next time I go back to the track. It was quite enjoyable I must say. Now I just need a helmet.
GJ said 1 day later
Cool--so was it as much fun as you hoped?
Oh, and the early 2000s series Z28s were very, very fast. A buddy of mine had one, he also replaced the exhaust from the converter and it went like a bat out of hell. Not that-era Covette-fast, mind you, but not much slower.
Geoff said 1 day later
Way more fun. The atmosphere is really cool. Most of the racers there are nice. Some are really helpful and a lot of guys got a kick out of my car. Even had a few bikers checking it out. Kind of funny watching a car run a 13 second 1/4 mile with a baby seat in the back hahaha. Here I took out my speaker to save weight, and totally forgot about the seater which probably weighs even more!
Yeah, his car is super quick...and his gears are incredible. He's hitting the traps in 2nd gear. His times aren't too far off from the new Camaros. Heck, mine may be close too depending on how this tune turns out. I'm also going to invest in a HSRK since my tuner said I was getting some errors on his first run to 100 during the test tune...on the second run it was fine. Apparently the GM sensor is very slow at reacting to heat soak. The new sensor should fix that problem on hot days.
GJ said 1 day later
Oh, color me shocked that some GM hardware is suspect. :)
Marc said 1 day later
Ok, so I'm officially the only Baumbach son that knows nothing about cars now. :)
This looks like a ton of fun though!
Geoff said 1 day later
I'm still learning Marc...I'm far from really KNOWING about cars...but owning a high performance car usually changes one's perspective on cars. I'm learning more and more as time goes on. I still don't have enough confidence to make any major modifications to the car myself. You need a good garage, some good tools, and definitely a second car in case you get stuck on something :)
The biggest help has been the forums for this car. A lot of knowledgeable people own these cars and run some of these boards. You can always ask a question and these guys KNOW the answer. You've got a good job, go buy yourself a Camaro and dive in! ;)
GJ said 1 day later
Take it from a pro, Marc. Talk like you know what you're talking about, and make up lots of stuff as you go along. When you get called on it, use ad hominem attacks on the rival know-it-all to show them who's boss. :)
Nah, actually, cars aren't that hard to understand. I know a lot more about them now then I did when I first started driving, but seeing as I'm all thumbs, I really try to stay away from things more complicated than an oil change because I tend to break more things than I fix. Still, knowing how your car works is a great defense against less-than-honest shops who like to pad their work with all sorts of expensive fixes you don't need.
Marc said 1 day later
Don't tempt me, I really do wanna pick up a Camaro, but can't force myself to with a car that still functions fine, *knocks on wood*. Also saving for wedding and a house means new car isn't even on the back burner yet. :)
GJ: lol
Geoff said 1 day later
vrooom vrooom!
GJ said 1 day later
Stick with the car that works as long as you can, as in--either until it stops working, or you need something bigger. I'm in that groove with no car payments, and that's been a nice place to be when I've seen no raises for a few years thanks to the economy.
Even with my nine year old grand prix and five year old Venture, the repair bills are pretty low. The Venture hasn't had anything beyond basic maintenance (starting to leak oil, tho....grrrrr!) and the Grand Prix is now going through that phase where the wheel bearings are failing (exhaust fell off earlier this year). I'll probably pay $2000 in repairs on that thing this year. That comes out to be less than $200 a month...far lower than any kind of car payment you'd have for a used car, let alone a new one.
Steve said 1 day later
Sounds like fun Geoff. Sorry I didn't get your message in time. Yes, lower tire pressure help a little (very little with current street tires). If you really want to get in to drag racing, pick yourself up a pair of drag radials. They'll help you get off the line much better if you are dealing with a fair bit of wheelspin.
Unfortunately, I think you'd crush my stock Challenger with the final drive I have in it I got the wrong one... :-( Had I ordered my car with 20" tires, I would have gotten a better final drive. Oh well, I should have researched that first.
Geoff said 1 day later
Yup I thought about that...sure beats burning through my regular tires. Right now I need to get a helmet since they were giving us some grief at the track. I didn't have too much trouble hooking up, though likely because of the torque management. Pulled a 1.7, 1.8, and plenty of 2.0, 2.1's 60ft times. Even nailed a 2.0 on the other guy's G8 who had torque management turned off.
Though next year I may invest in a stall and or headers which should change things up a bit...especially the stall. Shave off about .4 of a second with just the stall. My tuner said his wife even liked driving his G8 better with the stall. I'd first have to get a ride in one to see how it runs since I hear it is accelerates totally different. He runs a 3200 in his...though a couple guys at the track told me not to go too low (3000 being low to them). I wouldn't go any higher than 3600 from what I've read.
Steve said 2 days later
What kind of helmet do you need? What requirements, that is? Does it just need to be a DOT approved helmet? Does it need to meet any specific SNELL rating (M95, M00, M05, SA2000, SA05, etc?). I have an old M90 Snell helmet that is DOT approved. I can't use it for autocrossing or anything anymore, so you are welcome to it. It's approximately a size L or XL.
Just to keep others from laughing at you, you are not getting a "stall". You are changing the stall speed of the torque converter. So it would be a new torque converter with a higher stall speed. Just make sure you educate yourself on what that would do to driveability, fuel economy, and long term durability (keep in mind your car is a daily driver, not a track only car).
Geoff said 3 days later
Interesting, I've heard a few people say it that way so I just assumed (I don't think I heard any of them refer to it as a torque converter, though I know what they meant...perhaps it's slang or they are as uneducated as me :). In any case, yeah I've got a number of questions on it before I actually install a torque converter, and would like to test drive my tuner's G8 if he'd let me. Most have said MPG on the highway won't be affected, just city driving (which would of course affect me).
As for the helmet, it is SUPPOSED to have a minimum Snell K98 or M2000/SA2000 rating. Though the guy at the track said just had to be DOT approved. In any case, the guy running the 11s formula was wearing a helmet that wasn't rated for anything lol.
I would still try yours out though, I'm sure I'll be fine. What do you want for it?
Geoff said 3 days later
Hey Steve, I was also recommended stainless steel braided hoses for my brakes:
I hear they make a significant difference in brake pedal feel and performance vs the OEM rubber hoses. Your thoughts?
GJ said 3 days later
I call BS. Unless the rubber hoses significantly expand and contract (and these don't), you won't notice any change. But I'll let Steve weigh in, because those rubber hoses just *might* expand--what the hell do I know? :)
Steve said 3 days later
Rubber brake hoses can expand under high pressures. Not much though. Unless you are road racing, don't worry about it - it's just bling. Stopping at the end of a drag strip isn't that hard.
I have to say, I drove a G8 GT automatic today at work. I got to spend a fair amount of time with it on roads I'm familiar with, and all I can say, is, wow. I'm impressed. Too bad GM is dumping Pontiac. I hope they rebadge that thing the new Impala SS. It's pretty darn impressive. Fast, nice handling, nicely weighted steering, rides pretty good given it rides on 3 season summer tires at very high pressure, and feels like it has very little suspension travel, but doesn't ever beat you up too bad. Definititely more fun to drive than the current Charger. I'm working to change that though, if they let me (and if we stay in business long enough...).
Geoff said 4 days later
Yeah especially at our strip. It's one of the longest in the country. I was just curious. Glad to hear you enjoyed the car! Next time your home, you'll have to drive mine around. It's a wee bit different than stock hahaha. Let me know on the helmet too whenever you get a chance. I'm not sure if your coming up for memorial day weekend or not. I've got my heat soak reduction kit coming in tomorrow and once I'm all hooked up, I'll be ready to make another run with this bad boy and see if I can get some better numbers with the re-tune.
Michele Bachman is one of the batsh*t crazy members of Congress. Yeah, she's Republican, but being GOP doesn't make you stupid. This kind of stupid requires something really special. Anyhoo...check out this science lesson she attempts to give the House of Representatives. Woud it surprise you to find she's a Creobot, too?
We skeptics have a saying...."The Stupid, It Burns!" This does indeed burn. See if you can bear to watch the whole thing!
She needs to watch the video on waterboarding. Maybe even waterboard her...then we'll see how she feels about carbon dioxide.
GJ said 1 day later
Some other "mistakes" include the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere (it's 0.03%, not 3%), and she's an idiot for thinking that by being such a small part of the atmosphere content, it obviously has a very small impact on anything. Next time, she might want to talk to a high school science teacher--or even a high school science student, either of whom could probably correct most of what she got wrong. However, she got it wrong because she's trying to make a political point, so why not spout science-sounding words to get your point across regardless of their grounding in reality? :)
Steve said 5 days later
What kind of human activity affects CO2? Breathing, lady.....
You heard it here first, folks. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
For those of you who have played Pandemic 2, check out this map:
It's obviously a fake--Madagascar hasn't closed its ports yet. We all know they would have closed them just as soon as someone sneezed anywhere in the world.
That second link burned my eyes, but I especially enjoyed this picture.
GJ said 1 day later
Yeah, it kind of dates the whole time cube thing.
You aren't a true Internet veteran till you've experienced Time Cube (tm), though.
In other news, Abby was in NYC on Friday visiting the Museum of Modern Art and the wax museum (Madam Tussuad's?). So far, nobody in our town is sick yet. :)
GJ said 1 day later
...SCHOOLS CLOSED IN MEXICO...
...TURTLE SHELL V4 DEPLOYED IN MADAGASCAR...
...PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARED IN USA...
...AIRPORTS CLOSED IN SPAIN...
.
.
.
...NO SIGNS OF LIFE IN MEXICO...
...NO SIGNS OF LIFE IN CANADA...
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.
.
Yes, that's right, you should go give Pandemic 2 a try. :)
Abby said 6 days later
Out of 55 people that went to NYC, no one is sick a week later.
Somehow, I don't think the threat is /that/ serious :)
GJ said 6 days later
It's not. In fact, people are playing this up simply because they have a morbid fascination with doom and gloom. Let's face it, we all enjoy train wrecks now and then.
GJ said 6 days later
Well, the ones we can watch from a safe distance, that is. :)
