Wow, what a season...

[pj]

Yes, PJ, I've heard you. Over and over, I've heard you.

How about I come out racing next season a svelte 230 lbs.  Can I race a normal car then?  Anyone have any anorexia tips?
-N

Well, I was more saying that I daily drive my G35 through winter, and use the winter tires through summer   What's abnormal about FS though? 

[newportroyal]

Great story Neil! I definitely think that would make a great addition to 'SportsCar'.

[neilschelly]

What's abnormal about FS though? 

Nothing abnormal about FS, but something abnormal about me racing in cars I don't much like.
-N

[Jenna]

What's wrong with a G35?

[neilschelly]

Way too expensive.  I need cheap cars.
-N

[ChrisFranson]

Neil, you don't want a Japanese Thunderbird? The G35 is cheaper and every bit as uncompetitive in stock as a 911.

[neilschelly]

Ehh... I'll admit that a used early G35 would probably cost as much as a used late-eighties 911.  In one case, I'd be driving a 911. In the other case, I'd be driving a car that is supposedly a copy-cat of my current 325i.  I'm ready to move on from the BMW to something different.  A 911 qualifies and a G35 doesn't.  An Evo or an STi also qualify, as does a Corvette.  There's all sorts of directions I could go, but it's not likely FS.
-N

[ChrisFranson]

Oops, my sarcasm didn't translate. 
G35s are nothing like BMWs anyway.

[neilschelly]

Fair enough... I guess it wasn't a bad enough suggestion to be obvious sarcasm. This is why it's best not to plan car purchases years in advance.  None of this is likely to happen until I have a garage - that's the priority right now.
-N

[Beans]

Nice story neil, I pretty much knew the plot, but it was fun to read it none the less.

trying to figure out a new ride that satisfies all the things you want is not the easiest thing.  I've been floating in that boat since about mid season when I realized my car was a great support vehicle and did not belong on course.  with that being said, I find it interesting that you would consider cars that are proven not competitive.  I know you like winning just as much as I do (dont ya?!) so considering a car that is a has run, or a never run might not be a great idea, certainly if you want to run nationally.

I know I need the new ride to acomplish a few things.  be nationally competitive, be easy on tires and not be the heaviest girl at the dance so that towing is as small of a pain in the wallet as possible.

have you broken it down into what your realistic needs/wants are?  why is an old porsche attractive to you?

sorry this is sorta OT to your story, but its something thats on my mind daily

[neilschelly]

It's not so much that I want a car that's nationally competitive.  The Impreza is proof enough that I'm not necessarily aiming for the car to have.  Then again, as the story proves, apparently it can in fact win.

That said, I have years of autocrossing left in me.  I really need to be a better driver.  AWD is a cheat on driver improvement.  RWD, especially a twitchy rear-engine RWD, would probably be a great way to push my comfort boundaries.  Something like a Corvette would also be a good learning platform, since it's a car that can go fast, but ultimately I'd be forced to learn how to turn with the gas pedal.  That's something I can do with the BMW in the snow, but at anything more than 20-30MPH, I get very discombobulated.

I'm aiming for a car that pushes my comfort boundaries enough that I can learn a very different kind of car.  In the realm of cars like that appropriate for me, you find heavier cars (like FS/CP/ESP cars) and you find very few sports cars.  I know I can fit in a Corvette and I've heard that 911s are rather well proportioned for tall people.  Most sports cars I have a lot of difficulty fitting comfortably or safely in since my knees interfere with the steering wheel.  Since I'd like to try stock class competition, I really need to make sure the stock seat and wheel are flexible enough for me to fit/drive comfortably.

Ultimately, I'll probably replace my daily driver before I replace my race car at this point.  I'm a little bit done with the electrical gremlins lurking in my BMW.
-N

[Chang]

The nice thing about stock class is that it can be a daily driver as well.

[neilschelly]

I don't think I'd ever go back to having a race car and daily driver in one.  That didn't turn out too well last time.
-N

[batchman]

Enjoyed your saga, Neil - especially now that I've lived some of the same with the red car.

Guessing that no matter what, the grass will always become greener-looking.  I feel so done with stock class, especially if you want to be broadly competitive.  To do that you have to be prepared to change cars with the [rules] seasons, or join in a "$pec" class and hope it has enough voice to shout down potential upsets at the SEB.  At least in *SP you can address issues over time, or "season to taste" without jacking up a radiator cap.

BTW, as a confirmed right-foot-steer guy, I found driving a FWD in anger was excellent out-of-the-box experience.  Well, at least after I put a limited slip in the car (my now-retired SHO).

Best,
- Jeff

[neilschelly]

I like the SP ruleset, but I want to focus more on my driving with my next car.  I guess I don't care if it's not tremendously competitive, just so long as its fun.
-N