Hello Everyone,

I thought i'd make a separate post to entertain everyone on the Monday before the Holidays.

I woke up after a weird dream. My dream that 6 people separately breaking into my car trying to steal my back seats and i caught each one of them. I woke up and started my way home. As i was walking up to my car I notice that my windows were really *clear*. Trying to think of when i washed the car last took a while so i went in closer for a look. Well the windows were missing and i looked closer...leather seats...hmmm. A black integra (of the same model year) with the same wheels and spoiler, what are the odds? This wasn't my car and i felt a bit relieved. Then i thought...where is my car? In fact i was actually standing in the parking space where i parked my car the previous night - a visitor spot in my girlfriends' apartment complex in Bethesda, MD. Immediately i thought, "shit they must've towed me by mistake" so i call the towing company and apparently they didn't tow that complex last night. Realization set-in and i called the police and insurance and walked my frigid ass to the metro to go home.

So lets recap my years with thefts and break-ins with my Honda and Acura the past few years:

#1 - 1999 Honda Civic (Neighborhood - Alexandria, VA): Hood popped open and battery disconnected, nothing stolen
#2 - 1999 Honda Civic (Springfield Metro Garage): Radio, Amp, Subs, CDs, tools, misc stolen
#3 - 1999 Honda Civic (Springfield Mall Garage): Stolen and recovered, spending weeks in the shop to get every damaged piece replaced and repaired

*purchased Integra*

#4 - 1998 Acura Integra (Neighborhood - Alexandria, VA): Attempted theft, spent 3 weeks at the shop (incident happened 2 weeks after i bought the Integra)
#5 - 1999 Honda Civic (Neighborhood - Alexandria, VA): Wheels stolen, left on bricks and jack stands, no damage and i had an extra set of wheels

*sold Honda Civic* - the remaining incidents were with the Integra

#6 - (Hotel - Wilmington, DE): Radio, no other damage (t'was a quiet ride home since i drove here for work)
#7 - (Arlington, VA): Quarters stolen, no damage and nothing else stolen, but whoever did it pissed in the seat (yes...) and this seat was promptly sold to RJ
#8 - (Falls Church, VA): Phone and Gift Certificate stolen, no damage. i recovered the phone from a 'donation' to a gas station
#9 - (Bethesda, MD): Radio, GPS, CDs, phone charger, and change stolen
#10 - (Bethesda, MD): Car stolen with a few christmas gifts in the trunk

Not surprised at all, it was inevitable. Here is she as i last saw her:




In case you do see it, just report it to the police. Don't tell me, i don't want this thing back. Merry Christmas :roll:

Exterior Noticables: 98 Integra RS (rare considering this was first year for this model and it was the last year for the RS) with no sunroof and a Shark-II stubby antenna. Has a Hidden Hitch, GS-R blades on Kumho ASXs, and black interior.

this would be in my garage...

its one of those freak low mile incidents

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.alltrac.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29702&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0">http://www.alltrac.net/phpBB2/viewtopic ... sc&start=0</a><!-- m -->

I'm looking at buying this HANS device off the NASA forums, but I think the guy has listed it as the wrong model. He claims its a professional model, but the picture of the label he emailed me says the Economy model. Can someone give me their opinion on his price, even if it is the Economy model? If you guys agree with me that he listed the wrong model, I may offer him less than his asking price and tell him why. What would be a reasonable offer (the economy model new is $895)? Thanks for your help!

For sale ad:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=25039">http://nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=25039</a><!-- m -->

Picture he sent me:

Finally got the car back from the shop and finished up installing the other stuff, New sound system...

Alpine 9820 head unit with ipod adapter
MB Quart Reference 5.25's in the front and rear
8" JL woofer

Also added new 16/17 wheels with toyo r888s

And stuck a carbon fiber splitter in the front.

The previous owner had already installed HID's and an exhaust setup. Next on the list is getting some of the interior stuff painted and sticking a new exhaust setup on. Here and the pics...

Ebay Link Here

A friend of mine is selling his bigass Jeep. He's a wimp when it comes to off roading and in most cases my F150 hit stuff harder than this Jeep did. He's improved a lot of things on it and it is trail ready as you see it. He did take it to "Big Boy's Playground" once and it was cleaning things on his first (hesitant) try that a lot of the regulars were having trouble with.

If you know of someone that's interested and they have questions I can get them in direct contact with the guy.

Thanks,
Peter

So, as 2008 draws to a close, I think we can safely call this one of the most monumental years for the history of the automobile. '08 brought with it more advances in technology (albeit matured ones from years earlier, in a more widespread fashion) than I can recall...direct injection, regenerative braking, and various safety features to name a few, that I'm sure we'll be seeing more of in the future.

2008 also held a lot of turmoil for the auto industry that we're going through right now, as previous $4/gallon gas and current financial troubles upset the status quo of your average consumer. You know the deal...small and frugal is in, big and excessive is out.

I thought I'd take a shot at putting some perspective on what is going to happen in the near future and beyond with others opinions.

What's going to happen, and what is important?

What's going to happen to sports cars?

What's going to happen to motorsport?

IMO,

Detroit is in big trouble. - GM's market share is currently below 20%, the lowest since the 1920's, and currently in America the best selling vehicle is now a Honda, with the F-series truck at 5th. Estimates are that they won't recover to pre-'08 levels for 3 to 4 years at the least (and thats when they were still sliding). Consumer confidence is gone and its going to be very difficult to bring themselves back from the brink. Their apology letter really did them in, but no one is feeling sorry for them.

The bailout has stagnated, the Bush WH is contemplating an answer to be given in the next few days. The word "if" has been used a lot, the whole car czar deal...strange (desperate) times lie ahead for the Motor City. Plants are currently stalled (Chrysler's are on a month-off break).

I'm expecting whole brands to disappear (Saturn, Hummer...Buick? Lincoln? Mercury? the list is endless). Ford is finally bringing a full Euro-spec Focus by MY 2010, GM already badge-engineered some Opel's...I think the future for Detroit is a vastly smaller/trimmed production scale featuring Euro/South Am. market-vehicles for a few years until USA HQ's can build their own.

Sports cars and motorsport...well, I can't really comment on these. Its definitely sad to hear the latest news about the shelved concepts and the automaker's exit from motorsport. I couldn't guess what the market trends are for sports cars in the future, just that they are somewhat depressed right now, depending on the model. Corvettes are still halted (I think?) and Mustang sales dropped heavily in '08.

Lastly, this is (hopefully) the future for all brands...

http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/

I remember when this was just a concept/pipe dream. Now they're trial-leasing them in SoCal (hopefully the plug doesn't get pulled...GM EV1?)

James May did quite an eye-opening review lately that reminded me of this thing....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s92j97qx-gs

This car could be mass-produced by 2018, or so Honda estimates. JL makes a great point in the video (that I've been thinking of often), that such accessible alt.fuel vehicles like this would save the gas cars of yesteryear for enthusiasts and collectors.

Thoughts?

I'm posting this for a friend. If you have attended a BRR autocross then you might have seen this car run. I've autocrossed in this car many times. It is a ton (well maybe more like 2300 lbs :lol: ) of fun.

2002 LS Mazda Miata, leather, Bose, CD, all the power goodies, front tower brace (factory-CS legal), Sport brakes, Koni yellows all around, Racing Beat front sway bar and end links,Hawk HPS pads, Hard Dog Sport rollbar, 16" OEM wheels with Yokohama AVID H4S, autocross alignment, all Mazda performed maintenance, 141K miles . . . plus hidden hitch for Harbor Freight tire trailer with toolbox and 12 " tires, 4 - 16" V710s with 26 total runs (like new?) on ASA wheels. Ready to go autocrossing out of the box or daily driver. I've been driving the car daily since new and it is the CS champion car for 5 years consecutively. Green exterior with tan interior. A few spare parts include new Koni yellows in the box, oem rear pads, OEM front sway bar, OEM windblocker (interior piece)

Picture

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22888754@N00/3035832919/in/set-72157609210538708/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/22888754@N ... 210538708/</a><!-- m -->

Car only $7,900. With trailer and V710s $8,500

Contact <!-- e --><a href="mailtoealgoof@verizon.net">sealgoof@verizon.net</a><!-- e -->

So I was talking to Boobies the other day and he was filling me in on some of the happenings as of late which sort of made me miss some of you.

Brief update:
After hyperfest, Joan and I cross countried to San Francisco. We went through PA, OH, IN, SD, ND, CO, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR and arrived in CA for the wildfires. It sounds kind of obvious but America is a great country. Joan and I had no idea how LARGE this nation is and how diverse its people are. Bet most of you guys didn't know that there are more than one type of white people. This was a revelation to me.

If anyone gets the chance to visit the Rocky mountain states, it's well worth it especially if you like to mountain or rock climb.

This is during a hike in CO.


This was the moose that rolled up on us in the middle of the night when we were camping in the Bridger Teton National Wilderness. Pretty sure I was dead.



This is our trusty steed that hung tough for ~7,400 miles.


Bunch of buffaloes headed to the bar in Yellowstone Nat'l Park.


Cyclist in the Grand Tetons Nat'l Park


The most exciting thing in Ohio was this sign.

Sad, but drastic forward thinking is what has made the Japanese automakers so successful IMO.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/banzai-burned-honda-reportedly-kills-nsx/">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/banz ... kills-nsx/</a><!-- m -->

Andy pointed this out to me and I thought I'd share:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top-Gea...Part_205737.htm">http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Top- ... 205737.htm</a><!-- m -->

Season 12 Episode 7 spent a good deal of their first half talking about BTCC history. 0:00 to

Some things to note:

3:00 - Some great driving on old bias ply tires

4:24 - A sweet blue Sierra (naturally). 5:15 makes me sick.

6:20 - A must see two wheel "I wish my balls were that big" move.

When I crewed for Grand Am, I got bitter because it was a bunch of rich, newby drivers banging up hundred-thousand dollar machines. BTCC, conversely, is a bunch of rich, pro drivers, banking up hundred-thousand dollar machines. For some reason that little distinction makes all the difference to my interest level!