I'm at a crossroads here....

So I took a new job this year, after 10 years in hell aka the dealership. What's worse, I didn't even know it was hell until I left. Anyway.... I'm taking a small paycut this year which directly correlates to my auto-x season with the SuperKia. I had planned on finishing the STF build with a header, HF cat, tune, brakes this year. Total cost should be around $1600. In that, I HAVE To send the front struts to FEAL for a rebuild, and since they're there, a revalve/dyno. So $250 is non-negotiable as the left front is physically blown.

NOW..... I can do all that this year, but I won't be able to hit any Match or Champ tours and Nationals is definitely out. I'd have to run the season mostly as a single driver car yet again and just enjoy this season as a "throwaway" and wait for next year. This is not a bad option at all. It'd put my total WHP up in the 170-175 and torque around 165-170 with a higher redline to get me more speed in second (up from 63 to around 68). This would be really handy next year on the larger Nationals level courses as the car is one of the heavier cars in STF(around 2790 now w/o my fat butt), but would also be one of the most powerful.

OR.......

Get the front coilovers fixed and replace the worn out stock brakes, and run a full season with a co-driver to share hotel/tire/travel costs and do 2 tours and Nationals with the car as it is. The same car that finished mid-pack the last two years with my mediocre talent behind hte wheel. Then next year, with the wife and I's pay raises finish the car build and a full year. As long as she doesn't change jobs as well.

The bad thing, next year is NOT set in stone as far as jobs because she wants out of teaching and the 50-70 hour weeks she works now. So Nationals could be out next year anyway......

What does the collective think?

Do whatever gets you more fun. The way I read it, it'd be more fun to do the tours and nats in a slower car, but that's me. You expressed that the biggest mod still needs work (the driver) and realistically the cheapest mod is that. Sure track time costs money, but you can't really.substitute butt in seat time, ya know?

I'd go with option #1. Mod the car now, spend a year locally getting used to the mods and learning what it can do, kick ass next year.

Congratulations on the new job. The pay cup is only a slight glitch, you can't buy sanity.

Dan

tough call. I would probably lean towards option 2 just to have the most fun in the car.

You never know what is going to happen next year. Life changes. Just make sure you have fun. I would do option 2. Just my 2 cents.

Yeah, I think that option 2 is what I'm leaning towards at this point. Winning a free entry to a match or champ tour at our annual awards banquet didn't hurt. I do want that extra power and to finish the prep to the max for the class.... argh. Why can't Publisher's Clearing house come give me my winning $5k per week already!

I'd go with the mods now while you can, and get the car dialed in to its new trim. Next year is iffy no matter what, for either option. If you get to go all they way next year, you'll have a year to have developed the car.

If you have peaked with the car as is, then option 1 and spend the season developing it. If you think you can still be faster, then option 2 and do some of the additional mods if the cash allows.

Either way you go, you should come down to a Louisville event this year. Bring that seat sniffer Ben with you

I am definitely not peaked in this car as it sits. Last fall at our swap and drive events there were a couple people well over 2 seconds on a 50-second course faster than me in my own car. It's embarrassing.

914Driver wrote: Congratulations on the new job. The pay cup is only a slight glitch, you can't buy sanity. Dan

In some cases you can. For Mr 'zilla, the price is that pay cut.

yeah, a little OT might almost make it up. Time will tell. I've only gotten one paycheck to date so it's pretty hard to determine what I'm looking at.

Looks like I'll be hitting the NCMP math tour and likely Wilmington in August. Nationals is still on the table, but I'm not sure if that will work or not.

I agree with the others on option 2, it's better to know the chassis limits with less power first personally.

"less power" is about 15-20whp in a 2800lb car. Talking a total of 170whp when done.

Option 2 because more parts and power won't fix this:

Bobzilla wrote: I am definitely not peaked in this car as it sits. Last fall at our swap and drive events there were a couple people well over 2 seconds on a 50-second course faster than me in my own car. It's embarrassing.

Have you done an Evo school?

Fix the suspension and drive drive drive!