Tim Suddard's Articles = uncool

I think the Challenge has changed (or at least tweaked) the definition of GrassRoots, maybe? And the bulk of the people on the forum are of the newer Challenge friendly GrassRoots variety than the previous "H Stock Solo II Championship" variety.

Or maybe I am way off base.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: .....and around here, if we need a car, that frequently means Tim builds it. Just part of his poseur douchebaggery. Margie

Tim passes the good Dad test - I saw how he and his son interacted at several events....he can drive what he wants, when he wants....

No HID headlights but you guys did do seatcovers on a C5

So I guess I'm a pariah here since my garage has a '05 Audi A4 avant, a '02 BMW M3 that's supercharged and an '89 Cherokee.

I like the magazine. I like wrenching on cars, but right now time is more important to me than money. Because of that, I support local shops and vendors. As others have said, what's grassroots to one person isn't to another.

Bear in mind, without people like me, those shops and vendors wouldn't be in business...

docwyte wrote: Bear in mind, without people like me, those shops and vendors wouldn't be in business..

Very true. On some of the guitar boards I used to go on, there was this incredible contempt for anyone who buys decent gear and doesn't get paid to play in a band on a weekly basis. Some people would look down on guitarists who bought good stuff and just played for their own enjoyment. Kind of took the wind out of their sails when they were reminded that many of their favorite guitar and amplifier builders were small-time guys working out of their home or small shops and that without business from what they considered "poseurs," they wouldn't be in business.

You need to hang out on better guitar boards

Varkwso wrote:

Marjorie Suddard wrote: .....and around here, if we need a car, that frequently means Tim builds it. Just part of his poseur douchebaggery. Margie

Tim passes the good Dad test - I saw how he and his son interacted at several events....he can drive what he wants, when he wants.... No HID headlights but you guys did do seatcovers on a C5

I'm never gonna live down those damn seatcovers, am I? Hey, stock C5 leather is crap. It looks like they skinned George Hamilton and made seats out of him.

And I have a somewhat decent copy of issue #1 in my possession. I'm going to try and figure out a way to get a least a couple of stories digitized without tearing up the issue too bad. Looke for something soon. It's total Steamboat GRM.

jg

Varkwso wrote:

Marjorie Suddard wrote: .....and around here, if we need a car, that frequently means Tim builds it. Just part of his poseur douchebaggery. Margie

Tim passes the good Dad test - I saw how he and his son interacted at several events....he can drive what he wants, when he wants.... No HID headlights but you guys did do seatcovers on a C5

Didn't they do an eBay HID swap on the 9-2x?

ZOMGWTFBBQ!?!

Moparman wrote: Before any of you consider me elitist consider my collection of automotive bastards. I have a 2007 Dakota Quad V8. I would say that this is a fairly "grassroots" collection of cars. GRM should not change a thing.

My hat is off to anyone who stuffs not one, but 4, count 'em 4, V-8's into anything.

Haven't seen that outside of a tractor pull!

Guys, read the whole magasine. Project Neon, Project Berzerkeley. We even have a whole low buck issue planned in a month or two.

You have got to understand that these things go in cycles to some degree. We don't formulate every issue. Some are a little higher dollar and some are a little lower dollar.

As for the poop head who didn't like my choice of words that the new BMW didn't fit my personality, what I meant to say is that I am just more comfortable in a cheaper older car.

Also wanted to thank my staff and my readers who stuck up for me and what we do. Thanks guys.

As for older issues, we are toying with a bunch of internet and book content. Don't be surprised if some of these ideas reach reality in the next year.

Osterizer wrote: Didn't they do an eBay HID swap on the 9-2x? ZOMGWTFBBQ!?!

I'd say that a $150 alternative to a $1200 factory option is definitely in the "grassroots" spirit.

Tim Baxter wrote: Jerry, I also thought that was a sweet idea, but it looks like it may be difficult to do. We're not sure we still have a copy that would survive scanning.

Any issue from the first year would be cool. I think I discovered the mag around issue 3 or 4. Unfortunately, I don't think those issues moved west with me back in '89. Other wise I'd sacrifice them for this worthy cause.

JG Pasterjak wrote: I have a somewhat decent copy of issue #1 in my possession. I'm going to try and figure out a way to get a least a couple of stories digitized without tearing up the issue too bad. Looke for something soon. It's total Steamboat GRM. jg

I found an issue from around '84 or '85 (too lazy to get up and check the date). Tim's column has the pointillist picture of him in the corner. He looks too young to be the editor of a magazine. No one will ever take him seriously. I don't think it will last a year......

A book of the first year would flat rule.

Josh wrote:

Osterizer wrote: Didn't they do an eBay HID swap on the 9-2x? ZOMGWTFBBQ!?!

I'd say that a $150 alternative to a $1200 factory option is definitely in the "grassroots" spirit.

This was a very ill-conceived modification and made me very disappointed to see such a "conversion" advocated. The 92-X has reflector based halogen headlamps. This means that the headlamps were designed to use one specific type of bulb and only that type of bulb in order to work correctly. All the optics of the headlamp and the resultin beam pattern and cutoff are a result of locating a specific bulb's filament down to the millimeter with the headlamp lens. By putting in a different bulb or in that case, an HID burner, the optics of the headlamp are completely thrown off as the source of light has moved. This results in every passing car being blinded by excessive glare.

Daniel Stern, an automotive lighting and signaling engineer, has been raging against these conversion for years on his site and on usenet and it falls on deaf ears. It is worth a read if you aren't familiar with the technology behind headlamps and why ebay kits are just a waste of money.

That $1200 buys you headlamps that are properly engineered to use HID lighting as well as components that aren't made by the lowest bidder in a factory in China. The kits you see on eBay are not an alternative. They are just a halfassed and dangerous way of showing off HID lights. The true grassroots way of doing things is to use a projectors and other components taken out of another car and retrofit them into existing headlamps. You get a proper beam pattern and more importantly won't glare other people on the road. The HIDPlanet forums has a great deal of information on how to perform a retrofit.

I guess that brings about another question. What (or who) is considered a poser?

Am I because I don't junkyard dive and don't do all of my own mechanical work?

Or is it another guy who does all these mods on his car, but never drives the car in anger on a track or auto-x?

I think one of the great things about our hobby is that it can be many things to many people. What one person thinks is a waste of time is another person's passion.

For example, I totally don't understand the anal retentive mentality that those concours guys have. At the same time, I'm sure they're completely repulsed by the race pad dust and track rubber build up on my M3.

docwyte wrote: I guess that brings about another question. What (or who) is considered a poser? Am I because I don't junkyard dive and don't do all of my own mechanical work?

Yes.

Look, we can all argue this topic until Margie designs her next patio. I don't think it really matters. We all like the magazine for the most part, or we wouldn't be reading it, defending it, and whining about the content to some extent. I figured out long ago that Tim is a whore for two things: BMWs and old Ford powered beasts. Probably why I like him so much. We'll call the Ford thing a lovable quirk. The BMW thing...well, if you guys are still resisting the obvious that BMW is the ninja of all cars, sorry for you. Keep playing with your Miatas. Most of us grow up eventually.

The preceding message has been delivered with copious amounts of sarcasm. Any similarity to actual facts, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Meh, they were cheap and brighter and once aimed correctly, didn't cause too many issues with oncoming drivers. It also didn't make the print version.

Per

And besides it WAS Pers car... wasn't it? I am kidding Per.

There is only one way to settle this, everyone buy these:

http://www.cafepress.com/PCHCofficialGRM.339675029

And we can rumble on sunday.

I'm never gonna live down those damn seatcovers, am I? Hey, stock C5 leather is crap. It looks like they skinned George Hamilton and made seats out of him.

jg

Now that's funny! I think I'm the only one that liked that article. But then I was in the middle of recovering a set of seats at the same time, but no George Hamiltons were injured in the process.

Wow I sure missed watching this one develop.

My only question is, as my career moves on and I can finally buy a used Porsche, can I still read this magazine?

Of course I can. Whew.

I read the original post and then one or two on every page after that one. OP made me somewhat speachless I must say. Sounds like everyone has recovered so all's well.

Anyone who takes the risks inherent in not only entrepreneurship but especially publishing and succeeds can drive whatever he/she wants to. If no one else talked up their cars I'd be lonely as hell.

uniseriate wrote:

Josh wrote:

Osterizer wrote: Didn't they do an eBay HID swap on the 9-2x? ZOMGWTFBBQ!?!

I'd say that a $150 alternative to a $1200 factory option is definitely in the "grassroots" spirit.

This was a very ill-conceived modification and made me very disappointed to see such a "conversion" advocated. The 92-X has reflector based halogen headlamps. This means that the headlamps were designed to use one specific type of bulb and only that type of bulb in order to work correctly. All the optics of the headlamp and the resultin beam pattern and cutoff are a result of locating a specific bulb's filament down to the millimeter with the headlamp lens. By putting in a different bulb or in that case, an HID burner, the optics of the headlamp are completely thrown off as the source of light has moved. This results in every passing car being blinded by excessive glare. Daniel Stern, an automotive lighting and signaling engineer, has been raging against these conversion for years on his site and on usenet and it falls on deaf ears. It is worth a read if you aren't familiar with the technology behind headlamps and why ebay kits are just a waste of money. That $1200 buys you headlamps that are properly engineered to use HID lighting as well as components that aren't made by the lowest bidder in a factory in China. The kits you see on eBay are not an alternative. They are just a halfassed and dangerous way of showing off HID lights. The true grassroots way of doing things is to use a projectors and other components taken out of another car and retrofit them into existing headlamps. You get a proper beam pattern and more importantly won't glare other people on the road. The HIDPlanet forums has a great deal of information on how to perform a retrofit.

Especially, since, you know, you can buy the HIDs off of someone with a 9-2x Aero...

I'm sure GRM did the leg work to make them useable, though.

The real lesson here:

Never believe anything that you see, never believe anything that you smell, never believe anything that you taste and most of all believe that you could be used a rebar in northeastern Florida porch manufacturing.

walterj wrote: I will take this as an opportunity to say that while I think Vito is a douche and wrong about Tim... I think the recent love-fest for the new E90/E92s is dead content in the mag. BMW gave them a car hoping for some kind words and GRM likes the car so they do... but it doesn't really fit in IMO. There isn't anything cool about bolting on some crap the advertisers gave you to a car that the car company gave you. If you don't have to use a little inginuity, and a welder to install it - its just the same bolt-on I can read about anywhere. Now... I'll take that back if part of this "project car" is a tube chassis and home-made widebody to go ALMS racing in. If you do an article on HID lamps I'll throw up.

Come on! Wiring HID lamps on the Berzerkley would be cool, and very grassroots.

JG Pasterjak wrote: ...... I'm never gonna live down those damn seatcovers, am I? Hey, stock C5 leather is crap. It looks like they skinned George Hamilton and made seats out of him. And I have a somewhat decent copy of issue #1 in my possession. I'm going to try and figure out a way to get a least a couple of stories digitized without tearing up the issue too bad. Looke for something soon. It's total Steamboat GRM. jg

Nope you are notgoing to live down those seatcovers...I will not even bring up the C4...

With a 99 FRC and 02 ZO6 (bought new on 15 Sep 01 since I am a gold chain poseur) in the fleet and another one owner 99 FRC scored for $9300 (since sold ) I guess I must have missed the crappy leather. I did have to recover the $9300 FRCs driver seat - $250 at my local upholstery shop. But then again mine normally have race seats in them on the drivers side....

Despite a tremendous bias to Miatas, E30s and 335i's it is still an excellent read....

GEEZ, it must be full moon. everythings about tim. Remember the POWER behind the throne!! Ron Brothers Austin TX

Im not sure what car the "OMFG EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE BLINDED AND DIE IN A FIERY EXPLOSION IF YOU DARE CHANGE THE FACTORY LIGHTING" guy is referring to, but every factory headlight reflector I have ever seen doesn't amount to much more than a semi parobolically bent piece of plastic with a shiny coating. The reflector shape seems to be more dictated by shape of the car nose than about anything else. I'm sure if you properly adjust the aim after a bulb swap you are probably better than 90% of the cars on the road.