Who here is new to the forum?

Hi all, I'm new to the forum, but not the mag... been a subscriber for over 10 years (I think).

My current garage contains a 2015 Ford Edge (the wife's car), a 2013 Ram C/V for my work, and a 2003 VW GTI 1.8T that I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

My previous toys were a pair of E30 BMW's before I got married, and more recently a $900 (Canadian) E39 BMW, all manual trans... I wanted to do something with the E39, but the body was too far gone, thanks to years of salty winters.

Long time lurker, but finally made an account on the forums. I've been following various build threads on here for quite some time. I'm a professional firefighter located in Richmond, VA.

My current fleet includes a 2009 Mazdaspeed3, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, and a 1989 Jeep Wrangler. I also just purchased a new car hauler so that I can start hitting the track more frequently. Hopefully I'll be starting on a dedicated track car build in the not-so-distant future.

I've owned many cars in the past, but most have remained stock or just been daily beaters. I've tracked a 1990 Nissan 240SX and a 1999 Mazda Miata, but both were too nice for me to warrant tearing them apart for full track duty. The same goes for my current Speed3. I'm thinking I might get back into a Miata for a track-only build, but we'll see what's available when the funds are there!

I started a build thread a while ago and had a partial introduction there;

I have been a Grassroots motorsporter in different forms since like 1989 (radiocontrolled cars then). When I first saw the magazine GRM something like 10 years ago, it instantly struck a string with me. But living in Sweden, it has been hard getting copies of it. Last year, my sister in law (who lives in Oakland CA) gave me a subscription for my xxth birthday. A very good present, and I soon started following the forum as well as the printed words. I also had the pleasure to meet some of GRM crew at the SEMA show in 2010.

I have been living on and off with motorsports since the late 1990's, and for the last 15 or so years I have been involved with the local dragracing club, both as a racer and organizer. Since around 2005 I have also organized a very grassroots series of track events at a local, former military airfield. It started out as autocross like events but has evolved more into track days with more than one car at a time on track.

A small (well...) part of my time is devoted to tech inspections of amateur and rebuilt cars here in Sweden, we have an organisation quite similar to the EAA for aircraft, that inspects cars before they can be registered as road legal.

Gustaf

Been lurking for a couple years, just signing up. After years of loving cars, I'm finally doing something about it in the last two years. Got an NA Miata that's getting some aftermarket love. Did my first autocross last weekend, won Novice class! Looking to get more into autocross and eventually track days when the wallet will support the required mods.

Hi all! Long time lurker, new poster. I've always known of the mag but it was typically beyond my level of dedication to DIY wrenching and know-how so I didn't get too into it. I stumbled across the forum while looking for opinions about a few cars and realized what a down-to-earth group of people you are! I come from The Car Lounge which isn't always so welcoming.

I've been a VW/VAG guy for a long time. MKIV GTI VR6, MKII GLI 16v, A4 2.8QM, MKV Rabbit, and most recently MKV GTI. I autocrossed the Rabbit for a couple of years before shifting to a BRZ last year. Hilariously fun car when pushed hard... Less so when stuck in grid-system traffic. Sold it for the MKV, which was just sold a couple of weeks ago. VW and I have broken up for now.

I'm down to the family XC70 and on the hunt for something new. Look forward to learning a lot of great info and hearing interesting viewpoints from the group!

Long time lurker.

Looking to get more into autocross and track days with a first gen RX7 I'm building. My automotive history/resume includes a couple of Miatas and a V8-swapped Volvo 262c, also I met John Fitch once.

Located in CT

Another lurker here, ever since the early 2000s when I was walking by the car magazines in a bookstore and saw a Dodge Omni on the cover of a magazine I never heard of. Needless to say it interested me a lot more than whatever Car and Driver or Road & Track had going on at the time....or ever since.

I've been daily driving an RX8 for the last 10 years, also have a 1G MX6 with an engine swap, megasquirt, and way more power than it needs, and a Peugeot 405.

Been here since 2014 but never posted. Well, until now. Long time subscriber.

robotic wrote: Another lurker here, ever since the early 2000s when I was walking by the car magazines in a bookstore and saw a Dodge Omni on the cover of a magazine I never heard of. Needless to say it interested me a lot more than whatever Car and Driver or Road & Track had going on at the time....or ever since. I've been daily driving an RX8 for the last 10 years, also have a 1G MX6 with an engine swap, megasquirt, and way more power than it needs, and a Peugeot 405.

Cool, there are several 1st gen mx6/probe guys on here.

Lurker again here, Toyota/Mitsubishi/Mopar fanatic, trying yearly to make it to VIR without something breaking before the event.

I am new. New guy from South GA.

I have been interested in autocross and have wanted a Miata for a while now to see how I could do, but life always got/gets in the way. Now after building a new house and another baby on the way, a 3rd vehicle is out of the question. I have a 2002 Silverado Extended Cab and the wife has a 2007 Yukon. So neither vehicle could work, I would bring the Silverado, but I think I read somewhere it is too long per the SCCA rules to navigate the cones.

Throwing out the idea of getting rid of the truck and getting a gas saving sedan to haul the kiddos around. No need for us both to have gas guzzling vehicles. With a roof rack I could do in a sedan most things I would use the truck for. Some of our good friends moved to Texas and he is thinking about selling their 2006 Accord. Not the perfect autocrosser, but a good family vehicle that I know the history behind.

For now I plan to go spectate at the local event (30 miles away) and may even do a rental car day or 2 to see how I like it.

Keep the threads coming, I love seeing the builds you guys do!

I finally decided to start posting. I am a 67 year old race car enthusiast, thus my car history is rather long so here is a very brief summary:

I was born and raised in Atlanta and graduated from Georgia Tech. My first involvement with cars of any kind was when I got my first go-kart at the age of 8. Later, I literally outgrew racing karts and got involved in drag racing for awhile in the late 1960’s (Yellow A/S 1966 Chevy II Nova SS). My first solo/autox was in 1970 (built 1970 1/2 Gold/White Stripes Camaro Z28) and I still have the SCCA Atlanta Region Schlitz Beer mug 2nd place trophy. I joined the Atlanta Region of SCCA in 1970 and witnessed the opening of Road Atlanta in 1970 (working in Timing and Scoring). Thanks to the US Navy (NROTC) in 1970, I was assigned to the USS Saratoga, an aircraft carrier based near Jacksonville, FL. While there I crewed for Tom Nehl (Roebling Road) in IMSA racing during the 1970’s. When I returned to Atlanta I got my SCCA road racing license in 1982 and raced F440/500’s for several years. I returned to solo/autocrossing in 1987 with a F500, converted for autocrossing, and recently have traded it for a yellow E Mod Jeep solo race car (built by Del Long). I have been mostly autocrossing at local, divisional, national tour and national championship events for over 25 years now. Some photos of the Jeep can be seen on www.facebook.com/jim.murphy.9465 . Most recently, I have been a partner in a road race F600 rentals team, with Clint and Dan McMahan, since 2009 and have gone to the Runoffs with them several times. The Formula 600 rental business is here – www.formula600racing.com . I am now a marketing partner for a F600 race series which can be seen here – www.theformula600challenge.com .

I will post the Jeep build blog and the news about the F600 Challenge Series in other parts of this forum.

I hope that you enjoy all of this.

Jim

Not really /new/ here, been lurking off and on for a couple years. I want to be more involved here this summer (post more, visit more regularly), because the user-base here is awesome. :-)

My current motoring credentials... I'm part of a ChumpCar / LeMons team, and have some other projects (a Fiat 124 Spider, a Subaru Outback LL Bean, and I work on my family's Outback XT, Audi A4, and 944 intermittently). Previously, I have instigated a lemons team and navigated for a friend the The Great Race a couple times. Long term dream: Building my own car (well, frame and suspensions) from scratch.

I was a member of the GRM forum many years ago but lost my password. I rejoined in February. I mostly just read and enjoy what others have posted. My major activity was Solo II although I haven't done any in a few years.

Mike T

Just wanted to say hi to the new members. Thanks again for joining us.

Brand new here! I race in Chumpcar and Lemons. We have an '87 BMW 315i and an '89 240sx. We're really good at blowing u motors!

Torch

New member here. I rescue neglected and under-appreciated Porsches for fun and negative cash flow. Current projects are a '73 914/4 SCCA Solo car, a '82 924 Turbo (931) restoration and a '87 924S driver. I frequent all the Porsche forums and have several build/restorations active.

Add me to the list. I've been a magazine subscriber for several years and I'm just now getting involved in the online community. I'm a glutton for punishment (i.e. RX7 owner). I've been working on my '86 for several years now and will hopefully finish it up this year. I was just getting into HPDE when I blew my first motor. Looking to get back into it when the car is done. Also looking to get a "classic" RX7 (e.g. '79 or '80) in the near future.

Hello all Ive been lurking on the forum for a while. Just started autox this season, after finally not being a full time student. MY autox car/daily is an 03 focus svt. Also have a 79 rx7 with 45k miles on it.

Greetings folks! I've been a grassroots motorsports fan/reader for many years, but only recently subscribed. I finally took my first steps towards motorsports this spring when I picked up an E prepared Honda Civic Hatch. As I prepare the car for competition, I knew the best source of information would be grassroots. I've been into classic Honda's for quite some time now. The Civic will be my 4th 30 year old Honda, my first love being the first generation CRX. I even have a blog about them: http://genone-blog.blogspot.com/ Actually, you can seen my CRX in the latest issue of Grassroots. It's in the Mitty feature (#8). Anyway, thanks in advance for your help and hospitality!

Greetings all:

I started a subscription to GRM when the Ro-Spit project was announced. I had to renew my subscription (and I think my hair turned gray) while waiting for the first installment (it was worth it). I am an mech egr. I have a mill, lathe, welders (but no TIG). Rodger Penske became my best friend (though we have never met) when he closed the Penske K-Mart Auto Ctrs and I went to a local auction and bought my first 2-post lift - allows me to stack the Falcon and Triumph and my wife can still park her car in the 2-car garage. I've owned several LBCs and a '78 Fiat Spider amongst the 38 or so vehicle I have owned. Oldest car I have owned was a '49 Chevy P/U. Most former cars from the '70 & '80s. Only 3 cars had a V8. Only 4 cars w/ an auto tranny - all bought for resale.

My fleet: '61 Falcon, 3-on-a-tree (started driving it with my learners permit in '74), '71 GT6, 4spd+OD (spit bodied, 2.5L, triple DCOEs, Ro-Spit style diff), '91 F150, 5 spd (first time I ever spent over $2K for a car (paid $2100 for it, I think that is why I tend to dislike it even though it does everything asked of it) and '92 Isuzu Amigo 5 spd, 4wd (used to be my year around utility before getting the F150, now relegated to sacrificial winter car, upper driver door hinge tapping plate is trying hard to exit the vehicle - another off season project). I'm into quantity over quality. Wife has an '11 Fusion 6 spd. Not a rental car (auto tranny) in the bunch.

I participated in the 2nd year of FSAE - back when it was Texas based and truly grass roots. It was during the dark days of $10/ barrel of oil in '83 and there was no money to be found for a special project like FSAE. Our faculty advisor bought an air cooled Honda 600 off of a grad student for $200 out of his own pocket and loaned it to us (our total budget for the build event was $500!) to use the engine/transaxle. We accidentally used almost no fuel on the fuel economy event(I shut the fuel pump off too soon and the carb had a fairly large bowl).

Welcome torch25, HanSolo, Jon Frankenfield, 79sa, ClassicHondaGuy, and aribert!

In reply to Ed Higginbotham:

Thank you!

I tried to sign up today only to find my username already taken. Hmmm... I wonder... so I put my email adress into the "lost password" process and wouldn't you know it. Apparently I registered in 2007... so I'm an old timer here?!

Anywhos, as my username hints, I'm into a certain brand of Italian motorcycle. They've been my main interest for about 25 years now but recently I put a few of them up for sale to get back into cars.

I haven't got anything fun right now, but my first car was a '72 Triumph Spitfire, I bought it my senior year in high school. Soon after that came a 1973 Jensen Healey whcih I owned for abotu 18 years. Somewhere in there I also had an '84 GTI, a '91 Sentra SE-R, a '60 VW Karmann Ghia Cabriolet, and a '66 Mustang convertible.

I miss having a convertible and am trying to figure out what I want to look for. My choices are all over the map for now, with the Miata of course making it's way to the top abotu every week or so. But I also consider Boxsters, Fiat 124s, Mustangs, Falcons, and whatever else might catch my eye that day.

So that's my story... now back to lurk mode...

Welcome terrantmike. We do indeed make the SEMA migration every year. We'll be at booth 24233 this year. Stop by and say hello!

And welcome back, DesmoDog! If you need someone to help push you towards Miatas, I can help. Haha