|
|
This page NEW in September 2004 This last year was fantabulous. I got to check out all kinds of beautiful and/or high-horsepower and/or custom cars, hot rods, boats, and 'tractors'. And I went ATVing and rallycrossing (BYOC Bring Your Own Car dirt-track race). Weeeeehoooo! Click on the pics to enlarge September, 2003: I swapped the googly-eye headlamp assemblies on the WRX for projector-style Morette headlamps for better light and a custom look. I think it added 16 horsepower too ;) I also did an ECU reflash...along with the straight-pipe 'muffler' I'm at 270hp and a zero-to-sixty of 4.9 seconds (admittedly with a little bit of clutch-dumping).
September, 2003: I went ATVing on the famous Rubicon Trail. See more pics at Nick's Bachelor Party (2003) page.
November, 2003: Linda and I celebrated our 5th anniversary by heading down to the Central Coast area for the Thanksgiving weekend (see pics under 2003 MISCELLANY). We went ATVing on the famous Pismo beach dunes.
November, 2003: The Nissan Skyline from 2Fast 2Furious. Yet another really fun japanese car that we don't get here in the States:
January, 2004: The Northern California Marine Association boat show in Pleasanton. L: deck boats with wide open layouts but sporty performance are the new rage, like the Sea-Doo Islandia R: the Powerski is a jetski-like surfboard that you stand up on to ride, and lean to turn.
In March, 2004, we checked out the GoodGuys rod & custom show at Pleasanton Alameda County Fairgrounds. Definitely a good time. We got to see '32 Ford Hi-boys, Shelby Cobras, and other (mostly) replicas. There were vehicles parked on every inch of available space at the fairgrounds. Unbelievably popular show.
In April, 2004, we went to the Pacific Coast Dream Machines show at the Half Moon Bay airport. Wow! Hot rods, custom creations, steam engines, aircraft, and a tractor pull contest....cannot beat that! By the way, why were we the only Asians out of 10000 people there?! This is a great show for everyone! One tip: Get there at 9 or 9:30 for the 10am opening. Traffic on tiny Highway 1 is horrific after 9:30am.
USC's 'tractor' in the 'open' pulling class:
The T-bucket is the bottom-line in hot rods. 500 hp, 2000 lbs, no extra componentry like fenders, bumpers, hood, top, windows, stereo. Just the essentials.
In May, 2004, Linda took me to Monterey for the weekend for my birthday. We checked out the Laguna Seca racetrack. This was the annual Road & Track Invitational weekend. Many various events go on, such as Drifting, super Kart, vintage Nascar, rotary-engine racecar races, etc. Many cars are on display too. "Drifting" is a 'sport' in which you are judged not on your speed, but rather on how sideways you get, how cleanly you slide thru the turn, how much tire smoke and noise you generate as you spin your tires, etc. This particular competition was single elimination, with pairs of drifters trying to outdo each other thru one regular turn and one hairpin turn, done in both directions, then done again in both directions with the other car leading. Cars are mostly highly modified, high-horsepower Japanese makes. Click to check out Quicktime movies of the Semi-Finals and of the Final Run
A rare and beautiful Porsche 959:
An authentic, non-replica Shelby Cobra...one of two made out of aluminum and highly polished:
In late May, 2004 in Hong Kong. I got to go for a teeth-clenching ride in a race-modified cherry red Ferrari Modena. The 450 horsepower engine sits right behind your head underneath a glass hatchback cover. I also got to check out a silky, pearl-white Lamborghini Murcielago...wow. Behind your head sits a 6.2 liter, V12, 580 horsepower engine. 6-speed, all-wheel drive, and of course, the signature scissor wing doors. The car will do 200+ mph, and go 0-60 is 3.5 seconds. Forward facing scoops pop up (forward of each rear taillight) to let in more engine-cooling air as needed. Rear tires are more than a foot wide. They cost a mere $280,000.
In June, 2004, I took my Subaru WRX to a Rallycross event, which is basically racing on a dirt track. This souped-up Mini-Cooper and full-rally-ready WRX were a few of the many participants.
In my Class, Street Stock All-Wheel Drive (only modifications allowed are engine computer reflash, muffler, air filter) I came in first place out of 9! Compared to the next-higher Class, Street Stock Modified All-Wheel Drive (any mod allowed, but no rally tires), I came in 4th place of 18! Pretty good for a newbie, eh?! But I was there to have fun, and this was the most fun ever! I learned to do push the car to its limits, and figured out how to do emergency-brake-assisted hairpin turns. Check out the QuickTime Video of part of a run
In July, 2004, we went to the Bay Area Impreza Club's major annual meet. 160+ Subaru Imprezas of all types (2.5RS, WRX, STi) from all over the Bay Area showed up at the Dave & Busters parking lot. Many of the Imprezas were heavily modded. Then we all caravanned up the twisty 19 mile road up to the Mt. Hamilton Lick Observatory, gaining 5000 feet in elevation. There was a BBQ at a park and we took tours of the 100+ year-old still-working observatory!
In September, 2004, the Northern California Kit Car Club held their annual show at the San Leandro Marina. There was a tremendous variety of fun kit cars. Our favorite was the V8 Archie kit in the last picture, with a beautiful green/purple shimmery paint job and a fine Northstar V8 in the back to propel it.
|
