civicdrivr's golfcart and Z8 - 5 thread
#5561
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Shit, we're getting pretty deep here
I try to include Casey as much as possible with my hobby, but she lets me do my thing without interruption. She has made comments in the past that I love my car more than anything else, but I do my best show her that that's not true. I just enjoy cars - taking pictures of them, working on them, driving them, washing them...it's therapeutic for me. She gets it, most of the time. And I'm getting better at reading when it isn't a good time to indulge myself.
But overall we make it work. She knows I'm gonna do me when I need to, just like she's gonna do her when she needs to.
I know that once we start a family, cars will have to take a back seat for a while. It will be hard for me, but it will be worth it. Part of the reason I'm "downsizing" to one car and clearing out my stash of parts is because I want to save some money for a project car I can work on with my child, so we can share my hobby and build something together - which is not something I had growing up. Casey is on board with that - even though she still thinks of cars as appliances
I try to include Casey as much as possible with my hobby, but she lets me do my thing without interruption. She has made comments in the past that I love my car more than anything else, but I do my best show her that that's not true. I just enjoy cars - taking pictures of them, working on them, driving them, washing them...it's therapeutic for me. She gets it, most of the time. And I'm getting better at reading when it isn't a good time to indulge myself.
But overall we make it work. She knows I'm gonna do me when I need to, just like she's gonna do her when she needs to.
I know that once we start a family, cars will have to take a back seat for a while. It will be hard for me, but it will be worth it. Part of the reason I'm "downsizing" to one car and clearing out my stash of parts is because I want to save some money for a project car I can work on with my child, so we can share my hobby and build something together - which is not something I had growing up. Casey is on board with that - even though she still thinks of cars as appliances
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rockstar143 (06-24-2019)
#5562
Your Friendly Canadian
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It's great that you (both) seem to be with people who can welcome your car hobby at least as something that gives you measurable enjoyment, regardless of their own personal interest in it.
Nope, none of that cool stuff for me. There are a decent amount of shock options which are probably cheaper - I think shocks in general are relatively pricey to upgrade.
Why the port injection? Carbon buildup or is it somehow preferable when dealing with higher power? At almost 100k miles, I need to take a look at my intake manifold soon.
I was so tired last night I couldn't think of the term to use for the stock struts, but underdamped is exactly how they felt, even on stock springs.
You don't have DCC, right? If so, you probably have a much larger selection of struts to choose from, and at lower prices (for which I am jealous).
You don't have DCC, right? If so, you probably have a much larger selection of struts to choose from, and at lower prices (for which I am jealous).
Why the port injection? Carbon buildup or is it somehow preferable when dealing with higher power? At almost 100k miles, I need to take a look at my intake manifold soon.
#5563
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
It definitely helps keep carbon buildup to a minimum, but I really want to run it to give me a bit more headroom for ethanol.
It also sounds cool on the overrun.
It also sounds cool on the overrun.
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Aman (06-24-2019)
#5564
I have grown to realize that with relationships, unless your significant other is a straight up cunt or you have a degenerate or debilitating hobby like gambling or drugs, she will probably be understanding and accommodating. The important thing of course is that you don't spend a disproportionate amount of time or money on the hobby over her.
My ex was a manipulative cunt but she would actually let me play games for 5-6+ hours on weekend days if I took care of things around the house, ran errands and had meals with her, etc.
My ex was a manipulative cunt but she would actually let me play games for 5-6+ hours on weekend days if I took care of things around the house, ran errands and had meals with her, etc.
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
#5566
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Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
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It helps to have a partner that makes you want to take them into consideration and spend time with them.
I personally basically only work on my cars when my SO works and/or the kids are with their other parents.
I don't let it get in the way.
Having the baby didn't slow down my hobby at all though, I involve her every chance I get.
I personally basically only work on my cars when my SO works and/or the kids are with their other parents.
I don't let it get in the way.
Having the baby didn't slow down my hobby at all though, I involve her every chance I get.
#5567
Moderator
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
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if only. This is it as far as mods go for the foreseeable future. We booked a trip to Germany and France for later this year, plus I still have the FRS to work on for a bit, so this thread may actually get some updates from that. I'm probably going to sell it with some of the mods still installed simply because it's not worth my time to swap out. So mods for the VW are going to be non-existent for a while, sadly. But with the trip, I don't think I'll be able to swing the port injection and EQT turbo this year
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
#5569
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Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
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the only spouse on here is mrs. peguin
#5570
GEEZER
I'm naked on my webcam.
#5571
Senior Moderator
My wife will never understand my hobbies (i.e. watches, cars, robots)...but, she knows who she married and understands they are what makes me...well, me. She accepts them and gives me my time and space for them. And per what the peeps have said, it's obviously all within reason. If I all I did was immerse my life in my interests and not her or the family...well, yeah, somebody is gonna get a hurt real bad. Somebody.
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
#5572
Senior Moderator
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1killercls (06-25-2019)
#5573
Ex-OEM King
Nah, fuck it - full send. Once I wash the car (after installing the suspension upgrades), I'm going to take some pics of the Prets and list them on Facebook. I've already sold the spare wheel for $300, so I'm only in the Prets for $650 right now. I should be able to come out ahead on them. I still have the stock Englishtowns too, so it's not like I won't have a backup. I may try to source some paint to touch up those scratches first though.
Speaking of the suspension parts, the new top mount inserts and struts are going to be delivered tomorrow. I'm still waiting on. The bolts to come in at the dealership. Really hoping they have them by Friday.
Speaking of the suspension parts, the new top mount inserts and struts are going to be delivered tomorrow. I'm still waiting on. The bolts to come in at the dealership. Really hoping they have them by Friday.
if only. This is it as far as mods go for the foreseeable future. We booked a trip to Germany and France for later this year, plus I still have the FRS to work on for a bit, so this thread may actually get some updates from that. I'm probably going to sell it with some of the mods still installed simply because it's not worth my time to swap out. So mods for the VW are going to be non-existent for a while, sadly. But with the trip, I don't think I'll be able to swing the port injection and EQT turbo this year
You sir are a wise one.
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#5574
GEEZER
#5576
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
I tend to overanalyze a lot of things, but sometimes it's a good thing - like when I analyze my failed relationships
This is something I've mentioned to Casey many times - I only have two or three hobbies, but cars have pretty much shaped my life. They've kept me sane in the rough patches, they've given me purpose when I otherwise felt like I was floundering my way through life, and they've introduced me to some really awesome people. This is all stuff I want to share with my kids someday.
The thought has crossed my mind
I have a few locals interested in them, but if they're not gone by the weekend, we can talk.
We're heading to Munich for two days, then Stuttgart, and then to Paris. We'll be hitting up the MB, BMW and Porsche museums
And J is the wise one.
It helps to have a partner that makes you want to take them into consideration and spend time with them.
I personally basically only work on my cars when my SO works and/or the kids are with their other parents.
I don't let it get in the way.
Having the baby didn't slow down my hobby at all though, I involve her every chance I get.
I personally basically only work on my cars when my SO works and/or the kids are with their other parents.
I don't let it get in the way.
Having the baby didn't slow down my hobby at all though, I involve her every chance I get.
We're heading to Munich for two days, then Stuttgart, and then to Paris. We'll be hitting up the MB, BMW and Porsche museums
And J is the wise one.
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rockstar143 (06-25-2019)
#5577
GEEZER
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rockstar143 (06-25-2019)
#5578
Moderator
#5579
Moderator
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
iTrader: (6)
avoid that one curve on the ring! I have been watching non stop youtube crashes of that.
LOL...I literally have only gotten good from analyzing my failed relationships. I'm like, well the last 2 had the same
complaint, I should probably do something about it.
and
i'm not wise, I'm old!
LOL...I literally have only gotten good from analyzing my failed relationships. I'm like, well the last 2 had the same
complaint, I should probably do something about it.
and
i'm not wise, I'm old!
#5580
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
We've toyed with the idea of renting a car to drive from Munich to Stuttgart, so I can drive the Autobahn. But from what I've read, that area isn't completely deristricted, and there's usually traffic. High speed trains are pretty cheap though, so I have no problem sticking to train travel for most of the trip.
Same thing.
#5581
Moderator
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
iTrader: (6)
What I've realized is that they usually tell you they are fed up WAY before they do something about it.
by the time they do something about it, it's too late and we look like a deer in headlights.
Also it helps to look within at your choices in who you are picking to date too. Either way,
every day is an improvement...with that mentality, you can't go wrong. In solving all problems...
relationships, cars, house, work...everything.
by the time they do something about it, it's too late and we look like a deer in headlights.
Also it helps to look within at your choices in who you are picking to date too. Either way,
every day is an improvement...with that mentality, you can't go wrong. In solving all problems...
relationships, cars, house, work...everything.
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
#5582
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
you also have to want to do better, and sometimes it just takes the right person for you to realize that.
On a less emotional/relationship level, I get the alignment done this morning:
Seeing the camber measurements for the front, I'm happy I went with a less aggressive top mount option. -1.8° is plenty for my purposes. The car drives straight as an arrow now, and steering feels even more direct, and weights up nicely (it's weird what out of spec toe adjustments can do to the feel of a car).
On a less emotional/relationship level, I get the alignment done this morning:
Seeing the camber measurements for the front, I'm happy I went with a less aggressive top mount option. -1.8° is plenty for my purposes. The car drives straight as an arrow now, and steering feels even more direct, and weights up nicely (it's weird what out of spec toe adjustments can do to the feel of a car).
#5583
Ex-OEM King
I did the BMW museum and factory tour, definitely do the factory tour, it's worth it. You do have to book that one ahead of time though. The museum has tours as well but we just did the self guided thing and walked around. Didn't get a chance to do MB or Porsche with other things we were doing.
The autobahn is a lot of fun but a lot of the areas around the cities are either restricted, under construction, or too crowded to go all that fast. Also, most of the rental cars you'd reasonably get are terrifying to get up to any kind of real speed lol.
Words of advice for Munich;
- Sign up for walking tours of the city, well worth the time and money. We did a food and beer tour of the city and it was excellent. Also did a walking history tour and it was great too.
- Public transport is phenomenal, use it. Google maps is well integrated with their system so it's easy to get around using maps.
- Walk into the hofbrau haus to just look around, don't eat/drink there. The Augustiner brewery a block over is 1000x better, cheaper, and less crowded. None of the locals like the hofbrau haus either.
- Try ethic restaurants there, we had some of the best Indian food I've ever had in my life in Munich.
- There is no AC anywhere so hope you're ready to sweat.
- Trains out of the city are great and easy to get to, would recommend.
- The main train station is pretty ghetto (relatively) so avoid it as much as you can.
I was there for two weeks and my wife was there for work for three months, if you have any questions let me know! Have fun!
Oh and Paris smells like piss and is full of rude French people.
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
#5584
Moderator
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
Chapter Leader (South Florida Region)
iTrader: (6)
pro tip - either speak french or use a fake british accent in paris. they hate americans.
they start off rude, but they are tons worse when they think you are an entitled american.
they hate trump, they hated bush...they think we are all imbeciles.
they start off rude, but they are tons worse when they think you are an entitled american.
they hate trump, they hated bush...they think we are all imbeciles.
#5585
Ex-OEM King
Then ask them how WW2 would have gone if not for Americans.
Back to back world war champs!
#5586
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Awesome, let me know.
I did the BMW museum and factory tour, definitely do the factory tour, it's worth it. You do have to book that one ahead of time though. The museum has tours as well but we just did the self guided thing and walked around. Didn't get a chance to do MB or Porsche with other things we were doing.
The autobahn is a lot of fun but a lot of the areas around the cities are either restricted, under construction, or too crowded to go all that fast. Also, most of the rental cars you'd reasonably get are terrifying to get up to any kind of real speed lol.
Words of advice for Munich;
- Sign up for walking tours of the city, well worth the time and money. We did a food and beer tour of the city and it was excellent. Also did a walking history tour and it was great too.
- Public transport is phenomenal, use it. Google maps is well integrated with their system so it's easy to get around using maps.
- Walk into the hofbrau haus to just look around, don't eat/drink there. The Augustiner brewery a block over is 1000x better, cheaper, and less crowded. None of the locals like the hofbrau haus either.
- Try ethic restaurants there, we had some of the best Indian food I've ever had in my life in Munich.
- There is no AC anywhere so hope you're ready to sweat.
- Trains out of the city are great and easy to get to, would recommend.
- The main train station is pretty ghetto (relatively) so avoid it as much as you can.
I was there for two weeks and my wife was there for work for three months, if you have any questions let me know! Have fun!
Oh and Paris smells like piss and is full of rude French people.
I did the BMW museum and factory tour, definitely do the factory tour, it's worth it. You do have to book that one ahead of time though. The museum has tours as well but we just did the self guided thing and walked around. Didn't get a chance to do MB or Porsche with other things we were doing.
The autobahn is a lot of fun but a lot of the areas around the cities are either restricted, under construction, or too crowded to go all that fast. Also, most of the rental cars you'd reasonably get are terrifying to get up to any kind of real speed lol.
Words of advice for Munich;
- Sign up for walking tours of the city, well worth the time and money. We did a food and beer tour of the city and it was excellent. Also did a walking history tour and it was great too.
- Public transport is phenomenal, use it. Google maps is well integrated with their system so it's easy to get around using maps.
- Walk into the hofbrau haus to just look around, don't eat/drink there. The Augustiner brewery a block over is 1000x better, cheaper, and less crowded. None of the locals like the hofbrau haus either.
- Try ethic restaurants there, we had some of the best Indian food I've ever had in my life in Munich.
- There is no AC anywhere so hope you're ready to sweat.
- Trains out of the city are great and easy to get to, would recommend.
- The main train station is pretty ghetto (relatively) so avoid it as much as you can.
I was there for two weeks and my wife was there for work for three months, if you have any questions let me know! Have fun!
Oh and Paris smells like piss and is full of rude French people.
Oh, and the best rental we could realistically afford would be an A6 Avant. I'm pretty sure it's a diesel though. But once you factor in the cost of gas, it's about twice what the train costs. Which train station are you referring to?
I'm handling the German speaking, and Casey is handling French - I'm learning a bit of the basics to communicate without attracting disdain from the locals. I've read that most Parisians speak English, but they appreciate when people take the initiative to at least try to speak French.
We can't finish a war we start, but we'll gladly jump into one half way through! 'Murica!!
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1killercls (06-26-2019)
#5588
Ex-OEM King
Thanks for the tips! We're going at the beginning of December for Casey's birthday, so the lack of AC shouldn't matter. We're both foodies too, so our trips typically revolve around where we're eating.
Oh, and the best rental we could realistically afford would be an A6 Avant. I'm pretty sure it's a diesel though. But once you factor in the cost of gas, it's about twice what the train costs. Which train station are you referring to?
Oh, so they align with 70% of Americans
I'm handling the German speaking, and Casey is handling French - I'm learning a bit of the basics to communicate without attracting disdain from the locals. I've read that most Parisians speak English, but they appreciate when people take the initiative to at least try to speak French.
Oh, and the best rental we could realistically afford would be an A6 Avant. I'm pretty sure it's a diesel though. But once you factor in the cost of gas, it's about twice what the train costs. Which train station are you referring to?
Oh, so they align with 70% of Americans
I'm handling the German speaking, and Casey is handling French - I'm learning a bit of the basics to communicate without attracting disdain from the locals. I've read that most Parisians speak English, but they appreciate when people take the initiative to at least try to speak French.
Munich is an incredibly wealthy city though, you shouldn't have any issues. I've never seen so many high end cars just street parked all over. You'll regularly run into people street parking 911 Turbo S's, MB AMG models of all kinds, Bentleys, Ferraris, Audi R8s, etc. And that's just where the car lives, it's not a temporary spot lol. You won't have any issues with language, mostly everyone speaks at least a little english.
French people also speak English but they are dicks and won't admit it. I'm not sure if they like your broken French more or not. I didn't like Paris at all. IMO it's worth visiting but it's definitely not worth going back to.
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civicdrivr (06-25-2019)
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civicdrivr (06-26-2019)
#5590
Moderator
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civicdrivr (06-26-2019)
#5592
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
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#5593
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Not much to update on - just some general maintenance. It was time to replace the stock plugs after 13,749 miles. I had gotten some random misfires and the powerband was a bit choppy at times, so I figured it was time. Besides, plugs on these cars are suggested to be replaced every 12-15k miles, especially when tuned. Overall, they didn't look too bad. I put in some Denso IKH24s gapped to .024", but a few people I've talked to have suggested closing the gap to .02-.022", which I'll probably do tomorrow night
Overall, the car drives much better then it did. It feels way stronger in the mid-range and the choppiness in the 2-4k rpm range is gone.
Other then that, I've got to pull some logs and send them off to a tuner I've been talking with to see if there's some improvements to be made to the base tune I'm currently running. I'm not expecting huge gains, but I'll be happy if driveability is improved even further.
#5594
Your Friendly Canadian
Join Date: Dec 2007
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12-15k miles
Maintenance items can be pleasurable to do, especially when you notice an improvement in driveability immediately after. And there's none of the financial guilt that sometimes comes with modding
Do you have a catch can?
Maintenance items can be pleasurable to do, especially when you notice an improvement in driveability immediately after. And there's none of the financial guilt that sometimes comes with modding
Do you have a catch can?
#5595
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
Yeah these engines eat spark plugs due to the high boost levels. The Denso's are less than $40 for the set, so it's not terrible for a once-a-year item.
And no catch can. The PCV/EGR systems on these engines are actually pretty good, and unless the car is seeing heavy cornering loads, a catch can isn't needed. I do plan on getting port injection towards the end of the year to give me a bit more fueling overhead plus keep the valves clean.
And no catch can. The PCV/EGR systems on these engines are actually pretty good, and unless the car is seeing heavy cornering loads, a catch can isn't needed. I do plan on getting port injection towards the end of the year to give me a bit more fueling overhead plus keep the valves clean.
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Aman (07-16-2019)
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#5597
Whats up with RDX owners?
Thread Starter
iTrader: (9)
You overestimate me.
#5599
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Thirsty bitch