Well - after running back and forth to my wheel guy like 4 different times this week.. and washing/claybaring/polishing/waxing the car - the car is finally ready for Charlotte Food Lion Autofair...
I'm just glad the car has 4 wheels the same color. I dropped the wheel off on Monday - I picked it up today. My new center caps arrived on Wednesday and I put them on right away... I'll have better pics from the show at the end of the weekend. :thumbsup:
Well - I finally have had time to relax and catch up on sleep - that and download the pics from my camera.
This weekend was the Spring Food Lion Auto Fair @ Charlotte Motor Speedway. I've been showing my various cars there for 4 years now - and the show is twice a year - so I think I've been to 8 of them now!
It was a lot of work to get to this point - and I am glad the weather was cool and not too hot this time - its been stupid hot at the track in the past.
I saw some cool cars, vendors, and a good mix of different cars there.
Well - after doing some research and finding a smoking deal on the next part... heres a video:
LOL!
I picked up this GM LS9 cam - it should work very well with the Edelbrock SC kit I plan on getting over the next year. I didn't plan on putting a cam in the car - but since I'll have the entire top half of the engine off the car anyway - I thought what the hell. Plus I got the cam, new crank bolt, the cam sprocket and the new bolts for STUPID cheap - plus the guy was in NC so I got it next day. Gotta love trolling CorvetteForums for good deals, lol.
After a few months hard work decided to go out of town this weekend - I'll call it Grand Touring NC/TN 2011!
The GF and I headed out to the western part of NC and eastern part of of TN. I've previously been out there when I went to the Run the the Hills event last year - but this time I got to stop and take in the sights. I hit the Tail of the Dragon again, and then took the extra time and went to the Cherohala Skyway. I will say this they have simply clamped down on the Dragon - 30 mph for the entire road! Come now now it was more fun last year! We spent 2 nights in Robbinsville, NC. There is really nothing in this town - at least it had a Microtel to stay in. I suppose I could have driven back to Charlotte - but we spent 6 hrs driving the Dragon and the Skyway - and stopping for a few waterfalls and for lunch. It took us over 3 hrs just to get out there and that makes for a long crappy day, it was nice being able to not have to worry about rushing back home. Of the 2 roads - the Cherohala Skyway is much nicer. There was a lot less traffic - nice areas to pull off to take pictures, and well a lot less cops around too. I highly suggest the Skyway if you are ever in the area. I took this week off work, and I head out to the Power Tour next week - so I'll be cleaning up the G8 from this trip and washing/waxing the Vette again.
Some footage from the Dragon, my GoPro HD stopped recording after 13 mins - I need to read the damn owners manual for that thing.
Power Tour 2011: Got back on Saturday at midnight- just now getting the pics and videos uploaded. The tour started in Cocoa Beach FL and ended in Detroit MI.
Overall it was a good time - except Georgia and Alabama where hot as balls, and well we weren't at the venue very long. Ended up going back to the hotel and swimming/drinking.... lol. Ended up driving about 3,600 miles, consumed around 104 beers, and went thru 15 states.
Highlights of the trip.... Before the trip started - went up to Mt Mitchell, NC. Its the highest peak on the eastern seaboard, and its about 2 hrs from Charlotte. Alabama and Georgia have crap freeways - lets say big bumps don't agree with my car... more on that later. Michigan actually had decent interstate - but the local roads where terrible. Ended up staying in 4 hotels... not bad for an 8 day road trip. Spent the rest with friends and family. We stopped at the Jim Beam distillery in Kentucky - lets say the tasting of 128 proof whiskey when its 95* outside is not recommended - it burned all the way down, lol. We also stopped at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit - unfortunately there car display is in pieces and currently being rebuilt, but they had an awesome Civil War display with tons of documents on loan from the National Archives - learned some stories about the Civil War and spent nearly 2 hrs in that display alone. Also the end of the Power Tour was the best. We went to the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, and on the way out got to hit some of the test courses. There was a huge straightaway that I got up to 125 mph on, and there was a bit of a road course as well. It really was a great way to end the trip.
Next year the Power Tour is going from Detroit MI to Arlington Texas.... so far that 1,050 mile and 17 hr trip back sounds terrible. So as of right now I wont be going.
GM Proving Grounds vid:
The straight-a-way is about 8 mins in - Road course is about 15 mins in. I think the GoPro has a lot better sound - its not whistling anymore. I googled out some ways to solve that, and swapping out the water proof case for the one with holes in it made it sound 70% better.
So going thru the fine state of Alabama on the Power Tour - and hitting some nasty construction zones - I hit really bad bump - and cracked a rear fender.
325x19's + stock C6 rear fenders and big ass bumps dont mix...
So when I cracked the rear fender on the tour, I was a bit pissed - but I look at it this way - I was going to get the wide body kit on anyway, so why not start now with this motivation of fixing the cars rear end.
So the day I got back from the Power Tour I ordered the liners, the brake ducts, the seals, and some push pins. They came today - not bad for being home just over a week and having the rest of the parts from GM sitting at my door when I got home.
I already had the rear fenders, the brake scoops, and the rear splash guards.
I plan on tearing into the rear end over the next couple of weekends - I need to get the car to paint jail, and hopefully be done with this project by August. I got a big car show to go to, and well the RTTH's event is in September as well.
Everyone likes pics, and the last pic is my car in front of the bus at the GM Proving Grounds - it show the wheel gap in the back - mind you I had a couple hundred pounds of clothes, tools, jack and jackstands all sitting in the hatch of the Vette as well.
The vette has really come along ways nice ride man...
09-20-2011
bonecrrusher
Thanks - car mods has been in a holding pattern since I put the rear fenders on.
I plan on sending the car to paint jail sometime this winter.
Heck I really only need the car to be done before next spring for a car show.
Only real update - I sold the ZR1 reproduction rims finally - thanks Craigslist!
I need to get the rear splash guards on - and wash the car since I'm headed to the RTTH's event on Friday.
09-21-2011
bonecrrusher
OMG - an update!
Finally took the time to install the rear splash guards - figured I'd get them on before I go my next road trip up to TN for the RTTH event this upcoming weekend.
Wow, I didn't know Corvettes were like erector sets! :-) Its nice that you can bolt on new fenders like that instead of the fiasco we have to go through with quarter panels on typical old muscle cars... Cool
09-25-2011
bonecrrusher
I went to the 7th Annual Run thru the Hills event and had an absolute blast.
I can't wait to go next year.
We showed up Friday about 45 mins before the cruise to Tail of the Dragon was going to leave from the hotel - luckily they let us check in early and we where able to empty the Vette out with all the crap we had packed.
The Tail of the Dragon was fun - but the rain/fog was absolute crap on the Foothills parkway over to the US 129 - we noticed a few people turned back, but we got over there and the weather cleared up.
Fri night we went to bills shop - and had some apple pie and some Canadian molson - good times all around.
Payton's Camaro was up on the lift - the torque arm slid back into the Axle - something like that and various people spent a good chunk of the night working on it and got it fixed.
Saturday was the Autocross - having to much adult beverages above led to someone feeling like crap - oh well - we got up in time and got to the Autox.
I worked and ran in the first group on Saturday - we got 6 runs in with the first group, then we had to get back to Charlotte because my friend had to get to work. I have no idea what my times where - I'll look in the RTTH thread for those later.
I was wondering where you went. I didn't have a chance to talk to you after Tech. But it looked really good on the Autocross.
09-27-2011
bonecrrusher
Well - not a Vette updated - but a G8 update!
I ordered these Tuesday before I left for RTTH's - I was worried they'd get delivered over the weekend and that I wouldn't be home.
Luckily they arrived today - and the UPS guy actually read my sign to not leave them on the front door!
I know your not supposed to mod the DD - but after getting dark wheels on the Vette - and finding one hell of a deal on these - I couldn't help myself.
Specs:
2011 CTS-V Satin Graphite wheels
19x9 front
19x9.5 rear (sedan) - the coupe uses a 19x10 out back.
I plan on using BF Goodrich KDW2's on these - I already have a set of 285 35 19 that I had mounted on the Vette. I will be ordering fronts through the BF Goodrich representatives that I talked to at RTTH's - hopefully I get a great deal with them.
I finally got the time to order the tires and put them on - went with 285 35 19's in the rear and 245 40 19's in the front - tiires are BF Goodrich KDW's.
Since these are summer tires - the wheels will be coming off in the next few weeks - not that it gets that cold in the Carolinas - but it does drop in Dec/January.
Centercaps are off an 04-05 Pontiac Bonneville GXP - I think I am going to pain them SEM trim black - just not sure at this point.
Argh, blocked out of pics at work. Can't wait to see them tonight when I get home. I really want a G8 for a family vehicle.
11-06-2011
36couper
Fantastic pics! Yo've taken a great car and have made it even better!
11-11-2011
bonecrrusher
Thanks! Plan on paint in the spring - Feb/March - I guess thats still winter in most places - but it'll be warm down here by then.
Vette update - I have been riding on 5+ year old Runcraps out back - mileage is unknown and have 3 different autocross days on them and at least 5k miles on them from just the Power Tour. Needless to say they are terrible in the rain and might be a bit bald, lol.
So after doing some research and being thrifty - I found a set of - new to me - Michelin Pilot Sport cup tires for the back - I can't complain for $200 shipped - sure they are used but for this deal - I should be able to get a year out of them.
G8 update - I am not a fan of the polished aluminum center caps on the satin graphite wheels.
So I placed an order with Eastwood - ordered a can of SEM trim black, and some fine line masking tape. I really can't complain about there service - I got the products in 2 days, I googled Eastwood coupon and found a 20% off coupon code, and best of all shipping was free.
Now my question - does any a good suggestion on a degreaser? I haven't rattle canned anything in a long time, but what should I use to clean off these center caps before I spray bomb them?
11-28-2011
bonecrrusher
Thanksgiving update - Hope everyone had a great Turkey day!
On Black Friday, Charlotte Motor Speedway is open for laps if you donate $25 to the local Speedway Charity. The local Corvette club that I am in went to the track and there where 13 Corvettes in our group.
Hanging in the back - you can really get up some good speed - I topped out at 130mph. Here are some GoPro vids.
After having a great time around the speedway, I ordered some stuff online and picked it up at the store...