Just saying hello again after a long absence

[ClodMaxx]

Originally Posted by BP-Revo

It was fine before the ECU reset.

wow...sorry, man. i hope it 'learns' fast. i sure hope something i suggested didn't cause any permanent damage. i unhooked the neg on my battery overnight (i did it for a half hour when i installed my CAI) and it's been purring like a kitten with no idle problems. there's someone in our local group that has a G37... i'll see if he has any insight.

i had a '02 saturn that had a clutch that outlasted the car.... over 160k.

squee - what do you have?

[BP-Revo]

We'll see what happens. It doesn't do it if I blip the throttle during startup. So its no big deal.

It really depends on how the clutch is treated vs how you drive the car. My clutch is actually "fine" if I was just doing regular everyday driving. But for performance driving it is shot, it slips for a 1/2 second into each gear under hard shifting and no longer holds under hard launches (you let out the clutch and RPM's will sit at 5000 or so until speed builds then the RPM's drop to 4000 and start climbing with the speed).

So since I plan to track the car very soon (this summer), I'm 99% sure the clutch will die sometime during my first track day, then I'll replace it and hopefully do another.

Clutch life varies so much with use. If you powershift and launch the car all the time, the clutch might barely last 20K, but if you sit on the highway all day with almost no start/stop then you can get well over 100k no problem.

[Unsullied_Spy]

Even under hard acceleration I still take my time with my shifts. The faster you try to mash together objects rotating at different speeds the harder it is on them (hard on the syncros to shift too hard). Before I'll even buy a car with a manual I have to shift it into 2nd really hard, if it grinds rather than go in it has been driven hard and will probably be a maintenance hog as long as I own it. Granny shifting may be a little slower and not look as cool but it sure helps your car last longer.

On the track it's a different story but to me it isn't worth it to drive hard on the street. Last time I saw a transmission go out in a German car it was $8,000 to replace and that was just a normal manual. Doing a clutch in a German car will run you $1,000 - $2,000 depending on several factors. I can replace the tranny and clutch in my Mustang myself easily and for a fraction of the cost but I still don't do it.

[BP-Revo]

I guess it is bad then that I like the feeling of a power shift. To be slammed into your seat as the car lurches forward is an awesome feeling for me.

Anyway, a lightweight flywheel and sports clutch installed on my car is 1500 bucks, which is awesomely cheap compared to a stock one at 3000.

Last time I checked, a clutch on a BMW M5's SMG Transmission was 2800 Euro's, or about 4000. An entire transmission replacement is 25k!!! Good thing we have the 100K mile warranty on that thing...

[Unsullied_Spy]

It's not a bad thing to like the feel, I'm just picky about my vehicles and I know I can't afford to replace a transmission. That is a very good price on the flywheel and clutch, for a BMW that is. Good thing you got the warranty, every German car I've ever owned has been a total disaster :(

[squeeforever]

Originally Posted by ClodMaxx

squee - what do you have?

I have a '00 Camaro SS. When I bought it had stock shortblock, cam, LS6 intake, UD pulley, valve springs, and a STS turbo with 5lbs of boost, making right at 500hp. Unfortunately, I blew the motor in about 20 miles (I knew it was weak and wasn't gonna last long at all when I bought it and for now I'm driving my '69 C10). On the bright side though, it came with a 383 LS1 stroker with a kryoed forge crank, Scat rods, Wiesco pistons, Patriot heads, etc, (was built with the turbo in mind and would have made roughly 1000hp) and I just bought the rest of the stuff I need like cam, lifters, etc. I'm just gonna go NA for now with a HUGE cam (232/236 and .595 lift on a 110 lobe center) and then sell the turbo and most likely go with a Magnacharger in a few months time. I'm hoping for right at the same it was making with the turbo, and probably around 650 (to the wheels of course) with the supercharger.

Basic mods are:

Moser 12 bolt
adjustable lower control arms
adjustable panhard bar
Centerforce clutch
Pro 5.0 shifter
stainless longtube headers
Borla adjustable catback
electric cutout
high flow cats
yada yada

I could go on for ever.

[ClodMaxx]

wow. just..... wow.

fast cars are nice, and i've learned they're also expensive to upkeep (not to mention the really expensive things like blown motors and trannys). heck... new tires on my car will be a minimum of $1k.... they're staggered, and need to be low profile/performance. so, i need to make sure i don't.... 'play' too often. and i can't even imagine the damage another added 200hp could do to them! they'd dissolve! lol.

[squeeforever]

Originally Posted by ClodMaxx

wow. just..... wow.

fast cars are nice, and i've learned they're also expensive to upkeep (not to mention the really expensive things like blown motors and trannys). heck... new tires on my car will be a minimum of $1k.... they're staggered, and need to be low profile/performance. so, i need to make sure i don't.... 'play' too often. and i can't even imagine the damage another added 200hp could do to them! they'd dissolve! lol.

Yea, I hear ya. I'm running 17" Torque Thrust M's with 315s out back and 275s up front (17x9 up front and 17x10.5 out back). Luckily Sumitomo makes 315s for $100 a piece. There no high performance tire, but at half the cost, I can deal. I just got the TTM's a few months ago, but when I get the rest of the car like I want it, I think I'm gonna go with 19's up front and 20's in the back with probably 315's on 19x10.5s up front and 345's on 20x12.5s out back. Not sure yet.

[ClodMaxx]

nice. 20's in the back, 'eh? will mixed sizes mess with the accuracy of the spedo? i love big wheels on performance cars. they lose performance (compared to smaller ones), but the just look mean.

my current stock 17" setup is getting replaced next year with 19's - 19X9.5 Front (265/35/19) and 19X10.5 Rear (285/35/19). that way i won't have to roll my fenders or get adjustable camber links (even with new coilovers to drop it a bit).

do you drag with that beast?? 315's in the back... wow. heh.

[squeeforever]

Yea, 315's in the back for now, but when I go with a new set of rims it'll be 315's in the front and 345's in the back. :D

The 20's in the back won't mess with the speedo, just ABS, but I plan on doing away with it anyway, as well as the airbags. No need for airbags with 8pt. harnesses (don't have em yet, but when I install the cage I have, I'll add em).

No, don't really plan to do much drag racing, maybe some autoX or roadcoarses.

[BP-Revo]

315 up front? Boy am I going to feel bad for your power steering pump...

[squeeforever]

Originally Posted by BP-Revo

315 up front? Boy am I going to feel bad for your power steering pump...

Yea, as soon as I have any problems with it, its gonna be replaced by a after market pump from Turn One. MUCH better than the stocker. Luckily though, the SS Camaros came with a power steering cooler from SLP, so it shouldn't be to bad...But like I said, that'll be quite a ways away.