Well, I watched the Civic drive away with its new owner yesterday with a bit of a sad twinge. Like putting a pet up for adoption though, its the right thing to do and it’ll be in a better place.

Cars are such funny things to alot of people. People more eloquent than I have written essays and treatises on the concept of the ‘soul’ of a car and its iconic cultural nature to many societies and it’s always been a concept that interested me. Many people anthropomorphize cars like no other machine or object. They get names. Treats. They have good days and bad. They get treated like a family pet or friend. You don’t see that with fridges and toasters. To me one of the most depressing sights on the road is a hauler carrying the remnants of crushed cars. How many happy memories are in that pile? How many of their former owners were over the moon the day they got their new wheels? Its like seeing the end of the line cages at the SPCA.

Of course I know I’m being massively sentimental, At the end of the day a car is a factory produced machine designed to last only long enough to convince you to buy that brand again, but I don’t care. I bought my WRX last spring from a reposessed property auction, from what I’ve peiced together someone used the car as collateral on a loan and things didn’t work out. Oddly I feel like that gives me a certain responsibility to treat the car properly. The person obviously loved the car but circumstances didn’t allow them to keep it. On the inside of the drivers side sun visor is a sticker-note of love from the owners significant other and I never removed it. Its a part of the car’s personality to me. Like removing it would be removing part of that soul. (Yes, I fully acknowledge its also a bit creepy!)

So goodbye, little Civic. I have a strong feeling that as I go on with more vehicles I’m going to remember it as the best car I’ve ever had. In the 9.5 years I owned the car it never left me stranded. Not once, even though I was never nice to the car. I asked it to spin off the rev limiter far too often at the track. Expected it to deal with my ham-fisted slalom driving and even to put up with being treated like a rally car from time to time and it took it all in stride. I wish I had the time, money and even ability (In the bodywork realm) to keep it going like it deserves. I hope its new owner enjoys it half as much as I did and gives it the attention it deserves. I admit I felt a lot better about the process when the buyers significant other was bouncing with joy at getting a new car. Its at least going to someone who sees it as more than just a factory produced machine.

Taken days after bringing it home in 1998.

My first AutoSlalom in 2002.

Reaching her peak and striking a pose.

Doing what she loved.

RallyCross #2 yesterday at Scotia Speed World. Cold day with completely frozen ground made for a really fast course which was nice. The Audi is still shelved for the moment with the persisting fuel problems. We pulled the fuel tank and had it steam cleaned and acid washed. A new Walbro 255lph fuel pump is just waiting for some fittings to arrive from the states and we should be good to go again.

Since the Audi wasn’t ready I decided to try out the WRX which worked out very well. A fairly open course with lots of straights really gave a chance to stretch its legs. Having more than 100hp on most of the other cars on the field really made it a pretty unfair battle though. Even with my wild off-line driving I still managed to score solid third place times. Unfortunately on my second run the ABS carried me right through the end of the stop box leaving me with a hefty 25 second DNF penalty. I immediately pulled the ABS fuse and was MUCH happier with the car’s behavior. I really can’t see ever putting that fuse back in the car. Its no good on the street and its definitely no good in competition. At the end of the day the penalty bumped me to 6th place out of 10 competitors. D’ooh, stupid driver ‘aids’.

Next event January 7th at Atlantic Motorsport Park!

I also installed Rally Armor mud flaps on both Subarus last weekend. I’m definitely happy with the results. They held up really well on the WRX during the RallyCross so I’m sure they’ll be more than adequate on the TS for Navigational rallies. My new Nokian Hakkapiletta 4 winter tires did an admirable job on the gravel too without even getting chewed up much. As I type this we’re getting our first real snowfall of the winter so we’ll see how they do with the fluffy stuff rather soon.

The Atlantic Sports Car Club Annual General Meeting is coming up on December 11th at Kartbahn Indoor GoKarting, 7pm. If you’re a member you should definitely be attending, if you’re not stop by anyway. Food will be served and free Karting with a Feed Nova Scotia non-perishable food donation!

3 days until we leave for Newfoundland for the Targa Newfoundland rally. Man time flies. We’re over doing the same job as we did last year embedded with the TV crew. I think this year we’ll be a lot better prepared since we know what we’re in for. Last year it was a whirlwind of figuring things out as we went along. Still a fun experience but I could do without the stress. I’ve cleared off about 40 gigs worth of space on the laptop for photo downloads… I’m not entirely sure it’ll be enough. I loaded up the laptop with Adobe Lightroom as well so I can proof on the go and delete the obvious crap ones, assuming we have time. We’ll see how this experiment works out.

I get back from Newfoundland on the 17th for about four and a half hours before getting back to the airport and on another plane to Indianapolis for work. Won’t that be fun.

The Audi is no longer in the driveway… for the moment anyway. Its off at the muffler shop getting an exhaust… not replacing the exhaust… GETTING one. A 2.3L Inline 5 with nothing hooked up to the manifold is a bit… brisk sounding for suburbia. This will bring us most of the way to getting the car ready for prime time. A new windshield should be all it needs for a safety inspection after that and then we can register it and get ready for the dirt.

In other tidbits… I’ve driven a few cars whose monthly payments were about par with our mortgage but this is the first car that I’ve driven that actually cost MORE than our house. Of course I didn’t get to drive it anywhere near like it WANTS to be, but thats fine with me. I’m not sure I have the cojones to risk crashing my house into something.

2008 Porsche 911 GT3, 3.6L 6cyl Turbo, 415hp, 0-60 in 4.1sec, Top speed 193mph

Well, its August now. How did that happen? A lot going on and a lot of changes.

I started a new job this week as a Product Implementation Architect Medusa Medical Technologies. Medusa’s primary product is Siren ePCR which is electronic patient record software for ambulances and other emergency response personnel. Its really fascinating stuff and looks to be a great product. The change is pretty daunting since its the first time in 10 years that I’ve had to start from scratch and learn everything over again. Combine that with the shift to a primarily Windows server environment and I have a lot of learning to do. Its a great opportunity though and I’m looking forward to getting into the thick of things.

We’re off to PEI this weekend for the 12th annual Slalom at Slemon. Unfortunately because of everything else going on the Miata is still in storage so I’ll be running the WRX for the first time in competition. Ought to be interesting with worn out all season tires in D-Stock class.

Yep. Its finally home, last night myself and our partner went out and picked up the Audi with the help of a borrowed flat bed and now it sits in the driveway ready for the real fun to begin.

It looks a little worse for wear with the gaping holes in the front but we’ve got the grille and various parts to make it look better. The ultimate solution may be to find a donor car and replace a lot of the front end though since this one has been cannibalized to fit the former turbocharged motor into it. We’ve begun making the laundry list of things needed to get the car on the road and I look forward to starting the wrench turning.

This weekend we’re off to Greenfield for the annual ASCC Canada Day slalom. Should be a good time even if we’re not competing this year.

Okay, I just got finished watching the Robot Chicken Star Wars special and I have to say its the funniest thing I’ve seen in forever. How Seth Green managed to convince George ‘THEY’RE MY MOVIES, NOT YOURS!’ Lucas to let him do it I’ll never know but I’m glad he did. It didn’t take any big risks with typical filthy humor but they still poked some real fun at the series. This one is sure to be a classic!

Cars cars cars… Still haven’t sold the Civic. I had some interest but I haven’t put the elbow grease into the car to get it sale-worthy yet. Its time to do that though, I haven’t driven it since April and sitting stagnant in the driveway isn’t helping things. Hopefully I’ll do that this week. This is especially important because the Audi is coming home! OUR home somehow. The car is now running with an intact and sealed cooling system so the former owner feels, rightfully, that its time to move along. As soon as the Civic goes the Audi will take its place in the driveway and we can get to work on everything it needs to pass safety. So far the known items are a new windshield, the installation of an exhaust system and probably some brakes. I’m sure my neighbors would appreciate an exhaust most of all.

There’s been a few motorsports events over the last few weeks, the first slalom of the year and first race of the year have taken place as well as the second regional rally. Another Bluenose Autosport member and myself did the route check for the rally which was fun. The WRX was extremely fun to take on the back roads even with a couple of blown rear struts. Really makes me look forward to rallycross/spring season with the Audi.

Its sounding like the first Slalom event for us will be Slalom at Slemon in August. If it weren’t for that I don’t think I’d even be taking the Miata out of storage this year but in the end its better because I can blow the cobwebs out of it, install the sway bars and then put it back into storage again starting from scratch rather than leaving it for a full 18+ months. Poor car. I’ve just got so many other things on the go right now.

I figure just about everyone seeing this page already knows but what the hell.

1993 Civic Si Hatchback, 5spd, Polar White

- 250,000 kms
- Original D16Z6 SOHC VTEC motor, burns NO oil though it does run a bit rich
- Functional electric sunroof that doesn’t leak or stick
- Cruise
- Power Mirrors
- OEM-style Fog lights with paint matched covers
- Rear windows tinted professionally (No bubble/fading)
- Clear Corner Markers (OEM Amber markers available as well)
- Brembo rotors and Axxis Metal Master pads all around (4 wheel disc brakes, fresh pads in front, rears need TLC. Hoses are probably due for replacement but no leaks)
- Taylor 8mm Ignition Wires
- 2.25″ Cat-back piping with stainless steel Magnaflow muffler. Very nice sound and not head-turning loud.
- 14″ Steel wheels with Kumho KW11 185/60/14 Winter tires
- New/Used OEM front lower control arms with good bushings (1 year)
- New OEM front upper arms (1-2 year)
- Alpine Alarm with two remotes
- Timing belt + Water Pump done ~15k kms ago
- Interior in great condition with intact carpet, dash and rear seats (See options for front seats) Minor tear in one door panel. (Easily fixed, just haven’t bothered)
- Audio: Pioneer CD removable face player and front/rear speakers, wired for rear amp/subwoofer. Pioneer 4 channel amp to all speakers under passenger seat. Rear deck cover is wired for and has two more speakers but I didn’t generally use them. Rear panel speakers in rare OEM Honda speaker pods. Kenwood 5 band EQ with subwoofer control mounted in glovebox. (I can remove all this for a price cut if needs be)
- AutoStart remote starter unit with one remote. On the car when I bought it, I tried it out once and never used it again. I assume it works but I can’t guarantee.

- FULL service history is available. Everything I’ve done to this car since I’ve owned it is recorded including gas mileages going back to 1999.

There may be other things I’m forgetting, I’ve had this car a long time.

I won’t lie, this car hasn’t been babied but it has NEVER let me down. The motor pulls strong all the way to the top. Its an extremely fun car to drive and slalom.

Body is ‘OK’ shape. The rear wheel wells are starting to rust after being patched once. Front fender wells are starting to show bubbling. (Passenger side, drivers side is still decent) Aftermarket front fenders are very cheaply available, the rear quarters are soft and will require some body work.

Tailgate and hood are solid. The car has never been in a major accident. (The front left side fender was lightly crunched by a snow plow, repaired by Wolf Collision. Click for picture)

The interior cable release for the rear hatch has snapped and I never bothered to replace it, the outside key still works fine. The rear wiper motor is seized but there’s lots of those for sale on LowMotion and other places for ~$40-50. Simple replacement.

Additional Parts

- Original Si seats in perfect condition
- delSol Red-Striped seats (The most comfortable seats Honda ever made IMO, VERY supportive)
- Original Si Suspension with ~200k/kms
- 15mm Integra GSR rear sway bar w/ mounting brackets (Can’t be used with OEM suspension, needs the ITR arms (Included below) or Integra arms available cheaply from Civic Pride)
- Front upper delSol VTEC Strut Tower bar

- Full Summer/winter suspension package
> JDM SiR-II struts and progressive springs (Basically an Integra Type-R setup with softer progressive springs)
> Rear Integra Type-R lower control arms (includes sway bar mounting points, required for both suspensions in this package)
> Tein Type-NA 16-way adjustable struts and springs (Excellent Slalom/Track suspension! Fresh bushings on rear units.)

I’m sure I’ve got a warehouse of other spare parts I’ve forgotten about that I’ll either sell or throw in including freshly rebuilt/painted front calipers, extra brake pads, filters, etc.

I’m serious when I say this breaks my heart to do but as it stands now between my wife and I we have our hands in five cars in a house with three parking spots. Something’s gotta give. This is a car that loves to be driven and has given me a lot of good times. It deserves an owner that will give it some more.

I’m thinking a figure in the $4500 range for everything above would do it, if you don’t want the aftermarket parts the car can be returned to stock and we can talk.

Sunday we got our first chance for some up-close-and-personal time with the Audi and… well it was interesting. We’ve known from the start that the car needs some TLC, which isn’t to say its a bad car, it just needs a fair bit of wrenching before its ready to go. Currently as it sits the stock 20V Inline-5 motor has just been reunited with the transmission but not a lot else. So far we’ve managed to connect all the electrics, except for a wayward O2 sensor, and connected the starter. We’ve determined that the radiator is going to be a bit of a challenge since its a custom high capacity frankenstein job designed to be used in the Turbo motor that was previously in the car. This isn’t a road block, we’re just going to have to figure out some creative mounting and piping. We got to the point where we were ready to turn the key and see what happened but were thwarted by a dead battery and what turned out to be a seized alternator. Still, we should have the car mobile fairly soon and we can start working on making it street legal again which will pose its own interesting challenges.

The WRX is running well and I gave it its first interior vacuum yesterday, there were lovely reminders of Christmas all over the trunk in the form of pine needles. There’s not a lot of question about why the back bumper is scratched up. Good thing I’m not one to have a show-car. Anyone want to buy a 1993 Honda Civic Si Hatchback?

In non car news I finally got around to installing Ubuntu 7.04 on a machine today. I’m both pleased and disappointed with the newest release. On the plus side the installation gets smoother and smoother with every iteration. It takes less than half an hour to go from a paperweight to a fully running, configured and USEFUL Linux desktop complete with all the basic applications you might want. The eye-candy in 7.04 is very slick, even on the dated Radeon 7500 chipset of my T40 Thinkpad too. Unfortunately, however, they’ve taken a big step backwards in laptop support. Whereas 6.06 supported just about all the laptop oddities right out of the box like touch pad scrolling and ACPI suspending, 7.04 for some reason seems to have lost/broken them. I really don’t find the idea of going back and hand-fixing everything appealing. This is really a minor gripe though, if I were looking to use Ubuntu as my laptop/desktop full time it wouldn’t take long to correct these issues and the other improvements in this release would make it well worth it. Vista-what?

I had some money burning a hole in my PayPal account so I decided to pick up some lugnuts. I’ve got a total mismash of 19 and 21mm chrome lugs on the Miata now which don’t look right against the Bronze Heliums. $12, what the hell.

(Yes the Kosei’s need cleaning. Its going to be really fun using these rims this summer with all the dust my Ceramic pads throw off.)

Days until the Miata is back: 45

…do something unpleasant with it. My poor old Civic has been on the verge of retirement for several years now and when the right car comes along it will likely be put out to pasture. In the past year I’ve had verbal ‘almosts’ on several cars and even cash-money on the table for another but fate keeps stepping in. Today Murphy’s Law strikes again as I’m told of a stock, dealer-maintained World Rally Blue WRX Wagon (#1 on my shopping list, right down to the color) for a price I’d actually be falling all over if it weren’t for one problem… I’m currently unemployed. The REAL kicker of the whole thingis that I’m COMFORTABLY unemployed. Money isn’t an issue but its also not coming in the door. So I can AFFORD the car, its just not a good idea. So I have to let it go…

Theres plenty of fish in the sea… there’s plenty of fish in the sea…

In other news BAC is hosting an AutoCross event this weekend in Stewiacke on a frozen lake. This will be a first for us and should prove to either be grossly entertaining, fustrating or some blend of the two. Pictures and thoughts to follow.

Days until the Miata is back: 50