Have a 370 Auto-X picture

"Lekker" (z34nismo)
02/07/2014 at 16:39 • Filed to: None

First post here, so I thought I would introduce myself briefly. I am a 23 year young guy who works full time in IT and likes cars. That was quick, wasn't it? Joking aside, I am into Auto-X and I did my first two events last season, and will be joining the whole season in the SCC series locally. I have nothing but my fully stock 2013 370z nismo, and a lot of eagerness to learn and have a good time. Future plans for the car: RE-11s, other than that I need skill before I can upgrade more (other than maybe a cat-back exhaust since it keeps me in the same class).

I am located in the KC area, so if any fellow Opponauts are from around, Ahoi!

Here are some pictures from last season, and of the ride in general. Expect photo-dumps when the season starts in some weeks. Cheers!

My buddy is racing his mildly modified WRX as well. That was the first even we attended to, we got lost in the fog for two hours after going to the wrong location. Thanks Screwgle (Just playing, but seriously).

And here is one from down town KC

Bonus pic [Me when I was told today I have to travel over the weekend to a client site] :

DISCUSSION (33)

$kaycog > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 16:41

Nice first post! Welcome to Oppo!

Brian Silvestro > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 16:43

It's funny because you block the license plate in one picture, but didn't in the other. Unless you didn't block it/don't care enough, and I'm just a douche. Welcome to oppo!

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 16:43

Good stuff! Welcome new Opponaut.

Z_Stig > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 16:46

Very nice NISMO..... Good luck this Auto-X season!

Lekker > Brian Silvestro
02/07/2014 at 16:47

Lol I didn't even notice the first picture had it blocked, ha. Thanks for noticing, your noticing has been noticed. I trust the crowd around here. Thanks!

Lekker > Z_Stig
02/07/2014 at 16:49

Thanks! I will most likely post footage and ask for advice from the driving Gods

Lekker > $kaycog
02/07/2014 at 16:50

Thanks!!

Lekker > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
02/07/2014 at 16:50

I feel most honored. Thank you!

Brian Silvestro > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:01

I noticed that you noticed that I noticed.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:08

I'm pretty new too, I am yet to earn any honour.

Lekker > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
02/07/2014 at 17:09

The fact that we can post here is an honor on its own good sir. Like driving: it's a privilege.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:12

I feel all warm and fuzzy now, dammit, I like you.

N/A POWAAAHH > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:12

Hmmm, are you boosted?

Lekker > N/A POWAAAHH
02/07/2014 at 17:13

Negatory. Stock = N/A sadly. If it were a 300z I'd love to have the twin turbo.

ddavidn > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:17

Welcome, I am 24 and full-time IT. And clearly I also love cars.

Lekker > ddavidn
02/07/2014 at 17:21

Very nice! What is your are of specialty if you do not mind me asking. I work in the healthcare department, mostly back-end work with UNIX systems and remote servers for hospitals across the country.

Thanks for the welcome!

ddavidn > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:28

I'm a bit of a rogue... I went to school for network engineering, but seem to be best at web development and hosting, so right now I make up the entire IT and web department for a small (15 employee) company. That makes me pretty happy. I used to do Windows server/domain installs, basic network setup (one router, one switch, etc.) and other miscellaneous stuff. I do miss working in a datacenter, don't get to do that any more :(

Also, I freelance web development and consulting on the side. I did that full time for a year (2012) but I like the comfort of a salary instead of hunting projects.

(Edit: Oh, and I LOVE Unix-based systems!)

Stef Schrader > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:30

I like the Nismo kit on these.

Welcome!

Lekker > ddavidn
02/07/2014 at 17:34

That is both impressive and awesome. How did you end up becoming the one man band for that company? I am looking to do something like that, since I do also have some background in web-development from college. I built a home-automation kit that allowed you to basically see the status of a switch (physical not logical) and also turn on/off an outlet which can be hardwired to a light, AC, etc. The whole device was handled through a website and a series of requests. I had to make my own language since the device I was using was an Arduino board, and it did not quite understand PHP right off the box so I simply made my own web language to interpret requests. The rest of my experience comes from being a system administrator for two different NASA research labs. That simply meant creating networks, setting up dual-boot machines and NAS repository including our own 59TB Raid 0 Rack. I also made some algorithms to interpret satellite images and obtain data (We were basically creating a new product, that estimates the amount of CO2 in an area based off different channels in a satellite image, things like near infra-red and other measurements including zenith angle of the satellite at the time of picture, etc).

Oh, and UNIX, yeah nothing better. Whenever I work with the front-end Windows based components of our system I simply sit there in awe since it makes no sense to me. In comparison to unix at least.

Lekker > Stef Schrader
02/07/2014 at 17:39

Me too =) Not a lot around. This is actually the only Pearl White nismo 370 registered to Arizona!

And thanks for the welcome!

ddavidn > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:45

I'm the guy that's always typing "ls" into windows command prompts. Despite having to work mainly with Windows for most of my career. (Started out as an intern developer for Great Plains (now Dynamics) customizations.)

I guess I just had the right combination of skills to work here. My resume has plenty of good IT references as well as web development, and that's what they need here. I also have Quickbooks and Dynamics experience, which will be useful when we transition to the latter. It's really about waiting for the right opportunity to come along, or join up with a managed service provider that needs someone who can handle multiple types of clients and systems. That's what I did for two years, and I got more experience doing that than I could have anywhere else, though it's a lot more work than a normal IT department. Some companies just need multi-tools like me. Erm, not that I'm a tool. I'll quit while I'm behind.

Feel free to hit me up on LinkedIn (username is the same) or e-mail (my username at gmail) if you ever want to know more about what I do or how to get into small(er) business stuff.

desertdog5051 > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:54

You'll be sorrrrry.....This is a land where things are not as they seem and before you realize there is no escape, you are trapped ...This, my friends, is the OPPO ZONE.

Welcome.

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 17:57

Welcome to OPPO my fellow Z owner :) (06' Z33 here)

Lekker > CPT Speedbump
02/07/2014 at 21:21

Thanks! Do you have any pictures? What have you done to it? Glad to see a fellow Z'er around.

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/07/2014 at 22:50

A few, and nothing yet, financially atm, it looks like a LSD will be on its way soon (and that will be the first thing, base model 350 doesn't come with one, also I've heard the stock one in 350's isn't to great, so will be looking aftermarket)

Kinja'd!!!

this is the picture I use of it most often, and below is the most recent (have been trying to get it washed and covered again (had to drive it in snow at one point, as my 65' beetle (winter car) had issues) but weathers not been permitting, so drove it yesterday to get it warmed up a bit at least, but had to dig it out of snow)

Kinja'd!!!

I know there's a few other Z33 owners on here (one of witch just posted earlier about how he picked up 4 Rays wheels on ebay for under 600 dollars so now I'm deciding to keep a eye out on ebay cus holy shit that's a crazy deal) , and quite a few 240/260 Z owners as well.

Lekker > CPT Speedbump
02/08/2014 at 03:14

That is a fine looking machine. Reminds me of my old 04 350. That think was junk tho, crappy first owner. Anyway, you said you may order an LSD, do you plan to do track events or something of the sort?

Haha my Z is the only car I have here, so it became my DD. Noooooot as fun as it sounds to DD a nismo on a state that has more live stock than population. Be that as it may, it loves the snow. As in absolutely hates it, since I have stock tires (summer only) every turn and corner become a drift challenge where the goal is not to wreck because you've got no grip. It does tend to make drives fun!

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/08/2014 at 10:04

This ones doing ok so far, was/is low miles :) and planning on Auto X atm, we'll see what else comes. Also on summer's, so get stuck in anything deep, drive insanly slow around turns.. or git the throttle a little tap in the turn to throw the rear end out and drift. When I drove it that day, I had to jump a friends car with it, and as I was leaving, I let out the clutch and gave it as little gas as I could in first to where it would actually move, and it just span the tires for 20 feet before eventually getting a little bit of grip, lol

Lekker > CPT Speedbump
02/08/2014 at 11:06

Nice! Yeah I understand the principle it is simply that sometimes I forget to turn my traction control off and it scares me every once in a while when trying to slide my way around a turn. I actually lost traction on a freeway entrance at around 50mph. Tail came around and before I could correct the steering the T.C. cut the power, which meant I over corrected in the steering input and my tail went swinging again but the other direction. Thankfully I held it and was able to recover after the longest 3 seconds of involuntary drift on a freeway entrance. The worst part is, that was with no snow. It is also the chemicals they use here, and the simple fact my tires are just hockey pucks below 40F.

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/08/2014 at 11:12

Nice thing about the base model 350 - no T/C, so I don't have to think about turning it off :D And hockey puck tires in the cold are fun :) I had a scary 5 seconds on ice a while ago with mine.. took a back-road (stupidly) and since then I've realized that that specific back road turns into pure ice when it snow's..anyway, I thought I could drift a whole turn in it (long curvy turns) so I got on it, threw it sideways, and only got it straight about 2 feet away from the opposite curb. I poo'd but it probably looked awesome from the outside, lol

Lekker > CPT Speedbump
02/08/2014 at 11:16

Haha! That is a great way of describing it. I am yet to do an elongated power-slide in this car. I get over steer for the too much gas out of corners but I want to do a long power-slide. My wallet/responsible-inner-self-thingy say no :( if I had a frozen back road or parking lot and snow tires in the other hand..

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/08/2014 at 11:21

I'v not done long power slides either, all that one I explained was was punching the gas quickly then letting off, and counter steering with no throttle input, lol, I have done alot of fun things exiting round-abouts with cold (or hockey puck) tires though :) I don't think I've manage to spin her yet, have spun my Beetle though, once the Beetle's rear slides out it seems nearly impossible to get it back.. I'm getting good enough to drift it in the snow, but at first it'd just spin..sine the engines in the rear, as soon as it slides out, all the weight of the engine is like "follow me!!" and the front of the car listens, lol

Lekker > CPT Speedbump
02/08/2014 at 11:37

Yeah I love me some action exiting corners and stomping on the gas enough to get a nice slide when the road is empty (which is always). Ah Beetle's are so impossible to drift. My father had one, it was a glossy black. I remember how much it shook going faster than 60kph. I once lost traction in the rain and spun it since I did not understand the principles of over steer or physics. I mean I was only 11 haha. I wonder if that is how it feels like to drive a Porsche except with a better chassis and weight distribution.

CPT Speedbump > Lekker
02/08/2014 at 11:40

Lol, indeed, fun car to drive though, and I'd imagine it sort of is, I mean..same layout, same designer, probably harder to spin but probably a similar situation once the rear end does slide out